â–¶ Public Votes “Yes” for Social Media: A Pew Internet & American Life Project survey found that 36% of social networking site users say the sites are “very important” or “somewhat important” to them in keeping up with political news. Other survey highlights include:
• 25% of social network users surveyed say they became more active in a political issue after discussing it or reading posts about it, and 16% say they changed their views about an issue after discussing it or reading about it on the sites.
• Among Democrats, 33% say they are becoming more active as a result of social networks as did 24% of Republicans, 39% of self-described liberals and 21% of self-described moderates.
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project
â–¶ Top Brands Revealed: Keurig and Skype are some of the leading “breakaway brands” that have seen dramatic improvements in perception among U.S. consumers, says a 2008-2011 study (released in August 2012) of 15,000 consumers by Landor. Covering 48 metrics—including relevance, innovation, dynamism and distinctiveness—and 2,500 products and services, Landor identified the brands that saw the greatest growth in this period. Highlights include:
• Facebook led the charts, logging a 206% lift from 2008–11 (this was pre-IPO).
• Second place, with a 79% lift, went to coffee-pod maker Keurig, which was praised for making fair trade and recyclable products.
• Skype, the online tele-platform, claimed third, growing 77% from 2008-11.
Source: Landor