It happens to all of us: you unsubscribe from an unwanted marketing email, and a few days later another message from the same company pops up in your inbox. Comedian James Veitch turned this frustration into whimsy when a local supermarket refused to take no for an answer. Hijinks ensued.
Infographic: How ‘Microbloggers’ Leverage Their Influence Through Social Media
Ever since the line between celebrity and social media celebrity was erased, bloggers have become legitimate influencers across almost all industries, affecting consumer decisions beyond purchasing by acting as both tastemaker and trusted friend. And a large fan base is no longer a requirement for influencers. More recently, brands have been turning to micro-influencers, bloggers with less than 100,000 followers, to better target consumers. Bloglovin’, a media platform that connects these microbloggers with brands through proprietary marketing platform Activate, looked at its users’ followers and influence across social platforms to see how they use these channels to drive engagement.
A music video starring the one and only Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken initially trained as a dancer in music theatre at the Washington Dance Studio before moving on to dramatic roles in theatre and then film – actually, he’s been in more than 100 films and television shows. He first surprised many critics and filmgoers with his intricate tap-dancing striptease in Herbert Ross’s musical Pennies from Heaven back in 1981, and since then, he’s been grooving his way into some of the most entertaining scenes in history.
Christopher Walken Dance Now from Smash TV on Vimeo.
Brett Kissel Announces “Ice, Snow & 30 Below” Canadian Winter Tour
JUNO and CCMA-Award winning country singer Brett Kissel will embark on his “Ice, Snow & 30 Below” Canadian tour, visiting 18 cities this coming January and February.
The tour begins January 12 in Sault St. Marie, Ontario, and will make its way through Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick before it wraps up in Georgetown, PEI, on February 4. The tour also marks Brett’s first headlining performance in Toronto – January 22 at the Danforth Music Hall. A Western Canada tour will follow later next year.
“Anyone who knows me understands that my favorite place in the world is on the stage,” says Brett. “Even if it’s going to be in the heart of the Canadian winter, I’m excited to heat up these amazing theaters across Ontario and the Maritimes and put on an exciting show for my fans!”
Tickets to this all-ages tour go on sale September 12.
“I know I have fans ranging from kids to grandparents, so it was very important for to me to select venues that would accommodate our wide demographic. Anyone who buys a ticket to our show is going to have an amazing time – and I promise I will help them forget about the cold outside for the few hours I am onstage!”
Brett will perform at this Sunday’s Canadian Country Music Association Awards show in London, Ontario with special guest Carolyn Dawn Johnson in what is sure to be a show-stopping emotional duet. Brett is nominated for five awards, tied for the most of any artist.
“I Didn’t Fall In Love With Your Hair” is Brett’s fourth single off his sophomore album, “Pick Me Up.” A music video shot last month in Toronto will be released in the coming days. The song will be serviced to radio this Friday.
Proceeds from the sale of the song from September 9 to October 28 will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. In addition, entrepreneur and philanthropist W. Brett Wilson will match all money raised from the sale of the song during this period.
Next month, the 2016 Allan Slaight Honour will be awarded to the country singer from Flat Lake, Alberta at the Canada’s Walk of Fame induction ceremony. The Allan Slaight Honour recognizes young, inspirational Canadians who have achieved international success in the music industry. Kissel will be honoured alongside this year’s Walk of Fame inductees and will also be featured on the televised special. Past winners include Drake, The Weeknd and Shawn Mendes.
Ice, Snow & 30 Below Tour dates:
On-sale: September 12
*= dates already on sale
For pre-sale information and ticket links, visit here.
January 12, 2017 Sault St. Marie, ON Kiwanis Community Theater Centre
January 13, 2017 Sudbury, ON Fraser Auditorium
January 14, 2017 Hamilton, ON Dofasco Centre for the Arts
January 16, 2017 Brampton, ON Rose Theatre
January 17, 2017 Windsor, ON Chrysler Theatre
January 18, 2017 Guelph, ON River Run Centre
January 20, 2017 Barrie, ON Georgian Theatre
January 21, 2017 Belleville, ON Empire Theatre
January 22, 2017 Toronto, ON Danforth Music Hall
January 23, 2017 Ottawa, ON Algonquin Commons Theatre
January 26, 2017 Liverpool, NS Astore Theatre
January 27, 2017 Windsor, NS Mermail Imperial Performing Arts Centre*
January 28, 2017 New Glasgow, NS Glasgow Square Theatre
January 29, 2017 Port Hawkesbury, NS Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre
February 1, 2017 Moncton, NB Capitol Theatre*
February 2, 2017 Fredericton, NB Fredericton Playhouse*
February 3, 2017 Summerside, PE Harbourfront Theatre
February 4, 2017 Georgetown, PE Kings Playhouse
Here’s The Best Video Ad Length On Facebook
It might be easy to assume that the shorter the video ad, the better the completion rate. But maybe things change when it’s on a social platform. According to Q2 data, video ads that were between 30 and 60 seconds long fared better than those of less than 30 seconds on Facebook.
