SEO master bows to google

SEO for Business, how to optimize your content and website, and best practices

by with One Comment Digital Transformation

SEO for Business - how to optimize your content and website. Best practices

In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of performance in SEO for your business. We ’ll also share some best practices that can help you improve your website’s performance in search engines.

SEO is the process of getting traffic from the “organic” or “natural” search results on Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Traffic from “paid” or “natural” search results on these engines can be defined as SEO traffic.

Introduction: What is SEO, Why Does It Matter and When Does it Matter?

So, what is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is a set of techniques that are used to improve rankings on search engines. Search engines are an important part of the internet and it is necessary to understand how they work. A good SEO helps you rank higher in the search engine result pages.

These techniques can include:

–  Keyword research
–  Creating high quality content
–  Link building
–  Website optimization
–  Social media marketing
–  On-page optimization

How does SEO work?

SEO works by using the same search engine algorithms that are used by other websites and is crucial for any business that relies on online traffic.

When does it matter?

It matters when you are trying to rank for a keyword and you want to be found by those who search for your product or service. The SEO process starts with understanding the keywords that people use when they search. These keywords are then matched up to the content on your website so that it can be optimized in order to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) and increase your online traffic.

Being ranked in the top 10 of search engine results is crucial for finding and retaining new customers online. It is important to understand that, while SEO matters more when you are converting customers, it still matters in all stages of the sales funnel and when the customer comes to your website for marketing purposes.

Keyword research is often overlooked as it is not directly related to conversions. However, it is important because when you have the right keywords targeted for your business, you will be able to rank higher in search engine results pages and get more customers from those searches.

The Importance of On-site SEO Vs. Off-site SEO

On-site SEO is the process of optimizing the content, design and structure of your website so that it will rank higher in search engine results pages.

Off-site SEO refers to all the activities that take place off your website, such as link building and social media marketing.

On-site optimization is more important than off-site optimization because it’s what helps you rank higher in search engines. However, off-site optimization is also an important part of the process because it helps you get more traffic and leads from other websites.

The most important thing when it comes to SEO is consistency. The goal of SEO is not just to get a one-time boost in traffic but rather a steady flow of traffic over time. If you invest time doing on-site optimization and off-site optimization, you will see better results than if you just focus on one or the other.

Why You Need to Optimize Your Content for Google Now

Google Now is a voice-activated personal assistant, which means that it will listen to your commands and then process them. This means that you need to create optimized content for Google Now in order to make it easier for the assistant to understand what you are trying to say. Google Now will be able to take your commands and turn them into tasks like sending emails or making phone calls. This is why you need optimized content for Google Now in order for the assistant to understand what you are saying.

Optimizing your content for Google is not just about keywords and SEO. It is about the user experience.

The goal of optimization is to make sure that you are creating content that will be relevant to the user and rank in search engines. And, most importantly, it should answer the question “What’s in it for me?”

If you want to rank higher on Google, then you need to optimize your content for Google. This means using keywords and SEO techniques while also ensuring that your content meets the needs of the people visiting your site.

How to Optimize Your Website Design For Local Search Rankings

Search engines are now looking for more than just keywords. They want to make sure that the content on a website is relevant to the user’s location. This is why it is important to optimize your website design for local search rankings.

Local search rankings optimization techniques include:

– adding geo-targeting tags to your website’s code;
– creating a Google My Business page and linking it with your website;
– creating a Google Maps listing and linking it with your website.

Next, you should optimize your website design for local search rankings by using keywords in your page title, H1 tags, and content. You should also use geo-targeted meta tags and Schema markup to help rank higher in local searches and help Google understand the geographic relevance of your business.

Conclusion and Best Practices for Improving Your Website's Performance in Search Engines

In conclusion:

– Make sure that your website has all the necessary meta tags to ensure that it is properly indexed by search engines;
– Optimize your title tags, meta descriptions, and keyword density to maximize your visibility on SERPs;
– Ensure that you are using the right keywords in your content so that it can be easily found by people looking for a solution to their problem.

Best Practices

–  Use keywords in the title of each page and make sure they are not duplicated throughout the site;
–  Include keywords in URL paths to make them more visible on SERPs;
–  Create a sitemap.xml file for Google Webmaster Tools.

responsive web design

The Complete Guide to Developing Mobile Friendly Websites a.k.a. Responsive Web Design

by with No Comment Digital Transformation

The Complete Guide to Developing Mobile Friendly Websites and How It Is Changing the World

Almost 5 billion people are projected to own a mobile phone by the end of 2022.

With the release of the standard for responsive web design, it has never been easier to create everything from a one page brochure site to a large-scale e-commerce site. Responsive web design should be a standard and this post is the go-to guide for web developers and entrepreneurs looking to create mobile friendly sites and applications.

Responsive web design should be a standard. Share on X

The mobile device market is growing exponentially. A few short years ago, it was not uncommon to see people with mobile phones and tablets. Now, it is not uncommon to see people with two, three, or more devices.

Increasingly, people are using the web on their mobile devices. This is especially true for mobiles. As a designer, one need to ensure that your website renders well on any device.

No matter what kind of website you are working on, it needs to be accessible to everyone. This means that it should be designed in a way that makes it easy for all users to navigate and find what they need.

What is a Mobile Friendly Website and Why You Need One?

Mobile responsive design is a website design that automatically adapts to the screen size of the device it is being viewed on. Mobile friendly websites are more interactive and user-friendly than websites that are not designed for mobile screens.

The first thing you should do when designing a site is to consider what your target audience will be using to view it. For example, if you have an e-commerce site, your target audience will probably be using a phone or tablet. If you have a blog, they may be using their laptops or tablets.

Building a Mobile Site or Web Application - The Basics

The first step to building a mobile website or application is to set up the development environment. This includes the operating system, programming language, frameworks, and libraries.

The next step is to create a design for your mobile site or application. You can either use an existing design from your company or start from scratch using wire-frames or mock-ups.

Once you have created a design for your mobile site or application, you can start developing it by following these steps:

1. Create the content of the website or applications
2. Add styles and scripts to the content
3. Test and debug the website on different devices

Building a mobile site or a web application is not the same as building a desktop website. There are many considerations to take into account.

Some of these considerations include:

    • Responsive design – this allows the site to adapt to different screen sizes and devices
    • Navigation – navigation should be easy and intuitive
    • User experience – make sure that the user has a good experience while navigating your site or app
    • Content – make sure that your content is mobile friendly
Tip: use short and concise content and optimize images for screen size. Share on X

Mobile Web Design Tips That Will Get Your Site Ready for Mobile Users

Mobile web design is an essential skill for any designer or developer. With the rise of mobile browsing, it’s crucial that you know how to make a mobile-friendly site.

There are many things you can do to make your site more mobile friendly. Here are some tips that will get your site ready for mobile users:

  1. Use short and concise content – Mobile screens are smaller than desktop screens, so you’ll need to use shorter sentences and paragraphs. This will allow your readers to read content on their phone without scrolling back and forth or zooming in and out.
  2. Optimize images for screen size – Since people browse the internet differently on a phone than they do on a computer, you’ll need to optimize images for screen size. You should also make sure to optimize the image quality so that it is both visually appealing and easy to read.

Conclusion:

Building Responsive Websites that Work on any Device Starts Now

Mobile browsing is the fastest growing internet activity, last year accounting for almost 54% of all global traffic. And the vast majority of websites are still built in a desktop-only format. With over half of internet traffic now coming from mobile, this is a growing problem.

Building responsive websites that work on any device starts now. More then half of all web traffic is mobile. Share on X

Our responsive website design service is the perfect solution for businesses who want a modern and mobile-friendly website that’s optimised for every device. With our competitive pricing, unbeatable customer service, and transparent 10-week turnaround, it’s clear that we’re the best service to meet your needs. Affordable and clean website design without any of the headaches that often come along with it. Get in touch today to find out more!

web design

The Complete Guide to Small Business Web Design

by with No Comment Digital Transformation

The Complete Guide to Small Business Web Design

Your business deserves to look its best. So, here is this guide to help you make some decisions about how to tackle the complex issue of  designing a website for your business.

Introduction: What is Web Design? And What Does It Actually Involve?

Web design is the process of creating a website :D. In other words, is the process of developing a website so that it meets the needs and expectations of its audience. It involves deciding what the site should look like and how it should function.

The first step in web design is to define the purpose of the site. This will help determine what elements are needed, such as a logo, navigation, or contact information.

Web design can be broken down into two main parts: the design and content.

Design focuses on how a website looks, while content focuses on what it says. It’s important to know that there are several different types of web design, including graphic design, web development, and mobile app development.

The designer’s role is to plan out the layout or structure of a website with consideration for typography, color schemes, page layouts, and images. The content writer’s role is to research information about the business or product being promoted on the site then write about it in compelling ways for different audiences.

There are two approaches to web design. One is by hand and the other is by using software programs like Adobe Dreamweaver and Microsoft Expression Web. Hand-coding requires a lot of time and patience, but can produce custom layouts that are hardly possible with software programs. On the other hand, software programs allow for quick building of web pages which can be edited later on with much less effort.

What are the 5 Most Important Elements of Web Design?

The web design process can be a daunting task for some people. There are so many things to consider and take into account when designing a website. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the 5 most important elements of web design.

The design process starts with the planning phase where you decide on what your site will look like, how it will work, and who your target audience is. You should also think about what your competitors are doing and what their strengths are.

Once you’ve established these points, it’s time to get started with designing the site layout and creating the website template designs that will serve as a guide for all future page designs.

The next step in the design process is to create a mock-up for every page type – homepage, landing page, product page. After you’ve completed this step, you’re ready to move onto the next stage of the design process.

The elements of web design are the foundation of a website’s success. So, there are five key elements that make up a successful website:


1. Layout and Design Process
2. Website Template Designs
3. Web Development Platforms
4. User Experience (UX) Design
5. Content Strategy

How to Choose the Best Hosting For Your Website

Choosing the best hosting for your website is a very important decision and can be a difficult task. The wrong hosting can result in downtime, slow loading time, and more.

The first step is to understand your needs. What kind of website are you building? What are your technical requirements? How much traffic do you expect to receive? How many users you expect to have? How many pages you have? How often you update it? These questions will help narrow down the options.

There are many different types of hosting available – shared, VPS, dedicated and more. You need to decide what type of hosting is best for you based on the answers to the questions before.

There are many hosting companies in the market, each with different packages and features. Here, we will go over some of the most popular providers and what they offer. We will also give a few quick tips on how to find out which one is best for you.

How To Choose The Right Domain Name For Your Business

A domain name is the first impression that your business will make on the internet. It is the first thing that people will see when they come to your website.

Choosing the right domain name for your business is an important decision. It needs to be short, memorable, and preferably not available to anyone else. It should also be relevant to what you do and what your business is about.

There are a few things you should consider when choosing a domain name:

– Your company’s name
– The type of business that you’re in
– The product or service that you offer
– How to make it unique and stand out from the crowd

What Is Responsive Web Design and Why Should I Care?

Responsive web design (RWD) is a technique for creating websites that provide an optimal viewing and functioning experience for users, regardless of what device they are using. From desktop computer monitors to mobile phones, the idea is that a single website can serve all screen sizes and browsers, without the need for different designs or multiple versions of the same site.

This technique has become the standard for responsive website design in recent years. It is not just a trend and it will continue to be used for many years to come.

It’s essential for businesses to have a responsive web design because more than half of the people who use the internet now access it via mobile devices. It’s also important because the search engines are now giving preference to websites that are optimized for mobile viewing.

The benefits of responsive web design are not just limited to small business owners, however. Brands of all sizes have been adopting this approach in order to stay relevant and engaged with their customers.

More about responsive web design in a future post. So stay tuned.

Hope this guide has helped you make some decisions about what you need in your website and if you have any questions, we’re here to help!

Takeaway

Designing a website for your small business is not an easy task. There are many things to consider, including the target audience and the goals of the website. So, you can either pay a hefty price for a pro-level web designer, or do it yourself. Unfortunately, doing it yourself is time-consuming and can lead to costly mistakes. Our team of professional designers will provide your business with the perfect website, at an affordable price.

We provide a free consultation and estimate to understand your needs and create a custom package that best meets your goals. Our designs are fully responsive, mobile-friendly, and SEO-optimized to help you grow your customer base.

leadership

The Key Elements of a Successful Leadership Development Program

by Leadership

The Key Elements of a Successful Leadership Development Program — Understand Why is Important, for What Purpose and How to Create One

Leadership development is one of the most important aspects of any company. Companies are investing more than ever in leadership development. Yet, less than 5% of companies have a formal leadership development program. So, how do we create a successful leadership development program?

Leadership training is an investment in the future of your organization. Share on X

Introduction

Leadership development is a process that provides individuals with the skills and knowledge to lead others. This article explores the different aspects of growth programs for leaders and how they benefit the individual as well as their team.

The benefits of a formation program for leaders are immense, but it is not an easy process to go through. There are many aspects to consider when developing your own program, such as project management skills, leadership training, and more. These factors make up the foundation for any successful leadership development program.

Leadership development programs are designed to help organizations identify, develop and grow their talent to lead. Leadership coaching programs provide training and support to executives and managers on how to lead their teams more effectively.

Leadership coaching is an investment in the future of your organization. This is because The most effective leaders are those who have been exposed to a variety of situations, not just by following a prescribed set of steps.

Why is a Leadership Development Program Important?

Leadership development is the process of helping an individual to improve his or her capacity to lead. This may be done through a variety of strategies, such as increased knowledge of leadership skills, increased self-awareness and understanding, coaching or mentoring relationships.

