Tova Morgan Gelfond

I just wrapped up a fascinating chat with Michael Quu about DARPA - the agency behind everything from the internet to GPS and, yes, even SpaceX's humble beginnings. 🚀🔬 Turns out, the "D" in DARPA doesn't just stand for Defense, but also for "Damn, they invented that too?" 😉 Curious about the origins of the cutting-edge tech shaping our future? Check out our discussion on Michael's Learn Something New podcast. Link below! (And if you're still hungry for more DARPA, head to my website for links to my books, including my free ebook on pitching ideas to DARPA). #DARPA #InnovationNation #TechTalk https://lnkd.in/eKEPdff9

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Read this part twice, "in order to identify issues and THEN address them." Seek to understand and then to solve. Also...processes can be tested; communications can be tested. Not everything is/or requires a tech solution. #citizenexperience #equity #efficiency #bpr

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It's hard to remember the last time I've seen such unabashed favor from the press for a product launch. Take this sweet lil' nugget from Gear Patrol: "If anyone was going to come up with a viable camper solution for the new ID. Buzz, it’s Peace Vans. Peace Vans has unveiled three distinct conversions for the first ID. Buzz camper conversions for the American market, with each one catering to a different type of camper. The Buzz.Box is the most basic conversion and consists of a custom-built rear chef’s kitchen. The unit replaces the van’s third row of seating and can be extended out from the rear of the van. It offers such options as a 35L refrigerator, an integrated cooktop, a sink and more. The Buzz.Box.Sleeper is the next step up. It features the same kitchen unit as the Buzz.Box but adds a nearly-queen-sized bed that is placed over the folded-down second-row seats. Finally, there’s the Buzz.Camper, which is a complete gut job that converts the ID. Buzz into a true mobile home. The second and third rows are both removed from the van and are replaced with a custom lounge area that converts into a bed, along with a full interior kitchen and storage cabinets." Shoutout to Harley Sitner for his incredible media instincts, for letting me work so freely, and for creating a product that's generating so much love. https://lnkd.in/gj886S2m

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My colleagues and I recently attended the Washington Space Business Roundtable Luncheon to learn more about the next generation of launch in the space economy. Did you know... 🚀 The increasing number of launch companies is matched by a growing demand for their services. This demand enables startups worldwide to compete and secure their market share, despite the significant expansion of major players like SpaceX over the past decade. 🚀 The space launch market has increasingly democratized and some of the most exciting startups can be found across both North America and Asia. 🚀 With the surge in satellite launches each month, concerns about space debris are escalating among satellite companies, service providers, and national governments. More efforts are needed in this area to prevent potential major catastrophes.

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If you're interested in why political campaigns are like they are, I recommend Producing Politics by researcher Daniel Laurison. https://lnkd.in/er6QUu_E The tl;dr is they rely on polling, focus groups, and message testing conducted by careerist campaign professionals. These politicos (let alone the communication teams of people in office) do not do qualitative sociological work to actually understand the the mindsets and motivations of the people they are trying to reach. And often the candidates themselves have little say in how their campaigns are run.

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You’ve probably seen a lot of headlines pointing out that red states outpace blue states with clean tech growth — including here at Cipher! — so we set out to dig deeper to determine the “why” behind this trend by interviewing renewable energy developers, lawyers, economists and analysts involved in the U.S. energy transition. The answer lies in a mix of natural resources and regulatory policies that give these states “the competitive edge,” especially when IRA credits are factored in, said Peter Gardett, head of research at Karbone, a New York-based firm specializing in decarbonization and renewable markets. In other words, development goes where the economics make sense — even if the politics don’t. Read more from Amena H. Saiyid in Cipher News:

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"To understand and act upon the potential of the next frontier, we need to move beyond the handful of state-controlled space agencies and billionaire-funded ventures that currently run the industry. We need to create pathways to participation that are not contingent on nationality, socioeconomic background, or academic discipline." Great op-ed in SpaceNews by Sam Hutchison, co-founder of Space Exploration and Research Agency, on democratizing space access for all. https://lnkd.in/eZPuKQ83

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For consumers, this is a huge win. For the digital product designers in the house, this gives us leverage to push back on those employers/clients who want to employ deceptive tactics and convoluted patterns that prevent users from being able to easily cancel things they signed up for. 💪🏼 https://lnkd.in/eiphPWCQ

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Question for my industry friends: Does anyone know where to find metrics for benchmark marketing KPIs, either from OEMs or beyond? I found one article, but it was only three types, so I'm still on the hunt. I got some written down at #DMSC, but I'm specifically looking for ones around advertising campaigns, not just website traffic/activity. Basically, numbers that CEOs want to see from a marketing team 😊 Thanks in advance!

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Spirit's demise may be due to 'Airline-o-nomics,' but it's also a failure to communicate and market. Did the PR Department miss the Consumer Satisfaction ratings? https://lnkd.in/eTEfpezx #publicrelations #PR #corporatecommunication #crisismanagement #finance #Baruch #NYU #FDU #FIT #Airlines #marketing #customersatisfaction #profit #spiritairlines #

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Crisis management requires foresight, and attacking the legal system only complicates efforts to rebuild trust. Erin Powers, founder of Powers MediaWorks, underscored the need for prevention and foresight. "The important lesson organizational leaders can learn is the importance of prevention and risk management. Someone needs to be asking: ‘What risks do we face and how will we respond?’" Balancing legal defense with public communication is challenging, particularly when trying to preserve political capital, and being combative could backfire. https://bit.ly/3XK5kKV #CommPRO #PR

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The reinstatement of Net Neutrality regulations got buried under news coverage of the TikTok “ban” bill, but last week’s FCC decision shouldn’t go unnoticed by marketers. Affordable, accessible bandwidth is essential to our business and our clients’ business. The video and tech heavy experiences that have come to define so much of modern PR and marketing rely upon broadband. I’ve long been a proponent of a broadband program similar to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (which helped get bypassed Americans on the power grid). While we aren’t there yet, restoring Net Neutrality and looking at broadband through the regulatory lens of public utilities will likely speed infrastructure expansion. To use a railroad metaphor: the fastest train in the world can only run at the speeds its track allows. Comms and PR people can create the most innovative experiences, but they will always be constrained by bandwidth. The more that true broadband coverage is available, the faster our ideas will run. NPR published a great primer on net neutrality last week that is worth a read if you need to get up to speed: https://lnkd.in/ecNp9vmf #broadband #netneutrality #PR #digitalmarketing #bandwidth #FCC #BidenAdministration #ruralbroadband #InternetAccess

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New directions from Office of Management and Budget for agencies for how to successfully, securely, safely buy #AI tools and technologies. My story breaks down the new 36-page memo.

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Health privacy is breached every day online. Most Americans don’t realize their Amazon info is being aggregated with Google searches, news browsing, FB/Instagram/TikTok posts & more. So our entire online experience, including health, is being sifted for marketing. Two LDI fellows, Ari Friedman and Matt McCoy, showed how hospitals and abortion clinics are just as likely as others to track users and pass on the info to aggregators. Check out this LDI piece that lays it out. #https://lnkd.in/eetqaPi3

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Massive buy ... puts her on the same level as any wireless carrier... CPG product, or telecommunications company. Aviation executives - it would be best if you took note. Her problem is about as complicated as yours. You may or may not like her - that's not the point. Like many of you, she's trying to reach a largely balkanized market. She could have decided to go the route most of you choose, namely, hire more salespeople. Now in her case, they wouldn't call it that... it's called "GOTV" or "Get out the vote." But it's basically the same idea... hire people to go out, and convince people to vote for her. In your case, you go out and hire salespeople to beat the bushes and try and convince people to buy from you. Her advisers didn't do that. Instead, they will drop this massive media buy in the battleground states. The two solutions would probably have cost roughly the same, but they wouldn't have the same result. That's why the advisers chose the ads over the door knockers. Why? Spoiler alert - advertising works. Notice also that most of the advertising is going to be programmatic. This doesn't surprise me either. Allows the ads to be tailored, targeted, monitored, and basically chase people around everywhere they go. Programmatic now can be cross-platform as well, so you can start chasing people on their phone, get them again while they're at work on their desktop, and then chase them some more when they come home and are on their iPad or their smart TV, and in some cases, their actual TV (depending on who their provider is for television service.) For the past seven or so years, I have been battling politicians from August to November every two years in terms of programmatic budgets. They cause all kinds of distortions in my media buying habits. Over the past two years, it has been getting even worse as more money has flowed into the system. Then, after election day, it all falls off a cliff. So, whether you like her or not is irrelevant. What is relevant is looking at the tactic. The stakes for her are just as high as they are for you, and her advisers chose advertising - not sales. Why? Because they judged that tactic will give them the best chance of success. And they believe it in so much, they're going to bet over a quarter of a billion dollars and their futures on it. This probably is the largest media buy in the history of politics. It is roughly the entire size of what the George W. Bush campaign raised in 2004 (a campaign I participated in back in the day). So it's a massive buy ... to give people an idea as to the scope. I don't know if I agree with the statement that it's the largest digital influence campaign ever, but, it's probably true if you want to add the qualifier of "political." And why? Again, because advertising works.

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Miami's Art Basel is about a month out and there are still a lot of great opportunities for brands to get involved at this cultural tentpole festival in December. This article came out today and was a good reminder for my friends at brands that sponsorships aren't just partnerships; they're a powerful driver of visibility, growth, and authentic audience engagement. And to my friends organizing events, this article lays out a case for what truly makes these partnerships successful. Alignment with Values – Authenticity matters. Brands invest in sponsorships that resonate with their core values and identity, building genuine connections and boosting consumer trust. Mutually Beneficial Partnerships – Successful sponsorships create win-win scenarios. Both brands and rights holders thrive when goals align. Clear Metrics – Measurable outcomes are a must. Data-driven insights reveal what works and enable brands to optimize strategies. Exclusivity & Differentiation – Standing out in a crowded market is vital, and brands seek unique opportunities to amplify their impact. Sponsorships are about more than deals—they’re about connections, growth, and strategy. Although there are more things popping up all of the time, we have a deep understanding of what’s happening this year during Miami Art Week and a lot of ways for brands to get involved. Marketers, hit me up if you want to discuss. And event organizers, please let me know what you have cooking as we might have some partners that want to get involved. https://lnkd.in/ejF_dsMc

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Over the last couple weeks, GAP’s #GetLoose video campaign, featuring Troye Sivan and a lot of denim, has taken off and providable a valuable playbook for brands. With memorable choreography underscored by Thundercat's infectious “Funny Thing,” GAP has continued to demonstrate their ability to not only show off the utility and style of their clothes, but affirm that the GAP is now a cool brand that is tapped into the culture. From the jump, the creative team made a great move featuring Troye Sivan, who has a strong, consistent connection with audiences on social platforms. An artist like Troye, who not only touches the music, dance, and TV/film communities, makes a clear impact in Gen-Z audiences, and is going to get eyes on an ad even if it’s just dancing in an ensemble. With that said, one of the key points one can use to evaluate an artist’s brand partnership value potential goes back to the old adage that you’re judged by the company you keep. An artist may be relatively niche, but if they’re backed by and bring in the fanbases of other artists, that is a major value add. Well… Troye Sivan is currently co-headlining a tour with Charlie XCX, and if the queen of Gen-Z marketing is besties with someone, it’s a good sign. Though I say all of this with the caveat that even without a big artist partnership, this is a great ad. Today, many brands chose to create ads that are either highly stylized, abstract, or over the top, and while this of course can produce some awesome campaigns, there is coolness in simplicity. GAP’s ad with Troye, similar to their project with Tyla earlier this year, simply utilizes dance to show the utility and style of their clothes. These campaigns, supported by trending songs, now have millions of hits and thousands of TikTokers recreating the videos and running to Gap stores. Utilizing an undeniably groovy song that has long been popular across platforms (especially TikTok) by an artist like Thundercat (who fans and people tapped into the music industry love), was a choice which also definitely set this ad up for success. It’s an infectious sound that sticks with you and allows for easy replayability and trend-potential. And, it goes without saying that epic, memorable, and unique choreography by Sergio Reis created something that audiences would see and instantly want to learn, engage with, and share. Of course, the styling of the outfits also directly reflects some genuine Gen-Z fashion trends, creating a sense of relatability and desirability for those watching. I myself even thought about heading to the nearest GAP to try and recreate the look. To sum it up, in the #GetLoose campaign, GAP showed the utility and style of their clothes while showing they are a brand that is undeniably tapped into the culture. With this, the ad would likely work the same if instead of clothes, one wanted to market something like a speaker or headphones. So, take notes. #productmarketing #brandpartnerships #branding #fashion

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