"April 10, the ash cloud took over" declared Anna Ketting, head of social media for Air France KLM, at The Corporate Social Media Summit 2012 in New York this week. From the havoc an Icelandic volcano created for airlines in 2010 came the genesis of the brand's social media strategy.

Throughout the panel discussions during #CSMNY, the wide-ranging conversations shared a common theme — responsiveness.  Whether discussing gamification, marketing synergy, impact or big data, it is clear brands are feeling the pressure to prove social can be a successful commercial enterprise. But what also became clear from the summit is that responsiveness in social media creates opportunities for strong return on investment.Continue reading...

Ford marketing executive Eric Peterson has plenty to do at work these days, with big responsibilities for positioning and promoting the hot-selling new Ford Explorer SUV, among many other things. But off the job, he’s preoccupied with one thing: catching up on the Green Bay Packers, gloating over their victory in the last Super Bowl, and looking forward to the season ahead with his team favored by many observers to repeat as champions.

Yes, Packer Nation is stirring again. The NFL lockout denied the team and its millions of fans much participation in the time-honored practice of public homage in the wake of a Super Bowl Championship, so they’ve got a lot of catching up to do — but the labor dispute didn't squelch Packer fans' enthusiasm for their beloved team, with an active online community helping keep the faith. Now that community is getting a global push, too.Continue reading...