I fondly remember some sort of organization when I was a kid that partnered with Pizza Hut. They sent out a list of books and, once you read a certain amount of them, you got a pin and a free kids’ pizza. Are you kidding me? All I have to do is read some Berenstain Bears books and my parents are going to take us all out for dinner at Pizza Hut? Done.

Bigwig advertising executives in expensive suits are probably going to shake their heads and dismiss the idea because it sounds like too much fun. And, to that, I would say you’re exactly right; it is fun. Bam. Now what?

People love fun. They love competition and they love winning. But, more than any of those things, people love rewards. I dare you to tell me you’ve never stood in line at the grocery store behind a customer who is asked if they have a store club card.

Customer: Umm, I have one. I just forgot it at home. Can you look me up?

Cashier: Well, you won’t save anything today so it doesn’t really matter.

Customer: I’M ONLY 5 POINTS AWAY FROM GETTING MY FREE THANKSGIVING TURKEY OK? LOOK UP MY CLUB CARD. NOW.

So if that same woman was told that there is a special promotion today and any customer purchasing Ragu tomato sauce will receive double points on her club card, do you think she’d do it? Of course she would. And you probably would too.

It’s our nature to crave rewards for the things we do. We can’t help but feel like we’re doing The Fresh Grocer a favor by shopping at their store, so of course we expect to be “paid back” for that gesture.

When you think about it, the whole world seems to be based on this idea of gaming. You get a job with a company and maybe you’re told that in 12 months you’ll sit down with your manager and discuss progress. If you get above a 90% on your ratings, you’ll get a bonus. Will you work harder than you would if this conversation never happened? Of course you would. You’re human, aren’t you?

So when brands build social campaigns, it’s probably best that they ask themselves:

What are we doing to motivate our audience?
Why should they feel compelled to ‘like’ this page?
How do we plan to pay them back for being so loyal?

Marketing efforts should mirror real life. Real life is full of rewards and the urge to earn them. The theory, of course, is that all of the money you spend rewarding them will come back around in the end.

The guys at Pizza Hut when I was a kid knew that there was no way we’d collect our free pizza and leave. Of course we’ll order breadsticks and of course my brother didn’t read enough books so we’ll have to pay for his. It was the perfect set-up. And I didn’t feel cheated at all. I read all of those books so that I would get my reward. I did my part and they did theirs.

So, think about your business. Do people have a reason to pursue you? If your answer is no, then maybe it’s time to get thinking about social gaming.

Sometimes I forget that they sell newspapers in stores. Sitting alone in the dusty corner of your local Wawa is what most would consider “yesterday’s news.” And in the time you spend casually scrolling through your Twitter timeline waiting to pay for your bagel and coffee, you’ve probably read more news than you could pack into that entire archaic bundle of print.

In a way, it’s kind of sad. But it’s just how we are. We crave things instantly and then, before we can even process what we heard, we spread it to the masses. There’s a ton of big wigs out there writing books about our generation of millennials and how we’re tearing society apart by the seams. But you know what I think? I think we’re kind of brilliant. And, in every possible sense of the phrase, we’re changing the world.

So here’s the countdown of the top 11 moments with the highest tweets per second in 2011:

11. Japan Earthquake: 5,530 TPS

On March 11th, during the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and consequent tsunami that swept the coast of Japan, thousands of tweets went out either expressing shock, wishing well, or looking for help.

10. Miami Heat NBA Finals: 5,531 TPS

LeBron James, small forward for the Miami Heat, caused a social media uproar when he tweeted his reaction to the team’s loss in the NBA finals. He announced, “The Greater Man upstairs know when it’s my time. Right now isn’t the time.”

9. #RIPSteveJobs: 6,049 TPS

On October 5th, the world lost a visionary, an innovator and an absolute creative genius. Steve Jobs passed away shortly after resigning from his position as CEO of Apple. #RIPSteveJobs trended worldwide.

8. UEFA Finals: 6,303 TPS

In the final match of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Barcelona won against Manchester United. The final score was 3-1 and Twitter was sure to capture varying reactions.

7. BET Mixup: 6,436 TPS

When contest winner Tiffany Greene had her 15 seconds of fame as the presenter of the BET Viewers’ Choice Award, she probably wasn’t expecting the attention she would get. The teleprompter ahead of her indicated that the winner was Rihanna but the tablet in her hand said Chris Brown. The mix-up made way for some extreme mockery across Twitter.

6. 12am Across the Globe: 6,939 TPS

As midnight struck across the world, “Happy New Year” tweets raced across time zones, starting with Japan. The movement of such a common sentiment is stunning to say the least.

5. Jobs Steps Down: 7,064 TPS

Mere months before the announcement of Apple’s latest craze, the iPhone 4S, the company’s CEO, Steve Jobs, resigned from his position. His letter read, “I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.”

4. [and 3.] FIFA Finals: 7,196 and 7,166 TPS

When the United States faced Japan for the final match in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Twitter feeds were overflowing with reactions. The same goes for the Paraguay vs. Brazil game, which was also played on July 17th of this year.

2. Davis Controversy: 7,671 TPS

After being sentenced to death for the controversial 1989 murder of an off-duty police officer, Troy Davis garnered the year’s second highest number of tweets per second. Despite the social uprising, Davis was executed the following day.

1. World’s Most Popular Baby: 8,868 TPS

During her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, Beyonce announced to the world that she and her husband, Jay-Z, are expecting a baby. This news, above all other news in the world, holds the place for the highest number of tweets per second in 2011.

532,080

per minute

31,924,800

per hour

766,195,200

per day

279,661,248,000

per year

So, did you predict them? Were you one of the thousands in that very second in time that tapped the letters on your phone and quickly pressed “tweet” to be part of the moment? Or did you just sit back and watch them unfold?

It really makes you think. What was the most important moment in your 2011? How many things in your own life happened and felt more important than Beyonce’s pregnancy? What do you wish the world was talking about? The best part is, you have the power to make it happen -maybe 2012 is your year. Happy tweeting!

Remember just a few years back when Google was just a search engine and not a verb? Well times sure have changed, and what used to be a new fandangled website that was found on the “world wide web” is now a common term used in everyday language. Today marks Google’s 13th anniversary and they sure have come a long way. Back when the search engine was first launched users would click through a couple pages of links looking for the one their heart desires. Now there is almost no need for the “next” button. I can’t tell you of the last time I clicked through more than one page of links without finding what I was looking for. Google has made the word “search” almost meaningless, due to the lack of actual searching one must do to find the information they need.

Google has rebranded what being a successful company is all about. When was the last time you saw a billboard or a TV commercial for Google? You haven’t, and why not? Because they don’t need traditional advertising, while other search engines do. Sites like Bing that advertise heavily on their ease and simplicity of making a decision using their search engine, still need to advertise heavily in order to get their name out there. They created many different TV commercials using the tag line “Bing and decide”, as well as hiring celebrities (many of whom have their own reality shows) to use Bing as part of their “everyday life”. Hiring celebrities to endorse Google will never need to happen do to the fact that they have a business and creative platform that is blended so perfectly that the search engine practically advertises itself. Happy 13th Anniversary Google!

You grab your toothbrush, flick on the TV with a remote, log onto your Facebook, and sit back every so often kicking yourself saying, “Why didn’t I think of this?” It seems so obvious now that these things have been made. But, as the saying goes, life only makes sense backwards.

Well guys, here it is – the product of months spent dreaming, designing, coding, building, believing, doubting and succeeding. Welcome to our new and most definitely improved website.

The name, the logo, the images, the characters – no matter who you are, you’d know them if you saw them. And although they endure plenty of criticism for their extreme commerciality, the Disney brand is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable symbols in modern pop culture. Say what you will about their approach, but when people will spend a year’s worth of savings to ride in circles on a metal elephant in your park, you’re a winner in my book.

Unless your business plan includes making your mark on the development community with a custom-build content management system, chances are you’re going to be building your sites in an established one. While CMS platforms make the job of the developer easier, most are not going to include all the tools you need to deliver the user experience most modern clients are looking for. Fortunately, the developers of those CMS platforms and pioneers in their use often extend their functionality in little modules of code called “plug-ins”.

The week before last, Maiden was fortunate enough to attend and be a sponsor of the Sustainability Symposium at Rutgers University’s Camden Campus.  The law firm Flaster/Greenberg, which has a great green practice headed by Mitch Cohen, ran the symposium.  Other sponsors included: Brandywine Realty, National Energy Partners, Rutgers Camden and more.  The event was meant to provide a forum to talk about initiatives being run in the Greater Philadelphia area by businesses involved with renewable and sustainable energy.