Even though Super Bowls can be a bit of a let down, advertisers and brands swarm to get spots for the big game. Case in point, all of the Super Bowl ad spots were sold out before Thanksgiving this year. This is mainly due to brands wanting to get in front of one of the largest audiences to view television programs. It is predicted this year there will have been 100 million people watching (REUTERS) the Super Bowl; and at a price tag of $3.5 million dollars for a 30 second spot, it may seem like a deal. However, I’m not sure that the brands truly recognize the value of the spots or the return they may, or may not get from them.

The Retail Advertising and Marketing Association states that 73% of consumers who watch the Super Bowl ads, watch them for entertainment; entertainment, not for purchase. Only 8.4% of all consumers who watch the ads, say the ads influence their intent to purchase. Now that number is quite scary. Brands invest $3.5 million dollars for 15-30 seconds of the consumers’ attention and only 8.4% see that spot and think, “purchase.” I won’t even go into my concern that the brands aren’t even doing their market research on the audience. How many brands that advertise during the Super Bowl know they are advertising to their target demographic?

Are the Commercials More than Entertainment?
If it’s not purchase intent that brands and marketers are going after, what is it then? Is it brand affinity they’re trying to target? Probably not. The only two brands, and I’m sure that I’m not alone here, that come to mind in the memorable history of Super Bowl ads that target the brand in a building capacity, are Apple and Chrysler. Apple’s 1984 Macintosh commercial struck an emotional cord with all of us; it felt different, and it resonated with us to this day. Chrysler’s famous re-brand commercial, “Imported from Detroit,” not only set the auto manufacturer apart from the others, it gave all of us hope even though the majority of us don’t live in Detroit. Why did these commercials resonate so well? It’s because they weren’t selling a product, they were selling an idea–an emotion. This cannot be said about the other commercials that consumers consider “entertainment.” Try it out for a minute. Think back to the “entertaining” commercials of the Super Bowl. Can you think of the product, or even brand, they represent? If you can’t, how do you think a brand justifies the $3.5 million spend?

Another Attempt at Measuring Value
According to the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, companies that buy advertisements during the Super Bowl, end up outperforming the S&P 500 the subsequent week. Is this a good measure of the value of a Super Bowl ad? This could be just an inflation of the stock by traders in the anticipation of the brand performing well during the Super Bowl. Yes, brands that increase their value in the stock market are a good thing. The UWEC report also mentions that the inflated value comes down, in subsequent weeks, to normal. If I were a betting man, I would buy stock in the brand before the Super Bowl, and then sell the week after. It is a purchase, but most likely not the one the brand is expecting.

Brand Buzz
Another way some brands potentially measure the return is from buzz. Buzz in the form of online conversation, social buzz, and just overall sentiment from the ads. In the social media world, this buzz can be measured in the amount of brand mentions, product mentions, commercial mentions, tags, shares, comments, likes, etc. There are many forms of measurement for this category. However, buzz doesn’t necessarily mean purchase or purchase intent either. We are only talking about people talking about things. And most of the time, we’ll see consumers talking about the content in the ad, the celebrities, the jokes and the wit of the ad, and NOT the product or brand. So, if a brand is justifying return based on buzz, they’re justifying it on things that are not relative to the brand of product.

Is Social Media a Measurement for Success
Think of this Super Bowl ad for Acura NSX.
Yes, it does feature Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno fighting over the new model line. The ad is funny and entertaining. The ad also features a hashtag too, #JerryNSX. No doubt this ad got plenty of conversation and buzz. However, I argue, does the ad impact your purchase intent in any way? Will the brand or the car resonate with you beyond the first time you saw it? Most likely consumers will only remember Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno, maybe the brand, but not the car. Not to mention the fact that the car itself is beyond many of our price ranges. So, why spend $3.5 million per 15-30 seconds for this ad?

Social media is becoming more ever-present in the Super Bowl commercials and offers up another form of measurement: Engagement. Reuters stated that 60% of those watching the game will most likely be tied to another device such as a smartphone or tablet. This gives the brands an opportunity to engage the consumer off the television, and provide more content to the consumer beyond 15 seconds of entertainment. One key way of achieving this is through “innovative” social media tactics. Since the consumers are already on another device, the CTA on the ads will most likely be in the form of a social engagement. Join the conversation is too vague nowadays. Consumers require a specific call to action, especially with a captivated audience that breaks Twitter’s tweets per second records.

