Want to be the go-to guy or gal on your team with the flashiest new apps? The one dressing Instagram photos with never-before-seen filters and stamps, using emoticons our Japanese counterparts only released yesterday?

It can be time-consuming to stay current in social and digital media, so here are some effective ways to quickly surface and assess the hottest toys.

1. Assign yourself playtime. My playtime is Sunday evening after “Mad Men.” I pull out my iPad and iPhone and I furiously start downloading new apps. I jump over to the Featured and Top Charts sections of iTunes to see if there are any new additions. I download them, bring them to the forefront, launch them, create a new account, follow the top accounts (if applicable), invite a few friends and make time to revisit them later in the week. If it’s a photo app, I try out some photos and push them out to Facebook to see how they look. If it’s a news app, I load it up with my interested topics and see how it populates.

Interaction with apps is important. You need to understand the functionality before you make a recommendation. And don’t just bury your new downloads in the graveyard, i.e., the last page of apps.

2. Subscribe to folks who do the research for you. Having been part of the tech PR community, I am (somewhat) responsible for having jammed reporters’ inboxes with pitches about startups. The good folks at TechCrunch, Mashable, The Next Web, ReadWrite and countless other online publications filter through all that noise to help uncover the next big thing. So listen to them, they’ve done their homework.

A few worth noting: I closely follow my buddy Ryan Lawler, who is responsible for introducing Uber and BlackJet to my vocabulary. And Mashable’s Emily Price posts a weekly app roundup of top mobile apps.

Determine what you like to follow on the medium that’s easiest for you to use, and stay on top of it.

3. Identify a network to discuss and share your latest finds. New York Tech Meetup holds monthly events where tech companies demo their products to a large group of tech enthusiasts. Digital LA holds events for “Silicon Beach” startups to showcase their products. These are two examples of larger organizations, but you can replicate the experience with a close group of friends or coworkers. Identify networks both online and offline where you can share exciting discoveries with others. Pass around your phone or pull up the site on your desktop. Don’t just chat about it – do it together.

Yuna Park is Associate Director of Social & Digital Innovation at 22squared. Follow her @yunapark, and follow the agency @22squared.

Just for grins, I decided to see who else was enamored enough with this concept to say something in the vlogosphere. It doesn’t take long to see that the Taco Bell corporation has its own video channel on YouTube, which is garnering more than 11 million total views, much of it devoted to the trending taco product. However, I started wondering to what extent that represents real mind-share for the brand, Taco Bell, among potential consumers versus the plethora of other video apps or platforms out there. For example, Twitter’s Vine is the number one video app download (number two overall Free), and according to Apple’s app shop, that’s close to 25 million users.

The other problem I noticed about Taco Bell’s YouTube-centric video strategy is that the icon link off the main digital brand property, www.tacobell.com, takes the visitor out of its controlled brand experience and back to the Taco Bell channel that is a subdomain to www.youtube.com. Also, if you search Google for “Taco Bell video” with the Video search button, the first page of returns is almost all postings to YouTube or third party media sites like ABC or CBS, nothing owned by the main TB corporate domain.

So, you’re the digital media guru for Taco Bell, you’re driving cross-synergies between your fast food retail store and your snack food brands, and you have at least 11 million consumers loyal enough to check out your video content on YouTube. What, then, should your video strategy be? Vine is a video-based social network designed to drive more traffic for Twitter. YouTube is a broadcasting platform designed to aggregate eyeballs for Google’s ad-server business model. What should be Taco Bell’s objective with video content? Help Google and Twitter make more money? Entertain? Merely maintain a presence in the Twitterverse? How about treating its customers as a media audience?

What that means is creating a branded video interface that is multi-screen capable (web, smartphone, tablet, TV, telepresence) which not only aggregates video content that can be repurposed, i.e., TV commercials, but also takes a concerted approach to producing compelling, original content that’s integrated with the customer experience. For example, if I’m a loyal viewer of TacoBell.tv, a branded media player that lives within the main corporate domain, www.tacobell, why can’t that content follow me all the way through my customer experience?

Why not equip Taco Bell retail stores with an iPad at every table, so that I can log into my video profile, which has the last 5 orders I made so it’s easy for me to reorder, or a full customizable item-by-item order-entry menu with original video content from the chefs who cooked up the recipe, along with other user reviews, adjacent to those menu orders? Once the order is taken, the interface would allow me to immediately upload a video comment that could either be for the benefit of internal Taco Bell customer advocacy, or if appropriate, posted to the Live User Comment channel on TacoBell.tv. Here’s an even crazier idea: how about a Secret Menu channel of celebrity favorites (ode to In/Out).

Another version of TacoBell.tv would be available as a smartphone app.  My TacoBell profile, using GPS and sensor-presence techniques, knows the exact store I’m entering, the last 5 meals I ordered, and can authenticate my profile, complete with my favorite video content, to the iPad embedded in the table I choose for dining.  I can also in real time open a Google hangout session with my cousin in Florida to see if he shares my same tastes in Taco Bell food and video content!  While you’re at it, why not reward me with a video coupon for a free desert or combo meal on my next visit?  Also, I probably wouldn’t mind if TacoBell.tv asked my permission to opt-in to other video offers personalized to my consumer persona. (The current TB app in the Apple app store gets only a two and one-half star rating, so it could benefit from a few more bells and whistles.)

Short message:  powerful consumer brands like Taco Bell must start thinking and acting like media companies – controlling their own brand experience with entertaining, pervasive video content and a compelling user experience across any consumption format or platform – and by so doing, converting their physical assets, like capital-intensive brick-and-mortar storefronts, into working digital capital!

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#1 Hello Kitty - photo2013-03-31 16:41

Hope you have an eggcellent Easter!

1.046% enagement rate 97,186 likes 853 comments 34,921 shares 26% shares

#2 McDonald's - photo2013-03-30 23:00

Bacon, Ranch or Sweet Chili. What more could chicken ask for? www.mcdonalds.com/PremiumMcWrap

0.982% enagement rate 244,083 likes 20,440 comments 8,434 shares 3% shares

#3 Louis Vuitton - photo2013-03-25 18:05

Spice up your life with Louis Vuitton in Piment.

0.795% enagement rate 96,632 likes 1,442 comments 5,732 shares 6% shares

#4 Mercedes-Benz ► Cool Hunting - photo2013-03-30 10:22

Cool Hunting editor Josh Rubin had a chance to drive the CLA 250 in South France and used it wisely for these stunning pictures. Take a look and read the full story here: http://www.coolhunting.com/design/mercedes-benz-cla250.php

Cool Hunting with the CLA 250

Cool Hunting editor Josh Rubin had a chance to drive the CLA 250 in South France and used it wisely for these stunning pictures. Take a look and read the full story here: http://www.coolhunting.com/design/mercedes-benz-cla250.php

0.659% enagement rate 59,572 likes 568 comments 5,172 shares 8% shares

#5 Taco Bell - photo2013-03-25 20:30

Cool Ranch DLT, Nacho Cheese DLT or both?

0.644% enagement rate 56,302 likes 5,705 comments 2,157 shares 3% shares

#6 BMW ► Les Voitures - photo2013-03-28 17:08

Do you want to see the world of BMW in a whole new light? Come to Paris and visit the first BMW Brand Store on Avenue George V. Experience in a futuristic and stylish setting some of our outstanding cars and much more. For more impressions please check the Les Voitures blog: http://bit.ly/YHOXhM

BMW Brand Store Paris

Do you want to see the world of BMW in a whole new light? Come to Paris and visit the first BMW Brand Store on Avenue George V. Experience in a futuristic and stylish setting some of our outstanding cars and much more. For more impressions please check the Les Voitures blog: http://bit.ly/YHOXhM

0.631% enagement rate 73,198 likes 807 comments 8,400 shares 10% shares

#7 Natalie Sabrowske ► H&M - photo2013-03-28 12:33

H&M eins sag ich euch, würdet ihr dieses Top verkaufen, würden euch alle Mädchen den Laden einrennen.

0.592% enagement rate 80,881 likes 2,520 comments 176 shares 0% shares

#8 Burberry - photo2013-03-25 18:12

Check canvas tote bag with leather trim http://bit.ly/Vae6vH

The Burberry Prorsum Spring/Summer 2013 Accessories Collection

0.562% enagement rate 76,704 likes 1,449 comments 5,779 shares 7% shares

#9 Buffalo Wild Wings - photo2013-03-26 00:00

It's a little savory, a little sweet, plus "Teriyaki" is just downright fun to say.

0.459% enagement rate 44,840 likes 1,453 comments 932 shares 2% shares

#10 Aéropostale - photo2013-03-31 23:47

Like if you'd wear it! http://bit.ly/Srr4am

0.441% enagement rate 38,049 likes 145 comments 506 shares 1% shares

About

TopTen is weekly summarty of the previous week's ten most engaging posts from the largest 100 consumer brand pages on Facebook. All data is pulled using social media content strategy tool Zuum.

One of the most interesting occurred before the exhibit halls opened -- the first GDC State of the Industry survey that polled more than 2,500 attendees. The results revealed some intriguing trends in funding, platform preference and publishing models.

For starters, how are developers funding their projects? A few survey numbers:

• 72% are being funded by a company’s existing war chest or an individual’s personal funds

• 9% are from VCs

• 10% are publisher-funded

• 4% are crowdfunded – and 8% of the developers have worked on crowdfunded projects, with another 44% planning to go this route in the future

Indies Rising

The survey also found that 53% of respondents consider themselves ‘indie developers’; 46% are employed at companies of 10 people or less – and only 24% reported they worked with a publisher on their last game.

Platforms

According to survey results, more respondents are developing for smartphones and tablets than for any other platform – 38% released their last game for smartphones and tablets; 55% are making their current games there; 58% will release their next games on these platforms.

Cool Stuff

Survey results aside, there were some cool products to play with and even some significant Windows 8 stats rolled out by Microsoft as part of its full-court press to draw more games and developers to the platform.

Hands down, the most popular was Irvine, CA-based Oculus VR’s Rift, a virtual reality headset with stereoscopic 3-D, a 110-degree field of view and low-latency head tracking. Woe to anyone who strayed along the footpath leading up to their booth once the morning doors swung wide – they would have been trampled by the hordes who ran pell mell to line up and play ‘Hawken’, a first-person shooter game that situates players inside a levitating war machine.

Beyond, the hype, equally impressive was that the company raised $2.4 million from crowdfunding.

As reported by John Gaudiosi, editor of Gamerhub.tv, a video syndication network, Zombie Studios demonstrated Daylight, slated for release sometime this fall. It’s the first horror game for Sony’s new PlayStation 4. A team of six people, noted Gaudiosi, created the game and are self-publishing on PlayStation 4.

Daylight, said Gaudiosi, “traps players inside a haunted insane asylum. Armed only with the light and apps from your in-game smartphone, you must try to get out alive. There are no weapons other than your feet – which are best used to run.”

Gaudiosi added that the developer has written “a lot of back story about centuries of souls who were mistreated within the asylum’s walls.”

Lastly, Develop said that Microsoft is attracting a slew of developers to Windows 8, some of which include Disney, GameHouse and Glu. The publication added that “as for revenue share on the Windows Store and what benefits successful developers can receive on the platform, should an app pass $25,000 in sales, developers will start receiving an 80% share of all subsequent sales, instead of the usual 70/30 split.”

Look forward to seeing what will unfold during GDC 2014!

TopTen is the ten most engaging posts last week from the largest 100 consumer brand pages on Facebook.
All data is gathered with social media content strategy tool Zuum.

#1 Chick-fil-A - photo2013-03-14 19:01

Happy 92nd birthday to Chick-fil-A Founder, Truett Cathy! Click "Like" to share your birthday wishes.

4.09% enagement rate 257,119 likes 8,582 comments 6,684 shares 2% shares

#2 BMW - photo2013-03-14 18:01

BMW Instagram

Thank you all for liking, sharing and commenting on the photos we post here on Facebook. If you want to see more of them, follow @BMW on Instagram: http://instagram.com/bmw

3.136% enagement rate 345,230 likes 5,258 comments 54,857 shares 14% shares

#3 CHANEL - video2013-03-13 17:10

The fashion essential that never goes out of style… a new film revealing the story behind the iconic CHANEL jacket. http://inside-chanel.com

The jacket - Inside CHANEL

www.youtube.com

3.027% enagement rate 248,268 likes 3,603 comments 12,628 shares 5% shares

#4 Macy's - photo2013-03-14 21:03

What’s topping VIP shopping lists everywhere? Designer shoes in every heel, size & color! http://bit.ly/WaVUFu

1.178% enagement rate 119,894 likes 1,529 comments 4,940 shares 4% shares

#5 Nokia - photo2013-03-11 17:10

Want Instagram for Nokia Lumia? Join the movement: http://nokia.ly/Zw5Tmv #2InstaWithLove

1.072% enagement rate 99,321 likes 3,302 comments 3,501 shares 3% shares

#6 Mercedes-Benz - photo2013-03-17 12:55

We present our latest selection of the most beloved pictures on our Instagram channel. Don't forget to follow us onhttp://instagram.com/mercedesbenz

The roar of the engine - Best of Instagram

We present our latest selection of the most beloved pictures on our Instagram channel. Don't forget to follow us onhttp://instagram.com/mercedesbenz

0.843% enagement rate 73,486 likes 774 comments 8,399 shares 10% shares

#7 Hello Kitty - photo2013-03-14 19:40

Tea time is so much fun with Hello Kitty! Find sweet porcelain mugs and plates now at Sanrio.com: http://ar.gy/3j_0

New Photos

0.613% enagement rate 67,385 likes 965 comments 8,978 shares 12% shares

#8 Amazon.com - status2013-03-11 02:00

Who would like that hour back?

0.529% enagement rate 87,486 likes 3,028 comments 573 shares 1% shares

#9 Gucci - photo2013-03-13 16:10

Black? Green? Yellow? Discover which Gucci 1953 Horsebit Loafer suits your style best. http://bddy.me/12H9T8H

0.41% enagement rate 37,586 likes 1,447 comments 3,409 shares 8% shares

#10 Ferrari - photo2013-03-11 16:59

You've seen it in Rosso Corsa and Nero liveries. Now the new special limited series car can be admired in Giallo Modena. To discover the avilable configurations pease click here: http://www.laferrari.com/en/design/

0.381% enagement rate 35,680 likes 527 comments 5,375 shares 13% shares

1. TMI! TOO MUCH INFORMATION You started with a funny, crazy idea but got worried that there wasn’t enough “message” or “call to action” so you kept adding and adding. You wondered why the video got less and less entertaining. Congratulations, you made an infomercial. At the very best, you made an ad. Most people run away from ads unless it’s Super Bowl season or from a brand that consistently makes good ads, so don’t count on them sharing your video too much. One of the main purposes of a “viral video” is to build awareness of and/or interest in something. Leave the messaging and selling part of it for the areas that surround the video and the wider conversation,  and let the video do it’s job of going viral.

