Scott Monty

On Perception and Value

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"Perception is reality." How often have you heard that phrase? It might seem like a cliche, but even with the most annoying cliches, there's always an element of truth.<br />
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The thing about perception is that it's always subjective. While a situation or object exists in reality, how we view it depends on our perspective. Or, as Sherlock Holmes put it in "The Boscombe Valley Mystery":<br />
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"Circumstantial evidence is a very tricky thing," answered Holmes, thoughtfully. "It may seem to point very straight to one thing, but if you shift your own point of view a little, you may find it pointing in an equally uncompromising manner to something entirely different."</blockquote>
Executive Creative Director of OgilvyOne and Vice-Chairman of Ogilvy Group UK <a href="http://www.ted.com/speakers/rory_sutherland.html">Rory Sutherland</a> raised some great points worth pondering in <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/rory_sutherland_life_lessons_from_an_ad_man.html">this classic TED Talk</a> from October 2009. He notes that most problems are problems of perception. How many problems in life can be solved by tinkering with perception rather than the hard work of trying to change reality?<br />
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From the Eurostar train to placebos, the origin of the potato as a staple of our diet to iron jewelry, denim, breakfast cereal, Coca-Cola and even social networking, Sutherland takes a different look at how problems have been solved or brands have been built based on embracing perception as the central element to be improved. He even offers an adman's humorous definition of savings ("Consumerism needlessly postponed."). But through it all, he makes insightful commentary on the value we create and where it might be most effective.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="https://embed-ssl.ted.com/talks/rory_sutherland_life_lessons_from_an_ad_man.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe><br /></div>
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Main points / takeaways:<br />
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<li>All value is subjective</li>
<li>Persuasion is better than compulsion</li>
<li>Create intangible value to replace material value - particularly when we can place a far higher value on things that already exist rather than creating new things</li>
<li>Change the interface to change the behavior</li>
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Or, perhaps put a little more bluntly:</div>
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"What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence," returned my companion, bitterly. "The question is, what can you make people believe that you have done."</blockquote>
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— Sherlock Holmes, <i>A Study in Scarlet</i></div>
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How are <i>you</i> creating value? How are <i>you</i> persuading others? The answer to your challenge may be revealed if you change your perception.</div>
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Multistability.svg#/media/File:Multistability.svg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> </i><br />
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On Perception and Value

"Perception is reality." How often have you heard that phrase? It might seem like a cliche, but even with the most annoying cli...

The Week in Digital - September 28, 2015

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While ad blocking continues, trust blocking seems to be of greater concern, the Internet idiot of the week, the future of TV is the web, Google is under antitrust scrutiny, Facebook gives journalists better tools and everyone better Notes, the one line that works for every New Yorker cartoon, how to get your Uber rating, how Airbnb used design thinking to succeed, Oyster shuts like — well, like an oyster — seven golden rules for content marketers, it's not a funnel, it's a fish, the OPM data breach included fingerprints, the four human desires, our regular trivia feature 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 Monday we publish 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. <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/subscribe.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Please subscribe</a> to keep up to date on developments.<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>The ad blocking continues: in the US and UK, 1 in 10 people block ads; in Germany, it's 1 in 4; in France, nearly 30% of its online population blocks ads. And <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/theres-some-new-data-out-on-the-huge-ad-blocking-trend-and-its-a-grim-read-for-online-publishers-2015-9" target="_blank">it's not getting any better</a>. </li>
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<li>Case in point: Millennials in the US, <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Nearly-Two-Three-Millennials-Block-Ads/1013007?ecid=NL1009" target="_blank">two-thirds of whom use ad blockers</a>.</li>
<li>And they're not alone in their dislike of mobile ads: <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Baby-Boomers-Not-Fans-of-Mobile-Ads/1013005?ecid=NL1009" target="_blank">baby boomers hate them too</a>.</li>
<li><i>Anyone see a trend here? Yes, ads are a necessary trade-off for the content we want, but holy hell — what are we doing when there's this much aversion to the craft? Sure, there's a technology and even an ethical angle to address, but what else should the marketing industry be doing at this point?</i></li>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ace-1qgPqPE/VgjNAqqeojI/AAAAAAAAikY/qw9Jl70bXpU/s1600/Millennial%2Bad%2Bblocking.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2/3 of US Millennials block ads" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ace-1qgPqPE/VgjNAqqeojI/AAAAAAAAikY/qw9Jl70bXpU/s1600/Millennial%2Bad%2Bblocking.gif" title="Millennials and ad blocking" /></a></div>
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<li>Related: <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2015-click-fraud/" target="_blank">click fraud continues to be a significant issue</a>, with ad spending being counted against "bot" views of ads — including traffic that publishers buy without the knowledge of the advertisers who pay them. <i>It's been an issue for some time, but in an era when trust and transparency are at a minimum and technology — particularly ad tech — drives more decisions, the industry needs a better code of ethics to prevent this kind of thing. </i></li>
<li>Volkswagen experienced a major corporate crisis this week when it was found to have evaded proper emissions testing on some 11 million vehicles through software that was designed specifically for that purpose. <a href="http://www.porternovelli.com/intelligence/2015/09/25/cleaning-up-the-vw-emissions-mess/" target="_blank">It now faces a huge crisis of trust</a>.</li>
<li>Martin Shkreli, the CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals didn't know when to quit as he defended the 5000% price increase of a 62 year-old drug his company just acquired, and he made himself the Internet's Most Hated Man (of the week) <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/21/a-750-pill-and-a-founder-who-doesnt-know-when-to-stop-tweeting/" target="_blank">with his tone-deaf tweets</a>. <i>Crisis and executive communications 101: when you have a problem <i>— </i>particularly when that problem is a mouthy CEO <i>— </i>stop talking</i>.</li>
<li>The Apple Car is getting closer to reality, as the company indicated <a href="http://www.wsj.com/article_email/apple-speeds-up-electric-car-work-1442857105-lMyQjAxMTE1NzIyMTAyMTEwWj" target="_blank">it would "ship" its electric vehicle in 2019</a>. <i>It should be interesting to watch Apple go from one of the highest-margin businesses to one of the lowest. Hope the shareholders are ready</i>.</li>
<li>Business Insider, one of the hottest online news sites, may be <a href="http://recode.net/2015/09/21/axel-springer-wants-to-buy-business-insider-for-around-560-million/" target="_blank">purchased by German publishing behemoth Alex Springer for $560 million</a>. <i>An impressive feat for editor and CEO Henry Blodget, who made a second career for himself after he was banned from the securities industry</i>.</li>
<li>Netflix's CEO doesn't want you to get wrapped up in TV vs. online video. <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2015/09/18/netflix-ceo-all-tv-will-be-internet-in-10-20-yrs.html" target="_blank">In 20 years, it's all going to be the same</a>.</li>
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<li>That's probably a relief for TV executives, who last week saw<a href="http://adage.com/article/media/where-did-everybody-go-tv-premiere-week-ratings-fall/300509/" target="_blank"> a huge dip in TV viewership for the opening week of the fall season</a>.</li>
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Trivia question: What common mobile activity has claimed more lives than shark attacks this year?*</h3>
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<a href="https://gumroad.com/a/326513779/bmWU" target="_blank"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MGd-1TA7MLk/Vb9jZTBel9I/AAAAAAAAhUs/fUX9rudyw1o/s200/Marketing%2BWhite%2BBelt.jpg" width="128" /></span></a><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
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<b>Platforms</b></h4>
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<li><b>Google</b></li>
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<li> <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-25/google-said-to-be-under-u-s-antitrust-scrutiny-over-android-iezf41sg" target="_blank">Google is under antitrust scrutiny</a> — in the US this time, not the EU — for favoring its own apps and services in the Android platform over those of its competitors.</li>
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<li><b>Twitter</b></li>
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<li>Autoplay video <a href="http://thenextweb.com/twitter/2015/09/24/twitter-app-ads-now-support-autoplay-video/" target="_blank">has now come to </a><a href="http://thenextweb.com/twitter/2015/09/24/twitter-app-ads-now-support-autoplay-video/" target="_blank">app ads</a> in Twitter. <i>With 82% of users watching video ads on Twitter, this will have a net positive impact on app advertisers</i>.</li>
<li>Twitter is <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/25/twitter-poll-feature" target="_blank">introducing the ability to create polls</a> on its native site and mobile app. <i>Expect to see this rolled out more widely as election season nears. a) Wise product development or b) Waste of time?</i></li>
<li><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2015/09/24/twitter-tanks-as-ad-sale-projections-fall/" target="_blank">eMarketer slashed its ad sales expectations for Twitter</a> on Wednesday, and on Thursday and Friday, Twitter's stock took a nose dive, losing more than 4% each day.</li>
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<li><b>Facebook</b></li>
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<li>Facebook's new Mentions app for Verified users <a href="http://thenextweb.com/facebook/2015/09/27/facebook-has-built-a-parallel-universe-for-journalists-and-its-just-like-twitter/" target="_blank">is more Twitter-like than Facebook</a>, with up-to-the-minute trending topics, integrated live video and Q&A sessions. <i>It's a valuable tool for journalists and other media personalities, and we've been experimenting with it (see above)</i>.</li>
<li><a href="http://recode.net/2015/09/22/facebook-ramps-up-its-instant-articles-and-the-washington-post-is-all-in/" target="_blank">The Washington Post is going all-in with Instant Articles</a>, publishing every single one of its 1,200 or so stories per day directly on Facebook.</li>
<li>Reminding us that it purchased Oculus Rift for $2B, <a href="http://media.fb.com/2015/09/23/introducing-360-video-on-facebook/" target="_blank">Facebook has released 360-degree video</a> that allows viewers to interact with the content, shifting their point of view as the video plays. Initial collaborators are GoPro, Saturday Night Live, VICE and others.</li>
<li><a href="https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2015/09/updates-for-facebook-notes/" target="_blank">Facebook Notes have been updated</a>, with a more modern feel, the ability to include and caption photos, post links, format text and more. <i>In this regard, Facebook is becoming more of a comprehensive publishing platform that rivals Tumblr or Medium</i>.</li>
<li>But please — Medium is not a publishing tool, according to its founder. <a href="https://medium.com/the-story/medium-is-not-a-publishing-tool-4c3c63fa41d2" target="_blank">It's a network</a>. </li>
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<li><a href="http://blog.instagram.com/post/129662501137/150922-400million" target="_blank">Instagram reached 400 million users</a> last week, 75% of whom are outside of the US. </li>
<li>There's a new caption that works for every single <i>New Yorker</i> cartoon. And <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2015/09/a-new-universal-new-yorker-cartoon-caption-id-like-to-add-you-to-my-professional-network-linkedin/406783/" target="_blank">LinkedIn users may find it particularly funny</a>.</li>
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<b>Collaborative Economy</b> </h4>
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<li style="text-align: left;">You've given out your fair share of 5-star reviews to your Uber drivers. But do you know what kind of reviews they've given you? Now <a href="http://mashable.com/2015/09/21/how-to-find-uber-rating/#HfTIiTFf95k_" target="_blank">you can discover your Uber rating</a> in just a few steps.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">If you're in Chicago, you might want to <a href="http://www.fox5ny.com/news/23285257-story" target="_blank">beware of fake Uber drivers</a> who are on the prowl.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/09/22/uber-debuts-ubercommute-in-chengdu-its-number-one-city-in-the-world/" target="_blank">in China, Uber has debuted UberCommute</a>, which matches drivers and passengers going in the same direction.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Uber is experimenting with UberEVENTS, a feature<a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/25/uber-has-a-new-pre-paid-ride-service-called-uberevents/" target="_blank"> that allows event organizers to arrange pre-paid rides for their guests, speakers or employees</a>. Currently only available in New York City, the service will roll out to other locations soon. <i>This is a smart move — one that reflects how many event planners use car services or taxis for their clients</i>. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Oyster — aka Netflix for books — <a href="http://recode.net/2015/09/21/oyster-books-shuts-down-team-heads-to-google/" target="_blank">is shutting down and Google is "acqhiring" Oyster's staff</a>. <i>Can't say we're surprised. If you ask us, there's a precedent for "Netflix for books." It's called a public library</i>.  </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Quirky, the crowdsourced inventions company, <a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/quirky-files-for-bankruptcy-puts-wink-up-for-sale/" target="_blank">is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy</a> and is putting its smart home platform Wink up for sale.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Airbnb's secret to success was <a href="http://firstround.com/review/How-design-thinking-transformed-Airbnb-from-failing-startup-to-billion-dollar-business/" target="_blank">to pay attention to design thinking</a> and find a solution that wasn't necessarily scalable.</li>
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<b>Audio</b></h4>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/deezer-files-for-ipo-2015-9" target="_blank">Another audio streaming company is going public</a>: this time, it's Deezer, the French music streaming outfit that is a smaller competitor to Spotify.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">The music industry is singing a similar tune as previous years: <a href="http://recode.net/2015/09/21/the-music-businesss-song-is-on-repeat-streaming-is-up-sales-are-flat/" target="_blank">flat sales overall, but streaming is up</a>. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6700444/soundcloud-ceo-alexander-ljung-freemium-negotiating-major-labels" target="_blank">SoundCloud is pushing ahead with its freemium model</a> and doing more deals with major music labels. </li>
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<b>Content</b></h4>
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<li>If you're looking for a great tool for storytelling, try creating your own Flipboard magazine. Lots of <a href="https://about.flipboard.com/magmaker/flipboardchat-summary-using-flipboard-magazines-for-storytelling/" target="_blank">tips on how to get the most out of it on this #FlipboardChat transcript</a>.</li>
<li>Everyone wants to know how to create content for Millennials; now you can find out <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/NewsCred/news-cred-buzzfeed-webinar2?mc_cid=ce96898419&mc_eid=6b50f1b70a" target="_blank">why it's important and strategies for success</a>. </li>
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<li>Just don't forget: <a href="http://www.niemanlab.org/2015/09/guess-what-millennials-arent-all-the-same-when-it-comes-to-news-consumption/" target="_blank">Millennials don't all consume news the same way</a>.</li>
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<li>You're doing content marketing? Great. Here are <a href="https://econsultancy.com/blog/66951-seven-golden-rules-for-content-marketing/" target="_blank">seven golden rules for content marketing</a>. <i>We particularly like #1: create what your audience needs (not what you want)</i>.</li>
<li>Which technologies and content types are important for B2B marketers? <a href="http://www.marketingcharts.com/online/which-technologies-and-content-types-are-rising-in-importance-for-b2b-marketers-59507/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=mc&utm_medium=headline" target="_blank">Content marketing is in the lead position</a> currently. Looking further ahead, marketing automation is set to take the #2 spot. <i>Interesting that B2B marketers would rather <u>depersonalize</u> the experience in the future</i>.</li>
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<b>Metrics / Measurement / Data</b></h4>
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<li>The first in an ongoing series from Christopher Penn on <a href="http://www.christopherspenn.com/2015/09/how-to-build-your-customer-journey-part-1/" target="_blank">how to build your customer journey</a>.</li>
<li>If you want to understand <a href="http://www.ignitesocialmedia.com/twitter-marketing/the-correlation-between-social-media-spends-and-sales-lifts/" target="_blank">the impact of social media on sales</a>, one of the most important things to grok is that it's not a funnel, it's a fish.</li>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-spj5A2y6jss/Vgi3feDSgLI/AAAAAAAAikA/kZep5yoFPbo/s1600/Fish%2Bnot%2Ba%2Bfunnel.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-spj5A2y6jss/Vgi3feDSgLI/AAAAAAAAikA/kZep5yoFPbo/s640/Fish%2Bnot%2Ba%2Bfunnel.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Answer to the trivia question above: </h3>
More people have died <a href="http://mashable.com/2015/09/21/selfie-deaths/#mO.0e.jOGkk6" target="_blank">from taking selfies</a> than from shark attacks in 2015 so far. Twelve deaths can be attributed to selfies, while eight are related to shark attacks. <i>And yet the Kardashians somehow manage to keep thriving</i>...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nf7fQBUljus/VgivoDs3aDI/AAAAAAAAijc/q2b1veazXUk/s1600/Shark%2BSelfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nf7fQBUljus/VgivoDs3aDI/AAAAAAAAijc/q2b1veazXUk/s400/Shark%2BSelfie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Privacy / Security / Legal</b></h4>
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<li>Users have privacy issues with Facebook in Belgium, where <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-accused-of-spying-on-belgium-2015-9" target="_blank">Facebook is being accused of spying on Belgians</a>, akin to the NSA.</li>
<li>The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) data breach just keeps getting worse. The hack that resulted in <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/09/opm-now-admits-5-6m-feds-fingerprints-stolen-hackers/" target="_blank">stolen personal data now includes some 5.6 million fingerprints</a>. <i>Changing those isn't quite as easy as changing your password</i>.</li>
<li><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2015/09/24/facebook-is-working-on-self-protecting-mobile-apps/" target="_blank">Facebook is developing self-protecting mobile apps</a> that know when they're not running on the most updated version of an operating system.</li>
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<b>When You Have the Time: Essential Watching / Listening / Reading</b> </h4>
<ul>
<li>Daniel Pink has analyzed and eviscerated traditional business practices for some time, writing a number of books along the way. What helped him with his thinking? He shares <a href="http://www.strategy-business.com/blog/Daniel-Pink-Required-Reading?gko=03bfe" target="_blank">four books that have particularly stood out</a> along his journey. </li>
<li>How do you interact with customers? If you're busy trying to come up with a way to expand your unhuman, logo-centric cookie-cutter approach, you're doing it wrong. Or, put another way, <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2015/09/industrializing-professionalizing-scaling.html" target="_blank">if you can't figure out how to talk to one person, it doesn't really pay to scale up your efforts to talk to a thousand</a>.</li>
<li>If you'd like to talk with one or more, you might think about putting down that device and paying attention. Particularly because <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/27/opinion/sunday/stop-googling-lets-talk.html?mwrsm=LinkedIn&_r=0" target="_blank">you might be demonstrating a lack of empathy</a> otherwise.</li>
<li>If you'd like to reach your audience more effectively, think about <a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/09/21/bertrand-russell-nobel-prize-acceptance-speech/" target="_blank">the four desires that Bertrand Russell identified that drive all humans</a>: acquisitiveness, rivalry, vanity and love of power. <i>If you ask us, Apple nailed all four</i>. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://smonty.co/announcemt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I advise agencies and brands to help them improve their corporate and digital acumen</a>. Please <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/contact.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">get in touch</a> if you'd like to put my experience and digital smarts to work on a project, to consult with your group, or to address an audience at your next corporate or industry event.</div>
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The Week in Digital - September 28, 2015

While ad blocking continues, trust blocking seems to be of greater concern, the Internet idiot of the week, the future of TV is the web...

Don't Forget the Most Important Part of SWOT Analysis in Your Marketing Planning

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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DSJ9xFBTMNs/VgP5l4B8QNI/AAAAAAAAigY/TXKJHJsr3Bs/s1600/Jared%2B-%2BSWOT.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jared's SWOT chart" border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DSJ9xFBTMNs/VgP5l4B8QNI/AAAAAAAAigY/TXKJHJsr3Bs/s640/Jared%2B-%2BSWOT.png" title="Silicon Valley SWOT" width="640" /></a></div>
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When you're developing a strategy - whether it's a business strategy, marketing strategy, or communications strategy - the tried and true SWOT analysis is still a valuable tool. Developments with Uber this week got us to thinking about the importance of two of the areas that can leave a company the most vulnerable: Weaknesses and Threats.<br /><br />Defining your own weaknesses is a humbling process, for individuals as well as for businesses. The process can leave you feeling vulnerable and exposed. That's good, actually. It means you've identified an area that you need to work on. In Uber's case, one of its weaknesses is its take-no-prisoners culture. Some have called this "ask for forgiveness rather than permission." While it has worked remarkably well in the U.S. market, other markets such as France and China have shown more resistance.<br /><br />In China, for example, the government is extremely involved in businesses and can lock out competitors that it doesn't want to see in action. Facebook is a great example of that. Powerhouse Tencent has its own ride-hailing capability inside of WeChat and <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">it has effectively blocked Uber</a>. In France, the government filed a legal complaint against Uber and even arrested two of its executives because of what it deemed <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/06/26/uk-france-uber-idUKKBN0P60U420150626">a "cynical" and "arrogant" attitude</a> from the company.<br /><br />Predicting threats can be a little more uncertain, as it not only requires a good sense of one's own weakness, but of the strengths of the competition. This is where it helps not to be arrogant. In France, hometown hero and Uber competitor<a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/09/16/blablacar-smashes-frances-vc-record-with-200m-round-1-6b-valuation/">BlaBlaCar just raised $200 million</a> on a $1.6 billion valuation in its quest to win the hearts and minds of the ride-hailing crowd. When added to the prevailing feelings of the French government against Uber, it seems as if BlaBlaCar has a distinct advantage.<br /><br />Similarly, Tenent's own Didi Kauidi and Lyft have announced<a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/uber-rivals-form-international-alliance-1442429031"> an international agreement</a> to allow users of each app to catch rides with drivers from the other apps when in their respective countries. When you're hated enough, you never know who's going to collaborate to attempt to defeat you.<br /><br /><br />Have you considered every angle of how you plan your strategy? Are their gaping holes that your competition can take advantage of? Concentrating on the more difficult and negative aspects of SWOT analysis can help you see these before your competition does.<div>
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfB0g_JDIds" target="_blank">YouTube</a></i></div>
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Don't Forget the Most Important Part of SWOT Analysis in Your Marketing Planning

When you're developing a strategy - whether it's a business strategy, marketing strategy, or communications strategy - the tried...

The Week in Digital - September 21, 2015

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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-miYJXcZbyLE/Vf6egOLDtXI/AAAAAAAAibc/9DhrOT-YIz8/s1600/Dislike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Commodus gives Facebook permission to dislike" border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-miYJXcZbyLE/Vf6egOLDtXI/AAAAAAAAibc/9DhrOT-YIz8/s640/Dislike.jpg" title="Commodus giving a thumbs-down" width="640" /></a></div>
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To block or not to block, to Like or Dislike, the most effective digital channels, cord cutting is becoming more prevalent, Google Car gets a CEO, buying and selling with Twitter, journalists get the ability to track trends, data and stories in Facebook, Snapchat has some enterprising developments, the competition heats up for Uber internationally, a house-sharing no-no, the importance of a story strategy, the changing landscape of SEO, Google wants privacy laws updated, a keynote you won't want to miss and more, it's <b>The Week in Digital</b>.<br />
<br />
A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.<br />
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Each Monday we publish 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. <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/subscribe.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Please subscribe</a> to keep up to date on developments.<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><br />
<ul>
<li>Apple's iOS 9 launched last week, with the news that it included ad blocking capabilities. Some indicated that if we eliminate the ads that support the content you read, <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/17/9338963/welcome-to-hell-apple-vs-google-vs-facebook-and-the-slow-death-of-the-web" target="_blank">we might see the end of the web as we know it</a>. However, it should be worth noting that ads in Facebook's app and Apple's News app are unblockable. This really is becoming a battle between the tech giants.</li>
<ul>
<li>However, within 24 hours of the launch of iOS 9 —  when <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/17/a-day-after-ios-9s-launch-ad-blockers-top-the-app-store/" target="_blank">ad blockers dominated the top 10 of the App Store</a> — the <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/17/9338963/welcome-to-hell-apple-vs-google-vs-facebook-and-the-slow-death-of-the-web" target="_blank">creator of ad blocker Peace pulled it</a> because it "just doesn't feel good."</li>
<li>In case you're late to the party, here's <a href="http://www.vox.com/2015/9/18/9351759/ad-blocking-controversy" target="_blank">a comprehensive explanation of the ad blocking controversy</a>. One interesting statistic and three predictions from this piece: ad spending has remained constant over the last 65 years; we'll see a shift away from programmatic to native advertising; a shift away from medium size publications; and a shift away from the web into mobile apps.</li>
<li>Is this a <i>fait accompli</i> for advertisers? They've had <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2015/09/ad-blocking.html" target="_blank">15 years to show some restraint</a>. </li>
</ul>
<li>With all of this technology available to us, have you stopped to consider whether <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2015/09/technology-is-great-but-dont-forget.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">you've missed a fundamental opportunity</a>?</li>
<li>The channels that CMOs leverage <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Digital-Tactics-Work-Across-Buyer-Journey/1012991?ecid=NL1001" target="_blank">depend on where buyers are in their journey</a>. Plenty of digital options are very effective throughout the journey, but as we've long said, social is most widely used at every stage except conversion.</li>
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Trivia question: According to research, which digital tactic is the most effective in driving ROI?*</h3>
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<li><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/news-corp-acquire-unruly-platform-823821" target="_blank">NewsCorp has acquired Unruly</a>, a social video ad platform to expand its expertise in digital and mobile video.</li>
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<li><a href="http://www.marketingcharts.com/online/video-marketing-effectiveness-59245/" target="_blank">Video is becoming a more effective marketing tool</a>, despite some challenges.</li>
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<li>According to a new survey of 2,400 consumers, <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2015/09/19/tv-watchers-giving-cable-companies-their-walking-papers-at-intensifying-pace-.html" target="_blank">the growth of cord-cutting is intensifying</a>, putting the cable industry on a downward trend that shows no sign of diminishing. <i>The cable industry needs to understand that traditional bundling and a business-as-usual approach won't work forever</i>.</li>
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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://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VXb_gD7uBZk/Vf28Q1Vv6iI/AAAAAAAAiaA/8c92p-yZr6o/s1600/cord%2Bcutting%2Bchart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Percent of paid subscribers likely to cut the cord" border="0" height="370" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VXb_gD7uBZk/Vf28Q1Vv6iI/AAAAAAAAiaA/8c92p-yZr6o/s640/cord%2Bcutting%2Bchart.png" title="Percent of cable subscribes likely to cut the cord" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plus, 7.1% in the 25-34 age range were "very likely" to subscribe to a non-cable pay TV service in the next year.</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li>We have a discount code available for Christopher Penn's ebook series on digital marketing: <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>. Just $9.99 each. Use discount code <b>monty20</b> to get 20% off of any single title. <i>Highly recommended (and one of our affiliate partners).</i></li>
</ul>
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<b>Platforms</b></h4>
<ul>
<li><b>Google</b></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-invests-32-million-in-oscar-healthcare-startup-2015-9" target="_blank">Google invested $32.5 million in Oscar</a>, a healthcare insurance startup. Customers can talk to physicians on the phone for free, and they receive fitness trackers from Oscar. <i>If done at scale, this could bring valuable data to the healthcare industry and even the CDC, with whom Google has collaborated on seasonal sickness search trends</i>.</li>
<li>Google landed John Krafcic, former CEO of TrueCar and Hyundai, as <a href="http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2015/09/14/krafcik-ceo-google-self-driving-cars/72238760/" target="_blank">its new CEO of Google Car</a>. </li>
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<li><b>Twitter</b></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/company/announcements/bloomberg-and-twitter-sign-data-licensing-agreement/" target="_blank">Bloomberg has inked a long-term data agreement</a> with Twitter to help customers uncover early trends, breaking news and sentiment shifts. <i>A powerful endorsement for the power of Twitter's real-time data</i>.</li>
<li>Donating to political candidates has never been easier. In time for election season, <a href="https://blog.twitter.com/2015/political-donations-now-through-a-tweet" target="_blank">Twitter is partnering with Square to launch a tweet-to-donate button</a> that allows users to support a candidate directly through a tweet. <i>Our view: while a valuable tool at the grassroots political level, we also see huge potential for nonprofits in their fundraising efforts</i>.</li>
<li>From buying to selling: <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/09/now-anyone-can-sell-stuff-twitter-directly-app/" target="_blank">anyone with a Stripe account can sell goods directly through Twitter</a>. <i>Expect more activity like this from other providers as well, with an increased attention on keeping people and their attention within apps</i>.</li>
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<li><b>Facebook</b></li>
<ul>
<li>The biggest news out of Facebook this week came from an all-hands meeting in which CEO Mark Zuckerberg indicated that <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/09/zuckerberg-says-dislike-button-nigh/" target="_blank">the company is working on a dislike button</a>. The Internet flew into a typical tizzy, but it was clear from the announcement that it would be a limited use feature and one that allowed commenters to express empathy, such as regarding the death of a loved one. <i>We're a little disappointed; we thought this was being created with election season in mind</i>.</li>
<li>Facebook's Like buttons will soon start <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/news/541351/facebooks-like-buttons-will-soon-track-your-web-browsing-to-target-ads/" target="_blank">tracking your web activity</a> akin to the way cookies attach on certain ads and websites. <i>What's not to like?</i> </li>
<li>Facebook at Work <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2015/09/ad-blocking.html" target="_blank">will debut some time before the end of the year</a>. The office place version of the platform has been in beta since January and will likely have a freemium pricing model.</li>
<li><a href="http://media.fb.com/2015/09/17/introducing-signal/" target="_blank">Signal for Facebook and Instagram</a> is a free discovery and curation tool for journalists who want to source, gather, and embed newsworthy content. They'll be able to see trends, data on who's driving conversations, save content and data for sharing outside of Facebook and more. <i>This is clearly another move, along with Facebook Mentions, of Facebook taking the offensive against Twitter in trying to own realtime and the news</i>.</li>
<li>Virtual reality seems a bit of a stretch, with the requirement of those clunky headsets. But Facebook is looking to eliminate that hassle by <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-looks-to-bring-virtual-reality-to-mobile-devices-1442178190" target="_blank">making VR available on your mobile device</a> through a stand-alone app that only requires users to tilt their phones.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><b>Snapchat</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Snapchat struck a deal with the NFL <a href="http://recode.net/2015/09/17/snapchat-inks-nfl-deal-to-bring-football-into-its-live-stories/" target="_blank">to bring football into its Live Stories</a> feature.</li>
<li>Want to replay some of those disappearing photos? <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/snapchat-adds-lenses-and-paid-replays-2015-9?op=1" target="_blank">That'll cost $0.99</a> through Snapchat's Paid Replays. Plus, you can now animate selfies with the Lens feature. <i>Great. As if selfies weren't annoying enough already</i>.</li>
<li><a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/09/18/snapchat-teams-up-with-burberry-to-unveil-new-collection-ahead-of-london-fashion-week/" target="_blank">Burberry and Snapchat are collaborating in advance of London Fashion Week</a> to unveil new clothing lines. <i>This marks yet another example of Burberry's advanced thinking and activity in the digital space. They've been on top of the game for a couple of years now, trying new features and partnering with hot platforms and technologies</i>. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/09/13/flickr-vr/" target="_blank">Flickr is getting on board with virtual reality</a>. The photo sharing and storage site plans to add a VR link or button to any 360-degree photos for an immersive experience for headset owners. </li>
<li>It's one thing to put display budget against social media platforms for advertising purposes, but Pinterest has a different idea. <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/cmo/2015/09/14/pinterest-targets-search-ad-budgets/" target="_blank">Pinterest is targeting search marketing budgets</a>, pitching its platform as one where consumers search for and discover products.</li>
</ul>
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<h4>
<b>Collaborative Economy</b> </h4>
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<ul>
<li>A rather radical position, but one journalist thinks <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3050775/the-sharing-economy-is-dead-and-we-killed-it" target="_blank">we've killed the sharing economy</a>. <i>We'd prefer to kill the term "sharing economy," as it's not entirely accurate, but if there are commodity services that are used frequently, those are the the ones that are ripe for disruption — not the one-off mundane instances of needing to borrow a power tool</i>.</li>
<li>You know your competitors really dislike you when they go out of their way to partner. <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/uber-rivals-form-international-alliance-1442429031" target="_blank">Lyft and Did Kuaidi have formed an international alliance</a> that allows their users to hail drivers when in China and the United States, respectively. <i>With Uber being blocked by Tencent's Didi in China, this run-around effectively creates a global system without resorting to the aggressive tactics that Uber typically uses in new markets</i>.</li>
<li>Speaking of spiting your competitor, France's BlaBlaCar, the local competitor to Uber, <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/09/16/blablacar-smashes-frances-vc-record-with-200m-round-1-6b-valuation/" target="_blank">raised $200 million in its latest round</a>, on a $1.6 billion valuation. This was France's largest round of venture funding ever.</li>
<li>And Asia isn't done with ride-hailing competition. India's cab-hailing solution <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/14/indian-cab-hailing-firm-ola-is-raising-over-500m-at-a-valuation-of-around-5b/" target="_blank">Ola is raising over $500 million on a $5 billion valuation</a>.</li>
<li>This Airbnb couple got more than they bargained for: after they left for a week at Burning Man, they got an email from a friend saying he just booked their home on Airbnb. The only problem: t<a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/burning-man-couples-housesitter-allegedly-put-their-apartment-on-airbnb/#ftag=CADf328eec" target="_blank">hey left it in the care of a housesitter, who promptly put the property up for rent</a>. <i>Quite an enterprising entrepreneur!</i>  </li>
<li>Breather, which allows users to book peaceful, practical spaces to work or relax, <a href="https://breather.com/blog/2015/09/julien-smith-series-b-announcement/" target="_blank">has raised $20 million in funding</a>. It's already available in New York, San Francisco, Boston, Ottowa and Montreal; expect more cities to be added.</li>
<li>Barnes & Noble is using its space to host <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/h/makerfaire/" target="_blank">workshops and collaborations on behalf of Maker Faire</a>. <i>This could give Maker Faire a boost in scale and give B&N a boost in reputation</i>.</li>
<li>Auto companies face some serious competition from ride-hailing apps. These technologies make it less attractive for consumers to purchase vehicles. One columnist even thinks <a href="https://medium.com/@SunilPaul/why-auto-companies-548df953d139" target="_blank">Uber may kill the auto industry</a>. <i>While we understand the larger point, Uber can't really survive without the auto industry, can it? Plus, a number of auto companies like Ford and BMW have begun to develop their own ride-sharing programs.</i> </li>
<li>If Uber did lose the class-action suit that was given the green light, and subsequently had to categorize its drivers as employees, it could expect <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/09/17/ubernomics/" target="_blank">costs to rise by more than $4 billion</a>.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j5aV15S-JUI/Vf3B3CrEPoI/AAAAAAAAiaQ/pSweI3MQ-Y4/s1600/Uber%2Bcosts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j5aV15S-JUI/Vf3B3CrEPoI/AAAAAAAAiaQ/pSweI3MQ-Y4/s640/Uber%2Bcosts.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<li>And in case you're wondering why so many of our stories are related to the transportation industry, it's because <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12xTPJNvdOZVzERueyA-dILGTtL_KWKTbmj6RyOg9XXs/edit#gid=1929047405" target="_blank">the majority of funding in the collaborative economy has gone to the transportation sector</a>. Check out the spreadsheet and charts for a deeper dive.</li>
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<h4>
<b>Audio</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>The new version of Chromecast will support even more services. In a nod to the importance of audio, <a href="http://9to5google.com/2015/09/17/exclusive-google-and-spotify-launching-chromecast-support-later-this-month/" target="_blank">Google's connected TV device will support Spotify</a>.</li>
<li>Music is uniquely a human art. Even philosopher Friederich Nietsche, who famously declared God dead said, "<a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/09/18/nietzsche-on-music/" target="_blank">Music unites all qualities: it can exalt us, divert us, cheer us up, or break the hardest of hearts with the softest of its melancholy tones. But its principal task is to lead our thoughts to higher things, to elevate, even to make us tremble.</a>"</li>
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<b>Content</b></h4>
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<li>Uber vehicles will carry <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/10/ubers-are-about-to-start-carrying-their-own-in-car-magazine/" target="_blank">their own in-car magazine, <i>Arriving Now</i></a>. The first edition launched in conjunction with New York Fashion Week and will contain pro tips, hotspots and exclusive deals. Expect more of this local and specialized content in other cities.</li>
<li>A look at <a href="http://contently.com/strategist/2015/09/14/the-state-of-social-media-content-in-12-charts/" target="_blank">the state of social media content in 12 charts</a> provides some valuable insights, including: publishers drive the most engagement on social media, with brands close behind; <i>National Geographic</i> is a leader, with more actions taken than BuzzFeed; video is the future of content; Millennials want to be funny while older generations want to tell a story.</li>
<li>Have you considered the strategic aim of your storytelling? <a href="http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/why-every-organization-needs-a-story-strategy/" target="_blank">Every company needs a story strategy</a> to align its efforts and stakeholders. <i>Otherwise, you're aimlessly talking into the wind</i>.</li>
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<b>Metrics / Measurement / Data</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Search engine optimization is constantly changing. But if you've missed the tectonic shifts in how SEO is done, you might be interested in this infographic on <a href="http://contently.com/strategist/2014/12/02/need-to-know-new-seo-vs-old-seo-infographic/" target="_blank">the difference between old SEO and new SEO</a>.</li>
<li>While you're at it, you should take a look at <a href="https://moz.com/blog/optimize-marketing-with-keywords" target="_blank">how to use keywords throughout your marketing strategy</a>, not just for website optimization.</li>
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<h3>
* Answer to the trivia question above:</h3>
According to research by The Relevancy Group, <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/How-Much-Revenue-Email-Drive/1013001?ecid=SOC1000" target="_blank">email marketing is the most effective</a> at contributing revenue to the bottom line. Some of the respondents even indicated email is so effective that it contributes the same amount of revenue as their social media, website and display ad efforts <i>combined</i>.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X6PIm1qkGBY/Vf6QuJlBCJI/AAAAAAAAibM/zvEzVLqKYEE/s1600/Digital%2Bmarketing%2Beffectiveness.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Email tops all digital marketing channels at ROI" border="0" height="310" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X6PIm1qkGBY/Vf6QuJlBCJI/AAAAAAAAibM/zvEzVLqKYEE/s320/Digital%2Bmarketing%2Beffectiveness.gif" title="Email's effectiveness" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h4>
<b>Privacy / Security / Legal</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Google, which has taken a hammering recently with respect to <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/258000/google-facing-new-gmail-privacy-battle.html" target="_blank">some of its privacy practices</a>, has decided to address the situation in a different way: lobbying the government <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/09/18/google-demands-reform-for-30-year-old-us-data-privacy-act/" target="_blank">to reform the 30 year-old Electronic Communications Privacy Act</a> (ECPA). <i>After 30 years, the Act does likely need some updating. First, electronic communications have changed significantly in the last 30 years. And it needs one of those clever government acronyms like EMAIL or something</i>. </li>
<li>An appeals court indicated that Universal Music Group is on the wrong side of the law with respect to its <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/09/eff-scores-a-win-in-long-running-dancing-baby-copyright-case/" target="_blank">takedown notices and fair use</a>. The court indicated that companies must exercise good judgment before dashing off a takedown notice, and that includes considering the existence of fair use.</li>
<li>Twitter is on the receiving end of <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/twitter-hit-class-action-lawsuit-823340" target="_blank">a lawsuit that claims that the company is eavesdropping on Direct Messages</a>. It hinges on Twitter's URL shortener changing URLs to t.co links via an algorithm — even though there is no human intervention. <i>Hey, the robots are going to be taking over the world soon enough anyway. Why not show them that even robots aren't immune from the U.S. tort system and California privacy laws?</i> </li>
</ul>
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<h4>
<b>When You Have the Time: Essential Watching / Listening / Reading</b> </h4>
<ul>
<li>If you didn't make it to INBOUND, you missed one of the best marketing conferences of the year. And you missed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kGFyrVgUPk&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">this very thoughtful keynote by Seth Godin</a>, who challenged everyone to stop waiting for reassurance, get out of their comfort zone, and remember the Leondard Bernstein quote, <b><i>"I'm not sure what the question is, but I know the answer is yes."</i></b></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://smonty.co/announcemt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I advise agencies and brands to help them improve their corporate and digital acumen</a>. Please <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/contact.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">get in touch</a> if you'd like to put my experience and digital smarts to work on a project, to consult with 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYNUOkqzcVA" target="_blank">YouTube</a></i><br />
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The Week in Digital - September 21, 2015

To block or not to block, to Like or Dislike, the most effective digital channels, cord cutting is becoming more prevalent, Google Car ...

Technology Is Great — But Don't Forget This Important Detail

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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4HrWT5asuO4/VfrNst8vigI/AAAAAAAAiXs/ZO6HCCiXJjo/s1600/vintage-technology-keyboard-old.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="364" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4HrWT5asuO4/VfrNst8vigI/AAAAAAAAiXs/ZO6HCCiXJjo/s640/vintage-technology-keyboard-old.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Like you, I followed the news of Apple's latest product announcement with some interest. Whether they're revealing a brand new product or making updates to existing models, this is a company that has changed the way we think about product launches and, more fundamentally, how we communicate.<br /><br />So it was with great interest that I read <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/09/10/angela-ahrendts-apple/">the Fortune article on Angela Ahrendts</a>, Apple's SVP of retail and online. Ahrendts was the CEO of Burberry, a global luxury brand that she managed to turn around and put at the forefront of digital media. One would expect her to be focused on the design aspect of Apple products — particularly the ever-advancing capabilities of these super-devices.<br /><br />But here's the quote that really caught my eye:<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><i>The more technologically advanced our society becomes, the more we need to go back to the basic fundamentals of human communication.</i></b></blockquote>
<br />How refreshing to hear someone — especially someone in the tech field — talk about the power of connecting with others through the basics of communication. When I was at Ford, my team was focused on creating value and humanizing the company; the technology we used to do that was secondary.</div>
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<br />Humans are social creatures and have always been storytellers — from the days before the written (or perhaps even spoken) word, when our ancestors drew on the walls of caves. If we can remember what motivates people and how we tap into their emotions, we can unlock one of the great secrets of the successful modern marketer.<br /><br />Yes, we'll always want to play with the latest gadget or experiment on the hottest new communications platform. But let's not forget what unites us: the power of authenticity, which gives us the potential to earn more attention and in turn begets trust. Focus on that first and foremost, and it won't matter what technological advances are around the corner.</div>
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Technology Is Great — But Don't Forget This Important Detail

Like you, I followed the news of Apple's latest product announcement with some interest. Whether they're revealing a brand new p...

The Week in Digital - September 14, 2015

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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yuOBjnEF47M/VfYt5wr3ZcI/AAAAAAAAiVo/UkmBio5nnAc/s1600/Apple%2Bpencil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="iPencil" border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yuOBjnEF47M/VfYt5wr3ZcI/AAAAAAAAiVo/UkmBio5nnAc/s640/Apple%2Bpencil.jpg" title="Apple pencil" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Apple had this little event, television is still on top, Twitter and Google join forces, Facebook gave journalists the power of celebrities, which social networks you're most likely to find college kids on, Instagram brings back the 30-second spot, Uber had its ups and downs between the Late Show with Stephen Colbert and legal developments, how mobility-as-a-service will change your lifestyle, the State of American Podcasting report, consumers don't trust retailers with their data, the future of virtual reality and storytelling, our weekly trivia question and more, it's <b>The Week in Digital</b>.<br />
<br />
A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.<br />
<br />
Each Monday we publish 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. <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/subscribe.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Please subscribe</a> to keep up to date on developments.<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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This week, we tried something new using <b>Facebook Mentions</b>: 10 minutes of commentary and previews of what to expect from today's newsletter. If you follow me on <a href="http://facebook.com/scottmonty" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and tune in every Sunday night, you can get a preview as well.<br />
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A preview of some topics in The Week in Digital for September 14, 2015.</div>
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Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/scott.monty">Scott Monty</a> on Sunday, September 13, 2015</div>
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<b>Industry</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Perhaps you heard there was an Apple event last week. As usual, Apple dominated the tech news, particularly with its larger <a href="http://9to5mac.com/2015/09/09/apple-previews-long-awaited-larger-ipad-pro/" target="_blank">iPad Pro</a>, the interactive <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/09/apple-unveils-a-more-powerful-apple-tv/" target="_blank">Apple TV</a> and its <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/9/9261591/apple-iphone-6s-announced-specs-price-release-date" target="_blank">updated iPhones</a>. Of particular interest was what is essentially a phone leasing (loyalty?) program that guarantees customers a new phone every year for <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/09/with-new-iphone-upgrade-program-get-a-new-iphone-every-year-for-32month/" target="_blank">a perennial $32 a month</a>. Plenty more was announced as well. <i>But it did seem to drag on as it entered its third hour</i>.</li>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" lang="en">
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This Apple event is one of the best miniseries I've ever seen.</div>
— Dave Pell (@davepell) <a href="https://twitter.com/davepell/status/641673761025077248">September 9, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<li>One of the bright lights behind Apple's continued success is former Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts, who holds the title of SVP of retail at Apple. There's <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/09/10/angela-ahrendts-apple/" target="_blank">a lengthy profile on her and her leadership style in Forbes</a> that includes this killer quote about the importance of people in your strategy that more marketers need to grasp:</li>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>“The more technologically advanced our society becomes, the more we need to go back to the basic fundamentals of human communication.” </i></b></h4>
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<ul>
<li>Despite the longtime prediction that digital would kill television, it seems to have made it stronger. <a href="http://www.strategy-business.com/article/00362?gko=ca454" target="_blank">What are the driving forces behind the continued success of TV?</a> Money is one. Between advertising revenue and owning the content that appears on its channels, television is still poised to do well in the future. And digital media was forced to adopt television's advertising model when it began. <i>Not to mention that when you start with a dominant and ubiquitous medium, it has the advantage, even if it lags a bit in adopting new technology; most mainstream consumers aren't early adopters either</i>.</li>
<li>We have a discount code available for Christopher Penn's ebook series on digital marketing: <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>. Just $9.99 each. Use discount code <b>monty20</b> to get 20% off of any single title. <i>Highly recommended (and one of our affiliate partners).</i></li>
</ul>
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<h4>
<b>Platforms</b></h4>
<ul>
<li><b>Google</b></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://officialandroid.blogspot.com/2015/09/tap-pay-done.html" target="_blank">Android Pay</a> — Google's answer to Apple Pay — is rolling out. A number of major retailers are on board, including Rite Aid, Walgreen's, Toys 'R Us, GameStop, Whole Foods and more.</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Twitter</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Google and Twitter are joining forces to <a href="http://recode.net/2015/09/11/google-tries-its-own-version-of-instant-articles-with-a-twist/" target="_blank">create their own version of Facebook's Instant Articles</a>. The program will launch this fall, but unlike Facebook, will not host publishers' content directly on its site; the articles will be a cached snapshot of a webpage and readers will go directly to publishers' sites. <i>This is a significant difference and one that may attract many more publishers — certainly smaller ones that can't afford or don't want to commit to the kind of arrangement that Facebook is offering</i>.</li>
<li>But with all of the data available to Facebook and its global domination, Knowledge@Wharton still had to ask: <a href="http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/will-twitter-remain-in-facebooks-shadow/?utm_content=buffer761c9&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer" target="_blank">will Twitter remain in Facebook's shadow?</a></li>
<li>If Twitter's <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/09/10/twitter-cant-even-answer-its-own-question-why-twit.aspx" target="_blank">CFO can't answer the question "Why Twitter?"</a> the answer is <b><i>yes</i></b>.</li>
<li>Twitter is getting more serious about iOS as it is <a href="https://blog.twitter.com/2015/building-a-more-unified-twitter-for-ios" target="_blank">creating a responsive product</a> for a more seamless experience between desktop, iPhone and iPad.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Facebook</b></li>
<ul><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ita9j-hKiUI/VfXsli253MI/AAAAAAAAiVU/qJ4hKvmK_oM/s1600/check.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ita9j-hKiUI/VfXsli253MI/AAAAAAAAiVU/qJ4hKvmK_oM/s1600/check.png" /></a>
<li>Journalists and anyone with that blue and white check mark  next to their name on Facebook <a href="http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/372184/facebook-is-now-offering-journalists-the-same-tools-as-celebrities/" target="_blank">can now use Facebook Mentions to stream live video</a>. In fact, we experimented last night with<a href="https://www.facebook.com/scott.monty/videos/10153083379996625/" target="_blank"> a video preview of this newsletter</a>, with extended commentary. <i>This could be Facebook's finger-in-the-eye to Twitter, which traditionally has been more useful for the news media</i>.</li>
<li>You know how the rainbowify-your-profile craze took off following the SCOTUS decision on same-sex marriage? There were a number of folks who worried about the social ramifications of when it was <a href="http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/134484-nobody-wants-to-be-first-to-remove-their-facebook-rainbow-profile-photo-why-is-it-such-an-issue" target="_blank">acceptable to change them back</a>. It seems that now you won't have to worry about it, as <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/11/facebook-temporary-profile-picture/" target="_blank">Facebook is rolling out a feature that allows users to post temporary cause-based images</a>. <i>It would seem that some folks in my feed are clearly worried about the social stigma, as they're sticking with the rainbow images</i>. </li>
<li>One of Facebook's earliest employees is also one of the least known even though <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/10/fashion/matt-jacobson-facebooks-gatekeeper-for-hollywood.html?_r=0" target="_blank">he's responsible for its Hollywood partnerships</a>. <i>Even though he prefers his pants hemmed at the ankle, he's okay in our book, as he says, "ties are my thing."</i></li>
<li>If you're looking to reach college students, Facebook would be a good bet. According to polling by Fluent, it's the social network <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/College-Students-Still-Spend-Most-Social-Time-with-Facebook/1012955?ecid=NL1009" target="_blank">on which they spend more of their time than any other</a>. <i>This, despite their parents being there</i>.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><b>Instagram</b></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">Remember when the 30-second spot was supposed to be <a href="http://amzn.to/1Qbjvhl" target="_blank">a thing of the past</a>? The past is prologue as <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/08/all-grown-up-and-ready-to-make-money/#.fvmhl3:6B2e" target="_blank">Instagram is allowing companies to make 30-second video ads</a>. <i>Instagram must be looking at advertising revenue through its 1977 filter</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">Instagram also debuted <a href="http://www.thedrum.com/news/2015/09/09/instagram-now-fully-open-all-advertisers-it-pushes-seamless-integration-facebook" target="_blank">a new ad product called Marquee</a>, a that lets advertisers "own a moment" and reach a large group of users quickly. This is ideal for big product launches or movie releases where brands want big first-day sales. <a href="http://www.thedrum.com/news/2015/09/11/michael-kors-becomes-first-brand-use-instagrams-marquee-ads-uk" target="_blank">Michael Kors became the first brand to use Marquee</a>.</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">For brands, <a href="http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/why-social-engagement-may-be-more-important-than-marketing/" target="_blank">social engagement may be more important than marketing</a>. When properly implemented and understood, it can inform you of your customers' activities, tell you their preferences and give you a chance to build a deeper relationship — not just give you another place to shout your message at them, as many brands do.</span></li>
</ul>
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</b></div>
<h4>
<b>Collaborative Economy</b> </h4>
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<ul>
<li><b>Uber</b></li>
<ul>
<li>In its second hotel partnership, <a href="http://skift.com/2015/09/07/skift-business-traveler-uber-signs-hilton-as-second-hotel-partner/" target="_blank">Uber is collaborating with Hilton</a>, allowing guests to set up automatic reminders in the hotel's loyalty app to summon a car, and will be provided with access to nightlife and restaurant scenes frequented by Uber riders. The first such arrangement was between Starwood and Uber, in which <a href="http://skift.com/2015/02/25/starwood-is-giving-out-spg-loyalty-points-to-uber-riders/" target="_blank">Uber riders would receive SPG loyalty points</a>. <i>If Starwood <u>really</u> wanted to reward loyalty, they'd give me points for riding their shuttle buses</i>. </li>
<li>Everyone's favorite taxi stand queue may get a little relief, as <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/09/11/uber-lyft-las-vegas-almost/" target="_blank">Nevada has legalized ride-hailing services</a> such as Lyft and Uber. <i>Just don't expect any less smoke on the strip, once you arrive there</i>.</li>
<li>Adding to the ammo that <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/09/09/former-uber-driver-was-an-employee-rules-california-department/" target="_blank">Uber drivers should be considered employees</a> is the California Employment Development Department's decision to uphold the previous findings. The EDD found that the driver was an employee, not a contractor. This follows a decision by a San Francisco judge the previous week that <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/1/9107383/judge-ruling-california-uber-drivers-class-action" target="_blank">gave Uber drivers class action status</a>.</li>
<li>Taxi drivers in Sydney and Melbourne protested UberX, showing how much they care about citizen mobility by blocking streets during a rally. In a typical show of free market understanding (<i>that's sarcasm, in case you missed it</i>) one driver was very clear about their intentions: "<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/10/taxi-drivers-block-streets-of-sydney-and-melbourne-in-rally-against-uberx" target="_blank">We don't want [Uber] regulated, we want them out</a>."</li>
<li>Uber CEO Travis Kalanick <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGdjLv8neBs" target="_blank">appeared on <i>The Late Show with Stephen Colbert</i></a>, but you didn't see the part where <a href="http://digiday.com/brands/uber-ceo-travis-kalanick-gets-booed-colberts-late-show/" target="_blank">he was heckled and booed</a>. Evidently Colbert took the heckler's questions and put them to Kalanick in a more genteel way.</li>
<li>Despite all of the negative press — and even an environment that encourages Uber-bashing — <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3050762/tech-forecast/admit-it-you-love-uber" target="_blank">admit it, you love Uber</a>.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>With fewer companies contributing to early stage research that can benefit an entire industry, they're waiting to see how practical the applications are and are creating their own heavy-hitting research teams themselves. Therefore it's more likely than ever that you'll see something like <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/13/magazine/uber-would-like-to-buy-your-robotics-department.html?action=click&contentCollection=magazine&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0" target="_blank">Uber luring away a staff of 40 researchers and engineers from a university</a>. Of course, this was after <a href="http://newsroom.uber.com/2015/02/uber-and-cmu-announce-strategic-partnership-and-advanced-technologies-center/" target="_blank">Uber and Carnegie Mellon University announced a partnership</a> for its Advanced Technologies Center.</li>
<li>The most funded segment of the collaborative economy is transportation. It shouldn't be a surprise with Uber, Lyft, Via, China's Didi Kuaidi and dozens of other entrants. Imagine then the <a href="http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2015/09/11/ten-ways-mobility-as-a-service-changes-your-lifestyle/" target="_blank">ways that mobility as a service can change your life</a> — everything from the decreased need to own a vehicle, to auto repair and car washes that come to you, to changes in the legal and insurance industries. The ripple effect will be felt in many industries.</li>
<ul>
<li>We had the opportunity to attend <a href="http://www.techstars.com/program/locations/mobility/" target="_blank">Techstars Mobility</a> Demo Day in Detroit last week. It's the 18th city to operate a Techstars accelerator, and 10 companies presented - many of them in the automotive space. Two in that caught our eye: <a href="http://www.spltrides.com/" target="_blank">SPLT</a>, a commuter ridesharing solution for employers; and <a href="https://classicsandexotics.com/" target="_blank">Classics & Exotics</a>, a kind of Airbnb for owners and would-be drivers of collectible automobiles. </li>
</ul>
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<h4>
<b>Audio</b></h4>
<ul>
<li> Westwood One has released its <a href="http://adage.com/article/digital/workwestwood-data/300289/" target="_blank">State of American podcasting report</a>, a comprehensive look at the industry using studies such as Edison Research's Share of Ear report and a custom study by Ipsos. It indicates that it's a younger and more educated audience, with a proclivity toward mobile devices and an interest in spoken word:</li>
<ul>
<li>It's a Millennial-driven medium: Podcast listeners' median age is <b>30</b>, versus 45 for radio and 57 for broadcast television networks.</li>
<li>61% of podcast listeners work part or full-time, and 55% have some college education or are college graduates.</li>
<li>Half of total time spent listening to podcasts occurs on mobile phones, followed by one-third on computers. In contrast, half of total audio consumption time occurs on AM/FM devices.</li>
<li>Personalities and talk shows are the leading content consumed by podcast listeners, taking up 66% of total podcast listening, followed by news podcasts with 22%</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><i>Is your company doing anything about podcasting? As a podcaster myself with nearly a decade of shows under my belt, I'd be glad to consult with you on putting together a strategy of your own</i>. <a href="mailto:podcasting@scottmonty.com" target="_blank">Please get in touch</a>.</li>
</ul>
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<h4>
<b>Content</b></h4>
<ul><b></b></ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/does-your-content-marketing-pass-the-mom-test/" target="_blank">Does your content marketing pass the Mom test?</a> That is, if you were to put it in front of your mom, would she really care? If not, you're in trouble. <i>Mom, you're reading this, right?</i></li>
<li>Writing is a critical part of creating content, whether your final product is a blog post or a video. The art of writing comes through practice, fine tuning and knowing what to omit. Here are <a href="http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2015/07/how-to-improve-your-writing/" target="_blank">five secrets from Hollywood that will help you become a better writer</a>. <i>Let's just hope that they're not taken from Rob Reiner's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_considered_the_worst#North_.281994.29" target="_blank">North</a></i>.</li>
<li>If you'd like to cut some legitimate corners in your content marketing work, try these <a href="http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/content-marketing-tools/?mc_cid=3ceeb9b32f&mc_eid=6b50f1b70a" target="_blank">12 time-saving tools for content marketers.</a> <i>If you have a favorite, let us know what you use</i>.</li>
<li><a href="http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2015/09/ikea-b2c-video-storytelling/" target="_blank">IKEA has done remarkably well</a> with its video content marketing. From its First :59 series in which it chronicled what people did for the first 59 minutes of their day, to IKEA Home Tour, it has highlighted real people in real situations.</li>
</ul>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Trivia question: What three industries will be most immediately impacted by virtual reality, according to Wired?*</h3>
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<h4>
<b>Metrics / Measurement / Data</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Cross-channel attribution is a notoriously difficult thing to measure. <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Closing-Mobile-Attribution-Gap/1012965?ecid=NL1009" target="_blank">Limited ability to track mobile performance</a> is hampering a number of brands and agencies worldwide, according to a report by Econsultancy and Adobe. </li>
<li>Measurement continues to move away from click metrics to focus on <a href="http://marketingland.com/cmos-paying-attention-attention-139556" target="_blank">attention metrics <span style="color: black;">—</span> the length of time people are spending</a> on your site or with your content.</li>
<ul>
<li>Related: you might want to pick up a copy of Ben Parr's <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0062324195" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="9d0518850247ce0d83a6a0676aa79cd2" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention" href="http://www.amazon.com/Captivology-Science-Capturing-Peoples-Attention/dp/0062324195/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=9d0518850247ce0d83a6a0676aa79cd2&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_59778" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_59778" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=9d0518850247ce0d83a6a0676aa79cd2&_cb=1442195915043" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i>.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
<b>Privacy / Security / Legal</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>It's not just a European thing: consumers across 12 countries are <a href="http://www.marketingcharts.com/online/consumers-wary-of-sharing-personal-data-with-retailers-58929/" target="_blank">wary of sharing information with retailers on the web</a>, through social and in person. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NZDOcn_UNjI/VfXiQ8MaMvI/AAAAAAAAiVE/I_s1mmh8dmU/s1600/ZebraTech-Consumer-Comfort-Privacy-Shopping-Experience-Sept2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NZDOcn_UNjI/VfXiQ8MaMvI/AAAAAAAAiVE/I_s1mmh8dmU/s640/ZebraTech-Consumer-Comfort-Privacy-Shopping-Experience-Sept2015.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>Here's why they might feel less than comfortable: <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/cvs-photo-site-user-info-possibly-stolen-july-33695728" target="_blank">the photo sites of CVS and Sam's Club were hacked</a> earlier this summer, with user data possibly being stolen. As of the writing of this issue, the CVS photo site was still offline.</li>
<li>If you're part of the crowd that is looking forward to autonomous cars (which, despite participation by Google, Apple, Uber and Tesla <a href="http://www.vtpi.org/avip.pdf" target="_blank">won't saturate the market any time soon</a>), the latest in car hacking might be of concern: <a href="http://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/self-driving/researcher-hacks-selfdriving-car-sensors" target="_blank">a researcher hacked the lidar sensors that self-driving cars rely on</a>.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, Toyota is putting $50 million into <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/09/04/toyota-artificial-intelligence-car-research/" target="_blank">a collaboration with MIT and Stanford for artificial intelligence</a> to help with driver safety. <i>While other tech giants are hoping for driverless cars, Toyota realizes that drivers will be a key component in vehicles in the near and medium term, and is doing something to address it</i>.</li>
<li>The Burning Man festival is considering <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/12/9316421/burning-man-threatens-legal-action-after-quiznos-parody-video" target="_blank">taking legal action against Quiznos</a>, which produced <a href="https://youtu.be/CBVBHRD5lNU" target="_blank">a parody video of the event</a> that shows how the anti-capitalist trope is being overrun by Silicon Valley types. "The course of this festival will determine the course of humanity. Until next week, when you return to your desk job." <i>We'll see how far they get if they do in fact sue, as parody is one form of expression that has been found to steer clear of intellectual property claims</i>. </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CBVBHRD5lNU?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br /></div>
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<br />
<h4>
<b>When You Have the Time: Essential Watching / Listening / Reading</b> </h4>
<ul>
<li>If you get a chance to check out the cover story of Fast Company, it's all about <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3050250/what-makes-uber-run" target="_blank">what makes Uber run</a>. Of interest are the big bets that Uber is making: UberPool, an arrangement that competes more with mass transit than taxis), China and India, and driverless cars. It's an in-depth piece that gets to Travis Kalanick's drive to succeed that has permeated the entire company.</li>
<li>We mentioned attention above. In terms of paying attention at work, there's been a recent trend toward the practice of mindfulness through meditation. However, recent studies have shown that <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11855103/How-mindfulness-plays-havoc-with-memory.html" target="_blank">mindfulness can wreak havoc with your memories</a>, confusing the brain between real and false memories.</li>
<ul>
<li>You might want to try to <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="014312434X" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="4937515f9404773054ce0f45ab751350" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="think like Sherlock Holmes" href="http://www.amazon.com/Mastermind-Think-Like-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/014312434X/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=4937515f9404773054ce0f45ab751350&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_7499525" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">think like Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_7499525" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=4937515f9404773054ce0f45ab751350&_cb=1442196259896" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />.</li>
</ul>
<div>
</div>
<li>The Vanity Fair piece on <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/09/oculus-rift-mark-zuckerberg-cover-story-palmer-lucky" target="_blank">Facebook's plans for Oculus Rift</a> is worth slogging through. When the virtual reality headset goes on sale to the general public next year, it's going to change the way people use the Internet.</li>
<ul>
<li>The rise of virtual reality means that content marketers need to learn a new way of storytelling that is appropriate for VR. <a href="http://recode.net/2015/09/05/how-do-you-tell-a-story-in-virtual-reality/?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonvaTIZKXonjHpfsX54uUuT%2Frn28M3109ad+rmPBy92oAHWp8na+qWCgseOrQ8mFkIV8izUs0TrKM%3D" target="_blank">We'll begin to see a shift away from moments to stories</a>.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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* Answer to the trivia question above:</h3>
According to Wired, the <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/09/three-industries-vr-will-reinvent-next/" target="_blank">three industries that virtual reality will impact next</a> are: real estate, mental health and design and engineering.<br />
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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" rel="nofollow" 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/a9R9z" target="_blank">DoctorButtsMD (Flickr)</a></i><br />
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The Week in Digital - September 14, 2015

Apple had this little event, television is still on top, Twitter and Google join forces, Facebook gave journalists the power of celebri...

Scott Monty - Strategic Communications & Leadership Advisor