Dominos recently announced its official launch of ordering a pizza via your twitter account. In order for a consumer to use this feature, they require online users to create a pizza profile with your favorite pizza and size, along with your provided address and twitter account. Once created any user only has to tweet the pizza emoji. Seconds later your pizza is in the works.
This is a great idea, as we move forward with technology things are becoming easier for us to do. The convenience of apps and social media make people more prone to use your services. For people who generally watch most TV while multi-tasking on their phones, a Domino's commercial that triggers the hunger of a pizza goer, became a lot easier with the touch of two buttons: "Pizza symbol, and tweet". This will for sure bring about better business for them and as a company who continues to grow and improve their services, this is just another example. As many accounts of social media these days have some sort of promo gimmick for their products or services, this one surely does take advantage of a social era.
As a personal advocate of Dominos, I have used this service a couple times now. The other company benefit I noticed of this feature is the fact that every tweet is a FREE promotion for Dominos. I recognized this after a series of text from followers saying, "dam I wish I was you right now" or "That pizza you just ordered sounds dank". Dominos is basically getting their word out there while providing food for hungry consumers. I wouldn't be surprised to see other companies doing something similar very soon.
Monday, December 21, 2015
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Degree Motionsense
Degree has a new product that senses when you are moving and starts to go to work to fight off unwanted smells. This product can be applied to everyone and I think has a great outlook as far as selling. Me personally, I am very active and I would enjoy to be able to continue to work out comfortably knowing that my deodorant is still working.
Their description of the product is that every time you move the product starts to work. Even though we are constantly moving I like the idea that even when you are doing more than what you normally do you can count on your deodorant to still be working as well. Their commercial points out that the more you move the more it works. With the advance technology that they are using for their products, this should be a great selling point for Degree.
Their description of the product is that every time you move the product starts to work. Even though we are constantly moving I like the idea that even when you are doing more than what you normally do you can count on your deodorant to still be working as well. Their commercial points out that the more you move the more it works. With the advance technology that they are using for their products, this should be a great selling point for Degree.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Key Smart, organizer and affordable.
Key Smart is a new invention that allows you to keep your keys together in a organized and quiet manner. It has been around for a relative time in this past year, but it just started hitting the market hard. Key Smart has multiple sizes, and accessories to it. It makes accessing your keys very easy and it offers things like USB sticks, bottle openers, hooks, etc to add on for handy/useful situations. It fits in your pocket nicely and can accommodate up to 50+ keys (good for someone like a janitor who has a ring of wayyyy too many keys).
The reason I bring up this company is because of how rapidly fast it is spreading to consumers. I only heard of it because of a small block ad on Facebook. For someone who looks into ads that are aesthetically appealing, I did so with Key Smart because it seemed to be appropriate for my current issue of having way too many keys/key chains to keep track of (clean look, organization). After my first click (and an inevitable purchase) I was asked to like their page for a discount. As we know liking a page, shows up on other peoples news feed so Facebook was basically promoting for them. (I have 2,000 + friends so it reached a lot of people). After that like, I have to say I come across over 5 - 6 Key Smart Ad's on Facebook a day. But it's not just posts, I also get the ad blocks as well, asking me if I would like to purchase another accessory that I did not purchase. It knows this because I was logged onto Facebook and its connection to my purchases along with ads, was able to market a extension product that it knows I don't have to avoid redundancy promotions. I'm not going to lie when I say it worked and it worked because since my original purchase, I have bought multiple sizes for my family for christmas, and even bought more accessories for myself.
Since many websites and apps use cookies to remember stuff, twitter (which is linked to my Facebook) sends me ad tweets about Key Smart in the explore tab. Other shopping websites also use this tactic to advertise things relevant to your personality on their side tabs. With social media exploding and expanding with marketing, I have to say that Key Smart is something that will reach a lot of people who will for sure buy this product, because EVERYONE has keys and most often find keys annoying and an inconvenience at points. Oh and its beyond affordable.
The reason I bring up this company is because of how rapidly fast it is spreading to consumers. I only heard of it because of a small block ad on Facebook. For someone who looks into ads that are aesthetically appealing, I did so with Key Smart because it seemed to be appropriate for my current issue of having way too many keys/key chains to keep track of (clean look, organization). After my first click (and an inevitable purchase) I was asked to like their page for a discount. As we know liking a page, shows up on other peoples news feed so Facebook was basically promoting for them. (I have 2,000 + friends so it reached a lot of people). After that like, I have to say I come across over 5 - 6 Key Smart Ad's on Facebook a day. But it's not just posts, I also get the ad blocks as well, asking me if I would like to purchase another accessory that I did not purchase. It knows this because I was logged onto Facebook and its connection to my purchases along with ads, was able to market a extension product that it knows I don't have to avoid redundancy promotions. I'm not going to lie when I say it worked and it worked because since my original purchase, I have bought multiple sizes for my family for christmas, and even bought more accessories for myself.
Since many websites and apps use cookies to remember stuff, twitter (which is linked to my Facebook) sends me ad tweets about Key Smart in the explore tab. Other shopping websites also use this tactic to advertise things relevant to your personality on their side tabs. With social media exploding and expanding with marketing, I have to say that Key Smart is something that will reach a lot of people who will for sure buy this product, because EVERYONE has keys and most often find keys annoying and an inconvenience at points. Oh and its beyond affordable.
#TacoEmojiEngine
Taco Bell is known for its creative use of social media. One look at the company’s Twitter page and you will see why it is so popular among millennials; the company uses both sarcasm and humor and engages with all of its followers. The content the company creates is both original and grabs the attention of anyone scrolling through their feed.
Recently Taco Bell has been placing some pressure on the company that creates emojis to make a long awaited taco emoji. When this finally happened, the company raced to its Twitter page to create the #TacoEmojiEngine. When someone tweets at Taco Bell with the taco emoji + whatever emoji they so desire, Taco Bell generates a graphic or photo incorporating the taco with the emoji the user has chosen. For example, if someone were to tweet a taco emoji + a smiling face with sunglasses, Taco Bell’s twitter account would reply with a graphic of a taco wearing black shades.
This campaign is effective and innovative because it utilizes direct interaction with the user. It feels personalized to the user as they get to dictate what Taco Bell will reply with, and it makes the user feel important and valued as a follower. This campaign also further perpetuates Taco Bell’s status on social media and helps maintain relevancy among millennials. This feature on social media may not be necessarily be selling or promoting a new menu item, but it is a great way of marketing the brand and placing Taco Bell’s name on Twitter feeds across the world.
podcast advertising and focused marketing
I am a frequent listener of various podcasts and a few that I listen to will have advertising from time to time. I was listening one day and an ad came on about a website called trunkclub.com. Essentially this is website you can register with and have a stylist pick out outfits for you from various high end stores. Once she gets an idea of what your likes and dislikes are you'll get a package in the mail with the outfits included and you can choose to keep or return the items. This is something I never thought even existed before but it seemed like a neat idea. Nothing I would have ever seek out on my own for sure.
For whatever reason this got me thinking about how one of the main goals of marketing is being able to reach your target market. Conventional thinking would say reach the largest number of people possible like advertising during the Super bowl rather than some podcast with a few thousand listeners. But for those that don't have 5 million dollars to burn on one thirty second ad you have to think smarter about how you spend those dollars. If your ad is heard by 10 million people who have no use for your product then it was a total waste. But if you can find that target market and get the ad to them you'll have a much better chance of success.
Being able to hone in on that target market is something social media is built for I think. It's much easier to cater an ad to people with common interests like in the podcast example because you'll have a much greater percentage of buyers than if you blindly put ads in a newspaper and hope someone interested happens to read it. The principals would be the same for twitter or Facebook as well. I think in this way social media has revolutionized how companies market to us even more than we could have possibly imagined.
For whatever reason this got me thinking about how one of the main goals of marketing is being able to reach your target market. Conventional thinking would say reach the largest number of people possible like advertising during the Super bowl rather than some podcast with a few thousand listeners. But for those that don't have 5 million dollars to burn on one thirty second ad you have to think smarter about how you spend those dollars. If your ad is heard by 10 million people who have no use for your product then it was a total waste. But if you can find that target market and get the ad to them you'll have a much better chance of success.
