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Social Marketing

Yesmail releases intelligence tool

Alex Palmer February 14, 2012

Yesmail Interactive has launched a tool that lets marketers track their competitors and follow new campaigns in real time. The platform, called Yesmail Market Intelligence, allows marketers who join to follow the digital marketing activity of other brands, from the times they deploy email blasts to the number of views their YouTube channel received the previous week.

Ogilvy & Mather launches social unit

Alex Palmer February 13, 2012

Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide has launched a social media unit, the company said in a Feb. 13 statement. The new unit, Social@Ogilvy, operates across all of the company's agencies, connecting Ogilvy's social media experts in all areas of business including direct marketing, digital marketing, and public relations.

Leveraging mobile to market in the moment

Scott Forshay, Morpheus Media January 31, 2012

Mobile is an action-oriented medium. Mobile shoppers are moving targets, so stationary forms of traditional branded engagements need not apply.

Survey: 75% of marketers to grow social spending in 2012

Tim Peterson January 19, 2012

Three-quarters of marketers plan to increase their marketing spending on social media this year, according to a global survey of more than 700 marketers conducted last November by social marketing firm Wildfire.

Study: Lower CPCs for ads that keep consumers within Facebook

Tim Peterson January 16, 2012

Marketers running Facebook ads that don't drive a consumer outside of the social network have seen cost-per-click rates (CPC) drop by up to 45%, according to a study released by Facebook marketing firm TBG Digital on Jan. 16.

Q&A: Bob Stohrer, CMO, Clear Channel Digital

Tim Peterson January 16, 2012

Named CMO of radio giant Clear Channel's digital business in December, Bob Stohrer discusses his goals in the new position and how integrating Clear Channel's digital streaming platform iHeart with Facebook adds a second layer of targeting.

Study: U.S. search spend up 14%

Tim Peterson January 13, 2012

U.S. marketers spent 14% more money on search advertising in the fourth quarter of 2011 than they did during the prior year's final quarter, according to a study by digital marketing firm Efficient Frontier.

Facebook rolls out Featured Ads for News Feeds

Tim Peterson January 11, 2012

Facebook started pushing Featured Ads to consumers' News Feeds on Jan. 11, a company spokesperson said via email.

Socially educated patients: pharma-friendly social

Ben Weisman, SVP and director of creative innovations, MRM January 09, 2012

The rise of the socially-educated patient is here.

Facebook adds in-app currency offers

Tim Peterson January 09, 2012

Facebook developers can now reward consumers who complete advertisers' offers with app-specific virtual currency as an alternative to Facebook Credits, the company said on Jan. 6.

Plug-ins: Social Marketing

January 01, 2012

Our expert columnists this month offer practical advice regarding the most effective ways to use social media to foster greater loyalty among customers, including strategies around providing meaningful content for maximum engagement; how to use data collected to improve targeting in a way that is integrated with other marketing efforts; and how to measure and track social marketing efforts.

Audubon releases virtual flock to engage birders online

Allison Schiff January 01, 2012

"It's not your grandmother's Audubon" anymore. The nonprofit organization enlisted Goodby, Silverstein & Partners to create an engaging social birding contest.

Game time

Tim Peterson January 01, 2012

Marketing experts agree that gamification drives powerful and prolonged consumer engagements. But is the technology too new to invest in?

Orville Redenbacher's augments reality with Facebook game

Tim Peterson December 28, 2011

Popcorn brand Orville Redenbacher's launched a Facebook game on Dec. 28 that features augmented reality. The brand worked with its digital agency of record, Possible Worldwide, on the game.

Facebook testing private messages for Pages

Tim Peterson December 19, 2011

Facebook is testing a mechanism for brands to communicate privately with consumers via their Facebook Pages, said a Facebook spokesperson on Dec. 19.

Modify Watches generates consumer feedback with Facebook app

Tim Peterson December 18, 2011

Since rebranding as Modify Watches in October of last year the company has faced an identity crisis: Are its consumers taste-making 15-year-old sneaker enthusiasts or hip 60-year-old women?

VerticalResponse acquires social marketing firm Roost

Tim Peterson December 15, 2011

Self-service marketing company VerticalResponse acquired social marketing firm Roost, the company said on Dec. 15. VerticalResponse CEO Janine Popick said the acquisition closed yesterday but declined to disclose terms.

Facebook testing coupons in ads

Tim Peterson December 15, 2011

Facebook is testing an ad unit that would allow brands to deliver coupons via display ads, the company said on Dec. 15.

Facebook banking on exclusivity, conversion tracking

Tim Peterson December 12, 2011

I've said and have heard it said by others that social media is a marketing equalizer. About that...

Q&A: Clara Shih, CEO and cofounder, Hearsay Social

Tim Peterson December 11, 2011

Clara Shih, CEO and cofounder of social marketing firm Hearsay Social and author of The Facebook Era, discusses data and privacy on Facebook and what could come of Amazon integrating with the social media behemoth.

Discover to sponsor holiday-themed Zynga game

Tim Peterson December 01, 2011

Discover Financial Services will sponsor a holiday-themed expansion of social gaming company Zynga's "FarmVille" game. The sponsorship, which enables consumers to earn gifts by completing virtual challenges, will go live to the public on Dec. 5.

Social marketers: May the salesforce be with you

Allison Schiff November 30, 2011

At the CloudForce customer event today in New York City, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said his company was "born cloud and reborn social." But clever-speak aside, the Social Marketing Cloud unveiled at CloudForce is pretty darned cool.

SquareTrade incentivizes social shares, deploys direct mail for sweeps

Tim Peterson November 26, 2011

Given the Justin Bieber-level hysteria that typically accompanies the debut of a new Apple product, SquareTrade, a warranty provider for consumer electronics products, saw a marketing opportunity in the October launch of Apple's iPhone 4S.

Ford to debut SUV via Zynga game

Tim Peterson November 15, 2011

Automotive manufacturer Ford Motor Co. will unveil the 2013 Ford Escape on Nov. 15 via social game developer Zynga's "Words With Friends" game. Ford is working with its ad agency Team Detroit on the initiative.

LBi acquires Mr Youth

Juan Martinez November 14, 2011

LBi International acquired social media marketing agency Mr Youth for approximately $40 million to $50 million, Luke Taylor, CEO of LBi, told Direct Marketing News.

Report: Local social media ad spending to hit $2.3 billion by 2015

Tim Peterson November 14, 2011

U.S. local social media advertising spending will increase from $400 million in 2010 to $2.3 billion by 2015, according to a report released by research firm BIA/Kelsey on Nov. 14.

How hypertargeted should a Facebook ad be?

Patrick Toland, U.S. managing director, TBG Digital November 13, 2011

Major brands are increasingly using more precise profile targeting - or "hypertargeting" - through Facebook as a cornerstone of their digital marketing and advertising campaigns, but should they be doing so?

Chevy pushes test drives via Klout Perks

Tim Peterson November 10, 2011

Automotive brand Chevrolet launched a promotion on Nov. 9 that lets consumers use their social media influence for a chance to win a three-day test drive of the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic sedan. Chevy partnered with social analytics company Klout on the initiative.

No plans to put ads in Google+, says Google executive

Tim Peterson November 10, 2011

Google has no plans to run ads within its Google+ social network, said Christian Oestlien, head of social advertising products at Google, during a keynote address at the ad:tech New York conference on Nov. 9.