Cascade Strategies, Inc.

The more & weaves its way into our lives, the more important the human aspect becomes. Every touchpoint will have a digital element to it. Both the "back office" and "front of the house" need to be aware of their role and its importance in delivering on the .

https://www.pointb.com/insights/the-people-pitfalls-of-omnichannel/

The People Pitfalls of Omnichannel If omnichannel was once a shiny new option for large retailers, it’s simply the price of entry today. In the last two years, the pandemic dramatically accelerated this seismic shift in consumer shopping behavior—a shift that continues to grow.

This article still rings true. The power of a recommendation is undeniable. Think of all the times in the course of a day where recommendations impact our decisions.

When choice matters, recommendations engines shine. Understanding their impact, the potential for bias, and risks are key to successful adoption.

https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-transformational-power-of-recommendation/

The Transformational Power of Recommendation Recommendation engines promise to revolutionize how customers buy and employees work.

I've consumed the Kool-Aid. I'm completely sold that is in the process of fundamentally changing . It could be horrible or it might be great. More likely is a bit of both.

Having been in marketing for all 28 years of my career. I know marketers have a knack for screwing up a cool thing. I have no doubt marketers will make idiotic decisions in every way imaginable trying to leverage AI. But, I have hope that enough of us will see the light and use AI in imaginative ways to make life better.

What? You don't think so? Well, if you're the least bit optimistic, give the following article a read and at least start on the right track with a solid strategy.

https://hbr.org/2021/07/how-to-design-an-ai-marketing-strategy

How to Design an AI Marketing Strategy What the technology can do today—and what’s next

conducted a survey of IT leaders and investments last March. The takeaways were 7 insights about digital/technology transformation delivering .

What's your perspective? Did the results hold through another pandemic year? Did they change at all?

General takeaway: a focus on technology + people = most value

The typical screw up: people focused initiatives are least likely to be executed

https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/seven-lessons-on-how-technology-transformations-can-deliver-value

Seven lessons on how technology transformations can deliver value Our new IT strategy survey shows the value of technology investments, especially at companies making more changes to bridge the technology and business divide.

There's something beautiful and wonderful about a well constructed and executed process.

The emergence of data science as "THE" technology discipline of the 202Xs has forced an examination of project management frameworks best suited for the job.

The team at Data Science Process Alliance makes a compelling case for their hybrid approach specifically designed for data science.

https://www.datascience-pm.com/data-science-process/

-dm

What is the Data Science Process? - Data Science Process Alliance A data science process can make or break a team. Indeed, we see time and time again that many of the reasons behind data science project failures are not technical in nature but rather stem from process-related issues. Simply throwing compute power and PhDs at the problem doesn’t work. Rather, hav...

Should Netflix sell ads?

The notion immediately sends shivers down my spine. "What?! A commercial in the middle of a Saturday night binge session? How dare they!"

My mind immediately goes to the horrifically bad ex*****on of YouTube's ads in longer form videos.

How many times have you been engrossed in funny cat videos when BAM! A damn commercial right at the pinnacle moment of feline hijinks!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminjthompson/ proposes several interesting ideas for how and why Netflix could monetize its audience further.

My 2c to , do your research and understand what your loyal audience values most in the Netflix experience. Remember customer trust is hard to regain once it's been infringed upon. And just because your engineering team can execute the technology, doesn't mean your consumers will embrace it.

Start slow and tread lightly. Over time customers will gradually accept ads though they may not like them.

https://stratechery.com/2022/why-netflix-should-sell-ads/

Why Netflix Should Sell Ads Netflix has been resolutely opposed to selling ads, prioritizing the user experience; however, the market conditions for streaming have changed, and so should Netflix

Curious how privacy policies of the BIG digital ad players are impacting their strategies? Ben Thompson has laid out an excellent landscape of how and are jockeying for position in the future of .

https://stratechery.com/2022/digital-advertising-in-2022/

Digital Advertising in 2022 The advertising has shifted from a Google-Facebook duopoly to one where Amazon and potentially Apple are major forces.

Again we dig into the project archives to explore innovative applications of AI. When the Affordable Care Act came out all sorts of havoc was presumed to be coming. Well the havoc didn't pan out. In part because innovators in healthcare realized it could be a boon IF understood and creative solutions developed. That's what we did.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/applied-ai-healthcare-management-cascade-strategies-inc-/

Applied AI: Healthcare Management Here’s a case where AI rolled into the ongoing rollout of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). To avoid getting lost in the weeds, let’s just recall that there were big-money battles involving healthcare providers, the Federal government, and the confused, newly ACA-insured and wanted-to-be insured.

We need to get beyond the fear mongering that gets headlines. The informed will recognize augments human decision making to free us from the mundane. Those who don't take advantage of this transformation and reskill will only have themselves to blame. Don't fear the transformation to AI being a tool we use everyday.

https://bigthink.com/the-future/what-ai-cannot-do/

What AI cannot do It is often assumed that AI will become so advanced that the technology will be able to do anything. In reality, there are limits.

Since in the final stretch of 2021, we thought it would be interesting to look at a few end-of-2020 prediction articles and see how they held up. After all, lot can happen in a year. Here's our take on what PWC stated would occur in 2021.

https://www.pwc.com/us/en/tech-effect/ai-analytics/ai-predictions.html

1) Companies will ramp up their AI investments.
Our View: Yes and No.

The uncertainty caused by the pandemic, economy and transitioning workforce is causing some to move less aggressively which we see as a mistake. Executing bold steps in uncertain times lead to market advantages.

2) Choosing AI projects with potential to show positive ROI quickly.
Our View: Yes!

Organizations are gaining a better understanding of where to apply AI. Automating routine processes is a great starting point. We'd add that aligning initial projects to longer term strategic objectives is also key. Internal messaging about how automation impacts current jobs yet opens new opportunities is also important.

3) Growing awareness of Responsible AI.
Our View: Talk is cheap.

The issues of bias in AI, explainability, transparency and governance all got major coverage in 2021. Unfortunately it doesn't mean organizations are doing much to effectively mitigate these issues. Firms will need to act by making Responsible AI a fundemental step in adoption - or suffer the consequences.

4) Be willing to go beyond upskilling.
Our View: Absolutely needed, easier said than done.

The tumult in the 2021 employment landscape has had an impact. From accommodating remote workers to the Great Resignation, skills development and hiring for a new wave of digital and data-driven technologies hasn't been easy. We see this unpredictability continuing well into 2022 with ramifications lasting much longer.

5) AI's influence on work culture
Our View: Expect larger than anticipated disruptions

The impact of AI on organizational culture as it gains traction within is more disruptive than most plan for. Yes, breaking down silos is good but a new organizational structure is needed. Effective AI adoption requires more horizontal and vertical collaboration. It requires a willingness to test, learn and embracing failure. Leadership needs to recognize a lateral or backwards step can lead to opportunities. In fact, entire organizational metrics may need updating to reflect the impact of AI shaping the new work environment.

AI Predictions The top five trends for artificial intelligence in the business world — and how to navigate them according to PwC’s new survey.

Our nominee for "2021 Overused Business Buzzword of the Year" is DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION. And while its use has been....over used, it is a fact that businesses are currently in a state of transitioning to a "digital first mindset," will be or they should be planning their liquidation sales.

https://cascadestrategies.com/burning-questions/what-is-digital-transformation/

What is Digital Transformation? | Cascade Strategies, Inc. Digital transformation is the process of implementing workflows, technologies and leveraging data as well as managing the impact on stakeholders.

AI as deployed for solving marketing challenges is going to explode in 2022. Here are 7 essential questions to ask about AI in marketing.

Are there more questions that marketers should ask about AI? Add them to the comments below.

https://cascadestrategies.com/burning-questions/marketing-ai-curious-heres-7-key-questions-to-ask/

7 Key Questions to Ask About AI in Marketing Artificial Intelligence is rapidly making inroads into all facets of companies. One of the powerful applications is in marketing. Are you ready?