Google Chrome

Being one of the first to launch a Google+ brand page (and obviously having some first hand knowledge with the platform), Google Chrome’s own brand page is very well done. The 5 main images all link together cleverly, and the page is kept updated frequently with news on Chromebooks and links to the official Google blog for more detailed information.

BMW

BMW have also spliced up one feature image into 5 separate smaller images that serve as a great introduction to their brand page. They’ve also made sure the content they’re sharing (while obviously promotional) is very high quality, and feature YouTube videos and images of their latest supercars.

Time Magazine

Time Magazine faced the challenge of making sure that their new, modern Google+ brand page was in keeping with their classic, prestigious image. By using the 5 image slots to showcase some of their more iconic issues, they’ve been able to claim their space on Google+ and still have the gravitas that they’ve built up over the years.

The Muppets

The Muppets have an entirely image to Time Magazine - they need to be seen as fun, creative and quirky, and their Google+ page doesn’t disappoint. Exclusive content is shared on the page, including images of the characters with celebrities, as well as videos and trailers for the new film. The 5 images used all match up, and suit the look and feel of the page perfectly.

Starbucks

Starbucks have always been good at promoting themselves online, so it’s no surprise to see them putting effort into Google+ too. High quality, instagram-effect images are proudly displayed, and the page looks great - but Starbucks earn extra points for actively talking to others on Google+, from asking people which circle they want to be placed in to offering buy one get one free vouchers.

Red Bull

Red Bull, the energy drink which wants to be associated with high energy sports, has done a great job of keeping their brand image and their Google+ page very closely linked. They’ve always been great at coming up with creative, unique designs for social media sites, and they don’t disappoint here - instead of 5 static images, they’ve been able to use animated gifs, all matching up to show one big image of BMXers in slow motion.

YouTube

YouTube, being a Google company, will also have had a heads-up on how to style a Google+ page, and unsurprisingly they’ve done a great job.  Their 5 image joins together and reflects the creativity that YouTube sees each day, while they also ensure that interesting videos are posted frequently.

Angry Birds

Angry Birds, the ultra-popular iPad and iPhone game, has also taken advantage of the 5 images to create a brilliant standout image, showcasing each of the birds - even the main logo image is used to form part of the scene. They also keep the page up to date and use it to talk to fans - even going as far as to have votes on which characters people prefer, as well as keeping people informed about new updates.

Pepsi

Pepsi’s Google+ page has been designed beautifully, with the 5 image layout all matching up and following the look and feel of the brand, and they even make sure to talk to their fans - although they perhaps don’t post anywhere near as frequently as some of the other brands we’ve featured.

Zappos

Zappos have clearly put some work into their Google+ page, and use it to showcase that they’re “more than shoes” by prominently featuring clothing, handbags, beauty and “at home” in their profile images. Like Pepsi, they may not be posting particularly frequently, but the page still looks lived in and has clearly been thought about and designed with the brand in mind.

Are there any Google+ brand pages you’ve found that you think deserve a mention? Let us know in the comments. You are welcome to add your G+ page if you like?

About the author

Dan writes for Christmas gift ideas experts The Handpicked Collection, who offer gifts for her & him. He’s a big fan of creative product design and spends his spare time outside of work studying graphic design.

Other Google+ Brand Pages?

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Write guest posts for KnowTeBook

If you’re a writer and know a lot about social networks like Google+, social media marketing or design, mobile marketing  …… or owning a small business, you can give great advices on branding, marketing, productivity, dealing with clients (and other related topics), or you can write ‘how-to’ posts, please get in contact with Sebastian.

The internet powerhouse used a recent press conference to introduce the world to Google Wallet, a new offering that aims to bridge the gap between online and offline commerce. Despite not even having an official launch date, the upcoming product is already generating a lot of talk and controversy in the process. In this article, we will examine the potential impact Google Wallet could have on the mobile marketing sector.

How it works

A Revolution in Mobile Shopping

Google Wallet is being designed as a mobile app that lets consumers securely make purchases right from their handsets. It will basically transform the consumer’s mobile device into a universal credit card as it allows purchases to be made with a Citi MasterCard credit card or Google Prepaid Card, both of which can be stored in the handset. According to the internet giant, the app will support other popular payment options in the near future. With Google Wallet, consumers will be able to make purchases in a matter of entering a simple PIN number and a few taps on their mobile display, creating a degree of convenience that did not exist for many users before.

Google Wallet Product Launch

Opportunities for Mobile Marketers

Brands are excited about Google Wallet, and its all because of the shining potential Google’s upcoming payment service has to offer. Marketers can take advantage in two ways, starting with the search company’s Groupon competitor Google Offers. A user can take any of the deals a business pushes through Offers and have them automatically synced to Wallet so they are easily accessible. Marketers can also “tap” into the apps potential by joining Google’s SingleTap partner program, which already includes well known brands such as Bloomingdales, Subway, and Toys R Us. The benefit here is being able to create innovative incentive programs that help brands reward users for their loyalty, which is great for strengthening relationships.

What is your mobile strategy?

We have learned that Google’s cutting edge mobile payment service is driven by a technology known as NFC. Short for Near Field Communication, NFC is a new form of wireless technology that allows devices within a certain range of one another to swap data. The future of Google Wallet will likely depend on the adoption of this technology among mobile makers. Although Sprint, who is allowing Google Wallet to be used on its Nexus S 4G, is currently using NFC chips in some of its phones, the search company itself projects that only 50% of smartphones will have this technology by 2014, meaning half of the user population will not have access to the functionality.

For the above reason and the fact that PayPal has filed a lawsuit against Google over basing its design on stolen mobile payment secrets, it may be wise for mobile marketers to see how this one develops before jumping on the Wallet bandwagon.

About the author

Nan King, a tech geek and environmentalist at heart, is an advocate of business email marketing strategies that encompass the use of an email marketing company which is permission based.

Using mobile wallet or work in mobile marketing?

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Write guest posts for KnowTeBook

If you’re a writer and know a lot about mobile design, mobile apps, mobile marketing …… or owning a small business, you can give great advices on branding, marketing, productivity, dealing with clients (and other related topics), or you can write ‘how-to’ posts, please get in contact with Sebastian.

Facebook Admits to Playing Dirty

While it is currently sitting high atop the social networking ladder, Facebook has also found itself in the middle of controversy due to its questionable approach toward stamping out the competition. In early May, a suspicious email made its way into the inboxes of several prolific journalists and bloggers. The message, which was sent out by Burson-Marsteller, pretty much slammed Google’s name in the mud, alleging that the search giant had committed a major violation of user privacy.

With the internet community buzzing and scrambling to figure out the mastermind behind the mysterious email, it wasn’t too long before Facebook came out and admitted that it hired the public relations firms to do its bidding. According to the social networking company, Google utilized Social Circle, a feature native to its Gmail webmail client, to steal personal user information from Facebook and other sites for inclusion. Though many are surprised that the social network came out and admitted that it was involved in what is now infamously known as the “Google smear campaign“, it seems as if it had no other choice after the evidence reportedly dug up by news outlet The Daily Beast.

Things Could Get Even Uglier

The collision course Facebook and Google find themselves on has been in the making for some time now. Theses two powerful entities are competitors in numerous areas, including social, search, and online advertising among others. While the so called smear campaign obviously marks the most intense episode of the war up to this point, some have been predicting an all out showdown from the moment Facebook outpaced MySpace as the number social network. With Google looking to enhance its social profile, Facebook doing business with Microsoft, and both companies gearing up to invade the daily deal market, it is probably fair to conclude that this war could get even uglier in the very near future.

Welcome to Cut Throat Island

In the business world, competition is all about survival, and if you need another lesson on just how cut throat it can become, you got it with the recent developments in the war between Facebook and Google. For marketers, it is a perfect example of how some competitors are willing to pull out all the stops, even if it means playing dirty. Take it as a lesson on the importance of staying on your toes and being able to respond promptly to adversity. Google is strong enough to shake off Facebook’s blow and return the favor. How about your business?

About the Author:

Fletcher is a best practices activist and advocate for leading Web and permission-based email marketing services.

Have something to say?

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If you’re a writer and know a lot about design, coding, …… or owning a small business, you can give great advices on branding, marketing, productivity, dealing with clients (and other related topics), or you can write ‘how-to’ posts, please get in contact with Sebastian.

Additional main features

From moderation tools to social integration to a comment voting system, Livefyre gives you everything you need to turn a casual online following into a passionate and engaged community.

Readers can access their entire social network from your content. Friend tagging, and social sign-in and syncing options make your content the central hub of the conversation.

It is also possible to generate user profiles with points with a user’s recent comments, blog posts, rating, social links, and more, all in one place. Blogs get profile pages too!

Feel free to check out their complete and detailed feature list.

