Denuo - denuology.com

After a nice long Memorial Day weekend ushered in the summer, students across the country are taking that last set of finals in hopes of maintaining good grades or bumping up those so-so grades. With the spirit of report cards in the air, I thought it was a good time to give out a report card of sorts to the latest social media/mobile/application craze, location-based apps.

In lieu of grades, I’m taking a more general approach of commenting on: The Good, The Bad, and My Wish. Now bring on the judgment.

Fellow sneaker heads, we are not a secret society.

There is a group of us out there that agree there are few feelings better than scooping an exclusive pair of your favorite sneakers (whether that’s Air Max 95s, Jordan Vs, or Dunks in my case). There are numerous sneaker shops throughout the country (and abroad – don’t sleep) that are always good for that unexpected gem that completes your collection (until you come back next time) and leaves you on cloud nine with a reward for your sneaker sleuth skills.

Unfortunately, technology and innovation are ruining that euphoric feeling for me. Whether it’s the traditional email/newsletter or the constantly growing social media landscape, shoe companies are making it tougher to get my hands on their exclusive goodies. A culture once dominated by word of mouth is now fully embracing the tools of the digital word of mouth landscape. Woot for them. FML for me.

For the non-degenerate gamblers out there, the 136th Kentucky Derby will take place on May 1, 2010. Whether you follow the sport for financial reasons or the amazing (and over-the-top) outfits/hats, the Kentucky Derby is truly a spectacular sporting event.

However behind all the glitz and glamour of the event, there are difficult decisions concerning the horses that fall to injury throughout the season. With no other options, many owners are forced to have their horses euthanized.

While this is a regular occurrence in horse racing, are there similarities in the digital advertising world? Are brands running out of options with their work horse, the brand web site?

After being presented with the opportunity to take a trip to Las Vegas to talk with fantasy sports experts, I realized life can truly be too good at times. I had no idea this “fantasy” trip would also give me insight into the future of fantasy sports. Those same experts showed me that the industry 27 million consumers spend countless hours enjoying is preparing to go into many interesting directions in the future. Because of this fact, I recommend marketers get in the game (poor pun intended) sooner than later.

I had the pleasure of speaking at Fantasy Sports Trade Association’s 2010 Winter Business Conference last week. For those not familiar, the FSTA provides a forum for interaction between the hundreds of existing and emerging companies across the fantasy sports industry. My specific discussion revolved around the opportunity for advertising in the fantasy sports industry but the true insight for advertisers came from the many conversations held following the panel.

I have spent my entire life being told the term “Peeping Tom” carried both serious and negative connotations. Because of that, I instantly think of some dirt bag guy in the bushes taking a gander into an unsuspecting victim’s window. It is the reason I will never occupy an apartment/condo on the first floor or in direct line of sight with office buildings. Every so often, I even hear news coverage of police catching these curious fellows, which confirms their existence. Because of these thoughts, we as society have agreed that “peeping” is not a socially acceptable habit. Unfortunately, I’ve recently come to the conclusion that I may be a Peeping Tom or at least a virtual version.