We must start out by apologizing to our loyal readers; we have been seriously slacking on Our Favorite Headlines… Well, not so much slacking as just really busy with other big and exciting projects. (Stay tuned!)

If you have noticed our absence, please forgive us. And accept this post as an offering to make up for letting you down: This week, we’re bringing you a slightly different version of Our Favorite Headlines – from last week.

This fine Monday, we’re sharing five headlines that might challenge what you know – or may simply reinforce what you wish everyone else already knew. From the perhaps surprising results of a study about children and digital books, to Facebook’s new mission statement, our favorite headlines from last week are all about challenging the status quo and not being afraid to evolve our thinking.

So take a few minutes to check them out, then let us know what you think on Facebook or Twitter. Are these right on? Do you have a different perspective to offer?

The Takeaway: We’ll answer this headline like any good diplomat: We love art and science equally, just in different ways. And we’ll second these four points presented by author Jonathan Moran, agreeing that marketers stand to benefit from approaching their efforts using data to guide strategic decisions like audience, placement, format, and frequency. But we’ll also argue that getting your message through requires serious creativity, especially in a time where competition for attention is stiff.

Take, for example, this ad for a shower cap that showed up in the Instagram feed of Kim, our content manager, last week. The advertiser likely used data-driven targeting to know that Kim is part of their primary audience – one of the 90% of women who don’t wash their hair every day (according to the caption of the ad). But, especially on a platform like Instagram, ads like this need to use creative captions and visually-captivating images to get any sort of attention. (P.S. This one worked. Kim totally clicked through…)

The Takeaway: Nope, print still isn’t dead… Even for a generation that has never experienced life without access to a computer or tablet. Despite the fact that children and teenagers today are “digital natives”, it’s not necessarily the case that they prefer to consume all types of content digitally. Which begs the question: what is it about physical print that makes it so desirable for people of all ages?

One explanation could be, as the article explains, that reading on a digital device opens the door for distraction. Another explanation is the neurological response in the part of the brain the processes emotion and memory people experience when they handle a tangible print piece. Whatever it is, it seems that print – including books – is here to stay. We’ll celebrate that!

The Takeaway: Our purpose for sharing this article is two-fold.

First, we hope it will put people who fall into this micro generation – including our own president, Amer – at ease. It turns out you’re not alone!

Second, to further reinforce the idea that generational lines aren’t always clean, which is why we typically recommend against grouping entire generations into a single target audience. Instead, focus on targeting smaller groups within the generational lines who share common interests, or who are at the same stage in life. Most importantly, avoid making sweeping assumptions about large groups (e.g. Gen X doesn’t use technology as much as Millennials) without the data to back them up.

The Takeaway: We find Facebook’s new mission exciting both as marketers and general Facebook users. As marketers, we’re looking forward to seeing what new features Facebook will come out with as they work to build their mission of giving people “the power to build community and bring the world closer together.” But we are also excited to see a tech company like Facebook focusing on building connections between humans – rather than simply thinking about what new features they can release just to boost their bottom line.

The Takeaway: Don’t be afraid to get creative! One way to do that is to seek inspiration from what others are doing – both inside and outside your industry. We like these videos because they are a quick and fun way to find new, creative, and exciting ideas for print marketing and direct mail. Just a warning, it’s easy to get sucked in!

What articles did you find particularly interesting or relevant? Let us know in the comments, or on Facebook or Twitter!