Rejoice! Employee use of social networks has tripled!

Palo Alto Networks is out with its annual numbers on employee work time spent on social networks. The company’s conclusions are based on analyzing raw data from 1,600-plus companies for a seven-month period last year. Their press release on the study confirms something we already suspected: “explosive growth in global social networking and browser-based file sharing on corporate networks, with a 300 percent increase in active social networking. (e.g., posting, applications) compared with activity during the same period in the latter half of 2010.”

The press release quotes the company’s CMO, René Bonvanie, saying “Whether or not… Read More »

Zappos sticks to its values in communicating customer database breach

Zappos is a social media darling. The company’s adoption of Twitter, its encouragement of employees to engage online openly during work and CEO Tony Hsieh’s commitment to social channels are all trotted out regularly in articles, books and talks. I’m as gung-ho on Zappos’ use of social media as anybody.

One test remained, however. All of Zappos’ social activities have so far been employed in pursuit of brand building and reputation by linking those activities to the company’s customer service-focused values. But how would the company do when faced with something negative, bad publicity if not an outright crisis?

By midday today, it’s… Read More »

My common-sense approach to managing the glut of social channels

A lot of hype accompanied the launch of Unthink. Most major news outlets carried the story of a decently-funded social network launching with the intention of being the iconoclast on the block, the one network that ensured your data was always your own. Unthink not only put Facebook in its sights, but Google+, too.

I asked around and found few people who have bothered signing up. Heather Vana told me she signed up, tried to find some easy-to-follow written instructions, couldn’t, and left. Then there’s Jason Hodgert who, when I asked if this was one social network too many, replied, “One???”

A report published today notes that 100,000… Read More »

PR stunt or not, Morton’s airport steak delivery demonstrates a culture of customer recognition

Amidst all the positive buzz Morton’s steak house generated with its delivery of a steak to Peter Shankman at an airport baggage claim, there’s also a fair amount of criticism, dismissal and snark.

In case you missed the story, Peter (founder of HARO, social media A-lister and all-around good guy) tweeted jokingly to Morton’s Twitter account that a porterhouse waiting for him when he landed in New Jersey would be great. Peter is a regular Morton’s customer—a VIP-level customer, in fact—and it doesn’t hurt that he has nearly 110,000 followers. Morton’s sent a tuxedo-clad waiter to deliver the steak to Peter in baggage claim.

The story… Read More »

FIR Interview: Jonny Bentwood on Tweetlevel and Bloglevel

Identifying who are influential voices online is fast becoming an art if not a science. More technology tools and services are coming to market that help communicators identify people with high influencer rankings - typically, the types of people who create original ideas that are amplified by others, and those who engage most meaningfully with their followers.

In this FIR Interview, Neville Hobson, talks with Jonny Bentwood at Edelman London about BlogLevel and version 2.0 of TweetLevel, free tools that allow communicators to identify who is influential on a particular topic, on a designated platform. Dubbed by Edelman as "a GPS for… Read More »

Then (Twitter) and now (Google+)

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