Tech&Digi Insight
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This document summarizes recent developments in social media and technology. It discusses the growing dominance of Facebook and new features like "+1" from Google. New tablet devices like the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab are mentioned, though iPad sales were lower than expected. The demise of the Zune MP3 player and Microsoft's shift toward Kinect are also summarized. The growing popularity of Android smartphones at the expense of RIM and Microsoft is covered. Potential mobile payment systems from Google and Groupon are also briefly outlined.
Tech&Digi Insight
- 1. Lowd&Klea Strategic Communications Agency www.lowdandklea.com THE REVOLUTION WILL Social Media NOT BE TELEVISED... It’s all gone Mark Zuckerberg Click the +1 button and Google informs You’ve watched the film, you’ve tagged the rest of the world that you recommend your photos, you’ve ‘liked’ your friends’ the link. Currently these are only status updates. It would be impossible available in Google search results, but to compile any report on social media there are plans to have them everywhere without mentioning the inexorable rise that you see it’s equivalent right now. of Facebook as the world’s dominating Some have speculated that in addition It’s far more likely to be streamed, downloaded as an app, available for anyone social media application. Rather than to improving search results, Google to modify as open-source code, ‘liked’ on Facebook, or followed on Twitter. dwell on its well reported history, it is may bring these recommendations the most recent developments and the into some form of content stream akin Developments in technology and digital media are moving at a pace that has impact they are likely to have on future to Twitter and Facebook newsfeed. been rarely seen since those in engineering during the 19th century. By the time business models that interest us. On the subject of ‘bigger boys’ muscling you read this some, or maybe all of the information in our report, will have It may have begun with the opportunity in on the action, it’s worth noting that changed in some way. Having said that, at least this way you get a head start. to buy ‘limited edition’ bottles of Heinz Facebook’s launch of ‘Facebook Places’, Ketchup, but the start of e-commerce on hasn’t yet had the impact on ‘check-in’ Facebook will be the next billion dollar application Foursquare. In fact, since business to sit alongside its advertising it’s launch (and possibly due to the extra and community games. Facebook’s attention ‘check-in’ apps got) Foursquare’s strategic goal has always been to drive as user numbers have increased significantly. much activity as possible through their Many feel this is due to Foursquare doing social graph, so they will eventually be what it does best and plans are afoot to in a position to charge businesses that further improve the service with ‘near use it. Once it becomes easier to buy field communication’ technology. and sell things through Facebook, the option to add some form of affiliate fee, Beyond tips the collective power of the or revenue percentage, for incremental people is showing dividends for Groupon. sales is a logical next step. Facebook is Groupon is a “deal-of-the-day” site, already an effective platform for games which offers one “groupon” per day in to go viral and as a result takes a 30% each of the markets it serves. If a certain cut of ‘virtual credits’. It has also recently number of people sign up for the offer, offered digital rentals from Warner then the deal becomes available to all; if Brothers of “Batman: the Dark Knight”, they don’t meet that number nobody gets with users renting with Facebook the benefit. This method reduces the risk credits and Facebook taking a cut. for retailers and Groupon take a cut. People power The race for China Personal recommendation has always More commercial parallels with the 19th been the greatest sales driver and century can be drawn with regards to the its shift to online is no different. The digital clamouring of Western companies opportunity to help direct or advise to get a foothold in China. So far Facebook This is an original article friends on purchase decisions through have been mooted to be looking to strike a ‘liking’ or reviewing has been around for deal with Baidu (the largest Chinese search compiled from desk-based a while, but now other big players are engine) and further rumours suggest research undertaken by getting in on the act. Google has made it’s that Foursquare is looking to acquire, Lowd&Klea. intentions quite plain with the launch of or partner with, Jiepang – China’s most “+1” – their ‘like’ / ‘re-tweet’ equivalent. popular independent ‘check-in’ service.
- 2. WINNER LOSER Best selling writer without a publishing deal on Kindle: Myspace unique visitors (US) Amanda Hocking – sells approx. 100,000 copies per month and keeps 70% 0f her book sales. January 2010 – 70 Million. January 2011 – 45 million Hardware What are we doing? The real story here is in the mobile sector, well on all fronts. Whether these venture. After 5 years of continually low You don’t require a crystal ball to know the price objections that contributed to but it’s worth touching upon ‘tablet wars’ “honeycomb” tablets which include the sales and additional problems, the Zune that the importance of smartphones the supremacy of the PC in the 90’s. and the demise of Microsofts venture into Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy is over. Lessons learned from the project will be the most important area of MP3 players. Tab, maintain there popularity…only have no doubt helped the new focus for development over the next five years, but Payback time will tell. Microsoft attention – Kinect. Kinect has how are the competitors fairing right now Mobile payment will be one of this Initial sales of iPad for the last quarter launched well and the decision to make and what are we likely to see this year? year’s growth areas, with Google already have failed to reach the numbers Although iPad figures have been less than a software development kit available teaming up with Mastercard and projected by analysts, maybe something predicted, Apple profits are still being to third-party developers for non- Paranoid about android Citigroup to embed technology in mobile to worry about for Apple as it proves that held up by both iPod and iPhone sales. commercial applications has provided Based on US figures (and there is devices that would allow consumers android driven equipment is competing The opposite is true of Microsoft’s Zune some great results. normally only a short lag before the UK to make purchases by waving their follows suit) smartphones using Google’s smartphone in front of a small reader Android operating system are trouncing at the checkout. For Google the obvious the competition. benefit would be for their ad revenues, as IS YOUR BUSINESS phone users could receive targeted ads or Android now has a 33% of the US market, discounts at that all important “moment with RIM down to 29% , Apple holding of truth” in retailers. steady at 25% and Microsoft Windows READY FOR THE NEW Phone 7 down from 9% to 7.7%. As Groupon are also investigating similar reported in Business Insider these gains targeted services through their ‘Groupon are important given that technology Now’ mobile app. This works via two —“COOKIES LAW”? platform markets tend to standardise buttons on the app, “I’m hungry” and to a single dominant platform (Google, “I’m bored” in order top help people find Facebook, remember the demise of deals that are nearby and right ‘now’. betamax?) Could this be a repeat of the battle with PCs that Apple lost in the 90’s? Not if COO Tim Cook has anything To find out more The EU Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive is scheduled to to do with it. come into force in the UK on May 25th 2011. Contact us at Cook has signalled the possibility of a Lowdandklea.Com The government has now confirmed that this will be delayed until June this year, cheaper iPhone for the pre-paid market. which gives a little extra time for UK businesses to prepare. He was quoted as saying that he wants Under the new legislation UK businesses will be obliged to gain consent on an Apple to be “for everyone” and not “just ‘opt-in’ basis to store, retrieve and use information from users visits to their for the rich”. We’re sure that the size of websites and /or, how they respond to e-mails. TOUGH ‘COOKIES’ the Chinese pre-paid market also has a lot For full details please contact us@lowdandklea.com to do with this decision if it goes through. It should also go some way to negating