360DigitalInfluence

National Wear Red Day at Ogilvy PR

If you haven’t realized it by now - RED is one of our favorite colors here at Ogilvy. Not only does it represent our brand and our company mentality, but it also stands for a cause close to our hearts (no pun intended).

Heart disease is the #1 Killer of Women - It is the goal of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI) Heart Truth campaign and Ogilvy to build awareness and provide resources for individuals, especially women who are less aware of their top health risk, to help reduce their risk of heart disease. (disclosure:  The Heart Truth® is an Ogilvy PR client).

While this is a year long issue, we make it a point to call out the importance of heart disease awareness every February, during American Heart Month (think of it as the friendly reminder you need to keep your healthy habits going after the hype of New Year’s resolutions dies down…), starting with National Wear Red Day®.

So for Friday, February 5th (yes, that’s tomorrow) we have a call out to the digital nation - show up in  red tomorrow & show your support of heart disease awareness. continue reading

2009, defined by the deep recession, forced consumer brands to do more with much less.  However, this stressful environment drove  marketers to try non-traditional and less expensive channels, fostering the development of some unique engagement programs in social media.  In this series of posts, I’ll revisit a few of the more interesting campaigns from the past year and explain how these programs can guide our 2010 engagement strategies.

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Facebook has undoubtedly become one of the most influential social media platforms a brand can leverage. It can be a powerful tool when used effectively and with corporations, non-profits, celebrities joining in on the fun, it is paramount that you find a way to stand out and be noticed. Setting up a Facebook page is a given, what matters now is your commitment to the value-exchange between you and your target audience. Taking the time to figure out how you can raise the bar and deliver a unique experience will set you apart from the rest. This post will tell you how to do it… continue reading

If I’m reading the signs correctly Facebook is preparing an major applications push, trying to make them more attractive to developers with monetization and promotion: will it work?

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Over the last year, location-based social networks such as Foursquare, Gowalla and Brightkite have exploded among early adopters. It’s no question—with increasing adoption of smart phone usage, location-based social networks are rising in popularity every day.

Recently covered in GigaOM, CNN, Ad Age and The New York Times, Foursquare is currently one of the most buzzed about location-based mobile social networks. Intel and Ogilvy recently used Foursquare to drive traffic to and create buzz around Intel’s offline events and activities at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month.

For CES, Intel created a branded Foursquare page, featuring locations where Intel had activity and tips for Las Vegas visitors. Intel also rewarded check-in’s to key events with branded badges, paired with the chance to win an Intel-powered netbook for all badge recipients.

This exclusive collaboration allowed Intel to track and build relationships with online influencers active on Foursquare at CES. With more than 400 cumulative check-in’s to Intel-affiliated locations and events, the collaboration was a breakout success and proved to be an interesting event-based model for brands looking to work with Foursquare.

We interviewed Tristan Walker, head of business development at Foursquare, to learn more about their vision for what’s to come for brands, businesses and Foursquare.

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In his famous visit to the Galapagos Islands, Charles Darwin developed a theory suggesting a link between the environment and evolution. He cataloged the incredible biodiversity of plant and animal life and the unique evolutionary quirks that allows these creatures to thrive.

B2B Marketers are sometimes considered to be behind the evolutionary curve of most digital trends when compared to their B2C brethren.  But like Darwin’s turtles in the Galapagos, the B2B Marcom species is evolving in this space because the social web environment happens to be extraordinarily well suited for their needs as they work to build trust, generate and convert leads, and provide a mechanism for sustained engagement.

Here’s how… continue reading

It seems odd to critique a program that just gave $5,000,000 to non-profits, but that’s exactly what I’m about to do. The Chase Community Challenge ended on Friday with some happy people and more controversy. You’re connected to the Challenge if you ever dated someone in high school who was a friend of a friend who went on to be the cousin of a guy’s college roommate who started a non-profit. Such connections earned you dozens of emails, facebook messages and tweets begging for your vote. As much as I appreciate Chase donating so much money to so many non-profits (100 were whittled down from 5,000) and as much as I don’t actually mind voting for people who ask me, there was a misfire here. The non-profits that enter these contests must be happy or things tend to go poorly. Remember: they’re more than purveyors of positive sentiment, they’re also the loudest when they feel wronged or unhappy. You have to leave them happy and moneygrabs aren’t the best way to do that.
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Over the next few months, be on the lookout for Friday posts about Facebook news, trends, and tools. Today I get my feet wet with three hot tips on this week’s Facebook news. continue reading

 ‘Don’t text and drive, it is equal to having four drinks and driving,’ - Oprah Winfrey.

I’d be lying if I claimed to have never texted, tweeted or posted anything while driving – but Oprah asked me to stop, and when Oprah speaks, people listen, so I’ve pledged to make my car a No Phone Zone. Have you?

For those of us who work within the digital mediascape, being plugged-in 24/7 has become the norm. We’ve adapted to the rushing wave of progress and now we connect and communicate faster, in real-time, with the latest mobile devices via text messaging, emails and social networks, all while on the move. However, there is a responsibility that comes with these new capabilities. It’s one thing to get busted for tweeting during a meeting, but it’s undeniable; texting, tweeting or posting while driving is a risky habit that could end up hurting more than just you. 

Don’t contribute to the perils of progress. Embrace the opportunity that digital and mobile technology creates, but please be responsible. Take the pledge.

• 71 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 49 admit they text or talk on the phone while they drive.
• 500,000 people are injured and 6,000 are killed each year because drivers are talking, texting and e-mailing behind the wheel.
• Most European countries ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving, but not all U.S. states have laws restricting texting and driving. So far, 19 states and the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving.

Read about the consequences of distracted driving here.