Scott Monty

This Week in Digital - December 19, 2014

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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1zhPhpMI3Aw/VJRxEHi-S_I/AAAAAAAAZv4/KUuaQPc4SBQ/s1600/7429030628_f12332be90_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1zhPhpMI3Aw/VJRxEHi-S_I/AAAAAAAAZv4/KUuaQPc4SBQ/s1600/7429030628_f12332be90_k.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
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The unending Sony saga, Time goes all-in with digital, Spanish publishers get exactly what they bargained for, marketing skills, companies and trends to watch in 2015, Instagram makes some changes, the future of Secret and Medium, Serial is over, how to get data to make your PR program better, a growing and pervasive lack of trust in the media and more, it's This Week in Digital.  <br />
<br />
A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.  <br />
<br />
Each week, I compose a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, business, digital communications and marketing in order to keep leaders up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in your job. And now you have the option of <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f?sub=968961">subscribing just to this newsletter</a> if you wish. <br />
<br />
If you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links by subscribing to the <a href="http://flip.it/IfN4O">This Week in Digital Magazine</a>.  <br />
<br />
[<i><b>Note</b>: this is the last issue for 2014; while you wait for the return in 2015, we'll still be bookmarking in Flipboard</i>.]<br />
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<br />
<h4>
<b>Industry</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>As you've undoubtedly seen, the Sony Entertainment soap opera rolls on. From damaging emails to financial data and even personal information that was part of the data breach, the film giant's secrets and intellectual property has been laid bare. It hired a high-priced lawyer to order a cease and desist, and then the final nail in the coffin came when the hackers made a reference to September 11, causing Sony to cancel the film's release entirely.</li>
<ul>
<li>Some are calling <a href="http://motherboard.vice.com/read/reaction-to-the-sony-hack-is-beyond-the-realm-of-stupid">the reaction to the hack overblown</a>, citing that this was a cyber attack - not war, not terrorism, but a breach of data (albeit on a massive scale). (Motherboard)</li>
<li>George Clooney, in a staunchly worded letter and an even more remarkable interview <a href="http://deadline.com/2014/12/george-clooney-sony-hollywood-cowardice-north-korea-cyberattack-petition-1201329988/">called for his peers to support Sony to not further cave into the hackers' demands</a> - a request that was completely ignored by the rest of his peers in Hollywood. (Deadline Hollywood)</li>
</ul>
<li>Time Inc.'s chief content officer is meeting the challenges of the digital age <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/time-incs-norman-pearlstine-an-old-media-lion-drives-magazines-into-the-digital-age/2014/12/13/149d1aae-8227-11e4-81fd-8c4814dfa9d7_story.html">with an ultimatum to reporters</a>; Norm Pearlstine says that he has "the right to choose to keep the reporter that is generating a lot of traffic," and presumably to fire those who don't. (Washington Post)</li>
<li>Let's hope Time doesn't pursue Google the way European publishers did. After objecting to Google News providing headlines and snippets of content, a Spanish court ruled that Google could no longer do so; as of Monday, the search giant removed all Spanish publishers from its Google News index. The result: <a href="https://gigaom.com/2014/12/16/traffic-to-spanish-news-publishers-plummets-after-google-move/">traffic to Spanish news sites plummeted</a>. You can't say they didn't see this coming. (GigaOm)</li>
<li>Here are <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyapozin/2014/12/17/15-social-media-companies-to-watch-in-2015/">15 social media companies to watch in 2015</a>. (Forbes)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.holmesreport.com/long-reads/article/5-global-pr-trends-to-watch-in-2015">Five global PR trends to watch in 2015</a> include focusing on micro-networks and seeing more east-meets-west scenarios. (The Holmes Report)</li>
<li>And as we round out the year, Google sums up <a href="https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/year-in-search-2014.html?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRolvKnAZKXonjHpfsX%2B4u4vUa%2Bg38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YEHS8B0aPyQAgobGp5I5FEMSrTYX7Z4t6MIXA%3D%3D#utm_source=2014-dec-think-letter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20141218-think-letter-1B&utm_content=article-2-img" target="_blank">what we searched for in 2014</a>. </li>
</ul>
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<b>Platforms</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>Facebook</b></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/16/enhance-enhance-enhance/">Facebook knows photos better than you</a>. At least that's what their photo auto-enhancing algorithm seems to indicate. (TechCrunch)</li>
<li>As part of the document leak related to Sony, <a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/snapchat-ceo-devastated-by-email-leak-in-sony-hack/#ftag=CADf328eec">Facebook's offer to buy Snapchat was confirmed to have been for about $3 billion</a>.  (CNET)</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Twitter</b></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/twitter-debates-whether-hit-autoplay-videos-compete-facebook-161933">Twitter is considering adding auto-play to its videos</a>. Based on the expected consumer reaction, they haven't yet pulled the trigger on that. (Adweek)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.my/twitter-and-foursquare-partnership-in-2015-2014-12/#ixzz3M6FP1ebx">Foursquare is teaming up with Twitter</a> to provide better location-based details in tweets. (Business Insider)</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Instagram</b></li>
