Since 2009, when the first bitcoin was created, the word “blockchain” has been widely used in connection with virtual currencies. Many industries, including public relations, are exploring its applications. With the use of blockchain technology, public relations professionals may track media coverage, provide fresh data points to research, and enhance metrics for campaign performance.

To verify whether or not a certain audience member has seen a promotional film or read an article about the brand, public relations teams can employ blockchain technology. The information is organised into “blocks” that can be viewed by anyone.

With this strategy, companies are able to track not just the scope of their headlines’ reach across the internet but also the context in which those headlines are displayed.

Blockchain technology: Future directions for PR

About the same time as blockchain became well-known as the underlying technology behind Bitcoin, the public relations industry emerged. Since then, blockchain technology has advanced to the point that it is now capable of revolutionising the way businesses interact with their suppliers, consumers, and other stakeholders.

It’s possible that some companies have an internal marketing team with experts in both digital and traditional marketing, while others don’t have any resources of this kind at all. At this point in time, there is a requirement for public relations (PR). When it comes to blockchain technology, public relations can be utilised in creative new ways to reach particular populations.

Also Read: PR’s unchanging essence: Human connections amidst AI and automation

Journalists are struggling to keep up with the influx of pitches they’re receiving from companies using blockchain technology as its popularity grows across several sectors. They are not likely to write about something they do not comprehend, and since most of them do not even know what blockchain is, this is not surprising.

Because of this, businesses that want to get their tales in front of journalists will need to get creative in order to offer their information in a way that will pique people’s interest and win their attention. Blockchain technology itself is not something that can simply be sold like other goods and services.

Even today, traditional media has a significant impact on how consumers perceive a brand and its offerings. In fact, studies have shown that people are more likely to believe print news articles than they are to trust social media advertisements. To keep journalists interested in writing about their company and spreading the word about their products, corporations must foster positive connections with the media.

Combating misinformation or ‘false news’

The use of blockchain technology has the potential to play a significant part in the fight against the spread of false information and the manipulation of the media, two problems that affect businesses of all sizes.

Blockchain technology is inherently transparent and traceable, which enables the real-time capability of tracing the origin of a piece of information and proving its legitimacy. Not only does it foster confidence between PR professionals and the clients they serve, but it also makes it possible to solve issues of crisis management in a timely manner.

Improving the quality control of public relations content

The benefits of using blockchain technology include not only authenticity but also traceability. It is ideally suited for tracking content rights and royalties, managing digital rights, authenticating news, substituting digital signatures, evaluating the accuracy of content, and managing digital rights.

It assists public relations professionals in ensuring that the information they generate for their customers is both secure from hacking and of an outstanding standard.

Final thoughts

Blockchain technology is transforming public relations by offering transparency, trust, and content control. It tracks media coverage, verifies engagement, and fights misinformation. It’s a valuable asset for PR professionals to enhance their practices and build trust with the media.

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This article was first published on October 20, 2023

The post How to transform public relations with blockchain technology appeared first on e27.

In the present fundraising climate set against the backdrop of a tech market slowdown, founders across Asia are under increased pressure to secure investments.

Startup fundraising across Asia’s key markets — Southeast Asia, India, and greater China — all fell in the second quarter of this year, compared with a year ago, according to recent data.

Amidst 2022’s decline in investments across Asia, startups found themselves navigating rough waters, resulting in significant layoffs. In response, banks like HSBC have been supportive, offering dedicated credit lines to top tech firms in the region, including Singapore-based superapp operator Grab.

Yet, as investors become increasingly results-driven, demanding rapid deliverables, a significant number of startups are exploring alternative paths to early-stage growth.

Bootstrapping, characterised by starting a business with personal savings, borrowed funds, and self-generated revenue, can provide a strong foundation for startups in Asia’s challenging market conditions.

Bootstrapping: A compelling choice for Asian startups

Bootstrapping is not just a funding choice — it’s a strategic one.

India, a global startup hub, boasts successful bootstrapped companies like SocialPilot, a social media marketing tool launched in 2014, and HappyFox, a customer support software solution founded in 2011.

Meanwhile, Singapore’s edutech firm KodeKloud reported an annual recurring revenue of US$5 million in the first half of 2022. Just recently, Maneuver Marketing made headlines in the tech scene after announcing US$340 million in sales since bootstrapping in 2018.

Also Read: Bootstrapping allows Inmagine flexibility to respond to changing market conditions, client needs

Bootstrapping offers a unique appeal to startups in Asia because of the region’s distinct market characteristics, cultural nuances, and entrepreneurial spirit. 

It’s no secret that external funding can come with strings attached, including set milestones, specific growth targets, or particular strategic directions. In uncertain times, this can be restrictive.

Bootstrapping, on the other hand, grants founders the autonomy to dictate the financial trajectory of their startups, at least during the starting phase. With full control, they can pivot strategies and eventually explore innovative approaches like turning their customers into investors. This focus on generating real revenue from satisfied customers can be an asset when investor money is hard to come by.

Without the pressure to achieve rapid growth at all costs, bootstrapping gives startups the opportunity to focus on sustainable and organic growth, ensuring they remain profitable or at least have a clear path to profitability. This focus can provide stability during market downturns.

Bootstrapping during these periods allows founders to avoid diluting their shares prematurely. Moreover, when external investments are scarce, there’s a risk of startups accepting unfavourable valuations just to secure funds. Such overvaluations or “down rounds” can harm the startup’s reputation, morale, and future fundraising prospects.

Bootstrapping allows founders to preserve their equity, which can be beneficial in the long run. So, when the time bootstrapped startups do seek external funding, they’re often in a better position to choose partners who align with their vision and values rather than being forced into a partnership due to financial desperation.

While the short-term challenges of 2023 loom large, the choices made during this period can shape the long-term future of Asia’s startup ecosystem. In the end, if a business can survive and even thrive while bootstrapping during this funding winter, it’s a testament to its viability. This resilience can be a powerful narrative when seeking future investments, partnerships, or even during acquisition talks.

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This article was first published on August 21, 2023

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It’s always interesting to look at the trends from Meta’s Seasonal Holidays Study, and one thing to note this year is how carefully and how far in advance people are planning for end-of-year purchases.

Shoppers, especially the younger generation, agree that planning ahead financially for the holiday season is more important than ever. Mega Sales Days (MSDs) are acting as catalysts, with their promise of delivering good bargains, entertainment and cultural relevance.

Clearly, MSDs are here to stay, as the Asia Pacific (APAC) region recorded the highest MSD participation rate last year.  Our survey showed that a whopping 83 per cent of year-end shoppers in APAC made a purchase during an MSD compared to the global average of 70 per cent (in partnership with YouGov, we surveyed 14,009 people aged 18+ in December 2022 across 12 APAC markets). APAC also saw the largest increase in MSD spending at US$382 per person, which amounts to a 13 per cent increase vs the global average, which is a five per cent increase.

It’s interesting to note that APAC shoppers are still spending despite caution around global economic headwinds; they’re more open to discovering new products and services during the MSD season. This means businesses will need to rely on supercharging discovery more than ever.

AI-powered social discovery

Our survey shows that more shoppers are leaning towards social platforms for discovery and inspiration during the year-end shopping season, with reliance on in-store, search and store websites falling compared to previous years.

This was even starker when it came to purchases, with offline purchasing dropping six percentage points to 56 per cent compared to 62 per cent in 2022. Meanwhile, online purchasing increased to 87 per cent in 2022, compared to 81 per cent in 2021.

In fact, 67 per cent of APAC shoppers agreed that brands and products discovered on Meta technologies during the sales season are more relevant than those discovered on other platforms. Short-form videos emerged as powerful brand awareness drivers during the sales season, with 57 per cent of those surveyed saying they discovered new brands and products through short-form videos on social platforms.

This behaviour is especially pronounced in Gen Z and Millennials, with over 70 per cent saying they are always browsing online for shopping inspiration with a clear preference for short videos as discovery tools.

Also Read: The growth of business messaging: How it’s improving business performance in Southeast Asia

Our survey also uncovered some stark differences between Gen Z and Millennials. Gen Z shoppers appear to be more impulsive; 46 per cent of Gen Z shoppers took immediate action after discovering a brand/product by adding it to their carts, whereas for over half of Millennials (52 per cent), the online discovery led them to do more online research.

AI-driven mega sales

As we all know, something feels new this year, and that is the massive opportunity businesses have to use AI to build powerful connections with the growing ranks of Asia’s mega-sale shoppers.

So just as shoppers are planning early, marketers need to do the same if they are to offer customers value and remain competitive in a tight market. AI can help businesses automate campaigns or analyse performance and compare what works best at scale, and drive more efficient use of resources.

This is where our mature AI targeting technologies come into play, connecting businesses with valuable audiences at scale while respecting people’s choices on how their data is used. Meta Advantage is our suite of ad automation tools that help businesses maximise the performance benefits of AI to deliver superior campaign results.

Meta Advantage does this by allowing businesses to automate any or all of their campaigns. We invest in AI to help advertisers find, convert and keep customers through a variety of business objectives in a diversity of creative formats that flex to achieve outcomes that matter most to specific business growth. Put simply, AI can drive better performance by enabling brands to surprise and delight customers by intuitively serving up products they love – even before they’d even considered them.

Take the example of Pomelo, the Thai digital fashion platform that worked with us to automate some of its processes. They tested a Meta Advantage+ shopping campaign which uses machine learning to help brands reach audiences who are most likely to engage and convert.

Compared to manually created ads, Advantage+ shopping campaigns require fewer inputs during campaign creation, simplify audience options, and streamline the ad creative process. Pomelo relied on Meta’s powerful machine-learning technology to determine the best budget split to reach new and existing audiences. They achieve 2.1 times higher return on ad spend compared to the usual campaign setup.

Businesses can also use Meta Advantage for strategic targeting of segments to improve engagement and personalisation. Take the segment of ‘influencer followers’ that we identified. For this segment, creators have a stronger impact than brands when it comes to product awareness, consideration and purchase.

Among the subset of shoppers who follow creators, 79 per cent said they participated in MSD as they saw a promotion by a creator. Overall, 53 per cent agreed they look for creator/influencer recommendations to make holiday shopping decisions.

AI-assisted business messaging

One in two year-end shoppers also used Meta’s business messaging tools for inquiries, updates, tracking orders, returns and refunds management, payment/in-app checkout, and to access FAQs via chat automation or a chatbot.

Also Read: Future-proofing businesses and talent through technology

In Hong Kong, IKEA has implemented a Messenger-powered automated experience and promoted its automated care via Messenger Ads. Since doing so, IKEA Hong Kong has successfully improved the quality of its customer service and seen 300 per cent growth for Messenger as a customer care channel over a two-year period.

We are also seeing more businesses leveraging AI chatbots to provide instant customer support, guide users in purchasing decisions, and even upsell or cross-sell products, and this is all only set to grow.

AI-powered solutions and strategies

• Start early: Build enthusiasm early by setting earlier promotions or planning to launch new products to gain momentum. Leverage AI-driven solutions to hyper-personalise discoveries for shoppers that encourage conversion.
• Partner with creators: Collaborate with creators who align with your brand values and leverage co-branded marketing channels to spread the word.
• Harness AI to personalise at scale: With key segments in mind, increase your target audience by looking for new customers. Tap into AI, machine learning and business messaging to find the right audience at the right time at the best price.

To learn more about our solutions, click here.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic

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Image credit: Meta

This article was first published on July 27, 2023

The post Are you ready for Asia Pacific’s first AI-driven mega sales season? appeared first on e27.

Startups don’t need the services of public relations agencies – at least, that’s what most startup Founders or business leaders would like to believe. But let’s review that theory, shall we?

Imagine if an employee or an executive representing your company committed a blunder. Picture this: a mishap equivalent to a botched spell or a misplaced Portkey causing havoc. Now, what if a customer complaint, fueled by a touch of dark magic, went a bit too far and quickly became a viral sensation online, casting a dark cloud of negativity on your brand?

Imagine the repercussions of such a situation, as if there is a secret dark wizard employed in your company. And what if, despite investing significant time and resources in marketing your products and services, the public remains oblivious to your brand, almost as if they were all under the influence of the memory charm, Obliviate? Clearly, in that situation, all you need is a simple Beautification Charm.

But, since we don’t have that in the real world, how about trying the next best thing and getting yourself a reliable PR agency to act as your Patronus and keep all those Dementors, aka negative public perception, at bay?

The importance of public relations in crisis management

Ok – maybe that was too Harry Potter. Let’s study a real-life example. Startup Y is a Malaysian tech company that recently launched a groundbreaking e-commerce platform, aiming to revolutionise online shopping in the country.

The platform has gained popularity among users, receiving positive reviews and attracting significant media attention. However, as the user base expands rapidly, Startup Y encounters a PR crisis when a major data breach occurs, compromising the personal information of thousands of users.

Also Read: Barbie-fy your business with the power of PR

News of the data breach quickly spreads across social media platforms, causing panic and eroding trust among users. Negative comments, online articles, and viral videos criticising the startup’s security measures start circulating, damaging Startup Y’s reputation and impeding further user acquisition. The internal team at Startup Y, overwhelmed by the crisis, struggles to respond effectively, exacerbating the situation.

Recognising the urgency and severity of the issue, Startup Y realises the need for professional assistance and decides to engage a reliable PR agency with expertise in crisis management and come with amazing media relations, specifically in the Malaysian market. Fortunately, the PR agency quickly takes charge and develops a tailored communication plan to address the issue and rebuild trust with the affected users.

You see, being a Founder of my own company, I know for a fact that sometimes leaders tend to think that they know everything that is best for their business. Sometimes they feel like they can do everything themselves, so why would they need to involve outsiders in their operations? Why try to fix something that is not yet broken, right?

Why startups need to invest in PR agencies

Sirius-ly, you may need to think of it this way – you’re just preparing the umbrella before it rains, and this umbrella of yours is not a normal umbrella that just protects you from getting wet. It also actively does its best to make sure that you have sunscreen on and always look your best whenever you step outside. You may not think you need that umbrella because it’s not raining yet, but believe me, you’re going to wish you had that umbrella ready at arm’s reach.

Hiring a PR agency to take care of the image aspect of your business is especially crucial for startup companies.

While the founder Focuses on the business aspect of it, the little elves of the PR agency can work simultaneously to increase the visibility of your company, manage any crises that may arise, increase the rate of positive perception towards your brand and handle the creative aspects that will aid in maintaining a good reputation among the public, which to be honest, are your potential customers.

Also Read: The growth of business messaging: How it’s improving business performance in Southeast Asia

Proactive PR consultants will make sure that you are seen by the right people (like VCs) at the right time.

Needless to say, having a PR agency to handle the image and publicity side of your business is a convenience that not many leaders leverage. Everyone knows that the company’s image can make or break a business – so what’s the harm in ensuring that you’ve got yourself covered if anything goes wrong?

For companies that have been around for quite some time, having a PR agency to back them up can also mean increased credibility of the brand. The PR consultants will be able to advise you on certain aspects of the business that you should emphasise based on their knowledge within the media industry. This also applies to startup companies too. It can show potential investors that your company truly is worth the money.

Aside from that, the people at the PR agency can even help you get in touch with the right people at the right time. Looking for an award? Let the PR people know what kind so they can put out their feelers out there. Need help to get people to come to your company’s event? Let the PR people know so they can get in touch with their vast network of media contacts to make that happen!

Ultimately, a PR agency can help you with your business in so many ways that you may not even realise, especially for startup companies. It’s hard to list down all the benefits of hiring a PR agency as most of them have their own specialities and areas that they tend to focus on. But I have managed to pique your interest, pick up the phone and try giving a few PR agencies a call to discover which one is right for you.

“The wand chooses the wizard, Harry,” said Garrick Ollivander from the wizarding world. But in this case, you choose your wand and just watch the magic happen.

And to answer the earlier question, yes, startups do need a reliable PR team to back them up!

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic

Join our e27 Telegram group, FB community, or like the e27 Facebook page

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This article was first published on August 2, 2023

The post Startups don’t need PR agencies, sirius-ly? appeared first on e27.

The efficiency of business-to-user messaging for any brand determines retention rates and growth numbers, and the ever-widening channels of communications have increased the number of customer touchpoints.

Using a single communication channel is insufficient; using every channel available will result in spamming and be counterproductive. Businesses need an omnichannel communications strategy that delivers a consistent experience across customer touchpoints.

In an age when automation of operations is being adopted to fulfil functions more efficiently, there’s no reason why the process of businesses’ communication with their user should lag behind. Notifications and In-App Chat APIs provide an opportunity for seamless handling of customer satisfaction and experience and should be leveraged as such in the omnichannel communication strategies.

Technologically advanced communications support the mantra of “doing more with less”, which adds value in targeting the ever-growing complexities of the end consumers.

Things to consider and keep in mind when drawing an omnichannel communications strategy:

Evaluate target audience and identify first-choice channels for automation

Depending on the type of business, the communication channels will change and need to be customised accordingly. Identifying the platforms most used by the target audience, followed by a thorough analysis of their benefits and limitations, is necessary. Customer preference for in-app user experience, push notifications, social media interactions, etc., have to be considered.

Also Read: How business leaders can utilise generative AI in employee communications

While external communication points may convince customers to engage with your brand, the in-app experience makes or breaks the deal. Fintechs have seen a 300 per cent higher average spend per user with chat, while ride-hailing businesses clocked a 75 per cent reduction in booking cancellation rates. This shows that efficient chatbots, easy-to-navigate UI, and updated info about products, services and the brand are crucial factors.

Methodically separate types of messaging between the channels identified

Every channel carries its own set of features which serve different purposes. For example, SMS for verification, emails for long format messages, in-app messaging for faster turnarounds, personalised notifications for prompting, etc.

Simultaneously, it is necessary to keep up with the changing trends. Clicks on emails have gradually declined over the years, and visual forms of messaging have taken over wordy texts. Live chats, push notifications, and other in-app communication features have taken the spotlight in recent times, and it is important to leverage the same.

Prioritising personalisation and customisation

Despite following through the steps of identifying the most suitable channels for the target audience and dividing types of messages, there is still wide scope for better targeting. While customers can be divided into demographics, they differ from individual to individual. Messages and notifications create more impact when they are customised to fit the receiver, and using platforms that allow the same should be a priority.

In-built CTA (Call to action) within in-app notifications drives customer action. Push Notifications can also be strengthened through personalisation, prompting users specifically based on their carts and buying habits and also be used to alert them of promotional offers.

Providing two-way communication at relevant touchpoints

Communication is successful when in addition to the company’s successful messaging process, the users can revert with their questions, inputs, and feedback. The aim of an omnichannel communication strategy is not to send out its messaging once but to establish a long-term route of conversations with their past, current and future customers.

Chatbots have emerged as an excellent and cost-effective two-way communication method, providing customer support in-app or at the website’s interface. The future is clearing a seamless segway into live chat from chatbots for higher customer satisfaction. Intelligent integration of chat platforms with carts, payments, product catalogues, etc., ensures faster conversion from interest to buy.

Also Read: How efficient communication drives positive relationships in product development

Reeling in a customer is not enough; you have to keep them

Business professionals are accustomed to ticking the omnichannel box, but their approach is often for a narrow time frame. Meeting and acquiring customers where they are is important, but long-term retention of these users on your website and app determines success.

Multiple studies, including Harvard Business Review research, state that depending on the sector and industry, the cost of customer acquisition is 5x to 25x higher than customer retention. The in-app channel is the best for using this gap, going beyond acquisition to drive adoption, usage, engagement, retention, and referral (upsells) — to manage all touchpoints of the user journey.

Omnichannel communications bring consistent consumer data and improve CSAT (customer satisfaction) metrics.

Instead of vague data divided based on large demographics, it allows brands to understand their users on a deeper and more individual level. Instead of blindly sending our mass messages and hoping some stick, strategising across channels helps increase the return on investment.

Communications strategies are not one-channel-fits-all, and brands must step up and leverage every productive channel to grow their brand’s voice.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic

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This article was first published on May 23, 2023

The post Unlocking growth and retention: Harnessing the power of omnichannel communication strategies appeared first on e27.

With the IMF recently forecasting the next decade to have the lowest global growth in 40 years, or major corporates cutting resources and stating the need for “a year of efficiency” (Facebook’s Zuckerberg for example) and venture capital drying up, its clearly a time when productivity and efficiency are at the top on the management agenda.

It’s a time where lean efficiencies are key to not only surviving but to out-positioning the competition. It’s also a critical time when you and your leadership team need to understand the deep efficiencies that Category Design delivers across the organisation.

What is Category Design?

The methodology and discipline of Category Design enable you to define the market and category to your advantage. This not only out-positions your competition but also unleashes completely new revenue and economic upside.

Category Design begins with the deep exploration of “the problem” your organisation can solve.  What is this unique problem that has never been adequately described?  Perhaps it’s an evolution of the current state and problem, or perhaps it’s a problem we didn’t even know we had.

Internal impact

This deep exploration and thinking drive a powerful internal alignment across your team.  Once you land on the new problem and its articulation, it becomes a key inflection point for your own personal leadership and the team.

It’s a deeper clarity on what we are solving today and into the future.   It’s either a fine-tuning of your overall strategy or a complete epiphany and makeover of it.   It’s an entirely new category that is being defined, with the strategic intent of your company to be the de-facto leader as the “Category King”.

Those who tell stories, rule the world

Imagine now the power of an invigorated story and point of view around the problem that the company is solving.  Internal Comms sees not only a major boost and clarity around the united objective and strategy of the company, but this story becomes incredibly viral and consistent across the team and any internal communications.

Vision, Mission and Brand Values are all still there (but may see some modification) but it is the laser-like focus on the problem that people and teams rally around.  What are we solving and why does it make a difference?

Now apply this to recruiting.  As a candidate considers your company as a team and employer the team’s passion is abundantly clear, with clarity around “the problem” that is core to the company and its ambitions.  It sets you apart from other companies, who have washed-out, unclear messages around what the team is collectively working towards.   It makes you and your team incredibly viral with your message and Point of View.

Also Read: You’re destined to fail if you don’t do this 1 thing when building international teams

Don’t just design your future, build it

In this journey to describe and solve the problem (and to be the Category King), how does your overall solution and product roadmap need to evolve?  This is the Blueprint stage of the Category Design Methodology.   This one-page visualisation shows what successive waves of innovation and product availability will be catalysed by the problem focus.  It brings together product, engineering, sales, marketing, channels, and leadership to understand and clarify as a team “what” will be delivered and “when”.

External impact

With a clear problem, Category and internal Blueprint defined, the key realisation is that you cannot be a Category and be only one company.  The Category is a new Ecosystem, that needs to be visualised and described.   What companies/technologies/APIs/services/consumers/channel partners/government agencies / NGOs /analysts/media (and the list can go on) are part of this Ecosystem?

How can we visualise this Ecosystem? What shape/diagram/flow/layers; does it have? How does it enhance and tell the story around the Category?

This is a major result and “asset” from the Category Design process: not only a visualisation of the Ecosystem but a catalysation of strategy around it.

Consistently we see clients going through this step of design-thinking and having a set of epiphanies on not only the components of the Ecosystem but key targets and players who have been overlooked up to this point.

The ecosystem also drives deep thinking and efficiencies for accountability (who owns what “slice” for example?).  And how will we track and measure our engagement and outcomes with members of our ecosystem?

One particular slice of the ecosystem is key media.  Which journalists and media organisations do we need to focus on and develop deeper relationships with? This is especially effective as it is armed with a much clearer, compelling Point of View as part of your regular engagement and pitching to media.  More effective and productive PR/Media Relations is a significant impact and outcome (such as earned media) from Category Design (and can be measured).

Similarly, Analyst Relations receive a major efficiency boost.  Which analysts are you targeting and why?  How do we prioritise? And Analysts, like media, are tired of product and company-centric presentations.  What is the bigger idea and Category that you are presenting?  How does your Blueprint and Ecosystem Map reinforce your story and illustrate the clarity of your strategy?

Having a compelling and differentiated Point of View, a clear Blueprint and Ecosystem Strategy are incredible accelerants for your go-to-market capability. Further fuelling this however is the Lightning Strike methodology.  This proven GTM efficiency and outcomes-driver is based on a concentrated burst of GTM activities.

In most cases, this intense concentration occurs over a two to three-week period and involves all members of the company to participate and support.  Marketing of course is a central player and coordinator, but a “strike” enables the senior leadership to engage the entire company for teamwork and a clear set of metrics and targets.

Every Lightning Strike (likely every six months) that you run will be unique, but will have your Point of View at the heart of your content, and will have clarity of what parts of your Blueprint you are announcing and need to be market-ready; along with your Ecosystem targets and KPIs.

Your strike will have creative aspects, tactical components, key marketing investments, target customer engagement and many other components, but this intense burst will move the needle for awareness as well as pipeline impact.  And because it is so defined in terms of timing, duration and metrics, you will be able to measure the impact and ROI very clearly.

Also Read: How to balance rapid growth and sustainability as a startup founder

The whole is greater than its parts

Taken in total, these eight forces across internal and external impact are thus direct outcomes from Category Design and create an ongoing efficiency-flywheel effect:

But it is, as per Aristotle’s quote, greater than just the sum of the above parts.  Category Design challenges you and your team to not only think bigger, but differently. It’s your opportunity to lead, not follow.

And think about this:  You will always be in a Category.

The question then is: Do you want to position, or be positioned?

If you don’t define the problem and Category, then someone else will.

Carpe diem! Define and dominate your Category!

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic

Join our e27 Telegram group, FB community, or like the e27 Facebook page

Image credit: Canva Pro

This article was first published on May 9, 2023

The post How Category Design drives productivity and efficiency appeared first on e27.

Almost 50 per cent of our waking hours are spent thinking about topics other than our current activities. Even though it’s normal, this mental straying might make it difficult for us to efficiently record and use our thoughts.

So, the question is, is there a better approach to capture these transient concepts for later use? The secret is to recognise the obstacles to productivity and use cutting-edge technologies to go over them.

The barriers to thought capture

Distractions, task switching, time consumption, procrastination, and intricacy all contribute to our thoughts never being completed. Let’s examine each of these challenges in more detail:

• Distractions: The average cost of distractions throughout a workday is 2.1 hours or over 26 per cent of an eight-hour workday. The substantial loss of time impairs both creativity and production.
• Task switching: The costly fallacy of multitasking can result in a 40 per cent reduction in productive time. We become less efficient and focused when we switch tasks.
• Time consumption: Typing takes up to 2.5 hours of a person’s workday on average, which is a significant amount of time devoted to a single form of expression. 
• Procrastination: Fear of failing (seven per cent), low self-confidence (eight per cent), perfectionism (seven per cent), low energy (28 per cent), and task aversion (50 per cent) are the main causes of procrastination. All of these things have the potential to impede work progress and completion.
• Complexity: An individual’s mind produces more than 6,000 thoughts per day. Many of these ideas are intricate and challenging to express, which increases the risk of them being overlooked or underdeveloped.

The costs of not capturing ideas can be high. If objectives are not met, there is a 42 per cent reduction in the probability of accomplishing goals that are not documented. In addition, those who don’t regularly write down their ideas frequently experience lower levels of happiness and fulfilment.

Also Read: Can generative AI usher us into the gilded age of ad creativity?

The time required to do activities grows; an average worker spends more than 11 hours a week writing by hand or organising their thoughts. It takes significantly longer for people who have dyslexia to complete this procedure.

Conventional techniques for gathering thoughts

Typewriters, transcribing machines, and paper and pencil are examples of traditional idea-capture techniques. Each of these approaches has advantages and disadvantages.

Pencil and paper

• Pros: More adaptable than computerised techniques, enabling impromptu and unstructured note-taking.
• Cons: Because notes must be kept in physical notebooks, they are less accessible and more difficult to arrange. This approach can be especially difficult for the 20 per cent of people worldwide who suffer from dyslexia.

Typing

• Pros: More efficient than handwriting and simpler to arrange and modify.
• Cons: Due to digital disruptions, it can be time-consuming and annoying. People with dyslexia find it less approachable as well.

Transcription

• Pros: Speedy and practical, enabling the expression of ideas that can subsequently be recorded.
• Cons: Thoughts may not always be clear from transcription and may not always be accurate, which could result in misunderstandings.

Transforming the art of thought capture

With the use of artificial intelligence (AI), there is a new cutting-edge technology suite of content creation tools that transform spoken words into structured, written text, thereby addressing the shortcomings of conventional techniques.

This approach has a number of significant benefits:

• Simple to use: To arrange their ideas, users can choose to start a new document or utilise one of the templates. Then, speaking into their desktop or phone app, they pause and resume as necessary.
• AI-generated questions: The AI asks conversational questions to elucidate concepts further, assisting in their development.
• Built-in Features: It has features that are intended to get beyond typical obstacles to productivity, such as:
• Document types: Users can turn their thoughts into infographics, emails, ELI5 (Explain Like I’m Five) summaries, journal entries, and social network postings, among other formats.
• Describe changes: Users can give the program instructions on how to reorganise their ideas. For instance, it can rewrite material to make it more succinct or turn bullet points into paragraphs.
• Collaboration: Users can work together on ideas from any location and on any device by using shareable links.
• Progressive Web Application (PWA): Installing this as a PWA enables cross-platform accessibility and ease of use.

Also Read: After failure, rekindling our creativity and finding balance

The advantages

• Speed: Users can quickly and effectively capture their thoughts because it is three times faster than typing.
• Accessibility: Designed with neurodivergent populations in mind, it makes efficient idea capture accessible to a wider range of individuals.
• Accuracy: Preserves the uniqueness of the user’s concepts by eschewing the distortions and hallucinations that are frequently connected with AI.
• Focus: Keeping users in the now lessens the cognitive strain that comes with writing by hand or typing.

Using AI-powered transcription tools to capture free-form spoken phrases is the most straightforward approach to organising and utilising complicated concepts. It helps people become more creative and productive by removing the obstacles that come with using traditional methods. This guarantees that no idea is wasted and that every notion has the potential to be realised.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

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Image credit: Canva Pro

This article was first published on July 22, 2024

The post Unlocking your creativity and productivity with AI content tools appeared first on e27.

In recent weeks there’s been a number of stories circulating about the demand for Prompt Engineers, one of the hottest new job roles in this fuzzy and sometimes contradictory job market. After all, on one hand, we’re seeing mass layoffs across major tech companies, while on the other we’re witnessing the creation of “AI Whisperer” roles very few had heard of just six months ago.

What’s particularly interesting is the lack of computer engineering or advanced coding expertise these roles are requiring.

It got me thinking – firstly, how soon will it be until it’s commonplace for Prompt Engineers to have an integral seat at the table in all major corporations and if so, in which departments?

And secondly, what generative AI quick wins can business leaders, regardless of their seniority, be using right now in their communications? But how can they do so without losing touch with employees?

Zoning in on the latter, here are three ways the senior leadership at Bud Communications has been using generative AI with employees:

Greater brevity in written communications

Our core business is media relations and we know from industry research that sending a journalist with lead paragraphs of between 50-79 words score the best engagement. But in reality, this need for brevity also applies across our internal communications.

Also Read: Is ChatGPT a great invention or is it being ‘hyped’?

For example, if there’s a new company policy I want to make for the team, it’s likely the draft is convoluted and perhaps a tad dry. I want the team to read this communication and react to it, so I use ChatGPT to condense and pep up the message.

Another example: I’m writing a synopsis for an event’s fireside chat I’m chairing. The process is the same, I want to cut out some of the superlative fluff from my prose, but it requires practice and some trial/error to work out the right prompts to get the optimal outcome.

Aligning teams during complex creative or strategy brainstorms

Creative brainstorms are energising for teams, but unless chaired correctly, the end outcome can be several hours of time and a lot of tangential ideas with no clear way forward. This is no different from strategy meetings, where stakeholders can have conflicting ideas aligned with the goals of their own business units.

For the past 12 months or so, we’ve been using Otter.ai to take meeting notes during virtual and in-person meetings, with the tool capturing notes and generating a summary at the end. Alternatively, for the latter ChatGPT has also proven a useful tool to capture the high-level themes and suggested next steps.

Cranking up the visual quality of storytelling in presentations

Not everyone enjoys creating decks; I am one of them. But then SaaS platforms like Pitch and Canva came along and made the art of crafting engaging presentations actually fun.

Also Read: Generative AI and inclusive branding: Are we there yet?

If you’re a senior business leader, you’ve probably been in a situation late at night, hunched over your laptop trying to think of the most compelling image to ramp up the visual quality of your all-hands meeting presentation.

Canva launched a relatively basic text-to-image AI tool at the end of last year, but one of the generative AI (text-to-image) tools a lot of creatives are getting really excited about is Midjourney. With a few well-written prompts, you’ll have already forgotten about those “smiling employees in the office” stock images you’ve been using for years (personal anecdote).

Don’t leave authenticity behind

The list of use cases goes on, from creating a topline structure for a last-minute presentation to iterating with written headlines to spark new content approaches, like when posting on a company intranet or employee experience app.

The main takeaway from this post is that as a leader, there are some incredible use cases where generative AI can increase efficiency and help you focus on the stuff that matters. But the pitfall is overuse. One of the biggest corporate learnings from the pandemic was that employees crave authentic communication from their leaders, which is unsanitised and most importantly, human.

Tl;dr: use this groundbreaking new technology wisely. Treat it like a cross between a sparring partner and a bit part project manager. You’ve likely spent your whole career honing a communications/leadership style that’s authentic to your personality and values. That groundwork is as important as ever to motivate and inspire your team. 

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic

Join our e27 Telegram group, FB community, or like the e27 Facebook page

Image credit: Canva Pro

This article was first published on April 26, 2023

The post How business leaders can utilise generative AI in employee communications appeared first on e27.