The emergence of social media has changed the face of marketing; it’s no longer about the push, it’s about the relationship.  And social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter provide the perfect platform for these conversations to take place.  Companies are competing for the limited attention of consumers today and Ford figured out the right way to do it with their launch of the 2011 Explorer.

The “old’ way was out; revealing the redesigned 2011 Explorer model at the Detroit Auto Show with the hopes of broadcast coverage or a small photo and write up to compete against the gaggle of other new designs wasn’t going to do it for Ford this year.  Tapping into a medium where they knew would grab attention, Ford utilized Facebook in the way it was meant: to give users a unique experience that would be customizable.  To allow for interactive, multimedia tours, videos, text and images on the Explorer’s Facebook page; for the experience to be unique but feel “real” to each user.

This multi-faceted project was a hit for Ford because they did it right.  It was well thought out, appropriately timed and authentic to the Facebook audience; demonstrating what can be done with an appropriate investment of time and money (and planning).  This web based approach allows for engagement, measurability and continuous earned value; who says you can’t measure ROI with social media?

To learn more, check out: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=132672&nid=116969

Clear Channel Outdoor has launched a new offering called Total Out of Home Network.  It will combine live traffic data and an advertising message, creating a shared space.  The first advertiser to run on this was the Illinois Lottery and their campaign featured traffic information as well as Powerball Jackpot numbers.  Like any media tactic, there are pros and cons to consider.

On the positive side, by providing consumers with a message that has value, such as traffic information, the advertising is reaching them in a highly engaging environment.  Instead of a consumer ignoring the advertising message, they might be more likely to pay attention because of the information provided to them.

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What marketer doesn’t want their next campaign to go viral? When it means garnering more free exposure than you could afford to buy, who could resist trying?  The problem occurs when more focus is given to the factors that make ads go viral than the factors that generate sales.  Unfortunately, these are rarely the same.

The viral success of the current Old Spice campaign is undeniable.  Unfortunately, it hasn’t done much to convince consumers to buy the product.  MSNBC reported recent WARC figures which show sales of Old Spice Body Wash are down 7% year-to-date.  Most likely you’ve seen the campaign.  Were you entertained? Were you given a compelling reason to buy Old Spice?  I’m thinking you only answered “yes” to one of these.

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Earlier this year, I, along with every other American household, received the 2010 US Census Survey in the mail. I was excited to complete it since I use research daily in my work – much of this derived from census data.  Marketers may not realize how much of what they do may be based on census data.

Here are a few ways the Census is used by marketers:

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Image by stevegarfield via Flickr

This morning, Facebook announced that it would be taking it’s highly praised and highly controversial Open Graph and Like Button to the streets.  Soon, this functionality will be available on mobile phones via mobile applications.  Given the explosion of mobile internet and app use in the past few months/years, this was the next logical step in the progression of Open Graph.

Perhaps what’s most interesting about this announcement is the language used by Eric Tseng, Facebook’s Head of Mobile Products.  He said Facebook “really sees mobile as the future.”  With Facebook’s recent usage and cross-platform functionality explosions, it seems as though the overall digital landscape will be largely influenced by moves made by Facebook.  Mobile sites and applications will soon be able to take advantage of this new social functionality.

Let’s take Foursquare or Yelp for example; Many of us are used to checking in or reading reviews on this type of mobile app.  When Facebook brings the Like Button to these apps, we’ll not only be able to check into these locations on Foursquare, we’ll be able to see which of our Facebook friends have liked that venue.  We’ll be able to read reviews or see Likes from those same friends from a nearby restaurant on Yelp or Urbanspoon as well.  Sure, we have “friends” on these applications already, but the potential is much greater with the bucket of hundreds of my Facebook friends than it is with the 15 or 20 close friends I have on Foursquare.

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Look out, cable operator.  Hulu is poised to take away your subscribers.

Hulu recently announced they are now offering a premium service for $10/month that allows subscribers to stream NBC, ABC, or Fox shows.  Hulu’s service will be available on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, as well as Playstation 3, X-Box 360, and select Blu-Ray players and internet-enabled TVs.  Subscribers can view entire seasons of a show, or watch the latest episode the day after it airs.

Advertises will want to keep an eye on Hulu’s new offering, which may complement rather than compete with Netflix. In fact, if a user subscribes to both, that user may be even more likely to ‘cut the cord’ and drop their cable subscription altogether.  Although currently those without cable make up a small percentage of Americans, the group is growing.  According to a recent study by MediaPost, over 1/3 of American adults have watched a full length television show online on a monthly basis.

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Business to business marketers are evaluating a new ad platform on Twitter which will allow advertisers to pay for tweets that appear at the top of real time search results. Advertisers bid on keywords, but instead of the CPC model used for traditional paid search, they bid on a CPM basis. The ads that appear in the search results can then be re-tweeted to that user’s followers, which then build upon their search results.

Currently, only about one half of B2B marketers utilize Twitter but it is among the leading initiatives for 2010. The new ad platform, which allows for keyword driven targeting, offers an ideal opportunity to measure the potential ROI for their clients.

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The past season of American Idol saw many changes; with Paula gone and Ellen joining the cast, the show’s ratings dropped 9 percentage points. FOX executives have taken note of the decline in viewership and are listening to what the Idol audience wants in order to save their most profitable TV show.

FOX’s research has shown that viewers are tired of the long drawn out results show and are interested in shorter programming. Next season, producers are hoping to spark interest again by shortening the Wednesday results show to 30 minutes while keeping the entertainment portion focused on Tuesday’s 90 minute performance shows.

Now with Simon leaving, Idol’s fate could be in greater jeopardy. Executives are currently looking to see who would be a good replacement. This summer, finding a judge that exudes industry expertise with the shock and awe factor will be their main priority to ensure that Idol’s ratings do not dip any lower.

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As a recovering Farmville addict, I am keenly aware of my friends’ social gaming activities. It seems like half of my Facebook news feed posts are about friends needing respect for Mafia Wars or a wheelbarrow to build a yard in Petville.

eMarketer recently reported that over half of social media users play social games, making it the fifth most popular social media activity.  Not only is this a large group, but one that advertisers frequently target. Here are some quick stats on this audience from a study done by PopCap:

• 55% of players are women
• The average age is 48
• 26% of all players are above 50
• 68% play at least once a day
• 29% have purchased virtual currency with real-world dollars
• Over 95% play multiple times a day.

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Back when we only consumed video content through our televisions, no one bothered to count screens.  But the last time I checked, we’re now up to four.  Televisions, computers, mobile phones, and out-of-home video screens are not only how we consume video, but they’re increasingly how we interact with it.

Along with our four-screen world comes the concept of lean back vs. lean forward media.  Initially, it may sound like “degree of focus” (which you’ve most likely heard of), but it’s also impacted by factors like engagement, ability to immediately respond, and time spent.

Probably the best way to understand lean back, lean forward, and the implications of each is with a chart:

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