Eco-Friendly Digital Marketing Internship

iPad’s are awesome and the applications are even better. I read about Deja, a new and highly anticipated iPad application last night that released today. I woke up excited because Deja is said to be similar to one of my favorite and most used apps, Flipboard. Flipboard is an app that beautifully arranges a completely customizable database of a users favorite websites, Twitter, Flickr, magazines and other online publications into a newspaper or magazine like layout. Then allows you to “flip” through different pages and view organized content seamlessly within the app. It is said that Deja does for videos what Fliboard does for photos and text and that is something to be excited about, after all Flipboard was named, “App of the Year,” in 2010.

I downloaded the app this morning and was instantly attracted. Videos are extracted from my Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google and RSS accounts, then compiled into a sleek and user-friendly design. Videos are updated accordingly and the sharing option is easier than ever. Users can share content on Twitter, Facebook or to email. Deja is what an iPad app should look and feel like. The interface displays tiles you can swipe threw zoom in on, and watch. Deja has a feature called ‘fling,’ where you can take whatever video you’re watching via Deja on the iPad, and view it on a TV connected to Apple TV.

You can search and view video’s, easily make playlists, view related videos, save and share in one place. It is beautiful and innovative but also very new. There are a lot of bugs and Deja crashed on me almost every time I used the app. I usually get very frustrated when something doesn’t work but I think Deja has serious potential and I can put up with it for now. A lot of time, effort and $200K of funding went into the Apps development and I really don’t think it’s going to fail. I’m hoping that the iPad 2’s video recording capabilities will help provoke the development of an option to upload videos directly to Deja. I want more customizable options for account preferences and I am also wondering if there are any privacy concerns. Deja has the potential to be a great social media marketing tool and I am interested to see how the iPad application evolves.

With summer nearly here, vacations are in the works. And you know what that means: poolside activities, boating adventures, and family outings! I know what you’re thinking. Oh no! My swimsuit doesn’t have a waterproof pocket for my cell phone!

Instead of being the one in your family glued to your iPhone, constantly checking your emails, utilize the Internet to add value to your trip.

A social media article on Mashable highlights ways to integrate tech toys into vacations without seeming distant. Aside from navigation apps and searching for local events in the places you visit, there are many social media apps that you can use to find local deals such as Foursquare and Gowalla. These apps are great tools to use when visiting a new city. You can filter your searches based on recommendations from your friends, distance and location, or simply what type of place you want to go to. I don’t know how many times I’ve tried to find a restaurant or an activity to check out without knowing the area and ended up somewhere totally off the wall. With these apps the days of choosing a hotel or nightlife venue by picture are over!

With photo sharing apps such as Instagram, and group messaging like GroupMe, friends and family can stay connected by posting messages and exchanging photos. You can share group photos and funny experiences with your fellow trip-ees or give the people back at home a taste of what their missing. It’s a good way to document a trip and tell a story at the same time.

Instead of feeling left out, your friends and family can be included in all your posts and online activities. Its a great way to decrease the gap between digital savvy teenagers and their parents. You can still maintain an online presence while your dad saves some serious dough on a family trip to the museum.

Find your old American Flag t-shirt and bathing suit and kick the summer off right this Memorial Day weekend in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Honor America’s Veterans and take advantage of all the special events and deals around town.

Finding a place to stay can be expensive and annoying, but Weber’s Hotel and Restaurant Memorial Day weekend specials make finding a place to stay easy and affordable. The Ann Arbor hotel room rates start at $99 and poolside rooms and suites receive $49 off. If you decide to stay another day rooms are only $49 on Monday, 5/30. You can relax in the sun all day and enjoy Weber’s Four Seasons pool and recreation area, game room and Cabana Café. For more details visit Weber’s Facebook page.

The Annual Memorial Day Observance will honor veterans this Monday. The event begins at 2 p.m. and will consist of a flag ceremony, 21-gun salute, notable speakers and much more. This is a great way to teach your children or siblings the importance of Memorial Day. Bring a blanket or lawn chair to 2521 Glazier Way and experience the fun.

There are events throughout the weekend to keep everyone busy. The Washtenaw County Historical Society will host a series of activities to honor American history and Veterans Saturday and Sunday 5/28 – 5/29. The activities include a Civil War exhibit, wreath making and card making. The cards will be donated to the Ann Arbor, VA Hospital. The event is another great way for children to learn about our country and the origins of Memorial Day.

Relaxing on Memorial Day is always a good option. The Ann Arbor Country Club will host an open pool party on Memorial Day from 12 noon – 6pm. Guests are admitted for free and can enjoy a wonderful day by the pool with friends. Food is available for purchase and guests are encouraged to check out the benefits of an AACC membership. The event is also a fundraiser for Dexter community students and teachers. 10 percent of any AACC memberships sold will go to support the students and teachers in the Dexter Community School district.

