For the World
Brand Expansions
AC5 - A place to communicate
Type: Environment (Digital and Physical)
Name: A place to communicate (AOL Neighborhood Language Center)
Introduction: Learning a second language is an amazing way to better understand the larger world we live in.
Description: A community school that offers language classes geared towards people looking to learn a new language later in life. The goal is to bring people together so that they will have a better understanding and connection to the global community.
Mission-focus: Ties to AOL’s desire to connect people and foster community, in this case through creating more ways for people to communicate.
Similar to: This idea shares many similarities with language learning software such as Rosetta Stone, Babbel, Duolingo, and others however it differs because it will offer these classes both in person and online with real instructor time while still working at the students pace.
Ties to: Ties in with AOL to educate and build connections within the global community.
Learning a new language is great way to learn about the rest of the world and better oneself all at the same time.
We as country need to learn that everyone is not so different than each other, and figuring out how to better communicate with everyone could be the first step.
“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things.”
The collaborative aspect of the language center will people to get to know others in their community with similar interests and perhaps make life long friends.
Traveling is a great way to learn about other cultures and the world around us, creating a more cohesive global community.
AS2 - Someone to visit the world
Type: Service
Name: Someone to visit the world (AOL New Friends Group Travel)
Introduction: Traveling is an amazing way to experience and better understand the world around us.
Description: Geared towards older individuals and couples, it will be tour group travel for people from within a community who may not have the opportunity or ability to travel on their own. This will be a variety of travel options from domestic to international and some of the travel could be partially subsidized.
Mission-focus: Ties to AOL’s desire to connect and educate people, through travel opportunities that normally wouldn’t be available to them.
Similar to: Several universities offer group travel opportunities to their alumni, for example the Stanford Travel Study program, however this programs are often prohibitively expensive and only available to people who attended the institution. There are also a number of travel agencies that specialize in group travel, however none really focus on collecting people from within a single community.
Ties to: As people within a community connect through the AOL’s other centers and services, this will allow them to further their connections by exploring together.
The friendships people make while traveling can have a profound impact on their lives and happiness.
It is important expand ones horizons and understand that we are all a part of the global community.
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”
Learning the history of a region or country takes on a whole new meaning when you actually get to be there.
AS7 - Someone to learn more with
Type: Co-Branding Service
Name: Someone to learn more with (AOL Student Exchange Program)
Introduction: A partnership with top universities across the globe offering shorter programs that would provide more people the opportunity to study abroad.
Description: In collaboration with top universities across the world, the exchange program would allow students to spend 1-3 weeks during inter-semester to take classes and explore different cultures. These are not semester’s abroad but rather shorter programs available to students who for various reasons don’t have the opportunity to attend semester long programs.
Mission-focus: Ties to AOL’s desire to connect and educate people.
Similar to: This idea shares similarities with standard study abroad programs available at most universities, however the difference is that students would be sent to foreign schools (as opposed to satellite campuses) and the programs would be 1-3 weeks so that more people would have the option to take part in the programs.
The opportunity to learn from different professors from around the world is an opportunity that should not be taken lightly.
Traditional Foreign Exchange programs can be prohibitively time consuming or expensive for some students, making an alternative a great opportunity.
ADDITIONAL EXPANSIONS
FOR THE WORLD
AE4 - Learning to work
with the rest of the world
Type: Event
Name: Learning to work with the rest of the world (AOL Global Technology Summit)
Introduction: A Global conference where companies would get together and share the exciting new ways they are using technology.
Description: Collaborative summit where companies around the globe will gather together to share exciting new ways in which they are using tech in the hopes of building partnerships and a more cooperative corporate global community.
Mission-focus: Ties to AOL’s desire to teach and connect people..
Similar to: The idea of a global technology summit is not new with a variety of annual events already existing including the Global Technology Symposium and DLA Tech summit. Where it would differ would be in its desire to promote collaboration and develop global partnerships between corporations and small businesses.
AS8 - Someone to help us learn
Type: Service
Name: Someone to help me smile (AOL International News Exchange)
Introduction: A collaborative global service where people can share feel good news from there communities for the rest of the world to read.
Description: The world is saturated with bad and numerous media corporations to cover them. Oftentimes this leads to positive stories being overlooked and uncovered. This service isn’t about covering all the news, it is a collaborative service where people around the world can upload positive local stories and read similar stories from around the globe, in an effort to humanize different cultures.
Mission-focus: Ties to AOL’s desire to connect people, foster community, and educate people about the rest of the world.
Similar to: This idea shares similarities with many social media posting services such as reddit or even facebook, but differs because it would be curated and there would need to be a local story that can be shared. Also the focus would be positive stories that would help humanize the rest of the world.
AS6 - Someone to give
it a second life
Type: Service
Name: Someone to give it a second life (AOL Hand Me Down Electronic Recycling)
Introduction: A Service that would find a new home for electronics we more longer use in underserved communities across the globe.
Description: Technology is often replaced long before it is no longer useful, upgraded for the newer model with more features. However these replaced electronics still have use elsewhere. This program would allow people to recycle their electronics, which AOL will send abroad to communities that need them so that people around the globe will have access to technology and the ability to connect with the rest of the world.
Mission-focus: Ties to AOL’s desire to connect and build communities, while also educating.
Similar to: This idea shares many similarities with electronic waste disposal companies and electronic hand me down businesses such as Swappa, the difference being that by sending the electronic goods overseas we can cut down on e-waste while also spreading tech across the globe that will help with education.
AS10 - Someone to share my home
Type: Service
Name: Someone to share my home (AOL Global House Swap)
Introduction: A service where people can communicate with people across the globe and swap houses for vacations.
Description: Air BnB is a creative way to look at global travel, however safety on one end, and the uncertainity of who one is renting to on the other, are problems. To solve these issues, AOL has created an online community where people can converse with others and “swap” houses for vacations. This allows more knowledge of who is using the house and more open communication between renters.
Mission-focus: Ties to AOL’s desire to connect people, foster community, and educate people about the rest of the world.
Similar to: The most obvious similarity is with Air Bnb, however as mentioned before it is much relationship based and would require people to be willing to share their home to use the service, this would foster an atmosphere of mutual respect.