The Marketing Five

I finally found what I'm looking for

2011-05-26T13:17:00.002-04:00

Finally, a social media site that speaks to me:)

I like Facebook, but I don't love it. Not by a long shot. The games and apps are pretty cool, but I often feel like I'm playing Six Degress with the 500 million other Facebook users.

Path - Nervous at Home from Path on Vimeo.

So I think I'm going to give Path a shot. Limiting your interactions to only your best friends, selected co-workers and family is ... I don't know ... kind of reinvigorating. Like an anti-popularity contest.

A Bunch of Hot Air

2011-05-24T10:38:00.003-04:00

I tend to think that marketing people tend to complicate things, especially when it comes to social media. Too often we lose sight of just how disturbing and compelling something as simple as the human voice can be. If you want a clear example of the power and impact of audio--and only audio--listen to the five minutes of this audio clip, from a survivor of the Joplin, Missouri tornado earlier this week.

If you ever needed a reminder of why you should show, and not tell, a story, this is it.

Hello from Gas, Kansas...

2011-05-23T13:29:00.003-04:00

I love branding mistakes, especially if they are intentional and serve some official capacity. Like in Gas, where the tagline is, "Don't pass gas, stop by and enjoy it." Or Hooker, Oklahoma, who populace implores that their beloved city is a "...location, not a vocation."

Well, now that we have that all straightened out.

The problem with taglines is that everyone thinks they need one. Here's a tip: If you really think you need one, more than likely you don't. Customers are smart enough to know that Hooker is probably not the heartland's red light district.

Taglines can't really change perception and, far too often, they reinforce ideas you're trying to avoid. I recently looked at a few business school taglines to see whether they contribute anything to my understanding of the core values of the college. Here's some of what I found, both official and unofficial:

At Cornell, you have a "Real Impact." About three hours south at PSU Smeal, they have "Vast Resources. Personal Focus." At Duke's Fuqua, all I could find on its Web site is their commitment to "Rethinking the Boundaries of Business School."

Well, yeah. I hope so.

All three are fantastic schools and, more important, each is incredibly different. But you wouldn't think that from their tags.

The point: Tags and other key branding messages are only good if they are true differentiators and reinforce positive attributes. Most of the time, you should just let your name speak for itself.

Politics is Just a Fancy Word for Marketing

2011-04-07T13:24:00.004-04:00

Just the other day, we were discussing politics and the fact that Republicans are winning the communications war. From renaming global warming as "climate change" and the estate tax as the "death tax," to framing themselves as just a bunch of small-business men trying to protect American workers from elitist politicians, they beat the Democrats again and again.

Now Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) has come out with a nifty new video that simply and clearly breaks down his proposed budget. The video is brief (only 3 minutes) and dramatic (that ominous score!). It eschews the stereotypical PowerPoint presentation in favor of dynamic graphics that overlay the screen without obscuring Ryan. And it has more than 125,000 views on YouTube. Now that's how to communicate with your constituents!

How to Use a Magazine

2011-04-05T10:56:00.004-04:00

Khoi Vinh made an infographic that mocks explanatory screens on iPad magazines and apps. Vinh is calling attention to the bad user experience design that makes these explanations necessary, but I think the parody stands alone as a commentary on the changing experience of reading.

Eek!

2011-03-30T11:11:00.003-04:00

Skittles ads have been offbeat for as long as I can remember, but this new interactive campaign is really creepy! In a good way, I suppose, because it gets people talking. What's your reaction to this video? Be sure to keep your finger on the screen... (Or at least try. I reflexively yanked my hand back when the "other cat" came out!)

Now I want Skittles.

The Internet Loves Cats

2011-03-03T09:23:00.003-05:00

I first saw this ad for a British dairy on a blog I read. Then I saw it on another blog. Then my friend shared it on Facebook. Now, the original video has more than 300,000 views on YouTube. All for a dairy that I've never heard of.

The marketing team behind the ad has also developed a spinoff Facebook page for the ad's main character, Bertrum Thumbcat. I liked it and I think I'll keep wanting to read Bertrum's updates because they're actually funny, especially if you like cats.

Neither the ad nor the Facebook presence has anything overtly to do with milk. They don't tell you that milk is good for you, or that Cravendale's milk is tastier or fresher than any other. They're just silly fun.

Despite (or perhaps because of) this, the campaign has garnered a lot of positive attention for Cravendale. By tapping into a popular web meme and creating silly copy with only a tangential relationship to the product, they have struck marketing gold.

Keep on moving. No story here.

2011-02-21T17:38:00.000-05:00

I can't really disagree with anything in this New York Times piece. In fact, I'm not even sure it's a story to begin with. I see more and more an attempt to drive a wedge between social media platforms, but the truth is they remain complementary. Teen-agers, especially those in high-school, don't blog. Nor should they, when Facebook and Twitter and Tumblr do the job nicely, thank you very much. If they want more deliberative platforms, there are other avenues, but most teen-agers just aren't looking for that kind of conversation.

Question is, are blogs really waning, like the headline suggests? No. So why do media outlets like the New York Times continue to plead ignorance about blogs and social media, especially when they boast over 50 of them?

Because Bears Make Everything Better

2011-02-21T11:53:00.003-05:00

When people complain about how the Internet causes information overload, or go even farther and claim it's ruining society, I can't help but point to something like this blog , Marketing Client Bear. Because to me, this is part of what's great about the Internet: it makes small, wonderful things cheap and easy enough to create and share.

College Dropout Encourages Kids to Stay in School

2011-02-15T15:37:00.004-05:00

Slightly more than half of college students complete their degrees, and that rate is much lower for some groups. Students leave college for a lot of reasons, but a pretty common one is a feeling of exclusion. Going to college is a huge transition and many students struggle to find a place where they fit.

A Facebook app from Inigral aims to fix that problem by helping to build welcoming communities at colleges across the country. The Schools App helps admissions offices with recruitment and may even increase retention.

The company recently received a $2.1-million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the service. The investment reflects the Gates Foundation's focus on improving education and is focused on bringing the Schools App to colleges whose students receive Pell Grants.

The digital underground

2011-02-10T13:24:00.000-05:00

A very interesting conversation between two Big 10 professors, but I'm most interested in the 10 minutes or so they talk about blogging. I consider academia a conservative community, in the sense that change is glacial. Professors who blog--under their own name--have a certain cache with their students and their peers, but a lot of difficulty explaining just why they enjoy doing it among some of the old guard.

I wish I could say it was different, but in an atmosphere where tenure-track professors are follow a very choreographed and careful path to tenure, I can't see professors embracing the idea of blogging specifically because they have to very guarded in what they say and what opinions they want to share. Which really defeats the purpose of what a blog is all about.

This type of personal branding--let's face it, that's what blogging is, in a bigger sense--is the antithesis to what (younger) professors are expected to do. And that's a shame, because they have incredibly wonderful perspectives to contribute.

A Friendlier CIA?

2011-02-09T10:17:00.003-05:00

Did you know that the Central Intelligence Agency has a YouTube channel and a Flickr stream? A puppy cam? A kids' website with games?

America's most famous intelligence agency now has a new website with all these fun bells and whistles. Is this part of an attempt at image management, the beginning of a new recruitment push, or both?

Sheer Genius.

2011-02-08T11:02:00.000-05:00

The Tampa Bay Lightening did something so uncharacteristic, so unconventional to promote their brand, that's it's sure to be a success. Even in the Sun Belt, where they've called home for just 18 years.

This morning, the team announced the design for their new uniforms and jerseys. The design is a tip of the cap to the Original Six, whose uniforms were simplistic and instantly recognizable. True classics. As will be the Lightening's new look.

At a time when change is perhaps the only constant, and the almighty dollar drives every ... single ... decision, going old school while shunning the extravagance of professional sports is a brilliant brand move. It says a lot about the character of the team and its ownership--a terrific counter-culture decision in the most unlikely of hockeytowns.

A Lightbulb Moment

2011-02-01T15:20:00.003-05:00

Pretty much everybody agrees that the American education system is in dire straits. Now a coalition of advertising industry bigwigs is developing a series of campaigns that aim to help. Their goal: to promote creativity in education.

