Marketing Titbits – 5 Free Image Websites, Most Complained-About-Ads of 2012 and Card Munch
1. Free Images:
They say ‘a picture speaks a thousand words’, but these days, it can also cost a £1000. We remember the days, only 7 or 8 years ago, when you could purchase high-res, quality images from stock image sites for a £1 or so. Since then, the market has got wise to its potential and prices have soared.
If you are finding yourself paying increasingly large amounts for images to use across your marketing, you will be pleased to hear there are a growing number of free stock image websites popping up out there. They might not all look as slick as iStockphoto or Dreamstime, or contain as large databases. However, if you have a Google- around you’ll be surprised at just what you can get for free and without the ongoing concern of receiving a letter from a disgruntled picture archive demanding £1000s for illegal use of their image.
Here are 5 to get you started:
Most complained-about adverts of 2012:
I’m sure we all have our pet hate adverts but every so often there comes along an advert that unites viewers in mutual dislike. Marketing & PR publication ‘Marketing’ have put together the top most complained about adverts of 2012.
There are some predictable names in there. The Advertising Standards Authority received over 2000 complaints over the Gocompare.com adverts. However, there are a few unexpected ones in the list.
To get the full list and watch the offending adverts in question, click here.
Card Munch:
We believe networking is an important component in your marketing arsenal. Despite the rise of online & social networking, one must not forget the influence and potential of face-to-face.
A bi-product of networking is the rapid accumulation of business cards.
Card munch is a clever little app, currently only available for iPhone users, which turns business cards into contacts. The app lets you take a picture of a business card, which then captures the information leaving you free to recycle the card. The app has the added bonus of LinkedIn integration, using data from the individual’s business card to pull through additional information located on their LinkedIn profile. Particularly handy for exhibitions and conferences!
To find out more about Card Munch and to download the app, click here.