Budweiser used a hashtag in their Bud Light Platinum ad (#MakeItPlatinum) and Audi snuck in a hashtag in their vampire commercial as well, (#SoLongVampires). This represents an attempt by the brands to engage those consumers beyond the ad. It was a good attempt, however in execution, the hashtags seemed to be a bit of an afterthought. What am I, as consumer, going to talk about with those hashtags? Why is it relevant or is it valuable for me to discuss this online afterward?

Best Buy’s #BetterWay commercial featured well-known innovators and inventors in the digital space. The brand chose to align themselves to the inventors and speaking to a “better way” to do things. They’re getting closer and the hashtag was relevant to the advertisement and positioning of the ad. The ad itself resonated pretty well, but lacked the specific call-to-action with the hashtag. Again, this is another social media after-thought. As a brand, if you want the consumers to engage, especially on social media, you have to be specific with the call to action; tell the consumer exactly what you want them to do with your hashtag, just don’t throw it up there and assume they’re going to do something.

In the end, which brand did it right? You probably already have your opinion, you knew as soon as you saw the ad. And chances are it’s only one or two ads that you thought, “did it right”. In my opinion, I responded to Budweiser’s Return of the King and Eternal Optimism spots. These spots are historical in nature, but reflect something deeper inside of all of us. The ads strike a subtle emotional chord. They position the brand as one who has always been around and will always be here for us consumers; past to present. Interestingly, the brand did not use any social media tactics either. The ads were not funny, nor were they provocative. They hit it just right and they were on-brand. Not to mention, they can be re-broadcasted even after the “shock” of the Super Bowl is over. Even with the emotional chord, did that make you want to purchase Budweiser? Probably not. It most likely will remain in your mind. Even so, I ask, do you think it’s worth the $3.5 million investment? Unlikely.

First of all, I’m sure all of you know at least one Community Manager. Whether you work with them, are friends with them, or interact with them through the communities that they manage, everyone knows a hard-working Community Manager. And because you know them, you know what an exciting and unique opportunity it is for them! Whether they are acting as a head-cheerleader, managing a disgruntled consumer or simply representing a brand, Community Managers wear many different hats throughout their days.

Between the long nights of hard work and the daily fires they need to put out, Social Media Community Managers really do deserve a day of appreciation. I hope all of you had a great celebration this week and told all of the Community Managers in your life how wonderful they are!

Other Must-Read Stories This Week:
Tools and Technology: Twitter to delete posts if countries request it
Be careful! Countries now have the right to request for Tweets to be taken off Twitter.

Partnerships: HootSuite and Syracuse University Deliver Courseware for New Generation of Social Media Professionals
HootSuite has partnered up with Syracuse University as their first partnership fort their Higher Education Program.

Measurement: Obama’s State of the Union Address Sees 760,000 Tweets
Did you watch the State of the Union address on Tuesday? Did you tweet during it? If you did, you’re not alone. The tallies are in and about 760,000 tweets went out about the speech. What did you think of it?

Influencers: McDonald’s Twitter Campaign Goes Horribly Wrong #McDStories
McDonalds may have lost their rank as “social media influencer” this week when they hit a snafu with one of their hashtags.

Fun Stuff: Super Bowl gets social-media command center
The Super Bowl is about to get social .

While Timelines themselves are an innovative idea, allowing people to pull in other parts of their social footprint really changes the game. Users will now be able to pull in their Pinterest app, eBay, Foursquare and Airbnb, plus so many more. This is truly an example of our social footprint coming full circle–our world is becoming truly social little by little.

There is some question as to whether or not this is taking things too far. Questions surrounding whether we are too connected, too comfortable on the Internet and over-sharing with people that we do not even really know. I do think it’s a valid question and it brings up some interesting points, but when it comes down to it, this is the future. Our generation, and generations in the future will expect to be able to connect all of their social networks and to track their social footprint with the ease of a click. What do you think? Are Timelines offering an amazing new way for us to be even more social? Or are they setting us up to be less connected with one another?

Other Must-Read Stories This Week:
Communities: Pinterest for Brands: 5 Hot Tips
Pintrest, the newest hotspot in social, has been getting a lot of attention recently and brands are in the midst of trying to figure out how to use it to their advantage.

Partnerships: Zynga Confirms It Is Seeking Partners for Online Gambling Initiatives
Zynga, the social gaming guys, is ready to take on online gambling.

Measurement: Measuring The Value And Success Of Targeted Social Media Marketing Campaigns
Social ROI can be difficult and confusing, but it’s always important to keep up on. Check out one of the latest measurement articles from this week and let us know what success you’ve had in measuring your social efforts.

Influencers: Social media stars
Many of the best companies to work for are using social media heavily. Check them out and see what sort of impact social has had on their business.

Fun Stuff: Twitter’s Take on the 2012 Golden Globes
Whether you love it or hate it, awards season is upon us. Check out what Twitter had to say about Hollywood’s first major award show of the year.

As another year begins we all find ourselves looking back and looking forward. Or, as we say in Marketing Science – analyzing and predicting.

We would also be the first to point out that predictive modeling relies on the analysis of historic data. Or, in regular-person speak – only by looking back can we look forward.

So, stick with us in our predictions for 2012 because as we focus on the future we will be taking some detours into the past.

Prediction #1
Social media measurement will focus less on ROI and more on brand affinity and purchase decisions.
Legend has it that once upon a time, in a land far, far away websites were once considered an expensive and optional marketing channel. (“This interweb thing is nothing more than a fad.”).

There was also a time when social media was viewed by many as a fad. 2008-2009 saw businesses start to take social media seriously. (“Maybe this Zuckerberg kid is onto something.”).

By 2010 executives wanted to know what their social media marketing spends were doing and social media measurement took off. The listening platform industry was born and several companies offered products that measured how much conversation was there about a brand, what were the key topics of conversation, and what was the sentiment of those conversations.

As social media marketing budgets grew, those same executives wanted to know how their spends were performing. And so 2011 became the year of social media ROI (return on investment). A prior post speaks more to this topic.

As we turn the corner into 2012 we predict that the focus on measuring ROI will lessen as companies stop wondering if social media has value and accept that it is now a fundamental part of the marketing mix. The measurement of social media will evolve into measuring its impact on brand affinity and purchase decisions. Social media will stop being viewed in a silo and seen as part of an end-to-end marketing mix.

Prediction #2
Companies will begin to focus on digital optimization programs for their main online properties in addition to their usual approaches to innovation.
In the earliest days of the internet testing meant building a whole new website, launching it, waiting while the audience learned their way around it and then comparing the new site’s performance to the old one.

Then technology evolved and it became possible to show some visitors the main website, and others (a virtual focus-group if you will) an alternate version of the site. Instant comparison was available and online A/B testing was born.

Statisticians will tell you that A/B testing can only tell you so much. Unless each webpage is identical except for one element such as a picture, then how can you tell why one page performs better (or worse) than the other? Enter multivariate testing. Imagine multiple A/B tests happening simultaneously on the same webpage, being controlled by some clever algorithms and analyzed by some even cleverer statistical models. That’s multivariate testing in a nutshell.

The end result is an online property can ascertain (within a very fine degree of statistical significance – for any math majors reading) which elements (words, pictures, color schemes and so forth) work best in which combinations on particular areas of a website.

In 2012, with the testing marketplace crammed with vendors offering solutions ranging from free to very costly, expect to see more organizations focused on optimizing via testing, rather than following their traditional methods of innovation.

Prediction #3
Web analytics will move more and more towards ‘digital analytics’ – a wider view of customer interactions, incorporating new data from a variety of sources.
In the early years of web analytics a company’s web analyst (Singular! There was often only one) looked at website data in isolation. How many visitors came to the website? What pages did they look at?

Meanwhile, the email marketing team were looking at their reports. And, the media buyers were looking at their reports and the brand managers were looking at surveys and questionnaire data. Then along came social media and the social media people were looking at their reports.

Today, it is possible to combine these quantitative and qualitative data sources with each other without the need to build costly, customized data warehouses. Many of these types of tools integrate with each other through plug and play APIs – it’s often as simple as giving one tool the other tool’s password.

This gives us the ability to look at one set of data through the lens of another. In practical terms this means answering such questions as ‘what are the most popular pages on the site for females?’ The web analytics system telling us the popular pages and survey data telling us the user’s gender.

In many cases it also gives us the ability to make these tools work with each other. For example, the web analytics tool can identify which users abandoned their shopping carts. It tells the email tool this, and the email tool can send an email to those users offering an incentive to complete the transaction. In turn, the web analytics tool will be able to tell if that email was successful.

