Facebook Is Worth More Than McDonald’s and 4 Other Giant Brands

Facebook Is Worth More Than McDonald’s and 4 Other Giant Brands
19/05/2012 by Zoe Fox on Mashable

Facebook closed its first day of public trading valued at $105.19 billion, making it worth almost exactly as much as PepsiCo, which is valued at $106.5 billion.

At more than $100 billion, Facebook doesn’t quite make it into the leagues of Coca-Cola, worth $167 billion, or Wal-Mart, worth $212 billion. Nor does it yet compete with tech giants Google, worth $196 billion; Microsoft, worth $246 billion; or Apple, worth $496 billion.

However, being the largest Internet IPO in history does get you somewhere. We’ve rounded up five companies you probably perceive to be enormous, which are now worth less than 8-year-old Facebook.

McDonald's

Worth $91 billion

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, shaunl

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Amazon

Worth $96 billion

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, gmutlu

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Disney

Worth $78 billion

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, andrearoad

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Visa

Worth $92 billion

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, cmspic

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Volkswagen

Worth $70 billion

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, shaunl

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What Is an IPO?

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What exactly is an IPO? What are the risks to a company in going public? What are the legal requirements?

If you find the business terms and market lingo confusing, check out our explainer video, which breaks down an IPO in plain language.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, woraput



Source: Mashable

These Are the Most Engaging Brands on Facebook [INFOGRAPHIC]

These Are the Most Engaging Brands on Facebook [INFOGRAPHIC]
16/04/2012 by Samantha Murphy on Mashable

As Facebook gears up for its initial public offering later this week, there’s been a lot of speculation about the company’s valuation. But there’s no denying that its worth to major and up-and-coming brands is invaluable, allowing Facebook users to interact and engage with companies in unprecedented ways.

A new infographic from social marketing firm SocialBakers takes a look at which global brands are making the most of their Facebook presence.

With 157 million Facebook users in the U.S. and 901 million on the site in total, about 83% of members are located outside the 50 states. This means there’s room for brands to grow their global reach.

Coca-Coca is the top global beverages brand on Facebook, according to SocialBakers. Meanwhile, Starbucks dominates the food retail sector and aConverse tops the retail apparel category.

The infographic also reveals the top ten countries in which global brands are engaging their audience, with the U.S. leading the pack with Starbucks, McDonald’s, Xbox, Walmart and Disneyland. Brazil comes in second — with L’Oreal Paris and Trident (Kraft) — followed by India with Vodafone and Pepsi.

SocialBakers also notes that among the fastest moving global brands are Halls, Axe, Nokia and Sony.

Which brands’ social media strategies do you believe are most impressive? Let us know your opinion in the comments.

Update: The original version of this story featured an infographic that misplaced a decimal point for brands listed under the “Top Global Brands” section. An updated version of the infographic has since been posted. We regret the error.





Source: Mashable

Watch 100 years of history become 10 minutes on YouTube

(CBS News)  

Time suck advisory: If you don't have an understanding boss, clicking on the 10-minute-long YouTube clip embedded in this post may land you in beaucoup hot water. My two cents: It's still worth the risk.

A user who identifies himself as "derDon1234" has knitted together 100 years of video footage recounting major historical events between 1911 and 2011, starting with Roald Amundsen reaching the South Pole in 1911 and ending with the disaster at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

All in all, a diverting trip down memory lane - even if you weren't alive when those "memories" were actually part of living history. In any case, get the popcorn ready and pull up a chair.