Connecting the Dots on Facebook’s Smear Campaign

Perhaps you’ve probably heard: Facebook and Google are at war, and Facebook’s not afraid to play dirty. Thursday’s revelation that the social networking site hired PR firm Burston-Marsteller to plant a negative story about Google’s privacy settings raises a number of questions. Like, “Who at Facebook thought this was a good idea?” The company isn't responding to the question right now. Until they do, it helps to look at the players involved. There’s Burston-Marsteller, the global PR firm run by CEO Mark Penn. There’s Jim Goldman, the former Silicon Valley bureau chief for CNBC (and frequent target of high school-style ridicule). He’s become the fall guy for Burston-Marsteller. There’s Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s universally praised COO. And then there’s Elliot Schrage, Facebook’s VP of communications and public policy. Penn, of course, is a Washington heavy hitter: he worked as a pollster to President Clinton during both of his terms and the Washington Post noted how “thoroughly integrated into the policymaking operation” he’d become. Penn’s also no stranger to criticism from Washington observers: he gained notoriety for missteps as chief strategist to Hillary Clinton during her 2008 Presidential bid. He eventually stepped down after feuding with other aides, and for reportedly offering Clinton some of her worst advice (like, emphasize Barack Obama’s foreignness). Penn’s also no stranger to the tech world—he’s credited with making Microsoft into one of the country’s most... Continue reading at 'AdWeek'

[ AdWeek | 2011-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #googles head #silicon valley #focus attention

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Ian Harding Loves Connecting With Fans Online—Until They Show Up at His House

Specs Age 28 Claim to fame Stars as Ezra Fitz on ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars; five-time Teen Choice Awards winner Base Los Angeles Twitter @IANMHARDING What's the first information you consume in the morning? I wake up, I'll meditate, and then I'll read something. I try to wake up 45... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2015-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #angry birds #tv shows #free time #ice cream


ALLi to launch bookshop campaign during LBF

The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) is to launch a new campaign aimed at bookshops during the London Book Fair. Called Authors for Bookstores, the campaign will launch at the Indie Author Fringe Festival, which will be held on 17th April at Foyles’ Charing Cross Road flagship. ALLi... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #campaign aimed #indie authors


Facebook tracks all site vistors, violating EU law, report says

Facebook tracks everyone who visits its site, including people who don’t have an account, and even continues to track users and non-users who have opted out of targeted ads, researchers at two Belgian universities have found.Researchers at the University of Leuven in cooperation with researchers... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #including people #track users #targeted ads


What brands and publishers need to know about Facebook’s developer conference

Facebook is positioning itself to become the data, media-consumption and content-sharing backbone for the entire digital media industry. Between making user data available in its video ad network LiveRail, making its video player embeddable on publishers' websites, growing its number of... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #convincing brands #developer conference #messenger app


Best Marketing Campaign award to James Patterson is Missing

Marketing campaigns for books by James Patterson, David O’Doherty and Chris Judge, and Helen Walsh were named as the winners of the Best Marketing Campaign of the Year Awards today (25th March). The Book Marketing Society (BMS), which is now part of Nielsen Book, gave its annual awards at the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #marketing campaigns #chris judge #marketing campaign #annual awards


5 Big Things Marketers Need to Know From Facebook's Developer Conference

Facebook is revealing its latest technology to the world this week at its annual Facebook Developer Conference in San Francisco. And while the show is geared at developers, a good chunk of the news should apply to brands and publishers that regularly use the platform, particularly with mobile... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2015-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #content directly #ad business #shopping cart #posting videos #latest step


‘Weigh the return': Publishers chime in on controversial Facebook ploy

The controversial news that media outlets including The New York Times and BuzzFeed may publish straight into Facebook’s ecosystem was a hot topic at Digiday’s Publishing Summit in Vail, Colorado, where hundreds of digital publishing executives are gathering this week to hash out the issues... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publish straight #hot topic #publishing summit #issues facing #uncomfortable questions #reader data #referral traffic


The case for publishing directly to Facebook

The news that Facebook is working with publishers to host their content has caused a lot of hand-wringing among those who worry about ceding too much control of ad revenue and data. But in some cases, it can make sense for a publisher. For new or small ones, Facebook's exposure can help them... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook appeared #publishing directly #ad revenue #make sense #established players


Facebook wants more 'high quality' videos it can slap ads on

Now that Facebook has video ads, how is it going to make sure you hang around to watch more of them? According to a report on The Information, the social network is in talks with publishers like Vice, The Onion and Vox Media to make short-term videos... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #high quality #video ads #vox media


Facebook Follows Netflix's Lead With Post-Play Videos

The social network, eager to get more out of its booming video player, is testing out a feature that makes it easy to binge.This week, The New York Times reported that Facebook is in talks to host content from BuzzFeed, National Geographic, and the Times within the blue confines of its own site,... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #leaving facebook #host content #national geographic #billion users


Facebook and Publishers Take Cautious Approach to Content Tie-Up

The march towards media companies publishing content directly to Facebook continues.Barely a month after Facebook Chief Product Officer Chris Cox said publicly that the social network wants to host media companies' articles and videos, The New York Times reported that BuzzFeed, National... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook continues #cautious approach #national geographic #coming months


Facebook wants its audience data to replace the cookie

On Wednesday afternoon, Facebook announced its video advertising platform LiveRail will enable publishers to use anonymized Facebook user data to target ads on their sites and mobile apps. It will provide assurance that media buyers are indeed buying the audience segments they want to reach,... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media buyers #audience segments #attractive proposition #brands alike #media executives #digital ecosystem


Facebook Messenger as a platform? It's a gamble

Facebook’s Messenger app has traditionally been used for keeping in touch with friends. Now people can also use it to send each other money. In the future, it could become a platform which other apps could use, if recent rumors prove true.This Wednesday and Thursday at its F8 conference in San... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook messenger #facebook advertising #messenger app #f8 conference #publish content


Facebook May Host News Sites’ Content

Nothing attracts news organizations like Facebook. And nothing makes them more nervous.       With 1.4 billion users, the social media site has become a vital source of traffic for publishers looking to reach an increasingly fragmented ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #vital source


Facebook, news outlets in talks about hosting articles on the social networking site

Facebook has been in discussions with nearly a half a dozen media organizations about hosting their content on the social media site, according to The New York Times.Placing content inside Facebook will allow people to access it faster, sources familiar with the plan told the Times. When people... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #news article #news outlets #sources familiar #mobile devices #coming months #national geographic #huffington post


Debut author organises own £200k marketing campaign

A debut author has arranged a marketing and publicity campaign she estimates is worth £200,000 to support the release of her book, and which her agent said “must be unique for a first-time author”. Janet Kelly’s Dear Beneficiary, about an older woman who has a relationship with a Nigerian man... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #debut author #publicity campaign #first-time author


Facebook quiz publisher PlayBuzz raises $16m in funding

Israeli-based quiz and list publishing platform uses content from organisations including such as the Daily Telegraph and AOLQuiz and list publishing platform PlayBuzz has announced it has raised $16m (£11m) in venture capital funding to drive international expansion.The second funding round,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #funding round #organisations including #daily telegraph


Livres Canada Books: Your Convenient Connection to Canadian Publishing

Livres Canada Books facilitates networking and connections to help the international publishing community to discover the latest from the vibrant Canadian publishing market. The post Livres Canada Books: Your Convenient Connection to Canadian Publishing appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #canadian publishing


New-Media Powers Say They'll Be Profitable Soon. Don't Ask About That Facebook Plan

New media titans have shown they can attract investors' money, raking in millions in venture capital funding, but they have not answered clearly whether they can show a profit.At South by Southwest, sales chiefs for three heavily-funded digital publishers said they can do that too, or can soon,... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Report: Alabama investigating possible elder abuse in connection with Harper Lee’s new novel

The news last month that Harper Lee would be publishing a second book was met with a brief blip of exultation followed by skepticism from fans of To Kill a Mockingbird. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #elder abuse #harper lee