Monday’s Social Mashup: February 13, 2012

by on February 12, 2012

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We hope everyone had a great weekend! Monday’s #SoMash is back with the following stories: Phoenix Suns issue Android tablets to players, do “Likes” equal brand loyalty, the “App Economy”  has created nearly half a million jobs since 2007, how Pinterest is quietly generating revenue by modifying user submitted pins, and an infographic showing that the Facebook Timeline is disliked by the masses.

The Phoenix Suns are the first NBA team to bring tablets court side.  The organization announced it has teamed up with Verizon Wireless and Samsung Mobile to integrate LTE Galaxy Tab 10.1′s in all operation areas.  While the NBA allows tablets on the sidelines, unlike the MLB and NFL, the Suns will be the first to take advantage of the rule.

Each Suns’ player will receive a tablet loaded with the team playbook, practice video, scouting reports and travel itineraries.  Head coach, Alvin Gentry said the tablets will be beneficial in game to show diagrams of plays.

Off the court, the organization will use the Tab 10.1′s for season ticketholder presentations and in-game promotions.  The TV and radio broadcast teams will use the tablets to interact with fans through social media platforms during the game.

Samsung’s Mobile VP of Product Marketing, Ryan Bidan, said,

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 hosts an impressive array of technology that will allow the Phoenix Suns to collaborate, share, interact and prepare for games in ways that were impossible before. Not only will the Phoenix Suns be untethered from the traditional hard copies of their playbook but the Tab 10.1 will also provide the Suns with a premium and truly mobile, multi-media experience over Verizon’s 4G LTE network.

Do “Likes” = Loyalty?

While 59% of Facebook users have ‘liked’ a brand in the last six months, it is unclear how the brand connects with consumer loyalty.  A survey by eVoc Insights found that 54% of Facebook users that ‘liked’ a page from a brand or company that sells a product or service said they were somewhat or much more likely to purchase from them.  Food brands, TV shows, music, movies and clothing proved to be the most ‘liked’ pages from the study.

Consumer behavior shows a different view.  A study form Ehrenberg-Bass Institute found that only 1% of fans of the biggest brands on Facebook actually engage with the brands on the social network.  The group found that there was little correlation between a brand’s Facebook presence and loyalty.  Facebook users expectations are high when they like a brand.  Take a look at the chart below.

Given this information, marketers should not expect automatic loyalty when a Facebook user pushes the ‘like’ button.

‘App Economy’ Created Nearly 500k Jobs Since 2007

Remember 5 years ago (pre-iPhone) when the words “application” made your think of “job” or “college”? Well now, the “app economy” is responsible for creating about 466,000 jobs in the U.S. since 2007. The survey was funded by TechNet, a bipartisan organization with the goal of promoting technology. According to its President and CEO, Rey Ramsey,

“Today, the App Economy is creating jobs in every part of America, employing hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers today and even more in the years to come.”

According to the study, California took a large part of the growth with 23.8% of app-related jobs. The New York-Northern New Jersey- Long Island area tops the regional list with 9.2% growth. Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not have the title “mobile app developer” yet, other IT positions are projected to see major growth in the next six years. “Computer software engineers, applications” is a term used to describe a sector of jobs that is expected to grow 34% from 2008-2018.

Pinterest is Quietly Generating Revenue

Although the site is still in beta, Pinterest is already generating revenue from its user-submitted pins. Here’s how it works: If you post a pin, and it links to an ecommerce site that has an affiliate program, Pinterest modifies the link to add their own affiliate tracking code. If someone clicks through the picture from Pinterest and makes a purchase, Pinterest gets paid.

Pinterest is able to do this across their site by using the service skimlinks, which automatically goes through a site and adds affiliate links wherever there is a link to a product that has an affiliate program associated with it. Below is an example of Pinterest adding an affiliate link to a pin.

While some users are outraged that Pinterest did not disclose the affiliate program, others appreciate the way Pinterest is making money without disrupting the user interface. How do you feel about Pinterest’s method of monetization?

Facebook Timeline: Disliked by the Masses

According to a new infographic, a staggering 70% of people who responded to a SodaHead poll would ditch the Timeline. Only 20% said they liked the Timeline, and the other 10% do not have Facebook accounts.

Users without the Timeline should prepare themselves as Facebook announced two weeks ago that the Timeline will soon be mandatory for all users. Users will see notifications on their home page and then have seven days to clean up their Timelines. Facebook hasn’t set a specific date for the universal adoption of Timeline, but it should happen “within a few weeks.”

The Sodahead survey looked at the respondents’ genders, ages and geographical locations. Men and women equally dislike Timeline, each at a 77% rate. Check out the rest of their findings in the infographic below.

 

Other social media articles from last week that you may enjoy: