Posts Tagged ‘Facebook’

How many things are you doing right now… in addition to reading this blog entry, that is? Watching a YouTube video? Writing an e-mail? Sending a text message? Well, it seems that more media multitasking is on the rise — and I can’t say I’m surprised!

The amount of time viewers spent watching TV while at the same time cruising the Internet grew 34.5% last year to an average of 3.5 hours a month in 2009, up from 2.5 hours in 2008, according to a Nielsen Co. report released this week.

Nielsen says nearly 60% of TV viewers now use the Internet once a month while also watching TV — up 3% from a year before. The survey also notes that the number of people who are multitasking grew almost 5% from the year before to 134 million.

“The report seems to suggest that concerns by TV executives that the Internet was taking people away from their shows are unfounded. In fact, live TV viewing increased 1% in 2009. Add in time-shifted viewing a la TiVo, and the average number of hours jumped to a total of 163 hours a month watching TV in 2009, up from 160 hours in 2008.”

So what are people doing as they watch TV? A look the top 5 sites visited by these media multitaskers gives some clues:

Google
Yahoo
Facebook
MSN or Microsoft Bing
YouTube

But is multitasking really a good idea? … Sorry… just got a text… Right, CNN.com says heavy multitaskers are more easily distracted by irrelevant information than those who aren’t constantly in a multimedia frenzy, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Even when you think you’re doing several things at once, you’re more likely switching rapidly back and forth between them — actually compromising productivity. Plus, multitasking puts stress on your brain’s memory-retention center…

Wait, what was I doing?

News about new client SteadyGRO’s impressive performance in a recent Purdue University study hit the national media last week, showing up on the Reuters board in New York’s Times Square (at left) and the Clear Channel message board in Las Vegas.

SteadyGRO is a new product that optimizes soilless plant growth. It’s used by home and greenhouse gardeners, pro gardeners and hydroponic growers to grow food crops like cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, flowers and more. Manufactured by Kokomo, Ind.-based Syndicate Sales, which has for more than 60 years manufactured and distributed more than 1,500 floral related items for the international floral industry, SteadyGRO is available  in plugs, sheets, blocks and slabs.

The Purdue study compared indoor plant growth results using SteadyGro and rockwool, a product developed in the 1970s. A huge difference between SteadyGRO and rockwool is their impact on the environment. SteadyGRO is eco-friendly and can be reduced from its original form to a mass of less than 11 percent or incinerated for bio-mass purposes.

Purdue University research concluded that SteadyGRO H+ was the best-performing soilless growth medium in terms of average grams of fruit harvested per plant in tomatoes and cucumbers. SteadyGRO H+ produced 47 percent more cucumber in terms of fruit weight per plant than rockwool, according to the study, and both SteadyGRO and SteadyGRO H+ outperformed rockwool in promoting the growth of tomatoes by a 23 percent gain in harvested weight.

News of SteadyGRO’s performance compared to rockwool was also picked up by Reuters, Forbes.com, Yahoo! Finance, the Boston Business Journal, the Los Angeles Business Journal, WBTV CBS-3  in Charlotte, N.C., WTHR NBC-13 in Indianapolis and more than 180 other news sites throughout the country.

Indiana-based SteadyGRO has named Daniel Shinall as the company’s social media marketer. Shinall is responsible for the daily maintenance of the SteadyGRO Web site, the company’s activities on Facebook and Twitter and implementing SteadyGRO’s online marketing strategies.

Originally from Savannah, Ga., he served as an intern in the Information/Technology department at SteadyGRO’s parent company Syndicate Sales Inc. during the summer of 2009. Prior to joining SteadyGRO, he was a sales specialist at Circuit City in Savannah and a landscaper at Cottonwood Homebuilders in Richmond Hill, Ga. He graduated from Richmond Hill (Georgia) High School and is attending Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah.

SteadyGRO is an inert, sterile product that optimizes soilless plant growth. Used by home and greenhouse gardeners, professional gardeners and hydroponic growers and available in plugs, sheets, blocks and slabs, SteadyGRO helps growers maximize their results when growing food crops including cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, popular flowering plants, woody ornamentals, vines, ivy and more. SteadyGRO is eco-friendly and can be reduced from its original form to a mass of less than 11 percent or incinerated for bio-mass purposes. SteadyGRO is manufactured by Syndicate Sales Inc., a 60-year staple in the international floral industry that manufactures, imports and distributes more than 1,500 floral-related items in the U.S. and overseas.

Recently, Purdue University research concluded that SteadyGRO outperformed rockwool, a soilless product that has been a mainstay in the industry for decades. Overall, the study concluded, SteadyGRO H+ was the best-performing soilless growth medium in terms of average grams of fruit harvested per plant in tomatoes and cucumbers. SteadyGRO H+ produced 47 percent more cucumber in terms of fruit weight per plant than rockwool, according to the study, and both SteadyGRO and SteadyGRO H+ outperformed rockwool in promoting the growth of tomatoes by a 23 percent gain in harvested weight.

A new major annual show is coming to Lucas Oil Stadium in just a few short weeks — the Indianapolis Home & Flower Show! It takes place Friday, March 5 through Sunday, March 7, offering exhibitors a high-quality 3-day show as an additional option to its companion show, the 10-day Indianapolis Home Show, the nation’s oldest and the Midwest’s largest home-focused extravaganza.

It is the first consumer show of its kind and the only annual spring home and flower show at the stadium! The show will have 25,000 sq. ft. of gardens and more than 250 exhibitors.

