Since 2005 and the rise of the “Web 2.0″ term from O’Reilly, technology has been leading the Internet with new opportunities with companies charging into content streaming and download (Youtube, Joost, FFWD, iTunes, Vuze for example) and social networks (Bebo, FaceBook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Second Life, Habbo Hotel, …). But for about 1 year another groundswell has started. Thanks to or due to, the fact is social media has kicked off a new way of thinking for the Internet, and more globally has set up a new way of working for companies. Stepping back a moment to get the big picture, here are some takeaways from the web 2.0 thing for marketing and communication. Read More

Working on a social media strategy isn’t just a button you can push to add value to your communication and marketing plan after having done everything you can. It has to be core to your customer care strategy to perform fast and accurate word spreading. If not you’d have to face issues that can’t be solved because of the customer care way of working. Read More

“Run easy” vs. “A little less pain”. Reebok’s vs. Nike’s motto. Turning running into a sport anybody can enjoy is the claim of the new campaign or “movement” started by Reebok. A slightly different consumer approach from Nike’s running brand image (that is about efforts, pain, and aiming at the performance) but which can change the deal if the campaign isn’t just a campaign and moves to become the way to engage consumers in running. Read More

During the automobile conference in Paris, Le Mondial de l’automobile, the French car maker Citroën has unveiled their new car prototype. In order to target more accurately their car design fan consumer, the French company has decided to work with the developers team of Gran Turismo 5, a PS3 game, to showreel their new design ability using the 3D engine that would be used for the game. A really interesting move from the car maker. Read More

Indie labels have launched MySpace service, giving credit to this social platform to make big players join the party. They’re generating pages and traffic by inciting their artists to jump into that virtual gig that has become MySpace. But by treating music Majors and indie label differently, the News Corp. company may create a situation that finally helps a new music platform to take the floor. And by pressuring its community (indie labels), MySpace is moving from a social platform to a MTV-like music news website. Read More

To engage a deep relationship with people, one has to provide content to discuss and relevant ideas to share. That are basics of relationship building. In the Internet sphere companies are subjected to this statement. Content generated by brands is smart and interesting when dealing with video or photo content since they have ability to create awesome ones, but when dealing with written content they’re not enough relevant according to consumers. Though that status, there’s still a powerful move for brands to make in order to be an online influential player. Read More

Inbound marketing vs. Outbound marketing. Said differently: Appealing people vs. Interrupting people. That is the core challenge of the Internet. Internet users are active users, they don’t wait for companies to show their products but they’re looking for stuff they need. Interrupting them while they’re searching won’t change anything because they don’t care about you online; worse, if you manage to catch their attention they feel bothered you do it and you should have a really interesting thing to say otherwise you would have spent money to get negative image. Read More

Marketing as changed a lot since its debuts back in early 20th century; after the move from local newspapers to national one and the need of print advertising localization (that has created the communication and marketing agencies), TV has largely moved the needle providing to marketers a 30 sec spot of attention. Since then all has gone the same until 2005 and the rise of the Internet due to the change of who’s to be the attention decision-maker between brands and consumers. Tom Fishburne has well defined it in this following cartoon. Read More

Internet users are focused on content. That statement is more and more relevant with the rise of all kind of activities available on the web: instant messaging, Facebook-ing, content aggregator reading, Youtube-ing, Skype-ing, content sharing, emailing … users don’t read, they share. Meaning they don’t care anymore about content not aiming at sharing, and utlimately they do share more than actually read because they don’t know what to read. If companies want to get back the attention from the Internet users, who are a fast growing population, they have to set up strategies to be the content, and no more the advertising. Read More

According to a study made by Security company Marshal, 29% of Internet users have bought something from an email spam. An amazing ratio. Though we can doubt about the relevancy of the study made using the answers of 600 respondents from the Marshal website, the interest about the reasons of such a high purchase ratio is noticeable. What can we take from the spam process experience and expertise? Read More