Connecting the Dots / An Agency Blog

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’d know that on Friday, March 11th, 2011 a powerful earthquake measuring 9.0 rattled the Japan coast, creating destruction on a scale almost unimaginable. The disaster was covered in real-time by citizen journalists and broadcasted live to the web through every possible news outlet. At the same time, halfway around the world, the Libyan political and civil system was being battered by a delusional dictator and a population demanding change, and again, footage from the frontlines made its way to the web almost as soon as it was recorded. Extraordinary events like these are often sensationalized by big media, and perhaps rightfully so in some cases. More recently though, through social channels like Twitter, the perpetual stream of updates often demands the constant attention of a connected audience.

It can be challenging to even consider directing attention towards anything less critical. While these events continue to dominate big media, it’s astonishing that at the very same time another sensation is rapidly spreading through the social web. This time, like many times of the past, it’s driven by the entertainment business – and in complete opposition to the tragic events gaining so much of our collective attention – this sensation is simply a pop song.

More after the jump.

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Forrester on Youth, Brands, and Social Networks

It’s clear that youth are spending considerable amounts of time online. They have, after all, grown up in a digitally connected world. But that doesn’t necessarily create a marketing opportunity for brands to connect with the so-called Millennial generation.

A report by Forrester Research, published March 2011 surveyed 4,681 young US individuals ages 12 to 17, and seeks to Understand The Intricate Digital Behaviors Of Young Consumers.

Key findings after the jump.

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Since early 2009, watching broadcast live events online has undergone a substantial shift in the way we consume, interact with, and express ourselves while watching TV on desktop computers and now, even mobile devices. That very year, the Obama Inauguration went down in history for a handful of reasons, one of which was social media being paired with the experience of watching a live event online. Viewers were able to update their Facebook status through a web page that CNN used to cover the event — allowing online viewers the ability to publicly express themselves to a virtual audience. This was followed shortly thereafter by the 2009 NBA All Star Game, which offered a Facebook status component much like the Inauguration pioneered. Ever since these two pivotal events, new and engaging ways in which online viewers experience live events have been changing the online broadcast environment. Let’s take a look at five of them.
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It’s Friday, which means it’s time to drop another installment of everyone’s favourite ongoing blog-isode, Last Week’s Meme!! Where the team at Engine Digital decides on the most exciting thing that happened on the Internet, a week too late. (we’re busy, ok?)

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Welcome to another installment of Last Week’s Meme at the Engine Digital Blog, where we investigate the latest internet meme, a week too late. I’m sure you can guess what this week’s Last Week’s Meme is, since we haven’t seen an explosion of traffic around a piece of video like this since 37 million of us took part in the much loved Rick Roll.
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