In a unique marketing move, Paramount and IMAX are partnering up to offer a sneak peek at Christopher Nolan’s much-anticipated sci-fi epic “Interstellar” with a traveling exhibit powered by Oculus Rift. With the help of Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets, participants will be able to experience zero gravity in the film’s featured spacecraft. With the maturation of virtual reality technology, we expect more marketing efforts to deploy it to offer a refreshingly immersive experience.
Category: Percolate
Pinterest Ventures Into Native Ads With “Pin Picks”
Earlier this week, Pinterest launched its new “Pin Picks” collection that aggregates under its official account. Built in conjunction with content partners, the new collection could signal Pinterest’s interest in curating content and native advertising.
At the moment, the Pin Picks section offers a broad variety of topics and categories to delve into, including a special guide for Halloween, for which Pinterest is working with creative partners like eHow, Funny or Die, and YouTube star Michelle Phan to surface pins and provide costume inspiration throughout the month.
GoPro Cameras Now Support Real-Time Broadcasting
With the help of Livestream iOS app, proud owners of GoPro cameras can now broadcast their adrenaline-pumping shenanigans over WiFi or 4G connections in real time. The live-streamed video quality won’t be what you usually expect from a professional HD camera like GoPro, but it does open up new opportunities in experience sharing and news reporting while serving as a potent marketing tool.
Why Video Games Are The New Blockbusters
With recent high-profile launches of video games such as Bungie studio’s Destiny, video games have completed their transformation from niche market to a burgeoning billion-dollar industry that could rival Hollywood. By emulating Hollywood’s more-is-more formula for box-office success, today’s hit video games blast into the scene with bombastic visuals, cinematic camerawork, and A-list celebrity cameos, all supported by their astronomical budgets. As the next generation of game consoles looks to take realism, immersion and interactivity in gaming up to new levels, the video game industry is set to bust more blocks.
Facebook Might Drop Payment Into Its Messaging App
Look out, PayPal and Venmo! According to leaked images, Facebook might build a mobile payment platform that’s seamlessly integrated into its Messenger app. With the service enabled, users could send money to friends with the ease of sending a picture—a much more convenient way than launching another app. Combined with its vast user base, Facebook might just make a grand entry into mobile payment. Whether consumers would trust a company with a spotty track record when it comes to user data, however, remains to be seen.
London’s Red Phone Booths Go Green
London’s iconic red payphone booths are getting a new lease on life by going green. Six of the city’s iconic red telephone boxes have been painted bright green and transformed into charging stations with solar panels on their roofs. The public can use them to get a quick battery boost for their mobile devices free of charge—the cost is covered by in-kiosk advertising.
Netflix Continues To Push Into Original Content
Following the news earlier this week of signing a deal with Weinstein to release “Crouching Tiger 2” simultaneously with select IMAX theaters, Netflix is continuing its push into original content by announcing a deal with Adam Sandler. The comedian will produce and star in four feature-length films set to premiere exclusively on Netflix. Although his recent works have been misses more than hits, Netflix has apparently gathered enough behavioral data to determine that its audience would love to see four more movies from the guy who made “Jack and Jill.”
Facebook Wants A Bite Of That eHealth Cake, Too
According to Reuters, Facebook could be following Apple and Google into the eHealth field. The social networking giant reportedly plans to introduce support communities for people suffering from specific medical ailments and “preventative care” apps to help people generally improve their lifestyle. Given how much Facebook already knows about its users, it comes as no surprise that the company is looking to take advantage of all the voluntarily shared health-related info.
Reddit Gives Back By Introducing Their Own Cryptocurrency
Reddit, one of the biggest content sharing sites in the world, has raised $50 million in Series B on a $500 million valuation and, in a surprising move, plans to give back 10% of the round’s equity to the user community through its own cryptocurrency. With this move, Reddit could potentially revitalize its community while also introducing some new “freemium” features linked with its its own “reddit money”. This, in turn, could potentially open up a new revenue stream should Reddit decide to allow exchange with fiat money.
What The PayPal-eBay Split Would Mean For Digital Payment
EBay’s decision to spin PayPal off next year could give it renewed life: as a public company, PayPal would be able to issue its own stock to help attract talent and retain its growth, which is crucial considering the fierce competition it faces. Aside from its old nemesis Square, newcomer Apple Pay is a serious threat to PayPal in mobile apps, while Stripe has recently signed major partnerships with Twitter and Facebook, not to mention Amazon’s low-key entry into mobile payment.
Moreover, this move could make PayPal a takeover target, with Google often brought up as a possible buyer as it is eager to compete with Apple in mobile payment. Either way, it seems like the digital payment industry is due for a shake-up.
