Posts Tagged ‘Gift’

This is COOL…

Gary Hayes has created this dynamic chart that demonstrates the real-time growth in social media. Pay attention to the ratio of virtual product sales and the REAL gift sales on Facebook. Then ask yourself 2 questions…

1. Is there room for growth in selling real gifts in social media?
2. Who is moving the real gift sales in social media forward, besides Facebook?

We watched the chart for 60 seconds and determined that over $10,000 was spent on virtual goods in the same time that less than $140 was spent on real gifts in Facebook.

We realize that this is an apples to pears comparison, because virtual goods encompasses all social media channels and Facebook gifts only measures a portion of a small service on one social network. And the chart does not track all of the real products sold by affiliate links from social sites. But it does show an opportunity for growth, especially when you consider that social media is a virtual mimic of real human interaction and that virtual purchasing mimics real-life  purchases.

Here is the thing you might want to consider… If people gather together in these internet social spaces and spend money on virtual things for each other, why wouldn’t they do the same thing for real gifts?

Think about this comparison:

Let’s assume that you sell me a virtual gift at $1 dollar, as a birthday wish for cousin Earl…
The result: You, Earl and I are all somewhat happy with this small gesture.

Now assume that you could sell me a $25 real gift at a 12.5% profit.
The result: Earl gets something real that he can enjoy beyond his computer screen.  I get the satisfaction that comes with providing some true support to Earl.  And you get $3.12 for facilitating the gift-giving.

Now all we need to do is find a fun way to pass out the real gifts in the social networks…. Any ideas?

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

Hosting any event requires determination and ingenuity. We appreciate the efforts of a party host who takes the time and energy to pull off a great social experiences.

We really give a tip of our hat to the host who goes the extra mile to make the party memorable for everyone involved. It is amazing how even the small differences can make a huge change in the level of fun and engagement at the party. It is the host’s responsibility to find the “little extra” that will turn the party into a social explosion.

One of the galvanizing aspects of any group event involves joining attendees together in a common activity, like a party game. These activities are proven social bonding tools that turn mundane events into great social experiences.

Our family uses the gift exchange format to add a spark to our gift giving parties and create unity. But this year we went a bit further and added just another dimension to the fun.

On the day of our Christmas Eve party we invited all of the attendees to meet us at the local Goodwill store, just before coming to the event. We suggested that if they had not purchased a gift for the exchange, that this would be a good time to find the perfect present…

But we had another surprise in mind.

We asked everyone to shop for a silly hat to wear to the party, and it would be our treat.

The hat selection was fabulous and the variety was amazing ( it is interesting to realize that someone paid retail for some of these at one time!). The store was soon filled with laughter as our guests discovered hats and then modeled them for anyone who would pay attention to them.
Down several isles of the store walked grown men with furry or floppy hats, still displaying the price tags. Women that were trying on hard hats and football helmets were giggling like school kids.

The party had started at Goodwill and the excitement was spreading.

The regular store customers and clerks were entertained by this odd display, and our guests were getting into a very festive mood. We didn’t even need to ask the group to continue wearing the hats as they made their way up to the checkout, they just kept them on and delighted the other shoppers.

These unusual hats became the uniform for our party and added a social-glue among the participants of the evening’s activities.

The hats cost about $2.00 a piece, but their value as a group bonding tool was priceless. It created a memorable event for those who attended.

We take our hat off to the host who takes the extra steps to build a better party experience for family and friends.

What have you done to add something extra.?

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

This the season for the “TOP” lists…
Lists…. Lists….Lists…  Everywhere we turn there is another LIST!

I was interested in a list published by David Berkowitz in the Social Media Insider. It was titled: Ten Ways Social Media Changed Our Thinking in 2009.
His list includes several trends, but I focused on two that are of particular interest to me…

Gifts and Gaming.

David is the Senior Director of Emerging Media & Innovation at 360i, and he has his hand on the pulse of many growing trends in this space.  His success depends on spotting emerging business concepts, and he has selected Gift Giving and Games for his top 10 list.

David and I agree that these two trends are emerging, but real gifts and traditional games are already merging on social media platforms.  This work is in its infancy, and even David doesn’t really know all that is happening, but the foundations for gift-giving and games as a monetization strategy are being laid.

In the list under Gift-Giving, David discusses the Facebook “Real Gift” application and states; “Today, those goods (gifts) are provided through the Real Gifts application. Tomorrow, it may well be Amazon”.

