Sounds good to me. My colleagues over at CentreSource produced this top notch website to aim this cause. Check it out, excellent execution. Christian cause too.
Best,
Adam Faragalli
Author: admin-adam
The Seven Deadly Sins of Social Media
David Griner over at thesocialpath.com describes the seven deadly sins of social media in his post. Griner reports that “there are a million ways for businesses to use social media well, and only a handful of ways to do it horribly wrong. So why do companies keep falling into the same traps?”
A very interesting read. Enjoy
Adam Faragalli
SGP: Simply Green Products
What: Marketing 220 Final Project
When: 2008
This project involved a large team effort to develop a new company and develop all the marketing necessary to launch one product into a marketplace. A small sample is below. I have attached the book if you would like to read more. I learned a lot about presenting preparation and working well with difficult team members on this project. But, in the end, we pulled it off with a best in class score. Enjoy.
Simply Green Products strives to make trouble-free, stylish, effective and environmentally efficient products for consumers. The mission statement is, “We design simple and smart eco-green products that benefit your life and our world.” The Twister W/D 500 fits into the mission statement because it is an all-in-one machine that will aid consumers in working smarter and simpler while promoting environment health.
The Twister is a front load washer. When a load is put into the machine and one of the many cycles are selected it will wash and dry the clothes with in one complete and simple cycle. It is more energy efficient than both a single washer and dryer, and will hold more clothes than its competitors due to its increased drum size.
Big Brothers Big Sisters
What: Class Project
When: 2008
Introduction:
For over 100 years Big Brothers Big Sisters has been changing children’s lives one child at a time. It is the oldest, largest and most effective peer mentoring program around. It all began in 1904 when a New York court clerk named Ernest Coulter reached out to help the flood of young boys who came through his courtroom. He believed that caring adults could place a lasting impact on children and help to keep them out of trouble. By 1916 Big Brother’s had spread to over 96 cities across the United States.
In 1992 and 1993 a research study was done to check the effectiveness of BBBS. The groups studied were among the largest BBBS agencies around the US. They looked at 959 children age 10 to 16. They put them into two groups. Half were matched with a “big” and the other half were put on a waiting list. (To make a control group) Research shows that children involved with BBBS are 52% less likely to skip school, 46% less likely to use drugs, less likely to use alcohol, one third less likely to engage in physical violence and are more likely to get along with their families and peers.
My Relationship with Big Brothers Big Sisters:
I have been a “big” brother since 2007. Without a doubt, this experience has defined my college experience. I have felt proud to be apart of this incredible organization. The level of commitment required is lofty, but the rewards, for me, always outweighed the challenges. My little and I enjoy WKU sporting events, video games, football and basketball, eating and random acts of racing to and from locations. “Hey, race you to the car!”
This project aimed to discover why Big Brothers Big Sisters was not a part of more students extra-curricular activities at Western Kentucky University. Through primary research, we learned much.
Research Findings
The team discovered many interesting findings. For example, individuals sampled do not plan on staying in Bowling Green past college, yet, while they are here, individuals for the most part have the 2-4 hours available a week to volunteer. Almost half of the population sampled said that they were somewhat interested in volunteering, with 35 percent saying very interested. Yet, only 35 percent volunteer currently. Our most interesting find is that if more information was readily available about BBBS, 76 percent said they would be interested in joining. What keeps people from volunteering was not a major surprise. Generally, people cited lack of time or energy, lack of motivation, or that there were plain lazy.
In terms of potential promotional methods BBBS could use, the team generated some excellent feedback and received some great responses. Many mentioned using Facebook.com and MySpace.com as methods to recruit interested students. Others said that a promotional agenda involving a student involvement fair with the Freshman MASTER plan, classroom visits with BBBS speakers, bulletin board mediums like posters and brochures, a table in DUC, Ads in College Heights Herald, and many other interesting ideas.
The Ad+PR Plan
This Ad+PR plan was created for one purpose, to boost Big Brother Big Sister student involvement and/or volunteerism on WKU’s campus. This promotional plan will begin during the fall 2008 semester, starting at MASTER plan and continuing for another month. A calendar of events will be provided for exact days and their resulting events. The budgets for this is extremely low because we are mainly combining elements that are for the most part cost free. Costs are estimated to be below 500 dollars.
The book broke down into multiple events which spelled out the plan for each. I have decided to keep these out, but feel free to the select images to get an idea.
MyBodyArt.com and MyInk.com
What: Class Project
Position: Group Leader
When: 2008
“There is no underground (tattoo) community, no dark den of drunken sailors initiating themselves into manhood via cheap, ill conceived exercises in bodily perforation; it’s just a group of people who delight in using their bodies as billboards.”
Joanne McCubrey, “Walking Art: Tattoos”
There is not a nationally-recognized social networking tattoo site, yet. Imagine a social networking website that connects people in their local community and surrounding counties with one common interest: the love for body art, or tattoos.
Contemporary American culture is breaking down old stereotypes surrounding tattoos and replacing them with a mainstream societal acceptance. With the emergence of shows such as “Miami Ink” and “LA Ink,” tattoo artists have become icons to be admired for their talent and creativity.
Using web 2.0 mass social media technology, it is possible to finally provide this subculture with an outlet to share their body art stories and individuality. People contemplate and research before getting a tattoo. Web searching is a big part of that. Anyone looking to explore the love of body art, and share their experiences and uniqueness will be attracted to this website.
The heart and soul involves people sharing their stories about their old, new, or soon-to-be body art. Through extensive research, we learned many people love to discuss their tattoos.
Site Content:
This site will allow people to create a body art profile. This allows members to develop a personality by using a customizable template. In this profile area, people can discuss their stories, provide pictures of all their body art, give extra details about who they are and how they are unique, as well as organize events if members. People can customize the look and feel of the template. People can vote on their favorite tattoo profiles, add each other as friends, initiate meetings, as well as organize events if members feel so inclined. We will also encourage businesses to make a profile for both their artists and the company.
Site content will include a forum divided into categories open to any and all related tattoo discussion. Picture galleries with a comment section will also be available so that people can upload all their body art for people to comment on. Furthermore, the site will provide a history of tattoos; a question/answer area; and a section for people to search for local tattoo artists, tattoo Machine tune-up guides and tips, as well as where, when and how to become a tattoo artist.
We encourage people to use the site as a channel to aid them in their tattoo exploration; such as, someone looking for a well-qualified tattoo artist in their local area, or someone looking for a place to vent frustration about their local tattoo artist making a dangerous mistake on his/her body.
Ok, sounds great, but how does it make MONEY?
Social mass media and online advertising has costs (plain and simple). With the initiative investment of partnering with Nashville’s centre{source} to build the online “brick and mortar” website, this is not cheap. This site must bring a return on this investment and my team can make it work.
If you would like more information on the financial details and partnering, please contact me directly.
Best,
Adam Faragalli
WKU Gameathon Video Game Competition and Expo
What: Internship for WKU’s Advertising and Public Relation
Position: Event Manager
When: April 5th, 2008
Description:
This was my first official internship and I had a lot to learn and prove. Cliff Shalua, Ad+PR coordinator, after seeing a presentation on the Halo 3 advertising campaign spoke to me about Gameathon after class. I think my passion for games was rather obvious. He explained the history of the event and asked me if I was interested in the internship. I was interested in a gaming competition. I love video games and thought I had the leadership skills to pull it together.
At first I had no clue what I was doing. Like a sponge, I soaked up every bit of information on Gameathon I could find. I literally immersed myself in the event. I also planned down to the last minor detail. I made lists and went through each detail during our Gameathon weekly meetings. At times my email box would receive 25 to 50 Gameathon related emails a day. I spent between 10 and 30 hours a week on the event. This was an unpaid internship but I was determined to make this event great or die trying.
When I started planning, I was working with Becca Clark and Laura Crowder. I quickly grew the team adding Russel Gonzales, Elizabeth Mitaikostas, Rachel Koontz, James Davis, Bridget Boone and many others. By the end of planning, I had built a solid team over 26 awesome and dedicated individuals.
The biggest issue was that the 2008 event budget was only 3,500 dollars. We were lucky to get RentACenter to step up and sponsor the event at the last minute.
In any case, 3,500 is hardly enough for any substantial Advertising efforts. Nevertheless, my team used Web 2.0 social technologies like Facebook, MySpace and created an online Blog. We also used cost effective ad mediums like the WKU College Heights Herald, Student Affairs page and posters that literally covered every building on WKU’s campus and community. In the end, through all of my team’s promotional efforts, we had 220+ registered gamers rolling into game day. That is a 40% increase over 2007 where there was a budget of 2,000 more! Featured below is one of our viral videos we created and distriubed on the website and on YouTube.com.
I also expanded the event. I invisitioned Mass Media and Technology Hall maximizing Gameathon by using the 50 foot Auditorium screen and expanding into more game rooms. We played 4 rooms of 25+ for Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4. Over 100 gamers signed up for both Halo 3 and COD4! We had 8 teams of Rock Band, 48 people set to play Guitar Hero 3, and 32 in Madden 2008. All in all, an incredible turn out considering the promo budget and regional size.
Players competed for a 26 inch LCD TV, surround sound system, 50 dollar Game Stop gift cards, and a number of other small “swag” prizes. We gave special WKU Gameathon t-shirts away and sold them at the event for 12 dollars. They are also featured in the pictures below.
On April 5th, my team was set up and ready for the opening at 10 a.m. Although we did have a power outage and a hard time with the bracket system, game day was a blast. Everyone on my team had a really good time. I know that I did my best and to this day have no regrets.
I am now on the Gameathon board of directors. I have helped David Gray, the 2009 event manager, get the event going and offered suggestions to again make it bigger and more awesome. Most all the 2008 team returned and Gameathon 2009 is set to launch this coming weekend! I am so excited.
Click here to read the pre-event Daily New Gameathon article.
Guitar Hero Metallica Review
Introduction: GH Metallica builds on the same proven Guitar Hero formula. The game features many of the most popular Metallica songs including “Battery”, “One”, “Blood and Thunder,” “Enter Sandman”, “Master of Puppets”, “Fuel”, and “The Memory Remains”. In addition, songs from System of a Down (“Toxicity”), Alice in Chains (“No Excuses”), Lynyrd Skynyrd (“Tuesday’s Gone”), Slayer (“War Ensemble”) and a few select others. The band members of Metallica selected many of these additional songs because of personal preference.
Click here to see the full set song list for Guitar Hero Metallica, from Wikipedia.
The goal still remains the same, get as many points as you can through “star power” and note streaks. Always aim for the 5 star maximum score. Last night, I scored a 97% on expert guitar and only managed to receive a four star. Thus, achieving a five star is not without some added challenge.
“Guitar Hero: Metallica“ is based on the band approach presented in Guitar Hero World Tour. This means this game also features parts for lead and bass guitar, drums, and vocals. “Lead
developer Alan Flores has stated that the difficulty of the game is much harder than previous games and is designed to challenge the hard-core player,” according to a source from WikiPedia.
Online game play is available for both the Xbox 360 versions and PS3. I have a chance to get on Xbox live last night and Guitar Hero Metallica online play works very well. I even managed to win a few rounds. Although, I discovered many individuals were playing on easy or medium and achieving a higher score through note steaks. I say, go expert or go home!
An interesting development about the Double Kick Pedal from WikiPedia: “During the game’s development, the team encountered problems trying to
create the drum tracks. Flores noted they normally try to map a note for every drum beat but could not easily replicate it for the double bass often used in Metallica’s songs. As a result, they decided to create a splitter for the bass drum pedal and offer a second pedal with the game to allow the double bass kicks to be retained.”
Fun Factor: 8.5 out of 10 I found myself really enjoying Guitar Hero Metallica. The Metallica song list is rather extensive and the additional songs are some of my personal favorites. If you are a fan of Guitar Hero then this addition will provide you with hours of enjoyment. Although, you will have to enjoy Metallica’s music. I will say that this game rates higher (for me) in fun than Guitar Hero Aerosmith.
Graphics: I play on an Xbox 360 with an HDMI cord going to a 40 inch LG 1080p TV. The graphics look great and unlike Guitar Hero Aerosmith, the background band graphics actually resemble the real band. I was really impressed with the facial detail and general movement of each band member. You can tell that Neversoft spent time focusing on the details.
Tweet this from WikiPedia, “Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield and Robert Trujillo performed six songs and band and audience chatter for motion capture for their in-game avatars; the detailed motion capture included the band’s lip syncing to the lyrics and the motion of Trujillo’s hair braids.”
Final Thoughts: I recommend this game to all fans of the GH series and Metallica. The game does a solid job of capturing the essence of Metallica and really provides a nice challenge. I have played every Guitar Hero game from beginning to end, and this ranks as my second favorite addition behind GH 2. So, go rent it and give it a shot.
More Information at Neversoft’s Main Web Page, click here.
You can find me on Xbox live: gaminsincebirth
Best,
Adam “gaminsincebirth” Faragalli
President Obama’s State of the Union Address
The time is 9:30 p.m and I just had the opportunity to enjoy President Obama’s State of the Union Address. Personally, I felt the speech was on target, eloquent, powerful, and even incorporated humor. Obama’s speech was relevant to the current state of affairs and he covered every issue that is plaguing this great nation. He spoke on the state of the economy, the increasing deficit, heath care and education reform, terrorism/war, and even touched on social security, medicare, and that this new government will act responsibly and be held accountable.
Click here to view a 9 minute version of the full speech.
Obama mentioned http://www.recovery.gov/ This site will hold accountable all the money will be spent in the next four years. In fact, in regards to money, Obama’s stimulus package has already gone into effect. He talked about how his package has already given 7 million students the opportunity to attend college, tax cuts that will take affect on April 1st, and the checks are already on their way in regards to the stimulus package!
Clip from the www.recovery.gov page: “Recovery.gov is a website that lets you, the taxpayer, figure out where the money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is going. There are going to be a few different ways to search for information. The money is being distributed by Federal agencies, and soon you’ll be able to see where it’s going — to which states, to which congressional districts, even to which Federal contractors. As soon as we are able to, we’ll display that information visually in maps, charts, and graphics.”
Video on the www.recovery.org page
I for one am grateful that Obama’s State of the Union Address gave me a sense of hope. Because before all, it is our job as Americans to work together and rise above the challenges we face. I believe that under Obama we can succeed, and it feels great to have a sense of hope finally.
Thanks for reading.
Adam Faragalli
*This post was recovered and re-posted after a server crash. The original date was February 24th, 2009.