Marketing

H&M Pulls School Ad “ACCUSED” of Sexualising Young Girls

23Jan

By Linda AshokNo Comments

Editorial, Marketing

H&M Pulls School Ad “ACCUSED” of Sexualising Young Girls

Fashion giant H&M has pulled a controversial advert for school uniforms after being accused of sexualising young children with a “highly inappropriate” caption. The ad featured an image of two girls of primary school age in pinafore dresses with the slogan: “Make those heads turn in H&M’s Back to School fashion.” The retailer has now withdrawn the ad and apologised. In an uproar of backlash on social media, users expressed their concern about the ad, with one describing it as “H&M sexualising children” and another labelling it “inappropriate”. The Independent Yesterday, when I learned that H&M Australia had to revoke their ad (see image) for “sexualizing” children and issue an apology. I was at a loss for words. Whether it is ads, business, or anyth...

Google Bard and Chat GPT 4 Critique Each Other

8Dec

By Linda AshokNo Comments

Marketing

Google Bard and Chat GPT 4 Critique Each Other

For a long time, Google Bard and Chat GPT 4 have held very diplomatic stances when it came to commenting on each other’s strengths and weaknesses. But today, with Gemini announced for release by Google, the attempt was to see if at least Bard has acquired a bit of sentience or does it still remain diplomatic. It seems the Generative AI war is in the offing and as humans we can watch the fight get better day by day. So, when we approached Google Bard for listing 5 drawbacks of Chat GPT, it didn’t give the standard disclaimer saying “I am a large language model and I am not trained to process your request.” Rather, this time, Google Bard promptly listed 5 drawbacks of Chat GPT. Google Bard: 5 Drawbacks of ChatGPT 1. Limited control over generated content ChatGPT is based on trai...

Google Announces Gemini, Tests the Market with a Fake Demo

8Dec

By Linda AshokNo Comments

Marketing, United States

Google Announces Gemini, Tests the Market with a Fake Demo

Finally, Google has announced the launch of Gemini after Bard Generative AI. Gemini, Google's latest and considered most advanced artificial intelligence model, marks a pivotal moment in the tech giant's AI endeavours. With this launch, Google is aiming to make a radical impact in the space of Generative AI head with Chat GPT by Open AI and Claude by Anthropic. But what is more interesting is the style of Gemini's entry into the market with a fake demo as noted by TechCrunch. Was it strategic marketing on Google's part? As a cutting-edge AI, Google Gemini is prepared to build on the groundwork established by Bard, its predecessor. Bard concentrated on producing and comprehending words, whereas Gemini goes one step farther by including more sophisticated functions. It can produce mor...

ZARA UK Fails 21-Year-Old Non-Binary Person a Safe Trial

4Jun

By News DeskNo Comments

Marketing

ZARA UK Fails 21-Year-Old Non-Binary Person a Safe Trial

Let's take a moment to discuss ZARA at Oxford, UK, as per a report in The Oxford Mail. I came across this post on my Linkedin timeline and was appalled to see many derogatory remarks on the 21-year-old Girogio who felt "dehumanised" on being turned down for a trial in the "women's" trial room in the absence of a gender-neutral trial room. ZARA UK Fails Non-Binary Person The post shared by some Linkedin user attracted many "dehumanizing" remarks from some* men, some* women, and some* people with disability. I was at a loss for words to see the lack of awareness and respect for a fellow human. I was amazed at how the women and people with disability reacted. Women who commented there remarked how can a nonbinary man ask for the women's trial room. It is a matter of safety! A veteran...

Uber India Ad: Black, XL, or Comfort to “Spread Grandpa’s Ashes”

4Nov

By Linda AshokNo Comments

Marketing

Uber India Ad: Black, XL, or Comfort to “Spread Grandpa’s Ashes”

Uber India is in the news and trending on Twitter for a very wrong reason, which has attracted massive criticism from Twitter users. The car rental and aggregator brand Uber (NYSE: UBER)in India is advertising its services using Hindu culture-sensitive advertisement copy. People reacting to the ad are not only from India but worldwide. The advertisement copy reads, "You are going to the beach to spread Grandpa's ashes; get your ride right." Twitter users are reacting to the ad with no action taken from the brand's end. This is not the first time; earlier, the brand also used "World Rental Health Day" to trend on Twitter in rhyme with "World Mental Health Day," a critical social concern. In India, the Hindu-Muslim is a favorite theme for all to exploit ...

