“Cool” is in the eye of the beholder. At a conference earlier this year, an entrepreneur thought imposing an emoticon on a picture was “cool” while business models were not. Am I missing something? Cannes Lions has always been about “cool”–or at least the perception of it. More so than by what is praised and lauded, you can begin to understand…
When I walked into the Grand Auditorium at Cannes Lions last week to see Al Gore present, I was intrigued. Not necessarily because I knew I would be hearing about the global impact of pollution (which is interesting to me as well), but mostly because my feeling was “What does Al Gore know about innovative advertising?” Which was a common…
Artificial intelligence is coming! It’s right around the corner and it’s going to change everything! We should maybe even fear for our future as a species! Ohmahgersh!! Erm, well, that’s what they said in the eighties. And that’s what they said in the sixties. And, no surprise, it’s what many people are saying now. While I was at the Cannes Lions conference…
With a focus on creating amazing innovations that capture and inspire audiences, Cannes brings marketers, creatives and technologists together to share perspectives on the future of creative advertising. Digital and social media have been wholeheartedly adopted by consumers, making the media outlets and networks bread and butter mediums for advertisers. But what is the future of social as we know…
Hennessy’s marketing blurs the lines between digital and offline communities. The brand is reportedly spending more than ever on media, with campaigns serving up custom branded bottles, mobile-optimized sites and strategic partnerships with athletes and artists. Since 2012, Hennessy has undergone a brand overhaul. Hennessy’s Wild Rabbit and “The Man Who Couldn’t Slow Down” campaigns have been particularly successful and exemplify Hennessy’s returning popularity within key…
Tim Cook is right about privacy & security, but over-reaches in his accusations against ad-based revenue models. Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook was honored with an award for corporate leadership at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Champions of Freedom event. He spoke extensively on consumer rights to privacy, security and encryption and called on attendees to take a look at…
Behavioral targeting is one way for companies to develop meaningful, long-term relationships with customers. Using data to distill audience insights, brands can develop targeted strategies to drive sales and increase the allure of the brand. Johnnie Walker represents a lifestyle of sophistication, a penchant for adventure and a taste for the finer things. The brand has a history positioning itself…
What you don’t know can’t hurt you? Not when it comes to your content strategy. One of the biggest challenges marketers face in today’s world is how to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Brands jockey for real estate–bombarding consumers with advertisements at every touchpoint–mobile, desktop, in-store, sky writing. Due to the wealth of audience data available and brands’ need…
Edward Tufte recently taught a course in Austin, TX on data visualization. His lectures were thought provoking and powerful. As a data analyst, a tremendous amount of responsibility falls on us to report data soundly and ethically. Tufte asked, “How long does it take to turn a metric into a target?” Think about this. As we set marketing campaigns and metrics…
Growing up, I had two Jem dolls. Admittedly, I’m not sure if this was because each Jem had a different appeal, or because my parents didn’t pay much attention to my toy activity, but I clearly liked Jem. The Jem dolls came equipped with a blue and white striped shirt, a matching beret and most importantly, one star-shaped earring that…
In a report published recently by HAVAS, researchers discovered that brand meaningfulness significantly impacts sales and directly affects ROI. In conducting the study, HAVAS, whose “Meaningful Brand” metric relates to how consumers’ quality of life and wellbeing connects with brands, surveyed over 300,000 people in 34 countries, to understand how they related to 1,000 brands in twelve distinct industry categories. Among the metrics…
Facebook and IBM have joined forces to help marketers deliver tailored marketing capabilities that–get ready for the most overused and cliche tag line of 2015–“reach the right people at the right time with the right message” on the most widely used social network. Was it coincidence or a planned event that IBM made this announcement while my team and I attended their World…