The Next Big Thing

Even in a hyper-connected world, it’s still possible to see The Next Big Thing coming before the ‘masses’ do. Here’s proof.

Watch all 6 Videos at Trendwatching!

The protocol in a nutshell is as follows:

• An feed URL (a “topic”) declares its Hub server(s) in its Atom or RSS XML file, via <link rel=”hub” …>. The hub(s) can be run by the publisher of the feed, or can be a community hub that anybody can use. (Atom and RssFeeds are supported)

• A subscriber (a server that’s interested in a topic), initially fetches the Atom URL as normal. If the Atom file declares its hubs, the subscriber can then avoid lame, repeated polling of the URL and can instead register with the feed’s hub(s) and subscribe to updates.

• The subscriber subscribes to the Topic URL from the Topic URL’s declared Hub(s).

• When the Publisher next updates the Topic URL, the publisher software pings the Hub(s) saying that there’s an update.

• The hub efficiently fetches the published feed and multicasts the new/changed content out to all registered subscribers.

The protocol is decentralized and free. No company is at the center of this controlling it. Anybody can run a hub, or anybody can ping (publish) or subscribe using open hubs.

To bootstrap this, we’ve provided an open source reference implementation of the hub (the hard part of the protocol) that runs on Google App Engine, and is open for anybody to use.

Plugins

• Wordpress

The list of 72 Top Questions to Ask New Web Design Clients

1. How does your company handle email?
2. Do you need any password protected areas?
3. Do you have the Pantone numbers for your current company colors?
4. Did you take a look at our portfolio?
5. What is your time frame?
6. Is this a brochure site, or a blog?
7. Who is your audience?
8. Do you have any specifications?
9. What are the website addresses of your competitors?
10. How many other companies have you talked to?
11. Do you need a business card and letterhead?
12. What is your main message?
13. Did you or someone else register the domain?
14. How familiar are you with search engine optimization and best practices?
15. What are several websites you like?
16. Do you currently have a website?
17. Do you or anyone on your staff have Photoshop or other image editing software?
18. Do you need search engine help?
19. Does the site launch need to coincide with a product launch or any other important milestone?
20. Do you need a content management system?
21. How long have you had a website?
22. Do you have photos you need to use?
23. Will several people be editing the site?
24. How many pages do you need?
25. Do you have a catalog or brochure?
26. How do people find your current website?
27. Do you have a newsletter?
28. Are you in touch with the orginal designer?
29. Do you have access to the web server?
30. What are several websites that you like the look of?
31. Do you have control over the domain?
32. Do you need any other promotional material?
33. How familiar are you with usability studies?
34. How important is search engine ranking to you?
35. Is there any specific functionality you need?
36. Will you be providing creative direction?
37. Do you have your content done?
38. Will your IT person be involved?
39. Do you have a logo? What format is it in?
40. How familiar are you with graphic design best practices for web designs?
41. What is your current hosting company?
42. Have you been through the complete web design and development process before?
43. Who are your competitors?
44. How often do you need to update the site?
45. Describe the style of website you are looking for?
46. Is the original developer still available?
47. What is your budget?
48. What is compelling about working with us?
49. Do you need an image gallery?
50. Are you are anyone on your staff familiar with HTML and CSS?
51. Is your logo in Illustrator format?
52. Do you need this to integrate with your existing identity pieces?
53. How are you going to maintain the site?
54. What software do you have?
55. How did you find us?
56. Did you read any of our blog?
57. What bugs you the most about websites?
58. Do you need any other graphic design help?
59. Do you need social media tools built in, like Digg, Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, etc.
60. How familiar are you with web standards and web design best practices?
61. Do you need the website to tie into any particular 3rd party applications?
62. Do you need a contact form?
63. Do you have a domain?
64. Do you have any proposals from other design firms?
65. How important is customization to you?
66. Will you want or need help in making changes? If so, would you need help routinely?
67. What do you need your website to do?
68. Do you need ecommerce?
69. Have you considered redesigning your logo?
70. Do you have hosting?
71. Have you considered taking a fresh look at your corporate identity? This a good time to consider refresh or an entirely new identity.
72. When is the last time you updated the site?

This is mine As you see with many inspiration.

Check them out here at Ashad’s website.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING WINNERS

1. LukaszPL
2. Thomas Loris
3. Adam
4. (If one of the first 3 doesnt get in contact): René

Please do not forget: If you are declared a winner, you will have one week to redeem your license. Contact us.

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