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In the paragraph below, read only the words that are bold, and ignore all the other text.
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Filtering out stimuli – In many situations people get easily distracted. In fact, you can often grab people’s attention away from what they are focusing on. But it is also possible for people to pay attention to one thing and filter out all other stimuli. This is called selective attention.
Unconscious selective attention — You are walking down a path in the woods, thinking about an upcoming business trip you are taking, and you see a snake on the ground. You freeze and jump backwards. Your heart starts racing. You are ready to run away. But wait, it’s not a snake. It’s just a stick. You calm down and keep walking on the path. You noticed the stick, and even responded to it, in a largely unconscious way.My book, Neuro Web Design: What makes them click, is all about unconscious mental processing. Some of the time you are aware of your conscious selective attention, for example, when you were reading the paragraph at the beginning of the chapter. But there is also a lot of selective attention that operates unconsciously.
What do you think? How good are you at selective attention?
Yahoo! may have gotten the ball rolling on the Hulu sales deal by coming at them with an offer, but Hulu leveraged the position by pushing for a number of additional potential buyers. While little is known about the bidding war – beyond the fact that it’s the real deal, with Hulu officially working with investment banks to make the process possible – company names such as Google, Microsoft, Netflix, Amazon, and Apple are being thrown about.
But who gets the most out of the transaction? There are various opinions. Nick Eaton of Seattle PI says that Microsoft has the most to gain. “Controlling Hulu would give Microsoft a high-profile platform for video advertising,” says Eaton. The buy would also give Microsoft a possible competitor for YouTube, an additional resources on the gaming platform front, and a nice little revenue stream to boot. But Microsoft would also be entering tricky territory by trying to provide for competing groups, such as Sony’s PlayStation 3, andnegotiating with the various TV networks.
Yahoo! has a lot to gain on the Hulu front, especially considering the low company revenue and diving company stock values. Since Yahoo! turned down Microsoft’s offer to buy the company for roughly $33 per share, the stock value has dipped as low as about $11 per share. The current value is $14.89. A profitable and recognized stream could be just what Yahoo! needs, and the increasing focus on the entertainment front matches with Yahoo!’s overall game-plan.
Google could buy Hulu, supplementing their user-generated video content with the TV-centric content on Hulu. It woud certainly secure the media front, but with Google already in a strong position, the main purpose would be preventing another company from buying the content. The only big advantage would be that Android systems would have greater access to Hulu data.
There’s not a clear “best choice” candidate, but each group has something to gain. Whoever acquires Hulu will have a valuable asset on their hand, but considering the project $2 billion buyout price, our potential buyers are limited to the giant technology groups.
June 24, 2011
21 Summer Subject Lines that Make a Splash
Summer’s here, and the living’s easy! Well, that last part might not necessarily be true, but you can save time on your email marketing this summer by taking tips from these seasonally inspired subject lines. Now queue up your emails and go have some fun in the sun!
- New red, white & blue for you! (Chasing Fireflies)
- Take up to 50% off at our Red, White and Denim Sale! (Lucky Brand)
- Get Independence Day Travel Inspiration (VRBO)
- Independence Sale – Fares from $9* Each Way! (Spirit Airlines)
- Proudly Made in the USA (Sur la Table)
- Start Planning Your 4th Of July Family Fun (Melissa & Doug)
- Fire up the grill! (Chronicle Books)
- Amber, the first day of Summer is here! And so is your 52% off. (ProFlowers)
- Summer Cycling + Save up to 30% (REI)
- Summer Sale — Save up to 75% (Papyrus)
- Make your creative sizzle this summer (DMA Education)
- On the Menu: Fire, Smoke & Flavor with the Voltaggio Bros. (Williams-Sonoma)
- School’s Out! (Teavana)
- Ready For S’more Campsite Styles? + Get Free Shipping (Zappos.com)
- Get Our Newest Tips for Sweet Summer Celebrations (Tiny Prints)
- Summer Home Sale: extra 15% off ends Wednesday + Free Shipping! (Macy’s)
- My Mileage Plus: Start the summer off with great travel tips and deals (United Miles)
- Farmer’s Market Fresh: Everything you need for healthy summer meals (Crate and Barrel)
- Summer’s newest sandals – get ’em all! (DSW)
- Seasonal Clearance! Up to 75% Off – Shop Semi Annual Sale! (Bath & Body Works)
- Summer’s Officially Here – Get Outside and Entertain (Z Gallerie)
What subject lines or businesses have inspired your email marketing? Please share your favorites!
