Kickstarter Marketing - The Money's Secondary.

Kickstarter launches in the UK at the end of the month and there will be lots of media coverage about this "funding platform for creative projects" and its new way of raising money. But, it occurs to me, it's not really about crowdsourced funding at all.

After all, many of the successful projects could arguably have found traditional funding if the founders had been willing to give up some control to traditional third parties, and many of the projects find themselves funded far beyond the original goals.

No, the money's secondary. Something else is going on. This isn't just crowdsourcing, it's momentum sourcing.

Momentum that's derived from proof of concept; momentum that's derived from building a tribe of promoter-users who are incentivised via the range of prizes on offer; and momentum that's derived from being able to leverage critical mass with future investors, distributors and customers.

Most people see it solely as a fund-raising exercise and that's great, but they shouldn't overlook the baked-in marketing. That's priceless.

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Europe Shakes Off Another Downgrade of Spain

Our markets are higher this morning, reversing the trend after four straight down days for the SPX.  Of course, it is still early so we will have to see if the markets can hold on to their early gains but the news so far today has been pretty supportive.

M&A activity remains strong.  The big news was Japan's Softbank interested in purchasing Sprint Nextel (S) which is driving the stock up +18%.  Also, India's Apollo Tyres is looking to acquire Cooper Tire (CTB).  So foreign entities still see value in US companies.

In earnings news, Fastenal (FAST) is showing an interesting +10% spike after matching earnings estimates.  The company also raised the divy 10%, but I'm not sure what is driving the renewed buying today. 

On the flip side, Safeway (SWY) is trading lower after reporting mixed earnings.

The big news overnight was S&P downgrading Spain's credit rating to BBB-, leaving it one notch above junk.  Asian markets traded mostly lower in reaction to the news.  S. Korea's central bank cut its key rate 25 basis points to 2.75% and trimmed its growth forecasts for both 2012 and 2013.

In Europe, Spain's market is lower but most other bourses shook off the news and are trading higher.  The euro is actually up on the day now also, reversing early losses and showing that the news of the downgrade was pretty well expected.

Commodities are trading higher on the dollar weakness.  Oil prices are up near $92.50 and gold prices are higher to $1773.  Silver and copper prices are higher as well.

The 10-year yield is higher to 1.71%.  And the volatility index is nearly 5% lower to 15.55.

Trading comment: The 4-day pullback in the market has left some of the major indexes below their 50-day averages.  The S&P 500 has remained above that key moving average, but the Nasdaq is now below it.  The mid-cap and small-cap indexes briefly violated their 50-day support yesterday but are trading back above those levels this morning.  So the near-term battle lines have been drawn.  The Nasdaq needs to recapture its 50-day to put growth stocks back in the lead.  Otherwise, the defensive rotation will remain in force.  As for the sector ETFs, most remain in good shape with the tech etf looking the most vulnerable.

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Facebook Announces 1 Billion Users – It’s Time for All Marketers to Give it a Go

A few days ago Facebook announced that their active users surpassed 1 Billion. This is a huge number and like it or not, as a Marketer, you cannot ignore a community of this size. At this point, it is irresponsible to write Facebook off as a fad. Its user base covers all demographics and geographies – chances are, as a business, whoever you are selling to is on Facebook. While I certainly do not advocate for suddenly changing your advertising mix to a 25% Facebook Ad spend or hiring a brand new agency to build a Facebook Page that rivals Coke or Jet Blue, I do believe there are plenty of good ways to start dipping your toes into the giant ocean that is Facebook.

I readily admit that the standard thinking is Facebook is a B2C tool - Facebook is great to reach consumers, however I believe there is something for everyone. B2B marketers need to think creatively, manage expectations and take learning’s from similar communities (think LinkedIn). And if you’re worried that you might be behind the curve or not sure the amount of time and energy to spend on social, through IDC's 2012 Tech Marketing Benchmark Study (full results to be published this quarter), we learned that only 0.9% of tech marketing program budgets are spent on social media. So, while there is a lot of hype around social, we are still in the early days of truly leveraging social as a powerful marketing tool.

Below I've listed three ways you can start utilizing Facebook to make sure you aren't missing an opportunity:

• Skunk Works Project

While it’s great to have an agency who can own Social and Digital, having staff internally that are just as skilled is important. Facebook advertising is relatively easy to get started with, so it lends a perfect opportunity to give a key staff member a skunk works type side project and see if they can get value out of Facebook. Let them be creative, see what you can get out of Facebook, a worst case scenario is results are unsuccessful but you have a staff member who learns new skills – this can’t be overlooked in a world that continues to rapidly move towards digital. 

