• Domino's Targets TV Watchers on Twitter
    Everyone's talking about the "second screen" phenomenon and "social viewing," but how exactly do you advertise stuff to TV watchers using social media? Domino's Pizza, staple of televisual dining around the world, tackled the challenge in the U.K. by using Twitter data about TV-related conversations to target viewers with TV-themed promoted tweets aligned with Domino's broadcast spots.
  • Most Parents Snoop on Teens' Social Media
    Call it "monitoring," "checking up," "keeping tabs on," or whatever other generous euphemism you prefer, but most parents -- over three quarters, in fact -- are snooping around their teenage children's social media profiles, according to a new survey by online coupon purveyor vouchercloud.net. This probably comes as a surprise to approximately nobody. But for those of you wondering about the ethical ramifications, it may be comforting to learn that just 12% of parents feel guilty about conducting social media surveillance. Embrace your inner snoops, people!
  • Predicting Social Trends Two Months In Advance
    There are plenty of marketers out there whose sole occupation is tracking social media to detect new trends about to surface, and they're not alone: from law enforcement and public health workers to economists and stock market speculators, there's a wide range of disciplines that stand to benefit from predictive social media analysis. Towards that end a new study from researchers at Yale, the University of California-San Diego, the Universidad Autnoma of Madrid, and NICTA of Australia, formulated a technique that they claim can forecast social media trends up to two months in advance.
  • Locker: It's Like Pinterest for Sports Gear
    While they are unlikely to spend hours poring over pictures of artisanal vegan lasagna or the perfect summer wedding dress, athletes aren't totally immune to the Pinterest effect: it's all about coveting the gear, a process which is facilitated by gazing longingly at pictures of, say, those $450 trainers or the latest $2,000 carbon fiber golf clubs.
  • Facebook Unveils FB Newswire
    To say reporters are obsessed with Twitter would be an understatement: what with our lust for novelty and teeny-tiny attention spans, many of us spend so much time with the little blue bird it's surprising we get any work done (some of us don't). But Facebook is setting out to challenge Twitter's dominance in the journalistic world with a new news service, FB Newswire, created in collaboration with Storyful and tailored to editorial needs.
  • Hashtag Blues: NYPD Twitter Campaign Backfires
    The best laid plans of mice and men gang oft agley, Robert Burns tells us -- and sometimes the plans weren't laid particularly well in the first place. On that note this week the New York City Police Department discovered that hashtags can be a double-edged sword, as people may use them for purposes quite other than you intended.
  • Site Lets You Anonymously Tell Loved Ones to Watch the Road
    If you're like me -- deeply conflict-averse -- then you probably don't relish the idea of calling out your loved ones for their stupid behavior. But some things are so important you can't let them slide, and that definitely includes distracted driving. Happily for those of us who shy away from confrontation, there is now an anonymous online site that lets you tell your loved ones to put the smartphone down and watch the damn road, please.
  • Lancome Offers Rewards for Social Media Activity
    Luxury cosmetics maker Lancôme is launching a new loyalty program, Lancôme Elite Rewards, offering consumers special deals in return for social media engagement and purchases. Like most other loyalty programs, the Elite Rewards program uses a point system that awards participants 10 points for every $1 they spend in a store or online -- but it also offers 50 points every time they connect with Lancôme on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Foursquare, and 25 points every time they share their favorite products on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Participants also get points for activities like watching online beauty tutorials, according to …
  • You Can Crowdfund Your Boob Job!
    Ain't the Internet grand? With the rise of "crowdsourcing" and user-generated services, you can use private cars as taxis, stay in someone's home like a hotel, and raise money from total strangers for your boob job. Yes, it's a brave new world where you can crowdfund cosmetic surgery.
  • Parents Embarrassing, Study Confirms
    If you've ever felt humiliated or embarrassed by your parents on social media, know that you are not alone: a survey of British social media users has confirmed that parents are deeply mortifying online, just as in ordinary life.
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