Welcome to What We're Reading, a weekly rundown of news stories, marketing columns, and specific B2B industry news that caught our eye.

When business changes, design does too

Design often serves as a visualization of change. For B2B companies, this change was a transition in tone from formal to informal, brought on by economies shifting focus from manufacturing to services and the boom in tech businesses. DigitalArts provides a fascinating insight into this evolution and how it impacts design for B2B companies.

Greta Thunberg is Time’s Person of the Year 2019

The year 2019 brought climate change into the spotlight worldwide, culminating in a 4-million-person global climate strike in September— the largest climate demonstration in history. Its formation was thanks in no small part to Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old climate activist from Sweden who inspired millions of activists, especially young people, to call for action. Learn her story at Time.

Millennials and Gen Z: Similar but different

Marketers sometimes target Millennials and Gen Z audiences with the same strategies, but it’s important to know that these groups are different, and using the same tactics may not always work. Millennials were already a little bit older when the consumer technology revolution began, while Gen Z was born into it. Hubspot brings us 6 differences between millennials and Gen Z’s.

The biggest marketing faux pas of 2019

When putting out ads, it’s essential to understand how the message comes across to different people and ensure your content won’t be seen as tasteless or offensive. These companies definitely did not get that message. See some of 2019’s biggest marketing mishaps at Inc.com.