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I wonder if there is a Foursquare Anonymous. I’m seriously addicted.  Don’t laugh. Once you try it, you will be too. It’s what I thought Twitter was supposed to be - letting people know where you are and what you’re doing, but there’s so much more value-add than that with Foursquare. It’s not just the “I’m here” but also the “and now what” that makes it soooo powerful and cool. This weekend I was in Stowe, Vermont with my son and his friend. Needed a place to go to dinner, so I checked into Foursquare and found that the Whip Grill was just two blocks away. I was also able to get a great tip on what to order - guacamole made fresh at our table! What’s also neat is how businesses are making the most of Foursquare. When I showed the server at the Whip Grill that I found his restaurant using Foursquare, he handed me a free drink. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m also addicted to the competitive aspect of Foursquare. I’m still a Newbie, but well on my way to unlocking the Adventurer badge. Not to brag, but I”m number one on the leaderboard today.

Foursquare is so practical and easy to use too. Even if you don’t have an iphone or blackberry, you can still use the service by sending SMS messages to 50500. Another neat feature is that you can gain points without letting your friends know where you are (in case it’s a scandalous venue). They know you’ve checked in but you’re “off the grid.” And “shout outs” are fun - you do stuff at a venue and then shout out that you’ve done them.

Love to blog more, but I’ve got things to do and new places to see… thanks to Foursquare.

Are you addicted too?

Filed under: Digital PR, Internet, Social Media, Uncategorized by CindyGordon - 8 Comments →

Were you confused when you signed in to check your email yesterday and saw a new, multi-colored, pinwheel-like icon in your inbox?  Join the club!

Built into your Gmail page, Google is describing their just-launched Buzz feature as “a new way to start conversations about the things you find interesting.”  But is it Google’s late-to-the-game attempt to claim a piece of the social networking pie?  At first look, we think so. 

Suddenly I have status-like updates clogging my Gmail page.  In my opinion, it’s difficult enough to manage my Facebook and Twitter accounts without having to also alert my Google contacts of my every move/thought/action - I guess my Gmail was a sort of mini-sanctuary up until now. 

So what do you think?  Is Google Buzz a ‘must-do’ or an ‘I could definitely do without?’

Filed under: Social Media by SkyeMcIntyre - 3 Comments →

Today is said to mark the day that Facebook turns 6, and what a six years it has been.  I came across this great post about the social networking giant on Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech blog, in which writer Jessi Hempel examines six ways that Facebook has “shaped our culture.”  My personal favorite from the list is the way that Facebook has made the word “friend” into a verb.  So from all of your “friends” at 360PR:  Happy Birthday, Facebook!

Oh, and since you’re now thinking about Facebook, here’s the link so you can log on straight from here.  You know you were going to anyway…

Filed under: Social Media by JohnLeRoy - 4 Comments →

Simply stated, social media has changed the way we communicate during disasters. This is now abundantly clear with all of the online activity surrounding the recent earthquake in Haiti.

Over the past couple weeks, there has been a tremendous outpouring of support for the Haitian people. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy donations have exceeded $470 million!

Mobile giving raises the bar

A large portion of donations are coming from The Red Cross’ mobile phone texting campaign. With partners Mobile Accord and the mGive Foundation, Red Cross quickly enacted a mobile texting campaign shortly after the earthquake hit. And with the help of the NFL playoff game spots and other widespread promotions, mobile phone users have donated over $25 million thus far just by texting “90999!” According to this NY Times story, over $500,000 per hour was donated to the Red Cross during recent NFL games. And according to Pew and Twitter-tracking service Sysomos, 189,024 tweets included “90999″ between January 12^th and 14^th. 2.3 million included the word “Haiti” or “Red Cross” in this same time frame. Truly unbelievable!

Relying on social media and citizen journalists

Not only has social media been used to gather donations, but people on the ground in Haiti have used Facebook and Twitter to send updates/photos, while concerned onlookers tune in to the constant stream of updates. In addition, news outlets have relied on social media and “citizen journalists” in their reporting. For example, CNN started a “Haiti Boots On Ground” Twitter list, compiling updates from the CNN reporters on the ground.  CNN’s iReport has also played a key role in their coverage of the disaster.

And companies have rallied to develop mobile apps and websites dedicated to the cause, such as a Creole-to-English translator app .  An organization called “The Extraordinaries” which allows people to complete micro-tasks for organizations or causes, using a mobile phone or web browser in a few minutes, have set up a support page at http://www.beextra.org/haiti to leverage the “power of the crowd” to help locate and identify missing persons.

Our best wishes to the Haitian people and to all of the families affected by the earthquake. Stay strong.

Filed under: Cause-Related, Internet, Media and Press, Mobile Industry, Social Media by EliciaBasoli - 5 Comments →

There’s a lot of confusion about the new rules governing how brands can run contests and sweepstakes on Facebook.  We dug into the rules with help from  360PR friend Susan Getgood, and we’re happy to share our learnings in this post.

Get Your Contest Approved.

The most important thing to know is that all promotions administered on Facebook must be approved in writing by Facebook at least seven days before the start of the contest (advice: try to give two weeks notice to Facebook.)

If you are just promoting your contest, and all the action (entries) take place elswhere, you do NOT need approval from Facebook, but you should also not mention Facebook at all. Our advice is to put a notice on the Tab page announcing the contest that says “this promotion is solely sponsored by (insert your brand or company name here).”

If you are administering the contest on Facebook there are very specific rules and prohibitions including specific language that you must include on the entry form and in the rules. The entry form and official rules must include acknowledgement that Facebook is not involved, a signed release from each entrant, and a company contact for questions from contestants (so Facebook will not be contacted.)  Here are the other important Do’s and Dont’s.

What you CAN’T do

• Run a promo that targets individuals under the age of 18
• Promote gambling, tobacco, firearms, prescription drugs and gasoline
• Offer any of the above as prizes
• Offer dairy as a prize
• Run a sweepstakes that conditions the entry upon purchase or completion of a lengthy task
• You cannot condition entry to the promotion upon taking any action on Facebook, such as updating a status, posting on a profile or page, or uploading a photo (on standard FB areas). Rather, contests must send users to a custom app box in a tab or pop-up window to enter the contest
• Finally, no promotion can use any Facebook messaging mechanism (wall post, chat, message, poke, etc.) to administer the contest or alert winners. Winners must be alerted by email. You can promote the winners on the Facebook wall.

What you CAN do

• Post an announcement about a contests/sweeps on the wall; you just can’t administer it through the wall.
• Administer the contest on your website or on a Facebook tab.
• Run a photo contest in which a user uploads a photo or video through a third-party app to enter the contest.
• You can make being a fan a condition of entering a contest - by not displaying the tab to non-fans, or providing notice that you must be a fan to enter.  BUT, becoming a fan cannot be an automatic mode of entry. That is explicitly prohibited.
• You can instruct visitors to your page to visit the tab/third-party app to enter the promo and they will be prompted for their Facebook account to access the contest. If they don’t have one, they will be prompted to sign up.

Even with the new rules, we’re seeing many fun and engaging brand contests and sweepstakes on Facebook. Here are two examples of brands with great viral mojo doing contests on Facebook (and following the new rules.)

[Read more →]

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, Digital PR, Social Media by CindyGordon - 10 Comments →

The wait is over!  The first weekly digital news round-up of the New Year is finally here.  I know you’ve been waiting with bated breath to find out what’s going on in the world of social media, so here it is.  To ease you into a year that’s sure to be a digital whirlwind, below are stories to frame your social media savvy for 2010.

Mashable “How Social Media Has Changed Us” -  It’s amazing how many technological innovations have been made in the past decade - Skype, text messaging and the widespread use of blogs, to name a few.  This piece presents some less-obvious ways in which social media has changed our lives and the lives of future generations. There’s no doubt technology has made our lives different, but the article’s author asks the question, “for better or worse?” 

AdAge “The Official Social Media and Mobile Glossary of 2010″ - I like to think of myself as being on the up and up when it comes to social media.  After all, combing through news stories, writing this weekly post and working at a PR agency as part of a dedicated digital team pretty much forces me to be in the know (willingly, of course!)  However, after studying the terms in this article, I feel ignorant.  Quad stalkers?  Deciprocity?  Mobilenecking?  I was fully aware that the actions described by these words existed, but who the heck made up these names to define our digital behavior?

Mashable “Facebook Founder on Privacy: Public is the New ‘Social Norm’” - It honestly scares me that I know friends of friends of friends last names, addresses and places of employment.  That knowledge is as comfortable to Mark Zuckerberg as a home cooked meal.  At a recent awards ceremony, the mastermind behind Facebook made it clear that lack of privacy is the wave of the future.  In my personal opinion, Facebook’s solely to blame for making our public lives private.  As with anything, if you don’t want the ride, don’t get on the bus.

Filed under: Internet, Social Media by SkyeMcIntyre - No Comments →

Part two of two in our year-end social media recap touches on the more serious side of our evolving online landscape. We hope you enjoy! Let’s get started…

5.  Newspapers Move to Online-Only, Embrace Social Media Back in September, 360PR’s own John LeRoy wrote about the end of the Ann Arbor News’ print publication, and throughout 2009, many newspapers followed suit, moving to publishing their content strictly online and incorporating social media functionality.  Along with the recession came widespread newsroom cuts, and while many papers folded altogether, others can only be found now by visiting the web. Whether you embrace the change or miss the sound of a daily paper landing on your doorstep, the move to online-only is here.

4.  Rise of Mobile Apps If you’re an iPhone lover or a Blackberry devotee, you can’t deny the ease and convenience the downloadable applications that are essential to these smart phones bring.  With the click of a key or the touch of an icon, you can find the nearest gas station, read restaurant recommendations, check out times for movie showings, and much, MUCH more.  Running late for the airport?  There’s an app. that allows you to check the status of your flight. 

3.  Live Stream Presidential Inauguration Not only did 2009 see a new, African-American president in the White House, America saw his inauguration unfold in real-time online.  Courtesy of CNN, those unable to obtain a ticket to the inauguration were able to watch every second from the comfort of their own home.  January 20, 2009 was an extremely historic day in more ways than one.

2.  Moms Online  Nielsen recognized the power of moms’ online presence and released “The Power Mom 50,” 50 of the most influential moms on the ‘net (though Nielsen’s list left off some biggies), and the FTC implemented new rules guiding interactions between brands and bloggers (largely driven by the increase of sponsored content on mom blogs).  Meanwhile, Oprah recognized the importance of moms online when she Skype’d in mom bloggers from across the country in an April episode ‘The Secret Lives of Moms.’ 

1.  Brands and Social Media If you’re a Facebook or Twitter user, you’re likely connected with a few brands online. Jet Blue (@JetBlue,) Comcast (@comcastcares) and Whole Foods (@wholefoods) were among the most followed on Twitter this year.  Top brands on Facebook included Starbucks, Coca-Cola and Disney. But with more brands competing for valuable online space, it will be tricky breaking through the clutter. Starting with a solid fan base will help, but providing the online community with “insider” knowledge and unique insights is what will really make a brand stand out in 2010.

Happy New Year!

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, Digital PR, Internet, Marketing to Moms, Media and Press, Social Media by SkyeMcIntyre - No Comments →

Well, 2009 is nearly over and 360PR certainly was not going to miss out on the “year end list” fun!  We decided to compile our Top 10 Favorite Social Media Moments of 2009. Sure, the topic may be slightly played out, but does that make it any less important?  2009 concluded a decade of digital innovations: the iPod, BlackBerry, consumer GPS system, etc. And in our eyes, it most definitely went out with a bang!

So here they are, numbers 10 - 6 in our countdown, part one of a two-part social media extravaganza. Whether you think our choices are spot on or off-base, we’d love to hear your comments!

10. Burger King Whopper Sacrifice This year, Burger King challenged its fans to the ultimate test-delete 10 friends on Facebook, get a free Whopper-and created a slew of online buzz in its wake. Alerts popped up on mini-feeds everywhere (i.e. “Skye McIntyre sacrificed Lindsay Durr for a free Whopper”) and friends’ lists suffered significant depletions. But BK’s plan worked! Whether quirky, offensive, or just hilarious, the Whopper Sacrifice taught us all a valuable lesson-you can put a price on friendship, and that price is 1 Whopper.

9. Miley Cyrus Deletes Twitter On a more serious note, teen queen Miley Cyrus made headline news this year when she deleted her Twitter account. Outlets like The New York Times covered the “news” and, to respond to the public outrage inspired by her de-tweeting, Cyrus created this brilliant YouTube video. Wait-why is this #9, again?

8. “JK Wedding Dance” on YouTube This was probably the feel-good YouTube video of the decade. Something about this video struck a chord with online video watchers nationwide. In a year where everyone from Jon and Kate to Tiger and Elin headed for their attorneys, Jill and Kevin Heinz reminded us that love is out there, waiting, and it’s on YouTube. Several Today Show appearances and a hilarious Office spoof later, J&K are still going strong. They even used their tremendous popularity for a good cause; the pair helped raise over $26,000 for the Sheila Wellstone Institute, an organization that helps victims of domestic violence.  People questioned the authenticity of the video and wondered if a marketing team was behind it; marketers wished they could take credit.

7. Swine Flu Infects Social Media Swine Flu was one of the most serious topics of the year with an estimated 50 million cases in the US according to the CDC. However, the disease really went viral when concerned citizens began discussing it across Facebook and Twitter. According to Mashable, swine flu was the #3 topic trend on Facebook and the #2 and #6 trends on Twitter in 2009. For those who think Facebook and Twitter are only platforms for trivial discussions, think again.

6. Celebs on Twitter Want to be alerted every time Diddy sips Cristal? Well now you can-thanks to Twitter! Everyone from Lindsay Lohan to Oprah Winfrey to Shaq started microblogging this year, some more successfully than others (we’re looking at you, Shaq). Missed out on the celeb tweeting action? Check out CelebrityTweet.com to get all the latest updates in one place.

Filed under: Digital PR, Internet, Media and Press, Social Media by LindsayDurr - 2 Comments →

In honor of Sesame Street’s 40th anniversary in 2009, I thought I’d cap off the year with the Letter of the Day - make that Letter of the Year.  By my guestimation, the letter E was the hardest working letter in the alphabet in 2009 - used in ads, on packaging and in press releases countless times as marketers described their products as having “eco” qualities or making our lives ”easy,” or used “e” to indicate “electronic.”   No doubt D, G and O ranked high as well, for Digital, Green and Obama.

What were some of the other trends in 2009?  Many of us will remember ‘09 as the year of the budget.  The way we talk to consumers (mass-market consumers anyway) has forever changed.  Features are nice, but price was the deciding factor for most in 2009, and marketers worked hard to cast price in the broader context of “value.”

There’s no arguing with features that don’t cost much, in some cases are free, and make our daily routines easier.  For that reason, 2009 was also the year of the app.  Is there anything we cannot do a little better or faster today without the help of an iPhone (or Blackberry) app?  There’s even a site dedicated to apps for moms, The iPhone Mom.

In 2009, the world - or at least a good 40 million of us - learned to think in headlines, something marketers have always been good at.  Twitter opened the floodgate on one-liners, and personalities like Heather Armstrong (Dooce) and Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh amassed audiences rivaling some magazines and double, triple, ten-fold the readership of many newspapers.

Meanwhile, The New York Times cut nearly 10% of its staff, while several magazines - some still thick with ads like Gourmet and Cookie - turned their last pages.  With traditional media on the run, bloggers took center stage and the FTC took notice, with new rules guiding interactions between marketers and bloggers.  Those who attended the swag-fest that was BlogHer ‘09 welcome the formalized rules, a sign blogs are graduating from their teen years to a more mature media channel.

