The Internet to overtake television as the biggest advertiser.

Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

On this posting we present a sample topic for discussion with our advanced Business English students. Topic: The future of Internet Advertising.


The internet is bound to overtake television to become the biggest advertising media, and as the online social networks boom joins the mix, their combined impact will again be revolutionary.
Success in online shopping for consumer goods is one of the areas that internet advertisers have helped develop as an alternative to the traditional brick and mortar experience. The growth of online shopping has attracted more marketers to join as they find creative ways to make online features more attractive, thus bringing consumers closer to the products they help promote.
The change is irreversible and these days millions shop from the convenience of their homes, saving them time to spend on other more important tasks and hobbies. In addition, our new consumer trends also help us save energy as more automobiles remain parked in their garages rather than on their way to and from the mall.
Despite the enjoyment lost in making social connections when one shops online, the increasing threat of cyber fraud, the unwanted solicitations and the use of consumer information for purposes other than the trade of goods and services; online shopping and the symbiotic relationship with internet advertisers is here to stay.

Image: Salvatore Vuono /
 FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This month English Mindset features a company that I stumbled upon on Twitter. Their video advertizing concept combines the interaction between internet advertizing and online social networks. This extremely creative company, which you will realize simply by visiting their website, gives you great insights of what the future of internet promotional flicks will be like.
Their short introductory video contrasts the differences between conventional TV-type ads found on the internet these days with the new "shared-video" advertising style they propose; an approach that would make the old rules of TV-style commercials obsolete.
They are called Epiheo Studios here is their link http://www.epipheostudios.com/
Note: Their name “Epiheo”, derives from the combination of the words epiphany and video. Epiphany meaning the sudden, intuitive perception or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience. As per definition on Dictionary.com

Cheers to William and Kate!

If you have not yet received an invitation for the nuptial service,  chances are that you are not one of the 1,900 some selected UK and world dignitaries, senior politicians or celebrities who will be attending this century’s most pompous wedding ceremony.  On April 29, 2011 the Royal couple Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton will say “I do”; witnessed by the privileged guests and observed by millions of TV spectators around the world.    
Countless royal subjects and fans of the crown have joined a lively countdown for this magical fairytale story. Heartfelt outburst of admiration erupt as if temporarily isolating them from the hardships of natural calamities, nuclear meltdowns, wars, and horrendous human rights violations that plague our planet and that affects us all. 
To make sure that the world tunes for the event the city of London is preparing for an onslaught of 8,000 journalists heavily equipped with cameras, microphones and far reaching antennas. They are all competing for a strategic locations on top of buildings and view sites between the Buckingham Palace and the Westminster Abbey . They have promised to bring to the world the most spectacular television event in history and the masses expect nothing but the best.  A media frenzy that will start with royal wedding procession across the most memorable and picturesque surroundings in London will climax with the wedding itself.  
As a conscientious observer of the occasion, I wish that when the excitement subsides and reality takes its reign, the wedding and the subsequent story of their glamorous lives does not downgrade itself into a forgotten footnote of contemporary history.  The philanthropic legacies left by Princess Diana should inspire this couple to return with deeds for those who suffer; and preserve the confidence we place on them through our encouragement and continuous support.  Cheers to William and Kate! 
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Note: The official Google blog has spectacular 3D images of London's landscape of the procession from the palace to the abbey. It is worth a visit. The video clip below features there as well. 

Geishas of the Yohkiroh

The Geisha -
A Film by Hideo Gosha; a winner of  9 Japanese academy awards.  
Released: 1983 -  based on a novel by Tomiko Miyao - the script by Kôji Takada.
The story takes place at the beginning of the Showa era (1925) in Tosa, Koichi prefecture; where there is a palace of sensual and beautiful woman: the Yohkiroh.  The story centers around Momokawa who was sold to the Yohkiroh at the age of 12 by her father - there she starts her journey to a place in hell where hundreds just like her, struggle to bloom behind the glamorous veneer of their polished ways, but inevitable bend to wilt in the heat of their passionate lives...
Hideo Gosha portrays the Geishas of the Yohkiroh very unlike many historians who depict them as living work of art: the image of the perfect woman, the embodiment of Japanese culture and refinement.  On Gosha's film they drink and dance burlesque western rhythms; and to the dismay of many purist have sex with their clients.
Geishas have generally not been prostitutes. Part of their allure has been the suggestion not the reality of sex. However, on occasion, if the mood, the man and the money were right, they sold their bodies or served as mistresses to wealthy men who took care of them, but they are not supposed to utter one word about it.  Follow this link if you wish to learn more about geishas.