<ul>
<li>A major update to Instagram included <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/12/16/instagram-update-5-new-filters/">five new filters and the ability to hide filters you don't use</a>. (Mashable)</li>
<li>Instagram issued a warning (and followed through) that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chaos-ensues-as-instagram-deletes-millions-of-accounts-2014-12">it would begin deleting spam accounts this week</a>. More sensitive users were quite upset that they would be losing followers - even if those followers were bots and spam accounts. Ah, the logic of the passionate. (Business Insider)</li>
</ul>
<li>Anonymish app Secret, which flew to the top of the charts in March with its ability to post commentaries anonymously, has seen a decline in usage. Now <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/18/7413417/secret-is-re-launching-as-a-faster-anonymous-social-network-with-chat">Secret is set to relaunch as a social network with chat capabilities</a>. (The Verge)</li>
<li>With over 17 million users, Medium is anything but rare; <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/12/19/evan-williams-medium-co-founder-twitter-instagram/20320963/">Ev Williams discusses his plans to make Medium more well done</a> as it has content with deeper meaning that adds to the conversation in more of a monologue form. (USA Today)</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<b>Collaborative Economy</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>Uber</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Not content with storm surge pricing last week, Uber decided that the Sydney hostage crisis made a great opportunity to charge surge prices to downtown customers. While some blamed the algorithm, it was clear that <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/12/14/uber-sydney-surge-pricing/">the promotions team knew exactly what it was doing</a>. (Mashable)</li>
<li>Following news of a rape by an Uber driver in New Delhi last week, we now have a report of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/17/alejandro-done-boston-uber-driver-rapes-passenger_n_6344432.html">an Uber driver in Boston raping a passenger in the back seat</a>. (Huffington Post)</li>
<li>Uber has a head of global safety. Phil Cardenas joined recently after having implemented a safety program at Airbnb. He penned <a href="http://blog.uber.com/safety">a blog post outlining Uber's safety roadmap for 2015</a> which includes: better technology, new screening methodologies for background checks, a 24/7 customer service and support system, and advisory and training partnerships.</li>
<li>There are at least three major car-hailing apps available in China. Last week, Uber and Baidu announced a partnership. Here's <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3040097/app-economy/why-uber-needs-baidu">why Uber needs Baidu</a>. (Fast Company)</li>
</ul>
<li>Could the continued rise of car-sharing apps begin to <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/rise-car-sharing-apps-poses-threat-auto-sector-152349635--finance.html">dent auto companies' revenues</a>? (Reuters)</li>
<li>While the consumer-facing sharing economy companies continue to get a good deal of press, there are <a href="http://www.strategy-business.com/article/00281">peer-to-peer enterprise exchanges that are sprouting up in the B2B space</a>. (strategy+business)</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<h4>
<b>Audio</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Some of <a href="http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/17795.aspx">the best podcasts for communicator</a>s include For Immediate Release, Six Pixels of Separation and The Friday Five, among others. (PR Daily)</li>
<li>Serial is just he beginning. <a href="http://fortune.com/2014/12/18/serial-is-small-podcastone-is-building-a-podcasting-empire/" target="_blank">PodcastOne is building an entire podcast network</a>. (Forbes)</li>
<li>But the Serial podcast was popular enough <a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/6ab2d45a77/the-last-episode-of-serial/">to earn a parody</a>. (Funny or Die)</li>
</ul>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="375" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://www.funnyordie.com/embed/6ab2d45a77" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe><div style="font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0; text-align: left; width: 600px;">
<a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/6ab2d45a77/the-last-episode-of-serial" title="from Funny Or Die, Michaela Watkins, lauren, Kevin Berntson, Travis Helwig, Nicol  Paone, Sean Dacanay, Alex Richanbach, Jason Carden, Matt Sweeney, BoTown Sound, and Chris Poole">The Final Episode Of Serial</a> from <a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/funnyordie">Funny Or Die</a>      <iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?app_id=138711277798&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.funnyordie.com%2Fvideos%2F6ab2d45a77%2Fthe-last-episode-of-serial&send=false&layout=button_count&width=150&show_faces=false&action=like&height=21" style="border: none; height: 21px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: middle; width: 90px;"></iframe></div>
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</b> <br />
<h4>
<b>Metrics / Measurement / Big Data</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Want better PR results? <a href="http://www.shiftcomm.com/2014/12/share-data-better-pr-program/">Get your marketing department to share its data with the communications department</a>. (SHIFT Communications)</li>
