Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Episode 35: Careless Relationships


 
While we're constantly thrown into situations in which we try to discern what's coming next – or simply trying to keep up with what's happening now – it can be difficult to feel like we've got our head above the water.

Yet taking the time to look at the past can help chart a course to the present and future. In this case, we look at the past through that great American novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. What can the behaviors of Tom and Daisy Buchanan and of the narrator Nick Carraway, teach us about brands and influencers?

Download now (5.6 MB, 11:12)

We'd be honored if you'd leave us a rating or review for the show. You'd be surprised at how much weight it pulls.


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Video Version 




    Credits

    Theme song: Heroes United by ScoreStudio is on a royalty-free license from Pond5.com.
    Incidental music: Elegy by Wayne Jones and Flapper Walk (1922) from Archive.org.

    Subscribe on Apple PodcastsGoogle Podcasts, SoundCloud or Stitcher. Also, try the RadioPublic interface.


    If you find this program valuable, please consider supporting it on Patreon. It covers the cost of hosting, email, music and more.




    Wednesday, June 20, 2018

    Episode 34: A Sisyphean Task



    It's never fun being the butt of a joke, is it? If you feel like someone is having fun at your expense, it doesn't quite seem as funny to you as it does to the perpetrator.

    When brands try to get cute, when then pull a stunt with seemingly nothing more than the stunt itself being the object, it feels tiresome. Is anyone measuring what matters and what it will take to turn their business around?

    Download now (5.1 MB, 8:02)

     
    We'd be honored if you'd leave us a rating or review for the show. You'd be surprised at how much weight it pulls.

    Links:

        

    Video Version 



      Credits

      Theme song: Heroes United by ScoreStudio is on a royalty-free license from Pond5.com.


      Subscribe on iTunes - and leave us a review. Also, try the RadioPublic interface.


      If you find this program valuable, please consider supporting it on Patreon. It covers the cost of hosting, email, music and more.




      Monday, June 18, 2018

      The Full Monty: Trickster – June 18, 2018


      When brands try to get cute, the impact is questionable; we need more humanities graduates to lead A.I. efforts; the viral Olive Garden chatbot misfire; the autonomous talent wars and mobile payment wars; testing your strategy; unmasking fraudulent influencers; inside the binge factory that is Netflix; how to address the gap between podcast awareness and listening level; what consumers do to keep personal data personal; your PR metrics dashboard; Leonardo was ahead of his time; a discount to a Digital Summit; plus the podcast of the week and more in the Trickster edition of The Full Monty from Brain+Trust Partners for the week of June 18, 2018.



      Please consider supporting the considerable effort made for you here each week


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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.

      Contents:

      Announcements
      Top Story
      Artificial Intelligence / Autonomous
      Communications / Marketing / Business Strategy
      Retail Apocalypse
      Platforms
      Media
      Privacy / Security / Regulatory
      Measurement / Analytics / Data
      Mental Nourishment
      Speaking Engagements

      Announcements

      Scheduling note: we'll be off next week. But meanwhile, we'd like to ask you something.

      We'd like to double the distribution of this publication. But in order to do that, we need your help. Please take a moment to recommend The Full Monty. It'll just take a couple of minutes. Three suggestions (do one, two or all three):
      1. Share the URL smonty.co/fullmontysub with a group of your friends at work, a community of practice that is relevant, a Facebook Group, etc. with a recommendation. 
      2. Write a review on your blog, LinkedIn or in your column. 
      3. Tweet a recommendation. You could try this one or create your own.


      Thank you!




      Top Story

      If you were online last week, odds are you got caught up in the hoopla around IHOP's announcement. For weeks they hyped an announcement on June 11 that would reveal what was behind their supposed name change to IHOb. People speculated what it might be: bacon? breakfast? bitcoin? But it seemed rather transparent in all: that IHOP was pulling some major stunt.

      When last Monday arrived, the announcement was both underwhelming and overpowering: that the 'b' in IHOb stood for burgers. Underwhelming in that it's an item that has been on their menu for 50 years. And overpowering in that it dominated discussion online and in the news.

      But really, does anyone think that IHOP is actually ditching its name and its namesake products?

      Evidently, the restaurant has been experiencing a slump in sales in the last few years, so it needed something to boost the numbers. Their CMO said that they needed something disruptive to shake things up a bit. So they pulled a stunt. A trick.

      Let's be clear: this is in no way a rebranding. Nor is this a campaign. This is a PR or marketing stunt. The question is how will its success be measured? Because right now, the creatives seem to be high-fiving about the success. If the company's goal was awareness, then it's an unbridled success. But what about consideration? Or sales?

      We'll put the question to you: when a brand gets cute like this (or like the snarky retorts from the likes of Wendy's and others), does that change your likelihood of patronizing their establishments?

      We'd say the jury is out on the success of the IHOP stunt with respect to rescuing flagging sales.




      Artificial Intelligence / Autonomous

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

      Aʀᴛɪꜰɪᴄɪᴀʟ Iɴᴛᴇʟʟɪɢᴇɴᴄᴇ / Mᴀᴄʜɪɴᴇ Lᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ

      Aᴜᴛᴏɴᴏᴍᴏᴜs / Mᴏʙɪʟɪᴛʏ




      Communications / Marketing / Business Strategy

      Industry developments and trends, including advertising & marketing, journalism, customer experience, content, and influencer relations.

      Sᴛʀᴀᴛᴇɢʏ / Mᴀʀᴋᴇᴛɪɴɢ / Cᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ

      Jᴏᴜʀɴᴀʟɪsᴍ / Cᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs / Rᴇᴘᴜᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ


      The 4th annual Digital Summit Detroit is coming up Sept 12-13. Keynotes
      include Chelsea Handler, Scott Dikkers (Founder of The Onion), and Evernote CMO Andrew
      Malcolm. Plus over 50 in-depth digital marketing sessions led by brands including
      Waze, BuzzFeed, Jaguar, Discover, Salesforce, and more.
      Register with promo code MONTY and get $50 off your pass. Hurry – early bird pricing ends on June 22.



      Retail Apocalypse

      Humans are a transactional species, and the practice — if not the very notion of what retail is  is undergoing a historical metamorphosis. 

      Go ahead, press this button. See what happens.


      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.


      Platforms 

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

      Aʟᴘʜᴀʙᴇᴛ / Gᴏᴏɢʟᴇ / YᴏᴜTᴜʙᴇ

      Fᴀᴄᴇʙᴏᴏᴋ / Iɴsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ / WʜᴀᴛsAᴘᴘ

      • Facebook's marketing is changing. How marketers can be prepared as Facebook focuses more on content that sparks conversations and brings people closer together.

      Tᴡɪᴛᴛᴇʀ

      Oᴛʜᴇʀ

      • Snap announced the release of Snap Kit, its developer platform. With the opening of the Snapchat API, it lets other apps piggyback on Snap’s login for sign up, build Bitmoji avatars into their keyboards, display public Our Stories and Snap Map content, and generate branded stickers with referral links users can share back inside Snapchat.
      • By the end of this month, advertisers will be able to purchase most of Snapchat’s ad formats programmatically with the platform rolling out a tool for all advertisers dubbed ‘reach and frequency’ that lets brands purchase its popular AR lenses in a more automated, targeted way.



      Media

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

      Vɪᴅᴇᴏ

      Aᴜᴅɪᴏ


        


      Privacy / Security / Regulatory

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

      Pʀɪᴠᴀᴄʏ / Sᴇᴄᴜʀɪᴛʏ / Hᴀᴄᴋɪɴɢ

        Rᴇɢᴜʟᴀᴛᴏʀʏ / Oɴ-Dᴇᴍᴀɴᴅ Eᴄᴏɴᴏᴍʏ



        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 week.






        Upcoming Speaking Engagements

        Upcoming events:

        Can we speak for your organization or event? Drop us a line.



        Brain+Trust Partners companies evolve at the speed of customers. From social and content strategy development to technology vendor selection, to improved operations, our focus is on helping companies craft one true view of the customer. 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 image credit: Ulysses and the Sirens by Thomas Moran, 1900 (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)

        -- 

        Wednesday, June 13, 2018

        Episode 33: Darryl, Creativity, and Joy



        It's never easy to lose someone we know and like. Whether we "know" them from seeing them on television, interacting with them online, or actually being in their presence. Particularly when they're creators.

        See, the creators leave us with more than just themselves. They leave pieces of themselves with everything they do throughout their lives. And that's the way Darryl Ohrt lived. My own experience in Darryl's gifts spanned from plaid-wrapped vehicles to a questionable inflatable doll that haunted my office.

        Get the stories behind these bizarre tales, how the optimism and joy of creativity should inspire us all, and Darryl's own words on what matters in this episode of The Full Monty.

        Download now (5.1 MB, 10:55)

         

        Links:

            

        Video Version 



          Credits

          Theme song: Heroes United by ScoreStudio is on a royalty-free license from Pond5.com.

          Image credit: Ben Kunz

          Subscribe on iTunes - and leave us a review. Also, try the RadioPublic interface.


          If you find this program valuable, please consider supporting it on Patreon. It covers the cost of hosting, email, music and more.




          Monday, June 11, 2018

          The Full Monty: The Loss of a Friend – June 11, 2018


          The impact of the forces for good in our lives; the need for innovation amid GDPR challenges around personal data and machine learning; when to expect fully autonomous vehicles (really); the traits and skills of the modern CMO; your brand's online reputation matters to consumers and journalists alike; Amazon is crushing third-party vendors; uniting digital and physical experiences to boost sales; Facebook and its many device deals; insights on Generation Z; Hollywood is under threat from tech companies; Spotify goes all Amazon on the music industry; what matters to consumers regarding the sharing of in-car personal data; there's a moment of deep distrust of big tech; what we need to get ourselves out of a rut; plus the podcast of the week and more in the Loss of a Friend edition of The Full Monty from Brain+Trust Partners for the week of June 11, 2018.



          Please consider supporting the considerable effort made for you here each week


          You know you want to

              How about it? 



          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.

          Contents:

          Announcements
          Top Story
          Artificial Intelligence / Autonomous
          Communications / Marketing / Business Strategy
          Retail Apocalypse
          Platforms
          Media
          Privacy / Security / Regulatory
          Measurement / Analytics / Data
          Mental Nourishment
          Speaking Engagements

          Announcements

          We've changed "Top Stories" to "Top Story," recognizing that there aren't always multiple links (or perhaps even any link) for the topic upon which we've chosen to opine. Also, the associated YouTube channel goes a little deeper.






          Top Story

          There seemed to be profound sadness in the world last week. In particular, two celebrity suicides brought the issue of mental illness to the fore – that of Kate Spade and of Anthony Bourdain. And a little closer to home, over the weekend a colleague and friend of over a decade lost his battle with cancer.

          Every one of us has been touched by death in some form or fashion. It's simply part of living. Isn't is strange though, how the death of someone whom we've only seen on television should affect us so deeply. Perhaps it's because there's a sense of admiration, or perhaps we feel like a kindred spirit. Or more likely, it's because they've created something that has touched us in a profound way.

          Creativity – the use of ideas to produce something – signifies more than simply making. It's about a process, a deep imagination, a output that is the result of pouring oneself into a unique and memorable project. So a creator is much more than a manufacturer of words, art, music, video, or the rest. A creator is someone who sees the world in a certain way and wants you to share in that joy.

          So it should be no surprise that the creators are often imbued with a sense of joy, permeated with optimism and hope, as they share their creations with us. They want to surprise and delight us, and they want us to be able to light up as we recognize their realizations.

          And that's what Darryl was.

          I first got to know Darryl Ohrt through his agency Plaid, which wrote the Brand Flakes For Breakfast blog, helped my firm with an early and adventurous foray into multiple-party video broadcasting, ran a fantastic summer tour for multiple years, and ultimately sent a blow-up doll to my office.

          More on his story later this week in the next episode of The Full Monty podcast. I hope you'll be tuning in, either via audio or video.

