Twitter is getting deeper into the customer service game, and in so doing, seeking to combat Facebook Messenger. DigiDay reports: Twitter is making it easier for brands to initiate a direct message when private information is needed, say a record locator or a credit card number, with a new button within a tweet that directly … Continue reading For Help, Hit “Send”
The Wall Street Journal has a thorough piece on the challenges of advertising on Podcasts. Namely, there’s no real way to track whether an ad has been heard, or even if a downloaded podcast has been listened to. And podcast advertising budgets are relatively small fries, compared to the big potatoes that are traditional media: … Continue reading Advertising on Podcasts
Fast Company ran an article yesterday on how the gourmet food magazine Bon Appetit shot its entire March issue on iPhones. The magazine’s creative director, Alex Grossman, observed: I’m not going to say we were making fun of ourselves as we did it, but so rarely, in making a magazine, does it mimic real life. I’m … Continue reading Good Enough
OK GO’s most recent music video, “Upside Down & Inside Out” is pretty stunning. Seriously, watch it now: What makes the video particularly interesting is the fact that it premiered on Facebook, not on YouTube. In fact, a visit to the band’s YouTube channel yields only a snarky prompt to watch the video on Facebook. Devoted … Continue reading The Stars Aligned with Facebook
The Next Web reports that running app Runkeeper was purchased by sneaker firm Asics. Runkeeper CEO Jason Jacobs wrote: When we look ahead, it seems clear that the fitness brands of the future will not just make physical products, but will be embedded in the consumer journey in ways that will help keep people motivated and … Continue reading Of Sneakers and Software
Yesterday, HBO announced that it had 800,000 subscribers on its standalone streaming service, HBO GO. CEO Richard Plepler was optimistic: “I wouldn’t say only 800,000 subs,” Plepler said in a response to an analyst who had used the word “only” in his question. “We’re just getting started. … I think we’re going to make a lot … Continue reading HBO’s Numbers
It seems like Kansas City has it all. First it gets Google Fiber, and now Ford has teamed up with Bridj, an on-demand shuttle bus company, to provide rides throughout KC: Ford, Bridj, and KCATA are pitching this project as the “first U.S. public-private collaboration [to] bring together a major US transit system, an automaker, … Continue reading Kansas City: Fiber and Ford
I had the opportunity to write a post about coffee on-the-go for the great folks over at Discovering Coffee. Check it out! Continue reading Coffee for the Road
President Obama wrote an article in The Wall Street Journal yesterday, outlining the need for increased cyber-defense, and his administration’s proposal to earmark $19 billion to overhaul government IT systems and address cyber threats. It’s about time. There were a couple of great lines: It is no secret that too often government IT is like … Continue reading The Obama Administration’s Cyber-Defense Funding Proposal
Bloomberg Business ran an article yesterday on the dilemna many residents of Israel face when ordering items online. Namely, expensive shipping fees and relatively long wait times reduce much of the incentive to order locally. Instead, the article asserts that many Israelis turn to foreign sellers – Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba chief among them – whose … Continue reading Small Country, Big Retailers, Few Options
Silicon Spatula 