Think Insights – Google Tools for Marketers and Researchers

Jenny Liu, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Google in his blog of 11 May wrote:

"It’s one of our guiding principles that data beats opinion. With that in mind, our marketing team has put a lot of effort into posing interesting questions—How do new mothers use the Internet? When do people really start their holiday shopping? What trends typify today’s Hispanic web user?—and answering them with concrete information to help marketers make better informed decisions".

Google is making the difference! The comapny has developed an excellent tool “Think Insights website”. This tool will represent a wide variety of content. Google will use its knowledge and insights into internet marketing trends. The company has put substantial efforts in understanding its users which is helping Google improve how web users are embracing new media platforms and how marketers are adapting to technology’s dynamic landscape.

The availibity of key data will facilitate marketers in developing their marketing stratefy and also improve the market for Google AdWords.

Google is keeping at the top of demand driven marketing strategy.

Largest Technology Buyout – Microsoft Purchases Skype!

Growth in the technology sector is becoming major threat to industry giants. Recent $8.5 billion Skype buyout deal with Microsoft is one example of how industry giants are trying to do things to keep up with the faster growing technology companies.

On 9th May, this largest buyout agreement was finalized. This acquisition will help Microsoft enter in business lines such as calling to play, catch-up in mobile and web advertising.
Microsoft realizes that the market for online advertising and mobile software is growing with crazy pace and this biggest Internet takeover in the recent history, will also bring Microsoft in direct competition with Google in online advertising and Apple Inc. in mobile software.

The plan to connect Skype’s 170 million active users, to Microsoft’s Outlook e-mail, Xbox game console, Windows mobile phones and corporate-phone software will truly shake the technology market place!

Skype was founded in 2003 by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis. The founders sold the company for $2.6 billion in 2005 to San Jose, California-based EBay Inc., which in turn sold off most of its stake four years later. Current investors include EBay, Silver Lake and Andreessen Horowitz.

We need to watch how Google takes this deal in the near future!

Effective Communication - the Science of Change Management

We like to live in our comfort zone and as intelligent specie generally resist change, particularly in the corporate world. Often people do not realize the cost of their rigidity in changing their behaviors.

How many times did you experience people gossiping in the corridors about a particular process or procedure introduced in your organization in which management had spent precious time and money? Initial reactions are curiosity, fear, anxiety that result in reluctance in adapting things that are aimed at improving the efficiency and brining transparency in an organization.

Many times, the key reason for resistance to change is lack of communication between the change implementers and staff. Senior management often leaves the process to an implementing team, resulting a communication gap between the top management and the rest. Certainly causing frictions!

Yes Change Management is a science many senior managers still find tough to deal with.

There are two essentials to follow for managing change:
1. Open and two way communication
2. Creating buy-in by describing benefits

I read an excellent piece from Garrison Wynn

"Communication skills are the foundation of team work, allowing us to transfer a message of support and hope so we believe as a group that solutions are possible. The key to being able to communicate and benefit from each other is to truly see you own value. That will allow you to see it more clearly in others."

Technically speaking, when we communicate, we try to influence other’s thoughts, hence this should be a carefully crafted process and thoughtful selection of words is necessary and often realizing the pain of not changing helps in behavioral acceptability towards change.

Watch an interesting video on Change Management here.