Uba Kontrovasie

The Google Social Graph and beyond

Referring back to my earlier post about The Semantic Web, I mentioned that new build projects should utilise things such as Microformats and RDF.

One of the main reasons for this was to provide people with better usability of social networks, enabling them to find existing friends easily on new social platforms and facilitate portable, reusable online profiles, portable social networks and consolidated identities. The Google Social Graph aims to address this by taking note of XFN and FOAF markup within pages indexed by Google Search.

The data is being made available by Google for developers via the The Social Graph API, all interesting stuff and now it seems they are also paying more attention to the hCard Microformat too. Good post on this by Frederic Lardinois on Readwriteweb if you want to dig deeper.

I think the most important thing to note here is that Google are evidently paying more attention to semantic markup and it will not be long before other Microformats in addition to XFN and hCard are noted and effectively used by Google.

Ahem, I smell the possibility of Google Review Search on the horizon

Tags: foaf, Google, google social graph, microformats, rdf, Semantic web, social media optimisation, xfn

Streaming music and video via 3G straight to my HI-FI

A post about Data Visualisation - It was only a matter of time…

Data Visualisation (I will use an s and not a z…the US spelling) is a buzzword that has been flying around for quite some time now, there are numerous articles on the web, which discuss really good examples of designers getting creative with basically scrapping data and presenting it in really cool ways.

I was yet to see an example of a “data visualisation” concept that was really useful as well as being really good to look at.

I have a tendency to question the usefulness of concepts when they are first introduced to the online community, this is primarily because clients think in the same way. The first thing a client does is pose an objection or question…how useful is this? Will people use it? What are the benefits?

Virgin have done really well with the Virgin eye, however, unless you’re really into Virgin as a brand what value does this concept really provide to a mass target audience? Some may argue that prospects ready to buy a product or service from Virgin may use the service to see what other people are saying about the brand or its products, however, I feel this may only apply to a minority.

Something as grand and luxurious as a “Data Visualisation” concept should provide a value exchange for a broader audience as the concept itself depicts how forward thinking a brand really is.

MSNBC and their digital agency, whoever they are, have really hit the nail on the head with Spectra. Spectra is an RSS news-reader with really cool data visualisation, in addition to good aesthetics Spectra really provides functionality that people will keep coming back to use over and over again.

Tags: Brand Utilities, Data Visualisation, msnbc, online community, RSS, RSS reader, social media, virgin

Knowing Audiences - Urban Nerds

I recently stepped outside of the Oxford Circus tube station and for some reason a power box fixed to a wall caught my attention. Well actually it was the collage of really cool stickers plastered all over the box that fixed my eyes.

One particular one stuck that out was Urban Nerds, what a cool logo I thought to my-self. Also what a great place to position your brand, trendy West-End of London where all the fashion-conscious work and pass through everyday.

It would be expensive to buy some quality outdoor advertising in a location like this, however to the right people a small sticker is enough to draw the right attention.

I got to the office and decided to Google the brand name, they’re an underground group of hip-hop DJ’s. I dug deeper and in Facebook they have 2493 fans. Good work! They also seem to be using the group to post news releases and market their gigs and activities. Their website also seems to have the right look, feel and functionality for the audience they’re trying to reach.

What I like about the whole approach to their marketing is that it is clever through both offline and online, the advertiser really knows their audience and how to target them.

Whether this marketing strategy was well thought out or combined on the off chance through luck we do not know. Brands need to be innovative across whole their whole advertising schedule if they want social media strategies to work to their fullest extent.

Brands going down the social networking route should also be working to do something innovative with their offline activity too. It’s no good trying to appear informal, cool and helpful within a social networking environment if your offline advertising screams uniform above the line communication, people see this first and then become dismissive of any social media/networking initiatives introduced to them at later stages.

People have always preached uniformity across holistic marketing campaigns when it comes to messaging and approach, the introduction of social media/networking to a businesses marketing mix should not change this.

If your goal is too seek maximum benefits from social media then other parts of your marketing mix should be geared to support this.

For example if your goal is to help people via posting information into relevant social network groups then ensure your offline media communicates a message of how your brand is geared towards helping people, with this pre-notification people in social environments will receive your contributions with more warmth and engage with initiatives more positively.

Tags: advertising schedule, brand engagement, Google, London, offline advertising screams, Offline Media, Oxford Circus tube station, quality outdoor advertising, social media, social media strategies, social media/networking, social media/networking initiatives, social networking environment, social networking route, underground group, Urban Nerds

Brands start using the iPhone as a marketing tool

I’ve had my iphone for just over a month now and I’ve been looking at all the clever things you can do with it. Facebook, twitter, wordpress and IM are all now accessible via my handset.

With all the technology available I was keen to see which large brands would have a hit with using the iphone as marketing tool. Well it turns out it’s Audi with their A4 driving challenge game.

It has become the second most popular download from the Apple free apps store. The game uses iPhone motion sensor technology to provide a game which people will keep playing time and time again, a great way to keep people engaged!

Also well done to Carling who put together iPint, lots of virtual drinking fun here…but can we please stop placing an “i” before every single iPhone app.

I’m yet to see any non-digital brands put really useful brand utilities within the free apps store, I guess it’s only a matter of time.

Over a year ago brands were competing over widgets and now thanks to the iPhone and the halo effect it’s had on the rest of the mobile market I am sure we will see brands run to provide the best mobile brand utility, not just for the iPhone but the generation of other handsets posing to be iPhone alternatives.

Tags: Apple, Brand Utilities, iPhone motion sensor technology, iphone, mobile applications

Dawdlr - Lifestreaming for the trendies

dawdlr is a I service that I stumbled upon a little while ago; however, I had my interest rekindled by a mention of it in DotNet. I like this app it’s realistic…its lifestreaming at a slower pace, a kind of twitter for those that don’t really care that much.

It’s powered by Tumblr family hence the dawdlr.tumblr.com URL and is a piss take of twitter, a of sort tell us what you’re doing on post card and we’ll update it when we can be bothered.

You have to love the originality and it probably won’t surprise you that Russell Davies is behind it all.

Tags: dawdlr, Lifestreaming, russell davies, SMM, SMO, social media, Twitter