Archive | Digital Media RSS feed for this section

Enterprise Virtual Agent Provider IntelliResponse Unveils New Website

27 Aug

Toronto, Ontario (PRWEB) August 27, 2012

IntelliResponse Systems, the leading provider of virtual agent technology solutions that drive profitable online conversations, is pleased to announce the official launch of its newly designed website at http://www.intelliresponse.com.

Online customer self-service and virtual agent technology is an exciting but rapidly expanding market with a growing variety of offerings for organizations to choose from. IntelliResponse’s new website aims to provide greater clarity for organizations that want to better understand how they can deliver a superior online customer self-service experience. By empowering consumers with the right tools to take their online interactions to a new level, organizations can drive new revenue, customer loyalty and insight, while simultaneously reducing customer service costs.

“Consumer-facing organizations that want to provide an enterprise-level, integrated customer service experience across all channels – web, mobile, or social media – will gain the most benefit from our Enterprise Virtual Agent (EVA) solutions,” explained Mike Hennessy, Vice President, Marketing at IntelliResponse. “Our latest website provides many educational resources, videos, and tools to help visitors more easily obtain the information they need and to quickly understand which solution is right for them.”

The IntelliResponse Virtual Agent solution empowers organizations to create profitable online conversations with prospective and existing customers in a variety of ways. By guiding customers through the information gathering process and acting as an “online concierge”, IntelliResponse Virtual Agents increase the likelihood of conversion to sales and solve a variety of customer experience and customer service issues.

Follow IntelliResponse on Twitter @IntelliResponse and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/IntelliResponseInc

About IntelliResponse Systems IntelliResponse is the leading provider of virtual agent and knowledge management software solutions for the enterprise. We create profitable online conversations for our private and public sector customers around the world.

With our patented Enterprise Virtual Agent (EVA) solutions, corporate websites, mobile applications, social media channels and agent desktops can all be transformed by an engaging virtual concierge, empowering customers to ask questions using natural, conversational language and delivering an effective and engaging online experience.

With more than 360 live customer-facing implementations answering 100 million+ questions annually, IntelliResponse is the gold standard in first line customer experience management.

For more information about IntelliResponse, visit http://www.intelliresponse.com.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9841234.htm

SOURCE: PRWeb

Foot Locker ‘Approved’ Campaign Launches With NBA All-Stars

16 Aug
If it's at Foot Locker, it's #Approved.  (PRNewsFoto/Foot Locker)
NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/
Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL), the New York-based specialty athletic retailer, today unveiled its latest national advertising and integrated marketing campaign.  This is the first effort under the Approved umbrella created by worldwide advertising agency BBDO, and features three spots starring a dynamic group of elite NBA All-Stars including Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, James Harden, Kevin Love, and Russell Westbrook.

“At Foot Locker, we know that our customer wants the best in style and performance so that they stand out with confidence, and that’s exactly what we are providing them,” said Foot Locker EVP of Marketing Stacy Cunningham.  “As an authority and source for top men’s athletic footwear and apparel, we pride ourselves on delivering the hottest sneakers and apparel with quality to match. If it’s at Foot Locker, it’s Approved.”

Beginning August 16, the Approved affirmation will come to life across a breadth of channels, including a comprehensive in-store experience, broadcast, print, and digital. The Approved campaign will emphasize Foot Locker’s commitment to providing customers with the premium footwear and apparel they can trust.  The comedic commercials feature the five charismatic players off the court in entertaining and compromising situations highlighting the season’s latest trends in footwear and apparel. Sneaker enthusiasts will be able to connect with the NBA athletes they love through social media channels to share photos and engage in commentary.

“To me, the Approved campaign means that the style and pieces are stamped, they’re validated, they’re solidified by Foot Locker,” said NBA Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony. “It’s that stamp of approval that you can only get at Foot Locker.”

The spots center around the fantastical lengths the guys go to in order to keep their Foot Locker Approved gear fresh. For example in “Tear Away,” Harden peels off an infinitely layered outfit from Foot Locker and in “Melos,” Anthony has a team of “extra Melos” sporting all his new gear, so he can wear everything at the same time. Another example is “Yacht,” where Harden and Love don’t want to have to take off their Approved Foot Locker gear when they get in the pool, so they ride around on  a forty-foot inflatable pool yacht.

The campaign comes during a key selling season for Foot Locker retail stores, which offers everything from shoes, shirts, hats and hoodies to help complete the fall look.

To view the new advertisements, please visit youtube.com/footlocker.

About Foot Locker:
Foot Locker, Inc. is a specialty athletic retailer that operates approximately 3,350 stores in 23 countries in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Through its Foot Locker, Footaction, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, and CCS retail stores, as well as its direct-to-customer channels, including footlocker.com, Eastbay, and CCS.com, the Company is a leading provider of athletic footwear and apparel.

Additional information may be found at www.footlocker.com | Twitter: @FLunlocked #Approved | YouTube: www.youtube.com/footlocker | Blog: http://unlocked.footlocker.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/footlocker

Contacts:
Bryan Kirsch, Edelman
Bryan.Kirsch@Matter-Edelman.com
212-729-2126

Kelly Pepe, Edelman
Kelly.Pepe@Edelman.com
212-819-4874

SOURCE: Foot Locker http://www.footlocker.com

PR Newswire

SMS Security Systems New Website Is the Pinnacle in Customer Service

14 Aug

CALDWELL, N.J., Aug. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/

Over the past 27 years, SMS Security Systems has grown into one of the most successful Security and Life Safety Systems companies in northern and central New Jersey. And now, with the launch of their new website, www.smsalarms.com, customers have 24/7 access to the most vital and comprehensive information regarding their security and safety issues.

“With products, laws, and industry standards changing so rapidly, offering state-of-the-art technology while maintaining a highly knowledgeable staff of professionals has always been our goal,” says SMS president Scott Stellfox. “And now with this amazing new website, every answer a customer might need, including the ability to log into your system from wherever you are, has really brought our level of customer service to new heights.”

SMS works in the areas of residential, commercial, and municipal, offering four main areas of service: Security, Fire Alarms and Inspections, Card Access Control, and Camera Systems. And now with interactive services available, customers can control things in their home or business via smart phone. Lights, appliances, door locks and thermostats can be activated from afar, as well as full video monitoring of your home or business.

“Many of our customers don’t realize what a wide scope of services we offer,” claims Stellfox. “With this new website, people can feel at ease knowing that we have their best interest in mind. There are videos you can learn from, along with downloadable brochures of the latest products and technologies. We also send out emails on a regular basis, with important updates for new software and product releases that you can learn even more about on our new website.”

SMS Security Systems is A+ Rated with the Better Business Bureau and is a proud member of the New Jersey Burglar & Fire Alarm Association, where Mr. Stellfox has served as a member of their Board of Directors and as Northern Region Vice President. SMS offers free estimates and security consultations and you can always request a quote online.

Contact Information:

Scott Stellfox
Toll-Free Phone: 1 (800) 772-4767
Office Phone: 1(973)226-7711
Fax: 1(973)226-2745

Website: www.smsalarms.com
email: info@smsalarms.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/smsalarms.nj

Office Address: 295 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell, NJ 07006
Mailing Address: PO Box 191, Caldwell, NJ 07006-0191

This press release was issued through eReleases® Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE: SMS Security Systems, PRNewswire

Putting the ‘ME’ in MEdia at GRAPH EXPO 2012

13 Aug

Cincinnati, Ohio/Northern Kentucky (PRWEB) August 13, 2012

Ed McMasters, Director of Marketing and Communications, for the Flottman Company, has been selected to present a special session titled, “Putting the ME in MEdia,” at GRAPH EXPO 2012 on Tuesday, October 9. This highly informational presentation is one of 50 hot-topic sessions in 31 education categories selected to comprise the GRAPH EXPO 2012 Conference Program.

GRAPH EXPO 2012, spanning the realm of print, online and mobile medias is slated for October 7-10, 2012 in Chicago’s McCormick Place. As the industry’s largest gathering of the year, print professionals from around the globe will convene for the event in Chicago for a week of education, industry benchmarking and networking. As Tom Flottman, CEO of Flottman Company stated, “This Expo will attract print professionals from every key market segment and niche, GRAPH EXPO 2012 will be the ‘Mecca’ for the print industry, and it is an honor to have our very own Ed McMasters present.”