<li>Related: if you want to position yourself (and your career) for success, take a look at <a href="http://www.christopherspenn.com/2014/12/the-hottest-marketing-job-skills-of-2015/">the hottest marketing job skills of 2015</a>. (Awaken Your Superhero)</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<h4>
<b>Legal / HR</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Sony's woes continued, with more data being released on its executives, their productions and some of their stars. Sony's reaction: <a href="http://krebsonsecurity.com/2014/12/in-damage-control-sony-targets-reporters/">hire a high-priced lawyer to demand media companies to take down the information</a> and to "arrange for and supervise the destruction of all copies" (Krebs on Security)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>Content</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>As you might imagine, some of the most powerful ideas are conveyed through TED Talks. Enjoy the best of the best in <a href="http://yearinideas.ted.com/2014/">The Year in Ideas: TED Talks in 2014</a>. (TED)</li>
</ul>
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<h4>
<b>When You Have Time: Essential Reading / Listening / Watching</b> </h4>
There seems to be some trust issues in the media of late. Issues that cause us to question the integrity  of some journalists and publications. It seems to be some combination of laziness (perhaps beholden to tight timing?) and lack of ethics. Here are some of the more recent cases:<br />
<ul>
<li>Rolling Stone published the earth-shattering "A Rape on Campus," detailing the sexual assault of a female student at the hands of some fraternity brothers. The magazine published "<a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/a-note-to-our-readers-20141205">A Note to our Readers</a>" (never a good sign) in which the editors admitted that they couldn't verify the sources. (Rolling Stone) </li>
<li>Actress/activist (actrivist?) Lena Dunham wrote a book that described a forced sexual situation with a college associate named "Barry," <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/12/08/lena-dunhams-publisher-says-her-alleged-rapist-barry-wasnt-actually-named-barry/">who turned out to be unidentifiable</a>. Other details of her story didn't line up either, making some question her tale overall. (Washington Post) </li>
<li>The publishers at Penguin claimed that a new book by vlogging star Zoella was debuting with better results than JK Rowling's first Harry Potter book. After extensive publicity about Zoella's first book, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2863959/Vlogging-star-Zoella-accused-using-ghostwriter-record-breaking-debut-sold-78-000-publishers-admit-did-not-write-book-own.html?ito=social-facebook">the publisher was forced to admit that the singer "did not write the book on her own</a>." (Daily Mail) </li>
<li>Earlier this week, a high school student said that he earned over $72 million by making investments through his investment club. <a href="http://observer.com/2014/12/exclusive-new-york-mags-boy-genius-investor-made-it-all-up/">He later came clean, admitting that he made it all up</a>. (New York Observer) </li>
</ul>
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This Week in Digital - December 19, 2014

The unending Sony saga, Time goes all-in with digital, Spanish publishers get exactly what they bargained for, marketing skills, companie...

This Week in Digital - December 12, 2014

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<br />
Uber's no-good, horrible, very bad week, more 2015 predictions than you can shake a stick at, putting the 'no' in innovation, updates to Facebook's search tool, Instagram surpasses Twitter but Twitter doesn't care, the biggest media company of the future, the data behind binge listening to podcasts, understanding the quality of your audience, the FTC cracks down on agency social media activity, the evolution of the collaborative economy and more, it's <b><i>This Week in Digital</i></b>.  <br />
<br />
A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.  <br />
<br />
Each week, I compose a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, business, digital communications and marketing in order to keep leaders up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in your job. And now you have the option of <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f?sub=968961">subscribing just to this newsletter</a> if you wish. <br />
<br />
If you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links by subscribing to the <a href="http://flip.it/IfN4O">This Week in Digital Magazine</a>.  <br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>Industry</b> </h4>
<ul>
<li>It's nearly 2015, and that means the usual trope of predictive posts are already out there. But this one is unlike the others. Shel Holtz takes a look at <a href="http://cw.iabc.com/2014/12/01/tech-talk-15-predictions-2015/" target="_blank">15 of the essential things communicators and marketers should focus on in 2015</a>. (IABC's Communication World Magazine) </li>
<li>And for a look at mobile, Aaron Strout rounded up a number of heavy-hitters to determine <a href="http://marketingland.com/2015-mobilelocation-based-predictions-10-experts-109650" target="_blank">mobile/location-based predictions for 2015</a>. (Marketing Land) </li>
<li>As long as you're thinking about the end of the year, consider these <a href="http://www.christopherspenn.com/2014/12/5-email-marketing-year-end-tasks/">five email marketing year end tasks</a> to keep your list on the high functioning end. (Awaken Your Superhero) </li>
<li>The <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141208023131-455189-meet-the-sherlock-holmes-of-digital-marketing" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes of digital marketing</a> believes in being consumer obsessed, not killing the butterfly and connecting the dots, among other things. (LinkedIn Pulse) </li>
<li>Related: don't <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jm4mD1Pzmg">put the 'no' in innovation</a>. (YouTube)  </li>
</ul>
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<h4>
<b>Platforms </b></h4>
<ul>
<li><b>Facebook </b></li>
<ul>
<li>You can finally search for more than just friends or pages on Facebook - <a href="http://searchengineland.com/facebook-search-finally-lets-search-posts-210308" target="_blank">now you can search for posts</a>. (Search Engine Land) </li>
<li>Facebook is promising a number of new features and <a href="http://media.fb.com/2014/12/10/new-tools-and-insights-for-publishers-2/">improvements to its publisher tool</a>, including improved Insights, Interest Tagging and Post End Date that will allow publishers to have time-sensitive material phase out. (Facebook Media) </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Twitter </b></li>
<ul>
<li>Hachette is experimenting with Twitter, <a href="http://searchengineland.com/facebook-search-finally-lets-search-posts-210308" target="_blank">allowing authors to sell books from directly within tweets</a>, keeping users on the site the entire time. (New York Times) </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Instagram</b> </li>
<ul>
<li>The photo-sharing app announced that it will now offer verified accounts <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/10/not-a-fad/" target="_blank">and has surpassed 300 million users</a>, making it larger than Twitter. (TechCrunch) </li>
<li>Twitter's Ev Williams <a href="http://fortune.com/2014/12/11/twitter-evan-williams-instagram/">isn't fazed</a>. (Fortune) </li>
<li>For a little fun, check out <a href="http://www.dailydot.com/technology/instagram-instabattle-web-app/?fb=dd" target="_blank">Instabattle</a>, that site that pits Intagram accounts against each other. (Daily Dot) </li>
</ul>
<li>In an effort to keep top talent from posting on other video channels, <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/youtube-offering-its-stars-bonuses-1417994309" target="_blank">YouTube is offering incentives and bonus</a> to some of its top stars. (WSJ - subscription required) </li>
<li>And it's probably worth their while to stick around. Jeffrey Katzenberg predicts that "Within five years, <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/12/15/hollywood-vine" target="_blank">YouTube will be the biggest media platform of any</a>, by far, in the entire world."   (The New Yorker) </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>Collaborative Economy </b></h4>
<ul>
<li><b>Uber </b></li>
<ul>
<li>Uber has had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. The transportation disruptor was under scrutiny as one of its drivers in India was <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/07/us-india-rape-uber-arrest-idUSKBN0JL0IK20141207" target="_blank">arrested for allegedly raping a passenger</a> (Reuters), which resulted in <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/12/08/uber-banned-from-operating-in-new-delhi/" target="_blank">officials banning Uber in Dehli</a>. (WSJ India RealTime) </li>
<li>On top of that, Uber has been <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/08/uber-holland-uberpop/" target="_blank">banned in The Netherlands</a>, Spain and Thailand (TechCrunch) and has <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2014/12/defiant_uber_rideshare_launche.html">launched in Portland, OR without regulatory approval</a> from the city. (Oregon Live) </li>
<li>And Uber is being sued in its home state as Los Angeles and San Francisco <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/10/ubers-bad-week-california-prosecutors-lawsuit-unlawful-practices" target="_blank">for unlawful practices</a>. (The Guardian) </li>
<li>Speaking of San Francisco, the storm that hit the city <a href="http://sfist.com/2014/12/11/despite_promise_not_to_price_gouge.php" target="_blank">resulted in some significant surge pricing</a>, despite Uber's pledge to refrain from inflating prices due to "abnormal disruptions in the market" that came out of a New York lawsuit. (SFist) </li>
<li>An enterprising individual even created a site that tracks price surges during weather: <a href="http://uberstormsurge.com/" target="_blank">UberStormSurge.com</a>. </li>
<li>Proof that Uber is moving into the logistics business: they've just launched <a href="http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-uber-launches-food-delivery-service-uberfresh-20141208-story.html">UberFresh, a $3 food delivery service in the Los Angeles area</a>. (Los Angeles Times) </li>
<li>China's <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/12/baiduber/" target="_blank">Baidu is investing some $600 million</a> in a partnership with Uber. (TechCrunch)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Home grocery service <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/05/instacart-2b-kleiner/" target="_blank">Instacart has raised $100M on a $2B valuation</a>. (TechCrunch) </li>
<li>If Instacart reminds you of WebVan (for those of you around in the late 1990s and early 2000s), it should. The problem with all of the web-based services back then: <a href="http://www.wired.com/2014/12/da-bom/" target="_blank">we weren't ready for them</a>. (Wired) </li>
<li>We're seeing a shifting of power now that is transforming business. While it's not a utopian dream, neither is it the end of business as we know it. It's important to understand <a href="https://hbr.org/2014/12/understanding-new-power" target="_blank">the New Power</a>. (Harvard Business Review) </li>
</ul>
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<h4>
<b>Audio </b></h4>
<ul>
<li>What are <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3038746/the-8-best-podcasts-for-business-savvy-listeners" target="_blank">the best podcasts for business-savvy listeners</a>? They include HBR's Ideacast, Marketing Smarts, the $100 MBA and Duct Tape Marketing, among others.  (Fast Company) </li>
<li>In a recent issue, we mentioned Serial being the House of Cards for podcasting; <a href="https://medium.com/@Stitcher/binge-listening-is-the-new-black-d9fff5cca915" target="_blank">this report from Stitcher looks at the data behind binge listening</a> with tips on frequency, length and more. (Medium) </li>
<li><a href="http://mashable.com/2014/12/11/best-buy-serial-tweet/" target="_blank">Best Buy found itself in hot water this week</a>. One of its stores plays a crucial role in Serial, and the company tweeted, "We have something you need. Unless it's a payphone. #Serial" Critics were outraged and the company pulled the tweet. (Mashable) </li>
<ul>
<li>There was no such backlash for Sesame Street, however.  </li>
</ul>
</ul>
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Is it Thursday yet? <a href="http://t.co/8RNA0Z6RcV">pic.twitter.com/8RNA0Z6RcV</a><br />
— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) <a href="https://twitter.com/sesamestreet/status/542794195107213313">December 10, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<b>Metrics / Measurement / Big Data </b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Who's going to make the best CEOs of the future? Because of increased reliance on the importance of data, <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/linkedin-exec-says-marketers-make-best-ceos-161819" target="_blank">it's likely to be the CMO</a>. (Adweek) </li>
<li>Related: <a href="http://amzn.to/12jKaFK" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Big Data-Driven Business: How to Use Big Data to Win Customers, Beat Competitors, and Boost Profits</i></a> by Russell Glass (Amazon affiliate link) </li>
<li>You may have an audience, but is it the right one? Here's how to measure <a href="http://www.shiftcomm.com/2014/12/measure-quality-audience/" target="_blank">the quality of your audience</a>. (SHIFT Comm) </li>
<li>One of the quickest ways to get to better insights: <a href="http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/data-visualization-inspiration-analysis-insights-action-faster/" target="_blank">visualize your data</a>. (Occam's Razor) </li>
</ul>
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<h4>
<b>Legal / HR </b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Just because you work at an agency doesn't mean you can flaunt the FTC rules regarding social media and promotional material. The FTC has ruled that <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/ftc-no-agencies-cant-ask-staffers-casually-tweet-nice-things-about-clients-161755" target="_blank">agency employees - much like brand employees - must disclose a relationship with the brand</a> for full transparency. (Adweek) </li>
</ul>
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<h4>
<b>Content </b></h4>
<ul>
<li>The Future of Marketing series continues with <a href="http://www.shiftcomm.com/2014/12/future-marketing-mitch-joel/" target="_blank">Christopher Penn interviewing Mitch Joel</a>. (SHIFT Communications) </li>
</ul>
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<h4>
<b>When You Have Time: Essential Reading / Listening / Watching </b></h4>
<ul>
<li>LeWeb took place in Paris earlier this week, and for us one the highlights was seeing the output of Jeremiah Owyang's presentation on the Collaborative Economy. Jeremiah celebrated the first anniversary of Crowd Companies, which was launched at last year's LeWeb (disclosure: I am on the board of advisors for Crowd Companies). Calling 2015 <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/jeremiah_owyang/leweb-deck-2015-the-year-of-the-crowd">The Year of the Crowd</a>, Jeremiah outlined exactly how robust the market is (over 9,000 startups with over $8 billion in funding) <a href="http://upstart.bizjournals.com/companies/startups/2013/12/11/big-business-learns-to-share.html" target="_blank">and got some nice coverage out of it</a>. (Slideshare and Upstart Business Journal)  </li>
</ul>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="420" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/42386449" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="510"> </iframe> <div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/jeremiah_owyang/leweb-deck-2015-the-year-of-the-crowd" target="_blank" title="LeWeb Deck: 2015 The Year of the Crowd">LeWeb Deck: 2015 The Year of the Crowd</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/jeremiah_owyang" target="_blank">Jeremiah Owyang</a></strong> </div>
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<ul>
<li>The original structure of the collaborative economy has grown as well: the 6-hexagon honeycomb has doubled: the original categories of Goods, Food, Services, Transportation, Space, and Money have been joined by: Health and Wellness, Logistics, Utilities, Corporate, Municipal and Learning. <a href="http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2014/12/07/collaborative-economy-honeycomb-2-watch-it-grow/" target="_blank">Read about the full impact on Jeremiah's site</a>. (Web-Strategist) </li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i7hrZddI3Cc/VJCrEXpzWAI/AAAAAAAAZtY/spcvqRjNRQA/s1600/Collaborative%2BEconomy%2B2.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The evolution of the collaborative economy" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i7hrZddI3Cc/VJCrEXpzWAI/AAAAAAAAZtY/spcvqRjNRQA/s1600/Collaborative%2BEconomy%2B2.0.jpg" height="640" title="Collaborative Economy Honeycomb 2.0" width="458" /></a></div>
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This Week in Digital - December 12, 2014

Uber's no-good, horrible, very bad week, more 2015 predictions than you can shake a stick at, putting the 'no' in innovation,...

