2009 has been an interesting year with significant developments online. The phrase 'Web 2.0' seems to have been well and truly replaced by the term 'social media' and my top posts of 2009 seem to reflect this.
Using Google Analytics traffic numbers, here are my top posts of 2009:
Thank you to everyone who has subscribed, visited, commented, linked, Dugg, Stumbled, retweeted and Reddit-ed this year - I hope you found the content useful and come back for more in 2010!
...........and if you are not doing so already you can:
I have been publishing Facebook usage statistics by quarter for a while now. Facebook user number growth is still extraordinary and the table below shows the top 30 countries by number of active Facebook users.
Here are the Top 30 countries with highest number of Facebook users (31st December 2009 - data from Facebook):
Rank
Country
Number of Facebook users
12 month growth %
6 month growth %
1
USA
101,303,240
140.8%
46.0%
2
UK
22,625,300
51.5%
20.9%
3
Turkey
16,943,780
113.6%
36.8%
4
Indonesia
14,681,580
1536.7%
126%
5
France
14,290,700
117%
32.6%
6
Canada
14,228,460
31%
19%
7
Italy
13,272,760
137.6%
30%
8
Philippines
8,387,560
2046.8%
208.4%
9
Spain
7,701,200
196.7%
33.4%
10
Australia
7,611,920
75.8%
25.7%
11
Argentina
7,387,120
227.5%
50.6%
12
Colombia
7,243,520
99.4%
25.8%
13
Mexico
6,505,040
351.5%
78.5%
14
Chile
5,808,020
39.9%
20.2%
15
Germany
5,799,520
361.9%
84.9%
16
Taiwan
5,490,300
4763%
701%
17
India
5,397,480
403.8%
66.8%
18
Venezuela
4,952,340
164.2%
38.4%
19
Malaysia
3,975,640
367.5%
99.3%
20
Sweden
3,066,180
80.7%
34.1%
21
Belgium
2,872,160
73.5%
21.1%
22
Hong Kong
2,727,980
87.0%
30.7%
23
South Africa
2,434,500
164.6%
41.5%
24
Brazil
2,413,900
1052.4%
137.7%
25
Egypt
2,341,880
184.7%
44.7%
26
Denmark
2,262,260
27.4%
15.3%
27
Norway
2,256,080
54.9%
21.7%
28
Greece
2,222,860
122.4%
35.6%
29
Israel
2,149,500
149.5%
49.9%
30
Thailand
1,963,560
1063.8%
181.6%
[*figures are taken from Facebook and then compared to Facebook usage statistics lists that I have previously compiled (allowing the 6 month and 12 month comparisons.)]
As always, if you want to know the latest Facebook usage statistics for another country, leave a comment in the post below and I will post the relevant data.
For 2009 Google Earth is integrated directly into the NORAD Santa tracking site making everything even easier. There are also a host of other improvements, particularly for mobile (full Santa tracking details on the Google Blog here.)
Santa has already started his journey (currently in New Zealand) and this is a great way to continue the NORAD Santa tracking tradition by using new technology to make it even better!
'Some of us never realise how huge the internet really is.' The following visualisation, courtesy of Søren at the excellent RoBoilr.dk, brings it to life a bit.....
The Adidas Superskate Mid Stormtrooper is about to arrive:
and to promote this Star Wars inspired range, Adidas have launched a Google Maps / Facebook mashup, 'Death Star Super Laser' here:
Users of the 'Adidas Originals application' control a giant Death Star Super Laser that can be used to 'blow up' various streets on Google Maps! Friends can then be targeted either through directly inputting their details or through using the Facebook Connect application integration.
Targeting Watford Football Club's Vicarage Road stadium (click for larger image)
The Application can also target general areas based on details entered or by reading IP address:
Adidas Death Star Super Laser - Target Stockholm! (click for larger image)
Once started, the Adidas application shows various bits of Star Wars / Death Star footage (including Darth Vader). The laser is then fired (again using Star Wars film footage) followed by the application zooming into Google Maps at the specified location:
The Death Star Super Laser hits the chosen target:
and leaves an Adidas imprint stating that 'the Adidas Originals Star Wars Collection' is 'Hitting Your Street in January 2010':
This is a great example of mashing movie footage with real world imagery and using Facebook Connect / Google properties to bring the whole thing to life. As with the Guinness 'Bring It To Life' Google Earth example, Google provide the platform and then Facebook Connect sits on top of this, bringing social / friend interaction to the experience - but most of all the Adidas Death Star Super Laser is easy to use, a bit silly and very shareable!
