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I am back from vacation, and it was very rejuvenating. To totally relax this time I spent few free minutes between activities on some casual gaming, mostly on Facebook and Steam. I have been a long fan of Steam, but the improvements in Facebook games were a surprise for me. I love how Steam lets you purchase digitally and then just install and play on your different computers, as much as needed, with no discs to store or find.

My main observation is that Facebook gaming finally starting to realize the social aspect. Some in pure competitive fashion (like highest score in Biggest Brain), while many others are all about socializing (YoVille) and sharing gifts and showing off Farms and Restaurants you built. It is good fun and a new way to “stay in touch” with people you care about.

Onto the main topic – Facebook gained major momentum for our family during this season’s family vacation. We met many family members in-person, and most of their kids already had Facebook (what’s with silly 13 years old limit on Facebook?). So my kids signed up and were able to connect to their relatives and stay in touch, even though they often meet in-person once a year or less!

But, with all the benefits, I got really worried today. Earlier I became a fan of Lily Allen on Facebook. I really love her fun and honest lyrics, combined excellent music style. So what do I see right after? “Love Lily Allen – Check This Out” Ad appearing on Facebook. Clearly targeted, no doubt and once I clicked it, it took me straight into iTunes to some singer’s album, I never heard of!

I haven’t decided if this a benefit or a burden? It is definitely strange how Facebook doesn’t use same common sense to stop pitching me “Dating” sites, since my profile clearly indicates “Married”!!!

If they approach this carefully, it can be real boon for Advertisers. Facebook knows my real location (home address, and sometimes mobile location via Facebook Mobile on iPhone), and my likes/dislikes. I am Papa Johns pizza fan on there also, how long before other pizzerias will start bombarding me with their best offers to win me over? Rather scary… A good short Sci-Fi story comes to mind. You can listen to it for free on the excellent EscapePod.org (warning, rated R). That’s where I heard it, along with Advertising Warfare concept mentioned.

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I normally enjoy Robert Cringely’s insightful articles, but the one I heard today was nothing like his other works. In fact, my first reaction was “Grow Up, not the whole World revolves around you!”. But few seconds later it hit me – this is a modern reincarnation of Sales Pitch!

I’ll give you my two sentences summary, or you can read the entire post on his blog. It starts of by complementing Google for their focus on efficiency. Then proceeds to emphasize the importance of the relevant component (hard-drive), and ends with “why not check out this awesome product” pitch. Classic Marketing Formula: Gain Favor via Complement, Gain Trust by presenting logical arguments about importance of “X”, and finally mention a better “X”.

Brilliant or Sleazy? You decide… But sure way to get the message across, which is the hardest part of any marketing effort. I am sure that Google employees monitor the “tubes” for their company name, and certainly one or two (likely more) will forward a link to relevant Senior decision maker, and with enough incoming emails, that decision maker will take notice, enough to probably learn more about this technology. This is 90% of the sale effort, right there! Think about how hard it would normally be to get senior management’s attention to even agree to hear out your Sales pitch?!

Everyone is talking on the web about Social Marketing (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc) and other such silly obvious things. For me, as soon as I see someone continuously taunting their own product(s), I un-follow, no matter how fancy the product is.

Maybe I am approaching this completely wrong, and Bob has nothing to gain personally from Google buying all these (apparently yet Non-existent) MFD drives. Either way, this approach is definitely novel, especially the ending, turning the discussion away from product and into personal unjust conflict?

Sensational (pun intended)!!!

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