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News
PepsiCo has become the face of a cautionary tale—Speaking at a conference, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi noted that her employees were upset about the election of Donald Trump. “The question they are asking,” she said, “especially those who are not white, ‘Are we safe?’ Women are asking, ‘Are we safe?’ LGBT people are asking, ‘Are we safe?’” The response from Trump supporters was swift, many condemning her on social media (mainly Twitter) and calling for a boycott of Pepsi products. She was also accused of statements she never made. Worse, a fake news story started spreading, claiming her words have caused a 5-point drop in PepsiCo’s stock price (which isn’t true). The takeaway: Any and all companies are now subject to attack from nationalists emboldened by Donald Trump’s victory. I wrote in detail about this on my blog. Read more
Oops. Facebook finds more inaccurate metrics—Facebook has admitted finding a batch of miscalculated metrics that marketers and others rely on to determine how users are engaging with their content. The “bugs” (as Facebook calls them) resulted in under or overcounts of four measurements. Among these are weekly and monthly reach, the number of full video views, and time spent with a publisher’s Instant Articles. Facebook fessed up two months ago to two years worth of overestimating the time users spend watching video ads. To address what is clearly a problem, Facebook plans to seek third-party validation of its data. “We’re doubling down on our efforts at third-party verification,” a spokesperson said. The takeaway: Facebook provides 220 some-odd metrics categories that marketers and advertisers rely on when planning their campaigns. Third-party validation is overdue, but I’m glad to see it coming. Read more
“Post-truth” is Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year—Are you surprised? The takeaway: Fake news is part of the whole post-truth concept. It may have been confined to politics up to now, but brace yourself: Business will have to deal with post-truth issues soon (and some already are). REad more
Marketers rethinking how to study consumers in wake of election surprise—Marketers supposedly know what turns people’s crank. Imagine, then, their surprise at an election result they thought—based on the data—was a forgone conclusion. Now they’re asking themselves “some serious questions about how they study consumers, use data and quantify the value of facts—questions about the fundamental nature of their business.” One agency CEO said data and analytics have to be balanced with “social listening” and behavioral data (e.g., what people are searching for). Advertisers are also bracing themselves for “a new period of second-guessing any customer data.” The takeaway: It will be an uncertain environment in PR and marketing for a while, especially if you have relied on data to make decisions. Still, the powers that influenced the election results are fairly clear and smart communicators should be able to figure out where to look to test the results of their data analysis. Read more
Twitter cracks down on hate accounts—Twitter is usually reluctant to take action against accounts that spew hate, citing free speech concerns. But several prominent white supremacists found Twitter has suspended their accounts along with those of publications associated with them. Twitter says they violated rules against violent threats, harassment, hateful conduct, and multiple-account abuse. The move comes after Twitter introduced a keyword filtering tool that will make it easier for users to block out hate speech. The takeaway: The sooner Twitter becomes a more welcoming place, the easier it will be to add users. Harassment and hate speech have flourished there, turning off a lot of users. Read more
New Balance faces a new kind of crisis—A New Balance spokesman had no idea what he was stepping into when, based on the company’s opposition to the Trans Pacific Partnership, he suggested a Trump presidency would move that particular issue in “the right direction.” The company earned blowback as customers shared videos of their New Balance shoes on fire. That was nothing, though, to the consequences of the praise heaped on the company on a neo-Nazi blog, leading white supremacists to declare New Balance “the official shoes of white people.” The company was emphatic in its response, promoting its commitment to diversity, but it has done little to quiet the controversy. The takeaway: These are strange times, people, strange times indeed. Every company is operating in uncharted territory. Exercise caution before wading into anything that even resembles a political discussion. I’m not saying not to engage. Just think things through so your message is clear and not open to misinterpretation by your customers or appropriation by forces with which you’d rather not be aligned. Read more
Monitor multiple Facebook platforms with a single inbox—Facebook is launching a tool for businesses that will allow them to monitor conversations across Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram. A spokesman called the tool “one of our most frequent requests.” Some people were carrying more than one smartphone so they could respond quickly to queries coming in from different services. The Facebook Pages Manager app solves these problems, delivering “a unified stream” of commentary from all your company’s accounts. Individual tabs let you concentrate on individual channels. The takeaway: It’s too bad WhatsApp couldn’t be included, but I can see why it wasn’t. Tools like this are immensely helpful, though even better is one that incorporates non-Facebook accounts you’re monitoring (especially Twitter). Read more
Twitter introduces its own Snapcodes—On Snapchat, you can follow somebody by scanning their Snapcode, which consists of a selfie in a stylized QR code. Twitter is introducing a similar feature to some users (I’m one of them, evidently). If you have QR codes enabled in your settings, you can capture the image and make it available for others to scan. The takeaway: To begin with, QR codes are clearly not dead. Second, while anything that simplifies Twitter’s processes is great, I wonder how many Twitter QR codes we’ll see on accounts, business cards, blogs, or other places potential followers might have the opportunity to encounter them. Read more
Snapchat will use Foursquare data to better target its geofilters—If you want to make sure you’re targeting your ads with pinpoint geographic accuracy, Snapchat’s deal with Foursquare should warm your heart. You’ll now be able to tap into Foursquare’s data points (and its 90 million locations) when you run a geofilter campaign (those sponsored graphics that overlay photos and videos). That means “a retailer could home in on a specific store location instead of zeroing in on the larger shopping area.” The takeaway: Watch for more of these partnerships between tech companies, which make enormous sense. Imagine the possibilities if Pokemon Go had had access to Foursquare’s 90 million locations! Read more
Secure video calling comes to WhatsApp—Video chat on Instagram’s iOS, Android, and Windows app sounds like just another video chat entry in a crowded field, but encrypted calls as the default make this a compelling offering and a likely flashpoint in political and security forums. Only the two devices engaged in conversation have access to the data. WhatsApp has more than 1 billion users, “from high school students to politicians.” The takeaway: Privacy matters to a lot of people, which butts right up against security concerns and law enforcement’s desire to be able to access data to prevent crimes and terrorism. However, if American products don’t feature encryption, people who want it—most of whom are not criminals or terrorists—will simply use apps distributed outside the U.S. Read more
Just what we asked for—Umm, no. Nobody asked for this. Secret, the anonymous messaging app, is coming back. Co-founder David Byttow believes his new version of the app—which caused a lot of grief before it was withdrawn—is the cure for what ails us in social media. “People don’t have a good place to be their most authentic selves,” he said. The takeaway: If being their authentic selves was what people used Secret for in the first place, it never would have perished. I can’t imagine its uses will be all sunshine and rainbows this time around, either. From a business perspective, don’t forget Secret was used by employees to anonymously share secrets and spread rumors about their companies. Read more
Trends
State of Social report reinforces role of Facebook, video—Buffer is out with the 2016 edition of its State of Social report, which finds video is just as hot as you thought it was, “standing ou in the Facebook News Feed.” As more companies (and individuals) share video, using it to stand out will get harder, which could lead brands to pony up money to extend their videos’ reach. The report also finds Facebook remains the top choice of marketers while Google+ is fast turning into a has-been social network. The report also touts social media’s utility as a customer support tool. The key challenges marketers face with social media: driving traffic to their sites, lead generation, and defining ROI and measurement. The takeaway: While there may not be anything here that qualifies as an “ah-ha,” it’s always nice to have your assumptions validated. Read more
Interactive screens coming to gas pumps—The next time you pull into a BP station to gas up, you may find yourself engaging with Miles, an interactive gas pump that delivers verbal instructions for listening to music, sharing on social media, and playing trivia. BP partnered with Pandora (the streaming music service) and The Onion (which created Miles’ persona) to deliver content via gas pump. Customers will even be able to ask Miles to send a Pandora link to their smartphones to they can keep listening to a song after their tank is topped. There’s no AI interaction with Miles; it only encourages you to take advantage of the features available on the touch screen. The takeaway: Filling your tank is one of those “previously unusable moments.” Sure, you have your smartphone at hand while you’re waiting, but if Miles can engage you before you can open it, BP may be able to deliver its messages while you’re snapping a photo of yourself using a Snapchat-like filter or recording a video. It won’t be long before you’re interacting with your refrigerator. (It will be part of the Internet of Things, after all.) Read more
Social media demand leads to a new Frosted Flakes flavor—Listening to consumers can help you identify new market possibilities. Kellogg’s noticed fans on twitter “talking about how cinnamon would be so terrific on Frosted Flakes, and we really started to listen,” says a Kellogg’s spokesperson. So after considerable testing, the company is introducing Cinnamon Frosted Flakes. The takeaway: If you pay attention, social media is the biggest focus group you’ve ever seen, and the fact that the feedback you get is mostly unsolicited and authentic, careful monitoring can pay off in a big way. Kellogg’s is only the latest in a growing list of companies that have made product decisions based on what people were saying online (including Cadbury’s, which brought back a candy bar it had discontinued years earlier because a large community of fans were talking about how much they missed it). Read more
Research
CCO credibility isn’t as good as it should be—While chief communication officers may be getting time with the CEO, and CEOs mostly acknowledge the value of their company’s reputation, only 29% of CCOs surveyed feel their CEOs see them as key business advisors. Only 52% of CCOs report to CEOs. Less than half of respondents said communications is highly integrated in their companies and only 20% said the C-suite sees communication’s value as a contributor to the company’s bottom line. CCOs’ top advice for the next generation of communication leaders: show value, show ROI, and measure everything. The takeaway: This makes me want to weep. Openly. In public. As a profession, there should be common metrics by which our value can be made evident to leaders. Or perhaps that’s one reason we don’t formally qualify as a “profession.” Read more
Opinions about brands influenced most by earned media—If you want to influence consumer opinions about your brand or products, earned media is your best bet. That’s the conclusion of a study covering the U.S., UK, and China, which also found earned media most effective for gaining reach across social media. Earned media ranked at the top in all three countries. The study also found that consumers interact with an average of four devices per day. Additionally, intentional searches influence behaviors, brand preference, and purchase more than unintentional searches. Content designed to evoke an emotional response has the greatest impact. The takeaway: While these results don’t undermine the case for content marketing, they do reinforce the idea that having somebody else talk about you (rather than you talk about yourself) will always produce better outcomes. Read more
Values alignment is the top social influencer motivator—If you want to tap online influencers for your next campaign, demonstrating how your message aligns with their own personal values is more likely than wads of cash to bring them on board. According to a survey, 42% of influencers “feel that alignment with a brand’s core values is the number one most important factor when approached with a brand partnership opportunity.” Other survey findings include the fact that most influencers think Instagram is the social platform with the greatest opportunity for growth and 75% say photography is the most engaging medium for enticing their audiences (36% chose video). The takeaway: That influencers want to support companies that embrace their own values should be no surprise in light of a lot of other research that finds ethics and social good are top-of-mind for most consumers. Read more
Healthcare embraces mobile—82% of healthcare organizations have implemented a mobile strategy. The survey of 200 IT leaders in public and private healthcare organizations, life sciences, and pharmaceutical companies covered the U.S. France, Germany, and the UK. Most apps were targeted by physicians (59%), patients/members (55%) and technicians (44%). The apps were geared to productivity, patient engagement, and a patent/member demand for mobile apps. These drivers will shift in the future, with member/patient demand becoming a more prominent factor and productivity taking a back seat. The takeaway: Healthcare isn’t the only industry to recognize that mobile is its most important platform, but understanding the drivers helps the industry prioritize the approaches it takes. Creating apps for their own sake doesn’t make much sense. Read more
Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality
IT leaders are skeptical of AR benefits—Most consumers think Augmented Reality will be great, providing access to training guides, product demos, and more, but IT nearly 70% of IT professionals are uncertain whether the benefits of AR will outweigh the risks. The takeaway: Neither this article nor the full report were clear on what the risks of AR might be from an IT perspective, beyond “virtual graffiti” attacks in their workplaces. AR is coming whether IT leaders like it or not, so the focus should be on minimizing risk rather than complaining about it. Read more
VR front-and-center in Jaguar’s electric vehicle roll-out—Jaguar’s first-ever electric vehicle is being introduced through Virtual Reality. At events in London and Los Angeles, guests donned HTC Vive VR headsets and were transported into the car while still able to interact live with other participants. Last month, an Australian property site announced the launch of a VRP property app for Android mobile. Virtual Reality Kitchen is an IKEA VR experience that lets customers try new kitchen merchandise before buying it. The takeaway: We’re only scratching the surface of VR’s utility in marketing. Even if your company isn’t thinking about VR yet (and 84% of businesses are), think about what an immersive experience could mean for your next communication effort. You may just come up with something groundbreaking that justifies an unplanned investment. Read more
Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots
Marketers look to smart home devices to reach customers—More than 6 million home-based voice assistants (like Google Home and the Amazon Echo) will have shipped before the end of the year. That’s a lot of in-home voice interaction taking place and brands want in on the action. Consider Tide, which answers consumer questions about getting rid of stains (and then sends the customer the same instructions as a text message with a link for ordering Tide on Amazon). Johnnie Walker uses location technology to help people find local liquor stores that sell its brand. Once the product is bought, Johnnie Walker can suggest cocktail recipes. Skills are being added to the Alexa platform by the likes of Campbell’s Soup, Safeco Insurance, Quaker Oats, Patron Tequila, and Domino’s—and that’s just for the Echo. The takeaway: One of the most brilliant aspects of engaging customers through these devices is that it’s not interruptive, but rather on-demand. You won’t interact with Tide until you are coping with a stubborn stain. Consumers will appreciate brands that can help far more than those that pitch. Read more
Neural machine-translation fuels Google Translate update—Google’s translation tool is a lot more accurate. The company is calling its latest Translate update the most important advance in 10 years. Translate now uses neural networks that improve speech recognition and computer vision. The update covers eight language pairs. The takeaway: While it’s still not as good as human translation—mistakes still happen—the application of AI represents a huge improvement. You might consider Google Translate for some of your more basic communications translation needs. It’s also worth exploring how Google Translate can aid in cross-language communication within your company and among stakeholders. Read more
Trump bots overwhelmed Clinton messages—If you remain skeptical that bots have an impact, consider this New York Times story reporting research from Oxford University that found Donald J. Trump’s chatbots overwhelmed those programmed to support Hillary Clinton. These Twitter bots sent messages based on a specific topic in order “to rant, confuse people on facts, or simply muddy discussions.” According to one researcher, “A lot of what they pass around is false news.” The takeaway: Yes, chatbots are another conduit for fake news. As I note in my blog post on fake news, companies are already starting to feel the heat and chatbots are another mechanism of which to be wary. By and large, chatbots are terrific and can serve your organization well, but like any technology, they can be used for nefarious purposes. Read more
Nadella envisions bots (and AI) in every home—We’re getting close to the 40th anniversary of Bill Gates’ vision of a PC in every home. Now, the current CEO of Microsoft has a vision of his own: AI-fueled bots will be the new user interface, accessible through a variety of devices in every home. To help realize that vision, Satya Nadella has announced the launch of the Azure Bot Service, a public cloud-based bot builder. The takeaway: Nadella is right. Bots will be the most dominant means of accessing AI tools and services for the foreseeable future. If you haven’t already, start familiarizing yourself with bots the way you got to know the Web once upon a time. Read more
It seems Apple is working on AR glasses—Apple’s genius has never been invention. There were already MP3 players when it introduced the iPod, smartphones before the iPhone, and smart watches before the Apple Watch. There have been AR glasses, too (like the underwhelming Google Glass), but Apple could be applying its true genius—making a version of these products consumers just have to have—to Augmented Reality glasses. The evidence: Apple has ordered “small quantities of near-eye displays to test its concept.” AR glasses showing up in your local Apple Store isn’t something that’ll happen anytime soon, but CEO Tim Cook is on the record saying AR will be big. The takeaway: Microsoft and a host of other companies are betting big on AR, which (as I have noted before) will be a far bigger deal than Virtual Reality. Like bots, it’s a technology with which communicators should familiarize themselves. Read more
Useful Tools
Photo community now lets brands commission global shoots—500px began as a small community of photography fans, growing into “a global platform for amateur and professional photograhers to showcase their work and license their images to companies and brands.” The 8-million-member forum is adding a new service, 500px for Business, through which companies can “commission custom imagery from its pool of photographers around the world.” The takeaway: Back in the days when I bought photography, I had to contract with an individual. If the shoot wasn’t local, that meant finding someone who fit the bill, which wasn’t easy. It’s a testament to the power of digital networking that I could now find a photographer in the region where I needed shots, find a photographer whose images are readily available for evaluation, and buy only the photos I want from what the photographer uploads to the site. A classic win-win. Read more
This week’s wrap image—of a leash wrapped around Moxie’s leg after he danced in circles—comes from the Flickr account of Laurie Avocado.