Google Fiber raises the bar for broadband suppliers

Last month in the US Google announced plans to give away high speed broadband up to 1 GB per second – One hundred times faster than we have today. During the trial Google will choose cities with a need for rejuvenation, promising between 50,000 & 500,000 people will have access to the Google Fiber service. Despite speculation that the service will be rolled out worldwide if successful, even as the trial currently stands user expectations from broadband services will no doubt increase with comparison. To stay afloat ISP services will have to compete and it won’t be too long before we in fact rue the decision to name today’s speeds as ‘Broadband’

As we’ve seen previously the increase in internet speed opens up the potential for a much richer and more engaging experience. Moving to a 100 times faster internet allows communities and organisations to use a ‘cloud computing’ infrastructure with more fluidity, changing the way we store and retrieve our personal data.

Why is this important for Cadbury?

A large increase in internet speeds would eliminate limitations over what could be provided to their audience within ad formats. The Fairtrade fortnight album could be downloaded straight from a standard format, the 2009 Creme egg game could be hosted within an expandable MPU and moving forward we could even host a high definition feature length film which could be expanded to full screen.

If Google Fibre internet speeds were freely accessible we could pack all the attributes of a content rich micro site into an ad format and distribute it to our audience and where they want to be, rather than pull them towards a destination to engage.

Thread – The Dating service, fully powered by Facebook Connect

Launched in September, Thread prides itself on saving users from the long questionnaires and registration processes of other dating sites. Rather, because the free service is based on Facebook Connect, users begin by simply logging in to their Facebook account and answering a few quick questions including their gender, city and relationship status. Once connected, they can easily browse a list of their "friends of friends," or second-degree Facebook connections, sorted by gender and relationship status.

Rather than shoehorning in FB connect functions, Thread is one of the first services developed solely reliant on Facebook Connect. With the ability to piggyback off Facebook’s vast database of users Thread has the potential to offer an easy to use, easy to sign up service with more potential matches than the long running (and major investing) Dating Direct and Match.com

What’s this got to do with Cadbury?

The uptake in Facebook connect is increasing user expectations for when they land on a site. Users are beginning to interact with sites within their Facebook community rather than have a standalone experience, making it increasingly important to take FB Connect into consideration and maximise the content offering on all Cadbury sites. Users will become more comfortable logging into sites using their Facebook account, in turn they will be less inclined to create bespoke site login details – Making it increasingly difficult to collect Traction data.

Facebook's mobile user base reaches 100 million

Latest figures released show that Facebook now has 100 million users accessing the site via mobile, remarkably Facebook only reached 100 million online users 16 months ago (Oct 2008). The figures show that users are quickly changing the dynamics of their social media usage, opting to update throughout their day on topics as they happen rather than summing up their day at the end when they have PC access.

How does this affect Cadbury?

Realtime updates make it possible for users to alert friends on small novelty elements throughout their day which they would otherwise have forgotten/ wouldn’t be relevant in an end of day update summing up their day. Because of this publicity stunts such as the ‘Single Ladies’ and ‘Musical Chairs’ stunts will be the topic of social conversation within minutes of happening.

Social media is changing the goal of a publicity stunt, at the moment advertisers are looking for editorial coverage within magazines but now a stunt’s success could be measured on the social buzz that it receives as witnesses effectively report back to their peers. Realtime social media buzz could also increase traffic to product sampling activity as people tip off their friends within the area.

Market sentinel will be able to monitor the stunts coverage and thanks to Facebook’s new search functionality we can instantly search and find all mentions of the stunt providing users have their status available to all.

Realtime updates also make it feasible to run small competitions within event such as the Buttons farm for fans to feed in their entries via mobile and at the same time alert their friends as to where they are.

Google Wave - Revolutionising Email

Google have been working on a system which finally integrates social media and Wiki technology into our everyday email. Rather than sending read only messages to friends which turn into reams of emails once conversation starts we can all work together to communicate in one 'Wave'

This not only answers our growing need to communicate in Real-Time (Email is the new snail mail), it aggregates all our social tools into one application and makes it easier to distribute and share information with a one click process to update your blog.




A great tool which is shown in the above video is an automatic translation tool, with globalisation becoming a part of everyday life language barriers will soon be a thing of the past.

In the future instead of coming back to work to find hundreds of emails to piece together we will find five or six 'Waves' which have already been edited by those invited.

The rise of Social Media

This 4 minute 20 second video demonstrates how social media has revolutionised our lives without us really appreciating in full the change in our social habits and the way we view content. The very fact that society has taken up the social tools available with little fuss indicates social media is not a fad and is here to stay.

A point summed up best by Author Clay Shirky in his bestselling title 'Here Comes Everybody' - "Technology only ever becomes revolutionary when it becomes boring"

Harry Jenkins on Convergence Culture

Media and popular culture author Harry Jenkins gives his views on our rapidly evolving convergence culture with the use of social media tools. Interestingly, he makes the point that whilst George Orwell predicted 'Big Brother' would constantly watch over us, we are currently seeing the exact opposite.

Henry Jenkins on Transmedia - November 2009 from niko on Vimeo.

Product Re-Packaging With QR Codes

Marks & Spencer have began incorporating QR codes into their packaging design in order to offer their customers additional content.

Once a user uses their mobile to read the QR code they are automatically directed to the M&S landing page for the individual product - In this case the fresh orange juice.

The Orange juice landing page then lists a menu of activities including learning about the product, jokes, facts and also an opportunity to complain.

This is a great way which FMCG brands can further engage their audience and add value to their products, with the opportunity to display written, audio and video content brands can be very creative in what content they offer to their customers.

Cadbury could implement a unique code for each product, offering content bespoke to the customers product of choice.

For example Wispa bars could direct users to a landing page which contains all previous TV adverts, a link to the Facebook Fan page, the history of Wispa, the opportunity to join the mailing list and a feedback form.

For each brand there could also be generic Cadbury content covering Fairtrade, Cadbury World and Olympic updates. QR codes would not need to be changed but the content available could be continuously updated similar to a brands website.