April 29, 2005
Final Paper
Here is the link for my final paper: http://www.unc.edu/~arosenst/about/datasmog2.htm
Posted by arosenst at 06:10 PM | Comments (0)
A Style Guide for Data Smog
This is an updated style guide for my blog and my report on Data Smog. I will try to follow the MLA manual for writing. Additionally, I referenced the Web Style Guide by Patrick J. Lynch and Sarah Horton.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
The design will be simple and uncomplicated. Pictures and other visual elements will break up and support the text. There will be no dead-end pages and each page will be able to stand on its own. Vertical scrolling should be kept to a minimum and there should be no horizontal scrolling. Each page will have a footer containing citing information.
SPECIFIC GUIDELINES
Type Size
All titles will be roughly the size of Heading One. Headings will be in bold capitol letters and subheadings will be bold with the first letters capitolized Text size should be between 10 and 12.
Typeface
I will use Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif for the typeface for all text on the site.
Alignment
All content will be left justified, which is easier on the readers eye. Headings will also be left justified.
Indented Paragraphs
Use blank lines between paragraphs and not indented paragraphs.
Emphasis
To emphasis text I will consistently use bolding, spacing, and lists.
COLOR
Text color is black: #333300.
Background color for the text portion of the page is white.
Banner color for all pages is blue:#9999FF.
PAGE INFORMATION
Lists
When appropriate, I will use bulleted and numbered lists. This will help facilitate scanning.
Layout
There will be a navigation bar on the top of the page containing links to all of the text.
Hyperlinks
When creating hyperlinks, choose a descriptive word or phrase to act as the link and never use a phrase like “click here for more information” as a hyperlink.
Content
Content is grouped together in a logical format and is logically organized and conveniently navigated
VISUAL MATERIALS
Pictures
Pictures and other images will support the text. They will be located appropriately. Pictures and images should try to be placed above the fold.
TERMS
Data Smog
Data Smog will be capitalized at both the beginning of sentences and within the text.
Information Overload
Information Overload will be capitalized at the beginning of sentences and within the text.
Dates
Dates will appear in this order: day, month and year, unless in a citation. This is a more internationally accepted method of writing dates. Periods will also be used in place of slashes. An example of Valentines Day written in this manner is 14.2.05.
Posted by arosenst at 06:05 PM | Comments (0)
April 24, 2005
End of Class Questions
How has your writing changed since the beginning of the course?
Through my work in this course, I am more aware of the difference between writing online and offline. Scanability is an aspect of online writing that I am very aware of. I am also more aware of my writing strengthens and weakness.
What have you learned in the course that you think will prove most useful?
Understanding how to write online so that people can scan the page and get the information they are searching for quickly.
One of the more useful aspects of the course was sharing tips for editing. I used several of the techniques when editing my work, although I was never able to successfully read my work backwards.
What questions remain unanswered for you?
I am still looking for the fail proof editing technique.
How can this course be improved or enhanced?
I think I would have benefited from more peer review and/or writing workshops.
Posted by arosenst at 10:08 PM | Comments (0)
April 17, 2005
Krispy Kreme
Before doing this assignment, I always assumed that Krispy Kreme advertised. Everyone I know almost all over the world knows who this North Carolina based company is. It is astonishing to me to discover that they rely so much on word-of-mouth advertising. I look forward to seeing if they will be able to survive on word-of-mouth advertising in the online arena.
Building its brand:
Krispy Kreme has maintained their brand for decades on word-of-mouth advertising. Aside from the occasional billboard, Krispy Kreme does little advertising. Their Senior Vice President of marketing points to the Krispy Kreme in-store experience as their main branding asset. He said, “You can eat them hot. That’s a huge brand-building asset for us.”
Krispy Kreme’s self-appointed competition includes Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, and New World Coffee. This helps transform the small company into the underdog of doughnut-makers. Additionally, their retro-cool image that has not changed since 1937 when they first opened their doors authenticates the company’s longstanding history.
Krispy Kreme does an excellent job at creating a buzz around new store openings, offering samples to their customers, and building a community. By limiting their store locations, they maintain a level of mystique and the scarcity helps to drive up demand.
Projecting Krispy Kreme’s image:
Krispy Kreme spends close to nothing on advertising and still their brand is well known. Television, radio, and print media give them free press by covering their store openings, which are reminiscent of a Black Friday at Wal-Mart; hundreds of people lined up just to see the sheet of glaze drop down onto the conveyer belt of dough. Additionally, to generate publicly, they offer free samples before opening one store per community.
Over the past few years, consumers have seen boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts in their local grocery stores. While this makes the product available to more people, it undermines the scarcity of Krispy Kremes and diminishes the Krispy Kreme experience. For a product that depends so greatly on the in-store experience and word-of-mouth for their advertising, this product placement is dangerous.
Meeting the information needs or wants of its target audiences:
Krispy Kreme’s target audience has changed in the last few years. After going public in early 2000, their popularity soared. However, by 2004, the honeymoon was over and their stock began to drop. Regardless of the reasons, this added a new category to their target audience: investors.
Krispy Kreme continues to meet the needs of their traditional target audience though their grand openings and free giveaways. Krispy Kreme still relies on word-of-mouth and free press coverage, but now, they play an active role in communicating to their target audiences with press releases, events, and their website. This integrated system, although not as sophisticated as others, is an improvement in meeting the needs of their target audiences.
Looking Holistically: TV, Print, and New Media
Krispy Kreme does very little to advertising on television, in print, or on-line. They rely almost completely on word-of-mouth, product scarcity, and the Krispy Kreme experience to sell their product. With the growth of the company and their recent pitfalls, this strategy needs an overhaul. Krispy Kreme will have to begin using traditional combined with new media to remain a competitive business.
Looking Specifically: Analysis of online strategies and uses of Websites
Krispy Kreme’s website is very well designed. The images online are consistent with their signs and stores. They both project the look and feel of the 1930-50 eras with the use of fonts, colors, and images. Their menu bar communicates exactly who they are: Krispy Kreme, Doughnuts, and Coffee. Capitalizing on their back-to-the-past charm, they clearly communicate their charisma in a historical section using images and short paragraphs relevant to that decade.
The Krispy Kreme website lacks interaction and fails to provide an online experience that could mirror the in-store experience. They have an online press kit and they update their press releases, but you cannot sigh up to receive notices. A browser can purchase toy trucks, look for the nearest store, and send emails to the company but that is the extent of the interaction.
Compare the New Media Use with Old Media Use:
When you ‘google’ Krispy Kreme, the first three hits are for the organization, after that, you find other news sources. It is clear that Krispy Kreme continues to rely on word-of-mouth both on-line and off-line for their advertisements.
Suggestions for better leverage of their website abilities to serve their target audience:
1. More online interaction to simulate the in-store experience online in needed. For example an online competition to redesign the flimsy box the doughnuts come in or a game that lets you manipulate the glaze as it falls over the doughnuts
2. Continuous website updates – not just the press releases.
Posted by arosenst at 09:51 PM | Comments (0)
April 10, 2005
Corporate Website Analysis
For this assignment, I picked thee website in the United Nations: the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Children’s Fund. I will analyze how their site identifies and services its publics as well as how they encourage repeat visits by paying specific attention to the page layout, site structure, barriers to information and projection to corporate images.
Organization: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
How this site identifies its publics
The UNECE website does not clearly identify their publics, although from the content of the page, the reader would have to be interested in Europe, Europe’s Economics, or the Commission if they were going to stay on the website for very long.
How this site services those publics
UNECE does a very good job of getting information to the public. The homepage is broken down into three columns: Programs on the left, Special Events on the right and in the center (the largest column) Latest News. The Special Events column has a link for the event’s press release. The Latest News column lists in order of date short snippets of information that actually link to a press release.
When the reader clicks on the tab Information Resources located in the middle of the navigation bar, they are taken to a page that lists UNECE’s informational resources including: press releases, publications, the UNECE Weekly, Legal Instruments, The UNECE in your daily life, Photo gallery, and Youth Corner. There is also a large text box encouraging the reader to learn about UNECE’s latest developments, and giving the reader a breakdown of the resources.
How this site encourages repeat visits
The navigation and clear layout of information and links is surprisingly easy to use. I have found most UN websites to be difficult to navigate. This site is clean, scannable, and has a simplistic look that encourage repeat visits.
Additionally, they update their website consistently. For the latest information on the UNECE’s meetings, decisions, and publications, their website is the perfect source for the information.
How this site serves specifically the Press/News Media
UNECE’s site clearly offers information on their meetings, decisions, and publications in press releases that are accessible from the sites homepage and the Information Resources page. Additionally, readers have access to their weekly newsletter. They update their information regularly.
Overall
The page layout and site structure assist the reader in finding current information. There are no obvious barriers to access information. The UNECE’s corporate image stays at the top of the page throughout the site’s many pages without hindering navigation. Aside from not clearly defining its publics, the UNECE’s site is a wealth of accessible information.
Organization: United Nations Development Programme
How this site identifies its publics
Like UNECE, UNDP does not clearly define its publics. They target everyone who is interested in the UN’s development work in democratic governances, poverty reduction, crisis prevention and recovery, energy and environment, and HIV/AIDS.
How this site services those publics
The UNDP homepage is divided into three columns. On the left is a text box with recent publications and special reports listed. In the middle the reader finds the latest UNDP information, without a subject title. On the left is information about the UNDP’s 2004 Arab Human Development Report and how to purchase the report.
The navigation bar, located above the banner containing the UNDP name and logo, the reader can easily find the Newsroom link. The Newsroom page setup is more congested than the UNECE’s site, but information is still labeled clearly and easily navigated.
How this site encourages repeat visits
The UNDP site encourages visits by updating their page with relevant information. Unlike the UNECE site, UNDP offers anyone who desires the ability to subscribe (and unsubscribe) to news bulletins with an online form. Additionally, the contact details of the UNDP individuals responsible for information dissemination are available on the left side of the Newsroom page and listed in order of their region.
How this site serves specifically the Press/News Media
In the center of the Newsroom page is dated information that links directly to the press release. Speeches and Statements are provided for the reader, listed by the year and theme. There is also a like to Biographies that takes the reader to the About UNDP page where they can learn more about UNDP Administrators.
Overall
The UNDP website, although filled with more images, colors, and lists that could be distracting than the UNECE website is still easy to navigate and offers all of their readers information about UNDP, the UN, and issues surrounding their main themes. The one thing that the UNDP site does not do is give the reader an idea of when the site will be updated next.
Organization: United Nations Children’s Fund
How this site identifies its publics
Like UNECE and UNDP, UNICEF does not clearly define its publics. They assume that if you are on their site you are interested in their priorities: girl’s education, immunizations, child protection, HIV/AIDS and early childhood.
How this site services those publics
This site uses images and color better then both UNECE and UNDP. Located on the left side of the homepage is a column dedicated to headlines From the Press Center. The Press Center has a link from the navigation bar at the top of the page.
Again, the use of color makes all the difference when comparing UNICEF’s Press Center page to that of UNECE’s or UNDP’s. With a blue background, the latest news is located in the center of the page in a whit box. The title of the box, Latest News is a burnt red to help grab the readers attention. The reader is also able to sort though all of the press releases by date, subject and region.
On the right side of the Press Center page the reader can easily find additional information listed under Tools, Hot Topics, and Our Positions. One the left, the user can access video clips relevant to UNICEF.
How this site encourages repeat visits
UNICEF, like UNDP, allows all visitors to register for e-Alerts, which they promise is a low volume mail distribution. They say that this list is intended for journalists but it is open to anyone. Additionally, the contact details of the UNICEF’s communication department are available on the site, making access to them easy.
How this site serves specifically the Press/News Media
The Press Center is an excellent site for the press and news media. Under Tools, they provide likns to audio features, publications, pictures and more. Additionally, UNICEF provides information on what they consider to be their Hot Topics, making it easy for the press to gain access to these stories. However, most beneficial is the Our Positions category that clearly outlines UNIFEC’s take on specific issues.
Overall
I believe that UNIFEC has the most effective website for communicating to the press and the public at large. Their categories are invaluable when navigating through the information. Their use of color and images effectively adds depth and interest to their stories without distracting the reader from the information.
Posted by arosenst at 03:07 PM | Comments (0)