2. YOUR VIDEO’S NOT FUNNY, THRILLING OR SHOCKING ENOUGH It all starts with the big, creative ideas, and ends with the brass having the balls to push the limits of acceptability and do something completely unexpected and memorable. Videos that go viral all have one thing in common. People are thrilled by them, the cover their mouths in surprise and have the sudden urge to show them to other people. Lots of viral videos are just real life events that happen, but many of them are obviously produced for brands, and as long as they’re good, viewers don’t mind a bit. When you’re producing a video with the intent of going viral, you have to tap into those feelings of excitement, amazement and if at all possible, make it funny... really funny. Not vanilla funny with a side of mild humor. I can't think of a single brand out there that can’t do with some funny, and in the right hands, anything can be made hilarious.

3. LACK OF PAID MEDIA SUPPORT People can’t laugh at, be amazed by and share something they can’t find. In almost every case of branded entertainment, you need some form of paid media buy to jumpstart the process. You know those brand videos you see in the top viral charts, the ones that got there on sheer amazingness? Yeah, not so much. They do have to be amazing, but they also need a big, paid push at the start. It’s done all the time and is no less ethical or purist than paying for TV audiences, radio airtime or billboard space. Paid media support can come in the form of video seeding, paid ads, promoted content on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, paid placements on blogs, publications or paid influencers.

4. LITTLE OR NO BLOG, PUBLICATION AND INFLUENCER OUTREACH Aside from, or in addition to, the paid tactics, there’s the earned media approach. This consists of pitching bloggers, writers and influencers and making them  care enough to share your video with their readers and viewers. This tactic is very effective provided you’ve satisfied #2 and are ready with #5.

5. WEAK SOCIAL MEDIA SHARING STRATEGY Viral videos live and die on their ability to be shared. So grease the skids. You’ve made a great video, paid for initial support, tapped some awesome bloggers,  writers and influencers to help push it along but you didn’t develop a social media strategy that goes from the initial activity you've bought or earned, to your social media channels and current fans of your brand, out to new fans. For example, when that awesome influencer blasts out to their one million Twitter followers, are you prepared to capitalize on it and push it further? How about the videos your fans are starting to create (on their own or because you suggested it) based on your video? Do you have systems in place to make them into rockstars and promote their content? Viewers will see their videos and want to make their own, but first they’ll have to watch the original.

Changes can be unsettling, whether they're potential or actual, positive or negative. You may be gearing up for a promotion/new position, staring at a wide-open field of new prospective clients, or launching new products and services. Or you may be hunkering down in the face of outsourcing, downsizing, mergers/consolidations, takeovers, and local or global competition. 

Consider the Changes Taking Place at Yahoo!

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has certainly unleashed enormous, untold passions about how, when and where people should work at Yahoo.

The recent, now infamous, change requiring Yahoo employees to work in the office instead of telecommuting from home has been likened to the shot heard round the world.

No less than a great war has ensued and Marissa Mayer has been villainized and vilified by some and verified and validated by others.

It is no secret that Yahoo has been struggling to keep pace with the likes of Apple, Facebook, and Google, all of whom have strong in-office cultures and not coincidentally, strong revenues to match.

In Our Opinion...It’s not about trusting people to work at home, it’s about Mayer’s challenge in the turnaround of Yahoo regardless of where people are working. Mayer has to build a new corporate culture of trust in the infinite possibilities of what the Yahoo organization can create together.

However, as we are hearing, this change process is creating considerable stress for Yahoo employees.

How We Respond to Change

Do you respond or react to change and do you know the difference? As soon as something nudges you out of your regular routine, or challenges your understanding of how the world works and where you fit into it, it will likely trigger a deluge of feelings including; fear, anxiety, overwhelm, excitement, distraction or denial.

How Does the Way You Respond to Change Impact Your Brand?

These feelings can manifest in your behavior.  You may, unconsciously, act out with behavior that is not a brand match for you, or your communication style alters, both at work and at home. You might feel compelled to push yourself and others to overwork, or take the opposite approach - which most do - and procrastinate, avoid the work that's on your plate and get sidetracked with misconceptions, assumptions and gossip to changes that may or may not happen.

On a personal level, your self-care may suffer and you may reach for unhealthy substances, get less sleep, skip meals or overindulge. You might cut yourself off from friends and family, and spend more time alone or with other people who have unhealthy habits or attract people who are in the same place as you.

The Impact

Dealing with change requires flexibility, resilience and an ability to think on your feet. Unfortunately, when you're caught up in your reaction to change, these mental abilities are affected as well. When you're preoccupied, worried and focused on the future instead of the present, it's much harder to concentrate and apply your brainpower to what's in front of you.

Great leaders are admired for their serenity and confidence even in the face of uncertainty and upheaval. For many of us, though, when change is afoot, serenity is far from our reach. Instead, emotions are much closer to the surface and can flare up at the most inopportune times. Whether you lash out, cry, or pound on your desk behind closed doors, it's incredibly uncomfortable to feel so out of control.

Consider, also, the impact on the people around you. Emotional outbursts, whether at work or at home, can irrevocably damage your effectiveness, your reputation and your relationships.

Successful Strategies for Dealing With Change

Here are five strategies to help you remain flexible and resilient in the face of change:

1. Take care of YOUr body. Eat well, sleep well and refrain from harmful habits like indulging in caffeine adrenaline behavior, excessive drinking, or other risky behavior. Work out whatever that is for you!

2. Take care of YOUr mind. Stay in the present moment. Challenge your negative thinking and keep things in perspective; when the doom and gloom sets in, ask, "How important is this, really?"

3. Take control of YOUr emotions. Find reasons to smile and laugh, even when you don't feel like it—especially when you don't feel like it! Funny movies, blogs or videos can help. Vent your negative feelings by exercising, banging on a drum or pounding on a pillow.

4. Treat others well. Strengthen your good relationships so you can draw on their support and work at your challenging relationships so they don't add to your stress.  In fact, this may be a good time to remove them from your life altogether.

5. Take charge. Be proactive and prepare the best you can for the changes that might come, but then accept the reality of the moment. Think back to other challenges that you've come through and remind yourself that everything will work out okay this time, too.

What personal characteristics do we look for when hiring for Private Equity?

How can you assess if you have the “chops” to work for private equity? Is your personal brand a match for private equity? What can you expect and what is expected once you are hired, in terms of the operational differences, compared to working for a large, publicly owned company?

If you are considering a career opportunity in a private equity financed business, then check out the top 5 qualities and characteristics to better understand if you really are ready, willing and able. 

1. PE firms want to work with entrepreneurs.

Private equity firms have been started by investment bankers, successful corporate executives and entrepreneurs with a proven track record of building wealth by risking capital and building businesses entrepreneurially. In selecting a CEO, COO, or other C-level executive, private equity firms want to see proven entrepreneurship in the executive’s prior career steps. Has the candidate successfully started and built a business from scratch? Has he or she turned around a troubled business? Does the candidate have the proven track record and hands-on leadership profile to build confidence among others in the organization (including strategic alliance partners)? You need not apply if you do not have “entrepreneurial DNA" and passion, plus prior success implementing a business plan involving significant change (i.e., not managing a “steady state" business).

2. PE investors want “hunters" not “farmers."

While they tend not to manage from quarter to quarter, like so many public companies, private equity investors are looking for—and expecting—mega-growth of a business over a five- to seven-year window. The expectation is that the returns on capital are multiples of the original investment once the business is sold (usually to a strategic buyer) at the end of the investment period. Hunters have the fearlessness to compete in the marketplace on a daily basis, and their hunting skills are usually directly tied to an ability to increase the top-line revenues. In addition to growth via acquisition, most private equity investors evaluate revenue increases in the base line (“same store") business. This almost always leads them to hire a new Head of New Business—and it always needs to be a “hunter." We recently completed four executive search assignments nationwide for this type of position, most within the first year after a private equity firm has made an investment.

3. PE firms hire "doers" with a strong bias for action.

In LBOs and buyouts of privately held businesses, there are typically major issues that need to be addressed immediately: the prior owner/parent company/CEO may have failed; growth in the business may be stagnant; and investments or changes in the business were deferred because it was deemed a “non-core" asset. This is one reason that private equity investors like to hire “doers" with a bias for action – because typically so much needs to be done – and very quickly. Consider the GM turnaround and the three months the Board gave the initial CEO before making a change. As Jack Welch has said numerous times, a non-decision is sometimes the worst decision a CEO can make. If you are a procrastinator, stay away from private equity.

4. PE investors are reasonable until they become unreasonable.

Private equity investors typically resist hands-on involvement in the day-to-day operations of a business. They will typically put two to three of their own people on the Board of Directors and will remain minimally involved as long as the business moves forward according to (and in alignment with) the corporate business plan. They may come to Board meetings to listen to the CEO (and others in senior management), and they’ll work on complementary activities related to expanding and growing the business, such as additional acquisitions, or capital investment to increase manufacturing capacity. However, when/if the CEO and senior leadership begin missing the milestones, and the business turns south (even slightly), they are back with a vengeance ready to make changes in the senior leadership team (i.e., trade out the CEO, hire a strong COO with a sales/business development background, etc.) Working with a private equity-backed firm is potentially good for executives who (1) under-promise and over-deliver, and (2) are good at developing and implementing realistic business plans—and keeping the company on track and ahead of the key milestones outlined in these plans.

5. PE firms want an accelerated pace of change; be prepared to “ride the rapids."

While many C-level executives express frustrations at the slow pace of change in large corporations, many are unprepared emotionally to work in the rapid waters of private equity. You can expect almost 180 degrees the opposite environment once you switch over to a private equity-owned business. When you meet with the partners of these firms, invariably the first question they will ask you is, “If given this job, what would you do first?" and “What would be your plan for growing/fixing this business?"

Know what works best for your personal brand before jumping in!

It is extremely important to be prepared, and to do your homework, especially if you are considering one of these types of opportunities. For some true entrepreneurs, those unafraid of operating without a safety net, it can be exhilarating and highly rewarding (equity stakes and payouts are usually much higher than stock options earned inside a public company). However, for those executives lacking the necessary risk-profile and DNA, this is a career step to be avoided altogether.

If you have worked for a private equity firm, or have considered pursuing one of these opportunities, please write to us and share your experiences and perspectives.

The amber nectar has been around for thousands of years – ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians were probably the original craft brewers. In fact, in Mesopotamia, the oldest evidence of beer is a 6,000-year-old Sumerian tablet that shows people drinking through reed straws from a communal bowl. Party on!

Fast forward to the 21st Century. While enjoying a beer recently at a San Diego microbrewery, I began to ponder that with so many national and international brands available today, how do these smaller microbreweries rise above the advertising din of giants like Anheuser Busch and Coors and get noticed?

For the past several years -- via social media. From Singapore to Delaware, numerous microbreweries have utilized a wide array of social media platforms, programs, tools, etc., to help with branding and marketing.

So while sitting at home this afternoon with a cold wobbly pop (yes, another beer slang term), I decided to roam around online and check out a few microbreweries that appear to be doing a bang up job at promoting their brands:

Brewerkz Singapore

Established in 1997, the Singapore-based microbrewery and restaurant features a number of signature beers, some of which include Golden Ale, Iguana Lager, Hopback Ale, India Pale Ale and Oatmeal Stout.

As reported by Tech in Asia, Brewerkz has been proactive from the gitgo in using social media to promote its products. One interesting promotion has been with BuUuk, a restaurant scouting mobile app with 50,000+ users in Singapore. The microbrewery recently ran a successful one-for-one beer pint promo with BuUuk.

Other social media platforms are constantly cross-linked – this example of a recent tweet offering giveaway tickets takes you to the Brewerkz Facebook page, which is chock full of photos, videos, news about contests and posts from fans:

We have a pack of 8 VIP Singapore Slingers tickets to give away this weekend Sunday, 24 Feb. 1600hrs Singapore... http://fb.me/ssJffgno

Tech in Asia indicated that Brewerkz is constantly measuring social media ROI too. Facebook Insights are used to measure post quality and interactions; Google Analytics is employed to find out how much traffic comes from Facebook.

SweetWater Brewing Company

The Atlanta-based microbrewery offers a variety of year-round brews – some of the more catchy brands include Georgia Brown: Smoother than a Bill Clinton Apology; Blue: Ain’t Just for Breakfast Anymore; and India Pale Ale: the Beer You’ve Been Training For.

SweetWater maintains a lively blog – The Fish Wrap, which also features links to Flickr (where the microbrewery posts photos on events, promotions, and more), a From the Tap section that links back to Facebook and Twitter, and a Twitter roll they call TweetWater. A SweetWater In the News section on the Fish Wrap page also provides updated information on key events/programs to be held at the microbrewery. One recent event was a fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Dogfish Head

Located in Rehoboth Beach, DE, Dogfish Head has been churning out quality craft brewed ales since 1995. The company, reports Philly Beer Scene, has had a lot of success in promoting its brand via Twitter – as of today there were 115,449 followers.

Co-founder Mariah Calagione, noted Philly Beer Scene, mused about receiving a tweet once that read, “I’m at #Dogfish Brewpub and I haven’t seen my waiter in a while.” Calagione tweeted back asking what the customer was wearing, then immediately phoned the restaurant and had the waiter at the customer’s table in minutes. The customer soon posted another tweet praising the superb service.

Microbreweries like the aforementioned have also gotten a boost from companies like San Diego-based TapHunter. Founded by beer aficionados Melani and Jeff Gordon, the husband and wife team launched TapHunter “to help bars, bottle shops and tasting rooms save time and increase sales by connecting to their most profitable customers with online and mobile solutions.”

TapHunter is both an app (see the graphic embedded in this post) and website that connects craft beer fans with beers, brewers and the locations that pour them. TapHunter started in San Diego and has since expanded services to more than a dozen U.S. cities and regions, some of which include Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle.

Social media will continue to shape the beer universe. And that’s a good thing, I reckon. Philly Beer Scene’s Brittanie Sterner succinctly summed it up:

“If Twitter and Facebook can help weave the beer community into the world in positive ways, maybe it doesn’t matter beer drinkers might also use the platforms to broadcast puffed-up opinions. Critical consumer feedback can even serve as a gateway to brewers to tweak and tighten their methods, try new things, and ultimately take the craft industry farther. Maybe social media is just that kind of double-edged sword. At any rate, it’s making beer more popular. And isn’t that the idea – for everyone to drink good beer?”

I’ll raise a glass to that!

Some interesting observations for this industry:

• While Facebook communities far outsize Twitter, Twitter community growth outpaces Facebook.
• Moderate posting volume: 70% of brands posted within a 22-28 post per month window.
• Content dominated by visuals: 96% of all posts are photos or videos.
• Brands approach Facebook as a destination: Links off to websites treated secondarily.

By - Jeff Gundersen, CEO Executive Connections LLC

We are approaching the time of year when annual bonuses (both short-term cash incentives and long-term options/restricted stock) are being paid out and the incomes of CEOs and senior officers in public companies are disclosed. It’s the perfect time to ask yourself, “What’s the value of my personal brand and how beneficial is my current company (and industry sector) as a vehicle to increasing my brand value over time?

Use Brand Consultancy Models As A Guide

Interbrand, the branding consultancy owned by Omnicom Group, publishes an annual study of the Best 100 Global Brands including the value of each brand. In 2012, once again Coca-Cola (#1) was the top global brand, closely edging out Apple (#2), IBM (#3), Google (#4) and Microsoft (#5). Interestingly, 4 of the top 5 most valuable corporate brands are in the technology sector and this coincides with CEOs of technology companies achieving some of the highest levels of compensation primarily based upon the value of long-term incentives (i.e., stock) tied to the rapid growth in market capitalization of many technology companies. While Facebook shareholders may not be faring so well in the early going, Mark Zuckerberg became one of the top 10 richest people in the world based upon Facebook’s valuation at the IPO in 2012. Likewise, many of the early private equity investors, and early-stage employees became multi-millionaires as a result of the IPO.

Consider Sheryl Sandberg, COO at Facebook, who sold approx. 1 million shares of Facebook stock in Dec. 2012 netting $26.2 million. If you think this is not bad for helping Mark Zuckerberg run the company, Sandberg still owns 18.7 million shares valued at over $550 million. Assuming Sandberg remains at Facebook, and the share price recovers and rises beyond the original IPO level, Sandberg might well net over $1 billion from her total long-term stock incentives at Facebook. Not bad compensation for a COO!

Investment Banking Is Another Lucrative Personal Brand Sector

Investment Banking was another lucrative sector in 2012, with Goldman Sachs providing CEO Lloyd Blankfein a $13.3 million restricted stock bonus as part of a $21 million total 2012 pay package (for increasing GS’ net income by +76% over 2011 performance) making Blankfein one of the highest paid Wall Street executives. Further, in 2012 GS awarded a total of $100 million in restricted stock awards to the top 12 executives (including Blankfein) meaning the average long-term restricted stock payouts to other members of the GS executive team averaged between $7-8 million.

Long-Term Incentive/Equity Compensation Matters Most

From EC’s perspective, the greatest single factor impacting personal brand value is the long-term incentive compensation (i.e., restricted stock, options, and equity awards). So in evaluating you career and your current and long-term brand value, ask yourself, “What do the top people earn in my company and industry sector and what will it take for me to rise to become one of these leaders?” If your industry and company are growing, particularly related to unique technological innovations and/or financial deal-making, your personal brand value can skyrocket based upon choosing the right company and riding the wave of earnings and market capitalization growth over a relatively short time period.

On the other hand, if your industry sector is shrinking instead of growing, and if your company is not among the category leaders, you have to ask yourself, “Why does it make any sense for me to continue to invest the value of my personal brand at a place where there is little prospect of achieving a long-term return?” Frankly, most people in this circumstance would be much better off quitting and starting or joining a small business where they will have an equity/ownership stake.

Now Is The Time To Act

Now is the ideal time, early in the New Year, to make career changes. Make the choices that put you on the best path toward a large long-term incentive payout and you will be maximizing your personal brand value and thanking yourself down the road.

About the Author:

Jeff Gundersen is CEO of Executive Connections LLC, a boutique executive search consulting and personal branding firm, specializing in placement and development of senior-level digital, social and mobile marketing talent.

SI is taking this Strip thing to a whole new level - with a little help from Lexus.

On the heels of the duo's QR code-enabled interactive print ad, the brands used Caesars Las Vegas as the canvas for a rip-roaring 3D projection mapping experience last night, featuring models from this year's big Swimsuit Edition.

The event was managed by Pearl Media, and the 3D projection experience was developed by Go2 Productions - the same team we worked with to develop our big LA Traffic Jam with Train, presented by LoopNet last month.

There are lots of things for fans of the annual issue to like - including building-size views of Kate Upton and her fellow SI models - with 3D elements, no less.

My view: As SI's first 3D experience, this is a sure sign the venerable SI "Swimsuit Edition" brand means business - and that Lexus is more than happy to help it hit the accelerator.

But what's your view? Is this whole spectacle a sign of overexposure?

Or a major splash for what is becoming a powerhouse media event?

Despite the usual congestion and often daunting logistical challenges of getting from Point A to B at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) or nearby hotels where many companies had suites, there were quite a few interesting trends, along with a gazillion gadgets, gizmos and gewgaws. And in certain areas of the LVCC it seemed like every other booth, suite or kiosk was rolling out yet another line of iPhone/iPad covers and assorted accessories.

A number of companies that debuted on sites like Indiegogo or Kickstarter were showing their wares at CES. CNN reported that one of these interesting prototypes was the HAPIfork produced by Hong Kong-based HAPILABS. The fork keeps track of how many bites of food you ingest – if you eat too fast, you’ll see indicator lights come on that remind you to stop emulating your dog. Eating information is also uploaded via USB to an online dashboard to track your progress.

According to HAPILABS, the fork also measures how long it took to eat your meal, amount of ‘fork servings’ per minute, and intervals between these servings. For those speed eaters, perhaps Version 2.0 might also feature a small electric shock to really get you to stop inhaling your food like a vacuum cleaner.

There were a lot of interesting apps and products aimed at senior citizens. Again, CNN reported that “new sensors can text family members or a doctor if something is amiss in the senior’s daily routine, such as not getting out of bed or skipping medication. If you’re concerned about an elderly relative’s safety, you can use smartphone apps to remotely control security systems, thermostats, and even kitchen electronics.”

In fact, one of these products, called Iris Care, was demonstrated by Lowe’s. Iris Care is a cloud-based home monitoring system; seniors can also carry a $30 pendant which can be used to reach emergency contacts. The system can even send an email to family members if an older relative doesn’t get out of bed at a normal time.

Next gen TV was also hot. LG showed off its CINEMA 3D Smart TV products that included PowerVR Series6 graphics from UK-based Imagination Technologies. Imagination’s VP-Marketing, Tony King-Smith, said that “the next step in TV smartness is to add features inspired by hand-held markets for engaging user interfaces, graphics-rich apps, Internet/cloud connectivity and more. TV is the largest physical display and the one that users spend the most time with. If the look, speed and responsiveness of the TV are not perfect, users will choose other products that do the job better.”

Another UK-based company, Civolution, showed off some innovative content recognition technology. As reported in the Guardian, the technology “can sync second screen experiences in both programs and ads. The company continually monitors around 2,000 TV channels, selling this real-time channel content data on to second screen companies, who can then launch apps fully synchronized with the TV.”

