Wilson Kerr

Now that the collective tech/social media world is coming off the sugar rush of Facebook’s big Open Graph announcements of last week, I thought I’d take a fresh look. I should say that I am 41 years old and an active user of Facebook. I certainly see the powerful implications of sharing subjective information across a social network (graph). What I am not 100% sure about is if anyone is stepping back and questioning the viability of their approach. Facebook made an audacious and smart positioning move to grab the social media high ground, but what are the real benefits to consumers? To Brands? To Facebook? Did Facebook really just “Win The Web”, as the New York Times proclaimed? Not New News First of all, last week’s thunderstruck, gushing over-reaction of adoration among industry insiders and press seems somewhat odd, given that Facebook introduced the Open Graph c... (more)

How Will Facebook Harness The Power Of Location...For Brands?

New Media on Ulitzer Social networks are poised to be the most-effective marketing tool of the next decade. Facebook is the biggest social network and word on the street is they will announce location-sharing functionality very soon. While this new feature will make Facebook more interesting and compelling for individual users, location sharing is not new. What would be new and what would interest me is if Facebook introduces transformational marketing tools for brands that will link Facebook campaigns to incremental visits to locations where real products can be purchased. These... (more)

The Social Media Spend & The “Check-In” Battle for ROI Gold

The Social Media Guide on Ulitzer Did you know that 80% of what is read on the internet is not read on the site that first posted it? This shows the power of social media to distribute information. For example, I saw the graphic below as an embedded link in a Twitter post I got today. I got the post because of the social network I opted-in into (my Twitter followers). I linked through the Tweet to the blog post (by Soshable) and found this graphic (according to Soshable it was posted originally by Flowtown).Very interesting stats on the social media spend. It paints a picture of... (more)

What Should Be Baked into the New Apple iPad and Why

Macintosh on Ulitzer Apple users are nothing if not dedicated. The landmark form factor and user interface innovations the company has ushered in over the last 25 years have created a fiercely dedicated customer base. There are Mac clubs, iPhone fan sites, and even online photo collections of Apple logo tattoos! All eyes will be on San Fran January 27 for Apple’s virtually-confirmed and much-anticipated launch of their new tablet computer. A tablet is a touch screen minicomputer with a digital keyboard integrated into the touch interface (no mechanical keys). Imagine a larger, th... (more)

Confusion Reigns for Brands, But the Social Media Future Is Bright

A recent report by E-Consultancy on the Value Of Social Media, shows some interesting statistics on the level of use of social media by over 400 companies surveyed and the general “experimental” stage most are in, regarding this new way to reach consumers. Few would argue that there is a big opportunity for companies to take advantage of the myriad of social media marketing options. But this same myriad can be confusing and the options are evolving at a blistering pace. For brands and agencies used to traditional media campaign timelines and planning, it can be daunting to simpl... (more)