Last February 15, 2011, Digital Filipino Talks about Political and Advocacy Blogging - Monitoring Campaign Promises of President Noynoy Aquino. Interviewed for this topic is Ms. Noemi Lardizabal-Dado, editor of blogwatch.tv (and also the mommy blogger behind A Filipino Mom Blogger).
Political and Advocacy Blogging - Monitoring Campaign Promises of President Noynoy Aquino from Janette Toral on Vimeo.
Ms. Dado discussed the importance of maintaining a political advocacy blog like blogwatch, and invites other bloggers to share and participate in discussions about the socio-political issues today.
The reason why bloggers are encouraged to discuss the issues is to form conclusions and recommendations for the betterment of our country. In some cases action will be taken if there is overwhelming sentiment like what happened to scrapped campaign of 'Pilipinas Kay Ganda' last year.
One of the issues that should be monitored is the campaign promises of our elected officials, particularly our President, PNoy.
She stated that PNoy's campaign promises, specifically the Freedom of Information (FOI) and the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, are not being pushed as expected from our president.
She made an article about her observations on PNoy's watered down promises which is posted on the blogwatch.tv site.
My Views on the topic:
PNoy for change?
Like the millions of Filipinos who voted on the last May 2010 elections, I also voted for PNoy. We voted him because we believed in his campaign, and that he is the best person qualified to make positive changes happen in our country.
That is why he should keep his campaign promises no matter what.
Although I still believe in his advocacy, sometimes I wonder if he is giving in to pressure from people around him. For the FOI bill, it would seem that the trapos (traditional/long time politicians) who rallied behind him last elections do not want this to push through. While for the RH bill, the Catholic Church is the group pressuring him not to continue. PNoy must have a hard time deciding - it's so difficult to please everyone.
The FOI bill is necessary in PNoy's campaign to minimize, if not stamp out corruption. If this becomes law, politicians will have to be transparent in their government dealings/contracts. And that won't be good for the trapos.
The RH bill is necessary to curb population explosion, but the Catholic Church denounces contraception as means of control because it goes against family principles.
Both groups who block PNoy's campaign are very influential. If I were PNoy, losing support from either one of them might cripple my capacity to lead. I hope PNoy is man enough to take control and push for whatever reforms are needed for the country.
Active discussion of the issues from fellow bloggers
I agree that it would be good if bloggers can discuss the different socio-political issues around today. However, I think that some bloggers might not want to actively partake in this kind of discussion because it may pose some risks to their well-established identity.
If a blogger becomes too politicized, some of his followers might not agree to his or her cause, and it might become a source for his or her drop in popularity. For example, if I continue to shoutout, write a blog, or twit, "I don't believe in PNoy's campaign promises", those who have strong faith in PNoy's campaign might see me in a negative way, and might look for other blogs similar to mine whose owners have no political stand.
The Wheel of Politics and Religion
Since the blogger of blogwatch.tv is a mom blogger, I would like to share what my mom taught me on the two hottest issues. She told me, "There are two topics you should try to avoid when talking to a stranger, and that is politics and religion." These two topics are so universal yet so controversial, you would take forever to argue upon, even with a close friend.
A lot of people died for keeping his faith in political figures and religion. Although I am not discouraging people from talking about them, we should also consider that our personal views on the matter must be addressed with utmost care, specially in the internet world, where views of others may clash with yours. What matters is that at the end of the discussion, an understanding should be reached.
This is my entry to DigitalFilipino.com's Talks Blog Contest. Be part of the conversation. Visit the contest page to join. Feel free to comment on my blog post about My view on Political and Advocacy Blogging - Monitoring Campaign Promises of President Noynoy Aquino
Friday, February 25, 2011
Digital Filipino Talks: Political and Advocacy Blogging - Monitoring Campaign Promises of President Noynoy Aquino
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Oldest Timex Watch Contest
Here is an interesting contest from Timex - The Oldest Timex Watch Contest. Present the oldest watch to Timex Philippines and you will win 1,000 US Dollars. The 20 finalists will also receive a Timex watch.
This contest is open to fans of Timex Philippines.
Contest details:
Phase I - online submission
1. Go to Timex Philippines fan page, select Oldest Timex Contest on the options on the left side, and click the “Wanted” poster. This will lead you to the mechanics and entry form.
2. Fill out the Entry Form completely. A display message that says ‘Sorry, you must fill up the form completely’ will appear for incomplete details; for a successful entry, a display message saying ‘Entry successfully sent! Thank you for joining’ will appear.
3. Criteria for judging the winning entry:
• The oldest watch according to the YEAR it was manufactured
• The watch is working, intact, and with complete parts
• The watch is authentic Timex
4. Submission of entries online is from February 21, 2011 to March 21, 2011 (12 MN) only.
5. A shortlist of 20 entries will be chosen based on the criteria given above. An email will be sent to the email ad you registered in the entry form if you are part of the short list. You will receive the email on or before March 25, 2011.
Phase 2: Shortlisted Entries
Once you are short listed, you may submit the watch by either of the following:
Option 1: Bringing the watch personally to the Timex head office
- Please look for Mich Muyana or anyone from Timex Marketing.
- Requirements: (1) A valid ID
o If someone else will deliver, ask him/her to bring: (1) An authorization letter
o (2) A photocopy of your ID
Head office address: 2254 KAMPRI bldg., Chino Roces Ave., Makati City
Option 2: Bringing the watch to the nearest Timex Shop
(The list of shops & authorized person per shop will be emailed to you if you are part of the short list)
- Please make sure to submit the watch only to the authorized person in the list
- Only that person has the authority to verify that the watch is received in good condition (e.g. watch is alive at the time it was received)
- Same requirements as option 1
Option 3: Shipping the watch directly to head office (see office address in option 1)
- Timex will not be liable for any damages incurred during shipment of the watch. Make sure to pack it properly until you are assured that it will not be damaged.
Disclaimer: Participant should shoulder amount of shipment if this option is chosen.
Sending of the 20 short listed watches is from March 25 to April 8, 2011.
To see full mechanics, check out this link...
Note: If you happen to own a Timex watch, you may try your luck here. The older your watch, the bigger your chance of winning.
- to join, submit your entry through an online form with personal details and a short description or story about your watch. If you are shortlisted, you will have to present the watch to Timex PH (see above).
- deadline for online registration is on March 21, 2011 midnight. No registration = no participation.
- if you happen to be shortlisted, make sure you present your watch to them on or before April 8, 2011 to qualify.
For more info on this contest, check out the Timex Philippines fan page. Click here to visit the online registration form.
DigitalFilipino Talks About Facebook Promotion
DigitalFilipino Talks About Facebook Promotion
Last Feb 11, 2011, Digital Filipino talks about Facebook Promotion. Invited for the talk was digital specialist Mr. Leynard "Ley" Quizon.
