Most of us are fairly familiar with the use of Twitter. Like Facebook, this social networking giant has inserted itself into our lives, it is almost difficult to find a business that is not active on Facebook, Twitter, or both. You can even follow us on Twitter at @duetsblog and @susanperera (no apologizes for the… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: Twitter
The Rise and Fall of Online Social Networks Revisited
Posted in SoapBox, Social NetworkingAbout two years ago (I’m having difficulty coming to grips with the fact that it has, in fact, been two years), I blogged about my frustrations with the social networking sites of FaceBook, MySpace, and Twitter. Along with my posted content, I, admittedly a bit baitingly (if that is a word), adorned the post with… Continue Reading
From Twitter to a Social Media Policy
Posted in Guest Bloggers—Debbie Laskey, MBA From Ashton Kutcher to Lady Gaga to President Obama’s White House staff to John Q. Public, Twitter has developed a loyal following. If you haven’t become addicted to the social media site known by its bird and fail whale, accept the fact that a member of your family or a close friend… Continue Reading
A Lesson in Social Media and Transparency from an Unlikely Source: the UFC
Posted in MarketingIn a few short years, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or the UFC, has become a sports powerhouse. The league seems to have it all—a booming business, a solid philosophy and a great presence on social media that engages their fans. Why does this matter to you? Because your business can learn a few things from… Continue Reading
How Marketing & Consumers Have Fueled the Need for an Honest Product: A Social Media Story
Posted in MarketingAnother day, another social media scandal. By now, I’m sure you’ve heard of “Weiner-gate,” referring to the incident of Congressman Anthony Weiner sending an unsavory photo via Twitter. This incident is one of several high-profile fiascos that have played out over the last year, and I can guarantee there will be many more. Of course,… Continue Reading
Would the Real Slim Shady Please Stand Up
Posted in Fair UseBefore I launch into this post, I must provide the disclaimer that I am not a Tweeter and I do not regularly use Twitter. That being said, here we go. If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, then Twitter is quickly becoming sycophancy central. “Fake” Twitter accounts abound throughout the Twitter-verse and, frankly, I find… Continue Reading
Industry Color Clusters
Posted in BrandingI recently read Nora Reed’s blog post, Locate your Brand on the Color Spectrum, on Logoblog. Nora identified a trend, which you may have noticed from time to time, that some industries tend to congregate in a specific color scheme. For example, fast food logos tend to be in the red/yellow category, while social networking… Continue Reading
A Refresher on Headlines and Attitude, Important for Grabbing and Keeping Attention from Your Audience
Posted in MarketingHaving few characters to convey an idea or thought isn’t just for Twitter. I was reminded of this last week during the Legal Marketing Association’s annual conference. Feeling energized after talking shop with colleagues for three days, I struggled with what to include in my upcoming blog post. My fellow marketers have already posted many… Continue Reading
Social Media Enlightenment
Posted in Social NetworkingThe Royal Wedding is only days away, Sharon and I have both blogged about it recently, and the Royal Family is certainly recieving a lot of media attention. For a family and political tradition that Americans often view as stuck in the past, the Royal Family has indisputably been embracing new forms of social… Continue Reading
Hashtags: A Tutorial
Posted in MarketingTwitter hashtags can be very useful when used properly. And by useful, I do not mean in a selling capacity. Most users utilize hashtags to connect, to learn, to network. Think of it as if you were going to a conference—you’ve all got an interest in [fill in the blank]. You’re both on Twitter, that’s… Continue Reading
Having An “Authentic Presence” Online
Posted in MarketingThe buying and selling of goods and services is NOT what it used to be. The market is more competitive; big corporations and businesses are no longer on top despite (perhaps in spite of) their size. And consumers…well, we now have platforms that have the potential to reach millions to get out our message—good or… Continue Reading
Associated Press Sued in Minnesota Over Krawczynski Twitter Tweet
Posted in First Amendment, Law SuitsJust the other day, I read a news report commenting on how relatively few lawsuits have resulted from the explosion in the use and popularity of Twitter, especially given all the potentially actionable statements made using that social media platform. Well, here’s one of interest, hot off the press so to speak, not only for those in… Continue Reading
Charlie Sheen: Coming to a Product Endorsement Near You?
Posted in Branding, Goodwill, Guest Bloggers, Marketing—David Mitchel, Chief Marketing Officer, Norton Mitchel Marketing The ongoing saga of Charlie Sheen has been quite odd. He demanded a pay raise and made inflammatory comments about his boss, Two and a Half Men Executive Producer Chuck Lorre, which led to Two and a Half Men shutting down production for the rest of the… Continue Reading
It’s All About the (Personal) Branding
Posted in MarketingWhether you believe in personal branding or not, there is some truth to the fact that how you portray yourself off- and on-line is extremely important. Call it "personal branding" or online reputation…whatever you want, as long as you monitor it and shape it in the way you’d like. A major component of "online branding"… Continue Reading
Embracing Word of Mouth in Social Media
Posted in Branding, Guest Bloggers—Brent Carlson-Lee, Founder & Owner of Eli’s Donut Burgers The kids were at Grandma and Grandpa’s this weekend. Everything was under control at work. My wife and I could have gone anywhere, done anything…so we decided to strip wallpaper and paint the upstairs bathroom. Before starting the job, I made the requisite trip to the… Continue Reading
It’s All About the Advertising
Posted in Advertising, Marketing, TelevisionA week or two after the Super Bowl, I’m not the only one still talking about it (our guest blogger David Mitchel discussed it yesterday). This year’s commercials did not wow me like I expected (sorry, cute Darth Vader kid). What surprised me was the lack of brand message. Sure, Doritos has edgy ads, and… Continue Reading
When Employees Go Online: The Risks of Social Media to Employers
Posted in Guest Bloggers, Social Networking—Megan Ruwe, Employment lawyer at Winthrop & Weinstine Imagine this scenario: While searching the Internet, you come across a Facebook posting authored by one of your employees that includes derogatory statements and inappropriate pictures. You wish you had seen the blog before you hired the employee. What does this mean to you as an employer? What can you… Continue Reading
Trademarked Logos Appear to Have No Protection on Twitter
Posted in Guest Bloggers, Trademarks—Barry Wise, Co-founder of KnowEm.com Recently Gap rolled out a new logo (at least on their website – no word yet as to whether the same logo will be used in stores), and already a twitter account impersonating the logo itself is out there – @GapLogo. This is obviously not an official company account, but simply… Continue Reading
A Longer, Unnecessary Name for the Volvo Brand?
Posted in Advertising, Audio, Branding, Fair Use, Marketing, TrademarksSomeone who is in the business of repairing Volvo brand automobiles has the right to say so, in advertising, and elsewhere – without obtaining advance permission from Volvo – provided consumers aren’t likely to understand the advertisement or communication to mean that the repair services and/or the business providing them is authorized by, affiliated with, or otherwise connected to… Continue Reading
Welcome to the World of Plasticville, U.S.A.
Posted in Branding, Domain Names, Goodwill, Marketing, TrademarksI enjoy stumbling upon niche products and markets that I am completely oblivious to in my day-to-day life. One such recent find was a store dedicated to model trains. Growing up, I built a few models–typically aircraft, and eventually model rockets. I’ve consequently always had a dim awareness that model train building is a niche… Continue Reading
Getting Stan Lee’d and CGC’d at the Phoenix Comicon
Posted in Mixed Bag of NutsPannapictagraphists take note, the verbing of brands is alive and kicking at the Phoenix Comicon! After letting some friends know one of my sons and I were on our way to the Phoenix Comicon over the Memorial Day weekend (because Stan Lee was going to be there for a special signing event), we were told that in addition to… Continue Reading
Marketing Nirvana for Twitter?
Posted in Mixed Bag of NutsSome marketing types have said that having your brand name verbed by others is heavenly, well beyond flattery, kind of like a marketer’s Shangri-la. As you may recall, we have explored the legal implications of the verbing of brands here, here, here, and here. What about having your brand name used as a reference point in another’s advertising? If you’re the… Continue Reading
Adventures in Twitter Squatting
Posted in Goodwill, Marketing, Social NetworkingIn February, you may have seen this story by Michael Werch in Ad Age about Mr. Werch’s deliberate effort to "Twitter squat" on the Heinz brand with the handle @HJ_Heinz. It’s an entertaining and instructive read, and, if you’re in a rush, I’ll cut to the chase: it didn’t work, at least for long. Two weeks… Continue Reading
Goodbye, Process of the Past; Hello, Trust and Engagement
Posted in Branding, Guest Bloggers, Marketingby Jodi Petrich, Senior Director at Fast Horse More brands are turning to social media to engage consumers. Social media are a great tool for launching new products or services, sharing promotional offers, hosting contests or simply connecting with loyal fans. One big challenge is that the approval process in many companies doesn’t lend itself… Continue Reading
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Duets Blog Authors
Steve Baird
Just so you know, I'm all about brands and the law, both professionally and personally. I regularly annoy family and friends in retail stores by focusing on product labels—not to buy the product, but to read the fine print and ask, "Who owns these brands" and "Did they really register those marks?" More...
Dan Kelly
You can call me a “non-traditional” attorney, which is a polite way of saying that I did not attend law school straight out of college. I spent five of my first six years after college as a junior high school teacher. The other year I worked as an engineer for a large corporation. More...
Sharon Armstrong
Voted most likely to become an actress while in pre-school, I don’t think I surprised anyone by becoming a lawyer, the steadiest professional gig open to those with a flair for the dramatic. More...
Brent Lorentz
Although I wish I could say my path to the law was the result of a lifelong dream or calling, it was more the result mere curiosity and an affinity for leather-bound books. More...
Catlan McCurdy
Having long been told by my parents that I could do or be anything I wanted, I chose at the age of 10 to become an attorney, as it was the career that would most likely lead me to my goal of becoming the first woman POTUS.More...
Tiffany Blofield
Although my initial career path was to be one of the Supremes (not the musically talented ones with platform shoes and sequins, but rather, the nine wearing sensible shoes and pressed black robes in DC), I will likely stay in Minnesota as I have never lived anywhere else. More...
Brad Walz
My law career started on the ice…as a defensive hockey player (we’re not talking professionally…and if I were, I probably wouldn’t have gotten into law). More...
Susan Perera
Born into the world with an aptitude for science and an affinity for art I found my career path quickly chosen for me. More...
Joy S. Newborg
When I took a personality/career test in high school to determine which path in life I should follow, I was told I should either be in broadcast journalism or law. So after I went to undergraduate school for broadcast journalism and film/television, I went on to obtain my law degree from the University of Minnesota. More...
Laura Gutierrez
An attorney I am not. Though told to become one, I don't possess those qualities needed to be an effective one (I lack confrontation skills, and although I can write a great argumentative essay, I can’t argue outside a sheet of paper). More...