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Top of Mind Thursday Memo Archive
Up for Debate
| Tonight, the two mainstream candidates for US president, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, face off in the first debate of the election season.
This event, sponsored by CNN, appears to be less of a debate and more of a series of back-and-forth interviews with the two men. There will be no audience, and in an effort to avoid some of the complications of the 2020 debates, a candidate’s mike will be turned off when he reaches the end of his allotted speaking time. With the race appearing to be neck-in-neck, there’s much speculation as to which candidate will manage to outmaneuver the other in this public forum. Will Biden hit Trump hard on his recent convictions? Will Trump bring up Hunter Biden’s recent conviction? Will Biden look old and feeble or vibrant and “jacked up”? Will Trump follow the rules or speak out of turn, as is his habit. We’ll know in a few hours. But what we probably won’t know from this spectacle is which of these two candidates will be a better choice to lead the country for the next four years. If it were an option, it appears most Americans would probably choose, None of the Above. Who will offer the best choice for America in November? After tonight, that question will likely still be up for debate.
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Check out our marketing leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
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A Teachable Moment
| For the last week or so, hundreds of students have been protesting the war in Gaza by “occupying” university campuses at Ivy League universities and other schools.
In many cases, classes have been moved online, and some schools have even cancelled formal commencement ceremonies. Student protests against government policies are probably as old as universities themselves, but this is no ordinary protest. The students involved are not just against the war in Gaza or promoting the Palestinian cause, but are actually advocating violence against Jewish students and faculty as they glorify Hamas terrorists. Injuries have already occurred: it’s only a matter of time until there are fatalities. In some places, law enforcement has been called upon to help break up the encampments. But police can’t enter the grounds of private schools without permission of the administration. In the case of schools like Columbia in New York City, that has not been the case, and so the encampment there proliferates. This comes on the heels of similar protests that have shut down the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, closed roads to access major airports, and even attempted to close major medical centers where Jewish doctors were known to practice. The right to free speech does not include the right to incite or commit violence against those with whom you disagree. Educational institutions in particular are supposed to be places of higher learning—where one is exposed to varying schools of thought and opinions, and critical thinking is valued. Yet, this is where we see the worst offenders. It’s hard to imagine schools or local governments would have the same hands-off attitude if protesters were advocating death to other ethnic groups or minorities. It’s time to teach those who want to protest that there are actions and behaviors that are allowable—and those that go too far. The alternative would be a terrible lesson for all of us.
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Check out our marketing leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
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Iron Clad Defense
| On Saturday, Iran launched nearly 300 missiles and drones at Israeli targets in retaliation for the killing of several senior Iranian military targets in Syria by Israeli forces on April 1st.
The attack was not unexpected. Iran had been signaling for nearly two weeks that they intended to retaliate. However, it was the scope of the attack and the fact that it was done directly by Iran, rather than through its proxies, that was a surprise. Where Israel had conducted a surgical strike to eliminate military targets that were supposedly planning the next Oct 7th-like attack, Iran’s strikes were aimed all over Israel—including near sites in Jerusalem that are holy to all three major religions. A number of missiles were aimed at the West Bank, where the majority of the population is Arab, not Israeli. Lucky for all those people, a quickly formed coalition of the US, UK, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and other countries formed to help the IDF fend off the attacks, supplementing Israel’s Iron Dome defense. Nearly 99% of the projectiles were shot down by the combined force. Only one young Bedouin girl was severely injured by falling shrapnel—no one was killed. It remains to be seen what the next step in this escalating conflict will be. Everyone in the region wants the situation to deescalate. Yet, preventing future attacks is critical to Israel’s safety, and six months after the Oct 7th massacre, 130 hostages are still held in Gaza. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. It appears Iran failed to take into account how mutual concern about Iranian activities could bring together such a disparate group of players to thwart such a large attack. Perhaps a new coalition will emerge to help ensure stability in the region. Meanwhile, as Jews around the world prepare to celebrate Passover on Monday evening, the traditional text recited at the Passover Seder takes on new meaning this year. To end the war in Gaza, Hamas needs to pay attention to what Moses said to Pharoah, “Let me people go!”
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Check out our marketing leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
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Algorithms
| We only see a tiny proportion of the content available to us on any given social media platform—Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.
The all-mighty “algorithm” determines what is served up for us to see—and what’s not given any visibility at all. And this is driven by something you posted on line, or something you clicked on, or even something you bought. The problem is what the algorithm does is self-perpetuating. In many cases, that makes sense. If, like me, you click and comment on posts about silly Siberian Huskies, you’ll get shown more posts and videos about silly Siberian Huskies. That’s perfectly fine, but what happens when you click on something on a lark, or you’re looking for a gift for a friend or family member with different views than yours? The algorithm sees you focused on a particular topic and doesn’t differentiate from a random search vs. something about which you are totally passionate. Politics and current events are even worse. If you click on something that’s pro-Biden or anti-Trump, you’ll be served up more of the same. Ditto for pro-Trump and anti-Biden. If you click on something that says bring home the hostages Hamas holding in Gaza, you’ll see more on that topic. If you click on something that is pro-Palestine and anti-Israel, you’ll be fed more of that viewpoint. How do we get beyond this? First, be aware that an algorithm is showing you what it thinks you should see, and that’s only a fraction of what’s available on any particular topic. Don’t believe because you’ve seen something on the Internet, that you’re seeing the truth, or even a part of the truth. Second, go beyond the usual social media platforms and typical media sources. If you want to understand what other people think on a topic, look for a reputable source that’s outside the US. Avoid Facebook, Twitter/X, and TikTok. Read real articles written by actual authorities. On social media, everyone acts like an expert and it’s hard to sort out who really knows what they’re talking about. Third, be aware that many people may not be aware of how the algorithm works. They think because they read this online somewhere, it’s real. Because they hear more and more of the same thing, that’s got to be the prevailing view. Arguing with them will likely get you nowhere. And, of course, if you see a post of a silly Siberian Husky doing something crazy, go click on that. Might be the best thing the algorithm shows you all day. |
Check out our marketing leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
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