Walmart Pay Bests Apple Pay

Wait ... what?

Yeap.

The little app that could.  No.  This is Walmart after all.

That little pay in app feature by Walmart is doing more business than Apple Pay, or is about to. 

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Available in 4,774 stores, Walmart Pay is enrolling tens of thousands of new users a day, up from thousands four or five months ago, said Daniel Eckert, who runs the business. Two-thirds of the customers who try it also use it a second time within 21 days, he said, giving him confidence Walmart Pay will surpass Apple Pay in the U.S. in terms of use by shoppers in stores where they’re accepted.

Here is the full story:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-07/walmart-pay-threatens-to-surpass-apple-in-u-s-mobile-payments

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Learning More from Big Losers

If you aren't familiar with the TV Reality show "The Biggest Loser" by now you won't ever be. 

Heavy individuals participate in a program to lose weight through exercise and diet, and the cameras catch all of the "action". 

Okay, not my cup of tea either, but the science behind health & wellness does interest me.

Turns out the body turns itself in to a starvation mode conservation effort when we lose weight.  The result is the body pushes us to gain the pounds right back.  Contestants on the show had to triple, yes TRIPLE their weekly exercise over the average person to just break even.

Very interesting result.

Could you Apple Watch fitness tracker app help with that?  Yeap. 

Read more here:

https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/11/to-keep-the-weight-off-biggest-loser-contestants-must-exercise-like-crazy/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

How CPGs Can Thrive in the Digital Era

Great little story about the consumer packaged good brands and their efforts to interact with their customers through channels other than physical retail stores.

This is all about modern digital folks.  Very cool opportunity for these companies.

Here is a snippet from the piece:

Consumer Packaged Goods companies are navigating a time where eCommerce is growing more popular than in-store experiences. But when your business model and KPIs are tied to store shelf sales, how can you get your foot in the door?

CPG marketers must go “beyond the shelf” – whether they offer on-site commerce or not – and deploy a strong cross-channel presence through store, website, email and social. This reflects the cross-channel nature of today’s shoppers and their demand for real-time connectivity.

Here are five simple strategies

Here is the full story, a short read:

https://www.chainstoreage.com/featured/five-winning-cross-channel-strategies-cpg/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple Struggles with Supply of iPhone X

Reports indicate Apple has taken the path of “an aggressive design” with the iPhone X and is attempting to fulfill demand with “a very aggressive schedule”.

Okay. Maybe I should wait to order mine?

Here is a snippet from the story:

As of early fall, it was clearer than ever that production problems meant Apple Inc. wouldn’t have enough iPhone Xs in time for the holidays. The challenge was how to make the sophisticated phone—with advanced features such as facial recognition—in large enough numbers.

As Wall Street analysts and fan blogs watched for signs that the company would stumble, Apple came up with a solution: It quietly told suppliers they could reduce the accuracy of the face-recognition technology to make it easier to manufacture, according to people familiar with the situation.

Here is the full story:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-25/inside-apple-s-struggle-to-get-the-iphone-x-to-market-on-time?utm_campaign=news&utm_medium=bd&utm_source=applenews

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

PS  Apple has pushed back against this story.

Stranger Things at Netflix Personalized for YOU

Netflix is the king of data when it comes to people’s viewing habits and they are really, really good at using it.

How?

Personalization.

They know what images are most likely to attract you to watch a show vs. a different images for a different person and that is what is shown to you.

Personalization.

Binge on the hit show ‘Stranger Things’ yet?  You should.  First, though, read this fine article on how Netflix convinces you to watch their content.

https://www.cnet.com/news/stranger-things-addict-heres-how-netflix-sucked-you-in/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Netflix is in High Gear and Going Faster

… but it does come with a price tag.  They are burning a ton of cash on original new programming.  The winner in this?  You, the subscriber.  Just keep paying Netflix your monthly bill.

Here is a snippet from the story:

From Germany to Brazil, Netflix stormed ahead in its drive to create a global TV network, scoring the video-streaming provider's best third quarter on record and sending the shares to a new high.

Shows such as thriller "Ozark," starring Jason Bateman, "American Vandal," a spoof of true crime shows, and a Jerry Seinfeld stand-up special helped lure 4.45 million new customers abroad and 850,000 in the U.S., both ahead of estimates. 

Here is the whole story:

http://adage.com/article/digital/netflix-beats-subscriber-forecasts-spending-nears-8-billion/310915/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Experience Experimentation or Checkout Optimization?

Any time I read about a sophisticated experimentation effort to optimize some digital process or tool I get all starry eyed.

Yes, these are the things that keep me up at night wondering about the larger meaning.

The folks over at eConsultancy have another excellent entry that goes right down this rabbit hole.  Well worth the read:

https://econsultancy.com/blog/69447-ask-the-experts-conversion-rate-optimisation-trends-challenges-strategy/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

There is a divide taking place in the industry. The businesses at the strategic and transformative level of maturity don't even use the term CRO or conversion optimization. Experimentation is the mindset change they have adopted and made part of their DNA. Brands like Amazon, Skyscanner, Booking.com…

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant