Staying on the social networking theme, I found some surprising stats about CNN, the "The most trusted name in news", which recently released some insightful data regarding its European viewing audience.

CNN's recent poll among its international audience(5,000 people across 19 European countries)  revealed a base that is highly engaged in verious forms of media, both new and old, and one particular stat that caught my eye. According to the Guardian's article.

• 87%own digital cameras
• 70% read magazines online 
• 74.4% watch recorded TV
• 43.8% share files and documents online
• 38.4% use social networking sites.
• 35% own an iPod or MP3 player
• 33.4% listen to radio online
• 17.9% of the audience, regularly listen to podcasts .
• 16% own a smartphone.

Since I've always considered the CNN audience as the 45 and older crowd,the social network stat really surprised me, but apparently, its younger base has surgedin Europe and America. Founded by Ted Turner,CNN was a pioneer in cable news, but has been surpassed by Fox News in viewership in recent years. In April, CNN ended seven-year drought and edged-out Fox in the coveted 25-54 year-old viewership audience (American audience).According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution,

The Atlanta-based network had an average number of viewers aged 25-54 for the first quarter of 2008, taking bragging rights in the category away from Fox News for the first time since 2001, Neilsen Media Research said Tuesday.

For that age group, CNN averaged 444,000 viewers during the prime-time slot - 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. - soaring 87 percent compared with a year earlier.

 Perhaps CNN's growing reputation as a moderate voice, compared to Fox News' conservative leanings and MSNBC's liberal lineup, is a main reason for the promising stats, along with the transition of its image, which has shedded the Larry King style for, Anderson Cooper 360.

CNN's press release included an interesting quote from Max Raven, CNN 'ssenior vice president  of ad sales in the US, UK and Scandinavia.

"Our mobile inventory sold out for all of last year," he said. "We were selling for next to nothing because we sold on a fixed price and our audience has gone up so much, we have had to start selling it on a cost per thousand."

The article also included this quote

SVP Didier Mormesse of audience insight suggested CNN would alter the way it serves advertising and content, based on the results of the survey.

The results [present] valuable learnings for media owners looking to adapt to new business models to reach audiences in the digital space, and appeal to advertisers [pursuing] multimedia solutions, said Mormesse.

 What do these stats indicate? A simple but vital fact, If older,established media corporations are willing to dump old, ineffective methods in favor of progressing technology, they're capabale of revamping their image and reaching a new audience. While CNN has learned this lesson, many newspapers are still lost in the dark.

As Yahoo's stock and reputation continues to crumble, the former search engine leader is hoping to change Iphone users' social networking habits with its OneConnect app.

Yahoo's OneConnect pitch : Save time and the hastle of sorting through windows and tabs by utilizing our app which consolidates your networks and equips you with easier access to all of your accounts. For now, those networks include: bebo,doppir,facebook,Flickr,Friendster,Myspace,Twitter and Youtube.

From the Wired article:

By expanding on a proprietary development language called Blueprint, Yahoo will also empower developers to build applications that work across most mobile devices, reports the San Francisco Gate. Apps can be accessed through Yahoo's Go mobile data service. They can also be built directly into select handhelds.

"We want to create and enable a mobile ecosystem for billions of users," said EVP Marco Boerries of Yahoo's Connected Life division. "We're turning everyone that uses voice today into a mobile data user."

Installing the OneConnnect app to my own Iphone was a simple process, however, when I tried to add my networks, I dealt with annoying glitches. It took several attempts to activate my Youtube nor Flickr accounts, and my Myspace account still wouldn't activate even after I double-checked my password entries.

Personally, when I get the itch to check my Facebook account, Yahoo doesn't even come to mind. (Despite the fact that I have OneConnect installed). Perhaps that will change with time, but for now,I'll still just click directly on facebook because it's right there in front of me, and I don't need to know about all the other activity on my other networks at the same time.  But maybe that's just me.

 While Yahoo's new application is an indication of their serious effort to impact the mobile market, I doubt the it will attract the target numbers Yahoo's hoping for. I appreciate Yahoo's Wal-Mart "one stop" approach with network consolidation, but many Iphone users already have  Facebook and Myspace apps on their homescreen, and may view OneConnect as a redundancy, unless they're avid fans the other networks available or a photographer who regularly checks Flickr.

Considering Yahoo's current financial crisis, I can understand its endeavour into the mobile market, but I'm skeptical about the OneConnect's prospect of becoming the ultimate source for social network users, because it's too little, too late.

On MTV's newest reality show, Engine Room, Hewlett-Packard is giving the world's most promising graphic designers a chance to create mesmerizing graphics with HP workstations,monitors and products.

16 artists were selected out of an original field of 2,000 people from 122 countries.Each seven-minute episode will follow four teams, with four designers each, as they combine brainpower to cultivate the best digital art they can envision.  At stake- $400,000 and the controls to MTV's giant Video Screen in Times Square.

In the New York Times' article,Nancy Reyes, an account director on the Hewlett-Packard account at Goodby, said:

We take three, four months to create a commercial, and we saw kids creating parodies on YouTube in a fraction of the time.The idea of giving these kids who are creating amazing things with computers a stage, a global stage, to show off their work seemed like a natural fit.

The first episode airs next week on MTV and MTV-U- a channel geared toward college students. Each team will be judged by a panel of judges,including a physicist, a museum curator, a tatoo artist,filmmakers,and the art director from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, the Hewlett-Packard creative agency.

Celebrity guests such as Kevin Smith and Moby will drop by for guest appearances.I expect this direct advertising concept and format to filter its way into other networks. Similar concepts include Madden Nation",  where ESPN and EA used a format that paired competitors in nationwide tournament in a luxury bus. It aired for three seasons and throughout each tournament,competitors met famous NFL stars for a quick,one-on-one challenge.

Should this format continue to gain popularity, the line between entertainment and advertisement will continue to be blurred.

Imagine an application that functioned as your own,intimate version of a GPS. It could navigate you through nearly every decision of your life by providing  instant info on any item,product,restaurant or store within your sight.
Such a device might sound like an object you would see in a Stanley Kubrick film, but it's already in the works. Tonchidot, a software company in Japan, has developed a live tagging technology for the iPhone. You can check prices, browse menus or watch a customer's product review, by simply showing it your Iphone.The technology behind mind--boggling concept is still under wraps.

In the Washington Post's article, Marketing Director Peter Anshin said no image-recognition technology is being used.

If you walk through a mall, for example, Sekai Camera tags will show you where you can find something to eat, additional information about a certain product tagged before, or how many are calories in a chocolate bar....Marketing Director Peter Anshin said the company doesn't want to talk about details at this point. But it is obviously using either GPS or cell-tower triangulation, and the iPhone's accelerometer seems to be measuring the angle of what's in view.

One feature that caught my attention was the subway map directory, where lost tourists could obtain simplified route directions from another user, instead of trying to decipher the confusing, color-patterned routes that many tourists are unfamiliar with.

While I must admit that this technology has the potential to be revolutionary, I also believe there are certain sociological elements of traditional shopping that will always appeal to us. Shopping malls offer more than discounts and dining, there's a sociological aspect of walking through stores, interacting with clients and other customers that will always appeal to us. I also doubt that many mall retailers would want to post their info and prices to the application, because they ultimately want each shopper to walk through the store, at the chance that they might make an impulse purchase.

Here is the demo that generated the amazing buzz.

"Change" is one of the hottest buzz words in 2, but for many Facebook users, it's as unwelcome as that annoying christmas relative. This week, the 40 million users awoke to realize that their favorite social underwent a complete re-alignment.

Considering Facebook's popularity surge and influx of new users during the past six months, I think this was terrible timing on Zuckerburg's part. Just as many relatively new users were growing comfortable with the quirks, features and nuances of the interface, they were forced to navigate through a complex new apparatus and unfamiliar layout.

 In anticipation of the overhaul, many members vented their rage by creating groups, and one particular image that caught my eye was the face on the original facebook logo with a caption that read "I miss the old me."  In the AP's article, college student Scott Sanders' comments highlighted the reasons why many loyal users sneered about founder Mark Zuckerberg's decision.

"It's not that we don't want change, period, it's that we don't like these particular changes," said Scott Sanders, 19, an Austin Peay University student who started one of the petitions opposing the redesign. "You have to navigate more and you have to click more to get to personal profiles. It's too much effort to get to basic information."

Personally, I wasn't overwhelmed by the new layout,some of the vertical applications were re-aligned horizontally. Basically, you just have to regain your bearings, and navigate from there.

Facebook's latest renovation indicates misplaced  priorities within its leadership. Rather than re-aligning the basic layout, they should be simplifying the navagitional aspects and tweaking the audio/visual aspects which will attract a larger audience. Facebook's rival competitor, Myspace, has successfully integrated movie trailers and music videos for users to enjoy on the homepage.

During election season, candidates have been described as "broken records", due to their nauseating repetition of empty catch-phrases.

Now, any voter with internet access can turn that annoying noise into their own campaign-slogan jingle or remix at remixamerica.org, a video editing program for political junikies who want express their creativity by combining quotes and scenes.

The dashboard's format is comparable to windows movie maker, with a timeline to place your photos or movies in sequential order, (with optional graphics for transitions between each shot) and a library of soundtracks to choose from.

The resulting mixes range from the humorous, I.E. a barak obama/Rick Antsley remix, to more serious tones, including montages of speeches from our leaders from the past and present, memorable moments in U.S. History. I tinkered around with some of my favorite quotes during the past 20 years, and compiled enough material for approximately four minutes of video. Unfortunately, this initial version of remix still appears to have a few bugs, because it spliced in segments where I never intended to.

Overall, I think the copy isn't very unique (anyone with windows movie maker could basically produce the same content.)However, the site doesn have a strong appeal to a wide base with its focus on politics,essentially makes it a social network, because facilitates the new grassroot campaigns- sharing online video. 

Here's the remix I created which emphasizes honor and patriotism.

We often hear about the dangers from text messaging during driving, but here's an example of how texting can increase your saftey.

Anyone who's crammed into a major stadium for a concert or sports game knows there's truth to the saying that there's an idiot in every crowd. In fact, at virtually any college or pro football game, you may find hundreds of them, screaming cursewords,smoking, harrassing other fans,throwing food, or just ruining your family's gameday experience.

For years, the only way to deal with these misfits was to squeeze your way  down the aisle to try and find the nearest usher or security guard, but that's not such an easy task when you're  wedged in a 12-inch seat, side-by-side in a section of hundreds of people. It's also a frightening prospect to think that you could be stuck during a medical emergency. The NFL remedied the problem of poor fan behavior by banning any drunks from entering a game. Ten stadiums also added the text service called Guest Assist.

With GuestAssist fans can instantly contact a stadium's staff for security or service via a simple text message code to the stadium's control center, and the response is sent to the source. Fans can also get info about the nearest bathrooms,concession stands, etc, with the service. GuestAssist also provides the stadium's front office with valuable data for reviewing their customer service performance. The press release explains:

Operators receive a visual and audible alert on the arrival of inbound guest requests, and can monitor and respond to text message inquiries from stadium guests. Administrators can view, export and print an archived history of communications with stadium guests and fans for efficient post-event analysis.

The history data would have been priceless at the Philadelphia Eagles' former home, Veterans' Stadium.Thanks to the Eagles' rabid fanbase, it was known as one of the most hostile venues in the NFL and the city  built  a temporary prison within the stadium. The Vet was eventually destroyed in place for Lincoln Financial Field, which was the first stadium to implement Guest Assist.

Other NFL stadiums using GuestAssist include:

• Cleveland Browns Stadium
•  Heinz Field- Pittsburgh Steelers
•  M & T Bank Stadium- Baltimore Ravens
•  Meadowlands Sports Complex-New York Giants
•  Gillette Stadium-New England Patriots
•  McAfee Coliseum-Oakland Raiders
•  Ford Field-Detroit Lions
•  FedEx Field-Washington Redskins
•  The Georgia Dome-Atlanta Falcons

I'd be curious to see the average number of messages that each control center receives during a game, and how much varies by each stadium. Does Philly's control center get an average close to 200 compared to only 50 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough,Mass? I also wonder how each stadium distinguishes between  valid concerns or selfish requests.

We'll see how fast this technology spreads to other stadiums,arenas and entertainment venues around the country.

Just when you thought Google's oversight of your daily life couldn't delve any deeper, it has teamed with NBC to  research your TV viewing habits. While this is certainly not a revolutionary move, it illustrates Google's ambition to expand its grasp around the entire media landscape.

 An excerpt from Adage's article elaborates on the Google/NBC partnership:

The pair said they will also collaborate on a series of marketing and research projects using Google TV Ads, which can report second-by-second set-top-box data.

Think of Google as the new Neilsen Ratings System, but with deeper analysis of viewer trends and demographics. Currently, Google already has a tracking deal with Dish Networks, and the new alliance will expand their monitoring capabilities.for specific ad campaigns, because NBC will share its data from its local TV markets. As a result, they'll work with clients to formulate the best campaign for the fragmented, niche audiences- I.E. Sci-Fi Channel, Oxygen, Sleuth and others.