Ring the summer in the right way. Celebrate Memorial Day in Ann Arbor by honoring our Veterans, spending time with friends and family, relaxing and having a great time.

Visit Ann Arbor.com for a complete list of Memorial Day events and specials.

It’s back! The second annual Virtual Tradeshow Experience for LIGHTFAIR 2011 is here and in full swing.The digital agency Ingenex redesigned last year’s Virtual Tradeshow website for LIGHTFAIR International 2011.

Commercial and architectural lighting companies congregate once a year to attend the largest lighting industry event in the world. The creation of the Virtual Tradeshow Experience allows curious people and potential customers to jump in on the action from LED manufacturer OSRAM Opto Semiconductors booth at the tradeshow and conference. LED fans can even enter to win an iPad 2!

The Virtual Tradeshow Experience for LIGHTFAIR 2011 engages and connects customers with each other through easy to find links to OSRAM’s YouTube Account and Facebook fan page, creating conversation about the event, OSRAM and their products. Viewing my Facebook news feed provides an example of how effective social media is during an event. I was surprised that an article or post regarding LIGHTFAIR 2011 appeared more than a couple times on the same page.

Before the start of LIGHTFAIR 2011 there were informational videos on the Virtual Tradeshow Experience website educating viewers on LED’s and Solid State Lighting technology from OSRAM. This was important to build a “buzz” about LIGHTFAIR 2011 before the event and provided individuals much like myself, who are illiterate when it comes to LED technology, an easy to understand overview of LED technology while igniting my curiosity about the product.

Ingenex sent a team of three to Philadelphia, PA to LIGHTFAIR International 2011 which takes place May 17th – 19th. The team has been working to upload photos, create and edit video, keeping viewers engaged and updated during the event.

During LIGHTFAIR 2011 interviews from OSRAM employees and other important people in the lighting industry were filmed, edited and uploaded to the website right from OSRAM’s booth on the showroom floor. Web viewers were not forced to wait until after the tradeshow to hear industry leader’s opinions about up and coming lighting technology and about OSRAM.

Photos are also updated daily from OSRAM’s booth at LIGHTFAIR 2011. There are images of various LED displays showcasing new technologies including SSL and Horticultural LED Lighting. There are also photo displays showcasing indoor home LED lighting solutions and other LED lighting applications.

Ingenex creatively and interactively engaged customers to help build brand awareness and establish a lasting presence in the lighting industry and online community. I am curious to see what other photos, interviews and news stories will be posted during LIGHTFAIR 2011 and I can’t wait to see what innovations the Virtual Tradeshow Experience website will have next year.

This past week I volunteered at Future Midwest, the regions largest two-day digital business conference. Held at Eastern Market, Detroit’s authentic public market, Future Midwest acted as a classroom for attendees, learning what to expect in the upcoming years and how to get the most out of whats currently trending with business and marketing strategies.

My experience as a volunteer was a lot of fun. Aside from being on the inside and catching some great speakers, I had the chance to interact with some really cool people. April 28th, otherwise known as Day one, my responsibilities included helping out with registration and being available as needed. Nothing too difficult and I got to meet all the press and speakers as they checked in. Day two consisted of a tweet up while watching Erik Proulx’s Lemonade trailer and assisting the caterer with lunch preparation. This was my favorite day because I have never experienced the trailer and I really thought it was amazing to see people who live in Detroit, eat, and sleep in Detroit, try and make something of the community in which they are a part of. It seems that with the downfall of the economy, many are headed out of the Detroit area. By sharing thoughts with Alex Beaton, a young professional, who owns her own marketing company, Rally Initiatives, I really understood that to truly appreciate the city you come from, you need to get an outside perspective. What the community needs is not for people to pick up and go as soon as things start to get difficult, but to see that as an opportunity to better the city for everyone. Instead of complaining about how bad things seem to be, take initiative and actually do something about it! Its okay (and definitely encouraged) if you do venture outside of the mitten, as long as you bring those creative ideas and experiences back home!

I think what Future Midwest is doing is really great and it gives not only the digital business world an opportunity to connect with similar individuals, but others, who simply may want to gain knowledge and get involved. Not to mention the fact that, Future Midwest brings more people to Detroit, some traveled as far as California just to witness the sessions, share ideas, and see what the city has to offer. In its third year, Future Midwest is headed in the right direction down the path of the unknown. What we do know is that there are so many creative and brilliant people in this area that it would be a shame to let that talent go to waste. I’m very excited to see what Future Midwest will bring to the Metro Detroit area next year.