Mediaboss Marketing

28-02-2012 07:56 Get a primer of the new social media kid on the block, PINTEREST and why in addition to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn - it is must have for the TV industry. Get our official Oscars debriefing which includes the ratings and J Lo's "nip slip". And see why TV Guide Network is the hot potato of TV networks. Visit The TV News at thetvnews.tv

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Of New Social Marketing PINTEREST. TV Industry News 2.28.12 - Video

Summary: The merger will combine SMB search marketing, social marketing, email and public-relations services into one platform by late 2012.

And so it begins. One of the key tips that I discussed on last weeks Small Business Matters webcast (10 Online Marketing Tips for Small Business) was pretty simple, Keep things integrated.

So, it was with interest that I read today about cloud marketing and public relations software company Vocus plans to pay $169 million to buy iContact, which offers an integrated email and social media marketing application that is hosted in the cloud.

The reason I think this is extremely interesting is that tools such as iContact (and Constant Contact and HubSpot) really speak to the need to keep things simple. Social media can be a time-suck, so the extent to which small-business owners can keep things better integrated, all the better. Anyway, I speculated out loud that we would see some consolidation in this space. Lo and behold.

Under the deal, Vocus plans to buy iContact for $91 million in cash, $9 million in common stock, and $79 million in redeemable convertible preferred stock. The iContact technology will allow Vocus to extend add email and social media management to the Vocus service, which focuses on search marketing and social marketing.

The iContact platform is supposed to be integrated into the Vocus offering late in 2010; at that time, iContacts roughly 70,000 customers will have the option of keeping their standalone product subscription or upgrading to an even more integrated SMB marketing suite.

iContact has been around since 2003, when it was founded by two students from the University of North Carolina, Ryan Allis and Aaron Houghton. It is based in Raleigh-Durham, N.C. Vocus has its headquarters in Beltsville, Md.

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Heather Clancy is an award-winning business journalist with a passion for green technology and corporate sustainability issues.

Writing publicly about what the high-tech industry is actually doing to help itself and the world get greener or more sustainable is one way I figure I can contribute more meaningfully to said effort. I am also a big OMG-kind-of-fan of smart leadership, which is why the goodly folks who publish this blog let me go on about this topic and why I am always on the hunt for forward-looking business management ideas.

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SMB online marketing marriage: Vocus pays $169M for iContact

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Hearsay Social, the leading enterprise social marketing platform, today announced the addition of several of the world's largest financial firms to its customer roster, including Northwestern Mutual, the "World's Most Admired" company in the life insurance industry in 2011 according to FORTUNE magazine with over 6,000 financial representatives; Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a Fortune 500 provider of financial services with 2,200 representatives; and California Casualty, a leading insurance provider. Also the social platform of choice for Farmers Insurance Group, Hearsay Social now powers compliance and marketing for the top social financial services and insurance companies on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Hearsay Social was also recently named the sole social media strategic partner of SIFMA, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.

Leading Financial Firms Standardize on Hearsay Social

Northwestern Mutual announced today that it has standardized its more than 6,000 FINRA-registered representatives using LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter onto the Hearsay Social platform. Northwestern Mutual uses the full suite of Hearsay Social offerings:

Hearsay Social also announced today that Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a Fortune 500 provider of financial services, and California Casualty, a leading insurance provider, have selected Hearsay Social to provide regulatory compliance and social marketing success for their employees on social media.

"Our partnership with Hearsay Social gives us added peace of mind that we're compliant with regulatory requirements which allows us to focus on maximizing the power of social media at a local level," said Kyle Marie Woods, Marketing Strategist at Thrivent Financial.

Thrivent Financial, a faith-based, not-for-profit financial services organization serving nearly 2.5 million members, understands that compliance is of paramount importance when engaging on social media. Thrivent financial representatives using Hearsay Social will cover a range of products and services, as well as focus on community engagement and philanthropic initiatives.

"Financial services professionals see great promise in using LinkedIn to make them more productive and successful," said Jennifer Grazel, Head of Category Development, Financial Services, at LinkedIn. "Hearsay Social's solutions enable those professionals to connect and leverage their networks to build their business and get the insights they need to be better at what they do."

The Hearsay Social Compliance Module provides complete compliance and coverage for all firm employees on all major networks, no matter their point of access. The platform allows advisors to use social media to build their books while meeting FINRA and SEC regulations on advertising, monitoring, and record retention.

Hearsay Social today announced new capabilities:

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Hearsay Social Powers Top Financial Services Firms on Social Media

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Mood Media Corporation (TSX:MM.TO - News)(LSE AIM:MM), the worlds leading in-store media solutions provider, will bring its suite of integrated visual, music and mobile media products and solutions to GlobalShop 2012 from February 29 to March 2 in Las Vegas. The company will also unveil its revolutionary Internet-delivered audio solution for retailers that can change in-store Moods MBOX 4.

GlobalShop 2012 provides the ideal venue for Mood Media to demonstrate how we create memorable consumer experiences that drive brand loyalty, create brand differentiation and maximize revenue for retailers, said Mark Elfenbein, North American President of Mood Media. We are particularly thrilled this year to show off our latest offering, MBOX 4, which will be a true game-changer in the in-store media industry.

Servicing more than 470,000 commercial locations in 40 countries, Mood Media reaches approximately 100 million consumers each day through customized media solutions linked to business insights, consumer behavior and brand personality. On display at GlobalShop 2012 (Booth 2613), the company will showcase unique in-store media solutions for international and national brands such as Levis, The TJX Companies, Inc., PUMA, Guess and Volkswagen among others.

For example, as part of a complete re-design of PUMAs Boulevard de Sbastopol store in Paris, Mood Media recently created an immersive shopping experience by incorporating floor-to-ceiling video screens featuring creative, customized content throughout the store in coordination with Mood Media's powerful content management software, TeamCo, which manages changing content throughout the day and delivers high-definition (HD) video to every screen. Content can now also be updated remotely to reflect changing collections and promotions.

In-store media is a powerful marketing tool utilized by top brands across the globe, Elfenbein said. We help our customers unlock the value of experience economy and boost sales and brand loyalty by transforming purchasing into purchasing a memorable experience.

Mood Media to Unveil MBOX 4 at GlobalShop 2012

MBOX 4 is Mood Medias latest groundbreaking PCI compliant media player, which will further empower retailers to engage customers and manage in-store media operations through a series of product enhancements and new features such as:

Media Briefing Opportunities at GlobalShop 2012

Note: For Media attending GlobalShop 2012 who would like to schedule a meeting with Mood Medias North American President, Mark Elfenbein to learn more about the company and Marks unique perspective on broader in-store media trends, please see media contact information below.

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Mood Media to Showcase Its Suite of Revolutionary Visual, Music, Mobile and Social In-Store Media Solutions at ...

Politically-inclined social-networking startup Votizen is attracting big-name donors and a lot of attention

Sean Parker the founder of Napster, and an early investor in Facebook and Spotify leads a group of investors that is pouring money into a new project that's all about politics. The startup, Votizen, is not shy about its ambitions: It hopes to use social-networking to change how our democracy works. Here's what you should know:

How does Votizen work? Utilizing a national database of 200 million voting records, Votizen allows its 600,000-plus users to find out if their friends on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are registered voters. Once they've connected, users can spread campaign material, mobilize grassroots action on specific issues, or simply hang out with those of a similar ideological bent.

How is that different from Facebook? Votizen wants to be more than just the "Facebook for politics," Votizen co-founder David Binetti tells Talking Points Memo. "Half a million people run for office of one form or another in this country, but there's no place where that data is collected or maintained yet." Binetti says he envisions a forum where users can create networks around any election, from the White House down to your local school board.The investors certainly see room for growth, withParker telling All Things Dthat the political industry "is a bit behind the rest of the economy in embracing these new technologies."

SEE ALSO: Nike's Flyknit: The sneaker that's knit like a sock

Sources: All Things D, Talking Points Memo, TechCrunch

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Is 'friend-raising' the future of politics?