How do we live in a world of constant distraction without giving up these digital tools that monopolize our attention, but provide value at the same time? Is it an all-or-nothing game? These are questions more people are asking as a result of the overwhelming success of the Netflix documentary The #SocialDilemma, which looks at the consequences of driving user engagement through so-called “bubble filter” algorithms, that increase utilization by showing us more of what we’re already watching, insulating us…
Not Every Voice Deserves an Audience; But You’re not Just Another Voice
My friend Damian Corbet just released a new book, “Social CEO, The: How Social Media Can Make You A Stronger Leader.” As he was developing the manuscript, he reached out to ask if I’d write the foreword. After reading his work, the answer was, “absolutely!” I asked if I could share the foreword with you here…. Not Every Voice Deserves an Audience; But You’re not Just Another Voice If you’re reading this I’m going to make a series of assumptions…
Lifescale Wins The Independent Press Award in Personal Growth Category
Wow everyone! I can’t believe it! Lifescale wins the Independent Press Award for best book in the “Personal Growth” category. This is a book that wasn’t on my roadmap. I wrote Lifescale after I observed in my work as a digital anthropologist that the pervasiveness of digital in our personal and professional lives was proving disruptive. And to be honest, I also wrote Lifescale as a journey to fix my world because I too was disrupted by my digital lifestyle….
The lost art of being present and making important moments matter
Oh, the irony. Recently on Facebook, I was presented with a memory from nine years earlier. It was a picture from my birthday dinner with a pile of phones strewn across a table. It was almost as if there were a sign that directed people to the table with instructions to leave their phone behind. It was December 8th, 2010 and we were once again in Paris for the annual gathering of the geeks at LeWeb organized by Loic and…
Sparking a Renaissance in Human Interactions and Relationships: Making Media and Networks Social Again
What started as a Twitter thread evolved into this post. Human interactions have expanded online over the last two decades. Instead of improving communication and strengthening close ties, it’s made the world move faster, communicate with less depth, and connect with people we’ll never get to really know. Perhaps, this is a time to rethink how we communicate and connect online to improve how we do so in the physical world as well. Community over commodity. Communication is an art,…
Coronavirus is bringing live social media video and humanity back into the spotlight
During a pandemic, when you’re asked to stay home for a long period of time, it’s only natural that humanity would find ways to come together. To say that people would flock to the internet, on-demand video, and social media was a given. When it comes to work, it was inevitable that employees would convene around remote working, messaging, and virtual meeting platforms. Conversations about enterprise social networks (ESNs) from the “enterprise 2.0” days are even making a comeback. Now,…
The 11 Digital Trends Shaping CX and Marketing in 2020
Each year, I help kick-off Brand Innovators Mega-Trends event during CES. In the opening keynote, I share the trends (and hopes) I would love brand executives to embrace in the new year. In 2020, the presentation focused on “11 Digital Trends Shaping CX and Marketing.” There are certainly more than 11 trends to follow, but in the context of this conversation, I focused on the convergence of AI, customer empathy, digital distractions and intentions, and the technology that connects the…
One Important Social Media Trend We Need to Think More About in 2020
It’s that time again where we explore what’s new and possible in the new year. My dear friend Lee Odden assembled a stellar panel of experts to share predictions and trends for social media marketing in 2020. While I’m not a social media marketer, I study how social media and digital trends are reshaping the human network and society online and offline. I’d like to share my thoughts with you here. I’d also love to hear your predictions and trends for the…
The Future of Fast Advertising is Born as Aviation Gin Saves the Peloton Wife in Clever Sequel
Bravo Ryan Reynolds! Bravo. A brilliant form of marketing is playing out right now from the likes of Ryan Reynolds and Aviation Gin on social media. It represents the next trend in advertising, or what I call “fast advertising.” If you’ve been following the Peloton marketing fiasco, then you will appreciate the ambitious (and/or audacious) marketing coup achieved by Aviation Gin’s new clever holiday commercial. Following Peloton’s release of its latest ad, “The Gift that Gives Back,” outrage instantly erupted over what consumers…
The Beginning of the End of Likes: Instagram Expands Tests Removing Likes from Public View to U.S.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri announced that the platform will start hiding “likes” for some U.S. users starting this week. This is an extension of a rolling test in seven countries around the world over the last several months. This is the moment that Mosseri shared the news. As you can hear from the audience reaction, it’s unclear how the market is going to react.https://twitter.com/WIRED/status/1192962986224128005 At face value, the move is commendable. Hiding likes is aimed at helping Instagram become “the…
