Twitter had a rude awakening and the public is looking for answers from immature architects of the attention economy; AI isn't that intelligent—it requires us to ask the right questions; Alexa knows your family; the next wave of automotive dominance: vertical integration; the brands that consumers are the most loyal to; the battle for online video ads; the most innovative retailer; what Washington gets from the tech companies; a wide-ranging interview with Tim Cook; the flight from Netflix to Hulu; the machine learning behind your Spotify recommendations; credit card breach at Hyatt (again!); research shows the effect of Uber and Lyft on cities—it may not be what you expect; a Stoic's take on life; and more in the Guard Your Time edition of The Full Monty from Brain+Trust Partners for the week of October 16, 2017.
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Top Stories
- Actress Rose McGowan was temporarily suspended from Twitter, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein news, which she was tweeting about. The company didn't give her a specific reason, but later indicated it was because she shared someone's phone number.
- Then, on Friday, women around the world stayed away from the platform to send a message. #WomenBoycottTwitter was the hashtag that was attached to the effort.
- Twitter then gave an indication what the issue was and part-timer Jack Dorsey said Twitter needs to be a “lot more transparent in our actions” around suspending users, after it broke its silence on Rose McGowan. Dorsey continued, promising a more aggressive approach when cracking down on hate, violence and harassment.
- eBay's founder Pierre Omidyar lamented that for all the ways this technology brings us together, the monetization and manipulation of information is swiftly tearing us apart. He outlined how social media has created distortion, echo chambers, false legitimacy and more.
- News is dripping out of Facebook, Twitter and now Google about how their ad and publishing systems were harnessed by the Russians. Exactly what do these platforms owe to the public?
- Admitting that "our minds can be hijacked," even employees at Google, Twitter and Facebook who helped make technology so addictive are disconnecting themselves from the Internet.
- Is any of this a surprise? After all, immature architects built the attention economy.
It seems clear that tech companies, while still enjoying the acclaim of the public, need to self-regulate, lest they come under fire of the government. These companies have built products and services that improve our lives, but at a moment's notice — due to a lack of human oversight — they have the ability to make life miserable as well. As a society we need to understand exactly what we're giving up and at what price, as well as how the industry must engage in a higher level of civic responsibility.
Artificial Intelligence / Autonomous
The latest in AI, machine learning, bots, blockchain, and autonomous everything.ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE / MACHINE LEARNING
- The Pulitzer Prize-winning author Douglas Hoftsadter says that feeding large amounts of data to computers and giving them specific tasks does not simply make them intelligent. AI needs a more intelligent approach.
- So, who's asking the right questions about AI? What the technology can and can't do.
- Amazon and Microsoft, two of the world's leading AI companies, are collaborating on 'Glouon,' a new open-source deep learning interface to let developers “prototype, build, train and deploy sophisticated machine learning models.
- Voice search technology such as Amazon’s Alexa threatens to supplant brands with automated purchase decisions in which tech companies, not retailers, own the customer relationship. So what's a brand to do?
- You sound familiar: Alexa can now distinguish between different voices in a household. Can't wait to try out some impressions on her.
- A quick primer on blockchain and the future of marketing.
AUTONOMOUS / MOBILITY
- GM acquired 11-person startup Strobe, which makes lidar sensors. GM is now one of the only carmakers or autonomous vehicle developers that owns a good portion of the major components of the self-driving supply chain. Vertical integration: what's old is new again.
- Meanwhile, Ford is developing new transportation services via a software platform developed by Autonomic, Inc. Integration and acquisition of Silicon Valley technology is key for a number of automakers, as they prepared for a future of mixed mobility.
- Looking for a new gig? Some self-driving cars need co-pilots as they draw the next generation of maps to — wait for it — support self-driving cars.
- But not in California, where regulators are fine with no one at the wheel in autonomous testing vehicles.
- Don't get your hopes up of a driverless future any time soon. What's causing the delay? In a word, humans.
Communications / Marketing / Business Strategy
COMMUNICATONS / MARKETING / STRATEGY
- According to the latest annual loyalty study from Brand Keys, Amazon topped the list of brands ranked by customer loyalty. Interestingly, they took high marks not only for online retail, but came in at #6 and #9, for video streaming and tablets.
- The New York Times issued updated social media guidelines for its newsroom, including cautioning journalists from taking sides on issues and promoting political views. Interestingly, it also discourages them from making customer service complaints on social media.