This Week in Digital - December 5, 2014

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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0W2LLgTAxWo/VIHz5LcBgGI/AAAAAAAAZoA/MpFbF1wKq4A/s1600/Beat%2Bup%2Bcar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beat up car in LEGO bricks" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0W2LLgTAxWo/VIHz5LcBgGI/AAAAAAAAZoA/MpFbF1wKq4A/s1600/Beat%2Bup%2Bcar.jpg" height="230" title="Beat up car" width="640" /></a></div>
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Disruption hits the New York Times, the real story behind Apple Pay, Facebook makes privacy changes (again), Twitter makes it easier to deal with abuse, the quiet success that is Medium, going viral with audio, Uber takes a beating but bounces back and Lyft bounces higher, dark social and its impact, creating a culture of content, the reason it's hard to recognize genius, why PR is best left to the professionals and more, it's <b><i>This Week in Digital</i></b>.  <br />
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A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.  <br />
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Each week, I compose a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, business, digital communications and marketing in order to keep leaders up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in your job. And now you have the option of <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f?sub=968961" target="_blank">just subscribing to this newsletter</a> if you wish. <br />
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If you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links by subscribing to the <a href="http://flip.it/IfN4O" target="_blank">This Week in Digital Magazine</a>.  <br />
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<b><i>Two notes</i></b>: <br />
<ol>
<li>Because of last week's holiday, there are more articles in the Flipboard magazine than could be accommodated here; please be sure to check it out. </li>
<li>In the last few weeks, a section on Audio has been added, owing to the increased attention on podcasting and other audio content. </li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And if you wouldn't mind answering <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HTNTL79" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a simple, one-question survey about this weekly update</a>, it would be greatly appreciated.</span></div>
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<h3>
<b>Industry </b></h3>
<ul>
<li><i>The New York Times</i> is going through some <strike>layoffs</strike> buyouts. Here's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/business/media/when-the-forces-of-disruption-hit-home.html" target="_blank">a view of disruption from the inside</a> by David Carr. (NY Times) </li>
<li>It may surprise you to learn that industrial behemoth <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/ge-touts-its-new-media-cred-1417482888" target="_blank">General Electric gets new media</a> - unless you've been following their extraordinary exploits. (WSJ - subscription required; alt: Google the article in an incognito window) </li>
<li>A new role for authors: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/fashion/got-a-best-seller-chipotle-may-come-calling.html" target="_blank">as Chipotle copywriters</a>. See how the stories get from their brains to your bags at the fast food darling. (NY Times) </li>
<li>Don't try this at home: tech PR is a job <a href="https://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/startup-coo-accidentally-proves-the-value-of-tech-pr_b103929" target="_blank">best left to the professionals</a>. (PRNewser) </li>
<li>Apple Pay is not a battle for cashless payments; it's part of <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/11/27/identity-wars-why-apple-pay-is-about-more-than-payments/" target="_blank">the battle for identity</a>. (TechCrunch) </li>
</ul>
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<h3>
<b>Platforms </b></h3>
<ul>
<li><b>Facebook </b></li>
<ul>
<li>You've probably already told off a friend or two about the copy-and-paste Facebook Privacy hoax that's making the rounds this week. Still, it's probably wise to have a deeper understanding of <a href="https://somelaw.wordpress.com/2014/12/02/the-sky-is-not-falling-your-guide-to-the-new-facebook-terms/" target="_blank">what the recent Facebook Privacy setting changes mean</a>. (SoMeLaw Thoughts) </li>
<li>If you use Facebook Ads - particularly the Power Editor - here are <a href="https://econsultancy.com/blog/65841-four-recent-improvements-to-the-facebook-ad-platform" target="_blank">four improvements to the platform</a> you should be aware of. (Econsultancy) </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Twitter </b></li>
<ul>
<li>While working on a deal or deals, the CFO of Twitter inadvertently made public a message that was meant to be a DM. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-cfo-dm-fail-again-2014-11" target="_blank">Twice</a>. The question is whether this was an intentional leak or simply a misuse of the platform. (Business Insider) </li>
<li>Twitter released <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/2/7317955/twitter-releases-improved-tools-for-reporting-abuse-and-harassment" target="_blank">an improved way to block and report accounts</a> that abuse and harass. (The Verge) </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Instagram </b></li>
<ul>
<li>In a move to make itself relevant in the digital era, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/04/technology/innovationnation/polaroid-socialmatic-camera/" target="_blank">Polaroid is launching Socialmatic</a>, its $299 instant camera that connects to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter via wifi. And true to form, it comes with a lens on the back for selfies. (CNN Money) </li>
<li><a href="http://mashable.com/2014/12/04/brands-ruling-instagram/" target="_blank">Six brands that are killing it on Instagram</a> include National Geographic, GoPro and Intel (yes, B2B brands can be relevant on Instagram). See what separates the great from the good. (Mashable) </li>
<li>IKEA is experimenting with <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/06/30/ikea-instagram-website/" target="_blank">creating an online catalog</a> with Instagram accounts. (Mashable) </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.inc.com/welcome.html?destination=http://www.inc.com/oscar-raymundo/tumblr-doubled-its-users.html" target="_blank">Tumblr is growing in active users faster</a> than Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or Pinterest. (Inc.) </li>
<li>Don't forget about Medium. It's a really strong platform for writers that is clean, well integrated with social channels, and full of interactivity. <a href="https://medium.com/@kyle_coffee/medium-its-getting-big-af66cfe69504" target="_blank">And it's getting big</a>. [<i>Does that mean we'll have to call it Large one day?</i>] (Medium) </li>
</ul>
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<h3>
<b>Collaborative Economy</b> </h3>
<ul>
<li><b>Uber </b></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-just-raised-12-billion-2014-12" target="_blank">Uber has raised another $1.2 billion</a> and is now valued at $41 billion. It has pledged to become <a href="http://blog.uber.com/ride-ahead" target="_blank">smarter and more humble</a> [<i>which admittedly would require the existence of some humility to begin with</i>] as part of its internal changes. (Business Insider and Uber) </li>
<li>Could any of this sudden self-reflection be the result of <a href="http://recode.net/2014/12/03/uber-saw-a-small-dip-in-growth-during-its-bad-press-week/" target="_blank">a dip in business due to the negative press</a> about the company in the last two weeks? (re/code) </li>
<li>Even so, a survey indicates that <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhuet/2014/11/25/uber-driver-survey/" target="_blank">half of Uber drivers are likely to drive less</a> for the company after the revelations. (Forbes) </li>
<li>A case for <a href="https://medium.com/@blakeross/uber-gov-29db5fdff372" target="_blank">why Uber beats government-regulated bodies</a> every time.<i> Hint: two years to agree on the wording on a foam-padded poster is not part if its business plan</i>. (Medium) </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Lyft </b></li>
<ul>
<li>Undaunted, <a href="http://time.com/3616382/lyft-co-founder-ubers-strategy/" target="_blank">Lyft is having some of the best weeks</a> in its history. (TIME) </li>
<li>The company just named <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-04/lyft-names-new-finance-marketing-executives.html" target="_blank">Kira Wampler as its new CMO and Brian Roberts as CFO</a>. (Bloomberg) </li>
</ul>
<li>Joel Comm - communications professional <a href="http://joelcomm.com/my-life-as-an-uber-driver.html">who documented his life as an Uber driver</a> - insists that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-newman/people-make-the-world-go-_b_6236986.html" target="_blank">it's people, not technology, that matter in the sharing economy</a>. (Huffington Post) </li>
<li>Airbnb recently held a conference for some 1,300 hosts; in case you needed proof, here's what <a href="https://hbr.org/2014/11/what-airbnb-gets-about-culture-that-uber-doesnt" target="_blank">Airbnb understands about culture that of Uber doesn't</a>. (HBR) </li>
</ul>
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<h3>
<b>Audio </b></h3>
<ul>
<li>Going viral isn't just for memes, videos or cute gifs. <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/12/01/367804000/did-you-hear-going-viral-no-longer-just-for-videos-memes%20" target="_blank">More evidence that audio is having a renaissance</a>. (NPR) </li>
<li>In an effort to boost more premium subscribers, <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/12/04/spotify-3-months-premium/" target="_blank">Spotify is offering three months of its Premium service for $0.99</a>. This is a clever move in association with the holidays, as app downloads will spike and, like heroin, users will get hooked on the service cheaply. (Mashable) </li>
<li>Much like House of Cards on Netflix, it may turn out that <a href="http://kdvr.com/2014/12/04/serial-will-make-podcasts-more-profitable/" target="_blank">the Serial podcast will be responsible for the legitimization of podcasting</a> (including profitability). (KDVR)</li>
</ul>
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<h3>
<b>Metrics / Measurement / Big Data </b></h3>
<ul>
<li>Hubspot redesigned its blog. <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/2014-hubspot-blog-redesign" target="_blank">Using data</a>. (Hubspot) </li>
