For several years, many music fans and critics alike have speculated that Kelly Rowland was/is jealous of her more successful band mate Beyoncé Knowles. On May 15, Rowland confirmed this in the first verse of her new single, “Dirty Laundry,” that there was a time that she envied Beyoncé’s solo success. She sings, “when my sister was on stage, killin’ it like a (expletive)/ I was enraged, feelin’ it like a (expletive)/ Bird in a cage, you would never know what I was dealing with/ Went our separate ways, but I was happy she was killin’ it/ Bittersweet, she was up, I was down…”

While there may have been a time that critics would have reveled in such a confession, a much more harrowing revelation came as the song played out. In the second and third verses Rowland revealed a dark secret that she had been holding onto: she had been in an abusive relationship for many years.

Rowland sings, “this (expletive) puttin’ his hands on me…I was battered, he hit in a window like it was me until it shattered/ He pulled me out, he said ‘Don’t nobody love you but me / Not your mama, not your daddy and especially not Bey.’”

While Rowland and Knowles have since rekindled and strengthened the bond between them, the abuse is still a sensitive subject for the former. “It was very emotional. It took me days to record,” Rowland said in an exclusive interview with Billboard. “I had to get past being so upset and actually sing the song, not sob through it. I always hope that my music can inspire someone, the same way other artists inspire me.”

Since the song’s premiere, many fans of Destiny’s Child have made a connection to one of DC3’s last songs as a group, “Girl.” In this song the trio sings to a friend who has been going through a hard time in a relationship. In the first verse Beyonce sings, “in your face I can see the pain, don’t you try to convince us that you’re happy./ We’ve seen this all before, But he’s taking advantage of the passion/Because we’ve come too far for you to feel alone, you don’t let him walk over your heart.” In the accompanying video, the member that was being sang to was none other than Rowland. Fans flocked to YouTube and other social media outlets to express shock and sadness as well as admiration for Rowland’s willingness to share her traumatic ordeal with them.

While no one knows for sure who the man that Rowland was referring to is, her ex-fiance, NFL player Roy Williams, assured her fans and his as well that he was not the abuser. “So Kelly has a new song. Called #DirtyLaundry.. & what ever she’s saying in it ppl thinks it’s me. #wow #imnottheonlypersonshedated #wasntme,” he tweeted.

While the speculation of which ex is guilty of abusing the songstress continues, fans can focus their attention on “Talk a Good Game,” Rowland’s fourth studio album led by “Kisses Down Low,” which will arrive in stores on June 18.

Image credit: Kelly Rowland on Instagram

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Thursday night, the Republican Convention culminated with the much anticipated acceptance speech of Mitt Romney. His speech will be dissected backwards and forwards. The plan he laid out will be analyzed and fact checked. The attacks on the President will be evaluated for their impact and truth. All of these items will happen over the course of the next week. But the thing many will be talking about more is the speech made by American Icon Clint Eastwood.

In a surprise visit, Eastwood stepped to the stage to a rousing standing ovation. What followed was an explosion of real time panning and praise across the social media universe. Traditional media and pundits soon followed suit after Romney completed his speech. If you are a Conservative partisan, then you found the speech funny, and a breath of fresh air from a Hollywood actor. Liberals and Obama supporters found it offensive, and rambling. The truth is somewhere in between.

In deference to the Eastwood here is the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (in reverse).

The Ugly

All actors share one trait that is maddening to groups that have them speak or support their causes: they cannot be controlled. Eastwood was scheduled for a five minute, scripted speech. He went over time and off script. He added an off color joke about an imaginary President Obama telling him (Eastwood) to tell Romney to “go do something he can’t do to himself.” The remark was NOT appreciated by the Romney camp. We are, after all, talking about a Presidential candidate for whom saying the word “hell” is noteworthy. It is not something that anyone would have signed off on. But what is there to do, walk him off the stage like they do at the Oscars? Once Eastwood is on stage, you just have to accept whatever happens next.

There is wide acceptance among the political class that President Obama has a disdain for Romney. There is little doubt, however, that he would not actually ask Romney a question or make a comment about Romney in that manner. He is not Rahm Emmanuel, after all.

The Bad

The schtick Eastwood used regarding interviewing the President, but having an empty seat, has been mocked across Hollywood. Roger Ebert remarked, “Clint, my hero, is coming across as sad and pathetic.” Fellow film critic Richard Roeper tweeted, “Clint has now eclipsed the total word count of his last three films.” Star Jones had this too say, ”I can’t believe I just watched Clint Eastwood turn into somebody’s DRUNK UNCLE HARRY on the stage of the GOP RNC. He humiliated himself.”

What is interesting here is that even the film critics do not have a sense of entertainment history. The empty chair technique is an old comedic routine. Clint was around when it was used, but his age may have something to do why he performed it so haltingly. It did not translate, and probably would not have if he had delivered it in a smooth manner.

At 82, there is a legitimate question as to whether Eastwood is mentally agile enough for what he was attempting. As it turned out, all it did was take attention from Romney’s speech. It won’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but in a campaign where the President is searching for distractions, no one on the conservative side should be providing them. 

The Good

Lost in the reaction to the off-color jokes, and a comedic routine that failed because of how it was delivered, is the substance of what Eastwood said.

Liberals are quick to ignore this, because in their world you do not criticize Democrats, and not this President. It is disrespectful, it is wrong, and to many it is racist. It is not surprising they ignore the numerous jokes and just plain nasty remarks (Bill Maher) made toward republicans.

To them it is fair game: it is just jokes, it is free speech. In reality it is evidence of how thin skinned liberals really are. When they make fun of you, you should be able to take a joke. Make fun of them, and you’re crazy, kookie, or a bad person.

Clint made the very real analogy that when you have someone that is not doing the job, you have to let them go. You just do not tell Obama he should be fired or replaced in the liberal world. It is nuts to point out that he, and all politicians work for us. It is just not done to point out the pain of 23 million people out of work.

On substance Eastwood was as on target as any of the gun toting heroes he played in those old spaghetti westerns.  

Image Courtesy of  Randy Miramontez / Shutterstock.com

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Dallas, U.S.A. — Social Media Club of Dallas, a premier networking and education organization dedicated to marketing and new media, along with platinum sponsor, Sprint, has announced that its August 16 meeting will feature a panel of social customer care experts moderated by Bryan Person, Director of Social Insights for Social Dynamx. Bryan and panelists Tony Turnage of FedEx, Sean Valderas of Nokia and Mike Cearley of Fleishman-Hillard will discuss the challenges that businesses and brands face in building a successful customer service operation in a social world, including:

• Customers’ impatience and expectation of instant responses
• Confusion associated with tracking posts across multiple channels
• Using social tools that weren’t designed to support customer service
• Tracking the elusive ROI of customer service
• Communicating with customers in a public forum

The panel will educate the audience on how to overcome these challenges and deliver exceptional social customer service to customers and fans.

“More than ever, customers are reaching out to companies on social media when they have customer service issues and questions,” said Bryan Person. “And when they do, they *expect* a response — and fast. I look forward to discussing how businesses and brands are adapting to this new reality during our panel.”

The meeting will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 16, 2012, at the Angelika Film Center Dallas in Mockingbird Station. Guests are invited for more networking at a post meeting Tweet-Up at Trinity Hall. Early registration tickets cost $35 and are available through August 15, 2012. Tickets on the day of the event are $45, if available.

Please register here for the event on Eventbrite.

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iPakistan is a new social media initiative set up by a group of Pakistani university students to change the global perception of Pakistan. Reaching out to others via the web, their aim is to re-brand Pakistan and break the stereotypes that often result in discrimination and prejudice towards its people.

Type out ‘Pakistan’ in the Google Images search bar and scroll down the first few pages: one would find pictures of maps,  the Pakistani flag and images that spell out a country torn between poverty and war. Although this may be the harsh reality in some parts of Pakistan, it is not the only reality of this South Asian country, as some are prone to believe.  With the kind of news surfacing daily regarding the conflicts, bomb blasts and political issues of not only the country, but also its neighbors’ it’s not hard to see why most people have a negative outlook on Pakistan. Rehman Ilyas aims to change this by replacing the post 9/11 images of terrorism, extremism and war zone to that of extremely talented youths, scenic landscapes and rich culture.

As a Lahori studying at the University of Hong Kong, Ilyas found himself subject to questions about Pakistan ranging from relatively normal ones such as “Do you have any malls there?” to more ridiculous ones like “Is there Taliban in your family?” He was always aware of the injustice done by the world media news in regards to their portrayal of his country but he was unaware of the severity of it until he arrived in Hong Kong.

“People only got to see that 1% of Pakistan in which the War on Terror is going on, in the media, and take that to be representative of the entire Pakistan,” he said.

Instead of merely complaining, he took action and decided to play his part in correcting the wrongly propagated image of his country. He started with doing his own online research on the subject and pitching the idea to his friends, followed by doing pilot tests on Facebook and a trial website. A survey was even conducted to realistically depict what the world thinks of Pakistan. Tackling the issues from there, what initially started out as a personal contribution to his country has now expanded to a website and a Facebook page with contents from over 80 team members, a diversified group of youths spread over 10 countries all intent on introducing the real Pakistan to the world.

Ilyas also intends to reach out to the world for a greater purpose that could help Pakistan in a myriad of other ways. According to him, “The 2011 floods in Pakistan were worse than the Asian Tsunami and the Haiti Earthquake combined, and an area the size of England was inundated in water. Despite all this, the media coverage and global aid intervention received wasn’t even close as compared to these other recent natural calamities, simply because people around the world were not interested in helping out a country which in their minds, harbors terrorist groups and is a base camp for terrorist activities around the world.”

Setting the global views straight, even one person at a time, could slowly prove to be beneficial for 180 million Pakistanis. With Pakistani businessman and traders at exhibitions around the world facing difficulties when questioned about bringing in supplies reliably to and from a war zone, Ilyas’ project could have a positive effect on his country economically as well.

Along with changing the way others perceive his country, Ilyas would also like to see a few changes within the nation itself. Speaking for a majority of the population, he said, “Most Pakistanis crave for a change of leadership. We are done with having the same corrupt leaders elected again and again, and this needs to end now. Pakistan is blessed with both vast natural resources and human capital, and given the right leadership we have the potential to develop into a regional superpower.”

Another sub-project that Ilyas has been working on is ‘Romancing the Border’ and is aimed at another issue spread across the nation: the social gap between Indians and Pakistanis. With most youths having been raised with a mindset bearing hatred for the other side, the stereotypical views separate the youths despite the fact both sides may be similar to each other in a lot of aspects. Backed by Stanford University’s Peace Innovation Lab, this cross-border initiative provides an online platform for youth from both sides of the border to interact with each other and to encourage pro-social behaviors between Pakistanis and Indians.

Having received positive responses so far regarding iPakistan from both Pakistanis and foreigners, Ilyas hopes to reach out to the masses and in the foreseeable future, instead of us receiving war torn images of Pakistan as soon as we Google the word, iPakistan will appear on the top search results and bring about a positive first impression of the country.

Perhaps it is a sign of change in the world when youths stand up to defend their country, and not in the traditional means of violence or crude words, but by showing the rest of us what their nation is capable of, what makes it beautiful, and most importantly, what makes it their home and source of pride. With that, Ilyas leaves us with one last statement on his beloved homeland, “We are not a country supporting terrorism. In fact, we are the country which has sacrificed the most in the war against terrorism.”

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

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As internet technology takes off at an ever-evolving pace, daily, so do blog websites. And, thanks to bloggers out there, many have begun blogging about more than just celebrities, fashion and entertainment. Blogger and researcher Cara Pring studies social media statistics on her website, thesocialskinny.com. According to Pring, the purpose of creating her site was “to choose the social media topics that actually matter and explain them in a no-fluff, no-jargon way so that you can keep up to date about the important developments in the social media world without having to scour countless daily/weekly update emails.”

The World of Difference website reflects on the three best independent charity blogs out there on the internet currently and states these charity blogs are meant “to inspire, amuse, and inform. From donations to marketing to celebrity endorsement, these independent bloggers address the real concerns of the sector.”

To start our countdown, coming in at number three on our list is:

#3: “The Charity Blogger”

This blog site covers a wide-array of charity topics and features news stories that revolve around some of the world’s top non-profit charitable organizations to keep readers informed on what these organizations are currently working on and how we can help. With the tagline “occasional observations about giving, this blog collects anecdotes about the charity donations the way a small child collects pebbles.” The site features inspirational stories about the power of giving to those less fortunate and gives readers the opportunity to subscribe to the site. To learn more about the ‘Charity Blogger,’ please check out http://charityblogger.blogspot.com/.

#2: “Daryl’s Blog”

This site actually features three separate blogs. One is about Daryl’s daily life, the second is called, ‘Daryl Martin’s Fundraising Blog,’ and the third is ‘Daryl Martin’s Charity Blog.’ Martin is the author of ‘Fundraise Without Fuss’ and is known as the man behind Independent Examiners, a charity consulting firm. According to Martin, his “blog is an authoritative font of information relating to charity operations.” Martin claims “his charity operations are accessible but far reaching, as he gets to the real nitty gritty stuff so that you don’t have to.” On his site, Martin features fundraising and charity stories and how the public can become more aware of non-profit organizations and how they can contribute. To check out Daryl’s blog, go to http://iel.org.uk/b2evolution/blogs/blog6.php.

#1: “Fundraising Detective”

Created and written by Craig Linton, a blogger with years of fundraising experience, the site features tips and tricks for how the general public can get more involved in fundraising and charity organizations. Linton is also the “head of fundraising for a charity which he keeps slightly under wraps so as not to confuse the blog (his thoughts), with that of his charity (their thoughts),” according to the site. His site features ‘best fundraising links,’ ‘best fundraising blogs,’ an ‘about me’ section. Linton started blogging in 2009 and says that his blog drives him. “I do it because I’m passionate about fundraising and want to share my thoughts, opinions and learn from others.” To check out Linton’s work, go to http://fundraisingdetective.typepad.com/fundraising-detective/

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San Francisco, U.S.A. — Each year tens of millions of neighbors participate in National Night Out (NNO), the annual, nationwide crime prevention event, created by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW). This year NATW is partnering with Nextdoor, the free and private social network for neighborhoods, to help residents plan NNO events and come together to build stronger, safer and happier neighborhoods all-year long.

“Like National Night Out, Nextdoor’s mission is to bring back a sense of community to the neighborhood. Neighborhood spirit is a powerful weapon in our fight for a safer nation,” said Nirav Tolia, CEO and Co-founder of Nextdoor. “When neighbors connect, good things happen. More specifically, neighbors who get to know each other, look out for each other.”

Since its launch less than a year ago, Nextdoor has quickly been adopted by over 2,700 neighborhoods in 48 states. Nextdoor is a private and secure way to quickly connect everyone in the neighborhood, easily report suspicious activity, share recommendations, and organize community events such as National Night Out.

All Nextdoor members must verify their address to help create a safe and trusting environment where members feel comfortable sharing online the kinds of things they would be okay sharing in person.

“Nextdoor is a perfect match for National Night Out organizers and participants. Nextdoor uses the power of technology to connect neighbors, bring a community together and build safer neighborhoods,” said Matt Peskin, Executive Director of National Association of Town Watch.

“In preparation for their August 7th event, we encourage community organizers to use Nextdoor to spread the word about NNO events. Nextdoor also makes it possible to easily extend a sense of community all year long with private social networks designed just for the neighborhood,” continued Peskin.

To help facilitate organizational activities around NNO, Nextdoor also announced today the launch of its “Groups” feature. Nextdoor Groups enable two or more neighbors to create a dedicated area of their Nextdoor website to easily communicate about common interests, topics or hobbies.

Neighbors can create Nextdoor Groups for any number of reasons such as bringing together residents of a specific block who wish to plan an NNO block party, mommy or new parent groups, HOA members, neighborhood watch or even for dog owners. It is common for several NNO events to take place within a given neighborhood and Nextdoor Groups allows members to create a forum for conversations pertaining to their individual events.
Image Courtesy of  Vacclav / Shutterstock.com

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Social Media is everywhere; it’s all over the world. There are blogs, social networking sites, podcasts, discussion forums, photo sharing and microblogs. China even has its very own microblog. It is so popular and rapidly growing that, in fact, an anonymous group of individuals in China have created their own version of Twitter. This is China’s largest microblogging service, and “critics are saying this is the latest attempt of the Chinese Government to censor social media,” according to Chinese Correspondent, Angus Walker. This microblog is known as Sina Weibo and has an estimated 300 million users.

Speculation of censorship of the website began earlier this year after people began spreading false rumors of senior politician and former Governor of Chongqing, Bo Xilai. The government had warned users to stop, but users continued to post photographs of tanks in the streets of Beijing, “claiming a military coup was underway in the wake of the sacking of Xilai,” according to ITV News.

As a result, the government has created a rule system for all users of the microblogging system to abide by. Under this system, every user of the site will start with 80 points. A convention for the rules has been created known as the “community convention” and if a user breaks any of the rules, they will receive a deduction in points. If enough points are deducted, they will be banned from the site. Thus far, the rules are as follows:

As stated by Walker, “the company that runs the site, Sina, has not come up with the idea itself and it remains to be seen whether the regulations will be imposed and policed. Using social media to criticize government policies or chat about political events has become a new way for “netizens”, as they are called, to voice their opinions.” And, “with a half a billion people online in China, around 300 million are using microblogging sites – that is roughly the population of the United States all making comments on a regular basis.”

China has some of the strictest social media censorship regulations in the world, with Facebook still being banned in the country to this day. According to Clifford Coonan, a Beijing Reporter with ‘The Independent,’ even though micro-blogging in China started less than three years go, it has become enormously popular, with growth quadrupling last year. Nearly half of all Chinese internet users now use micro-blogs.”

Thus far, Sina has been incredibly cooperative with the rules and regulations proposed in order to avoid further censorship and clashes with the Chinese government in the future

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Limerick, Ireland – When John O’Dowd’s daughter came home from school determined to help stop African warlord Joseph Kony after viewing the “Kony 2012″ viral video, O’Dowd was intrigued.

As the drama around “Kony 2012″ creator and Invisible Children co-founder Jason Russell unfolded and critics began voicing concerns about Invisible Children’s handling of funds, O’Dowd started conducting his own research. Now, the author has released his findings as a Kindle e-book and paperback as The Amazing Story of the Kony 2012 Phenomenon and the facts of the case are startling.

“Invisible Children posted ‘Kony 2012′ on YouTube on March 5, 2012,” O’Dowd explained. “By March 11, it had 100 million views, making it the most successful viral video ever. Yet only days later, Russell had a public breakdown, and within a month, interest in Invisible Children-promoted protests against Kony waned. From the rise of Joseph Kony to the apparent fall of the Invisible Children founder, it was a fascinating story that needed to be told.”

O’Dowd began by exploring the history of Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), by all accounts a brutal guerrilla organization led by a man whose “army” consists of children forced to commit atrocities across central Africa. He found that Kony had kidnapped more than 104,000 children over the last 20 years, and had 88 wives, most of whom the LRA kidnapped as young girls. However, there was much more to the story.

It turned out there was also more to Invisible Children. The charity which three college students founded with a $70,000 loan and quickly grew into a $46,000,000 organization, faced criticism following the video.

Ugandans spoke out against “Kony 2012,” and survivors of Kony’s violence protested Invisible Children’s tactic of displaying their tormentor’s name and face on bracelets, t-shirts and marketing materials. As he dug deeper, O’Dowd discovered exactly how Invisible Children was spending the donations that poured in after the release of the video. The Amazing Story of the Kony 2012 Phenomenon recounts those findings in detail.

O’Dowd then tackled the social media component of the Kony 2012 phenomenon. “Analysis of the first 1,000 people to re-tweet the #Kony2012 hashtag on Twitter shows that they were clustered around a few southern U.S. cities,” wrote Examiner.com correspondent Peter Kelton in his review of O’Dowd’s book. “… In effect, the evangelical Christian spirit pushed Kony 2012 to record heights, a view confirmed by U.S. analysts … This is not a dry, statistical history, but a lively yet deeply moving story superbly written.”

In The Amazing Story of the Kony 2012 Phenomenon, O’Dowd tells the truth behind the scandals, successes and failures of “Kony 2012.” Readers might open the book out of curiosity, but they will turn the last page armed with knowledge about a watershed cultural phenomenon.

Image Courtesy of   http://ctn.kony2012.com

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Teaneckt, U.S.A - Herborium Group, Inc., (PINKS. HBRM)  a Botanical Therapeutics company, reports that preliminary 2nd quarter 2012 revenue sustained a record breaking increase of 40% for its first two months, in comparison to the same two months of 2011. This most satisfying sales growth is largely the result of an aggressive Social Media Marketing Strategy introduced by the Company in the fall of 2011.

The same marketing efforts brought on 87% increase in the traffic on here, a designated website for Herborium’s unique, all botanical ingredients based acne product targeting over 135 million acne sufferers in US and Europe. Herborium’s Investor Awareness Program has also contributed to this growth.

Dr. Agnes Olszewski, Herborium’s Chairmen and CEO stated: “I am extremely pleased with these preliminary results that indicate that our 2012 sales revenues should achieve significant all year increase as we enter into several exciting new markets for our current and new products. Social Media Marketing initiatives along with our February 2012 announced Investor Awareness programs will continue to have a significant upward impact on our revenues and share price.”

“Increase in revenue is an important factor that should allow the Company to move forward with number of initiatives including the repurchasing of shares announced in our April 23rd, 2012 Press Release. Shareholder value is very important to us as we make strides into new revenue streams and we will continue to update our shareholders of our progress moving forward,” concluded Dr. Olszewski.

About Herborium Group, Inc.

Herborium Group, Inc., a Botanical Therapeutics company, focuses on developing, licensing, and marketing proprietary, botanical based medicinal products to consumers and healthcare professionals. The Company uses clinical validation to establish and maintain a differential advantage. The company markets its products in the US and Europe. For more information, please visit here and here

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Facebook has added more than 200 million users in the last year, Twitter now boasts 100 million active users and Linkedln has 64 million users in North America alone.

Social media networks have become more popular with getting to know everything about a person but now Facebook is taking it another step further. Facebook now has an organ donor status that users can choose to post on their profile in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Facebook’s main objective in issuing this new addition to its vast network is not so your friends can know you more on a personal level, but to lower the total number of people that die in the U.S. and the UK due to waiting for an organ transplant. According to the U.S. Department of Health, nearly 7,000 people in the US alone die each year due to waiting for a donor.

The company announced a plan to encourage everyone on Facebook to start advertising their donor status on their pages.

Under the Facebook plan, members will be able to declare and update their organ donation status. The status will appear with other biographical information in a section called Health and Wellness, which includes, for example, updates on whether a person has recently lost weight or ever broken a bone.

But some representatives that encourage organ donations explain that people need to understand that posting their organ donation statues on Facebook does not close the deal. People need to also go to their state registry.

The ‘New York Times’ explained in an article that “people declaring on Facebook that they are organ donors could spur others to sign up at motor vehicle departments or online registries however, experts say Facebook could create an informal alternative to such registries that could, even though it carries less legal weight, lead to more organ donations. That is because a disclosure on Facebook could provide the evidence of consent that family members need when deciding whether to donate the organs of a loved one,” said Dr. Andrew M. Cameron, the surgical director of liver transplantation at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

This is not the first time Facebook has tried to use its network to address a social issue. Late last year it launched a service called “lifeline” that allows people to make contact with a suicide-prevention counselor or report someone through Facebook who they fear might be suicidal. That year, the company also introduced tools to discourage bullying and allow people to report episodes of bullying.

Overall, donation rates in the United States have been increasing steadily, with 43 percent of those 18 or older designating themselves as organ donors last year, according to Donate Life America. The median wait for a kidney nationally is about four years, according to data collected for the government by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. However, waiting lists are maintained on a regional basis, and in areas with high rates of organ failure and low rates of organ donation, the wait can extend much longer.

BJ Fogg, who studies how technology can change attitudes as director of the Persuasive Technology Lab at Stanford University, explains that Facebook might persuade more people to become organ donors by simple “peer pressure”. If people see more of their friends and family members becoming donors they most likely will want to become one as well.

23-year-old Borough of Manhattan Community College student Luis Mendez said, “I think this will increase the number of donors and decrease the waiting list time because Facebook is pretty much at an all time high and most people follow it. It will be a way to persuade people to become organ donors versus years back.”

Most experts hope that this trend will happen so that being an organ donor will become a norm and more lives can be saved.

Image Courtesy of  withGod / Shutterstock.com

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Chicago and Glasgow – Sword Ciboodle, a global provider of customer solutions, and customer experience advisory thinkJar, released the results of a research survey targeting US and UK companies with medium- to large-sized contact centers on their use of social media specifically for customer service.

With nearly 400 responses from around the globe, and representation from more than 10 industry verticals, the research helped to reveal insights into how organizations are leveraging social channels for customer service. The analysis covers topics such as the longevity and maturity of the social customer service practice, the integration of social channels with traditional channels, and the decision and selection criteria used to determine social customer service programs.

Survey results indicated that social channels have been strongly embraced, with 59 percent of organizations having adopted Twitter and 60% adopting Facebook, and almost 85 percent of those who have adopted one, have adopted both together. However, while social channels are widely used, participants showed that justification and validation of social customer service is proving to be a challenge.

There are a variety of differences in how social channels are used, and factors such as an organization’s size, industry and geography also play an important role. Integration of data, as well as finding the right balance between social customer service and more “traditional” channels, is an important part of what companies are wrestling with.

The size of the company is an additional factor in the maturity of its social customer program. For example, 40 percent of respondents in companies with 1000 or more contact center agents say that their social customer service initiatives have been in place for at least two years. In contrast, 53 percent of companies with smaller contact centers say that current programs were implemented within the past year to two years.

The reasons behind the move of all companies, regardless of size, to social customer service is customer driven, with 56 percent of respondents implementing social customer service due to customer request, compared with 40 percent that put the programs in place to keep up with competitors.

“The direction social channels is headed when it comes to customer service is fascinating and a true ‘game-changer’ for businesses,” said Esteban Kolsky, principal and founder of thinkJar. “The trick is to truly understand how to navigate this hyped-up, yet semi-mysterious ‘customer service frontier.’ This research report is a must-have for all organizations who want to really know where to go with social in customer service.”

“What’s important for every organization to realize is, while social channels are constantly evolving, they are not new anymore,” said Mitch Lieberman, Vice President of Market Strategy at Sword Ciboodle. “The most successful customer service program will happen for businesses who incorporate social into their overall customer engagement practices, and really keep pace with the way their customers are communicating with them in all areas.”

To download a full copy of the research “We Are Social: The State of Social Customer Service”, which includes full survey research findings and conclusions, visit: www.sword-ciboodle.com/socialcustomerservice.

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Posted two days ago, the Kony 2012 video has garnered over 15 million views, according to the Washington Post. The speed in which it went viral can only be attributed to the power of social media, and to the number of people simultaneously connected on the World Wide Web. The video itself makes clear its intent to exploit the virtual platform, and make it its stage.

The 30-minute documentary was produced by Invisible Children, a nonprofit charity that wants Joseph Kony to face trial for his war crimes in the International Criminal Court. Kony, the head of the Lord’s Resistance Army–better known as the LRA–has been evading capture for some time. A warrant for his arrest has been out since 2005. At the height of its power, the group kidnapped, horribly mutilated and killed thousands of people.

Many of these atrocities were perpetrated by children who were kidnapped themselves. Tens of thousands of people have been estimated to have fallen victim to these crimes. The exact numbers will never be known.

What is known, is that the campaign was a hit. It is impossible to predict the factors that went behind the video’s viral success. Whatever they are, the Kony 2012 video is undeniably a successful combination of these. One of its greatest aims was fulfilled: the world, or an important platform for it, knows exactly who Joseph Kony is. Millions saw the video, and within hours of its being posted.

But a backlash has occurred regarding the du jour status of the campaign. As quickly as it burst into the scene, some are growing tired of the topic. Calling those who repost the video “internet activists,” the cynics are skeptical of the staying power of what seems to be a superficial ‘trend’ cause.

The organization itself has come under fire. The Tumblr blog of a Canadian student, by the name of Visible Children, begs to question the transparency and accountability of Invisible Children. According to the blog, only 32% of what the organization spent went towards direct services. The rest went towards “staff salaries, travel and transport, and film production.”

This is an abysmal figure that the organization disputes, stating that the reason it only has two stars for accountability, is because the charity has only four independent board members, as opposed to five. Furthermore, according to KSDK.com, Invisible Children has refused to be reviewed by the Better Business Bureau, a decidedly red flag.

The charity maintains they are waiting until they expand their board.

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‘The Good Wife’ broke the CBS mould when it debuted in September 2009. Airing on a network which thrives on formulaic, franchise-friendly procedurals such as ‘CSI’, ‘Criminal Minds’, and ‘NCIS’, ‘The Good Wife’ represented a more hybridised type of drama than CBS was used to, with the series’ weekly, self-contained legal cases operating as a counter-balance to ongoing, character-driven storylines.

However, despite its departure from the CBS norm, ‘The Good Wife’ has developed into network television’s most critically lauded show while attracting a consistently high calibre of well-respected guest stars, ranging from Michael. J Fox and Mamie Gummer to recent additions Lisa Edelstein and Matthew Perry. The series has received multiple award nominations, including a Peabody Award for Excellence in 2010, and Emmy, Golden Globe, and consecutive Screen Actors Guild wins for its star Julianna Margulies.

Now in its third season, ‘The Good Wife’, which is set in Chicago but shot in New York, has delved deeper into the personal lives of several of its characters while still interweaving numerous social and political contexts in a manner not seen in any other network or cable drama.

Initially centred around Alicia Florrick, the humiliated wife of Illinois’ disgraced State’s Attorney, ‘The Good Wife’ has since evolved into an ensemble offering, exploring such issues as: political campaigning, inter-office power struggles, judicial bribery, economic woes, and technology’s growing impact in every facet of the professional and domestic spheres.

This season began with Alicia (Margulies) having separated from her husband Peter (Chris Noth) following his re-election as State’s Attorney and the discovery that he had had a sexual encounter with Kalinda Sharma (Emmy Award winner Archie Panjabi), the in-house investigator at Alicia’s law firm and Alicia’s closest friend.

In turn, Alicia embarked on a relationship with Will Gardner (Josh Charles), a senior partner at the firm, and was forced to work directly with her husband’s political campaigner Eli Gold (Alan Cumming) after she had used him as a political contact to beat out fellow attorney Cary Agos (Matt Czuchry) for a job.

Agos later defected to the State’s Attorney’s Office, where he now works alongside Alicia’s husband and has been promoted to the position of Deputy State’s Attorney. Observing all of this is Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski), the firm’s other senior partner and a staunch Democrat, whose Liberal convictions often clash with the needs and requirements of surviving in the legal field.

Reflecting on all of this, it is quite clear that ‘The Good Wife’ has moved far away from its original premise of a scorned ex-wife returning to the workplace. Now, it juggles multiple story arcs and long-simmering narrative tensions which could very well be overwhelming to the casual viewer accustomed to the plethora of modern day procedurals.

The series’ producers – led by husband/wife duo Robert and Michelle King, and supported by feature film heavyweights Ridley and Tony Scott – have stayed so committed to making ‘The Good Wife’ a multi-layered saga that it is now typically the only network drama to receive recognition at the major television award ceremonies.

Ironically, it is also one of CBS’ lowest-rated series and has yet to secure a syndication deal, despite it approaching its fourth year of production.

This divide between its critical reception and commercial performance is perhaps indicative of television’s growing trend towards targeting niche audiences in an effort to combat all-encompasing audience declines, with a series such as ‘NCIS’ regularly attracting 20 million viewers and zero critical acclaim, while a series such as ‘Mad Men’ rarely attracts 3 million viewers yet has won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row. Thus, with a season-to-date average of 10.35 million viewers, ‘The Good Wife’ finds itself in something of a middle-ground position.

On-screen, however, the series is not concerning itself with the business side of television productions. Just eight episodes remain this season, and in that run of episodes audiences are expected to see: Alicia’s decision about whether to persevere with a divorce from her husband, and the personal and professional fallout which that would in turn trigger; Eli’s plans to have Peter run for governorship; and most interestingly the inter-office power struggles which are now certain to arise following Will’s six-month disbarment for stealing money from a client’s account.

In recent episodes, the writers have explored the current civil unrest in Syria, potential prejudices in military law, institutional manipulation in the United States Treasury Department, and prosecutorial complications arising from Chinese diplomatic immunity. As a result of engaging in such socially-volatile debates, it seems appropriate for ‘The Good Wife’ to step back and explore more insular conflicts of greater personal importance to the characters.

Yet, with its fearlessness over broaching so many hot-button issues on a mainstream network landscape, ‘The Good Wife’ seems certain to join the likes of ‘The Wire’ and ‘The West Wing’ as one of America’s most culturally resonant television dramas of the twenty-first century.

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According to a new 30 Hour Famine study, conducted online in January by Harris Interactive, more than half of teens (55%) say social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have made them more aware of the needs of others. This is a huge increase from 2011 when a little more 4 in 10 (44%) said their use of social media made them more aware. The study also says 2 in 3 teens (68%) agree that the benefits of social media outweigh the risks.

According to the study, more than nine out of ten (91%) agree that it’s important to volunteer locally. At the end of this month, some 200,000 teens will go hungry as part of World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine to raise funds and hunger awareness. Since 1992, 30 Hour Famine has raised more than $150 million to fight world hunger. This is the fourth year World Vision has surveyed American youth to get a better idea of what they’re thinking. 30 Hour Famine has close to 30,000 Facebook friends.

“The jump in the number of teens who say social media sites make them more socially aware is a sign of the times,” says Regina Corson, Senior Vice President, Harris Poll, Public Relations and Youth Research at Harris Interactive. Michele Tvedt, World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine Manager says, “It’s exciting to see our youth using the tools at their fingertips like social media to have a direct impact on the world.” Tvedt has personally done The Famine for 13 years, adding up to more than 390 hours over the years.

While many teens will do 30 Hour Famine in late February, others will participate April 27th, 28th^. Teens forsake food for 30 hours to get a taste of what the world’s poorest children face. Prior to the event, teens raise funds by explaining that $1 can help feed and care for a child a day. Teens consume only water and juice as they participate in local community service projects (food banks, soup kitchens and homeless shelters). Last year’s 30 Hour Famine raised $9.5 million to fight hunger. This year’s goal is $10 million.

Tonight, almost 1 billion people worldwide will go to bed hungry. Almost 22,000 children die each day from hunger and preventable diseases. Chronic poverty, affecting half the people on earth, is the cause. Nearly 3 billion people live on less than $2 a day. Funds raised this year for 30 Hour Famine will be sent to 10 countries including Haiti, the Horn of Africa, Burundi, Malawi, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Some 30 Hour Famine funds also address poverty here in the U.S.

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comScore, a leader in measuring the digital world, on February 09, 2012 released the 2012 U.S. Digital Future in Focus report. This annual report examines how the prevailing trends in social media, search, online video, digital advertising, mobile and e-commerce are defining the current marketplace and what these trends mean for the year ahead.

“2012 promises to be an exciting year for the digital media industry as the explosion of available content and proliferation of web-enabled devices drive the evolution of the digital consumer, creating new opportunities and challenges for the entire digital ecosystem,” said Linda Abraham, comScore CMO and EVP of Global Product Development. “In order to be successful in this new paradigm, digital marketers must understand the key trends shaping the current marketplace and what that means for the future of their businesses.”

Key insights from the 2012 U.S. Digital Future in Focus include:

Facebook-Led Social Media Market is Redefining Communication in the Digital and Physical Worlds

• Social Networking accounted for 16.6 percent of all online minutes at the end of 2011 and is on track to surpass Portals as the most engaging online activity in 2012. Facebook continues to lead as the driving force behind this shift in consumer behavior, accounting for the largest share of online minutes across the entire web in 2011.

