Stop me when I’ve gone too far. You wake up in the morning, grab a shower, maybe a coffee, have a quick bite to eat, read a few articles in the paper, and begin your daily commute. You may be unique, but most people would’ve stopped me at the reading part. You get your headlines and go. After a certain point in a news story, when you’ve gotten the facts, you lose interest. Talk about less is more, look at Twitter, it’s become a phenomenon by making you fit everything you want to say into 140 characters. That is hardly even a full sentence’s worth, but the social media outlet has become a widespread source for breaking news and information. » Read entire post «

When soft drink heavyweight Pepsi announced that it would snap its 23 year streak of Super Bowl advertising, the advertising community was stumped. For a company that has spent over $190 million on Super Bowl ads since 1987, and in recent years produced trendy spots featuring such celebrities as Britney Spears, Cindy Crawford, and Ozzy Osbourne, it seemed only natural that Pepsi would continue on this course. But Frank Cooper, senior vice president of PepsiCo American Beverages, claims the company will pursue “a marketing platform that will be less about a singular event,” integrating both cause related and social media marketing in its new campaign. » Read entire post «

As of January 2010, Toyota has recalled 9 million vehicles worldwide after vehicles experienced unintended acceleration. The problem can be attributed to two possible causes: the misplacement of a floor mat on the front driver’s side which resulted in pedal entrapment (and) or the mechanical sticking of the acceleration pedal. Thirty-four deaths have resulted from these problems. It would seem that Toyota would really be hurting at this point… What person would be interested in buying a car may have a gas pedal that sticks resulting in acceleration when they actually intend to break?

Contrary to my thinking, based on a SIM Score  that rates net sentiment of brands, Toyota’s score has actually improved since the beginning of the recall. » Read entire post «

According to a study conducted in October 2009, more than 55% of retailers stated that their holiday advertising budget is remaining flat this year, up from 43% of retailers at the same time last year. However, the most interesting statistic is that 51% of retailers plan to incorporate social media into their marketing campaigns, a stark contrast from 4% of retailers who utilized social media last year. » Read entire post «

If Chivalry is Dead,
Has Civility Gone Out the Window Too?

We have all faced a rude shopkeeper, teller or grocery store clerk. In fact, it is more than likely that everyone has run up against a completely obnoxious or ill-mannered rep in a service related business in the last six months. It appears that the economy is to blame for just about everything today. Even teens are feeling the effects of the economic downturn, resulting in an increase in depression, anxiety, domestic violence, and destructive behavior. » Read entire post «

The ability to quantify how much occurs online has become much easier with the likes of Google Analytics, Urchin, GoStats.com or OneStat.com. There are others, but Verge180 uses Google as its core resource for analyzing movement – and the best part is that it’s free. Because pictures and videos will always command greater attention than the written word alone, we have included videos in our two latest issues of Vergology. Our tracking has shown definitively why it is important for us as a business to employ this technique to reach more prospective clients in the future. » Read entire post «

When it comes to increasing a website’s ability to be noticed more often by visitors, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies will maximize successful access. Here are five techniques to help move you toward more effective results. » Read entire post «

Do you need to give something away to get business today? It is likely that you and your team have kicked this question around the boardroom at least a few times especially when times are tough and business is more scarce. The notion that you have to give a little to get a little is not exactly new and honestly is a no brainer when it comes to reeling in low hanging fruit. The real question is how far do you want to go to expose your products, talents and services to attract big fish. » Read entire post «

Are blogs and social networking the best way to carve out a relationship with new customers? It’s a question Verge180 hears frequently as the world appears consumed with online sites that cater to building friends, contacts or partnerships. Despite the presumptive reasons given for turning to Twitter, frequenting Facebook or latching on to LinkedIn, the fact remains clear, they won’t be going away any time soon! » Read entire post «