“Open your mouth and expand your mind,” is the slogan of Candy Blog. Created in 2006 by candy critic, Cybele May, this blog features reviews of every type of candy possible. The home page of the site is designed in bright cheery colors with various pictures of delicious sweets lining the side columns. The bubbled side boxes contain featured news items and interactive polls. The main persona of the website is lighthearted and happy.
We specifically chose this blog because it does not appear to be a site that is focused around advertising. However, exploring further around the site, one finds that it is a different venue for advertising. The site owner will review candies for fun and certain candies if asked by companies. By simply reviewing them and posting her thoughts, she seems to be providing an outlet for advertising even though it is different than mainstream advertising. Who would be most likely to visit this website? Also, sometimes advertising is not simple commercials on television or pages in a magazine. Where else do subtle, nonchalant advertisements appear? Have advertisements become such a normal part of life, that we don’t notice we are directly viewing them? Is there anything else unconventional or interesting about this site?
I really liked this blog because like Leighann said, it didnt seem completely centered around advertising. The out-of-the-box style of this blog made it interesting, and I think a lot of people could find this useful. For example, a small business owner who is looking to open a candy store could look at this blog for new ideas and information about different types of candy. The blog seems fairly organized with hundreds of types of candy, plenty enough for the average person. What are your thoughts of the blog? See any improvements that could be made?
ReplyDeleteI find this blog actually pretty funny and inventive. The creator took a simple idea of writing about her opinions of candy and turned it in to an in-depth, intuitive site. I do find the blog a little too busy, especially on the left side with all the brand names, types, countries, and archives. since it is a candy blog, I can understand the use of so many colors, but all together, it is hard to focus on this website. I feel that too many words and titles are highlighted to grab your attention. I think the rating system is pretty cool and original, and I like that she has an "on deck" list of candies to be reviewed which keeps viewers coming back to see their favorite candy reviewed. Overall, the blogger has a great idea and used some good site designs on her blog. Now I'm craving some candy!
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of this blog, not simply because its about candy... although I do love candy. I find the whole organization of the blog to be very smart with how it organizes the candies by brand and types. Is there some other organization method that perhaps would make more sense? The blog also appears to be very interactive with the polls and rating scales, did anyone participate in any of the polls? If so did they help you become further engaged in the blog?
ReplyDeleteI think the blog is a bit disorganized. It's very colorful. Everything is colorful, so the articles she's written can be a little hard to follow. They could be set up in a more secluded way so that the reader knows exactly what she thinks, what the product looks like, and how she rates it.
ReplyDeleteThis blog is really cool! I like it because it doesn't soley blog about typical, everyday candy. This blog gives incite mostly about unique candy, such as that from See's. There is some candy that I have never even heard of. It's actually intriguing to candy lovers and really does make me want to try the candy discussed! It is perfect timing for this blog with Easter just around the corner. The blogger is obviously aware of this with the background she chose for the blog.
ReplyDeleteThis blog shows that our minds are so used to advertising and expert opinions and obvious persuasion we assume that someone is trying to sell us something but she is just stating her opinion it does not necessarily mean it is correct but how she feels about the certain candy
ReplyDeleteThe buff-yellow background with some cute and colorful pieces of skittles kind of remind me of sweet childhood at the first sight of the website. The organization of each part is quite compact, which made me a little bit dizzy finding paths of what I want. The main content of the candies isn't attractive for me just by posing some pictures and long passage of introduction. The way she present the products is not creative neither impressive. It just gives me feeling of looking at some company trying to sell their products but not feel connected as someone who really interested in tasting candies. However, I do like the design of the comment tag and the voting system. They can actually get more people get involved.
ReplyDeleteI agree the blog is extremely busy. It throws tons of information and colors at the reader immediately on the front page. It is a little overwhelming at first. I even had to search a bit just to find the link to the reviews. I think a cleaner and easy to follow front page would make the blog inviting. It is definitely a user friendly and engaging blog that invites feedback from the readers.
ReplyDeleteI like this blog a lot. Like Jonathan, it has a real out-of-the-box style to it. I also think the busyness of it, and all the color contribute to the intended rhetoric of the blog. A lot of times candy is colorful and busy as the site is. It actually seems organized in a way that makes sense, and easy to use. When it comes to advertisement, it seems to be hiding on the side, blended in with everything else. That's a interesting way of presenting it.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very neat blog, it has several things that work for it. The blog is very easy to navigate, and find the candies that you’re looking for. It’s amazing that she has taste tested all of the candies that are contained in the blog. Most of the time she does really well describing why certain candy tastes good, and just doesn’t write that she likes or doesn’t like it. However, every now and again she will go off on a tangent that doesn’t seem to have any place in the article. I’d also have to agree with Anton, with the fact that the site is built just like candy is, which is colorful and busy.
ReplyDeleteI really like this blog!! I like how you can find candies by what category it's in, or by ratings (superb to inedible). I feel that the ratings would be very helpful if you're looking to try a new sort of candy. Perusing the inedible category, I found that Hershey Miniatures were on the list of inedible (you know the variety bad with milk, dark, krackle, and peanuts that you get for Halloween). I know Hershey is by no means the best chocolate out in the market, but to mark it as inedible, and for that I question the author's judgement.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Simpson that the blog is extremely busy but that doesn't mean its a bad thing. I like how the blog shows the variety of candy and the necessary and fun facts it provides. When i first look at the page i see many things you can click on, such as different types of candy. As you scroll down the page you see all kinds of candy and description which is very helpful if someone is wanting to try or buy the candy. I feel this blog is for people who love candy and is wanting to try a variety of new things. Its also good, like Warner said that she has tried all the candy so she can give her opinion of the candy before you do to see if you could potentially like it. Overall this blog is great expect for the fact that it could be a little more organized.
ReplyDeleteI like this blog partially because of the reason that i like candies a bit. This site to me looks busy, a lot of stuff seems to be going on at the same time, I really didn't think that there could be so much about candies. A person who really likes candies can find a lot of stuff here, but a person going on this site for the purpose of information would be a bit disappointed because of too much stuff going on.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very entertaining blog site. The colors jump out and hook the viewer to the page. I think it was interesting that the blog is based on one person's love of candy and I was impressed by the overall dedication of the creator for doing so much candy research. It was fun to see all of the different types and categories of candy out there. The blog itself does a really good job of selling itself to other candy lovers.
ReplyDeleteI loved this blog. I thought it was very creative and the colors reminded me of a candy store almost, so yes they definitely portray the intended rhetoric well.The categories broken down on the left hand side made the page easy to navigate around. I thought her reviews were interesting to read and it is definitely a sly way of advertising because it's almost indirect.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the candy companies like this, as it is a way of promoting their product, but it is also judging and rating their product, which may get bad reviews.
ReplyDeleteThe website is very colorful but I feel that that actually adds to the theme of the website. Candy is generally associated with happiness and the website uses this by choosing bright colors. I will admit though, at times, the brightly colored candy on the white background distracted me from the reviews.
ReplyDeleteThe color scheme is definitely part of the "voice" the website has. It does represent candy,and childhood, and that is what makes it so appealing to many people in my opinion.
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