Chief Creative Officer & Partner
MCD Partners
2) Lately, I have been telling my clients to take a closer look at all things T-Mobile. They’re a good example of how empowering a good company culture can be, and why culture is the key to making meaningful connections with customers, especially in our real-time, multi-channel marketplace.
T-Mobile have this customer-obsessed way about them that you just can’t fake. It inspires everything they do across its organization, big and small, and it’s what drives its customer experience. They have a clear point of view that immediately informs the brand around how to behave at every touchpoint, from advertising and social, to retail, product and service. Looking at its business results, you have to admit its emphasis on cultivating a good culture is working.
Also, on a personal note, a few weeks ago I was traveling to see a client who says I’ve become a bit “T-Mobile crazy.” So while sitting on a plane at the airport I tweeted T-Mobile’s CEO John Legere and asked for advice. “How could I get my client to be more like T-Mobile?” Eight minutes later, before my flight even pushed back, Legere responded. “Listen to customers, shut up and do what they say!” Well, I relayed the message and this week that same client confessed that she just switched to T-Mobile. A good and strong company culture is everything.
4) We are going to see brands get more creative with influencer marketing by the end of this year. In some ways, it’s still early days, but I suspect more industries are soon going to find its way into this space, and in a big way.
Social influencers have been a great accelerator for start-ups and small businesses alike. Influencers have become essential in the entertainment, fashion and beauty worlds as well. While at times many efforts can seem a bit on the nose, there is room with influencers to move beyond product awareness, reviews, and trials. Influencers can help brands tackle harder issues, including brand perception and legacy issues.
To be fair, most companies are still learning what works in this space, but as the fastest growing media audiences are watching videos that start with some version of “Hey guys,” they better learn fast. When money starts moving in from bigger industries, it is going to be an interesting space to watch.
6) Through our M&C Saatchi network, we are affiliated with MAJORITY. MAJORITY is a production company that is tackling gender disparity in advertising and film by meeting it head-on with a meticulously cultivated, vibrant and distinct roster of female directors.
Based in Los Angeles, MAJORITY represents a wellspring of established and previously untapped independent filmmakers who are at the cutting-edge of their craft. They are an immensely talented group who are moving the needle toward gender parity behind the lens, while creating exceptional content, and we are proud to be affiliated with them.
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More