BRotD - Entry 0239 Retail Transformation

Best Reading of the Day

Forbes has a great read that is well worth your time if you like tech, mobile, retail, and everything else I write about in this blog.

Read on:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/nitinmangtani/2015/12/22/solving-the-innovators-dilemma-one-touch-at-a-time/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Why do many successful, well-managed companies that seem invincible, suddenly get impacted by unlikely competitors – companies that were tiny, or that didn’t even exist?

As many of you may recall, this concept was highlighted in the best selling book, “The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail.” Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen’s groundbreaking book explained how companies sabotage their future success by focusing too much on their current products and strategy, and underestimating the potential of emerging, disruptive technologies and business models.

This central thesis remains highly relevant today, as evidenced by how mobile commerce is shaking up the retail and consumer marketplaces.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Mobile Beacons to Explode

That title is pretty killer, and I've been saying much the same for a couple of years now.  The folks over at AdAge.com have a great little article on these.

http://adage.com/article/datadriven-marketing/mobile-beacons-explode-a-silver-bullet/301874/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

In the next five years, hundreds of millions of mobile beacon tracking devices will pepper retail shops, restaurants and malls, observers are predicting. Global brands including Carrefour, Ikea, Macy's, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Target signed contracts with beacon providers in the last quarter, according to ABI Research, and Facebook this summer began distributing the trackers for free to small businesses. But analysts suggest beacons are still not the be-all end-all of real-world tracking.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Target Pay? Yeap

The news in mobile payments continues to flow like a river this holiday season.  The latest comes from Target:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/target-eyes-own-mobile-wallet-as-payments-habits-begin-to-change

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Target is reportedly working on its own mobile wallet, borrowing a page from Walmart as the need to address consumers’ growing demand for smartphone services takes on greater urgency.

It seems to be perfectly clear the major retailers are going to take any steps necessary to ensure a very different future in payments through mobile.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Food Lion Doing Great Work with Mobile Beacons

If buzzwords were a measure of a marketing effort this one might win.

Check out the story over on Mobile Commerce Daily:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/food-lion-initiates-in-store-mobile-coupons-through-shazam

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Food Lion is giving shoppers a way to save money by using the Shazam application to listen to a location’s music, in an innovative mobile coupon experience that also leverages beacons.

The grocery store chain is providing its in-store shoppers with a modern couponing experience, streamlining the process as well as making it an interesting experience.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Wal-Mart Announces Walmart Pay for Mobile Payments

Pretty enormous news in payments, retail and mobile as Walmart announced Walmart Pay today.

Due to my previous professional involvement in MCX, a consortium of retailers including Walmart who are developing a mobile wallet solution, I am going to keep my comments to a minimum.

Here is a story on this news:

http://www.digitaltransactions.net/news/story/Despite-Observers_-Doubts_-Wal-Mart-Says-Walmart-Pay-Won_t-Weaken-Ties-to-MCX

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Starting this month, Wal-Mart will begin testing “in select stores” a service called Walmart Pay, which will be part of the Wal-Mart shopping app and will work with most Apple and Android smart phones, the company says. Customers will be able to load “major” card brands along with the Wal-Mart gift card in the wallet, which will link to point-of-sale readers via quick-response (QR) codes, according to the announcement. The full rollout to all Wal-Mart stores is expected to be complete by the middle of next year.

This sounds pretty similar to the CurrentC solution developed at MCX.  It will be very interesting to see how this develops over time.  Starbucks and Dunkin' Brands use a similar style solution while the tech companies use NFC or other hardware solutions to interact with payment terminals.

Given the very slow adoption Apple Pay is seeing, Google Wallet already went through (now Android Pay), and Samsung Pay is seeing as well it is possible these "retail first" solutions are the way this will be solved.  Just look at Starbucks.  Dunkin' Brands is seeing similar success.  Will each major retailer have to develop their own proprietary mobile payments capability?  That seems inefficient.  Will the Apple Pays of the world ever take off?  Will a "white label" style solution like CurrentC at MCX be the one?

This seems to be a very long slog.  I was involved with this for years and I see many more years ahead.  It will be fun to follow this line though.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Dunkin Brands Goes with Cardfree

On the newswire today.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151209005346/en/Dunkin%E2%80%99-Donuts-Selects-CARDFREE-Mobile-Platform-Generation

Here is a portion of the announcement:

CARDFREE, the leading mobile commerce provider to large merchants, announced that it is the mobile application platform provider enabling Dunkin’ Donuts’ new On-the-Go Ordering app that is currently being tested in Portland, Maine. The company was selected by Dunkin’ Donuts to provide the mobile ordering application solution to make it easier and more convenient for members of the brand’s DD Perks® Rewards Program to place an order from their mobile phone.

Cardfree clearly wants to be a major player in this space but their spin as "the leading ... provider to large merchants" is quite a bit heavy when you look at their current list of customers:

http://www.cardfree.com/partners.html

Sure Taco Bell, Sonic, and Rally's are bit but they vastly overstate their case.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Mobile Payments This Holiday Season

The folks over at Mobile Commerce Daily have a bit of news worth reading.  Suffice it to say Apple Pay hasn't taken off, nor have mobile wallets in general.

Read on:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/credit-cards-beat-out-mobile-wallets-during-black-friday-report

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Mobile wallet platforms did not fare well during this year’s Black Friday retail frenzy, most likely due to do inconsistency with retailers and consumer use, with Apple Pay at its lowest usage rate and PayPal being used more than others, according to a report from InfoScout.

The holiday weekend is known for its chaotic shopping sprees, with many retailers seeing long lines and disorderly checkout experiences, which may have led consumers’ choice to stick with established payment methods such as credit cards. On Black Friday this year Apple Pay saw only 2.7 percent use with all eligible transactions at retail locations, and Android even lower with 2 percent of possible transactions being used.

In similar news Dunkin Brands has now incorporated Apple Pay in to its mobile wallet, much like Starbucks before it.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/dunkin-donuts-cracks-open-apple-pay-as-holiday-sales-thicken

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Kroger Dominating

If you don't live near a Kroger supermarket you are an increasingly small audience.  This behemoth is still growing and is already enormous, 2nd only to Walmart.

Here is the full story over on Bloomberg:

http://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2015-12-03/kroger-earnings-the-chain-quietly-gains-on-walmart-whole-foods

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Retail is in the doldrums. Grocery chains are filing for bankruptcy. Former industry darlings like Whole Foods are struggling to boost sales. Amazon is making a big bet on online grocery delivery. Drugstore chains are selling boatloads of food. And for the first time ever, more people are eating out at restaurants than making food at home.

Sound like a recipe for disaster? Not for Kroger, the grocery chain that has been quietly growing its empire to become the second-largest U.S. retailer by sales after almighty Walmart, which derives 56 percent of its sales from groceries.

I only found this piece thanks to the efforts over on MorningNewsBeat so be sure to check there daily:

http://www.morningnewsbeat.com/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

UX for Mobile - Menu Navigation Methods and the Hamburger Stack

I've referenced the following article a few times in my professional life and found I hadn't grabbed it for my professional blog.  I'm correcting that oversight now.

Ever wonder how and why we build the ways we choose to navigate in your favorite apps?  Have you ever used an app, or website, and thought you had a great "experience" using it, or, more likely, a terrible experience?

Read on:

http://thenextweb.com/dd/2014/04/08/ux-designers-side-drawer-navigation-costing-half-user-engagement/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

So, you have a mobile app where there are more pages or sections than can fit on a mobile screen at once. Your first thought might be to create a tabbed design, with a row of tabs along the top or buttons along the bottom.

But wait… that extra row of tabs or buttons wastes a lot of valuable real estate on a small mobile display, so let’s not do that. Instead, let’s move the options into a side menu, or side drawer, as our Android team keep reminding me it’s called.

