Ever been in a situation when you thought you were having a friendly chat, and then it turned out someone was trying to sell you something? Not a company you’d want to do business with.

Facebook has just announced that it is testing an advertising model in which companies can buy ads that appear in your Newsfeed – whether or not you’ve shown any interest in those companies.

This isn’t surprising, but it does feel like one of those tactical decisions that might make more money for a while, but is a strategic disaster. Read more »

A story broke this week about a US court case in Virginia where a sheriff’s deputy ‘liked’ his boss’ political opponent’s page. His boss fired him.

The deputy, Daniel Ray Carter, sued, saying his ‘Like’ was protected by the First Amendment. The judge didn’t agree and stated, “merely liking a Facebook page is insufficient speech to merit constitutional protection.” Read more »

Life revolves around trust. Trust binds friendships together. Trust lets you gets things done at work. Trust defines what you do, try and buy. Brand owners know this and for years have been trying every trick in the book to gain the trust of consumers. The arrival of social media has seen some brands try to buy that trust (or likes, followers, or even Pins) – they are missing the point. You can’t buy people’s trust, you have to earn it.

Fifty years ago, Mad Men gave brands a style that you aspired to. The expression ‘brand promise’ arose to define the trust between a company and consumers. Cigarette firms used doctors to endorse their product. The age of celebrity saw brands jump on the coattails of well-known personalities to share in their reflected trust. Read more »