Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Episode 44: It Really Is That Simple




With a world full of complexities like GDPR, social media algorithms, artificial intelligence, self-driving cars, and how many licks it takes to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop*, simplicity is your friend.

There's a unmet need for people who are able to take the complex and make it simple. And there's great talent in people who can make you feel like you've known it all along, without making you feel stupid.

This episode is a look inside the human mind – what causes us reflexively make things more complicated than they are, and why we're wistful for the past.

*Three. The answer is three licks.

[If you're reading this on email, click through for the SoundCloud player.]



Download now (2.4 MB, 5:13)

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


Links:


Credits:

Theme songAfternoon by Maestross is on a royalty-free license from Jamendo.com.
Incidental musicPrelude No. 17 by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
    Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/preludes/
    Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/
ImageBoy Blowing Soap Bubbles. Allegory on the Transitoriness and the Brevity of Life by Karel Dujardin, 1663 (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)


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

Monday, August 27, 2018

The Full Monty: It's Simplicity Itself – August 27, 2018


There's wisdom in simplicity and brevity; Dorothy Parker looms large (again); A.I. as a force for good; older Americans are getting into voice assistants; Apple is benefiting from Tesla's employees; get ready for Gen Z overload; the triumphant return of SEO; the world's oldest customer complaint; don't let your CEO tweet unsupervised; a whole section on content marketing; retail's excellent second quarter; direct-to-consumer models are everywhere and driving interest; the New York Public Library's unlikely story time; the Pew Center on whether social media can make people change their views; the #MoviePassing countdown continues; T-Mobile customer data got hacked; b's security chief thinks it may be too late to save the 2018 elections; Uber is focusing on scooters and bikes for short distances; Lyft is providing free transport for Election Day; how analytics will drive retail merchandising; curious minds and the limits of knowledge; plus the podcast pick of the week and more in the It's Simplicity Itself edition of The Full Monty for the week of August 27, 2018.



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 check out The Full Monty on Flipboard.

Contents:

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

Announcements

An update on frequency.

Each Tuesday and Thursday, I'm publishing on ScottMonty.com – while it means a couple more emails a week, I'll make a deal with you if you join my mailing list there: it's got a money-back guarantee.

And over here, you'll be getting just one email a week, on Mondays. If you want to be updated about the podcast, you have three options:
  1. Subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, SoundCloud, or wherever you listen;
  2. Support The Full Monty on Patreon and get notified immediately;
  3. Wait until the following week for the podcast to be added to the links here.





Top Story

In Hamlet, Shakespeare wrote:

"Brevity is the soul of wit." 

It doesn't get much briefer than that, does it? More poignantly and in context the quote went like this:
"Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,
And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
I will be brief: your noble son is mad."
Well, Lord Polonius certainly knew how to cut to the chase, didn't he?

In this week's podcast and on my blog, I'll be covering why the simple beats the complex and why the human mind yearns for the past.

One of the reasons The Full Monty (the newsletter) exists is to put a multitude of relevant links together in one place, with context. It's about simplifying the digital news and saving you time.

Similarly, I restructured the podcast The Full Monty so it would be approximately five minutes long each week. Again, short and to the point.

Does this work for you? I'd be interested in getting your feedback.

And because she was popular last week, we'll include another quote from Dorothy Parker, who paraphrased Shakespeare:

"Brevity is the soul of lingerie." 
 – Dorothy Parker [Tweet this quote]


Every week, I see content fly by my feed, and it's like a roulette wheel of content sharers. Here's who got my attention this week: Tamsen WebsterMitch Joel, Gini Dietrich, Nick Westergaard, Karyn Cooks, Sara Fischer, Kris Hoet, Kelley KassaGeoff Livingston, and Tim Hayden.

I hand-curate all of the content you see below (plus other stories on Flipboard that don't make the newsletter). If you've got something you think I should see, @ me on Twitter, Facebook, or email.




Artificial Intelligence / Autonomous

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

Aʀᴛɪꜰɪᴄɪᴀʟ Iɴᴛᴇʟʟɪɢᴇɴᴄᴇ / Mᴀᴄʜɪɴᴇ Lᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ

Aᴜᴛᴏɴᴏᴍᴏᴜs / Mᴏʙɪʟɪᴛʏ

  • Drive.ai is expanding its pilot test of self-driving cars from Frisco, Texas to Arlington, Texas. (VentureBeat)
  • Apple has hired 46 ex-Tesla employees this year. These include engineers, interns and global supply chain managers at a time when Apple is ramping up work on its stealthy vehicle initiative, Project Titan. (Investopedia) Last we saw, Apple's intention in the automotive industry was geared more toward a platform rather than vehicles.
  • Waymo has one of the most advanced systems of autonomous vehicles being tested today. And yet, there's still a huge team of humans involved. (The Atlantic) "It's still magic, even if you know how it's done." – Terry Pratchett


Communications / Marketing / Business Strategy

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

Sᴛʀᴀᴛᴇɢʏ / Mᴀʀᴋᴇᴛɪɴɢ / Cᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ

Jᴏᴜʀɴᴀʟɪsᴍ / Cᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs / Rᴇᴘᴜᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ

Cᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ Mᴀʀᴋᴇᴛɪɴɢ 

With Content Marketing World coming up next week, here's a special section. And if you'd like a discount on registration, use code SPKR100.


Retail Apocalypse

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

It's the end of the summer, but it's not too early to think about the holiday retail season. Check out this 2018 Retail Forecast for Women's Footwear. It's got the most popular, searched-for brands, types of footwear, and retailers for the 2018 season. If you download it, it will help you determine the optimal weeks to begin your most aggressive marketing and advertising and have a measurable impact on sales.



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    If you like this newsletter please click here to recommend it (publicly) to friends and colleauges.


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    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

    Oᴛʜᴇʀ




    Speaking Engagements

    I'm looking to increase my speaking engagements – including executive briefings / workshops and keynotes. I'd be glad to speak to your organization or at your event. Feel free to contact me to discuss it.



    Media

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

    Vɪᴅᴇᴏ

    Aᴜᴅɪᴏ

    • Have you subscribed to Nick Quah's Hot Pod newsletter? It's a weekly email (and syndicated via Niebman Labs) that's chock full of news, gossip, moves, and developments in the audio business.
    • Program of the Week: Our pick this week is Household Name from Business InsiderThe surprising stories behind our biggest, household name brands. Host Dan Bobkoff finds tales of tragedy, love, strange histories, unintended consequences, and accidental success. And in each episode, we find out how these brands changed our lives - for better or worse. Do you have a program to recommend? Add yours to our Google Sheet: smonty.co/yourpodcasts
    And don't forget about The Full Monty, our own brief weekly bit of business commentary. 
      


    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 get essential digital news, hand-curated, and delivered to your inbox each week. We wouldn't even object if you shared this.


    Top image credit: Nighthawks by Edward Hopper, 1942 (public domain)

    Wednesday, August 22, 2018

    Episode 43: Inspiration Is Everywhere




    There's one attribute that will set you apart as a professional. It separates the creative from the dull, the leaders from the followers. It can't be taught, and it can't be learned. It's innate.

    And if you have it, you'll find that you'll be inspired on almost a daily basis. You'll ask questions and absorb information. And through that process, you'll find that you can reach your greatest potential.

    [If you're reading this on email, click through for the SoundCloud player.]



    Download now (3.1 MB, 6:41)

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


    Links:


      Credits:

      Theme songAfternoon by Maestross is on a royalty-free license from Jamendo.com.
      Image: The Old Curiosity Shop by Miles Birket Foster, (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)


      Subscribe on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSoundCloudSpotify, 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.

      Monday, August 20, 2018

      The Full Monty: This Time, It's Personal – August 20, 2018


      The power of strong links; the purpose of companies in the age of A.I.; more trust needed; autonomous submarines may rule the waves; the top 3 priorities of CMOs; influencers – regulating them, relating to them; the price of character; Walmart's grocery business is a juggernaut; the shift between Instagram Stories and Facebook Stories; TripAdvisor is struggling with many of the same issues as other Big Tech; much ado about Netflix; get ready for MoviePassing; Spotify's growth continues; a teenager hacked Apple's network; using data to improve customer experience; how Sharknado surpassed all expectations;  plus the podcast pick of the week and more in the This Time, It's Personal edition of The Full Monty for the week of August 20, 2018.



      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.

      Contents:

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

      Announcements

      I wanted to let you in on a secret: I'm spending more time creating regular content on my main site. Well, it's not a secret per se, but I haven't talked about the purpose or the cadence.

      Each Tuesday and Thursday, you can expect something from me on ScottMonty.com – Monday is a short post, designed to jump start your week and get you thinking. Thursday is a slightly longer piece on the same topic. I'd appreciate any comments or feedback on those, and I'd love to have you on my mailing list there.






      Top Story

      The top story this week isn't really a single linked article. But it is about the power of strong links.

      For years, we've seen influencers, individuals and brands chase more followers. It became a numbers game – so much so that some people even gamed the system and used bots to seek out an follow more people. When Twitter purged its system last month, suddenly follower/following ratios got skewed because of practices like that.

      I've always thought that getting the attention and trust of 10 percent of an audience of 10,000 isn't nearly as impressive as getting the attention and trust of 100 percent of an audience of 1,000.

      And increasingly, I've been seeing discussions about people focusing on quality over quantity. Of moving past the "platform" mentality that focuses on reach, and rather putting efforts into the "community" mentality that focuses on engagement and strong connections. Because ultimately, those are the connections that are going to make a difference.

      This week, I'd like to call out the strong connections in my own network that brought some of the links below to my attention – namely: Christopher Penn of BrainTrust Insights; Tom Webster of Edison Research; Mitch Joel of Six Pixels; Chris Brogan of Owner Media Group; Steve Garfield of SteveGarfield.com; Richard Binhammer of Binhammer Photographs; Jay Baer of Convince and Convert; Bob Knorpp of The Beancast; and Jessica Smith of Social 'n Sport.

      I hand-curate all of the content you see below (plus other stories on Flipboard that don't make the newsletter). If you've got something you think I should see, @ me on Twitter, Facebook, or email.

      And thank YOU for being part of this community!




      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





      Retail Apocalypse

      Humans are a transactional species, and the practice — if not the very notion of what retail is  is undergoing a historical metamorphosis. 
      • Walmart reported impressive second-quarter results, showing a rise of 4.5 percent in the U.S. YoY. Traffic in its U.S. business was up 2.2 percent, meaning Walmart is doing a better job of luring shoppers to its brick-and-mortar stores. And its e-commerce business delivered a 40 percent gain in sales. (Investors Business Daily) Make no mistake: brick-and-mortar still matters. And the way Walmart – or any retailer – makes the digital-analog connection work for customers, means the difference between success and irrelevancy.
      • Walmart's grocery business is helping the retailer achieve stunning sales and revenue growth despite myriad competitive and operational pressures. (Retail Leader)
      • Supermarket giant Kroger and autonomous vehicle startup Nuro are teaming up to test driverless grocery delivery in Arizona. (The Verge) As always, the last mile is the longest.
      • Kroger will begin to sell its products on Chinese e-commerce site Alibaba, the latest in a series of initiatives to bolster its digital business. (CNBC)
      • If you're in the retail sector, download a copy of the 2018 Retail Forecast: Women's Footwear . It's got the most popular, searched-for brands, types of footwear, and retailers for the 2018 Retail Holiday Season. It will help you determine the optimal weeks to begin your most aggressive marketing and advertising to maximize your ROI and sales impact. 



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      Alternatively, if you find it worthwhile, please send some friends and colleauges to this page.


      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

      Oᴛʜᴇʀ



      Speaking Engagements

      I'm looking to increase my speaking engagements – including executive briefings/workshops and keynotes. I'd be glad to speak to your organization or at your event. Feel free to contact me to discuss it.




      Media

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

      Vɪᴅᴇᴏ

      Aᴜᴅɪᴏ

      • For podcast discovery – and because you don't know whether listeners are using Apple or Google (or a variety of other services) – you need one podcast link to rule them all. (Pacific Content)
      • Spotify user growth continues upward, while Pandora's plateaus. At this pace, Spotify is set to surpass Pandora by 2022. (eMarketer)
      • Public-radio companies PRX and PRI are merging in a bid to capitalize on the surging popularity of podcasts and other digital formats as listeners and content creators migrate away from traditional broadcast radio. (Current)
      • Program of the Week: Our pick this week is Business Wars Daily. If you've heard the excellent episodic series by Wondery (first mentioned here in February), you'll enjoy this very brief daily update on business rivals and their progress. Do you have a program to recommend? Add yours to our Google Sheet: smonty.co/yourpodcasts
      And don't forget about The Full Monty, our own brief weekly bit of business commentary. 
        


      Privacy / Security / Regulatory

      Business disruptions in the legal, regulatory, and computer security fields, from hacking to the on-demand economy and more.
      So many stories in this section this week – more available in our Flipboard magazine.

      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. And share it with your friends and colleagues!


      Top image credit: Watson and the Shark by Jonathan Singleton Copley, 1778 (public domain)

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