Commentary
"Geniuses differ from ordinary men less in the character of their attention than in the nature of the objects upon which it is successively bestowed." – William James
I just returned from Chicago, where I saw the musical Hamilton, about the short and jam-packed life of one of the Founding Fathers. If you've ever listened to the soundtrack, you know how compelling the musical is. But there's no comparison for experiencing it live.
That's kind of like independence, isn't it?
No matter how much you hear other people talk about it—your parents, entrepreneurs, citizens who live in democracies—you can't really appreciate freedom until you experience it yourself.
Freedom comes in many forms.
• The freedom a teenager experiences when they get their driver's license (or more recently, no screen time restrictions).
• Living on your own for the first time.
• An independent agency that doesn't have to report quarterly numbers to stockholders.
• The ability to determine who governs or leads your town, state, or country.
Independence means we're free to make choices. Choices that can determine how we'll live our lives and how people will perceive us.
Independence = Responsibility
Meanwhile, back in Hamilton: King George III (who steals the show) initially warns the Americans that they don't appreciate what they're throwing away and convinces himself they'll return to British Rule in "You'll Be Back."
After losing the war, he tries to salve his wounds by warning them that they might be in over their heads in "What Comes Next?" And it could be a woeful ballad for anyone who's just found themselves in a leadership position:
What comes next?
You've been freed
Do you know how hard it is to lead?
You're on your own
Awesome... wow
Do you have a clue what happens now?
Oceans rise
Empires fall
It's much harder when it's all your call.
It's true: with great power comes great responsibility.
And we're still grappling with it 243 years later.
| | Curated Stories
"I have gathered a posy of other men's flowers, and nothing but the thread that binds them is my own." – Montaigne
Projections for online and traditional media advertising through 2023 by PwC illustrates the speed of change in media. Smart marketers and brands should note there are choices you'll have to make here. (MarketingCharts) - Online advertising will grow from $123.1B in 2019 to $160.8B in 2023;
- In 2019, mobile will make up 70% of all online advertising in the U.S. ($86.3B). By 2023, that percentage is expected to reach around 81% ($129.5B);
- Television advertising is expected to remain flat, from $70.6B in 2019 to $72.2B in 2023. The shifting viewing habits to streaming services are complicating things, and better targeting is the underlying issue;
- Consumer magazines and newspaper advertising face declines of -8.3% and -9.3%, respectively; however, digital consumer magazine advertising is forecast to surpass print ad revenues in 2022;
- Out-of-home shows promise, expected to grow from $4.4B this year to $5.7B in 2023;
- Video game advertising is a larger market than either cinema advertising or newer formats such as podcast and digital music streaming advertising;
- Podcast advertising revenue is expected to exceed digital newspaper circulation revenue by 2022.
Some individuals with secrets Google search results to hide are seeing their reputations improving. Why? They're choosing to hire unscrupulous reputation consultants to plant positive information about fake profiles with the same name. (BuzzFeed) Don't try this at home. Or anywhere else.
When it comes to word of mouth referrals, using financial incentives to boost what would otherwise be an organically-motivated process is akin to mixing oil and water. But when framed in a way that contributes to social good ("Your friend will receive $20 off their bill" vs. "You'll receive $20 toward your next bill"), the total number of referrals increase by 86%.(Knowledge @ Wharton) We have a choice to make: do we want to be seen as benefiting ourselves or others?
From your favorite social media platforms: - Don't underestimate TikTok. The video app is trying to poach users from Snap, Facebook and Instagram to dominate the U.S. market. (WSJ)
| | Content Marketing World discount available
Are you breaking through the content clutter? Are you amazing your audience? Content Marketing World 2019 is returning with new ideas, new speakers, and more. Learn and network with the best. MONTY19 saves $100 | | | For the Curious Mind
"Curiosity is the lust of the mind." – Thomas Hobbes
Gurus promised we could burn through the inefficiencies that plagued us. Why has life hacking failed us? (Slate)
Inspiring post about this age of connection: we're more connected but less deeply. How can we fix that? Deloitte's John Hagel offers some great wisdom on The Paradox of Connection. (Edge Perspectives)
The experiences teens have every day are radically different from those of the generation that came of age just a few years before them. (The Atlantic)
| | Recommended Reading/Listening
"Let me recommend this book." – Arthur Conan Doyle
| | Punch Out with Katie and Kerry is a refreshing look at the marketers you may know. Get to the real insights (and the weird hobbies, the guilty pleasures, the secret side hustles…the good stuff). Find out what really makes your favorite people tick.
| | | | You know Jean Shepherd as the voice and writer behind A Christmas Story. His book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash is what inspired it. A comic genius who bridged the gap between James Thurber and David Sedaris, Shepherd may have accomplished for Holden, Indiana, what Mark Twain did for Hannibal, Missouri. | | |
Bonus: check out Shep's The Fourth of July and Other Disasters. It's an hour of top-notch storytelling. It includes a reference to his classic short story and bit "Ludlow Kissel and the Dago Bomb that Struck Back." | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment