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| LuxeInACity Means Free Luxury -- If You Can Score an Invite | | Thursday, January 19, 2012 11:04 PM | Veena Bissram |
|  The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. Name: LuxeInACity Quick Pitch: LuxeInACity is a social luxury city guide. Genius Idea: An exclusive invitation-only social network for members to interact with each other and their favorite luxe companies. If you travel often, spend three times as much on luxury goods than the average person and -- oh wait -- earn a starting salary of $150,000 or more, you may just be invited to LuxeInACity, your online private concierge. LuxeInACity is an exclusive invitation-only social luxury city guide that lets members interact with each other and top luxe companies. For its opulent members, the social guide features a wealth of luxury and travel-related information for 125 cities around the world and 50,000 luxury companies. The site provides luxury information and sights to see for all of its featured locations, including Anguilla, Paris, Cayman Islands, Cape Town, Hong Kong, Sydney, and many more. "We wanted to create a one-stop resource for luxury information," Roxanne Gernier, founder of LuxeInACity, told Mashable. "Every day we add luxury news, videos, blogs, etc., just to inform our members on what is going on in the luxury world." LuxeInACity also provides information for its featured categories which includes arts & culture, automobile, jewelry, restaurants, nightlife, boating, service, fashion, wine & spirits and villas. If members are searching for car dealerships for example, they can click on the "automobiles" category to find dealerships in a specific city. Along with the options to create a personalized profile and communicate with other members via private messages, LuxeInACity members also get free access to the following: Luxe Events: International where to go and when to go calendar. Users can also post events and invite friends to attend. Luxe Forums: Exclusive forum for members to discuss interesting topics. Luxe News: Daily news from numerous international sources. Luxe Videos: Entertaining videos from YouTube. Luxe Blog: Engaging luxe blog written by the luxe team. For $595 a year, LuxeInACity offers an enhanced profile on the site for luxury companies. The profile allows them to gain more visibility, upload unlimited pictures and videos and interact with members. Companies also get access to the private company area on the site, invitation rights to luxe social and get their company logo displayed in the Featured Company sections. LuxeInACity is self-funded, currently has 150 exclusive members and will publicly launch in late February. Image courtesy of LuxeInACity Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark
The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today. |
| Pinterest for Brands: 5 Hot Tips | | Thursday, January 19, 2012 10:40 PM | Lauren Drell |
|  This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business. We've all been hearing a lot about Pinterest lately, so you're probably wondering whether you should take the plunge and create a profile for your company. We say you go for it, especially if women are your target consumers -- 70% of pinners are female. Pinterest has a highly engaged audience -- a reported 3.3 million users logging more than 421 million pageviews -- so there's plenty of opportunity for brands to flesh out pinboards and catch pinners' eyes. First, let's go through a quick explanation of how it works. Pinterest is a visual social discovery network. You create online pinboards (like a bulletin board) for various categories (i.e. "dream home" or "things to buy" or "recipes"), and you "pin" items to it. You can pin a photo or video in three ways: Upload it directly to Pinterest from your phone, computer, etc. Use the Pin It bookmarklet on any site on the web to pin the item -- it will be pinned with the URL, so you can always go back to the original source Repin other people's pins, either by seeing what your friends have posted or browsing the dozens of categories on the site Sounds fun, right? Now, businesses beware: Pinterest etiquette clearly states that it's not a platform for self-promotion -- it's not a broadcast mechanism like Twitter or Facebook -- so brands need to approach the site a little differently. Here are some tips for navigating Pinterest, along with a rundown of how various companies are already using the visual social network. 