Month: April 2025

Chipolo launches new item tracker the Chipolo POP – Review

Introducing a new product line to its family of tracking tags, Chipolo — the award-winning Bluetooth item tracker company — brings a splash of playfulness into the market with the brand new: Chipolo POP. We have been testing this out over the last few days in a nice bright Green variant and it works well with lots of new features on board and do check the video below for a full tour of how to set it up and how it works.

Vibrant, colourful and now universal, the Chipolo POP works with Apple’s Find My network or Google’s Find My Device to help busy bees find their lost keys and misplaced bags no matter the device. As a cherry on top, Chipolo POP has extra features available – like being able to call one’s phone – in the free Chipolo companion app.

Chipolo, known for its trademark of bright colours, brings its signature hues back into the Chipolo family with Chipolo POP all while extending the product’s Bluetooth range, improving its water and dust resistance, and incorporating more recycled materials into its design.

“The Chipolo POP is the embodiment of our customers’ favourite Chipolo attributes. Countless users expressed their desire for vibrant colours while others missed having access to certain features within the Chipolo app. POP therefore merges the best of our past – bringing colours, compatibility and our most popular features into a product everyone can love.” said Domen Barovic, Co-founder and CDO at Chipolo.

Available worldwide on their webpage and via Amazon, the Chipolo POP is set at £30/$29/€35 with the below features:

  • A fresh look with colourful design options: Curated with its notorious keyhole for valuables, the new product brings a pop of colour into one’s life with the hues: blue, black, green, red, white and yellow.

  • Worldwide range and compatibility: The Chipolo POP works with either Apple’s Find My network or Google’s Find My Device  – which means you can find your missing item almost anywhere in the world. To use your Chipolo POP on an Android™ device, your device must be running Android 9 or later with Google Play Services installed. To use it on an Apple device, the latest version of iOS, iPadOS or macOS is recommended.

  • User safety built-in: Chipolo POP benefits from Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find My Device built-in safety and protection features, including unknown tracker alerts – notifications that let you know if an unfamiliar tracker is moving with you that work across both Android and iOS devices.

  • Loud sound: Easily locate your items with a loud ring that is 120db high.

  • Extra features available via the free companion Chipolo app:

    • Call Your Phone: Be able to ring your phone with your Chipolo POP – even if it’s on silent!

    • Out-of-range alerts (Android only): Get a friendly notification when you leave something behind.

    • Ringtone: Change your Chipolo POP’s ringtone with a different selection of tunes.

    • Selfie Remote: Use the Chipolo as a wireless shutter to take the perfect photo.

  • Eco-friendly product materials: All products are EU-made from approximately 50% recycled materials.

  • Paper packaging: A new look for packaging, designed with sustainability in mind the new packaging comes slimmer with a matte finish – and made from paper only

  • Bluetooth range: Now up to 300ft / 90m

  • Long, replaceable battery life: Lasts up to 1 year with the easy and sustainable option to replace the battery.

Chipolo POP App

“The tracking tag market has continued to grow over the years. In fact, the market has experienced a year-on-year growth of 7.76% in the last 4 years. It highlights the people’s demand for more convenience and peace of mind. The POP further answers this desire from the market – delivering a product that gives consumers what they want while reflecting Chipolo’s core values and mission to help people live their lives to the fullest.” said Primož Zelenšek, Co-founder and CEO at Chipolo.

The Chipolo POP will be available for purchase starting on April 14th on the official Chipolo website and on Amazon, and from May, it will be available in T-Mobile stores.

Amazon UK & US links:

BUY

See our Chipolo reviews

Video Review

Rethink Ireland and Vodafone Foundation Launch €540,000 Fund to Help Bridge the Digital Divide for Older Adults in Ireland

Nearly half (46%) of persons aged over 75 years had never used the internet according to CSO (2021). To help bridge this digital divide, Rethink Ireland and the Vodafone Foundation have launched the €540,000 “Hi Digital Fund”.

This two-year fund will support five innovative organisations that are providing services for older adults aged 65 and above to develop essential digital skills. Applications for the fund are open from today (14 April) and close on 26 May 2025. Applications can be made here Hi Digital Fund – Rethink Ireland

The fund will provide cash grants and business supports for social innovations that enhance digital literacy and inclusion for older adults in their community, bridging Ireland’s digital skills gap. It promotes innovative approaches to ensure no one is left behind, teaching essential skills like smartphone use, e-health and smart home tech.

