Archive for January, 2009
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
I will be starting a new series which will share the top 3 things I learned on Twitter each day. Twitter is such an incredible resource for sharing ideas and opinions, it’s hard to pick just 3…
. @DaivRawks says that if you want to be retweeted, make sure you keep your message to 120 characters or less.
. @GuyHagen has launched a new Twitter tool called TwitSeeker, which is a search engine for twitterers based on their most recent updates. (Also be sure to check out TwitterFriends, a way to better understand your Twitter Friend gruops, and Tweepler, a way to organize your followers – unrelated to Guy Hagen)
. @thebrandbuilder retweeted a presentation by @ConversationAge that breaks down Obama’s amazing social media campaign.
Lara McCulloch-Carter
Author of the Special Event blog ready2spark
Director of Marketing – Regal Tent Productions
President – ISES Toronto
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Tags: twitter
The act of networking has shifted. Face-to-face has been augmented and, in some cases, replaced with online networking. This new form of making connections has allowed people to stretch their tentacles globally and connect with a much larger pool of people at breakneck speed. Sites like Facebook, Myspace, Flickr and Twitter have evolved from social sites into social + business sites. And the lines between business and pleasure have become more blurred than ever. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily, but as a result having a clear strategy is more important than ever.
The social networking pitfall that a lot of people fall into is they reach out and connect to potential business prospects and long-lost friends alike. They publicly reminisce about the day they got drunk and passed out behind their school, all the while forgetting that their business prospect is privy to those very same conversations. A perfectly devastating example of this is the recently circulated Twitter faux pas which shows what can happen when you don’t think about who’s listening before you post.
The best ways to avoid these pitfalls is to:
. have a clear strategy – what are you trying to achieve with social media, who is your target, what is the purpose behind your messaging? Stay true to this strategy.
. choose carefully – the scary thing about social media is it has a life of its own. Once you post something it can be quoted by someone else, picked up by another site or simply printed out. The second you’ve pressed send, you’ve lost control of your message. So choose your messages carefully.
. offer value – social media is a new way to make connections, build a brand and drive awareness. The best way to achieve success is to be unselfish. Focus on value for your target and your efforts will be rewarded.
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Cartoon via Gapingvoid
Lara McCulloch-Carter
Author of the Special Event blog ready2spark
Director of Marketing – Regal Tent Productions
President – ISES Toronto
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. Become my Peep at EventPeeps
Hire Lara to Build Your Business
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The best way to get in touch with me is hello@ready2spark.com
With ruffles being seen from the runway to the living room, the Lilybelle Chair Sleeve by Wildflower Linen is beautifully on-trend.
Event magazine source: Event Solutions
Photography by: Lauren Hillary Photography
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About Wildflower Linen
Owner Youngsong Martin brought haute couture to the table by creating some of the most decadent costumes for chairs and tabletops. Renowned for her stunning creations, her linens have graced the pages of some of the most prominent bridal and event publications and the tables of some of the most sought after events. From chair corsets to chair tutus, it’s not hard to imagine seeing her linens cantering down runways. Youngsong’s fashion design training is evident in everything she produces. Take some time to flip through her online portfolio. It will be one of the most entertaining things you do all day.
Lara McCulloch-Carter
Author of the Special Event blog ready2spark
Director of Marketing – Regal Tent Productions
President – ISES Toronto
. Follow me on Twitter
. Connect with me on LinkedIn
. Become my Peep at EventPeeps
Hire Lara to Build Your Business
Hire Lara to Speak
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The best way to get in touch with me is hello@ready2spark.com
I recently came across this fantastic video by Italianomoda showing the creation of the event space for Gucci and Madonna’s Raising Malawi event during New York Fashion Week last February. We were delighted to be a part of this event…
The most highly anticipated event at New York’s fashion week was the Gucci sponsored Madonna Malawi Fundraiser. Sold out well before the show, the crème de la crème of the international entertainment glitterati excitedly paid the $2,500 – $10,000 per plate entry. The A-list guest list and the heartfelt importance of the event demanded the best venue New York could offer. Regal was sought out to partner with the planner to create a temporary venue befitting this prestigious event. The extreme variances in temperature and the limitations of the site posed many challenges to overcome. Solutions included transporting the clear vinyl material (which can shatter in cold temperatures) in climate-controlled trucks and mounting it using electric blankets and heat blowers to prevent cracking. As well, a custom engineered floor was designed by Regal to weigh the structures down as staking and standard weights were not an option. With these and many other challenges surmounted, the event was an acclaimed success – raising over $3.7 million!
It’s so fantastic to be able to reflect back on such a challenging yet, in the end, rewarding event. A big thank you to Italianomoda for capturing the set up.
Lara McCulloch-Carter
Author of the Special Event blog ready2spark
Director of Marketing – Regal Tent Productions
President – ISES Toronto
. Follow me on Twitter
. Connect with me on LinkedIn
. Become my Peep at EventPeeps
Hire Lara to Build Your Business
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The best way to get in touch with me is hello@ready2spark.com
Tags: Event Tents
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
Charles Caleb Colton once said “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery“. The problem is, he didn’t live to see what transpired with our website just a couple of days ago. I received a vague email from a friend who deferred me to a URL address, stating that I should “take a look at my biggest new fan”. As I clicked on the link and waited with baited breath as the page began to load, my jaw dropped. Looking back at me was a near replica of our website. And worse, the copy from our website was cut and pasted word-for-word into theirs.
