We all heart Twitter and the instant connection it gives us to our clients, friends and other followers. Yet the “Twitterverse” has gotten crowded lately with new apps, ideas and tools being pushed out and blogged about at the speed of light. Lucky for you, dear readers, we here at Brandsplat have dug through the latest in Twitter topics to find some nifty techniques you may want to integrate into your Twitter and social media marketing plan.

Fast Follow: Launched on August 10^th and blogged about ever since, Fast Follow is the Twitter tip on everybody’s lips. But just what is it? Fast Follow is a free tool from the social media giant that taps into the mainline of Twitter/SMS text messaging. Tweet marketers can now text something like “follow peachmahoney” to 40404 and that person’s or brand’s tweets then will be delivered via text message — no Twitter account necessary. Fast Follow is truly worthy of all the chirping as it blasts the doors open to reach a much bigger audience. Even as an avid Tweeter, I’ve just started using Fast Follow and now can’t imagine life without it.

Tweaking Twitter Contests: Many Tweet marketers thought the disastrous Air France Twitter contest would be the end of the promotion as we know it; alas, hungry tweeps haven’t given up on contests and either should marketers. Contests of any kind need to be simple to enter, clearly defined and watched like a hawk. By posting contests regularly stamped with a time limit, marketers can avoid a hot mess of “But I tweeted first!” responses from angry consumers. Also, focusing the contests based on your products and services keeps the conversation about your business (which is kind of the whole point).

LinkedIn & Tweets App: Another must according to the folks in the know, Tweets App was given an overhaul this spring to easily connect LinkedIn users with new tweeps to follow. Tweets App works as a social butterfly and introduces you to folks in your industry to follow based on your current LinkedIn connections. Tweets App is the kind of like-industry back scratching Twitter marketing was built on and the best part is the app does all of the work for you.

Those are three of our favorite Twitter tips, and now you should give us some of yours. It’s only fair, after all. Enlighten us, Twitter gurus, in the comments below!

Okay, we get it already: Facebook is spying on us. It’s sending our society to hell. It’s so evil that it could star in a movie as the monster that rips open the Internet like a wild dog who’s just stumbled on a renegade roast chicken. *Sigh.*

Haters be damned, marketing insiders and businesses of all sizes continue to strike gold with the social media marketing, online branding and customer outreach by using Facebook. The social media campaigns that utilize Facebook and succeed are the ones that don’t take the whole thing too seriously. They know it’s OK to have a little fun with social media.

Krispy Kreme, that delectable donuts dealer, truly gets that Facebook should be all about having a good time. And what could be more fun than a campfire sing-along? Krispy Kreme has added a virtual campsite on its Facebook page where you and your virtual friends can sing donut-ified versions of campground classics. Kamp Krispy encourages fans to place photos on animated slots before engaging in rousing renditions of songs like “There’s a Hole in The Donut” and “She’ll Be Coming Around The Mountain.” Lighthearted and silly, Kamp Krispy is summer social media marketing at its best.

Also having a good time on Facebook and all over social media is America’s favorite plastic diva, Barbie. Barbie recently launched a Foursquare treasure hunt that has Barbie freaks of all ages searching New York City for little plastic shoes and other items. Barbie uses her Facebook page to give her thoughts on new movies or the Teen Choice awards while pushing her plethora of pink products. Mattel has brought Barbie to social media in hopes of speaking to women who grew up with the toy as well as the tween set that still plays with the doll.

Another example of Facebook frothy fun is Altoids Tinnovation — featuring flashlights, mp3 players and artsy masterpieces all created by fans using the company’s signature little red tins. Tinnovations fits snugly with the mint company’s hip marketing and bold visual aesthetic.

But what do you all have to say? Is there still fan to be had on business Facebook pages or has it lost its novelty? Sound off below!

An automobile made by Ford is currently generating major publicity and its eco-friendly?!? No, it’s not one of the signs of the apocalypse; it’s the new Ford Explorer. Crazy but true, the new Ford Explorer has driven into new territory perhaps signaling a positive change for American made cars. The major source of this Ford Tough brand reinvention? Social media marketing.

The 2011 Ford Explorer redesign unveiled Monday by CEO Alan Mulaly in an exclusive preview is a smoother ride than the previous rough and tumble models providing a smoother ride and it is now 20 percent more fuel efficient. The new Explorer made its debut Monday in Manhattan a top of a man-made mountain. Ford filmed the whole unveiling event, streaming it live on Facebook in an effort to please the Explorers some 48, 000 fans. Facebook users were giving an exclusive preview that also included live chats with engineers and tons of recently updated photos. Dubbed the online “Reveal”, Explorer’s Facebook page was a one-stop for new product info and also served as a media guide for news outlets that caught wind of the Ford Manhattan publicity takeover.

Ford has been pretty vocal about how important social media marketing is to the future of the company that in 2008 battled image problems and low sales. Ford has dozens of Facebook pages devoted to its different models as well as Twitter pages that are product specific. In the era of car makers facing the firing squad for botched safety features and let them eat pavement attitudes (hello, Toyota!) Ford has tapped into the power of social media marketing. Ford is using the channels to give consumers a sneak peek into new products like the Explorer while creating discussion. GM and Chevy have also leaned on social media heavily over the last two years for promotional blitzes like Ford’s Explorer campaign.

But what do you readers think- does a smart social media campaign change your mind about older, somewhat beleaguered products? Tell us in the comments section below!

We at Brandsplat like to applaud brands of all sizes that do nice stuff for people while rocking social media marketing and online branding. So when we learned about the Skittles Mob the Rainbow campaign, we had to do a little investigating. Skittles, a product of M&M/Mars Inc., has undergone the same hip makeover as many of the company’s other products. “Taste the Rainbow” long has been the brand’s tagline; over the years, it has taken on many interpretations, from silly to surreal to strange.

Mob the Rainbow is a twist on the classic tagline featuring a call to action for Skittles fans. Although it is executed with a heavy dose of ha-ha and snark, the real power of the campaign is its underlying sincerity. Skittles launched its Facebook fans into action to help a nice guy named James. James, from Anderson, Ind., needed money to attend a college for bowling industry management. (Yes, such a thing actually exists.) James needed to get his fancy bowling degree to get one step closer to his dream of one day opening his own bowling center. His story is the kind of thing big-city folk could laugh at (and, to be fair, Skittles has fun gently ribbing the guy in the campaign’s web videos). Yet the brand ultimately delivers.

The plan was simple. Skittles asked for 100,000 likes on its Mob the Rainbow Facebook page. After reaching the goal, Skittles delivered a check for $10,000 to James. Using social media to get the word out (Skittles posted campaign videos on Facebook and YouTube) is nothing short of genius. Plus it’s the kind of story that people want to hear. Watch the video here and just try to resist smiling. I dare you. This venture accomplished a little goodwill while staying true to the brand’s tongue-in-cheek marketing tone already established.

Previous Mob the Rainbow campaigns involved sending valentines to a beleaguered parking enforcement attendant and a user-created poll to decide what the mob would do next. And now it’s your turn, readers. How can your company use social media to do good things while creating some good marketing juju? Please enlighten us in the comment section below!

Barack Obama’s successful 2008 presidential bid proved that social media and digital PR are vital to the success of politicians. We have ushered in a new era, one in which politicians and voters connect online for a refreshingly honest dialogue. Now nearly three years since the Change posters took over our towns, Facebook is filled with politicians selling their ideas and looking for votes. There’s just one problem. For the most part, their Facebook pages totally stink.

Take California gubernatorial hopeful Jerry Brown’s page, for example. Less of a ringing endorsement for Brown, the page should be called the “Why Meg Whitman Sucks Page.” Yes, Brown should use his page to respond to competitor Whitman, but not the whole page. Nearly every status update says something about Whitman, signaling that Brown simply is offering the same old mudslinging through new technology. And let’s get one thing clear: Just because you have a Facebook page doesn’t make you hip or “with it.” Brown’s FB copy is so dusty that it might as well have been written in calligraphy on a scroll. His PR peeps aren’t exactly helping with the “he’s too old” image problem. On the plus side, Brown has a cool “Fighting For” page that breaks down his causes. It’s way too wordy, but at least it’s well thought out and gives voters a checklist of his campaign promises.

Whitman scores no love in the FB department, either. Where Brown suffers from being long-winded, Whitman’s page is as vague as eBay product descriptions. What’s she stand for? What’s her experience? Who knows, but she does have photos of her in South Gate and clips of her Spanish radio ad! In a mislabeled section called “Join Meg” we find what her top three priorities are which, when clicking on them, redirect us to her website for more details. This is a belly flop for Whitman; as someone new to big-time politics, who she is and what she wants to do have to be front and center. The biggest shocker here is how flat and uninteresting the whole page is, especially considering the fact that Whitman made her mark with new media. It has zero personality, and for a newcomer, this is a big mistake.

I point this stuff out not to show my utter distaste for modern politics (that’s just a bonus!) but as a learning tool. Politicians like Brown and Whitman are salespeople, plain and simple. Facebook success depends on being concise, engaging and current. Without these components, the tool is misused and more than just not worth the effort — bad social media marketing and PR can be death to a campaign.

Ding! Ding! Cashing in on the current food truck craze while appealing to our sentimental summer memories, some of the most popular purveyors of frozen treats have revived the old school ice cream truck by using social media, online marketing and viral videos.

If ice cream were hip-hop then Good Humor would be the Grandmaster Flash of the dessert world. Good Humor has been the original gangster of on-the-go ice cream since 1920. The company is credited not only for coming up with the idea of the ice cream truck that we recognize today but also was the first company to put ice cream on a stick. So it is fitting that Good Humor is giving away thousands of dollars to lucky stick holders to celebrate its 90th year in business. Chasing the Good Humor Truck is the title of the Facebook page where users can share memories of Good Humor, vote for their favorite treats and get all the details on the 10,000 Winners Sweet Stakes. The contest encourages folks to woof down ice cream bars (like my personal fav, Strawberry Shortcake) in hopes of winning music downloads, t-shirts and $10,000 dollars. The sticks are stamped with “instant winner” messages along with codes to punch in online to so players can collect their goodies. Photos of the trucks from years gone by are on Good Humor’s website while new promotional Good Humor Trucks are making appearances at events all summer long.

Also having a b’day this summer is Dairy Queen’s Blizzard, which turns 25. DQ is knocking posers like the McFlurry in their proper place by pumping up the presence online and on the street. The Blizzard Mobile (or the BlizMo) is going across the U.S. handing out free goodies. Followers on Twitter can find out where the next stop on the tour is while the Facebook page has the deets on coupons and tips on how to win free Blizzards. Facebook also is being employed to RSVP to Blizzard birthday parties all over the states. The whole journey of the BlizMo is being captured on viral video and placed on DQ’s YouTube channel where viewers can see host Chad and other Dairy Queen friends on their soft-serve swirl of a road trip.

Both brands are wisely using social media to convince consumers to leave their houses and spend money. Sweet!

We associate certain food items with older people. Miracle Whip is one such item for me. My grandmother was big fan of glopping the stuff in tuna salad with chopped dill pickles. Coming from an old skool mayo house, the zesty and oddly yellowish condiment always took me off guard; I never quite developed a taste for the stuff. So imagine my surprise while walking in the more…

This week’s Brandsplat Video report episode covers the great Smokes and Booze Giveaway, Bros Icing Bros, and a Toy Story/Google co-op branding effort.  Wait, what?!?  That’s right, I said Smokes and Booze Giveaway!!  Check it out! Or click here for more Brandsplat vids

Ah, summer. This season makes me reminisce about riding our 10-speed bikes down to 7-Eleven to load up on candy and play video games until the guy behind the counter yelled at us to leave. After all, 7-Eleven is a brand that evokes images of ice-cold Slurpee, sizzling rotating hot dogs, lottery tickets and… FarmVille?

This summer, everybody’s favorite 24-hour convenience store is partnering up with Zynga, makers of social media’s most popular games, for a unique promotional campaign. Merging the Hot Pocket crowd and the time killing gamer group, the two companies launched www.buyearnwin.com on June 1st. The six-week program involves more…

Weary film festival junkies are finally at the halfway mark in Cannes. But much like the parties on yachts, the marketing through social media at Cannes never stops.

Not one to miss an opportunity where booze and celebrities are so warmly welcomed, beer brewing company Stella Artois has launched a series of black and white films featuring the suave King of Cannes, Jacques D’Azur. In the films, the King of Cannes may be ruling in more…