Facebook + Privacy: How Concerned Should We Be?

United States Senators have gotten involved. So has the Federal Trade Commission. By creating new features such as “social plug-ins,” Facebook is hoping to “personalize the Web.” Yet the question remains: Do web users want a personal Web experience at the risk of losing privacy? It seems as though these days, you can’t have both personalization and privacy when it comes to using the Internet.

With the social plug-ins, Facebook users visiting other web sites have the chance to like a certain brand of clothing or a favorite sports team and have that information appear right back on Facebook. The social networking site claims that no personal information is collected by these outside web sites, but try explaining that to Facebook users.  

According to an article from CNN, these new Facebook features are giving many users cause to give up Facebook. Even though Facebook does not publish statistics on how many people quit the social networking site altogether, there is reason to believe that numbers would show an increase in the number of users quitting if that information was made available.

Rest assured that Facebook does not want you to leave – why would it? CNN reports that Facebook has made it difficult to figure out just how to do so, for there is a difference between deleting your profile and deactivating it. Many users who deactivate their accounts thinking they deleted them may be surprised to learn that Facebook still has their photos and wall posts.

Facebook certainly isn’t going away anytime soon though.Since the end of April, Facebook has gained over 10 million active users, which makes sense seeing as the people who are just now joining Facebook most likely really want to use it as opposed to Facebook “lifers” who have been around since the site’s inception in 2004.

These “lifers” who may be considering walking away from the site completely may have a hard time actually doing so. Read: Business Insider presents “10 Reasons You’ll Never Quit Facebook”. This list makes some very valid points about why users may never leave. For instance, how will we remember each other’s birthdays? (Wait, what’s a calendar?) How can we stalk someone without legal concerns? Perhaps most importantly, who would tend to our virtual crops?

Mark Zuckerburg is still working to improve privacy settings on the farm.

For those users coming to the realization that they can’t step away from Facebook just yet, fear not – Business Insider also offers a step-by-step guide for how to “Put Facebook on a Privacy Lockdown.”

All Facebook, the “unofficial Facebook resource,” also offers helpful information for making your Facebook profile as secure as you’d like it to be. From its list of 10 Privacy Setting Every Facebook User Should Know, I was able to learn a few privacy features that I didn’t know about previously. These include using “Friends Lists” to control which friends categorized by lists can see what along with removing your profile from turning up in search engine results pages.

 With almost 500 million registered users, Facebook – the “Internet’s water cooler” as USA Today calls it – CEO Mark Zuckerberg has a lot of clients to keep happy. In response to recent concerns about its tricky privacy settings, Zuckerberg stated: “Our incentive is to give people the exact controls they want, so they can share the most information. More and more people want to share information. That is where the world is going.”

In Facebook’s defense, the site does offer a help center featuring information on privacy settings and fundamentals.  This page allows users to figure out how to control how their findings in search results, what “everyone” and “friends of friends” means when it comes to viewing profiles, and how to protect their secure information.

An article on WebProNews questioning whether or not Facebook’s new privacy settings will really protect your privacy, claims that “no privacy settings are truly going to protect people’s privacy on Facebook – and that’s not Facebook’s fault.” Instead, the author, Chris Crum, attributes this to a “combination of human nature and technology.” He explains:

If you’re worried about privacy and how it is related to Facebook, it really doesn’t matter how many times Facebook adjusts its privacy settings. The fact of the matter is that there is no more privacy, unless you don’t interact with people whatsoever. This applies whether you have a Facebook account or not. That really makes no difference if someone whips out their phone and takes a picture of you. With most modern phones, all they have to do is tap a button to send it right to Facebook for all of their friends to see. Did you say or do something embarrassing at a party? Witnesses can easily become instant broadcasters, and there’s a good chance that some of their Facebook friends know you. 

Did you casually mention something to a friend? Anything? They may mention it in a status update and instantly let all of their friends know about it. Whether or not they did this with any malicious intent is irrelevant. It happens. Human contact in general should be considered non-private. If you say or do anything that you truly want kept private, you better keep it to yourself or let people know you don’t want others to know about it (and hope that they care).

