American
Half Of The American Public Thinks Facebook Is A Passing Fad
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-facebook-popularity-2012-5
Despite the fact that Facebook has 900 million users, almost half of people think it’s a passing fad.
CNBC and the AP surveyed 1,003 Americans about Facebook and found 46% think it will fade away. Amusingly, only 31% of the people surveyed think it’s a bad investment.
Follow the Chart Of The Day on Twitter: @chartoftheday
Gamers Redesign a Protein That Stumped Scientists for Years [Science]
Source: http://gizmodo.com/5878459/gamers-redesign-a-protein-that-stumped-scientists-for-years
![medium 6ed377c6888b8ee5f0187340a3fe88e2 Gamers Redesign a Protein That Stumped Scientists for Years [Science]](http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2012/01/6ed377c6888b8ee5f0187340a3fe88e2.jpg "Gamers Redesign a Protein That Stumped Scientists for Years")
Folding: it’s detestable and boring, as any Gap employee can tell you. But it’s also a totally fun thing you can do in a video game! And today it’s particularly exciting because players of the online game Foldit have redesigned a protein, and their work is published in the science journal Nature Biotechnology.
It seems nobler than shooting people in the face, somehow. Granted, Foldit attracts a unique kind of gamer who enjoys obsessing over biological protein folding patterns. Proteins get their function from the way they are folded into coils like in the image above. When the amino acids in a protein interact, they create that coiled, three-dimensional structure. Scientists can manipulate the structure to make the protein more efficient. In Foldit, designs that create the most efficient proteins garner the highest scores.
University of Washington in Seattle scientists Zoran Popovic, director of the Center for Game Science, and biochemist David Baker developed Foldit (which is different from Folding@home, Stanford software that lets people donate their idle computer processing power to create a protein-folding supercomputer). By playing it, at-home gamers have redesigned a protein for the first time, and they did it better and faster than scientists who have trained their entire careers to build better proteins. Justin Siegel, a biophysicist in Baker’s group told Scientific American:
I worked for two years to make these enzymes better and I couldn’t do it. Foldit players were able to make a large jump in structural space and I still don’t fully understand how they did it.
Here’s how it works: Researchers send a series of puzzles to Foldit’s 240,000 registered users. The scientists sift through the results for the best designs and take those into the lab for real-life testing. They combed through 180,000 designs to get to the version of the protein published today. The paper details an enzyme that thanks to the crowdsourced redesign is 18-fold more active than the original version.
Now for the anticlimactic part: this particular enzyme doesn’t really have any practical uses. But the researchers say it’s a proof of concept, and future Foldit designs will be more useful. In fact, Baker has fed players a protein that blocks the flu virus that led to the 1918 pandemic—and their puzzle solving for this one could lead to an actual drug.
Nature via Scientific American
Image: Foldit
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American Apparel’s Profits Are Getting Clipped Thanks To Groupon (APP)
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/american-apparel-groupon-2012-1
Just when it looked like things were starting to look up for cash-strapped American Apparel, profits are reportedly getting shaved.
Why?
From The New York Post‘s James Covert:
The hipster clothing chain racked up impressive sales gains during the holidays, but profits were squeezed hard as it took steep discounts, including those from a barrage of Groupon offers nationwide, sources told The Post.
…
American Apparel rang up millions of dollars in the fourth quarter selling cardigans, corduroys and sexy leggings through the daily deals site — a heap of bargains amounting to a “small but material” percentage of the company’s $157 million in total sales during the period, said one source briefed on the company’s finances.
The controversial clothing company has been struggling to turnaround its operations.
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See Also:
- WD-40 Profits Slip And Its Shares Slide
- Here’s A Different Way Of Looking At The Earnings Season Calendar
- CITI: Here Are 3 Sectors That Will Beat Estimates This Earnings Season
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Nissan sells more than 20,000 Leafs in first year; Fiat, Not So Much
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/30/nissan-sells-more-than-20-000-leafs-in-first-year-high-fives-co/
Excerpt: Only a few months after announcing that it sold 10,000 all-electric Leaf cars in international markets, Nissan stated at the Tokyo Motor Show today that the company has sold over 20,000 Leafs since the car went on sale in December of 2010. The company also added that it expects to sell more than 10,000 Leafs in the U.S. by the end of 2011.
SOURCE: http://adage.com/article/news/francois-fights-fiat-fiasco/230033/ This contrasts with Fiat, which went to great expense to make branding commercials with JLo which stirred more “huh’s?” from audiences than sales. One former auto-marketing exec Peter DeLorenzo called “quite possibly the worst automotive spot of the last decade, hands down.” No official sales numbers were mentioned, probably because it was too embarrassingly low to mention.
Who are they advertising here… the car or JLo? 
SOURCE: http://blog.web.blogads.com/2011/11/22/j-los-shameless-strange-and-sad-fiat-fiasco/ Widely denounced, shameless and strange product placement and promo during JLo’s performance at the American Music Awards.
Watch the whole bizarre performance here (The Fiat stuff starts around 1:15):
TV broadcasters hope to dominate the second screen with ConnecTV
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/19/tv-broadcasters-hope-to-dominate-the-second-screen-with-connectv/
No one has quite figured it out yet, but there seems to be little doubt that tablet devices have their place on the couch to serve as a second screen while American’s enjoy their favorite past time — watching TV. In addition to many independent startups we’ve discussed in the past, the old guard, that already owns most of broadcast TV stateside, has a startup of its own called ConnecTV. In development for two years already, ConnecTV is currently in beta and has the hopes to go live in January. The idea is of course to put what you might want to see on your second screen while you watch the main action on the big screen. This includes sports scores, statistics, as well as what your friends may or may-not be saying on Twitter or Facebook — and of course advertising. We’d be shocked if most tablet owners weren’t already using their slate in front of the TV and can imagine how many more might if there was a great app that brought it all together.
TV broadcasters hope to dominate the second screen with ConnecTV originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Nov 2011 05:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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John Bell, Managing Director, Oglivy 360
Source: http://blog.compete.com/2011/11/14/digital-cmo-series-john-bell-managing-director-oglivy-360/
At the 2011 Digital CMO Summit, John Bell, Managing Director at Ogilvy 360 shared his thought provoking presentation – Overcoming the CMO’s Dilemma. John discussed a number of key questions and challenges that CMO’s are facing as brands begin to move from “experimentation into operationalizing” social media. It’s not as simple as senior marketing executives finally “getting it.” CMOs and their immediate teams are faced with some organizational issues, capability gaps, and the unforeseen consequences of embracing social media marketing and communications. Below are the 7 big challenges that must be overcome in order to reap the largest business value from social media:
1. Challenge: The Curse of the Channel Mindset
Solution: Plan around owned, earned and paid ‘engagement’
____________________________________________________________
2. Challenge: Understanding what to value
Solution: Adopt a new model that values behavior
____________________________________________________________
3. Challenge: Uncontrolled growth
Solution: Social Brand Management
____________________________________________________________
4. Challenge: What do I do with my Web site
Solution: Develop a content strategy
____________________________________________________________
5. Challenge: Assigning the right roles
Solution: Form a “center for excellence”
____________________________________________________________
6. Challenge: Building knowledge and capacity
Solution: Train, train, train
____________________________________________________________
7. Challenge: How else does social media drive value?
Solution: Develop a social business strategy
____________________________________________________________
Hear from John as he discusses the 7 big challenges and more on the CMO’s Dilemma on the Compete YouTube Channel.
About John: John Bell, managing director at Ogilvy, developed and leads 360° Digital Influence, the world’s largest, award-winning network of social media strategists, with team members in more than 27 countries. Bell and his team have designed integrated social media strategy and programs for B2B and B2C businesses as diverse as Unilever, American Express, Dupont, LG, and Lenovo. Bell has also received recognition for his enterprise social media strategy for The Ford Motor Company.
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The NFL Is Still King Among American Sports Fans
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-nfl-is-still-king-among-american-sports-fans-2011-10
In a recent survey by Scarborough Sports Marketing, 62 percent of American Adults listed the NFL as a sport in which they have at least a little interest. That was tops among all sports, easily out-pacing Major League Baseball with 49 percent.
