Quiksilver's Hometown Hoodies

Quiksilver's latest marketing stint jumps on one of surfing's most classic connections- hometown and hero. Think about it... San Clemente - Wardo, Cocoa Beach - Slater, Santa Barbara - Curren, Ventura - Reynolds. That's where Quiksilver jumps in, like they usually do.
Check out the collection here.

SEO for Twitter Content

There isn't much data on how to get your tweets ranked in Google's organic searches. But as anyone knows who has done SEO, there is a lot of trial and error to figure out what works when it comes to organic positioning.

The major search engines have a history of evolving their indexing capabilities to keep up with new types of digital content. First it was HTML text, then blog content, then multimedia files like videos, and more recently it was flash content. Now the search engines are indexing another type of content—tweets!

That’s right, for those of you who haven’t heard, it’s official—Google has reached an agreement with Twitter to show tweets in their search results. While previously, Twitter profile pages may have been surfacing in the listings, now individual tweets can show up as a unique listing.

So, what does that mean for marketers? Well, just like when new types of content have been added to the search indexes in the past and we’ve had to adapt our strategies to optimize for this new content, we’re going to have to do the same for tweets.

Get the full story at ClickZ

5 Marketing Megatrends You Can't Ignore

Most companies wait until a marketing megatrend is so obvious that it becomes a minimum standard, a non-differentiating tactic- So leveraging them does almost nothing for the brand. Case in point, who doesn't have a green message these days?

iMedia Connection has something to say about this...

Constant connectivity is a megatrend.

More and more, we are relentlessly connected to one another. We weren’t when I was a kid. We weren’t five years ago. But you can bet we’re not going to stop anytime soon.

Why? A new generation is growing up and entering the workforce in droves. The Millennial Generation is the largest this country has ever seen—bigger than the baby boomers—and it is the first generation that has grown up with technology and connectivity ubiquitous in their lives. To them, it’s all they’ve ever known.

I am incessantly networked, but I think something’s wrong with me. This massive new wave of population has no such hang-ups.

What these people do have are expectations borne of their condition. They live in an on-demand world. They know no other. Want a song? Download it. Want to know something? Google it. Want to tell Susie what Bobby said? Text it. Now, now, now.

Get the full story at iMedia Connection

Six Social Media Trends For 2010

In 2010, social media will get even more popular, more mobile, and more exclusive — at least, according to this Harvard Business Publishing article, which outlines a few of the trends emerging in social media.

In 2009 we saw exponential growth of social media. According to Nielsen Online, Twitter alone grew 1,382% year-over-year in February, registering a total of just more than 7 million unique visitors in the US for the month. Meanwhile, Facebook continued to outpace MySpace. So what could social media look like in 2010? In 2010, social media will get even more popular, more mobile, and more exclusive — at least, that's my guess. What are the near-term trends we could see as soon as next year?

Check out the whole article here.

Stereo Commercial

Best Surf Ad Ever?

Timing these photos must have taken an insane amount of patience. You have to appreciate what Dustin Humphrey has done for Insight's "Dopamine" campaign. Any one of these could be the best surf ad ever. Judge for yourself.

Chris Brogan At Oakley On Social Media

How should you use social media to market your surf/skate/snow brand?

In this video Chris Brogan advises about twitter and how it can be used to make your brand more authentic and build long term relationships with people.

Ugly Shoes Under Your Bed

Let's just say you have a pair of Gravis shoes under your bed that your older brother gave you, and you're still looking for the courage to wear them.

That's why this article from Boardistan is just perfect-

"Sometimes we just don’t get it. Gravis, the shoe company the Burton Corporation has been sinking money into for more than a decade, has released a shoe for the most beautiful boy in skateboarding and once again they’ve created something that no one will buy.
How do they do it? You’d think even by simply designing with a magic 8 ball you’d come up with a hit shoe every once in a while. . .but hey, at least they are trying right?"

Bob Dylan Doesn't Surf

Bob Dylan probably isn't that into advertising especially when it uses his name, but he might actually like this ad. Sanuk is really freshening up the ads in the surf market.

You'll Like This

We need to see more stuff like this. Sure the transitions look pretty tight, but you have to hand it to Saatchi & Saatchi, Copenhagen, Denmark for pulling off the skatable bus stop billboard for Quiksilver a few years back.

Of course, you don’t want to forget about the skaters who want to grind a rail…

And, if you want to get barreled before work…

Bob in Bubbles

Here's Bob Burnquist skating through hundreds of balloons for the new Nestle "Aero" candy bar commercial. At first you might think it's fake.

Team Tijuana

Sure the Lost Team Tijuana ads ran a while ago, but they are still classic especially when you see them contrasted to a "serious" boardshort ad. If you click on the image, you can check out Jordy Sanchez's sweet tats.

Perceptually Cluttered Eyewear?

Ideally, a perceptual map like this would show your eyewear brand carving out its own clear and distinct position in the mind of your consumer.  

Is this true?  

Or, are there a few other brands creeping into your space?

Are You a Ripper or a Poser?

Segmenting the surf/skate market by behavior is supposedly the best way to segment, so here you go.

First, you have the “rippers”. These guys are at the top of the food chain. They paddle out at their local break and catch any wave they want because they rip. They don’t care too much about keeping up on the latest trends because they are usually in the process of unconsciously starting a new one. Nonetheless, they keep a close eye on what the top pros are up to since that is where they expect to be one day. Rippers let their talent do the talking, not their clothes. They look to the brands with quality products and the best team riders.

Next, you notice the “partiers”. Rebellion, loudness, testosterone, and attitude are the cornerstones for this group. They pride themselves in being at the center of any clash that might arise on the beach or at the skate park. Although they might not admit it, they appreciate brands that support their antics.

Don’t forget the “middle guys”. Even though they might not be the most talented, they genuinely love their sport and lifestyle. They surf and skate for the fun of it and because of the friendships these sports bring. That is why they are respected and can hang with the rippers. They lean towards brands that add to their style and match their values.

Finally, the “posers” come along. These kids show up to the skate park with all the latest gear, but they don’t really know how to use it. Instead of actually learning how to skate, they focus on their new shoes matching the stickers on their helmet. They are religious about following the latest trends, and they are sure to buy whatever brands will make them “cool”.

So, who should you target?

Side By Side

Checking out eyewear websites side by side is always kinda cool.  

#1

Here you go - blog entry number 1. Too bad it's not about anything.