Apr
05

Feedback’s Greatest Hits 2013, Vol 12

by Feedback

Here’s our pick of the top news stories from this past week!

Welp — here it is…

HTC and Facebook announce the First smartphone with AT&T, arriving April 12th for $99.99

Further reading: Why Facebook Home bothers me: It destroys any notion of privacy, Manjoo: The Facebook Phone Is Not as Dumb as I Thought It Was Going to Be Slightly different take on the story from the BBC: Facebook releases ‘home’ software for Android phones

Youth flock to mobile messaging apps, may be threat to Facebook

We’ve been literally saying it for years: the trend in social media is towards more privacy and discreet communication — as seen in this turn towards messaging apps by many younger people.

Dish.fm launches a beautiful new food exploration app on iPad

What if social food switches form the restaurant (Yelp, Foursquare) and more towards the dish?

–

Keep an eye out for our UK office’s perspective on the Facebook Home launch and other news stores via our Facebook page and Twitter feed!

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Feb
11

Anna’s Social Media Picks of the Week (02/11/11)

by Feedback

Facebook Page Updates:

Facebook has Upgraded Pages. The new page design looks similar to profile pages, with latest photos showcased and navigation links on the left (tabs have been done away with).  Other new admin features worth mentioning:

  • There is now a profanity blocklist, which you can set at none, medium, or strong. If you choose to use this feature, Facebook will block commonly reported profane words and phrases from posts or comments.
  • There is now a moderation blocklist, in which you select words you want to be blacklisted. If someone posts or comments with blacklisted words, the content will be marked as spam and hidden from the wall.
  • Page administrators will now be able to login to the page itself, which will allow them to comment on other Pages and profiles on behalf of the Page.
  • Admins can now get notifications when fans interact with a page or post.
  • You have the option to change your page category.

Facebook Ads:

Facebook has also upgraded their advertising options.  This week, Facebook rolled out a new kind of ad called sponsored stories, and updated their ads to allow for tab selection. Learn more:

  • Sponsored Stories
    • From Facebook: “Sponsored Stories are stories that your friends published into your News Feed. These show up on the right hand side of pages on Facebook. The types of stories that can be surfaced include: Page Likes, App interactions, Place check-ins and Page posts.”
  • Landing Tab Selection
    • If you are directing those who click on your ad to your Facebook Page, you can now select which tab you would like them to land on. You can now choose whether you would like visitors from the ad to land on the wall, information, a custom tab you have created, etc.

Book Reservations with Yelp:

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, you can now book dinner reservations through your Yelp app on your iPhone, iPad, or android phone. This is part of Yelp’s integration with Open Table, the real-time online reservation network. Yelp already integrated Open Table with their website, but making reservations will be even easier with the new app update.

Email Use Decreases:

You may not want to send your Valentine’s cards via email this year. A recent study by ComScore shows that email use is on the decline. From 2009 to 2010, overall email usage decreased by 8%. Email usage decreased 59% among 12-17 year olds, 1% among 18-24 year olds, 18% among 25-34 year olds, 8% among 35-44 year olds, and 12% among 45-54 year olds. Email usage actually increased in the older demographics, with a 22% increase among 55-64 year olds and a 28% increase among those 65 years or older.

Google for Weddings:

Also just in time for Valentine’s Day, Google has launched a page dedicated to weddings. As Mashable described it ,“The site is the latest attempt by Google to insinuate itself into consumers’ lifestyles.” Teaming up with renowned wedding planner Michelle Rago, they have created wedding specific templates in Google docs, Google Sites, and Picnik. Google wants this to be the place brides-to-be gather tips and tricks, create a wedding website, create save-the-date cards, and use tools to simplify wedding planning.

Getting hitched?
Google is hosting a wedding sweepstakes, where you can enter to with $25,000 and help from wedding planner Michelle Rago.

-Anna (@alucas9)

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Oct
19

On Geolocation: Excerpt from GRID Magazine

by Feedback

From Richmond GRID (@richmondGrid), Autumn Issue:

Excerpt below from a feature on geolocation apps, popularity and more from Feedback, Inc’s Dean Browell (@dbrowell).


So who’s in your pocket these days – Foursquare, Gowalla, Yelp, Facebook Places, or other?  Why one over the other?

I’m partial to Foursquare, interested in ShopKick, find Yelp helpful and will try anything.  Just watching the landscape.

