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jeongyunhoed · 3 years

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A year after the events of Past-Present-Future, Lee Mirae, Choi San, and Jeong Yunho receive a mysterious envelope containing photos and notes about the deaths of several individuals. The deeper they go into the case, they find that the entertainment industry hides a very dark secret.

Group: ATEEZ Pairing: Yunho/OC Genres: It’s a little bit of: adventure, romance, mystery, crime, fantasy, action. Things to note: It also features mentions of other idols/artists: Junhong (Zelo), Dean, Chanyeol, etc. Superpowers AU if it wasn’t obvious as well.

T/W: Themes of death, violence, demons, cults, blood, use of weapons and/or firearms, use of drugs (both recreational and medical), implied/referenced assault, implied/referenced suicide

A/N: The main conflict is a reimagining of an actual long-running theory. This is also a remaking of a previous fic I wrote before on Ao3 that will now be under the new super powers au. (if you know, you know). This work is pure fiction and does not bear a direct reflection of the idols in the story. Please let me know if you would like to be included in the tag list.

Masterlist

One

Lee Mirae and Choi San were seated at the dining table, huddling over the steaming pot of noodles in front of them. Even with the heater on, the freezing winter winds seeped through the windows that night. The television was on, the evening news reporting anything that happened during the day. Aside from the reports of finances and petty crimes, there was the sudden update in the case involving a nightclub owned by a celebrity.

“You know, the more the police let people like that get away with what they’re doing, the more I’m convinced that it’s all about the money,” San muttered in between bites.

“When hasn’t it been? Times are hard,” Mirae replied, glancing at the television every now and then while they ate.

It had already been a year since the events at Kang Tower, where she faced off with the family that played a big part in turning her into what she was. A year since remembering everything about her past, a year since putting it all behind her once and for all while reuniting with the man she loved, Jeong Yunho, who also turned out to be a mutant, an immortal mutant that could teleport in the dark.

Mirae was a mutant, as was San, who was her half-brother. Both of them essentially had the same abilities, only Mirae’s was much stronger and she was referred to as an omega-level mutant. The two of them had the ability to manipulate energy and were capable of turning objects into explosive projectiles. San only channeled his through his harpoon gun while Mirae did it with lighter objects like playing cards. Although she never played card games much, she knew how to throw it. Both of them were also highly skilled at hand to hand combat, both unarmed and armed, and had an extraordinary healing factor that made them almost-immortal.

However, that was only a few of Mirae’s capabilities. Her abilities also presented her with one unusual power set, that was being able to trap souls. This manifested when her eyes would turn black and was likely a result from using her powers to the fullest extent. Her powers also resulted in her being able to generate static, that not only made her able to neutralize touch-based powers, but it also gave her a strong psychic shield, making her mind unreadable to psychics. Yunho was an exception as he was what her old colleague Ino called, her soulmate, and would always be connected to her.

San on the other hand, ran away from home when his mutant powers first manifested. He witnessed Mirae get taken away and interned in the sanitarium when he was younger. Years before reuniting with her, he worked as a mercenary, a highly-paid assassin. San had since put that life behind him when they met again and decided to work at the store after the event at Kang Tower.

“It shouldn’t be hard for those celebrities that get arrested for those kinds of things. They could do whatever they want and get away with it. They’ve got some balls to be that cocky,” San pointed out.

“You talk like you don’t have billions stashed in your clothes.”

“Those are my life savings, I kept 1,000 won every day since I started school,” San argued.

“And how much of those billions were your cuts from old jobs?” She raised a brow.

San wrinkled his nose at the comment and went back to eating. Mirae reached over to ruffle his hair, amused at his reaction. “Where’s Yunho?” He suddenly asked.

“He’s closing the store for tonight. He lost the rock-paper-scissors game with the other employees, so he’s closing,” Mirae replied, pausing to drink water. “Money’s the root of all evil, isn’t it?” She heard more updates on the incident in the nightclub.

He noticed the way she said it. “You think there’s something more to it? Government cover-ups?” He was curious.

“There’s always something like that, isn’t it? When a government official messes up, what does the media do? Rather than cover it, they release an entertainment industry-related scoop or scandal, whatever it is,” Mirae explained. “How much of those celebrity relationships were revealed just when executives or high-level government officials were being charged for crimes? Hyuk told me a lot of those were publicity stunts too,” She added.

San looked intrigued at his sister’s explanation. He wasn’t one for being interested in the private lives of celebrities but even he knew a publicity stunt of a relationship when he saw one. “Eat the rich, kill the parasites,” He managed to say, chuckling.

“Depends on who the parasites are,” Mirae pointed out.

They heard a rustling coming from the hall and Yunho appeared. “Honey, I’m home, and good evening to you too Sannie,” He said, sitting down at the table to help himself to a bowl of noodles.

Jeong Yunho was also a mutant, an immortal mutant who had the ability to teleport. However, his teleportation abilities were very limited as he could only do so in the dark or at night. His powers manifested when he was killed during a mission in Morocco, when he died in Mirae’s arms only to wake up shortly after they had gone and made a long journey back to Korea. Yunho was also interned in the same sanitarium as Mirae, trained with the same fighting abilities and seemed to be the only one who could match up to her with an added advantage of his height.

“We were just watching the news, another update on that case with the club,” Mirae tilted her head towards the television. The news shifted into a commercial that featured an idol group. Mirae noticed that the group looked familiar, until she saw the face of Lee Midam, her best friend and producer Kwon Hyuk’s cousin. Both Hyuk and Midam were mutants that had psychic abilities. Hyuk was a powerful, omega-level telekinetic that had some telepathic ability, while Midam was a telepath of what could be the worst kind - he could project a person’s worst fears and desires and saw how they may die if they were to die in the near future. “Oh, I see those boys are doing very well. Hyuk told me they’re all overseas now for a concert or something.”

Yunho sat up upon remembering something. “Oh yeah, I saw this envelope for you, placed on your desk in the back room,” He took out a long, thin, piece of paper and slid it across the table towards her.

Mirae put her spoon down to tear the envelope open. Out fell several small photos of men and women, including one of a police officer. All the photos looked years old based on how their hair was styled. Another photo was a wedding photo. Behind each of the photos had names and some information. The wedding photo was of Na Youngji and Ji Myungsoo, and it struck her as familiar. Myungsoo was one of the biggest basketball players in the country. Youngji, his wife, was among the top actresses. She paused as she read what else was written.

Na Youngji - Committed suicide by hanging in 2008 - murder covered up as suicide.

Ji Myungsoo - Committed suicide by hanging in 2013 - murder covered up as suicide.

No wonder they were familiar, she thought, and Yunho heard it as he peered over from his seat, as did San, both of whom looked at the wedding photo. Mirae looked at the other photo. It was of Min Junghwa, who played one of the mean girls in a very popular drama. She looked through the rest of the photos, realizing why they were so familiar.

Min Junghwa - Committed suicide in 2009 - forcibly hanged, murder covered up as suicide.

Na Jongsuk - Committed suicide in 2010 - murder covered up as suicide - brother of Youngji, carried her portrait during funeral possession.

Oh Jinho - Committed suicide by hanging - murder covered up as suicide - carried Junghwa’s photo during the funeral, accused of drug possession.

Mirae stopped at the photo of a police officer and turned it over to look at what was written behind.

Officer Kim Yujin - apparent suicide in 2015 - murder covered up as suicide.

Yunho and San peered through the rest of the photos she slid to the center of the table, careful not to let any soup from the ramen noodles spill on each one. Mirae took out a few pieces of paper that were also included in the envelope. It was a chart linking all the deaths together, including what was currently on the news. The actresses in the photo were all under the same company, and at the very center of it all was one name.

Madame Seo

“Who sent this to you?” San asked.

“There’s no name, not even inside,” Mirae shrugged. “What could this mean?”

“I think you know what it means,” San was trying to contain his excitement at the realization.

“It’s been a while since we did something like this,” Yunho eyed her. “Whoever sent this to you must have known what you did before, with the cult? And the Seoul attack?” He said.

“And probably the Kang mob too,” San added.

Mirae looked into the envelope. There was another folded piece of paper and a business card of a luxury fashion brand called Montague. Unfolding the paper, she saw it was a list of five people, all of whom were prominent CEOs, one of which was a CEO of an entertainment agency, Yang Ent.

“All of these men, Junghwa was supposed to sue before she died. All the victims were found with piercings on their necks and wrists,” was written next to the list of names.

She handed the note over to the males. San and Yunho gaped at the note. “Now I’m even more convinced we have to solve this,” San nodded. “But where do we even start?”

“We could start with these five guys, but then there’s this too,” Mirae held up the business card and stopped when she saw another note at the back. “I’m thinking we start at this place first, it’s Madame Seo’s fashion brand. Maybe this is a front or something.”

“Maybe,” Yunho nodded. “I don’t think we have a lot of time, but whoever’s doing the killing probably believes they’re vampires or something because why would the victims have holes in their necks and wrists?” He read the descriptions again.

“Serial killers do tend to have certain preferences,” Mirae pointed out. “It’s one of the things I had to read in university,” She mumbled.

“You know, since you’re taking that up in university, this could make for field work,” San said, making the two of them stare at him. “What? I’m just saying, you won’t only solve a long-running problem in the entertainment business, but you’d also have some firsthand experience.”

“So do you, and especially you” She eyed him and then Yunho. Mirae sighed. “Well, I guess we could check this out. Whoever brought this to our attention will probably be glad we’re saying yes to solving this.”

San cheered in his seat and went back to eating, only to sit back and cringe. “Oh, my noodles have gone soggy.”