According to McMasters, there are numerous opportunities that print, online and social media in tandem have for increasing marketability of an individual, product, service and/or organization. In this timely session, GRAPH EXPO attendees will discover how with a minimal budget, by planning, building and sustaining media momentum they can increase brand awareness and profits with maximum success. This fast-paced session will reveal the secrets to sustainable media coverage and how the material can be immediately applied to any type business in any industry, regardless of size or focus.

McMasters will be representing not only the Flottman Company but also the Printing Industries of Ohio/Northern Kentucky as one of the only area speakers selected to present at GRAPH EXPO 2012. McMasters’ presentation was selected based on the timeliness of the content and documented successes of the process that he will share.

This seminar session is ideal for attendees responsible for marketing, communications and other small business professionals with the desire to elevate marketing awareness of their organization. Entrepreneurs to business owners, seasoned public relations professionals to novice marketers – will glean information that can be utilized instantly, even before the session is over.

Based on McMasters’ media strategies, Flottman Company, a digital graphics communications firm, has experienced twelve consecutive months of media coverage from national outlets including The New York Times and CNBC-TV, industry journals including Print Solutions, Print Professional and Pharmaceutical and Medical Packaging News, as well as hometown publications including the Cincinnati Business Courier and Cincinnati Enquirer. McMasters has utilized these techniques with immense success in a number of diverse applications such as the video game industry, financial advisory, tourism, event promotions, product marketing and corporation communications.

For more information and to register for GRAPH EXPO 2012, visit: http://www.graphexpo.com.

To sign-up for “Putting the ME in MEdia” presented by Ed McMasters, visit: http://bit.ly/Nyee2z

If you would like more information about the Flottman Company, to schedule an interview with Tom Flottman or Ed McMasters, please contact Ed McMasters (513) 470-9461 or e-mail Ed at emcmasters(at)FlottmanCo(dot)com.

About Flottman Company
The Flottman Company is a full-service graphic communications firm founded in 1921 and headquartered in Northern Kentucky. The company provides a wide array of printing, design and strategic marketing services to enable clients to “Communicate Brilliantly;” including 1:1 marketing solutions through variable data, pURL and QR codes, Every Door Direct Mail, complete digital printing for commercial marketing and specialization in pharmaceutical printing and manufacturing of miniature folded inserts and outserts. The Green Business Council awarded Flottman Company the 2012 Green Business Strategy Award and Flottman was named one of the 2012 TriState Business Success Award companies. The Printing Industries of Ohio and Northern Kentucky honored the Flottman Company their 2011 Printer of the Year and in 2010, the University of Cincinnati honored the Flottman’s with the Tri-State Family Business of the Year Award. The company is a privately held, family owned business, currently run by the third generation of Flottmans: Tom Flottman, Sue Flottman Steller and Peter Flottman.

About Ed McMasters
Ed McMasters currently serves as the Director of Marketing & Communications for the Flottman Company. Prior to his work with Flottman; McMasters was employed with the Cincinnati USA Tourism Network, Take 2 Entertainment, Schaeffer’s Investment Research and Sterling Jewelers for his media, marketing and communications abilities. McMasters has work with organizations such as Wal Mart, Nintendo, Sony, Cincinnati Reds, American Marketing Association, Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau and the 2012 World Choir Games as a communications and marketing liaison. McMasters holds a Masters in Business Administration from Northern Kentucky University and Salzburg University in Salzburg Austria, a Bachelors of Interpersonal and Public Communications and Theatre from Bowling Green State University and has a graphics design certification.

GRAPH EXPO 2012
Recognized as the most expansive exhibition in the Americas of offset, digital and hybrid technologies, products and services for the commercial, transactional, converting and package printing, publishing, mailing, in-plant, photo imaging and marketing industries, this year’s “Print Integrated” themed GRAPH EXPO will offer an exciting show-going experience for a diverse spectrum of attendees. The tradeshow will present the latest graphic communications technologies in live equipment demonstrations across the show floor and education on the most in-demand products and newest profit-making opportunities. For more information about GRAPH EXPO and to register, visit: http://www.graphexpo.com.

SOURCE: PRWEB

Think Big Online Launches New Social Media Management Service

11 Aug

(PRWEB) August 11, 2012

Think Big Online is releasing a new [Social Media Management Service designed to give business owners a Done For You social media presence. One of the biggest complaints business owners have is that social media is time consuming. With Think Big Online’s new Social Media Management Service there is no need for businesses to actively manage their presence.

“We’ve developed a complete hands free experience for business owners, where they can have an active and engaging social media presence without having to do all the hard work. Our team of qualified and experienced social media consultants will set up their presence and then manage it to results for them,” says Samuel Junghenn owner of Think Big Online.

Social media is a fast growing online advertising medium for businesses, with Facebook now being the most visited site in the world accounting for one in five of all daily visits. The new Social Media Management service launched by Think Big Online focuses not just on Facebook but on other popular social networks as well.

“We’re not focusing just on Facebook, we understand that different businesses will get results from different social networks. Our goal is to select and use social networks which would get the best results for the businesses,” says Samuel Junghenn owner of Think Big Online.

Business owners who are interested in a hand off, done for you social media management service can get a free preview of the service. The first step in developing the managed plan for businesses is a social media strategy review.

Currently Think Big Online are offering this service free to all business owners, all you need to do is complete a simple review request form and then make an appointment with a Think Big Online social media consultant.

“The free reviews are designed to help business owners get direction on their social media strategy. Too many businesses are not effectively utilizing social media and we hope to correct that with these reviews.” Says Samuel Junghenn owner of Think Big Online.

To claim your Social Media Strategy review visit: [http://www.ThinkBigOnline.com/social-media-management/

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9785612.htm

SOURCE: PRWEB.COM Newswire

Microsoft Committed to Do Not Track by Default

10 Aug

Microsoft Committed to Do Not Track by Default. Read: http://ow.ly/cRVH2 #Microsoft @SOWhatSOcial_

Here’s Everything Marissa Mayer Is Doing To Make Yahoo More Like Google

10 Aug

Here’s Everything Marissa Mayer Is Doing To Make Yahoo More Like Google. Read: http://ow.ly/cRVCC #Google #Yahoo

How To Go Viral On YouTube: The Untold Truth Behind Getting Views

10 Aug

How To Go Viral On YouTube: The Untold Truth Behind Getting Views. Read: http://ow.ly/cRVfb #YouTube #viral #socialmedia

Five Tips to Make Company Blogs Worth Reading

9 Aug

Five Tips to Make Company Blogs Worth Reading. Read: http://ow.ly/cRGS4 #socialmedia #blog

City of Vancouver Completes $3-Million Overhaul of Website

9 Aug

City of Vancouver Completes Three-Year, $3-Million Overhaul of Website. Read: http://ow.ly/cRESY #Vancouver

Combine Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Reader

9 Aug

Combine Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, & Google Reader To Make Sense Of Real Time News. Read: http://ow.ly/cRoZh #Facebook #Twitter #LinkedIn #Google

Why the Market Loves LinkedIn — and Hate Facebook

9 Aug

Why the Market Loves LinkedIn — and Hates Facebook. Read: http://ow.ly/cRoJS #LinkedIn #Facebook #socialmedia

The Rules Of Social Media

9 Aug

The Rules Of Social Media. Read: http://ow.ly/cRnI0 #socialmedia

iCastleville.com Publishes New Quest Guide for Social Media Strategy Game Castleville

9 Aug

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) August 08, 2012

iCastleville.com, the leading independent news and updates website for the popular Castleville social media game, is delighted to announce the publication of a new quest guide on its website.

The new guide, for the Baz Occupational Hazard Quest, is only available for those players who have already reached level XXVI and above. In addition, gamers must have completed the Castleville Game ‘Duke The Lamont Swamp Quest ‘before they can attempt the Baz Occupational Hazard Quest.

iCastleville.com, said that they had published a guide in response to growing frustration from a number of game, who complained that the new quest was far too difficult and time-consuming to compete.

The Baz Occupational Hazard Quest involves searching for a monster (a dragon), and is known to be one of the toughest quests in the game to date. Even so, players who can complete the quest will be well rewarded for their efforts with a dragon skull, dragon horn and topiary dragon.

The new Baz Occupational Hazard Quest guide, which is available for free on iCastleville.com’s official website, details step-by-step the process that gamers need to follow in order to successfully complete the quest.

In addition, it lists all of the items, powers, and special abilities players need in order to complete the quest, and explains where they can get these from before setting off to complete their task.

Dan Lim, editor of iCastleville.com, said that it was important that players had the help available when they needed it, so that they do not get frustrated give up on playing the game:

“The problem is, this latest quest was just too difficult for so many players. When something like this happens, the natural reaction of many gamers is to just drop out. Obviously, that’s something we don’t want to happen, we have a vested interest in making sure it doesn’t happen, which is why we have produced this guide. Using an guide, players should be able to complete the Baz Occupational Hazard Quest in just a few hours.”

Dan added that the guide is now available for free to all iCastleville.com readers on its official website. Those who want to use the guide should visit their website and check the featured posts section for more details.

About iCastleville.com

iCastleville.com is the leading independent news, updates and links website for the popular social networking game Castleville. Packed with dozens of informative articles, and regularly updated with all the latest hints, tips and cheats for the Castleville game, the website has quickly become the number one resource for hundreds of players around the world. For more information, check out their website athttp://www.iCastleville.com.

SOURCE: PRWEB, Newswire

Marketing Online Magazine (MOM)

9 Aug

San Diego, CA — (SBWIRE) — 08/08/2012

Thousands of online entrepreneurs are flocking to the new Marketing Online Magazine website to get the latest insights, news and information on the world of online marketing. Designed for the aspiring entrepreneur looking for a way into the world of Internet marketing without expensive lessons, Marketing Online Magazine (MOM) is filled with articles, news, events and more.

While the world of internet marketing can be highly lucrative, learning how to market online successfully can be both expensive and elusive. The recent launch of the new Marketing Online Magazine website is quickly filling the void with the vital information that internet entrepreneurs need at no cost. “Driving traffic to an internet business website and then making it sell is a very involved hands-on process,” said Marketing Online Magazine Publisher/Editor Henry Aldrete. “We created this publication to help entrepreneurs to better understand that process so that they can make better use of the Internet as a marketing vehicle for their products and services.”

With 45 to 50 pages of valuable monthly content in PDF format, readers are immersed in the best online source for tips, tools, and techniques for successful marketing online. Featured articles focus on all issues related to marketing online while the marketing product/service videos, reviews, news, events, tools and expert interviews bring greater depth to the reader’s breadth of knowledge.

While the website and the publication is free and open to everyone, those that sign up as subscribers get free access to a wealth of additional content and products that help entrepreneurs intent on Marketing a small business online. The additional content includes more than 60 specific how-to videos on Internet Marketing and a massive 100,000 PLR article library. In addition, subscribers get 23 WordPress videos, 26 complete WordPress themes plus 33 plugins and three free Professional Silver-Level Memberships with more being added every month. “We believe that even though Marketing Online Magazine is free, it is one of the best investments that an internet age entrepreneur will ever make,” said Aldrete.

The August issue, which is available right now, has an interview with small business expert, Roger Pierce, the Co-founder of BizLaunch.com. The current issue also has a number of insightful feature articles including “How To Take Good Care Of Your Affiliates And Make More Money,” as well as “Building An Internet Home Business” and other great articles for internet marketers. Readers will also find the regular sections such as the MOM Success Story, Ask the Expert, Gadgets and Toys as well as many other helpful, informative and entertaining sections. For more information, please visit http://www.marketingonlinemagazine.net

About MarketingOnlineMagazine.net
The new website is dedicated to educating the new internet marketer with tips, tools and techniques for successful marketing online. The free PDF-format magazine features a wealth of informative and entertaining feature articles and interviews as well as the latest news, events and product reviews. With signup for a free subscription, readers get a wealth of additional free content and products such as how-to videos, a massive 100.000 PLR library as well as WordPress videos, themes, plugins and much more.

SOURCE: SBWIRE,  EMAILWIRE.COM

Got A Social Media Team?

9 Aug

Got A Social Media Team? Sorry, You Hired The Wrong People. Read: http://ow.ly/cQ99E #socialmedia

Small Business: Social Media

9 Aug

Small business: Building business with social media. Read: http://ow.ly/cQ8OV #socialmedia

Social Media Playing Key Role in Kenya’s Electoral Process

8 Aug

About eight months from now, Kenya will vote in a historic election that is set to transform the East African nation into a respectable democracy. And as the March 2013 polls near, presidential aspirants are crisscrossing the country in meet-the-people tours to sell their policies and visions.

