December 8th, 2009
Is Facebook promoting Google’s Gmail Connect service as a way to get more users onto Facebook? Or is Google taking out ad space to promote their connect tool? More than likely it’s an internal Facebook effort as the logos of Yahoo, AOL, Windows Live and Gmail are all represented in the ad. So why now?
As
Mashable and
GigaOm both report
Facebook’s growth is slowing. As they both point out
Facebook has refocused their
strategy by eliminating regional networks in place of a global focus and added new products such as
Facebook Lite and
Facebook Touch Mobile. One thing is for sure – the users
Facebook already has aren’t going anywhere, as there are no clear alternatives to the
social network behemoth (at least in the US).
The question on my mind is this – will
Facebook start creating ads to start pulling in your
Twitter and
LinkedIn friends to your
Facebook network? They’ve created a fan page post to
Twitter tool so it’s not that far of a stretch, especially concerning the strength of their
network. Only time will tell but this is a move that
Facebook would clearly
benefit from if they implemented it.
Posted via email from db’s digital branding database
Tags: ad space, AOL, aren, behemoth, clear alternatives, Connect, database, download, effort, email, Facebook, fan, fan page, focus, gallery, GigaOm, global focus, Gmail, Google, growth, linkedin, Lite, Live, logos, mashable, mind, mobile, mobile one, move, network, one thing, page, place, point, post, question, regional networks, report, service, space, strategy, strength, stretch, thing, time, tool, Touch, twitter, US, way, Windows, Yahoo
Posted in branding, featured, social media | 1 Comment »
December 7th, 2009
It’s been a while since Foursquare had new proprietary event badges. In fact, the last time I remember a special badge was for NY Internet Week.
Foursquare took a break to focus on expanding to tons of global cities to strengthen their worldwide userbase. Now that that’s out of the way they can continue to hone their
business model by making
brand integration once again essential. This brings back the element of surprise that users love and turns users into fans and fans into evangelists.
Today has also been a marquee day for Foursquare with a return to focus on brands by partnering with Pepsi. For about a week Pepsi will donate $.04 to Camp Interactive for every point scored on the NYC leader board.
With event badges, leaderboard sponsorships and nearby checkin deals in place brands are starting to take their rightful place on Foursquare. While they may be privately funded thus far there is definitely a clear path to profitability by integrating brands in a timely and relevant manner.
Posted via email from db’s digital branding database
Tags: badge, badges, board, Boxee, brand, break, business, business model, Camp Interactive, checkin, clear path, database, day, download, element, element of surprise, email, evangelists, event, fact, Foursquare, gallery, global cities, integration, Internet, internet week, last time, leader, leader board, leaderboard, love, manner, marquee, model, NY, NYC, path, pepsi, place, point, posterousWith, profitability, relevant manner, return, surprise, time, today, userbase, way, week, while, worldwide
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October 28th, 2009
Big black block, silver lining, rounded edges, a line for an earhole and a central button at the bottom. No I’m not talking about the iPhone. I’m talking about the new Nokia N97 mini.
Why innovate when you can just copy a surefire winner? Well because in the world of design and branding for products copycats are seen in a derisive light- especially for something as blatant as this.
If Nokia copied any other phone it wouldn’t have been as bad. In this case the iPhone is so distinct from other mobile devices that even mimicking slight features are noticed. Adding a pull-out keyboard doesn’t make it different.
Mobile devices like Microsoft’s Zune HD and Verizon’s DROID aren’t being pulled into the ’rounded rectangle’ trap and are still able to produce high quality, beautiful, buzzworthy devices. The next major cool-kid device won’t look like the iPhone. Apple already did that. Remember, nothing looked like the iPhone or the Sidekick or the StarTac when they came out.
Look for something completely different in style and functionality. I guarantee the next great mobile device won’t look like anything you’ve ever seen. You’ll be happy it doesn’t.
Posted via web from db’s digital branding database
Tags: anything, Apple, Big, big black, block, bottom, button, buzzworthy, case, clone, com, cool kid, copycats, database, design, device, disaster, droid, earhole, engadget, functionality, hd, iphone, iphone clone, keyboard, light, line, lining, Microsoft, mini, mobile, mobile device, mobile devices, nokia, nokia n97, nothing, phone, pull-out, quality, rectangle, rounded rectangle, sidekick, silver, something, startac, style, surefire, surefire winner, the, trap, verizon, web, winner, world, zune
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October 26th, 2009
A necessary and brilliant move, Apple has added suggestions to their receipt to give a valid call to action. The only problem is the suggestions are based on what others who bought my selections also bought. While this is helpful in giving more suggestions I’d actually like suggestions based on what I bought that’s relevant to me.
Semantic technology may still be in it’s infancy but relevancy can be given based on many other factors. I personally don’t need an app to view my pet pictures on my Mac remotely (Clarus), a separate app to read a blog (Pali Research), and I certainly don’t need to track my neuroses (SymTrend). If Apple knew me they’d know that I don’t have a pet, am reading my blogs via my6sense now and have overcome neuroses long ago.
Tagging is a very simple technology that is successfully implemented by many brands. Foursquare has taken descriptive tagging to another level by crowd sourcing this task and rewarding for levels of input. If the ‘Give Work’ app was properly tagged it would’ve been able to suggest other apps that are similar in the social good, social change categories and crowd sourcing categories. I would even accept most recently added app suggestions, most popular in category, or even what other users in my area downloaded [which they can do because they have my address].
Suggestions are a step forward but these aren’t enough for me. For now I’ll keep archiving my iTunes receipts so I can search through my download history, as Apple doesn’t allow you to do that easily. If apps like my6sense can learn my preferences then surely a large company with vast resources like Apple can figure out how to do the same.
Posted via email from db’s digital branding database
Tags: action, address, address suggestions, app, Apple, apps, area, aren, blog, blogs, brilliant move, call, category, change, change categories, Clarus, company, crowd, database, doesn, download, email, Foursquare, history, infancy, input, iTunes, level, Mac, move, neuroses, Pali, pet, pet pictures, problem, receipt, receipts, relevancy, Research, Semantic, sense, simple technology, step, store, Suggestions, SymTrend, tagging, task, technology, the, vast resources, Work
Posted in branding, featured, social media | No Comments »
October 23rd, 2009
Seriously Burger King? Seriously Windows 7? This Is Why You’re Fat even reposted it on their site.
In a global economy with instant communications a brand must always be aware of the message they send in any local community. I’m not sure how this relates to the Windows brand at all. It may be ‘cool’ in Japan because it’s different (I’m not sure, I’m not there) but to me this is just a shameless cross-promotion that promotes unhealthy food choices.
A subliminal statement about Windows? Associating your brand with anything gluttonous and unhealthy nowadays just isn’t smart branding.
P.S. Read the comments on the original post at Electronista. Some of them are comedy gold.
Posted via web from db’s digital branding database
Tags: anything, Associating, brand, branding, Burger, burger king, com, comedy, community, cross promotion, database, economy, electronista, Fat, food, food choices, global economy, gluttonous, gold, health, instant communications, japan, King, local community, message, nightmare, P.S. Read, post, Seriously, site, smart, statement, unhealthy food, web, Windows
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October 23rd, 2009
Checking my Facebook fanpage updates I came across this update:
It basically says fans aren’t actually allowed to have fanpages anymore. Essentially what has happened is that fanpages have been cannibalized by brands as an official outlet for them over groups.
Why is this important?
- It takes away your right to create, share and enjoy something socially with others
- It enables a brand economy over a social economy
- It adds a layer of authenticity for brands allowing them to protect their interests
- It shows Facebook’s commitment to monetizing by looking out for brands
So if you want to make a fanpage for an established brand (personal or professional) the party’s over. Unless it’s an officially sanctioned fanclub run by the brand you’re out of luck.
Also important, there’s a three week authentication grace period.
P.S. If you look in the upper right corner I find it pretty apropos that Facebook is asking me if I know about Slash and want to be his fan, therefore I dub this technique of Facebook cutting fan fanpages as being ‘Slashed’.
#ChatPack P.S. This one’s for you Brett, as I know you’ve run into a similar situation with Mr. Easton Ellis’ people.
Posted via email from db’s digital branding database
Tags: authentication, authenticity, brand, Brett, ChatPack, Checking, commitment, corner, database, dub, easton ellis, economy, Ellis, email, Facebook, fan, fanclub, fanpage, grace, grace period, layer, luck, Mr. Easton, outlet, P.S. If, P.S. This, party, period, right, share, situation, Slash, Slashed, social economy, something, technique, update, week
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