Category: Consumer
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59% of the Global Workforce Requires Upskilling to Remain Employable
As the global labor market transitions into 2025, things are changing. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 showcases some of the challenges and opportunities ahead. Listen to the Podcast or keep reading… The Accelerating Role of Technology in Job Transformation Technological advancement is at the heart of…
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How Data Strategy Services Are Shaping the Future of Web Hosting
Are you looking to start a website in the next few months with a web hosting company? This offers a lot of advantages, such as improved website performance, as well as increased website security and even being more cost-effective as your website scales up. However, in 2024, you may be…
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10 Billion Passwords Exposed: Should You Worry?
In a recent cybersecurity incident, an unprecedented leak of nearly 10 billion unique plaintext passwords has surfaced on a widely-used hacking forum. This enormous collection, dubbed “RockYou2024” due to its filename (rockyou.txt), is believed to have been compiled from various past data breaches. Assessing the Threat Level While the sheer…
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Is This Finally the Beginning of Some National Online Privacy Legislation?
The American Privacy Rights Act of 2024 would set clear data privacy rights and establish robust enforcement mechanisms. The bipartisan effort was introduced by House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA). “It reins in…
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Google Begins Phase Out of Third-Party Cookies for Chrome Users
According to a new report by Engadget, Google has disabled third-party cookies for 1% of Chrome users globally on January 4th, marking the start of its Privacy Sandbox project that was first introduced years ago. With Chrome accounting for over 50% of the worldwide browser market share, this initial rollout…
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Understanding and Tapping into the Emotional Triggers of Your Audience
Users will spend 4 trillion hours on social media this year. Yup, that’s a lot of time. That’s also a lot of content. How do you stand out? You’ve got to form an emotional attachment with your audience. Engaging with audiences on an emotional level is a powerful way to…
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FTC Calls Social Media a “Gold Mine for Scammers” and Investigating Advertiser Oversight
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken action against social media and video streaming companies to address the growing issue of fraud on their platforms. The commission has issued orders to eight companies, including Meta Platforms, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snap, Twitter, Pinterest, and Twitch Interactive, requesting information on their policies…
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92% of Companies Still Not Compliant with CCPA that Ramps Up January 1st
According to a study of nearly 10,000 companies, data privacy security company CYTRIO reports the marjority of companies have still not taken proactive measures to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). CCPA and the enhanced CPRA becomes fully enforceable on January 1, 2023 and includes employees’ rights to…
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Website and Cross-Site Tracking Is Out of Control
I know I’m not the first to point this out, but tracking by websites is out of control. After an hour of being online today, all at mainstream websites, I somehow managed to accumulate more than 8,000 trackers. After clearing it, a journey to a news website, a Google search,…
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Trust in News Rebounds, But Still Falls Short
Trust in news has rebounded a bit over the past year, according to a new survey by Civic Science, but it’s still a relatively dismal picture. In March, only 50% of Americans say they trust any form of media for reliable and unbiased news. While those numbers have increased to…
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Maybe the Largest Data Leak of Passwords Ever – Is Yours One of Them?
It may be the largest data leak of passwords of all time. According to Cyber News, the leak may have exposed more than 8.4 billion passwords. The person posting the leaked passwords on a hacker forum claimed originally to have access to 82 billion passwords. “The compilation itself has been…
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Why Don’t Marketers Target People with Money to Spend?
You would think that marketers would want to target the people with disposable income that can most easily afford your products. Instead of constantly targeted the people in society that hold more than 60% of all wealth, there remains an obsession with going after the youngest group of consumers. That…
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First Results: Users Overwhelmingly Opt-Out of Online Tracking
For years, many in the advertising community have maintained that consumers want targeted marketing with relevant advertising. It appears, however, that as consumers get an increased say in how they are targeted, that idea isn’t holding up. When Apple updated its iOS operating system for iPhones and iPads, it came…
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The World’s Top Websites in 2020
With people stuck inside their home, they relied on technology to stay connect more than ever. Businesses had to adapt to this online shift. It resulted in new online habits and the way people used the internet in 2020. A study done by the UK Domain has revealed the top…
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How Much Personal Data Grocery Stores Have on You – Revealed
New research revealed the amount of information grocery stores really have on you. The study has shown that grocery stores know all about your physical attributes, what you enjoy and what your purchases say about your domestic situation. 53% of Americans participate in a loyalty program because of ease of use, allowing stores…
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Which Companies Have the Most Personal Data about You?
The folks at Clario have put together a fascinating chart that breaks down which online platforms and brands collect the most data and what they know about us. I thought it was worth sharing. Facebook and Instagram top the list (no surprise). We all do it – click ‘accept’ on…
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Big Changes Coming to Digital Ad Tracking: A Cookie-less Future?
We’re in for some big changes when it comes to tracking and advertising. While government regulators are making noise about taking action against major tech companies, the industry has not-so-quietly been making a couple of key changes that could lead to a cookie-less future. Cookies are those things websites use…
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Facebook Threatens to Stop Allowing News Sharing over Pending Legislation in Australia
Facebook is publicly ramping up the battle with the Australian government over pending legislation that would force it to pay royalties for use of copyrighted news content. It’s a battle being watched closely in both media and tech circles because the implications go farther than just what’s happening in Australia.…
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Anti-Trust Hearings Against Facebook, Apple, Amazon, and Google: What’s at Stake
Nearly half of Americans now believe major tech companies should face more regulation. That was one key finding in a new survey by the Pew Research Center. The survey was released as a House Judiciary Committee is looking into tech companies. Specifically, they are examining anti-trust concerns. Google, Facebook, Amazon,…
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Mobile Speed is Crucial in Today’s Mobile World
Google and Deloitte combined forces to look at mobile load times for 30 days across four verticals: Retail Luxury Travel Lead generation (such as insurance or auto sites) The results, published in a Whitepaper titled “Milliseconds make Millions,” were clear: 1. Faster sites mean more customers will reach checkout 2.…
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Bipartisan Legislation to Hold Internet Companies Accountable for Moderation Practices
SOURCE: News Release U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet, and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), ranking member of the subcommittee, in introducing the Platform Accountability and Consumer Transparency (PACT) Act, new bipartisan legislation to update Section 230 of the Communications Decency…
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Advertising During Uncertain Times: 11 Research Projects Tell the Same Story
If you’re looking for hard data on what’s happened to brands that increased or decreased marketing during and after a crisis or recession, I’ve compiled the results of 11 studies into this article. Every single one shows the same thing: the companies that stayed the course or increased their marketing…
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Advertising During Crisis Times: What You Do Now Will Impact Your Business Long-Term
You may not be thinking about advertising right now, but it may be smart to give it some thought. What you do today, can impact your business for the long-term
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Trust in News Sources: The Great Political Divide
Americans may be more polarized than ever when it comes to news about politics. While that may not be a shocker, we now have hard data to show just how it plays out and the differences between party affiliation and trust in news organizations. The research from Pew Research Center…
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NY State Data Tax: Legislation Would Tax Companies that Make Money from Consumer Data
A new bill working its way through the NY state legislatures wants to tax companies that sell or make money from the use of consumer data. Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato wants to create a mutual fund from taxes that would pay a yearly dividend. New York State Assembly Bill A9112:…
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Data Privacy: What Defines “Personal Information”
Weeks before new privacy rules go into effect, California AG is asking for significant changes to CCPA California’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra has proposed revisions to the regulations implementing the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The law itself went into effect on January 1, 2020 with an enforcement deadline of July…
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Video Consumption Up 33%; Local Broadcast TV Still Gets the Bulk of Viewing
Consumers spent way more time watching video in 2019 compared to previous years, according to a Parks Associates study reported in Fierce Video. Video consumption rose by 33% in 2019 compared to 2018. When it comes to where people watch video, TV still ranks as the #1 destination. TV sets…
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Streaming Video Services See Massive Churn in Race for Dominance
When video streaming services offer free trials, there’s a lot of interest. When the trials run out, however, the customers run away. As Christopher Palmeri reported in Bloomberg Businessweek, two-thirds of these users leave when the free trial runs out. Another 10% of all streamers ditch the service every month.…
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Have an Unlimited Data Plan? You Might be Overpaying
A new study of U.S. mobile consumers finds that 90% of consumers overpay for unlimited data plans. The report, which surveyed 400 U.S. consumers on major carrier unlimited plans, finds that 1 in 3 respondents use less than 5 GB per month, and 85% use less than 10 GB. The…
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Are You Willing to Pay More for 5G Wireless Service?
