Would You Use This Kinect Cart ?

http://www.digitaltrends.com/lifestyle/this-kinect-shopping-cart-can-help-you-get-your-grocery-list-done/

"Getting your groceries done can be a pain, and if you’re an introvert, you probably also hate the chore because of all the incessant human interactions that occur during a trip to the supermarket. What aisle are the sodas located? Do you have more of these granola bars in the stock room? Why is the canned chicken noodle soup on sale but not the same brand for clam chowder? Not to worry: Microsoft has partnered with third-party developer Chaotic Moon to create a shopping experience with a Kinect shopping cart system to minimize the need to talk to real, live people.

Developed for use at Whole Foods, the prototype shopping cart contains a Microsoft Kinect with a screen that watches the way you shop. Before making the trip, consumers can create a profile with their loyalty cards and preprogram their grocery lists and dietary constraints and preferences. Then, when they get to Whole Foods, a Kinect shopping cart will physically follow them around as they parade the aisles for food items. The shopping cart will also scan products as shoppers place them into the cart, and chime in if it recognizes when a shopper elects to buy something outside of their dietary restraints. When shoppers are ready to check out, the cart rings them up and charges their accounts, leaving no need to chat with a human employee. You can tell the shopping cart “Goodbye,” but it won’t greet you back and instead display a quiet “Thank You” note on the screen. Pretty convenient, but seems a little eerie.

The prototype definitely shows some promise, but we can imagine some chaos to ensue with hundreds of shoppers walking around in the same room and the shopping carts having to remember who they are following. Since the shoppers have to walk ahead of the cart, we wonder if the Kinect carts will recognize its surroundings enough to not slam into another person or cart. We also envision that a couple of Kinects talking aloud at the same time in one busy supermarket can also be a rather frustrating an experience as well.

Seeing the way Kinect systems have been applied outside of the gaming realm to accommodate today’s lifestyle has been an interesting trend. Medical schools are attempting to implement a way for students to practice hypothetical surgeries with a Kinect, and the home protection industry has used the machine to test facial recognition in security cameras. The rise of Seamless food ordering system and other forms of online shopping also prove people prefer to buy things without having to talk to someone, whether in person or on the phone. Unfortunately, there are no words yet on when you might see a Kinect shopping cart at your nearest Whole Foods. What do you think? Would you use this Kinect cart"?

Ditital Trends, by Natt Garun, 2/28/2012: This kinect shopping cart can help you get your grocery list done

Microsoft, Chaotic Moon and Whole Foods have partnered up to create a Kinect shopping cart as your ultimate supermarket companion. (check out the article below)

reflective vs. automatic thinking.

Default Thinking

Five years ago when I bought my house, I quickly got wifi for computer usage. The
order taker asked if I wanted to lease the modem for $5 per month or pay a one-time fee. I chose the $5 per month fee and stuck with it, for five years. I paid for the modem three times.

The authors of Nudge, Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler, use the terms “automatic system” vs. “reflective system” when examining this phenomenon. When we employ automatic thinking, we do not really think at all; we just do. We buy Pepsi when thirsty. We take this route to work. We sign up for three issues of that magazine and then do not cancel it. We turn on the Channel 4 news when we return home.

With reflective thinking, we actually think through and examine our thinking before making a decision. Do we really want a Pepsi or should we be healthy and buy a bottle of water? Is there a more scenic, more relaxing route to work? I got my three free issues of that magazine; I will cancel after they arrive.

I should have reconsidered my telecommunications decisions at least once a month. But I dislike dealing with those issues: I would rather eat a frog. I would have saved a significant amount of money.

I wonder where else I am losing money because I have relegated a difficult decision to a non-decision? When do you resort to automatic thinking? Are those times best for you?

Top 25 Blawgs (Blogs about legal topics)

The February 2012 issue of Bench & Bar of Minnesota has an article about how the editors chose the top 25 law blogs in Minnesota. Winners were selected based on content, design, and ease of navigation. The topics range from wit and humor to substantive law, and practice pointers to technology tips. Check out the link: http://practiceblawg.com/2012/01/top-25-minnesota-blawgs-2011/ or just click The Top 25 Minnesota Blawgs

Market segmentation - Men Only?

“Are you smart enough to segment a market?”

In a nutshell: 

One size does not fit all. Not for clothes. Not for cars. And now, not for soft drinks either.

Marketers know that identifying a target market is critical to success. But not all companies have the guts to clearly go after a single segment and risk alienating the broader market. Dr. Pepper is taking that risk and is betting big. Their new target market for diet soft drink is men. Not girls, not kids, not grandparents, not moms – they want Men (with a capital M) to drink Dr. Pepper Ten.

Why this focus on a specific market segment?

Dr. Pepper is taking note of the increasing size of men’s waistlines, and is targeting their diet soda directly to them, using advertisements that appeal to the tough-guy mentality. Men between the ages of 25 and 34 say they need to make healthier choices in sodas, but don’t like the usual diet pop taste or image.

Chicks needs not apply (but are still welcome to buy the product)!

Video Clips:  www.youtube.com, use Dr. Pepper Ten as search term. 

http://youtu.be/3iuG1OpnHP8

(Sources: Advertising Age, Brandchannel.com)

Let’s Talk Distinction…not Extinction!

When I work with clients on strategic planning they often tell me that beating their competition to market with new products, improving service, or grabbing market share is of greatest importance. To that end, I tell them, “we can design a plan to do that, however, do you want to be different or do you want to be distinct?” With a puzzled look, they often ask, “what is the difference?” To me differentiation is easy to copy, distinction is not. If you do something different from your competitors, it is ofen easy for then to copy you. The pursuit of differentiation can be a game of ‘I catch you, you catch me’. In the meantime other competitors can be using their enery to innovate in new ways. In the book The Collapse of Distinction, Scott McKain proposes that organizations need to not only be different, but they need to be distinct in the eyes of their current and potential customers. Think about your favorite diner with casual and friendly wait staff, unique décor, dishes with the right amount of spice, and a roving owner with a personality larger than life. You might say to yourself…”there is just no place like this in the world!” It is not that you can’t dine at other places with great food for the same price. However, you have a strange attraction to the place; in your eyes they are distinct, worthy of your continued business. Think about how your business can build distinction. You might need to ask your customers. They will tell you. If you listen well and are not afriad to make some changes, you can create distinction in the eyes of your customers and the marketplace.

Religion for Everyone

The decline of religion in the West has brought a decline in community spirit. Could the secular world draw useful lessons from religious life? Alain de Botton offers new ways to find shared meaning.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204883304577221603720817864.html?mod=qrcode

State of Green Business 2012

The State of Green Business 2012 provides the latest snapshot of the state of environmentally friendly business trends. While environmentally friendly efforts continue to grow in corporations there are other sustainability indicators that are showing a negative trend. Six of the 20 indicators tracked in the green index show a negative trend.Carbon intensity, toxic emissions, toxic emissions in manufacturing and e-waste showed a negative trend.The good news is that sustainable business practices are the "new normal." The report can be downloaded at the above link.

China’s War for Talent

In my recent and forth trip to the two largest cities in China…Shanghai and Beijing, I visited Target Corporation, Sunjoy Industries, APL, and Nielsen Company. I met with leaders from each of these organizations and my friend who works abroad at Personnel Decisions, Inc. The one topic that resonates with me from my meetings about the economy (China’s growth), infrastructure, and the neo-capitalist government is Talent Management. When one thinks of China, they think of cheap and plentiful labor. However, in the two largest cities in China wages for professional employees are soaring and the war for talent is on! The leaders I met struggle with defining retention strategies and developing their highest potential talent. Often the best employees use wage increases to negotiate with other organizations looking to recruit them. In the US, this is not the case for many organizations. So…what is China doing? They are doing what they do best which is take what American does best and make it their own. Chinese people working in American companies in China are changing their names to Stan, Carla, Ringo, and Sheila and taking our best practices in talent management and making them work. They are energized and excited about opportunities to learn and grow from our knowledge. They are passionate about education. They recognize that education is the key to prosperity in this new global economy. They do not give lip service to Talent Management, they are working to create initiatives that attract, retain, and develop talent that will help them meet the demands of a global marketplace. To that end, what are you doing to drive your Talent Management Strategy? Are you energized and excited about helping your employees and the US compete in a global market with countries like China, India, and Brazil? The winners in this global economy will be organizations that effectively manage their talent locally and globally.

Leadership Insight from George Washington

Ron Chernow was featured in an interview in the Wall Street Journal regarding his Pulitzer Prize winning biography of President Washington. According to Chernow...


 "You don't have to be the brightest or the most original mind on the block" to be a good president, he concludes. "But what Washington's life shows is the importance of clarity of vision, of tenacity of purpose and character, and how much can be accomplished in life if you keep your sights set on your ultimate goals."


This insight is a good one for the presidential candidates, says the interviewer Brian Bolduc.

Compare Cultures App

This interesting free App to compare cultures on the go uses the methodology of Geert Hofstede to allow the user to compare any two cultures. Hofstede compared various cultures based on the following dimensions: power distance, individualism, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity. Though not perfect this tool allows the user a quick insight into a global culture.

Global Differences in Management Practices

The World Management Survey is an excellent online resource to compare management practices across countries and industries. One can even benchmark their own organization against others in a similar sector or country. The survey finds that US firms are in general managed well while firms in Brazil or India do not fare as well. Not surprisingly firms that are well managed also perform better on a wide range of indicators.