Remember how Toys R Us (Australia) was fine, struggling a bit with the shift to online, but working on transformation, but still okay, and then all of a sudden went out of business?
I do.
Remember that surprise? And how you didn’t fully understand why, because most of us were customers, didn’t really think about it, deferred to the experts and didn’t understand what had happened?
Well now I do.
And now imagine that is happening not only with GameStop: a company that has been naked shorted into oblivion. …
This is a plea to the grown-up and reasonable political left. I know you’re out there, quietly reading and observing and waiting for the right time. Now is the right time.
As I have been talking about on YouTube for some time now, I have grave concerns about a worldwide faction of extremists, that have managed to squeeze their way into progressive parties, institutions, media and tech companies under the guise of ‘social justice’.
I’m using the placeholder of “Woke Cult” for now, which refers to what I believe is a virtual social justice cult that has emerged from various…
Is that a reason?
Only in marketing does it appear that the ends justifies the means.
I visit a website, I get asked if I want notifications (NO). I get a modal pop-up. Before I even read the headline to determine if I want to stay.
I get sent to a Landing Page with more exclamation points and manipulative clickbaity copy than I have ever seen in my life.
“But it works!”
…but it’s manipulative and wrong.
And it alienates everyone but the dumbest and cheapest of customers.
“But it works! Don’t question it! It works!”
Inbound marketing agencies…
Let me take you back to the year 1990. You know, about 15 years ago…
I had to perform in a school play. I was one of the main characters, and had to ‘faint’ about 2/3 of the way in and stay on the ground for the rest.
My Dad and my Grandma were in the audience.
As this is not a therapy session, here’s the TL;DR on my childhood : my family loved to mock each other mercilessly. Nothing was off-limits. It was always good-natured, and being roasted 24/7 helps you develop a good sense of humour and a…
I’ve been staring at a blinking cursor, on this neglected Medium account, for about 15 minutes. It’s not the first time it’s happened, and not the first time I have tried to write this story. In fact, it’s been brewing for about 9 months. It’s still brewing, really.
Each time I have tried to write about it, though, it’s the same blinking cursor.
Why am I breaking up with marketing?
Where do I even begin?
Ironically, it starts with that blinking cursor paralysis.
Because I never used to have that problem.
Back in the olden days (known as the 90s…
October is ADHD Awareness Month, and with all the talk (platitudes?) about Mental Health in the workplace lately, I feel the need to talk about something that’s bugging me.
There is far too much focus on what I call “neurotypical depression prevention” in corporate-land, with no real conversation about a) how most depression is caused by structural problems and b) how we are supporting different brains that aren’t going to get better.
Not just for ADHD, but for other differences such as Dyslexia, Autism, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, or personality disorders… and designing workplaces that accommodate and celebrate — rather than…
I wrote this back in August, when I was preparing to give a talk that ultimately didn’t happen. What was supposed to be a straightforward talk, actually triggered a series of knock-on existential crises about the type of business owner (and person) I want to be.
And it wasn’t the type of person to give inauthentic, socially acceptable talks and sit through superficial conversations.
Yes, I left that group.
I have been sitting on this, because I figured that publishing it at the time would look like I was making a great man’s death all about me somehow. …
A few months back, I suggested on LinkedIn that the only people that get awards are those that spend all their time nominating themselves for awards. Naturally, it was hyperbolic and a generalisation, but I copped some heat, and was even accused of “sour grapes”
Honestly, that’s not the case. I simply don’t care about awards, because I don’t believe they actually mean anything. …
I’ve been a web designer and all that stuff for near on 2 decades. I am pretty decent at it. Been doing it a while. Been doing it quite well for others for some years. Because of that you might assume that we have no issue with our own branding, or content, or design.
You’d be wrong.
I like the logo, the colours are good. The palette is accessible. The website is okay, the UX is very meh. The copy is alright in some places and I hate it in others. I don’t like the blog design. I like our…
I’ve seen a few comments and posts on LinkedIn recently that we shouldn’t talk about politics on LinkedIn. I’ve seen this aimed at women in particular.
I disagree.
Why?
“Politics”, particularly in the current climate, has a bad rap. It has traditionally been considered impolite conversation. But, at its core, (informed) politics is about trying to understand and define how society works (or should work). It is about power and how we run our society. It is about dynamics between humans and human decision-making.
The decision in the ballot box is inherently similar to the decision to buy or engage…
Téa Smith
Telephone Sanitiser, Digital Designer & Social Scientist who really just wants to make people think critically and laugh heartily. Preferably at the same time.
