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mentorup · 7 years
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2017 MentorUp | Session #6
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Session Breakdown | 60 minutes
Introduction | 2 minutes
Mentee’s Perspective | 4 minutes
News | 8 minutes
Work | 8 minutes
Our Work | 8 minutes
Trend & Hot Topic | 10 minutes
Dialogue | 10 minutes
Flex-Time | 10 minutes
Introduction 
Raise your hand if you’re in complete and utter shock that A) kids are back in school B) you’re seeing PSLs in your Instagram feed AND C) your alma mater’s first football game has already happened? Whether we’re ready or not, fall is just a few weeks away… or perhaps already here if you consider the PSL’s arrival the harbinger of fall. Be honest, have you ordered one yet?!
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With this colorful season and the end of the year clearly in sight, things like your final 3x3 check-in and 2018 planning should definitely be on your radar! Don’t forget to carve out time to thoughtfully prepare for those meetings and plans. When feeling tired or a bit burnt out, I often remind myself of Mark Twain’s wise words, “the secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
On that note, let’s dive in!
Mentee’s Perspective
As we do each month… let’s gain valuable perspective from your mentee(s). Their mindset should be a guiding force in how you present this material.
Here are a few starter questions…
1. What is going on with your clients and their business?
2. What are your clients’ focuses right now?
3. What are challenges or things that need solving with your accounts/clients?
4. Anything you’re especially curious about or want to learn?!
Now having those questions answered, begin walking them through the session with those filters in place.
News
1. Google Announces ARCore
Google has been involved in augmented reality pursuits for some time. If you rewind all the way back to 2014, Google introduced Project Tango, at that time, one of the first augmented reality computing platforms. Although producing quit a bit of buzz and being used in an array of impressive creative applications, the focus once placed on Project Tango is now shifting to ARCore, which simply put, “will deliver AR capabilities to Android smartphones at a scale Tango was never able to reach.”
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Google’s newly announced AR pursuit will operate almost entirely like Project Tango, but will be available on smart phones (Pixel and Galaxy S8 currently). Tango will be for Google’s high-end capabilities while ARCore will serve as an everyday AR platform on mobile.
Here are the 3 components of ARCore you need to know. 
1) Motion tracking – “which estimates a phone’s relative location based on internal sensors and video footage — so you can pin objects in one place and walk around them. “
2) Environmental Understanding – detection of flat services by use of the camera.
3) Light Estimation – “helps virtual props cast accurate shadows and otherwise fit in with their surroundings.”
Now, if the timing of all this is interesting to you, your instincts are correct. As the Verge stated, “Google is under obvious pressure to compete with Apple’s lightweight version of AR (ARKit), which has produced a small wave of clever experiments since its announcement in June.”
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Apple has one big leg up on Google at this point; their anticipated ARKit is about to be released on iOS 11 to millions and millions of Apple loving consumers, who have most likely been eagerly anticipating the iPhone’s 10th anniversary.
What do you think about all this? Which one do you believe will win?
What opportunities do you foresee with your clients to work with ARKit or ARCore in the future?
2. Microsoft Buys into Blockchain
“A growing number of enterprises are investing in blockchain as a secure and transparent way to digitally track the ownership of assets across trust boundaries and to collaborate on shared business processes, opening up new opportunities for cross-organizational collaboration and imaginative new business models.” – Mark Russinovich, CTO, Microsoft Azure.
Interest in blockchain technologies is higher than ever, but there are legitimate reasons why companies are hesitant to adopt this type of technology. Issues like latency, performance, confidentiality, and required processing power have been major stumbling blocks for business. Although blockchain currently works well for a group of “untrusted actors,” that’s not the same transaction dynamic as enterprise business. Microsoft wants to solve the issues mentioned above by making blockchain technology “more suitable for the enterprise” ergo… the announcement of Coco!
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Microsoft has created a product of sorts that will help bring blockchain to the enterprise. See this PR statement from their website, “Microsoft is committed to bringing blockchain to the enterprise—and is working with customers, partners, and the blockchain community to continue advancing its enterprise readiness. Our mission is to help companies thrive in this new era of secure multi-party computation by delivering open, scalable platforms and services that any company—from ledger startups to retailers to health providers to global banks—can use to improve shared business processes.”
The Coco framework, “an open-sourced system,” first works “by replacing the tedious proof of work computation with trusting submissions to the ledger because they come from a ‘trusted execution environment’ (TEE) secured by silicon.”
In English, that means Microsoft has figured out a way for blockchains to process transactions much faster by introducing a TEE (Trusted Execution Environment). Coco also adds a layer of confidentiality on top of the ledger so that “other suppliers cant’s see the orders you placed with another supplier.” 
To give you an example of how much faster transactions can happen on Coco, let’s look at some numbers. “In one test using the Ethereum ledger in Coco, the network delivered 1,500-1,600 transactions per second with latency between 100-200 milliseconds – far faster than Ethereum itself running on the same hardware.”
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Now Coco is a framework, not its own ledger, meaning that it uses other ledgers (and is compatible with them all). Blockchain giant Etherium as well as many companies (J P Morgan Chase for example) are already porting their ledgers onto Coco. Microsoft will open source Coco’s code in early 2018, with a technical whitepater and demonstrations available now. (see here!)
p.s. If you’re scratching your head in confusion at the entirety of this topic, first, be affirmed in that it’s very complicated. Second, it’s high time you educated yourself! We’ve discussed blockchain and cryptocurrencies in Q2 In Tha’ Know as well as in last month’s session. Please take a look at those links and slides for further education. I promise, you’ll be glad you did!
3. Fall + Pumpkin Spice News 
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Before October is here, before the leaves begin changing colors, EVEN before the clocks turn back… oh yes, it’s pumpkin mania. As the pumpkin obsession sets in for fall, Fast Company went as far to say that “pumpkin spice may just be the driving force behind the autumn economy.” 
With pumpkin spice products growing in number each year, this autumn cash cow is more than just a trend but increasingly becomes a cultural icon for an entire season. 
Starbucks, historically strict on when beloved seasonal drinks are offered in stores, had many store managers go completely rogue in late August by beginning to sell PSLs early. Several social posts of happy customers with their beloved drink as well as a very mysterious Starbucks Facebook live video began somewhat of a PSL panic.  
About a month ago, Starbucks employees even started a Reddit page support group to help deal with their fears surrounding customers who asked too early and were told no.
As I hope most of you are chuckling to yourselves or making #basic jokes to the colleague sitting next to you, let us ask some more serious questions.
If, in fact, pumpkin is such a phenomenon, how does your client play into it? How can the brands you work on play into cultural moments like this? On a more psychological note, what does this pumpkin spice craze teach us about culture and society?
Work
1. Warby Parker Owned the Eclipse
When brands foresee a cultural moment and perfectly insert themselves in an educational, helpful, or even comical way, consumers respond.
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Warby Parker, the innovative glasses company already invested in eyes throughout the US, did a nation-wide campaign leading up to and on the day of the Great American Eclipse. They educated consumers on what an eclipse was, how it would affect your eyes, and even sent out catalogs with DIY pinhole projectors so that consumers could easily protect their eyes while enjoying a historic viewing of the solar eclipse.  On a microsite created for the eclipse, Warby Parker had unique content, educational information, a downloadable link to make your own pinhole projector as well as an opportunity to win a trip to their Nashville store for a path of totality viewing.
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On the day of the eclipse, it became quite clear that it was in fact not only a scientific event but a media and brand event as well. 
Similar to the questions posed above, how can your clients embrace moments like this? What about this campaign did you think was smart?
2. The KFC Escape Room
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Escape rooms are having a moment. From a cultural trend to the brand stage, these real life adventures have the power to transport consumers to another reality – giving them an experience to remember.
With many of KFC’s employees being millennials, their staff is increasingly screen-obsessed and therefore more difficult to train due to lack of attention. In a clever marketing stunt/real life employee training program, KFC created an escape room that in VR teaches those who participate to fry chicken the KFC way.
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This ingenious creative technology work was designed for the Oculus platform and had the trainees master the five-step process before allowing them to “escape” the VR escape room. With a creepy picture of Colonel Sanders haunting the room and horror-like music playing, the desire to learn quickly and get out of there is very present.
The agency design director said, “"What excites us is experimenting with new tools and mediums to tell stories. VR became an obvious choice to create an immersive experience that teaches trainees how to make KFC's Original Recipe. The escape room concept builds on the pure training and utility of the experience into something that's also entertaining and connected to KFC's iconic founder."
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What do you like about this piece of work? How could a creative marketing technologist add value to your brand work?
Technology
1. QR Codes as a Tour Guide
QR codes are so 2004 right? Think again.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board is trying to reignite the spark of interest within Hong Kong’s business district. Despite the district’s business-like appearance, there are many “hidden treasures, like temples, galleries and street food.”
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By creating four different explorative walking routes around the business district (renamed “Old Town Central”) and having QR codes strategically placed through the route, an educational and entertaining tour was born. By scanning the QR codes (an easy task for all ages since the technology is not new), tour walkers would be brought to a web page giving them information about the spot and providing insight on the history and culture of the area. Now, QR codes aren’t the prettiest to look at, right? No worries there, each one is “art-inspired” creating tea pot of temple inspired codes.
Depending on interest, explorers could go on Tasting Hong Kong, Crazy for Art, Treasure Hunt, or Time Traveler, and by the names of each tour, you can most likely guess the type of tour.
Why feature such an ordinary technology in the Technology section of this session? Because often times budgets are tight and the reason for strategically using technology doesn’t have to be to impress everyone by being the first, but simply by being the most pratical or helpful.
What technology could your clients use to help or be more useful to their consumers that may not seem flashy, but it’s just plain brilliant?!
2. Alexa’s new Today in Music feature
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Alexa (as well as other AI home devices) is great at giving you a quick news recap as you sip your coffee in the morning, making you feel up to speed and ready to go! What about other things to stay on top of? Like music! 
Amazon has launched “Today in Music” which will provide daily updates regarding news in music, events in your area, releases, and music-related Prime and Unlimited offerings. For those thinking music trivia is a nice add-on, it has that too.
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In addition, Alexa can now play mood music. So you can say for example, “Alexa, play classic rock for a dinner party.” And she’ll do it! Teaching consumers that they can tell a technology an emotion or setting, and it’ll react accordingly is very interesting movement in human expectations of AI.
How do these AI updates effect the brands you work with? What about the music industry? What are your thoughts on the ever-evolving expectation for AI?
Hot Topic -> The Internet of Home Comforts
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[By pulling from Stylus’ recent report, The Internet of Home Comforts, the main points and key stats from it that are applicable to our business will be distilled down and shared here with the goal of getting you up to speed fast!]
Full report here.
This month we’re going to take a look at the current state of smart home technology and where it may be headed in the future. Specifically though, we’ll discuss how technology in our homes is “rewiring the habits and rituals of home life.” As you well know, anything that is shifting the attitudes and expectations of consumers is valuable information for our clients’ business.
Before we dive into this hot topic, name one home tech device or service that you use on the reg. Has one become a part of a habit or ritual? (wifi doesn’t count!)
Who has more connected devices in their home? Do a quick count check!
Current State of Smart Home ->
What is the state of the smart home right now? Despite cost and security concerns, this area of technology continues to grow at a rapid rate. Take a look at some of these numbers! 
In the UK, 52% of consumers own some form of connected device, and 30% intend to buy a connected device in the coming year (Deloitte, 2016).
By 2020, there will be 20.4 billion connected things in use globally, up from 8.4 billion this year (Gartner, 2017).  
In the US, 86% of millennials (aged 23 to 36) would be willing to pay more for a home with smart extras (Construction Dive, 2016). 
However, in the UK, 48% of consumers think that connected products are too expensive, with that figure rising to 53% among 18- to 34-year-olds (Deloitte, 2016)
There's a growing market for lower-priced smart home devices. In May 2017, Ikea tapped into this by announcing plans to begin selling its own cheaper range of app-controlled lightbulbs, saving consumers money on electricity bills and smart home upgrades.
