Back after an unplanned, cold and cough-induced hiatus. I may have been temporarily out of commission, but the newsfeed continues to fill. Here’s the shortlist of articles that had my attention… ★
• With Amazon set to start collecting Florida sales tax on May 1, it’s interesting to see how this has affected the online retailer’s sales in other states where they are required to collect tax. Its sales dipped by 10% in these states, according to researchers at Ohio State University. [Tampa Bay Times, Bloomberg News via ICv2]
Some super price conscious consumers will migrate to other online retailers who don’t collect the tax. It is also an opportunity for local retailers to up their game, especially in the areas of customer service and expertise. However, it won’t make a difference to those consumers who find local retailers don’t proactively carry what they want to buy – or only have dog-eared copies on their shelves.
• A Brazilian cancer charity and cartoonists around the world team up for a fabulous PSA campaign. Famous characters – including Snoopy, Garfield, Hello Kitty and the cast of Rio 2 – go bald to show their support for kids with cancer and remind everyone else that kids with cancer are still kids. [Bald Cartoons via Adweek]
• Early last week, Variety published an article entitled “Why Americans Are More Interested in Subtitles Than Ever.” [Variety]
The headline and article are reaching a bit – although given my personal and professional interests, I wholeheartedly look forward to a time when I can read this kind of article and say, “Yup, this is true” without a laundry list of qualifiers.
The reality? Subtitles are becoming less of a barrier for some demographics with regard to some kinds of content… usually content that is viewed streaming online and via cable. (Bonus points if new-to-subs viewers have the ability to replay segments when they miss something.) I also suggest this can be helped by an increase in subtitle quality, i.e. grammatically correct and literate translations. There’s progress, but there’s still a long, long way to go.
• Former Lucky editor Kim France chats with Media Bistro about her work, editorial philosophy, and blog (Girls of a Certain Age), and how to get ahead in publishing – or any career path. [Media Bistro]
• Kurt Vonnegut diagrams the structures of Western literature’s most resonant story types, plus how these patterns can help you tell your (or your business’) story. [Harvard’s Neiman Storyboard, Harvard Business Review Blog Network]
• A look at how HBO is utilizing social media to promote Game of Thrones, both during and (perhaps more importantly) between seasons. [Fast Co.Create]
I’ll be back on schedule with a new roundup on Saturday!