During Q2 2016, Kinetic Social tracked data based on 2 billion social ad impressions, including ad spending for all ad types on Facebook, across both desktop and mobile channels. Kinetic Social is a programmatic social media platform that delivers paid social ads, and more than 90% of its clients are US-based.
According to the data, almost half (or 44%) of 30- to 60-second video ads on Facebook were viewed to completion. Meanwhile, those that ran 30 seconds or less saw a 26% completion rate. Interestingly, 2-minute or longer video ads had the second-best completion rate of 31%.
Snapchat Ad Revenues to Reach $1 Billion Next Year
After weathering criticism of its initial ad offerings, Snapchat is poised for explosive growth in ad revenues in the coming years, according to eMarketer’s first forecast of ad revenues for the social platform. Worldwide, it will generate $366.69 million in ad revenues this year, with that figure jumping to $935.46 million in 2017.
“Advertisers are attracted to Snapchat for its broad reach among young millennials and those in Generation Z, which are valuable demographic groups for many businesses,” said eMarketer principal analyst Cathy Boyle. “To engage those often hard-to-reach consumers, Snapchat has expanded its advertising portfolio over the past year to include a wider array of video ads, and more sponsored geofilters and sponsored lenses.”
In the US, Snapchat’s Discover feature generates the largest share (43%) of the company’s ad revenues. That balance will shift next year, as Stories overtakes Discover as the dominant ad revenue source, generating 37.8% of the company’s US ad business.
Winona Ryder recalls babysitting for the great Tom Waits when she was in her teens
On Jimmy Kimmel Live, Winona Ryder reminisced about a time when she was 14 years old and baby-sat for the children of Tom Waits. The singer-songwriter-actor didn’t even have 20 dollars on him, remembers Ryder, so he gave her a t-shirt from Franks Wild Years. Ryder, already a big fan of Waits, was happy about the deal. “I was thrilled, and literally I couldn’t speak.”
https://youtu.be/IgIxaHkNcG4
South by South Lawn: A White House Festival of Ideas, Art, and Action
Earlier this year, President Obama traveled to South by Southwest in Austin for a conversation on civic engagement and to challenge creative thinkers and entrepreneurs from across the country to help tackle our toughest challenges. On Monday, October 3, we’re celebrating that spirit of innovation with a White House event called South by South Lawn.
South by South Lawn, an event inspired by South by Southwest, will bring together creators, innovators, and organizers who work day in and day out to improve the lives of their fellow Americans and people around the world.
Do you know someone who’s doing great work and should be there? You can nominate yourself or someone you know below.
In coordination with the American Film Institute (AFI), the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities (PCAH), and South by Southwest, the South Lawn event will be comprised of three parts:
- INTERACTIVE: Panel discussions throughout the day will explore topics like how to make change stick with organizers who are having an impact, as well as a discussion with influencers who are using their platforms to bring about positive change. Interactive booths will encourage attendees to engage with and learn about new technologies and innovations.
- FILM: The film portion features the 3rd Annual White House Student Film Festival in association with its founding partner, the American Film Institute. Students in grades K-12 submitted more than 700 short films round this year’s theme, The World I Want to Live In. The submissions are inspiring and we’re excited to share official selections and honor young filmmakers as part of this event.
- MUSIC: Musical performances will include well-known and emerging artists who are using their music to inspire audiences.
As the President said in Selma, “It is you, the young and fearless at heart, the most diverse and educated generation in our history, who the nation is waiting to follow.” In that spirit, South by South Lawn will challenge young leaders to build on our progress toward an America that is more tolerant, fair, and full of opportunities.
“We Are the World” Face Swap
Rhett LeCompte replaced his face with the various celebrity performers from the 1985 charity music single We Are the World, courtesy of Face Swap Live. Astounding, and the vibrato on his mouth is dead perfect.