Promoted tweets and promoted trends are two ways of advertising on Twitter. Big advertisers such as Sony, Starbucks, Disney and Nike have been using them but are they working? Nobody really knows as there have been no results issued and this article on Clickz conjectures how well they are doing.

Promoted Tweets are the original Twitter ad format, having beenintroduced in April. They appear in Twitter search results, targeted to keywords. For instance, in Starbucks' recent campaign, search queries for "Starbucks" and "coffee" produced a brand appearance at the very top of the results.

Promoted Trends, meanwhile, came into play last month and entail an all-day listing at the bottom of a list of worldwide trending topics oneach user's Twitter homepage. Clicking through the Promoted Trend buttons takes a user to a search results page with the brand's tweet at the top. Links to landing pages are typically incorporated in the tweet. For instance, Disney linked to a Fandango.com tickets page with a discount code while pushing "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" on the micro-blogging site. 

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Open Leadership a great book by social web guru, Charlene Li. 'Be open, be transparent, be authentic' are the current leadership mantras - but companies often push back. Traditionally business is premised on the concept of control and yet the new world order demands openness. As Li explains, openness requires more rigour and effort than being in control. This book explains how leaders can tap in to the power of social technology and use social media to be open whilst maintaining control. It shows how Facebook Twitter, YouTube et al can improve efficiency, communication and decision making for organisations. A must read.
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I've seen the future and it's called the Digital Content New Front (DCNF). I've been to many conferences but never one quite like this where I genuinely felt I was at the cutting edge of our industry. How to explain it? A very large room full of some of Americas biggest movers and shakers in the entertainment industry, along with the leading techie innovators and big brand marketers. A potent cocktail, where the stars who ranged from Martha Stewart to Seth Green (Dr Evil's son) quite literally pitch their online ideas to the brand owners and the techie guys talk about how they can make it happen. This coming together of talent at the DCNF recognises a world where your television and computer will soon be one and the same thing. I could literally feel the sense of excitement in the room as people began to understand some of the new and exciting opportunities that were being set before them.
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A friend of mine recently wrote the letter below. It resulted in an immediate call from Bernard Arnault's PA and the CEO of LVMH Sweden greeting him when he took the defunct bag back in to the Stockholm store. I think it says a lot about luxury brands needing to support their premium price tag with quality and outstanding customer service, and living up to their advertising!

M. Bernard Arnault
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton
22, avenue Montaigne
75008 PARIS
FRANCE

Dear M. Arnault,

In December 2007 my dear wife bought me a Louis Vuitton carry-on travel bag as an expensive, but wonderful, Christmas gift. As someone who travels a lot, I was delighted. It looked beautiful, and coming from Louis Vuitton, I imagined spending a lifetime with this particular item of luggage. Growing old gracefully together, aging beautifully with it as my constant travel companion. Maybe I’d even end up looking just a little like Sean Connery in your ads.

Ten months later things had gone very sadly wrong. On a trip to London in October 2008, the wheel fell off my bag. Literally fell off. I spent the rest of the day dragging and carrying the bag around the city. My immediate reaction was that the bag was, to borrow a car analogy, a Friday bag. The artisan French worker who had crafted my $1200 bag must have just had a bad day. Maybe he didn't feel too well after a heavy night out with his friends and a little too much Pernod perhaps? Anyway, I was sure the Louis Vuitton store in Stockholm where my bag was purchased would immediately replace or repair the defective bag. Ten months old and only used on about eight trips as cabin luggage. Louis Vuitton must have a lifetime guarantee right? At $1200 a shot, I expected it.

The answer when I returned the bag to Louis Vuitton Stockholm was - forget it! LV does not have a lifetime guarantee, nor does it have even a 12-month guarantee. In fact it has NO GUARANTEE WHAT SO-EVER! None. Zippo. Zilch. After two years of complaining, I’m just totally appalled at the service LV offers its customers in Stockholm. But I haven’t given up hope.

I write to you to find out if the LV Stockholm store and its response reflects the standards of Louis Vuitton. Can you help me?

With Regards,
Julian Stubbs

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I've started a new blog www.philipbeeching.com  - I currently have the grand total of zero followers, so if anyone feels so inclined, please do

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