Gary Vaynerchuk discusses branding and marketing in today’s new age. Pay attention – he hates the word ‘social media’ because media implies broadcasting — but today’s age is conversation!

More Power! No, that’s not the lesson from the 1990s television show Home Improvement.  Home Improvement was a television show that focused on the Taylor family. The father, Tim Taylor, understood content marketing before the age of social media.

In the show, Tim Taylor, along with his burly assistant, Al Borland, hosted the home improvement show Tool Time. Tool Time was more than just a cable television show about how to fix a toilet or repair a fence, though. It was a marketing tool by its sponsor: Binford Tools. Viewers of the show may have noticed the prominent mentions of Binford tools and the Binford sponsorship. The point of Tool Time wasn’t just to plug a leak, but to use a Binford wrench while doing it.  Read more...

Yesterday’s Cyber Monday was bigger in China than in the United States. According to a press release from eCoupons.com, 47% of American 18-49 year olds plan on making a purchase online, compared to 60% of Chinese 18-49 year olds.

If you are a retailer, why only sell in the United States when the emerging markets want to buy? As the American economy remains stuck in a tailspin, other countries, like India and China, are eager to buy.  Read more...

Happy Cyber Monday! Cyber Monday, coined in 2005, is the Monday that immediately follows Black Friday. Just as Black Friday represents the biggest physical store shopping day, Cyber Monday is the biggest online shopping day, as people continue their Christmas shopping when they return to work.

Cyber Monday is big business. In 2009, comScore reported that consumers spent $887M online on Cyber Monday (excluding travel), the second highest spending day of 2009.  Read more...

While Facebook has long been home for Generation Y, now approaching 30 and online since they were still in university or graduate school, with the younger generation, and Generation X also long on the network, the fastest growing group on Facebook is Baby Boomers, now approaching retirement, and grandparents. Social media is not merely a marketing touchpoint to reach those under 45, but it’s also an important channel to reach Boomers. NBC News’s Tom Brokaw explores how Boomers embrace the medium.

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