brand-e

Looking for a bit of Star Wars branding? Well, Microsoft has rolled out the Kinect Star Wars app to let users feel the Force. This brings the Kinect Star Wars universe into fans’ social networking world so that Facebook and Twitter accounts get the look and feel of the iconic Star Wars opening title sequence. Released to promote the Star Wars game on Kinect.

Kraft is adopting a mature approach to social media. For its Old Birds Loveable Moment campaign for Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, the brand handed over the reins of its Facebook and Twitter accounts to Frankie and Dottie, aged 87 and 86, respectively, for three days.

A whopping 82% of Americans have a favourable opinion of Google, while 53% express a strongly favourable opinion of the giant search brand, according to a ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted by Langer Research Associates. And Apple? Seventy-four percent see the brand favourably, but it lags Google by 16 points when it comes to strong devotees.

Twitter is this week rolling out its brand pages in Japan, the third market to get the branded feature after the US and the UK. Three local brands – mobile operator DoCoMo, Warner Entertainment Japan and retailer Lawson – have joined the launch.

Frequent flyers are heavy users of social networks – 88% of them are on Facebook, 38% have a Twitter account, 36% are on TripAdvisor, of course, and 24% mess around on blogs. In addition, more than a quarteractually publish content and 38% like to do the online critic thing

Sunday is primetime for UK brands to capture the eyes of fans on Facebook and Twitter, especially for fast moving consumer goods and telecoms brands, says SocialBakers. Telecoms brands experience engagement rates of 0.11% on Sundays compared to 0.06% on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while engagement peaks for brands like Vodafone UK from 7 am on Sunday mornings.

Twitter is opening an office in Detroit to be nearer to those car brands – the Big 3 of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler – with huge advertising budgets. Twitter told Reuters the company will have a handful of employees in the economically beleaguered city and their efforts will be aimed at working with automotive brands and ad agencies.

When someone shares a UK event on Facebook, online events outfit Eventbrite says it generates £2.25 in additional gross ticket sales on average. A share on Twitter drives an average of £1.80, while an event shared on LinkedIn generates an average of £1.24 in additional event revenue.