Two topics that have been burning up our newsroom lately have been Facebook privacy and Twitter advertising. In the light of public and media scrutiny — and growing user frustration — Facebook has decided to roll out a simplified suite of privacy settings starting tomorrow. The company is also holding a briefing for Congressional staffers to explain what these changes mean and what the new tools will do in a way that both legislators and the citizens they represent can understand. But Mashable founder and CEO Pete Cashmore isn’t certain that Facebook’s current measures will adequately address people’s concerns. More changes to Facebook’s “buttons and levers” might be just another complication for users to navigate. Meanwhile, back at the Twitter ranch, the powers that be made the decision to ban advertisements from third-party apps . The move proved less than popular among most developers, some of whom had built Twitter-based ad networks that were rendered essentially useless with the new ban. Twitter said they wanted to “protect the integrity of the stream;” Cashmore said the truth is that Twitter will be building their own ad network. Have a look at this quick news brief from Cashmore on Bloomberg, and as always, let us know your opinions in the comments. Reviews: Facebook , Twitter Tags: ads , Bloomberg , cashmore , facebook , privacy , twitter
MTV is using a novel approach to generate buzz for their upcoming new television series The Hard Times of RJ Berger : the company is launching a casual game that will tie into the show via episodic content. The “Chain of Thought” game centers on the theme that it’s “difficult to talk to one’s crush.” Players get points and level up by completing “conversation challenges” in which objects must be connected in the correct order to produce a sentence that elicits a positive response from the crush character. The game introduces new users to the show about an unpopular 15-year-old boy who deals with a sudden influx of newfound popularity at school and wants to figure out how to talk to his object of affection, Jenny. The title also features a “build mode” that brings in an aspect of user-generated content. Players are invited to set up their own conversation challenges along with positive or negative responses, and see them played out in a level of their own creation. The idea is to help break the ice with an actual crush or at least have fun with a friend who knows about the situation — and MTV hopes that aspect of the game will encourage players to virally share it with their friends. We spoke with VP of MTV Digital Colin Helm and Supervising Producer at MTV Digital Tom Akel about the project and wanted to know what led to the idea behind introducing a game before the series launch. Early on the team was looking for a way to “raise awareness outside of what we normally do.” As one of the first scripted shows that MTV has produced in some time, they had the benefit of a longer lead time with available assets including visuals and scripts. Using a viral casual game to promote a television series seemed like a timely play in the context of interactive digital entertainment. As the TV show progresses, new “episodes” of the game will be unveiled as well, featuring actual dialogue and plot themes from the series. This type of tight integration between a television show and its companion game is a novel approach to episodic content, and we’ll be interested to see how much repeat interest is generated from the series to the game and vice versa. The game itself is live now, so if you have a chance to check it out on MTV.com be sure to let us know what you think in the comments. The Hard Times of RJ Berger series itself premieres on June 6 at 11 p.m., and you can check out a trailer to get a sense of the show as well. For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Tags: casual games , facebook , games , Hard Times of RJ Berger , mtv , MTV Digital , tv
Most Facebook users have no idea that the social network giant has a D.C. office full of lobbyists and policy wonks. But that office will be staging a Congress staffers-only briefing this week to address issues of — you guessed it — user privacy. Like any major corporation that plays footsie with public and private data, large amounts of money, mergers and acquisitions, and other hallmarks of big business, Facebook must stay abreast of policy changes and try to influence legislators in its favor. To help with the launch of its “new suite of simpler and easier-to-use privacy tools,” Facebook is inviting House and Senate staff to the Capitol Visitors Center to “learn about what these tools mean for your constituents and the future of sharing online.” The briefing will take place on Thursday, May 27 at 4 p.m. ET and will include a Q&A. This announcement comes in the wake of what can only be described as a “hoopla” around Facebook and privacy. One senator went as far as penning a letter to the FTC , urging them to create privacy guidelines for Facebook and other social networking sites. Here’s Kara Swisher of All Things D on a tour of Facebook’s D.C. office back in November 2009, when Facebook’s primary reason for being in D.C. was “privacy, privacy, privacy.” While we wait to hear back from Facebook reps on the specific talking points and goals for this briefing, let us know what you think Facebook should say to Congress representatives about privacy and how much you think Washington needs to be involved in the matter. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook , Twitter Tags: briefing , congress , DC , facebook , Washington
Last week we asked you, our readers, to tell us why you’re planning on leaving Facebook (if you actually are, that is). Well, more than 5,000 votes later, and the results are in: 31% of respondents proclaimed their intention to stick with FB, and approximately the same number cited access to personal information as their number-one reason for vamoosing. The Internet masses have been up in arms lately about Facebook, a wave of dissent that began forming around the time that Facebook launched a massive privacy overhaul five months back, and continued to grow as messages found their way to the wrong boxes (among other privacy gaffes) and the Open Graph was introduced. Add to that ancient, expletive-laden IMs from Mark Zuckerberg, sites calling for users to quit, a Time Magazine cover and some promising Facebook alternatives , and you’ve got a legit protest movement. So naturally we were interested to see how our readers were reacting to the uproar, and whether they would be in on the exodus. We’ve embedded a graph showing the results below, but there are some essential takeaways from this survey: Namely, people (even the social media-savvy fans of Mashable) are wavering in their dedication to the site, and giving up personal information seems to be the main issue. We’re eager to see what Zuckerberg and Co. come up with when they announce Facebook’s new privacy controls on Wednesday. It will be interesting to see if this turn of events restores any measure of confidence in the site. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook , Mashable , Twitter Tags: facebook , privacy
Sometimes flinging a virtual cupcake at a Facebook friend just isn’t enough. As you may know, Facebook has offered the option of purchasing real gifts since last summer. A big pro here is that you don’t need to know the person’s address to send them a physical gift. And like the Twitter gifting services we recently rounded up, the service makes it easy to integrate birthday, anniversary, and holiday shopping right into your favorite social network. Take a look at our quick how-to guide below, and if Facebook’s in-house offering doesn’t quite do it for you, check out the three alternatives we’ve also detailed. Buy Facebook Credits First things first: You need to get yourself some legal Facebook currency in the form of “ Facebook credits .” You can purchase this virtual currency by going to the “Payments” tab in “My Account.” Options to pay include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover or JCB credit cards, PayPal or via cell phone. At the moment, one credit equals 10 cents, so you can buy 50 for $5, 100 for $10 and 200 for $20. Head to the Gift Shop Once your virtual wallet is full of money, head over to the Facebook store where you are presented with the options of “Music and MP3s,” “Virtual Gifts,” “Charity,” “E-Cards,” “Sports,” and of course, “Real Gifts.” Enter the name of the person you want to send the gift to and you can then choose from toys, flowers, candy, baked goodies from Mrs. Fields, various items of jewelery, some smaller consumer electronic items, Fandango movie tickets, and our favorite — all sorts of geeky products from ThinkGeek . A nice touch is the ability to choose the delivery date. If you’re super organized and know your Facebook friend has a birthday coming up in the next few weeks, you can get the gifting sorted ahead of time. If you do know the address of the person you want the item sent to, you can add it. But the system works on the basis of the giftee confirming a delivery address once they get the wall notification (with a message personalized from you) that you want to post them a present. And that’s it folks. And by the way, if the person refuses your gift for any reason, then the order will be canceled and Facebook will refund your credits — but not your feelings. 