10 Things NOT To Be This Halloween!

Ever experienced the social faux pas of wearing the same dress as another friend to a party?  Well, gentlemen probably not so much, it's a bigger deal for us ladies.  But let me promise you, it's never fun.  You awkwardly laugh and compliment each other's taste- but you know in the back of your head that everyone at the party is secretly doing a "Who Wore It Better" comparison!  

Well, my friend, let me save you from that- at least for your upcoming Halloween parties! Thanks to digital trend tracking, we can now determine ahead of time the most popular Halloween costumes of the year so you won't show up at a party with 20 people to be compared to!

An analysis of most trending Google searches for Halloween costumes resulted in this list of the most popular predicted trends for this year's costume parties.  The culprits are mostly from popular movies and television (Frozen characters are taking over!).  But even some social media viral videos are on the list! (Spider Dog, anyone!?)

So check out this infographic of Google's predictions for the most popular Halloween costumes!  And if you are looking to be truly unique this Hallows Eve, steer clear!

What The New iPhone Means For Your Jeans

It's normal today to see technology trends following fashion.  Anyone's who has ever seen a smartphone cover with a posh designer label on it could tell you that.

But we've gotten to the point now where technology trends are so influential that they are affecting fashion trends.  And better yet, doing so in very untraditional ways.

The new iPhone 6 Plus is following the trend of larger, phablet sized phones.  And as many are saying, this is beginning to look like the future of mobile technology. 

Some people don't like the larger phones, claiming they are hard to hold in their hands, or they bend in their pockets, or (gasp!) don't fit in their pockets!

That's where clothing designers come in!

No clothing brand wants to be out of the running for purchase because someone's new, state-of-the-art smartphone no longer has a home in their jean pocket!  

Mashable published yesterday several conversations from designers claiming they were creating new clothing with that exact problem in mind. 

J. Crew, for example, considers each aspect of the customers lives during their design process.  The head of women's design, Tom Mora, said "We think about all of these details- whether it's introducing new tech accessories for the iPhone 6 - or special interior pockets to carry the various generations of iPads or tablets."

It's pretty cool that the designers are making such a big deal about catering their products to our technology needs.  Though, I have to say, iPads in interior pockets of our pants!?  J. Crew needs to rethink that one!!  Most women don't even wear pants with enough fabric to cover an iPad let alone hide one inconspicuously!!

J. Crew isn't alone in planning their fashion around tech trends, though. Lee Jeans, L.L. Bean, Levi's, American Eagle and Japanese brand Uniqio all are also on board planning their designs for iPhones, Galaxy Tablets and phablets.  

What do you think?  Would you buy jeans if your smartphone didn't fit in the pocket?  

Can You Survive 'Death by Twitter'

We've seen many brands go down with Twitter errors.  Very few have given good examples of how to bounce back after a Twitter fail!

Well this week MAY be an example of bouncing back!  And what it takes is honesty, humility and a whole lot of apologies!!

So this story is a mishmash of a whole bunch of what's been happening on social media this week.  

It started with a leaked video of NFL star Ray Rice's vicious attack on his then-fiancee Janay Palmer.  Honestly, I haven't even watched the video because it makes my heart sick.  Rice was subsequently ousted from the NFL, with controversy surrounding the relationships and motives of Rice and Palmer.

This prompted a heavy trending hashtag of #WhyIStayed, initiated to launch a discussion about the complexities of domestic violence within relationships.

Well, cue a hasty social media manager at DiGiorno Pizza who saw this trending hashtag and used it before actually looking into its meaning.   Yeah, @DiGiornoPizza tweeted "#WhyIStayed You had a Pizza".  And in the serious and heartfelt conversation of people who survived abuse, this socially tone-deaf tweet fell on critical ears.  

Per usual with these kind of flubs, the Twittersphere reacted both immediately and venomously.  But not as usual was the brand's reply.

Yes, DiGiorno noticed, apologized and immediately deleted the tweet.

But then, the brand sent out personalized tweets to each and every Twitter handle that mentioned its offense.  Yes, personalized.  Guys, that takes TIME.  I mean a lot of time.  But it came across as very authentic and responsible.  Much more so than an automated response and apology.  

Check out some of the personalized tweet apologies below.  What do you think?  Is this a good way to make up for the insensitive tweet?

Brad & Angie Wed: But What About The Dress!?

I always laugh a little when I see people post complaints about their news feed.  Obviously they don't know you can block people!

Many gripe that their feed is full of "just weddings and babies".  

Well, if you want something in that genre but a little more exciting, how about a secret, surprise wedding of two of the most famous people on the planet!

That will get your news feed, Twitter feed or just about anything going!

And that's what we got this weekend when Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were married in Chateau Miraval, France.  

And while everyone is ringing the news, I have one prevailing question that I am sure every diva out there wants to know. 

What did Angie's dress look like!!!?

Trust me, friends, I have scoured every site and have not found a picture.  When I do I will post it but, sigh, it might never happen knowing these two and their secrecy!

E! News did report a little gossip on the topic from a "trusted insider" saying the gown was "very traditional, but very Angie, it was comfortable but plain white floor-length antique lace and silk."

Sounds lovely, but I guess we'll just have to use our imaginations for now!  Hey, at least Angie got in the white dress before Labor Day!!

What designer would you dress Angie in for her big day?

Emmy Awards Edition: Can you really PLAN a Social Media/TV Moment?

There are some live TV/ Social Media moments that are just pure gold.  Think of Ellen's famous selfie during the last Oscars that went viral, or the Oreo ad from the Superbowl power outage in 2013.  But last night's Emmy Awards makes me wonder if those moments just can't always be planned.  

This year's Emmys were advertised as being the "Most Social Media Friendly Event Ever", with brands from Twitter to Facebook to Pinterest getting in on the action.  Pinterest pages being updated in real time with fashion content.  Twitter debuted a zip-line camera feed.  Even video vignette mogul Vine joined the party with a "360-station" to record videos on the red carpet.

But.... looking back on the event.... what really STUCK?

You know the phrase, "If everything is a priority, nothing is a priority"?  I think of that about last night's Emmys social media presence.  There was just too many things all trying to happen.  No one event could capture enough attention to really make it monumental.

Sure there were many tweet-worthy moments.  The Robin Williams tribute was beautiful, Sofia Vergara's spotlight on the spinning pedestal, the audience "Q&A", but I'd be surprised if we were referencing any of these as social media "hits" a year from now.

What did you think of the Emmys?  Any awesome moments I'm just not seeing?

What's Up With All That Ice!?

I'm always up for a challenge.

And from the looks of my news feed, I'm not alone.

Yup, I'm talking about the Ice Bucket Challenge.  The viral video challenge that is leading people across the nation to, well, dump a bucket of ice over their heads!

If you haven't read into it, the concept is pretty simple.  Kinda like a big game of truth or dare, except the dare is always a bucket of ice and if you don't take it, you pay up.  For a good cause, though, $100 to ALS- commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.  

The challenge has helped spread awareness of ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) which is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.  There is no known cure for ALS, but creative efforts like this challenge help lead the charge for research.

I love this type of use for social media.  It reminds me of a large scale, modern version of a chain letter.  Remember the kind you had to send off to a certain number of people?  That's exactly what happens here - after finishing the chilly challenge yourself, you name three others who then have 24 hours to ice up or pay up!  And even those finishing the challenge find ways to give, often offering a dollar for every like or view their video receives.  This combines social impact, viral videos and social media! Amazing.

The challenge started and has spread from everyday Americans to celebrities and TV personalities.  Check out videos of Martha Stewart, Lance Bass, Matt Lauer, Elizabeth Banks, the list goes on and on! 

Even if you haven't yet been challenged, you can donate to ALS here.  Every donation counts!

With URLs, Shorter Doesn't Mean Safer!

Anyone who has used Twitter and knows the importance of each character in a 140-character limit knows about shortened URLs.  But, why would anyone ever want to make a url LONGER?

Well, I've come across this concept a bit during my exploration into increased internet security.  And not only am I going to share when you should make a URL longer, I'll give you an easy way to do it!

You've probably all been there.  You get an email from a friend, coworker or maybe someone you haven't talked to in awhile.  The message is short and a bit cryptic, of course, with a link.  The link is usually just as cryptic, likely shortened so it does not give away what it will link you to.  My gut in this situation is typically to STAY AWAY!  Clicking those links can invite malware or a virus to your computer or device. But we click on shortened links every day in Twitter, Facebook or on our favorite sites.  You may have even used one to get to THIS page!

Here's where the URL lengthener comes in!  LongURL.com is a web tool that gives you the original form of any shortened link.  So you will see that the shortened link for this page (bit.ly/1kpFtlM) is the Social Media Diva blog, (http://divaofsocialmedia.blogspot.com/2014/08/with-urls-shorter-doesnt-mean-safer.html).

Almost like a reverse phone number lookup, you will get the original link to any shortened link and can see that without putting your computer at harm!  

So if you can't resist the urge to stay away, check out longurl.com and stay safe!

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