February, 2012
Although the Big Game was over on Sunday evening, the voting for the best advertisements is still on-going. USA Today joined forces with Facebook to develop a social application where users could rank their favorite advertisements of the night. The voting will be open through Tuesday evening (6 p.m.) when USA Today will announce the winners on their Sports on Facebook page. To learn more, please visit AllFacebook.com.
February 2012- A bill recently introduced into the Maryland state legislature prohibits institutions “from requiring a student or an applicant for admission to provide access to a personal account to service through an electronic communications device.” -for example: sharing user names, passwords or unblocking private accounts. Senate Bill 434 would apply to all students but will particularly impact college teams like football and men’s basketball. “Schools that require their students to turn over their social media user name and/or content are acting as though they are based in China and not in the United States.” For more information, please see Mashable.com
February, 2012 Since the Giants & Patriots last met in the Super Bowl, in 2008, Social Media has exploded in popularity and size. In 2008 Facebook had 100 million users, Twitter barely existed and Google+ wasn’t even a thought. Today Facebook has more than 845 million users, Twitter has become one of the main platforms for sports conversation and media and Google+ now has around 100 million users. This growth has completely changing how the two teams are marketing themselves. With Social Media as their platform both teams are trying to make the fans truly a part of the experience. To learn more visit Mashable.
February, 2012
There is a lot of hype around Facebook filing to become a public company. One interesting number that arose during their IPO filing on Wednesday is that Zynga accounts for 12% of all of the revenue generated by Facebook. Facebook’s sales for 2011 totaled at $3.71 billion and $445 million of that revenue came from their current partnership with the game-maker Zynga. The independence of the two companies may become an issue for investors. Learn more about these two companies by visiting Mashable.
January, 2012
ESPN has created an action-based video game for Facebook users. The game, titled ESPN Return Man, puts users in the shoes of an NFL kickoff returner. Users must find routes to take to avoid being tackled by the opponent. Within the game, users can select two playing modes: Season (where the user endures training camp, then plays for the chance to make it to the championship) or Blitz (where the user plays against friends and engages with new game levels as the weeks go on). Facebook Credits can be purchased to help users win by unlocking special moves. To see more about this game, please visit AllFacebook.com.
January, 2012
St. Jude’s “Thanks and Giving®” campaign raised an impressive 7.9 million dollars through online efforts alone. During the duration of the campaign, the charity organization received 570,000 “likes” on Facebook and over 150,000 followers on Twitter, an all-time high for the group. Richard Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude said, “It is always our goal to engage with donors in ways that are both meaningful and accessible, whether it’s through traditional or social media or even in their preferred language.” To learn more about the success of this robust 360-degree campaign, please visit PRNewswire.com.
January, 2012
Facial recognition company Face.com has released “Klick” a new App for iOS 4.3+ that links to Facebook and automatically identifies your friends names when taking photos. Immediately sharing with your friends is optional, but to use the app you must configure it with your Facebook account. Klick supports some Instagram-like photo filters that can make photos more artistic. It also offers feeds from nearby photos and friend’s photos with the option to tag from the camera roll to Twitter, email, Facebook and publically on Klick. For more information, please see TechCrunch.com.
January, 2012
McDonald’s started a Twitter campaign that was supposed to ignite discussion about positive stories around McDonald’s experiences. This hashtag, #McDsStories, turned into a way for unhappy customers to display their more than unpleasant stories. Customers completely bashed McDonalds, and their social media director Rick Wion, had to change their course. To watch the video and learn more about this campaign gone wrong, visit Mashable.
January, 2012
For the XLVI Super Bowl, a social media command center will be set up in Indianapolis, IN. Sports strategists and analysts will man the center and monitor all communication regarding the biggest football game of the year. For football fans who tweet or post questions regarding to the actual game (including, “I can’t find parking anywhere!”), the command center will provide them with responses to make the event more enjoyable. The amount attention being paid to social media’s involvement in the event is a first, and marketers should expect to see more types of pop-ups like this happen as digital media continues to grow in importance within this generation. To learn more, please visit AllFacebook.com.
January, 2012
President Barack Obama will be addressing citizens’ questions and answers via a live chat on Google+ next week. Users who want their questions addressed will have to load a video question to YouTube by January 28th. Not all videos will be chosen, but for those which he does select, the users will be invited to the “Hangout” to live chat directly with the President. For more information, please visit Gizmodo.com.
January, 2012
The Citi Thank You Point Sharing Facebook app allows Thank You rewards members to pool their points together with their friends on Facebook and extend their reward possibilities. The collective value can be used toward sharing a goal or reward, such as a trip or charity donation. “This new app is a first in the marketplace and a fun, flexible way to share points,” said Ralph Andretta, head of co brands and loyaltu at Citi Cards. For more information, please see promomagazine.com
January, 2012
According to a CNET report Facebook is looking to exclusively host Vevo- YouTube’s top streaming channel. This adoption would put Facebook in direct competition with Google’s YouTube, and give Facebook users the ability to simultaneously listen to music, upload pictures, comment on walls and message friends. Vevo is currently the top national entertainment music web platform with projected 3.7 billion videos viewed globally each month. For more information, please see Mashable.com.
