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Semiconductor maker AMD will supply its chips to artificial intelligence company OpenAI as part of an agreement to team up on building AI infrastructure, the companies said Monday. OpenAI will also get the option to buy as much as a 10% stake in AMD, according to a joint statement announcing the deal. It’s the latest deal for the ChatGPT maker as it races to beef up its AI computing resources. Under the terms of the deal, OpenAI will buy the latest version of the company’s high performance graphics chips, the Instinct MI450, which is expected to debut next year. The agreement calls for supplying 6 gigawatts of computing power for OpenAI’s “next generation” AI infrastructure, with the first batch of chips worth 1 gigawatt to be deployed in the second half of 2026. AMD also issued OpenAI with a warrant allowing the AI company to buy up to 160 million shares of AMD’s common stock. That amounts to about 10% of the chipmaker based on AMD’s 1.6 billion outstanding shares. The warrant will vest based on two milestones tied to the amount of computing power deployed, as well as unspecified “share-price targets.” Shares of AMD spiked 25% before the opening bell Monday. Shares of Nvidia, which have repeatedly set new record-highs this year, fell slightly. “This partnership is a major step in building the compute capacity needed to realize AI’s full potential,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a news release. “AMD’s leadership in high-performance chips will enable us to accelerate progress and bring the benefits of advanced AI to everyone faster.” The deal is a boost for Santa Clara, Calif.-based AMD, which has been left behind by rival Nvidia. But it also hints at OpenAI’s desire to diversify its supply chain away from Nvidia’s dominance. The AI boom has fueled demand for Nvidia’s graphics processing chips, sending its shares soaring and making it the world’s most valuable company. Last month, OpenAI and Nvidia announced a $100 billion partnership that will add at least 10 gigawatts of data center computing power. OpenAI and its partners have already installed hundreds of Nvidia’s GB200, a tall computing rack that contains dozens of specialized AI chips within it, at the flagship Stargate data center campus under construction in Abilene, Texas. Barclays analysts said in a note to investors Monday that OpenAI’s AMD deal is less about taking share away from Nvidia than it is a sign of how much computing is needed to meet AI demand. “We realize there will be delays with these deals, and that the infrastructure required largely doesn’t exist today, but we would again highlight this as a proof point that the ecosystem is desperate for more compute,” the Barclays analysts wrote. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon Big Deal Days is coming October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. If you've been thinking about getting an Apple Watch, but can't justify paying a higher price for features you'll never use, you should consider getting an older model at a discount. I'm not suggesting you buy a watch that's no longer supported with software updates, of course; rather, something that can run watchOS 26, as well as the features you actually need in a smartwatch. If that sounds like you, my recommendation would be the Apple Watch SE 2. Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) [GPS, 40mm] The best starter Apple Watch. $199.00 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $199.00 at Amazon During Amazon's October Prime Day sale, the 44mm Apple Watch SE 2 is down to $200 for some variants, which is 30% off its usual price. This isn't the lowest ever price for this product, as it was very briefly available for $170 in June, but this deal matches the lowest price seen in the July Prime Day sale, and I think it's still a great value at this price. The Apple Watch SE 2 can track running, swimming, cycling, and many other types of workouts. It also comes with Fall Detection, which can alert loved ones and emergency services in the event you fall and become unresponsive. It's also worth noting this product, like most Apple Watches, is available in two screen sizes: 40mm and 44mm. The Apple Watch SE 2 40mm is also on sale at $179 (28% off) during Prime Day, if you're interested in a smaller watch. This isn't quite as good of a deal as the 44mm watch, respectively, as the 40mm model regularly drops to $170. But it's still $70 cheaper than the 40mm SE 3, so you'll be saving quite a bit. Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) [GPS, 40mm] $179.00 at Amazon $249.00 Save $70.00 Get Deal Get Deal $179.00 at Amazon $249.00 Save $70.00 This pricing makes the Apple Watch SE 2 a great starter smartwatch for iPhone users, as long as you're okay skipping the newest features on the SE 3. This watch adds a more crack-resistant glass on the display, sleep apnea notifications, wrist temperature readings, support for 5G connectivity (cellular models only), wrist flick gestures, on-device Siri, and support for fast charging. These features might be worth the extra cost for some ($250 for the 40mm model and $280 for the 44mm model) but if you're looking for a smartwatch that can handle the basics, you can save the extra cash with the SE 2. Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime. Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member. Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free. Our Best Editor-Vetted Early Prime Day Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Graphite) — $156.78 (List Price $219.99) Blink Mini 2 1080p Indoor Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Blink Outdoor 4 XR + Mini 2 — Wireless and plug-in security cameras, motion detection, extended range. Sync Module XR included — 2 camera system + Mini 2 (Black) — $74.99 (List Price $219.98) Ring Battery Doorbell Plus — $79.99 (List Price $149.99) Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen, 2-pack, White) — $49.98 (List Price $79.99) Blink Video Doorbell Wireless (Newest Model) + Sync Module Core — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Shark AV2501S AI Ultra Robot Vacuum with HEPA Self-Empty Base — $229.99 (List Price $549.99) Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99) Kindle Essentials Bundle including Kindle (2024 release) - Black, Fabric Cover - Matcha, and Power Adapter — $117.97 (List Price $161.97) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

The list of retailers that have yanked pasta products from their shelves continues to grow in the wake of a deadly Listeria outbreak. On October 4, grocery retailer Kroger Co voluntarily recalled deli pasta salads sold at Kroger-owned locations including Ralphs, Smith’s, and Fred Meyer, in addition to Kroger stores. The products were recalled due to a risk of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recall notice was published to the website of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Saturday. To date, no illnesses have been reported in connection with this recall. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have been tracking a multi-state Listeria outbreak linked to read-to-eat meals containing pasta. The outbreak, which dates back to last year, has caused four deaths and more than a dozen hospitalizations. Here’s what you need to know: Which products are included in the recall? Kroger Co has recalled its Basil Pesto Bowtie Salad and Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salad products. These items were sold at deli service counters and self-service deli cases at 1,860 Kroger-owned stores, which include, Kroger, Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Gerbes, King Soopers, Payless, Ralphs, and Smith’s. This announcement follows a recall initiated by Fresh Creative Foods due to a potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination of the pasta ingredient manufactured by Nate’s Fine Foods of Roseville, California. Recalled products have been removed from store shelves. Kroger has also been notifying customers who may have purchased the recalled products through register receipt tape messages and email alerts. Here are the specific product details for impacted products: Basil Pesto Bowtie Pasta Salad (UPC 217573-10000): Sold from September 6, 2025, through October 2, 2025, in random-weight containers sold at the deli service counter and in grab-n-go packages at the deli department. Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salad (UPC 227573-10000): Sold from August 29, 2025, through October 2, 2025, in random-weight containers sold at the deli service counter and in grab-n-go packages at the deli department. Products were sold in the following states: Alaska Alabama Arkansas Arizona California Colorado Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Michigan Missouri Mississippi Montana Nebraska New Mexico Nevada Ohio Oregon South Carolina Tennessee Texas Utah Washington West Virginia Don’t eat the recalled products Customers who have purchased affected products shouldn’t eat them. They should return it to a store for a full refund or replacement. If you have questions about the recall, contact Kroger by calling 1-800-KROGERS. Pasta-related recalls continue to increase This is one of several pasta-related recalls in recent days due to concerns of potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. According to data from the CDC, 19 hospitalizations and four deaths have been reported following a Listeria outbreak connected to prepared pasta meals sold at grocery stores. Ready-to-eat pasta meals sold at Walmart, Trader Joe’s and Kroger were previously recalled on September 26, 2025. The FDA added a new recall notice on September 30, 2025, which included ready-made products sold at Albertsons and Trader Joe’s. Before consuming ready-made pasta products that you have in your fridge, you should verify whether they’ve been included in any recent recalls. Listeria infection can be serious and even fatal Listeria infection is spread through contaminated food. According to the Mayo Clinic, healthy people rarely become seriously ill from Listeria infection. However, the disease can be fatal for unborn babies, newborns, and people with weakened immune systems. Pregnant women, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more at risk for infection. View the full article

Paramount said Monday that it has bought the news and commentary website The Free Press and installed its founder, Bari Weiss, as the editor-in-chief of CBS News, saying it believes the country longs for news that is balanced and fact-based. It’s a bold step for the television network of Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather and “60 Minutes,” long viewed by many conservatives as the personification of a liberal media establishment. The network is placing someone in a leadership who has developed a reputation for resisting orthodoxy and fighting “woke” culture. “I am confident her entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision will invigorate CBS News,” said David Ellison, who took over this summer as the corporate leader overseeing the network when his company, Skydance, purchased Paramount. “This move is part of Paramount’s bigger vision to modernize content and the way it connects — directly and passionately — to audiences around the world.” No purchase price was announced for The Free Press, which has grown to reach 1.5 million subscribers since Weiss started it after leaving The New York Times as an opinion editor. When she left the Times, she wrote a letter of resignation that spoke of a culture of intolerance at the newspaper and said she was bullied by colleagues who disagreed with her. Weiss will report directly to Ellison and partner with the current CBS News President Tom Cibrowski, who reports to Paramount executive George Cheeks. Editor-in-chief is a new role at CBS News. Ellison said that Weiss will “shape editorial priorities, champion core values across platforms and lead innovation in how the organization reports and delivers the news.” In a letter to CBS News employees on Monday, Weiss said that watching CBS was part of a family tradition growing up in Pittsburgh. Her goal in the next few weeks is to get to know the staff, she said. “I want to hear from you about what’s working, what isn’t, and your thoughts on how we can make CBS News the most trusted news organization in America and the world,” Weiss wrote. “I’ll approach it the way any reporters would — with an open mind, a fresh notebook and an urgent deadline.” Some at CBS News have been concerned about what they see as signs that the news division is moving in a direction more friendly to President Donald The President. Paramount’s merger with Skydance was approved by the administration shortly after Paramount settled the president’s lawsuit against “60 Minutes.” Ellison has hired Kenneth Weinstein, former head of a conservative think tank and a The President contributor, as an ombudsman to examine complaints about CBS News. “60 Minutes,” which is two weeks into its new season, has been seeking an interview with The President. Rather, who stepped down as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News in 2005, told The Associated Press on Monday that he did not know Weiss and hopes she gets to know the people at CBS News before making any big changes. “No one has to send a memo to everyone down the line at CBS News about what is going on with journalism and this presidency,” Rather said. “It is obvious that there is tremendous pressure to bend the knee to the The President administration. The fear is that this appointment is part of that overall play.” Weiss has worked in opinion journalism and has little background in broadcast journalism. She has described herself politically as a centrist and wrote a column for the New York Post in 2021 headlined, “10 ways to fight back against woke culture.” Writing for the liberal website the Unpopulist, Matt Johnson said that “one reason for The Free Press’ popularity is that it offers intellectual reassurances to legions of anti-anti-The President readers — sophisticated conservatives who may be uneasy about The Presidentism, yet want to believe that wokeness and other left-wing excesses are the primary threats to western civilization.” In her memo to CBS News employees on Monday, Weiss said she stood for the same core journalistic values that have defined the profession from the beginning, including reporting on the world as it actually is and being fair, fearless, and factual. In his own letter to Paramount employees, Ellison said that media has too often become a platform for the partisanship that is tearing society apart. “Today, that danger extends far beyond politics — threatening the very fabric of our communities,” Ellison wrote. “When we reduce every issue to ‘us vs. them’ or ‘my way vs. the wrong way,’ we close ourselves off from listening, learning, and ultimately growing, both as individuals and as a society. I don’t pretend to have a solution to this challenge. But I do believe we each have a responsibility to do our part.” In a Pew Research Center survey taken earlier this year, 56% of Americans who are Democrats or lean Democrats say they trust CBS News, while only 23% of Republicans say the same thing. Trust in is similar across all major broadcast media outlets. —David Bauder, AP media writer View the full article

Six years ago, I wrote (with colleague Jennifer Riel) a Harvard Business Review article on functional strategy. But the questions about functional strategy keep coming unabated. It is a vexatious issue for CEOs, functional leaders, and boards of directors. So, I thought it would make sense to dedicate a Playing to Win/Practitioner Insights (PTW/PI) to Functional Strategy: The Three Key Functional Leader Tasks. And as always, you can find all the previous PTW/PI here. How Did We Get Here? In the business world today, there are great differences of opinion as to what functional strategy is or even whether functions should have strategies. A prevalent view holds that functions shouldn’t have strategy; they ‘just execute.’ In my experience, it is a hot and contentious issue. I understand why. Functions have become huge in terms of both dollars spent and people employed. In that 2019 article, we pointed out that on average the Dow Jones 30 companies spent $20B/year on their functions in 2017 and it would undoubtedly be more today. So, there is lots at stake. It was a much simpler world through the mid-1950s when companies were functionally organized. The CEO acted as the sole integrator and made the set of decisions that would currently be called strategy. Starting in the late 1950s and continuing through the 1960s and 1970s, virtually all large companies converted to business unit (BU) organizations — in large part because they had diversified and coordinating across the various product lines had become ever more difficult within a functional structure. It is interesting to me that two prominent business concepts, business strategy and organizing by BU, came along historically at the same time. In the 1960s, both were considered avant-garde. If you were a cool, leading-edge company, you did strategy and converted your functional organization to a BU one. Functional StrategyDownload I believe — though it is speculation — that because the two were linked cool ideas, when a company converted to BU structure, it naturally put the BUs in charge of strategy — that was seen as new age management in the 1960s and 1970s. It made sense. BUs were mini versions of the company, and the company CEO did strategy — so why not devolve strategy responsibility to BU Presidents? While it made sense, it didn’t have to be so. Apple is one of the world’s giant diversified companies — and of course one of the world’s most successful — and as my friends Joel Podolny and Martin Hansen wrote in an interesting Harvard Business Review article, the functional heads, not the product heads, are in charge of strategy at Apple. However, Apple is a tiny exception to the rule of BUs running strategy. However, that created challenges as functions struggled to figure out how to serve multiple product masters. Plus, companies found that it was hard to maintain functional excellence and motivation when the BUs were so obviously in charge. This gave rise to another corporate concept — matrix management — which gained popularity in the 1970s and was considered avant-garde for a time. In this approach, neither BU nor function was singularly in charge. Rather they worked together to figure things out — including strategy. Somewhat unsurprisingly, enthusiasm for this structure faded pretty quickly after it was put in practice extensively. That all brings us to today for which the dominant approach is that BUs will do strategy. In a small minority of cases, it is a collaborative task in a matrix management environment. In a miniscule proportion of cases, like Apple, functional heads have responsibility for strategy. This begs the question: what should functions do with respect to strategy in today’s dominantly BU-led world? Balancing Three Tasks As context, it is important to recognize that functions can’t not do strategy because strategy is what you do and since functions do some things and not others, they are making strategy choices. A function can’t say that the BUs do strategy, so we don’t. The only question is whether you make explicit and conscious strategy choices backed by compelling logic or just do a bunch of largely random stuff. In my view, functional leaders need to balance three strategic tasks. The three tasks are in tension, which is what makes functional strategy hard. There is no way to make the tension go away — it just needs to be managed on an ongoing basis. 1) Serve Individual BU Customers The first task is to serve the functional needs of each BU’s strategy. BUs are your customers, and you must be responsive to their needs. In many respects, you can think of your function supplying key Must-have Capabilities (MHC) and running important Enabling Management Systems (EMS) for the BUs. For example, at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, the human resources (HR) function provides the Four Seasons Hotels BU (the biggest but not only BU) its key MHC — long-serving hotel staff that are motivated and capable of providing the differentiated guest service central to the BU Where-to-Play/How-to-Win (WTP/HTW) strategy choice. And HR operates some of the BU’s key EMS — its recruiting and career management processes, for example. To produce those MHC and run those EMS for the Four Seasons Hotels BU requires upstream choices for Four Seasons HR in its WTP and HTW. HR’s WTP focuses disproportionately on hiring, training, and career planning. Its HTW involves spending wildly greater resources on interviewing candidates personally rather than hiring from resumes or the Internet as Four Seasons’ competitors do. It has a specific EMS to carry it out, including the hotel manager conducting the final interview. At Lego, a key aspect of its HTW is bricks that are of remarkably consistent color (so that creations never look patchy) and have perfect clenching power (tight enough to not fall apart but loose enough for children’s fingers to easily separate them). Lego manufacturing function supplies the MHC for this to happen — and it does so by investing disproportionately in color technology and injection molding precision. In this first task, the imperative is to understand the strategies of each BU well enough to make your own functional strategy choices aimed at producing key aspects of the BUs’ MHC and running supporting EMS. 2) Leverage Across BU’s Current Strategies If you solely create entirely customized MHC/EMS for each BU, you will be challenged in benefiting from scale or the learning curve. That is not a disaster, but it limits the strategic value a function can add for its company. The second task is to invest in generating MHC that will be leverageable across the businesses — i.e. will empower their WTP/HTWs — and will enable your function to leverage scale and learning. For example, a key aspect of the HTW across all P&G’s BUs is product superiority through consumer-valued innovation. The P&G R&D function has a big role to play in that — that is in delivering the MHC of superior product innovation across the businesses. P&G R&D delivers this with its functional strategy. Its Winning Aspiration is to deliver to the businesses the most valuable innovation in the industry. Its WTP choice is to invest a wildly disproportionate level of resources in what it calls ‘products research.’ That is having a large cadre of engineers and scientists who spend their time interacting with consumers to figure out what innovations would be valuable to them. It is a distinct WTP choice because its competitors tend to engage in that activity with non-technical personnel within their marketing or market research functions. Its HTW is to focus its product creation R&D resources on more valuable insights (delivered by products research) at massive scale. Its MHC is to have the biggest and most experienced and talented products research capability in the industry — which it has by a wide margin. And it has EMS that ensure that this unique capability is built and maintained on an ongoing basis. Because this R&D functional strategy delivers across the BUs, it enables the function to leverage massive scale and get farthest down the learning curve in the industry. 3) Creating Future Opportunities for the BUs The third task is to enable future competitive advantages for the BUs. That is to build a capability that will enable the BUs to pursue valuable strategies that they would not have been able to pursue without it. Sticking with P&G R&D, its creation of Connect & Develop (which this Harvard Business Review article chronicles) is an example of completing this third task. This initiative tapped the outside world to bring into the incredibly effective commercialization engines within the BUs double the flow of consumer-valuable inventions — thus providing the BUs with more valuable innovation opportunities at a lower cost — many that the BUs would have not come up with otherwise. And if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, P&G R&D’s initiative has been flattered repeatedly as innumerable companies across various industries have parroted Connect & Develop. Practitioner Insights If you are a functional leader, don’t ever let anyone tell you that you don’t have a strategy task, that you are just there to ‘execute’ the BU strategies. Regardless of what they say, you will make strategy choices — because you can’t not make important choices. Your strategy job is hard. The more straightforward task is BU strategy. It has been around in full force for over half a century. There is lots of support for it, lots of case studies, lots of advisors. There is little written on functional strategy. It is doubly hard because you do have a tripartite strategy task — and a tricky one because you must balance your effects and resources across the three tasks. The first task is to understand the WTP/HTW of each BU well enough to design a functional strategy that contributes by supplying each BU the MHC that needs to win. Of course, any single function can’t supply all the MHC each BU needs. Each function needs to figure out where it can add value to each. If you don’t accomplish this task, you will be viewed by the BUs as unresponsive and bureaucratic, and they will lobby the CEO to shift your resources into their BUs. However, if you accomplish only this first task, you will spend your functional life racing around, serving potentially disparate needs and spreading your resources thinly. Go beyond by tackling the second functional strategy task. That entails determining for your function what MHC it can contribute consistently across the BUs. What is the cross-BU throughline for your function? If you follow that throughline, you can provide more value to the BUs thanks to greater scale and faster learning. And your function will be a key contributor to winning across the BU portfolio. To attempt to keep up, each BU’s competitors will need to have functions that are leveraging across a similarly broad portfolio in a similar fashion, which is unlikely. The third task, making possible a future for the BUs that wouldn’t be possible otherwise is the cherry on top. There is no limit to the long-term value that a function can create, whether Connect & Develop by R&D at P&G, the Toyota Production System by manufacturing at Toyota, iconic design by the design function at Apple, or the Frito-Lay direct-story delivery system by logistics at PepsiCo. One thing to keep in mind however is that it is truly a balance. If you focus on the second and third task — or even worse, exclusively the third task — because they are more fun and exciting than the first task, the BUs will revolt against you. They need the first output for their strategies. If you don’t give them that, they will be forced to do it themselves and will ask the company to take the resources from you to do it themselves. Doing the first task well gives you the option to do the second. Doing that well gives you an option on the third. And if you get there, you are a great functional strategist! View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon Big Deal Days is coming October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. October’s Prime Big Deal Days don’t officially kick off until tomorrow, but as usual, some of the sales are getting started early. Here are my picks for the best fitness equipment you can already get at a discount. (I’ll keep updating this article as more things go on sale.) The best Prime Day deals on weightsThis Fitvids Olympic bumper plate set is a good deal, giving you 370 pounds of weight for $399.99. It includes a regulation-sized bar with 2” sleeves, and one pair each of bumper plates in 55, 45, 35, 25, 15, and 10 pounds. Some of those weights are an unusual choice—most of us would skip the 35s and 15s and just get extras of the more common sizes—but there’s nothing wrong with loading a bar this way, and you’ll certainly get plenty of use out of a set like this. (Bumpers are especially good for home gyms since they deaden a bit of the sound and impact of deadlifts on the floor.) Fitvids Olympic 2" Bumper Plates Set Including 370LB Complete Weight Set (10Lb to 55LB) & 7FT Olympic Barbell Bar(415 Pounds Total), Multiple Packages $399.99 at Amazon $477.77 Save $77.78 Get Deal Get Deal $399.99 at Amazon $477.77 Save $77.78 I’m not seeing any big sales on big-name brands of adjustable dumbbells just yet, but these Lifepro dumbbells also have a modest discount that’s worth taking a look at: You can save $10 on a pair of 25-pound adjustables ($189.99, normally $199.99) or $32 on a single 90-pound adjustable dumbbell. The best Prime Day deals on cardio equipmentTwo Hydrow rowers are on sale today. The Hydrow Origin, with a 22” screen and streaming content, is $1,645, down from $2,195. And the Hydrow Wave, with a 16” screen, is $1,694, down from $1,995. For more on this brand, read our own Meredith Dietz’s review of a different model, the Hydrow Arc. She was impressed by both the rower’s build quality and Hydrow’s “genuinely intelligent training experience.” Hydrow Wave $1,694.00 at Amazon $1,995.00 Save $301.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,694.00 at Amazon $1,995.00 Save $301.00 NordicTrack’s commercial series treadmills are also discounted today, like this Commercial 1250, which is $1,638.99, down from $1,999.99. Pooboo also has its airbike available for $499.99 after a digital coupon, down from a list price of $699.99. The best Prime Day deals on sensors and wearablesFitbit has some of its trackers on sale already, including the Charge 6 for $119.95, down from $159.95, and the Inspire 3 for $79.95, down from $99.95. You can read my review of the Charge 6 here—it’s a solid tracker if you’re just looking for the basics. Polar H10 Heart Rate Monitor $89.21 at Amazon $104.95 Save $15.74 Get Deal Get Deal $89.21 at Amazon $104.95 Save $15.74 Some of Polar’s heart rate monitors are on sale as well, including the classic H10 chest strap for $89.21, down from $104.95, and the Verity Sense optical armband monitor for $82.91, down from $104.95. Some people find the armband more comfortable, but an electronic chest strap will always give you the best accuracy. Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime. Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member. Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free. Our Best Editor-Vetted Early Prime Day Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Graphite) — $156.78 (List Price $219.99) Blink Mini 2 1080p Indoor Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Blink Outdoor 4 XR + Mini 2 — Wireless and plug-in security cameras, motion detection, extended range. Sync Module XR included — 2 camera system + Mini 2 (Black) — $74.99 (List Price $219.98) Ring Battery Doorbell Plus — $79.99 (List Price $149.99) Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen, 2-pack, White) — $49.98 (List Price $79.99) Blink Video Doorbell Wireless (Newest Model) + Sync Module Core — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Shark AV2501S AI Ultra Robot Vacuum with HEPA Self-Empty Base — $229.99 (List Price $549.99) Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99) Kindle Essentials Bundle including Kindle (2024 release) - Black, Fabric Cover - Matcha, and Power Adapter — $117.97 (List Price $161.97) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

A reader writes: I moved to a new state a year ago and, in the effort to find community, I joined a grassroots nonprofit as a volunteer coordinator (as a volunteer, not for my job). Since I’ve joined, we’ve had transparency issues with the board. Every few months, someone would either join or drop off the board, and volunteers wouldn’t hear about it until a week or two after the fact. We also never had the organization’s bylaws or constitution available to volunteers, and no matter how many of us explained why we needed this, select board members would always give excuses as to why we couldn’t. At one point, they finally posted them, but when the website went through a long-overdue redesign, both forms disappeared from it again. Isadora has been a board member for more than a year. Three months ago, the president and vice president suddenly quit with no explanation. Someone else had to step up as president, and Isadora had to step up as vice president. Both were doing the jobs of two or three people at a time, so Isadora was overwhelmed. I was also doing the jobs of two people. (I never learned about the former president and vice president quitting until it was mentioned in casual conversation a full week later. Two other volunteers learned about it the same way.) Because Isadora was so stressed out, she chatted openly about stepping down from the board after a big public event we’re holding. Another board member, Duncan, told us he would do the same. There was a big Instagram post from the barely-new president where he gave a heartfelt goodbye letter, and he talked about how he looked forward to “the new board taking [his] and others’ places.” The post had introductions of all the new members … including Isadora and Duncan. This confused me and made me think that they had changed their minds about leaving, or perhaps that no replacements had been found for them yet. The next day, Duncan mentioned unprompted that he’s still planning to step down after the public event in three weeks. I asked about the Instagram post, which he didn’t see, but he said it’s correct since he’s still on the board. I texted Isadora to ask if she changed her mind or couldn’t find a replacement, and she reiterated that she’s still leaving in three weeks. But she also added that her term was supposed to end four months ago, per the (still unavailable) bylaws, which I wasn’t told before. I told her that I understood that, but that my concern was that the Instagram post gave the impression that she and Duncan would be there for longer. She replied, “How does it give that impression? People wanted us to announce who’s on the board, so we did. But apparently, they’re not happy about that either.” With a rolling-eyes emoji at the end. I was taken aback by her tone. I replied with a three-paragraph text (that I revised three times to be as empathetic as I could) about the constant mixed messages and the lack of information on the website about the board, bylaws, and constitution. That yes, the post is correct *at face value* about who’s *currently* on the board, but that would change in only three weeks and that “new members” seemed to imply that they’d be there for longer. That I understood that she had been so stressed lately, but I still felt confused by the organization sometimes. She replied, “So are you asking me to take the post down? Or give two weeks notice? I still don’t feel like this information is contradictory. People have been asking us who is on the board, so we announced it. Also people can quit the board at any time. We don’t force people to stay if they don’t want to.” I tried to call her because I actually wanted to speak instead of text, but she wasn’t in a