A large area for feature flowers and gardens will be the Show’s centerpiece, which will be enhanced by the surroundings of Lucas Oil Stadium. If there’s a flower you fancy, or greenery that grabs you, the Home & Flower Show will be springing into action with plenty of plants to pick from!

Also, if you want to dig in and lend a hand as a volunteer at the Home & Flower Show, you will receive two free passes to come back and enjoy the exhibits and gardens at your leisure!

Call the Indianapolis Home & Flower Show office at 317-705-8719 for more information, and also visit www.indyhomeandflowershow.com.

Make sure to mark the Indianapolis Home & Flower Show on your calendar, and also become a Facebook fan! It’s two green thumbs up!

Like many companies, our fax machine has been pretty quiet lately.  No, it’s not dead.  It’s just not being used.  Email is our number one means of communication, along with cell phones, land-lines (yeah, still) and social media. 

And speaking of social media, this article’s headline by Sam Brace, special for Inside Tucson Business, states 2010: The Year Social Media Comes of Age for Businesses.  There are some interesting facts in the article.  Below is an excerpt.

– KRC Research, based in Washington, D.C., found that 88 percent of 200 executives of nonprofits it surveyed experimented with social media in 2009, and 85 percent plan to actively use it in their organizations this year. MarketingSherpa, a research firm specializing in tracking marketing efforts, reports that most industries are increasing their budgets for social media marketing in 2010.

Behind these increases is a booming population of new users of social media. Statistics show that 66 percent of global Internet users have visited social networks and that more have used these sites than traditional e-mail. Facebook grew to more than 300 million users in 2009. Twitter grew by 1,382 percent in February 2009. These sites are where people are gathering and there’s little to indicate they will leave for greener pastures in 2010. –

So here’s my question…will email be the next to die.  If you read this article by Dave Rosenberg at the CNET Blog Network, you might think we heading down that path.

Perhaps it’s too early to kill the fax machine (or email… how do you kill email?) with a baseball bat, as seen in the movie Office Space.  But I don’t think that day is too far away.

Win tickets to the 2010 Indianapolis Home Show!

We have question #7 ready. The first person to answer wins a pair (2) of Indianapolis Home Show tickets.

Visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Indianapolis-IN/Indianapolis-Home-Show/119350166735 for question #7.

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RULES: Adult admission only, no refunds/no dollar value, a (one) ticket is valid for one admission.
Tickets can be picked up at Will Call starting January 29 through February 7.

Photo ID must be shown at the time of pickup.
Name must be included with your answer. (Answer must be posted on Facebook Fan Page)
One winner per question.

**ALSO: One pair of tickets per person maximum.

Check back often, new questions may appear often today!!

Win tickets to the 2010 Indianapolis Home Show.

We have question #2 ready.  The first person to answer wins a pair (2) of Indianapolis Home Show tickets.  Your hint is in the picture….

Visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Indianapolis-IN/Indianapolis-Home-Show/119350166735 for question #2.

********

RULES: Adult admission only, no refunds/no dollar value, a (one) ticket is valid for one admission.
Tickets can be picked up at Will Call starting January 29 through February 7.

Photo ID must be shown at the time of pickup.
Name must be included with your answer. (Answer must be posted on Facebook Fan Page)
One winner per question.

Check back often, new questions will appear now until the end of the show.

It’s a trend that is taking over the local news in every market–going interactive. No longer is that anchorman or anchorwoman such an unreachable star. It seems that every person you see on the air these days broadcasts their e-mail, Twitter information and more.

Facebook and Twitter are now helping local stations connect with their audience and tap into new viewers. And not only is social media being used as a way to interact with on-air talent but also as a way for viewers to help shape the news content for the day. “Tweet in your opinion on this topic.” “E-mail us about what’s going on in your neighborhood.” “Send us in your pictures.”

According to an article in the Boston Globe, “As local stations lose viewers and advertising revenue, they are turning to social networking Web sites for help. In recent months, news directors have used such sites as Facebook and Twitter to generate stories and, hopefully, boost ratings.”

Eventually — will the news become only what we make and want it to be?

Yep.  It’s that time of the year again. No, not just time for the holidays.  It’s time to start thinking about heading to the 2010 Indianapolis Home Show on Jan. 29 – Feb. 6.  Over 900 exhibits, guest celebs, home decorating and remodeling ideas and more. 

Oh and get this…between now and December 31, become a Fan of the Indianapolis Home Show on Facebook and purchase 2-1 tickets.   What a great deal, huh? 

So why wait?  Beat the rush for tickets and be one of the lucky one’s (or two) to see Paul DiMeo or walk through the centerpiece home (built by Davis Building Group). For more information about the show, visit www.indianapolishomeshow.com.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard introduces Check Mark -- Indy's newest mascot and Champion of Financial Fitness -- at a kickoff Rally held on Oct. 9.

What a fun (but rainy) day.  A member of our staff, who shall remain nameless, took one for the team and dressed up as Indy’s newest mascot “Check Mark” today.  Bank On Indy officially launched today, along with Check Mark — The Champion of Financial Fitness.  

We were fortunate to work with 16 financial institutions, numerous community organizations and Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard’s office to make the launch a huge success.  It’s always a reward to work with great partners….and I’m sure I can speak for our “Super Hero” staff member.  Now on to the goal of getting nearly 80,000 Marion County unbanked households banked.  Check out the web site or join Bank on Indy on Facebook to find out more.  For more photos of the event click here.