Brilliant Idea For FaceBook To Give Back To The Kids That Made it a Multi-Billion Dollar Enterprise

Below was submitted to FaceBook Today.
To FaceBook's Head of Advertising

Dear Leah..I'm a Dad of a college student-and I'm in the marketing business..Given that its the universe of students that have made FaceBook a multi-billion dollar company--how about giving your community the opportunity to participate in your ad revenues...Real Simple--Let them sign up to post ads on their profile ..i.e. My Favorite Stuff....it can display a simple panel with text links leading to those ads.. You guys are charging advertisers like me a PPC cost--let them share in it!!..And help defray the cost of tuition!!..Sign up process can be just like Commission Junction--and you can give them a step by step process on how to sign up for PayPal (or other service) so that their piece of the earnings can be credited to their safe account. By the way..I'm going to post this idea to my blog www.marcomm201.blogspot.com and if you want to credit me with attribution for this idea, that would be very nice...
Jay Berkman www.jlcgroup.net

Tips on Becoming a Web Video Legend in Your Spare Time

We've been pounding the table for longer than we can remember i.e. the power of sight and sound--and the relevance of video messages delivered via the Net. Always ahead of our time, YouTube has demonstrated that 15 seconds of fame can belong to anyone, but those 15 seconds can now be extended indefinitely and transcend every border.

Lee Gomes from the Wall St. Journal was kind enough to assemble a list of tips from experts in this new realm. Top of the list:
Understand the dynamics of the medium and the nature of our audience.
What does that mean? You've got to hook your viewer in the first 15 seconds.
Other insights- pushing as many demographic buttons as possible; tenacity and self confidence is equally impolrtant---and one guru insists that you need to leave your viewer guessing.

Endearing Marketing: Adiri

One simple, time-tested rule for entrepeneurs to follow: passion, determination and a good idea can be all that's needed to succeed.
Case in point, as profiled in today's NY Times Small Business section, is the story of former Yahoo! executive that gave up a career to salvage her Dad's idea--a baby bottle designed to have the same characteristics in form and function as the most natural delivery mechanism for feeding a new born infant: a mother's breast.

A classic entrepeneurial story-little working capital, the kitchen table serving as the corporate office and a cadre of equally passionate staff drawing no salary and working from cubicles in their respective residences, Jennifer Morrill has taken a blue print of her Dad's idea and transformed it into a consumer product that major retailers led by Toys R Us have embraced with open arms.

Now its a function of Adiri scaling up in order to meet demand for the product, including focusing in on logistics, cost efficiencies, and manufacturing. We love this story--and are cheering from the stands for these gals! And we have every confidence that we'll be reading about them again in the NY Times Business section-and we expect the follow-up story will be about their being acquired by J&J, or another consumer product company.

Hand Sanitizer Manufacturer Reaches Out Hands.

we picked up below from Reuters...bravo to the publisher of this "open letter"!

AN OPEN LETTER TO PARENTS, STUDENTS,

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS,

& HEALTH CARE OFFICIALS

November 8, 2007

re: MRSA School Scare

Every day brings new reports of students becoming infected – and in some cases dying – of MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus), a potentially lethal form of staph infection that’s easily acquired in public schools, universities and colleges. The most prominent symptoms include skin abscesses and/or infections.

While MRSA is more pervasive within health care facilities and attacks those with low immune systems, children and young adults in school and public environments are equally susceptible, as the bacterium is spread easily through skin-to-skin contact, open cuts, abrasions, and contact with contaminated surfaces.

On October 16, the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), reported 94,360 MRSA infections and 18,650 MRSA deaths in 2005, more than the number of AIDS-related deaths in the same year. Most experts expect that once tallied, MRSA-related statistics for 2006 and 2007 will prove to be considerably higher.

Even more disturbing, officials representing the CDC, the country’s foremost source of information for best hand hygiene practices, have acknowledged that’s it recommendations, first published in 1996 and specifically intended for health care institutions, have not been updated with regard to the use of rinse-free hand sanitizer products.

Although the CDC actually cautions against the use of alcohol-based products in particular situations, it remains steadfast by exclusively promoting alcohol-based sanitizers as the alternative to soap and water; all despite the fact that in recent years, equally effective and altogether safer, alcohol-free (non-flammable and non-toxic) hand sanitizer technologies have been developed and introduced to the market place.

Selective, and responsibly manufactured alcohol-free sanitizers have proven to be not only as efficient in killing MRSA and other common germs and viruses, but certain of these products remain effective longer, kill bacteria that alcohol cannot, and safer to use in any environment.

Most importantly, given that schools, universities, and licensed day care facilities throughout the country have been outright banning alcohol-based products due to their inherent dangers and noxious side effects, including skin irritations and risk of infection when exposed to open cuts, the current MRSA outbreak has created a dangerous conundrum for students, teachers, parents, and our communities.

The good news is that MRSA, and most other easily transmitted germs and viruses can be avoided with simple precautionary steps. The most essential include frequent hand washing with soap and water, and proper bandaging of cuts and abrasions. But when washing with soap and water isn’t readily convenient, appropriate hand sanitizing products should be applied.

Alcohol-Free Hand Sanitizers -- The Popular Choice

Our product is called Soapopular®; and includes a full line of independently tested, alcohol-free, rinse-free, and fragrance free foaming hand sanitizers. First introduced to the Canadian marketplace three years ago in conformance with strict medical and food compliant guidelines, Soapopular® is FDA-registered and now available throughout the US and worldwide.

We’re passionate about the quality of our product, and we’re determined that alcohol-free is the most logical and most pragmatic hand sanitizing alternative. We‘re ready to put our resources into your hands, and offer a national proposition.

• We invite any official school administrator or licensed day care facility to contact us via our website, or our toll free hotline and receive complimentary case(s) of Soapopular® alcohol-free hand sanitizer for use throughout your organization.*

• We invite all proactive national corporations or local businesses to work with us in sponsoring the delivery of dispenser-based hand sanitizing solutions to schools in the communities that you serve.

Soapopular® is dedicated to promoting responsible hand hygiene practices and helping to eliminate the spread of MRSA. We’re determined to keep our schools and workplaces protected, and our kids safe.

Be popular by staying healthy. Contact us to learn more.

The Board of Directors

MGS Soapopular, Inc.

www.SoapyUSA.com

Toll Free: 888-703-7941

US License:

In Your Face: Courtesy of Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg, the new God of the Internet, unleashed yet another new way that Facebook plans to exploit its platform and provide a way for its users, and more importantly, its advertisers to leverage the power of social networking.

We laughed hysterically when Zuckerberg, barely a twenty-something, dismissed a $1 billion offer from Yahoo to buy him out last year. After all, what kind of a dolt would turn down that kind of loot--and know that he could spend the rest of his expected life--another 70 years or so--without a financial care in the world.. Proving why Bill Gates was happy to part with $250 million just to own a teeny slice of Facebook.

According to Unilever's director of media and entertainment, 'ads on social networking sites are a number one priority--the numbers are staggering"

Time will tell...want to know where I went for dinner last night?

Angel Groups Spread Their Wings-And Raise Their Hands

The Wall Street Journal reports today that angel investors, a group typically associated with providing technology-oriented firms with initial seed capital (before venture and vulture capitalists step in for a second round), are more frequently investing in a wider spectrum of companies, including retail, consumer products, food, and service-oriented companies.

Two striking examples include Wilton-based Artemis Woman a beauty care company, and MGS Soapopular, another CT-based company with WBENC-certification, that, within three months of startup, has since gained a significant market share in the alcohol-free hand sanitizer space--the recent MRSA outbreak has catapulted this company into the limelight, and with initial funding of less than $350k, the company's products will be appearing on 1000+ retail shelves before year end (including select Target stores throughout the country) and is expected to deliver $1million in gross revenue during its first 9 months of operations. Not bad..High Five!

Rocket Racing League-Sponsors Sought at Speed of Light

Only a few weeks ago, I thought that bull riding will prove to be the next great frontier for sponsors seeking to embrace sports enthusiasts! Apparently, the Rocket Racing League is setting to taek off, thanks to league founder Peter Diamandis's deep pockets.

Strategies to Succeed-Its Online!

If you don't subscribe to the NY Times--the link won't work, but yesterday's article in the Small Business section is worth excerpting:

"These days, a Web site may not even be the best place to start promoting your products or services. Instead, you can consider setting up a blog, participating in social-networking communities like Facebook and creating a storefront in virtual worlds like Second Life to get the buzz going.

“We launched our company in May 2006 with a blog, not a Web site,” said Jody DeVere, the president of AskPatty.com, an advice site that helps women find car showrooms and repair shops that are friendly to them. “Our blog has been the driving force of our branding effort and become the way we find our readers and our customers.”

Earlier this year, AskPatty created a virtual coffee shop at the online community site Second Life, where people can swap tips and stories. That move turned out to be a gold mine for the company. “The women in Second Life are the ultimate power Internet users, and are very comfortable doing business online,” Ms. DeVere said. “Plus, it is a very cost-effective way to reach lots of people.”

The Race is on in Hand Sanitizers

A little followed battle is breaking out in the $250 million a year hand sanitizer market place. And we could be wrong about the US market size, it might be as much as $500 million when considering the institutional market.

The battle heating up is about a new technology that could displace the primary ingredient used in 99% of all hand sanitizers...we're talking about the alcohol. The base ingridient in Purell Germx and Ecolab products. These 3 brands own 75% of the marketplace.

Whoever can crack this space will very likely become soapopular.

Ford Advertising-Intelligent??

I just saw a Ford ad on TV promoting the Lincoln Navigator---which included a mention that the car has 'intelligent 4 wheel drive"

I can hear comedian Jack Black now...

"Who came up with the word "intelligent????

Is there such a thing as an "intelligent" 4 wheel drive? And does that mean some 4 wheel drives are stupid?? And are there others that are totally, f--ing moronic??

What's next? Is Mercedes or BMW going to top it with "exceptionally intelligent "4 wheel drive"??? Or, "the smartest 4 wheel drive"?

Thanks Ford! That's what you get for making the former CEO of a airplane manufacturer the head of your turnaround campaign.