AI seems a bit scary but it will come with some benefits and trust us when we say it will come. People are already utilizing artificial intelligence in advertising and marketing. It’s pretty much inevitable that it will become part of our daily lives in the not so distant future. So, with that, how will it affect SEO? This is what we found.
Paternity Leave at Ad Agencies
“Fathers who get longer paternity leave have been shown to have an even closer relationship with child for a lifetime,” according to an study done by Petts, Knoester and Waldfogel. When we’re talking about equality for all, it’s important to consider the fact that some fathers want to spend these first few months with their newborn. Yes, mothers need the time to recover from birth, etc. but is it not fair to offer men some leave in order to bond with their family in those formidable moments?
Successful Business Partnerships
A business partnership is like a relationship. Success depends on communication, negotiation/compromise, collaboration and mutual investment. Turns out, “65% of businesses fail due to conflict and relationship breakdown between partners,” according to Harvard Business School. Both relationships and business partnerships are complicated so it’s important to follow some guidelines in order to be successful.
Co-Branding
We’ve all heard of branding so what is co-branding? It’s just as it sounds really. It’s a marketing strategy in which two (or more) parties work together in order to increase visibility and profits while reducing costs. It has mutual benefits to both parties and typically between two brands that have interests that align. There is one difference here that makes it co-branding and not co-marketing and that is that the partnership is created in order to promote a new product or service. Co-marketing is a partnership between two parties where they promote existing services/products or a one off. So, why use co-branding? The benefits include those listed above as well as increasing customer base, perceived value, loyalty and creation of higher quality products/services. There are some distinct co-branding strategies.
Persuasion Tactics: The Rhetorical Triangle
At the heart of all persuasion tactics are the age-old Ethos, Lagos and Pathos. But, when we think of these tactics, we don’t necessarily think of The Rhetorical Triangle. Around 2,000 years ago, Aristotle taught these in order to improve a speaker’s ability to persuade an audience. But, in advertising, they invoke action taken by the viewer. The three of these are called the “three pillars of persuasion” in the ad world.
Decision Making in Business
We’ve all had to make tough decisions in life at one time or another. Whether it be in our professional or personal lives, the process is always the same. It always involves identifying the goal, collecting all the relevant information and finally, weighing out the options to make the best choice. The benefit to making sound decisions is that they will stand the test of time, they weigh out all possible outcomes, they can eliminate conflicts of interest, it creates less second-guessing and provides somewhat of a roadmap. There are so many types of decision-making models out there. Ethical, formal, 5/6/7/8 step processes, analytical hierarchy process, rational, managerial, etc. The list goes on and on. Your goal can help determine your process. Let’s just look at the 8-step decision making process as an example.
Digital Privacy
Digital privacy has been a hot button topic for a while now since third party cookies were removed from Google. Digital privacy is not only important for individuals, it’s important for brands as well. Every action that we take is tracked. We all leave a digital footprint that can identify us. It’s for this reason that it can be easily stolen. That being said, one of the most important reasons that brands must protect their data is because they collect multitudes of data on every customer they have.
What’s the Difference Between UGC and Stock Footage?
At this point we should all know what user-generated content is but for those of you that may not… UGC is any content created by consumers and brand advocates in a natural and organic way that typically has nothing to do with the brand in particular. It can be video, photos, music, art, and even blogs. The benefits of using UGC in advertising is paramount and extremely effective in creating emotional connections with brand audiences. It creates trust through transparency.
Digital Brand Protection
We’ve written articles on brand reputation in the past and how important it is to success. That being said, the digital space can ruin it in mere seconds. So, how do brands go about protecting their name on the internet? Well, there are so many variables to be considered, such as reviews, cyberattack, etc. but the short answer is digital brand protection. It is simply defined as the efforts of a brand to protect its intellectual properties, such as name, logo and any content related to the brand online, although it is much more complicated than it sounds. Here are some things that a brand will have to look out for when protecting their IP’s online:
Economic Trends
Yesterday we wrote an article on the economic cycles, so what is the difference between that and an economic trend? A trend is the direction that the market is moving over time. The cycle, as we learned yesterday, is the different periods that the economy goes through. Economic trends show you what part of the economic cycle we are moving towards. Trends can go up, down or sideways. Upward is how it sounds, and wages are rising. Downward means that the economy is shrinking and unemployment is rising. Sideways just means it’s a steady economy. There are some indicators to look at in the market to see what trend may be occurring, such as gross domestic product, unemployment and consumer confidence. Others include:
Economic Cycles
“Change is the only thing that is constant”
-Heraclitus
Economies cycle between expansions and contractions naturally. These changes are due to employment levels, interest rates, supply and demand, etc. There are four stages in the cyclic pattern: expansion, peak, contraction and trough. Expansion is when GPD is increasing and unemployment is decreasing. The peak is a turning point in which output begins to decrease. Contraction or recession is defined as output decreasing and unemployment increasing. The trough is where recession ends and output begins increasing again. We can dive a little deeper into the characteristics each of these.
Carbon Accounting
Carbon accounting has become an important aspect of businesses attempting to reduce their carbon footprint and have more ethical values. Consumers want greener brands that they can support while still being able to sleep at night. A lot of people have refused to back brands that aren’t nowadays. We completely support this and realize that carbon accounting is crucial for brands. And no, not just so your audience will like you, so corporations are helping do their part to make the planet a better place. So, how does carbon accounting work?
Developing Mental Toughness
Grit, perseverance, resilience… What is mental toughness and why is it important at work? We know it when we see it but it’s very hard to define. We typically think of athletes who just refuse to give up but the same kind of mental toughness can be seen in CEO’s and those in high position roles. If you think you’re lacking in the mental fortitude don’t stress, studies say that it’s a trait that can be learned. Mental toughness includes keeping cool under pressure, staying strong in your self-belief, motivating yourself and maintaining focus on what matters. According to Paul Lyons, founder of Mental Toughness Partners, the 4 C’s are key to having mental toughness.
Creating Your Management Philosophy
We’ve written an article on the different types of leadership styles so how does one go about creating a management philosophy? It will first depend on who you are and your goals as a leader. It’s important to have a managing philosophy in order to stay grounded. It’s your compass and you will feel more confident as a leader. Here are some other things to consider when creating your management philosophy.
Types of Bonds That Drive Brand Loyalty
Brand loyalty is crucial to success. Not to mention, it’s the best type of advertising through WOM. Brands that have a solid community through brand loyalty understand their customers on a deep level. They seek out this information in order to know what makes their audience tick. Loyalists can be either hard core, split, shifting, or switchers. You want hard core but that won’t always be the case.
No Mow May
What is “No Mow May?” This new monthly trend for the month of May this year is for the planet health. Although it started in 2019 in the UK, we’ve really only been hearing the term thrown around a lot this year. The idea is that people are allowing their lawns to grow without mowing, watering or fertilizing. Yes, your lawn may look a mess but it’s for a good cause. It helps bees get an early boost with flower growth. It’s estimated that roughly 80% of lawns taking part support about 400 bees per day.
Neurodiversity in the Workplace
Did you know that 15-20% of people are estimated to be neurodivergent? We know, it sounds like something from the movies, but it is a real term. It describes, “the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one ‘right’ way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits,” according to Harvard Health. This includes conditions, such as ADHD, dyslexia, Asperger syndrome, dyspraxia and autism.
Ways to Support AAPI Heritage Month 2023
Every May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Bet you didn’t know that it was originally a week and President Jimmy Carter was the one who designated it into law in 1978. In 1990 George Bush extended it to an entire month and in 2009 Obama changed the name to its current one. AAPI are the fastest growing group in the United States according to the Pew Research Center. Here are some ways to support the AAPI communities not just this month but all year long.
Content Intelligence
This is a new term being thrown around in the digital space but what is it exactly? It’s a technique that uses AI and software to measure the impact of content in order to give insights on what content should be used the most according to effectiveness. I mean, we do it all the time when we check the insights on Instagram from our posts. This is a human example of creating content intelligence. The beauty of using software & AI is that it streamlines the process for you. Typically, software includes metrics/reporting, analysis, automation and management tools for your brand content. Some benefits include:
Adaptive Leadership
Think about the two words here. Adaptive: the ability to make suitable requirements or conditions; adjust or modify fittingly. Leadership: person who guides or directs a group. Put these two together. Someone who guides others through their ability to adjust or modify fittingly to the situations. Why is this important? Businesses are constantly changing with their respective fields so it’s vital to have leaders that can do the same. They should also be able to somewhat predict challenges that may arise, what risks are worth taking and they are open to constructive feedback. Adaptive leaders embody the 4 A’s:
