Quid Pro Quo: Free Online Services in Exchange for User Data

By Dr. Florian v. Wangenheim We all enjoy using Internet services for free: communities, news websites and other web services often do not charge their users. In order to survive, free sites depend on advertising revenues. These can be increased through behavioral targeting, in which the advertiser makes use of information that he has about the …

Providing a #WinningExperience for the Digital Customer

By Bobbi Dangerfield @BobbiAtDell Michael Dell, said it best: “We’re a company with big ears” – a good thing considering there are more than 25,000 online conversations about Dell each day in English. While that number can be overwhelming, it underscores the wonderful opportunity social media offers for companies to listen, engage, and ultimately understand …

Targeting Gen Y? Look Before You Leap

By Ruth N. Bolton Gen Y, or the Millennials, are frequently described as narcissistic compared with previous generations; they “want it all” and “want it now.”  Yet, we are also told that they have higher levels of civic engagement – just look at the Arab Spring! Can both be true? Is it even possible to …

Transitioning Services from Free to Fee – How Social Networks are Making it Work

By Kristie Dickinson What would it take to convince you to pay for services on Facebook? What about LinkedIn? Or Classmates.com? In today’s world of “try now, buy later” premium models, it’s harder than ever to sway social networkers to upgrade to premium services. There is certainly a recipe for success, but what is the …