20 posts…and then some
We were tasked to post about topics featured in class, namely, how the new media frontier impacts has revolutionized the way people communicate with each other, and as a result, how brands can interact with us.
What a difference 9 weeks makes! With a list of future posts still dancing within my head, I feel like a blogging addict. I will likely take a few days off after this class concludes on December 28, but I will be back in 2010 with more updates. Until then, please look me up on cyberspace at the links below:
Also, please check out my Blogroll at the right hanf side of my screen. These are links to my fellow classmates blogs. Great insights, definitely worth a look. I am proud to be associated with a talented group of individuals from across the globe.
In keeping with our viral video discussion, here is a special video….ABBA’s Happy New Year video. 4 million views on YouTube and counting! I wish you all a Happy, Healthy, and Safe New Year.
Donna
p.s. Go Mountaineers ! Good luck at the Gator Bowl!
Viral Video: What a Week for Hewlett Packard
Christmas time is here, and what better gift under the tree for the family than a shiny new computer? Well, if you’re a representative of Hewlett-Packard (HP), this might not have been the most wonderful time of the year.
I caught a story on CNN yesterday about the latest viral video. In this case the video provides a problem for a company instead of the usual happy wedding dance or Susan Boyle’s latest musical number.
In the video, electronics store employees Wanda Zamen and Desi Cryer test out a webcam built into a HP computer. One of the selling points of the product is facial recognition in which the camera will follow the users face. In the video, Zamen and Cryer take turns in front of the camera. The webcam follows Wanda Zamen (who is Caucasian) as she moves in front of the screen. However, once Desi Cryer (who is African American) moves into the picture, the camera is still. Facial recognition and motion ceases to work.
With such an unusual product flaw, the pair decided to film the product’s shortcomings and post it on YouTube.
Zamen and Cryer chose to make the shot film for amusement of friends and family. In a statement on Mashable they remarked, “we thought the video was funny and decided to post it on You Tube. It was our intention to provide a good natured chuckle to our fellow man, and honestly we did not imagine that so many people would watch and react to the video.”
Wow. That good natured chuckle has now been viewed by more than one million people. The biggest problem? The title of the video reflects one of the remarks in the film- “HP computers are racist”.
A sitation like this could have spelled disaster for HP, who did admit to CNN that e cameras may have issues with contrast recognition in certain lighting situations, which could prevent the product working for individuals with different skin tones.
Instead of hiding its head in the sand, HP quickly reacted on its blog (The Next Bench), and posted a statement that “We would like to thank both of them for bringing clarity to the discussion via the (Mashable) statement they issued this week. I think it’s important for all of us to understand their intentions when they shot the video. HP continues on by saying, “we invite you to continue to connect with us here on The Next Bench or on Twitter at @HP_PC. We assure you that we are listening.”
We’ve learned that HP’s product is far from perfect. But by acting quickly and communicating to both Wanda and Desi, as well as the general blogosphere the company may have survived a public relations disaster. As a result, HP may still have a happy holiday after all.