Is this really what our schools need right now? As a creative person who largely felt ignored by her public schools, I don't think it can hurt. But the problems our schools, and our society at large, face are much, much bigger.

Your Personal Information, Delivered Right to Your Door

2011-02-01T14:30:00.002-05:00

How would you feel if you received the latest issue of your favorite magazine, with a cover featuring your name, phone number, spouse's name and other personal details? Sounds intrusive and scary, right?

But that information is already so readily available on the Internet that Wired UK performed this stunt to accompany its cover story on "the end of privacy." A picture is worth a thousand words, but a few choice tidbits of private information can make an even more powerful illustration.

Cursing Twitter

2011-01-25T17:39:00.000-05:00

If you follow the comment thread at Chart Porn ("Data visualizations you just gotta love"), there's an interesting discussion about population. Appears as if folks in the South and the Rust Belt like to use a choice set of words more often that the rest of America. Of course, Utah gives a finger to everyone simply by being the kindest Twitters around.

The Grind.

2011-01-25T11:27:00.003-05:00

If 54% of employers really don't allow their employees to visit social networking sites during the course of (what could be rather mundane) workdays, then I think we might have a small problem. But not because it affects--or doesn't affect--employee productivity, though that's an interesting finding. Kudos to SocialCast (via soshable) for the study and the great graphic (which has been cropped).

I think today's workplace demands employees that are versatile and adaptable. It also asks that employees become more collaborative and appreciative of different perspectives. This is the greatest strength of social media, right?

We acquire more knowledge by networking online. That's the type of environment all employers should want to create--at least for a few minutes every day.

The State of The Web

2011-01-24T17:25:00.001-05:00

The Oatmeal presents Winter 2010: The State of the Web. Check it out ... even if you liked Ping.

Human(e)

2011-01-24T16:13:00.000-05:00

MIT prof Sherry Turkle has just published a book about social media. The essential theme is that Facebook and other new media are making us "less human."

Turkle — one of the earliest observers and students of technology's affects on human beings — is now saying what many of us have thought privately — if we take the time to think: We have seen our real-time interactions with friends and family erode as our eyes — and attention — are glued to Facebook and Twitter on our mobile phones and computers.

There's an argument to made, for sure--we're now connected to more people than ever before. Instantaneously. We're able to have spontaneous face-to-face conversations we never thought possible just a few short years ago.

I think, perhaps, the better argument is that social media has made us "less humane," not less human. It is so easy to attack someone else without having to worry about repercussions (not counting the loss of a few friends or followers). Look what it did to the homosexual community.

Heck, Twitter even brought Bears quarterback Jay Cutler to tears in the locker room.

I think our task for the next year should be ways to make social media more humane. It's already all too human.

Pandora is People

2011-01-24T10:35:00.003-05:00

How does Netflix know which movies I enjoy watching? Algorithms.

How does OkCupid know which people I want to meet? Algorithms!

How does Amazon know what books I want to read? Algorithms!!

How does Pandora know what songs I want to listen to? People (and some algorithms).

That's right. The real magic of the Internet radio station and its Music Genome Project isn't just mathematical. A staff of real, live human beings who love music and know a lot about it identify more than 400 attributes for each song in the website's collection of more than 850,000.

It's always nice to see a successful Internet company that relies so heavily on manpower. Looks like we're still holding ground against The Machines and I'm safe to go listen to my Pandora station.

Reimagining NASA

2011-01-13T17:30:00.001-05:00

It's hard to get excited about NASA nowadays, but this YouTuber has bucked the odds and made space exploration cool again. This is really a remarkable video. I think it's only a matter of time before agencies begin trusting their customers--or, in this case, their enthusiasts--to help market their brands. A few companies do that well; government agencies are not among them.

In this time of digital media, it might behoove NASA to adopt this video and let our nation's space enthusiasts be its spokespeople.

Good Clean Advice

2011-01-13T14:08:00.004-05:00

What does a multinational consumer products conglomerate like Proctor & Gamble have in common with daytime television dramas and advice websites?

You probably already know the answer to the first part of that question: P&G produced "soap operas" for television (and before that, radio) as a way to get its products in front of mid-century housewives. Last year, it announced that it would stop producing those shows to spend more time on social media campaigns.

Now, P&G has added a new website to its online effort. ManoftheHouse.com provides information on housekeeping, relationships and parenting that is aimed at married men. The company started the site after finding that men make up 10 percent of the people who turn to women's sites for advice. It's also meant as a counterpoint to raunchier men's sites like Maxim.com or AskMen.com.

Just like in the original soap operas, P&G's involvement with the site is both subtle and obvious. Yes, the ad on the homepage is for Gillette and all the brands mentioned in the articles (Lysol, Mr. Clean, Head & Shoulders) are part of the the P&G portfolio. But the name-dropping is unobtrusive and the articles are informative. Looks like Proctor & Gamble is about to get even more ubiquitous.

My My My Myyyy Chinoki

2011-01-13T14:05:00.000-05:00

Groupon's been an incredibly valuable resource, probably well worth its $6 billion price tag. But I'm glad to see that one start-up has taken Groupon's consumer model and upped the ante a bit. Mychinoki.com just started out in Philly is using SMS to connect businesses with customers.

I like Groupon's mobile app, and I get their daily discounts every morning. But Mychinoki.com takes that approach a bit further by being more spontaneous and allowing businesses to reach potential customers almost on an as-needed basis. It's PR guy, Dan Schwartz, gives this example:

Let's say you own a bar, it's a slow night, and you want to get people in the door. You can quickly sign in to your account and shoot a text message out offering a deal, and every subscriber will receive that message immediately.

I don't know about you, but this is the kind of targeted business pitches that I do want to get.

And, just so you know, "chinoki" is Japanese for "cherry picker." Subtle enough?

A new bimbo in town

2011-01-12T11:46:00.000-05:00

A huge coup for the Philadelphia Union that is probably leaving much of sports community shaking their head in disbelief right now: Union Eye Global Recognition With Bimbo Sponsorship.

This is one of those instances where a brand has so much stronger cache abroad than here at home. Bimbo Bakeries, for those you who may not already know, is a huge food manufacturer and the largest bakery in the US. Its parent company is Grupo Bimbo in Mexico.

And, because you're already thinking it, the company is pronounced, "Beem-bo."

Having Bimbo plastered loud and proud on their soccer Jerseys should--will--help raise the new club's international stature. And having such a conglomerate serve as your club's sponsor will go a long way in establishing credibility, especially among the Latino and Hispanic communities, where many of the world's top footballers come from. It could lead to a recruiting bonanza if managed properly, and help drive sales in targeted corners of Central America.

But at what expense? I think the Union are going to have to endure a lot of ridicule from sports fans who don't follow soccer. And for the next four+ years, every time the Union appear on ESPN, or Comcast, or the nightly news, the club will be inexorably and visually tied to the Bimbo brand name and logo.

Happy Birthday, Wikipedia!

2011-01-12T10:39:00.003-05:00

On 1/11/11, Wikipedia turned 10 years old. While questions about the online encyclopedia's biases and accuracy remain, it stands as a prime example of the fundamental promise of the World Wide Web: that people from all over the world can cooperate to create something wonderful and new.

I don't know about you, but I use Wikipedia frequently, to answer debates among my friends, learn more about a topic of personal interest, or kickstart research for school or work. I remember the days of multi-volume encyclopedias and even card catalogs and I am ever grateful for how easy it is to use Wikipedia instead. Yes, I still have qualms about its accuracy, but as its organizers note, it's getting better everyday. And the fact that it's all open-source and almost entirely voluntary makes it truly marvelous.

Canaries in a coal mine

2011-01-11T14:39:00.000-05:00

eMarketer reports:

“Proximity data will help guide marketer messaging at each stage of the purchase funnel, starting with building awareness about the location of a store or product, and becoming progressively more specific to include promotions or offers as a consumer gets physically closer."

And this from CBS MoneyWatch, which discusses AT&T's brand new location-based enterprise services:

"By entering the fray, AT&T has elevated LBS from “the next big thing in social media” to a position of real gravitas: enterprise software tool. The tacit difference between a social media trend and an enterprise tool is, of course, is the presumption of permanence."

And so we come full-circle: understanding the battle between Facebook's Check-In and Foursquare:

"In August, Facebook launched Places, a tool that lets you "check in" at real-life locations, such as restaurants and concert venues, with the help of the GPS on your smartphone. The idea was to let friends know where you are. Though just 4% of Americans use location-sharing services, critics warn they can make users vulnerable. One lets users register virtually any location with the service, even someone else's home or office; the other lets friends check you into locations unless you disable the setting. That means other Facebook users may know where you live or where you are, even if you haven't posted that info yourself."

Location-based services are here, now. It's a gold mine for marketers, but a questionable option for everyone else.

Nostalgic for Facebook

2011-01-10T15:59:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't necessarily be worried if I was Mr. Zuckerburg, but 500 million visitors and growing is a quite a community to manage. I personally think his Facebook venue is getting a bit chaotic and disorganized. After all, I remember a relatively recent survey saying that, on average, we only have six or seven true "friends" we really care about whenever we visit Facebook. We spend a majority of our time sifting through status updates we really don't care much about.

On CNN.com, Doug Rushkoff goes as far as saying it's the beginning of the end of the ubiquitous platform--and that Goldman Sachs involvement is the death knell for Facebook.

In fact, as I read the situation, we are witnessing the beginning of the end of Facebook. These aren't the symptoms of a company that is winning, but one that is cashing out.

He takes a look at the crumbling empires of AOL-Time Warner and MySpace before drawing this conclusion.

Financial investing aside, I don't know Facebook can survive over the long-term as it continues to cater to, well, everyone. It's a business model that just can't success as Gen Y starts growing up and realizing that not everything private should be public. Can it be long before the next series of social media platforms arise and--gasp--become much more community-driven?

Night time reading

2011-01-07T15:03:00.000-05:00

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that my iPhone is never more than a few steps from the couch in the evening. It's just so convenient to get onto imdb to check out the name of a forgotten actor I just saw in a TV show, or 6abc for the changing rush hour weather report. I seem to live my life by the apps I've downloaded.

Appears I'm pretty normal, despite what people tell me.

A new report from Zokem shows that not only do application and mobile Web usage go up in the evening, but that "applications are actually taking more face time over the course of the whole day than the mobile Web browser.

It's a boon for advertisers, who can now target consumers in a completely different manner because, as Zokem's CEO says, "app stores, in-app advertising and marketing messages delivered through apps are all changing the playground."

And the winners are...

2011-01-07T14:29:00.000-05:00

Mashable just announced its 2010 Mashable Awards winner. It's an impressive list, though I can't imagine any year-end "best of" list without Angry Birds (no, I don't have the app), HootSuite, Bed Intruder, Four Square or iPad.

What strikes me the most is naming "Stand up for WWE" as the best creative social media campaign. I'm guessing it would not have started if its CEO hadn't run for Senate. Still, I've read about it before and they've done a great job at tapping into the masses to create something special despite the odds ... and its reputation.

I wonder if Rowdy Roddy Piper or the Junkyard Dog ever could have imagined it would have come to this.

And just to prove the whole thing isn't a fluke, Mashable also awarded former WWE champ John Cena the Most Influential Social Good Champion.

Capturing Better Video

2011-01-06T15:04:00.003-05:00

I've noticed a shift toward telling stories through video more often. I like this trend because it allows me to learn a new skill, but as someone most familiar with words, there's a lot to learn.

This article includes a couple of useful tips for capturing better video. The one that jumps out at me the most is to not rely on your camera's built-in microphone, especially since our preferred tool, the Flip, doesn't accommodate external mics.

If we're going to get more serious about video in the future (and I'm pretty sure we are), it'd be a good idea to invest in more complex cameras and some training.

Man in a Blizzard.

2011-01-06T13:51:00.000-05:00

This really is a remarkable short video. So often, we have the hardest times communicating the simplest things, but Jamie Stuart captures the Dec. 26 blizzard in New York City eloquently. It's a nice masterpiece that required a tripod, digital camera and Final Cut Pro. And a knack for finding a good story. And a lot of talent.

You Will.

2011-01-05T16:33:00.000-05:00

AT&T's brand might have taken a hit or two of late. (Customer Service? Bad. Speed? Slow. iPhone? Hello, Verizon.) But damn if they didn't have their act together in 1993, when they came out with these series of ads that proved remarkably prescient and spot-on.

As companies reinvent themselves, they do it with the future in mind. And what their customers want. I'm guessing that means our smartphones will be much less phone and a lot more, well, smart. Any ideas on what that might mean ... and what we should expect to see in 2028?

Choosing the Perfect Name

2011-01-04T10:10:00.005-05:00

Have you ever tried to name a company? It's not easy. When I did it, I fell back on a name I chose randomly when I was 12 years old. It was too long and confusing and had no meaning. But maybe I had such a hard time because I don't have 70 linguists on staff. Lexicon does, and they have named such successful brands as BlackBerry, OnStar and Swiffer.

Healthcare Is Not Immune

2010-12-28T15:31:00.004-05:00

It's awfully hard to use information if you can't first understand it. Following a path blazed by Target's award-winning ClearRx prescription bottles, Information is Beautiful has redesigned the blood test commonly used to spot heart disease.

In the new version, the test results are easier to understand. With a quick glance, a patient can determine his or her risk for heart disease and learn about how to respond.

I'd love to see this and other redesigns put into use. Give people information they can understand and they will take better care of themselves. After all, knowledge is power!

A Response from Comic Sans

2010-12-27T11:15:00.004-05:00

Please note that this post represents the views of Comic Sans. I do not endorse these views and I have never and will never use Comic Sans, or Papyrus for that matter.

Comic Sans Criminal

2010-12-22T14:29:00.000-05:00

Please people, stop using Comic Sans. Seriously. Enough. If you're a professional and wanted to be treated as a professional, then you simply have to stop using this criminal font. Take the pledge or, better yet, be a pal and help out a friend in need.

10 Social Media Trends for 2011

2010-12-21T16:53:00.000-05:00

It's hard to find anything to disagree with here. I've read a lot about location-based marketing and am guessing that, in five years, our location will never be a secret--a trend that has its advantages (health and medical care) and disadvantages (too many to list here).

But I'm also excited to see Viddler has made this list as an up-and-coming video platform. The founders of Viddler are both Lehigh grads who've stayed close to home and have built a great Web site. Glad to see it's getting it's due by differentiating itself from YouTube and the growing number of vides platforms out there.

We're all problem-solvers now

2010-12-21T13:37:00.002-05:00

We used to have a game here called Buzzword Bingo. It never lasted for more than a few minutes because, even in higher education, it was only a matter of time before you, too, succumbed to spewing such corporatespeak as "leveraged" and "deliverables." As awful it is to admit, I still can't shake the habit.

Anyway, thanks to LinkedIn, we now have the worst resume cliches and jargon:

1. Extensive experience
2. Innovative
3. Motivated
4. Results-oriented
5. Dynamic
6. Proven track record
7. Team player
8. Fast-paced
9. Problem solver
10. Entrepreneurial

Juggalo University

2010-12-21T09:29:00.005-05:00

It's not every day that you come across an article with the headline, "What Colleges Can Learn From the Insane Clown Posse," but the author makes good points. It all boils down to owning who you are, creating an experience and taking risks. How many colleges do you know that really do that?

Santa (TM)

2010-12-20T16:56:00.003-05:00

Santa has his own brand guidelines. Did you know Santa is trying to become a carbon-neutral corporation by 2056?

"Walmart Goes to College"

2010-12-20T10:24:00.000-05:00

Next up: World Domination.

Can't say I'm surprised by this. I just wonder who will be the biggest spenders, students or staff?

Nativity 2.0

2010-12-17T10:07:00.001-05:00

I've been conditioned to expect YouTube videos to be funny, so I was a bit disappopinted that this one isn't. In fact, it's serious and overtly spiritual. But it's still sweet and amusing and hey, 'tis the season!

Now That's Brisk, Baby!

2010-12-16T14:05:00.005-05:00

Lipton Brisk Iced Tea has sponsored a series of interactive murals by independent street artists. Passersby who scan a barcode (!) can watch a time-lapsed video of the mural being painted and enter a contest to win an Xbox 360. The Brisk logo is so small on this mural that it makes me wonder how successful the campaign will be, but I'll take any excuse to see more art in the city.

Moving Online

2010-12-16T13:44:00.005-05:00

As budgets are being frozen or cut, many colleges and universities are shifting their publications online. According to this survey by High erEdExperts.com, course schedules and newsletters are going online-only, while viewbooks and alumni magazines are still predominately in print. In fact, almost half of survey respondents offer their viewbook only in print.

Worst Decision of the Year

2010-12-15T16:53:00.000-05:00

TIME's done it again and named the wrong person as Person of the Year. An internal poll of the office folk says Zuckerberg doesn't deserve that honor by a 2-1 margin. I have to agree. Like it or not, the gamechanger is Julian Assange.

Zuckerberg seemingly reinvents social media every few months, but this honor is two years past due. His empire is larger than most countries--600 million by last count--and his site now gets more traffic than any other Web site in the world. In two years time, Facebook may very well become the ubiquitous platform through which we all communicate, but that time's not here yet. Let's get Facebook messaging figured out, first.

The Year of Ideas

2010-12-15T13:49:00.000-05:00

At the New York Times: Start first with "the 2000s were a great decade," then cruise around the rest of the list and end up at "social media as social index." It's the most important idea on the board, though not necessarily for the better. I cringe that the most reliable data we have on society, let alone our purchasing habits, is a collection of 350 million daily posts on Facebook and Twitter.

Surprise!

2010-12-15T11:49:00.002-05:00

I would never think of JC Penney as a cutting-edge retailer, in terms of either fashion or technology. But Penney's just became the first store to offer it's entire online catalog on Facebook. Is this the new way to buy things online? Do I really want all my friends to see what I purchase? Are we going to start doing everything on Facebook now? It's like the new AOL. Excuse me, the new Aol.

The Geography of Facebook

2010-12-14T09:14:00.002-05:00

Ever wonder what a map of Facebook friendships would look like? Wonder no longer.

The Bieberization of Twitter

2010-12-10T11:13:00.000-05:00

I don't know a lot about Justin Bieber. No more than Barbara Walters. But when you're trending on Twitter more than Wikileaks, you're doing something right. Or very wrong.

Most of us don't have that problem because less than 1 in 10 of us adults use Twitter. Not the same for college kids, though. As the Chronicle of Higher reports:

College students are far more likely to use Twitter than are other segments of the U.S. population: While 8 percent of American adults who go online use the short-burst messaging service, the proportion for full-time or part-time college students who go online is 18 percent.

Let's get things straight. There are about 95 million tweets every day, a growing majority of which are coming the 21-and-under crowd. Twenty percent of them use Twitter frequently. We know they don't use email. And despite Facebook's domination of the world, they're not likely to use it's new messaging service, either.

Which makes me wonder what that leaves for people like me.

Design for Good

2010-12-09T11:59:00.002-05:00

These silly products, like a Field Journal (toilet paper) and Dung Beetle Bait (chocolate candies), are sold at the Museum of Unnatural History in Washington, D.C., which isn't actually a museum. It's not really a store, either.

It's a front for 826 National, a nonprofit tutoring, writing and publishing organization, designed to make the idea of getting help for reading and writing fun and appealing to children. The nonprofit's chapters in other cities have similar cheeky themes. What a great way to use gorgeous design and clever marketing to help people.

Millenials are changing the world!

2010-12-08T16:24:00.002-05:00

3 Things Brands Must Do to Reach Millennials Online: This is an interesting article on the ways that traditional marketing is changing to meet the needs of Millenials (and everyone else). You're welcome!

The Dutch have game

2010-12-07T10:23:00.000-05:00

thought that Netherlands/Belgium had an excellent final video presentation at FIFA, even though they fell short of landing the World Cup in 2018. Waaaay short. But what a creative use of voiceovers.

Live from Black Friday

2010-12-07T10:14:00.001-05:00

I don't FourSquare. But I am an Apple guy. And considering Apple only has about 300 stores nationwide, getting 5,300 people to check-in is pretty impressive and speaks volumes about brand loyalty.