Gosh, I love Twitter

If you caught the picks on College Gameday Saturday, you know who Braden Pape is. The five year-old Oregon fan was the celebrity picker after he sang the College Gameday theme song on the show last year. I can't find the whole video, but you should definitely check it out. He stood up to those analysts and had great reasoning for his picks. I just couldn't stop laughing.

As I normally do when something has me absolutely tickled, I tweeted about it. Guess who tweets me back but Braden's dad?!

@whitneygibbs our favorite part as well :-) -Braden's Dad
— Jordan Pape (@jordan_pape) November 19, 2012

Great job, sir. I know you're very proud of your son and I'm glad Twitter could bring us together.

What does brand loyalty mean?

This week, the story is about Netflix, who lost 800,000 subscribers after raising subscription rates, splitting their streaming and DVD services and then changing their mind. Next week, a citizen-run social media campaign is encouraging Americans to switch their banks after several large banks announced new fees for debit transactions. (The group has over 25,000 Facebook fans, no less.) That's right, banks are now going to charge you to conveniently and safely access your money.

Marketers work to inspire brand loyalty amongst their customers. They try giving stuff away (I like money), funny commercials, contests, social media messaging is meant to sound hip and fun.

Our friends raved about Netflix. They had both DVD and streaming subscriptions, even if the streaming feature didn't offer much and you could only check-out a few DVDs at a time. As soon as prices jumped, so did they. And loudly.

One thing is clear: Just because a customer gives you money, even over a sustained time frame, today's consumers aren't loyal to your brand and are ready to jump if they feel taken advantage of. So, if a business relationship isn't the basis of brand loyalty, what is? What companies inspire you to keep your business? Why?

*Side note: Steve and I cancelled our Netflix subscription this month and we're loyal members of the ING nation, but probably not if they start charging fees.

Experience the Gold Dome from your iPhone

Georgia's State Capitol is truly one of the best ways to learn about Georgia history- and its free. Another way to experience it for free without even having to travel to Atlanta is this new iPhone tour app from Georgia State University.

The video segments are narrated by Monica Kaufman Pearson (etc., etc.) and there is even a welcome from Governor Nathan Deal. I hope they update it with more videos and definitely more pictures (I mean, there isn't even a two-headed animal mention), but it is an awesome start.

My 5 Favorite iPhone Apps

After years of being glued to my Blackberry, I converted to an iPhone in February. I miss Blackberry Messenger, but that's really it. I'm hooked!

The coolest thing about iPhone is the apps and everybody has their favorite. Here are mine!

1. SimplyTweet (Free version): Since I manage social media accounts for work, I've learned most people like to read Twitter by seeing what's going on right then. I, however, like to read ALL the tweets from the users I follow. I love SimplyTweet because it loads from the bottom up and loads all of the tweets, not just 200 or so. It also allows you to tag people and add pictures and links really easily.

2. WhatsApp (Free): Similar to Blackberry Messenger, this app lets you text people without incurring text messaging charges. It's not as versatile as BBM and doesn't let you send pictures. However, since Steve and I talk by text a lot during the day when he's on the road, this app is a must!

3. Instagram (Free): iPhones take great pictures, and Instagram makes it fun! Take a picture and then add a filter to it for an artsy look. Sharing options make it easy to send your pictures over Facebook and Twitter.

4. Words with Friends (Free version): I'm a Scrabble junkie and this free variation makes it easy to play with people. My friend Rick lives in Vegas and we've just started a round of games. So much fun!

5. MLB At Bat ($14.99): I'm a baseball fiend and my new job doesn't offer a TV in my office. On Opening Day, I found myself unable to watch the 1:30 game that kicked off our season. This just wasn't going to work. So, even though I hate buying apps, I bought this app which will let me listen to every game this season. That's a great deal!

Honorable mentions: (Wow, picking only five was harder than I thought!)

• Color
• Four Square
• Electric Miles (works with DailyMile.com)
• Kindle
• Dragon Diction
• Netflix
• Facebook
• Gas Buddy
• Into Now (just started using but it's really cool!)