Super Bowl 2010 Advertising




In 2009, NBC paid a whopping $3,000,000 for a 30 second spot during the Super Bowl.

There's a reason for the big price, but we can't all afford 100K per second.

And Yes, chances are the ad will be recorded and replayed on YouTube. But will people click through the the TV or YouTube video and then spend time on NBC's website? No.

The point is, advertising to millions of people can be costly, and for what? At Makeaquick.com, when you buy an ad, it stays visible for a minimum of 3 years, and when someone sees it, chances are they will click through to your site.

So if you don't have a ton of money to spend on a short flick, then buy an ad with us. You may not see a surge of results on the day you buy, but you WILL see results. It's a long term investment, and a tiny one for that matter. What are you waiting for? Make the smart move. At this point, Makeaquick.com is still young. The early buyers will benefit the most.

Buy a Block Now!


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Stacking Up Makeaquick with Bing and Google




Hey again! It’s Colin with a special post loaded full of insight into the recent news of Google developing an operating system and Microsoft flaunting a new, powerful search engine. I got a chance to sit down with the CEO of Makeaquick.com, Egor, to get his reactions and perspective on this battle of business giants. The following is a question and answer type format from my conversation with the head honcho.


What was your reaction when you first visited Bing.com?
After looking at Bing.com my immediate thought is that the design and layout is not practical enough to be a number one search engine. For the amount invested, I would expect the design to be less overwhelming in appearance and a bit more functional. I was not presented with any distinguishing features different from Google or Yahoo, just an overwhelming picture. I cannot overemphasize the importance of a layout and design and understanding the vital role aesthetics play in public appeal. The picture in the background should be a selectable option because it takes away from the purpose of the site. There are some new features that Bing offers but I don’t see how they will drastically alter the search engine experience, especially if the user doesn’t know what those features are, because they are too hard to find, which should not be the case. The layout should provide a nice flow too all the new features that Bing.com is trying to present to the world.
What, to you, does an ideal search engine offer?
As of right now I would say Google offers pretty much everything a user might need. Their search results are relevant to key words and provide sponsored links at the top of the page. Bing.com offers related search results in addition to the entered search words, but my question is whether or not such a minor design addition will sway users from Google. Google is now working on an operating system that rivals Windows. Microsoft seems to be interested in attacking Google’s strength; the search engine market. I think that is a good move by Microsoft. Google has become a new way of accessing information. Until Bing.com better competes with the kind of design, features, and abilities of Google, Bing will not be much of a threat in the search market. Given the strength and reputation of Google’s products, I believe they will pose a strong threat to the operating system market, which is the core of Microsoft’s products and profits.

How might you relate Makeaquick.com to a site like Bing or Google?
Makeaquick has a similar layout to Bing in that the main page offers its viewers pixelated squares of information as the mouse cursor floats over them. Bing uses a randomized background picture and gives facts about the image, which has almost nothing to do with the purpose of a real search engine. It actually distracts the user from the purpose of going to the website. Makeaquick presents categorized pixel advertisements that link directly to an advertiser’s homepage. I believe a website should offer very specific features for users and allow them to quickly access the information they are looking for, not detour them away from what they are looking for.

As you know, Google is developing their Chrome operating system.  How might you advise Microsoft in handling this kind of competition?

A way Microsoft could brush off the challenge would be to compete with Google’s products and hit them where it hurts, like the search market. There are cost-effective and creative changes the people behind Bing.com have to do to improve what they already have. Microsoft also has to become more competitive with different products and create new products that make their competitors envious; for example, like Apple has done with their line of iPod products. Microsoft is missing some simple things, like creating a product that looks edgy, is unique, yet simple and sharp, while also operating with consistent reliability. With so many tech savvy consumers and companies in the market, that is how products must work in this day and age.

You seem very confident about the direction and future of the Makeaquick.com enterprise.  Given your funding, and the $100 million Microsoft invested in just the marketing campaign for Bing.com, how do you expect to compete on the worldwide web?

Microsoft needs a team of unique, intelligent, artistic, imaginative and out of the box thinkers like Makeaquick.com has in order to create something special. You need to invest less and think more… get bright students from accredited and prestigious universities with unique young minds.  Give them a few computers, a small office and a million dollars and they will create and execute something special that will compete with the best that the web has too offer.  It might even propel Microsoft back to the top. I guarantee you that would happen if my team and I were offered that challenge.  Microsoft is spending $100 million to force people to campaign for a product when the same effect could have been made with public statement by Bill Gates or a viral advertising campaign that would cost no more than a mere $100,000!


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Let the battle begin: Microsoft vs. Google




What’s happening? It's Colin again for Makeaquick.com and I have got a hot topic for you today. Have you seen those advertisements lately, overstimulating your mind with information from top search results for keywords like ‘Hawaii’ and ‘tickets’? At the end of the commercial you are directed to a new search engine, excuse me I mean ‘decision-making’ engine. If you have no idea what I’m talking about watch the video below and you will hopefully gain more clarity throughout the rest of this post.

Basically Bing.com is Microsoft’s $100 million marketing campaign aimed at capturing a chunk of Google’s growing loyalists. It appears as though Microsoft’s main concern at this point is merely web surfers devoted to search engines and a better searching experience. If you want to see some of the ‘real’ people staking their claims of life before and after Bing.com, click on the linked words. The testimonials go as far as showing a user on a Google search page. 
The question arose in my mind whether or not Google would offer any sort of response to all this Bing.com hoopla and it has been confirmed that the minds behind Google Docs, Google Maps, and the expanding list of Google apps, are not focused on just search engine results. They are focused on a Google operating system; Google Chrome OS. Check out an AP reporting of it. The Google Chrome web browsing software was released in late 2008 and as of yesterday, plans are full speed ahead to get an open-source operating system on computers for consumers by the second half of 2010. According to reports, the OS will be designed for “budget-conscious consumers primarily interested in surfing the Web.” 
Okay so all this information is all fine and dandy but how does it relate to you, the consumer and Microsoft, the billion dollar software giant? Let’s start with you. When Google Chrome OS is available, you will have four major competitors for your business; Microsoft’s Windows, Mac OS X, Google Chrome, and Red Hat’s Linux. If you have been keeping up with my posts, you can probably guess which way I’ll lean. To be sure, I will continue investigating all options. Microsoft hopes consumers will continue to go and get a computer with Windows OS preloaded, curbing their software autonomy. This is where Google slides into play. Now computer shoppers will have to pause for a moment and think about which software giant they want curtailing their personal computing experience. Which one will you choose?


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America the Beautiful




Hey Everyone! It's Colin again for Makeaquick.com. The Fourth of July has come and gone and once again all of us at Makeaquick.com have plenty of reasons to be proud Americans. We were all very fortunate to spend our holiday with close family and friends at an all American picnic. It was as traditional an Independence Day gathering as one might envision; juicy hamburgers, plump hot dogs, salads galore, fruit and veggie trays, and of course a light American lager to wash it all down.
With live music from the likes of the Whiskey Saints and Paul Chesney, everyone was pleasantly surprised when John Fogerty stopped in to a play a few patriotic classics before his evening set at the local Hollywood Bowl. As the day progressed I discovered the meaning of America’s birthday is observed differently by all kinds of citizens. Regardless of where you celebrated, or didn’t celebrate, odds are pretty good that your ears were tickled with some kind of music. For me, being in and around Los Angeles guaranteed a Michael Jackson cover. In my case I heard a solid, upbeat rendition of Billie Jean. It was nothing like the mellowed out acoustic cover by Death Cab for Cutie frontman, Ben Gibbard, floating around the web right now. Click here to listen to a couple covers that have been generated since the King of Pop's death.
Given my experiences on America’s 233rd birthday, I will leave you with a list of things I found to be truly “American.”
The Hamburger – Created in 1885 by “Hamburger Charlie” Nagreen when his meatballs weren’t selling at the Seymour Fair in Wisconsin. Charlie simply squashed his meatballs into a patty shape and started calling the innovation a hamburger sandwich.
Old Glory – The nickname given to the American flag by William Driver in the mid-1800s. Driver’s “Old Glory” is kept intact from the day in 1861, during the Civil War, when Tennessee succeeded from the Union and the flag was sewn inside a comforter for hidden protection.
Baseball – Around the same time the original Old Glory was being hidden in a comforter, Alexander Cartwright of the New York Knickerbockers was helping to mold the early European sport “rounder’s” into the game of baseball Americans witness today. The first American baseball team was the Cincinnati Red Stockings formed in 1869.
So to all you recovering from another Fourth of July holiday, we here at Makeaquick.com want you to embrace the freedom the United States of America offers and do something very American!


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My Newest BFF - IPhone 3G S.




Hey everyone it's Colin, the freshest face on the Makeaquick.com blogging team. I've been testing the iPhone 3G S for a couple weeks to provide marketing research and feedback for various advertisers, firms, and friends. It has been quite a treat because I was holding out with my 1st generation 2G 8GB iPhone from the summer of 2007! Now that the rest of the world, seriously just about the whole world, has access to iPhone 3G S's new functionalities and Apple's OS 3.0, I thought I'd recap my experience with the "fastest, most powerful iPhone yet."

Let's get the basics out of the way. If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch you should update to OS 3.0 immediately, although iPod Touch users will be tagged with a $9.95 upgrade charge. The 3G S has four key components that separate it from its lesser 3G: a 3 megapixel, auto-focus camera with video capabilities, voice command for your most common functions, Spotlight search, and a compass. iPhone OS 3.0 offers other significant updates from OS version 2.2.1 you can find here, but that is a whole other story.
So how good are these new features? I'll speak to a few but let one testimonial do its own talking. The camera is a nice upgrade but not dramatic enough to corner the mobile phone, picture taking market. The video camera is decent, with minimal on board editing features, but good enough for a local Miami CBS news reporter to shoot an entire story using only the video camera and voice recorder application on his iPhone 3G S. Just watch this news story, shot with iPhone's video camera and be your own judge. Impressive nonetheless.
The voice command features are convenient when you need to be hands free and offer abilities to control your entire iPod, including playing specific artists, albums, songs and playlists, while also dialing specific phones of any contact in your address book. The voice control becomes interactive as well, allowing iPodders to ask for song information and requesting more music with similar rhythms. Pretty clever stuff, though I am waiting for complete voice control features like requesting certain songs be added to playlists or to never be played again.

The Spotlight search was a natural progression for the search features on recent Apple operating system upgrades. It allows users to search their growing iPhone storage collection. The 3G S comes in 16GB and 32GB varieties so search is more desirable than on the 3G 8GB and 16GB models. I've found it most useful for searching multiple e-mail accounts synced on my phone. But as you Spotlight users know, it does keyword search for everything you might have on your hard drive.
As for the compass, I have minimal use for such a feature. I'm sure there are some wild outdoorsmen that have been navigating trails, hiking mountains, skiing slopes, and wandering the Earth with one thought in mind; Why can't Apple just make a compass for my iPhone?! Well guys, and some girls out there somewhere, here you go! Your own compass app to replace the traditional magnetic compass control by the poles, moon, and other orbiting bodies in our solar system. There truly is an app for basically anything.
Having been given an "S" for speed, the iPhone 3G S really has outperformed smartphone competitors in overall data transfer rates. Our friends over at The Unofficial Apple Weblog recently posted speed test results comparing the iPhone 3G, one running OS 2.2.1 and another OS 3.0, the 3G S on OS 3.0, Google's G1 running Android OS 1.5, and the Palm Pre running Web version 1.0.2. Transfer rates were compared against a baseline 2GHz Core 2 Duo Macbook operating on OSX 10.5.7. Of course each smartphone has its own service provider (iPhone with AT&T, G1 on T-Mobile, Palm Pre paired with Sprint.) The results speak for themselves and I am here to attest to the speediness of my 3G S over the past few weeks. Check out the charted results for yourself! I think the "S" stands for sweet!
My conclusion is this: I will be keeping my iPhone 3G S as a full time companion. No matter what criticisms I might have of the newest member in the Apple family, the iPhone still sets the precedent for the mobile phone slash smartphone market. I look forward to making speedier posts, faster tweets, and more immediate status updates for the Makeaquick.com fan base. All courtesy of our sponsors and my newest bff, iPhone 3G S.


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The Makeaquick.com family welcomes Buckin’ B Ranch!




Howdy y’all! The Makeaquick.com family would like to say “thanks and welcome” to the folks at the Buckin’ B Ranch, located just outside of Amarillo, the yellow rose of Texas! Beautiful sunsets give way to starry nights where the deer and antelope play on this sprawling piece of land in the heart of old Comanche canyon country. The wind sings, the tumbleweeds roll and the wildlife flourish out here in the Panhandle. Your host families will have you whistlin' Dixie after experiencing their charm, southern hospitality, and fine cuisine. So dust off your boots and book your trip today, because you know what they say… “Everything’s bigger in TEXAS!”


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Makeaquick.com's first SALE!




We here at Makeaquick.com want to congratulate and welcome MonaVie’s Ruth Cardon and her Canadian Acai Juice Company as our initial advertiser on our beautiful interactive site. Our staff is so excited to be working with Ruth! She’s a tremendous person and has a profoundly positive effect on everyone she meets. We look forward to getting healthier and wealthier together! MonaVie is changing people’s lives for the better everyday and here’s just one example of how:

I am a 21 year old college student at UCLA. I am slightly overweight, and a little bit worried about the direction in which my health could turn in the future. I heard about MonaVie from a cousin who’s a fitness coach, so I went to a tasting with my father who was also interested in what MonaVie could do for his health. My father has high blood pressure, as do I, and we have both been worried about our wellness. At the meeting we listened to some amazing first-hand testimonials of people at the party and decided to buy the juice after tasting it. It’s delicious!

Since drinking the juice, I have felt so much more energetic and full of life, not to mention more motivated to be healthy. I recently checked my blood pressure and it’s in the "good" range for the first time in 3 years! My father, an avid runner who has chronic hip and knee problems, had not been able to run in quite some time. He has not felt any pressure in his troubled areas since about a week after he started drinking MonaVie. And now, after feeling no pain and seeing his blood pressure drop to a “good” level, he’s running everyday!

MonaVie has really changed my life and my Dad seems 20 years younger these days! Having seen how happy my father is, my mother has started drinking MonaVie as well! We’re definitely a much healthier and happier family because of this wonderful product and we aim to share it with everyone we know and meet!
For more information and to get your MonaVie ordered today, please visit:
www.mymonavie.com/canadianacaijuice


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The End of an Era: Dolce on Melrose is closing its doors June 30th


 Ciao Los Angeles,
When I accepted a position as an office assistant at Dolce, I assumed the job title came with the usual responsibilities any other hostess or secretary position requires of you. Two days before Dolce opened its doors, Lonnie Moore, CEO of Dolce Group and longtime pal of mine, said to me "You have to be the backbone of this place!" All of 20 years old, it was unclear to me whether he meant the office, the restaurant or both because Lonnie always has a way of making employees feel like his place is your place too, which only leads to a happier work environment. And thanks to partner Mike Malin, of the NBC reality hit Big Brother, celebrity investors were eager to embark on this journey as well. I was ecstatic on my way to work that first Tuesday morning! I had a cool job that was not only fun, but obviously was going to challenge me, which is just what I like! Little did I know Ashton Kutcher had gone on David Letterman the night before and held up one of Dolce's menus (the very menu I faxed to Letterman's people days earlier) and told America to go check this place out.

The restaurant had four phone lines in the beginning and they rang during my entire shift from 9am to 6pm! Everyone wanted to be there! The "boys", as I so affectionately refer to Lonnie and Mike, would come in to the office after their morning engagements and be slightly disgruntled when they discovered I had not even so much as checked the mail, much less attended to all the other responsibilities in the office, because I had been answering phones and taking reservations all day! I kept telling them over and over, "Y'all just don't understand, this thing is huge!"

But understand they did, which is why their savvy business persona is unrivaled today. Dolce on Melrose may be closing its doors, but you can rest assured Dolce Group is thriving! With an elite fleet of clubs and restaurants now spanning the country, there is virtually no end in sight. However, for you Angelenos who crave delicious Pumpkin Ravioli (my personal fave), two weeks from now you'll be S.O.L. All good things must come to an end and unfortunately our favorite local Italian eatery is no different. So make your reservations and plan your return to 8286 Melrose before it's too late!

Thinking back on all the special times I've spent at Dolce, the birthday dinners, drinks after work, and bad dates (where the only saving grace for the night was the delicious pesto chicken gnocchi), I do get quite nostalgic. So give them a call today at 323.302.4284 and be sure to tell them the folks at Makeaquick.com sent you! Grazie!

Arrive' derci!

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"Read More" links in Blogger




Hey, it's Pat here at Makeaquick.com. Im testing out a new little feature for our blog that I think will make the experience of checking out our blog a little more convenient.

Have you ever gone to a page (like ours...previously) and the current posting just isn't floating your boat? You have to scroll all the way down until you can see the next article. Now, what if that article doesn't do it for you either? Well, chances are your going to get bored and run off. So I'm adding a "read more" link to our posts. It will cut down the initial amount of text you can read, and then if your interested, click read more. This way, you will be able to scan all over the article titles quickly, and get a little taste of what they're about, without scrolling for days!

Want to put this feature on your blog? Check out these instructions.


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The Joys: Next Band to Make it Big?



Hey everyone,

It’s Dani from www.makeaquick.com here, reporting a really cool band that are really stirring up the scene. The Joys have recently embarked on a tour to promote their new CD “Unfold”, which started in late February, consisting of an appearance on A Channel morning show in London, hitting SXSW among Canadian heavy-hitters, a gig at the legendary Cat Club in Los Angeles and forward on to the Midwest.

Do they ever take time to breathe? Clearly not, the band has recently signed with Koch Entertainment to help promote the new album, a whole new facet to their team. What does the album sound like? The Joys signature classic rock sound, full of great classic riffs and the occasional ballad with vocals that will kick you in the teeth. A lot of the songs have that catchy, timeless structure that The Joys are so well known for. The difference between The Joys and most other bands out there? Their live show is absolutely phenomenal and I mean it is truly a rock ‘n’ roll performance that can rival some of the legendary bands in their genre. Lead singer Sara Smith is indefinitely dynamic, vocally and emotionally; with the ability to connect with everyone from your mom, the big dudes at the biker bar and the tween music lover.

With an endless list of accolades, among them a TIMA 2007 nomination for “Best Female-Fronted” , and extensive press coverage, it was inevitable that The Joys were to hit Gold record status with their single “Storm”. The experience has boosted them into the spot light and have made them push even harder to gain cross-national appeal.

On a stop in Los Angeles at Cat Club in West Hollywood, guitarist Mike McKyes took some time to answer a quick Q & A with us:

Q. The Joys were recently picked up by Koch Entertainment, how has the label helped? Has it become easier to manage the various components, Booking, Touring, Writing, Publishing, Management, etc?

A. Koch has a been a great door opener for us, and a great addition to our growing team. They have definitely made it easier by helping us with their expertise, efforts and contacts and put our album in stores nationwide.

Q. You were selected among some great company to represent Canada at SXSW, Bedouin Soundclash, Magneta Lane, Arkells etc. What was your experience like?

A. Aside from the fact that we were surrounded by thousands of people in downtown Austin and all the streets were closed off, I really felt like we treated it as another show… I mean, we were accepted to participate because of who we are just like all the other great acts that performed with us. I’m honoured that we got to experience SXSW, thank you!

Q. You released a brand new video for “Storm” off your latest album nationally in February, what have the responses been like?

A. Our fans love it, and it’s funny how perceptions change when it was released. I still wake up in the morning and brush my teeth the same way and people think that we’re famous now! I like it, because it makes me smile.

Q. The Joys have been touring since February, do you have any funny stories from the road?

A. Yes, Kevin made a homeless guy a peanut butter sandwich at a rest stop somewhere between El Paso and Hollywood yesterday. I don’t know why that’s funny… it just is to me.

Q.It doesn’t look like you guys are stopping anytime soon, especially with the release of your recent CD, what’s next? Will you be coming back to California anytime soon?

A. It’s a never ending process of playing live and promoting our music, and trying to balance that with writing new material, recording it and introducing it into our live musical repertoire. Oh ya, and finding some time to sleep in there.

Want to see how their tour is going? Check out their tour blog on http://www.thejoys.ca and keep up with the latest videos, reviews and pics from along the way!

Check out their new music video for their single, “Storm”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDe1flpfr7I

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