Advertising is a tough business that seems to get tougher by the day. One day you're on top, enjoying long lunches and VIP invites to the best parties in Cannes. Then a new day dawns and you're out the door just like that, left to wonder what happened and what's next. Derek Thompson of The Atlantic argues that "the future of the advertising business is being moved to technology companies managing ad networks and …
Digital Media Installation in Péronne, France Reveals the Brutal Truth of War
100 years ago, World War One ended. Many of our ancestors paid the ultimate price in the Great War. An estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilians died as a direct result of the war. It was bloody and brutal. Today, we remember. https://youtu.be/ZPfmQlVBe2I Liberté, égalité, fraternité! The Face of History To commemorate 100 years since WW1 and help us see into history, Historial de la …
Oddly, Workplace Ghosting Is The Trend That Reveals
Do you know what ghosting is? It started with online dating, but the practice of disappearing in the middle of a project you're working on, or a job interview you're in the middle of, is now widespread. It's a sickening trend and its end is not now in sight. The LinkedIn post I made about ghosting in the workplace received over 3300 views and eight comments. Based on the interest in the topic, and based …
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What Did You Learn Today?
When I was a boy, my grandpa would ask me the same question over and over. "What did you learn in school today?" The repetitive nature of his questioning helped to create an awareness in me that school was important and that I needed to bring focus and attention to it, to get the most from my teachers. Today, I ask myself, "What did I learn today?" Did I learn to be a better writer, a better advertising …
Marketing To Teens Today? Talk To Their Smartphone Appendage
As a disciplinary measure, have you ever tried to remove a teen's smartphone from them? It sounds straightforward and benign until you factor that the heaviest smartphone users consider separation from their smartphone is like severing a limb. In other words, it's beyond painful—it's torture of the cruelest and most unusual sort. How addicted are young people today? According to Pew Research: Some 95% of teens …
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What Marketers Can Learn from Hootsuite Academy
Have you heard of Hootsuite Academy? The software company offers an array of educational offerings—including both free and paid social media courses. Hootsuite Academy offers social media training for teams and individuals. The training regimens appear to be a smart brand extension and a deep dive into brand utility (that flawlessly connects back to the company's core …
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The Digital Divide In Adland Is Widening
How many times have you heard the term "digital transformation" in the past year? Are you feeling transformed yet? San Francisco ad man Tom Bedecarré doesn't understand what's taking so long. In response to a Wall Street Journal article about Publicis' efforts to get the cool kids in a room, Bedecarré wrote this on LinkedIn: It's been more than 23 years since the introduction of digital advertising, and Madison …
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The Quants Runneth Over
Data collects, mostly into piles of digital rubble. Yet, data is prized and those who provide it are revered. The high priests of data analytics have the floor right now, which is understandable and ridiculous at the same time. It's understandable that clients are scared to death of their own intuition and risky creative ideas from the agency. And it's ridiculous because marketing is for the brave. A degree …