Search results for "brands"

Social customer service done right – 5 success stories from ASOS to Zappos

Social customer service done right – 5 success stories from ASOS to Zappos

2012 is the year of social customer service. Consumers are increasingly turning to social networks as a way to reach out to brands and convey their frustrations and worries. However, this needn’t necessarily be a threat to brands. Innovators are using social media to turn customer negativity into advocacy. This slideshare looks…
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Overview of the new Facebook timeline brand pages

Overview of the new Facebook timeline brand pages

Facebook has just launched the timeline for brand pages – expect alot of noise on this over the next few weeks.  The new design and functionality has created a completely new user experience and raises a number of questions to boot.  Here are some of the key things you need…
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Five social media monitoring tips

Five social media monitoring tips

From one-man-bands to global conglomerates, social media provides businesses with a wide open window into the thoughts, opinions and behaviours of customers. Whether it’s a simple keyword search in Google or the deployment of a sophisticated tool, social media monitoring can add value to everything from customer acquisition and product…
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Understanding Your Social Customers

Understanding Your Social Customers

Following on from my recent post, ‘Embracing Social Customer Service’, I want to offer a closer inspection of the ‘social customer’. The growth of social media platforms has been accompanied by the evolution of this new type of customer. An understanding of your social customers is an important step…
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New Twitter brand pages: a flashy ploy to justify the cost of promoted tweets?

New Twitter brand pages: a flashy ploy to justify the cost of promoted tweets?

The new UK Twitter brand pages have finally hit our shores for those companies that can afford it. Let’s put this out there, brands on Twitter still don’t have the flexibility the Facebook API allows. Twitter will keep a tight rein on what users can and can’t…
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Pinterest – 2012’s social media success story?!  Further evidence

Pinterest – 2012’s social media success story?! Further evidence

Subsequent to my last post on Pinterest and whether it is set to be 2012’s social media success story – this insightful infographic surfaced which certainly suggests it may well be… Want to know how Pinterest may impact UK brands?…
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Embracing Social Customer Service

Embracing Social Customer Service

Launching into the realm of social customer service may seem like a daunting prospect, however, failing to take the leap may actually lead to even more frightening consequences. A shocking statistic from a recent consumer survey commissioned by Conversocial, revealed that: “If confronted with unanswered customer complaints on…
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Real-time touches down at the Super Bowl

Real-time touches down at the Super Bowl

Few events in the sporting calendar command as much media coverage or social chatter as the US Super Bowl. Last year, French data intelligence company, Semiocast, reported that the American football championship was the focus of 4.5 million tweets, driving a 25% increase in global tweets during…
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Pinterest – 2012’s social media success story?

Pinterest – 2012’s social media success story?

Pinterest was the surprise social network of last year in the US achieving over 31 million visits and rising to number 7 in the Hitwise top 10 social networks of 2011. Whilst the network only represents 0.68% share of visits (Facebook represents a staggering 63.31%) – Pinterest is set to…
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If social commerce is about to blow up, has the bomb been dropped?

If social commerce is about to blow up, has the bomb been dropped?

As all eyes focus on the social commerce landscape for 2012, Dimensions Mall, has dropped a veritable bomb less than a month into the year. While 67% of retailers are already planning to use Facebook to drive traffic through to e-commerce in 2012, not to mention Coca-Cola,…
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RFID: blurring the lines between on and offline experiences

RFID: blurring the lines between on and offline experiences

Still relatively unheard of amongst the masses, RFID or radio frequency identification technology has recently made the headlines as it is potentially going to be adopted for use at summer festivals in the UK. Glastonbury organiser, Michael Eavis has confirmed that he is looking into using the technology – read more…
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New wave of Facebook Applications

New wave of Facebook Applications

With the launch of 60 new applications using the Timeline and Open Graph, Facebook is about to expand beyond the Like.  The new functionality will allow users to share perpetual actions (‘love’, ‘want’, ‘need’) via applications through the Open Graph. There are obvious benefits for brands, especially given the buying…
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Five useful content planning tools

Five useful content planning tools

For years, content strategists have been hiding in the wings, quietly coordinating the show, while the social media rock stars take centre stage. Not anymore. A media frenzy surrounding the information overload debate, combined with the growing impact of social search, mean that the need for sophisticated content planning is…
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Your socially engaged consumers spend more

Your socially engaged consumers spend more

 New research shows consumers who engage with companies using social media spend up to 30% more than consumers that don’t. The same research from Bain & Company, suggests they are also more loyal and emotionally connected than customers who are not socially engaged. Bain…
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Afraid of your competitor’s social media activity?

