JPTearsheet, September, 2021 Vol. XIII No. 9
“For more details, Google ‘reality.’"
–  Bill Maher
 
Does Any of it Add Up?
Our digital age is truly amazing in so many ways. However…

Much has been said about big data and how many companies are beginning to become slaves to it. There are those who lament the fact that “analytics” are taking over professional sports. Google can measure how many miles we travel in a month and the places we’ve been.

And anyone who has responsibility for a organization’s website probably has spent more time with Google Analytics than they care to admit.

But who’s doing the math?

Just how accurate are those numbers? Most people look at the data spewed forth by these tech companies and just accept it. No questions asked. 

Maybe it’s time to take a second look.

We were reviewing the data from a client’s recent email campaign as generated by a well-known major provider. The top section showed a summary of the results: the number sent, the number opened, the number bounced and the number clicks generated from that email. Normal stuff. The bottom section showed the itemized details of the various links that were in the email and how many clicks each link generated.

Over six email campaigns there were a few discrepancies. One campaign showed 28 clicks in the summary, and 170 clicks in the detailed report. Wait! What? There were two emails showing 16 and 15 clicks respectively, and 40 clicks in the detailed sections of both. In one campaign, there were seven clicks in the summary, but only five supporting link totals. Huh?

After a lengthy conversation with tech support, the main explanation offered was that some of the recipients’ company’s security system generate false duplications – sometimes as many as 10-12 clicks for each response.

We just hope that the accuracy of that explanation is more reliable than the data itself.
PlayDead. The cemetery crypt immediately adjacent to Hugh Hefner’s is for sale. Bids start at $2 million.
—  The Week

Online is Job #1.  Ford announced plans to push its “built-to-order” initiative where customers custom order their cars online, by-passing the company’s dealerships.
—  caranddriver.com

Not in the cards.  Major League Baseball is reportedly ending its 70-year-old relationship with baseball card company Topps.
–  ladders.com

What’s up, Chuck?  Totally unrelated to gluttonous binges, a “vomitorium” is the name for the entrance to a stadium.
–  Common Myth Conceptions

Got it licked.  The number one hobby in China is stamp collecting.
–  factretriever.com

Well blow me down.  Tornadoes occur most frequently in North America; particularly in central and southeastern regions of the United States — colloquially known as “tornado alley.”
–  uselessdaily.com

Lub-dub. According to research, our heartbeats synchronise while we're listening to stories. That experience can be shared even if the people are far apart, as long as they are attentively listening to the story.
–  news.sky.com

A moo-ving experience. Researchers in Europe are potty-training cows to go to the bathroom where their feces and urine can be collected and treated, reducing ammonia emissions.
—  UPI

Flights of fancy. The average domestic airline ticket in 1Q 2021 was $24 lower than it was 25 years ago.
–  The Wall Street Journal

Grounded!  Consumers paid 55 percent more for an Uber or Lyft ride in July 2021 than they did in January 2020. Driver shortages were blamed.
–  The Wall Street Journal

Is there a newsletter
in your future?
If you think a newsletter should be in your future, The JPT Group can help. Download our free digital booklet – Getting Started with Your Newsletter – from the JPT Group website to get some basic questions answered as well as a little inspiration to nudge you forward. Be sure to check out “Something Special” at the end.
MONTH OF AUGUST
Quote of the Month:
“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to wind.”
—  George Orwell
in “Politics and the English Language”


Month of the Month:
Whether it rains cats and dogs or not, September is still Happy Healthy Cat Month and National Guide Dogs Month. And, lest we forget, it’s also National Pet Memorial Month. Woof!

But, if you’re feeling a little nostalgic, today, September 15, is National 8-Track Tape Day.


Question of the Month:

Captain Matthew Webb was the first recorded person to swim the English Channel for sport without the use of artificial aids. In 1875, Webb swam from Dover to Calais in less than 22 hours. The question is: How did he die?

The answer may buffalo you.
Gotta have a little fun
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” There are those who religiously follow this tome regardless of whether or not their names are Jack.

Of course, the flip side to that is “that’s why they call it work!”

Having a little fun at work can be a good thing. It helps you “blow off some steam.” It helps you to see your co-workers as living, breathing human beings who have lives and families, etc., and not just the vanilla “colleagues.”

That’s why they have office parties, company picnics and dress-down days. The website snacknation.com even published “27 Shockingly Easy Ways To Have Fun At Work (While Staying Productive) In 2021.”

While nose to the grindstone is a necessary part of the equation, sometimes you just have to let your hair down.

“Work: a dangerous disorder affecting high public functionaries who want to go fishing.”
–  Ambrose Bierce

Hard Hitting Lessons
A gridiron MBA? OK, maybe that’s not possible, but see how much you can learn about business from football in my book, Hard Hitting Lessons. The subtitle says it all, “Some not-so-obvious business lessons learned from playing football.”

Most people associate football with learning things like hard work, discipline, teamwork, etc. That’s all very true. But what can you learn about business from football? According to Hard Hitting Lessons, a lot. This book will explain it all – from human resources to strategic planning and more. Yes, there’s a lot to be learned from playing football about business – and even about life itself. 

Contact us:
440.835.4525