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Futurum senior analyst Olivier Blanchard joins FIR host Shel Holtz to talk about how AI can improve the results of A/B testing (and other things). Also on this week’s episode:

Recurring video series are gaining viewers on IGTV
Farewell, Carma, after some 14 years as an FIR sponsor
Ticketmaster has a scandal on its hands. But is it a PR nightmare?
Amazon is investigating employees who accepted bribes to manipulate data
Meet the newest social network, TripAdvisor
Want to get paid for recommending products? There’s an app for that
Ad campaigns do better with AI
Legislators wonder if AI could violate your civil rights
Walmart is rolling out VR training to all employees
A VR lounge has opened at JFK’s Terminal 4
American Airlines explains the rationale for decisions to employees via a podcast
Some companies are bowing out of podcasting
A student is making $10,000 a month with Alexa skills
Split-screen design is a growing trend
The love-hate relationship with the hamburger icon
The Nike boycott is over, thanks in part to its polarizing effect on customers
Consumers are demanding better treatment of women and minorities from companies
Media, entertainment, and consumer brands are banding together to get out the vote
A 10-state strike by McDonald’s employees over sexual harassment is a values blow to the burger chain

Also, Dan York reports from Panama on Twitter’s new chronological timeline option, a Mastodon podcast, Mozilla’s VR browser, Amazon’s Echo announcements, and the Gutenberg editor.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog.

About Olivier Blanchard

Olivier Blanchard is a French-born, American-based Brand Management and Digital Marketing consultant, the author of two best-selling books, and an acclaimed keynote speaker. As a Senior Analyst with Futurum Research, Olivier helps organizations better understand the crucial role that emerging technologies like Cloud computing, Big Data, Virtualization, Augmented Reality, Smart Automation, IoT and AI will play their industries and markets over the next 10 to 20 years. Though based in the US, his geographic range extends beyond North America to Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. Olivier is the author of the best-selling #1 social business desk reference for digital managers and business executives: Social Media ROI: Managing and Measuring Social Media Efforts In Your Organization (Que/Pearson). Olivier is also a sought-after subject-matter expert and corporate trainer.

Links from this episode

Links from Dan York’s Report

About Shel Holtz

Shel Holtz, ABC (Accredited Business Communicator), is principal of Holtz Communication + Technology. In addition to integrating technology into communications strategies, his expertise includes strategic communications planning, change management, organizational culture, business initiatives and communications research. Full bio