SnapChat officially changed its name to Snap, Inc. as the company restyles itself from a one-[major] hit app company into a digital lifestyle brand. To mark the occasion, Snap, Inc. introduced Spectacles, fashion and tech-forward sunglasses that record 10-second clips, which can then be uploaded to SnapChat Memories via wifi. Following the Apple playbook, Snap, Inc. also designed a fashionable case that doubles as a charger. Spectacles will be available this Fall and will cost $130. Spectacles are the result…
5 Tips for Reimagining Yourself in an Era of Digital Darwinism
Learning to do things differently will have a positive impact on your business. Recently, I had the chance to talk with Deep Patel for Entrepreneur to discuss the challenges and opportunities surrounding digital Darwinism. In the conversation, I  shared some of my work and observations about how living in an era of great disruption will ultimately humanize business (at least I hope). Following is a summary of our conversation and five prescriptions for surviving and thriving an era of digital Darwinism… 1. Reimagine yourself in an era…
Human-centered CX: Uniting stakeholders across the enterprise
Customer experience is said to be a top business priority for most companies around the world. Many experts agree that investing in CX establishes a competitive advantage against companies that choose to solely prioritise the bottom line. While customer experience is a noble and important catalyst for business transformation, becoming truly customer-centric requires an introspective approach. This takes stepping back to define what customer experience really means from the customer’s perspective – what they truly value and also whatâs primed,…
The Human on the Other Side of the Screen
I was in New York recently meeting with the IBM Watson team. While there, I had the the opportunity to sit with Robert Schwartz in the company’s Astor Place studio to record a podcast for a new series, “THINK Leaders,” which provides insights and advice on data-driven leadership for the C-suite. The conversation and the topics were quite provocative and eye-opening. So much so, that I wanted to share it with you here so that it may help, in some way,…
Uber Loses $1.2 Billion by Q2 2016: The Hard Costs of Innovation and Disruption
Goodbye sharing economy, hello to the on-demand economy… Bloombergâs Eric Newcomer reported that on a recently Uber quarterly call with shareholders, the companyâs head of finance, Guatam Gupta announced that Uberâs losses continue to escalate. Total losses in the first half of 2016 totaled an astounding $1.2 billion. According to Bloombergâs sources, there are several reasons for this. For one, subsidies for Uber’s drivers are responsible for the majority of the company’s losses globally. On top of that, Uber has been investing billions…
Why Do Many Politicians Use Music Without Artist Consent
Guest post by Monica Corton (@momusing) Via The Guardian: Rock band Queen have lodged the latest protest against Donald Trump after the presidential candidate played the bandâs famous anthem We Are the Champions at the Republican National Convention. âAn unauthorized use at the Republican Convention against our wishes,â the British band said in a succinct statement posted on Twitter. Whatâs a songwriter to do when a song is used without authorization by a politician who espouses opposite views? This increasingly is becoming…
Why I Study Disruptive Technology AND People
Sometimes I struggle with trying to stay present and relevant. There are so many thought leaders and personalities with exceptional marketing behind them. All I can do is share my work and hope it finds and helps you in your work. Every now and then, I open my door to personal interviews. I did just that for Kimberly McSweeney. I wanted to share that discussion with you here… Why do you study technology and its impact on society? What first sparked your…
Building a Brand Through Experience Design
Recently, I had the good fortune of conducting a joint interview with Don Schuerman, chief technology officer and vice president of product marketing at Pegasystems on the topic of customer experience. Don brought an intriguing perspective to the table from more than 20 years on the technology side, working directly with companies to operationalize digital initiatives. You can listen to the interview here, but I also wanted to share some highlights from the conversation: The market is changing, whether we like it or not: Customer expectations…
Build Platforms, Not Just Products
Guest post by David Rogers (@david_rogers), faculty at Columbia Business School and author of The Digital Transformation Playbook: Rethink Your Business for the Digital Age. This excerpt is from Chapter 3, on how businesses need to transform their strategy for competition. Download a full chapter at www.DigitalTransformationPlaybook.com In 2007, two recent graduates of the Rhode Island School of Design, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, were struggling to pay the rent on their apartment in San Francisco. When they heard that…
How to Be More Influential
Guest post by Jonah Berger (@j1berger), Professor at University of Pennsylvaniaâs Wharton School and author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On. This essay is based on his new book Invisible Influence: The Hidden Factors that Shape Behavior Who wouldnât want to be a bit more influential? Whether trying to nail that big interview, convince a client, or get the neighbor to finally trim their hedges, most people would love to be a bit more persuasive. So how do we do that? Imagine youâre stuck…
