Scott Monty

Time to Reassess Real-Time Marketing

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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mjioP1ZRwbA/VM2m9qTh15I/AAAAAAAAbjU/bSe1s-GSGEo/s1600/9093351926_8d4430b470_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Here we go again" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mjioP1ZRwbA/VM2m9qTh15I/AAAAAAAAbjU/bSe1s-GSGEo/s1600/9093351926_8d4430b470_o.jpg" height="480" title="Facepalm" width="640" /></a></div>
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When it comes to social media, we've encouraged brands to "join the conversation" and "become more human." But there's a limit. Or there should be.<br />
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Tomorrow is the 49th Super Bowl, and in the minds of marketers, it's the anniversary of the Tweet Heard Round the Marketing World - Oreo's "dunk in the dark tweet." And ever since then, everyone's been trying to be Oreo.<br />
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Quite frankly, they need to simply to a better job at <a href="http://www.businessesgrow.com/2015/01/26/chris-brogan/" target="_blank">being themselves</a>.<br />
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You know the humanization thing has gone too far when you've taken your product - an inanimate object with no emotions (or even eyes!) and not only named him, but appointed him your social media voice.<br />
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To wit: Tostino's own Pete Zarroll. Now, for you football fans, that does not rhyme with Pete Carroll. It's the anthropomorphic version of "pizza roll." Yes, that's right.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YOC-Puf-on8/VM2jEeAbETI/AAAAAAAAbi4/morEoWNwYO0/s1600/Tostinos.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YOC-Puf-on8/VM2jEeAbETI/AAAAAAAAbi4/morEoWNwYO0/s1600/Tostinos.PNG" height="400" width="290" /></a></div>
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Well, this evening - a full 24 hours before the Super Bowl - <a href="http://twitter.com/totinos" target="_blank">Totino's managed to post all of their tweets</a>, which were scheduled and clearly meant for the Big Game as part of a "real-time marketing" effort (full screenshot below). And after the entire barrage was posted, the account still hasn't noticed or deleted the tweets.<br />
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So either this is the worst case of managing an automated content feed, or we've been played into noticing it and talking about Totino's. Either way, it's a shame. It insults consumers' intelligence and it's insulting to the marketing community.<br />
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First of all, brands should not be planning out exactly what they're saying in a commentary like this. The nature of Twitter is that it's reactive and immediate. It's like practicing a standup routine before a party and just showing up and performing it without any regard to anyone else at the party. [Ref. the <a href="http://tomfishburne.com/2014/09/socialmedia.html?utm_content=buffer7fdd3&utm_medium=social&utm_source=app.net&utm_campaign=buffer" target="_blank">Seven Deadly Sins of Social Media</a> by Tom Fishburne]<br />
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And let's give Totino's credit for being clever and creating a fake crisis the day before the flurry of ads. What did they gain? The adage that "any PR is good PR" is something that likely emanated from the mouth of its ad agency, if that's the case. Frankly, this doesn't do them any favors. It gets people to assume they're clueless about how to run their account.<br />
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Best comment I saw came from a Facebook friend:<br />
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<i>"well, a day early, their feed is more delicious than their snacks."</i></h4>
Whatever the "strategy" here (and I use the term loosely), in neither case does it make me want to go out and buy their product. Sorry, Pete. You won't be able to scream as a gnash you up and throw you down my gullet.<br />
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Call me a humanist.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u15JE4XCK3Y/VM2mVt7rG5I/AAAAAAAAbjM/0WQCZeJhyrY/s1600/Pete%2BZaroll%2B%2B%40totinos%2B%2B%2B%2BTwitter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u15JE4XCK3Y/VM2mVt7rG5I/AAAAAAAAbjM/0WQCZeJhyrY/s1600/Pete%2BZaroll%2B%2B%40totinos%2B%2B%2B%2BTwitter.png" /></a></div>
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://flic.kr/p/eRxNHL" target="_blank">Ron Mader (Flickr)</a></i><br />
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Time to Reassess Real-Time Marketing

When it comes to social media, we've encouraged brands to "join the conversation" and "become more human." But th...

