Disney is the New Netflix

Serious competition has finally arrived for Netflix.

Disney

That is ...

Marvel

Star Wars

Disney Animation

all of that jazz all combined in one big offering.  Disney TV has tons of original content and it is all coming up for streaming.

Here is a story that describes the service:

https://www.cnet.com/news/disney-plus-streaming-service-preorders-release-dates-prices-shows-and-movies-to-expect-d23-discount/

Think this won't be big?

Disney offered a big discount to sign up early, if you sign for 3 years at the start.  Their service crashed upon open because demand was too big.

:-)

Here is a story on the impact to Netflix:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephenmcbride1/2019/07/08/netflixs-worst-nightmare-has-come-true/#6393a921396d

Happy ... streaming.  Let the streaming wars begin!

J.W. Gant

Facebook to Change After $5B Settlement With FTC

Wow.

Well, then, $5B is what a month to Facebook?  Still.

Agreeing to oversight after the big payout is still some significant news.

Here is the full story:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/24/technology/ftc-facebook-privacy-data.html

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Probes of Big Tech Coming

This headline says quite a bit, especially given the toxic political environment in the United States today.

AG Barr Promise to Probe Big Tech Unites Democrats and Republicans

Well then.  I guess this is happening.

The question of technology's place in our world, in our society, our laws, our forms of government, and much more, has been growing as the impact becomes more understood.

What is government but a place where the voice of the people can be heard?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Personalization in Marketing

I have seen first hand how merchandisers are so busy they can barely begin to move forward on future-leaning initiatives.

Missing out on personalization is a big miss however and should not be allowed to happen.

Salesforce estimates that adding Einstein personalization to your marketing sorting rules for grid pages, PLPs, will have a positive impact on revenue in the range of 6-9%.  Why leave that money sitting on the table?  Companies such as Certona are thriving on doing the work for you.  Just set up a data feed of your order history and the company will personalize recommendations, resulting in a revenue lift.

Oh, did I mention Amazon is in that game too?  Yeah.  Another threat from Amazon.  Just what you needed right?

Do it.

Here is a story on the subject of how marketers are failing to make this a priority:

https://www.clickz.com/personalization-powerful-priority/243913/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

It’s been a big news week for Amazon. The ecommerce giant’s shares have surpassed those of Walmart. Amazon announced the end of its restaurant delivery service, while launching a credit card an AI-powered recommendation service to improve personalization. Oh, and thanks to a 52% year-over-year increase in brand value, Amazon displaced Apple at the top of WPP and Kantar’s annual ranking of the most valuable brands in the world.

The latter two are certainly related. Available in a handful of regions for now, the recommendation service enables marketers to incorporate product recommendations and tailored search results on websites, in apps, and within content management and email marketing systems. It’s called Amazon Personalize, a nod to the company’s signature move.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

PS I found this great little complementary article that is also worth your time, especially if you are in the supermarket industry.
https://retailleader.com/personalization-digital-food-retailing

Apple Earnings Recovery

The times they are a changing if you are Apple and your iPhone is struggling to help your company hit its earnings marks.

The early growth days are long in the rear-view mirror for Apple now.  Last year saw a decline like Apple hasn't seen in decades but there appears to be a stabilization in effect so far this year.


Here is the full story:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/30/tech/apple-q2-earnings-preview/index.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

"It has been Apple's pricing hubris on iPhone XR that was the major factor in the company's December earnings debacle in China," Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush, wrote in an investor note on Friday. "However with some recent price cuts demand trends are slowly turning around in this all-important region for Cupertino."

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

New Streaming Video Services

With the news from Apple's big event today you would think I would write about the new AppleTV streaming service.

Nah.

Amazon is the really interesting kid on the block to look at.

Why?

Data.

I've heard Amazon employees talk about swimming in oceans of data.  Outside looking in we have little idea what they have on us.  Let's take a small look at that and how it gives them a competitive advantage in streaming video services.

Read a part of the story here:

Facebook knows who you want to be, but Amazon knows who you really are,” says Alan Wolk, Co-Founder and Lead Analyst at TVREV, a TV- and advertising-focused analyst group. “People may like Starbucks on Facebook even if they only go three times a year, but Amazon knows they have a standing order for Maxwell House. The advantage for a lot of these franchises is, Amazon can sell a lot of merchandise and a lot of ads.”

That point extends far beyond The Lord of the Rings. Sports content is another big entertainment focus; Prime members can stream Thursday Night Football. Last week, the company also reportedly reached a deal with the New York Yankees and Sinclair Broadcasting to purchase the YES Network.

“Amazon knows who’s tuned into the Giants game,” says Wolk. “When Eli Manning goes for a touchdown, they can put jerseys on sale and see if people buy them if they’re $38 or $40. Do they buy two minutes after the touchdown or five? It’s scary how much they know about everyone.”

Here is the full story:

https://www.clickz.com/amazon-entertainment-advantages/228248/

Here is a piece on how Apple's new streaming service might lead to an Apple Prime membership:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-apples-streaming-video-service-should-lead-to-apple-prime-subscription-bundle/

Oh, and, here is a piece on AppleTV's new streaming service:

https://thenextweb.com/plugged/2019/03/25/apple-tv-gets-an-overhaul-is-now-available-on-more-devices/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Buy Directly Through Instagram

In the retail digital world we talk about friction.

Reduce the friction for the customer on their path to purchase.  Make it as easy as possible for them to find something to buy and to buy it.

I have spent a lot of time working in Facebook Pixel (Tags) to ensure the data a customer sees in their social media is relevant to them (following you around?) and helps remind them of products they've considered purchasing.

Now social media doesn't even need to get the customer back to the website.  Nope.  Just buy it right there in Instagram.

Interesting.  Powerful. 

Read more:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-19/instagram-gets-into-the-e-commerce-business-with-checkout-tool?srnd=technology-vp

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Amazon Pay In Store

Move over Apple Pay?

Move over Android Pay?

Move over Samsung Pay?

Move over Walmart Pay?

Amazon is on the move.

Not so fast, I say, but this move makes sense.  This is very much like what PayPal was trying to do when it created Samsung Pay.  They have countless payment methods on file for online payment.  Why can't they get those payments used in the store?

Because they are very different worlds that's why.

Read this snippet here:

Amazon has found a new target to tackle in its continued pursuits to dominate retail: in-store mobile payments.

Amazon has been talking with brick-and-mortar retailers to convince them to adopt Amazon Pay, the e-commerce giant's online-payment option The Wall Street Journal reported. The service has so far been touted as a payment option similar to PayPal for shopping online, but the Journal reported that Amazon is looking to expand Amazon Pay capabilities.

Here is the full story:

https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-to-challenge-apple-with-in-store-mobile-payments-report-2018-11

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Journalism and Blockchain

If you don't have any idea what is happening in "Blockchain" you aren't alone.

Here is Wikipedia to help:

By storing data across its peer-to-peer network, the blockchain eliminates a number of risks that come with data being held centrally. The decentralized blockchain may use ad-hoc message passing and distributed networking.

Peer-to-peer blockchain networks lack centralized points of vulnerability that computer crackers can exploit; likewise, it has no central point of failure.

And the full Wikipedia entry:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockchain

Here is a good little story about a huge publisher looking to blockchain tech for journalism.  Worth the read.

https://thenextweb.com/hardfork/2018/10/10/forbes-fix-journalism-blockchain/

Here is a snippet from the story:

Publishing giant Forbes is joining a blockchain-based journalism network to begin experimenting with publishing its content using decentralized tech.

In an announcement yesterday, Forbes revealed it has teamed up with blockchain-powered journalism platform, Civil, in an effort to gain more trust with readers. As part of the collaboration, Forbes will also publish content on the blockchain.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Will Digital Money Ever Grow Up?

What is digital money or "cryptocurrency", you may only know by the name "BitCoin"?

Here is a definition:

• a digital currency in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of units of currency and verify the transfer of funds, operating independently of a central bank.

Money is ... complicated and has always been managed by the government of the country issuing the money.  Since the Bretton Woods agreement following World War II the United States Dollar has been the preferred money of the world, though it doesn't replace the local currency (yes that is a simplified statement).

What about money that knows no political boundaries?

Enter cryptocurrency, one example of which is the widely known "BitCoin".

This is a very immature technology that has enormous potential ramifications.  The power of this tech is growing.  With that growth and its impact it has gained the attention of law enforcement.

Here is the full story:

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612147/new-yorks-damning-report-on-crypto-exchanges-will-be-good-for-the-industry/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

A fight is brewing over the future of the cryptocurrency exchange, and its outcome will figure prominently in how the industry evolves. On one side are the purists, who believe that crypto exchanges—the on- and off-ramps between the world of crypto and the traditional financial system—can and should remain free of government meddling. On the other side are government regulators, charged with protecting investors from fraud.

This week the New York attorney general’s office landed a powerful blow in favor of the regulators, with a new report that illuminates the shadowy inner workings of 10 popular cryptocurrency exchanges.

It kind of sounds like the inmates are running the asylum so to speak, for now.  If cryptocurrencies are going to grow up they'll need more adults in the room.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple's New Products 2018

Yawn.

Yes, I've been saying that for years now.  I'm a week removed from the product launch event and still haven't posted anything.

A new iPhone.