Here is one more article on this:

http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/24/before-the-hamburger-button-kills-you/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Black Friday and Cyber Monday News

I may find more stories around the net on what happened yesterday.  If so I'll link them in here.

For now this one is a worthy read.  What happened on Cyber Monday?  Huge sales numbers and overwhelming (literally) demand for online interaction with retailers.

Read on:

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/263583/cyber-monday-sales-hit-3-billion-targets-site-o.html?edition=88270

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Cyber Monday finished strong, with Adobe estimating a 12% gain to a record $2.98 billion. And for the full holiday weekend, it says online sales jumped 15% to $11 billion. IBM Watson is reporting an even stronger day, with a 17.3% increase in Cyber Monday sales, and an average order of $126.87.

An impressive amount of those sales came from mobile, which IBM says made up 44.7% of the day’s online traffic, a 16.9% rise from last year. And 27% of all online sales came from mobile devices, a gain of 32.6% from 2014.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Story #2: This one requires a login to see the whole story but the headline is worth catching:
http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/walmart-mobile-dominant-shopping-trend

Here is a snippet from it:
More and more, the endless aisles associated with Walmart's digital arm is accessed through mobile, Fernando Madeira, president and CEO Walmart.com, reported Tuesday morning.

“Mobile firmly established itself as the dominant shopping trend, for both traffic and sales," he said. "Mobile is making up more than 70% of traffic to Walmart.com, and now, nearly half of our orders since Thanksgiving have been placed on a mobile device – that’s double compared to last year. Our customers went from previously mostly searching and browsing on mobile, to making purchases at a much higher rate."

Story #3: The folks at eConsultancy do good work.  Here is a great summary article of Black Friday and Cyber Monday:
https://econsultancy.com/blog/67265-10-huge-shopping-stats-from-thanksgiving-black-friday-2015/

Story #4: If you haven't played 'Cards Against Humanity' you should.  Check out what they did for the holiday shopping season:
https://econsultancy.com/blog/67264-how-one-company-made-over-70-000-selling-nothing-on-black-friday/

Story #5: Mobile dominates on Cyber Monday, but is only the start of the shopping experience as 70% of sales happened on traditional PCs:
http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/mobile-brightens-cyber-monday-with-50pc-of-traffic-30pc-of-sales

Story #6: Stores that closed on Thansgiving outperformed all other stores online.  The big reason stores were being driven to open on Thansgiving was all the eCommerce sales happening that day while their doors were locked.  Today, as retailers catch up online, that is less and less an issue.  Interesting.  If we didn't think eCommerce was table stakes for brick & mortar retailers before is there any doubt now?
http://multichannelmerchant.com/news/stores-that-closed-doors-on-thanksgiving-and-black-friday-outperformed-competitors-online-30112015/

Story #7: Here is the CEO of Macy's saying the death of the Department Store has been grossly over stated:
http://www.businessinsider.com/macys-ceo-department-stores-2015-11

That is all folks!  Until next year.  

BRotD - Entry 0238 History of Online Holiday Shopping

Best Reading of the Day

This little story is actually huge as it provides link after link to other stories that tell one comprehensive view of the history of online shopping during the holidays.

Huge story.  Really cool read.  Check it out:

https://nrf.com/news/the-evolution-of-online-holiday-shopping

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Back in 2005, few of us had high-speed Internet access at home and online holiday shopping was done on the sly during work hours. The first day back at work after Thanksgiving weekend was when online holiday shopping began in earnest. When we first noticed the trend, we coined the phrase “Cyber Monday” and the rest is history.

A decade later, we’re streaming television at home on high-speed Wi-Fi connections, talking with our families and our favorite brands on social media and constantly connected to everything on smartphones and tablets — devices that didn’t even exist 10 years ago.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Social Media with Mobile and Payments

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday.

Back at it with lots of news from Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

I like this little story about the possible merging of social media with mobile and payments:

http://www.mobilepaymentstoday.com/articles/the-merging-of-social-media-payments-and-mobile/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

No other online channel is driving retail sales and referral traffic quite like that of social media. BI Intelligence reports that between the first quarters of 2014 and 2015, social media increased its share of e-commerce referrals by nearly 200 percent.

And while this year saw the merging of social media and payments into an undeniable powerhouse, social engagement with retail is still limited when it comes to a mobile device. But in 2016, this will change.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Retailers Misfiring on Personalized Mobile

I really enjoy Mobile Commerce Daily and I hope you do too.  However, I'll continue to grab the stories from there, and everywhere else I look (I read a lot), that I like the most and pop them on here for you.

The post's title tells quite a story.  Read more:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/retailers-lack-of-mobile-personalization-leads-to-commerce-downfalls-report

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Retailers are missing out on significant revenue opportunities by failing to personalize consumers’ shopping experiences, thanks to the lack of adaptive pages, product recommendations and search functionalities on their mobile sites, according to a Retail Systems Research report.

In its “Personalization Across Digital Channels” report, sponsored by predictive analytics platform Reflektion, Retail Systems Research highlights the major faux paus that brands commit when it comes to mobile commerce.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Chase Pay Surges Forward with CurrentC

Chase isn't messing around with mobile payments and this new alliance/engagement/whatever with MCX and the CurrentC mobile wallet solution for retailers.

Read on:

http://www.fiercefinanceit.com/story/chase-names-18-tech-partners-integrate-chase-pay-merchant-payment-platforms/2015-11-19

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Aiming for wide-scale availability of its Chase Pay mobile and digital payment system by mid-2016, Chase announced this week that it has partnered with 18 tech firms to implement the service for merchants.

Chase Pay, first announced last month, represents Chase's plan for competing in the rapidly evolving online and mobile payment space. For consumers, Chase Pay is a secure, tokenization-based payment scheme for in-store, phone, and online payments.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Proliferation of Mobile Payments

In a sign of the further, and possibly extreme, proliferation of mobile payments we have news of a new product just for general aviators so pilots can pay for fuel with their smart phones.  How far we have come.

Here is the news wire:

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151110005272/en/U.S.-Bank-Launches-Mobile-Payment-App-General

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Private and business aviation pilots can now pay for fueling and services directly from their phones with a new app from U.S. Bank Multi Service Aviation. MSA Pay, which went live this week, is the first mobile payment app in the general aviation space, designed specifically for the ordering, payment and back office needs of pilots.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Jet.com Rival to Amazon Raises $500USM

That little eCommerce rival to Amazon isn't so little any more.  With a funding round powered by Fidelity Investments, no small player, the company is now valued at $1.5B.  That is a "B".

Read on:

http://www.paymenteye.com/2015/11/05/jet-com-secures-500m-investment-and-becomes-worth-1-5-billion/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

As we approach 2015’s expiry date, the company is already worth $1b and has just finished another investment round where it raised $500m led by Fidelity Investments, according to a source close to the matter. The new round will mean Jet.com will be valued at $1.5 billion.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Walgreens Goes Loyal to Apple Pay

Walgreens is the first retailer to pull together mobile payments and their store loyalty within Apple Pay.

This is big news as mobile payments by itself is unlikely to move the needle.  Something more is needed and loyalty is a great "something".

This is exactly what retailers are doing through their own CurrentC branded mobile wallet.

Read more on Walgreens here:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/walgreens-creates-efficient-in-store-experience-with-apple-pay-rewards-integration

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Walgreens is streamlining the in-store checkout process as the first retailer to intertwine Apple Pay with its loyalty program, enabling customers to scan only once to pay and receive rewards.

Data has shown that interest in mobile payments is low, but mobile wallet services which provide rewards programs is much more desired amongst consumers. Walgreens is looking to drive sales with the Apple Pay-loyalty integration following a series of successful mobile wallet incorporations for other retailers.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0237 Forrester Research on 2016 for Business

Best Reading of the Day

One thing I've learned over the last few years, when the researchers over at Forrester speak you should listen.  These guys are far, far beyond merely having their finger on the pulse of technology in the world.  Their data analyses take them in to the realm of forecasting.

