Social Media

Belk, Discovery Education and the International Society for Technology in Education have launched the Belk Service Learning Challenge, a comprehensive standards-aligned program encouraging middle school students to facilitate positive changes in their communities by applying critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity skills to a service-learning project of their choice.

Spartanburg, S.C. - Denny’s and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios have partnered to create a new animated Web series, “The Grand Slams.” Starring a cast of characters, Egg, Pancake, Sausage and Bacon, based on the brand’s dish, The Grand Slam, the series launches an exclusive online trailer Oct. 1 and debuts its first episode Oct. 15.

PowerReviews, a leading provider of ratings, reviews and question-and-answer technology, is partnering with Olapic, a visual commerce platform for collecting, curating and sharing customer photos and videos on e-commerce sites.

The companies believe their strategic partnership can help brands and retailers create more authentic and compelling e-commerce experiences by capturing and embedding user-generated content such as ratings, reviews, images and video directly into the purchase path.

Port Washington, N.Y. – Spending during the total back-to-school season (nine weeks ending Sept. 6, 2014) on traditional supplies increased 2% from 2013, with e-commerce acting as a key catalyst at more than 20% growth during the same time period. According to new data from The NPD Group Inc., most back-to-school shopping occurs at retail brick-and-mortar stores (88%), but 2014 online sales claimed an estimated $33 million previously held by brick-and-mortar retailers.

Amazon’s new “Wish List” deal with Twitter continues the evolution of Twitter from a channel for passive promotion to a channel for interactive customer engagement. By allowing consumers to directly add items they see in tweets to their Amazon Wish Lists without leaving Twitter, the arrangement both turns Twitter into an active platform for peer-to-peer, unpaid marketing and also helps keep Twitter users on Twitter for longer periods of time by extending its functionality.

The makers of Adams flea and tick control brand have chosen Cheryl Knapp’s English Bulldog Ducky as the grand prize winner of its Smart Pets Contest.

Knapp won the choice of $15,000 cash or a smart car plus smart pet bragging rights. Stardom for the clever canine begins today as a close-up of Ducky flashes from a digital billboard 23 stories above New York's Times Square.

A global report by Capgemini, a leading provider of consulting, technology and outsourcing services, claims that consumers consider social media a less important part of their customer journey — from awareness, through to post-sale activity — compared to two years ago.

Milford, Conn. – Subway Restaurants is partnering with Diet Coke in a new omnichannel promotion with a grand prize of meeting pop singer Taylor Swift in person. The #MeetTaylor contest, which runs Oct. 1 – Nov. 15, includes restaurant, social, online, TV and radio promotions.

Limited-edition Diet Coke cups will feature Swift’s likeness and also will carry specially-marked codes for a chance to win, daily in October, a meet and greet opportunity with Taylor Swift on her 2015 concert tour.