January, 2012
Yesterday over 2.4 million tweets regarding SOPA and PIPA were share during the hours of 12 AM and 4 PM EST. Generally, most tweets were against the new bill proposed by Congress which aims to stop online piracy. If passed, the act would allow content owners to pull any information they deem infringing on foreign sites, such as Wikipedia or Google searches. To learn more about the anti-SOPA campaign on Twitter, please visit Mashable.com.
January, 2012
Toshiba is releasing an ultra thin new tablet based on comments from consumers on social media sites. Toshiba uses Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to listen to what consumers really want and make them happen. Mark Simmons, CEO of Toshiba America confirms this during an exclusive interview. He discusses that a lot of what consumers want is determined with surveys by current customers, but even more importantly than that, the customers true wants and needs are displayed on social media. Watch the entire interview with Mark Simmons on Mashable.
January, 2012
Huggies Korea engaged new mothers over this holiday season by offerings a “Baby Babbles Translator” through YouTube. Mothers were encouraged to upload videos of their babies babbling to the company’s Korean YouTube channel. Huggies then selected videos to ‘translate’ and posted videos to the YouTube channel of their translating team deciphering the babblings and determining exactly what the baby was trying to say. In all Huggies created over 25 videos with their ‘translations’. The parents of the chosen baby videos received a gift from Huggies after the holiday season. For more information, see Creativity Online.
January, 2012
Walgreens is paying Twitter and bloggers to act as crisis PR against its former benefit manager, Express Scripts. Walgreens has been at risk of losing customers to rival pharmacies after failed negotiations this past summer. Walgreens recently purchased the promoted tweet “@Walgreens Patients should be able to choose their pharmacy, not @ExpressScripts. Tweet using #ILoveWalgreens to show your support!” Walgreens also enlisted Social Spark, a service that connects bloggers with paid sponsorships, in order to recruit and sponsor bloggers to defend the company and garner reader support. This approach has elicited some negative responses online about the company’s use of purchased promoted tweets and blogger sponsorships to generate support for the company. For more information and reactions to the campaign, please see AdvertisingAge.
January, 2012
Tag Heuer announced they would introduce a gaming application on their Facebook page that allows users to experience racing with Lewis Hamilton. To promote the launch of the application (coming this January), the company released a teaser video demonstrating the lifelike experience users will be able to feel while playing the game. “Ultimate Lap is an occasion to celebrate Tag Heuer’s motoracing heritage as well as our long-lasting relationship with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, with whom we share a real passion for innovation,” said Alexandra Wolf, community manager at Tag Heuer , La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. To learn more about this new experience, please visit InTheMoment.com.
January, 2012
Chanel targeted the digital space to promote the new line of Shine lipstick. Chanel developed a Facebook application photobooth where users can take a series of images, add text and share them on their walls. To tie into the lipstick line, the photobooth images are tinted with a color offered within the Shine collection. To learn more, please visit Facebook.com/Chanel.
January, 2012
Karl Lagerfield and Net-A-Porter partnered to develop a mobile application that was multi-faceted: users could play an interactive game, preview the collection, a transformational photo opportunity sweepstakes and video. The interactive “Find Karl & Win” game requires users to roll a digital marble over Karl’s faces to score points; those with the highest score are entered to win a $1,000 N-A-P gift card. Users who scan Karl icons on the company website can watch videos featuring the designer. Participants of the photo transformations, to “Karlify” themselves, are entered for a chance to win a piece from the collection. To learn more, please visit LuxuryDaily.com.
On January 1, Pizza Hut opened it’s “Top This” contest that allows fans to enter for a chance to appear in Pizza Hut’s Super Bowl ad. Consumers can enter by creating their own version of the Pizza Hut ‘featured song’ and upload a video of it to the brand’s Facebook page. A total of six winners will be chosen based on uniqueness and creativity in their video and song rendition. Three of the winners will be able to appear in the Pizza Hut Super Bowl ad that will air during the pre-game of the upcoming Super Bowl XLVI. Pizza Hut also has a youtube video describing the contest that features the song that people will be creating. Fans of the page can rate the video submissions, although fan votes will have no effect on the outcome of the winners. The contest is open until January 15th for submissions. For more information, see The Real Time Report.
January, 2012
Facebook and NBC News are leveraging online polls to immerse the brands within the political race. Facebook has received prominent branding within NBC’s “Meet the Press” coverage of the GOP debate. Facebook also included polls on candidate favorites in Iowa and New Hampshire, and NBC featured results of the polls within the show. Facebook users who had questions for the debaters were even allowed to send in their inquiries via a Facebook app, and watch as the debaters shared their responses live on the show. As the political races ramp up, expect to see more Facebook and social media live feedback and results. To learn more, please visit InsideFacebook.com.
January, 2012
Axe will kick off the launch of its newest fragrance through a social short graphic novel called Anarchy: The Graphic Novel hosted on its Facebook page. Fans will be able to help write the novel by dictating the characters’, “The Anarchy Girls”, actions. The fans interact with the novel as it unfolds to determine the outcome. Axe recruited X-Men writer for DC Comic books, Scott Lobell, to help write the new Anarchy Girls series for the Facebook launch. The fragrance launch includes a fragrance for men and a fragrance for women. For more information, see Mashable.
January, 2012
Mountain Dew is taking advantage of the new Facebook look, Timeline, by offering consumers customizable Timeline covers. Users can incorporate their own images into a number of visuals Mountain Dew has available. Assistant Brand Manager for Mountain Dew, Jenny Danzi, said, “We’re always looking for ways to create new experiences for our fan base.” Currently Facebook Timeline is not available for brands, so brands will likely be finding creative ways to keep in touch with consumers via covers or photos.To learn more about this new social marketing effort, please visit PopSop.com.
January, 2012
Weight Watchers is reaching out to current and potential clients via the brand’s Facebook page encouraging them to “Believe”. The new campaign promotes 2012 as the “Year to Believe” via a Facebook app where users can share success stories and reach out for support. The Facebook page promotes the application through the Wall, but the social campaign is supported by a 360º campaign which boasts new mobile connections and more personalized options for new users. To learn more about this campaign, please visit PRNewswire.com.
December, 2011
Bud Light has launched its search for a Super Bowl Correspondent through Facebook. Consumers who would like to be considered can submit a 30 second video to Bud Light’s Facebook page now through January 20th. Consumers can like and comment on the videos to support their favorite candidates. Bud Light will then judge the entries based on their video, relevance to the brand, and consumer response on Facebook. Once chosen, the new correspondent will cover the 2012 Super Bowl from the 180-room “Bud Light Hotel” in downtown Indianapolis that Anheuser-Busch is finishing renovating for the game. In return for an unspecified salary, the correspondent will also appear in exclusive videos for Bud Light through out the week leading up to the Super Bowl game. These videos are expected to include red carpet interview, behind the scenes of the Super Bowl, and coverage of the Playboy parties scheduled to be held at Bud Light hotel. For more information see Mashable.
December, 2011
Diagio, the parent company of liquor brands such as Captain Morgan, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Baileys, and Jose Cuervo, has seen a notable increase in sales and Facebook traffic that they are attributing to an increase in Facebook ads. In September, Diagio entered into a multi million dollar partnership with Facebook, since then they have been steadily increasing their spend on Facebook ads with a large power period of ads during this holiday season. The ads have been targeting Facebook users of legal drinking age and are largely targeted towards consumers who had “liked” competing brands. Diagio has reported that an in-house, five brand study showed a 20% increase in sales and an increase in Facebook likes from 3.5 million to 12 million over the last year due to their increase in Facebook ad spend. For more information, see ClickZ.
December, 2011
Chevrolet has announced that it will choose it’s 2012 Superbowl ad based on which of its viral videos gets shared the most. The current selection of videos is comprised of 38 viral videos crowdsourced from fans. Fans submitted videos centered on the theme “everyday heros” for consideration earlier this year and the list was paired down to the final 38 for voting. Fans are encouraged to share their favorite video in order to increase it’s chance of being selected as the official Chevrolet Super Bowl ad. The user who shares the most videos and answers the question “If you could drive to any destination in your home country, where would you go?” will be awarded up to $10,000 in prizes. For more information, see Mashable.
December, 2011
The Tragus Group, owner of British restaurant chains Strada, Bella Italia, and Café Rouge, is looking to increase consumer traffic by encouraging engagement on their Facebook pages. Consumers can record and upload videos and photos documenting their experience in any of the Strada, Bella Italia, or Café Rouge restaurants. In return, they receive discounts and offers for the restaurant. The Tragus Group believes that this user generated content will help pull in new consumers and encourage them to continue frequenting the restaurants. They also feel this content will help their efforts to re-brand Café Rouge as a full service restaurant rather than a small scale café. For more information, please see Marketing Week UK.
December, 2011
Lands’ End has launched its holiday contest entitled “Pin It To Win It” on Pinterest. Lands’ End is the first major retailer to hold a large promotional digital contest on the social site. In the holiday contest, consumers can create their own ‘pin board’ of style from the items available on the Lands’ End pinterest page. Any consumer who create’s a pin board is entered to win a selection of Lands’ End gift certificates. The winner will be selected based on creativity, composition, and style. For more information see PR Newswire.
December, 2011
British wireless carrier O2 has just finished its holiday promotion that crosses between YouTube and Twitter. Consumers were encouraged to tweet their personal message to Santa using #O2Santa during a 3 day period from December 12-December 15. “Santa” will then personally record a response to each tweet and post the video to the O2 Santa YouTube channel. As of the second day of the campaign, Santa had already responded to 400 tweets garnering over 12,000 views. Santa will continue responding to all of the tweets posted during the 3 day period with a guarantee of having all responses up by Christmas. Consumers can share the videos via social media or email the link to friends and family to view. For more information, see The Real Time Report.
