Mediaboss Marketing

Its often said that Wario is an enigma. Who says that? Thats not one of the questions were here to answer.

Its Wario Month here at Wariogon, and there are some burning questions out there about Wario. While hes certainly the loudest and proudest of the overall-wearing citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom, there are some common misconceptions about him.

Lets dive into the things you need to know ahead of our month celebrating the gold and garlic-loving prince of video games (and farts).

Warios first appearance was Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins on the Game Boy. He served as the games primary antagonist, and he was reportedly born out of one Nintendo teams frustration over making a game based on a different teams protagonist.

Thus Wario, envisioned by creator Hiroji Kiyotake as the Bluto to Mario's Popeye, was born. Wario went on to take over the Land series, dubbing it Wario Land. Most notably, Wario joined the ever-growing roster of Mushroom Kingdom denizens to golf, kart, and party with Mario and his friends. He eventually opened WarioWare to make his own video games, and he even starred in his own 3D platform on the Nintendo GameCube, Wario World, but we dont talk about that.

Growing up, I remember hearing playground rumors about Wario. (Clearly, I had a lot going on during second grade.) The most popular one was that Wario and Mario were cousins. But thats not the case. Wario and Mario were actually just childhood rivals, and the two share no blood relation.

So, Mario and Wario arent cousins, but surely Waluigi is Warios brother? No, thank god.

Wario was the original Wa inhabitant of the Mushroom Kingdom, showing up as a villain for Mario in 1992. Waluigi, on the other hand, is an absolute creep who only exists so Wario could have a duos partner in tennis. None of that is a joke.

An issue of Nintendo Power cataloged last year on Twitter revealed that Waluigi is just some goober that Wario hired. Waluigi isnt even his real name. Wario apparently searched an internet actor pool and hired Jimmy Poppadopolos to act like his duo partner and be a foil for Luigi. Waluigi has since legally changed his name. Seriously.

This question has a pretty complex answer. Wario isnt the main villain of the series, to be sure. But even Bowser, who trumps Wario in sheer villainy, is more of an antagonist than a villain. Bowser is a good dad who even occasionally acts in a more comedic role for story-based Mario titles like the Mario & Luigi games or Paper Mario. In many cases, Bowser is more of a frenemy than an antagonist. And with how much Bowser, Wario, Mario, and the rest of the gang hang out while playing sports and driving, Im not sure you could even call Bowser a bad guy.

With Wario clearly in a lower bad guy tier than Bowser, I think its safe to downgrade him from villain to jerk.

Youd think so, but Id guess no.

Youll find surprisingly little if you type Wario and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) into Google, so Ill just say this from the heart: Warios farts are weaponized and on demand. It is, in fact, crueler if he doesnt have IBS and has instead just cultivated his body to be an unnatural fart machine. A weapon of gas destruction, if you will.

Another question thats surprisingly complex to answer.

Wario is Italian now, but he wasnt always. Warios original voice actor was German translator Thomas Spindler, and his line that sounds like oh, I missed! is actually So ein Mist! which is German for oh crap! On brand for Wario. Spindler said Wario was always envisioned as German.

However, outside of his Mario Strikers Charged theme song which has a German folk song vibe Wario is largely viewed as Italian. The shift seems to have happened as soon as Charles Martinet, Marios voice actor, took over the role. The Wario we hear today speaks more than any of Martinets other characters and in an even thicker Italian accent than Mario.

Maybe?

In a Nintendo Power issue from 2000, the magazine asked producer Hiroyuki Takahashi if Wario had his own partner the way Mario and Luigi have Peach and Daisy. Marios creator, Shigeru Miyamoto told the producer that he didnt want to see whatever girlfriends Wario and Waluigi would find for themselves.

However, the same Nintendo Power blog that outs Waluigi as Jimmy Poppadopolos also suggests that Wario and Waluigi may have had a budding romance. The article does say that as of Mario Kart Double Dash the two have parted ways physically, which is perhaps the worst imaginable way to put that.

So, if Wario does fuck, he probably fucks Waluigi. Do with that information what you will.

If you google Wario, as I often do, youve probably run into this auto-complete, asking if Wario considers himself a member of the Libertarian political party.

This is actually not a sincere question, but instead an old school Twitter meme from 2011.

But in service of this FAQ: No, Wario is not a Libertarian. Wario clearly doesnt believe in or understand government, otherwise he would have run for office at this point.

Read the rest here:
Everything you need to know about Wario - Polygon

Looking for ways to optimize your TikTok marketing approach?

The platform continues to see high engagement and download rates, and with the holiday shopping season fast approaching (Christmas is now 115 days away), a rising number of brands are now considering the potential of the platform for their outreach efforts.

But the key to effective TikTok marketing lies in your creative, and how well you can align with the platforms aesthetic and feel.

Do you know what works on TikTok, and subsequently, what might work best for your brand?

To help with this, TikTok has added a new section into its Creative Center ad tips platform, which presents a range of data insights as to what users are responding to from brands.

As explained by TikTok:

Creative is sometimes overlooked as a core component of performance marketing, and as a result many ads don't reach their full potential in terms of ROI. To help you achieve your business goals with breakthrough creative on TikTok, we looked at the data to identify the best-performing creative attributes such as video duration and closed captioning so we could share some universal and category-specific best practices and help your ad performance soar.

It seems as though the platform is not fully fleshed out as yet, with only a selected few insights in some verticals available, but it does provide some valuable pointers as to what approaches are seeing best response, and what you should be looking to include in your TikTok ads.

Each element includes expanded detail on the flip side of the info panel, where there are also up and downvote buttons to register whether you found the data helpful in your planning.

That seems to suggest that, eventually, as more of these tips are added, TikTok will then be able to rank the listings by relative visitor value, which may make it a more helpful resource for such info over time.

Theres some helpful info here, and while it doesnt cover all industries as yet, it may be worth bookmarking as a potential resource for your future planning, and mapping out your TikTok marketing approach.

You can check out the new Creative Insights section here.

Go here to read the rest:
TikTok Shares New Creative Peformance Insights to Help Marketers Improve their Strategic Approach - Social Media Today

The Impact NFT Alliance was created to bring together a global community of people interested in the role that blockchain technology can have on society.

The project was specifically designed to catalyse a cross-industry alliance that can promote, explore and discuss ideas where NFTs can be used to drive social impact in line with the UNs Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Project Ark a blockchain-powered conservation platform built between Carbonbase and the World Wildlife Fund Panda Labs is an online marketplace for ImpactNFTs that fund animal and environmental conservation efforts. Arks most recent ImpactNFTs include its WWF Egg Genesis Drop, SnarkySharkz and Purple Penguins.

NFTs are non-fungible tokens, a unit of data stored on the digital leger that represent items like photos, videos, audios and other digital files.

According to Max Song, founder of Project Ark and CEO of Carbonbase, there are clear synergies between minting NFTs and making the world better specifically between issuing NFT green bonds, payments for environmental services and NFTs as carbon credits.

Lays ImpactNFT is a first-of-its-kind for both PepsiCo and the brand, and incorporates social marketing with blockchain technology to get important messages out to blockchain newbies, conscious consumers and the general public.

An celebration of Lays Romanias efforts to unite the nation through the Share smiles with Lays campaign, Lays Smile NFT showcases the key elements of the initiative, namely, education, social and environment, with 100% of the proceeds going to four organisations recognised for their work in addressing some of Romanias biggest challenges in these areas.

Lets Do It, Romania! identifies polluted areas, organises clean up and has constructed the largest environmental education campaign in the country.

Bicycle-sharing service i'Velo, powered by GreenRevolution, has developed Romanias first and largest network of automated bike stations with a proprietary app.

The Adi Hdean Association provides those in need with nourishment through social and education projects.

And finally, Teach For Romania trains teachers to bring creative approaches to the classroom and develops educational leadership to codify their vision for future generations.

The Smiles by Lays NFT is a celebration of all the people and communities that got together through the Share Smiles with Lays campaign in Romania. Were excited to transform this campaign into digital art, said Vlad Vldescu, senior brand manager of Lays Romania.

Added Song, The Smile ImpactNFT is an example of cross-industry partnership that can drive social impact in a creative way that adds ongoing value.

To guarantee a negligible carbon footprint, Project Ark has minted Lays NFT on the Polygon network a Layer 2 protocol offering fast, economic and energy-efficient transactions, which is backed by the security of Ethereum open-source blockchain.

We are built for minting NFTs with a positive impact. Our partnership with Project Ark fits perfectly within our ethos of energy-efficiency and accessibility, said Amartya Hari Pilaka, Polygons NFT lead.

Continued here:
Lay's Romania makes an ImpactNFT by investing in miles of smiles - BakeryAndSnacks.com

Would you consider the time you spend on TikTok as time well spent?

Thats the core of what TikTok sought to find out via a new survey conducted in partnership with Kantar among more than 7,000 global TikTok users.

The results show that TikTok users are increasingly getting enjoyment and connection from the app.

As explained by TikTok:

They come to TikTok for the community, stay for the creativity, and leave feeling happy and inspired. People love the positive experience that our platform provides, so they scroll longer and dive deeper.

Which is no real surprise. TikTok usage has surged during the pandemic, with the apps never-ending stream of short video clips providing a means of escape, and light-hearted fun, away from the often depressing stream of news updates which now dominate many other apps.

Among the reports other key findings:

These are some interesting notes, which could help to shape your TikTok marketing approach. For more, you can check out TikToks full report here, or take a look at the infographic highlights below.

More:
TikTok Shares New Insights into Usage Trends, and its Impact on Audience Behaviors [Infographic] - Social Media Today

WASHINGTON President Biden on Wednesday assured Ukraines president that the United States remained opposed to Russian aggression in the region, using an Oval Office meeting to affirm his support for a leader unnerved by Americas chaotic exit from Afghanistan.

The meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine also allowed Mr. Biden to send a message to Russia that he was committed to standing by a strategic partner that Moscow has invaded.

The partnership between our nations grows stronger and its going to become even stronger, Mr. Biden said, noting the two countries had a similar value system that included a commitment to a Europe that was whole, free and at peace.

Despite a delay of a few days, due in part to the unfolding crisis in Afghanistan, Mr. Zelensky finally got the Oval Office reception he had been seeking since his election in 2019. His earlier efforts to secure such a meeting with President Donald J. Trump led to Mr. Zelensky unwittingly becoming entangled in an international incident that led to Mr. Trumps first impeachment trial.

Mr. Zelensky, for his part, thanked the United States for a new $60 million defense aid package and said he wanted to focus on security issues, including the Russian occupation of Crimea.

Understand the Infrastructure Bill

Speaking through a translator, he expressed condolences for the 13 U.S. service members killed last week in Afghanistan. We are very compassionate, since we have been dealing with such tragic losses for eight years in a row, Mr. Zelensky said, referring to those killed fighting in eastern Ukraine against Russian-backed separatists.

During the meeting, Mr. Biden also told Mr. Zelensky that he wanted to travel to Ukraine, which no American president has visited since President George W. Bush in 2008. Mr. Biden visited Ukraine regularly as vice president.

A show of support may be necessary. Ukrainians have been discouraged as they have watched Americas unruly and abrupt exit from Afghanistan. Their worry is that commitments, understandings and confidence that theyve had from and with the United States could be jeopardized by this, said William B. Taylor Jr., who served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine between 2006 and 2009, and who was a star witness during Mr. Trumps first impeachment trial.

They almost desperately want to believe that the longtime support for Ukraine, over administrations of all kinds, is going to persist, he said. But they cant help but be concerned when they see the United States quickly, and with some disarray, pulling out of a country where weve been for 20 years.

Mr. Bidens objective ahead of the meeting was to demonstrate a clear commitment to Ukraines sovereignty, officials said. The decision to allow Mr. Zelensky to be only the second European leader to visit the White House since Mr. Bidens inauguration sent a strong signal that Ukraine remains a priority for the administration.

Aug. 24, 2021, 4:52 p.m. ET

Supporting Ukraine is critical for an administration that has made strengthening democratic norms at home and abroad as a key objective, foreign policy experts said.

Mr. Biden also signed off on a new $60 million aid package with Ukraine that included Javelin anti-armor missiles and other lethal weapons, an official said, and announced new agreements on security, energy and climate coordination after bilateral meetings with the visiting Ukrainian delegation.

The Biden administration has now provided more than $400 million in security assistance to Ukraine this year, an official said.

The Trump administration also provided lethal weapons to Ukraine, reversing a decision not to do so by the Obama administration, when Mr. Biden was vice president. Former President Barack Obama limited American aid to Ukraine to nonlethal items like body armor, night-vision goggles and first aid kits, to avoid tempting President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to raise the stakes.

The Biden administration was also expected to sign a revised strategic defense framework to boost cooperation on security, cybersecurity and intelligence sharing, setting the stage for closer cooperation that will improve the capabilities of the Ukrainian military, officials said.

Overall, however, Mr. Bidens record on Ukraine has been mixed, experts said. The administration dropped its efforts earlier this year to block the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will transport natural gas directly from Russia to Germany, allowing Russia to bypass Ukraine and deprive it of revenue from transit fees.

In a joint statement released after the meeting, both countries stated that they continue to oppose Nord Stream 2, which we view as a threat to European energy security.

The Biden administration has also not yet announced a nominee to serve as ambassador to Ukraine, a position that has remained vacant since 2019 when Marie L. Yovanovitch was ousted from her job for apparent disloyalty to Mr. Trump.

Continued here:
Biden Affirms Support for Ukraine Against 'Russian ...