Leverage Blog: How to Exploit the Web.

If you're a small business in the green sector, now might be a good time to go public.

If battery maker A123 is any indication, now is an excellent time for green companies to go public. A123 develops lithium-ion batteries for electric and hybrid cars, and on their first day of public trading, shares jumped 50 percent. According to the article, the managing director of venture fund CMEA Capital expects 2010 to be a good year for environmentally-friendly IPOs.

Read the article here.

The Internet in Plain English

Occasionally people will ask us how to explain the internet to their kids. As usual, Common Craft does a great job of taking a complex issue and making it easy to understand. Check it out -

Innovative Online Marketing Tactics Abound

 

Starbucks and Doritos both recently did some interesting promotions, using different technologies, both of which simply didn't exist just a few years ago.

Back in July, Starbucks ran a promotion on Facebook, to introduce their newly debuted ice cream flavors. Most Facebook users are familiar with Facebook Apps - not all of which are well-known for being conducive to productivity. Like the SuperPoke, for example, which enables users to send virtual high-fives, or throw virtual sheep at their Facebook friends. Starbucks, however, took things out of the virtual realm and gave participants the opportunity to send a coupon for a free pint of ice cream to a friend. 800 pints an hour, for a total of 280,000 pints of ice cream. I'd rather someone send me a coupon for a free pint of Java Chip Frappuccino, rather than having a e-sheep thrown at me, wouldn't you?

Doritos did things the other way around - they rewarded customers with online prizes. The idea was that you'd pick up a bag of chips, then head home, and the webcam on your computer would act as a scanner of sorts, enabling you to view a virtual concert in 3-D. Added bonuses like that might be just the thing to draw in customers who were about to go for the competitor's offering.

Check out the articles:
Doritos Bags Blink-182, Big Boi
Facebook Users Scoop Up Free Starbucks Ice Cream