from JPT Group | December 2024 | Vol. 17 No. 12
Will Data be Our Master or Servant?
With the curtain falling on 2024, our thoughts turn to next year and the promise that it holds. Or not.
Remember when they used to call this The Information Age? That was when not people, not devices, but information sped around the globe in faster and faster as well as in innovative ways that ruled the day. Not much has changed except now we call it the Digital Age and more than just messaging, it’s data that traversing the globe in new and faster ways.
So what does 2025 hold for data? According to Forbes there are a few familiar suspects as well as a few surprises.
What’s at the top of most everyone’s list? Why AI of course. But it’s not just the volume of AI that’s critical, Forbes points out that the “democratization of data analysis” is a factor that will continue to level the playing field among large and small entities – be they countries, companies, organizations, or whatever.
Not only will speed itself be transformative, the ability to gather and analyze data in real time promises to be huge. Real time analysis will evolve “from a competitive advantage to a basic requirement for business survival.” And those who don’t keep up will…
And what analysis would be complete without a word from the lawyers. As data grows in size, speed and accessibility, there are inevitable questions that will arise regarding “data ownership and intellectual property rights.” Who actually owns what and what can they do with it are thorny questions which will confront 2025 jurists.
Something inherent in AI explosion is how humans will live with and cope with this new-found power. While that’s true, lurking in the background is something called machine learning. As humans learn more and gather more information, so will our machines. And not just computers. Manufacturing at all levels will use that power in ways unimaginable.
And let’s not forget the befuddled marketing types who have for decades struggled mightily when it comes to “understanding customer sentiment and behavior.” They may now have finally be positioned on the precipice of actually figuring that out.
All in all, it promises to be a fun year.
“I notice increasing reluctance on the part of marketing executives to use judgment; they are coming to rely too much on research, and they use it as a drunkard uses a lamp post for support, rather than for illumination.
— David Ogilvy, British advertising tycoon,
founder of Ogilvy & Mather
BUSINESS UPDATE
Job Openings
It can take anywhere from weeks to months to fill a job opening. According to northone.com, the average position takes 42 days from the start of the search to selecting a candidate. But it also depends on the industry. For example, hiring someone for an engineering position can take as long as 62 days, or just over two months. What’s more is that several sources note that the cost of filling an open position can be quite high – as much as $3-5,000 for a retail clerk and the cost rises precipitously the higher up the corporate ladder. The cost to replace a CEO can run into six figures.
Potpourri
What better time of the year to serve up an appetizing dish of potpourri? We thought so too. Feast on these tasty morsels.
They say that nicknames are an extension of company culture. If that were so, consider that Google calls its employees “Googlers” and Indeed says its people are “Indeedians.” According to HR Brew, HR software company BambooHR calls its workers “Bambooligans,” while the talent experience platform company Cornerstone employs “Cornerstars.”
While some people prefer a memorable location or the depths of the ocean blue, owlcation.com states that there are companies today that offer to turn the ashes of a loved one (or pet) into a man-made diamond. The costs vary wildly based on the desired size and qualities of the finished stone.
A word for everything: then there is the everyday term commonly used to refer to errors with computer systems. It was first coined when a moth was trapped in an early model of someone’s personal computer causing it to crash. What is this word? Bug.
Perseverance - a lowly virtue whereby mediocrity achieves an inglorious success.
— Ambrose Bierce, an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and American Civil War veteran
KEEPERS
Why do paper cuts hurt so much? Is it the shape or shallowness of cut? Or is it because you didn’t man-up after being sliced by measly piece of paper? Or maybe it’s because they usually occur on body parts that are exceptionally sensitive to touch – such as fingertips. According to experts at Texas A&M, certain areas of the body – such as fingertips – are hard-wired by the brain to be exceptionally cognizant of injuries such as paper cuts. So, you’re right. When they hurt and they hurt a lot, you’re just being like everyone else. Get over it.
Ye old sweatshop. Some 43 percent of U.S. adults are more afraid of having to work on-site full-time than they are of breaking up with their romantic partner or getting a divorce.
— LiveCareer
A slower go. Workforce adoption of AI grew just one percentage point in the last five months — from 32 to 33 percent.
— HR Brew
More bounce to the… In Connecticut in order for a pickle officially to considered a pickle, it must bounce.
— uselessdaily.com
Thunder and lightning. One-third of all lightning strikes occur indoors.
— CDC
AI meet IRS. A number of investment firms now offer automated (AI) tax optimization tools that can reduce your tax bill.
— inc.com
I’m dreaming… Of a translucent Christmas. Snow is actually clear and appears white only because light reflects off the many ice crystals in it.
— Mental Floss
Going it older and alone. Roughly 37 percent of self-employed Americans are Baby Boomers (age 60 to 78).
— nextavenue.org
Lunar chic. The first woman on the moon may wear a groundbreaking spacesuit made by Prada.
— iflscience.com
What’s shakin’? Antarctica’s Don Juan Pond is the world’s saltiest body of water. So salty that it remains liquid even at -58 degrees Celsius (-50 Fahrenheit).
— OddityCentral
Stuck in the middle. The median age for those in the middle class is 47 years old.
— Transamerica
The Month of December
Month of the Month
Ah, December. When child-like thoughts turn to Santa and presents and candy canes… and the rest of us ponder Buckwheat Month and Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome Month. It doesn’t seem fair.
Did you feel it this morning? It’s December 15. You know. Get your ducks in a row. Today is Cat Herders Day (sorry for the mixture of metaphors) and Zamenhof Day (L.L. Zamenhof, the creator of Esperanto).
Question of the Month
Why do we hang stockings on the mantle during the Christmas season?
Click here for some explanation for donning this gay apparel.
Quote of the Month
“The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision.”
— Maimonides, a Sephardic rabbi and philosopher
Get a Headstart
If you have ever thought about including a newsletter in your marketing communications toolkit, before you begin, download our free digital booklet – Getting Started with Your Newsletter – to get some basic questions answered as well as a little inspiration to nudge you forward. Be sure to check out “Something Special” at the end. Download your copy.
A Gridiron MBA?
Maybe that’s not possible, but there is much you can learn about business from football in the book, Hard Hitting Lessons. The subtitle says it all, “Some not-so-obvious business lessons learned from playing football.”
Get your copy here!
