Culture Jam. The paradigm will shift.

Running Promotions on Facebook Just Got Tougher

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:15:31 -0800

Just when things couldn’t get any more confusing within Facebook’s Terms—well, they seemingly do.

Inside Facebook recently published updated tips for running promotions within Facebook’s guidelines and while the tips are extremely useful, they also illustrate what a jumbled and confusing place the site’s Terms have become. Not to mention expensive. Because Facebook needs to approve each and every promotion to run through its site and apparently doesn’t have the time to sift through requests, the privilege to host a contest, sweeps or other promo now comes with an [approximate] $10,000 price tag (approximate because the Terms, though long, are vague). Oh, and there are restrictions on the promotion and giving away of dairy too. Yes, you heard us—dairy. Sorry, ice creameries and beloved string cheese companies. Read those rules again.

Facebook’s 400 million plus users makes the site an appealing forum for brands to market within. We just wish the platform made it a bit more welcoming and a whole lot confounding.

[via Inside Facebook]

PromoJam launched another exciting promotion today—this...

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:47:27 -0800

PromoJam launched another exciting promotion today—this time with the famed rockers, Bon Jovi. In celebration of their new album, The Circle, as well as their Circle Tour kicking off this week, the band’s hosting an Exclusive 10 Prize Giveaway.

Prizes include Bon Jovi’s new album, gift certificates to bonjovi.com, and tickets to see Bon Jovi along with $1,000 for your travels!

Visit the promotion and enter to win.

Italian government limits internet usage and online video.

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:58:40 -0800

Italian government limits internet usage and online video.:

In nations where easy access to wi-fi hotspots and web content is the standard, it’s difficult to comprehend the limitations enforced in places elsewhere around the globe. Italian government has placed extreme restrictions on online video content that would shock American internet users.

Does social sell?

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:24:10 -0800

Does social sell?:

AdWeek explores the issue of social media’s impact on sales in this Digital Special Report. The issue is a tricky one for companies who are stuck on their immediate bottom line. It’s true—social media doesn’t always produce increased dollar signs for a brand right away. The benefits of social media are often seen in the long-term as a brand connects with its audience over time, develops loyalties, and exposes itself to new eyeballs. But as more and more marketers up their social media efforts and budgets, they’re finding that the conversations which transpire between corporation and consumer may not be measured in ROI, but are, all the same, invaluable.

Oscars Get a Social-Media Makeover

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:57:11 -0800

Oscars Get a Social-Media Makeover:

The best picture category has increased to 10 nominations. The Academy is beefing up its social media presence with live streaming on its website, an iPhone app and a Facebook page. Will all these changes help the 82 year old show?

Inspired by last night’s talk by Twitter Co-Founder Biz...

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:53:25 -0800

Inspired by last night’s talk by Twitter Co-Founder Biz Stone at CAA, and excited for this weekend’s TED Conference where the world’s top minds come together to share and learn, we unearthed this TEDTalk from 1 year ago—a talk by [other] Co-Founder Evan Williams on ‘what’s behind Twitter’s explosive growth’ and how Twitter is not only a platform for tweeting news about personal goings-on (“Hey friends. I ate hot soup for lunch.”), but a means of connecting communities and spreading vital news quickly—across town, across the globe.

Culture Jam Launches “PromoJam” CMS for Brands to Execute Twitter Based Marketing Initiatives

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:53:29 -0800

February 8, 2010

These days, brands are having a harder time than ever effectively reaching a consumer base whose habits and means of consuming content are rapidly evolving. As traditional media and advertising strategies falter, brands are exploring new avenues to deliver communications to fans in a more effective and impactful way.

At this crucial time for brand marketing, Culture Jam Labs has launched PromoJam, a versatile enterprise-level Twitter promotion builder and content management system that allows brands to develop their own distinct frequency amidst the noise of social media. PromoJam enables marketers to easily and independently build branded viral marketing Twitter campaigns for their companies, clients, brands, and artists, which in turn engage their consumers to propagate a brand message—online, on their terms.

PromoJam’s “tweet-of-mouth” campaigns empower the consumer to participate in an exchange—a tweet for a download of exclusive digital content or an opportunity to win a special brand experience—and employ the consumer as a brand evangelist on the Twitter platform. The consumer participates in the promotion, electing to “follow” the brand’s Twitter feed, spread the promotion’s message, and interact with the brand in an effective and meaningful manner.

