This week 8thBridge rolled out a new platform for social commerce called Graphite. If you remember, 8thBridge was the first company to enable the selling of merchandise on Facebook with its 1-800-Flowers store back in 2009.
WebProNews spoke with Wade Gerten, 8thBridge’s CEO, who told us that the new platform creates a shopping experience that goes beyond Facebook stores. Graphite actually allows consumers to tell their friends about brands they like in their existing shopping channels.
Gerten told us that both consumers and brands benefit from the new platform because it doesn’t take either party out of his comfort zone. With Graphite, Facebook is used as more of a platform for discovering products through friends. The transactions, however, can be made on the brand’s website, in its brick and mortar store, or whatever channel the consumer would normally visit.
Brands such as American Apparel, Hallmark, Elle, and Oscar de la Renta have already partnered with 8thBridge in the launch of Graphite. Gerten said that we should expect more in the near future.
Filed under Internet Marketing by on Apr 25th, 2012. 
Facebook gaming was recently given a big transformation after Gaikai launched the beta of its Facebook app. As David Perry, Gaikai’s CEO, explained to WebProNews, the cloud gaming service is bringing console quality games to the social giant.
It’s clear that gaming platforms such as Zynga have had tremendous success on Facebook. Therefore, Perry believes that gamers will also respond to Gaikai’s offerings, which include, Saints Row: The Third, Dead Rising 2: Off the Record, Magicka, Sniper: Ghost Warrior, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, Orcs Must Die!, and Farming Simulator 2011.
Through this announcement, gamers will have the ability to play directly on the Facebook platform. Furthermore, game developers will have the opportunity of potentially reaching hundreds of millions of new gamers.
Perry told us that Gaikai’s goal is to make video gaming as accessible as music and movies. He believes its cloud gaming Facebook app is one step in making this happen.
Filed under Internet Marketing by on Apr 24th, 2012.
The labor conditions in Asia have long been a controversial topic, but they have recently come into the spotlight due to concerns over Apple’s working practices in China. Back in January, The New York Times exposed new details involving what takes place in the factories of Apple’s largest supplier, Foxconn.
Ross Eisenbrey, the Vice President of the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), told WebProNews that these conditions include 60-70 hour work weeks, chemical exposures, explosions from uncontrolled aluminum dust, and more. In an effort to raise awareness of these issues, the EPI held a forum last week in conjunction with working rights’ groups.
According to Eisenbrey, Apple is to blame since it is in control of the situation. He told us that these issues date back to 2005 and that Apple has yet to do anything to actually resolve the conditions. What’s more, the working conditions at Apple’s Foxconn factories in Brazil are completely different.
Although Apple and Foxconn have agreed to some remediations after the Fair Labor Association conducted an investigation, Eisenbrey remains skeptical since the problems have gone on for so long. However, he is hopeful that consumers will react. When this happens, he believes Apple’s eyes will be opened.
Is Apple to blame for the working conditions in China? What do you think?
Filed under Internet Marketing by on Apr 19th, 2012.
The time is quickly approaching for the Internet to be introduced to a whole new array of generic top-level domains (gTLD). Last year, ICANN made its historic decision to allow companies and individuals to purchase their own gTLD.
Although the decision was met with much criticism, especially from the advertising community, it was not reversed. The application process began in January and was scheduled to end April 12th; but, the deadline was extended to the 20th due to a technical glitch.
While the applicants have yet to be revealed, analysts are already predicting legal and trademark issues. For this reason, Joe Luthy, the Global Marketing Director for Melbourne IT, told us that companies need to start preparing now by looking at what trademarks and brands are important to them going forward.
When the applications are revealed in May, companies will then have a better understanding of whether or not someone has applied for a similar gTLD and will be able to object quickly if the need exists.
Filed under Internet Marketing by on Apr 17th, 2012.
Search engine optimization and social media optimization are often thought of in the online marketing world, but do they effectively define what online optimization efforts for businesses should be?
According to Lee Odden, the CEO of TopRank Online Marketing and author of new book Optimize, real optimization incorporates both SEO and SMO, but also more. As he explained to us, businesses should look at the customer and their experience.
From there, he said businesses should think about the content that they need to provide to help customers with every step of their experience. In other words, businesses should be publishing content ranging from making customers aware of them to turning them into advocates.
While traditional “checklist” optimization tactics work, Odden told us that more opportunities exist when optimization starts with the customer. Modern marketing, as he pointed out, has to look at the “totality of the customer experience.”
To learn more about Odden’s book, visit OptimizeBook.com. It is also available at all major bookstores.
Filed under Internet Marketing by on Apr 14th, 2012.
