This
week the IAB hosted an event on ‘How to be safe and social’ to explore
how brands and consumers are protected when engaging in social media. This
follows research from the IAB and ISBA that found that only 55% of UK
brands currently have a social media policy with many also cautious about
the perceived lack of control they face when using social and embarking upon
real-time conversations with consumers. Read more »
Earlier this year I co-authored the IAB and Microsoft’s Search & Social Media report with the delightful Amy Kean. Included in this I wrote about brands considering social network pages instead of microsites. Benefits include strong SEO performance and potentially improved user experience because people inherently know how to use the likes of Facebook. Read more »
When we launched our Online Video
Guide last week, I had hoped that one of the key messages to have twigged in
people’s minds was that video content is the one form of content that transcends
all internet barriers. It should be on marketers’ lists as a Top 3 method of
delivering a standardised brand message to audiences in social networks, on
email, on blogs, on standard web pages, dedicated video sites, even in search
results – basically anywhere on the internet.
We should all welcome Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s return to YouTube this week. He was criticised by Cabinet colleagues (aka our ‘Communities’ Minister, Hazel Blears) and widely ridiculed by the media for his ‘MP expenses’ video late last month. But Brown knows only too well that we now live in a world of 24/7 digital media and he needs to use these tools to get his message across directly to the British people (he’s doing something right – apparently the 10 Downing Street twitter site is the UK’s most favourite). Of course, Parliament is the hub of our democracy and policy statements should be made first in the ‘chamber’ (but few people watch or listen to proceedings). Door-to-door campaigning is very personal but it is also time-consuming and effective on a one-to-one basis. So, as the political fighting (and in-fighting) intensifies in the run up to the European and local elections next month, another ‘war’ is beginning to emerge: the politics of digital media.
Protecting personal data and privacy is one of the biggest challenges of the digital era. And, as we all spend more of our lives online, so it’s importance will continue to grow. People are prepared to share more information about themselves and their experiences then we might dare to do in the offline world. People are also prepared to forfeit a little bit of personal data in return for improved and often more personal services. This is not a new thing: loyalty cards have been around for a while now.
The internet is a hugely disjointed and messy place. How many logins do you have? How many times do you have to enter payment details? There’s only one ‘you’ so it seems ridiculous that you have to do all the leg work on the internet. Companies try to make processes simpler and Microsoft has done a good job of this with its Live accounts. Likewise for Google. Facebook however, is the first to launch itself head first into joining up the dots outside of its own property.
According to the latest research, social networking is not only changing the face of traditional media, it is changing the very nature of Christmas – and may ultimately spell the end for the monarchy.
It’s always a surprise when the mainstream stumbles blindly upon something truly great, tries to pinch it, claim it as their own and then scampers off into the distance as if nothing untoward has really happened.
© Haymarket Media Group Ltd.
