Topshop, Titanic and Chavez

Topshop has been announced as the fashion world’s most social brand. Up against other high-street household names including River Island and Whistles, Topshop’s social media presence was the largest overall, boasting four times the number of Twitter followers than its next rival. As a dominant force amongst the twitterati, Topshop was able to put heavy investment behind social media during the course of London Fashion Week, with celebrity endorsement and the launch of its very own behind the scenes ‘fashion cams’.

The internet, Twitter and e-mails will be banned on-board the replica Titanic cruise to give passengers a chance to relax and talk to each other, reminiscent of how things were when the ship first set sail in 1912. Let’s hope guests will be able to ‘break the ice’ without relying on social media.

This week, Facebook has decided to treat itself to a mini makeover. The social media platform will revamp its news feed in attempt to make it more engaging for users and advertisers. An inside source has revealed that the feed will be spilt into a diverse range of news feeds that offer different types of content. For example, a music feed that shows what friends are listening to with updates on popular music artists, or a photo feed that shows new photos from friends. The formatting of the news feed is also expected to change, making it easier for brands to get their ads more attention. Facebook hopes this will encourage advertisers to pay a higher ad rate for the space.

We’re all looking for that bargain flight to kick start a holiday deal. Now a website called GetGoing is offering up to 40% off flights – a great deal! "There must be a catch!" I hear you cry…and there is. Deals are only available if you allow the website to pick your destination. The site is starting to ‘take-off’ due to the element of discovery and surprise it offers the traveller. The service works by offering a ‘Pick Two, Get One’ system – users choose two destinations from search results, plan a full flight itinerary and then GetGoing makes the final decision. So, would you let someone else decide where you’re going on holiday? The Siren Communications team are keen, we’re always ready to take on new travel adventures – especially if the destination is unknown!

This week witnessed the death of Venezuelan President and controversial communist leader, Hugo Chavez following a long battle with cancer. He leaves in his wake not just a complicated political legacy but the second largest Twitter following of any world leader, beaten only by a certain social media savvy American president. Despite its sometimes frivolous reputation, Twitter is finding new ways to generate revenue at a rate of knots, more than proving itself in the world of business. It therefore makes sense that those in high power positions are coming round to the benefits of the platform, with even more politicians following in the footsteps of Obama and Chavez every day.

And finally, our very own Sarah (@SJRathbone) will be doing not one, but two social media presentations at The Global Travel Group annual conference next week. Make sure you pop across to say hello if you are attending. Follow @GlobalHQ1 and search #TGTGConf13 for all the latest news and updates about the conference.