As a proud member of the social media industry, I often feel that, to borrow a phrase, 'I don't get no respect.' My social media brethren often feel the same. Many of us came from corporate communications or PR roles, where we didn't necessarily need a certain degree or professional designation in order to get or keep a job. As social has proliferated across industries and companies large and small -- and with it the ability to start a Facebook Page or Twitterfeed for free -- everyone … [Read more...]
It’s On: Oracle To Battle Salesforce for Ownership of the ‘Marketing Cloud’
Today's announcement of enterprise software maker and CRM provider Oracle buying marketing automation vendor Eloqua for $811 million has many people -- including this analyst -- blindsided. After all, Eloqua just went public in August, raising $92 million. And a little more than 4 months later, it gets acquired? It was unclear from the news announcements if it was an all-stock deal, but clearly, Oracle is trying to do battle with the other enterprise software maker and CRM provider … [Read more...]
Surprise! Social Technology Still Needs People
Though I didn't attend Dreamforce two weeks ago, it's still reassuring that software companies -- and not just marketing and PR people -- are understanding the power and role of social in today's enterprise. That social media marketing platforms such as Involver and Vitrue were sold to Oracle, and Buddy Media to Salesforce, and not to ad agency holding companies like WPP, Omnicom, and Interpublic warm my heart -- and let all of us who work tirelessly in the social media world know that 'Yes, … [Read more...]
The New Data.com Social Key: Taking on InsideView?
Salesforce's Dreamforce conference, held in San Francisco this past week, included a number of new product announcements, notably the launch of Data.com's Social Key, a tool to deliver social data and integrate it with customer and account information kept in Salesforce. According to the blog, By injecting social into traditional with just one click, the Social Key humanizes your business data and brings it to life through real-time updates and a 360-degree perspective. Social Key will … [Read more...]