Aug 31
We talk a lot about social media here on Marketing Musings — and actually, as a blog, Marketing Musings is a form of social media — but the one question that I feel like I’m always skirting is the question of necessity — why is social media such a rich and important topic? It’s a …
May 13
It’s been about two weeks since I went on a month-long Facebook sabbatical, and I’m feeling pretty good. I have logged in a couple of times to check in on the social cause I manage (which has hundreds of subscribed members via a Facebook Group), but I’ve ignored the requests, the notifications, the news feeds …
May 11
Follow-Up on: Zynga: A Company to Watch, or a Company to Fear? and My Facebook Sabbatical (and Other News) Facebook has been in the news a lot lately due to their recent redesign, poor privacy protections and alienation of third-party developers. I talked about Zynga a few weeks back (the company behind FarmVille, Mafia Wars, …
May 05
Last Friday was supposed to be a busy day for me. I arrived at work chipper and ready to tie up several loose ends for the week and to help get things ready for the next. My itinerary was full; my enthusiasm to achieve was high. I was even willing to fight through the mild …
Apr 26
If you have a Facebook account, chances are good you’ve been invited to play a social game such as Mafia Wars, FarmVille or YoVille. If you’re a gamer, like I am, chances are also good that you’ve decided that these games are inferior to the sorts of games available on a dedicated gaming platform and …
Apr 13
A recent piece by Patrick Keane on Advertising Age urges readers to be careful about confusing social media and social networking. To be honest, I’m not really sure what he feels distinguishes the two from each other; he seems to draw the line at “crowdsourced” content and insist that there’s a difference between something like …
Mar 03
I was linked to an article from the Harvard Business Review blog yesterday that’s about a year old, but which argues that the New York Times Company should acquire Twitter to gain a shot in the arm. The article is nearly a year old, but it’s still relevant today since the NYT is struggling and …
Feb 03
Imagine, for a moment, that you’re a member of a social network that is all about the things you’re buying. Every time you make a purchase with an online retailer such as iTunes, Amazon, eBay or Netflix, that purchase (and the amount you spent) is broadcast to every friend on the network. Your friends can, …
Jan 26
I hate buzzwords. Maybe it’s because I originally went to school for journalism, or maybe it’s because I hate hearing people use buzzwords they don’t understand to try to sound smart and cutting-edge. Whatever the case, I thought it’d be a good idea to put together a glossary of marketing buzzwords for, you know, the …
Jan 21
Retail is a tricky business. It’s not just enough to offer an interesting mix of products anymore; unless you’re in a high-traffic location with lots of travelers, retail is increasingly about developing customer relationships. And as we move into the 21st century, customers in the US are expecting more out of retailers than they ever …