Have you ever wondered, “is it just me, or is that emperor not wearing very much?” when it comes to certain humongous topics that everyone seems to obsess over?
We have, so we were very taken this month with some interesting and informed challenges to two concepts that have had the world chattering for years: the idea that Millennials and Gen Z are unified demographics, and the purpose of everyone’s favourite ineffable jargon-generator, blockchain. Read on!
Technology · 6 mins
Blockchain, the amazing solution for almost nothing?
Ah, blockchain: talk of it is everywhere, but what is it, and how much true blockchain tech is in use today? And if it’s so good, why is it that of over 86,000 launched blockchain projects, 92% had been abandoned by the end of 2017?
This article calls blockchain “a solution in search of a problem” and suggests it doesn’t do very much that’s new. A security minefield, blockchain is also inefficient: bitcoin (the most renowned example of blockchain technology) is so complex to trade in that payments require over half a million times more energy than a Visa transaction.
Strategy · 6 mins
Do generational groups such as Millennials and Gen Z even exist – or are they the marketing equivalent of a horoscope?
For years now, identifying the wants and needs of Millennials and Gen Z has preoccupied entire industries. But research group BBH labs has created a Global Cohesion Score that calculates the single-mindedness of a group, and it blows to smithereens the idea that Gen Z and Millennials have much in common at all.
To quote from their article, “when Gen Z’s parameters are loose enough to include both Prince George and Lil Pump (1997 – 2013) is it any wonder that they fail to hold a consistent worldview?” In short, the research suggests that people who floss have more in common than Millennials do with one another.
PR & Comms · 4 mins
Brewdog and Aldi exchange brand rip-offs: dog-eat-dog or puppy love?
Brewdog jokingly unleashed the hounds after Aldi provoked an IP/IPA outcry by producing an own-brand “anti-establishment” beer that borrows very heavily from Brewdog’s Punk IPA. Ever marketing-savvy, Brewdog’s response was to produce its own “ALD IPA”.
A degree of social media bantz ensued: after Brewdog offered to send a case of its new beer to Aldi if the store agreed to sell it, the supermarket responded, “send us a case and we’ll talk”. The ante was upped when Brewdog “Captain” James Watt promised to plant a tree in the brewer’s own forest (it’s a real thing) for every case of the product shifted by Aldi. The supermarket’s Buying Director has been in touch, so watch this space.
Social Media · 2 mins
TikTok to take Trump to task
TikTok has confirmed it will pursue legal action against the US government in response to an Executive Order effectively forcing it to sell to a US company or face a ban in the domestic market.
The Chinese app claims the Trump administration responded to unsubstantiated reports and fears in producing its EO, describing what it sees as a “lack of due process as the Administration paid no attention to facts and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private business.”
ALSO IN THE NEWS…
Facebook has been through the mill, but still managed to grow revenue by 11% YoY. The UK government plans to ban TV and online junk food advertising before the 9pm watershed and Twitter could face sanctions under GDPR over its major data breach of nearly two years ago.
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