Being able to hone in on that target market is something social media is built for I think. It's much easier to cater an ad to people with common interests like in the podcast example because you'll have a much greater percentage of buyers than if you blindly put ads in a newspaper and hope someone interested happens to read it. The principals would be the same for twitter or Facebook as well. I think in this way social media has revolutionized how companies market to us even more than we could have possibly imagined.
Thomas Martin - BarkBox
Bark Box is a company that will deliver high quality products to your doorstep each month, for a membership fee obviously. Since 2011 this company has been doing more than just bringing happiness to homes with puppies running around, they also donate $3 for every box sold to a local animal rescue or shelter, which is pretty cool.
BarkBox is a prime example of how to market on Facebook. Their entire page is just full of dogs, and who doesn't love dogs. They don't push products on the consumers, they just draw you to their page with cute dogs and funny videos. This is, in my opinion, very effective marketing because the more traffic you get the more sales you will get.
This technique would definitely make me more likely to buy their product, because the last thing I want is to be hounded (all pun intended) down by companies who just want to shove your product down my throat until I buy it... I would be much more likely to give my business to a company that is creative, fun, and thoughtful that allows the product to speak for itself.
BarkBox is a prime example of how to market on Facebook. Their entire page is just full of dogs, and who doesn't love dogs. They don't push products on the consumers, they just draw you to their page with cute dogs and funny videos. This is, in my opinion, very effective marketing because the more traffic you get the more sales you will get.
This technique would definitely make me more likely to buy their product, because the last thing I want is to be hounded (all pun intended) down by companies who just want to shove your product down my throat until I buy it... I would be much more likely to give my business to a company that is creative, fun, and thoughtful that allows the product to speak for itself.
Blog Post #2. GoPro's skateboarding cat.
As most of you know by now GoPro is a company that produces high definition cameras made to capture video and images of things like action sports and adventure, or even just your children running around the house. The cameras have gained immense population because of how easily they can be transported and attached to any helmet or bike. GoPro launched the skateboarding cat on their social media sites like Instagram to gain attention to not only the product, but the way it can capture almost any action shot there is. The camera is attached to the skateboard and it catches a video of you guessed it, a skateboarding cat. The consumer-driven campaign drew the most Instagram activity that any other campaign this year.
I think the campaign and marketing technique is very neat in the way that it reflects how the company thinks about their product. The cameras from GoPro are meant to used to capture live action shots of people having fun, or cool sites from high above, or attached to your pets as they roam around the house. The skateboarding cat relates to the consumer and myself because it's funny and basically shows how you can attach the camera to almost anything to capture almost everything.
The campaign from GoPro actually would make me look into buying a camera for myself because the shots of the video being on the skateboard, simply show you how cool it is to put a camera virtually anywhere to capture live action shots or video. Being able to photograph or video amazing moments without having to hold a camera is a very cool thing. The campaign points that out in a simple, funny way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYyUb_MI7to
I think the campaign and marketing technique is very neat in the way that it reflects how the company thinks about their product. The cameras from GoPro are meant to used to capture live action shots of people having fun, or cool sites from high above, or attached to your pets as they roam around the house. The skateboarding cat relates to the consumer and myself because it's funny and basically shows how you can attach the camera to almost anything to capture almost everything.
The campaign from GoPro actually would make me look into buying a camera for myself because the shots of the video being on the skateboard, simply show you how cool it is to put a camera virtually anywhere to capture live action shots or video. Being able to photograph or video amazing moments without having to hold a camera is a very cool thing. The campaign points that out in a simple, funny way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYyUb_MI7to
You're my TARGET
Target - my go to store for just about anything. Target Corporation has done an exceptional job reaching me to the core. They've leveraged marketing, convenience, and value to make me a very happy recurring customer. I've been to other similar retailers but my choice is Target. Let me tell you why.
To start off, Target is a marketing giant. You will definitely come across a TV commercial that will showcase their bold use of red and signature 'target'. Target is all over social media! This day and age if you view a webpage like Target.com you will begin to see their ads via your Facebook and Twitter pages. In addition to random ads on other webpages you may visit. There's much more but for me email updates with current offers are what get me in their stores the most.
At one time Target was not a convenient store to come by while living in Chicago. Today I would say that is not the case. I can conveniently swing by a Target whether I am home or at work. But I also view convenience as how I navigate throughout the store when I am physically there. Most Targets follow the same store layout. There are some variations because of building space but I can usually find what I need with ease. I can even use their app to let me know where to find my items. And don't fear if your cellphone doesn't work in their stores, just log into their free WiFi. #KeepingYouConnected
The final and maybe most important reason I love Target is for their value. I know the perception can be that they cost more than their competitors but they really do not. I consider myself a savvy shopper and I do compare pricing. Some reasons Target comes out on top are through their Red Card, Cartwheel App, and in-store promotions. With their Red Card a shopper can save 5% off their entire purchase of anything/anytime from Target. The cartwheel app updates weekly with offers on an array of products. Just load them on your phone through the app, scan a bar-code at checkout and save money. In-store promotions have always been around by way of sales racks, clearance items and/or bundles. But now, they also give you offers via text messaging for a dollar amount off your balance. They also offer gift cards with different values for buying in bulk. If you are strategic you can really save.
Target has won me over. They know what I like and how much I like to save ;)
To start off, Target is a marketing giant. You will definitely come across a TV commercial that will showcase their bold use of red and signature 'target'. Target is all over social media! This day and age if you view a webpage like Target.com you will begin to see their ads via your Facebook and Twitter pages. In addition to random ads on other webpages you may visit. There's much more but for me email updates with current offers are what get me in their stores the most.
At one time Target was not a convenient store to come by while living in Chicago. Today I would say that is not the case. I can conveniently swing by a Target whether I am home or at work. But I also view convenience as how I navigate throughout the store when I am physically there. Most Targets follow the same store layout. There are some variations because of building space but I can usually find what I need with ease. I can even use their app to let me know where to find my items. And don't fear if your cellphone doesn't work in their stores, just log into their free WiFi. #KeepingYouConnected
The final and maybe most important reason I love Target is for their value. I know the perception can be that they cost more than their competitors but they really do not. I consider myself a savvy shopper and I do compare pricing. Some reasons Target comes out on top are through their Red Card, Cartwheel App, and in-store promotions. With their Red Card a shopper can save 5% off their entire purchase of anything/anytime from Target. The cartwheel app updates weekly with offers on an array of products. Just load them on your phone through the app, scan a bar-code at checkout and save money. In-store promotions have always been around by way of sales racks, clearance items and/or bundles. But now, they also give you offers via text messaging for a dollar amount off your balance. They also offer gift cards with different values for buying in bulk. If you are strategic you can really save.
Target has won me over. They know what I like and how much I like to save ;)
Walt Disney Motion Pictures
As we are drastically approaching the release of "Star Wars The Force Awakens" I couldn't help but mention this as a strategic campaign. Walt Disney Motion Pictures has used every platform for media to promote their upcoming movie. From signs at the bus stop to commercials on television and even clothes with Star Wars printed all over them in many major retail stores. It feels like every moment you see something else about the new movie. I honestly enjoy the advertising because I am a huge fan of Star Wars so seeing all the advertising won't sway me either way to buy tickets to see the movie. If there was minimum advertising I would still see the movie.
I want to add my thoughts about someone who may not be a fan of Star Wars. I think that with so much advertising some may be tempted to go see it because it may pique their interest. Star Wars already had a huge fan base even though its been a few years since the last movie came out. I think with the way that they only show small clips on TV about the movie will prompt people to purchase movie tickets to go see it. I know that is what they are hoping, the creators are hoping to catch the attention of old and new Star War fans and even possibly gain new fans. During this opening weekend I will keep track to see if their advertising tactics worked.
I want to add my thoughts about someone who may not be a fan of Star Wars. I think that with so much advertising some may be tempted to go see it because it may pique their interest. Star Wars already had a huge fan base even though its been a few years since the last movie came out. I think with the way that they only show small clips on TV about the movie will prompt people to purchase movie tickets to go see it. I know that is what they are hoping, the creators are hoping to catch the attention of old and new Star War fans and even possibly gain new fans. During this opening weekend I will keep track to see if their advertising tactics worked.
Bianca Tomassetti Blog Post #2 Livescibe Echo Smartpen
One
post will
introduce the class to a new technology and its potential business application.
This should not be a product summary cut and pasted from the product's website.
Make connection to the readings and the tool's application in a marketing
context.
Livescribe Echo
Smartpen
Have
you ever sat in on a meeting and felt that you cannot write notes as quickly as
your mind works? Fear not, there is a new gadget out that will help all note
takers. The Livescribe Echo Smartpen allows consumers to record audio while
writing notes. There’s no need to be stressed out anymore when you can easily
record everything happening in the meeting and no one has to know.
The
Livescribe Echo Smartpen looks, feels, and works as a regular pen. The upside
to this new gadget is that it can easily playback any audio recordings and is
accessible for interactive notes to be uploaded to any computer, iPad, or
iPhone. This small gadget can even hold anywhere between 400-800 hours of
recorded audio.
This
nifty tool is available starting at $169.95. Almost anyone can find a use for
this tool in their life. Businessmen can utilize it for important meetings and
note taking, while college students can prepare for exams by recording
lectures. So why choose to be stressed
out in life when you can enjoy and actually understand what is being presented
in a meeting or a lecture. The Livescribe Echo Smartpen can save anyone from
becoming frustrated or missing important information.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Wal-Mart_Marketing
Every week it seems as if I am purchasing various products
from the store with the catchphrase "Save Money. Live Better", across
the globe this place is better known as Wal-Mart. I oftentimes find myself
wondering if it’s the convenience of having such a wide variety of items or the
tolerable prices, nonetheless, they’ve got me hooked.
I can’t actually remember when this fascination with Wal-Mart
first began; however, I don’t think it will be ending anytime soon. Due to Wal-Mart’s
excessive marketing campaign I am constantly bombarded by advertisements, which
I have to say is the primary reason as to why I continue to frequent this
space. I see this logo several times throughout my day; in addition to this I
am always receiving updates via their social media platforms.
As a result of these marketing tactics, which is estimated
to reach around 200,000,000 followers via sites such as Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram the Wal-Mart brand has simply been embedded into my subconscious mind
and I am certain that this strategy keeps me coming back for more.
Dove Love Your Curls/how our girls see themselves Campaign
Dove Love Your Curls/how our girls see themselves Campaign
As a mother of a six-year-old daughter with curly hair, the Dove ads brought tears to my eyes. The ad prompted me to ask my daughter the question Do you like your hair? My curly headed daughter answered no like all the little girls in the video, and I was heartbroken. The video gave me clarity this is not just a black girl with kinky curly hair issue. The issue of loving yourself is a universal issue that Dove is shedding light on the issue. The Dove ad has made me reflect on how I view myself as well and how I am playing a role in my daughter’s insecurities.
I started buying Dove products because I want to support the research and keep the conversation going. It is important that we encourage girls to realize that they do not need to change anything about themselves that they are beautiful. The commercials have allowed my daughter and me to talk about beauty without her shutting down.
The Dove ads are powerful. Mothers, Aunts, Sister, Women, we have to love ourselves more and allow the little girls in our lives to witness our self-love. Dove travels the globe to prove that beauty is a choice, and the powerful choice is in our hands. I will close with #Choose Beautiful
If you have not viewed the Dove ad, please click on the links below.
As a mother of a six-year-old daughter with curly hair, the Dove ads brought tears to my eyes. The ad prompted me to ask my daughter the question Do you like your hair? My curly headed daughter answered no like all the little girls in the video, and I was heartbroken. The video gave me clarity this is not just a black girl with kinky curly hair issue. The issue of loving yourself is a universal issue that Dove is shedding light on the issue. The Dove ad has made me reflect on how I view myself as well and how I am playing a role in my daughter’s insecurities.
I started buying Dove products because I want to support the research and keep the conversation going. It is important that we encourage girls to realize that they do not need to change anything about themselves that they are beautiful. The commercials have allowed my daughter and me to talk about beauty without her shutting down.
The Dove ads are powerful. Mothers, Aunts, Sister, Women, we have to love ourselves more and allow the little girls in our lives to witness our self-love. Dove travels the globe to prove that beauty is a choice, and the powerful choice is in our hands. I will close with #Choose Beautiful
If you have not viewed the Dove ad, please click on the links below.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Hewlett-Packard's #bendtherules campaign on Vine
Vine is a relatively new social media platform. For those who have not used it and have no idea what it is, Vine is a social media service that allows users to make six second videos that can be on just about anything. The majority of the time the videos are comedic in nature and are pretty hilarious. There are people, called "Viners" that are 'Vine famous'. One such user is Robby Ayala: Robby Ayala: 0 to Basic Real Quick His Vines are some of the most viewed on the app/website.
Companies quickly learned that Vine was a great new way to get their products out to a younger, more 'hip' crowd. One of the many companies that took advantage of this was Hewlett Packard. Last summer, they began a campaign on Vine called #bendtherules and they had several videos with Robby Ayala. He went on to do several videos featuring the hashtag above, all pretty funny in nature. One even had him using the bendable laptop while participating in paintball and another while riding in a tank with another Vine user.
(Hewlett Packard wasn't the only company who did this. Target and Coca-Cola are among the many that have used Vine to get there products across. Target, for example, used Vine to market their Star Wars products.)
While I already own a PC and am not in the market for a new one any time soon, the way HP marketed these computers makes me want to get one. My laptop is a 17 inch thing and these laptops that bend backwards are smaller and easier to carry around. I can't really stuff my computer into the bag I carry but this HP one would fit perfectly into. The fact that HP gave Robby free reign when making the videos was perfect because he put the computer into different and weird situations...
So yes, it was very effective in influencing me to want this particular laptop. When I have to get a new laptop, I will definitely keep this computer in mind.
Companies quickly learned that Vine was a great new way to get their products out to a younger, more 'hip' crowd. One of the many companies that took advantage of this was Hewlett Packard. Last summer, they began a campaign on Vine called #bendtherules and they had several videos with Robby Ayala. He went on to do several videos featuring the hashtag above, all pretty funny in nature. One even had him using the bendable laptop while participating in paintball and another while riding in a tank with another Vine user.
(Hewlett Packard wasn't the only company who did this. Target and Coca-Cola are among the many that have used Vine to get there products across. Target, for example, used Vine to market their Star Wars products.)
While I already own a PC and am not in the market for a new one any time soon, the way HP marketed these computers makes me want to get one. My laptop is a 17 inch thing and these laptops that bend backwards are smaller and easier to carry around. I can't really stuff my computer into the bag I carry but this HP one would fit perfectly into. The fact that HP gave Robby free reign when making the videos was perfect because he put the computer into different and weird situations...
So yes, it was very effective in influencing me to want this particular laptop. When I have to get a new laptop, I will definitely keep this computer in mind.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Sandra Arrington
Blog Post #1
#1.
One post will introduce the class to a new
technology and its potential business application. This should not be a product
summary cut and pasted from the product's website. Make connection to the
readings and the tool's application in a marketing context.
I am amazed at how social media and technology is used
to engage, attract, and retain consumers to a service that is absolutely
amazing for anyone that owns a vehicle!
This is the case with the technology used by OnStar and social media
presence that keeps one following them through “tweets and blogs” all the
time. Through its technology for vehicle
security, starting your vehicle, turn-by-turn navigation, mobile apps, and much
more, OnStar has found a way to remain connected with technology trends in
order to remain competitive through social media.
OnStar’s “turn-by-turn navigation” has been a
lifesaver for many consumers of their product.
Their technology allows you to call them from your car and get a “live”
person on the phone instead of a recording 24 hours a day and 7 days a week;
and the cost is not bad as well. As you
make your request, within seconds you receive visible navigation instructions
that gets you to your destination in the fastest way possible. I’m sold on OnStar!
One of the topics that the book addresses is “being
transparent and honest” regarding your service and product delivery through
social media. In the past, I have had
the pleasure of being a consumer of the OnStar product and I must say that they
are very transparent and honest. In
addition, their response to “consumer tweets” should be commended as well. I
continue to see “Facebook likes” grow and add to the satisfaction consumers
receive from their state-of-art technology.
In today’s world of high speed internet, mobile apps, social media
trends, this is the way to go!
Friday, December 11, 2015
Autonomous vehicle technology
In the news recently you may have seen a test drive demonstration using a car with no steering wheel! A video posted by Google made the rounds on the internet and it showed passengers happily chatting away while the car drove them to their destination with no human intervention. The amount time people waste simply getting themselves to work each day could be spent in a much more productive fashion and driverless cars such as that one could be the answer.
