Facebook To Become Twitter

A number of high profile campaigns, including the recent Tory Election App, have made clever use of Facebook Status Updates by asking supporters to 'donate' them to the cause. By joining the campaign in question or installing their application, users would allow the campaign to insert its own message into their Status Update. However, it seems now that this loophole in Facebook's usage policy which allows users effectively donate or sell their status updates to brands, will be shut down.

The proposed changes to Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, will ban users from any sort of commercial gain through their status updates or profiles. This will see the banning of a number of pyramid schemes that have started up, denial of service attacks that have become more common, and ultimately all users will now be made directly responsible for the content that is published through their profile.

This will be a major differentiator between Facebook and Twitter, who allow users to use their account in basically anyway they like. Already there are a number of third-party applications that exist to allow users to make money from their Tweets. But this change in Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities probably isn't as big a change as it actually seems. Two really interesting things have happened with Facebook in the last couple of weeks; first there was Facebook's acquisition of FriendFeed and the launch of its beefed up search function, and, secondly there have also been a number of reports of users being sent invitations to beta test Facebook's new 'Lite' service, which appears to be a direct stab to Twitter. (the URL - http://lite.facebook.com/ - already pops up in Google but redirects back to regular Facebook)

Facebook released a statement saying "We are currently testing a simplified alternative to Facebook.com that loads a specific set of features quickly and efficiently similar to the Facebook experience you get on your mobile phones. Facebook 'Lite' is a fast-loading, simplified version of Facebook that enables people to make comments, accept Friend requests, write on people's Walls, and look at photos and Status updates."

A screengrab of Facebook 'Lite' that is doing the rounds shows huge similarities with Twitter, with a stream down the centre and options to post pictures or videos on the right. Beyond this there is also one prominent theme coming through in Facebook 'Lite' - it will be a completely real-time application. This will demonstrate yet another subtle change made by Facebook to its service, to move it more towards a fully real-time service, which is exactly what Twitter currently represents. The most notable changes were those made to the Facebook homepage in March. The new hybrid page works almost exactly like a cross between Twitter and FriendFeed.



Following the March changes, Facebook also opened up to allow third party developers to create applications directly utilising its news feed, which is exactly what has helped drive Twitter growth with clients like Tweetdeck. Then June saw further changes with users being granted full control over their privacy options. This has allowed Facebook Status Updates to be broadcast out of Facebook and into the larger web, again directly emulating Twitter. Finally we have this weeks new change to Facebook - the new search function. This allows users to now search Facebook exactly as do with Twitter, being able to view trending topics as they happen.

So what does all of this mean? Well, for one it strengthens Facebook's position as being the progressive and dynamic Social Media service. Twitter on the other hand may still be struggling to generate a basic revenue model. This is just a basic overview though, in reality all these changes may do little more then add additional levels of usage to Facebook that many users will simply fail to uptake. Twitter offers a service that is unique in its simplicity and range. Twitter should not try to become Facebook, and, similarly, Facebook shouldn't try to become Twitter. In my opinion Facebook would be better served trying to improve its current offering, speed up its overall service, and allow developers/marketers more freedom to enhance their use of Facebook.

Guinness 250 Years Celebrations: Update

I posted about the Guinness 250 Years Celebrations back in July. The celebrations take place on September 24th and mark 'Arthur’s Day', the annual celebration of the founding of Guinness. The main thrust of the day's celebrations will revolve around gigs at 4 venues and 28 pubs, who are playing host to a host of international superstars.

Today, however, Guinness have confirmed that the days celebrations will be pinnacled with performances from Sir Tom Jones, Kasabian and Estelle at Guinness's own Hopstore 13, at St James’s Gate Brewery. Hopstore 13 will be transformed into a live music venue to allow more than 2,000 visitors to enjoy this remarkable milestone in the legacy of Arthur Guinness.

Tickets for the Hopstore 13 gig will be available through Guinness consumer promotions.

What's In Your Handbag? (or Manbag!)

The styles may vary but it doesn't matter if you're a girl with a Gucci or a dude with a record bag, the benefits of having a bag to dump all you gear into are unquestionable. It may surprise you, however, to find out that if the right person has a look in your bag of choice, they could tell you all about yourself. Debbie Percy is just such a person. Following an extensive career in corporate HR, Debbie has spent the last four years developing a technique to introduce her clients to the concept of personal change and life coaching, through, what she calls, Handbag Therapy.

I was lucky enough to speak with Debbie yesterday evening for the launch of the Kildare Village Outlet Shopping ‘What’s in your handbag?’ digital campaign. Debbie had the opportunity to go through my 'manbag' and give her analysis of who I am and what I'm all about. Here's the funny thing - she was 100% right on everything she said. Seriously, I can't even begin to explain the detail that she went into but totally correct in everything she told me.

The 'manbag' in question

So what exactly is all this about? Well, as I said, yesterday was the launch of the Kildare Village Outlet Shopping ‘What’s in your handbag?’ digital campaign. Through the dedicated campaign microsite, users are invited to register and upload a photo of their handbag and its contents. For one lucky winner there is a €1,000 shopping spree up for grabs at Kildare Village, as well as a similar handbag therapy analysis.

What makes the campaign really interesting is that there is a public vote on all photos uploaded (check out the current uploads here). The top five handbags with the most votes then go through into the final and go head-to-head against eachother under the expert review of the Kildare Village panel. From there an ultimate winner is chosen. Of course, that's where the campaign also jumps in to benefit the voters. Everyone who registers (both those uploading pictures and voting) will be given a VIP Day Card that gets you 10%-off for your next trip to Kildare Village Outlet Shopping. Pretty cool, especially considering the current economic climate. I for one am always on the look-out to save a few quid and still treat myself to a few nice things ;)

The competition closes on 6 September 2009 so don't waste any time. Get yourself over to the site and upload your handbag/manbag, and ask your mates to vote! You can also become a fan of Kildare Village on Facebook.



For those of you who haven't popped out to Kildare Village, I recommend a trip for sure. Similar to Woodbury Common in New York or The Outlet up in Banbridge, Kildare Village offers over 55 designer brands, offering last seasons’ ranges at up to 60% off.

Impromtu Public Singing

I was watching Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog again at lunch and I remembered that someone had done a musical/singing viral recently but I couldn't for the life of me remember who. So a little bit of Googling later and I remembered that it was a LastMinute.com viral from last year for their 50%-Off theatre ticket campaign.

I absolutely love this, and even though it's over a year old, I thought it was worth a re-share...



RubberRepublic were tasked with seeding out the campaign on behalf of Steel London.

Johnnie Walker: The Man Who Walked Around The World

One of my favourite actors, without a doubt, has to be Robert Carlyle. From Trainspotting to The Full Monty to The 51st State, Carlyle always delivers shocking believable performances. Although Carlyle rejects the term 'method actor' he always seeks out a level of emotional identification with a role aiming to find a core of humanity. This is what ultimately makes him so memorable and convincing. With all that said (and not to mention Carlyle's Scottish heritage), it should come as no surprise that Carlyle was the first choice when it came to casting for Johnnie Walker's new ad.

The ad, created by Bartle Bogle Hegarty, was shot in Scotland in a single continuous take, which sees Carlyle tell the story of how Johnnie Walker whiskey developed from the grocery shop blending of a 14 year old shopkeeper to the international brand that it is today. Between a classic Scottish bagpipe intro and the random appearance of visual cues along the highland that Carlyle is walking, the ad is certainly captivating and engaging. Carlyle delivers a pitch-perfect and charismatic narrative that turns this into more of a short film then an ad.

The copy is from BBH's Juston Moore, and while the ad is delivered as a single continuous shot, according to the production company it did take 40 takes to achieve a successfully result. Shots has a great interview with the ad's director, Jamie Rafn of HLA.

So without further delay, here it is...