#Marketing #Infographic: The #Psychology of #Color

By Fausto Mendez

    Colors are a critical factor when designing ads, branding materials and marketing campaigns. That’s because, whether you know it or not, colors can evoke certain moods in most people. Colors can even stimulate your appetite!

    We stumbled upon this fascinating infographic on the impact of colors on consumer behavior. The whole thing is rather interesting, but we were really moved by the following facts (check out the full infographic below - click to enlarge): 

+ Colors can improve comprehension, learning and reading ability in individuals.

+ A significant majority of consumers make purchasing decisions based on color alone.

+ 93% of consumers buy products based on visual appearance.

+ Strategic use of colors increases the rate that people pay attention to ads.

    Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or Linkedin, and stay ahead of the game with an occasional laugh and non-stop marketing & business advice, news and analysis. Brought to you by AnyPromo.com. Thanks to Web Page FX for the image.

Finished Work: Plastic Handle Bag for KSPR ABC of Springfield, MO

By Fausto Mendez

    Our partner AnyPromo.com is a promotional products retailer/supplier, and the company’s graphic artists love to show off their finished work. This is just another design of the many, many designs they finalize on a daily basis.

    We’re honored that ABC affiliate KSPR of Springfield, MO reached out to us this week for a fat stack of plastic handle bags. This inexpensive promotional item is currently item #668032 in our catalog, and they come in a variety of solid colors. The handles feature a fold-over, reinforced, die-cut design, and the front and back faces measure 12” x 15” with a depth of three inches. 

    Promotional handle bags function perfectly as custom gift bags (that hold other promotional giveaways), and they maximize brand awareness at industry events, retail stores, souvenir stores, music festivals, cruises, concerts, hotels, tourist spots and any place or event where members of your audience linger around each other for significant periods of time.

    AnyPromo is the low-price leader and one-stop shop for customized promotional products and personalized promotional products, and with a catalog of over 40,000 products, we guarantee you will find the promotional supplies that you need to launch the most effective promotional campaign - no matter your circumstances or budget.

    Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or Linkedin, and stay ahead of the game with an occasional laugh and non-stop marketing & business advice, news and analysis. Brought to you by AnyPromo.com.

Businesses and Advertisers May Not Use Google Glass for Ads

By Fausto Mendez

    Google Glass is the smartphone of the future, a wearable computer that sits on your head like a pair of glasses. Though it seems rather futuristic, the technology that powers Glass is hardly any different than the same stuff that powers your smartphone. Needless to say, advertisers and businesses continue to line up and compete for a chance to start using and building software for Glass - mostly programs and experiences centered around ads other types of marketing content (as is the custom in smartphone app development). There’s just one problem: no one is allowed to serve ads on Glass!

    Google recently announced that a set of Glass headsets would arrive at the doorsteps of some lucky developers and a few enthusiastic fans, and with that announcement, the company released the API (and guidelines) for developing software for Glass. It turns out the API specifically states that Glass and the user’s data connection may not be used to serve advertisements. Section Two of the API reads:

“No Ads. You may not serve or include any advertisements in your API Client. Data Usage. You may not use user data from your API Client for advertising purposes. You may not sell or transmit any user data received from your API Client(s) to a third-party ad network or service, data broker, or other advertising or marketing provider. For the avoidance of doubt, user data from the API Client(s) may not be used for Third-Party Ad Serving (‘3PAS’).”

    This development poses problems for businesses that have become accustomed to Google’s traditional business model: ads everywhere and anywhere, but whether or not Google will maintain this stance is unknown. It could very well be a temporary measure to ensure that only the most passionate developers jump on the bandwagon. On the other hand, Google may have a business model in mind that we’ve never seen before. 

    Google is no stranger to revolutionizing business models. After all, it is the company that shaped the modern Web and the way businesses to business on the it (with the help of the masses, of course). We look forward to seeing what Google has planned throughout the rest of this decade. It will certainly be an interesting ride.

    We’ll  watch the story as it develops, so stay tuned. In the meantime, join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Google+, and stay ahead of the game with an occasional laugh and non-stop marketing & business advice, news and analysis. Brought to you by AnyPromo.com.

Honda Leveraged Pinterest to Reach 5 Million Users With Tiny Budget - #MarketingMonday

By Fausto Mendez

    Every Monday, we analyze a successful marketing campaign, or we assemble a set of tips on a relevant marketing topic to help you boost your business to the next level. This week, we dissect Honda’s very successful #Pintermission campaign.

    Social-media marketing is a tricky landscape to navigate, but some out-of-the-box creativity can go a long way. Big brands know this well, and Honda knows this better than most. In fact, Honda’s #Pintermission campaign reached about five million users, according to Marketing Mag, including 5,000 repins and 2,000 “likes” so far. Overall, Honda measured 16 million impressions when the campaign (which included traditional advertising) was said and done, and that’s not including Facebook and Twitter conversations. But exactly how did Honda leverage Pinterest to such great effect? 

    The campaign specifically advertised the new CR-V, which encourages the concept of enjoying life beyond the walls of home. The CR-V is also targeted at younger adults that are about to settle down, and these young adults grew up with social media. They are accustomed to making plans online, and a good chunk of this demographic are on Pinterest too. Now, here’s the tricky part. How do you reach all of these people with a minuscule budget?

    The name of the game is creativity. If you have it, you can probably be an amazing social-media marketer, and whoever’s working for Honda apparently has it. 

    Honda reached out to Pinterest users with profiles that have massive follower numbers, and a significant chunk of these followers are individuals from the target demographic. The company offered these users $500 each. All they have to do in return is to make or complete one of their pinned images. Honda calls this concept - taking a day off of Pinterest to give life to a pin - a #Pintermission. 

    Pinterest is a popular place for sharing how-to articles and images of places or activities that people would love to be a part of, so the rest of the campaign was rather easy. Honda created boards for these users to post their #Pintermission photos, and the company also requested that these users create their own dedicated boards for the campaign (with Honda’s Pinterest profile as a collaborator). In addition, Honda also posted and shared custom images that advertised the concept of a “Pintermission”. With the stage set: online discussions, viral shares and “likes” took off. 

    Most importantly, Honda understands that Pinterest is not the best place for marketing many of its other vehicles. The CR-V has a unique target audience. As a result, Honda found those users online, and then, it developed a plan to engage those users with the CR-V as the centerpiece for discussion. That’s the big lesson here: find the customers, understand them and engage them.

    Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or Linkedin, and stay ahead of the game with an occasional laugh and non-stop marketing & business advice, news and analysis. Brought to you by AnyPromo.com.

Finished Work: 32 oz “h2go” Water Bottle for the Harrington College of Design

By Fausto Mendez

    Our partner AnyPromo.com is a promotional products supplier/retailer, and the company’s graphic artists love to show off their finished work. This is just another design of the many, many designs they finalize on a daily basis. 

    We’re more than honored, happy, and proud to serve the Harrington College of Design with a fat order of custom promotional water bottles to be distributed on campus. The bottle features one of the school’s more inspiring and motivating slogans, “I am a 100% designer,” and it’s topped off with the school name/logo at the very bottom . Below, you can see the same bottle with the Monster logo.

    Though water bottles are more of a sports or outdoors item, any recent college student can attest to the popularity of reusable water bottles on college campuses. They’re just as useful - if not more useful - outside of the gym as active and mobile students need to stay hydrated to push their minds and bodies to the limit.

    AnyPromo also carries a wide variety of education promotional products, or products that can be used for promotional purposes within an educational setting, and with a catalog of about 50,000 products spread out across several categories, we guarantee you will find a suitable promotional giveaway that is perfect for your circumstances.  Need help choosing the best promotional giveaway for your brand? All you need to do is to contact your Customer Care Representative for advice, and she will happily reply with a list of suggestions. 

    Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or Linkedin, and stay ahead of the game with an occasional laugh and non-stop marketing & business advice, news and analysis.

DIY Promotional Giveaway: Chocolate Bouquet

By Fausto Mendez

    If you’re a fan of DIY crafts for personalized gifts and promotional giveaways, you should consider adding a personal touch to your next promotional gift with a homemade chocolate bouquet.

    This DIY giveaway is perfect for courting leads that happen to be recent grads - especially masters and PHDs - since they might be moving up the corporate ladder soon. You might also send one to your clients’ kids if you’re close enough and not creepy about it. Top it off with some relevant promotional giveaways, such as a pen set or an iPad case, to add some brand boosting power to your gift. Don’t forget that the point of a promotional gift is to raise awareness of your brand in your target audience.

    Furthermore, you can adjust the design to fit a variety of themes, holidays and events. You are only limited by your creativity. Now, let’s make a chocolate bouquet.

    First, you should do some basic research to determine the best type of chocolate to buy. Some people really prefer dark over milk, and others love white chocolate. Some people love caramel while others prefer (or have allergies to) certain nuts. A little bit of homework goes a long way.

Step 0 - Gather Your Cooking Materials

+ Mini Reese’s peanut butter cups or a similarly shaped chocolate candy.

+ Square-shaped (not cubed) chocolate candies or candy melts (that you melt and reshape into a square). Reshaped candy melts work best.

+ Lollipop sticks

+ Mini M&Ms

+ Colored candy decorating pen

+ Flower pot

+ Styrofoam cylinder (that fits inside the flower pot)

Step 1 - Prepare the Cups

+ Insert each stick into the top of the peanut butter cup. You might need to make a hole with a toothpick before inserting the lollipop stick. This helps to keep the cup intact as you insert the stick.

+ Most likely, your hands are too warm for the peanut butter cups, so they are starting to melt. Place each of peanut butter cup right side up on a plate. Stick them in the refrigerator for ten minutes to help them solidify. 

Step 2 - Assemble the Hats

+ Use the candy pen as adhesive to stick the square chocolate onto the bottom of the peanut butter cup. Do not penetrate the square chocolate with the stick.

+ Sit the hats upside down for about ten minutes to allow the adhesive to set.

+ Create the graduation cap tassel with the candy pen, and use an M&M to create the button that holds the tassel onto the hat.

+ Arrange the caps within the flower pot by using the Styrofoam to hold them in place.

Step 3 -  Dress it Up

+ Use tissue paper (preferably cut into thin, long strands) to add some flare and hide the Styrofoam. 

+ Decorate the flower pot with a message or art.

Step 4 - Add Promotional Products that Raise Brand Awareness

+ If you’re using this concept as a promotional gift, you’ll need to add some customized promotional products with your brand logo on it. We have a number of suggestions below, but can also browse the AnyPromo No-Minimum section for products that don’t have to be ordered in bulk. Don’t forget to add your brand’s logo to any of these products.

+ Many grads have a laptop, and have developed some level of addiction to it. A promotional messenger bag for 11-inch or 13-inch notebooks would be a useful and long-lasting gift.

+ Some grads might enjoy a custom flag or vinyl banner customized with a band or sports team’s logo. 

+ If your target is a drinker, he or she might enjoy a corkscrew / coaster gift set. Writers or heavy note takers might prefer the leather notebook version.

+ Targets with business cards may enjoy a custom sculpture shaped out of their business cards and then placed inside a glass bottle. It’s a new take on the boat-in-a-bottle concept. From 18 wheelers to aircraft carriers, there’s definitely a sculpture that will appeal to your target.There’s even a sculpture of business man behind a desk!

    Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or Linkedin, and stay ahead of the game with an occasional laugh and non-stop marketing & business advice, news and analysis. Brought to you by AnyPromo.com. Thanks to Chica Circle for the pictures.

An Email Marketing Tactic that Works Really Damn Well

By Fausto Mendez

    Email marketing is a tricky beast to tame. Effective tactics vary from business to business, so A/B tests and audience surveys can work wonders. But some basic strategies exist that can unlock big rewards if you execute them well - no matter your industry or audience. A recent EDM campaign by REI is a perfect example.

    This morning, I stumbled upon a great piece at Freelance Writing Solutions on follow-up marketing emails that seem to be working pretty well on customers that made recent purchases at REI. Below, I break down the story to the basic details, but the whole thing is worth a read if you have the extra time.

+ The author of the article recently purchased a pair of cross-country skiesat REI, an outdoor-equipment retailer with a lot of street cred within the outdoor-sports community.

+ Approximately three weeks after purchase, he received a follow-up email from REI. The message congratulated him on his recent purchase of skies, and it included some very helpful articles, including how-to guides on equipment cleaning & maintenance and a web-based tool that displays snow reports at your favorite ski spots.

+ The customer felt like REI was paying attention to him because REI knows that he didn’t purchase downhill, or mountain, skies. Also, the email marketing team at REI did a great job at guessing exactly the kind information a recent purchaser of cross-country skies might need. Actually, that customer didn’t even know he needed some of the information in the message, so it was a welcome surprise overall. 

+ This marketing email is not designed to immediately catalyze purchases. Unfortunately  a lot of marketers expect instant results out of every message sent to subscribers, but this message has a much greater, longer-lasting effect. The effect this message seems to have on the customer is that it builds a relationship with the customer, increasing brand awareness and brand appreciation in the process. As a result, his next outdoor-sports purchase will probably be at REI. 

    The story illustrates the importance of building long-lasting and close relationships with your customers - not just through email marketing but through any and all available channels. More importantly, email marketers need to exercise more out-of-the-box creativity to find the best ways to do this.

    It’s a great idea. No doubt. But we suggest a few more tips that’ll help you make the most out of every EDM:

+ Stay visual. Effective web marketing is always mixed in with amazing graphics, photography and lay-out design. Rely on a tried-and-true graphic designer to help you achieve the best results.

+ Though your graphic artist has a great eye for visual design, he’s probably not a great marketing manager. The same can be said about your customer service reps and salesmen. The EDM campaign as whole, including message and content, should be managed by a well-trained marketing manager that can easily see the world through the eyes of other people. 

+ The subject line is critical! This text is the first thing the customer will see, and it will literally determine whether or not the customer opens the email at all. It may even encourage customers to label your messages as spam, which can weaken your delivery rates in the future. In other words, you can build the best EDM emails that have ever existed, but if the subject line is weak, no one will even open it in the first place. 

+ Seek the opinions of an outside consultant with a fresh and unbiased view of your business. This consultant can offer answers to confusing issues that you would have no idea how to approach, such as: low deliverability rates, IP address issues, domain issues, choosing the best email service provider for your current circumstances, A/B testing, blacklists, whitelists, changing privacy laws, and much more. If a consultant is out of your budget, you may consider signing up with an email service provider, SEO firm or marketing company with an EDM specialist on staff that you can call upon when you need help. 

    Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or Linkedin, and stay ahead of the game with an occasional laugh and non-stop marketing & business advice, news and analysis. Brought to you by AnyPromo.com.

Businesses Are Losing the Right to Ask Customers for Zip Codes? Yes, But It Doesn’t Matter.

By Fausto Mendez

    It’s expected that businesses make some kind of effort to obtain the personal info - including phone and address - of their customers. That’s why I was surprised to hear that it’s becoming illegal for businesses to ask for customer zip codes in the US. It was even more surprising to me when I learned that this has been illegal in California since 2011.

    Now that I think about it, a business hasn’t asked me for my zip code since my college days. That’s because California considers zip codes to be a critical piece of identifying information, and with just your zip code, they can accurately guess your home address and phone number. Whether you like it or not, it seems that as California goes, so does the rest of the nation. Massachusetts is the next state that’s outlawed the collection of zip codes during customer transactions, and there’s no reason to assume this trend will reverse itself anytime soon. Fortunately for marketers (and unfortunately for consumers), this isn’t a big deal. Consumer information is more available than ever.

    The rise of online marketing and social-media marketing makes these laws irrelevant. Let’s put it this way: if a marketer gains access to your Facebook profile, they probably have a lot more on file than just your zip code, phone number and home address. And by connecting with you on Facebook, they have a much faster and more convenient way of communicating with you than annoying junk mail or telemarketers. 

    As a result, these laws are generally perceived as good for the public, but they won’t protect consumers’ info from prying eyes - at least not in this day and age. The new laws may force marketers to rely on the online world even more, and in the digital realm, it’s much easier to get the same info and a lot more. In the end, these laws only coerce businesses to rely on easier and more effective web-based methods. Though that’s great for the marketing industry, consumers are not receiving any effective protection by the passage of these laws. 

    Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or Linkedin, and stay ahead of the game with an occasional laugh and non-stop marketing & business advice, news and analysis. Brought to you by AnyPromo.com.

(Source: Business Insider)

Recipes to Boost Focus in Meetings: Cinnamon-Roll Cheesecake #RBFM

By Fausto Mendez

    Pitching to a hungry audience is shooting yourself in the foot, so bring along some tasty treats - preferably sugary stuff - to boost client focus and mood. It WILL make a significant difference in the success or productivity of your meeting. This week’s #RBFM sugar spell: Cinnamon-Roll Cheesecake (with Cream-Cheese Frosting).

    What happens when you combine two of the most amazing deserts into one concoction? You get something like a cinnamon-roll-cheesecake absurdity. Though it might shave off a few minutes from your lifespan, it’s worth more than its weight in gold (at least to your taste buds). In an nutshell, it’s a cheesecake stuffed with cinnamon rolls. Delicious.

    Now, let’s get to work. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and grease a 9-inch Springform pan to get started. Next, search your house or the local supermarket for the following ingredients.

Step 0 - Gather Your Ingredients

+ Cinnamon Roll Batter: 2/3 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1/3 cup butter (room temp.), 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt

+ Cinnamon Filling: 3tbsp cinnamon, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup butter (melted)

+ Cheesecake Filling: 16 oz. cream cheese (room temp.), 1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 3 eggs, 2 tbsp flour

Step 1 - Start the Cinnamon Roll Batter

+ Cream together the butter and sugar. 

+ Add the egg, milk and vanilla to the bown. Beat for a minute or so; scrape down the bowl.

+ Mix in some flour. Throw in some baking powder. Toss in a little bit of salt. Mix at a slow speed until thoroughly combined.

Step 2 - Start the Cinnamon Filling

+ Grab another bowl. Mix together the melted butter, cinnamon and sugar. 

Step 3 - Start the Cheesecake Filling

+ Grab a third bow. Fill i up with cream cheese and sugar. Beat it for two minutes at medium-high speed.

+ Crack some eggs. Don’t add them all at the same time. Mix in each egg before you add the next one. Scrape down the bowl.

+ Add vanilla and flour. Beat for minute or so.

Step 4 - Bake Your Cinnamon-Roll Cheesecake

+ Spread half of the cinnamon-roll batter onto the bottom of the Springform pan. Press it down. Make sure you spray your hands with cooking spray to prevent it from sticking to your hands.

+ Next, add all of the cheesecake batter into the Springform pan.

+ Drop spoonfuls of cinnamon filling over the top of the cheesecake batter. When you’re done with the cinnamon filling, drop spoonfuls of the cinnamon-roll batter over everything.

+ Gently swirl your mess of ingredients together. How much you swirl is up to you, but you don’t want to mix it all together. The goal of the swirl is for all of the different batters and fillings to not be so separated but to leave enough separation so you can experience different textures and flavors with each bite.

+ Bake for 50-55 minutes. Let it cool for 20 minutes at room temperature. Move it to the fridge for 4 hours or so. Take it out and let it warm up back to room temperature.

Step 6 - Now, Let’s Make Some Cream-Cheese Frosting

+ Beat some cream cheese and butter in a bowl for two minutes or so.

+ Add the other ingredients into the bowl; mix it together until you’re satisfied with the consistency of the frosting. If you feel that your frosting is too thick, thin it out with a splash of milk.

+ Pour the frosting over the top of the cake.

Step 7 - Consume

+ First, thank Culinary Concoctions for posting the original recipe.

+ This next step is arguably the easiest part of the recipe. You’ll need: a plate, a fork, some friends (or a lover), and either some good music or a few episodes of your favorite TV show. Eat.

    Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or Linkedin, and stay ahead of the game with an occasional laugh and non-stop marketing & business advice, news and analysis. Brought to you by AnyPromo.com.

Finished Work: Promotional Cutting Boards for Milk Bone

By Fausto Mendez

    Our partner AnyPromo.com is a promotional products supplier/retailer, and the company’s graphic artists love to show off their finished work. This is just another design of the many, many designs they finalize on a daily basis.

    Milk Bone® reached out to us for a promotional cutting board this week, and we’re honored to be approached by such a high-profile client. The above image previews the final design. This promotional product features full-color digital printing, so you’re not limited to by color and design. Check out the official product page for more details. Below, you can see a finished version of this cutting for another client.

    Promotional cutting boards are ideal for office lunch rooms. Visit clients and leads, and offer a promotional cutting board as a gift. It’ll serve as a friendly brand reminder, but it’ll also send the message that you really value this client and its business.

    In the end, you’re only limited by your creativity. The effectiveness of your promotional giveaway is dependent on your plan of approach as much as it depends on the product itself. 

    Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or Linkedin, and stay ahead of the game with an occasional laugh and non-stop marketing & business advice, news and analysis.

The Best Way to Deal with Difficult or Mean Clients

By Fausto Mendez

    Business is business - until it gets personal. Actually, when big money and reputations are on the line, it’s almost always personal. It’s really easy for your clients to step on your toes (or the other way around), but no matter who’s at fault, you need to be ready to deal with moody, rude or emotionally unstable customers in a positive and calm way that moves you closer to your business goals without sacrificing top-tier service.

    Law firms are a perfect example of a business atmosphere that is bursting with emotions. When you’re serving a client that’s on the verge of losing his house, business, freedom or a ton of cash, it’s silly not to expect some frustration to surface in ugly ways - not just from the client but perhaps from yourself too. That’s why the Harvard Business Review’s Mark Goulston is sharing the lessons he’s learned as a lawyer who’s served some of the rudest and downright meanest clients in his industry. His entire article is worth a read if you have the time, but we break down his advice to some actionable basics below. His tips can apply to any industry, so take notes. 

+ Start out by preparing yourself for the worst. Don’t expect your clients to respect you. This attitude prevents clients from surprising you with outbursts or insults.

+ If your career requires you to deliver really bad news to clients, it’s best to ask your clients how to approach them with bad news. When the time comes, bring up your previous conversation about how to deliver bad news, recap the client’s advice on delivering bad news, and then deliver the bad news in the way the client recommended.

+ In the event that insults come your way, detach yourself from the insults. It’s much easier said than done, especially when you’re caught off guard, but that’s why your start by preparing for the worst. It’s also important to keep in mind that the client doesn’t really know you as a whole person, so insults, in this case, are just a symptom of frustration. 

+ When shit finally goes down, the client may insult you, yell and maybe even threaten to fire you. Your ego won’t want to take it, and you may be tempted to yell back. Don’t. Just take a deep breath. Look them in the eyes, and pause. Though it’s not acceptable behavior, now would be a good time to remember that circumstances can drive anyone to behave this way.

+ When the insults finally come your way, ask a question that forces the client to examine and repeat what he or she just said, “do you really believe what you just said?” Another great question: “What was that all about?” Chances are that they expect you to fight back, so they won’t know how to respond.

    Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or Linkedin, and stay ahead of the game with an occasional laugh and non-stop marketing & business advice, news and analysis. Brought to you by AnyPromo.com.

7 Best April Fools 2013 Pranks by Big Brands

By Fausto Mendez

  April Fools has become a big holiday on the Web, and big brands are taking notice. It’s become an easy and effective way to reach out to target audiences with a fun and entertaining message that isn’t always tied back to a real product, but the message’s marketing power is real and effective. Below is our list of the funniest and most effective April Fools pranks of the year. 

    Though April Fools may not directly boost sales for most brands, it certainly increases brand awareness and makes fans out of otherwise oblivious web users. As usual, Google leads the pack with another absurd product launch.

    This year, Google launched Google Nose Beta, which enables your Android phone to excrete smells the way a speaker broadcasts sounds to the surrounding area. For example, if you find a picture of a lemon on the Web, you would smell it through your phone (without any additional hardware upgrades). It sounds as magical as any other technology that we use today, but it’s far from a real product.

    Though many companies are working on a version of this for TVs and desktop computers, Google’s implementation is absurd because it would require an expensive hardware upgrade. On Google’s end, it also requires a massive database of smells and a way to associate those smells with media on the Web. Perhaps one day, but not today.

    Google-owned YouTube also pulled its own prank this year. Riding on the Web’s frustration with the the recent shut down of some highly-beloved and popular products, such as Labs and Reader, Google announced that it is officially shutting down YouTube. Actually, YouTube was just a massive contest to find the best user-submitted video, and now, the company is ready to select a winner.

    Twitter also joined in the fun with a new tool, though it’s not known for its April shenanigans. The company announced a web-based that allows users to tweet without vowels, enabling them to broadcast significantly longer messages. It’s not much of a prank because it really does work, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Twitter launched an official version of this tool. 

    Sony launched Animalia, a new electronics line for pets, including tablets and headphones for dogs/cats and speakers for hamsters.

    Hulu’s prank should appeal to fans of popular TV shows. The company added a variety of new TV shows to its online offering, but there’s one problem. These shows don’t exist! They only exist within other TV shows. For example, you’ll find Itchy & Scratchy episodes from The Simpsons, Inspector Space Time episodes from Community and Mock Trial with J. Reinhold episodes from Arrested Development.

    Apparently, the US Army is training cats as soldiers. The caption for the below photo reads, “Gino, military working cat, 947th Police Detachment, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), takes his class photo after graduating from the military working cat program.”

    Rounding out our list, Virgin Atlantic announced a new glass-bottom airplane. If I could choose any one of these pranks to be a real, I’d choose this one. Sure, it would be a bit scary at first - or during emergencies - but it would be damn fun.

    Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or Linkedin, and stay ahead of the game with an occasional laugh and non-stop marketing & business advice, news and analysis. Brought to you by AnyPromo.com.