Marketing is becoming the new R&D
Google’s Chief Economist Hal Varian coined the phrase “marketing is the new finance”.
Varian foresaw great advances in ways to satisfy people’s needs, better matches between buyers and sellers, and a more robust advertising environment due to the availability of vast quantifies of rich, real-time, highly available “big data.” His predictions today ring truer than ever.
Now, the information-rich environment enabled by the net is transforming marketing into something more. Specifically, marketing is becoming the new research and development (R&D).
Marketers now have immediate access to consumer behaviors and reactions across multiple channels and media. This empowers them to take a leadership role in determining consumer preferences, meeting customer needs, and helping match supply with demand. In other words, driving the business.
GM ditching paid Facebook ads: report
Facebook apparently hasn't experienced any problems convincing investors to put their money into its IPO, but while the social network focuses its attention on Wall Street, it might do well to pay more attention to a nearby street: Madison Avenue.
That's because, according to a Wall Street Journal report, GM, the world's largest car maker, apparently isn't hot on Facebook's paid ads.
Google+ brand pages seeing adoption, engagement growth: report
The future of Google's greatest social networking effort to date, Google+, may be debatable, but the search giant hasn't found it very difficult to lure brands to Google+.
And for good reason: Google+ has been Google's most respectable social effort to date and brands have learned that getting on board services before they get big is often a far better strategy than waiting until it's too late.
Twitter showdown: Ford vs General Motors
As the newest Fortune 500 list came out this morning, we've pulled two of the top 10 to be today's competitors in our Twitter showdown: General Motors (ranking 5th on the list) and Ford (who came in 9th).
Everyone knows how passionate people are about their cars but will their standings on the Fortune 500 reflect how they are doing in the social space? Let's find out.
Why do people love Instagram? Looking at GM and Apple in order to understand the appeal of altered photos
Apple’s products contrast sharply with the mid-century General Motors cars that brought the jet-age into people’s garages.
And yet, beginning in the 1920s, GM was able to snatch market dominance away from Ford by better catering to people’s fantasies – much in the same way that Apple has been able to poach market share from Microsoft and others.
2012 isn’t 1952, and cars and computers are not the same, but being able to sense and articulate a vision is still the job of marketers. What’s our vision for our own future, today? And why do so many people want to use their minimalist iPhones to take altered pictures of their friends?
Ford uses Yahoo Screen to launch new Focus Electric
Ford has partnered with Yahoo to promote the launch of its new Focus Electric in what it says will be a 'digital only campaign'.
As part of this Yahoo will broadcast reality show competition ‘Plugged In’ on its video site, Yahoo Screen, throughout May.
Teams and celebrity guests will compete at locations around the US to win a new Focus Electric car, with viewers encouraged to share comments and photos within a dedicated Flickr group.
Chrysler brings apps to the car's dashboard
Driving? There's an app for that.
At least that's what automaker Chrysler is hoping to hear in the near future thanks to latest version of its Uconnect software.
Socialbakers reveals Sunday is the most engaging day on Facebook
New stats from Socialbakers suggest that Sunday is the most engaging day for brands on Facebook, especially for the FMCG and Telecoms sectors.
The company reviewed user activity by the week and hour for over 10m Facebook pages and places to reveal a snapshot of the best times of the week to score maximum engagement for brands within social media.
Citroën launches Facebook app to crowdsource new C1 design
Citroën has launched a Facebook app that it says will create the UK’s first ever crowdsourced production vehicle.
Facebook users will be able to choose the design for a special edition of the company's new C1 city car, called the C1 Connexion.
The app allows users to provide input on six elements of the design - the number of doors; the exterior and interior colours; equipment such as Bluetooth or satnav; and alloy wheels.
Users can decided if they want to use a personalised version of the app, which requires access to more of their data, or a ‘non personalised experience’ which only requires access to the user’s basic information.
Nissan uses Bollywood Facebook campaign to target young Indian consumers
Nissan has unveiled a five minute Bollywood film that was created after a Facebook campaign to find 20 co-stars from across India.
Fans could upload videos of themselves dancing or attend live auditions at various shopping malls to win a role alongside Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor.
More than 2,300 fans entered the contest with the top 100 selected by a Facebook vote before Kapoor decided on the final 20.
Nissan used social for its latest campaign as it wanted to “engage a young audience in a previously untapped market”.
Since launching the audtion process in October it has clocked up more than 500,000 ‘likes’ to become the number one automotive brand on Facebook in India.
