Happy Friday! This week, Medicare’s open enrollment period began, kicking off marketing mania. But first…
📡ON OUR RADAR
A hallmark of childhood, the Scholastic Book Fair is facing criticism announcing they're separating books focused on race and LGBTQ+ themes into a collection that schools can decide whether to offer or exclude from book fairs. The publisher proposed this as a solution to work around book bans facing conservative states. As librarians and other major publishers have been the face of the resistance against book bans, critics and anti-ban advocates expected Scholastic to take more of a stand.
Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner shrugged off inflation by asserting the retail behemoth's pledge to maintain 2021 pricing for Thanksgiving meals this year. This decision follows a resounding consensus among consumers expressing apprehension about food inflation. Moreover, Walmart's choice mirrors a larger trend: amid escalating polarization, corporate leaders have taken on influential roles as communicators and rapid responders to national sentiment, traditionally a domain reserved for elected officials.
Generative AI is now being used to create facsimiles and even videos of the deceased. While potentially comforting to some grievers (and fans), the practice raises new ethical concerns around privacy and consent. Robin Williams’ daughter, Zelda Williams, recently spoke out against this use of AI, calling deepfakes of her late father “personally disturbing.” Some experts are also worried that this kind of content could inhibit loved ones from moving on in a healthy way.
💡ON OUR MINDS: Medicare Marketing Maze
Shopping for health plans can be time-consuming for anyone, but it can be particularly fraught for senior citizens. With new regulations in play, open enrollment becomes a high-stakes situation for 65 million Medicare beneficiaries.
It almost always begins with information overload during open enrollment. With a barrage of TV ads (aired over 600k times last year), online ads, mailers, and targeted calls, so many people are vying for senior citizens' attention and a slice of the $454 billion federal Medicare pie.
The research underscores the need for clear, accessible communication—especially for those in vulnerable situations. Navigating the sea of options, incomplete intel, and tricky tactics adds a layer of complexity.
While trusted resources and rule changes offer a glimmer of hope, sustained communications that are transparent and mindful of the key audience—older people, in this case—are essential to ensure equitable and informed decisions.
🥊QUICK HITS:
In case you missed these reads.
This week, Campaign sang the praises of the nation’s darling: the Duolingo Owl.
Gen-Z might be passing on, rather than passing their cursive lessons, it seems.
Thanks for reading,
HL
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This week’s newsletter is brought to you by Senator Chuck Grassley— matchmaker in chief.