Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 160
June 4, 2017
The Relevance Of Marketing Agencies With Peter Levitan - This Week's Six Pixels Of Separation Podcast
Episode #569 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Mirum Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.
When I think about the future of marketing agencies and what it will take for them to thrive and flourish, I think of Peter Levitan. Peter owned his own agency, he bought and sold three agencies, he worked for one of the largest advertising agencies in the world in New York and London, he's pitched (and won) large accounts all over the world, he's been client-side, and he currently consults and advises agencies of all stripes on how to win new business. If that were not enough, he wrote an incredible book on marketing agency business development (that I love and have re-read on many occasions) titled, The Levitan Pitch. Buy This Book. Win More Pitches. Do marketing agencies have a future? How is the competitive landscape changing? What value does an agency bring to a brand? Enjoy the conversation...
You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation - The Mirum Podcast #569.
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June 3, 2017
How Does The "New Generation" Experience Brands?
TL;DR: they see a brand message. If it resonates, it worked. If it doesn't resonate, it didn't work.
Maybe that's an over-simplification, but it feels true. Does this "new generation" of consumer not see the billboards as they cross through Time's Square? Are they blind to their Facebook feed? Do they not do searches on Google and see the paid search results? Do they never turn on a television, pick up a magazine, notice a brand embedded in a video game, see an email from a brand that they signed up for? Will they not sign-up to receive information from a brand that they are interested in? Will they be immune when a friend makes a recommendation? Do they only care if a message is from someone they like and respect on Snapchat?
Do we over-complicate marketing more to validate our business models than to speak the truth about what gets attention?
If this "new consumer" follows an influencer on Instagram, is the post of the influencer on behalf of a brand any different than when people from generations past saw a celebrity endorsing a brand in a print ad? Yes, we have more channels, more content as media, more connectedness and more of our media consumption is happening on a smartphone, but thinking that technology solves the attention challenge is not what will bring new business models forward. Too many pundits believe that marketing and advertising agencies are out of touch, because creativity is no longer the right business model. Too many pundits also believe that marketing and advertising agencies have lost the plot, because they have creativity but lack the business acumen to mix tight management while handling scopes of work. Too many pundits believe that marketing and advertising agencies are relics because the "big idea" now takes a backseat to data and technology.
Everything is "with" not "instead of."
When social media started taking hold, many of my peers believed that the end of traditional advertising (think thirty-second spot) was upon us. Content became media and that media format would replace the advertising format. I believed back then (as I do now) that everything is "with" not "instead of." Advertising will continue to be a very powerful model for business growth and success - not just for a brand to create attention, but for a brand to sell (and, if brand's stop selling we're going to have major global issues around countless social aspects of what makes us a functioning civilization). This idea is nothing new. With that, advertising has changed on many fronts, but here are the three primary ones:
The scarcity model has shifted to one of abundance in a fragmented media planet with many more options that don't require the traditional content production flow of destination viewing (we must all watch NBC Thursday nights at 8 pm or we get our newpapers every morning). Content is 24/7 and so is advertising.
There are more ways to create a message than ever before. It ranges from 140 characters to high-end video production (and everything in between). Plus, the creation of advertising can be done on a very simple laptop.
Consumers (and not just new ones) are more skeptical of advertising and brands, because of exposure over time mixed with brand experiences that have not always delivered as advertised. Consumers don't believe ads, because they are inundated with them and they don't believe the hype.
Don't confuse choice, always-available and skepticism for a consumer that does not want to be reached.
The concept of the big idea is not flawed. The concept of the big idea as a value-add to a brand that is struggling to get awareness and sales is not flawed. Advertising continues to create new value for the brands that do it well (and, the brands that often do it well, are also the brands that have a strong agency relationship). It's easy to look at the many business models that are competing with advertising agencies today and think that they have a better mousetrap (for more on that, here's my article about the competitive agency landscape from July 2015: Disruption, Disruption Everywhere). They do not. Let's agree that the smart agencies of today have a fundamental understanding of data, technology and how to run a proper scope of work. It's easy to dismiss that and believe that brands are better at doing this in-house, or that major accounting agencies that now offer marketing and communications services have better access to this thinking, or that the publishers and platforms offer up more technology to the advantage of the brand/advertiser. This is, simply, not true. Yes, there are some agency laggards, but those are the ones that are struggling. There are many agencies (from full-service to specialized ones) that are thriving - I'd like to believe that Mirum is in that camp.
This is all connected to one central theme: if the "new consumer" experience brands in a different way, then brands need a new solution to reach them.
This is flawed. This "new consumer" experiences brands in very much the same way. Brands (and agencies) simply have more tools, opportunities and chances to make better experiences and connections. A great idea will push through way better than a brand with better technology or a better handling of budget and scopes of work. This is not to diminish the power of a well-organized, managed and technologically adept agency - these are core competencies that drive better efficiencies. To say that brands and consumers care less about creativity and great ideas and experience brands is different ways is offside. Pushing that further, big ideas and creativity is not something to be diminished as a flawed or dying business model.
A brand that doesn't need creativity, big ideas and a smart campaign is a brand that will struggle in the marketplace, regardless of how good their data, technology and management team is. New consumers want a creative brand experience.
Do you agree?
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June 2, 2017
How Does The New Generation Experience Brands?
TL;DR: they see a brand message. If it resonates, it worked. It it doesn't resonate, it didn't.
Maybe that's an over-simplification, but it feels true. Does this "new generation" of consumer not see the billboards as they cross through Time's Square? Are they blind to their Facebook feed? Do they not do searches on Google and see the paid search results? Do they never turn on a television, pick up a magazine, notice a brand embedded in a video game, see an email from a brand that they signed up for? Will they not sign-up to receive information from a brand that they are interested in? Will they be immune when a friend makes a recommendation? Do they only care if a message is from someone they like and respect on Snapchat?
Do we over-complicate marketing more to validate our business models than to speak the truth about what gets attention?
If this "new consumer" follows an influencer on Instagram, is the post of the influencer on behalf of a brand any different than when people from generations past saw a celebrity endorsing a brand in a print ad? Yes, we have more channels, more content as media, more connectedness and more of our media consumption is happening on a smartphone, but thinking that technology solves the attention challenge is not what will bring new business models forward. Too many pundits believe that marketing and advertising agencies are out of touch, because creativity is no longer the right business model. Too many pundits also believe that marketing and advertising agencies have lost the plot, because they have creativity but lack the business acumen to mix tight management while handling scopes of work. Too many pundits believe that marketing and advertising agencies are relics because the "big idea" now takes a backseat to data and technology.
Everything is "with" not "instead of."
When social media started taking hold, many of my peers believed that the end of traditional advertising (think thirty-second spot) was upon us. Content became media and that media format would replace the advertising format. I believed back then (as I do now) that everything is "with" not "instead of." Advertising will continue to be a very powerful model for business growth and success - not just for a brand to create attention, but for a brand to sell (and, if brand's stop selling we're going to have major global issues around countless social aspects of what makes us a functioning civilization). This idea is nothing new. With that, advertising has changed on many fronts, but here are the three primary ones:
The scarcity model has shifted to one of abundance in a fragmented media planet with many more options that don't require the traditional content production flow of destination viewing (we must all watch NBC Thursday nights at 8 pm or we get our newpapers every morning). Content is 24/7 and so is advertising.
There are more ways to create a message than ever before. It ranges from 140 characters to high-end video production (and everything in between). Plus, the creation of advertising can be done on a very simple laptop.
Consumers (and not just new ones) are more skeptical of advertising and brands, because of exposure over time mixed with brand experiences that have not always delivered as advertised. Consumers don't believe ads, because they are inundated with them and they don't believe the hype.
