Comcast/NBC deal has huge Hulu implications

It’s taken several months, but it looks like the deal is done: Comcast is buying NBC Universal from GE. Well, at least 51% of it.

While the deal still has to pass regulatory hurdles, it seems likely that The Tonight Show and The Office are going to be part of Comcast’s vast cable operation and its own array of TV programming that includes E! Entertainment, G4, and multiple sports channels.

Comcast is also getting something else out of the deal: Hulu, one of the hottest web properties around and something that Comcast is looking to kill. The fallout of this deal could affect the future direction of online video.

First, let’s be clear: nobody knows what involvement Comcast will have with Hulu. NBC Universal owns 30% of Hulu and Comcast will own only 51% of NBC Universal. In addition, NBC Universal will be a spinoff, meaning that it will operate in many ways like an independent company.

You can bet though that Comcast will have major influence behind NBC’s decisions, including the decisions behind how Hulu is monetized. Comcast has already declared that it prefers a subscription model with its TV Everywhere service, announced in June of this year. TV Everywhere lets Comcast and Time Warner subscribers access certain TV channels and shows online, including TBS and TNT (owned by Time Warner).

This could exactly be in line with Hulu’s future direction. We know that Hulu may start charging for content in 2010, according to an executive from News Corp. Comcast could push it further in that direction.

We think it’s very possible that a two-tiered system of free and paid content will eventually constitute Hulu. The cable giant isn’t going to try to kill Hulu, nor will it have the ability to do so. It realizes that online video is growing, not shrinking, and that it must find ways to adapt. Having Hulu in its arsenal is an asset for the company.

Let us alleviate some of your fears: Comcast won’t force NBC to pull out of Hulu, won’t be removing content from it (more likely, it’ll add content), and won’t make the entire thing a pay service. However, expect Hulu to evolve and expect it to include subscription services, but don’t expect a lot of interference from Comcast.

Why Twitter > Facebook

I’m starting to get that feeling in my gut, the same one that I had in late 2007 when I knew that MySpace had crossed the line of no return in its war against Facebook.   But this time, it’s Facebook’s turn to be bested.  It’s not because of the multiple site revamps where with each one the design of Facebook seems to get worse and more confusing, it’s not just because Twitter seems to be all the rage right now (sites can lose that momentum, here’s looking at you Friendster), and it’s not because of Facebook users unhealthy obsession with Farmville. 

The reason why I think Twitter is about to truly blow its competition out of the water is because Twitter does one thing better than any other site on the internet: reinvents how we communicate.  While many just use their tweets to convey news and priority information, the new trend with Twitter seems to be friendly conversation with strangers, much akin to the old days of forums and message boards and dare I even say chat rooms.   Twitter has become an easy way for you to reach out to a complete stranger, and it seems like these days it’s more and more likely you’ll get a reply.  Most of the conversation on Twitter is always in a polite and friendly tone, you just don’t get the flame wars and trolls that the much despised chat room can bring.  Twitter encapsulates the most basic form of human contact and communication, and reinvents it into something a bit more intuititve for the digital age.

Whether you’re talking to a celebrity, friend, or somebody you have never met, Twitter has created a new way for us to share ideas, news, information, jokes, and just about anything else thats on our minds.  Facebook meanwhile in contrast feels very sterile, cold, and isolating.  On FB, there’s a litany of privacy settings for each profile blocking any meaningful conversation with someone you’ve never met before.   Let’s face it.. don’t you just feel a tad bit creepy sending someone an unsolicited message or friend request on Facebook even if you’re interested in getting to know more about them? 

But on Twitter, unsolicited messages are not only welcome but quickly becoming anticipated and expected.  We feel a sense of pride when someone chooses to follow us, retweet us, or reply to something we’ve said.  Twitter has opened the flood gate for an actual conversation to take place on the internet, theres no fees, theres no bad music/flashing layouts, and most importantly of all there’s not a feeling of bothering someone or being put off when we reach out to them.  This community is also still growing day by day, I feel that we haven’t seen 1/4th of the potential that Twitter can bring. 

I see Twitter as almost the next evolution of e-mail.  You can reach out to anybody that has an account, they still have the choice to reply to what you send, and 140 characters is just right for breaking the ice or getting a quick point across.  Tweets are a faster, quicker, and shorter way of contacting someone and when enough people get on your social network will really start booming, giving you far more “friends” and contacts than myspace/facebook could combined. 

One of the tell tale signs of a site really hitting its mainstream stride, is when your friends who are anti-social media or technology start to sign up for it.  Slowly but surely I’m seeing everyone from the “jocks” to the “geeks” getting on to Twitter, and surprisingly enough.. they’re communicating with each other.  I think Twitter has done an amazing job of bringing down this impetus shield of contact that we put up as human beings.  We’re all social creatures at heart and out of all of the platforms out there, it seems like Twitter gives us the most ability for our voices to be heard.

Pizza Hut’s iPhone App Has 1 Million Sales

Pizza Hut is probably not the most tech saavy company you can think of, but they’ve found out the raw power of the iPhone app as they have just reached 1 million sales.  As a pizza lover and general fat ass, the idea of ordering a pizza off my iphone is pretty ingenius.  It’s faster and more streamlined than going online, and in 2009 why would anyone want to actually place a phone call?  The app is pretty easy to use and has a few extra bells and whistles like mini-games and intuitive controls.  Pizza Hut’s developers have also done a great job of keeping the app in line with marketing/branding.  Try it out on your phone and let me know what you think, will it be the new way you order pizza?  Some extra incentive is a 20% discount for app users.

 

More and more companies are creating iPhone applications as a way to reinforce branding and to gain new customers. Some companies are even seeing increased sales thanks to iPhone apps. One of those is the Pizza Hut app for the iPhone and iPod touch, which has now generated more than $1 million in sales according to MobileMarketer. The US-only iPhone app was first introduced three months ago.

Although Pizza Hut had a WAP enabled mobile site before launching the iPhone app, the iPhone app has far exceeded expectations. Bernard Acoca, senior director of digital marketing for Pizza Hut told MobileMarketer: “We always saw a steady level of growth with our mobile business via our WAP site, but to be candid it wasn’t the explosive level of growth we’ve seen with the iPhone app. IPhone applications capture consumers’ imagination in a way that WAP sites simply can’t do, so the decision to expand to the iPhone was as good one for us.” Pizza Hut’s mobile app has been featured in iPhone ads for Apple and has consistently ranked highly in the Lifestyle section in the App Store. It probably doesn’t hurt that customers get 20% off on orders made using the app.

Pizza Hut isn’t the only pizza chain aggressively targeting mobile devices. Rival Dominos has a very nice iPhone optimized website (though no stand-alone app) as well as a mobile-implementation of its downright addictive real-time order status updater.

Do you order pizza (or other food) from a mobile app? What do you think about mobile applications fueling sales? Let us know!

Last.fm Produces Music Television Programming

This one is an absolute GAME CHANGER, love what the folks over at Last.fm have been doing, they are quickly becoming the new face of consumer driven music.  First they signed a deal with Microsoft to get Last.fm onto Xbox Live, it will launch at the same time that Twitter/Facebook launch for Xbox Live which is a brilliant play into A) getting immediate credibility associated with two powerhouse social media brands and B) getting a major userbase basically overnight, as the 18-34 year old Xbox addicts are prime demo for Last.fm.

Now they’re going to take over the one thing we’ve all demanded from MTV for years, Music Video: 

Earlier this month, Last.fm launched its own HD radio stations in four different cities. Now, the CBS-owned company’s plan to expand beyond online music programming includes video too.

According to Music Week, the company will launch Last.TV to online and offline airwaves starting in January and will initially include content from music festivals in Europe, “either through building bespoke events or partnering with existing festivals.”

Of course, it seems like music-oriented programming is a logical next step given the network affiliation, and we certainly think that there’s more room for music-oriented television — especially with MTV focusing on reality-show content. Last.fm is certainly poised to pull in big acts and appeal to younger audiences already using the online service, but it will be interesting to see how this actually comes together.

With corporate big wig CBS funding Last.fm, there’s no doubt this company is on the verge of breaking huge and reinventing the way we consume music online and maybe even in cars in the future.  Game changer.

 

Google to Introduce “Social Search”

Not sure how I feel about this new function coming from Google.  We’ll soon be able to see search results called “social search”, which will give you status updates, flickr feeds, and facebook profiles for the things that you search for.  Do you really want your Tweet’s appearing on this?  Making it even easier to find you.  I can certainly see negative implications regarding employment background checks and the like.  Another reason why in this day and age, if you don’t want something to be traced back to you online, don’t post it anywhere!!

Here’s the story from Mashable:

Google’s Vice-President of Search Marissa Mayer has just made a surprise announcement at the Web 2.0 Expo: a new Google Labs feature called Social Search. They just gave a quick demo of the new feature. While the details are still sparse, here is what we currently know (and we’re still updating, so check back for more information): – The bottom of search results will soon have social networking information from your friends, like their Flickr() photos or their status updates.

It’s a blended search integration, similar to seeing news or image results. – These are pulled from social networks connected to your Google Profile. The more that are connected, the more social information that will appear in search results. – They have also improved searching for images using social networks. Images become more relevant using social networking data. – It will launch in Google Labs in the next few weeks.

Microsoft – 13k training vouchers to MD’s Unemployed

Maryland will join forces with Microsoft in an innovative, public-private partnership to provide free technology training to displaced workers.

“This partnership will provide thousands of people in Maryland with the workforce education that is necessary to come through this recession,” says Gov. O’Malley. “Giving people the important job and technology proficiencies to succeed will help to boost our state’s employment and improve the quality of our world class workforce. We are excited to work with Microsoft on such an important program.”

“Thanks to Governor Martin O’Malley and Microsoft, more Baltimore citizens now have a chance to improve their technology proficiencies as the city and state continues to bridge the digital divide,” says Mayor Sheila Dixon. “In today’s workforce and classrooms, it is crucial to know basic Microsoft applications. With these vouchers, we will improve the technological knowledge to Baltimore City residents and provide new and better job opportunities.”

In Maryland, Microsoft has partnered with the state’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation to distribute a total of 13,500 training vouchers statewide during the next 90 days to the state’s One-Stop Career Centers, local community college system and the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Rehabilitative Services. Courses range from basic technology literacy to intermediate-level technology skills. A portion of the vouchers will be issued to Maryland residents for Microsoft Certification Exams all at no cost to the recipient.

“Elevate America is a powerful program for people who need crucial skills essential to obtain employment in today’s competitive workplace,” said Fred Humphries, Microsoft Managing Director, US Government Affairs. “We at Microsoft believe that this type of public-private partnership plays an integral role in rebuilding Maryland – and the nation’s economy – through access to technology training that can open doors to employment opportunity.”

Maryland will receive 6,000 vouchers for Microsoft Windows and Office online training, 6,000 vouchers for Microsoft Business Certification Exams, and 1,500 vouchers for advanced technical professional level online training:

• Each training voucher is redeemable for free online training in Microsoft Windows Vista, or one of the programs in the Microsoft Office suite.
• Each certification exam voucher is redeemable for a Microsoft Business Certification Exam.
• Advanced technical professional level vouchers are redeemable for free online training for individuals in technical professional career tracks in areas such as web development or database management.

“This partnership will give thousands of Marylanders the technology skills they need to compete in the 21st century economy,” Sanchez said.

Any Maryland resident may request and receive a voucher. The vouchers will be distributed through the state’s One-Stop Career Centers and its partners, community colleges, the Department of Rehabilitation Services and the Department of Human Resources. In its role as Microsoft’s “designated partner” for administration of Elevate America in Maryland, Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation is responsible for the overall statewide distribution program. Vouchers will be distributed to citizens across the state on a first come, first served basis.

For additional information regarding the Microsoft vouchers and locations where citizens can obtain a voucher in Maryland, visit the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation website at http://www.dllr.state.md.us and click on the Microsoft Elevate America button.

Google entering the music biz

In its neverending quest to rule Earth and everyone who dwells upon it, Google is now apparently cannonballing into the music industry with a new music search and download section, setting the company up for a battle royale with Apple’s iTunes Music Store. An announcement is scheduled to blast out next Wednesday that details Google’s new music thingy, which will include links to artist news, song lyrics and videos — along with ways to preview and buy tracks via Lala and iLike, according to Associated Press sources.

Apparently, several labels — including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and EMI Group — started talking to Google about this a year ago and will be working with them on this new deal, giving the labels yet another avenue of online sales. Google allegedly won’t see any cash from song downloads, but will make its money off ads on the search result pages. That could get interesting….

Here’s a good article to start off this blog, it’s from the MGH Word of Mouth (WOM) blog here in Baltimore about crafting corporate social media policy, feel free to discuss how you feel about this and your corporations attitude and policies towards social media:

News Flash: Your employees are using social media during work hours.

Today, more than 300 million people are using Facebook, and believe us, much of their online activity happens while they’re sitting at work.  Even if they wait til they get home to log on, they’re probably still complaining talking about their lives at the office.

With that being said, MGH believes its key for any organization to clearly communicate its opinions on social web usage to all of its employees. Instituting a social media policy in your workplace will not only protect your brand, but it will also allow you to leverage your employees as true extensions of your brand.

Below are some basic things to consider when drafting a social media policy for your workplace:

1)      Remind employees to fine tune their public vs. private lives online. Encourage them to be proactive in their social networking privacy settings, and to be aware of what info is searchable by the public. We here at MGH like to say “Keep your Facebook private, but let your tweets be seen by the world.”

2)      Don’t try to control every message that is posted by your employees. This will breed a negative relationship between your senior administration and your ground level folks.

You should, however, remind them of the importance of company confidentiality and maintaining a competitive advantage.  You want them to be able to talk freely and openly about your company, but with the goal in mind of furthering your business – not ruffling feathers.

Of course people are going to complain about their days at the office. It’s inevitable. But make sure that they’re doing it with a level of respect.

3)      Encourage your employees to network. We here at MGH believe this is absolutely critical for the success of most businesses today. Your employees should serve as your natural ambassadors online. Their social networks present opportunities to procure new clients, develop vendor relationships, and to even learn from the competition.

At the end of the day, trust your employees’ judgment. You hired them for a reason; don’t be afraid to let them act as an ambassador for your company. If you can’t trust what they’re doing online, you should reconsider if you want them as a part of your organization.

Also, don’t forget to get feedback from your employees about your policies, and allow the policies to evolve over time. Chances are something new will pop up next week and force rules to be changed.

To get you started, you can also take a look at some of the policies other companies have put into place: IBM, Intel and Dell

This is a beta version of a new blog concept I am trying. Basically this is a place for people to post thoughts, comments, stories, and news on all things social media, business, and technology related. It’s a free flow of ideas and a new way to blog.

Keep in mind, off topic posts will be deleted. This is meant to generate conversation between people interested in similar things. We will not accept offensive or negative material.