Bing Gains Ground in Search

• Although Google maintains a strong lead in the U.S. search market, one of the most notable stories in search in 2011 was Bing’s positive growth trajectory. Bing closed out the year by surpassing Yahoo! for the #2 position among core search engines for the first time in its history, bolstered in part by its social search partnership with Facebook implemented in early 2011.

Online Video Boom Signals Sea Change in Video Ecosystem

• Online video viewing witnessed impressive gains across a variety of measures in 2011, signaling a behavioral shift in how Americans are consuming video content. More than 100 million Americans watched online video content on an average day to close out 2011, representing a 43-percent increase versus year ago.

Digital Advertising Enters Era of Increased Accountability as Brand Dollars Continue to Shift Online

• A staggering 4.8 trillion display ad impressions were delivered across the U.S. web in 2011 as brand advertisers continued to shift dollars to the digital medium. This shift in ad dollars has magnified the need for greater transparency and accountability in ad delivery across the digital advertising ecosystem.

Smartphone and Tablets Fuel the Rise of the Digital Omnivore

• The rise of smartphones and tablets has drastically altered consumers’ digital media consumption. In 2011, the majority of all mobile phone owners consumed mobile media on their device, marking an important milestone in the evolution of mobile from primarily a communication device to also a content consumption tool. At the end of the year, more than 8 percent of all digital traffic was consumed beyond the ‘classic web’ via devices such as smartphones and tablets.

E-Commerce is Back and Better Than Ever

• Despite the backdrop of continued economic uncertainty, 2011 was a strong year for retail e-commerce. Throughout the year, growth rates versus the prior year remained in double-digits to significantly outpace growth at brick-and-mortar retail. Total U.S. retail and travel-related e-commerce reached $256 billion in 2011, up 12 percent from 2010.

Webinar – 2012 U.S. Digital Future in Focus: Trends Every Marketer Needs to Know

Join Jeff Hackett, executive vice president of comScore Media Metrix, and Eli Goodman, comScore Media Evangelist, on Wednesday February 22nd at 2 PM EST, as they share key insights from the 2012 U.S. Digital Future in Focus report and discuss what these trends mean for today’s marketers. For more information and to register, please visit: http://www.comscore.com/2012_Future_in_Focus_Webinar

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The National Inflation Association has announced that it believes Facebook will likely start trading this May at a peak valuation of $100 billion and see its market capitalization and share price decrease in value in the years afterwards.

Facebook has successfully grown their monthly active users from 1 million in 2004, to 6 million in 2005, to 12 million in 2006, to 58 million in 2007, to 145 million in 2008, to 360 million in 2009, to 606 million in 2010, and to 845 million in 2011. After achieving compound annual user growth from 2004 to 2010 of 191%, Facebook’s user growth in 2011 declined to only 39%.

If Facebook begins trading with a market cap of $100 billion, Facebook will be trading for approximately 27 times 2011 revenue of $3.711 billion and approximately 150 times 2011 net income of $668 million.

A price/sales ratio of 27 and P/E ratio of 150 is too high of a premium to pay for a company that has just reached 50% market penetration in the U.S. Moving forward, NIA believes in 2012 we will likely see Facebook’s user growth decline to 20%, with its user growth declining to just 15% in year 2013 and 10% in year 2014.

It is unlikely that Facebook will ever be able to achieve the same market penetration in Europe that they have achieved in the U.S. Facebook needs to expand into the Chinese market, but the Chinese government has blocked off access to the social network.

In October of 2007, Microsoft invested $240 million into Facebook at a valuation of $15 billion. In January of 2011, Goldman Sachs’ international clients invested $1.5 billion into Facebook at a valuation of $50 billion.

While Microsoft is set to make a profit of 667% in 4 1/2 years and Goldman Sachs’ international clients are set to make a profit of 100% in just 1 1/2 years, NIA believes that the U.S. financial mainstream media that is currently hyping the Facebook IPO, is setting the general public up to get slaughtered on Facebook’s common stock.

The consumer social networking space has experienced very dramatic growth over the past few years, with Facebook being the dominant leader of the industry. Moving forward, NIA believes that social networking technology will soon begin to revolutionize the workplace in the same way that it changed the personal lives of millions of people around the world.

Recent college graduates, who experienced Facebook’s very dramatic growth first hand, are beginning to enter the workforce and are demanding that their employers adopt enterprise social networking technology at their place of employment.

The enterprise social networking industry is projected to grow 61% annually between now and 2016. Enterprise social networking is expected to grow from being a $600 million space in 2011 to a $6.4 billionspace in 2016. This is similar to the type of growth seen in the consumer social networking space over the past four years.

Although Facebook is the dominant leader in the consumer social space today, there is a good chance that another consumer social company will grow to become larger than Facebook in the future. Back in 2006, many analysts expected MySpace to remain king of consumer social networking forever and projected MySpace to continue rapidly growing indefinitely. Instead, Facebook surpassed MySpace and MySpace was recently sold by News Corp for 94% less than what they paid for it.

The American public needs to realize that Facebook at a valuation of $100 billion has far more downside risk than upside potential. While Facebook’s growth is going to rapidly decline in the years ahead, there are two publicly traded companies in the enterprise social networking space that are positioned for enormous revenue growth moving forward.

The user growth of these two companies could accelerate greatly in the years ahead as major corporations begin rapidly deploying their own enterprise social networks. Currently the enterprise social networking industry is still in its infancy, but by 2016 it is likely that the majority of the largest corporations around the world will be using some type of enterprise social networking platform within their business.

The two major publicly traded companies in this space now are Jive Software and BroadVision Inc. Jive is the industry leader with a market cap of $937.97 million. After subtracting Jive’s estimated net cash position of $200.99 million, Jive’s Engage social platform is currently being valued by the market at $736.98 million.

BroadVision only has a market cap of approximately $153.51 million. After subtracting BroadVision’s cash position of $54.4 million and another $17 million in value for their old legacy products still generating revenue, BroadVision’s Clearvale enterprise social platform is currently being valued at only $82.11 million.

BroadVision is NIA’s latest position. BroadVision just reported that they signed 117 new Clearvale Enterprise customers in 2011, up an amazing 290% from the 30 they signed in 2010. In fact, BroadVision signed 33 new Clearvale Enterprise customers in the 4Q of 2011 alone, which was more than they signed in the whole entire previous year.

Jive hasn’t yet reported their year-end 2011 results, but Jive has reported that they only signed 113 new Engage customers in the 12 month period ending June 30, 2011.

BroadVision’s Clearvale is now growing faster than Jive’s Engage, when at their current share prices Jive is receiving a valuation for Engage that is approximately 9 times higher than the valuation that BroadVision is receiving for Clearvale. Besides BroadVision’s fully featured Clearvale Enterprise, BroadVision also offers a free starter version called Clearvale Express.

Any employee at a company can quickly and easily setup their own Clearvale Express account to use at work. After outgrowing Clearvale Express, companies have the ability to seamlessly upgrade from Clearvale Express to Clearvale Enterprise.

BroadVision also offers a unique Clearvale Passport reseller program, which allows other companies to offer Clearvale to their clients. Softbank, a $30 billion Japanese telecommunications giant, had so much success using Clearvale Enterprise within their corporation that they have now joined Clearvale Passport and are offering both Clearvale Express and Clearvale Enterprise to their partners and clients.

NIA believes that BroadVision’s free starter Clearvale Express platform along with their reseller program Clearvale Passport, gives the company a huge advantage over Jive. In NIA’s opinion, BroadVision has the potential to become a bigger company than Jive in the future.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdlasica/

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Since its very beginning, Facebook seems to have had a love-hate relationship with its users. Now, another controversy has emerged following the release of an American Academy of Pediatrics report addressing a new phenomenon described as “Facebook Depression”.

In the report, Facebook Depression is defined as “depression that develops when preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites, such as Facebook, and then begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression.” It also argues that these types of websites can create a skewed reality that makes teens feel alienated.

However, is this enough to conclude that Facebook is causing more teens to be depressed? Many other resources are arguing that if Facebook causes depression, the same could be said for a teen sitting alone in the cafeteria. Whichever side you agree with, the fact is that teen depression is a serious issue. About 20 percent of teens will confront depression before they reach adulthood and about 5 percent are suffering from severe depression at any given time.

The Psychiatry Department at Miami Children’s Hospital has extensive experience helping children and adolescents with behavioral, social, and emotional problems. Psychologist Dr. Sara Rivero-Conil, the department’s Clinical Manager, has helped many teens and their families cope with the effects of adolescent depression.

“Adolescents with underlying poor self-esteem may be impacted by the sight of others enjoying activities or declaring their happiness. On the other hand, social media sites also allow for well-adjusted individuals to share ideas, emotions, and feel connected. As a parent, you can set curfews or time limits around non-school-related activities and keep open communication with your children, allowing them to discuss their stressors, emotions, and positive aspects of their day,” she said.

“Teen depression can affect anyone regardless of gender, ethnicity, or social background,” said Dr. Rivero-Conil. “It’s important to be aware of the signs, which can include anger, irritability, withdrawal, and frequent crying.”

