A Beastly Affair

Movie Review on Beastly and links to social media

There are many ways to inject a contemporary twist on a story as old as age.  Unfortunately, Beastly fell short on this venture on so many counts. What was meant to be an “edgy teen” take on Beauty and the Beast soon turned into a laughable and embarrassing attempt at cinematographic magic.

To expound, Kyle Kingson played by Alex Pettyfer, our beast in question has had it all, looks, intelligence, wealth and apparently, as marketed by CBS, a “wicked cruel streak”. However, all the viewers actually end up witnessing of this “wicked cruel streak” is a joke played on Kingson’s unattractive and weird classmate Kendra (Mary-Kate Olsen).

His crime? Inviting Kendra to the school’s environmental bash and then dissing her, which to me is hardly an action to validate Kingson’s wicked and cruel behavior. Sure, he’s quite the douche but wicked and cruel? Hardly.

As expected, Kendra is magically pegged a witch just because she’s perceived “weird” by the rest of society. An idea that Hollywood constantly impresses on young indelible minds that being different and wearing thick eye make up constitutes a Witches’ uniform.

Hence, catalyzing the notion that if people think you’re weird, you probably are a witch.

Ridiculous.

Or should I say Ridikulus, a spell from Harry Potter, cast three folds more convincing than Kendra’s “diabolical audio-tuned curse chanting voice” which eventually turns Kingson into the “beast”.

Perhaps this is the most embarrassing part of the film; the viewer’s realization that the producers are all complete idiots and that their idea of a “Beast” or a person so ugly that none can bear to see him and be unafraid, takes its form in a bald, lean teenager with six pack abs and a few scars and tattoos on his face and back. We quickly recognize that the producers have never taken a walk through reality and are completely unaware that their idea of “beastly” is highly skewed from the rest of us.

The Beast in Beastly looks neither scary nor un-human like. He just looks, in Hollywood’s terms, bad-ass. The fact that the Beast fails to look the least beastly makes the whole story fall apart as the premise just ceases to pull any weight henceforth. Had I not been on a plane with a shared TV, I would have just turned off the movie immediately. Highly awake and stuck watching it, I braved my way through the rest of the movie. Slowly but surely, ploughing my way through the bad acting, courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens who unfortunately for the audience plays “the beauty”, also known as Lindy.

Anyhow, the story continues where Kingson is banished to Brooklyn (because surely, that’s the modern day deserted castle) by his father who thinks his son is too ugly…to…be seen? And given a blind tutor and an arbitrary housekeeper (LisaGay Hamilton) for goodwill. Surely no self-loving person could type this and not face palm herself a few times. Wait a minute; let’s back up here. His father felt he was too ugly so he sent him to Brooklyn to be taught by a blind tutor. And that makes sense, why? Because he’s blind and won’t judge his son? Is it just me, or is this shallowness really paving the way for this obvious blockbuster of the century? Oh silly me! The producers made Neil Patrick Harris the blind tutor, people love him. Therefore, this role must not be doubted.

A few scenes later, -Insert sappy montage of Kingson trying to woo Lindy’s heart after she is forced to live with them- Don’t even get me started on this. They fall in love, Lindy doesn’t kiss him to break the curse, something about the airport, They kiss. End of story.

Towards the end of the movie, my mind was just drifting off at the obvious lack of intellect being put into the production of the film. The only saving grace of this film would possibly be the direction of photography. It was mostly shot with rather classy composition, unlike the many “plot thin, bad acting” films I’d previously screened.

Thankfully, Beastly only garnered a 19% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. There is hope for society yet. I can’t say the same for producers Susan Cartsonis, Roz Weisberg and Michael Flynn though.

            They’re just, ridikulus. 

Here is the trailer from Beastly: 

Having read my movie review on abysmal film, Beastly, one can only imagine what a flop it must have been at the box office. Unfortunately, this film went on to make 29 million dollars and cementing my thoughts on how Social Media can indeed sway a sinking ship. (They utilized Youtube and Facebook to promote their film)

Written by: Lois Goh

Social Media: More Than "Farmville" and "Words With Friends"

"All these whippersnappers playing around on their MyFace and Tweetering what they had for dessert is just a waste of time!  Their social networking shenanigans are just a passing fad, and shouldn't be taken seriously in the workforce!"