A leadership training program is a significant technique to improve a leader’s abilities. These programs are designed to help leaders learn and grow in their roles.

Leadership training can be helpful for anyone who wants to become a leader, or just improve their skills as one. It might not be possible to attend a leadership development program in person, but there are many online courses that provide the same benefits.

A leadership development program is important for a company to be able to retain their top talent and new employees.

Leadership programs are not a one-size-fits-all solution. The program should be tailored to the needs of the individual and the team. The goal of these programs is to develop leaders who have the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed in order to lead effectively in today’s dynamic environment.

What is the Purpose of a Leadership Development Program?

The programs for leadership development are designed to help individuals grow and develop as leaders. They are a great way to increase the efficiency of your organization because they help you to find the right people for the right positions.

Leadership training is not just about providing employees with new skills, it is also about helping them develop their abilities and strengths so that they can become more valuable members of your team.

Some companies offer leadership training programs for their employees. This can be a one-time or ongoing program where an individual will learn the skills needed to become a leader in this company.

Leadership training is not just about providing employees with new skills, it is also about helping them develop their abilities and strengths so that they can become more valuable members of your team. Share on X

How to Create or Find an Effective Leadership Development Program for My Company's Needs?

Leadership development programs are a great way to make sure that there is a plan in place for the future of your company. They can be created in many different ways, but they should always have the same goal – to promote growth and development of leadership skills.

Some companies choose to set up their own leadership development programs, while others hire outside consultants or use external tools. The most important thing is that they are tailored to the needs of your organization and your company culture.

The first step to developing a leadership development program is to assess the organization’s current needs. This includes determining what skills are needed for future leaders, what skills current leaders need to develop, and how the organization can best support future leadership development.

A successful leadership development program should also be able to provide a clear career path for employees. Employees should be able to see their progress in their careers and know where they are going in the future. They should also have mentors who can guide them through the process of learning new skills and developing as leaders.

Conclusion

The key elements of a successful leadership development Program are employee engagement, leadership development, and culture transformation. Share on X

Having a world-class leadership development program is a key element of any company’s success. However, so many companies are flailing because they’re not focusing on what really matters: the people.

The key elements of a successful leadership development program are employee engagement, leadership development, and culture transformation. Employee engagement is a powerful catalyst for the success of any leadership development initiative and helps to establish an environment in which employees take more responsibility for themselves and their work. Transformation of culture can help build a new environment where high-performance teams thrive.

leaders vs managers

Manage Different Types of People: A Leader’s Guide to Effective Team Management

by Leadership

Manage Different Types of People: A Leader's Guide to Effective Team Management

One of the hardest challenges in leadership is learning how to manage different types of people — each with their own motivations, communication styles, and working preferences. The good news? It’s a skill you can develop.

Have you ever had an employee that you just couldn’t seem to get along with? In this post we will cover the basics of how to manage and lead different types of people, as well as some tips into the set of leadership and management skills, and the best  tools for training.

 

What is Management? And What is Leadership?

Management is the act of getting people to do what you want them to do. Leadership is the act of getting other people to want to do things for you.

Management deals with the tasks, while leadership deals with the people. Management deals with other peoples time, while leadership deals with other peoples actions.

The skills of a manager and a leader are not the same. The main difference is that a leader is someone who has the ability to inspire, motivate and influence people to do what is needed in order to achieve organisational goals. In contrast, a manager’s primary responsibility is to oversee the work of subordinates in order for them to complete tasks according to schedule and with minimal supervision.

 

Leadership skills are harder to master than management skills because it requires more emotional intelligence, self-knowledge and self-awareness. Share on X

Leadership skills are harder to master than management skills because it requires more emotional intelligence, self-knowledge and self-awareness. Leadership can be learned through reading books, attending workshops or taking formal training courses.

The Importance of Both Management Skills and Leadership Skills

The importance of leadership skills and management skills cannot be overstated.

A manager can be a leader or not, according to their own beliefs and behaviours. But a manager who possesses leadership skills can be assured of a successful career and a happy workplace.

Leadership skills:
The most important skill for a good manager is the ability to lead and inspire their team. A good leader will set goals and objectives for their team members so they know what is expected of them, but will also provide guidance and support as they work towards those goals. They will also know when to step in if their employees need help or advice, as well as when to step back and let them work it out on their own.

Management skills:
The second most important skill is the ability to manage time wisely. Managers need to be able to balance all of the responsibilities on their plate at any given time. It’s important that they prioritize their tasks by identifying what needs to get done first, second, third and so on. This will help ensure that all of the deadlines are met while still giving them time for other things in life.

Without these two types of skills, companies cannot succeed. They need managers who can take care of their employees and understand what is important to them in order to maintain the company’s productivity levels.

Who Should You Lead? What Skills a Manager Needs to Effectively Lead a Team?

In a modern workplace, a manager is often tasked with leading a team of various people who all have their own personality. Some people are introverts and some are extroverts. So what kind of leadership skills does a manager need to lead his team?

One key skill is the ability to understand how different personality types work. For example, an introvert may respond better to more one-on-one communication rather than group meetings. A manager should also be able to manage both extroverts and introverts on their team by making sure that they’re happy and satisfied with the work environment. In addition, a good leader should be able to communicate clearly and effectively so that they can provide direction for their team members and move them towards achieving goals as efficiently as possible.

It is easy to assume that introverts are more of a challenge to manage, but extroverts are said to be more difficult. Extroverts are more likely to expect feedback and will also think they deserve it. Introverts, on the other hand, won’t ask for feedback and may internalise negative feedback.

Extroverts are more likely to expect feedback and will also think they deserve it. Share on X

Managing your employees is about understanding their strengths and weaknesses. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Some people work better in close quarters with their co-workers while others need space and privacy. It’s important to not only take into account what you want from your employees but also have them have an idea of what you are looking for in return.

What are the Best Tools for Training?

Training is one of the most challenging aspects of management. It’s expensive, time-consuming, and often difficult to measure the impact on performance.

This section covers the best tools that are available for training managers. These tools are not just helpful in training them, but they also help in improving their skills and knowledge. The practicality of these programs justifies the investment in management development programs.

Thus training is an excellent way to enable managers to do their job more effectively.

Management training is a great way to develop your knowledge and skills so you can lead a team to success. It’s available for new managers or experienced ones if you feel like you need a refresher. Some companies even use them as part of their onboarding process.

The common types of management training are:   leadership training, project management, change management, internal training, communication training, creativity, negotiation, time management, compliance, quality training, risk management, managing talent, strategic planning, decision making, measurement & metrics, performance management, coaching and mentoring, managing up, conflict management, financial management.

The training methods are techniques employed for developing the knowledge and abilities of individuals. This includes methods for instructor-led training, self learning, group learning, and other training models such as coaching. The common types of training methods include lectures, demonstrations, virtual learning environments, collaboration and practice, improvisation, role playing, tests and certifications, mastery learning, simulations, on-the-job training, coaching and mentoring, and so on.

Conclusion

Get the most from everyone on your team by understanding the different personalities that exist within it. Share on X

With the right approach, it is possible to motivate and manage all types of people. Create a culture of trust and respect, then establish goals and hold employees accountable for their work. From there, focus on rewarding positive behavior and use feedback to identify areas for improvement.

critical thinking in marketing management

The Importance of Critical Thinking in Organisational Management

by Leadership

Critical Thinking in Organisational Management: Benefits and Applications of Critical Thinking in the Corporate World

Critical reasoning is crucial for success in all areas of life, not only business. It helps you identify assumptions and establish a clear line between fact and opinion in order to make decisions based on evidence rather than assumptions. Thus, critical thinking is the ability to think about and analyse ideas and problems with a critical eye. It is a metacognitive ability that we use to think about the thinking we’re doing. And it is important for everyone, not just for those who are in the business world.

Concepts of Critical Thinking


Critical thinking has been defined as “the art of clear thinking, sound reasoning, and intelligent decision-making.” In order to be effective at critical thinking, you must have the ability to analyse your thoughts and determining whether or not they are valid or flawed.

There are four different concepts that contribute to critical thinking: metacognition, clarification of values, clarification of assumptions, clarification of questions. These four components work together in order to help you be more effective at critical reasoning.

Applied critical thinking is a huge part of the process of innovation, of being an entrepreneur, especially when design and produce something. In any design project, for example, from the beginning to the end, critical thinking is important. Engineering teams, industrial design teams, the business team trying to understand how to bring something to market. Basically, any challenge involves critical thinking as a way to find a solution.

In order to be effective at critical thinking, you should have the ability of analysing your thoughts and determining whether or not they are valid or flawed. Share on X

What is Critical Thinking?

Socrate thinking

More than 2.500 years ago Socrates established the importance of asking deep questions, seeking evidence, assessing basic concepts before we accept ideas as worthy of belief. He is considered one of the most influential philosophers in all of history and the father of  western philosophy. He is credited with taking a methodical approach to philosophical inquiry. His dialectic, which he used to help others improve their critical reasoning capacity, was revolutionary for its time.

Critical thinking, as defined by Aristotle and Plato, is the ability to evaluate arguments and come to the best conclusion based on evidence. Share on X

Aristotle and Plato are both well-known for their contributions to the field of critical thinking. Aristotle was the first to identify syllogisms and Plato is famous for his allegory of the cave, which is a metaphor for how we might perceive reality.

 

Critical thinking, as defined by Aristotle and Plato, is the ability to evaluate arguments and come to the best conclusion based on evidence. This way of reasoning can help people become better at their jobs, build more authentic relationships with others, and create positive change in today’s society.

Critical thinking, therefore, is the process of reviewing and evaluating thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. It can be applied to anything we experience in life. In the business and management realm, there are many benefits to critical thinking such as improved decision making and the ability to solve problems more effectively. The critical analysis also improves problem-solving skills, creative thinking, and overall intelligence.

Critical Reasoning Skills to Defend Your Ideas

In the past, critical reasoning skills were a key factor in determining a person’s intelligence. But today, it has been found to be less important. In fact, the more important aptitude for success in this new age may include deductive reasoning.

Deductive reasoning skills are typically required when people have to solve complex problems and find solutions that follow certain rules and patterns. This skill is most often used in mathematics, engineering and programming fields. It is also used in law enforcement and crime solving where investigators need to identify what happened from the evidence they gather at the crime scene. Deductive reasoning skills are also useful for solving puzzles such as crossword or Sudoku games where you need to determine which words go into which spaces based on certain rules or clues provided by the puzzle constructor.

The more important aptitude for success in this new age includes deductive reasoning. Share on X

The Unspoken Battle Between Thought and Emotion

When thoughts and emotions are at odds, achieving a healthy equilibrium requires a calm mindset. Balance is impossible to achieve while we are upset. It is critical to set aside some time and space to contemplate and reflect on such disagreement.

In the corporate world there is a common belief that says that the IQ gets you hired and the EQ gets you promoted. The advantages of emotional intelligence lead to personal achievement in business and all other areas of life. Self regulation, or self management, is a key component of emotional intelligence. The capacity to regulate personal reactions and resilience in front of challenges is critical for guaranteeing leadership and management performance. Emotionally intelligent leaders and managers are also able to help others manage difficult times, change or stressful situations.

Managing emotions allows us to make choices so we can choose how we respond to any situation. Hence, self-regulation or self-control is a key part of emotional intelligence. It is the ability to choose how we think, how we feel, and the actions we take, being mostly about being able to control your emotions and responses to situations and other people; also about feeling positive emotions and expressing positive emotions to others.

Sadness makes us want a change. Any change. Share on X

Researches have been made on how reason vs. emotion interacts with our spending habits, for instance:

  • Increased cognitive load decreases self-control. This is something marketers are well aware of: distracted people are more likely to spend money. Most shops are filled with shiny, complicated distractions – bright colours, music and ‘incredible offers’ – designed to confuse us and open our wallets.
  • Our supply of self-control is limited. Studies show that our self-control is actually sapped each time we use it (Baumeister & Vohs, 2003). It’s also sapped, predictably, by alcohol, lack of sleep and stress.

Or how our self-control is affected by our emotions:

  • Sadness makes us want a change (any change). Sadness may well increase the chance we want to spend. One study found that those who are sad are more likely to want to sell at a lower price and buy at a higher price (Lerner, Small & Loewenstein, 2004).
  • Disgust makes us want to get rid of everything. When we’re disgusted we want to get rid of the things we have and don’t want to buy anything.
  • Anxiety makes us want to reduce uncertainty. Anxiety makes us prefer low-risk options (Raghunathan & Pham, 1999).

Self-control is linked to ageing more slowly, a new study finds. People who are better able to control their thoughts, feelings and behaviours have biologically younger brains and bodies at age 45.

The Role of Critical Thinking in Problem-solving

Everyone experiences problems from time to time. Some of our problems are big and complicated, while others may be more easily solved. There is no shortage of challenges and issues that can arise on the job. Whether in an office or on a construction site, experiencing difficulties with the tasks at hand or with co-workers, the workplace presents ongoing challenges on a daily basis. Whether these problems are large or small, they need to be dealt with constructively and fairly. Having the necessary skills to identify solutions to problems is one of the abilities that employers look for in employees.

Problem-solving and critical thinking refers to the ability to use knowledge, facts, and data to effectively solve problems. This doesn’t mean you need to have an immediate answer, it means you have to be able to think on your feet, assess problems and find solutions. The ability to develop a well thought out solution within a reasonable time frame, however, is a skill that employers value greatly.

Problem-solving and critical thinking go hand in hand and refer to the ability to use knowledge, facts, and data to effectively solve problems. Share on X

Employers want employees who can work through problems on their own or as effective members of a team. Ideal employees can think critically and creatively, share thoughts and opinions, use good judgment, and make decisions. As a new employee, you may question why an organization follows certain steps to complete a task. It may seem to you that one of the steps could be eliminated saving time, effort, and money. But you may be hesitant to voice your opinion. Don’t be; employers are usually appreciative when new employees are able to offer insight and fresh perspective into better and more efficient ways of doing things. It is important to remember, however, that as someone new to the organization, you may not always have the full picture, and thus there may be factors you are unaware of that dictate that things be done in a particular way. Another important thing to remember is that when you are tasked with solving a problem, you don’t always need to answer immediately.

What Is Critical Analysis? What Does It Look Like?

“Critical analysis” is a desirable skill in all aspects of work, but what actually is it? As Brown and Keely (2012) discuss, analysing critically is a process of deconstructing what you read, write and listen to, rationally and logically. It requires you to move beyond describing and analysing to evaluating, criticising and postulating on what you process.

Critical analysis is associated with a “deep approach” to your work, which means that you relate new knowledge to what you already know. It also requires the examination of theoretical concepts and ideas; comparing and contrasting issues and perspectives to challenge your own understandings and speculate and seek out implications. Furthermore, you should be able to distinguish between what is evidence and what is an argument. This involves questioning assumptions, recognising generalisations, and identifying bias in what you see, read and hear. Thinking critically helps you to uncover links across large and diverse bodies of knowledge enabling you to synthesise your own informed ideas.

Thinking critically helps you to uncover links across large and diverse bodies of knowledge enabling you to synthesize your own informed ideas. Share on X

The evaluation and analysis of a certain set of data in connection to a business forms the basis of any critical analysis. Financial ratio analysis, for example, deals with evaluating financial statements and the company’s financial performance relating to efficiency, profitability, and its ability to continue the business.

A SWOT analysis for business, on the other hand, deals more in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your business. It also helps recognise areas in the business where there may be opportunities or threats to the business. Simply put, it is building upon what is working for the company and cutting down or prevent any threat or weakness that would affect business otherwise.

When looking to make the best possible choice or decision regarding any project or change, employing critical analysis allows you to properly assess all factors and processes involved in a project. Be able to prioritize functions and tasks and create an order in which they are to be done in order to make the least possible risks and at the same time get the project moving at the intended pace.

Take-away

In management critical thinking is of paramount importance to make decisions that are logical and informed based on knowledge and expertise. Share on X

Critical thinking is the important process of assessing a situation and arriving at a judgement. It is a reflective type of thinking that evaluates information and reaches a conclusion about the truth, validity, relevance, meaning, importance, or suitability of data or ideas.  In management it is used to make decisions that are logical and informed based on knowledge and expertise.

advertising in the AI era

A sneak peek into where advertising is going in the AI Era – II

by Marketing

A sneak peek into where advertising is going in the AI Era

Part two

A thought-provoking examination of the current status of advertising and its future possibilities in the AI era.

Read the first part

New sources of consumer data and the AI-produced info

VR/AR glasses, smart assistants, smart TV, smartwatch, smart fridge, smart A/C — did you hear about DigitalSTROM ? It’s exactly that! A smart home system that can program your gadgets to follow your daily habits. Coffee prepared for you before you get out of bed, lights turned on when your alarm goes off, or the thermostat set to the exact time you’re supposed to get home from work.

All connected to the internet — the Internet of Things.

All things 'smart' enable massive data collection from consumers. Share on X

All of this enables the collection of additional data.
More data means more control. Biometric data from smartphones and security systems that employ fingerprints, facial recognition, or retinal scans is one of these new sources. Wearables, eye-tracking cameras, and other similar technologies capture behavioral data. Voice samples captured by smart speakers, smart displays, and other voice-controlled devices.

People are unaware of the wealth of information that may be gleaned from seemingly innocuous data that they generate. Share on X

Automated, AI-powered systems generate huge results. By looking for patterns in scraps of user data, automatic algorithms can predict consumer behavior to a larger extent than a person may have consented to. And people are unaware of the wealth of information that may be gleaned from seemingly innocuous data that they generate.

Data protection

Enters the famous GDPR (EU’s General Data Protection Regulation) which put us all through hell a few years ago. The GDPR legislation, along with various privacy scandals or data leaks, has also changed a lot for people by putting the privacy issue on the lips of everyone. Some are annoyed by yet another popup. Others are distressed by discovering how much data has been gathered on them by companies.

The issues of privacy and data ownership have permanently transformed the marketing industry and will continue to have an increasing impact on it. Share on X

Another point to make here is the opt-out choice. It is relatively easy to withdraw one’s consent to data storage. But what if one’s data is used to train AI? Would the deletion of the source data be enough?

The issues of privacy and data ownership have changed the industry forever and will continue to have an increasing influence on it.

According to reports, 47% of Internet users have some sort of ad blocking mechanism enabled. Share on X

Enters Ad blockers. They are a way for people to say that they’ve had enough. According to reports, 47% of Internet users have some sort of ad blocking mechanisms enabled. This increases the costs of advertising, and the only way to combat that, is to work towards less intrusive ads for a better customer experience.

The marketing and the 5G technology

Do you remember that scene in Star Wars where R2-D2 is delivering a message from Princess Leia in the form of a hologram? Can you even imagine the power of the internet they must have had?

Back to the future, imagine presenting your product in a virtual or augmented reality, smart assistants proactively promoting your offers, your ads shown on fridges or microwave ovens’ displays. An advertising paradise or a nightmare depends on which side of the screen you are on. Well, the IoT plus 5G is making it possible.

What we do have now is the unabashed rise of VR/AR technologies, with more and more applications in experiential marketing.

The reality of many touchpoints encouraged marketers to attempt to engage with a consumer genuinely. It is known as omnichannel marketing. Needless to say that all touchpoints, from awareness through to purchase, are seamless.

The fragmentation of the Internet is inevitable. Greetings splinternet. Share on X

But eventually, the fragmentation of the Internet is inevitable. In recent years, the Internet has ceased to be a worldwide anarchic platform devoid of country. Big techs have changed it into an oligopoly.

Now we find out that big tech players also have a nationality and an agenda. Chinese, Russian and Western nets are divided more and more. Soon an advertiser may not be able to run global campaigns and switch from country to country with ease.

There have always been barriers between countries in the online world. But the new, divided Internet — splinternet — may consist of completely incompatible parts.

Money talks

Because the competition is fiercer and the growth in ad space is insufficient to meet demand, the average cost of a click varies between verticals, but it is rising.

Moreover, ad blockers usage is still going up and bot traffic, despite the small drop, still makes a huge chunk of traffic. And this is a matter of ad fraud practically.

Blockchain technology has the potential to significantly alter the marketing sector. Share on X

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are a new means of distributing capital introduced by blockchains. They are one-of-a-kind digital IDs for physical or digital items. You may buy and sell single tweets or.jpeg files, as Christie’s did in its latest record-breaking auction.

Digital commodities are a real way to invest large sums of money. This new product category needs fresh advertising.

Blockchain technology has the potential to significantly alter the marketing sector. It can considerably decrease prices, but it may hasten the split of the advertising industry between large companies by removing intermediaries.

My proverbial two cents

What will be more important, and what advertisers are finally able to quantify, is the profit generated by a customer over time. Share on X

Considering a user’s history of touch-points across various channels, focusing on the cost of a click will be inefficient in the long run. As a result, the profit created by a customer over time will become increasingly essential, and marketers will finally be able to quantify it.

But the very thing that was for years the heart and soul of advertising will be dead. The creativity, along with many other traditional values, is dying as we “speak”.

advertising in the AI era

The Future of Advertising in the AI Era: Trends, Predictions & What’s Next – I

by Marketing

The Future of Advertising in the AI Era: Trends, Predictions & What's Next

Part one

If you’re wondering about the future of advertising in the AI era, you’re not alone. Marketers everywhere are trying to separate the hype from the real transformation.

When someone in the industry asked me what do I think is the future of advertising, I bluntly responded that the advertising, as we know it, will be gone. In this article I will intent to develop my thoughts over the status of advertising in the AI era.

‘Power to the people’

Remember Lennon’s song? Well, since ’71 we’ve seen it all come true.

The early XXIst century sees the shift of control away from marketers and placed into the hands of consumers, apparently. It is the dawn of the Social Media era.

Consequently, digital advertising is born.

Facebook starts as a way for Harvard students to check each other out. It grew to be the most ubiquitous social media platform of the early XXIst century. Follows the birth of Twitter, Youtube, Pinterest, Instagram, and Snapchat, which enables everyone to communicate visually. And this empowers consumers with real-time feedback tools. Now we all have a voice.

And it’s very true that technology always changed how marketing works. Think of the revolution the printing press brought about; then the broadcasting, then the personal computer. Let us see what advertising in the AI era looks like.

 

Where are we now?

The state of the digital advertising industry in 2021 is flourishing, under scrutiny, and yearning for a change.

The state of the users is: hating ads.

Several patterns arise from this state of affairs, and the structure of postmodern advertising begins to take shape.

 

The future?

When it comes to thinking about the future, the mind wanders to new gadgets and gizmos, the internet, AI, and space ads.

And while the traditional marketing theory was revolving around brands, with integrated marketing campaigns, the 4Ps, AIDA, segmentation, targeting, positioning and the people were merely unsuspecting subjects, the marketing today apparently gives the consumer the center role.

 

Modern brands are evolving from ideas, as David Ogilvy defined them (the intangible sum of a product's attributes) to networks (the sum of assets and networks that are owned by a brand). Share on X

But, the traditional marketing theory is still relevant today, and nothing is fundamentally changed. Even though the accent is shifting and the information is influenced by social media and controls the sales. This is to say that ultimately the brand-centric development goes hand-in-hand with consumer-centric development. Modern brands are evolving from ideas, as David Ogilvy defined them (the intangible sum of a product’s attributes) to networks (the sum of assets and networks that are owned by a brand).

Is that disruptive for advertisers? Pretty much so.

Does it give more ‘power to the people’? Definitely.

Consequently, what will count more and what advertisers are finally able to track is the value generated by a user over time.

Let’s see.

Artificial intelligence and the most recent trends

Storytelling is data explained with a story. Advertisers no longer want you to remember the technical specs of their products. They want you to feel specific emotions when interacting with their brands. Critical thinking has died. Welcome emotions. It’s not about products anymore. Latest and not so, as we can track this tendency as far back as the 80s.

Gillette did it. Nike did it.
Watch these online ads! You’ll learn nothing about the products, but you will remember the emotions you felt when you recall these brands.

Critical thinking has died. Welcome emotions. Share on X

Personalization — A time of smaller, personalized ads in campaigns with even bigger budgets is here. Because turns out that customers respond better to content that seems to be tailored just for them .
AI-generated content. Individual marketing campaigns. In the age of anything smart (smartphones, smartwatches, smart TV), smart ads are becoming commonplace. And much of it is run by bots.

Personalization can’t be achieved without measurability. It’s not about clicks and conversions anymore. How do you measure an emotional response? Eye focus? Heart rate? Yes, just like that: the gadgets of today are gathering all sorts of data.
From the point of view of a marketer running an ad campaign, a single visitor belongs to a group of other visitors, similar in terms of spending habits but not necessarily in others, like demographics and location. So, you may not be as unique as you would like to think. And AI can group people with surprising accuracy.

 

Smart grouping, based on interests and behaviors, is being introduced by Google, with others likely to follow. These groups, or rather ‘Federated Learning of Cohorts’ (FLoC), is the tracking target of the future. “This points to a future where there is no need to sacrifice relevant advertising and monetization in order to deliver a private and secure experience,” Google stated. But this is tricky since Google’s attempt to delete third-party cookies and other identifiers for the sake of user privacy would, sadly and unavoidably, aggravate the problem of ad fraud.

‘Google on Federated Learning of Cohorts' (FLoC): “This points to a future where there is no need to sacrifice relevant advertising and monetization in order to deliver a private and secure experience.” Tricky business! Share on X

Bots generated content

The key phrases behind content-writing robots are intelligent narratives, natural language generation (NLG), and automated storytelling technology. And I believe that this is one of the most disruptive things to the advertising sector in the AI era.

Quill is an NLG software created by Narrative Science who could be the biggest player in the field of AI-generated content.

It describes itself as: “Humanizing data like never before, with technology that interprets your data and transforms it into ‘intelligent narratives’ at speed and scale.”

Companies like Groupon, Forbes, T. Rowe Price, Credit Suisse, and USAA use Quill to create content. Quill can generate news stories, industry reports, and even headlines without human intervention. It’s limited to the confines of news reports and data-backed content, but it can generate this type of content at scale.

Heliograf is a robot reporter created by Washington Post. This in-house automated storytelling technology — or better-said reporting technology — supplemented The Washington Post reporters covering the Olympics, and created hundreds of news stories and alerts for the event. The Post also has used Heliograf to cover hundreds of political races since 2016.

Photo courtesy of DIGIDAY

Wordsmith by Automated Insights is half bot half-human. The human adds the data to the software (tell it a few data points for a “story”) and writes the template for the story. The bot creates the content. That’s it — easy and publishable straight from the app. Many businesses have invested using Wordsmith, including Allstate, Microsoft, and Yahoo!, so this became a direction for marketers. 

There also are funny stories happening with bots. Apparently, Facebook created two chatbots to talk to each other, but they were shut down after they started communicating in a language they made for themselves.

Funny story with bots: Apparently Facebook created two chatbots to talk to each other, but they were shut down after they started communicating in a language they made for themselves. :)) Share on X

That’s it for today, folks!

In the second part, I will talk about the new sources of consumer data, AI-produced info, and the sound of money.