However, as the aspirants seek to meet voters physically, many of them have realized that they must also make rounds on Twitter and Facebook, among other internet sites.

The social media platforms are playing a big role in Kenya’s electoral process as both politicians and electorate embrace them.

The sites role in the polls are expected to increase as Kenya’s elections, the first since the country degenerated into violence after 2007 disputed presidential polls, draw closer.

It is estimated that there are over 2 million users of Facebook and Twitter in the East African nation.

The number of social media users in the country is rising as internet-enabled phones become cheaper and more people embrace the platforms.

Data from Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) indicates that close to 7 million people in the East African nation access the internet, majority through their mobile phones.

And as the number of social media users increase and the influence of social media spread, politicians cannot ignore this voting constituency.

Many of them are using social media to interact with voters, reach Diaspora, fundraise, sell their policies and inform people of their activities.

On the other hand, the electorate is using the platforms to hold political debates, access their presidential candidates and inform them about their aspirations and fears.

Top on the list of presidential candidates in the East African nation who are using social media actively to engage voters is Prime Minister Raila Odinga and legislator Martha Karua.

The two are among people in the East African nation with the biggest followers on Twitter and friends on Facebook.

Almost every hour, they inform voters of what they are doing, in both words and pictures, and comment on issues that affect Kenyans.

“I will be at Kamukunji grounds in Kibera at 2 p.m. today for a public rally. You are all welcome,” wrote Odinga on his Twitter handle on Sunday. On Friday, the Prime Minister had informed voters of his tour of Nyandarua County in central Kenya.

“I will pay a visit to the family of J.M. Kariuki and make a stopover at Kinangop to visit Mukami Kimathi, wife of freedom fighter Dedan Kimathi,” he wrote.

Similarly, Karua is reaching out to voters using her Twitter and Facebook accounts as much as she is campaigning in various parts of the East African nation.

“This Sunday, I would like to appreciate millions of Kenyans who wake up every day and go about their business hoping to make ends meet. You are the game-changers and you all humble me. To you, I say better days are coming,” she wrote on her Facebook page on Sunday.

The presidential candidate is also using social media to raise funds for her campaigns.

Karua launched an initiative dubbed Simama na mama na mia (donate 1.2 dollars for my campaign) on social media.

The initiative appeals to voters to help her raise funds, which will make her be accountable to voters when she is elected president.

“Thank you all for your overwhelming support to Simama na mama na mia fundraising initiative. You have taken a step of faith and heeded my call to action for you to own your presidency,” she appreciated as she gave out a mobile phone money account where voters can send their donations.

Every Friday and Thursday respectively, Odinga and Karua hold ‘ press conferences’ on Twitter where they field questions live from Kenyans.

In a country where presidential candidates shy away from public debates, social media therefore remains the only platform where Kenyans can reach and question their leaders.

“For how long will Kenyans continue living in insecurity and poor health? Many Kenyans are economic refugees in the U.S., Britain and other countries because they could not get jobs here. Every five years, Kenyans go to the polls to elect leaders who promise them heaven, yet they never live up to their promises, what will be different this time?” George Otieno asked Karua.

That Karua answered her on Facebook made him appreciate the power of social media in linking leaders and voters.

“I would never have found an opportunity to ask her the question but social media has given me the power to do that,” he said.

Inmobi, a global mobile advertisement network in a research released last month on the role of new media in Kenya’s elections, noted that majority of Kenyans are using social media as a source of political information.

The research noted that social media will increasingly play a crucial role in disseminating political information and political leaders will use it to convince voters to vote for them.

Inmobi further indicated that about 60 percent of voters will want to have party memorabilia that include wall papers on their social media pages and mobile phones as screen savers.

It is expected that during elections, Kenyans will also use social media to report cases of election malpractices like voter bribery and violence.

But as the polls near, authorities fear that Kenyans may use social media to spread hate and intimidate opponents as happened in 2007. The government is, however, putting measures to check this.

