Since the dawn of social media, we’ve grown accustomed to the feed. We were fine with our FOMO-fueled vertical scrolling–until stories came along and changed the game. Even the most resource-challenged CMOs are realizing the need to develop their story strategy, a decision supported by three key drivers: engagement, visibility and insights. Engagement If there…
This year’s trends in HR and recruitment show many exciting developments that aim to redesign job hunting and employee selection. AI is increasingly used to refine recruitment processes with machine efficiency and use of big data. Employee referrals, perhaps the opposite of AI automation, are another major trend. According to PayScale, more than a third…
People from all walks of life use cannabis. From soccer moms to Rastas to seniors to rappers to lawyers to kids with epilepsy. Across certain U.S. states, Colombia, Canada and Germany, you will find people using the plant recreationally and medicinally. However, if you look at the media and emerging marketing in this space, what…
My entrance into the ad industry was somewhat accidental, but even now, I’d call it fated. Having graduated from Parsons after spending time in both New York and Paris, I was looking for a creative gig. Then a fellow student called with me in mind, saying there was a position at Donna Karan for which…
There’s a new video platform in town: TikTok. As with the arrival of any new platform the burning question for marketers is what role TikTok will play in a strong video content strategy. TikTok blends Musical.ly’s focus on music with a priority on snappy and entertaining videos. The app currently has 500 million monthly users…
African-Americans greatly influence the consumer landscape, from fashion to travel to music. As an incredibly diverse consumer group, we don’t fit into a single multicultural segment, instead spanning every demographic and sociographic. And in the last decade, we’ve evolved dramatically from being passive consumers to active participants in shaping the direction and purpose of brands….
I interact with the C-suite of many agencies in role. That’s how I met and came to know Danielle Austen, founder and CEO of fluent360. What’s interesting about her story is the multiple diverse intersections represented: an African-American female founder and CEO whose agency has a unique partnership with a holding company and who possesses…
Creating meaningful connections between brands and consumers has never been more critical or more complex. Consumer trust is at an all-time low, the traditional agency model is officially disrupted and the expectation of brands to “do well by doing good” is the new normal, meaning brands must ensure they are taking a stand on social…
Over the last 12 years of working in marketing and advertising, there’s been a major shift, and the topic of diversity and how it impacts our day-to-day lives is more prominent now than ever. While some companies put a focus on creating an inclusive and diverse workforce and are being rewarded for doing so via…
Recently, Netflix’s Strong Black Leads spun off a podcast series called Strong Black Legends, hosted by writer Tracy Clayton, spotlighting Hollywood legends of color. This is an extension of Strong Black Leads, an important effort by Netflix to talk authentically with and about black audiences. Netflix is never one to back away from a controversy,…
Let’s talk about what diversity is not. Diversity is not hiring a person of color or a female executive to save a predominantly white company from public backlash. Diversity is not recruiting culture creators from different ethnicities to serve as global ambassadors of top companies in exchange for checks that represent only a fraction of…
Marketing is an industry that constantly evolves due to the ever-changing ways in which people engage with content and campaigns. From the invention of the television to the frequent changes in social media algorithms, marketers have to stay up-to-date not only on the latest media and ways to market but also regarding who we’re marketing…
It’s been an interesting 25-plus years as a black man in Adland, a journey that’s taken me around the world and brought me both to the agency- and client-sides of the business. I suppose I could sum up my experience by remembering that while Martin Luther King Jr. beautifully urged that we “be judged by…
Before the rise of digital and social media, consumers had to rely on information from television, radio and print periodicals and newspapers. Unlike today, consumers didn’t have instant access to the latest news, entertainment and product information. As a young African-American growing up in a predominantly white suburb of Chicago, we were the first family…
As influencer marketing has become an essential aspect of most companies’ marketing programs, it’s natural that many are considering building out a specific team dedicated to influencer collaborations. In fact, 73 percent of brands report having some sort of in-house team, and 90 percent of brands report that their influencer marketing workload has grown over…
On Feb. 20, 18-year-old basketball phenom Zion Williamson blew out his Nike PG 2.5 shoes during Duke’s game against UNC, sending him off the court with a knee injury. This single broken shoe may have altered Nike’s trajectory over the next decade. After all, the fate and reputation of shoe brands rest as heavily on…
In today’s business economy and at almost every company, there is no shortage of data. Savvy professionals and teams are collecting data about their marketing performance, customer behavior, sales funnel and competition. Unfortunately, for many companies, this information is sitting untapped or not being used to its full advantage. Few businesses can thrive–let alone survive–if…
The conference circuit is rife with people preaching about disruption and missed opportunities. Did you hear how Apple redefined the music industry? How about how Uber rearranged the business of personal transportation? I bet you have. Well, what about that time when the marketing world sat on the sidelines and missed the video game revolution?…
The world is moving toward a more sustainable future. At this point in human history, there’s simply no alternative. Either we do this and do it fast enough to confront the crisis, or we face some pretty dire consequences. It will take a concerted effort from every corner of the globe to realize true sustainability….
Brand mergers and acquisitions often signal business growth and prosperity, but they don’t come without challenges. While many focus on the obvious aspects of M&A like shareholder value, areas like consolidating customer data and integrating IT systems, platforms and applications are often overlooked. Given that data is core to delivering a personalized consumer experience for…
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
