Superman comic #199 (1967) introduced geekdom to what is now an age-old question: in a race around the world against the man of steel (Superman) and the human speed demon (Flash), who is the fastest man alive? The answer is irrelevant (it’s obviously the Flash—he’s a man; Superman is an alien). But let’s apply it to retailers and marketing: in the race to reach the consumer, who is the fastest brand alive?

This is an age of near-instant gratification. Consumers have access to the products and services they’re looking for right at their fingertips. Mobile commerce and browsing continues to rise and brands have the potential to reach their target audience at any time, wherever they may be.

But how efficient is the brand at satisfying the customer’s needs? The old adage of the tortoise and the hare does not apply to e-commerce: fortune favors the swift. But many brands haven’t quite [...]

“The more a piece of content looks like genuine editorial content, the more valuable it becomes.” —Felix Salmon, Reuters

Felix Salmon’s quote succinctly describes the value point for native or content marketing—it’s a way for an advertiser to hold the attention of its target audience without the audience member realizing it’s being marketed to.

Done effectively, a relatively cheap-to-produce piece of content can be worth tens of thousands—maybe even millions—for the advertiser.

Buzzfeed has pioneered native content marketing and drawn many brands to the site to populate the native feed with sponsored content. Unfortunately, some of the sponsored content falls short of the mark; it’s clearly advertising fodder.

Consider this example from Zipcar:

Zipcar is a relatively small brand, but the offense is being committed by big brands as well, shown by this example from Pepsi:

In both examples, readers can already see that the content is sponsored by a particular brand. It’s overkill to tease [...]

On Day 3 of the Mackinac Policy Conference, the Oneupweb team reflects on some of their favorite sessions so far:

Building and Protecting Michigan’s Critical Cyber Infrastructure

We’re no stranger to the dangers lurking in the online world. As web developers, we preach—and practice—the need for secure hosting, strong cyber hygiene, and general online security best practices. It was vital for attendees from both the state government and the private sector to hear experts discuss the threats facing our state government and Michigan businesses, as well as the collaborative efforts being made to proactively defend against hackers. Check out the Michigan Cyber Range, which is helping businesses prepare against cyber-attacks.

Encouraging Entrepreneurship: The Catalyst for Continued Economic Growth in Michigan

Michigan was built by individuals who turned ideas into action. This panel spotlighted four Detroit-area startups: digital app producer Detroit Labs; Plymouth-based raw juice company DROUGHT; craft wristwatch, bicycle, leather goods and journal manufacturer [...]