Social Media Analysts™

Why video games are good for you — the cheat sheet

SocialMediaAnalysts — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 02:32:15 +0000

Why video games are good for you — the cheat sheet

Dean Takahashi for VentureBeats GameBeat

Relax, parents. Video games are good for you and your kids. So argues Scott Steinberg, author of The Modern Parent’s Guide series for high-tech parenting.

Steinberg, who also serves as a game industry consultant at TechSavvy Global, has launched a free tip sheet for parents on his web site. In it, he talks about the educational, physical, and job-related benefits that gaming offers. He’s not suggest that your kids play the mature-rated Grand Theft Auto series; rather, he thinks that age-appropriate games will result in all sorts of benefits. “Video games promote exercise and physical activity, encourage socialization and leadership, and foster dynamic problem-solving and decision-making skills – all areas of tremendous benefit to kids and adults alike,” Steinberg said. He says that research supports the positive nature of play, and he notes that the vast majority of titles are now family friendly. “Parents, politicians and educators frequently criticize video games as an alleged waste of time that distracts kids from healthier activities such as homework and outdoor play,” Steinberg said. “But research is quickly demonstrating that gaming can be a perfectly beneficial and well-rounded part of a healthy, balanced media diet.” As noted before, Steinberg said that Harvard Medical School researcher Cheryl Olson, whose research included surveying data from interviews with over 1,000 public-school students, found that “parent-approved video games played in moderation can help young kids develop in educational, social, and physical ways.” Olson argued that even games that are not labeled as educational can encourage planning, problem solving, and creative self-expression, and can spark interest in history or geography. Still more encourage socialization, exercise, healthy competition, and leadership. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Taekman, director of Duke University’s Human Simulation and Patient Safety Center, has concluded that “serious games and virtual environments are the future of education.” Games can help students deal with cultural differences or irate consumers — mainly by enabling people to deal with evolving scenarios, making more informed choices, seeing immediate consequences, and shifts in tactics. The tip sheet offers a bunch of other supporting research as well, pretty much aligned with the views of the game industry’s trade group, the Entertainment Software Association. “Games can definitely be good for the family,” says Patricia Vance, president of The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), which assigns video game ratings. “Oftentimes I think parents feel that they’re not because video games in the media are portrayed as violent, and hardcore games tend to get the lion’s share of publicity. But parents need to be comforted knowing that E for Everyone is by far the largest category. Nearly 60 percent of the almost 1,700 ratings we assigned last year [fall into this category].”

Pretty in Pinterest: Beauty giant Sephora integrates pin-boards

SocialMediaAnalysts — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 02:22:32 +0000

Ciara Byrne for VentureBeat

Beauty retailer Sephora has just become one of the first retailers to fully integrate with digital pin-board Pinterest by adding a “Pin It” button to every one of its 14,000 products.

Sephora staffers will also highlight their favorite products on Pinterest pinboards. Following a meteoric rise, Pinterest is now the third most visited social network in the U.S. after Facebook and twitter. Given that Pinterest’s users are overwhelmingly female and Pinterest has been shown to drive considerably more revenue per click than either Twitter or Facebook, the fact that Sephora has pinned its hopes on Pinterest is perhaps unsurprising. Sephora’s sleek stores have long functioned as the cathedrals of the beauty product world. The French retailer operates more than 300 stores in the U.S. and Canada (and many more globally) and is something of a trailblazer in integrating technology into its retail experience. Last month VentureBeat reported how the retailer, having noticed the high overlap between its customers and Apple users (70 percent of visits to Sephora’s website are from iPhones) introduced iPads running a custom, in-store Sephora app into 20 stores across the U.S. The iPad application leverages the iPad’s camera functionality to create a “virtual mirror” that lets users see themselves practicing makeup application as a video of the relevant technique are played below. Shoppers can review their purchase history (to avoid shopping disasters such as buying two of the same lipstick) and product information like ingredient lists. Sephora also invested in iPod touches which can be used for mobile checkout in every store. Sephora’s website is the world’s biggest beauty store. Mobile shopping grew 300 percent on Sephora in 2011 and the company expects another 100 percent increase this year. iPad traffic was up 400 percent in Q1 2012 compared to Q1 2011.

Social Media Alert – Instagram Deal Sharpens Facebook’s Mobile Focus

SocialMediaAnalysts — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 02:05:22 +0000

Facebook acquired mobile photo application Instagram for $1 billion in cash and stock.

Instagram Deal Sharpens Facebook’s Mobile Focus

by Mark Walsh, for MediaPost

Aiming to remain a key hub for sharing photos, Facebook acquired mobile photo application Instagram for $1 billion in cash and stock. The transaction — Facebook’s largest to date — also underscores the company’s efforts to bolster its mobile offerings. Instagram will continue to operate as an independent business under the same name. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a post that the acquisition would enhance the ability of Facebook users to upload and exchange photos among family and friends. “We need to be mindful about keeping and building on Instagram’s strengths and features rather than just trying to integrate everything into Facebook,” wrote Zuckerberg. “That’s why we’re committed to building and growing Instagram independently. “Millions of people around the world love the Instagram app and the brand associated with it, and our goal is to help spread this app and brand to even more people.” Launched in October 2010, the Instagram app now has more than 30 million registered users. Last week, the company extended the service to Android phones after becoming one of the most popular and best-rated apps on the iPhone. Zuckerberg called the deal an “important milestone” for the company; it’s never before acquired a product with as many users as Instagram. He also suggested that Facebook will not be pursuing many more deals of this scale in the future. Previously, the social network made smaller acquisitions including startups, such as FriendFeed, Hot Potato, Rel8tion and Snaptu. Often these deals were designed to pick up engineering talent or technology rather than a well-known consumer brand like Instagram. Given its rapid growth, Instagram is one of the only recent startups that represented a credible threat to a core element of the Facebook experience: photo-sharing. The acquisition not only removes a competitor but better positions the company for the expansion of social networking to mobile devices. Facebook’s 845 million users include more than 400 million mobile users. And the latest data from comScore shows that more than a third(36.1%) of U.S. mobile users access a blog or social network on their phones. The deal comes as Facebook prepares for an IPO to raise up to $5 billion, which would make it the largest Internet offering to date. The IPO expected this spring would value Facebook at between an estimated $80 billion to $100 billion. The Instagram acquisition could make Facebook even more attractive to already eager investors. For its part, Instagram raised $40 million last month at a reported valuation of $500 million, despite having no business model. In his own blog post Monday, Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom reiterated that the company isn’t going away like prior Facebook acquisitions. “We’ll be working with Facebook to evolve Instagram and build the network. We’ll continue to add new features to the product and find new ways to create a better mobile photo experience,” he wrote. At the same time, Zuckerberg said Facebook also plans to keep existing Instagram features, like the ability to post to other social networks. Inside Facebook reported that Instagram has been working on a version of its app for Facebook’s new Timeline feature. The app built with Facebook’s Open Graph platform would allow users to automatically post photos they had taken. Brands could also tie Instagram into their own apps on Facebook. “The biggest benefit will be to highly experiential brands like Nike and Red Bull — their brands are at the heart of life in-the-moment worth capturing,” said Dave Marsey, senior vice president and media practice lead at Digitas. “Uniting Instagram with the Timeline, for example, creates a more real, engaging experience.” To that end, Vitrue last week added a feature to its social media marketing platform that lets brands build Instagram functionality into their Facebook pages. But Facebook clearly trumped that move with its Instagram acquisition.

PR: GrapevineStar™ Media Launches Social Media Analysts™

SocialMediaAnalysts — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:00:53 +0000

GrapevineStar™ Media Launches Social Media Analysts™:
Company offers social media solutions for small businesses for as little as $39.00 per month.

Ft Worth, Texas April 10, 2012

GrapevineStar Media launched today Social Media Analysts™, [a one-stop shop for small businesses that need social media solutions.

Available at http://www.socialmediaanalysts.com, the solutions are sold via packages that range from $39.00 to $349.00 per month. They include a social media assessment and a variety of services such as:  

Application(s) set up  Identity management
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Reputation management
 Performance Metrics
Content Support Packages (professional writers, blogging, journalistic writing, audio, video, graphics, characters, celebrities and more)

“Social Media Analysts helps businesses integrate social media safely into their business plans,” says Jacob R. Miles III, founder of GrapevineStar’s Social Media Analysts. “It’s a great resource for individuals and companies who want to improve their knowledge of new media and how it drives revenue.”

The company will also offer social media training and certification.

“The Social Media Analysts practice and services will be provided by experienced professionals with experience in traditional and new media while having a strong understanding of and passion for social media.” Miles says

SMA’s social media packages are also ideal for resellers, solo entreprenuers and professionals.

About GrapevineStar™ Media and Social Media Analysts™

Social Media Analysts is a division of GrapevineStar Media, a Dallas-Ft Worth based new media company. It is the world’s only niche-market, trends-based media resource.

