Search results for "brands"

How to deliver better brainstorms

How to deliver better brainstorms

I’m going to delve into how you can be more effective with your brainstorming and I’m specifically going to link that to how you can better define audience-first solutions. I’m doing this for two reasons: 1) the challenge of yielding business-impacting ideas has been shared by marketers globally, since Madison…
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Top 3 tools for achieving GIFing greatness

Top 3 tools for achieving GIFing greatness

From the adorable To the daring From the weird   To the wonderful   There can be no doubt that the internet loves a good GIF. And that love affair is growing stronger by the day. From 2012…
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Insta-BOOM

Insta-BOOM

Instagram is no baby anymore. It has grown so fast. How fast? 500 million users in about 6 years. Today we have 500 million reasons to celebrate, and you’re one of them. Thank you from all of us at Instagram. ♥️ https://t.co/7QHMN4x3Kl…
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Snapchat Launches Ad API

Snapchat Launches Ad API

Snapchat has finally launched its advertising API, giving brands the ability to push third party video ads directly into users feeds without having to deal with Snapchat directly. The new ad portal is called Snapchat Partners and it’s really the first major push to monetise snapchat ad…
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Is this the beginning of the end of social media – hell no!

Is this the beginning of the end of social media – hell no!

News out last week says that social media apps are in decline. The research by SimilarWeb looked at social app usage in android across several countries to reveal users are losing interest. Then there is the PEW (USA) analysis that shows the growth of the big four…
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Snapchat Gets Publisher Friendly

Snapchat Gets Publisher Friendly

Snapchat means business. Literally. We have written several blog posts about how businesses can benefit from investing into a solid Snapchat strategy. However, despite the benefits Snapchat can bring to brands in terms of audience acquisition, engagement and UGC. not many brands have tapped into the world of Snapchat. One…
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The 6 rules to not screw-up your influencer marketing

The 6 rules to not screw-up your influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is this year’s craze. Not just because marketers are increasingly wanting to use it, but because there is much debate on whether there is any value in doing it at all. Blogs and networks are lit up with the discussion. At immediate future we started out in activating…
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Instagram suits up

Instagram suits up

It’s official – Instagram has shaved, traded its fixie for an Audi A8, suited up and launched Business Tools. Considering the platform has over 200,000 advertisers and upwards of 400 million users, many would say this move was inevitable. Credit Suisse estimates that Instagram’s ad business brought in…
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#winning marketing in a world of attention deficit disorder

#winning marketing in a world of attention deficit disorder

My mind tends to wander at its best when on public transport, usually heading out of the city or a long underground trip. I thought about why this might be, and didn’t take me long to realise it was because I was out of signal, 3G or WiFi. However, with…
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Your social channels must be managed by an expert and NOT office junior!

Your social channels must be managed by an expert and NOT office junior!

Over the years I’ve sat in many meetings hearing statements like: “We need an idea for social!” or “take the ad campaign and ‘socialise it’.” Then there’s this little belter: “We need a viral video!” Or my personal favourite: “that’s a nice idea, let’s shove it on social – that’ll…
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Facebook Live Map: view live video from users around the world!

Facebook Live Map: view live video from users around the world!

Continuing its foray to crush its competitors in the live video market, Facebook has made another enhancement to its Live Video feature.  The platform recently rolled out a visual and interactive map that allows users to snoop-in on and discover live video content, from around the world. Before the recent update,…
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Who is using Facebook Reactions?

Who is using Facebook Reactions?

