NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Department store company Target could easily have blown this social media challenge when a non-employee began telling off vocal protestors over a new policy. We don’t post our own stuff a lot, but this is a great case study.

The bot, named Blossom, helps predict how stories will do on social media and also suggests which stories editors should promote. The trend is many years old, but the results are stunning for the stories it predicts.

This is a worthy read because of the many illustrations. Google now tracks you when you’re logged in or logged out. There is a 3 step proces that helps you control this. Bottom line: you can opt-out of Google’s “interest-based” ads by following instructions. You’ll still see ads. They just won’t be targeted to your behavior.

AD OF THE WEEK

This is normally a funny or great ad, but wow, did Bic mess up—-AGAIN. Bic continues to have trouble talking to women. The pen maker, which was the object of ridicule a few years ago for its absurd “Bic for Her” pens, failed spectacularly in South Africa this week, posting a tone-deaf ad on social media for national women’s day that drew swift criticism—and soon led to an apology.