Facebook Preparing to Launch a Brand New Product to the World

Is Facebook upgrading to “valuable user generated content“?

It seems that the first step to tapping the knowledge of its users is already made.

Click to see full size:

Which Soda Brand Would You Rather Give Your Dollar To?

Pepsi Refresh case study:

The New Planner

Here’s a very interesting presentation found at Sean Howard:

Although I don’t necessarily agree with everything stated above, I am looking forward to see The New Creative in this landscape too..

Social Media around the World 2010

Very interesting piece of research:

A Different Campaign Case Study

Doesn’t this nice effort prove that social media works better than old fashioned regular print campaigns while trying to tell the opposite?

Via Digital Examples

Ad Age Insights: Shiny New Things for Digital Adopters

Check out this new whitepaper from Ad Age – Shiny New Things: What Digital Adopters Want, How to Reach Them and Why Every Marketer Should Pay Attention.

Key findings:

• Online voices of early adopters are not something you want to mess with
• Younger early adopters aren’t going to be dazzled by new technology just because it’s new: Products have to prove their usefulness to the group
• 53% of young women (Gen Y) identified themselves as early adopters. One researcher noted they are “the first to try new technologies, even before they become mainstream”
• Find those individuals who are going to be your advocates, and take the time to understand what makes them happy. Be upfront about missteps, and correct course quickly. There is nothing early adopters like more than to be heard by marketers.

Via

Yahoo vs. TV in Romania

Reteaua Yahoo Romania se lauda cu o audienta medie de 300.000 de utilizatori pe ora, pe intervalul 9:00-24:00. Comparatia cu televiziunile in graficul de mai jos:

Surse: data.yahoo.com, GfK Romania

Statistics for a changing world: Google Public Data Explorer in Labs

As of today, Google is sharing a snapshot of some of the most popular public data search topics on Google. They’re also launching the Google Public Data Explorer, an experimental visualization tool in Google Labs.

Here’s the most popular data and statistics search topics:

1. School comparisons
2. Unemployment
3. Population
4. Sales tax
5. Salaries

and an interesting chart for my fellow colleagues:

This chart compares bi-annual gross minimum wages per month in Euro. This dataset was prepared by Google based on data downloaded from Eurostat - Last updated: March 6, 2010

Chart link (embedding didn’t workfor my blog, still investigating why)

News Via

MTV Europe “Youthtopia” – Youth Culture, Trends and Insights

MTV Europe asked over 7,000 youths to imagine their ideal world and to consider brands as people and whether those “people” would be welcome in their world –”Youthtopia“.

The Study in Numbers:

• 7 European countries
• 5 months
• 3 study phases
• 11 academic expert interviews
• 1,000 hours of qualitative research
• 2,500 blog entries
• 200 webcam responses
• 7,000 survey respondents
• 180 brands rated by youth
• 1 Youthtopian Brand Equity Model

Check-out these key findings:

The 10 Commandments of Youth

The Modern Day 7 Sins

Perceptions of Youth by Youth

Read more on MTVSticky.com and PSFK.com

Ranting about the Apple hype

I know from the start that lots of people are going to hate me for the next paragraph. I’m asking nicely: Please don’t.

Today a new Apple product was launched. Its name sounds like a hygiene product. For the next days I won’t be able to walk into any room where there won’t be people talking about it. I sincerely lost my confidence in all those who adopted it instantly just by seeing a photo and reading some mediocre technical specifications. There are already some voices defending it like it’s some kind of a “fragile infant”, not being able to take any criticism.

That’s why I have to express my lack of compassion for the Romanian fellows I know and to whom Apple has worked its mastery of the hype machine once again:

“You will bow down at our altar, and you will buy. You will bow down at our altar, and you will buy. You will bow down at our altar, and you will buy. You will..”

Here’s some coverage from Zelist Monitor, unfortunately available only in Romanian:

“Apple” si “iPad” in ultimele 7 zile:

“Ipad” la 2 ore de la lansare:

“iPad” la 16 ore de la lansare:

[To be continued] Updated January 27, at 12:35