Microhotels, Holographic Toys & Why CVS Walked Away From $2B Dollars

The news of this past week was filled with highly anticipated announcements like Oculus Rift finally launching its first consumer VR headset and the expected fanfare surrounding the release of the new Batman vs. Superman movie. Amidst these big moves, the more interesting stories this week came from quiet experiments like Google's attempts at building its own real time news engine and Fisher Price reimaging the future of parenting.  Those stories and new research revealing the unexpected secret of better concentration are all featured in my 8th weekly collection of the most underappreciated marketing stories of the past seven days ... Want these insights before anyone else? Join my email list to receive a curated collection of the most under appreciated marketing stories of the week and useful insights like these every Thursday – a full 24 hours before they are published on this blog!  Click here to subscribe >>

Fisher Price And The Future Of Parenting

For imagining the future, there is no device quite like a short video that brings currently fictional imagined technology to life. This week Fisher Price shared one worth watching that uses holographic projections and immersive worlds to demonstrate what toys of the future may look like. As these types of experiences become commonplace for the youngest and most impressionable of minds, it will be fascinating to see what effect it has on how they see the world as they grow up. Read the full story on PSFK >>

Hotel Industry Fights Back Against Airbnb And Sharing Economy

Disruption is alive and well in the hotel industry as the NY Times chronicled the moves of several big chains to introduce small sized rooms at lower price points coupled with large communal areas and hotel activities. In Poland, a new "name your price" startup is getting global attention and the entire industry is starting to see significant splintering into boutique experiences as hotel brands find new ways to cater to every consumer niche ... even if it leads to creating 65 square ft sized rooms. Read the full story on NY Times >>

The "Dark Side Of Attention"

Most of what we learn about attention is all about focus, yet a fascinating new study from Johns Hopkins researchers posits that knowing what NOT to focus on may be even more important. Dubbed the "dark side of attention," researchers concluded that the more participants knew about what information to ignore, the faster they could locate what they really wanted. The finding perfectly explains the not-so-surprising learned consumer response of "banner blindness" and what we might do as marketers to overcome it. Read the full story on Futurity >>

Why CVS Walked Away From $2 Billion To Get Healthy

Less than two years after its bold decision to forego more than $2B in revenue by stopping sales of tobacco, CVS is slowing implementing its strategy to transform from a retail pharmacy into a leading healthcare provider. In many ways the transformation of the brand mirrors the transformation of the healthcare industry itself. As the brand rolls out their strategy - interviews like this one with CMO Norman de Greve  Read the full story on Adweek >>

The Underappreciated Brilliance Of YouTube Red

For some time now, YouTube has been selectively promoting YouTube Red (its subscription based offering) mainly to millennials. Their latest original show, Prank Academy, perfect illustrates the media and content strategy behind the channel itself. Irreverent, short form, addictive and filled with recognizable YouTube celebrities already familiar to its audience. Given the popularity of original content from both HBO and Netflix, this may seem like a predictable move - but the smartest thing about it is just how well their original content reflects the tastes and preferences of their audience. Read the full story on What's Trending >>

How are these articles chosen?

Every week I review hundreds of articles to curate the best stories of the week – and share some quick insights about why they matter for business and marketing. I call these “Non-Obvious Insights” and this is the seventh week I am sharing them. If you would like to see these insights a FULL 24 HOURS before anyone else, please join my email subscriber list here to get the insights every Thursday directly in your email inbox!