Don't confuse choice, always-available and skepticism for a consumer that does not want to be reached.
The concept of the big idea is not flawed. The concept of the big idea as a value-add to a brand that is struggling to get awareness and sales is not flawed. Advertising continues to create new value for the brands that do it well (and, the brands that often do it well, are also the brands that have a strong agency relationship). It's easy to look at the many business models that are competing with advertising agencies today and think that they have a better mousetrap (for more on that, here's my article about the competitive agency landscape from July 2015: Disruption, Disruption Everywhere). They do not. Let's agree that the smart agencies of today have a fundamental understanding of data, technology and how to run a proper scope of work. It's easy to dismiss that and believe that brands are better at doing this in-house, or that major accounting agencies that now offer marketing and communications services have better access to this thinking, or that the publishers and platforms offer up more technology to the advantage of the brand/advertiser. This is, simply, not true. Yes, there are some agency laggards, but those are the ones that are struggling. There are many agencies (from full-service to specialized ones) that are thriving - I'd like to believe that Mirum is in that camp.
This is all connected to one central theme: if the "new consumer" experience brands in a different way, then brands need a new solution to reach them.
This is flawed. This "new consumer" experiences brands in very much the same way. Brands (and agencies) simply have more tools, opportunities and chances to make better experiences and connections. A great idea will push through way better than a brand with better technology or a better handling of budget and scopes of work. This is not to diminish the power of a well-organized, managed and technologically adept agency - these are core competencies that drive better efficiencies. To say that brands and consumers care less about creativity and great ideas and experience brands is different ways is offside. Pushing that further, big ideas and creativity is not something to be diminished as a flawed or dying business model.
A brand that doesn't need creativity, big ideas and a smart campaign is a brand that will struggle in the marketplace, regardless of how good their data, technology and management team is. New consumers want a creative brand experience.
Do you agree?
Tags:
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30 second spot
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big idea
billboard
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jwt
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June 1, 2017
Six Links Worthy Of Your Attention #362
Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?
My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, HBS; chair of Strata, Startupfest, Pandemonio, and ResolveTO; Author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (PressBooks, LibriVox, iambik and co-author of Book: A Futurist's Manifesto) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person "must see".
Check out these six links that we're recommending to one another:
The New Moats - Greylock Partners - Medium. "For decades, maybe centuries, businesses erected moats around themselves: Economies of scale, network effects, high switching costs, customer loyalty, deep IP. Today, those moats are easy to bridge. As this excellent strategy post argues, the future of advantage is a layer of intelligence between systems of engagement (the "front office") and systems of record (the "back office"). And this layer of intelligence is where most AI will really change who's leading entire industries." (Alistair for Hugh).
The Beauty Contest That's Shaking Wall St. - The New York Times . "By most accounts, the US stock market is healthy. But it's also incredibly volatile at the moment. To understand why, realize that in a public market, a buyer doesn't have to buy the best stock -- they have to buy the stock everyone else will think is best. This collectivity drives cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, currently at stratospheric heights -- great for buyers, but hardly a currency for someone who pays 1 Bitcoin a month in rent. Turns out this public consensus isn't a new idea." (Alistair for Mitch).
This Is What the Demise of Oil Looks Like - Bloomberg . "Traditional projections for oil consumption are bullish: we'll keep using more oil. But a combo of increased efficiency, the move to electric vehicles, and fuel switching (from coal to oil to natural gas to biofuels) could make for a radically different future." (Hugh for Alistair).
Map: These are the cities that climate change will hit first - The Washington Post . "The map is not fine-tuned enough to confirm that Montreal gets hit same time as New York (2043). But, it's pretty clear that it does. What the map shows is estimates for 'climate departure', defined as the year in which 'the average temperature of its coolest year from then on is projected to be warmer than the average temperature of its hottest year between 1960 and 2005.' Miami looks like it might flip in 2033. Just doing some quick calculations, my kids will be in their prime, early thirties in 2043. I'll be 69. I wonder what life will be like then for all of us?" (Hugh for Mitch).
End-Times For Humanity - Aeon . "This essay sums up the entire sentiment felt at this past year's TED conference, and something that I have been grappling with, personally, for some time. To put it into naive terms: maybe we don't want to know as much as we know, and be as connected as we are? Perhaps by becoming so technically powerful, we starting to fracture when it comes to realizing just how fragile we are. One friend recently said to me that he feels like life is about all of us running through a minefield, at the highest speed possible, and it's just a question of when someone gets hit with something. Perhaps AI will teach us that ignorance is truly bliss?" (Mitch for Alistair).
Welcome To Digital Detox Camp - The New Yorker . "Perhaps a little escapism is needed in your information diet this week? Just imagine... the horror... of being left alone with your thoughts, friendly conversation and the nature of things that won't be documented, published, shared and then analyzed by everyone (including yourself). Cue anxiety..." (Mitch for Hugh).
Feel free to share these links and add your picks on Twitter, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.
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bit current
bit north
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book a futurists manifesto
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digital marketing blog
facebook
gigom
greylock partners
harvard business school
hugh mcguire
human 20
iambic
j walter thompson
jwt
lean analytics
librivox
link bait
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managing bandwidth
marketing
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medium
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mitchjoel
pandemonio
press books
resolveto
six pixels of separation
social media
solve for interesting
startupfest
strata
ted
ted conference
the new york times
the new yorker
the washington post
tilt the windmill
year one labs
wpp
May 31, 2017
For The Love Of Marketing, Let's Stop Talking About Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is going to change everything. It's going to change business. It's going to change marketing.
The problem is that we can't skip steps and suddenly claim that all brands are AI-first (as brands like Google and Salesforce are stating). Sure, it's commonplace to want to future-proof your business, put a stake in the ground and claim that you are technologically miles ahead of the competition. Still, the marketplace does not lie. The truth is in the marketing. The reality of what consumers see, touch and do with a brand is evident - no matter what a Chief Marketing Officer says at your local industry conference from the stage during a keynote address.
If every brand is embracing artificial intelligence, where are the signs of simple (and great) personalization in the work today?
How can any brand claim to be leading (or tinkering) with artificial intelligence, when the vast majority of their marketing materials are either not personalized at all or hauntingly poor at understanding even the basic information of their customer (gender, geographic location, last item(s) purchased, intent to purchase again, etc...)? This is not a criticism of any specific brand, but an overall indictment against our industry. It is an industry that loves to toss around buzzwords, make impressive PowerPoint decks, get lots of ink in the industry trade publications and - in general - bang a loud drum. Still, where is the proof that brands have mastered personalization - let alone have the capabilities to leverage artificial intelligence to build better engines of marketing and communications?
Great personalization is like common sense... it's not all that common.
A quick test: when a company lays claim to leveraging artificial intelligence to build better customer experiences, go ahead and do three things:
Sign up to their basic e-newsletter.
Do some generic searches on their website. Bonus points if you add something to you shopping cart and abandon it before making a purchase.
Do some searches for the brand on Facebook, LinkedIn or any other social media space.
What happens next?
Over time, is that newsletter adapting to your choices, your basic information and/or your true needs? Did those general searches suddenly trigger a ton of retargeted ads that haunt you for months, constantly and consistently? Are you suddenly seeing that brand (or their competitor) showing up much more in your social media feeds? If you are, it's safe to assume that the vast majority of brands are practicing traditional advertising strategies in these hyper-powerful digital channels. They're vying for the customer's attention, because that customer - at some point in time - raised their hand. The thing is this: that hand could have been raised for a myriad of reasons. The customer could have a complaint about the brand, they may be a repeat customer, they may be doing research for a friend, and on and on. If artificial intelligence were at play, the messaging would adapt in a much more profound way to the customer's desires and interactions. If basic personalization were are play, the messaging would be more specific and would not dampen the customer's content experience.