This Week in Digital - January 30, 2015

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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9vu70mhPGcg/VMtcl3VnOVI/AAAAAAAAbFI/jICSafsMAk4/s1600/Appeal%2Bto%2Bthe%2Bthree%2Bzones.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The three zones where humans are vulnerable to brand overtures" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9vu70mhPGcg/VMtcl3VnOVI/AAAAAAAAbFI/jICSafsMAk4/s1600/Appeal%2Bto%2Bthe%2Bthree%2Bzones.PNG" height="352" title="Appeal to human instinct" width="640" /></a></div>
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You may have heard the Super Bowl is upon us, AOL: Rise of the Machines,  where were you when Facebook went down? Twitter ramps up its product development while Facebook ramps up real-time content and ads, Snapchat and Tumblr launch new features, podcast listening is up, the rise of  freelance influencers, a new resource to bolster your marketing analytics mind, 16 things, grappling with authenticity 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 />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
And if you like this newsletter/update, please consider mentioning it to @ShortyAwards, who are looking for the best #BusinessBlogger content <a href="http://shortyw.in/businessblogger">http://shortyw.in/businessblogger</a>  </h4>
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<h4>
<b>Industry </b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Many brands wonder why it is that they don't see results in social media or online communities. This story effectively illustrates why you have to actually participate, not "get your message out" or "get people to talk" for you. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/dad-tries-world-of-warcraft-after-son-passes-away-players-respond-2015-1?r=US">It's a story of belonging</a>. (Business Insider) </li>
<li><a href="http://recode.net/2015/01/25/as-ad-business-shifts-to-machines-aol-restructures-its-sales-staff-in-a-major-reorg/">AOL is reorganizing its sales staff</a> as it feels the effect of programmatic advertising. (re/code) </li>
<li>Also feeling the effects of the market is <a href="http://www.itworld.com/article/2875112/ibm-is-about-to-get-hit-with-a-massive-reorg-and-layoffs.html">IBM, which is expected to reorganize amid massive layoffs</a> after machine computing taking second chair to cloud computing. (IT World) </li>
<li>Amazon is getting into enterprise email, as it <a href="http://thenextweb.com/apps/2015/01/28/amazon-launches-workmail-email-service-companies/">launches an email service for companies</a>. (The Next Web) </li>
<li>Super Bowl XLIX is upon us, and that means so are the ads. Here's <a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/news/best-super-bowl-ads-2015">the full roundup of Super Bowl commercials</a>. (Esquire) </li>
<li>And if you're really into Super Bowl ads, <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/cmo/2015/01/29/attention-football-hating-tv-commercial-lovers-this-dish-is-for-you/">Dish TV is featuring Reverse Auto-Hop</a> on its popular Hopper ad skipper. The catch? This one skips the Big Game in favor of only playing commercials. (WSJ CMO Blog) </li>
<li>When asking "who do you trust most?" the answer used to be the media; however, now it seems that <a href="http://www.marketingcharts.com/traditional/traditional-media-no-longer-most-trusted-for-news-and-information-50761/">more people trust search engines</a>. (Marketing Charts) </li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GRDXFa3eh_M/VMtXopukEOI/AAAAAAAAbE0/UUsDMG3TIRs/s1600/Edelman-Most-Trusted-Sources-General-News-Info-Jan2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Results from the 2015 Edelman Trust Barometer" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GRDXFa3eh_M/VMtXopukEOI/AAAAAAAAbE0/UUsDMG3TIRs/s1600/Edelman-Most-Trusted-Sources-General-News-Info-Jan2015.png" height="377" title="Most trusted source of news and information" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Platforms</b></h4>
<ul>
<li><b>Facebook</b></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/26/disaster/">Facebook and Instagram went down earlier this week</a> - the victim of a DDoS attack, some say. Facebook denies this (TechCrunch)</li>
<li>Facebook has launched <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/28/7928613/facebook-super-bowl-XLIX-hub">a Super Bowl hub</a> in time for the big game. All content related to the event will be at <a href="http://facebook.com/superbowl">facebook.com/superbowl</a>. (The Verge)</li>
<li>In addition, Facebook is squarely going after Twitter as it offers real-time ad targeting during the Super Bowl based on what people are talking about. (Reuters)</li>
