Strobe Promotions, RedStapler and Zezza Network announced on January 14 that they have merged to form Tenthwave, a fully integrated digital marketing agency headquartered in New York.  Lead by former i33 Communications Founder and Chairman Drew Rayman, Tenthwave reunites Rayman with former colleagues Steve Caputo and Rob Kaplan; Brian Hack and Mike Mazar; and Eric Schwamberger, the respective founders of Strobe, RedStapler and Zezza.

Tenthwave will provide digital and social marketing, promotions, web design and development from ideation through implementation for clients including CBS Consumer Products, eBay, Visa, Pepperidge Farm, Jim Beam, Hearst Magazines, and Sports Illustrated, among others.  Drew Rayman and Steve Caputo will serve as the agency’s managing partners with Brian Hack, Eric Schwamberger, Mike Mazar and Rob Kaplan serving as agency partners.

“The ways in which brands communicate and engage with their audiences has changed more in the last five years than it has in the previous twenty. Unfortunately, the traditional advertising and marketing agency model has not experienced quite as rapid of a transformation. Agencies need to think differently and act differently,” said Drew Rayman, managing partner of Tenthwave. “In order for brands to compete in a ‘connected’ marketplace they need innovative strategy and direct access to agency talent that is unburdened by corporate procedure. As a new type of digital agency, Tenthwave provides its clients with cutting edge creativity, ideas and work without excessive process, combined with the stability and operational efficiencies of larger firms.”

Rayman, a proven agency manager and operator, is charged with removing the barriers between Tenthwave’s top talent and its clients by enabling the other agency partners, all of whom built successful boutique agencies on their own, to focus less on the operational elements associated with running a business and focus more on what they love to do the most: developing breakthrough work on behalf of their clients and pushing the industry forward through original thought leadership.

“Tenthwave is the natural evolution of our business,” said Steve Caputo, managing partner of Tenthwave. “Client demand for solid marketing strategy in the social media space has increased dramatically over the past year. Our ability to bring that kind of insight and direction to the table will hasten the learning curve among marketers entering the space, and bring those already engaged to a higher level of involvement with their customers. We offer a truly creative environment where the best and brightest can focus on the work while our experienced support staff tends to the details.”

About Tenthwave

Founded in 2010, Tenthwave is the strategic blend of three award winning digital marketing agencies formerly known as Strobe Promotions, RedStapler and Zezza Network. Headquartered in New York, (with offices in Manhattan, Long Island, Silicon Valley and the Washington D.C. Metro area), Tenthwave provides clients with digital marketing and creative services ranging from web design and development, online promotions and sweepstakes, social media marketing and online brand activation. Lead by managing partners Drew Rayman and Steve Caputo, Tenthwave puts innovation before bureaucracy and provides clients with direct access to creative talent. With its focus of maximizing marketing dollars, Tenthwave refuses to embrace “how it’s done” and rather strives to define “how to do it better.”  For more information, please visit www.tenthwave.com.

The old Facebook profiles looked very similar to fan pages, with tabs at the top, a list of friends on the left and a Wall in the center.

Here’s what the new ones look like:

Right off the bat, you can see that Facebook did away with the tabbed navigation on top. Instead, there is now a bio section directly under your name that shows the most basic and important information about you: where you work, where you went to school, where you’re from, your birthday etc. Over the next few days as more people get the new profiles, you will see many of your friends updating this info and you should too. Now, you can also easily edit your profile information right in this box.

Photos also play a big role in the new bio section at the top. The past 5 photos that you have been tagged in will automatically show up here. Don’t worry, you can edit this section as well. Simply roll over an undesired photo & a small gray box with an “X” will appear, click that to remove the photo from your top section. Note that it does not de-tag you from the photo entirely.

You might also notice that I changed my profile picture when I got my new Facebook profile. It’s not just because someone snapped a flattering photo of me this weekend, I did have a logical reason for this. Facebook now features the profile picture in a larger and more prominent space. The low resolution of my old profile picture did not display well in this new environment. Make sure to check your photos when you make the switch, because nothing is worse than a blurry profile pic or embarrassing tagged photo on Facebook.

The other big changes are housed on the left hand side under your profile picture. The first is how you can navigate the pages of your profile. The navigation options, formerly on tabs and in boxes, are now in a vertical list with corresponding icons. Even though the tabs are gone, you can still get to your profile pages other than the Wall (info, photos, etc.).

