Rohit Bhargava's Blog, page 80
June 15, 2017
Google Launches Beautiful Tool To Teach Kids Online Safety
If you are a parent, one of the things that probably keeps you up at night is how to monitor your kids activity online and keep them safe from scams, cyberbullying or worse. This newly launched tool from Google looks to be a wonderful resource both for parents and also educators to teach kids everything they need to know online, from how to avoid phishing scams to the best way to be kind to each other and not turn into trolls. Now we just need a version of this same training for all the adult...
June 14, 2017
The Brave and Slightly Scary Future Of Retail Surge Pricing
What if every retailer could implement surge pricing for products on their physical shelves or online stores based on who you are, what you like and the other data they have collected (or purchased) about you? It is a new world where every interaction you have as a brand could be tailored not only from a personalization point of view, but also from a deep number crunching analysis of exactly what any transaction might be worth to you. This detailed article takes a deep look at the promising a...
June 13, 2017
Why Jack Welch Might Be Overrated
While the business community loves to offer Jack Welch legendary status, this article shares that measuring his successor Jeff Immelt against that legacy may not be entirely fair. The analysis is a powerful reminder that success or failure can come from the circumstances that leader inherits as much as from what a leader does. It is important to remember when considering the legacy of other recently ousted leaders, like Marisa Mayer who just stepped down from Yahoo today.
June 12, 2017
Best Buy Launches Try-Before-You-Buy Service To Fight Back Against Competitors
With the number of new gadgets constantly coming out, it can be paralyzing to have to sort through all the reviews, unboxings and online analysis. Best Buy has a bold solution: to let consumers try gadgets before they buy them. Clearly consumers need help figuring out the best product for them … and if this bet works, it could be enough to put Best Buy at the top of a crowded list of retailers selling the exact same things for the exact same price.
Read the full story on RetailWire >
Love non...
June 8, 2017
Chatbots That Negotiate To Save You Money
What if a chatbot could learn the logic of customer service interactions and help you do everything from fight a parking ticket to negotiate a discount on your mobile phone bill? It turns out chatbots are excellent at this type of negotiation because of how formulaic most customer service scripts are. If a bot can be programmed to learn the leverage points, it can interact with a customer service rep on your behalf to get results. Sounds perfect … until those brands figure out how to use thes...
June 6, 2017
Love IKEA? Now Your House Can Smell Like It
What do cinnamon buns, lingonberries and assemble-yourself-bookcases smell like? IKEA … and soon you can bring that smell home in a fragrance developed by independent Swedish fragrance creator Byredo. The idea is an interesting exploration of how broadly a brand experience could go. Given the power of smell to evoke memory, something like this could also bring back the memory of extinct experiences too. I wonder what a Blockbuster fragrance would smell like?
June 4, 2017
An Inside Look At the Bullshit Of Hollywood Wellness
In a world that seems filled with bullshit, it is a voyeuristic thrill to see those all too rare moments when it all comes tumbling down. The article linked below from New York Post is one of those moments, as writer Maureen Callahan goes behind the scenes at the GOOP Health and Wellness Summit hosted by Hollywood celeb Gwyneth Paltrow as an extension of her often ridiculed ecommerce and lifestyle site GOOP. After spending a day at the event, Callahan dissects panels filled with pseudo-medica...
June 2, 2017
Why America Needs Feminists (And Sweden Doesn’t)
This week a short but powerful piece from former model Paulina Porizkova casts a powerful light on the role of women in different cultures and her own struggles with being a woman first in the Czech Republic, then in Sweden and finally in her adopted home of America. Touching on sexuality, power, and politics – it is a surprisingly poignant piece that will get you thinking about what feminism really means along with why (and when) it is most necessary.
...May 31, 2017
The Future of Books, Publishing and Libraries
This week the entire US-based publishing industry is descending upon New York for a three day celebration of books known as the BookExpo. I’m here on behalf of my publishing company Ideapress, and so this week’s insights will focus on books. Below you will read about the bold new way that libraries are reinventing themselves and the multiple ways that Amazon is creating disruption and angst within the industry. Through it all, one beautifully optimistic fact is coming through loud and clear f...
May 24, 2017
IKEA’s Secret Insights, Google Explains Syria And The “Avolatte”
What is the most hipster-centric product you could imagine? The answer is just one of the six interesting stories curated for you in this week’s newsletter. Along with the ironically true tale of the invention of the “Avolatte,” you’ll read about new efforts to become more relevant and innovative from the USPS, a promising new potential role for Google to take in the media landscape, Nokia’s retro launch for “strategic downgraders” and some surprising insights from IKEA’s little-known focus...
