There have been rumors circling the Internet that Facebook would begin to include Sponsored Stories in users’ News Feeds in addition to the standard ad units already displayed on the right hand side of the page. It appears that these rumors have now come true.
On a recently released page on Facebook’s help site, users can [...]
FACEBOOK ROLLS OUT FEATURED STORIES IN YOUR NEWS FEED
FLAWED CRISIS MANAGEMENT MADE PATERNO’S OUSTER THE ONLY OPTION
Last night Penn State University’s Board of Trustees did what would have seemed unthinkable a week ago by firing head football coach Joe Paterno. “Joe Pa,” as he is known by PSU fans, arrived on the Penn State campus as an assistant during the Truman administration and over the past 62 years became larger than [...]
ARE THE NEW .XXX EXTENSIONS A THREAT TO YOUR BRAND?
Well, it’s finally happened. After nearly 11 years of controversy and debate, there’s a new kid on the domain extension block, and his name is .xxx. Approved in March by ICANN, the organization that oversees and manages the expansion and evolution of the Internet, .xxx is the newest top-level domain, designed to universally identify adult [...]
THE MONUMENTS WE CARRY: AN ODE TO STEVE JOBS
When I heard the news of Steve Jobs’ death, my mind detoured back almost 300 years to the great English architect, Sir Christopher Wren.
Wren’s most famous design is St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, whose dome vies with the towers of Parliament as the city’s most recognizable structure. When Wren died, his body was placed in [...]
AN INTRODUCTION TO GOOGLE+
Google+ (Google Plus) is the search giant’s latest social innovation, and it has the marketing world chomping at the bit to ruin it capitalize on yet another up-and-coming social tool.
But what exactly is Google+ and how does it match up against the dominant players in this space?
What is Google+?
At its core, Google+ is a social [...]
KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE, ENEMIES CLOSER: GROUPON’S PARTNERSHIP WITH FOURSQUARE
I know what you’re thinking – Mr. Crowley over there at Foursquare must have seen our blog post last month and realized he needed to step up his game. You’re welcome, big guy. News broke today that Foursquare has officially partnered with Groupon, along with five other daily deal competitors like LivingSocial, to offer users [...]
FRIEND OR FOE? THE COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NEWS MEDIA AND PR
A few weeks ago, I read a story about how the New York Times was “curbing” freelance columnist David Pogue’s ability to speak at various events involving publicists or public relations. The story said that his participation in these paid events, specifically one hosted by Ragan Communications, violated the Times’ ethics policy, which states “Staff [...]
CONFESSIONS OF A FACEBOOK NARCISSIST: A CASE FOR FACEBOOK PLACES
My name is Jessica and I suffer from Chronic Facebook Overshare Syndrome. Alarmingly contagious, this condition manifests itself in the form of daily status updates, mobile uploads, and what some have called an overzealous number of Places check-ins. Not to mention unseen side effects like the compulsive need to hit refresh on “Most Recent News,” [...]
QUICK – WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE YOU?
I’m a consumer. I’m thinking about buying your product or service right now, at this very moment. Quickly, now – why should I? Have you given me a reason?
Did you make me feel special? Did you offer me insider privileges if I “Like” you on Facebook? Am I on your e-mail list for discounts – [...]
HOW TO SPEND MONEY LIKE A MILLENNIAL
This isn’t your typical blog post, but after reading articles like this, I felt compelled to offer up my two cents about my generation and its spending habits. Keep reading for a peek inside the minds and wallets of Millennials and let us know what you think – are we really that different in terms of [...]
FAREWELL, OPRAH – IT’S BEEN FUN TRYING TO PITCH YOU
As Oprah is set to close the curtain on her 25-year reign as Queen of Daytime talk, it brings back memories – albeit frustrating ones – of attempting to pitch her show. It was early on in my career, but I recall trying to pitch one very heartwarming story, and then later trying to get [...]
AFTER B OF A, IS BLACK FRIDAY NEXT?
by Dave Spivey, Senior Copywriter on Nov 17, 2011 in Advertising trends, Commentary, Marketing trends, Social Media Marketing
Question: is Anthony Hardwick of Omaha, Nebraska, the next Molly Katchpole?
Katchpole is the Washington, D.C., graduate student whose angry social media petition sparked a nationwide revolt against Bank of America’s plan to charge customers $5 per month for their debit cards. After losing thousands of accounts, B of A backed off.
The target of Hardwick’s online [...]