The Problem with Facebook Data

via The Toad Stool by Alan Wolk

“But while the Like button has become ubiquitous and a seeming smash hit for Facebook, it does not appear to be used in any consistent manner. That was its selling point: a lower key way for users to indicate approval for a brand, but it’s also it’s Achille’s heel: if users aren’t displaying any sort of consistency in the way they use the like button, then the resulting data is fairly inaccurate and not all that useful. (Bye-bye monetization.)”

Fantastic post by Alan.

Television's Future Has a Social Soundtrack

via Harvard Business Review by Deb Roy

“We are witnessing the creation of a fundamentally new mode of human communication. One-way broadcast TV has been augmented with millions of real-time audience feedback signals that are shaping audience decisions of what to watch and how to interpret what they see. This new force promises to redefine how political campaigns of the future will be won, how marketers will sell, and over time this mass-interactive medium will give rise to new forms of news and entertainment.”

Brilliant post from Bluefin Labs co-founder.

Facebook, Twitter, Television, and the Second Screen

via WindMill Marketing by Chris Treadaway

…And according to Mashable, it (Facebook) had roughly an 8-to-1 advantage over Twitter in terms ofOscar 2013 social interactions.  So why is Twitter the alleged #1 social network for live events?  A few reasons:

1. Edgerank — News Feed real estate is and remains to be cherished by Facebook Users.
2. Shelf life of a Tweet vs. Facebook Status Update — Tweets come & go during live events. Wait a second, and your screen is replaced with another dozen tweets or more depending on how many people you follow.
3. Virality — Say something clever on Twitter, and millions of people might be exposed to it.  That isn’t really possible on Facebook.
4. Discoverability — Social chatter takes place on Facebook, but is happening on Users’ Profiles, Pages, and to a lesser extent in Groups. Twitter’s simplicity makes the chatter there appear to be more “alive”.
5. Decorum — Facebook has emerged as the place for being careful about what you share. It has become our lifestream, a record of our lives.  Twitter on the other hand is the record of our reactions. Twitter is where you let loose.

JWT Launches "Walter" a Pop-Up Agency for Startups at SXSW

via Ad Age by David Teicher

Startups can win a marketing and media strategy from a great agency.

Incredibly powerful deck from Wieden + Kennedy. 

Twitter and TV - A Producers Guide

Love this new spot from Second Market and the Mayor’s Office in NYC.

Innovative Advertising Is About Integrating TV with Social - KIA Motors Uses Social Media to Reach the New Audience of Couch Commerce Consumers and Creates a Brand Machine

via Forbes by John Furrier

"According to Altimeter Group industry social media analyst Jeremiah Owyang, “(at the Oscars) brands failed at integrating second screen (social and engagement) during Oscar Ads. Real time Marketing was experimental, but overall, not an integrated experience”.

Nice post on the strategy and coordination it takes to create a successful integration around TV and social.

Ten Years Damaging Reputation: The Streisand Effect and How to Avoid It.

via Experience the Blog by Augie Ray

This is not the first time I’ve written about the Streisand Effect, and something tells me it will not be the last. Of course, preventing the Streisand Effect is really quite easy. If a piece of incorrect or damaging information begins to circulate, the recipe to avoid danger is:

1. Stop! Do not act until dispassionate logic has the upper hand over emotional reaction.
   
2. Do not rely solely on lawyers for guidance. For both action and communication decisions, involve PR, reputation management and social media professionals for counsel.
   
3. Appreciate that the offending information is on the Internet and will never disappear. Your goal is not to get it removed but to react in a way that mitigates damage.
   
4. Do not overreact to the situation. Take stock of how much the information is really spreading, if the company’s customers and prospects care, and whether it will impact the company’s reputation and business. Sometimes, no action is better than anything else.
   
5. Be transparent and embrace openness. Show people you have nothing to hide, care what they think and are open to feedback.
   
6. Do not hesitate to correct—but not censor—erroneous information. Combat misinformation in the same channels it is spreading. For example, fight video with video—you cannot counter a viral YouTube video with a press release.
   
7. Engage consumers, advocates and influencers in a conversation. This is not a shouting match but a dialog.
   
8. Admit fault where there is fault. You cannot hide from the court of public opinion, and pleading guilty will often do more to end the spread of damaging information and enhance reputation than trying to evade.
   
9. Do not, under any circumstances, post and tweet the same canned language time after time. This is like throwing gasoline on a fire, and it will only make matters worse. Avoid corporate speak and talk like a person.
   
10. Lastly, do not wait for a reputation event before you consider how to address one. Be prepared. Have a plan. Drill on it, to make sure your tools, processes and people are ready. 

Remember, these situation are not about information but about People (people who need people). If you want the Internet to not Rain On Your Parade, avoid Emotion, and soon Happy Days Will Be Here Again—you and your customers will be back to The Way You Were. 

Augie really nails it here with data to back up the issue for a decade and actionable solutions for brands, networks and agencies alike. Brilliant.

Five Fast Truths About Real-Time Marketing

via Ad Age by Ian Schafer

This entire post is MUST READ stuff in my opinion, but below are some of the very real truths about Real-Time Marketing’s evolution.

Real-Time Is Also About the Future
If brands want their content to be shared, it needs to be built that way. In this feed-dominated media landscape, there is more than enough data being generated every second for us to have the ability to make better decisions about what events and what kinds of content (photos, videos, etc.) will actually be shared. Successful brands will have real data inputs that enable them to confidently pre-optimize their content for sharing. Platforms or third-party tools will be integral providers of this data to brands. Cross-platform data will be the most valuable.

Real-Time Is About Reach and Relevance
Data will also inform a quicker decision-making process when it comes to planning and buying media, which must be closer in proximity to the content. Whether that means real-time content publishers are also buying media, or media buyers being more synergized with a publishing platform, time is becoming one of the most important factors when it comes to making real-time content work. As platforms’ native ad solutions mature, it will be integral for media buyers to help ensure that the right content is seen by as many of the right people as possible before the content expires. Furthermore, social platforms have become both publishing channels and media channels. We can publish ads and see how they perform before we invest media dollars in them. As we evaluate real-time content’s performance, we will no longer look at the number of retweets; we will look at that content’s velocity and reach. This represents yet another invaluable opportunity for brands to rethink their media-planning and -buying approaches—which must be scrutinized, as consumption habits have changed faster than brands have.

Real-Time Is Mobile First
"Feed culture" has reoriented our media consumption, from horizontal to vertical, and this change may be permanent. Real-time content works best in a feed, as that is typically the point of (re)sharing. One of the best side effects of being a real-time branded-content publisher is significantly improved mobile penetration—the majority of mobile-app usage is social in nature. It may very well be that many brands find that the best mobile advertising strategy is a good real-time content strategy.

Real-Time Is Operational
When brands have their “Marco Rubio moment,” they are expected to have a team of clever Photoshoppers and copywriters standing at the ready. But this is what agencies are for. Brands alone can’t just adopt a more real-time mind-set. Their agencies must evolve the ways they service marketers in an always-on world, and rethink at least part of the creative process. A “creative newsroom,” like we have in the Deep Focus Moment Studio, is one way. Other frameworks will emerge and will separate always-on agencies from those built for campaigns. I never thought I’d say this, but it is actually possible for at least part of an agency to be fast, good and inexpensive if you’re built that way.

While these truths are cornerstones of an effective real-time marketing strategy, the moves needed to make real-time a reality may be different for every brand and agency. But one thing is for sure: The biggest hurdle is the way we have always done things up to now.