360PR Blog

Parents don’t let kids social network alone.

That’s the thinking behind Togetherville, a juvi-social network where the 10 and under set can hang out with their parents online and give social networking a whirl in a safe online neighborhood.

It’s free to join and parents create their child’s account through their own Facebook log-in. Parents can “play” with their kids online – hence the together in Togetherville – and can approve or reject friends that their children ask to bring into their neighborhood. Creator Mandeep Singh Dhillon told CNET.com that it’s all about creating accountability. He said, “Togetherville allows parents to create neighborhoods of the real people in their child’s life to be around their kid as they grow up online.”

Similar to Disney Digital Books, the site looks different for parents and children. And in this kiddie-size version of Facebook, your kids can comment on a status update using canned responses called “quips.” The site does let kids write their own free-form messages, but they must be approved by the parent before being sent. From the kids site, the games, videos and other activities are all pre-screened and no ads are allowed. From the parents site, you can send your kids notes and gifts, look at their activities and see what they’re creating. Kids also get passports that they can fill up with badges by playing games and watching videos on the site.

Let’s face it, kids under 13 are not allowed on Facebook, but they are joining anyway. And while there are some really nice things about Facebook, the perils aren’t worth the trouble that can happen if your young child isn’t supervised.

The question is whether parents will take the Togetherville step before letting their kids loose online. And, we’ll find out soon enough whether the Togetherville model even proves to be “safe enough.” Let’s also hope that Togetherville doesn’t turn into Addictedville and shut out important real-life experiences for young kids.

For now, it seems to me like a great solution for parents whose kids who are chomping at the bit to get online. It may just provide a valuable head start in teaching kids early on netiquette and the importance of safety and privacy on a social networking site. There is no denying, these sites are here to stay and will only evolve and grow.

So please share, would you use Togetherville with your child?

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Consumer Marketing, Digital Books, Digital PR, FaceBook, Marketing to Moms, Media and Press, PR Industry, Parenting, Social Media, Social Networking, Togetherville, Video Games, Virtual Worlds by Admin - 3 Comments →

I was catching up on The Daily Show (thank you Tivo) this week and caught Jon Stewart’s interview with Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham, who appeared on the show the same day The Washington Post Co. announced it was putting Newsweek up for sale.  Check out the interview if you haven’t seen it. Meacham is perfectly candid and raises an important question: If we aren’t willing to pay for news, won’t we compromise the value and quality of news coverage?

I’m as guilty as anyone of soaking up my share of free content online and off.  But I believe there are some things worth paying for and news is one of them. Think about the bureaus, the talent, the experience and the equipment that’s needed to cover events up the street from us and around the world today with both accuracy and analysis.

Should it all be replaced by Citizen Journalism?  Blogs aside, since there are many bloggers writing with as much experience as journalists at the most established news organizations, I don’t think we want to rely on a guy with a flip cam to report all of our news.  Some of it maybe, for immediacy and to be part of the conversation that unfolds around news events on Twitter and Facebook.   But there’s more to news – and media – than that.

Just as we value teachers, we should value trained journalists.  Just as we still pay to see that summer blockbuster, we shouldn’t shy away from shelling out a few dollars for a weekly news magazine.  To a certain extent, you get what you pay for, or what advertisers  and sponsors pay for.  What do you think?

Filed under: Media and Press by LauraTomasetti - 2 Comments →

We recently kicked off a new monthly shin-dig here at 360. We order lunch, gather in the conference room and share hit (or miss) uses of digital media. The inaugural “Tweet and Eat” (#360TweetandEat) was held earlier today and it was a rockin’ good time! There were a ton of great stories and case studies shared and the P.F. Changs was delectable. Now, for the round-up. Here are just a few of the highlights:

Tom Tom Darth Vader Video: GPS maker Tom Tom recently released the first in a series of downloadable Star Wars voices that people can upload to their own GPS devices. What an innovative partnership! As part of the campaign kick-off, they created a mock behind-the-scenes video of Darth Vader in the audio studio. It’s hilarious. And in just a couple weeks, it has garnered over 1.2 million views on YouTube.

Macy’s Fashion Director Monthly Challenge: On Facebook, Macy’s links to an innovative and interactive contest website on which they challenge consumers to assemble the perfect summer outfit (or at least that is the “challenge” for this month) and the winner gets a $1,000 Macy’s gift card. Overall, over 10,000 outfits have been created on the site so far. Check it out for yourself here.

Boeing Social Media Lesson Learned: Recently, a NYC ad agency executive emailed a drawing of a plane to Boeing from his young son, at the son’s request. A very corporate form letter was sent in return that said something to the effect of ‘we can’t accept unsolicited ideas’. New to Twitter, Boeing saw that the ad exec was tweeting about this not-so-friendly form email and reacted. Even though Boeing was new to social media, they are taking steps to use it to communicate with people – and, therefore, making the company a lot more “human”. Read more on the NY Times Media Decoder blog.

Google Job Experiment This should win an award for “best job-search strategy” if there is such a thing.  An unemployed ad exec implemented a $6 Google Ad Words campaign, so when leading ad agency Creative Directors vainly searched for their own name an ad came up that said “Googling yourself is a lot of fun. Hiring me is fun, too.” From this, the executive received 4 out of 6 responses and 2 job offers and is now employed at one of the agencies. This quick YouTube video illustrates.

If YOU were at our “Tweet and Eat”, what would you have shared?

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Digital PR, Social Media by EliciaBasoli - 3 Comments →

We are a calendar-driven culture and that gives marketers something to celebrate all year long – if they understand the audience opportunity and strike the right chord. The essence of Mother’s Day, for example, is sharing. Moms share it with their kids.  And most of the moms I know reached straight for their iPhone when they woke up this morning, texting, chatting and sharing with other moms on Facebook before having that first cup of coffee and interacting with their families.

I received countless promotional emails this week with the call to action to “Celebrate Mother’s Day” by taking advantage of a special discount. Brands who emailed me are half-way there. I’m a mom and they found me. But I didn’t take advantage of their offers because Mother’s Day is not about me shopping for me. The messages would’ve resonated more if they demonstrated an understanding of mom’s need to take time for herself. On Mother’s Day, shoppers (the dads, kids and others around mom) need deals. Moms need support. I realize that’s not a novel insight, but I think it’s one worth repeating.

Holidays present both a short-term and a long-term opportunity to engage audiences. In the short-term, certainly they present exposure opportunities since the media world is calendar-driven too, from morning shows to prime-time. I loved 30 Rock’s “The Moms” episode and the show web site offered 30 Rock-themed Mother’s Day e-cards…fun! And we were thrilled to see the Safety 1st Prism Color Video Monitor (from 360 client Dorel Juvenile Group) featured on Ellen’s annual Mother’s Day show.

Holidays can also be a catalyst for longer-term campaigns, leveraged to reinforce a core brand message – a Fourth of July-timed campaign spotlighting the fact that the iconic glass Ball jars (a 360 client), first introduced more than 125 years ago, continue to be “Made in the USA.”

From a marketer’s perspective, I love the idea of leveraging the calendar. But the message needs to be thoughtful and authentic, with special days as one part of a broader campaign that extends beyond the day.  Next up? “Grads and dads” and wedding and prom season!

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, Marketing to Moms by LauraTomasetti - 2 Comments →

The Annual Webby Awards is THE platform for designers to show off their web skills and for fellow creatives to view a collection of inspiring online campaigns in categories ranging from Online Film & Video to Interactive Advertising.

The winners of the 2010 Webby Awards were just announced earlier this week and one contestant who really broke the mold was TBWA\Chiat\Day with the “We’re All Fans” site promoting the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.

Rightfully so, the site swept both Webby & People’s Voice for the “Best Use of Online Media” as well as the People’s Voice for “Best Visual Design – Aesthetic”.

What makes this site so unique? It collages conversations happening across social media together to form a portrait of a selected musical artist. You really have to see it to believe it! The viewer can even “Join the Conversation” from the site itself and view their post within seconds. Not to mention, the site is incredibly eye catching with its sleek, black design.

We’re All Fans was supported with print and TV spots leading up to the night of the Grammy’s to encourage fans to connect with others by visiting the site. According to the Media Encoder Blog, of the New York Times, viewership for the 52nd Grammy Awards attracted it’s biggest audience in six years with 28.5 million viewers, a 35 percent increase from 2009.

As 360’s resident interactive designer, it is great to see the power of design and social media connecting fans from across the world – I’d say this campaign was a booming success. Did you have any favorites from this year’s Webby’s?  We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Filed under: Design, Digital PR, Social Media by Admin - 3 Comments →