It also might be time to reconsider what we call a “major sport” in the United States. The NBA came in fifth, behind college football. And the NHL was 12th, behind NASCAR, high school sports, and figure skating.
Interestingly, MLB is not even the second most popular “sport.” They fall behind the Olympics, which is more of an event than a sport, but I say tomato, and you say tomato (wait, that doesn’t work as well when not spoken out loud).
Here are the 20 most popular sports among American adults…
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See Also:
- What "The Best Team Money Can Buy" Looked Like In 1977
- WATCH: New York Jets Star Gets Upset And Hangs Up On Radio Icon
- WATCH: A Brawl Breaks Out In Yet Another International Basketball Game Involving A Chinese Team
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Are Daily Deal Credit Cards On The Way?
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/are-daily-deal-credit-cards-on-the-way-2011-10
With the daily deal market exploding, what’s next for sites like Groupon and LivingSocial?
Groupon Goods might be the answer on some expert’s lips, but according to CardHub CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou, branded credit cards look more likely.
That’s because credit cards are easier for shoppers to use. Unlike a coupon, they work automatically and you can always store the cards in your wallet.
Credit cards would also simplify the redemption process in that consumers could easily swipe and credit 2, 3, or even 5% cash back to their account, for example. Plus the cards present a lucrative stream of revenue that only stands to be threatened by sophisticated card companies like American Express and Visa.
The demand is there, as a survey of 1,500 consumers conducted by Lightspeed Research revealed last month. More than a quarter (27%) of LivingSocial customers said they would be interested in a branded card, while more than a third (34%) of Groupon’s customers want one too.
But would daily deal credit cards be a boon to cash-strapped consumers or just passed off as a trend among the sites’ spendthrift regulars?
“Most likely it’s going to be something high end consumers who are spenders will want,” says Papadimitriou. “They won’t be making them their primary cards across the board, but people don’t usually make store-brand cards their primary cards anyway.”
This makes sense: Lightspeed found that relative to the overall U.S. credit cardholder population, Groupon and LivingSocial regulars tend to have better credit scores, are twice as likely to pay off their monthly card balances in full, and are three times as likely to make purchases with them. What’s more, about half are earning $75,000, so they can afford it.
So while the cards wouldn’t do much to spark the economy on the whole—or soothe the millions of Americans desperate for a deal—they might do plenty to stoke spending among the credit elite. Which is exactly what Groupon or LivingSocial want, since most affinity cards are hard up to take on risky credit holders.
If you’re in the high end, however, think twice before signing up if a card is released, says Papadimitriou.
“As with all co-branded cards, if you’re already a loyal customer and are spending a lot of money—say more than $2,000 to $3,000 a year, then get that branded card because it will likely be useful. But if you’re not a loyal customer or a frequent spender with that company, then don’t worry about it.”
Please follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
See Also:
- Bank Of America Is Planning To Charge You A $5 Debit Card Fee
- Your Compulsive Spending Habit Isn’t Helping The Economy–Here’s How To Stop It
- GET REAL: Being Cheap Won’t Make You A Millionaire
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Twitter gains mass awareness but usage remains light
AWARENESS
2010 – 87% awareness
2009 – 24% awareness
2008 – 5% awareness
USAGE
2010
- 1,500 million pageviews per month (71 pageviews per month avg)
- 162 million visits per month (8 visits per month avg)
- 21 million unique visitors per month
Arbitron Figures
2010 – 7% active users (use at least once per month)
2009 – 2% active users
Source: http://www.digidaydaily.com/stories/digital-content-today-arbitron-posts-twitter-numbers
Digital Content Today: Arbitron Posts Twitter Numbers
Media usage tracking company is reporting some surprising numbers on Twitter usage. According to a report in RadioInk, a webinar fromArbitron/Edison Research revealed that 87% of Americans are now aware of Twitter, up from 24% in 2009 and just 5% when the question was first asked, in 2008. But in looking at how many Americans are active users of Twitter — defined as using the service at least once a month — that figure came in at 7%, or about 17 million people, up from 2% in 2009.
Those are huge numbers to be sure, but less that what the blogosphere and assumed ubiquity of Twitter actually seems to be. Edison VP/Strategy & Marketing Tom Webster said awareness of Twitter has soared over a very short period. Webster compared Twitter usage to that of Facebook, the “10-ton gorilla” of social networking, with about six times as many users as Twitter although awareness of the services is roughly equal, and said, “Given that awareness per se is not a constraint, I think the smartest thing you can say about this particular graph is that Twitter has yet to articulate its value to mainstream Americans.”
Arbiron/Edson says that 18% of active Twitter users access the service several times a day and 15 % report they use it at least once a day, while 22% say they’re on Twitter at least once a month. But more than half — 53% — of active Twitter users don’t post tweets themselves and are instead, Webster said, “driven to go there as consumers of broadcast content.”
Other data:
• About 51 % of active Twitter users are white, 24% are African American — about twice the percentage of African Americans in the general population. The study speculated that African Americans may use Twitter more “conversationally” than other users.
• About 19% saying they’re “among the first” to buy or try new products, compared to 10 % of the population as a whole. 25% say they buy or try products before others, but not first.
• They’re also inclined to access the Internet from several locations, and 63% access social networking from a mobile phone, compared to 35 % of all social-network users. And for Twitter users, Webster said, SMS is “pretty much like oxygen”: 92% use SMS, and 73% text multiple times a day.
• About 42% of monthly Twitter users say they use the service to learn about products and services, and 41% use it to post their own opinions about products, while 31 % seek others’ opinions.
Active Twitter users report spending four hours a day online, compared to about two hours for the general population. But, Webster noted, “the other media here aren’t proportionately lower.” Twitterers spend two hours, 41 minutes a day with radio, compared to two hours, five minutes for the general population, and they spend three hours, 22 minutes with TV, compared to three hours, 25 minutes.
lift in search due to paid TV advertising
List of 2009 Superbowl spots on AdAge.com
http://adage.com/superbowl09/article?article_id=134136
Lift in search is a great indicator of interest. Modern consumers may be inspired by TV ads, but they usually go online to do more research for themselves, to inform their own purchase decision. The following examples show the lift in search after Superbowl commercials or for launch of products like Subway Footlongs. The use of unique, made-up words makes it easier to detect lift in search (see related post: made up words are great for tracking buzz and search volume ). There is now a correlation between offline paid advertising and online behaviors of modern consumers that can be tracked and ultimately related to sales.
What is harder to do is track lift in search from smaller TV media buys or from terms which are generic — e.g. American Express OPEN, Proctor & Gamble’s TAG (men’s deoorant), etc. And furthermore, people may or may not remember the brand name itself and may type in a more general search query — e.g. “talking baby” instead of” e-Trade” or “dancing lizards” instead of “SoBe LifeWater.” And most people usually forget to type in special URLs specified in the ads. So the opportunity is to 1) use made-up words which can be used to detect lift in search and 2) search-optimize around other more generic terms that people may search for if they remembered the ad, but did not remember the brand name itself.
key learnings include:
1. only the superbowl TV ads generates enough awareness to drive lift in search volume detectable above the noise or normal levels
2. made up words are useful in correlating paid advertising and subsequent online actions (e.g. search) because most users forget or are too lazy to type special URLs
3. is is always better to have real analytics from the site to see when paid campaigns hit; site analytics will also reveal more information about users including demographic information, what they are looking for, and even whether they “convert” to a sale or a desired action — like print off a coupon, etc.
Notice the January spikes for several of the examples below — these are their Superbowl ads in action. But also notice how sharp the spikes are — most of them go back to prior levels within 1 – 3 days (see related post: the ephemerality of the Superbowl halo )
Source: Google Insights for Search
Digital Consigliere
Dr. Augustine Fou is Digital Consigliere to marketing executives, advising them on digital strategy and Unified Marketing(tm). Dr Fou has over 17 years of in-the-trenches, hands-on experience, which enables him to provide objective, in-depth assessments of their current marketing programs and recommendations for improving business impact and ROI using digital insights.
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