Amazon Archives - Beyond Social Media

Amazon Astro Robot

By David Erickson | October 17, 2021

BL and David discuss a study suggesting that jerks are jerks, online or off; Sleep Number’s content marketing campaign; five new Twitter features, including business profiles; A design firm’s brilliant mock condom ads; Amanda Gorman’s Estee Lauder sponsorship gig; Minnesota Vikings’ stadium experiential marketing; branding NFTs; BrightLocal’s marketing of their online reviews survey; Google embeds a guitar tuner in search; LEGO partners with Fender for a Stratocaster kit; seasonal Salted Nut Rolls; Amazon’s creepy Astro robot; Facebook’s whistleblowers; FTC to crack down on fake reviews; pathetic email pitches; Clubhouse shorts creators; top online review factors; and much, much more.

TikTok Algorithm

By David Erickson | August 2, 2021

BL and David discuss the Wall Street Journal’s superb investigative journalism revealing how TikTok’s recommendation algorithm works; TikTok’s push to get users to recreate classic commercials; non fungible tokens for Coca-Cola and Twitter; the rise of low-fidelity video ads; Google’s adoption of email authentication protocols; more Google My Business call data; Amazon measures in-store customer experience; social media’s anti-semitism problem; Kraft ice cream; middle-aged dancing guys; influencer spending…and much, much more.

Block19 Backlash

By David Erickson | July 18, 2021

BL and David discuss the backlash over Culper Precision’s Lego kit for a Glock handgun; Improv Everywhere’s New York city dance party; Google’s test of seller ratings in search; Twitter’s Non-Fungible Tokens; Amazon’s Kindle Vella serialized fiction platform; Twitter’s testing of new conversational features; Instagram’s Reel advertising; BusinessInsider’s clever welcome email; Facebook launching it’s Substack clone, Bulletin; the advent of the college athlete influencer; This Week in Cuba Twitter Space; DiGiorno’s crowdsourced slogan; an Amazon contractor gets fired by bot; emails on packaging; Clubhouse demographics;…and much, much more.

Tulsa Race Massacre

By David Erickson | June 7, 2021

BL and David discuss media coverage of the Tulsa Race Massacre, 100 years after the fact; Oreo’s offering to aliens; the soft power of brands; Amazon supports marijuana legalization; Dunkin’ sells paint; Apple’s privacy commercial; Amazon Sidewalk risks; Hootsuite jacks long-time customers; Twitter reinstates certifications; Stetson disowns hatWRKS; music streaming; influencers’ earnings…and much, much more.

White House Valentines Display

By David Erickson | February 14, 2021

Beyond Social Media - Presidential Valentines Display - Episode 338

BL and David discuss Dr. Jill Biden’s White House Valentines display; stellar Thank You page examples; the American Shame Card collection of gun-control advocacy postcards; fact checker bylines; the explosive growth of social audio; Microsoft’s AI voices; Lincoln TV; Duolingo’s singable commercial; Super Bowl Social Media; conference sounds for livestreaming waiting room; Twitter gets into the newsletter game; Google News analytics courtesy of Google Search Console; Norton’s prying eyes and listening ears commercial…and much, much more.

Super Bowl LV Strangeness

By David Erickson | January 31, 2021

Episode 336: BL and David discuss the first Super Bowl poet laureate and Budweiser’s advertising pause; Twitter’s Birdwatch pilot; harnassing TV moments to drive viral awareness; free LinkedIn advertising classes; new LinkedIn controls; an unboxing gun-safety PSA; a New Orleans COVID vaccine PSA; Google My Business updates; TikTok’s Creator Portal; YouTube hashtag pages; TikTokQ; Black History Month wokeness;…and much, much more.

Snapchat Millionaires

By David Erickson | January 17, 2021

BL and David discuss how Snapchat is shelling out one million dollars a day to get users to adopt its TikTok clone, Spotlight; Match.com’s match made in hell; Barbie’s new role as a digital influencer; Taco Bell’s potato CEO; Ben & Jerry’s new doggie desserts; NFL quarterbacks Aaron Rogers, Patrick Mahomes, and Baker Mayfield as spokesmen; Phishing’s Explosive Growth; the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer; Apple Siri; Voice Recognition; Calendly; and much, much more.

Augmented Reality 2.0

By David Erickson | November 22, 2020

Episode 332: BL and David discuss how Apple’s iPhone lidar technology is shaping the future of augmented reality; the wide release of Amazon’s Echo Frames; Twitter’s disappearing Fleets and potential audio chat; Midwest governors mask up for a pandemic PSA; AI software that stymies facial recognition technology; Apple Podcasts gets an embeddable player; LinkedIn’s top influencers for 2020; Frito-Lay sets up a holiday-themed merch shop; Pepsi makes an apple pie cola; Arby’s sells deep fried turkey pillows; Fake People are everywhere online; holiday eCommerce sales projections;…and much, much more.

Biden Town Hall Ratings

By David Erickson | October 17, 2020

Episode 327: BL and David discuss the viewership of the dueling Trump/Biden Town Hall forums; an array of new Zoom apps; Google Analytics version 4; Coinbase’s no-politics policy; Alexa notifications; Apple pays hackers to hack; Snapchat’s LiDAR lenses; vintage downloadable cookbooks; a social media wellness check; funeral flyers;…and much, much more.

Facebook, McDonald’s & Dinosaurs

By David Erickson | September 12, 2020

Beyond Social Media - Mythic Dinosaurs - Episode 322

Episode 322: BL and David discuss a Facebook Group battle over a dinosaur at McDonald’s; Alexa for Residential; Ron Charles acting out book reviews; PDFs are not fit for human consumption; the Wired 25 virtual conference; new LinkedIn Page features; Salem Ilese is Mad At Disney; the JabberMask; Google to limit paid keyword data; the drone delivery race heats up; your smartphone knows when you’re drunk…and much, much more.