The Full Monty: Enough Already — December 18, 2017
Devices are eating our brains and it's time to take them back; artificial intelligence predictions for 2018; unpredictable side effects to ride-hailing and smart maps; non-financial uses of blockchain; going D2C in place of channels; where digital succeeded in 2017; social splitting from media; Best Buy and Target are still not out; a plum job at Walmart; threaded tweets for more tweetstorms; Fox gets eaten by Mouse; T-Mobile moves into TV; global audiobook trends; the repeal of Net Neutrality; Uber goes even lower; VR for Airbnb previews; accountability in marketing for 2018; improving your productivity and ability to solve crossword puzzles; and more in the edition of The Full Monty for the week of December 11, 2017.
Please consider becoming patron to show how you value the work that goes into this newsletter. We'll let you decide how much.
You're not a patron yet? Scrooge.
The Full Monty 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. And a special note about Flipboard: please take a look at the new layout for The Full Monty. We've separated stories into mini-magazines that follow the same sections as below. Feel free to follow the magazines that matter to you.
Programming note: this is the final edition of The Full Monty for 2017. We'll resume on January 8.
Top Stories
Our devices are ubiquitous. For many, they are in our hands from nearly the moment we awake. They follow us to the bathroom, keep us entertained while we dine alone, hold our attention while we're in a queue, and put us in constant contact with our friends and family. And much of that is on social media.
But we've reached a point where we may be over saturated, and where we (including our children) might be spending too much time in front of a screen, either in our hands or in our laps. Perhaps it's time to dial back — to rethink our priorities. This time of year naturally lends itself to being reflective, so perhaps it's the perfect opportunity in which to determine the ways we might reduce the amount of time we spend in front of screens small and large, and spend more time on front of our families, friends and coworkers, giving them our undivided attention.
And consider this: even in those quiet times when you might instinctively reach for your phone to while away the time because you're bored or socially awkward, use that as a way to push yourself into an uncomfortable situation, a moment of self-reflection (one that doesn't require a New Year), or quiet observation of the world around you. You just might be amazed at what you've been missing.
But we've reached a point where we may be over saturated, and where we (including our children) might be spending too much time in front of a screen, either in our hands or in our laps. Perhaps it's time to dial back — to rethink our priorities. This time of year naturally lends itself to being reflective, so perhaps it's the perfect opportunity in which to determine the ways we might reduce the amount of time we spend in front of screens small and large, and spend more time on front of our families, friends and coworkers, giving them our undivided attention.
And consider this: even in those quiet times when you might instinctively reach for your phone to while away the time because you're bored or socially awkward, use that as a way to push yourself into an uncomfortable situation, a moment of self-reflection (one that doesn't require a New Year), or quiet observation of the world around you. You just might be amazed at what you've been missing.
- A former Facebook executive admitted that social media, including Facebook is damaging society and that he feels guilt for helping to advance it.
- In what some are calling an extraordinary step, Facebook admitted that too much time on social media can be detrimental, noting that passive consumption of its Newsfeed was potentially bad. But don't be fooled: Facebook noted that the cure for the negative effects of social media is...more social media. SMH. Or, as Quartz noted:
The structure of these posts is usually the same. Step one: identify some ill in society. Step two: admit that people think technology, and Facebook, might be contributing to that ill. Step three: assert that more Facebook, not less, is the cure for said ill.
- A recent study found that smartphone use is linked to a rise in teen depression and suicide.
- Starting next school year, France is banning mobile phones from primary, secondary and middle schools (until about the age of 15). Ils comprennent.
- If you're thinking about bringing a laptop to a meeting or class, think again. Laptops distract from learning, for users and those around them.
Artificial Intelligence / Autonomous
The latest in AI, machine learning, bots, and blockchain, mobility, and autonomous everything.ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE / MACHINE LEARNING
- As things continue to swirl around all things A.I. here are five artificial intelligence predictions for 2018. 'Tis the season!
- CB Insights unveiled the second annual AI 100 — a list of 100 of the most promising private companies applying artificial intelligence algorithms across 25+ industries, from healthcare to cybersecurity and more.
- Nearly half of all Americans use digital voice assistants — mostly on their phones. Did you hear that sound? It's voice, coming for your business.
- Google released three new photography apps for testing experimental technology that includes object recognition, person segmentation, stylization algorithms, efficient image encoding and decoding technologies.
AUTONOMOUS / MOBILITY
- As ride-hailing services continue to flourish, airports are seeing a decline in revenue amid fewer cars parking in their garages. Airports have had to add staff to oversee pickup and dropoff areas, and are seeing a drop in fees from parking and rental car companies alike. The law of unintended consequences.
- There's also a side effect to smart maps as cars try to navigate unfamiliar streets and neighborhoods.
- In Great Britain, the laws for safe use of autonomous vehicles will be ready by 2021. Let's hope the cars aren't ready until then...
- Meanwhile, in China...Alibaba (Amazon's biggest competitor) will begin selling cars via giant vending machines.
- Renault bought a stake in a media company to entertain passengers in autonomous vehicles. Genius.
- Toyota plans to electrify its entire vehicle lineup by 2025.
- And Ford thinks that hybrids are better suited for autonomous vehicles than EVs.
BLOCKCHAIN / BITCOIN
- UPS is betting on blockchain as the future of its industry. With it, shippers can track capacity, cost, and estimated delivery times for different routes before making a decision; carriers can continually post information about their capacity for shipping vehicles and lanes, dynamically adjusting pricing.
- And just so you're fully primed, here are 30 non-financial use cases of blockchain technology.
BUY THIS BOOK
Flying Cars, Zombie Dogs, and Robot Overlords: How World's Fairs and Trade Expos Changed the World by Charles Pappas looks at how many of the industry-changing innovations that we take for granted today originated at some sort of trade show. With CES coming up, this should put you in the proper mindset.
Want to see your book featured here? Please let us know.
Want to see your book featured here? Please let us know.
Communications / Marketing / Business Strategy
STRATEGY / MARKETING / CONTENT
- More brands are ditching channels to go direct-to-consumer (D2C). Here are 9 of the biggest D2C stories from brands.
- Google and Facebook account for a duopoly in digital advertising revenue, but others are coming on strong, including Microsoft, Oath, and Amazon. Marketers aren't yet putting Amazon at the level of importance of the others, but the e-commerce is doing what it can to catch up.
- A year in review of digital advertising in 2017 includes a strong digital ad spend, dealing with the duopoly, mobile dominance, and surpassing TV.
- Here are the top concerns of marketers heading into 2018.
JOURNALISM / COMMUNICATIONS
- The future of social media means abandoning the quest to respond to every confused man on Twitter and instead DMing with groups of people who matter. In the future, Social and Media Will Split from Nieman Labs.
- Bloomberg's Twitter news network Tic Toc went live yesterday.
- Storify is shutting down. The aggregation service was once the hot tool used by journalists, but with functionality built into many platforms now, it became outmoded.
Retail Apocalypse
Humans are a transactional species, and the practice — if not the very notion of what retail is — is undergoing a historical metamorphosis.- Best Buy was thought to be on the ropes just a few short years ago. But against all odds, Best Buy is succeeding. How? By virtue of their expertise in electronics and by being the last retailer standing.
- Another retailer that isn't going down is Target, which is simplifying, building core business lines, and improving the customer experience. And Target recently bought Shipt for $550 million to handle same-day shipping and bolster their e-commerce offerings.
- Amazon has expanded same-day and one-day delivery to 3,000+ new markets across the US, bringing the total to over 8,000.
- Following the well-worn path of oil, pharmaceutical and even other large tech companies, Amazon is trying to bend policy in its favor by enhancing connections with federal officials. That's right, lobbying.
- The biggest retail fight of 2017 has been Walmart vs. Amazon. Who wins? The consumer.
- And if you'd like to be on one side of this battle, Walmart is hiring a Director of Social Strategy and Channels on its Corporate Affairs and Communications team. (Walmart is a Brain+Trust client.)
- There are two ways to take on Amazon (not mutually exclusive):
 |
| Source: youtu.be/qalujiU7txs |
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.
Platforms
News to know about relevant social, virtual, and augmented reality platforms that may affect your business.TWITTER / PERISCOPE
- Twitter officially launched threaded tweets that will allow people to post more tweetstorms. This will supposedly make it a less confusing place. But more annoying.
- Steve Bannon and his minions at Breitbart planned a broad financial, legal, and editorial campaign to damage Twitter, according to documents obtained by BuzzFeed News.
- You'll now be able to see how many views your videos get on Twitter with the new analytics that the company is providing.
FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / WHATSAPP
- For years, Facebook acknowledged that people don't like pre-roll videos and that the company wouldn't run them. Well, that's all changing as Facebook introduces pre-roll video ads. "You know what would make Facebook better? Pre-roll video ads." — No One Ever
- Too many political updates? Tired of your social media manager friends constantly promoting their company? Have a friend who won't shut up about their favorite sports team? The new Snooze feature will mute your friends for 30 days.
- After rolling out verified profiles for businesses on WhatsApp, Facebook is adding a tool for brands to promote their presence on WhatsApp.
SNAP
- Snapchat is still the platform of choice for teens, and Facebook's only hope of catching up is still Instagram.
Media
The latest in the world of streaming video, audio, and the advertising, pricing and bundling models related to them.VIDEO
- Disney is buying the entertainment assets of Fox for $52 billion. Fox will retain its news and sports divisions. Who could have predicted it?