 According to NBC president Mike Pilot's statement in the LA Times, the project will start on a small scale, and according to the initial success,expand . The fulcrum to the entire project could prove to be small advertisers that traditionally avoided TV advertising. NBC and Google will try to lure them with the premise and promise of access and data to the niche audiences they could only reach via magazines and newspapers in the past. The LA times story elaborates:

Mike Steib, director of Google's TV advertising program, said the company had invested heavily in services to help advertisers more easily buy airtime and tailor their commercials using data from set-top boxes. For example, he said, an advertiser could run commercials on any program that mentions the Michigan Wolverines

Should the first phase of the project prove to be a worthy venture, what will be NBC's next move? Obviously, the main network programming on NBC has such a wide audience, the niche market incentive for small advertisers would be lost.

Perhaps Microsoft needs more than Seinfeld to rejuvenate its reputation, because the first ad in the Seinfeld/Gates Vista series has been  labeled as a major flop. Seinfeld is known for his blend of satirical and observational style of humour, but he was pretty bland in the debut commercial. 

The 90-second spot features Seinfeld and Bill Gates bargain hunting for shoes, with Seinfeld asking random questions about Gates' preferences,from footwear to showering techniques.I It ends with the unusual duo leaving the store eating churros, a discussion computers made of cake (yes,you read that right) and a quick slogan: The Future: Delicious.

A poll by engadget.com asked "Is Microsoft's new ad working?" and the results (as of 3:23 p.m.) were

• 12.9 % yes. This makes the idea of Windows a lot more palatable and interesting.
• 19.1% No. The ads don't help Vista's case.
• 46.5% I don't even know what this ad is about.
• 21.4% I want that cake computer.

 After  a second view, I appreciated the use of symbolism: comfort, customization and flavor;all major aspects microsoft wants to push to the consumer. But it simply didn't deliver any laughs. The bottom line is, if the customers don't even know what you're selling, you've just wasted a ton of money, but of course, when you're Bill Gates, what's another 300 million dollars wasted?

You always want to leave a crowd wanting more, and the ad certainly left many viewers wondering what might come next, but it certainly didn't give any clear reasons to expect any bold moves in Microsofts' future.

Until recently, magazines managed to avoid the ad revenue plunge that plagued Newspapers, but according to the Publishers Information Bureau, the number of magazine ad pages dropped 7.4 percent (6.3 percent at news stands)  compared to the first half of 2007.

An important factor to remember is the economy's squeeze on industries with heavy readership bases, such as the auto industry, where faltering numbers forced companies to slash spending across the board , including magazine ads. Also, many subscribers may have ditched their copy of Motor Trend because their own budgets have changed. Instead of flipping through reviews of hot new sports cars,the average Joe is simply trying to afford a tune-up and his next fillup at the gas station.

The discouraging ad numbers sparked  the Magazine Publishers of America's"Under the influence of magazines" campaign, which provides third-party  research figures , some general and some specific, which claim that Magazines are No.1 in:

• Driving online search in the 18-44 year old market
• People were 2x as likely to visit a website after seeing a magazine ad.
• Seeing a magazine ad increased web traffic by more than 40%.
• In driving brand favorability. 2x the impact of TV and 4x the impact of online.

 Two of the claims that caught my eye were - 2X as likely to visit a website after seeing a magazine ad and increased web traffic by 40%. Those two "facts" were derived from a study by a marketing research firm known as marketing evolution, which used two control groups- one group that was exposed to mag advertising, and one that wasn't. However, the study doesn't specify if or how the other group was informed of the company's site, so how can we consider  the stats valid?

There is one distinct advantage I'll grant magazines- subscriber loyalty. Many longtime subscribers develop a close bond to their favorite publication, and may be more likely to trust the ads within that mag than a banner ad on a random site. The mag readers can also easily refer back to a page when they need a good reference point for a product or service.

Before I bought an Iphone,I would often hear or see an interesting website, only to forget it ten seconds later, and for those who don't have an Iphone or Blackberry, it's easy to grab that copy of Sports Illustrated from the coffee table and find the site for that new shoe company or sports drink.

Ironically, the solution creates a new conflict- To increase appeal to their clients, mag publishers and advertisers know that their ads must drive readers to the internet, and away from their own media. As the demand for hard copies decreases, mags should expand their online content to provide supplemental info on the hard copy articles, web extras and exclusive,interactive content.