5G is coming soon to a neighborhood near you. As telecoms build out their 5G networks and start to look at services, the Wall Street Journal reports that it will likely cost you more. The cost to build out 5G nationwide is enormous. Companies are spending billions. 5G waves don’t…
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Content Omnivores: Video Consumers Want It All
With the increased attention focused on OTT (Over-the-top) TV and streaming services, there are some interesting trends developing. 65% of US consumers say they stream content at least once a week. Two-thirds say they stream more video online than they watch of broadcast, cable, or satellite, according to Horowitz Research’s…
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Marketers #1 Goal in 2019? Get That Email Address
“Personalized experiences are about delivering contextually relevant experiences to your prospects and customers, based on what you know about them, where they are in the purchase journey, and what they are looking to achieve. It is becoming more evident that marketers who consistently deliver personalized cross-channel experiences are seeing moderate…
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Using Facebook’s Like Button on Your Website May Violate EU Laws
This could change a lot of things. If your website has Facebook’s like button on it for content or comments, you could be liable under the European Union’s privacy rules regardless of where you do business. The EU Court of Justice handed down the ruling this week in a case…
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IAB: TV Ads Are Still the Best for Generating Awareness
When the TVB (Television Bureau of Advertising) puts out a study that says TV ads are the best marketing solution for businesses, some critics say the results are skewed because it’s a TV-focused organization. If that happens in the future, you can now point to the survey done by the…
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GDPR vs CCPA: How Privacy Regulations Affect Businesses
New privacy laws on the world stage are impacting businesses that have any online presence and capture personally-identifiable data. GDPR The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has already had a significant effect on companies doing business in the EU or doing business with EU residents. It’s affected most U.S.…
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“Belief-Driven Buyers” Are Playing a Bigger Role in Brand Trust
Why do customers trust brands? The top reasons are all about product or service quality, according to the latest edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer. It delivers good quality products or services The brand gets good ratings and reviews It charges a fair price It has always treated me and…
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Internet Trends 2019: Mary Meekers’ Annual Report Shows Big Changes
Mary Meeker is a venture capitalist and former Wall Street security analyst. She’s ranked by Forbes as one of the top 100 most powerful women in the world. When she unveils her annual presentation on Internet trends, it makes news. This year’s report is no different. You read the full…
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Despite What You Hear, TV is still the Dominant Medium
Despite all the talk about cord cutting, streaming, social media, and digital marketing, it’s easy to forget that TV remains the dominant medium. Here are four facts that demonstrate the continued power of television as the dominant medium. People spend more time with TV than computers, smartphone, and tablets combined……
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Restaurants Are Spending Significantly More on Digital Ads
A new study shows that independent restaurants are dramatically increasing their spending on digital advertising. Within the last year, 68 percent of those surveyed report they are spending more on digital ads than ever before to attract customers. The restaurant business has never been easy. 17 percent of new restaurants…
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When It Comes to Digital, Consumers Say One Thing and Often Do Another
Consumers overwhelming say privacy concerns are starting to have them rethinking rethink how they interact online. At the same time, however, their actions are telling a slightly less convincing story. People say one thing to researchers, but their actions demonstrate something else. A third of those surveyed think digital is…
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Ever Wonder Why Posts Show up in Your Facebook Feed? Inside Look at the Algorithm
Ever wonder why certain posts show up in your Facebook feed and others never do? Facebook is hoping to be able to give you some insight into that with its new “Why am I seeing this post?” tool. When you’re looking at a post, click the three dots in the…
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TV is still the #1 choice for news consumers
The Pew Research Center did a deep dive into local news consumption in a study of more than 35,000 adults. Here are a few of the key takeaways it revealed: Television is the preferred source of news although online sources are catching up. Weather is the number one topic adults…
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Vast majority of video viewing still taking place on TV sets
Yes, there’s a fair amount of viewing these days on mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers, but 70% of all viewing is still through the TV set. A survey of OTT consumers conducted for Nevion reports that 70% of those responsing still watch the majkority of programming on TV. …
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Advertisers have a problem, and it’s worse than they thought.
Quick Read: Cord Cutting by Younger Consumers Making It Harder for Advertisers to Drive Conversation and Engagement with Their Brands, Especially in Tech, Telecom, Automotive SOURCE: Engagement Labs Advertisers have a problem, and it’s worse than they thought. The decline of ad-supported television is driving down audience engagement with brands.…
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DirecTV Now Streaming Service Loses A Quarter-Million Subscribers
The future of TV is supposed to be streaming, right? In its 4th quarter earnings report, AT&T dropped a bombshell. The parent company of DirecTV announced that it had lost 267,000 streaming customers of its DirecTV Now service. The forecast for sub losses was 19,000 according to the Hollywood Reporter. …
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85% of Websites Fail to Meet Google Page Load Speed Standards
The faster your mobile site loads, the better you’ll look to Google’s robots when it scans your site. Slow-loading websites are now being penalized in the algorithm while fast-loading sites are rewarded. Google recommend your site loads on mobile in 5 seconds or less. Research from Unbounce, however, shows that…
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Amazon is predicting what you want and sending out free samples
Amazon is apparently beta-testing a new advertising strategy that leverages its logistics and delivery expertise with its massive treasure trove of consumer data. A report in Axios says Amazon has teamed up with advertisers Maybelline and Folgers to send free samples to users with a predilection for purchasing their products. …
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For Online Reviews, Recency Matters
Online reviews matter. 92% of consumers say they look at reviews. 68% say positive reviews increase their trust. In addition to looking for positive reviews, we now know that consumers also value recent reviews in far greater numbers. 85% of those surveyed say that reviews dated more than three months…
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Hackers are now hacking Connected TV Sets
Yup, it happened. Hackers have been able to hack TV sets. The guy behind the hack called himself, The Hacker Giraffe, and managed to exploit a Google Chromecast vulnerability in devices and posted a privacy warning (and promoted PewDiePie, a YouTube celeb). According to Media Post, the hack takes advantage…
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Facebook, Amazon Adding More Subscription Video Services
The social media giant is in talks with HBO, Showtime, and Starz about adding streaming video. Facebook would offer subscriptions to these channels which users would watch within the Facebook platform. It the deal consummates, Facebook would likely have to shell out money in advance to the streamers and then…
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Is Facebook Getting in the Home Shopping Channel Business?
First, they get us addicted to social media. Then, they start selling us stuff. Now, Facebook wants to launch its own version of a shopping channel. QVC does some $9 billion dollars a year hawking product on TV, so you know there’s a market for it. Full Disclosure: I work…
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Online Brand Search Spikes Within Seconds of TV Ads Airing
Advertise on TV and people will search for you online… almost instantly. As many as 90% of TV viewers have a digital device either in their hands or within reach while watching. “Forget the remote,” said Lisa Gevelber, VP Global Marketing at Google. “Smartphones are becoming the essential TV-watching companion.”…
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Google Is Under Investigation for Privacy Breach That Led Them to Shut down Google+
The best social network you probably never used is shutting down. After security problems that Google apparently didn’t report publicly, Google+ is closing down inAugust, 2019. The private data of half a million of Google+ users was exposed in early 2018, but the company never reported it at the time. …
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Digital Media Consumption Way Up: Winners and Losers
Overall digital media consumption grew by 15% in August alone, according to a Pivotal Media Research analysis of Nielsen’s August 2018 data as reported by Wayne Friedman in MediaPost. Winners and Losers Google goes up. Facebook goes down. Google products, including YouTube, Google, and Waze account for 32.8% of all…
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The Risk-Reward for Brands Taking a Public Stand on Social or Political Issues
When Nike chose Colin Kaepernick to be part of its marketing efforts, they took a risk. It was highly unpopular with a significant segment of the U.S. population, but not so much with Nike’s target consumers. In fact, Thomson Reuters reports that Nike has sold 61% more stuff since the…
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Consumers Are Canceling Video Streaming Services at Significant Rates
You hear a lot about cord cutting and people dropping their cable service, but not so much about people dropping their OTT (over-the-top) video streaming services. Park Associates has now quantified the OTT churn and it’s bigger than you probably think: 18% annually. That’s right. 18% of streaming video service…
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California passes new privacy law with greater consumer controls
It’s not perfect, but the new privacy laws passed by California that go into effect 1/1/20 will help give some consumers more control over their online data and what happens to it. The big deal is you can opt out of having your info sold. The law applies to businesses…
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FCC Adds $225 Filing Fee for Consumer Complaints
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been active in the last year in looking at old rules and re-evaluating their underlying logic. There’s no question the media landscape has changed dramatically in the last decade and it’s worth looking at things in light of the way things are now as opposed…
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Cross-Device Targeting and Attribution Can Improve Your Advertising ROI
When you are placing advertising on-line, you want to make sure you know how it’s performing and where your conversions are coming from. It sounds simple, but it can get complex very quickly. When you examine where conversions actually take place, the last click gets the nod in most reporting…
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Boycotts Up: Where You Advertise Matters More Than Ever
Boycotts are up. Where you advertise matters. Those are two of the findings of a recent Civic Science poll. The results show that the number of people boycotting products they use to buy as a result of where the ads ran has grown from 22% of US adults in 2017…
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Net neutrality is dead – Here’s why FCC Chairman Ajit Pai thinks that’s a good thing
The FCC (Federal Communications Commision) repeal is now in effect. Under FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, the agency tossed out rules set in place by the previous administration that stopped ISPs (Internet Service Providers) from blocking traffic, or throttling back on traffic on the internet. Opponents have been concerned this will…
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Video streamers watch more traditional TV than anything else – by far
Nearly 60% of all US households own some form of streaming device. While video streaming is on the rise, it’s not an all-or-nothing thing. In fact, on a typical day, 93% of streamers also watch traditional TV, according to Nielsen’s Local Watch Report. More than half (51%) watch local TV…
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Bulls-eye marketing: Finding the sweet spot
To maximize the effectiveness of your advertising, you have to place it squarely in the target for consumers. You already know it’s not enough to have a great product. It’s not enough to assemble your unique selling proposition – what I call your Weapon of Mass Distinction. It’s not enough…
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Tracking the Equifax Hack Through the Dark Web
It’s been a year since hackers broke through security into the Equifax database – one of the world’s largest credit agencies – exposing the personal data of more than 143 million people. This put credit card accounts, credit histories, social security numbers, and other personally-identifiable financial information into the hands…
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With the Rise of Ad Blockers and Privacy Concerns, Can We Reverse “Ad Avoidance?”
Let’s face it. Most folks don’t like ads. They put up with them in order to get free access. But these days, more people are saying “enough is enough.” Consumers are bombarded by more than 10,000 messages every day. Is it any wonder they are trying to avoid looking at…
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What ads most lead to purchases: TV, Facebook, or YouTube?
It’s the first time a study like that has been done. Karen Nelson Field us a marketing science professor. According to Spots N Dots, she exposed more than 2,500 people to a variety of advertisements (more than 18,200) to study their impact on behavior. One of the more interesting parts…
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Restaurants are going cashless – how will it impact customers?
Sweetgreen restaurant chain is in the “fast casual” category, serving up healthy food choices. What isn’t on the menu is… cash. In 2017, they stopped taking cash at 64 locations. They are not alone. Cashless retailers are growing, especially in the restaurant category. Sweetgreen says it speeds up transactions by as…
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Google Chrome Browser Live with Built-In Ad Blocker
The new version of Google’s chrome browser is now live, with its built-in ad blocker. Here’s the short version of what it will block going forward: And here’s Google’s explanation of how it will work. Chrome – the world’s most popular web browser (56% market share) will automatically block ads…
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B2B Sales Techniques: Improve your Closing Ratio
If you’ve done your job right in leading your customer through the sale process, you’ve already done a needs analysis, customized a proposal, had some trial closes, and you’re ready to get down to business. The art of the sale is to find the customer’s pain points and then demonstrate how…
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Online Reviews Really Matter in Business
If you think online reviews aren’t affecting your business, here are a handful of statistics that might change your mind. SOURCE: Forbes The Value of Positive Reviews 90% of consumers say they read online reviews before ever visiting a business 85% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much…
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Three Steps to Dealing with Negative Online Reviews
Nobody likes to get a bad review. If you’re in business, though, a bad review online does more than just hurt your feelings. It can hurt your business. Half of U.S. consumer routinely check online reviews before making a purchase decision, according to a Pew Research study. You’ve gotten that…
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Seismic Shifts in Digital Marketing in 2018
As we look ahead to 2018, there are some clear pattern emerging when it comes to digital marketing and advertising. What’s in and out? Here are my predictions for 2018: Content Marketing, SEO, and Value Exchange With the reduced reach of social and the continuing fragmentation of media, marketers are finding…
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Major changes to online privacy – except in the U.S.
