This free tool will let users download customised data and market-specific information in order to help understand how individuals use the internet. Google describe it as a tool that will deliver "consumer insights to support planning and decision-making in a fast changing digital landscape".

They break it down into three areas;

• The Multiscreen world - Aims to quantify and understand Internet usage and attitudes across various devices. The base of this section is the entire population, both on and offline.
• The Smart Shopper - Focuses on the consumer purchase journey and the role of the Internet in making purchase decisions.
• The Smart Viewer - Provides insight into people's recent online video use across different devices.

Snapshot of Multiscreen World in Consumer Barometer

Creating a personal experience for the consumer is nothing groundbreaking and is often what some brands strive to create, but we take a look at 3 brands that are taking this to the next level through innovation

Burberry - On the 30th of September Burberry announced it's latest initiative have led to a 55% increase in sales over a 6 month period. The campaign allowed customers to customise bottles of the 'Mr Burberry' fragrance, this then tied in with 4OD and Google's ad network to preview adverts with the customised bottles and viewers initials. The ability to see your own customised bottle in an advert creates a real personal touch and potentially a decisive factor in the consumers purchasing decision. The campaign was fronted by two of Britain's most iconic models, Kate Moss and Cara Delvingne, proving to be another great success from Christopher Bailey, in which he sets!



ASOS - The daddy of e-commerce recently announced some changes to its shopping experience with the intention to create a 'more edited and personalised' as it draws closer to its £2.5 billion sales target in 2015. ASOS are looking to move slightly away from their model of browsing through thousands of products, as Chief Executive Nick Robertson suggest the novelty of this is 'starting to wane', with their range growing at such a rapid rate the shopping experience must remain relevant to the user. Following on from their "As Seen on Me" feature, ASOS is allowing shoppers to follow stylist who 'flush up' new products which they believe is a 'clean, simple' way of editing choice. It doesn't stop there as ASOS also plans to roll out recommendations and personalised product ideas based on previous browsing and shopping behaviour, later this year.

Lidl - The German retailer plans on launching a specific website that consumers to get more engaged with the brand, as part of a larger plan to build a community for the brand. Marketing Director Arnd Pickhardt describes it as "We want to offer customers that want to go a step further in terms of engaging with the brand another opportunity. It’s about giving access to information earlier than others, letting them try and test products".

The actions of pressure group, Greenpeace, have led to Lego ending it's 50 year old marketing partnership with oil giant Shell.



Greenpeace targeted Lego, in a technique that has been refereed to as brand jacking, the Youtube campaign they produced called 'Everything is not awesome' now has over 6.5 million views. The video was comprised using lego pieces which showed a horrific oil spill in an arctic environment and the devastation it caused.

This story is reminiscent of how many brands departed ways with SeaWorld after pressure from public groups and the publicity of the documentary 'Black Fish'. Virgin America dropped SeaWorld from its airline reward programme, while one of its top corporate sponsors SouthWest Airlines ended its 26 year partnership. Other organisations such as American Express also ditched SeaWorld.



Shell must be wary that there is not a similar knock on effect, particularly with the brand jacking technique which can really gain traction and raise awareness among the public.

It's quite an achievement to be just 8 weeks old and people are championing you as the one to break the Facebook social media monopoly. That's whats happening to new social network 'Ello' though, with the link between the two also stemming from Ello's perceived dislike of Facebook. If you disagree with the Ello manifesto on their website you are then forwarded to Facebook's privacy page (a nice touch!). Their founder, Paul Budnitz, describes Facebook as "an advertising platform not a social network". The Irony is that you were probably made aware of Ello through Facebook. And to find you're friends on Ello, you'll probably have to write a status on Facebook asking them if they're on it!

However, we can't help but think of Diaspora, the once hyped social network. Everyone likes an underdog, but sustaining that takes something really revolutionary. It's early days and therefore it could go two ways, but the fact its exclusive and getting a lot of coverage means it has people's attention, and as a result it hit 50,000 new member requests per hour at some points last week. Tech experts have a mixture of positive and negative views on Ello with our favourite being the Verge calling it “a doomed utopia we can’t stop building.”

Paul Budnitz has a bit of a habit of making success stories from unlikely ventures, potentially a reason his Ello concept is being held in high regard. From a luxury bicycle company, Budnitz Bicycles to Kidrobot, a company that creates art toys and high end fashion accessories (Pharrell Williams is said to be a big fan!), Paul is used to scepticism in his ideas. With the social media space already overcrowded, someone like Budnitz might just be able to discover an unlikely niche.

What really sets it apart it how it plans to make money. Replicating the very successful concept of the iPhone/App store, in which users will be able to completely customise their own Ello with a combination of basic (free features) and add-on features. Its firm stance on being 'anti-advertisement' should be what sets it apart from other social networks.

• Marketing share is down to 28.8%, lowest in decades.
• More competitive environment with newcomers gaining market share. Aldi sales increased by 29.1% and Lidl sales were up by 17.7%.
• Tesco has seen over £2 billion wiped off its market share.
• Tesco's third biggest investor, BlackRock, sold £150 million worth of shares.
• Share price is down by a staggering 40% in the past year
• Four senior directors have been suspended, while the Serious Fraud Office and the Financial Conduct Authority are said to be looking into the situation.