Here They Come To Save The Social Mediaverse?

On the eve of Phoenix ComiCon (which I will certainly be attending), I look back a couple of weeks to this gem of an article. I’m not a huge comic or graphic novel fan, but I can say that I am a fan of the mediums that brought us amazing superheroes (if you haven’t seen the second Avengers – WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!) and dystopian futures (I’m looking at you, Walking Dead!), and haven’t really thought long and hard about the DC/Marvel rivalry. In the war between these two comic giants, I was originally unsure as to who I’d back. After reading this article, I am sure…for now.

My love of the Avengers, and all of the separate films and such that make up this multiverse (did I use that correctly?) shift a point in Marvel’s direction. But, I sincerely loved Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, and the first and third Batmans (that’s Keaton and Kilmer – don’t hate!), and have been watching Arrow religiously. So, there you go, DC. I should also mention that while I haven’t seen Man of Steel, I own the score music from it, and I think it’s an awesome bit of composition. Point DC (or Hans Zimmer). Hans (with James Newton Howard) also scored with both Dark Knight and Dark Knight Rises. Few more points DC.

How do we further this argument, and try to reach a conclusion? Well, communications, of course. It seems that Marvel is doing everything right. They constantly tie things together and keep a sense of humor about even the most frustrating of circumstances. The example in the article – blaming a trailer leak on Hydra (the evil organization most commonly found in Captain America lore) – is simply genius. They were cross-promoting by releasing the Avengers trailer during an airing of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Instead of pulling that release after the leak, they simply added a bit more to the trailer, and left it on the schedule. Thus, Agents got its ratings boost (when those who didn’t normally watch tuned in for the extended trailer), and Marvel kicked some serious social media ass while gaining fan favor by just having fun in a bad situation.

The article discusses that Marvel embraces its characters and universes, while DC is still mainly using social media to simply promote their products in old-fashioned ways. The Deadpool twitter account Miles mentions speaks to the flair and brilliance with which Marvel treats its world. So, lots and lots of points Marvel. You’ve won my communications admiration. While I might not ACTUALLY battle for Marvel, DC better bone up if it wants more of my loyalty.

Marvel vs. DC: Who’s Winning on Social Media?

Digital Get Down

Forgive me for quoting *NSync, but I am a child of the halcyon times in which I grew up – sue me.

This is another entry that could have ended up on Listmania!, but I thought interesting enough to include it here (albeit a couple of months late). This 10-list includes digital marketing stats, and states that they are “must-see.”

I realize the article is, in fact, from Adweek – a publication devoted to news in advertising. But, when any publication manages to pull together a 10-list (I hesitate to use “top 10” because this just seems to be an aggregator sort of situation, as opposed to “these are the top 10 best things from the past week”) based solely on all things digital – BuzzFeed videos, Twitter accounts, Spotify, click-throughs, and podcasts – it warrants more than the minimum of attention.

Most people will understand the feeling of commiseration one sometimes experiences when reading a book or watching a movie. I’m in the middle of a book that happens to include one version of the impending zombie apocalypse, but seems to be more about technology in all of its ridiculous forms. I immediately went back to this place in my head while reading this one. The reason it made me think of the book is because the protagonists are bloggers in the year 2040, and technology (and all things digital!) is the most important thing that exists. They use it for everything – hidden cameras, live feeds, viral testing, security, etc. I think that by 2040, we’ll be looking back to now and not only wondering why people spent so much time posting about what they’re eating or the boring minutiae of their day, we’ll be highlighting this time as the digital point of no return.

Technology is here to stay (until the apocalypse wipes all that junk out – according to most dystopian end-times pop culture predictions). That said, this list does provide a few interesting digital moments from the cross-section of now.

10 Must-See Digital Marketing Stats From The Past Week

Touchdown!

The Super Bowl is, well, the Super Bowl of advertising. You may not know what a CLIO Award is (or care, really), and you may just skip past ads in magazines, on site banners, or by fast-forwarding your DVR, but many people sit up and take notice once a year.

I don’t really enjoy watching sports. I like live things – going to rugby matches in Scotland or a Mariners game in Seattle are worthwhile endeavors, for example. So, the Super Bowl is like every home improvement show on HGTV – the best part is the reveal. I look at who wins, and I genuinely hope it’s the Seahawks this year, but I’m not super invested in the action itself. I may attend a Super Bowl party, but it’s for the social interaction, not the game.

I love this article for the back-and-forth style. Plus, it makes you feel like an insider. As in, “wink wink nudge nudge” suuuuuure advertising here is the best bang for your buck…

Will you be commenting on the commercials? Have you already previewed some? I really enjoy how this special Sunday has become about the commerciality, and a lot less about purity of or love of the game.

The Super Bowl According To Ivy-Covered Professors In Ivy-Covered Halls