Archive for June, 2009

There is no question in any marketer’s mind that social media has changed–probably forever–the way brands reach and engage with consumers.  Stating an obvious fact, I know, but for all the opportunity and consternation it is causing, it is true that the notion of earned engagement–the active interaction between a consumer and a brand–throws into Read on

I received an interesting message the other day – one that made me realize that as booming as the online world is and as quickly as social media marketing tactics are catching on, there is a vast majority who still don’t understand it. A friend of mine decided to follow me on Twitter, and soon Read on

The music industry and the internet have had a tumultuous relationship to say the least. Ten years ago, record labels started to worry when people began sharing music with one another using networks like Napster. Artists were angry that they were losing money from record sales and began taking action against those illegally downloading music. Read on

It’s funny how times change – over 20 years ago, when I was much younger, major news outlets kept the country updated on the then-current hostage crisis in Iran. Even if someone didn’t want to watch, it was hard to escape, as the story had implications not only for our country, but for the world. Read on

At the beginning of this year, there were nearly 200 million active users on Facebook, 70 million videos on YouTube, 1 trillion unique URL’s in Google’s index, 260 languages that articles have been written in on Wikipedia and 3 million tweets per day on Twitter. These statistics have grown exponentially since then, but the sheer Read on

The dulcet tones of the legendary C + C Music Factory are the inspiration for this post.  Cue “Everybody Dance Now” in the background as we take on the two questions that can, without fail, right now, make the majority of Brand Managers out there sweat: Question #1:  Do you know how your brand is Read on

Word-of-mouth isn’t just about social media tactics. Conversations about brands develop through effective online and offline strategies to engage and interact with real people. This week, The Macallan Distillers Ltd. company, a distributor of one of the world’s leading whiskey brands, The Macallan, did their research and hosted a successful conversation-generating event. Macallan hosted a Read on

New technologies appeal to each generation differently, with Generation X and Y leading the way in technical literacy. As a generation Y’er myself, computers and social networking have been an integral part of my life since childhood, making it easy to understand why my generation has become so adept at understanding the influence and impact Read on

Have you ever wondered how big brands use social media to drive their business? What about engaging the people behind these leading companies in real conversations? All your questions and more will be answered at this month’s BlogWell conference in San Francisco on June 23rd. Zocalo Group will be joining the excitement as a sponsor Read on

A bad experience made me a big fan of a restaurant last week. Chicago is a restaurant city, so word of mouth is essential to navigating all the options.  In fact, studies show that 83% of consumers look for a recommendation from a friend, family member or expert in deciding on restaurants.  In contrast, just Read on