For more information on GrapevineStar™ Media & Social Media Analysts™ visit http://www.grapevinestar.com and http://www.socialmediaanalysts.com

GrapevineStar Media Events Calendar 2012

SocialMediaAnalysts — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 04:19:57 +0000

81 events found

Mar 26
- Atlanta Georgia March 26, 2012 – March 29, 2012
Mar 27
- New York New York March 27, 2012
Mar 28
- San Francisco California March 28, 2012
Mar 29
- 325 E 3rd Ave, Scottsdale, AZ Arizona March 29, 2012
Apr 03
- New York New York April 3, 2012
Apr 09
- Seattle Washington April 9, 2012
Apr 10
- Miami Florida April 10, 2012 – April 13, 2012
Apr 11
- New York New York April 11, 2012
Apr 18
- Los Angeles California April 18, 2012
Apr 19
- Portland Oregon April 19, 2012
Apr 22
- Captiva Island Florida April 22, 2012 – April 25, 2012
Apr 23
- Cincinnati Ohio April 23, 2012 – April 26, 2012
Apr 24
- Chicago Illinois April 24, 2012
Apr 25
- Toronto Ontario April 25, 2012
Apr 26
- Chicago Illinois April 26, 2012
Apr 30
- New York New York April 30, 2012
May 01
- New York New York May 1, 2012
May 02
- Chicago Illinois May 2, 2012 – May 3, 2012
May 03
- New York New York May 3, 2012
May 05
- Karachi None May 5, 2012 – May 6, 2012
May 06
- Boca Raton Florida May 6, 2012 – May 9, 2012
May 07
- Boston Massachusetts May 7, 2012 – May 10, 2012
May 08
- Berkeley California May 8, 2012 – May 9, 2012
May 09
- San Francisco California May 9, 2012
May 10
- Los Angeles California May 10, 2012
May 14
- New York New York May 14, 2012
May 15
- New York New York May 15, 2012
May 16
- New York New York May 16, 2012
May 17
- New York New York May 17, 2012 – May 17, 2012
May 21
- Las Vegas Nevada May 21, 2012 – May 24, 2012
May 29
- 151 East Wacker Drive, Chicago Illinois May 29, 2012 – May 31, 2012
Jun 04
- Minneapolis Minnesota June 4, 2012 – June 7, 2012
Jun 08
- Schaumburg Illinois June 8, 2012 – June 10, 2012
Jun 18
- Phoenix Arizona June 18, 2012 – June 21, 2012
Jun 25
- Austin Texas June 25, 2012 – June 28, 2012
Jun 26
- New York New York June 26, 2012
Jun 27
- New York New York June 27, 2012
Jun 28
- New York New York June 28, 2012
Jul 09
- Tampa Florida July 9, 2012 – July 12, 2012
Jul 19
- Los Angeles California July 19, 2012
Jul 23
- Dallas Texas July 23, 2012 – July 26, 2012
Aug 06
- San Francisco California Aug. 6, 2012 – Aug. 9, 2012
Aug 20
- Des Moines Iowa Aug. 20, 2012 – Aug. 23, 2012
Aug 27
- Boston Massachusetts Aug. 27, 2012 – Aug. 30, 2012
Sep 04
- Columbus Ohio Sept. 4, 2012 – Sept. 6, 2012
Sep 10
- Birmingham Alabama Sept. 10, 2012 – Sept. 13, 2012
Sep 11
- New York New York Sept. 11, 2012
Sep 12
- New York New York Sept. 12, 2012
Sep 13
- New York New York Sept. 13, 2012
Sep 24
- Chicago Illinois Sept. 24, 2012 – Sept. 27, 2012
Oct 08
- New York New York Oct. 8, 2012 – Oct. 11, 2012
Oct 22
- Atlanta Georgia Oct. 22, 2012 – Oct. 25, 2012
Oct 24
- Ontario California Oct. 24, 2012
Nov 05
- Seattle Washington Nov. 5, 2012 – Nov. 8, 2012
Nov 12
- Indianapolis Indiana Nov. 12, 2012 – Nov. 15, 2012
Nov 13
- New York New York Nov. 13, 2012
Nov 14
- New York New York Nov. 14, 2012
Nov 15
- New York New York Nov. 15, 2012
Nov 26
- Kansas City Missouri Nov. 26, 2012 – Nov. 29, 2012
Dec 10
- Charlotte North Carolina Dec. 10, 2012 – Dec. 13, 2012
Dec 17
- Phoenix Arizona Dec. 17, 2012 – Dec. 20, 2012