Tuesday, May 30, 2017

The Full Monty — May 30, 2017



A tech journalist gives us a guide to the future in his swan song; AI is a gift to marketing; the future of the automotive industry is digital; executives need higher confidence in their organizations' Digital IQ; digital display ads are on the outs; ethics and legal considerations for influencer marketing; the first brick and mortar Amazon store is in NYC; happy birthday to the GIF; Facebook is refunding advertisers amid a measurement glitch; Google's personal search option; Pinterest is gaining hold among marketers; opportunities within the a deep dive into the podcasting industry and a look at the many opportunities; mobile ransomware  is up; on-demand workers will double in the next four years; Lyft's moves against Uber; Google Attribution is the holy grail of advertising; becoming more deliberately reflective; and more in the Memorial Day edition of The Full Monty. We're sure you subscribe to The Full Monty podcast, and don't forget check out where Brain+Trust is speaking (final section below).


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The Full Monty, a Brain+Trust Partners publication, exposes you to virtually everything you need in business intelligence at the top of every week. Links are below with commentary in italics. Please sign up for our email updates to make sure you don't miss a thing. And please click send your colleagues to this page to sign up as well.

We've got all of these links — and those that didn't make the cut for publication — in The Full Monty Magazine on Flipboard.



Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Autonomous

The latest in AI, machine learning, bots, and autonomous everything.
  • The venerable tech reporter Walt Mossberg has written his last column. And appropriately enough, he takes us to the future beyond the personal computer: AI, AR, drones, robotics, wearables, and self-driving cars. You'll recognize many of those topics as the same that we cover here
  • A look at the challenges and benefits of robots as societal guardians against crime amid Dubai's introduction of fleet of robots with face scanning-tech to its police force; citizens will be able to ask them questions, report crimes, and pay fines. 
  • Forget the notion of AI taking away jobs, Christopher Penn says. The future of marketing is bright with artificial intelligence: instead of spending our time doing menial, repetitive tasks, the future will bring us the ability to design and build the experiences we want for our customers, companies and more.
  • Facebook is updating its bot platform in Messenger. And the overarching strategy keeps the following in mind, via David Marcus: "People, consumers, don’t want bots, they want to interact with businesses or services and they don’t really care whether it’s automated or not automated, whether it’s actually a bot or not a bot. They just want a great experience." This applies for every platform you try.
  • Google has launched a new venture capital program focused on artificial intelligence, to be led by engineers.
  • Apple is working on a dedicated chip to power AI on all of its devices. It would improve the way the company’s devices handle tasks that would otherwise require human intelligence -- such as facial recognition and speech recognition.

AUTONOMOUS

  • If ever there was an industry ripe for disruption — and in need of a tech overhaul — the automotive industry is it. The omnipresent software/services approach means that the future of the automobile is actually digital.
  • To wit: BMW and IBM are teaming up to build "cars of the future." The collaboration will see the pair explore ways that IBM Watson’s conversational and machine learning capabilities can be used to primarily create a more personalized driving experience as well enhance safety.
  • Ford Motor Company's new smart mobility chief is Marcy Klevorn, a long-serving member of Ford's IT department . She fills the gap left by Jim Hackett, who was promoted to CEO after the board fired Mark Fields. Klevorn may well be in the running as potential CEO, given the focus that the company is putting on autonomous vehicles and mobility services.



Communications / Marketing / Business Strategy

Industry developments and trends, including retail, fake news, customer experience, content marketing, and influencer relations.

THIS WEEK IN RETAIL:

    OTHER:

    • Lauren Kern, executive editor at New York magazine, is leaving to become the first-ever editor in chief of Apple News.
    • If you want to stop #FakeNews from spreading, there are four ways to fight back and they involve understanding the four elements that make a fake news story work in the first place: emotional appeal, veneer of authority, insertion point into the online space, and social amplification.
    • There was a not-so-super secret login/password combo across a number of online news sites. Now that has gone away. And it had nothing to do with a Trump administration leak. The first rule of media/media is don't talk about media/media.
    • Giphy is determined to build a real business by animating the internet.
      • The file format that has done more to change the web is celebrating a birthday. That's right. The GIF turned 30. And here we thought being a Millennial was all that.



    SPONSOR


    Register now for Content Marketing World 2017 – taking place September 5-8, 2017 in Cleveland, OH. I’ll be there, and I hope you will be too! Early bird rates end on Friday, June 2. Plus, use code MONTY100 to save an additional $100. Register here: http://cmi.media/cmworld17monty

    Need help convincing management? No problem! CMI has a pre-written “Justify Your Trip” template.



    Platforms 

    News to know about relevant social, virtual, and augmented reality platforms that may affect your business.
    • Facebook and Google are in a pitched battle for which platform is superior at driving clicks to websites. It turns out that it depends on the type of content. Facebook is better at moving traffic to lifestyle and entertainment stories; Google succeeds with tech, business and sports.

    TWITTER / PERISCOPE

    • Twitter has hired former Bloomberg executive Todd Swidler to run its live video business. Just another indication of how much of a strategic priority live video is for Twitter as it competes with Facebook.
    • Twitter is doing its best to drive the kind of engagement that brands eagerly seek with users by employing Direct Message cards that shuttle users from public tweets to DMs involving partially automated responses.
    • Donald Trump's iPhone has only one app. Any guesses as to what it is?

    FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / WHATSAPP

    ALPHABET / GOOGLE

    • Google has added a 'Personal' tab to search results. The personal tab shows results from users' Gmail, Photos, purchases and more. Part of Google's efforts to keep users more closely aligned with their service over others — especially when it comes to communications and visual media. It also bodes well for email marketers.

    SNAP

    • Snapchat is incentivizing brands and media buyers, offering bonuses, discount coupons and media credits for ad buys carried out in the second quarter of 2017. This is widely seen as an effort to goose its Q2 numbers after reporting a multimillion dollar loss in Q1.

    PINTEREST

    • Pinterest is quietly gaining a foothold among marketers. The company has released a number of new features over the past year and has taken a more aggressive strategy with agencies. Analytics, targeting and a variety of advertising options make Pinterest a smart choice.

    VR/AR

    • Augmented reality is expected to get a boost from Snapchat Lenses and Facebook Stories (and likely from fast follower Instagram as well). In 2017, 40 million people in the US will engage with some form of AR at least monthly, up 30.2% over last year. 


    Media

    The latest in the world of streaming video, audio, and the advertising, pricing and bundling models related to them.

    VIDEO

    AUDIO

    • Did you know that many people speak at a pace that is vastly below what your ear and brain can follow? The solution for some podcast listeners: speed listening.
    • An excellent deep dive into the podcast industry as it stands: from growing listenership to measuring listens and ad delivery, the pipeline of talent, new iOS sharing features, and more.
    • Edison Research VP Tom Webster is always generous with his insights. In this case he gives us not his two cents but his five-and-a-half cents on the current state of podcasting. There are many opportunities ahead.
    • Program of the Week: Walmart has launched its own podcast Outside the Box: conversations with thought leaders, innovators and visionaries, from the granular elements of retail to macro explorations about the global economy. (Disclosure: Walmart is a Brain+Trust client.) Do you have a program to recommend? Add yours to our Google Sheet:  smonty.co/yourpodcasts.  
    • And don't forget to subscribe to our show via email or on iTunesGoogle PlayStitcher,  Spreaker or SoundCloud.


    SPONSOR

    Want to know what 500 marketers (budgets up to $10 million) believe and how those beliefs influence their behaviors when it comes to hiring and firing agencies just like yours?

    Don't miss this FREE 16 page report, full of information, insight and guidance on how to best approach prospects based on the findings.

    Some of the results are going to really surprise you.

    If you're seeing this, maybe you'd like to see your company's name here too. Let us know.

    Regulatory / Security 

    Business disruptions in the legal, regulatory, and computer security fields, from hacking to the on-demand economy and more.

    THIS WEEK IN HACKING:


    COLLABORATIVE ECONOMY



    Measurement / Analytics / Data

    The future is not in plastics, but in data. Those who know how to measure and analyze it will rule the world.


    Mental Nourishment

    Other links to help you reflect, improve, or simply learn something new.




    Do you like what you see here? Please subscribe to have trends on digital communications, marketing, technology and business delivered to your inbox each Monday.


    Between this and the podcast, it's a lot of work. Does this provide any kind of value to you? If so, please consider joining as a patron.



    Upcoming Brain+Trust Speaking Engagements

    • Keynote at the CEO Communications Summit at Concordia University's John Molson School of Business in Montreal, June 13-14, 2017. (Scott)
    • Keynote at Health:Further in Nashville, August 23-25, 2017 (Frank and Scott)
    • Can we speak for your organization? Drop us a line.


    Brain+Trust Partners doesn't believe in gobbledygook — we use common sense strategic guidance to help you master the evolving marketplace. From strategy development to technology and data vendor selection, to digital transformation and streamlining processes, our focus is on the customer experience. And our decades of experience working for major brands means that we deeply understand the challenges you're facing. Let us know if we can help you.

    Top photo credit: Ft. Henry Bombardment 1814 by Dr.frog at en.wikipedia (Transferred from en.wikipedia) [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

    --

    Monday, May 22, 2017

    The Full Monty — May 22, 2017



    Google's I/O announcements include a wave of AI, including visual search; Amazon puts Alexa in TV; Ford fired its CEO amid a shift to mobility and underperforming stock; why we're not ready for self-driving cars; what digital transformation requires; corporations and storytelling — disparate tales; Walmart's very good Q1; the rise of the NYT and WaPo; the health impact of social media on the young; report: Social Sharing in the Mobile World; Biz returns to Twitter; Facebook's moderation guidelines are inconsistent; people aren't interested in VR; Spotify is losing more money; net neutrality is on the line; secure your IoT devices; more turmoil at Uber (what else is new?); Lyft is doing a number of things right; Airbnb is playing nice with cities; four key questions to ask about your marketing metrics;  something everyone can do to help themselves learn; and more in the autonomous CEO edition of The Full Monty.  We're sure you subscribe to The Full Monty podcast, and don't forget check out where Brain+Trust is speaking (final section below).


    Become a patron, it will show how much you value this kind of content. 





    The Full Monty, a Brain+Trust Partners publication, exposes you to virtually everything you need in business intelligence at the top of every week. Please sign up for our email updates to make sure you don't miss a thing. And please share this with your colleagues if you find it valuable.

    If you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links — and those that didn't make the cut for publication — by subscribing to The Full Monty Magazine at smonty.co/fullmontymag.



    Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Autonomous

    The latest in AI, machine learning, bots, and autonomous everything.

    AUTONOMOUS

    • Ford has fired its CEO Mark Fields. Replacing him will be James Hackett, chairman for Ford Smart Mobility, a subsidiary Fields created to coordinate work in car-sharing, ride-hailing, autonomous driving and other emerging trends. Investors and the board lost confidence in Fields as the company tried to straddle its traditional role as a truck leader and the future of mobility.
    • If driverless cars enjoy widespread adoption, Uber and Lyft will likely become mere cogs in the autonomous vehicle machine. It's auto manufacturers that will be able to build at scale.
    • Pittsburgh welcomed Uber's driverless car efforts, with the expectation that Uber would return the favor. Uber turned out not to be such a good neighbor.
    • While Tesla makes it seem like driverless cars should be all over the road now, there are three good reasons why we're not ready for fully autonomous cars yet. And one more: other drivers.
    • The state of car operating systems, including Blackberry's QNX, Windows Embedded Automotive, and custom Linux and Android Open Source Project operating systems. It's clear that the auto industry needs a good UX/CX lesson. One glaring issue: even with on-board LTE and Wi-Fi, no car attempted Internet-augmented navigation.



    Communications / Marketing / Business Strategy

    Industry developments and trends, including retail, fake news, customer experience, content marketing, and influencer relations.

    THIS WEEK IN RETAIL:

      THIS WEEK IN FAKE NEWS:



      SPONSOR


      Register now for Content Marketing World 2017 – taking place September 5-8, 2017 in Cleveland, OH. I’ll be there, and I hope you will be too! Early bird rates end on Friday, June 2. Plus, use code MONTY100 to save an additional $100. Register here: http://cmi.media/cmworld17monty

      Need help convincing management? No problem! CMI has a pre-written “Justify Your Trip” template.



      Platforms 

      News to know about relevant social, virtual, and augmented reality platforms that may affect your business.

      • The Royal Society for Public Health has released a new report on social media and young people's health. The report includes a listing of social media platforms according to their impact on young people’s mental health.
      • Edison Research's Social Sharing in the Mobile World report is out. Some highlights from this study of 1,571 American smartphone owners aged 18-54: 
        • 80% of American smartphone owners use social media apps every day
        • The average smartphone owner uses 14 types of apps
        • 70% of smartphone owners who use social media say they use Facebook every day
        • More than six in ten Facebook users say they belong to local Facebook groups or other online local groups


      TWITTER / PERISCOPE

      FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / WHATSAPP

      ALPHABET / GOOGLE

      VR




      Media

      The latest in the world of streaming video, audio, and the advertising, pricing and bundling models related to them.

      VIDEO

      AUDIO



      SPONSOR

      Want to know what 500 marketers (budgets up to $10 million) believe and how those beliefs influence their behaviors when it comes to hiring and firing agencies just like yours?

      Don't miss this FREE 16 page report, full of information, insight and guidance on how to best approach prospects based on the findings.

      Some of the results are going to really surprise you.

      If you're seeing this, maybe you'd like to see your company's name here too. Let us know.

      Regulatory / Security 

      Business disruptions in the legal, regulatory, and computer security fields, from hacking to the on-demand economy and more.

      THIS WEEK IN HACKING:

      • A new report highlights the dangers of hacked factory robots. With 2.6 million units expected to be in place by 2019, this has the potential to be a significant issue that can disrupt global manufacturing.
      • The FCC is moving ahead with its plan to scrap net neutrality rules. Silicon Valley and telecom giants have opposing views of how web traffic should be treated on the way to reaching consumers — an increasing issue now that digital content is supplanting nearly every other format. The next step is a period when the public can submit comments on the proposal.
      • Facebook lied to the EU about its ability to match data between WhatsApp and Facebook profiles. And now it's paying a €110 million fine.
      • An 11 year-old boy hacked into the Bluetooth devices of the audience at a cybersecurity conference, showing them how he could weaponize a teddy bearIt demonstrated the wider issue of the lax security in a number of Internet of Things devices.
      "I think back to that Christmas morning and I wish I'd just gotten a Teddy Ruxpin."

      COLLABORATIVE ECONOMY



      Measurement / Analytics / Data

      The future is not in plastics, but in data. Those who know how to measure and analyze it will rule the world.


      Mental Nourishment

      Other links to help you reflect, improve, or simply learn something new.
      • In case you're grappling with all-consuming issues, wondering about what will affect your next quarter's performance or how to recalculate those KPIs, here's some perspective in the form of a tediously accurate map of the solar system.
      • Did you know that talking out loud to yourself can help you learnI was just telling myself this the other day...
      • If you've done any amount of writing in your time, you'll be familiar with Strunk & White's Elements of Style. It's a classic. Now, an updated classic: Trump's Element's of Style from McSweeny's.
      • For some beautiful shots and microstories of the past an present of the country, please check out Richard Binhammer's Roadside America and get yourself a copy. He also has a wonderful photography site with prints available for order. Tell him you heard about him in The Full Monty.




      Do you like what you see here? Please subscribe to have trends on digital communications, marketing, technology and business delivered to your inbox each Monday.


      Between this and the podcast, it's a lot of work. And it's not a team sport, either. If you join as a patron, it will show how much you value this kind of content. Won't you consider supporting The Full Monty?



      Upcoming Brain+Trust Speaking Engagements

      • Keynote at the CEO Communications Summit at Concordia University's John Molson School of Business in Montreal, June 13-14, 2017. (Scott)
      • Keynote at Health:Further in Nashville, August 23-25, 2017 (Frank and Scott)
      • Can we speak for your organization? Drop us a line.


      Brain+Trust Partners doesn't believe in gobbledygook — we use common sense strategic guidance to help you master the evolving marketplace. From strategy development to technology and data vendor selection, to digital transformation and streamlining processes, our focus is on the customer experience. And our decades of experience working for major brands means that we deeply understand the challenges you're facing. Let us know if we can help you.

      Top photo credit: Richard Binhammer (Flickr)

      --

      Monday, May 15, 2017

      The Full Monty — May 15, 2017



      Sometimes technology makes you WannaCry; a look at the NYT Story[X] R&D lab; using machine learning to prove customer lifetime value; self-driving car battles; the voice-enabled speaker market is on the move — even for the elderly; what keeps advertisers up at night; remote working is all that — except when it's not; innovations in retail drive shopping changes and competition; but Sears stopped innovating years ago; Twitter and the NFL's daily programming; Facebook and Google's aim to improve ads; Snap lost $2B in Q1; TV still has the power to reach people at scale; audio branding comes to hotels; trends in virtualization security; the threats to Uber's future; four types of analytics to investigate; how to identify an exceptional leader; a plum job opening; ; and more in the WannaCry edition of The Full Monty. We're sure you subscribe to The Full Monty podcast, and don't forget check out where Brain+Trust is speaking (final section below).


      Become a patron, it will show how much you value this kind of content. 





      The Full Monty, a Brain+Trust Partners publication, exposes you to virtually everything you need in business intelligence at the top of every week. Please sign up for our email updates to make sure you don't miss a thing. And please share this with your colleagues if you find it valuable.

      If you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links — and those that didn't make the cut for publication — by subscribing to The Full Monty Magazine at smonty.co/fullmontymag.

      Programming Note: 
      We have new section headers. They're related to the previous ones, but track more closely to the work we do at Brain+Trust Partners and to the issues facing leaders today. If you have feedback, please feel free to let us know.

      Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Autonomous

      The latest in AI, machine learning, bots, and autonomous everything.


      Communications / Marketing / Business Strategy

      Industry developments and trends, including retail, fake news, customer experience, content marketing, and influencer relations.


      THIS WEEK IN RETAIL:



        SPONSOR


        Register now for Content Marketing World 2017 – taking place September 5-8, 2017 in Cleveland, OH. I’ll be there, and I hope you will be too! Early bird rates end on Friday, June 2. Plus, use code MONTY100 to save an additional $100. Register here: http://cmi.media/cmworld17monty

        Need help convincing management? No problem! CMI has a pre-written “Justify Your Trip” template.



        Platforms 

        News to know about relevant social, virtual, and augmented reality platforms that may affect your business.

        TWITTER / PERISCOPE

        FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / WHATSAPP

        SNAP

        ALPHABET / GOOGLE



        Media

        The latest in the world of streaming video, audio, and the advertising, pricing and bundling models related to them.

        VIDEO

        AUDIO



        SPONSOR

        Want to know what 500 marketers (budgets up to $10 million) believe and how those beliefs influence their behaviors when it comes to hiring and firing agencies just like yours?

        Don't miss this FREE 16 page report, full of information, insight and guidance on how to best approach prospects based on the findings.

        Some of the results are going to really surprise you.

        If you're seeing this, maybe you'd like to see your company's name here too. Let us know.

        Regulatory / Security 

        Business disruptions in the legal, regulatory, and computer security fields, from hacking to the on-demand economy and more.

        THIS WEEK IN HACKING:

        • Expect to hear more about virtualization security. Here are five trends to expect from the industry
          • The number of attacks on corporate players will continue to grow.
          • Corporations will invest more in hybrid cloud protection — private IT infrastructure and public cloud infrastructure.
          • Powerful yet resource-efficient security solutions will need to be tightly integrated with enterprise mobility systems — a major challenge.
          • Ransomware will become a headache for virtualized desktops.
          • Virtualization security will focus more on integration between infrastructure and security solution.
        • The US is planning to ban laptops from all flights entering the country from Europe, according to European security officials.
        • President Trump just signed an order for a full review of the country's digital defenses.

        COLLABORATIVE ECONOMY



        Measurement / Analytics / Data

        The future is not in plastics, but in data. Those who know how to measure and analyze it will rule the world.
        • IBM heralds a future in which the masters of data are kings: demand for data scientists will grow 28% by 2020. Start recruiting efforts now.
        • All analytics are not equal. Here are four types of analytics to investigate, from scored analytics to behavioral analytics, and learning analytics to the future of machine learning.
        • Nasdaq's Corporate Solutions CCO Measurement Survey elicited a number of fascinating insights. Katie Delahaye Paine looks at six points, including: the importance of lead generation, the difference between business goals and activity metrics, and more.


        Mental Nourishment

        Other links to help you reflect, improve, or simply learn something new.




        Do you like what you see here? Please subscribe to have trends on digital communications, marketing, technology and business delivered to your inbox each Monday.


        Between this and the podcast, it's a lot of work. And it's not a team sport, either. If you join as a patron, it will show how much you value this kind of content. Won't you consider supporting The Full Monty?



        Upcoming Brain+Trust Speaking Engagements

        • Keynote at the CEO Communications Summit at Concordia University's John Molson School of Business in Montreal, June 13-14, 2017. (Scott)
        • Keynote at Health:Further in Nashville, August 23-25, 2017 (Frank and Scott)
        • Can we speak for your organization? Drop us a line.


        Brain+Trust Partners doesn't believe in gobbledygook — we use common sense strategic guidance to help you master the evolving marketplace. From strategy development to technology and data vendor selection, to digital transformation and streamlining processes, our focus is on the customer experience. And our decades of experience working for major brands means that we deeply understand the challenges you're facing. Let us know if we can help you.

        Top photo credit: The Body of Abel Found by Adam and Eve by William Blake (public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

        --

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