Facebook, Human Rights Groups Side With YouTube Against Viacom http://bit.ly/lEUShv

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In 2007, Viacom, the media conglomerate that owns, among other properties, MTV, Comedy Central, and Paramount Pictures, filed suit against YouTube.com, citing copyright infringement. Their argument was that YouTube, which is owned by Google, wasn’t doing enough to prevent users from posting copyrighted material owned by Viacom on the site.

Google’s defense was base on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which provides protection for website and ISP owners who provide the ability for users to post material for viewing on the web. Under the law, companies cannot be held liable for copyrighted material posted by their users, and are protected from lawsuits by the copyright owners.

Last year, a federal court ruled in Google’s favor. Viacom, which is asking for over $1 billion dollars in damages, quickly appealed to the Supreme Court, calling the lower court’s decision fundamentally flawed.

Last week, Google issued a 107 page argument against the appeal and, in addition, brought a number of big guns from the internet, copyright organizations, and human rights groups along with them, among them Facebook, Ebay, Yahoo, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Human Rights Watch, reporters Without Borders, the National Venture Capital Association, and others, along with 44 law professors who specialize in copyright and internet law.

The groups’ arguments in defense of Google and YouTube cover a wide range of internet, information, and copyright issues, from a number of different perspectives. Facebook, Ebay, and Yahoo argue that “safe harbor has succeeded in achieving its legislative purpose of promoting innovative services and of encouraging copyright holders and services providers to work together to combat copyright infringement.” The EFF, meanwhile emphasizes the possible hampering of freedom of expression and innovation.

Human Rights Watch and other groups stress the importance of social networking sites and other new media platforms as “important tools for promotion of human rights” and that “important global developments [such as the protest movement in the Middle East] depend directly on preserving the effective safe harbor Congress” created with the DMCA.

Fans Can Create Callaway Golf Ads for ESPN.com - Click here for full article http://bit.ly/hEuAqy

Click here for full article http://bit.ly/hEuAqy

One of the newest trends in media, user-generated content, is starting to sweep the ad world. This month, Callaway Golf began allowing golf fans the chance to create and submit an ad they can post on ESPN.com, as well as on their Facebook walls. Callaway Golf is not the first company to offer their customers this feature, they're one of a growing number of brands including Saab Automobile who believe that user-generated content is the wave of the future. While the benefits of having a free ad created for you are obvious, there are even greater benefits to this strategy that may not be immediately apparent. One of the biggest of these is the idea that people tend to choose products and services based on the recommendations of friends and family, regardless of expert opinion. In the age of digital television and the internet, consumers are faced with a massive amount of choice in the marketplace on nearly every product or service they'll ever buy. The problem for advertisers is that, with this many options, each individual advertising message becomes lost in the crowd. Because of this fact, advertisers are increasingly turning to user-generated or "hyperlocal" content. It's really a brilliant move, especially when combined with social networking. It's easy to comprehend the potential of this strategy if you think of a social group of people as its own miniature market. If you use the loyalty of your brand's fans to create user-generated content that will have an increased impact within their respective social circles or "markets", this can ultimately add up to real-world market dominance. While large brands such as Saab and Callaway are certainly benefiting from this strategy, smaller companies may be able to use it to even greater effect. One of the major hurdles for a small business to overcome on its way to becoming a major player is simple brand recognition. There aren't many small firms with the advertising budget to run a major network tv ad or buy space in national publications, but one of the best features of user-generated, social networking campaigns is that they cost almost nothing. The first thing to do is to set the guidelines for what type of content you'd like your fans to create, and then spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, and your own website. You'll be surprised at the results!

Winning Over The Generation Z Consumers - Click here http://bit.ly/hDOIKD for full article

click here http://bit.ly/hDOIKD for full article

Generation Z has a whole new set of challenges a company must adapt to if it plan to survive and thrive as this new generation of consumers come of age. Generation Z covers people born around 1992 until 2010. The teenagers are already demonstrating that the strategies for Gen X and Gen Y aren't going to be sufficient. Fortunately they are sending a clear message about what will work.

Smartphones

Almost all teenagers own one and texting is an art form they have mastered. A complete marketing campaign means a texting component is a must. Remember to keep the adds short and to the point. Most will read the text message through even if they delete it. Make it memorable and your product will have a positive advantage when they are making a buying decision.

Social Media

Most of Generation Z has a Facebook account despite most being too young to sign up under the Terms of Service agreement.. They are there connecting with each other and sharing their opinions about anything and everything If they aren't in Facebook, they are on Twitter doing the exact same thing. If your company isn't taking advantage of the Facebook and Twitter buttons on your blogs and websites, you're missing an important way to appeal to Generation Z. A fan page in Facebook and a Twitter account are now as important as has having phone number.

Product Over Brand

Gone are the days when having a positive brand image was enough to increase sales. This doesn't mean you can ignore branding, a bad image is just as detrimental with Generations Z as it is with every generation that came before. Specific product marketing is crucial with Generation Z. Just because they love their MacBook Pro doesn't mean they will buy an iPod when they need an MP3 player. Brand loyalty is fleeting at best. Each purchasing decision is based on the merits of the product and input they have received from other Generations Zers.

One of the nice things about Generation Z is that they are as easily engaged by a smaller company as they are by a larger one. In some cases, being a smaller company may actually be an advantage when going head to head for their business with a larger conglomerate. Appealing to Generation Z with these strategies is the first step to winning over this new generation of consumers.

Google Goes Cold on Hotpot, Shutters the Standalone App - Click here http://bit.ly/euP5aN for full article

Click here http://bit.ly/euP5aN for full article

With the popularity of social, and location-based applications, like Yelp, FourSquare and GoWalla, it is not surprise that larger tech companies would hop on the bandwagon. Enter Google's social recommendations platform called, HotPot. But after a very short time of testing the waters with the HotPot website and dedicated mobile app, both the site and app began to be phased out.

For those unfamiliar with the project, HotPot was a social recommendations program intended on competing with Facebook and Yelp. In a nutshell, you could go to the HotPot web page, select local businesses or landmarks, write mini-reviews and post them on a variety of social media sites. For a short while, there was also a stand-alone application that was available on both iPhone and Android-based mobile devices. The application was similar to the web version of HotPot, but with a few minor differences.

To be fair, the HotPot website and application didn't completely peter out. In fact, many of HotPot's functions can still be found on the Google Places website, and in the Android Places application. Still, the company is constantly negotiating its place in order to stay competitive in the social recommendations space, which has been catapulted by the likes of Yelp and FourSquare. Incidentally, the multi-million search engine company unsuccessfully attempted to buy Yelp in early 2010.

Though many may be confused by the disappearance of HotPot in the social networking space, Google has pitched the move as a measure to consolidate their social offerings. They are actually calling the restructuring of HotPot into Places a "graduation" of sorts, which actually isn't very far off. Consolidating the many features of HotPot into the Places application is a step in the right direction. The good news is that the recommendations platform is alive and well for small business marketing. More and more small to mid-sized companies are using the Places platform as a means to garner attention from potential customers, and it's actually working.

AP Orders "Tweet Out" - Click here http://bit.ly/ggn9oc for full article

Click here http://bit.ly/ggn9oc for full article

Representatives of the News Media Guild have reportedly called for a ban on tweeting by Associated Press reporters in a move that starkly illustrates just how far reaching recent advancements in social media really are.

An excerpt from the News Media Guild reads: “Don’t post Tweets or Facebook any links to any AP stories. This is only for those NOT required to tweet as part of their job,”

"We're trying to basically communicate through social media the unity of our group in trying to negotiate a fair contract with AP," said Winton, an AP reporter.

AP reporters are usually under no obligation to post their news stories via social media at all; it is not a part of their job description. The extra work is done as a means of drumming up readership and as a general sign of goodwill on the part of reporters. Because participation in social media isn't typically outlined in the contract of a reporter the AP is using it as a type of bargaining chip in negotiations. A blackout on tweeting by will likely not result in lowered readership, it's more of a publicity stunt than anything else. AP news is tweeted by many different sources in addition to the reporters themselves.

The AP has been in negotiations since January and in a memo stated: “Since January, we have said at the negotiating table and in our notes to the field that this change must be enacted soon if we are to fund the projects AP needs to maintain our market position and to prevent further erosion of our revenue. External competition to our news business remains fierce, and we must have the cash to be able to maintain our competitive advantage.”

The Associated Press has recently admitted that costs will need to be cut in order for the AP to remain competitive in the modern news environment.

Companies asked Interns to Apply Via Social Media - Click here http://bit.ly/eBgDak for full article

Click here http://bit.ly/eBgDak for full article

Employers are frequently researching job candidates through the Internet. We have all heard the horror stories of people who were denied jobs or fired because of Internet faux pas. This summer, 30 startups will leverage the growing popularity of the Internet to their advantage and require summer interns to apply through social media.

Startups focus more on company culture because they are usually smaller and moving very quickly. Not only will this type of application process allow them to exclude anyone that does not fit with their office culture, the companies will be able to choose candidates who demonstrate their skills and potential most effectively. These companies expect interns to be on the cutting edge, with knowledge of the latest trends on the Internet and technology. Such companies are seeking creative young minds who are able to think outside of the box in fast-paced settings. Typical resumes and cover letters do not usually display a candidate's creativity or critical thinking skills, which is why many companies are using this content-rich format for applications. Social media applications are open-ended. It is up to the applicant to determine what will most impress the management.

Non-traditional job applications may take several formats. Some applications will be entirely essays, others will contain digital art, and many applications will include video. The most creative applications are likely to use a combination of these techniques. Because startups require workers to be able to work independently and self-motivate, free-form applications give potential employers a sneak peak at how that potential employee is likely to perform if hired. Social media applications instantly display an intern's ability to write, speak publicly, perform, think creatively, entertain and solve problems. Employers can also get an idea of how a candidate may be able to use his or her own network to promote a brand. Traditional applications do not even come close to accessing that amount of information about a candidate and putting it on display for the potential employer.

Google's Travel Acquisition Is Good For Individuals And Small Businesses - Click here http://bit.ly/hWJdgs for full article

Click here http://bit.ly/hWJdgs for full article

The Justice Department has approved what many are calling “Google's travel acquisition.” In July of last year, Google announced it would buy ITA Software. ITA is a leader in air travel search and air travel shopping online technology. Their search engine in is called Matrix, while their shopping system is named QPX. Many airlines and online travel sites have licensed these products.

The Department of Justice examined the deal to ensure there were no antitrust issues involved with Google's acquisition. After 8 months of study the deal was approved with a number of stipulations. The DOJ Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust Division, Joseph Wayland, said the stipulations are designed to ensure there will continue to be fair competition in the online air travel industry after Google takes over ITA Software.

Among the requirements put forth by the Justice Department, Google must continue to license these products to companies that may compete with any future applications Google may develop for air travel search and shopping. The DOJ felt that without such stipulations, the consumer would eventually have suffered from limited choices in price and where to buy airline tickets.

A number of experts have voiced their support for the acquisition. Arthur Frommer, founder of the famous Frommer's Travel Guide, said that the online air travel and search industry “needs Google to straighten things out.” Travel industry analyst, Henry Hartevelt, believes that integrating Matrix and QPX into Google search will lead to a much better experience for the consumer because they will receive “more specific, actionable information.”

Many individuals and small businesses prefer to book their travel online rather than engaging a travel agent. The time spent researching flights and prices within a specific time-frame can add up very quickly. Each travel site visited requires the user to input all the details about the trip they intend to take including dates, departure and destination cities and time of day they wish to travel. Comparing prices on several sites means repeating the process several times. The reason so many industry experts are in favor of this deal is that these steps can all be combined in a single search from the main Google search page. Prices and schedules for flights from different travel sites will appear from a single search and this can make arranging travel much more efficient and cost effective for individuals and smaller businesses with limited travel budgets.

Can Social Media Take Over Search? Click here http://bit.ly/h51vvG to read more! What do you think? #NMP

Click here http://bit.ly/h51vvG to read full article!

In the past, the big way to advertise your business has typically been to optimize your web content for a se arch. Customers looking for something you provide typically use a search engine to find your service on the web, and being up higher on the returned search list, especially on Google, has been the biggest boon to e-marketers yet. However, with more and more people using social media services like Facebook to communicate with one another, advertisers and marketers have begun finding ways to actively market their products and services directly to people who are likely to use them.

Social media definitely has its advantages over search optimization, the first being brand loyalty. Customers who typically buy from a company who offers their product or service online once are likely to use the same company again if their experience was good enough. If you have not done so already,  download our Case Study we published for “Opportunities with Social Media For Public Companies.” Often times a web service can start a social media page in order to advertise their wares, and even provide incentive for previous customers to return, such as discounts or coupons. This is also a good way to monitor what kind of numbers you are getting as far as not only customers, but potential customers, as they will likely hang around your social media page waiting for discount codes, sales and other goodies, something a search engine cannot do.

However, this is mostly dependent on having a customer base already subscribing to your social media assets (profiles), although sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn theoretically provide content geared towards the consumer. These can be useful in creating new customer relationships, but the strongest leads for new customers will come from a well executed social media marketing campaign, and/or still going to come from optimizing your web presence for search engines.

So while social media has made bounds towards increasing the amount of commerce a given company receives online, it clearly works better in the context of bringing return business around. Using this strategy in conjunction with using social media to keep repeat business is likely the optimal model a company would wish to pursue online.

While great successes have been built on both search optimization and social media alone, most solid business models will now include both strategies in order to attain and keep business. Alone, each is a powerful tool in its own right, but used together in the correct manner, they form a more powerful business strategy that will keep customers, both new and returning, flowing to your website.

 

If you have been interested in social media give us a call, we can help answer any questions you might have. You can start by reviewing our Social Media page on NewMediaPlus.Com.

Facebook Pulled into a trademark Debate Between Two Spas - Click here http://bit.ly/eJvLTz to view full article

Traditionally, if a business opened close enough to another business to be in competition for customers, it was legally barred from using the same trademarked name. But if there were sufficient geographic distance between the businesses, there would be no trademark infringement.

Like so much in modern life, though, this is a legal issue that is being reexamined due to the impact of the Internet.

In 2008, Complexions Spa in Albany, New York created a Facebook page, which eventually garnered it approximately 1,000 Facebook fans.

However there was already a spa with a similar name—Complexions Day Spa in Seal Beach, California. Complexions Day Spa complained to Facebook that Complexions in Albany was getting undeserved attention and business through its use of an already trademarked name, and demanded that its Facebook page be taken down.
There seems little merit to Complexion Day Spa’s complaint, since the two businesses are not competing for the same customers, however Facebook did what websites nearly always do when there’s the slightest chance of their becoming implicated in a legal wrong, and it immediately acceded to Complexions Day Spa’s demands.

The irony though is that Facebook’s safety-first strategy designed to avoid litigation has resulted in its being sued, for Complexions of Albany didn’t take the removal lying down. It went to United States District Court to demand its Facebook page back, alleging that the deletion has resulted in “lost sales and marketing potential.” In addition it alleges that Complexions Day Spa engaged in deceptive practices of its own, sending “friend requests” to those listed as fans of the Albany-based Complexions.

Most observers believe the lawsuit has little or no chance of success. Facebook has a First Amendment right to decide whether to allow Complexions to express itself through a Facebook page or not. Furthermore, Congress has separately immunized websites from just this kind of liability arising from their “filtering” decisions.

Are there any lessons that small businesses can take from this dispute? Actually several, though bear in mind that the situation is fluid, and the law and/or common practice could easily change:

One, trademark issues no longer have the geographic limits they used to, so don’t think you can’t raise a complaint, or have a complaint raised against you, just because you and another business are not located close to each other.

Two, Facebook is quick to relent if anyone raises a concern that something it is doing or allowing may open it up to legal liability. As long as a complaint has at least some minimal plausibility, a business can pressure Facebook to delete another business’s page. Though on the other hand, perhaps a business could avoid having its page removed by putting equal or more pressure on Facebook. So if Facebook takes down your page for dubious reasons, or threatens to, you can fight back.

Three, if you ever were to get into a dispute with Facebook that went to court, you’re unlikely to prevail. The Constitution and federal law both appear to give Facebook an almost total prerogative over what expression it does or doesn’t allow on its website.

Click here http://bit.ly/eJvLTz to view full article

Foursquare and American Express Get Together - Click here for full article http://bit.ly/i3023K

Foursquare users will now get a boost to their check outs when they check in with their mobile apps. American Express is teaming with the location based service to offer discounts to Foursquare users. Subscribers to Foursquare can gain points and badges when they visit certain places with their GPS – enabled phones and other mobile devices. The partnership will begin with a trial of about 60 retailers in the Austin, TX area with plans to roll out nationwide.

For American Express card holders, they must pre register their cards with the service before they start receiving offers. The partnership is part of the future of mobile payments; customers paying for their purchases with their mobile phone. American Express partner merchants may be able to use the service to create targeted offers to their customers. Eventually, the service may eliminate the need to preregister, saving time for both retailers and customers.

Foursquare is looking for ways to monetize its popular service. Users check in through the mobile application at different locations. Frequent visitors can become “mayors” of different locations. The service started in 2009 and had over 6 million registered users as of January 2011. While largely pioneering the location based check in system, it now faces challenges from competitors like Gowalla and Facebook Places. The latter presents a unique problem due to its large user base and brand identity. By linking themselves to the purchase, Foursquare can become a additional layer to credit card transactions.

The initial trial will consist of “Spend $5, Save $5”-discounts at the “Southwest Interactive Festival”, a convention for technology start up businesses. Retailers can also push offers out to customers through their mobile devices. The increased access to customers is obvious, but checking-in by card alone is not in the plans yet. Users will still need to check in through the Foursquare app before they receive the offer.

Small businesses should benefit significantly from the partnership. The lure of collecting Foursquare badges and mayor titles can increase foot traffic by an observable amount. Targeted discounts, such as combination discounts that register after a customer has checked in at two or more locations, can increase the purchases of current customers. Potential customers can be alerted to deals once they check in, increasing their tendency to purchase at the location.

Click here for full article http://bit.ly/i3023K

Players Network Announces the Launch of New Social Media Strategy "PNTV Connect" http://yhoo.it/h8L1do To View PNTV's Social Meida Assets Here - http://bit.ly/fYGH9e

Players Network Announces the Launch of New Social Media Strategy "PNTV Connect" http://yhoo.it/h8L1do To View PNTV's Social Meida Assets Here - http://bit.ly/fYGH9e

Players Network (OTCBB:PNTV - News), the leading Television and Digital Media Network dedicated to Las Vegas Entertainment and the Gaming Lifestyle today announced the launch of a social media strategy and redesign of its corporate website.

Players Network worked with top social media agency, New Media Plus, Inc., to develop "PNTV Connect," a website that delivers constantly updated sets of social media assets; one for corporate communication with shareholders and potential investors and the second for general information about the company's products and/or services. Both sets of media assets offer company and industry blogs, newsletters, press releases, new video releases and access to the company's special VIP events and offers.

Players Network CEO Mark Bradley said, "We feel it makes perfect sense to use social media to continually inform our investors and followers. The new media sector is changing rapidly and Players Network is busy executing on our new business ventures, including our new web video platform launch with social community dynamics. I think our shareholders and followers will appreciate the frequent and real time updates with the company."

Along with the company's new social media platform, the company has also launched a complete redesign of the corporate website to allow for more information exchange with shareholders.

"We are very excited to work with a company like Players Network who understands the massive paradigm shift from traditional advertising to new and social media platforms. Players Network is a forward thinking company that will greatly benefit from engaged social media campaigns," said Brett H. Pojunis, CEO of New Media Plus.

To join PNTV Connect click on this link: www.playersnetwork.info/about/pntv-connect/