Archive for the ‘technology’ Category
Tesco Homeplus Brings the Store to the People
We’re generally not big fans of clichés, but we can’t deny that necessity is the mother of invention, or in the case of South Korea’s Tesco Homeplus, it’s the mother of innovation. The grocery retail chain had long been stuck in the #2 spot in the ranks of Korean retailers, and this largely had to do with the fact that the leading competitor had far more locations. So Tesco was forced to find a way to move up in the ranks without opening more locations.
South Koreans are very hard working people. In fact, they’re the second hardest working people in the world, so running errands like grocery shopping can be difficult to schedule into their busy weeks. Tesco realized it was necessary to create a convenient way to shop without taking any more time from their customers’ already full schedules.
Their solution to both increasing sales and making the shopping experience more convenient was to bring the store to the people. Recognizing that online grocery shopping could be difficult – it’s hard to see the products and easy to forget items because they’re not all laid out in front of you – Tesco Homeplus set up a virtual store in a subway station. The walls are designed to look like the shelves of a grocery store with photos of actual food, so that the shopping experience is as easy as it would be in the store. Customers simply scan the QR code of the items they need with their phones, and the groceries are delivered when they get home from work.
Tesco analyzed the needs of their business and the needs of their customers, and came up with a truly original, innovative idea. They are now #1 in the online market and a very close second in the general market.
How innovative are you when to comes to meeting the needs of your clients and your business? If you’d like to brainstorm ways technology can be used to give your clients an outstanding experience, give us a call!
In the meantime, check out Tesco’s virtual subway store:
Photo Credit: Tesco Homeplus Subway Virtual Store in South Korea
Posted by Ramona on November 5, 2011 in interactive, progressive, strategy, technology
Nike+ GPS: An App That Gets It
“There’s an app for that.” Apple’s catchy little phrase from its iPhone 3G commercials speaks the truth. There really is an app for almost everything, ranging from reading the news to seeing what you would look like obese. But so few apps really hit the nail on the head the way the Nike+ GPS app does. This is an app that does what every app should: makes the consumer’s life easier and bends to their individual needs.
The Nike+ app certainly isn’t new. Many of you are probably using it already, but not everyone knows just how successful it is. The app made it into iTunes’ 2010 Hall of Fame and continues to be an example of the potential apps have to connect people and enhance experiences.
The Nike+ app is an extension of Nike’s popular Nike+ online running group. The newest version takes advantage of GPS and accelerometer technology available in the iPhone 4. Nike+ GPS enables users to track their time and distance and map their route. It stores all of your run history, which enables features like colour-coded heat maps that show your average speed on different parts of your route, rewards and badges for when you break a personal record or hit a milestone, and challenges for you to improve. The accelerometer makes the app compatible with treadmill workouts as well, so users can choose how they want to run.
The reason behind the app’s success isn’t just its technical features, but the way it allows runners to connect and communicate with each other. Most apps only give the user a one-way experience, but Nike+ takes millions of people with one shared interest and gives them tools to interact. You can use the app to post on Facebook that you’re on a run, and if one of your friends “likes” the post, you hear applause. A game of virtual tag lets you challenge your friends to try to beat each others time and distance. The app does so much more than just adding a function to the user’s phone, it motivates, personalizes an experience, and facilitates interaction with others
The app is being applauded by runners and tech-junkies alike. It really demonstrates the potential apps have to give consumers options, connect them to a community, and give them an experience so amazing they’ll wonder how they ever lived without it.
Posted by Ramona on November 4, 2011 in interactive, technology