- News organizations around the world struggle with advertising, and more are prioritizing the personal reader. There's a parallel with brands: the advertising response rates for mass media are low; personalization should be where marketers look next.
- BuzzFeed was initially about native advertising, but then turned its sights on programmatic. Now it's looking for a happy medium. How do you convince big TV advertisers they should be spending their cash on BuzzFeed? Repurpose their TV ads. With “BuzzCuts,” BuzzFeed’s team will chop marketers’ existing ads into short, mobile-friendly videos or GIFs. But will the shorter versions convey the same compelling story arc and persuasive call-to-action that a 30-second ad does? We’ll have to see.
- Facebook's video traffic has reached 4 billion daily views, making the social network YouTube's first real rival in online video—and an even tougher contender in the battle for digital ad dollars.
- Amazon is said to be looking into video ads. Could the e-commerce giant win a sizable chunk of the video ad market?
- Individuals in the US still manage to spend the equivalent of half a day consuming media, according to eMarketer estimates. How much exactly? An average of 12 hours, 1 minute per day.
- Do you hate calling customer service? Well, now there's a service that will call customer service for you. First world problems, anyone?
THIS WEEK IN RETAIL:
- Walmart has turned into one of the most innovative retailers. How, exactly? A wave of unlikely acquisitions and a new mindset. (Disclosure: Walmart is a Brain+Trust client. Do you have what it takes?)
- Target is expanding its voice-commerce relationship with Google to battle Amazon, joining Walmart in climbing aboard the Google Express.
- Amazon knows that physical stores are still critical to retail success and that Walmart is their biggest competitor, thanks to its immense physical footprint. Which is why Amazon is taking the counter-intuitive step of investing in brick and mortar.
- Here's a Q&A with Amazon CEO Worldwide Consumer Jeff Wilke on integrating Whole Foods despite cultural differences and the reasoning behind opening a second headquarters.
- A few weeks ago, we shared news of Walmart delivering to the inside of your house. Not to be outdone, Amazon will deliver to your trunk.
- A "You Are Here" video about science of everyday life from The Atlantic gets into some of the tactics that retail companies take to get you to spend your money:
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Platforms
News to know about relevant social, virtual, and augmented reality platforms that may affect your business.TWITTER / PERISCOPE
- Jack Dorsey just celebrated his two-year anniversary at the helm of Twitter. But he's a half-time CEO, so it's really only his first.
- In an effort to show how relevant it is with live updates, Twitter launched 'Happening Now' to showcase tweets about events and sports. We know you're thinking about it...
- Twitter deleted data potentially of interest to the Russia investigations. They claimed their strict privacy policy led to deletions of Russian information of interest to investigators.
FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / WHATSAPP
- The Intelligence Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives plans on releasing the Facebook ads purchased by groups linked to the Kremlin. See, they can do this, because Facebook didn't delete data of interest to the investigation.
- Recognizing that it has a problem, Facebook is hiring more people to moderate content. More people than work at Twitter.
- Axios had an exclusive interview with Sheryl Sandberg as part of her press tour following her testimony in front of Congress on the issue. Her take: "We'll do everything we can to defeat them." The Russian meddlers, not Congress.
- The New York Times asked Facebook 12 questions and received five answers.
MICROSOFT / LINKEDIN
- LinkedIn is finally selling autoplay video ads. Recode said "better late than never." We say vice versa.
OTHER
- Flipboard's new self-service tools emphasize optimization for the mobile Web and highlight fast-loading sites optimized for mobile, which offer a better user experience. It's intended to make things easier for publishers to join Flipboard and have their content surfaced. If you're not yet on Flipboard, you ought to give it a try. Here's ours.
- A survey of 6,100 US teens by Piper Jaffray found that 47% say Snapchat is their preferred social network, up from 39% this spring; 24% picture Instagram as a favorite, 9% like Facebook, and only 7% prefer Twitter.
AR / VR
- Apple CEO Tim Cook is bullish on AR as a game-changer in this extensive interview. No shocker here: he says the technology doesn't exist to make quality AR smart glasses.
- Facebook unveiled an Oculus headset that doesn't need to be tethered to a computer or TV. The bad news is you'll still look just as ridiculous. And now you might fall down the stairs — or up, if you're using it in your mom's basement.
Media
The latest in the world of streaming video, audio, and the advertising, pricing and bundling models related to them.VIDEO
- The networks are fleeing Netflix for Hulu and their own streaming platforms: NBC, Fox, FX and Disney are all pulling all or some of their content from Netflix. They're hoping to force consumers to Hulu, where Disney, Fox, Comcast and Time Warner share a stake, or their own streaming properties, which are in the works.
- Hulu dropped their prices as soon as Netflix raised theirs. The war is on.
- The strength of Netflix's international revenue and subscribers, compared to US competitors, helps the company offset rising content costs.
- Does your partner cheat on you with Netflix or Amazon Prime? U.K. ice cream brand Cornetto created rings that connect to your streaming apps and block access to TV shows you both watch unless your partner is nearby.
AUDIO
- The magic behind the machine learning tool that finds your new music for Spotify's Discover Weekly.
- What can be gained from turning a successful podcast into a film or television series? In a word: audience.
- Radio survived the tape, CD, and iPod. So why is radio so successful in the age of Spotify?
- Program of the Week: This week, we've got a great parody podcast. If you've experienced self-help/branding gurus, or if you're a hustler/influencer you'll want to listen to Dexter Guff Is Smarter Than You (And You Can Be Too) by Panoply. The only thing funnier than the show is the reviewers who gave it 1 star on iTunes, not realizing it's a parody. Thanks to Tom Webster for the tip. Do you have a program to recommend? Add yours to our Google Sheet: smonty.co/yourpodcasts.
Regulatory / Security
Business disruptions in the legal, regulatory, and computer security fields, from hacking to the on-demand economy and more.SECURITY / HACKING:
- Hyatt Corp. is alerting customers about another credit card breach at some hotels, the second major incident with the hospitality chain in as many years.
- For those interested in why the hotel industry is so frequently targeted, here are some case studies published by Trustwave Spiderlabs.
- A coalition of privacy advocacy groups are urging federal regulators to recall Google's new $50 smart speaker, after a malfunction in some early units caused it to secretly record conversations.
- Russian operatives intentionally used small, segregated campaigns across automated platforms that often aren't monitored by people, making it harder to get caught in the moment, if at all.
- If you've ever wondered how people get hacked, here's a play-by-play from a knowing and willing participant.
ON-DEMAND ECONOMY
- New research shows that ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft have most likely reduced mass transit use and added to traffic in major U.S. cities. Not a surprise, as these services are not replacing traditional taxis, but augmenting them.
- Lyft is working with Google Maps and Waze for its in-app navigation, in an effort to win over drivers and riders alike.
- Can this executive make Uber a place where women and minorities want to work? It's not going to be easy.
- Facebook is partnering with EatStreet, Delivery.com, DoorDash, and select restaurant chains others to launch an “Order Food” feature across the U.S. It's confirmed: Facebook wants us to never leave them.
- Porsche will begin an app-based subscription service next month, joining the ranks of automakers experimenting with more flexible ownership models as ride hailing and smartphones upend traditional auto retailing. And it's a bargain, at only $2,000 a month.
- Aibnb has teamed up with a Florida developer in Orlando for an apartment complex that lets landlords and tenants share home-sharing profits.
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.- A series from Christopher Penn on the predictive analytics process.
Mental Nourishment
Other links to help you reflect, improve, or simply learn something new.- Leaders: take the time to embrace solitude and silence. For it is through reflection and solitude that we find clarity, creativity, emotional balance, and moral courage. Because if you're to be a good leader, you need to lead yourself first. In other words, check yourself before you wreck yourself.
- Who was Seneca? Aside from being the dead guy in the header image, here's his history as well as some timeless wisdom from the father of the Stoic movement. He took that 'embrace silence' thing a little too literally.
- Related: the Stoic's guide to time.
- If you ever have the chance to time travel, avoid the 11 days between September 2 and September 14, 1752. You'll thank us later. Or earlier, depending on when you land.
- Just for fun, one of the coolest jobs out there. The very modern life of an old-timey baseball organist: the Fenway Park organist.
“We’re tight-fisted with property and money, yet think too little of wasting time, the one thing about which we should all be the toughest misers.”
— Seneca
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Upcoming Brain+Trust Speaking Engagements
- Speaking at RetailLoco in Atlanta on October 18, 2017 (Tim)
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