Media Logic’s Retail Social Juice Index captures and analyzes Facebook and Twitter data every day for each of the brands it tracks and distills the data into a single, useful number. This single number provides a daily snapshot of both the effectiveness of individual promotions and the general level of social enthusiasm among the measured brands.

By tracking spikes in engagement through the Index’s “Brand on the Move” feature, Media Logic makes it easy for retailers to uncover, adopt and apply Facebook and Twitter best practices. Through the “Company Watch” feature, retailers can measure their individual success against their sector’s average and up to five additional brands of their choosing. Media Logic also knows from our tracking data that a few savvy retailers have discovered how to dig into the Index and uncover additional levels of insight. Trending retail concepts and innovative social business strategies can be divined by tracking those brands that consistently score at the 150-level or higher.

But there is no reason to work so hard to gain this higher level of insight.

For qualified businesses, Media Logic offers a free social marketing assessment, a comprehensive, custom report that outlines opportunities for your brand in a social world. Brands including Bath & Body Works, HauteLook and Southwest Airlines have found Media Logic’s assessments to be of “incredible and surprising value.” And the only investment is about an hour your time. Contact us today.

The addition of 70 brands is the first of several enhancements in the works, and the utility of the Index continues to expand, even into the B2B sector, as suppliers and service providers begin to see how engagement scores might help them prioritize their outreach and business development efforts.

In case you missed this story, say, because you’ve spent the week in a sensory deprivation tank, here’s the short of it. Lowe’s had purchased time and was running spots on a new TLC reality show titled “All-American Muslim.” This ad buy evidently generated a number of complaints, whipped up, it appears, by a relatively (previously) unknown conservative group called The Florida Family Association. According to most reports, Lowe’s pulled its ads in response to these complaints. This action generated a firestorm.

Lowe’s RSJI score jumped 330 points to 391 on Tuesday, December 13. It jumped another 97 points on Wednesday, and then spiked a scary 469 points on Thursday, topping out at 896. (For comparison, the average RSJI number for 408 brands currently being scored by Media Logic was 46 on Thursday. The #2 brand on the Index, American Girl, scored 267. The previous record high score was 450, again by American Girl.)

Lowe’s number is clearly exceptional. And in this case, it is exceptionally bad. The question is, can it teach us something?

ABOUT MEDIA LOGIC’S RETAIL SOCIAL JUICE INDEX

Media Logic’s Retail Social Juice Index (RSJI), quite intentionally, does not factor sentiment into its scores. The RSJI measures engagement. Good or bad.

As you follow the Index, you will sometimes notice spikes in brand scores. If you trace those spikes back to their sources, you will find some are the results of promotions and others are due to big customer service issues, like technology glitches during major sales. Sometimes, even, arguments break out between customers. When this happens, engagement scores can really shoot up. The question is, when an argument breaks out on a brand’s Facebook page, what should the owner of that page do?

NOW, BACK TO THE LOWE’S STORY

On Saturday, December 10, after the news broke about Lowe’s pulling its ad buy, the company posted a status update to its Facebook wall that began, “It appears that we managed to step into a hotly contested debate.” With that sort of non-apology apology, Lowe’s only stepped into it deeper. The post made people madder. The argument only grew hotter. And Lowe’s, rather than confront the problem, did almost nothing for the next four days.

Between Saturday and Wednesday, Lowe’s allowed an ugly and very off-brand political argument to rage on its Facebook wall. Tens of thousands of comments were posted, many very aggressive and more than a few pointedly racist. Apparently, the company did try to exercise some very modest control (several people complained about posts being deleted), but active moderation by Lowe’s appears to have been minimal.

Finally, on Wednesday, December 15, Lowe’s deleted its Saturday apology post along with all 28,000 comments. It also closed its wall to fan posts, effectively deleting thousands of comments there, as well. At about 2 p.m., Lowe’s posted a new status update that read, in part, “For several days, our Facebook page has become a forum of debate surrounding a TLC program. … Some of the comments have been sharp and disrespectful in tone, but out of respect for the transparency of social media, we let the debate continue.”

Really? Do brands have an obligation to host open political debate on their Facebook pages? Frankly, in our opinion as marketers, and as humans, Lowe’s could have – and should have – exercised more control over its Facebook page immediately after the first openly hostile comments were posted on Saturday. As Media Logic Conversation Manager Carolee Sherwood says, “A brand has a responsibility in all its communities – the Facebook wall being one – to make sure the environment is conducive to community and respectful.”

WHAT’S A BRAND TO DO?

The manager of a brand’s social space has the same right – and the same obligation – as the manager of a store. Whether the argument breaks out in the aisles or on its wall, for the safety of other shoppers, the combatants should be asked to quiet down. If they don’t, they should be asked, or made, to leave.

*Media Logic’s Retail Social Juice Index combines several metrics measured over a 7-day period. Lowe’s RSJI number reported on Tuesday, December 13 factors engagement on the brand’s primary Facebook page and Twitter stream between December 5 and December 11.

When brands tap into this energy (the bread and butter of social media), they see social engagement spike. For example, on Monday, Kohl’s asked a simple question: “Classic holiday drink: eggnog or hot chocolate?” More than 2,600 fans jumped in with comments about their preferences. Ask questions and ye shall receive engagement? It worked for jcpenney, too. On December 1, it ventured into controversial waters with “Christmas sweaters: Awesome or toss ‘em?” Hundreds of fans joined the conversation with very strong opinions!

Even though it may not be their fans’ favorite season, Spirit Halloween used a question to stay connected to its fans. One week ago it asked, “Does your love for Halloween ever flow into Christmas? Do you ever decorate with A Nightmare Before Christmas?” Its engagement spiked so much when fans added their remarks, it registered in the top 10 movers on our Retail Social Juice Index for that time frame.

Questions can take other forms besides multiple choice and yes/no. We see increased engagement from brands using polls and fill-in-the-blank posts, as well. What it tells us is that customers enjoy it when brands ask them what they think. Remember — people in social networks want to be heard. Brands who use their walls to as places for fans to express themselves enhance the customer experience.

We all have something to say. Give us an outlet, and we’ll use it. Zuckerberg is onto something. In case you haven’t heard …

The ease of group communication did come with some challenges, though. Primarily this: all people have opinions and my classmates weren’t afraid to share theirs. It is impossible to please 300 people when planning a gathering. Even so, the event went on …

Mingling over a cocktails, I found conversations beginning with “Congratulations on passing the bar exam!” or “Your new baby is beautiful!” rather than the bland “So what have you been up to lately?” It was clear that social media had affected the reunion from more than just a logistical standpoint.

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, et al. have overhauled the way we interact at reunions by providing instant conversation fodder. I’m not talking about the weather but more substantive topics, such as personal achievements, life-changing events or even a shared “LOL.”  Social media allowed my class to connect on a deeper level than we might have if our reunion occurred just 10 years earlier.

Not every one of my Class of ‘01 comrades agrees with the above opinion. In fact, we are a bit polarized on the topic. While I believe social media allowed for a deeper human connection, my friend Karen* feels that social media has made reunions unnecessary. She remarked, “Why should I go to the reunion? I know what everyone is doing from being on Facebook, and I can easily get in touch with anyone who I have a desire to converse with.”

While Karen may have a good point, I think there is something to be said for spontaneous face-to-face interactions with old friends and foes. These interactions are what make us human. It’s a shame to think we might use social media as an excuse to live life in a bubble. What do you think? Do Facebook and other forms of social media enhance reunions or render them obsolete?

*Name has been changed to protect the innocent

]]> http://blog.mlinc.com/social-marketing/ruminations-on-reunions-in-a-social-world/feed/ 0 http://blog.mlinc.com/social-marketing/melissa%e2%80%99s-5-favorite-twitter-accounts/ http://blog.mlinc.com/social-marketing/melissa%e2%80%99s-5-favorite-twitter-accounts/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:50:07 +0000 Melissa Fiorenza http://blog.mlinc.com/?p=6423 @magnoliabakery off my list (its guest appearance in #4 doesn’t count). Here are the five that made my cut...]]> Since my colleagues have already proven Media Logic to be home to a bunch of cupcake fiends, I’ll leave @magnoliabakery off my list (its guest appearance in #4 doesn’t count). Here are the five that made the cut:

NASA (@NASA): For a suburban space geek like me, this is the closest I’ll get to a life less terrestrial. Tweeting photos, videos and articles, @NASA and its sub-accounts give followers access to a world of information that is both enlightening and fascinating. I don’t have the time to navigate their website, but thanks to Twitter, I won’t miss out on seeing an asteroid cruise through space 12,000 light-years from Earth. I mean, how cool is this?

Cooking Light Magazine (@Cooking_Light): A Twitter account that dishes out cooking tips, links to recipes, entertaining ideas…what’s not to love if you’re an aspiring chef on a diet? They don’t OD on exclamation points. Their product, by nature, creates tweets you’d want to ‘favorite,’ and they make it easy to want to share by stating upfront where their links go (#DinnerTonight: We keep this soup creamy but surprisingly low in fat with a few tricks. Chicken & Wild Rice Soup: http://bit.ly/rJDan9). If the tweet had resembled a suspenseful coverline with few details, I wouldn’t ‘favorite’ it. (Something to think about, brands.) And lastly, these editors know how to write. Correct grammar and polished tweets are key. As @someecards once said, “You had me at your proper use of ‘You’re.’”

Italian Language (@italianlanguage): With Twitter’s help, I get closer to knocking off an item on my bucket list every day. The goal: To have a smooth conversation in Italian with my Sicilian-born grandparents. Each daily tweet from @italianlanguage includes a word, sentence and link to where you can hear it. (Example: risparmiare: to save: verb. Example sentence: L’anno prossimo con il nuovo piano finanziario risparmieremo 15.000… http://bit.ly/rC6SvM) The stream is clean and direct, but I wouldn’t mind if the company that ran it (transparent.com) tweeted more than once per day—even if it’s just reminding me of the day’s word.

RueLaLa Customer Service (@RueLaLa_help): If you provide exceptional customer service, I’m yours for life. Rue La La (@RueLaLa) — an online boutique that peddles discounted designer merch — provides customer service at a separate handle; @RueLaLa_help is run by Amy B. (says so in the bio). Here’s why she makes my top five list:

Earlier this year, I decided to spring for a discounted room at a swanky Manhattan hotel through Rue. When I reached out to Amy with a problem regarding my order, she quickly delivered—not just the help, but Magnolia Bakery cupcakes, too. The little morsels of heaven were waiting for me in the room to thank me for working with her. Above and beyond, much? Not only did I tell everyone I know (half-praising, half-bragging), I now hold Rue in a higher plane above all its competitors. I feel more comfortable purchasing through its site, knowing any issues will be swiftly resolved. So really, it’s not that I love this account’s content (who cares about others’ problems?); it’s a favorite because it’s responsive. With a human voice. Quickly. And consistently.

#AHSFX (#AHSFX): Okay, I’m breaking the rules. Rather than list a fifth Twitter account, I’ve got to tack on a hashtag that I use every Wednesday night. It represents a good portion of why I’m on even on Twitter (to read others’ snackable thoughts)—and makes a good case as to why hashtags can be beneficial for a brand. Here’s the deal: FX’s new hit series, American Horror Story, both terrifies me and intrigues me. It’s one of those figure-it-out Lost-like series that requires a lot of recap-reading and theory-discussing. When I type in the official hashtag during and after each episode, I instantly connect with other viewers. It’s truly an in-the-moment experience, and relevant retailers or brands that jump in with good ideas are likely to get a follower out of me. #TimingIsEverything

So, what accounts (or hashtags) do you follow?

Like Emily, who provided her list of favorites here, I also follow a cupcake tweeter. I am so inept with baking that I marvel (to admit drool would be too unbecoming) at the yummy photos from @cupcakeblog. I had no idea people could be so creative with frosting! But unlike Emily, whose list reveals her to be worldly, hip and informed, I am afraid my list tells the sad truth: I sometimes snort when I laugh.

Here, in all their geeky glory, are my “5 Favorite Twitter Accounts:”

Poetry Magazine (@poetrymagazine): Sometimes @poetrymagazine tweets events or links to articles (What lawyers can learn from poets! http://bit.ly/qRPDKR), but it mostly fills its Twitter stream with tiny bits of poetry that stand all on their own as interesting and enticing. @poetrymagazine takes the 140 character limit and uses it as a telescope, plucking something from the vast universe (lines and lines of poems) and bringing it up close. The tweet becomes a micropoem that makes you want more: The mask? Because we were never ugly / enough. —Bryan D. Dietrich http://bit.ly/udaW0y. And since the tweet contains a link to the full poem, there is instant gratification.

Someecards (@someecards): Ever feel like you’re the last one to know stuff? Friends always beat you to the punch by posting trendy, funny content before you? By following @someecards’ Twitter stream, sometimes I am the first to annoy entertain my friends and followers with something snarky. For example, @someecards recently tweeted this: A handy hipster flowchart that everyone but hipsters can agree with. http://bit.ly/w1JUmn. What wannabe funny girl’s repertoire is complete without some hipster humor?

Steve Martin (@stevemartintogo): Speaking of humor, I very often like mine to come out of the blue. @stevemartintogo tweets funny, totally random things, like, The conquistadors are back, and this time they set up an lemonade stand on my front lawn. Do I call police or simply attack? and Hard to maintain my X-Ray vision usage for only good. Limiting using for good to ten hour day. Following this “wild and crazy guy” on Twitter is always a delightful surprise. He interacts with followers, and he plays the banjo. I wonder if he does them at the same time …

Wordnik (@wordnik): Word of the Day: hag-ridden: Afflicted with nightmares or unreasonable fears; entangled, involved. http://bit.ly/vZEIGz. Enough said? I love grammar (I also follow @APStylebook) and vocabulary. Yes, I was *that* girl in school who loved the weekly vocab quizzes. With @wordnik, the thrill is back. List of the Day: I Am Evil: wicked, diabolical, demonic, corrupt, vile, infernal, bad, nefarious, sinister, satanic http://bit.ly/szwqTV. Who doesn’t love synonyms for “diabolical?” The account even scans Twitter and pop culture for great usage or blunders: Points for “volumptuous” though. RT @HuffingtonPost: Snooki doesn’t know who J.K. Rowling is (VIDEO) http://bit.ly/sPkqXq.

PBS (@PBS): PBS produces so many interesting and fascinating shows. Like all of you, I’m busy. I work full-time, mother three sons and feed a serious poetry habit (see #1 above). I’m always missing out on great content. But the @PBS Twitter stream is an easy way to catch wonderful stories (Stream 1st episode of @novapbs’s Fabric of the Cosmos via our free iPad & iPhone apps before its 11/2 premiere: http://go.pbs.org/7aCWc) and participate in the contemporary conversation (Quiz: Are Thou Learned? 10 questions to test your knowledge of the #Shakespeare authorship debate. http://go.pbs.org/7duWx). And check this out: PBS explores the roots of American music with “Give Me the Banjo” narrated by @stevemartintogo #PBSarts. How perfect is that? Could Twitter be the organizing principle mankind has been seeking for all time?

While I use Twitter as an informative tool, I rely on it more for entertainment, so a majority of my favorite Twitter accounts spew 140-character messages than consistently make me chuckle. I also have a great adoration for brands that make their followers feel valued. Whether it’s through exclusive Twitter giveaways or simple re-tweets and replies, there’s a special place in my heart reserved for those tweeting brands.

So here it is, after arduous whittling, my “5 Favorite Twitter Accounts” (at the moment):

1. Flamingo Hotel and Casino Las Vegas (@FlamingoVegas): My favorite hotel in my favorite city in the country! In addition to being a fantastic place to stay with great service, the Flamingo Hotel and Casino has a Twitter game that is on spot. It is an excellent customer service tool with behind-the-scenes people responding to followers, generally in less than 12 hours. I’ve tweeted at the Flamingo with topics ranging from pricing concerns to towel questions and pool excitement and have never failed to receive a fun, informative and timely response. Additionally, the Flamingo Hotel offers fun contests and special offers exclusively for Twitter and Facebook fans. With 20 percent reduced rates for Twitter followers, my only question is: Why wouldn’t you follow them?
2. Charlie McDowell (@charliemcdowell): This single man living in L.A. has grown his Twitter army to over 70,000 followers with the simple line “Dear Girls Above Me.” The aspiring film writer and comedian uses his entire Twitter stream to write imaginary responses to conversations between two real life party girl roommates who are his very loud — and very oblivious — upstairs neighbors. Some recent tweets include: “Dear Girls Above Me, ‘I don’t get the point of Twitter. Does anyone really care what I have to say?’ Umm, I think I know a few people” and “Dear GAM, ‘Let’s just say she’s not the sharpest pool in the shed.’ To be fair you’re not exactly the sharpest wife in the drawer either.” This hilarious Twitter stream is following in the ranks of some other famous Tweeters to get the TV treatment: Ashton Kutcher is supposedly developing a show based on the timeline for CBS.
3. Dr. Oz (@DrOz): An Oprah protégé, Dr. Mehmet Oz became well known appearing on the health segments of her show between 2004 and 2009. Once he earned his own Emmy award-winning show on NBC, Dr. Oz was pretty much a household name. However, being that The Dr. Oz show is a daytime show, and my DVR is already overflowing with TV that I need to catch up on, Twitter is the perfect outlet to receive his health- centered updates. He tweets special offers, quizzes and interesting articles about a number of different health topics ranging from diets and exercise tips to the latest in cancer research and news.
4. Georgetown Cupcake (@GTownCupcake): As someone who was born, raised and currently residing in New York, I cannot reap the full benefits of this popular D.C.-based “cupcakery.” But I can follow them on Twitter! Georgetown Cupcake, which spawned its own TLC reality show, tweets cupcake recipes, fundraising events and mouth-watering photos of its award winning cupcakes. Each day the bakery uses Twitter to announce its daily, not-on-the-menu cupcake available for free to the first 100 customers (per location) who ask for the cupcake by name. The secret cupcakes, with names like “Chocolate Thin Mint Crunch” and “Chocolate Salted Caramel,” may just be enough for this New Yorker to pack up and head south.
5. Conan O’Brien (@ConanOBrien): No matter the show or the network, Conan’s humor is, in my opinion, unparalleled by any other comedian on TV today. So it’s of no surprise at all that his tweets are hilarious. The TV host’s tweets are in no way promotional, a refreshing quality among celebrities on the social networking site. Conan simply uses Twitter as a platform for sending sarcastic, topical one- liners to his nearly 4 million followers.

Those of us old enough to remember the profound impact of music pre-computer age have a kernel within us that feels like awe, the awe that comes from many thousands of people experiencing the same feelings you are at the same time. That was a rare, novel concept 20-40 years ago, and numbers that seemed impressive then — 500,000 at Woodstock, by some counts – are dwarfed in a social culture where brands attract millions of fans.

Massive music moments were, and still are, about belonging to something. Regardless of generation, these moments have always been about sharing. Think of how Elvis became a sensation. Radio stations and word of mouth spread via our passionate need to tune into — and share in — the emergence of this amazing new talent from Memphis.

Music sharing “back then” (I’m thinking especially of rock and roll) depended initially upon radio broadcast over AM waves and the emergence of the transistor radio, the first true device to allow personal listening choice and mobility. Together, they shifted our interaction with music. We “called in” to radio stations to make requests or vote for our favorite bands. Transistors and telephones may seem primitive now, but in retrospect, they make the social media sharing of music now feel very familiar.

The boom-box craze of the 80s, where folks gathered and “commented” on each others musical tastes, also has a modern counterpart. Then, consumers blasted their favorites up and down the streets, ever louder and more publicly. Now, favorite sounds are amplified and critiqued via social channels.

You can argue that the massive attendance of the original Woodstock qualifies it as a viral event. Hundreds of thousands of peace seekers spread the word to each other within a very short period of time by 1969 standards. The New York State Thruway was clogged for hours in the process of their physical “engagement” migration. It was all organic spillover stemming from the need to be heard instead of bending to the conventional wisdom of the time. The initial intent — to gather 75,000 like-minded participants to a “be-in” (Woodstock Preservation Archives) — turned out to become one of the first examples of a mass-influencer initiative, where “the audience was a much bigger story than the [bands].”

Today, musicians hope to “go viral” on YouTube. The hysteria from Justin Beiber’s original YouTube channel comes to mind. A success like that on YouTube feels very similar to how the Ed Sullivan show helped launch the stars of its day.

The human race is a social pack animal, always seeking to be part of something. The paths to broadcast, promote or encourage mass engagement during the 20th century were not as accessible or plentiful as they are now, but music was something it seemed natural and easy to share.

Thanks to 21st century technology, many other things are also easy and natural to share and on an even grander scale. Avenues for deliberate political actions, social commentaries or movements used to be far more limited. But the revolutionary causes of the past year that utilized Twitter and Facebook have replicated the music-based monoculture model on a real-time global scale.

Is it likely that the revolution in Egypt last spring would have reached the size, intensity and ultimate success it did had it not been for the emergence of a “massive moment” sparked by a couple of voices that became many across social networks? In addition, the platforms helped our cable networks tell the same truth that folks on the street were able to tell. Talk about a moment reflecting who you are in that space and time! The call to gather – knowing the world was watching — was fueled by the real-time benefit and wide reach that social media provides.

And today, brands want to be revolutionary, too, and a few are able to do it. Think about the “massive moment” that each new Apple iDevice release creates. Examine the Apple iPhone 4s, for example. The frenzy and fervor of that “gotta have it on release day” mentality makes it appear that monoculture events do still exist.

As “Marketing Nut” Pam Moore wrote recently, “People no longer buy things, they join things.” And it occurs to me that music, movements and brands all rely on the same motivating factors, as described by the opening of the Salon article:

“I love Massive Music Moments. I live for those times when an album explodes throughout American society as more than a product—but as a piece of art that speaks to our deepest longings and desires and anxieties. In these Moments, an album becomes so ubiquitous it seems to blast through the windows, to chase you down until it’s impossible to ignore it. But you don’t want to ignore it, because the songs are holding up a mirror and telling you who we are at that moment in history.”

Think about it: all historic massive moments came from a few folks doing something unexpected. Something new and fresh. Something that raised our heads from the sometimes drudging, sometimes dangerous, simple, boring norm. The thing that successfully challenges inertia gets our attention, whether it’s music or something else.

The mass moments of “the good old days” still feel large and deeply special. But yes, Ron, people do still feel part of big cultural moments. When the channels of participating were fewer, music movements were one of the biggest things to belong to. Now, participation channels are so prevalent people are using their own unique filters so they can reasonably participate with like-minded individuals. Some filter by political preferences, some by brand affinity. And yes, some still filter by a taste in music.

I think it’s obvious how a glossy’s editorial content translates well to Twitter. From giveaways to quick snippets of articles alongside links, they’re a natural fit for the information-feeding social stream. What piques my interest is something Folio pointed out: “Twitter also helps brands punch way above their weight class. Good came in at #16 (up from #17 in January), eclipsing household names such as Rolling Stone (#19) and Vanity Fair (#39),” they noted.

So, which do you think would be more popular on Twitter: Food & Wine or Scientific American? O, The Oprah Magazine or Discover? In both cases, the latter reigned supreme.

Personally, I love this. Nothing against Oprah, but this is a great case-in-point scenario that underdogs should learn a lesson from: Think your brand is lesser-known compared to others? It still may outperform the bigger guys on Twitter.

So go ahead and log in. With polished content, an entertaining stream, a good social media strategy, and perhaps a professional conversation manager, you could the top the list in your industry, too.

In February, an impassioned debate followed The New York Times article, “Blogs Wane as the Young Drift to Sites Like Twitter”), and the internet lit up with posts (blog posts, mainly) on both sides of the argument that everyone began to sum up as “The New York Times says blogs are dead.”

Fast forward to yesterday when The New York Times’ Fashion & Style section published an article about the power of bloggers as influencers. In “Fashion Bloggers, Posted and Represented” columnist Steven Kurutz describes how many young, trendy fashion bloggers have become so popular with brands that they have turned to agents to help them manage the opportunities that come their way. Digital Brand Architects is one firm that helps bloggers navigate (and get paid for) their gigs. Kurutz quotes a representative from the agency: “Bloggers aren’t just people who sit in a room and regurgitate press releases. These are the next influencers.”

There was no intermediary article in The New York Times that announced blogs were back from the dead, no “false alarm” proclamation from any of the major media, no “it’s safe to go back in the (blogging) water” all-clears from marketers. Here’s why: most of us never stopped including blogs in our influencer strategies.

Certainly, retailers kept them on their radars, both hosting their own photo-heavy blogs (like Stylust by bebe, Inside Curve by Lane Bryant and this tumblr by Ann Taylor) and promoting blogs that, well, promoted them. One of the most interesting places to watch brands court bloggers is Twitter, a medium that was cited in February as one of the nails in blogging’s coffin.

About 10 days ago, @AnnTaylor wrapped up a favorite blogger contest on Twitter: “Love a Fashion blog? Share the link and @ mention your blogger for a chance to win our Tiger Eye Pendant. We have 5 to give away!” Looking into the winners – “Congratulations to @StyleEYEmidwest, @Arosyoutlook, @thenagashi, @SocialLstyle and @MaggyEnv for winning our Fav Blogger Twitter contest!” – we can see that the largest following among them was just over 1,200, but imagine the fashion blogger leads and contacts it made (and can nurture/encourage)!

Earlier this month, @LaneBryant gave props to one fashion blogger Tanesha Awasth — “Instant Inspiration: ‘Girl With Curves’ Blogger Tanesha Awasth: ‘Stay True To Yourself’ http://ow.ly/6ngTU #lanebryant” — and commented on a tweet by another: “Love the jacket & earrings! RT @theplussideofme: New #blog post! OOTD: Pigs are Flying theplussideofme.com #lanebryant.”

In a different twist, sometimes @bebe_stores actually turns over its Twitter feed to fashion bloggers: “This is Erica of LPFashionPhilosophy (@davieanderica). I’m taking over @bebe_stores and am tweeting live from the @teenvogue fashion show!!!” and “For those of you just tuning in… This is Shea Marie from CheyenneMeetsChanel.com tweeting live from Bebe’s #FNO event in LA!! So much fun!”

@coach has a unique and regular Twitter habit, as well. Every Monday, it tweets the musical tastes of fashionistas, including bloggers: “Our friends @PurseBlog are still loving Adele’s power-girl ballad ‘Someone Like You.’ Watch it here >> bit.ly/nGNUJU #MusicMonday.” Coach also gives shout-outs to bloggers: “UK blogger @000o000 made a stop at our @CoachBlkrMen shop to peep some fall gear (cc: @vanessaflay).”

Even non-fashion brands want in on the popularity of fashion bloggers, which, though it’s ongoing, seems to have surged leading up to and during Fashion Week in New York earlier this month. Check out this tweet from @DietCokeUS): “Fashion blogger @BryanBoy sipping on a frosty #DietCoke at Fashion Night Out. #fashionweek http://instagr.am/p/OLKD8/.” Followers who click on the tweet see an Instagram photo of @BryanBoy with sunglasses and a Diet Coke in one of the cans with the new design the brand unveiled during Fashion Week.

The bread and butter social network for retailers still appears to be Facebook. (Brands, you have to have an actively managed wall!). But fashion and clothing brands seem to be leading the way on integration and utilization of other media, including Twitter and, yes, blogs of all varieties.