Originally Written: 1/17/13

Title:  Facebook vs. Google: It's On in Search

Source:  CNNMoney http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/01/15/facebook-vs-google-its-on-in-search/?section=magazines_fortune&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmagazines_fortune+%28Fortune+Magazine%29

Summary:  Facebook introduces the new Graph Search on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 in an attempt to capitalize on Google’s dominance in search.  Beta testing is limited to select Facebook users for now.     

Analysis:  It wasn’t a new “Facebook” phone or competing IOS system that got the attention of Facebooker’s on Tuesday, but the announcement of Facebook’s new Graph Search that has people talking.  In an effort to chip away Google’s share of web based searches Facebook has created their own search feature for people to find and discover things within their own social network. 

As bloggers around the world watched from Facebook’s Headquarters, Marc Zuckerberg announced Facebook’s attempt at keeping some search items within the Facebook social domain.  Until now, users were limited to searching for people or business pages via the most popular social network.  However, Tuesday’s unveil highlighted to users that in addition to people, photos, interests, and places could now be searched via each user’s friends and friends of friends. 

If users adapt and is proven successful, this could lead to potential new revenue streams for the newly public company.  As Marc quoted, “This could potentially be a business over time.”  For now the Graph Search feature does not incorporate any ads in the user experience.  However, only time will tell if the new feature will be proven financially receptive. 

For now, users can request to be put on the beta waiting list to try the feature out.  Only time will tell how the 1+ billion users feel about the new feature. 

This will greatly impact user’s ability to determine where and what they would like to search for.  Instead of a typical Google web search, users can determine what their friends are interested in, where they recommend, and connect or reconnect in a unique manner.  Facebook is capitalizing on the data they have from their user base to continue to embrace word of mouth recommendations. 

At the time of the announcement, Facebook’s stock price increased minimally.  

I realize it’s been MONTHS since my last blog post which brings me two immediate thoughts.  One, damn where did the time go and how did it go so fast?  Two, now that I've graduated it’s time to get back at it.  Since my last post there’s been a New Year (well now seven months into it but who’s counting), two additional quarters of school, and one welcomed graduation from DePaul University's Kellstadt Graduate School of Business with a double concentration in Strategy, Execution  and Valuation and Integrated Marketing Communications with Distinction.  

So stay tuned… I’ll be providing some thoughts, insights, and opinions that happened during my last two quarters as well as some new content now that I can read something other than textbooks again!  

Yap Me!

 I was fortunate enough to recently tour 1871, Chicago's hottest co-working space for the city's newest digital startups.  Needless to say I was in awe of the buzz that surrounded these young entrepreneurs and the cube-less working space they call their "office."  
While there I got to chat with a few of the new startups and one that I thought was awesomely innovative is a company called AdYapper.  AdYapper has built a platform for advertisers to turn their normal display ads into social experiences with two way communications.  Genius right?  We have all seen ads that were either #awesome or #fail and the only way we had to engage with them was to share with our own circle of influencers.  Not anymore.  Now consumers can interact directly with the ad and provide advertisers and other social networks with valuable information.  

The best part about this - it's easy to implement AND it means more targeted advertising for brands looking to optimize budgets.  AdYapper's tag is embedded directly into the display creative and published across networks.  Once the tag is installed brands can access real-time metrics, community submissions and competitive data at any time.

Yap Widget in Lower Right

Social Conversation with Total Comments (Yaps)

This social way of incorporating conversations into ads is going to change the game of display advertising as we know it. Brands will love it for the deep analytics and optimization of budgets while consumers will love the ability to give real-time feedback and participate in a dialogue with brands to form meaningful conversations that lead to better advertising overall.  

1871 in the Historic Merchandise Mart 

Target and Neiman Marcus: Happy Holidays!

Although Target was subject to my criticism last week with their pre-Halloween holiday advertising strategy, I commend them for leading the forefront in blending mass merchants with luxury for Holiday 2012: Target + Neiman Marcus available in both retailers December 1, 2012.  Designer partnerships are not a new venture for Target and certainly not new for Neiman's but this collaboration is more than anything they've ever done and one that I predict will bring in mass dollars this holiday season.  

This season Target did the unthinkable - partner with another retailer!  In a time where every retailer across the board is battling for market share Target and Neiman's realized an opportunity to expand each retailer's target demos by collaborating in a way that brings value to all shoppers.  

With names like Alice + Olivia, Brian Atwood, Carolina Herrera, Diane von Furstenberg, and Marc Jacobs, Target and Neiman's are giving each of their shoppers something mutually beneficial.  For Target, it's providing Luxury to the aspirational shopper.  It's the mom who has always been in the forefront of fashion but now has a family and may not be able to shop the way she once did.  For Neiman's, it's the luxury consumer who may have the money but looking at value options to ease the pain of the current economy.

We shall see how this partnership plays out and if successful, which retailers are the next to follow in their footsteps.  

GQ & Nordstrom: A Match Made In Heaven

This week's Internet superstars post features a collaboration between GQ and Nordstrom.  These two brands have put together an integrated program that I have been wanting for years.  

One may look at this post and wonder the significance of what it means.  First, these are two brands that I personally love and follow for their innovative activity in the digital space.  Two, I understand the dynamic of collaborating with two very iconic brands and the amount of work that goes into a partnership of this caliber.  

The two brands have created an experience that is completely seamless to the consumer which should be the goal for any brands focusing on an online presence.  For years retailers have partnered with traditional print publications but the disconnect was the integration of where a consumer could actually purchase the product featured on the glossy pages of the trendy media outlet.  

Here's why it works:

1. A subscriber of GQ magazine (or online GQ advocate) sees something of interest in an advance month's publication.
2. The subscriber visits GQ.com for more info.  
3. The consumer find the GQ Selects area and clicks on the product library. 
4. Consumers can scroll through the featured images and when something of interest is appealing can click to a direct link through to Nordstrom to purchase the product.
5. That product is co-branded ensuring that a consumer recognized the partnership between the two brands.       

Most partnerships I've seen are either unsuccessful in terms of publication release date and product arrival in retail or do not make it easy on the consumer to click directly through to path of purchase.  I applaud both parties for making this easy on consumers and creating an online experience I hope many other retailers and publications follow as best practices.   

The Insider's Guide to Social Video

The other day, I was honored to be asked to speak on a panel with other brand marketers at the Brand Innovators Chicago Summit.  The goal was to provide a perspective on how to utilize online video to create entertaining and engaging content.  More importantly how do we, as marketers, get our communities to share these videos with their audiences?  

If you're in marketing and working in the digital space, there's no doubt that video has been a topic of conversation at some point.  It's hard to keep track of how quickly the entire social landscape is changing let alone focus on one platform so I wanted to share some quick highlights I found while researching the most recent stats.

The following are from comScore's August 2012 data:

• 188 M U.S. Internet users who watched video content in August
• 37.7 B, yes Billion, online content videos
• 9.5 M video ads viewed

So, the question that now remains is not why we have to put video content out there but what?  

First, the video has to strike an emotion and be on target with the messaging your trying to communicate with your audience.  It could be fear, joy, surprise, sadness, whatever but the point is that it must resonate with people to be memorable.  Second, if you want to make a video "viral" it needs to be supported with paid media to capitalize on organic shares and views.  I'd say less than 1% of all videos truly go viral through 100% word of mouth.  

A few of my favorites are listed below.  Happy viewing and feel free to share!

DollarShaveClub.com - Our Blades are F***ing Great

The Hottest @ Abercrombie & Fitch Guys, "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen

Google Chrome: Dear Sophie

Oh Starbucks: How I Love You So Much

For those of you that know me, it comes as no surprise that I'm a huge Starbucks fan and have raved about their loyalty program and app since its launch.  As I mentioned in the Walgreens post, Starbucks pioneered the use of the barcode scanner on a mobile device to make using the loyalty program a breeze.  

Perusing through my emails this morning, I opened one from Starbucks announcing new features to the program that make it faster, tastier and quicker than before.  Make your calendars for Tuesday, October 16 to take advantage of these new benefits.  

• Users now only have to accumulate 12 stars as opposed to 15.
• Stars will now include purchases on both food AND drink.  
• The reward is loaded immediately onto your app (or physical card for those non-app users) meaning we no longer have to wait for snail mail! 

With the changes happening less than a week after Apple announced their new iPhone 5 I can't help but applaud Starbucks on the strategic timing of their upgrades.  According to CNET, over 2 million orders have already placed.  Coincidence?  I think not.  

Walgreens Launches Loyalty Program

Say it's finally so!  As I perused my Facebook news feed over lunch I came across a post from Walgreens announcing their new loyalty program, Balanced Rewards.  I'm sure most people could care less but I may have flashed a little smile.  

One might ask why does this make me happy?  For one, I'm thrilled that I'll now start to accumulate free money when I have to purchase those "must haves" like toilet paper and shampoo which are frequently from Walgreens.  I mean who wouldn't want to be rewarded when you literally pay money to put trash in garbage bags to be thrown out?!  

All joking aside, Walgreens is a retailer who's made leaps and bounds in the social space and it's great to see a loyalty program being integrated into their social efforts.  When I opened my Walgreens app on my iPhone sign up consisted of entering a zip, phone number, and DOB while the rest of my registration info pulled from my existing profile.  The best part is that unlike other loyalty programs who may have been first to market, you don't have to have another key fob on the ring.  Much like Starbucks, Walgreens has incorporated a barcode that can be scanned right from your smartphone.  

The one downside of the launch is that it appears the program has not rolled out into their stores yet.  On the flipside, kudos to Walgreens for generating the buzz early.  I'll let you know if my smile comes back in store in 10 days.