A new iPad?

A new iWatch err, I mean, Apple Watch.

This is the result of maturation of the product line and therefore isn't really newsworthy any more.  That is all fine.  Really.

Here we go:

iPhone Alphabet Soup

Who in the world came up with their naming convention for this lineup?  Last year we went from the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 to the ... iPhone X.  Heh.  So clever (I have one and it is fantastic).  So where to go now?

The iPhone XS
The iPhone XS Max
The iPhone XR

What? Yeah.  A bigger option.  A cheaper option.  30 minutes more battery life! Faster! Fine. 

"Hey Joe, is that the new iPhone?"

"Yeap!  I love it.  This one is the "ten ess MAX".

"Huh? You mean the X S Max right?"

"Huh?"

Apple Watch Series 4

My Series 1 watch just had a issue.  The watch face, the screen of the tiny computer on my watch, just went flying off during a workout.  I'm on standby considering my options.  Apparently the early batteries had an issue where some would gradually enlarge.  Apple was even forced to increase the warranty from 1 to 3 years.  Mine is 3 and 1/2 years old.  Mmmhmmm.

The Series 4 has a bigger flatter screen and more rounded edges.  Okay.

Here is an article on this subject that provides some details I did not:

https://www.recode.net/2018/9/12/17850362/apple-iphone-xs-event-apple-watch-series-4-airpods

Some reports indicate Apple will announce new iPad and Mac devices later:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2018/09/15/up-next-for-apple-2018-macbook-air-new-ipad-pro/#5070fa843e26

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

The New iOS for your iPhone and iPad

iOS 12 is out now and once again Apple is playing catchup with its hardware.

The hardware in their mobile line is 2nd to none in most areas but the software behind it lags year after year. 

The first two paragraphs in this story tells quite a bit:

Apple's iOS 12 software update is available today for supported iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices, and on the surface, it looks like one of the smallest new iOS releases Apple has pushed out.

This isn't a surprise; Apple said earlier this year that iOS 12 would be more about performance and stability than adding new features. Some major additions that were originally planned—like an overhauled home screen—were reportedly delayed to a later release.

Here is the full story:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/09/ios-12-thoroughly-reviewed/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Mobile Driving Retail

The trend is strong and continuing.  Mobile interactions with customers is increasingly at the heart of the digital relationship between retailers and their customers.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Holiday sales are set to grow 13% this year over 2017, with mobile devices pushing 68% of e-commerce visits and 46% of orders, according to a new report from Salesforce. The cloud computing firm estimates artificial intelligence (AI)-based product recommendations will account for 35% of revenue.

Here is the full story:

https://www.retaildive.com/news/mobile-to-drive-68-of-holiday-e-commerce-traffic/532468/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Netflix Stocks Slide

How is this for a headline?

Netflix's Garbage Programming Blamed for Stock Falling Off a Cliff

Here is the full story:

https://gizmodo.com/netflixs-garbage-programming-blamed-for-stock-falling-o-1827639926

So Netflix didn't hit their own estimates.

Okay.

They just bumped their budge for original content from $8 billion to $13 billion.

With a "B".

I'm going to go out on a limb here as someone who knows a bit about the lead time associated with the creative process.  Netflix will come storming back as this creative budget creates an explosion of excellent, finely tuned and data driven design, original content.

Stay tuned.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Alexa in Hotels

"Alexa, get me room service please."

"Dialing room service."

Is this what you want in your hotel?  Have I some news for you!

Me, I find the idea of a device constantly listening for you to talk to it to be a bit creepy.  Pass.

Read on:

https://gizmodo.com/alexa-for-hospitality-lets-amazon-follow-you-on-vacatio-1826947384

Here is a snippet from the piece:

For those averse to talking on the phone, hotel stays can resemble a war of attrition, testing your mettle to see how long you’ll go without calling the front desk and admitting you forgot to pack your toothbrush. But Amazon’s new Alexa for Hospitality service, which puts an Echo device in your hotel room, might let you avoid the conversation altogether, and let you bring a bit of your always-on, always-listening, always-spying smart home with you. So don’t do anything stupid.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Brands Feel Pain of Social Media

You would have to ignore all of the news, business or otherwise, not to recognize the struggles of social media today.  Not so well understood however is how this is impacting brands who utilize social media to interact with a large portion of their customers.

The Participation Age indicates brands are now co-created by potential customers.  That mostly happens through social media.  So if Facebook, Twitter, etc. are suffering?  Yeap.

Read more here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2018/06/brands-blamed-for-social-medias-shortcomings.html

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Technological Disruption and the City Taxi

I am fascinated by all things related to the ongoing entry in to the Information Age. 

