It's been awhile since my last blog, I started a new in-house marketing analytics job at DriverSide.com where I get to not only pontificate on the future of the social web but actively be a part of it. It's interesting to go from thought exercises to "how can we use these tools to meet our numbers". (The photo refers to something I really like...warm Mexican beaches)
I'm still closely following all the news and as always Facebook is top of mind, especially since they just got us all one big step closer to that "social graph" we've all been hearing about with the launch of the universal Like button. In the end though it's not the fact that we as users now have the ability to "Like" things across the web, we've been able to grab URL's, photos and videos to post for some time now. The big step that moved us, both as producers and consumers of content, towards the promised social graph is the fact that now; whenever content is "liked" the user's information is now available in corporate "insights" section.
This might not seem like a big step but it is and here's why. Facebook offers the most comprehensive... Read more
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Why I really like that Facebook "Like" button
Tags: analytics, Facebook, like button
Posted in Social Media | No Comments »
How Pepsi's 23 Million Dollar Social Media Campaign will be Money Well Spent
As you might have heard Pepsi has decided to shelve its Super Bowl commercials and instead dedicate that money to a social media effort. A bold move for sure and given the nature of what the campaign entails, helping improve local communities, one that just might work out for Pepsi. (The image has to do with the 49ers winning it all next year)
For starters think about what Super Bowl ads are good for, announcing a brand or premiering a big new over the top marketing campaign, essentially making a big splash. Pepsi on the other hand has taken a different approach; it's "Pepsi Refresh" project will give away 32 grants a month for a year totally $20 million where participants can vote on projects such as "Help free healthcare expand in rural TN" and "Build a new fitness center for all students in Hays, Kansas".
Lauren Hobart, Pepsi's chief marketing officer was quoted in Time magazine saying, "…the Super Bowl just wasn't the right venue because we are really trying to spark a full year movement from the ground up."
Ms. Hobart, in looking for a sustained ongoing dialog, has hit the nail on the head by giving up on the 23... Read more
Tags: advertising, pepsi, Social Media, Super Bowl
Posted in Social Media | 3 Comments »
Lookin' Like a Fool with Your Pants on the Ground (and 1.6 Million Facebook Fans)
This morning while watching Tori Campbell on Mornings on 2 here in San Francisco (which has gone downhill since Ross McGowan retired but we'll save that) I was struck by a story about "General" Larry Platt, the American Idol hopeful who's song "Pants on the Ground" has become the latest meme. Apparently, and somewhat rightly so, the "General" is up in arms as it seems despite his huge Internet popularity he hasn't seen a dime. Welcome to 1998 General.
In all seriousness he does bring up an interesting point. The value that we get from the social web really comes down to two things, content and underlying technology or the ability to share the content. Social networks and the tools they inspire in many ways rely on not just the mundane conversations of life to exist but also the whimsical trends that spread like wildfire from cubicle to cubicle and dorm room to dorm room. If we accept that premise then it begs the question of how much of Facebook's 9.5 billion with a "B" valuation is due to phenomenon like the generals?
Much like the college athlete at a big school it seems everyone is making money except the person we're... Read more
Tags: display advertising, Facebook, fan page, pantsontheground
Posted in Social Media | No Comments »
Kim Kardashian's Cookie Diet Tweet Heard Round the World
What do you get when you combine the absurd celebrity of Kim Kardashian with the absurd claim that eating cookies will help you lose weight then throw in Twitter, 2.7 million followers, and stir? If you guessed a lawsuit then you are absolutely right.
What actually happened was some quack promoting The Cookie Diet had linked to a page that contained a false endorsement by Kim Kardashian. She sent a cease and desist order and he removed the link. She then tweeted, "If this Dr. Siegal is lying about me being on this diet, what else are they lying about? Not cool!" That was quickly followed by a lawsuit accusing the diva of libel.
This case obviously has most folks talking about the new FCC blogger rules and the freedom of speech online but I think they're missing something even more fundamental. A single tweet from Kim Kardashian has a huge reach, almost double the size of the circulation of the Sunday New York Times. I'll pause for a moment and let that sink in.
I haven't plotted out the line that shows Kardashian's accumulation of Twitter followers but I'm guessing that it hasn't completely flattened out yet. In fact given that... Read more
Tags: facebook fans, kim kardashian, twitter
Posted in Social Media | No Comments »
Why the new Facebook privacy policy is a good thing
How many of us have seen this recently in our facebook news feed?
"If you don't know, as of today, Facebook will automatically index all your info on Google, which allows everyone to view it. To change this option, go to Settings --> Privacy --> Search --> then UN-CLICK the box that says 'Allow indexing'. Facebook kept this one quiet. Copy and paste onto your status for all your friends ASAP."
I've seen it 5 to 6 times a day for a week now but what does Facebook's new privacy settings mean both for the user and the marketer? First of all there seems to be a bit of confusion about what exactly Facebook is going to allow search engines to publicly index. Whereas Facebook used to be private as of last week there is now the option to share all of your photos, posts and comments with the world at large. In fact the new privacy settings were set to allow the world to see all of your juicy comments by default.
Of all the tweaks and redesigns facebook users have endured this is by far the biggest change. As opposed to MySpace, Twitter and blogging, Facebook was built as a private... Read more
Tags: Facebook, Privacy, Social Media
Posted in Social Media | No Comments »
