To sum it up, the search market share picture month in and month out plays like this. Google might fluctuate a point of two but it’s usually more like fractions of a point like this month. Meanwhile, the Internet press tries to make a story out of share between Bing and Yahoo. Here are the latest comScore results for January 2012 to examine.

________________________________________________________________

January shows that Google, despite all the angst and concern amongst search insiders, is holding steady with two-thirds of US searchers using Google as their search engine of choice.

If you want to try to make this a story you can now look at the two different types of measurements (explicit and total core search) and first try to truly understand the differences. If you get to the point where you are satisfied you can now say that in one area it looks like Microsoft is ahead of Yahoo while the other shows that Yahoo is ahead of Microsoft.

Does anyone else notice and then wonder why we don’t see Bing specifically mentioned, unless it is in a headline to get our attention? It’s because Microsoft has other search elements aside from Bing which get rolled into this number so our desire to compare Bing to Google is not exactly accurate. That won’t stop everyone from making that claim though.

Then there is the monthly consideration that Bing can barely get itself past Yahoo despite Yahoo giving up long ago on advertising or promoting itself to the masses, especially as a search engine. And while Yahoo has thrown in the towel, Bing still advertises on TV to get people to remember that there are search options!

Add to this that the combined number of Microsoft and Yahoo search stays below 30% total market share (can you say peaked?) and the only real shift comes from taking share from each other, while using the same engine to provide results, and this whole thing is a non-issue.

So my question is, would you rather see these results each month if they stay the same or would you only be interested if something actually changed?

Any thoughts?

Today, we’re introducing Chrome for Android Beta, which brings many of the things you’ve come to love about Chrome to your Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich phone or tablet. Like the desktop version, Chrome for Android Beta is focused on speed and simplicity, but it also features seamless sign-in and sync so you can take your personalized web browsing experience with you wherever you go, across devices.

Here is the video telling you more.

If you have it or have tried it, let us know what your experience has been.

So sayeth the majority of the 2,260 adults who responded to the latest Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project study.

“The tone of life on social networking sites” takes a look at people’s perceptions about their interactions on sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

85% of adults said that their experiences were mostly kind. 68% went so far as to say that they had an experience that made them feel good and 61% felt closer to another person thanks to social media. And how about this? 39% said they frequently saw acts of generosity by others. Frequently!

By comparison, only 13% of adults said someone was mean to them. The same number reported ending a friendship thanks to a social media faux pas and 11% ended up with family problems.

The worst of the bunch, a mere 3%, said they got into a physical fight due to an experience on social media. Incredibly, 3% was also the percentage of people who got in trouble at work due to a posting.

Teens had higher instances of negativity with 25% saying social media led to a face-to-face argument and 22% saw the end of a friendship.

Marketing Pilgrim’s Social Channel is proudly sponsored by Full Sail University, where you can earn your Masters of Science Degree in Internet Marketing in less than 2 years. Visit FullSail.edu for more information.

Watch Your Language

To go along with their more negative bent, teens also reported higher instances of foul language and offensive images. 34% of Millennials used the word “frequently” while only 17% of GenXers noted offensive content.

Logic would say that older people find more things offensive, thus would have the higher reported percentage, but the opposite is true. That tells me that the Millennials are simply hanging around with more people who present this type of content.

What’s interesting is that the survey shows teens are more likely to get involved when things turn ugly. 61% of teens said they would defend a person who was being attacked and / or tell the offender to stop. 45% of adults said they’d ignore the behavior.

Teens also took the higher number when it came to thinking twice about posting. 55% said they decided not to post something that might have made them look bad. Only 45% of adults made the same decision.

This could mean that teens are more concerned about how they appear to others. Or it could mean that Millennials are simply smarter about social media usage having grown up with Facebook as a part of their life.

Jump forward to the 90′s and borrowing wasn’t so hot anymore. Much of this was due to the change in the way we live and socialize. People who knew their neighbors well enough to ask a favor became the minority. We also became more possessive. If we wanted it, we bought it. If our friends had it, we bought it. Even if we were only going to use it once, we bought it.

Fast forward to today and you’ll find people thinking twice before they invest in big ticket items and pricey luxuries. Why spend $500 on camping gear when you might not even like camping? And if making home-made ice cream turns out to be more trouble than its worth, that expensive, single-use appliance is going to sit in the closet or end up at Goodwill.

Enter The Sharing Economy. Ad agency Campbell Mithun commissioned a study on the topic and here’s what they found out.

60 percent of overall respondents find the concept of sharing appealing, but a full 71 percent of those who have used shareable products expect to continue.

The study found that GenXers were more interested in sharing than Millennials, but that’s likely due to circumstance. More GenXers have families, mortgages and a budget, which makes sharing appealing. It won’t be long, though, until those Millennials have a family of their own and that’s why Campbell Mithun says sharing could be the next big trend.

The benefits to sharing are obvious, but here’s a pretty, colorful chart to explain them anyway.

Their is a downside, which includes objects being lost or stolen, damage to items and privacy issues. All of that falls under the heading of trust.

Then there are the logistical issues. Netflix and your local library have sharing all figured out. Sites like NeighborhoodGoods act as the go between, pairing up borrowers and lenders. There’s even Rent the Runway, a site that lets you borrow couture dresses and luxury accessories for that special event. It’s doable. That’s been proven.

The Sharing Economy is picking up steam, no doubt, but will it become the next big trend since the daily deal? Campbell Mithun says yes, because in addition to the rational benefits, there are emotional benefits, too. Through sharing, people feel more connected to their community, they feel like they’re helping others and they feel smarter. Those are all, very powerful motivators.

Is sharing a concept that would work for your business? Would you be willing to rent items instead of sell them outright? And what do you think it will take for this idea to become the next big thing?

According to USA Today

The online deals site, reporting for the first time as a public company, said its fourth-quarter revenue nearly tripled, but it lost money and its shares fell sharply after hours.

Groupon’s net loss totaled $42.7 million, or 8 cents per share, for the final three months of 2011. A year earlier, as a private company, it booked a larger loss of $378.6 million, or $1.08 per share.

The company said its adjusted loss was 2 cents per share in the latest quarter. On this basis, analysts were expecting a profit of 3 cents per share, according to FactSet.

So what can the poster child for CEO shenanigans, Andrew Mason, say to this kind of result? Oooops maybe?

The company actually generated more revenue than most analysts expected. Starting with that fact is usually a pretty good sign. So why did they end up losing 2 cents per share versus the expected 3 cents per share profit that analysts predicted?

Groupon said an unusually high international tax rate hurt the quarter’s adjusted results.

Huh? Did they not anticipate these taxes? Are they being taxed on an “As you go” basis? This is a weak excuse for weak performance. Investors agreed to some degree as the stock lost over 9% after the earnings were announced.

I know I have personally stopped the deluge of daily deal e-mails I was getting buried with via Living Social, Amazon Deals, Google Offers and Groupon. They all start to look the same. I suspect that the overload from these deal sites has caused me to miss some deals that would have worked for me. The way I look at it is that I am not spending extra money on things that would be extra for me. I have enough on my plate as is. It’s just likely that I am not the right target for sites like this.

Where are you with regard to the daily deal deluge? Are you getting the value you once did from Groupon and other deal sites? Is this a long term play that will be a viable business model (considering the scale issues) for the long term?

So we ask, what’s the deal?

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So just how big is this impact? Compete calls it enormous

It is now safe to say that Google+ is becoming an enormous success, with nearly half of the unique visitors of Twitter (40,411,065 unique visitors in December). With a steep upward trend and knowledge of the power behind a Google product, expect continued growth from the unequaled search engine’s social platform known for ingenuity, creativity, and revolutionary product offerings.

Compete uses the following numbers as the support for this claim.

Now comes the question as to whether visitors are what defines success or, especially in the case of a social network, is that the key performance indicator (KPI) that you use to claim success? I say that it can certainly be one element but it is not enough to make the claim that Compete does.

Social is about interaction and that is something that is much more difficult to put in a measurable fashion. We like numbers like visitors because it is something we can all agree on and can get our hands on much easier. The trouble is that it falls far short of being a true measure of success in the social media world.

So do you think that this metric is enough to say that Google+ is an enormous success? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments!

Marketing Pilgrim’s Social Channel is proudly sponsored by Full Sail University, where you can earn your Masters of Science Degree in Internet Marketing in less than 2 years. Visit FullSail.edu for more information.

A new survey from PriceGrabber shows that 68% of shoppers will spend under $100 on Valentine’s Day, most spending between $25 and $50. For most shoppers, this is about the same as last year.

4% of loved ones are going to be in for a shock when their partner comes home empty handed.

In addition to buying for their spouse, 36% of shoppers said they’ll be buying for other relatives, including their kids. Only 17% said they’d be forking out for the boyfriend or girlfriend. What’s up with that?

How Do I Love Thee?

35% thought a greeting card would best express their thoughts of love. 32% are preparing for a romantic evening out. Candy beat out flowers 19% to 17% and 11% said they planned to buy clothing. Brave souls.

Only 9% planned to wrap up jewelry this Valentine’s Day. A number much lower than I expected. Not that jewelers are crying over it, since it takes 500 greeting card sales to equal one diamond bracelet.

The majority of shoppers said they would be done buying a week before the holiday, but 22% are still open to suggestions.  Brick-and-mortar stores have a better chance of getting that dollar at this point, but onliners aren’t out yet. A whopping 42% of shoppers said they’d be watching the daily deal sites for a gift idea. And what a great way to get more for their money.

If you’re marketing to the Valentine’s Day crowd, hone in on those last minute men who have had the Super Bowl on their mind. Push low priced gift items with overnight shipping. (They’ll pay rather than get caught out, I promise.)

Digital items also make the perfect last minute gift, be it romantic ebooks, The Best of Barry White mp3 or a gift certificate for spa services. All your customers need is a nudge, so get those Valentine’s Day emails out, set up a holiday page on your website and tell your customers what their loved ones would love to have on February 14th.

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Take a look at this chart from eMarketer. The results clearly show that consumers expect to get something in return for their click. But when the CMO Council asked marketers what they thought, they said that consumers clicked out of loyalty or love for their product.

It is true that clicking the like button does imply a certain fondness for a brand, but love will only get you so far. Once the bloom is off the rose, consumers want to be rewarded for their loyalty.

You could go to Jared, or you could offer coupons, discounts, and freebies, They’re the best way to get me to like your Facebook page.

