Google Cars effect on Marketing



So Google is test driving a car that will eliminate the need for drivers. Sounds great from a user and marketers’ perspective. It was announced over the weekend that Google has been testing out autonomous cars. Even more surprisingly, they’ve logged 140,000 miles of testing. It’s an exciting development from a company that has shown they can push the envelope in businesses that do not traditionally make up their core. For Google, this means more time users will be on the internet searching and clicking on advertisements.

Marketers have got to be a little bit excited no matter how far off this is. If you’re excited about the potential data from LBS apps, imagine the data you will be able to get from people in their cars commuting, traveling, or making short trips. The idea of intercepting someone in their trip will immediately become possible, and companies will be able to track it.

Image someone driving in their car searching for a pizza place on Google. Immediately the user is presented with organic listings and paid listings in the area on the route of the car. The user selects a pizza place and chooses to alter route in order to swing by the pizza place. After selecting the new route the user then goes to the website and orders a pizza (with a coke and breadsticks of course). Paid search advertisers will be able to target users on a whole new level.

Other information marketers will have is the type of car (price), daily routines (probably will create privacy issues), customer loyalty, etc. The convenience for the person in the car is clear, but companies with organic listings and paid listings will be able to see conversion data. Certainly Google search is just one example of how marketers will be able to reach people based on their location and intercept and convert them. I look forward to the opportunities a (possible) autonomous car could bring.
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5 People to Follow for #FutureM Tweets



In case you haven’t noticed... FutureM has been going on all week with events going on around the Boston area. While I haven’t been able to go to as many of the events as I would have liked, I am appreciative of the people who have covered the events. I put together a list of 5 people who I have found useful during the past week for their tweets and insights.

@stevenduque

@cpollara

@dharmesha

@ZachACole

@BrookeZam

These certainly were not the only people to tweet, but I was able to get some insight into the events they were at. I look forward to following them and learning more in the future. Give them a follow.





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What is Google TV?



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What is Google TV? Google TV is a new product coming about by Google, along with Sony and Logitech who are producing hardware for it. I think Google TV will create a simpler user experience for users watching the televisions.

Lack of Innovation in TV


In my eyes TV has had issues for a long time. If you look at how computers have innovated over the years compared the TV there is no question which has seen more improvements. The product will look to improve the browse experience as well as ease of use for users. The changes coming will potentially help to eliminate hardware and increase streaming video. These will mean major changes for the TV, gaming and entertainment industries.

Easier Search


Search has long time been a tough part of watching TV. Everyone has had the experience where they get home late and struggle to search through the 900 channels that are now on their TVs to find their show or game before it starts. Google TV will now help users to navigate channels and websites to find what they are looking for quicker and easier.

Home Page


When I turn on my computer I find it easy to find the applications that I want to use. Humans enjoy having a dashboard which is why you see it in so many of the applications that we use. Google TV will provide a home screen that will take you to your favorite channels, news, your Netflix movies, or other subscriptions that you may have. The idea that you can turn on your TV and immediately be greeted to a screen where you can select your favorite things to watch is great.

Apps


Apps on TV seem logical. We started to get apps on our phones and now apps on tablets, it only seems right that we have them on our TVs. These apps like a lot of iPad apps have been created to do, will hopefully be created to be family centric. I am looking forward to seeing the creativity and the opportunities that come from apps on the TV.

Biggest Changes


Certainly as I mentioned before, how users browse on their TV will go through a major change, but there will be other major changes as well. We will see an increase in interaction while watching TV. Users will be able to use Twitter and Facebook and it will be interesting to see what is done to integrate the Web into the viewing experience. Apps and access to movies will also cause a stir for companies producing video games and DVDs (and related products), will we finally be able to get rid of the hardware and stream video onto our TVs? It seems like it would be to Netflix’s advantage to stream video rather than paying to mail, store, and organize millions of DVDs. Hopefully we will finally get quicker access to the movies we want to see.

Competitors


Currently there are not many competitors out there, although Boxee is one of note. If anything I think Google TV will be good for Boxee which is a similar concept that has struggled to gain traction among people not in tech. Other competitors (though not direct) are Apple TV, and video game systems that allow you to browse the internet. I am looking forwards to the Logitech Revue Companion Box with Google TV coming out. I really think it will make the TV experience a much better one. I look forward to it becoming available as well as seeing how it develops.
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