Scott Monty

Boycott This: When Media Attack

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<br />
So much about the political and media cycle in 2016 has been unusual, uncommon, or unprecedented. If anyone thought this pattern would end once the election was over, the past week has offered proof that we are in a new world. We’ve been calling it <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2016/11/living-in-post-factual-world.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a post-factual world</a>, but things have gotten so surreal that that might not capture it adequately anymore. <br />
<br />
The politically-themed site Breitbart.com has not just covered the news over the past year; it has often been the news. President-elect Trump tapped the site’s management and staff for much of his campaign staff and inner circle, and from all appearances, he gets much of his information or perspective based on how Breitbart covers current events. It is not a political statement to suggest that Breitbart, for better or worse, is right now perhaps one of the most influential information sites online.<br />
<br />
This has been a source of satisfaction to some; to others, it is a source of considerable angst. Breitbart is unabashedly far-right conservative — even by its own admission — and has been the primary home for the “alt-right” community; others see the site as a harbor for various forms of extremism. Certainly, in the aftermath of the election, Breitbart’s editorial outlook and its spin on current events came under greater scrutiny than previously — leading to a brighter spotlight on Breitbart from the rest of the media, and from advertisers.<br />
<br />
Since the election, many of those advertisers <a href="http://digiday.com/brands/brands-pulling-ads-placed-breitbart/">have decided to stop advertising on Breitbart</a>, particularly as they determine Breitbart’s content and editorial outlook does not fit their corporate values. Some of the big name companies pulling ads include: Warby Parker, Allstate, Nest, the Vanguard Group, and Earthlink. And the activist Twitter account Sleeping Giants (<a href="https://twitter.com/slpng_giants">@slpng_giants</a>) appeared, publicly calling out all brands that were running advertising on the site.<br />
<br />
The problem was that some brands had no idea their ads were appearing on Breitbart at all. Many of those ad placements are retargeting ads that follow you on the internet, thanks to ad tech. If you've visited a site, it or an associated ad will appear on a site like Breitbart. Google’s ad network is all over the Breitbart site, which means any business that does retargeting or audience targeting through Google could show up — and that's quite a few.<br />
<br />
At this point, it would seem that the only way to stem the flow of advertisers appearing on Breitbart would be for the ad networks themselves to decry the site as out of alignment with their values. <br />
<br />
But the biggest name is Kellogg’s — that good old, all-American brand that is synonymous with breakfast — and Breitbart has chosen to respond in an unprecedented way — one that should be of deep concern to marketers <i><b>and</b></i> to all Americans, regardless of your political outlook. When Breitbart began drawing more attention — particularly as its former editor became a senior strategist for Donald Trump — Kellogg's decided to pull its advertising from the site, stating<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"We regularly work with our media-buying partners to ensure our ads do not appear on sites that aren't aligned with our values as a company."</blockquote>
<br />
Breitbart — a media outlet, remember — responded to the retreat by encouraging its readers to boycott Kellogg’s products, positioning the company’s decision as a declaration of “war against conservatism” and “un-American.” Breitbart News Editor-in-Chief Alexander Marlow called Kellogg's decision an "act of discrimination and intense prejudice," and indicated that Kellogg's "declared hate for Breitbart's 45 million monthly visitors." <br />
<br />
The company started the hashtag #DumpKelloggs, plastered its website with anti-Kellogg articles, and even resorted to a pop-up display exhorting users to "join the movement against anti-conservative biogtry" which included logos of Kellogg's many brands.<br />
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Now, setting aside the irony of Breitbart — a site predicated on the intolerance of half of the political ideology of this country — rejecting the idea of intolerance against their one-sided news screeds, there's more to be concerned with here.<br />
<div>
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Politically-motivated boycotts of big name brands are nothing new. In the past few years, some that come to mind are Starbucks, Disney, and Target, which have been the target of boycotts from the right. Domino’s, Chic-Fil-A, and Hobby Lobby have found themselves in the sights of the left. <br />
<br />
Grassroots-led political boycotts are not new in American business — and in the very polarized America of 2016 and beyond, it probably stands to reason that there will be more of them than ever in the next few years. But the Breitbart call to boycott Kellogg’s is different. And it should bother you even if you’re politically conservative by nature. <br />
<br />
This is the first time, to this commentator's knowledge, that a media outlet has mounted a campaign to boycott an advertiser. And while people in the United States still have First Amendment rights to patronize or boycott any brand they wish, when an outlet that purports itself to be a media site — especially one with the political influence Breitbart appears to wield — such a public call for a boycott against advertisers is much more insidious.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>It's unethical. It’s quite possibly illegal. And it’s most certainly dangerous.</i></span></b></div>
<br />
From a perspective of journalistic ethics, Breitbart’s actions violate standard journalistic practices. Other media outlets have decided editorial outlooks, but none have ever tried to impose those outlooks on advertisers or outside businesses before. Breitbart’s call for a boycott is clearly intended to send a message that brands had better align with or support its political perspective — or face (purported) economic consequences. <br />
<br />
Purely and simply, it’s an attempt by a political website to inflict its political outlook on brands and companies, and to generate consequences for companies that decline to support or advertise on any outlet they choose. Breitbart’s action is intended to send a message that any company not sharing its worldview may be in for a world of hurt. And they stated as much to the Associated Press when they said Kellogg's was making such a move "to its own detriment."<br />
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Now, you've seen movies about organized crime. There's a word for that kind of talk and behavior.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">It's called extortion.</span></i></b></div>
<br />
If you want to look extortion up in the <a href="http://www.dictionary.com/browse/extortion?s=t">dictionary</a>, it's quite simply: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
the crime of obtaining money or some other thing of value by the abuse of one's office or authority.</blockquote>
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But beyond being unethical and illegal, it creates a precedent about which other brands need to be vigilant. As <a href="https://twitter.com/theelusivefish/status/804409714356338688">Rob Clark said on Twitter</a>,<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMonty">@ScottMonty</a> short-sighted and foolish. Who is going to ever trust their ad dollars to a company willing to turn its audience against you?</div>
— Rob Clark (@theelusivefish) <a href="https://twitter.com/theelusivefish/status/804409714356338688">December 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
Aside from the more salacious claims of extortion, Breitbart’s actions could violate laws barring unfair business practices because it is calling for a massive group boycott of an advertiser to further its competitive position. Ted Boutrous, a First Amendment lawyer at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Los Angeles, said:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“It’s clearly intended to deter other advertisers from withdrawing their business and to ensure costs and prices don’t go down for Breitbart. It’s a serious issue to boycott in the commercial sphere.”</blockquote>
<br />
We'll see what the future holds as far as lawsuits and Breitbart, particularly as the state of California has some fairly broad anti-competition laws. <br />
<br />
Even absent any legal action, the last laugh may be on Breitbart, though.<br />
<br />
Their tantrum has led to a backlash against the backlash, and there is now an equally strong movement online to buy Kellogg’s products in support of the company’s decision. The hashtag #BuyKelloggs has risen and you can see photos of Kellogg's purchases all over Facebook. In fact, our family bought dozens of boxes of Kellogg's cereals to donate to local food pantries.<br />
<br />
Maybe you can think of a creative way to support the good guys too.</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When media boycott a brand,<br />
We suddenly know where we stand.<br />
   The effects are subliminal,<br />
   And the actions are criminal<br />
When Breitbart extends a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hand_(extortion)">Black Hand</a>.</blockquote>
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Boycott This: When Media Attack

So much about the political and media cycle in 2016 has been unusual, uncommon, or unprecedented. If anyone thought this pattern would en...

