Hot off the Press  
Increasing User Engagement in Emails [Eric Stromberg]
The Customer is Not Always Right [Inc. Magazine]
Live-Tweet of Open-Heart Surgery [Ragans]
Twitter Just Hit 500M Users [Mashable]
Five Ad Formats to Boost Your Brand [iMedia]
How Airlines Use Twitter [Bit Rebels]
Tips for Brand Managers [B2C]
Why Consumers Are Breaking Up With Brands [Get Satisfaction]

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Hot off the Press
London Has Ads That Are Only Visible to Women [AdFreak]
8 Tips for Your Next Blog Post [PodJam.tv]
Metrics for ROI on Social Media Campaigns [GigaOM]
Tips on Pinterest for Business [SocialFish]
Social Media Platforms Grow Your Business [SmallBizLady]
Marketing Budgets on the Rise [NY Times]
Content Marketing & the Buying Cycle [B2C]
Walking Dead Activation Campaign [Creative Guerilla Marketing]

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Rejected Stock Photo of the Day

Love is still fresh in the air just days after Valentine’s Day, but for some of us it’s not the relationship with our significant other that’s most pressing, it’s the one with the consumer that keeps us up at night. Instead of beating your head against the keyboard looking for that perfect call to action or email template, simply take a few pointers from the relationship gurus in Hollywood.

Keep Up With Your Audience (The Notebook)
Don’t forget to write! Whether your target market is directly in front of you or thousands of miles away it’s important to always remain in constant contact with them. How best to do that? Write to them, communicate with them, be it through Facebook, Twitter or an email newsletter. With brands reaching out to consumers 24/7 through social media, it’s important to stay constantly connected and keep your company top of mind because you never know what your competition has in store. Which brings me to my next point…

Count on Interference (Romeo & Juliet)
As everyone’s favorite Montague can attest, getting your message to its intended audience is easier said than done. Be it a competitor, a promoted hashtag compromised (McDonald’s) or an overzealous family member who holds a serious grudge – it’s a given that you’re going to run into problems when building your relationship, but remember to…

Never Let Go (Titanic)
Yes, yes I know Rose actually did let go, but the lesson here is to never give up – she survived didn’t she? Everything may be going to hell and the ship might be sinking (see what I did there?), but the key is perseverance. Mistakes will happen; they always do in advertising and marketing. When I troll the blogs every day for our Morning Announcements I see at least one or two posts preaching accepting and learning from mistakes, keeping in mind that…

A Great Campaign Can Make Everything Ok (Dirty Dancing)
So the 1987 classic taught us two things: 1) Nobody puts Baby in a corner  2) A big number can save the day. So while you may not being “having the time of [your] life” after going through a situation outlined in the Romeo & Juliet section, know that a well-thought out and even better executed campaign, ad or promotional piece can bring you back from the abyss. A better crisis management case study beyond Dirty Dancing? Tylenol and their cyanide scare in 1982.

Hot off the Press
How Twitter & Facebook Decide Who Gets Verified [LifeHacker]
How Social Media Has Changed Customer Service [SM Examiner]
Sports & Social Media Infographic [Social Times]
Amnesty Int’l's New Campaign Uses iPads [Adverblog]
PRSA’s Response to PR Definition [Spin Sucks]
Texas Schools Turn to Ads for Money [NY Times]
Coca-Cola Testing Timeline for Brands? [Mari Smith]
Twitter Opens Ad Platform for Small Businesses [AdAge]

Rejected Stock Photo of the Day
This particular photo came up under the keyword “caucasian”. Ah yes, the rare, absolutely-not-at-all-metaphorical specimens on shutterstock.

Hot off the Press
Cell Phones Have Changed, but Ad Tactics Haven’t [AdWeek]
Rutgers’ Social Media Marketing Course [MarketWatch]
Keys to a Successful Social Video Campaign [iMedia]
Common Mistakes on “About Us” Pages [Copyblogger]
Why Pinterest is Growing So Fast [Daily Bot]
One Casino is Rebranding Itself Beyond Gaming [AdAge]
Five Genius Examples of QR Codes in Marketing [KISSmetrics]
“Made in America” Making a Comeback [NY Times]

