Rohit Bhargava's Blog, page 64
June 18, 2019
Why Powerpoint Isn’t The Problem (And It Never Was)
Powerpoint doesn’t deserve your contempt.
The problem with Powerpoint is that many people abuse it or use it in lazy ways – and their presentations (and audiences) suffer. This week Microsoft announced they are adding a bunch of new features, including AI-enabled presentation coaching that will make suggestions to help you get rid of those “um’s,” fix your pacing, encourage you to rehearse and get rid of sensitive phrases or unclear language.
The tools will use artificial intelligence to he...
June 13, 2019
6 Stories To Make You Rethink What You Think
Reevaluating Turbans
Last week a photo of San Diego-based bisexual neuro...
June 6, 2019
Prosperity Preachers, HBO’s “Feel Terrible” Hit And Why Your Vacation May Worsen Climate Change
Why HBO’s Chernobyl Is The Feel-Terrible Hit Everyone Needed
Like over six million viewers I have been completely engrossed in the storytelling of this startlingly accurate hit mini-series about the 80’s era nuclear disaster. The lessons for today are profound and despite casting that oddly seems to avoid any actual Russian actors in lead roles, the five episode series is worth binge-watching to offer a bit of “benign masochism” (enjoyment of moments when our bodies believe we’re in danger but...
April 4, 2019
The One Reason So Many Brand Pranks On April Fools Day Failed This Year
You might have seen that earlier this week I published a “Naan-Obvious” book with my wife to celebrate our love for delicious Indian bread. The timing of our launch (April Fools Day) was no coincidence. The book was a joke with purpose; a playful way to launch our new series called the Non-Obvious Guides which share advice that is “like having coffee with an expert.”
Read the full book below >> TMy own guide to marketing is available now (see image below).
The Non-Obvious Guide To Small Bu...
March 22, 2019
How The Non-Obvious Trend Of “RetroTrust” Started Taking Off
One of the most popular trends from this year’s edition of Non-Obvious was a trend I called RetroTrust – the idea that we trust in brands and experiences from our past. Since I wrote the chapter, I am discovering new examples of the trend in real life all the time. Last week I told the story at the IHRSA Conferenceabout a video game I used to play when I was a kid made by the renowned Japanese video game maker Konami. The game was memorable because it had a secret code my brother and I would...
February 28, 2019
Digital Undertakers, On-Demand Grandkids And Other Jobs Of The Future
One of the most consistent signs of our shifting future is how quickly new jobs and industries are emerging. Even as some fear technology making certain jobs obsolete, there are sci-fi sounding sectors like asteroid mining that are actually becoming reality. What I find more interesting, though, are the jobs which will be created as we struggle to find a balance between enough and too much technology. On-demand companions. Digital undertakers. Chief Detail Officers. Content moderators. All of...
February 21, 2019
Samsung’s Quiet Innovation, Men’s Makeup and Why Long-Term Space Missions Might Need Funny Astronauts | Non-Obvious Insights 02.21.19
This week Samsung launched the world’s first folding phone. They also defied Apple and Google by keeping the 3.5mm headphone jack. This seemingly insignificant choice might be the cleverest part of the entire launch. Sometimes the most “innovative” thing you can do is deciding what NOT to change. Scientists Find Long-Term Space Missions Need Comedians
Scientists studying the long term effects of space travel shared the interesting idea that a...
February 18, 2019
The Real Reason Influencers Make So Much Money
Everyone wants to be an online influencer, because it seems to pay well, but who is really benefiting?
This article from the USA Today actually takes the unusual step of trying to reverse engineer a “rate” for influence and ended up with an estimate of “up to $100 for every 10,000 followers per sponsored post.” The amount of money has created a rush of wanna-be influencers and big headaches for brands who have to deal with their unrealistic expectations.
These influencers rely so heavily on s...
February 14, 2019
Jose Cuervo’s Tequila Train, Kim Kardashian’s Selfie Strategy and Barbie Focusing On Inclusion | Non-Obvious Insights 02.14.19
The temptation to create a “Strategic Spectacle” is popular for brands desperately chasing experiential marketing. Usually it leads to short term thinking and limited results. Not for Jose Cuervo, though, as their popular unlimited tequila train has been running for over 7 years. That is what commitment to an idea looks like. Too bad we don’t see it more often. Meet The Algorithm That Might Help Solve Cyber-Bullying …
If artifici...
February 11, 2019
Who’s Killing Sneaker Culture … And Why Does It Matter?
“You can have commerce or you can have culture,” Sean Williams says. He’s talking about sneakers but he might as well be talking about anything, anywhere. “You can’t have both. You’ve gotta pick one.”
That’s probably the most impactful quote in this engaging Deadspin article from writer Casey Taylor that laments the slow dilution of sneaker culture. What was once a passionate underground subculture has officially hit the mainstream. There are boutique shops in high end neighborhoods lined flo...
