Brand

Samsung's image doing just fine after Apple verdict, poll finds

While it's easy to look at the overwhelmingly pro-Apple verdict handed down by a San Jose, Calif. jury last month as damaging to Samsung's image, a new survey suggests that's not the case.

According to the results of a new survey put out by polling firm YouGov, Samsung has had a big comeback in the past two weeks, and actually managed to surpass Apple in the firm's proprietary "buzz score" rating among both early technology adopters and those in the 18-34 age group.

The methodology behind the numbers asks people if they have "… Read more

Google's 'I'm Feeling Lucky' button gets Playful, Artistic

Google's ingenious marketing and creative departments -- the folks who tirelessly reinvent the company's logo in the form of "doodles" (and by so doing seem to have taken branding to a whole new realm) -- have produced a new and equally irresistible gimmick.

This time around, as noticed by AllThingsD's Mike Isaac, it's a change to the Google home page's iconic "I'm Feeling Lucky" button.

When you mouse-over the button, it "spins" like the display on a slot machine and stops on any one of several "I'… Read more

40 percent of world's top brands already on Instagram

If you're still wondering why Instagram appealed to Facebook, consider how many of the world's top 100 brands are already on the photo-sharing service.

Some 40 percent of the Interbrand 100 -- the world's most popular brands -- are active on the young service, according to a study released today by Simply Measured. The study of how the brands were used on Instagram was released in conjunction with the debut of a new Instagram analytics tool.

While that's nowhere near Facebook's 98 percent adoption rate or Twitter's 94 percent, Simply Measured points out that … Read more

In the social media era, even VCs need personal brands

Nobody wants to admit it, but building a personal brand is essential if you want to thrive in a business world dominated by social media. This is especially true for entrepreneurs and even venture capitalists who have only recently stepped out from the shadows and into the spotlight.

I became intrigued by the rising role of personal branding in the VC world by a New York Times article last week that discussed how more VC firms are hiring PR specialists to help brand their firms.

Here's a quick excerpt from that article:

"Now, Sand Hill Road in Silicon … Read more

Twitter adds age verification for following 'adult' brands

To give worried marketers peace of mind, Buddy Media has rolled out an age verification process for Twitter in partnership with the microblogging service.The idea is to reduce the liability of booze marketers and their ilk, though the process itself appears to be fairly porous.

Buddy started offering the free service to adult brands such as liquor companies, but said it could be used for other industries with age requirements.

The new service probably won't make parents feel any better, since it merely asks Twitter users to enter their birthdates -- which, of course, means users can take … Read more

Schedule Facebook updates on a community page

If you're running a community or brand page, there are probably local activities that you want to share with your fans. A streamlined method of doing this is by scheduling posts in advance. That way, you won't have to worry about remembering to tell everyone there's a gathering or deadline -- Facebook will do that for you.

So, if you're ready to take a more hands-off approach to keeping your fans up-to-date, here's how to get started.

To schedule a post:

Step 1: Open a Facebook page that you manage. This would be either a … Read more

Facebook-ComScore paper pumps value of social marketing

Facebook continues to defend its advertising value in a white paper released by ComScore today.

This is the second in a series of white papers that look at social marketing, and it reports that brands should take advantage of the social network's reach, fan engagement, and viral marketing qualities. It counters a recent survey that dubbed Facebook "boring," claiming that users are tuning out the network.

Facebook's marketing value has been debated for some time, and this report comes a month after General Motors pulled its ads from the social network, saying they weren't effective … Read more

Apple settles Australian iPad 4G case for $2.25M

Apple has agreed to pay a $2.25 million settlement today for allegedly misbranding its third-generation iPads in Australia's online store, according to the Apple news blog 9to5Mac.

The complaint was brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in March and alleged that the computer giant violated the country's consumer law by misleadingly labeling its new iPad as 4G-capable -- the crux being that there aren't any 4G networks compatible with the device in Australia. The branding specifically said, "Wi-Fi + 4G."

"The ACCC alleges that Apple's recent promotion of the new 'iPad … Read more

Follow a brand's Page in the new Foursquare app

Early this morning Foursquare rolled out a massive update, including both visual updates along with some great new features. One of which is the capability to easily discover and follow brand Pages. Up until now, there wasn't a streamlined method to follow a brand's Page when using the mobile app. 

Following a brand's page provides Foursquare users with the added benefit of seeing tips and check-ins from a particular brand. There's another incentive for following a Page -- badges.

Some badges can only be unlocked by following a Page and checking into a specific venue. … Read more