1. Five social networks you’ve probably never heard of – http://ow.ly/21cOv

2. Get multi-tasking on that iPhone today! iOS 4 out today – http://ow.ly/214i3

3. Facebook Like button for the real world – http://ow.ly/1Xa50

4. I like Twitter, I like high tops, but this might be a step too far… http://ow.ly/1Sa6I

5. Coke cuts websites to focus on contact via social networks – http://ow.ly/1W5Vb

6. Score a goal in a banner! AT&T World Cup Augmented Reality Banner – http://ow.ly/214fu

7. The World Cup Bavaria Beer Girls get evicted from the stadium to protect bud – http://ow.ly/1ZaGh

8. Steve Jobs on the iPhone leak – He still isn’t happy! – http://ow.ly/1SWfo

9. Re-watch the matches of the world cup through the eyes of twitter – http://ow.ly/1XSnV #worldcup

10. Uniqlo SPORTWEET: See your tweets in action – http://ow.ly/1ZQlp

Image: Wandrus

Recently we looked at the latest innovations from Toshiba who were taking the mobile touch screen phone experience to the next level. This week we look to researchers from Dartmouth University who are hoping to take things to another level or at least in a different direction.

Dubbed the ‘eyephone’ they have managed to create a mobile system that can be operated simply by the users’ eyes. Using eye tracking technology users don’t even have to touch their phones to make calls and navigate through their phone menus.

As well the question of why people would want to navigate using their eyes, there is still some major technical barriers to making the system accessible and seamless. However, it is a good demonstration of what is possible with the latest technology and could still prove useful in future. The technology could provide another element to mobile experiences such as gaming or potentially deliver a vital function for users with disabilities.

To see the system in action watch the video on Technology review.

Image: joelaz

For a nice round up of the best stuff from last month here’s the top ten links posted via the trendplanner Twitter profile.

All made possible thanks to the stats I get from Hootsuite.

1. Unconventional use of Google analytics to achieve: Converse Domination (Clever) – http://ow.ly/1LUnu

2. The digital poster adverts that can see who you are (and offend you when they get it wrong!) – http://ow.ly/1Ms52

3. The world in a state of panic… FarmVille to leave Facebook? http://ow.ly/1JvJJ

4. Teens and Their Mobile Phones: An infographic – http://ow.ly/1HCqL

5. McDonald’s make another playground, but this time for adults! – http://ow.ly/1Pxfp

6. I like Twitter, I like high tops, but this might be a step too far… http://ow.ly/1Sa6I

7. The Facebook location service we all knew about is now official – http://ow.ly/1IX8y

8. Enjoying the top ten most complained about ads – http://ow.ly/1Q0FZ

9. Nice way of using Google adwords, to get a job! – http://ow.ly/1KHfR

10. Would you let Dr Pepper mess with your status updates?! – http://ow.ly/1P4vB

People are already checking in and broadcasting their lives through the likes of Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare. Many of these check ins are at business locations such as restaurants and shops. Currently the vast majority of this activity goes unrewarded, with the most users can hope to gain is a foursquare badge or recently perhaps even a free drink. New service WeReward is looking to change all that and let users literally cash in on their check ins.

The service is open for any business to sign up to. Users can search a data base of businesses on the service and then earn rewards whenever they visit and check in on their mobiles. For people currently using foursquare it sounds like an easy way to make a bit of money without changing their behaviour. However, as things stand checking in isn’t particularly easy. To check in users have to go to the trouble of taking a picture, in order to earn points that are only worth a penny (US) each. Business can set the amount of points they want to give, but based on the current offering it will take a while to earn much cash from the service.

Despite it’s shortcomings the service already has 15 million businesses on board. With relatively limited risk and the chance to have a loyalty points programme without huge costs could be very appealing to small businesses. Not that the idea of rewarding people for check ins should exclude larger businesses, but they might want to wait for a more seamless experience or perhaps even build their own like Pepsi.

Since the arrival of the iPhone the touchscreen phone has gone from strength to strength. However, many people still don’t like the idea of pressing buttons that they can’t actually feel. The latest technology from Toshiba not only hopes to satisfy peoples’ desire to feel buttons, but hopes to take touch screen experiences to a whole new level.

The video above demonstrates a revolutionary screen that provides sensory feedback to a range of touch screen experiences. The technology known as a “New Sensation UI Solution” provides feedback without using mechanical vibration, but by controlling the electric charge on a film affixed to the touchpanel. This technology allows users to experience the feeling of real buttons to that of wood or stone on a flat screen.

The technology could allow for richer mobile experiences adding an extra element to gaming, or mobile shopping, perhaps allowing users to experience something like the feel of a new carpet before they buy online. At a simpler level feedback could improve the user experience for those who prefer the feel of a tactile keyboard, and allow people to use a touchscreen phone without them having to actually look at it.

Of course as with all new technology the key will be whether it will actually work as it is supposed to, and how people react. Should everything go to plan, the technology could have major implications for the way people use touchscreen devices in the future.

Source: DigInfo

Image: Girlgeek

As usual it’s a little late, but here’s the round up of my most popular tweets from April. As you can see Farmville is big news these days! As always thanks to Hootsuite for providing me with with the tools to make this possible. Feel free to follow me on twitter here if you like.

1. 12-year-old spends £900 on farmville! – http://ow.ly/1vUsk

2. Unsurprisingly, Apple would like its phone back – http://ow.ly/1ACv7

3. Puma reinvents the shoe box with a clever little bag – http://ow.ly/1yf8N (via @planoma)

4. Fun and Clever – McDonalds: Interacting with billboards via mobile – http://ow.ly/1D9Es

5. Geocities-izer – Make Any Webpage Look Like It Was Made By A 13 Year-Old In 1996! – http://ow.ly/1DAmi

6. Good video of how Levi’s will be using Facebook open graph – http://ow.ly/1BBmr

7. How Apple Lost the Next iPhone (involves beer) – http://ow.ly/1ABFm

8. Nice presentation: Social Media Is Dead: Long Live Common Sense – http://ow.ly/1vw8Z

9. Cool Uniqlo ad using your twitter feed: UTweet! http://ow.ly/1v2uV

10. Another job for Foursquare. Jimmy Choo Launches Foursquare Treasure Hunt – http://ow.ly/1EzoV

These changes have largely been brought about by a few brave brands that saw the social potential of Twitter as an opportunity and not a threat. One of the first brands in the UK to truly embrace Twitter was the RAC, who saw people were talking about their brand and set out to engage with these people. There were some nice examples of the RAC sending messages to those who had been happy with the service.

Other brands started to take note, and began reaching out to their customers, on the other hand customers started to contact brands through twitter. Of course it wasn’t just people saying how much they loved the brand and service, more often than not comments were negative. Many brands were scared off but a few remained focused on the opportunities and started to respond constructively to negative comments. As a result it hasn’t taken long for Twitter to become an established customer service channel.

In the UK the mobile phone networks were among the first to take Twitter seriously and O2 and Vodafone are good examples of how the tool can support customer service. Both networks have set up accounts that are manned by real people who actively respond to people who want to contact the brand through Twitter. Originally Vodafone and O2 were broadcasting general messages and announcements alongside the odd reply, however, as more and more users began to ask questions via Twitter now almost every tweet is an @ reply to a twitter user. This demonstrates a real understanding of the service, O2 and Vodafone know the brand doesn’t decide what content to provide on Twitter, the customer does. Vodafone have ensured they can dedicate the VodafoneUk account to customer service, by creating a separate account to broadcast exclusive news and latest deals called VodafoneUkdeals.

A lot of brands that have very active customer service departments are really starting to see the benefits of Twitter, not just to improve customer relations and improve the brand, but to actually take some of the weight off the customer service department. The likes of BT, and Virgin Media also offer great services, but it’s still very clear that not everyone is embracing the opportunities. Many brands that rely on customer service simply don’t even have a profile and some have a profile but aren’t exactly making the most of it.

Edf energy seem to be aware that twitter can be used as a customer service channel, but they certainly haven’t understood how or why. They have created a Twitter profile aimed at customer service, but have declined to actually engage with twitter users, in fact to date they are actually yet to post a single tweet. Opposed to actually using Twitter so far they’ve decided to simply set up a page and direct people to their website and call centre. This isn’t what twitter or any social media channel is about, if customers want a phone number they’ll use google or your website. Perhaps this is just a temporary measure, but for the time being the profile is probably doing more harm than good. Users will have certain expectations after they’ve searched for and found a brand Twitter profile, they won’t appreciate finding no one at home and having to go all the way back to where they started. Having no Twitter page is like not answering a customer phone call, but having an empty profile is like answering then simply hanging up.

Of course customer service isn’t the right purpose for every brand, for some it will be about entertainment (see redbull) for others it will be about the most efficient way to post special offers (see Dell). The key is that brands listen and respond to what their customers want, and if they’re sending you @ replies every hour with complaints then it might just be a customer service channel they’re after. If it’s customer service they’re after, then make sure you can deliver, you need dedicated staff with real knowledge of the brand and the etiquette of Twitter (see habitat), and remember an abandoned profile with a phone number is not customer service.

Gone are the days that billboard adverts offered a one way channel of communication with an audience. Digital technology means billboards can accommodate user interaction.

A great example comes from McDonalds in which they combined the latest technology with the facts that most people have a phone with a camera on them at all times, and that people tend to engage when they can be rewarded with something for free. The digital billboard gave the audience the chance to win McDonalds products. All they had to do was take a photo when the right item flashed across the screen, then present the image at the McDonalds down the road to receive their award.

As well as providing the customer with an engaging fun experience, McDonalds can gain a real measure of advertising impact via the measure of photo voucher claims.

Source: Every-ware.fr

People are sharing more and more information about their lives, Facebook tells us that there are more than 60 million status updates everyday, and more than 3 billion photos uploaded to the site each month. Furthermore, people are beginning to broadcast their location through services such as Foursquare and Google latitude. The rapid rise of sharing suggests people are becoming more comfortable sharing information and the latest social media platforms are letting users share more and more types of information.

Whereas most social sharing refers to past and current events, services such as Plancast are letting users share their plans for future events. Users can share plans they’ve made or plans they’re thinking of making. It’s much like an Outlook shared calendar service for your social life that you’ve shared with the world. Users are sharing their information to making planning social events easier.

The service currently has a small user base, but the concept could take off within other platforms. Before Facebook included status updates it was a minority activity on a small start up called twitter, since they added status updates it’s become a global phenomenon. If the likes of Facebook placed an emphasis on sharing plans then the sharing of social plans could become a major activity.

As well as providing valuable information to help people live their lives, social plan sharing could provide advertisers with a major opportunity should the concept take off.

All I need now is for some people to actually start using Plancast so I can’t sort my life out!

Image: Dier madrid

A little late this month (my excuse is starting a new job!) but here’s the top ten tweets I sent out in March (based on link click rate). As always Hootsuite made this possible, so big thanks to them!

1. Stats that suggest Facebook and Twitter are Making a Major Impact on Purchase Decisions: http://ow.ly/1n7s6

2. Watch: The Last Advertising Agency On Earth… http://ow.ly/1pi03

3. The Social Media Cheat Sheet – http://ow.ly/1fu3R

4. Great idea: Marmite ads to stage parallel election – http://ow.ly/1s5Qk

5. Clever girl: Lady Gaga’s Social Media Genius – http://ow.ly/1fitC

6. Specsavers parodies Lynx bikini commercial – Good stuff. http://ow.ly/1kZ68

7. Brilliant – Mad Men Barbie! Is it wrong that I want one?? – http://ow.ly/1gBWb

8. Google facts and figures: Infographic – http://ow.ly/1cfAz

9. Trendplanner Twitter Top 10: February 2010 – http://ow.ly/1cGeY

10. Save money on your campaign: Use money (if it’s not illegal!) – http://ow.ly/1o3AR

Image: raster

With more and more people using e-readers, and with the iPad just round the corner there could be a real role for this kind of technology.

By using eye tracking technology the text actually knows what your reading and can provide assitance or improve the experience based on this information.

Could be great within an education context.

Here’s a great idea from Vodafone using money as a medium.

By placing their message on bank notes they were able to reach their target audience by simply spending these notes in the places their audience visit. Then of course they just had to sit back and let the shop assistants, taxi drivers, and alike spread the message as they gave customers their change.