Underneath the navigation, you’ll see how your relationships are displayed has changed as well. There is an emphasis on family and close friends as you can even choose who is displayed in your friend list. Think of it as a serious upgrade to the MySpace “Top Friends” concept.

This new design is another example of how Facebook has done a great job of constantly evolving its platform to stay ahead of trends and not become stale like some of its predecessors. While this update doesn’t affect brands as much as consumers, it’s a sure sign of more changes to come.

Don’t have the new profile yet? Click here to get it. Then, stop by Strobe’s Facebook page to let us know what you think of the redesign. We’re looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

]]> http://www.strobepromo.com/blog/index.php/2010/12/06/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-facebook-profiles/feed/ 0 http://www.strobepromo.com/blog/index.php/2010/12/01/facebook-changes-promotion-guidelines/ http://www.strobepromo.com/blog/index.php/2010/12/01/facebook-changes-promotion-guidelines/#comments Wed, 01 Dec 2010 23:37:25 +0000 Janet Caputo http://www.strobepromo.com/blog/?p=405 Big news! We received notice from Facebook this week that they have revised their Promotion Guidelines, effective immediately. The guidelines govern how a sweepstakes, instant win game or contest can be run on its platform. The main stipulation in this document, which has not changed, is that a brand must utilize a third party application (like the kind Strobe creates), in order to administer a promotion on Facebook. Brands also cannot use Facebook’s inherent functions or tools as a promotion entry method, ie: liking a page, posting on a wall, commenting, etc. This too, remains unchanged.

So, what’s new?

There have been 2 major changes to the previous policy [excerpted from an email from Facebook]:

1. Facebook no longer requires prior approval to administer a promotion on Facebook.

2. Facebook no longer requires a minimum spend threshold in order to run a promotion or contest on Facebook.

This is great news for marketers because it will cut down both project budgets and timelines. It also opens the door for brands of all sizes to take advantage of the marketing opportunities Facebook promotions have to offer. Brands do, however, still need to abide by the existing guidelines regarding how to administer a promotion on Facebook. While these changes are currently in effect, they have yet to be published on the site; Facebook says they will be updated shortly.

If this news is music to your ears and you can’t wait to run a Facebook promotion of your own (even for this holiday season), contact us! We have a selection of turn-key application solutions (all in accordance with the Facebook Promotion Guidelines) to help you increase and engage your fan base.

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UPDATE: Facebook has published the revisions to the Promotion Guidelines.

PROMO magazine announced today its annual list of Top Promotion Marketing Agencies in the US, the PROMO 100. Strobe Promotions ranks #89, moving ten spots ahead of its inaugural position on the list last year. Building upon its success in 2009, Strobe Promotions reported net revenues of $1.99MM. In addition, its two-year growth of 49% landed Strobe among the Top Ten fastest growing agencies. Strobe attributes this remarkable success to expanding its business with existing clients Visa, eBay and Pepperidge Farm, while acquiring new brand accounts including NetSpend, Tiny Prints and Intuit, and new agency clients Edelman and Imagitas.

“Given the challenges presented by the economy over the past year, we feel truly blessed to have been able to continue to grow,” notes Strobe’s President, Steve Caputo. “We are so thankful that our clients continue to find value in our service offerings, and we work hard every day to deliver promotion marketing campaigns beyond their expectations.” He attributes Strobe’s success to date to the company’s tenacious approach to adapting promotion marketing to the changing landscape of digital delivery channels including social media, and to a tremendously dedicated and knowledgeable staff. “Every member of the Strobe team has contributed to our growth, and I am awed by what we have been able to achieve thus far. We are all looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.”

The 2010 PROMO 100 was announced via live webinar on June 1st and ranks firms across the country according to numerous factors including overall net revenue, net revenue per employee, two-year growth and years in business. The 16-page report, also unveiled at the webinar, not only lists the top 100 agencies, but profiles companies in specific marketing disciplines. See the full list.

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Strobe recently received a 2010 Interactive Marketing Award for its work with PayPal on the “Wishing Wonderland” campaign, which garnered 1st place in the Holiday Theme category. More on that program can be found here.

