Best of Linkspotting: May 2012

By on June 1, 2012

Welcome to the first ever “Best of Linkspotting” post on the Ketchum Blog!

Linkspotting is a weekly feature on Ketchum’s intranet, and we figured it was about time to share it with the rest of the interwebs.

It’s comprised of the most talked about and interesting stories on the Web picked by members of Ketchum’s Social Media Team around the world. Each month, we’ll sort through all of the links we’ve shared internally, and then share the top 5 with you in this post. Enjoy!

How to Hijack the News

Selected by Jordan Drake

Last year’s devastating tsunami in Japan was recently brought back into the public eye when a Harley Davidson motorcycle was miraculously recovered after being swept out to sea. The bike was discovered on a beach 5,000 km away, in Canada, and the owner was identified as still living in Japan. Wasting no time, Harley Davidson announced that they contacted the owner and will transport the bike to him after completely restoring it. This generated a lot of positive press for the company, in addition to being a prime example of how to hijack the news.

Reddit AMA’s Growing Influence

Selected by Jason Bellinger

The world is starting to take notice of Reddit’s AMA (Ask me Anything) section. A recent Forbes article discussed how powerful the tool has become, giving those who participate a “bump” comparable to a media interview. For example, an author who recently held an AMA session saw his Amazon sales rank jump from 800 to 400. The Reddit AMA is becoming a must-stop on the interview network and is only continuing to grow.

1,059 People “Like” That Jacket

Selected by Frederik Tautz

Clothing retailer C&A’s flagship store in São Paulo bridged the gap between social media and in-store marketing with its “C&A Fashion Like” campaign for its recent Mother’s Day collection. When someone “likes” a piece on the retailer’s Facebook page, their “like” is instantly transmitted to all in-store hangers carrying that piece. The invention received great coverage from blogs and media, proving that programs merging social media with real life make a great story.

Kit Kat Gives You a Break From Social Media

Selected by Jasmine Lyons

A recent survey of young adults in the U.S., China, and Singapore revealed that 50 percent find it too time consuming and stressful to keep up with social media. Knowing this, Kit Kat created the Kit Kat Social Break widget, a fun, easy-to-use tool which automatically populates your social sites with content. So not only are you active but you are also able to deepen your connections on social media. The widget is a great example of addressing a brand’s consumers’ needs in a way that is fun for both the brand and the users.

The Emotional Side of YouTube

Selected by Nancy Martira

Friends of the mysterious “Pippa” noticed something unusual about their friend. This seemingly normal girl claims she has never cried while watching a YouTube video. So her friends invited Internet users to submit the most moving YouTube videos they could find to try to break Pippa down. Pippa agreed to watch every submitted video in its entirety but has yet to shed a tear. The YouTube community may have a reputation for pandering to the lowest common denominator but this blog is a reminder that there is emotionally compelling content out there and that in today’s era of social connectivity a good cathartic cry is just one click away.

About Ferenc Koszorus

Ferenc is an Associate Social Media Specialist working out of Ketchum's New York City office.

All posts by Ferenc Koszorus