Skittles 2.0

Just heard about this update to the skittles website. Yes the Candy.

You can check it out just by going to Skittles.com, or here: http://skittles.com/chatter.htm

Skittles the always popular fruity alternative to M&Ms is trying something different with their website and marketing. I'm not sure exactly what to make of it yet -- but it is certainly interesting.

The Skittles homepage is now showing the skittles chatter: any twitter post with the word skittles.

This new website gets at a few key issues that I find interesting:

First, copyright. Skittles apparently owns the trademark, and I expect that all of the twitter or other content is an appropriate use (skittles proudly acknowledges that this is not their site). I imagine this will see a courtroom soon enough if someone a tad more prominent than skittles starts doing it.

Second, marketing. How successful will this be? Or rather what is the purpose of a corporate website anyways? An even bigger question does this unfiltered attention get people to buy skittles?

I have a mixed response. First, I think that corporate websites are key when you are looking for a particular answer. Skittles has provided this with a small overlay which links to the "normal" or expected information. Next, Who would be put off by this site? I think there is a slight risk that the material be inappropriate for younger skittle consumers, but I think they have an age filter for this reason. Others may be confused because it doesn't make sense right away -- but the overlay again helps here. I think most people will enjoy the novelty.

But will people buy skittles? I think it's a possibility. This product on one hand is to me somewhat of an impulse buy. You either decide you need skittles because they are a very particular product or a good substitute for a similar product, or they are at the counter where you are shopping. I won't make a special trip to buy skittles because of their add campaign. Like most advertising, it might get their name in your head better or make them more appealing at the checkout, but I am not expert in psychology.

The benefit I predict is that new ideas for skittles will be shared and collected. (Skittle mixed drink ideas that may actually warrant a trip to buy them). But the implications of this idea outside of marketing are even more appealing. What a fascinating synopsis or study of the internet and everyone's thoughts on something trivial. How about the word "microfinance"? Or encouraging people to share ideas? Or locations? I think skittles (and twitter) is onto something . . .

(P.S. I wonder if this will post will appear there?)

Self.Location

This past week, Google released a new application called Google Latitude. It is part of google maps in many respects, but seems to be functioning a bit on it's own. The system links through your cell phone or igoogle home page to put your current location into Latitude, and see your friend's locations-- Of course with come limitations and privacy options. Also this system seems to have no integration into any other google systems. Yet.

Check it out here: http://www.google.com/latitude/intro.html

Some bloggers are noting the possibility with targeted ads, locations, and linked-in social networks there is lots of marketing and profit potential. I am more keen on the next level of information - location being introduced into google's social systems.

Privacy issues aside, the potential for improving social networks and the ability to locate who is near you has huge implications in the way we live and live spontaneously. Just how cell phones changed the way people (or at least young people plan, knowing where people are, and how long it would take to get to you to help you, or just to talk, or to pick something up for you, or give you a ride, or whatever -- all of these little things could change planning, decision making, social networks, living habits and who knows what else--

Information

This short video points out a lot of interesting facts. Of course some of these need a lot of qualifiers -- the English speakers in China are not speaking English as well as all of the Americans -- but still makes you wonder about American Education.

This video shows the quantity of information we must process in our world today. Doing this on the fly, efficiently, simply will make our lives work and work effectively and enjoyable. This video only suggests the need for education in the US to emphasis creativity, when we are loosing our language "advantage" and our honors advantage, yet we are preparing for jobs and problems we can't imagine. Though if we are creative enough, maybe we can imagine them.

Google/s Typo

For those of you who weren't watching, early saturday Google had a slight hiccup. Every site-- on the whole internet-- was labeled as "this site may harm your computer" in a google search.

Google periodically updates the list of bad urls to be caustious about. And the url "/" was included this time, which included all websites. The mistake only lasted a couple of hours before it was noticed (I imagine very quickly and by a lot of people) and rectified.

Having dabbled in computer programming a mistake like this far too easy, and though the solution likely took only seconds to implement - it is not the first thing you would look for. One question in a simple human error like this how can we protect against it? I would imagine that the person responsible will never risk/ putting any unintended slashes again. -- But could the system be redesigned to prevent the issue and reduce the room for Human Error? I don't think it needs to be.

You can read the official google post here: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/this-site-may-harm-your-computer-on.html

The discussion on the web has varied from Google's imperfection to hinting at SkyNet or other jokes hinting at Google's super computer deciding to protect us all from the "harmful" web. To me, this error makes sense - I am not threatened by it; I am glad to see how quickly it was fixed and can only guess how difficult it was to identify the problem, and either the creativity to look for something as brilliantly simple as a '/' or the diligence to chug through every entry quickly.