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Google’s Stealth Incubator, Buzzfeed’s Secret, Apple’s Woes And The Color Of The Year

My mind has been on startups and new ideas lately, as I spent most of this past week at Collision in New Orleans learning about what is new and listening to several dozen startup pitches. And so the stories this week are also influenced by this lens as I feature articles about Google’s latest move … Read more

Deadpool Marketing Secrets, Adidas’ Subscription Box and a $3 Android Phone

As the mainstream news this week alternated between reports of Apple’s “showdown” with the US government and the latest idiotic rant from Kanye West, there was also the story of Adidas quietly launching a bold bet on the subscription economy and the culmination of one of the most innovative movie marketing strategies in recent memory. … Read more

A Short And Hopeful History Of Social Media

Social media has always been the home of meaningless indignation. What do you do when you’re angry about something no one else cares about? Share it on social media. So as we started to each find our own voices on a platform that could reach micro-audiences, the easy thing to do was to use it … Read more

What Coke Can Teach McDonald’s About Love

I should have loved McDonald’s ambitious Super Bowl ad promoting the idea that customers could pay with “lovin’” instead of cash. Any marketer should.  It’s bold, innovative, and takes a stand.  McDonald’s believes we should be nicer to each other and have a little more fun. What could be a better brand message than that? … Read more

Batkid, Bollywood and the Rise Of Everyday Stardom

On the morning of November 15, 2013, most of San Francisco woke up with no idea that their city was about to be saved by a superhero.  The fact that this particular superhero happened to be less than four feet tall and was only five years old were details most of the city would only … Read more

The Selfie Silencer And Other Silly Startup Ideas That You’ll Wish Were Real

The greatest word The Simpsons ever offered to the English language was “craptacular.” When Bart Simpson used it to describe Homer’s Christmas decorations, he introduced a much needed concept for us all: something that was so bad it might actually be good. Today we are in the age of instant startups, where launching an idea … Read more

5 Marketing Lessons From The Alluring #FollowMe Project

About two years ago, aspiring photographer Murad Osmann was in Barcelona on vacation with his girlfriend Russian journalist Nataly Zakharova when she grabbed his hand to pull him forward – annoyed at how often he kept stopping to take photos. He captured that moment from his perspective, and it started a project where he spent … Read more

The Best And Worst Of 2014 Sochi Olympics Marketing Strategy

Just mention “Olympic Marketing” to anyone in communications and two images will likely come to mind immediately. The first is the predictable 30 second spot focusing on the dedicated Olympian who wakes up super early, braves crazy cold temperatures and sacrifices a “normal” life for their dream. And the second is an army of lawyers … Read more

4 Lessons From The Year’s Best Marketing Campaign

Every year, Advertising Age magazine publishes a report that looks at the collective results from nine of the most globally respected industry award shows in the advertising industry—from the Cannes International Festival of Creativity to the Clios. The number-one award recipient this year wasn’t a tear-jerking celebrity sports ad or a preview of a hot new holiday … Read more

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In addition to Non-Obvious Thinking, Rohit is the author of 10 books on trends, the future of business, building a more human brand with storytelling and how to create a more diverse and inclusive world.

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