Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Experiemts with QR and Shakespeare

These are experiments in QR Codes. At the moment they bring you to a dummy page that I'd like to make a reality eventually.
I think they can be an incredible new way to engage audiences. I see nothing but potential in this technology.
Imagine a world in which you can engage the companies you like on your own terms. A lot of people are afraid of privacy, but I think that this gets around that issue nicely. You actually invite more content by scanning the code. Thus, you only get the advertisement that you really want.

But speaking of privacy, wouldn't it be great to only be advertised things you might really want? I feel like the filter on my brain doesn't need to be as active if advertisers already know to not bother with pitching stuff to me I won't ever want or need. The question "what can they do with all that information they have about us?" always comes up when talking about the future of media, but I have to counter it with, "what would they want to do with it?" The only thing that makes sense is to sell us stuff. . . which is exactly what businesses have always been doing. Now they can more accurately target us. Targeting is a good thing. It keeps you from having to deal with Viagra and Lipitor commercials when you're 15 and from dealing with World of Warcraft ads when you're 72.

Anyway, aren't QR codes cool?

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The Wizard of Ads and Shakespeare and Me

Roy H. Williams is one of my favorite people. He looks at the marketing world in a way that simplifies and articulates his views in a way that compel one to consider his observations throughout the week––if not into perpetuity. I look forward to his MondayMorningMemos every week. It's my favorite things about Mondays.

This week, Roy lamented the world's loss of a genius, J.D. Salinger. Salinger touched every American in some way. He compared the loss to the birth of the iPad, which also will touch every American in some way, I suppose. . . as much as any gadget can.

I wish that the American Shakespeare Center would get a donation that is earmarked for the marketing department so that I could go to Roy's Wizard of Ads Academy. I think it would benefit the company and even all of Staunton. Anyway, I wrote this email to Roy today. I thought I would share it.

Dear Roy,

This missive is depressing. I expected you to at least give us something to learn from the death of Salinger and the birth of something dubious.

I've come to expect a lot more on Mondays.

Also, I almost never watch videos through my iPhone. I look up facts, research different things, find guitar chords so that I can entertain friends with music, and I take pictures of events I attend to entice others in VL to join me in RL (sometimes I use it as a telephone). People have been predicting the nadir of culture with every technological advancement since pencil hit paper, and I don't suspect that this pharmakon will be any more poisonous than those that have preceded it. Some will be addicted to the machine, but some will employ the machine to free up intellectual capital for better uses. The only thing that sucks about the iPad (other than its unfortunate moniker) is that it seems like an Apple misfire. It seems like they misread their audience, which seems like a really good topic for your memo. Everything I read online is how lame and off-the-mark the Pad is. Perhaps Steve Jobs should subscribe to your newsletter.

Anyway, thanks for the weekly thoughts. I work in a nonprofit arts organization and will probably never have enough money to come see you, but we in the marketing department find your memos an indispensable part of what we do. A true resource.

Thanks again.

Yours,

Jack


Perhaps I should have posted this to my Shakespeare blog. I will post it there, too.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Shakespeare Was Tagged


Shakespeare did a "25 random things about me." I think Marlowe tagged him. I will not write one.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Five Awesome Things about 1 HENRY VI in Wordle

Wordle: 5 awesome things about 1 HENRY VI
This is a word cloud from wordle on the five awesome things about 1 Henry VI according to the American Shakespeare Center's new email. Sign up for it at ascstaunton.com.

Wordle works really well with Shakespeare stuff.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Shakespeare's Heart


I wish I remembered where I found this animated .gif of Shakes. But I thought that Billy Shakespeare would like to be remembered on Valentines Day. Well, how many of his sonnets do you think will be pilfered by errant knaves in a few days in the name of love?

Friday, February 6, 2009

Shakespeare Got to Get Paid!


Trusty intern, Mollie R, sent me this one. It cracked me up. Shakespeare do got to get paid, son. The American Shakespeare Center is in their second phase of their Survive and Thrive Campaign, trying to make it through these trying economical times.

Also, some jerk over at the senate is trying to kill the arts. Urge senate not to take out Arts orgs from the stimulus package!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Edel Rodriguez Posters

I love Edel Rodriguez posters. He also did one for Macbeth with Kelsey Grammer. Macbeth with Grammer was apparently not very good, but the poster for it was!

This deer is wonderful because of the whole deer thing in the play, but I always wanted to do an As You Like It poster with a lion. As You Like It is one of my all-time favorite plays, of course. This is now one of my all-time favorite Shakespeare posters.