Facebook Goes Public

It was the IPO heard round the world. Ever since news of Facebook’s IPO filing became official, the web and its various critics, supporters and wafflers have not been shy about analysing “what it means”. But for the moment, the implication of Facebook going public is just guesswork. Certainly, many changes are afoot, both for Facebook and those companies just a few ripples away (ahem, Twitter), but it’s hard to speculate on how it will all play out. Doesn’t mean anyone is going to stop trying though.

Superbowl XLVI Goes Social in a Big Way

Whether you’re a football fan or not, the Superbowl is one of those not-miss events. Even up here in Canada we all gather round to watch the big showdown, and we don’t even get the commercials. But what’s been so interesting about Superbowl XLVI is how the advertising dollars have been extended to reach beyond the flashy commercials. Almost every single Superbowl advertiser has tapped into the power of social media, either as a companion for the big day, or as a tool to help build advance buzz.  Google, Coca-Cola and Chevy are just a few examples of how brands are tapping into social media for the big day. Fans, grab your hashtags, battle is about to commence.

Pinterest

A while ago, I talked about how the digital industry was in search of the next great curation tool.  It would seem it has arrived. Pinterest is undeniably hot right now, driving more referral traffic than Google+ and YouTube. The seemingly overnight success of the site has marketers and social media experts scrambling to catch up – within the last week every second tweet seems like it’s a how-to guide or a blog extolling Pinterest’s various virtues. Admittedly, I was sold after 5 minutes on the site, and I pride myself on being overly wary and critical of new social tools. But, with it’s dead simple approach to curation, Pinterest is an irresistable visual feast.