New Mobile Merchant App Keeps Retailers Connected

MerchantCircle has released a new iPhone application that it’s calling the first mobile app designed specifically for local merchants. The new Merchant Mobile App enables local merchants to create, upload and manage content such as daily deals, photos and status updates across multiple social networks. Users can also use the app to respond… [[ This […]

Social Networks Consume 22% Of Australians' Time Online

Facebook (along with a few other social media sites) exerts a strong pull in many countries all over the world, and new stats from comScore confirm that one of them is Australia.  comScore’s found that Australians dedicated almost 22 percent of their time online in December 2010 to social networks, versus 16.6 percent a year […]

RIM to Improve BlackBerry Contacts with Gist

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) announced that it has acquired Gist.  Gist provides information about contacts, by creating a business profile for each one that includes recent news, status updates, and work details. It works by pulling contacts from various inboxes, address books, social networks, and other sources, then adding news, status updates, blog […]

Super Bowl XLV Social Media Marketing

Super Bowl XLV promised to be the ‘Social Bowl’ of advertising with commercials predicted to be more ingrained in social media than ever before.  Starting with early nods to Pepsi Max and Doritos whose Crash the Super Bowl contest put six ads, all created and voted on by consumers, in the Sunday line-up.  As well […]

Hottest of 2010 are Most Likely Targets for Crime in 2011

A report released on Tuesday by security firm McAfee predicts that the top targets for cybercrime in 2011 will include smartphones, geolocation services, URL shorteners and devices that run Apple operating systems. Social networks and Internet TV platforms such as Google TV also made the list of potential threats from online… [[ This is a […]

Check Out These LinkedIn Groups If You're in PR

If you work in PR, chances are you have one of three needs: * A need to build or grow your network. * A need to acquire new skills or hone existing ones. * A need to find a new job. While you could argue many social networks meet these three needs adequately, I might […]

Hitwise Finds Visits To Social Networks Surging

Out of a desire to say "hi" to old friends, reconnect with family members, or perhaps get a moment away from visiting relatives, it looks like lots of people are signing into social networks this month.  Indeed, Hitwise relayed some UK-specific stats today, and the increase has been sharp enough that Facebook might top Google […]

Marketing and Personal Implications of a Facebook Email Service

Rumor has it that Facebook will unveil its webmail product on Monday. That means look out Yahoo Mail. Look out Hotmail, and more interestingly in the grand scheme of things, look out Gmail.  I was going to wait until the official announcement from Facebook on Monday to talk about this, so we can get all […]

Hulu Plus Makes Appearance On Sony Dash

Hulu Plus, the $9.99 per month service that has so far failed to attract much positive attention, scored another (small) victory today.  Now Hulu Plus is available through the Sony Dash, a device designed to inhabit bedrooms, kitchens, and offices. A little more info on the Dash in case you’re unfamiliar with it: Sony describes […]

Distinction Between Email And Social Networks Eroding

The popularity of social networking services, along with changing demographics and work styles, will lead 20 percent of employees to use social networks as a main business communication tool by 2014, according to a new report from Gartner. With Facebook expected to launch its own email service on Monday, analysts at Gartner seem to be […]

eBay + Paypal + Facebook Connect = Group Gift-Buying

In an attempt to capitalize on the rise of social commerce, online auction behemoth eBay launched its Group Gifts service today, enabling users to source the power of their social networks to collectively purchase gifts. In the case…

YYMI Newsletter Oct 26-A quick Update and a funny marketing fail

Marketing Fail of the Week Courtesy of Failblog.org Something tells me that the good folk in Salt Lake Utah didn’t realize they had a branding issue. It pays to check out a proof before going to print. The Cats Out of the Bag… by Laura In our last newsletter I alluded to a well known […]