Apr. 16th: Ken Wisnefski Discusses the Importance of Branding with ABC News

Kenneth Wisnefski on ABCKen Wisnefski, Founder & CEO of WebiMax, recently discussed the importance of branding with ABC News.

In the interview, Ken explains that the rising cost of Masters Tournament ticket prices is “100 percent related to Tiger (Woods)” and details the impact of Tiger’s name value as a brand for the Masters.

Read More on ABCNews.com

Dec. 5th: WebiMax Announces Launch of New Website

Kenneth Wisnefski featured by ReutersMOUNT LAUREL, N.J., Dec. 5, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via PRWEB – Kenneth C. Wisnefski, founder and CEO of WebiMax, a leading online marketing firm, is pleased to announce the unveiling of a new website redesign for the company. The new WebiMax.com was launched Monday and includes several integrated features including the company’s proprietary website analyzer.

To read the full press release, click here.

Nov. 29th: Kenneth Wisnefski Featured by AP

Kenneth Wisnefski featured by APOn December 2nd, 2012, WebiMax Founder & CEO Kenneth Wisnefski was featured in AP.org’s “The Big Story” discussing the hot topic of healthcare and how small businesses are handling healthcare reform in the U.S.

In the article, Wisnefski stated, “Not offering health care is not necessarily the best way of attracting talent.”

For more, visit AP.org or click here for the full story.

Nov. 20th: WebiMax CEO Kenneth Wisnefski Announces Unprecedented Search Engine and Social Media Use Leading into Black Friday

Kenneth Wisnefski on PRWeb

In a press release issued by Ken this morning,  he announced the unprecedented utilization of both social media and search engines leading into the 2012 Holiday shopping season.

Ken states, “Web search and social media have made it possible and feasible for Internet users to find the lowest prices and hard-to-find items anywhere in the world and these tools have significantly changed the retail industry.”

To read the full press release, visit PRWeb.com.

Will Google’s Impending FTC Fine Impact the Search Engine’s Future?

In early 2012, the Wall Street Journal reported that Google was exploiting little-known functionality within Apple’s Safari browser which allowed the search engine to install cookies even with Safari’s privacy settings set to disallow them.  Google was quick to respond to the accusations with a company spokesman issuing the following statement to WSJ in response to their article:

“The Journal mischaracterizes what happened and why. We used known Safari functionality to provide features that signed-in Google users had enabled.   It’s important to stress that these advertising cookies do not collect personal information.”

Despite Google’s claim, however, the Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation in order to determine what, if any, privacy and security policies had been violated in the situation.  On Friday, US District Judge Susan Illston ruled that Google will have to pay a $22.5 million fine assessed by the FTC after their investigation concluded that the search engine had violated user privacy on Safari-enabled devices.

Although the fine is the largest ever issued by the FTC, Google is likely to be minimally affected by the loss.  In fact, the Associated Press has reported that Google generates that same amount in income every four hours.  While Google may not be monetarily impacted by the fine, the company will now have to change how it collects data from opt-out users going forward.

Now, one of Google’s greatest challenges will be developing cookies that allow ads to be targeted without sacrificing user privacy or consider utilizing other ad delivery techniques.  Google’s financial future is definitely not in jeopardy due to the fine, but major re-strategizing is essential if the company intends to avoid more major future fines.

What are your thoughts on the FTC investigation of Google?  Let me know!  Reach me via email at ken.wisnefski@webimax.com or on Twitter: @KenWisnefski.

Apple’s iOS is the New Battleground for the War of Mapping Software

Google Maps on iOS 6Since Apple first announced plans to develop its own proprietary mapping application earlier this year, Google Maps supporters were skeptical of Apple’s ability to design a more accurate and effective global mapping solution.  Following the release of the iOS 6 mobile operating system in September, many Apple users expressed frustration with the new Maps application.  Within a matter of days, the backlash was evident in the press, as well.  Numerous technology review sites, blogs and even tech and business news outlets were discussing Apple Maps and its lackluster user experience.

Just one week after the software’s release, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook responded to the criticisms directed toward the Maps application with a public apology on Apple.com.  In the statement by Cook, he states:

“At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers.  With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment.  We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.”

The apology letter also acknowledges alternatives to Apple Maps, including top competitor, Google:

“While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app.”

Although Google’s mobile Web application is available on iOS 6, Apple lacked Google Maps software developed specifically for the new mobile operating system.   Recently, however, the overwhelming outcry for a Google alternative on iOS 6 has inspired the company (which currently dominates the online mapping software market in the U.S.) to create a Google Maps app for iOS 6-enabled Apple devices.

A representative from Google spoke to the Wall Street  Journal regarding the upcoming application:

“We believe Google Maps are the most comprehensive, accurate and easy-to-use maps in the world.  Our goal is to make Google Maps available to everyone who wants to use it, regardless of device, browser, or operating system.”

With the extremely popular Google Maps poised to make its imminent debut in the App Store, Apple is now facing a possibly substantial loss of market share.  Going forward, Apple’s mobile development team must strive to build a high-quality mapping solution with a strong focus on improved accuracy.

As Google begins its move toward iOS 6, mobile Web users will ultimately determine the fate of both Apple and Google’s mapping software and play an instrumental role in the overall future of the digital mapping industry.

I’d like to hear your thoughts on Google and Apple’s mapping software.  Direct your tweets on the topic to @KenWisnefski and I’ll address them on Monday in my next blog post here on KenWisnefski.com.

Nov. 14th: Kenneth Wisnefski Discusses Obama’s Social Strategy

Kenneth Wisnefski on AMA's E-Newsletter

Yesterday, the American Marketing Association released their monthly E-Newsletter and in this month’s edition, Ken offered his thoughts on the 2012 campaign and how social media helped lead Obama to victory.

Ken states: “The President [had] a stronger social media influence rating online, and was able to connect and engage with his audience more so than Governor Romney was.”

Read more at MarketingPower.com.

Nov. 8th: Ken Wisnefski Discusses the Role of Public Relations in the 2012 Presidential Election on PR News

Kenneth Wisnefski on PR News

WebiMax CEO, Kenneth Wisnefski recently discussed the integral role of public relations in the 2012 Presidential Election and how Romney and Obama’s PR strategies were essential to their campaign efforts.

In the article, Ken states:  “The role of online PR was particularly important for both Romney and Obama this year, as one of the primary focal points of their campaigns was enhancing their reach and visibility on the Web.”

For more, read the full article at PR News Online.

Nov. 7th: Ken Discusses How Facebook and Twitter Transformed the Election with the Philadelphia Inquirer

Kenneth Wisnefski on Philly.com

WebiMax Founder & CEO, Kenneth Wisnefski discusses the importance of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter in this year’s election and how social media has impacted the campaign.

According to Ken, “4 out of 10 voters indicate their decision will be based on some of the activity heard on social media.”

For the full story, check out the Philadelphia Inquirer online at Philly.com.

Oct. 18th: WebiMax Announces the Launch of BrandManagement.com on Yahoo! Finance

Kenneth Wisnefski, Founder and CEO of WebiMax, the fastest growing private company in New Jersey on the Inc. 500, announced the unveiling of a new website aimed at providing valuable information on brand management and reputation management for medium and large-sized businesses.  Read more about the debut of BrandManagement.com on Yahoo! Finance.

WebiMax Partners With HelpAsh.org, Victims of the Aurora, CO Shooting | MarketWatch

MarketWatch

This week, WebiMax announced its partnership with HelpAsh.org, a site created to assist Aurora Shooting victim, Ashley Moser and her family.  WebiMax is donating its online marketing services to the organization in order to enhance the site’s visibility and overall awareness.

Read the official press release online via MarketWatch.

Sept. 25th: NFL Referee Debacle Illustrates the Importance of Building a Powerful Business Brand

The Washington Post

In Ken Wisnefski’s latest article in The Washington Post’s “On Small Business” section, he discusses the NFL referee lockout and its possible effects on the NFL’s brand and fan loyalty.  Read more at WashingtonPost.com.

Does the NFL Really Need to Protect its Brand?

Recently, the National Football League has been at the center of a controversy surrounding its replacement referees and the ongoing labor dispute with its regular officials.  In my last article on PR News Online, I discussed the importance of utilizing public relations to address the issues at hand and keep the situation from becoming a significant problem for the NFL brand.  Additionally, I contributed a piece to The Washington Post in which I discussed the strengths of the league’s fan base and how their loyalty has helped the organization remain successful.

Thus far, the continued support of the NFL fans is effectively minimizing the impact of the referee labor conflict.  Currently, the league is witnessing an example of brand loyalty playing a very dominant role, which does not seem likely to subside.  The fan base has not substantially diminished and no real backlash or protests have emerged from that audience, despite the media coverage the NFL has received due to the referees and blown calls.

In fact, the situation presents the NFL with an opportunity that they are failing to capitalize on.  That is, the league and Roger Goodell can further strengthen their commitment to their fans by coming to a resolution with the regular referees, thus demonstrating to their patrons the importance of delivering a quality product.  Although many news reports and industry insiders have indicated that a new deal to return the regular referees to the field is currently in the works; the NFL should address the negotiations publicly in order to maximize transparency and gain greater trust with fans.

The NFL brand is secure, but could always benefit from a more direct and proactive approach to such issues.  The league has learned a valuable lesson from this incident and due to the loyalty of the fans, has not suffered.  However, the brand shouldn’t hesitate to utilize platforms such as public relations and social media in order to better engage their audience and maintain their loyalty going forward.