What's New in Consumer Web -- September 6, 2010

Consumer advocacy groups seem upset with concerns about internet privacy, while research indicates the average consumer will and is sharing more information than ever if they are promised something of value in return. Target starts selling Facebook credits gift cards and we already know how 7-11 stores are pimped out in Farmville branding. No one is talking about Foursquare anymore as all eyes were on Apple this week. On the bright side you can locate the best medicinal marijuana in your neighborhood using Weedmaps.com FollowStyle has entered the shopping experience market creating a hip network of fashion minded people to post their outfits, tag products and truly rate the sexiness of clothes. Pretty soon when you are shopping at a retail store you will be getting text (SMS) coupons, can take digital photos while trying things on and even have apps to make suggestions of how to look better or create a more 'personalized' look. How scary is that to make the clothing and fashion experience a wide open show for the web? To some that might be appealing, to others concerning. Even better, what are the retail shops going to do about this dilemma? As a corporation how do you cater to what is becoming a social media divide? Old school vs. new school. What we learned this week about Consumer Web: Privacy is not sexy Advertising standards are increasing Mobile is the new internet Privacy is not sexy Consumers are either concerned about privacy or concerned about getting the best deal and neither are sexy. The world is open and increasingly information spreads across the internet at a pace that isn't being met by legislation or regulations that would normally decide the rules of "right and wrong" on the internet. Sure there is the FTC but they are pretty busy handling a sleuth of violations occurring on old regulations, where's the time to make new ones? Besides spamming the entire internet with violators and organizations seen as anti-privacy like Google, its a bit ironic to share information about how information should not be shared. Advertising standards are increasing It used to be easier to hide small print on a coupon or to even slightly mislead one or two consumers here and there but now as people connect with one another and do research online, its becoming more difficult to "scam" the consumer. Knowing that information is traveling fast and consumers are becoming aware of resources to help protect them its making the level of advertisement increase and quite frankly be more transparent. The downside of this is that things will take longer to process and companies will be more protective of their brands and external voice. A last minute genius marketing campaign may get overlooked because not enough due diligence could be done before hand to examine risk. Mobile is the new internet Is mobile mobile anymore? Everyone is on the go and not stuck in one place. Remember when the telephone had to be used only in the household? I don't, but at some point in time people could only talk to someone at a different location from one stationary location. My prediction is that soon mobile will just be "internet." Mobile is comparative to something that is not moving, but if everything is moving it doesn't make sense to point out the obvious. Next week a few more start-ups will be entering the Consumer Web space but with the retail season starting to warm up with back-to-school and soon holiday shopping, I would keep my eye to see what retail campaigns come out this year. Should be impressive.

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What's New in Consumer Web -- September 6, 2010

Ellie Cachette

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Ellie Cachette