Social Media Update – March 8, 2011

Good afternoon. American Express is partnering up with Foursquare to give users an added benefit for checking into partnering businesses. American Express hopes the partnership will generate buzz among younger, more tech savvy consumers and Foursquare looks to gain legitimacy with the larger partners like Amex. A doctor was able to diagnose a boys leukemia on Facebook after his father took a picture and posted it up looking for opinions. The ability to share and crowd source info about symptoms is somewhat scary and interesting. Viral video stars are making a play at the big screen. The latest videos have been a collaboration of viral stars with the hopes of generating funding so they can shoot a video for the big screen. Facebook is moving its corporate office from Palo Alto to Belle Haven, and they are looking to integrate the local community with their new offices. Facebook is sourcing local design architects, urban planners and artists to help them build their new offices. Enjoy.

I. AmEx Teams Up With Foursquare, wsj.com, March 4, 2011
II. Doctor diagnoses boy’s leukemia on Facebook, cnn.com, March 7, 2011
III. Viral video stars unite for ‘The Chronicles of Rick Roll’, cnn.com, March 7, 2011
IV. VI. Hoping to Win Over a Town, Facebook Wants to Scrap Its Fortress Vibe, fastcompany.com, March 8, 2011

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I. AmEx Teams Up With Foursquare, wsj.com, March 4, 2011
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704076804576180841727743146.html
American Express Co. has struck a deal to offer discounts to shoppers via Foursquare Labs Inc., the two-year-old start-up that lets users win prizes and meet people by using their mobile phones to “check in” at their favorite bars, restaurants and stores. The move reflects the credit card company’s drive to win over younger consumers and gives Foursquare a heavyweight partner as Google Inc., AT&T Inc. and others jump into the mobile-commerce game. “You go where your customers are and they are on places like Foursquare,” says Edward Gilligan, vice chairman for AmEx.

II. Doctor diagnoses boy’s leukemia on Facebook, cnn.com, March 7, 2011
http://digitallife.today.com/_news/2011/03/07/6212533-doctor-diagnoses-boys-leukemia-on-facebook
Four-year-old Ted Rice was fast asleep the night before he had an appointment to see his family’s doctor, when he developed a rash his parents felt could not wait, reports the U.K. Daily Mail.
Ted’s parents made the appointment because of Ted’s recent lack of energy, but hoped their boy’s malaise, along with some bruises and nosebleeds, was connected to a string of birthday parties. But when the purple speckles appeared around Ted’s eyes, his father Philip, an anesthetic assistant, snapped a picture on his cell phone and posted it on Facebook to get immediate advice from a doctor friend. It wasn’t good.

III. Viral video stars unite for ‘The Chronicles of Rick Roll’, cnn.com, March 7, 2011
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/web/03/07/viral.video.feature.film/index.html
They’ve already conquered YouTube. Now, a dream team of viral video superstars is hoping to hit the big screen.
On Monday, the masterminds behind “The Chronicles of Rick Roll” released a four-minute trailer they hope will help them finish bankrolling a feature-length film.
The video, an update of a shorter, more cryptic teaser trailer that has been circulating online for a few weeks, features Antoine “Bed Intruder” Dodson, Bear “Double Rainbow” Vasquez and Gary “Numa Numa” Brolsma among others.

IV. Hoping to Win Over a Town, Facebook Wants to Scrap Its Fortress Vibe, fastcompany.com, March 8, 2011
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663372/gearing-up-for-its-big-move-facebook-mounts-a-rollicking-urban-planning-hackathon
Facebook is moving from tony Palo Alto to blue-collar Belle Haven, and they want to woo residents with community-oriented design.
Some social networks still function better in the flesh, and so, on Saturday, Facebook played host to a massive “design charrette” that brought four busloads of architects, designers, and urban planners together for an all-day cram session devoted to re-imagining Menlo Park’s Belle Haven community, soon-to-be home of the company’s global headquarters.