One of SHIFT’s 7 core values are connected which means much more than just having a full Address Book app on your phone. Connected means knowing what’s going on, knowing what’s worth reading and sharing. Here are the top 5 most interesting reads that SHIFTers found this past week.
Let us know what you think in the comments!
The highly unusual company behind Sriracha, the world’s coolest hot sauce
Two people mentioned this link as a must read this week. Senior Account Executive Paulina Bucko and Senior Marketing Analyst Chel Wolverton on why this matters:
Paulina: Sriracha has a cult following and immense brand recognition. What I found shocking is that this company, started 33 years ago in Los Angeles, has never used advertising, PR or marketing to promote the product. Instead, founder David Tran created a product he was passionate about, citing “the only hope he ever harbored was to provide Vietnamese immigrants with a hot sauce worth of their pho soup.”
Chel: Tran is intriguing to American society because he isn’t interested in money or the growth of his company, Huy Fong. It’s a refreshing story in the midst of our love affair with startups that Tran’s goal is to simply create the best hot sauce with the freshest ingredients. And he means fresh. The sauce is made with only fresh chilis which means processing plants have to be close so it can be done within a day of picking and land appropriate for growing chilis is hard to find so growth is the last thing on this CEOs mind. It’s like an anti-marketing successful business story.
LinkedIn ‘Intro’duces Insecurity
Vice President Christopher Penn on why this matters:
We’re big fans of testing and trying out new tools here at SHIFT. Sometimes, however, we encounter situations that run afoul of our core values, and LinkedIn’s new tool, Intro, is one of them. It’s not plainly stated, but installing this on your mobile device essentially funnels all your email through LinkedIn. This post by Bishop Fox is an excellent review of why you should not install this tool – it has serious legal ramifications and at some companies may be grounds for termination. I hope LinkedIn can figure out how to provide the same functionality without endangering the security of corporate email or violating things like attorney-client privilege.
Everything isn’t a Damn Robot
Account Coordinator Karen DeVincent on why this matters:
This is a great read because it explains in normal people terms what is a robot and what isn’t. It’s helpful to know what is AI and what’s just battery powered.
Is Your Agency Brainstorming on a Merry-Go-Round or Becoming a Path Finder?
Senior Account Executive Paulina Bucko on why this matters:
When an agency becomes competitive and looks to grow and bring on new clients, the ideas are what separates the winners from everyone else. This article takes a look at how we brainstorm and shows how structure is actually helpful. It is hard to be creative and come up with an award winning idea on the spot. And while we often find ourselves sitting in a conference room saying that no idea is a bad idea, the best brainstorms I’ve ever taken part in are structured and methodical.
40% of the Top 1,000 Most Popular Instagram Videos Are From Brands
Intern Mandie Niklowitz on why this matters:
As PR professionals we are always looking for ways to promote our clients and Instagram is a great, free way to get brand exposure. The fact that 40 percent of the top 1,000 most popular videos are from brands is definitely something to take note of. Instagram has more than 150 million users so there’s potential to get your client in front of a large audience and you can get #creative with your posts!
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