BuzzParadise is bringing 2 major changes in the process to make your BuzzParadise experience much more easier.

1st change : the permanent player !

To help you broadcasting new video campaigns, you can now accept the autodiffusion on one or all your media. You just have to activate the permanent player.

All the video campaigns you will be selected to participate to will be automatically activated and diffused on your media.
Of course, you can control the campaigns offered by the permanent player. And it will be possible for you to change your mind at any time.

2nd change : the payment !

No paypal anymore, your payments will be made via bank transfers. You will thus receive your earnings directly on your bank account. Go directly to your profile to enter your IBAN and BIC/SWIFT code.

Eventually, the General Terms and Conditions of Use of BuzzParadise have been updated. We invite you to read and accept them on your member space.

Have a nice day,

The BuzzParadise team

Working closely with keys communication and media agencies, BuzzParadise needed to have a third party and reliable position as top digital media partner.

The independence of BuzzParadise is a strategic step. A reorganization of its capital is in progress. BuzzParadise is going to move all teams in their own office in the center of Paris.

Everybody talked & is talking about this wedding and we did not escape the by-products….

From the « Kiss me Kate » beer to the tea bag, so many occasions for making us smile and giving a foretaste of what they can expect later…

That is why, with this massive enthusiasm, POP’SET has also played the game. Which was successful for sure! Look at our British & charming lovebirds!

The creative paper brand continues its contest which has been launching March, 1st and will end on May, 15. Making the most of burning news (papertoys can prove it), POP’SET is offering us so many original pieces. Shin Tanaka and Karim Rashid, the first, let explode all their artistic potential!

The « Colours’s Attack Contest» go on during several days before the election of the most rated C-Myk. The best one will fly to London for the International Designers’show “New blood 2011” and will be exhibited among the best C-Myk.

All the profits will be given to the UNESCO for the funding of a special program on “Art & Creative Industries”.

More information on POP’SET and the contest here. See you on the Facebook page.

Why don’t you see by yourself some of our bloggers’ articles ! Yin&Yang’s, Artisnotdead’s

As you know, the team has just moved to Paris and discovered brand new offices (Boulevard Poissonière). In other words, it was the perfect time for us to organize our house-warming party and share a friendly moment with you.

On april 7th, more than 300 persons get together for an unforgettable party. Needless to say, bloggers, advertisers, publicists, creatives & twitter-addicts livened things up ! Well, a good sample which perfectly represents today’s web.

What was planned ? « Cyclops » at the entrance, PlayStation points which pleased the game-addicts (GT5, Killzone 3, Playstation Move and Singstar allowed us to discover some hidden talents ^^), even a VitaminWater bar replaced our offices !!

It was a real pleasure to meet / see again / chat with you all during this first Parisian party of the year. It will be too long to name everyone, but you are always welcome in our offices and other events will take place soon for those who missed the party !

Finally, a big thank to our friend Gautier (@gtrsvr) who made us dance all night long with an awesome music, to our Vanksen’s friends for their help with the organization, and also to our sponsors PlayStation, VitaminWater, Skype, ChronoResto and Flip !

You could discover all the photos on our flickr account :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/buzzparadise/sets/72157626483613486/

To be continued…,

The BuzzParadise Team

On the programme of this evening, 3 exceptional elements:
• A good cuisine (Italian of course…)
• The Lacroix Stocks (the savoury base of all our meals)
• A convivial atmosphere

Although the 7 bloggers that were invited did not know each other before the event, this initiative – sponsored by Lacroix – gave them the opportunity to become inseparable cooks for the night!
In the first instance: preparation of the dishes. Under the watchful eye of chef Luc, the bloggers got ready for one of the most perilous exercises, the mastery of the stock!
Besides, it is this moment that our cooking starlets, equipped with their apron and cutting board, choose to express a dynamic similar to a great friendship! 

The culinary competences of each invited blogger had been put to the test. A flawless organization for the chef apprentices who were hungry!
Ewoud de Stew.be became « the mixer » of risotto.

