By Liz Lancashire

If you haven't come across Angry Birds yet, then you might be considered a minority group. It's a hugely successful game developed by Rovio, that started off as an App for the iPhone and it is now available in the Mac App store, the Ovi App store for Nokia, and the Intel AppUp store for all other laptops, PCs and netbooks.

The format of the game is simple. Some greedy pigs have stolen the birds eggs (according to the story, to fry in a pan) and the birds want them back. The pigs are hiding in a variety of structures, from castles to greenhouses and the birds have to knock the buildings down to rescue their eggs.

The idea is not complicated, in fact it's very simple, and that's part of what makes it so addictive. Bright colours, cartoon like characters, power ups and birds with special powers, the fact that it's a tried and trusted game format, a fun way to waste a bit of time and that it's fairly priced are all factors that make the game very successful and very playable, and are the reasons the game went viral. With an increase in the use of smart phones, and Apps becoming huge, the game has been a massive success and Angry Birds have 'branched' out, so to speak! Yes, Angry Birds merchandise is their next move. To show your love for those scorned birds, you can wear the t-shirt, you can get the iPhone cover and you can carry around the soft toys! In fact, you can even dress your baby in it! And what better way for them to go mainstream than to get their fans wearing their identity and showing off their brand?

If you're familiar with the marketing theory, Ansoff's Matrix, Angry Birds a classic example of product development, promoting new products to their existing market with the aim of garnering more business from that existing market. They have already penetrated their market by being fairly priced and from the benefit of the game going viral, and they have developed their market fully by being available on different formats and of course, worldwide, so the next logical step is to develop their range of products.

We thought we might join in and sport the t-shirts, but then, we don't want people thinking these Owls are angry birds!

By Deborah Wroe

I was watching BBC’s Newsnight on Wednesday live from Uppermill Civic Hall, focusing on the by-election for Oldham East and Saddleworth. Michael Crick, newsnight’s political editor, compared some of the campaign literature from the three main parties, questioning the quality of the print, use of colour, size of font for readability, along with the policy content.  Interesting point, did the voters care about the quality of the paper the pledges were made on? Given that the by-election itself was called as a direct consequence of lies made in campaigning literature during the May election, you would assume that voters would be scanning the copy for inaccuracies and wild claims.  Or maybe the campaign literature itself had no impact on the electorate whatsoever other than to go straight in their recycling bins. Did Debbie Abrahams (newly elected Labour MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth) spend more on a copywriter, graphic designer and printer than the other parties, and thereby claim the seat?

So it turns out @MrKennethTong was a hoax. If you haven't caught wind of his controversial tweets yet, Kenneth (former BB contestant and possible glory hunter) apparently had a bet with a friend to try and get as many followers on Twitter as possible within a week. And yes he's probably won the bet, he managed to get himself over 22,000 followers, but the theme of his tweets was hugely questionable.

Kenneth seemed to be an advocate of controlled anorexia and attaining a size zero body shape. His tweets offended thousands as he encouraged people into bulimia and starving themselves. But today he has come clean, following an interview with a national paper, and he has admitted that the whole thing was just a wager with a friend, and in actual fact he is very against any kind of eating disorder. But all the same, through the power of Twitter, he has got himself booked onto national TV and features in The Telegraph and The Times and various tabloids! He might have won the bet with his friend, but he certainly hasn't done his personal brand any good. And, he has certainly not used social media for social good. No matter how much money he claims to be giving to eating disorder charities - he has planted a seed into the minds of many impressionable girls - what happens to them now?

This case seem to reinforce the news that football clubs are starting to curb high profile footballers use of social media, and many are now receiving training in social media and Twitter. Up until now footballers have been tweeting their own views freely with little or no parameters or guidelines set by the club. The problem lies in the fact footballers are always 'on duty', their views are never their own but always affiliated with their club. So would those same clubs allow the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Savage to write the club newsletter? Case closed!

In my infrequent trips out during the holidays, luring myself away from the TV, new Christmas books and piles of chocolate, I was amazed (and frustrated by) the cars lining up to get into shopping centres. I know the post Christmas sales are always a draw for the crowds, with some retailers offering fantastic discounts, and with the (then) impending VAT rise even more so.  And I appreciate the need for bargain shopping now more than ever with a still shaky economy, and I am a sucker for a bargain for myself. But, on my precious time off, I would never choose to sit in the car for an hour waiting for a parking space to become free so I could battle my way through a busy shopping centre looking for that bargain dress/lampshade/next years Christmas cards. I was amazed that people sat in long, going nowhere queues at the Trafford Centre when the car park clearly said full. (I was passing, on my way to a skydiving experience.) Did they not have chocolate at home to eat and the Grinch to watch?

I heard, from a friend who did brave the crowds, that inside the Trafford Centre there was a queue for the jewellery store that sell beads for bracelets. Shoppers were queueing behind a velvet rope (designed to look like an exclusive club?) with a stern looking security guy/bouncer on the door.  Now, lovely as these beads are, there are many other items of jewellery available in equally nice shops, but this particular brand seems to have done a great job of creating a desire for their product over and above all others.

So, is my shock at the queues misplaced? Is it just as case of clever marketing that has driven families to perceive they must have that ‘thing’ at that price, and NOW.