<li>First they came for YouTube and I said nothing. Then they came for Twitter and I said nothing. Now <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/01/29/facebook-invades-yelp-foursquare-territory-with-geo-specific-place-tips-for-iphone/">Facebook is aiming its sights at Yelp and Foursquare</a> as it gives location-specific place tips for iPhone users. (Venture Beat)</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Twitter</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Twitter is releasing <a href="https://blog.twitter.com/2015/now-on-twitter-group-direct-messages-and-mobile-video-capture">group direct messaging and 30-second video</a> direct on the platform (Twitter blog)  </li>
</ul>
<li>Snapchat introduced <a href="http://blog.snapchat.com/post/109302961090/introducing-discover">Discover, a way to find content from a variety of editorial teams</a>. We assume that this will include the $750,000 ad buys from brands as well. (Snapchat blog)</li>
<li><a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/01/23/pinterest-wants-more-men-and-itll-filter-out-the-girly-stuff-for-them/">Pinterest needs more men</a> - and is willing to filter out the "girlie" stuff to get them. (Venture Beat)</li>
<li><a href="http://adage.com/article/digital/q-a-medium-founder-ev-williams/296823/">Medium does not to ad deals based on number of impressions</a>; instead, it relies on TTR - total time read. (AdAge)</li>
<li>Could Medium be in for some competition? Tumblr is introducing new features that include <a href="http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/01/28/tumblr-introduces-new-interface-designed-long-form-writing/">the ability to host long-form writing</a>. The question remains whether gif-happy Tumblr users are ready for long-form content. (The Next Web)</li>
</ul>
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<b>Collaborative Economy</b></h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/01/is-uber-a-middle-class-job-creator-or-not/384763">The Uber Economy</a> - Is the company destroying full-time work, entrenching us in part-time purgatory, or empowering America's most independent workers? (The Atlantic)</li>
<li>We're bound to see a lot of "Uber for _____" this year; here's one: <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/27/roadie-launches-as-the-uber-for-shipping-and-delivery/">Roadie, the Uber for shipping, has launched</a>. (TechCrunch)</li>
<li>Remember social media influencers? Well, the collaborative/maker movement is birthing <a href="http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2015/01/26/a-new-industry-these-groups-love-freelancers/">a cadre of influential freelancers whose impact may be more immediate</a>. (Web Strategy)</li>
</ul>
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<b>Audio</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Americans listen to <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/americans-listen-21-million-hours-podcasts-every-day-cutting-radio-research-finds-1792814">21 million hours of podcasts every day</a>. (International Business Times)</li>
</ul>
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<b>Metrics / Measurement / Big Data</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Digital analytics can be insanely complicated. But <a href="http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/complete-digital-analytics-ecosystem-how-to-win-big/">Avinash Kaushik breaks it down into understandable bits</a>. (Occam's Razor)</li>
<li>If you're in the PR industry, have you heard of the Barcelona Principles? Originally drafted in 2010, they're an advancement on previous thinking. And yet <a href="http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/17984.aspx">PR measurement is still broken - so how to fix it</a>? (PR Daily)</li>
<li>If you're tired of trying to justify the impact of Facebook activity on your bottom line, you'll want to read this: Facebook announced <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/heres-how-facebook-plans-help-brands-find-out-when-their-ads-actually-worked-162577">Lift, a feature that helps brands understand the financial impact of their efforts</a>. (Adweek)</li>
<li>Want to go from data zero to marketing hero? <a href="http://www.marketingbluebelt.com/">Chris Penn's new ebook Marketing Blue Belt is just the thing you need</a>.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://www.marketingbluebelt.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BwK6JMAdfu4/VMtYah2or4I/AAAAAAAAbE8/KtQcPUl0bFU/s1600/Blue-Belt-Cover.jpg" height="400" width="257" /></a></div>
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<b>Content</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>You're a brand that's in the midst of embracing a newsroom strategy. But <a href="http://contently.com/strategist/2015/01/21/build-vs-buy-why-top-brands-are-leaning-on-freelancers-to-build-hybrid-newsrooms/?goal=0_bc3967cef4-829ee23bf2-314974901">should you build it or buy it?</a> Either way, freelancers are the answer. (Contently)</li>
</ul>
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<h4>
<b>When You Have Time: Essential Reading / Listening / Watching</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Andreessen Horowitz have listed their <a href="http://a16z.com/2015/01/22/16-things/">16 things</a> that have their attention. Good categories overall - worth a dive into each. (a16z)</li>
<li>Blogging pioneer <a href="http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2015/01/28/a-note-to-my-readers/">Andrew Sullivan has decided to stop blogging</a>, citing nearly 15 years of nonstop daily writing and a desire to get his life back. (The Dish)</li>
<li>Two on authenticity: <a href="https://hbr.org/2015/01/the-authenticity-paradox">The Authenticity Paradox</a> that looks at how important it is for leaders to understand the power and limitations of authenticity; and <a href="https://hbr.org/2005/12/managing-authenticity-the-paradox-of-great-leadership">Managing Authenticity: The Paradox of Great Leadership</a> is about understanding your strengths and limitations and controlling your emotions at the right time. (Harvard Business Review)</li>
<li>Trademark analyst Scott Galloway takes a look at the waxing and waning of the "four horsemen" of innovation: Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Google - and what it means for the future of the marketplace <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCvwCcEP74Q&feature=share">in this 15 minute thought-starter</a>. Of note it how businesses appeal to three things:</li>
<ul>
<li>Th instinct to survive (head)</li>
<li>The ability to love (heart)</li>
<li>The desire to propagate (libido)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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And, just to check if you've read this far, here's the money quote from the video above:<br />
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"As you move down the torso, the margins get better." [<a href="http://ctt.ec/36ub4" target="_blank">Click to tweet</a>]</h4>
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This Week in Digital - January 30, 2015

You may have heard the Super Bowl is upon us, AOL: Rise of the Machines, where were you when Facebook went down? Twitter ramps up its pr...

This Week in Digital - January 23, 2015

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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QOdcVeqhsw8/VMLO7VSR6nI/AAAAAAAAa2k/DkuH2mO59xU/s1600/Global%2BDigital%2BSocial%2BStats%2B2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Global internet, mobile digital and social usage 2015 by country" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QOdcVeqhsw8/VMLO7VSR6nI/AAAAAAAAa2k/DkuH2mO59xU/s1600/Global%2BDigital%2BSocial%2BStats%2B2015.png" height="480" title="Global Digital Social Statistics 2015" width="640" /></a></div>
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Statistics on global social and digital scene, frequency of social platform use, a teen's firsthand take on which platforms are essential, Amazon heads to the movies, Snapchat unapologetically charges an obscene fee for ads, Twitter conquers FOMO, Ubernomics is a thing and we should be concerned, why hearing is believing, what to do with all of that big data, how the New York Times is coming along with its digital transformation and more, it's <i>This Week in Digital</i>.<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 />
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<b>
Industry </b></h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/backchannel/a-teenagers-view-on-social-media-1df945c09ac6">A two-parter</a> on a teenager's <a href="https://medium.com/backchannel/what-teens-really-think-about-youtube-google-reddit-and-other-social-media-a7263924a506">view of social media</a> is an interesting look - if only a single data point - into how the networks fare in the eyes of those under 20. tl;dr - Facebook is dead, Instagram is king, they're just as befuddled by Twitter as you, Snapchat is up and coming, Tumblr is great for anonymity, Medium is the preferred blogging platform, Google+ is a ghost town, and YouTube, Vine and Reddit are places where they consume a lot of content. (Medium) </li>
<ul>
<li>And what would a opinion piece be without <a href="https://gigaom.com/2015/01/12/when-it-comes-to-social-media-teens-are-not-all-created-equal/?post_id=504597536_10152241458027537#_=_">criticism from a sociologist</a>? (GigaOm) </li>
</ul>
<li>A new report indicates that <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Want-Reach-Millennials-Say-Hello-Snapchat/1011871/3">if you want to reach Millenials, reach for Snapchat</a>, with the best breakdown of Snapchat user data and demographics that we've seen yet. (eMarketer) </li>
<ul>
<li>Related: <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/snapchat-asks-brands-750000-advertise-and-wont-budge-162359">Snapchat is charging brands $750,000 per ad</a>. Why? Because it can. (Adweek)</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Netflix took on original programming, but <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-making-movies-for-theaters-2015-1">Amazon is going one further</a> by committing to making 12 motion pictures a year for theatrical release. (Business Insider) </li>
<li>It should be no surprise that more people use multiple social media sites than previously. <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/09/frequency-of-social-media-use-2/">Here's the latest research</a> on exactly what's popular, the frequency of use, and cross-platform use of social media platforms. (Pew Internet) </li>
<li>One of the most comprehensive updates on the global digital and social industry is out. There are breakdowns by region, country, device, ecommerce, social, digital, time spent, web traffic and much more. (We Are Social)</li>
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<b>Platforms </b></h4>
<ul>
<li><b>Facebook </b></li>
<ul>
<li>With an increasing focus on video and on native advertising, you knew it was only a matter of time before <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Whats-Future-of-Facebook-Native-Video-Ads/1011894?ecid=SOC1001">Facebook's native video ads became a thing</a>. (eMarketer) </li>
<li>Facebook is clamping down on junk content and <a href="http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2015/01/news-feed-fyi-showing-fewer-hoaxes/">has changed its algorithm to show fewer hoaxes</a>. (Facebook) </li>
<li>Yammer now has a significant competitor in <a href="http://recode.net/2015/01/14/facebook-sort-of-launches-facebook-work/">Facebook at Work</a>. (re/code) </li>
<li>Is Facebook <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/4/7488495/facebook-is-the-new-aol">the new AOL?</a> (The Verge) </li>
<li>If so, <a href="http://www.businessesgrow.com/2015/01/06/what-will-replace-facebook/">what will replace it?</a> (Businesses Grow) </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Twitter </b></li>
<ul>
<li>Take that, FOMO! <a href="https://blog.twitter.com/2015/while-you-were-away-0">The "While You Were Away" feature is rolling out on Twitter</a>, surfacing tweets that you may have missed on those few moments you take the phone away from your face. (Twitter) </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://recode.net/2015/01/21/flipboard-adds-a-new-native-ad-option/">Flipboard is getting into the native ad business</a> with its "Promoted Items." (re/code) </li>
<li>Pinterest has a challenge: with still 71% its user base as female (and 42% of the female Internet population using it), <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/pinterests-problem-getting-men-to-commit-1421944331">it needs to man up</a>. (WSJ) </li>
<ul>
<li>Forrester Research says <a href="http://www.targetmarketingmag.com/article/pinterest-marketing-forrester-says-cool-it-now/1">Pinterest needs to get its house in order</a> - particularly around ad targeting - before chasing more ad revenue. (Target Marketing Mag) </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-active-users-2015-1">The numbers are in for Google+</a> and they don't look too encouraging: just 9% of Google's 2.2 billion active users. (Business Insider) </li>
<li>It seems counter-intuitive as the world is becoming increasingly mobile, but <a href="http://blog.whatsapp.com/614/WhatsApp-Web">WhatsApp is now available through a web browser</a>. (WhatsApp) </li>
<li>Not all channels are created the same. Have you considered <a href="http://www.shiftcomm.com/2015/01/whats-your-multi-channel-social-media-strategy/">your multi-channel social media strategy</a>? (SHIFT Communications)</li>
</ul>
<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
<b>
Collaborative Economy </b></h4>
<ul>
<li><b>Uber </b></li>
<ul>
<li>Worth a deep read is <a href="https://bobsullivan.net/gotchas/the-6-reasons-ubernomics-could-be-fatal-to-itself-its-customers-and-mass-transit/">this piece on what is being called "Ubernomics."</a> The theory is that Uber and other ride sharing services are not financially sustainable and will erode the entire transportation sector over time. (Bob Sullivan) </li>
<li>To that point: <a href="http://recode.net/2015/01/18/uber-wants-to-create-50000-jobs-take-400000-cars-off-the-road-in-europe-this-year/">Uber wants to create 50,000 jobs and take 400,000 vehicles off the road in Europe</a> this year. (re/code) </li>
<li>Uber is getting into the logistics business <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/08/uber-cargo/">in Hong Kong with Uber Cargo</a>. (TechCrunch) </li>
<li>Uber and Lyft drivers <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/01/the-rideshare-guy/">love reading the Rideshare Guy's blog</a>. He's got some of the most consistently good advice about how to get the most out of working for the ridesharing companies. (Wired) </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/01/08/messaging-giant-line-takes-on-uber-with-the-launch-of-line-taxi-in-tokyo/">The messaging app Line is getting into ridesharing in Japan</a> to compete with the others. (Venture Beat) </li>
<li>Airbnb wants prettier photos, so <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/12/31/airbnb-scan-photos/">it's using scanning technology</a> to enhance them. (Mashable) </li>
<li>Need money for  an app? No, there's not an app for that. But there's <a href="http://crowdfundinghacks.com/how-to-crowdfund-an-app/">advice on getting your app crowdfunded</a>. (Crowdfunding Hacks) </li>
<li>Jeremiah Owyang continues to provide updates to his Collaborative Economy spreadsheets. The latest contain <a href="http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2015/01/23/collaborative-economy-spreadsheets-funding-industry-stats-brand-deployments/">funding, industry stats and brand deployments</a>. (Web Strategy)</li>
</ul>
<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
<b>
 Audio </b></h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3040851/why-reddit-is-leaping-into-the-podcast-game?campaign_date=01142014&partner=newsletter&position=anjali">Reddit is getting into podcasting</a> with Upvoted, a show that delves deeper into the stories that have been the most popular on the link-sharing and discovery site. (Fast Company) </li>
<li>The simplicity of audio is turning out to be a big advantage for those who love telling stories. And some new books are going audio-only. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/opinion/sunday/hearing-is-believing.html">Podcasting is leading audio back to prominence</a>. (New York Times) </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
<b>
Metrics / Measurement / Big Data </b></h4>
<ul>
<li>We've previously said that big data is like the weather: everyone's talking about it, but no one's doing anything about it. Turns out that extracting real insight and gaining trust are critical - but not easy. <a href="http://www.altimetergroup.com/2015/01/new-research-what-do-we-do-with-all-this-big-data/">A new report explores what to do with all of this big data</a>. (Altimeter Group) </li>
<li>More advanced skills and front line employees mean <a href="http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/business_technology/getting_big_impact_from_big_data">a bigger impact from big data</a>. (McKinsey) </li>
<li>If you're a communicator, you need to learn Google Analytics. <a href="http://www.prnewsonline.com/water-cooler/2015/01/15/google-for-communicators-a-qa-with-christopher-penn/">Christopher Penn gets into the whats and whys</a>. (PR News) </li>
<li>Finally realizing that its viewership have jobs, <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/cnbc-to-stop-using-nielsen-for-ratings-1420520556">CNBC is no longer using Nielsen to measure out of home viewers</a>. (WSJ) </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
<b>
 Legal / HR </b></h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.marketingprofs.com/opinions/2015/26874/the-no-1-mistake-that-even-some-brilliant-social-media-marketers-make">The top mistake that even seasoned social media marketers make</a> is one that can be easily overcome. (MarketingProfs) </li>
<li>Mark Zuckerberg promised more sharing and connections. Turns out that it may work against certain people, as <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/facebook-now-crops-up-third-5011205">Facebook content is now used in over 33% of divorce cases</a>. (The Mirror) </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
<b>
Content</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Storytelling isn't - or shouldn't be - a platitude from content marketers. <a href="http://www.prnewsonline.com/water-cooler/2015/01/15/google-for-communicators-a-qa-with-christopher-penn/">Stories actually change our brains</a>. (Aeon) </li>
<li>It should be no surprise that the Consumer Electronics Show resulted in some far-fetched as well as some practical tech advancements. Well, here are some <a href="http://contently.com/strategist/2014/10/22/10-tech-trends-that-will-change-content-creation/">tech trends that will affect content development</a>. (Contently) </li>
<li>Having trouble with your content marketing efforts? You might not be committed enough. <a href="http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/content-marketing-proposition/296365/">Either you're all-in or you're out</a>. (AdAge) </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
<b>
 When You Have Time: Essential Reading / Listening / Watching </b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Uber has many supporters, including a legion of amateur economists that have risen to its defense. However, professional economists see things a little differently. <a href="https://bobsullivan.net/gotchas/the-6-reasons-ubernomics-could-be-fatal-to-itself-its-customers-and-mass-transit/">The 6 reasons Ubernomics could be fatal to itself, its customers and mass transit</a>. (Bob Sullivan) </li>
<li>President Obama gave his State of the Union address this week, and the content was seemingly everywhere. David Armano looks at <a href="https://medium.com/@armano/deconstructing-obamas-modern-media-machine-cddabb7060b0">how the White House dominated a fractured modern media landscape</a>. (Medium) </li>
<li>Last year, we analyzed the New York Times digital report in detail. How has the Gray Lady fared since then? <a href="http://digiday.com/publishers/inside-ny-times-audience-development-strategy/">A look inside the NY Times' audience development strategy</a> gives us a sense. (Digiday) </li>
</ul>
<br />
--</div>

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