business & innovation

Traditionally if a brand wanted to test a new campaign or product it might turn to in-store promotions, sampling activities and surveys, or it might organise a series of focus groups bringing people face-to-face to talk through their thoughts and opinions and gather valuable insights.

Now, in the social media age, it’s possible to cut out the legwork and project our new ideas online, utilising the immediacy and connectivity of Facebook® to formulate a virtual focus group, probably the world’s biggest and most efficient group imaginable.

Taking place from 21st May to 1st June 2012, the second annual Digital Shoreditch Festival celebrates the world-class expertise within East London’s vibrant digital community.

The festival promises to showcase the most talented companies and brightest individuals within the digital and creative technologies sectors bringing together some of the best local, national and international minds. Speakers will include Andrew Gilbert, Executive Vice President, European Innovation Development at Qualcomm and Simon Acland, venture capitalist and author of the acclaimed Angels, Dragons and Vultures.

The terms “Luxury” and “Exclusivity” are often used, if not interchangeably, then at least with a high degree of overlap. Social networks, on the other hand, are all about openness and sharing. Shouldn’t luxury brands shun social marketing?

The experience of luxury brands like Tiffany & Co and Burberry suggest otherwise: social and mobile marketing have paid enormous dividends for both of those brands, so why the apparent contradiction?

Thinking Digital are holding their first ever Thinking Digital Startup Competition, chaired by Paul Smith (of the Ignite100 startup accelorator programme) and supported by Northstar Ventures, at this year's event.

To enter, the startup needs to have been created or started operating after 1st Jan 2011 and applications need to be in by Friday 11th May.

There'll be a total of 5 startups pitching for 3 minutes on Tuesday 29th May during Thinking Digital University (TDU). Chosen startups will get a free pass to Thinking Digital 2012 (or 2013 if you already have a 2012 pass).

We thought we would give you a little taster of who you can expect to meet at Chinwag's Careers Day this month... With the likes of LBi, Bloomberg, Yammer and more, the day will be one you wont want to miss!

The fair is taking place on Wednesday 23rd May in the Digital Shorditch Big Top at Hackney House. The main 'big top' tent will be the exhibitor hall where you'll meet premier agencies, start-ups and brands, there'll also be a 'little top' tent, filled with how-to sessions, workshops and CV surgeries, so you'll have plenty to do.

So to give you a sneak preview of who can you expect to meet there...

You may have heard some of the buzz about Pinterest, one of the newest social networks on the block, but you might not know how much of this excitement is warranted, and how much is pure hype.

Suffice to say, in the history of social networks, never has a service risen so far, so fast; and never has a social network started to deliver lucrative customers to business so quickly. Read on to understand how Pinterest can help your brand.