Kyle Thomas

The Website of Kyle Thomas (KyleWith)

Throw real conversations out the window – Introducing Twitter Ads Canada

I get it Twitter needs to make money but isn’t this contradicting to how businesses should really be using the platform. People don’t want to be targeted, that is what makes Twitter so great. You don’t have to view what you don’t want to. Now the platform itself is telling businesses that it doesn’t need to “engage” with people, it just needs to pay money to get to the right people.

I’m also concern that businesses would now consider this as “doing social media” just like many do with Facebook Ads. No this is not social media, this is targeted advertising, which while effective isn’t generating real relationships with real customers.

Twitter Ads in Canada

[Via Introducing Twitter Ads Canada – let’s drive sales for your business!]

My Response to Pat Kane’s Love/Hate Relationship with the Aurora

First you must go read Yellowknife Photographer Pat’s blog post My Love/Hate Relationship with the Aurora.

My response is preach, brother preach. I get where Pat is coming from. You see one photo of the aurora, you have seen them all. I am guilty of being an “aurora chaser” going out night after night looking for the aurora to photograph. I don’t know why. Its not like I do much with the photos.  

I’ll uploaded one or two on Flickr, maybe one to YkOnline’s Facebook Page and then they disappear into my archive. 

Aurora - March 1, 2013

It must be because aurora photography is not just about getting great photos of the aurora, which is nice, it is more about actually getting out and experiencing the wonders of the NWT on a consistent basis. For me anyways. Last week for example I ended up on Johnston Lake, which is way up an ice road. If it hadn’t of been for the aurora I would have not gone up there. I wouldn’t have seen a couple foxes, a lynx and heard an owl. 

That said though, the aurora are the most marketable tourism product the NWT has to offer. People, whether we agree or not, find the aurora borealis fascinating and spectacular and want to see it in person. So in order for us to convince them to come to the NWT and spend their money here, we need to show them that we have the best lights show in the world. This involves photos. This involves us as local ambassadors to talk and show how great they are. 

I completely agree with Pat on the front that the NWT also has amazing people and culture. Personally I love documenting people more than the aurora. People can tell stories… the aurora are – and to quote Pat – green blobs.

The solution I see, not that there needs to be one, is capture people with the aurora, bring them north to see them and then expose them to the north’s rich culture, history and people.  

 

Dodge is for Farmers, but so is Ford?

Dodge vs FordSo the Super Bowl was the other week and with it all the commercials that cost millions to make. Within the bunch was the Dodge Truck ad. It was an emotional ride – get it – about farmers with the narration “So God made a farmer”. It was a good commercial. One that made you proud of all the men and women that farm. Oh yeah and there was Dodge trucks in the commercial too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sillEgUHGC4

So here we are so many days after the Super Bowl, the Dodge truck commercial has almost 3 million views on Youtube, and I see this post on Facebook from Ford Trucks, with the tag line “Ford’s were made for farmers” linking to this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwLZs4sybDc

This video posted online 4 days after the Dodge one. Now I might say that this is Ford rebuttal to Dodge’s commercial but when I know how much goes into making a commercial. It is a long process. So it must just be by coincidence that Ford and Dodge both came out with Farmer related video within the same week.

Huh.

Photo Credit: dieselpowermag.com