And market research firm CCS Insight said CES 2013 marked the coming of age of the Android platform. Android, noted the company, appeared at the show in cameras, media streamers, video monitors, and even an oven.

CCS Insight added that the smartphone is now a key ingredient in the multi-screen mix. The company estimates there were 1.25 billion smartphones in use last year; rising to 1.84 billion by the end of 2013:

“The smartphone is now assumed as one part of the larger story of the connected home, and just one screen among many, including smart TV’s and tablets…this theme raises big questions for phone manufacturers without a broader portfolio of consumer electronics products, such as HTC, Nokia and RIM.”

CCS Insight indicated that companies like these will need to present a clear message about the value they offer “by focusing on the smartphone as the most used connected device and about how their products are different from the devices offered by the larger consumer electronics providers.”

For the media, CES was the usual three-ring circus. But there were interesting advancements in fields ranging from telecommunications to mobility to healthcare.

Head-spinning, frenetic, noisy, long days/nights, but as always, never boring. Look forward to seeing what International CES 2014 will bring.

How are you bringing B2C approaches to your B2B marketing?

Are you doing it at all?

For far too many B2B marketers, there's a view that never the two should meet. But as I write in my book THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, it's critical that B2B marketers realize business people are just that - people. And their exposure to B2C marketing approaches in their personal lives sets expectations for B2B marketing, whether B2B marketers like it or not.

But some savvy B2B marketers have caught on - big time.

Case in point: Our client LoopNet, the #1 online marketplace for commercial real estate.

Over the last few months, LoopNet has launched an integrated campaign that's predicated on a simple, yet powerful message: If your commercial listings aren't advertised on LoopNet, they may as well be invisible. That's because only LoopNet drives traffic to commercial real estate listings like literally no other option can.

Print, direct mail and online advertising developed by has articulated this theme in compelling, brand consistent fashion.

So when LoopNet decided to fete the luminaries of Los Angeles commercial real estate, we got to thinking: What if we took our message and super-sized it? What if we used a full-motion, building-size canvass to drive home the LoopNet value proposition in an amazing new way?

In short: I wanted to bring 3D projection to our campaign.

So I reached out to Josh Cohen, the CEO of Pearl Media (and its partner Go2 Productions), which has worked on a number of 3D projection mapping experiences for B2C brands like Lexus, Perrier and Chevy Sonic.

I asked him straight up: "Do you think you can make a building in downtown LA go invisible?" He thought about it, and then said: "Yes, I think we can do that."

The concept began gaining traction, and eventually became LA Traffic Jam, Presented by LoopNet - a spectacular, VIP event featuring a private concert by TRAIN ("Drive-by") and our 3D projection experience.

Multidimensional direct mail invites featured cool, die-cut guitar bodies, iPods featuring TRAIN music and a call to action to join LoopNet "at the Corner of Epic & Mind-Blowing."

Fans, attendees and participants could join the conversation via mobile & online at the hashtag #looptrafficjam.

And video of the projection was placed on a special landing page and on YouTube. The client even decided to give viewers the ability to share the video via social media for the chance to win a $1250 Fender guitar signed by the band.

The event was last Thursday night - and it was a blast. Testament to a client who thrives on innovation and embraces a decidedly B2C approach to blockbuster B2B campaigns.

There's a making-of video in the works that I'll share when it's ready, along with more details of what worked, and what didn't, as client and team analysis comes in.

In the meantime, give it a view - and enter for your own chance to win that signed guitar.

Let us know what you think about the below and please add your own ideas in the comments section. Have a better drink suggestion for a company we already named? Let us know! You can play this game with anything, not just tech companies; but sports teams, people, etc.

Without further adieu...

1. Google : Jello Shots
Big with the college crowd, you’re not likely to see your grandma throwing ‘em back. While the core idea is simple, all of a sudden the variety seems a bit wild and overwhelming, making you wonder - why are there so many flavors? The traditional fruit flavors definitely get the job done (search, email, maps). When you have too many (Buzz, Wave, Google+) you start to wonder why the host tried all these other flavors, but no one's complaining.

2. Yahoo : The Cosmo
You used to be the belle of the ball, coolly sitting by the bar and drinking from the ridiculously fashioned glass. The layout is all wrong, but your friends all do it and so you do it anyway--it’s the nineties. Sex and the City is a thing. Then all of the sudden, it’s 2012 and no one drinks it anymore and neither do you. In public at least.  Could Marissa Mayer change all that? We certainly hope so.

3. Apple : Martini
Aesthetically pleasing, yes. But that’s only half the reason you drink a martini. A good martini is so much more than beauty in the eye of the beholder--you paid good money for it. Hold it with pride, show it off. It makes you instantly cooler, more attractive, more obviously an individualistic free thinker. Look at you. You’re so classy. You drink Martinis.

4. Facebook : Tequila Shots
Your friends do nothing but talk, think, and try to push you into it, but remember; you quit for a reason. You don’t like the person you are with it. You’ve wasted so much time, you’ve hurt relationships with people you love. You can stay strong. You can resist. Be stronger than peer pressure! Be Strong! But no one ever argued that tequila isn’t strong--it is incredibly efficient, with laser-like focus. But whenever you break it out, the night seems to start high, and end on a low note. Not unlike their IPO... Zing!

5. Amazon : Budweiser
Who needs the American Dream of the 1900s with a white picket fence and a beautiful lawn when you’ve got Amazon Prime! The modern day American dream might be using Amazon to order anything from your phone and have it shipped in 2 days for free (movingtosamedaydelivery?!)! Worth a nod to Amazon for their incredible expansion, both US and globally, much like that of Budweiser and their parent company Anheuser Busch

6. eBay : Bacardi
When you were younger, Bacardi was a little too strong to handle, and you may have often gotten more than you bargained for. As you’ve gotten older, you’ve learned some self control and picked up some tips on just how you should really be enjoying that run (with Coke? in a Mojito? your call!). Much like eBay, whose auction style selling may not have been a bit difficult for the rookies (but a favorite of the pros). Since their inception they have grown from an auction-only interface to an inclusive online marketplace. The introduction of a few new products, like chasers, can make all the difference.

7. Zynga : Jungle Juice
“Yay! I’m having so much fun, ah! I blacked out.” Zynga’s pretty games are created with a do-whatever-it-takes mentality to get new users and build their business. CEO Mark Pincus is notorious for his comments that he just wants to copy other people’s businesses and do it better, and their aggressive growth came from intrusively posting on everyone’s Facebook walls. I’m guessing Pincus and the Samwer brothers were all in the same frat! Just like Jungle Juice, Zynga definitely knows how to make the most out of a situation.

8. Skimlinks : Angostura Bitters
Whenever you get a fabulous drink, you can’t help but try and deconstruct the ingredients. There’s a certain bite to the drink that you can’t name. It’s on the tip of your tongue, and you don’t even realize it’s there, but you love it. Reminds us of Skimlinks, which helps publishers unobtrusively monetize their content.

9. Reddit : Red Bull & Vodka
It seems like such an intuitively good idea--alcohol and energy. Go go go go, up-down vote. Read, vote, down up. People who aren’t power users of Reddit don’t necessarily get it (much like people who don’t rage with Red Bull & Vodka) but once you are hooked, there is no escape. There will be nights you don’t remember, family events you’ll miss, photos you’ll randomly upload only to have what you thought to be a cute baby-holding-a-beer photo going viral. Most don’t even admit they have a problem, they just keep “calm,” and up-vote on.

10. Yelp! : Franzia
Regardless of the place you end up deciding to visit, you’re bound to go have a good time; even though you probably all settled on the  3.5 star/one-$-symbol option (“Ooh, this ones cheap and has mixed reviews! This is the one!”) . With both, what seems like a good idea at the beginning could end between TOTALLY AWESOME and *I'm never doing this again*.  Both will be there for you in a pinch, and should be kept on deck for any night of uncertainty.

11. Spotify : Advocaat
Slowly but surely, America is climbing aboard the hottest thing to come from Europe since the Beatles.
Sweet and smooth with a distinct taste of cream, Advocaat is muscling its way into the cream based drinks, a space usually dominated by the heavy-handed White Russian (iTunes, clearly). But this lightweight cocktail has become somewhat of a trend, and you hope it’s here to stay. Goes especially well with friends.

12. Foursquare : Gin and Tonic
You got a Gin and Tonic for the first time because somebody wanted to tip their cap to you as The Mayor of your neighborhood bar. 25 check ins? Well done, sir. The concepts behind the app and the drink are pretty similar--simple and “addictive”. But it really isn’t that exciting, and yet you catch yourself doing it all the time. Occasionally you might look down and think, “hrmmm, why am I drinking a Gin and Tonic... Meh, it's what the mayor would do."

13. Craigslist : Rum and Coke
Ok, so we get that you are on a low budget, but buying off brand ‘Coke’ and bottom-of-the-shelf rum can be a recipe for disaster.  Be very wary, very hesitant, and whatever you do, no matter how lonely you get, never wander into the ‘Personals’ section. That’s what OKCupid is for, silly.

14. Groupon : Jagerbomb
Always seems like a brilliant idea when you start, but just like the actual Groupons themselves, they are difficult to use and probably not worth as much as you think going in. Yeah, you think that a handle of Jäger and ull is a brilliant investment, until you try it out once... From then on, it sits on the shelf busily collecting dust. Every time you look at it, you feel a twinge of guilt. You should use it--I mean, you paid for it. You’ll use it eventually, you promise yourself. Or you won’t... the Gropuon expires, and you start wondering if there is an interesting parallel between how you feel about Groupons and how Andrew Mason feels about his company (should have sold to Google?).

15. Zirtual : Irish Coffee
It is a commonly accepted fact that coffee is a lifesaving, productivity machine, but even armed with all the coffee in the world, you only have two hands and one brain. That’s where Zirtual walks in--giving you access to a virtual personal assistant, you can be tons more productive. But at the same time, you also feel relaxed and maybe just a bit buzzed. “Wait what? I have time now to do fun things? Impossible!” Oh, but it is possible.

16. Uber : Champagne
Climbing into your own cushy towncar, champagne toasts, what do these things have in common? They’re for ballers, high-rollers, and those that like to feel all-round like a badass. “Hm, I’d like another glass of Möet, please?” “Feel like getting out of here ? Let me call Uber.” In the moment, you embody conspicuous consumption, and you’re loving the looks you get when your Uber SUV pulls up. The next morning though, you look at your credit card statement... and do you regret it? Naw, it was awesome.

17. Wildfire : 4 Loco
Exploding onto the scene like whoa, Wildfire gained incredible traction in only a matter of years as companies rushed to figure out what to do with their social presence. The lubricator of “likes” everywhere, both 4 Loco and Wildfire went from new companies to household names insanely quickly. The only difference being that Wildfire probalby won’t suffer the same fate as 4Loco given that they were recently acquired by Google.

18. YouTube : Sake Bombs
Sake Sake Sake..... BOMB! By far one of the most fun drinks with a group of friends, it can often become a mess and it’s not always clear what the plan is. But nonetheless, everyone still does it, no matter the mess it makes, because it is a guaranteed good time. Even if old people think it’s just cats on skateboards, we know it’s so much more than that. P.s. I like turtles.

19. Twitter : PBR
Hipsters love it and no one else seems to understand why its popular even if 500 million people get on it once in awhile. Oh wait, that’s because occasionally it can be freakin’ amazing. Like whenever Ron Artest tweets, or celebrities have battles on Twitter.

20. Pinterest : Long Island Iced Tea
Strong and built out of a huge variety of ingredients, both Pinterest and Long Islands are staples in their respective categories of social discovery and cocktails. Tasty and smooth, Long Islands emulate Pinterest's snazzy interface. It can be a slippery slope though; have more than a few (or spend too much time on Pinterest) and you can kiss your night good bye. Bartender's tip: Try it with bitters.

What cocktail represents YOUR company? Post it in the comments section!

Images used under Creative Commons by Flickr users Unhindered by Talent, wonderyort, and Growinnc

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About the Authors:

Aaron is Director of Marketing at Skimlinks. His favorite drinks are the ones that give him energy and craziness at the same time, so think Redbull Vodka, and Irish Coffees.

Meghan is the Marketing Coordinator at Skimlinks. If you see her out at one of San Francisco's many dives, order her a Whiskey Ginger.

Following up on our list of Top 10 Mobile Marketing Initiatives of 2012, it's time to look at some trends we'll see emerge and/or evolve in the year ahead.

Among the most prominent (not necessarily in this order):

5. Mobile Advertising Picks Up Speed (For A Time)

According to Forrester Research, mobile ad spend will boom next year - to $15 billion. Why? Because consumers now spend 10% of their media consumption time on mobile devices, yet mobile attracts less than 10% of ad dollars. The firm reasons that the old school Internet's ad growth from 8% of spend to 22% of spend means mobile must follow course (even though marketers get less and less from that increased Internet spend). But, the firm says, even a small step toward closing the gap will mean big dollars for this medium.

I'm not completely convinced. As a marketer, I find mobile advertising a bore (even some of the newer, much hyped expandable ad units). As a consumer, I find it all a snooze fest.

Mobile's far more powerful than just trying to replicate ad models from the old school Internet and slapping them on a small screen of a phone, or even the larger screen of a tablet. But there's just too much potential revenues at stake so, in 2013 at least, mobile advertising will be a hot topic. Until it's someday not (or is at least recognized as one small, nearly insignificant sliver of the amazing things you can do with mobile). But as Ad Age points out today, 38% of click-throughs in mobile are from fat, clumsy thumbs.

The pub goes onto talk about some ways mobile video and native mobile ads within apps like Foursquare may see success. But in my view, Coca-Cola's Re:Brief integrated campaign is probably the best example of mobile advertising combining with social & traditional media to work cohesively in a compelling manner.

And, as I write in my book THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, using mobile to not just promote but enhance your product - turn it into a mobile service, ala Nike+ and other successful initiatives - is what will define winners and losers in many categories next year and in the decade ahead.

4. QR Code Stores Proliferate (Just Not in The US)

QR code stores in subways and elsewhere seem to have been the surprise hits of 2012, and could seriously take off in 2013. According to shop2mobi, 300 of these virtual stores launched last year - and 2,000 have already been planned for the next 12 months. Still, while these are huge in South Korea, China, Germany and elsewhere, QR codes themselves still mostly elicit quizzical looks from consumers, when they generate any notice at all. I could easily see commuters in New York or San Francisco taking advantage of these kinds of offerings. But it may be a while before they stand any chance in most of the US - and by the time that happens, we'll probably be onto whatever will replace QR codes next.

3. Mobile CRM Gains Strength As Transaction Capabilities Advance

Here's a winner: Use of mobile for customer loyalty programs like Starbucks'. Look for more brands to move beyond just using mobile to replenish cards to having mobile become the entire platform for loyalty. Look for transaction capabilities to advance, and adoption rates to follow suit.

2. More Brands Make the Mobile + Social + Local Connection

The big trend here is that more brands will stop viewing mobile and social as (just) cool new ways to connect with consumers, and start viewing these channels as cool new ways for brands to enable consumers to connect with one another - moderated and empowered by the brand.

In my piece the other day on social media trends for 2013, I point to early examples of this, including Vail Resort's Epic Mix app, which connects real friends in the real world in a highly social, physical world brand experience.

This past year, one look only at Heineken's personalized concert QR codes to see how ad hoc mobile + social + local branded experiences can take shape.

Look for more of this in the year ahead (especially as it pertains to things like social television viewing) - along with a new syllable, as we move from SoLoMo to SoLoMoCo with the addition of Co, which stands for Commerce. In a mobile roundtable I hosted this last August, SAP CMO Jonathan Becher and I discuss what this new dynamic might mean to brand marketers and retailers alike in the year ahead.

1. Augmented Reality Gets Really Cool

One look at my list of Top 10 Augmented Reality Initiatives 2012, and it's clear that AR - while quite gimmicky today - holds great promise for brand experiences via mobile and elsewhere. One of my favorite things about mobile AR is that it gets to the heart of the mobile ad debate.

In my view, mobile is far more powerful as an activation mechanism for communications we experience in other media - in print, television, radio, direct mail, outdoor and so on - than it is as an ad platform in and of itself. Mobile AR is an experience activated by the consumer, at his or her own initiative, at the point of communications impression. And it delivers something that literally can't be achieved in any other medium.

Not that many consumers are going to go download an AR app and start using it in 2013. But as standards emerge, these kinds of brand experiences will become more common - and will make up some of the cooler components of integrated campaigns in the year ahead.

First up: Five big trends to look for in the world of social media marketing.

5. Social Gets More Physical

In the year ahead, look for an increasing number of social initiatives to move away from pure-play digital to the physical world. Coca-Cola has been a leader in this, with efforts like the Happiness Truck and Happiness Vending Machines, which engaged consumers in the physical world, and helped those consumers propagate the experience via digital.

You also saw Microsoft use branded mobile game apps like "Dance Cam" to engage in the physical world by enabling folks to create dance videos on their mobile phones and then share them.

And ad hoc physical world social networks will become commonplace. Look at efforts like Heineken's personalized QR codes for music festivals, where users can create their own customized QR code stickers that other attendees can scan to spark up conversation.

Factor in augmented reality, and "liking" things in the physical world will take on all-new forms.

In a world gone mobile, having a desktop presence or experience becomes increasingly irrelevant.

4. 'Presence' Takes A Backseat to Campaigns

As I write in my book THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, the first question to ask about social media is not "how?" It's "why?" When you think in terms of objectives, you begin to see the value of augmenting social "presence" - that much vaunted, ongoing conversation with consumers - with specific, short term and very actionable campaigns.

Look at Mercedes' "You Drive," a TV campaign that viewers could "drive" via Twitter. Or Mustang's "Dream Mustang" social media street fight. And of course, Coca-Cola's live social Super Bowl experience - in which the brand's popular polar bears comment on the game and ad bowl commercials in real time.

These are short-term efforts designed to engage consumers for a specific amount of time, around a specific promotion. Look for more of that in 2013, especially in the form of games.

3. Brands Bash Social Media

We're all finding ourselves starting to unfriend "friends" who aren't really, well, friends in an effort to get as authentic in our online relationship building as we are offline. With growth rates for Facebook leveling off in mature markets, attrition may come to the fore. Already, a huge bulk of brand "likes" are from inactive accounts.

Perhaps it's no surprise that more brands are using social media to poke fun at social media instead of glorifying it. Mitsubishi's "Unpretentious" app enables you to run over your most annoying Facebook friends, for instance. And DKNY recently made fun of social media by creating a fake success story to build actual buzz through social media.

Indeed, I've said this before and I think it will continue in the year ahead: For some brands in some categories, a premium will be placed on how few friends and follows you have, instead of how many. Authentic, high quality connections will begin to mean far more to brands than mass, unqualified connections.

2. More Standalone Branded Social Platforms Emerge

To engage consumers in social, marketers have largely turned to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and so on - with good reason. You should reach consumers where consumers congregate. But as mentioned in trend #5, that doesn't mean in some desktop Internet experience anymore. It's the physical world.

In 2013, more brands will move beyond viewing social media as (just) a cool way to connect with consumers, and start viewing social media as a cool way to enable consumers to connect with one another, enabled by the brand.

One of my favorite examples actually emerged a few years ago, when Vail Resorts launched Epic Mix, a mobile app that enables groups of real friends to connect with one another while they're skiing. They can see where their friends are physically on the slopes. They can automate status updates based on those activities. They can earn points that they can redeem back at the lodge. And once they're back home, they can review their performance and share it with the broader community.

One need only look at PlayStation Home, AMEX OPEN, and Johnson & Johnson's BabyCenter to see that social media is about lot more than Facebook & Twitter - and that brands can be the enabler of community, instead of just a participant.

1. Social Media Go Geriatric - While Teens Keep on Texting

In 2013, more brands will begin to realize that social platforms like Facebook and Twitter have profound value for reaching people over the age of 40, the fastest-growing segment of users. But millennials use social far differently.

I'll put it this way. If a parent wants to know what a teen wants them to know about, check out the teen's Facebook page. To find out what a teen is really up to, check his or her text messages.

As the Pew Internet and American Life Project reported this year, 63% of teens say texting is their preferred mode of communication on a daily basis, compared to just 29% for social media sites (regardless of which device they're accessed on).

Teens just aren't as into sharing their lives with the world as adults think they are. They're far more interested in closed loop systems like text messaging where they can connect with friends - and, sometimes, the brands they know and trust.

This is a little different than our other Tops lists for 2012 – a list of digital promotions that didn’t
involve consumers interacting with any kind of screened device, mobile or otherwise.

Here, the interface may be your voice, your body or your brain. All that matters is the fun.

5. Honda’s Life Size Paper Model of Its New Car

Sure it’ll crumple in a crash. But I hear it’s very light and picks up speed in a stiff wind.

4. Mini ID’s Your Driving Style & Offers You A Cup of Joe to Match

Crazy ass drivers get an industrial-strength espresso, while slow pokes may get a mild Americano.

3. VW’s ‘Up!’ Care Powered by Cheers (tie)

How many miles-per-cheer can you get with the Volkswagen up!?

2. Fridge Magnet Orders Pizza for You

What's not to love about a fridge magnet that orders your favorite pizza when you push it?

1. Coca-Cola Amplifier: Magazine Ad Turns into a Speaker System for Your iPhone

Bringing whole new meaning to the term “plug and play.” Yes, it does involve a mobile screen, but the promotional device itself is print. Brilliant (see video above).

How can you be a part of the fun festivities even after the 12 Days of Christmas, you ask? By Liking us on Facebook or Following us on Twitter, if you don't already. (You don’t want to be on that naughty list, do you?)

and follow me on Twitter, too! @amykauffman Happy Holidays!!