Also makes me wonder if there is anything that won't be Facebook Connect-ed in 2010?
Bitly.TV video aggregation derived from Twitter links
Bitly.TV analyses the URLs being posted to Twitter and then showcases the most popular videos being shared through Twitter across a variety of different time frames - with users able to see results for 'now', 'last day' and 'last two days.'
Another interesting data source for 'whats hot right now' - especially as it is based on Twitter link analysis and highlights most popular video rather than most popular words.
Guinness have extended their recently launched 'Bring It To Life' campaign through the launch of a Bring It To Life partnership with Google Earth.
Guinness World 'Bring It To Life' partnership with Google Earth
At Guinness.com users are encouraged to participate and are offered the chance to 'Bring Your Own World To Life With Google Earth'.
Visitors can use customised Google Earth technology to create their own planet, then 'Bring It To Life' by selecting terrains and designs for the planets' landscape. Facebook integration allows creations to be shared with Facebook friends and Facebook friends can be invited to co-create and participate in the development of Bring It To Life planets.
Guinness / Google Earth 'Bring It To Life' planet creation
As an added incentive prizes are unlocked as the game progresses and players can win crates of Guinness, with the ultimate winner getting a years supply. (The more diverse the landscapes that are created, the more likely it is that the user will be rewarded with / uncover water droplets hidden in the game - a maximum of 800 water droplets have been hidden and finding all of them unlocks the prizes.)
A nice way of extending the current (epic) TV campaign - another example of the new media world where brands are running more than just big budget TV ads, more and more campaigns are offering consumers the chance to participate and experience them on their own terms too. TV creates awareness, but (to use the Guinness terminology) online is the bit that 'Brings It To Life.'
'Being social' is more than just using social media platforms, it's about creating memorable experiences and doing things that make people talk.
Earlier this year Sky Arts recreated the Pink Floyd 'Dark Side of The Moon' album cover on Primrose Hill in London - spectacular and something that definitely got people talking, especially in the 'Pink Floyd community':
And on Monday night, to promote their family Christmas films, Sky Movies HD created a giant Christmas snow globe on the Thames South Bank in central London. The Grinch was then shown to families inside the globe on a large format HD screen.
There is also a video of the Sky Movies HD Christmas Snow globe on YouTube here:
These Sky stunts may not have the (initial) reach of a mass doordrop or traditional TV / print campaign, but for the people who experienced them these are truly memorable. The real ROI comes from the secondary impacts though. This type of activity has the ability to be amplified by word of mouth, supplementary news coverage, through the YouTube / Flickr views and through people like me posting to Twitter / blogs etc.
Being social is not just about doing something on Facebook, it's about doing something that makes people talk - and the Sky stunts are amongst an ever-growing number of advertiser initiatives designed to create conversation and stimulate positive word of mouth.
Google are advertising Chrome in UK newspapers, but rather than just running ads, Google Chrome has coverwrapped both Metro and City AM. Using the strapline 'Chrome by Google. A fast new browser. Made for everyone', the execution aims to highlight the benefits of Chrome vs other browsers.
Google Chrome City AM front cover ad (click for larger image)
Google Chrome City AM full coverwrap ad (click for larger image)
City AM coverwrap page 2 - 'why browsers are important' and 'why Google built Chrome' (click for larger image)
City AM coverwrap page 3 - 'why you might use Google Chrome' (click for larger image)
Google has traditionally relied on Word Of Mouth to promote offerings, so it is interesting to see Chrome being pushed so prominently in 'traditional media' / newspapers - especially coming so soon after Google used print and buses to promote YouTube's new professional content.
Johnnie Walker have launched Walk with Giants - 'inspiring stories of progress, shared by the world's greatest men.'
Johnnie Walker 'Walk with Giants'
A series of celebrities including Richard Branson, John Hegarty, Lewis Hamilton and Ranulph Fiennes are featured, with users able to watch a video trailer and then download a 20 minute audio walk interview.
Traler should be below (but the embed doesn't seem to work with Blogger?):
All of this can then be shared on Facebook with users able to share thoughts and feedback with the Johnnie Walker Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/JohnnieWalker.
2009 has truly been the year of social media / viral / content marketing. Across the board brands have been developing campaigns that don’t just shout messages at consumers, they engage them too. The development of social platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter etc have allowed advertisers to create content that resonates, content that sticks, content that is shareable and most important content that becomes social currency.
I have been presenting on social media all year and to support presentations I have been using self-made video mashups of various social campaigns. Hacked together using Microsoft Movie Maker, the following video contains a variety of clips that aim to bring to life some of, what I consider to be, the most noteworthy social campaigns of 2009.
