The Official Velocity Agency WWDC 2013 Report

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The 2013 WWDC has come to pass, and the tech world is buzzing with a wide range of reactions to Apple’s major announcements. At Velocity Agency, we were glued to our computer screens yesterday as we waited anxiously to see what would be unveiled, yet we remained acutely aware that the news would most likely make all of our current smartphones and laptops immediately obsolete. But that’s fine by us, because nothing is more exciting for a marketing agency than the prospect of a new line of cutting-edge gadgets to power our day to day operations.

The office consensus is that Apple’s new mobile operating system, iOS 7, is what we are looking forward to most. Apple CEO Tim Cook is calling the new iOS the biggest thing to happen to the iPhone since its initial launch, so clearly some big changes are on the horizon. What we know so far is that the new operating system is going to feature a completely rethought and redesigned look built from the ground up. The biggest change will be a shift away from Apple’s previously skeuomorphic based design. For those of you who don’t know, skeuomorphic designs are based off of physical objects and real-world textures, such as the green felt and wood theme to the current Apple Game Center app. For iOS 7, Apple will be moving to cleaner, flat looking designs, which we think will provide a generally more aesthetically pleasing mobile experience.

Now, let’s talk about iTunes Radio, Apple’s long awaited Spotify competitor, which was also unveiled at the WWDC. The biggest news is that it will be free for all users, and ad free for subscribers to iTunes Match, the cloud-based storage system for cross-device listening. This means that for about $25 a year, users will be able to store all their downloaded music in the cloud and stream all the music they don’t own for free. Pretty sweet deal. But, Spotify has a big head start on Apple, so it remains to be seen whether or not they will be able to convert users who are already signed up for other streaming services. More often than not, Apple is on the cutting edge, but in terms of streaming services they are basically the last on the bandwagon following Google’s big announcement just a few weeks ago.

The only major letdown from yesterday’s event: no new iPhone. But, we’re not worried. We all know the iPhone 5 S can’t be far off, and at the very least we will see it by the time iOS 7 launches in the fall. Until then, we will be keeping a close watch on all things Apple. Be sure to keep with us as we track the release of all the new products announced at this year’s WWDC. We will be posting our up to date commentary on Facebook and Twitter, so join in on the conversation and let us know what you think!

TBT Etiquette – 5 Rules To Follow

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#TBT Holiday Spirit circa ’94 – Andrea Hernandez , Social Media Director

Do you #TBT?  It’s Wednesday afternoon and there are already more than 44 million photos that include #tbt hashtags, not to mention the 24 million from the original #throwbackthursday. Since the unveiling of Instagram, we can confidently say that Throwback Thursday is the most popular installment yet. For those who have tried to make #FlasbackFriday and #TransformationTuesday happen you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Powered by our nostalgic narcissism, TBT is here to stay. We are all guilty of endlessly scrolling down our Instagram feeds every Thursday to soak up the flood of our friend’s diaper-laden days or nonsensical, and sometimes funny photos. However, as in anything in this over-exploited age, Instagram users have become convinced that anything goes on Throwback Thursday.

At Velocity Agency, we are all about proper digital and social media etiquette. For this reason we find it our obligation to come up with a list of do’s and don’ts for the infamous hashtag.

1. TBT is all about comedic nostalgia. We know you looked cute as a baby, but posting angelical pictures of yourself is not nearly as amusing.  Throwback Thursday was founded on principles of comedic relief. Embrace it.

2. Timing is essential. So refrain from tagging #TBT pictures when it is in fact not Thursday. This should be a no-brainer.

3. Throwback Thursdays are all about commemorating vintage moments. Try and aim for non-digital photos that were probably taken from your Polaroid iZone. If you are #TBT-ing to last week’s Thursday, you’re doing it wrong. Try to have a gap of a couple years.

4. You can’t be hashtagging pictures that are not even throwbacks but just a clear abuse to the popular hashtags. This also includes “Celebrity Throwbacks.” Unless you were childhood friends with Ryan Gosling, this is a major DON’T.

5. #SelfieThrowback: Unless you were rolling around as a baby taking pictures of yourself, there is no such thing.


And so, remember the next time you #TBT you need to do it right. The internet will call you out. Respect Throwback Thursday

 

Tumblr May Soon Be Owned by Yahoo

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Tumblr might soon be owned by Yahoo. Ya-who? The faded Web pioneer announced on Sunday that they are moving forward with their plan to buy Tumblr for $1.1 billion–in cash. The company is desperately trying to reposition themselves as the tech industry gets increasingly more social media focused, but can Tumblr save Yahoo from oblivion?

As a spunky, social media startup, Tumblr has a well-defined experience that attracts a loyal following among millennials. Tumblr has a lot of credibility among the audience that Yahoo is desperate to grasp; yet the concern among users is that Tumblr will loose its appeal once they take over. Some have even taken to Twitter with threats to leave the site if the deal takes place.

The merger would represent the largest acquisition of a social networking company to date, topping Facebook’s $1 billion purchase of Instagram last year. For Yahoo, Tumblr brings a breath of fresh air and an opportunity to make up for missing out on so many technological and social media revolutions.

Yahoo is no stranger to paying big money for startups, but they are known for letting their acquisitions fall into darkness, i.e. Flicker and GeoCities. Can Yahoo step up to the challenge or will this be the end of Tumblr as we know it ?

6 Tech Gifts Your Mom Will Love

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There is no way to ever repay Mom for all that she’s done and still does for all of us. This year forget the flower bouquet and shower mom with love and everything tech. We know it may be hard to choose a gift she genuinely needs and will love, so at Velocity we’ve compiled a list of tech gifts all Mom’s will appreciate:

Mini Ipad: Have your Mom view photo albums, email, read and play comfortably with a new Mini iPad. The latest Apple sensation is best for any on-the-go mom. Make this gift more personally by loading family photos before and downloading useful apps such as iSlick, Bloom, Our Every Day Lunch and Intuition.

iPhone/iPad Cover: If you’re guilty of not calling or texting Mom enough, the least you can do is get her a nice iPhone or iPad cover. Turn her into the envy of her friends with a designer cover like this trendy Diane Von Furstenberg iPad leather-trimmed case.

Boogie Board Memo: Help Mom get the message across! This handy gift combines new technology with old school sticky notes and is under $30!

FitBit: There’s no better gift for Mom than the gift of health. With Fit Bit Flex wristband she can track her steps, distance and calories of each daily activity in style! This gift is perfect for Mom’s who want to make fitness a lifestyle.

Click and Grow: Still thinking of getting Mom some flowers? Click and Grow will make this flower bouquet the most exciting yet! Help her grow her plants without the hassle of watering and fertilizing.

LogMe In: We’ve all dreaded the usual “Tech Support” Mom call but this Mother’s Day you can setup to fix her computer remotely with LogMe In. Being able to view her screen will make answering those phone calls a lot easier.

 

Through the Looking-Glass

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Is Google Glass the next disrupter, or are we becoming so saturated with technology that anything new would be refreshing? Glass is still in it’s early stages, having been released to a selected few only. For those of us who are less fortunate, here is a preview of what Google Glass looks like.

Though it has sparked widespread intrigue, Google Glass may not be quickly adopted by the mass markets. For starters, the display is not in the users field of vision. Second, who would want to be spammed with constant alerts and messages across their face?  Is this the future, as seen in Minority Report? Google Glass will retail at a whopping  $1500, with a waiting list that would make the iPhone 5 jealous. The real question is, what type of information do we want to become part of our daily lives, and are we prepared to become fully integrated with that technology?

Google is not the only company with this initiative. Corning, a specialty glass-manufacturing corporation, has shared their vision of incorporating technology into our daily lives, using glass as a new medium for their “A Day Made of Glass”. Other wearable technologies surging are activity-tracking wristbands (RFID), as well as temporary electronic tattoos.

Perhaps Google Glass is a jumping point for more innovative and simpler wearable technologies. For now, however, we’ll let the early adopters test it out… You won’t be looking like Tony Stark in the Iron Man suit just yet.

Do you think Google Glass will matter? Share your thoughts with Velocity! 

 

To Vine or Not To Vine, 4 Ways Your Brand Can Benefit

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As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words (or $1 billion if you’re in the Instagram camp). But what could be more powerful than an image? Try a six-second video. Everyday more businesses are joining the Vine bandwagon to experiment with video content creation.

As consumer attention is saturated with emails, texts, and Facebook posts, companies are constantly finding new ways of creating and sharing content. Like Instagram before it, Vine allows for cross-platform integration, specifically with Twitter, which is likely another reason the new platform is being embraced by the business sector. This past week the Tribeca Film Festival not only embraced, but legitimized the status of Vine by awarding 6 Vines for their #6SecfFilms contest.

So, how should brands begin to create, share and promote themselves on this new social platform?

1. Show me, don’t tell me.

For B2C brands, this is the best way to showcase their products. Don’t pitch your   products, let consumers see and judge by themselves. Choose your approach depending on your customer. Urban Outfitters, for example, pushes new products and lines by creating hip and funny Vines, targeted towards their younger consumers.

2. The medium is the message.

Need to get a message across?  Video messages are certainly more impacting, engaging and interactive. With Vine, messages are kept short and simple while maximizing impressions.

3.Let consumers create content for you.

There is no better way to interact with customers than to bring them on board. Getting consumers to contribute not only aids in content creation it also helps make promotions more interactive and helps you visualize how consumers view your brand. Vine is a great app for contests and getting new and refreshing ideas.

4. Bring new meaning to old content.

Re-leverage your old video content with Vine.  The app offers a better way to share video content on Twitter, so brands can create short previews that link back to their original videos.

Is your brand on Vine already? Share your experiences with here!

The Weekly Absolute #8 – Over the Wall

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Marketers cannot just throw initiatives over a wall; judging themselves merely on: cost per lead, acquisition, or impression. Marketers must work directly with clients implementing various tools, technologies, products and processes to effectively “close the gap” between lead generation and company top-line revenues.

The Weekly Absolute #2 – The Three Fs

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Friends, Families, and Follows. “Return on Investment (ROI) for social…can’t be MORE social!” Q: What are your business objectives and how do they track against social media today? More friends, fans and follows is not a measure of return on investment (ROI). Social media is an “enabler” (of the objective) not of more social.