Marketing - Social

The other week I was involved in a little email exchange with my colleagues about the power of social influence. As usual I was getting boxed into the Luddite corner until I realize that what was worrying me was the apparent assumption that social influence was universal and all powerful. If so, I beg to differ.  by Nigel Hollis

In the latest episode of the “Behind the Numbers” podcast, we break down what Facebook knows and doesn’t know about users, how advertisers access the information, and how consumers feel about it.

Social platforms can be discovery vehicles, but getting a consumer to click on an ad—and ultimately buy something directly from it—isn't easy.

Let’s face it. We love it when smartasses get theirs. For example: Sir Martin Sorrell. Sorry, your lordship, but I always thought you were a pontificating and pretentious dickhead, and I’m kind of rooting for the team digging up dirt on you. Let’s see if you doth protest too much.  Or Jeff Bezos. OK, granted Trump doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about regarding Amazon. And we apparently love the company. But just how much sympathy do we really have for the world’s richest man? Couldn’t he stand to be taken down a few pegs?  And don’t get me started on Bill Gates.

MGH released the results of a survey it conducted of 659 American Facebook users who became aware of Cambridge Analytica's use of Facebook data in recent weeks to determine if there are now trust issues between these users and the social media giant.

“I told you so.” It’s unlikely that Tim Cook -- maybe the most respected exec in Silicon Valley -- would use such callow words.  Yet that’s exactly what he’s telling anyone who ever doubted that consumer data mining would result in scandals like the one currently engulfing Facebook.