Commemorate 2013 Instagram Style!!!

A quick perusal through my Instagram feed this morning led me to one very awesome post.  A year in review!  A quick video of your most popular Instagram posts throughout 2013.  As soon as I saw my friend's video I was struck with social media envy and had to make one of my own.  

Well, it was easy and fun and now, (lucky you!) you can make one too!  Ready?

First, head to site Statigram.  Statigram is a great Instagram-tracking service, actually it is so great that it deserves it own general post.  But today, I am in a reminiscing mood (after all, its almost the end of the year!) so we are going to focus on one specific tool within Staigram, the 2013 Year In Review creator!

Statigram's site is very user friendly and by simply linking your Instagram account to the site, and clicking to make the video, you are done!  The videos can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to create, but you'll get an email with the video attached when it is ready.  

The montage starts with the first image you posted in 2013 and follows with the five most liked images from your account.  I loved looking at my 2013 Instagram highlights.   

If you want to a slideshow or video with more than five images, check out a few other apps that can create that: namely Everlapse or Flipagram.  These montages feature up to an entire year of images.  I prefer the highlight reel, but I've seen great examples of both!

Have fun looking at your year's highlights, and Happy New Year!!

Death By Twitter: #HasJustineLandedYet

Nothing kills the holiday cheer like another Death By Twitter.

You know, we’ve talked about the “Death By Twitter” rampage lately.  And a lot of the tweets have left us confused, wondering if reactions are overly emotional or if the tweet is, in fact, completely inappropriate.

Well, friends, every once in awhile someone tweets something that throws all confusion out the window- other than the thought of “What in the WORLD were they thinking!”.  That is the case with Justine Sacco and her tweet about Africa.  Warning before reading on, this is offensive.

Why?  Why would you EVER think that was okay to say?  Here’s the real kicker.  Not only is this totally inappropriate, but this woman KNOWS better.  Sacco was (yeah, I say WAS because she has since been fired) the PR executive for the Internet conglomerate InterActive Corporation.  You may not have heard of the company, but you’ve certainly heard of all the businesses they own including Match.com and Dictionary.com and Vimeo.  A PUBLIC RELATIONS EXECUTIVE! Wow.

So, Sacco has written an official apology.  She is “ashamed” and was “insensitive to the crisis”.  All the right things to say when apologizing.  But, I just need to share this one part of the statement that still irks me.  It reads: “Unfortunately, it is terribly easy to be cavalier about an epidemic that one has never witnessed firsthand.”

WHAT?  No it’s not.  Sorry, Sacco but I don’t buy it.  There are epidemics that I have never witnessed firsthand that I would never, NEVER, be cavalier about.  Think about it.  I’ve never witnessed a massive flood or earthquake.  I’ve never witnessed mass starvation or poverty.  School shootings, hurricanes, the list goes on and on.  But my heart still goes out to those affected, though I am sure their pain is far greater than I may know.  So I don’t buy the whole “ignorance” claim here.  It just gets under my skin. 

Yet, in the redemption we find through the holiday spirit, some good can come out of this too!  Leave it to the Twittersphere to find a way!  A fake Facebook account under her name has been created where a post links to www.JustineSacco.com, which brings up a donation page for Aid for Africa.

I like that.  And I also very much respect the official statement of InterActive Corporation, who fired Sacco but spoke of forgiveness when speaking of her.  The company stated: “There is no excuse for the hateful statements that have been made and we condemn them unequivocally.  We hope, however, that time and action, and the forgiving human spirit, will not result in the wholesale condemnation of an individual who we have otherwise known to be a decent person at core.”

It is good to see love and forgiveness reign in the end, huh?  After all, that is what the holiday spirit is all about.

Will Facebook’s AutoPlay Videos Alienate Users?

Doesn’t it seem like every time Facebook makes a big change or announcement, people are up in arms about it? 

Well this week's news is no different!

Facebook confirmed Tuesday that it is rolling out video advertisements within users' News Feeds that will auto play on desktop and mobile.  

Yeah, kinda weird right?  So all of a sudden you are getting your daily updates from friend statuses and pics and then a random ad starts playing in your News Feed.  

