It's no surprise that we've come to this: there's a family for sale on the Internet.
No, these aren't hostages held by Somali pirates or advertised on a Craigslist adult S&M posting. I'm talking about a middle American family that may have willingly, enthusiastically crossed the line between personal brand management and indentured servitude.
Anyone with a digital footprint is selling themselves these days. But in the spooky wasteland where product placement meets slavery, you will find the Martins.
Not to diss entrepreneurial spirit in a down economy. Patriarch Carl Martin told me today that "overall, this has been the best decision we have ever made."
The Martins call themselves "The Billboard Family," with what ad industry site Adrants says is "an offering that allows advertisers to own the Martin's lives." Yikes. Dad Carl, mom Amy and kids Layne and Kaitlyn have turned themselves into human signage. With a social media upsell.
I know they're serious but it's a pretty funny pitch on their website. "We are a REAL family of 4 (with one on the way) who wears YOUR COMPANY SHIRTS all day long, taking loads of photos and videos. We then promote your company online on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and our Website, as well as to all of the many people who ask us why we are all wearing the same shirts."
Uh, because you're from St. Louis?
Carl says "most of the companies we have already reached out to are ones whose products we use." Their "main demographic is family oriented companies, being that we are a real family." Still, "we are happy to advertise for any companies that do not violate our terms and conditions."
They may be an actual family, but potential sponsors usually like organic reality, as in real doctors who prescribe Nexium in their practice, not people just selling their endorsement. But on their video, the likable Martins even show a sonogram snap of their unborn child.
Getting a t-shirt on a fetus might be tough.
I was just about to ask the marketing department here about inking a deal for the Martins to wear Chronicle t-shirts -- you have to send them the shirts; like Google, they don't make products. Then I wondered just how many people might actually notice what the family is wearing.
No worries there. The Martins "travel and take vacations frequently" from their Missouri home to places like Chicago, Seattle, and Walt Disney World (where at might be hard to stand out among people wearing black socks and bermudas). "We have plans to travel much more in the near future."
Don't we all?
They also have 2,700 followers on Twitter and 200 Facebook fans. (Over 2,500," Carl says, if you include friends on personal pages.) Not exactly the makings of a viral stampede. "Many of our followers help spread the word," according to Carl. "The potential to reach a large audience is there."
The "Billboard Family" also has two competitors: I Wear Your Shirt (Carl: "They are not family-centric") and Girl In Your Shirt (doesn't sound very family-centric).
In their "About Us" section they have more personal stats for each of them than the average big league ball player: eye color, favorite color, height, weight and shoe size.
How else would you ever know that four-year-old Layne wants a Power Wheels Cadillac Escalade? Carl's dream job is to be a "professional t-shirt wearer", which makes sense given this particular value-added business proposition.
Carl, who has a computer sciences degree, was "inspired" in this new enterprise "by his desire to make a respectable living." Well, who these days can really afford to make fun of that?
Also, he said to me he "really wanted to teach our kids about self-reliance and business..They're very young but they have been very involved..They also love the attention."
The Martin site is thick with optimism, including nifty separate sections for them to publish all their "National Press, "Local Press", and "Other Media Outlets." They're all empty. I wonder where my blog post will go.
They also have Yelp-like social media page for clients who write "a review of our services." Empty. Also a place for Flickr photos and YouTube videos. Zip. Except a short about the Martins. To be fair, they only launched a few days ago.
But in the "Only 84 Days left for sale!" calendar, 30 of them are filled with "SOLD" signs, all for around $550 per, calculated by their graduated pricing formula throughout the year (Would you rather have four people wearing your brand on their tees or buy an iPad?).
So far one advertiser -- "Studio-R" -- has bought the Martins for a day, according to the calendar. And they boast that their October through November "Non-Profit slots filled" by a children's literacy program, "Everybody WINS!"
Maybe they do. Here I am writing about them. Besides, it's a buyer's market out there and who's to say the Martins aren't the next big thing in digital marketing services?
Today, Gateway announced an update to its NV series of notebooks, the NV59C66u. As the press release explains, “Customers can pair the Gateway NV59C66u with integrated WiMAX hardware, and then choose a WiMAX service provider to connect to networks in a growing number of cities and metropolitan areas around the United States for a fast and reliable connection to the Internet.” The NV series of laptops are configurable with Intel Core i3, Intel Core i5, AMD Athlon, or AMD Turion processors. The 4G integrated NV59C66u starts at $699 and is available immediately.
[Via SlashGear]
GATEWAY LAUNCHES NV59C66U NOTEBOOK WITH INTEGRATED WIMAX, NEW PREMIUM DESIGN
New model available now with WiMAX wireless connectivity and a deluxe look and feel; Entire line updated with latest performance technology at affordable prices
IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 29, 2010 – Gateway today unveils the Gateway NV59C66u notebook, the newest model in its Gateway NV Series line of notebooks, which features integrated WiMAX capabilities, a premium chassis design and a robust configuration.
Customers can pair the Gateway NV59C66u with integrated WiMAX hardware, and then choose a WiMAX service provider to connect to networks in a growing number of cities and metropolitan areas around the United States for a fast and reliable connection to the Internet. WiMAX is the next-generation of wireless technology designed to enable pervasive, high-speed mobile Internet access at an affordabe cost, and is the first all-IP mobile Internet solution enabling efficient and scalable networks for data, video, and voice.. The WiMAX card in the Gateway NV59C66u is the Intel® 6250 wireless card, which provides a reliable connection to both WiMAX and Wi–Fi networks. As a result, customers using WiMAX on the Gateway NV59C66u will be able to connect while moving around their coverage area, making the notebook ideal for small business owners that move about a specific urban area, such as realtors and salespeople, as well as students and other tech-savvy individuals that want to remain connected.
“The availability of the Gateway NV59C66u comes at an opportune time for customers who want a consistently reliable and fast connection to the Internet through either WiMAX service, which is rolling out this year in more metropolitan areas or 802.11 b/g/n WiFi connections to hot spots and WiFi networks,” said Ray Sawall, senior product marketing manager for Gateway notebooks. “In addition, the performance, feature-set and affordability of notebooks have increased dramatically to make them an even more appealing option to customers who want an all-purpose PC – and that’s incredibly evident here in the entire Gateway NV Series and with the new Gateway NV59C66u with integrated WiMAX.”
Complementing the new WiMAX capabilities, the Gateway NV59C66u features a new design with an attractive tone-on tone patterned espresso chassis that is visually interesting and stylish. The metal chassis and palm rest both appear to be dramatically textured, but feel subtle and comfortable to the touch.
The Gateway NV59C66u will soon be followed by additional new models in the Gateway NV Series line that come in a range of configurations and prices to meet the needs of a different types of PC customers such as small businesses, families and students.
Latest Technology for Staying Productive and In Touch
With reliable and fast processing technology, the Gateway NV Series notebooks deliver tangible benefits to customers, including the ability to handle multiple applications at once. The Gateway NV Series feature Intel Core i3 and Core i5 as well as AMD Athlon and AMD Turion, processors, supported by up to 4GB of DDR3 memory that is upgradeable to 8GB. Ample storage space is available for with high-capacity hard drives ranging from 320GB to 500GB(1).In addition to featuring an Intel Centrino Advanced-N+WiMAX 6250 WiMAX Wireless Card for a connection to WiMAX networks, the Gateway NV59C66u also has integrated 802.11b/g/n WiFi Certified connectivity for a convenient connection to hot spots and wireless networks, as do other models in the Gateway NV Series line. The integrated High Definition webcam allows web chats and video emails in incredible clarity thanks to its 1280×1024 resolution. Also, Gigabit Ethernet LAN connectivity ensures a fast wired online connection.
