Consumers have said that social media may not be the best vehicle on which to promote a brand, according to a new poll which has been conducted.

A YouGov poll has concluded that nearly half of customers object to social networks’ brand adverts which uses personal information from online browsers.

The conclusion drawn by the pollsters is that social media sites like Facebook, Twitter or Myspace are not as helpful in spreading the message than previously thought, with people also likely to ignore a brand advertised on social media and not buy it based on social media opinion.

Statistically when broken down the numbers do not make encouraging reading for potential advertisers, regardless of how often they pay celebrities or sports stars to tweet about what products they use.

Of the 1,275 people sampled for the YouGov survey, 47% objected to advertisers promoting brands that they were being mentioned on their social media accounts. If that is understandable then the survey’s finding that 44% of people wouldn’t purchase a brand or product after their friends endorsed it must cause irritation, if not frustration. Word of mouth is after all the easiest of all advertising.

The poll also states that contrary to popular belief, 43% of people would not be willing to use social media in order to express how good a particular brand was, even if they liked it.

YouGov’s media consulting director Dan Brilot said: ““It appears that whilst social media can be a key tool in the brand marketer’s armoury, in particular to maximise commitment amongst those already highly engaged with the brand, it has not quite reached the effectiveness necessary to be considered as a truly mass media marketing tool.

“With the ability to share, tweet and interact on any kind of site, is almost a given, social media services increasingly need to have an extra raison d’etre beyond merely being ‘social’ to make an impact in today’s crowded market,” he added.

Landmark ruling makes Facebook a legitimate means to inform people that they have been served

In a surprising turn of events, Mr Justice Teare has recently ruled that Facebook is now a viable means of notifying an individual when they are required to participate in legal proceedings.

Although, it has been legal to use Facebook in this manner in Australia and New Zealand, this is the first time that the social network has been approved for use at such a high level in the UK.

Memery Crystal lawyer, Jenni Jenkins, commented that the ruling has set a precedent; which will make ‘service-via-Facebook’ much more common in the future.

Ms. Jenkins said, “It’s a fairly natural progression. A High Court judges has already ruled that an injunction can be served via Twitter, so it’s a hop, skip and a jump away from that to allow claims to be served via Facebook.”

Twitter was used in a similar case within recent years, but this is the first time that such a social tool has been utilised in the high court, with other cases only appearing in county court.

In this instance, Facebook was used to issue legal notice to a defendant after investment managers at AKO Capital LLP and AKO Master Fund claimed that TFS Derivatives significantly overcharged on commission.

Facebook was only used in this instance as the address of Mr De Biase, of TFS Derivatives, was in question and it was thought that Facebook was the only means of getting in contact with him.

Nevertheless with a new tracking tool (Facebook) in the hands of UK lawyers, it may only be a few years until you succumb to Facebook posts such as: “You’ve been served”, “Your wife is filling for Divorce” or even “Your Aunt has died and has left you her estate”.

Residents are working together to make the community safer.

A Kenyan village chief is using Twitter to help fight crime in his local area, highlighting the widespread reach of the microblogging platform and its varied uses.

Francis Kariuki sends out tweets about missing children and farm animals to his 300 followers. However, he estimates that thousands of residents in his village have access to the tweets through third party mobile applications and texts.

His methods have worked to reduce the frequency of break-ins and significantly bring down the local crime rate. The tweets sent out so far have been so successful that thieves have even begun to follow his messages.

Mr Kariuki said: “Twitter has helped save time and money. I no longer have to write letters or print posters which take time to distribute and are expensive.”

Messages of hope are also sent out such as “let’s be the kind of people that do good for others whether we get paid back or not, whether they say thank you or not”.

Spokeswoman for Twitter Rachel Bremer said: “We are constantly amazed by the ways people all over the world are using Twitter to communicate.”

Over the last quarter of 2011 Kenyans sent 2.5 million tweets and almost 70% of users said they use Twitter to keep up with the news, according to research from Portland Communications and Tweetminster. Kenya is the second biggest user of Twitter on the African continent after South Africa.

The results also found that the online encyclopedia ranked first for 56% of key searches.

A website which dominates the first page of Google for 100% of all searches is the thing most SEOs dream of and something which is well and truly out of reach for many, however new research has shown that one site has come painfully close to achieving that perfect record. We are of course talking about the online encyclopedia site Wikipedia.

The site’s strong relationship with Google has always come under close scrutiny in the SEO industry but a new study suggests Wikipedia could be even more influential than previously anticipated.

A study of 1000 unique Google UK searches generated by a random noun generator revealed that Wikipedia was awarded a first page ranking in a staggering 99% of searches. The study also found that Wikipedia can be found at the top of the rankings for 56% of searches, while the site can also be found in the top five SERPs for 96% of searches.