It's as simple as that. Keep your friends close, but strangers away.

In the end, it seems as though Facebook is only as private and secure as you make it. Users can set their privacy settings so that no one can find them – not even Mom and Dad. Problems arise when users aren’t aware of these settings and what information about them is available to the public. By taking a few minutes to reexamine your privacy settings, Facebook should be a better site for you to use. At least until you get poked again. Or get that invitation to join Farmville again. Or get that friend request from your boss again…

Fact or (Fan) Fiction?

When writing an original piece of work, wouldn’t you automatically think it was your property and, therefore, not subject to copyright or trademark restrictions? Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Fans posting stories and works to the popular Fan Fiction web site must be especially careful in tiptoeing around the copyright and trademark guidelines that are in place.

Fan Fiction is a web site where fans are supposed to “unleash your imagination” by developing content based off their favorite movies, books, comics, cartoons or tv shows. Seems pretty harmless, right? Not quite.

According to the web site Chilling Effects, Fan Fiction is subject to laws regulating the creation and protection of intellectual property. The Chilling Effects web site was created as a joint effort from the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, University of San Francisco, University of Maine, George Washington School of Law, and Santa Clara University School of Law clinics as a way to monitor the “legal climate for Internet activity.” In addition to examining Fan Fiction, the web site also covers the subjects of copyright, domain names and trademarks, anonymous speech and defamation in regards to what is protected by the First Amendment and intellectual property laws.

When it comes to Fan Fiction, the Chilling Effects web site says that fans are subject to copyright and trademark restrictions when writing fan fiction because they are using characters, plots or scenes from another source which “may be protected from unauthorized use under intellectual property laws.”

Here’s a closer look at the two areas where fans are subject to the law:

COPYRIGHT

According to the Chilling Effects web site, copyright laws are in place to prevent “copying, distributing, performing and displaying the characters without the permission of the owner” along with “creating ‘derivative works’.”

Fans may be asking, “what exactly is a derivative work?” Well, it is defined as “a new work based on someone else’s intellectual property.” Sounds almost just like what the Fan Fiction site was developed for. Usually, works on the Fan Fiction web site stray from the original plot of the show, for fans typically use the site as a way to tell the stories that they want told, although they use the characters and settings from the show or movie.

TRADEMARK

Trademark laws come into play for Fan Fiction when confusion arises when using “any word, name, symbol or device which is used by a person (or intended to be used), to identify her goods and to distinguish her goods from those sold by others and which indicates the source of the goods is eligible for trademark protection,” as explained by the Fan Fiction page on the Chilling Effects web site. For example, you can’t market a line of “Simon Cowell T-shirts” using the popular American Idol judge’s name without his permission – and because, let’s face it, that might not be such a successful product launch.

When looking at the Fan Fiction web site for information on the potential for copyright and trademark missteps, I was only able to locate information that protects the creator of the work – not the original source of the work. From the Terms of Service page on the Fan Fiction web site, I present clause #9:

9. COPYRIGHTS and COPYRIGHT AGENTS

FanFiction.Net respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask our users to do the same. If you believe that your work has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, there are two methods of recourse depending on the nature of the infraction. If you have a copyright abuse complaint based on theft of your piece by other fan authors, please see Section Ten: Domestic Copyrights. Else, please provide FanFiction.Net with the following information:

(1) an electronic or physical signature of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright interest;

(2) a description of the copyrighted work that you claim has been infringed;

(3) a description of where the material that you claim is infringing is located on the site;

(4) your address, telephone number, and email address;

(5) a statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law;

(6) a statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that the above information in your Notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the copyright owner’s behalf.

After this has been received, FanFiction.Net administrators will seek to determine if the piece in question is in violation of your copyright and then respond accordingly.

In the end, what is important to remember for fans of Fan Fiction is that they must be careful to avoid the “major possible violations” that the Chilling Effects web site warns of, including “copying, performance or display of existing characters and plots, creation of derivative works without the copyright holder’s consent and prohibited use of trademarks belonging to the original work.” Fans looking for more detailed information about what is and is not okay can visit the FAQ page concerning Fan Fiction on the Chilling Effects web site.

If someone were to cross a trademark or copyright line, the punishment is typically “injunctions” or monetary fines. Although the First Amendment was created to protect free speech, the Chilling Effects site points out that there is also a clause in the Constitution protecting copyright. Perhaps the Chilling Effects web site sums it up best by saying that “there is not a clear ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ side in the battle between copyright owners and fan fiction writers.”

The Future of Magazines: It’s in the Mail?

An interesting observation from the mailbox today. While flipping through my new weekly issue of Sports Illustrated, a particular ad caught my eye. This two page spread featured a picture of Lady Gaga decked out in bubbles (maybe that’s what caught my eye?) on the left side along with a message on the right side from the campaign for “Magazines: The Power of Print.”

The message read:

Young people do everything online. Like order millions of magazines.

Somehow, amidst their infatuation with Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and the like, young adults are still making time for another one of their favorite pursuits: reading magazines.

Contrary to popular misperception, the phenomenal popularity of the Internet has not come at the expense of magazines. Readership is actually increasing, and adults between 18 and 34 are among the most dedicated readers. They equal or surpass their over-34 counterparts in issues read per month and time spent per issue.

What’s changed isn’t people’s affinity for magazines but the means by which they acquire them. Last year, nearly 22 percent of all new paid subscriptions were ordered online.

And just as the Internet drives magazine subscriptions, magazines drive Web searches – with nearly double the effectiveness of the Internet itself. Some might call it ironic.

The medium that some predicted would vanquish magazines is actually helping fuel their growth. And vice versa.

 

Reading this advertisement surprised me for a number of reasons. First off, I would not have imagined that this age demographic would so strongly support the magazine industry, what with the Internet and iPad serving as simpler alternatives. Secondly, on a similar note, I would have expected the over-34 age group to dominate magazine subscriptions, especially with older generations still used to relying on mail for content delivery. Lastly, it wasn’t but eight page turns previously that I came across an ad for Sports Illustrated on the iPad. That ad itself struck me as interesting, for I wondered why the magazine would be promoting something that might affect its subscription numbers negatively. A link on the Sports Illustrated web site offered additional insight about its iPad edition. Readers who download this app are rewarded with:

–          Twice as many photos in exclusive galleries

–          Original video essays, interviews and commentary

–          Live scores and news feeds from SI.com

–          Social media sharing of all content

In the iTunes store, the Sports Illustrated reader is listed as being free to download; however, each issue comes with a cost of $4.99 per download. Although the iPad app is a convenient way to download the magazine content, a print subscription serves as a cheaper alternative.

As for the campaign for “Magazines: The Power of Print,” my favorite ad would have to be this one:

According to an article from the Wall Street Journal, the campaign was the result of five leaders in magazine publishing working together to promote the “power of print.” The ads involved in this campaign serve to “press the case that magazines remain an effective advertising medium in the age of the Internet because of the depth and lasting quality of print, compared with the ephemeral nature of the Web’s content.”

The first ad to appear as part of the campaign featured America’s most decorated Olympian, Michael Phelps:

A particular stand-out quote from the WSJ article was from Time Inc. Chief Executive Ann Moore on why she decided to get involved with the campaign: “Going digital is very important to Time Inc., but I don’t want my clients to believe that no one is reading the printed word.”

Moore is also featured in a two-minute video explaining the reasoning behind the campaign for “Magazines: The Power of Print,” along with fellow magazine leaders Charles Townsend (Conde Nast: Vogue, Glamour, Vanity Fair), Cathie Black (Hearst Magazines: Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping), Jack Griffin (Meredith Corporation: Better Homes, Parents) and Jann Wenner (Wenner Media: Rolling Stone, US  Weekly).

 In the end, with a purpose of reminding readers that “these brands are rooted in print products with huge cultural and commercial influence,” it seems as though the campaign should be successful in promoting an already successful industry.

As for what the future holds for magazines, Black sums it up quite well:

People will go to Web sites for information, entertainment, inspiration. We’ve already seen that as an established model. What percentage of the reading universe will use an e-reading device is the big unknown question, as is how much will they pay for the device … or paying for the content part of it. We were saying just the other day maybe 10 to 15% of the reading audience might use an e-reader. But I actually believe the experience that one has reading a magazine, sitting on a couch, in bed, on an airplane, wherever you choose to read, is a very different experience than just going online, finding out “I need to know x or y or z.”

I don’t think print is dead at all. I think we have a brilliant future, but [we need to be] smart and work through the issues in front of us.

On a personal level, I am still in favor of magazines in print form, although I also enjoy the extra content available online and having the option to read an article online instead of having to purchase the entire magazine. My favorite part of any large bookstore is the long wall of magazines – there is just something quite lovely in seeing all of the shiny, colorful covers and knowing that they all feature different, yet interesting content. Here’s hoping magazines are here to stay – online and in hands.

LeBron James: Taking the Heat for His “Decision”

What was the second biggest announcement concerning LeBron James last week? That the NBA superstar had joined Twitter. Perhaps the first question to come to mind after hearing this news is “How is a man who needs an hour special to announce where he’s going to play next year going to be able to fit his thoughts into 140 characters?”

Two days before the airing of “The Decision,” James’ publicist confirmed that the King had finally given into the tweeting frenzy. Speculation began that his big “decision” would be announced via Twitter. However, that was purely speculation, seeing as ESPN would then have to resort to airing World Cup footage, that happens, oh about once every four years.

Well, the King never disappoints (well, only in Miami maybe). His Twitter user name? @KingJames. His first message to the world?

Hello World, the Real King James is in the Building “Finally”. My Brother @oneandonlycp3 gas’d me up to jump on board so I’m here. Haaaa

Fascinating. Later in the week, King James offered up the opportunity for fans to submit questions to be asked during his one-hour special. “What team will you be playing for?” did not count as a question.

His first post-Cleveland tweet?

What’s up yall. Just landed in my new home. Thanks to all the fans and Miami organization who greeted me. The Road to History starts now!

The only thing Cleveland witnessed was the crime of being robbed of its superstar by the Miami Heat.

As for his infamous decision, an article from the New York Times the day before declared that Mr. James would be announcing his decision within the first 15 minutes of his hour-long special. Norby Williamson, an ESPN executive vice president, stated “We’re not going to string it along. That wouldn’t benefit anyone; not us, not sports fans, not LeBron.”

Well, ESPN certainly wouldn’t want to do anything that doesn’t benefit LeBron. Perhaps someone should tell the duo of ESPN and LeBron that 9:27 p.m. does not fall within the first 15 minutes of an hour.  That was the exact time that the city of Cleveland lost its home-grown hero and the time that seemingly everyone choose to voice their opinions via Facebook status updates.

In addition to the Miami Heat, there were other beneficiaries of LeBron’s decision. ESPN attracted almost 10 million viewers for the special, making the announcement the third most-watched program on cable television this year. Sponsorship money for the show was to be donated to Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

There are lots of questions surrounding LeBron James’ decision. The one question that remains in my mind is how could LeBron do such a thing to a city that wanted him to stay so badly that fans felt compelled to join voices in order to convince him to stay put?

 Well LeBron, not only did you disappoint Cleveland, but you’ve created somewhat of a mockery of yourself, which will continue to spread from fan to fan, city to city, thanks to emerging media:

LeBron’s “Facebook” Feed

Featuring status updates such as:

The New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, and Miami Heat are now friends with LeBron James.

Dwyane Wade created the group Free Agent Summit.

The Top 7 LeBron James Facebook Status Updates – posted in response to his decision – including:

On Twitter, the former NBC late-night host, whose new show will debut on TBS in November: “I don’t care where LeBron James ends up…as long as it’s not at 11 p.m. on TBS “ – status referencing tweet from Conan O’Brien

Apple just announced they are releasing a special edition LeBron James iPhone. However, apple wishes to inform its customers that the phone only vibrates because it has no rings!!!!

My how quickly they were all able to get matching jerseys.

 And to think, the first NBA game is still three months away. Bring on the NFL!

The Sweet Sounds of Video Games

The introduction of video games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band has taught video gamers to rely on more than just their hands and eyes. These days gamers are using their ears to get them from note to note, level to level.

Potentially the Next Great Band. As long as the dog is on vocals, they should be a hit.

It wasn’t until a recent trip to a video game room (it was with kids I was babysitting – I promise!), that I noticed that the games were featuring more current music along with the artist information.

Replica of video game from recent game room field trip. Except slightly less old-school.

Video games offer an opportunity for musicians and marketers alike. For musicians, having their music appear in a video game is quite the honor and a great way to get their names out. For marketers, they have the opportunity to sell the space in the game, thereby creating an additional avenue for revenue.

Aaron Davison, creator of Renegade Music Marketing, offers songwriters and composers tips for getting their songs into tv shows, films and video games. When it comes to styles of music, Davison says he is looking for music that is “stylistically contemporary and very well produced,” especially music that sounds current. The most popular music categories include rock, alternative rock, pop/rock, modern rock, hip hop, indie rock and contemporary folk art.

According to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), musicians getting their music into video games also have the opportunity to collect on other additional marketing methods, such as if a soundtrack is released or if the music is used in promotional materials (in-store promotions or movie trailers).  

As the next version of Guitar Hero continues to be developed and as video games continue to increasingly rely on interacting with its reliable gamers, opportunities for musicians should increase. Who knows, a musician may currently be working on the next big hit to serve as the soundtrack for a game. The web site Gossip Gamers features a list of the Top 10 Video Game Theme Songs That Just Stick. Here’s a hint for a song that made the top 10:

When Tweets Aren’t So Sweet

Oh, Twitter. What a love/hate relationship you have to offer your users. On one hand, Twitter offers a number of advantages – it’s instantaneous, offers the ability to communicate with lots of people in real time and keeps others in tune with “what’s happening.” On the other hand, some of these same advantages could be considered disadvantages. The instant message uploaded on Twitter is sent to the world in an instant for all of your friends and followers to see and can’t be taken back. Hence, tweets that aren’t so sweet.

In an article discussing times “When Twitter Goes Bad,” author James Walker is able to detect these not-so-savvy situations. He states,

“None of these individuals stopped to ask some very simple questions… should what I’m Tweeting be for public consumption…do I really want anyone else reading this…in short, is the conversation suitable for the medium? “

In 2009, ABC News listed the Top 10 Twitter Faux Pas. Other famous Twitter blunders in which the social networking site has failed to shine a good light on its users include:

Michigan Congressman + Security Breach: Pete Hoekstra, Republican Congressman from Michigan, used Twitter to give updates about a “secret congressional envoy” into Iraq. This move prompted the Pentagon to update its current policy on Facebook use, seeing as this news is not supposed to be released until the travelers have reached their destinations.

FedEx Insult: James Andrews, a vice president with the Ketchum agency, tweeted his negative review of Memphis upon his arrival in the city to meet with his client Fed Ex. The only problem is that Fed Ex considers Memphis its home town. Not to mention a Fed Ex employing catching wind of Andrews’ tweet. Or the letter Andrews received from Fed Ex in response to his tweet. Ouch.

Costly Opinion: During the 2009 season, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $25,000 for remarks he made on Twitter about the referees officiating during his team’s loss against Denver the night before. Cuban did not stop tweeting from there. After being informed of his suspension, he tweeted: “can’t say no one makes money from twitter now. the nba does.”

In addition to these infamous blunders, a web site made headlines simply for its name and purpose – pleaserobme.com. This web site was established as a way to “raise awareness about over-sharing.” I think the web site served its purpose.

That’s not to say that Twitter is more harmful than helpful. After the earthquake in Haiti, students and researchers at the University of Colorado developed a way to “repurpose tweets with a syntax, or language structure, in order to streamline the process of connecting people with specific needs in emergency situations with those who can provide it.” The initiative was referred to as “Tweak the Tweet” and is believed to be the “first time in social media’s history of online disaster response” that lives were saved as a result.

Twitter was also used after the earthquake in Chile. Former American Idol contestant Elliott Yamin was in the country at the time and provided updates on his account and to news outlets such as CNN. While the advantages of Twitter do not only have to come after major natural disasters, it is important to realize both the positive and negative benefits associated with using this social networking site. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Twitterers.

Forget Crowdsurfing – It’s All About Crowdsourcing

Admit it. There’s been a time when you thought up a slogan, jingle, or commercial concept that was destined to be the Greatest Ad Ever. We’ve all had that point in time when we thought we could make a living in advertising or marketing. The truth is, we all have good ideas – we just need the right outlet and right connection at the right time to make it happen. These days there is even a term for this concept – crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing involves using a collaborative effort meant to produce a better result reflecting the choice of the people. Companies often step outside the lines of the office to ask people who know its brand or products best – the consumers. Emerging media is one way that companies are able to use this untapped resource to discover the Next Great Idea.

BBC News magazine asks if we should trust the wisdom of crowds. Perhaps the clearest example of collaboration and crowdsourcing comes from the all-knowing, ever-dependent Wikipedia.

Outsourcing problems or issues to a crowd can be faster, cheaper and more accurate than the alternative solution of keeping it in-house. Mashable lists five start-ups that are a result of crowdsourcing. These include:

–      Waze – Real-time maps and traffic information based on the wisdom of the crowd. This app allows users to report traffic problems and information to fellow app users.

–      NotchUp – Because stellar people usually aren’t in the job market. This site serves as an executive recruiter looking to connect companies and talented individuals.

–      Usertesting.com and Feedback Army – The fastest, cheapest way to find out why users are leaving your web site. Uses demographic information and individuals to provide companies with feedback on web site usability.

–      Marketocracy – The Leader in FirstPerson Investing. Mutual Fund Management site featuring over 100,000 registered users.

–      Fashion Stake – Democratize fashion. Visitors to the site – launching September 1 – can help determine which designer’s line will be made available on the web site by voting and purchasing $50 “stakes” in the line.

 

Open Innovators has a running list of examples of companies using crowdsourcing. The lists are divided into categories based on what the company is looking for – product ideas or branding and design. From this list, a few big names were discovered to be implementing crowdsourcing efforts:

Starbucks – The company has a “My Starbucks Idea” page on its web site devoted to letting fans “Share.Vote.Discuss.See.” their favorite ideas in hopes of bringing them to life. The page features a list of “Ideas in Action” that show whether an idea is under review, reviewed, in the works or launched. Ideas submitted to this web site that have been launched include bringing back oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies, fresh fruit, free wireless and happy hours.

Sara Lee – The company has an “Open Innovation portal” where visitors can submit ideas and see a list of the company’s latest needs. The site says that “innovation is about much more than new products. It is about reinventing business processes and developing new markets and networks that meet untapped customer and consumer needs. We do this by making connections beyond the boundaries of our organization and reaching out to our customers, consumers, partners, knowledge institutions, adjacent industries and global markets.”

More than just these examples, companies are turning to its own employees in even the biggest of situations.

In 2008, the NFL asked both its players and fans to get involved in determining what ad would appear during the Super Bowl as part of its Super Ad contest. 240 NFL players told their personal stories in front of a camera in hopes of being the chosen one. 500,000 fan votes later, the tale of Houston Texan Ephraim Salaam and his unique road to the NFL was chosen.

Whether it is employees or consumers, a big company or small company, Super Bowl or not, there are a multitude of ideas ready to be implemented. If a company can find the right source or right idea at the right time, then the sky is the limit when it comes to crowdsourcing.

An Ode to Flash Mobs

Ahh…the flash mob. An event where a large group of people assemble, having already made the plan to do so, do “something odd” there and then go their own ways. It can leave spectators scratching their heads and wondering what they just witnessed. A man who simply goes by the name of “Bill” has been credited with arranging the first-ever flash mob. Bill came up with the idea after wanting to come up with an email that could be spread around the Internet to arrange something “different or surprising.” Bill liked the human element of the flash mob, saying that the idea was that “people themselves would become the show, and that just by responding to this random email, they would, in a sense, create something.”

Bill’s first arranged flash mob took place in New York and soon spread to other cities across the country. As flash mobs began to grow, Bill started to see a sort of movement taking place – one that stated “We know this is absurd, but by taking part we’re making a statement about the right of the people to peaceably assemble wherever they want.”

You may be asking what do flash mobs have to do with emerging media? Everything, of course! Without emerging media, without the Internet, and without the ability to spread the original message, there would be no flash mobs. In a sense, a flash mob is a real-life display of a virtual community.

Flash mobs also play an important role in buzz marketing. Not only do the people witnessing the event become recipients of the message delivered, but the videos taken of the event (and in most cases, there is video evidence) begin to catch fire on the web as viral marketing tools.

Mashable has a list of 15 Fab Flash Mob videos available for your viewing pleasure. Even Oprah has taken a dip in the flash mob pool. To help kick off the start of the 24^th season of her show, the Black Eyed Peas performed their hit song “I Gotta Feeling” as part of a concert along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Little did Oprah know that some of the 20,000+ fans in attendance had been taught choreography to go along with the song. The performance opens with only one fan dancing, but about one minute into the video more fans join. A ripple effect takes place and before you know it, all 20,000 fans are in sync. As of September, this event was thought to be the largest flash mob ever held in a single city.

Flash mobs have also made their way into the advertising world, with T-Mobile utilizing this buzz technique for a commercial filmed in the Liverpool Street Station. Together, T-Mobile and a flash mob create quite an effective combination:

However, flash mobs do not always have to involve impressive choreography or a fun soundtrack:

In the end, perhaps more impressive than the choreography or the sudden ending are the reactions on the crowd’s faces. Priceless.

After reading this post, you have most likely been inspired to create your own flash mob. Never fear – there are directions for how to do so! Here’s a hint: it begins with an original idea. Enjoy!

A Few Million Votes for Mobile Marketing

Perhaps at the height of the evolution of emerging media is mobile to mobile marketing. M2M marketing, as it is also known, involves using mobile advertising to boost sales of related mobile features such as games and ring tones. A good example of a company that has been able to implement this type of marketing is A T & T, which has capitalized on its sponsorship of American Idol to find success.

For the past eight seasons of the hit reality show, A T & T mobile subscribers have been able to text their votes in to determine the next superstar of the music industry as opposed to having to go to the trouble of actually dialing the 866 telephone number. Text voters simply type the word ‘VOTE’ and send it to the designated 4 digit number of their favorite American Idol contestant. Judging by the following figures, voters have figured out this system.

Beginning with Season 2 (Ruben vs. Clay!) in 2003, the number of text votes recorded by A T & T were:

2003 – 7.5 million             Season 2

2004 – 13.5 million           Season 3

2005 – 41.5 million           Season 4

2006 – 64.5 million           Season 5

2008 – 78 million               Season 7

2009 – 178 million             Season 8

 With each vote sent to A T & T comes the opportunity for the company to engage in M2M marketing with its customers.  Additional mobile features that A T & T has developed for fans of the show include:

–          Vote reminders

–          Idol Trivia

–          Idol Text Chats

–          Txt-n-Win Sweepstakes

–          Live Idol Tones

–          Idol audition video

Standard text messaging rates apply for voting features, trivia games and text chats, while ring tones bring a charge of $2.49. With this diverse offering, A T & T makes it easy for Idol fans to stay connected to the show – especially by offering MEdia Max Bundle packages beginning at $19.99 per month.