Visually complementing the performance technology in the Gateway NV Series’ is the High Definition LED-backlit TFT Widescreen display. Delivering crisp and clear video with vibrant color and detailed images, the Gateway NV Series have models in two sizes: The Gateway NV Series with a 15.6-inch display deliver 1366×768 resolution, while the Gateway NV Series with a large 17.1-inch display provide even more clarity with 1600×900 resolution. Customers who want to share video on the go can use the HDMI port to connect the Gateway NV Series to a home theater or external LCD to deliver crisp high-quality visuals and high-fidelity audio with a single cable.
Extra Features Make Life Easier
The Gateway NV59C66u and Gateway NV Series are complemented by extra features in the line that make it incredibly enjoyable and useful. Navigating websites, moving between documents and even inputting characters is incredibly enjoyable thanks to the notebooks’ multi-gesture touchpad, touchpad lock, and dedicated numeric keypad.The Gateway NV Series comes with either DVD or Blu-Ray drives, giving customers a way to view the latest movies. Also, digital media can be downloaded to the notebooks through the media card reader and USB ports. Protecting media and other files on the PC is easy, since the Gateway NV Series includes MyBackup functionality that gives customers a way to quickly and easily back-up all important files to another location such as a USB drive or another hard drive.
Gateway’s popular “social networking” button is integrated into the NV Series, so customers can access their social networks, including Facebook, YouTube and Flickr, with a single touch of a button.
Gateway NV Series Availability, Price and Configuration
The Gateway NV Series will be available at retailers nationwide over the coming weeks at prices starting at $479.99. The Gateway NV59C66u with integrated WiMAX is priced at $699.99 and is available now.
Eco-fascism jumps the shark: massive, epic fail! – Telegraph Blogs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDXQsnkuBCM I predicted this morning that No Pressure - Richard Curtis's spectacularly ill-judged eco-propaganda movie for the 10:10 campaign - would prove a disastrous own goal for the ...
The WORCESTER PARK Blog, Surrey ¦: Sky <b>News</b>
"I came out of my front door this morning to see a VERY low flying BA jet passing over Trent Way - just seen on the news that it had to make an emergency landing after just 10 minutes. Never seen one that low even though we're used to ...
Various <b>News</b> Tidbits - Lookout Landing
Various News Tidbits. ... Various News Tidbits. Tiny by Matthew on Oct 1, 2010 4:25 PM PDT in Miscellaneous � Tweet. 3 comments; Story-email Email; Printer Print. Even Felix's hugs are powerful � More photos » Elaine Thompson - AP ...
bench craft company rip off
bench craft company rip off
Eco-fascism jumps the shark: massive, epic fail! – Telegraph Blogs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDXQsnkuBCM I predicted this morning that No Pressure - Richard Curtis's spectacularly ill-judged eco-propaganda movie for the 10:10 campaign - would prove a disastrous own goal for the ...
The WORCESTER PARK Blog, Surrey ¦: Sky <b>News</b>
"I came out of my front door this morning to see a VERY low flying BA jet passing over Trent Way - just seen on the news that it had to make an emergency landing after just 10 minutes. Never seen one that low even though we're used to ...
Various <b>News</b> Tidbits - Lookout Landing
Various News Tidbits. ... Various News Tidbits. Tiny by Matthew on Oct 1, 2010 4:25 PM PDT in Miscellaneous � Tweet. 3 comments; Story-email Email; Printer Print. Even Felix's hugs are powerful � More photos » Elaine Thompson - AP ...
bench craft company rip off bench craft company rip off
It's no surprise that we've come to this: there's a family for sale on the Internet.
No, these aren't hostages held by Somali pirates or advertised on a Craigslist adult S&M posting. I'm talking about a middle American family that may have willingly, enthusiastically crossed the line between personal brand management and indentured servitude.
Anyone with a digital footprint is selling themselves these days. But in the spooky wasteland where product placement meets slavery, you will find the Martins.
Not to diss entrepreneurial spirit in a down economy. Patriarch Carl Martin told me today that "overall, this has been the best decision we have ever made."
The Martins call themselves "The Billboard Family," with what ad industry site Adrants says is "an offering that allows advertisers to own the Martin's lives." Yikes. Dad Carl, mom Amy and kids Layne and Kaitlyn have turned themselves into human signage. With a social media upsell.
I know they're serious but it's a pretty funny pitch on their website. "We are a REAL family of 4 (with one on the way) who wears YOUR COMPANY SHIRTS all day long, taking loads of photos and videos. We then promote your company online on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and our Website, as well as to all of the many people who ask us why we are all wearing the same shirts."
Uh, because you're from St. Louis?
Carl says "most of the companies we have already reached out to are ones whose products we use." Their "main demographic is family oriented companies, being that we are a real family." Still, "we are happy to advertise for any companies that do not violate our terms and conditions."
They may be an actual family, but potential sponsors usually like organic reality, as in real doctors who prescribe Nexium in their practice, not people just selling their endorsement. But on their video, the likable Martins even show a sonogram snap of their unborn child.
Getting a t-shirt on a fetus might be tough.
I was just about to ask the marketing department here about inking a deal for the Martins to wear Chronicle t-shirts -- you have to send them the shirts; like Google, they don't make products. Then I wondered just how many people might actually notice what the family is wearing.
No worries there. The Martins "travel and take vacations frequently" from their Missouri home to places like Chicago, Seattle, and Walt Disney World (where at might be hard to stand out among people wearing black socks and bermudas). "We have plans to travel much more in the near future."
Don't we all?
They also have 2,700 followers on Twitter and 200 Facebook fans. (Over 2,500," Carl says, if you include friends on personal pages.) Not exactly the makings of a viral stampede. "Many of our followers help spread the word," according to Carl. "The potential to reach a large audience is there."
The "Billboard Family" also has two competitors: I Wear Your Shirt (Carl: "They are not family-centric") and Girl In Your Shirt (doesn't sound very family-centric).
In their "About Us" section they have more personal stats for each of them than the average big league ball player: eye color, favorite color, height, weight and shoe size.
How else would you ever know that four-year-old Layne wants a Power Wheels Cadillac Escalade? Carl's dream job is to be a "professional t-shirt wearer", which makes sense given this particular value-added business proposition.
Carl, who has a computer sciences degree, was "inspired" in this new enterprise "by his desire to make a respectable living." Well, who these days can really afford to make fun of that?
Also, he said to me he "really wanted to teach our kids about self-reliance and business..They're very young but they have been very involved..They also love the attention."
The Martin site is thick with optimism, including nifty separate sections for them to publish all their "National Press, "Local Press", and "Other Media Outlets." They're all empty. I wonder where my blog post will go.
They also have Yelp-like social media page for clients who write "a review of our services." Empty. Also a place for Flickr photos and YouTube videos. Zip. Except a short about the Martins. To be fair, they only launched a few days ago.
But in the "Only 84 Days left for sale!" calendar, 30 of them are filled with "SOLD" signs, all for around $550 per, calculated by their graduated pricing formula throughout the year (Would you rather have four people wearing your brand on their tees or buy an iPad?).
So far one advertiser -- "Studio-R" -- has bought the Martins for a day, according to the calendar. And they boast that their October through November "Non-Profit slots filled" by a children's literacy program, "Everybody WINS!"
Maybe they do. Here I am writing about them. Besides, it's a buyer's market out there and who's to say the Martins aren't the next big thing in digital marketing services?
Today, Gateway announced an update to its NV series of notebooks, the NV59C66u. As the press release explains, “Customers can pair the Gateway NV59C66u with integrated WiMAX hardware, and then choose a WiMAX service provider to connect to networks in a growing number of cities and metropolitan areas around the United States for a fast and reliable connection to the Internet.” The NV series of laptops are configurable with Intel Core i3, Intel Core i5, AMD Athlon, or AMD Turion processors. The 4G integrated NV59C66u starts at $699 and is available immediately.