The new plug-and-play CMS technology makes the PromoJam tool simple for marketers to design, manage and deploy their promotions, and to track real-time results. The tool tracks the promotion’s reach, both quantitatively and geographically, its inbound and outbound traffic, and provides detailed reporting on its success.

To date, clients who are executing campaigns with PromoJam CMS include, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Volcom, OK Go (EMI), Hot Tub Time Machine (MGM), and Bon Jovi’s Circle Tour (AEG), as well as other clients in the entertainment, sports, and consumer product categories planned for 2010.

For more information, visit www.promojam.com, and to inquire about licensing the PromoJam CMS software for your own viral campaigns, email labs[at]culturejam.com.

Los Angeles Times Covers Culture Jam Founders, Product Launch

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:45:00 -0800

February 8, 2010

In today’s Los Angeles Times Technology blog, Alex Pham profiles Culture Jam’s founders, Matt and Amanda MacNaughton, and emphasizes PromoJam’s capacity to turn fans into marketers.

Read the full article, Culture Jam: Tweeting for a song online.

Google takes on Facebook with Buzz.

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:26:53 -0800

Google takes on Facebook with Buzz.:

February 8, 2010

In a continuing effort to make Google your one-stop-shop for, well, everything, the search engine cum email provider cum office suite cum calendar cum kitchen sink has now developed a Facebook-esque feature called ‘Google Buzz.’ Buzz will incorporate the sharing aspects of Facebook, include users’ Twitter feeds, and automatically follow users’ frequent contacts (a potential problem for folks who email for business and don’t want their associates knowing what they ate for lunch).

In this morning’s press conference which Google streamed live on its YouTube channel, the developers claimed that Buzz was an answer to the noise on other platforms. But if Buzz gains traction with users, won’t the noise follow it?

The question will remain—how do brands cut through the noise? Stay tuned for news on how Culture Jam is about to provide brands with an answer…

The Saints’ win at yesterday’s Super Bowl...

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:11:32 -0800

The Saints’ win at yesterday’s Super Bowl wasn’t the only monumental happening of the day. Google, the big dog of online search engines, shelled out huge bucks for an ad, proving that times are indeed a-changin’. The ad was proof that a) you don’t need a half naked lady or famous football player to effectively advertise your brand and b) Google feels that it needs to advertise now.

Was it the competition that Bing introduced into the market this year that drove Google to a mega marketing spend? Or is it that Google wants to become more than your favorite search engine? Does it want to be your new Apple—a brand that is so intertwined into the days of our lives that we really couldn’t imagine planning a trip, proposing to a loved one or raising a child without Google by our sides.

With the launch of Google’s Nexus One phone this year and the constant introduction of new Google products (Calendar, Documents, and the list goes on), it seems the brand is well on its way to becoming indispensable in all of our lives. And they’re reminding us of that even when most of us are far away from our computers, disconnected, offline, and with our families—on Super Bowl Sunday.

Small businesses engage fans using social media.

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:06:00 -0800

This is not a new concept. Nor is it a surprising one. Social media is a no-brainer, effective, and [relatively] inexpensive way for businesses to connect with their consumers and reach new ones. For small businesses, in particular, the opportunity to market themselves using outlets like Twitter and Facebook is invaluable as traditional advertising are likely out of budget.

Though the concept is an easy enough one to understand, it is always nice to see it in play, and successfully at that. This week, Mashable presented a case study of Tom Bihn, a Seattle bag manufacturer that has used forums, social networks, and blogging to communicate with its fans. Bihn takes its customer feedback seriously and has considered their opinions in the creation of new bag models. The consumer’s loyalty is reaffirmed with the knowledge that Bihn takes him seriously, wants to talk with him, and cares about his business.

[via Mashable]

Journos' debate over the merits of Twitter

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:11:27 -0800

Earlier this week, George Packer of The New Yorker attacked Twitter, claiming that…

Twitter is crack for media addicts. It scares me, not because I’m morally superior to it, but because I don’t think I could handle it. I’m afraid I’d end up letting my son go hungry.

The NY Times Bits blog smartly countered Packer’s diatribe, pointing out the many ironies of Packer’s complaint—none so fantastic as the fact that Twitter itself was responsible for the attention brought to Packer’s piece. And more significantly, the fact that the news industry has been transformed by social media platforms like Twitter.

Most importantly, Twitter is transforming the nature of news, the industry from which Mr. Packer reaps his paycheck. The news media are going through their most robust transformation since the dawn of the printing press, in large part due to the Internet and services like Twitter. After this metamorphosis takes place, everyone will benefit from the information moving swiftly around the globe.

The ability to share information and news, and putting this power in the hands of laymen as well as journalists, has become a cornerstone of the digital age. Twitter has become a crucial tool in this democratization of information sharing. Journalists, businesses, and even politicians can choose to ignore the trend out of fear and intimidation or learn it, use it, and reap the benefits of the Twitter revolution.

[via NY Times Bits]

Twitter taking security seriously.

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:04:35 -0800

After this week’s news about Twitter phishing attacks, Twitter’s Director of Trust and Safety, Del Harvey, has spoken out in a post on the site’s blog.

Harvey warns consumers about changing passwords…

The takeaway from this is that people are continuing to use the same email address and password (or a variant) on multiple sites.

Which is a good reminder that we all need to protect ourselves online. And as businesses building online communities, we must take steps to protect our customers. At Culture Jam, we use OAuth, ‘an open protocol to allow secure API autorization,’ for all of our PromoJam Twitter campaigns.

For more information on how to launch Twitter promotions safely and securely, contact us!

Movie studios' distribution catches up with the digital age

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:27:27 -0800

Movie studios' distribution catches up with the digital age:

Consumers are now downloaders. We want our content. We want it now. And much of the time, we want it digitally. Studios are catching on and transforming their distribution methods to meet the digital demand.

[via Variety]

Five social media tips for indie musicians

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:46:36 -0800

Five social media tips for indie musicians:

Social media experts along with virally active musician Jared Leto (of 30 Seconds to Mars) support the concept that services like Twitter are imperative for artists to connect with fans.

[via Los Angeles Times]

Bravo rewards viewers via Foursquare.

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:07:51 -0800

Bravo is revolutionizing its relationship with viewers, extending its engagement with fans from the TV to the real world and back to the web.

Starting Monday, Bravo will begin offering Foursquare players “badges” and special prizes when viewers visit more than 500 Bravo locations. The locations will be picked by Bravo to correspond with select Bravo shows including “The Real Housewives,” “The Millionaire Matchmaker,” “Top Chef,” “Kell on Earth,” “Top Chef Masters” and “Shear Genius.”

[via NY Times Bits]

Coachella: 3-day pass or bust?

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:07:31 -0800

Coachella has announced that it will kill off its offering of one-day passes, forcing all fans to buy a 3-day pass or nothing at all.

Will Jay-Z fans go to see Charlotte Gainsbourg? Will Vampire Weekend groupies rally for Tiesto? Will consumers who are interested in just one day pay for all three and just eat the cost? Or will Coachella lose fans this year because of their new ticketing strategy? Time will tell…

[via Pop & Hiss; photo credit: Los Angeles Times]

After following the live blogs of the announcement all morning,...

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:24:00 -0800

After following the live blogs of the announcement all morning, we’re officially gaga over the Apple iPad.

Check out Apple’s official iPad site to be wowed. We are still giddy ourselves.

Live Apple “Come see our latest creation” / tablet event coverage

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:10:00 -0800

Live Apple “Come see our latest creation” / tablet event coverage:

Live coverage from the Apple iPad announcement via live.gdgt.com. Our fave features so far? It runs all current iPhone apps…but BIGGER. Full size keyboard. The perfect in-between our desktops and our handhelds. We love, we love, we cannot wait!

[via gdgt live]

Social Is the Top Priority for Marketers in 2010

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:57:00 -0800

Social Is the Top Priority for Marketers in 2010:

No big surprise here. When a huge corporation like Pepsi pulls its Super Bowl spend in favor of a social media campaign, it’s proof the tide is turning. Advertisers are looking to reach consumers on their terms, in their space.

[via Mashable]