Author Archives: vanessa.parks

What Comes After Facebook? The Future of Integrative Social Media

vanessa.parks   November 20, 2013

What’s wrong with Facebook? Facebook is bad for us. According to Araceli Cruz, it makes us feel envious and sad. It distracts us and facilitates only shallow connections. “Facebook is changing the human race,” Cruz argues. “People think, speak and live in status updates…. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to truly connect with a person, rather than just their online character.”… Read more »

Connecting with Colour: CIL’s Paint Chips for Men Campaign

vanessa.parks   November 12, 2013

In a world where social media has become commonplace, marketing campaigns need to do more than just grab your attention – they need to connect with the consumer. Social media allows companies to encourage dialogue with their consumers, engaging them and helping build a strong brand. In his article Brand Building: Connecting with Consumers Through Social Media, Jose Costa argues… Read more »

A Shot in the Dark: Measuring Dark Social Traffic

vanessa.parks   November 6, 2013

Social media metrics can connect social media marketing to sales and ROI, but what about social activity that can’t be measured? In May of this year, Buzzfeed posted an analysis of traffic to its network, noting an increase of 25 per cent from social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, and 52 per cent from sources described as “dark… Read more »

Let Them Eat Gluten-Free Cake: Social Media Listening Allows General Mills to Tap Into a Niche Market

vanessa.parks   October 23, 2013

Internet-savvy consumers have come to expect the opportunity to share their opinions, and companies are using this to their advantage. With the growing use of social media, product development is no longer reliant on traditional focus groups and customer surveys. Stephanie Gehman points out that companies “can use social media-based conversations, feedback, comments, complaints and more as a source of… Read more »

The Social Media Mirror: Buying into Brand Identity

vanessa.parks   October 16, 2013

Buying Social media marketing isn’t always strictly about selling products. In fact, according to Lisa Mahapatra in her article Social Media Marketing: How Do Top Brands Use Social Platforms?, very few consumers are introduced to top brands through Facebook (only 0.25 per cent over the last four years). Jay Baer agrees. In his keynote speech for the 2013 MarketingSherpa Email… Read more »