The Hi Digital Fund has been created by Rethink Ireland – the funding body thinking differently to create a more just, equal and sustainable Ireland – and is supported by the Vodafone Foundation, private donors and Department of Rural and Community Development via the Dormant Accounts Fund.

“Digital exclusion is a silent crisis affecting thousands of older adults across Ireland.” said Deirdre Mortell, CEO of Rethink Ireland. “Through the Hi Digital Fund, we’re not just teaching tech skills—we’re reconnecting people to essential services, reducing isolation, and enabling independent aging. This fund represents a critical investment in ensuring no older person is left behind in our increasingly digital society.”

Head of Vodafone Foundation, Liz Roche stated: “At Vodafone Foundation, we believe that everyone, regardless of age or ability, should have access to the digital world. By funding Rethink Ireland,  we will grow to support five new organisations across Ireland so that they have the resources to help older adults improve digital literacy skills and online confidence. We’re dedicated to reaching even more isolated people and making technology accessible for all”.

Also supporting the launch, Roisin Mills, Programme and Training Commissioner from the Irish Girl Guides said: “At Irish Girl Guides, we believe in creating an equal and inclusive world for all. We are proud to partner with the Vodafone Foundation to deliver the Hi Digital programme, an initiative designed to empower older people with essential, real-world digital skills. Through this experience, not only our youth members are helping others to grow in confidence and ability, but they are also developing invaluable personal skills themselves, including communication, empathy, patience, and leadership”

This fund will support diverse community initiatives and sustainable digital literacy programmes that remove barriers for older people who are unfamiliar with the digital world. The Vodafone Foundation will donate €250,000 over two years, with an additional €20,000 from private donors, totalling €270,000. The Department of Rural and Community Development will match this amount via the Dormant Accounts Fund, resulting in a total fund of €540,000.

AI Expert Warns: 5 Things You Should Never Let Artificial Intelligence Do

Artificial intelligence has quickly become a huge part of our daily lives, making things easier across all kinds of industries. From helping us draft emails to suggesting the next thing we should buy, AI is showing up everywhere and transforming how we get things done. Joe Davies is a tech AI expert at fatjoe tells us more.
“AI can process data faster than we ever could, but when it comes to understanding the complexities of human emotion or making ethical decisions, there’s no replacement for the human brain. Technology enhances us, but it shouldn’t replace us.”
So, while AI is a great tool, it’s not a replacement for the human touch. Here are 5 tasks you should never let AI do:
1. Writing Your Resume or CV
Many turn to AI to help draft resumes or generate professional content. While these tools can suggest catchy phrases and templates, they miss the essential personal touch.
Why You Shouldn’t:
A resume isn’t just a list of jobs; it’s a reflection of your career journey, your growth, and what makes you stand out. AI struggles to incorporate the subtleties that differentiate you, such as a memorable story or a lesson learned on the job. A resume written by AI lacks the authenticity and personalization that makes you a unique candidate.
“AI can help structure your resume, but a true reflection of your journey, accomplishments, and personality can only be done through human personalization.”
2. Making Big Life Decisions (like moving or ending a relationship)
AI can give pros and cons or analyze options, but it can’t factor in your emotional state, intuition, or the things left unsaid.
Why You Shouldn’t: 
Life-changing choices aren’t just logical—they’re deeply emotional and nuanced. Only you can weigh what feels right based on your values, past experiences, and gut instinct.
“Some decisions require heart, not just data. That’s something AI will never truly understand.”
3. Making Critical Financial Decisions
AI tools can provide useful data analysis, but they can’t factor in the personal considerations that shape your financial situation.
Why You Shouldn’t: 
Whether it’s investing or saving, financial decisions are deeply personal. Your risk tolerance, long-term goals, and life circumstances should all influence the choices you make. While AI can process numbers efficiently, it lacks the ability to weigh these personal factors.
“AI may suggest investment strategies, but it can’t account for the personal side of financial decision-making. Only humans can truly align financial decisions with life goals.”
4. Medical Diagnoses
Although AI is increasingly used in healthcare to assist with diagnostics, it should never replace the judgment of a qualified medical professional.
Why You Shouldn’t:
Medical diagnoses require not only technical knowledge but also an understanding of patient history, symptoms, and personal circumstances. AI can provide support by analyzing medical data, but it cannot offer the holistic perspective a doctor or healthcare provider brings.
“AI can assist in diagnosing, but it should always be used as a complement, not a replacement, for medical professionals. Only a human can take into account the full picture of a patient’s health.”
5. Making Ethical and Moral Decisions
AI can help analyze data, but it falls short when it comes to making ethical choices.
Why You Shouldn’t:
Ethical and moral decisions often involve understanding societal impacts and complex human emotions. AI operates on logic, not on the ability to empathise or consider the broader human experience. While AI can offer data-driven insights, the final decision often requires human judgment and values.
“AI is a tool to assist in decision-making, but it shouldn’t be the sole decision-maker when it comes to ethics. Human judgment, empathy, and moral reasoning will always be necessary in these areas.”
AI is undeniably powerful and is reshaping industries at a rapid pace. However, the human element remains irreplaceable in many areas. By understanding where AI excels and where it falters, we can leverage its strengths while still preserving the critical role of human creativity, empathy, and decision-making.
“AI is a remarkable tool for efficiency, but it is crucial that we strike a balance and recognise where AI should assist, not replace, the human element.”

Ireland’s games industry stands at a crucial “inflection point”

In a challenging environment for the games industry, Ireland is creating “incredible incentives and structures” to support and “elevate” Irish game developers in “the way they deserve to be uplifted”.

This was the observation of Xalavier Nelson Jr., the BAFTA-nominated and Forbes 30 under 30 Studio Head of game developer and publisher Strange Scaffold, one of the key speakers at the FÍS Games Summit 2025, which took place last weekend in Galway, Ireland.

Mr Nelson was responding to the announcement at the Summit of the Digital Games Portfolio, a major new fund designed to further develop and strengthen the Irish games industry’s rapidly growing international reputation.

The Digital Games Portfolio is a €500,000 funding scheme, launched by Screen Ireland, and which will be managed by Ardán, the Galway based organisation supporting creatives in film, TV, games, and animation, and Imirt, the national organisation for game developers and creators in Ireland. 

The DGP will fund a variety of new initiatives, the first of which will be IndieDev 2025, a cross-border prototype fund in collaboration with NI Screen to help teams of creators turn their game ideas into prototypes.

The fund will also see Dublin and Galway become ‘incubators’ to support individuals at the early stage of their careers. There will also be a pilot development fund targeting established Irish game studios, to allow them develop IP within their work spaces.

The funding comes at what Ardán CEO, Alan Duggan, called a “pivotal” moment and “an inflection point” in the Irish games industry.

“There’s a tremendous enthusiasm and vigour in the Irish games industry,” he said. “We’re swelling into a wave and that’s really running contrary to a lot of what’s happening internationally.”

Colm Larkin, CEO of Imirt, said: “At a State level, Ireland is looking at games and games developers as a culturally relevant art form and is saying, ‘Yes, we need to support this.’ This is just going to be the first step towards really growing our sector.”

The Minister for Arts, Culture, Media, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan TD said: “The international games industry represents a huge contestable market, one in which Ireland can excel based on our technical, design and storytelling competencies. This funding combined with the recently introduced tax credit for games are key steps along the government’s path to developing a national strategy for games.”

The future of the industry, AI, and creativity

In his address, Xalavier Nelson Jr., said the games industry “makes miraculous art” but is poor at delivering on time, within budget, and in certain instances, quality.

He noted how missing deadlines and exceeding budgets has become normalised within the industry, and said current industry models often prioritise long development cycles for single projects, leading to burnout and limiting opportunities for artists to experiment.

He called on game developers to recognise they are artists, but also encouraged them to develop a strong business sense, in order to “confront these realities”.

Industry legend Tom Hall (Commander Keen, Wolfenstein 3D, Doom), who now works in Ireland as Design Lead at the Galway based Romero Games, explored the creative process.

He encouraged game developers to embrace ‘Drift Time’, his concept of allowing the mind to wander freely in order to create. He encouraged Summit attendees to “play around with an idea” especially if it “may make you feel uncomfortable”.

Hall also advised developers to take a ‘bottom-up’ approach to game creation, in order to work out core gameplay issues and mechanics, instead of top-down design, where the story and universe are prioritised.

AI and its role in the Games Industry was addressed by Finlay MacAree, Technical Director at Xbox Game Studios. He said while AI can enhance the creative process by generating ideas, assets, or code, allowing developers to focus on higher-level design and storytelling, AI itself “will never replace art”.

“I want someone’s actual history, feelings, and emotions in the game,” he said, and warned that relying solely on AI will lead to generic outcomes. He said human creativity and input remained essential as it is informed by personal experiences and emotions, fostering innovation and originality.

As well as national and international guest speakers, the FÍS Games Summit 2025 had close to 300 people in attendance from Dublin, Belfast, Cork, and across Ireland. The Summit has doubled in size from 2024, with the addition of roundtables for developers of marginalised genders; writing and pitching; and a games room where attendees could try out new demos by Irish games companies.

Advise AI investment surpasses €8M as it launches GenAI agent for brands

Advise, the automated data, analytics and AI platform provider helping retail manufacturers and brand-owners to unlock revenues and margin growth, today launches a new GenAI-powered agent. The expert GenAI assistant has been trained by Advise engineers to enhance customer decision-making, giving them competitive advantage. It represents an €8M investment by the Dublin-based company in the development of its AI platform.

Advise’s GenAI agent is a major update to the company’s AI-powered SaaS platform and can help brands to reach actionable insights 10X faster than previous methods. The platform collates and harmonises sales, inventory and customer data from multiple sources into a single platform. The Advise analytics engine filters out data noise, identifies key patterns and presents the most critical information in real-time. The customised GenAI agent further enhances this process by translating complex analytics into clear, natural language explanations and recommendations, turning statistical outputs into human-digestible insights.

The latest release was created by Advise’s Dublin-based engineering team, using a customised and trained large language model (LLM). While more widely available LLMs are typically limited to chatbot-style interactions, Advise’s agent moves beyond this. The GenAI agent has been trained to augment the role of the category manager – the expert responsible for understanding product performance and optimising new product, pricing and promotion strategies. In doing so, the platform empowers consumer-packaged goods (CPG) brands such as Kerry, Dr. Oetker, Pilgrim Food Masters, Tayto and Britvic, to take decisive action that will result in revenue growth.

Advise has programmed the customised GenAI agent to work from a structured set of instructions and best practices. With the ability to personalise its output according to each customer, it can detect market shifts, anticipate trends and deliver guided and relevant insights tailored to business needs. The agent also ranks, through a News Feed on the Advise platform, its insights based on relevance and urgency, ensuring users receive tailored, high-value recommendations on their next steps.

Kevin McCarthy, CEO, Advise, said: “Many businesses are still focusing on data collection and analytics, but we have moved beyond that. We have automated data processing and evolved GenAI to augment and act as a valuable assistant to category managers; turning data into insights and decisive actions that drive margin growth and competitive advantage.

“At Advise, we believe that the future of category management isn’t just about gathering more data; it’s about making smarter decisions, faster. Our new GenAI agent doesn’t just analyse; it anticipates. It learns, adapts, and prioritises what matters most for each brand, providing tailored recommendations that translates directly into growth. It enables users to move beyond spreadsheets and dashboards to proactive decision-making.”

 LLMs are hugely powerful and are impacting every industry, but their output is non-deterministic and they suffer from creative hallucinations. This can make them unsuitable for numeric and statistical analysis unless carefully managed. What we have created is the next generation of CPG decision-making: where you don’t just gain trustworthy information, but a strategic advantage using GenAI. In a world where speed and precision define success, this is how the best brands will stay ahead.”

Key Metrics To Track When Working With A Healthcare PR Agency

If your hospital is struggling to build a credible reputation in the market, then you can consider working with a healthcare PR agency. Why? This can be a strategic investment that will go a long way in elevating your organisation’s image, building trust with important stakeholders, and eventually helping you in achieving and driving the objectives of your platform. 

However, you need to be sure that you get the most out of this partnership; it’s crucial to outline and monitor the key performance indicators or metrics. What do these metrics do? Well, they provide you with loud evidence of whether your facility is creating an impact while assisting you in assessing the return on your investment. 

Questions like “What are those key metrics?” might have popped into your mind. Don’t worry, as this blog is here to give you the relevant details related to the necessary metrics you need to track while collaborating with this PR agency. 

Media Relations and Visibility 

Media relations and visibility are the categories that pay immense attention to your platform’s ability to grab and secure positive media coverage, as that can do wonders in boosting your entity’s visibility in the long run as well. How is it done? Let’s discuss:

Number of Media Placements

In this situation, the number of media placements plays a massive role. How? This metric tracks the number of times your company or its name was mentioned in various relevant media outlets. This can be in the shape of online, print, and broadcast, providing a solid number to confirm if the agency’s efforts are fulfilling the purpose or not. 

Quality Of Media Placements 

Yes, on one side, quantity matters, but at the same time, you can’t ignore the quality of media placements. Therefore, you need to keep the following factors in mind:

Type of Publication

You need to stay vigilant and check the type of publication the agency is getting you published in. For instance, your platform should get covered in extremely respected publications, national news outlets, or influential blogs that have a huge target audience. Why? The reason is that these spaces add more weight as compared to watching your company’s name and images in smaller, less relevant magazines that wear the label of non-existence. So, if you are trusting their efforts, then this should be there. 

Outlet Should Be Relevant

The agency shouldn’t be reaching out to random media outlets but the ones whose following is relevant to your target patient. For instance, it will be best if people like health care professionals, policymakers, or other well-known stakeholders follow the media outlet. 

Analyze The Tone

Even if your medical organisation is receiving the desired media coverage, analyze the tone and sentiment of the situation. Examine whether it is negative, neutral, or positive, as you certainly won’t pay them for doing negative publicity. Hence, the PR agency should not leave any stone unturned in providing your company with either exceptionally positive or balanced reporting. 

Inclusion of Key Message 

You will want the key message of your medical facility to be correctly expressed in front of the media. Hence, keep your eyes open to see whether the healthcare PR agency is standing by their commitment as they promised, meaning does their team accurately communicate about your value propositions, and highlight or not. 

Placement and Prominence

When your hospital’s name appears in a feature article, you can expect it to attract more views than just getting briefly mentioned in a broadcast segment. Hence, while working with a healthcare PR agency, see where their teams are mentioning your platform. 

Media Reach and Impressions

You must have read about the terms impressions and reach, but you won’t know what they stand for. Impressions are another critical metric that gives the total number of times your hospital’s coverage was viewed. While reach shares the unique number of individuals who could have seen or heard about your hospital’s coverage. How are these rough figures calculated? It is done on the basis of circulation figures, the amount of traffic the particular website receives, or the number of viewership of all the relevant media options. 

Content Marketing and Thought Leadership 

Does your healthcare PR agency offer content marketing and thought leadership ideas in its package? If so, then be ready to track the following metrics: 

Website Traffic and Engagement

After the PR agency posts some interesting content on your hospital’s site, you need to monitor changes on the website. For instance, look at the overall visits of the target audience you tried to reach, any unique visitors that were compelled to read through the posts or blogs on your website, the rate of bounce, and how much time is spent on your page. And from what source is this traffic coming from, such as organic, referral, or direct? In this way, you can assess the PR agency’s efforts to determine whether the partnership was a waste of time and money. 

Performance Of The Blog 

If the PR agency has filled your website’s blog section with plenty of blogs, then track the content’s performance. For instance, you should see how many views, comments, and shares the information receives. Plus, the time spent on the page.  

Engagement on Social Media

Social media is seen as a vital tool, so the PR agency may use it for creating social media posts or promotional activities. Therefore, monitor metrics in the form of likes, shares, comments, and reach to know that their team’s efforts are working out. 

Conclusion

We hope you are clear regarding the key metrics you need to check while working with a healthcare PR agency. Therefore, after signing a deal, try to follow as suggestions so you don’t end up wasting time and money. 

MacBook Bluetooth isn’t working: 8 tips to fix it

Apple laptop users sometimes face the problem of MacBook Bluetooth not working. In this article, we will tell you the reasons why Bluetooth is not working properly and how to fix the issue.

Why Bluetooth is not working on my MacBook

Common causes include:

  • configuration failure;
  • outdated macOS;
  • a lot of devices are connected;
  • the system is not optimized;
  • .plist files are corrupted.

8 tips to fix Bluetooth on your MacBook

You can fix the Bluetooth problem yourself if you use our step-by-step instructions.

1. Rebooting Bluetooth

The module does not always detect and connect wireless devices. In this case, a simple reboot can help – turn Bluetooth off and on again.

2. Restart your MacBook.

To fix the software not working properly, restart your computer. To do this, click on the Apple icon and click on “Reboot”.

3. Resetting the Bluetooth module

If the problem is on a MacBook with macOS Monterey:

  1. Press Command+Option.
  2. In the Spotlight search, type “Terminal” and press Return.
  3. Paste “sudo pkill bluetoothd” and confirm the action by pressing Return.
  4. Reboot the device.

For MacBooks with Big Sur or older versions of macOS:

  1. Press Shift+Option+Bluetooth icon.
  2. Click on the “Reset Bluetooth module” option.

If your laptop is running macOS Catalina or earlier, click “Debug” and then “Reset Bluetooth module” in the system settings.

4. disconnecting peripheral devices

Sometimes reconnecting peripherals can help solve the problem:

  1. From the Apple menu, go to System Preferences.
  2. Select Bluetooth and click on “X” to deactivate the selected device.
  3. Restart your MacBook and reconnect the device after a few minutes.

5. System optimization and cleaning

You can perform optimization with CleanMyMacX which cleans the system of junk, removes malware, etc. Launch the program, go to the system partition, and click “Scan”. Once the process is complete, run the automatic cleanup.

6. Upgrading macOS and Bluetooth

Go to System Preferences through the Apple menu and then to the Software Update option. Update macOS when a newer version is available.

7. Delete Bluetooth.plist files.

If the module property list files are corrupted, this can cause malfunctions. How to fix it:

  1. From the Finder menu, select “Go to” and then “Go to Folder”.
  2. Insert /Library/Preferences, click Go, and delete the com.apple.Bluetooth.plist file.
  3. Paste ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost, hit Go, and delete com.apple.Bluetooth.xxx.plist.
  4. Restart your MacBook so that the system creates new files.

8. Alternative connection method

If you’re having trouble connecting Bluetooth, try using the AirBuddy or ToothFairy apps. They are available for free after you subscribe to Setapp.

Source: Techtoro.io Blog

How to Come Up With an Airtight Marketing Plan for Your Brand

Creating an airtight marketing plan is important if you want your business to thrive in a competitive marketplace. When you have a well-crafted marketing plan, it is more than just a document, it is a compass that will guide your efforts and align your team. 

It is also going to drive your brand towards measurable growth. In this guide, you’re going to take a walk through the critical steps to develop a powerful marketing plan so that you can grow your audience and maximize your conversion rate.

Understanding Your Brand Identity

Before diving into any marketing strategy, it’s important that you have a deep understanding of your brand identity. This includes knowing who you are, why you exist, and what you stand for. 

Your brand identity should encapsulate your values, voice, vision, and mission. It is the personality of your business and what is going to set you apart from your competitors. Establishing your brand’s tone and visual identity will help you to create a consistent image across all your social media marketing channels. 

Whether your brand is youthful, playful, or sophisticated, the tone should be present in everything from your social media captions to your website copy. Authenticity is going to play a key role because customers are increasingly drawn to brands that communicate transparently and stay true to the core values that they have

Defining Your Target Audience

One of the most important aspects of any marketing plan is having a clear understanding of who your target audience is. When you know who you’re targeting, it’s going to help you to tailor your message and choose the right channels. 

You will then be able to create offerings that will resonate deeply with your audience. Start by creating customer personas and include demographic data such as income level, gender, age as well and location. 

Make sure you understand their pain points as well; this way, you can know what problem you can solve for them. You should use tools such as Google Analytics, customer surveys, and social media insights to gather information about your audience in addition to digital insights, incorporating branded merchandise can also help you better connect with your target audience. Branded merchandise like a custom patch can reinforce brand recognition and appeal to specific customer segments when aligned with their interests and lifestyle, making your marketing efforts more tangible and memorable

Make sure that you research your competitors in the niche so that you can identify opportunities and gaps that you can fill.

Setting SMART Goals

 Once you get a firm grasp of your brand and audience, it is time to set your marketing goals. These goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. 

These objectives are going to serve as a foundation for all your marketing activities. They will help you to keep your team focused and give you a benchmark to evaluate the success of your efforts. No matter what your goals are, whether it be to grow your email list, increase your social engagement, or generate leads, making sure that you align all your initiatives with your objectives is going to ensure that your actions contribute to the growth as a business because it’s going to communicate what your brand does.

Crafting Your Core Messaging

Messaging is the heartbeat of your marketing plan. It is what will communicate what your brand does and who it serves. It will also make it clear why your brand should matter to your customers. 

Your message should highlight your value proposition. This is the unique benefit that your product or services are going to offer. It should answer questions such as why someone needs to choose your brand over another one. 

Consistency in your messaging is what is going to build trust and recognition. All campaigns, whether they’re online or offline, should reflect a unified message from your brand. This doesn’t mean that you repeat the same slogan everywhere, but you must ensure that the story behind your brand, values, and tones is the same across all your platforms. 

Your message should be adaptable so you can personalize it for a different audience segment while still maintaining the overall voice of your brand. 

Choosing the Right Marketing Channels

No marketing plan is complete until you suggest the approach that you want to use for marketing. This is called channel selection. 

Where and how you distribute your content is important. Your target audience and your goals will likely determine the platforms that you should focus your time on. You must make sure that you are prioritizing quality over quantity. 

You should try to be active on just about every channel that is possible. Identify the ones that are going to offer you the best return on your investment and commit to mastering those. Make sure that you monitor your performance over time so that you can see clearly how you are performing. Your marketing channels should work together to create a seamless brand experience for your customers.

Developing a Content Strategy

Your content is what brings any marketing strategy to life. When you have a well-channeled content strategy, it is going to provide a lot of value for your audience.

Content can take many different forms; you may share content with your audience through your social media posts, newsletter, and blog posts. A well-planned content strategy is going to ensure that there is consistency across all your platforms.

You should keep a content calendar so that you know when and where you publish. The calendar should be informed by everything that is in your customer’s journey. 

For those who are in the beginning stages of their customer journey, you may want to educate and inform them. Those in a later stage of the journey may appreciate demos and customer testimonials. Make sure to have a clear purpose and a call to action as well. This will guide your audience one step closer to becoming loyal to your business.

Leveraging Video Production

Video has become a cornerstone of effective marketing. It offers a dynamic way for you to engage your audience, and you will be able to convey complex information quickly and easily. Video offers you a great way to build strong emotional connections. 

From brand story videos to product explainers that tell viewers more about what you have to offer, video is going to play a pivotal role in just about any stage of the customer’s journey.

To successfully integrate video into your marketing plan, you must first identify your objectives. Are you looking to increase brand awareness and boost social engagement? Different goals are going to call for you to use different types of videos.

Brand videos are ideal for doing top-of-funnel awareness. While tutorials or case studies may be more effective when your customers are later in the funnel.

Pre-production is a critical phase throughout the entire process. To create  amazing videos, you need to develop a script or storyboard that aligns with your messaging as well as your brand identity. Pay very close attention to visual elements such as composition, color grading, and lighting. Depending on the budget that you have, you can create videos in-house with your smartphones and your editing software. You may also partner with a professional video production agency if you are interested in doing higher-end projects.

Budgeting and Resource Allocation

A marketing plan is only as strong as the resources that your business puts behind it. Determine your budget early on. This is the first important step, make sure you allocate funds according to your goals and your expected ROI. 

You should think about expenses for content creation, software tools, as well as advertising spend. Your budgeting should always be flexible, and you should revisit it regularly. 

There are some tactics that may perform better than expected, and you will want to make additional investments with these. Others may need to be scaled back. 

Your resources, whether it be time, money, or people, should always be deployed where they can make the most impact. Consider using marketing automation tools, as these can help you to do more with less. This allows you to have greater efficiency in campaign management and lead nurturing for your business.

Measuring Success and Adapting

One of the most overlooked parts of a marketing plan is performance tracking. Set up systems to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) that are in alignment with all of the goals you want to achieve.

This could include metrics like website traffic, social engagement, and email open rates. Regular analysis will enable you to understand what’s working, what’s not. You will also be able to understand why. 

You can use these insights to reinforce and optimize your strategies. If you are to have what is considered an agile marketing team you will need to constantly test new ideas.

You also have to make sure that you are constantly tweaking campaigns. Once you double down, it will drive results. Reporting should be transparent, and it should always be shared across departments to make sure that everyone is aligned and informed.

Finally, you must make sure that you keep an eye on market trends and customer behavior. Bear in mind that your plan should evolve as the marketing landscape begins to change so be ready to adapt.

 

AR tool could give cyclists ‘sixth sense’ and improve self-driving vehicle safety

A new tool which can rapidly prototype augmented reality experiences has given researchers new insights which could allow cyclists to safely share the roads with self-driving cars.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow developed the tool, called CycleARcade, which uses augmented reality headsets to enables cyclists to see and interact with simulated autonomous vehicles as they ride in real-world environments.

The team used CycleARcade to explore how new gear could equip cyclists with a ‘sixth sense’ to help them be more aware of self-driving cars’ intentions. They also examined how cyclists from different countries may expect different behaviours from autonomous vehicles on their local roads.

Unlike traditional simulators which use stationary bikes surrounded by computer screens to mimic real-world situations, CycleARcade enables a more realistic experience, where cyclists ride freely in open spaces with graphics of virtual vehicles displayed in their headsets. The system provides researchers with precise control over the virtual vehicles, allowing cyclists to safely test out immersive scenarios which could be dangerous on real roads with actual cars.

The team’s research builds on previous work they have conducted on how autonomous vehicles can communicate effectively with cyclists to replace the complex set of nods, waves and eye signals which human drivers and riders have developed to signal their intentions to each other. Their CycleARcade research will be presented as two papers later this month at the CHI Conference in Japan.

The first paper outlines how the Glasgow team used CycleARcade to test new designs for interfaces which could alert cyclists to nearby autonomous vehicles and provide information about the cars’ intentions.

With the help of a focus group of 20 cyclists, they developed and tested three virtual displays which would give riders information about vehicles around them in different road scenarios where some cars would yield to the cyclists while others would not.

One prototype, RoadAlert, displayed signals about the cars’ intentions directly onto the road surface and played spatial audio beeps which got louder as vehicles approached. A second, called reARview, gave riders a virtual rear-view mirror through augmented reality glasses. The third, named Gem, used handlebar-mounted displays to communicate the virtual vehicles’ movements.

Ammar Al-Taie, of the University of Glasgow’s School of Computing Science, is the paper’s lead author. He said: “Technology offers an opportunity to augment cyclists’ awareness of the roads around them, providing a kind of ‘sixth sense’ to help them navigate safely.

“What we found in this study is that you don’t need to alert cyclists about all vehicles equally. Cyclists need focused awareness of vehicles that pose the greatest risk, like those approaching from behind or vehicles that won’t yield, while being able to maintain attention on the road ahead. RoadAlert was the design that brought those qualities together most effectively for our study participants.

“It’s important to emphasise, though, that we’re not expecting cyclists to have to adopt this kind of technology in order to stay safe on the roads in the future. Instead, we’re expanding the toolbox for cyclists who want additional support or awareness, who could choose to buy devices specifically designed to do so.”

In the second paper, computing scientists and psychologists from the University of Glasgow and colleagues from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden show how they used CycleARcade to probe the road safety expectations of cyclists in three different countries, with very different levels of cycling infrastructure.

They gave CycleARcade kits to cyclists in cities in Sweden, Oman and Scotland and asked them to ride in simulated road conditions with computer-controlled projections of autonomous vehicles displayed in their headsets.

In Stockholm, where cyclists are used to having their own space in dedicated cycle lanes, riders wanted to know exactly where the self-driving car was located around them. They preferred to take their time to judge its intentions by watching its driving behaviour.

In Muscat, where cyclists regularly navigate busy shared roads and make fast-paced decisions about their next move, riders were more likely to quickly trust direct signals from the vehicles.

Cyclists from Glasgow, which has a limited number of dedicated bike lanes, took a more balanced approach. They reported that they wanted to see both location information and clear signals about the vehicle’s intentions.

Mr Al-Taie added: “These findings clearly show that cyclists learn to share the roads with cars differently from country to country, which suggests that self-driving cars might need to adapt their communication methods to better speak the language of the local roads. Humans often do this naturally when driving abroad, but autonomous vehicles may need to have their programming tweaked to take local driving culture into account when they start rolling out around the world in the years to come.”

The paper has been selected by the conference for an Honorable Mention award, which are presented to the top 5% of papers submitted to CHI 2025.

CycleARcade is the latest development in research led by Professor Stephen Brewster, of the University of Glasgow’s School of Computing Science, which focuses on how cyclists can communicate with self-driving cars in the years ahead.

Professor Brewster said: “Ultimately, we’re aiming to thoroughly explore the ways in which cyclists and autonomous vehicles can speak the same language on the roads to keep both as safe as possible. Human drivers and riders have developed a sophisticated series of signals to help decide who has the right of way or who has priority in a change of lanes, for example, and it’s vital that cyclists can have the same level of trust and understanding with self-driving cars.

“CycleARcade is a powerful tool to help explore how that new language can be developed, using real bikes in real physical spaces, with virtual elements that can be tweaked or replaced in real-time. We’re continuing to work on research in this area, and we hope that our insights will help influence the design of future generations of autonomous vehicles.”

The team’s papers, titled ‘Around the World in 60 Cyclists: Evaluating Autonomous Vehicle-Cyclist Interfaces Across Cultures’ and evARything, evARywhere, all at once: Exploring Scalable Holistic Autonomous Vehicle-Cyclist Interfaces’, will be presented at the CHI Conference in Yokohama, Japan, on Monday 28th April and Wednesday 30th April respectively.

Video