Global Perspectives is your regular round-up of the best marketing ideas and insights to inform and inspire. Here’s what’s grabbed our attention this week…
Big Tech break up
As readers of the GMA will know we believe that the biggest tech companies need to be broken up or at the very least regulated further. The concept of self regulation isn’t working. As Dina Srinivasan, Antitrust scholar at Yale said, leaving Facebook to regulate its own ad marketing is like “trusting J.P.Morgan to run the New York Stock Exchange”.
However we recognise that for regulators it’s complicated. China is not about to break up any of its dominant players so therefore it could be argued that breaking up tech companies in western countries will weaken our competitive position.
It’s also not technically easy especially as Facebook has been working to integrate the back office across its platforms, essentially turning them into one service. This may be clever but is it the right thing to do. Your data can now be shared across more platforms, allowing you to be “monetised” even more ruthlessly while stamping out competitive opportunities. It’s also emerged that post Brexit Facebook will be moving more of its UK customer data to the US – a significant challenge for data regulators and companies.
Jeff Bezos is a smart guy and he can see that the prevailing wind with legislators is that they must be seen to do something. Unlike Facebook they have an easy way to take the pressure off – spin out AWS.
For the last decade AWS was the cash cow paying for rapid expansion of Amazon’s global infrastructure and subsidized Amazons commerce platform. However the recent rapid growth of both businesses, driven partly by the pandemic means now is the perfect time to cut them loose. Both companies will then be able to pursue the growth strategies that are best for them while offering regulators an easy win. Win win as they say.
Shaking up search
Another search startup taking on Google – You.com, but maybe, just maybe this time it will be different. They have focused on areas they know customers worry about when using Google – data, privacy, paid results vs real results, fake reviews etc.
Like all who have tried before them it will only work if the quality of results matches Google, something no one else has managed yet.
Zoom but with added fun
Zoom is great for work but it has limitations for more social interactions. Mibo aims to put that right by enabling video calls in a fun, interactive way. Whether anyone cares is a good question and, of course, the long term business model may be challenged as we go back to real world social interactions.
Want more inspiring ideas and perspectives from around the globe? Sign up to our newsletter.
Strong but wrong
Are your marketing ideas getting a bit stale? Are you struggling to create something something that’s truly outstanding? Perhaps, you’ve been guilty of playing it safe.
The latest content from Content Marketing masters Velocity guides you through the benefits of being brave with ideas and willing to be wrong. Because great ideas never came from playing it safe.
Marketing is not all about tech
This year has seen creativity explode, from print covers to direct mail it seems that many are now seeing “traditional media” through new eyes. This very much follows the theme of one of my favourite books of 2020, Obsessed by Emily Heyward, a thought-provoking exploration of why brand is again the key differentiator – even for startups.
The UN’s open brief to the creative and marketing community around Covid education and prevention garnered over 17,000 responses, some open brief to the creative and marketing community.
For more reading don’t forget our open brief to the creative and marketing community, highlights from copy legend Herschell Gordon Lewis.
The best lists of best of lists
- I like this. Simple, useful content summarising key trends in content and SEO in 2020. Click around and enjoy.
- It’s been quite a year for TikTok. Here is a list of all the best creators, tools and videos so you can see what all the fuss is about.
- The best new marketing books for 2021. We haven’t read all of them but those we have deserve to be on the list so we reckon it’s pretty good.
- The always watchable Mark Ritson has his top 10 Marketing moments of 2020 (Video) you can watch the recording here.
- Econsultancy’s Ashley Friedlein’s digital trends post is a must each January and this year is no different. Staying with Econsultany their Trends Hub is a wealth of interesting content for every marketer.
- This is a very neat list of startup propositions which I wish I had found before now. If you need to know where you next competitor is coming from here is a good place to start.
- Tourist boards often put out shiny new ads for Xmas, a time when holiday booking excellerate. 2020 was a tricky proposition but many still tried – with mixed success. We highlight the highlights.
- Finally not related to business but worthy of your time is Bloomberg’s pictorial summary of 2021. Amazing images of a truly unique year.
What have you been reading this week? Let us know in the comments below.