When a Brand Crisis Happens, Consumers Expect a Rapid Response

In a lot of ways, brands are just like us–especially when it comes to screwing up. But while we might be able to delete our tone-deaf tweets or cringeworthy emails without much backlash, the stakes are infinitely higher for brands trying to do damage control online. The crisis-monitoring tech company Crisp put out a report…

Twitter Has Demonstrated Leadership

I applaud Twitter’s decision to not run political advertising. I wish Facebook would do the same. We live in a world where brands cannot make false claims, but politicians can. We teach our children
not to lie and we value integrity, honesty and transparency in our staff, so we should expect and demand the same level of truthfulness from our politicians.

Google’s Nest Doorbell Wanted Spooky Halloween Sounds, So It Asked Monsters to Audition

The Hello Nest Doorbell and Google Nest are allowing users to outfit their homes with the spooky spirit to replace their current doorbell rings. Equipped with four appropriately haunting sounds, trick-or-treaters and unsuspecting guests alike can be greeted by a ravenous monster, a haunting ghost, a creeping vampire, or ghastly witch. No matter what sound…

2.2 Billion People Use Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or Messenger Every Day

Facebook said during its third-quarter earnings call Wednesday that about 2.2 billion people currently use its family of applications–Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger– on a daily basis, up from 2.1 billion in the second quarter of 2019. On a monthly basis, those totals are 2.8 billion and 2.7 billion, respectively. Chief financial officer David Wehner…

Pizza Already Unites the World, But This Progressive Chain Thinks It Can Do More

There are a few reasons that pizza is one of the most popular dishes in the world. Not only is it the culmination of some of the best foods–bread, sauce, and cheese rarely steer you wrong–but its very design encourages sharing with others. Even if the “perfect pizza” looks different for each individual, a decent…

3 Ways to Think Like a Successful Advertiser

In my role at Facebook, I’m in daily discussions with leaders at large multinational organizations. These global brands are relentlessly focused on one key thing: growth. When I meet with them, the tone of the meeting is often set by the most senior person, saying, “Don’t tell us what we want to hear; tell us…

A Tech Group Suggests Limits for the Pentagon’s Use of AI

The Defense Innovation Board, with members from Google, Microsoft, and Facebook, praises the power of military AI but warns of unintended harms or conflict.

Susan Desmond-Hellmann Steps Down From Facebook’s Board of Directors

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation CEO Susan Desmond-Hellmann stepped down from Facebook’s board of directors, effective Wednesday. Desmond-Hellmann joined the social network’s board in March 2013, and she has served as its lead independent director since June 2015. Facebook said in a Newsroom post that it will name a new lead independent director over the…

Sexual Expression Is Not a Trend for Marketers to Capitalize On

Sexuality and sexual expression make up some of the most fundamental building blocks of human identity. For brands to treat either as a trend is to immediately get it wrong, and any attempts to speak for marginalized communities from a position of authority will fall flat. The emotions that surround sexuality and sexual expression are…