(Retrived from www.youtub.com)
Sunday 4 May 2008
Harvey Nichols: Click & Brick
Online: (http://shop.harveynichols.com/pws/Home.ice)
-The Website is well designed and suits the users.
-It contains a lot of products from various brands.
-When you visit the website you can link it to the store.
-It is user friendly
-Security: SSL Technology. (All orders packed by us are monitored and recorded by CCTV to ensure that we don't leave anything out of your order.)
-Personalized: you can sign in or sign up for a new account. You will have your own wish list.
- Search Engine: makes it easier and faster for the user to get to the brand they want.
-It’s a product based website.
Offline:
In February 2006 Harvey Nichols opened in Dubai specifically in the Mall of the Emirates. It is the largest Harvey Nichols store outside the UK and it represents a luxury landmark in a city where luxury itself has become a brand. The world's best brands in fashion, food, beauty and home, plus a destination restaurant, Almaz by Momo all come together under Harvey Nichol’s huge umbrella. You are probably asking why I chose to mention Harvey Nichols instead of lets say Izone or H&M. Yes H.N is extremely expensive but I think that it’s worth every penny or in our case Fils. Let’s ignore the prices for a second and go to the way they try to pull us into the store. H.N tends to be very creative when it comes to designing the outer window display of the store. Even if it was kind of expensive most people enjoy taking a glimpse which won’t hurt. Once they had this offer where they handed out small delicious cupcakes in a unique box. People went just to take a look and try the offer.
Moving on, I remember once that they had a sale and this is the first time they got my attention. The store was decorated with broken TV screens and linked to the colorful no TV Signal with virtual scrolling text on horizontal banners that displayed information about the sale. I’ve seen more creative displays after that sale but this one was special and I liked it a lot. Another store that we should consider is Diesel. This store has many branches in many malls and creativity is their middle name. Recently they used the no smoking idea (skull on the box) with the smoke boxes and jeans were coming out of them. Now they are using the detergent and washing machine idea for their displays in Mercato Mall.
Advertising Abstractions
"What you see isn't exactly what you get."
Have you ever seen an ad on TV or heard about it on the radio and ran straight away to the nearest store to buy it? I remember when I was 13 years old a fresh teenager I had a crush on teenage products and such products include facial and cleansing. The brand Clean and Clear was something big at that time. I basically watch an ad on TV and the next day I buy the same product, but the thing that gets me most is that these products didn't really work as they actually did on TV.
So yesterday I saw this quote on Madvertisngblog.com and it took me back nearly eight years although I do it al the time without noticing, but I first started understanding these advertising lies at that early stage of time. I keep on hearing this saying in Arabic from my mom and dad but sometimes you just can't control yourself and you just want to get your hands on that product. However, most brands nowadays try to eliminate those lies and promise great benefits. They tend to put the product on trial, create offers, and some include warrantees. But we all have in our minds that if you smoke you won’t get energized or all your problems will vanish and if you drink a certain type of juice you won’t become thin like the model on the cover of a famous magazine.
Of course, lies have to appear in ads but we are the ones who in the end decide whether or not to take actions towards the product promoted.
So yesterday I saw this quote on Madvertisngblog.com and it took me back nearly eight years although I do it al the time without noticing, but I first started understanding these advertising lies at that early stage of time. I keep on hearing this saying in Arabic from my mom and dad but sometimes you just can't control yourself and you just want to get your hands on that product. However, most brands nowadays try to eliminate those lies and promise great benefits. They tend to put the product on trial, create offers, and some include warrantees. But we all have in our minds that if you smoke you won’t get energized or all your problems will vanish and if you drink a certain type of juice you won’t become thin like the model on the cover of a famous magazine.
Of course, lies have to appear in ads but we are the ones who in the end decide whether or not to take actions towards the product promoted.
*Note for the image above: Seriously can you prevent yourself from growing older by using a facial cream by some brand? I once remember my professor Mr. Andy Lynch mentioning that there is no such thing as a product that can remove aging marks from your face. They might hide them but they cant prevent them from happening.
Monster.com Funny Ad
(Retrived from www.youtub.com)
This is a funny ad campaign called "When I grow up" for monster.com by an agency called Meyocks Group. It was used during the ADDY Awards introduction and it is specifcally targeted for those people that want to work or get a career in the Advertising arena.
It shows different kids telling us what they want to be when they grow up and some don't even know what they are actually saying.
Wednesday 26 March 2008
SSL Technology
Rememeber we had a discussions about the positvie and negative impressions about bluebannana.ae and Dreamday.ae websites? We talked about the missing privacy or security symbol on the hompage of Dreamdays. We also felt that the website wasn't complete and secure.
