Bill Bourdon reacts to a May 2010 Fast Company article by Ben Paynter on the proliferation of social media tools and how major consumer brands are using them to build customer loyalty.

Behold the April Fool’s Day edition of the Bateman Buzz Meter (technically #4), our semi-regular ranking of recent newsworthy events based on PR and Social Media effectiveness.

A recap of the blog’s most popular posts from our first six months.

Take a look at our holiday video card featuring a very special rendition of the 12 Days of Christmas performed by the amazingly talented Gale Bradley Singers. Its a parody of what we can only call “Silicon Valley values” at a time we can all use a good laugh.

For many years, we debated and then delayed starting an agency blog. In April, we celebrated the Bateman Group’s Fifth Anniversary — a significant milestone for any small business. Looking back, I realized our first five years were spent quietly forming and refining our point of view on the industry. We’re starting a blog now because the time has come for us to actually share our views with the world. And what a time we picked to enter the industry conversation. Never before have the stakes of our profession been higher or the rewards greater.