3 Alternative Services 1. DashGift This Boston-based startup offers a limited service at the moment, but is certainly one to watch if they manage to sign up more partners. The premise is quite simple: You post a gift on your friend’s wall via the Facebook app. Your friend hits a link to get a DashCode and then goes to the local store/venue to redeem it for the item. At the moment, some elements of the service are limited to the Boston area, such as SWEET cupcakes, a beer voucher for Tommy Doyle’s Bar, and Finale Desserts. But Fandango movie tickets and the $10 global giving donation are open to all users. Expansion into other local areas is planned this summer, so be sure to bookmark this app. 2. Friendgiftr Friendgiftr has had no trouble signing up partners. Its social gift card service currently works with around 150 companies, many of which are major names. You can buy a gift card from any of the stores and present it to a friend on Facebook. Your friend can then either shop online with a card code, request a hard copy version to be mailed to them, or — and this bit is cunning — swap the card for one from another retailer. So if you send someone a Lands’ End gift card, but they’re really more of an L.L. Bean kinda guy, they can do a switcheroo without you ever knowing. 3. ParcelGenie ParcelGenie is a fantastic resource for small, affordable and fun gifts, such as candy, buttons, key rings and the like. Via the Facebook app, you can chose a gift, select a friend to send it to, and personalize a message that will be posted on their Facebook wall, after which they need to let ParcelGenie know where to mail the item. The app cleverly displays Facebook friends’ upcoming birthdays, so you may end up sending more than you expected to. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook More Facebook resources from Mashable – 5 Essential Facebook Privacy Tips – HOW TO: Find Long Lost Friends on Facebook – HOW TO: Disable Facebook’s “Instant Personalization” [PRIVACY] – 5 Tips for Creating the Perfect Profile Pic – 5 Ways Facebook Changed Dating (For the Worse) Image courtesy of iStockphoto , kutaytanir Tags: DashGift , facebook , friendgiftr , Gifts , how to , List , Lists , parcelgenie
On Sunday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised simplified privacy settings “in coming weeks.” It now looks like that timetable has been bumped up, with an executive at the social network revealing at an event in New York that new features will launch tomorrow. As to what those features might look like is still anyone’s guess, but we’d expect to see an alternative (or outright replacement) to the granular controls that Facebook currently offers. While that may appease some of those who think the site confuses users into sharing more information , the biggest question is whether or not recent feature additions – specifically instant personalization and a series of social plugins – will move from automatic opt-in to manual (aka – default opt-out). We see that as unlikely given the rapid adoption of the tools by web publishers, but we should have answers within the next day or so. Stay tuned. [img credit: Darwin Bell ] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook , Twitter Tags: facebook , facebook privacy , privacy
With summer around the corner, the Wendy’s fast food chain is releasing a slew of social media promotions and incentives centered around its iconic Frosty desert treat. The company will roll out three distinct social media promotions over the course of the summer that involve Twitter and Foursquare. Each endeavor, however, revolves around Facebook and the Frosty Facebook Page . Wendy’s is also touching all corners of the social sphere with action-oriented contests for prizes and a fan-powered charity drive. It’s tit-for-tat marketing at its best, with social media designed to drive awareness around the brand and reward fan appreciation. The Frosty Summer Social Tour On Monday, Wendy’s launched Frosty Summer Vacation, the first of three Frosty-themed initiatives. Frosty is going on vacation and will use its Facebook Page — which already has close to 600,000 fans — to leave hints about its whereabouts. It’s essentially a digital scavenger hunt that runs through June 6. Users 18 and up can access the application — which is live now — via the “Win” tab and sign up to tackle the challenge to find Frosty. After completing the registration form, Facebook users then gain access to a travel journal where they can view Frosty’s postcards and store each of the six letter stamps — one for each letter in Frosty — as they collect them. Frosty will reveal clues as to how to locate individual stamps using digital postcards, and fans will receive a postcard from Frosty every few days. The first hint for finding the “F” stamp is already live, and it directs users to navigate through Frosty’s collection of Wall photos on Facebook. Users who collect a single letter are entered into a drawing to a $25.00 gift card, while those who collect all the stamps could win the grand prize: a trip for two to Hawaii or Alaska. Once Frosty Summer Vacation comes to a close, the company will release its Treat it Forward application to raise money for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (DTFA). The initiative kicks off on June 7 and runs through June 20. The campaign is timed to coincide with Father’s Day. Fans can participate in the social media charity drive and donate 50 cents to the DFTA by using the Treat it Forward application. Fans can pay it forward by with a #TreatItFwd hashtag tweet, a virtual Frosty Facebook gift, a Foursquare checkin at a Wendy’s restaurant or a Father’s day e-card created on Frostycard.com . For each fan action, Wendy’s will donate 50 cents to the DTFA in an effort to raise $50,000 with help from online brand fans. Wendy’s is planning to contribute to the foundation via in-store promotions as well, so for every Frosty purchased on June 19 and 20, the company will donate 50 cents to the DTFA. In total, the company plans to raise $4.5 million for the foundation. To close out the summer, Wendy’s will be inviting fans to share photos, videos and stories on how they enjoy Frostys for the Frosty Project. A custom Frosty Project Facebook application will launch on June 21 so that Frosty fans can use it to submit their digital Frosty memorabilia and other users can vote on the submissions they like best. The company will award prizes — like Kindles and iPads — based on the most popular submissions. The contest runs through July 18, with voting taking place from July 19 to August 18. Winners will be announced on August 19. [img credit: natashalcd ] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook , Foursquare , Twitter Tags: facebook , foursquare , frosty , MARKETING , twitter , wendy’s
Phoenix Sun’s power forward Amar’e Stoudemire has teamed with AtCost.com and Razorgator Tickets to turn his Facebook Page into a group buying hub where fans can purchase discounted playoff tickets. Stoudemire’s group buying store employs a methodology that’s remarkably similar to the ideology that Groupon made popular. The store rewards Stoudemire fans with much cheaper playoff game ticket prices if enough people collectively purchase the tickets within an alloted time. The first big discounted ticket deal was launched prior to Game 3 of the Lakers vs. Suns playoff match up, and sold out. Now the Game 4 offer is in full swing and offers a pair of tickets that normally retail for $600.00 in Sections 201 – 205 at a reduced price. The price as of publishing is $302.81, but that price continues to drop as the offer is shared by Facebookers and purchased by more people. The price will continue to fall until the offer sells out or time runs out, with all ticket buyers only accountable to pay the final lowest price. Another bonus is that ticket buyers never have to leave Facebook during the process of the purchase transaction, and they can see how much their social media sharing activities will influence the ticket price. While the idea behind Stoudemire’s store is not original, the application is still interesting. The notion that an individual athlete can drive bulk ticket sales via Facebook is quite unique. The people behind the strategy and application are proving that the combination of celebrity and social media carries real power measurable in dollars and fan promotion. [ img credit: /: Road Warrior /: ] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: App Store , Facebook , Twitter Tags: amare stoudemire , facebook , group buying , NBA
The Real Results series is supported by Gist , an online service that helps you build stronger relationships. By connecting your inbox to the web, you get business-critical information about key people and companies. See how it works here . Often, we think of our offline lives as distinct from our online presence, but social media is real life. Look no further than the hotels you stay in, the restaurants where you dine, the airlines you fly on and the theme parks you take your family to for proof. More often than not, there’s a Twitter and Facebook account — possibly even a Foursquare presence — behind the venue in question. Because social media is a platform for the customer’s voice — and that voice can be heard by anyone in the world — the hospitality industry as a whole has embraced social media in a huge way. Hospitality businesses of all sizes — from the biggest hotel chain to the little neighborhood cafe — have found their own unique way to harness the power of Facebook and the distribution possibilities made available via Twitter. Personalizing Customer Service Customer service is the most obvious way for the hospitality industry to use social media, and Twitter is the perfect vehicle for resolving customer issues or making a guest’s day with a simple “thanks for visiting” tweet. But the best in the business are going above and beyond in the customer service arena. For example, the Wynn Las Vegas and Encore hotels use social media sites like Twitter and Foursquare to improve their customer service efforts and better meet the needs of their guests. As the E-strategy Development Manger for the hotels, Jade Bailey makes sure that her team greets and caters to guests who check in there on Foursquare or tweet about being somewhere on the property, both on social sites and in person. The team has also seeded Foursquare with numerous tips inside the hotel, enlightening guests on the fascinating stories behind some of the more lustrous decorative embellishments. Smaller businesses are going the extra mile as well. CoffeeGroundz — an independent coffee shop in Houston, Texas — uses Twitter as a way to make their customer service more personalized than their bigger competitors. The store’s general manager is credited with making CoffeeGroundz one of the first businesses to take to-go orders via Twitter, an effort that began in October 2008. In addition to to-go orders, the boutique coffee spot now also accepts table and event reservations via direct message on Twitter. Storytelling At the Roger Smith Hotel in New York, social media has become immersed within the hotel’s unique culture. At its core, the Roger Smith Hotel is about storytelling — with a focus on art and people — and social media has become the way in which the hotel can share these stories and create new ones. In fact, Brian Simpson, the hotel’s director of hospitality, says that while the hotel certainly attempts to connect the dots between social media and sales, ROI is not the focus of the team’s social endeavors. “We’re less concerned about how many rooms are booked because of social media, and more focused on telling stories and connecting people … you can’t pay a marketing firm to make those connections.” It’s this type of open thinking that keeps The Roger Smith at the forefront of the social media curve. Simpson primarily relies on Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and the hotel blog to distribute and collect stories, but also recognizes the value of location-centric social networks like Foursquare and Pegshot . He approaches each social site with a different strategy, saying, “We take all of these stories and figure out which social media networks support them best.” Simpson points to an event back in 2009 as a catalyst for some of their creativity. The artsy hotel then hosted a Social Media Breakfast, which led to interest from other social media and web groups, and ultimately inspired Simpson to actively immerse himself in the social media culture. Because The Roger Smith is independent, Simpson found ways to bend the rules for groups and startups, making the hotel inviting to all types of social media event organizers. For Simpson, exposure is key and hosting these events helps get the hotel’s name out there. Today, the hotel is essentially the social media-friendly hotel of New York; events are booked for each night of the week and its become the official hotel of many a New York web conference. “We’ve made social media a part of the hotel,” says Simpson. “If we stopped doing social media, the culture wouldn’t change, but the stories that get told about us would change, and that would change the perception of the hotel.” With storytelling at the center of everything the Roger Smith does online and off, Simpson is also looking for the next great way to engage current and potential guests. He says, “now that everyone’s on Twitter, and everyone has a Facebook Page, our objective is to find out what’s next and stay ahead of the curve.” The hotel is also being extremely avant garde with their approach to installation art. They’ve commandeered an art studio on Lexington Avenue outside the hotel and turned it into an experimental space where art meets social media. The space is dubbed the RS Pop-Up Shop , or RS POP, and it’s open to up-and-coming designers and artists who want to showcase their work with social media flair. Each selected RS POP participant is heavily supported with social media exposure, so artists and designers are featured both in the art studio and online via the hotel’s social media channels. Disclosure: The Roger Smith Hotel has hosted Mashable events. Making Good with Mom Mom is a very important person in the hospitality space. She books the hotels, makes travel arrangements and handles most of the money matters. Mom is often the decision maker for the family. As the former Vice President, Public Relations/New Media at Universal Orlando Resort, Cynthia Gordon developed The Universal Mom Squad to make Mom’s experience at the park second to none. Gordon says, “Hands down the best way to reach moms is online and through mom bloggers. Let’s face it, mom bloggers are a full-fledged Internet phenomenon. You have 42 million women online, with nearly half of those visiting blogs to get advice and recommendations. Mom bloggers have powerful voices and their opinions are valued by their readers.” She credits Disney for their social media outreach efforts saying