The World Cup breaks Internet traffic level records

“World Cup fever pushed the Internet to a new record on Friday, according to measurements from Akamai.

Traffic to news sites globally started a steady climb about 6 a.m. Eastern time and peaked six hours later at noon, reaching nearly 12.1 million visitors per minute.

The traffic dipped going into the afternoon but stayed well above normal. The figures suggest that the Internet was most active during the Mexico-South Africa game and stayed heavy through the France-Uruguay game.

The day's traffic far exceeded the previous record of 8.5 million visitors per minute, which was set when Barack Obama won the U.S. presidential election in 2008.”

The article from CNET avaliable at this link

And go the All Whites!!

Introducing Promoted Tweets

“Since April, Twitter users have grown accustomed to Twitter’s first ad revenue play: Promoted Tweets. Today, the second phase of that strategy is starting to be tested: Promoted Trending Topics. The first such topic? Toy Story 3, promoted by Disney/Pixar.As you can see in the right hand toolbar of Twitter.com, at the bottom of the Trending Topics area there is now an 11th topic, “Toy Story 3.” Next to it is a big yellow box letting you know that it’s a promoted Trending Topic. Just as with Promoted Tweets, the functionality for these Promoted Trending Topics is the same as the regular Trending Topics — clicking on it takes you to a search results page to see what people are saying about Toy Story 3.

“As we have always said, we plan to test different advertising and promotional models in these early stages of our monetization efforts for both user and brand value. As part of this effort, we are testing trends clearly marked as “promoted” for an undefined period of time,” a Twitter representative tells us.”

See the original article here

What’s a fan worth?

“Social media is becoming widely adopted by businesses of all sizes, yet one of the biggest struggles has been calculating the ROI of these campaigns.  In response to this struggle, Syncapse, a global leader in digital consulting and measurement with a focus on social media, has released a report that dives deep into the data.

As part of their study, Syncapse surveyed 4,000 fans of twenty of the top brands on Facebook.  The brands included Nokia, BlackBerry, Victoria’s Secret, Adidas, Nike, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Xbox, Axe, Playstation and McDonald’s.  The focus group was asked why they were fans of those brands and about their past and future purchasing behavior.  Syncapse then used these responses to estimate the monetary value of each fan over time. Below are the key findings of the report:

• The average value of a Facebook Fan is $136.38.

• Facebook Fans are 28% more likely than non-fans to continue using a specific brand.

• 68% of Facebook Fans indicate that they are highly likely to recommend a product they are a fan of to their friends.

• 81% of Facebook Fans report feelings a connection/empathy with the brand

It is important to note that the results also showed how the value of a fan can vary widely based on the fan’s participation.”

See here for the original article and for a copy of the full report click here

BP buys search terms

As BP continues to try to stop the oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, the energy giant is also dealing with a public relations nightmare.

That's why the company is snapping up search phrases like "oil spill" and "oil spill claims" on Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) and Yahoo (YHOO, Fortune 500). The strategy, says a company spokeswoman, aims to "assist those who are most impacted and help them find the right forms and the right people quickly and effectively."

For instance, when a user searches "oil spill" on Google or Yahoo, there are millions of results -- but the first link on both search engines is a sponsored ad that leads to BP's "Gulf of Mexico response" page that provides resources and information about the spill.”

For more info see here

Apple shows off redesigned iPhone

“The revamped gadget has a stainless steel case, two cameras, improved display and is 24% thinner than the most recent version.

Apple boss Steve Jobs said the redesign was the "biggest leap" it had taken since the launch of the first iPhone.

But analysts said the phone's popularity could be dented by Apple's strict control over what owners can do with their gadget.

The gadget was revealed during the keynote speech at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.”

See more here

adidas runbase opens in Tokyo

JAP – "Sportswear giant Adidas is meeting the demand for high-technology running equipment and consumer interaction by opening a completely new concept store. Runners can drop into the ‘base’ before work, rent one of the 248 lockers provided, borrow cutting edge Adidas equipment shoes and clothing, and then hit the streets. Adidas Runbase also features 16 shower cubicles, so Tokyoites can freshen up after their run before heading to work".

For more info, click here

13% of American internet users bought virtual goods last year

“According to the study, 13% of the overall population surveyed reported that they had bought virtual goods in the last 12 months, with the mean of digital good purchase up 14% from $87 in 2009 to $99 in 2010. The median of digital goods purchase is $50 in 2010, a 67% improvement from $30 in 2009. In terms of the heaviest concentration of digital goods buyers, iPhone owners took over the #1 spot, moving from 28% of iPhone owners in 2009 to 43% in 2010. Virtual worlds came in second place with 41% of regular visitors having bought a digital good. Of weekly handheld and mobile gamers, 33% and 32%, respectively, bought digital goods. Overall, more than one-fifth (21%) of those who bought digital goods said they plan to spend more in the next 12 months. Among ways to purchase digital goods, 16% of digital goods buyers say they have used Facebook Credits.”

To find out more click here

The World Cup could be the most watched event in TV history

“You wouldn’t have thought many people would have watched Togo vs South Korea at the World Cup of 2006. These were unglamorous teams, meeting in the first round. Nonetheless, the game’s average live global TV audience was 109m viewers. That was more than saw last year’s Super Bowl of American football, or Champions League final, or probably any non-sporting TV programme. And the 109m doesn’t include hordes who watched outside their homes, in bars or on big screens.

Next month’s tournament could be the most watched media event in history, competing only with the Beijing Olympics, says Kevin Alavy, director at Initiative, futures sport + entertainment, a research agency.

Mr Alavy gave me some insight into some of the data he has gathered on world cups. The agency has collected reliable TV data from 55 countries, as opposed to the inflated figures trumpeted by the sports events themselves. Initiative’s numbers capture something of the World Cup’s uniqueness.”

To find out more click here