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Patrick Ackerman [] Analysis: Fatburger is a California based fast food company that incorporates new media into their company website. When you go to their home site the first thing you see is a sign that is continually changing. Their use of Ajax is to show their customers and fans new offers and products they have come out with. One add on this changing sign is for Fatburger’s Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter sites. This is a way for Fatburger to connect in another way with their customers. I took a look at the Facebook site to see how they used it to connect to their customers. Fatburger uses it to post pictures, give updates, and inform customers about different events and products. They do this to make it easier to advertise and get their word out to a broader audience. Now their advertisement is just limited to people that visit their site. By using Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter, they are able to advertise to anyone that uses these sites. When they upload pictures or update statuses, their followers will see them whenever they sign on. Now they have effectively gotten their message out to their fans instead of their fans having to come to them. I looked to see if Fatburger had a Youtube channel and it appeared that they didn't. They only have over one thousand followers on Twitter and only about two thousand fans on Facebook. Not to mention their only two hundred seventy two Myspace friends. None of that seems like a lot for a big name corporation. They aren't updating their status very frequently either. Their last Tweet was on October 30. Their last Facebook status update was on October 31. And the last time they were logged onto Myspace was on October 28. (This article is being written on November 2). For a company that advertises their Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter on their home page, they don't do a very god job of up keeping them. There are many kids I go to school with that are able to update their statuses by the minute. I don't think it should be too hard for a multi-million dollar corporation to do it. Maybe by not keeping up on their social networking they are losing customers because they are unaware of what is going on with the company. The company should really take interest in their social networking to broaden their horizons. For some people, sites like Twitter and Facebook are the only media they are getting in some days. By companies updating these sites regularly it could possibly appeal to a broader audience of people. This could be the reason that Fatburger only exists out west and hasn't expanded to the east.

[] Harvard does a great job of using new media to appeal to their audience. When you visit their home web page pictures come up of different events or activities at the school. This is to draw their followers and to advertise the diversity of the school. It is also a way to add some variety to the site. People will see something different everytime they visit the site. This could be a way to get people to keep coming back. If somebody comes to the site and sees something they like and come back again and see something else they like, they will be likely to keep coming to the site. Although not advertised on their website, Harvard does have a Facebook page with more than three thousand followers and a Twitter page with more than four thousand followers. This is a great way to show their audience whatthey have to offer. What is the biggest generation for Facebook and Twitter users? It is the young people. And they are the ones that are going to be looking at colleges. This is a convientient way for colleges to show what they want potential students to see. Since it is also a place where people can post things, it is a way for students to hear first hand experiences from past and present students at the college. This is a great way for students to decide on a school. Also it is a way for colleges to relate to students and make it easier for them to find out about the school. They are able to post events taking place and the school and videos, pictures, and reviews and thoughts about them on there. It is also a way for former students to see what is going on at the school after they have left. This could cause them to leave comments about good memories it brings back for them about the school and make them look good in the eyes of prospective students. Harvard also has a Youtube channel. Here they broadcast different speeches, class projects, or events that take place at the school. This is another way for future, past or present students are able what is going on at the school. And it is a way to broadcast what is going on at their school to the world.

@http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=bos The first thing i noticed when I visited the Red Sox website was the changing pictures on the home page. This is the team's way of advertising different events and games. Unlike Harvard's site that changes every time you visit it, this site changes while you are at it. This is so fans can see everything at once. I have also noticed that it is updated almost everyday so fans will probably see something different every time they visit. This is an example of Ajax. Another example of the site's use of Ajax is the live game updates they have on their site. It is an up-to-date pitch-by-pitch analysis of the game that is going on at the time when you visit the site. For some people that may only have internet access and not access to the game on the tv or radio, this is a great way for them to see what is going on in the game. This may also keep fans coming back to the site. Also on the Red Sox website there are many videos and one starts playing every time somebody comes to the site. Here they broadcast games highlights, interviews, reactions, and videos from different events they hold or take part in. Once again this is another great way for people to see what is going on with the Red Sox. It is much more convenient to go to their site and see their thirty second highlight of last night's game, rather than sitting and watching SportsCenter until the one highlight you want to see comes up. The Red Sox made it easy for their fans and make it all Red Sox all the time. Although I wasn't able to find an official Red Sox Twitter or Youtube page, I was able to find a Red Sox Facebook page. Here they upload different links to articles about the team and baseball in general. Also, they use it to upload videos and pictures and and videos from games and interviews. Once again it is a way for the Red Sox to connect with their fans and bring the news, highlights, and scores to them instead of the fans having to come to them. It is also a place where fans can show their support for their team. (Or hate for a certain team from New York) It's also a way for the team to interact with their fans. They are able to hear feedback about different games and players from the people that are paying their sallaries. Companies, teams, and schools alike use new media to conect with their followers, customers, fans, and students. Wether it is through pictures, videos, or social networking, new media is just a way to make it easier to get a thought or idea out to the world.