As the prevalence of these data integrations increases and the cost decreases, expect to see more companies moving away from siloed web analytics and towards integrated ‘digital analytics’ in 2012.

This trend will also include more integration with non-digital data sources such as traditional business intelligence and data warehouse systems containing transactional data and customer information.

Prediction #4
Real time analytics technology will come into maturity and be leveraged in a wide variety of areas.
There’s generally been a lag between activity occurring on a web site and that activity showing up as data in a web analytics tool – a delay of anywhere from 15 minutes to 24 hours. The 15 minute delay was considered ‘real time’ and was the exclusive domain of some of the more expensive, customizable web analytics tools. Big companies with deep pockets were able to take advantage, but not everyone.

Near the end of 2011 Google Analytics (the most used, free web analytics platform in the world) unveiled true real time analytics. Within seconds of someone arriving on your website you can now see their presence and follow along with their activities.

This is very impressive and certainly has a wow-factor, but how useful is it?

Currently, few companies are making changes to their websites on a real-time basis. Many websites are only updated sporadically throughout the year. The one exception is content web sites: news, sports and weather sites for example. For these sites a 15 minute data lag has traditionally been acceptable, and editors are able to change headlines, pictures and story positions based on performance feedback from their web analytics tool. However, the cost of tools with this near real-time capability has limited this to major sites with serious budgets.

In 2012 expect to see smaller websites starting to make use of real-time analytics and making more on-the-fly updates. It won’t just be content sites. As real-time data becomes more ubiquitous expect to see it used in novel and innovative ways.

Prediction #5
Mobile measurement will expand rapidly as companies rely more and more on mobile as a key marketing channel.
There are zeros and ones all around us, all the time. Mobile data is everywhere and mobile internet use is growing rapidly and it can’t be stopped. Every day new statistics emerge: 77% of the world’s population has a mobile handset. 85% of new handsets have access to the mobile web. Even in the United States and the UK, 20% of internet users are mobile-only.

With numbers like these abound, it is surprising that for many organizations mobile measurement is still an afterthought. The major web analytics tools all offer some sort of mobile measurement, but it is often basic and not as customizable as their web offerings.

This gap in service offerings has led to several companies specializing in mobile measurement. However, in most organizations any analytics gathered from these tools is analyzed in a silo and not, as discussed in Prediction #3, integrated into a holistic digital analytics approach.

As apps continue to supplement websites, and as websites start to look better on mobile screens (more automatic resizing, less user pinching and zooming) expect executives (who’ve also read the stats on mobile usage) to want more details about the performance of their mobile sites. This demand will lead to a renewed focus on mobile measurement and analysis in 2012.

In general, all the measurement ideas outlined above are achievable by a variety of tools and products. In almost every case prices (and feature sets) range from free (basic) to very expensive (extremely customizable). The more tools available the better. Competition encourages innovation and it pushes prices down. The consumer wins. Free tools, even if their functionality seems limited, are a great way to dip your toes into the new waters of measuring things you haven’t measured before. Not only will it give you the confidence to explore a new measurement field, but, often it will help you build a business case for investing in a paid solution. (“Look at the progress we made with a free tool. Now imagine what we could do with a budget to spend!”).

Why not make it a new year’s resolution to measure at least one more thing than you measured last year? Add a new tool, try something outside your comfort zone. What do you have to lose?

Pinterest has been getting a lot of buzz recently. The social network, which is essentially a digital scrapbook that allows users to “pin” things they like across the Internet onto their own personal “boards”, is seeing so much traffic recently that they were launched into the 10th spot in Experian’s list of the most popular social networks. So what is it about the site that is capturing people’s (mostly women’s) attention?

It seems that Pinterest is just the combination in a social network that people have been looking for. Rather than posting long arduous blog posts, or even 140 characters in Twitter, Pinterest allows people to click and go. Find something on the Internet that you want to come back to later, pin it, and move on. It’s quick, easy, and most of all, extremely addictive.

Users can check out other users boards, see what they’ve been pinning and re-pin those things themselves. It’s a community of sharing that can be very personal. Many boards are about cooking (recipes they’ve found) or weddings (dress ideas, locations, etc.), which allows other users to gauge a part of your life from your boards. But what about it exactly makes Pinterest so addictive and intriguing? Yes, they have a wonderful design and have been given a ton of money to run with ($26 million from Andreessen Horowitz, to be exact) but what it really comes down to is that it’s easy and entertaining. It is visually pleasing, easy to add your pins, and it keeps information that you want to reference later in one place.

Although the network is still invite-only (despite being launched in 2010), it has become one of the most popular networks on the Internet and is poised only to grow even more. What do you think? Are you on Pinterest? Addicted? Tell us in the comments!

Other Must-Read Stories This Week:
Communities: Facebook seeks world champion hacker
Facebook is hosting their second annual Hacker Cup challenge. Think you’ve got the skills?

Partnerships: Facebook and Moo partner to print Timeline photos on business cards
Who wouldn’t want their Facebook Timeline photo on a business card?

Measurement: Measuring Doesn’t Mean It Matters: A Review of Social Media ROI
Looking for some help with your social media measurement? This might be the book for you.

Influencers: AP names Eric Carvin social media editor
AP has named a new social media editor, who will work to coordinate all of their social media efforts.

Fun Stuff: Social media resolutions for 2012
Already broken some of your new years resolutions? No biggie! This article can give you some fun ideas for some social resolutions you may really be able to stick with.

Since it’s the start of a new year, we’d love to get your feedback on Social Six! What did you enjoy about it last year? Anything you really didn’t enjoy? Anything you would like to see more or less of? Let us know in the comments!

Happy New Year! Our teams are back from holiday time with their families and ready for an exciting year ahead. But before we welcome 2012, we thought it might be fun to look back on some of our favorite stories of 2011. It seemed fitting to pick 11.

Here you have a list of eleven posts from across our offices, spanning topics from customer experience and branding to measurement and mobile. It’s a great overview of trends and technologies that shaped the past year of digital marketing.

We thank you for continuing to read Experience Matters and are looking forward to bringing you another year of timely and compelling points of view.

1. A New Breed of Resume
By: Andrew Turnbull, Associate Planner

2. Brand Consistency is Killing Digital Advertising
By: Jim Kim, Creative Director

3. 4 Ways to Optimize Your Brand’s Content Curation Process
By: Brad Halasz, Content Analyst

4. A Bad Case of Grouponitis
By: Celia Jones, Marketing Director

5. Transmedia Storytelling 101
By: Laura Studley, Copy Director

6. Increasing Traffic with HTML5 Microdata
By: Ben Truyman, Technology Lead

7. The ROI of Social Media ROI
By: Scot Wheeler, Marketing Science Director

8. Treating Customers Badly: Why Some Businesses Get Away With It
By: David Stallsmith, Insight & Planning Director

9. 12 Most Overrated SEO Tactics (That Don’t Work)
By: Bill Ross, SEO Associate Director

10. Engaging Mom? Make the Smart Call
By: Russ Rickey, Planning Director

11. No Love for Facebook Likes: When it comes to Buying, Consumers Still Prefer Old-School Reviews
By: Ian Roberts, Associate Consumer Researcher

Every once in a while, a TV show comes around that really gets people talking. This season, TLCs “All-American Muslim” was that show. Taking place in Dearborn Michigan, the show follows the daily lives of Muslim families.

While many have revered the show, there has of course been some backlash. Some people were unhappy with the portrayal of the families, others were unhappy with the fact that the show was even on air. One group in particular was so outraged that they took it out on Lowe’s for airing commercials during the show. So they started writing letters. This group wrote Lowe’s so many letters that eventually, Lowe’s backed down and pulled all of their ads.

Now, opponents and supporters of this decision have flocked to the Lowe’s Facebook page to show their respective outrage and support. More than 23,000 comments have been left in reply to the note that Lowes posted, explaining their decision. Many of those comments berated Lowe’s or expressed disappointment for the decision they made and declared they will no longer be shopping at Lowe’s. But a good portion of the comments were also in favor of the decision that they’ve made–expressing blatant racism and saying they will begin shopping at Lowe’s based on this decision.

As you can imagine, the Facebook page has become a mess to moderate.

Between the mix of nasty and supportive comments, I can really only imagine what their Community Moderator is going through. But considering that is where most people are expressing their opinions, I feel it’s time for them to go into crisis management mode. Moderating a situation like this can be difficult and will require them to be on their A-game. It was a disgraceful move for Lowe’s to have made, and now they have to deal with the backlash in a world where consumers have a very public soapbox at their disposal.

What do you guys think is the best way to handle a situation like this?

Other Must-Read Stories This Week:
Partnerships: SAP Gets Into the Social Analytics Game With NetBase Partnership
SAP has learned from their competition and has announced a partnership with NetBase.

Tools and Technology: Facebook, Google refer suicidal people to help lines
A new feature in both Facebook and Google has been wired to help locate those in need of suicidal prevention counseling.

Measurement: Reality Bites Back: 10 Social Measurement Predictions for 2012
It’s been quite a road for social ROI. How much smarter do you think we’ll get in measuring the value of Social Media next year?

Influencers: Unrest Is Best: Time Magazine’s Person Of The Year Is ‘The Protester’
Time Magazine has named their Person of the Year and it has gone to ‘The Protesters’ throughout the year. But it’s no question that social media played into the protests and helped them gain so much organization and power.

Fun Stuff: Charlie Sheen accidentally tweets phone number to followers
While trying to send a DM to Justin Beiber with his phone number in it, Charlie Sheen accidentally tweeted the digits to all 5 million of his followers. (Insert “winning” joke here).

According to comScore, in September 2011, the average number of minutes each US Facebooker spent on the site was 410. Last year, that number dropped way down to 287. All this at a time when Facebook has been responding to negative press about their privacy and is heading for an IPO. While these range on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of excitement, I would bet that all of this is playing into the usage decline. People have become weary and far less trusting than back in the good ole days.

But an even bigger deal for Facebook is that people might just be ready to move on. In the digital day and age that we’re living in, we expect new and exciting all of the time. So while Facebook may have been all the rage a few years ago, maybe we’re simply ready for something new. “I recently polled almost 500 high school students in San Jose, and shockingly, not all of them were on Facebook. But perhaps not surprisingly, nearly all who were said they were basically bored with the site and had been using it significantly less,” explains Ben Bajarin, author of this article.

Whether it is because the public has become untrusting, or whether we have become jaded, none of it really matters. What it ultimately comes down to is that Facebook may have already seen its glory days. Of course, they are always innovating and always pulling some new trick out of their sleeve, so perhaps not. Facebook will always be one of, if not the, biggest player in social media. But I wouldn’t be surprised if a new big bad network were to steal just a little of the spotlight soon. What do you think? Are you over Facebook?

Other Must-Read Stories This Week:
Partnerships: ComScore and Buddy Media announce partnership deal
In a new partnership, ComScore data will be integrated into Buddy Media’s social management platform.

Tools and Technology: What Facebook buying Gowalla means for users
In a big move this week, Facebook bought Gowalla. So, what does this mean for us Gowalla users?

Measurement: Once Upon A Time, I Believed In The Fairytale Of Klout
Many of us have become disenchanted with Klout recently. Check out why this particular user is over it completely.

Influencers: ‘Next Zuckerberg’ has Spottd great opportunity
Rich Martell, a 22-year-old entrepreneur has been dubbed the “next Zuckerberg”.

Fun Stuff: Twitter’s Top Topics and Hashstags of 2011 in Tech, Sports and Entertainment
Check out some of the biggest Twitter trends from 2011.

• Basic editing/cropping
• Advanced editing
• Filters
• Social integration
• Artistic expression
• Humor (come on, you know you enjoy fatbooth photos)

It’s easy to get inspired these days with snow beginning to fall and the holidays officially upon us. So with the stunning backdrops that nature provides us, and the ease of a Smartphone, we can all pose as creative shutterbugs with the help of a few noteworthy apps. But with all the apps out there, which one is worth the download and then consequently the upload to a social network afterwards?

Here are my must-haves:

Instagram
This app needs no introduction. Many iPhone users (including myself) have already jumped on the Instagram bandwagon. The app is truly amazing and if you haven’t played around with a photography app this is a good place to start.

Simply HDR
Don’t want to shell out the cash for an HDR camera but want the same effects? Simply HDR-HD by JixPix software easily creates stunning imagery by converting mundane moments into ones with unparalleled ranges of light and detail. Features include five styles ranging from Black and White HDR to Shadows and Light that all help to transform a late morning walk on Lake Shore Drive into a richly pixelated and poignant scene.

Flickr for Android
Many have coined this the Instagram for Android. Not only does Flickr boast a wide range of editing capabilities and effects, it also allows users to share with Flickr’s social networking capabilities – a win, win in my mind.

100 Cameras in 1
This just might be the most fun you can have with a photography app. I highly recommend experimenting with the app’s one hundred different effects. Effects are grouped into ten categories to suit your mood. Titles like “going back for more ice cream when no one is watching” and “the feeling of an extra hour of sleep” will surely amuse you as you peruse what seems like an endless list of possibilities. The app itself configures your photo, offering only the best options and once you have picked out an effect you can also adjust what is known as the “yin” and “yang” to play with texture and layering. After, the app lets you upload to most social sites and integrates nicely with Instagram. Well done!

Picplz
Another noteworthy app for Android users – Picplz offers a variety of effects and connects Android users to most social networks. Effects like the 70’s and Russian Toy Camera add an interesting appeal to normally mundane photos.

WordFoto
Still craving more features? WordFoto by bitCycle AB takes photography to the next level by combining pictures with topography resulting in a unique and visually captivating play on words. Aspiring artists can choose from pre-selected sentiments as well as create their own literary combinations.

The Photographer’s Ephemeris
We all need a little help at times and this is exactly what the Photographer’s Ephemeris does – want to take better landscape and outdoor shots, but don’t know when the lighting will be at it’s best? Using this app will allow you to calculate sunrise and sunset times and even helps you navigate where the sun will rise and set prior to arriving at your destination. The app itself is a little pricey ($8.99) but for all the app has to offer, it might be worth the splurge if you are considering a serious future in Smartphone photography.

Ready to start shooting?
Here are some tips to remember when taking photos with your Smartphone.

1. Your Smartphone craves light. If shooting outside try placing the sun behind you. Indoors – shoot with the window at your back and turn on the lights.
2. Visualize the landscape before snapping. Most digital cameras out there today place your subject on grid lines across your viewing screen – try visualizing these lines by breaking up your viewing plane into thirds and placing your subject on one of those lines instead of the middle of the picture. Also, be aware of background noise.
3. Steady your shot. Self-explanatory!
4. Familiarize yourself with the capture. Lag times vary from phone to phone so in order for you to get the best possible photo, make sure you know your Smartphone and how quickly the capture kicks in.
5. Be wary of the doomed Digital Zoom. In fact don’t use the digital zoom at all on your camera. Experts are all in agreeance here – instead of zooming in on your subject, the digital zoom feature magnifies existing pixels, which in turn produces a fuzzy effect. Looking to take a close up? Well, get closer then!
6. Try a Different Angle. Above, below, from the side, below with a tilt… you name it, try them all! Creativity is best captured when it is not planned so snap away and don’t worry about deleting photos afterwards – practice makes perfect or at least gets you closer to what you want or maybe what you didn’t know you wanted!
7. Stock up. Combining apps will not only further enhance your photos but can also be fun – so why not try a few?!

Whether you are an amateur or a professional, capturing memorable moments around you is worth posting, tweeting and blogging so don’t forget to upload your latest and greatest to share on your social networks. Happy shooting!

Zuckerberg: Facebook ‘Made a Bunch of Mistakes’ on Privacy

Hold up. Did the new guidelines imposed onto Facebook by the FTC ruin Facebook as we know it? It’s no secret that Facebook has had their fair share of issues when it comes to privacy. But with the new regulations slapped on Facebook by the FTC, the question is whether or not they deserve these harsh new rules implemented on them.

When looking at the subject, it’s important to take a few things into consideration. Firstly, Facebook has taken measures to make sure it is more private when issues have arisen. It’s not like they’re out there trying to exploit everyone using the community. Secondly, and potentially more importantly, the majority of Facebook users don’t take the time to set their privacy settings. So, now Facebook has been slapped with new regulations that could potentially cut down on their level of innovation, all because most of us complained about the privacy settings we weren’t taking the time to set up.

I’m not saying that Facebook is innocent in all of this, in fact quite the opposite. Facebook had a bunch of misteps with their privacy, but they did take measures to rectify the problems. But now, with these new regulations, there is potential that Facebook will lose a certain aspect of their innovation. Michael Richter, Facebook’s Chief Privacy Officer, will now be joining the product team. Problem is, Richter is a lawyer and will be looking at new product ideas with that lens, which could potentially lead to a decline in the amount of creativity Facebook can put into the products. He will no doubt play a necessary role, but it leads me to ask the question of whether or not his presence will hinder the team. They are a company that has been known for unique and thoughtful product innovations that have changed the way we socialize.

What do you guys think? Will the new rules imposed on Facebook by the FTC stifle their level of innovation?

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