Our current hyper-partisan, polarized world has a range of implications on corporations, one of which is the challenge communicators and marketers face in building communities for their brands. It seems like everything these days is seen through a partisan lens, so companies must be especially careful.
Building meaningful communities that strengthen relationships between a brand and...
A year ago, I wrote about how technology is reshaping the future of commerce. Fast forward to 2017 and a convergence of dynamics are accelerating this secular shift.
We’ve seen hundreds of store closures among previously stalwart retail giants, acquisitions of iconic offline chains by e-commerce players, as well as massive, lumbering offline retailers desperately seeking a foothold in...
The communications world has, yet again, turned itself upside down. Usually, it’s the result of a technological advancement or some other new form of digesting information; we’re talking ‘internet’ or ‘targeted content’ kind of game changers here. This latest evolution is driven by something else entirely; the maelstrom-esque zeitgeist of modern-day politics has changed how privacy, influence...
When I wrote my first essay in the 2017 Relevance Report, I discussed issues of race and fear of demographic shifts. I also predicted these issues would continue to shape the direction of America’s political, social and ethical foundation — while greatly impacting the public relations industry. Our country’s conversation in 2017 has been consumed with these issues. The racially charged...
To get noticed in today’s insanely crowded and hyper-competitive media environment, politicians, athletes, celebrities and even some brands are saying and doing increasingly more outrageous and irresponsible things. And sadly, for many, it appears to be working.
From Donald Trump commenting on Mexican immigrants, the appearance of one of his female challengers or questioning the...
As the saying goes, “settlers get slaughtered, and pioneers prosper.” Like other grey markets, the cannabis industry is a Wild West that individuals and companies are entering at rapid speeds. Entrepreneurs, farmers, tech startups and fashion designers are figuring out how to get their hands in this multi-billion dollar business. The cannabis consumer market for medical and recreational use...
The marketing industry is agog at the potential ramifications of artificial intelligence (AI). At this stage, it’s tough to know whether to be excited or fretful. Let’s explore what CMOs are equipped to use AI for today, and sneak a peek at the future along the way.
The impact of AI on marketing will mostly be positive. Many of the tasks marketers perform are highly repetitive and...
We’ve all heard a lot of chatter about Bitcoin and it’s growing popularity among financial communities around the world. The widely unregulated cryptocurrency is seen by many as an economic game changer with the power to provide millions of people access to the financial market. But what is likely to be the true game changer is the underlying technology, blockchain.
Bitcoin may have...