Some big changes are coming to online privacy, especially when it comes to companies like Google and Facebook. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) establishes a new set of rules designed to give people more control over their data. Think about how much of “you” is online. Things…
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Retail digital ad spend continues to grow, but TV dwarfs other media
eMarketer’s tracking of digital ad spend shows continued spending growth. They predict 2017 will see an increase of 15.8% in the retail sector -the largest spending category. They predict double digit growth in retail online ad spend through the next 3 years. Digital video, per eMarketer, will account for 31%…
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It’s been an amazing ride for Netflix
It’s been an amazing ascent by Netflix. Today, roughly half of all adults in the United State watch streaming content on Netflix at least once in a while. Let that stat from Civic Science sink in. 29% say they watched a few times a week or more! The growth in…
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Is Google Fiber sputtering? Dropping 8 markets and new television services
Is Google Fiber struggling? The rollout of high speed Gigabit internet has been slower than expected and the company has cut back on the markets where it’s installing. In October, it scrapped plans to expand into 8 markets. It’s been hampered by both the cost and time it takes to…
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My first book has been re-released as a free download on Amazon
My first book – “Weapons of Mass Distinction” – has been re-released and is available as a free download on Amazon. Get it here.
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Study: Media Measurement missing 66% of all video consumption
Global marketing company Omnicom handles ad services for more than 5,000 clients in over 100 countries. They are a big deal in ad circles. So, when they talk, people do listen. Here’s what they’re saying: 66% of TV and Video on content consumed by Millennials and Gen Xers is not…
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Bad ads can destroy brand credibility – and cost you money
Bad ads aren’t just hurting your brand. They’re hurting your sales. 60% of adults in the U.S. says they have stopped buying from a brand because they didn’t like its ad campaign, according to new poll from Civic Science. A great ad can bring new business and reinforce your brand…
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Facebook: Tracking your in-store visits and serving ads?
When ads target you on-line from where you’ve gone in the real world If clicking on a website once and having its ads stalk you wherever you go on-line wasn’t enough, now there’s real world targeting. Go to a physical store and they’ll re-target you online. Now Facebook appears to…
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Is my app/cell/cable provider down?
Here’s a great little website you can check when you’re having problems accessing your favorite app, your cell phone doesn’t work, or your cable is down to find out if it’s just you or a system-wide problem. Go to Down Detector to find out.
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Find out if your data was compromised in the Equifax breach – 143 million people are affected
Equifax, one of the world’s largest credit reporting agencies had a major data breach – affecting 143 million people (nearly half the US population). Released was personal data, and some 200,000 SS# and some credit card numbers. You can go online here to check and see if you are affected. …
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Some good news for the newspaper industry
Here’s some good news for the newspaper industry. Gen Z (under 18), 18-24-year olds, and 30-34 years olds are increasing their readership. Comparing traditional newspaper use (either in print or online) with the same study done in 2015, Civic Science found a stark increase among the youngest demos. Newspapers may…
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FTC investigates allegations of deceptive pricing tactics by Amazon
When a company like Amazon buys a company like Whole Food, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) takes a look at a lot of other things than just the business deal at hand. Reuters reports that the FTC is looking into allegations of misleading price tactics used by Amazon. The investigation…
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Branding when your name isn’t Apple or Google
Guest Post: Lara Davis Your brand is the core of your marketing, the central theme around your products and services. Your brand is not your Logo or your Company Name, unless of course you are Apple or Google. For people to come and hire you, or buy from you, your…
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Pebble (gone), Jawbone (liquidating) – is Fitbit next?
You couldn’t go anywhere this past holiday without seeing Fitness trackers all over the place. Just about any place that sold electronics, or the big department stores, all had Fitbit displays on hand – many of them right by the checkout lanes. Wow, what a difference a few months makes…
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FCC signals rollback on net neutrality rules; Nearly 11 million comments filed
Before the Federal Communications Commission takes action, it puts out proposals and asks for public comments. When it comes to net neutrality rules, the public commented big time. Nearly 11 million comments have been filed. There’s no question the issue is a lightning rod. In 2015, the FCC voted in…
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Get early access to Google beta projects
Google techs are expected to spend a portion of their time working on special projects outside their job area. Inside the company, they call it “Area 120.” It’s an incubator for experimental projects well before they are ready for release. Prior Area 120 projects included Google Maps, AdSense, and even…
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Ad Copy that sizzles and sells
GUEST POST: Adrian Posner, Posner Marketing A successful marketing plan relies heavily on the pulling-power of advertising copy. Writing results-oriented ad copy is difficult. There is no magic formula to write perfect ad copy. So how is any writer supposed to pen a piece of advertising copy that sizzles and…
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For every second it takes your mobile site to load, conversions drop by 20%
Use this free Google test tool to see how your site stacks up Google has updated its tool to test your website load speed to show you how many visitors you lose because it takes so long to load. 46% of people say the worst part of mobile browsing on…
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Amazon moves causes Best Buy to lose $1 billion in market cap overnight
Recode reports that Amazon has been hiring folks to provide in-home installations for electronics and smart home devices. The operation is up and running in 7 markets so far. Smart home gadgets are selling, but Amazon reports higher than normal return rates, in part because they can be tough to…
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News organizations ask Congress for authority to collectively bargain with Google, Facebook
The New Media Alliance represent almost 2,000 news organizations, primarily newspapers. This week, the organization starting asking Congress for some help in taking on the big internet companies. Call it a pre-emptive strike for collective bargaining with Google and Facebook. It’s no secret that Goo-book dominates digital advertising. In the…
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Disney, FOX, Turner lead media companies on social interactions
The Walt Disney Company maintains its #1 position with 327.6 million consumer interactions, making up 10.5% of total engagement within the media industry in the U.S., according to Sharablee, which tracks brand data on social media. Disney also saw 33% growth in content shares and 22% growth in video views.
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The case for content marketing
The rise in content marketing in advertising circles is staggering. From native ads to blog posts, articles, and videos, it’s re-framed how some businesses do marketing. The adoption of ad blockers and concern over where ads are placed has only accelerated the movement. It’s almost become a universal marketing tactic.…
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Mixing GPS location data with advertising
The privacy folks are about to have a whole lot of new things to worry about. We’ve all been cyber-stalked by ads following us around the internet. Publishers put a pixel, in most cases, on their website that tie into their ad network buys. This allows them to track where…
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Gmail will no longer scan your email and target ads
Did you even know that Google was scanning your Gmail messages and then targeted advertising to you based on the contents? They were. Now, Google says they won’t do it anymore. Well, kind of. They’ll still scan and use the info, but just not serve ads.
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What really drove the sale? When metrics lie
Let me take you back a few years, then we’ll jump ahead to the digital advertising world we live in now. Several years ago, I was talking to the owner of a small business one day about what drove customers to their store. She told me it was simple: the…
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Three questions for Ford’s new CEO
GUEST POST: University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business The future arrived early for Ford’s new CEO, Jim Hackett, who recently replaced Mark Fields after the automobile giant lost patience with its former leader just three years into his tenure. David Kirsch, a management and entrepreneurship professor at the University of Maryland’s Robert…
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New study links social media use to less gray matter in your brain
Too much Facebook = less brain cells, according to a study in the medical journal Behavioral Brain Research. The researchers did MRI scans of active 85 Facebook users. “Higher daily frequency of checking Facebook on the smartphone was robustly linked with smaller gray matter volumes of the nucleus accumbens,” the…
Paul Dughi.com 