Read on:

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3000335/it-management/forrester-s-top-10-predictions-for-business-in-2016-and-what-they-mean-for-tech.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

2016 will be a year of action for companies. It will be the year that the companies that thrive will be those advancing down the customer obsession path — while those that downplay their customers’ needs will start to wither away.

The good news? You and your technology teams have a critical role in helping — and in some cases, leading — your organization in adapting and thriving in the age of the customer.

Here are the top trends Forrester sees shaping your business in 2016, and what you can do to advance them.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Mobile Apps for Retail

I spent the last 3 years or so doing mobile apps for retail and I'll say I agree with the premise of this fine little article.

Retailers must get in the game of mobile apps or forever remain outside.

Read on:

https://econsultancy.com/blog/67138-native-apps-for-retail-10-reasons-it-s-now-or-never/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Apps in retail are suddenly a topic of parlour conversation again.

There are those who see them as a distracting use of resource, difficult to update and subject to the whims of the app store.

Others see them as the best way to create slick user experiences that allow loyal customers to convert on mobile.

Here's why it's now or never for retailers thinking about investing in native apps.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Amazon's First Physical Store

The title says it all.

I've been waiting for this move for years now as it is the obvious next step.  Traditional brick & mortar retailers have increasingly become eCommerce companies.  eCommerce companies must also become increasingly like traditional retailers if they want to keep growing.

Here is the story:

http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/11/amazons-first-brick-and-mortar-store-one-big-ad-for-the-amazon-app/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

SEATTLE—On Tuesday, after years of rumors and speculation, Amazon launched a brick-and-mortar store—the kind of place that it has frequently been accused of putting out of business for over 20 years. We had to see what it was all about.

So we got in the car and drove to Seattle's famed University Village, the city's leading upscale outdoor mall, and we did something we never thought we’d do: we walked into an Amazon-branded store, handed money to a human, and left with a book. The future is now.

If this is the future of neighborhood bookstores, however, we're not entirely excited. We took a few of Amazon Books' opening day hiccups and kinks in stride, and we saw some ways that the store could provide a unique and pleasing shopping experience, but for the most part, we found the shop—and its reliance on the Amazon smartphone app—something that we had no desire to ever return to again.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Macy's Bluetooth In-Store Game

Now this is cool!

I once worked to put together a QR Code based scavenger hunt for a trade-show event, enabled through the event app in the mobile devices of the attendees.  This takes is to a much higher level.

Read on:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/macys-peps-up-black-friday-shopping-via-beacon-triggered-mobile-game

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Macy’s keen grasp of mobile’s significant role for Thanksgiving weekend shoppers is evident from a new in-store contest leveraging beacon technology, a focus on Pinterest for showcasing deals and a mobile-enabled shopping list.

The retailer, long a leader in mobile shopping, is offering in-store shoppers multiple chances to win prizes by playing the mobile enabled Macy’s Black Friday Walk In and Win game, which is triggered by beacons. Additionally, shoppers can get a sneak peak at Black Friday specials on the Macy’s Pinterest page and build a shopping list from their mobile phones on Macys.com that they can shop from directly on Thanksgiving Day.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Beacons and Mobile Tech Changing Retail

Good little article over on Business.com about the potential impact of the emerging mobile technologies, such as bluetooth beacons, on retail.

Here is the story:

http://www.business.com/mobile-apps-and-tools/how-mobile-technology-is-changing-retail/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

While it was just another brick and mortar store failing to keep with the times, the February 2015 bankruptcy filing of Radio Shack was particularly ironic.

This was a company that once was a mecca for technology enthusiasts, but it couldn’t adapt to the latest technologies that shape consumer behavior.

As online stores continue to dominate, how will traditional retailers keep up with their consumer demands?

Here’s how retailers need to learn to adapt to disruptive technologies or else, like Radio Shack, face extinction.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Money 20/20, Chase Bank and CurrentC

All of the money is in Vegas this week as Money 20/20 roars in to 2015.  This is the big industry trade show for all things "money".

The biggest news so far is a new mobile wallet by Chase with the retail backing of MCX and the CurrentC wallet.

Here is one article on this news:

http://www.digitaltransactions.net/news/story/Chase-Unveils-Chase-Pay_-a-Mobile-Wallet-That-Will-Work-at-Merchants-Accepting-CurrentC

Here is a snippet from that piece:

JPMorgan Chase & Co. on Monday unveiled its Chase Pay mobile wallet and said the product will begin rolling out in the middle of next year. Chase also said its new wallet will be accepted at merchants belonging to the Merchant Customer Exchange LLC, a retailer-controlled consortium that has been testing its own wallet, CurrentC, in Columbus, Ohio.

CNBC had a piece on the growing criticality of mobile wallets:

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/26/the-latest-in-the-battle-to-own-your-digital-wallet.html

Here is a snippet from that piece:\

The battle to own your digital wallet is on.

2016 will be a pivotal year for mobile payments, with total transaction values jumping 210 percent, according to eMarketer. Why? Mobile wallets — like Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay and MCX — will become standard features on smartphones and more merchants will adopt point-of-sale systems that can accept mobile payments.

It makes sense then that this is a big story at Money20/20 in Las Vegas.

Here is one more article on this:

http://www.pymnts.com/news/2015/chase-pay-mobile-wallet-launches-with-mcx-as-a-partner/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

**UPDATE** Great little analysis came out today about the recent CurrentC news:
http://www.digitaltransactions.net/news/story/How-MCX_s-Deals-with-Chase-Pay-And-BIM-Networks-Help-Fill-a-Tender-Gap-in-CurrentC

Here is a snippet from that piece:

With two strokes of the pen, Merchant Customer Exchange LLC has addressed one glaring weakness in its mobile wallet. By announcing a deal this week with JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s brand-new Chase Pay mobile-payments service and two weeks ago with a little-known New York City-based app provider called BIM Networks Inc., MCX brought open-loop and store-branded automated clearing house payments to its fledgling CurrentC service.

Next up is the press release of the keynote by the CEO of MCX:

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151029006424/en/2015-Money2020-Keynote-Address-MCX-CEO-Brian

Happy Halloween!

Fun Mobile Loyalty Programs

The folks over at Mobile Marketer have an excellent piece on the loyalty of Millennials. Not surprisingly it has been found that a fun mobile loyalty program will attract this tech-savvy generation.

Shocker.  However, it is always good to formalize our understanding of the things we come to take for granted. Big retailers, such as Target, are taking notice.

http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/research/21526.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

With recent research showing that fun experiences are key to loyalty for millennials, savvy marketers such as Sephora, Pepsi and Target are leveraging mobile to bring elements of gaming, social media and relevant content for more enjoyable programs.

The millennial demographic needs to be reached with a variety of different tactics compared to other consumers, as their values vastly differ from others, according to a new survey from Colloquy. Marketers need to focus on creating meaningful experiences rather than economic gains when it comes to reaching millennials through loyalty and mobile, as these consumers hold this type of marketing in much higher regard.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Forrester Analyzes Apple Pay

Great read from the folks at Forrester, doing some of the very best work at analyzing all things mobile.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/why-apple-pays-second-year-will-be-harder-than-its-first-forrester

Here is a snippet from the read:

While Apple Pay’s adoption rate so far is encouraging, the solution faces resistance in many countries, is viewed as a threat by some banks and still needs to prove its value for merchants, according to a new report from Forrester.

In its first 12 months, Apple Pay made notable gains in building a meaningful presence in the United States and Britain with financial organizations, retailers and consumers, according to the report, Apple Pay Should Be Part Of Your Bank’s Payment Strategy. While it is facing some significant challenges building on that success, Forrester still expects Apple Pay to be a permanent part of the payments landscape in many developed countries.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0236 WalmartLabs Impacting Mobile Retail

Best Reading of the Day

This story over on PC Magazine is a really excellent read.

If you don't know much about Walmart you should know that everyone on the planet comes to Bentonville, AR if they want to do business with Walmart, and many people do.  One notable exception is the technology arm of the retail giant.  That is WalmartLabs outside of San Francisco.  What have they been up to?  Just leading the world in the bricks & mobile work (a quote taken from a Target representative to be a bit ironic).

Read on:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2493418,00.asp

Here is a snippet from the piece:

At this year's inaugural TAP Conference, representatives from start-ups, big tech companies, and venture capital (VC) firms came together to discuss the state of the mobile app economy, and the evolving nature of online shopping and mobile commerce. The point of sale (POS) landscape is changing as context and in-app purchases drive a new wave of mobile conversions.

Large enterprises and retailers are as acutely affected by this shift as start-ups (which are, arguably, more so); this made the afternoon panel entitled "Connecting Fortune 500s to the Mobile Economy" one of the conference's most fascinating. In some cases, Fortune 500s are propelling more mobile commerce innovation than start-ups. Onstage, panelists from Citigroup Inc., Walgreen Co., @WalmartLabs, and 7-Eleven, Inc. talked about the ways in which their companies are innovating—from launching new apps and partnerships to rolling out smart features around beacons, push notifications, and user experience (UX).

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Some Fashion Selling Better Through Mobile

Some, but not all.  Not by a long shot.  This was a very interesting article to me that emphasizes the differences in the eCommerce world between desktop buying, mobile buying, and leads to questions around in-store buying habits.

Check it out:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/gilt-exec-hermes-handbags-sell-better-on-mobile-than-desktop

Here is a snippet from the piece:

A Gilt executive at the Mobile Shopping Summit 2015 revealed that more consumers purchase Hermès handbags on mobile than on desktop, suggesting that accessories and jewelry are better suited to mcommerce than ready-to-wear apparel.

During the “Loyalty Panel: Increasing Customer Lifetime Value By Developing A Consistent Brand Voice Across Devices” session, the executive discussed how some retail categories are not as readily bridged with mobile as others. Consequently, the brand has revamped the imagery in its mobile application and site and lessened credit card friction to make the shopping process seamless and fuel more sales.

“Some categories we haven’t been able to bridge as much as others,” said Cynthia Kleinbaum, director of loyalty marketing at Gilt Groupe, New York. “Ready-to-wear has been a challenge, not so much accessories and handbags.”

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Walmart's 3 Year Strategic Plan

When Walmart makes a move in the retail world (and increasingly in eCommerce and the requisite technology) folks should take note.

How about a 3 year strategic plan?

Sounds like it is worthy of a read.

http://www.progressivegrocer.com/industry-news-trends/national-supermarket-chains/walmart-unveils-3-year-strategic-framework

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has unveiled a new plan to drive sales by bolstering its U.S. and e-commerce businesses.

The Bentonville, Ark.-based mega-retailer intends for its new three-year strategic framework to improve the in-store experience, use Walmart’s unique supply chain capabilities to lower costs, and establish meaningful digital relationships with shoppers.

"These are exciting times in retail, given the pace and magnitude of change," said Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

**UPDATE**  I've found another story on this subject that is worth adding here.  First though, I was struck by the statement the CEO makes about becoming the first to create a seemless customer experience at scale.  Wow!  That is a huge undertaking.

Here is the other story on this:
http://www.thestreet.com/

Did Wal-Mart’s CEO Just Drop a Major Bombshell?

CurrentC Mobile Payments by MCX in the News

News from the CEO at Merchant Customer Exchange about their ongoing public beta in Columbus, OH.

http://www.digitaltransactions.net/news/story/CurrentC-Adding-More-Major-Merchants-in-Columbus_-_Open-Loop_-Cards-To-Come

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Within a week, four more major retailers—ExxonMobil, Sears, Shell Oil, and WalMart—will join the CurrentC pilot that started last month in Columbus, Ohio. That’s according to Brian V. Mooney, a long-time processing executive who took over in April as interim chief executive of the mobile wallet’s sponsor organization, Merchant Customer Exchange LLC.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

PS  For the record I am no longer on the board at MCX and have no inside knowledge of any of its activities.

How to Make Quality Products

The title of this article caught my eye.

The secret to first-rate mobile apps for customers? Iterate, iterate, iterate
While I've spent the last 3 years on mobile apps and couldn't agree more with this, it struck me this statement could be applied to just about any product.

Here is the full story:

http://www.computerworld.com/article/2985653/mobile-apps/the-secret-to-first-rate-mobile-apps-for-customers-iterate-iterate-iterate.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Take four heavy-hitting brands -- Allstate, Hilton, United Airlines and American Express, all of which place a premium on customer loyalty and retention. Mix in the customer-pleasing form of mobile devices and the ever-advancing function of mobile apps.

What you get are four organizations using mobile to connect better with customers by leveraging their well-organized IT structures and well-skilled IT staffers.

"Mobile is really about supporting your overall business objective," says Forrester Research analyst Julie Ask. "Sometimes it's around revenue or sales, sometimes it's about influencing sales in stores. It could be about customer service." But to be successful, she adds, "mobile has to be an enabler of a better customer experience."

I really like the work Forrester is doing in this arena, by the way.  If you can afford their services they are worth taking a look at.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Facebook OmniCommerce?

"Like" something on Facebook.  Then "Buy" it.

Simple right?

Seems that is the direction they are headed and the folks at Facebook just took a big step in that direction. Omnicommerce here we come.

Read on:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/facebook-aggregates-products-and-offers-for-dedicated-shopping-section

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Facebook is testing a single location where users can easily discover, share and purchase a personalized selection of products as the race heats up to connect millennials’ time spent on social media with their shopping needs.

The dedicated shopping feed will aggregate photos and products on sale from different retailers’ pages on Facebook. Retailers will be able to advertise here as well by using the feed’s search bar for traditional keyword ads.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

New J.R.R. Tolkien

Time for something completely different.

I've been a fan of the books written by J.R.R. Tolkien since the late '70's and have read the entire 'Lord of the Rings' books just about once for every year I've been on this earth.

Guess that makes me a huge fan.

Yes, I enjoyed the movies a ton as well.

Time for a wonderful new book.

A collection of sketches, drawings, and maps by Tolkien himself that helps show the evolution of Middle Earth.  Simply wonderful, and to be available in time for the holidays.  Pick one up for a family member or friend who is a fan.

http://www.wired.com/2015/10/see-jrr-tolkien-lord-of-the-rings-middle-earth-illustrations-for-first-time/#slide-1

Here is a snippet from the piece:

HOW DID J.R.R. Tolkien create The Lord of the Rings? The simple answer is that he wrote it. He sat down in a chair in 1937 and spent more than a dozen years working on what remains a masterwork of fantasy literature and a genius stroke of immersive worldbuilding.

The more complicated answer is that in addition to writing the story, he drew it. The many maps and sketches he made while drafting The Lord of the Rings informed his storytelling, allowing him to test narrative ideas and illustrate scenes he needed to capture in words. For Tolkien, the art of writing and the art of drawing were inextricably intertwined.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

PS  I probably sign my name as I do because of Tolkien.

Big Food Not Seeing Success in the Digital Era

I've written extensively about the prospects for both retailers and manufacturer brands in the Age of the Participant. It appears the largest manufacturer brands aren't seeing realization to their potential, yet.  Or perhaps the big retailers have successfully countered?

Read on:

http://www.retailleader.com/top-story-trends-top_cpg_brands_languish_in_sales-4691.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

The top 100 CPG brands aren’t performing well on retail shelves, according to the latest report from Catalina Marketing.

In the 12 months ending June 30, 62 of the top 100 national brands of food and other consumable goods declined in sales dollar volume, by an average of 4.4 percent. Collectively, the 100 saw a drop in sales of 0.8 percent.

For the 38 brands that went up in sales, the average gain was 5.5 percent. However, 90 of the top 100 brands lost market share within their category overall.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Attribution in the Age of the Participant

The Digital Age has transformed a lot in this world and marketing is no exception.  This little story over on Econsultancy is worth reading:

https://econsultancy.com/blog/66996-the-three-stages-of-attribution-that-are-crucial-to-success/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Attribution has left many businesses frustrated as they get lost in the technology and struggle to harness the value. As soon as ‘attribution’ is mentioned the conversation tends to be polarised on the details of the sharing algorithm and the technology used.

While the attribution technology and the algorithm for sharing value across touchpoints is important, today I want to widen the lens on the subject and look at the three stages that make up the discipline of attribution and look at why this wider view is crucial to success.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Microsoft Surface Book and Pro 4

Big announcements by Microsoft the other day as the company continues its transformation.  One piece of news is Windows 10 hitting well over 100 million users.  Wow.

This little story over on Wired.com is worth reading to see the future of hardware, today:

http://www.wired.com/2015/10/microsofts-surface-book-will-redefine-pcs-made/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Microsoft’s Surface Book is the most exciting Windows laptop in years. Actually, aside from a few hot-rod gaming rigs, it may be the only exciting Windows laptop in years. That’s great news for people who’ve longed to long for a PC again. And it could be a nightmare for every other PC manufacturer.

If you missed the Surface Book announcement, you’ll want to get acquainted. It’s a 13.5-inch laptop with a killer display, maxed-out guts, a funky cool hinge, and a top half that detaches, like the saucer of the USS Enterprise, to become a thick, powerful tablet. Reattach the display face-up, and the Surface Book enters “draw mode,” which brings the full power of a discrete Nvidia GPU to bear on stylus-based sketches and similar applicationxs. It’s a beauty, it’s a beast, and at $1,500 it’s expensive but not ludicrously so.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Domino's Pizza Success With Mobile

I haven't ordered a pizza from Domino's in at least 10 years, and I can't say I have a strong desire to do so with all of the excellent options in the Greater Boston Area.  That makes little difference to the ubiquitous pizza chain and they are doing some very cool things in mobile.

You can order a pizza merely by sending a tweet.  Talk about reducing the friction of the order and the payments component!

Here is a piece about their latest efforts in mobile:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/dominos-strong-mobile-sales-prove-millennials-dependency-on-digital-ordering

Here is a snippet from the piece:

NEW YORK – A Domino’s Pizza executive at the Mobile Marketing Association’s SM2 Innovation Summit 2015 discussed the brand’s strong digital sales, which stem from enabling mobile-savvy consumers to place pizza orders via an application, social media, a virtual voice assistant and an online site to ensure maximum convenience and reach.

During the “Mobile’s Transformative Role at Domino’s Pizza” session, the executive revealed Domino’s dedication to reinvention, a technology-focused strategy that has resonated positively with customers in the millennial demographic. The ability to order pizzas via a slew of mobile-enabled channels has significantly contributed to the company seeing more than 50 percent of sales coming from digital avenues.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0235 Are You Investing Too Much in Your Mobile App?

Best Reading of the Day

I've spent many years working on software development projects and was an early adopter of smart phones with their "apps".  The past few years I've worked exclusively on mobile apps in a consumer-facing product capacity so I'm fluent in the strengths and weaknesses of mobile apps.  However I'm also likely biased, with an inherent blind spot, in favor of mobile apps due to my career choices.

How can we shine some light in to the darkness of our blind spots with out asking questions and challenging ourselves?  A recent article by the folks over at Econsultancy will help me and might help you as well. It is titled "Eight Reasons to Kill Your Native Mobile App".

https://econsultancy.com/blog/66977-eight-reasons-to-kill-your-native-mobile-app/

The key word there is 'native'. They aren't declaring a withdrawal from support of mobile in general, just emphasizing the native development vs. mobile web question.  Native apps are much, much more expensive than mere mobile websites or 'hybrids' where a simple app encapsulates mobile web content.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Companies have invested significant sums in developing native mobile apps but the harsh reality is that many have little to show for it.

While many continue to maintain and invest in their apps despite the results, some are deciding that it's better to pull the plug.

One such company is Atavist, a digital magazine that launched in 2010 just as excitement around media consumption on phones and tablets was building.

But five years later, the upstart publisher came to the conclusion that the most sensible thing to do was kill its native app.

When should a company make a similar decision? Here are eight reasons it might make sense to retire a native app...

The article linked in that snippet is worth reading as well.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Samsung Pay Mobile Payments Launches in U.S.

Samsung Pay is the ability to use your phone to essentially skip the card swipe process via traditional payments card swipers.  The phone's tech replaces the swipe, thus it will, theoretically, work at all payments terminals.  In reality it is quite effective but doesn't reach 100% and unfortunately Samsung Pay has failed to get many issuers to sign up for the new capability.  That means your favorite card is unlikely to be supported.

Here is a story on the launch by the folks over at The Verge:

http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/28/9408749/samsung-pay-united-states-launch


Here is a snippet from that piece:

Samsung Pay, the company's answer to Apple Pay, has officially launched today in the United States after a month-long beta program.

In theory, Samsung Pay should be an extremely handy mobile payment service. Alongside NFC payments, it also uses "Magnetic Source Transmission" technology, or MST, which emits the same kind of magnetic code that make credit card readers work. (Samsung acquired the company that pioneered this technology, LoopPay, back in February.) It's an advantage over services like Apple Pay and Android Pay, which primarily rely on NFC technology, which is still not widely available.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

The Importance of Tech on Company Boards

Let me say I have personal experience with this one having served on a board as a technology product expert and having been impacted by a board that did not have a technology expert serving on it.

Here is Wikipedia:

A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization.

Here is the story over on Harvard Business Review (you may need to create a FREE account to read the entire story):

https://hbr.org/2015/09/all-boards-need-a-technology-expert

Here is a snippet from the piece:

A few months ago I decided to look into the professional experience of non-executive directors at the major banks listed in Britain. Like almost every other major industry today, banking relies on hugely complex, enormously expensive technology. So I was curious as to whether the individuals charged with corporate governance would have any more than a layman’s knowledge of IT. I discovered that only one bank had a board member with some direct experience in technology and in that case it was as a sales executive.

...

To ensure that corporate governance includes sufficient oversight of technology, I propose companies follow the following principles:

• Hire a techie to your board. 
• Don’t rely entirely on advisers. 
• Ask tough questions about technology spending. 
• Understand the cyber threat. 

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0234 Google Guide to Winning Mobile

Best Reading of the Day

Following up on the excellent story about programmatics yesterday Google is 2 for 2 in BRotD.  As always you can download the entire study by following their link.

Here is the story:

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/research-studies/micromoments-guide-pdf-download.html

Be sure to get the entire guide and at least scan through it.  Excellent.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0233 Programmatic Mobile Moments

Best Reading of the Day

Google Think is out with another outstanding read.

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/programmatic-helps-brands-make-the-most-of-micromoments.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

With mobile devices never more than an arm's length away, people can find and buy anything, anytime.

For marketers, this means the purchase funnel is wildly more complicated than it was just a few years ago.

It's hard to plan for nonlinear purchase paths, but programmatic advertising can help, enabling brands to reach the right person with the right message in the moment of opportunity. Brands can use programmatic to assemble a consumer's micro-moments in just the right way—like joining puzzle pieces together—to see a detailed blueprint of consumer intent. That's a powerful proposition, and it's why programmatic advertising spend is projected to grow by more than 77% this year.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

EU Transaction Costs vs. USA

Great little read about mobile payments.

http://www.paymentssource.com/news/paythink/apple-samsung-and-android-will-not-like-european-fee-revenue-3022374-1.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

The real issue will be whether Apple and its tech giant competitors have the patience and inclination to play the long game, particularly in the EU. These tech players will see their share of transaction value from the banks significantly reduced in Europe, compared to the US, due to the huge discrepancy in interchange fees across the two continents. This December in the U.K. and the rest of the EU, new laws are set to reduce the interchange fee to 0.3% for credit and 0.2% for debit transactions. This will equate to 300-500% less than the revenue that issuing banks in the US are able to share with partners like Apple.

Will Apple and its competitors be willing to put the time and effort required into seeing their solutions take off in this market, when the commercial opportunity is reduced? Only time will tell.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Starbucks Mobile Ordering

Starbucks has gone national with their mobile ordering and in-store pickup (and pay) service.

This is the future of QSR.  It will not be long before all quick service restaurants have some form of this, and fast casual will likely do the same.

http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/starbucks-mobilizes-customers-nationwide

Here is a snippet from that report:

“Bringing mobile order and pay to our customers is about meeting their needs of convenience and customization at any time of the day,” said Adam Brotman, Starbucks chief digital officer. “The fact that it also represents the fastest technology application rollout we have ever done is indicative of the strength of our digital ecosystem, how well it has been received by both our customers and store partners and the impact we think it can have on the future of retail.”

Here is another take on the story:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/starbucks-steams-up-sales-with-nationwide-mobile-order-and-pay-expansion

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Walmart and PepsiCo in the News

A couple stories on Walmart and one on Pepsi intersecting with Walmart are worth your attention.

First up is news of another technology acquisition by Walmart.

http://supermarketnews.com/marketing/walmartlabs-acquires-shopper-insight-technology-punchtab

Here is a snippet from the news:

Wal-Mart Stores’ technology arm, @WalmartLabs, on Tuesday said it has acquired Silicon Valley software company PunchTab, with intentions of using the company’s technology to tailor offers to its Sam’s Club shoppers.
...
Walmart described PunchTab as “a software platform that empowers brands like Walmart and Sam’s Club to better understand and engage with customers in a unified way online, on mobile and in physical stores.”

Next up is one I believe is big news.  National manufacturer brands want to regain lost leverage over retailers and digital may be the key for them.  This move of a senior Walmart mobile exec to Pepsi is huge.

https://www.internetretailer.com/2015/09/22/pepsi-hires-walmartcom-veteran-head-e-commerce

Here is a snippet from the news:

Gibu Thomas, former Walmart.com senior vice president of mobile and digital strategy, is Pepsi’s new general manager of e-commerce.

Global food and beverage manufacturer PepsiCo. has a new head of e-commerce, and he’s one of the experienced Internet executives responsible for helping Wal-Mart Stores Inc. become a $12.1 billion global e-retailer.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0232 McDonald's Franchisees

Best Reading of the Day

The folks over at Bloomberg have a great read on the challenges confronting McDonald's and their franchisees.  I especially like the context provided by proving the interview with a longtime franchisee (just short of 50 years).

Great read:

http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2015-mcdonalds-franchises/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Al Jarvis was 16 when he started working at a McDonald’s in Saginaw, a city in Michigan, in 1965. His first customer ordered an All-American: a burger, fries, and shake for 52¢. Soon Jarvis was working 50 hours a week and catching up on sleep at school. He skipped college to manage restaurants. By 1977 he was advising McDonald’s franchisees and helping with store openings across the state. One day in 1980, as he was unpacking his garment bag, his young son asked, “Daddy, where do you live?” So the next year he bought a McDonald’s in Hastings, southeast of Grand Rapids. Over the years he hired hundreds of employees, saw dozens of menu items come and go, and spent four or five hours a day, five or six days a week, watching over the counter and grills from his vantage at the fry station.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Starbucks Loyalty and Mobile Payments

Good update from Starbucks and a good, but quick, read on the subject.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/starbucks-streamlines-app-to-continue-dominance-in-mobile-payments

Here is a snippet from the piece:

As a leader in mobile payments, Starbucks is raising the bar for streamlined smartphone experiences with an update to its application that moves rewards front-and-center and makes scanning easier.

The beverage retailer seems to be the model to follow when it comes to mobile loyalty and payments, and maintains this spot by continually listening to users and making adjustments along the way. Its customers have easily taken to its app for a more convenient checkout process and greater rewards, and its recent upgrade makes the process even smoother with features such as showcasing rewards on the pay screen and a lower bar code for easier scanning.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple's September Event

This is the day Apple announces all of the new goodies in its hardware product lineup.  Awesome right?!!?

Not so fast.

The expectations by those following the leaks are painting an unhappy picture.  What will the day actually bring?  Time to find out.

Apple Watch
Apple is following up on the release of the Apple Watch by announcing ... new bands.  New colors.  Fancy (and expensive) new partnerships.  Etc.

Next one up will be big right?

iPad Pro
We've been hearing about a large size iPad for some time now and Microsoft is seeing increasing success with its Surface lineup of tablet/PCs.  Apple has to respond right?  And they will amaze us right?

Not so fast.

At 12.6" vertical this tablet is huge and is quite powerful.  Plus you have the option to buy more goodies to go with it!  Like ... a pencil.  Or ... a keyboard.

Wait isn't that the Microsoft Surface Pro 3?

This thing is expensive.  It starts at $799 for the 32GB version, and you can add $99 for the pencil and another $169 for the keyboard.  Wow.  Will the war for the Enterprise be won be a pure tablet?  This is positioned head to head with the Surface lineup so we are going to find out.  The biggest surprise however was ... Microsoft on the stage with Apple to show you MS Office.  Wow!  Didn't see that coming.

So, something huge will come right?

Apple TV
Finally an update to Apple TV. Do I really care at this point?  My smart TV does everything I can imagine, including cook my dinner.  Do I need to shell out more for this new widget from Apple?

Maybe.  Improved apps.  A solid UI.  A good looking and seemingly intuitive remote control that can be a game controller as well.  Games.  Hmmm.  They might sell a bunch of these.  It'll use tvOS instead of iOS.  That means it is now its own platform, just like the Watch or the Phone, or even the iPad.  More software sales for Apple, but they make almost all of their money on hardware anyway. Another plus for the Apple TV is integration with Siri for voice control ... assuming it works okay since Siri doesn't seem to provide value for many folks on their iPhone or Apple Watch.

I do think MLB is doing great work in the digital streaming space. The app for Apple TV is excellent looking.  Marrying data to live game coverage is awesome.  But I don't watch sports anymore anyway so this means nothing to me.

Starts at $149 for 32GB or get the 64GB version for $199. This will sell.

iPhone Update
iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.  Basically the same as last year's but with big changes inside.

A new color: Rose Gold.  A new screen called Ion-X, not the Sapphire screen on the more expensive Apple Watches.  Still, anything to help the screen's toughness is good.

3D Touch - As expected Apple has taken the 'Force Touch' screen interaction from the Apple Watch and brought it to the iPhone. They didn't get good press for the use of "Force".  A friend of mine described this as essentially "right-click" for all you Windows users out there.  That seems right to me.  You can interact with apps without opening them through 3D Touch.  I like that new layer of interaction.  They've worked hard to embed this in the OS so it impacts many things you are familiar with. Now you just have to figure out when you can use the feature.  "Can I right-click this?  Left-click?  Oh, okay."

Haptic touch engine to allow the phone to essentially vibrate and interact with you.  Another feature on the Watch.

Big performance updates which also means improved performance for games.

The camera is much better at 12 megapixels but there are others far better on the market today. The dern camera lens still protrudes from the back of the phone.  I have disliked that a LOT with my iPhone 6 and have cracked lens already as well. Nice software updates for the camera.  Only pros need a dedicated camera now.  Seriously.  Of course, 12 megapixels mean the pictures will be much bigger and require much more storage on your phone.  It will take 4K video, that is 2160p resolution.  Also a huge drain on storage.

Pricing: Still starts at $199 for the 16GB model.  For $299 you can get 64GB.  They are pushing you to spend ridiculous rates on memory.  As usual.  However, they've created an installment plan so you can endlessly upgrade, and endlessly give Apple more money.  Okay, that last bit might have been harsh.  But wait!  You can use iCloud storage to handle your memory needs.  At an additional cost.

Overall I find myself laughing at this non-event event.  Will there be one more thing?

The band is playing.  I think we are at the end.  Only 2 hours too.

Heartland Wants Open-Platform Mobile Wallets

Heartland is developing a mobile wallet that is open platform.

http://www.paymentssource.com/news/retail-acquiring/open-platform-mobile-wallet-the-only-answer-heartland-carr-3022237-1.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Heartland is working on a mobile wallet model that would emphasize an open platform available to all merchant apps, loyalty programs and cross-merchant rewards programs...

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Digital Marketing Stats

I like this monthly blog post over on Econsultancy so much I regularly link to it and share through social media.

Be sure to check it out:

https://econsultancy.com/blog/66883-eight-most-enlightening-us-digital-marketing-stats-from-the-past-week/

Here is a snippet from the post:

Mobile will account for more than half of digital ad spend in 2015

According to predictions by eMarketer, mobile spending will surpass desktop for the first time this year and account for 51.9% of total digital spend in 2015.

Desktop's share of advertising revenue is set to slowly decline through 2019, while mobile’s share will significantly increase. eMarketer also expects mobile advertising to grow by 59% in 2015.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Watch Usage Survey

This is the best survey of usage of the Apple Watch I've seen or heard of.  Though it leaves out a lot, we can begin to see how people are using the watch and what they are doing.

http://watchaware.com/post/14889/imores-apple-watch-survey

Here is a snippet from the piece:

iMore has done what appears to be the largest Apple Watch survey to date. For two weeks in July, iMore was able to get over 8000 Apple Watch owners to take a survey to understand the usage of their newest wearable. Some of the findings have been truly amazing. Here are a few along with a graphic below.

Models purchased:

• 48% got space gray aluminum.
• 26% got polished stainless steel.
• 20% got silver aluminum.
• 4% got space black.
• Below 1% got yellow gold.
• Below 1% got rose gold.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Generation Z - Advertising for the New Generation

We've been hearing about Millennials, and nothing but Millennials (seemingly) for years now (a rub for me as a part of Gen X), but now the next generation is stepping up.  We are soon going to experience 4 generations in the workforce: Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z.  Marketers aren't waiting to get started however.

Here is the story on the Boston Globe:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/08/31/brands-turn-attention

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Believe it or not, millennials are aging out of their privileged position as the nation’s most sought-after consumers, the ones advertisers want to influence. Their replacement? The nation’s teenagers, also known as Generation Z.

The Gen Zers, loosely defined as those 20 and younger, are starting to spend their own money and are developing habits that could influence their buying through adulthood. As a result, companies from the video streaming service Netflix Inc. to retailer Target Inc. to athletic shoe maker Converse Inc. are trying to get on the Gen Z radar.

“It’s the new, next hot thing,” said Amanda Fraga, director of strategy, insights, and innovation at C Space, a Boston market research firm.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Android Wearables for iOS

This is a big development.  Android is going to open up the Android Wear platform for interaction with iOS.  You will be able to use your LG Android Watch with your shiny iPhone 6 Plus, or some such interaction.

Very interesting development.  Here is the story:

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/08/android-wear-gets-ios-support/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Google has announced that iOS is an officially supported operating system for Android Wear. Users with an iPhone 5, 5C, 5S, 6, or 6 Plus running iOS 8.2 and above will be able to pair with "newer" Android Wear devices, download the app, and be off and running.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Facebook's New Milestone

1 billion users visited Facebook in a single day on Monday.

That is an incredible new milestone.

Here is what Mark Zuckerberg wrote about this news:

We just passed an important milestone. For the first time ever, one billion people used Facebook in a single day.

On Monday, 1 in 7 people on Earth used Facebook to connect with their friends and family.

When we talk about our financials, we use average numbers, but this is different. This was the first time we reached this milestone, and it's just the beginning of connecting the whole world.

I'm so proud of our community for the progress we've made. Our community stands for giving every person a voice, for promoting understanding and for including everyone in the opportunities of our modern world.

A more open and connected world is a better world. It brings stronger relationships with those you love, a stronger economy with more opportunities, and a stronger society that reflects all of our values.

Thank you for being part of our community and for everything you've done to help us reach this milestone. I’m looking forward to seeing what we accomplish together.

Did YOU visit Facebook on Monday?  I bet you did so and were on your mobile phone when you did it.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0231 The Megaupload Story and the Internet's Grey Areas

Best Reading of the Day

Great read over on Wired.com that exposes the grey areas of the internet.  Megaupload.com was a website for storing files and it stored a lot of files.  Fortune 100 companies used it, governments used it, private citizens used it ... and pirates used it to, to distribute ludicrous amounts of pirated media such as music, movies, and more.  The owner, "Kim Dotcom" is still waiting his fate in New Zealand but the case raises questions of privacy concerns, and all sorts of others.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

The DOJ claims Megaupload was anything but ignorant of the pirated material on its site. In fact, the indictment claims, Megaupload’s generals engaged in illegal file-sharing themselves, encouraged it with an incentive program that paid cash for popular content, and were slow and selective in complying with takedown notices, only pulling infringing content and dropping the incentive program when the company was at the peak of its power. Megaupload counters that policing the billions of files on its service would be both impossible and a violation of their customers’ privacy, that they did their best to comply with takedown notices as the law required, and that they had reasonable expectations of the same DMCA safe harbor afforded to YouTube.

But unlike the Viacom versus YouTube case, the charges against Megaupload are not civil but criminal; the key players aren’t being sued, they’re facing jail. Not for the first time, Kim finds himself embroiled in a criminal case based on uncertain tech precedent.

Here is the full story:

http://www.wired.com/2012/10/ff-kim-dotcom/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Dunkin Donuts Mobile - Is it Awesome?

Yes it is.

Read the full story here:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/dunkin-donuts-overflows-competition-with-mobile-gift-and-coupon-blitz

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Dunkin’ Donuts is dispersing mobile gift cards to winners of its latest social media sweepstakes and is offering a coupon to application users ahead of back-to-school season, proving it has the wherewithal to dethrone Starbucks as a food and beverage leader in mobile.

The fast feeder sought to ramp up sales of its new Tailgater Breakfast Sandwich by rolling out a social media sweepstakes encapsulating fans’ enjoyment of eating breakfast at any time of day.

...

Those guys are all in for mobile and it shows and it is paying off in a big way for them.  Awesome!

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Want to try Samsung Pay?

You will have to check a lot of boxes to be able to try it.

Here are a few:

• Either a Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, or a Galaxy Note 5 smartphone.
• A current Samsung Account. You’ll probably have one of these if you own a Samsung smartphone, as it’s used for Samsung’s own apps and services. If not, you can always sign-up for one here.
• Connected to either AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or U.S. Cellular.
• A Visa or MasterCard from the Bank of America, or a U.S. Bank Visa card.

Here is the full story:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/samsung-pay-news/

I see no way this can be a fast growth capability.  Too many limitations.  Like Apple Pay, it will grow with time as the options to use it grow. All of these limitations mean there is only a tiny subset of Samsung phone owners who are able to try it.

The biggest challenge may be that time is against them.  As EMV comes in to full focus this year, chip and pin, this technology will become increasingly obsolete.  This seems like too little too late to me.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Chili's Tabletop Tablets

The work being done by the folks over at digital in Brinker, and the Chili's banner, is quite excellent but possibly unproven in this space.  That makes it innovative and interesting.  So how is it doing?