It sounds annoying to me, and not what I want in my News Feed.  And I’m not alone.  Mashable has put out a flash poll and found 90% of people dissatisfied with this announcement.  Even more suprising is that almost 60% of people claim to hate it so much they would be willing to leave Facebook!

Now I highly doubt Facebook is going to lose that many of its users, but this certainly will change up your typical Facebook experience.  The company has been trying all different kinds of things to generate revenue through the otherwise free site.  Anything from paying for “stickers”, gifting to friends and the ever popular Facebook Ad.  These auto-play videos, though, are certainly the most aggressive of all the attempts.  

Do you think the ads will alienate Facebook users?  What do you think of them?

Online Engagement + Offline Action = Branding Win

Everyday, brands strive to create authentic, meaningful interactions with their customers.  Social Media has helped brands to do this on a larger scale.  But sometimes there is no comparison for good old fashioned, hitting-the-streets!  Creatively weaving off-line engagement into a campaign can create amazing results. 

Drum roll, please, for the best example I have seen of this- probably all year.

WestJet's Christmas Miracle Video.  I hadn't even HEARD of WestJet before today.  They fly mostly in Canada but also throughout the US and Mexico.  But this creative campaign of theirs found a direct route to my heart.  And not just mine!  The video has been viewed almost 2 million times in less than 48 hours.

If you haven't seen the video yet, the airline has an engaging online "live" Santa Claus that asks customers for their Christmas wishes as they approach the gate.  Within the time of the flight, WestJet pulls a Christmas Miracle and delivers the desired gifts to the passengers once they reach their destination!  The online/offline hybrid campaign has been a huge success for WestJet and the company's followup through Twitter has been equally impressive.  The company Twitter handle (@WestJet) is personally replying to tweets referencing the great ad and also coming up with the wittiest sayings to promote the video.

What a clever, fun and smart use of an advertising budget and Holiday campaign!  It's my favorite of the year!

Do you have any other favorite holiday campaigns?  Tell us below!

Death By Twitter: Rules & Lessons

My continuing editions of "Death By Twitter" have seen all types of fatalities due to stupid, offensive or otherwise not-so-Tweetable Tweets.  Whether it be a sports mascot, an Olympic athlete or a kitchen appliance, the Twittersphere  finds victims in all areas.

It seems the holidays is not turning out any differently.  Last week was particularly harsh on the world of social media. There have been severalfaux pas on Twitter the past week, from Nikki Finke's (Entertainment journalist and founder of Deadline.com) tweet following the death of Nelson Mandela that read...

to SpaghettiO's Pearl Harbor commemoration...

  

While I feel these are on two opposite ends of the spectrum, I want to take a different approach this "Death By Twitter" entry.  Instead of detailing the stories of Nikki Finke and SpaghettiO's and the backlash they received, let's try to take away a lesson.  While the tweets seem different in sentiment, they do have something in common.  Each took a tragic event and made it about something else.  Promotion.  While inserting your brand into a current event has proved viable for some (Oreo!!)  when war, famine or death are involved, it's safe to say that making the event about your brand is not wise. 

Use that rule of thumb when thinking about posting to commemorate events or pay respects.  After all, showing selflessness, even in something as small as a tweet, can go a long way.

What other "Rule Of Thumb" do you see playing out in Twittersphere?

Sneaky Social Media for Thanksgiving

Here's the thing.  Thanksgiving is all about family, friends and loved ones.  For many of us social media junkies, the same can be said for our social media habits.  Connecting with people continuously brings me joy!  However, our relatives might not all understand this.  There is nothing worse than getting vicious glares from Aunt Ida at Thanksgiving Dinner as I am uploading pics of the turkey to Instagram.

So, this Thanksgiving, I've got three sneaky ways to get your social media fix without ticking off the family!!

1) Spotify
Create a crowd sourced Spotify holiday mix!  You can have this playing in the background of your family meal, and even share your station with friends or family that can not be with you in person.

2) Pinterest
You need to OD on Pinterest TODAY and tomorrow morning folks! That is, before the gang gets together.  Searches for "Thanksgiving feast" or "Holiday table settings" will display a plethora of festive ideas. Get crafty!

3) Pic Stitch
Everyone will be taking photos this Thanksgiving. And of course you want to share these with everyone over social media!  Instead of posting each individual photo to your accounts- which takes time - use Pic Stitch to make a compilation of your photos and get all the awesome memories into one post!

