While they may seem like nothing but a nuisance, unexpected events that interrput live TV coverage can actually be an opportunity for advertisers. This year's Super Bowl football game is the perfect example. 

When the power went out in the New Orleans arena, audience members and advertisers alike flocked to the Web to take advantage. Brands like Walgreens, Oreo, Tide and Audi all sent tweets related to the technical difficulty and gained some good PR — and possibly, sales — in doing so. 

Turning to an always-on, mobile-optimized platform like Twitter to make updates while a scheduled event is interrupted is the best way for brands to connect with a captive audience, whether at home, at a sports bar or in the stadium. Viewers were left with little to do besides check their social networks via mobile and chat about the mishap, which opens the door for these types of memorable exchanges. 

Looking forward, marketers should prepare for any amount of down time during live events that align well with a brand's audience. This includes set changes during concerts or commercial breaks during sports events.

Being prepared means first letting fans know the brand is ready to chat by promoting tweets or Facebook posts on mobile platforms. This lets brands attract audience eyeballs through online clutter. Keep...

While reading the news, I caught eye of a heartwarming news story that had an interesting significance to me as an advertiser. It's something I've been waiting to be confirmed, but did not expect through a touching story like this. 

Cliff Boyson and his sister were separated as children in Chicago's foster care system for 65 years. They were recently reunited after the son of Boyson's landlord searched for his long lost sister on Facebook. 

"I went on Facebook and I typed in Boyson," Eddie told ABC News. "There were a whole bunch of pictures that showed up. One of them kind of looked like Clifford and I zoomed in on it and it started to really look like Clifford, [so] I showed it to my mom and dad."

Sentimental value aside, this is a very interesting story. Facebook has an age requirement of at least 13 years of age. Eddie, the heroic boy in this story, is about half the mandatory age. The article does state Eddie used his mom's profile to search, but still, how was it so easy for a 7 year old to just jump on and begin a successful search when he isn't technically allowed to have ever been on there? 

Stories like this prove that though one must be at least 13 years old to have a Facebook profile, this doesn't mean people younger aren't on there. They are engaging and fully aware of the platform and experience. We as...

This week at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Bentley added a detail to their models that I would not expect from a luxury brand: Each of the three display models featured custom license plates with the name hashtagged. This execution surprised me coming from a luxury car maker so well-known for their beautiful and clean aesthetic.

Though an approach like this successfully helps at getting the word out and creating a conversation thread online, it does run the risk of promo ruining prestige. I did a little research and there were mentions online using the recommended hashtags, including some Instagram photo uploads. The monitored image above is interesting because the user chose to blur out the rest of the vehicle and focus more visually on the license plate. The Bentley logo on the front of the vehicle is even blurred out.

What are your thoughts on luxury brands using social media promo on their actual product? Could hashtags be the future of personal vanity icense plates?

**Via PSFK

With the year coming to a close, it feels like the right time to reflect on the things that happened in 2012 and more importantly the things that can be learned. When it comes to social media, 2012 showed that many brands, including very high profile ones, are still approaching things the wrong way. They're not thinking about social media as a place for conversations. They're thinking about it as another channel for pushing messages. This flawed thought process yielded mistakes and five ways to learn from them.

1. You Don't Control The Message

This summer, McDonald's invited a very public critique of its business on Twitter with a campaign promoting #McDStories. The brand intended to get a very positive message out there and have consumers chime in with their own upbeat stories. Instead, people Tweeted on everything from McDonald's and weed to getting sick and the sourcing of food.

This wasn't how McDonald's thought things would go but how could they not have seen it coming? There had been a previous (but not as well-publicized) incident that took a similar path for the brand on Twitter. Instead of making the second attempt, McDonald's should have realized it can't control Twitter. If it's important to have engagement with the community, then make that engagement real. Take suggestions from the community. Answer questions.

2. Would You Spam Your Friends?

Toyota took to the Twitter airwaves during this year's Super Bowl...

You've probably heard it before. "I want to join Twitter to follow what @Oprah is doing but I have nothing to say." This is a valid point, as not everyone needs to be on a platform where they don't feel the need to engage in conversation. Twitter is a gold mine of information (and entertainment) but not everyone needs to be producing their own content here. For those who feel more comfortable listening but not necessarily talking, there is a service called Tweets by Email.  

Much like Google alerts, a user is able to "subscribe" to specific Twitter handles of interest and create groups of up to five. Updates from these sources are then sent directly to the user's email in an easy to skim format. There is also a scheduling tool allowing users to specify days they would like to receive updates from each group.

Though I personally wish everyone were joining the conversation on Twitter, tools like this help those who may not yet be comfortable to not miss out on everything that's happening. So, until that day when Oprah tweets that you won a car, you can at least listen for it. 

*Via AllTwitter