Last week Google launched its new +1 button to much fanfare and whilst it may or may not succeed, there are some potentially huge long term implications to the launch.  The +1  button is Google’s equivalent of the Facebook ‘Like’ button and allows users to share with their social community search listings they like.  In a few months time the button will also be available for site owners to place on their sites next to content, including next to products and services.  This will allow consumers to indicate their affinity to content or to products/services, which can then be shared via the search results with their friends.  It will undoubtedly make the search listings resonate more if people know their friends also like the same thing, however there are question marks over whether it will really be a big play for Google or not.  A relatively small percentage of Google users sign in before searching and hence there is a question as to whether it will really have critical mass to make it interesting.

Perhaps the more interesting debate though is around the battle lines which are clearly being drawn up between Google and Facebook, with the momentum of this beginning to gather pace.  The battle will be over generating the largest amount of organic views to enable each company to generate the all important revenues from advertising and other marketing products (Facebook would claim they are moving beyond advertising now).  The interesting piece in all this is that this is becoming a battle between push content which Facebook delivers versus pull content which is the Google model.  It will be fascinating to see how this unfolds. Watch this space…

Related articles:

http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/1063216/google-introduces-recommendation-button-rival-facebooks-like/

http://searchengineland.com/meet-1-googles-answer-to-the-facebook-like-button-70569

UPDATE

‘We Are The Future’ was originally created for an industry conference and as a promotional video to stimulate discussion within the marketing industry.  It aimed to made projections on what the media landscape could be like in ten years based on what we are seeing now.

It has since reached a much wider audience and created a mixed reaction which has largely been negative.

In retrospect we would have approached this very differently and accept that we got it wrong on this occasion, particularly in getting young people to voice it. We apologise to anyone who did not like it.

We believe people have the right to debate the video and its contents so will be leaving it on YouTube to allow that and we welcome comments. 

However any grossly obscene comments will not be tolerated and will be removed.

26/02/2011