Future Trends in an Online World

2009 is going to be the year that Social Influence Marketing truly goes mainstream. With TV converting to digital cable, people being addicted to iPhone Apps, Search engines refining themselves and Skype being a growing trend we are seeing the new future of social media. This year phones are getting smarter, online ads are getting smarter and research measurements are entering the digital age. Due to this increased complexity in marketing we are being challenged more than ever. These opportunities will open more doors to brand and content owners in increasing and establishing a new online, digital outlook while closing doors to other businesses that are not moving with the changes. It is definitely worth it to recognize the trends and shift of the communication around the world and the impact it is having on society as well as in the home. The Web environment has witnessed tremendous growth with embeddable and moveable content that is both interactive and engaging. We are no longer limited to one dimension….but this is only the beginning of the growth of the internet and social media. Inventors and creators of these new innovations to browsers, multi-touch screens and interfaces still have a long way to go in discovering and exploring the Internet’s ultimate potential. {Read this year’s Razorfish Digital Outlook Report for more}

Mommy Blogger$

Mom blogs are poised to become the next big “It” when it comes to the internet–they’re gathering power like no other blogging niche and will only get bigger and better.

A lot of Mommy Bloggers are former professionals who have decided to spend more time with their kids and blog to keep those business, marketing, and writing skills sharp….offering support and creating support networks for those dealing with illnesses, tragedy, and strife; to build a brand around a business they are launching; to offer product reviews to other parents looking for information; to educate others based on their own experience about adoption, autism, living simply, being more green, and a myriad of other topics. The majority of Mommy Bloggers aren’t simply dabbling for fits and giggles.

5 Reasons Why Mom Blogs Are The Blogs To Watch,
from ProBlogger.com

1. Moms blog from home

You don’t need a PhD, an office or a small business loan to start up a blog and it’s a job that they can do while the kids are napping or away at school

2. Moms need the sociality of the net

Women want–no crave and demand–social interaction and for those of us whose office is our home the internet and blogging opens up a new world of friendship, debate, learning and conversation.

3. Moms have a wealth of material to use

Tech blogs are just about technology, celebrity blogs are strictly about celebs but a mom blog could focus on parenting, protecting the environment, politics, crafts, food, homeschooling, gardening, household products, design, travel or just funny stories.They are usually ritten with an emotion and personality which connects with readers in ways that other niches often can’t and they speak about subjects that naturally carry strong emotions: home, family, marriage, children, the environment–all of which encourage dedicated readers.

4. Moms are record keepers

Blog means “web-log” and most blogs are started as online journals. Moms naturally tend to be the record keepers for their families whether it’s a newsletter, scrapbook or photo album and more and more women are turning to blogs as an easy way to keep their family’s diary.

5. Mom blogs wield economic power

Moms are trusted for their opinions and who pass along information on what products, services and ideas are the best. Moms want to know which products work and which don’t; they want to give an opinion on what’s worked for them and share their experiences with others and advertisers are just beginning to discover this advertising pot of gold. Because women are generally the buyers for their homes in everything from clothing to food to minivans mom blogs talk about things that can be bought and sold, products that can be promoted and services that most households need.

Google & The Future of Books

I read an article by Robert Darnton from the NY Review of Books, and learned that for the last four years, Google has been digitizing millions of books, including many covered by copyright, from the collections of major research libraries, and making the texts searchable online. The authors and publishers objected that digitizing constituted a violation of their copyrights. After lengthy negotiations, the plaintiffs and Google agreed on a settlement, which will have a profound effect on the way books reach readers for the foreseeable future. What will that future be?

The other day I was writing a book review for my Sociology class on the book, "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down," by Anne Fadiman, {Highly recommend this read!} and I was trying to directly quote a paragraph in the book that I vividly remember reading but I could not find the page it was located in the book!! I thought to myself, "I wish there was a google search on my book so I could find the exact words to write into my report." Then a lightbulb went off! "Duh you can search Google Books"...and sure enough my book was on there and I was able to search a few keywords that lead me to the exact page my quote was found. This right here is the ultimate future of books. Google Books is highly accessible and easy to reference! Great stuff!

The Bachelorette Drama

K so for all you die hard Bachelorette fans...I found a much needed post by RealitySteve.com as I was trying to find closure to this week's episode. After watching I kind of had this pit in my stomach feeling..."Arrrghhh I just want Wes out of there...Can't Jillian see him for who he really is??" He is always saying the dumbest things and It makes me so angery. I am sure this is how the producers wanted me to feel exactally and I dislike them a bit for this. I hope this roller-coaster ride is worth it in the end cuz I'm still hangin on {as I am simply sunken down in my couch watching this storyline all unfold!}

I have found the role of editing of sound and camera snippets on this show to be very interesting. I have often questioned if what we seen portryed on TV is really what in fact, truly, verbatim happened...And as I have read on blogs pertaining to this show this question and interest is for good reason. A former "Bachelorette" producer, who has wished to remain anonymous, has spoken up on this subject how there is a difference between what is filmed and what actually makes in onto the air.

"Everyone always ask if what we see on TV is really what happened and for the most part it is but, going back to the film 100% and air 1%, the viewer is only getting to see the really good stuff and, even still, if the stories are many we are going to edit them down to the most compelling bits, therefore leaving out (often times) how somebody goes from seemingly normal to totally coo coo pants."

The people cast on these types of shows know very well what they are getting themselves into and it often costs them part of their character.

So even if some of you out there are still responding, “Hey, I know it’s fake, but I like the drama”, I don’t know what to tell you. Even the drama isn’t real. Maybe if Juan and David really hated each other, it’d be more interesting. But they don’t. It is all a producer driven storyline to entice the masses into watching their show. I'm sure the producers of the Bacherlorette don't always like their job but it is their job to chop up the show and make it as interesting as possible and if they do not do their job "right" then ABC will find someone else to replace them. TV productiong is a cold, hard world...one not for the faint in heart.

Project Natal

Microsoft announces Project Natal motion controller for Xbox 360! Project Natal is taking the Wii a step further, allowing game users to control the action on screen with full body motions. It is uncertain when the technology will become available, or what it will cost...but I have heard it is expected to be released in late 2010.

One technology demo I have witnessed via YouTube is that of Milo and Kate (shown above.) It is a game in which the player interacts with a young child (Milo or Milly, selected by the user at the start) and his/her dog Kate. It is played by using items and passing him/her virtual items from real life actions. When I first saw this demo...it was a little freaky to see such a character on screen that you can fully relate and interact with. It is a smart game that memorizes what you have played with it in the past and what your likes and dislikes are as you hold conversations with Milo or Milly. It made me think of Elder Bednar's talk on what is truly reality. Now a days, the media is becoming more and more engaging and interactive. People may come to have better relationships online and in their on screen games than they do it real life the more and more immersed they are in these kinds of technologies. It is frustrating to think about where this new game could take society because of it's high fidelity attractions. This new technology is really innovative and such an interesting concept...but I'm not sure I will be running out to buy it anytime soon! They say this new Project Natal is a motion controller for Xbox....but I say it could turn into a mind controller if we aren't careful.

Amusing Ourselves to Death

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business (1985), is a scintillating analysis of the effect of television on society by Neil Postman. It has been translated into eight languages and sold some 200,000 copies worldwide.

Television has conditioned us to tolerate visually entertaining material measured out in spoonfuls of time, to the detriment of society. In this eloquent, persuasive book, Neil Postman alerts us to the real and present dangers of this state of affairs, and offers compelling suggestions as to how to withstand the media onslaught. Before we hand over politics, education, religion, and journalism to the show-business demands of the television age, we must recognize the ways in which the media shape our lives and the ways we can, in turn, shape them to serve our highest goals.

I have not entirely read this book but I enjoy it's insights into what Postman sees in the effect of television's entertainment value as a "soma" for the contemporary world. He sees contemporary mankind surrendering its rights in exchange for entertainment as he criticises this media. The effects of Television, good or bad, have been fortold from the very beginning. Ray Bradbury has said, "I wasn’t worried about freedom. I was worried about people being turned into morons by TV."

With such intensely stimulating entertainment available all around us in our very own living rooms, are we all going to turn into compulsive consumers of mindless entertainment with atrophied souls, stunted emotions and a total inability to interact meaningfully with other human beings, as Bradbury prophesied? I'm not exactally sure this is true but the more and more we consume media the more it will effect us in someway or another whether it be now or in the future we will see a change in our behavior and thoughts. It is important to consume things that are going to make you the person that you want to become. If you don't, you might as well sit around in your pajamas all day watching TV!

iPod Touch Possibilities

The mantra at Apple these days is iPhone, iPhone, iPhone. But what about the iPod Touch? Okay so the iTouch isn’t a phone or texting machine…but it does do all the rest an iPhone can do! iPod Touch puts music, movies, websites, and now games and applications in the palm of your hand. There is a huge growing and transitional market for new iPod Touch {and iPhone} applications. With the ever growing rate of smart phone purchases…now is a great time for application of these apps. You can download them wirelessly and use them right away. The accessibility and immediacy of these apps is genius and with the arrival of the newest 3Gs iPhone…tens of thousands of iphone purchases, along with the creation of new apps, will allow marketers to reach an even broader consumer base!

The widgets and other applications that were little more than digital window dressing a few years ago have exploded into a vast new advertising venue. Many apps now draw millions of users each day at the same time they’ve become a broadly networked social medium in their own right. And, that, in turn, has given rise to a new sort of apps-only media-buying agency. {AdAge, The New World of Apps Only Advertising}

Wayne Pitout, Chief Executive Officer of iTouch, commented, “This is a great opportunity for us. I believe iTouch is in an excellent position to take advantage of the growth expected in mobile internet services. It is clear that with the greater proliferation of 3G mobile phones and the broadband capabilities this will bring, we are at the beginning of an era where accessing information and entertainment on one’s mobile will become more widespread than on the PC. This has already happened in Japan and South Korea and will have the same impact that broadband brought to the internet (generally referred to as Web 2.0). As part of the For-side group, we have benefited from international support and funding in order to consolidate our market position as well as add to our stable of operations around the world. I think, now as an independent company we will be in a very powerful position to leverage this growth opportunity.”

The iTouch currently generates in excess of $230 million in revenues on an annual basis. It now has operations in 13 countries and provides services in a total of 22 countries across three continents.

Now the biggest debate is whether branded apps should be toys or tools…

Craig Cooper says,”Depends on the marketer’s need. Financial services? Probably leans tool. Entertainment industry? Toy. There is no one-size-fits-all solution in adland despite the efforts of evil research fiends to find one. But whether toy or tool, what the app really needs to do is reinforce the marketer’s overarching brand message. Otherwise, it is just a waste.”

I agree…It’s not branded tools vs. branded toys, anyway; it’s branded tools vs. branded games. Branded Apps are very hot right now. Clients want them because they are cool and agencies want to build them because they want to be cool. The iPod Touch is even making these apps more accessible and affordable for those who do not want to pay the monthly phone bill and internet charges of the iphone. So what can we make of all this? The iPod Touch is in a great place right now for where the future of Apps and Smartphones are going.

Smartphone Rises Fast From Gadget to Necessity

Steve Lohr with NY Times Top Technology news stated yesterday in this article, "In today’s recession-racked economy, penny-pinching is a national pastime. But people are still opening their wallets for smartphones." How could this be? Are we becoming obsessed with image, media and it's connectedness? For the most part...YES! "The smartphone, analysts say, is the instrument of that connectedness — and thus worth the cost, both as a communications tool and as a status symbol." Smart phones are projected to increase 25 percent this year according to Gartner, a research business. Fast gotta-have-it-now expectations are becoming the social norm. Smart phones are expensive but we are seeing a growing trend of penny pinchers purchasing them! A woman who says she pinches pennies got an iphone simply for her job.

She says, shet got an iPhone allowing her to be online no matter where she was, without having to lug a computer around. “I absolutely got it for the job search,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s really an expectation, but if another job candidate returns an e-mail message eight hours later, and you get back immediately with a message hat says ‘Sent from my iPhone,’ I think it has to be a check box in your favor.”

This story says loads about increasing popularity of BlackBerrys, iPhones owing as much to sociology as technology...and this is definitely a message the wireless industry would like to reinforce.

I personally love my iphone and it's convenience of instant emails and internet where ever I go. It has turned a phone into a super mass media at your finger tips kind of phone! Some days I feel it is an extreme necessity. I am not an overly materialistic person...but when I image myself not having it....I realize how much I really do use it and how much it comes in handy. This summer I will probably be getting a new less popular and culturally talked up phone...and will probably sorely miss my iphone. But hey...a phone's a phone right?

The wireless industry's key is making sure smart phone technology helps you carry out the tasks of daily life instead of interfering with them. It’s about balance and managing things. Pretty sure I am going to have to find other ways to write down my homework, take notes during devotionals and speeches, and being able to access my emails whenever and where ever. I will let you know how that goes. In the mean time....do you think smart phones are a neccessity or another bother of a gadget trend?

Things as They Really Are

Jacob 4:16 "Behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him prophesy to the understanding of men; for the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls. But behold, we are not witnesses alone in these things; for God also spake them unto prophets of old."

What I got out of Elder Bednar's powerful talk on the use of Mass Media is going to be very beneficial to me as a communication's professional and as a member of the LDS church. {Click here to listen/watch a re-broadcast} I found I need to be more aware of what I am consuming and to what extent I am involved so that I will better be able to stay in-touch with reality. Also, I found it is important to listen to the spirit and to prioritize. We should be deciding what is best for us to be doing right now. If we spend all our time online with games and social media we will be missing opportunities to learn vital things to are more important to our eternal progression. In class we talked about how there is not even enough time in our lives to do all the worthy things that we want to do. This talk reminds me of the cumulative effect. It is important to consume things that are going to be a benefit to us later. We need to be aware of who we are becoming. We don't want to look back and regret forming more interpersonal relationships or forgetting those who are closest to us to a social media online. It is important to view things as they really are and not as how they seem to be.

Also, the correlation between our bodies and the way we use the media that Elder Bednar brought to our attention is one that we should pay particular attention to. Elder Bednar taught that Satan seeks to influence us to misuse our bodies...they only thing he does not have. In minimizing the importance of our physical bodies in God’s plan, he distorts our view of body image and urges us to defile our body outwardly and inwardly. He invited us to learn "by study and also by faith" the ways we can discern what is and isn’t correct in relation to the proper use of the gift of a physical body.

Perceived Value Difference

The perceived value difference between magazines vs. newpapers is a major factor in the flat lining trends we are seeing in these two businesses. Trade magazines are doing a much better job of staying afloat than consumer magazines are and magazines in total are doing a lot better compared to the newspaper business. Since magazines arrive periodically to homes and newstands across the nation, the information in them is more entertainment than informative. This gives a bigger leeway into the fact the information provided within magazines has less potential to be outdated. Newspapers have a greater chance of being thrown out faster than magazines because they are made of cheap paper, have less valuable long term information and take up more space. Magazines have more pictures and diagrams and are contemporary and colorful where as newspapers tend to be more drab with longer articles of information. These days people are looking to get news fast from the easiest place. Magazines and Newspapers take more time to read and look through but Magazines give more opinions on what is out there versus Newspapers that are meant to inform and make aware. There are definitely some perceived value differences between Magazines and Newspapers that are effecting their consumption in this society of fast pace audiences that consistently want the here and now.