Linkspotting: Links We Liked Last Week

By on October 15, 2012

Linkspotting is comprised of the most talked about and interesting stories on the Web picked by members of Ketchum’s Social Media and Digital Teams around the world. Twice a month, we sort through all of the links we’ve shared internally and then share the top links with you in this post. Enjoy!

A New Online Platform for Shouting at Strangers
Selected by Ben Foster

ShoutRoulette bills itself as the “the fastest, simplest way to yell at people you think are morons about the things you are right about.” Born out of a Comedy Hackathon put on by Baratunde Thruston of The Onion‘s Digital Group, this article explains the new site allows you to choose a topic, take a stand and then wait for someone else to arrive with the opposing viewpoint. It’s like Chatroulette, but more shouting and probably the same amount of nudity. This platform could be a great outlet for the right brand to host a tongue-in-cheek “debate” about the qualities of the company’s products or services – think Miller Lite’s long-running “Great Taste, Less Filling” campaign.

What Your Beer Says About Your Politics
Selected by Brian Keenan

After the actor who plays Dos Equis’ “Most Interesting Man in the World” hosted a real-life political fundraiser for Barack Obama, brand owner Heineken went into crisis mode over partisan backlash. In the wake of the scandal, this article analyzed Scarborough research to see how beer choice correlates with political lean and voter turnout.

Lesson for brands: Situations like this offer the opportunity to leverage press in a creative way by using it as an opportunity to pivot to a larger narrative (in this case, analyzing beer and political choice). Heineken hasn’t done that here, but it’s a silver lining just waiting to be explored.

You’re Getting Warmer…
Selected by Jeff Lewonczyk

The Helsinki Institute for Information Technology is leveraging the power of our senses when it comes to purchasing decisions – they’ve developed a prototype for a wired glove that vibrates as the wearer approaches a predetermined item, such as a product on a store shelf.

The implications for retail in a technology like this are clear, but it can also open up possibilities for other sorts of interactive experiences, from sports and games to rescue efforts. As such innovations continue to develop, marketers on the cutting edge should use them to find new ways to surprise and engage their audiences – even before the objects hit the mainstream.

About Ferenc Koszorus

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

All posts by Ferenc Koszorus