- It turns out The Simpsons have been fairly good at predicting the future.
- With the acquisition, that means Disney will have a 60% stake in Hulu, making it the single largest shareholder of the streaming service. Between Disney's planned family-friendly network and their ESPN offering, this gives them a solid foothold in streaming media.
- The NBA is giving Twitch streamers a chance to be sports commentators with its experimental G League.
- Verizon signed five-year deal with the NFL to livestream games to any mobile, web, and connected-TV device across the U.S.
- T-Mobile plans to launch a TV service in 2018, challenging satellite and cable providers.
AUDIO
- FX has struck a development deal with Sony Pictures Television to adapt the popular Welcome To Night Vale podcast and book series for television. Following on the Stranger Things phenomenon?
- According to data from Spotify, assumptions about our taste in music are true: the older we get, the worst our taste. Except you. No, your music is just fine.
- SoundCloud's new CEO promises to keep what makes the service great while looking to improve other things, beginning with a new app.
- Check out these global audiobook trends and statistics for 2017.
- More listening is done on smartphones than ever before (29 percent).
- The majority of it is happening at home (57 percent).
- 77 percent of frequent listeners agreed or strongly agreed that ‘audiobooks help you finish more books.'
- Related: more people make podcasts than listen to them.
- The New York Times debuted a native audio player designed to provide users a seamless audio experience to enjoy “The Daily,” “Still Processing” and other Times podcasts.
- Program of the Week: And as our recommendation this week, while we're on the topic, let's go with The Daily. This is how the news should sound. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, hosted by Michael Barbaro and powered by New York Times journalism. 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
- As you know, the F.C.C. repealed 2015 Net Neutrality rules by a 3-2 vote, granting broadband companies the power to potentially reshape Americans’ online experiences. And Chairman Ajit Pai celebrated by releasing a video of himself dancing with a proponent of Pizzagate.
- Comcast reiterated its intention to maintaining an open Internet and net neutrality, despite the decision.
- Bitcoin hacking is already a thing. North Korean hackers stole bitcoin by targeting trading insiders with a spearfishing campaign.
ON-DEMAND ECONOMY
- An explosive letter recently unsealed in the Uber-Waymo litigation indicates that Uber used former CIA offers to collect trade secrets and other intelligence. Just when you thought Uber couldn't sink any lower.
- Airbnb is adding VR previews of rooms and cities to help visitors feel more comfortable with the decisions they're making.
- Paris is getting more strict with Airbnb, requiring the company to list its rentals with local authorities.
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.- Trends for 2018: marketers must be more accountable. This includes the ability to demonstrate the value and return of any investment to the rest of the business amid rising economic uncertainty.
- What is a customer data platform (CDP)? Everything you need to know on this category.
- As we referenced in last week's edition, here's the rest of Christopher Penn's take on topic modeling, from deciding what to choose and what the future holds for topic modeling for marketers.
- An overwhelming majority (79 percent) of websites globally are tracking visitors' data — with 10 percent of these sites actually sending user data to 10 companies or more. You can run but you can't hide.
- Apple has finally turned on their podcast analytics platform.
Mental Nourishment
Other links to help you reflect, improve, or simply learn something new.- Should corporate executives trust their intuition? Sometimes yes, but other times no, says Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman. Four tests can help you decide: familiarity, feedback, measured-emotions, and independence tests.
- As we wind up 2017, what do Hurricane Irma, Harvey Weinstein, iPhone X, and Cash Me Outside have in common? No, they're not all destructive forces (well, they are, but that's another story). They're all things that were trending in Google Year in Search 2017 report.
- While we're on the subject of words, don’t take umbrage at this suggestion, but as you’re heading to and fro, trying to avoid the hue and cry of the holiday shoppers, wend your way over to Mental Floss and check out this list of old words that survived by getting fossilized in idioms.
- You may have felt a wide range of feelings throughout the year, so here's a helpful reminder to look on the bright side: 99 ways 2017 was a great year.
- The rise of Venmo, Uber, Seamless, and hundreds of other on-demand apps and services mean that we're carrying less cash than in previous years. And who suffers the most? Service providers who depend on generous tips this time of the year. Please tip your local doorman, postal worker, stylist or other service professional for taking good are of you all year.
- As you prepare for the 2018, consider 10 habits you should abandon to improve your productivity.
- And finally, this handy guide on How to Solve The New York Times Crossword. Break out that pencil!
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.
Upcoming Speaking Engagements
- The 2017 speaking circuit is now closed. We're open for 2018 gigs.
Can we speak for your organization or event? Drop us a line.
--
December 19, 2017
advertising, analytics, artificial intelligence, audio, leadership, retail, trends
0
0 comments:
Post a Comment