Living in a Post-Factual World

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We seem to be living in a post-factual world.<br />
<br />
You may have noticed that when both sides of the political spectrum meet to debate about something, they tend to have a belief set in their minds and they greet each other with heels dug in and ready to defend their position, regardless of what's presented to them.<br />
<br />
Even if they're given an unassailable set of facts, they'll choose to deny it or to deny the reality of something the rest of us have seen happen with our very eyes. Candidates, pundits and the public alike are guilty of this post-factual trance that seems to keep them from admitting they're wrong. And it's dangerous.<br />
<br />
Many of these debates happen on Facebook, which to this day will not admit that it's a media property. Personally, I think Facebook is a media property, since more people use Facebook as a news discovery source than any other. People now open a social media app to find news more frequently than they go to the New York Times or CNN home page. <a href="http://www.vox.com/new-money/2016/11/6/13509854/facebook-politics-news-bad" target="_blank">According to Vox</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The result has been a disaster for the public’s understanding of current affairs. Reporters have come under increasing pressure to write “clickbait” articles that pander to readers’ worst impulses. Too-good-to-check stories gain more traction online than stories that are balanced and thoroughly reported. That has worsened the nation’s political polarization and lowered the quality of democratic discourse."</blockquote>
Facebook's position is that it is a tech company, not a news company. While it may not produce any news on its own, it is still the arbiter of what people see, and as such, it has a significant responsibility to ensure that the news shared on its site is accurate and reliable.<br />
<br />
But when you have <a href="http://nymag.com/selectall/2016/11/can-facebook-solve-its-macedonian-fake-news-problem.html" target="_blank">instances of teenagers in Macedonia</a> who just “launched at least 140 US politics websites” with “American-sounding domain names such as WorldPoliticus.com, TrumpVision365.com, USConservativeToday.com, DonaldTrumpNews.co, and USADailyPolitics.com,” and Facebook is pulling news stories and even trending items from them, it's a significant problem.<br />
<br />
Given the rash of stories recently about Hillary Clinton's emails and the FBI, it was inevitable that the following headline popped: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“FBI AGENT SUSPECTED IN HILLARY EMAIL LEAKS FOUND DEAD IN APPARENT MURDER-SUICIDE”</blockquote>
However, if you look at the site where this supposed "news" story came from, it was denverguardian.com. One small problem:<br />
<br />
There <b><i>is </i></b>no Denver Guardian.<br />
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It's a site that was established on GoDaddy in July of 2016, according to the article in the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/2016/11/05/there-is-no-such-thing-as-the-denver-guardian/" target="_blank">Denver Post</a>. But people believed it because they <i>wanted</i> to believe it. They couldn't be bothered to check.<br />
<br />
And neither could Facebook, evidently.<br />
<br />
The social media giant is under pressure now to crack down on fake news, but at the same time Mark Zuckerberg is denying that it's a news organization, and is instead just a tech company. To the extent that Facebook is not creating news, he is correct. But Facebook is a massive distribution network — a place that many people effectively make their home page. And Facebook <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/10/facebook-admits-it-must-do-more-to-stop-the-spread-of-misinformation-on-its-platform/" target="_blank">needs to address that</a>.</div>
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As much as Facebook as made the world a more connected place, as Zuckerberg's mantra goes, it has also gone against the grains of human nature. We haven't been a global people. We've been a national people at best, and more likely a tribal people. It's human nature to stick with what we know. And Facebook, ironically, has done more to enforce that than eradicate it. And <a href="https://medium.com/@tobiasrose/empathy-to-democracy-b7f04ab57eee#.ly62rr57u" target="_blank">it hurt the campaign and election process</a> as people dug their heels in deeper, cited material from their own side, and became unwilling to believe facts that were right before their very eyes. To the point where I've seen some people decry fact-checking sites as tools of one side or the other.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Ultimately, we're living in a filter bubble where we've isolated ourselves from alternative points of view. Our worldview ends up shrinking rather than growing — particularly at a time when we need to unite. This <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles" target="_blank">2011 TED Talk by Eli Pariser</a> captures it nicely:<br />
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Our forefathers designed an amazing government—just tremendous—with a system of checks and balances. Bigly checks and the very <i>best</i> balances.<br />
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We just need some of those at Facebook now.</div>
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<b><i>If you liked this commentary, you can listen to a version of it in my podcast <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/show/fullmonty08" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Full Monty</a>. Subscribe <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/subscribe" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">via email</a> or on <a href="http://smonty.co/fullmontyitunes" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?t=The_Full_Monty&utm_content=buffer2143a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer&u=0&view=/ps/Iy3ehvkts2zousixune2kwgmhl4" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Google Play</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=96004&refid=stpr" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Stitcher</a>, <a href="http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-full-monty_1" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Spreaker</a> or <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fullmontyshow" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">SoundCloud</a>.</i></b></h4>
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gandhiji%27s_Three_Monkeys.JPG" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></i><br />
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Living in a Post-Factual World

We seem to be living in a post-factual world. You may have noticed that when both sides of the political spectrum meet to debate about ...

The Last Straw at Yahoo - or, My Bologna Has a Second Name

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<br />
It's M-A-Y-E-R.<br />
<br />
Have you been following the Yahoo saga? In fairness, it's been going on for 20 years, but the last four under Marissa Mayer have been particularly fulsome. I covered much of the early history, right through the Verizon purchase in <a href="http://smonty.co/fullmonty05">Episode 5</a> of <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/show" target="_blank">The Full Monty</a>.<br />
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Mayer has made some big bets with the company's assets, including the $640 million purchase of Brightroll and the $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr. In case you were following, the Tumblr purchase was written down - twice - to the tune of $710 million.<br />
<br />
Her focus has been on so-called "MaVeNS" - an acronym for mobile, video, native and social - said to be the key to Yahoo's future, against which everything was balanced. However, it was never broken out as a separate business unit and was subsumed into everything else the company did. The laudable intention was to simplify Yahoo, but functionally, nothing changed.<br />
<br />
One thing that did change was Yahoo's work-from-home policy. Mayer very quickly eliminated that, thus alienating a huge group of employees, many of whom were working mothers. She didn't do herself any favors when she had a nursery installed in her office so she could return to work after only 2 weeks of maternity leave. Not every employee had that option.<br />
<br />
So, we come to part of our story where Verizon purchased the core assets of Yahoo for $4.8 billion. Happy ending, right?<br />
<br />
Not so fast. Since that time, a few things have surfaced. Namely: <br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yahoo-nsa-exclusive-idUSKCN1241YT">Yahoo secretly scanned all incoming emails of users</a> on behalf of U.S. intelligence, in what is said to be the largest and most comprehensive operation of its kind. The good news is that Yahoo Mail users' accounts are mostly jokes that they incessantly forward to their kids. </li>
<li>Those 500 million user mail accounts were involved in a data breach in 2014, which Yahoo disclosed only weeks ago. Insiders say that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/29/technology/yahoo-data-breach-hacking.html">security took a back seat to CEO Marissa Mayer's other priorities</a>, as she denied additional funding to the security team and didn't want a massive password reset or a warning message sent out to users. </li>
<li>After this news, <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2016/10/06/verizon-reportedly-wants-1-billion-discount-on-yahoo/">Verizon asked for a $1 billion discount</a> on the sale price. Rightfully so. </li>
<li>And then came the news that <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/10/06/yahoo-ceo-marissa-mayer-led-illegal-purge-of-male-employees-lawsuit-charges/">Mayer discriminated against male employees</a> based on their gender. </li>
</ul>
<br />
Any one of these things would seem to be a dereliction of duty. Yahoo's board - historically ineffectual - still doesn't seem to be concerned about Mayer's fitness to lead, nor do they particularly have a sense of urgency about things.<br />
<br />
Well, as I typically include a poem in each episode of <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/show" target="_blank">The Full Monty</a>, I've decided to dedicate this one to Yahoo's current CEO (with apologies to Dr. Seuss).<br />
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<h4>
<b>Marissa A. Mayer, Will You Please Go Now!</b></h4>
The time has come. The time is now.<br />
Just go. Go. GO! I don't care how.<br />
You can go by foot. You can go by cow.<br />
Marissa A. Mayer, will you please go now!<br />
<br />
You can go on skates. You can go on skis.<br />
You can go in a hat. But please go. Please!<br />
<br />
You can go on a bike. <br />
You can go on a purple bike if you like.<br />
<br />
You can Wander and Blink and Aviate too.<br />
Just go, go, GO! <br />
Please do, do, DO!<br />
<br />
Marissa A. Mayer, I don't care how.<br />
Marissa A. Mayer, will you please GO NOW!<br />
<br />
You can go on stilts. You can go by fish.<br />
You can go in a Tumblr if you wish.<br />
<br />
If you wish you may go <br />
by Yahoo mail.<br />
Just scan yourself <br />
and leave Sunnydale.<br />
<br />
Marissa A. Mayer!<br />
Don't you know <br />
the time has come<br />
to go, Go, GO!<br />
<br />
Get on your way!<br />
Please, Marissa A.!<br />
You might like going in a Flickr way.<br />
You can go by neglect…or lack of sense<br />
You even can go by incompetence.<br />
<br />
You can go by lawsuit…or jet.<br />
I don't care how you go. Just GET!<br />
<br />
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Get yourself some ravens.<br />
Fly away with your MaVENS!<br />
<br />
Marissa, Marissa!<br />
Will you leave this room!<br />
<br />
Marissa A. Mayer! I don't care HOW.<br />
Marissa A. Mayer! Will you please GO NOW!<br />
<br />
I said GO and GO I meant…<br />
The time had come, SO…Marissa WENT.</div>
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The Last Straw at Yahoo - or, My Bologna Has a Second Name

It's M-A-Y-E-R. Have you been following the Yahoo saga? In fairness, it's been going on for 20 years, but the last four under M...

How Leaders Should Communicate

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Leaders — particularly business leaders like presidents and CEOs — are typically in the public spotlight. Many times, they are the face of their company and give statements to the press or even interact with customers online.<br />
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As the company's chief spokesperson, the CEO spends about 50 percent of their time performing functions that are associated with communications. This includes writing, presenting and public speaking, involving all of an organization's stakeholders. Emails to employees, cogent presentations, question and answer sessions with the board, speeches to townhalls, investors, and industry groups.<br />
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And in doing so, the Communicator-in-Chief should have a clear, succinct and memorable message. Because if anything, leadership is about taking complex ideas and making them understandable, relatable and actionable. In short, effective communication means clarity.<br />
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So, let's pause for a moment and reflect on the communications ability of one of the presidential candidates. There's no doubt that Donald Trump has managed to tap into a vein of discord and dissatisfaction in America, and has used Twitter in particular to fan the flames. The 140-character platform seems perfect for his insults, jabs, and sound bite-laden thoughts. But if you listen to him speak at events where he has unprepared remarks - and let's face it: that's most of them - he speaks in disjointed tweets.<br />
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But separate from his success with his core supporters, one must ask whether or not his style of speaking helps or hurts his cause with a broader audience. Is it clear? Is it understandable? Does he have a message?<br />
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Let's look at one speech which <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2015/07/31/donald_trump_this_run_on_sentence_from_a_speech_in_sun_city_south_carolina.html">Salon.com asked readers to help diagram</a>:<br />
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Any takers? The only thing worse than having to figure out how to diagram that sentence is having to listen to it over and over again as you get a transcript.<br />
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While the jumbled thoughts may leave you scratching or shaking your head, largely due to the lack of coherent message and syntax, there is one thing that Trump can get credit for: repetition. Not repetition of message, but rather repetition of words like they and it. <br />
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As you think about the leaders you admire and their ability to effectively communicate - consider Ronald Reagan, who was known as the Great Communicator - their success doesn't depend on how well they speak to stakeholders who currently support them, but rather on how well they can persuade those who don't yet agree with them.<br />
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The best leaders are natural storytellers. Stories have a beginning, a middle and an end, and are easy to follow, whether they're written or spoken. And whichever role you inhabit — writer, speaker, or leader — you have a responsibility to your audience to bring them along the journey with you, ensuring they aren't inadvertently stranded on the way to the common understanding. <br />
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After all, that's why you're the leader.<br />
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<b><i>If you liked this commentary, you can listen to it in my podcast <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/show/fullmonty08" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Full Monty</a>. Subscribe <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/subscribe" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">via email</a> or on <a href="http://smonty.co/fullmontyitunes" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?t=The_Full_Monty&utm_content=buffer2143a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer&u=0&view=/ps/Iy3ehvkts2zousixune2kwgmhl4" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Google Play</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=96004&refid=stpr" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Stitcher</a>, <a href="http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-full-monty_1" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Spreaker</a> or <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fullmontyshow" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">SoundCloud</a>.</i></b></h4>
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:General_George_Washington_Resigning_his_Commission.jpg#/media/File:General_George_Washington_Resigning_his_Commission.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></i></div>
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How Leaders Should Communicate

Leaders — particularly business leaders like presidents and CEOs — are typically in the public spotlight. Many times, they are the face o...

Twitter Needs a Sense of Urgency

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Twitter is in a rut. If you look at the growth of user numbers each quarter, you'll find a relatively flat number, hovering around 310 million monthly active users on a good month. The latest numbers show that <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Twitters-Share-of-US-Social-Network-Users-Dropping/1014343">Twitter's share of social network users in the United States is dropping</a>, with only two percent year-on-year growth.<br />
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If you look at the stock price over the last year, it's down over 40 percent. It continues to be a haven for trolls, yet it is a dominant source of breaking news. It's Donald Trump's weapon of mass distraction. But no discernable progress on the product and the company's strategy have been made. A series of top executives from the product, media and communications teams have left over the last six months. <br />
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The public — at least the non Twitter-using public — still doesn't understand what Twitter is. And perhaps the issue is that neither does Twitter. We just witnessed what happened to Yahoo after a decade of not being able to effectively define itself. On one day, Twitter seems to be mimicking elements of Facebook. On another, it's <a href="http://qz.com/758484/twitter-believes-stickers-are-the-latest-answer-to-its-woes/">adding stickers</a> to be more like Snapchat. On the next, it is focused on <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/15/technology/with-nfl-deal-twitter-live-streams-its-ambitions.html?_r=0">streaming video deals with major sports franchises</a> and media outlets. <br />
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To this commentator at least, Twitter doesn't seem to have any appreciable strategy for digging itself out of these doldrums. As of this writing, it is considering a sale and with Google, Apple and Disney bowing out of the bidding, it looks like <a href="http://www.recode.net/2016/10/5/13181704/disney-twitter-buy-iger-dorsey" target="_blank">Salesforce is the lead contender</a>.<br />
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If we return to what Jack Dorsey said when he was initially made CEO, he pledged three things, as noted recently in <a href="http://www.recode.net/2016/8/19/12540422/twitter-slow-execution-killing-urgency-turnaround-jack-dorsey">Recode</a>: <br />
<ol>
<li>Ensure a more disciplined execution </li>
<li>Simplify our service to deliver Twitter’s value faster </li>
<li>Better communicate our value. </li>
</ol>
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Let's just focus on the last two: simplify the service and improve communication. For all of its brevity in 140 characters, Twitter is immensely complex. The platform seems to be whatever you define it to be: an advertising medium, a research tool, a community, a news feed, a crisis management utility. The simplification, both in the product itself and how we refer to it, has yet to arrive.<br />
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And the communication function at Twitter — much like the rest of the Silicon Valley startups — has been lax and reactive. If I were advising the communications team there, I'd recommend creating a message that supports the company's strategy (assuming it has one) and aggressive storytelling and media relations. The public can't be expected to understand Twitter without Twitter better communicating what it is.<br />
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A big part of that effort should be more frequent and visible communications from Twitter's CEO, Jack Dorsey. As mentioned in <a href="http://smonty.co/fullmonty07">Episode 7</a>, the CEO is the communicator-in-chief. But Jack is also the CEO of Square — a job he didn't want to give up when he returned to Twitter to take the same role. As a result, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-twitter-dorsey-strategy/" target="_blank">Jack Dorsey is losing control of Twitter</a>.<br />
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Whether or not the market or others realize it, Twitter is on the cusp of <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/on-anniversary-of-dorseys-return-twitter-is-exploring-sale-1475681282?tesla=y" target="_blank">the fight for its life</a>. A half-time CEO with a less than urgent approach is not what the company currently needs. If I were on Twitter's board, I'd demand that Jack Dorsey put more than 140 characters' worth of effort into figuring out how he's going to solve the aforementioned issues. <br />
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Because right now, it looks like you don't know, Jack.<br />
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<b><i>If you liked this commentary, you can listen to it in my podcast <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/show/fullmonty08" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Full Monty</a>. Subscribe <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/subscribe" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">via email</a> or on <a href="http://smonty.co/fullmontyitunes" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?t=The_Full_Monty&utm_content=buffer2143a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer&u=0&view=/ps/Iy3ehvkts2zousixune2kwgmhl4" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Google Play</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=96004&refid=stpr" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Stitcher</a>, <a href="http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-full-monty_1" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Spreaker</a> or <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fullmontyshow" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">SoundCloud</a>.</i></b></h4>
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Twitter Needs a Sense of Urgency

Twitter is in a rut. If you look at the growth of user numbers each quarter, you'll find a relatively flat number, hovering around 31...

Introducing Brain+Trust Partners

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Today marks the beginning of something that's been nearly six years in the making. Before I get to the announcement, I need to share a story with you to help frame the opportunity.<br />
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On December 8, 2010, I was out with <b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherbarger" target="_blank">Christopher Barger</a></b>, my then counterpart at General Motors (I was at Ford). We were having a friendly drink when I proposed an idea to him.<br />
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"What if," I began, "we decided to leave our corporate jobs and start a group of former brand executives?"<br />
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He seemed a little skeptical at first, but as I started listing colleagues and the wide variety of business functions and vertical markets they represented, Christopher got more excited. I jotted down some names on an index card, dated it and invited him to sign it with me. I still have that card.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[The names spanned the front and back of the card, and I redacted some, as they haven't been party to this conversation, and spliced the front and back images together.]</span></span></td></tr>
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Well, the arrangement never got off the ground, for a variety of reasons. We couldn't figure out the structure, the world didn't need another digital agency, the major players were never available at the same time, no one had the entrepreneurial bug...<br />
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And this summer, all of that changed.<br />
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<b><br />
</b><b>A Meeting of the Minds</b></h3>
Christopher and I were still in touch and collaborating on a few consulting projects when we got word that three other individuals in our network were also running their own solo consulting businesses. When I discovered that one of them was <b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankeliason" target="_blank">Frank Eliason</a></b>, the renowned customer service and customer experience leader from Comcast and Citi, my excitement grew; his is the other visible name on that index card from six years ago!<br />
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My former Zignal Labs client <b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/saddleup" target="_blank">Tim Hayden</a></b> was one of those individuals. Knowing that he has 20 years of experience leading high growth technology firms, marketing agencies and business strategies, including at Edelman Digital and for many Fortune 50 brands, I was sold. And the other name was <b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/angusnelson" target="_blank">Angus Nelson</a></b>, whom I knew as a key member of the <a href="http://crowdcompanies.com/" target="_blank">Crowd Companies</a> team when I represented Ford on that council. His knowledge of the future of work and executive coaching is strong.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Clockwise, from top L - Tim Hayden, Frank Eliason, Angus Nelson, Christopher Barger.</span></i></div>
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The five of us assembled and quickly began to realize that we shared a similar philosophy of business: that the human touch and empathy are often missing, which in turn erodes trust; that customer-centricity tends to be a platitude; and that chasing the latest digital platform or craze isn't strategic at all.<br />
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Moreover, we are all futurists of some sort, we believe in what's possible, and we believe in using historic and time-honored lessons and behaviors to guide common-sense decisions. Our vision for the future of business goes beyond our desire for digital transformation, transparency, executive involvement and the need for trust in business — we also share a desire to see good done in the world and are very much committed to our families.<br />
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So we knew that if we came together, we'd form something meaningful to the marketplace as well as to each other.<br />
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<h3>
<b>Introducing Brain+Trust</b></h3>
After much consternation, we landed on the name of <a href="http://braintrust.partners/" target="_blank"><b>Brain+Trust Partners</b></a> for our organization. It's a name traditionally given to an advisory group, plus it's a play on our thought leadership and the central tenet of trust.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>We're an executive consultancy that helps busy leaders manage an evolving marketplace with common sense and strategic guidance. Brain+Trust Partners counsels companies and organizations on:</i></span><br />
<ul>
<li>Strategic communications and marketing</li>
<li>Management consulting</li>
<li>Digital transformation</li>
<li>Innovation planning</li>
<li>Advanced technology strategy</li>
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Each of us individually has a great deal of experience with some of the world's biggest brands. But when combined, our skills are complementary, with only a small bit of overlap. We feel that this is one of our core strengths.</div>
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But that's not all. We're not done building, as the above will take more talent. We're assembling an advisory board of seasoned brand and entrepreneurial executives who can help guide us (more on that in the next couple of weeks). But here's the part I'm the most excited about...<br />
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<h3>
<b>Brain+Trust Advisors Network</b></h3>
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The one challenge that kept us from doing something six years ago was the top-heavy structure. We couldn't figure out how to assemble a formidable team without bankrupting the system. We think we have the answer now.</div>
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In our inaugural blog post <a href="http://braintrust.partners/five-things-shaping-your-future/" target="_blank"><b>Five Things Shaping Your Future</b></a>, we highlight people as one of those things. More specifically, the gig economy and how the combination of advanced technology and desire more more flexibility has led to a freelancer culture (or a 1099 culture, for you tax fiends). </div>
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We simply applied that thinking to our own business model and developed <b><a href="http://braintrust.partners/network" target="_blank">Brain+Trust Advisors</a></b>, a network made up of executives with significant brand experience, who can join us for project based work on an <i>ad hoc</i> basis. Our Brain+Trust Advisors will range from strategists to project leads who'll be working directly with our clients as advisor-representatives of Brain+Trust Partners, alongside our partners. </div>
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Our goal is to fill out business functions and industry verticals so we can offer the best advice, counsel and execution for our clients. If you've worked for a Fortune 500 brand and would like to join the network, just head over to <a href="http://braintrust.partners/network">braintrust.partners/network</a> and submit your information.</div>
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So there you have it. <b>Brain+Trust Partners</b> is here, after only six years of waiting. Sometimes we're not ready for the future. Until we are.</div>
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If you'd like to get in touch to discuss an opportunity, or if you have a question, please feel free to <a href="mailto:scott@braintrust.partners" target="_blank">get in touch</a>.<br />
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Introducing Brain+Trust Partners

Today marks the beginning of something that's been nearly six years in the making. Before I get to the announcement, I need to s...

Next Steps

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You know how you get excited when you're working on that <i>thing</i>? That thing that has kept you up late and has required more intellectual capacity and stamina than you thought you had. That thing that has both panicked and thrilled you because you're taking a risk and answering a need.<br />
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But you don't mind, because it's a passion project and the hours while away quicker than you realize. You soldier on, determined to make it work because you believe in the idea and know that the market will respond positively. In other words, this is one aspect life as an entrepreneur. As I've established Scott Monty Strategies over the last year and a half, this has been my experience, and the feelings are repeated as the journey continues, even in a slightly different direction.<br />
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As part of that, I wanted to fill you in on a little secret.<br />
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Together with a handful of colleagues, I've been working on something — an idea I've had for a while but hadn't been able to bring to life because of timing and logistics. And frankly, because it was something beyond my own capabilities. As the entrepreneur and CEO Margaret Heffernan said, "For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate." And it's hard to do that by yourself.<br />
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I know I'm being a little evasive, but that will end soon. Next week, I'll be sharing the news of this new venture publicly.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned here (and on <a href="http://facebook.com/scottmonty" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/scottmonty" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/scottmonty" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>) and the usual places.<br />
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Next Steps

You know how you get excited when you're working on that thing ? That thing that has kept you up late and has required more intellect...

Blocking Ad Blockers

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We know ad blocking as been growing in use. One study shows the use of ad blocking technology is up by 41 percent year over year. In a world where no one — no one — says "I love advertising!" (outside of advertising and marketing people), it's not all that surprising.<br />
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In a world where 60% of television viewing is done on a time-shifted basis, the DVR has brought control back to consumers. Consumers who used to simply ignore television commercials by channel surfing, wandering to the kitchen for a snack, or heading to the restroom.<br />
<br />
On mobile devices in particular, we've seen ad blocking increase due in large part to the data-heavy advertising technology that overburdens data plans. When a simple website either takes too long to load or eats up an inordinate amount of data in that time period, it's an issue. And given the choice, humans will find a way around it.<br />
<br />
So, what have advertisers done? They've developed ad blocker <b>blockers</b>. That's right, rather than address the underlying issues that consumers seem to be annoyed with, the advertisers flip a digital middle finger to them and require users to turn off their ad blockers to see content. And it's not as if these advertisers or publishers can't be creative; oh, no. Quite the contrary.<br />
<br />
They've actually developed creative ways to get around the ad blockers. Requiring visitors to answer a survey. Warning users that they have 30 days to view the site with ad blockers turned on before they'd be denied access. And even blocking out certain critical words in articles, to render the articles meaningless with ad blockers turned on.<br />
<br />
Pardon my impatience, but if you can put that much effort into blocking ad blockers, why on <b><i>earth</i> </b>can't you put more effort into less intrusive, data-sipping, creative and enjoyable ads?<br />
<br />
Because here's the thing: the International Advertising Bureau  did a recent survey of 1,500 consumers. They found the top three things that annoyed them: <br />
<ol>
<li>Advertisements that delay or obscure access to content </li>
<li>Long-video ads that run before short videos are played. </li>
<li>Ads that traveled with visitors as they scrolled down the page. </li>
</ol>
Those are the top three. The IAB found that nearly two-thirds of them <a href="http://adage.com/article/digital/iab-thirds-ad-blockers-open-turning/305173/" target="_blank">would be more likely to turn off ad blockers if publishers adopted the IAB's LEAN principles</a> for ads — it stands for Light, Encrypted, Ad choice supported and Non-invasive.<br />
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That's not really too much to ask now, is it? <br />
<br />
I can't hear you. I'm blocking my ears.<br />
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<b><i>If you liked this commentary, you can listen to it in my podcast <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/show" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Full Monty</a>. Subscribe <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/subscribe" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">via email</a> or on <a href="http://smonty.co/fullmontyitunes" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?t=The_Full_Monty&utm_content=buffer2143a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer&u=0&view=/ps/Iy3ehvkts2zousixune2kwgmhl4" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Google Play</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=96004&refid=stpr" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Stitcher</a>, <a href="http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-full-monty_1" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Spreaker</a> or <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fullmontyshow" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">SoundCloud</a>.</i></b></h4>
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Blocking Ad Blockers

We know ad blocking as been growing in use. One study shows the use of ad blocking technology is up by 41 percent year over year. In a wo...

Facebook Needs Humans

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[<i>Note: I typically post the transcript to my podcast episodes two weeks following the airing of the shows, but this was so topical, I bumped it up.</i>]<br />
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<br />
Have you noticed anything different about the Trending section on Facebook? That is, if you even paid attention to the Trending section in the first place…<br />
<br />
Back in May, <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2016/05/the-full-monty-may-16-2016.html">we shared reports</a> that Facebook was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/may/12/facebook-trending-news-leaked-documents-editor-guidelines">supposedly suppressing conservative news topics</a> in the Trending section. This was <a href="http://gizmodo.com/former-facebook-workers-we-routinely-suppressed-conser-1775461006">according to the team of "news curators"</a> that Facebook hired to oversee the feature. The process gave them access to a topics that were generated via Facebook’s algorithm, which determined which news stories would be shown to users in the Trending section. The curators then wrote headlines and summaries of each topic, with links to news sites.<br />
<br />
Facebook <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/05/09/facebook-accused-of-censoring-conservative-news-articles/84151894/">denied that such activity was happening</a> — at least not intentionally — and even hosted a number of prominent conservatives at its Palo Alto headquarters for an open discussion about its practices and how to improve. Later, the company provided "bias training" to employees to ensure the fairness of the Facebook platform.<br />
<br />
But it was clear from the arrangement that the group was operating like something of a news room rather an agnostic machine. In fact, the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/16/technology/social-media-finds-new-roles-as-news-and-entertainment-curators.html?_r=0">New York Times even reported</a> that:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Most major social media platforms have, in recent years, amassed editorial teams of their own, groups that select, tame and fill gaps in the material produced by users and media companies."</blockquote>
<br />
Well, all of that has come to an abrupt halt, when <a href="http://qz.com/768122/facebook-fires-human-editors-moves-to-algorithm-for-trending-topics/">Facebook suddenly fired all of its human editors</a>. The team of "news curators," as they were known internally, was contracted from a third party and was notified at 4 pm on Friday that Facebook no longer had use for their services. The new machine-based Trending section debuted at 5 pm.<br />
<br />
Facebook says that is goal is "to enable Trending for as many people as possible," as they should discover interesting and relevant conversations happening on Facebook. The company says that it would be unable to do that at scale by employing people, and thus has resorted to its algorithm to identify and share the Trending topics.<br />
<br />
This means that no two Trending sections will be alike. What you see, what your coworkers see, what your family sees, what I see — all will be personalized to our own interests and likings. While this might seem beneficial, moving toward an era of content personalization that many consumers have sought, it also seems unintuitive, so that stories that are truly trending may not make it to our list.  <br />
<br />
And if you look at the way the Trending section works with Facebook's artificial intelligence, you'll see that the topic is only identified by title; there is no news summary or context around why it is trending — only how many people are talking about it. One of the great values of curation is the ability to contextualize and analyze the news — something I do with <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/newsletter">The Full Monty newsletter</a> every week. Without this, we're left with a Trending section that is about as useful as the one we see on Twitter. And we're already beginning to see the results <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/29/facebook-fires-trending-topics-team-algorithm" target="_blank">as fake news creeps into the trends</a>. Even Facebook's news curation team <a href="http://digiday.com/platforms/former-facebook-trending-news-editor-just-going-get-rid-product-altogether/" target="_blank">saw the writing on the wall</a>.<br />
<br />
The world is moving to a point where machines will replace a number of human functions in the workplace. Think of it as the automation of everything. While the eventuality is virtually inevitable, that doesn't mean that it's easy for humans to hear or even to experience firsthand.<br />
<br />
We just heard that Uber's goal of automating its fleet will make human drivers superfluous, which <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/19/uber-self-driving-pittsburgh-what-drivers-think">surprised some of those drivers</a>. One lamented to a reporter: “It feels like we’re just rentals. We’re kind of like placeholders until the technology comes out.”<br />
<br />
Just because we're removing humans from business functions doesn't mean we have to be completely emotionless about it. Yes, the move may be necessary. But you could at least do it in a humane way.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Automation is predicted to stay,<br />
The future's already here today,<br />
  There's one missing part -<br />
  Machines can't learn heart<br />
So emotions won't get in the way</blockquote>
<br />
<b>Bonus:</b> if you'd like an eerie object lesson in how this was predicted 55 years ago, watch <i>The Twilight Zone</i> episode "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HG2ZI2/ref=atv_piv_owned?_encoding=UTF8&imdbref_tt_wbr_pivt=0m0stag%3Dimdbtag_tt_wbr_piv-20">The Brain Center at Whipple's</a>," from Season 5, in which a heartless CEO completely automates his factory and lays off almost all of his workers over the objections of his employees.<br />
<br />
<br />
What do you think? Was this a colossal mistake? Or will Facebook adapt to a human-lite approach?<br />
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<b><i>If you liked this commentary, you can listen to it in my podcast <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/show" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Full Monty</a>. Subscribe <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/subscribe" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">via email</a> or on <a href="http://smonty.co/fullmontyitunes" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?t=The_Full_Monty&utm_content=buffer2143a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer&u=0&view=/ps/Iy3ehvkts2zousixune2kwgmhl4" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Google Play</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=96004&refid=stpr" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Stitcher</a>, <a href="http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-full-monty_1" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Spreaker</a> or <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fullmontyshow" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">SoundCloud</a>.</i></b></h4>
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Facebook Needs Humans

[ Note: I typically post the transcript to my podcast episodes two weeks following the airing of the shows, but this was so topical, I bu...

Do You Do Any Work?

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If you're online, you've probably come across your fair share of social media "gurus." You know them — the self-professed arbiters of knowledge about the latest craze like Twitter, Pokemon Go or the like. The folks that are all over every channel, posting their Snapcode on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and any other platform that will have them — to build up their numbers on Snapchat.<br />
<br />
And any time a new app comes out or a new feature is released on an existing platform, there they are. Like Pavlov's dog, salivating over them like the flavor of the week. And they're all over it with how-to videos, blog posts livestreams, webinars — ready to tell you <b><i>everything</i></b> you could possibly need to know about this great thing that was released… yesterday.<br />
<br />
But there are a few things to note about this behavior that are worth pointing out. I'll outline what they are and articulate what you need to look for in a business counselor as you select your trusted partners.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>People who make it their business to be known for making it their business to be known</b></h2>
First, this notion of being an "expert" or a "guru." It's one thing I've never embraced. Maybe I'm old school, but I'm of the belief that expert status is something that is conferred upon you by your peers. It's something that is earned by doing the work and immersing yourself in a field of study. Malcolm Gladwell famously said that it takes 10,000 hours of dedicated practice to become world-class in any field of study. So when the world of social media was fairly new and we suddenly had a whole group of "experts," it wasn't because they put in the time, certainly.<br />
<br />
Now, I'm not saying that any of these people are not talented, or that they're out to mislead anyone. They're very generous with their willingness to share knowledge and help others see their point of view. We need more of that.<br />
<br />
But we also need some level-headed approach to the digital industry — particularly if we believe digital deserves a seat at the executive table.<br />
<br />
<div>
Which brings me to my second point. These immediate knee-jerk reactions to product developments can be more detrimental than helpful. Yes, we need to be early adopters, but this breathless and uncritical commentary about new apps or platforms is not only tiresome, but it can potentially damage reputations. Reputations of the individuals who are so worked up over yesterday's development, and reputations of their colleagues in the field who are taking a more deliberate and considered approach.<br />
<br />
When your aim is to show how smart you are by being first out the door, more often times than not, you sound silly. You sound like you're trying to prove something — to your peers, to your boss, to yourself. In such cases, you'd be better served to wait it out and "let the old earth take a couple of whirls," as Frank Sinatra sang in "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjiVbaA1-sc" target="_blank">September Song</a>."<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When I was a young man courting the girls<br />
I played me a waiting game<br />
If a maid refused me with tossing curls<br />
I'd let the old Earth make a couple of whirls<br />
While I plied her with tears in lieu of pearls<br />
And as time came around she came my way<br />
As time came around, she came</blockquote>
<h4>
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<h2>
<b>The power of silence</b></h2>
One of the most sage bits of business advice I ever received was from Andy Ferrara, a boss 15 years ago. As the CEO, Andy sat in company meetings, fairly stoic, letting everyone speak who was seated around the long marble-topped table in the executive conference room. It was only toward the end of the meeting that he would say something, and his insights were always profound.<br />
<br />
Perhaps they were profound because he spoke quietly and deliberately. More likely, it's because he had the time to take everything in, to listen to the conversations happening and to observe the body language around the room. It gave him time to piece together different viewpoints and to formulate his own response. His advice was to do just as he did: observe and listen, and wait until others have spoken to add your own perspective. It shows maturity and gravitas and confidence, and is likely to be greeted with greater consideration by the individuals to whom you're speaking. <br />
<br />
Understanding trends and how new technologies fit into a strategic business plan takes thoughtfulness and a degree of analysis. And that doesn't come — or at least doesn't <i>appear</i> to happen — from a Slideshare deck created within 12 hours of the launch of a new product.<br />
<br />
And while we're at it, who has time to create this kind of content on the fly, when they're gainfully employed? A number of these so-called "gurus" claim to work for an organization, and yet the only updates I see from them are their advice and self-serving posts about these platforms, whether it's live video, Instagram Stories, Snapchat or the like. I rarely see any of them sharing anything about the company they work for, or the progress that their teams have made — even when these individuals are supposed evangelists or marketing leaders for their companies. <br />
<br />
My time at a Fortune 10 company was largely spent telling the company's story and ensuring people knew why I was so proud to work there. During that time I also shared my own perspective on things, but never let it overshadow or interfere with my primary responsibility. It's a balance. And I'm not so sure it's one that's being struck effectively by today's up-and-coming experts.<br />
<br />
Perhaps they need more role models. If you look around, a number of them all seem to be quoting the same small group of individuals. A diversity of thought, experience and reading sources may go a long way to helping the next generation of leaders. And don't even get me started on <i>the ones who quote <b>themselves</b> in their own social media posts</i>.<br />
<br />
There's nothing wrong with sharing what you know. Just as there's nothing wrong with being known as an expert. But simply sharing what you know for the purpose being considered an expert is when things start to get a little convoluted.<br />
<br />
If you're an expert, that will be evident. </div>
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If you're overly self-promotional, that will be evident too.<br />
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<b><i>If you liked this commentary and the previous one, you can listen to them in my new podcast <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/show" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Full Monty</a>. Subscribe <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/subscribe" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">via email</a> or on <a href="http://smonty.co/fullmontyitunes" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?t=The_Full_Monty&utm_content=buffer2143a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer&u=0&view=/ps/Iy3ehvkts2zousixune2kwgmhl4" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Google Play</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=96004&refid=stpr" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Stitcher</a>, <a href="http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-full-monty_1" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Spreaker</a> or <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fullmontyshow" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">SoundCloud</a>.</i></b></h4>
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3APavlov's_dog_conditioning.svg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></i><br />
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Do You Do Any Work?

If you're online, you've probably come across your fair share of social media "gurus." You know them — the self-profess...

Were Those the Modern or Ancient Olympics?

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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kUMyAtmhUz8/V7vA2U48BpI/AAAAAAAAo-4/B4qNMURxAbozLP5AeErI1K2vcMFh9hPuwCLcB/s1600/Football_at_the_1912_Summer_Olympics_-_Hungary_squad.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="There were no GIFs at the 1912 Summer Olympics either." border="0" height="404" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kUMyAtmhUz8/V7vA2U48BpI/AAAAAAAAo-4/B4qNMURxAbozLP5AeErI1K2vcMFh9hPuwCLcB/s640/Football_at_the_1912_Summer_Olympics_-_Hungary_squad.jpg" title="1912 Summer Olympics - Hungary football team" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's always amusing when some well-intentioned bureaucrat tries to bend the will of the Internet to their own way. The latest examples hail from none other than the IOC - the International Olympic Committee, amid the 2016 Rio Olympics.<br />
<br />
It all began early the week before the Olympics began, when there was a dress rehearsal for the opening ceremonies, with 3,000 people in attendance. Before the event began, <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/isso-e-o-que-podemos-esperar-da-abertura-da-olimpiada-2016-1?utm_term=.rdar3lZ3e#.rlDoN1lNZ" target="_blank">the crowd was warned not to take any photographs</a>.<br />
<br />
As you can imagine, that's all the encouragement they needed. Within minutes, Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram were flooded with preview images of the opening show. I guess the organizers never heard of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect">Streisand Effect</a>. <br />
<br />
If you're not familiar with the Streisand Effect, it's when you attempt to hide, remove, or censor a piece of information and it has the unintended consequence of publicizing the information more widely. It's named for Barbra Streisand, who attempted to suppress photographs of her home in Malibu in 2003 and inadvertently drew further public attention to it.<br />
<br />
Now, before we go any further, two things: One, I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV. Two, Many of the larger sporting events, such as the Super Bowl and World Series, do have advertising guidelines that prohibit brands from mentioning the names of these events on social media. They reserve those rights for brands who are paying for sponsorships.<br />
<br />
However: they don't restrict the use of the names for members of the press, who are freely reporting on the events.<br />
<br />
Well, things got a little tricky with the Olympics this week. Because NBC is the official broadcast partner of the Rio Olympics, the IOC has cracked down on exactly what can be shared and by whom. First, you'll note that NBC isn't providing any livestreaming content. Even after the big launch of Facebook's Live video, the network is still driving people to its television programming. Why? To get you to watch the ads, of course!<br />
<br />
This isn't anything new. While there may be additional platforms on which to share the content (cough, Snapchat, cough), NBC and the IOC are behaving <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/07/27/nbc-ioc-share-olympics/#fwKfIPJXW5qo">exactly as they did</a> at the London Olympics <i><b>FOUR YEARS AGO</b></i>.<br />
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Only this time around, the IOC wasn't taking any chances with its policy. Here's the statement on <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/4/12379224/olympics-rio-2016-gifs-rules-policy">News Access Rules Applicable to the Broadcast of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, Rio de Janiero, 5 August 2016</a>: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Olympic Material must not be broadcast on interactive services such as 'news active' or 'sports active' or any other related Video on Demand services, which would allow the viewer to make a viewing choice within a channel and to thereby view Olympic Material at times and programs other than when broadcast as part of a News Program as set out in Clause 1 above. Additionally, the use of Olympic Material transformed into graphic animated formats such as animated GIFs (i.e. GIFV), GFY, WebM, or short video formats such as Vines and others, is expressly prohibited."</blockquote>
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No GIFs! Because we don't want too many people watching a 5-second soundless moving image over and over and over, at the expense of missing that tear-jerking beer commercial.<br />
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Speaking of live video, NBC had its own reasons for not broadcasting some of the events live. One is that they want to be sure to capitalize on ratings by airing it during prime time. The other was more curious. Several popular events — gymnastics and swimming, in addition to the opening ceremonies — will be broadcast on tape delay. When asked about this, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nbc-tape-delay-olympic-opening-ceremony-rio-2016-8">NBC's chief marketing officer John Miller said</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The people who watch the Olympics are not particularly sports fans. More women watch the games than men, and for the women, they're less interested in the result and more interested in the journey. It's sort of like the ultimate reality show and miniseries wrapped into one."</blockquote>
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Just a quick calendar check, NBC. This is 2016.<br />
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<i>Anno Domini</i>.<br />
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Better luck in Tokyo in 2020.<br />
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<b><i>This commentary originally appeared in <a href="http://smonty.co/fullmonty06" target="_blank">Episode 06 of The Full Monty</a>.</i></b><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image source: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/By%20Unknown%20-%20Official%20Olympic%20Report,%20Public%20Domain,%20https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5027068" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></span></i><br />
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Were Those the Modern or Ancient Olympics?

It's always amusing when some well-intentioned bureaucrat tries to bend the will of the Internet to their own way. The latest example...

Making Executives More Digitally Savvy

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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uG65k1sDSkM/V7TQreHigMI/AAAAAAAAo9Y/EIFo6b-srXAVpY5yto7KmUhtEPl1kyV1wCLcB/s1600/Ford%2BCEO%2BAlan%2BMulally%2B%2526%2BScott%2BMonty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Alan Mulally and Scott Monty at NAIAS, 2011" border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uG65k1sDSkM/V7TQreHigMI/AAAAAAAAo9Y/EIFo6b-srXAVpY5yto7KmUhtEPl1kyV1wCLcB/s640/Ford%2BCEO%2BAlan%2BMulally%2B%2526%2BScott%2BMonty.jpg" title="Ford CEO Alan Mulally and Scott Monty at NAIAS in 2011" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Is your CEO social? I don’t mean do they interact with you or others in a communal way, or engage in elbow-rubbing over cocktails. I mean is your CEO active on any social networks? For most of you who work for Fortune 500 companies, the answer is no.<br />
<br />
According to <a href="http://www.cio.com/article/3024233/social-networking/most-fortune-500-ceos-still-sit-on-social-media-sidelines.html" target="_blank">a study from Domo</a> earlier this year, only 39% of Fortune 500 CEOs use social media, and 70% of them only use a single network. Of the 50 CEOs on Twitter, 16 tweeted less than 25 times total since they started using it. Only 62 percent of the CEOs on Twitter tweeted within the last 100 days, and that's down 5 percent from last year.<br />
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Now, you could certainly argue that Twitter as a whole has decreased in usage, but the fact remains that most CEOs are not prioritizing their activity on social channels. "Well of course they don't," I hear you saying. "They're busy executives and shouldn't be expected to 'waste time' on social channels."<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Communicating with customers is never a waste of time. </span>[<a href="http://ctt.ec/aeydL" target="_blank">Tweet this</a>]</i></b></div>
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A good 50% of any CEO's job is to be the chief communicator — with shareholders, with employees, and with customers. Not to mention that it's enlightening to have unfiltered feedback and direct contact with the people who use your products. Especially after years of executives being shielded from some of the actual comments by well-meaning lieutenants.<br />
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And when a CEO like Doug McMillon — the CEO of Walmart, the largest company in the world — can take the time to have an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dougmcmillon/" target="_blank">Instagram account</a> and a <a href="http://facebook.com/dougmcmillon" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, there's no excuse for any of the other 499. Walmart actually likens Doug's activity on social media to <a href="http://blog.walmart.com/20160705/social-media-is-doug-mcmillons-yellow-notepad" target="_blank">Sam Walton's famous yellow notepad</a>. The founder of Walmart used to visit stores all around the country, toting his yellow notepad wherever he went. There he'd document the things that employees and customers said to him so he could bring the insights back to Bentonville with him to share with the rest of the executive team.<br />
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That's exactly what Doug is doing with his social media efforts.<br />
<br />
There's another reason to be concerned with CEO's lack of digital acuity: with digital disruption and digital transformation being on the tips of everyone's tongue, CEOs need to step up. Because the digital aspects of business transcend departments, more often than not, the CEO is (or should be) the one driving digital strategy. Doesn't it make sense that the CEO should have some understanding of the digital space?<br />
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Rami Rahim, CEO of Juniper Networks, <a href="https://www.bulldogreporter.com/inside-the-c-suite-new-global-study-finds-c-suite-execs-are-underprepared-for-imminent-digital-disruption/">said</a>,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“True innovation requires an understanding of the value that technology delivers. Now more than ever, savvy technology investments are vital to maintaining a business advantage. The C-suite doesn’t need to code, but leading a company strategy for growth requires a strong relationship between those who set the strategy and those who execute.”</blockquote>
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So think about where your business is heading and who is making key strategic decisions. This should inform the presence and activity of your executive team.<br />
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Who knows? Maybe they'll develop their own digital yellow notepads.<br />
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<h4 style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", serif, sans-serif; font-size: 18.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b><i>If you liked this commentary and the previous one on <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2016/08/put-down-camera-for-minute.html" target="_blank">ubiquitous camera use</a>, you can listen to them in my new podcast <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/show" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Full Monty</a>. Subscribe <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/subscribe" target="_blank">via email</a> or on <a href="http://smonty.co/fullmontyitunes" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?t=The_Full_Monty&utm_content=buffer2143a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer&u=0&view=/ps/Iy3ehvkts2zousixune2kwgmhl4" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Google Play</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=96004&refid=stpr" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Stitcher</a>, <a href="http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-full-monty_1" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Spreaker</a> or <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fullmontyshow" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">SoundCloud</a>.</i></b></h4>
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/275938406&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br /></div>
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://flic.kr/p/7vbLf4" target="_blank">Ford Motor Company (Flickr)</a></i></div>
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Making Executives More Digitally Savvy

Is your CEO social? I don’t mean do they interact with you or others in a communal way, or engage in elbow-rubbing over cocktails. I mean...

Put Down the Camera for a Minute

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<br />
They say seeing is believing. And the number of photos and videos that are shared each day across the multiple social networks number in the billions.<br />
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And the subject of many of those still and moving images in recent weeks and months have been victims of violence. Police shooting at suspects. Suspects shooting at police. The aftermath of terrorist acts. Images that are both emotionally disturbing and eye-opening for millions of residents around the globe, who see, unfiltered, what the camera sees. <br />
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Yet our eyes can play tricks on us. Or rather subtle context, either before or after the shutter is clicked, can sometimes be omitted. Perhaps it's simply because we see what we expect to see - our biases being reinforced with what we think are cold, hard facts. Or because we see what the camera person wants us to see — a crucial piece of evidence is just out of the frame, or a bit of behavior wasn't picked up before the camera began rolling, thus robbing us of the ability to fully compehend why something is happening on screen.<br />
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I like to say there are two kinds of people in this world: those who crave closure...<br />
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Seriously, there are two kinds of people in the world: exhibitionists and voyeurs. But we're increasingly seeing the two roles mixing. So let's turn to those of us behind the camera.<br />
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Pulling out your phone to take a photo or video is as natural as waving at a passerby. Selfies, Snapchat updates, live video, Facetime — it's all part of the visual communications world we live in. We take it for granted.<br />
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But what if that freedom to photograph were taken away from us? Or our use was limited in some capacity?<br />
<br />
According to <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/07/what-if-cameras-stopped-telling-the-truth/491150/" target="_blank">an article in <i>The Atlantic</i></a>, a patent awarded to Apple last month hints at a future where that might very well lead to such a future. The patent limits invisible signals that could change what smartphone cameras capture—or even completely disable smartphone cameras.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Apple filed for the patent in 2011, proposing a smartphone camera that could respond to data streams encoded in invisible infrared signals. The signals could display additional information on the phone’s screen: If a user points his or her camera at a museum exhibit, for example, a transmitter placed nearby could tell the phone to show information about the object in the viewfinder."</blockquote>
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Or one I'll add: at a musical concert, the singer's lyrics could be displayed on the screen for the hearing impaired. Both perfectly reasonable uses. A fine example of augmented reality being introduced in useful ways.<br />
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But what about the museum curator or the musical entertainer who doesn't want their art being shared with the outside world? The same technology that invisibly enhances such experiences could be used to disable the camera entirely.<br />
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No doubt you've been at a concert where the smartphone is the new lighter. Fans wave their glowing screens in the air, in a modern-day "FREEBIRD!" show of support for the band. But maybe you've been seated (or forced to stand) behind the concert-goer who is holding their camera in the air to record the concert, blocking your view. You paid for an experience. Shouldn't you be able to enjoy it without interference? Technology to the rescue.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F7UCiSM_9fU/V7JtrxyBwaI/AAAAAAAAo5E/atHRA6_5wZ0KdJx7l5gIKCvbw1iydTPRwCLcB/s1600/Zippo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F7UCiSM_9fU/V7JtrxyBwaI/AAAAAAAAo5E/atHRA6_5wZ0KdJx7l5gIKCvbw1iydTPRwCLcB/s640/Zippo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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But aside from the ethics and legalities of restricting camera use at events, can we stop and talk about living your life through a 4- or 5-inch screen?<br />
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I understand the need to capture moments of beauty in nature or architecture. It's a marvelous thing to be able to catch a child's first steps and share that indelible memory with relatives living hundreds of miles away (or to thousands of strangers on some online platform).<br />
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But how much else are you missing because you're constantly looking through a viewfinder? Quiet walks on the beach, a breathtaking sunset, standing amid the trees as the wind slowly wooshes through the leaves.<br />
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Past geniuses and creators — men and women who dug deep within themselves in quiet moments of reflection, alone with themselves — these are the people who made the world a better place. They made it better because they came to understand the world around them.<br />
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To understand themselves.<br />
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Sherlock Holmes once scolded Dr. Watson for not knowing how many steps led up to their sitting room. "<b>You see but you do not observe</b>," he told his biographer.<br />
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What are we not observing by seeing the world through our smartphone lens?<br />
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Something to consider.<br />
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<i>This commentary originally appeared in <a href="http://smonty.co/fullmonty04" target="_blank">Episode 04 of The Full Monty</a>.</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Image source: <a href="https://flic.kr/p/6Wbk2n" target="_blank">Ian T. McFarland (Flickr)</a></span></div>
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Put Down the Camera for a Minute

They say seeing is believing. And the number of photos and videos that are shared each day across the multiple social networks number in ...

An Update on The Full Monty

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If you're looking for the latest issue of <b>The Full Monty</b> newsletter, we've moved it to a new location.<br />
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An Update on The Full Monty

If you're looking for the latest issue of The Full Monty newsletter, we've moved it to a new location. It is now housed at full...

When Do Ethics Trump a Superior User Experience?

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Uber is the poster-child for the collaborative economy. A unicorn many times over, it is purportedly worth $65 billion. It achieved this status through ruthless determinism, and a willful desire to ignore existing regulations in the hope of winning more customers.<br />
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With a wildly loyal customer base, the service has proven itself useful, fast and convenient. When you add affordable to that, then it's a lock. </div>
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But can Uber's dominance continue with some of its recent decisions?<br />
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Uber has made questionable business decisions over time. Decisions that impact its reputation. But like Donald Trump, not even the most ridiculous and outrageous actions leave the merest dent in Uber's armor. For example: <br />
<ul>
<li>Uber sabotaged its competitor Lyft by <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2014/08/11/technology/uber-fake-ride-requests-lyft/" target="_blank">ordering fake rides and then cancelling them</a>, so it would be able to pick up fares instead; </li>
<li>It tried to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-ceo-on-messing-with-lyfts-funding-2014-11" target="_blank">torpedo Lyft's fundraising efforts</a> by telling VCs that it was raising a round directly after; </li>
<li>It <a href="http://www.dailydot.com/business/uber-terminates-chicago-contactors-discount-code/" target="_blank">fired 15 drivers by email</a> - over a misunderstanding. To add insult to injury, the email font was <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/10/03/comic-sans-history/" target="_blank">Comic Sans</a>. </li>
<li>It threatened to <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/johanabhuiyan/uber-sought-to-hire-opposition-researcher-to-weaponize-facts" target="_blank">hire opposition researchers</a> to dig into the private life of journalists who weren't completely pro-Uber. </li>
<li>It began offering <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/3/11852940/uber-subprime-auto-loans-drivers-xchange" target="_blank">sub-prime auto loans</a> to its drivers; </li>
<li>Uber cut its drivers' earnings <a href="http://observer.com/2016/01/uber-drivers-plan-boycott-after-fare-cuts-slash-their-earnings-to-below-minimum-wage/" target="_blank">to below minimum wage</a>; </li>
<li>It <a href="http://observer.com/2016/01/uber-ceo-blocking-drivers-on-twitter-for-protesting-fare-cuts/" target="_blank">blocked drivers on Twitter</a> who spoke out about fare cuts; </li>
<li>Even as its skimping on paying drivers in the US, Uber is pouring money into China, where it had a 1.5% market share against incumbents and is <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/18/uber-losing-1-billion-a-year-in-china.html" target="_blank">losing $1 billion a year</a>. </li>
<li>Uber has been known to be rife with sexism, referring to its service as "<a href="https://pando.com/2014/02/27/we-call-that-boob-er-the-four-most-awful-things-travis-kalanick-said-in-his-gq-profile/" target="_blank">Boober</a>," and suffering the embarrassment of <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/charliewarzel/french-uber-bird-hunting-promotion-pairs-lyon-riders-with-a" target="_blank">Uber France's promotion to offer rides with "hot chicks"</a>. </li>
<li>As it was being sued in a class action suit, Uber hired a secret research firm staffed with CIA and NSA veterans to investigate the plaintiff's attorneys. The presiding judge  in the case has already ruled the evidence constitutes "<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-uber-antitrust-idUSKCN0YU0F5" target="_blank">a reasonable basis to suspect the perpetration of fraud</a>." </li>
<li>And most recently, it is not only undercutting all of its competitors in New York City, but it's <a href="http://gothamist.com/2016/07/12/uberpool_subway_mta.php" target="_blank">undercutting public transportation</a> as it offers UberPool rides for commuters during rush hour. This is the kind of behavior that <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/john-d-rockefeller" target="_blank">John D. Rockefeller was notorious for</a>: the CEO of Standard Oil would secretly acquire railroads to control the distribution process and force his competitors to deal with him and his pricing structure. </li>
</ul>
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At some point, Uber's culture and questionable business practices will catch up with them. Uber seems to escape the watchful eye of journalists, for the most part. There's no modern-day <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_Tarbell" target="_blank">Ida Tarbell</a>, who investigated Rockefeller and Standard Oil, leading to its eventual breakup.<br />
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But if more consumers understand the behavior of the company, there's going to be a breaking point where no amount of user experience or convenience can make up for its lack of ethics and basic human decency.<br />
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<b><i>If you liked this commentary and the previous one on legal terms of apps, you can listen to them in my new podcast <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/show" target="_blank">The Full Monty</a>. Subscribe on <a href="http://smonty.co/fullmontyitunes">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?t=The_Full_Monty&utm_content=buffer2143a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer&u=0&view=/ps/Iy3ehvkts2zousixune2kwgmhl4">Google Play</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=96004&refid=stpr">Stitcher</a>, <a href="http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-full-monty_1">Spreaker</a> or <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fullmontyshow">SoundCloud</a>.</i></b></h4>
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<i>Image credit: <a href="http://thebluediamondgallery.com/e/ethics.html">Blue Diamond Gallery</a> via a Creative Commons 3 license - <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/">CC BY-SA 3.0</a></i><br />
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When Do Ethics Trump a Superior User Experience?

Uber is the poster-child for the collaborative economy. A unicorn many times over, it is purportedly worth $65 billion. It achieved this ...

Scott Monty - Strategic Communications & Leadership Advisor