Spam used to be a fairly simple concept to understand – it was individuals or organizations that sent unsolicited emails about sex drugs to people who never actually gave their consent to receive them. But now spam has morphed into something entirely different. It’s turned into something where individuals or organizations secure your consent to send you email about sex drugs – and other products – then pound you remorselessly with message, after message, after message. Just sign-up for Groupon and Living Social, then buy something from 1-800-Flowers and you’ll quickly see what I mean. But while this can be extremely annoying when it comes to email, it can absolutely kill a brand if it bleeds into their social communications. Continue reading →

The next time somebody attempts to tell you with a straight face that Facebook is a platform that can spark and inspire social change, simply point to the fact that Pringles has over 15 million fans. When so many people are spending their time endorsing America’s favorite ‘Once You Pop, You Know You’re Gonna Drop (With a Stroke)” snack, it’s hard to argue that social media is really a hot-bed of revolutionary fervor. I mean theoretically Facebook **could** be used to organize a mass-movement for social change, but then again you **could** use an SUV to actually drive off-road. Most don’t.  But if you’re a brand – like Pringles – what does 15 million likes really mean? Or perhaps the more pertinent question is does it really mean anything at all? Continue reading →

In case you hadn’t heard, New York City is officially a digital Mecca. How do I know this? Well some kid from some art school somewhere is totally showing the rest of the world how they don’t get it by starting a group buying online flea market location based social network. And it’s, like, the coolest thing since his friend launched Wisdom of the Shoes – a group buying online shoe market with location based social features. But that was yesterday. Today? Well today we’ve rammed something so big down your T1 pipe that people all over this town are going to be picking pieces of digital off themselves, like tics in a swamp. Because New York just announced it’s plan to become THE biggest digital city in America!

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