Afraid of your competitor’s social media activity?

If so, you are not alone. New research from econsultancy shows a whopping 85% of brands believe increased social media marketing by competitors will have a significant impact on their social media plans in 2012. With all innovation, there is an adoption curve (see…
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Four ways in which the new Twitter better promotes your brand

Four ways in which the new Twitter better promotes your brand

Twitter has launched new brand pages with a new look and some useful functionality. For those companies already on Twitter, this news is worth your attention.  Twitter’s new brand pages will better promote your brand in 4 ways: A large header image gives greater prominence to your logo and/or tagline. …
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Reddit – Upvote it: Part II

Reddit – Upvote it: Part II

So in the first blog in this series, we established that Reddit is significant online social movement, but what exactly can it offer a brand or business? Monitoring: Businesses can utilise the platform as a go-to for cutting edge news and content. Monitoring the platform for relevant…
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Reddit – Upvote it: Part I

Reddit – Upvote it: Part I

Are you familiar with Reddit? Is the social news site incorporated into your social media monitoring and planning? So, what is Reddit? A dark horse of the online world, Reddit is a sharing platform that businesses and brands alike should be au fait with. It’s an online…
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Are cats the new Pizza Express? The value of social currency

Are cats the new Pizza Express? The value of social currency

Estate agents used to say, that if Pizza Express opens in a new area, it’s a sure sign property prices in said area are about to rise; and smart property investors should pay attention. So I put it to you, if a meme spreads across YouTube, it’s a sure sign…
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The ideal social media consultant. It’s Psych 101

The ideal social media consultant. It’s Psych 101

An experimental scientist? A mathematician, an historian, an IT geek, a money making  economist or socially savvy psychologist? Last week we conducted a Twtpoll to discover who you would rather employ as a social media consultant for your business. The results were eye opening. To our…
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Are Google+ branded pages only for Muppets?

Are Google+ branded pages only for Muppets?

Since Google’s  announcement, there has been an enthusiastic response to Google+ branded pages. Generally the applause has been loud and energetic, with over 600 news articles and innumerable blog posts. The positive response has proved interesting. After…
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Q&A: RiotRemedy founder, Heather Taylor, talks community management

Q&A: RiotRemedy founder, Heather Taylor, talks community management

In 2004 social networks were a groundbreaking channel for brands to self-publicise and broadcast their news. Today, the dynamic between brands and their customers has shifted. Customers want brands to talk with and not just at them. According to Heather Taylor, founder of online community, RiotRemedy, today’s brands need to…
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Why branded social media estates are like Pokémon: Qwikster vs. Jason Castillo

Why branded social media estates are like Pokémon: Qwikster vs. Jason Castillo

 Netflix have learnt the hard way that social media can’t be a last minute consideration when it comes to a rebrand. Marketing has to be fully integrated with social media planning. On demand video service Netflix struck upon the name Qwikster for its DVD side of the business, you can…
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A turning point for Twitter marketing?

A turning point for Twitter marketing?

This week, in a move that Brian Solis entitled the ‘Mad Men Moment’, Twitter introduced the latest addition to the Promoted products family. So what prompted the dramatic headline? Well the latest version of the promoted tweet will appear in the timeline of users that are not…
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Online community management: Stop. Look. Listen.

Online community management: Stop. Look. Listen.

In the words of the Content Marketing Institute’s Joe Chernov: “Without content, social media is a sports car with an empty gas tank”. No one knows that better than an online community manager. But what that community manager also knows is that accelerating your social media…
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Google+: how social media marketing could evolve

Google+: how social media marketing could evolve

Google+ has really got the social media world excited. Twenty-five million users in 6 weeks, makes the growth of similar social networks like Facebook and Twitter look positively stunted in comparison. And the blogosphere is just as fired up – a quick Google blog search for Google+…
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Social media marketing: what not to do

Social media marketing: what not to do

Social media marketing is not new. We’re all familiar with the basics and brands are actively engaging with their consumers on a daily basis. So, why are people still doing it incorrectly? Here, we share what to do and, more importantly, what not to do when it comes to the…
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Social media training – vital lessons from history part 2