So while it is not confirmed that Facebook is causing teens to become depressed, it is safe to conclude that monitoring your teen’s social media habits, along with their overall behavior and interests, can help you in identifying a potential problem and getting them the correct medical attention in time.

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Since its launch last June, Google+ has reached more than 90 million users in just over a period of six months. It would be astonishing if people created the accounts the same way they did for Facebook and Twitter. However, the case with Google+ is different. According to news sources, most users accidentally create Google+ accounts while signing up for other Google services. However, the CEO of Google, Larry Page, finds Google+ a success. In a press release, he stated:

“I am super excited about the growth of Android, Gmail, and Google+, which now has 90 million users globally – well over double what I announced just three months ago. By building a meaningful relationship with our users through Google+, we will create amazing experiences across our services. I’m very excited about what we can do in 2012 – there are tremendous opportunities to help users and grow our business.”

The overall increase in Google+ memberships may be due to its integration into social networks via Google Apps, Gmail, Picasa, and all Google services. Today, even though Google+ is a prominent part of search results, it is still behind when compared to Facebook and Twitter, which have 800 and 100 million active users respectively.

“Over 60 percent of Google+ users use Google products on a daily basis. Over 80 percent of Google+ users use Google products every week,” said Page in Thursday’s Google earnings call.

Measuring the popularity of a service according to its registered users, rather than its daily active ones, tells you nothing about its overall success. Given the popularity of Google search, Gmail, and YouTube, 60 percent is quite a low percentage of daily interactive users. Truth be told, the statistics provided are only there to hide the actual number of people who really do use Google+.

Alexis Madrigal of the Atlantic said the following as a response to the statistics mentioned above:

“Unless we’re misinterpreting what ‘Google product’ is, these numbers are very strange. Remember that Google’s products include Google Search, Gmail, and YouTube, so one has to wonder about the 40 percent of Google+ users who don’t use a single Google product in a day. One might even conclude that the 20 percent of Google+ users who don’t use a Google product in a week are not really “on” the internet in a way that most users would recognize.”

According to VentureBeat, this is not the first time Google has released misleading Google+ statistics. Last July, Page said, “The service had 10 million users who shared 1 billion items a day.” That seems quite unrealistic; does it make sense for an average user to share “100 items a day”? Many may see Google+ as a start-up that has gained popularity through Google’s position in the market and not through its effectiveness as a social networking site.

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Reputation and risk management are key concerns of corporate directors, and social media can define a company’s risk profile and redefine its reputation at electron speed,” says reputation, marketing, and crisis adviser Davia Temin.

“But there isn’t a lot of real strategy around corporate social media out there. Instead, what you see primarily is ad hoc tactical execution and activity, without a lot of high-level strategy directly tied to corporate goals, including reputation and risk management. Boards need to take a greater role in social media oversight.”

On January 23, Ms. Temin will speak before a group of more than 60 corporate directors at the New York City chapter of WomenCorporateDirectors. The event will be held at KPMG.

Author of the recent 11-part Forbes.com series, “The 10 Don’ts of Corporate Social Media,” and a frequent corporate speaker, Ms. Temin advises CEOs, CMOs, legal counsel, and corporate boards of directors on how to manage the risks inherent in a social media presence – and how to leverage social media to achieve branding and communications goals.

WCD is the only global membership organization and community of women directors, with more than 1,350 members serving on more than 1,500 boards worldwide.

“The question is, what constitutes good governance in the world of social media?” asks Ms. Temin. “Is ‘noses in, fingers out’ the best framework for directors in this space?”

“I believe that the board’s role is to insist upon a thorough, frequently updated social media strategy and policy that the board reviews for direction and thoroughness on a continuing basis. The strategy must include monitoring, marketing, reputation management, crisis response, accountability, flexibility, insight, and leadership.

“Boards today must ask: ‘What are we saying about ourselves and our products that is authorized – and unauthorized? What do others say about us? What are the reputational risks and rewards we should be preparing for?’”

Ms. Temin argues that greater oversight of social media strategy is non-negotiable for boards today. “How boards respond to real life events and crises will play out more quickly and transparently in social media than they have ever seen before.”

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Club Med – the world’s leading all-inclusive brand with more than 80 resorts worldwide – proudly launches its innovative application for the iPhone and iPad, allowing consumers to discover, share and book their ideal Club Med vacation from anywhere in the world.

The iPad application features an original 360-degree virtual tour of Club Med resorts by holding your iPad in front of you and moving it left and right as if you were walking through the property. Providing views from the over-water suites at Club Med Kani in the Maldives and the ski school at Club Med Peisey Vallandry in the French Alps to the circus trapeze at Club Med Ixtapa Pacific in Mexico and the international tennis academy at Club Med Sandpiper Bay in Florida, Club Med offers the perfect getaway at your fingertips.

“The team is excited to bring the Club Med application suite to market as it’s the most interactive way to display our resorts and immerses potential guests into the unique Club Med experience,” said Jerome Hiquet, Vice President of Marketing and Digital for Club Med North America. “Our objective was to develop the most user friendly iPad and iPhone applications that appeals to all potential and past guests.

With these apps they can discover the best of Club Med spirit wherever, whenever. As a new structural ecosystem, it’s important for Club Med to launch into the mobile space now, and to integrate mobile as a key and consistent component in our global marketing strategy to better accommodate today’s consumers in the digital space.”

Club Med collaborated with Phonevalley, a leading mobile communication agency and part of Publicis Group, to develop these user-friendly apps. ”We were enthusiastic about this opportunity to work with a brand like Club Med on this application,” said Alexandre Mars, CEO of Phonevalley. ”We were able to create a quality experience for shoppers to discover the Club Med resorts in a unique capacity much different from the standard vacation booking apps.”

Consumers can discover their dream Club Med vacation in just a few scrolls by exploring more than 80 resorts through photos, videos, descriptions and 360-degree virtual tours. The comparison function helps potential guests choose between resorts based on their personal preferences, from luxury to golf and eco-friendly to winter sports. Guests are then able to share what they like with family and friends while also planning and booking a trip.

The “Click to Call” button quickly connects consumers to an experienced Club Med travel advisor for over the phone booking. For those that can’t make up their mind, the “Shake and Escape” function allows you to shake your iPhone for destination ideas complete with sound.

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McCann Truth Central, the global thought leadership unit of McCann, released ’12 Truths About Social in 2012′ recently at the International Consumer Electronics Show. Culled from a series of research studies conducted across 19 countries, 30+ focus groups, and 12,000+ online studies, these ‘truths’ illuminate the impact of the social media landscape on consumers and brands.

Truth # 1: The Nature of What’s Private and Public Has Changed
The monumental rise of social networking has caused a huge shift in the nature of what people believe is private. 75% globally agree, “People share far too much information online these days.”

Truth # 2: There’s no Shame in Being a ‘Stalker’
With the advent of social media outlets, peoples’ walls have come down in the context of personal information. 1 in 3 people have Googled people they hardly know, and 1 in 4 have read a partner or friend’s text messages.

Truth # 3: Consumers are Spending More Time Monitoring Their ‘Personal Brand’
Consumers around the world admitted to multiple online personalities. In emerging markets like India, 35% of people say that they monitor their online brand by Googling themselves more than once a month.

Truth # 4: Consumers Have a Growing and Complex Ecosystem of Friends
‘Connecting’ to a broader network of friends has replaced the singular need to ‘belong’ to a tight-knit group of friends. 47% of youth globally want to be remembered for the quality and quantity of their connections.

Truth # 5: Even within the Complex Online World of Friendships, Consumers Still Know What Makes a Real Friend
In these new, online spaces for people to be social, a lot of fake friends have cropped up. Yet data indicates the values that make a real friend are quite clear. Asked which values they seek in a best friend, young people globally opted for ‘truthful’, chosen by 42%.

Truth # 6: The Need to Broadcast Oneself Is Constant
Southern countries are embracing new technology and are much more keen to share about their lives. 80% of Chileans and 77% of Indians agree that they like sharing thoughts and opinions with friends online, versus only 46% in the UK and 31% in Japan.

Truth # 7: Everyone Now Has Some Type of Audience

Truth # 8: Everyone will become More Focused on Their Own Online Story
With the introduction of Facebook Timeline people will become even more focused on their own story.

Truth # 9: Brands Should become part of Their Consumer’s Personal Stories
As brands offer more events and experiences to consumers, recognize that there is a lifecycle within the consumer timeline – each stage will be reflected through social media.

Truth # 10: Social Proof is a Powerful Force in Marketing
Globally, over 90% of 16-30 year olds agree with the statement “if a company or brand impresses me in some way, I will make a point of telling my friends about it.”

Truth # 11: If Brands Seeks Advocacy, Make it Worthwhile to The Consumer
37% of the global population known as ‘Savvy Shoppers’ are willing to engage with and socialize with brands and businesses, but want to receive something tangible in return.

Truth # 12: When it comes to socializing with brands, customers want value
Globally, 86% of consumers understand that there are major benefits associated with sharing data with businesses online.

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‘SUCCESS’ magazine, the national business publication that serves small business owners and entrepreneurs, delves into the world of celebrity marketing for the cover of its February issue. On the magazine’s cover is Kim Kardashian, the entrepreneur and ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ star, cited as the premier example of the hard-to-miss trend of celebrity marketing.

In the February issue, Kardashian talks exclusively to ‘SUCCESS’ about social media marketing, her goal-setting routine with mom and manager, Kris Jenner, and her current business strategy to pull back from specific products in favor of focusing on her larger product lines, such as the Kardashian Kollection at Sears.

Ranked by Ad.ly as the second-most-influential celebrity in social media, Kardashian has 17 million online fans, and her family’s various business ventures, including shows, books, fragrances, clothing lines, and shoes, are said to be worth $1 billion and growing.

“I honestly feel that I’ve gotten to where I am—with sales of my fragrance, the QVC line, our various products, and the success of our Dash stores—because I listen to my fans,” Kardashian tells ‘SUCCESS’. “I have such a personal relationship with them. Being very involved in social media, I feel a real connection with my fans.”

“People aren’t stupid,” she says. “You really have to love what you do, and you really have to believe in what you’re working for, for everyone else to believe you.” This willingness to be transparent via social media is perhaps the reason why this reality star has proven that celebrity marketing is a force that is here to stay, despite the fallibility of celebs.

“Celebrity marketing is clearly a major trend,” says ‘SUCCESS’ Media Executive VP, Steve Jamieson. “How could we not give our take on it? We take our promise to bring our readers relevant ideas in a positive manner very seriously. This is no exception.”

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Ever since Facebook’s launch in 2004, the young and talented programmer, Mark Zuckerberg, has been on everyone’s radar. A representative of Facebook Vietnam, Huynh Kim Tuoc, recently confirmed that Zuckerberg is in Hanoi. Mark Zuckerberg and his longtime girlfriend, Priscilla Chan, arrived in Vietnam on December 22 on a two-week visa.

The communist southeast Asian country may not allow its citizens to use Facebook, but that did not stop the couple from spending Christmas there. According to the Associated Press, Mark Zuckerberg and Chan spent Christmas Eve in Ha Long Bay. The couple has been dating since Zuckerberg was a sophomore at Harvard.

Vietnam Net reports, “Zuckerberg and his group of nine members spent a night on the Ha Long Bay, which has been recognized as one of the new natural wonders of the world. The Facebook’s CEO rowed a kayak himself to make an excursion on the bay and then visited some caves of the bay.”

Since Mark Zuckerberg and Chan were accompanied by nine others, this visit may have been more than a romantic getaway. It is no secret that Zuckerberg wants Facebook to be accepted in communist countries like Vietnam and China. Indeed, it was this time last year when Zuckerberg and Chan made a surprise visit to Thailand and China. However, the Vietnamese mass media believes that the trip was strictly for pleasure. Some sources have said that the couple would go to the Con Dao Island, a well-known site in Vietnam. According to the Vietnamese website, Tuoitre News, the pair has spent about $6,000 on traveling by a private helicopter.

Vietnam Net reports that Facebook has 4 million members in Vietnam. Some sources say that during Mark Zuckerberg’s stay in Vietnam, he would meet with Nguyen Trong Khoa, the founder of thatlac.com.vn, a networking site that helps people reunite with those whom they’ve lost contact with. Khoa was the marketing director of FPT (General Corporation for Financing the Promoting Technology); however, he left the group in 2009 to start his own business.

According to the Wall Street Journal, diplomats in Hanoi say the government is worried that if access to Facebook is given, uprisings like those in the Middle East may happen as people would be able to organize protests. As a result, most of Vietnam’s population of 90 million cannot access Facebook. People around the world see this blockage as a way of limiting freedom of speech and expression in the country.

Until today, it is still unknown when Facebook’s CEO will return home to the United States.

Image Courtesey of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/kk/

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The new social network name as SOCL (Socialized) will integrate three factors that nowadays specialists see as future trends: tastes, searches and communicative interaction. Consumers want to read things that matter and grasp their interest. Therefore this new social network tries to integrate this platform as a platform towards education.

Microsoft has chosen students as the main target for this new network. The purpose of the new social network is to allow students to share useful information in a fast and effective way. The platform has been developed and tested in an experimental way. And the main objective is to expand the way that the students use the social media and expand their educational experience by learning to communicate in a better way and convert this platform into a “the new classroom”.

Several Universities such as: Washington University, Syracuse University and New York University are the only institutions that have been allowed to try this new service. Although in the future hopefully a lot more add to the list.

According to a post exposed on the Microsoft Research website, this new network has been exclusively designed to broaden their educational experience and propose a new way in how students learn and communicate.

SOCL will basically allow its users to perform any other tasks featured in other networks, such as posts, uploading pictures and videos, or sharing content among friends. But something unusual and a section that it highlights form the others is the possibility of searching and finding students with similar tastes, build communities that have the same educational aspirations.

The Exchange of ideas and knowledge is something that is going to be a valuable aspect in this network. Throughout the project: Montage. SOCL will expose a visual collage of images, videos and stories. Allowing the user to choose what he wants to read, hear or learn.

An application called “Video Party” will enable the possibility to share a video. Several people will be able to watch a video on the same time and thought-out a chat they can interact, discuss and talk among each participant.

Lili Cheng, general manager of FUSE Labs exposed: “What we’ve seen in the last year or two is innovation in the way schools are teaching and learning from students, creating new programs to study how information spreads, motivates learning, and creates expertise,” Cheng says. “A hugely popular freshman course in some schools is Social Media 101, which often leads to a project-based innovation course where students build and deploy their ideas.

“These are not just computer-science students, but also business, design, or humanities students. They don’t necessarily write code, but they can be encouraged to re-imagine how social software and the way people are sharing and exchanging information shapes the world. We are experimenting with So.cl to use our own tools to partner with more students and learn from students with a broad base of expertise.”

Noticing how students have adopted new skills and search for new ways of acquiring knowledge, Shelly Farnham, a FUSE Labs researcher working on So.cl. Said: “Today, social media is a really active part of the learning process,” Farnham says. “It’s a common story that we hear: Someone will first hear about something because their friend mentioned it on Facebook or they saw it mentioned on Twitter and from there, they search in Wikipedia or through a search engine. Then they’ll go back and do searches within Twitter to find out not just the content of a news story, but also how their friends are responding to that news story. There’s this real sense of a conversation happening within social media around what they are learning.”

The idea is to foment learning and allow students to find people with the same interests and provoke subjects of conversation where the exchange of ideas is a constant activity.

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Facebook’s new design “Timeline” and Google Plus’ neat organization and visual impact have given it users something to talk about. Twitter has decided to follow its competitors’ strategies and give its users something to talk about as well. The social network has unveiled a new set of changes and modifications in its design.

The new design, dubbed Fly Twitter, proposes a new and fresh design for its users. The slogan, which appears on twitters official site (http://fly.twitter.com/index_en.html), portrays the new design by saying: ”Yours to discover. A faster, simpler way to stay close to everything you care about.” Although not yet publicly available, it will be introduced in the coming weeks to its 300 million users.

The new design will basically consist of four areas: Home, Connect, Discover and Me. According to Twitter, the Discover Page will be one of the most significant since it will expose trending topics and popular discussions that are being discussed around the web. On the other hand, the Connect area will be the platform where everything that users do–such as mentions, retweets and followers–will be placed.

These changes have clearly developed to grant the social media site a place in the market since its competitors have applied new designs too. ”Today we introduce a new version of Twitter. We’ve simplified the design to make it easier than ever to follow what you care about, connect with others and discover something new,” Twitter said in a post on its official blog.

“What we’re announcing today is just the beginning. We now have a framework in place that we will quickly build and iterate upon to help users connect with whatever is meaningful to them.” New apps for iPhone, Android and TweetDeck have been released this Thursday, December 8.

Twitter’s new image will integrate a lot of simplicity and visual impact. The users will be able to count on an easier way to navigate through the the page, and newer applications with different page areas will offer something different.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0qqDy5BmYKE

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Emma Sullivan, a student at Shawnee Mission East High School in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, tweeted during a meeting at the Youth in Government session in which Kansas Governor Sam Brownback spoke, “Just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot,” according to a New York Times report.

The Youth in Government is a program designed to, “provide students with an atmosphere that promotes increased self-esteem, positive personal growth and development, a sense of empowerment, and a respect for the uniqueness of others,” according its website. Sullivan later claimed that in the Tweet she was “just joking with friends.” She did not speak up during the assembly, the msnbc.com report stated.

Brownback’s office watches social networking sites for his name. Once they saw Sullivan’s tweet, they reached out to the Youth in Government program. Sullivan was required to go to the principal’s office, who requested she write an apology letter, according to the msnbc news report.

Brownback released a statement that appeared on his Facebook account. I “My staff over-reacted to this tweet, and for that I apologize. Freedom of speech is among our most treasured freedoms. I enjoyed speaking to the more than 100 students who participated in the Youth in Government program at the Kansas capitol.

They are our future. I also want to thank the thousands of Kansas educators who remind us daily of our liberties, as well as the values of civility and decorum. Again, I apologize for our over-reaction.” Sullivan has since tweeted, “I’ve decided not to write the letter but I hope this opens the door for average citizens to voice their opinion & to be heard! #goingstrong”

Sullivan said she would “do it again” in the msnbc news report. The same report stated that Sullivan had 65 followers on the social networking site before tweeting and now has nearly three thousand.

Twitter is considered one of the more popular social networking sites with 1.5 million accounts, according to Business Insider. However, it does not claim the same amount of success as Facebook, which has 600 million active users, as reported by Business Insider. FourSquare also has more than Twitter, with 7.5 million people registered, according to Business Insider.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/govsambrownback

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Search dogs picked up and followed a suspected gunman’s scent on a road at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, the campus chief of police said. Chief David Donaldson stated that the dogs unfortunately lost the suspect’s scent during an overnight search.

Classes have been continuing normally, even though the gunman reportedly fled to the college after a holdup, where he is thought to have escaped by car. The suspect robbed four people at a fast food restaurant and was still on the loose early last Tuesday. Students are allowed to attend classes and walk around the campus freely, but they were told to stay alert and report any suspicious activity they see.

The students that live on campus were advised to lock their doors and be extra cautious. Wilmington police used a K-9 unit and a helicopter to hunt down the criminal, who reportedly wore a red cloth over his face and was carrying a handgun. Extra police officers have been assigned to the campus as well. Dana Fischetti, the school’s spokeswoman, said that instructions were announced that advised students to stay in secure places, not long after the armed robbery.

Two safety alerts were posted on the school’s website, warning students that a gunman may be on campus. The warning was lifted the next day at five in the morning and was used as a “precautionary measure,” according to Donaldson. Police officers canvassed the area and went through the campus’ buildings, including the residence halls.

The college is located on the coastline of North Carolina and is distinguished for its marine research programs. Around 13,000 students attend UNC, and the number has grown since 2002. The school is also sometimes used as a training camp for the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats.

Last August, there was an incident with another gunman on campus. The school’s emergency alert system failed to notify students as the police searched for the suspect of the shooting at a close by apartment complex, which drew concerns from officials at the university. Donaldson had ordered a campus-wide alert to go out through students’ phones and e-mail, but it was never sent.

Officials believe this was due to human error, not a technical difficulty. The university’s emergency alert system also has the ability to interrupt television on campus and alert students through social media outlets. It was first adopted following the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech to alert students of emergencies through many different ways in a minimal amount of time.

KellyNelson / Shutterstock.com

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Some question the potential that social media has to offer, while others are utilizing and benefiting through what social media has to offer. Social media may be one of the greatest tools in marketing today, for several reasons.

Two of the most commonly used social media pages are Facebook and Twitter. Most companies are starting to pick up on their benefits of having social media accounts set up within these sites. According to InsideFacebook.com, Facebook has 712.4 million users worldwide in September and Twitter has 100 million active users.

Facebook is being used as a form of communication and interaction between the consumer and the brand. Brand pages allow not only the brand to interact with consumers, but also for others to review and share their feelings towards the brand. From this feedback, companies are creating more of an interpersonal relationship with their customers.

Marketers also, are able to target a certain audience with paid ads, ensuring that these are placed on the page that fits their defined audience. This ensures that the ad is appearing primarily to people who are more likely to click the ad. Twitter is another great tool that elicits some confusion. Twitter can be used as a mouthpiece for the company, which makes it excellent for PR purposes.

On Twitter, companies share news regarding their company, this allows followers to keep up with said company. By giving your brand a voice on Twitter, Twitter will categorize your Page and place your page under recommendation for followers, related to the content posted by users on twitter.

Through Facebook and Twitter, companies are creating a niche for themselves. It’s possible to get an understanding of what these brands represent and how these companies want consumers to view their brands. Social media is a great way to provide customer service to followers, and keep an audience engaged and updated at the same time.

That is why it is important for company pages to always respond to consumers’ posts. In a study done by Evolve24, about 83% of Consumers have positive feelings when contacted from a company from a tweet a user posts. Traditional marketing is slowly declining, yet it is not to say that is dying out.

There is still a lot of power in traditional marketing, that may be too hard for social media to convey. If a brand were to reposition itself, television ads would be a powerful medium to display this new position for the brand. Combined, these two create a powerful voice and should be included in successful marketing campaigns.

The more impressions from, traditional marketing and inbound marketing, the better odds are of being noticed by potential clients.

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New social networks are being released every day. What makes each one unique is their individual focuses and functions, though they all have the common goals to increase social relations and to establish contact with the professional world, educational target, medical network, travel communities, and so on.

The focus is usually developed based on the needs of the public. Opensoft, a Portuguese company, saw a need for the business environment, and they are trying to put this new model  in the competitive world of social media. Spreadd is a Portuguese startup focused on business environments and tries to differentiate itself from LinkedIn and Facebook, arguing that it is actually able to create opportunities to companies through the improvement of a collaborative environment.

Facebook offers big opportunities to reach target markets and great tools to develop marketing and communication with the public. However, there are limitations in developing sharing tools inside the company, since a social network is not a business-oriented network if it has other focuses.

LinkedIn, on other hand, is a business network. However, it allows people to connect to each other, but doesn’t solve the match problem between people and tasks, which Spreadd promises to do. The inefficiency inside of companies created by issues, such as employees repeatedly doing the same tasks and assigning the wrong employee to perform a task, can impact business performance.

It can be solved through a better sharing, communicating, and collaborating environment. The ambitious goal of the project is be a perfect network solution to small companies, big organizations, and even the ones geographically dispersed.

The network has been in the testing stage for the past six months, but it has already been seen as a solution to companies that are already using basic sharing tools, such as e-mail, instant message systems, internal networks, and blogs. Such tools have a time-gap between assigning the task and seeing the task completed, which is the issue Spreadd is trying to solve.

The Opensoft project will be going to Silicon Valley in California to accelerate the development of the business. It will be an important part of companies concerned with transparency, increase in opportunities, and creativity. There are high expectations coming from this developing season.

The goals the company have made will be able to help all companies interested in increase competitiveness through efficient information sharing. For companies that want to get a head start, they can sign up using a company e-mail address, which will be added to the Spreadd’s social network, and wait for a developed version of Spreadd to become available to the public.

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On the streets of Rome, Italy’s capital, up to 200.000 demonstrators took the streets to join the global protest called from one side to other of the world. Among those, a group of Black Bloc protesters – between 100 and 200 people – hijacked the peaceful march with an explosion of violence against stores, banks, cars, police and other protesters.

October 15th was the day of worldwide demonstrations. In 951 cities in more than 80 countries hundreds of thousands of people took the streets and the squares to protest against financial elites, capitalists, bankers and governments’ austerity measures and to claim rights and real democracy for all.

Although the massive participation in most of the cities, reports on violence are rare and the protests were peaceful and quiet even in the European capitals which are the epicenter of the crisis and where the anger and the frustration are stronger.

In this scenario of collaboration and solidarity the exception has been Rome. Here just half an hour after the peaceful march of the Italian “indignados” started – at around 2.30 pm Italian time –, a small group of demonstrators with covered faces and clad totally in black broke away from the main rally and began to throw bottles, stones and incendiary devices at stores, banks, and police.

Numerous cars and trash bins were set on fire in the streets of downtown, offices of the Defence Ministry were assaulted and set on fire as well, banks and stores’ windows were smashed, journalists crew were attacked and many other damages were caused by the group of Black Bloc rioters. Pictures and videos report images of urban guerrilla, terrified people, bloody faces, fire, smoke, destruction and violence. They show the “total black protesters” breaking away from the main group and attacking police and peaceful demonstrators on their way.

The estimated number of injured people is around 70. Two protesters and one policeman have been seriously hurt, one of them – a 52-years-old man who tried to stop the violents – lost two fingers for the explosion of a firecracker thrown by one of the Black Blocs – as it’s shown in one video.

During a high tension moment of clashes between riot police and the violent group, a police armour-plated car was set on fire and police charged repeatedly the protesters and used tear gas and water cannons to stop the riots. The peaceful part of demonstrators, that is the big majority of them, ran away and fled the violence. Some of them who turned against the small violent group trying to stop and push them away were attacked and injured.

Around 12 people have been arrested. Rome’s mayor Gianni Alemanno, ministers and leaders of all parties blamed the violence. Some leader of the opposition questioned on how it was possible that the police was not able to stop such a small and well identifiable violent group for so many hours.

Meanwhile, on the web and on social media some users are rising the question on whether the Black Blocs could be real protesters or infiltrated policemen. Some suggest also that those protesters could have been paid and supported by “men of power”, who have strong interests in a violent hijacking of the peaceful protest to boycott it and manipulate the consequent news for condemning the demonstration. At the moment there is no proof for these conjectures to be true.

What it’s sure is that the news of the violent riots spread easier and stronger than the actual and true mass event which was this global peaceful protest covering it up. Though this has been a serious and blameworthy violence episode, we should also look to the importance and the strength of a worldwide movement that gathered 200.000 people just in Rome who are claiming for a future and protesting against a heavy economical crisis which is not the people’s fault. Also in a country which is standing on bended knees such as Italy, people answered to the call “People of the word: rise up!”.

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