Onerous meetings, multi-hour-long calls, swarming Slack messaging, novellas in email format, and in-person commuting Odysseys plague corporate America.
Business runs on the efficient passing of information from one person to another. The culprit for business tedium and wasted time results from a misalignment of medium and message.
Janice in accounting needs book keeping information from finance. Sales needs product information from marketing. Marketing needs a roadmap from product. Product needs direction from customer service. Customer service needs feedback from the client. The client needs information from accounts. And so on and so on.
How to best convey information takes practice. Should this be a slack, email, call, in-person meeting, press release, marketing campaign?
‘What’ should dictate ‘how’ a message gets communicated. Ergo, messages should dictate the medium, and mediums should inform the message.
A reminder or simple question like “did those designs get sent to the client?” A chat message will do.
A status update, deliverables, or formal agenda like “Q1 PR plan” should be an email with accompanying materials.
A conversation necessitating a back and forth, reviews, and weekly standings should be a call. Also never have a meeting without an agenda, which provides a point to your conversations.
An in-person meeting carries weight. Save these for a final business pitch, company all-hands, or big celebration.
When a meeting could have been an email and an email could have been a chat, and a chat could have been discerned by oneself, you have wasted everyone’s time.
Never forget that the medium is also the message.
3 Stories Dominating Media and Tech Headlines
Chick-fil-A is launching a streaming service, featuring original content like animated shows, podcasts, and games aimed at families. The app, set to debut in November, extends Chick-fil-A’s strategy of expanding beyond food by creating family-friendly entertainment that will drive more engagement with its restaurants.
Why it matters: As more brands pivot towards creating original media content, Chick-fil-A’s move reflects a growing trend where companies leverage storytelling to foster deeper connections with customers, and own the rails to deliver them content.
Netflix reported strong third-quarter earnings, beating expectations on both revenue and subscriber growth, with its ad-supported tier seeing a 35% membership jump. The company highlighted the success of its ad-tier service, which accounted for over 50% of new sign-ups in markets where available, and noted plans to expand this model more broadly by 2025.
Why it matters: This growth is significant as Netflix increasingly relies on advertising and gaming initiatives for future revenue, with more consumers opting for the ad-supported tier, signaling a shift in the streaming landscape toward more diversified and affordable business models.
TKO Group Holdings has announced a $3.25 billion acquisition of several sports assets from Endeavor Group Holdings, including the Professional Bull Riders league, hospitality division On Location, and sports marketing agency IMG.. This deal will strengthen TKO's Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Wrestling Entertainment businesses while expanding its media rights, live events, and brand partnerships.
Why it matters: The acquisition matters because it positions TKO to capitalize on lucrative opportunities in the growing sports and entertainment industry, particularly through media rights and premium experiences.
Creativ Spotlight - Lyft’s New Campaign from SpecialGuest and 1stAveMachine
Created in collaboration with agency SpecialGuest and studio 1stAveMachine, "Where Are You Going?" draws inspiration from the welcoming prompt in Lyft's mobile app.
The campaign highlights how every ride with Lyft can be a step toward something greater.
The campaign received coverage across Advertising trades. Read it HERE!!
Stat of the Week - Streaming TV has Eclipsed Cable and Broadcast TV
Chart by Miles Mahoney
Streaming services have solidified their dominance over traditional TV, with viewers more than twice as likely to choose online sources over MVPD set-top boxes as their default for watching.
According to Hub Entertainment Research, 66% of viewers aged 16-74 now default to online platforms, compared to just 26% who prefer live TV or DVR.
This trend has steadily increased over the past few years, further widening the gap between streaming and traditional television.
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