This, believe it or not, is only a partial list of the coverage that the launch of WePC.com has garnered:
Asus, Intel Ask Users to Build the Perfect Notebook PC
PC Magazine – 10/30/2008

WePC.com to crowdsource laptop design
Machinist (Salon.com blog) – 10/30/2008
Asus, Intel launch WePC website, ask community to design PCs for them
Engadget – 10/30/2008
At Intel and Asus, We Crowdsource Your PC
Mashable – 10/30/2008
Intel, ASUS and FM Team Up to Create ‘Crowdsourced’ PCs
ClickZ – 10/30/2008
Intel, Asus partner on ‘dream PC’ design site
CNET – 10/30/2008
WePC: Intel and Asus forming community, or focus group 2.0?
ZDNET – 10/30/2008
Asus & Intel let you design their next laptop
Geek.com – 10/31/2008
Asus and Intel need design. So… are you free?
Core77 – 10/31/2008

The WePC: By the people, for Asus
PC World – 10/30/2008
Intel and Asus outsource design work to general public
The Inquirer – 10/30/2008
Intel and ASUS ask PC users to design the perfect computer
The Tech Herald – 10/30/2008
Asus wants you to design its new eeePC
Computer Weekly – 10/30/2008
Intel and Asus try crowdsourcing PCs
Guardian UK – 10/30/2008

Check out the newly launched WePC.com. Man, is this cool. Asus and Intel have taken the concept of ‘conversational marketing’ and spun it into a whole new level of engagement – I suppose you’d call it ‘conversational product development.’
At WePC.com, Asus is creating “the world’s first community designed laptop.” Head over there and let Asus know what you’ve always wanted in a laptop. You can even draw it for them.

Here’s the official press release.

BuzzLogic recently commissioned a study from Jupiter Research regarding influence and the blogosphere. It found that blogs hold far more influence over readers (consumers) than do social networks. My first reaction when reading this news yesterday at CNET and ClickZ was to utter a sarcastic, “shocker.” Blogger influence has been something of a mantra here at FM for quite some time and it has been proven time and time again with a plethora of brand advertisers. The dedicated, involved, savvy audience that frequents leading blogs is a virtual goldmine for marketers. Thanks to BuzzLogic for continuing to spread the good word.
But I also have a feeling that social networks are getting a bad rap, here. Splashing ads all over social nets has been shown to be less effective than other forms of digital advertising, but brands who approach the social space with their eyes and minds open (and who remember the three rules of social media marketing: be authentic, be transparent, and add value) will find ways to engage consumers that can be every bit as effective as blog advertising and sponsorship programs.
See here for some very effective social network marketing efforts from Dell, BMW and Lenovo.

Jeremiah Owyang, Forrester’s social media maven, talked with Intel’s David Veneski about the brand’s social marketing practices. In short – they get it. See the below quote for some key takeaways. For more on the work that FM and Intel have done together, see Need-a-Tech-Makeover and PopURLS Blue Edition.
From Web Strategy by Jeremiah:

Intel is known for trying out a variety of social media efforts, for better or for worse. They experiment, and continue to learn and iterate, I give them continual credit and reference them in presentations. One particular activity of note is what I learned from David Veneski, he tackled the join vs build question and made the call to join…
The moment of brilliance was when David said that one of the requirements of his marketing efforts was to not link to Intel.com. Rather than try to join a community then pull them away, the marketing efforts joined the community and stayed there –likely where the trust is highest (see data).
As a result, David fished where the fish were, and avoided trying to suck the members off the community they were part of. Marketers are often measured on the amount of traffic they generate to their corporate website, but in this case, Intel will have to measure using different attributes such as interaction, viral spread, and maybe even a survey.
Rather than coax users to your irrelevant corporate website, savvy brands will fish where the fish are.

Forrester has finally declared what many of us have known suspected for quite some time: that social media is mainstream. Indeed there are very few people in the US that can’t be reached via social media channels. And, I’d argue, even those that can’t be reached directly via social media are certainly influenced by those that can be.
From AdWeek:

The company’s polling indicates 2008 has marked significant growth for social media, with a decided majority of users now taking part. A consumer poll done in the second quarter found that 75 percent of Internet users participate in some form of social media, up from 56 percent in 2007.

Check out the chart below. This is from Josh Bernoff‘s recent report: The Growth Of Social Technology Adoption. That’s extraordinary, but not necessarily surprising, news.

We’re awfully proud of the work we’ve done with Dell here at FM. Check out Digital Nomads and Dell’s Facebook Graffiti Contest for some of the brand’s most innovative work in social media. Now they’ve been named the Brand of the Year by the Society for New Communications Research. Congratulations!
From the press release:

The Society for New Communications Research, a global nonprofit think tank focused on the latest developments in new media and communications, today announced the Society’s Fellows’ choices for the Visionary of the Year, Innovator of the Year, and Brand of the Year awards as part of the SNCR Excellence in New Communications Awards program.
The Fellows have chosen:
* Dell, Inc., the 2008 SNCR Brand of the Year. The Brand of the Year is awarded to the organization that made the most significant advances in utilizing new communications and social media tools, technologies and practices.
* Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, co-authors of Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies (Harvard Business Press), the 2008 SNCR Visionaries of the Year. The Visionary of the Year Award is presented to individuals whose ideas and achievements have contributed inspiration and leadership to the evolution of the new media and communications landscape.
* Twitter founders Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams, the 2008 SNCR Innovators of the Year. The Innovator of the Year is awarded to the organization or individual(s) whose technological innovations had the most impact on the communications and media industry.

Alexis Leinoff joins the NY team at Federated as a Regional Sales Manager to help marketers create strong relationships with their customers through conversational marketing. Prior to FM, she was hired to found and grow the NY ad sales organization for LinkedIn.com and also sold Adwords at Google. She is a New York native who likes to read fiction, cook for friends and family, quote the Big Lebowski and travel in her spare time. Welcome to FM, Alexis!!

Federated Media got together with about 200 friends last night at New York’s Aspen Lounge. Check out snaps of the fun that was had by all.

FM welcomes another media veteran to our ranks with Tony Cheung, our new VP Finance. Tony previously worked at Embarcadero Technologies where he was the Worldwide Corporate Controller. Prior to that, he was an Executive Director of Revenue for Fox Interactive Media and Corporate Controller for IGN Entertainment and Scout Media. Tony has over 15 years of accounting and finance experience and had taken a software company public. When not working, Tony loves spending time with his family. Welcome, Tony!