Technology

To connect with Minnesota Vikings fans Qwest Communications on Sept. 21 set up the Qwest High Speed Challenge in an area outside the Metrodome where the Vikings have an interactive experience open to the public before each game. The tie in: Qwest linked its fiber-optic fast Internet service to the local sports hero’s speed to connect with a core market. Fans were challenged with topping all-pro running back Adrian Peterson’s 4.4-second 40-yard dash record time.

The Air Force is taking off in new directions thanks to bleeding-edge cell phone technology being used at events

Army Navy Air Force Marines. The one thing the four branches of the armed forces all have in common is aggressive recruitment goals. But for the Air Force the pitch is markedly different. “We’re the technology brand ” says Master Sergeant Deshaun Woods the Air Force’s interactive account executive. “We’re about air space and cyberspace.”

Want to be more Earth friendly? Take this advice from brands that already walk the talk

Green-screen photo activations have long been used to entice customers to exchange personal information for a memorable moment captured on film.
But despite its popularity marketers may not be making the most of the data after the fact. As the financial firestorm continues to topple companies left and right green-screen providers are rising to the challenge by offering targeted on-site data collection strategies detailed backend reports and tactics that extend the experience online. Collecting data for the sake of collecting data? Not in this economy pal.

SITTING IN ON A BRAINSTORMING SESSION with Autodesk’s event marketing group must feel a bit like a meeting with Al Gore. The company has become an innovator in designing exhibits and events that leave little environmental footprint but still pack an awe-inspiring punch. Just one look at the brand’s eco-friendly plywood trade show booth and it’s pretty clear—at Autodesk going green doesn’t mean sacrificing exhibit substance or style.