The plight of branded apps and the future of social marketing

The plight of branded apps and the future of social marketing

[Editor's note: So it turns out branded apps are a bust -- even if you're Nike or Coca-Cola. Below, Keith Rabois, vice president of strategy and business development at app maker Slide, explains why and gives big-name advertisers some much-needed advice.]

Procter & Gamble spent $2.4… Continue Reading

Appssavvy snags $3.1M to connect advertisers, app developers

Appssavvy snags $3.1M to connect advertisers, app developers

Even though social networking companies serve tens of millions of users, there’s still bizarrely little advertising on the most popular sites. Many big agencies and brands have experimented, but they’re still looking for better ways to target the users they want.

The latest company hoping to… Continue Reading

Roundup: Microsoft cuts Xbox 360 prices in Japan, Sarah Palin gets a positive spin on Wikipedia and more

Roundup: Microsoft cuts Xbox 360 prices in Japan, Sarah Palin gets a positive spin on Wikipedia and more

Here’s the latest action:

Microsoft cut prices for its Xbox 360 videogame consoles in Japan by as much as 30 percent — The software giant is trying to increase momentum in its most challenging market as the holiday season approaches.

VP candidate Sarah Palin’s Wikipedia bio was cleaned… Continue Reading

Facebook: Investors still pumping money into social networking applications

Facebook: Investors still pumping money into social networking applications


There has been speculation recently that investors are no longer putting money into social networking application companies. That is not the case.

Today at the f8 conference, Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said that more than $200 million in funding had already been invested in… Continue Reading

Flixster, the social network for movie reviews, reportedly raises VC round

Flixster, the social network for movie reviews, reportedly raises VC round

Flixster is a San Francisco Web site that lets you share movie ratings and reviews with friends.

It has reportedly raised a round of financing of $2 million or so from Silicon Valley’s Lightspeed Venture Partners, though we haven’t confirmed this. [Update: One authoritative, albeit off-record… Continue Reading