HubSpot’s CCO on Why We Need to Talk About Growth

HubSpot’s CCO on Why We Need to Talk About Growth

“G-R-O-W-T-H”: a simple, six-letter word that has become remarkably difficult to say in recent weeks. For years, “growth” had been on the lips of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, journalists, and economists across the business world. A proxy for progress. An indicator of ingenuity. The ultimate sign of success. And then, the world changed. The uncertainty that has enveloped our communities and economies has jolted all of us into a new reality. And in this new environment, growth is a tough topic to broach. While a few companies are experiencing accelerated growth as a result of dramatic shifts in consumer behavior, most are facing significant challenges. And it is survival, not growth, […]

Resolving consumer identity – more important than ever

Resolving consumer identity – more important than ever

Things happen. People react accordingly. That’s why brands must be ready to quickly shift their marketing tactics. Snow in the forecast? A hardware store should move snow shovels front and forward.  Home team in the championship game? An apparel company should be ready for a huge run on team gear. But rarely, if ever, has consumer behavior been altered as quickly and dramatically, on a global scale, as during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020.  Predictable consumer behavior and marketing conventional wisdom have been upended on a massive scale. People who never considered buying groceries online now do so weekly.  Customers who have always done their banking face to face are now […]

What Readers Want During COVID-19: B2B Edition

What Readers Want During COVID-19: B2B Edition

I couldn’t believe the response to my last post about coming up with content ideas in the B2C space during COVID-19. Thank you to all who read and commented — I truly hope it was helpful. One piece of feedback we received was an ask to see some B2B content ideas, which, frankly, is an excellent subject. At first I was stumped about how to determine this, but then I decided that a different tool could do the trick. Exploding Topics, the new tool by Brian Dean (Backlinko) and Josh Howarth, explores topics that are surging in popularity but haven’t hit their peak. This time around, rather than focusing on […]

Facebook Shares New Data on the Psychological Impacts of Social Comparison, and How It Can Be Reduced

Facebook Shares New Data on the Psychological Impacts of Social Comparison, and How It Can Be Reduced

Do you ever scroll through your Instagram feed and feel like you’re not doing enough with your life? Do you ever see Facebook updates from old friends and feel inadequate in your own everyday struggles and issues? Social comparison is a real and significant issue with social media platforms – but it’s also an unrealistic and unfair measure to put on yourself. The thing is, you’re looking at someone else’s highlights. Not many people post about their daily challenges and issues, but they do post about their wins – which means that while it may seem like their lives are great, and better than yours appears to be, nobody’s perfect. Everyone […]

TikTok Tests eCommerce Potential with ‘Small Gestures’ Virtual Gift-Giving Process

TikTok Tests eCommerce Potential with ‘Small Gestures’ Virtual Gift-Giving Process

TikTok has launched a new initiative called ‘Small Gestures‘ which enables users to send free, virtual gifts from a range of brand partners within the app. As explained by TikTok: “By collaborating with our brand partners on this new program, we’re able to give users a platform to feel connected with their friends and family through the small gesture of sending a gift to someone who might need it most. And thanks to our generous partners, these ‘Small Gestures’ are offered free for all TikTok users to send gifts up to three separate times.” Free? Yes – although the gifts on offer are fairly promotional in nature, without playing down […]

Apple and Google Release Updated Details on COVID-19 Tracing Process

Apple and Google Release Updated Details on COVID-19 Tracing Process

After many questions were raised about the new Google/Apple contact tracing API, which will enable health authorities to send alerts to people who’ve potentially been in contact with someone who’s tested positive for COVID-19, the tech giants have announced some updates to the system, which they’re aiming to make available for use by regional health bodies early next month. The new Google/Apple API will, potentially, be the largest data-tracking tool ever created, which understandably has put many privacy advocates on edge. Through the process, all iOS and Android devices would be able to ‘communicate’ with one another for the purposes of contact tracing – so whomever you cross paths with […]

New Twitter Data Underlines the Emergence of Gaming – and Marketers Need to Take Note

New Twitter Data Underlines the Emergence of Gaming – and Marketers Need to Take Note

If you’re not paying attention to the influence of gaming on modern culture, you’re missing out on maybe the biggest shift in how the next generation connects. Gaming is set to become a $196 billion market by 2022, and five of the top 10 channels on YouTube in 2019 were directly connected to the gaming community. Gaming is fast emerging beyond a subculture, with gaming crews like FaZe Clan helping to take it mainstream. Even rapper Travis Scott recently launched his latest music via a transformative live event in Fortnite, which saw 12.3 million concurrent viewers logged in to take part. [embedded content] And amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, gaming is getting […]

Facebook Outlines a Range of New Video Tools, Including Messenger Rooms for Group Video Hangouts

Facebook Outlines a Range of New Video Tools, Including Messenger Rooms for Group Video Hangouts

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced a range of new video tools across Facebook’s family of apps, in order to meet demand and evolving use-cases during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Zuckerberg made the announcements via Facebook Live stream, noting that with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic set to carry on for some time, live video is likely how we’re going to see a lot more announcements and events. Here’s what’s coming to Facebook’s various video tools. First off, on video calling – which Zuckerberg says is the most used type of video interaction in its apps around the world. Catering to this, Facebook will soon double the capacity of group video […]