Hamzah Alsagoff’s Post

#AI in and for #Enterprise. I’ve had conversations with friends in several fields and it frustrates and surprises me that many enterprises are deliberately ‘blocking’ and ‘shunning’ AI with the (valid) rationale that it poses either a ‘plagiarism’ threat or could be ‘dumbing’ down their workforce. And these are management folks. Really? Can anyone let alone an enterprise not content or work with AI without it coming after you, especially from those who use it? Can anyone afford not to use AI to ‘elevate’ himself with much better performance. Sometimes I feel some fail to realise that we have to change how we study, work, live and play ahead. What we’ve been equipping ourselves as knowledge and skills have to be transformed too. Of course we don’t ‘dumb’ ourselves and take the easy route. That’s how we separate the real talents who are equipped to work comfortably with an evolved environment not taught in schools. We need to relook at how we can be empowered ahead. How we also need to look inwards into our own flawed less perfect capacity that actually is the perfect foil and needed nuanced humanity intelligence or #HI that AI itself – I’ve had a fascinating exchange over this with #ClaudeAI – acknowledges they can’t perfect over. So, if you are keen on how to win in #EnterpriseAI then this playbook is good read.  ‘.....AI is everywhere, apparently! Except in the enterprise. Enterprises remain uncertain about where to invest in AI and, crucially, where AI truly delivers competitive advantage. This playbook is aimed both at the enterprise and the providers looking to serve it. If you really want to succeed with AI adoption in the enterprise, you need to understand: 1) Micro: How AI actually unbundles work and creates new opportunities to rebundle it elsewhere 2) Context: The mis-steps that enterprises have made over the past decade in their quest for digital transformation 3) Macro: The overall forces in an enterprise ecosystem that determine where power, inertia, and decisions sit and where they move with new technology coming in We start with the micro logic, layer in the enterprise context, and then expand on the macro opportunity. This playbook is set up in eight parts: 1) The logic 2) The opportunity 3) The enterprise context 4) Workflow capture 5) Business model advantage 6) Threats and discontinuities 7) Moats, control points, and enterprise account expansion 8) Winners and losers: Finally, what determines winners and losers in Enterprise AI...’ If you are keen to harness AI then dive into the expansion within the link. #convergence #convergenceincommunication > #Contagio #insightsdriven #branding #marketresearch > #PiquantIdeas #B2B #B2C #D2C #marketing #marketingstrategy #socialmediamarketingstrategy #omnichannel #omnichannelmarketing #retail #luxuryretail #retailmarketing #consumerjourney #consumerbehaviour #consumerexperience #CX #CI  #AI #data #algorithm #madschoolsg #ngeeannpoly #nanyangpoly

How refreshingly familiar, and yet relevant today. As a proponent of convergence as a contagion catalyst this to me is where new meets old skool. It may be for #localmarketing ideas but to me they apply to all marketing challenges. The channels and mediums may include new ones relevant and prevalent today but the base discipline – and clearly logical thinking to the point of going out of the box – is unchanged. Note, pontificate over the pointers and read off the link share. ‘....Local marketing ideas, like the ones listed below, can help you stand out in a sea of local businesses. • Idea 1: Start an offline strategy that funnels online traffic Having creative local marketing ideas will enable you to start conversations with your community. • Idea 2: Get a back pat from other locals If you have a number of backlinks from reputable, local websites, it will increase your visibility on search engines and also add credibility to your brand. • Idea 3: Encourage word-of-mouth Here are some statistics on how word-of-mouth impacts consumer behavior: > 88% of people trust personal recommendations over all other channels worldwide > 92% of customers will trust a friend over a company’s marketing message > 70% of consumers will take the word of other consumers’ opinions There are several ways you can encourage individuals to suggest your business first and foremost: – Customer referral program – Ask for a review – Make a connection online • Idea 4: Be relevant to your community Make the locals know that you are one of them —that you understand them and give them a marketing message they can relate to. • Idea 5: Claim your Google Business Profile Create a Google Business profile....one of the quickest and easiest ways to get on a local search page. • Idea 6: Localize your Google Ads Run a local search engine marketing campaign by focusing on your local area. • Idea 7: Tell your story If your brand has a story to tell, then tell it! Potential customers will want to support a company they can relate to or that invests in their community. Idea 8: Use a sign This creates an opportunity for your customers to do the advertising for you — if they find your sign humorous, they might share it with friends and family, or through social media, and increase your business’s exposure. Idea 9: Use the right social media channel Localize yourself...advertise on the channel and modify the demographic options to your area….’ C’mon get and support local please. And if you are local marketer get smart. #convergence #convergenceincommunication #contagioncatalyst > #Contagio #insightsdriven #branding #marketresearch > #PiquantIdeas #advertising #advertisingagency #marketing #marketingstrategy  #marketing #marketingstrategy #socialmediamarketingstrategy #consumerjourney #consumerbehaviour #consumerexperience #madschoolsg #ngeeannpoly #nanyangpoly

Having come from the agency side where I’ve done and worked on some truly effective creative works when we researched and measured to be directed I can attest to this. Which is why after leaving agency work – it was painful to watch how it has degenerated into – I gravitated towards working with a branding shop rooted and driven by insights, serving to guide not only the agency for com but all supporting services while ensuring our clients are also focused.     ‘....Advertising at its best has clear and concise communication at its heart. So deploy these skills in the sharing of effectiveness information to make it relevant and interesting to everyone who works for the agency or brand. And for crying out loud, show the work alongside the results…’ Yes it is a culture and discipline for all stakeholders – on both sides – involved.  ‘....In many agency/client relationships, effectiveness is seen as the job of planners and strategists, but as a marketing lead, this conflict must be confronted. Everyone in your business should be pulling in the same direction with a culture of effectiveness across every department, all the time…’ Creativity is still the prized core DNA to be priced and remunerated fairly that Agency must impress is what they truly do best. Especially with a clear defined focus on effectiveness. ‘....We still need to find the zags, rely on gut instincts and brilliant craft. But effectiveness is equally important….’ And work closely with the client to ensure performance and results are tracked and tagged to not just for creative but the total convergence com works. ‘... Communication must go both ways, too. Tesco keeps us constantly updated with the latest business results and performance metrics. And we’re involved from the proposition stage of a project right through to final execution, so we have a deep understanding of what’s of real importance to the client and its customers which is integral to a culture of effectiveness.…’ With the new disruptive paradigm of integrating and incorporating AI in tracking efficacy it should not limit but elevate the performance. #convergence #convergenceincommunication #contagioncatalyst > #Contagio #insightsdriven #branding #marketresearch > #PiquantIdeas #advertising #advertisingagency #marketing #marketingstrategy  #marketing #marketingstrategy #socialmediamarketingstrategy #consumerjourney #consumerbehaviour #consumerexperience #madschoolsg #ngeeannpoly #nanyangpoly

It's been a while since a fashion spectacle – let alone a runway show – has captivated me like this one did. It is in one word – magnifigue. A unique event, Vogue World: Paris is a celebration of fashion, sport, French savoir-faire and excellence, and the historic houses of French fashion. The stars of the day are some of the world’s most talented designers and athletes. Many talented designers and teams from different brands came together for this fashion spectacle to cover such a long period of fashion history of 100 years! This rekindled fond memories of a fashion first back during my uni days when Swan Gin, Wendy & I co-created #Bodicovere. As I was an avid fashion fan fascinated with fashion history and annals I have forgotten the organic promotional posters I did to chronicle them until the late dear Roslan reminded me. So this spectacle captivates me for it is staged and built on stories and tell dreams as the team work to introduce new ideas to each decade over the last century. It’s an exciting way to approach styling and take visual communication to a new level. '.....people are going to learn something—it introduces a bit of culture to #VogueWorld. And then we’ll see some cameos—celebrities in certain outfits—all with dancers in the middle of Place Vendôme. It's not just one show, it’s an event with lots of things going on. The surprises never end! There are 150 models, plus athletes, celebrities, and others wearing different looks. ....there are a lot of young designers who don’t necessarily have a deep knowledge of fashion. When they discover vintage pieces from 1920s Chanel, 1930s Balenciaga, or 1970s Givenchy, I hope they learn something about French fashion. One hundred years of fashion is a lot! It’s very interesting to be able to work with these original dresses, which is usually impossible because they’re kept locked away, maintained at certain temperatures under certain conditions. They’re very protected. When we don’t use original dresses, we use exact replicas....' What is even more amazing about this staging is how it is purely organic in appeal and you'll find yourself drawn and riveted to watch from start to end. I first caught snippets off social and had to catch the whole. It also reminds me of #FashionAid from a long time ago. When all we had to watch such is through tv or captured on video....like this. Spectacularly stunning. #VogueWorldParis

