While casting about on the beautiful Pacific Northwest waters of the Sunshine Coast recently I found myself reflecting on my personal “blue ocean strategy.” In marketing terms, a blue ocean strategy is when a business pursues a new product or new market, essentially playing in open water with few competitors, while others battle it out in the “red ocean” where competitive … [Read more...]
2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report results
Recently 3800 marketers targeting both B2B and B2C segments were surveyed for the 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry report. Among the insights? 1. The top question marketers still want answered: How do I measure the effect of social media on my business? 2. The top benefits of using social media: 85% use it to increase exposure (the #1 benefit), 69% said it … [Read more...]
Is Google+ the new Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn combined?
Many business leaders I speak to greet the opportunity to create and manage another social media identity with the same anticipation as a root canal. They question the necessity of it and the time required. I’ve been watching with great interest the growth of Google+. At 90 million users (Jan 2012) they are still a far cry from Facebook’s 800 million users. Arguably … [Read more...]
Is Google destroying users faith in them as a fair and unbiased source of information?
Google appears to be preferentially placing it’s own results in their new Google Plus Your World approach. Some consumers have taken notice of the changes in search rankings recently. This perceived influence and public silence on the changes they have made harkens back to the BIG BROTHER days of George Orwell’s 1984. Perhaps that’s being a little extreme, but paired with the … [Read more...]
Are you willing to bet against Google?
The cover of Fast Company magazine recently caught my eye. A photo of Larry Page, CEO of Google, was plastered on the front, with the heading, “Look out Apple, Facebook & Amazon – Why Google will win.” The cover was a plug for an article inside called “The Great Tech War of 2012. (http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/160/tech-wars-2012-amazon-apple-google-facebook) I … [Read more...]
