Runkeeper fans came running: how one brand got a boost from an enthusiastic community

I’ve always been a runner. In high school, I found (somewhat ironically) that track was the only sport I could take part in that wouldn’t trigger asthma attacks. I ran the 400m dash outdoors, and the 600m indoors, and would regularly run 5+ miles during my practice runs. Of course, after I got out of [...]

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Twitter Is The Vuvuzela of Social Media

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For nearly a week, the world’s gaze has been trained on South Africa, where the World Cup is underway. This is the first time the tournament — the most popular sporting event in the world — has been hosted on the African continent, so different cultural experiences were expected (even joyfully anticipated!) Anticipation may have [...]

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What Skateboarding Has Taught Me About Marketing

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Throughout high school and into college, I skateboarded almost daily. I was never terribly good — there’s no way I could have found a career with it — but those days rolling around, annoying my suburban neighbors, and taking trips into Boston (Copley Fountain!) once we had licenses, are among my best memories of growing [...]

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A List for Meg’s Birthday!

Thirty-something years ago, in some wee town in the middle of the Canadian prairie, Meg was born. Meg loves lists, so it’s only fitting that, as part of her birthday present, Meg asked the three Boston men in her life — my son, Ethan; stepson, Devon; and me — to each answer a list of [...]

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A Case Study for Using Social Media in a Service Industry

Renting an apartment seems to be a pretty straightforward service business: space for money. Of course, anyone that’s ever rented to or from someone knows it’s not as simple as that. Whether it’s a maintenance issue, or a noisy party, or an impending home improvement project, there’s a need for additional communication between landlord and [...]

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When The Smiths Tell You To Ask, You Ask

Have you ever experienced the dramatic effect of the right song playing at just the right point? Something like that happened to me yesterday afternoon. I had a conversation with a friend I know through social media about an available position at their company. One of the first things (s)he said was, “I had no [...]

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