4GenNow talks with Launching Labs Marketing about their successful intergenerational family business.
Everyone Is Talking About AI—But Do They Mean the Same Thing? by David Pring-Mill
Everyone Is Talking About AI—But Do They Mean the Same Thing?
Singularity Hub quotes Launching Labs in this article about Artificial Intelligence.
In 2017, artificial intelligence attracted $12 billion of VC investment. We are only beginning to discover the usefulness of AI applications. Amazon recently unveiled a brick-and-mortar grocery store that has successfully supplanted cashiers and checkout lines with computer vision, sensors, and deep learning. Between the investment, the press coverage, and the dramatic innovation, “AI” has become a hot buzzword. But does it even exist yet?
At the World Economic Forum Dr. Kai-Fu Lee, a Taiwanese venture capitalist and the founding president of Google China, remarked, “I think it’s tempting for every entrepreneur to package his or her company as an AI company, and it’s tempting for every VC to want to say ‘I’m an AI investor.’” He then observed that some of these AI bubbles could burst by the end of 2018, referring specifically to “the startups that made up a story that isn’t fulfillable, and fooled VCs into investing because they don’t know better.”
However, Dr. Lee firmly believes AI will continue to progress and will take many jobs away from workers. So, what is the difference between legitimate AI, with all of its pros and cons, and a made-up story?
If you parse through just a few stories that are allegedly about AI, you’ll quickly discover significant variation in how people define it, with a blurred line between emulated intelligence and machine learning applications.
I spoke to experts in the field of AI to try to find consensus, but the very question opens up more questions. For instance, when is it important to be accurate to a term’s original definition, and when does that commitment to accuracy amount to the splitting of hairs? It isn’t obvious, and hype is oftentimes the enemy of nuance. Additionally, there is now a vested interest in that hype—$12 billion, to be precise.
This conversation is also relevant because world-renowned thought leaders have been publicly debating the dangers posed by AI. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggested that naysayers who attempt to “drum up these doomsday scenarios” are being negative and irresponsible. On Twitter, business magnate and OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk countered that Zuckerberg’s understanding of the subject is limited. In February, Elon Musk engaged again in a similar exchange with Harvard professor Steven Pinker. Musk tweeted that Pinker doesn’t understand the difference between functional/narrow AI and general AI.
Given the fears surrounding this technology, it’s important for the public to clearly understand the distinctions between different levels of AI so that they can realistically assess the potential threats and benefits.
As Smart As a Human?
Erik Cambria, an expert in the field of natural language processing, told me, “Nobody is doing AI today and everybody is saying that they do AI because it’s a cool and sexy buzzword. It was the same with ‘big data’ a few years ago.”
Cambria mentioned that AI, as a term, originally referenced the emulation of human intelligence. “And there is nothing today that is even barely as intelligent as the most stupid human being on Earth. So, in a strict sense, no one is doing AI yet, for the simple fact that we don’t know how the human brain works,” he said.
He added that the term “AI” is often used in reference to powerful tools for data classification. These tools are impressive, but they’re on a totally different spectrum than human cognition. Additionally, Cambria has noticed people claiming that neural networks are part of the new wave of AI. This is bizarre to him because that technology already existed fifty years ago.
However, technologists no longer need to perform the feature extraction by themselves. They also have access to greater computing power. All of these advancements are welcomed, but it is perhaps dishonest to suggest that machines have emulated the intricacies of our cognitive processes.
“Companies are just looking at tricks to create a behavior that looks like intelligence but that is not real intelligence, it’s just a mirror of intelligence. These are expert systems that are maybe very good in a specific domain, but very stupid in other domains,” he said.
This mimicry of intelligence has inspired the public imagination. Domain-specific systems have delivered value in a wide range of industries. But those benefits have not lifted the cloud of confusion.
Assisted, Augmented, or Autonomous
When it comes to matters of scientific integrity, the issue of accurate definitions isn’t a peripheral matter. In a 1974 commencement address at the California Institute of Technology, Richard Feynman famously said, “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool.” In that same speech, Feynman also said, “You should not fool the layman when you’re talking as a scientist.” He opined that scientists should bend over backwards to show how they could be wrong. “If you’re representing yourself as a scientist, then you should explain to the layman what you’re doing—and if they don’t want to support you under those circumstances, then that’s their decision.”
In the case of AI, this might mean that professional scientists have an obligation to clearly state that they are developing extremely powerful, controversial, profitable, and even dangerous tools, which do not constitute intelligence in any familiar or comprehensive sense.
The term “AI” may have become overhyped and confused, but there are already some efforts underway to provide clarity. A recent PwC report drew a distinction between “assisted intelligence,” “augmented intelligence,” and “autonomous intelligence.” Assisted intelligence is demonstrated by the GPS navigation programs prevalent in cars today. Augmented intelligence “enables people and organizations to do things they couldn’t otherwise do.” And autonomous intelligence “establishes machines that act on their own,” such as autonomous vehicles.
Roman Yampolskiy is an AI safety researcher who wrote the book “Artificial Superintelligence: A Futuristic Approach.” I asked him whether the broad and differing meanings might present difficulties for legislators attempting to regulate AI.
Yampolskiy explained, “Intelligence (artificial or natural) comes on a continuum and so do potential problems with such technology. We typically refer to AI which one day will have the full spectrum of human capabilities as artificial general intelligence (AGI) to avoid some confusion. Beyond that point it becomes superintelligence. What we have today and what is frequently used in business is narrow AI. Regulating anything is hard, technology is no exception. The problem is not with terminology but with complexity of such systems even at the current level.”
When asked if people should fear AI systems, Dr. Yampolskiy commented, “Since capability comes on a continuum, so do problems associated with each level of capability.” He mentioned that accidents are already reported with AI-enabled products, and as the technology advances further, the impact could spread beyond privacy concerns or technological unemployment. These concerns about the real-world effects of AI will likely take precedence over dictionary-minded quibbles. However, the issue is also about honesty versus deception.
Is This Buzzword All Buzzed Out?
Finally, I directed my questions towards a company that is actively marketing an “AI Virtual Assistant.” Carl Landers, the CMO at Conversica, acknowledged that there are a multitude of explanations for what AI is and isn’t.
He said, “My definition of AI is technology innovation that helps solve a business problem. I’m really not interested in talking about the theoretical ‘can we get machines to think like humans?’ It’s a nice conversation, but I’m trying to solve a practical business problem.”
I asked him if AI is a buzzword that inspires publicity and attracts clients. According to Landers, this was certainly true three years ago, but those effects have already started to wane. Many companies now claim to have AI in their products, so it’s less of a differentiator. However, there is still a specific intention behind the word. Landers hopes to convey that previously impossible things are now possible. “There’s something new here that you haven’t seen before, that you haven’t heard of before,” he said.
According to Brian Decker, founder of Encom Lab, machine learning algorithms only work to satisfy their preexisting programming, not out of an interior drive for better understanding. Therefore, he views AI as an entirely semantic argument.
Decker stated, “A marketing exec will claim a photodiode controlled porch light has AI because it ‘knows when it is dark outside,’ while a good hardware engineer will point out that not one bit in a register in the entire history of computing has ever changed unless directed to do so according to the logic of preexisting programming.”
Although it’s important for everyone to be on the same page regarding specifics and underlying meaning, AI-powered products are already powering past these debates by creating immediate value for humans. And ultimately, humans care more about value than they do about semantic distinctions. In an interview with Quartz, Kai-Fu Lee revealed that algorithmic trading systems have already given him an 8X return over his private banking investments. “I don’t trade with humans anymore,” he said.
Your Social Media Presence: Which Platforms Are Right for You?
Your Social Media Presence: Which Platforms Are Right for You?
Social media done right can be an excellent asset to your business marketing efforts. But How can you choose the right social media platform(s) for your small business? Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter — the list goes on and on.
And once you’ve chosen your social media outlet(s), how can you ensure that your efforts, and perhaps your money, are being spent wisely? As it turns out, there is no magic wand. While it’s wise to stick with one or two platforms at first, as your business expands, your social media presence can (and likely should) expand to more specialized services.
