- Online Resources: The ultimate way to gather information
- YouTube launches Australian website
- New Holiday Trend: The "Babymoon"
- Top 20 Australian websites for October 2007
- Brands that are giving back
- Australian music festivals reducing carbon footprint
With the internet making it easier for people to experience goods and services without even leaving their homes, online resources are becoming more and more trusted as experts within their fields.
One such example is A LIST Guide (www.alistguide.com.au). The modern event manager’s ‘bible’, A LIST Guide covers all states in Australia and has become the most widely used online resource for entertaining clients, whether it is for a dinner at one of Australia’s finest restaurants or a marquee on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour.
Like most online resources today, A LIST Guide is a comprehensive service, listing anything from venues, food and services to products and professional teams that will ensure every event exceeds the guest’s expectations.
By Darnelle Shiner, Trendhaus
"Video sharing website YouTube has taken on the local accent with the launch of YouTube Australia. YouTube Australia features a localised homepage and search functions, allowing users to create and share videos, discover the most popular and relevant videos in Australia, and connect with other Australian users. The creation of a local YouTube website was driven by Australia’s growing band of users and uploaders. YouTube also has unveiled a number of local media channels from Southern Cross View, SKY News, ABC, Network TEN, Seven Network and Fairfax Media."
Source: http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/YouTube-launches-Australian-website/2007/10/23/1192941044381.html
Image source: http://au.youtube.com/
"The term "Babymoon" was first coined a few years ago when travel agents started to notice a trend among expectant couples who were keen to have one last child-free holiday. Since then it has taken off in leaps and bounds. A survey in 2006 by Liberty Travel, and reported by USA Today, noted that 59 percent of new parents had babymooned and a number of resorts now offer special packages tailored specifically to parents-to-be."
Among the Australian hotels offering special baby moon packages is Palazzo Versace, Gold Coast.
Source: http://travel.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=313660
| Rank | Website | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | www.google.com.au | 7.44% |
| 2. | mail.live.com | 3.06% |
| 3. | ninemsn.com.au | 2.65% |
| 4. | www.myspace.com | 2.14% |
| 5. | www.ebay.com.au | 2.03% |
| 6. | www.facebook.com | 1.76% |
| 7. | www.google.com | 1.65% |
| 8. | www.youtube.com | 1% |
| 9. | au.yahoo.com | 0.96% |
| 10. | www.bom.gov.au | 0.66% |
| 11. | www.gmail.com | 0.62% |
| 12. | www.wikipedia.org | 0.62% |
| 13. | mail.yahoo.com.au | 0.61% |
| 14. | www.netbank.commbank.com.au | 0.6% |
| 15. | www.yahoo.com | 0.6% |
| 16. | www.live.com | 0.58% |
| 17. | images.google.com.au | 0.58% |
| 18. | www.msn.com | 0.53% |
| 19. | news.ninemsn.com.au | 0.51% |
| 20. | www.ebay.com | 0.46% |
Source: http://www.hitwise.com.au/datacenter/rankings.php
Christmas is the season of giving. For the second year running Procter & Gamble are living proof of this with an especially generous advertising campaign for their toilet paper brand Charmin. Right in time for the holidays, 20 free, deluxe and fully-staffed public restrooms have opened in Times Square, New York City. The Charmin Restrooms are available from November 19 to December 31, for a feel-easy New York Christmas shopping experience!
In Australia, another brand that is giving back to its customers is Vodafone. The mobile communication giant invests a part of its advertising budget in a reward program for its long-time customers. How it works: Customers receive an SMS with a code that directs them to a website where customers have the choice of various gifts which are then mailed out to their homes.
By Darnelle Shiner, Trendhaus
"Homebake is the latest festival to get the green bug with their latest release declaring their intentions of
cleaning up the Sydney site with an innovative recycling scheme...
Since they [festival organisers] don’t think recycle bins on site work that well they’ve put their heads
together to come up with a new scheme involving a deposit for each drink sold...
How does it work? It is very simple really...
- When you go to the bar to buy a drink, included in the price of the drink is a $1.00 deposit.
- Once you have finished your drink, take your container (aluminium can or PET plastic bottle) to one of 3 recycling centres located next to each of the main bars.
- Hand over your container (or containers) to receive a drink ticket valued at $1.00 (i.e. $1.00 for each container handed back to the recycling centre staff).
- You can then use this drink ticket to go towards part of the cost of your next drink or simply redeem your $1.00 by handing the drink ticket to the bar staff.
- At the end of the night, hand back your last drink container before you leave at one of the recycling centres. Take your $1.00 drink ticket and redeem it at the bar to get your original $1.00 back."
Sources: www.fasterlouder.com.au
www.homebake.com.au