The second most popular choice is an interesting one. At first, I was surprised that 60% of people wanted to interact with others. That’s because my initial concept of a branded Facebook page is one devoted to a product, restaurant or store. Then I thought of the official pages for TV shows, movies, bands, charity organizations, sports teams. . . all of these are the perfects places for sharing thoughts, photos and links.

Marketing Pilgrim’s Social Channel is proudly sponsored by Full Sail University, where you can earn your Masters of Science Degree in Internet Marketing in less than 2 years. Visit FullSail.edu for more information.

Now drop down four spaces to “Find service and support.” Half of the respondents chose this answer and it’s a big one. More and more, I see consumers using Facebook pages to register a complaint. I did it myself, a couple of days ago. And you know what? The company didn’t reply. Even after I left a follow up comment and three other people left complaints, the company still hasn’t replied. That’s a company that won’t be getting anymore of my money and all they had to do to keep me was answer.

Facebook pages are an excellent way of encouraging commerce with coupons, perks and games. But you have to monitor your pages. You have to respond to the comments, good and bad (especially the bad) and you have to keep the conversation going.

If you plan to build a page and forget it, then don’t build it in the first place. What’s happening when you’re not there could do you more harm than good.

The story of the day is definitely about Path (a CrunchFund portfolio company). The company has been copying address book information to their servers without user knowledge.

The company was apparently already aware of the issue and was taking steps to address it prior to this post coming out. The Android app has an opt-in, and a version of the app with an opt-in is awaiting approval at Apple, says CEO Dave Morin in the comments to the original post. Morin has also flat out apologized.

What is most interesting though is that the CEO of Path, Dave Morin, issued his apology via the Path blog. The title is “We are sorry.” and it goes something like this

We made a mistake. Over the last couple of days users brought to light an issue concerning how we handle your personal information on Path, specifically the transmission and storage of your phone contacts.

As our mission is to build the world’s first personal network, a trusted place for you to journal and share life with close friends and family, we take the storage and transmission of your personal information very, very seriously.

Where else have we seen a young social network play fast and loose with the data that is their users then turn around and have to apologize? Hmmmmmmm, let me see. Wait, isn’t their one CEO that has said he is sorry so many times that anyone who is a thinking human being doesn’t believe him anymore? Oh yeah, that’s right! Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. He’s practicaly turned apologizing to his users into a cottage industry.

Back in November of 2011 as Zuckerberg took to the Interwebz to discuss the smackdown that Facebook received from the feds about their privacy faux pas. Liz Gannes of All Things Digital did what was in essence a “Zuckerberg’s Greatest Apologies” retrospective in a post in which she led with

At this point, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s pattern on privacy is clear. Launch new stuff that pushes the boundaries of what people consider comfortable. Apologize and assure users that they control their information, but rarely pull back entirely, and usually reintroduce similar features at a later date when people seem more ready for it.

And followed up with

Most of all, Zuckerberg seems to take pride in offering an explicit, earnest apology, but doesn’t actually admit he was wrong, just that he’s sorry for how things were rolled out or perceived.

What followed was the determination that of the 25 posts that Zuckerberg made on the Facebook blog to that point, 10 were apologies. It’s pretty comical quite honestly.

Now we have Path’s CEO Morin. Our hope is that this is not the first of many public mea culpas that serve to soothe the nerves of those who, for the time being, are focusing on Path’s mistake. One would like to think that Path will now walk down the straight and narrow path itself with regard to how it treats its users. All things considered though, Zuckerberg has already shown the way in that you can screw up numerous times and get away with a lot of shenanigans if you just play nice and apologize in an “aw, shucks” kind of way. Considering this established pattern and the likes of Arrington pushing some buttons at Path I bet this won’t be the last time they push the boundaries of Internet courtesy and good taste.

At least it appears that Morin is willing to up the ante regarding how to apologize. He actually says that Path was wrong.

Through the feedback we’ve received from all of you, we now understand that the way we had designed our ‘Add Friends’ feature was wrong. We are deeply sorry if you were uncomfortable with how our application used your phone contacts.

Nice job, Dave but there is a problem. Now that you have established that your company is willing to walk in the footsteps of Facebook you have given all of us every reason to be suspicious of how you move forward with Path’s development as it relates to privacy and data protection. We have been burned enough by Zuck and Co. that the “Get Out of Privacy Screw-up Jail Free” cards are all used up. You are now on the clock and everyone is watching what will happen in the future.

Just be aware that if you try to test these waters again your hopes of becoming something that might challenge Facebook or at least take some of its share could be dashed to bits on the rocky waters of Internet privacy.

Was that over the top? I’m sorry.

The page at Google which describes this service offering says the following

Google is building a new panel to learn more about how everyday people use the Internet.

The new project is called Screenwise. As a panelist, you’ll add a browser extension that will share with Google the sites you visit and how you use them. What we learn from you, and others like you, will help us improve Google products and services and make a better online experience for everyone.

Wait, did I read that correctly? Google wants to learn more about how everyday people use the Internet? Wait, you mean Google is not interested in the prevailing wisdom that everyone is some Internet power user and sits around all day long wondering what kind of sinister change Google will next thrust upon the poor self-important Silicon Valley hipster “regular” Internet user?

