Social Media Marketing Platform Flip.to Integrates With Hotel Management System

Ron Callari — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:56:48 -0800

The Flip.to social media marketing platform just launched direct integration with the Hotel Concept's RezExchange channel management and distribution system for hotels. The service is a new means for the hospitality industry to convert guests and website visitors into engaged advocates while extending a brand's reach exponentially and finally providing hotels with a means to push past basic social media engagement, to a definable ROI.

Twittamentary, First Documentary Screenings Dedicated To The Twitterverse, Go Global

Ron Callari — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:37:50 -0800

With a movie project that has virtually taken years to "wrap," Twittamentary, is a film about communities that is now available for communities around the world. Having received numerous request from folks and organizations across the globe, the film's producer is thrilled to announce an "open call" for community screenings to take place between February 1 and May 1, 2012. That's right, if you have a suitable venue and meet the screening requirements, all you need is 20 of your closest friends or fans to put on a show - for free!

Twittamentary, A Social Media Experiment In Search Of "Character 141"

Ron Callari — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 05:47:37 -0700

A sneak peek preview of Twittamentary was held at the Roger Smith Hotel last evening in Manhattan. Hosted by the Singaporean award-winning movie producer Siok Siok Tan, the film which is still in post-production was offered up to a screening room full of social media types. What this filmmaker attempted to capture on film was the randomness of an ecosystem - that is so difficult for anyone to put their heads around - let alone explain comprehensively in the body of one film.

Blind Followers Or Meaningful Dissenters: Facebook vs Occupy Wall Street?

Ron Callari — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 09:30:38 -0800

Whenever a new movement consumes the hearts and minds of a large percentage of the populace, its time to take stock in what really moves these folks to act? The zeitgeist that emanated from Facebook and Occupy Wall Street couldn't be any more different from each other, yet there is an undercurrent that threads the two together. Both attract those that have an overwhelming desire to band together within loosely-knit organizations that welcome all.

SOPA Wrung Wry By History's Most Hated Leader

Ron Callari — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:19:03 -0800

Toward the end of 2011, the American Censorship Org took action against SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act), a U.S. bill racing through Congress that threatens "prosperity, online security and freedom of expression." On January 18, thousands of websites like Wikipedia have pledged to go dark online in protest. To show its solidarity, Google has blocked out their iconic logo on their search engine.

Flip.to's 2012 Social Media Strategies For The Hospitality Industry

Ron Callari — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:43:50 -0800

The buzz surrounding social media marketing hasn’t gone unnoticed by the hospitality industry and many hotel brands seek to make inroads by engaging more effectively with leading social networks.

Achieving Social Media ROI For The Hospitality Industry

Ron Callari — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 06:26:39 -0800

The buzz surrounding social media marketing hasn’t gone unnoticed by the hotel industry and hoteliers are seeking to make inroads by engaging with the leading social networks in new and innovative ways. Choice Hotels however has indicated that "hotels have been slow or very conservative in the adaptation of social media."

Will The U.S. Constitution Stay Afloat In 2012?

Ron Callari — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:27:27 -0800

Well if you've been following the partisan rhetoric emanating from the Belt Way, you might not think that the government of "We The People" is going to fare too well going into a contentious election year. However, if you're one of the 99 Percenter contingency, things might be looking a little "rosier" for you . . . and they do mean that literally.

Holiday Social Media Competition Lights Up "Home Decoration Smackdown" In Jersey City, Newark & Roselle

Ron Callari — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:52:43 -0800

What's a little friendly competition amongst neighboring towns in New Jersey? Well this Christmas season, two councilmen and one mayor have decided to lighten up this year's holiday festivities with a house decoration competition in Jersey City, Newark and Roselle.

With IPOs & Bankruptcy In The Air, Zynga Soars, American Airlines Zags & Alec Baldwin Zings

Ron Callari — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:33:54 -0800

There's seems to be a glint of irony taking to the not-so-friendly skies, or so one popular TV-star would like the world to believe. While online gaming giant Zynga hopes to reap between $850 million and $1.15 billion with its impending IPO offering on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, the venerable American Airlines files Chapter 11 to reorganize its massive debt. So what's the connection between the two companies where one's on an uptick and the other is in dire straits financially? Well… Alec Baldwin, oddly, it seems!

Kindle vs Nook & Sony Reader

Ron Callari — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:48:57 -0800

Sony, in its latest attempt to compete head-on with Amazon's Kindle's and Barnes & Noble's Nook success is attempting to open a storefront online of its own. In spite of a previous failure at a similar venture back in 2005, is Sony ready for a comeback?And if not, does Amazon's Kindle or Barnes & Noble's Nook win in this year's Holiday Sweepstakes?

Taking The Bull By The Horns, "Occupy Wall Street" Posters Motivate Campers

Ron Callari — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 08:38:52 -0700

On September 17th, a protest organized by several activist group will take Wall Street by storm to protest opposition to the use of corporate money in politics. Groups such as Anonymous, Adbusters, US Day of Rage are collaborating their efforts to promote a peaceful protest to attract on upwards of 20,000 to turn downtown Manhattan into a campground.

Does The New Occupy T-Shirt Support the 99 Percent Or The 1 Percent?

Ron Callari — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:52:45 -0800

Capitalizing off of capitalism has had a long and successful run in the U.S. It's an economic system that has served its citizenry for hundreds of years. However under the microscope of the current Occupy Movement, protesters have taken to the streets in dissent against the status quo, arguing that only 1 Percent really have control over a capitalistic society.

Portrait Of 60s Protester Adds Perspective To Occupy Movement In Song

Ron Callari — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:21:34 -0800

Where have all the protest songs gone? Are they still blowing in the wind, or have new ones surfaced to chronicle life's current strife? While it seems like only yesterday, it's actually been over 40 years since Americans felt angry and disenfranchised enough to assemble in solidarity and protest against injustice and greed.

Social Media Finds "F Word" Acceptable For Songs & Graphic Novel

Ron Callari — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 05:58:15 -0700

From George Carlin's "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television," and Harry Nilsson's "You're Breaking My Heart" back in the 70's, it's taken almost 40 years for one of the most taboo of curse words to make it into every day discourse via social media channels such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

New Brand Advocate Platform for Hotels Generates ROE & ROI

Ron Callari — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 04:05:21 -0700

Flip.to is a new marketing platform that helps hotels turn their guests into advocates. After completing a successful beta, today the Flip.to team is announcing a new batch of results that would make any hotelier smile.

99 Percenters Will "Occupy Earth" To Prove The 1 Percent Wrong

Ron Callari — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 07:23:56 -0700

Awakened like a sleeping giant, the 99 Percenters were first motivated by the Arab Spring - but now have orchestrated a movement that has taken on a whole life of their own. Commencing with a make-shift tent city constructed overnight in downtown Manhattan four weeks ago, Occupy Wall Street has caught not only America's zeitgeist but one that is cyberventilating across the globe as well.

Winklevii Bust A Nut While Crackin' Joke About Arch Nemesis Zuckerberg

Ron Callari — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 07:32:23 -0700

The not-so-dynamic duo who continually fall short in bringing down the one man who stood between them and a billion dollar social network are seeking alternate means for remuneration. That's right, the Winklevoss twins have taken to the TV airwaves to zing their arch nemesis Mark Zuckerberg in a Roll Global commercial for pistachios.

Flip.to Identifies Net Promoters & Streamlines Reviews On Hotel Websites

Ron Callari — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 06:55:44 -0700

While hundreds of CRM metric systems have evolved over the years, guests have been inundated with hotel survey requests that are lengthy and antiquated. Recently, with the extensive research conducted by loyalty expert Fred Reichheld, it has been found that brands are best served when they distill the whole process down to one simple question: "Would you recommend this hotel to a friend?"

Does Today's Income Tax Coddle An Endangered Species?

Ron Callari — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 09:31:17 -0700

The idea of a personal income tax is a modern invention. Throughout most of history, the record keeping of tracking individual income would been a logistical nightmare. During the Civil War, however, Congress passed the Revenue Act of 1861 which instituted an income tax for the first time. Today class warfare is more of a concern to American citizens versus whether or not you hail from the North or South. . .

Social Media Vintage Ads For Twitter, Facebook, Skype & YouTube A La Don Draper

Ron Callari — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 10:22:04 -0700

The Brazilian Ad Agency Moma Propaganda has created an ingenious ad series based on how social media ads might have looked if social networking was firmly implanted in the public zeitgeist of the 1960s. Sounds like a screenplay for an episode of "Twilight Zone" or a sequel for "Back to the Future"...

Jersey City Ignites Innovation & Waterfront Development In Reality & Fiction

Ron Callari — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:38:59 -0700

The octagonal 50-foot clock remaining on the shore of the Hudson River facing Manhattan is a historical reminder of Jersey City's tenaciousness and its prominence during the 1940s & 1950s. By the 1970s, the city experienced a period of urban decline clouded by corruption held over from the Mayor "Boss" Hague reign of backroom deals and political cronyism .

Social Media Blogger Crunching Start-Ups & Conflicts Of Interest

Ron Callari — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 08:57:51 -0700

Traditional media has longed categorized bloggers as an unruly lot who choose to work outside of legitimate journalistic guidelines. Our editorial contributions have sometimes been dismissed as pay-for-play fodder and at its worse - content farms - or "black hat" websites compiled for the sole purpose of stimulating Internet traffic versus publishing quality social discourse.

Freedom Tower Will Tower Over NYC's Skyline

Ron Callari — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 09:24:49 -0700

When the World Trade Center landmark twin towers were completed in May, 1973, they rose 1450 feet to become the tallest buildings in the world, surpassing the Empire State Building. Its demise as the result of the horrific devastation of September 11, 2001 has launched a decade of debates as to what type of architecture could possibly replace its iconic imagery remembered by so many.

Social Media's Great Red Meat, A Mere Blip On The Silicon Valley Radar?

Ron Callari — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:21:38 -0800

What could generate more page-views than a good old fashioned Deep-Throat-like scandal? And TechCrunch, one of the Internet's top blogs and its editor Michael Arrington are masters at this type of reporting. Whether they're lampooning Zynga and their online games as "Scamville," accusing Facebook of stealing from Google or suing Fusion Garage for false advertising regarding its ill-conceived "Crunchpad" project - this TMZ-type of journalism does whet the public's appetite for good story-telling.

Google's Algo Overlords Plow Through Content Farms

Ron Callari — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 08:53:04 -0700

Sounds like a game out Zynga's Farmville, but unfortunately it's much more serious for publishing sites that have been labeled "Content Farms" by the search giant. Content Farms as defined by Wikipedia is used to describe news aggregators that employ a large staff of freelance writers to generate content that is designed to "satisfy algorithms" resulting in higher rankings on Google SERPs (search engine result pages).

Gizmodo vs iPhone 4G: Have Techie Sites 'Gone Tabloid'?

Ron Callari — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 10:37:08 -0700

Tabloid Journalism, sometimes referred to as the 'gutter press' or 'checkbook journalism' because of its tendency to sensationalize gossip and rumor, often times pays sources for an inside scoop. Gizmodo's recent bombshell story release of the secret next-generation iPhone found in a Silicon Valley Bar treads this fine line.

Social Media Makes Strange Bedfellows As MSN & Renren Begin An Affair

Ron Callari — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 05:47:25 -0700

While China is the country everyone wants to get a piece of these days - the two major Internet giants in the world - namely, Google and Facebook - face major hurdles with the government's insidious "firewall" and its strict censorship regulations.

Ghost Of Guy Fawkes Evoked To Destroy Facebook?

Ron Callari — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 06:01:29 -0700

While the blogoshere is cyberventilating once again about the imminent demise of Facebook (anybody remember the "We're Quitting Facebook Day" scheduled for May 31, 2010?), the ghost of Guy Fawkes has been evoked to stir the conspiracy pot. Five hundred years to the day, the Hacker activist group known as Anonymous is claiming they will coincide their destruction of Facebook with Fawkes attempt to blow up the House of Parliament on November 5, 1605.

Converting Anonymous Website Visitors Into Future Guests Produces ROI For Hotels

Ron Callari — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 06:29:53 -0700

Think about a "Caller ID" system for hotel websites, and you will begin to comprehend the value of a new component being launched by Flip.to, a company that provides marketing and social media solutions for the travel industry. Google can track a website's traffic but it cannot identify the profiles of all those anonymous visitors that come and go and don't leave a calling card.