I know what you are going to say, "We havent heard from you in months and all of a sudden you make this post" - Correct!  The New Marketer has some big changes coming up in 2010.  Expect the best. 

In the meantime, check out a friends column in Adage.  - I'm glad she's on my team.

5 Social Media Implications for Brands in 2010

Social media strategists are dusting off their crystal balls to make their predictions for 2010. Recently, I took mine out at the FrogPond in an attempt to see the future and, lo and behold, my crystal ball had miraculously transformed into a Magic 8 Ball. I shook it and asked if some of my predictions for 2010 would come true, but the plastic thingy read, "Cannot predict now." At first, I thought it was busted, but then I realized my 8 ball was quite savvy. Technology changes so quickly in this space, it just couldn't keep up.

Despite this, I pushed on and below you will find my top 5 social media implications for brands. Remember, these are the ones that were more likely to get a reading from the 8 ball of "It is decidedly so" than "My sources say no."

1. Social media marketing will finally transition from "nice to have" to "must have": Brands that haven't embraced the medium will understand that social media marketing is not about slapping a brand page on Facebook and hoping for the best. Efforts will start with a sound strategy, a commitment to participate, and a willingness to listen and respond. This may seem obvious, but there are brands that still aren't fully engaged. As more brands like Ford and Pepsi hire heads of social media to lead the charge, 2010 will be the year that brands realize that social media is no longer a novelty; it's serious business.

2. Location-based social networking is here to stay: More consumers will use smartphone applications to tell their friends where they are and who they are with (i.e., Four Square & Loopt). 2010 will be the year for brands to figure out how to market to them. Local bars/restaurants have been the main advertisers. However, opportunities shouldn't be limited to food. For example, luxury retailers could target consumers checking in at upscale restaurants and invite them to sample sales or give discounts.

3. Experimental social media budgets are key: How can you predict what's going to be the Twitter topic of 2010? You can't. But that doesn't mean you don't have the opportunity to be a pioneer. Creating an emerging media budget will give your brand the flexibility to participate in communities and embrace technological platforms before your competitors do.

4. The division between the virtual world and the physical world will continue to blur: Digital technology enables consumers to understand the world around them as well as others. These advancements are accelerated by smartphone usage. You'll see more companies using simulations and augmented reality to provide users branded text overlays and 3-D virtual demos on their phone viewfinder.

5. Crowd sourcing will turn social media into a direct sales channel: Social media is typically thought of as a vehicle for branding and relationship marketing, but there are direct sales opportunities. For example, Best Buy celebrated opening day for the movie New Moon by asking its Facebook fans what their favorite vampire-themed films and books were. They put 50 of those items on sale on BestBuy.com. Many fans thanked Best Buy for listening to them and readily purchased the products.

The most important thing for brands to remember is that we should spend less of our efforts trying to predict "what's next for 2010" and focus on adapting quickly to changes in consumer behavior and technology. The one certainty is that social marketing strategies will have to evolve with whatever comes our way next year.

Sienna Farris is director of social media at StrawberryFrog. She can be reached at sienna@strawberryfrog.com

This is a new day.  I'm finally semi settled in my new city.  I'm always moving a hundered miles an hour so I'm hoping that having a 9-5 will slow me down a bit.  I doubt it.  It's almost like I'm addicted to drive and ambition.  I always feel like I'm loosing if I'm not improving.  There always something "NEW" to learn, read or develop.  I'm so thankful everytime I have the opportunity to learn something new.  If you learn anything from little old me, remember to learn something new everyday and apply that learning to your dream - whatever that may be.  

It's pretty late but I guess I had an urgent message for you.  Thank you for following me.  Thank you for your support, suggestions and words of encouragement.  I have reached a new chapter in my life that I can't wait to share.  This is the beginning! 

The TML team has been grinding these past few weeks, let me give you an update. Kevin has been steadily coordinating our entire team as well as updating our website as you can see. Benyam has been the creative mastermind behind a number of our creative pieces. He will continue this for all TML material as well as supervise our new interns who have official started. Chris along with myself have been hitting the streets making sure everyone who’s anybody knows about TML and the future of fitted hats. While I made my way up to NY this past weekend, Chris manage to go to a celebrity all white party in DC with a TML hat on. He was most likely the only one there with a hat. Either way a number of celebrities loved the idea and vowed to be official TML supporters.  We have been steadily preparing for the Official NBA Draft Afterparty which TML is an offical sponsor.

If you have no idea what I am talking about.  Go to thatsmylid.com and be amazed!

Microsoft’s new search engine Bing has officially launched. Microsoft has a huge marketing budget behind this decision search engine that’s being talked about by Microsoft as the next best thing since sliced bread. It’s packed with some attractive bells and whistles but do we really need another search when we already have a great one – Google.com

I am clearly a Google.com user. I almost hate other search engines with a passion. I always feel as if they are slowing me down on my quest for knowledge and now I have to worry about Bing.com interrupting my lovely relationship with Google.com. Ladies and gentlemen if you haven’t noticed the constant internet advertisement then you obviously are not using the internet. Microsoft’s advertisement’s are everywhere and are officially annoying. Either way, I’ve decided to evaluate whether or not this search engine could withstand the test of time.

Here’s a great example of our dilemma. I really don’t find that much of a difference between Gatorade and Vitamin Water, but I’m much more a Gatorade person, just because it’s one of my favorite brands. Ok, that wasn’t exactly a good one. So how about Google’s launch of Chrome which is an excellent substitute to Explorer or Firefox but has Chrome’s introduction made anyone switch from Firefox or Explorer? Nope.

Well, I used Bing.com and it does have some good features. I really like the travel feature and it’s a feature I will use again. I encourage us all to try Bing.com. It may be the next big thing or maybe not.

So, we have been hearing for a long time that mobile advertising will take off in the U.S., maybe this is the beginning.  In a recent Business Week article, Tom Lowry explorers the recent success of brands using Pandora as a mobile advertising medium. 

There are a number of pros that provide foundation for this argument including the sales growth of smartphone and the success of the iphone and its web applications.  The mobile phone will offer unmatched customer engagment.  Marketers will have the ability to truly market where you are and when you want it.

Since it's lanuch nine years ago and the launch of its mobile application two years ago Pandora has signed up 6 million people (total users for mobile and Web versions is 27 million). That has prompted the likes of Best Buy (BBY), Dockers, Target (TGT), and Nike (NKE) to buy ads on Pandora and experiment with what remains a cheap advertising medium—one most companies have yet to figure out. 

Pandora has become a test bed because people who use the service tend to spend a lot of time playing around with it. They are constantly creating stations, rating songs, and scrolling through playlists to find artists they don't know. Pandora founder Tim Westergren says on average subscribers use the mobile service about 90 minutes a day (though there are no independent numbers). - WOW

HIGH CUSTOMER RESPONSE

If one thing has surprised advertisers, it's how avidly consumers are responding. Target says 27% more people clicked on its ad for the release of Christina Aguilera's greatest hits CD last fall than on any other mobile Web campaign. The ad urged users to visit a site where they could get a free Aguilera ringtone and buy the album. Target recently launched a Pandora campaign for the retailer's C9 by Champion clothing line.

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