There is no denying that #search as we know it has been disrupted by AI and yet brands and marketers are not adjusting their #SEO & #SEM. By habits for other gens – especially the older lot – the usual suspects are still the familiar goto but for the digitally savvy lot – and here we focus on #GenZ – not only are their habits different but they are more demanding for the results desired. We also know they want the results faster and less bloated with distraction from ads and sponsored contents. And once #AI – especially using #promptengineering #generativeAI tools or aid(e)s – becomes ubiquitous – isn’t it already? – search as we know it will be less dominated by a few goto platforms. Besides, some platforms can assist with almost a one-stop resource.   ‘....#Reddit has become an important platform for discovery, due to its capacity to provide real insight from real people, via Reddit’s highly engaged subject matter communities. “The future of online search is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by the changing behaviors and expectations of Gen Z consumers. This tech-savvy generation, weary of traditional product research methods, is leading a charge towards curated recommendations and personalized shopping experiences. In a time where AI and #influencers bring baggage in the form of distrust and skepticism in the digital channels users rely on most, shoppers are looking for real answers.” According to Reddit’s research, which incorporates responses from 3,140 internet users, search engines are gradually losing relevance as discovery tools..….’ While marketers are pitched to use the obvious for true efficacy in reach and engagement there is no denying others missed out. ‘...Now, that’s not a huge surprise. Social media has increasingly become more ubiquitous over time, and the recommendation systems of social networks are also evolving, and becoming more attuned to each person’s interests…’ But even so, the research also shows that young users, in particular, are becoming even more reliant on such systems…’ Why Reddit or social? ‘...Gen Z users have higher expectations around the personalization of their results (i.e. the platform showing them what they’re likely interested in), while they’re also looking for increased convenience in discovery. And Reddit suggests that it can help to play a role in this: “Gen Z is particularly sensitive to inaccurate information and the lack of reviews, reflecting their desire for trustworthy research experiences.” On this front, the data does indeed show that Reddit is considered a trustworthy source, up there with friend and family recommendations in many respects…’ #convergence #convergenceincommunication #contagioncatalyst > #Contagio #insightsdriven #branding #marketresearch > #PiquantIdeas #marketing #marketingstrategy  #marketing #marketingstrategy #socialmediamarketingstrategy #consumerjourney #consumerbehaviour #consumerexperience #madschoolsg #ngeeannpoly #nanyangpoly

Continuing with the need to employ human-crafted relatable stories in the age of #AI that resonate instead of just relying on what artificial intelligence aided tools generate this sobering truism reminder is timely.    ‘.....Modern ad campaigns cannot just introduce a product; they must tell a story that resonates with the audience. Otherwise, it’s just more noise. Telling (and showing) a clear and engaging brand story on a global scale is a delicate balance between being clear and consistent while also understanding vast cultural nuances. Cultural diversity is both a strength and a challenge in the global marketplace. The key is ensuring your brand story speaks to your audience — no matter how diverse — and that you maintain consistency in messaging while also remaining agile to meet the needs of location-based segments. And crafting – a #humanintelligence (#HI) skill and arguably a gift for some – is a must to the delicate balance of how we function today and tomorrow. ‘...Crafting effective messaging for a product pivot requires a delicate balance. Clearly, businesses must adapt and evolve their messaging strategies, but it is equally as vital to have a memorable brand.  And to have a memorable brand, you need a memorable story. ..’ We cannot continue to just lean on what was but also embrace what is already here and surging ahead, especially when we are now aided easily by #AI. ‘...Reframing your existing products or introducing new ones can help your brand pick up momentum and get some attention in the marketplace. By pivoting messaging and product strategies in response to the market, your brand can stay fresh and appealing while addressing emerging needs, responding to customer feedback, and keeping up with — or even surpassing — their competitors. Modern buyers demand innovation, personalization, and a seamless customer experience. To keep up with these evolving expectations, business leaders must leverage technology and remain agile. Whether it’s incorporating AI-driven solutions, adopting e-commerce platforms, or embracing the latest digital marketing trends, staying current is essential — and agile brands can pivot quickly in response to unforeseen challenges or opportunities, making them better equipped to navigate uncertain waters…’ Ultimately, this is key. ‘...Whether you are leading a broad global brand or a small business with a distinct niche, agility in marketing is a necessity. Whether market changes mean it’s time for a new product or it’s time to update messaging—the brands that last are the ones that have a strong brand story that they can innovate within….’ #convergence #convergenceincommunication #contagioncatalyst > #Contagio #insightsdriven #branding #marketresearch > #PiquantIdeas #marketing #marketingstrategy #advertising #marketing #marketingstrategy #socialmediamarketingstrategy #consumerjourney #consumerbehaviour #consumerexperience #madschoolsg #ngeeannpoly #nanyangpoly

I’m with Marc.   ‘.....“Even with all the technology available to us, the answer won’t be found in the data or the algorithms,” Pritchard told his audience today at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity (18 June). “The answer is in the idea, which comes from the heart and soul.” …..that only the human brain can generate ideas that provoke “that physiological reaction when something really touches you”...' Again, it is about combining the ready available logic prowess of  #AI(#ArtificialIntelligence) with the wonderfully emotional soulfulness of #HI (#HumanIntellligence). ‘......The “magic of a #creative brand idea” only comes when “both sides of the brain work together to combine logic and feeling,” Pritchard argued. “Your spine tingles. Some call it the chills or goosebumps.” Such a response cannot be felt by AI, he said. “AI doesn’t get the tingles – humanity matters.”..' Less with simply relying on the ease and speed of artificial generation of ideas but instead turning to what is a classic disciplined approach that should never change. Of connecting with an audience at an emotional level, and craft a story – yes everyday moments – to tell that they can relate to, by weaving the product to be pitched at the same time as we regale them. ‘...“Think about it – billions of people with billions of moments multiplied by seemingly endless opportunities for solving problems with the best performing daily use products,” he said. “That equals exponential possibilities for finding creativity in the everyday and enormous potential for delighting people through innovation and creativity that drives growth and value for brands and markets.”...’ This truism - especially for the #madmen who still believe in #creativity - remains unwaveringly applicable and we - the ones who still fight for humans to steer still - know this. ‘..."Even with all the technology available to us, the answer won’t be found in the data or the algorithms. The answer is in the idea, which comes from the heart and soul." – #MarcPritchard, P&G…’ We humans must stay focused. ‘...All this brand work, Pritchard said, is being produced by human creativity “to make everyday moments matter more”...’ #convergence #convergenceincommunication #contagioncatalyst > #Contagio #insightsdriven #branding #marketresearch > #PiquantIdeas #marketing #marketingstrategy #advertising #marketing #marketingstrategy #socialmediamarketingstrategy #consumerjourney #consumerbehaviour #consumerexperience #madschoolsg #ngeeannpoly #nanyangpoly

In the AI-disrupted age we are in read in between the lines – or in this case researched findings – and one can not only infer but figure out why #HI or Human Intelligence becomes more critical too. ‘.....The No. 1 Skill Employers Want Job Applicants to Have Might Be the Hardest to Find, New Research Reveals. ...."human" or "durable" skills remain "business-critical" despite the shifting technological landscape. Some of the most sought-after soft skills are very familiar: communication, leadership, teamwork and problem-solving all appear in the top 10 included on LinkedIn's list. Key Takeaways • #AI continues to change the workforce — but #softskills remain "business-critical." • Small, mid-size and large businesses have different priorities when it comes to hiring…’ This one grabs me and I must say makes a lot of sense. ‘...For small and mid-size businesses seeking new hires, "strong work ethic" was the most prioritized skill (53% and 40%, respectively), and it was the second most important for large businesses (42%), which cited "the ability to work on a team" as their No. 1 (45%). However, all businesses, regardless of size, agreed that a "strong work ethic" was the most difficult skill to find in new hires…’ And this rationale or background to the findings I’m sure many will find familiar as it is often discussed. ‘...The definition of a "strong work ethic" might vary depending on who you ask, especially if they're from different generations. Some business leaders complain that #GenZ employees "lack work ethic" and "are difficult to manage" and go so far as to avoid hiring them, CNBC Make It reported. Some of the other skills and traits that at least 20% of responding businesses told ADP they have trouble finding in candidates include "self-starter," "critical thinking," "time management," "problem-solving," "flexibility/adaptability" and "industry-specific knowledge."..’ Good to be aware. #contagio #mentenbelen

If you speak to any business owner, effectiveness – the measurement of it – is simply how it translates to the bottom line. Simply put, if money or budget is spent or carved out on any (marketing) campaign it has to have a causal effect on the positive side; even if it means it is good for the brand or keeping it healthy and for top-of-mind awareness at least. Yes the mediums and landscape have changed and evolved but the discipline has and should not. In the old days we measure not only what we spend to be heard or seen through strategic #SOV of Share Of Voice spending – with some aggressive brands aiming to outshout their competition – but also ensure that sufficient fund is reserved and spent on #SOM or Share Of Mind to ensure that when we measure on a brand’s health – today we combine organic classic U&A Research offline with online listening as well – it registers positively in the minds of its intended consumers. Consumers may be pragmatic but as fellow humans we know we can be swayed emotionally; something I doubt #AI can measure logically. So this requires pondering and deeper insightful review, with a conscious thought on #HI or Human Intelligence that must never be forsaken. Personally for me I am not surprised.  ‘....Marketers have been measuring the least helpful effectiveness metrics… Based on a databank of more than 1,500 campaigns, the report identifies four categories of ‘meaningful KPIs’. These are response effects (short-term, performance marketing), brand effects (longer-term brand-building metrics), business effects (related to overall business performance) and campaign delivery effects (reach, frequency and impressions)....’ I did say that the core discipline of ensuring the cash register rings so to speak – to borrow an old skool speak – still applies. ‘....The benefits of prioritising business effects are clear. The research finds a 67% uplift in the number of business effects for those campaigns that avoid using ‘campaign delivery effects’ in their reporting. Those marketers who steer away from delivery effects in reporting are found to have a culture of effectiveness measurement that results in stronger overall business performance…’ During my #madman days I’ve been too well trained by clients – especially those handling #FMCG – as their agency support – especially at #GreyAdvertising – that campaigns have to achieve results desired and if we combine with research – an area that I am happy to be in right now at #PiquantIdeas as we help brands – there is a better chance to get it right. And avoid waste; especially when it is driven by the folly of ego and hunches. Read on. #convergence #convergenceincommunication #contagioncatalyst > #Contagio #insightsdriven #branding #marketresearch > #PiquantIdeas #marketing #marketingstrategy  #B2B #B2C #D2C #marketing #marketingstrategy #retail #luxuryretail #retailmarketing #consumerjourney #consumerbehaviour #consumerexperience #madschoolsg #ngeeannpoly #nanyangpoly

I find this blog opening narrative by #TheMedium - penned by a human with an ironic smile I’m sure - relational and resonate comfortingly in a familar stand with me. It just makes logical sense, especially for us mere mortal humans. ‘... Ironically, AI can help us be more human By Harris Sockel In a meeting yesterday, some of us were discussing what might happen if we fed all these newsletters into an #AI. (We haven’t done this! Real humans write these, which is why they’re imperfect.) One question was met with awkward silence: If it came back with something we could (or wanted to) have written, how would we feel? Recently, media theorist Douglas Rushkoff (author of Survival of the Richest — based on a blockbuster Medium story from 2018) was working on a novel when he decided to feed an #LLM a few scenes, just to see what might happen. “One scene that it wrote ended up almost exactly the same as the one I had written,” he remembers. “I went from feeling good about having finally gotten the AI to write like me, to feeling disgusted by what I had written, myself.” AI models are essentially pattern matchers. They’re designed to give you the most typical version of a thing, whether that’s a novel in the style of yourself or a portrait of a cat playing piano in the style of Keith Haring. So, if a model trained on your work spits out something that matches what you’ve already created: Congrats! You’ve done completely average work (for you). I’ve witnessed several writers test out collabs with AI… and get mixed results. A lot of purely AI-generated writing has ended up on this very site, but as essayist Jacqueline Dooley argues, machines alone can’t produce the kind of storytelling that moves people, the kind that “make[s] you weep or gasp or call your mother.” That’s not because they literally can’t produce the sentences, but because, as Rushkoff says: “We engage with art for a sense of connection to the artist. Someone has to be home.” Maybe the best use of AI in writing is showing us what to avoid: the patterns and tropes that make our work feel… predictable. Model-able. “If a human does what the AI did,” Rushkoff says, “it means the human needs to take a break.” ….’ To live in this surreal time we live in that we predicted would happen. #convergence #convergenceincommunication #contagioncatalyst > #Contagio #insightsdriven #branding #marketresearch > #PiquantIdeas #madschoolsg #ngeeannpoly #nanyangpoly