Up Front: Want some AI with that? McDonald’s purchased the artificial intelligence company Dynamic Yield for over $300 million. Dynamic Yield will use algorithms to determine what menu items to show based on weather, time of day, traffic, nearby events, and sales trends. Over the next three months, 1,000 stores…
Up Front: According to Seth Godin, nobody owns a “tribe”. The constituencies we serve remain loyal as long as we add value. Congestion Pricing inches closer to reality in The Big Apple. You used to be able to show off your wealth with what you drive. Soon, you’ll be able…
Up Front: The one thing you can change that can add years to your life. Via @inc. A new age of epidemics. Via @axios. 13 traits of successful entrepreneurs. Via @JeffreyFeldberg. Why “Trust Bridges” are important to build in today’s privacy conscious world. Via @JacobsMedia. Today in History: 1953: Dr.…
Quick Takes: People don’t become fully “adult” until they’re in their 30s, according to brain scientists. (And then, there are some of us who -never- grow up!) These Are the World’s Happiest (and Most Miserable) Countries. Via @bloomberg. Research shows that eliminating barriers makes us more likely to buy. Instagram…
Church youth groups were a safe place for young people to hang out in the late 1960s. Or so the grown-ups thought. Joey Morrison and I regularly bolted from Methodist Youth Fellowship to visit Middle Earth, Ann Arbor’s premiere head shop. The black lights, incense and racy posters held our…
It’s the best movie about the men and women behind the hitmakers I’ve ever seen. It took a long time for Denny Tedesco to get his loving tribute to his father and the people who worked with him made. But it was well worth the wait. What we learned was…
We’ve been featuring some awesome cover bands recently. Leonid & Friends, Tim Akers & The Smoking Section and The Fendertones are three good examples. Leonid’s dead on recreation of Chicago’s hits captures even the most discerning purist. Check out “25 or 6 to 4”. Tim Akers band actually improves on…
55 years ago today, Detroit was digging out of an unexpected 4 inches of snow. Doesn’t seem like much for those of us who have endured northern winters these past few years, but the Motor City was blanketed just before the morning rush and the road crews couldn’t keep up.…
In the glory days of Top 40 Radio, New York’s WABC was the center of the universe. The ABC Owned and Operated 50,000 watt flame thrower was the dominant brand in the market. It attracted the best talent and was the top of the broadcasting ziggurat. While many famous names…
The holy grail for every artist is to create a musical “hook” that bores into the audience’s mind like an ear worm. Think about Paul Anka’s “Diana”, the opening bars of “Day Tripper” or the grating chorus of Rick Dee’s novelty record, “Disco Duck”. They stick with you like the…