ReadyPulse Unveils Social Brand Advocacy Platform by Erik Sass

ReadyPulse, a startup created by execs from Microsoft and Amazon.com, launched a social brand advocacy platform this week, which is designed to help marketers identify and engage with fans in the social media environment, and convert them into online brand advocates. The ReadyPulse brand advocacy service, based on a behavior analysis and recommendations engine, includes a real-time online dashboard which assigns a loyalty rank to social media followers and also helps brands (and agencies using social media) measure how much these followers are worth. ...Read the whole story

  • Banyan Branch Launches Media-Buying Unit by Steve McClellan

    Banyan Branch, which bills itself as a full-service social media agency, just got a little more full service. It has launched a media buying practice that will focus on paid social media ads to amplify and complement the work on social media programs it does for clients. ...Read the whole story

  • Social Media Chatter Ups Live TV Stats by Gavin O'Malley

    Rather than cannibalize "old media," some online activities can actually boost viewership. In particular, new research shows that social media can significantly increase consumers' TV time. A majority (58%) of heavy engagers -- i.e., consumers who share related thoughts via social networks at least 10 times a week -- report watching more live TV. ...Read the whole story

  • automotive Q&A: With Ram Truck's Marissa Hunter, Part II by Karl Greenberg

    Marissa Hunter, who heads up marketing communications for Chrysler's Ram Truck brand, talks about how the brand is reaching potential customers and using social media and event marketing to do it. ...Read the whole story

Engage Like It's 2009 by Maryanne Conlin

A new day has dawned in digital marketing to moms - or should I say, yet another new day has dawned, with Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest all announcing big format changes in the last 30 days. That of course follows the sudden explosion of Pinterest, the ridiculously fast adoption of tablets and "second screens," and, of course, the cautious, but now seemingly real, end to this economic downturn. ...More

  • Welders: Creating Sparks In The Social Space by Gord Hotchkiss

    A few weeks ago, I was asked to keynote at an annual gathering of welding equipment manufacturers. The topic? Social media, which had emerged as the number one thing these industrial marketers wanted to learn more about during their previous conference. Now, if that image introduces some cognitive dissonance, you're not alone. Anyone I mentioned this to tended to raise an eyebrow and look at me with skepticism. ...More

  • Once Upon A Time, There Was A Tongue Cleaner... by Catharine P. Taylor

    As faithful readers of this column know, lately I've been obsessed with stories, more specifically, whether some brands, in some categories, will actually have any to tell. If they don't, this will come as a huge disadvantage in a world in which brands, like people, have Timelines on Facebook. Seriously, though, can't you just picture a brand making a big deal on its Timeline about that new packaging or logo that no actual human in their right mind cares about? If telling stories is a problem for you, dear brand manager, the Social Media Insider is here to tell you ...More