Try new things and take a risk, those are words Ian, our director of digital, lives by. Concepting, designing, creating, testing, tracking, adjusting and analyzing and then starting all over are all on the “to do” list today.

Craig is a native cheesehead who returned to Madison in 2010 after giving Southern living a go for nearly a decade in Columbia, S.C., where he worked as a newspaper copy editor. When he's not pumping out websites, he's enjoying being near family again and attending Badger sporting events. 

Americans throw away an estimated 1.6 billion disposable pens each year and for good reason: They’re uncomfortable and they perform poorly. My goal is to get you, my fellow writers, to change how you think about making marks on paper, to ditch that Bic. Designers have the Creative Suite. Social Media folks have their iPhones, cameras ever ready. You? You deserve a fountain pen.

Campers now have a better offer if tents and lack of plumbing are not their thing. Airbnb recently partnered with the National Park Foundation to provide outdoor enthusiasts a new option to get outdoors, but still sleep inside. The new Airbnb accommodations will include travel trailers, tepees and mountain lodges in addition to more traditional housing such as homes or condos.

Each time a patient clicks on your website, “likes” your hospital or clinic on social media, or even just Googles your healthcare services, they are entering into your digital patient experience. Each time they encounter an error message on your website, or can’t schedule an appointment online, or even can’t find if your providers offer a specific procedure, those experiences chip away at their impression of your brand.

How are you competing with on-demand start-ups developing products, such as microinsurance? If you’re not tracking this, and a few other trends, here’s a quick update. 

Log into Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or even Instagram, and what do you see? More likely than not, among candid pics of your friends and event reminders you’re likely to see post after post of content from another source.

Everything from news articles to tutorial videos, funny memes or moving gifs, content is being shared everywhere. If your brand isn’t creating content with shareability in mind, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.