Marketing Blog

Rumors are circulating that Robot Chicken, an Emmy Award-winning show on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, could be cancelled after the fall season. I couldn’t find any confirmation that Adult Swim will pull the plug on the popular, sketch comedy series written by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, but perhaps the show has reached its peak audience.

The title of the show implies a childish premise, but it appeals to the 25-40 -year old market. It’s a compilation of parodies and sketches that combine late 70’s and 80s references with pop culture (I.E. President Bush dreaming about being Luke Skywalker and Optimus Prime of Transformers performing a prostate cancer Public Service Announcement). Regardless of the rumor’s validity, It’s a valuable lesson in marketing. As Nick at Nite learned. You can only gear your product to a niche audience,for so long before it needs some revising and tweaking to preserve its appeal.

We’ll keep you posted on the latest developments.

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Last week Mei-Li Thomas reminded me that social media marketing is a journey that has many twists and turns. Traveling paths that have yet to be explored can be an exciting adventure. What’s around the river’s bend can also be uncertain and at times a bit scary. Is it any wonder that brand managers quiver at the thought of quickly making sense of concepts that are untried and unpredictable? From pay per post to character blogs to how to measure to ROI to blogger relations from micro blogging to vlogs to RSS and social networking .. this industry is spinning as fast as people can imagine how to incorporate the next new idea into a marketing strategy that continues and supports The Conversation. But there’s more .. the benefits that build relationships across miles and cultures. As my friend CK said in her inspiring speech at Blogger Social this spring - The lesson that social media has taught me? Now that we’re all connected and empowered to easily share our views and viewpoints, the world isn’t getting flatter…it’s getting smaller. In a career or in a life less traveled, Mei-Li believes there are people, she calls Connectors, who help you navigate “because we know life isn’t a straight shot.” In her young career social media has helped her find several people. Last week she made my world a little smaller and a little bigger by honoring me as one of her Connectors. As part of her Road Map Series Mei-Li’… Continue to read more…

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[Posted by Laura Ramos] In a recent survey of over 2100 IT professionals who buy or recommend telecom and networking solutions, we found buyers turn to peers and colleagues first, followed by vendor, industry trade, or professional Web sites, to… Continue to read more…

[Posted by Steven Noble] This week, we move to our new digs near Darling Harbour. Tower 2, Level 21, 201 Sussex St Sydney, 2000, NSW, Australia Tel: +61 (2) 9006 3325 Fax: +61 (2) 9006 1010 View Larger Map Continue to read more…

This is one of those cases where I wish I wasn’t saying, "I told you so." Evidently, my hunch that eBay could was facing financial struggles was an accurate assessment. According to Bloomberg,  the online auction site will lay off approximately 10 percent of its staff .

The job cuts will cost EBay $70 million to $80 million pretax, most of which will be recorded in the fourth quarter.EBay was unchanged at $18.94 at 8:20 a.m. before the Nasdaq Stock Market opened. The shares dropped 43 percent this year before today.  EBay has lowered or removed most upfront fees for listings on its namesake auction site to boost the number of items being sold and defend market share from Amazon.com Inc., the world’s largest online retailer.

I also noticed that eBay is putting a cap on sellers’ shipping fees. I assume this move was in response to the growing complaints  that many items couldn’t be considered "deals" after high shipping costs were factored in.

There may be a glimpse of hope for eBay’s future: as Americans become more desperate for quick cash, many may consider eBay their best option to generate extra cash for bills and monthly expenses.

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Social Media Group and Livingston Communications joined forces today to create - drum roll please - North America’s largest independent social media marketing and communications firm. Update: Sorry for any confusion Social Media Group purchased Livingston Communications. The company name will remain Social Media Group. Maggie Fox will continue as CEO and Geoff Livingston will assume the position of EVP Americas. While it’s exciting to see the talented founders and dear friends, Maggie Fox (SMG) and Geoff Livingston (LC) creating a new dance for the social marketing industry, what is even more important is the signal that the venture sends. 1. Clients need agencies that understand the space and can help them navigate this new environment. Social media marketing needs a different skill set than traditional marketing. 2. Social media marketing is not a here today gone tomorrow fad. 3. Social media marketing is a credible marketing strategy. Sure it will evolve with the times and changes in technology. Girlfriend, the conversation is not going away .. bet you a dirty martini on that one! Inquiring minds want to know .. Maggie and Geoff kindly agreed to a Diva Mini Interview where they tell us what makes a great social media marketing agency, their view points on social media marketing and their vision for SMG. Toby/Diva Marketing: What makes a great social media marketing and communications firm? Maggie Fox: Honestly? The people. We have an incredibly strong team of passionate social media evangelists with - and this is the important… Continue to read more…