An opportunity for marketing to be great.
That's the real point here. Digital marketing was not created as another channel to annoy consumers with messaging that they don't want. Artificial intelligence, personalization, targeting, retargeting and more is an incredible opportunity for brands to build a better (and more direct) relationship with their customers, and engage those consumers that may be interested in the brand in a more value-based and personal way. It seems like marketers are very eager to sell the idea of technology-first initiatives, but they're backing these claims up with a very traditional attention and repetition model. The scale of digital makes that traditional formula a problem for publishers and consumers alike. Too much inventory, too much blasting and the overall value of the marketplace (content and advertising as a business model) starts to erode. Yes, marketers need artificial intelligence. Yes, artificial intelligence can be a very powerful tool to not only gain marketing budget efficiency, but to make the consumer experience that much better. But, none of that is going to happen if we can't get personalization right. And, the time for proper personalization is now. Today.
Artificial intelligence is the future of marketing. Personalization is the present of marketing.
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7 Steps To A Better Interview
Candidly, there's a lot more than seven, but its a start.
I can't tell you how many interviews I've been involved with since the mid-eighties, but it has got to be in the thousands. This is not meant to brag. It's a fact. Just look at my Six Pixels of Separation - The Mirum Podcast (which has been running for over a decade with close to 570 episodes) or Groove - The No Treble Podcast (which has been happening for over two years). I spend a lot of time on either side of the mic. I've interviewed rock stars, business leaders, marketing experts, bestselling authors, and more for close to thirty years. I've also been interviewed countless times over the years for TV, print, radio, online, etc... The only thing that I love more than a great conversation is sharing the content of that conversation with an audience. Last week, Mark Schaefer published an article titled, 5 Steps to conduct a superior podcast interview, and he was kind enough to name me as one of "the best interviewers" (Thanks, Mark!). With that, I thought I would add on to his article with what I think makes for a great interview.
7 steps to a better interview:
It's not an interview. Kill that word. You're not trying to interview anyone. You're trying to have a conversation. You're trying to connect. Think about it less as something that has to turn into a piece of content and more like a coffee date. If you're going to waste anyone's time (including your own) for a coffee, make it count. Interviewing them won't make it count. Having an awesome conversation will be memorable, valuable and something that everyone will want to make happen again. If you don't like coffee, consider this a first date. The idea is to get to a second date (because it was so engaging that they want one).
Create familiarity. Going in cold sucks. It puts the person leading the conversation (aka - The Interviewer) at a deficit. Familiarity can be anything from a mutual friend to a shared hobby. It can be something as simple as their interest in a particular sports team or author. You have to dig a little harder to find out this information, but it's usually readily available. LinkedIn can also be of enormous help if they guest is not a major celebrity (most people have a profile and connections).
Don't have any questions ready. This one really freaks people out, but I never ever have a list of questions. At most, I have a few lines written down about areas of interest that I would like to discuss/explore. Remember, it's not an interview... it's a conversation. Remember, it's a coffee... not an inquisition. Your job before the conversation is to do the heavy lifting (aka - the research). Dig deep, read a lot, take notes and prep. Learn about them. Know them. Then, when it's time for the conversation, be like a pipe that is about to burst with areas of conversation about the person and their work.
Take notes. Whether it's in person or remotely, I always have a large notepad right by my side to take notes. As the conversation blossoms, they should provide new areas of conversation or concepts that need to be expanded upon. Don't be afraid to take notes. But, do not have the notes as a barrier between you and your guest. Don't refer to the notes and create moments of awkward pause (no second dates happen this way). By the end of a good conversation, I usually have a page or two of notes. Ultimately, that winds up looking a lot like a list of questions that most journalists use to guide the conversation. Ultimately, it provides a good reference when creating the content that supports the conversation.
Never interrupt. It's not what you think. This is, actually, a technical piece of advice - especially if you (or someone else) has to transcribe the conversation. Listening back and hearing all of your "ummms," "ahhhhs" and "hang on a second..." will not only make it hard to transcribe the audio, but will also make you realize just how annoying we humans can be when we don't let others finish their thoughts and sentences. It's normal to get excited about something that is said and jump in. Resist temptation. It will not only make the transcription better, it will allow your guest to finish their thought.
Give it a beat. Most guests have been asked just about everything under the sun. The person leading the conversation may think that they have something new to ask, but it is rarely the case. So, where does the gold and unique aspects of the conversation come from? My experience is that the best juices of the conversation happen after the guest has said everything, and has a chance (moment of silence) to think about what they just said. Anything that comes after phrases like, "on second thought...," "now that I think about it..." or "you know what..." is where the gold typically lies. It's not easy to perfect this technique, and it can be awkward if you don't know how to pull it off, but try leaving a beat of silence after the guest has finished their thought. Priming it with, "is there anything else you would like to add?" might get the person leading the conversation somewhere, but it will be nowhere near as good as when the guest goes down that road on their own. A beat of silence is often the lubricant for this.
Push back kindly. I don't like aggressive conversations or those who are contrarian just to get a rise out of their guests. For me, it often comes off as disrespectful. That's a bad brand to have as a content creator (for the most part... but some journalists have made a living being that persona). Still, I believe that if someone has published a book, produced an album or put anything out into the world, that they should be able to defend their work. It's fine to push back, but push back kindly. Don't just provoke. If you have a reason to push back, make sure you provide it. Lines like, "in my experience," or "in the client work that we've done" often sets the stage and enables the guest to understand that their insights may not be your experience and you want your audience to know why. You're not trying to have the guest validate their work, you're trying to have the guest inspire those who are listening.
In fact, these are not just tactics for a great interview... they can be used for meetings, family conversations and more.
What tips would you add to this list?
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May 29, 2017
C2 MTL Rocks, Apple Patents A Pizza Box And More On This Week's CTRL ALT Delete Segment On CHOM 97.7 FM
Every Monday morning at 7:10 am, I am a guest contributor on CHOM 97.7 FM radio out of Montreal (home base). It's not a long segment - about 5 to 10 minutes every week - about everything that is happening in the world of technology and digital media. The good folks at CHOM 97.7 FM are posting these segments weekly on iHeart Radio, if you're interested in hearing more of me blathering away about what's going on in the digital world. I'm really excited about this opportunity, because this is the radio station that I grew up on listening to, and it really is a fun treat to be invited to the Mornings Rock with Terry DiMonte morning show. The segment is called, CTRL ALT Delete with Mitch Joel.
This week we discussed:
This week Pierre Landry sits in for Terry DiMonte.
Almost 6000 people attended the 3-day creativity and commerce conference known as C2 MTL last week. I managed to attend a lot of it. It was sold out. Is this $3000+ event worth it? How was the content? What were the major themes?
Facebook is getting bigger and much more powerful. They know more about you than most realize. Last week, the BBC reported on a new external research report that looked at how Facebook operates and controls your data: "from the links we post on Facebook, to the pages we like, to our online behaviour in many other corners of cyber-space that are owned or interact with the company (Instagram, WhatsApp or sites that merely use your Facebook log-in) - could all be entering a giant algorithmic process." All of it owned by one company: Facebook.
Apple takes everything seriously. Including it's pizza. It turns out, a patented pizza box to ensure great taste and a lack of sogginess is just another one of the perks that Apple delivers.
App of the Week: Spinner.
Tags:
advertising agency
app of the week
apple
bbc
brand
business blog
c2 mtl
c2mtl
chom fm
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May 28, 2017
Branding, Belief And Keates With Tom Asacker - This Week's Six Pixels Of Separation Podcast
Episode #568 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Mirum Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.
