It’s been difficult for investors to trust most areas of the market lately during a very volatile period of trading, yet there are still some sectors that have been holding up well. For example, healthcare stocks have been a bright spot amidst market weakness and could be some of the better performers as we head into 2022. This sector is always worth a look from long-term investors, as the healthcare industry accounts for more than 10% of the GDP of most developed countries and should follow a nice growth trajectory over the next decade. These stocks are also very attractive thanks to their defensive qualities and their dividends, which could be a big reason why so many are catching a bid in the current market environment. If you’re interested in some of the leading healthcare stocks to buy now, keep reading below for an overview of 3 standouts.
First up is Eli Lilly, a major player in the pharmaceutical industry and one of the top picks to consider in the healthcare sector at this time. The company focuses on developing and manufacturing therapies to treat pain, diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases and recently hosted an impressive investor day that sent shares soaring to new highs. What really stood out during the event was the fact that Eli Lilly boosted its full-year revenue guidance to $28-$28.3 billion from $27.2-$27.6 billion and referenced strong growth potential and a robust drug pipeline. The company’s breast cancer drug Verzenio could be a massive winner over the long term, and the Alzheimer’s drug donanemab might gain approval in 2022 and lead to another big revenue stream. Eli Lilly also has an important product that is being used to combat the global pandemic, as its COVID-19 antibodies can help to treat mild to moderate symptoms of the virus. The company expects revenue of $2.1 billion in 2021 from its COVID-19 antibodies and could see additional top-line growth from the treatment next year as new variants continue to spread. The bottom line here is that Eli Lilly is a great buy-the-dip candidate in the healthcare sector given its impressive pipeline, decent dividend, and strong earnings guidance.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
While Johnson & Johnson is certainly a healthcare company that has faced its fair share of controversies in recent times, it’s still one of the leading stocks to consider in the sector. The company has created a true healthcare empire, with three divisions including pharmaceutical, medical devices and diagnostics, and consumer. This diverse business model has helped the company become a free cash flow generating machine, which in turn has allowed Johnson & Johnson to grow its dividend for 59 consecutive years. That type of consistency is rare in today’s market, and a 2.45% dividend yield is certainly appealing given inflation concerns. Investors should also be interested in the fact that Johnson & Johnson will be splitting into two publicly traded companies, one for its consumer products division and one for its pharmaceutical and medical device division. According to the company’s CEO Alex Gorsky, the strategic move “is the best way to accelerate our efforts to serve patients, consumers, and healthcare professionals, create opportunities for our talented global team, drive profitable growth, and—most importantly—improve healthcare outcomes for people around the world.” Adding shares of this healthcare giant prior to the split-up might be a good idea, as investors will likely end up with two global leaders that are each able to operate more effectively after the move takes place.
CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS)
With healthcare in the spotlight throughout the global pandemic, it makes a lot of sense to consider adding shares of the largest pharmacy health care provider in the United States, CVS Health Corporation. The company has been making some major moves to improve its long-term growth prospects, and it appears that investors are really starting to notice given that the stock is trading at 52-week highs. Notably, the company’s HealthHUB concept could be a big growth driver, as these are remodeled stores that have expanded services and offerings. The goal is to help patients conveniently and affordably manage chronic health conditions with these remodeled stores, and there should be over 1000 operational HealthHub stores by the end of the year. CVS Health is also worth a look at this time after the company recently announced that it is raising its annual dividend payment by 10% to $2.20 and planning to buy back $10 billion in shares next year. This marks the first instance of a dividend increase or a share repurchase program since 2017, which tells investors that the company is certainly heading in the right direction. Finally, the fact that the company also boosted its full-year earnings forecast is yet another reason to consider adding shares at this time.
The S&P 500 has climbed roughly 25% in the past year, with the Nasdaq up 19%. The benchmark index currently hovers around 2.5% off its recent records, while the teach-heavy index is about 6% off the pace. The recent wave of selling and volatility that began on Black Friday could continue into the early days of 2022, as Wall Street assesses the Fed’s updated outlook and possible disruptions from the latest covid variant.
– Zacks
The central bank said earlier this week that it plans to complete tapering in March, cutting its timetable from June, as it winds down its stimulus-focus bond purchases. Wall Street was more focused on Jay Powell and the Fed’s updated outlook for interest rate hikes amid nearly 40-year high inflation.
The Fed expects they will start to lift rates in the second half of 2022, with three hikes projected next year and three more in 2023. The guidance gives Powell and his peers more time to see how the economy is performing, with hikes only truly likely once there are stronger feeling the pandemic is fully behind us, or if rising prices get too out of control.
The near-term economic uncertainty is clear. Yet, it doesn’t appear the political will is there for another round of lockdowns in the U.S. It is also worth remembering that the two most important factors that drive stock prices over the long haul, earnings and interest rates, continue to flash bullish signals.
For instance, even if the Fed started to lift its core rate sooner than projected, it will take some time to get to levels that make stocks look unattractive. The 10-year U.S. Treasury has rarely and barely moved above 3% since the financial crisis and if rates were pushed back up to the 4% and 5% levels of the 2000s, U.S. debt servicing costs turn far more daunting.
Plus, U.S. bonds, even at their current levels, with the 10-year at 1.4%, are far more appealing compared to near the zero or even negative rates in other major economies such as Germany or Japan. And the S&P 500 earnings and margin outlook for 2022 and 2023 remains historically impressive (also read: Making Sense of Evolving Earnings Estimates).
Circling back to the market, the strength and massive impact of mega-cap technology stocks have covered up the fact that many one-time covid high-flyers have already given up a year’s worth of gains to trade at new 52-week lows in late December. Cathie Wood’s widely-popular ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK), which is full of growth names from Tesla to Roku, is trading around where it was before the 2020 election and down 40% from its February 2021 peaks—though it popped 6% Friday.
This appears rather bullish for 2022 and beyond since Wall Street already chopped down and greatly recalibrated valuations for many growth names that soared out of control off the covid lows. Other far more stable names have also been caught in the selling, as Wall Street takes profits.
Therefore, now appears to be a solid time for long-term investors to consider buying strong stocks at discounts for 2022 and beyond…
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Align Technology, Inc. ALGN
Align’s Invisalign system changed the orthodontics industry forever. Its clear aligners are true alternatives to traditional metal braces that have continued to grow at a rapid pace since Align’s founding in the late 1990s. Align’s innovation and success spurred other clear aligner firms to enter the market from SmileDirectClub to Candid. Despite the competition, Algin has remained the dominant force in the space and is poised to continue its reign.
Align offers people the ability to straighten their teeth and correct other orthodontics-related issues in a far less visible and clunky fashion, most often at far more affordable prices. ALGN’s business model also includes tons of technology, from digital teeth scanners and beyond, which is part of its expanding end-to-end solutions.
Wall Street and patients love that Align works hand-in-hand with dentists and orthodontists who digitally scan a patient’s teeth in person and work with them through the entire process. Meanwhile, many of its competitors committed to an e-commerce-focused approach. Align is also expanding its reach both internationally and in the teenage demographic, as it successfully attracts more people who might have otherwise used traditional metal braces.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Align had helped treat 11.6 million patients by the end of Q3. The quarter also saw it top our estimates, with revenue up 38% and teen volume at record highs. Zacks estimates call for its FY21 to soar 60% to $3.9 billion, with FY22 projected to come in 21% higher to $4.77 billion. These estimates follow a five-year streak of 25% average sales growth—dragged down by +3% in covid-hit 2020. Meanwhile, its adjusted earnings are projected to skyrocket 111% this year and then another 21% in FY22.
Align has crushed our bottom-line estimates in the trailing four quarters and its FY21 and FY22 consensus estimates have gone up since its Q3 release. ALGN, which lands a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) right now, has improved its balance sheet in the last year and its continually increased its stock buyback program. Plus, eight of the nine brokerage recommendations Zacks has are “Strong Buys.”
Align shares have soared 500% over the last five years, with its run over the past decade far more impressive—up 2,400%. It’s cooled off a bit more recently and closed regular hours Friday about 15% below its September highs and is now sitting around where it was in February. ALGN also hovers well under neutral RSI levels at 41 and it trades at a discount to its own three-year median in terms of forward 12-month earnings.
Salesforce CRM
Salesforce beat Q3 FY22 estimates on November 30. Still, CRM, which had been trending downward heading into the report, tumbled on lower-than-projected near-term guidance. Wall Street also didn’t appear to love the appointment of new co-CEO Bret Taylor—who was COO since 2019—alongside Marc Benioff. The move returned the company to the co-chief executive structure it operated under for around two years until Keith Block step down in early 2020.
Salesforce shares hover about 20% below their early November records and beneath where they were in August 2020. Better yet, CRM’s Zacks consensus price target represents 27% upside vs. its current price. Buyers have also steeped in twice in the last several weeks to prevent CRM from falling below its 200-day moving average and the stock hovers right near oversold RSI levels (30 or under) at 34.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
These are rather attractive levels considering Salesforce’s standing in a huge growth industry that becomes more important by the day. Salesforce and its various subscription-based business software support sales, marketing, commerce, customer and client engagement, analytics, app development, and much more.
Salesforce is also set to play an even larger role in the business and enterprise software world via two major acquisitions in the last few years. It bought Tableau in 2019 to improve its data-analytics side and it completed its $28 billion Slack deal in the summer to help it stand out in the crowded non-email communication world. And CRM’s sales have soared between 25% and 30% in the last five years.
Looking ahead, Zacks estimates call for Salesforce’s revenue to climb 24% this year and another 20% in its FY23 to $32 billion. Plus, its FY22 and FY23 Zacks consensus EPS estimates have popped since its report to help CRM land a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) right now.
CRM has crushed our EPS estimates by an average of 44% in the last four periods. And 24 of the 28 brokerage recommendations Zacks has for Salesforce right now are “Strong Buys,” with nothing below a “Hold.”
Garmin Ltd. GRMN
Garmin was at the forefront of the modern consumer-focused GPS movement. Today, its in-car navigation systems, fitness wearables, smartwatches, and more are staples in our connected world. Consumers want to track everything from their steps and heart rates to elevation climbed. Garmin’s Fitness and Outdoor segments are by far its two largest top-line contributors.
Along with its everyday consumer electronics, Garmin sells high-end fish finders, advanced radars and systems for boats and airplanes, and even sci-fi sounding tech for flying taxis. Its diverse and compelling offerings have helped GRMN post five-straight years of revenue growth, with sales up 11.4% in 2020.
Most recently, Garmin beat our Q3 earnings and revenues estimates at the end of October. Peeking ahead, Zacks estimates call for GRMN’s fiscal 2021 sales to climb 18.4% to $4.96 billion, with FY22 set to pop another 7% higher. Meanwhile, its adjusted EPS figures are expected to jump by 10.5% and 9.4%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Garmin’s stock price fell after its Q3 release on the back of a slightly subdued outlook for 2022. GRMN is now down 27% from its late-August records at $132 a share and it’s approaching oversold RSI levels once again at 34. Despite the pullback, Garmin has matched the broader Zacks tech sector over the past five years, up 170%. And GRMN, which lands a Zacks Ranks #3 (Hold) right now, has crushed our bottom-line estimates by an average of 27% in the trailing four periods.
Garmin’s recent fall has recalibrated its valuation, with it trading at a discount to its own three-year median and 20% below its industry’s average at 21.7X forward 12-month earnings. Better still, GRMN is now trading right near year-long lows and beneath where it was prior to the initial covid selloff.
Along with a possibly attractive entry point, Garmin management runs an extremely financially sturdy operation, with no debt on the books and $3.2 billion in cash and marketable securities, alongside $7.6 billion in total assets vs. $1.7 in liabilities. And its 2% dividend yield tops the 30-year U.S. Treasury and blows away the S&P 500 average.
Bitcoin, Like the Internet Itself, Could Change Everything
Blockchain and cryptocurrency has sparked one of the most exciting discussion topics of a generation. Some call it the “Internet of Money” and predict it could change the way money works forever. If true, it could do to banks what Netflix did to Blockbuster and Amazon did to Sears. Experts agree we’re still in the early stages of this technology, and as it grows, it will create several investing opportunities.
Zacks’ has just revealed 3 companies that can help investors capitalize on the explosive profit potential of Bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies with significantly less volatility than buying them directly.
See 3 crypto-related stocks now >>
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This article was translated from our Spanish edition using AI technologies. Errors may exist due to this process.
With a ceremony that took place for the first time at the Azteca Stadium, the 15th edition of the Endeavor Gala managed to bring together more than 1,000 entrepreneurs and stakeholders aligned with the growth of Mexico as the capital of entrepreneurship. In recent years and with the milestone of six unicorns registered in the country, Mexico has managed to establish itself as a true entrepreneurial hub that contributes to the development of various industries, generating a positive impact on the LATAM region worldwide.
Endeavor
The list of winners this year represents a true pride for Mexico. The Endeavor 2021 Gala honored Sergio Rosengaus, co-founder of KIO Networks and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Endeavor 2016-2020, with the “Work of Counselor” Award; Sergio ” Checo ” Pérez with the ” Mexican Pride ” Award; and Daniel Vogel and Pablo González, founders of Bitso (Mexican unicorn in 2021), with the “Entrepreneur of the Year” Award.
The Endeavor Gala is the event that celebrates the female and male entrepreneurs who are transforming Mexico. Next year will be a memorable year for this ecosystem of entrepreneurs, which will celebrate 20 years of experience in the country supporting different initiatives, and which has been a pioneer in opening the conversation about the importance of entrepreneurship in the country, for the growth of a nation. .
We are very proud that, after 20 years of uninterrupted work by Endeavor in Mexico, today we can reap what we have built and see the fruits of this work reflected in a concrete way .
Vincent Speranza, General Director of Endeavor Mexico.
“Our mission is to promote the transforming gene and provide the necessary conditions for entrepreneurs from all over the world to find in our country a place to make their dreams come true,” he added.
254 Endeavor entrepreneurs
During these two decades, between 2002 and 2021, Endeavor has selected 254 Endeavor Entrepreneurs in Mexico, a figure that represents 168 companies. Despite the 2020 crisis, these companies managed to generate sales of 32,712 million Mexican pesos, and more than 26,792 direct jobs . With the boost and recovery of entrepreneurs, sales in 2021 are projected to reach 40,000 million Mexican pesos (2 trillion dollars) and add more than 32,656 direct jobs and thousands of additional indirect ones.
Photo: Courtesy Endeavor
The first Mexican unicorn
2020 has been a historic year for Mexico, registering the birth of the first Mexican unicorn: Kavak. But in addition, in less than a year that milestone was enhanced with the appearance of new unicorns in the country, which today reach a total of six, of which three are Endeavor Entrepreneurs ( Kavak, Clip, Bitso ) and one of them candidate in the selection process (Clara). Together, the value of these unicorns exceeds 16 billion dollars and between them they have managed to raise more than 50% of the capital in the last 10 years (3.3 billion), with Kavak being the private company with the highest value in LATAM.
The birth of the first Mexican unicorn in 2020 is no coincidence: Endeavor has been preparing the fertile ground for this for two decades and it is a pride and joy for this leading network of entrepreneurs to be reaping the fruits of what has been sown during these 20 years.
This year, in Mexico the historical figure of 3.4 trillion dollars of capital raised by entrepreneurs was reached, which is equivalent to all the capital raised from 2010 to 2020 and which represents a record growth speed of 10 months for 10 years. The sectors that have benefited the most from this growth have been Fintech and eCommerce .
Photo: Bitso Founders. Courtesy Endeavor.
The importance of migrants in the world of entrepreneurship
Endeavor highlights and celebrates the importance of migrants in the world of entrepreneurship. Within the more developed entrepreneurship ecosystems such as Silicon Valley and New York, migrants make up 60% and 40% of the workforce, respectively. In Mexico City, meanwhile, foreigners represent 31% of all companies in the technology sector that have raised capital through institutional funds.
Foreign entrepreneurs positively impact the labor market in Mexico City and the rest of the country by generating wealth through quality jobs and attracting capital and income to Mexico. According to data from Endeavor Intelligence, these companies contribute nearly 10,000 direct jobs and have attracted nearly $ 2 billion of capital from primarily abroad.
Mexico has become the number one destination at the regional level to expand operations, followed distantly by Colombia and Brazil, being the country that captures the most entrepreneurs, as a gateway to the United States and LATAM. The Endeavor Gala celebrates this Mexican landmark with true pride.
All honorees at the 2021 Endeavor Gala: Mexican pride
In addition to the awards ” Labor of Counselor ”, ” Mexican Pride ” and ” Entrepreneur of the Year ”, this year received the recognition ” Welcome to Mexico ” recognition for those entrepreneurs who decided to expand their operations reaching our country to contribute to economic growth through the generation of wealth and social change: Amr Shady (Tribal); Sergio Furio (Creditas); Francisco Sandoval (YOM); Victor Knewitz and Cassio Bobsin (Zenvia); Serhat Soyuerel l (Insider); Diego Olcese (Crehana); Sergio Casaretto and Aldo Casaretto (Crepier); Martin Schrimpff (Kocomo), and Federico Malek (Wonder Brands).
For its part, the recognition of the Generation of Entrepreneurs, who represents those who went through the rigorous selection process of Endeavor at the international level to be part of this network of high-impact entrepreneurs, went to: Courtney McColgan (Runa – 2019); Guillermo Elizondo and Gerardo Sáenz (Territorium – 2019); Bruno Ramos (Swap – 2019); Billy Rovzar and Fernando Rovzar (Lemon Studios – 2020); Javier Mata (Yalo – 2020); Ricardo Weder, Ricardo Martínez and Alejandro Sisniega (Jüsto – 2020); Alexis Patjane (99 minutes – 2020); Ángel Sahagún (albo – 2021), and Deepak Chugani and Sam Blackman (Nuvocargo – 2021).
Photo: Sergio Rosengaus, co-founder of KIO Networks. Courtesy Endeavor.
The celebration of the Endeavor Gala at the Azteca Stadium represents the celebration of women and men entrepreneurs for the economic, social and cultural growth of Mexico, fundamental pillars of Endeavor’s mission in our country.
In this competitive environment, marketers must understand which online devices and offline behaviors belong to a consumer and who that consumer is.
As the clock ticks closer to the disappearance of third-party cookies, marketers want to make sure they are reaching all their customers – the known and unknown. Will identity resolution be a smooth transition without third-party cookies?
Join experts from Redpoint Global, as they delve into how marketers will overcome the loss of third-party cookies and be able to learn even more about their customers.
Register today for “Avoid an Identity Crisis: Know Your Customers, Post Third-Party Cookies,” presented by Redpoint Global.
About The Author
Cynthia Ramsaran is director of custom content at Third Door Media, publishers of Search Engine Land and MarTech. A multi-channel storyteller with over two decades of editorial/content marketing experience, Cynthia’s expertise spans the marketing, technology, finance, manufacturing and gaming industries.
With marketers facing increasing pressure to demonstrate the value of the budget they’re allocated for programs, marketing attribution and predictive analytics solutions are tailor-made for proving how tactics and media channels contribute to the bottom line.
But deciding whether or not your company needs a marketing attribution and predictive analytics tool calls for the same evaluative steps involved in any software adoption, including a comprehensive self-assessment of your organization’s business needs, staff capabilities, management support and financial resources.
Use the following questions to help you decide:
Know how your customers interact with your advertising today and into the future. Explore the platforms essential to predictive analytics and marketing attribution in the latest edition of this MarTech Intelligence Report.
Click here to download!
How do we currently manage our marketing campaigns? How many and what martech and ad tech systems are employed in executing campaigns? Is one the “master” or dominant system? Are they tied together in any way? How many and what channels do we typically deploy campaigns on? Depending on the complexity of your campaigns and the length of the typical purchase cycle you’re measuring, you may not need the advanced capabilities offered by a dedicated marketing attribution and predictive analytics solution.
How do we currently analyze success? Is there a central analytics solution? How flexible is the system? Are we able to arrive at insights that are actionable?
How would we use a marketing attribution and predictive analytics platform? What are the first problems that we would use it to solve?
Is your organization ready for a marketing attribution and predictive analytics platform? Do you have the staffing to use the tool to its full capacity or would you need to hire a data analyst or train an existing employee?
How will we define and benchmark the success of a marketing attribution and predictive analytics system?
Do we have management buy-in? You’ll be much more successful with a new tool if you have an ally in the C-suite who can advocate for you and advise on rolling it out across the company.
What is the total cost of ownership? Be sure to consider things like adding staff, training existing staff, any development costs for the integration.
Marketing attribution and predictive analytics: A snapshot
What it is. Marketing attribution and predictive analytics platforms are software that employ sophisticated statistical modeling and machine learning to evaluate the impact of each marketing touch a buyer encounters along a purchase journey across all channels, with the goal of helping marketers allocate future spending. Platforms with predictive analytics capabilities also use data, statistical algorithms and machine learning to predict future outcomes based on historical data and scenario building.
Why it’s hot today. Many marketers know roughly half their media spend is wasted, but few are aware of which half that is. And with tight budgets due to the economic uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are seeking to rid themselves of waste.
Attribution challenges. Buyers are using more channels and devices in their purchase journeys than ever before. The lack of attributive modeling and analytics makes it even more difficult to help them along the way.
Marketers continuing to use traditional channels find this challenge magnified. The advent of digital privacy regulations has also led to the disappearance of third-party cookies, one of marketers’ most useful data sources.
Marketing attribution and predictive analytics platforms can help marketers tackle these challenges. They give professionals more information about their buyers and help them get a better handle on the issue of budget waste.
Read Next: What do marketing attribution and predictive analytics tools do?
About The Author
Pamela Parker is Research Director at Third Door Media’s Content Studio, where she produces MarTech Intelligence Reports and other in-depth content for digital marketers in conjunction with Search Engine Land and MarTech. Prior to taking on this role at TDM, she served as Content Manager, Senior Editor and Executive Features Editor. Parker is a well-respected authority on digital marketing, having reported and written on the subject since its beginning. She’s a former managing editor of ClickZ and has also worked on the business side helping independent publishers monetize their sites at Federated Media Publishing. Parker earned a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
Marketers are expanding their omnichannel playbook to include digital out-of-home (DOOH) and delivering contextually relevant ads to hyperlocal audiences, according to new findings released this week by the DPAA, a global out-of-home trade association.
What they found. Two-thirds of marketers surveyed had activated a new DOOH campaign in the previous 18 months. Now we get some insight into the role this channel played in their strategy. The association shared some initial stats from the study ahead of the DPAA Summit in October.
The top reason (61%) that new DOOH campaigns were introduced over the last year and a half was because of creative flexibility enabled by programmatic. The two next highest reasons appear to flow from these programmatic capabilities as well. Marketers were empowered by schedule flexibility (57%) and newly available inventory they could access through their preferred platform (52%).
Mass reach during Covid-19, a reason for 46% of respondents, speaks to the number of brands and organizations that used DOOH to promote a message of resilience to consumers, or to give thanks to heroic first responders and essential workers.
Free media opportunities, which 29% of DOOH advertisers said they used, were a direct consequence of the decline of out-of-home advertising during pandemic-related lockdowns and general budget and revenue challenges for advertisers.
Why we care. It would be one thing if this was a study of longtime billboard advertisers. Instead, DOOH is proving to be a dynamic part of a broader omnichannel strategy, as shown in the top reasons above.
Because of the digital transformation in the industry, ads on the street and in public venues can be bought programmatically, and they show results through new attribution methods. According to the same study, 44% of omnichannel advertisers chose DOOH because they could geo-target by zip codes, DMA or hyper-locally. Also, 42% said they could do contextually relevant targeting. And 35% said that DOOH complements their digital plan.
Know how your customers interact with your advertising today and into the future. Explore the platforms essential to predictive analytics and marketing attribution in the latest edition of this MarTech Intelligence Report.
Click here to download!
About The Author
Chris Wood draws on over 15 years of reporting experience as a B2B editor and journalist. At DMN, he served as associate editor, offering original analysis on the evolving marketing tech landscape. He has interviewed leaders in tech and policy, from Canva CEO Melanie Perkins, to former Cisco CEO John Chambers, and Vivek Kundra, appointed by Barack Obama as the country’s first federal CIO. He is especially interested in how new technologies, including voice and blockchain, are disrupting the marketing world as we know it. In 2019, he moderated a panel on “innovation theater” at Fintech Inn, in Vilnius. In addition to his marketing-focused reporting in industry trades like Robotics Trends, Modern Brewery Age and AdNation News, Wood has also written for KIRKUS, and contributes fiction, criticism and poetry to several leading book blogs. He studied English at Fairfield University, and was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. He lives in New York.
Marketing work management platform Wrike on Friday announced several updates, including one that claims to be able to predict a project’s success.
What’s new? Wrike said it has added a new artificial intelligence layer to the platform dubbed AI Project Risk Prediction. The AI portends to be able to gauge success level by comparing projects set up in the platform to the millions of other projects that exist across its pool of customers. Based on things like how complex the project set-up is, or the number of overdue items, and the success of your team’s previous projects, the platform can assess the likelihood of your current project’s success. Wrike also said the AI will make recommendations when it spots red flags in order to help get your projects back on track.
Read next: What is Scrum, the project management framework agile teams rely on?
Anything else? If there’s a theme to this release, it’s all about the machines. Wrike said it is also adding more machine-driven actions like automated @ mention suggestions and assignment tagging in order to reduce human error. The platform also improved its native search to server better, more relevant results based on the queries.
Why we care. Cast aside the knee-jerk “here comes Skynet” reaction to machines being able to do things like predicting a project’s success. If you could compare your project’s setup to millions of others you probably could predict it too. AI and machine learning is transforming so many of the daily tasks we use software for by adding capabilities that go far beyond what marketers can do on their own. These enhancements are just the latest.
Project management tools like Wrike have seen a big uptick since the pandemic began, especially since workforces shifted from being office-based to distributed. But any agile marketer will tell you that just using a tool to track tasks and projects is not enough. You need strategy and you need the discipline to use them correctly otherwise you’re just logging tasks and not truly organizing your work.
Marketing work management: A snapshot
What it is: Marketing work management platforms help marketing leaders and their teams structure their day-to-day work to meet their goals on deadline and within budget constraints, all while managing resources and facilitating communication and collaboration. Functions may include task assignments, time tracking, budgeting, team communication and file sharing, among others.
Why it’s important today. Work environments have changed drastically due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has heightened the need for work management tools that help marketers navigate these new workflows.
Marketers have been at work developing processes that allow them to work with those outside their own offices since marketing projects—campaigns, websites, white papers, or webinars—frequently involve working with outside sources.
Also, with marketers required to design interfaces, write content, and create engaging visual assets today, more marketers are adopting agile workflow practices, which often have features to support agile practices.
What the tools do. All of these changes have heightened the need for marketing work management software, which optimizes and documents the projects undertaken by digital marketers. They often integrate with other systems like digital asset management platforms and creative suites. But most importantly, these systems improve process clarity, transparency, and accountability, helping marketers keep work on track.
Read next: What is marketing work management and how do these platforms support agile marketing
About The Author
Henry Powderly is vice president of content for Third Door Media, publishers of Search Engine Land, Marketing Land and MarTech Today. With more than a decade in editorial leadership positions, he is responsible for content strategy and event programming for the organization.
You’ve probably heard the idea of virtual reality (VR) swirling around the internet for years, but chances are you haven’t actually tried it yet. Is it like The Matrix or those weird Snapchat face filters? Or is it just a better version of the wraparound screens at IMAX movie theaters?
In reality, it’s none of these things, and, to some degree, all of them.
There’s been a lot of confusion about what VR is. But now that the term “metaverse” has officially gone viral, you’re probably finally committing yourself to figuring out what exactly VR is, and if you should care. The short answer is: yes.
VR in 2021 is much different than it was eight years ago, when the Oculus Rift was just a prototype. It isn’t the crude, ergonomically unpleasant experience of putting on a headset and staring at stereoscopic images like the Google Cardboard experience of yore.
Instead, think of VR as your own personal holodeck, where you get to travel to different planets or slip into someone else’s body. Today, VR headsets are more lightweight, have more sophisticated visuals, include haptic feedback controllers, and better accommodate users with various needs related to corrective vision, hairstyles, and face shapes. Put simply, VR is ready for the mainstream.
WHY TRY VR?
To be clear, it’s not for everyone. However, as VR systems have become cheaper and more sophisticated, it’s clear that VR is at least the next exciting gaming platform beyond the PlayStation and Xbox; it’s also a new way to improve yourself, socialize, and perhaps even engage in a bit of therapy.
DO try VR if:
You want to meet new people. Apps like AltspaceVR, Horizon, BigscreenVR, and RecRoom all promote random social interactions with other users who each have their own custom 3D avatars.
You want to learn about events and history as if you were there. VR experiences like the shooting of Trayvon Martin, NASA’s Apollo 11 mission, and the life of Anne Frank can immerse users in historic moments.
You want to learn new skills. Apps like Wrench can help you learn race car mechanics, while apps like House of Languages VR can help you learn new languages like Spanish or German.
You want to get some exercise. If you’d rather skip in-person yoga, or don’t have your own Peloton bike, VR apps like Beat Saber, FitVR, and OhShape can help you work up a real sweat from the comfort of your home.
DON’T try VR if:
Rollercoasters make you queasy. Some app developers and headset makers aren’t as sensitive to motion sickness and may have designed a poor experience. So if you encounter motion sickness in one VR app on a particular headset, try a few more before you throw in the towel. These tips can also help if you experience any discomfort.
You have less than at least five square feet free to use. Not all VR app designers account for the fact that you may have limited apartment or bedroom space. Thankfully, most commercial VR systems now have virtual boundaries that allow you to map out an area, usually no smaller than at least five-by-five feet, allowing you to safely move around without banging your elbow or punting your pet across the room.
You are sensitive to flashing lights or have photosensitive epilepsy. Although VR doesn’t seem to cause problems for many in this area, there has been at least one high-profile report of such an incident.
FOR THE BEGINNERS
Here are the platforms that offer the best introductory experience to VR.
Oculus Quest 2. By far the easiest to use and most affordable VR system on the market is the Oculus Quest 2. Hold on, before you click away in an attempt to avoid the tendrils of Meta (formerly Facebook), understand that the Oculus VR user community has operated quite separately from the social media company for years and, for the most part, Facebook respected that separation. In fact, this year, Meta decided to finally honor a request from many users to eliminate the need for a Facebook account to use the Oculus Quest device.
What does the Quest 2 offer that is revolutionizing the VR industry? A completely standalone system that, unlike most other systems, does not require a wired connection to a powerful gaming laptop or PC. It comes with everything you need: the headset, haptic feedback controllers, and a built-in mic and speakers for $299—about the same price as a Nintendo Switch. Battery life on the Quest 2 is about two to three hours, but that’s usually fine for most VR sessions, as it’s good to take a break and dip back into the real world at least every hour or so.
Sony Playstation VR. If you happen to own the PlayStation console, the Sony PlayStation VR headset is the other incredibly mainstream-friendly VR headset worth your time. Design-wise, the headset gets high marks on comfort, but at roughly five years old it doesn’t represent all of the modern features present in newer VR headsets, such as adjustments to focus your vision and better graphics. That said, what the system lacks in cutting-edge polish, it makes up for through its access to the PlayStation’s vast trove of games. However, a new version of the VR headset is due next year.
FOR MORE ADVANCED USERS
Ready for better graphics and more sophisticated controls? These are the consoles for you.
Valve Index. If cost is no barrier, and you prefer to dive into the deep end right away, then the Valve Index system ($999) is for you. The system boasts some of the best graphics and leading-edge controllers in the VR space, and its manufacturer, Valve, owns Steam—which offers most of the VR experiences outside of the Meta Quest 2 ecosystem.
Since the Valve Index is more focused on quality of experience over convenience, the headset uses a tether to a Windows PC to power the VR experiences. Also, it uses base station sensors that need to be positioned in your space to help the hardware precisely track your movements.
Other options. There are other options, like the HP Reverb G2 ($599), which is top of the class in terms of sheer visual quality. There’s also the VIVE Pro 2 ($799), which boasts the long VR track record of reliability from HTC and offers a wireless adapter if you’d like to do away with the PC tether. But if you’re entering into advanced mode, the Valve Index is best in class.
—Adario Strange, media & entertainment reporter (reading Simulacra and Simulation for the 20th time to interpret what I’m seeing in the metaverse)
ONE 🥽 THING
Stanford, Silicon Valley’s training ground for elite engineers and executives, has been at the forefront of VR research for many years. This year, the school launched its first university course to be taught completely in VR: “Virtual People.” In it, students got to build interactive scenes and experience VR’s applications firsthand by meditating in space, learning about football plays, or empathizing with others by actually being in their shoes.
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Good morning, Marketers, pricing is also messaging.
I was interviewing an expert in dynamic pricing when I first learned about this. Although pricing sounds like a more sales-driven strategy, it can also be part of that blend of positive impressions that marketers communicate to their customers. It’s new, it’s improved, it’s $3.99.
With prices on the rise for many goods and services, this will likely require additional messaging to cushion the blow. Probably the best approach to take is to be transparent. For instance, music fans might complain about the fees added by ticket services, but they are all listed in the order (venue fee, service fee, shipping and processing), and customers still go to the shows.
Or you can introduce a wider range of price options, and put your customer in the driver’s seat. Some budget airlines took this approach by allowing customers to choose the in-air comforts they’d like to have, which they can buy a la carte.
Of course, live entertainment and air travel are two industries closely watching the latest news on the Omicron variant. We’ve also kept a close watch on how marketers are responding in our Events Participation Index.
Chris Wood,
Editor
Quote of the Day. “Virtual conferencing is a sea change and a lifestyle change. It provides many of the benefits but significantly saves time and capital. Simply mail the SWAG (and spend less because the tire-kickers won’t be grabbing handfuls of your pens!) and use a solid marketing agency to provide killer presos.” – Respondent to the Events Participation Index
About The Author
Chris Wood draws on over 15 years of reporting experience as a B2B editor and journalist. At DMN, he served as associate editor, offering original analysis on the evolving marketing tech landscape. He has interviewed leaders in tech and policy, from Canva CEO Melanie Perkins, to former Cisco CEO John Chambers, and Vivek Kundra, appointed by Barack Obama as the country’s first federal CIO. He is especially interested in how new technologies, including voice and blockchain, are disrupting the marketing world as we know it. In 2019, he moderated a panel on “innovation theater” at Fintech Inn, in Vilnius. In addition to his marketing-focused reporting in industry trades like Robotics Trends, Modern Brewery Age and AdNation News, Wood has also written for KIRKUS, and contributes fiction, criticism and poetry to several leading book blogs. He studied English at Fairfield University, and was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. He lives in New York.
A radical plan to implement cryptocurrency regulations in Australia was announced yesterday
The plan is being seen as the biggest shakeup to the country’s financial system in 25 years
A number of government departments are involved, with the Treasury heading up the plans
Australian cryptocurrency regulations currently under discussion would represent the biggest financial policy shift in 25 years, according to reports from the country. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s plan for new crypto regulations has been touted as the biggest overhaul of the country’s payments system in over two decades, and will include a licensing regime and new custody rules for assets, showcasing the growth of cryptocurrency in Australia.
Treasury Takes Control of Crypto Regulations
News of the planned crypto regulations came yesterday when the quarterly Council of Financial Regulators’ report included a statement that endorsed the treasurer’s plans to create a regulatory framework for digital assets and map out next steps.
The Council of Financial Regulators comprises the Australian Reserve Bank, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, and the Treasury, which will create and enforce the new laws.
Working Group Comprised of Several Government Departments
A new Working Group on the Regulation of the Crypto-Ecosystem will be tasked with implementing the crypto-asset reforms and making any changes along the road, while a separate working group will focus on de-banking in the fintech, crypto-asset and remittance sectors, as well as the government’s request for advice on policy responses. This group also includes the council members, along with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre and the Department of Home Affairs.
Australia announced a national blockchain roadmap in 2018, which saw Australian blockchain projects awarded $100,000 AUD for development of the nascent sector.