Scott Monty

The Week in Digital - August 31, 2015

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Over 1 billion served on Monday, the New York Times increasingly relies on...email? how T-Mobile changed the wireless industry, giving consumers what they want, the most recent CMO Survey, let M help you out, Tumblr gets more serious about mobile, Uber has hired the two Jeep hackers as security advisors, a network of perpetual rides, New York's answer to Uber, technology and partnerships will boost podcast dominance, how iOS 9 may block more than ads, the FTC announces a Con, how a mid-air monopoly is possible and more, it's <b>The Week in Digital</b>.<br />
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A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.<br />
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Each week, we 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. A new issue is available every Monday morning. Please subscribe - either to <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?sub=95082" target="_blank">the full feed</a> or <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f?sub=968961" target="_blank">just to this newsletter</a> to keep up to date on developments.<br />
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News items are in regular text; <i>additional commentary has been added in italics</i>.<br />
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If you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links - and additional ones - by subscribing to the <i><a href="http://smonty.co/flipdigital" target="_blank">The Week in Digital Magazine</a></i> at <a href="http://smonty.co/flipdigital" target="_blank">smonty.co/flipdigital</a>.<br />
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<i>If you're interested in getting your hands on some books, ebooks or other material that can help you become a smarter communicator or marketer, please see our <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/recommend.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Recommended Reading</a> section.</i></h3>
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<b>Industry</b></h4>
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<li>Facebook reached a significant milestone last week: one in seven people - that's about 15% of the world's population - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10102329188394581?_rdr=p" target="_blank">logged onto Facebook in a single day</a>. <i>If you haven't figured out how or why your brand needs to be on Facebook yet, then you'll probably never do it. It's Facebook's world and we're just living in it</i>. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">You're likely a fan of newsletters if you subscribe to this one, so this news should be no surprise to you: the New York Times has changed up its newsletter structure - which typically followed the sections of the paper - and is now seeing <a href="http://digiday.com/publishers/new-york-times-gets-70-percent-open-rate-newsletters/" target="_blank">an open rate of more than 70%</a>.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Chalk one up for the little guy. T-Mobile made drastic changes to its own wireless offerings - <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/tech/how-t-mobile-changed-the-wireless-industry-and-127690231194.html" target="_blank">and affected how the entire wireless industry has reacted</a>. How did they do it? By listening to customers and giving them what they wanted. <i>That's how you do customer experience</i>.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">While we're at it, here are <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2015/07/27/5-things-that-are-killing-your-customer-experience/" target="_blank">five things that are killing your customer experience</a>.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/consumers-experiences-things/299994/" target="_blank">Consumers want experiences, not things</a> - this includes generations beyond the overhyped Millennials. <i>So give them experiences, already</i>!</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Want better marketing results with higher engagement and response? Try more personalization in a more timely fashion in your efforts. These are among <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Personalization-Drives-Engagement-Conversions/1012914" target="_blank">the top things that consumers want, according to a recent CMO Council study</a>.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">If you run a local business, <b>online reviews</b> can make or break your business: they are <a href="http://www.marketingcharts.com/online/online-customer-reviews-remain-highly-influential-in-consumers-local-business-decisions-58535/" target="_blank">highly influential in consumers' decisions to shop at a local business</a>. </li>
<li>The CMO Survey is updated twice a year and always had insightful nuggets; the <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/christinemoorman/the-cmo-surveyhighlightsandinsightsaug2015" target="_blank">August 2015 release</a> is no different.</li>
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<li>Mobile marketing platforms aren't performing too well currently; <a href="http://www.cmosurvey.org/blog/mobile-spending-to-increase-160-despite-performance-questions/" target="_blank">executives plan to increase spending by 160% on mobile</a>.
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<li><a href="http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/news_events/news-releases/cmo-survey-august-2015/#.VeO_AvZVikr" target="_blank">Social media integration is coming</a>.</li>
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<li>ICYMI, Christopher Penn's ebook series on building your personal marketing expertise is here: <a href="https://gumroad.com/a/326513779/bmWU" target="_blank">Marketing White Belt</a>, <a href="https://gumroad.com/a/326513779/KRTsy" target="_blank">Marketing Red Belt</a>, and <a href="https://gumroad.com/a/326513779/juVS" target="_blank">Marketing Blue Belt</a>. <i>Highly recommended (and one of our affiliate partners).</i></li>
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<b>Platforms</b></h4>
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<li><b>Google</b></li>
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<li>YouTube creators are a singular bunch. But a very powerful one. That's why Google has <a href="https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/how-agencies-can-successfully-partner-with-new-culture-makers.html?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRoguarJZKXonjHpfsX+4u4vUa+g38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YYEScV0aPyQAgobGp5I5FEMSrTYX7Z4t6MIXA%3D%3D" target="_blank">a formula for agencies looking to partner with YouTube creators</a>. </li>
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<li><b>Twitter</b></li>
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<li>Twitter web users will now <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/08/24/twitters-web-users-will-now-get-desktop-notifications-for-direct-messages/" target="_blank">get desktop notification for direct messages</a>. <i>This, along with the extension of DMs beyond 140 characters, reinforces the company's commitment to Twitter as a messaging service that will compete with Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and others</i>.</li>
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<li><b>Facebook</b></li>
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<li> Facebook announced that it is launching <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/08/facebook-launches-m-new-kind-virtual-assistant/" target="_blank">M, a virtual assistant that will add a distinctly human touch</a> to voice commands through its Messenger app. A combination of Siri and a concierge, as M will be a hybrid of artificial intelligence and human interaction. While the feature will only be available to a few hundred people in the San Francisco area to begin, the machine learning backed by real people will become more sophisticated to the point where it can scale. <i>Consider the point in the above <b>Industry </b>section that personalization matters and imagine how a brand can offer this kind of service to certain customers and you've got a winning combination</i>.</li>
<li>With such a push into video over the last year, it's fitting that <a href="http://recode.net/2015/08/27/facebook-says-its-finally-ready-to-start-cracking-down-on-video-pirates/" target="_blank">Facebook is finally cracking down on video piracy</a>. <i>This should give video creators a renewed sense of confidence that Facebook is thinking about their livelihood and what it means to have them as happy contributors to the platform</i>.</li>
<li>The latest Facebook advertising changes are here and <a href="http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/5-facebook-ads-changes-what-marketers-need-to-know/" target="_blank">this is what marketers need to know</a>.</li>
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<li>The Instagram overlords have <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/8/27/9212523/instagram-full-size-photos-portrait-landscape" target="_blank">lifted their ban on non-square photos</a>. Now you can upload portrait or landscape oriented images to the photo-sharing app. <i>Does that mean it's no longer <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB5YkmjalDg" target="_blank">hip to be square</a>?</i></li>
<li><a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/26/yahoo-mobile-developer-conference/" target="_blank">Yahoo is putting more mobile support behind Tumblr</a> with a Tumblr "share" button for mobile apps, as well as real-time analytics and native video ads.</li>
<li>Confused by live mobile video? Here are <a href="http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/6-ways-to-use-periscope-for-your-business/" target="_blank">six ways to use Periscope for your business</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://puremichigan.org/" target="_blank">Pure Michigan</a> is already a leader in many social media platforms; <a href="http://thinkdigital.travel/opinion/pure-michigan-leading-snapchat-generation" target="_blank">its approach to Snapchat is garnering more admiration</a>, both within the travel community and more widely. <i>All hail the victors!</i></li>
<li><a href="http://www.economist.com/news/business/21662543-people-spend-more-time-social-media-advertisers-are-following-them-brand-new-game" target="_blank">The brand game on social media is getting more intense</a> than ever, with more choices in where and how to spend advertising dollars and reach the hearts and minds of consumers.</li>
<li>Here's how much <a href="http://blog.wcgworld.com/2015/08/social-medias-impact-on-communications-and-marketing" target="_blank">social media has impacted communications and marketing</a> over the last 10 years. <i>But <a href="http://withoutbullshit.com/blog/augie-ray-can-we-admit-now-that-social-media-marketing-is-dead/" target="_blank">is it dead yet?</a></i></li>
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<b>Collaborative Economy</b> </h4>
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<li><b>Uber</b></li>
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<li>Uber is <a href="http://mashable.com/2015/08/25/uber-self-driving-cars/" target="_blank">partnering with the University of Arizona on autonomous vehicle research</a>, specifically for mapping and safety purposes.</li>
<li>Having seen the damage done to other automakers, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/28/us-uber-tech-security-idUSKCN0QX2BQ20150828" target="_blank">Uber hired the two vehicle security researchers as top advisors</a> at its Advanced Vehicle Technologies center in Pittsburgh - the same two who wirelessly hacked a Jeep recently. <i>Autonomous vehicles and security go well beyond traditional automakers. With Google, Apple and Uber in the mix, the future of technology and autos is anything but a single industry's bailiwick</i>.</li>
<li>On the other hand, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce gets it: they admit that Uber is here to stay and have <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/uber-airbnb-here-to-stay-so-get-rules-in-place-ontario-chamber-of-commerce-says-1.3201984" target="_blank">urged the province and federal government to get laws and regulations up to speed</a>.</li>
<li>In China, where Tencent has its own ride-hailing app in WeChat called Didi Kuadi, the Internet giant is keeping competition at bay <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-23/in-uber-s-quest-to-win-over-china-tencent-blocks-the-way?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonvajAZKXonjHpfsX54uUuT%2Frn28M3109ad+rmPBy92oEDWp8na+qWCgseOrQ8mFkIV8izUs0TrKM%3D" target="_blank">by actively blocking Uber on WeChat</a>. </li>
<li>Here's how one person <a href="https://medium.com/the-wtf-economy/i-don-t-own-i-uber-68a5f5d8e0ae" target="_blank">disavowed car ownership and uses Uber instead</a>. <i>She's admittedly a San Francisco-based venture capitalist, so take that kind of reality for all that it's worth</i>.</li>
<li>Uber is building <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/johanabhuiyan/uber-is-laying-the-groundwork-for-perpetual-rides-in-san-fra#.vhpDvq24x" target="_blank">a network for perpetual rides</a> in San Francisco. Sounds a bit like Via in New York (mentioned in <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2015/08/the-week-in-digital-august-10-2015.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TWID 8/10/2015</a>), but to tech reporter Jack Smith, <a href="https://twitter.com/JackSmithIV/status/635925087640793088" target="_blank">it sounded more familiar</a>:</li>
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<li>First <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2015/06/this-week-in-digital-june-28-2014.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">French taxi drivers violently protested</a> against UberPOP; now <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11833699/French-restaurateurs-urge-ban-on-Uber-style-meal-sharing-websites.html" target="_blank">French restauranteurs want the government to ban meal-sharing site VizEat</a> from allowing locals to welcome people into their homes for a meal. <i>Once again, the country that helped Americans during the War of Indepdendence and whose national motto is "Liberté, égalité, fraternité" ("liberty, equality, brotherhood") is standing as a roadblock to something that could benefit its citizens and visitors. Vive la révolution!</i></li>
<li>New York City's taxi industry isn't taking the ride-hailing revolution lying down. They've developed <a href="http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20150827/BLOGS04/150829899/meet-the-taxi-industrys-last-best-hope-to-survive-uber-age" target="_blank">Arro, an Uber competitor that works with yellow cabs</a>. The designers claim that is is faster, cheaper and more reliable than Uber — and notably, doesn't have surge pricing. Beta testing is underway on 7,000 cabs and it will launch in a few weeks. <i>Does the home town incumbent have an advantage here, both with vehicle availability and price competition? Or perhaps they are misjudging why people use Uber—not just for the convenience, but because of an inherently better experience <b>in the vehicle itself</b>. Only when NYC taxis have improved their riding experience, from driver civility to vehicle cleanliness and more, will Arro have a shot</i>. </li>
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<b>Audio</b></h4>
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<li>Bookmark this one: <a href="http://www.niemanlab.org/2015/08/how-podcasters-are-turning-to-new-technologies-and-partnerships-to-introduce-programmatic-ads/" target="_blank">podcasters are turning to technology and partnerships</a> to broaden the advertising options available to them.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/27/prs-for-music-takes-legal-action-against-soundcloud" target="_blank">SoundCloud is on the receiving end of a lawsuit</a> in which British performing rights organization PRS is filing on behalf of artists who aren't being paid for their music on SoundCloud.<i> Here we have yet another instance of a global legal issue that goes beyond the boundaries of a U.S.-based company</i>.</li>
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<b>Content</b></h4>
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<li>Here's a simple way to <a href="http://chrisbrogan.com/contentmarketinglaunch/" target="_blank">launch a content platform in just two days</a>.</li>
<li>Science nerds need stories too. And when you take the time to think through your story arc and put together a meaningful plan for your audience, <a href="http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2015/08/storytelling-response-science/" target="_blank">the response will reflect your efforts</a>, as it did with a 125 year-old engineering company.</li>
<li>These <a href="http://marketingland.com/jump-start-content-marketing-4-strategies-139191" target="_blank">four strategies will help you kick-start your content marketing efforts</a> into gear.</li>
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<b>Metrics / Measurement / Data</b></h4>
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<li>Content blocking is coming in Apple's iOS 9, and that means that <a href="http://thenextweb.com/apple/2015/08/27/content-blocking-in-ios-9-is-going-to-screw-up-way-more-than-just-ads/" target="_blank">more than ads will be blocked</a>: so will Google Analytics, Optimizely and other marketing analytics platforms that could completely upend the analytics system you've built. <i>Ultimately, if ads are shut off and measurement is uncertain, the digital ad industry could face a crisis of confidence and of effectiveness that could lead to more drastic actions by media companies and publications that could effect the availability of free content</i>.</li>
<li>But that doesn't stop the flood of money that's headed toward marketing analytics in the coming three years: according to a new research report, <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/08/21/new-research-companies-plan-to-massively-increase-spend-on-marketing-analytics/" target="_blank">brands plan to increase spending by 73% in the next three years</a>. Big brands in the B2C arena plan to increase spending by 100%. </li>
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<b>Privacy / Security / Legal</b></h4>
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<li><a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/08/28/ceo-of-ashley-madison-steps-down-after-catastrophic-hack/" target="_blank">Noel Biderman has resigned as CEO of Avid Life Media</a>, the parent company of Ashley Madison, after the catastrophic data breach and subsequent leak. <i>The company will undoubtedly have a difficult job recruiting a replacement, as its reputation is in tatters - both as from an information technology perspective and a moral perspective</i>.</li>
<li>The FTC is getting serious about privacy as it announced <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/08/op-ed-us-tech-policy-needs-real-tech-research-behind-it-ftc-chairwoman-says/" target="_blank">PrivacyCon</a>, a forum to be held in Washington, DC on January 14, 2016. <i>But will cosplay be encouraged? And if so, will everyone look <a href="https://twitter.com/simpsonsqotd/status/341192733639188481" target="_blank">like this</a>?</i></li>
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<b>When You Have the Time: Essential Watching / Listening / Reading</b> </h4>
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<li>Did you ever wonder why in-flight wifi is so slow and expensive? Yes, it's a matter of more people trying to check Facebook, email and fantasy football stats and a single entity controlling the access - but the <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2015-gogo-airplane-wireless-internet/" target="_blank">speed and pricing are a more intricate balance than you might think</a>. It's like surge pricing with Uber, but there's never more bandwidth deployed when users have to pay more. <i>I'm okay with a few hours of being unplugged - as long as the airlines don't allow the latest social media "guru" to livestream on Blab, Periscope or Meerkat next to me</i>.</li>
<li>Think Silicon Valley is the only place for innovative startups? Try Columbus, Ohio - or any major Midwest city - where access to capital is growing, entrepreneurs are solving real-world problems, and the cost of living is reasonable. Here's <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/08/30/why-i-just-moved-from-silicon-valley-to-ohio/" target="_blank">how one venture capital partner relocated from Silicon Valley to Ohio</a>. <i>It's also a reason I'm still based in Michigan and proudly advising <a href="http://www.rpmvc.com/" target="_blank">RPM Ventures</a> in Ann Arbor</i>. </li>
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The Week in Digital - August 31, 2015

Over 1 billion served on Monday, the New York Times increasingly relies on...email? how T-Mobile changed the wireless industry, givin...

The Week in Digital - August 24, 2015

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The cord-cutting apocalypse is upon us, the New York Times thinks it went too far with Amazon, the most overhyped technologies of 2015 (and we're just a little more than halfway through the year!), the latest mobile and social data from Pew, get your marketing belt on, Google and Uber both have a thing for India, brands get GIFs on Facebook, Uber will go public within two years, Airbnb and Tesla get charged up, content marketing doesn't work, Ashley Madison resorts to DCMA notices to protect its data, the scorched earth approach to strategy and more, it's <b>The Week in Digital</b>.<br />
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A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.<br />
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Each week, we 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. A new issue is available every Monday morning. Please subscribe - either to <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?sub=95082" target="_blank">the full feed</a> or <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f?sub=968961" target="_blank">just to this newsletter</a> to keep up to date on developments.<br />
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If you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links - and additional ones - by subscribing to the <i><a href="http://smonty.co/flipdigital" target="_blank">The Week in Digital Magazine</a></i> at <a href="http://smonty.co/flipdigital" target="_blank">smonty.co/flipdigital</a>.<br />
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If you like what you see here, you can pledge as little as $1 a month to help support the discovery, curation, editing and writing that goes into creating this newsletter by <a href="https://www.patreon.com/scottmonty?ty=h" target="_blank">going to our Patreon page</a>.<br />
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News items are in regular text; <i>additional commentary has been added in italics</i>.<br />
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<i>If you're interested in getting your hands on some books, ebooks or other material that can help you become a smarter communicator or marketer, please see our <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/recommend.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Recommended Reading</a> section.</i></h3>
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<b>Industry</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>The cord-cutting apocalypse is now a reality: f<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cable-tv-subscribers-plunging-2015-8" target="_blank">or the first half of 2015, the number of traditional cable subscribers shrunk</a>.</li>
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<li>With all of the streaming options out there, <a href="http://okaydoak.com/2015/08/19/how-to-cut-cable-when-youre-a-tv-addict/" target="_blank">it's not that difficult to cut the cord</a> - even for a TV addict.</li>
<li>Comcast is getting serious <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/cmo/2015/08/17/comcasts-watchable-streaming-portal-to-give-creators-a-bigger-cut-of-ad-revenue/" target="_blank">about its streaming portal Watchable</a>: it plans to give video creators a bigger cut of ad revenue than Facebook or YouTube.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, Comcast is <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/08/21/comcast-xfinity-share-wide-release/" target="_blank">releasing its livestream sharing app Xfinity Share</a> so customers can stream videos on their TVs as well as TVs of other subscribers. <i>Think about this for a moment: at the very time that Periscope, Meerkat, Blab and other mobile livestream video apps are launching, now <b>you have the ability to broadcast live video directly to the television of someone you know</b></i>.</li>
</ul>
<li>After the New York Times' <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/technology/inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-in-a-bruising-workplace.html?WT.nav=top-news&action=click&module=photo-spot-region&pgtype=Homepage&region=top-news&_r=0" target="_blank">scathing story on Amazon's workplace</a>, even its editor Margaret Sullivan agreed with some pundits who had a problem <a href="http://buzzmachine.com/2015/08/16/hacking-amazons-jungle-coverage/" target="_blank">with the balance of the story</a>, noting that <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2015/08/18/media/new-york-times-amazon-margaret-sullivan/" target="_blank">it was a little light on proof, relying more on "generalization and anecdote."</a></li>
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<li>However, the headline from The Onion didn't seem all that farfetched in the aftermath: <a href="http://www.theonion.com/article/jeff-bezos-assures-amazon-employees-hr-working-100-51121" target="_blank">Jeff Bezos Assures Amazon Employees That HR Working 100 Hours a Week to Address Their Complaints</a>. </li>
<li><i>Whether it's this specific news or something negative about another major brand, society has a tendency to believe the worst about a company - particularly when the company is large. Think Walmart, GM or Google. Regardless of how committed a company is to improving the world in which we live or giving back to the communities in which they do business, the prevailing reaction amid a crisis is schadenfreude. Society takes glee in the misfortune of successful companies. How do you get around that? It helps to have a human face - or many - interacting with customers day after day and making it a more relatable entity. </i></li>
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<li>One of the best companies around in customer service is none other than a bank. <a href="http://www.marketingmag.ca/consumer/td-banks-winning-approach-to-customer-service-qa-154642" target="_blank">TD Bank celebrates its customers every day</a>.</li>
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<i>Quick - can you name the five most overhyped technologies of 2015? </i><i>The answer is below in the final section.*</i></h4>
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<li style="text-align: left;">The latest <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/08/19/mobile-messaging-and-social-media-2015/" target="_blank">study on mobile messaging from the Pew Research Center</a> indicates that 36% of smartphone owners use some sort of messaging app such as WhatsApp, Kik or iMessage.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Half of smartphone owners age 18-49 use messaging apps.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">41% use apps that automatically delete messages.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">85% of adults are Internet users and 67% are smartphone users. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">25% of online adults have commented on some discussion site, with 15% regularly using Digg, reddit or Slashdot; 23% of 18-29 year-olds frequent them.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Facebook sees 72% of adult Internet users and 82% of 18 to 29 year-olds.</li>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ryE0pFt2LQM/VdrAnCKzoAI/AAAAAAAAh3Y/rRdGNmyk7_c/s1600/2015-08-19_social-media-update_03.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ryE0pFt2LQM/VdrAnCKzoAI/AAAAAAAAh3Y/rRdGNmyk7_c/s1600/2015-08-19_social-media-update_03.png" /></a></div>
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<li style="text-align: left;">In a move that solidifies two social relationship management companies with excellent reputations, <a href="https://www.spredfast.com/social-marketing-blog/spredfast-acquires-shoutlet" target="_blank">Spredfast acquired Shoutlet</a>. </li>
<li>In the previous weeks, we shared Christopher Penn's ebook series on marketing expertise: <a href="https://gumroad.com/a/326513779/bmWU" target="_blank">Marketing White Belt</a>, <a href="https://gumroad.com/a/326513779/KRTsy" target="_blank">Marketing Red Belt</a>, and <a href="https://gumroad.com/a/326513779/juVS" target="_blank">Marketing Blue Belt</a>. <i>Highly recommended (and one of our affiliate partners).</i></li>
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<b>Platforms</b></h4>
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<li><b>Google</b></li>
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<li>Not content with allowing Facebook to dominate the historical look at your timeline, Google Photos are introducing <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/20/google-photos-introduces-rediscover-this-day-to-help-you-reminisce/" target="_blank">Rediscover This Day</a> to allow you to reminisce over photos taken in years past on a given date. </li>
<li>Google is offering OnHub, <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/08/google-onhub-wi-fi-router/" target="_blank">a stylish wifi router for your home</a> for just $199. It's designed to be easy to use and foolproof for better reception. This is likely a support to Google's continued push into the fiber market. <i>And before you ask, no, it won't be doing anything creepy like listening to you</i>.</li>
<li>India is a growth market for Google: <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/18/google-is-opening-a-youtube-production-studio-in-mumbai-india/#.fvmhl3:d4z1" target="_blank">YouTube has opened a production studio in Mumbai</a>, looking to court up-and-coming Indian video stars. <i>What's the digital version of Bollywood?</i></li>
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<li><b>Twitter</b></li>
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<li>Twitter content will now appear <a href="http://thenextweb.com/google/2015/08/21/google-integrates-twitter-into-its-desktop-search-results/" target="_blank">in Google search results on desktops</a>. </li>
<li>Twitter Audience Platform expands ads beyond the app and website, and means that the company's network<a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/20/twitter-audience-platform/#.fvmhl3:FEfd" target="_blank"> may appeal to a broader group of advertisers</a>. <i>This could help Twitter's growth issues of late by getting more of its content in front of non-users</i>.</li>
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<li><b>Facebook</b></li>
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<li>Remember Facebook Notes? They're baaaack. Well, they never went away, technically. But they're coming back <a href="http://thenextweb.com/facebook/2015/08/17/through-the-medium-of-facebook/" target="_blank">in a format that makes them competitive with Medium</a>, a simple and clean blogging platform. This could make users' relationship with Facebook <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/08/facebook-and-the-personal-press-release-notes-medium/401855/" target="_blank">much deeper and involved</a>.</li>
<li>Who's getting the better deal on consumers' relationship with Facebook? With all of your data being gobbled up by Facebook and being used to get paid content in front of you, some think <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/facebook-should-pay-all-of-us" target="_blank">Facebook should be paying us</a>.</li>
<li>Well, it's finally happening. Facebook is opening up <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/20/facebook-gif-ads/" target="_blank">animated GIFs for brands to use in Page posts and ads</a>. <i>Let us know if you see the Four Horsemen on the horizon</i>.</li>
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<li>Forrester Research recommends that <a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/nate_elliott/15-08-17-social_marketers_give_away_your_ad_budget" target="_blank">social marketers give up their ad budgets</a> and hand the money over to the practitioners that really know how to make ad budgets work: media buyers.</li>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PHVfjtg6U9w/VdqtvAzhbOI/AAAAAAAAh3I/ZgqK0V4jhtw/s1600/mediateamsspendsocialadbudgetsbetter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PHVfjtg6U9w/VdqtvAzhbOI/AAAAAAAAh3I/ZgqK0V4jhtw/s640/mediateamsspendsocialadbudgetsbetter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Collaborative Economy</b> </h4>
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<li><b>Uber</b></li>
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<li>Another month, another leaked Uber presentation. This one is fairly significant, though: <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/21/uber-plans-to-go-public-in-12-18-months-according-to-leaked-presentation/" target="_blank">Uber is planning to go public in 18-24 month</a>s and is on track to make over $10 billion this year. <i>While there may be many unicorns currently and the market may be ready for a correction, we think Uber is immune because of its scale and demand for its services. As long as it can continue to show growth and innovation, it's a keeper</i>.</li>
<li>It's clear: California hates Uber. The district attorneys of Los Angeles and San Francisco think the ride hailing company is lax in its background checks, as they've unearthed <a href="http://recode.net/2015/08/19/la-and-sf-das-a-killer-a-burglar-and-a-kidnapper-all-drove-for-uber/?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonvajLZKXonjHpfsX54uUuT%2Frn28M3109ad+rmPBy92oICWp8na+qWCgseOrQ8mFkIV8izUs0TrKM%3D" target="_blank">a killer, a kidnapper and a burglar who drove for Uber</a>. <i>That's kind of unfair. These guys could have jobs almost anywhere</i>.</li>
<li>Uber continues its push into India with <a href="http://mashable.com/2015/08/19/uber-investment-india/" target="_blank">a significant investment from none other than a subsidiary of the Tata Group</a>. With 150,000 drivers across 18 Indian cities and a market share of over 35% in the country, Uber has made a splash in just two years in the country.</li>
<li>As if that isn't a positive enough indicator, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/22/business/international/uber-plans-wifi-in-india-cars.html?_r=0" target="_blank">Uber also plans to offer free wifi in cars for customers in India</a>.</li>
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<li><b>Airbnb</b></li>
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<li>Here's how Airbnb is beating Uber at its own game in China. Rather than trying to build an inventory by recruiting within and travelers <i>to</i> the country, <a href="http://recode.net/2015/08/19/airbnbs-clever-strategy-in-china-may-outshine-uber/?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonvajLZKXonjHpfsX54uUuT%2Frn28M3109ad+rmPBy92oICWp8na+qWCgseOrQ8mFkIV8izUs0TrKM%3D" target="_blank">Airbnb is focusing on travelers <i>from</i> China</a>.</li>
<li>Here's an interesting collaboration: <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/08/20/airbnb-tesla-partner/" target="_blank">Tesla is working with Airbnb</a> to make road trips easier for its electric car owners. The automaker is giving Airbnb hosts free home charging stations to allow its drivers to plug in while they're staying at Airbnb. <i>Smart move. It capitalizes on the overlap of customers (a likely thing, given the Silicon Valley origin of each) And it's a clever way to market to Airbnb hosts without getting them to come out to do a test drive.</i></li>
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<li>You know who benefits from the collaborative economy more than hipster? <a href="http://time.com/money/4005009/sharing-economy-senior-citizens-uber-airbnb/?xid=tcoshare" target="_blank">Seniors</a>. That's right, the over-60 crowd account for 10% of Airbnb hosts and the 50+ crowd make up some 25% of Uber's drivers. <i>In many ways, they're a perfect demographic for the gig economy: they have free time and may be looking for ways to supplement their income with part-time work</i>. </li>
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<b>Audio</b></h4>
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<li>Check out Howl: the distribution solution may be <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3049750/most-creative-people/is-howl-the-netflix-of-podcasts-weve-been-waiting-for" target="_blank">the Netflix of podcasts</a>.</li>
<li>Spotify released an update to its Privacy Policy last week - one that <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/08/cant-squat-spotifys-eerie-new-privacy-policy/" target="_blank">users were powerless to resist</a> that included vague language that made it seem like the app could go through your phone and determine where you are. The CEO quickly got the negative feedback and apologized for being creepy and making it clear that <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2974575/streaming-services/spotify-ceo-sorry-about-our-super-creepy-new-privacy-policy.html" target="_blank">the choice lies in the hands of Spotify's users</a>.</li>
<li>Need a sponsor for a podcast? <a href="http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-tools/how-to-use-big-data-to-find-sponsors-for-your-podcast-and-blog/?mc_cid=8d6f1e1b6c&mc_eid=6b50f1b70a" target="_blank">Big data can help surface some likely suspects</a>.</li>
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<b>Content</b></h4>
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<li>Storytelling as a marketing concept may seem trite and overused, but here's the thing: few are doing it really well. Here are <a href="http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/6667b906-2552-4663-bde8-bbe1bc30f996.aspx" target="_blank">five quotes about storytelling to get you motivated</a>. </li>
<li>This may come as a shock, but <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/miketempleman/2015/08/17/content-marketing-doesnt-work/" target="_blank">content marketing doesn't work</a>. Why? Because it needs high quality content and long-term commitment - both of which require significant time and effort. That means that the automated elements of other areas of marketing - such as SEO or PPC - aren't possible, as you're dealing with emotions and reactions of readers. <i>Unless you're putting in the kind of effort necessary to sustain that, it's likely not working for you</i>.</li>
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<b>Metrics / Measurement / Data</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Here's a way to determine the ROI of social media: <a href="http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20150820/TECHNOLOGY/150819481/bloomberg-lp-will-start-rating-brands-based-on-social-media-feedback" target="_blank">Bloomberg LP is using brands' social media feedback to provide ratings</a> on Bloomberg terminals. Shareablee, a NYC-based startup, is partnering with Bloomberg to provide the data. <i>While innovative and potentially helpful, using a single service to analyze and rank brands is a dangerous precedent. Who's to say that Shareablee's solution is the most accurrate? Much can change over three years - the length of the contract - on the platforms and with the public that could affect how brands are rated. This all-in approach has risks.</i></li>
<li>The old social media ROI - it's a bit of <a href="http://www.business2community.com/b2b-marketing/dark-art-b2b-social-media-roi-01304918" target="_blank">a dark art, but it's possible</a>.</li>
<li>If you're a marketer, you should be investing. Why? <a href="http://thefuturebuzz.com/2015/08/19/why-every-marketer-digital-analyst-should-learn-to-invest/" target="_blank">Because you're already good at spotting trends</a>.</li>
<li>You've heard of a CDO - Chief Digital Officer. But what about the <i>other</i> CDO - <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Firms-Hire-Chief-Data-Officers-Improve-Data-Management/1012875?ecid=NL1001" target="_blank">Chief Data Officer</a>? More companies are investing because of the many disparate sources of data, the need for governance, cost cutting and better utilization of current data.</li>
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<h4>
<b>Privacy / Security / Legal</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>The Ashley Madison data breach got serious, with a verified release of user data - including email addresses of many of its customers. Government officials, businesspeople, celebrities - no one was spared. <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/8/19/9178855/ashley-madison-data-breach-implications" target="_blank">The consequences for its parent company may be catastrophic</a>, as they assured users of the privacy of their data, even offering a "full delete" option that doesn't seem to have worked. A class action lawsuit may be in the works.</li>
<ul>
<li>Meanwhile, Ashley Madison thinks it can stop the conversation about the breach by <a href="http://motherboard.vice.com/read/can-ashley-madison-claim-copyright-on-its-hacked-user-data?trk_source=recommended" target="_blank">claiming copyright and using DMCA notices</a> to try to get the content taken down - even if the content is two cells of an Excel spreadsheet that read "Institution" and "Acct. #." <i>They may have a difficult time proving the proprietary nature of those terms</i>.</li>
</ul>
<li>It's tempting to trade off of something happening to a celebrity in the news. And Safeway has learned that <a href="http://www.esquire.com/sports/a37356/michael-jordan-dominicks-lawsuit/" target="_blank">they can't use Michael Jordan's name to sell steaks</a>, as a subsidiary of the supermarket chain lost an $8.9 lawsuit to the tune for using Jordan's induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame as part of one of their ads. <i>Always get permission. Next time, they'll do it the safe way</i>.</li>
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<b>When You Have the Time: Essential Watching / Listening / Reading</b> </h4>
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<li>Your one article to bookmark this week: one that brings together many disparate facts from the social media industry, telling marketers to throw out what you know - including your existing metrics - in the spirit of <a href="http://www.experiencetheblog.com/2015/08/burn-it-down-start-from-scratch-and.html" target="_blank">building a strategy that serves a business goal</a>. </li>
<li>The trim tab is a small but powerful part of a mighty ship's rudder. <a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/2015/08/21/buckminster-fuller-trim-tab/" target="_blank">Buckminster Fuller waxed poetically on improving your impact on society</a> by doing little things - i.e. by being a trim tab and relying on low pressure to make thing happen: "you build that low pressure by getting rid of a little nonsense, getting rid of things that don’t work and aren’t true until you start to get that trim-tab motion." <i>It truly is the little things that count</i>.</li>
<li>If you're interested in ethical leadership, you could do a lot worse than to study <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/janetstemwedel/2015/08/23/the-philosophy-of-star-trek-the-kobayashi-maru-no-win-scenarios-and-ethical-leadership/" target="_blank">the Kobayashi Maru, the no-win scenario</a> in a Starfleet training exercise in <i>Star Trek</i>. </li>
<li>*Did you guess <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/08/19/here-are-the-five-most-over-hyped-technologies-of-2015-according-to-gartner/" target="_blank">the five most overhyped technologies of 2015</a>? According to Gartner, they are: autonomous vehicles, advanced analytics with self-delivery, the Internet of Things, speech-to-speech translation, and machine learning. <i>What will next year bring</i>?</li>
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<a href="http://smonty.co/announcemt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I consult with agencies and brands to help them improve their corporate and digital acumen</a>. Please <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/contact.html" target="_blank">get in touch</a> if you'd like to put my experience and digital smarts to work on a project, to advise your group, or to address an audience at your next corporate or industry event.</div>
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<i>Top image credit: Pacific Crest via <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cable-tv-subscribers-plunging-2015-8" target="_blank">Business Insider</a></i><br />
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The Week in Digital - August 24, 2015

The cord-cutting apocalypse is upon us, the New York Times thinks it went too far with Amazon, the most overhyped technologies of 201...

The Week in Digital - August 17, 2015

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Google spells out its changes, Apple may be driving sales, NBCUniversal invests in new media, Target troll targets Target trolls, ad blocking may be killing the Internet, using Twitter to get free pizza, Facebook says "haha," the FDA cracks down on Instagram posts, trends in crowdfunding, podcasts as the new blogs, a practical guide to content and metrics, more automotive security issues, Amazon may not be quite as amazing on the inside and more, it's <b>The Week in Digital</b>.<br />
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A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.<br />
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Each week, we 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. Based on subscriber feedback, we're now shifting to a Monday morning release. Please subscribe - either to <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?sub=95082" target="_blank">the full feed</a> or <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f?sub=968961" target="_blank">just to this newsletter</a> to keep up to date on developments.<br />
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If you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links - and additional ones - by subscribing to the <i><a href="http://smonty.co/flipdigital" target="_blank">The Week in Digital Magazine</a></i> at <a href="http://smonty.co/flipdigital" target="_blank">smonty.co/flipdigital</a>.<br />
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<i>If you're interested in getting your hands on some books, ebooks or other material that can help you become a smarter communicator or marketer, please see our <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/recommend.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Recommended Reading</a> section.</i></h3>
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<b>Industry</b></h4>
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<li>Last Monday, Google made <a href="http://investor.google.com/releases/2015/0810.html" target="_blank">a surprise announcement with the formation of Alphabet</a>, a new operating structure that gives the company and its executives the ability to prioritize and compartmentalize operations. </li>
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<li>Here's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-alphabet-diagram-2015-8?IR=T&r=UK" target="_blank">a chart that helps make sense</a> of some of the divisions.</li>
<li>And <a href="http://qz.com/476460/here-are-all-the-alphabet-formerly-google-companies-and-products-from-a-to-z/" target="_blank">Alphabet's products and companies from A to Z</a>.</li>
<li><i>Google has grown tremendously and special pet projects have been distractions or haven't gotten enough attention, and the holding company model is one that will give the company and its executives breathing room and focus</i>.</li>
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<li>It looks like we're about to get another entry in the self-driving car lineup. <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/14/apple-self-driving-car-project-titan-sooner-than-expected" target="_blank">Project Titan is Apple's electric self-driving car</a> and it's farther along than previously expected, according to documents obtained by The Guardian.</li>
<li>Comcast knows a thing or two about video; so its foray into <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/comcast-to-launch-digital-video-platform-watchable-2015-8?op=1" target="_blank">digital video that will rival Facebook and Google</a> makes sense. A key component of that will likely play out with <a href="http://recode.net/2015/08/12/nbcuniversal-buys-big-chunks-of-vox-media-and-buzzfeed/" target="_blank">NBCUniversal's $400 million in deals with Vox Media and BuzzFeed</a> ($200 million each).</li>
<li><a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/mcx-to-begin-public-tests-of-mobile-payment-app-but-faces-hurdles-1439332228" target="_blank">MCX, a mobile payment option to rival Apple Pay</a>, will go into testing in the coming weeks at Walmart, Target and Darden Restaurants locations.</li>
<li>Target had a rough week on Facebook. After the company made decisions around gender-based assignations to some of its departments, the predictable public outcry began. And then an account called "AskFor Help" <span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">—</span> complete with a Target logo <span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">—</span><i> </i>began to troll the complainants, offering up a healthy dose of painful advice and common sense. But it was <a href="http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/target-loved-guy-who-trolled-its-haters-judging-genius-facebook-post-166408" target="_blank">Target's response that was priceless</a>.</li>
<li>Do you use ad blocking technology? You're part of what's <a href="https://hbr.org/2015/08/ad-blockings-unintended-consequences" target="_blank">slowly but surely destroying the web</a>. <i>All of this content doesn't pay for itself, folks. Actually, it does because it's free; but the ad-supported sites don't</i>. </li>
<li>Magazine circulation is down, <a href="http://www.medialifemagazine.com/magazine-circulation-takes-a-new-hit/" target="_blank">dropping by some 11.4%</a> in the first half of 2015. However, <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/More-Magazine-Readers-Glossies-on-Mobile-Web/1012858?ecid=SOC1001" target="_blank">subscriptions overall are up by 10%</a>, being driven by digital. The immediacy of content on social is also contributing.</li>
<li>Get up to speed on <a href="http://www.toprankblog.com/2015/08/digital-marketing-investment/" target="_blank">four digital marketing investments every company should make</a>.</li>
<li>Last week, we shared Christopher Penn's <a href="https://gumroad.com/a/326513779/KRTsy" target="_blank">Marketing Red Belt</a>, a 101 course for digital marketers. If you're ready for the next level, then it's worth your while to check out his <a href="https://gumroad.com/a/326513779/juVS" target="_blank">Marketing Blue Belt course in this handy e-book</a>. <i>Highly recommended (and one of our affiliate partners).</i></li>
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<li><b>Google</b></li>
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<li><i>See the Industry section this week</i>.</li>
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<li><b>Twitter</b></li>
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<li>Is Twitter becoming <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/08/twitter-will-lose-fight-become-1-800-number-web" target="_blank">a glorified customer service platform</a>? If so, here's a guy who understands how to game the system: a British man <a href="http://mashable.com/2015/08/11/o2-three-free-pizza-for-year/" target="_blank">played two phone companies off of each other and got free pizza for a year</a>.</li>
<li>In a move to become more of a messaging platform, Twitter is <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/twitter-messaging-app-now-finally-175126970.html?.tsrc=applewf" target="_blank">removing the 140 character limit in its direct messages</a>.</li>
<li>Twitter has <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/08/12/twitter-gnip-full-archive-search-api/?ncid=rss_semi" target="_blank">opened up its full archives to brands</a>—that's some 500 billion tweets. This gives them more context and historical information as they respond to tweets. </li>
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<li><b>Facebook</b></li>
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<li>This spring, a student highlighted a security flaw in Facebook Messenger by creating the Marauder's Map—a program that could map users' locations (reported in our <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2015/05/this-week-in-digital-may-31-2015.html" target="_blank">May 31, 2015 issue</a>). That student had a Facebook internship lined up; last week, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-aran-khanna-internship-rescinded-marauders-map-messenger-privacy-2015-8?IR=T&r=UK" target="_blank">Facebook rescinded the internship</a> based on the hack. <i>A little ironic, considering that this is the company that has championed the hack and that has made frequent stumbles in privacy</i>.</li>
<li>Continuing its push into making the platform more real-time, <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/12/facebook-live-livestreaming/" target="_blank">Facebook's live broadcasting capability will soon be available to journalists and verified profiles</a>.</li>
<li>By now you've noticed Facebook's auto-playing video native ads. It is <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/11/we-bring-the-data-you-show-the-ads/#.fvmhl3:0cLS" target="_blank">extending auto-play video ads to its Audience Network</a> to allow app makers to do the same thing.</li>
<li>LOL is out. According to Facebook, the acronym has given way to the more plainspoken "Ha ha" when people reply to something funny online. LOL is still used, but only by older generations. <i>So if you want to show your age, keep typing LOL. And go ahead, click the image below</i> —<i> we dare you</i>.</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: <a href="https://flic.kr/p/5bvuVd" target="_blank">Patrick Breitenbach (Flickr)</a></td></tr>
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<li><a href="http://recode.net/2015/08/12/periscope-has-10-million-users-kinda/" target="_blank">Periscope has 10 million registered users</a>, two million of whom use the app daily, mostly as viewers. Only a small percentage of those are creating video. <i>An even smaller percentage are creating interesting and watchable videos</i>.</li>
<li>Still trying to figure Tumblr out? No worries—check out <a href="https://blog.kissmetrics.com/the-marketers-guide-to-tumblr/" target="_blank">the marketers' guide to Tumblr</a>.</li>
<li>The FDA weighed in on one of the major scientific issues of our time: Kim Kardashian making health claims about prescription drugs in her Instagram posts. As you might imagine, <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/11/kim-kardashian-instagram-post-draws-fda-warning.html?hash=e8c563bc-8fed-4b93-9b65-0ae46858c771" target="_blank">the FDA is not okay with it</a>. <i>Of course that didn't stop <a href="https://instagram.com/p/6ROIo-JiN-/" target="_blank">others from trying</a></i>.</li>
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<li>Last week we mentioned how the Uber model was being considered by the advertising agency world; this week, we discovered Swipecast — the app that <a href="http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/fashion-tech/modelling-apps-swipecast-feels-instagram" target="_blank">may replace the traditional modeling agency</a>.</li>
<li>Crowdfunding is growing. And here are <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/248122" target="_blank">six trends</a> that are driving it.</li>
<li>Hong Kong is the latest city to see <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/11/hong-kong-uber-raid/" target="_blank">police raid Uber offices</a>. Also, drivers were arrested for operating hire cars without permits and without proper insurance. </li>
<li>The sharing economy (a misnomer) is <a href="http://thenextweb.com/opinion/2015/08/15/i-didnt-know-we-had-a-king/?tuid=952261830d31e4c93786e7c4491115a4df3af075" target="_blank">inadvertently creating a feudal system</a>, as the chasm between the haves and the have-nots widens.</li>
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<li>Rdio is adding <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/08/11/rdio-adds-live-radio-broadcasts-to-its-music-streaming-app-launches-with-500-u-s-stations/" target="_blank">live radio broadcasts to its app</a>, creating a more mainstream attraction.</li>
<li>Back in the day, blogging was all the rage (remember that?). With the streaming and on-demand mobile audio renaissance we're currently experiencing, <a href="http://contently.net/2015/08/13/stories/podcasts-new-blogs/" target="_blank">are podcasts the new blogs?</a> </li>
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<li>Here's a different angle to creating your marketing pitch: <a href="http://withoutbullshit.com/blog/write-the-marketing-pitch-first-before-you-build-the-product/" target="_blank">create your pitch before you even make your product</a>. Why? Because then your product will be forced to deliver on your promises. </li>
<li>When you're creating content for your brand, have you considered your most important audience? It's <a href="http://contently.com/strategist/2015/06/30/the-most-important-audience-for-your-content-marketing-your-own-employees/" target="_blank">your employees</a>. <i>What motivates your employees? Are they true advocates? Or are you treating them like a robot army that will simply re-post your content?</i></li>
<li>Knowing the difference between content and format is a good start in figuring out how to measure your content in this <a href="https://moz.com/blog/practical-guide-content-metrics" target="_blank">practical guide to content and its metrics</a>. Worth a look all on its own is the Content Matrix. <i>"Do you believe in fate, Neo?"</i></li>
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<li>The New York Times is using <a href="http://www.niemanlab.org/2015/08/the-new-york-times-built-a-slack-bot-to-help-decide-which-stories-to-post-to-social-media/" target="_blank">predictive modeling to determine which stories to place on social media</a> — in this case a bot on Slack called Blossom. Evidently it's working, as Blossom-chosen posts get 380% more engagement than typical posts. </li>
<li>We all know that data is important; but <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Retailers-Eye-Value-Beacon-Data/1012841?ecid=NL1001" target="_blank">beacon data may prove to be extremely valuable to retailers</a> who want to track in-store shopper behavior.</li>
<li>More than ever, marketers want <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Social-Integration-Tops-CRM-Users-Wish-Lists/1012847?ecid=NL1001" target="_blank">more social integration in their CRM</a> (customer relationship management) tools. In a recent survey by Capterra, 25% of respondents cited social media monitoring options, and 24% wanted their CRM software to pull in information from contacts’ social media profiles. </li>
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<li>Another week, another automotive technology hack. At a Usenix security conference, hackers demonstrated <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/08/hackers-cut-corvettes-brakes-via-common-car-gadget/" target="_blank">the ability to cut the brakes to a Corvette by sending SMS messages</a> to a dongle plugged into the car's dashboard. <i>While it's tempting to issue such a command to Corvette driven the middle-aged man speeding past you, we don't recommend it. Such behavior should be reserved for BMW drivers</i>.</li>
<li>Speaking of German cars, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-14/vw-has-spent-two-years-trying-to-hide-a-big-security-flaw" target="_blank">Volkswagen has been trying to suppress a hacking vulnerability</a> in its cars for two years. And it's not just VWs — a number of other brands are affected as well.</li>
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<b>When You Have the Time: Essential Watching / Listening / Reading</b> </h4>
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<li>The New York Times ran <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/technology/inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-in-a-bruising-workplace.html?WT.nav=top-news&action=click&module=photo-spot-region&pgtype=Homepage&region=top-news&_r=0" target="_blank">a rather bruising report for Amazon</a> that chronicled weeping at cubicles, forced conflict, sleepless nights, ulcers and other complaints from former Amazon workers that makes it clear that the online retail giant is not a place for the weak. However, it's hard to argue with the company's <a href="http://www.amazon.jobs/principles" target="_blank">14 leadership principles</a>, and it's not clear how representative the Times' ex-employee selections represent the company as a whole.</li>
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<li>Jeff Jarvis <a href="http://buzzmachine.com/2015/08/16/hacking-amazons-jungle-coverage/" target="_blank">wrote a critique of the Times' lack of balance and context</a> on the story.</li>
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<li>Nice guys don't always finish last. In fact, here are <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/248926" target="_blank">11 qualities of nice people that will help you get ahead</a>.</li>
<li>Disruption sucks. But when if you're constantly <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/11/in-the-age-of-disruption-customer-love-is-more-important-than-ever/#.fvmhl3:Ftux" target="_blank">innovating with a relentless focus on the customer experience</a>, it's a good thing.</li>
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<a href="http://smonty.co/announcemt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I consult with agencies and brands to help them improve their corporate and digital acumen</a>. Please <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/contact.html" target="_blank">get in touch</a> if you'd like to put my experience and digital smarts to work on a project, to advise your group, or to address an audience at your next corporate or industry event.</div>
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<i>Top image credit: <a href="https://flic.kr/p/8Npdne" target="_blank">plaisanter (Flickr)</a></i><br />
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The Week in Digital - August 17, 2015

Google spells out its changes, Apple may be driving sales, NBCUniversal invests in new media, Target troll targets Target trolls, ad bl...

The Uber of Legal and Identity Theft Services

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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MQkvY3rw5eY/VcqeGeOysQI/AAAAAAAAhj4/VVUVFJjBrWY/s1600/Identity%2BTheft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="504" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MQkvY3rw5eY/VcqeGeOysQI/AAAAAAAAhj4/VVUVFJjBrWY/s640/Identity%2BTheft.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of the industry areas we regularly cover in <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/subscribe.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Week in Digital</a> updates is Privacy / Security / Legal. In fact, <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2015/08/the-week-in-digital-august-10-2015.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the latest issue</a> had so many data breach stories that we pondered renaming the newsletter "The Week in Hacking." As digital marketing and communications increasingly involves the storage and analysis of personal data, marketers and consumers alike need to be educated on how protect our information.<br />
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We recently had an opportunity to sit down with Jeff Bell, CEO of <a href="http://legalshield.com/" target="_blank">LegalShield</a>, to explore some of the options available to people who are victims of identity theft and in need of on-demand legal services.</div>
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If you're not familiar with LegalShield and <a href="http://idshield.com/" target="_blank">IDShield</a>, these are monthly subscription services that give you access to law firms and a comprehensive identity monitoring and restoration solution. While you may not want to pay hundreds of dollars an hour for such services, this gives you access when you need it.</div>
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<b>Why LegalShield?</b></h3>
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One of the things that intrigued us about Jeff is that he is a former Ford executive. But he also went on to lead the Interactive Entertainment Business group at Microsoft - specifically the XBox division, where he grew subscribers from 4 million to 12 million in under two years. But we also wondered why he chose to join the company.<br />
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"Legal services is like the pet health insurance business - it requires explanation and you have peace of mind when you have it," Bell said. In addition, his background in digital marketing and digital sales means that this technology-based solution for legal services was a good match.<br />
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"It's a disruptive idea - like Uber, where consumers are demonstrating a dissatisfaction with smelly cabs that are late and drivers that are discourteous."<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FXnXYy078p4/Vcqs4Sj4yPI/AAAAAAAAhkQ/uE8skHFkSUg/s1600/Jeff%2BBell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FXnXYy078p4/Vcqs4Sj4yPI/AAAAAAAAhkQ/uE8skHFkSUg/s640/Jeff%2BBell.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LegalShield CEO Jeff Bell</td></tr>
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<b>A Collaborative Economy Company</b></h3>
With the addition of a mobile app - one that has a red button that contacts your legal firm - technology is at the center of the service. A recent acquisition of <a href="http://www.shakelaw.com/" target="_blank">Shake</a>, a startup that allows you to create, send and sign legally binding documents, has improved the mobile elements. And by pooling the services of 39 law firms in 49 states, individuals are given access to a wide variety of legal services, rather than being tied to one form of law (tax, real estate, employment, litigation, etc.).<br />
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Jeff put it best: "In your life, you don't need a lawyer; you need a law firm."<br />
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When you consider how a 20-something, just starting out in a new job or trying to get an apartment, might not usually have access to a lawyer. But with a fairly low monthly fee (under $20), they can get contracts reviewed and receive legal advice whenever they need it - as easily as with the touch of a button on their iPhone or Android phone.<br />
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While many personal services have been lumped into the collaborative economy bucket, professional services have been a little slower to adapt. Startups are already <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQqQIwAGoVChMI1JDJ3b2ixwIVgzk-Ch2HhwtV&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fstartups-vie-to-build-an-uber-for-health-care-1439265847&ei=W63KVZT3AYPz-AGHj66oBQ&usg=AFQjCNGNeCGdo__NSw2B7HRO4vDfriLK6Q&sig2=RRcngF1npEDmRH4eX288EQ&bvm=bv.99804247,d.cWw" target="_blank">lining up to create the Uber for healthcare</a>; the Uber for legal services is already here.<br />
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<b>The Connection with IDShield</b></h3>
The identity theft business is fairly closely associated with legal services. About 70% of the time you have an identity theft issue, you also have a legal issue. Hence, the formation of <a href="http://idshield.com/" target="_blank">IDShield</a>. Now, that's not to say that you must subscribe to LegalShield and IDShield together, but it's good to know that there's a connection between the two lines of business under one roof.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/07/29/technology/personaltech/what-parts-of-your-information-have-been-exposed-to-hackers-quiz.html?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email&_r=0" target="_blank">How many times has your personal information </a></h3>
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/07/29/technology/personaltech/what-parts-of-your-information-have-been-exposed-to-hackers-quiz.html?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email&_r=0" target="_blank">been exposed to hackers?</a> (<i>New York Times</i>)</h3>
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Here's the sad truth of identity theft: <u>no one can guarantee protection</u>.<br />
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Despite what some companies will tell you - including one that is <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/08/10/why-lifelock-inc-stock-plummeted-52-in-july.aspx">under investigation by the FTC for deceptive advertising</a> - you're never guaranteed 100% protection. However, you have to be vigilant and prepared, and there are ways to do that.<br />
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Most identity theft services focus on your financial institutions - credit cards and bank accounts, primarily. But what you should be concerned about are data breaches and theft that includes things like your email accounts, date of birth, old addresses, Social Security number, driver's license, passport, etc. The real crime is when they steal your identity.</div>
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<b>Monitoring and Restoration</b></h3>
Once your identity has been stolen, it's extremely difficult to deal with the process to get it back. <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QFjAAahUKEwj_itOx3qHHAhULbD4KHW6rDHc&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fhow-identity-theft-sticks-you-with-hospital-bills-1438966007&ei=YUnKVb_WIYvY-QHu1rK4Bw&usg=AFQjCNFGnFaQiOsKyaPcBbe3i4-L16g4gA&sig2=ACX-m7jUZ2Se8rMjoa5jLg&bvm=bv.99804247,d.cWw" target="_blank">A recent example in <i>The Wall Street Journal</i></a> included the mother of a 39 year-old with Down syndrome, who battled with hospitals and insurance companies over her son's medical bills which had been run up because someone stole his Social Security number. Without the intervention of the WSJ, it was going nowhere. <br />
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This is where IDShield stands above the competition. There's a stark difference between identity theft <u>monitoring</u> and identity theft <u>restoration</u>. IDShield has a relationship with Kroll investigators, and once you've had an incident that requires their services, the team of 60 investigators "handle everything and members can go on living their lives, getting updates from the investigators," according to Bell. With a limited power of attorney, they can actually do the heavy lifting that the victim would otherwise have to do themselves.</div>
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Once they've tracked everything down, they expunge the black mark from your record. Bell said, "The only list we can't get your name off of is the OFAC no-fly list." But once things are all wrapped up, <a href="http://www.kroll.com/en-us/idshield" target="_blank">you'll have your identity back</a> - completely restored. That's impressive. </div>
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And it's no small promise, either. The company says that it will spend up to $5 million to restore your identity for you. And with some 10,000 restorations in the last few years, they're keeping busy.<br />
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Ultimately, you need to do your homework on this stuff. But for my money, it's reassuring to know that there are professionals on the case and available when I need them. Just like the ride-hailing apps I use.</div>
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://flic.kr/p/3qTLZW" target="_blank">Don Hankins (Flickr)</a></i></div>
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The Uber of Legal and Identity Theft Services

One of the industry areas we regularly cover in The Week in Digital updates is Privacy / Security / Legal. In fact, the latest issue h...

The Week in Digital - August 10, 2015

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<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://hostingcanada.org/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A6tf1CXlTfc/VchFlFZYQRI/AAAAAAAAhhI/3gnKaVwXvWc/s640/Monitor_in_gutter%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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The New York Times surprises with its digital subscriber numbers, a slowing of digital marketing budgets, Google tightens its ad technology, morale is low at Twitter, Facebook gets into livestreaming video- in a limited way - and will snitch on you to your banker, leaked documents from Uber provide a partial look at its finances, a San Franciscan denounces laundromats and exposes a wealth gap, a popular YouTube series develops a print publication, why it's so difficult to find a good analytics hire, a plethora of security breaches, the death of the Internet and more, it's <b>The Week in Digital</b>.<br />
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A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.<br />
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Each week, we 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. Based on subscriber feedback, we're now shifting to a Monday morning release. Please subscribe - either to <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?sub=95082" target="_blank">the full feed</a> or <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f?sub=968961" target="_blank">just to this newsletter</a> to keep up to date on developments.<br />
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If you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links - and additional ones - by subscribing to the <i><a href="http://smonty.co/flipdigital" target="_blank">The Week in Digital Magazine</a></i> at <a href="http://smonty.co/flipdigital" target="_blank">smonty.co/flipdigital</a>.<br />
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News items are in regular text; <i>additional commentary has been added in italics</i>.<br />
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<i><b>If you're interested in getting your hands on some books, ebooks or other material that can help you become a smarter communicator or marketer, please see our <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/recommend.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Recommended Reading</a> section.</b></i></h3>
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<b>Industry</b></h4>
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<li>More than <a href="http://investors.nytco.com/press/press-releases/press-release-details/2015/The-New-York-Times-Passes-One-Million-Digital-Subscriber-Milestone/default.aspx" target="_blank">one million paid digital-only subscribers</a>. That's an impressive statistic from the New York Times, which reported this milestone in addition to the 1.1 million print-and-digital subscribers.</li>
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<li>Just how did the NYT do it? <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB8QFjAAahUKEwjBp7fQ0J3HAhWFn4AKHRWuCuI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Ffor-new-york-times-a-gamble-on-giveaways-1438556347&ei=FSLIVYHJA4W_ggSV3KqQDg&usg=AFQjCNFja0OH4bxqRe4OSmLPwKe9zYyBKg&sig2=TcVbtNmhRUfMmC289-CQ9w&bvm=bv.99804247,d.eXY" target="_blank">A clever combination</a> of giveaways (such as <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/nytnow/" target="_blank">the NYT Now app</a>, which you should get) and leveraging other platforms (Facebook's Instant Articles, Apple's News app, Starbuck's app and more), all as advertising revenue continues to drop. <i>It's a bold move and it's been working</i>.</li>
<li>If you'd like a snapshot of the New York Times digital strategy, <a href="http://smonty.co/digitalnyt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">be sure to check out our analysis</a>: <a href="http://smonty.co/digitalnyt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">smonty.co/digitalnyt</a>.</li>
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<li>And yet - <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-06/media-wipeout-taking-down-pillar-of-bull-market-in-u-s-stocks" target="_blank">the media industry is taking a walloping</a> on Wall Street in the wake of disappointing results from Disney and shrinking ad revenues at CBS, Viacom and 21st Century Fox.</li>
<li>A study found that <b><i>nearly half</i></b> (46%) of campaigns are still siloed. Why? <a href="http://www.bulldogreporter.com/why-do-comms-pros-still-work-in-silos-study-finds-marketing-teams-remain-isolated-because-they-fear-new-unknown-channels/?utm_campaign=BDR+US+-+Daily+Dog&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=21145070&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Pwie0vnfFY3fmbKLjeEfyVNsr0_kbTmACnlDv6kt6gcSBXEMGFaNHENcxDhriNsFb4tfRbh733fmU_j4hVkwHCq9fag&_hsmi=21145070" target="_blank">Marketing and communications teams fear the unknown</a>. <i>It's easy to keep doing what you know; it's more important to be where your audience is</i>. [Click to <a href="http://ctt.ec/wGPo5" target="_blank">TWEET THIS</a>]</li>
<li>From the CMO Council and Ebiquity: <a href="http://www.marketingcharts.com/online/digital-marketing-budget-growth-expected-to-continue-at-slightly-slower-rate-57670/" target="_blank">expect digital marketing budgets to continue to rise</a> over the next two years, but with growth rates under 20%.</li>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UmgRylkEUts/VcgqrTHfA5I/AAAAAAAAhgc/1zzo1Lp3LXk/s1600/CMOCouncilEbiquity-Digital-Marketing-Budget-Shifts-Aug2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UmgRylkEUts/VcgqrTHfA5I/AAAAAAAAhgc/1zzo1Lp3LXk/s640/CMOCouncilEbiquity-Digital-Marketing-Budget-Shifts-Aug2015.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<li>Put this in your quiver: <a href="http://blog.kiip.me/marketing/marketing-public-relations-pr-tools/" target="_blank">32 PR tools and strategies to master public relations</a>. </li>
<li>Last week, we shared Christopher Penn's <a href="https://gumroad.com/a/326513779/bmWU" target="_blank">Marketing White Belt</a>, a 101 course for digital marketers. If you're ready for the next level, then it's worth your while to check out his <a href="https://gumroad.com/a/326513779/KRTsy" target="_blank">Marketing Red Belt course in this handy e-book</a>. <i>Highly recommended (and one of our affiliate partners).</i></li>
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<b>Platforms</b></h4>
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<li><b>Google</b></li>
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<li>Google is cracking down on how advertisers buy YouTube ads. <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/google-tightens-how-advertisers-buy-youtube-ads-166295" target="_blank">Third party systems such as AdX will no longer be eligible</a> to participate in programmatic buying, as advertisers will be forced to go through Google's own AdWords or DoubleClick Bid Manager instead.</li>
<li>There's now <a href="http://recode.net/2015/07/22/google-may-face-another-eu-case-this-one-is-about-ads/?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonvazOZKXonjHpfsX54uUuT%2Frn28M3109ad+rmPBy92YsBWp8na+qWCgseOrQ8mFkIV8izUs0TrKM%3D" target="_blank">another pending antitrust case against Google in the EU</a>. This one concerns whether ad clients are locked into contracts with Google's ad products such as DoubleClick. </li>
<li><a href="http://9to5google.com/2015/08/05/youtube-ditches-301-plus/" target="_blank">YouTube is getting better at analytics</a> - in particular, removing the "301+" count that plagued almost every video count in its first 24 hours.</li>
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<li><b>Twitter</b></li>
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<li>With continued uncertainty over who will fill the CEO void and other vacancies, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-morale-problem-2015-8" target="_blank">morale is low at Twitter headquarters</a>. Being under such heavy public scrutiny is a difficult position for any company, let alone one that is undergoing a major upheaval. <i><b>Our recommendation:</b> develop a short- to medium-term business plan to address the issues and some tightly crafted and consistent messaging to clarify the story. Get out in front and tell your story; don't let others tell it for you. Build confidence through clear communication and with a number of company leaders</i>.</li>
<li>Twitter is trying out <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/08/03/twitter-featured-news-tab/" target="_blank">a dedicated News tab</a> that has "Featured News."</li>
<li>Maybe <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/08/twitter-will-lose-fight-become-1-800-number-web" target="_blank">Twitter's future lies around customer service</a>.</li>
<li>With Google+ as its latest social failure, <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/08/04/google-buy-twitter/" target="_blank">is Google ready to buy Twitter</a>?</li>
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<li><b>Facebook</b></li>
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<li>Facebook may or may not be <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/these-digital-stats-show-how-facebook-ads-are-resonating-more-googles-165898" target="_blank">beating YouTube</a> at its own game. But one disgruntled YouTuber took it upon himself to clarify the battle with <a href="https://medium.com/@hankgreen/theft-lies-and-facebook-video-656b0ffed369" target="_blank">Theft, Lies and Facebook Video</a>. <i>It seems to us that these are two very different beasts: Facebook is about serendipitous views of videos shared by your friends and brands that you like; YouTube is very much about search and discovery. Should Facebook ever decide to get its act together on search, then YouTube/Google might need to worry</i>.</li>
<li>Facebook launched <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/05/facescope/#.fvmhl3:Dveq" target="_blank">Live, its livestream video feature</a> in its Mentions app. At this point, it's only for Pages of celebrities, athletes, musicians and influencers who have Verified accounts. <i>The rest of we mere mortals will have to be satisfied with Meerkat and Periscsope</i>.</li>
<li>Facebook filed patents that indicate <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/08/04/facebook-patents-technology-to-help-lenders-discriminate-against-borrowers-based-on-social-connections/" target="_blank">it can help lenders by determining whether you're loan-worthy</a> by looking at your social connections. Some are crying foul. <i>But it just goes to show your mom was right: you really <u>are</u> judged by the company you keep</i>.</li>
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<li>An often-overlooked and simple platform is Imgur, a visual communications tool that has millions of dedicated users. <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/heres-how-advertisers-are-learning-market-imgurs-geeky-millennials-166201" target="_blank">Advertisers are starting to catch on</a>. Its young audience is about 75% male and has a large crossover with reddit.</li>
<li>In two separate posts, I saw some experienced professionals indicate that they were alternately <a href="http://withoutbullshit.com/blog/making-twitter-relevant/" target="_blank">bored by Twitter</a> and found <a href="http://chrisbrogan.com/periscope/" target="_blank">Periscope uninteresting</a>. <i>It's not the platform; it's how you use it (or who you follow). That's not to say that Twitter couldn't make things easier to manage or that Periscope couldn't surface interesting content. But much of what need to be done - even on Facebook - is based on how <u>you</u> manage the platform, not how the <u>platform</u> manages you</i>.</li>
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<b>Collaborative Economy</b> </h4>
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<li><b>Uber</b></li>
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<li>There's an Uber for everything now. What about an <a href="http://adage.com/article/agencies/future-ad-agencies-uber-model/299816/?ttl=1439406505" target="_blank">Uber for the advertising agency business</a>? An on-demand model that allows for faster adaptation to industry trends could be just the thing.</li>
<li>Gawker (which we will not link to) initially unearthed some <a href="http://recode.net/2015/08/05/yes-uber-lost-a-lot-of-money-and-it-will-lose-more/" target="_blank">leaked financial documents from Uber that indicate some large losses</a> (re/code link) - perhaps as much as $200 million in 2014.</li>
<li>However, as any business student will tell you, <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3049527/behind-the-brand/what-the-leaked-uber-documents-dont-tell-us" target="_blank">those numbers are useless without context</a>. We need more information about operations, costs, investments - particularly whether some are one-time charges or recurring costs. </li>
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<li>Look out, ride-sharers: <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/techflash/2015/08/austin-wants-tighter-regulations-for-uber-lyft.html?ana=fbk" target="_blank">Austin wants a bigger piece of the action</a> from Uber and Lyft with tighter regulations and a $1-per-ride fee.  </li>
<li><a href="http://fortune.com/2015/08/03/uber-consultant-emerges-with-a-new-stock-swap-offer-for-tech-startups/" target="_blank">There's a new high-power regulatory consulting firm</a> focused on helping collaborative economy startups that takes equity in lieu of cash.</li>
<li>We know the economics of the so-called "sharing economy" - <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/technology/twisting-words-to-make-sharing-apps-seem-selfless.html?ref=business&_r=0" target="_blank">an incredible misnomer</a>, if there ever was one - are far from equitable. But <a href="http://mic.com/articles/123311/silicon-valley-white-male-privilege-class-war" target="_blank">in one tweet, the twisted reality of Silicon Valley myopia was demonstrated for all to see</a> as one individual thought that laundromats are a thing of the past.<i> Given the way some hipsters present themselves, I could have guessed that</i>.</li>
<li><a href="https://makerba.se/" target="_blank">Makerbase</a> has launched. It's like <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/08/03/makerbase-launches-to-become-an-imdb-for-makers/" target="_blank">the IMDb for the maker movement</a>.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">I was in New York last week and had another opportunity to use the ride-hailing service <a href="http://ridewithvia.com/" target="_blank">Via</a>. It's similar to other services in that it is a taxi alternative, but with three key differences: it will take you to a limited section of Manhattan (usually following the Avenues and dropping you off at corners), you share the ride with others along the way, and <b><i>it only costs $5</i></b>. I was impressed with the speed, comfort and value.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">If you'd like some free rides, please use my referral code <a href="http://ridewithvia.com/" target="_blank">when signing up</a>: <b>scott5q3</b>.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><i>True story from last week's ride</i>: when we picked up one passenger, he remarked that not only are the drivers friendly, but most passengers usually are too, leading me to remark, "Someone should combine the API of Via with Tinder." Well, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le4rd8B37fk&feature=share" target="_blank">lo and behold</a>...</li>
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<li>Congratulations to my friend Jay Baer and his Social Pros podcast for taking home the <a href="http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-strategy/the-one-must-listen-podcast-for-social-media-marketers/" target="_blank">2015 Content Marketing Award for Best Podcast</a>.</li>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sponsor</span></i></b></div>
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<a href="http://2015.socialfreshconference.com/scottmonty" target="_blank">Social Fresh Conference</a>, Sept 23-25 in Tampa, has less than 100 tickets left. This year's speaker list is outstanding! Featuring Jay Baer, Scott Monty, Chris Brogan, Twitter, HP, Patron, Priceline, Buffer, The Today Show, American Eagle and more. Social Fresh is one track, with no fluff — filled with highly actionable and practical content.</div>
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<li>Motor Trend is bucking the trend: the popular automotive publication, with an impressive YouTube series "Roadkill," is <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/cmo/2015/08/04/motor-trends-youtube-series-roadkill-is-becoming-a-print-magazine-aimed-at-millennial-car-lovers/" target="_blank">developing a quarterly print publication</a>. </li>
<li>Marketers and communicators are supposed to be great storytellers, right? Well, most marketers are terrible at it. Why? <a href="https://storyhow.com/blog/why-most-marketers-make-bad-storytellers/" target="_blank">The reason might surprise you</a>.</li>
<li>When you're creating content for video, keep in mind that <a href="https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/i-want-to-do-micro-moments.html?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRogu6rJZKXonjHpfsX+4u4vUa+g38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YYCRMd0aPyQAgobGp5I5FEMSrTYX7Z4t6MIXA%3D%3D" target="_blank">searches related to "how to" on YouTube are growing 70% year over year</a>. </li>
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<b>Metrics / Measurement / Data</b></h4>
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<li>You probably have an analytics job opening at your company. After all, it's a hot area in digital marketing and communications right now. But <a href="http://blogs.gartner.stfi.re/christi-eubanks/why-your-analytics-hire-is-so-elusive/?sf=rwdrw" target="_blank">why is it so difficult to find a good analytics candidate?</a>
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<li>Brands are looking beyond holding companies, advertising agencies and media buying firms to drive marketing performance and handle exploding data, digital migration and channel fragmentation. The new candidates are <a href="http://www.bulldogreporter.com/digitaldata-shift-has-marketers-looking-beyond-admedia-agencies-and-seeking-new-partners-to-better-exploit-data-and-digital/" target="_blank">more likely to be specialists</a> than the traditional incumbents. <i>If history is any guide, expect a raft of these specialty providers to be acquired by the holding companies within a year</i>.</li>
<li>Here's a great use for big data: <a href="http://blogs.pb.com/corporate/2015/06/09/big-data-customer-experiences/?app_data=%7B%22pi%22%3A%2239431_1435243364_684587506%22%2C%22pt%22%3A%22twitter%22%7D" target="_blank">improving the customer experience</a>. From predicting staffing needs to tracking customer behavior, there are practical applications that make for a happier customer.</li>
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<li>Well, it finally happened. Tesla was mentioned in the same stories as Jeep. A Tesla was hacked last week from the Defcon conference in Las Vegas, making vehicle security an even higher priority. In true Silicon Valley style, <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/security-experts-reveal-how-a-814062" target="_blank">it was done from an iPhone</a>.<i> Great. Now will someone see if they can hack SpaceX from the International Space Station?</i></li>
<li>Apple computers were long thought to be immune from hackers. That myth effectively ended this week, as <a href="http://thenextweb.com/apple/2015/08/04/macs-are-no-longer-immune-to-attacks-as-a-new-self-replicating-firmware-worm-demonstrates/" target="_blank">researchers demonstrated a worm that could attack a Mac without using the Internet</a> and infect it and every device it is attached to within seconds. <i>Only buy OEM-approved products, kids</i>.</li>
<li>We've reached a new low: <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/03/hackers-exploit-flash-vulnerability-in-yahoo-ads/?_r=0" target="_blank">hackers exploited a vulnerability in Flash technology used on Yahoo! ads</a> and sent malicious code. <i>It kind of serves Yahoo! right for still using Flash</i>.</li>
<li>Also under fire this week were <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/08/08/china-linked-hackers-reportedly-attack-american-airlines-sabre-systems/" target="_blank">American Airlines and the Sabre reservations system</a>, both of which were victims of a Chinese hacker. <i>We're thinking we might need to create a new newsletter called <b>The Week in Security Breaches</b></i>.</li>
<li>Everything you need to know about password security - <a href="http://kernelmag.dailydot.com/issue-sections/features-issue-sections/13828/password-security-slang-genitalia/#sthash.QknTPOBB.uxfs%26st_refDomain=t.co%26st_refQuery=/7W2sWF5teP" target="_blank">explained by 19th century sexual slang</a>.</li>
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<b>When You Have the Time: Essential Watching / Listening / Reading</b> </h4>
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<li>An important read: With every media outlet as a syndication service, social media usurping brand identity, the importance of speed over thoughtfulness, and other drastic changes from just 10 years ago, <a href="http://www.vox.com/2015/8/6/9099357/internet-dead-end" target="_blank">will 2015 be the year that the Internet dies</a>?</li>
<li>Netscape was founded 20 years ago. Here's a look at <a href="http://qz.com/475279/netscape-changed-the-internet-and-the-world-when-it-went-public-20-years-ago-today/" target="_blank">how it started and where it led</a>.
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<li>Inspiration from the top: <a href="http://www.forbes.com/pictures/fljl45ellh/ceo/" target="_blank">15 tips and secrets from top CEOs</a>. </li>
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<a href="http://smonty.co/announcemt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I consult with agencies and brands to help them improve their corporate and digital acumen</a>. Please <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/contact.html" target="_blank">get in touch</a> if you'd like to put my experience and digital smarts to work on a project, to advise your group, or to address an audience at your next corporate or industry event.</div>
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The Week in Digital - August 10, 2015

The New York Times surprises with its digital subscriber numbers, a slowing of digital marketing budgets, Google tightens its ad techno...

Scott Monty - Strategic Communications & Leadership Advisor

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The Uber of Legal and Identity Theft Services

The Week in Digital - August 10, 2015

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