Our collection of the best links, articles, news and tips from the week.
Photo: Seattle Monorail Services
There’s a Giant Angry Bird Hanging off the Space Needle…
Yes, you read that correctly. A giant angry bird has taken over the Space Needle! Coinciding with the release of the new Angry Birds Space game, bloggers and social media users from around the world are sharing photos of the bizarre spectacle. This is a great example of how thinking “outside of the box” has helped generate huge buzz for the newest version of the popular game. Kudos to the Angry Birds marketing team on a job well done!
Google Analytics to Feature Improved Social Metrics
Measuring the full value and ROI of social media has been a major challenge for many companies. Google is hoping to solve this problem by offering new set of social reports within their popular analytics service. The new tool will focus on the quality of visits from social media sources, rather than just the number of visits. This will provide insight into what content users are engaging with and how many conversions were gained.
Why Can’t You Be More Like Apple?
Hewlett Packard shareholders asked CEO Meg Whitman this question during their annual shareholders meeting. From modern day examples of Hewlett Packard to the story of Hydrox, the all but forgotten competitor to Oreo, this is a classic case of a company being defined by their competition. Certainly not an ideal position anyone to be in.
Microsoft Using Hipsters and Cats to Gain More Internet Explorer Users
It’s no secret that most “tech savvy” individuals hate Internet Explorer, and Microsoft is embracing this fact in a new ad campaign for IE9. Their website browseryoulovedtohate.com showcases praise for the new browser and a humorous side of Microsoft that we’re not used to seeing. Clearly trying to gain new users beyond those stuck in cubicles, their Youtube campaign features a reformed IE hating hipster and to top it off… a cat dressed up in a police uniform. Check it out below:
Targeting Mobile Users on Twitter
Advertisers now have the ability to target promoted tweets based on mobile operating system and user interests. This will be a great tool for companies if they can figure out how to leverage the power of mobile and effectively reach out to users.
The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time
As much as we all take for granted the technology in our lives, most people probably think of it as an enabler of productivity rather than a hindrance. However, this article addresses the amount of time that is lost or wasted due to multi-tasking and/or randomization.
Video: The SEO Rapper on Content Management Systems
Figuring out which content management system (CMS) is best for your company’s website is a daunting task. All too often, the choices are complex and information can be spotty at best. Well, have no fear! The SEO rapper is here to set these systems apart and give you a few of his top recommendations.
Facebook Maximizing Their Advertising Real Estate
This month Facebook began rolling out new log-out advertisements. We’ll have to wait and see if they gain a lot of traction from this new advertising space. It’ll also be interesting to see the differences in CPM between different demographics, as teenagers and millenials tend to spend more time on Facebook, and log off less frequently than their older counterparts.
Privacy BFF’s
This week Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission and Secretary of Commerce, John Bryson released a joint statement on data protection, committing to working together to forge the next generation of privacy laws and regulations. This comes on the heels of the European Commission’s adoption of proposals to reform data protection laws in the EU, as well as President Obama’s release of the Privacy Bill of Rights. It will be some time before either framework becomes law but this joint statement underscores the commitment of both the EU and the US to the privacy of its citizens.