Apparently Swedish software firm, The Astonishing Tribe, has created an application called ‘Recognizr’ which enables you to access someone’s social networking history simply by pointing your phone’s camera at them.

Face recognition software maps their face into a 3D model and matches the data to their social networking profiles, before emailing that to the phone.  According to an article on Cnet.com, the service is opt-in at the moment and people must give permission if they want to be recognised…but is this a sign of things to come?

The power of the internet and social media are only just being realised from a marketing perspective and some companies still have their heads firmly buried in the sand.  This year has seen mobile internet become a reality – after years of promises.  And it can be used in some amazing and creative ways to market your company.  But where the line sits between what is ethical and what is not may be blurred in some instances.

I’d love to hear your opinion of this development – plesae share a comment and let us know what you think about mobile internet technology and where you think it may take us.  Please also tell us how your company is using new technology for marketing and share your top tips.

Apparently some 16million people accessed the internet from their mobile phones in December – that’s 25% of the British population.  So, if you thought your business could ignore mobile internet for a little while longer, you may want to reconsider.

According to the GSMA Mobile Media Metrics (published for the first time on Friday),  nearly half of the total minutes spent on mobile internet were spent on Facebook Mobile; highlighting the social media trend too.

With an increase in smartphone ownership (now reckoned to be 20% of the British population) could this be an area your business might find opportunities?  For more details of the report’s contents, visit http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/feb/08/facebook-rise-mobile-web-use.

We’re at the start of another marketing revolution, which is incredibly exciting – 3G mobile penetration in Western Europe rose from 17% in 2007 to 29% in 2009, and it’s forecast to reach a whopping 67% next year.  (Japan is already at 91% and Morgan Stanley estimates that $43 billion was made from the mobile internet in Japan in 2008.)

Of the 400 million active Facebook users (doubled since last summer), half log on in any given day; sharing 5 million pieces of content a week and uploading more than 3 billion photos each month.  On average, they spend more than 55 minutes a day on Facebook.  Those who access it via their mobiles are twice as active (For more, visit http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article7028215.ece)

If you’re not excited yet, you should be!

As the recession continues into 2010, we take a look at the trends we’re expecting this year – and the opportunities that are presenting themselves for businesses positioned to take advantage:

1. Be Honest.  The trend towards Corporate Social Responsibility looks set to continue – which is great in my book.  Consumers are demanding more transparency and honesty and, as a result, more customers are shopping locally again and using suppliers they trust.
2. Mobile Internet.  Teenagers are increasingly using mobile internet, rather than fixed line broadband.  This trend looks set to continue with the increase in mobile phone technology and, if you’re targeting teenagers, it’s something you need to be aware of now.
3. Niche Markets.  In marketing, we used to work off Pareto’s principle – 20% of your customers typically brought you 80% of your business, so you would focus on what that 20% wanted.  But the internet is changing the rules and giving people an endless choice.  As a result, niche marketing can now prove very profitable – particularly since you can tap into niche’s worldwide at the tap of a button.
4. Self Employment.  Throughout last year, many companies down-sized and made people redundant.  Consequently, business start-ups are increasing, as people choose to take their fate into their own hands.  The growing number of start-ups will provide endless opportunities for some companies.
5. Wellness.  Baby Boomers remain a significant proportion of our economy and they have always driven trends.  Now approaching retirement age, they don’t want to grow old and they don’t want to end up in care (as they’ve seen their parents do.)  They are therefore driving a ‘wellness’ revolution for anti-ageing, exercise classes, cosmetic surgery etc. to keep them young.

Check back tomorrow for another 5 trends to watch this year.