• Don't Forget Mobile

It’s easy to think of Facebook as a website where people go to when they want to take a quick break from work or inconspicuously “catch up” with old friends, but the future of Facebook is Mobile. In fact Mark Zuckerberg recently stated that 600 Million are Mobile users. With that many users on Mobile already, you can be sure that any major updates to the platform will have mobile users top of mind. Combine that with Facebook’s need to continue to monetize, it’s probably safe to predict there will continue to be new and creative ways to reach your target audience through Facebook’s Mobile platform. Be sure to keep your ear to ground when it comes to Facebook and Mobile, test out new products, you never know when one might be just what you need to reach key targets!

Quick heads up! 
For more research on Social Marketing please view our report: Despite the Hype, B2B Social Marketing Is Still in Its Infancy: 2012 Guidance for New Investment Dollars and Staff

• Ask For Help

No one is expecting you to be a Facebook expert - it is still a very new platform and it is ever changing. Thankfully, there a ton of innovative companies that work with the platform or leverage Facebook to help large brands reach their goals. Start with your agency, see if they have resources, partners, or experience with building out the type of campaigns you are looking for, if they don’t have the answers, find out what vendors are leaders and schedule a call with them to see what they can offer. You don’t have to go at it alone. 

Regardless of what you do remember to measure measure measure. We never advocate aimlessly trying new strategies without a solid plan and a way to track and compare.

Have you had any experiences with leveraging Facebook? Let me know how it went and how you think it can be best used to reach your audience (if at all!).

Sam is a Research Analyst within IDC’s CMO Advisory Service you can follow him on twitter: @SamMelnick. 

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Consumer Stocks Surprising On The Upside Today

The market is flattish in early trading as earnings reports are starting to trickle in.  There hasn't been much in the way of market moving economic data today, so participants are trying to read the tealeaves of corporate datapoints, which today show a bit of a divergence between consumer stocks and industrials.

On the plus side, Yum Brands (YUM) beat earnings and raised full year guidance.  Sentiment in the stock had been cautious due to the slowdown in China, so the positive report has resulted in an 8% spike in the stock today.

Costco (COST) also beat earnings expectations and is higher today.  And FedEx (FDX) reaffirmed its 2012 guidance and announced a $1.7 billion cost reduction program that is boosting its stock.

True Religion (TRLG) is up 25% today after reports saying the company will put itself up for sale.  On the flip side H&R Block (HRB) is down significantly after saying it will shed its banking unit due to regulations that make it unattractive to maintain.

As far as industrial stocks go, most are lower after Cummins (CMI) lowered its Q3 and 2012 guidance due to weak demand.  Tech supplier Avnet (AVT) is also down some 10% after lowering its guidance citing "uncertain macroeconomic conditions".

So while the consumer related stocks are hanging in today, there seems to be an increasing number of signs pointing to the continued economic slowdown and companies that are geared toward riding the global economy seem to be starting to feel the slowdown.  I don't know if domestic companies will be all that insulated as the US economy is also slowing down, even as the consumer still feels okay right now.

Asian markets were down across the board overnight, expect for China which was barely higher.  S&P said India still faces the chance (33%) of a downgrade.  And China is increasing subsidies for things like farm equipment and automobiles in rural areas.

Europe's markets are also mostly lower after reports that Spain is struggling to achieve its 6.3% deficit to GDP targets.  I think as austerity kicks in it will make it even harder for most of these southern European countries to meet their deficit goals.  They really need to balance reforms with promoting economic growth.  Also, Germany's Finance Minister is reportedly unsatisfied with the progress of Greek reforms.

The dollar is lower today, helping most commodities.  Oil prices are higher again to $93.55.  Gold prices are only slightly higher to $1765.

The 10-year yield is up a bit to 1.74%.  And the volatility index is down fractionally to 16.25.

Trading comment: Tech stocks have began to lag recently.  We have seen these rotations before, and my guess is the defensive trade will come back into focus in the near-term.  That means defensive sectors like consumer staples and utilities will hold up better than economically sensitive sectors.  A lot will also depend on earnings reports coming up.  Those stocks that beat estimates and had positive reactions last quarter should be okay.  But stocks that had a rough quarter last time and sold off hard are likely to experience the same reactions this time around.  Time to do some homework.

KAM Advisors has long positions in YUM

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China Adds Some Stimulus

Our markets are lower on a lack of catalysts and concerns about the upcoming earnings season.  Edwards Lifesciences (EW) is the latest stock to take it on the chin after lowering Q3 guidance.  The stock is down nearly 20% on the news and weighing on medical device stocks.

Asian markets were mixed overnight, although China got a nice 2.0% bounce after the People's Bank of China injected CNY265 billion of cash through repo operations.  This comes as the IMF becomes the second organization this week to lower Chinese GDP forecasts to 7.8% from 8.0%.

European bourses are also mostly lower after German Chancellor Merkel visits Greece and the Troika says Greek debt will reach 150% of GDP in 2020, which is well above the target goal of 120%.  Elsewhere, ECB Pres. Draghi is defending the OMT program, saying that the ESM and IMF support would be be involved first, before resorting to OMT operations.  Last, Portugal was approved for its next tranche of aid.  More can kicking.

The dollar is higher, which is weighing on most commodities.  Gold prices are lower to $1763.  Silver and copper prices are also lower.  But oil prices are bucking the trend, due to concerns over the Turkey/Syria tension and following a pipeline blast that halted gas flow from Iran into Turkey.

Tech stocks are lagging the action again today.  AAPL is down another $10 near the $625 level.  People are really scrutinizing this pullback, but the stock was up nearly 75% already this year, so I think its normal to see the buy the rumor-sell the news reaction into the iPhone5 release.

The 10-year yield is lower today, down to the 1.69% level.  And the VIX is up another 7.5% above 16.25.  It is now back above its 50-day average, a level it has not been able to maintain lately.

Trading comment: The selling is picking up a little steam this morning, but its still early.  Most recent selloff attempts have faded a bit late in the day as buyers used the dip to put money to work.  We will have to see if that same late day bounce pattern emerges again today.  VMW was downgraded this morning and is off nearly 5%. I think this highlights how stocks are a little jittery after a long runup and heading into an iffy earnings season. Tread lightly.

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Monday Morning Musings

Although the market was not able to make much headway on Friday last week, it still ended the week with solid gains overall.  This morning markets are a bit weaker, but not by all that much.

The Treasury market is closed today for Columbus Day, so we won't get any read on interest rates.  The 10-year yield last closed at 1.74%.  There is also no economic data scheduled for release today.

The dollar index is trading higher, which is weighing on most commodities.  Oil prices are a bit weaker below $89.50, which has many wondering when the recent weakness in oil prices is going to translate into lower prices at the pump.  I know there isn't a one-for-one relationship, but we still should see some relief.  I saw prices as high as $5 per gallon recently outside of LA.

Gold prices are also lower near $1776.  Silver and copper prices are lower as well.

Overnight Asian markets were generally lower.  China fell 0.6% after many were disappointed that the PBOC didn't act all last week to lower rates.  Also, the World Bank slashed its 2012 and 2013 GDP estimates for China by 50 basis points each to 7.7% and 8.1%, respectively.

European markets are also lower across the board today after the Troika and Greece were not able to reach any settlement in recent negotiations.  Finance ministers are ready to active the European Stability Mechanism, however Spain still denies it needs any bailout.

Defensive issues are holding up the best this morning, with utility stocks bucking the early weakness and tech stocks lagging the most.  AAPL is down for a 2nd straight session, and the stock is now back below its 50-day average.  There have been rumors of riots, etc. at its Foxconn plant.  For what its worth, I still don't have my iPhone5 as the stores here are sold out every time I go.  I think I'll just suck it up and order it online and wait.

The VIX is up nearly 7% this morning to 15.30.

Trading comment: It still feels premature to call for a big pullback when the major indexes are just barely off their recent highs for the year.  Unless we see some real technical damage to the indexes, with more pronounced selling, it seems that the stairstep higher pattern that we have been seeing could remain intact.  This has been frustrating for those looking for a deeper pullback as one never seems to develop.  Meanwhile, the group rotation between defensive stocks vs. growth stocks continues.  With AAPL taking a back seat the last few session, defensive stocks could be seeing some flows.  But I doubt this lasts too long.

