Tuesday, we hope, things will get back to normal after Super Bowl fever had subsided. Google is set to turn Gmail into a status updatin’ machine, which positions it to compete directly with Twitter. I’ll be posting this Signal an hour or so before the details emerge. I have an FM Board meeting this morning, (don’t fear, it’s all good…). So click this link for news of Google’s Gmail moves.
Meanwhile, the past 24 hours has brought, as usual, all manner of linkworthy schtuff:
Loopt and Mobile Spinach Team Up for Location-Based Deals (Mashable) I’m watching this space. Hence the next item….
Beyond The Badge: Big Media Brands Strike Foursquare Deals (AdAge) It’s early yet in this space. I expect a significant acquisition by one or two of the majors. Foursquare, for those of you playing at home, was started by folks who sold Dodgeball to Google, watched it go nowhere, left and started over. Of course, if they or others sell, it will retard (yes, I said it) development of a truly native marketing medium. Which would be sad. But not atypical. (Also, see this Bits post, and my post on “checking in” last week.)
Even After Super Bowl, Google Plays the Reluctant Advertiser (ClickZ) Look. I know I promised to write more about this earlier, but I kind of lost my zest for the topic. Google laid its cards on the table. Now lets see if it decides to keep playing the game. I doubt it.
Social Today Feels Like Search A Decade Ago: Lots Of Noise And Lots Of Spam (TC) Indeed, a good point. But not entirely apples to apples. The larger observation is entirely correct: There is a large, very large, opportunity in uniting all these competing platforms. However, it means folks have to play a bit more nicely. The way it’s playing out right now, I don’t see it being solved in the near term. NB: I don’t think the regular joe six degrees pack has the same spam problems as Mike. That could change…
‘Conversationalists’ Climb Social Technographics Ladder (MarketingProfs/Forrester) (image at top left) Jeez, conversationalists? Whodathunk.
Social Media Marketing Best Practices (eMarketer) A plug for their paid report, but hey, the post is worth reading even if you don’t want to pay.
Super Bowl Ads: Hulu’s Winners and Losers [STATS] (Mashable/Hulu) Google did pretty well. So was it worth $6 million? Even Google can’t tell you that.
Google leaps language barrier with translator phone (Times of London) Fun. Early. But fun.