place to take a phone call. (And I never tried again because I didn’t want to seem combative or pushy.) I suddenly felt stupid for saying anything at all because I had no idea what exactly I was asking her to do, or what I should ask her to do. I apologized for bringing it up, to which she said that I don’t need to apologize and that she just didn’t understand what I needed from her. The last thing I told Isadora was that I didn’t really know if there was anything I needed from her right now, but that I appreciated her asking. I backed down suddenly because I felt ashamed of myself. Maybe I just let the stress get to me, but I feel like there’s something not right about the post that I couldn’t place my finger on. And Isadora’s tone made me feel like I’ve crossed some line since she had never used it before with me (I can’t stop thinking about that rolling-eyes emoji). Is it unreasonable to assume that when someone makes a big announcement about “new members” that they won’t be planning to leave in three weeks? Did I cross a boundary? You didn’t cross any boundary, but you are probably more upset about all of this than you need to be. This organization is clearly a mess and they can’t hold on to board members. The thing about the bylaws and constitution not being available to volunteers isn’t necessarily a big deal. It’s weird that they’ve had so much trouble providing them to volunteers when asked, but they’re not required to be publicly accessible. It’s best practice to make them available for transparency’s sake and it’s odd that they haven’t and it doesn’t engender any trust in them — but it seems consistent with the general chaos they operate with. The confusion about Isadora and Duncan’s status as board members … eh. It seems like the president just referenced all the existing board members without regard to who’s about to leave. It’s not ideal communication, but it’s not a big deal. Isabella was probably annoyed when you contacted her because she’s been trying to get off the board for months and felt you were nitpicking the impression given by someone else’s Instagram post, which she probably didn’t think was a big deal or should need to be her problem to deal with (or anyone’s problem, really). She also sounds fed up with the organization in general. Here’s the thing: this organization is a mess. I don’t know how well it functions when it comes to achieving its actual goals (not well, I suspect), but its internal operations are in chaos. You are clearly someone who does not enjoy functioning in chaos, so this organization is not a good fit for you; you’re going to find it aggravating (rightly so!) and you’re going to be constantly battling them to be something they aren’t. As a volunteer, you’re just not well-positioned to change any of this. Maybe if you wanted to get on the board, but honestly that sounds like it would be an exercise in frustration too. I’d also bet good money they don’t get great results toward their mission — which alone would be sufficient reason to take your efforts elsewhere. There are lots of nonprofits doing good work that aren’t this much of a mess and which won’t frustrate you like this. Move your energy there instead! The post did I cross a line with the (messy, chaotic) organization I volunteer for? appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon Big Deal Days is coming October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. If you’re like I used to be and your house is stocked with old, dull, and possibly mysteriously sticky pairs of scissors, I’m about to change your life by suggesting you pick up a cordless electric scissor like this one. Not only does this tool make all the basic cutting chores a lot easier, requiring less effort, you’ll start using it in projects you would never use your old, janky scissors. Zeleki Cordless Electric Scissors: 4V Rechargeable Cardboard Cutter, 3 Blades, Safety Lock & LED Light, Box Cutter for Carton Carpet Plastic Fabric Leather(Yellow） $35.99 at Amazon $49.99 Save $14.00 Get Deal Get Deal $35.99 at Amazon $49.99 Save $14.00 For example, I haven’t had my hand sliced open by a sharp, plastic shell around a new purchase since I bought these. Instead of struggling, these scissors glide through that plastic like butter. And that’s just one way I use these scissors on a regular basis—I also break them out to: Cut up cardboard boxes for recycling Cut up fabric to reupholster chairs (which our cats like to defile on a regular basis) Cutting plastic straps off heavy deliveries Cut drop cloths (plastic or cloth) down to fit smaller spaces where I’m working Cutting a rubber mat for under my wife’s exercise bike down to size Cut zip ties (which I use to bundle everything) I haven’t used these to cut carpet or heavy sheet plastic, but I’m certain they would make short work of either, so the next time that needs to be done, I’ll be more than ready. A final bonus? No more cramping hands after using scissors on a stack of cardboard or anything else that’s thick and awkward to cut through. Right now these are 32% off for Prime Day (about a $15 savings), and are worth every penny. Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime. Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member. Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free. Our Best Editor-Vetted Early Prime Day Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Graphite) — $156.78 (List Price $219.99) Blink Mini 2 1080p Indoor Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Blink Outdoor 4 XR + Mini 2 — Wireless and plug-in security cameras, motion detection, extended range. Sync Module XR included — 2 camera system + Mini 2 (Black) — $74.99 (List Price $219.98) Ring Battery Doorbell Plus — $79.99 (List Price $149.99) Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen, 2-pack, White) — $49.98 (List Price $79.99) Blink Video Doorbell Wireless (Newest Model) + Sync Module Core — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Shark AV2501S AI Ultra Robot Vacuum with HEPA Self-Empty Base — $229.99 (List Price $549.99) Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99) Kindle Essentials Bundle including Kindle (2024 release) - Black, Fabric Cover - Matcha, and Power Adapter — $117.97 (List Price $161.97) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon Big Deal Days is coming October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. Not only is the M4 MacBook Air the best MacBook for most people, but it's also the best laptop for them, as well. This is true even at its usual price of $999, but during Amazon's October Prime Day sale, you can get the M4 MacBook Air at an all-time low price of $799. That's a full $200 off the usual price, which makes this an even sweeter deal. This generation of MacBooks also gets 16GB RAM in the base variant, as opposed to the previous standard of 8GB of RAM. That means it's no longer underpowered for multitasking workloads, and it should work well for years to come. M4 MacBook Air (2025) The best laptop for most people. $799.00 at Amazon $999.00 Save $200.00 Get Deal Get Deal $799.00 at Amazon $999.00 Save $200.00 I say this as someone who has been using the M1 MacBook Air as his primary laptop for over two years. My only regret is that at the time of purchase, I couldn't stretch my budget to get the 16GB RAM model. Since my work involves installing many apps, and, sometimes, running them all at once, the 8GB RAM on my MacBook has felt like a bottleneck. You won't face any of those issues with the M4 MacBook Air, which has a vastly superior processor and double the RAM compared to my MacBook. With the M4 MacBook Air, you'll get great performance, excellent battery life, and a thin and light laptop. The base model comes with 256GB of internal storage. That's worked well enough for me, since I keep most of my photos on my iPhone, but it may not be enough for some people. If you are among them, this deal extends to other variants of the M4 MacBook Air too. You can get $200 off all available models of this laptop during Prime Day. That puts the model with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage at $999, and the 24GB RAM/512GB storage model at $1,199. The base variant is the best deal at the moment, since you get 20% off on that, but if you need more RAM or storage, you can still save quite a bit here. Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime. Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member. Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free. Our Best Editor-Vetted Early Prime Day Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Graphite) — $156.78 (List Price $219.99) Blink Mini 2 1080p Indoor Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Blink Outdoor 4 XR + Mini 2 — Wireless and plug-in security cameras, motion detection, extended range. Sync Module XR included — 2 camera system + Mini 2 (Black) — $74.99 (List Price $219.98) Ring Battery Doorbell Plus — $79.99 (List Price $149.99) Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen, 2-pack, White) — $49.98 (List Price $79.99) Blink Video Doorbell Wireless (Newest Model) + Sync Module Core — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Shark AV2501S AI Ultra Robot Vacuum with HEPA Self-Empty Base — $229.99 (List Price $549.99) Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99) Kindle Essentials Bundle including Kindle (2024 release) - Black, Fabric Cover - Matcha, and Power Adapter — $117.97 (List Price $161.97) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

Empathy is not just a “nice-to-have” soft skill—it is a foundation of how children and adults regulate emotions, build friendships, and learn from one another. Between the ages of 6 and 9, children begin shifting from being self-centered to noticing the emotions and perspectives of others. This makes early childhood one of the most important periods for developing empathy and other social-emotional skills. Traditionally, pretend play has been a natural way to practice empathy. Many adults can remember acting out scenes as doctor and patient, or using sticks and leaves as imaginary currency. Those playful moments were not just entertainment—they were early lessons in empathy and taking someone else’s perspective. But as children spend more time with technology and less in pretend play, these opportunities are shrinking. Some educators worry that technology is hindering social-emotional learning. Yet research in affective computing—digital systems that recognize emotions, simulate them or both—suggests that technology can also become part of the solution. Virtual reality, in particular, can create immersive environments where children interact with characters who display emotions as vividly as real humans. I’m a human-computer interaction scientist who studies social-emotional learning in the context of how people use technology. Used thoughtfully, the combination of VR and artificial intelligence could help reshape social-emotional learning practices and serve as a new kind of “empathy classroom” or “emotional regulation simulator.” Game of emotions As a part of my doctoral studies at the University of Florida, in 2017 I began developing a VR Empathy Game framework that combines insights from developmental psychology, affective computing and participatory design with children. At the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the University of Maryland, I worked with their KidsTeam program, where children of 7-11 served as design partners, helping us to imagine what an empathy-focused VR game should feel like. In 2018, 15 master’s students at the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy at the University of Central Florida and I created the first game prototype, Why Did Baba Yaga Take My Brother? This game is based on a Russian folktale and introduces four characters, each representing a core emotion: Baba Yaga embodies anger, Goose represents fear, the Older Sister shows happiness and the Younger Sister expresses sadness. The VR game Why Did Baba Yaga Take My Brother? is designed to help kids develop empathy. Unlike most games, it does not reward players with points or badges. Instead, children can progress in the game only by getting to know the characters, listening to their stories and practicing empathic actions. For example, they can look at the game’s world through a character’s glasses, revisit their memories or even hug Baba Yaga to comfort her. This design choice reflects a core idea of social-emotional learning: Empathy is not about external rewards but about pausing, reflecting and responding to the needs of others. My colleagues and I have been refining the game since then and using it to study children and empathy. Different paths to empathy We tested the game with elementary school children individually. After asking general questions and giving an empathy survey, we invited children to play the game. We observed their behavior while they were playing and discussed their experience afterward. Our most important discovery was that children interacted with the VR characters following the main empathic patterns humans usually follow while interacting with each other. Some children displayed cognitive empathy, meaning they had an understanding of the characters’ emotional states. They listened thoughtfully to characters, tapped their shoulders to get their attention, and attempted to help them. At the same time, they were not completely absorbed in the VR characters’ feelings. Others expressed emotional contagion, directly mirroring characters’ emotions, sometimes becoming so distressed by fear or sadness that it made them stop the game. In addition, a few other children did not connect with the characters at all, focusing mainly on exploring the virtual environment. All three behaviors can happen in real life as well when children interact with their peers. These findings highlight both the promise and the challenge. VR can indeed evoke powerful empathic responses, but it also raises questions about how to design experiences that support children with different temperaments—some need more stimulation, and others need gentler pacing. AI eye on emotions The current big question for us is how to effectively incorporate this type of empathy game into everyday life. In classrooms, VR will not replace real conversations or traditional role-play, but it can enrich them. A teacher might use a short VR scenario to spark discussion, encouraging students to reflect on what they felt and how it connects to their real friendships. In this way, VR becomes a springboard for dialogue, not a stand-alone tool. We are also exploring adaptive VR systems that respond to a child’s emotional state in real time. A headset might detect if a child is anxious or scared – through facial expressions, heart rate, or gaze—and adjust the experience by scaling down the characters’ expressiveness or offering supportive prompts. Such a responsive “empathy classroom” could give children safe opportunities to gradually strengthen their emotional regulation skills. This is where AI becomes essential. AI systems can make sense of the data collected by VR headsets, such as eye gaze, facial expressions, heart rate, or body movement, and use it to adjust the experience in real time. For example, if a child looks anxious or avoids eye contact with a sad character, the AI could gently slow down the story, provide encouraging prompts or reduce the emotional intensity of the scene. On the other hand, if the child appears calm and engaged, the AI might introduce a more complex scenario to deepen their learning. In our current research, we are investigating how AI can measure empathy itself—tracking moment-to-moment emotional responses during gameplay to provide educators with better insight into how empathy develops. Future work and collaboration As promising as I believe this work is, it raises big questions. Should VR characters express emotions at full intensity, or should we tone them down for sensitive children? If children treat VR characters as real, how do we make sure those lessons carry to the playground or dinner table? And with headsets still costly, how do we ensure empathy technology doesn’t widen digital divides? These are not just research puzzles but ethical responsibilities. This vision requires collaboration among educators, researchers, designers, parents, and children themselves. Computer scientists design the technology, psychologists ensure the experiences are emotionally healthy, teachers adapt them for the curriculum, and children co-create the games to make them engaging and meaningful. Together, we can shape technologies that not only entertain but also nurture empathy, emotional regulation, and deeper connection in the next generation. Ekaterina Muravevskaia is an assistant professor of human-centered computing at Indiana University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Our Prime Day coverage is already underway. We're helping you catch the best early deals, and giving you live access to the best deals our team of experts can find. All of our recommended deals have been vetted using price tracking tools, so you can trust that the sales we're talking about are actually good deals, and not just hype designed to fool you. Remember, you need to be a Prime Member to have access to all of Amazon's Prime Day deals, and to get free shipping. Prime membership starts at $14.99 per month ($139 per year) and comes with more benefits than people think. It's easy to figure out if yearly Prime membership is worth it for you, but remember, you can always cancel your Prime membership once the sale is over, as Amazon offers free 30-day trials. In theory, you can shop the whole event and still have time to cancel before you get charged. (Here's how to sign up for a Prime free trial.) For a glimpse at the best deals as we find them, check out our live blog of the event below, which features the Lifehacker team's coverage of both days of October Prime Day. We'll continue highlighting new deals as we find them, but you can scroll through to see earlier deals that may still be active. View the full article

As top congressional Republican and Democratic leaders dig in their heels—a signal that the ongoing federal government shutdown may continue for a while—many older Americans are wondering if they will still get their Social Security checks, and questioning how a prolonged showdown will affect their future benefits. Currently, thousands of federal employees are working without pay and President Donald The President is threatening mass federal layoffs. During the shutdown, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is continuing to issue retirement and disability benefits, but is furloughing 12% of its staff, per USA Today. Medicare and Medicaid payments also continue for now. However, the furlough could delay the SSA’s announcement, scheduled for next week on October 15, on how much Social Security checks will increase in 2026 as a result of cost-of-living adjustments, or COLA. That increase is based on Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) inflation numbers for September, due to come out October 15. The problem is all of that bureau’s 2,055 employees, except one person, have been furloughed, and according to the Labor Department’s shutdown plans, that report “will likely be delayed if the lapse is prolonged,” USA Today reported. Without the BLS crunching the numbers and releasing September’s inflation report, COLA can’t be calculated. Social Security checks are estimated to increase by about 2.7%, according to the Senior Citizens League (TSCL), a nonpartisan senior group—which, on an average retirement check of $2,007, would mean another $54 per month. The White House has said mass layoffs of federal workers will start if President Donald The President decides negotiations are “absolutely going nowhere.” That would be a way to force the hand of congressional Democrats, by threatening American government workers’ jobs and benefits. Meanwhile, the Senate is currently battling it out to advance a bill that would fund the government to stay open through November 21. View the full article

YouTube launched the YouTube Activation Partners program, a new initiative connecting advertisers and agencies with vetted third-party experts who specialize in YouTube media buying and campaign management. Why we care. As the biggest streaming platform for over two years, according to Nielsen, YouTube continues to dominate attention spans. But as ad strategies become more complex, brands increasingly rely on external partners for campaign optimization and cross-platform efficiency. Driving the news. The new program curates a network of trusted YouTube experts who meet Google’s performance and quality standards. Partners receive a YouTube Activation Partner badge, signifying they’re recognized by Google as reliable collaborators for advertisers and agencies. Advertisers can access the official partner roster to find specialized support for media buying, strategic planning, and campaign management. Yes, but. New partner onboarding is on pause. Applications for future membership are open on a rolling basis. What’s next. Expect the Activation Partners network to expand in 2026 as YouTube continues investing in ecosystem visibility, media performance, and advertiser trust. View the full article

Below, Tim Higgins shares five key insights from his new book, iWar: Fortnite, Elon Musk, Spotify, WeChat, and Laying Siege to Apple’s Empire. Tim is a business columnist for the Wall Street Journal, where he covers Silicon Valley and writes about the world’s most influential business leaders. He is also a frequent contributor to CNBC and has previously written for Bloomberg News. What’s the big idea? Those who operate in the digital world accessed by the iPhone have no choice but to operate by Apple’s rules—or do they? Objections that Apple has overstepped fair play in the app economy resulted in pushbacks, including one of the biggest antitrust battles of the last century. The highlight reel of this great corporate drama features fascinating fights between Apple and its rivals, including Spotify and Epic Games. 1. It’s easier to win when you make the rules. Almost 20 years ago, Apple followed up the iPhone with the App Store—a new way for software developers to sell their offerings to smartphone users. Instead of going to a physical store, software could be acquired through the internet. It was basically free for developers, unless they charged users. If so, then Apple would take as much as 30 percent. The genesis of the fee was simple enough: Apple would claim a royalty on digital goods consumed on its devices (like video games), but not goods purchased through the app and used in the real world (like sneakers). The early days were something of the Wild West as entrepreneurs rushed to see what they could sell. At first, the rules seemed simple enough: no scams, no porn, etc. As time went on, however, Apple realized policing its digital realm was going to take a lot of effort. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs wanted to ensure that Apple users were safe. Eventually, big businesses began to emerge in the App Economy. Facebook had to redo its web-based business for mobile computing. Spotify, the streaming music service, saw huge adoption. Epic Games, maker of expensive video games, started tinkering with smaller iPhone offerings. As those companies’ executives saw what was possible in the new iPhone world, they grew concerned about the control Apple held over it. They felt Apple was taxing them and controlling access to their users. But they had little recourse. Very quickly, the mobile computing world boiled down to basically the iPhone and smartphones running on Google’s Android operating system. Apple controlled its own hardware and software, while, for the most part, Google controlled its own software and depended on phone makers, such as Samsung, to use its operating system. Google would try to match Apple’s ecosystem as best as it could, collecting its own 30 percent. 2. Execute, execute, execute. Apple’s digital world became known as a ‘Walled Garden’ because its App Store was essentially the only entrance. Users’ digital lives grew deeply rooted in that garden. Text messages with non-Apple users would show up as green bubbles instead of blue bubbles. In the abstract, such a subtle difference might seem trivial. But with time, the blue bubbles became a status symbol, another reason to stay inside the Walled Garden. Nobody wanted to go green. “Blue bubble envy was a powerful selling tool.” Some inside Apple discussed offering its popular messaging system to Android users, essentially making its iMessage a rival to WhatsApp. But the idea was continually shot down. Blue bubble envy was a powerful selling tool. As one senior Apple executive argued to his colleagues in an email: “In the absence of a strategy to become the primary messaging service for [the] bulk of cell phone users, I am concerned the iMessage on Android would simply serve to remove [an] obstacle to iPhone families giving their kids Android phones.” Apple was creating a world where consumers wanted to live, and other companies had to operate if they wanted to reach those deep-pocketed users. 3. Trust no one. Apple prided itself on the idea that it didn’t cut special deals with developers to be on the App Store, while Google did, in part, because it wanted to ensure that the hot new games and apps were available in its app store. It also had a disadvantage to Apple’s Walled Garden. In theory, a user could download software onto an Android device outside of the Google App Store. Though users rarely did because it was so complicated. Tim Sweeney, the founder of Epic Games, grew convinced that the taxes charged by Apple and Google were unfair. The success of his wildly popular video game Fortnite created an opening, he thought, to change how the app economy worked. He wanted to create his own store outside the reach of Apple and Google. To much fanfare, he attempted to do that for Android phones but eventually found too many barriers to making such a gambit work. In part, other game makers weren’t rushing to join him. Behind the scenes, Google was offering lucrative deals to game makers to stay in its store. It seemed that Sweeney’s idea was great negotiating leverage for other game makers to get a better deal from Google. Frustrated, Sweeney concluded he needed to challenge the legality of both Apple’s and Google’s control over the app economy, triggering costly court battles that would drag on for many years. Fortnite was also kicked out of the app stores, cut off from the app economy entirely. 4. Sail close to the wind. Many companies choose the easy way. They settle legal disputes to avoid costly litigation, reputational harm, and the unknown risks associated with public fights. Not Apple. Apple fights. A former top lawyer at Apple once talked about Apple’s willingness to embrace legal risk as an advantage in fighting rivals. “Not Apple. Apple fights.” Bruce Sewell, who was armed with an annual budget approaching $1 billion, compared his approach to sailing close to the wind. “You want to get to the point where you can use risk as a competitive advantage—that’s the point at which law actually becomes a commercial asset to the company,” he once said. During his time, Apple fought against U.S. government claims that it improperly colluded with book publishers and against European regulators unhappy with its tax deal in Ireland. Ultimately, Apple would lose both battles. But how many other fights did it avoid by scaring off others? Like Epic Games, Spotify was unhappy with the control Apple held over its streaming business, especially after Apple CEO Tim Cook launched a rival music service that was undercutting Spotify’s prices. Instead of challenging Apple in U.S. court, Spotify plotted another path that took it to Europe, where its headquarters was located. It worked with European regulators to develop a case against Apple’s control, specifically an App Store rule that prohibited developers, such as Spotify, from directing users outside of their app to purchase services not covered by Apple’s fees. In Brussels, the home of the European Union, Spotify found a receptive audience, especially among officials who had battled Apple over its tax case and felt like the U.S. tech giant was overreaching. The European Commission would ultimately rule in Spotify’s favor against Apple and subsequently pass new laws aimed to weakening Apple’s control over the App Store. 5. Losing by winning. Back in the U.S., Apple would mostly win its case against Epic’s Sweeney. One area that a judge found fault with Apple was its rules prohibiting developers from providing links outside of apps to alternative payment methods. Apple was ordered to stop that practice. At the time, it seemed like a small thing. But Apple didn’t simply allow Epic or Spotify or anyone else to do whatever they wanted. What followed was a complicated effort to make it so burdensome for developers to link out that they would ultimately just stick with Apple’s own payment system and continue to pay that 30 percent commission. “The issue was a matter of principle.” Fuming, Sweeney sought more help from the court. That would take many more months of fighting before a judge would ultimately find that Apple had violated her order. It was a stunning rebuke—one that Apple would appeal. Nevertheless, very quickly, Sweeney’s Fortnite was back in the App Store. And Spotify was offering links to outside payment methods. Sweeney would say the fight would cost his company more than $1 billion in legal fees and lost revenue. But for him, the issue was a matter of principle. It was a matter of principle for Apple as well. Cook and his executives felt like they had done nothing wrong. To them, it was Sweeney, Spotify, and others who wanted special deals and didn’t want to pay their fair share. In the end, the years-long fight ranks as one of the biggest antitrust battles of the past century. And threatens to remake Apple’s business. This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission. View the full article

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. Sora, OpenAI's TikTok for AI slop, is currently the number one free app on the iOS App Store. The app makes it possible for users to generate hyper-realistic short-form videos from simple AI prompts. If you find your TikTok or Instagram feeds to feature a few too many posts made by humans, Sora offers you a feed devoid of any manmade content: Everything you see, from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman roasting a Pikachu on the grill, to speeches from Martin Luther King Jr. about Xbox Game Pass, is entirely fabricated and generated by the Sora video model. As the kids say, we are so cooked. The implications are distressing, terrifying, and, to this tech editor, nauseating. But it's not just the fact that these videos are lifelike that's setting off my anxieties; it's also the app's "cameo" feature, which lets you insert real people into one of these AI concoctions. If you request a video of someone skateboarding across a skyscraper, for example, Sora doesn't have to generate a fake person. Instead, you can ask it to put yourself in the video. If your friends are on the platform, you can instead choose to cast one of them as the skateboarder, too. The same goes for any account that has made their cameo settings public, which is how we got so many unhinged videos of Altman and other OpenAI execs. OpenAI is pitching Cameos as a fun way to communicate and share with friends. I, and others like me, see it as a deepfake machine, with the potential to generate videos of anyone doing just about anything. OpenAI would disagree, of course. The company promises it has "guardrails" in place designed to prevent generations that are harmful or offensive, as well as the misuse of other people's likenesses. In order to set up a cameo, you need to take a video of yourself while speaking, which gives the video model the information needed to plop you into these short clips. Ideally, you are in control of your cameos: If you don't want other people generating videos of you, you can choose to block them from being made. If you don't like a video someone made with your cameo, you can request that OpenAI delete it from Sora—even if you didn't make the video yourself. Despite OpenAI's assurances, I'm not convinced this won't get ugly fast. Still, it's worth it to go over the settings you can adjust to control how your likeness is used (or not used) on Sora. Block other Sora users from putting you in cameosThese settings only apply once you set up your cameo. If you simply use the app to watch videos, there are no settings for you to adjust. However, if you have made a cameo, you can use a few control to limit how it is used. To find your cameo settings, open Sora, tap your profile icon in the bottom right, then tap the two-lined menu button in the top right and choose "Cameo rules." Here, you can adjust who can use your cameo from the following options: Only me: No other Sora users can use your cameo. People I approve: Choose specific Sora users that can use your cameo. Mutuals: Anyone you follow who follows you back can use your cameo. Everyone: Anyone on the platform can use your cameo. (I strongly recommend you do not use this option.) Note that changing these settings will only apply to videos going forward. If you originally allowed mutuals or all users to use your cameo, but you drop down to people you approve, or even just yourself, all previous videos made with your cameo will remain on the platform. You also have some granular control over how your cameos are used, as Bill Peebles, head of Sora, announced on X. If you head back to your cameo settings, choose "Cameo preferences" then "Restrictions." Here, you should have the option to enter any restriction you want, which will block others from including those restrictions when using your cameo. For example, you could block people from putting you in political videos, or from saying specific words or phrases. Delete other people's videos that use your cameoIf you see a video that someone made using your cameo and you don't want it on the platform anymore, you can ask OpenAI to delete it. To do so, open the video, then choose "Report." Here, you can request a takedown. OpenAI says it will "review and take action" if the video uses your cameo "against your settings or rules." That's a little too vague for my liking, but it's good to know this system is in place if you find yourself in this position. Delete your Sora account to nuke all videos using your cameoThere is a nuclear option as well: delete your Sora account altogether. OpenAI says that any videos that use a cameo attached to a deleted account will also be removed from the platform. They're much more specific with the language here, so I'd imagine this is the best way to guarantee your cameos are not floating around Sora in ways you don't want them to. There are still a lot of potential risksIt's great that OpenAI is giving users controls who can use their likeness in Sora videos, but, in my view, it's just not enough. OpenAI created a tool that lets other users seamlessly place you into AI-generated videos. The risk for misuse is simply too great to think of this product as anything other than a deepfake disaster waiting to happen. OpenAI says you can request to delete any video that uses your cameo, but what if OpenAI doesn't think the video violates your rules or settings? More concerningly, what happens when someone takes that video off Sora and publishes it on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube instead? Is OpenAI going to track down every company that is hosting the video and demand they delete it? Or could your face, your voice, your entire likeness, be plastered across social media, in a video that isn't even real? OpenAI requires you to record yourself before creating a cameo, but what if someone figures out how to use existing videos of you to create an illegitimate cameo without your permission? All the cameo restrictions and settings in the world won't let you control what happens with those videos. And while OpenAI considers their initial approach to Sora generations "conservative," I've seen some wild stuff on this platform already. If you think users won't find ways to trick the AI into generating videos of you that are offensive, disgusting, or otherwise negative, think again. I don't know where we're going from here, but I know one thing: I'll never use the cameo feature on Sora, and I'd encourage you to do the same. If you already have, restrict your settings as much as you're willing to. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon Big Deal Days is coming October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. If you’re stoically ignoring Prime Day right now but you don’t already possess a power screwdriver, you might want to yourself a favor and buy just one thing during the sale: this DeWalt Cordless model. It’s 17% off, which is nice—but more importantly, it will change your whole approach to home maintenance, because you’ll use it constantly—and as a direct result, you’ll have fewer emergencies. (And if you’ve ever tried to use a screwdriver one-handed while clinging to a ladder, you’ll appreciate a power screwdriver more than life itself.) DEWALT Cordless Screwdriver USB Rechargeable with FLEXDRIVE Control and Screwdriver Bit Set, Electric Screwdriver Cordless with LED Light (DWHT66719) $73.88 at Amazon $89.99 Save $16.11 Get Deal Get Deal $73.88 at Amazon $89.99 Save $16.11 What’s also great about this screwdriver, for me, is that it’s USB-charging, so it doesn’t get forgotten in a shed or workroom—it can charge anywhere, so I can keep it handy. I use it at least once a week, if not more often, just to keep things in the house from escalating. A few times I’ve used it just in the last month or so include: Tightening two kitchen cabinet hinges that had slowly loosened Assembling a plyo box for my wife’s home gym Swapping out a light fixture that stopped working Firming up a loose towel rack by inserting some anchors and fresh screws Any time I notice something getting loose or looking a little janky, I can grab this tool and just take care of it. Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime. Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member. Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free. Our Best Editor-Vetted Early Prime Day Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Graphite) — $156.78 (List Price $219.99) Blink Mini 2 1080p Indoor Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Blink Outdoor 4 XR + Mini 2 — Wireless and plug-in security cameras, motion detection, extended range. Sync Module XR included — 2 camera system + Mini 2 (Black) — $74.99 (List Price $219.98) Ring Battery Doorbell Plus — $79.99 (List Price $149.99) Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen, 2-pack, White) — $49.98 (List Price $79.99) Blink Video Doorbell Wireless (Newest Model) + Sync Module Core — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Shark AV2501S AI Ultra Robot Vacuum with HEPA Self-Empty Base — $229.99 (List Price $549.99) Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99) Kindle Essentials Bundle including Kindle (2024 release) - Black, Fabric Cover - Matcha, and Power Adapter — $117.97 (List Price $161.97) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

Brand strategy consulting is vital for defining how your brand is perceived in the market. It helps align your brand with business goals, ensuring it stands out among competitors. By leveraging data-driven insights, you can create a cohesive message that resonates with both customers and employees. Comprehending this process is critical for building loyalty and driving growth. So, what are the core elements that make a brand strategy effective? Key Takeaways Brand strategy consulting shapes cohesive brand identities that resonate with consumers and employees, aligning brands with business objectives. It is essential for navigating market fluctuations, enhancing customer loyalty, and boosting employee morale. A clear brand strategy can lead to significant revenue increases, with companies 3.5 times more likely to outperform competitors. The consulting process involves data-driven insights, market research, and ongoing assessment to adapt strategies to changing consumer preferences. Engaging a brand strategy firm helps in identifying actionable short-term wins and defining a long-term vision for brand evolution. Understanding Brand Strategy Consulting Comprehending brand strategy consulting involves recognizing its role in shaping a cohesive brand identity that resonates with consumers and employees alike. This process includes analyzing your current brand, defining your vision, and creating experiences that reflect that vision. Brand strategy consulting helps you align your brand with business objectives, ensuring effective communication with your target audience. It furthermore addresses challenges like launching new brands or evolving existing ones, promoting loyalty through meaningful connections. Services range from brand positioning to ongoing management and employee branding initiatives. Utilizing data-driven insights, brand strategy consulting enables you to differentiate yourself in competitive markets, adapt to changing consumer tastes, and effectively engage with your audience. The Importance of a Clear Brand Strategy A clear brand strategy is essential for shaping how your audience perceives your business and guiding actions across all departments. It not only boosts employee morale but likewise promotes customer loyalty. Research shows that consistent branding can lead to revenue increases of up to 20%. Companies with a strong brand strategy are 3.5 times more likely to achieve better performance and advocacy. Effective brand strategies help businesses navigate market fluctuations, particularly in consumer products and retail, where 70% of engagements are focused. By identifying a defined brand purpose that resonates with consumers, you can cultivate trust and influence purchasing decisions. Utilizing brand strategy consulting services can help you develop this important framework and drive growth effectively. Core Elements of a Strong Brand Building a strong brand involves several core elements that resonate with your audience and create lasting connections. When working with brand strategy consulting firms, focus on these key aspects: Clear Purpose: Define a brand purpose that goes beyond profit. It should reflect values like craftsmanship, community, or customer-centric focus. Memorable Messaging: Create concise and relatable messaging. Short, direct phrases boost brand recall and encourage consumer connections. Consistent Visual Identity: Develop a cohesive visual identity. Use specific color palettes and layouts across all platforms to reinforce brand recognition. Benefits of Engaging a Brand Strategy Firm Engaging a brand strategy firm can greatly improve your business’s ability to navigate a complex and constantly changing market environment. By defining a long-term vision and identifying actionable short-term wins, you guarantee your brand remains relevant. A dedicated consultancy offers continuous assessment and iteration of strategies, allowing you to respond effectively to industry shifts and consumer preferences. They utilize empirical data to craft actionable strategies that drive brand evolution, helping mitigate risks associated with market volatility. Collaborating with a brand strategy firm additionally boosts differentiation and innovation, creating unique value propositions that attract and retain customers. This all-encompassing approach aligns branding strategies with your business objectives, eventually leading to increased loyalty and sales. Common Mistakes That Undermine a Brand When you’re building your brand, it’s essential to stay focused on your brand purpose, as neglecting it can lead to confusion among consumers. An inconsistent messaging strategy can dilute your brand identity, making it hard for customers to connect with you. Furthermore, ignoring market trends means you might miss opportunities to resonate with your audience, ultimately compromising your brand’s effectiveness. Ignoring Brand Purpose Ignoring brand purpose can greatly undermine your brand’s potential, leading to a range of detrimental effects. When you neglect to define your brand’s purpose, you risk: Inconsistent Messaging: Without a clear purpose, your communications may confuse consumers, diluting brand identity and trust. Mixed Customer Experiences: A lack of clarity can result in varied experiences, decreasing customer satisfaction and eventually leading to lost sales opportunities. Alienating Your Audience: Consumers increasingly seek brands that align with their values; failing to communicate your purpose can push them away. To avoid these pitfalls, consider partnering with a brand strategy consulting agency. They can help you articulate and embed your brand purpose, ensuring stronger connections with your audience and enhancing overall brand loyalty. Inconsistent Messaging Strategy Inconsistent messaging can considerably undermine your brand’s effectiveness and perception in the marketplace. When your communication varies across platforms, it confuses consumers, leading to distrust and diminished loyalty. Brands that maintain uniform messaging are more likely to see increased sales, as consistency builds consumer trust. If you ignore customer feedback because of mixed messages, you risk losing valuable loyalty. Engaging in frequent rebranding or shifting your messaging without a clear strategy can further confuse customers about your identity. This is where brand management consulting becomes vital. It helps align your messaging, ensuring clarity and consistency that resonates with your audience. By focusing on a unified messaging strategy, you can improve brand integrity and cultivate stronger customer relationships. Neglecting Market Trends Neglecting market trends can greatly undermine your brand’s effectiveness and relevance in today’s fast-paced business environment. If you want to maintain a competitive edge, consider these key points: Adapting to shifting consumer preferences is vital—failure to do so leads to a disconnect with your audience, resulting in lost loyalty. Monitoring emerging trends allows you to differentiate your brand—without this, competitors may capture your target demographic more effectively. Leveraging data-driven insights improves strategic decision-making—ignoring these can result in campaigns that miss the mark or fail to resonate. Brand strategy consulting NYC can help you stay aligned with consumer values and expectations, ensuring your brand remains relevant and appealing in a constantly evolving market. How Brand Strategy Consultants Add Value Brand strategy consultants provide invaluable support for businesses looking to strengthen their brand identity and improve overall performance. They leverage their expertise to create cohesive brand strategies, ensuring your messaging, visuals, and customer experiences align with your core values. Through brand strategy services, they utilize data-driven insights to optimize resource allocation, boosting pricing influence and helping you differentiate your offerings. By employing frameworks like the Elements of Value, consultants identify customer factors that drive loyalty and engagement. They facilitate continuous adaptation of your brand strategies, allowing you to respond effectively to changing consumer preferences. Collaborating with diverse teams, they co-create strategies that inspire customer love and elevate your brand reputation across various channels. Key Components of an Effective Brand Strategy An effective brand strategy encompasses several key components that help you connect with your audience and differentiate your offerings in a competitive marketplace. To create a successful strategy, consider the following: Clear Purpose: Define a brand purpose that extends beyond profit, focusing on values like craftsmanship or community to resonate with consumers. Visual Consistency: Maintain a consistent visual identity, including color palettes and layouts, across all platforms to build brand recognition and trust. Audience Insight: Know your target audience, their preferences, and pain points, enabling you to tailor messaging and offerings effectively. Case Study: Successful Brand Repositioning Successful brand repositioning can breathe new life into a company, driving growth and enhancing customer perception. A mid-sized medical device firm exemplified this by modernizing its brand voice and visuals through a brand strategy design consultancy, resulting in a significant increase in leads. Similarly, a family-run retail chain merged classic logo elements with fresh colors, which led to increased foot traffic and clearer marketing strategies. These successful repositioning efforts highlight the importance of maintaining a consistent tone and visuals across multiple channels. Engaging in regular strategy reviews guarantees your brand remains relevant. Data-driven insights are essential for implementing effective turnaround strategies, leading to substantial market share recovery and improved overall performance. Remember to adapt continuously to audience and market changes. Case Study: Revitalizing a Stagnant Brand When you’re facing a stagnant brand, identifying the underlying challenges is essential. You’ll want to assess factors like outdated visuals, inconsistent messaging, or a lack of customer engagement. Implementing strategic changes based on data-driven insights can help modernize your brand and effectively connect with your audience again. Identifying Brand Challenges Revitalizing a stagnant brand requires a thorough brand audit to pinpoint weaknesses and identify opportunities for improvement. Here are three key steps to guide you: Reevaluate Brand Messaging: Analyze how your brand communicates its values and purpose to guarantee alignment with consumer expectations. Conduct Market Research: Gather consumer insights to uncover preferences and pain points, allowing you to tailor your strategies effectively. Engage in Competitor Analysis: Identify market gaps and differentiation opportunities that can help your brand regain relevance. Partnering with brand management consulting firms can facilitate this process, providing expertise and insight necessary for effective brand revitalization. Continuous assessment and adaptation of your branding strategies will guarantee long-term health and connection with your target audience. Implementing Strategic Changes Implementing strategic changes in a stagnant brand can yield significant improvements when approached methodically. Start by conducting a thorough brand audit through a brand consultant agency, identifying strengths and weaknesses. Focus on refining brand messaging and visual identity, as demonstrated by a Medtronic firm that modernized its brand voice. Engage in customer insights and segmentation to guarantee that your changes resonate with your target audience’s preferences. Consider rebranding elements, like a family-run retail chain that merged classic logos with fresh colors, enhancing customer engagement. Finally, prioritize continuous assessment and iteration, utilizing empirical data and market research to maintain relevance. This structured approach guarantees your revitalization efforts lead to sustained growth and market share recovery. Building a Cohesive Brand Image Across Channels A cohesive brand image across channels is essential for building customer trust and loyalty, which can eventually drive sales and increase market share. To achieve this, you should focus on: Consistent Messaging: Articulate your brand’s core purpose clearly, ensuring that your tone and message resonate across all platforms. Visual Identity: Use uniform color palettes, logos, and design elements to improve recognition and engagement, as consistent branding can lead to a 23% revenue increase. Target Audience Analysis: Conduct thorough research to tailor your marketing strategies, allowing you to adapt to changing consumer preferences and maintain relevance. Utilizing brand strategy consulting in San Francisco can help you implement these practices effectively, ensuring your brand remains impactful across all touchpoints. The Role of Ongoing Brand Strategy Consultancy As consumer preferences and market dynamics shift, maintaining a relevant brand image requires ongoing brand strategy consultancy. Brand consulting firms play an essential role here, offering insights that help you adapt to changes swiftly. Regular strategy reviews enable you to assess the relevance of your brand message, guaranteeing it aligns with evolving market conditions. Empirical data drives effective brand strategies, allowing informed decisions and targeted improvements. Monthly or quarterly check-ins with consultants can uncover blind spots and provide fresh perspectives on your brand’s performance. This iterative process nurtures resilience, enabling you to test new strategies and adapt quickly to market volatility. Fundamentally, ongoing consultancy guarantees your brand remains competitive and relevant in a swiftly changing environment. Preparing for Global Expansion As you prepare for global expansion, conducting thorough market research is crucial for grasping local consumer preferences and behaviors. This insight helps you tailor your messaging and offerings to resonate effectively in new regions. Furthermore, consider cultural adaptation strategies and operational scalability to guarantee your brand can thrive in diverse markets. Market Research Insights Before starting on global expansion, comprehending the nuances of your target audience is essential. Effective market research is imperative for identifying preferences, behaviors, and pain points. Here are three key insights to evaluate: Competitor Analysis: Understand local market dynamics and spot gaps to differentiate your offerings. Data-Driven Insights: Tailor your messaging and positioning to resonate with local consumers, increasing your chances for successful entry. Elements of Value Framework: Articulate your unique value propositions to meet the specific needs of diverse segments in new regions. Engaging with a strategic branding consultancy can provide the expertise needed to navigate these intricacies. Continuous assessment of market trends and consumer feedback will keep your brand relevant in the fast-evolving global marketplace. Cultural Adaptation Strategies Cultural adaptation strategies play a pivotal role in global expansion, helping brands immerse with diverse consumer bases. As a brand identity consultant, you need to comprehend that tailoring your messaging and products to align with local cultures is essential. Conduct thorough market research to identify local customs, preferences, and pain points. This comprehension amplifies your brand positioning and builds customer loyalty, as 70% of consumers prefer brands reflecting their cultural values. Incorporate local languages and symbols in your marketing efforts, which can boost engagement and trust. Regularly assess and iterate your strategies based on local feedback and trending cultural shifts, ensuring your brand remains relevant and successful in international markets. Operational Scalability Considerations When planning for global expansion, operational scalability is essential to guarantee your processes can manage increased demand without sacrificing quality or customer experience. A global brand consultancy can guide you in several key areas: Tailoring Offerings: Utilize customer insights and segmentation to adapt your products or services to meet local preferences, enhancing market fit. Cohesive Brand Architecture: Maintain consistency across markets, ensuring customers perceive your brand uniformly, which builds loyalty. Continuous Assessment: Regularly review and iterate your brand strategies to adapt to unique cultural and economic environments, ensuring long-term success. Aligning Brand Strategy During Mergers or Acquisitions Aligning brand strategy during mergers or acquisitions is imperative for maintaining customer loyalty, especially since inconsistent messaging can lead to confusion and eroded trust. You need a clear articulation of the combined brand’s vision, values, and identity that resonates with both legacy customer bases. Data-driven insights are fundamental to identify overlapping values and unique strengths, crafting a cohesive brand narrative. This approach mitigates risks associated with market perception, ensuring continuity for employees and customers during the shift. Ongoing brand management post-merger is critical to adapt strategies as consumer preferences evolve. Key Focus Area Action Steps Expected Outcome Brand Vision Define combined vision Unified brand identity Customer Insights Analyze customer data Customized brand messaging Brand Narrative Craft cohesive narrative Stronger market position Ongoing Assessment Monitor brand performance Continued relevance Steps to Get Started With a Brand Strategy Consultant How can you effectively kick off your expedition with a brand strategy consultant? Start by laying a solid foundation for your brand strategy. Follow these steps: Conduct a Discovery Phase: Assess your current brand status and articulate your desired vision. This comprehension is essential for developing an effective strategy. Define Core Values: Engage in collaborative workshops to establish your brand’s mission and unique positioning. Incorporating diverse insights guarantees alignment with customer expectations. Market Research: Utilize competitive analysis to identify your target audience’s preferences. This insight will help your strategy resonate with potential customers. For more information, check a reputable brand consultant website to guide you through the process and make sure you’re on the right track. Frequently Asked Questions What Is Brand Strategy and Why Is It Important? Brand strategy is the framework guiding how you express your business’s identity, values, and messaging. It’s important as it shapes customer perceptions and influences their loyalty. By clearly defining your brand, you can differentiate your offerings, align your team, and improve customer experiences. A strong brand strategy likewise helps in optimizing marketing efforts, driving consumer engagement, and in the end increasing your revenue. Comprehending this strategy is essential for sustaining growth in a competitive market. What Is the Difference Between Brand Strategy and Brand Consulting? Brand strategy defines your brand’s long-term vision, purpose, and positioning in the market. It focuses on foundational elements like target audience and value propositions. Conversely, brand consulting provides ongoing support, analysis, and practical insights to implement that strategy effectively. Whereas strategy sets the course, consulting guarantees your brand adapts to market changes and consumer preferences. Comprehending this distinction helps you leverage both to improve brand relevance and drive business success. What Does a Branding Consultant Do? A branding consultant helps you assess your brand’s current identity and market position. They utilize data-driven insights to identify customer preferences and market gaps, enabling your brand to stand out from competitors. By guiding you through the brand development process, they craft consistent messaging and visual identity. Their ongoing management guarantees your brand adapts to changing market dynamics, maintaining relevance and competitive advantage as well as nurturing trust and loyalty among consumers. What Is the Primary Goal of Strategy Consulting? The primary goal of strategy consulting is to help organizations align their operations and objectives with market demands. You’ll work on defining brand identity, values, and messaging, ensuring they resonate with your target audience. Through analysis and data-driven insights, you’ll identify opportunities for growth and improvement. This process includes continuous assessment and iteration, allowing you to adapt effectively to changing market conditions, in the end enhancing customer loyalty and driving business success. Conclusion In conclusion, brand strategy consulting is crucial for businesses aiming to strengthen their identity and connect with their audience. A well-defined brand strategy not just improves market differentiation but additionally supports business growth. By addressing common pitfalls and engaging a professional consultancy, you can guarantee your brand remains relevant and competitive. Whether preparing for expansion or steering through changes like mergers, effective brand strategy is fundamental for long-term success. Don’t underestimate its impact; consider consulting a brand strategy expert to guide your efforts. Image Via Envato This article, "What Is Brand Strategy Consulting and Why Is It Necessary?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Brand strategy consulting is vital for defining how your brand is perceived in the market. It helps align your brand with business goals, ensuring it stands out among competitors. By leveraging data-driven insights, you can create a cohesive message that resonates with both customers and employees. Comprehending this process is critical for building loyalty and driving growth. So, what are the core elements that make a brand strategy effective? Key Takeaways Brand strategy consulting shapes cohesive brand identities that resonate with consumers and employees, aligning brands with business objectives. It is essential for navigating market fluctuations, enhancing customer loyalty, and boosting employee morale. A clear brand strategy can lead to significant revenue increases, with companies 3.5 times more likely to outperform competitors. The consulting process involves data-driven insights, market research, and ongoing assessment to adapt strategies to changing consumer preferences. Engaging a brand strategy firm helps in identifying actionable short-term wins and defining a long-term vision for brand evolution. Understanding Brand Strategy Consulting Comprehending brand strategy consulting involves recognizing its role in shaping a cohesive brand identity that resonates with consumers and employees alike. This process includes analyzing your current brand, defining your vision, and creating experiences that reflect that vision. Brand strategy consulting helps you align your brand with business objectives, ensuring effective communication with your target audience. It furthermore addresses challenges like launching new brands or evolving existing ones, promoting loyalty through meaningful connections. Services range from brand positioning to ongoing management and employee branding initiatives. Utilizing data-driven insights, brand strategy consulting enables you to differentiate yourself in competitive markets, adapt to changing consumer tastes, and effectively engage with your audience. The Importance of a Clear Brand Strategy A clear brand strategy is essential for shaping how your audience perceives your business and guiding actions across all departments. It not only boosts employee morale but likewise promotes customer loyalty. Research shows that consistent branding can lead to revenue increases of up to 20%. Companies with a strong brand strategy are 3.5 times more likely to achieve better performance and advocacy. Effective brand strategies help businesses navigate market fluctuations, particularly in consumer products and retail, where 70% of engagements are focused. By identifying a defined brand purpose that resonates with consumers, you can cultivate trust and influence purchasing decisions. Utilizing brand strategy consulting services can help you develop this important framework and drive growth effectively. Core Elements of a Strong Brand Building a strong brand involves several core elements that resonate with your audience and create lasting connections. When working with brand strategy consulting firms, focus on these key aspects: Clear Purpose: Define a brand purpose that goes beyond profit. It should reflect values like craftsmanship, community, or customer-centric focus. Memorable Messaging: Create concise and relatable messaging. Short, direct phrases boost brand recall and encourage consumer connections. Consistent Visual Identity: Develop a cohesive visual identity. Use specific color palettes and layouts across all platforms to reinforce brand recognition. Benefits of Engaging a Brand Strategy Firm Engaging a brand strategy firm can greatly improve your business’s ability to navigate a complex and constantly changing market environment. By defining a long-term vision and identifying actionable short-term wins, you guarantee your brand remains relevant. A dedicated consultancy offers continuous assessment and iteration of strategies, allowing you to respond effectively to industry shifts and consumer preferences. They utilize empirical data to craft actionable strategies that drive brand evolution, helping mitigate risks associated with market volatility. Collaborating with a brand strategy firm additionally boosts differentiation and innovation, creating unique value propositions that attract and retain customers. This all-encompassing approach aligns branding strategies with your business objectives, eventually leading to increased loyalty and sales. Common Mistakes That Undermine a Brand When you’re building your brand, it’s essential to stay focused on your brand purpose, as neglecting it can lead to confusion among consumers. An inconsistent messaging strategy can dilute your brand identity, making it hard for customers to connect with you. Furthermore, ignoring market trends means you might miss opportunities to resonate with your audience, ultimately compromising your brand’s effectiveness. Ignoring Brand Purpose Ignoring brand purpose can greatly undermine your brand’s potential, leading to a range of detrimental effects. When you neglect to define your brand’s purpose, you risk: Inconsistent Messaging: Without a clear purpose, your communications may confuse consumers, diluting brand identity and trust. Mixed Customer Experiences: A lack of clarity can result in varied experiences, decreasing customer satisfaction and eventually leading to lost sales opportunities. Alienating Your Audience: Consumers increasingly seek brands that align with their values; failing to communicate your purpose can push them away. To avoid these pitfalls, consider partnering with a brand strategy consulting agency. They can help you articulate and embed your brand purpose, ensuring stronger connections with your audience and enhancing overall brand loyalty. Inconsistent Messaging Strategy Inconsistent messaging can considerably undermine your brand’s effectiveness and perception in the marketplace. When your communication varies across platforms, it confuses consumers, leading to distrust and diminished loyalty. Brands that maintain uniform messaging are more likely to see increased sales, as consistency builds consumer trust. If you ignore customer feedback because of mixed messages, you risk losing valuable loyalty. Engaging in frequent rebranding or shifting your messaging without a clear strategy can further confuse customers about your identity. This is where brand management consulting becomes vital. It helps align your messaging, ensuring clarity and consistency that resonates with your audience. By focusing on a unified messaging strategy, you can improve brand integrity and cultivate stronger customer relationships. Neglecting Market Trends Neglecting market trends can greatly undermine your brand’s effectiveness and relevance in today’s fast-paced business environment. If you want to maintain a competitive edge, consider these key points: Adapting to shifting consumer preferences is vital—failure to do so leads to a disconnect with your audience, resulting in lost loyalty. Monitoring emerging trends allows you to differentiate your brand—without this, competitors may capture your target demographic more effectively. Leveraging data-driven insights improves strategic decision-making—ignoring these can result in campaigns that miss the mark or fail to resonate. Brand strategy consulting NYC can help you stay aligned with consumer values and expectations, ensuring your brand remains relevant and appealing in a constantly evolving market. How Brand Strategy Consultants Add Value Brand strategy consultants provide invaluable support for businesses looking to strengthen their brand identity and improve overall performance. They leverage their expertise to create cohesive brand strategies, ensuring your messaging, visuals, and customer experiences align with your core values. Through brand strategy services, they utilize data-driven insights to optimize resource allocation, boosting pricing influence and helping you differentiate your offerings. By employing frameworks like the Elements of Value, consultants identify customer factors that drive loyalty and engagement. They facilitate continuous adaptation of your brand strategies, allowing you to respond effectively to changing consumer preferences. Collaborating with diverse teams, they co-create strategies that inspire customer love and elevate your brand reputation across various channels. Key Components of an Effective Brand Strategy An effective brand strategy encompasses several key components that help you connect with your audience and differentiate your offerings in a competitive marketplace. To create a successful strategy, consider the following: Clear Purpose: Define a brand purpose that extends beyond profit, focusing on values like craftsmanship or community to resonate with consumers. Visual Consistency: Maintain a consistent visual identity, including color palettes and layouts, across all platforms to build brand recognition and trust. Audience Insight: Know your target audience, their preferences, and pain points, enabling you to tailor messaging and offerings effectively. Case Study: Successful Brand Repositioning Successful brand repositioning can breathe new life into a company, driving growth and enhancing customer perception. A mid-sized medical device firm exemplified this by modernizing its brand voice and visuals through a brand strategy design consultancy, resulting in a significant increase in leads. Similarly, a family-run retail chain merged classic logo elements with fresh colors, which led to increased foot traffic and clearer marketing strategies. These successful repositioning efforts highlight the importance of maintaining a consistent tone and visuals across multiple channels. Engaging in regular strategy reviews guarantees your brand remains relevant. Data-driven insights are essential for implementing effective turnaround strategies, leading to substantial market share recovery and improved overall performance. Remember to adapt continuously to audience and market changes. Case Study: Revitalizing a Stagnant Brand When you’re facing a stagnant brand, identifying the underlying challenges is essential. You’ll want to assess factors like outdated visuals, inconsistent messaging, or a lack of customer engagement. Implementing strategic changes based on data-driven insights can help modernize your brand and effectively connect with your audience again. Identifying Brand Challenges Revitalizing a stagnant brand requires a thorough brand audit to pinpoint weaknesses and identify opportunities for improvement. Here are three key steps to guide you: Reevaluate Brand Messaging: Analyze how your brand communicates its values and purpose to guarantee alignment with consumer expectations. Conduct Market Research: Gather consumer insights to uncover preferences and pain points, allowing you to tailor your strategies effectively. Engage in Competitor Analysis: Identify market gaps and differentiation opportunities that can help your brand regain relevance. Partnering with brand management consulting firms can facilitate this process, providing expertise and insight necessary for effective brand revitalization. Continuous assessment and adaptation of your branding strategies will guarantee long-term health and connection with your target audience. Implementing Strategic Changes Implementing strategic changes in a stagnant brand can yield significant improvements when approached methodically. Start by conducting a thorough brand audit through a brand consultant agency, identifying strengths and weaknesses. Focus on refining brand messaging and visual identity, as demonstrated by a Medtronic firm that modernized its brand voice. Engage in customer insights and segmentation to guarantee that your changes resonate with your target audience’s preferences. Consider rebranding elements, like a family-run retail chain that merged classic logos with fresh colors, enhancing customer engagement. Finally, prioritize continuous assessment and iteration, utilizing empirical data and market research to maintain relevance. This structured approach guarantees your revitalization efforts lead to sustained growth and market share recovery. Building a Cohesive Brand Image Across Channels A cohesive brand image across channels is essential for building customer trust and loyalty, which can eventually drive sales and increase market share. To achieve this, you should focus on: Consistent Messaging: Articulate your brand’s core purpose clearly, ensuring that your tone and message resonate across all platforms. Visual Identity: Use uniform color palettes, logos, and design elements to improve recognition and engagement, as consistent branding can lead to a 23% revenue increase. Target Audience Analysis: Conduct thorough research to tailor your marketing strategies, allowing you to adapt to changing consumer preferences and maintain relevance. Utilizing brand strategy consulting in San Francisco can help you implement these practices effectively, ensuring your brand remains impactful across all touchpoints. The Role of Ongoing Brand Strategy Consultancy As consumer preferences and market dynamics shift, maintaining a relevant brand image requires ongoing brand strategy consultancy. Brand consulting firms play an essential role here, offering insights that help you adapt to changes swiftly. Regular strategy reviews enable you to assess the relevance of your brand message, guaranteeing it aligns with evolving market conditions. Empirical data drives effective brand strategies, allowing informed decisions and targeted improvements. Monthly or quarterly check-ins with consultants can uncover blind spots and provide fresh perspectives on your brand’s performance. This iterative process nurtures resilience, enabling you to test new strategies and adapt quickly to market volatility. Fundamentally, ongoing consultancy guarantees your brand remains competitive and relevant in a swiftly changing environment. Preparing for Global Expansion As you prepare for global expansion, conducting thorough market research is crucial for grasping local consumer preferences and behaviors. This insight helps you tailor your messaging and offerings to resonate effectively in new regions. Furthermore, consider cultural adaptation strategies and operational scalability to guarantee your brand can thrive in diverse markets. Market Research Insights Before starting on global expansion, comprehending the nuances of your target audience is essential. Effective market research is imperative for identifying preferences, behaviors, and pain points. Here are three key insights to evaluate: Competitor Analysis: Understand local market dynamics and spot gaps to differentiate your offerings. Data-Driven Insights: Tailor your messaging and positioning to resonate with local consumers, increasing your chances for successful entry. Elements of Value Framework: Articulate your unique value propositions to meet the specific needs of diverse segments in new regions. Engaging with a strategic branding consultancy can provide the expertise needed to navigate these intricacies. Continuous assessment of market trends and consumer feedback will keep your brand relevant in the fast-evolving global marketplace. Cultural Adaptation Strategies Cultural adaptation strategies play a pivotal role in global expansion, helping brands immerse with diverse consumer bases. As a brand identity consultant, you need to comprehend that tailoring your messaging and products to align with local cultures is essential. Conduct thorough market research to identify local customs, preferences, and pain points. This comprehension amplifies your brand positioning and builds customer loyalty, as 70% of consumers prefer brands reflecting their cultural values. Incorporate local languages and symbols in your marketing efforts, which can boost engagement and trust. Regularly assess and iterate your strategies based on local feedback and trending cultural shifts, ensuring your brand remains relevant and successful in international markets. Operational Scalability Considerations When planning for global expansion, operational scalability is essential to guarantee your processes can manage increased demand without sacrificing quality or customer experience. A global brand consultancy can guide you in several key areas: Tailoring Offerings: Utilize customer insights and segmentation to adapt your products or services to meet local preferences, enhancing market fit. Cohesive Brand Architecture: Maintain consistency across markets, ensuring customers perceive your brand uniformly, which builds loyalty. Continuous Assessment: Regularly review and iterate your brand strategies to adapt to unique cultural and economic environments, ensuring long-term success. Aligning Brand Strategy During Mergers or Acquisitions Aligning brand strategy during mergers or acquisitions is imperative for maintaining customer loyalty, especially since inconsistent messaging can lead to confusion and eroded trust. You need a clear articulation of the combined brand’s vision, values, and identity that resonates with both legacy customer bases. Data-driven insights are fundamental to identify overlapping values and unique strengths, crafting a cohesive brand narrative. This approach mitigates risks associated with market perception, ensuring continuity for employees and customers during the shift. Ongoing brand management post-merger is critical to adapt strategies as consumer preferences evolve. Key Focus Area Action Steps Expected Outcome Brand Vision Define combined vision Unified brand identity Customer Insights Analyze customer data Customized brand messaging Brand Narrative Craft cohesive narrative Stronger market position Ongoing Assessment Monitor brand performance Continued relevance Steps to Get Started With a Brand Strategy Consultant How can you effectively kick off your expedition with a brand strategy consultant? Start by laying a solid foundation for your brand strategy. Follow these steps: Conduct a Discovery Phase: Assess your current brand status and articulate your desired vision. This comprehension is essential for developing an effective strategy. Define Core Values: Engage in collaborative workshops to establish your brand’s mission and unique positioning. Incorporating diverse insights guarantees alignment with customer expectations. Market Research: Utilize competitive analysis to identify your target audience’s preferences. This insight will help your strategy resonate with potential customers. For more information, check a reputable brand consultant website to guide you through the process and make sure you’re on the right track. Frequently Asked Questions What Is Brand Strategy and Why Is It Important? Brand strategy is the framework guiding how you express your business’s identity, values, and messaging. It’s important as it shapes customer perceptions and influences their loyalty. By clearly defining your brand, you can differentiate your offerings, align your team, and improve customer experiences. A strong brand strategy likewise helps in optimizing marketing efforts, driving consumer engagement, and in the end increasing your revenue. Comprehending this strategy is essential for sustaining growth in a competitive market. What Is the Difference Between Brand Strategy and Brand Consulting? Brand strategy defines your brand’s long-term vision, purpose, and positioning in the market. It focuses on foundational elements like target audience and value propositions. Conversely, brand consulting provides ongoing support, analysis, and practical insights to implement that strategy effectively. Whereas strategy sets the course, consulting guarantees your brand adapts to market changes and consumer preferences. Comprehending this distinction helps you leverage both to improve brand relevance and drive business success. What Does a Branding Consultant Do? A branding consultant helps you assess your brand’s current identity and market position. They utilize data-driven insights to identify customer preferences and market gaps, enabling your brand to stand out from competitors. By guiding you through the brand development process, they craft consistent messaging and visual identity. Their ongoing management guarantees your brand adapts to changing market dynamics, maintaining relevance and competitive advantage as well as nurturing trust and loyalty among consumers. What Is the Primary Goal of Strategy Consulting? The primary goal of strategy consulting is to help organizations align their operations and objectives with market demands. You’ll work on defining brand identity, values, and messaging, ensuring they resonate with your target audience. Through analysis and data-driven insights, you’ll identify opportunities for growth and improvement. This process includes continuous assessment and iteration, allowing you to adapt effectively to changing market conditions, in the end enhancing customer loyalty and driving business success. Conclusion In conclusion, brand strategy consulting is crucial for businesses aiming to strengthen their identity and connect with their audience. A well-defined brand strategy not just improves market differentiation but additionally supports business growth. By addressing common pitfalls and engaging a professional consultancy, you can guarantee your brand remains relevant and competitive. Whether preparing for expansion or steering through changes like mergers, effective brand strategy is fundamental for long-term success. Don’t underestimate its impact; consider consulting a brand strategy expert to guide your efforts. Image Via Envato This article, "What Is Brand Strategy Consulting and Why Is It Necessary?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Lenders to bankrupt car parts group believe arrangement may have breached loan covenantView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Wrangling tasks, timelines, and teams can get overwhelming fast, especially if you're bouncing between spreadsheets and browser tabs to keep everything straight. Microsoft Project 2021 Professional is built to make that juggling act easier, and right now, it's on sale for just $9.97 on StackSocial. The sale ends October 12. It's a significant drop from its regular $249.99 price, offering a lifetime license for one Windows PC, with no subscription required. Just note that this code is only valid for new users and must be redeemed within 30 days of purchase. Microsoft Project is a professional-grade project management tool that doesn’t overcomplicate things. It has features like automated scheduling that adjusts timelines based on task dependencies, built-in templates to get your planning started faster, and tools for tracking time, resources, and budgets in one place. There's also a what-if scenario builder that can help you course-correct before things go off the rails. And because it syncs with Project Online and Server (though those tools are sold separately), it's flexible enough to fit into larger enterprise systems as well. That said, it’s Windows-only (no Mac compatibility here), and you’ll need at least 4GB of RAM and a DirectX 10 graphics card to run it smoothly. Installation is straightforward, with the download and license code arriving instantly via email. This isn’t a subscription-based service, meaning no recurring fees, but you do need to redeem your license within 30 days. It's also not built for collaborative real-time work like some modern cloud tools, but it’s still a powerful solution for users who prefer full control and local access. If you’ve been meaning to get more organized in your project management, for only 10 bucks, this is a low-cost way to step things up. View the full article

A reader writes: You’ve talked about how inappropriate it is for employers to ask candidates about their salary expectations without giving out any info on salary themselves. I became a small business owner without having received training in that aspect of things, but learned early on when I am hiring to always ask the candidate their salary expectations before giving any information out about the range I am willing to offer. Why? Firstly, the money comes directly from our pockets and frankly if we can get away with paying $20/hour instead of $22/hour, why wouldn’t we? It also gives us room for raises, bonuses, etc. without taking too much of a financial hit. You always advocate that employees look out for their own interests. Why should that be so different for me as an employer? Maybe we tend to think of employers as big corporations but in our case we’re just hard-working individuals hoping to keep expenses in check. The second reason I want that information first is that if I were to give my range, a candidate expecting more might well say, “Sure, that’s fine” while planning to take the job and keep looking for something else. Frankly, I want to know if they’re likely to be unhappy with that salary! Hearing that they expect more is valuable information for us to have and if I can get it, I will. So there you have it from a brazenly unapologetic employer who plans to continue asking the question. (For what it’s worth, we are excellent employers whose staff have been with us for years and seem very happy). I answer this question over at Inc. today, where I’m revisiting letters that have been buried in the archives here from years ago (and sometimes updating/expanding my answers to them). You can read it here. The post I ask candidates their salary expectations, and I don’t feel bad about it appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

OpenAI is building a corporate empire of mutual dependenciesView the full article

The plan started coming together inside a luxury box at MetLife Stadium. As the Premier League’s Chelsea was on its way to a shutout victory at the Club World Cup final in July, President Donald The President and FIFA President Gianni Infantino were deep in discussion at the New Jersey sports complex outside New York City on another matter: where the draw for next year’s World Cup would be held. The high-drama spectacle decides which teams will face each other in the group stage of soccer’s most prestigious tournament, along with the schedule for competition. It was widely expected to unfold in Las Vegas, home to the 1994 draw when the U.S. last hosted the World Cup and a natural backdrop for glitz. But since at least March, officials had privately discussed bringing the draw to Washington, home to a showman president who regularly hugs the spotlight associated with sports. So during that July match in the stadium that will also host the final game of next year’s World Cup, The President and Infantino agreed to get going on holding the draw in the U.S. capital — namely, the Kennedy Center, another institution that The President reshaped to his liking. “During that Club World Cup final, there was a real seriousness to well, look, if we’re going to do this, we’ve got to do it now,” Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA task force, told The Associated Press. “That’s when talks heated up between the president and Mr. Infantino in terms of getting this done.” The collaboration over the draw, slated for Dec. 5, illustrates the bond that has formed between The President and Infantino, described by the U.S. president as “probably the most respected man in sports.” The relationship will come into even sharper focus as the World Cup approaches, jointly hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Tickets are now open to fans as major questions hang over the tournament, including how welcome visitors from some countries will be in the U.S. amid its immigration crackdown. Even as the White House pledges openness, The President has added another uncertainty by suggesting he could move games from cities he thinks are unsafe. The President and Infantino develop a deep alliance Despite his affinity for sports, The President is known more for his ties to golf and football than soccer. But his awareness of the sport was spurred in part by his youngest son, Barron, who is such a soccer fan that he had a net in the first lady’s garden during The President’s first term. The President’s interest only grew when the U.S. won World Cup hosting rights in 2018. Nothing excites The President like hosting a major event, and Giuliani recalled that, at the time, the president and his aides were almost wistful that he wouldn’t be in the White House when the tournament arrived, assuming he would be well into a post-presidency following an immediate second term. Shortly after the U.S. was awarded the tournament, The President hosted Infantino at the White House. Infantino, who was also serving his first term as FIFA president, made an impression by handing The President red and yellow penalty cards, joking they could be used on the press. The relationship flourished in 2020 as both men plotted their futures. During a dinner that January at the global economic summit in Davos, near FIFA’s home in Zurich, Infantino called the U.S. president “my great friend.” The President, always appreciative of a compliment, responded by inviting Infantino to a White House signing event for the Abraham Accords, which sought to normalize diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries. The ceremony happened as Infantino was aligning FIFA’s sporting and commercial ties with Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It followed a pattern of Infantino, much like The President, cozying up to autocratic leaders. Infantino appeared to relish public meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin before, during and after that country hosted the 2018 World Cup. Visiting Putin at the Kremlin with a group of soccer greats during the tournament, Infantino said he felt “like a child in a toy shop” in Russia. He collected the Russian Order of Friendship from Putin the following year. Infantino would later relocate to Doha ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, emerging as a strong defender of the tiny Gulf state that was fiercely criticized for its treatment of the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers needed to build essential stadiums, transport projects and hotels. Infantino’s connections to Biden were far more limited As the connection between The President and Infantino deepened, Joe Biden dashed The President’s hopes of staying in the White House. For the next four years, Infantino’s ties to Washington were far more limited. The two leaders had a brief meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2022, a fleeting moment FIFA captured with one photo on its website. Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff also met with Infantino when he traveled for the Women’s World Cup in July 2023. Preparations for the World Cup under Biden were under the radar by design, according to one senior official for that administration who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Even though the administration had its own World Cup 2026 task force, Biden aides were aware of sensitivities surrounding large gatherings so soon after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Biden White House was also careful not to overtly promote a relationship with FIFA, which had sidelined the U.S. Soccer Federation in its traditional role in coordinating a home World Cup. Instead, it negotiates individually with each of the 11 U.S. host cities on security, ticketing and other matters. Infantino visited the White House while Biden was president at least once, meeting for about an hour in 2024 with then-national security adviser Jake Sullivan, an avid soccer fan. Biden officials emphasized to Infantino that they wanted to ensure the host cities ultimately benefited from holding World Cup matches and that the U.S.’s human rights values would be respected. The President’s return sets stage for a ‘MAGA’ World Cup The President’s disappointment about missing out on the World Cup would prove to be unfounded after he was elected to a second, nonconsecutive term last year. Since that victory, Infantino’s embrace of The President has been gushing. He promptly congratulated him the day after Election Day, was at Mar-a-Lago, The President’s South Florida club, during the presidential transition and had a prime seat at his January inauguration. The President called Infantino a “winner” in a video played at the Miami draw for the Club World Cup in December, which was attended by daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Meanwhile, FIFA has set up shop at The President Tower in Manhattan, where Infantino worked last month as world leaders gathered nearby for the annual United Nations General Assembly. Infantino and The President met again last week in New York, along with first lady Melania The President, according to the FIFA president’s Instagram account. Infantino has teased the idea of The President doing the draw himself, which Giuliani called the “MAGA-FIFA World Cup draw.” “Just like a great opera, there will be high drama,” Giuliani said. Infantino has had more public appearances with The President than with any soccer officials from the sport’s heartlands of Europe and South America, according to the FIFA leader’s schedule and social media posts. He was late for his own FIFA Congress in Paraguay in May because he was with The President and the Saudi crown prince in the Middle East, a move seen as disrespectful of his own voters and criticized by Europe’s soccer federations. During Infantino’s most recent appearance at The President’s side in the Oval Office on Aug. 22, he took even some fellow soccer officials by surprise when he gifted a gold replica World Cup trophy to the U.S. president, saying it was “for winners only.” That handover was unexpected, according to one senior soccer official who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive dynamics. Even though it was a replica, the moment was still seen as a snub of World Cup tradition because The President has held onto a trophy that is supposed to belong to the sport as a whole, not an individual person. A White House official said the trophy remains in the White House’s possession. No such offer was publicly extended by FIFA to Mexico’s President Claudia Scheinbaum or Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney. Infantino has not met with Carney this year and met Sheinbaum for the first time on Aug. 29. The episode is a reminder of how Infantino can shift with the moment. The man who remarked in Qatar on the eve of the World Cup in November 2022 that “today, I feel (like) a migrant worker” — comments interpreted as solidarity with migrants — was laughing along with The President and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem earlier this year as they bantered about migrants being unable to scale the repainted wall on the U.S. southern border. Infantino has framed his close relationship with The President as “crucial” to the success of the World Cup, a massive operation that relies on expansive cooperation with federal, state and local governments. The President’s suggestion that he could move the host cities was a reminder that Infantino is working with a famously impulsive president whose whims could expose FIFA to logistical havoc and legal jeopardy if he followed through. Even without those threats, those involved with World Cup planning said the tournament’s stakes are high because it’s the first in a series of global sporting events hosted by the U.S., including the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. “This needs to go well in order to show the world that if you want to have the best sports and entertainment events, you want to have them in the United States,” said Alex Lasry, CEO of the New York/New Jersey host committee. “I don’t think it’s unusual for a White House to be coordinating and be involved, and I don’t think it’s unusual for the heads of state and for the president to be excited and to be talking about a mega event coming here.” Dunbar reported from Geneva. —Seung Min Kim and Graham Dunbar, Associated Press View the full article

Amazon has rolled out a new private-label grocery brand called Amazon Grocery, combining its popular Amazon Fresh and Happy Belly products into one cohesive line. This latest initiative promises to deliver high-quality food items at everyday low prices, making it an appealing option for both consumers and small business owners looking to stretch their grocery budgets. Jason Buechel, Vice President of Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores and CEO of Whole Foods Market, remarked, “With Amazon Grocery, we’re simplifying how customers discover and shop our extensive private label food selection while maintaining the quality and value our customers expect and deserve.” The brand features over 1,000 grocery items, mostly priced under $5, including fresh produce, dairy, meat, seafood, and pantry staples. This could be especially advantageous for small businesses like cafes, restaurants, and catering services that need reliable, affordable sourcing for their ingredients. Amazon has observed that customers buy 15% more private-brand products in 2024 compared to the previous year across various platforms. This trend suggests a growing consumer trust and preference for private labels, which often provide similar quality to name brands at reduced prices. For small business owners, this potentially means a competitive edge by purchasing quality ingredients without breaking the bank. The introduction of Amazon Grocery aligns with the broader market trend of rising price sensitivity among consumers, making it imperative for small businesses to consider value in their procurement strategies. Buechel emphasizes the importance of value without compromising quality, stating that the line features everything from “fresh food items to crave-worthy snacks” designed to cater to diverse needs. Not only does Amazon Grocery simplify product selection, but it also embraces sustainability measures. The new packaging utilizes 50% less plastic than previous versions, a feature that may resonate with eco-conscious consumers. For small businesses aiming to enhance their own sustainability practices, selling Amazon Grocery products could serve as a parallel to their commitment to environmental responsibility. As for the variety offered, Amazon indicates that the assortment will continue to grow, introducing items like refrigerated pizza dough, fresh bakery products, and even frozen pasta meals in the coming months. This wide range can help small business owners diversify their menu options or product inventory without a hefty investment. However, small business owners should also weigh potential challenges associated with relying on a single supplier like Amazon. Introducing new products can be an opportunity to capture customer interest, but it may also require periodic adjustments to inventory management systems and supplier agreements. Owners need to remain agile to adapt to the supply and pricing fluctuations commonly associated with larger vendors. Additionally, while Amazon’s robust logistics network makes it easier for them to deliver products quickly, small businesses should consider the reliability and speed of their own supply chains when integrating Amazon Grocery products. Supply chain issues can be problematic, making it crucial for small business owners to continually assess their partnerships to ensure seamless service. Amazon Grocery products are currently available through Amazon.com and Amazon Fresh, with ongoing promotional activities designed to familiarize consumers with the new brand. This could provide small business owners a unique opportunity to market themselves as well, highlighting their commitment to high-quality and affordable food options. Overall, Amazon Grocery could serve as a significant resource for small business owners, offering both quality and price advantages in a time of economic uncertainty. As Amazon continues to expand its private-label offerings, small businesses may find that partnering with this major player can elevate their product selections and ultimately enhance customer satisfaction. For anyone interested in learning more about Amazon Grocery, detailed information and product availability can be found in the original press release here. Image via Envanto This article, "Amazon Unveils Grocery Brand Offering Over 1,000 High-Quality Essentials" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Amazon has rolled out a new private-label grocery brand called Amazon Grocery, combining its popular Amazon Fresh and Happy Belly products into one cohesive line. This latest initiative promises to deliver high-quality food items at everyday low prices, making it an appealing option for both consumers and small business owners looking to stretch their grocery budgets. Jason Buechel, Vice President of Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores and CEO of Whole Foods Market, remarked, “With Amazon Grocery, we’re simplifying how customers discover and shop our extensive private label food selection while maintaining the quality and value our customers expect and deserve.” The brand features over 1,000 grocery items, mostly priced under $5, including fresh produce, dairy, meat, seafood, and pantry staples. This could be especially advantageous for small businesses like cafes, restaurants, and catering services that need reliable, affordable sourcing for their ingredients. Amazon has observed that customers buy 15% more private-brand products in 2024 compared to the previous year across various platforms. This trend suggests a growing consumer trust and preference for private labels, which often provide similar quality to name brands at reduced prices. For small business owners, this potentially means a competitive edge by purchasing quality ingredients without breaking the bank. The introduction of Amazon Grocery aligns with the broader market trend of rising price sensitivity among consumers, making it imperative for small businesses to consider value in their procurement strategies. Buechel emphasizes the importance of value without compromising quality, stating that the line features everything from “fresh food items to crave-worthy snacks” designed to cater to diverse needs. Not only does Amazon Grocery simplify product selection, but it also embraces sustainability measures. The new packaging utilizes 50% less plastic than previous versions, a feature that may resonate with eco-conscious consumers. For small businesses aiming to enhance their own sustainability practices, selling Amazon Grocery products could serve as a parallel to their commitment to environmental responsibility. As for the variety offered, Amazon indicates that the assortment will continue to grow, introducing items like refrigerated pizza dough, fresh bakery products, and even frozen pasta meals in the coming months. This wide range can help small business owners diversify their menu options or product inventory without a hefty investment. However, small business owners should also weigh potential challenges associated with relying on a single supplier like Amazon. Introducing new products can be an opportunity to capture customer interest, but it may also require periodic adjustments to inventory management systems and supplier agreements. Owners need to remain agile to adapt to the supply and pricing fluctuations commonly associated with larger vendors. Additionally, while Amazon’s robust logistics network makes it easier for them to deliver products quickly, small businesses should consider the reliability and speed of their own supply chains when integrating Amazon Grocery products. Supply chain issues can be problematic, making it crucial for small business owners to continually assess their partnerships to ensure seamless service. Amazon Grocery products are currently available through Amazon.com and Amazon Fresh, with ongoing promotional activities designed to familiarize consumers with the new brand. This could provide small business owners a unique opportunity to market themselves as well, highlighting their commitment to high-quality and affordable food options. Overall, Amazon Grocery could serve as a significant resource for small business owners, offering both quality and price advantages in a time of economic uncertainty. As Amazon continues to expand its private-label offerings, small businesses may find that partnering with this major player can elevate their product selections and ultimately enhance customer satisfaction. For anyone interested in learning more about Amazon Grocery, detailed information and product availability can be found in the original press release here. Image via Envanto This article, "Amazon Unveils Grocery Brand Offering Over 1,000 High-Quality Essentials" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article