Perhaps least interesting to me in 2009 were the so-called “news” stories that dominated airwaves (and Twitter and Facebook), like “Balloon Boy” and “Kate and Jon,” so painfully familiar to us they don’t need last names.  Those were two of The Today Show’s “Top 10 stories of 2009″ over the weekend, a list I imagine was developed purely for ratings.  I hope.

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, Events and Conferences, Media and Press, Social Media by LauraTomasetti - No Comments →

The weekly digital news hasn’t exactly been, well, weekly, for some time.  Our apologies, but between the Thanksgiving holiday and client work, the 360PR team has been busy focusing on current campaigns, wrapping up past initiatives and planning for the New Year.  That’s why we’re bringing you three digital news stories that deal with what’s recently happened, what’s currently going on, and what’s on deck in the social media world.  We found the CNN piece on web trends particularly interesting.  What are you looking forward to in 2010?  Feel free to share your thoughts (or New Year’s resolutions) in the comments section!

AllFacebook “The 5 Fastest Growing Brands on Facebook for Black Friday” - While you were sleeping off your tryptophan coma, several brands were gaining serious recognition due to the post-Thanksgiving day shopping hysteria.  This article proves that a brands’ Facebook presence can boost sales.

MediaPost “100 Ways To Measure Social Media” - in PR, metrics definitely matter.  Newspapers have circulations and broadcast segments provide viewership, but how do you show the fruits of your labor when it comes to Twitter, Facebook and blogs?  This piece is a must-read for any PR pro.

CNN “10 Web Trends to Watch in 2010″ - Now’s your chance to get ahead of the curve.  This piece by the genius behind Mashable, Pete Cashmore, contains terms you’ve likely never heard.  Cloud computing, anyone?  Get a jump on what’s projected to be hot come January, and set yourself up for social media success.

Filed under: Internet, Measurement, Social Media by SkyeMcIntyre - 2 Comments →

Blogland will be buzzing tomorrow as the new FTC Guides take effect, clarifying rules for disclosure of material relationships between bloggers and brands.  We talked to blogger members of our MomSquad to get their reaction to the guidelines – what the rules mean for their blogs and what advice bloggers have for brands.

“I couldn’t be happier about the new guidelines,” says Jill Notkin of Work at Home Mom.  “Over the last year, everybody with a computer has jumped on the ‘blogwagon’ and the saturation is making it difficult for serious bloggers to maintain a reputable face.  Maybe this will bring more respect back to blogging.”

“I am now including a disclosure statement at the end of each post – I either add my own verbiage or use verbiage the brand supplies,” explains Mom’s Favorite Stuff’s Jodi Grundig. “Brands should be up front with how they’d like bloggers to handle disclosure on products they supply.  If the brand and blogger isn’t in agreement with how disclosure should be handled, it’s probably not a good fit.  I do think some companies have been going a bit overboard with disclosure, however.  I’ve been asked to write, ‘this recipe was supplied to me for free from xx.’  I really don’t want to see blogs become all disclosure/no valuable content.”

“In order to give an honest review, you must try products and put them to the test.  It’s no secret companies offer products for this purpose and your audience will not think less of your opinions when this is disclosed,” comments Julie Gerber of The Gerber Babies Blog (not that ‘Gerber’).
“I think brands should look at the sites first and find the blogs that are a good fit for them,” advises Anisa Raoff of Kidoinfo. “Do they want to send their product out to whoever will review it or does it matter who the blogger is?  Do they want to align with certain blogs because of the content on their site?”  Great questions.

“Brands need to cover their own ‘behinds’ – there are plenty of review bloggers who take [the FTC Guides] seriously and work professionally and there are others who do not,” adds Posh Parent Clarissa Nassar, also a Glambassador for Glamour magazine.

“I just wish the rest of the media world was held to similar accountability, especially celebrities,” says Mommy Niri Nirasha Jaganath.

And on that note, the FTC guides do go beyond bloggers, extending the same rules of transparency and disclosure to third-party experts utilized as spokespersons and celebrity endorsements – and that’s a good thing.  We’ll have much more on this topic in the December issue of the 360PR MomSquad Trendletter. Meantime, some good resources are Blog with Integrity and the Council of PR Firms’ Code of Ethics. Love to hear your comments!

Filed under: Blogger Relations, Digital PR, Marketing to Moms, Social Media by LauraTomasetti - 4 Comments →

In case you’re unaware, the 360PR Facebook Fan page launched yesterday! To celebrate, this week’s digital news stories all focus on, you guessed it, Facebook!

The 360 digital team invites you to become a fan of 360 Public Relations and poke around on our page.  You may be surprised to see dogs outfitted in Snuggies walking the runway and 360PR staffers dressed in furry hats and boas, but we promise, it’s all there.  You can also catch up on news related to 360PR, like our most recent edition of the MomSquad Trendletter.  You can even read our blog posts right on our page!

So log on, and then read on, for the latest Facebook buzz!

All Facebook “Want To Run a Promotion For Your Company? Facebook Must Approve It First” – Many brands offer promotions via their Facebook pages.  Previously, these promos were, for the most part, freely run and seemed to greatly benefit the company behind the contest by gaining fans and building buzz.  As of last Thursday, Facebook is cracking down on the rules and regulations behind company-run Facebook promotions. Not only is there a new set of strict guidelines outlining what companies can and cannot do, Facebook must approve all promos before they go live.

Mashable “Facebook Ads Now Let You Target Friends of Your Fans” – A new feature from Facebook Ads allows you to expand your audience beyond just your friends. Now, if you’re invited to an event, are part of a group, or use a Facebook application, your friends are able to see ads targeted at you.  Marketers rejoice!

All Facebook “5 Ways to Instantly Boost Your Facebook Page Traffic” – This is one article you can bet we’ve studied up on!  It’s all in the name – gain fans by implementing the strategies in this piece.

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Internet, Social Media by SkyeMcIntyre - 2 Comments →

Following the landmark research reveal on 2008 social media adoption trends by Dr. Nora Barnes at last Friday’s Society for New Communications Research Symposium SNCR.com, I floated a question that richoted around the room like a bullet.

Very simply I asked, “Who was the first Fortune 500 company to blog?”

Dr. Barnes respectfully deferred the question to the many experts in the room, and it was an immediate jumpball. Shel Israel was the first to speak up, saying he was fairly certain that General Motor’s was the first official mover in 2005 with its fastlane blog.  John Cass took possession of the ball next saying he was fairly certain that either SUN or Microsoft, or maybe both, were ahead of GM. A brawl ensued.

To get some answers, I reached out to Steve Harris at General Motors and Molly O’Donnel at Microsoft.  John Cass was a huge help too - he has been following all these guys since 2004 - forever in internet years - and was able to dig up some old blog posts and research for me.

So, who was right?

[Read more →]

Filed under: Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Social Media by CindyGordon - 1 Comment →

Research doesn’t easily wow me, but this particular study did.

I’m referring to the research presented by Dr. Nora Barnes from The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth at last Friday’s SNCR conference in Cambridge, MA.   Her study compared the adoption rates of social media from 2007 and 2008 between the 200 largest charities, the Fortune 500, the Inc 500, and the top US colleges and universities.

This study reveals that use of social networking, blogging and video blogging has increased dramatically. Video is up 38%, social networking 47% and blogging.

What’s really remarkable are the differences between sectors.

Charitable organizations are outpacing the business world and academia in their use of social media. In the study, a remarkable 89% percent of charities are using some form of social media including blogs, podcasts, message boards, social networking, video blogging and wikis.

 Also, charities are far and away “out-blogging” everyone. 57% of charities have blogs.  The Fortune 500 has the fewest number of blogs at 16%, followed by the Inc. 500 with 39%. Colleges and universities are blogging at 41%.

My initial reaction was to question how this could be happening when clearly top companies have many times the staff and money resources of non profits. Then I remembered that no matter the depth of your organization or the size of your budget, everyone can have an equal voice on the internet. What matters is the power of your brand.

[Read more →]

Filed under: Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Industry Organizations, Social Media by CindyGordon - 1 Comment →

Filed under: Internet, Social Media by SkyeMcIntyre - 1 Comment →