Many of these have attracted attention by using viral seeding and blogger outreach to kickstart attention, but all of them have content that internet users have deemed worthy of sharing and watching again (and again!) All the clips are based around marketing (hence the omission of Kanye West, JK Wedding, Balloon Boy etc).
To launch Windows7 Microsoft offered consumers the chance to host their own launch parties - cheesy or ironic - people couldn't decide and this generated significant volumes of discussion. Full video here.
3) Karen26 - Visit Denmark created a film to attract visitors to Copenhagen, but it featured an actress playing a Danish single mother who was using youTube to find the father of her baby. Controversy quickly followed - my post on Karen26 is here.
4) TGI Friday’s Fan Woody - A campaign built around a simple proposition 'become Woody's Facebook Friend and get a free TGI Friday's burger.' My post on Woody is here.
5) At one point this year Amazon were selling more Three Wolf Moon T-shirts than all their other t-shirts combined! The result of tongue-in-cheek reviews that went viral. Full details here.
6) Walker’s Do Us A Flavour - arguably the first brand to do a User Generated Flavour and a campaign that generated over 1 million entries. My post here.
7) Man In The Jacket was an Australian viral campaign created by Witchery Man. 'Heidi' met a man in a cafe, she fell in love at first sight, he accidentally left his jacket (co-incidentally a Witchery Man jacket that was shown up to camera) and she set off on a YouTube quest to find him. After appearing on national TV and prominently in newspapers the video was then revealed to be a fake (original film here.)
8) MINI Clubman 'I think we're in a viral' (my post here.)
9) Air New Zealand ‘Nothing To Hide’ body paint safety video (original post here.)
10) Laptop butt - Computer manufacturer MSI promoted their new series of X-Slim notebooks by having lycra wearing men catch them....... video here
12) Megawhoosh - giant (fake) waterslide - later revealed to be part of a campaign for Microsoft (video here.)
13) VW's Swedish campaign around the idea of 'Fun Theory' attracted large numbers of visits. Piano Stairs being the most viewed of all (my post here.)
14) Heinken 'Walk In Fridge' - a hugely popular campaign that kept coming back in new guises - this clip results from a builder misunderstanding the idea of 'Walk In Fridge.' (video here.)
15) Samsung LED Sheep - Synchronised sheep herding, in the dark, promotes Samsung TVs (my post here.)
16) Toshiba Space Chair - the other way of promoting TV viewing is to send a chair into space and upload footage to YouTube! (video here.)
17) Lewis Hamilton Blackberry Driving - Blackberry Storm used by Lewis Hamilton to control a reconfigured F1 car (my post is here.)
18) Burger King’s ‘Flame’ fragrance - Burger King launch men's fragrance and use Piers Morgan as the front man (my post here.)
19) Susan Boyle - virality of the Susan Boyle performance gave ITV unprecedented coverage for Britain's Got Talent (full story on how it happened here.)
20) Meerkat Bloopers - Aleksandr Orlov out-takes seeded on YouTube
21) Best Job In The World - Hamilton Island, Queensland and the campaign that offered the chance to become a paid caretaker on a beautiful island (my post here.)
22) Bragster Upside Down Tango - Just one of a series of eyecatching Tango initiatives (full details here.)
23) Pink and the T-Mobile Trafalgar Square Flashmob - after the success of the Liverpool St dance, T-Mobile went on to do mass karaoke in Trafalgar Square, with Pink! (full post here.)
24) Oprah / Black Eyed Peas Flashmob - Oprah launched her new series by hosting a Black Eyed Peas 'flash mob' in Chicago (video here.)
25) Though new UQAM students (Quebec, Canada) then followed up by producing their own Black Eyed Peas video to publicise their course and their University (full post here.)
26) 'United Breaks Guitars' - Musician Dave Carroll had an issue with United so he made a song, uploaded it to YouTube and generated millions of views and a PR nightmare in the process (Dave has blogged the full story here.)
27) WISPA ‘Thank You’ - after the public support for the Wispa relaunch a whole range of activity was created to say 'Thank You' (full post here.)
I was aiming for 20 clips but somehow it has ended up at 27! If I have missed anything or you want to comment on your favourites then please do so in the comments below!
[NB - The aim of my mashup has been to promote social activity and highlight some of what I think are the most interesting examples. I have aimed for the clips to be long enough to spur curiousity, whilst keeping them within 'fair use' limits (though as all of these sought to drive Conversation I would assume that any extra publicity is good publicity?) If there are any objections to use of any of these clips, please email me on the above address and I will re-edit accordingly.]
