AI is Changing Human Communication
Communication is a vital part of the human experience: it’s how we connect, share resources, fall in love, solve problems and build the intricate networks that make up our disparate civilizations. Being such a central part of our lives, it is no surprise that we continue to expand our forms of communication to make it even easier and more efficient. These days, we have even invented ways to facilitate communication with anyone, anywhere across the world. Technology has been a driving factor behind facilitating the expansion of communication, including the invention of the telephone and the fax machine. Artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies, such as the Internet of Things, machine learning, and automation, are similarly changing the way humans…
Read MoreHow Digital Marketing Can Cater to the User Experience
Digital marketing presents a unique set of challenges when it comes to reaching consumers in the right way. Typically, finding innovative ways to accomplish this is the name of the game as marketing professionals seek to set their brands apart from the rest. As advertising becomes an integral part of virtually every platform consumers use, it’s important to strike a balance and remember that the interactions a brand has with a consumer should bring value to that consumer, not drive them away in annoyance. How does a brand accomplish this? One way that many brands are beginning to target users is through interactive or rewarding advertising. Consider the example of the Angry Birds game that was incredibly popular and still…
Read MoreDigital Transformation: Buzzword and Challenge
The term “digital transformation” is a popular one in digital marketing, and is never far from the lips of senior executives and marketing consultants the industry over. The spectrum of adoption, however, is wide: some firms have already begun to leverage the benefits of a total digital transformation. Still, others are still struggling to adopt the necessary shifts to their own business operations. The concept of a digital transformation, too, is a broad one: there isn’t just one definition of what it means, and expert’s opinions are varied. “It’s not about doing ‘digital marketing’,” says Ivan Menezes, CEO at Diageo, “it’s about marketing effectively in a digital world.” According to Brian Solis, principal analyst at Altimeter Group, a digital transformation…
Read MoreHow Marketing is Adjusting to the Shift in Social Media Following Trends
Recently, a meme made its way around social media. Stop following the filtered Instagram models, it admonished, and start following luminaries and intellects — people that have more intellectual power. This recommendation is a reflection of a shift in social media behaviors, and it’s one that marketers would do well to monitor and adjust their strategies as such. Keeping abreast of consumer behavior shifts is one way that marketers can stay in tune with their audiences. For example, much of the language, particularly among millennial-aged consumers, is now shifting more to self-care and acceptance. Now, brands are becoming more inclusive in their marketing, striving not to alienate any groups of consumers who have felt silenced in years past. How does…
Read MoreDoes Uber Have Another Communications Crisis on its Hands?
Earlier this month, Uber was forced to confront some grim —and very public — news: the ride-hailing giant had lost $5.24 billion in the last three months, Uber’s largest-ever quarterly loss. Uber shares plunged by 10% in response. Uber’s underwhelming financial performance has long disappointed investors, and last month the company was forced to announce cuts of 400 jobs from its marketing team in a bid to get costs under control. This latest loss was largely due to stock-based compensation off the back of a huge charge related to Uber’s Wall Street listing in May and was just more piece of bad press for the car service firm amid years of recurring PR crises. News this week, then, that a…
Read MoreStarbucks Just Released (a Version of) Its Design Playbook: Here’s What We Learned
Marketing and branding take immense skill, there is no doubt about it. Creating timeless branding is challenging because there are countless trends that can be used at any given moment. How then does a brand select a branding style that won’t leave when trends go away? How does a brand stand the test of time? One of the clear leaders in the branding field, from a longevity standpoint, is in fact Starbucks. Since the coffee giant’s founding in 1971, the iconic green symbol with a long-haired siren is recognizable regardless of whether or not you get down with a pumpkin spice latte. So what is it about the Starbucks brand that has withstood the test of time brought about by…
Read MoreCapital One Directly Addresses Data Breach
Chances are, you’ve heard about the Capital One data breach. What you may not have seen, heard, or read is Capital One’s specific “what’s next” statement related to the breach. Let’s walk through it. First, the company discloses the facts of the situation: they determined there was a potential data breach on July 19. 2019. In the disclosure, Capital One states: “an outside individual gained unauthorized access and obtained personal information about customers and applicants…” Leading with the bad news in a clear, concise way. Difficult, but strong. They followed that up with explaining what the company has done in response: “Capital One immediately fixed this issue and promptly began working with federal law enforcement. The person responsible was arrested.…
Read MoreAtlanta United Coach Addresses Controversial Comments
Gender pay equity is a growing and important topic in professional sports, especially in women’s soccer. So, it’s not that surprising to hear Atlanta United coach Frank de Boer offering an apology for his choice of words during an interview with a British news publication. Speaking to The Guardian, De Boer said it was “ridiculous” that female World Cup players are demanding equal pay to men. The blowback was almost instantaneous. It began, as most do these days, on social media with people roundly condemning the coach for his comments. Initially, De Boer’s apology came with a caveat that he didn’t want to be a distraction to his team going into a big game against Club America. He blamed what…
Read MoreMattel Tries to Get Out Ahead of Whistleblower
When major toy company Mattel received a letter from an anonymous whistleblower, the decision was made to get out ahead of the story. The company announced it had received a letter with the explanation that the company was canceling a debt sale in order to “investigate the matters set forth in the letter…” That announcement caused the company shares to drop more than 15%. Part of this downturn may have been the lack of specificity in the letter, leading to uncertainty. Mattel did not describe the allegations or disclose what potential wrongdoing may have been included in the letter. This is unwelcome news considering how well Mattel stock had been doing so far in 2019. After a few years of…
Read MoreVirgin Galactic Raises the Bar
From the earth to the moon! What was once science fiction is fast becoming a big business opportunity, and some of the most visionary billionaires on the planet are racing to see who can corner the market on commercial space flight. As SpaceX manages to invent entirely unprecedented technology, rival Virgin Galactic is taking an entirely different approach. Virgin Galactic’s ships and plans are as distinct as their signature CEO, Richard Branson. The company is focusing on luxury, rather than cool science. In a widely-reported unveiling, Branson’s space tourism outfit revealed a series of high-end amenities awaiting deep-pocketed clients at Spaceport America, the company’s New Mexico facilities. According to current plans, guests secured seats on the 90-minute supersonic flights for…
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