Make Facebook Promotion Work for You from Janette Toral on Vimeo.
Mr. Quizon mentioned that companies can make their presence more felt online if they simply launched a Facebook campaign.
My Views On This Topic
A. The Power of Facebook Promotions
I agree with Mr. Quizon that Facebook promotions are a very effective tool in reaching out and advertising their brand to consumers. I will take myself as an example. Since I love joining contests, I can try to search for them via google. Sadly, most of the time google search will come up with hits on contests that are already closed or past the deadline.
But with the advent of Facebook, all I have to do is look at the side bar for advertisements. Sometimes ads on contests pop up, then I check it out by jumping over to their Facebook page. Most of the time, their contests are not yet past the deadline, and if I'm lucky, I would even be one the first to find out! Just like the Minute Maid blog contest I won, Nuffnang Philippines posted about this contest but I first saw this in a Facebook ad.
B. More info from Facebook friends
Facebook promotoions can do a lot in spreading the word about a product.
If you are contest lover like me, you will also be able to find out about a contest from your fellow contestant friends (which I jokingly call my online classmates, hehe). Their Facebook status can tell you what sites they have previously visited and liked. If you follow their trail, you follow more contests and promos for you to join!
Most contests involve "liking" your entry, which also counts as your "vote". If you need a vote from a friend, you will have to ask your friend to "like" the promo page first before he or she can "like" your entry. Simply putting up a contest can drive more people to become fans of that page even though the intention is only for helping out a contestant.
C. Disadvantages of 'full' (100%) likes in contests
Some Facebook fan pages take pride in having so many fans. This may be due to sponsoring so many contests that involve 100% likes as their contest criteria. I believe a contestant will try to do everything he can to win. For 100% online voting, it would either mean asking his friends to vote, create dummy accounts, or both! Besides, creating a Facebook account is free! Still, I think companies still promote full 'like' contests partly because they are only concerned about raising the fan count. The fan count can be a reason why a fan page is popular. The disadvantage is that these promos might produce "haters" specially the contestants who did not win their contest. They will feel "cheated" specially if the persons winning these "liking" contests are the same people who won "liking" contests from other fan pages.
If you are a new company who wants to promote a brand or product and still doesn't have a website of their own, the promotions through Facebook may be one of your best options! Opening a fan page is so simple.
And when a company sets up a contest, contest and freebie people like me might see it and like the page before even joining that contest! (Who doesn't want free stuff by the way?) My "like" will attract other people to like the page, and that fan page eventually grows.
This is my entry to DigitalFilipino.com's Talks Blog Contest. Be part of the conversation. Visit the contest page to join. Feel free to comment on my blog post about My view on DigitalFilipino Talks About Facebook Promotion.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
DigitalFilipino Talks Blog Contest: Growing Buy and Sell Internet Users Online
Growing Buy and Sell Internet Users Online
Today, February 22, 2011, DigitalFilipino Talks about Growing Buy and Sell Internet Users Online. Interviewed for this episode is General Manager Jon Santico of AyosDito.ph. AyosDito is a Philippine Buy and Sell classifieds site where users can either post their items or services for sale or, find a product they want to buy at a reasonable price.
Growing Buy and Sell Internet Users Online (Why Few Filipinos Buy & Sell Online?) from Janette Toral on Vimeo.
Mr. Santico shares his insights on the trend of the current online buy and sell in the Philipines.
He also makes some comparison between group buying sites which caters to good deals on a wholesale basis and a classifieds site like AyosDito, which caters to the sale of personal items.
He mentioned in the video that online buy and sell classifieds are still at its infancy because of the 24 million Pinoy internet users, only 1 to 2 million of us use this type of service.
He mentioned several factors that might have been the cause of the slow trend.
1) Culture - we love keeping stuff we do not need anymore
2) Security - there are sellers out there waiting to scam buyers and vise versa.
My View on Growing Buy and Sell Internet Users Online
A. The "brand-new" culture
Although sellers can post brand new items for sale on a classifieds site, I think many Filipinos might have a notion that classifieds sites sell mostly 2nd hand items. The thing with buying online is that the buyer is not sure if the item they are buying is "brand new". There is no guarantee that the seller is actually telling the truth about the condition of his product.
Some products like electronic items are better purchased if they came straight out-of-the-box. For example, buyers would rather buy a new cellphone for fear that a 2nd hand phone may have nearly-expired batteries. 2nd hand digital cameras that are overused may have nearly worn out shutters, specially the DSLR types. And the trouble with that is it is difficult to determine if the item is in good condition until the item is already bought and used by the buyer.
B. On Online Scammers
Mr. Santico discussed in the video that buyers should be careful in making a trade with possible scammers. Scammers are everywhere, not only on the internet. He mentioned steps to ensure a buyers safety, like having an option to leave only your e-mail address, and making sure that your seller brings the item for sale on the agreed meeting place.
My take on this is that you can also take extra precaution in meeting your buyer or seller by bringing a friend along with you (even though it sounds impractical). This is because scammers also love to bring accomplices along in order to pull off their scam.
With the eye of a watchful friend, he might be able to observe if something is odd in your dealings, and can warn you accordingly.
C. The Competition
Although not further elaborated in this segment, it is also possible that the full demographic for online classifieds might be bigger. Of course, there are other alternatives aside from AyosDito a person can use to buy and sell their stuff online.
I tried using AyosDito to sell some of my stuff before (can't remember how long it was), but at the same time used a classifieds site of a competitor. My item was sold through the other site, and the response was really fast - I got several interested persons wanting to buy my item. It gave me an impression that there really are a lot of people looking for stuff online.
D. User registration
At the last portion of the interview, Mr. Santico mentions plans for user registration. Actually that was the feature I didn't like with AyosDito, no user registration. Every time you want to post an item online for sale, you have to fill up the ad registration form. I find it very redundant. What if I have several items I want to post, it will take some time before I finish posting them all.
If there was one advantage of no user registration, I would not bother maintaining an account if I am just going to sell very seldom online.
Still, I would encourage everyone to try out Classifieds buy and sell, whether in AyosDito or its competitors. It is very convenient because all you have to do is post a photo of your product or service online, description and price, and everyone who has internet connection can see your ad. I've already sold several items successfully before - no problems whatsoever.
Hopefully more Pinoys will try out this very practical online service.
This is my entry to DigitalFilipino.com's Talks Blog Contest. Be part of the conversation. Visit the contest page to join. Feel free to comment on my blog post about My view on Growing Buy and Sell Internet Users Online.\
Monday, February 21, 2011
My Online Journey and Beyond : The Coolbuster.net ExtraBLOGanza Contest
My Online Journey and Beyond ...
If I ask myself right now where is Journey of No FERA headed to in 2011? Before anything else, I would like to quote a popular Filipino saying: "Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay di makakarating sa paroroonan". (Those who do not look back to their origins will never reach their destination.)
Here's the reason why I started my blog...
I started my blog Journey of No FERA for one purpose - and that was to join online blog contests.
Before this blog was ever born, first and foremost, I consider myself a contestant.
Many of the contests I joined and won before were not online contests. I joined photo contests, writing contests in newspapers and magazines, and my biggest win came from an assemblage art contest held 2 years ago.
For me, joining contests is my passion.
Then one day, after winning big in that art contest, I tried looking for more interesting contests through the internet. There, I stumbled upon a blog on contests and found out that there are many contests online, including blog contests.
I never knew what blogging is all about yet, I wanted to try it out. Who knows? I might gain something from the experience.
My first try on blog contests was not posted on this site. I made a separate blog for a contest sponsored by Animax. Most of the contestants who joined were either high school or college students, but they were very creative when it came to blogging. After not winning this contest, I got a taste of what blogging is all about.
How blogging affected my life
Not winning the said blog contest slammed me with a great realization... that I have a lot more to learn.
The winning bloggers were a lot younger but they were able to creatively write, draw, use Photoshop, make their own video, and design their blogs so well, my own work couldn't compare.
This strengthened my resolve to learn and master things I never knew before.
Thus, I started Journey of No FERA.
Then on, with this blog, I slowly learned the following...
1) I learned to enhance my photos. From what I have seen from other people's blogs, great photos make lasting impressions.
I enhanced this shot of Manila Bay using an ordinary point-and-shoot digital camera by emphasizing the orange color tones.2) I learned how to make digital art and design. The younger ones who joined had attractive banners and digital art. Wanting to know how it's done, I practiced Photoshop some more to come up with something decent.
designed my current banner using my photo, a silhouette of myself, plus text and graphics
designed a caricature of me in a previous design / blog contest3) I learned how to make video. This was actually a challenge for me. I can't find anyone who I can star whenever I want to make a video. And so, brushing aside the 'hiya' in me, I took the role for the sake of a presentable contest entry.
Through creating blog posts for contest entries, I learned that blogs are not just about writing... Blogging is a total multimedia experience.
Soon enough I was able to win some of the blog contests I encountered along the way. It was a sign that great things happen for those who persevere.
But the most important aspects blogging taught me were...
4) I learned to be more tolerant. Not all times, blogging was pleasant. There were times I get nasty comments on my blog contest entries from anonymous netizens. I was affected at first, but after a while, I managed to be head-strong and accepted that these things do happen.
5) I learned to be true to myself. As a blogger-contestant, I wanted to write in a way that could please everyone, specially the judges. But after blogging for some time, I realized that I can't. Now, what matters is that I enjoy what I do - blogging and join more contests.
6) I learned the value of sharing. After joining blog contests that require feedback from commenters, I realized that much is needed to attract people to my blog. And to do that, I must also post something relevant and interesting for all to read. And so, aside from posting my contest entries, I also 'share' what I know by posting attractive contests I encountered on the net. If netizens online who joined contests asked for my vote or comment, I wouldn't mind giving them a hand.
7) I appreciated the value of my readers/followers. It's a rewarding experience for me to actually have someone who reads my posts. That is why if a commenter says something on my blog, I reply as soon as possible.
8) I learned that blogging allows me to meet new people and make more friends online.
Here are some of the people I got to meet personally thanks to blogging.
Thanks to blogging, I met fellow bloggers who share the same interest in joining contests. It gave me a chance to go to new places, meet up with new acquaintances, and experience that in the online world, I am not alone.
Now I know blogging is also a social experience.
My blogging goals this 2011
Blogging and meeting new friends online is one great experience for me, aside from winning contests. I am looking forward to having another bloggers meet-up, soon hopefully. So my blogging goals this year is to find ways to interact with more bloggers online some more, in addition to joining more contests.
How to achieve my 2011 goals
1) join more blog contests
2) actively participate in discussion or respond to fellow bloggers' posts and comments on my blog, or other blog posts I commented in.
3) continue to refrain from reacting negatively to adverse situations or nasty comments.
4) put more widgets on my blog that allows more effective socializing like twitter.
5) find some time to attend gatherings or meet-ups with other bloggers.
Hopefully, with this simple plan, I will be able to achieve my 2011 blogging goals.
From here on I believe Journey of No FERA is on its way to a whole new level of experience, both in the Creative and the Social aspect. This is because I know that blogging didn't just affect my life. Blogging is now a part of my life.
This is my entry to The Coolbuster.net ExtraBLOGanza Contest 2011. This contest was made possible through the following sponsors:
Click here to read more...
Friday, February 18, 2011
DigitalFilipino Talks Blog Contest: Mobile Marketing Opportunities in the Philippines
Mobile Marketing Opportunities in the Philippines
Today, February 18, 2011, DigitalFilipino Talks about Mobile Marketing Opportunities in the Philippines. Interviewee Mr. Manny Fernando, President of MegaMobile (http://mymegamobile.com/), talks on opportunities in mobile marketing and that a growing number of brands are utilizing. Megamobile is a mobile content and applications developer and aggregator focused on delivering services to mobile communities.
Mobile Marketing Opportunities in the Philippines from Janette Toral on Vimeo.
Mr. Fernando talks about the growing trend in the digital marketing sector, specifically the mobile marketing department. He mentions that there is a growing number of mobile users who are now tapping the internet through their mobile phones.
He attributes this to the current trend in sales of newer and cheaper smart phones. Because smart phones are relatively affordable today, many mobile phone users are replacing their legacy phones with the new ones. That is why he believes that there is a lot of marketing opportunity in the mobile sector.
He mentioned that in a recent survey from AdMob, around 42% of mobile phone users are 'smart phone capable' or around 32 million mobile phone users are ready to use the internet through mobile phones. However, he says majority of us Pinoys do not know that their phone is 'internet ready'. But for the 5 million regular mobile users who do know, they use their mobile phones to connect to Facebook and do web browsing.
He attributes the lack of usage to the fact that most mobile phone users have prepaid accounts. For users who have wifi access on their phones, mobile users do take advantage tapping the net when a mall offers free wifi service.
Mr. Fernando mentions that many mobile users use Nokia phones. With that in mind, Nokia Ovi store was established to promote Nokia mobile applications. This is evidence that mobile marketing is on the rise.
Marketing Strategy on Mobile Phones
So far, majority of Filipinos can still be reached through SMS or text marketing. Mr. Fernando added that if you are a company who wants to reach out to the masses, then use SMS. If there is a certain demographic you want to target, you have to take into consideration what type of mobile phones this certain demographic use, so that you can properly decide what kind of applications you want to create to effectively reach out to them.
