Never have more than 4 KPIs.
If you have more: 1. There is a real possibility there is no purposeful strategy in place. 2. Data is not having any impact in the company, because, as below... 17 KPIs = The Death of Analysis.
How to simplify focus, and reduce data pukes, is in my latest newsletter.
China, living in the future.
I sincerely appreciate the focus on building a simple, available now, exoskeleton that helps you to walk up 7,000 steps!
In America, we seem to be chasing perfect human replacing Androids - maybe that will happen some way, but for... why not practical robots and AI?
My resignation letters have been anodyne two line affairs.
Hence, I love me a good resignation letter. 🙃
This one by Hagan Scotten is a fav.
I appreciate the masterclass in comms..
It is short.
It is precise - from what at the top, why in the mid, the plea at the end.
It is accessible.
It feels rude to bring up the Dunning-Kruger effect.
How do you tell an Extremely Senior Leader (ESL) they might be overestimating their expertise or ability?
My advice: t.ly/IV4uk
My work is entirely using the Google tech stack, and as I reflect on the avalanche of AI features being rushed out... Tom's cartoon is super incisive!
One day, AI will also enhance productivity. :)
OpenAI logo redesign
Which of these two is the new OpenAI logo?
The new one is “more organic and more human.”
[Logo redesigns are the first signs of company decline. They represent having so many money to lose focus on, that you deviate from Better Products, Better Service to... well... logos. More: t.ly/MjuH8 ]
There were several such ads, too much assumption of knowledge in the audience.
My experience is that such ads are more for Creative Directors to please each other. For it worked very well.
I did rank it as "Commercially Effective," exactly for the reason you mentioned: Focused on the product.
Which #superbowl #ads won you over?
Here are my rankings, in order of appearance:
*** Tops
[Story + Brand + Biz Impact]
Pfizer
Spring Football
Rocket (points for live tv integration)
Liquid Death
Little Brothers Little Sisters [/NFL]
Your Attention (Novartis)
Angelsoft
Nerds
Rest: t.ly/RfGA6
I appreciate the intent behind "perception is reality."
I still feel that it is a mistake to overlook that perception is NOT reality.
Reality is important.
(The older we get, the more perceptions set in, and we narrow the pathways to let reality in. Invest in avoiding it.)
One problem with Biz Dashboards is that they look out of the rearview mirror, exclusively.
If you want to out-compete, try to look out of the windshield.
Look at your Dashboard - hopefully not a data puke -, then look at the challenge ahead, competitive landscape, your strategic strengths... Go!
I'm betraying my age... Love this creative and copy!
#mantrastoliveby
[PS: Tip for Creative Directors: Please add the brand's name to your creatives. Even in real life, I had to take three steps out to look up at the shop's name. And here... As I share your fantastic work, no one knows who it is!]
We post about companies when something goes wrong. Let's do different.
I love Boll & Branch. t.ly/a2Can
They make fantastic towels, bedsheets +++. They pay farmers fair prices. They also pay it forward, like incredible donations to LA fire victims.
Shop: www.bollandbranch.com [NOT paid ad.]
Simple visuals rule!
1. Takes courage to pick just the Big Three or Four.
2. Nonjudgmental colors, very smart in inflamed times.
3. Detail is hidden, exposed on hover.
4. Counts are easy.
Well done AP Data Team: t.ly/F37YQ
YES!
Excited about my alma mater Ohio State's National Championship victory. It has been an up and down year, they came together and got on fire in the Playoffs.
Congrats to ND as well for a good game.
#ohioagainsttheworld
Good copywriting always brings me such joy. Here's a nice example...
Well played Lucky, well played!
One of the biggest sucks of all time: A/B Testing!
Of the "experience optimization" type.
My latest newsletter shares six technical and five human reasons why A/B testing in 2025 is a complete waste of time/people/money. Check your inbox to increase your Profits, or Premium: zqi.me/signuptmai
"It's not the ink, it's the think."
This quote, by Bob Mankoff, has had an immense influence on my approach to everything. I obsess about the think.
This, and other valuable lessons around data, marketing strategy, entrepreneurship, are in this amazing conversation: www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8uz...
If you are in NY, come to this (free!) event at Google's spiffy new office.
I'm obsessed with applying the "CFO Lens" to Marketing as a way of unlocking huge investment in Marketing, and resulting incremental impact.
Come learn how to think different. Sign up: croud.com/en-us/resour...
Marketing's "butterfly effect": Choosing the ad length of your creative can have incredible (painful?) implications on your budget.... If your objective is to drive outcomes, vs. just activity.
Think carefully, think end-to-end.
[More in my newsletter: "TMAI #431: Winning with Video Ads"]
My latest newsletter shares how a technical AI solution, "speculative endpointing," helped me understand me better.
This feedback: "You are not listening to what I'm saying."
It was important, and how AI helps me be better at who I am. Check the story in your inbox.
ROI is often measured wrong - ex just a function of Revenue and Media Costs. That's offering your Agency a free pass.
Measure ROI 3 or ROI 4.
Then, cry when it is negative
Then, fix it!
See picture below for a four-step magical journey to incremental Profits. Learn: Premium: zqi.me/signuptmai
It is mind-blowing what AI has accomplished in 2024 in the field of creative. (Checkout the prompt for the images below.)
Ask not what the AI can't do for you, ask what it can... And, the truth will set you free!
How real is the ROI your Agency/Ad Platform is claiming?
How about the less desirable cousin, ROAS?
Minimum Standard: ROI #3. Ideal Standard: ROI #4.
[ Formulas, watch outs, do mores, in my latest newsletter... Premium: zqi.me/signuptmai ]
Pretty soon, every company in the world will be an ad platform!
Amazon is not books/cloud services, it is ads.
Instacart is not delivery, it is ads.
Samsung is not TV, it is ads.
And, a much higher margin (and let's admit it, less hard work) business!
#adseateverything
The Best Business Metrics....
Just five to transform your company's ability to drive long-term profitability...
#foodforthought
It is a fair concern, Brian. Worthy of thought, care.
My sense is that every human revolution has come with similar challenges, though this one has more unpredictability. We overcame them, as an AI-Optimistic I believe we will overcome this one as well.
AI cannot do plenty of things today, and the ones it does also have errors/gaps.
Still.
When evaluating AI, it is productive to focus on what it can do. Because the version of AI you are using today is the worst it will ever be. It will only get better, occasionally in exponential leaps.
#imagine
Life finds a way... : )
#cowpaths
Last day in London, and just about the perfect view.
The red bus. Thames ferry. London Eye. My fav, the Shard. And... Rain. :)
It has been swell.
#toinfinityandbeyond
