In 1973, hip-hop was born. Fifty years ago at a party in the Bronx, roots were planted that, unbeknownst to the world at the time, would sprout a cultural movement that would change the trajectory of the music industry forever. As it stands today, through streaming platforms, music revenue is projected to double to about…
At one time, TikTok was dubbed “the million-follower factory” for its ability to catapult new users to fame and notoriety. Are those days gone? Over the last several months, there have been grumblings among creators that views are on a steady decline and follower growth is lagging. A cursory look at the top creators seems…
ICYMI: In February, Hilton Hotels & Resorts released a 10-minute TikTok video–yes, you read that correctly–that took viewers on a sprawling journey, spanning dozens of locations and multiple genres, featuring appearances from more than half a dozen beloved TikTok creators. Not only did the spot earn some 4 million views within its first two days…
Arpanet was created in 1969 as a way to share information between computers. It spawned not only the modern internet but also the first U.S. data privacy law, the Privacy Act of 1974, dictating how data should be handled by government agencies. Thus, data privacy legislation was born, and by its nature, carries a legal…
Although Asian Americans make up a significant portion of the U.S. population, there is still a lot of room for improvement in terms of creating a more inclusive and diverse creator economy. Unfortunately, Asian Americans are often overlooked and underrepresented in the media and advertising industries, resulting in only 3% of Asians feeling adequately represented…
The downturn in the fortunes of live audio, as implied by the recent withdrawal of both Spotify and Reddit from their respective ventures in this space, is not the story of a failed concept, nor a redundant platform. Instead, what we are witnessing is simply a large scale, but far from terminal, shift in response…
From the spectacle of the Super Bowl and the adrenaline of the World Cup final to the in-the-moment joy of Glastonbury or the Travis Scott X Fortnite Astronomical concert breaking lockdown boundaries–experiences are impactful, inspirational and endure in the memory. For marketers and brand managers, experiences can engage customers and bring brands to life in…
In 1932, the first African American could have integrated Major League Baseball by accepting a position on the Philadelphia Athletics. But for Romare Bearden to become their star pitcher, he would have to pass as white. An assumption can be made that Bearden asked himself, “Who does this serve?” Rather than play along, Bearden quit…
At Philo, we’ve observed an intriguing trend: It’s not unusual for a quarter of our daily subscription activations to come from customers who have subscribed to our service before. This phenomenon challenges the traditional notion of churn, as it’s not remotely a permanent loss of customers. While average churn rates may be higher in today’s…
In the midst of existential peril, turning to larger concepts outside of our material reality is a major comfort. Looking to the stars for inspiration and hope is a human reflex as old as time. But today, it can feel as though cultural conversions around “the universe” center on colonial, capitalism-fueled ideals–Elon Musk’s race to…
Sam Walton, founder of Sam’s Club and Walmart, famously once said, “There is only one boss: the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.” File that under quotes–also known as pre-tweets–that aged well. While decades have passed since that statement was…
I find that much of the world defines my queerness primarily by attraction to men. Fellow gay men know the stereotypical assumptions well: “My friend is gay, too. And he’s single!” “Moving to Austin, eh? You must have met a cowboy!” “You’ll love this ad. The guy is so hot.” Gayness, to me, is not…
Entering the workforce can be overwhelming for any young professional. For many, it’s not just about leaving the structure and stability of school; it’s also about learning the ins and outs of a particular industry, navigating office culture and adapting to a new routine. And for some, there’s an added layer, like having a learning…
Accessibility is a long word, and in an industry that loves truncating titles–KFC, BMW, UPS, REI–we need to embrace a11y. This numeronym (where numbers form an abbreviation) conveys that in between the A and Y of “accessibility,” there are 11 more letters. For many nondisabled people, accessibility can seem like a foreign concept that requires…
With the click of a button, you can buy almost anything under the sun from millions of sellers and have it on your doorstep in two days. Going to the airport? Download an app and skip to the front of the line. Need to send money to friends and family? A growing list of companies…
There are some marcom agencies where growth in their early years is nothing short of spectacular. Often–though certainly not exclusively–they’ll be in emerging, ultrafast-growth disciplines. This was once the case for “social” or even “digital” back in the day; now, it’s more likely to apply to areas such as influencer or the metaverse. For buyers…
Marketing leaders are experts at juggling competing priorities. At any given time, there are dozens of big ideas and business demands vying for space on our to-do lists. But when done right, working toward multiple goals shouldn’t scatter your focus. This year will be about understanding your customers on a granular level you may not…
As we celebrate Black History Month in the United States, it’s important to remember our purpose and goal to continue striving for racial equality and justice. We also need to recognize that for too long, the history and experiences of Black people have been marginalized and misunderstood. How can we tell a story we don’t…
We are living in an era of permanent change. What’s relevant to your customer today may be in their rearview mirror tomorrow. Sweeping shifts brought on by emerging technology, geopolitics, economic headwinds and a global pandemic have created both constant turmoil and opportunity for marketers. Indeed, not since the dot-com era have the stakes of…
In the pantheon of tried and true attention-grabbing content, the “in and out” list has stood the test of time. Who among us can resist these curated compendiums of where we have been and where we are going? Sure, sometimes the balance between pithy and pragmatic, aspirational and actionable is a bit off, but occasionally…
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