A Case Study: Google Recruitment Marketing Gone Wrong

9Sep

By Linda AshokNo Comments

Marketing, United States

A Case Study: Google Recruitment Marketing Gone Wrong

There is a lot of talk about pursuing a degree or not. Every influencer, every successful entrepreneur, has either dismissed the need for a degree or canceled formal education altogether. This dilemma has plagued its target audience; the young impressionable minds. Here's a Startup to Enterprise exclusive report on Google recruitment marketing gone wrong. In 2022, in a viral post, BuzzFeed quotes Erica Rivera*, a Sr. Recruiter at Google, saying, "You have the degree that's what matters." In the full sentence quoted from TikTok to a query about professional summary, Rivera states, "Professional summaries can be great, especially for those looking to make a career change to a new industry. Also, a recruiter. I tell people to remove graduation dates. You have the degree that's what...

Digital Marketing Best Practices for Small Business Owners 2022

7Sep

By Linda AshokNo Comments

Marketing

Digital Marketing Best Practices for Small Business Owners 2022

The last few years noticed a global surge in registering eCommerce websites. We are not discussing giant business-to-business (B2B) stores but countless small business owners going digital. This article discusses how countless digital sellers or small-scale online businesses can accelerate their digital growth through digital marketing best practices in 2022. Launching a website is only buying land; without marketing, it is difficult to achieve the real objective of going digital; to gain massive reach. Social Media Marketing Depending on the small business's nature, i.e., B2B or B2C (business-to-customer), determine and prioritize your social platforms. B2B demands you go heavy on LinkedIn, followed by Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. B2C demands you reverse the order, start f...

Globant Celebrates its Annual Women that Build Awards!

2Sep

By Linda AshokNo Comments

Marketing, United States

Globant Celebrates its Annual Women that Build Awards!

Launched in August 2022 is the third annual Women that Build Awards, which honors women worldwide who contribute significantly to science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. The awards were created by Globant (NYSE: GLOB), a digitally native company focused on reinventing businesses through innovative technology solutions (STEAM). The awards aim to encourage creativity and teamwork in the tech sector, celebrate diversity, and forge connections amongst women worldwide. Tech Entrepreneur, Digital Leader, Rising Star, Board Executive, and Techfluencer are the five award categories this year. Judging panels in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, India, Mexico and the Caribbean, Peru and Ecuador, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, and Uruguay will d...

Quiet Quitting, a Turf or Trial? Industry Professionals Weigh in!

27Aug

By Linda AshokNo Comments

India, Marketing

Quiet Quitting, a Turf or Trial? Industry Professionals Weigh in!

There are just as many ways to define "quiet quitting" as there are experts, analysts, and opinion leaders who have written about it. But to understand this old trouble in a new label means an employee is no longer willing to put in the extra effort their employer has come to anticipate from them. With that in mind, we need clarity on the root causes than a precise definition. What causes someone to finally reach their breaking point and establish firm limits on the level of commitment they previously felt driven to give? There is no single correct response; there are many possible ones. According to the AVP of Brand Partnership at Qube Cinema Technology, Mayank Sehgal, the idea of quiet firing and quiet quitting is very old. He says, "In India, quiet firing and quitting have existe...

Be a Social Media Influencer, Blue Verification Badge for Sale!

12Jul

By Manaswini TripathyNo Comments

Marketing

Be a Social Media Influencer, Blue Verification Badge for Sale!

The red, yellow, and green are traffic signals, while the blue verification badge is the eponymous social signal for influencers. A blue verification badge or blue ticks are symbolic of verified social media accounts on sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. As per these social networking platforms, blue ticks mark the authenticity of an account and the user of social prominence. Blue Tick: Social Verification Market In this story, you'll learn about a new underground social verification market that can get you a blue verification badge. You can buy blue ticks to boost your brand. These underground companies charge social media verification fees ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 1 lakh in India. Thought about having a verified profile with a blue tick? Now is the time. On paper, T...