When we think of Africa from afar, especially from Asia or other continents, we often imagine sprawling jungles, dramatic safaris, or perhaps the disheartening stories portrayed in the media—civil unrest, corruption, or kidnappings. But this perception, shaped largely by ignorance, does no justice to the vibrancy of the continent.

I was fortunate to discover the real Africa through my job, which gave me an incredible opportunity to visit two countries in West Africa: Nigeria, the continent’s heartbeat brimming with life, and Ghana, a hidden paradise.

Answering the Call of Adventure

One ordinary morning, my boss asked if I would take on an assignment in Africa. It was the fastest decision I ever made. Little did I know that this choice would lead to one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life.

My journey began with a transit flight via Kenya. The flight to Nairobi was a routine affair, but everything changed on the Nairobi-to-Lagos leg. My fellow passengers, a lively group of young Africans, radiated energy, enthusiasm, and warmth.

Landing at Lagos airport, I was greeted by private security contractors arranged by my company. Initially, I was apprehensive about safety, but having an escort—complete with a lady in the team—felt like a scene straight out of “Charlie’s Angels.”

Immersing in Nigeria

The next day, my work began. Without the escort of gun-toting security, I stepped into the bustling streets of Nigeria in a private vehicle. Visiting local bank branches as part of my assignment, I was welcomed with open arms. The staff, branch managers, and even strangers at local eateries made me feel at home.

One memorable encounter was seeing a bank officer engrossed in an Indian family drama with English subtitles—such a delightful connection to home! Exploring markets and mingling with locals, I realized how genuinely welcoming Nigerians are.

A Tapestry of Colors and Cultures

Experiencing the vibrant culture of Africa brought the phrase “The Rainbow Continent” to life. The bold, colorful attire of men and the intricate, radiant headgear worn by women left me in awe. African women, already beautiful, appeared even more stunning in their ethnic wear, exuding confidence and grace.

The Heartbeat of a Young Continent

What struck me most was the youthfulness of Africa. With one of the youngest populations globally, the continent radiates energy, hope, and ambition. These dreamers are shaping a bright future not just for Africa but for the world.

More Than Meets the Eye

Africa is so much more than the jungle safaris and media stories. It’s a continent brimming with hope, resilience, and unmatched warmth. It’s a place where strangers become friends, and every day feels like a celebration of life.

Africa is truly the continent of dreams, and I’m grateful to have witnessed its magic firsthand.

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The onset of lockdowns across the globe in early 2020 brought an unprecedented wave of fear and uncertainty. People rushed to stockpile essentials like rice, pulses, and vegetables, preparing for potential disruptions in production and supply chains.

For some, “essentials” also included a generous stash of alcohol, ensuring their spirits stayed high during the long, uncertain days of isolation. Grocery stores saw long queues, and shelves emptied as panic buying became the new normal.

The Great Toilet Paper Shortage

While the Eastern world focused on food essentials, news from the Western world revealed an unexpected crisis: a shortage of toilet paper. Images of empty supermarket shelves, frantic shoppers, and even riots over toilet paper rolls flooded global media. Governments in Western countries reassured their citizens that stockpiles of toilet paper were sufficient to last for years.

For those of us in the East, the idea of a “toilet paper crisis” was puzzling. While we scrambled to secure enough staples to feed our families, the thought of queueing up for toilet paper felt like a luxury we couldn’t afford to prioritize.

Two Worlds, Two Necessities

Sitting at home and reading these stories, I realized that the global pandemic had exposed a stark contrast between two worlds:

1. The Developed World, where basic needs like food are taken for granted, and hygiene products like toilet paper are considered indispensable.
2. The Developing World, where the priority remains securing enough food to survive, with hygiene concerns taking a backseat to hunger.

While the world has become more interconnected than ever, this crisis highlighted the deep socio-economic divide. For one part of the world, hunger is the primary concern. For the other, hygiene represents an essential part of maintaining a high standard of living.

Lessons from the Crisis

The “toilet paper crisis” might seem trivial to some, but it underscores the diversity of human needs and priorities. It reminds us that what’s essential in one part of the world might be secondary—or even incomprehensible—in another.

In times of crisis, these differences become stark, but they also present an opportunity for empathy, understanding, and a broader perspective on what truly matters.

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I first came across the term “Body Temple” nearly 13 years ago during my CDS interview at Allahabad Cantonment. The phrase was painted on the wall of the gym, but at the time, its meaning eluded me. Watching muscular men lifting weights and sweating profusely, I found it hard to reconcile the imagery of a temple—a sacred, pristine place—with a gym.

I brushed it off, thinking the phrase referred to sculpting a physique akin to a Greek god, which I wasn’t particularly interested in. Life went on, and the term faded from my mind—until recently.

A New Understanding of the Body Temple

In recent months, health challenges forced me to reevaluate my lifestyle, thoughts, and habits. It was then that the phrase “Body Temple” revealed its true significance.

A temple is a place of purity, devotion, and respect. Before entering a temple, we cleanse ourselves, bring fresh offerings, and carry positive intentions, free from negativity like anger or greed. Similarly, our body deserves the same reverence and care.

Treating Your Body Like a Temple

Think of your body as a sacred space that houses your soul:

Feed it Clean and Nutritious Food

Just as you wouldn’t offer unclean or spoiled offerings to a deity, your body thrives on hygienic, wholesome food. Avoid oily, greasy, or overly processed meals, as they upset your “Body God,” leading to ailments.

Maintain Positive Thoughts

Negative emotions—anger, fear, jealousy—poison your mind and body. These feelings don’t harm others as much as they harm you, causing anxiety, depression, and stress. Positive thoughts and gratitude act as offerings that nourish your inner peace.

Stay Physically Active

A temple remains vibrant and welcoming when it’s maintained. Similarly, your body requires regular exercise to stay strong and healthy, creating a harmonious balance between the physical and mental.

The Wrath of Neglecting the Body Temple

When we disregard our body’s needs, the consequences manifest as health issues—both physical and mental. Eating unhealthy foods and harboring negative emotions disrupt the balance of this sacred temple. But when we care for our body, it rewards us with vitality, strength, and clarity of mind.

Embrace Your Body Temple

Your body is the sacred vessel that enables you to experience life. Treat it with respect. Nourish it with clean food, positive thoughts, and an active lifestyle. By doing so, you honor the sacredness within and set yourself on a path to health, happiness, and gratitude.

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Rokt, an ecommerce technology company using AI to make transactions more relevant to each shopper, announced that it has partnered with Six Flags Entertainment Corporation to offer more relevant experiences to the company’s customers. Rokt’s advanced AI unlocks additional revenue opportunities by presenting highly relevant offers to Six Flags customers purchasing tickets and season passes on its website.

“We are proud to partner with Six Flags to make its customer experience more relevant and engaging while unlocking additional revenue for the company,” said Elizabeth Buchanan, CCO of Rokt. “With the launch of a new mobile app experience and new subscription offerings, Six Flags has adapted to serving its customers digitally, and we are looking forward to further enhancing the ecommerce experience through this new partnership.”

Six Flags is utilizing Rokt’s machine learning technology to present highly relevant offers from brands, including Hulu, Hellofresh, and Homechef and more to each customer in the final stages of an ecommerce transaction, when they are most likely to convert. Rokt’s technology will enable Six Flags to tap additional revenues, acquire customers at scale and deepen relationships and engagement with their existing ones.

“Our partnership with Rokt has created a diversified revenue stream for our organization that has allowed us to interact with our customers in a new way,” said Stephanie Borges, Global Vice President, Strategic Marketing & Partnerships at Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. “We’re looking forward to exploring how we can expand our partnership beyond ecommerce in the future.”

Rokt’s exclusive, closed marketplace is backed by intelligence powered by billions of transactions annually across hundreds of leading ecommerce businesses. The technology enables brands to create a seamless customer experience while controlling the types of offers eligible to be displayed to their customers. Businesses partnering with Rokt have been able to unlock incremental profitability by tailoring high-performing, relevant experiences to each customer.

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Phonexa has partnered with Tipalti, a payables automation platform, to launch an integration for Phonexa clients that will make global payment methods automated, compliant, and easier than ever for affiliate marketers and publishers.

The integration gives customers of Phonexa’s Books360 accounting product optimized automated payment methods across wire transfers, US ACH, or checks, all while processing and collecting the proper W-9, W-8 series, or VAT ID forms and producing submission-ready 1099 and 1042-S reports along the way.

“Tiplati is a one-stop shop for automated payments, all while collecting the necessary information accounting departments will need at the end of each year,” said Mara Garcia, Phonexa’s Chief Financial Officer. “If you have a publisher and want to pay them through Tipalti, you can do it through Phonexa with just a few clicks on the platform. It makes the payment automation even easier. Our customers are always looking for efficient optimization of end-to-end operations, and our alliance with Tipalti allows for them to further streamline, simplify, and evolve their business.”

Tipalti offers a scalable platform that provides publishing partners with the freedom to choose their desired payment methods, as well as guaranteed commission payouts on time, all while verifying payment details using over 26,000 rules across networks in 196 countries using 120 currencies.

“Partnering with a global-ready software like Phonexa allows us to offer an ‘all-in-one’ solution for our clients,” said Zach Svendsen, Vice President of Alliances at Tipalti. “Our customers now have the ability to track performance and partner marketing, with built-in payments, all in one place, which helps drive additional revenue across all channels. The partnership gives our clients the tools they need to provide a best-in-class experience for their payees – whether they are affiliates, publishers, or any other type of partner.”

Books360 is a core product in the Phonexa Suite. Books360 generates cash flow reports for automated invoicing and payouts from web or call-based campaigns for Phonexa’s clients. By seamlessly integrating with Phonexa’s different solution platforms, Books360 has value for those looking to streamline their bookkeeping and automate critical accounting processes.

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Pelmorex Corp., which owns and operates weather brands The Weather Network, MétéoMédia, Eltiempo.es, Clima, and Otempo.pt, is announcing the launch of Your Weather Assistant, a generative AI tool to transform the way people consume weather information. This is the first in a series of innovations from Pelmorex as they embark on becoming an AI-frontiered weather and climate organization, with a focus on helping users and businesses make informed decisions using cutting-edge technology.

“The introduction of this generative AI technology takes our users’ weather and climate-related inquiry experience to the next level,” said Pelmorex President and CEO Dr Nana Banerjee. “It is a new paradigm that directly addresses the personalization needs of our users instead of having them compile bits of data or information from various sources.”

Your Weather Assistant is available on The Weather Network app and online in English, with French and Spanish language capabilities currently in development, and helps people get personalized weather recommendations through the power of AI. The patent-pending product blends weather data with language learning to provide consumers with real-time information to plan their day and activities.

As users embrace this new era of enriched and interactive forecasts to navigate their daily activities, many are also business professionals expecting comparable advancements in B2B weather risk offerings. The initial insights derived from the consumer platform will be pivotal in setting the groundwork for Pelmorex’s AI-centric approach, which will empower its clients to efficiently handle weather-related risks in their operations through data-driven actionable solutions.

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Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are the top three most visited social media platforms after Google and YouTube. Social media platforms are a fertile ground for brands to advertise, engage with their audience, and add new consumers to their bucket.

But what really drives engagement over these platforms? The answer is content. An algorithm is a set of mathematical rules describing how data collection should behave. Social media algorithms help maintain order and rank search results and advertisements. For instance, an algorithm on Facebook directs the order in which the content is displayed.

Let us understand the algorithms working behind the top social media platforms.

Facebook

Every time someone checks their Facebook feed, the posts they see and the order in which they appear are determined by the algorithm. Considering the volume of users on its platform, it is nearly impossible that Facebook’s ranking system relies on a single algorithm. Instead, the team has to apply multiple layers of machine learning (ML) models to predict the most relevant, meaningful and engaging content for its individual users. The Facebook algorithms follow four steps process, namely:

Step 1: The step looks at the inventory – all the content available on the platform. It then considers the likes and dislikes, posts from friends, and groups one has joined.

Step 2: Next, it moves to consider thousands of active and passive signals. Active signals are likes, comments, shares, and replies measure engagement. Passive signals include view time, the time of posting, internet connection, etc..

Step 3: Then comes the prediction stage. Here, the algorithm uses thousands of signals to determine the engagement rate with a particular post. Say, for example, the likelihood of a user commenting, how much time they would engage with the post if the user watches the entire video, etc.

Step 4: In the final step, the algorithm will assign a relevancy score to a particular post, i.e., how much interest people will show to a particular post. Once the relevancy score is determined, the content is distributed.

Twitter

Twitter offers its users two different timelines: Home Timeline or Latest Tweets. A real-time chronological timeline of Tweets from the people you follow is displayed in Latest Tweets. Home moves posts into what it thinks is a better order using its ranking algorithm. Twitter’s ranking algorithm uses multiple ranking signals based on:

Recency: Depends on how popular a topic is, rather than looking for popular topics on a daily basis or for a while.

Relevancy: Users’ engagement history, from the posts they like, and topics they follow, to even the trends going viral at their location.

Engagement: This one takes care of the popular tweets, how people in one’s network react to those tweets, to like, retweet, etc.

Rich media: Depending on users’ interaction, images, videos, GIFs and polls get into the feeds.

The truth is that although the platform uses machine learning, not even Twitter is certain of the exact results of its algorithms. As part of its “responsible machine learning initiative,” Twitter is now investigating the outcomes of its algorithms.

Instagram

As Instagram describes it, there are multiple algorithms at play — each one for a different part of the platform, whether it’s feed posts or Reels. The algorithms take the users’ preferences, termed signals, to create content that helps users to remain hooked to the app. Hence, thousands of signals across four critical aspects (in descending order of importance) come together for a personalised view, which includes,

About the post: This one considers how well-liked a post is, as well as less important details about the content itself, such as when it was posted, length of a video, and location.

About the person who posts: This step allows the algorithm to get a sense of how interesting a person can be for a particular user, which includes signals like how frequently individuals have communicated with that person over the past several weeks or how well they have responded to their content.

Users’ activity: The task here is to find a particular user’s likes and dislikes, and understand the posts they like the most depending on what they share.

Users’ interaction history: This helps the platform understand the users general level of interest in reading posts from a certain person. Take, for example, whether they leave comments on one other’s posts.

Beyond the interest score, various other variables may affect where a post appears in a user’s home feed. These include the quality of the photo or video, the originality of the post, the violation of Instagram’s community guidelines, or if the content is reported.

TikTok

The TikTok algorithm makes personalized content recommendations for each of its users. Based on the specific tastes of each user, it chooses which videos to show them on their page. The algorithms take several signals into account, which include,

Behavioral signals of users: TikTok takes many factors into consideration, but the most crucial one is how users act on the platform. With the help of data such as video likes and shares, comments made, accounts followed, and the content created – the platform can better comprehend each user’s distinct tastes, and how they evolve over time. Based on how closely these behavioral signals match with the films, it ranks the clips.

Content discoverability: TikTok learns how to rank the content by using information from the video itself, such as captions, hashtags, and sounds. This is mostly because it uses the data to determine what the content is about, and when to display it on users’ pages.

Account indicators: TikTok analyzes each user’s device and account settings to maximise performance. It primarily considers country choices, preferred languages, device kind, category choice, etc. However, they don’t carry as much weight as the other two criteria because people don’t express them as preferences.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn has its own algorithm that can connect users, identify jobs, surface relevant material, and surface any other information a user would be looking for on the platform. The LinkedIn algorithm prefers relevance over recency. Its objective is to present readers with the information they are interested in, before more current updates. This enables LinkedIn to show users the articles, videos, jobs, and other content that matches their search criteria or are most likely to find interesting. The signals the LinkedIn platform uses include:

Connections: The algorithms consider connections as a reference to identify users’ tastes and preferences. More connections on LinkedIn equals more possibilities to rub shoulders with other professionals digitally. This allows people outside one’s connections to see their posts and vice-versa. Similarly, the LinkedIn algorithm considers the users one has interacted with through comments, likes, shares, and responses.

What is the content: The algorithm used by LinkedIn determines how pertinent a user’s content is to your interests. It “reads” the hashtag, post, page, and profile kinds users have interacted with most frequently. Again, based on users’ prior online activity, LinkedIn may even provide users with content unrelated to their current connections.

Engagement: The likelihood that a user will interact with further content is assessed by the LinkedIn algorithm using recent likes, shares, comments, Connection requests, and other engagement indicators.

To sum up,

An algorithm’s job is to provide users with pertinent content. It is used to filter through the vast amount of content available on each social media network. On the flip side, there is a call for large social media giants to shift towards ‘Explainable ML models’ for justifiable and transparent decision-making. What’s your take?

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The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and Bitt have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a vision to launch a pilot initiative geared towards implementing a National Digital Payments System (NDPS) using the US Dollar. This partnership is driven by the aspiration to leverage technology’s potential for advancing financial inclusion, improving transparency, optimizing operational processes, and empowering the citizens and businesses of the Marshall Islands.

The NDPS is poised to revolutionize the financial landscape by addressing the economic challenges faced by marginalized entities within the Marshall Islands. It seeks to boost economic activity and bridge the gap between isolated individuals in the region and the numerous economic players transacting with RMI entities. By harnessing blockchain technology and drawing upon Bitt’s proficiency in digital asset management, the pilot program will explore the feasibility of digital alternatives in the Republic of the Marshall Islands’ existing monetary framework.

Brian Popelka, CEO of Bitt, commented on the partnership: “We look forward to collaborating with the Marshall Islands. Together, the RMI and Bitt will provide financial solutions aimed at reducing barriers to financial access, fostering trust in the financial system, meeting the future payment needs of the Marshall Islands’ digital economy, and providing the freedom to choose their preferred mode of currency.” The NDPS will enable individuals to conduct secure and transparent transactions, ultimately reducing the reliance on physical cash and providing alternatives that can augment traditional banking methods.

Senator David Paul of the Republic of the Marshall Islands shared his enthusiasm about the collaboration, saying, “We are excited about our collaboration. By bringing together our respective expertise, Bitt and the RMI aim to create a sustainable and inclusive financial ecosystem that will benefit the entire nation.”

As this collaboration progresses, Bitt and the RMI are thrilled about the potential for positive impact that the NDPS will bring to the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. This pilot program serves as a testament to the commitment of Bitt and the RMI to drive economic growth, enhance financial well-being, and empower individuals to thrive in the digital era.

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The Mars Agency launched new enhancements to its Marilyn Ecommerce Intelligence Platform – a global full-service insights suite designed to accelerate its current end-to-end Amazon capabilities. The platform provides the metrics that matter across four key components: sales and operations, media, digital shelf, and Amazon Marketing Cloud. 

Holistic dashboards and opportunity reports enable marketers to make better and more agile decisions, while AI tools empower marketers to succeed with Amazon Marketing Cloud. 

The enhancements include:

1)  Marilyn AMC Clean Room Solution: This new solution provides an intuitive, user-friendly portal for marketers to ask the critical questions that help guide strategic marketing decisions and media planning – from how shoppers interact with sponsored brand and display ads, to how campaigns perform regionally, to how ads drive in-store sales.

2)  Marilyn Digital Shelf Health: This new digital shelf technology helps clients move beyond content compliance and gain a competitive advantage. From content health to market share to sales and order value, the solution delivers insights that drive better ecommerce performance.

The team is also currently testing chatGPT on both Product Listing Creation and Digital Shelf Copy, as well as exploring generative AI tools to determine image effectiveness. They now match their end-to-end team with end-to-end insights obtained through the Marilyn Ecommerce Intelligence Platform.

According to Robert Rivenburgh, Global Chief Executive Officer of The Mars Agency, “We believe we’re the only company to combine what we refer to as art and algorithm in ecommerce, using data and insights to connect our clients’ ecommerce assets and deliver seamless shopper experiences that drive better business results.”

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OUTFRONT Media Inc. and Bell Media announced that they have entered into an agreement to sell the Canadian business of OUTFRONT Media to Bell Media, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BCE. The purchase price is C$410 million in cash, subject to certain adjustments and a holdback. The transaction is expected to close in 2024, subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions.

As of December 31, 2022, OUTFRONT Media’s Canadian business operated 9,325 total displays in the country and generated revenues of U.S. $91.9 million during that year.

Jeremy Male, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OUTFRONT Media, said, “The sale of our Canadian business highlights the value of our assets and will provide us with additional financial flexibility as we focus on our US assets. While we will miss our Canadian colleagues, we know the business we have built together will be in excellent hands with Bell Media.”

Stewart Johnston, Senior Vice-President, Sales and Sports of Bell Media, said, “The out-of-home category continues to grow in importance as a mass reach advertising vehicle, while digital formats allow for greater targeting capabilities. OUTFRONT’s diverse array of Canadian assets reinforces Astral’s dedication to delivering impactful, multi-channel marketing solutions, while accelerating Bell Media’s digital strategy. The synergy between OUTFRONT’s established expertise and our commitment to driving innovation will provide clients with tremendous opportunities on a true coast-to-coast footprint.”

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