Brand Republic Blogs

Twitter gives brands lead generation with new cards External website

by @gordonmacmillan, 22/05/2013

Twitter has announced an addition to its Twitter Cards today to allow marketers to generate leads and drive purchases and all within the space of a tweet.

It is a significant move that brings the ability for Twitter users to easily leave their contact details within expanded tweets, called the Lead Generation Card, to express interest in what a brand is offering.

by Charlotte Henry, 22/05/2013

Many businesses try and engage user and demonstrate their expertise via running chats over Twitter. These are on a chosen topic, and curated and followed by a pre-assigned #hashtag.

Twitter chats can be a very useful way of networking and community building for those involved, however they are also easy to miss. While you can read the conversation back, this clearly limits the interactivity and value of the conversation.

by NABS, 22/05/2013

Words by Alistair Proctor, Creative careers coach at NABS

Recent issues of Campaign have both celebrated Patrick Collister’s appointment and examined why older creatives have such a hard time of it. Here is an example of age securing a plumb job as head of design in a youth dominated business. For me however, it wasn’t the fact that he’s been hired as an older creative that struck me, it was that I’ve always known Patrick not as an art director, or in this case a designer, but as a copywriter. He is also a very effective Creative Director and I imagine that that is why he’s been hired.

by @gordonmacmillan, 22/05/2013

Interesting research here from the research from the Pew Research Center points to how Twitter isn’t perceived by some teens as a social network in the same way as Facebook or LinkedIn.

by Daniel Domberger, 22/05/2013

There are three ways to look at Yahoo’s $1.1bn acquisition of photo-blogging service Tumblr. You can view it as a considered strategic move to evolve Yahoo and give it a slice of social media.

by Dave Henderson, 22/05/2013

For anyone who grew up during the 70’s and 80’s, the continued digital revolution is staggering to behold. Each new development brings us more wonderful experiences, with amazing freedom, at a hitherto unimaginable speed. But for the next generation, my 12 year old daughter included, nothing has changed.

by @gordonmacmillan, 21/05/2013

A useful study here from the ‘Pew Research Center’ taking a look at the demographic make-up of US social media users across Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook. No data on LinkedIn of Google+, but great stats all the same.

by Sarah Todd, 21/05/2013

Technological innovations are everywhere, and while we may hear about a number of fascinating new developments, few will actually truly define the future of retail. Considering the changing landscape, technology is irrelevant if you don’t first understand both the behaviours and motivations of consumers in a hyper-connected, multi-channel world.

by Polly Becker, 21/05/2013

It has been just over a year this week since Facebook’s IPO and this infographic takes a timely look back at some of the milestones that the social network has racked up along the way.

by Lol and Nat, 21/05/2013

Apologies in advance for what may be a darker post than usual. Dark, but in some way practical, I hope.

Yesterday a friend and co-member of the DDC* and I hit upon a realisation. At the risk of sounding curmudgeonly, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way to magically edit those bits of the internet that remind you of things you’d rather not be reminded of? Banners, Facebook ASUs, emails, etc.

by @gordonmacmillan, 21/05/2013

On the same day Yahoo confirmed its acquisition of Tumblr, and promised not to “screw it up”, it announced an over haul of Flickr the photo sharing service it screwed up over a number of years.

by Dave Trott, 21/05/2013

In 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait.
By 1991 it escalated into what became known as The First Gulf War.
Kuwait couldn’t be allowed to just fall into the hands of a military dictator.
Everyone was outraged.
Kuwait would have to be invaded.
Iraq would have to be thrown out.

by Christian Baker, 21/05/2013

I’m sure you’ve all seen a Vine, the six second looping images have been widely embraced by brands across social media. Some have got it completely right with well thought out directed mini movies whilst others just post content and hope for the best. A potential use for Vine, which has gone mostly unnoticed so far, is it’s potential use in Citizen Journalism.

by Andy Nairn, 20/05/2013

Everybody’s heard of the code-crackers of Bletchley Park. The boffins at this Buckinghamshire mansion were responsible for British Intelligence’s biggest breakthrough of all time and were instrumental in turning World War II in the Allies’ favour. They deciphered the Germans’ infamous Enigma code, were hailed by Churchill as “the geese that laid the golden eggs but never cackled” and have been immortalised in several blockbuster movies and books.

by Jonathan Staines, 20/05/2013

Can I tell you about my local fish and chip shop? It’s excellent. The quality of their product is superb. The staff are friendly, helpful and seemingly loyal to their employer. The shop is always busy – it’s a thriving business. But get this. Amazingly, Mr Fish doesn’t have brand values. And what’s more – they don’t appear to need them. So, my question is this. Brand values – what’s the point?

by @gordonmacmillan, 20/05/2013

The UK Independence Party is looking to exploit divisions in the Conservative Party with an ad campaign launched today.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage has sent a rallying cry to disaffected Tories to join his party’s growing ranks as the Conservatives fight over Europe and gay marriage.

by Ardi Kolah, 17/05/2013

Defamatory video must be removed from the internet rules Ireland's High Court in an action against Facebook, YouTube and Google that could open the floodgates to fresh litigation against the internet giants

Tablets are plane sailing for publishers External website

by John Carroll, 17/05/2013

On a recent aeroplane flight, I looked around the cabin and all I saw were people absorbed in their smartphones and tablets of all shapes and sizes. There was even the awfully named cross breed device called the phablet. Well, it is either a phone or it isn’t and, anyway, I think it would be much more fun to call it a tablerone. The latest National Readership Survey (NRS) estimates that 53% of British adults now use a smartphone and 31% use a tablet, with the latter enjoying an incredible 246% increase in just 12 months.

by Jonathan Staines, 16/05/2013

My three-year old daughter has discovered swearing. Three-year old style swearing. Somehow she has discovered that ‘poo’ is different from other words and so occasionally, when you ask what she’d like for tea or what she wants on her toast, she’ll tell you ‘poo’. And then she waits for a reaction. She knows there should be one.

by Mark Barber, 16/05/2013

The news this morning is that Google is launching a music streaming subscription service called Google Play Music All Access to compete with the likes of Spotify and Microsoft’s Xbox Music. Initially to launch in the US, the Android based service will soon be rolled out in the UK and other countries.