Today's Buzz

Web users aren't making a beeline for Vine
Just 1.7% of Web users have signed up for Twitter's Vine service, and 86.5% of users say they've never heard of the new tool, according to an AYTM Market Research survey. Still, the service's launch is prompting many Web marketers to reevaluate their social video strategies. "Vine may be a good opportunity for brands looking to link up their paid, owned and earned strategies," this article notes. eMarketer (2/8)
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Network Update

Should social networks try to influence user behavior?
Some critics say Facebook overreaches with steps such as encouraging people to vote or to increase organ-donation rates. So far Facebook's actions have been benign and even praiseworthy, but some say these actions could set a troubling precedent. "The pressure for Facebook to do more will increase. And everybody will understand how much power such platforms really have," David Talbot writes. MIT Technology Review online (2/11)
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Ideas in Action

Starbucks goes social with snowstorm
Starbucks began planning Wednesday for real-time Snow Day-themed Twitter and Facebook ads to run as East Coast brand fans coped with the snowstorm that hit on Friday. "We always want to stay highly relevant to what's going on. We want to be a part of [consumers'] decisions as they get ready for the weekend in terms of their product needs, such as coffee," said spokeswoman Linda Mills. Adweek (2/8)
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Four Seasons hopes sharing shoe pics will boost foot traffic
New York's Four Seasons hotel is running a footwear photo booth where Fashion Week attendees can take snapshots of their shoes and share the results via Twitter and Instagram. The campaign is intended to create an association between the Four Seasons and Fashion Week for people who can't attend in person. Luxury Daily (2/8)
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Research and Reports

Researchers use Twitter to try to catch colds
Researchers are monitoring Twitter chatter in order to spot cold and flu outbreaks. The technology may never be as reliable or specific as hospital admissions data, but it allows researchers to tap a larger pool of potential sufferers, experts say. "Twitter is growing up, evolving from a simple message system into a public health research tool," Ellen Beck writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media (2/11)
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The Takeaway

How the Grammys turned up the volume on Twitter
The organizers of the Grammy Awards did a great job at putting on a Twitter-friendly event, with the hosts giving viewers frequent, clear reminders about how to join the online conversation, Sree Sreenivasan writes. The show's presenters also took pains to explain how consumers would benefit from joining the online conversion, by making explicit offers of bonus content. "You can't be shy about it. You need to, more than once, tell them how and where to follow you," Sreenivasan writes. CNET (2/10)
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Social Shareable

All hail the Bacon Queen
About 8,000 people attended the sixth annual Bacon Festival in Des Moines, Iowa. Among the highlights of the festivities was the crowning of the Bacon Queen, who wears a dress made from bacon. KCCI-TV (Des Moines, Iowa) (2/8)
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Editor's Note

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SmartQuote

Thank God for Facebook." -- Dr. Andrew Cameron, liver-transplant surgeon, as quoted by MIT Technology Review online Share: