Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category

Monday, April 1st, 2013

Does Facebook Know it’s Mobile?

Facebook is a mobile company. Already. FULL STOP. In fact, as much or more so than AT&T or Vodafone or Telefonica or whatever local carrier you use in your country or region. In fact, as much as Google or Microsoft or Samsung or Nokia – only different.

So I am mystified by the digibabble and speculation surrounding a potential Facebook phone – whether a good idea or bad is a secondary issue – and the continued chatter and noise that refuses to acknowledge what is versus the continued hope for what might make money for investors with little or no value for users like you and me.

First and foremost – more photos and status updates are posted to Facebook from mobile sources than from computers – DUH!!! Why is this a surprise? Why is it even written about? If all we did was sit at our desks…think about how boring life and Facebook would be…we are all out and about – restaurants, shows, museums, movies, stores (yes…stores), parks, vacations, sports events, you name it – with our friends, significant others, families – whomever – OF COURSE WE POST…that is the point – NO?

Cell phones began our liberation and smartphones continued our exodus from slavery to freedom. No longer were we chained to cables and no longer were we limited to voice calls.

The carriers were at a loss – they wanted greater value than they could get from a mere pipeline – they wanted to charge premium prices for the data they carried – and while they were the original abolitionists of the tyranny of place – they became complacent…collected fees and engaged in price wars. Meanwhile the Googles and Apples of the world were re-imagining the way we untethered.

Search went local – as did we – and as we go, so goes Facebook and Instagram and just about every other social platform idea you can think of – not to mention those that were created to be obviously walkabout like Foursquare, Waze and OKCupid, which allows people to scout dates based on their location.

Bottom line: Facebook is mobile – as mobile as you and me. What they haven’t figured out is how to charge for it – make money from advertising – create bigger shareholder value…although I’d bet most of us agree that user value is still fairly high….

All of which leads us to the matter of the Facebook phone. WHY? Limit development to one maker of hardware? Limit access to holders of a piece of plastic and metal? CRAZY!

Access is in fact the new ownership – who cares what hardware I have so long as I can access the Facebook platform? Make me better apps, more useful sharing tools and YES, please figure out how to deliver me the right advertising in the right way so you can make some money and continue to develop your platform and not end up charging me for access….

GUYS – follow the content…please – don’t follow the analysts who still don’t get what mobile is….and who only want to drive stock price, not user value…Listen:

“The only reason I made a commercial for American Express was to pay for my American Express bill.” Peter Ustinov

I hope that Facebook doesn’t lose the plot….

What do you think?

Posted by David on 04/01 at 04:14 PM
  • David, totally agree. FB has been late to the game in figuring out that everything is mobile, when I am sitting at my desk it is only another view into my connected world. Until recently FB mobile client did not allow for me to create a group! It said go to a computer...at least that is fixed. I have been using ...
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    Posted by Jacob Ner-David on 2013-04-03 07:21:29
Monday, March 25th, 2013

Zynga Farms Its Own Future

Remember Zynga?

In June of 2009, they launched FarmVille on Facebook, had 10 million+ active users daily in only six weeks, and on that trajectory went public with huge pre-launch hype on December 16, 2011 – opening at $10 a share, hitting a high of $14.50 in March of 2012, and today trading under $3.50 a share and not yet making a profit.

Last week, Zynga and Facebook distanced themselves – one from the other – with the upshot being that Zynga wants to build its own dot-com and Facebook can now produce its own games.

So much to comment on here I could have Ramble material for a month or more…

  • Who has the better shot? Facebook in creating games or Zynga in creating yet another social platform – and their plan is to do just that.
  • Compare their stock market performance; analyze the analyst hype before they went public…and after; see what they say now – amazing how the analysts are always right….

Truth is – I don’t want to bash them – in fact, I have growing respect for them as they fight back from the digibabble morass they got thrown into (and to be fair, were happy to drown in). Look how much the founders made even as the company makes no “money” and begins to deal with the real world and real world needs.

They have expanded their view of the world – and I imagine they were the ones who amended Wikipedia as follows: “The company develops social games that work stand-alone on mobile phone platforms such as Apple iOS and Android and on the Internet through its website, Zynga.com, and social networking websites such as Facebook, Google+, and Tencent.”

More interesting – as far as I’m concerned – they are also turning their best sellers into board games – physical…buy in a box/open in your home…play face-to-face with friends…honest to God, old-fashioned traditional board games.

And, by the way, board games are selling.

Bottom line – Zynga has followed the content – if you will. Sometimes it ends up on Facebook, sometimes in stand-alone use on a smartphone, and occasionally on a kitchen table or living room floor.

They have a long way to go – selling virtual goods just doesn’t cut it: advertising isn’t enough and the board games won’t get their stock price going – but maybe – just maybe – if they can really cut themselves loose from all the digibabble hype – they will create real value for their investors and continue to delight their users.

I’m rooting for you, Zynga – keep following that content – and keep it as fluid as it is…Listen:

“Follow the customer, if they change…we change.” Sir Terry Leahy, Chief Executive, Tesco plc

And the content leads you right to the customer….

See what I mean?

What do you think?

Posted by David on 03/25 at 03:00 PM
  • A hundred and one variables for both companies, but this could ultimately be a win-win. Zynga's success will be determined by the quality of their output, and with no built-in Facebook audience they're going to have to step up their game. I like the idea that they are diversifying their distribution platforms, while still sticking to what they do best, ...
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    Posted by Rick Liebling on 2013-03-25 18:02:54
Monday, March 11th, 2013

Dancing with Mars…?

Survivors.

Business.

Crazy stunts.

Questionable talent.

Facing fears.

Dancing.

Singing.

Sex.

Garbage.

Cars.

Models.

Faux celebrities.

Weight loss.

You name it – there is “Reality TV” programming around it.

Video; web; mobile; print – Omni-Channel…the latest babble term.

And yes – full confession – I am as guilty as any of dipping in. Participating. Imbibing the brew. Mesmerized while I ask out loud, how could anyone watch this trash…

And by the way – I point out to all those who struggle to monetize the various “digital” lives, game changing and platforms – all are supported by – yes – advertising – and all are – heavens – TV (across all screens…get it?) based.

However – all pale into insignificance…seriously…in light of the most audacious Reality TV idea I have seen yet – and that is to send a group of people to Mars by 2023.

To be fair – we are already acquainted with commercial space travel – Richard Branson of Virgin inspired us with this vision long ago – while SpaceX and other companies have expanded the field and the vision. By the way – it will all happen.

But Bas Lansdorp has gone a step further – and tapped into the global psyche for total voyeurism so brilliantly chronicled in The Truman Show – “One point seven billion were there for his birth. 220 countries tuned in for his first step. The world stood still for that stolen kiss. And as he grew, so did technology. An entire human life – recorded on an intricate network of hidden cameras and broadcasted live and uninterrupted 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to an audience around the globe.”

Bas, a Dutch engineer and entrepreneur, plans to create a “worldwide, multiyear reality television show” that would begin with the selection of the astronauts and chronicle every detail of their mission and onwards, culminating in their establishment of a permanent settlement on Mars.

Bottom line, he calculates he needs US$6 billion to make this happen – and he cites the Olympics which, between 2009 and 2012, recorded some US$5 billion in revenue – almost four of which came from TV rights. And of course we know that Reality TV generates crazy profits for all the broadcasters. By the way – we haven’t even begun to discuss licensing….the T-shirts alone….

While some are skeptical of his goal of financing by broadcast right, I’d say he is onto something big – 600 million people (including me) watched Neil Armstrong land and walk on the moon – and that was on black and white and relatively small screens by today’s standards – if only NASA had sold that sponsorship….

Unfortunately, Lansdrop doesn’t want to be compared to the “Kardashians” – he wants to be viewed as more serious – but that cat is out of the bag – and by the way – we do take them seriously….

So there you have it – the latest advance in science and technology in our world – once again being fueled by…ADVERTISING…I love it…

So will it be successful? You tell me – but let me return to The Truman Show…listen:

Christof: Cue the sun!

However, I end with one caveat and the final Truman scene and the biggest warning to Bas…listen:

[Last lines]

Security Guard 1: You want another slice?

Security Guard 2: No, I’m OK.

Security Guard 1: What else is on?

Security Guard 2: Yeah, let’s see what else is on.

Security Guard 1: Where’s the TV guide?

And that’s when the sponsors run…so be ready with your own idea – the universe is the limit…and beyond….and the advertisers are waiting….

What do you think?

Posted by David on 03/11 at 08:03 PM