Evanston, Ill. - I Imagine Studio and Rotary International have teamed up to give people around the world a chance to help “kick polio out of Africa.”

To support Rotary’s campaign to eradicate the disease, I Imagine Studio has created an interactive, strategic viral communications initiative that allows anyone to sign a symbolic virtual soccer ball online. At www.kickpoliooutofafrica.org, individuals can learn more about Rotary’s polio eradication efforts in Africa, make a donation, autograph the digital ball, and then see their signatures and comments alongside those of world leaders.

Rotary’s “Kick Polio Out of Africa” program was launched earlier this year in Cape Town, South Africa, one of the host cities for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The effort began with the kicking of a real soccer ball that was signed by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, a polio survivor.

That ball has since been signed by numerous African heads of state, government ministers and famous “footballers” as it travels to special events in 22 polio-affected countries across the continent. After zigzagging across Africa, the ball’s tour will end in Alexandria, Egypt. Following a trip to the Rotary International Convention in Montreal in June, the ball will return to South Africa as the centerpiece for a special FIFA World Cup event.

Online Campaign Mirrors the Tour

I Imagine Studio’s “Kick Polio Out of Africa” application and microsite allows digital signatories to view the signatures and comments of other signatories from around the globe located on a map per the signatories’ provided locations, follow the ball’s journey through Africa on a map and via links to blogs, and learn more about the horrific effects of polio. Participants are encouraged to invite others to sign the ball via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter.

“This online campaign is a true testimony of the power people have today to promote causes using social media to help each other to live in dignity,” said Alena Tsimis, I Imagine Studio’s managing director.

I Imagine responded quickly and creatively to Rotary’s need to create awareness for the “Kick Polo out of Africa” initiative online.

Kick Polio out of Africa has been a true inspiration for the team at I Imagine Studio.  We are especially proud that we were able to make this sophisticated program come together in five days to meet Rotary’s needs.

Help Rotary International eradicate polio by checking out the microsite (www.kickpoliooutofafrica.org).  Sign the ball and join millions who are united in the effort to Kick Polio Out of Africa!  Once you’ve signed, click on the “Share” bar to pass the ball along to your friends via Facebook and Twitter.

For anyone who has ever wondered about the monetary value of having numerous Facebook fans and Twitter followers, some encouraging findings have been released.

Over 50% of Facebook fans and 67% of Twitter followers said that they are more likely to make a purchase from at least a few brands that they follow.  This statistic is evidence of the direct return on investment brands can generate when they employ successful social media strategies.

Social media has also proven to be incredibly powerful with regards to word-of-mouth marketing. Those who become fans of and follow brands are significantly more likely to spread the word; 60% of  Facebook fans and 80% of Twitter followers say they would recommend brands they follow to their friends.

If the result of increased Facebook fandom and Twitter following is sales, how can marketers grow their social media fans? The most popular reason for becoming a Facebook fan of a brand, chosen by 25% of respondents, is to receive discounts and promotional information. Other top reasons included simply being a customer of the company (21%) and wanting to show others that they like the brand (18%). On Twitter, the top reasons for following a brand were discounts and access to up-to-the-minute information and exclusive content.

The numbers speak for themselves. In this day and age, social media is a necessary component of any brand’s online strategy. Brand loyalty via social media extends far beyond the social media world and into the real world. Nurturing your revenues means nurturing your customer base, and social media may be one of the most cost-effective ways to do so.

Read the full article from emarketer.com here.

Social media creates both solutions and new challenges for measuring online influence.  Marketers are eager to leverage social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, but they are not always knowledgeable about how to measure the influence such efforts actually have on their brand.

Facebook and Twitter have numerical metrics, such as numbers for followers and fans, which provide a good foundation for analyzing social media impact. However, marketers can take these metrics a step further, calculating the ratio of followers to followees on Twitter, or studying the number of times their messages are re-tweeted. Grader.com is one of the tools that could help you analyze your organization’s Twitter, Facebook, blog, and Web site influence by evaluating such factors.

One way to measure - and boost - a company’s online presence is by evaluating the content posted on their blog, Web site, etc.  The social bookmarking site Delicious is a great tool for identifying the type of content that is resonating with your consumers by evaluating the articles and blog posts that are being bookmarked. The number of retweets and inbound links are also good indicators of content’s success. Organizations can drive social media success by simply generating content that is interesting and valuable to their customers.

Tracking the origin of the traffic to your site and conversions is another effective way to measure success of your social media strategy. Knowing which sources are bringing in the traffic and conversions and which are lagging will help you determine which of the platforms to focus on and which to abandon.

The old adage “the customer is always right” may seem cliché.  But it’s truer than ever in a world of rising social media influence.  Customer service is key to brand perception, and with so many consumers spreading their opinions through social media-instantly and across large networks-making sure that your customers have a positive brand experience is more important than ever.

Below is some practical advice from the AMA Social Media: Cracking the Code for Business Marketers Webinar on how to improve your customer service via social media:

• Know your customer. In the realm of social media, some customers are more important than others. When users sign up for information on your site, ask if they have a blog, Facebook, or Twitter page.  Try to go a step further and identify consumers who are especially influential and respected throughout the social media networks. These influencers can be immensely helpful or harmful to your business, depending on their customer service experiences.

• Practice real-time problem resolution. The longer it takes to solve a problem, the more likely it is to escalate and enter the public domain, and the more likely it is that the customer will undertake a personal crusade against the company.

• Utilize interactive customer service tools. Customer service widgets and wikis encourage customers to engage with the brand. And since consumers appreciate easily accessible, direct customer service, it’s a good idea to bring customer service to consumers where they already are: on social media outlets.

EVANSTON, IL – I Imagine Studio received yet another award – 2010 Communitas Award – this time for Leadership in Skills-Based Community Service for its work on nine pro bono projects including Rotary International, Emergency Fund for Needy People, American Jewish Committee, Organic Association of New Zealand and the Meritas Family of Schools.

Since its inception Imagine Studio has worked with a number of non-profit and good will organizations, helping educate the public about their missions. As part of their commitment to corporate social responsibility, the agency dedicates 20% of their time to pro bono work.

I Imagine Studio created an online banner campaign for Rotary International to raise awareness about their End Polio Now campaign. When Organic Association of New Zealand needed to establish global brand awareness, I Imagine Studio helped them create a clear value proposition. A strong supporter of education, I Imagine Studio was also excited to work with the Meritas Family of Schools on developing outstanding admissions materials to educate parents about the importance of investing in their child’s education.

I Imagine Studio has extended its pro bono services to other organizations such as the American Jewish Committee, La Rabida Hospital, and the Emergency Fund for Needy People. Alena Tsimis, Managing Director of IIS, recalls, “When we started our agency, the very first project we took on was pro bono work for the Emergency Fund for Needy People. At the time, we had $100 in our business checking account and worked from home in our pajamas. However, helping NFPs has always been important to us.”

Communitas Awards honors businesses, and individuals that go beyond simple rhetoric about voluntarism and corporate responsibility. Their commitment to bettering communities and the environment sets Communitas Awards winners apart from their competition.

A complete list of Communitas Leadership Awards winners can be viewed online at http://www.communitasawards.com/list_leadership.php

I Imagine Studio is not your everyday ad agency. Each day, they strive to make their work - and our world - a little better. I Imagine Studio chooses to dedicate their creative energy to the well being of individuals and society at large, focusing on companies that are making a positive impact on how we live. They care about their clients because they believe in what they do. They care about what they do because they believe that’s how you begin to make a difference. Their clients include Black & Decker, Harmonic Environments, Infiniti, Lifeway Foods, Pee-Wee Herman, Dish Network, George Forman Grill, and Lamin-Art. A full-service, award winning branding and marketing firm, they have offices in Evanston, Illinois and Santa Monica, California. For more information on I Imagine Studio visit www.iimaginestudio.com

The Kellogg Impact Series event is a World Forum focusing on Business, Innovation, Leadership and Society. Last Friday, the event featured the CEO of Boeing Company, Jim McNerney, who shared insights on the United States’ current ability to compete in the changing global economy, and what corporations and the government can do to create a more favorable economic climate.

McNerney has some serious concerns about America’s economic position. He described a declining level of education in the United States, especially in science and math, which is contributing to a lower relative GNP compared with the rest of the global economy. This is especially troubling for a company like Boeing, which relies on skilled engineers and is having trouble replacing the retiring generation of employees with trained, talented newcomers. McNerney also addressed the major economic problems that have hit the global economy over the past year and a half, saying that free and open trade, not protectionism, is the answer to these current issues.

Boeing’s success, like that of many companies, depends on two critical components: innovation and productivity. Customers, he said, should inspire innovation. Business intelligence and market research are important ways to gain insights about what customers want, therefore driving innovation. Productivity is threatened because the United States is producing fewer engineers than growing economies like China, India, and the Middle East. This intelligence deficit puts the United States at a disadvantage. Global companies like Boeing, however, have been relying heavily on international talent to drive success globally. Boeing currently generates $42 billion in sales from 70 overseas operations.

McNerney and other top business executives who attended the Job Summit at the White House in December agree on many of the above points and share a common vision for improving the US economy. The group identified three points of action for the federal government. First, investing in education is a vital step toward alleviating the intelligence deficit that many companies are facing. Second, the US must establish a tax policy that is mindful of the global playing field without penalizing innovation. Finally, the group encourages the administration to develop a trade policy that breaks down trade barriers and enforces trade agreements. This means addressing the US import tax, which is currently at a high 12%. It also includes improving commercial diplomacy to win over new customers, enhancing negotiation strategies for fair trade opportunities, and employing an aggressive competitive strategy.

The upcoming 2010 US Census is bound to bring new demographic insights that marketers anticipate could have significant implications for marketing strategy. Notably, the rise in Hispanic population, which is expected to have grown disproportionately quickly since the last Census, could inspire firms to more heavily research the lifestyles and purchasing patterns of this demographic in an attempt to better target Hispanic audiences.

But there are other demographics that may be equally important to marketers. African Americans are one example. A recent BET study claims that the African American population is expected to have risen 13.4% since the 2000 Census. This population growth has corresponded with sharp increases in African American buying power, which was up 55% to $913 billion from 2000-2008. By 2013, that number is expected to rise to $1.24 trillion.

Meanwhile, AdWeek ran an article last week indicating that the tastes of some African American are changing as well. AdWeek specifically points out one sector of African American consumers: Affluent African Americans, or AAAs. According to AdWeek, this group has massive untapped purchasing potential since marketers have not figured out how to communicate their messages effectively to AAAs. Marketers must recognize that individuals in this demographic have new interests, refined tastes, and larger pocketbooks.

That brings up another point: the BET study divided participants into seven categories, which were meant to control for factors such as socioeconomic background and media consumption. But it seems as though the best demographic insights cannot be generalized to fit a diverse population. Umbrella terms (“Hispanics,” and “African Americans”) may be far less meaningful than more nuanced demographic categorizations.

Evanston, IL - I Imagine Studio is proud to announce the launch of the redesigned Starfruit Café Web site (www.starfruitcafe.com). The site-built around the concept of the Starfruit Universe-has been transformed to provide a more user-friendly and interactive experience and to better convey information and values essential to the brand, all while incorporating the fun and energetic personality of Starfruit Café.

The expanded Menu section of the site engages visitors with its visual presentation of the diverse flavor, topping, and health boost options available at Starfruit locations and creatively integrates nutritional information for available products. Among other additions to the site are a What’s New section, which allows visitors to view photos from past events and announcements for upcoming ones, and an About Us section, which presents visitors with information on the health benefits of kefir t and Starfruit’s community involvement and environmental efforts.

