marketing

GM to Stop Advertising on Facebook

General Motors Co. plans to stop advertising on Facebook after the company’s marketing executives determined their paid ads had little impact on consumers, people familiar with the matter said — a move that comes as more companies question the effectiveness of advertising on the social networking site.

Sharon Terlep, Suzanne Vranica and Shayndi Raice, Reporters, The Wall Street Journal in News
May 15, 2012 at 12:44 pm PT

News Byte

Oracle Buys Social Media and Customer Engagement Player Vitrue

Arik Hesseldahl in News on May 23 at 7:08 am PT

Oracle said today that it will acquire Vitrue, a privately held social media engagement platform company, based in Atlanta. The company manages more than 1.3 billion social interactions across more than 500 brands. Its customers include McDonald’s, NBC, Yahoo and Ikea. Financial terms are not being disclosed, but a report on TechCrunch has pegged the price at $300 million.

Exclusive: Yahoo Director in Charge of Botched CEO Vetting to Step Down From Board

Kara Swisher in News on May 8 at 8:50 am PT

CSLie has claimed its first victim, although the mystery is still unsolved.

Groupon’s Andrew Mason Says No Regrets on Moving Too Fast

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on May 7 at 8:10 am PT

In a letter to shareholders today, Groupon CEO Andrew Mason addresses the company’s bumpy road, calling it “an unfortunate side effect of our unprecedented growth.”

Yahoo’s Response on CEO’s Computer Science ResumeGate: “Inadvertent Error”

Kara Swisher in News on May 3 at 12:27 pm PT

Inadvertent means “failing to act carefully or considerately.” I’d say so, but is it worse than that?

Dan Loeb Alleges “Discrepancies” on Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson’s Resume Related to Computer Science Degree

Kara Swisher in News on May 3 at 11:53 am PT

Did he or didn’t he get a computer science degree?

Voices

The Big Doubt Over Facebook

Suzanne Vranica and Shayndi Raice, Reporters, The Wall Street Journal in Media on May 2 at 5:00 am PT

Facebook Inc. has built a $3 billion-a-year advertising business by convincing marketers to buy new forms of advertising designed to create buzz around their brands. But some advertisers with big spending accounts are wondering whether they’re getting their money’s worth.

Facebook IPO Docs Could Get Approval This Week, Followed by Road Show With Zuckerberg (No Guarantee on Tie)

Kara Swisher in Social on May 1 at 5:58 am PT

Camille, scramble the private jets, stat!

Confirmed: Schultz and Efrusy to Leave Groupon Board; “Accounting Types” Joining

Kara Swisher in Commerce on April 30 at 12:40 pm PT

Will a shake-up of the board of the daily deals company help its prospects?

Gap, H&M, Sephora and Others Unwrap New Social Gifting Service in the U.S.

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on April 29 at 9:01 pm PT

More than 25 major retailers, including the Gap, H&M, Sephora, Brooklyn Industries and others, are working with a small Swedish company named Wrapp to roll-out a social gifting service in the U.S.