The word ‘curator’ derives from the Latin curare meaning ‘take care’, and is commonly used in the context of cultural institutions; galleries, museums etc.

Over the course of the last year or so the term was increasingly used in conjunction with digital marketing, particularly social media-based campaigns. For fast-paced, content-driven comms planning, agencies would talk of acting as the ‘curator’ for the brand. In other words, deciding what content, stories, reactions, conversations and touchpoints to release at precisely the right time.

Now I think it can apply to the very nature of one’s digital identity itself.

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Is the internet leading towards a single, shared cultural identity? Or is it facilitating a break-up into many smaller groups, each of which see themselves as having a defined culture of their own?

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Ever wondered where Foursquare was launched, where Twitter hit the big time or where you can hear keynotes from the likes of Jimmy Wales, Guy Kawasaki, Craig Newmark, Evan Williams or even Mr Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, himself – well Austin, Texas is where it is at in March as SXSW comes to town.

And next week we will throwing ourselves into the madness of SXSW Interactive as part of the UKTI Trade Mission along with 39 other companies from the UK and over 25,000 others from round the Globe. We will endeavour to bring you daily updates as to themes, new ideas and creative technologies on show along with the weird and wonderful from Austin. Read More »

The 70,000-strong army of volunteers who will be helping the London 2012 Olympic Games to run smoothly have been told that they mustn’t mention details of their location, their role or any backstage information about athletes, celebrities or “dignitaries” on social media.

Considering the nature of social media on sites like Twitter and Facebook is to share precisely that information the London Olympics organisers appear to be issuing rather optimistic social media guidelines for volunteers. Read More »

Hi everybody.

I’m Rich. I work at 10 Yetis PR Agency. (‘Hiiii Rich’, you say in a soothingly choral sort of way).

And I’m an addict. (You clap empathetically, looking at me with a knowing approval and compassionately tearful gleam in your eye).

It all started out as a pastime. A bit of fun to while away the time with friends. I don’t need to use it, I’d tell myself. I do it because I want to. I was in control. And then, over time, things changed. I started using it at all hours of the day. I’d wake up and use it. I’d use while at work. I’d do it instead of spending time with my family. I’d do it as my family continued to live their lives around me, disapproving of my developing dependence. Then, as I found out about more and more different types – as other addicts eulogised – I’d have to try them. I needed to.

My addiction developed. Read More »

Foursquare: more developments

Foursquare is the latest social network to look towards businesses to monetize its website, with a report in the New York Post saying it is planning to start charging registered merchants.

The newspaper interviewed Foursquare co-founder Naveen Selvadurai, who said: “[The check-in] comes back to me in forms of recommendations. It goes back to [users] in interesting ways.”

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Forecast: announce your plans for the day

We all know about social media, but how about socializing media? For example, a smartphone app that exists purely to help you see your friends?

Foursquare has launched one. It’s called Forecast, and it’s a very simple idea. You let Forecast know your likely movements later in the day and it lets your friends know. Then presumably, if they’re going to be around, at a loose end and wanting to catch up, they can get in touch.

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Foursquare: 500,000-plus businesses on board

As we know, geo-location social network Foursquare is operating in an increasingly tough market, with competition on two fronts: rival check-in sites like Facebook Places, and the increasingly popular coupon companies like Groupon.

Nonetheless, a fortnight after it revealed it had 10 million members, it has said that it has more than 500,000 merchants signed up – the companies that do special offers for people checking in or for people with ‘Mayor’ status (meaning they’ve checked in the most) and so on.

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Foursquare: deal with Amex

In spite of predictions that Facebook Places would kill off Foursquare, the geo-location social network is still going strong, revealing this week that it has 10 million members and a new partnership with American Express.

The deal works in the United States and will see American Express users required to sync their cards with a Foursquare account in order to get discounts at retailers and restaurants.

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Do your travel dreams involve a visit to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania? It’s probably not in your top-10 must-visit places, but nonetheless, there exists a Pennsylvania Tourism Office to try and tempt you. And they’ve done a deal with Foursquare to promote the town’s biggest attraction: the weather-predicting groundhog Punxsutawney Phil.

Punxsutawney Phil Badge: available for one day only

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