Applebee's Launches Social Media Tutorials

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Now this is funny. Hilarious, actually. Lexington, Kentucky ad agency Cornett just launched a video campaign for Thomas & King, one of the largest Applebee's franchises in the country. The agency teamed with several female "social media experts" for a series of tutorials on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

That's really all we're going to say about the campaign because if we say any more, we'll ruin the surprise.

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by Steve Hall    Jun- 6-12    
Topic: Social, Strange, Video



The Onion Describes 'Cool New Tide Video' Before Digitas Creates It

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Usually when a brand creates a virally-intentioned video, press commentary comes after its release. In a strange twist of events, the revers happened last week. The Onion wrote a lengthly article about a "cool new Tide detergent video" which went on and on ans on about, well, how cool the video was. Trouble is, the video didin't exist yet.

But that didn't deter Digitas from whipping up the video in a couple of days and posting it everywhere The Onion said it would be posted. As described in The Onion piece, "it's [the video] got these cute, funny talking animals, a cool indie-rock song, and it's just so hilariously random. And it's got this amazing cameo by Bret Michaels, which is so funny because Bret Michaels is hilarious and from the '80s."

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by Steve Hall    Jun- 5-12    
Topic: Agencies, Social, Video



Social, Digital Media Disclosure Firm CMP.LY Closes $2.4M Series A Funding

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CMP.LY, a company that enables brands to adhere to disclosure in social and digital media, today announced $2.4 million is Series A funding led by Innovation Ventures L.P. headquartered in DE and PA-based Originate Ventures. David J. Freschman, Managing Principal of Innovation Ventures and Eric Arnson, Managing Partner of Originate Ventures, join CMP.LY's board of directors.

Series A participants also include angel investors Jay Baer and Steve Garfield. They join seed investors Safir Capital, Angel Street Capital and others.

Of his company's offering, CMP.LY CEO Tom Chernaik said, "Leading brands understand that they must better measure program performance and manage risk as they roll out increasingly larger social initiatives. Among the companies that have turned to CMP.LY to address trust, transparency and regulatory compliance are well-known brand Jamba Juice, digital marketing agency 360i, social marketing agency Big Fuel, public relations agency Coyne PR and word-of-mouth and social media marketing agency Zocalo Group."

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by Steve Hall    Jun- 4-12    
Topic: Social



Buddy Media's Michael Lazerow Talks, Fear, Death, Life and Love

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In a heartfelt three and a half minute video Buddy Media CEO Michael Lazerow, without saying a word, shares his feelings on life, fear, drive, his life-long heart condition, his motivations and, yes, the $689 million he just made selling Buddy Media to Salesforce.com. It's a very moving video that sheds some light on the man behind one of the biggest social media brands ever to have existed.

Lazerow, at times wiping away a tear but mostly smiling throughout, shares with us his heart condition which first affected him when he was 18 months old. He suffered heart failure and again when he was 19. The second time his heart valve stopped working, his blood pressure fell to zero and he was given three hours to live. Thankfully an emergency valve replacement saved his life.

It's an unflinching look at the man behind Buddy Media and three other companies he founded prior.

As king of one of the biggest social media companies on the planet, it is ever so appropriate Lazerow turn to social media itself to share his innermost thoughts at this penultimate moment in his life.

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by Steve Hall    Jun- 4-12    
Topic: Social



How the Presidential Race is Engaging the Masses

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This guest article is written by Janna Dons, Social Community Manager at Socialogic.

During the 2008 U.S. presidential race, social media entered the political landscape like never before. Each candidate tapped into the online chatter to reach tech-savvy voters. Barack Obama's campaign showed deft skill on sites like Facebook and Twitter, wrangling virtual followers and friends across the nation and engaging the youth vote in new ways. In his 2008 bid for candidacy, Mitt Romney became the first potential Republican nominee with a Facebook page.

Four years later, we've seen a significant up-tic in the political utilization of new social networks. The 2012 election campaigns are broadening their social media reach with almost every available platform. While both Obama and Romney have left their MySpace accounts dormant for some time (like many, if not most of today's social networkers), the two campaigns have been logging in and interacting with a slew of other outlets. Let's take a look at how Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are engaging right now:

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by Steve Hall    Jun- 4-12    
Topic: Social



Using Engagement to Track Consumer Sentiment and Trends

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This guest article is written by e-Miles President Mark Drusch.

For companies operating in an environment where trends last for weeks and mobile applications come and go, it's increasingly difficult to learn what customers on the ground are thinking about products. One method to capture this sentiment is through a review of customer engagement.

A crucial step in effectively using consumer engagement is to first utilize the right advertising channel. Older models of advertising that contend you need to spend 100 percent of a budget and only 50 percent of it will be effective should no longer be acceptable. Advertisers need to demand better of their channels and agencies to deliver higher ROIs. It's a very reasonable request given the technology tools available today and the ability to quickly obtain real insights back from the consumer.

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by Steve Hall    Jun- 1-12    
Topic: Social



Who is Susan Glenn?

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A post on buzzfeed entitled, Dudes Failing to Get Their Susan Glenn In 11 Gifs, contains animated gifs of epic fails guys make as they try to impress their girl. A link in the description leads to My Susan Glenn. In the Facebook group Suxorz, a group that collects epic social media failures, BlogAds Founder Henry Copeland wonders whether or not this is just "a lame seeding for some movie... or just the first of some supersmart social campaign?"

A link from My Susan Glen leads to a definition of Susan Glenn on Online Slang Dictionary. One of the definitions is "A hokey attempt at marketing a movie. Possibly one starring Zooey Deschanel."

We wonder too, Henry. It could be interesting. Or it could simply be another epic fail you discuss during your next Suxorz panel.

UPDATE: Susan Glenn revealed.

by Steve Hall    May-31-12    
Topic: Social, Viral



Nautica Celebrates One Million Fans With Video

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You can say what you will about the value of a fan on Facebook. Some place significant meaning to it. Others, not so much. Either way, it's a significant feat to get one million people to fan you. Especially if you're just a company that makes clothes.

Fashion brand Nautica has 949, 421 Likes on its Facebook page and is gearing up to celebrate its one millionth follower. To do so, it's launched an appreciation video, part of a campaign called All Fans on Deck. The campaign will also include a month-long fan sweepstakes that will give away Nautica gift cards and a grand prize trip to the brand's Fall fashion show in New York.

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by Steve Hall    May-24-12    
Topic: Social



How to be Creative in a Social Media World

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This Internet Week coverage is brought to you by ShareThis. The best content is hand picked.

In an Internet Week Webby Session, Executive Director of The Webby Awards sat down with creatives Suzana Apelbaum from Anomoly, Colleen Decourcy from Socialistic and Keke Toleda Piza from LiveAD. The topic of discussion focused on "how innovators and creatives from around the world are shaping the future of advertising and marketing in the digital age."

Decoursy, who "put her fear in a bag" and started an agency is excited about content marketing and social media in general which she says is "moving at the speed of culture."

There was a notion among all panelists that marketing in general is quickly shifting from advertising to content-fueled story telling. Gone are the days of a campaign which had a short life span. Today, it's about creating an ongoing conversation that never truly stops. There is no end date to the "campaign."

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by Steve Hall    May-17-12    
Topic: Industry Events, Social



Search and Social: A Love Affair During Internet Week

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This Internet Week coverage is brought to you by ShareThis. The best content is hand picked.

In an Internet Week panel entitled Search & Social: A Love Story, Mashable Business Editor Todd Wasserman sat down with About.com Director of Research Laura Salant and Buddy Media VP of Analytics and Insights Tami Dalley to discuss the interplay between and the roles search and social currently play.

In terms of the usage of search, Salant said 50 percent of searches are what she terms "answer me" which she defined as quick searches such as finding a particular site or looking of a movie review. She termed 25 percent of searches "inspire me" which she described as searches that fill a passion or a hobby. Lastly, she noted 25 percent of searches are "educate me" which, for example, could be the answer to an ongoing health issue or long term planning for a wedding.

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by Steve Hall    May-16-12    
Topic: Industry Events, Social