Marketing Technology Stories you might have missed
MT5 Edition: Â #23
This week: 50 tools you should know, CMAD3, “Showrooming”, Google consolidates its privacy policy and opens to teens.
1. 3rd Community Manager Appreciation Day was Jan 23rd 2012
[Web Strategist] Jeremiah Owyang started CMAD 3 years ago to celebrate and support those who support us!
My Take: I’m glad Jeremiah started the special day to salute community managers. In addition it also raised awareness and helped define the position with greater clarity.
2. Showdown Over ‘Showrooming’
[WSJ] Box retailers are tiring of customers coming to their stores to inspect products then buying them online at a discount. Essentially consumers are using retailers as showrooms.
My Take: Target is trying to squeeze vendors to match price. I just can’t see that working. Â So what will work?
Apple is extending its Best Buy program to put Apple outlets in more stores. like Target. Will that be the future? Will Amazon partner with retail stores or open actual its own retail stores?
3. Google Consolidates It’s Privacy Policy
[VentureBeat]Â Google is changing its privacy policy, consolidating 60 different policies into one. You cannot opt-out of it unless you stop using all Google products.
My Take: This is part of Google’s plan to unify it’s properties under one umbrella. Thankfully you can manage all of your Google apps on one Dashboard as well as download all of your data in Google’s cloud with Takeout.
4. Google+ includes Teens
[Mashable] Google, which had previously barred consumers under 18 from joining Google+, is attempting to avoid such a situation on its network via a series of enhancement aimed at protecting people on the network aged 13-17.
My Take: Google continues to ramp up it’s ability to compete against Facebook (and twitter). It’s easy to forget that Google+ is still a new product. It’s only been broadly available for the few months. Will teens adopt Google+?
Consolidating it’s product platform, opening to teens and allowing for pseudonyms – are all part of it’s competitive strategy.
5. 50 Tech Tools You Should Know About
[CNN] CNN tallied 50 tools/apps that caught its eye.
My faves: Path (love), Flipboard, Hipmunk, Instagram, Pinterest, Tweepi, Zite (love)
BONUS Social media cheat sheet