THE TRENDS REPORTFebruary 2016

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A MONTHLY SNAPSHOT OF TRENDS IN MARKETING, STORYTELLING AND DIGITAL

CULTURE LOCALLY AND ABROAD.

CREATIVITY AND A NEW

REALITY

An Exoskeleton Suit is a robotic suit that allows people who have been paralysed due to illness or injury to become mobile again. It fits around the hips and legs.

Although the suit can’t reverse the damage caused, it can assist in preventing further damage.

Exoskeleton Suits

The SuitX Phoenix.

Find out how this suit has helped many paralysed people walk again. This light, easy to use and adjustable Robotic Exoskeleton returns movement to the hips and knees allowing patients to walk up to 1.1 miles per a hour. This suit is battery operated and can last for up to 8 hours.

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SuitX’s Phoenix

Story and Image source: Technological Review

The exoskeleton that is controlled by our thoughts.

Find out how researchers have enabled patients to control an exoskeleton using just their minds. The device is wrapped around the hips and legs, while a cap is used to make a connection between the brain and the machine. This machine has been designed in hopes that it will one day give people with spinal cord injuries and neurodegenerative diseases the ability to walk again or for the first time.

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New Robotic Exoskeleton Is

Controlled by Human Thoughts

Story and Image source: Live Science

AI is transforming how we operate and rely on technology, enabling humans to work more efficiently and effectively than ever before, making our jobs simpler, our efforts more calculated and our outputs more accurate. Technology is simplifying our everyday requirements or amplifying our ability to improve safety and security.

Improved Security with Artificial

Intelligence

PayPal uses AI to boost security.

Big financial companies have become a target for easy fraud and theft due to customers’ sensitive data getting into the wrong hands.

Deep Learning allows these companies to locate and see possible fraudulent activity without concerns of getting it wrong. This is because such AI is able to mine data from the customer’s purchasing history and pick up on anything that seems out of the ordinary.

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PayPal

Image source: Technology Review and RM Magazine

AI offers a new way to improve surveillance systems.

How sure are you that the surveillance cameras are picking up all activity, good and bad? Find out how new AI namely intelligent video analytics, is designed to pick up on any abnormal activity or suspected threats caught on tape.

This surveillance system analyses footage in real-time and “learns” what is normal so it can notify security companies of any danger that could be missed due to human error.

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The New Eyes of Surveillance: Artificial Intelligence and Humanizing Technology

Image Source: Security intelligence and Wilton Bulletin

INNOVATION AND DISRUPTION

Although we don’t yet live during a time of driverless cars, humanity is moving into an era where different forms of automated robotics are taking over human activities and workflow. Even social media network sites have invented bots that can now create content without human intervention.

We are moving into a generation where humans would need to specialise in skills that computers, robots and smart machines can’t do, to avoid being replaced.

Source:

Time

Humans need not apply

“I know there is a proverb which says ‘to err is human’, but a

human error is nothing to what a computer can do if it tries.”

Agatha Christie

The connected home took centre stage at CES 2016, many of the products on display aim to create more integrated experiences between consumers and brands.

A collection of smart household appliances promised to modify the way consumers engage and connect with their homes.

“The home has been identified as the new battleground, and the data collected by our household purchases and our conversations with our devices will be just as valuable as data collected from the internet”- CES 2016.

Mainstream Smart Homes

Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator.

Samsung has an ambitious refrigerator that promises to eliminate last minute grocery errands by ordering the goods for you based on collected data and what's missing in your fridge.

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Source: Samsung Newsroom

MEDIA JUJITSU

What is Programmatic advertising? According to Digiday: “Programmatic” ad buying typically refers to the use of software to purchase digital advertising, as opposed to the traditional process that involves RFPs, human negotiations and manual insertion orders. It’s using machines to buy ads, basically.

A great example includes DoubleClick by Google.

Programmatic marketing

Weight Watchers boosts acquisitions by 56%.

The Weight Watchers team has started exploring the digital landscape in hopes of talking and engaging with the younger generation. To do this they tested a number of creative executions and call to actions to see which worked best with a new and existing target market.

The top-performing banner was called "coaching cake": an image of a birthday cake with the message, "Kids' Birthday Party? We can help you manage Tempting Moments with Weight Watchers 24/7 Chat.” Says Aaron Davis, Director of Digital Marketing.

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Image Source: DoubleClick by Google

Sport Network grows video ad revenue by 239%.

We know that video is one of the biggest digital trends for 2016 and this is also true for Programmatic advertising. That’s why Sport Network used DoubleClick technology to successfully monetise the brand’s video inventory. 

Image Source: DoubleClick by Google

Watch the video here

CONNECTING THE

UNCONNECTED

Many African countries still face big challenges when it comes to basic infrastructure. Secluded communities are especially at a disadvantage because most resources are in Capitals.

New entrepreneurs and the private sector are now taking it upon themselves to finance innovation to try and bridge this gap.

According to the World Bank, Africa’s infrastructure deficit has become a significant barrier to economic growth.

Source:

Forbes

The wireless infrastructure

Banking on the move.

Airtel partnered with Access bank to launch a mobile initiative that allows Nigerians to use their phones to open bank accounts without the hustles of traditional bureaucracy.

The ‘Smart Savers’ initiative will empower consumers with financial literacy whilst saving them time and money in real time.

Source: Naija News

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