Uw Moeder de Appelogen and Nicole de Bonoboz the vegetable cutters.
Evelien de Hungryfeelings and Caroline de Avocado van de Duivel were in charge of the final fruit salad.
Kato de Limoblogt mastered the frying pan with the « bruschettas » like an Italian.
Luckily, Annick de Bonoboz was present to immortalise the event in the eyes of the international press!
The dishes concocted by everyone with love and passion were sampled immediately. The Flemish assistants were unanimous when qualifying this dish as one of the most divines!

They were generously given thanks by Isabel De Laet, brand manager for Lacroix, who offered everyone a basket full of surprises and Lacroix products. An appreciating wink from the bloggers and my stomac!! 

This evening allowed us to understand to what extent cooking can be a relaxing and fun activity that creates exceptional interactions. A preparation that wouldn’t, no doubt, have been the same without the Lacroix stocks and their marvelous savouries.

Photo gallery here

1. What are your position/your responsibilities at Disney Parks?

Vice President, Creative Inc, an internal marketing agency of idea champions & innovation catalysts.

2. Do you think viral and buzz marketing is important now, compared to traditional advertising?
Brands now need to think of themselves as both content providers but also content curators. I believe successful brands will evolve very quickly from Marketing to Engagement and Co-collaboration.

3. How did you associate the Disney Brand with the message in the video? Why choosing the Muppets?

The viral video encourages consumers to actively get involved in their local community, by helping a charitable organization for a day. In return, the first million people to participate get to celebrate by getting a free ticket to one of our theme parks at the Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort for use in 2010. We chose the Muppets to help with our Give-A-Day, Get-A-Day campaign across the board because of the sense of irreverent humor and chaos that only they could bring to the campaign. My personal favorite is when Gonzo crashes headfirst into your computer screen.

4. What do you believe drives users to forward the video to their family & friends?

Based on the success of our “What Will You Celebrate” viral campaign, that we produced in collaboration with Vanksen last year, we learned that above all the campaign needs to be both fun & entertaining and allow consumers to personalize the content for their friends and family.

5. How do you engage the audience and make sure they are compelled to watch the video (tricks of the trade)?

Receiving the video from a personal friend is crucial in obtaining trust and acceptance. The fact that you can then personalize the written and verbal content really puts a smile on people’ faces. I believe that the addition of a personalized blog greeting with Kermit and Fozzie, that bloggers can embed into their own personal blogs, is going to be huge. I also believe by adding two new endings that consumers will receive each time a new friend sends them the video will really extend its life cycle.

6. How did you come up with the creative concept for the experience?

Working with Christie, Katy and Jim in our Digital Marketing team, as well as the irrepressible Michael and Thierry at Vanksen, we developed a concept around the Muppets encouraging people to volunteer. Then we turned it over to Gonzo and his amazing performing chickens to add their own unique perspective.

7. What role do you see viral marketing / social media campaigns playing in marketing in three–five years?
As consumers have an increasing ability to select the brands they choose to interact with, I believe that those brands that fully engage consumers in the decision making process and fully embrace open source collaboration will be the most successful.

8. Do viral campaigns monetize at all for Disney or is it only conceived as a PR stunt?

The “What Will You Celebrate” viral video was passed along by millions of consumers around the globe in 2009, creating enormous awareness of Disney Parks as the place to celebrate life’s special milestones. The response certainly exceeded our expectations and clearly impacted consumers’ decisions to take a Disney Parks vacation. It was a major element in our overall integrated marketing campaign.

We thank Mr Wardle for this interview.

Click here to read the interview with Duncan Wardle about the “What Will You Celebrate” campaign.

Susan Sachatello, Senior Vice President, Marketing for Lands’ End

What is Lands’ End’s mission statement in the US today? What is the promise the brand brings to its clients?

Lands’ End promises to give our customers a great shopping experience where they will find stylish, high-quality products at an amazing value. We strive to be the beacon for what’s real… real value, real people, real difference.

Can you please describe the campaign and how it came to life?

