Google's URL Database [It's Big]

Valleywag recently reported that Google's search database now has over 1,000,000,000,000 (1 trillion) URL's for a user to search. What's interesting about the article, however, is that it notes that Google search does not represent searching the entire internet - it only represents URL's that Google has found and archived.

Brilliant Outdoor

Can you think of a better idea for a Guide dog campaign?

Found on Copyranter.

Missing the Point

As most of you know, clients want help understanding how they can be effective in social media. It's the "hot" topic right now and one that probably isn't going away anytime soon. We've written a few posts on social media but in my blog searching today I came across a great quote from David Armano (VP of Critical Mass) that is worth thinking about:

"Old habits die hard. While consumers are out there spending countless hours on social networks, file sharing applications, chat, community sites, buying stuff, selling stuff and using multiple devices, some of us tradigital old fogies are still reaching for our beloved toolbox of the past in the hopes of getting their attention. While online user behavior tells us that people respond well to simplicity, we labor to create complexity in the form of experimental navigation and sites that take forever to load. When YouTube arrived on the scene, we responded by putting our TV spots on them or -- better yet -- creating spots that looked like they were made by amateurs. Little did we know that the real action happens in the comments. Have we thought about talking back to people or are we really just interested in telling our stories?"

It's one thing to start a conversation or let people talk to you but it's another thing to actively engage, debate and discuss what your brand is and what it stands for.

From Logic.

Canada's Top 10 TV Shows [Last Week]

Seriously? This seems like a sad state of affairs when "So You Think You Can Dance" is number 1 and 2 in the ranking. Must be a slow, slow summer.

At least the news made the top 10...

1 So You Think You Can Dance (CTV, Tuesday)—1,506,000

2 So You Think You Can Dance (CTV, Wednesday)—1,473,000

3 Canadian Idol (CTV, Monday-Tuesday)—1,265,000

4 CTV Evening News (CTV, Monday-Friday)—1,145,000

5 CSI: New York (CTV, Wednesday)—1,027,000

6 Law and Order: CI (CTV, Tuesday)—1,014,000

7 Wipeout (Global, Tuesday)—919,000

8 House (Global, Monday)—913,000

9 Sunday Evening Movie (CBC, Sunday)—912,000

10 Bones (Global, Monday)—861,000

From Marketing.

Rebranding

I know, I know, The Dark Knight has been out for over a couple of days but I couldn't help but posting about the new #1 Blockbuster movie in History.

There's nothing quite like a dead brand. Batman sucked. The origins were great and the first few movies were alright (Batman / Batman Returns) but then things started to get ugly. Batman films started to suck. Bad.

Throw in pop culture, horrible acting and over-the-top characters and you've watered down a brand that used to stand for something.

People still went to the films. Hell, every Batman release was huge. But they weren't considered good anymore. They were just the type of movie you go when nothing - literally nothing - else was on.

Then Christopher Nolan came along. And Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman and a slew of other great actors. Suddenly, the brand is reborn. The same core elements are there but the story is different. It's better and more attractive.

People become interested again. Because a few people in Holleywood (with a couple hundred million) decided to make a change.

Cut to today. The Dark Knight opens to a weekend gross of $155 million - best ever. The film is fantastic, shows are sold out over a week after launch and people can't get enough.

Now think about what it was like convincing most studio execs to relaunch the series. How many people said it's already been done and that it couldn't be saved? How many of those execs didn't want to get involved, didn't want to risk producing a tired story?

Making the decision that something - no matter how bad it's become - is worth saving is tough. But when things work out, the results can be pretty sweet.