In the US, 73% of millennial women see smart home technology as a way to protect their homes (TecHome Builder, 2016). 
Two-thirds of global consumers are very concerned about smart home data being hacked by cybercriminals.
From pure #’s to price and then of course safety, there are a variety of factors one has to examine before proceeding with purchasing or entering the home tech space.
Stylus says... 
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First we’re going to look at categories of home tech that are buzzing right now, but then look to how the home will evolve.
RIGHT NOW->
What are some categories of home tech that are doing just that?
1) Central Nervous System Tech – products or interfaces that are “anchored in physicality for a more intimate connection with the smart home.”
a. Pop Home Switch
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b. Knocki
2) Scent Tech – noses are very emotional and a scent can completely change the way you feel or think. When thinking about a category that is due for an update, home fragrance is definitely ripe for innovation.
a. Moodo
b. P&G’s Febreze – smart device
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3) Responsible Tech – devices that encourage healthy or more informed choices.
a. Eugene smart trashcan
b. Hydrao
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4) Voice Tech – did you know that by 2020, half of searches in the US will be done by voice? I know, crazy! With 33 million voice tech devices in homes now (and growing everyday!), this category should be no surprise to you.
a. Amazon Alexa
b. Google Home
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c. Apple’s Siri - HomePod
What about your space, though? Peter Madden, an ambassador for Future Cities Catapult said,
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It may sound a bit like the Jetsons to you, but this is happening! What is the most futuristic home or hotel you’ve been in? How did it affect your mood?
FUTURE ->
With focuses on “anticipatory, contextual and intuitive” tech, the future smart home will be like an assistant that enhances whatever mood you’re in or comes alongside you to accomplish whatever task you wish.
Want to save money on your heat bill? Done. Want to relax after a long day? Easy.
What are ways this will happen?
1) Sensor Shortcut – items in the future will be able to turn ordinary objects into smart devices by plug-in sensors that detect status. In the future, there will be more ways to track usage and habits by means of status throughout your home.
a. Synthetic Sensors
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2) Butler for All – everyone wants their own Carson, right? With Chatbots and AI becoming increasingly more sophisticated, behavior tracking and coordinating between say, watering the lawn and weather patterns would be easily done. In the future, technology will increasingly act like a butler to your home… well perhaps not answering your door ;)
a. Thington
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b. Neeo
3) Enhanced Accessibility – for anyone that has beloved grandparents or elderly parents or perhaps a family member with special needs, navigating the home is difficult without the help of another. In the future we’re going to see more and more technology that helps accessibility and eases the pressure of caretakers.
a. Howz
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There are a few more mentioned in the report that if this has peaked your interest, for sure do some more reading! 
Before we close, how does the current smart home and the future smart home affect you? How does it affect your clients?
Is there an initial behavior or attitude that comes to mind for how this will change society/culture?
If you remember from The Future of the Customer Experience segment presented in In Tha’ Know last quarter, we discussed how consumers will reward brands with loyalty when they know when and how to either SAVE or SEIZE their attention? A big way of how to do that was breaking out of the normal, comfortable vertical. Let’s stretch your brain a bit… try and concept one idea for your client that would involve home tech. Ready, set, be brilliant!
In closing, innovation always proceeds cultural change. Just think of the 10th anniversary of the iPhone we’re about to experience/celebrate. Think of the world and culture before that innovation!
App Feature
Status
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This is the blockchain startup app that is projected to change the way regular smartphone users can interact with the blockchain network. From receiving over $100 million (equivalent in Ethereum) in first round ICO funding, this app is considered one of the next big innovations to hit the mobile world. The finished product will look like a WhatsApp-meets-decentralized-banking based on the blockchain, but for now it’s in early development.
If you have an Android you can download immediately, but if you have iOS, you can get on the invite waitlist. It takes about 2 months to be invited, and I promise you’ll be glad you did :)
Content Feature
*please go to linked article - downloadable video was not available. 
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Thanks!
For the Curious TMA’er
(Podcast Insights)
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