Last Friday, Google revealed that they were developing and testing a new app, Mine. The concept behind this is to be able to list all of your possessions and all of the things you want. There is a little more to it though. Mine will be fully integrated into the Google + network. With the integration of Google +, you get the circles feature which should be a dealmaker for a lot of people as you would hope that users would want to be selective with whom they display their possessions with. Lastly, there is also the option to add photos of your items, review them and even sell them on to other users.
Mine is currently being internally tested by Google staff and could be released to the public if all goes well.
In-App-t
Despite its release in 2011, Mine looks like I could be one of the first fully integrated apps in the Google + network. This is quite a surprising statement as G+ is now the second largest network online, especially since Facebook and Twitter have a countless number of integrated apps, taking the example of Vine and Instagram. Another interesting point is that Google + API appears to be publically available and all I have seen available in app stores is different versions of Google +.
Cops n Robbers
Technophobes are already shunning this feature because they are scared of increasing the chances of them being burgled. I suppose there is some sense to this as on G+ there is the option to add your address. This means that your possessions will be on display, along with the location and more than likely when you are not in your house. Basically an Argos catalogue for thieves right? Wrong. If you don't know how to use Google + and are putting all of your information to the public, then you could be in danger. I would suggest making the most of circles and begin to be selective with the information that you share and with whom. If you are being selective, then there is no need to worry. In fact if you have your address to private, or better, not even defined, then it would be no more difficult for someone to rob you as it would have been before Google Mine.
An Advertiser's Dream
What is more than likely to happen is yet another data gathering scheme. With this new addition to the data Google already has about its users such as age, gender, location, browsing history, interests, social activity, now they will be able to pair all of this data with what consumers actually purchase. As marketers we can take this information and modify our advertising campaigns to better appeal to our demographics. By doing this we can get a better understanding of who is enjoying our products and also how. This opens the possibility of social engagement and building a better relationship with customers.
I expect Google Mine will take off, once the great migration from Facebook happens, and Google Plus takes over. When this does happen we could see a new type of advertising available within the Adwords program that will help us to reach a highly relevant audience.