Aside from making commute time more productive another huge potential benefit to using this technology is passenger safety. The many thousands of auto related fatalities each year could be reduced by eliminating the main cause: the driver. A self driving car cannot become intoxicated or distracted sending a text message causing an accident. This has huge implications for the insurance and healthcare industries as well. The less people involved in auto accidents means lower insurance rates and less trips to the hospital.
For those that still like to drive on their own from time to time, Telsa motors recently introduced a new feature called autopilot that allows the driver to take a break during a trip. Tesla autopilot is more of a super-advanced cruise control that handles breaking and acceleration to keep up with traffic. This allows those who still want to drive the convenience of letting the autopilot take over only when necessary.
Whether using a car like Google's that assumes one hundred percent of the driving or the Tesla autopilot I think the potential benefits are huge either way. Not only from a monetary perspective but literally life changing benefits as well. Just like automobiles replacing the horse and buggy a century ago I believe this is merely the next step in that evolution.
Aside from making commute time more productive another huge potential benefit to using this technology is passenger safety. The many thousands of auto related fatalities each year could be reduced by eliminating the main cause: the driver. A self driving car cannot become intoxicated or distracted sending a text message causing an accident. This has huge implications for the insurance and healthcare industries as well. The less people involved in auto accidents means lower insurance rates and less trips to the hospital.
For those that still like to drive on their own from time to time, Telsa motors recently introduced a new feature called autopilot that allows the driver to take a break during a trip. Tesla autopilot is more of a super-advanced cruise control that handles breaking and acceleration to keep up with traffic. This allows those who still want to drive the convenience of letting the autopilot take over only when necessary.
Whether using a car like Google's that assumes one hundred percent of the driving or the Tesla autopilot I think the potential benefits are huge either way. Not only from a monetary perspective but literally life changing benefits as well. Just like automobiles replacing the horse and buggy a century ago I believe this is merely the next step in that evolution.
Target Campaign-Prettyman
Each year when this time of year comes around I find
myself looking online for the must-have toys my kids are after. As a parent of an 8 year-old and 4 year-old,
I am always striving to get exactly what they are looking for, trying to make
each Christmas special for them. This
year was no different. My son had asked for a few items that I could not
seem to locate anywhere on the internet. I
checked at Toysrus.com, ebay.com, and Wal-Mart.com without any luck. Hmm…….what was I going to do?
Enter social media.
While on Facebook a couple of weeks back, I received an offer from
Target. It exclaimed “One week only
savings” and “buy one get one free” for top toy brands. I like Target like everyone else, but do not
shop there that often. This time the social
media offer worked. I headed for my
local Target and was able to locate four toys that my son had asked for. While there, I noticed a sign that mentioned
if I sent a text message to 827-438, I would receive a special “deck the halls”
coupon. I sent a text and instantly I
received the coupon that allowed me to save on holiday wrapping paper and
accessories….…sweet!
This social media marketing campaign made led me to
Target where I purchased more than I intended.
I went there hoping to find a couple of toys and ended up buying four toys,
holiday accessories, food items, and even a couple of gifts for my wife. In addition, the nice lady at the cash
register convinced me that I needed a Target Red Card to save 5% on all of my
future purchases. So there you have it,
Target posted a link on Facebook for a sale on Toys and I ended up buying half
of the store. Overall, I had a positive
experience and now that I have my new Red Card, I will definitely shop there
regularly.
3D Printers
Throughout my life I have always been fascinated with the
world of technology. This specific interest has ranged from music technology, consisting
of midi controllers, drum machines and digital recording software to
sustainable technology, which deals primarily with renewable energy like that
of solar, wind and hydro power. These types of innovations have been
instrumental in opening my mind to the endless possibilities of future
technology.
Each day it seems as if some new technology is popping up
out of thin air and taking the world by storm. As these new creations continue
to become more readily available they will shift the way that businesses as
well as society function. One particular product that will advance both
business and society is the 3D printer.
The 3D printer is a device that generates three-dimensional
objects by using a system called CAD (Computer Aided Design). Through this
process along with the use of several different materials the 3D printer is
able to produce a prototype and/or authentic product. This new technology has
found it’s way into numerous industries, which include automotive, medical and
architecture to name a few. As a result companies across the globe will be able
to manufacture objects instantly, giving them access to products that will
ultimately improve their overall performance and impact the lives of others.
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