Can Social Image Curation Mean The Demise of Written Language?

It was an action-packed week for those following the social curation space. Pearltrees raised $6.6 MM in funding, while Pinterest colonies continued to bubble up. GigaOm's Bobbie Johnson correctly reminded people that content curation is not just about Pinterest, it also includes players such as Delicious, Mlkshk, Paperli, and shoppers' delight Svpply. I'll add FFFFound to that list.

It's hard to say who will be a winner among these services in three years. It may depend on:

a- Number of dedicated return visitors, who do not stop clipping and curating after the 'in-thing' fades out

b- Whoever manages to make the best sense of aggregated consumer data collected on these sites

Nonetheless, the rush to these content curation sites underscores online populations' preference for image-based communications, supported with few words -- if at all. Visuals help communicate fundamental concepts at a basic level. There may be deep thoughts and long dialogues with rich vocabulary behind them, but the more we clip and click, the fewer words we need to get the idea across. As Lawrence Baines, the author of the Futurist article: "A Future of Fewer Words?" indicates, we're losing precision and eloquence as we use fewer polysyllabic words. 

The sharp increase in social curation site users confirms the universal language of the Web as 'the image.' 

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Wearable Technology

Following my post on the Like Belt, one of my readers emailed me about the Wearable Technology Conference that takes place in Munich. In addition to the conference and a professional community, the site features neat gadgets such as thermal socks that heat up with batteries (well-suited for 30 Fahrenheit evenings in NY). But my favorite is the UP app that works with a wristband and not only tracks your activities, but also your sleep pattern. It eggs you on to get healthier by showing you how you're doing at a moment's notice, with fancy charts and an activity timeline.

For those of us sitting at a desk all day long and going around with 6 hours of sleep thanks to Real Housewives series re-re-re-runs, this may just be the necessary wake up call: to see your lack of activity charted...

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Geek Accessory Alert - The Like Belt!

Do you wear what you like? If running out of wardrobe options, you may give the 'Like Belt' a chance. The device from the creative technology shop Deep Local will let you check-in, tap and register things or people you like. This could be an ice breaker at events.

<p>LikeBelt from deeplocal on Vimeo.</p>

Joking aside, I could see how this sort of technology can be used as:

1- A research tool - keeping a diary of tastes and preferences by consumer groups

2- A game - getting users to move around in a scavenger hunt to uncover branded prizes

3- A mobile app - giving users the flexibility to use their phones like a scanner in a gift registry

What do you think? Any other thoughts?

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Consumers Will Avoid Purchasing, If They Don't Like The Parent Company Behind The Product

A newly released study from Weber Shandwick explores the connection between corporate and product brands. Based on a survey of 1,375 consumers and 575 executives of $500MM+ companies from four global markets (Brazil, China, the US and the UK), the study shows that perceptions of a corporate brand can truly affect product purchases:

• 70 percent of consumers say they avoid buying a product if they do not like the company behind the product
• 40 percent stop purchasing the product when they see a disconnect between the product and parent brand

The web plays an integral role in this delicate decision-making process. Of those consumers surprised to find out that a product they like is made by a company they do not like:

• 34 percent will go online to find what other products the company makes
• 19 percent share or forward information about the company
• 17 percent make negative comments about the product or company to others
• 15 percent post a comment online about the brand and the company

Where do consumers get these ideas about corporate brands? The web's influence is almost as strong as offline word of mouth:

• Nine in 10 (88 percent) say they are influenced by what people say
• Eight in 10 point to online reviews (83 percent) and search results (81 percent)

Consumer opinions have a direct impact on sales and also on companies' market value. Interviewed executives said they would attribute 60% of their firms' value to these companies' reputation. In other words, online buzz can have an impact on a company's evaluation. But reputation is a holistic concept--whether online or offline, at the product or corporate-level, it needs to be consistent and positive. 

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What Google's New Privacy Policy Really Means

How many mainstream Google users fully know or understand how the search engine collects and pieces information together? Probably not many. To "simplify things", Google reduced its 60 privacy policies down to one. Google informed me through my work and personal emails. Catch is - I didn't realize they had my information. Very spooky! But come to think of it, I had probably gladly opted into a Google-owned service at some point. Or used a service (e.g., YouTube), that got purchased by Google. That's Google's game: collecting disparate pieces of personal data and stitching it together. 

Here's what Google's new policy says and what it really means:

"...we want to ensure you can move across Gmail, Calendar, Search, YouTube, or whatever your life calls with ease"

i.e: We trace your footsteps from email, calendar, search to video. We then show you the ads based on themes you talk about in your personal space.

"...we suggest search queries or tailor search results, based on the interests you expressed in Google+, Gmail and YouTube."

i.e.: We connect what you like on google+, with what you frequently email about and what you watch on YouTube. We know you. 

"...By remembering the contact information of the people you want to share with, we make it easy for you to shre in any Google product or service with minimal clicks..."

i.e.: We know your friends too

 

 

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Novo Nordisk Handles Paula Deen Reactions on Facebook

I received this interesting clip from a friend. Novo Nordisk fans were reacting negatively to the Paula Deen deal on Facebook, but some advocates stepped in to defend the brand without brand interference. Below, you'll see that the Novo Nordisk community manager "played it cool" by only reminding the fans of the FDA guidelines. Good approach to issue management in social media.

Here are the best practices this mini case study underscores:

• First, monitor closely
• If the community handles the issue itself, continue to host the conversation -- do not interfere
• If someone does not abide by the communication guidelines, step in and send a reminder

 

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Info-Currents January Trend #1 So-Lo-Mo

Here is a snippet of trends cited in this month's Info-Currents issue:

Emerging Trend: So-Lo-Mo – In 2012, social will grow locally and extend into mobile space. According to Nielsen NM Incite research, nearly half of visitors to local deal sites recommend these sites, fueling online word of mouth. Meanwhile, smart phone users spend majority of their time on apps, customizing their experiences.

Implication: Social networks will offer hyper-targeted local services to users. As smart phone usage becomes the norm, majority of social networkers will access these local services from their mobile devices.

Action: Consider app makers as content and commerce partners. Invest in f-commerce pages, online review features and mobile opt-in lists. Motivate social networking consumers to shop with deal alerts that match their needs and locations.

To subscribe to monthly social media trends newsletter Info-Currents, please click here.

 

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