Amazon quietly launches its own social media influencer program into beta

 Social media influencers – like Instagram stars or YouTube celebs – often promote products they like, either as part of a brand relationship or as means of generating income through affiliate sales. Now, Amazon is looking to get in on this action as well. The company has quietly launched the “Amazon Influencer Program,” which is currently in beta testing as of a couple… Read More

from Amazon – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/31/amazon-quietly-launches-its-own-social-media-influencer-program-into-beta/?ncid=rss

Merely transactional

"We owe you nothing."

This week, all but one NFL owner voted to let the Raiders leave Oakland for Las Vegas (I'm not a football fan, but bear with me).

A nearly perfect example of how one version of capitalism corrupts our culture.

The season ticket holder bought a ticket and got his games. Even steven. We owe you nothing.

The dedicated fan sat through endless losing games. Even steven. Ticket purchased, game delivered. We owe you nothing.

The problem with 'even steven' is that it turns trust and connection and emotions into nothing but a number. Revenue on a P&L. It ignores the long-term in exchange for a relentless focus on today. Only today.

There's an alternative view of capitalism. Modern capitalism. Capitalism for the long-term.  In this view, the purpose of an enterprise is to make things better. To minimize negative externalities and create value. Value for the owners, sure, but also for the workers, the customers and the bystanders. 

"We owe you everything."

You trusted us. You showed up. You tolerated our impact on your world, even when you didn't invite us in.

It'll never be even steven, but we can try to repay you. Thank you for the opportunity.

I think this is what sports fans signed up for when they were first offered the chance to support a team. Maybe your customers feel the same way.

       

from Seth Godin's Blog on marketing, tribes and respect http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/286252826/0/sethsblog~Merely-transactional.html

Microsoft’s Creators Update wants to bring Windows 10 artists and gamers back into the fold

 The Windows Creators Update is something of a big deal for the operating system with over 400 million users, but the gist of it is taking aim at gamers and yes, creators. Paint 3D is very much what it sounds like, while the rest of Windows 10 has a unified approach with Ink (pen integration). Smaller but still powerful features, like the Game Mode aim to even optimize a PC’s gaming… Read More

from Microsoft – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/29/microsofts-creators-update-wants-to-bring-windows-10-artists-and-gamers-back-into-the-fold/?ncid=rss

UK wants tech firms to build tools to block terrorist content

 UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd is holding talks with several major Internet companies today to urge them to be more proactive about tackling the spread of extremist content online. Companies in attendance include Google, Microsoft, Twitter and Facebook, along with some smaller Internet companies. Read More

from Microsoft – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/30/uk-wants-tech-firms-to-build-tools-to-block-terrorist-content/?ncid=rss

All we have to do is be the person we say we are

No need to shop for a better you, or to work overtime to make bigger promises.

Keeping the promises we've already made is sufficient.

       

from Seth Godin's Blog on marketing, tribes and respect http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/285990354/0/sethsblog~All-we-have-to-do-is-be-the-person-we-say-we-are.html

Amazon to shut down Diapers.com and other Quidsi sites

 Amazon will shut down Diapers.com and the other websites operated by its Quidsi division, the company confirmed to Bloomberg today, citing the division’s lack of profitability as the reason behind the decision. Quidsi’s acquisition by Amazon for $545 million was announced back in November 2010, and included the flagship Diapers.com brand, as well as the other one- to two-word… Read More

from Amazon – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/29/amazon-shuts-down-diapers-com-and-other-quidsi-sites/?ncid=rss

Xbox One gets Beam streaming, a new guide and more starting today

 Xbox One is getting an update starting today, echoing some of the major changes coming to Windows in its forthcoming Creators Update. The big new additions include streaming via Microsoft’s own Twitch competitor Beam, as well as a brand new Xbox user experience made up of a new design for Guide, improvements to Home and more. The new features are designed around encouraging gamers to… Read More

from Microsoft – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/29/xbox-one-gets-beam-streaming-a-new-guide-and-more-starting-today/?ncid=rss

Microsoft’s Windows 10 Creators Update will launch April 11

 After months of teasing, Microsoft is finally ready to ship the Windows 10 Creators Update, the next major iteration of its desktop operating system, to its users. The free update will start rolling out globally on April 11. This process usually takes a few weeks, but users will also be able to force the update from their Windows settings. As the name implies, the focus of the update is on… Read More

from Microsoft – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/29/microsofts-windows-10-creators-update-will-launch-april-11/?ncid=rss

Nickels and dimes are worth less than that

The real asset you're building is trust.

And even though it's tempting to cut a corner here and there to boost profit per interaction, the real cost is huge.

No one will say anything, no one will put up a fuss, until one day, they're gone. Those extra few dollars you made with some fancy footwork have now cost you tens of thousands of dollars in lost value.

The opposite is clearly true: invest a nickel or a dime every chance you get, and the trust you earn pays for itself a hundred times over.

       

from Seth Godin's Blog on marketing, tribes and respect http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/285707986/0/sethsblog~Nickels-and-dimes-are-worth-less-than-that.html

Windows has a heart of trash

 I did a bad thing. I opened a bad file and it borked my PC. So as part of the grand tradition of frustrated tech bloggers calling on enormous companies to conform to their expectations, here is my rant on how terrible computers are — Windows ones, this time anyway — and how they ought to be. Read More

from Microsoft – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/28/windows-has-a-heart-of-trash/?ncid=rss

Twitch to start selling video games this week

 Video game streaming site Twitch will soon begin selling PC games and other in-game content on its site, the company says. We understand the games may arrive as soon as tomorrow or later this week, though the exact timing is still in flux. Already one of the top destinations for live streaming and fan engagement, it’s not surprising that Twitch would take the final step to become a… Read More

from Amazon – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/28/twitch-starts-selling-video-games-on-its-site-today/?ncid=rss

Amazon confirms acquisition of Souq, marking its move into the Middle East

 Amazon today confirmed that it has acquired Souq.com, an e-commerce marketplace serving the Middle East based out of Dubai, which was already commonly described as “the Amazon of the Middle East.” We had reported last week that the companies had already reached an agreement and that “the ink [was] dry” on a deal that was valued at around $650 million. Amazon today… Read More

from Amazon – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/28/amazon-confirms-acquisition-of-souq-marking-its-move-into-the-middle-east/?ncid=rss

AWS launches Amazon Connect, productizes Amazon’s in-house contact center software

 AWS continues to add yet more software and services to build out its revenues and touchpoints with businesses that already use its cloud infrastructure for storage and to host and administer services and apps. The latest product, launching today, is Amazon Connect, a cloud-based contact center solution. AWS said it is based on the same tech that Amazon itself has built and uses in-house… Read More

from Amazon – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/28/aws-amazon-connect/?ncid=rss

What if scale wasn't the goal?

From restaurants to direct mail, there's pressure to be scalable, to be efficient, to create something easily replicated.

Which is often used as the reason it's not very good. "Well, we'd like to spend more time/more care/more focus on this, but we need to get bigger."

What if you started in the other direction?

What would happen if you created something noteworthy and worried about scale only after you've figured out how to make a difference?

       

from Seth Godin's Blog on marketing, tribes and respect http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/285454056/0/sethsblog~What-if-scale-wasnt-the-goal.html

Amazon debuts AmazonFresh Pickup, drive-up groceries delivered to your trunk

 Amazon’s grocery efforts just got a new level of convenience for shoppers: AmazonFresh Pickup, a drive-in grocery delivery right to your car’s trunk, launching in beta on Tuesday. Shoppers just order online from AmazonFresh’s selection, pick a time slot (as soon as 15 minutes after you make your order), and then drive to an AmazonFresh Pickup location and pull into a… Read More

from Amazon – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/28/amazon-debuts-amazonfresh-pickup-drive-up-groceries-delivered-to-your-trunk/?ncid=rss

Microsoft brings Cortana to the Android lock screen

 Following a series of beta trials, Microsoft officially announced this morning that it’s bringing its virtual assistant Cortana to the lock screen of Android devices. Initially, Microsoft had tested putting an overview of your day on the lock screen – offering information like the day’s weather, commute times, flight or meeting information, and more – where it could be… Read More

from Microsoft – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/27/microsoft-brings-cortana-to-the-android-lock-screen/?ncid=rss

Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri are waging war over the hotel room

 As the hotel industry wages war against Airbnb, companies making voice-powered assistants are also heading to battle in the hotel room itself. Bloomberg reports that Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri are vying for a spot in Marriott International’s Aloft chain of hotel rooms, with both in testing at the Aloft Boston Seaport location to help inform the lodging giant’s… Read More

from Amazon – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/27/amazons-alexa-and-apples-siri-are-waging-war-over-the-hotel-room/?ncid=rss

Amazon’s retail ambitions include furniture and appliances, plus groceries in India

 Amazon’s brick-and-mortar retail plans currently focus on its ongoing roll-out of physical book stores, as well as its very limited experiments with cashier-less convenience, but it could expand those ambitions significantly with a number of plans currently in the works. The New York Times reports that it’s also exploring ways it might retail appliances and furniture, two categories… Read More

from Amazon – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/27/amazons-retail-ambitions-include-furniture-and-appliances-plus-groceries-in-india/?ncid=rss

Unselling

Getting someone to switch to you is totally different from getting someone who's new to the market to start using the solution you offer.

Switching means:

Admitting I was wrong, and, in many cases, leaving behind some of my identity, because my tribe (as I see them) is using what I used to use.

So, if you want to get a BMW motorcycle owner to buy a Harley as his next bike, you have your work cut out for you.

He's not eager to say, "well, I got emotionally involved with something, but I realized that there's a better choice so I switched, I was wrong and now I'm right."

And he's certainly not looking forward to walking away from his own self-defined circle and enduring the loneliness as he finds a new circle.

Which leads to three things to think about:

1. If you seek to grow quickly, realize that your best shot is to get in early, before people have made a commitment, built allegiances and started to engage in cognitive dissonance (since I picked this one, it must be good).
   
   
2. If you are marketing to people who will have to switch to engage with you, do it with intention. Your pitch of, "this is very very good" is insufficient. Your pitch of, "you need something in this category" makes no sense, because I'm already buying in that category. Instead, you must spend the time, the effort and the money to teach me new information that allows me to make a new decision. Not that I was wrong before, but that I was under-informed.
   
   
3. Ignore the tribal links at your peril. Without a doubt, "people like us do things like this," is the most powerful marketing mantra available. Make it true, then share the news.

We invent a status quo every time we settle on something, because we'd rather tell ourselves that we made a good decision than live with the feeling that we didn't.

       

from Seth Godin's Blog on marketing, tribes and respect http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/285179251/0/sethsblog~Unselling.html

Technology is killing jobs, and only technology can save them

 Are we living in historically unprecedented times for job loss? Or is this part of a cycle that predates even the Industrial Revolution? Is it possible to retrain our workforce for these changes? Or will the gap between educated and non-educated workers only continue to grow? Read More

from Amazon – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/26/technology-is-killing-jobs-and-only-technology-can-save-them/?ncid=rss

Toward civilization

If war has an opposite, it's not peace, it's civilization. (inspired by Ursula LeGuin writing in 1969)

Civilization is the foundation of every successful culture. It permits us to live in safety, without being crippled by fear. It's the willingness to discuss our differences, not to fight over them. Civilization is efficient, in that it permits every member of society to contribute at her highest level of utility. And it's at the heart of morality, because civilization is based on fairness.

The civilization of a human encampment, a city or town where people look out for one another and help when help is needed is worth seeking out.

We're thrilled by the violent video of the iguana and the snakes, partly because we can't imagine living a life like that, one where we are always at risk.

To be always at risk, to live in a society where violence is likely—this undermines our ability to be the people we seek to become.

Over the last ten generations, we've made huge progress in creating an ever more civilized culture. Slavery (still far too prevalent) is now seen as an abomination. Access to information and healthcare is better than it's ever been. Human culture is  far from fully civilized, but as the years go by, we're getting better at seeing all the ways we have to improve.

And this can be our goal. Every day, with every action, to make something more civilized. To find more dignity and possibility and opportunity for those around us, those we know and don't know.

Hence the imperative. Our associations, organizations and interactions must begin with a standard of civility. Our work as individuals and as leaders becomes worthwhile and generous when we add to our foundation of civilization instead of chipping away at it. 

The standard can come from each of us. We can do it. We can speak up. We can decide to care a little more. We can stand up to the boss, the CEO, or the elected representative and say, "wait," when they cross the line, when they pursue profit at the cost of community, when they throw out the rules in search of a brawl instead. The race to the bottom and the urge to win at all costs aren't new, but they're not part of who we are and ought to be.

       

from Seth Godin's Blog on marketing, tribes and respect http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/284971769/0/sethsblog~Toward-civilization.html