Mirae was staring at the notes behind the photos and the charts and the list later that night at her study desk by her bed. Her laptop was open and she needed to finish her dissertation. Yunho turned the television in the bedroom off and turned to face her. “You should probably come over here and rest, you’ve had a long day, we’ve had a long day,” He said, rolling over to her side.

“I will, you get some sleep,” She said, eyeing him with a small smile on her face.

“I won’t unless you do,” He said. “Also, you forget I can read your mind, I really won’t be able to sleep unless you relax.”

“Since when has that stopped you?” She teased.

Yunho sat up. “Since I started being able to read your mind, which was almost right away when you remembered who I was,” A fond smile crept up on his face.

“You really have to remind me?” Mirae grinned.

“Mhmm, because it’s how you know we’re stuck together for life” Yunho was beaming. “In a way, you could say, we’ll always have some kind of connection no matter what happens.”

“We do, yeah,” She nodded. Mirae closed her laptop and kept the photos and the pieces of paper laid out on her desk. “You’re excited about doing something like this again, aren’t you?” She got up and climbed into bed, Yunho rolling back to his side with an arm outstretched to hold her.

“Yeah, it’s been a while, I’m starting to miss beating bad guys up and I’m getting tired of having to play bouncer whenever Hyuk’s group’s fansigns are at the store,” He teased.

“Are you still sure you want to work at the store? You could work somewhere else-” She was cut off when he kissed her quiet.

“I’ve been away from you for so long, it took years for us to be together again, I don’t want to be away from you anymore,” Yunho rested his forehead on hers.

“I don’t know, I guess I was thinking you never got to do what you’ve always wanted to do, you know?” She said. “Not that I know what you’ve always wanted to be when you grow up, but, don’t you have dreams to do something you’ve always wanted to do?”

“My father wanted me to be a dentist, I think,” Yunho tried to remember. “But I didn’t want it, I rebelled, but he thought that me not wanting to do what he wanted me to do was enough to intern me.”

Mirae frowned and ran her fingers through his hair. “He was that strict, wasn’t he?”

“Very,” Yunho chuckled. “He wanted things his way, not even my mother could argue, not even my brother, and he was the favorite. But no, my father always wanted things to be done his way. You can imagine how suffocating that was.”

“I can,” She hummed in response. “My birth parents were the same way, they liked my sister more than me. If not my sister, they also liked San more than me. When my powers manifested, well, they called the sanitarium. My father ordered them to put me through electroshock therapy, and the rest is history.”

“We’re really not that different after all,” Yunho smiled, nodding knowingly of the tale.

“No, I guess not.”

“Now, you’re a lot more tired than I am, you should sleep, we’ve got some snooping to do tomorrow,” Yunho kissed her cheek.

“I guess you’re right,” Mirae watched him close his eyes. “It’s always going to be you and me.”

“You’re reading my mind now, aren’t you?”

“Somehow I don’t have to, I can tell when you’re so assured,” She was grinning.

The three of them spent the entire morning piecing everything that was in the envelope together. It went to the extent that both Mirae and San drew up a diagram on a piece of paper noting each connection everyone had to Madame Seo to Yunho’s amusement. It made him see how they were related to each other. “There wasn’t any name on the envelope either,” He said, peering over at the piece of paper that contained the notes and the photos. “Whoever sent this also seems certain we’ll solve this and get this Madame Seo arrested with the proper evidence to do it.”

“That, or wants her dead, after everything she’s done,” Mirae said. “She was the reason why Ji Myungsoo divorced Na Youngji. He left Youngji for her, and then they divorced eventually.”

“Oh, and these actresses aren’t the only victims apparently,” San looked over at what he wrote. “They all came from one entertainment agency, and a few singers were also victims of this whole scheme. You won’t even believe where they all came from,” He reached over for his phone and showed them what he found.

“Kang Entertainment,” Mirae and Yunho read. “...That better not be what I think it is.”

“Yeah, I can’t even believe that guy. Is every Kang company in this country under the Kang Organization?” San was unable to hide the annoyance in his tone.

“Well he is one of the richest guys, it wouldn’t be surprising if Kang Entertainment was a subsidiary business for the Kang Organization,” Mirae shrugged. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he practically owns nearly the whole capital either.”

“He’s got a lot of answering to do then,” Yunho pursed his lips. “And then I thought he was really coming around, he gets involved in this mess.”

“Well, when we first met him, it wasn’t in the best of situations either. We found out he killed the CEO of Park Enterprises,” Mirae recalled. “Did the dirty work of the CEO’s daughter. She’s in maximum security now.”

“I remember that well,” A small smile crept up on San’s face. “We just found each other again when someone called you,” He turned to his sister. “It was something out of a murder mystery story.”

“Oh yeah, I remember that. One of the first times I saw you, but you didn’t see me then,” Yunho eyed her.

“So, I think we can cover more ground if we split up today,” She suggested. “There’s Kang Entertainment, Montague, and… Yeosang. San, you can pass as a model, you should probably check out the store. Yunho, you’re the only one who can get through to Yeosang without really fearing death so you should pay him a visit. I’ll go to Kang Entertainment.”

“As long as we interrogate those five men in the list together,” San pointed out. “We’re surprisingly efficient now.”

“We’ve always been, and it’s a lot easier with you two anyway,” She chuckled. “We meet at Viva Polo tonight for dinner and to talk about what we’ve found out for today. Let’s hope we get answers.”

The doorbell suddenly rang, making them look at the hall. “Who could that be?” San strode over to the monitor to see who it was. “Oh it’s Junhong, and Mirae, I think you know who else is standing outside,” He gestured to the screen.

Yunho and Mirae approached the monitor and upon seeing who else was with Junhong, they exchanged looks. “Hongjoong?!” He was stunned.

“I know. Well, I guess we may as well let them inside. Ino oppa’s probably foreseen or seen this happening, whichever one it was,” She rushed to the door when the doorbell rang again. Yunho and San crept by the hall, peeking over. “Coming!”

As soon as Mirae opened the door, Junhong was smiling, while Hongjoong looked a little reluctant but certain of his resolve in being here. “Ino hyung told us to come here, said you needed help, he saw this situation,” The taller of the two said upon taking his shoes off.

“It’s been a while, Hongjoong,” She said to the shorter one of the two. His hair was now dyed a very light brown and his fashion sense was now a stark contrast to the all-black garb and the sanitarium uniforms from the past.

“Yeah, a year since we last met,” He replied with a small smile, following her and Junhong down the hall, where he quickly greeted Yunho and San. “Yunho, it’s been a while too. I’m...glad you’re not dead after all.”

“And I probably won’t die anymore either,” Yunho replied.

“What kind of help did Ino oppa say you two would bring…?” Mirae asked this time.

“I’m glad you asked. Well, for starters, Hongjoong is your reinforcement. Apparently, the Kang family did more than just give your old colleagues some improvements, in fact it was an understatement as I’ve observed over the last six months,” Junhong said.

“What do you mean? Like they gave him powers or something?” San tilted his head in confusion.

“Yes and no. You see, the chips in the brains were one thing that I took out, and the audio trigger Ino hyung took out. Hongjoong’s now incredibly impervious to pain, practically built like a zombie, or a wall, whatever you prefer,” Junhong explained. “He still knows what you know in terms of combat though, one more person that could match up to you,” He eyed her. “But aside from that, he’s also gotten so much faster.”

“Wait a minute, I stabbed you with your blade thing back in Sky Sushi, does that mean you heal too?” Mirae raised a brow.

“Kind of yeah, just not the way you heal,” Hongjoong tugged on his shirt a little to reveal the scar of the stab wound on his chest. San and Yunho cringed.

“Well, if it helps, at least you fight well? You won’t have a lot of scars to worry about either way,” She assured him.

“Which also leads me to the other things,” Junhong opened the black bag he was holding. “I was tinkering in my lab again, and I thought I’d bring some things you should try out while you’re out snooping on whoever this Madame Seo is,” He handed her a roll of what looked like small, black poker chips.

“What’s this?”

“Hongjoong told me about some of the gadgets you all once had back in those missions of yours, and I was so intrigued that I built my own. I guess you know how to use them?”

Mirae glanced at Hongjoong, whose face was expressionless, as if also intrigued by what the taller had built. Yunho nodded, remembering what he meant. “Oh, these. When I whistle these explode,” She looked down at the chips again, feeling the cool, marble-like texture of each one under her fingertips.

“Bingo,” Junhong grinned. “Here are more communicators. The ones I had you test before went through some improvements. I’ll be a call away if you need anything. Last but not the least, here,” He brought out a small wooden box and handed it over to Yunho.

Yunho opened the box, revealing a set of test tubes and a few bottles of some solution. “A chemistry set?”

“More or less, for sudden findings, you never know what needs to be collected,” Junhong shrugged. “It was Ino hyung’s idea to give you that,” He added right away.

“I’m not surprised one bit,” Mirae shook her head. “But to make sure, we’ll go ahead and bring the samples to you anyway.”

“That might probably be the best idea,” Junhong nodded, feeling assured by her words. “So, what were you three planning to do today again?”

“We were thinking of splitting up in our investigation today. San will be going to Madame Seo’s fashion label, Yunho will be paying Yeosang a visit to ask him what he knows, and I will be going to Kang Entertainment. All the actresses that were killed came from that one company, which might have been owned by Yeosang’s company too,” Mirae explained.

“We’ll interrogate the five guys in that list Min Junghwa left before she died together,” Yunho finished. “Hopefully tonight but we can’t be sure.”

“Well, you will cover more ground in one day that way,” Junhong nodded.

“Hongjoong, you might want to go with San to the fashion label, but we’ll explain on the way to where we need to go,” Mirae suggested.

“Got it.”

“Everyone armed and ready?” Mirae glanced at the two other males.

San lifted his coat to reveal his harpoon fitted into a holster and the extra blades and the ropes carefully inserted in other parts of the belt. Yunho did the same, revealing the holsters in his jeans that had his trusty sai. To their surprise, Hongjoong lifted up the sleeves of his jacket, revealing the blades that were activated by the fingerless gloves he was wearing. Junhong beamed with pride at his invention being brandished.

“So, I guess this means we’re on,” Mirae said.

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gqazngaming · 4 years

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The Musou Mashup! Warriors All-Stars Review

Warriors All-Stars is a celebration of Koei Tecmo characters in one a new musou game.

The Roots

I still remember my first taste of musou. The Dynasty Warriors series has been around since the launch of the Playstation 2 era. Released on August 3, 2000 Dynasty Warriors changed the beat em up formula from the 2D platform on to the 3D platform. Just in case you don't know what Dynasty Warriors is, it is based off the Romance of the Three Kingdoms franchise. ROTK is famously known as a strategy game and Dynasty Warriors is to be the action genre of ROTK. This was my first memorable jump from 2D to 3D on the beat em up genre.

The Mechanics

Much like my Dungeon Fighter Online review, beat em ups are often labelled as repetitive. But much like Dungeon Fighter it's all about "how you fight, which means characters play a big role in creating variety in a game with repetitive gameplay. It's no secret. You have to like this type of game to enjoy it. If you enjoy the characters of Koei Tecmo games and the Dynasty Warriors formula this game was created for that desire.

Every musou iteration will have it's own special game, combat, and system mechanics. From Dynasty Warriors, Samurai Warriors, Orochi Warriors, and more each game has it's own type of combat system. As the games developed over time W-Force (DW's developer) has added and removed certain things to keep the game fresh. Some changes are welcome and some changes seemed unnecessary. Personally, being able to add more into a game is more important than taking away. The player can also choose to use certain combat mechanics and options. Having that option will always add value to the game.

New(ish) but familiar combat

If you've played a musou game, picking up this game will be natural to you. Typical Dynasty Warriors fanfare. There's an main attack and a heavy attack, a jump button, and a musou (special) button. Reach character will have it their own combat tree but not every character is unique. The characters fall under specific combat molds and skill trees. There isn't really much new to the combat with a few exceptions of a few addition "tag features". Pressing a direction on the d-pad will enable you to temporarily tag in one of the 4 members of your squad. After a few minutes you will return to your main character. It's a strange addition but I applaud them for trying to keep it fresh.

The Look

Warriors All-Stars is not going to break any boundaries in it's graphics department. Character models carry specific rigs that are will be shared with the roster. You'll find many of the character models share the same neutral pose and moving animations. I will say that Warriors All-Stars does do a great job with "keeping it together". Very seldom I encountered frame drops especially with all the spark effects and the amount character models on the screen. I still remember in older Dynasty Warriors titles where character models would disappear during combat so compensate for frame rate. The power of the older system could not sustain the vision of what musou games were trying to achieve.

The Story/Plot

Koei Tecmo characters are summoned to a new world where three members of the royal family are fighting for each sacred treasure they hold to save their world from impending doom. The goal is to combine the three sacred treasures to save a spring that brings life to the world. Each member of the royal family summons their own set of Koei Tecmo characters and as you progress you will meet and acquire more heroes to add to your roster. The plot unravels the more you play. And as you play you find out that there is more to the story than meets the eye.

SPOILERS Once you unlock specific heroes and achieve certain criteria different story paths will unlock that will lead to one of the many endings. This game offers multiple playthroughs depending on which characters you have unlocked and which faction you decided to fight for. Personally, I unlocked about seven to eight endings on my blind run. I later returned to the game to pursue the true ending. There are also hero endings that are more focused on the relationships of some heroes. These are what I call optional endings.

The Sound

In my opinion, EVERY music of a musou game sounds the game. It doesn't matter if you've played Dynasty, Samurai, Arlsan, Berserk, One Piece, musou music is very noticeable. Instrumental J-Rock riffs with some remixed themes from certain stages of each franchises games do show up. Another good thing is you can pick the background music before a stage loads. Having control of the music does give it more variety but personally, I did not pay much attention to the music.

The Feel

It feels.. well.. like a Dynasty Warriors game. LOL. There are some characters that offer more impact with some of their move sets but it will ultimately break down to which characters move set you prefer to beat the level as quick as possible to move the story along and grind out those levels. It always feels good to play a musou game when you want to feel like strong bad ass. Video games are suppose to be fun right?

The Why

Why should you play this? Check some off this list:

Do you like Dynasty Warriors? Do you like the Musou series in general? Do you like any of the playable characters in the game? Have you ever wished there was a Musou game of the character you picked? Do you want to feel like a super powered warrior in a battlefield?

If you said yes to 90% of these things you should play it. I'd like to confess that I DID NOT buy this game at launch nor did I buy it a full price. As a long time gamer I KNOW what musou games are and what they have to offer. Personally, I don't like to play full price for games that I want to play and not NEED to play. I already knew what this game had to offer and I picked it up at a $19.99 price point new. With so many games release and my ever increasing backlog, I can afford to wait. And unless they release another musou game that blows me out of the water I won't be picking up any of them at launch anytime soon.

Last Thoughts

Referencing on "The Why" if you are a fan of the series, just add this to the many other iterations of the musou series. If you are collecting, it's a must have to add to your collection. I enjoy mash-ups and collaborations and Warriors All-Stars did a decent job placing characters in cel-shaded JRPGS into an action brawler title. If you are a fan of any of the playable characters, you will either enjoy this game or think this game is weird. I don't blame you. Remember when they made Hyrule Warriors? They put Link in turned him into a musou character. Many people thought it was a weird Zelda game, but what they really needed to know was it was a musou game with Link as the main character.

If you can pick up this title at around $20-30 dollars it will be worth your time. There is over 20-30 hours of gameplay in there. Fair warning as I repeat my statement from earlier, if you aren't a fan of musou games this game may not change your mind. But if you have an open mind and a wallet, it wouldn't hurt to try and play this decent average action game.

If you are looking to pick up this game check out my affiliate link below: https://amzn.to/31NweGo

GQAzndood

Headmaster of GQAzndood Gaming Check out my social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/GQAznGaming Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/gqazndood YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/gqazndood Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GQAznGaming/

#videogames #gaming #gamereviews #musou #dynastywarriors #koei #tecmo #samuraiwarriors #orochiwarriors #wforce #nerd #geek #koeitecmo

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beanenigma · 5 years

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Journalism 101 for writers: a writing guide to media

When I was a little girl, I asked my mother what college course I had to graduate in to be a writer. She said none, but that I had to do one either way. So, with no writing majors in the country, I chose journalism. I hated every second of it, but hey, I have a piece of paper that says I understand these matters. And today, I come to bestow upon you the knowledge I’m cursed with and to beg, to please, stop with the blaming the messenger in your pieces of media. Journalists are people too.

(Please, keep in mind media is drastically different depending on your country. This is how I learned it Brazil. Feel free to add one things you know about your country).

How to write a news article in your WIP?

This is what gets writers every time. We can see you struggling and it’s okay. We understand. People (like me) go to school to learn how to write news. But it’s really not hard. And believe me, it can help you in the rest of your writing too.

Key word in journalism is hierarchy. Hierarchy for the win.

We work on an inverted pyramid scheme. Don’t worry, I’m not about to ask you to join. It’s a writing technique. What is more important comes first in the inverted pyramid. What is more general, what is more important, what will the people want to know more must be in the first paragraph. This first paragraph is called the lead. In the lead, all (or most of the) W questions must be answered: what, where, when, who and why. Remember, in journalism there is no “spoiler”. The point of a journalistic article is to spoil, to give information.

When you’re done with the lead, you start on going to slightly more specific information and slightly less vital to the understanding of the article. Therefore, going forward down the inverted pyramid. Take a look at some articles and you’ll easily identify the structure. Simple, right?

But Bean! How will I know what is more important than the rest? I’m not trained in journalism! I don’t even like journalism!

Neither do I. But we journalists have a little… Cheat sheet. They’re called news values. News values are what we look for when organizing our articles and our overall pages. This wiki link has the whole list, of them, but it’s mostly things that impact people’s lives, that happen to notable people and/or things that are unusual. My professor used to say that a dog who bit a man was no news, but a man who bit a dog is. And if that man happens to be Benedict Cumberbatch, it would matter even more.

Of course, it also depend on the type of media that’s publishing! News for radio and online news portals have to be very imediate, while TV might take a day or two to deliver the same news.

What we chose is always really the most important news? No. But it helps to decide what people normally take as important when reading their news and therefore, put it into a hierarchy. Also, for your WIP consider what the news company values. That will make sense further on.

What is a journalist’s routine like?

Pure madness. But organized madness. Day-to-day goes a little bit like this.

Morning meetings (you’ve probably seen in movies) to decide what will be pursued during the day. Themes are suggested, but themes are not news. When you offer a theme, you must also offer someone who could be interested in talking to your company, how long you will take to do it and if you need someone else to go with you.

And there is not a lot of competition: if you suggest something and it gets picked up, you might not be the one to do it - because it’s not your specialty, because you have other assignments, because you don’t have the contacts. But that’s not a big deal. We’re not all egocentric maniacs. Mostly, we just want the paper to run or for the segment to air. Doesn’t matter whose name is up there. In your career, you’re going to do so many of these you won’t even care anymore. Besides, newsrooms don’t have that many people anymore. It’s not unusual for people to have to do two or more stories at once.

Some days are slow. There is not that many notable events happening everyday. That’s why we use “drawer” news. Things that are kept “just in case” nothing comes up. Stories that don’t get old, like a recurring club in the local library or a short human interest story. This is what newbies in fiction whine about. But relax, they’ll be stuck with it for a day. There will surely be more news tomorrow. It’s not a big deal.

After the morning meeting, everyone goes out their desks to make calls or into the city. Like I said, newsrooms don’t have a lot of people and a lot of roles were suppressed.

In online and printing, nowadays, the journalist goes on their own, makes the interviews, take the pictures, comes back into the room, writes and publishes it on the website, or sends to the editor for printing. In TV, journalist and cameraman take a regular car (unless they’re doing a live insertion on the news segment) drive themselves, collect interviews, extra footage, write a script for the editors, go back, record the off voices and take it to the editing room.

And deadlines are very real. If you don’t meet the deadline, something will have to go on the air/ on the paper. Feel the pressure yet?

What about investigative journalists? Like in Spotlight! Ah. That’s not a thing. I mean, it is. But only in specialized companies focused on investigative journalism. Nowadays, news companies don’t have the money to keep recurring investigative teams. It costs a lot of money: pay salaries, pay for their moving around to do interviews… And it can take several months to investigate something that will get published in a week (or get stumped and not get published at all).

That doesn’t mean they’ll never get investigative pieces. But normally journalists will investigate on their own (paying for their own travelling costs, etc) and the company will only get involved when it’s time to publish it. That is, if it’s not against their own interest. Which takes us to the next segment.

Are journalists life-sucking, money seeking unresponsible pricks?

No. They get bad reps, but they’re merely the messenger to both good and bad news. Most times, they hardly have control over the things they have to write/produce. They’re overworking, underpaid, and the clock is ticking. Something has to go up, something has to be printed.

I’ve seen this time and time again in entertainment. Normally it takes the figure of the editor-in-chief. They’re not bad people. They’re demanding, hell yes. A nightmare to their journalists? Sometimes. But that’s their job. If they don’t have a strong hand, the paper won’t go out, the segment won’t air. That doesn’t make them bad people and they’re hardly as bad as you see out there in media (well, mine was, but I’m sure he’s just an odd case).

Why do we get a bad rep? Well, allow me to introduce the real bad guys of the story. Company owners.

Doesn’t matter who they are. Millionaires. Corporations. Politicians. They always manage to stall the advancing of news as they’re supposed to be. There’s no fighting them, they’re the ones that pay. Their relations and their interests dictate what goes in the news. This is called Agenda Setting. Look it up.

Sometimes editor-in-chief will try and discuss these matters, but their power only go so far. In my city, we had a scandal involving the school I went to. The biggest newspaper of the city set on investigating, had the whole thing ready to go. Editor-in-chief was giving full support. They were forbidden to publish. Why? In comes the other villain of journalistic tales.

Advertisers. The school had a two page ad in a coveted spot at the middle of the newspaper. As much as people claim journalism is important, it can’t sustain itself. It has always depended on advertisement. So when big advertisers complain to the owners, the company loses money. And in the end, that’s the objective of a company. Making money. Make no mistake. We are all aware of how journalism is vital to society, but everyone wants to eat and pay rent at the end of the month.

Of course, there are independent newspapers, some really awesome people who dedicate their lives to producing quality journalism independently. Are they successfully? Not normally. But they’re out there! So don’t think everything is always hopeles and your adorable OC will have to sell their soul to this terrible state of journalistic indecency.

I hope this helped you if you use news pieces in your WIPs or if you have journalist characters! If you want to know anything else, I’d be happy to answer any questions (or even write more on the subject). If you like the guide and would like more writing advice, you can follow me or check my tag HERE.

Thanks for reading <3

#writing advice #amwriting #writeblr #Writing tips #writers on tumblr

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tpthvegebulevents · 6 years

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MAYHEM 2018 - WEEK 3 SUBMISSIONS OPEN / WEEK 4 PROMPTS REVEALED!

WEEK 3 SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN!

Starting today, Participants can begin sending in their work to [email protected] for Week 3!

Remember that even though Week 3 ends May 19th, you have until May 31st to turn in ALL work in order to be in the running for the prize! Please refer to the Submission Requirements associated with each Week for how to send your work. Do Not post your work to your personal Tumblr as everything must remain anonymous!

ANNOUNCEMENT: Second Notice Reminders will be sent out this week! Participants, please keep an eye out on your Inboxes! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! Remember that you must respond to all notices before May 31st to remain in the competition!

LET’S REVEAL WEEK 4!

Week 4 “AN END TO ALL” - May 6th to May 12th

Mayhem Theme: Fairy Tales

Prompts

The Better to Grab You With (Little Red Riding Hood / The Little Red Cap)

The Glass Slipper (Cinderella)

Prick Her Finger on a Spindle (Briar-Rose / Sleeping Beauty)

Author - Original Requirements Apply, see Vegebul Mayhem Guidelines Doc.

Word Count Minimum Requirement

20,000 words or more.

Entire submission may equal 20K (meaning, you may make multiple chapters, but your entire entry must be 20,000 words or more)

Genre/Rating

Alternate Universe

You may add more genres to suit the plot. Please refer to Additional Requirements.

Don’t forget to rate your work! (Explicit is allowed, rating is open)

Amount of Work

At least 3 entries that tells the ending for Week 2.

If you continued the plot in every week, then make an ending for that.

All 3 prompts must be used. Words do not have to be in tandem.

Optional Work: If you want to be adventurous and made a different story each week, create an Ending for all of them - yes they will be part of the competition if submitted on time.

Additional Requirements

If you continued your story throughout the last 3 weeks and have already ended it, you MUST create an Alternate Ending (the alternate version must be the complete opposite of your written piece; I.E. HEA turns Tragic or Humor turns Suspenseful).

Title each chapter and include a brief description of a length of your choice (at least one complete sentence long).

Artist - Original Requirements Apply, see Vegebul Mayhem Guidelines Doc.

Media Type - Choose at least three (you may mix and match within your work)

Watercolor

Ink (Fountain, Marker, Gel, Ballpoint)

Pencil/Colored Pencil/Crayon

Digital

Paint (Acrylic, Oil, etc)

Charcoal/Graphite/Coal

Indigenous Methods (Coffee, Rust, Mud, Tomato Juice, etc)

Palette - you may mix and match

Color

B/W

May be Line-art - Optional Work: Each line must be a different color

Amount of Work

3-5 Images

Backgrounds included

Optional Work: Create 10 images of all emotions listed below and connect them thematically.

Doujinshi is allowed.

Additional Requirements

Must draw 3-5 Emotions (of your choice) using the appropriate colors. ( (1) Euphoria, (2) Disappointment, (3) Pride, (4) Hope, (5) Loneliness, (6) Envy, (7) Contempt, (8) Regret, (9) Joy, (10) Apathy.)

Include the color name somewhere within the image! (You may use font for this)

Title each of your images. Do not use the color name. If you create a series, title the series.

A description is not necessary.

Warning apply! Explicit work is allowed, but must be accompanied with a censored clip version of the artwork.

SUBMISSION REGULATIONS

All work must be submitted via email to [email protected]. All work must remain anonymous until the event closes and voting has concluded. You may not post your work to your personal Tumblr until June 16th. You’re Beta/Editor may not post your work for you in any way shape or form! If you’re work is posted to your Tumblr before June 16th, you will be disqualified.

Universal Tagging Requirement

You must tag us in the description! (@tpthvegebulmayhem) In your Tagline, include the following…

#tpthvegebulmayhem2018

#tpth

#week1mayhem2018

You may include additional taggings of your own that suit your tagging system. Forbidden tags include…

#nsfw

#erotic

#sex

#porn

#hentai

PLEASE REFER TO THE UNIVERSAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE!

#tpthvegebulmayhem2018 #week3mayhem2018 #week4mayhem2018 #prompts #requirements #mayhem #tpth #announcements

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bakurapika · 6 years

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Rules: Answer 11 Questions and Make Up 11 of Your own

Tagged by @dogbearinggifts and @odd-cinderella (so I have 22 to answer... hoo........)

1. Name something that makes you as giddy as fireworks make Ernesto de la Cruz.

talkin bout the death positivity movement yeah boyyyyyyyyy

2. Do you have any pet peeve tropes (story beats or patterns you see that make you roll your eyes at best)? If so, what?

Oh yeah, but I’m better at pointing out specific instances--I don’t have a list off the top of my head. Miscommunication tropes are probably the worst offenders if they’re done poorly. (not always tho. @ryouverua does them great.)

3. Talent you don’t have but wish you did?

currently? PLAYING GUITAR GHGHGH. or even just having an ear for music.

4. If you had to get one set of song lyrics as a tattoo, what lyrics would you get?

off the top of my head, i’m thinking something from bon jovi’s everybody’s broken. because i’m a sap. otherwise, maybe a fandom song--hamilton or something wh oops

5. Your boss tells you to dress for the job you want. You take this literally and come to work dressed as a job that might not exist, but that you would love to have. What are you wearing?

Since I hate uniforms/dress codes, I’d probably just wear whatever I want, because my ideal job wouldn’t require any uniform hahah. Maybe a nice dress.

6. What is one food that you feel you SHOULD like, but that you don’t?

Spicy stuff.

7. Favorite villain?

Dr. Horrible? haha

8. You have been selected to teach a college-level course. This course can be on absolutely anything and you write your own curriculum. What are you teaching?

For what I’d feel qualified to blather on about? Probably an intro to literary analysis sort of thing. Or the history of coffee.

9. Least favorite hero?

Geez, I dunnooo. Maybe Kaiba. He’s an antihero but w/e

10. If you could cook one dish perfectly every time, what would it be?

I never cook! Maybe bread. Because my family has a matrilineal curse on it that none of us can ever make bread, and I’d like to break the chain.

11. Favorite Disney song of all time?

Ffffffffffffffffffffff I’m.................. going with “You’re Welcome”

1. What is your advice for self-confidence?

Remember that people with much fewer qualifications than you have almost definitely tried what you’re doing and succeeded. Also, the stakes are probably much lower than you think they are. Partial credit is better than no credit.

2. What music do you listen to when you write?

I have to have absolute silence when I write. Music is too distracting!

3. What other fandoms do you enjoy?

Over the Garden Wall is my other big one.

4. How would you save someone from self-harm?

You can’t usually “save” someone from something like that. (I mean, in my old job I was trained on restraint techniques for this reason, but besides that...) You have to be able to take a step back, encourage and help them and try to keep them as save as possible, give them resources if they’re willing to listen, and let them make their own choices. It’s hard and it doesn’t feel right but you can’t force someone to take care of themselves either. Sometimes you need to be able to call someone professional if they need help.

5. Do you have any pets?

I have a lovely cat named Bastet!

6. What is your Life’s Theme Song?

Ah heck all these song questions. I really don’t know! I’m sorry!

7. Texting or talking on the phone?

Texting for exchanging info. Talking for chatting, bc I’m terrible at typing on a touchscreen keyboard.

8. What attracted you to your fandom?

I watched it and couldn’t stop thinking about it ever.

9. Do you believe in love at first sight?

yes im certain that it happens all the time

Attraction at first sight, yes!

10. List your Top 5 favorite songs

aaaaaaaa

idek

here’s 5 that i like tho:

barricade

cucurrucucú paloma

hey ho (on the devil’s back)

sincerely, me

crazy words crazy tunes

Post your social medias

twitter

deviantart

ao3

youtube

art instagram

questions:

1. What always can make you smile? 2. What can always make you cry? 3. Least favourite daily/weekly task you have to do? 4. What’s your preferred form of artistic expression? 5. Have you had any near-death experiences? 6. What story/artistic element will always make you like a piece no matter what else is in it? 7. What’s your fav character “type”? 8. Who’s your favourite historical figure? 9. Weird habit you have? 10. Can you do any impressions? 11. First online fandom?

I tag @down2thebone @someone-online @veterki @cartoonwarrior210 @gnome-aesthetic @tundrainafrica @ryouverua @pengychan (if you guys wanna do it!)

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laurenahmaub · 5 years

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Online Portfolio w Justin

Design and build a website - Must consider how a client and employer will perceive you from the images, tone and brand style you have chosen

Can just use grey box and lorem ipsum to design layout of website

Producing and online portfolio - a collection of the best work (quality not quantity) from your existing archive that are suitably structured and presented so as to provide an overview of your portfolio - theme has categories

Structure and visual appearance - your site should demonstrate your unique individual personality and visual voice - highlight the brief, budget, timing, how you interpreted the brief and how you tackled it, not just the final piece

Create your own brand - there are no limits to the amount of work you wish to show but consider type, colour, layout (pretty much pre-determined) and style to create a personal online identity

Type - Google fonts plugin, typekit - work for wordpress

Explain your work - Include explanatory text within your site - describing your work and how you responded to the brief are key to an online portfolio.( don’t write in third person)

Include contact info - email, telephone numbers + links to social media (maybe not personal instagram, design/ business insta?) sites/blogs - tumblr is good

Building website isn’t scary

Risks+Rewards - what are the dangers of putting your images online

financial (stealing your work)

professional

personal

Research

graphic designer

illustrator

Agency

how do they integrate their brand (colour tone identity graphics and use of copy)

How do they display their work ( gallery formats, image size, description

Use social media (do they share, participate, respond)

List your existing web presence - website, tumblr blog twitter facebook instagram flickr

Remember your branding - font choices, colour scheme, structure and layout all compliment your style and genre. It is important to track how this develops on your blog

Platforms - content management systems (CMS) - SquareSpace, Wix and Wordpress use them. They have a front and back end:

front - design

back - management

What is a CMS? - Google loves it, quickly add new work, Clean URLs

Basic SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) - it is Important that people can find you by name/location, Rule of thumb: Quadruple Hit. Use the same (three) keywords in your URL & PAGE TITLE, HEADING & BODY TEXT

Responsive Design - Cross Platform Compatibility - Mobile (priority) - tablet, desktop

Site Map - when using a site map to plan your site it can be v simple and done quickly

Above the fold is the screen, the fold is the line at the bottom of your screen, below the fold is where you have to scroll to see

Wire Frame Sketching a basic wire frame will help your resolve UX problems and to structure the layout. If you approach your design from this perspective you will be explicit / implicit. Visualisation of site map ie filling the boxes

“Design should be so good, you can’t see it”

- prioritise usability

Remember you need to focus your branding (type, colour, layout) to compliment your style and structure

Type - wordpress has support for google fonts & typekit via plugins. Think carefully about legibility and readability

(never more than three clicks to checkout)

Notes

Search “add your URL” in google

size images correctly (no bigger than 1mb) - use photoshop “Export > save for web and devices”

PNG over Jpeg/jpg

RGB/sRGB

Tumblr is great for SEO

Alt tag (label that pops up when you hover over an image) every image with your keywords

www.awwwards.com, www.wordpress.org, www.themeforest.com - library of freelance web designers

CSS - coding language

#onlineportfolio #websitedesign

0 notes

torontotravelblog · 4 years

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25+ Things to do in Toronto for March Break 2020

Draw up your week with the kids utilizing our March Break guide. There are lots of fun tasks to maintain the entire family members hectic while college's out this year!

Galleries

March Break at the AGO

Drop in for 9 days of family fun at the AGO. Visit the exhibit Illusions: The Art of Magic and also obtain influenced by posters from the Golden era of Magic prior to heading to the March Break Magic stage to show off your finest methods. Head to Walker Court for an immersive art making adventure, and also try your hand whatsoever type of fun and imaginative activities!

Location: Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas St. W., Toronto Dates: Mar. 14-- 22.

ROM's Big Blue March Break.

This March Break take the children to the ROM and also experience the enchanting world of a cherished bear and his friends from the Hundred Acre Timber. If your kids are a older, the ROM-original exhibition Bloodsuckers let's you check out over 30,000 species that feed upon blood. And lastly, delight in a few of the globe's most sensational wildlife photography.

Place: Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto. Days: Mar. 14-- 22.

Ontario Scientific Research Centre.

Ontario Science Centre is hosting an array of fun, interactive March Damage experiences for youngsters. Discover the links between magic and the mind, explore what makes you tick, experiment with sodium bicarbonate, have a hair-raising experience, learn more about celestial objects or take place a journey without leaving your OMNIMAX ® seat.

Place: Ontario Scientific Research Centre, 770 Don Mills Rd., Toronto. Dates: Mar. 14-- 22.

Shoe'La' Palooza at the Bata Shoe Museum.

The Bata Shoe Gallery will certainly be brimming with games, crafts, and other spellbinding tasks. Spruce up as your favorite wonderful character, play enchanting bean bag toss and string video games, make some really great magical crafts, discover enchanting shoes in the galleries, placed on a puppet show in the enchanting theatre and also leave your wonderful impact for all to see!

Area: Bata Footwear Gallery, 327 Bloor St. W., Toronto. Days: Mar. 14-- 22.

March Break at the Aga Khan Museum.

If you've never taken the family members to the Aga Khan Museum, this March Break is the excellent time! Discover the art of carpets as well as textiles inspired by the event Shelter. Then head over to the hands-on Art Cart to make your won art piece to take home with you.

Location: Aga Khan Museum, 77 Wynford Dr., Toronto. Days: Mar. 14-- 22.

March Break Enigma Enjoyable.

Black Creek Pioneer Village open up to family members for a Sherlock Holmes secret adventure. Kids hunt for hints and make disguises to track the burglars as well as address a criminal offense. Activities in every structure on website; and also horse-drawn carriage rides hold. Youngsters 14 as well as under are complimentary with adult admission.

Location: Black Creek Leader Town, 1000 Murray Ross Pkwy., Toronto. Days: Mar. 16-- 22.

City of Toronto Historic Sites.

March Break at Ft York.

Looking for a March Break experience? Bring your family to Fort York National Historic Website. Children can try soldiers' drill classes, dress up in costumes, as well as example treats from the historic kitchen.

Location: Ft York, 250 Ft York Blvd., Toronto. Days: Mar. 15-- 22.

March Break at Spadina Museum.

Find out the significance of colours, plants and animals, and then try your hand at developing your very own distinctive family members crest. Other enjoyable tasks for children of all ages consist of the distinction difficulty that gets you to detect as several differences as you can discover in between 1915 photos of Spadina mansion areas and their look today. And also, try your hand at some 1920s video games.

Place: Spadina Residence Gallery, 285 Spadina Rd., Toronto. Days: Mar. 14-- 22.

March Break at Todmorden Mills.

Experience tasty deals with while you appreciate a led trip of the historic structures. Prior to or after the excursion, check out the Brewery Structure to make a special take-home craft as well as try out old-fashioned toys and also games popular with previous generations. If the weather behaves, take a while to discover the Wildflower Preserve location as well as try to find signs of spring with a round of outdoor "Nature Bingo.".