Integration of Facebook and Twitter interfaces enables visitors to become Starfruit fans without even leaving the site, maximizing social media reach and building brand awareness across multiple media platforms.

With its effective use of animation and colorful visuals, paired with educational and interactive features, the redesigned Web site successfully conveys Starfruit’s brand personality and generates consumer interest in the Starfruit Universe. I Imagine Studio has created a fun and exciting venue for Starfruit Café to tell its story and engage with potential and existing customers.

About I Imagine Studio

I Imagine Studio is not your everyday ad agency. Each day, they strive to make their work - and our world - a little better. I Imagine Studio chooses to dedicate their creative energy to the well being of individuals and society at large, focusing on companies that are making a positive impact on how we live. They care about their clients because they believe in what they do. They care about what they do because they believe that’s how you begin to make a difference. Their clients include Black & Decker, Harmonic Environments, Infiniti, Lifeway Foods, Pee-Wee Herman, Dish Network, George Forman Grill, and Lamin-Art. A full-service, award winning branding and marketing firm, they have offices in Evanston, Illinois and Santa Monica, California.

With the diversity and seeming omnipresence of free social media platforms, some firms may be tempted to jump headfirst into social media without a clear strategy.  According to senior analysts at eMarketer, this would be a costly mistake.

According to Paul Verna, an eMarketer senior analyst, “The low cost of social media can lull marketers into improvising solutions.” But marketers must take into account the amount of time and resources spent managing and executing social media campaigns, as well as creating the quality and quantity of content necessary for success.  While there may not be any explicit costs for joining social media networks, there’s no such thing as a free social media campaign.  Since money-both costs and potential earnings-are at stake, it’s clear that marketers need a though-out plan.

Furthermore, social media users are increasingly savvy, as are competitors in the marketplace who are quickly becoming more sophisticated in their use of social media.  Consumers who use social media have high expectations for companies operating in that space.

Most importantly, social media strategy must be considered in conjunction with other company strategies and goals.  Social media is obviously useful as a marketing and communications tool, in which case social media campaigns must be aligned with other branding strategies.  But social media is being used increasingly for other aspects of a company’s operations, such as sales, customer service, and IT.  Social media channels must be both consistent and streamlined so that information can be effectively communicated between consumers and relevant departments within the firm.

For more information and links to other eMarketer Insight Briefs on the subject of social media, click here.

Michelle Obama is throwing her weight behind efforts to conquer a big health issue: childhood obesity.  The First Lady announced today that her campaign, Let’s Move, will take a multi-faceted approach to encouraging parents and kids to make healthier choices when it comes to food and exercise.

With over 25 million American kids and teenagers overweight or obese, Mrs. Obama thinks it’s about time to take an ambitious stand against what she calls an epidemic.  “We’ve got to stop citing statistics and wringing our hands and feeling guilty, and get going on this issue,” Obama said.

And she’s using her position as First Lady, and First Mom, to get it done.  “I know from my own experience.  I would move heaven and earth to give my kids all the chance in the world for them to be at the top of their game in every way, shape and form,” she said. “Let’s Move operates under the principle that every family wants the same thing for their kid. So we’re going to figure out how to make it easier for them to get it.”

Her campaign will start with the formation of a task force to study the issue and develop a plan within 90 days.  But Mrs. Obama has already lined up commitments from mayors, business leaders, grocers, school lunch suppliers, foundations, and non-profit organizations, and she is already planting the seeds for some specific initiatives.

Mrs. Obama is planning $400 million in tax credits to encourage grocery businesses to move into low-income areas where people don’t have access to healthy food at a low enough cost because they rely on corner stores and convenience marts.  She also wants to give $25 million to schools to replace deep fryers and soda machines with healthier options, like fresh produce, whole grains, milk, and water.  The campaign will also set up a foundation to monitor the campaign and organize the many groups that are working to combat childhood obesity.

To read more about the dangers of childhood obesity and Michelle Obama’s campaign, click here.