We are coming to the end of the first 3 months of Facebook Reactions, and data is rolling in on all sides. Initially the majority of people were delighted that their ability to express their emotional range had suddenly become slightly more than that of the house hold refrigerator, but…
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Why Advertisers cannot ignore Snapchat anymore

Why Advertisers cannot ignore Snapchat anymore

Like many tech start up’s, Snapchat joined the ever-expanding queue back in 2011, hoping to be the next Facebook and Twitter. In the expeditiously evolving world of social media, it seems that Snapchat is here to stay and is attracting advertisers, all of which are desperate to reach the lucrative…
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12 years in social – the lessons we have learnt

12 years in social – the lessons we have learnt

So last week immediate future turned 12 years old. That’s 12 years we’ve been working with brands in social media – it doesn’t seem possible does it? Surely social media didn’t exist back then? OK, it wasn’t called ‘social media’ in 2004. It was working with…
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Mo’ content mo’ problems

Mo’ content mo’ problems

First of all, I am not quite sure what is compelling me to right 90s hip hop inspired blog articles at the moment, so don’t ask… After recently presenting at a LinkedIn event, I found one of my favourite slides that optimises my thoughts on content and the internet right…
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The week in B2B Marketing

The week in B2B Marketing

We are suckers for B2B marketing… it’s part of our DNA here at IF and we like to keep our finger well and truly on the pulse. We are working with some absolutely cracking names in B2B right now and we figured that it was only right with all that…
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Why running simple competitions on social won’t see you #WIN

Why running simple competitions on social won’t see you #WIN

In a blow to those championing using simple competitions to grow audiences on social, I’m going to explain why this mechanic is actually far from simple. It’s a common sight: “follow @brandx and RT to #Win, or, “LIKE our page and tag a friend to enter”. We’ve all done it…
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It’s all about video ads

It’s all about video ads

2016 has seen some big changes in the world of social advertising and it seems it’s all about video ‘ads’ this year. Nielsen claims 64% of marketers expect video to dominate their strategies in the near future. It’s not difficult to see why, with advertisers being spoilt for…
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10 frustrating comments people make when you are developing your social media strategy

10 frustrating comments people make when you are developing your social media strategy

We speak to brands “on the reg” with a similar set of circumstances: social media has grown organically over time within the organisation, there is lots of activity (some of it really rather good) but no one really knows why they are doing it! They set out on a journey…
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5 reasons to throw your social strategy in the trash

5 reasons to throw your social strategy in the trash

What! Yup. If you have just one social strategy then you may as well consign it to the dustbin. Social is now too sophisticated for one strategy with a social channel (platform) agnostic approach. Every social network now has different audiences, varying behaviours and whole swathes of content formats that…
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The influence social media has on the beauty industry just grows and grows

The influence social media has on the beauty industry just grows and grows

Over the last few years, an overwhelming number of beauty consumers have focused their attention to the advice of beauty vloggers in order to judge cosmetic products, how to wear them, and if certain products are worth purchasing. Precisely why it makes sense that almost 60% of…
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Is the future of Social happening in private?

Is the future of Social happening in private?

Social media usage is constantly changing. Due to an ever more conscious audience, activity is predominately happening behind closed doors in private groups and over messaging apps. This can already be seen through the huge growth in platforms such as WhatsApp and Snapchat. Change in social behaviour is going fundamentally…
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Why our social curiosity certainly ain’t killing any cats

Why our social curiosity certainly ain’t killing any cats

Firstly, it’s a bit of a stupid phrase really isn’t it – curiosity killed the cat. I’m sure some stupid cats have died but if we were curious enough to confront a moving car on a busy road then I am sure we would too… If you ain’t moving then…
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Twitter DM Update: Join The Dark Side

Twitter DM Update: Join The Dark Side

Private messaging has been on the rise for a while. With the continuous growth and success of apps like Snapchat or WhatsApp (that recently added end-to-end encryption), it’s no surprise others have been trying to play catch-up. One of the platforms that is trying to improve its private…
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Facebook has changed the 20% text rule – don’t start the party just yet

Facebook has changed the 20% text rule – don’t start the party just yet

The moment social marketers have been waiting for has finally arrived. The 20% text rule on Facebook adverts has changed. I can hear the cheers from here. Don’t pop open the bubbly just yet – let’s look into the details first. So what has Facebook actually said?…
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Twitter made some changes to paid…and they are pretty cool

Twitter made some changes to paid…and they are pretty cool

This week has seen Twitter get all Facebook-y (yes that is a word) whilst making some nice strides with their paid advertising engine. There are three significant changes that have all gone live this week; Universal code, new custom audiences and an ‘objective-based’ interface – making the platform simpler to…
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One year on – Still think Periscope is just another passing fad?

One year on – Still think Periscope is just another passing fad?

A few days ago, Periscope passed its first birthday! And what a year of fireworks it has been for the live streaming mobile platform. Twitter recently announced that in a single year, the app has streamed 200 million broadcasts, and 50% of which were created in just…
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Pro tips for powerful B2B Social Content – PART ONE

Pro tips for powerful B2B Social Content – PART ONE

It’s 7pm and you’re still at the office. A posting plan for your company’s social channels stares mournfully back at you. You’ve read phone books that are more exciting. It’s okay, you reason, we’re a B2B brand. Our audience is time-strapped. Professional. They want facts, not fluff. “Out there” content…
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The Latest News, Updates and Gossip around Facebook

The Latest News, Updates and Gossip around Facebook

The Social Media industry is constantly evolving, and March 2016 has been no exception. It’s been a busy month for all the top social media sites but no more so than Facebook. Here’s a breakdown of the latest news, updates and gossip around Facebook. Video Metrics Update: New Daily Video…
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What Does Social Media Say About You?

What Does Social Media Say About You?

In the last decade or so, social media has evolved into a data mining, user generated information goldmine, which is drawing ever more attention from those who can interpret the data and put it to good use. This is a…
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Top Visual Trends for 2016 Pt.2

Top Visual Trends for 2016 Pt.2

Welcome to part two of the Getty Images 2016 Visual Trends highlights! We covered the first top three visual trends here, and we have just three more to go! But before we get to it, let’s answer one of the top questions we got on the previous blog: How…
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3 useful content calendar tools

3 useful content calendar tools

In the age of moment-driven marketing and with brands creating more content than ever before, you need a plan. Borrowing from the “original” publisher world, we have adopted the use of content calendars as the lifeblood and centre piece of our marketing planning. But on the whole, this really means…
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Everyone is talking about moments…literally

Everyone is talking about moments…literally

Everywhere you go right now the digital marketing world is talking about ‘moments’… Google have their ‘micro-moments’ story, brands are high-jacking moments everywhere to meet their marketing objectives and reach relevant audiences, heck, Twitter even added a new section to the platform called moments – and let’s face it: if…
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New tool makes it easier to publish through Facebook’s Instant Articles

New tool makes it easier to publish through Facebook’s Instant Articles

From 12th April, Facebook gears up to expand its Instant Articles offering to all publishers in the world, no matter how small or large. To simplify the process, the social networking giant unveils a WordPress plugin, that’s free for all to use. Even more, advanced coding skills aren’t required! So…
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7 steps to a Joe Wicks style content work out!

7 steps to a Joe Wicks style content work out!

After Christmas, in a bid to get fit, I (like many thousands of others) bought the Joe Wicks book ‘Lean in 15’ and have been avidly testing out his healthy 15 minute recipes ever since! (I’ve even done the odd work out or two). But what interests me the most…
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Social customer service doesn’t increase complaint volume

Social customer service doesn’t increase complaint volume

It’s true! Social doesn’t increase your volume stack. Businesses who are yet to embrace social are still being complained to. The consumer picks up the phone and gifts you their feedback. They may also share an email with senior management AND then, they will go onto social to bemoan your…
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Survival of the curious

Survival of the curious

E-volution Working in an ever developing industry that requires a balanced knowledge of data management, strategy and creative flare is a never ending challenge. A wonderfully colourful challenge that demands any given media agent (of any typical agency that works with technology) to submit to a never ending practice of constant wit sharpening.
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Top 3 Visual Trends for 2016

Top 3 Visual Trends for 2016

Our team had the pleasure of going to a seminar by Getty Images talking about the visual trends for 2016. The event took place at their new exhibition offices in London, and it was organized by the lovely folks at The Drum Network (shout-out…
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Facebook Canvas

Facebook Canvas

On February 25th Facebook launched what they are calling Canvas, a full-screen ad experience. Originally announced at Cannes Lions way back in June 2015, Facebook’s chief product officer Chris Cox demonstrated mock-ups of a new mobile format that takes over the mobile screen after a user clicks on it from…
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Where to find social content that will humanise your brand

Where to find social content that will humanise your brand

How should we humanise our social presence? How should we show the people behind our brand? How should we display the softer side of our company? These are common questions from organisations who (quite rightly) invest much of their social media resource into gaining hard, tangible results. After the campaigns…
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Break habits, break out, but don’t break bad on social media

Break habits, break out, but don’t break bad on social media

It struck me this week that social media is not really a new thing anymore. I know it sounds obvious. We have been doing it for 12 years. But this year it feels like social media got serious. Serious enough that it is…
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Snapchat gearing up to open the advertising flood gates?

Snapchat gearing up to open the advertising flood gates?

With over 100 million daily active users on the platform and well reputed penetration into the ‘millennial’ audience, Snapchat is on the rise… However, once platforms are well established as “cool” they have to make some moves that will render themselves seriously uncool to their user base, to appease the…
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It really is the year of video

It really is the year of video

Everywhere that you look right now there is video. Everyone is talking about video, every platform is competing to own video, new video formats are being created and developed for social channels and brands are all trying to use video in new and innovative ways. Basically, if video is not…
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Snapchat debuts On-demand Geofilters

Snapchat debuts On-demand Geofilters

Snapchat keeps growing and attracting more and more interest amongst brands. It has steadily grown its offering to advertisers via sponsored filters and Snapchat Discover. But the millennial-favourite, little ghost has unveiled yet another new revenue stream that’s open not just to businesses but to the public too! For as little…
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Facebook’s monetisation of Messenger

Facebook’s monetisation of Messenger

Last Spring, in a bid to increase the number of users, Facebook announced its plans to start letting brands and businesses use its Messenger app to handle customer service issues. Then, having reached over 700 million monthly active users last summer, they went public with their…
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9 Ways to target on social you may not know about

9 Ways to target on social you may not know about

As the minefields of social advertising get ever more complex and essentially a very far cry from simple tweet or post boosting we must move toward to putting audience first, defining your objectives and monitoring closely to optimising your targeting as you go. All very good practice, yes, but what other,…
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How to ace your content calendars

How to ace your content calendars

A reoccurring question we’re asked is: what should go into my content calendar? Followed by: is there advice you can share with us? Or: what rules do you work to? So here it is. 15 steps that will help you to ace your content calendar: For example, if revenue growth…
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Using social media to generate online reviews

Using social media to generate online reviews

For many brands using social media to generate sales, the priority list often consists of lead generation, brand awareness, content creation, campaign management and customer service. Whilst all of these can play a major role in creating sales, one important item is missing from that list – online reviews. A…
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How long will it be until we see an ‘ad block blocker blocker blocker’?

How long will it be until we see an ‘ad block blocker blocker blocker’?

These days there are more ad blockers than most people have had hot dinners. The most popular ad blocking companies now hold all the power, and have completely changed the landscape of digital advertising. In an aim to monetise their service, some ad blocking providers are essentially blackmailing companies into…
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The unfortunate impact of the new Twitter timeline

The unfortunate impact of the new Twitter timeline

You may or may not have noticed, but your Twitter timeline has changed – it will no longer automatically show Tweets in chronological order. We know Twitter users don’t like change, and with a raft of changes announced in the past few months and weeks, including the furore around…
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9 principles of truly “social-first” marketing

9 principles of truly “social-first” marketing

Recently Guinness launched a new advert but instead of the ad creating a perfect storm stemming from TV it was actually Instagram as the medium of choice. Guinness opted for the new 60 second ad placement in a bid to engage a younger audience, branded content has the most impact…
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3 Ways How To Make Your Content Strategy Evergreen

3 Ways How To Make Your Content Strategy Evergreen

Don’t you love when you finally have a grasp on something only for it to change instantly? Both Twitter and Facebook have announced major changes coming to their platform. Both of them have one thing in common: the focus on bringing value to their…
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Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day

The internet has drastically transformed our lives and there is no question that it’s an incredible tool, but as with every rose, there comes a few thorns! The negative issues it has brought to the fore range from cyber-bullying and trolling, through to increasing concerns over data privacy. And it’s…
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Why tenuous link marketing won’t own a moment

Why tenuous link marketing won’t own a moment

Regular readers of our blog will know that for well over a year we’ve been advocating the importance of micro-moments and owning them – “owning the moment” is lorded in every brainstorm we have at the agency. Our philosophy is built around identifying the many micro-moments relevant to a brand…
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Get the inside scoop on Twitter’s plans for 2016

Get the inside scoop on Twitter’s plans for 2016

A colleague and I recently had the pleasure of joining the fab team at Twitter HQ for their ‘Plan for 2016’ agency talk. It was an informative session, involving a large handful of top UK social media agencies revealing extensive insight into how 2015 played out, and upcoming plans and features for the platform in 2016 (follow all the highlights on Twitter via #planfor2016). immediate future usually…
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Content for your community

Content for your community

The idea behind curation is to link and/or excerpt the work of others. Therefore, social has always been about content curation, but most businesses don’t have the time, staff, skill set or budget to regularly publish great content and that’s where content curation comes in. Why curate content? Audiences do not…
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Is Twitter doomed?

Is Twitter doomed?

Firstly, I want to start by saying….I hope this is not the beginning of the end! I, for one, love Twitter and hope it is here to stay. However, it is hard to ignore the ongoing share drops, negative news coverage and acquisition rumours. As the mainstream press reported Twitter’s…
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Keeping customers happy when implementing a social media strategy

Keeping customers happy when implementing a social media strategy

The brakes are off, the lights are green and 2016 is well underway. 10 years after Twitter was founded and Facebook became a mainstream platform, another batch of social media strategies are being rolled out by marketers. Objectives will include lead generation, reach and awareness, community growth and improving sentiment.
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Join the POTUS on Snapchat

Join the POTUS on Snapchat

Gone are the days when you would receive updates from politicians through a press conference or televised announcement. Instead, more and more state officials are opting to voice their policies and connect with their constituents through popular networks like Twitter and Facebook. According to Pew Research, 61%…
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Social content is not all about the content

Social content is not all about the content

The folk over at Smart Insights reminded me last week about the deluge of content churning through every social media platform. Much has been written about getting the content right. Investing more time, resource and money in storytelling and crafting visuals that resonate. But this is only…
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Twitter’s ‘brand enthusiast gallery’ is cause for enthusiasm

Twitter’s ‘brand enthusiast gallery’ is cause for enthusiasm

Of all of the consumer tech and social media news coming out of #CES2016 last week, I wasn’t expecting news of a new Twitter ad product to be one of the most talked about. But with its ‘brand enthusiast gallery’ (purely a working title, I hope),…
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5 things businesses need to know about Generation Z

5 things businesses need to know about Generation Z

When I was writing this I did think to myself ‘aren’t we all sick of talking about post-millennials?’ But upon a bit of pre-Xmas digging and realising that these tech-savvy go-getters were going to save Christmas by vowing to spend more than ever before and…
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Are you ready for VR?

Are you ready for VR?

Back in Q1, 2014, Mark Zuckerburg announced Facebook’s $2.5 billion acquisition of Oculus VR, signalling his intention to bring virtual reality into mainstream digital life. Two years on and Facebook have finally begun taking pre-orders for Oculus Rift. That’s right you can now place…
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New Year, New Tech, New Content Opportunities

New Year, New Tech, New Content Opportunities

With the new year come new trends…yada yada yada yes. But there’s no denying, as we try to keep up with the cascading popularity of the annual Consumer Electronics Show or #CES2016, that there are some highlights of this year’s show that hold clear opportunities for the…
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Nailing your social in 2016

Nailing your social in 2016

And now to hammer home the message (see what I did there?!). Many businesses are still figuring out how to go about exploiting the many benefits of social. The start of a calendar year is usually the time companies discuss needing a social strategy, but are unsure…
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28 things guaranteed to happen in social in 2016

28 things guaranteed to happen in social in 2016

There have been many predictions for how social media will play out in 2016. But enough of the speculation…here are 28 things that are guaranteed to happen. Do you agree with them? Have I missed any? Shiny new platform labelled the ‘next big thing’ will emerge. Digital professionals…
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A big hello to Twitter Moments UK

A big hello to Twitter Moments UK

After an initial roll-out in the US, Twitter finally launches Moments in Europe, starting with the UK… yippee! One aim of Twitter’s curated news tab is to make the platform an easier place to navigate; to catch up on breaking news and hot topics within your region – a key…
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A review of the Immediate Future’s 2015 blog content

A review of the Immediate Future’s 2015 blog content

At IF we pride ourselves on leading innovation and helping to shape the next industry standard. Our recent award win evidences we’ve checked that box for another year. To many, our blog is their source of digital insight into what is about to happen within industry. With this in mind,…
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Reviewing 2015 in a list of lists

Reviewing 2015 in a list of lists

Everyone loves a list. Which is just as well considering it’s that time of year when people publish the most lists. Whether it’s lists of the best music or books from the year; lists of predictions for the coming year; or lists of Christmas gift ideas for your partner’s uncle’s…
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8 fundamentals to an award winning paid social campaign

8 fundamentals to an award winning paid social campaign

We were very proud to win Best Use of Social Advertising at the recent Social Media Buzz Awards recently. Fist pump. We did so on a modest budget, pipping big agencies (Ketchum, Starcom, Havas, Manning Gottlieb OMD) and big brands (Starbucks, KFC, Phillips, Unilever, Heineken) with our work for Southbank…
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The rewards of blending online and offline personalisation

The rewards of blending online and offline personalisation

When it comes to digital, personalisation is nothing new, and throughout the year we have talked about it extensively in many blogs – whether it’s for your audience or adverts, personalising the way you reach your audience via their platform of choice and so on. The advance in CRM systems…
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Open letter: Let’s stop the neglect of social media professionals

Open letter: Let’s stop the neglect of social media professionals

This is an open letter to brands and agencies (and a call for support from industry associations) to stop the neglect of those working in social media. This issue came to a head for me when last week I had a conversation with a young social media professional. She asked…
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Pinterest launches new visual search tool

Pinterest launches new visual search tool

Ever been on your friend’s profile, wondered where they had bought an item of clothing and how best to describe it so you can buy it for yourself? Or have you been stuck for words when browsing through interiors and wanted to know more about a specific item? Well if…
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What does Brandwatch’s $33 million investment mean for the future of social data?

What does Brandwatch’s $33 million investment mean for the future of social data?

One of the industry’s earliest and longest standing social data start-ups Brandwatch has raised $33 million series C funding last week, this after raising $22 million series B in 2014.  There has been a great deal activity this year in the social intelligence  space. Twitter revealed its preferred partner…
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Spotting the patterns, puzzles and predictions in social data

Spotting the patterns, puzzles and predictions in social data

Social data is unstructured data. It needs a framework to corral the noise into making sense. Beyond the structuring of the numbers though, lies the real value in social data: The insights. Last week I found myself in a room full of data geeks (my idea of heaven) listening to…
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Why storytelling is important when presenting social media insights

Why storytelling is important when presenting social media insights

When thinking of research, data and insights, it’s easy to assume it’s all numbers and data crunching and not much else. However, the role of a good insights consultant is to be able to translate this data into tangible and meaningful information that can then be easily presented to senior…
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O2’s Rachel Kneen shares content ROI insights

O2’s Rachel Kneen shares content ROI insights

On 22nd of October, we welcomed back Rachel Kneen, O2’s social media manager, to our monthly Speakeasy to speak about the importance of content. Rachel has been working in social since 2009 – to put that into context, at that time, people spent more time on average on Myspace…
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Spectre infiltration: A Bond guide to social media

Spectre infiltration: A Bond guide to social media

  Mission from ‘M’, just in. You must infiltrate popular social media networks with highly dynamic content, and engage your targets where possible, as the Spectre network makes a worldwide offensive. You’ll have ‘paid’ support from Q branch in the form of cutting edge channel technology and the…
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With 60 shopping days to Christmas, how will spend be influenced by social?

With 60 shopping days to Christmas, how will spend be influenced by social?

The end of October brings pumpkins and other Halloween paraphernalia to the fore of our local supermarkets. In a matter of weeks, if not days, these will be replaced with Christmas products, displays and information on how to make catering for the big day easier. Some people (like my lovely…
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Social media tone of voice: 6 things you may not have considered

Social media tone of voice: 6 things you may not have considered

Tone of voice is no longer simply a case of using your corporate brand tone on social – you now need specific guidelines (or the opposite, depending on your brand!) for social channels. Now, I’m not necessarily talking about the marketing messages, the sales posts or the brand broadcast-style posts…
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The battle for real-time – Facebook vs Twitter

The battle for real-time – Facebook vs Twitter

Facebook announced its latest move to try out manoeuvre Twitter in the battle for real-time conversation. The range of second screen tools launched to engage TV viewers as they tune into live shows. Hashtag voting, polling for live events, photo and video submissions as well as custom icons (Facebook’s answer…
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Market research doesn’t have to be costly

Market research doesn’t have to be costly

All brands, big or small, can benefit from market research. And it can feed into an organisation at any level – whether that is for something as big as a re-brand; a change in strategy; a product launch; or something as ‘simple’ as a seasonal campaign. However, market research can…
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Don’t Gaff My Gif, Man

Don’t Gaff My Gif, Man

With the very recent developments in GIF posting on both Facebook and Twitter becoming somewhat relaxed the temptation to get involved in what seems like the most irresistible comedy action on social seems inevitable. When one can express themselves through the most iconic subtitled short…
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The evolving infographic: here comes the GIFographic

The evolving infographic: here comes the GIFographic

Did you know that there are almost 78 million search results for the term ‘infographic’? Content in the form of an infographic hit the mainstream in 2012 and its popularity with brands continues to rise steadily. Snack, share and stand-out There are plenty of reasons…
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Should social be owned by PR or marketing (and how important is sponsored content)?

Should social be owned by PR or marketing (and how important is sponsored content)?

IF have been working in social for more than eleven years, and this question has consistently been asked throughout. “PRs will shape your narrative and manage your reputation – as we’ve been doing for years with your media relations”, some might say. Marketers will challenge: “now social is the most…
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7 elements to building a brand for the social-age

7 elements to building a brand for the social-age

Social media levels the playing fields to building a brand in the modern age. The ability to be able to connect with the world at the click of a button means that with the right message/product/offering anyone can build a brand. As an individual, talented musician using YouTube to get…
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Demystifying the role of the Community Manager

Demystifying the role of the Community Manager

Following recent conversations with various clients, marketers and other agency peers there seems to be an element of obscurity and misconception on the actual role of the  ‘community manager’. The term commonly adopted for someone who sits on communication channels for followers, fans and audiences of brands, companies and networks around organisations or…
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How does BBC Worldwide and Universal Music TV drive their digital agendas? (Part Two)

How does BBC Worldwide and Universal Music TV drive their digital agendas? (Part Two)

Welcome to part two of our Q & A with two of the industry’s leading digital marketers: Alex Ayling, Head of BBC Worldwide Digital Studios and Nick Moxham, Head of Digital, Universal Music TV. In case you missed part one which focussed on Alex, you can view that here:…
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London Fashion Week’s digital makeover

London Fashion Week’s digital makeover

London Fashion Week 2015 witnessed brands lighting up the digital world, from Burberry’s use of Snapchat, Hunter Original’s use of Periscope, and Topshop’s use of Pinterest. The digital world has introduced brands to a limitless audience. The use of Pinterest and Instagram in London Fashion Week enabled brands to show…
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Planning for the unplannable

Planning for the unplannable

If you work in social media, you’ll be used to hearing the term ‘real-time’. It’s been one of the hottest industry talking points since Oreo’s ‘dunk in the dark’ tweet. In reality, using social media to communicate at speed has been on brands’ radars for far longer than 2 years.
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IF Blog Best of… August ‘15

IF Blog Best of… August ‘15

August is gone with the wind. With it go Notting Hill Festival, Reading 2015, V Fest, National Burger Day and summer. Relive the glory days of balmy summer evenings, sizzling barbeques and 30+ degree weather (sort of) by having a read through our top five IF blogs for August.
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What does the #adpocalypse mean for paid social?

What does the #adpocalypse mean for paid social?

Apple’s recent announcement that it was going to be embracing ad blocking software has sparked some serious social debate and birth of the hashtag #adpocalypse. The move by Apple has brought into spotlight the morals and ethics behind the media industry and am sure will bring about another shift because…
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Twitch gaming Final

Twitch gaming Final

Psst! Would you like to join a team of select brands – Old Spice, Pokemon and the BBC among others — who have led growth in a form of digital marketing gaining traction? The online gaming industry is rife with user-led content, with one of the biggest platforms making use…
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What is the key to unlocking successful real-time engagement?

What is the key to unlocking successful real-time engagement?

Real-time engagement has been a real buzzword in 2015, but is it easier said than done? And how far are brands pushing the concept of real-time engagement? How realistic is it for brands to be ‘always on’? These are all questions that have been bandied around the industry this year,…
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3 things we learned from Zuckerburg’s last Townhall Q&A

3 things we learned from Zuckerburg’s last Townhall Q&A

Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to the stage yesterday for the latest Facebook Townhall Q&A. He spent the better part of an hour fielding a mix of serious and silly questions about everything from virtual reality and artificial intelligence to why he doesn’t wear a different coloured shirt (he does,…
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Achieve all your event objectives by creating a “social cyclone”

Achieve all your event objectives by creating a “social cyclone”

What are your main objectives when your company attends an event? Leads? Awareness of new products and service? Positive brand interactions? Whatever your ultimate end goal is, more often than not, the marketing activities that I see, especially across digital and social, do not tie together with a clear ‘line-of-sight’…
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Don’t forget your demographics!

Don’t forget your demographics!

Marketers around the world are pronouncing the death of demographic segmentation, and behavioural segmentation has swept in to pick up the pieces. Thanks to the digital invasion, marketers are armed with the tools to analyse consumers’ behaviour. And as we all know, this is called behavioural segmentation. This has allowed…
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Behind the Curtain at Facebook

Behind the Curtain at Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg will be hosting his 7th Town Hall Q&A session on Tuesday the 15th of September. This much anticipated event will provide the Facebook community, and a live audience at Facebook HQ, with yet another opportunity to quiz Zuckerberg on a range of (mostly) Facebook-related topics.
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How crazy golf can unlock the power of your connected network

How crazy golf can unlock the power of your connected network

We call it ‘the power of a connected network’; uniting your workforce to harness the potential influence available on social. “Well that’s just social media tosh”, you might say. I assure you it is not. And here’s why: The most overlooked use of social is internal communications and it’s staggering.
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