And after you employ these moves, put down your tablet, mobile device and laptop for most of the day and connect with your loved ones. Afterall, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and all the rest will still be there tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Black Friday Starts Early on Social Media!

COUNTDOWN BEGINS.
One week.

Thanksgiving will be over, our tummies will be time for.... SHOPPING!

Black Friday is almost here but it seems like every year things start earlier and earlier. And one place you can surely keep up with what's going on is on Twitter. In fact, Amazon announced that it is going to be blasting out deals every 10 minutes starting this Sunday!
Of course, Amazon is completely online so you'll need to be glued to your computer to find the deals but some of these savings are steep! A Vizio 55-inch smart HDTV for $479.99 (usually it sells for $775.98), a Google Chromecast for $29.99 (usually $35) and I am sure many many more.

Now, this is not intended to be an ad for Amazon. It is interesting to me, though, that their "every 10 minutes" marketing plan syncs so well with the fast-paced style of social media. Black Friday is totally going social this year, you guys! In fact, many retailers have created special Twitter handles or Facebook pages just for their Black Friday deals! My favorite is Target who is giving away $25 gift cards through an app on Facebook and have a special Twitter handle -@ChristmasChamp - giving out advice on all things Black Friday at Target!

What makes a Tweet Trashable?

Now you see it, now you don't!

That's how things have been lately in the Twittersphere. Unintentional, unwise and unsavory tweets by companies, brands and individuals are being deleted from Twitter feeds now more than ever. Of course, in today's world, even when it's off of Twitter, it's not gone forever. I've collected the best of this week's deleted Tweets in what I'll call: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

The Good:

Not all deleted Tweets are terrible. Yet, with all the fire-able offences out there today, it's dangerous to be even a little risque. That was likely the case with this Charmin tweet that was deleted earlier this week.

 

If you don't get it, Asgard is Thor's home planet. Also, Charmin "guards" your derriere. And because I love a good pun, I digress.

The Bad:

News Flash to sports figures!! Do Not Tweet When You Are Upset About Your Game! After Matt Barnes's ejection from the LA Clippers game last night, he tweeted some choice profanity about the incident. Bad idea. Barnes has been slapped with a $25,000 fine for his behavior and profanity. Of course, the tweet is deleted now, but- really- when will these people learn!!??

The Ugly:

Downright racist or demeaning tweets are another category altogether. Just ugly. Home Depot has been blaming its previous ad agency for their tweet that depicted two African-American drummers and a third man wearing a monkey mask with the caption "Which drummer is not like the others?" The tweet is now deleted, as is Home Depot's relationship with that agency and the job of the employee who posted the tweet. Home Depot's basically deflected all responsibility for the tweet. But for me, it's hard to believe Home Depot would give free reign to an agency to completely control their Twitter. Shame on them.

Death By Twitter: Beach Edition

We will now add to the adage I mentioned earlier this week: "Things Not To Joke About On Social Media".  Suicide and Shootings.

 

One would think that these are self-evident, yet another rule breaker comes to light this week, after the shootings at LAX.  Newport Beach's marketing director (or shall I say former marketing director), Jeff Soto tweeted this less-than-savvy tweet less than three hours after the shooting.

 

 

Yeah, that one is a firable offense.  The tweet was removed within the hour and Soto's job did not last much longer. 

 

Take this as a cautionary tale.  Followup tweets from Newport Beach explained that they hadn't seen the update of the fatal shooting yet and were focusing on reports of closures and people stuck at the airport.  In an attempt to make quick and relevant updates (think "Oreo Moment"), they ended up making a faux pas.

 

“It’s ultimately our fault to rush something out without finding all the facts. We wouldn’t intentionally do this I assure you,” the group Tweeted Friday.

 

In this case, I think three hours after the incident is enough time to get the whole story.  But it brings up an interesting point.  Our benchmark for this "real-time relevant marketing" is typically the aforementioned "Oreo Moment", when the brand tweeted a pic after the SuperBowl Blackout.  If that blackout had been fatal, or -God forbid- an attack, we might be shaming Oreo instead of praising it! 

 

How do you balance fact-finding with real-time tweeting? 

Death By Twitter: Mascot Edition

You know the old adage about topics to avoid at parties: politics and religion.

I think we need a new such adage about topics not to joke about on Social Media. At the top of this list: suicide.

An unlikely Tweeter learned this lesson the hard way this week, and makes our latest "Death by Twitter".

Freddie the Falcon is the mascot for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, a team that is currently not doing so hot on the field with a 2-6 record so far this year.

Well, Freddie decided to tie in his recent appearance at a American Foundation for Suicide Prevention walk with his team's recent dismal performance. After the walk, Freddie posted a message on Twitter that has since been deleted, reading:

"Had a good time at the #ood suicide prevention walk today. I may need to go back if our season continues the way it is."

I am always baffled at who approves these Tweets. Getting a slight laugh over a topic that is so emotionally packed, especially after just supporting people who care deeply about the prevention, is just irresponsible.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention released the following statement, in what I think is a classy way to handle this situation:

For the more than 1,000 survivors of suicide loss who participated in today's walk, suicide prevention is no laughing matter. We hope everyone who joined us today, including Freddie, support our vision for a world without suicide.

 

Freddie realized the error in his ways and posted the following apology not much later. There is no word yet as to if the social media manager who allowed this still has a job or not. We've seen many lose their jobs due to tasteless tweets. Do you think this is a fireable offense? 

DIY Costumes for Social Media Mavens!

BOO!

Yes, folks, it's Halloween weekend! (Well, at least the first of two!)

And if you are a last minute planner, you might have not planned a costume yet.

Well don't just throw a bedsheet over your head and say you are a ghost (although, that is fun, I know from experience).  If you are obsessed with Social Media like I am, some of these awesome Internet Inspired Costumes will be worth the effort!!

DIFFICULT:

So, yeah, Grumpy Cat isn't new but he IS adorable. And you will be too in this costume.  Basically an adaptation of the normal, everyday cat costume.  Add heavily darkened eyes, a frown over your mouth and make a cardboard frame for yourself and voila! 

EASY:

With a basic black or white outfit and some construction paper, you can transform yourself into either hardware or software that everyone loves.  A black dress + Mini apps = iPhone!! White outfit + cardboard easel = Pinterest board!  Or even easier -- just wear a white shirt with some safety pins!

EVEN EASIER:

Okay, this is for people who are kinda slackers, but we love you anyway.  Write on a shirt: "ERROR 404: Costume Not Found".  All of a sudden, your laziness looks like tech genius.  You're welcome.

No matter what your preferred level of difficulty, have fun, be safe and HAPPY Halloween!!

What Breaking Bad and Oreos Have In Common

SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT.

If you haven't watched the final episode of Breaking Bad, stop reading now.

 

Great, I figured since it's been almost a week since the final episode, it was pretty much safe to write about this.  Remember during last year's Superbowl blackout when Oreo placed that awesome real-time ad on Twitter?  Well, people are referring to similar real-time marketing efforts "Oreo Moments" now (how's that for some residual branding!). 

And the series finale that had everyone talking had some pretty great attempts at "Oreo Moments". 

I've listed my favorite three below.

 

 

Clorox on Twitter: Maybe the most similar to the Oreo Moment, is Clorox's tightie whitie ad.  Granted, this seems less real-time than the Oreo ad because it is a nod to Walter's choice undies, which was part of the plot line for years now.  This could have easily been thought up months ago and just ready to tweet.  Still, I like the tie-in. 

Century 21 and Craigslist:

Using a little bit of a different avenue, Century 21 pulled a clever stunt just hours before the finale's start by posting a fake ad for the White's New Mexico home on Craigslist sales page.  The ad claimed it was selling the ranch style Albuquerque home and called it "fit for a king" as well as a host of other insider tidbits in the description. 

Truvia on Twitter: Here's the REAL spoiler alert, which goes along with my personal favorite ad for this blog.  Background: In the final episode, Walter kills someone by replacing her choice sweetener, stevia, with poison. This Truvia ad makes my #1 spot because it's clever AND was obviously thought up in real-time as the finale aired.  Granted, the ad didn't post for a few hours after the show.... but still, the edginess of the tweet probably had to clear some level of lawyers!

How about you?  See any other "Oreo Moments" in the Breaking Bad series finale??

Government Shutdowns on Twitter!

The government shutdown.

It's what everyone is talking about.

And while you may not have experienced ramifications of this yet in your day to day life, I'm gonna clue you in on some that are on Twitter!

Yup. When certain government sections are shut down, well it means their Twitter accounts are shut down too! So for now, until they get this mess fixed, here are 5 Government accounts that you shouldn't expect to hear tweeting....

1. U.S. Capitol (@USCapitol): Probably to be expected (and not sure who follows this anyway) but no more tweets from the Capital for now.

2.FAA Safety Briefing (@FAASafetyBrief): More relevant I might say, this account is meant to update with flying safety news, but is shutdown for now.

3. StatueOfLiberty (@StatueLibrtyNPS): Hope you weren't planning a visit to Lady Liberty any time soon. You won't be able to check her out on Twitter if you were.

4. National Zoo (@NationalZoo): Another main tourist attraction down. And not only is their Twitter down but so is the Panda Cam feed (which was just adorably cute, by the way!)

5. NASA's Asteroid Watch (@asteroidwatch): Let's just pray no asteroids are on a collision course with earth right now or us Twitter-folk will be in for a surprise!

How else have you been effected by the shutdown?

The Sweet Side of Social Media

News on social media can get rough. With all the hateful language and distasteful tweets lately, I thought I'd bring a little ray of social media sunshine to your Wednesday.

The Toronto Star reported that earlier this week, Twitter enabled a very touching reunion. Sometimes it truly is the little things that count, this reunion was between a little boy and his lost stuffed animal!

Adorable, right? Five-year-old Caeden had lost his favorite stuffed animal at the Toronto Pearson Airport. But thanks to the wonders of Twitter, a few strategic hashtags (#findmyowner), and the kind heart of police officer Sgt Chris Boddy, their reunion happened in only 24 hours.

Yup, Sgt Boddy took it upon himself to tweet about the lost pup, and was retweeted almost 300 times until the message found its way to Caeden's family.

You know, it may seem like a little thing. But sometimes the little things ARE the big things.

Have you seen Twitter being used for good lately? Tell us how in the comments!

A True American Beauty

There's something about a beauty pageant that can bring out the ugly in people.

Sadly, that is what happened on social media when the beautiful Nina Davuluri won the title of Miss America on Sunday night.

Nina, a native New Yorker, is the first Indian-American to be crowned Miss America. Throughout the pageant, Nina showed the pride she has in her heritage.  Her talent was a classic Bollywood dance and her platform was "celebrating diversity through cultural competency".  But no sooner did the crown hit her head than social media blew up with terrible and racist comments.  I am not going to even give these tweets and posts the notoriety of being quoted in this blog.  The ignorance and blatantly racist stereotypes were disgusting; people linking her to terrorist groups, calling her not "really American" and making derogatory statements about belonging in 7-11.  

I am proud of Miss America and wish Nina all the best and hope she takes the high road in dealing with these types of comments.  And I think it's about time that people stop hiding behind their computer screens and typing hateful comments about others.  We need a little more love and beauty in this world, and a LOT less vitriol spread over social media.  

Were you watching Sunday?  What were your thoughts?

Miley: Love It, Hate It or Laugh!

"We can't stop.  We won't stop!"

Yes, these are the lyrics to the hit Miley Cyrus preformed last weekend on the VMAs, but they might as well be a description of the public reaction too!  Yeah, we just can't stop talking about Miley's performance!  Okay, so obviously I have my opinions, but looks like everyone else does too.  So, for your satisfaction, I've condensed the most popular reactions into three groups as well as one example from each category that has gone viral!  So here we go, when it comes to Miley, you can shame her, defend her or laugh with her: 

Reaction #1: Shame Her

Yeah, shame is a strong word. But, for some it really rings true!  This blog, written as a letter from a twenty-something to Mileyherself, is a great example of this.  It describes how Miley's actions- since she's in the spotlight- leads to more attention.  But those same actions by an everyday person lead to sometimes tragic results.  Its a good read, and a logical response to a crazy performance!