It’s not the first time I’ve heard of money being used as a medium. Perhaps an even more creative example comes from a sexual health campaign in the UK, in which 10p coins were placed on the floor of colleges across the country. Laying on the floor the coins appeared as normal but when students picked up the coins they were exposed to a message. On the other side of the coin a sticker read ‘some things you can’t help picking up. HIV or a STI shouldn’t be one of them’. A great example of how creative thinking can help you really engage with an audience that might not necessarily want to listen.

Both great campaigns with a nice sense of irony that money saved money.

That said, isn’t defacing money illegal??

Sources: thehiddenpersuader & Chris Arnold: Ethical Marketing and the New Consumer

Another great piece of video content from Transport for London. This clever clip follows previous greats such as ‘take the test’ and ‘whodunnit’.

However, when it comes to making clever videos to make your point you have to make sure that your audience actually understands the message.

The feedback goldmine (mostly rock but the occasional lump of gold)  that is the comment field can provide some insight here. A brief look on youtube suggests that not everyone gets the message; for example one comment reads “why were the policeman, money, police car, and button so big?”. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to react to this feedback, either getting involved in the comment feed, or adding to the video to provide some assistance to ensure the message gets through to everyone and that a great piece of content isn’t wasted.

Here’s a well put together video that aims to help people comprehend just how powerful Google is, and how incomprehensibly powerful they may become.

Is it possible to command such power and retain the principle “don’t be evil”? Or on the other hand is it possible to command such power and have people believe the brand isn’t evil whether their intentions are good or not?

With more and more reports and videos such as this Google is going to have to do more and more to demonstrate that Google really does have our best interests at heart. Google must remain transparent, continue to let the user retain a sense of control, and of course some brilliant emotive advertising can do wonders for a brand…

It wasn’t that long ago that you had to be famous to be in the media. For years now the rich and famous have had to watch everything they do in public (and often private) for fear that their every move is being monitored and documented. One wrong step and their lives could be turned upside-down by the media.

Now thanks to Social Media it’s not just celebrities that are always in the media. Thanks to the Internet and our Social Media tools we can all be journalists and photographers, and just as the professionals document every aspect of celebrities lives, we’re using the likes of Facebook and Flickr to  document every aspect of our own lives and the lives of our friends.

Issues that in past might have only effected those in the media spotlight now effect anyone who participates voluntarily or perhaps involuntary in social media.

But the life of a celebrity isn’t all bad, and fortunately it’s not just the negative aspects of celebrity we now all have access to. The Internet now provides opportunities and services that once upon a time would have been restricted to the rich and famous.

Here’s the top ten reasons (good and bad) why we now all live the life of a celebrity:

1. You might wake up the morning after to find photos of your druken antics available for the world to see

2. The world knows your entire relationship past and present, with break-ups being major news (feed) material

3. Outspoken outbursts can seriously effect your career, one misinformed comment (or status update) can cost you your job

4. People who you don’t even know wish you happy birthday

5. Successful manipulation of of the media is essential to getting on with your life, be that court injunctions or facebook privacy settings

6. You can have hundreds on fake friends

7. You can get anything you want at the press of a button, be that a Butler or ice for your drink

8. You can wear trainers with your name on them

9. However crazy you become there will always be someone who will listen to you

10. People will use your image and reputation for their own benefit

Once again here’s a list of the last month’s top tweets based on link click rate. As always the stats come courtesy of 3rd party Twitter app Hootsuite.

1. The Puma Phone. It actually looks pretty good, it even uses solar power – http://ow.ly/18u7D

2. Chatroulette Explained: 71% Male, 15% Female, 14% Pervert – http://ow.ly/1b7Xn

3. Your tweetage, illustrated – http://ow.ly/14cXD

4. VW Social Media Campaign wants to get everyone punching again – http://ow.ly/12Gxv

5. Trendplanner: Back in the UK and searching for a new Planning role in London – http://ow.ly/1aifW #jobs

6. Some interesting thoughts on What Advertising Agencies Will Look Like in 2015? – http://ow.ly/1b7Y4

7. How To Use Google Buzz. Worth a bookmark even if you’re like me not fully embracing the service yet – http://ow.ly/17XPb

8. Loving doings.co.uk – daily tasks and activities that keep the day fresh and zingy – http://ow.ly/12CBQ

9. 10 amazing Ads on buildings – http://ow.ly/TfYD

10. Man City: Breaking the Big Four with the latest marketing techniques – http://ow.ly/17I71

Image: Scobleizer

As it might be quite apparent from the subject matter of my posts changing from Chinese taxi touchscreen advertising to English dog walking woodland advertising that I have now returned from my travels to the East.

I’m now in the London area and available for freelance but preferably a permanent Planning role within London.

Please take a look at my website mattjksaunders.com to find out more and contact me at matt@trendplanner.com to request a detailed CV and to find out what I might be able to do for your agency.

Image: GeneM1

There aren’t many places left in this world where you won’t be subjected to advertising. However, you would assume that while walking the dog in the middle of the woods, miles from any LCD screen, or even mobile signal, you might have found one of the few remaining places still devoid of advertising.

So it was to my surprise when I spotted this ad in that very context. Here’s a great piece of targeted advertising that matches anything Google’s targeting algorithm can come up with, in a place where Google can’t reach.

It just shows that as much as the latest modern targeting approaches can provide us, there is still a place for the real local knowledge these approaches can’t give us , such as exactly where people go to walk their dog.

That said, as demonstrated by pleaserobme.com people are sharing more and more about their location and perhaps when the mobile networks sort out their coverage we’ll be able to check geo tagged status updates of those people ‘out walking the dog‘ (perhaps).

Here’s the latest in mobile phone technology, the Samsung projector phone. It’s impressive enough that they have made a projector  so small, but they’ve also managed to get a fully functional phone in there as well. It certainly gives you something that you won’t find on your current iPhone or Blackberry, but although impressive do we actually need projectors in our mobiles?

Technology found in mobiles is only successful if people feel the need to use it regularly or at least want the technology to be permanently accessible. At present people might want to use a projector when they need to show images or video to a large group or when a particularly large image is desirable, at other times projecting an image might seem unnecessary. On the surface of it the vast majority of people don’t really need projectors on their phones, but then did people need to always have a camera with them before camera phones, or need the internet on the bus before the iPhone? They did not, but as technology became effortlessly accessible people started to use the technology, they found it offered new opportunities, this in turn lead to new behaviours which eventually let to a new standard. The new level of accessibility for projector technology could allow it to function in ways beyond it’s original (and static) purpose and uses, and it would be these uses that would make the projector an essential part of a mobile phone.

It’s hard to tell if people will embrace the projector as a mobile technology, whether it’s effortless accessibility will lead to new behaviours and a new mobile standard, but if they do the world might look like a very different place. Just imagine all the people playing loud music out their phone in public with the power to project what ever they want where ever they want, Samsung might just have a lot to answer for in the future!

News source: Electric Pig

In English Football there are 4 dominant teams, Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal, collectively they’re known as ‘The Big 4′. Their dominance on the pitch is reflected in their level of support both in the UK and across the globe. The Premier League is a global phenomenon, millions of people across the world are football obsessed and loyal fans of their chosen Premier League team. But this support is nearly always given to a member of the big four, these fans might be able to tell you every player in the Man United squad, but will struggle to name more than a handful of players that reside outside ‘The Big Four’.

For years now clubs have being trying to break into the top 4, some have come close, but none have pushed anyone out of even made the big four into a big five. One of the most recent clubs to fancy their chances is Manchester City, and thanks to some rather well off new owners from Abu Dhabi they might just stand a chance. Man City are determined to become a major force in English and World football, and are doing everything they can to cement their place at the top. As well as splashing the cash on world class players, they’re using other methods off the pitch to ensure the club is perceived and supported like one of ‘The Big Four’.

While the players get on with their end of the bargain (with limited success so far), advertising and marketing agencies are working at convincing the world they are the real deal, and in turn gaining respect and support. Of course it is nothing new to see the influence of marketing on football, this is a sport where players can be almost primarily signed simply for their marketing potential. For better or for worse football became a business long ago, however, it is interesting to see how Man City are using new techniques in order to achieve their goals.

One of the most memorable campaigns was run at the start of the season after Man Utd player Carlos Tevez did the unthinkable and made the move across the city to fierce rivals Man City. Playing on the fact that United are based in Greater Manchester and not the City of Manchester, a poster was put up in the City of Tevez with the words ‘Welcome to Manchester’. In a similar vein City ran ads featuring their new signing Emmanuel Adebayor formerly of Arsenal in the days before the two clubs met. Both campaigns are clear and direct attacks on the competitors, in both a sporting and marketing sense. Although the attack might have had a limited effect in a sporting context (Utd did beat city in their next encounter), it gave football fans around the world a clear message of City’s intent and suggested they were directly taking power off the so called ‘Big 4′.

Man City are also making use of the digital channel to boost their support and reputation across the world. Thanks to top digital agency Poke they have one of the best club websites online. The professional and functional site helps represent the level of quality that City strive for, while various features and social media content allow the club to interact with fans new and old. Man City have seen the importance of their website while other have yet to understand the role it can play. Man City understand that the site is a window into the club for many fans, and they have ensure they provide their fans with an experience that is useful, enjoyable, and appears to be built around the fans needs opposed to the clubs. Although other clubs do have great sites, far too many of them offer very little content of real use, or appear to be built around the needs of anyone but the fans with an abundance of advertising and a limited supply of content that fans actually want.

Furthermore, Man City are creating some great video content to build support before major games. We are now used to the likes of Nike and Adidas creating content using players but it’s not often we see clubs creating such content. Thanks to the Internet this content can easy circulate the globe, and can build support by rousing the people of Manchester to get to the game, and also making people thousands of miles away to consider tuning into the Man City game opposed to the usual choice involving one of the big four. One of the latest pieces involves Craig Bellamy, and as with Tevez and Adebayor it will be pushed in the run up to the Man City game involving Bellamy’s former Big four club, who in this case is Liverpool. Incidentally the remaining big four club in need of build up material is Chelsea, Shaun Wright-Phillips is a possibility for the star, but I think people would love to see something from Wayne Bridge (if this means nothing to you read here).

We are still yet to see Man City perform like a top four team consistently on the pitch, but it appears that if they manage to break into those top four places they’ll have the backing to ensure that they can convert success on the pitch to success off it. What’s more it will be interesting to see how the big four react in the marketing area if Man City start stealing fans as well as points.

A little bit late, but nevertheless here’s the twitter links shared last month that got the most clicks. As usual it’s thanks to Hootsuite that I’ve been able to put this list together.

1. 10 amazing Ads on buildings – http://ow.ly/TfYD

2. Great collection of clever and creative IKEA advertising – http://ow.ly/Wljt

3. Five markets to watch in 2010 – http://ow.ly/TfQM

4. The most irritating ads of 2009 – http://ow.ly/WliZ

5. Now you can use your iPhone as a TV Remote – http://ow.ly/SB5v

6. Do you have the perfect profile pic?? The 4 Big Myths of Profile Pictures (more info than you’ll ever need!) -http://ow.ly/ZnJt

7. Diesel wants you to Be Stupid – http://ow.ly/XAby

8. Nice example of advertising as a welcome distraction: Shanghai Taxi Touchscreens – http://ow.ly/11MXa

9. Another list of technology predictions for 2010 – http://ow.ly/Yv7y

10. Top Tools For Tracking Topics on the Web – http://ow.ly/ZnNk

Here’s a nice bit of advertising technology that can be found in the back of taxis throughout Shanghai, China.

More than just a screen pushing ads, the interactive touch-screen device (or ipad as they’ll all be referred to as soon enough) gives the user something to do as they make their way across the city.

Reaching out to the audience in contexts where they have nothing better to do allows advertising to be seen as a welcome distraction opposed to an unwelcome interruption. New technology is allowing us to provide better experiences in such contexts. From TV screens above urinals to gaming at bus stops waiting has never been so much fun.

In the UK Hyundai is not a name that is readily associated with mobile phones. However, the brand known for it’s budget cars in the UK is a major mobile phone manufacturer in the East.

I saw this ad in China of a particularity interesting looking Hyundai mobile. Further investigation led me to find that it might not be long before Hyundai’s innovative looking line of mobiles hits the UK. It appears the mobiles are consistent with the brand values of modern technology at affordable prices.

It will be interesting to see how the brand perception changes in the UK with the release of Hyundai mobiles, perhaps helping to build the brand reputation as an innovator within the technological field.

Before I visited China I was aware of the high level of Internet censorship, or as many call it the great firewall of China. However, due to mixed reports and constant change I was unsure exactly what the Chinese web browsing experience would bring. As it turned out not all of my preconceptions turned out to be true.

