Is social media destroying trust in friends?
Just as marketers increase their spending on social media marketing comes potentially discouraging news: consumers are trusting their friends a whole lot less.
According to AdAge, the 2010 Edelman Financial Services U.S. Trust Barometer found that only 25% of those surveyed considered friends and peers to be credible sources of information. That's down from 45% in 2008.
Google buys a Super Bowl Ad
Google may have one of the most valuable brands in the world, but that hasn't meant that it's acted like one. Unlike other brands with global recognition, Google has never really engaged in much traditional advertising.
And for good reason: it really hasn't had to. After all, Google built its reputation with consumers in an almost grassroots fashion. As a search upstart, it found a way to beat larger, entrenched players by offering a more compelling search experience. And with the launch of AdWords, it turned its massive audience into a massive cash cow.
Forrester to analysts: you can blog, but...
Late last week, it was reported that Forrester Research had implemented a policy under which analysts with personal blogs related to the technology markets they cover at Forrester would be required to ditch them and instead publish their blogs on Forrester.com.
The move raised eyebrows since some of Forrester's analysts and former analysts are well-known bloggers in the markets they cover.
Apple to developers: iPhone GPS is only for "beneficial information"
When it comes to marketing, 'location, location, location' has always been important. But thanks to the rapid growth and maturity of mobile technologies, 'location, location, location' is taking on new meaning.
Location-based advertising is potentially the holy grail of mobile marketing. And it appears that Apple, which occupies an important position in the mobile market with the iPhone, apparently wants to keep location-based advertising opportunities to itself.
Q&A: Fliqz CEO Benjamin Wayne on online video and SEO
Online video gets a lot of attention, but while the YouTubes and Hulus of the world typically attract the spotlight, more and more companies are developing their own strategies around online video.
Benjamin Wayne is the CEO of online video solutions provider Fliqz. I spoke to him about the ways companies are using online video, self-hosting and video SEO.
Staying cool and making money can be hard to do
Mobile location-based social network and gaming service Foursquare has been generated a bit of buzz lately, especially amongst the early adopter crowd. In just under a year, it has amassed a user base of 300,000, and with deals like the one it recently signed with television network Bravo, some believe Foursquare may be ready to hit the mainstream.
That's good news for the company and its investors, but as Foursquare starts exploring the commercial opportunities that come with popularity, it may find that maintaining the 'cool' factor and maximizing commercial opportunities at the same time is a difficult thing to do.
Facebook, Gmail and iTunes: your future wallet? Probably not
What do Facebook, Gmail and iTunes have in common? By 2015, they might be dominant online payment providers.
At least that's the thinking of Dave McClure, a Silicon Valley startup investor. In a post the other day (caution: heavy profanity), he argued that "in 2015 the default login & payment method(s) on the web will be Facebook Connect, Google Gmail, or Apple iTunes".
Vente-privee, Groupon, and the power of urgency
Chances are you've heard of Vente-privee. The French company pioneered the booming online private sales market. And you might be familiar with Groupon, a prominent player in the increasingly hot local deal-of-the-day market.
The former sells high-end luxury products. The latter offers recipients of its emails the possibility of being able to buy products and services from local businesses at hefty discounts. What's the secret to their success? You might be inclined to say "It's the deals!" While that's partially correct, the real answer is something far more primal: urgency.
Affiliate taxes don't work, states continue to pursue them
Thanks in large part to massive budget shortfalls, a number of state governments in the U.S. have pushed for so-called 'affiliate taxes'. The idea is simple: by changing the laws so that online retailers with in-state affiliates are on the hook for collecting state sales tax, lawmakers believe they can increase revenue for their states' coffers.
For the most part, large online retailers have refused to play ball. Amazon, for instance, has cut off affiliates in states that have adopted, or contemplated adopting, affiliate taxes. Others have followed Amazon's lead.
Wikileaks: whistleblowing, investigative journalism isn't cheap
Times are tough for the traditional news organizations. Their business models battered, many question the future viability of the investigative journalism these organizations have historically funded.
Some suggest that nimble internet-based upstarts, possibly staffed with citizen journalists and volunteers, are the future. With lower overhead, these new media upstarts may be able to step in and fill the void. Or so the thinking goes.
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Google
Graham Charlton
Strategy & Planning
