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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…

Do social media marketeers really want Santa Claus to come to town?

When Santa Claus comes to town, the rules are simple. You watch out, you don’t cry and you don’t pout. I put to you that in 2009 the social media marketeers ignored every single one of these rules, pedalling Christmas campaigns that involved risks, made people cry and yes,…

All I want for Xmas is my two favourite blogs

It’s that time of year again: lists, retrospectives, best ofs, highs and lows. Take twelve months of experience and package it up into a pithy blog post or a commemorative special issue. I am, frankly, powerless to resist. My list of the top ten albums of 2010 has been under…

November social media round-up: Royal Weddings, Beatles, Christmas and Path

As we move into December and with all the attention turning to Christmas, the social media stories that hit our headlines in November may be a distant memory to you. So in case you’ve forgotten, here’s a round-up of all the social media stories that got us tweeting in November.

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…

TV Heaven and Hell (from a blood sucking social media guru)

I watched the Trip on BBC2 last night. I laughed, I had a little think, I may have even drooled a bit over the Hipping Hall seven course tasting menu that formed the backdrop for Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon’s inspired back and forth comedy master class.

So you say you want a Revolution…The Beatles on iTunes

It’s Christmas, so it must be time for a Beatles piece of sales and marketing activity. Yes, it seems Sir Paul and Ringo (+ Yoko and Olivia) just don’t have enough money. Last year, it was remastered albums and Beatles Rock Band. This year, the world’s most famous foursome has…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Social shopping, Chilean miners and how not to crowdsource – a look at October’s top social media news

Can you believe it, it’s the end of October already. Summer days are officially over and the Christmas build up is upon us. We’ve put together a summary of the top social media stories this month, for your delectation and in case you’ve been stuck down a hole for the…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Twilight Football: Seven football matches, seven stunning locations – another great award

We’re very pleased to let you know that at last night’s Reputation Online awards immediate future and Sony Europe picked up the ‘Best use of online media/blogger relations’ gong for 2009’s Twilight Football campaign. It’s a just reward for the team…

Finally seeing IFA in 3D

This year I finally made it to IFA! After two years of organising press trips and managing them from the office, I was allowed out to help support the Sony Europe (client) PR team with the mammoth job of co-ordinating their…

Classic networking skills still valid in the age of social media – top tips

Last Wednesday I had the opportunity to attend a great event, hosted by the London Press Club and Women in Journalism, with Carole Stone, the Queen of Networking herself, as a guest speaker. Having heard so much about Carole Stone, her…

Holy social media Batman

The Pope is here in the UK today, but where is he in social media land? I thought I would do a quick check on some of the big networks and see what kind of presence the Holy Father has.One quick search and we can see he…

Wayne Rooney and social media – we love a bit of Twossip

Another weekend, another football sex scandal splashed all over the front of the Sunday tabloids. This time it’s the turn of Wayne Rooney who allegedly paid for sex with a prostitute whilst his wife Coleen was pregnant. Whatever the truth behind the allegations, the social media world has…

Ping me…?

Yesterday Apple launched their first social network, Ping. Less than 24 hours later this new platform has received extremely mixed reviews and users are already highlighting issues with the system. With numerous social networking sites already…

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…

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…

Beware, the world is watching you: what brands can learn from CatBinLady

If I said the name Mary Bale or Cat Bin Lady last week, you probably wouldn’t know what I was talking about. Before now, Mary Bale was just your normal, everyday person…until she decided to throw a cat in a bin! Unfortunately for Ms Bale, her actions were caught on…

Facebook Places logo – you can’t unsee this

I was casting my eye over the Facebook Places logo this morning, yes I know I have no life, and noticed something a little odd. Under the pink marker there is definitely a number 4 inside a square. Go on have a look yourself.

Facebook limits Places to just one

So Facebook Places finally comes out of the closet. At first read it looks pretty good, and when you go to the iPhone app it stands proud in the middle of your phone screen. What it has over other location services such as Foursquare…

We’re living in a virtual world

If you’re living in the UK like the team at immediate future, you’ll no doubt be enjoying a bit of classic British summertime – it’s August, and you need a coat, scarf and wellies to go anywhere. It’s frankly rubbish outside, so why not stay in and get everything you…

Digital PR showing its SEO teeth

The lines between PR and SEO are becoming ever more blurred. Back in February, Matt on his InfluenceFinder blog asked “Is PR the next SEO or SEO the next PR?” Yesterday I came across a new eConsultancy Q&A with John Straw…

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…

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…

Tumblr’ing into the top spot?

With Facebook having just announced it recently hit the half billion user mark and with Twitter declaring this week that it received its 20 billionth tweet, it’s hard to comprehend that there may be another phenomenon biting at the heels…

Getting emotional about social networking

For years we’ve been told that the internet and new technology is stopping traditional face to face communication. Parents have been warned that if their kids spend too much time surfing the net and chatting on social networking sites they’ll become void…

Social media gives sport invaluable link to fans

We are in the midst of the 2010 Tour de France and the race has come down to just two riders. Andy Schleck is just eight seconds behind “Berty the Accountant” (Alberto Contador)…

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…

How the hungry corporate caterpillar hatched into a social butterfly

Back in the day, we were taught not to mix business with pleasure. These days - with the help of Web 2.0 - the two worlds have collided to form an altogether more social way of doing business.