The impressive results have caused many in the industry to analyse the relationship between the two influential internet players and question exactly what makes the site so successful in the search engines. Some experts have suggested that by awarding a first page place to Wikipedia for a number of searches, Google is effectively limiting the number of potential PPC clients that could appear on the first page in natural listings.

On the other hand, there are a number of crucial Google boxes that Wikipedia ticks which could explain its dominance in the listings. Firstly the site’s sheer size and breadth of unique content has often been thought to be a key factor behind its powerful online presence. Although the content on Wikipedia is never going to be in the running for the Nobel Prize in Literature, there’s no denying the content is unique and usually helpful.

Then there’s the site’s strong domain authority. With more than six million external backlinks and 91,000 referring domains, it’s fair to say that Wikipedia has a pretty stratospheric link building campaign. In addition to a strong domain, Wikipedia also benefits from having targeted web pages for key search terms, a great internal linking structure (which allows it to distribute link juice throughout the site) and excellent page authority.

The question of whether Wikipedia’s love-in with Google will continue remains to be seen, however previous experience and the fact that none of Google’s latest Panda updates have affected the site suggests that Wikipedia could be dominating our searches for a long time to come yet.

The app is the first in Europe to allow users to transfer money person to person using an application.

High Street bank Barclays has released a new app which allows its customers to transfer money via their smartphones. Over the next few weeks the bank is set to open the bank transfer app to other banks but customers will only be eligible to receive money. The app allows a total of £300 to be sent or received in one day.

Not only has this app been heavily anticipated, it has also received great feedback from Android, Blackberry and iPhone users. The bank wants to kick start its marketing plan for the future by targeting social media and pushing communicative systems for current customers via the Barclays website and in branches.

The free app is said to revolutionise the way in which we transfer money – rather than making a phone call or visiting a branch when it is open (which is not always possible), the Pingit app will allow customers to make transfers as and when it suits them on the move. This in turn will make it much easier to get on with daily life as the system is straightforward and easy to use.

The chief executive of Barclaycard Retail and Business Banking said:“Barclays Pingit could revolutionise the way people send and receive money. For friends splitting the cost of dinner, repaying a borrowed £10 or people sending money to a son or daughter at university, it’s free, quick, convenient, secure, and easy to use.”

The app is bound to popular with many Barclays customers as nearly every person in the UK wishes that banking could be much quicker and easier. In addition to using the app to send money, you will also be able to see your balance and your account.

Despite its almost guaranteed success with the younger generation, getting the older customers of the bank to take to the new way of transferring money could be difficult – this is why it will be explained in store if you ask one of the staff at a Barclays bank as training will have been carried out to ensure that the app is a success.

Many banks throughout Europe and the US have produced banking applications but this is expected to be the first of many that allow real time transfers. With the fast pace of technology, the way in which we bank is never ending but for now this app could really shape the way in which the population manage their money.

One of the world’s leading record companies are working out how to market the untimely death of the talented Whitney Houston after the events of last weekend.

Whitney Houston’s record label are due to meet this week as Sony Music executives look to capitalise on the singer’s tragic death by trying to come up with new ways of marketing her albums.

Sony have prior experience in trying to wring every last penny out of a sympathetic public after their original top level star Michael Jackson was found dead in 2009.

They say nothing sells like the dead and in Sony Music’s case it appears the marketing conditions are now conducive to make as much money out of Whitney Houston the brand, whilst leaving her friends and family to grieve over the loss of a supremely gifted singer.

Similarly to Jackson, the record label are looking to promote every form of Houston material, from albums, to compilations and even little known films.

Houston was due to star in and sing a couple of tracks for Sparkle, a low-budget film which is due to be released in August and Sony are expected to plug the film as well as the film score album for all it is worth.

It seems a shame and yet somehow a sign of the times that instead of people taking a step back to reflect, they are being encouraged to purchase songs and albums from an artist they may never have previously considered listening to.

By doing this the public believe that they are honouring Whitney, whereas in fact they are simply helping a multi-national corporation increase its share price and profit on the back of a person’s death.

If the public really wanted to honour Whitney Houston, why not take up singing in her honour? What about setting up a clinic or help-house centre to support people who are struggling with troubled lives? It would probably achieve more than owning a couple of downloaded files or plastic discs you may not listen to after the furore has died down.

One Year on and Internet Activity Becomes More Complex

Hitwise, online consumer specialists, have recently revealed that Google still dominates the UK search market, with over 90 percent market share.

For the time being it seems that Google is secure in its position, with 90.64 percent market share. This figure is significantly higher than last year, when compared to other search engines.

In fact, during January Google received 2.3 billion visits, a 4.5 percent increase compared to the same time last year.

With an increase of approximately 100 million more visits compared to January 2011, it seems to be the case that more people are using online means to find out information, as oppose to using conventional techniques, such as the Yellow Pages.

Search engines have become the number one resource for answering questions; which means that e-commerce sites are more dependant than ever on Google to deliver online customers. With 35% of all online business originating from Google and keyword rankings; having an online marketing strategy is a must for all businesses.

James Murray, Hitwise market research analyst, said, “Search is one of the most crucial elements of online marketing and our data shows that search is growing, with nearly 100 million more visits going to search engines this January than last January.”

Yet the data also reveals the emergence of social media (Facebook, Google+, Youtube) and its new found importance for driving online users to company websites.

So, based on the data it seems that all online businesses should have some form of online marketing strategy, whether that be using search engines, social media sites or a combination of the two.

Consumers can order their takeaway without picking up the phone.

Just over 10% of digital sales made at Domino’s Pizza come through smartphones and tablet computers, indicating that mobile marketing is the way forward for fast food companies looking to tap into the modern consumer market.

More than £10 million of sales have been generated through the Domino’s iPhone app in the past 12 months alone, which equates to 4.1% of all online orders. The American chain has now launched a Windows 7 version of its mobile app that can be used by Nokia mobile owners to order pizzas from wherever they are. Designed by Vexed Digital, the app will help Domino’s to continue to tighten its grip on mobile orders without interference from Pizza Hut – the rival chain has failed to create a viable phone app for the UK market so far.

Paul Francis, Domino’s head of commercial systems said: “13% of all digital sales come though a tablet or smartphone so we know that for many customers, mobile is the preferred way of ordering. We have ambitious plans for 2012 and I am delighted that we can offer this new app for the Windows Phone 7 platform. We look forward to hearing what our customers think.”

Half of Domino’s pizza sales are already made online, highlighting that the days of ordering a large margherita pizza over the phone may be coming to a swift end as consumers opt to take control of their own pizza preferences.

A Dutch brewing company have landed one of the most famous secret agents in the world to promote their brand as part of an elaborate marketing campaign.

British super spy James Bond will appear in Heineken adverts later this year to promote the new Bond movie Skyfall, after the Amsterdam brewers extended their sponsorship with the long running franchise.

Scheduled to be shown in over 170 countries across the globe, the advert will represent the first time that James Bond has appeared directly in them.

The character will form one strand of Heineken’s ‘Open your world’ campaign, which has been launched in an attempt to show that the continental beer is drunk by a diverse range of the world’s population, even those with a licence to kill.

Quite what this will entail for Bond is unclear although there is always the grisly thought that after seeing off five bad guys in a biochemical plant he will then open the safe, pull out a bottle or can of Heineken and utter some comically weak pay off like ‘Cheers for the beers, guys’, before casually sitting back in a reclining chair watching the rest of the evil meglomaniac’s army flee in terror.

Naturally the joke would probably be on Bond as they are not escaping because he has once more defeated evil but because there has been an explosion in the factory, which Bond is unaware of.

The last scene will more than likely see the entire area razed to the ground whilst a can or bottle of Heineken lands with a thud on some of the waste ground without a British agent to be seen and a simple a tag line saying: ‘Refreshing the parts British agents can’t reach’.

Actually, the adverts may not be anything like that, they will probably be much much worse. It appears that even 007 can’t escape from or kill off the onset of marketing campaigns.

The retailer Marks & Spencer have recently decided to move in a new marketing direction, following the sucess of their Christmas campaign; which was promoted by the X Factor finalists.

The new campaign involves a huge billboard ad which features a model showcasing the brands lingerie and flowers in a bid to get men to purchase Valentines gifts for their loved ones from the store.

Over the past 12 months M&S have been changing their marketing techniques and have made the decision to put more emphasis on digital marketing. In fact, they are the first UK retailer to produce an app for Samsung’s IPTV, which is set to be a world wide hit.

This could be a game changer for the rest of the retail industry and could prompt brands to move rapidly to the digital way of thinking, if they aren’t already in the process of doing so.

The billboard ad reads ”Love stuck? Here’s a little Valentine’s help“. The ad then explains how you can download an app to your smart phone, for your convenience.

The app will let users view the billboard as augmented reality, which will cause a video of the model to be displayed on the users phone. The model then displays gift ideas from the retailer, such as lingerie, flowers and a large range of chocolates and cards.

The new app even gives details of how users can purchase gifts directly from their mobiles, pushing M&S into a completely new direction.

Not only will this encourage users to seek a gift for their loved one it will also open their eyes to a new way of purchasing products via mobile sites and it could even encourage them to use e-commerce sites more frequently once they realise how easy they really are.