readings in social media and pr for february 16 2011

Short Bread : it's what I want right now! 😉

Here are a few readings for today:

• how open is the internet?

“America, the champion of democracy and freedom, actually has more Internet censorship than some countries in Africa and South America according to an infographic based on Internet censorship research conducted by the OpenNet Initiative.”

• mobile technology trending up

“Apple has sold almost 60 million iPhones world wide, while Google’s Android OS is growing at 886% year on year and now activating over 160,000 devices a day, across 60 devices in over 40 countries. And at that rate, Android will come from behind to over take Apple as the leading smart phone OS in 2011. The video is by Sybase, a SAP mobile intelligence company.”

• social media tools

“Two keys to this tool appear to be the advanced sentiment feature and the ability to drill down by region. Sentiment is very difficult for an automated tool, and Sysomos does a good job of adapting over time. It identifies context within each conversation and offers the ability to assess sentences within the same article.”

• oreo, Guiness record and Facebook likes

“he brand started pursuing this goal at 9 a.m. ET today and hopes to establish a new record since no current one exists. Guinness World Records people, however, set the bar at 45,000 likes within a 24-hour period. This morning, the Kraft-owned brand started the ball rolling with a post asking the brand’s 16.6 million fans to set the “likes” record. An hour or so later, Oreo seemed well on its way with more than 30,000 likes.”

• brands that build aps

“When Ron Faris was looking last year for a way to build out a Facebook page for Virgin Mobile USA, where he is the head of brand experiences, he didn’t contact Facebook.”

• facebook contests

“Facebook contests are arguably the best strategy for brands to acquire new fans, especially if the prize is a new, sought after product, if it is something that money can’t buy, or if it is of high value. Those who have entered the competition often have the opportunity to share their entry, perhaps a photograph submission, or the basic details of the contest with friends, for example ‘I’ve entered, why don’t you too’. Brands usually make it a requirement to be a fan of their Facebook page before being able to enter a contest, although there are instances where they have not, such as the Mustang example below; this enables companies to grow their fan base, sometimes very quickly, to encourage interaction and ultimately to acquire new customers and generate loyalty to the brand.”

• becoming an on-line influencer

“For all the advice about how to approach and attract influencers, I haven’t seen much written about how to actually become an influencer. It’s important, because once you’re seen as an influencer, you’re seen as an industry equal and a resource. You’re no longer perceived as a nuisance constantly broadcasting your own agenda, hoping others will relay.”

• TED launches Quora -like discussion tool

“TED, an organization best known for its annual gathering of top thought leaders, launched a social discussion platform on its website today. The move is part of a larger effort to spread, as TED’s motto goes, “ideas worth spreading” beyond the 1,300-attendee, five-day conference.”