The Creativ Brief: Habits and New Year Resolutions
The vast majority of new year resolutions fail.
According to the IHRSA, the health and fitness association, 12%, more than 1 and 10 new gym members join in January. 80% of those people will cancel their membership within 5 months.
The statistics reveal a massive discrepancy between ambition and will in most people. The remedy? Make your goals easy to accomplish.
In previous newsletters we discussed how humans are creatures of habit. The trick to building habits is to integrate small changes into daily routines, not alter them.
Starting a new gym routine is a massive break in old habits, requires a large effort, and provides without immediate rewards. Try starting small and easy.
I surf about four times a week. It has become my primary fitness outlet and a source of massive joy and accomplishment.
I started this habit, not by declaring that I would become a routine surfer, but simply committing to getting in the water. During COVID, my only goal was to get in the water every day with a board. Not win a contest. Not catch a wave. Simply get in the water.
Habits are built not manifested. Want to drink less? Commit to not drinking 1 week out of the month. Want to exercise more? Commit to walking 15 minutes in the morning. Want to read more? Read 1 page a night. Small changes will build to bigger results.
My resolution this year. Go outside before I check my email in the morning.
Happy 2024.
3 Stories Dominating Media and Tech Headlines
The plaintiffs alleged that Google’s analytics, cookies and apps let the Alphabet unit track their activity even when they set Google’s Chrome browser to “Incognito” mode. The lawyers have agreed to a binding terms sheet through mediation, and expect to present a final settlement to court on February 24, 2024.
Why it matters: The case will bring a broader range of scrutiny to other search platforms and large tech companies surrounding topics of data usage.
The newspapers’ complaint accused Open AI of trying to “free-ride on the Times’ massive investment in its journalism”, by using it as an alternative to deliver information to the readers.
Why it matters: The Times’ stated that they are the first major US media organization to sue Open AI. This case will set precedent for things like data usage rights, and Chatbot innovation for various AI companies going forward.
Companies are backing away from "DEI". For years, DEI has been criticized as corporate window dressing, but recently pundits and conservative politicians have effectively dismantled DEI legislation, including the SCOTUS decision barring affirmative action at universities.
Why it matters: Anything that appears like a racially-based quota are likely out, as they open companies up to legal challenges. The DEI term will likely dim as well. Hiring will likely shift to finding diverse talent without targeting specific race-based targets.
Spotlight - Advertising Science at LA B2B Expo
During the B2B marketing expo in LA, I gave a keynote presentation on how to apply the scientific method to your advertising. We finally got around to posting the full presentation on our shiny new YouTube channel.
The 20 minute watch provides a macro industry view of advertising, the scientific method, and real-number case studies.
Stat of the Week - News on TikTok
Chart by Miles Mahoney
Roughly a third (32%) of US adults in the ages of 18-29 reported that they regularly use TikTok for news consumption, followed by 15% of adults ages 30-49, 7% of adults ages 50-64, and only 3% of adults ages 65+.
The percentage of Gen Zers and millennials who look to the short-form platform for News continues to rise.
While TikTok is aiming to expand its content to include more long form productions, expect a larger audience for news, sports and other popular entertainment content to arise on TikTok in the new year.
One Not so Fun Thing - George Santos Goes Hollywood
Only a month ago, I predicted that Hollywood would reward George Santos’ poor and tasteless behavior with more spotlights, fame, and money. Well here you are, coming soon, a George Santos movie from HBO films and a documentary in the works from Hulu.
We’ve created a playbook for fame. Lie, cheat and steal to get into positions of responsibility. Suck at your high profile job. Cash in. Happy 2024!