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| Apple Hit With Playlist Patent, Suit Filed By Former Judge's Firm | |  A Texas shell company, Smart Audio Technologies, has filed a suit claiming Apple’s iPod Nano and other devices violate its patent for random song playlists. The suit comes just six months after a jury found Apple violated the playlist patent of another Texas entity, Personal Audio LLC, and ordered the tech giant to pay $8 million. Apple is appealing that decision. The new case turns on US Patent 6185163 which appears to cover the ‘random’ function common to MP3 players: A method is provided for altering a play list of a Random Access Player without interrupting the generation of output by the Player. The patent was issued in 2001 and since obtained by Smart Technologies which, according to Texas state records, was formed last year. While these type of “patent troll” lawsuits are filed everyday against Apple and other technology companies, this one is notable because Smart Technologies is represented by a new law firm founded by Joseph Farnan Jr., a former federal judge who worked in the same Delaware court where the lawsuit was filed. Farnan is not the only one to quit the bench to represent patent plaintiffs. Last year, the judge who helped create East Texas’ famous ‘rocket docket’ left to join the patent law firm run by his son. Patent litigation has become huge business in recent years and has attracted major investments from private equity firms. A Texas-based attorney for Smart Technologies, Steven Geiszler, declined to comment on which investors are behind Smart Technologies. Playlist patents are becoming a major nuisance for tech companies. In November, Personal Audio LLC filed a suit claiming Amazon’s Kindle products violated the same patent that it used to obtain the $8 million jury verdict against Apple. Smart Audio playlist lawsuit |
| Press Page Generator Hopes to Solve Startups' Media Problems | |  The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. Name: Totem Quick Pitch: Totem -- a press pages generator -- displays company accomplishments and social facets in one place, cutting out rigorous searches for PR information. Genius Idea: Totem wants to bridge small businesses and media outlets by providing both parties with a better initial experience with each other. Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark In a world where company "About Us" pages are typically meager and PR contacts are about impossible to find, Totem stands to help spread good news. Think of Totem as LinkedIn for companies -- instead of laying out the amazing accomplishments of one individual, you are laying out what's great about your company. Most importantly, Totem lays out all the pieces of information a reporter would need to put together a great story about the company. Free and premium accounts allow for a standalone website. Premium accounts come with a customizable sub-domain name, such as press.YourCompanyName.com. Premium accounts allow for more customization and branding opportunities for the company. "Most press pages suck. The press and influencers are your earliest and most important audience. Yet, they are served so poorly," says CEO and co-founder Josh Jones-Dilworth. Jones-Dilworth, founder of his own PR and marketing consulting firm, says Totem was created with a "scratch your own itch" mentality. He recalls helping early-stage tech companies with PR endeavors. Most businesses Jones-Dilworth worked with had no press information online or websites, which made finding logos, videos and bios very hard to find. It was "confounding" to him. The media is likely to talk to someone else or feature another company because of a lack of an online track record, recent press or contact information. Totem was created two years ago in Austin, Texas. It offers press page templates that are beautiful and simple, so that updating information will not take a tech genius. Members of a company can collaborate and contribute to the making of a press page. In the template, there's room for press contacts, general information and items journalists often ask for -- staff bios, headshots, logos, screenshots and videos. "It is absolutely for small businesses and startups. They are the people that get the primary benefits," he said. "If the press loves Totem, it's serving target market." Like a great business card handed out at parties, Totem shows off recent press articles, achievements and details that company websites usually leave out -- physical address, number of employees, founded date and direct press contacts all in one place. "I think that a best case is to have homepage focused on users and a press page all about press," Jones-Dilworth says. "Most totem users go from no press page to having a great press page." The Totem team hopes to help at least 100,000 small businesses create press pages and improve their visibility by the end of the year. Though, they note there are millions of startups that don't have utilize a press page. The development of Totem started two years ago with seed money saved up and chipped in by friends, family and colleagues. The Totem team is proud of making such an elegant, simple product with about $150,000. Totem is completely free to use because creators want as many people using it as possible. "This is really about getting people off the sidelines and into game," Jones-Dilworth says, hoping the millions of startups he sees without press pages online will begin to get company information out on the digital social sphere. Image Courtesy of Flickr, loop_oh.
The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today. |
| Brand or Celeb? Social Media Shows Who Super Bowl Ads Helped Most | | Monday, February 06, 2012 9:34 PM | Sam Laird |
|  Social media analytics provided to Mashable show which endorsers -- and endorsees -- won biggest on Super Bowl Sunday. Getting a celebrity to shill products during the game's valuable advertising time can do wonders to imprint a brand in consumer consciousness. But that plan can also backfire, with the celebrities themselves overshadowing the products they promote. Overall, David Beckham dominated Super Bowl XLVI. More than 85,000 tweets mentioned him over the course of the game, according to Simply Measured. But the Beckham-in-his-undies ad helped clothing retailer H&M, too. According to Networked Insights, the soccer player gained four times as much of the conversation on Twitter and Facebook as H&M. But his presence still pushed the brand into the eighth slot of most talked about companies on the two social networks during Super Bowl Sunday. John Stamos also gained four times more of the conversation than the brand he endorsed, Dannon yogurt. But unlike H&M, Dannon wasn't able to parlay that into a significant share of the online discussion, finishing outside the top 10 according to Networked Insights. Supermodel Adriana Lima did especially well for herself when she appeared in ads for Kia and Teleflora during the game. Lima gained about 7% of the celebrity ad conversation, according to Networked Insights, and the reaction on Facebook and Twitter was overwhelmingly positive. But her buzz did not translate into major boosts in sentiment for either of the companies she endorsed. According to NetBase, Kia's rate of positive mentions increased by just 0.1% on Super Bowl Sunday compared to normal, and there was actually a relative dip of 1.2% in positive mentions for Teleflora. Interestingly, the three brands that grabbed the largest share of the advertising conversation were Doritos, Coca-Cola, and Budweiser and Bud Light counted as one, according to Networked Insights. None of those companies hired major celebrities, but all did feature animals in one ad or another. Do you think it's worth it for brands to shell out big bucks for major celebrities in their Super Bowl ads? Or are there better ways to make a splash? Let us know in the comments. BONUS GALLERY: Watch Every Super Bowl XLVI Ad Here |
| How Digital Tools Help Companies Offer Better Health Care | | Monday, February 06, 2012 9:10 PM | Kevin Wildenhaus |
|  Kevin Wildenhaus, Ph.D., is director of science and innovation at Wellness & Prevention, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company. Dr. Wildenhaus is a clinical psychologist specializing in health behavior change and practical, effective health intervention programs. Health risk assessment (HRA) is continually evolving to meet the ever-changing demands of the health care industry. It began humbly as a simple data collection tool, but evolved to become a predictor of an individual's health perceptions, attitudes and motivations. The new generation of HRAs is poised to help transform the way we do business. Soon HRAs will not only be delivered more efficiently, but they'll provide users with fresh, relevant feedback. Sound hard to believe? A brief look at the evolution of HRAs explains why many organizations now view the HRA through a new, more strategic lens, and how today's innovative companies plan to leverage this powerful tool. History of Health Risk Assessment The concept of the HRA dates back to the 1940s, when Dr. Lewis C. Robbins came up with the idea that a patient's health risks might guide the physician in preventative treatments. In 1980 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a public version, and thus recognized the many benefits that health risk awareness, education and prevention could have on the population. Businesses, employers and health plans took notice of the value too. The history of the HRA can be summarized in two distinct generations. First Generation - Classical Epidemiology (1970 - 1995): HRAs identified health risks in order to reduce the occurrence of illness, injury and premature death. Individual reports focused on a "risk age," an assigned age for the participant based on his health risks and conditions, which used data all the way back from the 1948 Framingham study. Second Generation - Motivation and Self-Efficacy (1995 - 2010): As the HRA and its data became more sophisticated, the ability to create behavior change became a significant challenge. During this generation, behavioral science models like the Transtheoretical Model and Motivational Interviewing helped motivate the individual and build self-confidence. Today's HRAs Today's HRAs use digital technology to individually tailor health assessments, findings and feedback. And advances in behavioral science are unlocking the secrets to motivation and sustained behavior change. Research shows that tailoring interventions to the individual's motivations and readiness to change are the most effective ways to create behavior change (Burbank et al., 2000). Evolving computer algorithms are improving HRA feedback by incorporating various behavior change models. As a result, today's HRAs focus more on the individual's motivation, self-efficacy, attitudes and beliefs about health. Consequently, HRA feedback now incorporates proven clinical strategies to increase the individual's perceived control over his behavior, provides action plans to address risks, and reinforces the fact that behavior change is ultimately up to the individual. These evolving algorithms prompt interactive or "smart" questionnaires that adapt based on the individual's previous answers, and thereby create a more personalized, efficient and relevant plan of action. Online assessment has many benefits, including lower administration cost and an enhanced sense of privacy, confidentiality and anonymity. Evidence shows that online HRAs are associated with greater response honesty and accuracy when compared to face-to-face, telephone or traditional pen-and-paper administration. This medium also allows for a more open evaluation of the individual's behaviors and permits feedback in a neutral and non-judgmental manner (Pealer et al., 2001). Online technology also allows for real-time HRA feedback, providing an individual with immediate and personalized support, information and access to tailored online interventions that have been clinically proven to change behavior and lower risk. Further, digital technology allows for greater scalability and improved health access for the broader population. Individuals can complete assessments and receive feedback at their convenience, with 24/7 access to information, tools and resources. Family members and dependents can also participate, exponentially increasing the reach of the program. Individuals can access online resources about a specific condition or behavior, as well as track programs that aid behavior change (e.g. food and pain diaries). The web is a natural conduit to online digital health coaching programs that help the participant address lifestyle, behavioral health and/or chronic condition risk factors identified in the HRA. Participants can receive reminder or follow-up emails and tailored text messages that encourage and support them to implement or continue behavior change. Ongoing evaluation of the efficacy of a health and wellness solution can be completed conveniently via the web. The Future of HRAs In the future, we'll see increased access to HRAs via the Internet and mobile devices. Next generation HRAs will include: Stronger ability to forge a connection between good health and achieving an individual's life missions. Better use of quick, effective sessions or interventions, especially with the increased use of video for today's YouTube generation. Mobile HRA delivery options, especially important for multinational employers and international populations. Increased use of health-related mobile applications that conduct real-time assessments, mini interventions and behavioral or habit-based action steps. Stronger data integration capabilities with care management systems, including delivery of key psychosocial information to health care providers. Ideally this communication will improve empathy, trust and rapport, as well as improve clinical efficiency. Where Do We Go from Here? Today, organizations realize that the HRA itself is more than a simple data collection instrument -- it has become a strategic tool to help support employee behavior change. Employers recognize the value of HRA aggregate data, and its ability to provide insights into the specific health issues and risks of employee populations. HRAs help employees make smart choices about how to allocate their limited resources for health and wellness. Health plans will utilize the rich data from HRAs (that traditional claims and lab data can't provide) to empower nurses, health coaches and clinicians to drive better health outcomes for their members. Employers today are seeing the value of HRAs, but sometimes are not sure how to evaluate these products. To help, I have listed 10 components necessary for effective health risk assessment. Multi-modal delivery capabilities that augment web-based delivery with print, telephone and IVR administration options to meet the needs of diverse employee populations in multiple locations. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) certification to assure the purchaser that the HRA meets industry standards. Individually tailored action plans to aid each unique employee in his pursuit of health and wellness. Biometric uploading and pre-population of data for seamless integration, improved accuracy and employee convenience. Assessment of productivity impairment to help employers determine key health barriers that would lead to absenteeism, and thus, affect the bottom line. Focus on assessing behavioral health issues like insomnia, stress and depression, which are often under the radar, yet cause significant health care costs, disability claims and productivity impairment. Cutting edge participation and engagement strategies to improve employee involvement and help them get the most bang for their buck. Annual population health comparison reports to evaluate the impact of your health and wellness initiatives over time, and to identify key issues for strategic health initiatives. Immediate linkage from HRA to health coaching programs that immediately connect employees to proven interventions for healthy lifestyle, behavioral health and chronic conditions. Strong science with peer-reviewed publications that demonstrates the value and impact to employers that implement these HRAs and associated health and wellness solutions. In summary, the HRA is in the national spotlight. A new generation of HRAs now offers better technology, science, comprehensiveness and employee access. So, determine whether your organization is ready to take advantages of these advances. How are you using HRAs today? Do they meet the criteria demanded by today's competitive business world and health care climate? Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Lisa-Blue, Flickr, Charles Williams |
| Facebook Is Bringing Ads to Mobile Apps [REPORT] | | Monday, February 06, 2012 8:04 PM | Zoe Fox |
|  Users of Facebook's apps -- for Android, iPad and iPhone -- may begin seeing ads as soon as early March, as the company looks to gain an addition revenue source before it goes public. Sources close to the matter say Facebook has already discussed proposals with advertising agencies, according to the Financial Times. Facebook began running sponsored stories in December 2011. Featured stories will appear in the mobile news feed -- similar to Twitter's promoted tweets -- mixed in with posts from your friends. In Facebook's paperwork for its Initial Public Offering, filed Feb. 1, the company pointed to mobile as a potential revenue source -- and warned that the lack of mobile revenue was one of the things that could harm it. Nearly half of Facebook's 845 million users access the site via mobile device. One source told FT Facebook would incentivize advertisers to link within Facebook, rather than directing users off-site. Facebook will hold an event for marketers in New York Feb. 29, so we can expect announcements of new ways they can use the social network. Facebook is yet to unveil Timeline brand pages, although that move is anticipated in coming weeks as Facebook rolls out Timeline for all users. Will ads on Facebook mobile deter you from using the service? Is a smartphone screen too small for promoted stories? Let us know what you think in the comments. Additional Facebook IPO Coverage Facebook Files for $5 Billion IPO Facebook IPO Reveals How It Made $3.71 Billion in 2011 10 Giant Things Less Valuable Than Facebook Zuckerberg to Potential Shareholders: Facebook Is on a Social Mission Facebook IPO Filing Flings Open the Social Network Kimono Facebook: Zynga Generates 12% of Our Revenue and We Need Them Sheryl Sandberg Was Facebook's Best-Paid Employee in 2011 Image courtesy of iStockphoto, franckreporter |
| How to Fix Best Buy | | Monday, February 06, 2012 4:45 PM | Alex Goldfayn |
|  Alex Goldfayn's new book is called Evangelist Marketing: What Apple Amazon and Netflix Understand About Their Customers (That Your Company Probably Doesn't). He is CEO of the Evangelist Marketing Institute, a marketing consultancy with clients that include T-Mobile, TiVo and Logitech. Some people insist that Best Buy is dying a slow death. Meanwhile, its CEO, Brian Dunn, maintains that 80% of consumer electronics sales still come from brick-and-mortar stores. But in its most recent earnings statement (for the three months ending Nov. 26), Best Buy's net income was down nearly 30%, compared to the year prior. The company says that's because they had to lower prices to increase sales. Here is what I believe to be the core cause of Best Buy's problems: There is almost nothing you can buy at Best Buy stores that isn't cheaper and more convenient to buy online. And when you think about buying online, you think about Amazon first, and a number of other retailers second (Buy.com, Walmart.com, etc.). BestBuy.com usually doesn't top that list. The problems -- including Best Buy's recent inability to fill holiday season purchases -- are already well-documented. Let's focus, instead, on how to fix Best Buy. 1. Focus on the Stores CEO Dunn stated earlier this month that Best Buy has expanded the products available on BestBuy.com and has launched a new online marketplace. This is the wrong approach. You don't out-Amazon Amazon. I'm constantly telling my clients that they must build on their strengths, not try to overcome their weaknesses. For example, Research In Motion spent a year of resources developing and marketing a tablet device instead of focusing on its major competitive strength, the Blackberry smartphone. Best Buy needs to focus on the asset that separates it from the competition -- its physical stores. This is urgent. For the next year, the majority of Best Buy's investment, attention and marketing budget should go towards improving the customer experience in its retail stores. What should it improve? That's easy. 2. Fewer SKUs One of the major ways retailers measure success is the sales-per-square-foot metric. This figure eliminates any differences in number of stores and size of stores; it simply measures how well a retailer performs. According to a Ron Dauphin |
| Amazon to Open Retail Store [RUMOR] | | Monday, February 06, 2012 1:04 PM | Peter Pachal |
|  In what may be a sign that 2012 really is the year of the apocalypse, revered online retailer Amazon is rumored to be opening a brick-and-mortar retail store. The site Good Ereader reports that sources "close to the situation" say Amazon will open up a single store in the Seattle area (Amazon is based in Seattle). Amazon apparently plans to open it early enough to capitalize on the lucrative holiday season. Intended to be more of a boutique than a big box, the Amazon store would mainly be a place where shoppers can buy Kindle ereaders, tablets and their related accessories as well as other "high margin" items. The design of the store, said to be contracted through a shell company, is apparently modeled after the Apple Store. Amazon's store will also stock physical books that are exclusive to Amazon. The company launched its own publishing division last May, but any independent authors that join are shut out of major retail bookstores like Barnes & Noble. The Amazon store would give their books a place to appear on actual shelves. SEE ALSO: Amazon 2012: What the Future May Hold for the Web's Largest Retailer If the report is true, the store would be a strange move for a company synonymous with the efficiency and convenience of online retail. Not having to deal with the overhead costs of maintaining a network of stores is the key ingredient to how Amazon stays so competitive. More than that, opening a retail store is a kind of philosophical throwback for the company -- akin to Google creating a microfiche search service. However, the report cites some factors that led to the decision. The war Amazon's been fighting over sales tax features prominently. Many states have been moving toward requiring Amazon to pay sales tax on purchases made in that state, something online retailers have been traditionally exempt from. if Amazon is going to be forced to charge sales tax whether or not it operates a retail establishment in a particular state, then there's less reason to hold back. Amazon is said to be testing the waters here, seeing if a chain of small boutique stores would be profitable. With the first store, the company will both get valuable experience in running a retail establishment as well as get feedback on what customers would expect from an Amazon store. No need to wait for the store to open, though -- sound off now. What would you like to see from an Amazon retail store? Let us know in the comments. Image by Rico Mossesgeld, Technograph |
| Chrysler Super Bowl Commercial Mysteriously Disappears, Returns to YouTube | | Monday, February 06, 2012 12:53 PM | Todd Wasserman |
|  Someone had a sudden impact on Chrysler's "Clint Eastwood" Super Bowl spot's availability on YouTube Sunday night. Chrysler is investigating why the two-minute ad, which features the actor/director declaring this moment to be America's "halftime," got taken down, a rep told Mashable. At the time of this writing, the ad was back up on Chrysler's YouTube channel. According to multiple reports, there was a message on the channel Monday morning explaining the ad violated NFL copyrights. An NFL rep declined comments on the issue, deferring calls to Chrysler. However, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told the Detroit Free Press that the league didn't take the ad down and is asking Google to investigate. The ad was never taken down from the NFL's official site. Reps from Google could not be reached for comment. The disappearance of the ad for a short time put a kink in Chrysler's social media campaign. The carmaker was encouraging users to share the ad and then watch its progress via an interactive map showing shares across the country. |
| Honda's 'Bueller' Super Bowl Ad Got the Most Buzz [REPORT] | | Monday, February 06, 2012 10:56 AM | Todd Wasserman |
|  Ferris Bueller took the day. Honda's CR-V ad featuring Bueller star Matthew Broderick taking a day off (above) was the most-buzzed Super Bowl ad, according to Zeta Interactive. Honda's ad received 91% positive buzz, narrowly beating out M&M's "Mrs. Brown" ad and Budweiser's "Eternal Optimism," spot, which both got 90%, according to Zeta, which analyzes more than 200 million blogs, tweets, message boards and other social media posts. SEE ALSO: Super Bowl 2012 Commercials: Watch Them All Here Zeta's full list reads as follows: 1. "Matthew's Day Off" (Honda) 91% positive. 2. "Mrs. Brown: Sexy and You Known It" (M&Ms) 90% 3. "Eternal Optimism: Block Party" (Budweiser) 90% 4. "Transcations- Seinfeld" (Acura) 89% 5. "Dog Race" (Skechers) 89% 6. "First Time - Italian" (Fiat) 89% 7. "Feel the Free" (2nd Story Software TaxACT) 87% 8. "Return of the King -- Prohibition" (Budweiser) 87% 9. "The Dog Strikes Back" (Volkswagen) 87% 10. "Catch" (Coca-Cola), "Clint Eastwood" (Chrysler), "Fatherhood" (E*Trade) 86% (three-way tie) Meanwhile, pulling up the rear on the list were: 1. "GS" (Lexus) 62% positive 2. "Think Fast" (Hyundai) 73% 3. "Happy Grad" (Chevrolet) 73% 4. "Green Hell" (Cadillac) 75% It should be noted that Zeta's most positive buzz ranking doesn't always equal the most popular ad. Last year, for instance, Bridgestone's "Reply All" was number one on the positive buzz list and Volkswagen's "The Force" was number three. (In between was PepsiMax's "First Date." See all three below.) Nevertheless, "The Force" wound up being the most-shared ad for all of 2011. The cumulative total of views for various YouTube versions of "Reply All" hasn't eclipsed 1 million, while "The Force" has more than 50 million views as of this writing. What do you think? What was the best ad of the night? Sound off in the comments. 2011's Most Popular Super Bowl Ads |
| 3 Shoe Brands Kicking Butt With Social Media | | Monday, February 06, 2012 10:43 AM | Lauren Indvik |
|  The Digital Marketing Series is supported by HubSpot, an inbound marketing software company based in Cambridge, Mass., that makes a full platform of marketing software, including social media management tools. Shoes are big business online. Just look at online retailer Zappos, which generates more than $1 billion in annual gross sales, of which between 80% and 85% are shoes. Research conducted by Google in late 2008 indicates that 45% of men and 46% of women use online research to make online and in-store purchase decisions, a figure that has no doubt increased as overall Internet and ecommerce usage has grown. Nearly a third of women feel comfortable buying their shoes online, according to a 2011 survey from ShopSmart magazine, up from 14% from 2007. Not surprisingly, social media has emerged as one of the more important channels in the online discovery, research and purchase processes. We spoke with two very different shoe brands -- athletic footwear maker Puma, and luxury shoemaker Jimmy Choo -- as well as New York retailer Bergdorf Goodman about the consumers, platforms and metrics they're targeting through social media. 1. Puma This Valentine's Day-themed YouTube video merited 130 million impressions for Puma. According to Puma's research, at least half of online consumers are multichannel shoppers, meaning that they go both online and in stores to make purchasing decisions, says Remi Carlioz, Puma's newly installed senior head of digital marketing. Mobile is becoming an increasingly large player in the shopping process, he adds. Carlioz admits that Puma was late to recognize social media's marketing potential. The notion was driven home when the above Valentine's Day video produced with ad agency Droga5 went viral, garnering 130 million impressions in total. Now, the brand is active on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Foursquare and Instagram in the U.S., and many more region-specific networks in the five global territories in which Puma operates. Puma uses social media for two ends: to build the brand -- which Carlioz describes as both performance-driven and modest -- and to drive awareness around big product and campaign launches. One of Puma's biggest branding investments is in high-profile sailing events, such as the Volvo Ocean Race, a nine-month, around-the-world contest between un-motored yachts held every three years. Puma is the official apparel supplier for the competition, and this year the brand geared up and dispatched 10 Tumblr and Instagram users to record a week-long stopover in Abu Dhabi, populating both services with hundreds of Puma-tagged photos from its most prominent users. Cinemagraph artists Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg were among the ten bloggers sent to Abu Dhabi by Puma. Puma hasn't made a hard push to sell product through social media channels, says Carlioz, but that could change over time. For now, the company will focus on branding, engagement and experimenting with new platforms, like social shopping list Fancy. Carlioz is also eager to work more closely with Puma's sponsored athletes, many of whom have large, engaged followings on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Looking into combined opportunities in mobile and social is another priority, Carlioz says. At the end of March, Puma is planning to launch an iPhone app that will enable global photosharing. The company is also working to launch Puma Factory, which would allow consumers to design custom sneakers online or on an iPad. 2. Jimmy Choo Jimmy Choo has emerged as a category leader in social media, thanks in large part to its spring 2010 Catch-a-Choo Foursquare campaign