Location: 67 Pottery Rd., Toronto. Days: Mar. 14-- 22.

March Break at Mackenzie Home.

Drop in and discover the rotten background of Toronto's waste and also find out about the roots of modern-day recycling in the Victorian-era! Participate in a scavenger hunt, design your own picture block for the 1845 printing press, and take pleasure in a cookie and also apple cider warmed on the 1850's oven. If you stop by on Monday March 16th, celebrate William Lyon Mackenzie's 225th birthday celebration by making him a birthday celebration card.

Location: 82 Bond St., Toronto. Days: Mar. 14-- 22.

Toronto Town Library Events.

Free March Damage programs and events are arranged at Toronto Public Library branches around the city. Activities include movie testings, video gaming, Lego, and crafts, in addition to magic programs, puppet shows, reptile shows, scientific research shows, art workshops, photography workshops, and more. Some programs require bookings and they do fill out, so be sure to call in advance.

Place: Discover your local branch for events. Dates: Mar. 14-- 22.

Fairs & Festivals.

Wizard World Enjoyable Park.

Circus trips, trendy reptiles, games, magic programs, daily live programs, and also deals with are all waiting for you at this interior household enjoyable park! Children will absolutely be astonished as well as captivated by Doo the Clown, Team T&J, and also the Reptilia Reptile Zoo.

Place: Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto. Dates: Mar. 14-- 22.

March Break at Dream Fair.

Ontario's largest indoor theme park has special occasions all week for March Break, consisting of totally free children' crafts, a magic show, and also DooDoo the International Clown.

Place: Woodbine Shopping Center & Dream Fair, 500 Rexdale Blvd., Etobicoke. Dates: Mar. 14-- 22.

Live Shows.

Jungle Publication.

A wild flight awaits in this innovative as well as prompt take on the cherished timeless! An immersive multi-media adaptation, Jungle Book will certainly transfer you from the city forest to Mowgli's childhood years in the forests of India. F0r ages 5 as well as up.

Location: Youngster's Theater, 165 Front St. E., Toronto. Dates: Feb. 13-- Mar. 21.

In the Game.

With lots of target market communication as well as improvised fun, this family-friendly comedy plays with the concern, "What if we were essentially caught in our displays?" For ages 10 and up.

Location: The Secondly City, 51 Mercer St., Toronto. Days: Mar. 14-- Jul. 23.

National Ballet of Canada's Romeo and Juliet.

The ballet that opened the National Dancing of Canada's 60th wedding anniversary period is back. Romeo and Juliet is jam packed with dance-- rapid maneuvering, meaningful pas de deux as well as lovely set items mixing classic as well as folkdance components.

Area: 4 Seasons Centre, 145 Queen St. W., Toronto. Dates: Mar. 11-- 22.

Sugar Shacks and Syrup Festivals.

Beginning in March, the maple syrup begins moving! Sugar shacks welcome visitors for weekend break pancake breakfasts, wagon trips, and also trials in syrup tapping and maple taffy making. See 15 maple syrup ranches and celebrations near Toronto.

MORE MARCH BREAK FUN.

Lots of destinations have actually prolonged hours or are enjoyable for drop-in any time.

Zoos and also Aquariums: The Toronto Zoo has expanded hours during March Break, plus some personality meet-and-greets (Bob the Building Contractor as well as Paw Patrol dogs, to state a couple). Ripley's Aquarium of Canada is always a hit-- get tickets online to miss the line.

Indoor Playgrounds: Head to an interior play area in the West End, an indoor play ground in the East End, or browse our online directory site for even more indoor play grounds in the GTA.

Trampoline Gyms: Play trampoline dodge sphere or basketball or simply jump, dive, dive at a trampoline fitness center-- they have programs for kids of any ages, as well as grown-ups, also!

Climbing Up Fitness centers: Get upright at Toronto-area climbing up health clubs with climbing up walls and/or bouldering. Many have equipment leasings for kids, so drop-in is very easy.

Enjoyment Centres: Laser tag, video gaming, bowling, and a lot more-- find all sort of indoor diversions at interior enjoyment centres.

Camps: Some Toronto/GTA day camps have final bookings. Sometimes, you can also reserve for 1 or 2 days of March Break.

Farms: March Break notes the first opening to the general public for many GTA farms for youngsters. Venture out to the countryside, or look into Riverdale Ranch, appropriate downtown.

Nature Centres and Conservation Areas: Some sanctuary have actually prolonged hrs during March Break, and numerous, like the Kortright Centre in Maple are totally free or low-cost for children. The Riverwood Conservancy in Mississauga is supplying complimentary directed nature walkings; pre-registration called for. Looking for more? Locate what's on whatsoever the Toronto as well as Region Conservation parks.

Ski Resorts: This year isn't precisely impressive for skiing, yet snowmaking machines remain in full blast, whether Nature complies or not. A number of resorts are advertising March Break specials. Discover a list of southerly Ontario ski resorts in our on the internet directory site.

The article “ 25+ Things to do in Toronto for March Break 2020 “ was appeared first on help! we’ve got kids by Shannon Kelly

Toronto Naturopathic Doctor - Dr. Amauri Caversan, ND

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rangersdoguk-blog · 5 years

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10 Best Dog Cameras in 2019

What is a dog camera?

You may think that a dog camera is just a normal CCTV camera but with the word ‘dog’ attached. Well, technically you could get one of these but real dog cameras available in the UK can be interactive and are specifically designed for the use of keeping an eye on your dog. It is possible to keep an eye on your dog remotely when you are not around, check on its’ wellbeing or find out if it’s ok or anxious? With the modern technology dog cameras have become more common and for a great reason, it is a gadget to invest in. Dog cameras are easy to access or monitor your dog with a smartphone or tablet. The dog camera gives you peace of mind as you are able to check on your dog from anywhere and at any time. This has improved dog owners life tremendously as they are not stressed about their dogs' wellbeing. Likewise, dog cameras like Furbo have been developed with vets and behaviouralists with the aim of reducing a dogs separation anxiety when they are left.

Importance of dog cameras

To keep an eye on your dog.

Can dispense treat and make feeding time fun.

The night vision models make your dog visible at night or in a dim environment enabling easy monitoring.

Can be used as a training tool especially in a dog crate.

With a microphone, you are able to be in constant communication with your dog.

Less stress for the dog owner as you are able to monitor your dog remotely when on vacation or at work or away.

The cameras come in different ranges and features. They can be simple to high specification options with:

Night vision.

Two-way microphone or one-way microphone.

Treat dispensing.

Outdoor usage, Wi-Fi enabled and app monitoring.

High video capture and some need a memory card.

Rotating screen to capture your dog at different angles.

The Best Dog Cameras

1. Furbo Dog Camera

Wherever you keep your furry friend close, Furbo is the best with this. It looks great and can pass as an accessory and fit well in your home. It has a 2-way chat and barking alert, its sensor is made for dogs. It sends a push notification to your smartphone when it detects barking. It allows you know what is going on at home and you are able to talk to your dog to calm it down via the app. It comes with a free smart dog alert trials to know exactly what your dog is doing. Furbo uses Dog recognition technology to send you dog activity when in distress or hungry, selfie alerts and person alert in case of unauthorized entry into your home. It also fun as you can toss a treat at it while at work to calm it down. You are also able to live stream video to monitor your dog day and night. It allows you to take photos or record videos with Furbo app and share the precious moments with your loved ones. We recently reviewed Furbo in a standalone article, see our full review here: Features:

Fun treat tossing as you can do this via the free Furbo iOS/Android app for your dog. Fill it with over 100 pieces of your dogs’ favorite treats & play a game of catch.

1080p Camera & Night Vision with a 160º wide-angle view, day and night.

2-Way Chat and barking alert.

Comes with a free smart dog alerts trial

Easy 3-Step Setup: 1) plug into a power outlet using its USB cord 2) download the Furbo app 3) connect to your home Wi-Fi.

Rate 4.0/5.0 on Amazon

See Price here

2. Petcube camera

This is one of the most popular pet cameras available due to its sleek and night vision features. It is easy to set and help your pet in keeping fit with its ultra-red play light even when you are not near or around. Simply swipe your fingers across the screen on the laser light and control the game as it plays while you watch. It is exciting for both you and your dog even when at work. The set-up on Petcube is easier than ever. The app gives a short walk through, and then with 2 clicks, you're connected to your home Wi-Fi network. The quality of the image and video is much improved! There is no fuzziness to the images, everything is clean and crisp. I purchased my Petcube and after the first day of set up, while at work, I was able to catch our dog Kiki on the table drinking out of the water mug that I left on the kitchen counter. I quickly turned the sound on through the app and told her sternly to get off the counter. She quickly jumped off and attempted to find out where my voice was coming from. The night vision is huge plus it kicks in immediately when the lights get dim in the room. It works even when all the lights in the house are out. The night vision image is in grey-scale and looks just as clean and sharp as the color video. Features include:

Watch, talk and hear features: 1080p HD video, 138˚wide-angle view, night vision, 3x digital zoom, two-way audio

It has a built-in human and pet safe laser toy controlled from your phone or set to autoplay mode to regularly play and exercise your pet

Provides home security with its built-in motion and sound detection.

All users start with a free trial to Petcube Care, our video cloud recording service that stores your pet's activity history. After your free trial, choose the plan that works for you.

Ideal as it compatible with ALEXA and can use voice commands to activate autoplay games with your pet

App-enabled: easy setup via free Petcube App, iOS 8.4 and higher or Android 4.3 and higher (2.4GHz Wi-Fi).

