Starbucks is launching a new logo without the words "STARBUCKS COFFEE" emblazoned around their recognizable lady. Is this their way of continuing their slide into the land of fast food venues? Or did they just have some extra money to spend on a branding firm to freshen up their image? It's always interesting when large companies change their logo. It's kind of like plastic surgery. It makes you stare and wonder why, and question whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. I guess if it makes them feel better about themselves, it's OK. Starbucks hasn't really been about just the coffee in a long time. Maybe now they've got a nose that goes better with their face.
I got an email about the happy new union between Facebook and Myspace (see below). As a copywriter, I've definitely cranked out this type of marketing copy in the past, but something about it sounded like it was trying a little too hard to define a hip new brand personality. Then again, maybe I'm just not the demo they're talking too. Great, now I feel old. And unhip. Thanks, Myspace.
It's true, the new Myspace and Facebook are friends. And now, the new Myspace comes with Facebook Mashup!
Along with our sweet new logo and layout, Mashup turns your Likes into real content on Myspace, creating a personalized entertainment stream full of videos, music, and more just for you.
Mashup with your current Myspace account or start fresh with a new one. We think you’ll dig it.
My Space, woops, that's Myspace now that it's been rebranded as an amazing entertainment portal, has officially joined forces with Facebook. They've added a "Connect with Facebook" button on their page.
It's a brilliant move on Myspace's part to go back to their musical roots and try to define themselves as something other than a failed Facebook. It's pretty clear that they were KO'd by Facebook.
But it does make me wonder if there will be another site that takes Facebook head on? Is it possible considering all of the users and content they've accumulated and continue to accumulate? Anything's possible in the world of the interwebs, I suppose, especially if Facebook makes some kind of huge privacy mistake, or misses out on the next innovation. Now only if I could come up with that next idea...
Ever since the Facebook announcement last week on the updates to their Messaging platform I have been doing a lot of thinking about how we choose to create, share and digest content online. The information overload has passed the point for anyone to reliably normalize it and yet we continue to drink from the firehose as we add communication streams which require organization and prioritization.
The Facebook move recognizes this need and is building a way to centralize the communication around people whether the format is SMS, chat, email (now everyone can have an @facebook.com address), etc. Of course, by centralization they mean on the FB network and users will get their choice of which methods they want to interact with.
Google has also taken a swing at the concept of aggregated communication focused mostly around their popular email platform, Gmail. With features like Buzz, Chat and priority inbox now built in the Gmail interface is really more of a communication portal page.
Despite the different options out there on how to unify the different messaging formats I agree with Alexia Tsotsis in her recent TechCrunch article. As he puts it:
"Right now I wouldn’t Facebook message a potential client just like I wouldn’t @reply a relative with the details of what my family is doing for Thanksgiving."
I feel like the key to this statement is that right nowit doesn't seem right that anyone would use a single method to communicate. But right now in the current environment doesn't last long.
If you think about the different types of folks we interact with each day you start to realize that there are different categories you could fit people into. Those people can be sorted by a) the different roles they play (family, friend, business associate) and b) the point when they choose to adopt internet technologies as a part of how they interact. For instance, teenagers today have not yet had to communicate in a work environment and exist in a generation where sharing every detail of ones day is common. Therefore email alternatives that are less formal like SMS, social networks and chat are all preferred. Compare that with those of us in our 30's and 40's who grew up without these choices and by the time we reached our 20's email was the only option.
Of course, what Facebook and others are betting on is someday the gaps will disappear and it will become the norm to keep in touch with everyone in your world through their platform.
According to Mashable, Twitter is going to launch a free analytics tool at the end of 2010. Sounds like it could help some companies figure out how to use Twitter as a marketing tool. What tweets make people "unfollow" them? What tweets do people like the most? Who actively engages with their tweets? Identifying those active individuals could help them identify brand ambassadors to spread the word about their products. A free analytics tool may also nudge some companies to join the Twitter fray who have been hesitant in the past.
No huge surprise yesterday when Facebook announced the release of Places, a location specific update feature similar to Foursquare and Gowalla. User can "check in" to locations, add comments and see where their friends are doing the same. The feature is available on the newest version of the Facebook application for iPhone or you can go to touch.facebook.com if your mobile browser supports HTML 5 and geolocation.
This new addition to the Facebook world is a smart compliment for what is already the leader in social networks. While Foursquare was the innovator in this arena their offering is very much a niche compared to the more general social aspects of Facebook. The gang at Facebook should be given credit for being willing to adapt to the best practices and trends in the social space. Once innovative ideas like micro-blogging (Twitter) or social photo share (Flickr) prove themselves to early adopters it is smart for Facebook to consider integrating them into the service. Some will work in the mix and some will not but either way it is good for everyone when they are brought to the masses.
Whether you think that idea of social shopping site Blippy.com is cool or couldn't imagine letting the world know about your latest Amazon purchase you can't deny these guys have the best 404 page (page not found) ever.
While you may not think putting so much effort into a page you would rather people never see is crazy I would suggest just the opposite. Of course, you don't have to be as humorous with your 404 but keep in mind the objective is to keep your users engaged and direct them to content they are looking for. Be sure to include a search box, links to key pages in your site and do not clutter the 404 with tons of content that would make them move on from your site.