that had women running all over London to secure a pair of the company's new line of trainers (or sneakers, in American speak). The company used the platform to check in at various fashionable locales; checkins were broadcast over Facebook and Twitter, and the first person at each site was awarded a free pair of trainers. Roughly 4,000 people participated in the chase, which was picked up by the mainstream and online media alike. Sneaker sales subsequently increased by 33%, according to social media agency FreshNetworks London, which designed the campaign. Since then, Jimmy Choo has launched a number of on-site and off-site engagement initiatives, maintaining active, product and event-centric profiles on Facebook and Twitter to promote both. In January 2011, the company unveiled Choo Connection, an ongoing visual montage of the brand's 16-year history. The most social element is a section called "Your Choo Stories," which contains customer-submitted stories about their first or most significant experience with the brand. Well-recognized figures including Elle Macpherson, Elizabeth Hurley and the wardrobe director of Sex and the City are among the contributors. More recently, the brand and its agency have focused its efforts on Google's fledgling social network, Google+. The November launch of Google brand pages coincided with one of Jimmy Choo's own major launches -- that of its first men's-only boutique in London's Burlington Arcade. Jimmy Choo Men's flagship social media profile is on Google+. Given early indications that Google+ would be dominated by men, Jimmy Choo decided to forgo Facebook in favor of a Google+ brand page for Jimmy Choo Men. The brand has only been circled 226 times as of writing, but Matt Rhodes, director of client services at FreshNetworks London, says that engagement on the platform is increasing. For Valentine's Day, the agency is helping launch a campaign to encourage female followers to get their husbands and boyfriends to follow the page on Google+, although Rhodes did not disclose any further specifics. In speaking of the challenges of social media marketing for different footwear brands, Rhodes says the most important thing is to recognize a product's use value. "I want different qualities from the shoes I run a marathon in, to ones I wear to a special event or party," Rhodes observes. "The use of social media should also be different. Jimmy Choo might look to focus on special occasions to show how shoes look as part of an outfit or lifestyle. Nike, on the other hand, should focus on the functional elements of it, or what you do in the shoe." "It's really about understanding your audience and how they consider the product, and then using social to reflect that from a content and functionality perspective," he adds. Rhodes points out that social media does present opportunities to surprise people's expectations of a brand, citing Jimmy Choo's Foursquare scavenger hunt as an example. Such cases are best suited for campaigns and one-offs than for ongoing engagement, which "should reinforce the brand and how the audience interacts with it," he advises. 3. Bergdorf Goodman Although not exclusively a footwear retailer, upscale department store Bergdorf Goodman developed a number of shoe-focused, online marketing initiatives to promote the expansion of its second floor shoe salon this fall. In addition to a heavy print campaign, the retailer worked with Productive Edge to develop an interactive shoe map of New York City. Instagram users were encouraged to upload geotagged photos of their shoes around prominent city landmarks with the hashtag #BGShoes to add to the map. Those that were taken in Manhattan appeared on the map; those from other boroughs flanked the edges. To date, 150 photos have been added to the map. The promotion has also generated 233 Facebook Likes, 185 tweets and 30 +1s -- not bad for a campaign with such tight geographic constraints. The campaign was further reinforced by weeks of shoe imagery on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest. The company also updated its iPhone app, Today's Shoe, with enhanced browsing and shopping features. Final Notes As a category, footwear is difficult to define through social media. The strategies between brands vary widely, and align more closely with price point than product form. As Rhodes says, successful strategies are born of a brand's understanding of its audience and how they think of the product, and then using social media in a way that builds on that perspective. It's also about surprising the consumer, dreaming up campaigns like Catch-a-Choo and Bergdorf Goodman's "Shoes About Town" Instagram map. Series supported by HubSpot
The Digital Marketing Series is supported by HubSpot, an inbound marketing software company based in Cambridge, Mass., that makes a full platform of marketing software, including social media management tools. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, anyunoff |
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