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Top of Mind Thursday Memo Archive
Algorithms
| We only see a tiny proportion of the content available to us on any given social media platform—Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.
The all-mighty “algorithm” determines what is served up for us to see—and what’s not given any visibility at all. And this is driven by something you posted on line, or something you clicked on, or even something you bought. The problem is what the algorithm does is self-perpetuating. In many cases, that makes sense. If, like me, you click and comment on posts about silly Siberian Huskies, you’ll get shown more posts and videos about silly Siberian Huskies. That’s perfectly fine, but what happens when you click on something on a lark, or you’re looking for a gift for a friend or family member with different views than yours? The algorithm sees you focused on a particular topic and doesn’t differentiate from a random search vs. something about which you are totally passionate. Politics and current events are even worse. If you click on something that’s pro-Biden or anti-Trump, you’ll be served up more of the same. Ditto for pro-Trump and anti-Biden. If you click on something that says bring home the hostages Hamas holding in Gaza, you’ll see more on that topic. If you click on something that is pro-Palestine and anti-Israel, you’ll be fed more of that viewpoint. How do we get beyond this? First, be aware that an algorithm is showing you what it thinks you should see, and that’s only a fraction of what’s available on any particular topic. Don’t believe because you’ve seen something on the Internet, that you’re seeing the truth, or even a part of the truth. Second, go beyond the usual social media platforms and typical media sources. If you want to understand what other people think on a topic, look for a reputable source that’s outside the US. Avoid Facebook, Twitter/X, and TikTok. Read real articles written by actual authorities. On social media, everyone acts like an expert and it’s hard to sort out who really knows what they’re talking about. Third, be aware that many people may not be aware of how the algorithm works. They think because they read this online somewhere, it’s real. Because they hear more and more of the same thing, that’s got to be the prevailing view. Arguing with them will likely get you nowhere. And, of course, if you see a post of a silly Siberian Husky doing something crazy, go click on that. Might be the best thing the algorithm shows you all day. |
Check out our marketing leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
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The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves
| This week, the CEO of online retailer Wayfair told his employees they need to work harder, put in longer hours, and avoid laziness to help the company be more successful.
As a retailer of home goods, Wayfair did extremely well during the pandemic, but has lost money and market share over the last year. Now the company is profitable again, but it wants more output from its employees. In a business environment with only 3.7% unemployment where many businesses struggle to find qualified workers to fill positions, one wonders how employees will accept a message like this. It’s no secret that it’s a lot easier (and less costly) to grow talent internally than to be constantly replacing employees who leave because they don’t feel valued or appreciated (or properly compensated). Most employees really don’t want the hassle of leaving employers and having to find another job. But people also don’t like being held responsible for things that happen outside their control and getting the short end of the stick when businesses need to find someone to take the blame for less-than-stellar results. You can take this tack for awhile, but here’s the problem: It’s impossible to have happy, dedicated, loyal customers when you have unhappy, frustrated, disengaged employees. That’s not news, but somehow the message hasn’t gotten through to some executives. Must be the employees’ fault. |
Check out our marketing leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
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Saying Bye to the Say Hey Kid
| The baseball world got a lot smaller on Tuesday with the death of Willie Mays, the Say Hey kid.
Willie, who passed away at the age of 93, had been in declining health for a number of years. Still, his presence was felt at every game at the San Francisco Giants ballpark. The name of the park changed 4 times over the last quarter century, but the address remains the same: 24 Willie Mays Plaza. Willie started his career in the Negro Leagues, and entered the majors just a few years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. In 1963, his $105K salary was the highest in baseball. (Shohei Otani of the Dodgers is today’s highest paid player, with a base salary of $70 million—quite a big difference!). A 24-time All Star, Willie played his entire career in New York and San Francisco—first for the Giants, then his final years with the NY Mets. He has been called the second-best player in baseball history, after Babe Ruth. But it’s not just his amazing career that people will remember about Mays. It’s the dedicated mentor who encouraged and advised generations of young players. The kind, gentle man who attended Giants games and interacted with fans even after his vision deteriorated and he had trouble getting around. There will never be another Willie Mays, but one has to believe somewhere up there, the Willies (Mays and McCovey)—together with Gaylord Perry, Monte Irwin, and others—are having a heck of an incredible pickup game. Just say hey.
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Check out our marketing leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
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The Rich Coast
| We just got back from a week stay in Costa Rica.
What a fascinating place! This small country (about the size of West Virginia) is full of diverse wildlife, rainforests and volcanos, as well as such activities as zip lining, white water rafting, and canopy tours. It would be easy to categorize this as a third-world country, particularly considering that the road system has not kept up with the country’s growth and it can take a very long time to get from one point to another. Traffic, it appears, is a global problem. However, Costa Rica has the latest in internet and mobile technology, as well as advanced medical and dental care. Education is both free and mandatory, meaning they have one of the highest rates of literacy in the world. Even more interesting, Costa Rica eliminated its military in 1949 and seems to be doing just fine since then—despite bordering Panama and Nicaragua, and being in close proximity to Columbia, Venezuela, El Salvador, and Guatemala. While the US southern border is teeming with refugees from many of those countries, many more Americans are moving to Costa Rica than Costa Ricans (Ticos) are emigrating to the US. Most of the population of Costa Rica is middle class. While there has been in influx of refugees from Venezuela over the last few years, there were virtually no homeless encampments or people sleeping on the streets (even with such a favorable climate). Somehow those people find a place to sleep and some kind of jobs. A week was not enough time to really delve into why some things work better there than here. But it raises the question: Are there things we can learn from this Central American country that could help us address our own issues? Sounds like a rich subject to explore. |
Check out our marketing leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
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