Whether you’re a fan of football or not, you were probably one of the estimated 100 million strong who tuned into watch last night’s Super Bowl. Parties pop up all over the world to watch this event.

Some even tune in to watch a football game.

Obviously Saints and Colts fans were watching to cheer for their respective teams. Old rockers like myself wanted to see if “The Who” could still make it through a set without suffering cardiac arrest. (The Super Bowl has come a long way since “Up With People” huh?) But the vast majority of the water cooler talk this morning I would imagine are the Super Bowl commercials that advertisers invested millions per spot to create brand recognition and buzz.

One of those advertisers the last 23 years had been Pepsi. But Pepsi decided to opt out this year not because they couldn’t afford the $12 million it would cost to air two spots during last night’s game. They opted out because they’re betting that “the days of mass-market media as the sole vehicle to reach an audience are officially over”.

Yep, you read that right, and an article forwarded to me last week lays out a whole new strategy for Pepsi that will focus on Social Media instead of Mass Media. For Pepsi, the Social Media platform is a much stronger and longer lasting medium for a yearlong initiative and their “Pepsi Refresh” campaign.

Granted, people still talk about Cindy Crawford’s appearance a couple years ago during the Super Bowl. (My personal favorites happen to be the E-Trade Babies that are absolutely hilarious!) The new Pepsi initiative however, in order for it to work, requires far more than a laugh, brand buzz or Monday morning water cooler talk.

“This is such a fundamental change from anything we’ve done in the past,” says Lauren Hobart, chief marketing officer for Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages. “It’s a big shift. We explored different launch plans, and the Super Bowl just wasn’t the right venue, because we’re really trying to spark a full-year movement from the ground up. The plan is to have much more two-way dialogue with our customers.”

The plan for Pepsi is to create a “charitable initiative that can build goodwill”. Pepsi wants to give away $20 million in grant money to fund projects in six categories: health, arts and culture, food and shelter, the planet, neighborhoods and education. You don’t start an initiative like that by spending $12 million in advertising dollars during the Super Bowl. It defeats the purpose, especially when there’s a better – more powerful medium that enables interaction between the company and the consumer who will guide this money to worthy projects.

Will this goodwill initiative spawn new customers and help Pepsi’s bottom line? It may not be enough for a Coke fan like myself to switch, but I do find Pepsi’s initiative refreshing enough to write about it – which could lead others to switch. (For the record, it does shed a whole new light on Dr. Pepper, which is a Pepsi brand I do drink.) For some it could tap into brand loyalty in a way that Mass Media could never do – especially during an event like the Super Bowl that’s designed for entertainment and not social change. That’s why I think Pepsi hits the mark with their choice to opt out of the Super Bowl this year and move to Social Media instead.

In my opinion, it’s a perfect marriage for goodwill and social change.

Social Media is just that – “social”. We’re social beings and the platforms available such as Twitter and Facebook enable big name companies to interact and promote not only their brand, but their cause. You’d be hard pressed not to find a company in this day and age who doesn’t have either a Facebook fan page or Twitter account, or both. Not to say some still don’t have one, but if you’re looking to build your company both mediums appear to be a top priority because they enable the company to interact with their customers in ways never thought possible before.

Like this story – Re-Tweet it. Something you find interesting or strikes a chord with you – write about it and link to it on your Facebook wall. Both platforms can do far more than announcing to the world you’re getting ready to get ready to go out next Friday night. And the thing is – people and companies are beginning to see the power these social platforms have. They’ve quickly turned into tools that promote meaningful change and perhaps, for companies like Pepsi – a better bottom line.

Aside from talking about all those over the top and extremely entertaining Super Bowl commercials there’s really very little value for me or you after that. Not that I have anything against brand buzz or hype. I buy into it just as much as the next guy – especially if it technology or travel related. But this shift Pepsi is taking this year takes a strike directly at this long standing medium and makes a very bold statement that there is another way – a better way to get your message and brand out to the masses.

I think about the ZamZuu video that’s on our Rep Accounts, and I see those quotes about the internet, Facebook, old ways of doing business, and traditional advertising being dead.