Con:

This model doesn't have a treat dispenser, however Petcube Bites is their treat dispensing option.

See Price here

3. Maisi HD Pet Camera

If you are looking for a wireless security IP camera with enhanced Wi-Fi, can monitor your pet while you are away, get the Maisi HD pet camera. The Maisi HD has an attractive design, an easy setup process, and impressive features as stated by 890 happy customers who purchased it. Check the reviews on Amazon. It can be remotely viewed and record from anywhere on desktop computers with standard web browsers such and on smart devices such as iPhones and Android mobiles with included MIPC app. The monitor is shipped with advanced camera management software plus quick setup guide and a network cable included. Features include:

Ability to connect via smartphone by simply scanning the QR code on the camera.

High-quality HD video combined with enhanced firmware features for smoother video.

Auto IR-Cut filtering for better color accuracy.

Supports remote viewing and recording.

Continuous day/night surveillance is accomplished with powerful IR-LEDs for night vision up to 15-20m.

A super wide lens 110 Degree viewing angle means nothing will slip by your MAISI.

Includes motion detection, push alerts via mobile phones, local recording to SD card (NOT included) storage.

Product dimensions 4.3x4.3x5.9cm

Item is lightweight and medium size- weight 200g

Rate 4.3/5.0 on Amazon.

Con

The camera works at 2.4 GHz, not 5GHz.

[UPGRADED] MAISI HD 1MP Wireless Security IP Camera with 3dB ENHANCED WiFi, Pet Monitor - Smart Setup In Minutes, Motion Detection Recording, Mobile Push Alerts, And MORE

List Price:£59.99

Price:£39.99

You Save:£20.00

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4. Pawbo Pet Camera

Pawbo pet camera is one of the most versatile pet cameras in the market with its attractive design, easy setup process and wide camera lens which will allow you to snap photos and share your pet and family adorable images on social media. With manual and automatic modes it allows you to set laser game for your dog. This will give them enough exercise and still you will be able to interact with your pet remotely. The inbuilt mic enables you to listen, talk and reward your pet with favourite snack anytime and anywhere. It has multiple cameras that connect up to 8 users at a go. Features:

Pawbo Life camera (PPC-21CL) w/ 720p HD live video,

130° wide-angle lens, and 4x digital room

Built-in microphone/speaker/laser/treat.

Instant social sharing.

Remote Pawbo Theme Park accessories

Accommodate multiple Pawbo cameras.

Easy setup Pawbo Life app: support iOS 8 or later (iPhone, iPad, and iPod) and Android 4.0.3 or later version.

Wi-Fi environment require 802.11b/g/n (2.4GHz) connectivity with WPA2-AES encryption.

Con

Does not have Night vision features hence you cannot monitor your pet in the dark or dim light.

Pawbo Life Wi-Fi Pet Camera and Treat Dispenser

List Price:£149.00

Price:£149.00

Price Disclaimer

5. IeGeek

.... [easyazon_infoblock align="center" cart="y" identifier="B07MRG1L1V" key="image" locale="UK" nf="y" tag="rangersdog1-21"]

6. Vimtag Video Monitor

The Vimtag video monitor is a multipurpose video monitoring system. It can function as a Baby & Pet Monitor, Nanny Cam, Vacation Home Monitor, and Senior Monitor. It is convenient, just scan the QR code for easy 4 step setup real plug and play 5-minute setup.it has a WPS button for easy Wi-Fi(2.4GHz need) connection setup and has strong and heavy rubber based material. Superior high quality and clear image providing you with an extensive visual field to keep track of your dog. There is a built-in microphone allowing two-way audio communication your dog know he is not alone even when you are far and you can speak to your dog and hear them at home and monitor their noise level. The Vimtag video monitor would suit someone who is looking for a great range of viewing angles. Features include:

Remote Live Video Streaming via Smart Phone, Tablet, and PC App, No browser needed.

Support multiple-users access.

Has a remote Pan and Tilt, Motion Detection Snap Shot alerts.

Clear Two-Way Voice built-in mic and speaker.

Internet Access Required Wired or Wi-Fi (2.4GHz).

3 times Digital Zoom,

Super Clear Night Vision up to 10M.

Internal SD Card slot (Max 128GB) for video recording and playback.

6mm Lens H.264 video compression format with maximum clarity

Stunning HD Video Quality 1280 x 720p and clear image.

350 Degree x 100 degree covers every corner of your home,

2 IR LEDs for Night Vision Up to 10 Meters.

Con

The camera itself needs to be plugged into a power outlet.

Vimtag® [Snowman CP1] HD Wifi Smart IP Home Security Camera,Modern Design,Baby&Pets&Elderly Monitor, Built-In Mic and Speak,Noise Suppression,Pan/Tilt,Two-Way Audio,Super Night Vision,Smoothly Watching Motion Detection with Real-time App push notifications

List Price:£89.99

Price:£49.99

You Save:£40.00

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7. Ba vision Pet Monitoring Camera

the Ba Vision pet monitoring system is wireless security monitor that works through your WiFi connection. It is quick and easy to set up and gives you remote live video streaming that can function with smartphones, tablets, and desktop or laptop computers. The video is high-quality HD. It allows reassure or entertain your dog when you are out with its two-way microphone feature. It also has a night vision option, which provides a good quality image. The camera can pan or tilt, horizontally by 355 degrees or vertically by 120 degrees. Features:

Easy quick Wi-Fi setup via Wi-Fi and you will have your home security IP camera running in about 5 minutes.

Nothing will slip up from your surveillance with the night vision of the Bavision Security IP Camera. The IR will register every movement and activity even at night! Ideal nanny cam, elderly monitoring and dog monitor camera.

Pan tilt - When there is a movement that you want to track, pan and tilt the camera easily with a remote. The full pan and tilt coverage is 355 degrees and the monitor security camera has an ultra-wide 120-degree viewing angle.

High-quality image and two-way clear audio- Stunningly crisp HD camera quality (1080p) and high-quality two-way audio will make the videos and surveillance crystal clear.

Motion detection- One of the best features of this security camera is the motion detection feature that will capture and send alarm photos and videos to your email.

Con

There is no digital zoom and you can only record your footage to the TF card.

BAVISION HD 1080P Wireless IP Camera WiFi Home Security Cameras Baby/Elderly Monitor Nanny Cam Dog Camera Pan/Tilt With Two-Way Audio and Night Vision

List Price:£59.00

Price:£36.88

You Save:£22.12

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Automatic Smart Pet Feeder Camera

This feeder-slash-camera is a good option if you’re going to be out of the house for longer than usual and want to check that your pet is eating, be able to feed your pet from anywhere and at any time. Remotely set times to feed your pet automatically or choose to do a manual feeding from your mobile device instantly. Supports both Apple and Android devices. Connect with your pet while you are away with the supported dual-way audio chat/recording or with the included HD camera. Take photos and videos of them with just the touch of a button. You can also snap a picture of your pet enjoying their snack and share it with friends and family. Features:

Can be used for Wet/Dry Food, Treats & Medication.

Measures 18L x 16W x 3H (inches).

Connects By Wi-Fi To Your Home Network In Under One Minute.

Built-In Webcam So You Can view your pet from any Smartphone Inc. iOS, Android, and Windows

Set one time or regular schedules for unlimited feed and shifts from one profile.

Each of the 6 compartment holds up to 8oz cup size, you decide on how much to feed your dog.

Con

It only works during daytime as the resolution of this camera is quite low.

Feed and Go Smart Pet Feeder With WEBCAM & WI-FI Built In. WET & DRY Food Friendly, Control From Anywhere With Any Computer/Tablet/Smartphone (Inc iOS, Android and Windows).

List Price:£199.00

Price:£179.99

You Save:£19.01

Price Disclaimer

Petkit Mate Pet Camera

The Petkit Mate pet camera is a brilliant choice for dog owners who want to interact with their dog during their absence as it has dual way microphone. It provides a 30Fps HD camera, delivering up to 720p video, that you can watch via a secure App. This is the real deal from the competition as it has the ability to rotate, you can see everything if positioned well. It also enables you to interact with the pet camera via the App. The App functions on tablets and smartphones, so you can view anywhere as long as there is an internet connection. This is an ideal option for owners who are concerned about their dog’s noise when they are out, as it allows you to speak to your dog and calm him down. Has a camera for quality viewing to check what’s happening with your dog. PETKIT MATE allow you to share all special moments of your dogs or cats by videos or photos to your family and friends and to crown it all has day and night mode to keep you connected no matter the hour. Features:

Multi-functional Remote Monitor.

Pet Safe Design: Day mode and night mode automatically converted, 360° rotatable, 110° wide angle and 720p HD for proper images.

Play and accompany built-in laser function allows you to amuse your cats or dogs at any time and from anywhere.

Greet & Talk: Dual mics and speakers design allow a smooth speaking and Listening to pets on phone by PETKIT APP download from APP store/Google play.

Record and Share memories:

Con

Lacks external storage.

