New Twitter Toyota Community

Toyota creates a new Twitter-oriented microsite called Harmony Tweets that is being used to promote the Toyota Prius.
In Harmony Tweets homepage displays recent tweets on a Google Map that are pulled in from the microsite's three 'communities'. The communities display a real-time stream of tweets in the categories of Inspiration, Giving and Prius.


They also have given the credit to Federated Media who built this platform. Federated Media (FM) is a next generation media and publishing company that connects the highest-quality conversational content with leading brand marketers. FM represents more than 100 of the world’s most respected websites, blogs, and social networking applications. With a unique combination of quality, safety and scale, FM leverages deep, long-term relationships with brand marketers and advertising agencies to create cost effective and meaningful media and marketing executions. Learn more at www.federatedmedia.net.

Time Consumer Spending with Media

I just have reviewed the recent research paper from Forrester about Consumer Online Behavior that are some interesting points as following.

- While the 18-29 year old set spends the most time online (although by just 2 hours per week over the 18-43 year old set) the type of usage varies greatly.

- Overall the usage of the various media is steadying over the past 5 years with the largest change happening on the Internet. If you are the newspaper, radio or magazine business, though, the term ’steadying’ may need to be replaced with the word ‘disconcerting

- The Internet is mostly an extension of what someone is / or does offline. If you watch a lot of TV offline you are either moving from the couch to the desktop or maybe you’re just too lazy and you are putting your laptop on your lap on the couch but guess what you are doing either way: watching TV.

- Social networking isn’t just for Gen Yers anymore. Double-digit growth numbers for the use of online social networking sites proves that the phenomenon has moved well beyond the realm of college students.

Finally Microsoft & Yahoo! agree on search platform partnership

Yesterday (Wednesday) it is another big day of Internet Industry as Microsoft & Yahoo set up conference call to announce the deal. It is 10-year deal gives Microsoft its best shot yet to show its new search technology, Bing, is as good as or better than Google's. Microsoft also hopes to use Yahoo to divert sales from Google, which generates more than $20 billion a year from ads. During the first five years of the deal, Yahoo! will get to keep 88-percent of the ad revenue from its own search sites and will be able to sell ads on certain Microsoft Web sites, as well, becoming the exclusive force behind Microsoft's advertising sales initiatives.

For this deal , Microsoft will gain access to Yahoo's audience would instantly more than triple Bing's U.S. market share to 28 percent. That's still a far from the remarkable 65 percent of U.S. searches handled by Google, according to the research firm comScore Inc.

This deal will make the cons to Yahoo as Yahoo will have limited access to the data on users' searches, which yield insights that can be used to pick out ads more likely to pique a person's interest. The value of that information is why Microsoft wants to process more search requests.

You can also view what will be about Yahoo Deal overview shown below.

I also found funny logo about this search deal as well.

Online Shopping in Facebook

Today I have found the creativity idea of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM which set up the store front page in Special Offer page in Facebook. If you are not the Fan yet, it will look like this image that you can see only feature product and leads to their website.

Then, I click to become a Fan of 1-800-Flowers.com , then I see the page has been changed to this .

That's cool! That we can interact to product without leaving facebook. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM has teamed up with ad network / app developer Alvenda to bring its store to a potentially massive audience on Facebook (although only some 1530 people have become a fan of the florist shop’s Page so far).

Twitter 101 Special Guide for Business

Today Twitter has unveiled Twitter 101 (A Special Guide) that explain what Twitter is and how businesses can use it, along with case studies of a few companies that use Twitter. They show Dell, Jetblue, Pepsi, etc. as case study about how to adapt Twitter to communicate with customers and generate sale from Twitter post. Also they have Best Pratice for marketers as well. Let's check it out full information at here : http://business.twitter.com/twitter101

Basic differences in perceptions of online media by men and women

There are some interesting about perception from Men and Women of the social media and online media consumption. I have found some interesting information as following.

- Men on Twitter would always write a statement. Women have a larger tendency to ask a question or to convey a feeling that draws empathy or compassion.

- 63 per cent of Facebook users are men, with a growing membership of women, aged above 55.

- Andrew Robertson of BBDO said there are three fundamental differences between men and women. Men are more about scoring, fantasy and destination. "This is why, men enjoy online games much more than women. In fact, 84 per cent of virtual reality players are men."

- 63 per cent of women in the UK complain that men spend too much time playing online games.

- Women are about relationships, reality and journeys. They are more interested in checking emails, interacting with friends and family members and blogging. Twenty-five per cent of women said blogs have reduced the time they spend on reading magazines. More women post profile pictures on Facebook with friends

Search is key for travel planning.

I just read " "The Traveler's Road to Decision," released from Google and OTX on Tuesday, there are some interesting point that I would summarize as following.

- Business travelers are more likely to seek out money-saving packages, access travel sites from their mobile phone, and become a rewards travel program member.

- 25% of business travelers are more likely to access information on their phone, and 83% of business travelers belong to a rewards program.

- Most Search advertisers still don't share the message of specific rewards programs in search campaign yet.

- Google found research to booking could stretch as far as 18.1 weeks on average. That's when more generic phrases are searched on.

- Consumers rely on search engines throughout the trip-planning process more so than travel search sites

- When consumers looking information about hotels, 81% rely on search engines when looking for business overnight accommodations vs. 67% personal; 74% business air travel vs. 59%; 60% destinations vs. 59% personal; and 51% vacation activities vs. 55% personal.

- Travel videos have also become important as people plan trips.

Online video is used through the entire planning process

I really love video , always watch it daily. It make me feel relax , not reading entire of day!

Travel videos have also become important as people plan trips. YouTube as the most popular site for videos on both business and leisure travel. Video helps people to visualize the surroundings and make better choices on where to stay and what to do. Also it created by peers are looked upon as being more trusted, compared with the videos that companies create to peddle goods and services. Online video is used through the entire planning process. When thinking about taking a trip, 63% of people turn to videos for personal travel vs. 66% for business; 47% and 56% when thinking about what type of trip to take; 60% and 64% when choosing a destination; 64% and 66% when looking for activity ideas; and 57% and 66% when deciding on accommodations and transportation, respectively. It all process that people decide where to go , what to do and where to stay. As social network and user generate content become more trustworthy source of content, people believe it!

Amazon to acquire Zappos.com for $847 Million

Wow, that's cool!. Amazon announced today to acquire apparel and footwear retailer Zappos.com for $847 Millon. Zappos, the popular online retailer ranked 3rd last week among online retailers within the Apparel and Accessories category behind Victoria’s Secret and Old Navy. Both Amazon and Zappos.com are well-known for the breadth of product offerings, so it is not surprising that they share much of their audiences. The deal would be the most expensive purchase in Amazon's recent history, according to FactSet Research. Amazon's priciest acquisition this decade was Audible Inc. - which provided audio editions of books and newspapers - for $ 280.7 million cash in early 2008, according to FactSet.



Zappos is one of company that utilize huge effort to social media that they make their customers feel warms, I think Amazon may adapt and utilize from those channels as well.

The target group of Amazon & Zappos is nearly same target that you can see figure above.

70-75 year old age bracket is one of the fastest-growing segments of the online population

It quite interesting to develop some market to senior citizens in USA. The 70-75 year old age bracket is one of the fastest-growing segments of the online population, according to the Pew Center for the Internet and American Life. In 2005, 25 percent of them used the Internet. Last year, 45 percent went online. Older surfers use the Web primarily for searches for things such as health information, e-mail, and buying products.