Couple that with what Pepsi is doing?

Do you think both could be dead wrong?

Possibly. But I don’t think the odds are that overwhelming when you have big names like Pepsi jumping from Mass Media to the Social Media bandwagon. You don’t just stop doing things after 23 years without some very close and careful analysis.

It’s certainly a very bold move. But those of us in YTB, know all about being bold don’t we?

Can’t wait to see how both shake out. ;-P

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Do You ZamZuu?

I’m guessing I’m showing my age here – but you can’t bring up Princess Cruises without “The Love Boat” Theme running through my head. Truth is, the show was partly responsible for me wanting to work in the travel industry. The show certainly portrayed a very glamorous lifestyle that I wanted to be part of.

Little did I know at the time what the future had in store for me with an opportunity like YTB.

Several years ago YTB came up with this idea of hosting a “Sail-a-thon” on the Internet to promote both key partners and destinations for our customers. The field loves it because it gives many an opportunity to host a party at the house. Partners love it because it costs them nothing. They simply piggy back on the technology and infrastructure YTB has invested in – giving them an opportunity to promote from a single location to thousands. YTB has been hosting these “Sail-A-Thons” for years with several companies and since they keep on popping up every couple of months – everyone involved sees value in the events.

Cruise nights aren’t new however. CLIA (Cruise Line Industry Association) actually came up with the concept five years ago with the “World’s Largest Cruise Night“. Hundreds of Agencies still get together in a collective effort each year in October to promote the joy of cruising to clients.

All YTB did was modernize the concept, making it easier for clients to become informed and educated, while at the same time saving Cruise Lines some serious money by reaching the same number of clients (if not more) from one centralized location over the internet. Most recently, YTB partnered the webcast with Facebook to make it even easier for YTB Agents to send a simple link to friends and clients to enjoy specials and promotions on the worlds most popular social networking site.

Adding Facebook into the equation makes it interactive, an element that was missing with a simple webcast. When YTB tried it for the first time with Carnival back in November, we had no idea the power it possessed and how much fun it could be. Thousands of people posted their favorite cruise pictures and some even won prizes! (Like yours truly. ;-P)

Thursday night, Princess Cruises gets into the act with a new twist called Trivia Night. The hour long broadcast will ask six Trivia Gold questions about Princess and/or Alaska to give viewers a chance to win prizes by answering the questions. In the meantime viewers also become educated on the value of cruising – and more specifically why Princess Cruises is the premier cruise line when it comes to an Alaska destination.

For example, a 7-night Voyage of the Glaciers cruise is followed by 5-nights on land featuring 1 night at McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, 2 nights at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and 2 nights at Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge. It’s the only cruise of it’s kind. Princess has invested millions into these lodges and you won’t find these type of amenities from any other cruise line.

This cruisetour offers the ultimate vacation for the entire family, ensuring you see all the best of Alaska by land and by sea. You just can’t get that with any other line. 

As an added incentive to “come aboard”, Cruise customers will see some great prices for all destinations with the following benefits:

• Up to $100 onboard credit per stateroom
• Reduced deposit of just $100 per person
• Coupons worth up to $325 in onboard savings

The entire savings package can be found right here, and you can pull up a direct link to Princess Cruise Lines here to investigate and price out your next Princess Cruise.

The Sail-a-Thon should be a lot fun. From what I saw, Facebook fans enjoyed interacting with each other during the Carnival Sail-a-Thon a few months ago.

Technology – aint it grand?

Hope to see you there and of course some of you will be singing it with me until then…

Love, exciting and new
Come Aboard. We’re expecting you.
Love, life’s sweetest reward.
Let it flow, it floats back to you.

If you’re too young to remember the song that’s okay. Just remember to join us tomorrow night!

Hope to see you then!

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Do You ZamZuu?

You’ve probably figured out that I enjoy writing. I started blogging back in December 2005 and because I enjoy the activity, I’ve not only kept up with it, but expanded my writing over the years. Almost two years ago I started a YTB newsletter that goes out each and every week to thousands of subscribers. About 9 months ago, I was invited to write for Examiner.com, and added that to my list of weekly writing. For some, that might seem like a lot of work, and while I do spend time typing away each week on this keyboard, I hardly consider this “work” because I enjoy it.

I’ve been consistent about my writing and created a ton of content here on the internet. As a result of those two factors, I’ve gotten some pretty solid exposure and page rankings on several different topics. To write something, and then see it indexed on Google less than 20 minutes later can be a real kick. Most bloggers would die for any type of ranking on Google, let alone first or second page views. 

I can’t think of another format (that being the internet) where an average guy like me can create a following because of its open source and the way search engines index and pull up information on any topic you could imagine. Think YouTube, BlogTalkRadio, and the millions of blogs out there that generate millions of clicks each and every day. Each medium giving the average Joe a place to share his or her ideas and subject matter.

For some, that’s part of the charm. For others, it’s a real threat.

Examiner.com was created for those looking for a local angle. Examiner’s slogan states “insider source for everything local”. Topics range from bar hopping to the latest attraction at the zoo. These niche topics and markets have created a staggering amount of content on the internet, each with its own niche both by location and subject. Would the vast majority of the information found on Examiner.com be considered “newsworthy”? Hardly. But I don’t consider Tiger Woods, Sandra Bullock and Weezer “news” either.

Time Magazine (and I would assume other news organizations) have taken notice on how well a bunch of “Pro-Am’s” (not yet “professional” writers, but not “amateurs”) have overtaken first and second page search rankings. Other news organizations also compete in part for Google, Yahoo!, and Bing page rankings to garner readership on the internet. Low and behold, one “Professional” appears to be a bit upset that a bunch of “Pro-Am’s” are getting better search rankings than they are.

As someone who doesn’t have the kind of money Time, CNN, or any other new conglomerate has, you learn things when writing on the internet. Tags, categories, key words, social media and linking all help attain visibility in this massive space. Content however is still king when it comes to the crawlers and spiders finding you and then prominently placing you in what’s known as organic searches. When I made the switch over to hosting my own blog with WordPress a little more than a year ago, I brought all three previous years of content with me. Because of that content, the new Just Picture It Now blog was not only picked up, but indexed within a period of days instead of months.

A bloggers dream come true.

However, getting noticed on the internet does have drawbacks. Attaining visibility also means that your going to attract some readership who frankly don’t agree with your point of view or the company you keep. Because their opinions are obviously more important than yours – often times they’re going to tell you so. And I can tell you from personal experience – it can be down right nasty and bizarre at times.

If you’re not ruffling a couple of feathers – you’re simply not doing a very good job of getting noticed. Look at YTB. Here’s a Travel MLM that’s name is probably more recognized in the travel industry than three quarters of all the other Agencies out there. Not only is it a household name for most who work in the trade, it gets the entire industry in a tizzy every time these three letters show up in a publication. (Just look at the ridiculous communication and emotional outbursts in Travel Weekly’s latest YTB article if you’re not sure how emotionally charged the subject is.)

But like the travel industry, news media has also changed due to the internet and how stories and content is consumed. If you’re like me, you can’t stand main stream media because of it’s bias, the lies (mostly by omission), distortions, and often ulterior motives that many in the mainstream media adhere to. Let’s also not forget how they attempt to create a stories with the way they badger and quarry certain topics. I found the Tiger Woods fiasco a complete sham with the way they sensationalized his accident.

All done for some sort of story and the almighty buck.

And that my friend is what it boils down to here. There is gold in the form of ad revenue from the thousands of topics and millions of articles written on the pages of Examiner.com. Like Network Marketing, there is also power in numbers. According to Time article Nielsen ranks Examiner.com as the fastest-growing Internet news site in the U.S. I can also tell you that Alexa ranks Examiner.com higher than Time.

Which brings us to the question of just how this happened. It certainly wasn’t money. (Examiner.com doesn’t pay but a penny per page view on average.) No it was something much more powerful and effective. Grass roots efforts using social media like Facebook and Twitter and the relationships they create make Examiner.com a force that mainstream media simply can’t create or compete with.