One small step for computational sentiment analysis, one big leap for social media measurement…

Sentiment around a brand online is held up as one of the key cornerstones of any social media measurement framework. Just driving up the volume of chatter around your brand is no good – if that chatter is all about what a terrible organisation you are. But, one of the…

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?…

Internet power keeps people going – if not moving

This ash cloud has been quite a strain, my wife and baby are still stuck in Dubai five days after they were due to fly home. The good thing is that they are staying with friends and have a great support network. What it has shown me is how great…

Natural disasters, the natural ground for social media

The latest volcanic eruption in Iceland has had a dramatic effect on many more millions of people than could have been imagined. As one person commented on Twitter this morning, interesting to see the hand of God can still command such control over us mere humans – or something like…

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…

Social Media for Social Change

Recently there has been a major shift in the world of Corporate Social Responsibility. Climate change and the current economic climate have pushed companies to adopt a more pro-active approach to CSR. The bottom line is now centred around people, planet and profit. As businesses aim to build more sustainable…

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…

Customer service boldly going where competitors dare not go

Recent message exchanges with a major mobile phone company have made me think about the role Twitter plays in establishing, building and maintaining customer relationships. Such a short message by nature needs to be succinct and to the point, not something that the majority of big companies…

Social networks getting Blippy?

You may have heard about the new US start-up that’s been making the headlines recently. Of course, it’s yet another social network. But this is a social network with a very different twist. Backed by a Twitter…

Social Media – a reliable source for journalists?

This week the Guardian online posted a blog on the rise of social media as a relevant source of information for journalists, as revealed by a recent US survey which claimed that 56% of reporters view it as an important tool for producing stories. The research carried…

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…

Rise of the iMPs

With Obama’s ‘masterful use of social media’ and the tweets of his 3 million Twitter fans sealing the election of the Democrats’ golden ticket, can our politicians and parties emulate this success and seduce the online masses and turn them into advocates? There’ll be…

Retweet and Win…

I’ve always been intrigued by the use of competitions as a PR tool. How effective are they in reaching the right people for your brand, and do people take notice of much else other than the prize on offer? With this in mind, I wanted to look at…

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…

What does the new Facebook @ reply feature mean for brands and PR?

You may have read that Facebook recently added a new feature which allows you to ‘tag’ other users in updates, which works in the same way as Twitter’s @ reply feature. We think this will have a significant impact on brands which are active on Facebook. How does the new…

How bit.ly will change the world

On the surface, URL shortening services such as https://bit.ly are a great idea, because they can turn long, messy web addresses like this: https://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/support_services/article6788774.ece Into nice tidy addresses like this: https://bit.ly/g4ol9 This is especially useful for posting to Twitter, since it…

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…

2009 will be the Year of the Re-Tweet

If you’re still struggling to understand why Twitter might be a useful PR tool, you should probably take a moment to understand the concept and implications of the phenomenon of re-tweeting. It’s a very simple premise: John finds something he likes on the internet, so he writes a Twitter post…

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.

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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Social media sites that make Christmas easier (and cheaper)

Do social media marketeers really want Santa Claus to come to town?

All I want for Xmas is my two favourite blogs

November social media round-up: Royal Weddings, Beatles, Christmas and Path

Stuart Baggs – your brand is out of control

TV Heaven and Hell (from a blood sucking social media guru)

So you say you want a Revolution…The Beatles on iTunes

Social Media Training – Just do it…

What’s all this chatter about a #royalwedding?

immediate Insights – Converting to purchase from social media

Social Media vs Simon Cowell

Social shopping, Chilean miners and how not to crowdsource – a look at October’s top social media news

Google News and Sharing – is social search the future?

Social media agency talking retail!

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

Fame and followers do not an influential tweeter make

Twilight Football: Seven football matches, seven stunning locations – another great award

Finally seeing IFA in 3D

Classic networking skills still valid in the age of social media – top tips

Holy social media Batman

Wayne Rooney and social media – we love a bit of Twossip

Ping me…?

Katy’s cotton candy PR

New ASA digital remit leaves too many questions unanswered

Beware, the world is watching you: what brands can learn from CatBinLady

Facebook Places logo – you can’t unsee this

Facebook limits Places to just one

We’re living in a virtual world

Digital PR showing its SEO teeth

Who will follow Fast Follow?

Social media in a league of its own

Tumblr’ing into the top spot?

Getting emotional about social networking

Social media gives sport invaluable link to fans

Social Media Lens uncovers the truth about social media

How the hungry corporate caterpillar hatched into a social butterfly

One small step for computational sentiment analysis, one big leap for social media measurement…

Chatroulette – a step too far?

Internet power keeps people going – if not moving

Natural disasters, the natural ground for social media

A look at Easter’s digital campaigns

Social Media for Social Change

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

Customer service boldly going where competitors dare not go

Social networks getting Blippy?

Social Media – a reliable source for journalists?

Too many social media cooks?

Rise of the iMPs

Retweet and Win…

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

What does the new Facebook @ reply feature mean for brands and PR?

How bit.ly will change the world

Is PR welcome in social media?

2009 will be the Year of the Re-Tweet

Four essentials for brainstorming creative ideas for online PR

Updated social media paper