Branding Youtube Channels

Company branding is pretty much everything these days and with the onslaught of social media applications taking over as a key marketing tool, company’s must keep in mind how they brand them.  Take for an example YouTube.  Many people use YouTube as a marketing tool which is great way to get in touch with millions of people, but have you seen some of the branding on these channels?  I think this is a key area where company’s are losing out.  Look at the two presidential candidates YouTube Channels (Obama, McCain).  They aren’t that great are they?  Look at one of the most subscribed to channels of all time the Universal Music Group.  Look at that background, that’s so 1997 when I was in 9th grade.

I spent a while yesterday looking for good branding of YouTube Channels and didn’t find many. Below are a list of channels that I thought were awesome and had a clean design.

What do you think about those?  I think they get it when it comes to branding.  When I look at a bad design all I can think of is a cluttered MySpace page or Wal-Mart, but when I see the designs that look amazing and easy on the eye I instinctively think Target or Facebook.  If I was a consumer of a product or your marketing technique, I would definitely want to feel Target-ish and Facebook-ish because I want to be with the in crowd.

So that brings me to this.  I am interested in finding more YouTube page designs and what you the consumer of these channels are looking for?  Do you link simple or complex?  What is the makeup of a good YouTube Channel and what are some good channel designs that you like?

Facebook for your Blackberry

Facebook is like the crack of social media apps for some people and what would you do if you couldn’t access your facebook profile and update your status when you are away from your computer.  No need to work addicts.  Facebook indeed has a pretty good blackberry application.  Some phones even come preinstalled with it.  I know my Verizon phone did.  With the facebook app you have access to update your status and view status updates of your friends, share a photo that you took, get a list of your friends, invite new friends, poking, the ability to write on a friends wall, and sending messages.  The application is by far the prettiest one out there.  It’s almost better than going to the actual facebook site becuase you don’t see all that other junk such as the super wall and other 3rd party apps.  One down side is that when you want to look at someones profile is that it opens the mobile browser it load it. The browser layout is a bit messy and sometimes is pretty slow.

Overall this is a good application for facebook users.  I find myself updating my status and posting more photos because of this.  If you are interested, you can download the application from the blackberry site but check your phone, It may already be installed.

This is part of a series “Ten days of Blackberry, Making your Phone Better

Social Graphing API

Google has released a Social Graphing API which follows XFN and FOAF links. This is very cool. Here is a short video on how it works.

YouTube Preview Image

With the social networking boom there are many possibilities that open up through this API. Anyone have any ideas on what can be done with this or if anyone is currently using this API?

It would be very cool to put it in Kyle Sholz JsVis ProjectDemo, Tutorial.

Facebook Follies

facebookI couldn’t sum up my thoughts on the facebook as good as Kevin Lim did. His post on the privacy of the news feeds in facebook is excellent. I agree with everything that states in this article. I haven’t seen many posts about why the news feeds are good and was thinking about it as a post today. However, now I don’t have to since someone already did.

Significant News Not in the News

Today’s choice of news is sort of disturbing. Last night some of the 24 hour news stations and online media where carrying breaking news concerning Iran. It looks like the Iranian leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has or is in the processes of planning a trip the NYC to meet with the United Nations. However, reports are saying that he may first travel to Cuba and meet with Castro and Hugo Chavez then make his way to the USA through Cuba. Having two of the most controversial leaders in the country at the same time (in NYC) while they both have stated there dislike to the US and have wished dreadful acts upon could be very dangerous. There are many implications of this and only one can imagine what would happen or will happen. God just imagine what NYC will be like on that day they arrive and depart.

So after a quick look at some major news sites I have realized this isn’t really an significant story. Let me take you through a run down of what each is reporting;

BBC - Iran WashingtonPost - Iran Fox - Iran

CNN - Iran Drudge Report - Iran

  1. CNN – Located in there top stories section on there main page nothing about Iran. Although big story on CNN is about Paris Hilton charged with DUI
  2. Washington Post – Front page has nothing dealing with Iran. A story that jumps out to me as a possible top story candidate Facebook’s Privacy Issue’s
  3. Americas BBC – No story on the front page. BBC does have a lot of political and world news concerning America on its front pages. Saw nothing about Paris Hilton, Baby Suri, or Facebook
  4. Fox News – Nothing dealing with Ahmadinejad trip to the US, but there is a story entitled Stall Tactics
  5. Drudge Report – Main story

Sometimes I find it quite amazing on the selection of news to be broadcast. Is Baby Suri, Paris Hilton getting charged with a DUI, and the Facebook adding News Feeds important to viewers? I guess the Paris one is. The way this story should be slanted is that another star gets special treatment after driving while intoxicated. I find it very frustrating that in the morning I have to go out and do my own research to find what is really important to America. What do you think?