Below is a screen capture of our website (top) and theirs (bottom) – you can click on the images to enlarge them. I have purposely blanked out their company name as I don’t want to give them any undeserved attention or web traffic. Although there are some obvious quality disparities and some subtle differences in layout, it’s obvious that our website was knocked off. And what you probably can’t read in the screen captures is the romance copy that was taken from our website and placed (unedited) onto theirs. Yes, it’s true, they actually left our company name on their website copy. (We also later learned that all of the pictures on their site were taken from other tent companies).
With the proliferation of the web, the ability to manage and control content is virtually impossible and the problem of plagiarism and copyright infringement runs rampant. You can employ a number of tricks to deter people from stealing content from your site, but the reality is that if they want it, they’ll find a way to get it.
Definitions
Understanding the terms is the first step to combating them. According to wikipedia…
Copyright is a form of intellectual property which gives the creator of an original work exclusive rights for a certain time period in relation to that work, including its publication, distribution and adaptation; after which time the work is said to enter the public domain. Copyright applies to any expressible form of an idea or information that is substantive and discrete. Some jurisdictions also recognise “moral rights” of the creator of a work, such as the right to be credited for the work. The intent of copyright is to allow authors to have control of and profit from their works, thus encouraging them to create new works and to aid the flow of ideas and learning.Plagiarism is the use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work.
How to track content theft
. A fantastic site that allows you to check for other sites plagiarizing your blog or website is Copyscape. Simply input your URL and it will produce a report of other sites that have copied your written content.
. WordPress also has a variety of anti-plagiarism plugins. Online Tech Tips has done a good job of detailing them.
. Google Alerts is another great resource for plagiarism hunters. I use this tool to find out who’s talking about me or my company as well as to stay on top news about my competitors. But you can also use this to track sites that reference certain keywords.
What to do when you’ve found a thief
1. Collect your evidence
The first thing you should do is document the infringement. Take screen captures (ideally with time and date stamps).
Next, identify how to contact the infringer – email address, phone number, domicile address, Internet Service Provider. If you can’t locate this information, do a domain lookup through WHOIS. This will tell you who the website registrant is, the administrator’s name and email address, their IP address and a number of other valuable pieces of information.
2. Know what your goal is
Do you want the infringement simply to stop or do you want to sue for damages?
3. Issue a formal letter
A cease and desist letter should be sent to the infringer clearly identifying the copyright issue, what your expected resolution is, the time frame that you expect it to be resolved within and what you will do if your terms aren’t met. In serious cases you may have to also outline damages for lost profits. If possible, copy your legal department or council on the letter to show you’re serious.
I would also recommend that you send a letter to the infringer’s ISP (Internet Service Provider) outlining the infringement and requesting that the website be taken down. As a general rule of thumb, you should allow the web host 5 business days to remove the site. If they still haven’t done this after the allotted time, send a ‘cease and desist’ letter to the ISP.
4. Get contact
Look, if your goal is to get the site taken down as quickly as possible, you need to contact the infringer to ensure your message gets to them. In my case, I emailed them, filled out a form on their website, called their cell and their land line. I left the same message every time and the message was clear: you’ve violated copyright law; take down the site by end of day or our next conversation will be from my lawyer. I got a call back on my land line, my cell phone as well as an email. And the site was taken down. Case closed.
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This whole issue of web content theft is a tough one. Violators are hard to find and when you do find them it’s usually not worth pursuing legally. It’s disheartening when you spend thousands of dollars or invest ample time to create something, only to have it copied. So, it’s important to champion your work, know your rights and understand your options.
If you’re interested in learning more, below are a number of good resources on the topic:
About.com – website content theft
Microsoft office – 5 ways to guard against website content theft
Suite 101.com – How to stop web plagiarism
Lorelle on WordPress – what do you do when someone steals your content
Lara McCulloch-Carter
Author of the Special Event blog ready2spark
Director of Marketing – Regal Tent Productions
President – ISES Toronto
. Follow me on Twitter
. Connect with me on LinkedIn
. Become my Peep at EventPeeps
Hire Lara to Build Your Business
Hire Lara to Speak
Subscribe to our Newsletter
The best way to get in touch with me is hello@ready2spark.com
It’s such a powerful statement to layer white on white. I absolutely love these beautiful ornate white ceramic frames, available through mudpuppy’s etsy shop.
Lara McCulloch-Carter
Author of the Special Event blog ready2spark
Director of Marketing – Regal Tent Productions
President – ISES Toronto
. Follow me on Twitter
. Connect with me on LinkedIn
. Become my Peep at EventPeeps
Hire Lara to Build Your Business
Hire Lara to Speak
Subscribe to our Newsletter
The best way to get in touch with me is hello@ready2spark.com
Tags: Products
Seth Godin published a wonderful post this morning about beauty as a signaling strategy. In it, he states that: “The reason people and organizations have invested so much in beauty over the years is that beauty pays off.” And he’s right. It does.
We are visual beings. We are hardwired to seek out beauty because over hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, humans have learned that beauty equals health and survival. We also rely heavily on sight, as a sense, to guide our perceptions. We taste first with our eyes, we know that first impressions are paramount, we let pictures tell us a story long before we read text. And, let’s face it. We’re in the special events industry…an industry where aesthetics are a fundamental contributor to success.
All too often we get consumed by the attention to aesthetics needed for our events and we tire long before we apply the same sense of beauty to our own brands. From websites to business cards, portfolio books to emails, every piece of communication tells the recipient what to think about us.
Invest the time in making your brand beautiful.
Lara McCulloch-Carter
Author of the Special Event blog ready2spark
Director of Marketing – Regal Tent Productions
President – ISES Toronto
. Follow me on Twitter
. Connect with me on LinkedIn
. Become my Peep at EventPeeps
Hire Lara to Build Your Business
Hire Lara to Speak
Subscribe to our Newsletter
The best way to get in touch with me is hello@ready2spark.com
