What’s In This Issue?
This Week’s Main Stories
Story 01BBC Newscaster Realizes On Air That A Story Isn't Newsworthy
Story 02Google's Cupcake Problem Shows The Dangers Of Tunnel Vision
Story 03How Diverse Are US Newsrooms? Not Very ...
Story 04Why You Can Focus In A Noisy Coffee Shop, But Not A Noisy Office
Story 05Snickers Launches Plan To Sell Candy Bars Based On Emotions
Story 06The Ad Council Helps Connect Creative Marketing Pros With NonprofitsBBC Newscaster Realizes On Air That A Story Isn't Newsworthy
In this short video of a BBC newscaster reporting about the "Royal Baby" announcement, you see a rare moment of truth where newsman Simon McCoy shows us what he really thinks about reading a relatively unimportant announcement as if it was "Breaking News," when he knows it clearly isn't. Which leaves us with the perfect irony: the most truthful thing you'll see in the media today is a newscaster accidentally that the breaking news he's about to share isn't actually worth your attention.
Google's Cupcake Problem Shows The Dangers Of Tunnel Vision
Recently Google engineers tested a Maps feature that equated the distance you walk to a number of mini-cupcakes you would burn off in equivalent calories. The only problem is, their fun little cupcake idea was a trigger for some people with eating disorders and others were just annoyed at the unsolicited suggestion. The feature and backlash illustrate a common issue when it comes to product or feature design ... the people who like it don't care enough to tell you that, and the people who hate it complain so loudly that the idea dies without really having a chance.
How Diverse Are US Newsrooms? Not Very ...
In this data visualization, the shift in diversity of both race and gender in newsroom staff and leadership across the country is analyzed with some interesting results. The newsrooms overall, as you probably expect, are overwhelmingly white and skewed toward men. More interesting is the fact that over the past 15 years the Washington Post and NY Times have come closer to gender equality, while the USA Today has gone the opposite direction. There is lots more food for thought in the visualized data if you visit the link for this story.
Why You Can Focus In A Noisy Coffee Shop, But Not A Noisy Office
For years one of my favorite tools for writing is a website called Coffitivity which simulates the background noise of a coffee shop. I find this little tool a perfect backdrop for writing and use it almost every day. In this article, author David Burkus shares some research behind why having this type of “white noise” in the background can be so beneficial for driving creativity and help you be far more productive than demanding quiet. It turns out, you don’t really need silence to concentrate – you need a lack of interruption.
Snickers Launches Plan To Sell Candy Bars Based On Emotions
Forget using tech and big data for personalization - Snickers has a better idea ... just let people tell you how they are feeling. The new versions of their "hunger bar" (as they are now calling their product) which will come out in June 2018, branded along with the emotion that they might fit with (like Salty&Sweet for "Indecisive"). It's a fun idea that might even work on a subconscious level you head toward the checkout, find a long line and pick up an Espresso-flavored Snickers bar just because it promises to help you if you're feeling irritable.
The Ad Council Helps Connect Creative Marketing Pros With Nonprofits
I admit that despite my many years working in marketing and advertising I have never been lucky enough to work on an Ad Council pro bono campaign, but have routinely admired them. Now they have teamed up with Taproot to launch a wonderful site designed to help nonprofits access free professional support from a variety of marketing professionals with different skills. Projects currently available include everything from helping to design websites to providing voice over services. It's a great concept, great cause and worth your time to see how you can help.
