Celebrating 10 Years of Domination: We Are the Pioneers & Undisputed Bad Asses of Social Media

It's not often that you get to be around for such a monumental moment for a company and an industry all at once.  As social media continues to become a part of our everyday lives (see especially Mashable's "Facebook Now Consumes 5 Percent of Our Collective Internet Time"), New Media Strategies is proud to continue to pioneer the field of online brand intelligence, promotion and protection.  As the invite says: We are the "Undisputed Bad Asses of Social Media."

Published by Brittany Cooper at NMS Blog on December 17, 2009 in New Media Strategies

Savvy Savings When Cyber Shopping

Since the beginning of September I've been asked on four separate occasions if I'm receiving more opt-in e-mail spam than usual.

Of course, like the rest of my peers, I am. In the past, we would have received all of these discounts via the postal service or clipped them from back of the newspaper.  But now savings are staring us right in the face when we check our e-mail, so isn't it worth our time to start taking these companies up on their offers?

Published by Meghan Sager at NMS Blog on December 15, 2009 in NMS Corporate, New Media Strategies, Social Media, Pop Culture, Twitter

Welcome, TwitCritics

Twitter can be powerful - that we know - but as a film fan, how does one make sense of it? TwitCritics is a new site that aims to help us do this by measuring the pulse surrounding new film releases and in doing that, also illustrates the viewing preferences and tendencies of the Twitterverse.

Published by Sonja Olson at NMS Blog on November 11, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, New Media Strategies, Movie Marketing, Pop Culture, Twitter

Supporters of Gay Marriage Failed to Get Out the Vote

Long thought of as a “liberal” state by national political observers, Maine, whose voters on Tuesday voted down gay marriage, proved that cultural conservatism is — at least on this issue — alive and well in the Northeast.

Published by NMS Admin at Politico on November 05, 2009 in NMS Public Affairs, Elections

Blogs with Balls 2.0 at Blogworld New Media Expo

I’m excited to be embarking on a trip today to Blogs with Balls 2.0, a leading-edge conference on the intersection of sports and new media, as part of Blog World and New Media Expo in Las Vegas. This event gathers some of the top sports bloggers, sports media personalities and figures from across the nation to share and learn perspectives on the issues surrounding social media and sports.

Published by Patrick Wixted at NMS Blog on October 14, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, New Media Strategies, Social Media, Social Marketing

Working When You’re Not at Work

Just about a year ago I moved to the Washington D.C. area to work at a boutique PR firm. Obviously, a great network of communications professionals exists in the city and I decided to join Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) so I could meet more people. I was hell bent on finding my way in this industry and in this city, and I knew I had to branch out beyond my 9-6 job to do so.

Published by Meghan Sager at NMS Blog on October 06, 2009 in Online Marketing, Viral Marketing, Women

NMS Names Katie Townsley as 2009 Q2 ‘Ass Kicker’

We are pleased to announce that Katie Townsley, Sales Operations Manager, Sales, has received NMS’ 2009 Q2 Ass Kicker Award.

Published by Laura Neville at NMS Blog on September 24, 2009 in New Media Strategies

(206) Days of Social Marketing

Approximately 206 days ago, I saw the teaser trailer for (500) Days of Summer.  As a long time fan of the film’s stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, I was immediately intrigued, and after reading favorable reviews following the films Sundance premiere, I was a bit disappointed to learn that the initial limit release was still months away, July 17 to be exact. So how did (500) Days of Summer, a breakup dramedy, keep my attention for over six months?

Published by Emily Kaiser at NMS Blog on August 18, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, New Media Strategies, Social Media, Movie Marketing, Pop Culture

A Day in the Life…of a different DC Intern

Interns. We. Are. Everywhere. We’re slowly taking over DC. Actually, if we work hard enough and do our jobs right, we eventually will…just without that dreaded “Intern” title. Apparently we’re pretty easy to spot too. Don’t get me wrong, I am an Intern through and through, but I like to think I’m living a different sort of Intern life.

Published by Intern Corner at NMS Blog on August 06, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, New Media Strategies, Social Media, Movie Marketing, Pop Culture

Chuck Rocks San Diego COMIC-CON, Unveils Fan-Centric Social Media Hub

Every July, a convention takes place in San Diego that defines and celebrates what it means to be a fan.  In its earliest stages, the event focused solely on comics and animation.  But, as the years passed and its popularity grew, so did its scope.  In the last five years, COMIC-CON has emerged as a mainstream platform for movie studios/television networks to launch new projects and to recognize the fans that have made their existing properties a success.

Published by Moira Curran at NMS Blog on July 30, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, New Media Strategies, Social Media, Pop Culture

Cultivating the 3121 Community

One of the greatest things about social media is that it not only accelerates real world connections, but it also adds a human and authentic layer to online activity. In that spirit, NMS is proud to be working on National Journal's 3121.

Published by NMS Admin at 3121 Blog on July 20, 2009 in Blogger Engagement, New Media Strategies, NMS Public Affairs, Social Networks

The Future is Now: Social, Mobile, PayPal, UGC + Tagged Outing at Nats vs. Cubs

While we are certainly a biased sampling of hyper tech, tweet and device users, I do believe our experience of the game is one that is, in some ways, the future of how we as humans experience collective events like baseball games, concerts and rallies.

Published by NMS Admin at LeslieBradshaw.com on July 18, 2009 in New Media Strategies, NMS Public Affairs, Social Media, User Generated Content, Facebook, Tech Tools, Trends, Twitter, YouTube

As The Hangover Tears Up The Box Office, Studios Should Rethink The Blockbuster Model

Over the past few weeks, I have been infatuated with surveying my friends’ and online peers’ reactions to The Hangover – always hoping to hear effusive praise.  The film is already a financial winner – with over $150 million dollars at the box office in less than a month – but I want to see its bottom dollar soar.  It is the rare movie that not only tickles me, but also perfectly represents my philosophy about the way the industry should trend, to the point that I feel personally invested in its success.

Published by Dan Williams at NMS Blog on June 24, 2009 in NMS Entertainment

Words and Deeds: Wikipedia and the Virginia Governor’s Race

As Virginia turns to the general election, the articles about Democratic candiate Creigh Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell will be both important resources as well as the locus of battles to establish narratives about each candidate. Indeed, both articles are the top non-official sites listed in Google searches for each candidate’s name. Which one is better?

Published by William Beutler at NMS Blog on June 16, 2009 in NMS Public Affairs, Reputation Management, Political Marketing, Political Reputation Management, Search Engine Reputation Management, Wikipedia

Thank You for Being a Friend

Someone once asked me what my favorite thing in the world was, and I responded “a day in bed with reruns of Golden Girls!” So now you’re asking why this one of my favorite things?  Well here it is: I am not ashamed to say it, my name is Ashley Aikens and I am completely taken with this show that is a piece of television history.

Published by Ashley Aikens at NMS Blog on May 26, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, Social Media, Facebook, YouTube

Through Mobile Interaction, Innovative Kogi BBQ Has Built More Than A Virtual Following

What happens when you cross Korean barbecue, Mexican food and tweeting? Aside from me in food heaven, you’d get the Kogi BBQ truck: a tasty marriage of Korean barbecue meat packaged in soft tortilla shells, served from a taco truck and dubbed by Newsweek as “America’s First Viral Eatery.”

Published by Fenella Basilio at NMS Blog on May 14, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, Engagement, Social Marketing, Twitter

Nielsen’s Twitter Take Nearly Half Baked, Part 2

Nielsen posted an update to their controversial report and in the process raised more questions than they answered.  The biggest problem is Nielsen's original claim that user retention is critical to long term growth.  While retention does play a role in growth, it is not as important as Nielsen states.  As can be seen in the chart below, a website with over 60% passer-by traffic can still reach 20 to 50 million US UMV's.  If you would like to see the data set, please check it out here.  All of the data points were taken from Quantcast. 

Published by Jayar Donlan at NMS Blog on May 01, 2009 in Digital PR, New Media Strategies, Metrics, Trends, Social Marketing, Twitter

Nielsen’s Twitter Take Nearly Half Baked

Nielsen posted an article on Tuesday titled "Twitter Quitters Post Roadblock to Long-Term Growth" claiming that Twitter had a 40% user retention rate. As seen above, I enjoy catchy headlines that rhyme, but Nielsen fails to mention one very important factor when evaluating Twitter traffic: It's only able to measure return visits to Twitter.com, but a large percentage of people using Twitter are using applications to tweet.

Published by Jayar Donlan at NMS Blog on April 30, 2009 in Digital PR, Trends, Twitter

ThinkB4YouSpeak Launches Social Media Campaign

Join me the NMS team as we help GLSEN to promote ThinkB4YouSpeak.com and let the online world know that it's not OK to say "That's so gay."  

Published by Mike Vallebuona at NMS Blog on April 27, 2009 in NMS Corporate, Digital PR, New Media Strategies, Online Advertising, Online Marketing, Policy, Political Marketing, Social Networks, Twitter

Blogging Your Way to the Bank

Instead of focusing on building up enough traffic to post ads that clutter the page, compromise the site’s aesthetic and bring in enough money to cover Friday night’s bar tab, bloggers should rather use their site as one big advertisement for themselves.

Published by Patrick Ottenhoff at NMS Blog on April 16, 2009 in NMS Public Affairs, Blogger Outreach, Online Advertising, Online Marketing

How to Avoid the Elephant Stampede (And Other Crisis Communications Tips)

You can’t wait until you see a herd of elephants charging at you before you decide how to react. By keeping your ear to the ground and listening carefully to the movements in your environment, you’ll be in control when the stampede hits and you won’t get run over.

Published by NMS Admin at Care2's Frog Loop on April 16, 2009 in Brand Protection, NMS Corporate, New Media Strategies, Reputation Management, Crisis Management

Your Brand’s Social Media Infrastructure or How to Grow a Social Media Garden

This event was also where I debuted my "how does your garden grow?" analogy which is already catching fire. Want to know what it is? Ask me!

Published by NMS Admin at Blonde's I-View on April 09, 2009 in NMS Corporate, New Media Strategies, Social Media, User Generated Content, Tech Tools, Viral Marketing

Turning Off the ‘Light’: The End of an Era is an Opportunity to Pioneer Change (Again)

Guiding Light has always been a leader in terms of setting the pace for change within the soap industry and due to its network cancellation, GL executives have been given a unique opportunity to do so once more.  I’d love to see GL become a pioneer again and “light” the way to the next level of soap programming.

Published by Lacy Baugher at NMS Blog on April 08, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, Social Media, Pop Culture, Women

The 3-D Revolution: Future or Flop?

A few months ago we had the privilege of going to a press event hosted by DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg on the future of 3-D. ... Were we made believers in Jeffrey Katzenberg’s vision that day?  Sort of.  Did we feel like we’d have to wait and see how Monsters vs, Aliens performed both at the box office and for critics? Yup.  Would we be interested to see how other studios are tackling 3-D?  You betcha.  We sat down after the DreamWorks Animation tentpole release and had a little chat about the state of 3-D… . (This post was a collaborative effort between Entertainment practice members Meg Spooner and Sonja Olson.)

Published by Sonja Olson at NMS Blog on April 06, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, Pop Culture

Social Media for Social Good: Ending the “R-word”

The “R-Word.”  It’s one of those words that may seem like just another piece of slang thrown into everyday language when describing something stupid, dumb or irrational. However, it is not just another piece of slang. It is an insult to those with intellectual disabilities. This is why the Special Olympics asked individuals to participate in “Spread the Word to End the Word”  on March 31st, 2009 – a campaign to raise the consciousness of society about the dehumanizing and hurtful effects of the R-Word and urge people to resolve to stop using it as an insult, casual or intended.

Published by New Media Strategies Admin at NMS Blog on April 03, 2009 in NMS Corporate, Digital PR, Issue Advocacy, New Media Strategies, Social Media, Facebook, Social Good, Twitter, YouTube

#Carchat Connects Auto Enthusiasts on Twitter

The ritual of gearheads gathering on a weeknight to talk shop is nothing new, but using Twitter to create a virtual drive-in is newsworthy. For the past three Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. EST, I've logged online to mostly lurk, but sometimes participate, in #carchat on Twitter.

Published by James Nichols at NMS Blog on April 01, 2009 in NMS Corporate, Automotive, Twitter

Special Olympics Uses Social Media to End the R-Word

NMS is working with Special Olympics to make Tuesday, March 31st a National Day of Awareness, where we ask ourselves and our peers to gain a greater understanding of the implications of our actions. We want Tuesday, March 31st to be a day where people take a moment to think about the weight and impact of our words.We want Tuesday, March 31st to be about respect and acceptance. On Tuesday, March 31st, we want to help end the use of the R-word – “retard” – forever. And we’re using social media to get there.

Published by Renan Borelli at NMS Blog on March 26, 2009 in NMS Corporate, Issue Advocacy, New Media Strategies, Social Media, Word of Mouth Marketing, Pop Culture, Social Good

The TMI of Twitter – Boundaries to Tweet By

I have a confession to make: I used to be a Twitter skeptic.  I blame it on my ongoing campaign against TMI (too much information), which I first launched after the onslaught of AOL Instant Messenger away messages.  So when I was first introduced to Twitter, I took it as a glorified away message, a new platform where my “buddies” could update me on their whereabouts and whether or not they were going to be eating a Hot Pocket for lunch…and I initially refused to join and support the newest TMI phenomenon.

Published by Hillary Jackson at NMS Blog on March 20, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, Social Media, Pop Culture, Twitter

Sports Coverage and The Internet: The Shifting Landscape

It’s not difficult to see that a new day is upon us when it comes to the way sports are covered. The Internet is no longer only offering a minor dissenting opinion to mass media, but is now the primary place where major sports news stories are reported, and now more often, created.

Published by Kyle Scriven at NMS Blog on March 18, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, Social Media, Controversies, Crisis Management, Facebook, Pop Culture, Twitter

Ten Reasons Why Twitter is Not Like Second Life

Greg Verdino, who has done, and is doing, a lot of great work, recently posted "Ten reasons why Twitter is like Second Life." While I agree that the hype is at similar levels, I think there are key reasons Twitter will succeed, and they more than outweigh Greg's concerns.

Published by Sam Huxley at NMS Blog on March 12, 2009 in Brand Protection, Digital PR, Online Marketing, Twitter

Call of Duty Brings the Fight Online

Recently, the gaming industry unlocked the social media landscape as a focus group. Infinity Ward, developers of last year’s smash hit Call of Duty 4; have set up their own Twitter handle and have begun to solicit ideas from gamers.

Published by David Fitzpatrick at NMS Blog on March 09, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, Social Media, Pop Culture, Trends, Twitter, Video Games

Retweeting on Twitter: Thoughts on the Approach to the “RT”

So something interesting came up today when discussing the best retweet ("RT") strategy with a few folks from work -- do you put the person's name first in the @reply position so they get it in their @ Reply inbox, or do you do the RT and then their handle?

Published by Alex Redmond at NMS Blog on March 05, 2009 in New Media Strategies, Twitter

When One Project Closes, Another Opens…

The launch of the new NMS website marked the close of a huge project for me personally and the start of an even bigger project – motherhood.

Published by Laura Neville at NMS Blog on March 02, 2009 in New Media Strategies

Last-Click Analytics and Social Media Measurement, or How Search Drinks our Milkshake

Early in my career, I heard a very senior executive make the statement “All online marketing is, at its heart, direct marketing” (he was, and is, in direct marketing). [...] I know that exec was wrong, and I hope I don’t have to wait another 7 years to prove it.

Published by Sam Huxley at NMS Blog on February 24, 2009 in New Media Strategies, Online Intelligence, Metrics, Online Advertising, Online Marketing, Trends

Oscar Night Buzz Report: Slumdog Millionaire and Sean Penn Receive the Most Tweets

With regard to bloggers, for seven of the 10 major categories, the winner of the Academy Award was also the most-cited nominee in the blogosphere. The three exceptions were Best Actor (Mickey Rourke received 17,828 mentions), Best Actress (Angelina Jolie received 21,831 mentions), and Best Foreign Language Film (Waltz with Bashir received 3,949 mentions).

Published by NMS Admin at NMS Blog on February 23, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, New Media Strategies, Pop Culture, Twitter

Transparency, Customer Relations and Social Media’s True Value

Transparency has long been rule #1 with social media.  Fortunately, most companies now seem to understand its importance.  However, the emphasis on transparency may have caused many to loose sight of the larger value of social media.

Published by Preston Davenport at NMS Blog on February 20, 2009 in New Media Strategies, Reputation Management, Social Media

Damage Control, A-Rod Style

There is one golden rule of communication during a public relations crisis – if you don’t control the message, others will control it for you.  This is especially true in the insane world of sports journalism.  So what could you have done, Mr. Rodriguez?

Published by NMS Admin at NMS Blog on February 13, 2009 in NMS Public Affairs, Blogger Outreach, Controversies, Crisis Management

File Sharing and Awards Season Buzz – A Curious Case

We’re now in the throes of Oscar season, where much film discussion and criticism has further narrowed into an intense will they/won’t they focus on a handful of titles. Some will win and be the recipients of new critical and commercial attention. The rest will lose and become an experiment in how far the word “nominated” can get you in marketing. All the while, conversations by internet pirates will help form the opinion of a large segment of movie viewers.

Published by NMS Admin at NMS Blog on February 11, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, Social Media, Box Office Buzz Analysis, Movie Marketing, Pop Culture, Popular Opinion Analysis

The Trailer Time Capsule: Rounders

So, does this Rounders trailer foretell a movie with such cultural cache? Not hardly, but you can only blame the film’s backers so much for underestimating the potential grab a card game possessed.

Published by Dan Williams at NMS Blog on February 09, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, Box Office Buzz Analysis, Movie Marketing, Trends, Trailers

Corporations Embrace Twitter 140 Characters at a Time

Everyday more and more corporations appear on Twitter although it seems that most of them do not belong or just don’t understand the new medium. Most of the corporate tweets that show up in your updates are generic and full of marketing speak pushing their brand. But, there are some brands out there that are truly embracing Twitter and using it as a way to connect with their target audience on a more personal level.

Published by Julia Quinn at NMS Blog on February 05, 2009 in NMS Corporate, Twitter

I Have Obsessive Reality TV Disorder on Monday Night

Our fast food fanatic, celebrity absorbed society surely doesn’t have a shortage of addictions to choose from.  On the end table right beside the Diet Dr. Pepper, People magazine and cheese puffs is the remote control, ready to be massaged with an eager viewers delight! 

Published by Melissa Costa at NMS Blog on February 05, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, Online Intelligence, Social Media, Viral Video, Pop Culture

When it Comes to Social Media, How Different are Hispanics?

Being aware of the cultural context of discussions serves as a catalyst and can enhance the impact of your messaging enormously; not knowing how to read it could be equally as devastating. Here are some general guidelines and differences between non Hispanics and Hispanics when it comes to social media...

Published by NMS Admin at NMS Blog on February 04, 2009 in NMS Latino, Social Media, Hispanics, Trends

Celebrating 10 Years: Looking Back, Pioneering Forward

There is so much more to do, so much more we can accomplish and I couldn't ask for a better team of innovators, experts and pioneers to help lead the way as New Media Strategies begins our next decade.

Published by Pete Snyder at NMS Blog on February 01, 2009 in Blogger Engagement, New Media Strategies, Social Media, Online Monitoring, Social Marketing

Social Marketing’s Value in a Meltdown

The recognition that delivery and response aren’t the be-all and end-all of marketing is the first step in saving the industry, and here’s hoping that it comes from our industry in not too long.

Published by Sam Huxley at NMS Blog on January 30, 2009 in New Media Strategies, Social Media, Online Advertising, Online Marketing, Social Networks, Trends, Social Marketing

Could Going to the Blogs Save the New York Times from Going to the Dogs?

With Bill Kritol leaving the Grey Lady, maybe the New York Times should be looking out into the blogosphere for its next columnist.

Published by William Beutler at Blog P.I. on January 28, 2009 in NMS Public Affairs, Blogger Outreach

NMS Public Affairs: Love at First Byte

Let me tell you something folks. When you are the “political guy” of the office, and your company suddenly starts hiring insanely talented “political guys” and “political gals” your job suddenly gets a lot more interesting.

Published by Jon Eick at NMS Blog on January 27, 2009 in New Media Strategies, NMS Public Affairs, Political Influence

A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Probably Do Again

I still don’t know what the inauguration ceremony looked like four years ago. At the time, I was living in a one-room cinderblock structure in the Iraqi desert. I was certain that my experience on January 20th, 2009, would be a study in contrasts.

Published by NMS Admin at NMS Blog on January 23, 2009 in NMS Public Affairs, Candidates, Political Influence

An Inauguration Story - Tales from the Tunnel

January 20, 2009 was a morning unlike any I’ve ever experienced – and not simply because our country was about to inaugurate our first African-American president.  Or because his policies imply that significant change is afoot.  Or because the idea of “hope” that mobilized an entire generation of young voters was finally being realized.

All those are true, of course.  But I’ll remember that morning as the one I spent freezing with thousands of others in the claustrophobic Third Street Tunnel on I-395.

Published by Moira Curran at NMS Blog on January 22, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, Pop Culture

An Appropriate Visit to Lincoln’s Cottage

It was the day before the inauguration of President Obama and I had found a unique perspective on the next day's ceremonies.  I was on the third highest point in the District of Columbia on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in the northwest part of the city, Lincoln’s Cottage at the Soldier’s Home National Monument.

Published by Emily Kaiser at NMS Blog on January 21, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, Pop Culture, Social Good

Inauguration Weekend in DC - Concerts We Can Believe In

The most prevalent buzz words surrounding the Inauguration here in Washington, DC are Change, Crowds, Cold, and Concerts. As this historical event of epic proportions looms in the swearing in of President-elect Barack Obama, with it brings an amazing slate of concerts and shows.

Published by Patrick Wixted at NMS Blog on January 15, 2009 in NMS Entertainment, Elections, Pop Culture