Google and Yahoo set to make a BIG announcement at 1:30 PST

A joint press conference is set between the top two search firms and speculation about the announcement is abuzz around the net. An insider at one of the companies is saying that they will be announcing an official search partnership and the departure of a top Yahoo! executive. The partnership will have Yahoo! outsourcing possible all of its search marketing (and maybe search) to Google.

What does this mean for the internet as we know it? Does Google really need control?

Any thoughts?

UPDATE: 3:26  Yahoo!  announces a non-exclusive online advertising agreement with Google

How can TV networks keep up with online?

TV networks seem to be in trouble these days.  There are only reports of declining ad revenues, canceled shows and strikes.  How are they going to compete with their online counterpoints?  It will probably come down to the old adage, if you can’t beat ‘em, join them.

In order to keep their share of the advertising pie, tv stations are going to have to start incorporating more interactive aspects to their web sites.  Their best bet is to try to develop content tie-ins that will create a cycle between users going to their TV sets and their computers.  By creating web-exclusive content to supplement their regularly scheduled programming and exploring emerging trends like mobile and social, television networks will hopefully not die out like the mediums before them.

One thing on their side, is their incredible stockpile of content.  Right now, the networks are starting to experiment with posting old, but loved, programs that viewers would not otherwise have access to.  Not a bad place to start.

There are tons of interactive possibilities, and goodness knows the TV networks have the marketing bandwidth to promote their online destinations.

Are you Promoting or Diluting your Company Brand and Culture in the online space?

Do you have a Facebook profile? A MySpace page? A Twitter Account? A blog? A YouTube Channel? A personal Wiki?  Chances are that almost every person can answer yes to at least one of, if not all, of the previous questions.

The internet has become a haven for personal publishing and information sharing.  People freely offer opinions, ideas, photos, videos, likes, dislikes, and everything in-between.  However, how cautious are people about the lasting effect their information may have on the company they work for?

This question is something I ponder and am reminded of daily with the things I find online.  Using Twitter as an example, I follow roughly 125 people that are affiliated with SEO or Social Media Marketing.  Numerous people use this site to push out content they have written or are reading that help to show them as industry thought leaders.  When these type of people are free with their company affiliation this can positively effect how the industry views the person and their company.  Yet, some people are not as strategic with the information they share.  When people that associate themselves with their company tweet information about “giving the finger to a client” or “our blog is run by suits” or “my boss doesn’t know bleep” I have to question if these people really care about the work they are doing, who they are doing it for, or what external people think of them?  My opinion has been changed about numerous companies this way, be it fair or not.

To some extent, freedom of speech has to be protected and people should be able to post whatever type of content they please.  Yet, at some point common sense should kick in and say maybe I shouldn’t tell the world that “i hate ABC co-worker” in an open forum setting.

Does it seem fair to judge a company based upon the actions of the people who work there?  Can this really be patrolled?  Should it be?  What are your thoughts?

Indiana Jones finds a Widget

Paramount Pictures is scheduled to release an Indiana Jones widget this week to promote the franchise’s latest installment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.  According to Reuters, Paramount is counting on the widget to be posted on blogs and social networks to build publicity around their latest movie.

Paramount already released a widget in February to promote the movie, but this time they are upping the ante and integrating a contest into their widget campaign.  The two fans who distribute the widget with the most people wins a trip to the movie’s world premiere.

The Reuter’s article points out that Hollywood is all about generating buzz.  Since this is undoubtedly true, we will more than likely see Hollywood continuing to employ emerging Internet trends to promote their movies.

YouTube Meets the Boob Tube

The long fingers of the Web may grab ahold of your TV by year’s end.

YouTube videos can already be seen on cell phones and Apple TV; soon, TiVo users with a broadband Internet connection will be able to search, browse and watch YouTube videos on their TVs. The clips will be streamed to their TV via broadband Internet connection.

It’s inevitable for the lines between TV and Web video to blur. More and more, people want to access their favorite TV shows, news clips, sports highlights, and humorous videos — regardless of whether they’re on a bus with their cell phone, in their living room with their TV, or in the office with the computer.

Still, this TiVo deal will have a limited reach — at least initially. There are only 4 million TiVo users nationwide; most get their set-top box from their cable operator. Nearly two million bought their box directly from TiVo, but only 800,000 have the necessary broadband connection to enjoy YouTube videos over a streaming connection.

Apple is Going After the Three Piece Suit

According to mediapost, Apple is in the process of creating a business friendly iPhone that will be able to sync with work calendars, email accounts and appointments.  Apple is hoping to compete with the holy BlackBerry.  Until now, iPhones were not able to access Microsoft Exchange, so most professionals were out of luck.  Apple recently licensed Microsoft’s ActiveSync software, to enable iPhone users to access their work accounts. 

This could be a huge step for Apple to increase usership within the business world.  The new software is slated to be released in June.

Life after the Strike

The screen writer’s strike is not only altering the usual plethora of programming–it is slowly changing how marketing dollars are being spent.  With the big networks forced to return advertiser’s money in cash when new episodes did not air, is it really any wonder that online advertising has subsequently spiked.  Today’s eMarketer report goes even further:  “Seven out of 10 of those surveyed said they [will] go back to watching their favorite shows after the strike, but more than a quarter said they might not or definitely would not return.”

Could the strike have a permanent effect on marketer’s faith in TV ads altogether?  That answer remains to be seen, but it looks like it’s a definite possibility.  Nielsen reports that online video sites have more than doubled since the strike in late October.  It would be painfully ironic if the Internet receives generous increases in ad revenue because of the strike because the ubiquitous nature of writer’s work online is the very basis for the strike.

The networks and screen writers should want to resolve their qualms in the near future to stall viewer’s switch to online venues and regain some control over their reality-entrenched current programming.

$100 Laptop - almost there

Have you heard about the $100 laptop? Lots of people were talking about it while in the design phase, but now it is here! They were not able to hit the $100 mark just yet, but that does not undermine the accomplishment. It is a great example of what can happen with when systems thinking is applied to a problem.

The group that created it is called One Laptop Per Child and they want to empower children in the developing world to learn through computers and connectivity. It could make a huge difference to whole communities in developing countries. You can learn more (and even buy one for yourself and donate one to a child) at http://laptopgiving.org. The laptop and the thinking that went into it really is amazing.

What does this have to do with online marketing? I think it is a great example of how thinking beyond individual components and keeping the the larger goal in mind can create extraordinary solutions — whether it is giving children access to the resources they need to make a better life or making an online campaign much more than the sum of its parts.

Google Phone OS - Free always wins

Well, it’s official! Google finally admitted they are working on an Operating System or “software stack” for mobile phones. While this is not Google phone per se, it will power a large number of different phones from Samsung, HTC, Motorola and LG. The question is whether this will make significant inroads into the territory of Windows mobile, Palm, and Blackberry as well as grow the overall mobile computing market.

US consumers are remiss to pay for anything when they can get it for free. Many consumers will withstand a barrage of untargeted ads just to get a $5 Starbucks card or a chance to win an ipod. They certainly will be enthusiastic about getting something free when the ads are much more targeted and even relevant to them. So, be prepared for Google to replace Windows Mobile or the Palm OS on most devices. It could easily be a category killer. The only possible exception would be for RIM and the addicted loyalists they have created.

So, expect Google’s stock to continue to increase while Search marketers celebrate the chance to dominate mobile advertising…

The iPhone Price Cut: Is it Fair?

Wednesday, at the recent Apple’s “The Beat Goes On” event in San Francisco, Apple announced several things that were news worthy. The most controversial has to be the price drop of the 8GB Apple iPhone by $200 to $399 and the 4GB drop of $200 to $299. Now several of the “Early Adopters” to this technology are at a loss.

The price drop is also said to be a driving force to increase sales over the next 3 weeks to hit the previously stated goal of over 1 million phones by the end of September. Price cuts will also increase sales over the holiday season at which time several other devises will inevitably hit the market and increase competition for Apple.

With many people in an uproar regarding the drastic price adjustment, Apple CEO Steve Jobs apologized on the Apple website and is offering a $100 credit to those who spent $599. So that’s great, right? There’s a catch…the credit is good only for those who aren’t eligible for a rebate.

So, what do you think? Does being an early adopter come with a price?