PETKIT MATE Pet Camera Monitor 340° Rotatable 110° Wide Visual Angle Two-Way Audio 720P Video - Dogs Cats Activity Monitor Camera (Rose-Gold)

List Price:£239.99

Price:£179.95

You Save:£60.04

Price Disclaimer

10. Skymee Camera

... [easyazon_infoblock align="center" cart="y" identifier="B07H4B9LX6" key="image" locale="UK" nf="y" tag="rangersdog1-21"] As most pet owners are I am sure they are apprehensive about leaving their beloved animals when going away, I was probably more so than most. With the best will in the world, there will be times that you need to leave your dog without companionship for some hours and this is when monitoring comes in handy. With a dog monitor, you are able to make sure that your dog is relaxed and happy when left alone. It is a way of being there even though you are far. The best dog monitor is the one that is reliable, can be accessed easily by you and can fit your budget and reliance the correct information in text and visual. Every household would definitely benefit from a pet monitor or camera that updates you on your best friend. #check our Recommended Dog tracker article

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a-breton · 6 years

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How Cisco Merges Martech With Creative Content

If you could build the ideal multi-industry global conglomerate from scratch, scaling it to over 700 product families, would you let each one of those 700 product managers target the same customer separately?

Of course you wouldn’t.

Why then do so many enterprise brands find themselves in a similar pickle?

Three years ago, the Cisco marketing team woke up to this real-life situation. Bob Meindl, Cisco marketing director, and Jenny Hooks, Cisco marketing manager, describe the revelation in their joint 2018 Intelligent Content Conference, Beauty and the Beast: Creating the Balance Between Content Innovation and Martech Capabilities.

“Like many large B2B companies, we focused on product marketing, and each business unit would market to customers on their own,” Bob says. “To be fair, they thought about the customer, and understood the customer, but only from the very specific lens of their product.”

Many B2B marketers mistakenly focus on product first, not the audience, says @BobMeindl. Click To Tweet

Unfortunately, the disconnect led to multiple marketing programs within Cisco targeting an individual prospect from many angles, resulting in an experience that looked fragmented, felt uncoordinated, and even sometimes delivered conflicting information.

The solution they found flipped the “create content first, ask questions later” approach all too common at Cisco – and so many other companies. Putting content creation last ended up helping the team scale its processes and end the confusing experiences that sprang from muddled marketing silos.

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Restructure around customers, not products

All product managers consider their widget customer-centric because it solves a client’s problem. Of course, they’re right. But what often emerges from that mindset is the impulse to develop content about how the product helps the customer – and then figure out who to target it to.

While many content marketers know to start with the customer when creating their strategy, many product marketing-driven B2B organizations struggle to start their content planning from that perspective.

Cisco’s CMO tasked a team of 20 marketing and communications leaders from across the company to set out to reverse the framework and create a genuine audience-first model instead. Today, the content process starts with a detailed analysis of the audience before any content gets created.

The marketing function rallied around the customer-centric perspective from the executive to the individual contributor levels. In-country teams added writing capabilities and built digital marketing functions from scratch. “This was a huge change for us, putting the customer at the center of everything,” Bob says.

The audience-first process adopted by the restructured organization includes:

Identification of personas

Identification of channels

Creation or discovery of the journey and experiences

Creation of the content

The framework appears simple, but in practice the many decisions and people involved complicate the process. If you implement it, expect hurdles and snags, Bob and Jenny say. But stay committed to the process for the benefit of your customer. Here’s how.

Agree on segmentation criteria and create persona categories

We all have misconceptions about who our audiences really are and what they truly want. Marketers project attributes, pain points, and desires onto their ideal persona instead of uncovering true “care-abouts,” as Cisco describes them.

To get better acquainted with its target audiences, Cisco worked with the Buyer Persona Institute to conduct blind interviews with customers who operated in companies of varying sizes, industries, and countries. These interviews helped the team understand their audience’s real needs. “We (found) out what they care about in their own language, not what we think they care about, but what they actually care about in their work,” Bob says. “We augmented this with hard data on customer behavior collected from various first- and third-party sources.”

Blind interviews w/ customers helped @Cisco team understand audience’s real needs, says @BobMeindl. Click To Tweet

With that information, Jenny’s team was equipped to create a smart channel strategy that meets those customers with the right content, through the right channel, at precisely the right moment.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

Tech Marketers Think Outside the Buyer’s Journey [New Research]

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Build a channel strategy based upon newly formed personas and ‘care-abouts’

Accommodating a seamless experience across channels means meeting contacts where they are instead of creating something and hoping to lure eyeballs toward it, Jenny says. That’s the difference between a successful omnichannel strategy and wasted activity.

Meet contacts where they are instead of creating something and hoping to lure eyeballs toward it. @jenny_hooks Click To Tweet

“Our muscle memory is to produce a piece of content and then ask, ‘What should we do with it?’” she says. “We are really trying to change that. Everything is now purpose-built for the customer and for the channel and for the experience that we’re trying to drive.”

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: It’s Not About the Tea: How to Make Buyer Personas That Really Satisfy

Plan the experience based on personas and channel strategies

Designing a personalized red-carpet experience for everyone in your database, no matter how manageable the list, would be overwhelming. That’s why a few priority personas and channel strategies should reach the right people on the right platform. Based on those personas and channels, you can devise an effective individualized message.

By approaching your messaging through personas instead of products, you can find common threads and develop content that speaks to those commonalities. How? With intelligent content.

“We take the existing content that we think fits the message and we pull it apart into pieces,” Jenny explains. “We typically take bigger pieces or things that are maybe moderate-sized format. We try and break it up into component parts so that we can then tag it and reuse it, and we can reconstruct it for personas and tailor it for personas. We adapt it to how the customer needs to see it based on our research.”

Some of the commonalities between personas can be surprising. For example, you wouldn’t expect a CIO, a data center manager, and a network buyer to display the same digital behavior, but even though they have differing motivations, they sometimes tackle top tasks similarly.

Another example is security. Across every career level and loyalty tier, and in every sociogeographic group, the demand for more security content is great. Until recently (and it’s still common in many enterprises), this knowledge would have triggered Cisco’s marketers to create a flurry of security content creation and distribute it.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: Intelligent Content Demystified: A Practical, Easy-to-Understand Explanation

Determine business rules and customer attributes

Looking for commonalities also keeps the team from overly personalizing content. Although an executive once described the experience of coming to Cisco.com as “50 first dates” (because visitors are treated as new acquaintances even if they’re already customers), the team also understands that, as Bob puts it: “Personalization for the sake of personalization is just extra work for everyone.”

Personalization for the sake of personalization is just extra work for everyone. @BobMeindl. #contentstrategy Click To Tweet

The sweet spot is the artful intersection between visitor value and brand value. When one of the site’s 14 million unique monthly visitors lands at Cisco.com, it’s an ideal opportunity to nail it with on-domain, rule-based personalization, and relevant, dynamic content.

Although 95% of visitors get the same experience on Cisco.com today, the team’s working hard to change that, starting with recognizing the visitor’s country and directing that user to the country-appropriate site. “At the very least, if we recognize that you are coming in from Japan,” Jenny says, “we can at least give you the option to go to that site in Japanese to see more relevant context to you.”

The scale of Cisco.com’s traffic (millions of visitors and local language content and offers for 84 countries) makes it nearly impossible to offer truly one-to-one personalization. Targeting by country is the first step; eventually, the team hopes to be able to target by industry and other attributes, and by behaviors.

To understand the behavior of visitors (most of whom haven’t registered or signed into the site), the team pulls information from several sources:

Profound for reverse IP lookup

BlueKai for managing Cisco’s and third-party data to create audience groupings

Eloqua for marketing automation

Cookies from the Cisco website

Adobe Analytics

The team is also implementing a set of “omnichannel IDs” that enable content management and fractional attribution:

A campaign ID ties to the overarching message.

The drive-to ID shows the channel the customer engages on.

An offer ID holds the metadata for the specific content (industry, theme, products, and persona).

The IDs help the team understand which content visitors engage with and what channel they’re coming from. When they found one of their personas was 800% more likely to engage with Cisco content on social media than other buyers, the team responded by building more social-led content to serve that segment.

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Personas in practice

Bob and Jenny shared an example of one of Cisco’s personas to show how the new process revolves around the customer rather than the products.

Meet Nigel, a network buyer whose perspective and needs are sussed from the buyer persona research. Nigel’s main concerns include simplification, future-proofing, and security.

With that knowledge, Cisco creates themes for each stage of Nigel’s buying process and messaging for each theme that works across business units, sales, services, etc.

Where Cisco once had marketing plans based on products, it now presents the customer concerns and asks the product teams what they have that addresses those concerns. That information leads to the prioritization of messages and offers based on revenue opportunity or alignment to things the customer cares about.

And, yes, the sale is the end goal. “At the end of the day, we want Nigel to buy a product from Cisco, so at some point, you have to work that in,” Bob says. “But starting the story around Nigel, simplifying his operations or simplifying his network, really just changes the tone of the conversations that we have in marketing from ‘How many switches can we sell Nigel?’ to ‘What’s that story we need to tell about simplification?’ That’s what Nigel cares about. Speaking to the business outcomes Nigel and his company need is better for the customer and more powerful for us.”

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How to Adopt a Customer-Centric Strategy for Your Content

Road Map to Success: Creating the Content of Your Audience’s Dreams

Customer first, content last

Many marketers think personalization tricks are so nifty that there’s no wrong way to use them. Too often, we create content and then personalize it for the sake of personalization, not truly for the benefit of both audience and business. To rescue a team that has fallen into that unproductive tendency or to avoid the pitfall in the first place, take a page out of Cisco’s playbook. Put the customer before everything — even above the content — and both your audience and bottom line will benefit.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: 5 Brands Share Their Content Marketing Process

Here’s an excerpt from Bob and Jenny’s talk:

youtube

Empowering new tech tools and innovative processes are clearly distilled and explained by content strategy practitioners and technologists at CMI’s upcoming ContentTECH Summit. Sign up here to be notified when registration opens for this inspiring event.

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

from http://bit.ly/2MOjPGU

#Online Marketing

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