I am here to say that tomorrow is here now, with the release of a demonstration party called AlbinoPhant.  Each of the real gifts offered in the AlbinoPhant markets are from Amazon.  Today,  any Facebook user can purchase a real gift through Amazon and share it with friends and family using a traditional party game.

Speaking of games:  The post goes on to discuss Games as an exploding social phenomenon and suggests that
“…there’s room for new thinking on what a successful game is”.

The most popular gift-giving game in the real world is the Swap. Gift swap games are used by families and friends to share gifts during important life events . The process to convert successful party games into online social experiences is currently in the demonstration phase. These new online party systems will facilitate the sharing of the real presents in a fun and engaging way that fits within the format of social networks.

Plans are underway to move many more traditional party games into these social networks and to allow families and friends the opportunity to share real gifts with each other, using online merchants like Amazon.

I thank David for his list, and suggest that he is not alone in spotting important trends and advancing the social web.

Thanks to the Burned out Social Worker for the image

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

We were interviewed for an article in the Conversation Agent blog, written by Valeria Maltoni. She asked why we are building an online party application. Here is my quote:

The tradition of supporting family and friends with gifts does not end when distance separates us. Nether does the desire to have a meaningful conversation with those that we love.

Parties are the traditional gathering point for both conversation and gift-giving among those who desire to support each other on special occasions. When distance interrupts this opportunity to gather, we all feel a loss of personal connection.

We are building this online party application as a demonstration that the tools of the modern web can, at least in some measure, replace the actual party experience with a valuable substitute.

Amazon provides a trusted shopping portal for gift purchasing. PayPal allows for secure payment systems. And AlbinoPhant provides a fun way to gather on Facebook to pass out all the gifts.

That is the “Business” side of why… But on the personal side, it is a much more emotional reasoning.

We love our children… and we want to stay involved in supporting them and their children with gifts. We would love to be at every event and milestone in their lives, but we can’t….   And we shouldn’t be.

Just because they have left the nest, we haven’t lost the strong memories of what it was like to host birthday parties and friend stay-overs, or to watch their excited faces on Christmas morning. The memories are great, but we are still craving to add more…

Distance and time have created a void in the conversation and the banter that was an important part of our family life for many years.  The traditional party experience is now a distant memory, and we just want a little of it back…

We know that we are not alone in our desire to share gifts in a better way than just shipping them off with UPS.  We have now found a way to bridge the distance and build a memory or two at the same time.  We can share gifts and great banter in an online party from any computer.

We have proven that it can be done for the past 3-years in our family, and we want others to have the same experience.

We Built it to Share it…

Give it a try and you will see why we did this…

Thanks to Valeria for her great article and the use of the image.

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

Today marks the start of Hanukkah, a symbolic religious tradition for Jewish families around the world. A candle is lit each night for eight days; A present is shared every day, and they play traditional games.

Other faiths are preparing for the tradition of sharing gifts on each of the 12 days leading up to December. 25th.

Still more are shopping and wrapping presents in preparation for one of the largest single gift opening days of the year; Christmas day.

Gift giving in the holiday season has become a tradition for those with or without religious connection. It seems that retailers start this seasonal “rush to buy”,  earlier every year.  Many  use traditional party activities to distribute these gifts.

All based upon a Tradition of giving…

Even with the recent popularity of virtual gifts, the traditional gift is still a REAL one. The gift card, which has become extremely popular, even carries the promise of something real, rather than a silly image on a computer screen.

Gifts have become an important part of the traditions which support our family and friends during various life milestones or seasons. We take the gift selection, presentation and delivery very serious, because it is part of our traditions.

“Giving gifts to family and friends is a way to show our love for them. Our gifts don’t have to be lavish or expensive. In fact, the best gifts are often simple and inexpensive.” Suggests Writer and Editor Lillie Ammann.

Billions of dollars churn through the world economy as we both give and receive these real expressions of support. We are also aware that this spending is not limited to the final quarter of the year, as the gifting tradition includes many holidays, birthdays, weddings, baby births and more.

The tradition of opening, touching and experiencing a real gift can never be replaced by a virtual item from any social game. Nor will the virtual gift ever find its place within any popular traditions.

PartyWeDo is leading the movement to help social networks facilitate the tradition of sharing real gifts with family and friends. The online party blends a virtual connection for dispersed families, with the convenience of eCommerce and efficient shipping.

This fun gift sharing system will never completely replace the warmth and reward of presenting a gift in person, but it will allow some of the tradition to extend to those who can’t be home for the holidays.

May your season be bright and your hearts full of the tradition of giving…

Thanks to Refinery 29 for the image

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

The social networks can now be used for friendly larceny, with the launch of an online white elephant gift exchange party called AlbinoPhant.

This Facebook application allows family and friends the opportunity to party together in a virtual gift exchange, just like they would if gathered together in one location. They exchange real gifts, share friendly banter and enjoy the holiday spirit, through the online party.

Gift exchange parties are social events that focus on sharing gifts with family and friends and then “stealing” gifts from one another in an organized party game.

www.albinophant.com brings people together to participate in the party on a common game-play page, where wrapped gifts are displayed, opened, stolen and where comments are shared. This application facilitates gift giving among those who would be sharing gifts with each other anyway. AlbinoPhant just provides a fun, conversational and social way to pass out the gifts.

Traditional white elephant parties build lively conversation and great stories around the gifts as they are opened. With the enhanced sharing tools on the web, the online version allows more expressive conversation than ever before. The AlbinoPhant comment stream allows party participants the opportunity to post YouTube videos and images to assist in making the exchange party a real fun game. There are even opportunities to share some of the conversation outside of the party in other social networks, allowing the party atmosphere to spill over in other corners of the web.

The online white elephant party uses a combination of eCommerce and social networking tools to build the party system. AlbinoPhant is a gift purchasing and sharing facilitator, displaying hundreds of Amazon items in level pricing markets for convenient shopping. The host and each party participant use these single pricing markets ($15 to $50) to select gifts for the party. This leveling feature is used to keep the gift spending closer to equal among all of the players, reducing the “big-spender/cheap-skate” issues.

When all of the gifts are virtually wrapped, opened, discussed, stolen and re-stolen, the game ends. The application’s management system then sorts out who gets which real gift and sees that each present is delivered to the correct address.

The online gift exchange is a labor of love by the Christensen family, who are new to Facebook application development. The Christensen’s have tested the online gift swap party with their scattered family members for several years. They hired a team of Facebook developers and other web professionals to take their simple family party exchange and turn it into a fully operational Facebook application. Now they are eager to share this fun exchange, AlbinoPhant, with others.

This holiday season the networks will play host to thousands of gift thieves and promote friendly banter to liven up holiday parties. What is more social than a lively party?

To see press release go to http://myprgenie.com/3333

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

White Elephant Gift Exchange parties or Yankee Swaps are the most popular gift-giving parties during the holidays. Millions gather in family rooms and church cultural halls to share gifts, steal from one another and enjoy the social banter during this group game.

Today, AlbinoPhant launches on Facebook as the online mimic of this traditional favorite for family and friends. AlbinoPhant is a partnership between the computer mouse and a well known white elephant party game. This online game allows family and friends from anywhere in the country to party together without leaving home.

The game application combines the massive audience on social networks with the convenience of online shopping from Amazon, into a party atmosphere. Friends and family share gifts with each other while AlbinoPhant gives them a fun way to pass out the presents.

Unlike other simple game applications on Facebook this party shares real gifts, not the virtual gifts that are so commonplace now. All players purchase a gift from special markets, and they virtually wrap their gift and get ready for the party. When all the players have their gifts purchased and wrapped, the game begins

All of the activities develop and are displayed on a common game-play page in the party. Players will find virtually wrapped gifts in the middle of the party room. They will see a display of the other players who are attending. There is a random player selection system and gift rating buttons. And of course, there is gift opening and gift stealing functions to build upon the fun.

Every good party is full of conversation, so the AlbinoPhant experience includes a comment box that allows many fun enhancement opportunities. In addition to the words that flow into the comment stream, there is the capability to include YouTube videos and images to assist players in creating a multimedia conversation.

The white elephant party ends when all the presents have been opened, stolen, rated and discussed. There are awards presented, and finally each gift is ordered and shipped to each of the player’s by conventional methods. There is no clean-up to do and everyone leaves with some great social memories.

This season you can combine your mouse with AlbinoPhant and bring your friends and family into one big party.

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

Here are the details, as advertised in a blog titled, Real Debate Wisconsin: “Our Cheddarsphere Christmas this year party will be on Sunday, January the 3rd, from 2pm until whenever at Papa’s Social Club”

So it seems a group of bloggers gather in a bar to socialize and share in a white elephant gift exchange. And they organize and promote the party online. This is a trend that we see developing as a result of great web communication tools.

This group also gathers to make predictions for the future, while watching a football game and discussing politics. It seems like an eclectic combination of activities, but it seems to work for them.

So in the spirit of the Real Debate party… I predict that online social parties will trend upward in 2010, as people learn that combining social web tools with personal gift giving will work on the internet. Further, I see a day when activities to celebrate birthdays, weddings, graduations and all holidays will find their way into the social networks like Facebook…

We will eventually celebrate using online parties when our team wins a divisional title and the Super Bowl… We will join a party online, when our political candidate gets the vote, and to just play an online white elephant gift party. The future is bright for online parties…. That is what I predict!

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

One of the results of a changing economy is what the new austerity has wrought upon the American public. It seems that the trendy “go-go-consumption” trends have turned on a dime and now traditional priorities are winning the day. This is especially true when we discuss the holiday season this year.

A recently released study by Sears, and reported in Marketing Daily suggests that; “Some 90% of those it surveyed say that because of the challenging economy, they are more focused on celebrating family traditions.”

Other studies are suggesting that more than 75% of Americans are realizing that connecting with traditional family activities is what will make them happier during the holidays.

New family traditions are also a high priority, and the Sears study suggests that group gift giving activities like Secret Santa gift exchanges will be a priority this year. Setting spending limits on these gift opportunities is also an important consideration during tight financial times, and the study suggests that 63% of us will do just that. Gift exchange formats also reduce the overall gift purchasing volume needed among the family, saving even more resources.

Some marketers are skeptical that this new traditionalism will have staying power, once the recession is past and better times arrive. But it is possible that the rise in social networks and the fall in expendable income will alter family trends forever.

One trendy industry is going to really benefit from these traditional family leanings. That would be social media, and some web-based mimics which provide traditional experiences for family members. Facebook has positioning itself as the alternative solution to actually driving to Grandmas house for Thanksgiving. Especially for those who can’t afford the fuel this year. Images and comments are not a perfect substitute for the taste of turkey, but at least it is a connection to the traditions of the past. As more learn the systems and find them to be acceptable substitutes, the mimics will become the new traditions for family gathering. Online solutions break down distance constraints and expand the connections far beyond what was possible in Grandma’s confined living room.

The social activities like White Elephant parties or Yankee Swaps can now combine traditional family gift sharing and conversation, without spending money on fuel or travel. These online mimics provide, at least in part, the family feeling that would be lost by not being able to show up in person.

So the economic realities of today are building a desire to reconnect with the traditions of the past, while creating the systems that will become the trends of the future.

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

Gift exchange parties are full of hot air…

Especially parties that carry the Dirty Santa or Dirty Thieving Santa moniker.
You see, these are the gag-gift cousins of the tamer and more common White Elephant Exchange or Yankee Swap.

The “dirty” implication is associated with the “stealing” portion of these gift exchange events. Gifts are opened by random players and then subsequent players can swap or “steal” from those who have gone before.

The gifts that create the most banter are usually the weird gifts that can be associated with something funny. Gifts that can prompt a conversation will make the party more lively and will pull more guest into the fun.

Many Dirty Santa, Yankee Swap and White Elephant parties are hosted with a theme of some sort.  This way, the conversation can share a common subject line and sets the scene for creative conversation.

Lets assume that you have a fun group of friends and it is time to share gifts among them; It could be Christmas, Valentines Day or St. Patty’s day… Just pick an unusual theme and then let them shop creatively for gifts that would releate.

For example:  Choose the theme   “HOT AIR” and send out the party invitations…

We entered the AlbinoPhant Markets and found a few items that could be associated with HOT AIR…

As you can see, the shopping could be as fun as the actual game, with players planning their explanations as to how the gift  relates to HOT AIR.  Then, these explanations, during the game, will build the banter and the fun conversation into the party.  
It is the conversation, that is built around creative shopping, that makes the Dirty Santa and the White Elephant exchange social explosions.

Now, be creative and bold… Host a gift exchange party with a unique theme and watch what Hot Air blows your way!

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists