Twitter Trying to Cut Down on Trolls
Even as Facebook is still trying to dig itself out of a deep well of consumer distrust, competitive social media platform Twitter is taking an aggressive approach to cleaning up one aggravating aspect of its user experience: trolls. According to recent reports in Reuters, Twitter unveiled a new strategy for denouncing internet “trolls.” The company plans to employ behavioral analysis signals to “identify harassers” and “limit their visibility.” This is an interesting move for a platform that has been known as pretty much an ‘anything goes’ environment for speech since it was founded in 2006. Twitter trolling is so common that late night talk shows have bits lampooning how outrageously mean people often are on the platform. But, because Twitter…
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Fox and NYT Team up to Report the News?
If the media consumer marketplace, blogosphere, and social media can be believed, the viewers of Fox and readers of the New York Times practically live in different universes. While millions consume content from both media sources, and many others, diehard fans of either source will insist theirs is the “real” news, and the other source is a major purveyor of “fake” news. Given those cultural assumptions, it was a bit of a surprise for many, recently, when it was announced that The New York Times and 21st Century Fox will be working together to air a weekly news program. The show, aptly called, “The Weekly,” will be produced by The Times and aired by FX and Hulu. According to promotional…
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Can Walmart Cash in on India
Anytime a company or brand wants to open a new market somewhere they have not previously been, there will some cultural hurdles to get over. This is especially true when that new market is in a foreign country or a developing economy … or both. The nature of these markets creates a challenging communications scenario for all involved.
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Girls Scouts Promote Their Brand as “First Choice”
The Girl Scouts of the USA has a big problem on their hands. Sure, everyone still loves their cookies, and many, many girls still appreciate the program… But these are still troubling times for the GSA.
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CSR Done Well: Brands Who Have Taken a Stand Effectively
The idea of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not new, though it has seen a bit of a resurgence in recent years, thanks, in large part, to the direct connection between brands and consumers on social media. CSR is undoubtedly a powerful opportunity to promote one’s brand while also making a difference in the local community and the world. It’s a chance for a corporation to draw a line in the sand and take on a difficult issue that really matters. In some cases, CSR can even be a vehicle to increase brand value, strengthen market share and solve nagging business challenges. But, of course, there’s another side to this powerful sword. The birth of CSR in the United States…
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Avengers Is More Than a Movie for Disney
For ten years, Disney has been producing and promoting superhero movies, a massive, interlaced project that connected multiple brands and storylines across an ever-expanding universe. Now, that decade-long project is coming to fruition as “Avengers: Infinity War” has been released. For the first time ever, Marvel fans will get to see all their movie favorites on screen, in the same movie, at the same time. And the anticipation for this film could not be higher.
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Armstrong Settles for $5 Million
There was a time when Lance Armstrong was sports royalty, as much of a sponsorship “sure-thing” as there was in sports. Many businesses, including the US Postal Service, bet big on Armstrong and his Livestrong brand based on that certified return.
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Bed Bath and Beyond Dealing with Poor Outlook
It’s been a rough few years for major American retail stores. From Sears and Kmart, to JC Penney, Toys R Us, and many others, the changing consumer marketplace has led to downsizing, store closings and bankruptcy. The latest retailer that seems to be floundering is Bed, Bath & Beyond. The home goods retailer saw a drop in same-store sales that led to shares dropping 20 percent recently. This amounts to a ten-year low for the company, and a failure to live up to Wall Street forecasts.
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Cardi B Riding High with Breakthrough Fame
If anyone is having a good year, it’s recording sensation Cardi B. The rapper’s debut album was so sought after that the anticipation alone propelled Cardi B to stardom. She seems packaged perfectly for the modern pop scene. Cardi understands what fans are looking for on an album, on social media, and in the press.
Read MoreLL Cool J Hopes to Introduce Gen Z to Old-School Hip-Hop
When he hit the airwaves in the mid-1980s, LL Cool J was a fresh, young face in rap. He was also a bridge between street corner rapping and pop-heavy hip-hop. It took a few years, but his 1989 album, Walking with a Panther, and the Rick Rubin-produced hit single “Going Back to Cali” made LL a legitimate recording superstar. His fame transcended rap and helped lay the foundation – along with groups like Public Enemy and Run-DMC – for rap as a crossover sensation on the radio and in the Walkmans and boom boxes of millions of fans.
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