It’s about time Google acts like it is interested in the vast majority of those who use the Internet. We are constantly focusing on the uber-user of search engines and the Internet in general and, let’s face it, that’s not how most people use the search engine or the Internet in general at all. Heck, if everyone was a Scoble or (insert Internet pseudo celebrity name here) then all of these cries of “Foul!” around Google would actually make sense in the big picture.

The truth is that most people are not super users. They do not know the ins and outs of search. They are not thinking about privacy. They are simply interested in getting answers to questions. They don’t freak out every time Google makes a change. In fact, they are oblivious to the business of Google and quite happy to stay that way.

It’s about time Google offers an olive branch (although it feels the need to use Amazon gift cards as bait, which is just silly) to the Internet commoner. The online world has a concentration of power users that has unfair influence and sway in saying how it should all work. Google should be studying the regular Joe’s of the Internet so they can be better served in their mere mortal user of the Internet. Why? Because that’s a big number of people!

I know I am laying it on thick here but the Internet industry should do everyone a service and get over itself. There are many more people out there who are getting great benefit from the Internet as a whole without having a kitten every time Google, or any other company for that matter, does something that could further their business or, better yet, the experience of users.

In the end, marketers are trying to reach those who might end up buying their stuff as a result of their online interactions. That includes large numbers of “everyday” people. In a way, just the fact that Google uses that terminology shows just how disconnected the whole Internet business is from reality. I hope this chasm closes sooner than later.

Your take?

That’s why some research from AYTM Market Research that was passed through by eMarketer is interesting but I have some questions myself. First, look at this chart which measures people’s concerns about privacy and search.

My question is whether these questions were asked exactly like this and were there other options to this question (anyone at AYTM care to chime in?). Also, what kind of people were asked this question? Were they young? Old? Tech types? Regular Joe’s? This is important to know when we see things like this because it’s very easy to make sweeping generalizations when we see results like this.

The question I have that I would like to see asked of someone who has a regular job, isn’t knee deep in the online space for hours on end each day but still searches for information and even buys stuff online is “Are you aware that this kind of personalization goes on? And if you no but now do, do you care?” And lastly “Why do you go to Google?”. For large numbers of people that answer would be “To get answers to my questions”. Then ask “Do you care how they do it?” When most answer no you could ask “Do you really care how they do it as long as you get the information you need?” and most would answer “No”.

We are acting as if tech types and Silicon Valley folks and hangers on speak for the masses. They don’t. There are large portions of the US that buy stuff online that don’t care about any of this. As an industry it feels like we are majoring in the minors. Rather than figuring out the best way to efficiently and effectively reach target markets we get caught in the minutiae of what we deem to be important. It may be to us but when we get off our soap box there needs to be the realization that the audience we yell and scream at is limited. I know A LOT of smart people that don’t have a clue what Google does and guess what? They don’t care either.

Now for the second question from this article. How many US Internet users use Google+.

According to these findings 40% of US Internet users either use it or have an account. Really? I must really be out of the loop. Oh wait. I don’t live in the Silicon Valley. I just live in the Raleigh, NC area which is rather tech savvy as far as metro areas go and I feel VERY confident much less than 40% of the population here (at least the folks I know) have the slightest clue that Google+ even exists.

I’m not saying that this information is completely off base. In fact, much of what I refer to here is based on my observations only. We are not hiring folks to run out and gather survey data. It’s just that sometimes information seems sensationalistic in nature and our concern is that many will get a distorted view of the reality of the Internet space.

Will a study like the one mentioned above do that? Maybe, maybe not. I can say, though, that we as an industry need to be looking at the less sophisticated Internet user for cues as to what the mass market does online. To look at each other and assume that how we use the Internet is “normal” is not only arrogant, it’s pretty stupid.

Your thoughts?

It’s all happening at the Social Commerce Summit and since we can’t all be there, Business Insider is boiling down the important points in a series of articles on their website. It’s still a lot to take in, so I’m narrowing it down even more.

Here’s my pick for the top 5 pieces of marketing advice culled from lists put together by Business Insider.

5. Like it or not — Google+

Jason John, Gilt Groupe marketing exec says:

Search is extremely important to us. Google will have its way and we will have to focus on Google+. We launched our presence on Google+ yesterday.

Like it or not, Google has added Plus pages to search results. Yes, it’s one-sided and it benefits them, but it can also benefit you. All you have to do is start posting to Google+. It’s that easy, folks. And hey, you don’t like Facebook anyway, so why not favor the opposition for awhile?

4. Games for good.

Lincoln Brown, co-founder of SoJo Studios:

We have around 450,000 players — around 2.5 percent of them pay for goods in the game. We give around 50 percent of our profits — but no less than 20 percent of our revenue — to social good. It turns social games from a guilty pleasure into something gamers feel good about playing.

Giving back, locally or globally, is a good thing for any company. It not only lifts your brand reputation but it’s good karma points for judgement day. If you have ties to a community, give a donation to a school or local charity. If you’re strictly on the web, donate to a variety of global charities, or find a single needy source that your customers can get behind. You may think you can’t afford to donate, but I’m telling you, you can’t afford not to.

Marketing Pilgrim’s Social Channel is proudly sponsored by Full Sail University, where you can earn your Masters of Science Degree in Internet Marketing in less than 2 years. Visit FullSail.edu for more information.

3. The light at the end of the tunnel.

Dave Thomas, director of community and social strategy for Radian6:

Ideally, you already understand what your business and your goals are. If you establish those goals in advance before you start any campaign, that’ll give you a leg up. Tie them to your existing goals.

This sounds simplistic, but I talk to business owners every day who don’t have a clear goal in mind. Sure, they want to be more profitable and more well-known, but what does that mean exactly? How do you plan to get there?

Define your goals and be specific. Then look at everything you’re doing and ask the question, how does this relate to my goal? If it doesn’t lead you where you want to go, dump it and move on.

2. A picture’s worth a thousand words. . . a video, two million.

Katia Beachamp, co-founder of Birchbox:

Facebook has been incredibly powerful, but YouTube was eye-opening. Birchbox creates its own content — people were creating videos and showing what a Birchbox was. It’s an authentic conversation about product.

YouTube is one of the most underused marketing tools around right now. It’s alive with users, it’s full of energy and it’s free. Show off your wares. Show people how to do something better. Show people what your website is all about. Don’t be intimated. We’re not looking for Oscar material. And don’t worry about people laughing at you, some of the most maligned videos are the most successful (Rebecca Black).

1. Power to the people.

Chris Bolte, VP of Demand Generation:

We allow anyone to submit a product and a video of the product, and the users vote on that. We engage small businesses to get products into our pipeline and give our consumers a vote in what we should be carrying. It’s really been on fire lately.

If there’s one thing that cements customer loyalty, it’s listening to what your customers have to say. Granted, you can’t act on every request, but when you can, make sure they know it. Allow them to vote on new colors, styles and options. Ask them to come up with a great marketing idea, then reward the best. Involve your customers in your business and they’ll be loyal to the end.

There you have it, 5 pieces of free and good advice that anyone can use.

Want more? Check out Business Insiders’ Social Commerce Summit coverage.

Now that Redbox has the hard-copy, DVD rental biz sewn up, it’s time to move on to the streaming biz. That means competing with Netflix. Even with all their recent troubles, the online DVD rental company has carved out a deep niche for themselves.

Redbox isn’t worried. They have a plan and a partner – Verizon.

According to the press release, the new venture will go live in the second half of 2012. Thanks to what each partner brings to the table, the service will combine a choice of streaming and hard-copy rental. It appears that both options will be available under the plan, but the press release doesn’t talk in specifics or dollars.

Splitting the DVD rental biz from the streaming biz, is one of the moves that got Netflix in trouble recently. It stemmed from a price increase that forced customers to take both services and some badly phrased apologies from the Netflix pres.

Redbox and Verizon will be coming in fresh, so they likely won’t have to deal with price backlash. They’re also coming in as the underdogs and who doesn’t love that.

The real kicker will be who gets which movies first. When Netflix was the only game in town, studios were licensing content for a fraction of the worth. In the past few months, things have changed with studios.

Just this past week, a new deal went into effect, pushing back the release date of all Warner Brothers films on Netflix. In order to increase DVD sales, Warner is holding on to their properties for 56 days before making them live. Even worse, they’ve put a 28 day hold on putting movies into the queue. Not good news for Netflix.

And neither is this Redbox deal. Redbox and Verizon are excellent partners as you can see from the graphic they prepared:

See all the happy people? Netflix better watch out.

As marketers that is perfectly acceptable and good. It’s our job. An increasing part of that job, however, is the responsibility of ensuring the relative safety of our businesses in the online space. That seems to be more precarious than ever especially with the extensive movement into the mobile space.

One sore spot of that space has been the security of the Android platform. Google knows it and that’s why this post happened late last week which gives us a peek into this part of the online space.

The last year has been a phenomenal one for the Android ecosystem. Device activations grew 250% year-on-year, and the total number of app downloads from Android Market topped 11 billion. As the platform continues to grow, we’re focused on bringing you the best new features and innovations – including in security.

Adding a new layer to Android security

Today we’re revealing a service we’ve developed, codenamed Bouncer, which provides automated scanning of Android Market for potentially malicious software without disrupting the user experience of Android Market or requiring developers to go through an application approval process.

I am an Android user and I will be totally transparent here. I don’t trust it. By it, I mean the Android market. It seems as if anyone and their cousin fifty times removed can set up shop there. As a result, I only use apps from larger brands or ones used by someone I know and trust who can say (to the best of their knowledge) that the app is “safe”. I use quotes around the word safe because it can be unnerving to know just how much information or access to my system I am giving up for the use of that app. It’s almost to the point of using the “if I didn’t hear about it, it didn’t exist” method of feeling safe because, let’s be realistic, we hand over boatloads of data (we miss you Carol!) to developers and we are probably more immune to worrying about it than we think.

So Google knows it has to play catch up in this area since the image of the competition’s App Store is one that you could eat off the floor while dining with full waiter service and arrive home to your butler attended iOS palace. It’s not quite that regal in reality but compared to the Android market it’s still like night and day.

Google claims that Android malware downloads are decreasing but what else would they say? In the post they touch on some of the areas they have done work in to make the Android environment a cleaner one. Call it a neighborhood reclamation project if you will.