          Darryl Ohrt




          Artificial Intelligence / Autonomous

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

          Aʀᴛɪꜰɪᴄɪᴀʟ Iɴᴛᴇʟʟɪɢᴇɴᴄᴇ / Mᴀᴄʜɪɴᴇ Lᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ

          Aᴜᴛᴏɴᴏᴍᴏᴜs / Mᴏʙɪʟɪᴛʏ




          Communications / Marketing / Business Strategy

          Industry developments and trends, including advertising & marketing, journalism, customer experience, content, and influencer relations.

          Sᴛʀᴀᴛᴇɢʏ / Mᴀʀᴋᴇᴛɪɴɢ / Cᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ

          • Influencer marketing has reached mainstream status. Naturally, that means it's time to ask: "Is influencer marketing dead?" The data tell the story.
          • The average tenure for CMO has increased from 42 months to 44 months. It's still the shortest average tenure for the C-suite. Here are some of the traits and skills the modern CMO needs to thrive.
          • As digital teams take root in many organizations, it's important for the C-suite to understand the five stages of business that will make it possible for digital teams to properly function.

          Jᴏᴜʀɴᴀʟɪsᴍ / Cᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs / Rᴇᴘᴜᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ

          "Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." 
          – Abraham Lincoln


          Retail Apocalypse

          Humans are a transactional species, and the practice — if not the very notion of what retail is  is undergoing a historical metamorphosis. 

          Go ahead, press this button. See what happens.


          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.


          Platforms 

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

          Fᴀᴄᴇʙᴏᴏᴋ / Iɴsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ / WʜᴀᴛsAᴘᴘ

          Tᴡɪᴛᴛᴇʀ

          Aʟᴘʜᴀʙᴇᴛ / Gᴏᴏɢʟᴇ / YᴏᴜTᴜʙᴇ



          Media

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

          Vɪᴅᴇᴏ

          Aᴜᴅɪᴏ

          • Spotify is signing deals directly with some musical artists. Thus the competition with traditional music labels begins. We've seen it with Amazon (as above), and we're seeing it again here: "Use our platform to help your distribution. Thanks for the data. We'll take it from here."
          • Cannes used to name the Media Person of the Year. That's changing as it named Spotify the first Media Brand of the Year.
          • Program of the Week: Our pick this week is Beyond 6 Seconds, suggested by Carolyn Kiel. The extraordinary stories of everyday people who are making the world a better place by starting their own businesses, giving back to their communities, and/or working with exciting new technologies. Guests on the show share their stories of inspiration, triumph and struggle; many of them are overcoming tremendous adversity to achieve their goals. Do you have a program to recommend? Add yours to our Google Sheet: smonty.co/yourpodcasts

            


          Privacy / Security / Regulatory

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

          Pʀɪᴠᴀᴄʏ / Sᴇᴄᴜʀɪᴛʏ / Hᴀᴄᴋɪɴɢ

            Rᴇɢᴜʟᴀᴛᴏʀʏ / Oɴ-Dᴇᴍᴀɴᴅ Eᴄᴏɴᴏᴍʏ



            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 week.






            Upcoming Speaking Engagements

            Upcoming events:

            Can we speak for your organization or event? Drop us a line.



            Brain+Trust Partners companies evolve at the speed of customers. From social and content strategy development to technology vendor selection, to improved operations, our focus is on helping companies craft one true view of the customer. 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 image credit: The President's House by George Munger, c. 1814-1815 (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)

            -- 

            Wednesday, June 6, 2018

            Episode 32: Wait a Minute



            Anticipation is killing us. Even for the smallest things, it doesn't seem like we can handle waiting more than a few minutes.

            Technology has sped things up, but it has also ruined our ability to think about other things and slow our minds. What qualities do we need in order to make things a little more enjoyable? And what lessons does the New York Public Library hold for us?

            The answers are ahead in The Full Monty.

            Links:




            Download now (4.9 MB, 10:09)

               

            Video Version 



              Credits

              Theme song: Heroes United by ScoreStudio is on a royalty-free license from Pond5.com.

              There's Probably No Time by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
              Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/uvp/
              Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/

              Image credit: New York Public Library Lion (Wikimedia Commons)

              Subscribe on iTunes - and leave us a review. Also, try the RadioPublic interface.


              If you find this program valuable, please consider supporting it on Patreon. It covers the cost of hosting, email, music and more.




              Learn from the Past to Inform Your Future

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