Two cancelled ABC soaps will continue as multi-platform stories produced for the web

Reuters reports that canceled soap operas "All My Children" and "One Life to Live," will have a new home -- not on television but on the Internet, mobile phones and other online formats.

ABC said it has licensed the two staples of daytime dramas to Prospect Park, a Los Angeles-based production company, in a multi-platform deal that "enables the soaps' storylines to continue after their run on ABC is over."

Prospect Park says it intends to produce the two shows in the same format and length as ABC, but make them available on new devices, including Internet-enabled TV sets.

Katie Couric sees new ABC talk show bridging broadcast and digital storytelling

The ink is barely dry on Katie Couric's contact with Disney/ABC for a talk show that will debut next year, but her recent interview with Hollywood Reporter reveals that digital storytelling will be part of the program.

Game Over? Can PlayStation users trust Sony with their personal data?

Fans of virtual world gaming face real-life concerns about the security of the personal data they provide when purchasing a title online. Such is the case for upwards of 100,000 Sony PlayStation users who recently learned that Sony’s user data system had been hacked ...yet again. 

No doubt Sony will do whatever is needed to fortify its data system, but whether it can regain consumer confidence remains to be seen. Indeed, the gaming giant's competency at protecting personal information is now open to question; the company must be quick, transparent and forthcoming as it navigates this very real pr crisis.

It’s easy for people to put their trust in slick social media and online entertainment, especially when big brand names are involved. But anytime a much-publicized privacy breach occurs consumers are reminded that there's risk to handing over personal information to any company. 

Brands that routinely collect and store customer data put themselves at substantial risk, too. Public trust is precious and conditional; any failure to protect customer privacy can have swift and far-reaching consequences.  

Real Marketing in Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds can provide strategic brand visibility and real-world context 

“Virtual world” games offer brand marketers a range of promotional opportunities, from simple billboards to immersive, highly engaging play experiences. See Mashable’s recent roundup on innovative marketing in lands of make-believe.

Search and Facebook Marketing Surge

Search marketing will grow 16% this year to $19.3 billion and 74% of North American ad agencies say their clients use Facebook, according to a study released Wednesday.

The report, from the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization, is based on an online survey of 920 companies carried out in February and March. The companies reported a rise in mobile marketing, which accounts for some of the rise in search advertising. Local search was cited as the most significant new trend, though the respondents said behavioral targeting is becoming more important as well. The survey also found that more marketers are outsourcing their SEO and social media to agencies.

For highlights see Mashable’s post about the study. 

5 Questions Help Align Social Content and Brand Strategy

Anyone with a robust social media operation knows the pressure of pumping out continuous content.  There are lots of ways to feed the pipeline, like repurposing old content, using syndicated material, re-tweeting, commenting on forums, posting news links, etc. However, being flush with content is meaningless of it is strategically out of sync.  

One way to keep content on-strategy is to execute from a well-planned content calendar. Another is to use a brand filter against which all content - original or borrowed – can be judged.

Filtering brings focus and discipline to content management and an effective filter can simply pose five key questions:

1. Does this content accurately position the brand?

2. Is it relevant to our target audiences?  What value does it provide?

3. Does this put the brand in proper, authentic context?

4. Will it have traction in media channels that reach our targets?

5. How does this content tie back to the business?  Does the message leverage brand news, a competitive attribute, keywords, or promote a measurable call-to-action?

 How do you align content with your communications and business strategy?  Do you use a filter? 

Mens e-tailer MrPorter.com crafts smart content to cultivate luxury tastes

I’m not much for clothes shopping, but I have a particular disdain for shopping suits. I find the experience numbingly dull, offline or online. 

So I have to hand it to MrPorter.com, the recently launched men’s luxury goods website that makes shopping seem like a stroll through a smart lifestyle magazine.

The website’s design is downright serene – spare and neatly organized around a mix of product and editorial pages. Instead of over-the-top fashion layouts Mr. Porter puts “style” in reasonable context with intriguing stories, informative videos and sharp features about real men of taste and substance. Indeed, the site succeeds at being relevant and "aspirational."   

The marketing folk at Mr. Porter use email well, I think. I receive several each week that simply flag something new about the site. It's all very low-key and since I like the website I generally save the latest e-mail to open at the weekend. 

Mr. Porter is doing many things right. Yes, the website is properly optimized but what's more the site's content is extraordinarily sticky. According to Alexa.com visitors to Mrporter.com devote roughly four minutes per visit, viewing 5.5 unique pages on average and spending roughly 41 seconds per page view. Wow!

I tip my hat to you Mr. Porter, sir. Well done.