I hope you’re well and enjoying this long Leafs playoff run (wait, what?!) I’m busy prepping for a few exciting digital marketing training initiatives, and have updated a deck that synthesizes data on the digital marketing landscape in Canada. It includes solely Canadian data from the last 12-months, and covers topics including device ownership / usage, social media, ecommerce, and more. You can download it here.
And thank you to those who reached out about the Canadian Digital Adoption Program (CDAP). It’s a great opportunity for small and medium sized businesses to get $15,000 of digital strategy consulting, plus access to a $100k interest free loan and $7k wage subsidy. It’s a no-brainer for businesses making $500k+ per year to gain funding for digital marketing and technology improvements. Reach out if you’re interested in learning more :-)
AI + X
The era we’re in now with AI reminds me of when I first became interested in the Internet. I had just finished my MBA thesis on consumer behaviour and the Web (when there weren’t yet consumers on the Web), and was reading Wired magazine and Nicholas Negropointe books. Everyone seemed to be imagining the same thing at the same time: “what if we add the Internet to X?”. Now, everyone is imagining “what if we add AI to X” and we’re seeing a wide range of interesting discoveries:
Adding AI to music is in the news with the release - and quick removal - of a song created with AI tools that featured ‘fake Drake’ (here’s a great Daily episode on the whole ordeal). It seems that the music industry is trying to figure out how face AI as it poses obvious risks to music rights-holders. Some artists are leaning into the technology, and new generative AI-focused music producer communities and music streaming platforms have emerged. Must remind music execs of the Napster-era - eek!
SOCIAL NEXT
Speaking of music, I’ll be speaking about digital marketing trends at the National Conference for Orchestras Canada later this week. One of the topics that I’ll be speaking about (and by speaking, I mean a combination of mumbling, pacing, and generally averting eye-contact) is the future of social media. It feels like we are moving into a new era for social platforms, where people migrate to more, smaller, specialized, private spaces. This research paper refers to this future state as the ‘pluriverse’ consisting of Very Small Online Platforms (VSOPs) – in case you’re looking for a few new digital buzzwords.
One social trend that continues is the TikTokification of media and attention. For all the shit that Mark Zuckerberg took for ruining Instagram, people spent 24% more time on the platform after it launched its TikTok-style Reels (short, vertical, algorithmically driven videos). While I don’t have plans to move from newsletter writing to TikTok dancing, I do sincerely love the creativity on the platform – from disgusting food and recipes designed to trigger people to real-life moments composed as Wes Anderson movie scenes. This format is being taken to the extreme with ‘sludge videos’ that feature a patchwork of videos within a single video.
FRESH RESOURCES
2023 Digital Media Trends (Deloitte): Some fascinating research that showcases the difference in ‘digital attitudes’ between age groups; 50% of Gen Z / Millennials believe online experiences are meaningful replacements for in-person experiences vs. 19% for Gen X, Boomers, and Matures.
10 Big Idea Examples (Julian Cole): A great resource from communications strategist Julian Cole that describes what an "Idea Platform" is, with 10 clear examples. Helpful if you’re looking for ways to explain or align teams on the concept.
Creatives on Strategists (Alex Morris): I’ve always believed that Creative Teams are the real ‘clients’ for strategists in advertising agencies. Here’s a fun deck on what Creative Teams are looking for.
The Visual Economy Report (Canva): I don’t recall seeing this topic covered before, but it's smart – research on the importance of design in business communications. Sorry, your PowerPoint SmartArt chops aren’t going to cut it!
COOL BEANS
Winamp is Back: Not sure what’s more shocking, that the OG desktop music listening service is coming back or 83 million people still use it.
Mixed Reality Controls: Very cool text / prototype video of how you might be able to control your entire environment through mixed reality controls.
Smart Dating Glasses: Now for not-so-cool mixed reality – smart glasses that tell you what to say on a date using GPT-4. If he/she is still into you while you’re wearing these glasses – I think you’re good.