Cost of development of mobile applications
Ms. Janette asked Mr. Fernando if developing a mobile application for her web content is expensive. He answered that it depends on the type of application and the amount of time it will take to complete one. If it a simple application, they can use a template they already made, and it will come out cheap. But if your app is complex, it will take more time, effort and money. So, it is possible that developing applications for mobile can be expensive.
Mr. Fernando also mentions that Filipinos are globally competitive when it comes to developing mobile apps. He mentions that we have a pool of I.T. professionals who are capable of developing them.
My view on Mobile Marketing Opportunities in the Philippines
This interview with Mr. Fernando is related to the previous interview of Mr. JV Rufino in Opportunities in Mobile Content Development.
Opportunities in Mobile Content Development from Janette Toral on Vimeo.
One thing is common in them - mobile phones. Mobile content and mobile marketing go hand-in-hand to promote business opportunities. And this is where mobile app developers come into the picture.
Enriching the pool of mobile app developers
For one thing, when one mentions the I.T. sector, it is actually a big community that can specialize in many different fields. There are some in the I.T. who specialize in database management, the internet, PC applications, games development, and for this instance mobile app development.
In order to have a bigger pool of mobile app developers, I.T. professionals are invited to seminars and training courses to familiarize themselves on mobile app development. Some training courses are free, while some are paid and takes weeks to complete.
Previously, I mentioned in my blog on Opportunities in Mobile Content Development that it is not that simple to create a mobile app because you have to consider what type of phone where you want you app to be deployed. The interview with Mr. Fernando validates what I previously said.
Still, there are some developments in the field of mobile apps development.
Recently, I attended a seminar sponsored by Globe Labs about a simple mobile developing tool called JMango. For starters, this developing tool allows mobile app developers to quickly develop a mobile app for their web content. What's good about this is that when you compile your application (in layman's terms finalizing your app for deployment), you can choose what type of phone you want your app to be deployed. With this, you do not have to master a lot of developing tools for each phone's brand and model. The only down side of this developing tool is that you can only build simple apps and menus with it.
Mobile Apps competitions
Another reason why I think we have a stable pool of mobile apps developers is that big telecoms like Samsung, Nokia and Globe hold mobile apps competitions annually. For example, there was a previous contest from Samsung where the winner also gets to receive bonuses if ever his winning application gets a lot of sales. Every time someone downloads his application, a certain royalty fee will also be awarded to the developer.
To sum it up, there really is a lot of opportunity in making money in the mobile marketing sector. Either if you are planning to deploy your ads through mobile phones to promote your web content or product, or going to create a mobile application for your client, it is definitely a win-win situation.
This is my entry to DigitalFilipino.com's Talks Blog Contest. Be part of the conversation. Visit the contest page to join. Feel free to comment on my blog post about My view on Mobile Marketing Opportunities in the Philippines.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
The Giftbag Online Survey
Currently I am trying out a Philippine based Online Survey site called The Giftbag. For those who are not familiar with online surveys, these are websites that offer surveys to interested individuals in exchange for cash or for this instance gift items.
All you have to do is register online via The Giftbag website. Registration is free.
Right now The Giftbag has online surveys for female respondents. After answering the survey, you may claim your Energizer Gift Packs.
Also, if you are able to refer 50 female friends to answer the online survey, you will be awarded 1,000 pesos cash courtesy of The Giftbag.
A fellow blogger was already able to claim a gift pack courtesy of his wife answering the survey. Check out Mapanghingi Ka Ba's blog post about this survey site and the gift item they received.
So, if you are interested in answering online surveys, try The Giftbag out. Hope you could also share to me your feedback on this survey site.
DigitalFilipino Talks Blog Contest: My View on Improving the Philippines Broadband Infrastructure
Improving the Philippines Broadband Infrastructure (Why is the Internet slow today?)
Today, February 17, 2011, DigitalFilipino Talks about Improving the Philippines Broadband Infrastructure and why our Internet is slow today. CEO of Kitskoo (http://www.kitskoo.com) Mr. Tunde Fafunwa was interviewed for this topic. By the way, Kitskoo is a solutions provider (or consultancy firm) that helps clients (in this case internet providers) implement technology based business plans , such as developing strategies for speedier internet connections.
Improving the Philippines Broadband Infrastructure (Why is the Internet slow today?) from Janette Toral on Vimeo.
This is a very interesting topic because a lot of subscribers from different service providers are complaining about their slow internet access. Sadly, I am also part of that crowd. :(
In this interview, Mr. Fafunwa, tells us that we do have a problem and the reasons why our internet is soooo slow today. According to him, our internet connection problems include 1) consistency and reliability and 2) internet speed.
He mentioned that the Philippines is being left behind by other developing countries when it comes to internet service. In a recent study where 165 countries were surveyed, he said the Philippines is ranked 135th. This is a rather big disappointment because as a developing nation, we need a fast and reliable connection specially when we deal with our business overseas. The Philippine economy is afloat mainly because of our Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs) established here. Call centers and the I.T. sector are among those affected if ever the quality of our internet declines.
Steps to improve broadband infrastructure
Mr. Fafunwa mentioned that we are already feeling the effects of poor broadband infrastructure, and service providers must consider steps to improve it.
He mentioned that there are three steps necessary that will help alleviate the problem with our broadband infrastructure:
1) a local Internet exchange - a junction/connection where local traffic will pass through. To elaborate, Mr. Fafunwa said that an effective local Internet exchange is needed because most of the internet traffic will be handled here rather than sending the traffic abroad, and coming back here in 2 steps. This will greatly improve the speed of our connections and greatly reduce traffic congestion going abroad. Although there are some internet exchanges already set-up, not all the broadband providers are using them.
2) share infrastructure cost - setting up broadband infrastructure is costly, specially laying in of fiber optic cables. These fiber optic cables allow bigger bandwidth, or in laymans terms, a wider information highway for faster connections. And since doing this is so expensive, Mr. Fafunwa suggests that local broadband providers help each other other out by sharing what connections they have already set up.
The problem right now is that rival internet providers are continuously investing large amounts of capital to set up fiber optic cables their competitors had already done. In effect, what they are doing is redundant. If they just shared connections, internet costs and charges can be brought down.
3) sharing co-location towers - Just like sharing infrastructure costs, co-location towers can also be shared so that internet providers will not have to put up a separate tower for their wireless connections. This has been an accepted practice abroad. There are even 3rd party companies abroad who rent out towers they put up to internet providers so that they no longer need to spend on putting up their own.
The need for better broadband internet connection
As of today, we rely heavily on the internet specially for economic growth from our BPO's transactions overseas. And with that, Mr. Fafunwa sees that more and more Filipinos will use the internet for everyday transactions, like accounting, medicine and more. If we do not address this poor internet infrastructure, we will suffer the consequences. The time to address this issue is now, specially when we already feel the effects of poor connectivity.
On Bandwith Capping
Ma'am Janette brought out the issue on bandwidth capping, or having a limit in transferring of a specified amount of data over a period of time. Internet providers do this so that the overall quality of internet service will not be sacrificed.
Mr. Fafunwa concurs that long before, internet users were conditioned that the internet is open source and unlimited, but in reality, even the internet has its limits. As a consumer, we want the following: 1) open or unlimited service 2) big bandwidth or fast internet and 3) the best or lowest price possible. Even if we want all three, we can't. We can only have 2 of them. He cites the example that perhaps you may want to pay a premium (a high price) so that you can have 1) and 2).
My Views on the Philippines Broadband Infrastructure
As mentioned in the interview, what Mr. Fafunwa says is true that we definitely are feeling the effects of poor broadband infrastructure.
Here is my experience. I wanted to submit a photo for an online contest once, but during that time, internet connections were so poor. So, in the middle of uploading my photo entry, which is just around 2MB in size, my connection timed out. Because of that, the whole upload process was aborted. I had to upload the photo again but somewhere in the middle of the process, the upload failed again. In the end I was not able to submit any entry since I attempted my upload near the closing deadline.
My brother also has a similar experience. He was talking to his boss from abroad through the internet. As his boss was giving him specific instructions on what to do with his project, our internet connection timed out. He was so frustrated with what happened, he wished we did not subscribe to our internet provider.
More feedback from the Facebook 'fans'
It seems that what my brother and I experienced is not so isolated. When you try to view some feedback from customers of the major internet providers like PLDT, Smart, or Sky Broadband on Facebook, from time-to-time you get to read their angry reactions - that their internet service so slow, or why nobody is addressing their issues. Sometimes people complain that after the technical crew 'fixed' their internet connection, it bogs down again. Funny, but their experience also happened to us. We did call on technical support but somehow, the crew really can't troubleshoot the problem, which only shows up from time-to-time.
Internet providers' cooperation
Hopefully internet providers might consider what Mr. Fafunwa suggests. After all, the internet is one of the most important tools we have today. Without it, how can the BPO or the I.T. sector prosper? How can our country prosper? We are slowly being left behind by other developing countries like India, Thailand and Indonesia in terms of economic growth. The sad part is that we have a lot of talented Pinoys here who need not go abroad to earn the dollars that can strengthen our economy. If our broadband connectivity suffers some more in the future, BPO companies might migrate to internet reliable countries. People will lose jobs and our economy will take a downhill turn.
All it takes is a little cooperation on the part of our internet providers. They have already been investing a lot just to beat their counterparts in their own game. If they can just share what they have already put up, and plan their strategy to develop broadband communications together as one, everyone can harness the power of the internet - one that is fast, reliable and cheap.
This is my entry to DigitalFilipino.com's Talks Blog Contest. Be part of the conversation. Visit the contest page to join. Feel free to comment on my blog post about My View on Improving the Philippines Broadband Infrastructure.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
DigitalFilipino Talks Blog Contest: My View On Tapping Blogs for Online Campaigns
My View On Tapping Blogs for Online Campaigns
Last January 21, 2011, DigitalFilipino.com posted a video on Tapping Blogs for Online Campaigns. Digital strategist Lawrence Villegas (http://www.twitter.com/Kuya_Law) was interviewed for this topic.
Mr. Villegas talks about the importance of tapping (using) bloggers to promote a specific brand on the internet. He made serveral points on why companies should consider bloggers for their ad campaign specially those who have no websites or fan pages on Facebook.
As he has said in the video, companies who have no online presence can use bloggers like 'steriods' because of their presence and already have influence over the net. Through them, the brand can be introduced and talked about by their followers. Also, search engines will be able to pick up whatever the blogger writes about the brand.
However, he addresses companies / advertisers that bloggers are 'different' from traditional (or canned) media because the blogger themselves are consumers. To be successful in spreading the positive influence, he mentioned that companies should use bloggers who have a love for their brand.
On selecting bloggers who can peddle the brands successfully, he mentioned that the influence of bloggers constantly changes because an influential blogger before may not longer be one in the future. He also mentioned that search marketing is 'unpredictable' because the search formula changes when it comes to priority. Plus he said that search is no longer limited to pages or blogs but also includes images or video.
My view on the topic:
Choosing or 'buying' bloggers to love the brand?
Since I am a blogger, in order for me to 'love' the brand, I must be able to try it out first. And after trying it out, I should be convinced that it is a great product I am willing to endorse. If a company is fairly new, will the company be willing to give out a sample of their product for bloggers to try out? If I were that company, it might be a risk to the brand name because not only am I releasing my new product to let the bloggers try out for free, I will not be able to 'control' them from what they will say about it online.
To avoid 'negative' statements from bloggers, what I can do is buy them. In other words, pay them a certain fee so that they will say something good about it.
Many established bloggers will argue that they will not do this because it will ruin their name and integrity. However, nobody can dictate to another blogger that he should not accept payment for saying something good about a brand.
Why blogger's influence cannot be measured
A blogger's influence can not be accurately measured because practically anyone can be a blogger! Bloggers come and go. Maybe one day, a veteran blogger decides not to write online content anymore because he found something better to do. While he retires his career in blogging, maybe an interested Grade 6 student would want to try blogging as a past time. Blogging can be done practically by anyone and not restricted to age, gender or nationality.
If I take myself as an example, I started my blog so that I can join blogging contests. And if don't feel like blogging anymore, I can quit anytime.
Promoting a brand through online contests
Since I love joining online contests, sometimes I join a contest that promotes a brand at the same time. Take for example the Minute Maid blog contest I previously won. Since I love this brand, I will definitely promote it. But what about a new brand I haven't tried? Answering that question, usually I won't join not unless I go out of my way to try out the brand. If I am convinced that the brand is good enough for me to promote, then that's the time i join. In my opinion, spreading the word about a brand through contests should be done only after it is released on the market months after, giving time for prospective blogger contestants to try it out themselves.
But if companies want to spread their new brand as fast as possible to contestant bloggers, they can do something to make them go out of the way to try it out. Simply raise the contest prize to a competitive value (like 10,000 pesos and up). With a good prize to compete against, I might go out of the way, try it out, and if I'm convinced, I will definitely join!
This is my entry to DigitalFilipino.com's Talks Blog Contest. Be part of the conversation. Visit the contest page to join. Feel free to comment on my blog post about My View On Tapping Blogs for Online Campaigns.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
NIKE ‘Black Mamba’ contest
Nuffnang Philippines together with Nike Philippines is raffling off 20 pairs of tickets to the Kobe Bryant's Black Mamba movie.
The film will be launched to consumers on Saturday, February 19, 2011, 6:00 p.m. at the Ronac ART Center, Ortigas Avenue, Greenhills, San Juan. Gates open at 4:00 p.m.
This contest is open to members of Nuffnang Philippines in (or near) Metro Manila who must have 1 ad unit on their blog.
Contest Mechanics
To participate, simply follow these steps:
1. Post the two trailers on your blog. (See the trailers below)
2. Answer this question, “Should you fear the BLACK MAMBA?”
My answer:
Before anything else, the black mamba is the longest venomous snake in Africa. It uses it's speed not to hunt prey but to escape threats. Using its venomous bite against its attacker is one of its last defenses if escape is no longer an option.
In the movie, Kobe Bryant plays as the BLACK MAMBA. My guess is, the title is bestowed upon him for his agility and relentlessness in this basketball themed movie. If I'm a fan of Kobe, then definitely I won't fear him - in fact, I'll cheer for him! But if Kobe was my opponent in a basketball game, guess what? I won't fear him either. Fear clouds judgment and ruins your game entirely. So, if you face a player as strong as Kobe, you have to deal with him, NOT fear him.
3. Fill up the form found in the Nuffnang contest page. Deadline is on February 17, 2011, 11:59 p.m.
4. Twenty (20) entries will be picked via electronic raffle by Nike Philippines on February 18, 2011.
5. Winners can claim their tickets at the event. Please bring a valid ID to claim the tickets.
For more information and/or join the raffle contest, visit the Nuffnang contest page. Feel free to visit the Nike Philippines fan page on Facebook.
DigitalFilipino.com Talks Blog Contest: My View on Opportunities in Mobile Content Development
My View on Opportunities in Mobile Content Development
Yesterday, February 14, 2011, DigitalFilipino.com posted a video on Making Opportunities in Mobile Content Development. JV Rufino, Director for Mobile for the Inquirer Group (http://www.inquirer.net) was interviewed for this topic.
As what Mr. Rufino said in the interview, mobile content development has a lot of potential, even to the point of overtaking internet content development on the PC. Mobile content development is not just restricted to cellphones but to the iPad as well.
Not all Pinoy families right now have internet connection at home BUT majority of us Pinoys have cellphones. That is the major reason why his argument holds true. And when it comes to iPad, a lot of us want to have this because of its sleek design, lightweight frame and portability.
According to him, there are forms of mobile content. Text updates are a basic part of sending mobile content. Older phones will be able to receive this kind of information without compatiblity problems. The other form is through mobile applications (or apps) where internet content can be displayed on more modern phones and the iPad.
What's great about today's technology is that we can literally hold the power of the internet at the palm of our hands. Mobile phones now have web browsers while some establishments provide free WiFi internet service for phones equipped with Wireless LAN, encouraging this mobile content trend.
The current trend with newer phones
The trend right now is headed to mobile apps because more phones coming out in the market (even the cheaper models) are internet ready and WiFi capable. Soon, these types of phones will be accessible to the masses. I think this is a good development for the masses because connecting to the internet is a lot cheaper than being charged on a per-text basis. For example, if your cellphone can connect you with a friend in Facebook, you will rather chat through that connection at 20 pesos per hour, rather than sending messages through text, which costs 1 peso per send.
The problems with Mobile Content Development:
A. Cheap but not for free
When it comes to sending mobile content through Short Messaging Syetem (SMS) or better known as text, companies can use this service, but it does not come for free! Companies who will use this may have to pay a 3rd party (like Globe or Smart) who can send the text updates for them. In order to cover the expenses, it trickles down to us, the end-users / subscriber.
Let's take the Inquirer for example. Let's say you subscribed to their text updates for the breaking news. Every time there is an update, you will be sent a short text message of the news, but in return, 2.50 pesos from your load balance will be deducted. (See the Inquirer Wireless service page for more info.) Whatever breaking news it is, whether it is significant to you or not, you will be charged per update.
From the masa approach, they would rather glimpse at the headlines on tabloids or newspapers rather than availing the service because 2.50 per update is expensive for people with a shoestring budget. Assuming a person gets 10 updates per day, that's 25 pesos which is good enough for a daily meal.
B. Underdevelopment for mobile apps
Mobile apps right now are fast becoming the trend, but what a lot of people do not realize is that it is not that easy to make a mobile app for your web content. This is because there is no standard when it comes to deployment of mobile apps.
When it comes to PCs for example, we have certain operating systems - Windows 7, Mac OS and UNIX are the more popular ones. When a developer makes an app for Windows 7, it won't run on Mac OS and vise versa.
All the more when it comes to mobile phones because each phone brand and model has its own operating system. There is bada for Samsung, Symbian OS for Nokia, Windows Mobile for HTC smartphones, etc. The trouble with that is you need specific developers who can develop a mobile app for you for each type of phone. If you want to have a lot of bases covered, you really are going to spend. So even if you ask a company to develop for you, I don't think it will come cheap.
Call for more mobile app developers
Since there is a lot of money-making potential in the mobile app development sector, IT experts may want to venture in developing mobile apps to prospective clients. Some telcos like Globe Labs (www.globelabs.com.ph) are offering free training courses to possible future mobile app developers. Its goal is to help IT professionals fill in the gap for the lack of mobile app development in the Philippines and hopefully help this fresh, new industry in the future.
This is my entry to DigitalFilipino.com's Talks Blog Contest. Be part of the conversation. Visit the contest page to join. Feel free to comment on my blog post about My View on Opportunities in Mobile Content Development.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
DigitalFilipino.com Talks Blog Contest: My View on Making an Online Contest Click
Join DigitalFilipino.com Talks Blog Contest and get a chance to win as much as 50$ via paypal. All you have to do is blog about a DigitalFilipino Talks episode and add your insight.
This contest is open to all subscribers of DigitalFilipino.com
Here are the mechanics:
1. Blog about a DigitalFilipino Talks episode and add your insight.
2. The said blog post needs to have the DigitalFilipino Talks video embedded and link to it, comments from readers, and a Facebook Like button.
3. Submit the url of your blog entry to the page of the video you have chosen to feature. Cut-off for submission is before midnight, Monday to Friday.
4. Five (5) winners will be announced every Sunday (February 20 and 27) picking one entry submitted on a per day basis (1 for Monday, 1 for Tuesday, 1 for Wednesday, 1 for Thursday, 1 for Friday).
If there were no suitable entries received, we have the prerogative not to choose a winner for the said day.
Winners will be chosen based on the following criteria:
1. Adherence to the mechanics.
2. Quality of insight whether from the blogger and/or from resource persons interviewed.
3. Quality of comments.
4. Effort taken to promote the said blog post. (based on Facebook Like and other social media)
Four winners will receive US$20. The best post (5th winner) will get US$50. Prizes will be transmitted through Paypal.
There is no limit on the number of times a blogger can win.
My View on Making an Online Contest Click
Last January 26, 2011, DigitalFilipino.com posted a video on Making an Online Contest Click. Renowned contest blogger Jayson Biadog of Winners Place was interviewed for this topic.
Making an Online Contest Click from Janette Toral on Vimeo.
