Target Loses Key Mobile Executive

I find this story interesting for all of the other plot lines it includes rather than for the core piece of news.  If you want to read a bit about corporate bureaucracy and how a start-up style approach can be successful at an established company, read on.  Last I heard the active users of the Cartwheel app numbered in the many millions.  I've met that team and there are great folks working on that app for Target. I've never met Mr. Wizemann personally but the work he did at Target lives on.

Here is the story:

http://www.startribune.com/target-loses-a-key-digital-executive-behind-cartwheel-app/319648541/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Wizemann came to Target a few years ago from the tech start-up world where he founded ShopIgniter, a social networking-related retail firm that was sold last year. He was initially brought in as a consultant to help salvage Cartwheel when it was still in the project stage.

As internal frustrations mounted that Cartwheel might never see the light of day under Target’s layers of bureaucracy and risk-adverse culture, Wizemann got buy-in from Target’s leaders to run the project more like a start-up. He cut the team working on it from 200 to 50 and pushed the retailer to let the team put it out in a beta form, knowing it wouldn’t be perfect and would need tweaks.

When I read that I see a very good execution plan for any company to get in to mobile.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Wendy's Tests Mobile Ordering

Quick service restaurants are in a mad rush to differentiate by speeding order and deliver and thereby adding convenience for customers.  Wendy's is reported to be testing a mobile ordering app with bluetooth.

Here is the quick story from the excellent blog MorningNewsBeat:

http://morningnewsbeat.com/News/Detail/47510/2015-07-30/

Here is his take on the story:

KC's View: This sounds suspiciously like the Starbucks mobile app, and I say that as a compliment. I've said here before that I think the Starbucks app, especially as it becomes more robust and allows for remote ordering, is a terrific piece of behavior-altering engineering ... and more companies should be thinking about how to offer something similar.
I wonder what else is cooking out there?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Hershey's Center Store Kiosk

Center store, literally the center of the supermarket, has seen sales steadily decline over the years as shopping behavior migrates towards fresh and the perimeter of the store.  Company's with processed foods such as Hershey's chocolates have had a negative impact as a result.  They aren't sitting still.

Hershey's has a kiosk to place in the center of the aisle, in the center of the store, that customers must smile in to for a sample product.

Brilliant.

Here is the story:

http://www.wired.com/2015/07/even-tom-brady-smash-phone-itd-make-zero-sense/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple App Store Optimization Changes

ASO or App Store Optimization is a series of steps and processes to enable that help boost an app's ranking in the app store.  Apple plays the game differently from Google so each store requires a different approach, and constant updates to the plan.

Apple has changed their algorithm slightly to de-emphasize long app names and the "keyword stuffing" that causes it.  All in an effort for app companies to get their apps noticed.

Here is the story:

http://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/app-store-ranking-algorithm-keyword-stuffing-ASO

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Apple has tweaked the algorithm used to decide App Store rankings in order to crack down on ‘keyword stuffing’, the practice of using lengthy titles for apps to include as many popular keywords as possible.

It’s a popular ASO practice among app publishers but one that Apple is combating by weighting titles differently in its algorithm.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0226 Mobile Moments by Google and Forrester

Best Reading of the Day

Google Think is back with another excellent read and analysis.  This time they partnered with Forrester research.

The focus of the research is on the impact of mobile on the consumer.  Here is a link to the story:

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/research-studies/mobile-moments-mind-set-new-research-details-benefits-for-brands.html

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Consumers act on needs in micro-moments throughout the day. The question for marketers is: Are you prepared to identify, deliver, and measure these moments? New research commissioned by Google and conducted by Forrester Consulting shows that 98% of companies aren't—and why they should be.

You can download the entire research paper, that contains a one page executive summary, here:

https://storage.googleapis.com/think/docs/forrester-moments-that-matter-research-study.pdf

That number jumps out to me.  98% of companies aren't ready.  That tells me two things: (1) there is time for companies to get on the ball, however, (2) any company that gets their act together here could differentiate itself in a big way and win over customers from companies that haven't yet done so.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Amazon Order & Collect Grocery Service

News today from Amazon shows the company's continuing efforts to craft a traditional brick & mortar approach to its services.

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2015/07/23/exclusive-amazon-planning-drive-up-grocery-stores.html

Here is a snippet from the piece:

For decades, drive-thrus have served up everything from coffee to prescriptions to dry cleaning — not to mention burgers and fries. Now Amazon.com Inc. wants to add another item to the list: Your groceries.

The e-commerce giant is developing a new drive-up store concept in Silicon Valley that will allow consumers to order grocery items online, then schedule a pickup at a dedicated facility, according to industry sources familiar with Amazon’s plans.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0225 Analysis of Samsung Pay

Best Reading of the Day

Harvard Business Review has a brief analysis of Samsung Pay, the new mobile payment capability for Samsung devices, that is worth a quick read.

https://hbr.org/2015/07/samsung-pays-older-technology-could-be-an-advantage

Here is a snippet from the piece:

The stakes are high in the mobile wallet market, projected to be over $140 billion by 2019. Most recently, Samsung has announced that it will roll out a payment system called Samsung Pay later this year and has already begun beta-testing it in Korea. Its foray into this industry comes on the heels of product entries by Google and Apple. But Samsung’s new mobile wallet strategy may be a sign that they are finally becoming a true leader and shedding their image as a fast follower. The irony is that they are embracing an older payment technology to pave the way for new growth, new visibility, and new strategic wiggle room.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant