Are there lessons to be learned from @Sweden?

The @Sweden twitter account has captured the attention of social media folks. People are arguing about whether Sonja is helping or hurting the brand of Sweden, but I think they might be asking the wrong question.

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The social launch: 5 elements critical to online success

Have you considered incorporating social media and other online assets in your next launch plan?

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Spring Cleaning for your brand’s online presence

If your brand is like most, then chances are that its web presence has grown organically over the past several years. A Facebook page here, a Twitter feed there and before you know it you have a constellation of web assets in orbit, like space junk around your brand.

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Health Care and Social Media

A recent article in Information Week stated that the health care community in the United States doesn’t take full advantage of social media as a health care tool. Most healthcare organizations in the U.S. use social media solely for marketing.

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The Duffy Agency Gets Serious about Social Media

As we've written about previously, the social media revolution is over. Social media is a reality in marketing. The question now is how to we use this new tool as more than just a diversion? What are the implications of not just two-way marketing communication, but also many-way? In other words, what do we do now?

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6 Ways to You Can Help Ensure the Success of Kony 2012

By now many of you probably have already heard of Joseph Kony. If not, here’s a quick synopsis.

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Joseph Kony 2012: Testing the true power of the social web

Who is Joseph Kony?Joseph Kony is the world’s worst war criminal. In 1987 he took over leadership of an existing rebel group and renamed it the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).The LRA has earned a reputation for its cruel and brutal tactics.

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Why the interest in Pinterest?

Pinterest is different. And not just because the latest "it" site on the social Web is growing astronomically fast.

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6 ways to write a better brief

The other day, I read a great article from AdAge on the importance of  a well-written brief. It struck a chord with me because I am a firm believer that an effective brief is critical to the success of any project or campaign. In fact, nothing at The Duffy Agency is executed without a brief. 

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Is it time to pitch the pitch?

Last fall, I was looking at my house and decided it was in desperate need of a facelift; specifically, it needed a new coat of paint. So I did what I usually do in these situations

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Top 10 Social Media "Top" Lists of 2011

As 2011 winds down and we start looking forward to 2012 with the hope of economic growth, we thought we would review the year that was.

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Happy Holidays from The Duffy Agency

Everyone at The Duffy Agency would like to thank the readers of this blog and all our colleagues and clients for a tremendous year.

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Is your brand's message lost in translation?

When people think about cross-cultural marketing blunders they usually think of the funny translation gaffs. There are dozens of examples. You’ve probably come across a few of these yourself. 

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A Dear John Letter to Google+

Dear Google+,  Let me start this off by saying that it's not you; it's me. Really. I think you're great. These last few weeks have been really fun. Your simple elegance is breath-taking and you are so easy to get along with.

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The lasting legacy of Steve Jobs

Let me start by confessing that I am somewhat of an anomaly in the advertising and marketing world. And it's not because that I am a copywriter who has absolutely no interest in writing the great American novel.

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This time, it's personal

Social media asks a lot from both consumers and the brand. So, before you start putting yourself out there, make sure you are ready for the relationship.

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What the pharmaceutical industry can teach us about social media

Social media marketing has grown faster than most any other business discipline (and I use the term "discipline" loosely) in the last 50 years.  And like many new disciplines, it has been going through growing pains. Social marketing has always had its critics.

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6 Essential Parts to Any Content Strategy

In today's social media driven marketplace, we all know that content is king (and actually, to be more specific, optimized content is king). And to develop the best optimized content, you need to start with a content strategy.

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Is Twitter really helping your brand or your employee's brand?

Does your company have its own Twitter account, e.g., @AcmeCorp? Or do you rely on an employee to use their own personal Twitter account to act as the voice of your brand? If your answer is the latter, then you could be setting yourself (and your brand) up for a social media fail.

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Is Google+ just the next Google Wave?

As most of you know, the new social networking site from Google, Google +,  went live on a limited basis at the end of last month. Since that time there has been a scramble in social media circles to get invites.

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