According to a report from General Sentiment, Facebook is the top global brand, generating $751 million of “Impact Media Value.” Apple was No. 2 with a brand value of $657 million, followed by Google with a brand value of $547 million and MTV with a brand value of $536 million. Amazon, Samsung, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Disney […]

According to SophosLabs’ latest “Dirty Dozen” report, India led all countries when it came to relaying spam from July through September, accounting for 16.1 percent of the world’s spam. This was the third quarter in a row that India led the world with this regretful distinction. Italy followed with 9.4 percent, while the U.S. accounted […]

GPS navigation company Telenav has acquired Los Angeles-based ThinkNear, a hyperlocal mobile ad startup, for $22.5 million. Telenav will fold ThinkNear into a new mobile local advertising platform called Scout Advertising. The platform will enable retail stores, restaurants and other businesses to advertise to targeted audiences. Scout Advertising purports to get the targeting down to […]

Leads360, a lead-management software firm, generated an infographic driving home the point that not all leads are equal. Marketers in need of this reminder will find a wealth of interesting findings, including: The most desirable insurance leads are from Utah, have high-school diplomas, have very poor credit and have a Comporium email domain (18-270 percent […]

The first thing you need to know about blog post titles are that they matter. “It’s the first impression your writing will make on anybody on Twitter, Facebook, or any news site where your link might be shared,” says entrepreneur and blogger Andrew Chen. “If you don’t impress instantly, people won’t click, and they won’t […]

Pinterest is the latest social media marvel. It’s a huge source of traffic and engages its users more than Facebook or Twitter. Email marketers should understand how to integrate Pinterest with their strategies to boost traffic and build brand awareness. Among the seven ways to do that are to post your email or a portion […]

According to a survey from Sterne Agee, using SurveyMonkey, 77 percent of surveyed Facebook users hadn’t noticed mobile ads during the span of a week, indicating that Facebook is succeeding at keeping its mobile Sponsored Stories subtle enough to fly under the radar. The survey also found that just 16 percent of respondents aid they […]

Karmio is a new startup aiming to offer consumers coupons for rare services, unlike the vouchers on bars, restaurants and cruises offered by Groupon and LivingSocial. “Each coupon you buy will help a cause — whether it is getting clean water or school supplies to a community across the globe, or developing a community garden […]

Running a deal with sites like Groupon and LivingSocial can be a risky venture, but it doesn’t mean local merchants have to feel like they’re following in Felix Baumgartner’s Red Bull-sponsored free-fall trail in the sky when they’re about to offer one. Here’s some guidance from a handful of experts on what local businesses should […]

Groupon’s staff turnover, increased investments, competition and slowing sales are reasons for lowered expectations for the daily-deals company’s revenue, according to Edward Woo, senior research analyst at Ascendiant Capital Markets. Woo said Groupon’s near-term earnings might be weighed down by its investments in Breadcrumb and Savored, along with its introduction of Groupon Payments. He also […]