Google’s Super Bowl Ad

By Duane Brown | Published: February 8, 2010

I didn’t spent yesterday watching the Super Bowl like most people. I was at a friend’s house having a potluck. Everyone seems to be talking about Google’s Super Bowl Ad and having just watched it. I really enjoyed the ad.

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Social media analysis reports are a ripoff

By Duane Brown | Published: February 4, 2010

This morning I had the pleasure of talking with Katie Delahaye Paine (@PKDPaine) about my social media monitoring & measurement tools list. She pointed out a site that had a social media analysis report that was more comprehensive then my tools list. The cost of the report was $300. Since making my social media monitoring & measurement tools list last June. I’ve come across a few other social media analysis reports like this one that wants money for their information. I know it’s how Forrester & others make their money but it’s a rip off in my opinion. Let me tell you why.

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The 2010 Ipsos Canadian Inter@ctive Reid Report

By Duane Brown | Published: February 1, 2010

Last week Ipsos Canadian released the The 2010 Inter@ctive Reid Report. It’s interesting that 89% of Canadians have access to the Internet and 8% of those people still happen to be using dial-up. I’d think that the 8% is mostly up in Northern Canada near our provinical boarders. The report also covers:

  • Online Security and Privacy
  • Social Networking
  • Online Teens
  • Twitter
  • E-Commerce/Online Coupons
  • Online Travel–  Brand vs.Price
  • Online Financial Services

The report is only 3 pages in length but a good quick read to stay current on how Canadians are using the Internet compared to Americans and the rest of the world.

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Social Influence Marketing Trends from Shiv Singh

By Duane Brown | Published: January 28, 2010

Shiv Singh, VP Social Media at Razorfish, gave a keynote presentation when Seesmic launched look early this week. The deck below looks at five trends with one trend having a closer look at the auto industry. Not everything is completely new but it’s a good read for the start of the year.

Social Influence Marketing Trends

View more presentations from shivsingh.
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Event: Social Media Week – Toronto

By Duane Brown | Published: January 25, 2010

One week today is the launch of Social Media Week, which is not just happening in Toronto but also Berlin, London, San Francisco, New York and Sao Paulo. This is the second year of the annual conference that will explore the profound impact that social media has on culture, business communications and society at large.

The week-long, international Social Media Week conference is designed as a series of localized events, which city partners are responsible for organizing. Over the course of the week and in each city, programs will span a variety of formats, ranging from talks, presentations and panel discussions, to interactive workshops, seminars, networking events and drinks receptions.

Each event, including the live stream and back channel conversations will be hosted on the Social Media Week website, allowing for participants from around the world and across multiple cities to take part in the conference.

I won’t be going to every event next week but I know I’ve signed up for Social Media Trends in 2010 and Beyond, which is on Wednesday next week at 6:30pm. Check out the full schedule and say hi if we see each other around city. It’s going to be a crazy week it seems.

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Event: PodCamp Toronto 2010

By Duane Brown | Published: January 23, 2010

PodCamp Toronto is back for this year and is about one month away.

PodCamp Toronto 2010 is a FREE “unconference” bringing together professionals and hobbyists from Toronto and the surrounding area to explore the cutting edge of new and social media. If you are an online content creator – hobbiest and professionals – who are building communities online in a variety of ways, then PodCamp Toronto 2010 is for you. Share ideas, discuss theories and learn lessons from an audience of experts. Network, network, network. All are welcome.

I’ve been to a few of the PodCamps over the years and its always a great networking event. There are over 500 people registered to come this year and it should be a great way to spend the weekend indoors. Register if you’ve not already.

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Geo-Mapping: Changing Demographics

By Duane Brown | Published: January 19, 2010

Today I spent the day at a client’s conference: CFA Marketing Day 2010 and saw a great presentation on Geo-Mapping: Changing Demographics:

Wouldn’t you love to see exactly where your competition is located? How about finding out whether the area you have in mind can support the business? Wouldn’t you just love a road map to business success and savings? Geo-mapping may be the answer. In this session, learn how you can leverage existing data through geo-mapping and how geo-mapping has revolutionized market research and practices.

Presented by: Paul Thompson P.CRM, Senior Manager, Client Services, Pitney Bowes Business Insight
Paul Thompson draws upon over 15 years experience in helping franchisors and franchisees better manage their operational strategies. Having worked with the who’s who of Canadian retailing and restaurants, Paul brings intelligence, insight and intuition to bear on the tough challenges facing today’s retailers.

Still digesting alot of what I heard but it was a fascinating look into an area of marketing that I don’t spend a lot of time playing in.

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It’s not Facebook vs Twitter

By Duane Brown | Published: January 15, 2010

Even with Fast Company writing that Twitter to Compete With Ever-Expanding Facebook Connect. I still don’t think this is true for the vast majority of people. I still believe that Facebook and Twitter serve different audiences and do share some overlap but that’s it.

When you look at Twitter, you see that the majority of their growth is going international as we enter 2010. The US is still half of all users but as we enter more global times, the users signing up around the word is only going to continue to increase. Twitter is more a communication that connects you faster with like minded people around the globw. While Facebook is more about connecting you with more people just outside your  current circle of friends.

On the flip side, you see that Facebook’s growth is stilll US based and especially with Gen Y males.

Inside Facebook reported that the US gain of more than 4.5 million monthly active Facebook users was the highest number of any country. Because of the large installed base of US Facebook users, it represented a 5% gain, compared with 10% growth in countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

Facebook is still growing outside of the US but it’s still a strong US based growth. It’s 2010 and I think we need to move on from comparing Facebook & Twitter directly. Users use the platforms differnetly and those unique traits are what we should be leveraging when we pitch using the platforms to clients.

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I’m not my client

By Duane Brown | Published: January 12, 2010

I’ve been putting in new processes at work and trying to streamline my workload. This way I can spend more time working on projects that I love and being creative in my job. Part of this means making sure everything I create circles back to the marketing and brand I want to get across to clients.

As I’m going down this journey in 2010 and look back at the last year. I often have to remind myself that I’m not my cleint. I don’t spend all day surfing the internet reading news, checking out new technology and generally have a great time with what is possible. I’ve to make sure even more that I don’t over complicate proposals and focus even more on the end result. Taking all of that and making sure the critical thinking I do ends up on the paper. I’m often worried about adding to much information to a proposal but I need to work on finding that balance between not enought and to much. It’s a fine line and one I want to find the balace between. Something to think about as I start creating more client material for 2010.

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New Creative for Video Game Rating System

By Duane Brown | Published: January 8, 2010

Cristina Gomez created some really cool new material for her senior thesis at Middle Tennessee State. Check out the work over at GameSetWatch.

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