Google have 'identified over 100,000 businesses in the U.S. as "Favorite Places on Google" based on Google users' interaction with local business listings.' Each business will be sent a window sticker with a unique QR code that will link to reviews, stars, personal favourites and more.
Google local business favorites QR codes
A gallery of Google favorite places can be seen here.
Whilst this is only for US businesses, it is yet another sign of both Google moving into the mobile space and QR codes further entering the mainstream.
Keeping up with marketing trends and media innovation is tough work, but the new Cream Innovation Exchange is here to help.
Cream has a library of more than 2500 case studies from over 100 countries and all of these are searchable using the Cream Search Engine. Work can be filtered by brand, category, agency, country, date, media owner and by strategy too:
The Cream Innovation Exchange
Over 200 'spotters' trawl the world looking for innovations and then report findings back into the Cream Innovation Exchange. Highlights are then posted on the 'Right Brain Left Brain' Cream blog at http://blog.creamglobal.com/right_brain_left_brain/
Nice design and easy to use - the Innovation Exchange is a great way to keep on top of things!
A US couple have been filmed Twittering and using Facebook at their wedding, at the altar, during the vows!
Just before being pronounced man and wife, the groom produces both his mobile and his brides' mobile so that they can update their relevant social network profiles.
......I'm not sure if this is romantic or more signs of a world gone mad!
Sony and FIFA have announced that up to 25 of the matches at World Cup 2010 will be filmed by Sony 3D cameras and relayed in 3D to viewers around the world!
FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke says:"This propels the football fan into a whole new viewing dimension and marks the dawning of a new era in the broadcasting of sport." The 3D broadcast will be shown at public viewing locations across the globe including London, Berlin, Paris, Mexico City, Rio De Janeiro, Rome and Sydney.
The 3D World Cup broadcasts are designed to highlight Sony innovation in the area of 3D. 3D trailers will be available in Sony retail outlets prior to the event and 2010 will see Sony incorporate 3D into a range of products including Bravia, Vaio, BluRay and Playstation3.
I'm already ridiculously excited about the World Cup and think there is huge potential for it to be a driver of social platforms and immersive experiences. 3D broadcasts, Twittering fans, live streams from crowds and so on - I think the Sony / FIFA announcement is just the first of many things that we will see between now and the tournament start.
Just watch Twitter Trends light up during the World Cup Group draw tomorrow!
The Sun newspaper has created a spoof video to celebrate it's 40th anniversary. The film claims that the Sun has been 'the UK's best handheld for 40 years' and plays on the fact that a newspaper has no downloading time, no hidden costs and no need to turn sideways to get a better view - 'The Sun V 4.0!'
....and there's irony in the fact that The Sun is promoting itself through YouTube, whilst YouTube is advertising in newspapers!
YouTube have started advertising in UK newspapers. The Guardian newspaper yesterday carried a YouTube ad highlighting the fact that full length Channel 4 (4OD) TV shows are now available for free on the YouTube platform.
The YouTube newspaper ad states 'with your favourite shows from 4OD..... YouTube's Got TV':
YouTube ad in the Guardian newspaper (click for larger image)
The YouTube newspaper ad pushes to a section of YouTube called 'Shows' (www.youtube.com/shows) and this area features full length 4OD programming as well as clips from shows like the X Factor and YouTube celebrities like FRED.
The Guardian writes that 'the [YouTube shows] section contains more than 5000 videos, of which almost 4000 are full length programmes, amounting to 3000 hours of content.' (This content will then be monetised with advertising.)
The 'YouTube's Got TV' campaign is mooted to be appearing in newspapers, on buses, online ads and will also aim to drive buzz with a 'pop-up shop' display stunt in Covent Garden shortly - a combination of 'Destination' and 'Conversation' activity. The campaign also has some Paid Search activity - searching for 'YouTube TV' produces an ad headlined 'You Tube's Got TV', but strangely searching for 'You Tube's Got TV' appears to have no YouTube paid search ad showing(?)
Google have traditionally shied away from above the line advertising for consumer offerings, instead relying on word of mouth to generate interest. However, YouTube appearing in newspapers and buses is not a regression to the frivilous dotcom advertising at the turn of the century, more recognition of the need to quickly build awareness and audience for the professional content now available.
If YouTube is to be viewed as something other than a place for viewing piano playing cats then this sort of ad campaign is important - however it's interesting to note that the so called 'dying medium' of print is being used to push people into the future!
(and 4OD content on YouTube could be the move that really drives the online video marketplace in the UK.)