The Big Warm-up was inspired by a similar endeavor in Boston known as the Big Boston Warm-up. In addition to collecting warm coats during November, a public art installation to elevate the issue of homelessness and engage the community opened on November 2nd in Boylston Plaza at Prudential Center in downtown Boston. The installation features 768 life-sized figures, each representing ten of the 7,681 homeless women, men and children in Boston. As coats are collected, the installation will be used to count down the number of coats collected and hearts warmed.

After positive response and strong support in Boston, Lands’ End extended the Big Warm-up effort to communities nationwide. Donation sites are located at more than 252 Lands’ End Shops at Sears and 13 Inlets® across the country and coats will be collected until November 30th.

How involved is Lands’ End with the Web and specifically Web 2.0 and social media efforts?

From Landsend.com and Facebook to viral videos and microsites, Lands’ End is always looking for ways to connect with customers through technology. Landsend.com sets the bar for online shopping with features that make it easy to find a great fit, the right product and customer service. The company also regularly communicates with customers through the dedicated Facebook Fan Page and via email. Personalized viral videos are also another way the company engages with customers in a fun, interactive way.

What are the objectives of the campaign? How is it working so far?

The goal of the campaign is bring communities together to help those in need. Through the Big Warm-up, we hope to collect and distribute thousands of gently used coats for those in desperate need in communities across the country. Within the first seven days of the campaign in Boston, we collected over 1,000 coats! We are off to a great start and hope everyone will join us to make a difference this winter.

Is producing a personalized Web video a way for Lands’ End to build a closer relationship with customers?

Absolutely. We are always looking for unique ways to communicate with our customers in an engaging format. A personalized viral video is just one way that we can enhance their experience with Lands’ End either through Facebook or dedicated campaign websites.

Can you talk about how you see the future of Lands’ End marketing/communications using social media/viral marketing?

Lands’ End has built a solid reputation for listening to customers whether it’s through our call centers, online or even through heartfelt letters. Social media and viral marketing is an evolution of how we will continue to connect with and engage our customers.

BuzzParadise thanks Susan Sachatello for this interview.

Several things have evolved regarding the subject, so here is an update on the situation:
As you probably noticed, you have to confirm your billing information and status for each campaign to make sure it is up to date for legal, fiscal and accounting purposes. We do need to make sure that your personal information (or professional for those concerned) is valid for the establishment of a “bill/certificate of payment” that you will find in the “My earnings” section.

From now on, in a process simplification for everyone,  a period of 7 days preceding the payments will be reserved every 2 months for the validation of your information.
Just to remind you, payments from BuzzParadise are done via Paypal exclusively, during the first week of each odd month: 7/8th of January 7/8th of March 7/8th of May etc…
Every 23rd of the month preceding a wave of payments you will receive an email inviting you to validate your information regarding the campaigns available in the “My earnings” section. You will have until the end of the month, so 7 days to validate the campaigns that you wish to be paid for. Starting on the night of the 31st, the validation period will stop so that we can check everything is ok on our side and send out the PayPal payments in the next following days.

Earnings

To give a concrete example: The next validation period will take place between the 23rd and 31st of October 2009 at midnight. All the profits validated during this period will be transferred to your PayPal account on the 7th or 8th of November. Not so difficult in the end, right?

Just pay attention to fill in your profile with your PayPal information!
One important detail: a minimum of 10 €/$ is necessary to validate your profits and be paid. If you haven’t reached this amount, your profits will be transferred to the next payment period. If you still haven’t reached the limit after two payment periods, you will exceptionally be allowed to validate your profits and be paid.
All your profits will appear as usual in the “My earnings” section, the only difference being that you can’t validate them outside of validation periods. One of the interests of this method are to make you validate all your campaigns in one go, as well as to reduce the steps necessary to lower the number of bills/certificates to edit. Yes, at BuzzParadise we’re also trying to help preserve the planet!

The two videos are already creating buzz in the blogosphere. Belgian, Swiss, British, German and US bloggers are invited to spread the buzz in the framework of one of our new media campaigns. French blogs have also started talking about it.

If you enjoy moonwalk and breakdance, you’ll certainly love these Evian babies who are amazingly fit for their age…

The campaign unveiling is scheduled for July 3, so stay tuned!