branding

How Transparency Helped Facebook Win

David Capece — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:14:36 -0500

In June 2008, China was still grappling with transparency in reporting from the earthquake in May, the SEC was deciding how to demystify credit default swaps, Barack Obama was on the campaign trail and more than willing to divulge details about campaign contributions, and there was public outcry for government to support, then regulate the sinking real estate market. We were exiting an era of shady back-door dealings that led to the global recession. On a social, economic and political scale, transparency was in a high public demand.

Finding the red thread: Lessons from American brands

David Capece — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:07:38 -0500

Driving across the country is enough to remind anyone not only how geographically expansive the US is, but also just how disparate a culture we are “under one nation”. Besides surprise at how much of the country really is corn fields, one is also forced to recognize that American culture is not just that of its individual metropolitan centers. On the contrary, much of American culture is characterized by the ethos of the people in its heartlands and beyond.

How LinkedIn Could Cross the Chasm

David Capece — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:15:43 -0500

Though Twitter has captured much of the social media attention in the past year, LinkedIn continues to pick up steam. While the professional-focused social network recently reach the50 million user mark, we set out to discover how the site could accelerate its growth. We used Quantcast to analyze LinkedIn and other top-tier social networks to identify the best practices to cross the chasm from early adopters to early majority . Through our analysis we have come to several strategies for LinkedIn to accelerate audience growth and expand their product offering.

Stengthening Brand America: Interview with Edward Burghard

David Capece — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:12:27 -0500

Earlier this year, we conducted a survey of emerging leaders and presented the results in our America State of the Union 2009 report. We covered the ideal traits of America, including opportunity, innovation, diversity, and generosity. Since that time, Brand America was ranked #1 in FutureBrand’s Country Brand Index and President Barack Obama has been characterized by some as thenew Brand Manager for Brand America . While it appears that we are on the right track, there are significant challenges to strengthening Brand America.

Top 5 Tips to Increase Social Capital on Facebook

David Capece — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:38:23 -0500

Coca-Cola is the leading brand on Facebook with over 3.7 million fans. More and more brands are creating fan pages to capture the hundreds of millions of Facebook users across the world. Facebook can be a powerful tool to generate website referrals, engage existing and acquire new customers. It’s about creating meaning in your digital space that people want to be a part of. We’ll discuss how to brand your page, build relationships and engage and empower your fans on Facebook.

1. Brand Your Page

NYT Moves to the Crowd?

David Capece — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:51:08 -0500

As we find more and more ways to connect online, the trend of crowdsourcing only seems like a natural progression to solve problems, collaborate, and join in discussion with people from around the world. Crowdsourcing’s scope – from social networks to intellectual capital and microfinancing – covers nearly every industry imaginable, and continues to be adopted by new ones every day.

Boxee Gathers iTunes, Hulu, Last.fm and More in New Set-Top

David Capece — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:40:46 -0500

With the availability of devices like Tivo, DVR, and online video streaming platforms, we have access to nearly every show on television, whenever we want it.Our growing media consumption – whether it’s through TV, YouTube, iTunes, or streaming video – is no doubt growing each year, and expanding beyond the television set itself to ever more popular on-demand streaming platforms.

Is Banner Advertising Still Relevant?

David Capece — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:48:18 -0500

All of the clicks for online ads are derived from a mere 16% of internet users, according to a recent study by comScore. That means, you’re optimizing your ad for that 16% of users — a very small audience to capture. As consumers become more digitally savvy, they are less inclined to click on advertisements. What happens for those business owners that do not have audiences in that 16% of users?

“First Click Free” Will Give Allow Publishers to Re-Enforce Pay Walls

David Capece — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:42:45 -0500

After Rupert Murdoch proposed blocking his paid sites from Google (saying, search engines are “feeding off the hard-earned efforts and investments of others”), the search engine giant has made a surprising move to reach across the table and help publishers like Murdoch. In the past, Google has been criticized for thinking like engineers (for instance, the copyright infringements that made Google Books possible), not business people. They might be turning over a new leaf, however.

Digital Influencers Usher in a New Era in Branding

David Capece — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:15:43 -0500

Brands are taking two tough punches right now: 1) the economic downturn has continued to spur consumers to buy private label and 2) digital social influencers are taking control from brand managers. The question is not just how brands can survive, but more importantly, how can brands thrive? We’ll hand over the discussion to our three industry commentators: Ana the Analyst, Creo the Creative and Connie the Consumer.

Using Google to Optimize Blog Post Headlines

David Capece — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:53:13 -0500

Optimizing your blog post headlines often seems like a mysterious, esoteric, black art. With data-rich online resources, optimizing blog post headlines can be simple, straightforward and actionable. Such resources, like Google, eliminate much of this mystery surrounding the issue.

We will walk you through the simple steps of optimizing your blog post headlines — from how to identify your keywords and deciding which keyword variations are best for you to riding a keyword trend.

Identify Key Words

Optimizing Blog Post Headlines in WordPress

David Capece — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:06:23 -0500

If you were to develop a site seven or eight years ago, you would likely need at least a basic understanding of programming codes like HTML or Javascript. Such coding was a significant barrier to entry for many non-digitally savvy users. The game changed when WordPress was developed in 2003. Since its release, Wordpress has grown to an incredible 62.8 million websites in the US and 202 million websites worldwide.

Creating a Valuable Network of Business Relationships

David Capece — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:03:24 -0500

I recently read a post about the growth of the human network which raises environmental concerns, and was struck by the following statement:

“We all exist within this complex network of human development. Today, the human network’s reach and complexity have nearly exceeded our ability to understand what we are creating and how it affects us.”

Are Connections or Followers more Important: LinkedIn or Twitter?

David Capece — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:25:59 -0500

In early April 2009, we witnessed a social media milestone: Ashton Kutcher collected 1,000,000 followers on Twitter. Since then, Oprah has begun tweeting and the microblogging site has been the social network darling of the mainstream media.

What does it mean to have a network on Twitter? Could Ashton Kutcher ever collect 1,000,000 connections on LinkedIn? Probably not. But why?

Top 5 Tips to Increase your Social Capital on LinkedIn

David Capece — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:23:02 -0500

LinkedIn is a turning into a social media heavyweight — with just over 50 million users, the social networking site is turning into a must-have for professionals. Developing your social capital on LinkedIn is increasing in importance as more job-seekers flood the market. Getting a leg-up on your competition is crucial if you’re going to compete. We’ll discuss how to build your social capital by carrying on the conversation, building deeper relationships with prospective clients, increasing your visibility and being an active member in the community.

1. Increase your Visibility

The Design Thinking Lecture Series.

alfredo muccino — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:01:52 -0500

A few weeks ago I attended an event at the Thomson Reuters center in NY featuring Roger Martin,

Social Capital and Friend 2.0

David Capece — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:19:21 -0500

What is the meaning of a friend in the digital space? Does the definition of a friend change from one social network to another? Is a friend on Facebook any different than a MySpace friend?The value of user connections vary from one social network to another, which ultimately impacts social capital building strategies.

Social Capital 101

David Capece — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:14:09 -0500

“Let me introduce you to someone who might be able to help you.” Some people build their entire reputation around this one line. As Malcolm Gladwell outlined in his breakthrough work, The Tipping Point, those who say this line most often are called Connectors. Essentially, Connectors are match makers. They have an enormous amount of contacts, and as such, they have a lot of influence. This social influence can form social capital.

Why Success is For the Unlucky

Tia Jackson — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:48:38 -0500

Too many people go through life like they’re playing the Mega Millions. They make a small investment, and then sit back hoping to hit the jackpot. More often than not, they’re left disappointed and defeated, because the luck they expected to swoop in and change their lives, never showed up.

Winning the Fight for More Business: What Savvy Customers Expect From Your Brand

Tia Jackson — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:41:57 -0500

Savvy customers don't allow marketing hype to tell them what to buy. They bypass advertising clutter, and research which brands to invite into their lives. Before they support your business, they want to know what you’re all about—and why you deserve to get their money.

Adidas and Star Wars Form an Imperial Shoe Force

Zachary Wilson — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:36:22 -0500

Adidas Originals is joining forces with the (sadly but acceptably over-licensed) Star Wars brand for a new line of shoes and activewear due out early next year. Though this isn't the first time Adidas and Star Wars have partnered, the results of this year's collaboration are much more promising (read: nerdy) than the last. Take a look at the power of the Dark Side preview photos:

Sustaining your business, and sustaining yourself in business

Connie Glover — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:44:24 -0500

During my graduate studies in Sustainability through Arizona State
University I have learned much about organizational strategies built
around sustainability initiatives. The definition of sustainability is
“meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”
Sometimes it is referred to in the context of the more commonly known
Triple Bottom Line which takes into account an organization’s social,
economic, and environmental practices and policies. Plainly put, making
money while doing good.

The Importance of Brands

Louis Louna — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:12:06 -0500

People often ask, ‘‘What is brand equity?’’ There are many ways to answer this. Some say it’s everything associated with the brand that adds to or subtracts from the value it provides to a product or service. Others emphasize the financial value of the brand asset.

You Have Got To Be Kidding Me! Right? by Ted Eleftheriou

Ted Eleftheriou — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:41:34 -0500

Saw this billboard the other day for Holiday Inn Express (See Photo):

“Guest Rated #1 Shower”

They’re kidding… right? They mean to tell me that the showers at Holiday Inn Express are so good that their guests take the time to rate them? To say, "WOW? "R – i – g – h - t! I want Holiday Inn Express to produce the survey for me. I mean did it really have a question like:

Can MySpace Re-Invent Itself?

David Capece — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:38:08 -0500

While MySpace’s rival, Facebook, consistently breaks monthly traffic records, the teen social network is on a steady decline. That is not to say MySpace does’t have a sizable audience. The teen social network has an estimated monthly traffic of 54.3 million, according to Quantcast.com. But 54.3 million is a steep 35% drop from their peak at 83 million in June 2007. So how can the faltering social network recover to 2007 numbers?

Company Overview