A bit more than 100 years ago the street lamps in major cities were powered by gas.  Every evening a fleet of trained individuals would pan out across the city igniting the city's gas street lamps.  Every morning they would extinguish them.  Along came electricity and quickly those jobs were all eliminated.  Great safety and cost savings improvement for the city and the inhabitants therein.  Terrible for the people who lost their job and had no skills for anything else.

Technological advances always result in disruption of the status quo.  Today is no different.

What do you know about how taxi services are regulated in our biggest cities?  Nothing?  Count me there too.

City managers long ago recognized the need to regulate the number of taxis in a city boundary so as to prevent overcrowding of taxis on the streets.  These managers, however, also saw an opportunity to make money regulating that task.  Enter the taxi medallion.

A taxi is required to have a taxi medallion to do business within city limits.  New York, Chicago, all of the big U.S. cities do this.  A finite number are created.  As you can imagine when demand outdraws supply the price goes up (ECON 101).  Owning your own taxi medallion was the gold standard and a dream realized for generations of middle America.  The price could go north of $1 USM.  Yes, million, for a taxi medallion so you can drive a cab in city limits. People would save for years and take out a loan the size of, or larger than, most home mortgages.

With the advent of UBER and Lyft the value of these medallions is plummeting.  No longer able to compete and dragged down by a massive loan now underwater we are seeing a dramatic rise in suicides among long-time city livery and taxi drivers.

Disruption comes with a cost.

Read more here:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shadow-uber-s-rise-taxi-driver-suicides-leave-cabbies-shaken-n879281

Interesting Reading.

J.W. Gant

Apple Car Play Finally Opening Up

Do you have a preferred map navigation program?

I admit I became completely hooked on Waze when you could select Elvis Presley for your navigation voice.

<Elvis Voice> Uhh Right hand turn comin up baby.<End Elvis Voice>

Not so much since it was acquired by Google, lost the Elvis voice, and the real-time traffic data began showing up on Google Maps.

My new car, a 2017 I bought last summer, has Apple CarPlay in it that I never use.  Why?  It works great if you stay within the walled garden of Apple programs.  Want a map program other than Apple's?  Nope.  Music? Just play from your iPhone (Apple Music) and it works great but Sat Radio?  No, not going to be friendly with that.

Finally some of that will change with the new version of iOS coming soon.

Here is the full story:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-carplay-ios-12-will-finally-let-you-use-google-maps-waze/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

**UPDATE** The big iOS update has quite a bit more to it.  Read on: iOS UPDATE DETAILS at CNET

The Information Age Continues the Revolution

I've written extensively in these pages about our entry in to the new Information Age, leaving the Industrial Age behind, and how every fabric of our lives will change in time as this new age matures.

Here is exhibit 1,734 in that vein.

The United States Marine Corps is reorganizing, restructuring, the Infantry Squad unit to account for the expected new type of warfare they will be facing and to add a drone to each squad.

I am no expert on infantry operations though I have served Active Duty in the United States Air Force (ER Medic in another lifetime), however, here is a quick overview.  The most basic unit is the 3 man fireteam. The first formal unit size is the squad, previously composed of 13 infantrymen. Then comes a Platoon of Squads, and a Company of Platoons, and a Battalion of Companies, etc, up to a Division, then Corps, and Army, followed by an Army Group.

The Marines are changing the fundamental structure of their units by altering the Squad.  The 13 man Squad will become 12 men and one of those will be a specialist with a drone assigned to him and the squad.  Wow! Information technology has come to the battlefield in a big, big way.

Here is the full story:

https://breakingdefense.com/2018/05/marines-reorganize-infantry-for-high-tech-war-fewer-riflemen-more-drones/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Each rifle squad will get its own quadcopter mini-drone to scout ahead and a drone operator to run it. But the squad will shrink from 13 Marines (three fire teams of four plus a squad leader) to 12 (three fire teams of three plus a command team of squad leader, assistant squad leader, and “squad systems operator”).

How has your life changed in the last 12 months as a result of information technology?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

How Google Shopping Ads is Killing It

Data.

Data.

Google.

Data.

All the same thing.

Wonder how Google figures out what you mean when you type in something you are looking to purchase?

Wonder no more.  Here is a snippet from the piece:

As Google has scaled up its Shopping products in recent years, there has been a growing consensus in the retail search marketing space that Shopping ads are one of the most effective ways to win valuable consumer clicks.

This is especially true of the non-branded, broader search terms that are typical of the early stages of the customer journey.

During this phase, Google Shopping ads – commonly referred to as Product Listing Ads, or PLAs – are considered to be a key means of engaging consumers early, and boosting new customer acquisition.

Here is the story:

https://www.clickz.com/google-shopping-dominating-retail-search-marketing/213772/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant