IMC Hawks Blog

Tag: Facebook

  • Local journalist offers insight on social media

    It’s no secret that social media has turned many industries upside down, but how has this technology changed the media? Shannan Bowen, StarNews Media’s social networking and crime writer and “Talk and Squawk” blogger, knows best. Bowen addressed the UNCW Communication Studies Society on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 on the many aspects involving social media and technology in journalism.

    Bowen says social media has helped StarNews Media reach audiences, such as college students, that they could not reach in the past. It has encouraged them to be more innovative and create new ways to keep the audience interested. For instance, when Tropical Storm Hanna hit Wilmington, leaving some without power, StarNews Media created @SNOHurricane on Twitter to deliver information on the weather by tweeting and retweeting. Bowen said this received a lot of traffic because the power was out and the only sources for updates were cell phones.

    Social media sites are not only useful for media outlets to reach the public, but they are also helpful for hearing from the public. The public is the media’s link to what is happening around the community in its nooks and crannies. Bowen said they often use tips from Twitter or Facebook, and once they verify the information, they have a lead. Bowen did urge that it is “very important not to take tweets or Facebook posts at face value in journalism—that would be bad journalism!”

    Bowen emphasized the rise of niche social marketing by discussing Ning.com, a social media site that allows the user to create the network. Many local businesses and groups are using Ning.com to form a network of their own. StarNews Media created several sites using this platform such as WilmOnFilm , a network for local film fans, and Conscience Online for local non-profits.

    Her advice to college students interested in careers involving social media:

    • Keep up with major developments
    • Read communication related blogs
    • Know what is developing in the e-industry
    • Create your own blog and interact with others

    Check out Shannan Bowen’s blog post Living a double life on Facebook.

    Rachel Kaylor

  • Google Buzz or Google Bust??

    On February 2, Google introduced their latest product Google Buzz.  This added “social” feature, which is built right into Gmail, allows users to start conversations and share information (pictures, videos, links, etc.) with those they contact the most.  Google Buzz is essentially designed to evolve Gmail into a social networking platform that simplifies the process of sharing both public and private information with those on your contact list (aka: your Gmail address book).  You can follow anyone who has a Gmail account by searching for them by name or email address.  You can instant message, as well as post your latest “buzz” in real time (without a character limit, may I add) and this is all done through your Gmail account. Voila! It’s email, Facebook and Twitter all rolled into one.  Genius.

    Yeah, not so much.

    Over the past week, as Google continues to work out the kinks of its new interface, many feel as if they have fallen victim to an invasion of privacy.  With all of the noise we keep hearing about protecting your “online image,” especially in this job market and economy, when a private conversation is accidentally publicized…well, you can put two and two together.

    In a recent interview with CNBC regarding the privacy issues Google Buzz has created since its debut, Eric Schmidt the CEO of Google Inc. said,”If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place. If you really need that kind of privacy, the reality is that search engines –including Google –do retain this information for some time and it’s important, for example, that we are all subject in the United States to the Patriot Act and it is possible that all that information could be made available to the authorities.”

    So, maybe Google Buzz will be what the next buzz-worthy addition to social media.  Or, maybe Mr. Schmidt should prepare for his own little buzz-worthy bust.

    Laura Ann Klinedinst

  • Are you the next “Mayor”?

    Can’t get enough of social media? Well neither can major companies such as Pepsi, HBO, and BravoTV. Foursquare, an application for mobile phones has quickly made its way into the social media scene and continues to add companies to its long list of members.

    A little background on Foursquare: It allows people to “check-in” to wherever they are located. For instance, when visiting a cafe, bar, or restaurant, you simply “check-in” via the Foursquare application on your phone. It then notifies your “friends” of your whereabouts. Foursquare keeps track of how many times you’ve “checked-in” to the places you are visiting and compares your visits with how many times other people visit the same place. If you frequent the spot more than others, then you become the “Mayor” of the restaurant, cafe, bar, etc.

    How do businesses incorporate this “geolocation” social media? Businesses have begun to utilize Foursquare as a way to offer rewards for people who become the “Mayor” of their establishment—a free coffee, free appetizer, etc. Many of the television stations are now using Foursquare to send “pings” about certain TV shows. When a user “checks-in” at a venue, they are then able to view tips, which “friends” leave about the particular venue. Recently, stations such as BravoTV and HBO leave “tips” at select locations, which are usually related to TV show characters or themes. Users who add the stations/shows as friends can view the “tips” at the locations, which then allows them to unlock “badges. “Badges” are tied to items such as real-life awards, sweepstakes, and coupons.

    Will Foursquare catch on as a successful promotional tool, just as Twitter and Facebook have? The platform is still in the experimental phase, but already has the backing of big-name advertisers. It is also rumored that the developers at Facebook are creating a “check-in” feature. It will be interesting to follow Foursquare’s expansion as they have already begun discussing new campaigns with The History Channel, and a partnership with Zagat, a restaurant review guide that also allows users to publish tips about restaurants in New York, Los Angeles, San Fransisco, and Philadelphia.

    Rachel Kaylor, Writer

    Danielle Murray, Researcher

    Mandy Baker, Design

  • Social Media and the Super Bowl

    How do you analyze the popularity of Super Bowl commercials and the companies that produced them? One way is to check the fans and followers that each company has on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. That is exactly what Clickz ,an internet resource for interactive marketing news and information, did to interpret the success of individual commercials and how they relate to brands that own them.

    The Super Bowl isn’t just a platform for NFL superstars to show they are the best; it also represents the top competition among brands and their advertisements. Clickz recorded the number of Facebook “fans” and Twitter “followers” for each of the advertisers on February 2, Super Bowl Sunday. Then the site collected data a week later to see what kind of increases took place. Evidence from the research reveals that the Super Bowl ads actually boosted some advertisers’ social media accounts considerably.

    According to the research analysis some of the big hitters in the big media dance include HomeAway, Volkswagen, E*Trade and Monster.com. These companies were among half of the Super Bowl advertisers that mentioned their commercials on either their Facebook pages or through their Twitter accounts prior to the game.

    “”By incorporating a dedicated Facebook page, Twitter account, and micro-site as part of the ‘Fiddling Beaver’ campaign,” according to Kathy O’Reilly, director of social media for Monster.com, “we were able to engage with folks before Super Bowl Sunday.”

    Social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter have been great building blocks to cultivate a larger fan base among the consumers. These websites have built a bridge over the gap that once existed between companies and their consumers. However, what is the return of investment? What kind of sales come out it? This question will be asked until there is a legitimate connection between ‘fans’ of the brand and the purchasing consumers of brand  products and services.

    -Jesse Bazemore

  • Happiness Hits

    Coca-Cola’s launch of their “Open Happiness” social media campaign has successfully raised over $64,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America by allowing users of the social network, Facebook, to send virtual gifts through the site. For every gift sent, Coca-Cola donates $1 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Coca-Cola hopes to raise $250,000 with this campaign.  Once the Facebook gift is given, the gift giver receives a 20-second sneak preview of one of the two Coca-Cola Super Bowl advertisements. The gift is also posted on the receiver’s profile, and provides a link to the Coca-Cola fan page where others can send gifts. One of the Super Bowl advertisements features characters from The Simpsons while the features actor Denzel Washington. “Open Happiness” is a part of Live Positively.

    In January, Coca-Cola released a viral video on Youtube.com titled “Happiness Machine.” The video now has over 1,000,000 views, and they continue to rise as word spreads globally. The “Happiness Machine” is a Coca-Cola vending machine that delivers anything from multiple coke bottles to a colossal sub sandwich! This “Happiness Machine” dovetails perfectly with their “Open Happiness” campaign, which they have launched globally.

    Shortly after the Super Bowl, Coca-Cola is expected to sweep headlines with their sustainability plans for the winter Olympics in Vancouver. Coke will aim to make everything eco-friendly and produce “zero waste.” For example, the coolers they use will run on eKOfresh technology, which nearly eliminates direct greenhouse gas emissions. The vehicles they use to deliver beverages from their facilities will run on diesel-electric hybrid energy. Electric carts will be used within the venue. The tables and chairs will be made from wood salvaged from the pine-beetle epidemic in British Columbia, menu boards will be made of recycled materials, and the list continues.

    With Coca-Cola leading the “beverage battle,”  Pepsi will have a challenge with its new “Pepsi Refresh Project” campaign.

    Rachel Kaylor, Writer
    Danielle Murray, Researcher
    Mandy Baker, Designer