Howevere, I did find out that they do have a security service withing their website. Dreamdays use the SSL Technology which provides critical security services to Internet users worldwide. Although you can't see it on the home page of the website, yet before you enter your information for instance of your Visa card the site tells you:
"Should you experience any difficulties please call our Customer Experience Centre on 8002080.We use SSL technology to protect your personal information.We accept the following cards : Visa or Credit cards"
To know more about the SSL technology please visit this website:
http://www.ssl-technology.com/
Howevere, I did find out that they do have a security service withing their website. Dreamdays use the SSL Technology which provides critical security services to Internet users worldwide. Although you can't see it on the home page of the website, yet before you enter your information for instance of your Visa card the site tells you:
"Should you experience any difficulties please call our Customer Experience Centre on 8002080.We use SSL technology to protect your personal information.We accept the following cards : Visa or Credit cards"
To know more about the SSL technology please visit this website:
http://www.ssl-technology.com/
Sunday 9 March 2008
FedEx or Aramex?
Which do you prefer best FedEx or Aramex for shipping and transporting products and/or services to you? I never used FedEx in my life but I have always used Aramex when I buy stuff from the internet. My friends always talk about using FedEx rather than using any other service. But this isn’t the topic that I want to discuss.
For the websites I feel that Aramex has a well-organized and easy to move around website. But for FedEx the website is a bit busy and there are a lot of information and data in it. Both of these website’s main core is “the service”. They tend to ship products as soon as possible to you as a “customer”. I’ve seen so many creative advertisements for FedEx, however I’ve never seen an advertisement that I recall from Aramex.
Plus, have you ever heard of product placement? Well according to Wikipedia, “product placement advertisements are promotional ads placed by marketers using real commercial products and services in media, where the presence of a particular brand is the result of an economic exchange.” Well, what im trying to say here is that I’ve also seen Fedex packages in blockbuster movies. Such movies are Castaway, I Robot, and Runaway Bride. Which I think is a very succseful and creative idea. So its not just a shipping company its more than that its moving towards hollywood’s star casting rooms. You can see in each of those movies I mentiond above that Fedex tries to reveal its advatages through Hollywood.
In the movie Castaway the actor, “Tom Hanks plays FedEx Express employee Chuck Noland, the lone survivor when a FedEx plane crashes onto a deserted South Pacific island. Noland is so dedicated to his customers; he can't bear to open the FedEx packages that wash ashore. He manages to take care of one package without opening it for the whole time he's stranded on the island. Unfortunately, he's unable to deliver it on time” (Fedex.com). From that scene you can conclude that FedEx employees and staff members are loyal and secure when it comes to delivering packages. Although in the movie Noland doesn’t deliver the package on time since he’s stuck on a deserted island the advantage outweighs this drawback. Moreover, in the other movies they show how they deliver packages on time, cautiously, and professionally.
To conclude with FedEx or Aramex, both have great qualities when delivering products to their customers. But what I am trying to say is that FedEx are more developed than Aramex and they tend to show their good qualities not only in ads but also in movies and in the creativity aspect.
If you want to see how they go creative, this is a link to a funny FedEx ad in the style of the movie Cast Away:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alSQpinagp0&mode=related&search=
There is more from where that came from!
For the websites I feel that Aramex has a well-organized and easy to move around website. But for FedEx the website is a bit busy and there are a lot of information and data in it. Both of these website’s main core is “the service”. They tend to ship products as soon as possible to you as a “customer”. I’ve seen so many creative advertisements for FedEx, however I’ve never seen an advertisement that I recall from Aramex.
Plus, have you ever heard of product placement? Well according to Wikipedia, “product placement advertisements are promotional ads placed by marketers using real commercial products and services in media, where the presence of a particular brand is the result of an economic exchange.” Well, what im trying to say here is that I’ve also seen Fedex packages in blockbuster movies. Such movies are Castaway, I Robot, and Runaway Bride. Which I think is a very succseful and creative idea. So its not just a shipping company its more than that its moving towards hollywood’s star casting rooms. You can see in each of those movies I mentiond above that Fedex tries to reveal its advatages through Hollywood.
In the movie Castaway the actor, “Tom Hanks plays FedEx Express employee Chuck Noland, the lone survivor when a FedEx plane crashes onto a deserted South Pacific island. Noland is so dedicated to his customers; he can't bear to open the FedEx packages that wash ashore. He manages to take care of one package without opening it for the whole time he's stranded on the island. Unfortunately, he's unable to deliver it on time” (Fedex.com). From that scene you can conclude that FedEx employees and staff members are loyal and secure when it comes to delivering packages. Although in the movie Noland doesn’t deliver the package on time since he’s stuck on a deserted island the advantage outweighs this drawback. Moreover, in the other movies they show how they deliver packages on time, cautiously, and professionally.
To conclude with FedEx or Aramex, both have great qualities when delivering products to their customers. But what I am trying to say is that FedEx are more developed than Aramex and they tend to show their good qualities not only in ads but also in movies and in the creativity aspect.
If you want to see how they go creative, this is a link to a funny FedEx ad in the style of the movie Cast Away:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alSQpinagp0&mode=related&search=
There is more from where that came from!
Thursday 6 March 2008
Dreamdays V.S. Bluebanana
Last class this week we had a very good discussion about the websites Dreamdays and Bluebanana. These local websites offer a variety of great and adventures services. We already know that they are competitors and they both have slight differences. When I first heard about Bluebanana on the radio I didn’t pay much attention to it only after hearing about Dreamdays. You’re probably asking why that is. Well that’s simply because when I first heard about Dreamdays via the radio it was nearly Valentines Day and they kept repeating the ad continuously, hence It was stuck in my head. I had to check out and there was thinking of trying some daring rides and things to do. Both of these websites are user friendly, however I liked Dreamdays better and that’s maybe because of the colors and the way everything is organized. Plus in Dreamdays there is a bottom tool bar on the left column and this is the “gift finder” where you can choose the price, age, and occasion and easily find the right gift for a friend or even a mother.
Professor Illham also mentioned the Security for payment which is also a very important aspect when it comes to buying online. It’s true that Dreamdays do not specify any payment security via Visa or Credit cards. Yet, in my opinion to buy a service such as, helicopter rides or water sport rides I’d rather pay cash. The other reason might be “I simply don’t hold any Visa or Credit cards.” Although you should call the free line and reserve or purchase a service a few days earlier I think it’s worth it.
I did purchase a service from Dreamdays a few days ago and the members working there were very friendly and helpful. I had to call and tell them what I want on which date and what time. They in return, asked me for some information (it depends on the service you want to purchase) and told me that they’ll call back to confirm my reservation. After that they send the vouchers to you via Aramex and when you receive the vouchers you pay the Aramex person and they receive the money. It might seem like a very long process; however it’s not how it looks like.
I did enjoy the helicopter ride and after we got back from up above, Dreamdays called me and asked me if I had any suggestions for them.
Professor Illham also mentioned the Security for payment which is also a very important aspect when it comes to buying online. It’s true that Dreamdays do not specify any payment security via Visa or Credit cards. Yet, in my opinion to buy a service such as, helicopter rides or water sport rides I’d rather pay cash. The other reason might be “I simply don’t hold any Visa or Credit cards.” Although you should call the free line and reserve or purchase a service a few days earlier I think it’s worth it.
I did purchase a service from Dreamdays a few days ago and the members working there were very friendly and helpful. I had to call and tell them what I want on which date and what time. They in return, asked me for some information (it depends on the service you want to purchase) and told me that they’ll call back to confirm my reservation. After that they send the vouchers to you via Aramex and when you receive the vouchers you pay the Aramex person and they receive the money. It might seem like a very long process; however it’s not how it looks like.
I did enjoy the helicopter ride and after we got back from up above, Dreamdays called me and asked me if I had any suggestions for them.
Note: The second image is a picture taken by me of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Private island within the Palm Island, Duabi.
Tuesday 12 February 2008
V.day February 14, 2008
Recently, I've been listing to the radio and I was surprised to find great websites that offer experience services and other activities for that special day and all other coming days.
Take a moment of your time and visit these two websites
1. http://www.dreamdays.ae/
2. http://www.bluebanana.ae/
Last class, we discussed what were the things we always wanted to see online a long time ago. These websites are very useful since the U.A.E's market industry is growing and there are lots of great services out there that we can easily find online today.
For me, I always wanted to skydive but I didn't know where they offer that kind of activity.
You can also get gift vouchers if you sign up and become a member!
Take a moment of your time and visit these two websites
1. http://www.dreamdays.ae/
2. http://www.bluebanana.ae/
Last class, we discussed what were the things we always wanted to see online a long time ago. These websites are very useful since the U.A.E's market industry is growing and there are lots of great services out there that we can easily find online today.
For me, I always wanted to skydive but I didn't know where they offer that kind of activity.
You can also get gift vouchers if you sign up and become a member!
Tuesday 5 February 2008
Greetings
Welcome all,
This is a small MCM Internet marketing project that will discuss lots of aspects in internet marketing.
This is a small MCM Internet marketing project that will discuss lots of aspects in internet marketing.
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