No, that isn't your grandmother prattling away with her girlfriends while playing Bingo, but rather the overall opinion of several U.S. businesses, according to a recent article from UPI.com.

The issue is that many businesses just don't understand how to take advantage of social media, and therefore don't know how to develop clear corporate strategies for this valuable tool.  The article goes on to say that the main concern of businesses, regarding social media sites, is the "lack of data tied to return of investment."

The challenge with gauging success is that the communication forum of social media sites take businesses to an uncharted territory full of new opportunities that aren't available with traditional communication methods.

Although the waters may appear murky, the article concludes that businesses should simply take a deep breath and dive in, as the ocean of social media offers almost limitless possibilities.

What can Social Media Do for You?

For starters, social media allows for optimized word-of-mouth recommendations, and the forum for such discussion is a lot broader than merely tweeting about a company.  YouTube videos, blog posts and Facebook campaigns are just a handful of potential conversation starters.

Once the word gets out, your company's message doesn't end there.  Now the user shares their opinion and experiences with their friends, who in turn share it with their friends and so on and so forth.  What better way to advertise your brand than by having your audience plug your company on their own?

You Still Don't Want to Go Social, huh?

Well, no one can make you join social networking sites and participate in this open forum for transparency and discussion, but that doesn't mean your competitors want to miss out.  Social media isn't merely a passing fad, but like it or not, it's a forum of communication that is here to stay. 

So, why fight it? Your audience is out there right now, looking for outlets to communicate with their peers and more importantly, you.  So if you aren't up to date with how they want to communicate, they'll look elsewhere.

Even if your audience isn't completely complimentary of your company, you can still take that knowledge and use it to your company's advantage.  Just like in real life, it takes time and effort to build meaningful relationships with your audience, but social media is a great start as it shows your audience that you are there and listening.

Measuring Return on Investment

As pointed out earlier, this is a valid concern of many businesses.  After all, you are putting not only your time and money on the line, but most importantly, your company's brand.  Fortunately, there are many programs both free and subscription based, that are designed to show you the your social media ventures are effecting your company's success.

A popular free site is Social Mention, which tracks what your audience is saying about your company, and makes it easy to see what they like and don't like.  TrackUr is another valuable tool, that can help monitor your social media efforts.  There are also similar programs like Tweet Effect, which gauges the success of your company's tweets, and Facebook Insights, which is available on the Facebook page and visible by the page's administrator.

In today's ever-evolving world of communication it is crucial for your business to actively participate in social media.  The key to business success is to establish and nurture relationships via the forum of your audience's choosing.

There is so much more to social media than simply posting photos of cats and writing snarky status updates.  It is vital you to appreciate this valuable tool, and to know how to use it to benefit your company, and establish it as an industry leader.

By: Laura Modrall

The Month of Kony

March 5, 2012, Kony 2012 took the social world by storm. This viral video took only two weeks to reach over 80 million views.  

Joseph Kony is known as an African warlord who kidnaps children and enlists them in the Lord’s Resistance Army, as children soldiers.

As I read through my Facebook news feed around the time the video first started circulating I remember noticing a lot of people posting the video talking about how everyone must watch it, get informed, or take action. I chose to ignore it but after a day it was overwhelming everywhere on Facebook and Twitter that I felt I had no choice but to watch. Like many others, I viewed the video and informed my roommate to do the same.

Suddenly Kony 2012 was the only thing people were discussing on these social networking sites. Some positive and supportive comments, others left comments of criticism about Invisible Children, the organization behind the video. A few statuses started saying, “I knew about Invisible Children years ago, why are people suddenly caring so much now?” The answer to the question simply lies in the power of social media.

The Visible Measures includes shares of the video, as well as video responses.

Due to the expansion and growth of social media over the last few years the organization took the opportunity to create a plan to use social media sites. The video was “liked” and tweeted, shared, tagged enough times that the message spread. Invisible Children knew the power of media and the generation of young people who are actively involved in social media. On their website they say, “We are storytellers, activists and everyday people who use the power of media to inspire young people to help end the longest running armed conflict in Africa.”

#Kony2012 was viral, as well as “Make Kony Famous.” People were posting pictures all over the internet with Kony t-shirts and logos using the hashtag. You couldn’t go anywhere on the internet without being bombarded by Kony.

Unfortunately social media can be very unforgiving as well. Once on the internet it is there permanently making its mark. Jason Russell, the co-founder of Invisible Children was arrested after he was found pounding his fist and screaming, and at one point was undressed running through traffic and screaming. Videos of his wild behavior surfaced and circulated the web, further creating criticism of the organization.

While social media can be a great use to create awareness and spread messages because many people access these sites, it can be damaging, as Russell quickly learned. The success of his mini-documentary brought his name to light and now videos of his lewd behavior will circulate the internet and social media sites for years to come, but Joseph Kony is now famous thanks to the power of social media.





By: Marissa Marinan

Keeping Connected or Stalking?

Social media sites are a great way to stay connected with friends and family, or are they? With all the new updates these sites have it makes it easier and easier to keep track of every move your friends make. Earlier this fall, Facebook made a drastic layout change that had most of the Facebook world in an uproar. Added to the side of your home page was a live action news feed. The feed shows exactly what people are doing such as becoming friends with this person, commenting on peoples pictures and post that you aren't even friends with, attending this event and putting this as their status update. Most people would consider this a whole new level of stalking people, and they could be right. It's hard not to look while it's updating every second that you're on your home page.

Then you have the browse friendship page. This is where you can click on a friendship with two people your friends with and see everything that has ever been active between them. This includes all the pictures they are tagged in together, along with comments they've written back and forth, and even random posts they've both commented on. These actions take staying connected to a whole new level.

What about Foursquare? Awesome site, lots of ways to get free things just for visiting stores and places you go everyday. Considered by some a fun game to play with friends by checking in here and winning points and badges and trying to beat your friends. But Foursquare is an easy way to track people's every movement. Where you go is no longer private knowledge once you start using this site. When checking into a place you can publish it to your other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, where it will then post it to that site so people can see where you are. It sounds like fun and games but do you really want people to know where you are at all times.

Even though we may find this as a great way to stalk people close to us companies and businesses find these as great tools. Ways for them to find out how often people are coming to one of their stores and being able to reward them for visiting often. It's also great for them to see when they're being talked about and keep up with their traffic and fans. Even still people love their social media sites whether it is staying connected or "stalking."

Posted by: Jenna Greene

The Social Media Bandwagon

It's no joke to say that social media is a serious thing to think about when starting up a business, or rebranding an already apparent business. Social media has no doubt changed the way businesses run in today's society. In an article off of PRDaily.com, 7 Tools for 2012 Communications Plans, we can see that social media and the Internet will continue to play important roles in the survival of businesses.

In the article, Gina Dietrich explains the seven ways that a business can incorporate social media in their plans for the upcoming year:

1. Consolidation. With the rapid growth of technology and social media, it is important to really look at what works, and what doesn't work. Really get in-tune with your customers to see what they really want, and do it.

2. Privacy. Always a huge controversy. Businesses need to think how their clients or customers are using the Internet. It is important to be transparent, but not too transparent. Keep your customers updated, but without sharing too much private information. You can't control what people are saying about you, but you can control what you say to the people.

3. Gamification. Make your business some sort of game with your audience. Going into 2012, playing games with your customers can appeal to a wider audience. For example, "come in today between 3-4 pm and receive 15% off" through a text message club or email blast.

4. Mobile Content. As we are moving with a technological advanced society, mobile devices are becoming more popular each day. An online website is simply not enough anymore. People are now using smartphones and tablets to view websites. Businesses need to keep this in mind when making websites, mobile websites are key.

5. Social Television. Advertising and getting the name out there is getting to be tricky. Original and different ways to advertise are more attractive to consumers. If a business simply has TV ads, a different campaign is going to be necessary for this upcoming year to attract consumers.

6. Improved Analytics. Simply use as many tools to evaluate your business. Social tools are not standardized yet, but there are many ways to evaluate results. Google analytics, Twitter searches, Facebook searches, and basically looking at feedback on customers' comments are beneficial.

7. Google Wallet. The way people think and act is becoming more and more mobile each day. Before we know it, paying for something just by touching the screen on your phone is going to be a normal thing happening all over. This is something for businesses to consider as well.


Written by: Adam Krell

Trick or Tweet

While searching for Halloween costume DOs I stumbled upon a few social media DON’Ts deemed scary year round in an article on The Brainy Yard. The article lists 10 terrifying mistakes to avoid when networking on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Here are the top three that make me cringe.

1. TMI

Too much information makes me think of too much costume makeup. One would assume that too much costume makeup is offensive in face to face conversation, Halloween being the only exception. Likewise, too much of the wrong information is offensive to your personal and professional followers who seek relevant and interesting content on your site.

2. A quick trigger finger

How much thought have you put towards a Halloween costume this year? Now compare that to how much thought you put behind a status update before you click share. There are very few things more embarrassing than a failed Halloween costume. Don't let your news feed embarrass you. Think before you post.

3. Untended social presence

   I won't be trick-or-treating at your house if the only decoration on your front porch is a bowl of candy with a note reading, “One piece only.” Just because you put out candy doesn't mean people will take it. Similarly, your followers won't be stopping on you site if you don't interact with them. Don't miss the opportunity to be the best site they visit.

In the spirit of all things spooky, here are a few social media inspired pumpkin carvings I found on Mashable.

Happy Halloween!

Written by: Christine Young

Social Media Faux Pas

A headline from Regan's PR Daily caught my attention the other day and I knew it was something that needed to be shared with the masses. The headline was "The worst-ever advice about social media." As I went on to read the article I couldn't count on one hand the number of rules I had broken and how many things on the list I have been told to do during my education as a PR major. I have highlighted some of the bad pieces of advice that I know I have taken in the past.

Number 2: Put the intern in charge of social media. Guess what a main part of my job description is at my internship? You got it, social media. But reading further, it makes perfect sense. Interns come and go. You need someone in charge that is completely invested in the organization or company and who can keep posting and updating long term. Plus you probably don't want to give a college student access to Facebook or Twitter during the work day. Talk about unproductive!



Number 7: Automatically incorporate blog posts onto Twitter. 'Automation is not social; it's the opposite of social,' quotes the article. I think that is hitting the nail on the head. The people that follow you on Twitter or are your Facebook fan are probably already on your mailing list for your newsletter or are subscribed to your blog. You shouldn't be advertising, you should be interacting. Tweet about interesting current events in the news, (that aren't controversial or hot-button issues... number five!) or about exciting things that are going on. Make people want to check out your link.

Number 3: Follow a ton of people on Twitter so you get followers in return. I am pretty sure day one of my internship I sat down to an inactive Twitter account and started following anything even remotely related to my organization. It is true that the followers that come naturally are more likely to be active and stand the test of Twitter time because they have genuine interest in your company or organization. Adding 30945720 new followers will only bog down your feed.

I know that I will certainly be weary before I take advice about how to get more fans on Facebook or how to get someone to re-tweet my organization. My eyes have been opened to my wicked ways on the web. Check out all ten no-no's in the full article.

by Katy Chubin

Staying with the Times in Social Media

The quest of finding the perfect solution to measure return-on-investment with social media is an ever changing event. New websites and analytics tools are being created at lighting speeds. It’s important for those utilizing this new whirlwind of social technologies to be on their “A” game. A social media presence is an absolute must for any company or business owner looking to establish a relationship with customers. Any business with a brain is going to want results and data to measure the effectiveness and results from invested time!

It’s now easier than ever before to get lost in all the intricate webs of social media analysis tools. I’ve outlined a few that you might have never heard of.

• Feedly.com- is a Google Chrome extension that displays the latest updates from feeds, blogs, and sites like Facebook and Twitter in a magazine-like view. It integrates with Google Reader, Delicious, Amazon.com, YouTube, and other sites. The makeup of this site in very crisp and straightforward. If your looking to reach a specific niche market you can easily use this site to measure industry trends.




• Tweetdeck.com- Twitter is a real-time information network that connects you to the latest information about what you find interesting. Simply find the public streams you find most compelling and follow the conversations. This website helps to easily keep up with what people are doing.




I’ve always wanted to see what businesses are doing to fill these needs. Many companies don’t have individuals trained in using these new platforms there is only one option hire someone who does. I came across some very comforting and insightful statistics. A study done by www.epistar.com helps highlight the new trends companies are taking to establish an effective social media presence.

• 28% already have a social media or community manager in place and a further 41% expect to appoint one in the next 12 months.
• 73% of businesses are running online communities, or looking to do so in the next twelve months.
• The most challenging aspects of social media management are attracting users (32%), generating content (28%) and dealing with abuse (27%).
• Research released today finds that 69% of UK businesses have appointed or plan to appoint a social media or community manager in next 12 months.

*These statistics are from the United Kingdom. I found them to be very insightful and assume they would be similar to the U.S. market

“As more businesses start to take social media seriously, more will look towards employing community managers to ensure activities hit the mark. As this job function grows in importance, businesses will need to adjust to accommodate this person into the fabric of the company. Social media touches many or all parts of the organization, from marketing and IT through to customer service and HR. And that’s a good thing, as it forces companies to become more transparent and encourages them to listen to customers in new ways,” said Maria Wasing.


Here is a little video that shows us the new world of "socionomics"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypmfs3z8esI\

Written by: Keith Hayes

Tweeting about Mac and Cheese

Mac & Cheese – we all grew up eating way too much of this delicious, quick and easy meal, and we’re all probably slightly embarrassed to admit that as grown adults we still indulge in this tasty food every once in a while. Kraft Foods is well aware of the popularity of its product and is cashing in on an opportunity through social media and Twitter.

The company’s marketing team is collecting ideas from recent Tweets that include the words “mac and cheese” and turning them into a television commercial in one afternoon. Five tweets will be chosen to be converted into an advertisement that is being written and taped today. Four of those ads will be displayed on Kraft’s Facebook page tomorrow, while one lucky advertisement will be aired on Conan and Lopez Tonight this evening on TBS.

In an effort to utilize social media to promote the company and engage consumers while having fun, Kraft has come up with this unique concept. Hopefully this consumer-inspired advertisement and campaign will draw attention to Kraft and position it as a company who cares about its consumers and is willing to give them a say in the decision of the company. People like to feel included and like they have some control, which is exactly what this campaign is doing for Kraft’s consumers.

-Autumn Roth

Negative Social Media Earns 13-Year Old Fame

Thirteen year old Rebecca Black has been known for her YouTube music video "Friday". The video was produced by Ark Music Factory and went viral within 24 hours becoming known as the "worst video ever" with over 24 million views. Since it has been released, it has spread throughout Facebook by users posting it as a joke as well as through twitter, which now has a trending topic titled RebeccaBlack.

Black has received millions of negative comments and hate mail one which she mentioned in an interview on Good Morning America which read "You should cut yourself and become anorexic so you are actually pretty". Black replied that she just wanted the song to be catchy, and that it did all due to social media. It now stands on iTunes top 100 as number 43, which falls right above other pop sensations such as Justin Beiber. Now on YouTube, there have been spoofs, parodies, and remixes of the song as well as multiple interviews. This just shows how viral social media can be whether it be positive or negative feedback.

--Alexandra Jennings

Vineyard Vines Facebook

Many new companies that have established themselves over the past decade have more of an advantage to learn some new age marketing skills over some older companies and traditional methods. Over the years, social media has become the largest and most effective way to interact with customers and receive customer feedback. Social media has also become the most effective way to generate new customers through groundswell. Vineyard Vines is a "preppy" clothing company, based out of Stamford, Connecticut founded in 1998. It has stores in Edgartown, Nantucket, and Mashpee, Massachusetts; Greenwich and Westport, Connecticut; and Memphis, Tennessee. Vineyard Vines is most closely associated with the college age demographic and focuses on this group as their target audience. This being said, this is an absolute perfect age group to target through a social media network.

Vineyard Vines has established a very successful social media network through their Facebook page and keeps it managed down to a science. They continuously and promptly respond to customer comments and post status updates that draw in numerous viewers. The company uses excellent customer engagement and keeps fans posted on news, events, where Vineyard Vines will be traveling and what new products and sales are coming up. Although Vineyard Vines does have a blog and a Twitter page, they do not have hardly any followers on either one. Their Facebook on the other hand is outstanding in the way that they have successfully established good customer relationships and engage with them on a daily basis.

Vineyard Vines on CNBC video!

Posted By:
Mark Shaffer

Social Media: Not Only for Creeping

We have all heard the term “citizen journalism" where just about anyone can appoint themselves journalists. Using the tools readily available online and the technology that we desperately cling to everyday, news from al over the world is, well, everywhere. It is also safe to say that many people use social media to connect with friends, share photos, and feed off the latest bit of gossip to hit their news feeds.

However, now more commonly, social media has helped spread the word about the record-breaking earthquake in Japan and people are already using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to help Japan rebuild their country. People are contacting friends and family while posting videos, photos and news updates online from their phones and cameras. Information, as we all know, is never far away.

According to this article in the Technology section of ABC News, when Japan’s cell phones became too overcrowded to use, people used social media outlets, such as Twitter and Facebook to reach their concerned family members. The article discusses how an American law student who was in Japan for his spring break has used the Internet exclusively to connect with friends and family. This is not a tragedy that only affects the Japanese, and social media is helping remind us of that.

Google, which is becoming more social than just a reliable search engine, set up a “Person Finder” application that has helped linked victims to their family members already. And these immediate actions do not stop there. YouTube, as of March 11, holds over 9,000 earthquake-related videos and over 7,000 relating to tsunamis. The Google page looks like this. Simple and to the point and extremely effective:

Not only does this have newsworthy value, but it also opens a window for viewers all over the world to see how devastating a natural disaster like this can be. However, basic information is not enough to motivate people to help. When people can make an emotional connection, they are most likely to take action. It was groundbreaking to see live video during Vietnam War, as it can be accredited to causing such a negative view during that time. The same drastic affects are happening now, but thanks to social media, it is not uncommon or hard to find. People are inspired to help based on what they have seen through these images and videos of the earthquake. Twitter has becoming a main source of information, as people are posting devastating TwitPics and spreading the word about Red Cross’ efforts to assist victims in Japan just as it did for Haiti.

In the matter literally one second, my Twitter search for Japan was out of date:

The original purpose of the Internet was to create a network safe from military, technological and natural disasters and that remains true to this day. Now, however, it is a key player in spreading news, connecting with people and instantaneously raising efforts for those in need when other sources fail.

-Alaina Cordes

Fashionable Social Media?

Although the luxury fashion industry has been notorious for being extremely uninvolved with the Internet phenomenon, it seems that the industry has finally jumped the gun and joined the 21st century with smart phone applications, social media involvement, and easy online purchases.

Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Burberry have all launched easy access smart phone applications which feed users with collection presentations, product information, branded themes, and the ability to share their “likes” on Facebook.

Some lower end brands now offer incentives to follow their company on Twitter or Facebook. It is not unusual to come across a tweet or wall post for a small 20% off coupon, or hourly exclusive sale. This is helpful to brands as they can more specifically evaluate exactly who their market is.

Unfortunately not all brands are on top of their social media networking game. Just yesterday Styleite reported that Marc Jacobs announced (ironically on their Twitter page) that they would be searching for someone to manage their social media accounts. Other luxury brands have yet to step onto the social media bandwagon. Gwen Stefani’s luxury label, L.A.M.B., which consists of clothing, shoes, fragrance, and handbags just recently launched an official website, however the company has yet to develop any sort of official social networking presence online.

It would certainly be beneficial for both brands and customers for brands to present themselves online in a (no pun intended) fashionable, timely manner.

-Ethan Reynolds
Communication Major

Flagler College

Missing persons? -->social media!

Can social media really help in a missing persons case? Yes! And more people are turning to social media when this tragic event occurs.

There are multiple organizations where their primary focus is to find missing persons. Many of these organizations have created an online presence through the use of social media. For example, Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension currently has a Facebook fan page. They submit posts relating to missing persons and safety tips. When BCA posts information on a missing person, the information will appear in members news feeds. This is such a beneficial way to send out information. There is a lot of controversy on the page, but that is expected when dealing with children and loved ones missing.

Amber Alerts also has a Facebook fan page along with Facebook applications. Amber Alerts have established a reputation on the television and radio but social media is where it is at today. They are sending the message out with the hope of gaining leads.

Not only are established organizations creating Facebook pages, but so are people. The families that have lost a loved one are turning to social media to do the research on their own. For example, when Brittanee Drexel went missing a Facebook page was created. There is over 19,000 members on the page currently. People post their condolences to the family and friends. They also will make posts relating to how much they miss her and wishes of her to come home. Some people will post information on other unsolved missing persons cases. And there is also information and tips on how to protect yourself.

Social media is the best way to reach your audience. And when it comes to heartbreaking cases like a missing person, social media is a favorable outlet to turn to.

--Abby Sessock

Developing Social Network: Foursquare

We all knew Myspace.
Then were introduced to Facebook.
More recently, Twitter came into our lives.


Now, the next social network is here. Foursquare is a location-based social networking game/website/phone application. According to the co-founder Dennis Crowley's personal website, it is service that mixes social, locative and gaming elements to encourage people explore the cities in which they live. (See YouTube clip below!!)


The idea is that users can “check in” to locations using a phone app (iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Palm), sending a text message to ‘50500’, or accessing the website on their mobile browser. The application uses GPS to locate venues near you to check in at. The user can see where their friends are, and the location of the venue. A venue can be anything from an airport, to a bar, to a gym. Users unlock points and badges as they go out and about. Users are able to feed their Foursquare activity through their Twitter or Facebook pages. 







Foursquare is obviously the most popular in bigger cities, and started in 2009 with limited availability in only 100 worldwide metro areas. They are growing at incredible speeds, and have gained a following in the past few months. In January 2010, Foursquare changed their location model to allow check-ins from any location worldwide. As of March 2010, the service had 500,000 users internationally. In the past two weeks alone, they had 100,000 new users (including myself).


Here are some screenshots of the Foursquare app:




This form of social network is fast and new. So, go ahead, "check in"!

Caitlin Brown
http://myamericanjetset.blogspot.com/

Social Media Turnaround

In 2009 Dominos pizza was in trouble. Big trouble. A YouTube video was uploaded that displayed two Dominos' employees mishandling their ingredients and food products. Ever so fast, they became a victim of social media with hundreds of people viewing this video.

Now Dominos has made its effort to turn its image around and completely revamp themselves and their image in multiple ways. First they decided to deliver a social media campaign. Then Dominos decided to change their recipe that they have been using for the past 50 years and use this as the core of their new social media campaign.

The new campaign plan was needed. A change was needed. With 50 years of the same recipe, it is no surprise that in a survey of national restaurant chains that it finished dead last in consumers' taste preference. Then, according to USA Today, in 2009 pizza deliveries were down 6% compared to the previous year.

The new campaign plan, the Pizza Turnaround Campaign, was an excellent tool for Dominos. It allowed instant customer feedback and allowed Dominos to read, review and react right away to the feedback the customers were giving. Online, Dominos was able to launch their new recipe and show a change to its crust, cheeses and sauce. It created a new website, www.pizzaturnaround.com and launched a video documentary on YouTube.

Through social media Dominos encourages its customers to try its new pizza then offer feedback through social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and reaching out to "food" bloggers. Dominos has taken advantages of using social media sites to reach their audiences. They are also really listening to what their customers have to say about their experience with the new pizza. They want feedback, regardless if its positive or negative.

--Rachel Kuhl

Have you been counted?

In a time when so many things can be done electronically and/or online, I found myself wondering how close we were to being able to do the census online. Better yet, would it be possible to count people based on their social media accounts? The answer—not yet. Although everyone is still going to receive a tangible copy of the census in the mail, many of the campaigns being used to bring exposure to the 2010 Census are through the numerous social media outlets. Los Angeles County stands to lose $11,000 for everyone person that is unaccounted for in the census, so community leaders and celebrities have embarked on a new campaign to really grab the attention of young Latinos. Why do people believe their campaign will be more successful than in previous decades? Because their campaign is through Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets. The whole idea behind using social media to obtain interest in filling out the census is not just in troubled areas like L.A. County, but the campaign for the country also includes all the critical social media outlets. That’s right… the 2010 Census has a Twitter account, a Facebook account, YouTube videos, and an online news room. Social media is everywhere and obtaining information about the 2010 Census is too, so if you’re reading this and you haven’t been “accounted for” yet… go do so. For more information-click here.


--Meghan Smith