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KARACHI: Shazina Masud has taken over the charge of Chief Executive Officer of the Aman Foundation recently. She will also continue to serve as CEO of Aman Health through this transition.

While heading Aman Health since March 2018, Shazina's new role will further the foundation's goal and mission to streamline its initiatives into the fabric of civic society.

The Aman Foundation is a social enterprise focused on catalyzing impactful solutions in Health and Education in Pakistan through direct interventions, convening powerful partnerships and advocating on behalf of the underserved people of Pakistan. It is an honor to be entrusted with the responsibility of spearheading this effort and leading it into the next phase of scaling our impact," expressed Ms. Masud.

Masud brings over 30 years of experience in private sector marketing and sales, including experience in social marketing and franchising. She has been working in the development sector for the last fifteen years and has extensive experience of leading national programs in different countries in Africa and Asia.

Masud has a Masters in Business Administration from the Institute of Business Administration, University of Karachi, Pakistan. She is in the process of completing an MS in Creativity in Change and Leadership Studies from Buffalo College, New York.

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Shazina Masud takes over as CEO of the Aman Foundation - Business Recorder

Adjudged marketing innovator by Time magazine and business innovator by BusinessWeek, Rishad Tobaccowala, chief growth officer at Publicis Groupe, has written his first book, Restoring The Soul Of Business: Staying Human In The Age Of Data. Published by Harper Collins, it will be released in the US on 28 January. In New Delhi for its India launch, the Chicago-based advertising veteran spoke about the inspiration behind the book, the importance of balance between creativity and data, and the decline in advertising. Edited excerpts from an interview:

What inspired you to write this book?

There were two reasons. One was external demand, and the other was the internal belief that there was a right time to write it. As I went around the world either helping clients or speaking at various events, people were surprised that I had never written a book. I was told I had an interesting perspective on various topics. They wanted me to share it more broadly. Also, whether it was in the US, Europe, India or China, people were asking me the same 12 questions such as how do you extract meaning from data? How do you upgrade your mental operating system? Or, how do you manage change?

That was the external reason. The internal reason was, because of the rise of technology and data, a great amount of wealth was being created by companies like Facebook, Amazon and Apple, among others. But more companies were focusing on the left brain part of work, on math. The focus was on what I call the spreadsheet (profit, losses, productivity), and not enough on the story of the company which is the culture, emotion and its people. Because of this, the business was getting hurt. The society was getting hurt. Today, social media companies are highly profitable. From a consumer perspective they are giving great products for free. But for a citizen, there is a negative impact.

Their platforms are feeding polarization and hate. Also, when you start focusing on the numbers, you become very short-term oriented. A consulting firm got into trouble as people said they represented drug companies and were helping them sell addictive drugs. So people asked, where are the ethics and the values of a company? So I said that the soul of the business is the story and not just the spreadsheet. A successful company has to combine data, technology and emotion.

Would you say that data has helped build companies like Amazon and Facebook?

The success of many of these companies has been built on three big factors: First, they were innovators and pioneers. These were ideas-driven companies and not data-driven companies. The iPod was an idea. iPhone was an idea. Social network in Facebook was an idea. Second, their business models were built on a combination of data and networks. So they use data and, once they have a certain amount of scale, its very hard to beat them. If you go for search and you keep going to Google, Google has more information, and it can search better. If all your friends are on Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram, what are you going to do anywhere else? Thats called the network effect. Third, not Apple, but all the other companies are giving really amazing value for money. Google is free. Facebook is free. Amazon gives low prices and a lot of bundling. Consumers want things fast, good and cheap. These are innovative companies with ideas, that is, the right brain. Then they have data and networks, that is, the left. So they are not just data-driven companies. That is what I am trying to remind people.

Can you go wrong with data?

You can go very wrong. Although you cannot run a business without it, there are a lot of questions that data cannot answer about the culture of your company, what your talent feels about the company, or what your customers feel about the company.

So data can lead you to the wrong conclusions if it is outdated. Or, people sometimes dont behave the way data tells you that they behave. People choose with their heart and then use numbers to justify what they just did. If we did not choose with our hearts and we chose only with the numbers, then there would be no luxury brands, which are some of the most powerful companies. If only the numerics work, then there should be no Taj or Oberoi. No BMWs or Mercedes. When people tell me its all data, I say most decisions are made through the heart.

Are companies relying less on market visits for insights and more on online data?

They are doing both. The ability to listen to consumers has changed dramatically. In the past, you could carry out a few market visits, (analyse) a few focus groups. Now you have the ability to look at peoples social and search behaviour, and begin to get interesting information which you didnt have before. I have invested in an interesting company called QualSights. They do qualitative at scale. They basically tell people to put on the video on their phone while they shop. They collect thousands of videos all over the world, and then use AI and data to show patterns. Now you can do this globally, quickly, in peoples homes and other places because of technology.

How has the consumer changed in the age of social media?

On the positive side, they are connected with more people than they have ever been before. It might be a light form of connection. I remain connected to my class of 1974 because we have a Whats-App group. I can reach out to colleagues all over the world.

The semi-good part is, we start curating our lives. Sometimes we start thinking of what we do not because of what we want to do but because of how it will look on social media. For instance, in the US a lot of people are now renting clothes because they dont want to be seen in the same clothes on Instagram. So you have businesses like Rent the Runway (a subscription fashion service for women to rent designer clothes) come up.

The bad side is that you live in that world and forget the world you are currently living in. Often people around a table are all looking at their phones. The good part of social media is you get connected, the semi-good part is you curate your life, the bad part is you lose focus, connection and relationships.

How will things change for companies with data privacy becoming a big issue globally?

Privacy will be a huge issue and it will, at some stage, be settled by the government. Its very hard today to be anonymous. But different governments have different perspectives on this. The Chinese government doesnt care about privacy. They are using a lot of facial recognition and trying to track everybody. In Germany they are very privacy oriented. So the way data is controlled will differ from country to country.

You once mentioned that advertising will decline. What will replace it?

I was referring to the US market. Markets like India and others are still healthy for both print and TV. In the US, the opportunity to advertise to people will decline 20-25% in the next five years which is pretty significant. Many newspapers in America have gone out of business. Even for a big newspaper like New York Times, there are more online readers than there are for its print edition. In a newspaper format, everyone will see all your ads. In the digital format there are few opportunities to show people ads. You cant show too many ads digitally because people will get worked up. They dont click on them, they stop going to the site or use ad blockers. Also, now more and more people are spending time in an ad-free environment like Netflix, HBO and Amazon Prime. So the opportunity to show ads has declined significantly.

Besides, who are you exposing your ad to? If you are relatively wealthy you can afford all these subscription services. If you are less wealthy and cant afford these services, then you are also not in the market for some products. If you are selling a car or a travel holiday, then these are not the people who can afford that. So the people I want to advertise for are not available. India may be different now, but it is moving in that direction.

The future is not just about advertising but connecting in new ways with people. So our focus is on marketing transformation and business transformation, which is why we bought companies like Epsilon (a first-party data company) and Sapient which is about digital and technology.

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The soul of a business is the story, not the spreadsheets: Rishad Tobaccowala - Livemint

Marketers will spend $112bn (85bn) worldwide on social media advertising in 2020, despite many of them "doing it wrong", new research reveals.

Analysts at Forrester found that just under a third (31%) of chief marketing officers cannot show the impact of social media on their businesses.

This is because, the report argues, "social media stumps marketers. First, they had unrealistic expectations of social media, hoping it would be the key to unlocking massive profits in the digital age. When that didnt pan out, they shifted 180 degrees to believing that social medias only use was for advertising. Although its true that Facebooks primary business value is as an advertising platform, its a mistake to infer that advertising is social medias sole opportunity."

Instead of having a "social marketing strategy", the study says, marketers should instead use social tactics and technology strategically alongside other channels to achieve broader marketing goals.

The report also details the reasons for most marketers social errors and how companies should use social skills to augment other marketing functions.

For example, user-generated content can be effective outside social features where it is gathered and displayed. Forrester said the "gold standard" of this approach is Apples integrated campaign "Shot on iPhone", which repurposes images and videos that users produce on the smartphone into TV spots, billboards and print ads.

Social media has also improved as a tool for brand sentiment, the report explains, because the platforms are taking their role in ensuring brand health more seriously. Twitter, for example, allows brands to buy customer feedback in Net Promoter Score and Customer Satisfaction Score formats.

Social media adspend is forecast by Publicis Groupe's Zenith to be the second-fastest-growing channel between 2019 and 2022 at 13.8%, behind online video (16.6%).

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Social media adspend to hit $112bn even though it 'stumps' marketers - CampaignLive

The new year is a time when we naturally assess what went well in the twelve months prior, and what wed like to do differently moving forward. Thats true for businesses, too, especially since many have annual goals for growth and profit.

Theres no better time to turn over a new leaf, after all, than a new year. As we move into 2020, there are four resolutions that all business owners should seriously consider making if they havent already.

If youre feeling hesitant, I have good news: These resolutions are relatively easy to implement, and they can all yield major payoffs.

1. Look at your PR.

Do you know how customers perceive your brand currently? This can be difficult to track because customers wont always share their thoughts with you.

Investing in PR tools and services can be a great choice for businesses, especially if youre trying to scale and struggling to do so. Plenty of PR agencies, for example, offer suggestions on how to promote brand awareness and improve the customer perception of your brand.

As you look at your current PR efforts, consider writing and distributing press releases, appearing as an expert source in written and televised appearances, and monitoring your brands reputation online.

2. Invest in marketing.

You cant grow your business without marketing. No one will hire you or buy from you if they dont know that you exist.

Quality marketing campaigns are necessary to scale your business. This can include any combination of platforms and channels, including search engine optimization, content marketing, PPC campaigns, social marketing, email marketing and more.

If youre on a tight budget, start with free and low-cost channels. Brush up on your SEO basics. Set up email marketing to keep current leads and customers engaged. Use social to create more touch points and nurture relationships. These marketing channels do require a consistent time investment, but they wont break the bank.

3. Carefully monitor cash flow.

Cash flow is a huge issue for businesses. In fact, its one reason many small businesses have to close up shop. Making a diligent effort to monitor and manage your cash flow should be a resolution for 2020.

While small business profitability can be wildly unpredictable, there are steps you can take to better monitor your cash flow. Use invoice and expense tracking software such as FreshBooks or QuickBooks to monitor all upcoming expenses and current profitability.

Use reports to look at your businesss past performance, identifying what will likely be high-earning months and low-earning months so that you can prepare and ensure that all of your costs are covered.

Knowing what expenses are coming can be an enormous asset in financial planning, making your life much easier in the process.

4. Improve customer service.

Customers will jump ship if they feel the customer service is lacking, and 96% of all customers believe that customer service is an important factor when it comes to choosing a brand.You cant afford not to have great customer service.

Customer service is one of the biggest drivers in business right now, largely because its a consumers market. There are so many competitors out there, and customer service is what sets businesses apart. You can actually earn new customers simply because theyve heard that customer service is a priority.

Invest in strong customer service. Make sure that any client-facing team members have adequate training in service, even if theyre account managers or other types of specialized workers. You should also consider looking into a quality answering service if youre experiencing a high volume of calls and youre struggling to keep up, ensuring all customers are receiving the care they need.

The new year is here, and its time to get your business resolutions in order. Take a look at where you struggled most last year, identifying pain points that you can mitigate moving into 2020. Nothing will change unless you put measures in place to shake things up, and these four resolutions are a strong place to start.

Theres never any harm in better PR, strong marketing, increased cash flow and a boost in customer service, so even if youre happy with where you stood in 2019, look for room for improvement for 2020.

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Four Ways To Help Your Business Stand Out From The Competition This Year - Forbes

Stella & Dot wants to amplify its power of social selling.

On Jan. 3, the company announced changes to its existing representative base by allowing brand ambassadors to sell across its three direct sales offerings: beauty brand Ever, accessory line Keep Collective and its namesake fashion brand Stella & Dot. Prior to this change, Stella & Dots ambassadors signed up and sold for only one brand.

Our brands are separate from a consumer perspective, but our true reason for being as a company is to empower the modern woman with the ultimate side gig, so she can untether from [work] hours that just dont work for her, said Jessica Herrin, Stella & Dot CEO and founder.

To facilitate more cross-brand selling activity across its existing 30,000-plus ambassadors and lure new ones, Stella & Dot has developed a new social retail styling app called Mimi. Representatives can create and share curated pages of shoppable products in a mood board-like setting that promotes beauty, fashion and accessories equally. Then, ambassadors are able to share direct links of these pages to customers through social media, email and text for a frictionless click-to-buy shopping experience.

Its like Pinterest had a baby with Polyvore and Shopify, said Herrin. She said ambassadors boards could, for example, promote a custom skin-care routine or a total fashion and beauty look for an evening out.

Across its three brands, Stella & Dot ambassadors sign up for a $199 starter kit of products and materials and earn 20%-40% commission depending on quantity of sales and level of commitment. They are paid weekly and typically earn $100 to $1,000 a month or $1,200 to $200,900 annually, on average. To make itself more digitally savvy through Mimi and other tech tools, Stella & Dot spent more than $50 million over the course of the last year. The company declined to share annual revenue figures but said that it has paid out more than $500 million in commissions since its launch in 2004. Stella & Dot also recently aligned itself with Nordstrom in November to sell Stella & Dot and Keep Collective products in 26 brick-and-mortar retail locations and on Nordstrom.com.

Stella & Dots rejiggering comes at a time when social selling has consolidated across the market. In May, Natura & Co announced its plan to acquire Avon Products to leverage synergies across both companies. In the third-quarter results that followed, Avon Products saw mixed results from these shifts: Avon revenue decreased by 16% year over year and active representatives declined by 10%. But there were signs of hope. When compared to the second quarter, representatives increased by 1%.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Nik Modi said that improving Natura and Avon Products representative retentionwas the single most important thing they [needed] to do to stabilize the business.

Meanwhile, Coty terminated its partnership with Younique in August. In the companys third-quarter earnings call, Coty CEO Pierre Laubies said, Younique, like all multi-level marketing businesses, [went] through a phase of classic hype. Unfortunately, we are in the de-hype phase. Data from market research firm Euromonitor International further proves this point. Between 2018 and 2017, direct sales fell by 9% to $4.94 billion.

Enabling direct selling ease through technology is a key learning that all social selling companies have to reckon with as digital influencers and Instagram Shopping have become swaps for stores. While Herrin said customers have always been interested in all of Stella & Dots merchandise across category, the company previously did not make it easy.

By giving Stella & Dots brand ambassadors more tools to amplify their sales, like with Mimi, Herrin expects to double its existing monthly active representatives, or those that are receiving a paycheck from the company, from 10,000 to 20,000.

[Ambassadors] are the brand; its their authentic recommendations that drive conversion in their circles. By taking away the all complexities, we are thinking about whats in it for the customer, she said. A lot of women would like to build a large [social] following, but its the nano-influencer or everywoman that drives sales. Mimi is for women who dont have swipe-ups or have time to create their own content regularly, so we are empowering their recommendations and brand for them.

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Stella & Dot puts focus on ambassadors by merging its three brands - Glossy