So what’s the deal with Facebook Places?  Plan to use it, screw it, or could you care less about those knuckleheads in Palo Alto.

It’s important to not get distracted by just the check-in aspect.  Geo-location and even Facebook Places‘ role in it will be just as important for what it does for any of the 500 million + average users who never check in but nevertheless ends up impacted by the check-in data of others, such as choosing a restaurant or hospital based on who has been there or seeking the testimonial of a friend who they’ve seen has been there.

Who do you hope prevails in the geo wars?

For Foursquare and all the more geo-dedicated apps, there’s a long and storied history of innovating specialists having a place in the discerning consumer’s mind.  Just ask Apple or the entire craft brewing industry.

If you were sitting in the captain’s chair over at Foursquare or Gowalla, what would you say to Zuck?

“You were supposed to just take Microsoft’s money.”

Read the full article here…

Find more Feedback thoughts on Geolocation here…

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Aug
18

Everything In Its Right Place? Facebook Places

by Feedback

Some things are simply inevitable.

The sun will come up.

Charles Barkley will say something unintentionally hilarious.

Facebook will emulate what it doesn’t buy.

On the latter point, Wednesday evening Facebook debuted Places. The premise and execution of Facebook Places is remarkably similar to the first two sentences anyone may use to describe any number of check-in applications: It’s a way to share your actual location with others online; it also allows you to observe where others have checked in. Where many other applications seek to go from that starter definition, be it MyTown with games, Foursquare with tips, Gowalla with stickers, or ShopKick with deals, Facebook has simply stopped limply (but maybe effectively) at the first point of entry.

There’s a few other tricks to Facebook Places, and the following video, dripping with a sincerity that suggests they have suddenly figured out something others haven’t, demonstrates them:

Also inevitable is that Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal will be given a test run before most other humans. Unlike his usually predictably estatic review of Apple products (generally done in time for Steve Jobs to use an actual Mossberg quote as a part of his Keynote presentations), Walt was actually a bit matter-of-fact about Facebook Places. Not cold or harsh, just… well, “Meh” would probably be the most effusive meta-adjective I’d use.

This is because what may become the most short-term-advantageous thing about Places is what it does for others, including those other check-in services. The APIs that could come streaming out could hook into and help fuel the growth of any number of companies Facebook as threatened or tried to buy recently, several of whom (Gowalla, Foursquare and Yelp) actually appeared in some form on stage with Facebook for Places’ debut. And yes, businesses can claim their “Place” via a Page as we and others mused months ago.

And what about long-term? Well you can better believe Facebook didn’t debut this to merely dip a toe in. Cross-platform geo-location ads, sacks of data on visitations and total domination of the “place” space is clearly a mid-term goal. Actual quote from Zuckerberg: “…certainly you can imagine these things in the future.”

We have been recently musing on the concept of “place” (including, “How Location Could Change The Future of Pages” last March) insofar as the web toys with tying itself to real-world geographies and the inherent opportunity and fear laden in those watching this wrestling match happen. But one thing we’ve always said about Facebook — their nearest, truest competitor in a spiritual sense was never MySpace, but Windows. They want to be the start, constant and end of the web for many people — the entry point in. And for many, they are. So now marry location ontop of that and you can begin to see how powerful they could become for the general public. For and to the general public, I should say. Being in Facebook, as a valid location that people actually visit in real life as well as “Like” could become the equivalent of having your name and address in the phone book in the 80′s and being a store that’s in the Mall. You want to be “seen” there- and now you can, by friends who aren’t even nearby to see you.

This, of course, begs the privacy question. But if we rest for a moment and assume that this is about who you allow to see your location, we can hopefully still talk about “place” and Facebook’s role in it in a rational fashion. I could choose to not tell a single friend where I was on Facebook and still find it incredibly valuable to know that a restaurant I hear about in Richmond, VA called “Strange Matter” has been visited by several of my friends, I could reference it in a Status Update and get real recommendations of what to eat there and tips such as bringing your own quarters for the vintage arcade games. 3/4 of that scenario already happened pre-Places, but now I could potentially verify that it’s a cool place that several of my less chatty friends have also patronized recently. It becomes an early indicator for me in a single search, allowing me then to pursue more info through other means (Yelp reviews, call-outs for other recommendations on Twitter, etc.).

Facebook Places doesn’t change the game as much as it does solidify it, make it whole and, likely, make it ubiquitous. What it does more than really innovate is fire a cannon in a battle previously fought by slingshots as it brings its half-a-billion active audience into the check-in game. But don’t be distracted by the battle to see whose or what type of check-in system wins. Instead, start to look ahead, with us, at what this will mean for the intersection of real and web location in the years ahead.

-Dean (@dbrowell)

UPDATED August 19, 2010: Not that Facebook Places is available in #RVA just yet. #Fail #FacebookPlaces, #Fail.

One last note: Notice that Places logo? As TechCrunch points out: “It’s a 4. In a Square. Yeah.“

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Jun
29

Yelp & Healthcare: Sittin’ In a Tree?

by Feedback

Wondering aloud: Do people go to Yelp to research healthcare, or are they simply encountering Yelp reviews for non-retail/restaurant in searches?

As with all we do at Feedback, we start by examining the local culture of social media use first – because not all regions are alike (not by a longshot). In a recent study of a particular large region we saw relatively heavy use of Yelp in providing reviews of healthcare. We observed service-line specific reviews as well as general hospital comments. Obviously it varies by community, but it does beg the question that if you have heavy Yelp use in your town for other things, that even a minimal number of reviews could get high visibility. Plus, their system of reviewer ranks means the reviews have a high trust factor.

We don’t recommend putting too much or too little emphasis on any particular channel until you’ve done a thorough review and deep dive that helps you make strategic, informed decisions.

So what does everyone think about this?

We’ve spoken about Yelp before here on the Feedback blog, but we felt this was an important question. Feel free to email us at contact [at] feedbackagency.com with your thoughts.

-Dean (@dbrowell)

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Jun
15

Fear & Social Media: The Problem With Place

by Feedback

First off: No unicorns.

The analogy of a unicorn is one I’ve been using for awhile. Even though my company specializes in social media, one of the very first things we try to impress on anyone we work with is to stop treating it like it’s so special. So unique. So weirdly fantastic. Because the more we romanticize it, the more unattainable and unusual it feels. The more we trick ourselves into essentially not understanding it. It becomes this amazing unicorn, and while we stare at it up on the hill, we barely notice all of the unicorns standing at the bottom of the hill around us.

So many professionals have spent so much time fearing or idolizing social media that they’ve failed to notice how ubiquitous and “baked in” it has become. With all of the navel-gazing, they failed to realize that everyone else had incorporated social media into their daily lives, into every interaction. Perhaps it was never that separate for the average consumer to begin with. Suddenly surveys are splitting hairs about whether people “use” social media to make X or Y decisions without noticing that everyone’s using a form of social media for every decision—they just aren’t bothering to CALL it “social media.” Anymore than I say, “I am about to write my friend an electronic mail which I will thrust through the internets in order to communicate thoughts from afar!” The idea of social media is NOT new. Anymore than AOL messageboards or phone party lines are new.

Which brings us to place.

Currently there’s quite a lot of buzz over “check-in” applications such as Foursquare, PlacePop, SCVNGR, Gowalla and Hot Potato. People stumble a bit in sometimes claiming that this wave of geolocation is somehow the start of the trend, but it’s myopic to claim geolocation is in its infancy. It’s certainly not when you consider how long Google Maps, Google Reviews, Brightkite and Mapquest has been around. We have to be careful to not ignore the emphasis that GPS and place has had on search in the last ten years and only focus on the Foursquare vs Gowalla.

By treating geolocation as so special we bundle its effects into something to lift up or be scared of. We watch as institutions wonder aloud whether they should partake in it… as though the only way to partake was to dive completely in. I think there’s some low-hanging fruit that worth pointing out to both the managers struggling with what Foursquare is and the C-suite who may be unusually enamored or scared of it. It’s simply worth just taking the time to ensure that your college buildings, hospital, wellness centers, retail locations, etc. are just listed in these apps. With Foursquare in particular, someone has to add a location- they aren’t automatically there like in SCVNGR (which is pre-populated with Google Places data) or MyTown (which uses CityPages). Nevermind if you have the money or inclination to engage, do sponsored badges, etc. – but are you even listed so that someone could check in? Or perhaps listed incorrectly? Are you there and people are already talking about you? A good analogy is really the old use of the phone book. There’s buying into a Yellow Pages ad program, but there’s also just making sure you appear in it and appear correctly.

