Data analytics is a powerful tool for marketing, operational efficiency and understanding your business' future growth path.  Just like any other tool (a light saber, for example), it can be used for both good and evil. But while we can all agree that the flashy red light sabers are pretty cool, who wants to join the dark side?

If you’re over the age of 45, you may remember the 1980’s commercial for The Clapper™, the product that probably launched the careers of many comedians of the day. The Clapper was a device that allowed you to switch lamps on and off when you clapped your hands. At the time, it was thought of as a novelty item best left as a holiday gag gift.

It's a familiar scene: you're browsing vids on YouTube when all of a sudden, you chance upon a video that looks something like this:

No, but your culture might not be right for it. Yet. 

A lot of articles are being published about how bad the open office environment is for employees and culture.

Here’s the thing—if the workplace culture is crappy, an open office format will exacerbate it.  If you have a culture where people feel that they are under scrutiny, they will feel like they are in a fishbowl and be uncomfortable. If you have a very traditional culture, a transition to an open office format may also be a struggle and NOT the right fit for your workplace. 

When I first joined de Novo, it was a busy time. There were so many different campaigns and events happening that I felt like I was in that finals crunch all over again.  But even though it was action packed from my very first day, they made me feel welcomed and included me in all parts of agency life.

de Novo will add Annex’s data analytics and business intelligence capabilities to their lineup of marketing and advertising services. Annex Analytics co-founder, Peggy Stover, will also join the de Novo team.

This summer, a whole new batch of graduates headed out to the working world ready to put what they learned to good use. Yet, what I’ve noticed, as an employer, is that the skills many graduates are leaving their four-year institutions with are skills most employers already have automated or are moving to automate.

Trust plays an important role in building long-lasting relationships with clients—and turning prospects into clients in the first place. Most companies will research a vendor or potential partner online before making contact. So how do you build trust with a prospect that you’ve never met?

One way is to shine a spotlight on the employees they’ll be working with so they’re familiar enough with your people, your values and your culture to feel comfortable reaching out and making an introduction.  You can do this in a number of ways, from writing staff bios to highlighting your team on social media.

Check out a few of our favorite ways to spotlight staff:

Attracting quality prospects and closing the deal is a challenge almost every B2B business faces. Even the most experienced sales team needs a helping hand in proving the value of their products and/or services every once in a while. That's where case studies come in handy—they can be an effective way to showcase your business’ successes and help nudge your prospect in the right direction.

The European Union’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is all about how companies use the personal data of those they interact with. Everywhere we go on the internet, we leave a digital footprint. That footprint consists of our demographics, our behavior, our purchases and interactions, and it has become something of great value. (As the Economist says, “personal data is the world’s greatest resource.”) As is the case with anything of great value, it creates the need to protect that data from abuse—from benign misuse to serious breaches and malicious intent.