BlackFin360 – Innovation To Reality
Tom Edwards is a professional futurist and keynote marketing technology speaker covering data, digital, artificial intelligence, marketing technology and emerging media trends
No gold rush comes without its pitfalls. Take a look at the scant records from California’s Gold Rush of the 1800s, and, along with the perceived opportunity that brought prospectors to the coast, you’ll find stories of hardship and tough times. That’s a colorful way of saying that, as we rush into the golden era …
Continue reading “The Need for AI Governance as We Enter The Golden Era”
I was recently asked by Advertising Age to provide my thoughts on a number of topics related to SXSW of years past and what to expect in 2018. Here is the commentary that was included in the digital and print version: Here is the full commentary I provided to AdAge: AdAge – How many times …
I look forward to Facebook’s F8 developer conference each year. It’s a great opportunity to see how Facebook is prioritizing and adjusting their 10 year road map based on shifting consumer behavior and new advancements in technology. What was fascinating about this years conference is the rate they are accelerating the convergence of technologies that …
I had the privilege to speak and host Epsilon Symposium 2017. With hundreds of clients in attendance, I was tasked with discussing the role of artificial intelligence across Epsilon and Conversant as well as tease examples of emerging technology that my team and I are working on. Here are the key highlights I discussed during …
2017 has seen a rapid acceleration of technology trends. Of the 50+ trends observed from CES, MWC, SXSW, F8, Google I/O and more, here are the top 5 midyear trends that I am closely monitoring heading into 2018. 1) MOBILE FIRST TO AI FIRST For the past few years, Facebook, Google and other industry heavy weights …
What a great show! Mobile World Congress is when the tech world converges on Barcelona, Spain to discuss the ever expanding domain of mobile. I was excited to attend this years event for three reasons: speaking engagement, conducting tours for media and live streaming on behalf of Epsilon. This post will focus on a comprehensive …
On March 17th Facebook rolled out a simple update to Messenger just in time for March Madness. By simply using the basketball emoji in Messenger a user can play a simple swipe and shoot mini game directly within the Messenger app experience. This very simple integration could very well show the future for how brand …
Continue reading “An Emoji Basketball Could Be The Future of Marketing”
I recently attended Facebook’s F8 developer conference in San Francisco and the event did not disappoint. Mark and the Facebook team outlined their approach to a ten year roadmap, launched the highly anticipated Messenger chat bot beta and showcased their first concepts of a social virtual reality experience. The presentation below covers: • The 10 year …
I had the pleasure of speaking during today’s Brand Activation Summit in NYC. I joined an esteemed panel that was comprised of a CEO, CMO and I (CDO) to discuss thriving in the age of digital disruption. My topics ranged from the role of the Chief Digital Officer to vertical specific discussions tied to the …
I was recently asked by ClickZ for commentary about what role chatbots can play for e-commerce. Are Chatbots the future or fad? I am a believer that chatbots are a key element in the creation of conversational user experiences and will become core to the messaging experience. Chatbots will introduce new interaction models with new …
For the past 12 months, my Epsilon team and I have focused on multiple facets of artificial intelligence (AI) with data as the primary fuel that powers key insights. We have leveraged machine learning, natural language processing, predictive APIs, and neural networks to uncover consumer truths that previously would have taken weeks or months to …
Today at F8, Facebook made the formal announcement to beta launch 3rd Party Chat bot support for Facebook Messenger. I have written a few articles on this topic and have consolidated the thinking into an eBook. Social media—and now social messaging—is a path to understanding and being in a relationship with your customers. Social messaging …
I recently attended the first ever Pinterest Partner Marketing Summit in NYC. This invite only event unveiled their emphasis on developing a strong partner program and also served as an opportunity to introduce new staff to the Pinterest partner team, new resources for brands and agencies and best practices to maximize the platform. There were …