The full blog post can be found on DigitalFilipino.com's link with the same title. Click here to view...
After watching the interview with Jayson, I would like to state my own opinion regarding the topic.
A. About the Like / Online voting contest:
In the first portion of the interview Jayson was asked about his views on online voting contests. I totally agree with him that online contests should minimize the 'likes' or online voting criteria.
Just like Jayson, I myself am a frequent online contestant. Based on my experiences, I try to avoid contests where winners will be based on 100% online voting or "like" criteria. And just like Jayson said, online votes can easily be manipulated. There was one experience where I tried my luck in a photo contest and online votes are part of the criteria. I asked some of my friends to vote for my entry, but 1 hour before the closing deadline, something 'strange' happened. My friends were not able to log-in to the contest website, and thus were not able to vote.
After the cut-off time passed, they were able to enter the site but they soon found out that some entries received more than 500 votes within that hour.
Of course I didn't win the contest but the sad part is that the winning entry received those 'instant' votes. As a contestant, I do not have any right to contest the results released by the organizer. If I were someone else, this experience will tell me that contests are unfair and biased to those who can magically come up with the votes and at the same time lockout other internet users from voting. I know it is possible to make programs or viruses that cause denial of service or DOS attacks on certain websites restricting users form accessing them.
Another experience from online voting contests is that there are certain people who win over and over again as long as the contest is a 100% vote criteria. If the vote criteria is less than 30%, their entries seem not to have much chances of winning. In my opinion, if other people see these certain individuals winning in online voting contests multiple times, they assume that these people manipulated their way to winning. It would have a negative effect in contests in general.
B. About the Nature of Contests
Like Jayson, I have joined many kinds of contests, not just blogging - both for online and offline. I have joined photo contests, video contests, blog contests, writing contests, poetry, assembly art, digital art, and lot whole lot more. Before I join a contest, I make sure I have enough quality time to create my entry, and at the same time read the mechanics carefully. From the mechanics, I can draw out my probability of winning the contest I want to join. If I see a contest that has an online voting criteria of more than 30%, I would think twice before joining it. It would be waste of my time and effort should I not win while the winner might have an entry that seems to have been done with less effort than mine.
C. About my interest in joining contests
Unlike Jayson, I do not join as many contests as possible. Although his strategy works, my strategy also works fine. I try to pick contests that I think I have a good chance of winning because of my current skills. If I choose a contest that is far from my abilities to win, I join for the sake of learning. Because of joining contests, I was able to learn a lot - from using blogger that allows me to make blog posts for contest submissions, to making video, and using music generation software in case I join music and composition contests. The more I join, the more I learn.
D. Making an Online Contest Click
I definitely agree with what Jayson says about how contests should be done. Yes, contests should have: 1) content 2) marketing and 3) advocacy.
We definitely want to take pride in whatever contest entry that we managed to win specially due to criteria 1) and 3). This is because these two define who we are as contestants. We feel like winners because our entry deserves to win, and not because we had the most number of votes.
E. How to attract more contestants and spread the buzz.
This wasn't mentioned in the video but in my opinion, and overall experience, people join contests because of the prize. In fact I join contests because the prize is worthy enough. The bigger the prize, the more people will attempt to join. It will be a whole new ballgame if the prize exceeded more than 10,000 pesos cash. Laptops, cellphones, Apple products and cash prizes are among the most attractive contest prizes people want to win. Tell a person that he may have a chance to win 100k pesos cash, he will definitely try (as long as he has the knowledge on how to make an entry).
And this is also why I do not like a contest with full online voting as criteria. The bigger the prize, the more people will attempt to cheat the process in order to win. If organizers want to give away a big prize, I say MINIMIZE if not remove the online voting criteria.
For me, a contest is a test of will and a test of skill. Whoever wins a contest must be truly deserving.
con - against
test - trial / obstacle
Through contests, we will be able to boost creativity and ingenuity for us Pinoys as a whole. Through contests, we learn values like patience, determination, and humility (accepting defeat). Through creating and participating in the right contests, whether we win or lose, we all gain something from it. In effect, we all get to win.
This is my entry to DigitalFilipino.com's Talks Blog Contest. Be part of the conversation. Visit the contest page to join. Feel free to comment on my blog post about My View on Making an Online Contest Click.
Friday, February 11, 2011
2011 Philippine Board on Books for Young People - Alcala Prize
The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) is now accepting entries for the 2011 PBBY-Alcala Prize. The contest is co-sponsored by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and The National Library.
The winner shall be given a cash prize of P20,000.00, a gold medal, and an opportunity to be published. Prizes will be awarded in an appropriate ceremony to be held during the celebration of National Children's Book Day on July 19, 2011.
To participate in this contest, you have to submit 3 illustrations depicting the children's short story, "Rizaldy" by Eugene Evasco.
This contest is open to all Filipino citizens.
CONTEST RULES
1. The contest is open to all Filipino citizens except those who are related to any PBBY members up to the third degree of consanguinity.
2. Entries must be based on the 2011 PBBY-Salanga Prize-winning story, "Rizaldy" by Eugene Evasco. Copies of the said story may be requested from the PBBY Secretariat.
3. All entries must be original unpublished illustrations that have not won in any previous contest.
4. All entries must consist of three (3) illustrations that are of the same size and medium, based on the winning story.
5. A contestant may send in more than one (1) entry.
6. Each entry must be signed by a pen name only, preferably on a small piece of paper pasted on the back of each artwork. Entries with a signature or any identifying marks are automatically disqualified.
7. Together with each entry, contestants must submit a separate envelope, on the face of which only the pen name of the contestant shall appear. The envelope must contain the contestant's full name, address, contact numbers, short description of background, and notarized certification vouching for the originality of the entry and for the freedom of the organizers from any liability arising from the infringement of copyright in case of publication.
8. All entries must be sent to the PBBY Secretariat, c/o Adarna House,109 Scout Fernandez cor. Scout Torillo Street, Quezon City by March 30, 2011.
9. Winners will be announced no later than May 6, 2011. Non-winning entries must be claimed no later than June 29, 2011, after which they will no longer be the responsibility of the organizers.
Download the prize-winning story, "Rizaldy" by Eugene Evasco.
Notes:
- you have to submit your entry by mail or hand-carry to the PBBY office. No online submission.
- your entry must consist of 3 illustrations.
- you can submit multiple entries.
- deadline is on March 30, 2011.
For more details, interested parties may contact PBBY by calling 352.6765 or emailing pbby [at] adarna.com.ph. Also, check out the PBBY contest page.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Veet Me! Contest
Join the Veet Me! Contest and get a chance to win an Apple iPad and a date with Daniel Matsunaga, iPod Touch or iPod Nano plus Veet Gift Packs! To join, submit a photo story or video of you using Veet and answer the question "why you should win a date with Daniel Matsunaga?" The top 3 entries get to win these prizes.
This contest is open to all Filipinos aged 18 and above (even though Veet caters to the female market, males are welcome to join! Why not, if you want to win an iPad, hehehe.)
PROMO PERIOD
* Veet Me! will run from February 8, 2011 to March 27, 2011.
WHO CAN JOIN
* Veet Me! is open to all Filipinos, aged 18 and above.
HOW TO JOIN
There are two ways to join:
1. Create a video
* Must include footage of you using Veet on your legs
* Must tell us why you should win a date with Daniel Matsunaga
* Must be one minute or less
* Format must be in QuickTime .MOV, Windows .AVI, or .MPG
* Must not exceed 100 MB in size
* You may use a videocam, cellphone or any other video device.
2. Create a photo story
* Must include an image of you using VEET on your legs
* Must tell us why you should win a date with Daniel Matsunaga
* Must consist of 6 pictures
* Photos must be in JPEG format
* Each photo must not exceed 1 MB in size
SUBMISSION OF ENTRIES
A. Video
1. Upload your video to Youtube (www.youtube.com).
2. Go to www.veetme2011.com and fill up the registration form which includes the following details:
* Name
* Address
* Contact Numbers
* Title of entry (Format: VEET ME! - [Entry Title])
* Video URL (link)
3. All entries will be screened by the Veet Me! administrator. All valid entries will be uploaded/posted by the Veet Me! administrator on the Veet Me! YouTube channel, the Veet Me! website (www.veetme2011.com) and the official Veet Me! Facebook page (www.facebook.com/veetme).
4. Ask your friends to watch and vote for your entry on the Veet Me! website and the official Facebook page. Get as many votes as you can.
5. You may submit more than one entry but each entry must be unique.
B. Photo Story
1. Go to www.veetme2011.com and fill up the registration form which includes the following details:
* Name
* Address
* Contact Numbers
* Title of entry
* Photo Entries
* Write-up
2. All entries will be screened by the Veet Me! administrator. All valid entries will be uploaded/posted by the Veet Me! administrator on the Veet Me! website (www.veetme2011.com) and the official Veet Me! Facebook page (www.facebook.com/veetme).
3. Ask your friends to vote for your entry on the Veet Me! website and the official Facebook page. Get as many votes as you can.
4. You may submit more than one entry but each entry must be unique.
VOTING
* The voting period is from February 8, 2011 - March 27, 2011.
* Each voter may vote up to 15 times per day.
* Each voter may vote for more than one video but he/she should not exceed the maximum number of votes per day (15 votes).
* One (1) "Like" in the Veet Me! website or one (1) "Like" on the Facebook page is equivalent to one (1) vote.
* The number of votes will be determined by the combined number of "Likes" on the Veet Me! website and the Facebook page as of March 27, 2011.
* View the complete rules and guidelines on the link here...
SELECTION OF WINNERS
1. Winners will be judged based on the following criteria:
* Combined number of votes from the website and Facebook Page - 50%
* Creativity - 50%
2. The top three entries with the highest scores will win the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes respectively. The next top three entries will receive consolation prizes.
3. In the event of a tie, VEET may re-evaluate the entries involved to determine the winner. The decision of Veet will be upheld and considered final.
PRIZES
1st: A VEET Date with Daniel Matsunaga + Apple iPad + VEET Gift Packs
* The 1st prize winner will be treated to a dinner date with Daniel Matsunaga wherein Matsunaga would VEET the winner's legs. The event shall be covered by the Press.
2nd: iPod Touch + VEET Gift Packs
3rd: iPod Nano + VEET Gift Packs
Consolation: 3 winners of iPod Shuffle + VEET Gift Packs
Notes:
- you can submit a photo story or video to qualify.
- if you plan to submit a video, I suggest you convert it to FLV before uploading to youtube for faster upload time.
- you can submit multiple entries but make sure they are unique.
- deadline is on March 27, 2011 but join earlier so you have time to ask friends to vote for you.
- voting period is from February 8, 2011 to March 27, 2011.
For more information, you may visit the Veet Me! website or Veet Fan page on Facebook.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Tommy Hilfiger's How Loud are You? Photo Contest
Join Tommy Hilfiger's How Loud are You? Photo Contest and get a chance to win an iPod nano! Two winners will be selected. Just submit a photo showing your LOUD self to get a chance to win the prize.
This contest is open to fans of Tommy Hilfiger Philippines on Facebook residing in Metro Manila or Cebu City.
To join the contest:
1) Become a Fan of Tommy Hilfiger Philippines
2) Post a photo of your LOUD self on the Tommy Hilfiger Philippines wall. (It can be a photo of you by yourself or with any kind of company.)
3) Give your photo a nice title with the word LOUD included in it.
4) Winners will be determined by (contest criteria - revised):
50% - Creativity and Appropriateness to theme,
20% - Quality of Photo,
20% Impact,
10%- Creativity of Title
5) 2 Winners will be awarded an iPod Nano each!!
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Notes:
* To qualify, an entry must garner AT LEAST 20 LIKES
* A maximum of 3 entries for one individual is allowed
* Promo period is from February 7, 2011 to March 4, 2011
* Only Metro Manila and Cebu residents are eligible to join
To get to know more about this contest, visit the Tommy Hilfiger Philippines Facebook fan page.
Tommy Hilfiger's LOUD Contest
Nuffnang Philippines will be giving away a pair of 7 ml Loud For Him and Loud For Her fragrances in Tommy Hilfiger's LOUD Contest!
Contest is open to all Nuffnang Philippines members in Metro Manila with at least one banner ad unit in their blog.
Contest write-up:
This February, we’re not only going to cheer for LOVE but also to the concept of getting LOUD, as Tommy Hilfiger Philippines will be giving away a pair of 7 ml Loud For Him and Loud For Her fragrances to those who will prove themselves loud enough to be heard.
To join create a blog post on What makes you LOUD!
1. Open to all Nuffnangers who have at least one (1) valid ad unit.
2. Write a blog entry about whatever it is that makes you LOUD. It could be your unique fashion statements, your heart-warming sense of humor, or your faith that gives you hope everyday. It could even be a story about how you first loved and lost but survived and gotten tougher. Anything goes!
3. Paste the Tommy Hilfiger LOUD badge below your blog post.
My Answer:
What makes me LOUD are my contest entries whether I submit them online or non-online. Whether I submit assembly art, essays, photos, video or blogs, I make sure that I get to submit the best possible entry within the allotted time for getting better winning chances. My contest entries speak about myself - trying hard and persevering to win.
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Note: The first 30 valid Nuffnang bloggers who submit their blog post gets to win the prize.
For more information about this contest, visit the Tommy Hilfiger's LOUD Contest link from Nuffnang Philippines. Feel free to visit the Tommy Hilfiger fan page PH on Facebook.
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