KAM Advisors has long positions in AAPL

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Kereta Mini, Kereta Mall, Komedi Putar Ya Keretaminiku.com

Perkembangan teknologi yang semakin pesat khususnya dalam dunia internet, dengan demikian untuk mempromosikan suatu produk ataupun yang lainnya sangatlah mudah dan tentunya sangat menguntungkan bagi sesorang maupun perusahaan yang mempromosikannya. Salah satu perusahaan yang melakukan promosi lewat media online yaitu CV. KeretaMiniku, yang mana memiliki wibesite seperti www.keretaminiku.com yang dijadikan sebagai fasilitas untuk mempromosikan produknya.

CV. KeretaMiniku merupakan perusahaan yang bergerak dalam bidang pembuatan, perdagangan jasa, suplier, menjual mainan anak dan tempat wisata. Produk-produk yang dihasilkan antara lain Kereta Mini, Kereta Mall, Komedi Putar dan masih banyak yang lainnya. Kelebihan dari CV. KeretaMiniku dibandingkan dengan produsen-produsen lainnya antara lain :

- Dalam pembuatannya lebih cepat.

- Kualitas produk yang dihasilkannya benar-benar berkualitas dan sangat memuaskan.

- Produk tentunya bergaransi.

Selain produk yang tadi, CV. KeretaMiniku mengeluarkan produk terbarunya seperti kereta mall motor, rumah balon mandi bola dan sepeda air. Dengan demikian konsumen akan lebih dimanjakan lagi dengan produk-produk tersebut. Jadi tidak ada kata lain selain buruan pesan untuk menjadikan usaha wahana mainan yang anda miliki saat ini supaya jadi lebih berkembang. Dengan memiliki produk dari CV. KeretaMiniku, maka sudah pasti usaha wahana mainan anda akan banyak pengunjung yang tentunya akan menambah pundi-pundi penghasilan anda menjadi lebih besar.

Ada berbagai  produk dari CV.KeretaMiniku yang dapat Anda sesuaikan dengan tempat atau lokasi penempatan mainan kereta mini, kereta mall, komedi putar dan lain-lain.

• Kereta Mini

 

• Kereta Mini Mall

• Komedi Putar

Benar-benar sangat menarik bentuk dari mainan ini, tunggu apalagi setelah melihat beberapa contoh diatas buruan pesen sekarang juga. Bagi Anda yang ingin memiliki usaha didunia mainan ini, sekarang saatnya  untuk memulai usaha itu karena produk mainan ini sangat menjanjikan bagi usaha Anda, dan bagi  yang ingin menyenangkan buah hati sekarang saatnya untuk membelikan hadiah mainan ini bagi anak Anda. 

Harga yang dikeluarkan untuk mainan ini adalah sebagai berikut :

1. Kereta Mini

    - Rp. 15.000.000 tanpa genset (gerbong single)

    - Rp. 16.500.000 tanpa genset (gerbong single)

    - Uang muka 20 %

    - Waktu pembuatan 1 minggu - 1 bulan

    - Kondisi baru dan siap pakai

    - Rel bisa ditambah, harga Rp. 250.000/ meter

2. Kereta Mall

    - Rp. 32.000.000 tanpa charger / battrey

    - Rp. 33.500.000 dengan charger / battrey

    - Tambah stasiun kereta mini Rp. 3000.000

    - Uang muka 30 %

3. Komedi Putar

    - Rp. 16.000.000 tanpa genset (6 buah mainan besar)

    - Rp. 17.000.000 tanpa genset (8 buah mainan besar)

Jadi sekarang apalagi yang Anda pikirkan, sudah jelas bukan? Bagaimana kualitas produk dari CV. KeretaMiniku benar-benar memuaskan dan harganya-pun sangat terjangkau. Segera pesan dan hubungi CV. KeretaMiniku, berikut saya lampirkan alamat lengkapnya.

       Jl. Bratang Gede VI D No.8 A & 22 A Surabaya - Jawa Timur (60245)
       No.Tlp : (031) 72025699
       No.SMS : 081 331 253 999, 085655489299, 081703420799
       Pin BB : (2391 BDA 0) dan (212 40 BAE)
       E-mail : keretaminiku@gmail.com

Bagi Anda yang berada diluar kota,  jangan dulu khawatir tidak bisa memesannya. Anda bisa memesannya lewat media online yaitu dengan mengakses ke alamat keretaminiku.com.

Semoga informasi tentang Kereta Mini, Kereta Mall, Komedi Putar Ya Keretaminiku.com bisa bermanfaat untuk kita semua. Bagi Anda yang membutuhkan informasi lebih lengkap tinggal di akses di http://www.keretaminiku.com/.

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