A Rose By Any Other Name...

By: Steve Retka

The recent launch announcement of Apple’s new touchpad sent the blogosphere abuzz with commentary...sort of...

But it wasn’t the 10-inch touchscreen or lightweight, half-inch thick dimensions that got people talking. It wasn’t the 1GHz processor or its ability to run existing apps from the popular iPhone either.

You see, before Apple CEO Steve Jobs could even finish his presentation on the newest addition to the budding technology medium of touchpads, he sent the Internet atwitter with the announcement of the new product’s name...the iPad.

Yes, the iPad. While it sounds like a bad pun from a late-night TV host, the iPad is indeed what Apple decided to call their $500-700 technological achieve. Naturally, this reduced adults all across the various social networks to giggling like 3rd graders while making jokes about certain personal hygiene products.

In fact, the iPad’s name alone garnered so much attention that the word “iTampon” shot up towards the top of Twitter’s Trends list, becoming the third most-talked about trend the day the product was announced.

Now that a week has passed since the iPad announcement sent bloggers into a whirlwind of laughs and snickers, the only thing that’s clear about this product is that it’s getting more than an ample amount of attention. A google search for “iPad” brings in 31.1 million page hits, with reactions and debates ranging from hateful mocking to christening the iPad as the defining technological advancement of our generation. And while it’s doubtful that it will fit into either of these extremes, it certainly proved the power of a product’s name.

Steve is a contributing writer for the Daily Axioms blog. He graduated with a Bachelor's in Broadcasting/Journalism and Public Relations from North Dakota State University, and is currently interning at Axiom Marketing Communications.

Farmhouse News

On February 1st, five radio station representatives will embark on a 5 day experiment in the Perigord Region of Southern France. They will be staying in a farmhouse where they will be isolated from all sources of traditional media and instead only granted access to Twitter and Facebook. The goal of the project is to understand the legitimacy of news from social networking and micro-blogging sites.

Language. Social media allow us to access worldwide events faster than ever before from multiple perspectives however, even in this new global information exchange not everyone speaks the same language. Look at the experiment participants' Twitter accounts and you will notice it’s all in French. My high school French c’est terrible, therefore following this in real time n’est pas un option. Even though the web is in fact world wide, the language barriers on Twitter and Facebook still pose a problem when gathering information.

Real Time. Unlike newspapers where you have to wait until the next day to learn of yesterday's news or even, heaven forbid, until the evening 6 o'clock news, social media has the advantage of watching an event unfold in real time. Traditional media relies on the information being passed from the source to the reporter to the editor back to the reporter to the public. Social media lets the public access the initial information much faster than the now-dated multi-step process. The reader can be tipped off at the same time as the reporter. However, social media is full of information and you pay the price of speedy news with the risk of inaccuracies. While the public now has access to an event as it unfolds, I personally make sure to wait until a trusted news source reports the story before calling it fact.


In addition to simply reporting the news, traditional media outlets provide interpretation and analysis, unlike social media’s short matter-of-fact messages. Social media can be seen as a summary of what's happening, while traditional media provides the commentary and details. The 5-day isolation experiment had me questioning how I'd do in that situation. Would I have an accurate picture of the world's events if my only source of information was Twitter and Facebook? Or is the story in the details only traditional media can provide by way of an experienced journalist? Or have we entered a new generation where Facebook and Twitter are the new morning newspaper?

Expert Commentary on Today’s Top Fashion Designs? Child’s Play.

The question has been batted around social media in the past year, what makes a journalist? The question becomes even more intricate when you pose it in an arts related genre. Style is subjective. While fashion has a rich history and is a technical industry, originality and attitude can rule all.

Milan, Paris, Tokyo, New York, fashion weeks are an exciting staple for fashion journalists. A front row seat and backstage pass to New York Fashion Week previously reserved for only the editorial team of the nation’s top fashion magazines and experienced bloggers is now offered to bloggers who have yet to go to prom. In this case, Tavi.

Tavi Gevinson is a mere 13 years old, but her blog “Style Rookie” caught the attention of Rodarte, who decided to use Tavi’s unique fashion commentary for their new launch at Target. Included in this partnership was a spot in the front row at the Rodarte runway show during New York Fashion Week, complete with backstage pass to discuss the new line with senior editors from Seventeen, Teen Vogue, and even Vogue.

The experience was taped, mostly by Tavi herself, and released on YouTube. In the three weeks since its release, the video has been seen over 13,000 times. The video is, of course, supplemented with posts on her blog “Style Rookie,” where Tavi creates outfits using Rodarte’s new Target pieces to complete her unique style.

Tavi has earned herself rights that others have struggled through years of schooling and latte orders for. Is she a fashion Einstein, or a generational normal who simply got lucky? In a time where journalists are getting laid off by the boatload, you have to wonder where we’re headed in the new decade. Is there or should there be a distinction between laptop-owning fashion enthusiasts and classically trained journalists

Via Heidi and Sara

What Marketing Looks Like to a 17-Year-Old

What better way to start a week than by sharing the gift of knowledge with the industry's up-and-comers? Today, we're excited to have Abbie hanging out with us, a 17-year-old writing extraordinaire from a local high school. Halfway through her day spent skipping school, uh, I mean learning from professionals, we asked her to reflect on what she came in expecting and how she sees things now.

Everyone, meet Abbie:

Hello, my name is Abbie. I’m a high school senior job shadowing at Axiom Marketing Communications for the day to learn about marketing. To my knowledge, I always thought marketing was about advertisements and meetings.  But within the first ten minutes of being here it was all about social media and reaching numerous people at once.

Social media in my eyes is just a fun way to connect with friends, family, and classmates. But because of social media there is the chance of creeping and stalking, which is the main reason why I don’t personally have a Twitter account. However, in a matter of minutes, I realized the amount of people that are reached through a single Tweet and the impact that would occur.

Marketing is a lot different than it was once thought to be, but with the rapidly changing technology and communication, it’s clear that the marketing business also has to change in order to keep up with their directed audiences. It’s crazy to think that a one-hour Twitter Party can influence and benefit multiple people.

Weird, our 17-year-old visitor is noticing what Mashable thinks will be a big trend for 2010: The give and take between personal privacy and online "TMI." While college students seem to lean towards online popularity (and earning it by posting shocking, possibly embarrassing photos and information), the High School Class of 2010 (or at least Abbie) is still skeptical to reveal personal information online.

So, that leads to today's question. How do you decide what to post online? Are you guilty of the TMI trend in hopes of getting more attention and, in turn, more followers and friends? Or are you a little more modest in what you share in hopes to protect yourself? In other words, how do you gauge what's okay and not okay to share online?

YouTube keeps video makers rolling in dough - USATODAY.com

Remember what the slaves whispered in the ear of the Roman conquerors: 'Fame is fleeting.'

http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2009-12-16-youtube16_CV_N.htm