Have we simply become overwhelmed by technology and connections?
Nothing seems simple anymore. It's amazing how complex our lives have become with the technology that was supposed to simplify our lives! As I was trying to confirm flights for my departure for China, I was talking on Skype, another person was texting me, my cell phone and land line were both ringing off the hook (yes I'm that old that I still have a land line). It made me wonder if brands and retailers understand what life is like for consumers in this connected world where everyone is shouting. Maybe less can truly be more. And, maybe it's time to simplify … both in business and life.
Still an amazing place if you stop talking … look, listen and appreciate
Its year end, so do you write a blog in the last week, or not? It is extremely tempting to skip writing a blog, since everyone will be offline, or at least taking a mental break the last week of the year. Pardon me for being nostalgic, but I just don't have another measurement or retail blog in me at this year's end. Life's spice is to experience our world through the eyes and customs of others.
Perhaps Yogi had it right all along – Nostalgia ain't what it used to be
On my third 15+ hour flight to Africa this year, I decided that it was time for a different kind of post. I've written about trends in retailing. I have recently reported on retail best practices from around the world. We've covered the essentials of consumer experience and what it takes to be successful in retail. Maybe it's time to boil it all down to some good ole "Paraprosdokian" phrases. What, you say? Ride along and see how Yogi Berra might have actually had some profound insights for life … and retail.
A photo report from the field while searching for "balance" on safari
I've been writing this weekly blog for well over 260 consecutive weeks. That's over 5 years of staring at a blank screen trying to find a compelling headline and something to say. Do bloggers ever get a week off? Do they need one … YES!
After my around the world tour of retail, I had the opportunity to get back on another plane and go on safari in one of my favorite places on this planet – Africa! I can't begin to describe the utter joy to visit a lodge in the bush veldt which had absolutely NO INTERNET! Oh what a relief it is not to be "always on" and reachable by email or cell phone. And, what a perfect excuse not to write a blog for the week!
Retail is adapting to the digital preferences and habits of consumers
If you look at age demographics, there is an amazing stat: 50% of the world's population is under 30 years old! No one under 30 remembers typewriters and carbon paper, but they know what a carbon footprint is. More importantly, younger people tend to be "Digital Natives". The "Natives" have adopted a digital lifestyle and changed their shopping habits that are entirely different from those of us who grew up on typewriters. What does this mean for retail stores who were built with cash registers?
Bettina Siegel is the poster child for what a blog can do!
Social media gets a lot of hype, but how much power does it really have to change things? If you don’t know Bettina Elias Siegel, you are probably in good company. Ms. Siegel is the author of a small blog that popularized the term “pink slime”. Her blog could be a case study in the power of “viral branding,” which impacted an entire industry. Now, if she would just take on “meat glue”.
If you are in business, most of you probably put together “decks of slides”. Outside of business, many of us get called upon as leaders to orchestrate meetings. Even if you have a slick deck with cool graphics doesn’t mean you won’t bore your group. I often get asked how we put together decks that engage workshop attendees. I had an opportunity to provide our 7 tips in a recent guest blog for “SmartBlog on Leadership”.
When you are in a client service business, the focus is rightfully on the clients. And, when you work with some the largest Fortune 500 companies, there never seems to quite enough time to work on your “own stuff”. The classic saying is that the “shoemaker’s kids are barefoot and have no shoes.” Well, 2012 became our year to get new look and a new name.
Would you pay less if you purchased the gift list online?
The Twelve Days of Christmas is an old English Christmas carol that enumerates a list of increasingly grand gifts celebrated across a 12 day span for the Holiday. Each year, companies like PNC Wealth Management do a price index on what it would cost if you purchased the actual gifts mentioned in The Twelve Days of Christmas carol. The shift to the internet has been getting a lot of press this holiday season … but would you pay less for the 12 Day gift list online in 2011?
Today kids’ first experience will be on a tablet not a PC
Yes, PCs are still be being sold by the millions. But, if you want to see the future, just watch a toddler using an iPad. The interface is instinctive, intuitive, and addictive. Kids below the age of 2 are flicking and flipping through their parents’ iPads before they can even talk. And increasingly, parents are buying both tablets and apps just for their kids. Is the tablet just a new “digital pacifier”, or will it be the future screen of choice for today’s youth literally cutting their teeth on a tablet?
