PEOPLES INSIGHTS MONTHLY BRIEF: AUGUST & SEPTEMBER

Innovation
without
Boundaries
Photo: epSos.de on Flickr

Introduction

Index

Business - A force for good

Building ecosystems

Digital privacy

Bonus
insights

About Peoples
Insights

Innovation without Boundaries

In todays tech-driven world, innovation is a necessity
for business. Its a stepping stone for new entrants to
the market, and its increasingly crucial for
established players.
To stay relevant in this age of big bang disruption, tech-driven start ups need to continue
to innovate, maintain their speed of growth, and predict (and deliver on) the next big
thing. Established businesses need to re-examine their business models to address the
threats from disruptive players.
The ever-evolving digital playground acts as a double-edged sword. It forces businesses
to stay on their toes, while also allowing them to experiment with unchartered territories.
People are growing increasingly aware of how businesses impact society at large, and a
collective conscience is on the rise. They expect businesses to solve todays big
challenges, to become change-makers and to lead the way to a better tomorrow.

Introducing: Innovation without Boundaries

BIG BANG DISRUPTION

In six years, Airbnb has impacted the
hospitality industry significantly. Between
2011 and 2013, Airbnb cut the revenues of
the hotel industry by 5% in the states
where it was most active.
Meanwhile, Uber, has the taxi industry in
an array, and the auto sector worried that
people will be less inclined to own cars in
the future.

Yet, Airbnb owns no properties, and Uber

owns no cars.

Introduction

Index

Business - A force for good

Building ecosystems

Digital privacy

Bonus
insights

About Peoples
Insights

In this issue of the Peoples Insights monthly brief, we

explore 9 trends that demonstrate that business as
usual is dead, and that technology is redefining
business models, ethics and responsibilities.
Making business a force for good
The concept of butterfly effect comes to mind here, with some businesses responding
in big ways to customers reactions, and other businesses launching their own
movements for good.
1. Delta Air Lines bans big-game trophies After global backlash over the killing of
Cecil the Lion by an American dentist in Africa, Delta Air Lines announced they were
banning shipments of big-game trophies.

What is off the hinges of custom,

people believe to be off the hinges of
reason.
- Michel de Montaigne

2. Nike Flyease In response to a letter from a young boy with cerebral palsy, Nike
created a line of shoes for disabled athletes.

Introducing: Innovation without Boundaries

Introduction

Index

Business - A force for good

Building ecosystems

Digital privacy

Bonus
insights

About Peoples
Insights

3. Burger Kings McWhopper proposal to McDonalds Burger King invited rival McDonalds to
come together for International Peace Day to jointly create the McWhopper burger.
4. Googles Project Sunroof Google now lets people map the solar potential of their roofs, right
from their homes.
5. Chivas Regals The Venture The liquor brand brings back its innovation challenge for a
second season, to encourage social entrepreneurship.

Building ecosystems
If businesses dont evolve in response to changing market conditions and peoples evolving needs,
they risk losing their competitive edge. This is especially true for leading social networks and apps
which need to build ecosystems to keep attracting people (old and new) and to develop revenue
streams.
6. Twitters Buy Now button Twitter is now expanding its Buy button to allow anyone to sell via
tweets.
7. Ubers Arriving Now and Airbnbs Pineapple Coincidently, both start ups are experimenting
with their own print magazines.

Introducing: Innovation without Boundaries

Photo: chico945 on Flickr

Introduction

Index

Business - A force for good

Building ecosystems

Digital privacy

Bonus
insights

About Peoples
Insights

Digital privacy how much is at stake?

Social networks may have largely proliferated almost every aspect of civilian and
business life, but worries over data privacy and misuse remain one of the biggest
concerns among businesses, governments and citizens alike.
We seem to be at a cross-roads of the privacy issue. What happens though, as
more and more businesses that promise transparency and privacy get embroiled
in data-related crises?
8. AshleyMadison Hack The hacking of AshleyMadison, a website that
enables extra-marital affairs, and the subsequent leak of its database
demonstrates the devastating impact of privacy breaches.
9. Twitter shuts down Politwoops Twitter revoked access to its API to
Politwoops, a website that archived politicians deleted tweets, raising
concerns about Twitter going against transparency.

Photo: Paul Downey on Flickr

Introducing: Innovation without Boundaries

Introduction

Index

Business - A force for good

Building ecosystems

Digital privacy

Bonus
insights

About Peoples
Insights

Making business a force for good

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Delta Air Lines bans big-game trophies

Nike Flyease
Burger Kings McWhopper proposal to McDonalds
Googles Project Sunroof
Chivas Regals The Venture

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16
20
24
27

Diversifying to create more business value

6. Twitters Buy Now button
7. Ubers Arriving Now & Airbnbs Pineapple

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Digital privacy how much is at stake?

8. AshleyMadison Hack
9. Twitter shuts down Politwoops

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Bonus Insights

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Index

Photo: Leo Grbler on Flickr

Making business a
force for good

Introduction

Index

Business - A force for good

Building ecosystems

Digital privacy

Bonus
insights

About Peoples
Insights

Delta Air Lines bans big-game trophies

Public outcry over an international incident often has
the power to spark debates around seldom
discussed or controversial topics.
One notable such incident from this year has been the hunting down and
killing of Cecil the Lion a much-loved and famous member of
Zimbabwes Hwange National Park by an American dentist. After the
dentist was identified as the person who allegedly lured Cecil out of his
protected enclosure to kill him, the internet was flooded with incensed
reactions from across the world, from civilians and animal welfare activists.
So impassioned was the backlash that barely a week after the incident,
Delta Air Lines, which flies direct to South Africa, announced that it would
no longer allow the shipment of endangered animal trophies (or big-game
trophies) on its flights.
Deltas move was a direct result of a change.org petition urging the
airline to end the shipment of big-game trophies. With its decision,
Delta is joining (and inspiring) an increasing number of airlines who have
taken a stand against safari hunting, and in favor of conservation of
Africas celebrated Big Five: the lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino.

Delta Air Lines bans big-game trophies

The petition on change.org

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Public sentiment is pushing companies to rethink their business policies

The hunting of Cecil by a tourist brought to light the significant role airlines play in propagating trophy
kills. Export of exotic animal hunting trophies is big business, both for the hunters and the airlines that
carry them in their cargo.
Its interesting to note that a few months before the incident, Delta issued a statement saying that they
would continue the shipment of trophy kills, as long as they were legal. The intense backlash post Cecils
death pushed the company to change its stand. In addition to Delta, American airlines and United
airways have made similar announcements. An international group of airlines is calling for an industrywide ban against carry hunting trophies.

Via Consumerist

The incident also triggered reactions from various establishments the Empire State Building paid its first
ever video tribute to honor Cecil and other endangered animals; and plush-toy maker Ty launched Cecil
the Lion toys to raise funds for endangered animals.
The internet has resulted in a world where news has no borders. Businesses are more scrutinized than
ever for their behaviors, and are expected to act in a socially responsible manner. Deltas change of heart
is indicative of the growing trend or rather, priority amongst companies to become more purpose
oriented.
via Washington Post
Also read: Customers boycott UPS and FedEx after firms REFUSE to stop shipping big game hunt trophies
Delta Air Lines bans big-game trophies

Introduction

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Business - A force for good

Building ecosystems

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About Peoples
Insights

Nike Flyease
Matthew Walzer penned an open letter to Nike CEO Mark Parker in the
summer of 2012, about living with cerebral palsy and the difficulty in tying
shoe laces. Little did he know that it would be the start of a long
association with Nike.
In his letter, Matthew described how despite overcoming several physical
challenges, something as simple as tying his shoes was among the most
difficult tasks for him. As someone planning to attend college soon, the
concern was real and pressing for Matthew. His simple request to

Nike was to consider designing a shoe that would enable him

and countless others like him to overcome this challenge and
be more independent.
His letter, simply known as the #NikeLetter, quickly became viral on social
media. It caught the attention of Mark Parker, who promptly alerted Nikes
senior director of athletic innovation Tobie Hatfield. This led to a three-year
development process, resulting in the creation of the Zoom Soldier 8
Flyease - a new line of footwear with an easy-entry mechanism that
people with muscle disabilities can wear without any difficulty, and
most importantly, on their own.

Nike Flyease

Originally posted at Matthews blog

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Listening and acting to make a difference

When Tobie Hatfield came across the letter, he was incidentally working
with Paralympians to address the same challenges Matthew faced, and
also with the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Matthews letter inspired his
team to further innovate and make the shoe available in the market for
everyday people. He invited Matthew on board and with his inputs,
perfected the Flyease technology for its special line of shoes.
Hatfield says, The main thing was about him getting in the

shoes, adjusting the shoes, closing the shoes, and then

be able to get out of the shoes, all by himself.
The Zoom Soldier 8 Flyease launched earlier this year. It was inspired by
Matthews favorite basketball star LeBron James. And, Nike sent the
shoes to two U.S. basketball teams participating in the 2015 Special
Olympics World Summer Games.
The Flyease technology will next be used to make running shoes for
disabled athletes. The shoe could be a life-changer for many people and
brings to life Nikes motto - If you have a body, you are an athlete.

Nike Flyease

Matthew with the Flyease prototype, and the Zoom Soldier 8 FLYEASE. Photo: Nike

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He inspired us at Nike to be able to bring something special for the

masses. I think its an unbelievable story, and Im very honored and
very blessed that my shoe is part of the whole project. The
inspiration that he gave us is going to last for a lifetime.
LeBron James
Basketball Player

Nike Flyease

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Introduction

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Business - A force for good

Building ecosystems

Digital privacy

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About Peoples
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Burger Kings McWhopper proposal to McDonalds

It might be the age of smart partnerships and
collaboration, but its hard to imagine some rival
brands working together. Take fast-food chains
Burger King and McDonalds, for example.
In a recent campaign though, thats exactly what Burger King suggested
that the two come together to create the McWhopper, a fusion of their
bestselling Big Mac and Whopper burgers. Burger King suggested this as
a way to settle the beef in honor of International Day of Peace,
observed by the United Nations on September 21st.
The initiative involved operating a pop-up restaurant for one day at Atlanta
mid-way from Burger Kings HQ at Miami and McDonalds HQ in
Chicago. The pop-up restaurant would be staffed by employees of both
companies, and the branding would be a mash-up of the two companies
brand elements.
The larger purpose of this collaboration was to raise awareness for Peace
One Day, a non-profit that helped establish the annual day of global
ceasefire and non-violence.

Burger Kings McWhopper Proposal to McDonalds

twitter.com/BurgerKing

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Burger King launched the campaign with full-page print ads in The
Chicago Tribune and The New York Times, which read, We come in
peace. We know weve had our petty differences, but how about we call a
cease-fire on these so-called burger-wars?
Burger King also published a video and a website explaining how the
initiative would work and how customers could pay for the burger by
simply pledging to end the beef with someone.

People loved it.

The McWhopper proposal dominated conversations on the day, as people
shared their reactions to the concept and speculated on McDonalds
response. More importantly, Burger Kings proposal brought

peoples attention to the upcoming International Peace Day.

The campaign also established Burger King as the good guy leading
change and peace-keeping efforts with its larger rival McDonalds.

Watch Burger Kings proposal

Burger Kings McWhopper Proposal to McDonalds

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Building ecosystems

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About Peoples
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McDonalds rejection = a missed opportunity?

McDonalds rejected the proposal on Facebook, with a note from CEO
Steve Easterbrook. Rather than partnering with Burger King to create the
McWhopper, McDonalds proposed a larger more meaningful effort to
address the suffering of war: We love the intention but think our two
brands could do something bigger to make a difference.
People following the incident found the response to be smug, and lent
their support to Burger King. In fact, so many people took Burger Kings
side on social media, that it seems McDonalds may have missed an
opportunity or lost this battle with Burger King.
Burger King ultimately went ahead with its Peace Day plans, partnering
with Dennys, Krystal, Giraffas and Wayback Burgers.
And McDonalds led a multi-industry effort to support the UNs World Food
Programme in raising awareness about the impact of food assistance, on
International Peace Day. Burger King participated and applauded
McDonalds efforts. But these developments made far fewer headlines
than the initial proposal and rejection.
These represent the majority of the responses to McDonalds rejection (1, 2 and 3).

Burger Kings McWhopper Proposal to McDonalds

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Business - A force for good

Building ecosystems

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About Peoples
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The thing I love about the McWhopper Project, is it walks the walk,
it leads by example and demonstrates a genuine commitment to
Peace Day, and a more peaceful and sustainable world. Corporate
activism on this scale creates mass awareness and awareness
creates action and action saves lives.
Jeremy Gilley
Founder, Peace One Day

Burger Kings McWhopper Proposal to McDonalds

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Googles Project Sunroof

While more people are becoming familiar with the concept of rooftop
solar, they are not as quick to install solar power systems in their
homes. It seems to be a complicated process with a steep learning
curve from figuring out how much energy ones home can produce
to finding the right solar power partner.
Google knows this because these are the kind of questions people enter into its
search engine while looking for information around solar power. The rising
inclination towards solar-powered homes and the confusion around it gave
Google engineering lead Carl Elkin the idea for Project Sunroof .
Project Sunroof is a new tool that answers peoples solar energy-related questions
with personalized recommendations and suggestions. Users simply need to
provide their address and average monthly electric bill, and Project Sunroof uses
existing data from Google Earth and Google Maps to determine how much energy
a users roof receives, how many solar panels they may need, and how much
money they could save. As a final step, it also suggests solar power providers
within the users vicinity that they could get in touch with.
At present, Google is testing Project Sunroof in three cities Boston, San
Francisco and Fresno with plans to eventually introduce it worldwide.

Googles Project Sunroof

Watch Introducing Project Sunroof

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Google is broadening its environment stewardship and sustainability

offer.
As one of the worlds largest and most influential corporations, Google is expected to lead action for
some of the most pressing challenges the world faces today, like clean energy. In 2011, Google created
a $280 million fund with American solar company SolarCity to support residential solar
installations. In 2013, Google financed a part of South Africas largest solar power plant.

With Project Sunroof, Google is simplifying solar power for people, with easy-to-access and relevant,
personalized, information. This could significantly help more people determine the potential of solar
energy in their own homes.
The big question comes down to this can Google do for solar energy what it did for search
engine?

Photo: Google

Googles Project Sunroof

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Ive always been surprised at how many people I encounter who

think that my roof isnt sunny enough for solar, or solar is just too
expensive. Certainly many of them are missing out on a chance to
save money and be green.
Carl Elkin
Engineering Lead for Project Sunroof

Googles Project Sunroof

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Chivas Regals The Venture

Start-up culture has rapidly caught on in the past decade,
and a sub-culture has grown within it that of social
entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurship involves
building businesses that, in addition to making profits,
also focus on driving positive change by addressing social
problems.
Young entrepreneurs are driving this trend, and the number of social enterprises in
the world is on the rise. For example, in the UK 70,000 social enterprises contribute
18.5 billion to the economy (2012).
Large corporations are eager to encourage this trend and support social
businesses, as part of their own corporate social responsibility, brand
purpose, innovation and business diversification. Take liquor giant Chivas
Regals The Venture a global project aimed at funding start-ups that benefit local
communities or solve global problems. The Venture is a global social innovation
challenge that gives entrepreneurs the chance to win a portion of $1 million,
participate in an accelerator program and gain access mentors.
Launched in 2014, The Venture is back for season two.

Chivas Regals The Venture

Photo: Chivas The Venture

Chivas: Win the right way

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16 social entrepreneurs, 16 countries

Earlier this year, social entrepreneurs from 16 countries participated in the final round of
The Venture, pitching their idea to judges and competing for funds. Their experience,
and the shortlisting of the candidates has been captured in a video-series (available on
YouTube). 16 winners, from 16 countries participated in the accelerator program.
Chivas also partnered with crowdfunding site Indiegogo, to give people a chance
to participate and support their favorite entrepreneurs. On Indiegogo, people could
vote to tell Chivas how to divide $250,000 from the $1 million prize money. In addition,
people could give funds directly to the social entrepreneurs each entrepreneur had
their own Indiegogo crowdfunding page. In all, the entrepreneurs raised US 1.1 million.
The contest culminated with Chilean food distribution enterprise Algramo emerging as
the winner, and was given the largest share of the $1 million fund - $ 300,000 to further
develop their idea.
The first seasons was so popular with 1,000 entries from across the world that
Chivas decided to launch it again. Fresh applications are already being accepted, and
the winner is slated to be announced in 2016. Chivas also announced plans to launch
an Australian version of The Venture.
The five finalists on The Venture. Photo: The Venture

Chivas Regals The Venture

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About Peoples
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More and more people today want to be actively involved in

making a difference, and many are seeking the
entrepreneurial route to do so.
Theres a growing awareness that business can be a force for good, that
purpose-driven businesses can change lives for the better. People are
beginning to realize that its difficult for non-profits to alone effect change at
a large scale businesses need to step in to accelerate it.

Collaborative social innovation challenges can be a good way for large

businesses to support social entrepreneurship.
Read about a similar initiative by Coca-Cola, the Coca-Cola Founders
Program through which the company is partnering with entrepreneurs,
and using its own scale and expertise to help them achieve scale.

The 16 social entrepreneurs participating in The Venture, facebook.com/livewithchivalry

Chivas Regals The Venture

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Photo: John Morgan on Flickr

Building
Ecosystems

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Twitters Buy Now button

E-commerce has grown exponentially is now a $220
billion industry, growing at almost 20% per year.
Social networks want a share of this Facebook and
Pinterest have been testing ways to incorporate ecommerce within their networks. And joining this list
is Twitter.
Twitter recently announced that it will be adding Buy Now buttons in
tweets for users and merchants in the U.S.. This feature was first tested
last September users were allowed to make purchases directly from
Twitter, without having to visit an external website.
Twitter has partnered with e-commerce giants Bigcommerce,
Demandware, payment service Stripe Relay and retailers and brands like
Best Buy, Adidas and PacSun for this venture
Twitters other e-commerce pilot projects include Twitter Offers (which
work by syncing offers directly to credit or debit cards) and curators
collections (which allows celebrities to create a shop-front of their
products on Twitter).

Twitters Buy Now Button

Photo: Twitter

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Are people ready for social commerce?

There is data to support that e-commerce on the mobile, or m-commerce, is on the
rise - 50.3% of e-commerce traffic originates mobile devices and 43% of those who
shop on smartphones make a purchase. But this is when people use their mobile
devices specifically to make a purchase. Social networks are peoples social
sanctuaries theyre used to make and maintain social connections, and to share
their lives with their peers.
People are already engaging with brands and advertisements on social networks,
but how receptive will they be on being sold something directly within their personal
space? The key is for social networks to integrate e-commerce in a non-intrusive
manner, and for brands to find creative ways to promote these .

Photo: Twitter

Twitters Buy Now Button

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Our customers live on Twitter, so giving them an easy way to buy

products that they discover in their Twitter feed, without leaving the
app, is a no-brainer. Because social media is our single most
important marketing tool today, social commerce is obviously a key
part of our overarching strategy. Anything we can do to shorten the
gap between social engagement and shopping is a top priority.
Gary Schoenfeld
PacSun CEO

Twitters Buy Now Button

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Ubers Arriving Now & Airbnbs Pineapple

Brands that are successful in the sharing economy
space and exploring ways to strengthen their
communities and tell their stories.
Uber recently launched Arriving Now an in-car magazine for Uber rides
in New York. The first issue of Arriving Now coincided with Fashion Week
New York in September, and is packed with pro tips, hotspots, and
exclusive details about upcoming promotions.
Similarly, Airbnb, rolled out the first issue of its magazine Pineapple last
winter. Pineapple is sold in bookstores and retailers across North America
and Europe, and was made available to Airbnb hosts in the 30,000 cities
and 192 countries where it operates.
Both companies have a strong user base. The exploration of printmagazines seems to be a way to further strengthen their USPs (especially
in the case of Uber which has re-coded the taxi experience), and to create
a platform for rich stories (in the case of Airbnb). And, as some point out
to experiment with an additional source of revenue.
Photo: Arriving Now

Ubers Arriving Now & Airbnbs Pineapple

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The potential benefits of introducing a magazine are

exciting. The concept has been around in the airline
industry for both. Its a natural next step for Uber and
Airbnb, to help their communities explore their own
city or cities they are traveling to. And it gives
brands an avenue to reach Uber and Airbnbs savvy
much-coveted customer base.
While this is Ubers first ever in-car magazines for customers, it isnt the
first time the company has ventured into content publishing. In March this
year, Uber rolled out Momentum a quarterly magazine for its drivers. An
employee communication of sorts, Momentum contains articles on health
& wellness, information about the new Uber-city Austin, as well as tips
from a seasoned Uber driver.
Buts worth noting that Airbnb hasnt launched a second edition yet. This
could imply the experiment didnt meet expectations especially
considering Airbnbs Pineapple was launched a year ago. It will be
interesting to see how Arriving Now pans out for Uber.

Ubers ;Arriving Now & Airbnbs Pineapple

Photo: Airbnb

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The primary audience for the magazine is our community around

the world who want to experience cities in new ways. It gets under
the skin of cities in a way that people really desire these days.
Christopher Lukezic
Pineapple Publisher

Ubers Arriving Now & Airbnbs Pineapple

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Photo: Sebastiaan ter Burg on Flickr

Digital privacy
How much is at
stake?

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AshleyMadison Hack
The number of high-profile cyber attacks from Sony
Pictures November 2014 hack to health-insurer Premera Blue
Cross hack earlier in March 2015 have been on the rise in
the recent past, and seem to be getting more serious with
each case.
In July this year, another instance of a cyber attack that
captured peoples attention globally was the hacking of
AshleyMadison, a dating website that caters to married people
looking for extramarital affairs.
The hackers attacked the website and stole the companys user database.
Then, they threatened to make it public if owner Avid Life Media didnt
permanently shut down AshleyMadison and its sister website, Established
Men. Avid Life Media refused to comply and the hackers leaked more than
25 gigabytes of data on August 18th and August 20th.
Sensitive information like name, address, phone numbers and partial
credit card details of more than 33 million users were compromised, along
with internal company information.
via The Guardian

AshleyMadison Hack

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The hack led to AshleyMadison being sued for $500 million in class-action
lawsuits by users of the website. A month after the leak, AshleyMadisons
CEO Noel Biderman resigned.

Rise of the moral digital vigilante

The hackers who call themselves Impact Team said that they disapproved of
AshleyMadisons business model of encouraging infidelity by arranging
affairs between married people. They also criticized the companys policy of
charging a $19 fee from users for what they claim is complete deletion of all
data, and failing to actually do so. In their letter, they wrote , Too bad for
those men, theyre cheating dirtbags and deserve no such discretion. Too
bad for ALM, you promised secrecy but didnt deliver.
Several conversation threads on social media seem to echo this sentiment
that people indulging in adultery deserve to have their private lives on display,
and that they had it coming. Passionate reactions like these fail to consider
the larger privacy implications. Can our online footprint remain private? And,
does data that we delete actually get deleted permanently?
Photo: Barn Images on Flickr

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Flirting with data

People are increasingly dependent on their smartphones and devices to
communicate and get things done. These devices collect extremely personal
data. People willingly part with personal information for convenience and the
impression that their information is secure. The recent hacks are increasingly
shattering this sense of security, and raising serious questions.
The AshleyMadison hack in particular showed that data theft can lead to
more than financial damage it can affect relationships, marriages and
reputations.
Experts predict that cyber attacks will only get worse in the coming years
what will that mean for data privacy in the future, for civilians, businesses and
governments?

Also see : Toronto police report two suicides associated with AshleyMadison hack and the EUs
landmark ruling that invalidates the Safe Harbor data transfer agreement between the U.S. and
Europe
AshleyMadison Hack

cio.com

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Twitter shuts down Politwoops

Politicians and those serving in public office are
expected to be transparent about their activities
and this includes what they say on their social
networks.
The Sunlight Foundation is a non-profit that promotes transparency in
governance and works to make government data available to the public. It
launched Politwoops in 2012. Acting as a tracking service, Politwoops
archived the deleted tweets of politicians and diplomats on its website. It
accessed these deleted tweets through Twitters API. The service covers
30 countries, with the Sunlight Foundation tracking US leaders and the
Open State Foundation tracking leaders in 30 other countries.
In August 2015, Twitter revoked its API access for the 30 countries
months after it revoked access for the US version of Politwoops citing a
violation of its basic user agreement.
In its statement, Twitter said, Honoring the expectation of user privacy for
all accounts is a priority for us, whether the user is anonymous or a
member of Congress.

Twitter shuts down Politwoops

via cityam.com

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Introduction

Index

Business A force for good

Building ecosystems

Digital privacy

Bonus
insights

About Peoples
Insights

Twitters decision to revoke Politwoops API access received some criticism. The Sunlight
Foundation even released a eulogy for Politwoops soon after the shutdown.

The criticism arises from Twitters association as a journalistic tool. Its everything-is-open-here
nature is what, in part, led to its mass appeal. By cutting off a service that informs people of
statements that politicians delete for whatever reason Twitter can be seen as going against
transparency and accountability. Theres also speculation that this move could be to retain
powerful figures on its website, as Twitter struggles to maintain growth of its user base.
While it can be argued that Twitter is only staying true to its privacy policies and treating
everyone on its website as an equal, there remains the larger question of whether

public figures like politicians should have the same privileges as civilians when
it comes to privacy on social networks. Getting into a position of political power by
default makes individuals more accountable and being scrutinized for everything they say
comes with the power they hold. If a politician wants to delete a tweet because he wants to
dissociate himself from what he said, dont his followers voters have the right to know?

This also opens up the debate of whether a person can be held accountable for simply sharing
something that a politician has said and later deleted on Twitter. It will be interesting to watch
how far Twitter will extend this rule, and how it will handle cases of quotes and screenshots of
deleted tweets which will surely continue across the web.

Twitter shuts down Politwoops

Some deleted tweets on Politwoops

35

Introduction

Index

Business A force for good

Building ecosystems

Digital privacy

Bonus
insights

About Peoples
Insights

What elected politicians publicly say is a matter of public record.

Even when tweets are deleted, its part of parliamentary history.
These tweets were once posted and later deleted. What politicians
say in public should be available to anyone. This is not about typos
but it is a unique insight on how messages from elected politicians
can change without notice.
Arjan El Fassed
Director, Open State Foundation

Twitter shuts down Politwoops

36

Bonus insights
from MSLGROUP

Introduction

Index

Business A force for good

Building ecosystems

Digital privacy

Bonus
insights

About Peoples
Insights

The Content Shot

The Content Shot highlights one inspiring branded
content initiative every week, and identifies reasons for
its success.
Prepared by the Publicis Consultants Net Intelligenz team in Paris, the
newsletter is a great way stay up-to-date and to practice your French!
The latest issue examines the #ConnectedSeries, a crowdsourcing
collaboration between Samsung and Vimeo, where 10 filmmakers were
invited to create short films that explore creativity through technology.
Why is it a success? The project involved artists from within the Vimeo
community, and gave them the creative freedom to express themselves. A
Tumblr launch ensured relevant visibility within the social community.
#ConnectedSeries explores the relation between technology and social
connectedness with stories that capture peoples imagination.
The Content Shot is available as an email newsletter in French.
View the archive and sign up here.

The Content Shot

38

Introduction

Index

Business A force for good

Building ecosystems

Digital privacy

Bonus
insights

About Peoples
Insights

About Peoples Insights

Peoples Insights is a collection of inspiring initiatives, insights and foresights shared by MSLGROUPs
SPRINTers our global team of 100+ strategic planners, researchers and insights experts.
Peoples Insights covers the latest trends in engagement on both consumer and corporate sides.
We feature the best of these initiatives as Peoples Insights monthly briefs, and original insights and
foresights from our SPRINTers and other MSLGROUP experts - in our Peoples Insights reports. We
share these on our social platforms and distribute freely to inspire more engaging campaigns.
Check out our latest report, Data In. Data Out. Transforming Big Data into Smart Ideas. *
Peoples Insights is available as a blog, powerpoint decks, infographics, white papers and magazines,
a Kindle eBook and even an iPad app.
Follow us on Twitter at @PeoplesLab or subscribe to our newsletter to receive our monthly briefs and
quarterly magazines.

About Peoples Insights

39

Thank you!

For more, visit: peopleslab.mslgroup.com/peoplesinsights

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