For me, I’m getting another kick out of David beating out Goliath for the time being. Examiner.com is still very young and has some growing up to do. (Both from a corporate side and a truly personal level.) I think it has a good shot of finding it’s own voice however – based on the model and the passion it’s writers have about their particular interest and topic.

One things for sure; the time has come for Examiner.com. Good or bad, people are taking notice and that creates even more readership and popularity. Some I’m sure will be picked up by the same “news organizations” who are starting to poke and pry. (There are some really good writers on Examiner.com) Others don’t have the stomach or self worth for anyone to criticize a single thing they do, so they’ll probably just quit and find another, more respectable place to hide. Some will take an “I’ll show you” approach and start polishing their craft, or contributing to others on how to be better writers.

Me…I just love to write – and thanks to the internet, this blog and Examiner.com I have an outlet to do just that. If you like it – all the better. If not, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

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Do You ZamZuu?

I guess I’m extremely callous. After all these years of reading Anti-MLM Zealots perceptions, predictions, and outright exaggerations about life and how they perceive this world – I can pretty much count on the exact opposite view or perception being the one that’s accurate. As a marketer and online entrepreneur, the last few months have been rather interesting as I’ve read, watched, and gained insight to the new FTC Guidelines concerning Blogging, Affiliates, and Advertising that went into effect yesterday, December 1st.

It might surprise you that advertising guidelines haven’t been updated since 1980 – which we all know is long before most of us even had a computer in the home or at the office – let alone internet access. Needless to say, these new guidelines for the internet have been long overdue. For some who like to live on the edge – like it or not – their way of doing business needs to change or they’ll face some hefty penalties if they don’t.

What’s so astounding to me is the reaction of a few really valuable bloggers, affiliates, and marketers, and what they have done recently because of these new guidelines. All of the sudden they’re running scared – some to the point of ending their blogs and affiliate programs because they’re fearful of what the FTC might do. Why? Because they’ve bought into all the fear mongering, half truths, myths, and flat out lies about what the new guidelines from the FTC are actually designed to do.

Based on what I’ve studied over the last few months concerning these new guidelines – those of us who have been doing business ethically and properly, have nothing to worry about. A simple disclaimer that states “duh – I get paid when you purchase from this link on my blog” (or something to that effect) will cover most of what you see on a blog like this one.

Yes, I know that adds (like the ones to the right) are painfully obvious. It might surprise some that there are people who take issue with the concept of sharing a portion of what they purchased with the person who introduced them to the product. YTB and other Travel MLM critics provide a perfect example of this type of stupidity and wealth envy. The thought that I get paid commission when I simply point someone to my “Booking Engine” and receive actual money when a service or product is purchased from my site is unethical and deceptive to them.

Why? Because in their mind I didn’t do anything that warrants a commission. I didn’t “work” for that sale in the same way they’re familiar with. They call it lazy – cheap – and a scam.

Look, I’m a marketer and entrepreneur and I use various marketing materials and subscribe to various entrepreneurial publications and sites. I’m going to obviously write on occasion about these materials and publications that I like. Why they’re a benefit to me and possibly you. If you find a link to the material, publication, product, or service – there’s a very high probability that it’s an affiliate link and when you find that the benefits, services, products that I talk about will benefit you as well – if you purchase the product like I have, I’m going to receive a commission for referring you to that product.

Now I know that the vast majority could of you care less about me and what I make because every single one of us (including me) are selfish and more interested in our own features and benefits – and what the product is going to do for “me”. (In this case “me” actually means “you”, not “me”.) However, there are those who believe it would be deceptive – unethical – immoral – or otherwise fraudulent that someone would be paid for writing and promoting such products without actually telling you that they are getting paid when you purchase these products, services, publications, or materials.

So let’s just cut to the chase here, and tell you that I believe that I provide a very valuable service and product with both this blog and my weekly and monthly newsletter. While I do enjoy and find writing extremely rewarding and gratifying – simply writing without adds, products, services, and other materials in hopes that you will find value and eventually purchase them for yourself, producing income for myself and my family – this blog and newsletter wouldn’t garner the type of quantity and quality that it does because it wouldn’t be worth my time and energy.

The bottom line here is that you’re going to have to tell people upfront that you’re going to be paid or that you received a perk (free copy, or promotional piece) when you write about these products from here on out. For the vast majority of people, they’ll not only find it refreshing and incredibly admirable (which in turn adds more credibility for you) but it helps build your relationship with your readers and subscribers.

For those who have the wealth envy complex and issues with an average guy like me actually obtaining monetary compensation or a perk for writing may never understand or accept this concept or technology. You simply need to accept and understand that their fears and phobias are their own.

If you want a very good overview and explanation of what these new guidelines consist of and what they mean to you as a marketer, blogger, and affiliate the best resource I’ve found was from Jim Edwards. (Through my tax guy affiliate, Ron Mueller) Jim has a great interview with Rich Cleland, Assistant Deputy at The Federal Trade Commission. Rich and Jim will not only give you the best in depth interview I’ve found, but puts the whole FTC Guideline issue into the proper perspective.

You may find, like I do, that these new guidelines are designed to help your business and credibility – not hurt it. You’ll also find , like I have, that there is very little that you’ll need to change in order to adhere to the new guidelines if you’ve been using your noggin and practical common sense.

And no, I’m not being paid or compensated to tell you that. ;-P

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Do You ZamZuu?

Heading out today for fight the chaos in the stores?

Not us. We’ll be spending more time as a family this year as the girls crowd around the laptop and check out Facebook for the best shopping deals of the weekend.

Confused about what Facebook has to do with Black Friday and the busiest shopping weekend of the year?

Just another innovative idea from the good folks at YTB who will be posting cyber specials all weekend long to help me, you, and anyone else who wants to avoid the crowded malls – saving both time and money this holiday weekend.

I gotta hand it to the YTB Home Office. They really know how to marry and capitalize on the latest and greatest market shifts.

Let’s face it – purchasing products over the internet is more the norm these days rather than the exception. Stores like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Macy’s, Sears, The Home Depot, Bass Pro Shop, The Finish Line, Champs, Target, Boarders (all right – you get the idea here) wouldn’t create these sites if people weren’t actually spending money on-line right?

Because I do so much shopping on-line my inbox has been flooded with all kinds of cyber deals this week to get ready for Black Friday. Best Buy is sending me this – Boarders is sending me that – and the vast majority of the deals are internet only. Some may be as small as free shipping and others are an additional discount for shopping on-line with them. The point here is that each of these retail stores have a new medium to reach customers in order to increase profits at a time of year that could make or break their bottom line.

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 MILLION people also subscribe to Facebook to connect with friends, post pictures, post links to funny videos and find the best deals for this years Christmas list.

Haven’t seen that last bit yet about the Christmas list? You will if you know where to look.

Because shopYTB has the inside track from hundreds of stores this holiday season, they’ll be posting all their specials this weekend on their three top fan pages for you to simply browse, find a deal you like and then go out and snag. If a deal from one of these major retailers wasn’t good enough, you can access the store through the shopYTB portal (something you can sign up for and do for free right here) you’ll get additional savings in the form of cash back.

Don’t have a Facebook account? Not a problem – each of the following pages are public – meaning you don’t need a Facebook account to see the long list of deals that will be posted this weekend.

www.facebook.com/CoachTomer
www.facebook.com/JKimSorensen
www.facebook.com/YTBDealsandSteals

Simply hit up one of these pages during the weekend for a list of specials and stores that are offering up some great savings this weekend. You can forget the crowded malls, the traffic, and the chaos that Black Friday always brings this time of year.

Save more time with family.

Save money.

Save your sanity.

It’s just a better way to shop for Christmas this year.

Thanks YTB!

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

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Do You ZamZuu?

I did a phone interview about a week ago with my good friend Samuel over on Traffic Is King. We talked at length about blogging, Social Media, creating your niche, finding your voice, and how to become an authority on the internet.

Some of the topics we covered:

• How I got started in the travel niche
• How to be viewed as an authority in your niche
• How to have readers hungry for your content
• Using relevant social media tools at appropriate times to connect with your readers
• Silencing your toughest critics and getting them to send you traffic
• Remaining the Top Dog in your niche and maintaining your readership

This was a really fun interview for those that have been following me over the years.

Listen to the call over on Traffic is King.

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Do You ZamZuu?

You’re well aware by now how much I appreciate the internet and the information that flows on this puppy. I can find information on just about any subject I care to look into. This technology has become so ingrained into our culture we’re tweeting about subjects we find interesting and important to us. We’re able to communicate with people from all over the world instantly at all hours of the day and night.

We hook up with “tribes” on the internet, and share our experience and knowledge. We read blogs, newspapers, and even prefer to watch news and sports clips on the internet rather than TV.

I was an early adopter of the internet and have been using this medium as a source to gather information and educate myself on a variety of subjects. Today, one of the first places most people go to research is the internet.

There are a number of companies that specialize in gathering information about internet use and combine statistical data based on what they find. I’ve written about PhoCusWright a number of times on this blog, and love how it corrects the many many myths and misconceptions that others put out there. I don’t know why a few stragglers spend thier time twisting and spinning, or why they’re so afraid of the truth. Some do spend a considerable amount of time trying to distract you with thier own perception and opinions rather than sticking with the facts. I guess it works for them.

Me, I like facts from independent sources. Travel Weekly has done a terrific job in documenting for us the last couple of years. I found another company yesterday while reading the trades that has once again corrected the myths about self service travel. Travel Agent Central did a piece on Burst Media who publishes Online Insights which highlights emerging trends in online media and eCommerce. One of the most recent being summers travel plans.

Would it surprise anyone in YTB that 80.3% of “summer travelers” say they will use the Internet to help plan their summer vacation? Maybe because that’s a lot higher than what we’ve discovered in the past. (Even from PhoCusWright) But once again, we find statistical data from independent companies who don’t have any motives to bend or twist the truth for personal gain.

I also find in rather interesting that the higher the income, the more likely they are to use the internet for research. (As depicted in the graphic in the article.) Right or wrong, many correlate income with how smart someone is, and based on that belief, (or meme) the smarter someone is the more likely they are to use the internet for planning their summer vacation. The most popular features among the respondents was destination information and the ability to check flight, hotel and car rates and availability.

Respondents were asked what features and content of a travel website make them return they specified destination information (46.3%), the ability to check flight, hotel and car rental rates/availability (45.2%), and travel promotions and specials (44%) as reasons. Quite honestly, I can see this as a huge benefit for most consumers who are planning because a good portion of the Traditional Travel Agents are spending more time posting on blogs and message board forums than they are answering phone calls or talking with walk-ins who visit thier establishments.

You also have to wonder, with so many “consumers” researching rates, promotions, and destination information on thier own quite comfortably, why there’s a need for all the specialized training we wrote about Monday. Based on this report, most consumers don’t need no stinkin’ Travel Agent because they’ve been able to find all the information they need on thier own via the internet.

Which brings us back to the beauty of YTB. For someone like me who’s been a pied piper of sorts on the features, advantages and benefits of cruising for over a decade now, YTB gave me the opportunity to get paid when I told someone about why “a cruise was the best vacation money could buy”. It’s not rocket science folks, it’s travel and vacations. Travel is something that everyone does, and vacations are something that everyone loves.

All I have to do is open my mouth and tell someone that I we own an Online Travel Agency and the very next thing out of thier mouth is “Really, can you get me a deal too ______________?” We would more than likely talk about it what we have to offer, but the vast majority of the time, I simply hand them a business card with my website address, and if they find my prices competitive, I’ll find a booking in my back office without doing anything further.

Why, for the very same reasons Burst Media pointed out in their report.

Consumers are actively using the Internet as an information resource and a place to make travel purchases. Take advantage of the Web’s ability to target specific travel audiences – such as families and the affluent – with content that is highly meaningful and engaging to the viewer. Also, take advantage of the Web’s ability to deliver information by utilizing advertising creative the user can interact with, draw information from, and possibly complete a travel transaction.

There you have it. Another independent source with practical information and data you can use to build your business that documents stats and facts, not a bunch of hype and spin. It’s rather simple to implement if you know how to do it.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

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Do You ZamZuu?