The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 12, 2012

Twitter wants politicians to know that their tweets are effective. The first 2012 presidential debate earned more than 10 million tweets, and was the “most tweeted event in U.S. politics.” But what is the actual impact of all this political tweeting? Does it really influence users or change behavior? A new study from Twitter and Compete set out to answer these questions.

Campaign 184

Campaign Sites Twitter Compete 184

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 3, 2012

A recent study of 100 CMOs by Bazaarvoice reveals that nearly half of CMOs have used social data to make predictions or forecasts. The survey asked members of the CMO Club (a forum for top marketing executives) how they value social data, as reported by MIT Sloan Management Review. In general, CMOs surveyed expressed a high opinion about the value of social data.

Bazaarvoice 184

Bazaarvoice Data Influencer Survey 184

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 19, 2012

The #RLTM Scoreboard: Social Networking Stats for the Week. Facebook: 1 billion active users. via Facebook. Twitter: over 500 million users. via Twopcharts. Qzone: 599 million monthly active users. via TechCrunch. Sina Weibo: over 368 million users. via China Daily. Renren: over 170 million users. via iResearch iUser Tracker. LinkedIn: 175 million members. via LinkedIn.

Social Networking 183

Social Networking LinkedIn Posterous Tumblr 183

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 17, 2012

In March of this year we published The Realtime Report’s Guide to Influence Measurement Tools. Our goal was to cut through the hype and provide a clear-eyed, no-nonsense look at the evolving tools and best practices for identifying, prioritizing and engaging influencers. Fast forward 6 months, and so much has changed in a very short time. Klout and Kred now both offer brand pages, and have recently introduced new consumer-facing make-overs.

Influencer 181

Influencer Klout Tools Data 181

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 4, 2012

Cape Town Tourism launched a new Facebook travel app this week, designed to allow “virtual visits” to the city through a user’s Facebook profile. In what Cape Town Tourism titles a “world’s first,” the innovative app “is a creative user experience that utilizes the latest technology and Facebook’s immense global reach” to raise awareness of the city as a travel destination.

Tourism 181

Tourism Social Media Travel Crowdsourcing 181

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 5, 2012

The #RLTM Scoreboard: Social Networking Stats for the Week. Facebook: 1 billion active users. via Facebook. Twitter: over 500 million users. via Twopcharts. Qzone: 599 million monthly active users. via TechCrunch. Sina Weibo: over 368 million users. via China Daily. Renren: over 170 million users. via iResearch iUser Tracker. LinkedIn: 175 million members. via LinkedIn.

Foursquare 177

Foursquare Social Networking Posterous Tumblr 177

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 15, 2012

Among internet users in Africa and the Middle East, the social network penetration rate is higher than in any other region worldwide, according to new data from eMarketer. While internet access remains limited in the Middle East and Africa outside of urban centers, those who are able to go online are highly likely to visit social networks. Earlier this year, the Middle East/Africa region was forecast to have the third-highest social network penetration rate among internet users (at 71%), behind

Social Networking 175

Social Networking Education Mobile Report 175

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 1, 2012

An innovative new campaign by Kellogg’s uses tweets as social media currency. Based in a temporary pop-up store in London’s Soho neighborhood, customers were able to “purchase” Special K Cracker Crisps with a tweet. The concept, according to AdAge , is “a concrete illustration of the value that Twitter holds in the real world.” Consumers purchased a bag of crisps simply by sending a tweet in-store that includes #tweetshop.

Hashtag 173

Hashtag Campaign Products Social Media 173

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 24, 2012

Last week, CENTURY 21 became the third major brand (and the first real estate company) integrated into EA’s SimCity Social. Following in the footsteps of Dunkin’ Donuts and Mercedes-Benz, the real-estate brand is embracing social gaming in a big way — with the largest game provider (EA), on the most popular social network (Facebook).

Real Estate 170

Real Estate Energy Social Networking Buy 170

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 17, 2012

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts’ recently launched a new campaign – with a heavy focus on social media – targeting couples worldwide who are seeking a romantic getaway. ”The Spark” campaign includes a microsite, Facebook application, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook engagement advertising. Why create a campaign focused on the theme of romance?

Campaign 170

Campaign Hotels Social Media Travel 170

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 8, 2012

Last week’s events revealed several interesting new statistics about Twitter, including information about mobile use and brand engagement on the platform. The highlights: 60% of Twitter users access the microblogging platform on mobile devices. there are more than 400 million tweets per day. promoted tweets have an engagement rate of between 1% and 3%.

Twitter 169

Twitter Brands Microblogging Statistics 169

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 22, 2012

To get consumers excited about Halloween costumes, Kmart hired ad agency Draftfcb to create a live event, a social media campaign, a visually impressive ad — and to break a world record. The live event was held in the parking lot of a Kmart in Chicago, and featured dancer Monternez “Monty” Rezell (of America’s Got Talent fame) in 150 of Kmart’s 3,000 Halloween costumes – in just six hours and five minutes.

Ustream 168

Ustream Blogger Campaign Social Media 168

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 29, 2012

For those of you who still have power, here’s a quick distraction from Sandy updates: check out this hilarious (and weird) social media campaign from Mellow Mushroom Pizza. “Follow us and we’ll follow you” is the tagline, supported by several videos of ridiculous mushroom-outfitted mascots ‘following’ around random people who have followed the brand on Twitter.

Twitter 156

Twitter Campaign Video Social Media 156

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 2, 2012

Last week Lexus added to the brand’s ongoing campaign for the 2013 Lexus ES by integrating ads into popular mobile game Draw Something. The aim was to draw a younger adult audience (under 45 years old) and to “engage this game’s huge fan base,” Lexus media manager Teri Hill told Adweek. “It’s a really good way for us to do something that’s more youthful.

Mobile 156

Mobile Automotive Campaign Influencer 156

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 31, 2012

Dunkin’ Donuts new mobile campaign engages consumers with a Halloween-themed contest and mobile gift cards, making use of mobile and social platforms Instagram and Twitter. The effort is designed to get consumers excited about Halloween themed menu items and to educate them about the brand’s new mobile payment options. The mobile payment app – launched in August and available on iPhone and Android – lets consumers purchase beverages, food and merchandise at the point-of-

Mobile 145

Mobile Instagram Twitter Loyalty 145

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 9, 2012

“An online coming-of-age love story” formed the basis for a recent social video campaign by Toshiba and Intel – with the main character being played by 76 different fans of the brand. The six week web series “The Beauty Inside” featured a lead character, Alex, who searches for love while waking up each day in a different body, reports ClickZ.

Video 139

Video Film Project Campaign 139

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 10, 2012

In terms of total time spent, watching video is the #1 online activity among China’s over 500 million internet users, according to new research by eMarketer and iResearch Consulting Group. During February 2012 alone, internet users in China watched 1.67 billion hours of online video. In China, television programming is restricted by the government (including a ban on shows involving time travel ), and eMarketer speculates that this censorship drives many viewers to online video.

Video 117

Video Comparison Travel Consultant 117

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 11, 2012

When Reebok set out to consolidate their social presence, a brand audit found that the company had no less than 225 Facebook pages, 100 YouTube channels and 30 Twitter accounts. At SocialMedia.org’s BlogWell conference in Chicago, Reebok’s Tyler Bahl and Angela Scibelli shared tips on how to avoid fragmentation in the social sphere and establish a consistent brand voice – and better analytics – while still allowing for geo-targeted content to reach specific audiences across th

Brands 165

Brands Aggregator Guidelines Team 165

The Realtime Report

OCTOBER 26, 2012

The #RLTM Scoreboard: Social Networking Stats for the Week. Facebook: 1 billion active users. via Facebook. Twitter: over 500 million users. via Twopcharts. Qzone: 599 million monthly active users. via TechCrunch. Sina Weibo: over 368 million users. via China Daily. Renren: over 170 million users. via iResearch iUser Tracker. LinkedIn: 175 million members. via LinkedIn.

Social Networking 191

Social Networking Study Posterous Tumblr 191