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The hot topic of the PMA Law Conference this year was social media.  It was a hot topic indeed, in light of the recently published FTC Guidelines concerning the use of testimonials and endorsements in advertising and social media, as well as the new Facebook policies put in place the day before the conference. Naturally, many questions arose throughout the conference discussions. One overarching concern for marketers about this topic is “How do we protect ourselves and our clients in this ever-changing environment without inhibiting the creative use of these social media marketing tools?”

The take away is basically this: create a social media policy for your company.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY COMPANY NEEDS A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY?
Is your company or brand leveraging social media in their marketing strategy? Has your company created a fan page on Facebook or established a company account on Twitter? Maybe your employees are tweeting about the company on their personal accounts. If so, then it’s time to consider creating a social media policy, a tool to help your employees navigate the social media jungle.

WHAT IS A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY?
Like any good set of terms and conditions or Official Rules, a social media policy will outline what information should or shouldn’t be posted to any social media platform in order to avoid violating the FTC Guidelines. It should apply to any employee, agency or blogger who posts information (that can be attributed to your company or product) to any social media site; including their own or the company’s blog, Facebook fan page, or Twitter account.

In short, the new FTC Guidelines cover all advertising messages including product reviews, endorsements and testimonials, hosted on blogs and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Compliance with the FTC Guidelines is all about disclosure. So, bloggers, and in some cases your employees (or agencies, or even your mom, if she likes to brag!), who make these “endorsements” must disclose the material connections they share with the Sponsor. This way, consumers are aware when the author of a review/testimonial has been paid or received free product in return. Your social media policy would outline how your employees, agents and bloggers should conduct themselves when talking about your brand and products on the web.

WHAT SHOULD A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY DO?

• Provide guidance and training to those people who are involved in social media for your company.
• Make a reasonable effort to monitor your company’s social media platforms including blogs.
• Make sure you have reserved the right to remove false statements when identified or anything that is posted that you think could be problematic.
• Train all people involved in social media for the need to be truthful. Stress the need to provide honest & truthful opinions to avoid false advertising claims.
• Instruct your people to disclose the connection to your company (whether they are employees or bloggers provided with free product).
• Instruct your people to respect all Intellectual Property rights.
• Explain that all statements made must be verifiable.
• Require sponsor approval if bloggers wish to run a contest.
• Limit employee social media direct messages (may be considered email and fall within CANSPAM).

Make sure the social media policy is reviewed by marketing, HR, legal, PR departments and your advertising agency so you have everyone’s input.

WHY A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY?
While not fool-proof, a social media policy will help steer those in your company to walk the right path when it comes to sponsored messages and testimonials on social media, and having one in place may determine whether or not an action will be brought against your company, should an infraction of the FTC Guidelines occur.

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And then there’s Kia, Nestle, Wise Foods and Frito Lay all mentioned here as players in the AR game. As promotions go, this tool will engage the consumer and increase time spent with the ad and with the brand. The real immersion occurs only among consumers with webcams, but those with it can get a sampling through online videos that demo the AR experience.

It gets the promotion wheels in my mind spinning. Augmented Reality ads are all about immersion, about spending time with the brand, in a fun and engaging way.  And wouldn’t you know, that’s where promotions can shine! The chance to win, the ability to share or the opportunity to get something for free are all proven conversion levers. In fact, a promotion can draw the consumer even closer, motivating them to provide data or to opt-in. With an augmented reality experience as the “hook”, a strong promotion offer as the “line” and a great prize as the “sinker”,  you’re certain to land your consumer.

Augmented Reality is one of the latest digital innovations to bridge the gap between  the real and the virtual,  leaving so little to the imagination… except imagining new ways to engage!

The Federal Trade Commission announced this week that it is changing its regulations regarding sponsored testimonials online, and not surprisingly, the web has been a buzz ever since. The original FTC ruling about sponsored endorsements from 1980 is designed to protect consumers against fraudulent advertising and applies to television, radio, print and later, email. Beginning December 1, 2009, the scope of this regulation will be expanded to also include blogs and social media platforms. Why is this such big news? Well, the proposed changes will affect four important and vocal parties involved in the marketing process; consumers, bloggers, celebrities and companies, by making sure that any paid endorsements online are made known to the public. While that’s a significant change, the ruling spotlights an issue that will have a widespread impact on our industry.The fact that the U.S. government is imposing regulations on blogs and social media means that it now considers both to be legitimate channels of mass communications. If you’re reading this blog post, you certainly get the importance of the social web, but this is a wakeup call for marketers still unsure of the validity of this channel.

