Conducting a Facebook contest is a fun way to engage followers, attract new followers and liven up a Facebook page. But, you cannot just expect the contest to run itself. It is important to have a strategy to help make the contest a success.

Corporate rumors can be a headache for marketing departments, and potentially be very damaging to the brand if they are not addressed properly. However, this does not always mean the best course of action is to address the rumor directly.

I read a story last night – you probably saw it – reporting at least five deaths have been linked to Monster energy drinks.  Apparently some adolescents can't process all that caffeine and sugar they are so frequently encouraged – with minimal restriction – to consume.

Everyone is talking about the presidential election – and rightly so – but this year, things (let's call them presidential-isms) have seemed to “go viral” faster than ever. After Republican candidate Mitt Romney referred to “binders full of women” during the second presidential debate, within seconds parody sites popped up and the Twittersphere was literally tweeting up a storm.

LinkedIn sent me an email this morning telling me not to miss out on updates from thought leaders... like Richard Branson and Tony Robbins.  Both nice guys, I am sure, and both financially successful, it would appear.

When researching blogs for blogger relations campaigns, we often find that bloggers have reviewed a competitor's product. In our experience, bloggers review each product based on its own merits. Within a product review, we have not seen a blogger refer back to a previous review of a competing product...but that does not mean that it has not been done.

Last week music artist Jay-Z launched his new YouTube channel, Life + Times, with a live stream of his final sold-out concert at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The channel will feature original video content including the Brooklyn Nets docu-series “The Road to Brooklyn,” a fan-interaction show and a cooking show hosted by a british supermodel.

In the real world, the idea of doing something that has already been attempted and/or accomplished is considered a waste of time. In the world of marketing, the idea of beating a dead horse is not only acceptable, it is often recommended.

I beg for your indulgence as I once again talk about the presidential campaign. PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES 2012... this time it's personal. I am now 56 years old (shocking, I know), so this isn't my first time at the rodeo.  Still, I was truly disappointed last night after devoting the better part of 90 minutes of my evening to Mitt and Barack.