1. Promote a Lifestyle Pinterest designer and co-founder Evan Sharp sums it up well: "For most consumer brands, the idea behind your brand makes sense on Pinterest." Since you're not supposed to blast pictures of your products on Pinterest, try to think outside the box and pin images that capture a lifestyle and/or the essence of your brand. Pinterest calls for a more holistic approach to marketing, and it can be more effective and engaging than traditional advertising because the consumers can really see how your brand fits into their lives. For example, Bon Appetit can't just pin pictures from the website or magazine, but it can pin images of cooking appliances, beautiful kitchen decor, cutlery, dinner parties and delicious creations or recipes -- basically anything related to cooking and food. Seeing these culinary items will continually drive home the Bon Appetit brand, thus making pinners more familiar with and more likely to trust the brand, visit the website and maybe even subscribe to the magazine. On your page, you can curate as many boards as you like. Pinners can choose to follow none, a few or all of your boards, so don't be afraid to be adventurous and curate a wide array of boards -- the point of Pinterest is to explore and discover new things, so eccentricity is appreciated and encouraged. If you own a hotel, post pictures of landmarks near the location, food from local restaurants and even pieces from local artists. Own a restaurant? Post pictures of the farm where the meat is raised, the appliances and gadgets used in your kitchen or anything related to the name of the restaurant -- for example, Panera could have a board devoted to beautiful artisanal breads. If you're in fashion, you can pin new trends, fashion sketches, pictures of fittings and shots from runway shows. Beyond pushing one's products, you also can use Pinterest as a way to convey your company culture -- post pictures of the office, the mascot, people's cubicles, lunch breaks and office events. Fans are interested in these details, and this imagery helps to humanize the brand. For a look at what some brands are already doing on Pinterest, check out the roundup below. Perhaps they'll inspire your own boards. West Elm: The furniture brand posts images of various rooms -- bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens -- to inspire the interior designer in you. By showering you with beautiful homes, it gets you thinking about nesting ... without taking an overtly sales-y approach. Gap: The fashion company pushes the envelope and goes a bit into promotional territory. It's Holiday Gift Guide board is a collection of beautifully designed ads with marketing copy, a la the in-store signage. On a "wintry' board, there's a collection of images of snow and icicles, interspersed with Gap's own puffer jackets. And there's a board devoted to people wearing Gap, from Gap models (like Amy Poehler and Will Arnett) to everyday consumers. Etsy: When your website is a marketplace for creative and adorable goods, Pinterest is your social network soulmate. The brand pins images of "handmade weddings," stationery, fashion, gift ideas, "cool spaces" and holiday decorating tips. Rent the Runway: The fashion-rental site groups its boards into occasions -- bachelorette party, fall wedding, dance party, New Year's Eve -- and each board contains various "looks" for that particular event to help you get inspired and achieve an appropriate look. Birchbox: The beauty subscription service pins close-ups of made-up hair, eyes, lips and painted nails to show various looks that can be created with makeup. There's also a board devoted to food, since a girl has to eat. Modcloth: The ecommerce site sells apparel, but its Pinterest page looks more like a deep-dive into vintage-loving founder Susan Gregg Koger's mind. There are retro pictures, DIY crafts and home decor boards, which essentially make the Modcloth page a go-to for any thrift-store shopper. Chobani: The yogurt brand has aggressively marketed on social media sites, and Pinterest is no exception. There's a board for treats made with yogurt, recipes that can use Chobani instead of other ingredients such as sour cream, the CHOmobile's travels and even utensils (adorably called "We Would Like To Eat With You"). Like the brand's fun, healthy voice on other social media channels, the Pinterest page is a perfect destination for active individuals who embrace life. AMD: The tech company curates boards for a nerd's life -- there are quirky gadgets, creative interpretations of the computer mouse, cute laptop bags and pictures of computer workstations. Whole Foods: Whole Foods is a healthy lifestyle mecca, and its Pinterest boards reflect that. There are boards devoted to recycling, beautiful gardens, kitchens, art projects and even the Whole Planet Foundation, which offers microcredit to the entrepreneurs who sell goods through Whole Foods. The Pinterest is holistic, just like the brand itself. Travel Channel: You'll observe a serious epidemic of wanderlust on Pinterest, which means that the Travel Channel has an innate advantage. With access to destinations far and wide, the brand is able to fill up boards of beaches, food, city landmarks, exotic animals, travel souvenirs and more. There are even boards devoted to the channel's various shows to give an inside look at what goes on when the camera turns off and to offer insights into the hosts' travels. Mashable: Our community team pins memes and other tidbits of web culture, in addition to gadgets, which are the facets of our digital and tech coverage that are the most visual. The Today Show: NBC's morning show has something for everyone on Pinterest, since that's also what it offers on-air. You'll find