they, “took the lead in courting mom bloggers and inviting them to experience their parks’ new attractions and services.” Gordon is referencing the Walt Disney World Moms Panel — 43 hand-picked moms, and a few dads in the mix — who serve as online advisers and help answer park-related questions on behalf of Walt Disney World. The moms answer submitted questions and the inquisitive can browse through topics, search for answers, submit their own question or learn more about the panel. The program started in 2008 and new moms are added to the group each year. Another hospitality brand catering to moms is the Royal Caribbean International cruise line. The company recently took the opportunity to invite a group of moms participating in the weekly hashtag Twitter event #gno (Girls Night Out) aboard their Oasis of the Seas cruise ship to host one of their Twitter parties while at sea. The moms aboard the ship engaged with other moms the world round, spreading the message that cruise vacations are ideal for fun, family travel — there’s no cooking, cleaning or child care concerns to worry about. As the host, Royal Caribbean was a part of the thousands of tweets generated during the two-hour Twitter party. Employee Education Often, social media is siloed to an individual department . This situation sets the customer up for failure. Imagine an eager customer — aware of a company’s social media presence — who ventures out in the real-world and encounters employees with zero knowledge of their own company’s Twitter account or Facebook Page. The end result defeats the entire purpose of social media. If social media is on the menu, then everyone from the doorman and the bartender to the CEO should know about it. Those in the know should make it a point to educate staff on their own social media presence and promotions, as well as encourage employees to embrace social technologies for their own personal use. Simpson says this is what helps set the Roger Smith Hotel apart from its bigger competitors. He works with his social media partner Adam Wallace to maintain the Roger Smith accounts, but the two of them have also prioritized educating the hotel’s 100+ member staff. Together, they’ve inspired nearly a quarter of the team to take up tweeting by teaching them that it’s just about conversation. As such, one of the hotel’s bartenders has developed his own following on Twitter. Simpson says that often the bartender will tweet while working his shift and even offer to pick up a drink for the first few patrons who stop by. In connecting the dots between social media, management and staff, the hotel can ensure that guests’ expectations are superseded, and not deflated, when they walk in the door. Series supported by Gist Gist helps you build stronger professional relationships by bringing together information from across the web for all your contacts and their companies giving you the right information at the right moment to get a first meeting, deliver an amazing pitch, or just find a better way to make a connection. Gist does all the work for you, assembling a dynamic collection of all your contacts and their companies from your email inbox, your social networks, or even your CRM system automatically building and updating their profiles as new content is published – by them or about them. Image courtesy of iStockphoto , lisegagne Tags: business , coffeegroundz , disney , facebook , foursquare , MARKETING , real results , roger smith hotel , royal caribbean , small business , social media , social media marketing , twitter
7-11 will soon offer FarmVille -branded products that will unlock virtual, 7-11-branded items in the popular Facebook game. Two other games from game-maker Zynga will also get tie-ins with the stores: Mafia Wars and YoVille . Seven thousand 7-11 stores will offer around 30 branded items, including Slurpees and ice cream, among other things. When a customer buys one of the promotional products, he or she will then be directed to perform some special task in the game world to acquire one of the 7-11 items. This is the first retail partnership of this kind for Zynga, although this deal grew out of a more limited program in which the company sold FarmVille , Mafia Wars and YoVille game cards at 12,800 participating 7-11 stores . Zynga is no stranger to virtual branding promotions, either; it has been selling brand-sponsored FarmVille crops since last month. The company has been very busy making deals over the past few weeks, actually; it just signed a five-year agreement with Facebook involving the use of Facebook’s proprietary virtual currency, and it is also launching games on MySpace , including the new Bangkok expansion for Mafia Wars . For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook , MySpace , Twitter , Yoville Tags: 7-11 , facebook , farmville , Mafia Wars , online games , promotion , social gaming , yoville , Zynga
