Category Archives: Data

“Knowing what’s important”

Was how Charles Handy defined “wisdom” at a recent event- it has stayed with me It is particularly needed at the moment – as many in marketing are transfixed by new technologies and have persuaded themselves of two things a) change is pervasive and b) change getting quicker. This second statement has been taken axiomaticContinue reading ““Knowing what’s important””

The march of the matchmakers.

(Book review published in Market Leader: September 2016) Here are a few hours in the life of a modern everyman I picked up my IPhone and Googled the location of my coffee meeting. Then I summoned an Uber and, on the way, planned my holiday on Airbnb. At our meeting we checked out a YouTubeContinue reading “The march of the matchmakers.”

How China is changing the internet

This film is worth a watch to show how WeChat-which started as a messaging app- is evolving into a one stop killer app for search,social and shopping. (And you thought Google and Facebook were too powerful.). It’s success is due not to Chinese govt support but innovation to make the user experience a) very easyContinue reading “How China is changing the internet”

Big Data Bang at Somerset house

Data brilliantly presented can crystalise a complex issue and to make us think. Fans of David McCandless (information is beautiful) will find plenty of examples in this show-distillations of the world’s data, information and knowledge into beautiful, interesting and, above all, useful visualizations, infographics and diagrams. I expected to see this at the show andContinue reading “Big Data Bang at Somerset house”

The fight for your eyeballs

is the business model of media owners down the years- and that battle has now moved to your smartphone. Winning apps find ways to “scratch your itches”many times a day. Facebook  is the most energetic in enticing you back to their platform with a continuous flow of digital addiction-it started with “poking” for me andContinue reading “The fight for your eyeballs”

Experience/Service innovation through tech

Just back from the Marketing Society Annual conference where much of the talk was about how technology +data are leading to innovation. It’s all about brand building through better more personal experiences, services and speed of new products to market ( with advertising getting barely a mention.) What are good examples of this? Here is oneContinue reading “Experience/Service innovation through tech”

Virtual Reality, other innovations and what it might mean for brands

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dIvGaJZ8Cc This is worth a watch -especially from about half way through (Declaration of interest- Lars leads the team in which i work at Google -known as The Zoo). Lars explains what the Zoo is,what work it does and (most interestingly) introduces some of the cool stuff that we are going to see in Gaming andContinue reading “Virtual Reality, other innovations and what it might mean for brands”

The death of demographics and its consequences

Age and social class are no longer a reliable way to predict to beliefs and buying habits. Identities and tastes are fluid. In truth they may always have been but now the anonymity/freedom of city life means now we feel more liberated to express who really are.People from conservative cultures like China and India hankerContinue reading “The death of demographics and its consequences”

Nine predictions:what the digital revolution will bring

Pundits say that anyone who claims to know what the digital revolution will bring is engaged in a confidence trick. My experience of publishing books and articles about digital futures suggests four things -We can’t predict a decade ahead with any confidence -A technology trend that is against the grain of human nature will most likelyContinue reading “Nine predictions:what the digital revolution will bring”