But if we treat geolocation as a unicorn, we miss the opportunity to simply be found. And when did we treat our address as so special?

The apps themselves are often more in tune with the shortcomings of locations than the locations themselves are. In our recent research on event tourism with the a music festival we found some interesting benefits and problems with Bonnaroo’s official use of Foursquare (we’ll be elaborating a bit on the blog and  in a full-throated report soon, free to our clients) while other check-in apps didn’t even have a single central location to check-in at.

PlacePop worked diligently to try and add one when we spoke to them, and kudos for them for taking the effort and responding to Feedback’s open worry, but what would have simply helped was for the institution of a massive music festival that becomes Tennessee’s fourth-largest city in a weekend to have taken the initiative to simply have their address in the phone-book that is the top 5-10 apps.

There’s much more, from ensuring our photos and videos are properly associated with place and more… The concept of place is so much bigger than just check-ins. It’s someone needing something and asking a search engine of any sort, be it the augmented reality view of a camera phone held aloft to simply a Google Maps search from an iPhone. We’ve recently seen maternity wards being reviewed on apps like Yelp, traditionally the app of restaurants, for goodness sakes! How long before we realize the consumer isn’t waiting for the institution to get on board or not?

The overall issue of place is as old as the phone book. It’s as old as maps. It’s as old as grave markers of any sort. The check-in-app of old was simply the letter sent back home to tell family that we made it to the new land. Now I let select friends know I’ve landed with a click, or I can flip through the virtual catalog of places, opinions, ideas and opportunities, without having to write or interact myself, just to find a great place to eat, or raise a family, or hear some music.

So. Beware of unicorns.  :)

-Dean (@dbrowell)

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Jun
09

On the Road to Roo

by Feedback

The time has come to make the long journey to this year’s Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. Here at Feedback, we’ve prepared for the “Road to ‘Roo” by downloading and testing some free iPhone apps that we think will help us (and you) get there with minimum hassle.

First things first, if you haven’t already done it, download the official Bonnaroo app! Manage your way around the festival and mark points of interest using the “Festival Map” feature. You can also plan your route and stops along the way from your current location with “Road Trip.” An excellent addition to the app is “Radio Bonnaroo.” Stream it to get you in the mood and and be sure to play around with “Roo Camera.” Take photos on your way and e-mail them to your friends to make them jealous.

Another friendly suggestion from your pals at Feedback – Use the schedule feature on the app to plan out your day so you don’t miss out on your favorite bands!

Now, on to the meat of this post.

Navigation Apps

>> Navigators

Making sure you don’t get lost is pretty important.  We’d hate for you to be headed to Bonnaroo, take the wrong exit and end up in West Virginia and not Tennessee.  Here are a few apps we recommend to help you get there.

Name of App: Mapquest 4 Mobile
Developed By: Mapquest
Link: http://bit.ly/cOlaNq

Mapquest 4 Mobile has some unique features that make it very useful for travelers.  With this app, you can choose to see icons for places like hotels, food, shopping centers, and gas.  Check out the name of places near you by tapping an icon on the map and, if you like, add it to your route.  Mapquest also provides the voice option typical of most GPS systems as a guide, which will help you avoid a near-death experience caused by checking your phone while driving.

Name of App: Maps
Developed By: Apple (using Google Maps)
Link: http://bit.ly/GF0Im

The iPhone’s preinstalled Maps app has different map views that might make finding where you’re going easier. Based on Google Maps, the app’s satellite feature enables you to see real-life views of where you’re going.  If you’re a visual person who associates landmarks with directions, give it a quick once over before hitting the road.  For safety’s sake, I wouldn’t use this en-route unless you have a passenger/navigator telling you the directions.

>> Traffic

Knowing traffic patterns, police alerts, and construction areas is valuable when traveling and can save you a lot of time and, if you’re lucky, money. The apps below have similar features in this regard but different aims.

Name of App: INRIX Traffic!
Developed by: INRIX, Inc.
Link: http://bit.ly/8vqiQS

INRIX Traffic! lets you know about, well, traffic.  This app made our list because it covered a lot of bases drivers would want to know about: accidents, construction, live police, and fixed camera traps.  You can even report incidents you see along the way and earn karma points.  As a warning, some of the apps options are a little misleading because you have to upgrade to INRIX Traffic! Pro ($9.99/year or $24.99/lifetime) to access them, but they don’t impact the overall effectiveness of the app.