Social media training – vital lessons from history part 2

In the last post we looked at figures from the twentieth century and the lessons that could be learned from their experiences when implementing brand social media training. In this post we’ll investigate some historical recommendations crowdsourced on Twitter over the…
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Social media training – vital lessons from history part 1

Social media training – vital lessons from history part 1

Those looking to ensure staff are equipped to represent their brand across social media platforms could do worse than learn from some of history’s most famous and infamous historical figures. So what can your social media training learn from the past? “To be ignorant of what occurred before you…
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The rise of online influence: Part I

The rise of online influence: Part I

This is a two-part series exploring online influencers and their role in social media marketing. Part I looks at the reasons why a brand should focus on wooing influencers over journalists; Part II defines ways of identifying and measuring their influence. Traditional PR vs social media marketing Traditional…
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Measuring your online community. Does size matter?

Measuring your online community. Does size matter?

The importance of online communities is evident to many brands. What isn’t so obvious is how you set objectives for the community and, then, how you develop a framework to measure this. What you measure depends on what you have set out to achieve. If awareness is the objective, then…
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Avoiding Facebook community f*ck ups. 5 moderation tips

Avoiding Facebook community f*ck ups. 5 moderation tips

Facebook pages give brands an opportunity to build close relationships with consumers; however, they also present new challenges for online community managers. Unlike forum based communities, brands have little real ownership over the platform:  posting is instant, 24 / 7, and pre-moderating is restricted. This means that the risks are…
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Slideshare: 8 tips for online crisis management

Slideshare: 8 tips for online crisis management

Check out this great slideshare about online reputation management presented to the Online Marketing Show 2011. It's focus is on crisis and is packed full of top tips to prevent brands getting themselves into a crisis and what to do if they find themselves in the thick of it. It also includes some great case-studies including Asda, BA, Primark, Urban Outfitters.
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The social media story – beyond the tech

The social media story – beyond the tech

On revisiting the video interview from SES it strikes me that social search is a complex issue that goes beyond the technology. It is much more than key words, phrases. Much more than Google +1; Bing and Facebook integration; or even trying to work around the new Panda algorithms.
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Social media and the content conundrum

Social media and the content conundrum

 Social media likes to give and take with both hands. It gives you innumerable ways of getting your company’s voice out to your target market, managing your reputation and adding value to your business. And then it takes. It takes all the content you can possibly feed it and it…
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Social media is science fiction

Social media is science fiction

As this is the immediate future blog, rather than my own, I obviously steer away from anything too personal (apart from my various press trips of course). But if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to share a little anecdote with you. I listen to the @wittertainment…
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How to drive Facebook fan engagement

How to drive Facebook fan engagement

We’ve been hearing a lot recently about how Facebook fan numbers aren’t the be all and end all.  Brands should concentrate on engaging with their existing fan base. Even Facebook’s own are towing the line. David Parfect, agency…
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Football clubs just don’t care about crises

Football clubs just don’t care about crises

We’ve been doing a lot of work around crisis and how crises are accelerated by social media, at immediate future recently. You might say it’s a passion for us, and it’s also a major worry for many brands who want to protect their reputation online. However, it seems that one…
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Where’s your +1 for the Google search party?

Where’s your +1 for the Google search party?

You may have seen news of Google’s latest attempt to introduce social recommendations to its platform. +1  (US only service at the moment) allows people to up vote any website they like; this can then be seen by their social connections on Google in…
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Social media monitoring, the questions to ask

Social media monitoring, the questions to ask

As a social media agency, monitoring tools have become a valuable component in our toolkit. With a plethora of new tools hitting the market, staying on top of the latest technology and understanding their differentiating factors is a challenge – so here are a few of the…
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Collaborative consumption: keeping in with the Joneses

Collaborative consumption: keeping in with the Joneses

I’m a big believer in the power the language we speak has over our perception of the world. Every language has its own idioms; every idiom is a glimpse into the heart of a culture. In a recent talk on Collaborative Consumption, social innovator, Rachel Botsman, summed…
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Social Media. Shaken, not stirred

Social Media. Shaken, not stirred

The Martini and Dolce & Gabbana partnership is an interesting one. One is an iconic, but slightly old-fashioned alcoholic drink, the other a high-end fashion house. Both are big Italian brands joining forces to launch new spirit, Martini Gold. The partnership was launched at the end of last year with a …
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The Social Shopping Explosion. By Gender.

The Social Shopping Explosion. By Gender.

In October, we unveiled the findings of our social shopping research. We’ve therefore had a few months to turn the data over and tease out any interesting trends … “If you’d like to reach more women, you might like to consider incentivisation; but if you’re looking for…
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Is YouTube drafting in Twitter?

Is YouTube drafting in Twitter?

This week, YouTube reported the acquisition of movie recommendation engine, fflick, a service that streamed film mentions from Twitter to show users their friends’ tweeted reviews, as well as an indication of the sentiment around the film. Whilst there’s not enough information, at the…
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Google alerts get a shot in the arm

Google alerts get a shot in the arm

There are loads of free tools out there designed to provide insight into what is being said about you or the brands and products you work for on the Internet. One such tool that is worth checking out is G’lerts.  Using…
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CAP Code Extension. Are you ready?

CAP Code Extension. Are you ready?

With the new CAP code coming into effect on the 1st March, the ASA has today launched a new media campaign in order to raise awareness of the code’s extension to cover content (including user generated) on websites and owned social media platforms. Whilst there are still…
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My social media journey of discovery

My social media journey of discovery

By Kate Eglinton Last summer whilst researching graduate positions in communications and public relations, I was drawn in by the social media buzz that has taken the PR industry by storm in recent years.  Social media seemed to be big business. With my…
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Social engagement is not just for Christmas

Social engagement is not just for Christmas

This year, it seems Christmas is truly social. And for many brands social media marketing is definitely playing a big role in the festive push to consumers. M&S and John Lewis are integrating TV with their social media efforts, whilst Argos is pushing out…
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Social media sites that make Christmas easier (and cheaper)

Social media sites that make Christmas easier (and cheaper)

Don’t fancy the hassle of overcrowded shopping malls this Christmas? Do your shopping via social media! Here are some top tips:   Let someone else try before you buy Worried you might be buying a turkey? Check out product reviews before you buy. Retailers like…
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Google Abuserank – should you* be scared?

Google Abuserank – should you* be scared?

You may have heard that Google has changed its search algorithm and with that change, instilled the word Abuserank forever into the minds of SEO experts. According to Google they were spurred into action by the story of Clarabelle Rodriguez and the shocking (and by shocking I…
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Decoding the Facebook algorithm

Decoding the Facebook algorithm

Brands on Facebook are a lot like teenagers in high school; both crave popularity. Conventional wisdom teaches us that to be popular you need to be seen fraternising with the cool kids. A recent study by…
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Stuart Baggs – your brand is out of control

Stuart Baggs – your brand is out of control

I’m not claiming to have come up with the notion that your customers write your brand and your employees write your company culture, but it’s one I keep coming back to. If the brand is a promise – setting the expectation of an experience – then to be fulfilled, someone…
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Social Media Training – Just do it…

Social Media Training – Just do it…

As brands adopt and implement more social media marketing in house, so the demand for enhancing social skills and capabilities is growing. But building social capabilities takes more than a one day training course.  Perfecting your social media…
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What’s all this chatter about a #royalwedding?

What’s all this chatter about a #royalwedding?

We at immediate future feel it’s only right to flag Will and Kate’s wedding engagement this week. Over the past couple of days #royalwedding has been the number one trending topic on Twitter, followed by Kate Middleton at number two and Prince William at number three. As…
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immediate Insights – Converting to purchase from social media

immediate Insights – Converting to purchase from social media

The conversion from “like” to purchase is currently a hot topic for brands seeking to optimise social media opportunities; and recent research from YouTube, supported by the IAB, has highlighted the magnitude of this challenge. 60% of people who “like” or…
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What’s in store for the British Monarchy on Facebook

What’s in store for the British Monarchy on Facebook

They may be slow adopters but the British Monarchy finally joined 500 million people across the world last week and signed up to Facebook. Instead of having a personal profile, the…
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Social Media vs Simon Cowell

Social Media vs Simon Cowell

Love it or hate it, the X Factor has taken to our screens again and the hype around the show is even bigger than ever.  From now until Christmas, the British public (willingly or forced) eat, sleep and breathe the X Factor as it not only dominates…
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The secrets to social media ROI

The secrets to social media ROI

There is much debate about whether social media can generate a return on investment. It is certainly a hot topic given the increasing investment in social media activity. As a social media agency we work with…
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Google News and Sharing – is social search the future?

Google News and Sharing – is social search the future?

Earlier this week Google added a subtle, but interesting addition to its search function. For some search terms, news results are now displaying a ‘shared by’ number alongside the link. For the searches I’ve tried so far, these ‘shares’ only relate to Twitter but I’ve seen other people…
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Social media agency talking retail!

Social media agency talking retail!

You may have noticed that we’ve been had a very retail focused week here!  As a leading social media agency we’re particularly interested in how social is changing the way we shop. Given this focus, here’s…
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The Social Shopping Explosion

The Social Shopping Explosion

Today we are launching our report on social shopping and its impact on consumer behaviour. Online retail has traditionally been characterised by price-driven sales and purchase-driven consumers. The focus, for retailers, has been on engaging the…
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To gaffe or not to gaffe. What is the real impact of a social media crisis?

To gaffe or not to gaffe. What is the real impact of a social media crisis?

I attended the interesting, informative and insightful Social Collective (see #socol for tweets from the event) last week. One of the subjects touched upon was how far negative comments/activity on social media impacted a brand’s reputation. It got me thinking about some of the brand “gaffes” that…
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Fame and followers do not an influential tweeter make

Fame and followers do not an influential tweeter make

In August 2001 Victoria Beckham went on stage with her lip pierced. The piercing became an overnight sensation, with hordes of young girls (so the papers said) rushing out to get the look. When the piercing was revealed as a fake, certain echelons…
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Social Commerce – converting conversation into commerce

Social Commerce – converting conversation into commerce

Last week I attended a pretty insightful WOMMA UK talk where Dr. Paul Marsden presented his latest thinking on The Rise of Social Commerce: Converting Conversations to Commerce. For those of you that don’t know him, Marsden is a renowned digital marketer, author and social psychologist.  He…
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Is social media a name-changing game?

Is social media a name-changing game?

A few weeks ago Google‘s chief executive, Eric Schmidt, suggested people may be forced to change their names in order to escape youthful misdemeanours immortalised online on social media sites, like…
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Places places everywhere?

Places places everywhere?

So it’s official.  Facebook has moved into the location-sharing space in the UK.  At the time of writing there are already 150 million Places users at this stage across Japan, UK and US. Everyone is probably familiar with what Facebook Places is, but just to recap.  It’s…
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Facebook credits – putting the virtue into virtual currency

Facebook credits – putting the virtue into virtual currency

A progressive US cancer charity has become the first organisation – so says Mashable – to accept Facebook Credits in place of a donation. The Stand Up 2 Cancer National Telethon, which was aired in the States on Friday night, gave viewers the chance…
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Katy’s cotton candy PR

Katy’s cotton candy PR

Things are going great for Katy Perry as of late and with more than 3.5 million followers on Twitter, the ‘California girl’ isn’t afraid of using a little social media to create some online buzz around her new album, Teenage Dream. Record label Capitol…
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New ASA digital remit leaves too many questions unanswered

New ASA digital remit leaves too many questions unanswered

The extension of the ASA’s CAP code to cover digital marketing communications – both on brand’s own websites, but also through social media, has been driven by a need to close the gap related to companies’ claims online, in particular to regulate marketing to children. There is…
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From carbon-footprints to online-footprints in one societal step

From carbon-footprints to online-footprints in one societal step

https://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/11/unemployment-and-employment-statistics-recession https://www.reputationdefender.com/product
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The Foursquare gravy train

The Foursquare gravy train

With Foursquare now topping two million users across the world, the location-based social network has launched its own online store, giving die hard fans the chance to buy Foursquare memorabilia. Products on offer include a mayor crown t-shirt, button badges and branded stickers. The new store is…
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Who will follow Fast Follow?

Who will follow Fast Follow?

Earlier this week Twitter announced a new feature for US mobile users, ‘Fast Follow.’ Twitter’s blog gives all the details but to summarise in a nutshell, Fast Follow will allow anyone to sign up to receive Twitter alerts via mobile SMS. Clearly aimed at passive users, Fast…
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Social media in a league of its own

Social media in a league of its own

With a new football season underway and an eagerly anticipated Premier League campaign due to start this weekend, I’ve been considering my consumption of the global game recently and how it’s changed.  Not just for individuals, but for brands as well. Everyone knows football is big business…
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How many people does it take to…decide Government policy?

How many people does it take to…decide Government policy?

Is it just me or is everyone talking about crowdsourcing at the moment? Every meeting or event I go to, it comes up. Crowdsourcing advertising (see T-Mobile, Berocca, Hyundai etc.) has been around for a while, providing ad agencies and brands with a new…
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Is this eBay’s opening salvo in PR campaign against Facebook?

Is this eBay’s opening salvo in PR campaign against Facebook?

In this week’s New Media Age we find eBay talking down social commerce. This seems a bit strange to me given it is the leading light in social retail.Let’s think about that for a minute, the online auction site has made…
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Marking a milestone with memories

Marking a milestone with memories

Facebook is expected to reach the very impressive 500 million user milestone this week. Putting this half billion member mark in perspective, The Washington Post reports that, “the population inhabiting Facebook now equals that of the United States, Japan and Germany combined. Or, two…
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‘The Spending Challenge’ – a lesson in moderation?

‘The Spending Challenge’ – a lesson in moderation?

I recently attended a WOM UK briefing run by Reed Smith on the subject of ‘the benefits and legal risks of Word of Mouth Marketing in Social Media.’ One of the subjects touched upon was moderation; when inviting comment from the public, how much…
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Not another social media conference…

Not another social media conference…

So I probably should have got round to writing this last week, but seeing as I’m STILL mentioning Social Media Influence in about 90% of my conversations, I’ve decided it does warrant a post. Social Media Influence 2010 was held at London’s Marriott Hotel…
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Social Media Lens uncovers the truth about social media

Social Media Lens uncovers the truth about social media

Taking a look at the evolution of social media as a communications tool over the past year, it is clear that one thing in particular has changed, businesses now take it seriously and include in their communications strategy. Brands now automatically lose their shine with customers if they do not…
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It’s good to talk!

It’s good to talk!

In this day and age of social networking, many PRs are now beginning to rely too heavily on email and instant messenger to sell-in their stories to the media. Gone are the days of the telephone and the hour long lunch briefing. Now it seems, we are becoming guilty of…
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Chatroulette – a step too far?

Chatroulette – a step too far?

As we all know, for some time now, media-savvy companies have been taking full advantage of YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, for a combination of brand-building, direct sales, customer service and PR. This has left us all wondering what will be the next big ‘thing’. Could it be the controversial Chatroulette?…
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Customer service and Twitter – friend or foe?

Customer service and Twitter – friend or foe?

Having some issues with a new service we’d just subscribed to, I was frustrated to find that I’d have to wait nine hours to call a helpline based in the US. Turning to Twitter, I found @jivesupport and pinged them a tweet asking for…
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A look at Easter’s digital campaigns

A look at Easter’s digital campaigns

Another Easter over and once again too much chocolate has been consumed in my household! Along with Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and other seasonal celebrations, Easter is a key time for brands to invest in their marketing activities. With an increasing number of social media, mobile and other digital…
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What’s the hottest trend in fashion this season? Social media of course!

What’s the hottest trend in fashion this season? Social media of course!

It’s taken a while but the fashion industry has finally woken up to the wonders of the World Wide Web! Online stores such as ASOS are booming, fashion designers are tweeting like there’s no tomorrow and the majority of high-street retailers now have some form of blog…
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The libraries of the future

The libraries of the future

The British Library has recently launched the UK Web Archive, offering access to a huge range of web content that otherwise might have disappeared into a ‘digital black hole.’ Despite being plagued by legal issues currently hindering them from recording much more than 1% of the 8…
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Movie animation and social media planning: two peas in a pod?

Movie animation and social media planning: two peas in a pod?

These two disciplines may seem like unlikely bedfellows, but bear with me, the analogy works out in the end. I was recently reading a book called Pixarpedia, a behind-the-scenes look at Disney Pixar’s film studio. Almost as soon…
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Too many social media cooks?

Too many social media cooks?

The new Buzz module will allow all 176 million users of Google’s Gmail service to see their friends’ live status updates, and share photos and videos. Sound familiar? Been there, done that, got the Facebook/Twitter account already? With social media success stories like Facebook claiming 400 million…
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A good birthday for Facebook

A good birthday for Facebook

February marks a milestone in the social networking calendar as Facebook celebrates its birthday. The site turned six last week and is showing impressive figures of late, with double the amount of users (now standing at 400 million worldwide), compared to this time last…
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Is your online PR strategy ready for real-time search?

Is your online PR strategy ready for real-time search?

You might have heard a lot of chatter about real-time search recently, with Facebook buying Friendfeed (a microblogging service with some strong real-time search technology) and Google unveiling Caffeine, a more real-time focused version of its own search technology. Although real-time search is currently…
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Predicting future search trends: Ninjas Vs Cheese

Predicting future search trends: Ninjas Vs Cheese

Last week Google quietly added an interesting new feature to its Insights for Search tool, predictions of future search trends. If you don’t already use Insights, you should, it’s a useful tool for monitoring search trends in order to get a good picture of how consumer interest…
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Speaking the same Online PR language

Speaking the same Online PR language

Whilst reading the econsultancy.com online PR benchmarking report, it struck me that PRs and brand marketers were still talking a different language. Clients wanting increased brand mentions online are met with agencies delivering blogger relations. Those asking for brand reach are offered optimised…
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Is PR welcome in social media?

Is PR welcome in social media?

Let’s be honest about this, on the whole the PR industry is not welcome in social media. People consider their blogs, Facebook pages and Twitter streams to be their personal space, and they don’t want us oily spin-merchants barging in and shoving our brand messages up in…
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Four essentials for brainstorming creative ideas for online PR

Four essentials for brainstorming creative ideas for online PR

Just before Christmas, we experimented with some new brainstorming techniques across a number of clients. It got me thinking how there is a lot more to a creative brainstorm when you are planning for social media ideas. Offline, a PR brainstorms rely upon understanding a client: its business or products, its audience, and its requirements. In addition, a good knowledge of what is newsworthy, the media and what is currently capturing the headlines is essential. Of course, this knowledge is necessary for online PR brainstorms too, but you have to add to the mix with a more detailed understanding of social media.
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Conversations on Disney and Nintendo are the most positive in social network groups

Conversations on Disney and Nintendo are the most positive in social network groups

Positive and negative comments in groups on social network sites, such as [tag]Facebook[/tag], [tag]Flickr [/tag]and [tag]MySpace[/tag] reveal [tag]Disney[/tag], [tag]Nintendo[/tag] and [tag]Google[/tag] are the most popular brands. This comes from our latest research, [tag]Brands in Social Media[/tag]. [tag]Social networking[/tag] groups are proving very popular in the UK. They are a very…
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Russel, Katy, Last FM and Crowdstorm – panel discussion at OMS

Russel, Katy, Last FM and Crowdstorm – panel discussion at OMS

On an advanced panel discussion on Wednesday at OMS. I shall be discussing the role of brands in social media with Stefan Glaenzer – Chairman, Last.fm Philip Wilkinson – co-founder, Crowdstorm Russel Davies – Blogger & Marketer Full topic is: What is the role of brands when blogs, social networks…
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Updated social media paper

Updated social media paper

Trevor Cook and Lee Hopkins at the Corporate Engagement blog have just published their free (second edition) Social Media white paper. Updates on Second Life, Twitter and wikis and some new case study examples of Australian brands experimenting with social media.Great snapshot of the…
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Speaking at the IAB: engage for branding

Speaking at the IAB: engage for branding

I am speaking with the fantastic Ruth Speakman from [tag]Sony Europe[/tag] (declare: client) at the [tag]IAB conference[/tag] on the 26th July. Together we are going to take a look at how Sony BRAVIA fuelled the conversation online by engaging with influencers. Often when I speak with marketers and PRs, they…
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Online PR, a powerful marketing channel – I think not

Online PR, a powerful marketing channel – I think not

 I am speaking this week at the IAB’s seminar, demystifying online PR. It is interesting that in their blurb on the seminar they say… Demystifying [tag]Online PR[/tag] – Online PR has changed the roles of creative and PR agencies in a client’s communication strategies.
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BBC shares infographics and embeddable video with its viewers

BBC shares infographics and embeddable video with its viewers

Well I am posting again on [tag]infographics[/tag] sooner than I first expected! Two separate initiatives have recently gone live on the BBC – showcasing great use of visual online tools. The first is a visual timeline allowing…
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