At lunchtime August 9, 2011, Apple was trading at  $367 per share, giving the company a valuation of more than $341 billion, briefly surpassing what Exxon Mobil was worth at that time. The independent valuations of the two companies have since been leapfrogging one another in a  hectic week on Wall Street.

Which company will be holding the golden ring at the end on Wall Street remains to be seen, but the eventual outcome seems inevitable.  According to Reuters,  Apple has seen 80 percent annual growth in sales amid slipping oil prices and a U.S. environmental plan that is focused on reducing the use of fossil fuels and dependence on foreign oil resources dramatically over the next 20 years.  Apple has been gaining ground fast on Exxon Mobil since reporting record iPhone and iPad sales over the last two months. At that time, Apple was worth just $4 billion less than the oil giant. When Apple passed Microsoft to become the world’s most valuable technology company 15 months ago, it represented a valuation of $222 billion. According to tech columnist Robert Cyran however, that is not an accurate valuation. “If you put Apple on the same PE (projected earnings) multiple it traded on in 2006, it would be worth almost $900 billion.” Additionally, Apple sells more per quarter than it did in the entire fiscal year of 2007. Could this mean an Apple worth $1 trillion some day? With the emerging Apple  technology leaning toward the expansive growth in areas like social media marketing and mobile device applications, it certainly seems possible.

According to eMarketer data compiled in January 2011, the U.S. virtual goods market is expected to generate $653 million in revenue this year, up 28% from 2010.  Virtual goods, in case you’re not a shut-in, are digital representations of goods for which one pays actual, real money. An example would be a digital sweater for your avatars girlfriend in an online virtual community. …$653 million. Or, a powerful, digital sword or weapon upgrade for  your character in a virtual game online…did I mention $653 million? This ‘fake-goods-for-real-money’ market has spawned a moniker for games known as “Freemiums”, or, free online gaming communities, with premium upgrades available for everything from nicer houses to luxury cars and digital bling. The upgrades of course, cost real money. $653 MILLION.  The popularity of social gaming and social network marketing has catalyzed tremendous growth in virtual goods monetization. Game developers, virtual worlds and social network providers are driving this economy, which is projected to grow substantially in the next several years.   Keep your eyes open for the virtual sweatshops.

• $792 million projected earnings in 2012
• Virtual goods totaled  $7.3 billion worldwide in 2010
• Between 2007-2010, 70% of all Virtual Goods were sold in Asia.
• In 2010, Swedish gaming company Mindark sold a virtual space station for $330,000 USD…… Sucker!

- A.R. Templeton

1. Use the new “Use Facebook as a Page” function -
   

   Here's how to "Use Facebook as a Page"

   Facebook didn’t make a big deal about this, but you now have the ability to use Facebook as a page. It makes a big difference when you can go to another fan page and post a comment as your brand rather than using your individual account. To try it out, first make sure you’re the admin of a Facebook page, then click Account and select “Use Facebook as a Page.”

2. Remind your fans that you are a human being - This sounds silly enough, but sometimes we can get so caught up in our brands and organizations that we forget that PEOPLE run the company. Don’t be afraid to post items that aren’t directly related to your product or service. Wish your fans a great day, ask an intriguing question, or share some funny stories from the office. Your customers are human, remind them that so are you.
3. Geotarget your status updates – Facebook gives you the option to post status updates and links to specific cities. This feature can be invaluable to post more relevant posts for people that are actually in the city your brand targets. Before you press “Share,” click the drop-down menu and enter in the city and state of the fans you’d like to see the post.
4. Use Facebook Insight – Facebook provides in-depth analytics of how fans and non-fans interact with your page. Track the trends to see what works specifically for your brand.
5. Ask your fans questions – This goes back to remembering that your fans are PEOPLE. Ask them a question that’s related to your organization. Maybe post a picture of a side-by-side of two of your products and ask your fans which they prefer. People love giving their opinion. Give them a way to let their voice be heard.

Focus

About the Client – Swinerton Incorporated is a commercial construction leader, providing outstanding services across the West. The company has consistently been ranked among the Top 25 General Contractors in the U.S. (by Engineering News-Record Magazine), and ranked among the Top 10 in a wide range of categories, including Retail, Residential, Healthcare, Hospitality, Education, Commercial Office, and Entertainment.

Challenge – Swinerton needed a new way to increase its brand awareness and match its competitors. The company began to see some of its employees posting items on Facebook and various blogs that included the Swinerton name; it needed to approach social/digital media from a supportive standpoint by creating new corporate guidelines and implementing a digital marketing strategy.

The gWave Solution – After evaluating Swinerton’s goals and its current marketing approach, gWave began working with the company to create a revamped digital marketing and public relations strategy. Once Swinerton’s needs were assessed, gWave implemented the following:

• Developed and drafted a Corporate Social Media Policy and Guidelines, along with an Internal Launch Plan
• Created a Communications Plan to roll out the new guidelines to more than 1,000 Swinerton employees
• Created and designed a new branded Corporate Blog (SwinertonBuildsTomorrow.com) and a social media calendar
• Set up a Facebook page, a Linkedin account, and a customized Twitter page
• Made sure that the necessary tools were set up for the company’s Online Reputation Management

Very few of Swinerton’s competitors are taking this new approach to marketing; most of them continue to use traditional media, so this strategy had strong potential to put Swinerton on the cutting edge of the industry.

The Result – The gWave team was so successful in educating the VP and marketing team on the “new” rules of marketing that the original Corporate Marketing Coordinator was promoted to the Corporate Public Relations Manager. This newfound knowledge resulted in getting the buy-in of the executive team, so Swinerton could champion this new digital strategy.

Since the marketing plan was launched internally:

• gWave immediately identified a number of employees who volunteered to be guest bloggers and contribute whatever they could to ensure the success of their company.
• The digital strategy and roll-out has increased employee morale.
• The Facebook and Twitter following has generated a new audience in which to communicate to.
• Next up is a complete analysis of Swinerton’s mobile strategy and what apps or tools can be built to promote green or LEED certified building.

Swinerton now has a strong online presence, along with the knowledge of this new marketing approach will allow the company to maintain the brand awareness it desires.

The Client Quote – “Working with gWave was the best choice for our company. They introduced us to a new and effective way to market Swinerton, and it has given us the boost that we needed. The gWave team was extremely professional and catered to all our needs. I look forward to our future endeavors with gWave, and I highly recommend them to any company looking for new marketing strategies.”

Meggie Doscher

Corporate Public Relations Manager

YouTube has announced that it has surpassed two billion video views per day!

The announcement from YouTube is part of a bigger campaign. The company plans to retell the story of YouTube – its history and growth. This includes the launch of “My YouTube Story” and the YouTube 5 Year Channel.

The YouTube 5 Year Channel is the hub for the campaign. This channel encourages people to upload videos that discuss how YouTube has had an impact on their lives. There is also an interactive timeline and a group of videos from celebrities that discuss the five-year birthday.

YouTube’s numbers are extraordinary. There is currently more than 24 hours of video uploaded every minute, and even that is minuscule when compared to the new announcement of two billion video views per day.

What is your company or brand doing to celebrate a momentous occasion?

Cower in fear? Stand still and do nothing at all? We think not. Like the crazy marketers we are, we think it’s an exciting time full of new chances to differentiate your brand and relate to your customers in fun, effective ways. We’re on it. And when you need help—we’re here.

Work with us. 619-224-2455

1. They’re afraid they’ll lose control of their brand.
2. They don’t understand it.
3. The effectiveness of social media is hard to measure.
4. They’re afraid their employees will be on Facebook and Twitter chatting all day.
5. Social Media is costly.

Ladies and Gents, don’t be afraid. We can debunk each and every one of these myths and get you on your way to social media marketing the smart way.

Fear: Losing control of your brand.

When you start a business you hope that people will hear about and discuss your brand. Word of mouth is a key to brand success, especially if you’re offering a service. Clients and the general public are going to talk about your brand; don’t you want to be part of that discussion?

If you’re involved in the dialogue you can help direct the conversation to benefit you and your company. The truth is, not being part of the banter can lead to loss of control; not the other way around. Get in there and join the discussion.

Fear: Social Media marketing is confusing.

Many companies still don’t know how to use social media effectively. It can be confusing and intimidating. It’s very easy to look at other brands and say, “they use social media so well, I could never do that!” But, you’re wrong! All it takes is a little getting used to. READ about social media techniques online; WATCH informational videos on YouTube; LISTEN to your colleagues talk about social media and pick up the tid-bits they’ve acquired along the way.

You will be shocked at how easy it is to pick up some basic skills. Hire a social media guru to get you started and after a few weeks you might find yourself confident enough to go it alone.

Fear: Social Media marketing results are hard to measure.

The idea that you can’t get an accurate read on your social media success or failure is ridiculous. The truth is, it couldn’t be easier! You can debunk this myth yourself by just searching “Twitter/Facebook/Google/etc. tools” online. There are SO MANY measurement and analytical tools floating around the web that calculate your data and spit out information instantly. Tools like Twitalyzer and Google Analytics can be hugely helpful.

Fear: Employees will be on Facebook and Twitter all day.

Face it: you’re employees are on these sites anyway, so why not use their presence to boost your brand? In fact, it would benefit you to ask them to post company updates to their Facebook and/or Twitter pages. Use your social media resources! Additionally, keeping your employees off Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. is restricting them from massive amounts of information that could benefit your brand. Social media sites are the most populous and popular sites on the web. YouTube alone is the second largest search engine in the world! Everyone else on the planet is using social media; why shouldn’t your employees? All you need to do is apply some social media guidelines and/or policies to help structure their time on social media sites.

Fear: Social media is costly.

Well, this one is easy to debunk! Unless you’ve been living in a remote village you should know that social media is not only easily accessible, but it’s FREE. Think about how much you currently spend on ad banners or television ads and then compare that to the $0 that social media costs. Nice, huh?

Alright, alright! It’s not entirely free. We know time = money and social media marketing takes time. It does not, however, compare to writing those advertising checks you’ve been writing.