#MarketingTitbits – vloggers, Google+, Google I/O Conference

1. Why transparency is key in relationship between brands and vloggers
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) revealed plans for new guidelines surrounding vlogging shortly after consumer goods company, P&G, became the latest culprit to fall foul of their rules.

Vloggers are not just popular among their subscribers, but brands also. Brands have discovered the advantages of using vloggers to promote their products, but as P&G and others such as Oreo have found out, clear labelling of adverts is a strict requirement.

Although guidance is expected to be welcomed amongst the industry, ASA’s CEO, Gary Parker, has acknowledged that changes cannot be too heavy handed as this could affect further development and innovation in the future.

Click here to find out more.

2. Google+ chief: big changes are ahead

Chief of Google’s social network, Bradley Horowitz, has revealed that although the service is here to stay, it will undergo a “renaissance” of thinking and changes.

The announcement comes as Google Photos launched its standalone service, offering users free and unlimited storage for photos and videos. Other differences have also begun to appear, with profile links to Google+ being removed from the homepage and hidden within the app icon.

What do you think the future holds for Google’s social network? To read more, click here.

3. Google I/O – the key takeaways for marketers

At the end of May, Google held its annual I/O conference, announcing a number of changes and new introductions to the Google family. One of the latest introductions includes Android Pay, a mobile payment system that will take on the likes of Apple Pay in allowing customers to facilitate the process using NFC technology.

Another announcement made during the conference surrounded developments in the use of context for the Google Now platform. The service can already anticipate what consumers might want to search for next, but will now pull through further contextually relevant content. If you were searching for a restaurant on Google Maps the service could now pull through information on the restaurant’s website and reviews, for example.

For more on Google’s innovative introductions, click here.