From billboards and television commercials to viral spots and online marketing, he’s everywhere. Lately he’s been seen touting a diaper bag, but he’s also found hanging out with his bros shooting the breeze about parenting stuff. He is the modern dad and marketers, it seems, just can’t get enough of the guy.

Some call it a re-verb of the crap economy; others call it a balance of power. But whatever you call it, the Mr. Mom phenomenon is a very real one to advertisers. The modern dude-dad is funnier, more subversive and just the kind of man marketers hope we can relate to. Huggies is leading the way in the dad marketing revolution. Dads are front and center in a series of commercials which put real life papas and Huggies products like wipes and diapers to the test. Huggies and the dads are put through ringer in a series of challenges like eating spaghetti and speed changes. The funny reality TV-like spots are right in tune with the trend of featuring dad as this beleaguered, flawed superhero.

And what’s funnier than one Mr. Mom? A group of supper daddies, naturally. So appealing is the trend of the Dad-Dude Pack that What to Expect When You’re Expecting, a movie based on the famous pregnancy book, has tailored its trailers to feature funny dads. Never mind that the source material is about women’s bodies during pregnancy. Lionsgate Films is hoping to reel in guys with wacky shots of funnymen like Chris Rock and his fellow father friends carrying babies around Central Park.

And as much as we love this modern man who isn’t afraid of some diapers, we still love the stereotype of the dumb dad, too. This Verizon spot, which features some clueless dads with some really bad ideas, is an online hit even if it doesn’t celebrate dad as Superman.

But let’s ask you: Is this Mr. Mom marketing trend about to burn out or have we only seen the beginning of Dadtastic campaigns? Tell us in the comments section below!

Is it the end of blogging for business as we know it? Should we shut down our blog campaigns and hop on Twitter instead? According to new numbers from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth report, corporate blogging is on the decline. Of the businesses surveyed, only 37 percent were still keeping the blog dream alive in 2011 — down from 50 percent in 2010. Media outlets like USA Today were quick to point the finger at Facebook and Twitter being the reason why companies have turned their backs on blogging. Yet before we ditch it altogether, let’s look at the truth about corporate blogging.

While the numbers do tell us that many companies have stopped blogging, there’s plenty they don’t tell us. Primarily, that most of the world’s most recognizable brands don’t just do Facebook or only have a Twitter account. When it comes to online branding, most of the big guns do it all, including blogging. Look at Southwest Airlines. Or Food Network. Or Disney. Or Diesel. Successful companies know that in order for new media marketing to work, they have to stick their fingers in all kinds of pies. And blogging is content that sticks, unlike Facebook posts that get lost in the shuffle. Also, these numbers surely don’t reflect the small spitfire companies who’ve had their brands put on the map thanks to blogging. Lastly, the big thing we always miss when we talk about how Facebook or Twitter is ruining blogging is how much those platforms actually help blogs. Blog marketing wouldn’t even exist without social media. Show me a cupcake shop owner, celebrity writer or fashion stylist who isn’t also tweeting links to their blogs and I’ll show a person doing it wrong.

But that’s what we think. How about you? Is corporate blogging over or has it only just begun? Sound off below!

Any blog content management genius will tell you that coming up with a Top 5 or Top 10 list is just an easy ploy to rope in more readers. And they’re right! Still, we happen to think ours — the Five Things You Might Have Missed List — is also pretty darn entertaining and informative. Take a peek and tell us what you think!

1.) Your New Business Idol is Only 9 Years Old: High atop our list this week is the story of Caine Monroy and his cardboard arcade. If you think it sounds like a Spielberg movie now, just wait until you hear the real-life details: Monroy converted his dad’s garage into a cardboard arcade and, with the help of online branding, some enthusiastic customers and a great video, he’s become the latest meme as well as an inspiring startup story for folks of all ages.

2.) Enter the Branding Police: There’s a new sheriff in town on Twitter, and he’s gonna get ya if you mess with the Olympics. Forbes turned us on to the new (and slightly ominous) prospect of Twitter brand cops this week. Turns out the Olympics are taking their image and branding more seriously than ever, enlisting the help of monitors to shut down accounts illegally using the Olympic name and logo on Twitter.

3.) Up, Up and Away: Jack White and his label Third Man Records came up with a one-of-a-kind way to help sales of his new solo record positively soar. Third Man shoved limited edition flexi-disks into balloons and set them free on April 1st from their headquarters in Nashville. The label expects about 10 percent of the copies to be found. The stunt scooped up a handful of headlines for the indie record label and even made hippies happy — the balloons are biodegradable.

4.) Step Away from the Android: Did you set down your smartphone on April 14th and say “enough is enough!”? If so, you were the few and proud who participated in art blog/collective Provocative Penguin’s Leave Your Phone at Home Day. The event encouraged followers to unplug and not use their phones for a whole day. Gasp! We’re happy to report that humanity continued to function as folks left their phones at home and think it’s a great idea any time of the year.

5.) A Little French, A Lotta Fabulous: Lastly, we close out our list with “Petit H,” a video from luxury brand Hermès. The video is a promotional piece for Petit H, which Adverblog describes as a “creative workshop that brings together materials, artists and craftsmen in single space, faithful to the exacting standards that characterize Hermès.” It’s a beautiful video that’s meant to spark creative fires. We say job well done, Hermès.

Social media marketing, in its relatively short time in existence, has already claimed certain days of the year as its own: Cyber Monday, Super Sunday, Black Friday and, most recently, Tax Day. This year, a record number of brands offered big-time deals on Tax Day, and we have the rundown on who gave out what, what promotions worked and which brands missed a golden opportunity.

It was a junk food lovers jamboree on Tuesday as tons of brands used Facebook to promote free food giveaways. Arby’s gave out curly fries to Facebook friends while Chili’s doled out free desserts and appetizers. And the social media gut bomb didn’t end there; Cinnabon, Panda Express and Chevy’s also gave out free Tax Day eats. Seattle’s Best gave out free coffee coupons on its Facebook page. But the big winner here was Pizza Hut, which used social media to pick out winners of free large pizzas in six U.S. cities at midnight to feed those last-minute filers.

Food wasn’t the only category busy on Tax Day, though. Hydro-Massage once again gave away free 10 minute massages and Office Depot donated free copies to the rushed tax day crowd.

Things like free copies, free coffee and free pizzas speak very much to the spirit of Tax Day and using Facebook as the coupon hub makes a lot of sense. What doesn’t make sense is the companies that didn’t promote at all on Tax Day. If we ran the Facebook marketing for an airline or a travel website, we wouldn’t have missed offering flight specials and vacation deals to those lucky folks who are dying to spend that refund money on its way. Likewise, the pain relief industry, the Tylenols and Advils of the world, really missed a promotion opportunity to hand out free samples to filers who had splitting Tax Day headaches.

The Tax Day social media marketing blitz has become a tradition and we can’t wait to see what the brands roll out in 2013. But don’t get any funny ideas, IRS. We’re in no hurry to file again.

As specialists in blog content management, we’re always thrilled when a high-profile exec praises the benefits of blogging for business. So when Ashkan Karbasfrooshan, the founder and CEO of WatchMojo, took to the pages of TechCrunch to sing the praises of CEO bloggers over the weekend, we couldn’t have been more thrilled. Karbasfrooshan brilliantly breaks down the reasons why executives should start blogging. Everything from the comical (it’ll get you out of your employees’ hair, he says) to the practical are covered here — yet it was his emphasis on storytelling that really got us excited.

Being able to tell your brand’s story effectively and entertainingly is one of the most powerful benefits of company blogging. Instead of having to guess who you are and what your company stands for, readers/consumers can figure you out in a few blog posts.

“The best cooks never stop cooking even when they open their restaurant,” Karbasfrooshan says. “Musicians are always jamming no matter what. Similarly, a storyteller doesn’t put the pen down because he’s in pursuit of profit, too. He finds a way to marry the two. If you enjoy writing and happen to be the CEO, then it’s a marriage made in heaven if you can balance your duties.”

The balance in question can be tricky, but with great planning like we talked about last week and maybe a helping hand, it’s certainly attainable. There, of course, is the fine line between telling your brand’s story and your own story. Unless your business is you, big parts of your personal story should stay out of the mix. Peppering your blog with real life tales from the office is one thing — but bludgeoning people over the head with your personal memoir is another.

“Sure, it’s nice to build your personal brand, but the focus ought to be on the company — 100 percent of the time,” Karbasfrooshan writes.

Regardless of what any slick SEO snake-oil salesman might tell you, no one can tell your brand’s tale better than you. You live your company’s story every day and you know what your followers want to hear. Being your brand’s voice through blogging is a creative and empowering position that lets you decide how your company’s story is told.

Howdy! Welcome to the digital engagement, social media marketing and online branding jamboree we like to call our Five Things You Might Have Missed list. Yee haw!

1.) Hunter & Bear Return: That interactive dynamic duo from Tippex is back! The hunter and bear that forever changed viral marketing and online commercials is back in a birthday party gone wrong clip. This time, Tippex has more user-generated fun up its sleeve, and we love making the hunter and bear do all sorts of crazy things. Tippex wisely didn’t really change the video formula that put it on the map — and users have already welcomed the duo back with open arms and major views (74,000 and growing).

2.) Rock Your Blog Out: Here’s a nifty little add-on for blog creators and music lovers alike. Spotify has come up with a plugin that serves as a music player for blogs and websites so visitors can listen to your playlist while they’re on your site. With the Spotify Play Button, users can hear whole albums without having to leave the page they are viewing. This widget is bound to be a favorite among music and entertainment bloggers as well as blog readers who like to rock out while they read.

3.) Behold, Chocolate Mountain: Didn’t get enough sweet stuff from the Easter Bunny? Alton Towers Resort launched a promotional stunt sure to satisfy even the biggest chocoholic. The UK-based family resort created a massive chocolate climbing wall complete with a 70,000 meter chocolate waterfall and a biscuit crumb grotto. It’s Wonka-style promotion, and we’re big fans of campaigns built on pure imagination.

4.) Le TicTac Attack: Here’s a French TicTac ad that plays with the flash mob idea while illustrating the power of bad breath. With way over 700,000 hits, the spot is proof viral viewers love a little humor when dealing with a touchy topic like bad breath.

5.) Twitter Trickster: Oh, Betty White. We want to be over your antics, but gosh darn it, you keep doing stuff to adhere yourself to your collective hearts even further. Like this week when you pulled a fast one on Twitter on your co-star Valerie Bertinelli. Betty played the old lady card and told Bertinelli that @BettyMWhite wasn’t really her account after a sexy tweet about Ryan Seacrest was unleashed. But it is her account, a fact Bertinelli didn’t find out until after she tweeted about how the account was a fraud. Funny stuff — and perfect PR for White’s Off Their Rockers, her new show where she and other seniors pull pranks.

When it comes to Pinterest, social media marketing experts are generally of two camps. There’s that shiny happy group that embrace Pinterest and all of its silliness right out of the box. They’ve clearly benefited from spending a lot of time marketing to the pin-happy people of Pinterest and reaped the rewards of getting on the craze early. And then there’s the resisters. You know the type — the folks who have turned up their noses on the platform and go out of their way to get snarky and judgemental whenever the topic comes up. We’ve covered these types and even been these types now and then (because, let’s face it, Pinterest is easy to make fun of). But when it comes to how powerful the platform is, we’ve got nothing but love. Especially after reading this new report.

According to Experian Marketing Services, a digital marketing firm, Pinterest is now the third-most-visited social media site on the Internet. In March, Facebook racked up more than 7 billion total visitors; Twitter was a solid second with 182 million; and Pinterest reported a whopping 104 million total visits from people in the United States, according to data sent to CNN by Experian. It’s a remarkable number of visits, particularly considering most consumers didn’t even know Pinterest existed eight months ago. CNN says the new figure puts Pinterest ahead of social media mega powers like LinkedIn, Google+, MySpace and Tumblr.

Matt Tatham of Experian tells CNN Pinterest is catching on because it’s truly original.

“The site has really just rocketed,” Tatham says. “It’s just been tremendous since (Pinterest) took off around October and then in the last few months. With Pinterest, it’s kind of a new take on an old thing. Social networking is great. Pinterest is great. The way people are sharing on Pinterest is new.”

Experian’s new data reinforce one of the much-mocked stereotypes of Pinterest; it’s a women’s wonderland. In fact, 60 percent of Pinterest users are female.

And all of this is great news to the home design, wedding, culinary and fashion industries which dominate Pinterest. For visual companies, the network offers sharing like nothing else out there. But let’s hear from you. Are you a Pinterest hater or Pinterest appreciator? Sound off below!

Between all the campaign drama and sports shenanigans, you might have missed some of the smartest, sassiest and strangest stories from social media and online marketing this week. Fear not, gentle reader! We have you covered.

1.) The BK Blige Bilge: If you missed this story about Mary J. Blige’s yanked commercial for Burger King, you really were hiding under a rock this week. Nevertheless, it’s a list topper for personifying all that is ridiculous with viral advertising, racial sensitivity and celebrity endorsements. Claims of racism aside, we dare you not to chuckle while listening to Blige warble the ingredients of Burger King’s new chicken wraps. In the end, BK apologized for releasing a spot they claim “wasn’t ready” and Blige apologized for offending anyone with the commercial. Perhaps the ad was pulled because it’s a really horrible ad. Just a thought.

2.) A PSA with Balls: We’re always on the lookout for print ads that have a strong voice and a clever delivery. So we were thrilled when we found these ads for the League Against Cancer on I Believe in Advertising. The photos feature cell phones, joysticks and magicubes on the front flap of men’s underwear in an effort to raise awareness for testicular cancer. On the band of the underwear is the message “Give your fingers a better use. Examine yourself for testicular cancer.” Kudos to the League for grabbing their audience in a way that’s hip and bound to make them think.

3.) Hand Over that Password: This ominous sign of the times couldn’t be over looked by those of us who work in the social media marketing field and who often hustle for freelance jobs. The Atlantic and other big news sources were in a tizzy this week at the news of Representative Ed Perlmutter’s proposed amendment to H.R. 3309, the Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2012, in an effort to thwart employers from demanding the passwords of employees’ social media accounts. Perlmutter’s amendment was voted down and now all of media land is gearing up for a social media privacy battle unlike anything we’ve seen thus far.

4.) And Speaking of Creepy: Without giving too much away, we can tell you the latest promo for Google+’s Project Glass is part science fiction, part annoying Google+ branding at its most shrill. Yet whatever you think of these yet-to-be made Google goggles, it can’t be denied that the idea is a groundbreaking one. Tell us what you think about this Geordi LaForge-style innovation in the comments section below.

5.) When Skype Talks Smack, You Can See it: Finally, we haven’t had a good old trash talking from a tech brand in quite some time. Thankfully, the good folks at Skype answered our prayers with a series of UK ads that straight up diss Facebook and Twitter. Oh no they didn’t! (Oh yes they did!) And the result is pretty entertaining.

This week’s Five Things You Might Have Missed promises the best in viral marketing, Twitter management gone wrong, some digital Easter eggs and even a walrus on your back! Read, enjoy, tweet and repeat!

1.) Tweet the Wrong Thing: Spike Lee on Twitter just seems like a recipe for ill communication — and this week, boy was it. The diminutive ’90s auteur raised eyebrows when he re-tweeted the wrong address for George Zimmerman, the man who allegedly shot teenager Trayvon Martin. The tweet ticked off tons of tweeps and put Lee on the defensive. Martin’s story is already a highly-charged one and Lee’s misinformed tweet proves how out of control Twitter can get when the wrong information spreads like wildfire.

2.) Happiness 360: Streets Ice Cream took its good-time brand to the streets with a pop-up 360 photo booth that invited passersby to jump, dance and interact in front of a Matrix-style camera. The end campaign is an interactive one which features ordinary folks in extraordinary poses and promises to end lame sponsored photo booths forever.

3.) Cat in a Raincoat!: Columbia Sportswear embraces the spirit of invention with its “Great Moments in Trying Stuff” viral campaign. An earnest 1950s style announcer takes viewers on a hilarious journey through innovations, like sweaty hot dog buns, mesh tank tops and a not-too-happy cat in a raincoat — all brilliantly illustrating Columbia’s outerwear technology.

4.) An App to Dye For: PAAS Easter Egg dye partnered with Heinz Vinegar to come up with this cool Easter egg decorating app just in time for the holiday. It’s digital egg dying without all the mess — genius! The cute seasonal game is sure to be a hit for egg-enthusiastic youngsters, but PAAS gives the app a little something extra by donating $1.00 for every download to Make a Wish Foundation through April 8th.

5.) I am the Walrus: We wrap up this week’s list with a spot for muscle cream from Allgauer Latschenkiefer. Nicely shot, cleverly edited and, featuring a piggybacking walrus, this viral ad is simple, funny and sweet.

Facebook marketing experts were hit with a study this week that can only be described as depressing. Psychologist Dr. Leonard Sax has been making headlines with claims that Facebook can actually cause depression in teenage girls.

“Then they look at all the other girls’ Facebook pages, look at them being happy and think, ‘my life sucks, look at all the things those girls are doing and how much fun they’re having,’” Sax says.

Girls who spend too much time on Facebook aren’t nurturing real life relationships, he notes. But this isn’t just sad news for teenage girls and their families. For about two years, mental health professionals have been monitoring what they call “social media depression,” a sadness or deep depression caused by following other people’s lives on sites like Facebook and Twitter. Couple this with studies that link anxiety caused by reading news online, and it’s impossible not to wonder: What can business bloggers and social media marketers do to make the Internet less depressing?

First off, we should make it clear that we in no way think that some happy online marketing can make the problems go away — just as it’s impossible for an organization or company to say things to erase a person’s mental health problems. Still, marketers do have the power to send messages that add to the online experience of users. Blogs with positive themes or that teach readers something consistently rank as the most popular and widely read on the ‘net.

So why not use your company blog to teach your readers a thing or two? Instructional blogs aren’t just a good way to add positive juju to your blog, but they are also a clever way to inject your products and services into your posts. Baking companies like Duncan Hines and Pillsbury have been using their blogs and social media pages like this for years and you can easily see why. Coca-Cola is another big brand that uses Facebook for good instead of evil. The soda company has slyly slipped into the top position when it comes to social media marketing with the happy images and life-affirming messages on the its Facebook page. Coke’s Facebook page isn’t out to change the world, but it does make visitors smile with classic visuals and sunny branded messages from the past and present.

Whether it’s teaching your readers some new tricks or spreading a positive message, we as marketers can do our small part make the barrage of Internet information less drab and depressing. Plus, by offering readers solutions or laughs or good ideas, we giving them a reason to keep coming back. And that’s something for everyone to smile about!