Choosing the Right Platform(s)
A basic aspect of properly utilizing social media for your business is understanding how different social media platforms work. There are three basic categories that are generally recognized as social media platforms: microblogging (Twitter, Tumblr), video and photo sharing (Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo) and peer sharing (Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn). Facebook and Twitter are especially good starting points for small businesses, according to according to Brenda Harjala, Head of Community at Rabbit. Rabbit, a video sharing service, is based in Redwood City, California, but has many employees, like Harjala, working remotely.
“Most businesses would be hard-pressed to find a client not on either Facebook or Twitter already, or willing to like or follow their page. And with both platforms, an extra element of customer support is already included, without any additional tools. Both Facebook and Twitter come with built-in analytics and insights so you can see, at a glance, how your pages are doing. You can see your fans and followers, schedule posts, and see details about each post’s reach and interaction, without the need for additional management tools. With Facebook in particular, promoting a post is as simple as clicking an icon on it,” Harjala stated.
Mary Cochran, director of marketing for Sleep Easily, a medication-free sleep solution based in Boulder, Colorado, agreed that Facebook was a good social media starting point.
“For a small to medium sized business, if you can only do one thing I’d put the effort there. Facebook in the beginning will be based on friends and clients; you can build a great referral base. There are many easy to do promotions to promote the website, the company and posts which will help build your client base,” Cochran explained.
Administration of Social Media Accounts
Depending on the size of your business, you may or may not have a dedicated social media team or individual expert on staff. If you don’t, utilizing social media means becomes an additional task. As a business owner, you may decide to add social media to your own to-do list. But it can also be desirable to recruit one or more of your employees as well. However, the key is to persuade, not coerce participation, according to Harjala.
“Everyone isn’t cut out to be a brand advocate, or someone willing to actively share your business with their peers,” Harjala stated.
Harjala also emphasized that company social media accounts should be established by and remain the property of the company from the very beginning. Doing so minimizes the potential disruptive effect of departing employees.
“As a business owner, you should be the admin on your social media accounts, while your employees are managers or contributors. If someone departs, remove their account access. (There’s) no need to close the accounts entirely. If someone’s managing your social media but decides to move on, definitely retain the accounts. This way you can take them over, or easily hand them off to a new hire, and not need to start from scratch,” Harjala explained.
On the other hand, Individual employees using social media on their own time should do so with their personal accounts. These accounts must remain off-limits to company interference, according to Cochran.
The main account should be the company account so on Facebook, (that means) a Facebook page, on Twitter, the company Twitter handle. Individual accounts tend to go with the employee when they move on. Don’t try to hijack an employee’s Facebook page,” Cochran warned.
Proper Social Media Engagement
The best-imagined social media efforts inevitably fall flat without proper engagement. However, this varies from platform to platform, according to The Next Web. With Facebook and Instagram, posting once per day is plenty. Posting on LinkedIn just two to four times per week is fine. On the other hand, you should be prepared to post on Twitter and Pinterest multiple times per day. You or your designated social media point person must be willing to maintain the necessary posting frequency for your chosen platform, according to Cochran.
“Only be involved in whatever social you can handle and monitor. Don’t have a Facebook page if you don’t intend to use it,” Cochran insisted.
Indeed, effectively dealing with criticism and complaints is also a necessary aspect of social media engagement, according to Harjala.
“Responding quickly, and not leaving negative tweets or posts on your wall without a response, is the best way keep everything in check. If someone writes that your product doesn’t work, reply with assistance or contact info to work it out together. If a user leaves a bad review of service they received from your business, follow up with an apology and an offer to help make it right. If someone blasts your wall with spam, be there to clean it up right away. Instead of potential customers seeing only the negative, they’re seeing a company dedicated to good service,” Harjala explained.
Paid or Free?
One major advantage of social media platforms is that it’s possible to establish and maintain at least a basic profile for no cost. However, many social media platforms follow a “freemium” model that reserves certain features, such as sponsored posts and advertising, for paying customers. As a small business owner, you may wonder if it’s actually worthwhile to spend your hard-earned dollars on social media advertising or “soft” promotional strategies such as promoted posts. Once again, there is no hard and fast answer. While Cochran noted that sponsored posts can help your business gain visibility (and potential new customers and clients), Harjala recommended saving your money, at least at first.
“Unless you’re overflowing with real, supportive, active followers, stick to free social media for a while. This may seem counterintuitive; how do I get followers and more sales if no one sees my posts? The experience spent building a genuine audience, and learning from your audience, is worth more than a few extra views on your posts by people you don’t even know are interested. You’ll not only get a better feel for your niche, but you’ll get the chance to see what your fans respond to. And if you build your community right, in a way that’s valuable to your followers, “ Harjala explained.
Amazon Go Storms the Retail Barricades by David Pring-Mill
Amazon Go Storms the Retail Barricades
In DMNews, David Pring-Mill talks about Amazon Go stores, acceptance and branding.
“Branding and consistency will be key,” said Mary Cochran, co-founder of Launching Labs Marketing. “Products will have to be recognizable through other branding, marketing, and packaging efforts from both web and on-shelf presence. Good branding will enable customers to grab and go without research, or thinking too hard.”
Perhaps in the near future, historians will trace a major economic upheaval back to this point in time. In downtown Seattle, on January 22, a catalyst for change was unveiled to the public. A technologically-sophisticated grocery store, dubbed Amazon Go, allows shoppers to put items into their bags and then leave without any kind of checkout process. I went to Seattle to visit the store in its second week.
Amazon Go represents a revolution in retail. As in all revolutions, power dynamics will shift, people will get hurt, and previously impossible things will become possible. There is excitement in the air–and also fear. In this instance, the collateral damage could include some of the 3.5 million cashiers employed throughout the United States. A Cornerstone Capital Group report indicates that “large-scale automation of retail labor could disproportionately affect women.”
The revolution will not be televised. However, it will be filmed — by about 100 cameras mounted to metal beams, and intricately wired on a dark ceiling. Amazon Go is capable of monitoring and automatically billing all of its customers by using computer vision, sensors, and deep learning. This isn’t self-checkout, it’s no-checkout. And it will add to the toll of automation-induced casualties.
The entire process of shopping becomes quick and effortless — but lines, chit-chat, and cashiers are no longer a part of it. Of course, some critics might argue that the cashiers aren’t collateral damage at all; they’re the intended target of this revolution. Amazon has willfully designed an AI-powered system of sensors that will allow retailers to lay off redundant staff, and increase profitability.
Next: It’s more complicated than that.
However, it’s more complicated than that. As AI automates tasks, some workdays will become more efficient and other types of work will become obsolete. Technology is evolving at such a rapid pace that it is even replacing its own predecessors before they have been fully adopted. Even historically recent inventions, such as contactless payment, mobile payment services, and error-prone self-checkout machines, are rendered obsolete by Amazon Go.
In person, I found the experience of shopping at Amazon Go was enormously positive. Some people have reported that they accidentally shoplifted; Amazon says this happens very infrequently. Others have tried various methods to deliberately trick the store, with the implication being that unmanned stores are unsustainable due to errors and theft. These criticisms miss the point. Amazon dominated eCommerce and brought in $177.9 billion in sales last year. They achieved their success, in part, by reducing friction in the customer experience on the online side. They’re now bringing those same principles into brick-and-mortar.
When you consider the competitive advantage of this streamlined shopping experience, and couple that with the reduced labor costs, the problem of shoplifting becomes close to irrelevant. Perhaps that is why Amazon Go’s vice president Gianna Puerini wasn’t worried when a reporter mistakenly wasn’t charged for her yogurt. “It happens so rarely that we didn’t even bother building in a feature for customers to tell us it happened,” said Puerini.
The friction of my customer experience wasn’t just reduced. It was gone. I didn’t have to wait in a long line, fumble with my wallet for money, and the right loyalty card, or repeatedly scan an item into an uncooperative self-checkout machine. I simply scanned the QR code generated by the Amazon Go app on my phone and entered through the gates.
Shelves were well-stocked with a diverse selection of high quality items and Amazon Go correctly tracked every item I put into my bag. This is in spite of the fact that I was bouncing around the store quickly, intermingling with a fairly dense crowd, and documenting the store’s cameras and sensors with my own flash photography and video.
Next: It feels so wrong…
There is a considerable novelty factor to the store. It will wear off, but for the time being, it is making shoppers giddy with excitement and even trepidation. Inside of Amazon Go, I observed many shoppers clustered around the gates after they had made their selections. Some were afraid to leave. “It feels so wrong to just walk out,” said one man to his friend, laughing nervously. “It feels like I’m shoplifting.”
“Okay. Are we gonna do this?” said the friend. After mustering up a small amount of bravery, they walked out and, later, received their clearly itemized bills.
With the public constantly flowing in and out, Monday to Friday from 7 to 9, flaws will be exposed, and Amazon will have the opportunity to make adjustments. Perhaps most bewilderingly, I found that the store’s WiFi was a little weak — a problem that is both predictable and, given the other technological hurdles already overcome, easy to correct.
It should be noted that there are currently many employees in the store, clearly identifiable by their puffy orange jackets. This is likely temporary. These staffers are there to assist, answering the public’s questions, and resolving any apprehensions. Others are there to prepare fresh meals and stock shelves.
Overall, the store definitely feels like a glimpse of the future. It’s on the same block as the Amazon Spheres, three surreal-looking glass domes that house rare tropical flora in addition to Amazon employees attempting to tackle their workloads. (Amazon hopes that the “biophilic design” will inspire creativity and improve brain function.) It isn’t uncommon to see several LimeBikes or Ofo bikes on the sidewalk out front. These are community-shared bicycles that can be rented out using a mobile app and then abandoned anywhere for the next user to find. It all feels like a sci-fi novel, roaring to life.
Amazon Go has been described as a convenience store, which conjures up images of a 7-Eleven, or perhaps a New York bodega. This is inaccurate. Amazon Go is essentially a miniature Whole Foods, which makes perfect sense given Amazon’s recent acquisition. Most of the items available for purchase are healthful and the labels “fair trade” and “organic” appear abundantly. It isn’t difficult to imagine Amazon Go’s technology licensed to other retail outlets and gradually rolled out across Whole Foods’ 477 locations.
People would be able to quickly grab a meal during their coffee and lunch breaks, with more time left over to actually consume their food and relax. In turn, Amazon would gather massive amounts of valuable data on consumers’ buying habits. The store’s reduced labor costs and monetized data might even translate into lower prices, which would help Whole Foods shed a negative brand image. In the past, critics have derisively nicknamed the chain “Whole Paycheck,” in reference to its high prices.
But what would this mean for the specific brands on all those retail shelves? In these stores of the future, there might not be as many employees in the aisles to help nurture sales. Brands would need to adequately convey their products’ value, both in the product packaging and in their digital marketing.
“Branding and consistency will be key,” said Mary Cochran, co-founder of Launching Labs Marketing. “Products will have to be recognizable through other branding, marketing, and packaging efforts from both web and on-shelf presence. Good branding will enable customers to grab and go without research, or thinking too hard.”
Next: Brands must brace themselves.
Brands may also need to brace themselves for sudden changes. By monitoring customers and conducting data analysis, retailers could deconstruct the thought processes behind purchase decisions and adjust stock accordingly.
“Shopping is an experience that retailers create for their customers. The more data that Amazon can get their hands on, the better their capability to hyper-personalize these shopping experiences. Each store could optimize their dynamic stock of goods, based on season, neighborhood, customer habits, etc. This means that there will be less wasted space or stock and customers will always be able to find what they’re looking for,” said Aaron Glazer, CEO of Taplytics, a company that seeks to improve customer experiences through experimentation, A/B testing, push notifications, and messaging.
“Consumers are always looking for ways to make better use of their limited spare time, and will certainly find value in being able to pick up everything in one ‘Go’ at their convenience,” he added.
A large number of cashiers will probably lose their jobs, but the final chapter of this story is not yet written. By redeploying resources and integrating data-driven strategies, companies will be able to pivot and expand into new areas, creating new opportunities. The new jobs will require new skillsets, which presents an opportunity for motivated workers to continually learn and grow. Education is no longer a finite period of time prequalifying eager young workers for guaranteed employment. In this newly emerging economy, education might become a constant if workers want to be relevant instead of roadkill.
Some people will resent that so much effort is now required just to survive. Others might value the continual intellectual stimulation over a stagnant job where they’re just counting down the days until retirement. Therefore, the interpretation of this rapidly evolving economy and adapting workforce is dependent upon a series of personal value judgments and capabilities.
Beyond that, AI and robotics could significantly improve the human condition. The technology has already led to incredibly beneficial advancements in healthcare, and will likely play a major role in space exploration. If AI does lead to widespread redundancies in retail labor and other sectors, our societies and political systems will be uniquely pressured to adapt. After all, AI-powered stores can’t sell goods to a population without any money to spend.
Of course, these long-term outcomes are unclear and any efforts to shed light are inherently speculative. However, if the appropriate safeguards and levels of transparency are put in place, it is certainly possible that the ultimate impact of AI will be a net positive. Admittedly, this proposition will be difficult to accept if the technology behind Amazon Go and other unmanned stores causes pink slips to be handed out to workers all around the world.
Launching Labs Interview at the 4GenNow Conference
Launching Labs Interview at the 4GenNow Conference
Thanks to Jim Sugarman of 4GenNow for taking the time to visit with Launching Labs at his summit!
4GenNow Webinar – How Good Branding and PR can Help Your Startup
How Branding & PR Can Help Your Startup with Launching Labs Marketing
We were excited and honored to participate in the 4GenNow Webinar this month! Any time we can discuss marketing and branding with entrepreneurs is a joy.
Branding and public relations can be a mystery to business owners. Many questions arise from business owners like:
– Should I get a logo off the internet or pay for one? How to decide?
– What should I look for expect?
– Do I need a news release? Why where does it go? Is that all I need to get in print, radio or TV?
– What do I get for my money?
– What can I do myself?
WEBINAR Slide Info:
Branding and Public Relations for Your Startup
Where are you?
- Do you have:
- Business plan?
- Company statement?
- Fact Sheet?
- Logo and branding?
- Website and/or Facebook page?
- Media and customers need somewhere to go
- Corporate video?
Branding What is it?
Branding is all of the ways you establish an image of your company in your customers’ eyes. -Shopify
- Look and Feel
- Logo
- Why? What if you Succeed? Logo (vectored)
- Brand Guideline Document for future use, Allows all vendors to communicate in the same language
- Business card
- Social media templates
Branding Examples
- Stacking Gurus
- Zest Blog
- Brand Creation and Web
- Westside Fisheries
I have a business, now what?
Build Momentum
Public Relations What is it?
- At its core, public relations is about influencing, engaging and building a relationship with key stakeholders across a myriad of platforms in order to shape and frame the public perception of an organization. — PRSA
PR and Marketing…the goal
Tell company story to it’s various public’s to increase awareness and manage perception
Our story, in our words
- Build relationships with influencers, media and employees via:
- News releases § Media Relations § Articles, blogs § Interviews
- Speaking opportunities § Awards
- Tradeshows
News Releases
- Do I need them?
- What are they?
- Where do they go?
- Will it get me articles?
- Vendors
- PR Newswire
- BusinessWire
- NasdaqWire
Media Relations
- Developing relationships with media and your company
- Getting articles and blogs for your company
- Backlinks for SEO
- Time
- Tools
- Cision
- Haro
- Profnet
Next Steps
- Digital Marketing
- Inbound
- Organic
- Social Media
- Organic Advertising
- Email Marketing
What we can do for you
We’re offering a free 1 hour marketing and branding consultation. Mention the code: 4GenNowWebinar
Thank you to 4GenNow for your continued support!