To be continued

business travel

Why a Stablecoin for Business Travel Could Change the Industry

by Business Strategy

Why a Stablecoin for Business Travel Could Change the Industry

In August 2021, a European premiere took place: the launch of FlightCoin, the first stablecoin for business travel. Designed to minimize volatility and pegged to the real economy of tourism and transport, it marks a new intersection between crypto and the travel industry.

The issue of a stablecoin pegged to business travel is per se a notable event. For those of you who are’t familiar to the cryptocurrency fenomenon, I will explain a bit in the next few paragraphs.

The idea of cryptocurrencies is the total replacement of fiat money. Imagine that fiat money — papers that lose quality and have to be reprinted) is no longer a physical phenomenon. It gets 100% digital and is protected against inflation. However, being ever-volatile, altcoins aren’t always a good solution for investment and storage. That’s why another type of digital currency was created – stablecoins.

What is a stablecoin, anyway?

A stablecoin is a cryptocurrency that is designed to minimize volatility by pegging it to a more stable asset. Fiat currency digital asset is the most popular use case for stablecoins. It typically tracks popular national currencies such as the US Dollar, Euro, and the British Pound. Benefit of this includes being able to take advantage of blockchain technology and peer-to-peer value transfer while not being exposed to high volatility such as bitcoin, ethereum, or other cryptocurrencies. Stablecoins are relatively new kind of technology and each of them comes with different implementations, liquidity, risks, and acceptance.

Consequently, depending of the method of stabilization, there are three groups of stablecoins. Firstly, the fiat-backed is supported by fiat money, for instance Tether or TrueUSD. Secondly, the commodity-backed, whose holders can redeem their stablecoins at the conversion rate to take possession of real assets. The cost of maintaining the stability of the stablecoin is the cost of storing and protecting the commodity backing. Example is Digix Gold Token (DGX). Thirdly, in the case of cryptocurrecny-backed stablecoins, the price is tied to the value of other cryptocurrencies (Dai). There is a fourth category as well — the non-backed stablecoins or Seigniorage-style. Their price is regulated by the issue of coins, but at the same time it is not supported by either traditional money nor other cryptocurrencies (Carbon, Havven).

So, in this complex crypto-market, on 15 of August, a new stablecoin is born: the FlightCoin.

FlightCoin — the new stablecoin by FlyFreeAirways

According to ANSA, the FlightCoin is a stablecoin whose the price is designed to be pegged to the real economy. In particular, the economy of business travel, experiential tourism, freight carriers and private air carriers.

The participating companies are strictly selected based on their financial statements. They have to comply with a high level of rating, real investment and the value of services and goods offered. The investors can use the service to divide their investments between the various markets: Classic Tour Operator, Business Travel Management, Experiential Tourism, Cargo Carriers, Private Jets, Insurance, Crowdfunding and ICO.

The FlyFreeAirways is a company active in the travel and transport sector.  The founder and CEO, Francesco D’Alessandro explains:  “This new cryptocurrency is ready to be among the first digital currencies in the most important world exchanges. They will  support it for its added value in the financial field and in the sustainable and intelligent mobility”.

The FlightCoin can be used to make payments, investments, exchanges, purchases of the services of Fly Free Airways and of the certified affiliates. The added value — he says — is for all the companies in the sector that are not in competition but synergic.

How it works

The release of tokens give value to the project according to the value generated by Fly Free Airways and the associates & commercial partners. A digital certificate is issued for each deposit or investment. Similarly, for the guarantee reserves or certified transfer of goods and services. All these enables the smart-contract to issue tokens.

The token is based on waves blockchain and are to be issued only 100 million tokens unique and non-reissuable. “New tokens will never be issued” is explained. The existing ones will be used for financing new investment projects for the development and innovation of the business model. Also for research and development projects in intelligent mobility, smart city and environmental sustainability in the transport sector in general.

As a stablecoin, the FlightCoin will have no volatility and will always guarantee global payments. How so? Because the quantity of tokens issued is numerically equal to 10 times the capital increase in progress. And this represents an important basis. The offer ends on 31 December 2021.

FlightCoin tokens can be purchased with both current currency and with cryptocurrency. One can use them to make payments, investments and even exchanges. All this in addition to its basic purpose: the purchase of the services of the affiliate members and of FlyFreeAirways itself.

The volume of stablecoins trade

According to CoinGecko, tthe market capitalization reached at the end of the second quarter this year US$119.7 billion at a trading volume of US$75.7 billion. The market is clearly dominated by Tether with a transaction volume in 24h of US$66 billion, followed at a distance by USD Coin and Binance USD.

The cryptocurrency market, in general, is showing signs of maturity, according Coinbase’s second quarter of 2021 Earnings Report. Coinbase is a San Francisco-based digital asset exchange company, one of the industry leaders.

This was stated by GlobalBlock’s Sales Trader, Marcus Sotiriou, cited by Assodigitale. He points out that the volume of retail exchanges is more than tenfolded in the quarter ended June 30. Compared to the same quarter last year, is going from 11 to 145 billion dollars. The volume of exchanges of institutional investors did even better. It grew even twenty times in a year, going from 17 billion in 2020 to 345 billion this year. Therefore, Sotiriou points out, although the crypto market may still appear strongly oriented towards retail investors, in reality the Coinbase report clearly shows how institutions are starting to dominate it.

digital quotient in marketing management

From IQ to DQ: How the Digital Quotient Is Redefining 21st Century Skills

by Leadership

From IQ to DQ: How the Digital Quotient Is Redefining 21st Century Skills

We’ve long measured intelligence through IQ and emotional intelligence through EQ. But in the 21st century, a new metric has emerged: the Digital Quotient (DQ). Coined by McKinsey and developed further by the DQ Institute, it aims to capture how individuals and organizations navigate the digital world.

During the XXth century we became accustomed with concepts like the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Quotient (EQ). The XXIst century, brings us a new concept: the Digital Quotient (DQ).

In the next paragraphs I’m going to discuss the whereabouts of these pathways of science.

A short history of brain testing

Firstly, the notion of intelligence testing appears around the 1880s for the first time, and continues to evolve ever since. The IQ test was originally designed by the French psychologist Alfred Binet in the early 1900s. He was a psychologist who wanted a more scientific way of evaluating students. He wanted to remove teacher bias and to identify at-risk students who would need help and extra attention to succeed in school. So Binet developed the first intelligence test. Through his research, he identified aspects of thinking that contribute to a student’s ability to do well at the things taught in school.

But how do you define and measure intelligence? The consensus seems to be that you can’t, but the IQ test is the closest we’ve ever come. The downside is that this general intelligence test which had innocent origins in French schools, was later used to support discrimination, eugenics, and genocide. 

Secondly, the history of Emotional Intelligence begins with Edward L. Thorndike in 1920 when he states that the personality reflects social intelligence. In his classic formulation: “By social intelligence is meant the ability to understand and manage men and women, boys and girls — to act wisely in human relations”  .

In short, while the IQ measures the cognitive intelligence — the ability to learn or skilled use of reason –, the EQ measures the emotional intelligence — the ability to use emotions and cognitive skills. Therefore, while the former employs the neocortex, while the latter relays on the limbic part of the brain.

And these two seemed to cover quite completely the brain activity in the final days of humanism.

Then a new day has dawn, and with it the dark clouds of posthumanism and AI takeover scenarios. Therefore we’re getting to the point.

What is the DQ?

The original concept is patented by McKinsey & Company in February of 2015 as a service mark for the Insurance & Financial Service industry.

The definition McKinsey give to DQ is:
“Digital Quotient®  measures an organisation’s performance across four key dimensions of digital maturity: Strategy, Culture, Organisation and Capabilities.“

The context: the World Economic Forum’s Transformation Maps — a constantly refreshed repository of knowledge about global issues, from climate change to the future of work.

The Digital Quotient Framework by McKinsey
The Digital Quotient Framework by McKinsey

Rapidly, the concept grows to encompass all digital education, endeavour put forward by the World Economic Forum via the newly founded (2020) DQ Institute.

The DQ Institute aims to set “the world’s first global standards for digital literacy, digital skills and digital readiness”, helping thus the global education system to prepare skilled workforce for the XXIst century.

DQ Institute Vision & Mission

It is common knowledge that keeping up with the latest technology is central to the success of every organization. Companies worldwide are recognizing that adapting only their business and technology strategies is not enough — they need to build digital talent as part of building a digital organization.

Here’s the problem in a nutshell: the job opportunities that are available today are 21st-century jobs. But the way most people perform these jobs is still stuck in the previous century. As is the way our society is training and educating people.

A short history of work

In the 19th century, with the Industrial Revolution, there was a massive movement of the population from rural to urban areas. The primary and secondary education system was created to train the workforce for the “new world” of manual and clerical work in cities.

In the 20th century, work was dominated by factory jobs. The education system that was built in the previous century was, with some modifications, still suited to training good factory workers and their managers. The early 60s bring about a new industrial revolution — the second. Which made Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World, to argue that by the year 2000, technology and automation would make workers richer and more productive.

Then in the 60s, the rise of the machines. The 70s bring about the rise of the conglomerate — a multi-industry company. Conglomerates are always large and multinational. In the 80s the World Wide Web came online. The 90s see the rise of leading technologies such as cell phones, e-mails, PDAs.

The management focused on a series of tools to optimize this kind of work: operational efficiency, something called Taylorism, and eventually some management philosophies called Six Sigma. Management was mostly done face to face, while health insurance, a social safety net, and other benefits were bundled into inflexible labour contracts.

Then the millenium changed. And the decade of 2000 brings us skype, google, gmail, facebook, twitter, youtube, the iPhone. By 2010 Artificial Intelligence connects everything we do in business, governing and everyday life. The cloud enables workers to store and access huge amounts of data online.

So we’re seeing the rise of new work models such as freelancing and remote work. In the  companies, teams are learning to be more agile, to work with distributed and remote teams, and to scale up and down to adapt to ever-changing conditions.

Therefore, we get to the second part of this article:

How the DQ is measured

According to Business Insider — the Spanish edition — here are the 10 must-have digital skills to be able to work in the 21st century:

  • Content and information management
  • Communication in digital environments
  • Digital strategy or digital business
  • Team collaboration and management
  • Digital leadership and critical thinking
  • Innovation, transformation and creativity
  • Learning in the digital environment
  • Understanding and solving problems in the digital context
  • Basic competences in digital technologies
  • Advanced skills in digital technologies — in artificial intelligence or blockchain, for example

In conclusion

We have another Revolution going on — the Fourth Industrial Revolution, characterized by digital transformation in all industries and across societies.

Where do you think it’s leading us? 

Regata Carburo de Plata

Carburo de Plata 2019: Sailing for ELA Murcia – A Solidarity Regatta

by Sailing

Carburo de Plata 2019: Sailing for ELA Murcia – A Solidarity Regatta

Every year, the Carburo de Plata regatta brings together sailors and supporters for a cause. In 2019, the funds went to the Asociación ELA (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Región de Murcia. This is how it went.

Regata Carburo de Plata
Carburo de Plata_2017

Carburo de Plata 2018: The Xth Edition of One of Spain’s Top Regattas

by Sailing

Carburo de Plata 2018: The Xth Edition of One of Spain's Top Regattas

On June 1, 2018, the 10th edition of the Carburo de Plata regatta set sail from Yacht Port Cartagena. Organized by the Portmán Yacht Club, it’s considered one of Spain’s top sail races. Here’s a look back at the weekend.

Another year to enjoy the world of competitive sailing. One more year will take place at the Yacht Port Cartagena facilities.

Friday afternoon, the 1st of june, were scheduled two windward-leeward regattas, on a circuit south of the island of Escombreras.

On Saturday the traditional coastal regatta of 22 nautical miles took place, starting at the Yacht Port Cartagena, the fleet heading to the beacon located in the Bay of Portmán, where the boats return after having a partial score, to the starting point, the Yacht Port of Cartagena.

On Sunday, the 3rd of june, another windward-leeward regatta trial, and the awards ceremony.

Organized by the Portmán Yacht Club, the ‘Carburo de plata’ regatta, is considered one of the most important events on the national calendar, ranking among the top five in the ranking of cruiser-class regattas.

This year the funds obtained went to the NUPA (Spanish Association to help children, adults and families affected by intestinal failure, multivisceral transplantation and parenteral nutrition).

Regata Carburo de Plata

My First Time Organizing the Carburo de Plata Regatta (IX Edition, 2017)

by Sailing

My First Time Organizing the Carburo de Plata Regatta (IX Edition, 2017)

The Carburo de Plata IX edition (2017) is my first year helping organize a regatta. Over 70 boats gathered in Cartagena to race — and to raise funds for D’Genes, an association for rare diseases.

The three days event – that is always in the last weekend of may – is organized by the Club Náutico Portmán. I can almost hear your thoughts: ‘Portmán? Where is that?’ Well, Portmán is a small village on the north-western coast of the Mediteranean sea, south-east of Spain. It has a beach and the remains of what was once a gorgeous bay. (Long sory about greedy people; perhaps I will tell it some day.)

Back to the regatta… The Carburo de Plata Solidarity Regatta brings together more than 70 boats in the city of Cartagena each year. This port city has become the meeting point for sailing lovers due to its fantastic characteristics.

The climate, the natural environment and the ideal maritime conditions provide the necessary ingredients that guarantee the success of this sporting and solidarity event. In short, the Carburo de Plata Solidarity Regatta has become one of the most important sporting events in Spain.

Why solidarity?, you may ask. Well, because each year funds are being raised for solidarity causes.

This year’s beneficiary of funds: The Association for Rare Diseases and Other Serious Developmental Disorders, D’Genes.