[Via SlashGear]
GATEWAY LAUNCHES NV59C66U NOTEBOOK WITH INTEGRATED WIMAX, NEW PREMIUM DESIGN
New model available now with WiMAX wireless connectivity and a deluxe look and feel; Entire line updated with latest performance technology at affordable prices
IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 29, 2010 – Gateway today unveils the Gateway NV59C66u notebook, the newest model in its Gateway NV Series line of notebooks, which features integrated WiMAX capabilities, a premium chassis design and a robust configuration.
Customers can pair the Gateway NV59C66u with integrated WiMAX hardware, and then choose a WiMAX service provider to connect to networks in a growing number of cities and metropolitan areas around the United States for a fast and reliable connection to the Internet. WiMAX is the next-generation of wireless technology designed to enable pervasive, high-speed mobile Internet access at an affordabe cost, and is the first all-IP mobile Internet solution enabling efficient and scalable networks for data, video, and voice.. The WiMAX card in the Gateway NV59C66u is the Intel® 6250 wireless card, which provides a reliable connection to both WiMAX and Wi–Fi networks. As a result, customers using WiMAX on the Gateway NV59C66u will be able to connect while moving around their coverage area, making the notebook ideal for small business owners that move about a specific urban area, such as realtors and salespeople, as well as students and other tech-savvy individuals that want to remain connected.
“The availability of the Gateway NV59C66u comes at an opportune time for customers who want a consistently reliable and fast connection to the Internet through either WiMAX service, which is rolling out this year in more metropolitan areas or 802.11 b/g/n WiFi connections to hot spots and WiFi networks,” said Ray Sawall, senior product marketing manager for Gateway notebooks. “In addition, the performance, feature-set and affordability of notebooks have increased dramatically to make them an even more appealing option to customers who want an all-purpose PC – and that’s incredibly evident here in the entire Gateway NV Series and with the new Gateway NV59C66u with integrated WiMAX.”
Complementing the new WiMAX capabilities, the Gateway NV59C66u features a new design with an attractive tone-on tone patterned espresso chassis that is visually interesting and stylish. The metal chassis and palm rest both appear to be dramatically textured, but feel subtle and comfortable to the touch.
The Gateway NV59C66u will soon be followed by additional new models in the Gateway NV Series line that come in a range of configurations and prices to meet the needs of a different types of PC customers such as small businesses, families and students.
Latest Technology for Staying Productive and In Touch
With reliable and fast processing technology, the Gateway NV Series notebooks deliver tangible benefits to customers, including the ability to handle multiple applications at once. The Gateway NV Series feature Intel Core i3 and Core i5 as well as AMD Athlon and AMD Turion, processors, supported by up to 4GB of DDR3 memory that is upgradeable to 8GB. Ample storage space is available for with high-capacity hard drives ranging from 320GB to 500GB(1).In addition to featuring an Intel Centrino Advanced-N+WiMAX 6250 WiMAX Wireless Card for a connection to WiMAX networks, the Gateway NV59C66u also has integrated 802.11b/g/n WiFi Certified connectivity for a convenient connection to hot spots and wireless networks, as do other models in the Gateway NV Series line. The integrated High Definition webcam allows web chats and video emails in incredible clarity thanks to its 1280×1024 resolution. Also, Gigabit Ethernet LAN connectivity ensures a fast wired online connection.
Visually complementing the performance technology in the Gateway NV Series’ is the High Definition LED-backlit TFT Widescreen display. Delivering crisp and clear video with vibrant color and detailed images, the Gateway NV Series have models in two sizes: The Gateway NV Series with a 15.6-inch display deliver 1366×768 resolution, while the Gateway NV Series with a large 17.1-inch display provide even more clarity with 1600×900 resolution. Customers who want to share video on the go can use the HDMI port to connect the Gateway NV Series to a home theater or external LCD to deliver crisp high-quality visuals and high-fidelity audio with a single cable.
Extra Features Make Life Easier
The Gateway NV59C66u and Gateway NV Series are complemented by extra features in the line that make it incredibly enjoyable and useful. Navigating websites, moving between documents and even inputting characters is incredibly enjoyable thanks to the notebooks’ multi-gesture touchpad, touchpad lock, and dedicated numeric keypad.The Gateway NV Series comes with either DVD or Blu-Ray drives, giving customers a way to view the latest movies. Also, digital media can be downloaded to the notebooks through the media card reader and USB ports. Protecting media and other files on the PC is easy, since the Gateway NV Series includes MyBackup functionality that gives customers a way to quickly and easily back-up all important files to another location such as a USB drive or another hard drive.
Gateway’s popular “social networking” button is integrated into the NV Series, so customers can access their social networks, including Facebook, YouTube and Flickr, with a single touch of a button.
Gateway NV Series Availability, Price and Configuration
The Gateway NV Series will be available at retailers nationwide over the coming weeks at prices starting at $479.99. The Gateway NV59C66u with integrated WiMAX is priced at $699.99 and is available now.
bench craft company rip off
Eco-fascism jumps the shark: massive, epic fail! – Telegraph Blogs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDXQsnkuBCM I predicted this morning that No Pressure - Richard Curtis's spectacularly ill-judged eco-propaganda movie for the 10:10 campaign - would prove a disastrous own goal for the ...
The WORCESTER PARK Blog, Surrey ¦: Sky <b>News</b>
"I came out of my front door this morning to see a VERY low flying BA jet passing over Trent Way - just seen on the news that it had to make an emergency landing after just 10 minutes. Never seen one that low even though we're used to ...
Various <b>News</b> Tidbits - Lookout Landing
Various News Tidbits. ... Various News Tidbits. Tiny by Matthew on Oct 1, 2010 4:25 PM PDT in Miscellaneous � Tweet. 3 comments; Story-email Email; Printer Print. Even Felix's hugs are powerful � More photos » Elaine Thompson - AP ...
bench craft company rip off bench craft company rip off
Eco-fascism jumps the shark: massive, epic fail! – Telegraph Blogs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDXQsnkuBCM I predicted this morning that No Pressure - Richard Curtis's spectacularly ill-judged eco-propaganda movie for the 10:10 campaign - would prove a disastrous own goal for the ...
The WORCESTER PARK Blog, Surrey ¦: Sky <b>News</b>
"I came out of my front door this morning to see a VERY low flying BA jet passing over Trent Way - just seen on the news that it had to make an emergency landing after just 10 minutes. Never seen one that low even though we're used to ...
Various <b>News</b> Tidbits - Lookout Landing
Various News Tidbits. ... Various News Tidbits. Tiny by Matthew on Oct 1, 2010 4:25 PM PDT in Miscellaneous � Tweet. 3 comments; Story-email Email; Printer Print. Even Felix's hugs are powerful � More photos » Elaine Thompson - AP ...
bench craft company rip off bench craft company rip off
Eco-fascism jumps the shark: massive, epic fail! – Telegraph Blogs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDXQsnkuBCM I predicted this morning that No Pressure - Richard Curtis's spectacularly ill-judged eco-propaganda movie for the 10:10 campaign - would prove a disastrous own goal for the ...
The WORCESTER PARK Blog, Surrey ¦: Sky <b>News</b>
"I came out of my front door this morning to see a VERY low flying BA jet passing over Trent Way - just seen on the news that it had to make an emergency landing after just 10 minutes. Never seen one that low even though we're used to ...
Various <b>News</b> Tidbits - Lookout Landing
Various News Tidbits. ... Various News Tidbits. Tiny by Matthew on Oct 1, 2010 4:25 PM PDT in Miscellaneous � Tweet. 3 comments; Story-email Email; Printer Print. Even Felix's hugs are powerful � More photos » Elaine Thompson - AP ...
bench craft company rip off bench craft company rip off
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