Recently marketing is being overwhelmingly concentrated in social media. Admittedly, social media is today’s communication giant but I feel marketing and advertising could use a breath of fresh air. Some marketers are attempting to change their focus away from social media towards the ‘next big thing,’ that isn’t necessarily going to be web-based. 

While I had been looking into the topics of social media and marketing trends, I had encountered some interesting results. For instance, we all know that SEO is much more popular than PPC when considering social media, but did you know that Emailing still hold the top spot at as top marketing channel used other than social media. Search engine optimization lagged behind significantly at number two. Furthermore, “68 percent of respondents said they’re planning to increase their SEO efforts — a number that’s down slightly from 71 percent in 2011.” Could this be due to some crowding out in the social media / web field?

Crowding out could be a viable reason for marketers and corporations to be looking elsewhere to get their creative genius out. In its’ initial start social media had been an outlet for ‘the average person’ to get their word out; today, the platforms are OVERRUN by corporations bombarding viewers with ads and gaining so much recognition that ‘the average person’ struggles to find a place where they can have a significant say.

Nonetheless new venues in social media are being adopted. Google+ being the most prominent. But, Facebook remains as the top social media site used by marketers and business owners, followed by Twitter and Linkedin. Google+ falls behind YouTube and Blogs in 6th place. Yet this venue is projected to increase in popularity in the coming years and really give Facebook a run for it’s’ money.  But, as Google+ had recently revamped its page to allot users more creativity, Facebook buys one of the most popular phone apps (Instagram) to expand their operations into the mobile market (a market where Facebook doesn’t get money from their advertisements, a significant aspect of their business model.)

This social media war is truly becoming old. I find that there is little to be surprised about anymore with advertisements on this platform. Let’s face it, you can do ANYTHING online, so what is there to be surprised about. So where the true challenge and ability to really impress lies, is in other non-web-based venues. In detail, I would prompt everyone to check out Sid Lee Architecture. This firm is different from regular architecture companies in that it merges with the commercial creative world. They use art and buildings to portray a brand image. Truly innovative! Most impressive is that they are against the digital. The owner has been quoted as saying; “We won’t hire a digital-media artist, but we’ll hire an architect who can program and we won’t hire an illustrator but bring someone who like to draw.”

Up above is a diseign by Sid Lee for the Red Bull headquarters. Can we say corporate culture?

Change is key in this sector!!!

(source.)
(source.)

 
Facebook Facebook Facebook, we can't seem to get away. With nearly 800 million users, 75% of which are outside of the United States, Facebook, which only had its start in 2004 is HUGE. Now, as we all know, is filing for IPO, but it has not been a smooth process. Controversy and criticism surroundsboth  the site and Zuckerberg's intentions behind going public.

Nevertheless, close monitoring has been put on the process. But, this is nothing new, a popular company is 'graciously' offering the investing public a piece of itself....it's been done before FB. In detail, as advertised Fabeook's offering will be about $5 billion (the largest internet initial public offering on record), which forshadows a stock market valuation of $75 billion to $100 billion. Sounds good? BUT, this means that only 5%-7% of the company's shares will be available to public investors. This comperatively is a small public offering relative to the company's size.

The reason for this is to create an initial shortage of the stock so that the price goes up when the public trading starts. Money hungry shark Zuckerberg. The higher the price the higher the return, the more Facebook can brag (well till it changes its layout and everybody hates it for a week...) OH and Zuckerberg's stake is worth $28.4 billion. That makes him richer then Google's co-founders and almost on par with Oracle Corp.'s founder. Now thats just arrogant....

Personally, clearly I'm not a huge fan of the IPO and would not choose to invest in Facebook stock. Also, there are alot of people out there that are simply not very knowledgable on the subject and assume that Facebook's stock is the end all be all  and the most valuable stock on the market.  I feel as though stocks such as Google, Apple, and Wal-Mart, companys that Facebook, once public would be on the same level as, are wholly more diverse and offer more security to your investment. In the end, Fabook is a social media site and just that. Yes, it gets funding from advertisements, company's want to be seen on it, and it has revolutionized the way we communicate. But, consider Apple or Google who have thier neck in everything from internet services, computers, email, TV, cell phones, AND social media (google+). For those companies when one aspect falls another can pick up the value. Facebook, when your communication tactis are outrun by some new innovation, what do you have left? Google+ is not far behind....

In their filing Facebook outlined potential risks as hacker attacks, regulatory scrutiny, a shift to mobile technology, and rivals such as Google+ as well as the social media sites of different countries. Forbes also recently published an article entitled The Resons Not to Invest in Facebook, which offers key insights to how Facebook is trending.

(source.)
(source.)
 
Google is in the works  to open it's first retail store at its European headquarters in Dublin, although no plans are definite. the Mountain View, California-based company said in an email "We've not made any decisions, it's simply a planing aplpication." What is definite is the expansion of their Dublin branch. 

Yet if plans fall through,  the Google Store will be open to the public, as Google currently has one retail locations open only to employees as well as the the online site (www.googlestore.com), featuring their items. The initial 'test-run' for the retail store was done inside a London branch of Currys and PC World. Primarily this was a trial for selling laptops running the company's Chromebook operating system. The location in Dubling would sell unspecified Google merchandise near the companies second largest headquarter location.

This is Google's effort to compete directly with Apple as well as to follow rumors that Amazon is considering its own stand-alone in Seattle. Along, with the retail site the company is also in the process of buying Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. for 12.5billion, which will be ruled on by The European Commission by Feb. 13. Yet, in the face of Apple, Google has some ways to go in order to effectively compete on the retail front with the technological giant.

Your move facebook.

(source.)
(source.)