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Hot off the Press
Tools for Measuring Social Media Sentiment [Inc. Magazine]
Can Advertising Build Brand Loyalty? [Beyond Madison Avenue]
The 17 Rs of Mobile Marketing [HubSpot]
Building Business Through QR Codes [DPWN]
56 Ways to Market Your Business on Pinterest [Copyblogger]
How to Craft the Perfect Social Media Contest [Open Forum]
Twitter Admits It Uploads Your Address Book [ReadWriteWeb]
A Look at Coca-Cola’s Olympic Advertising [New York Times]

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Hot off the Press
Microsoft Getting Social With Display Ads [ClickZ]
Top Valentine’s Day Campaigns of 2012 [The Drum]
Knicks Tap Linsanity for Valentine’s Day Ad [IB Times]
Seven Ways to Romance Your Clients [Inc. Magazine]
Nike Moving From Traditional to Digital Media [Digiday]
How Social Media Changed Relationships [Social Times]
Tic Tac’s Times Square Augmented Reality Ads [Mashable]
11 Places to Look for Web Design Inspiration [Daily Egg]

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Hot off the Press
Getting Maximum ROI Just By Saying Thanks [Fast Company]
Ted Williams: The Golden Voice of Love [Adverblog]
ABC is the Ad Industry’s Favorite Media Brand [MediaPost]
Redefining Public Relations [Spin Sucks]
The Perfect Valentine for Social Media Addicts [Social Times]
Dog Food Commercial Uses Whistle Only Dogs Can Hear [AdWeek]
Brand Building vs. SEO [Entrepreneur]
Things to Consider When Investing in Facebook [BrainYard]

Rejected Stock Photo of the Day
This wasn’t quite what we had in mind when we searched for indian paintbrush.

Hot off the Press
Infographic: The Best Ad Campaigns of All Time [College Online]
Reebok is Rebranding Fitness [Beyond Madison Avenue]
PayPal Testing QR Code Payments in Singapore [The Next Web]
Google+, +1 Button Seeing Gigantic Growth [Marketing Land]
Five Reasons Why Facebook Won’t Acquire Twitter [B2C]
Design a Twitter Background That Gets More Traffic [Crazy Egg]
LinkedIn Shares Jump as Ads Boost Revenue [Business Week]
Krispy Kreme Customers are Loyal Brand Ambassadors [Forbes]

Rejected Stock Photo of the Day
I think I would quite like to read the article to which this image would be relevant.

Hot Off the Press
TBS and Conan Launch Social TV App [AdWeek]
Can You Survive on Social Media Alone? [The Next Web]
The Walking Dead: Keeping Your Brand Alive [Fast Company]
Ten Elements of Compelling Storytelling [ClickZ]
Groups Look Past Daily Deals, to Content [Street Fight]
Looking at Social Ad Effectiveness [Adotas]
QR Codes Find Success in Catalogs [Deliver]
Starbucks’ Valentine’s Day AR App [Mobile Marketer]

Rejected Stock Photo of the Day
I have been on hold with the repair shop foreverrr. Who knew getting this phone fixed would be so painful.

“People are out of work and they’re hurting. And they’re all wondering what they’re going to do to make a comeback. And we’re all scared, because this isn’t a game.

The people of Detroit know a little something about this. They almost lost everything. But we all pulled together, now Motor City is fighting again.“

Powerful stuff from Chrysler in their new ad that debuted on Sunday night. Not only does the commercial have a well-written, inspirational script, but coupled with the Clint Eastwood’s iconic, sandpaper voice, it’s got all the ingredients of a memorable spot.

Well, the ad stirred up some emotion all right, both positive and negative. While some Americans have rallied behind the inspirational message, others have called out Chrysler for the ad’s perceived, out of place political message. Having spoken out against the auto bailouts just this past November, even Eastwood has caught some flack – being painted as a hypocrite by some critics.

“It has zero political content,” said Chrysler and Fiat CEO Sergio Machionne. “The message is sufficiently universally and neutral that it should be appealing to everybody in this country, and I sincerely hope that it doesn’t get utilized as political fodder in a debate.”

Did Chrysler anticipate this type of split reaction from the public? Was this the spot’s intended response? Like it or loathe it, Halftime in America has succeeded in keeping Chrysler in the headlines all week. Both Forbes and USA Today have the ad ranked in their Top 5 ads from Sunday.

What do you think of the ad? Is it worthy of its place among the top Super Bowl spots?