Apr 16, 2012
Blog
From a startup looking to make magazines social to Facebook’s billion-dollar acquisition of Instagram to events enhancing a brand’s online presence, this edition of This Week in Digital underscores the importance of integrating online and offline communication. We hope you enjoy this round-up of digital news and how it relates to communications between brand and consumer.
Netizine Turns Magazines Into Social Networks
A startup is looking to take magazines social this summer, connecting readers, bloggers and journalists with their favorite magazine content on a single platform. Netizine, an HTML-5 based application for tablets, will operate outside of the Apple store and offer a personalized experience through profiles, live chats, groups, location check-ins, seamless Facebook and Twitter integration on magazine pages, and more. The app will use social metrics to influence an article’s visibility, allowing readers to view the “most shared” or “most commented” articles with the push of a button. Netizine is already speaking with seven of the top publishers worldwide, including three in the U.S. Social media continues to reshape journalism and the media, exemplified through Netizine, where visibilty, readership and influence are driven by its social network.
The Turning Point for Mobile Apps
Facebook’s billion-dollar acquisition of photo app Instagram this week demonstrates the shift in Internet start-ups’ business models as they build services for mobile first and web second. As brands realize that consumers want to share content immediately wherever they are, mobile technology is becoming increasingly important to the larger brand strategy. Other recent app-first successes include Draw Something, which was recently acquired for $200 million, and Angry Birds. Brands can capitalize on this switch by imagining their brand messaging and online experiences with a mobile consumer in mind, and rethinking methods of communication to reach their audience on the go.
How Events Can Enhance Your Brand’s Online Presence
Whether celebrating the launch of a product or providing a special brand experience, events can be a successful way to build brand awareness and exposure. How can that awareness transfer to a brand’s online presence? Photobooths, although not a new element in event production, can be optimized for social media, allowing attendees to post photos directly to their Facebook or Twitter accounts. Social scavenger hunts create an online world where users can engage in the game together, build buzz and receive virtual and physical prizes relating to the brand. Livestreaming allows a single event to reach and engage consumers globally. As brands include events as part of their PR or marketing strategy, consideration should be given to highly sharable elements that connect the offline and online world, as well as content or experiences that attendees would want to share with their friends and followers through social media platforms.
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