For at least a few years, marketers have been talking about “integration” - instead of buying obvious advertising, we’ll find ways to integrate our client products, promotions and messages in with TV & Radio shows, magazine articles and more.

At the same time, a growing trend that was sparked by reality TV and then supercharged with easy YouTube videos is people getting their own few minutes of fame, and even if they don’t get a lot of views - its still nice that we have easy access to broadcast ourselves to the world.

Now Disney has taken it a step further with this promotional video that is almost impossible to resist and spreading across the internet at lightening speed, all while promoting Disney vacation packages, parks & merchandise.  It’s brilliant, and according to reports from the author of Secrets of Social Media Marketing, Paul Gillin, the promotion paid for itself in approx 18&1/2 hours.

It really is hard to resist - be sure to watch to the end & listen for Goofy~

Want it?  You can have it too - spread the Disney love~

If, like me, you’re considering the scope of the current economic crisis and what the future might look like, now that we know what we know.  I’m a strong believer in a positive mental attitude, not meaning that everything is parties all the time but that there are valuable lessons to be learned in the process, wherever you are in that process.

The Blog Herald offers their thoughts on how you might be able to use blogging to survive the economy.  I see it as a resource - a great place to learn and think about using blogging to THRIVE in the near future, regardless of economies. 

1. Start a blog - it doesn’t cost much to start up and can be a productive fun way to make a little bit of extra income
2. Online Resume and Visual Presence: “If you are job hunting or want to prove your worth to a company, why not do it with a visual online presence. With a blog and active involvement in social media, you increase your odds of being found if someone searches for you or your specialty.  Create an online reputation for your expertise and skills with your blog. A blog proves job performance, reliability, consistency, and perseverance. It proves you not only can write but communicate your thoughts and ideas. A blog proves you understand that the world is about who you know who knows what you need. It shows you know how to build a community and network. A blog proves you understand how this “online thing” works, which a lot of businesses desperately need.  Consider your blog your online resume. Consider all your online activities, correspondence, and social media microblog posts and communications part of your reputation. Everything online adds to the story of “you” so make sure it represents you well.
3. Start a New Business
4. Social Networking and Support
5. A Blog Depends on You
6. FREE Entertainment

SERVE A WHOLE NEW SEGMENT IN YOUR INDUSTRY

Finding a previously untapped segment, or carving out a niche offering in your industry is one way to revitalize your enthusiasm and generate more client activity for business; these market-development activities benefit everyone in your field which can position you as a leader in your field and give you the opportunity to develop a strong network of strategic alliances in business.

How do you do it?  Take what you know, what you’ve been active with forever, look for the huge entrepreneurial “A-ha!” (the niche target market that no one else is serving), and slowly start shifting your activities to focus on serving that specialty.  Why not?

According to PowerHomeBiz.com, the strategies for focusing your niche are:

1. Aim for a specific target and allocate resources just for that target - I love this first point the most: cover only a small, but profitable base of customers; you cannot be everything to every one
2. Talk to potential customers one at a time
3. Do some market research to verify your findings
4. Find out the kind of product characteristics that your customers value.

According to Microsoft Small Business Center, being clueless about marketing, or believing sales and marketing are interchangeable, is the 4th most common mistake startups make: