4 Stories That Explain The US Election (No Matter Who You Hate) & Other Non-Obvious Insights

It was a big night in America last night as the Chicago Cubs finally won the World Series, but the lead article this week is about a topic I have intentionally stayed away from both because of the topic of this newsletter and the difficulty with finding any real coverage worth reading. Today I’m going to break that rule for once and offer a thinking person’s collection of four must-see articles about the upcoming US election.

Aside from those, you’ll find an interesting campaign from a jeweler aimed at getting you to reevaluate one of the most well-known gems in the world, and a fascinating story about how robots may be leading to the “age of female dominance” at work.

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How To Understand The US Election (And People Who Vote Differently Than You) … 

If there is one consistent thing about how most people consume media about the upcoming election, it is that they read what they agree with. The problem it – it is nearly impossible to find any media that’s truly balanced. In an attempt to offer a curated effort to do exactly that, I went out and searched for five articles that were truly worth reading for offering a unique perspective on the US election.  Here are my five choices, along with a short description of each:

1. How Trump really became the GOP nominee – this look backward inspired by the writings of the late french philosopher Roland Barthes offers a useful take on how Trump has managed the media attention on him brilliantly well.
2. What would happen if kids could vote? – in a national poll asking kids from grades 2 to 12 who they would vote for if they could vote. The question itself and some of the responses were a fascinating look at what kids think.
3. Inside the minds of Trump voters – it took a “neutral” third party media organization like The Guardian to produce this eye-opening exploration into the poorest county in West Virginia and why the majority of its residents prefer Trump.
4. The most powerful ad of the election season – this emotional PSA is already winning rave reviews from ad critics, and offers an important reminder that those who do have the right to vote must also represent those who are in the country without a voice.

Could Robots Bring An “Age Of Female Dominance”?

This week new research from Stanford professor Jerry Kaplan revealed that the rise of robots may mean that more careers where the caring and nurturing side of humanity becomes the real in-demand skill set. As robots handle everything from manufacturing to chopping wood, what could this mean for future of men versus women in the workplace?

Read the full story in The Atlantic >>

How A Japanese Jeweler Is Getting Consumers To Rethink Pearls

Pearls have an old and traditional reputation, but a Japanese jeweler named Mikimoto is using a new campaign to showcase the versatility of pearls and have a new generation of women consider them as something more than the most traditional of materials only used for Marge Simpson-esque necklaces. It is an interesting example of telling a new narrative around a product everyone already thinks they know.

Read the full story on Luxury Daily >>

Meet The Transgender Oprah of China … 

This article about former male ballet start and army colonel Jin Xing offers an inside look at a rare personality in Chinese media who doesn’t fit the normal mold and her interesting rise to fame. We don’t see stories like this much coming from China, but this one is worth reading and reminded me just how much we have in common with other cultures.

Read the full story on Hollywood Reporter >>

How Are These Stories Chosen?

Every week I review more than a hundred data sources to curate the best and most under appreciated marketing stories of the week. The aim of this email is to spotlight these “non-obvious” stories, along with a quick take on why they matter for you. I hope you find this email interesting and useful … and am always open to your suggestions on how I might make it better!

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