<li>There are market research professionals for a reason. One of them is to <a href="http://www.research-live.com/opinion/the-dangers-of-diy-research/4012578.article" target="_blank">prevent do-it-yourself research from leading people astray</a>. (Research.) </li>
<li>Did you know that many of the ads served on the web never appear on a screen? Or that vertical ads perform better? Check out the <a href="https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/infographics/5-factors-of-viewability.html" target="_blank">five factors of ad viewability</a>. (Think with Google) </li>
<li>Not all social media activity is measurable; <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/239139/study-sheds-new-light-on-dark-social-finds-cons.html" target="_blank">"dark social" accounts for far more activity</a> than consumers give it credit for. (MediaPost) </li>
<li>Here's a handy guide for the uninitiated: <a href="http://www.shiftcomm.com/2014/12/twitter-analytics/" target="_blank">how to use Twitter Analytics</a>. (SHIFT Communications) </li>
</ul>
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<h3>
<b>Legal / HR</b> </h3>
<ul>
<li>Apple is part of an antitrust class action lawsuit that claims the tech giant <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/12/03/apple-deleted-rivals-songs-from-users-ipods/" target="_blank">deleted songs on iPod owners' devices from competing music services without permission</a>. (WSJ Digits) </li>
<li>Flickr is taking a little heat after <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/fight-over-flickrs-use-of-photos-1416875564" target="_blank">selling photos of users</a> who didn't secure their rights. (WSJ) </li>
<li>Working virtually is not always easy; if you manage or are part of a virtual team, <a href="https://hbr.org/2014/12/getting-virtual-teams-right" target="_blank">here are some tips for getting it right</a>. (HBR) </li>
</ul>
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<h3>
<b>Content </b></h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.toprankblog.com/2014/12/culture-of-content/" target="_blank">The culture of content</a> is an important factor in planning your content strategy. Driven by people, processes and inspiration, it's important to set the tone in order to get strong results. The Altimeter Group has a report out on the topic. (Top Rank Blog) </li>
<li>It's never too late to start a blog; if you're just starting out <a href="http://www.businessesgrow.com/2014/11/25/starting-blog-scratch/" target="_blank">there are still some things to consider</a>, such as broad vs. niche, growing your audience and how to think about SEO. ({grow}) </li>
</ul>
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<h3>
<b>When You Have Time: Essential Reading / Listening / Watching</b> </h3>
<ul>
<li>Not every CEO is created equal, and that's certainly the case on social media. <a href="https://hbr.org/2014/12/the-7-attributes-of-ceos-who-get-social-media" target="_blank">The Seven Attributes of CEOs Who Get Social Media</a> lays out some common threads in their personalities, including insatiable curiosity, connecting rather than promoting, and having an OPEN (Ordinary People, Extraordinary Network) mindset. (HBR) </li>
<li>Amidst all of our advances in data, ad technology, automation and the like, we've lost something. <a href="http://digiday.com/brands/lets-make-social-media-human/" target="_blank">How to make social human again</a>. (Digiday) </li>
<li>One of Seth Godin's books was called <a href="http://amzn.to/1rWVljK" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Linchpin</i></a>. It was about the people who make connections in organizations (and I'm proud to have been <a href="http://jackiehuba.com/2010/01/5-questions-with-linchpin-author-seth-godin.html">called out</a>). Now you can learn <a href="http://www.twistimage.com/blog/archives/become-a-connector/">how to become a connector through Seth's online course at Skillshare</a>. (Twist Image)</li>
<li>What's coming next? SHIFT's series on <a href="http://www.shiftcomm.com/2014/12/future-marketing-tamsen-webster/" target="_blank">the Future of Marketing</a> is a good way to find out. And the latest installment with Tamsen Webster is a gem. (SHIFT Communications)</li>
<li><a href="http://contently.com/strategist/2014/11/20/the-biggest-reason-its-hard-to-recognize-genius/" target="_blank">The Biggest Reason It's Hard to Recognize Genius</a>. (Contently) </li>
</ul>
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Put another way: </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">"Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius." </span>[<a href="http://ctt.ec/0hXEd" target="_blank">click to tweet</a>]</b></div>
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- Sherlock Holmes </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/atin800/">Âtin</a> (Flickr)</span></i><br />
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This Week in Digital - December 5, 2014

Disruption hits the New York Times, the real story behind Apple Pay, Facebook makes privacy changes (again), Twitter makes it easier to d...

Scott Monty - Strategic Communications & Leadership Advisor

This Week in Digital - December 19, 2014

This Week in Digital - December 12, 2014

This Week in Digital - December 5, 2014

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