However, yesterday, Pepsi announced what sounds like a pretty cool innovation – though it doesn’t have anything to do with the soda itself (link to press release & video). The innovation is what Pepsi is calling a Social Vending machine. It’s uncertain when and where the machines will start popping up near you, but from the looks of the photos – you’ll definitely notice them when they arrive.

The idea behind the social vending machine is to enable any user to give a gift to a friend by selecting a beverage and entering the recipient’s name, phone number and a custom text message. The gift is then delivered with a code and instructions for how to redeem the gift at a Social Vending machine.

The person receiving the soda then has the option of either sending a thank you soda right back or buying a soda for someone else. In fact, possibly the most interesting feature of the machine is what Pepsi is calling “Random Acts of Refreshment”, which is the ability to buy a drink for a complete stranger anywhere in the world. Meaning that it has taken Pepsi exactly 40 years to figure out how to buy the world a Pepsi, instead of a Coke.

Kevin Smith is an Account Supervisor at PJA Advertising & Marketing. Follow him on Twitter: @Mr_KevinSmith

Not stop trying to measure it, mind you. Just stop your social media efforts.

According to the article, “Is it time for you to get Anti-Social” in Entrepreneur magazine, that’s what some businesses have done and it’s actually helped them find the measurement they were searching for.

Often, when we talk about measurement we talk about quantifying what has been added and how it drives business. But if you were one of the many companies that started your social media program before setting any goals or benchmarks for it, you may find it easier to see what goes away when you stop posting.

For instance, after one company mentioned in the article ‘went dark’ for a while on their social media platforms they realized that, while they couldn’t attribute actual sales to their social media efforts, they were able to see how social media coincided with demand.

Knowing this  – and what specific social tools drove demand – allowed them to rework their social media strategy to fit more appropriately with how their business was affected – or build a strategy in the first place.

Many companies that are involved in social media quickly grow frustrated when they try to tie time spent and employee effort to business or marketing outcomes. To them – the measurement story is a nightmare. But while it’s important to keep in mind – as the article states, that just because you can promote your business on every social network available, doesn’t mean that you should” – the dream aspect of this whole story is that you can always just stop every now and then to gauge what’s really happening and make sure what ever is happening makes sense.

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Kevin Smith is an Account Supervisor at PJA Advertising & Marketing. Follow him on Twitter: @Mr_KevinSmith

This post was featured as the social media dream segment during the November 11th edition of PJA Radio.

And that’s great news for companies that are trying to promote their product or service, but what does this mean for the 500 million Facebook users that are doing all the liking?

When a Facebook user visits a website, they are now shown which of their Facebook friends have already “liked” what they’re looking at. This means you get reviews from your friends and personal network before anything else. It’s a company’s way of putting trust in your peers and saying, “you don’t have to take our word for it, see what your friends think.” Which, for anyone that remembers Reading Rainbow, is a pretty powerful statement.

Kind of like this...but with a computer.

Recently, Facebook launched something that takes that concept even further: Facebook Questions. Facebook Questions allows users to post questions to both friends and strangers within Facebook. Now add the launch of Facebook Places and you have a one-stop location to find information or reviews on pretty much anything – all from people you trust.

In terms of consumer behavior – trust matters above all else. The importance that social media now has in terms of delivering that trust is changing the way companies sell to consumers. Advertising will become more focused on awareness, while your social network will be looked upon to provide the details and validation. And the current economy seems to be expediting this shift with decreased marketing budgets, less travel to trade shows, and more reliance on proven products and information to ensure money is being spent wisely.

As for Facebook, it’s ironic that a company that has so many privacy concerns is quickly becoming the most trusted site on the web, no?

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Kevin Smith is an Account Supervisor at PJA Advertising & Marketing. Follow him on Twitter: @Mr_KevinSmith

This post was featured as the social media dream segment during the September 16th edition of PJA Radio.