Name of App: Trapster
Developed By: Research Unlimited Corporation
Link: http://bit.ly/FuWl

As you might have guessed, Trapster’s main focus is speed traps. From live police to cameras, it provides information on known enforcement points, toll booths, road closings, dangerous intersections, and school zones. “Known points” are permanent structures or favored police hideouts that will be of interest to drivers.  Another cool thing about Trapster is its ability to use social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter, so you can alert your friends as well.

Travel Apps

>> Gas Finders

Scrambling to find a gas station when you’re running on empty can be stressful; however, there are apps for that.

Name of App: Cheap Gas!
Developed by: GasBuddy.com
Link: http://bit.ly/35MMgv

This simple ad-supported app is all about finding the information on the variable that most affects your wallet when you travel (especially by RV like the Feedback Mobile Lab) gas prices! Harnessing the power of GasBuddy.com, the app allows you to search for gas by cost or by proximity to your location. Because Cheap Gas! uses a system that awards user input, prices are typically updated shortly after they change at the station, leading to greater accuracy and reliability.

Name of App: GasBag
Developed By: JamCode
Link: http://bit.ly/aErG46

What the GasBuddy application lacks, GasBag makes up for. Instead of a fast list style, the app utilizes Microsoft’s Virtual Earth to display pins with a station logo for bigger gas resellers (i.e., Texaco, Exxon, et al). Nearby stations are identified by GPS and populated onto the map in a clear manner. Gasbag also allows you to record gas purchases and calculates your vehicle’s fuel efficiency based on how often you’re filling up. Despite this unique feature, for us, it doesn’t offset the delay in updates compared to Cheap Gas!

>> More Finders

Name of App: AAA TripTik
Developed By: AAA
Link: http://bit.ly/czNH06

Unlike many of its other services, AAA’s TripTik is available to anyone.  Map out your destination using its search tool and find food, gas, and hotels along the way.  While such finds are common in map-based navigation apps, TripTik offers more unique options – campgrounds, service stations, and key places to visit like museums, wineries, and historical houses. The app offers details about each place and the option to call or get directions.

Name of App: Yelp!
Developed By: Yelp
Link: http://bit.ly/4zLIfd

We assume everyone already knows about Yelp, but, just in case, we decided to add it to the list anyway.  Yelp breaks down businesses near you into categories so you can find exactly what you’re looking for.  You can read/write reviews, get directions, add photos, and check-in to a business. This can be very helpful to you and the masses, especially if you’re traveling great distances to get to Bonnaroo.

This is just a short list of the apps we’ll be using as we make our way to Manchester.  As you can see, from navigators to gas finders and everything in between, there are all sorts of services out there to make your trip as pleasureable and hassle-free as possible. Use them well and have a safe and merry time on the “Road to ‘Roo!”

Be sure to follow our field team (@dbrowell, @ideaman, @alucas9) on Twitter for their latest updates and findings from Bonnaroo, as well as @feedbackagency for our observations from afar.  Feel free to use the #RoadToRoo tag to share your travel adventures and check the Feedback blog daily for recaps and other fun things from Bonnaroo 2010!

— The Feedback Interns: Brad Carr (@bcarr) and Brittney Trimmer (@BNTrim)

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Apr
28

Yelp’s a Poppin’

by Feedback

We’ve been talking a lot around the office about geo-location, reviews and ratings and how they influence a number of industries now and in the future. Yelp has been a big topic of discussion, with its gigantic critical mass (25 million a month and growing).  Yelp’s had some high-profile mentions in the press recently, and with good reason. Below are a couple of videos we’ve found interesting on what’s going on over at Yelp.

Here’s an explanation of Yelp’s new integration with Facebook:

And here’s a clip of Steve Jobs on Yelp as a part of iPhone app success:

Also be sure to catch the great blog by Search Engine Land on the implications on search, including Yelp, of Facebook’s recent announcements.

-Dean (@dbrowell)

P.S. We’ve been brainstorming the effect on other industries as well.  For example, what’s the Yelp of healthcare, if a review site on docs, procedures, clinics…gets that much traffic, going to do to the industry? Drop in virtually or in-person and brainstorm with us!

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