Android makes malware less potent

In addition to using new services to help prevent malware, we designed Android from the beginning to make mobile malware less disruptive. In the PC model, malware has more potential to misuse your information. We learned from this approach, designing Android for Internet-connected devices. Some of Android’s core security features are:

Sandboxing: The Android platform uses a technique called “sandboxing” to put virtual walls between applications and other software on the device. So, if you download a malicious application, it can’t access data on other parts of your phone and its potential harm is drastically limited.

Permissions: Android provides a permission system to help you understand the capabilities of the apps you install, and manage your own preferences. That way, if you see a game unnecessarily requests permission to send SMS, for example, you don’t need to install it.

Malware removal: Android is designed to prevent malware from modifying the platform or hiding from you, so it can be easily removed if your device is affected. Android Market also has the capability of remotely removing malware from your phone or tablet, if required.

While this all sounds well and good, Google is not working from a position of power on this one, at least not with me. I am going to exercise the same level of caution I always have (which usually means I look in the Amazon Android App Store before I go to the Android Market because at least from the start they vetted the apps there a bit more thoroughly than Google’s handshake and a wink methodology). Google doesn’t quite get that thing about first impressions much do they?

So what is your experience in the Android world? Do you play in both Android and and Apple environments and is there a marked difference? Let us know in the comments today, we would love to hear from you (and you don’t have to give us your location or bank account!).

Marketers need to pay attention to systems that they tie their success to as well. Stability and safety are two things that corporations like. Apple’s iOS usually provides that. A story from the Apple Insider, however, made me wonder if Apple will continue to be more of a tech safe house if more headlines like this occur.

The story here isn’t that Blackberrys are being replaced. That’s happening in many places. What is interesting is that Apple is working to become the mobile device and system of choice for one of the most targeted and vilified companies on the planet. In case you have a short memory, Halliburton is most famous for its association with Dick Cheney and war time efforts around the world. They do A LOT more and should not be cast as demons but just these two facts alone are enough to make it a brand that some would like to see taken down.

The Insider goes on to say

“Over the next year, we will begin expanding the use of our mobile technology by transitioning from the BlackBerry (RIM) platform that we currently use to smartphone technology via the iPhone,” the Houston, Texas-based firm told employees in an internal newsletter this month.

The move comes after “significant research” into both Apple’s mobile platform and Google’s Android operating system led Halliburton to “determined that the iOS platform offered the best capabilities, controls and security for application development.” For Halliburton, supporting multiple platforms is not currently seen as feasible option.

The next quote makes this seem like more than a rumor.

“Approximately 4,500 Halliburton employees currently have BlackBerrys,” a spokeswoman for the company confirmed to AppleInsider. “We are making this transition in order to better support our mobile applications initiatives.”

She added that Halliburton actively “engaged with Apple on this transition,” which is slated to roll out in phases over the next two years.

So why the worry? Honestly, maybe there is no reason for anyone to think that Apple will not suddenly come into the crosshairs of hackers and someone who would want to bring a company like Halliburton to its knees through security mishaps. But one has to believe that something like this makes Apple less the “perfect corporate citizen” vs. Microsoft and more like, well, Microsoft.

The relative safety of the iOS platform is a great feature of it. Most have felt that the hacker world has given it a pass for the pst part because the big guns were on Windows platforms. But if Apple moves to this kind of corporate play with the iPhone the likelihood of a free pass diminishes quickly and that could mean some different problems for the company moving forward.

Things are changing at Apple already as Mac 9 to 5 reports

Last year Apple saw the loss of many executives ranging from its OS X chief, iAd chief, and Global Security chief, and 2012 has started off with another leave: the departure Vice President David Tupman. Tupman has been Apple’s Vice President of iPhone and iPod engineering for over a decade, making him a vital component of Apple’s leadership team.

Does that necessarily mean anything? No but if that kind of top talent was leaving your company would you think that maybe, just maybe, there is something happening that is at least unsettling?

We live in a world now where online safety, privacy and security are more at risk than ever and it is getting more attention than ever. Why? Because real people are getting hurt. From regular Joe’s to investors and beyond, there are concerns about just what is happening in the online space. And there should be. Heck even the online security company Symantec is supposedly being held hostage as someone threatens to release their code to the world.

While some of this may seem out there or even kind of sci-fi in nature, it’s not. If Apple is going to be painting a target on itself with corporate sales like this one the trickle down could be enormous. Not saying it will be but anyone who can connect the dots can see that the Apple safe haven idea may not be long for this world.

Your thoughts?

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And though it may seem like blogging is on the way out, LiveJournal is looking to pump up the volume with the concept of super communities.

LiveJournal General Manager Anjelika Petrochenko talked with me about the future of the service and how it could become the next big thing for any one marketing content.

CB: Can you talk a little about blogging’s place in social media. It seemed like it was headed out but now is experiencing a resurgence.

AP: Blogging is and always has been a popular part of LiveJournal. While most of the newer social networks allow people to simply declare what they have done, what they are doing or what they know, LiveJournal’s provides a platform that allows for real thought and deeply involved conversation. Additionally, blogs are often the foundation of communities, which are built around common shared interests. Currently, LiveJournal U.S. has almost 50,000 active communities.

CB: What’s the advantage of creating a blog at LiveJournal over any other site or a standalone blog?

