#trendMARK: IM platforms and social networks will blur together in future

a trendMARK feature by Mike Wronski (@mikewronski) Technology continues to disrupt marketing, but will enable brands to get closer to consumers in 2014. The big question will be whether people want marketing to come any closer. Let’s take a look at technology trends for marketing in 2014.

Design Indaba 2013: John Maeda on the dissipating disconnect between art and technology

by Herman Manson (@marklives) John Maeda (@johnmaeda) describes himself as a “humanist technologist.” Through his love for art and technology, and his belief that together they can advance technology that acknowledges our humanity, Maeda has emerged as an important thinker in our approach to both.

Currently president of Rhode Island School of Design, Maeda is a leading proponent for expanding our focus from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) to STEAM (by adding Art).

Formerly a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology he has published five books including The Laws of Simplicity (2006) and is an acknowledged artist and graphic designer. Maeda also sits on the board of ad agency Wieden+Kennedy amongst others.

Maeda is visiting South Africa as a speaker at the annual Design Indaba conference taking place Feb 27 – March 1. MarkLives spoke to him prior to his arrival in South Africa.

#MandelaStory tracks life of Madiba through social media channels

A viral video tracking the life path of Nelson Mandela through modern communication channels such as Facebook and Twitter was developed by Prezence Digital.

In the #MandelaStory the producers wonder “Would our nation’s father, Nelson Mandela have spent 27 years in prison if he had access to the same technology, social media platforms, instant sharing apps and global monitoring tools as we do today? Watch the video to find out.”

Human dev should top corporate agenda, says corp VP at Microsoft

The revolutions that have been sparked in the Middle East since the start of the year may have faded in the minds of many Western media consumers but it was still very much on the minds of local speakers at the MEA (Middle East and Africa) region Microsoft Advertising Imagine Istanbul 2011 conference that took place last week in Istanbul, Turkey.

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