Julia Hodges

I never realized how far behind the independent booking industry was. I feel this is such an easy solution that someone would have thought of it sooner. Do you think this market will ever consolidate? The amount of money, and margins, have to be so low that I would imagine most big companies wont waist the time. I would like to see them add a customer option. So I can get updates on my favorite local bands bookings, or what is playing at my favorite venue.

I used to work at a music venue, so this article really resonated with me. A huge issue that we faced constantly was, would the band we booked bring in enough ticket revenue? Would we make enough sales in food and drinks to cover the cost of operating? I love this idea of GigFinesse being able to team up with the artists and the venues, so that those kinds of worries can eventually be eliminated.

I do wonder though the current rise of COVID-19 in the past few days, do you think that we will be moving towards virtual shows? Do you think there is a market out there for people to pay premium to receive small personal shows from artists? Maybe something similar to an OnlyFans, which has exploded in this environment.

Another advantage the China has in this arena is funding. The centralized government in China is able to direct all of its resources at a single point. This allows the government to spur innovation and directly reap the benefits. The U.S. Government, on the other hand, has been pulling out of advanced research for decades. Leaving it up to the academic and private sectors. The academic sector is constrained by funding, and many times teaches Chinses students who take that knowledge back to China. The private sector is more concerned with turning a profit. As Hannah mentioned in her article on Apple (https://digitalmarketing.temple.edu/2020fallmis5001/2020/10/17/this-apple-isnt-so-juicy/) they have fallen well short of their innovative founding. Innovation cost money, minor upgrades do not. There is no one solution to this problem, but I think if the U.S. starts working on it now we can catch back up before it is too late.

When it comes to a centralized authoritarian government, I think it makes it easier for the researchers because they have access to more data and resources. The issue is that how much of their A.I research allows for creative innovation and how much is developed with a specified goal from someone on high? I agree with Sean has to say about the funding, However, I do think that China and the U.S were pretty dependent on each other for the longest time when it came to A.I research. In addition, the U.S. has the largest number of artificial intelligence researches, followed by China. I think that if we want to continue to be a big player in the A.I world, we have to start funding the research.

Great article Julia! I think it will be interesting watching companies pitch their version of “private” and “secure” data. The needs of the company are the same- they will still need data from their customers to be able to track new movements in consumer trends, like demographics and likability, but in the face of huge digital companies, what customers are asking from companies is shifting. Before, a customer just expected a company to provide a service/product to the best of their abilities at the best cost available, but now customers are evaluating what information a company asks for and what they are doing with it. Almost everyone has experienced signing up for something online, just to have ads start pouring in that aren’t relevant and clog our inboxes/phones. Information privacy is quickly becoming a determining factor when researching a company- and it would be wise for companies get ahead of this curve like your article suggested!

I agree with the thought that marketers should see this as a positive, to foster trust with their audience. Most people are unaware of the fact that their information is out there, available to different companies. Once they know that there are laws out there protecting their data – and companies that are complying with these laws, they are more likely to become a customer or continue business with the brand. I for one am happy the CCPA was enacted and I hope other states get on board too. Its surprising to think that this wasn’t enforced sooner.

You bring up a great point with only 5% of people opting out of data tracking. I would have guessed it was much higher than that. In my opinion, 5% would be an acceptable cost for the advantage of offering data control to a company’s customers. Like most laws in the US, they will have to build up steam in the states and then eventually make it to the federal level to get fully implemented. Even though that is a long way off, like you said, the companies that get ahead of it will be in a better position.

I agree with you. I think it would be wise for companies to start thinking ahead and positioning themselves as leaders in data privacy. I feel this is the direction many companies are going in anyway because now people are becoming more aware and more familiar with how their data is being used. If a company is considering amping up their data privacy practices, now is the time to do it and do it right.

Wow! I haven’t even heard about this feature on Peacock, It only makes sense considering Xfinity’s successful voice remote. Honestly, I’m not sure if I would engage. I sometimes use commercial breaks to quickly go to the bathroom or check my messages and tune out to whatever is going on screen. I’m not sure if I would notice if they asked me to say something! However, (if I was paying attention) I would definitely interact with a commercial to get a coupon for a brand I know I enjoy.. This is pretty similar to how I would take an online survey to get a coupon code from Target, for example. It would actually be pretty cool to be able to skip traditional commercials by following easy voice-controlled prompts .

We’ll see what happens! I know Netflix has had some interactive specials requiring participation from the audience.. I wonder if those went over well and if people would have a similar response to interactive commercials.

This is a very interesting concept! I agree it is a very effective form of advertising because of the direct call to action. It will be interesting once other platforms roll out this method. I hope we as consumers aren’t seeing the same voice ads everywhere because that will not only be annoying but also lessen my chance of me purchasing the product.

I think IT and marketing already do have to tailor some of their content depending on client whether it be for a marketing campaign, or application so it shouldn’t be too hard on their part.

Super interesting concepts! Although I am not sure if I would engage. I also wonder about the marketing strategies around voice powered ads, and if this helps us, and hinders us and may make us lazy because we can make things happen with a click of a button, or from the sound of our voice.

The title on this article is phenomenal!

While extremely invasive, streaming services (and even major cable providers) taking advantage of voice-powered ads makes a ton of sense. What better way to , as you point out, to provide viewers with immediate call-to-actions? Voice-powered ads would add another dimension to the toolkit that advertisers have, while also enabling consumers to contribute some input into the advertising process.

I am skeptical, however, of advertisers taking advantage of this functionality early on in a matter that feels natural and organic. Nobody wants their remotes lighting up to randomly encourage them to order a Meat Lovers from Pizza Hut.

Creative title for sure, Julia!

This intrigued me because I actually haven’t heard of this type of advertising yet. I feel that it will definitely get people at home to be more interactive during the “commercial time”. I agree with Katherine that usually during commercials, I catch up on my texts, get a snack from the kitchen or go to the bathroom, but I think if these ads started to pop up, I would possibly participate in a brand that I was interested in to receive a coupon. Everyone loves discounts and coupons so I believe people would try it out for companies they are interested in.

It is very different and new though and I think it will definitely take some time getting used to. I never imagined myself talking to my own TV!

This is a great idea. Think of the targeted marketing you could to with having a pizza company offer no adds if you order a pizza before starting a series binge. It also eliminates the call to action timeline and makes it easier to track than traditional coupons.