AP: LiveJournal is a social network. Although LiveJournal gives its users a blogging platform, it also offers a place for its members to  friend others, share ideas, create content, express themselves, chat with those with similar interests, promote beliefs, post ideas, comment on issues, etc. Consequently, the advantage of joining LiveJournal is that you are actually joining an entire social network made up of 30 million members, which encourages users to create their own community around specific interests.

One important differentiators to mention is that LiveJournal does not require members to reveal their identities. Anonymity is allowed and often encouraged. We have observed that the ability to be anonymous allows people to discuss things they might not normally discuss in real life and on sites that require users to reveal their identities. This is why we think LiveJournal communities, which are built around personal topics like politics, LGBT and similar subjects are thriving. There is no such thing as TMI on LiveJournal.

CB: Mobile is a big trend. What is LiveJournal doing to capture this audience?

AP: Mobile is a big area of growth for LiveJournal in the 2012. LiveJournal already has a companion app for iPhone and Android phones that allows posting and other features, but we know there’s so much more we can and should do – and we are doing it, with more to come in 2012.

CB: I recently wrote a piece on the LiveJournal stores that are popular in Asia. Why do you suppose that took off there and not here. Is that an option here in the US, sort of Etsy for LiveJournal?

AP: It is a testament to LiveJournal’s versatility that it can accommodate almost any trend. “Blogshops” are a growing popular trend in Asia, especially in Singapore, where LiveJournal organically took hold for this trend. It is often a matter of filling a natural niche – in the U.S. there are many e-commerce options, including sites like eBay and Etsy. We should be clear that the blogshops on LiveJournal Singapore are selling their wares, but LiveJournal is not an e-commerce platform. Blogshops are, of course, more than welcome to start in the U.S., but here there are other options.

CB: What types of communities fit best at LiveJournal?

AP: On LiveJournal, there is a community for almost any subject. However, we have found that the “best fits” are communities that are lively, active and interesting. The most popular communities on LiveJournal tend to be more focused on areas of entertainment and personal advice such as parenting, but a quick search of communities related to your own interests reveals many choices.

CB: I’m a TV fan and use LiveJournal a lot, but I don’t think of it as a place for media. What kinds of things are you doing to help these “super communities” become more significant.

AP: LiveJournal is a treasure trove of 13 years worth of user-generated content. Most of it is extremely compelling and insightful, and could have greater impact if it has a wider audience. Thus far, LiveJournal has done a good job of helping curate and facilitate the discovery of great communities. But, many LiveJournal communities are analogous to media sites – they are active, interesting, informational, have strong membership and want to grow. These are the sites that we have been identifying as “super communities” and we have developed a new program that allows them to be more easily discovered and to grow even more.

ONTD is the best example of what a LiveJournal super community is and can become. As LiveJournal’s largest community, ONTD (Oh No They Didn’t) is a place where members share celebrity gossip.  It is treated almost like a media site, though the “editorial staff” remains LiveJournal users who create the content posted in the community. Other communities that are being invited to be a part of the initiative are not new communities; rather, they are existing communities that LiveJournal has reached out to, offering a custom design, special features and widgets, and promotional/marketing help. Essentially, these are voices that want to be heard by more people and we are facilitating this.

Have you ever considered using LiveJournal for business? We’d like to hear about it.

That may sound like no big deal, or even a little humorous, but its actually pretty scary. Facebook has one of the biggest user pools around and if they can’t find a way to make their smartphone users convert, then what hope is there for the rest of us?

The trouble stems from the fact that Facebook’s mobile app is a highly stripped down version of the real site. It’s about giving users a quick overview of what’s happening and a way to post an update while on the go. It’s not designed to handle the interconnected series of links, likes and lookarounds that keep people on the web version for 18 to 38 minutes per visit.

Facebook ads? They’re no space for them on mobile dashboard.

According to the Facebook IPO filing (via the New York Times)

[Facebook] expected its mobile users to “exceed the growth rate of our overall monthly active users for the foreseeable future.” And if executives are not able to chart a path to profitability on mobile platforms, the filing indicated, the company’s “revenue and financial results may be negatively affected.”

Poor Facebook! I feel bad for them.

Okay, not really. Because here’s the thing about the internet and social media in particular – like the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park, they always find a way.

In this case, it could mean inserting sponsored posts into mobile newsfeeds. Maybe giving Facebook credits for those who visit a special mobile ad page? Or, heaven forbid, a banner ad that covers part of the screen.

I’m sure Facebook has thought of all of these options and they probably worry that people will object. But people object to every change Facebook makes. They objected to photo tagging and timelines and newsfeed filtering. They object and they object and they still show up to the party, because if they don’t, then they’re missing out.

As the Times points out, we’ve had 15 years to get used to banner ads on our computers. Imagine where we’ll be with mobile 15 years from now. It’s likely we’ll have gotten used to small ads on the small screen. Or maybe by then mobile phones will pick up on your pulse and respiration then deliver a suitable ad that supersedes whatever you’re doing.

“You appear to be hungry? May I suggest you stop playing Angry Birds and visit Wacko’s Tacos for lunch? They have a Buy 1 Get 1 deal today only!”

The only reason mobile isn’t paying off yet is because we’re still stuck in the banner / search web advertising mode. Mobile is a different animal and soon we’ll have new advertising options that suit.

Then Facebook will make more money and hopefully, the rest of us will, too.

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It’s a cat and mouse game that is simply between the good guys and the bad guys. There are bad guys online just like there are in every walk of life. I have seen anyone or any organization who has been able to eradicate bad guys anywhere so the expectation that it is “under control” in the Wild West world of the Internet is dangerous.

While we may roll our eyes at yet more tips regarding online privacy, it’s that very attitude that will ultimately ensure more victims. So if you don’t pay attention and you get hit don’t cry about it. You know better.

The infographic below from The Frugal Dad. Enjoy.

The reality is that most people (those outside of the Internet over-saturated, Silicon Valley types whose level of disconnect from reality can be startling) don’t understand what they are doing when they post things online. And apparently, at least with Facebook, “deleting” a picture isn’t what it might seem either.

According to Ars Technica

Facebook is still working on deleting photos from its servers in a timely manner nearly three years after Ars first brought attention to the topic. The company admitted on Friday that its older systems for storing uploaded content “did not always delete images from content delivery networks in a reasonable period of time even though they were immediately removed from the site,” but said it’s currently finishing up a newer system that makes the process much quicker. In the meantime, photos that users thought they “deleted” from the social network months or even years ago remain accessible via direct link.

I suggest you read the Ars article. The devil, as always, is in the details. Even down to the attempt by Facebook to delete referenced photos after they are called to the mat on the issue yet other photos still remain. It shows that there are serious gaps and issues and Facebook knows it.

We all need to be careful what we think we are “accomplishing” when we supposedly delete things from the online world that, in actuality, live on for years and years. It’s obvious that Facebook isn’t concerned about your need to remove data from the total ecosystem that is fed by Facebook. Let’s face it. Facebook is huge in terms of the data they have. They don’t have the capability to truly serve users with regard to their personal data needs and, since they are dependent on that data for their billions of dollars, they are not compelled to be service oriented.

Add to that the general public is ignorant to how all of this stuff works then Facebook can usually get a free pass on this stuff and boy do they take advantage of it.

I know that many of our readers will not be surprised by this kind of thing. We’ll act like “Oh that’s just the way it is”. I will admit, however, that when I read that Ars article and realized that in this instance there is at least a three year lag in truly removing photos that were fed into the Facebook ecosystem, I was a bit surprised. 30 days, 90 days maybe even 6 months is a time period that might be deemed acceptable but three years?

It will be a collection of things like this and other realizations about just how Facebook treats user data that could ultimately be their Achilles heel. As people get smarter they may get less forgiving. I’m not there yet because I try to be cautious about what I post to begin with. In general, you can prevent these “troubles” by exercising some common sense and restraint. Most folks aren’t thinking about the big picture, though, when they post things to Facebook. They are worried about being cool and entertaining their friends. They are not wondering about their reputation. Too bad. Get ready for some rocky rides as the Internet becomes less of a mystery and people see what they are actually doing to themselves. At that point, what will being social online look like?

Your thoughts?

Last week I talked about how marketers should leverage culture to promote brands. Today I would like to talk about why we also can (and should) change culture.

As I watched the video above I couldn’t help but ask myself, “Is marketing changing culture? Or is culture changing marketing?” Or in other words, are these ads changing our perception of beauty or is our perception of beauty changing the ads? I still don’t have the answer, but maybe it;s a little bit of both.

In the end it doesn’t really matter, the bottom line is that the concept of “ideal beauty” has been around for a very long time. However, that doesn’t mean that it has to continue, and as marketers we have a unique ability to make a difference. Because as marketers we, in part, define culture.

How To Change Culture With Marketing

Develop Icons – Cultures love a good icon. For example take a look at Donald Duck in Germany, they love him. A strong icon can be a powerful force with in a culture. And who creates icons? Marketers do, that’s who! If we want to change our culture’s obsession with ideal body types we need to work to develop more icons that embody realistic and diverse forms of beauty.

Change The Narrative – Maybe with the help of some of our new icons we can start telling some new stories. How about a story about a fully figured woman that men fight over. Or perhaps a movie about a funny young guy in a wheelchair that hordes of women lust after (wink). Stories shape our collective conscience and define the way we view the world. They also help define our own personal narrative, which gives us courage to be different and try new things.

Make A Profit – Remember that marketing is still all about generating wealth. With out wealth we can’t elevate icons or tell new stories. So we need to use the power of marketing to create consumer demands that redefine cultural norms. We need to start building brands that target individuals that deviate from the prevailing cultural narrative. We need fashion brands that market directly to consumers with wrinkles and body weight. We need to grow these brand’s revenue streams and make wrinkles profitable.

Quit Being Lazy – As I watched the video above I couldn’t help but think how unimaginative and uncreative the ads pictured were. Smart marketing is never easy. To redefine culture we have to be creative and try many different things and be willing to fail. Sometimes, it’s hard selling failure to our clients, which is why we need to demand and expect more courage from the companies and brands we work with. Most of you that work with large brands know that they are run by good people that want to do the right thing, they just often times lack the needed courage to do what needs to be done.

In the 21st century marketers are one of the most influential elements on our culture. We have the power to redefine ideas and conscientiousness and it’s our job to wield that power responsibly. This does not mean simply abstaining from the types of ads in the video, it also means taking an active role in the development of new trends that shape our collective identity. If we can effectively do that, we can use marketing to make the world a better place while generating wealth. And, to me that sounds beautiful.