Here is a story from the folks at Mobile Commerce Daily:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/how-chilis-tabletop-tablets-are-driving-charity-donations-and-loyalty-signups

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Chili’s Grill and Bar is leveraging its tabletop tablet devices to make it easy for customers to donate to its annual fundraiser for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and is rewarding those who have signed up for its mobile loyalty program with bonus points for each donation made.

To celebrate its thirteenth year participating in the campaign, the food marketer has partnered with band Lady Antebellum to encourage guests to donate to the charity of choice, which treats childhood cancer and life-threatening illnesses. However, consumers will likely be swayed to open their wallets by the promise of receiving additional loyalty points each time they use an on-site tablet to donate to the cause.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Target Personalization Kicks Up Sales

Target is acting as a digital leader blazing a trail for others to follow and establishing itself for future success.  Their latest is an in-house personalization engine that is having a significant impact on redemption in the Cartwheel app.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/targets-cartwheel-enhances-personalization-and-sees-10pc-more-offers-downloaded

Here is a snippet from the story:

Target recently introduced personalized recommendations to Cartwheel, resulting in a more-than 10-percent increase in the number of offers downloaded per user.

This is just one of the ways that the merchant continues to fine-tune the Cartwheel application, which manages offers and lets users see what their friends are saving on.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0230 Amazon's Corporate Culture

Best Reading of the Day

Has anyone not heard of the New York Times story on the work culture at Amazon?

Time to read it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/technology/inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-in-a-bruising-workplace.html?_r=0

Here is a snippet from the piece:

On Monday mornings, fresh recruits line up for an orientation intended to catapult them into Amazon’s singular way of working.

They are told to forget the “poor habits” they learned at previous jobs, one employee recalled. When they “hit the wall” from the unrelenting pace, there is only one solution: “Climb the wall,” others reported. To be the best Amazonians they can be, they should be guided by the leadership principles, 14 rules inscribed on handy laminated cards. When quizzed days later, those with perfect scores earn a virtual award proclaiming, “I’m Peculiar” — the company’s proud phrase for overturning workplace conventions.

At Amazon, workers are encouraged to tear apart one another’s ideas in meetings, toil long and late (emails arrive past midnight, followed by text messages asking why they were not answered), and held to standards that the company boasts are “unreasonably high.”

The founder and CEO has already responded indicating this story does not represent the Amazon he knows.  That begs a simple question: does he know Amazon?

I interviewed with Amazon in 2007 at a DC.  I remember one of the VPs interviewing me answering a cell phone and yelling at the person on the line their "data is shit".  This happened as we were touring the DC.  Okay, I thought.

Amazon didn't invite me for employment.

Having spent a fair amount of time with startups since 2007 there wasn't much in the article that surprised me.  It is a tough world.  Most concerning, however, are the issues around work illness and treatment of women.  This story isn't going away any time soon.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Gap Attempting to be Cool Again

I certainly recall when Gap was everywhere, but that seems like a long time ago.

Business Insider has a good story on Gap's plans to become cool (and relevant?) again.  Excellent read on business in general and how supply chain assists with "cool" in today's world.

http://www.businessinsider.com/gaps-plan-to-be-cool-again-2015-8

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Gap was once so cool that Sharon Stone wore one of its turtlenecks to the Oscars.

But as consumers turned to cheaper fast-fashion alternatives, Gap failed to catch up. In the age of Instagram and instant fashion, the retailer's designs feel dated.

Now, America's largest apparel retailer is embarking on a turnaround plan to recapture cool customers by reinventing its supply chain to compete with brands like H&M, Zara, and Forever 21. It's also overhauled marketing and made key hires.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Kohl's Wallet Success

Kohl's is having some excellent success with their wallet as a new story details over on Mobile Commerce Daily:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/kohls-in-app-wallet-drives-30pc-of-mobile-traffic

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Kohl’s is bullish on mobile’s role for the upcoming holiday season, with 30 percent of its mobile traffic being driven by a new wallet feature in its application and plans to bring a new click-and-collect service to mobile.

During a conference call with analysts last week to discuss the retailer’s second quarter results, Kohl’s executives talked up the success of its new app, which has had more than 2 million downloads this year for a total of more than 8 million users.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Windows 10

I did it and it was very painless.  I upgraded my main desktop machine at home to Windows 10.  Piece of cake to do, and wow it is a really nice OS.

The nerd in me must admit it felt good, almost comforting, to once again be going through a Windows OS upgrade process. So, how about a couple good stories on this?

First is a review by CNet:

http://www.cnet.com/products/microsoft-windows-10/

Here is a snippet from the review:

THE GOOD Windows 10 bridges the gap between PCs and tablets without alienating anyone. The new OS combines the best bits of old and new Windows features into a cohesive package, while correcting nearly all of the missteps of Windows 8. The upgrade process is mostly painless, and free for most Windows 7 and 8 users.

THE BAD Many of the new features will be lost on those who don't care about touch. Automatic, forced updates could spell trouble later on. Cortana's features are better suited for smartphones.

For those interested in the process used to develop this new version of the OS, to learn before launching, and to set up a flywheel of ongoing development for the new "Windows as a Service" concept read this excellent story that contains examples of A/B testing and much more:

http://venturebeat.com/2015/08/13/how-microsoft-built-and-is-still-building-windows-10/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

The Windows 10 team started with the basic capability of having multiple virtual desktops, then added functionality to see what users wanted: Over the release, the team would look to incorporate the top feedback items. First basic switching was added, then keyboard support was requested and implemented, then users asked about being able to sort contents in the taskbar that map to the desktop, and so on. Aul considers virtual desktops a “great example for where the feedback really led the development of the feature.”

Eventually, an A/B test was required. For the taskbar, there were two different ways to show your running apps: Display all the apps or display a filtered view, where for any given desktop you only see what you’re running in that desktop. Microsoft offered the options to two different groups and asked each how they liked their variant.

Microsoft has become a very different company today, and it looks like a change for the good based on the products and services beginning to come out of Redmond.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0229 Amazon's Challenge

Best Reading of the Day

Your best read today comes from the folks over at Re/Code.  The story covers Amazon's difficulties getting customers to find new products, or products they didn't know they wanted/needed.  This is the phenomenon long relied upon by traditional brick & mortar stores.  Walk in looking for one thing and walk out with several more things.

Here is the story:

http://recode.net/2015/08/10/amazons-next-big-challenge-getting-you-to-buy-stuff-you-didnt-know-you-wanted/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Amazon’s pitch to these startups, which sell their goods to Amazon at wholesale prices, is that the e-commerce giant can get their products discovered by way more people than through other sales channels. But some of these categories of goods may pose problems for Amazon because they fall out of Amazon’s sweet spot. Amazon is an amazing place to shop when you know the exact brand, or at least type of product, you want to buy. It is, at its core, a search engine — one that’s fast, precise and increasingly a big competitive risk to Google’s own product search business.

But it is still a long way off from being a top source of inspiration for shoppers to discover completely new goods they had no intention of buying.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Big Data Coupons as you Drive

The era of big data is upon us as techies around the world scramble to figure out the best ways to use all of that data floating out there (with much more data still to come as the Internet of Things grows).

A startup has figured out how to hit you with coupons on the fly, in a relevant way, and has some major retailers interested.  Here is the story:

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/blog/techflash/2015/08/startup-hopes-to-push-shopping-offers-to-you-while.html

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Repeat entrepreneur Sanjay Chopra and Eric Nyberg, professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science, have teamed on an ecommerce startup that will use mobile data to create personalized shopping offers.

Cognistx, which is based in Gibsonia, launched in July and expects to debut its first product in early fall. Via language processing and data manipulation, the young mobile marketing firm enables retailers to offer personalized offers to customers, Chopra said. That includes their history with the retailer and to-the-minute information such as their location. Nyberg had consulted with IBM on the Watson project, the supercomputer that won on “Jeopardy!” four years ago.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant