Maura Welch on Social Media

The power of data visualization

There are 7 billion humans on earth and the Internet contains more than 1 billion Terabytes.

Data? We've got that. We're drowning in it. 

But how to grok it?  How to draw out key insights for what is happening between, among and individually to 7 billion humans, and hopefully, well, make the world a better place?

We need maps. Lots of maps.

Here are a few cartographers that show how powerful it is when we look at data visually...

David McCandless
 

Hans Rosling "Let my dataset change your mindset"

 

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Groupon goes big

If you haven't gotten your Groupon yet...get on board.  

Groupon is so simple and that's what makes it great. Each day you are presented with a daily deal for your city. It's usually something to eat, see or buy and it's offered at an incredibly high discount. For example, $20 for $40 worth of food at a local restaurant. You enter your credit card and wait to see if the offer tips. If a large enough group buys the offer, the group gets the deal, er...Groupon. You print out your Groupon and then bring it to the restaurant or wherever to use it same as cash.

Groupon pockets half the revenue...a fair trade for the enormous number of new customers the offer generates.

I've bought 2 restaurant Groupons so far and most offers are very local.

That is until Thurday the 19th, when we all got the Gap Groupon in the mail - $25 for $50 worth of apparel at the Gap.

 

Social Times is reporting that Groupon sold 441,000 deals, driving $11 million dollars of sales...meaning Groupon could have pocketed $5.5 million.

Groupon had to ramp up server capacity by 5x it's normal level to submit this, its first nationally offered deal. The timing is clear, The Gap just jumpstarted it's Back to School shopping season.

This seems the turning point for group purchasing...look for a lot more of this. The cost savings are incredible for the marketer, relative to running campaigns in print or TV.

Branded Virtual Goods set for explosive growth

This week Viximo and Virtual Greats issued the first major industry report on branded virtual goods, predicting that the branded segment of the virtual goods market will be worth $150 million by 2013, an annual growth rate of 113%.  

Branded virtual goods represent a nascent market, holding less than 1% of the booming virtual goods marketplace.…but the forecast shows the incredible growth to come year over year.

At WeeWorld our passionate userbase of 2 million teens per month, display tremendous purchase intent for branded items. Teens flock to WeeWorld to express themselves through their WeeMee avatars, play games, meet friends and chat in our virtual world. Each and every day they beg us for branded items that can help them reflect their real world affiliations and styles in the virtual space.

How popular are branded items? Here is a glimpse from the report:

"According to WeeWorld, a social game and virtual world with a global audience of more than 36 million registered “WeeMee” avatars, unit sales of Snoop Dogg branded items are 2.5 times higher than the highest selling non-branded, comparably priced item. In addition, sales of Snoop Double Doggs (which fall into the category of branded pets called “Cweetures”) are 5 times higher than the highest selling non-branded pet. Since all WeeMee avatars are created equal and do not feature special functionality (i.e. they are vanity-only items) it is clear that Snoop Dogg’s own brand equity is the driving factor behind the increased desirability for these virtual goods that draw from his likeness."

We're proud to offer a prime destination for brands interested in selling virtual goods. Stay tuned - we've got a lot more to come.

Read more about the report at Virtual Goods News

Google Bing bang

Google messed with the secret sauce today, adding a giant background image to it's classically spare home page. Making it more like...Bing.

Here's what I saw this morning. What is that?

News.com is reporting that "Fourteen hours into a 24-hour experiment with background imagery, Google's home page is once again stark white."  

I didn't like it - and apparently wasn't alone as "remove google background" apparently became the seventh most popular search on Google today.

Sh*t my Dad Says

 Here's another great example of a rising social media meme getting snapped up by old media that will no doubt serve as further inspiration for aspiring writers.

If you've never visited "Shit my Dad Says" I recommend it.

Within moments you'll be laughing out loud and then telling other people about it.

It began as a Twitter feed ... "I'm 29. I live with my 74-year-old dad. He is awesome. I just write down shit that he says." Currently at 1.4 million followers.

Then the Twitter feed was posted to Facebook - Number of fans: 929,000

Next came the book deal with the Harper Collins It book label a new popular culture imprint dedicated to entertainment, music, fashion, design, and sports. I believe it came out in May.

And now there is a new TV series starring William Shatner.

I kid you not.

Coming this Fall on CBS.

If only it was unedited and on HBO.

 

Social Gaming State of the Industry

Justin Smith State Social Gaming Industry Gdc 2010 San Francisco

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Pay by txt

Back in the early 2000's I worked in the nascent mobile marketing industry. Back then the US lagged far behind Europe and Asia in the adoption of texting and mobile payments and it limited our ability to get mobile marketing and advertising off the ground.

But a few short years later, we're  clearly not lagging as far back with texting. You can thank teens for that.  The teens in my house send 1000+ txts per month.

But, the US still lags in mobile payments...until recently. I'm amazed and gratified by the outpouring of support for Haiti - and that so much has been via text message.

The Mobile Giving Foundation, reports that over $35 million has been raised via text message in the three weeks since the disastorous earthquake hit Haiti on January 12. $10 million of that was texted to the Red Cross in the first week.

It's simple - and direct. See the need. Txt to help. The amount is automatically added to your cell phone bill.

Now that so many Americans have tried this method, it should spread quickly to more donations, political contributions and product and service purchases.  We will soon be in the habit of voting, donating and buying with those ubiquitous mobile devices we carry with us 24-7.

So, have you txt'd your donation to Haitian relief yet? No time like the present.

Evolving books

So a year or so ago my Aunt started using the Kindle. An avid reader who has read more than one book per week for 60+ years...to see her move to this new form was an eye-opener for me.

Perhaps this thing really had a chance.

So today when I read that Kindle is the top selling item on Amazon for the holidays, it's confirmed. The book is evolving.   

I used to work for Houghton Mifflin - a large-scale publisher. I once met a guy there who had the job of going to pick out the forest that would be harvested to make our books. So, as much as I love paper and books, I do see the wisdom of a new form.

Forrester estimates that 3 million e-books will be sold in 2009.

I tend to think we'll move toward reading books on our iPhone type mobile devices and not a dedicated reader...but whichever - 10 years from we'll probably be discussing books in the same way we discuss vinyl records today.

And the word of the year is...

Unfriend

The Oxford English dictionary has gone all facebook like the rest of us.

Recent uses of the word I have heard in coversation:
 

"It was so hard! I mean, it was my first unfriending."

"Don't worry. If they really bug you, you can just unfriend them."

Via PSFK and the all-powerful OED

Virtual Economics 101

Managing a Virtual Economy

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