Reaction #2: Defend Her, Sorta

This almost defense of Miley's actions.  I guess it is more of a call-out of people being hypocritical in what they accept and what they don't.  For example, if you've ever seen the music video "Blurred Lines" - the song that Miley was singing with RobinThicke, you'd know that the women in that video wear LESS clothes than Miley was wearing on stage.  Hard to believe, right?  Yet, the reaction to Miley was far more vicious.

Reaction #3: Laugh with Her

Yeah, sometimes you just need to laugh.  And social media's made sure that you can do that with Miley!  Here's my favoriteblog from this category, that shows Miley pulling her move on just about every popular internet meme there is!  

What was YOUR reaction to Sunday's performance?

Ben Affleck as Batman? Twitter says NO!

When the Twittersphere has an opinion, they make it known!  

Just yesterday, Warner Brothers announced that Ben Affleck would play the title role in the new Batman movie.  While this is great news for Mr. Affleck, most of social media is NOT having it.

Twitter went CRAZY with mostly negative remarks about the new Batman choice.  

Get this, social media analytics firm Fizziology reported that almost 100,000 tweets were sent in the first HOUR after the casting announcement was made and more than 70% were negative!  That's a whole lotta NOs!

So why the negative sentiment?  Well a big part of it could be shock.  Ben wasn't even on the short list of possible Batman actors that The Hollywood Reporter published a few weeks ago.  That list was topped with names like Ryan Gosling and Josh Brolin.  

The other reason is probably because of Affleck's attempt at a superhero in Daredevil, which was a major flop.

I guess we will see!  What do you think?  Do you agree with most of the Twitter talk, or are you ready to see Batman Ben??

Death By Twitter: Stupidest Tweet Of The Week

Don't do drugs.

Okay? Just don't.

But here's some more free advice. Don't ask for drugs on social media.

Sometimes you just have to shake your head and sigh.

Okay, folks, here is the latest death by Twitter.

Sunith Baheerathan, a 20-year-old Canadian posted this tweet on Tuesday. It was answered, quite quickly, by the York Regional Police. Baheerathan deleted his Twitter account not much later.

 

You can bet that tweet is on his list of regrets! The police got involved immediately. Yikes. Plus, since Baheerathan - the genius that he seems to be - requested the drugs be delivered to his place of employment, he has now been fired from his job at Mr. Lube.

Well, folks, take this as a warning and a way to remember that you do not need to share every request or detail of your life on social media.

And stay away from illegal activity!

Another Social Media/Reality TV Crossover!

 Reality TV takes some cues from Instagram!

We've all seen Twitter and other social media sites abuzz with news from the latest reality TV show.  But how about when the tables turn? This week there is news of social media spurring a new reality TV show!  

If you've spent much time on Instagram, you may have heard of "The Rich Kids Instagram".  This group of twenty somethings on Instagram loves posting pictures of their overly extravagant lifestyles and even have a slogan of "They have more money than you and this is what they do."  Check out some of these pictures...

Wow, right!?  So now, almost like a new version of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", the reality show based on the lives of these wealthy young'uns is set to debut on E!  Sources report that it will be called "Rich Kids of Beverly Hills" and, even with the similar name and some of the same individuals as the Instagram feed, it claims not to be connected with the social media site.  Yeah, right. 

I wonder how many more social media starlets will spring onto television and movies!?  There's been news that the meme "Grumpy Cat" is getting a movie deal!  Who else would you like to see follow suit?

Time To Tweet Royally

The biggest news in social media last week would probably have to be that news which was of royal proportions.

That's right, the royal baby.
Surrounding the birth last Monday, hash tags including #RoyalBabyWatch and #RoyalBirth flooded Twitter and Facebook posts. But now, almost two days later, the chatter has quieted a bit and we're beginning to see some of the gems through all the noise.

And who else to cash in on this royal infamy than good old consumer brands on Twitter!  Remember when Oreo posted this ad on Twitter during the Superbowl blackout?  That was so relevant and timely it seemed amazing!  

Well, tons of brands are now cashing in on this real-time tweeting to newsworthy events.  Check out some of the most outrageous from the #RoyalBirth!

My personal favorite is the Play-doh one.  I mean, come ON! Who doesn't love a royal baby built from Play doh!?  

Did you have a favorite? Or see any others you think are worthy of an honorable mention?

A New Spin On "Six Seconds of Fame"

There has been a lot of movement lately in the short-video sharing space.  Whether it is Vine or Instagram, people love it.  But what about making a living from it?  Or how about using it to gain a life of fame and fortune?

Well, get this, Gary Vaynerchuk, a legendary brand consultant and author, is starting a talent agency specifically for stars of Vine.  Yes, those who have garnered large followings for their 6-second videos will now have a new avenue to achieve fame.  The agency, reported to be called "Grape Story" will capitalize on the skill set needed to create compelling and popular stories in mere seconds.  

And this new set of digital starts already has a company looking to hire them!  Apparently, Virgin Mobile is looking to contract the clients of Grape Story for new partnerships.  And according to Vaynerchuk, this could mean big bucks.  He thinks an average of 20 videos a year could make someone a great living.  Wow.  Living off of work that takes you a total of 2 MINUTES seems crazy.  What do you think about this new kind of fame?  

Poor Miss Utah!

I would bet that there have been more tweets about Utah in the past 24 hours than ever.  Usually known for Salt Lake City or great skiing, the state has erupted on social media sites for a new reason: Miss USA pageant answers.

 

That's right.  Last night, during the Miss USA pageant (I still love watching these!), there was a new botched response in the traditional Q&A session.

 

I say "new" because many of you might remember last year's cringe-worthy answer from Miss Teen South Carolina, Caitlin Upton.  Well, this year, she has transferred the crown of "Most Incoherent Answer" to Miss Utah, Marissa Powell.

Judge NeNe Leakes questioned Marissa about income inequality, asking “A recent report shows that in 40 percent of American families with children, women are the primary earners, yet they continue to earn less than men. What does it say about society?”

 

Good question, right!?  But that's when Miss Utah's eyes began to glaze over and she just started... just saying words... poor thing.  Among long pauses and "um"s, quips included: "the men are … um … seen as the leaders of this" and "we need to see how to … create education better".

 

Yeah, there was no real answer.

 

And, of course, Twitter noticed.  The pageant has brought about increase Twitter usage by hosting a "tweet for your favorite contestant competition" earlier in the evening.  But trending topics ended up with Miss Utah's botched answer at the top of the list.

 

It didn't turn out all bad for our poor Marissa Powell, though.  She ended up coming in fourth place, just behind Miss Connecticut (the winner), Miss Alabama, and Miss Illinois.

 

Did you watch last night?  Do you think the judges were too gracious with the scoring, or did Miss Utah deserve the crown?

Myspace's 9 Lives

Myspace is like a cat with 9 lives.

Doesn't it seem like it KEEPS "relaunching"?  Didn't this just happen earlier this year?  Is it déjà vu?  Are we in the movie Groundhog Day!?

Yet, I put away my apparent cynicism for a moment and open my mind to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, this time is different for Myspace.  The once front-runner of social media networks, MySpace (notice the previously capitalized S in space, that they have now done away with) lost basically all its users to Facebook and has been trying to reinvent itself since. 

But new owners Tim and Chris Vanderhook seem to realize that you need to do a lot more than change the capitalization of an "S" to reinvent yourself and shake the "failed social network" stigma.  The new Myspace is embarking on additional paths for this relaunch.  Remaining true to its original shift from 2012 to a music-discovery service, Myspace is keeping the hip social-music aspect, but building on it.  The most promising new feature seems to be My Radio, a service similar to Pandora or iTunes Radio, but that relies on crowd sourcing for the stations rather than user-customized algorithms.  So, what does that mean?  Basically that every user, spanning from me, to a cool new band, to Justin Timberlake, will have their own station- turning us into mini-DJ's promoted by the site itself.  This seems to be a unique differentiator, but what isn't clear is how users will respond.  Only time will tell.

Additional features on the new Myspace range from necessary standards (like its mobile device apps) to some more random offerings (like a user-friendly GIF maker). 

You'll soon see commercials for the new Myspace that feature a bunch of hip looking twenty-somethings dancing and running around to an upbeat music.  Doesn't seem like anything we haven't seen before, but the company is putting $20 million into this ad campaign reaching broadcast, radio and digital platforms. 

But, you know what?  I am typically one to root for an underdog.  And even given its former glory, that is really what Myspace has become. 

Will you try the new Myspace?  Do you think Myspace has a chance this time?  Share your thoughts below.

Death By Twitter: Taco Edition

Our Death By Twitter sagas have been at a standstill lately. But now we are back with a really unappetizing one.

Earlier this week, an unwise series of events led to this picture being posted on Taco Bell's official Facebook page. Wow. Talk about bad decisions! Let's review the elements of this bad decision:

- Licking tall stack of taco shells

- While wearing uniform

- With visible face

- Posting to Internet

- More specifically, on the official page of your employer

 This Death by Twitter is one that has a very obvious outcome. At least on initial review. The employee pictured -- and the employee who posted the picture -- were fired this week after the nasty pic and story went viral. Less obvious, though, are the strange twists to this tale that have been uncovered since then.

Turns out, the picture was in response to an internal competition from Taco Bell for employees to "submit photos of themselves enjoying their first bite of a new product". The taco shells were being thrown out and the employee was apparently attempting to show his love for the taste of Taco Bell.

Okay, the photo is still pretty gross... but at least these facts put it in context. Right?? The lesson for everyone here is that while the corporate reaction was quick to fire the offending employees, they were slow to reveal the somewhat redeeming circumstances of the photo as a response to an internal contest. These factors were revealed days after the picture went viral, so most people who saw the offending picture don't even know. They just walked away thinking about Taco Bell with a bad taste in their mouth. No pun intended

Are you as grossed out as I am? Do you think the employees should have been fired?

Get Ready, Twitter! Here Comes Hillary!

Is it really starting already? I feel like I was JUST posting about politics on social media and how cool it was that candidates were using different media because I was tired of ads.

And while I still think it’s cool, we JUST got done!

Nevertheless, Twitter has been abuzz with rumors that former Secretary of State - and possible 2016 presidential candidate - Hillary Clinton will soon be taking political aim on Twitter. Not surprising, really, after the success Barack Obama had in garnering support through social media. But, come on. It's May 2013. I guess you can't blame them for creating buzz!

 

It's not official yet, of course, but reports are already out on USA Today and Politico. And the reported handle, @hillaryclinton, currently shows protected tweets, just baiting us even more!

 

It was just over a month ago that her husband, Bill Clinton, joined Twitter- but with much less fanfare. Currently, @billclinton has totaled 26 tweets. Let's hope that all the ruckus about Hillary's handle amounts to more than that!

 

So, what do you think, are you ready for 2016 campaigning to start?

Google Doodle Tells Touching Story

If you have searched on Google at all today, you were greeted by a touching Google Doodle.  More specifically, what many social media leaders are referring to as the "most moving logo Google has ever posted". 

The doodle is a product of Google's "Doodle 4 Google" competition, which challenges US grade school students to create unique images for the iconic Google logo on the company's homepage.  This year's winner was 12th grader Sabrina Brady of Sparta, Wisconsin.  Her winning doodle is her depiction of the competition's prompt: "My Best Day Ever".

Sabrina explained, "When I was 10 years old, my dad came home from war. This was my best day ever."

Her image, entitled "Coming Home" is touching, and I can see why she won!  And now, today might rank up there as her second best day ever, since her image was hosted on Google all day, and she also won a $30,000 college scholarship, a Chromebook computer and a $50,000 technology grant for her favorite school.

Way to go Sabrina! 

What did you think of today's Google Doodle?  Do you have any other favorites from the past?

Pep-Talk to Perk up your Monday!

If you are entering the day with a "case of the Mondays", take ONE minute and watch this video.
In literally 60 seconds, you will learn a powerful new technique on how to pump yourself up to face the day!

Did you watch it?  If so, you are among 13 million that have now been encouraged by "Jessica's Daily Affirmation".

How great is THAT!  I love that she just lists random things to like... my aunts, my Allisons, my haircut, my house.  So funny.

So the crazy part about this viral hit is that it was filmed YEARS ago.  Seriously, look at this video and Jessica is now almost a teenager!  So all this was, really, is a dad going through his old family videos and putting up one he thought was funny.  Strange that what used to be an "America's Funniest Home Video" is now a viral media sensation.

I guess it goes to show you that a good, positive pep-talk never goes out of style!

Have a great Monday and remember... you can do anything better than anyone!