Dell, Zappos, H&R Block: How Big Brands are Using Twitter

This article from MediaWeek takes a look at how some brands are getting the most out of microblogging. With a zero marketing cost, WOMMA member company Dell's DellOutlet Twitter account has generated the company more than $500,000 from leads and provides a way for the company to communicate with its customers. Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has amassed more than 6,000 followers to his Twitter feed, using the platform to give away shoes and send happy hour invites. H&R Block uses Twitter to monitor "tax" mentions, and responds to users' questions.

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Next Shiny Object: Time to Flock to FriendFeed?

On his blog, Steve Rubel admits to being attracted to "shiny objects," especially emerging social media sites. That said, Steve puts his fan power behind FriendFeed -- a social site aggregation platform mentioned previously in The WOMMA Word -- saying it has the power to become the next big thing. According to Steve, the appeal of FriendFeed lies in both the growing influence of peers and the popularity of search, which has the potential to create a whole new kind of model: "social contextual search."

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MySpace Users Collaborate on Consumer-Generated Movie

MySpace and Brazilian author Paulo Coelho are working with MySpace users to create a consumer-generated movie from the author's book, "The Witch of Portobello." On the author's MySpace page, users can submit videos that focus on the book's characters. Up to 15 winning videos will be tapped to be part of a video mash-up. Users can also submit songs to vie to serve as the movie's soundtrack. The end product is being called "The Experimental Witch," and according to the author, there has been a lot of interest from T.V. stations, which want to purchase the finished product.

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The Impact of Great Expectations on Negative WOM

On his blog, Paul Isakson describes the fan disappointment that accompanied the launch of the iPhone 2.0. Because expectations were so high, and because bloggers, Twitter and Facebook users, and tons of other Apple fans were poised and ready to weigh in on the top-secret launch, the underwhelming sentiment generated more negative impressions than it might have otherwise. But, Paul posits, it's not as though the company delivered a sub-par product. They just didn't "surprise and delight" in line with customer expectations. So how does a company manage consumer expectations without impeding open conversation and dynamic consumer involvement?

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WOMMA Member News for Today

News by, about, and for WOMMA members:

* WOMMA's Facebook group just passed the 1,000-member mark. Our group is 1,001-members strong -- and if you haven't it joined yet, you should click over now. It's a great way to keep tabs on your industry peers, pose questions, start conversations, and stay posted on the latest WOMMA happenings. Visit the WOMMA Facebook group at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3272859876&ref=ts.

* Congratulations to WOMMA member company UNBOUND Technologies, which made Marketing Sherpa's 2008 Viral Marketing Hall of Fame for their work with Vibe Media Group. To read the case study, visit: http://www.marketingsherpa.com/viralawards2008/2.html.

* Congratulations to WOMMA member company Brains on Fire for winning a Gold EFFIE award for their Rage Against the Haze anti-tobacco campaign.

* On Jun. 19, 2008, Bob Pearson of WOMMA member company Dell and Blake Cahill of WOMMA member company Visible Technologies will participate in a webcast titled "Interacting with Social Media to Strengthen Communication Strategies." To learn more or register for free, visit: http://www.prweekus.com/Interacting-with-Social-Media-to-Strengthen-Communication-Strategies/article/110717/.

* Congratulations to WOMMA member company Weber Shandwick for winning three Silver Anvil Awards, two Silver Anvil Awards of Excellence and three Bronze Anvils from the Public Relations Society of America.

* WOMMA member company China IWOM launched its new CIC Tech blog. You can visit the blog at: http://www.seeisee.com/index.php?cat=54.

* WOMMA Board president Ed Keller of the Keller Fay Group was quoted in a recent ClickZ article titled "Putting Social Commerce to Work." To read the article, visit http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3629755.

Are you speaking at an event or receiving an award? Were you quoted in the press? Are you making a change at work or at home, or otherwise just doing something really cool? Tell us about it and we'll spread the word! Email editor@womma.org.