I found that it’s our most popular social media tools that you will have most trouble accessing. Facebook, Twitter, and various popular blogging sites (no Trendplanner!) appear to have never existed, entering the urls will provide you with the same response as if you had simply hit the keys at random. Another constant block (while I was in the country) that I found a little surprising due to extensive promotion of Google in the country was the Google owned youtube. After entering the url you were often given hope by the sight of the familiar red and white logo, but this hope soon faded as it began to look like you were using a browser of yesteryear that was in no position to handle graphics or video.

Due to reports I heard around the time of the Olympics I had expected to find the BBC and Wikipedia blocked. However, the BBC was available for the majority of my stay, as were other western news sources such as CNN, and the  majority of US and UK newspaper sites. Perhaps even more of a surprise was to have access to Wikipedia, including articles on the site that mentioned the controversial events of Tianeman square. However, I soon found that Wikipedia was not free from the constraints of censorship. I was unable to access various articles including an article on Internet censorship in China, and though perhaps coincidently after trying to do so I was unable to access any Wikipedia articles at all for several hours that followed.

It is possible to access sites behind the firewall, but not always with ease. Twitter and facebook can sometimes by accessed via third party sites, but as soon these are spotted these sites get blocked. Hootsuite worked the day I arrived but didn’t the next, in the end the only site that hadn’t been blocked was SocialWhale (thanks guys). The best way to get access is to use a VPN (virtual private network), however once you’re behind the firewall the best sites to download the software have been blocked, and even when you have the software you will often struggle to again access. The best free service I found was Ultra VPN which gave me access (some of the time) to a French ip address.

Having some of my most used sites blocked was a real inconvenience to me, but many Chinese do not see a problem. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and wordpress do not offer unique services, Chinese users have access to many social networking, and video sharing sites, many of which probably offer a better service than the aforementioned sites. What’s more in a society where all forms of media are under strict censorship rules, most people (though I found plenty that didn’t) seem comfortable or at least expectant of Internet restrictions.

It appears that the Chinese government is well aware that the Internet is vital to the continuation of the country’s rapid economic growth. They don’t want to restrict activity that could benefit the country, but at the same time they don’t want such activity to threaten their position of power. Therefore they ensure that Internet users have access to services such as social networking and video sites, but they ensure that these are sites and site owners the government considers ‘suitable’.

Chances are there are also various financial motives behind the blocking, there is a lot more benefit to China to see a Chinese social network flourish in China than the American owned service such as Facebook.

So the firewall can bring benefits to China, but issues of personal freedom aside, censorship could restrict real progress within the digital space for China. Chinese users have access to most forms of social media tools, but they might be missing out on specific services to use or perhaps integrate with their own (no facebook connect in China). Restrictions hamper innovation, and time will tell if the firewall restricts China’s progress in the digital world.

So here’s the ten most popular twitter posts I sent out last month.

1. Social media in China – It’s a whole new world – http://ow.ly/CJI8

2. The Ultimate List of Niche Social Networks – http://ow.ly/tjB0

3. Good tool. YouTube – Insights for audience. http://ow.ly/CJPM

4. Sony Japan turns ads to jeans – http://ow.ly/BQLg

5. Six Social Media Trends For 2010 – http://ow.ly/z60C

6. Social Media Accounts for 18% of Information Search Market – http://ow.ly/DDh2

7. It’s a map… of the future. Crazy but good. http://ow.ly/z5Zn

8. Good insight – 10 Principals for Engaging Teens/20 somethings. http://ow.ly/pq90

9. Scary stuff! Your Company May Own Your Tweets, Pokes, and YouTube Videos – http://ow.ly/zJhG

10. The Next Mobile Leap Forward: Fold-out Screens and Apps That Anticipate Our Needs – http://ow.ly/DDii

What do you do with massive poster ads that have been replaced? Well if your Sony Japan you turn them into jeans.

I spotted this great little campaign in the Sony building Tokyo. On the outside of the building there hangs a massive promotion poster which is changed monthly, Sony decided to take these old posters cut them up and turn them into a jeans.

Wanting to make sure I actually understood what they meant by ‘jeans created from a used ad’ I did a little searching and found this youtube video that shows you exactly how posters become jeans.

It’s a great idea that highlights the brand’s eco-awareness, furthermore the campaign helps attach Sony’s much desired values of style, creativeness, and individuality (think ‘like no other’) to the brand.

Last week I was having a bit of trouble finding a station in Osaka so I asked a lady for some help in finding the station. She didn’t speak much English but gestured for me to follow her and started walking, assuming she was getting to a better position to point out the station I followed her. However, to my surprise she was not simply pointing me in the right direction, after a few minutes of walking (through some impressive underground shopping centre) it became clear she was actually talking me to the station. She walked me all the way to the station as if it was her duty to do so, accepted my thanks, smiled and walked back the way we came.

Now that’s some great service and definitely went above and beyond my expectations. Consequently from this one event, I was given an extremely positive feeling about Osaka, and Japan. This feeling was not just towards the people and their behaviour, but to the country as a whole. This single event had largely defined my opinion on the personality (or brand) of Japan. If I was to have left Japan that day that’s the experience and opinion I would have taken with me and shared with other people.

The point here is that just one event can define a person’s attitude to all that event represents or can be associated with. When it comes to brands, just a single customer service situation could determine how people define your brand. Customer service tasks are not just a box to be ticked, but a real opportunity to exceed expectations and benefit the brand as whole. Exceptional or unexpected levels of customer service will alter the perception of the individual involved, but it can also alter and determine the view of others. Word will spread (particularly quickly these days) and if it’s positive it can provide some very powerful promotional material.

Getting back to Japan, I’m glad to say that this was not an isolated incident, the people of Japan are some of the nicest and most helpful people I’ve ever met. Just the other day someone offered to cycle round part of the city to look for our hotel!

Here’s a little picture of the toilet in my last hotel room that can be found across Japan. Some very interesting buttons and it was also a little odd to see a power cable going into the toilet seat!

Can’t see these appearing any time soon in the UK, more due to reasons related to the desire to use them rather than any lack of  technological knowledge. It’s just one of the many examples that show the importance of culture in any form of technological advancement.

1. Good insight – 10 Principals for Engaging Teens/20 somethings. http://ow.ly/pq90

2. The Ultimate List of Niche Social Networks – http://ow.ly/tjB0

3. Losing To The Social Web: Visualized – http://ow.ly/t6Vg

4. GoodMorning! Twitter visualisation. http://ow.ly/vk9S

5. What brands can learn from Cheryl Cole – http://ow.ly/wclW

6. How 20 popular websites looked when they launched – http://ow.ly/nRUg

7. A great way to see Twitter trends: Trendsmap – Real-time local Twitter trends http://ow.ly/qrZq

8. Outdoor Augmented Reality without the hassle (but still fun!) – http://ow.ly/ub6b

9. Apple finally gets on Twitter – http://ow.ly/vsEx

10. Why Facebook could be the next big news publisher (if they want to be) http://ow.ly/tVjU

It has been widely reported that QR codes are common place in Japan. In my short time in the country so far I can confirm this to be true. In fact I got one put in my passport as soon as arrived. Since then I’ve seen them all over the place, from hotel information posters to chopstick packaging.

We might think that we are pretty obsessed with our mobiles in the UK, but Japan really takes things to another level. Over here the mobile Internet is nothing new or clever it’s just something they use like phone or the Internet. Consequently people do use QR codes over here, all they do is make something they already do that little bit easier and quicker.

Walking round Osaka city you find a phone in the hand of everyone, young and old, whether they’re with friends or riding their bike. One thing of note is that very few of these phones are what we would necessarily call smartphones in the UK, I’ve seen a few Blackberries and although I’ve seen a fair deal of promotion for the iPhone I’ve not seen many being used. Nearly everyone seems to have a flip phone, none of which are particularly small, but come with a camera and a decent size screen. It appears that Japan’s mobile Internet infrastructure works so well that there is limited desire for change. Their mobile websites work just fine so they don’t need apps, they don’t need 3G because they’ve already got it, and who wants to buy a phone that doesn’t even come with a QR code reader as standard.

The iPhone has a lot to do to convince the Japanese to abandon their flip phones, and the UK still needs a bit more time before we are using are mobiles to obtain services and information at quite the same level as they do over here in Japan.