A lot of weird (and FUN) stuff in this column, but let’s kick it off with a quasi-PSA… ★
• “We’re ALL busy, O.K.?” That’s what goes through my mind when others start to go on (and on) about how busy they are – often followed by “Oh, you wouldn’t understand” for whatever reason. Oh, really?
Apparently, I’m not the only one who feels this way, since several articles popped up about this very subject over the last few days. This one was my favorite, along with a post it prompted on Alison Green’s wonderful Ask a Manager blog. I accept the challenge and will reduce my use of this particular B-word. [Slate, Ask a Manager]
• Bottled water without the bottle. Yes, there will be spillage, but this is an intriguing start! [Fast Company Co.Exist]
• Curious about where the hubs are for certain industries? Check out some interesting data and this awesome interactive map. There are some surprises. [EMSI (Economic Modeling Specialists Intl.)/CareerBuilder]
Next up, two articles that remind marketing folks and companies that brands aren’t people.
• Yet another article about “the Facebook problem,” but this time, it likens the situation to a notable gangster movie. (Personally, I think the analogy of “building a house on land you don’t own” is more accurate and a bit less dramatic.) Seriously… Go out on social media and to where your audience is but also maintain an online home of your own! [AdWeek, John Batelle’s Search Blog]
• Think your “fans” are “in love” with your brand? Think again. [AdWeek]
Now leaving the “marketing zone”…
• Entertainment Weekly’s newly unveiled plan to recruit unpaid contributors bothers a lot of people, especially given the publication’s corporate lineage and its deep pockets. We’re not talking a start-up or online fanzine, here. -_- [Digiday via IndieWire]
• Why does the last bullet matter to writers? This is the reality of being a tech writer/reporter at a major news site. And speaking as someone who pitches entertainment reporters, bloggers, and affinity sites, I can verify they’re cranking out content at a similar pace. [Bekah Grant on Medium]
• This is a great article about how the recently settled Viacom vs. YouTube lawsuit impacted the practical implementation of the DMCA, including the (accelerated) development of YouTube’s Content ID feature and new cooperation between the video platform and license holders. [Home Media Magazine]
• The MPAA released its theatrical market stats for 2013, and the report is interesting reading. The most discussed stat? The majority of moviegoers are women. The question it prompts (in surround sound): Why are there so few women on screen? [MPAA via IndieWire and Film School Rejects]
• Japanese girls are rocking out to heavy metal. I featured BABYMETAL here on the site, and this piece highlights the micro-trend.
I wonder if it’s a reaction to and partial rejection of the type of girl groups who have dominated the Japanese music charts these last five years. (If I were a parent, I’d want my kids interested in the rock acts.)
Be sure to check out this eight-year-old’s impressive guitar solo/cover. [Policy Mic and Li-sa-X (official) on YouTube via Pauline Roberts]
• Twitter and Billboard plan to team up for real-time music charts, determined by tweets, that will go live in May 2014. It makes me wonder what kind of presence foreign acts will have on the charts, since J-pop and – to a much greater degree – K-pop fans on Twitter are very active and very well organized. [AdWeek]
• I love my large phone and agree wholeheartedly. [Business Insider via RocketNews24]
• Warner Bros. and DC Comics start revealing plans for the celebration of Batman’s 75th anniversary. [ICv2]