Hybrid Theory |ĖhÄ«Ėbrid thee-uh-ree |: The fusion of creative and communications, combining earned and paid media to enliven ideas, unite communities, amplify stories and spark desired outcomes. Part One of Three… Marketing, advertising, service, communications, and business dynamics in general is undergoing incredible transformation. The innovation transpiring across the board however, wasnāt ushered out of vision as much as it was pressured through the democratization of content and the equalization of influence. After years of the socialized media changing how…
On Twitter, The Early Bird Gets the Worm
Social Shopping is not new, but it is indeed gaining significant momentum. In fact, it represents the latest leaf in the new Conversation Prism infographic set to launch next week. Twitter too, is gaining velocity in a direction many skeptics didn’t think possible, the ability to monetize the stream. Twitter is set to introduce a new ad-powered program, @earlybird – a service that appears to emulate the daily deals powering services such as Groupon with the direct to consumer link…
Facebook and Twitter users spend 1.5x more online than the average Internet user
If you want to get a glimpse of the economic future, focus on the emerging trends driven by those defining the evolution of the social Web. Social media is not only democratizing influence and upsetting the traditional media ecosystem, it is now an indicator for a potential economic resurgence. Leading metrics firm, comScore, released its Q1 U.S E-Commerce Spending Report recently, finding that online retail spending approached $34 billion in Q1 2010, which represents a 10 percent boost compared to…
The Social Media Style Guide: 8 Steps to Creating a Brand Persona
What follows is an edited excerpt from Engage! Anyone who has ever worked in corporate marketing, advertising, and branding is more than familiar with a brand style guide. It’s how we ensured that the brand was represented as intended through marketing aesthetics and messaging – including detailed usage instructions on font, style, color, language, placement, positioning, etc. It is our bible and adherence to its tenets and instructions is strictly enforced. However, with the unstructured proliferation of social media within…
The State and Future of Twitter 2010: Part Two
The influence and promise of Twitter is only now starting to materialize. Everything that occurred prior to Chirp has lead us to this moment and as such, is almost worthy of categorization as BC (Before Chirp). Everything that happens now, is almost symbolic of a new movement (AC, After Chirp) and as such, it essentially starts a new chapter in the evolution of Twitter. To truly capture the State and Future of Twitter and all that was revealed during its…
Q&A: Social Media Continues to Rewrite the New Rules of Advertising and Marketing
To celebrate the release of Engage!, I was recently asked to share my thoughts on how social media impacts the advertising landscape for the current issue of Winning the Web, a popular magazine related to Web marketing. While the discussion opens with a review of the state and future of online advertising, the discussion also looks at the overall tectonic shift in new media and the profound opportunities that are unfolding. With Ad:Tech San Francisco on the horizon, the timing…
Brands Must Become Media to Earn Relevance
What follows is the complete version of my recent post on Mashable, “Why Brands are Becoming Media.“ One of the greatest challenges I encounter today is not the willingness of a brand to engage, but its ability to create. When blueprinting social architecture and the engineering that connects people to other people strategically, enthusiasm and support typically derail when examining the resources and the commitment required to rhythmically produce, distribute, and support content. Indeed, we are programming the social web…
2010: Social Network Advertising and Marketing Outlook
In July 2009, experts predicted that advertising on Facebook would surpass MySpace by 2011. What represents a tectonic shift in social media spend is now anticipated in twenty-ten (2010). A new report published by eMarketer, “Social Network Ad Spending: 2010 Outlook” documents the major shifts in social network advertising spending that emerged in 2009 and will ultimately unfold in 2010. eMarketer observes that Facebook is becoming the premier destination for marketers in the U.S. as well as many worldwide markets….
The Greatest Hits of 2009 Part X
Source: Shutterstock Happy New Year! Well, this is it. The final installment of the most read, shared, and discussed posts of 2009. I hope that Part X as well as the other nine parts help you to leap into 2010 with confidence, inspiration, and direction. Let the education and stimulus continue this year… The Greatest Hits of 2009 Part X 1. Is Facebook Losing its Coveted Demographic? 2. Thereās an App for That: Mobile is the Next Frontier for Brand…
The Greatest Hits of 2009 Part IX
Source: Shutterstock Happy New Year! The closure of 2009 sparked a series of important news and events that only seemed to further the evolution of Social Media rather than subsiding and waiting for a new year. Your path in 2010 is defined by the knowledge you’ve amassed and embraced. It affects not only where you are, but where you’re going and how long it will take to get there. The Greatest Hits of 2009 Part IX 1. The Rapid Evolution…
