Category Archives: News & Events

Friday Wrap-Up # 2 – Google Doodle, Apple iPhone, Microsoft & More

There is no lack of both original and rehashed efforts in advertising and marketing. We are back again with all the latest, important marketing news and marketing efforts that made waves this past week.

Google Doodle 2013 Winner  - Apps Mav

1. Google Doodles are sure to leave behind a vast legacy, should they ever cease to make new ones in the future. The best part are the Doodle competitions that result in some extremely interesting submissions that pour in from all over the world. This was the fourth consecutive year of the competition and the theme was simple – to illustrate your ‘best day ever’. Shown here is the winning entry by 17-year old Wisconsin resident Sabrina Brady, and it’s easy to see why it touched a cord.

2. Apple new ad for the iPhone breaks away from its usual style to adopt downtempo tunes and grainy, even Instagram-like visuals – establishing itself even more firmly as the hipster’s go-to device. The 60-second spot claims Apple has more music lovers than any other type of smartphone, however the same is based on only iTunes sales data, which seems a bit arbitrary, given the many other popular sources of music available.

3. The new Microsoft ad for Windows 8, though, isn’t chancing any subtlety. The 30-second ad basically takes potshots at 3 things Apple – Siri, the iPad, and Apple’s marketing, and succeeds hilariously.

4. This one is a definite bonus! Kmart’s recent ads have all been able to elicit a laugh or two from everyone who watched them, and their latest ‘Big Gas Savings’ campaign combines toilet humour innuendos with side-splitting, punny sketches for an even better impact. See for yourself:

 

Did you like one or more these campaigns? We’d love to hear your opinion – let us know in your Comments!

Google Glasses

The Tuesday Bite-Sized News Edition

1)      Hackers take over 90,000 WordPress blogs. If you are a WordPress user, Matt Mullenweg (a WordPress Founder) has some security tips for you, just in case.

2)      Dove’s latest 3-minute YouTube ad goes viral after addressing the perception vs. reality beauty issue. The ad has a former SJPD forensic artist sketching women’s faces based only on the way they describe themselves, while having no way of seeing them. The results sure are food for thought.

3)      Google Glass is finally ready to ship, but only to early adopters and developers. A proper worldwide launch seems closer than previously estimated.

4)      How To Monetise Google Hangouts – didn’t think it was possible? Glamour magazine proves otherwise by incorporating product placements in Google Hangouts.

5)      Facebook is expanding its ads targeting by allowing advertisers to target 500  specific segments such as ‘Car Buyers’, ‘Luxury Apparel Buyers’ based on user purchases.

6)      The hyper-local mobile app Foursquare has launched a major update for its iOS app, and so, Foursquare 6.0 is now in the app store. The primary focus of the app appears to have shifted from discovering what your friends are doing to discovering what you can do.

Friday wrap up

Friday Wrap Up! #1

Technology hardly ever has a slow week and the same applies to this one, too. So, we are back with our weekly wrap-up of interesting news to keep you updated – with bite-sized info-nuggets (yes, yes, we can’t believe we said that either.)

For starters, Pew Internet released an extremely illuminating study on the e-book trend, bringing to light the fact that at least 21% American have read an e-book and these digital book versions are definitely, inarguably, here to stay.

CareerBliss, the employer review site also released their findings on the happiest tech companies in America and, don’t we know it, Google came out on top, while Texas Instruments and Avaya rounded off the top three.

A BIA/Kelsey study also shed light on the incredible potential and growth of Social Advertising as it forecasts that U.S. Social Ad Revenues are set to skyrocket to $11Bn in 2017.  You can read the study in full here.

Google also added a new tool to its existing plethora of quirky tools called the Inactive Account Manager. It doesn’t matter if you are taking an extended vacation or are planning your digital afterlife – the (unfortunately named) Inactive Account Manager will address your needs.

Speaking of Google, a few days ago, we covered the doom of Google Reader on our Apps Mav blog. On our list of Top 5 suggested alternatives was Pulse Reader and what seems like an extremely promising move, LinkedIn has acquired the company for approximately $90 million.

Last, but definitely not the least, Twitter’s ill-kept secret, the Twitter Music app will be releasing today. The app will focus mainly on music trending on Social Media, quite like Twitter, and have purchase options, as well.

We’ll be back next Friday with the next wrap-up. Until then, share your feedback, bouquets, brickbats in the Comments section and stay glued for other social media updates!

#Bestlieever trended all week long

The Maverick Mav Friday Wrap-Up

Technology doesn’t have a slow day any longer, thanks to the ceaseless wonders of social media, and this Friday we bring a wrap up of all the news you may have missed, but shouldn’t have. For starters, the hashtag to create enormous waves on Twitter this week would have made Pinocchio proud – #BestLieEver, a hashtag started by Jai Brooks from right here in Melbourne became popular enough to start a clique of its own. Check out what people had to contribute (and you can bet they had a LOT), here.

Pinterest works like a charm to get exposure for your products if your brand is about fashion, food or design, but not everyone knows how to work it yet (If you need assistance managing your social media presence or only Pinterest? Send us an inquiry today for a customized solution!) However, Mashable has put together a handy little slideshow depicting 10 extremely creative, and innovative uses for Pinterest.

It’s been a good week for art and poetry aficionados, too, with the New York Times’ Poetry Month kicking off with the launch of their haiku Tumblr. The George Eastman House, world’s oldest photography museum also joined the Google Art Project and is now available online for public viewing with a total of more than 40,000 works of art.

We also came to hear of Facebook creating new APIs to track comment threads after launching the ‘Reply’ to Comments feature last week, to help brands identify most popular comments, replies, and threads. Also keeping us occupied was Socialbakers’ fantastic analysis of the Game of Thrones’ fandom on social media, which is now apparently as big as Westeros itself (figuratively speaking, of course). Check out their fantastic infographic here. Additionally, LinkedIn has added a ‘mention’ feature to its platform, Facebook-style.

The biggest, yet the most underwhelming news, however, was the launch of Android: Facebook Home. While many were hoping for it to be the Facebook Phone or a Facebook OS, it is neither. Instead, it is a new home screen and app launcher interface for select Android smartphones. Watch Facebook’s ad for Facebook Home to understand how Facebook thinks it can help you.

Read more about Facebook Home here, and while we bid you adieu and give ourselves unto the weekend, we will be back soonish with more technology news. Have a good one, until then!

Playboy’s iPhone App, Facebook iPhone OS and Google+ News For Developers

Today’s been an interesting day for technology and in our constant endeavour to bring you the freshest of technology and digital news, here are our two bits on what’s been going on:

1) Playboy Magazine has launched a comparatively demure mobile application for iPhones. The application will focus on showcasing exclusive content made for the app, which includes ‘non-nude’ pictorials and lifestyle content, etc. However, those looking for ‘regular’, uncensored Playboy issues can simply head to i.playboy.com  for Playboy’s web-based iPad app.
Read more here.

2) Rumours of the ‘Facebook Phone’ are exciting to one and all and the most recent addition to the speculations was a direct result of what Android Police claims is a leaked version of the Facebook Phone’s operating system. The device is supposed to be a mid-range smartphone with a 4-3-inch display, 1GB RAM, dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and a 5MP camera.
Read more here.

3) Google+ sign-ins were a special gift to developers everywhere from Google last month, the feature allowing users to sign-in to non-Google websites using their Google log-in, much like its Twitter and Facebook counterparts. Now, Google has announced support for social infrastructure platforms Janrain and Gigya which enables adding trust authentication to apps and sites, allows users to share interactive posts  with connections and much more.
Read more here.

Source: Thierry Cohen’s Cities Without Light Pollution

The Mav Wrap up – April Fool’s special

April Fool’s Day is always a big day for the more mischievous of the lot, but the rest of us enjoy it just as much, as long as our role is that of spectators. But it wasn’t just a day full of pranks. Here’s our round-up of the most arresting technology and design news from yesterday.

1)      Top 10 YouTube Prank Videos:

Parents Tell Children That Their Halloween Candy is Over

April Fool’s obviously initiated a flurry of prank videos on YouTube, but the YouTube took the time to sift and curate the best of the lot. To see the full list of videos, click here.

2)       Game of Thrones Autotune:

HBO’s super-popular  series Game of Thrones returned for a 3rd season this past Sunday night, sending the internet fandom into a tizzy. As a result,  an auto tune remix of Arya’s list of enemies with the house motto ‘A Lannister always pays his debts’, is now a thing. Don’t believe us? See for yourself.

3)      Amazon Updates Cloud Drive:

Giving Dropbox and Google Drive some stiff competition in the area of cloud storage, Amazon has updated its Cloud Drive service with desktop file-syncing feature, which was lacking since its May 2012 launch. “The updated app makes it simple for users to put files in Cloud Drive and to access them from any of their computers, ensuring that they always have access to the latest version of their files from home and on the road,” the company states.

4)      Thierry Cohen’s Cities Without Light Pollution:


We have always been fans of great graphic design work combined with astounding photography to make a statement, and Thierry Cohen’s ‘Major Cities Without Light Pollution falls right under that bracket. The French photographer took nighttime pictures of major cityscapes and combined them with pictures of deserted places with corresponding angles and latitudes and the results are breathtaking. Kinda goes to show what we’re all missing. See the full story and images here.

Future comes to you at expo

The Inner West Small Business Expo, to be held at Sydney Olympic Park on September 15, will this year focus on iBusiness and learning how to expand your business via online and social media marketing.

The expo is regarded as the premier business-to-business event in the inner-west, with a wide range of guest speakers, information booths and training sessions. Topics this year include Cloud computing, business applications for smartphones and the economic impact of social media.

Event co-ordinator John Whelan says the expo is divided into two sections: the speakers’ program and a wide range of exhibitor stands, covering everything from TAFE, software companies, media groups, Optus and the Commonwealth Bank.

“The expo is a totally free event,” he says. “Entry to the expo floor and most of the business briefings is free. We’re only charging for the breakfast and lunch sessions – and that’s purely to recover costs.”

Whelan says the expo – organised by a consortium of five inner-west councils including Strathfield – is a great opportunity for local businesses to learn about iBusiness from leading experts and commentators.

“We realise that a lot of people running their own companies don’t have time to attend seminars and training sessions about things like smartphones and social media.

“The expo allows them to dip in and out of sessions that might be of interest to them. There’s even a session called Social Media to Go, which means they walk away with their newly created Facebook page, Twitter account or LinkedIn profile.”

Akash Malik, an internet marketing expert and chief executive of Maverick Mav, will lead one of
the sessions.

He says all businesses should adopt media marketing, a powerful tool through which they can experience “massive” growth.

“Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social networks provide businesses with the opportunity to engage in a two-way conversation, as opposed to traditional methods of marketing and advertising, which are one-way broadcasts. Consumers have developed a blindness to such broadcast messages.”

For full list, check out our events page to find the full listings of the Inner West Small Business Expo 2011.

Source: http://ourstrathfield.com.au

Read Akash’s article in MyBusiness Magazine on Facebook Marketing- DIY steps for small businesses.

We would like to Thank Business Enterprise Centres (BEC) Australia for their support.

BEC Australia is a Cluster of Community-Based Organisations Helping Small Businesses.

We would like to Thank Business Enterprise Centres (BEC) Australia for their support.

BEC Australia is a Cluster of Community-Based Organisations Helping Small Businesses.

Maverick Mav appointed as Social Media Marketing Partner For Import Export Show

Expert social media company, Maverick Mav is proud to announce its recent agreement with the upcoming Import Export Show. Maverick Mav will be assisting Import Export Show with all of their social media and internet marketing requirements, including Facebook marketing and Twitter marketing, email marketing, and also Google AdWords support.

The support that Maverick Mav plans to provide to the Import Export Show will increase the show’s ability to reach further into markets that have yet to hear about the exhibition and seminars. The plan is to build and spread awareness and excitement about the Import Export Show through the social media markets, spanning thousands of new companies and potential “fans”; helping to introduce the advantages that Import Export Show’s magnificent exhibitions and shows present to the companies that could benefit from them. Best of all, Import Export Show opens the doors to importing and exporting companies for free.

The upcoming exhibition that Import Export Show is planning to present will take place in the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, promising two full days where exhibitors and expert speakers alike will be presenting their informational business solutions geared toward helping companies in the import/export sector expand and improve their business. Through their exhibitions, seminars, workshops, and networking, everyone that makes an appearance is sure to walk out with a wealth of new knowledge and information.

One of the featured speakers at the show will be Chief Social Networker, Akash Malik, of social media agency Maverick Mav, who will share his knowledge on “Using Social and Internet Marketing for Entering Overseas Marketing’. He will be focusing on educating attendees on Facebook for business marketing, Twitter marketing, and other forms of social media marketing for business. Join Akash Malik to learn the concepts that will not only get your business noticed more, but also push it into the mainstream with competitors that are already marketing their business with Facebook and other social media marketing tools.

Companies that are new to importing or exporting or planning entering new overseas markets will benefit as well, as there is a complete program focused on getting started, obtaining the proper support and grants, freight and logistics, and compliance and sourcing. Established business can listen to the experts who present topics such as access capital, costing more accurately, managing risks, entering new markets overseas and negotiating contracts. In addition, all companies, whether new or established, will realise advantages from Akash Malik’s topics that outline using Facebook for marketing as well as other social media marketing strategies for businesses.

If you have an international business that you would like to see grow to new levels, be sure to attend the Import Export Show on 1-2 September to get in on the invaluable information, case studies, networking, advice, and social media marketing tips.

The services offered by Maverick Mav include across the spectrum e-marketing services for corporate clients and small businesses. The staff can assist customers in finding the right package with a simple phone call consultation. Some of the more savvy businesses are already participating in social media campaigns, which mean that to remain competitive today a business must include this concept in their overall marketing strategy. Maverick Mav offers the services to all businesses of all sizes.

Based in Sydney, MaverickMav is a social media & internet marketing and web development company.