What this means for brands & bloggers
In a phrase, no more under the table pay for play, everything will be out in the open. It is not an uncommon practice for companies to send influential bloggers free product (or cash, trips, etc.) in return for a positive review on their blog. However, the blogger is currently under no obligation to tell the readers about the transaction, although some do. Under the expanded FTC guidelines, bloggers and social media users must disclose any paid relationship with a company (this includes freebies, not just money) so that consumers are aware. The same situation applies when brands reach out to social media users to post sponsored content on sites like Facebook and Twitter. It should be noted that sponsored blogging/posting is still allowed, so long as it is indicated as such, just like the accepted practices of marketing through traditional media channels

Another new issue addressed by the FTC is the practice of creating entirely fabricated blogs and personalities so that a brand can falsely feed advertising content through the voice of a supposed customer. Now, companies will not be allowed to mimic user-created sites to mask advertising messages from their audience.

What this means for consumers
In keeping with the FTC’s mission, the reason for all of these new rules is to protect the consumer. Consumers have to most to gain from these new changes, the more transparency there is in product related blogging and posting, the more educated they will be. Similar to the “paid actor” disclosures seen on television commercials, it will be much easier to distinguish a paid blog post, wall post or tweet from an actual opinion.

What this means for marketers
This is not bad news. The same regulations already apply to television, radio, print and email and marketers have been abiding for almost 30 years. Marketers now will have to be smarter and more creative with their social media marketing campaigns as well. As good marketers, we should always want our consumers to be well-informed about our products and services. The proposed FTC regulation is intended to level the ethical playing field and weed out those who are abusing these channels. Many brands will continue to thrive in our online social space, the point is to be here and do it right. Those marketers still skeptical about Web 2.0 applications need to recognize, as the government has, that social media and blogging are maturing into viable and impactful communications channels.

In great part, traditional marketers have historically been slow to adopt new channels for their marketing…well, at least slower than the pace of consumers adopting that same channel. Why? Quite sensibly, they are looking to spend their money “where the eyeballs are.” So the migration of marketing spending from radio to television (in the 50s) network TV to cable, from offline to online, from DM to email all happened after the wave of household penetration of each medium had achieved a majority. However, in each case, the migration happened faster than the one before it. (Are we moving at a faster pace? Nah, that’s just your imagination…). The term Web 2.0 was coined in 2005 (?), and yes, you can find articles each year between then and now that tout it as “the next big thing”. The fact is, until last year, the critical mass of the population had not discovered this mutation of its beloved web, and it’s liberating addiction (there’s an oxymoron for you…). What strikes me about this latest digital (r)evolution is that marketers are getting there quicker.

“Users logged 17% of their online time on social networks and blogs in August, compared to 6% for the same month in 2008, and ad outlays in such venues over the same period jumped 119% to $108 million, according to Nielsen.”

That’s an 11% increase in consumer activity in this arena vs. a 119% increase in advertiser involvement. Hmmm. Is that the marketing treadmill I feel speeding up?

The second article talks about consumer receptivity to marketing messages. It seems that consumers are more prone to interact with marketers on Twitter than they are on Facebook, (or any other social network, for that matter). This time, Interpret tell us that;

“Nearly one in four Twitter users surveyed had either reviewed or rated products online in August vs. 12% for users of other social nets…” (That means TWICE as likely to enter the conversation on Twitter),

“and one in five Twitterers were apt to look at company profiles or click on ads or sponsored links, compared to 11% and 9%, respectively, of non-Twitter users.” (Again, that looks like 20% vs. about 10%, or TWICE as likely.)

If you remember, some of the earliest marketing stories about Twitter spoke of brands like JetBlue and Comcast and Zappos responding to consumer complaints via twitter, in what must have shocked those twitterer as a truly personal and timely concern on the part of the brand. Could it be that brands were getting to the party early? Are these actually marketing success stories that predate the population of users on Twitter reaching critical mass? It’s just a thought on my part, but maybe consumers got there after the twitter landscape had been painted as an arena for brands to converse with their users. That might account for consumers’ predisposition to this channel as one through which the ears of the marketers can be reached. Frustrated? Got a complaint? Not happy with a trusted brand’s ad? Just tweet it and see what happens.