  

More than just votes and ringtones though, A T & T put its text messaging capabilities to good use by offering the chance for viewers to text a $10 donation as part of the Idol Gives Back event held this season. However, not all is well in the eyes of the public when it comes to the text message/mobile marketing system that A T & T has put in place. In January 2009, A T & T took the opportunity to text quite a few of the company’s 75 million+ subscribers to remind them of the season premiere airing later that evening. A T & T mobile users did not take well to receiving this promotional message. A T & T responded by saying that “it makes perfect sense to use texting to tell people about a show built on texting.” True statement, but Idol fans and viewers know that voting doesn’t take begin until several weeks later after America has been taught that only fools wear their pants on the ground.

    

The steady increase in the number of text message votes received has also raised some questions about who is controlling the voting in the show’s process. After Lee DeWyze’s  recent victory, one columnist – but certainly not the first – raised the question of whether young girls with fast fingers have changed the pattern of winning contestants over the past few years as text messaging has grown in popularity. One look at the past few winners may back up his point. Seasons 7, 8 and 9 all ended with a “low-key cute white male rocker” being showered with confetti and instant fame. That’s not to say that David Cook, Kris Allen and DeWyze were not talented or didn’t deserve to win. It’s just interesting to see how certain patterns have developed over the last few years. Hopefully, the very element that brought A T & T success and business is not the same one that brings down the Idol powerhouse.

Marketing Toy Story 3: To Infinity and Beyond?

While it may seem hard to believe that 11 years have passed since Pixar fans last saw their friends Woody and Buzz in action, one look at the different ways the new Toy Story 3 movie is being promoted should help us see how far we’ve come. When the original Toy Story hit theaters in 1995, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was only 11 years old. Fast forward 15 years to see Facebook  as one of a few social media platforms being used to promote Toy Story 3.

Facebook

For this new film, Walt Disney has taken to using an application on Facebook to sell tickets. Disney Tickets Together was developed as a way to let Facebook users purchase tickets without ever leaving the social networking site. With friendship as the underlying theme of the movie, this application helps to ensure that “No friend gets left behind.” When a Facebook user purchases a ticket to Toy Story 3, that user’s friends are notified and may also be invited to that same showing. This application serves as a supplement to the popular ticket-selling site Fandango, but has the added benefit of “digital connections” that Fandango does not.  

Woody trying to determine how many tickets to order via Facebook.

Twitter

In addition to being the first movie from Walt Disney to use this Facebook application, Toy Story 3 is making social networking strides by becoming the first purchaser of Promoted Tweets on Twitter. This move can also involve paying to appear in the Trending Topics area as a “Promoted Trend,” which not only increases awareness about the movie, but brings in revenue for Twitter. This first promoted tweet for this movie read:

“To infinity and beyond! Toy Story 3 hits theaters Friday, June 18. Did you get your tickets yet?”

CNN calls these Twitter ads ingenious, for it is “the perfect way to generate revenue from the popular social networking site without infuriating users.” Meanwhile, Twitter defines Promoted Tweets as “ordinary Tweets that businesses and organizations want to highlight to a wider group of users.” The popular social networking site also claims that it will only allow Promoted Tweets that are reasonable and useful to users and will label the Tweets as ones that are being promoted.

Looks like Woody's getting a kick out of Buzz's realization that Tweeting is for more than just birds.

YouTube

With YouTube, Toy Story 3 is taking viral movie marketing to a whole new level. Pixar developed a series of commercials for one of the toys featured in the movie, “Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear.”

Information surrounding this “ad” says that it was created to replicate an early ‘80’s commercial. The hope was that it would help make the movie seem more realistic while also working to boost the sales of this character’s merchandise.

Lotso pointing Buzz in the right direction to the World Wide Web.

It remains to be determined if or when Toy Story 4 will be developed. No matter how long of a time period may pass between films, one thing is for certain – there will be new ways to promote the next film. Back in 1999, we never would have guessed that we would be buying tickets on Facebook or watching pretend commercials on YouTube. Perhaps “infinity and beyond” is closer than we think.

End Note: Here is a video of one of the commercials running before Toy Story 3 in theaters. Cute and appropriate for this blog!