Source: Copyright Xinhua News Agency – CEIS 2012

Olympic Advertisers Study Can’t Find a Social Media Gold Medalist- A.T. Kearney

8 Aug

Continuing its search for Social Media intelligence in the branding universe, A.T. Kearney this week conducted an intensive global study of advertising during the July 27th Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics. The Olympic Advertisers Study, which analyzed primetime television advertising content during the 2012 Opening Ceremonies across six continents, captured 246 television spots placed by 140 brands across eight countries. The findings show a nearly complete rejection of social media by advertisers, with 50 percent of the spots making no reference to the digital world whatsoever. The study awarded higher rankings to global advertisers according to three metrics around digital media — but it failed to find a gold medal winner.

Observed Jim Singer, study sponsor and a partner in A.T. Kearney’s Consumer and Retail Industries Practice, “For an event that was billed as the ‘Twitter Olympics,’ it was populated by a set of sponsors that rarely left the purview of conventional marketing and barely dipped into social media. Advertising by these mega-brands seems to be sticking to an analog go-to-market mindset in an increasingly digital-community minded world.”

Sponsoring Brands Misfire on Social Media In an event that captures the attention of 1.3 billion people worldwide, three of the eleven sponsoring brands didn’t purchase primetime television spots during the Olympic ceremonies. Of the eight brands that advertised, none covered all the surveyed countries, and only the U.S. saw ads from all seven of its participating sponsors. Out of four McDonald’s ads, only its Polish spot contained any digital content — the others were two U.S. spots and one in Brazil — this one referring viewers to a website featuring Olympic promotional merchandise.

Of the 50 percent of advertisers who made any reference to the digital world whatsoever, four-fifths only posted a URL link to their brand’s website. Another advertiser, Visa Gold, did include a Facebook and Twitter reference in their advertising, but these efforts read as an afterthought. The brand’s last post had updated its cover photo to an Olympic-themed photo taken the day before the Opening Ceremony, but after this the company ignored its page, failing to post any relevant ads, not responding to any consumer posts and not sharing any fresh or timely material.

Twitter Upstages Advertising, Sends Correct Message “This digital disconnect is all the more surprising in light of the extensive use of social media references by many of these same advertisers during previous sporting events, such as the Super Bowl,” noted Christina Heggie, A.T. Kearney Senior Analyst and study leader. “And especially for an event as multi-layered and fast-paced as the Olympics, it’s all in the timing. When President Obama sent a congratulatory tweet after Michael Phelps won his 19th gold medal, that sent a more relevant message, in this day and age, than a formal invitation to White House. And gold medalist Missy Franklin was almost as excited about Justin Bieber’s tweet as about her victory. Clearly, advertisers need to start looking at communication channels differently,” she said.

Earlier this year, A.T. Kearney conducted a Social Media study that tabulated thousands of online company-consumer interactions, comparing them against findings from the same study last year. The study showed a sharp acceleration in company-consumer interactions through social media, suggesting that social media marketing is not only here to stay, but is an initiative that needs to be followed by companies as quickly and creatively as possible. “Despite the messaging put forth by marketers, people don’t think twice about how they communicate — only what they are communicating, with whom they are communicating, and what response they expect,” concluded Singer.

About A.T. Kearney A.T. Kearney is a global team of forward-thinking, collaborative partners that delivers immediate, meaningful results and long-term transformative advantage to clients. Since 1926, we have been trusted advisors on CEO-agenda issues to the world’s leading organizations across all major industries and sectors. A.T. Kearney’s offices are located in major business centers in 38 countries.

About the Olympic Advertisers Study A.T. Kearney’s Olympic Advertisers Study was undertaken immediately following the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Summer Olympics, as a continuation of its ongoing study of the place of social media in advertising. The Olympics study followed a similar study after the 2012 Super Bowl, but came away with very different results. Through this type of study, A.T. Kearney seeks to globalize a way of understanding the growing place of social media in the communications and consumer relations of retail and consumer product companies.

The study examined all ads that took place during the prime time viewing of the Opening Ceremonies in each of the study’s focus countries. The level of social media integration in the ads was measured across three metrics: 1) The extent that digital media was integrated into the advertisement shown, 2) the integration of that ad in the referenced digital media, and 3) the level of viewer engagement the digital media sparked.

SOURCE: A.T. Kearney, Marketwire, Marketwatch

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 170 other followers

%d bloggers like this: