Just call us Apple, because the theme of this week’s roundup is thinking differently. This week, each article in Our Favorite Headlines poses some sort of challenge to marketers – namely, to look at what we think we know in a different light.

Sounds like great reading material for a Friday, right?

Whether you want to be challenged on this Friday or bookmark this one for Monday morning, check out Our Favorite Headlines from this week and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

 

Has anyone stopped to consider why we’re all making six second ads?

The Takeaway: The best way to sum up this article is with a quote from the article itself:

“If you have a great piece of content, people are willing to watch it. For hours, even.”

Too often in marketing, we let data guide us to conclusions without considering the fact that our messages are intended for human beings. Our audience is complex, which means that task of winning their attention is complex. Please be reassured that this author is NOT arguing against using data to drive your marketing decisions; rather, he is challenging us to look deeper into what the data tells us instead of jumping to the easiest conclusion.

 

Marketing Doesn’t Have to Be Sleazy: 5 Real-World Examples

The Takeaway: The problem highlighted in this article is eerily similar to that in the first of our roundup. Just like advertisers shouldn’t be afraid to produce longer content if it’s really good, marketers should not be afraid or ashamed of promoting useful products and services. If your goal as a marketer is to sell as much product and make as much money as possible, no matter the cost, then your marketing is probably sleazy. But if you believe that your products, services, or promotions add value to the world, you should be proud of the work you do to let people know about them.

Beyond telling people about valuable products, we live in a world where marketing plays a huge role in everyday life – and that means that marketers can use their creativity and work to delight their customers, not fool them. If you ask us, that isn’t sleazy at all.

 

Move Over Millennials: What You Need to Know About Generation C

The Takeaway: In all the content we write about marketing to Millennials, we like to include a disclaimer with much the same message as this piece from Hootsuite. In short, it’s that segmenting by generational lines alone is a bad idea.

For one, the term “Millennial” refers to the 90 million people born between 1980 and 2000. That’s a pretty big segment, which includes college students, young professionals, and established men and women with families of their own. Beyond that, some of the characteristics most often ascribed to Millennials cross boundaries into many other generations. That’s why Hootsuite CEO Ryan Holmes suggests looking at behaviors and habits as a way to segment audiences, instead of relying on what year they were born. By doing so, you’ll be better able to reach your audience where they are.

 

8 Digital Marketing Trends Set to Expire by 2018

The Takeaway: We all know that things move fast in the digital world. And while we are never ones to proclaim an early death of certain marketing tactics, it is important to understand how each tactic is changing or evolving. Check out this infographic and see if you’re still using any of the trends in their original state; then look at what you can do to fix each one.

 

You’re More Resourceful Than You Think

The Takeaway: If our first four articles didn’t inspire you to think differently enough, we’ll pose one final challenge to you – one that is applicable in marketing, business, and beyond. Challenge yourself to find out how resourceful you can be. As author Digby Scott suggests, “put yourself in unfamiliar situations and discover what you are capable of. It’s the scarier option, it requires initiative, and it shows you what you’re capable of, which is usually a lot more than you think.”

 

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