Brands are becoming ever more sensitive about how they are perceived online – nobody wants to become the latest Addison Lee.

This has led to them become more receptive to responding to complaints and queries posted by consumers in social networks. A new study by Fishburn Hedges shows that 65% of those polled felt social media was a better way to connect with a company than the traditional call centre. Only 7% thought they were worse off using social. Read More »

Since Sainsbury’s Justin King made his comment in February, that smaller retailers should simply accept their fate and die gracefully, the ‘death of the high street’ has been the talk of the media.

E-Commerce has been identified as one of the culprits responsible for the troubles of bricks and mortar establishments, but this is not a fair judgement.  Read More »

The WSJ is reporting that General Motors is planning to stop advertising on Facebook after deciding that paying for ads on the social network has little impact on consumers when it comes to car purchases.

That is a significant blow to Facebook as it prepares for its IPO on Friday. Yesterday Facebook increased the planned price range for its stock to $34 to $38 per share amid growing investor excitement. The new price will see it raise about $12.8bn and values Facebook as high as $104bn, but without big advertisers that figure could quickly fall. Read More »

The tension between journalists and bloggers has raged ever since “web 2.0” emerged in the new millennium. The journalist is educated and trained, and considered the voice of the nation. Surely they are above other wannabe hacks? But the internet came along and broke this business model, allowing “citizen journalists” to share what they wanted with the world.

Yes, that leads to a lot of dross. But there are some people who can write well, deliver a balanced opinion, and actually share real facts. So what’s the difference between these writers and ‘journalists’? The difference is that journalists get paid by newspaper brands that add credibility and scale with which they can broadcast their views. Read More »