Yeah - I know Gary can be a bit much sometimes but he’s spot on if a little late to the party on social media people power…by about 6 months…or several years - e.g. last year’s #ArabSpring & #Occupy movement, Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” this year and in 2006. 

The power is ours. Use it wisely. 

Where Gary is spot on is when he mentioned to ALSO PRAISE brands and companies when they treat you right, go the extra mile, etc. Slam them when they are suck but praise them when they rock.

A minor quibble on “followers” - it’s not how many followers you have but how influential they are. More is good, but more influential and engaged followers are more powerful than mass.   

via gary:

2012 will be the year consumers “a scale” begin to air their dirty laundry on the social web and the impact will be substantial if it happens to a brand more than 5,10 or 100 times. This video shows you the blue print

(Source: gary)

12.01.12
79
#papa johns #twitter #vaynerchhuk #social media #advertising #social media #praise #Time Magazine #followers #brands #social equity #Person of the Year
The Longest Week: Brands as Curators

OK. So “curation” has finally become the ad/social media agency “it” buzzword/”must have.” Social media content curation is all about: sharing, value, relevancy, and interaction/engagement. I imagine most brand, SM, and ad agency types are/haven been selling this to their CMO & VP clients like crazy. 

My issue is that it all too often, EVERYONE fails to ask a few simple questions: How will it move my business forward? Is this the best, most effective way to blow through our goals? Is this the best use of marketing resources (staff, $$$, effort)? Why?

Or is this just the new, hot check box for my marketing mix…just like podcasts, microsites, rich media banners, blogs, facebook, twitter feeds, tumblr, etc., etc.    

via danpatterson:

Curators = Humans

Via @joshsternberg:

Just published a piece on Digiday about how brands are stepping up their curation game and what it means for consumers of content, as well as consumers of the brand.

Brands need to be careful in not only what, but how much they curate. There can’t be articles that make the reader question why…

(via danpatterson)

26.01.12
26
#Media #Brands #Curators #Josh Sternberg #Friends
In today’s edition of #WTF branding I present to you “New York Brand” “The Original Texas Toast” TM’d and from…wait for it…wait for it…Columbus, OH. It worked…da Brooklynite Missus dkcholo purchased it. ~ #brands #Merica #BrooklynInAustin #lulz #Homesick?

In today’s edition of #WTF branding I present to you “New York Brand” “The Original Texas Toast” TM’d and from…wait for it…wait for it…Columbus, OH. It worked…da Brooklynite Missus dkcholo purchased it. ~ #brands #Merica #BrooklynInAustin #lulz #Homesick?

30.11.12
#lulz #brooklyninaustin #homesick #merica #wtf #brands
via frankgomezg: lebaroudeur: Rapha is one of those companies divides opinions - most seem to either love them or hate them. So it’s perhaps no surprise then that the new Sky Pro Cycling kit, made by Rapha, has caused quite a stir in the cycling world already (it was revealed earlier today). Opinions range from saying Rapha are lazy (it’s quite similar to last years Addidas kit), to people saying it’s their favourite cycling kit ever.  Usually, with Rapha, i’d be somewhere in the middle of that scale. Their products have always been nicely designed, high quality garments, with cool (pretentious?) added touches that distinguished them from other brands - albeit this has always come at a premium price point (they’re a British ASSOS essentially - no bad thing). But i’ve also found them, at times, a little dull, a little pompous and, mainly, far too expensive for my budget - I  can get a lot of London Dynamo (my club) kit for the same price as one Rapha Pro jersey. The Grand Tour shoes are everything I think is great about them, but the Rapha/Chris King Espresso Tamper is ridiculous. This time though, I think Rapha have really hit the nail on the head. The Sky kit looks extremely classy, perfectly functional and really strong continuation of the Sky Pro Cycling brand. A look-book, shot by the brilliant Emily Maye, accompanies the launch and really compliments the new pieces. Personally, I think it’s great that Sky have chosen to support a British company like Rapha for their kit, and it looks like it’s a gamble that will pay dividends for both parties. No doubt the decision to release cheaper (fan) versions of the kit will prove to be a wise one, as the replica team kit is priced to match it’s place in the cycling world. Bravo Rapha. Continuation is the KEY Great cycling brand. Great marketing. Great gear. Great partnership. Yes it is costly but I have to say it’s generally worth it. Dull and pompous. Ummm…that’s British ;). They are one of my “go to” gear brands and usually at the top of my list. All that said, I will not be buying Team Sky kits because it breaks Rule 17. Don’t break the rules. Any yes, Emily Maye is brilliant. Check out her look book. 

via frankgomezg:

lebaroudeur:

Rapha is one of those companies divides opinions - most seem to either love them or hate them. So it’s perhaps no surprise then that the new Sky Pro Cycling kit, made by Rapha, has caused quite a stir in the cycling world already (it was revealed earlier today). Opinions range from saying Rapha are lazy (it’s quite similar to last years Addidas kit), to people saying it’s their favourite cycling kit ever. 

Usually, with Rapha, i’d be somewhere in the middle of that scale. Their products have always been nicely designed, high quality garments, with cool (pretentious?) added touches that distinguished them from other brands - albeit this has always come at a premium price point (they’re a British ASSOS essentially - no bad thing). But i’ve also found them, at times, a little dull, a little pompous and, mainly, far too expensive for my budget - I  can get a lot of London Dynamo (my club) kit for the same price as one Rapha Pro jersey. The Grand Tour shoes are everything I think is great about them, but the Rapha/Chris King Espresso Tamper is ridiculous.

This time though, I think Rapha have really hit the nail on the head. The Sky kit looks extremely classy, perfectly functional and really strong continuation of the Sky Pro Cycling brand. A look-book, shot by the brilliant Emily Maye, accompanies the launch and really compliments the new pieces. Personally, I think it’s great that Sky have chosen to support a British company like Rapha for their kit, and it looks like it’s a gamble that will pay dividends for both parties. No doubt the decision to release cheaper (fan) versions of the kit will prove to be a wise one, as the replica team kit is priced to match it’s place in the cycling world.

Bravo Rapha.

Continuation is the KEY

Great cycling brand. Great marketing. Great gear. Great partnership.

Yes it is costly but I have to say it’s generally worth it. Dull and pompous. Ummm…that’s British ;).

They are one of my “go to” gear brands and usually at the top of my list. All that said, I will not be buying Team Sky kits because it breaks Rule 17. Don’t break the rules.

Any yes, Emily Maye is brilliant. Check out her look book. 

04.01.13
15
#team sky #pro cycling #design #cycling #gear #rapha #Emily Maye #branding #brands #rapha racing #velominati #the rules