behind-the-scenes anchor antics, pics of the Today Plaza, recipes and even cute animals. Drake University: The school pins images of dorm life, as well as bulldogs (Drake's mascot) from all over the web. 2. Use It Like a Focus Group Millions of people use Pinterest to keep track of objects they love, places they enjoy, foods they devour and things that inspire them. Therefore, you can view it as a sort of focus group. Look at the pinners who follow your brand -- see what they're pinning and who else they're following. They're volunteering a lot of information about their interests, passions, dreams and sense of humor in a more natural way on Pinterest than they would on say, a survey or even on Facebook, where they have to manually enter "sarcasm" or "travel" as an interest. Use this information to your advantage to glean insights about your target consumers. 3. Crowdsource You can ask fans to pin pictures of themselves with their favorite product of yours and tag you, and then you can easily repin those photos onto a VIP board -- it'll give a shoutout to these fans and show potential customers that your current users really like using your product. If your company hosted an even recently, encourage people to pin and tag the photos as a sort of crowdsourced scrapbook. And around the holidays, encourage them to pin a "wish list" board to curate the gifts they're hoping for. 4. Run Contests We've talked about crowdsourcing and asking people to tag you in their pins -- the next step is to run a contest on Pinterest. Since the site is relatively new, there aren't that many case studies, but one company recently did a particularly good job harnessing the power of Pinterest. From December 14 through 21, Land's End Canvas's "Pin It To Win It" campaign asked users to create a Pin It To Win It pinboard (in the women's or men's apparel categories) and pin 10 to 20 images from the Land's End site or repin them from the Land's End Pinterest page. Once your board was complete, you were to email the URL of your pinboard to Land's End for a chance to win one of 10 $250 gift cards -- this was your official "entry" for the contest. The winning boards belonged to Crosby Noricks, Michelle Berkey, Tony Kim and Debbi Seibel (pictured above), to name a few. A search on Pinterest shows that there were around 200 boards created for the contest, with each containing at least 10 to 20 images, which means a lot of Land's End merchandise was injected into the Pinterest feed at no cost. Running contests like this is a great way to expose your brand and products to a large audience, given the viral nature of these images and the engaged Pinterest audience. 5. Inspire Your Team There are a lot of inspiring things on the web, and you can create a sort of mood board for your company, pinning things that are relevant, interesting or inspiring to you brand and your team. Pin logos and websites with good design, clever copywriting, images of possible team outings (bowling night or karaoke, perhaps), colors to figure out your new advertising palette or use it to brainstorm an upcoming campaign. By browsing Pinterest, you might even see items that could inspire your company's next big idea, so keep that Pin It button handy. Does your brand have a Pinterest? Share your tips in the comments below. |
| What's Next for Digital Coupons? | | Thursday, January 19, 2012 5:12 PM | Jeff Hudson |
|  Jeff Hudson is co-founder of Grocery Coupon Network, one of the leading coupon communities on the web. By aggregating the best digital grocery coupons and special offers from local and national brands, the company provides a reliable source for those looking to save money and time. Couponing had seen unprecedented growth in the past decade due to a combination of factors -- one of which was the economic recession in the U.S., combined with an increased consumer interest in mobile technology and devices. Because of this, marketers began to heavily fund digital platforms. The coupon industry, specifically, saw record growth within the digital realm, and by 2010, SavingStar estimated that "49 million people used printable or digital coupons." SEE ALSO: HOW TO: Create and Distribute Effective Online Coupons The benefits digital interactions offer coupon companies are vast. For starters, online couponing allows for great promotion and wider distribution for brands. It also provides companies with better reach and the ability to track consumer preferences and patterns. Data from Leo J. Shapiro and Associates determined that the digital coupon consumer base was primarily comprised of young married couples with disposable income. Groupon has targeted this demographic, lending digital couponing a social reputation. Daily deal couponing continues to be a popular tool among consumers and marketers, and many major companies have implemented their own version of the trend. What Business Owners Need to Know About Daily Deal Couponing Although intriguing for consumers, daily deal platforms like Groupon have not always been beneficial for business owners, who often see a spike in business but little customer retention. A Rice University study found that 66% of the 150 businesses surveyed reported that Groupon promotions were profitable. However, more than 40% of the organizations said that they wouldn't run a Groupon offer again. Daily deal platforms have revealed the social nature of contemporary couponing. For example, Cornell University reported that many Groupon users see themselves as "marketing mavens," and "on the front edge of market trends and price information." Additionally, users claimed in the survey that they would not have tried a restaurant or store without a coupon offer. Contemporary couponing has highly influenced social branding, greatly increasing the popularity of daily deals. 1. Social Leads to Social Sharing The social, daily deal strategies made popular by sites such as Groupon and Living Social have certainly spawned many copycat initiatives within the digital couponing realm. One such example is SocialTwist, a platform that states it "allows users to share in order to receive a better bargain." Basically, consumers can turn a $1 coupon into a $4 coupon simply by sharing it with four other people. This method will likely continue to increase in popularity in 2012 -- we already saw evidence late November 2011, when Foursquare announced it would incorporate a new "social sharing" button on its site. 2. Getting Mobile-Ready
Given these newer strategies, companies are mobilizing their virtual and physical platforms to better reach and retain these social, mobile customers. Most companies are aware that their mobile presences have to be dynamic and user friendly. With roughly 91% of the population using mobile devices and 26.3% accessing the Internet, it is important to have a mobile site for on-the-go reading and utilization. Additionally Google reported that 95% of smartphone users have searched for local information, proving that location-based, deal searching is vital to digital couponing. The same study found 38% would use a mobile device to find a store location, 34% to compare prices, 28% to research deals and coupons, and 27% to find a product review. 3. Resolving Mobile Couponing's Redemption Pitfalls Mobile couponing, an obvious extension and result of digital distribution, has been popular despite its "mechanical" issues. With the rise of digital coupons, there was also a surge in consumers who used their mobile devices to reference coupons visually on their smartphones. Unprepared for this development, the redemption process, such as the scanning of digital coupons on mobile devices, has proven difficult until recently. "Mobile coupon redemption has always struggled with ensuring a seamless experience at the point of sale," says reporter Steve Smith. So, business giants like Walgreens are "retraining salespeople to handle the process and equipping stores with hardware that can recognize 2D codes on LCD displays." This nationwide initiative was just launched and underwent testing during the 2011 holiday season. Walgreens released an app for iOS, BlackBerry and Android, which includes a new coupons section that issues up two to three new exclusive weekly deals for customers using the mobile apps. Rich Lesperance, head of digital marketing and merging media for Walgreens, told Media Post that "the program is the largest deployment of in-store mobile coupon scanning of which he is aware." Looking Ahead to the SoLoMo Strategy In short, the "social-local-mobile" trend is the next cutting edge move for digital businesses, and a necessary consideration for coupon brands. SoLoMo gets specific when it comes to targeting your ideal market and allows your ideal consumer to find you. The combination is a win for both parties, as well as the logical next step for consumer activity based on current digital engagement. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, trekandshoot, Flickr, Joe Pemberton |
| Today's Kodak Moment: Bankruptcy | | Thursday, January 19, 2012 4:04 PM | Peter Pachal |
|  Eastman Kodak company, one of the Pioneers in both analog and digital photography, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday. Despite holding onto patents estimated at $2 billion in value, the company never managed to capitalize on the digital photography field it helped create. Kodak has been in trouble for a while. While the company employed almost 150,000 people worldwide in 1988, today it has just 18,800. As consumers began to move toward digital photography in the 1990s, Kodak feared it would cannibalize its film business by embracing digital, and held back. The rest is history. Companies like Canon, Olympus and Nikon jumped into the digital fray early, leaving Kodak behind. It was ironic because Kodak had not only brought to market an early digital model, the DCS-100, but a Kodak engineer actually created the first digital camera in back in 1975. By the time Kodak began marketing digital cameras aggressively in 2001, it was miles behind in the market. It had both established digital camera makers to contend with as well as several value-driven Asian brands that were driving prices down. Even Kodak's onetime archrival, Fujifim, got into the market with its FinePix line of point-and-shoots. Founded by George Eastman in 1880, Kodak is still headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., where it began 132 years ago. Kodak is credited with bringing photography to the masses with its $1 Brownie camera in 1900 and had become synonymous with American photography by the time Eastman died in 1932. Kodak's plan to emerge from bankruptcy involves selling off its $2 billion worth of patents and transforming itself into a mainly a printer company, with its primary products being printers and ink. What do you think of Kodak's misfortunes? Fall of an American icon, or just another business that didn't understand the digital revolution when it mattered? Share your thoughts in the comments. BONUS: A Brief History of Kodak |
| How a Startup Is Revolutionizing the Outdoor Ad Space [VIDEO] | | Thursday, January 19, 2012 1:51 PM | Mashable Video |
|  When a client at his creative firm asked to buy outdoor ad space adjacent to locations of every Bed, Bath and Beyond store in New York City, John Laramie realized how inefficient the outdoor ad buying process was. In order to scout the locations for his client, he had to get on his bicycle and physically pedal to every store in the city. With his legs aching, and sensing that there had to be a smarter way to do it, he founded ADstruc, an online buying platform for outdoor advertising. Laramie and his team built a viable platform and applied for admission at TechStars Boulder. They were admitted, moved to Colorado for three months and graduated with a term sheet in hand. Though the sheer amount of advice from mentors can be overwhelming, Laramie and his team agree that they are better off after going through the program. Check out our interview with Laramie and learn about his tips for communicating with investors (hint: build a relationship before you're ready to ask for financing), what investors look for in a company at the seed stage and how ADstruc educates potential buyers before selling to them. Thanks to Mike Brown, Jr. for hosting our shoot at AOL Ventures. Follow Venture Studio, in association with Mashable, which is brought to you by Square1 Bank. The show is hosted by Dave Lerner, a 3x entrepreneur and angel investor. To join Venture Studio's Facebook page, click here. More Recent Episodes of Venture Studio: How One of New York's Hottest Coworking Spaces Got Started/a> How a Professional Pain Point Led to a Disruptive Business Idea/a> How a Niche Email Newsletter Grew to a Million Subscribers/a> |
| Teach What You Know: How to Make a Living on Skillshare | | Thursday, January 19, 2012 1:43 PM | Nate Cooper |
|  Nate Cooper is an independent academic and co-organizer of Reboot Workshop, an un-conference for nontraditional workers. Skillshare is a platform for instructor-led, in-person classes. You can search for classes to take or propose to teach a class topic. As the name implies, Skillshare is a community of experts and entrepreneurs; therefore, the best teachers are some of the most intrepid students. And if you set your mind to it, teaching on Skillshare can actually help sustain your livelihood, without the traditional overhead of an institution. Here's how. 1. Teach What You Know Before teaching, choose a class title and write up a description that will entice students. Skillshare students are a savvy bunch; people are willing to spend money if they know the class is worth it. Then propose a class topic based on what you know. You may already charge a certain fee for consulting or corporate training, but keep in mind the average Skillsharer is just like you. What would you pay -- out of pocket -- for a marketing class? As an instructor, you may be more than qualified (and may have even taught your subject at NYU for $800 per student), but in the Skillshare world you have to build a separate reputation based not only on your resume, but also on your personality. Skillshare recommends keeping prices low (less than $20), but some classes sell with a price tag north of $100. The secret is value: How long is your class? How many dollars per hour is a student paying? Are you providing refreshments? My class is $75 for three hours ($25 per hour) and I always provide fresh fruit and snacks for my weary, after-work crowd. 2. Research As with any major project, you're going to want to look at the current market -- not only on Skillshare, but also in places like traditional colleges and community teaching spaces. There are thousands of classes out there. What makes yours unique? What makes you unique? The more you're able to hone your skills into a focused outline, the easier it will be to understand your content and what makes it special. You'll need to organize your thoughts on your subject in a way that makes sense to you and your students. For me that meant writing a book-length outline of notes and thoughts. I kept fleshing it out until I had addressed all the questions and conclusions to which my students would logically arrive. I spoke at the WordPress NYC Meetup and started my own meetup group. This served two purposes: First, it kept me in good practice for public speaking, and second, it helped me understand student questions surrounding my topic. The questions help to inform my notes, which are now lengthy enough that I'm collecting them into a full book to be published. My method and advice is to practice, practice, practice, write. Then speak about what you're writing about. Write about the questions you get and then speak some more. This type of creative cycle helps to perfect your content so your course is that much better. Lauryn Ballesteros, who teaches the Skillshare class Hustle 101: Get More Clients & Close More Deals echos this sentiment. "Be generous. Most people worry about money in the beginning, when they should really be concerned with influence," she says. "Give tickets away for free, encourage people to bring friends, etc. You want and need credibility in the beginning. Money comes in time." 3. Build Your Audience The meetups I spoke at and organized also helped me to build my audience. While Skillshare is a great platform for gathering buzz around your topic, the task of actually selling class tickets is yours. That means you have to engage people. Encourage them to sign up for your mailing list or follow you on Skillshare. The service's commenting system is a great way to engage students and watchers alike. Ballesteros says, "Tell people about it. Tweet, Facebook, email friends, anyone who has the attention of a 100 people or more you should reach out to. The bigger the better, but the important thing is that you start." It also helps to partner with existing organizations. I partnered with New Work City, a co-working space, so that I could have a home for my class and also meet people in various groups. New Work City has also promoted my class in its newsletter. People in the co-working space provided me constructive feedback about my work and teaching, and also introduced me to Skillshare in the first place. 4. Manage Your Economics By now you might be wondering how to make Skillshare a significant part of your income. For some, it means doing series of classes. This can take up more of your time, but will provide you a reliable estimate of your monthly income. You can also work with your venue to receive discounts if you are doing groups of classes. Another way is to monetize other areas around your classes. For example, one class might be an entry-level introduction to you as a consultant. Some of my students have hired me for on-site training, for which I charge an hourly rate. I also hope to turn my book into a resource for other income, and make it available to students of the class. Think of the class as an advertisement for your brand. The trick is to vary up your offerings. Between high- and low-ticket classes, books, speaking and consulting, you'll be able to make Skillshare a cornerstone of your income. Ticket sales for classes occur throughout the month, so if you are offering up a few, it's way to income generation that doesn't happen with regular consulting alone. It may not pay all the bills every month, but if you freelance as well, it helps round out your skills by simultaneously networking and advertising while making money. 5. Share A good Skillshare instructor is a good Skillshare student. You'll want to take as many classes as you teach. Your role as a teacher is never complete, as you must update your content regularly. If a student has a suggestion or question, incorporate it into the next course. If you're alert and you keep your mind open, your audience will grow organically and you'll receive great comments on the class Skillshare page. Positive feedback leads to more students, and once you have a student base attending your classes, you're on your way to becoming a professional teacher -- all on your own. Images courtesy of Flickr, nomanson, Official GDC |
| Online Ad Spending to Surpass Print for First Time in 2012 [STUDY] | | Thursday, January 19, 2012 1:29 PM | Lauren Indvik |
|  For the first time in U.S. history, marketers are projected to spend more on online advertising than on advertising in print magazines and newspapers. According to a study released Thursday by eMarketer, online advertising is expected to generate $39.5 billion in sales this year -- a 23.3% increase from 2011 -- compared to a spend of $33.8 billion on print. That's impressive growth, especially since 2011 also witnessed a 23% jump in online ad spending, according to eMarketer's calculations. Online ad revenues should continue to grow over the next half-decade, albeit at a more modest rate, as shown in the chart below. Total online ad investment is projected to hit $62 billion by that time. The forecast for print is foreboding. Marketers are expected to continue cutting their print advertising budgets for the next half-decade, spending $32.3 billion in 2016, 10% less than what they invested in print ads in 2011. Spending on TV promises to be largely unaffected by growing online ad budgets, although the gap between the two is set to narrow significantly. U.S. marketers are expected to spend $72 billion in TV advertising in 2016, up 18.6% from 2011. Overall, it looks to be a healthy year for the ad industry, with total U.S. ad spending forecast to grow by 6.7% to $169.5 billion. eMarketer attributes the bump to investment in campaigns ads and mobile advertising. Total ad spending is set to reach nearly $200 billion by 2016, of which online will account for a third. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, alikemalkarasu |
| Priceline to Drop William Shatner From Ads After 14 Years | | Thursday, January 19, 2012 12:44 PM | Todd Wasserman |
|  William Shatner's 14-year mission with Priceline has come to a close. The actor, best known as Capt. James T. Kirk, the commander of Star Trek, will go out with a bang. His final ad with the company, set to air Monday, will show Shatner rescuing vacationers on a bus hanging on a bridge's railing. "Save yourselves -- some money," Shatner says, handing his cellphone to one of the passengers. Then Shatner and the bus fall and the bus explodes. "I'm in grief mode," Shatner told The Associated Press. "It's not the first time I've had an iconic character die off." (The Kirk character died in 1994's Star Trek: Generations.) In the report, Priceline CEO Christopher Soder explained that the company is changing its strategy so it "decided to do something really over the top to get our message across." That may include a spot in next month's Super Bowl telecast. Shatner became a spokesman for Priceline during the dot-com boom and originally did the ads to get free stock in the company. That turned out to be a smart move for Shatner, who sold his stock before the ensuing crash and cleared a reported $600 million, though some have questioned that figure. What do you think? Will you miss Shatner in those ads or is it time to move on? Let us know in the comments. |
| Mashable Moves Sharon Feder to Chief Operating Officer | | Thursday, January 19, 2012 11:23 AM | Pete Cashmore |
|  We're excited to announce today that Sharon Feder, Mashable's publisher, has assumed the role of chief operating officer. Sharon joined Mashable in 2008 as assistant editor and quickly took on the leadership role of managing editor, responsible for building our editorial team. She has been at the center of Mashable's expansion in recent years. Sharon became publisher in 2011, during which the company experienced its fastest growth to date and built its own ad sales team. While Sharon has been in an operating role for some time now, we're delighted to formally announce that she is moving into the COO role. We'd like to congratulate our outgoing COO, Adam Hirsch, who will be joining the non-profit DoSomething.org as its first chief digital officer next month. Adam has been with Mashable since our early days and we would not be where we are without his tireless effort. He will continue to advise the company and myself as he takes this exciting next step both for social media and social good. We're also pleased to announce that Robyn Peterson, formerly Mashable's SVP of Product, has been promoted to the role of chief technology officer. Robyn joined Mashable in May 2011 and quickly became a core member of the team. Frederick Townes, who has led our technology unit since 2007 and played a pivotal role in our growth, continues to provide technical support for Mashable. We're thrilled about these changes and look forward to continuing our rapid growth in 2012! |
| Facebook App Lets Sam Adams Fans Crowdsource a Tap | | Thursday, January 19, 2012 10:54 AM | Todd Wasserman |
|  If you're worried about spending all those hours on Facebook with nothing to show for it, take heart. Now that time can be used to produce something tangible: beer. Following in the footsteps of Mountain Dew and Coca-Cola, Sam Adams on Thursday released a Facebook app that lets fans crowdsource a brew. The app allows Facebook members to choose among various beer characteristics, including color, clarity, body, hops and malt. The attributes that get the greatest response will be used to create a "collaborative ale" that will be brewed in February. The yet-unnamed beer will then enjoy a limited circulation -- it will only be available in select bars in Austin during South by Southwest in March and at the Sam Adams Boston Brewery. The beer will also be launched at a Guy Kawasaki's Girl + Guy party during SXSW on March 10. Fairly tentative in the first few years of the social media age because of industry scrutiny over marketing to consumers under 21, beer marketers are using Facebook more and more. Budweiser set the tone last February with a campaign that asked fans to go on the social network to choose which commercial would run during the Super Bowl. Heineken also released a Facebook app called BeerFinder last year that paired users with a like-minded Facebook friend and let them buy a $100 BeerTender device under the pretense of buying it for the other person. Bert Boyce, a brewer with Sam Adams, says the idea behind the latest age-gated venture is to "provide a story" behind the beer. Says Boyce: "We've done stuff in social media before, but now we're taking it to the next level." |
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