Participation commentary

Three fearless predictions for post-COVID marketing
We’re still at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, absent some unexpected vaccine coming available in the next few months. But even before the crisis created havoc in the marketing world, we were monitoring the shifts in digital spending and allocation from brands,...

April 9 – IOVIA Community Call – With Kristi Knowles
Here at IOVIA, we have another Community Call April 9. Our Community Calls are one way we’re trying to connect people and business leaders from around the world and help our community during this strange, difficult time. They’re open to anyone who wants to join. This...

IOVIA Community Call – April 2 – You’re invited
Here at IOVIA, we have another Community Call this week as we all continue to adjust to the new normal under the coronavirus. Our Community Calls are one way we’re trying to connect people and business leaders from around the world and help our community during this...

IOVIA Community Call, March 26th – You’re invited
Last week, the IOVIA team kicked off the first of what we hope will be a series of open Community Calls. These are video calls with people in and out of our network where we talk about issues that have arisen in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. They are one way...

Community in a time of isolation
Everyone’s scared. That’s the bottom line here. And compounding that fear is the fact we have now retreated to our homes. We’re avoiding public spaces. We’re staying clear of strangers and friends alike. Our world is sewn together. We are so connected. But now we’re...

The 5 core principles of people-powered brands
We’re just back from The Gathering conference in Banff, Canada, which is a celebration of cult brands from around North America. The core principles of cult brands (as we gleaned from our time in various talks) include a few central elements. These are: Be bold and...

The Gathering
This is the story of then. There were times over the last decade where I was sitting across from a senior executive, walking through our view of the marketing landscape, one built upon the idea that communities of fans would eventually be key levers for brands to...

Influencers: Should you build or buy?
The title of this post makes reference to the now-common practice of buying services from (often big name) social media influencers to spread your content, promote your products and services, and generally build brand awareness with consumers. But it also makes...

Introducing the brand community value curve
Building a brand community takes time because the rules of human communities still apply in the digital space. The contributions of individuals and groups become more potent over time. The person in your community just lurking and taking it all in today? She might be...
Gen Z, the gig economy and automation: a huge opportunity for brands
A new report outlines some key desires and inclinations of the emergent Gen Z as they enter the workforce en masse around the world. The report, titled "Gen Z and the Gig Economy: It’s Time to Gig in or Get Out" notes that 53% of Gen Z said they would pass up a...