Tom Asacker is one of my favourite voices on the subject of branding and what corporations do to make consumers believe in their products and services. He is the bestselling author of The Business of Belief, Opportunity Screams, A Little Less Conversation and A Clear Eye for Branding. All of them are groundbreaking books that will help business leaders rethink business and communication for this new age of abundance. His first book, Sandbox Wisdom, was a heartwarming story about a CEO's search for meaning and success in the world of business and work. Now, Tom is back is a very ambitious (and honest) effort called, I Am Keats (it's not what you think). Enjoy the conversation...
You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation - The Mirum Podcast #568.
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May 27, 2017
Six Links Worthy Of Your Attention #361
Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?
My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, HBS; chair of Strata, Startupfest, Pandemonio, and ResolveTO; Author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (PressBooks, LibriVox, iambik and co-author of Book: A Futurist's Manifesto) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person "must see".
Check out these six links that we're recommending to one another:
Price-bots can collude against consumers - The Economist . "One of the checks and balances of democratic capitalism is anti-trust. The idea that the free market is efficient, and produces the most people with the most things for the least money, depends on a few, large players not concentrating power and taking excessive profits. It's why the Department of Justice broke AT&T up into regional operating companies -- and why they prosecute organizations that collude to raise prices. But what if collusion happens automatically? As this Economist article points out, algorithmic pricing and online transparency may lead to monopolies despite our best efforts. Yet another robot apocalypse to worry about." (Alistair for Hugh).
The Window of Bacon Fat - Now I Know . "It ain't Kosher, but it's marketing. Every notice bacon looks like red meat in the store, but white fat in the pan? Turns out there's a law because of that. When vendors tried to put their best side forward, they were hiding the greasy truth -- and the government stepped in. Overreach? Antitrust? Or just consumer protection? Whatever the case, there's a law about that package of bacon. Now if someone can just get an AI to fix it." (Alistair for Mitch).
Japan's "Superhuman" Athletes - Reuters . "Oh, Japan." (Hugh for Alistair).
A Brief Rant On The Future Of Interaction Design - Worry Dream . "I like to read everything Brett Victor writes." (Hugh for Mitch).
Are You A Self-Interrupter? - Nautilus . "How do you feel about people who interrupt you in a conversation? It could be your kids, a work colleague, a parent or a friend. We all know one person like this (some of us know many people like this). They're just not listening. They're thinking of what they want to say now/next. What if we're doing this to ourselves? All of the time. Do you hate yourself just a little bit more about now?" (Mitch for Alistair).
These Powerful Art Illustrations Show How Backwards Society Really Is - Anonymous . "Maybe it's my heavy metal upbringing, but I've always had a taste for art that is more subversive and obvious in pointing out our human flaws. The more it makes me squirm - or makes me feel uncomfortable - the more I can't look away... and the more that I like it. He's a slew of artwork that this will make you think twice. Promise. It's very punk too." (Mitch for Hugh).
Feel free to share these links and add your picks on Twitter, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.
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May 23, 2017
Thinking Content Marketing With Jay Acunzo - This Week's Six Pixels Of Separation Podcast
Episode #567 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Mirum Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.
This young man has lead an fascinating career, and he's just getting started. Jay Acunzo was head of content at HubSpot, a media strategist at Google and ran content marketing for a venture capital firm. If anyone has seen how content marketing has grown along with digital marketing, it's Jay Acunzo. He's an award-winning podcaster, keynote speaker, and a guy bothered by conventional thinking. Jay truly believes that the tried-and-true creates stale work. Now, as he's host of the popular audio documentary series, Unthinkable (of which I was honoured to be a guest), and Jay makes a living understanding what it takes to make the leap from average to exceptional. His work has been cited in courses at Harvard Business School, by writers at the Washington Post, Fast Company, Forbes, and by investors on Shark Tank. Enjoy the conversation...
You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation - The Mirum Podcast #567.
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