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.

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.

Tech oddities! Branding delights! Social media marvels! Step right up and enjoy the little online marketing circus we like to call “Five Things You Might Have Missed!”

1.) Meet the Social Pizza: What’s more social than sharing a few slices of pizza? How about actually creating a pizza on social media? Domino’s in Australia is calling on Facebook fans to create the ultimate social media pizza pie. Through March 25th, Domino’s fans down under will have the opportunity to vote on favorite sauce, crust and topping combinations, with the winning concoctions featured on Domino’s menu. Amateur pizza chefs will also get a shot at $1,000 bucks for coming up with a great pizza name.

2.) Skin Vibrations: Here’s one from the “What the Tech?” files. Nokia is reportedly working on a patent to help smartphone holders literally feel when they receive a call. A small patch of fabric or a tattoo can be attached to the skin and will vibrate when an incoming call is received. While still in the developement stage, the vibrating tattoo officially ushers in the era of humans being literally attached to their phones.

3.) Main Events: Like the rest of Facebook, Facebook Events got a big-time makeover this week. Unlike Timeline and some of the other updates, however, this one is bound to make plenty of people happy. Easy for brands and individuals alike to use and keep organized, the new Facebook Events is the must-use use tool of the spring on the planet’s biggest social media mecca. Check out Social Media Examiner’s in-depth look at Facebook Events to learn about all the new features.

4.) Holy Phileas Fogg! So they might not be able to make your skin vibrate today, but Nokia claims its battery can last on a trip around the world. Inspired by the 140th anniversary of Around the World in 80 Days, Nokia sent its phone to 12 cities and 4 continents with a single charged battery and no charger. The results are a globe-trotting, good-time viral hit.

5.) Help for Your Ugly Office: We close out our list with a drool worthy digital contest from Turnstone. Those makers of pricey but awesome office accoutrements, Turnstone is giving away 5 office makeovers to startups with great ideas and amazing stories. Wannabes are encouraged to pitch their dream office ideas to Turnstone via video. After a judging committee sifts through the submissions, Turnstone will post the best videos and users will vote for their favorite. It’s a cool contest with a great prize from a brand that encourages vision and personality.

My mother once wisely said, “If you’re not using it anymore, you should throw it away.” This simple, sage bit of homespun wisdom holds doubly true for content marketing and social media marketing. In the digital world, it’s easy to amass dozens of platforms and social media accounts that you pick up when it’s touted to be the next big thing. Yet once the sizzle has turned to fizzle, these stagnant channels can actually damage your brand as they sit there inactive. So we here at Brandsplat have come up with a “ditch it list” for online marketing techniques and channels that might be collecting dust and getting in the way.

Pick a Blog and Stick With It: Maybe you’ve dabbled on Blogger, posted sporadically on Tumblr or toyed with WordPress — but done none of them with any regularity. Use this season to commit to a blogging platform that you like using and that fits with your brand’s image. If you’re a law firm, for example, the über visual stylings of Tumblr probably aren’t for you. Having one regularly updated blog helps redefine and streamline your brand and makes your message easier to find.

Enough With the Multiple Twitter Accounts: Not everybody in your office needs a company voice on Twitter. We think one strong, consistent Twitter account does the trick nicely, but two should be your maximum. All contests, photos and conversations can be handled by one person on one account. Again, dead, rarely-used accounts are confusing and should be deleted.

Embrace Timeline: Yes, it looks like bad MySpace code from four years ago. Yes, it’s not user-friendly. But Timeline for Pages, as of March 30, is an inevitability. Spring clean your company’s Facebook page and take the time to curate a cool Timeline with updated pictures and branding. After all, resistance of Facebook is futile, so you might as well make the best of it.

Throw Out Old Ideas: Is an old logo that you no longer use still floating around? Is a dusty blog about a long gone campaign still stinking up your website? Then toss ‘em! Think of this last tip as your digital dusting. Use this time to brush off old content, outdated information and campaigns gone long past from your website. After all, once your website is free from old clutter, you’ll have room for great new ideas.

With the heavy political mudslinging, depressingly overzealous marketing campaigns and lame social media sniping of late, we think it’s time we all lighten the funk up. After all, it’s spring and there’s tons of companies and individuals using online marketing in surprising, hilarious and inspired ways. Here’s a handful of some of our current favorites on a little list we like to call “Five Things You Might Have Missed:”

1.) That Viral Video Smells güd: Makers of yummy body and skin care Burt’s Bees came up with a “scentsational” way for fans to get a whiff of its new line, güd. Scratch and sniff cards were shoved in fashion magazines like Lucky where readers were prompted to visit Burt’s YouTube channel. There, viewers are treated to sparkling animated video with “scratch-along” numbers that give them that olfactory sense of inhaling whatever scent is on the screen. Smells like genius to us!

2.) ATMmmmm: Los Angeles-based cupcakery Sprinkles gave its Beverly Hills branch a one-of-a-kind ATM-type of machine that dispenses the company’s famous cupcakes, Sprinkles merchandise and even recipes. The machine itself is a candy-colored feast for the eyes, sure to inspire drivers to pull over and make late-night withdrawals.

3.) Tweeting with Friends: Scrabble, that O.G. uber competitive word game, is launching a new product called Scrabble Trickster. To celebrate, it’s taking the fun and games to Twitter. In what can only be described as “why didn’t we think of that sooner?” Twitter marketing, Scrabble is offering a chance for followers to play the game in real-time with other tweeps and even giving away some prizes to the winners. We love Scrabble and adore brands that tap into the light-hearted side of Twitter, so this campaign is a winner.

4.) How do you say WTF in Japanese?: Dying to see a singing supermodel drinking tea handed to her by some weird hooded dude? Then this list-making video starring Miranda Kerr is just the ticket. We can’t promise that you’ll be inspired to mix in such bold images in your own viral marketing, but we can promise you’ll be amused for 16 seconds.

5.) Does Craftsmen Make Those?: And, finally, Sears recently yanked this t-shirt off its website. Duh. For a company that features family-friendly ads and corny all-American imagery, this t-shirt doesn’t really gel.

Much like the arrival of brightly-colored tulips and little fluffy bunnies, spring also has brought a shower of iPad publicity and speculation for the last two years — and this spring is no different. The secret ninja announcement from Apple has been shrouded the usual rumors and questions: Will the iPad 3 be the first tablet in HD? How different from the iPad 2 will this third incarnation be? And some are wondering if it even is going to be called the iPad 3. While all of these are fascinating pontifications, we as online marketing specialists have another burning question: Does the iPad 3 (or whatever it ends up being called) signal the arrival of tablet marketing?

Mobile marketers have been pacing back and forth about this “tablet thing” for months. Now that every company big and small has a tablet or pad or book of its own, it appears the moment has arrived. Back in the fall, Paul Cushman of Yahoo! told Mobile Marketer, “Tablet marketing is just one element of a brand’s overall digital marketing strategy, which should aim to connect with consumers on all four screens — mobile, PC, tablet and TV. Agencies should be thinking about how they engage and move consumers to interact with brands across each of these screens, ultimately driving them from the PC, through the tablet, to the store via their smartphone, and then back again for customer-relationship management.”

Over the last few months, we’ve seen magazines and lifestyle brands push out tablet products at a breakneck pace. While not every online business can pump out slick iPad-friendly layouts and tablet-only apps, every site can get on the tablet party. The easiest way to cater to the tablet crowd is to continually pack your site with fresh content. Blogs are hotly-read on tablets, so the fresher and more timely the post, the more likely you are to keep readers. Also, by using a strategy similar to making your website mobile-phone friendly, formatting is a breeze and nothing will get lost in translation. Yet the main benefit of marketing for tablets is the creative possibilities. Brands are already coming up with one-of-a-kind games, cool interactive shopping features and image manipulation tools that are perfect for tablets’ unique tactile and motion sensor capabilities.

So let’s hear from you, smarty-pants readers: Is the era of tablet marketing officially upon us? Sound off below!

Brandsplat Report-FaceBook Advertising, Video Tips, Pinterest Hate from Enzo Cesario on Vimeo.

Enzo F. Cesario, Brandsplat’s CCO shares his thoughts on FaceBook Advertising, Video Tips and Tricks from Google WebMaster and Pinterest Hate. Check it out! Or click here for more Brandsplat vids

With Tiger on the outs and Tebow too polarizing, the world of sports has been in desperate need of a hero who could potentially become a branding superstar, a headline-maker and an international sensation. No current figure from professional sports fits that bill better than Jeremy Lin. Thanks to a jaw-dropping winning streak earlier this month, Lin is suddenly an unlikely superstar — and an illustration in what’s right and what’s wrong with Facebook marketing and online brand management.

The 6-foot 3-inch tall Christian Asian-American Lin reluctantly joined Facebook; within days, his followers were in the hundreds of thousands. As a brand and personality, Lin is intriguing, different and enigmatic. On Facebook these are great traits to have but being an individual also opens the doors for a world of ridiculous and ignorant comments. ESPN has already canned one employee who spewed racist nonsense on Facebook, and hundreds of other anti-Asian comments have flooded his page from so-called fans.

Sigh. Lin’s presence and celebrity should be celebrated and as a global brand he should be one we are ready to embrace. Facebook in the same right should be the place where that can happen. But as it’s been noted by smarter folks than us, what’s wrong on Facebook is sometimes a mirror of what’s wrong with the world at large. But it’s not just on Facebook where Lin is misunderstood. Ben and Jerry’s attempted to pay tribute to Lin with an ice cream flavor entitled “Taste the Lin-Sanity.” Featuring lychee fruit and fortune cookies, all that was missing from this stereotype-fest was a miniature gong and dragon on the label. Yeesh. Lin was born in Los Angeles and grew up in the U.S., so this type of “ancient Chinese secret” packaging seriously missed the mark. Thankfully, the folks at Ben & Jerry’s realized it, too, and replaced the fortune cookie pieces with waffles.

While Lin is exciting to watching on the court, we as marketers and consumers are learning a thing or two about cultural sensitivity. Looks like we still have a long way to go.