Bulldog Reporter – Agility PR Announcement
Alison Werning and Mary Cochran announced they are joining forces to form Launching Labs Marketing, a digital and traditional marketing agency combined with project and sales management services.
Cochran and Werning are coming together to offer small to medium businesses an effective array of marketing services. Cochran’s background is in public relations, marketing, and digital media with along with strategic operational skills. Werning spent years in logo development and editing branding for promotional materials. Her keen graphical eye and social savvy developed into digital advertising and marketing. Brought together on a long-term project they found their skills married perfectly for effecting growth in small to medium businesses.
O’Dwyers PR Announcement
Launching Labs Marketing, a Boulder, CO-based firm that combines digital and traditional marketing with project management, has been launched by Alison Werning and Mary Cochran. Previously, Werning was marketing manger and Cochran was director of marketing for Sleep Easily, a company that markets a device meant to help those with insomnia. Cochran was formerly director of marketing and social media at Catapult PR-IR. Launching Labs is targeting small to medium businesses, offering them branding, marketing, PR and sales consulting services. “Often small to mid-sized businesses have developed one part of their business, but have neglected others,” Cochran said. Werning adds that the new firm “can help quickly decipher what the gaps are and help to fill them.”
News of Firms
Praytell, which is based in Brooklyn, is bringing another part of the communications process in-house with the launching of its own full-service film production studio, Praytell Films. The studio will make documentary and commercial films which will be incorporated into the agency’s creative communications services. Praytell creative lead Jon Chew will head the offering. John Urquhart, who has been creative director at Buzzfeed and The Daily Beast, is joining the agency as Praytell Films CD. “PR agencies shouldn’t only amplify content from other shops,” said Praytell founder Andy Pray. “There are times when we should be producing it, integrating the work into holistic communications campaigns that deliver across the earned, owned and paid spectrum.” Praytell is part of Project Worldwide.
The Daily Buzz, an hour-long entertainment and news program that airs on CBS-owned POP TV, has announced that it will accept and air public service announcements at no cost to agency and nonprofit clients. In addition to POP TV, television networks YouToo and Soul of the South run The Daily Buzz, giving it a reach of 120 million homes. The PSAs will be also be posted on all Daily Buzz social media platforms. The show, which features celebrity interviews and profiles, gossip and news, integrates paid publicity content into its programming. KEF Media acquired the trademark for The Daily Buzz and re-launched the show last June.
Launching Labs Marketing, a Boulder, CO-based firm that combines digital and traditional marketing with project management, has been launched by Alison Werning and Mary Cochran. Werning is marketing manger and Cochran is director of marketing for Sleep Easily, a company that markets a device meant to help those with insomnia. Cochran was formerly director of marketing and social media at Catapult PR-IR. Launching Labs is targeting small to medium businesses, offering them branding, marketing, PR and sales consulting services. “Often small to mid-sized businesses have developed one part of their business, but have neglected others,” Cochran said. Werning adds that the new firm “can help quickly decipher what the gaps are and help to fill them.”
How to Run a Small Business
How to Run a Small Business
So you started a business…now comes the challenge of actually managing the business and the employees – what are the critical things you should focus on? Well, here are some thoughts from other successful business owners.
Looking for advice on how to run a successful small business?
Certain advice may depend on what type of business you are running. Managing a small coffee shop will require a different strategy for drumming up business and managing employees than what it takes to run a successful small accounting firm. But there are some principles that typically ring true for all businesses across industries and business types. You want to reward employees for hard work and encourage effective communication among staff. You also want to hold employees accountable if they are not meeting expectations.
With experience comes wisdom. While no two businesses are the same, we spoke to some experienced small business managers who had their own words of wisdom on how to run a successful small business.
Mary advises …take a step back from time to time.
Take the time at least once per year, or better quarterly, to get off-site with your top team even if that means just you taking a strategic look at your company. Review pricing, marketing, and sales goals. Check the internal and external factors that could affect the business in the next year. If you don’t do this, the day-to-day business can blind you to things that can harm your business. It also gives you direction to take for the following year.
Click To Tweet!
– Mary Cochran
