Year: 2014

Wearable Tech: Are You Ready?

Posted on | by Ketner Group
Image of Google Glass, published in 2014 on ReadWriteWeb

SXSW 2014 has come and gone, and those who call Austin home are either still recovering from the constant state of exhaustion that goes hand in hand with doing SXSW right, or are beginning to venture out of their homes again into the world they had been so desperately avoiding for the last 10 days. The festival and all its visitors may have left, but the top trends are still buzzing about the tech community. Our last blog post focused on the top three hot topics we noticed at SXSW this year, but we wanted to dive a little deeper into each theme, as they all require a closer look into the current and future states of industry.

I attended a panel session titled “Come and Capture: The Future of Wearables & Content” that brought in four experts from Loopd Inc., Epiphany Eyewear, DAQRI and 4iiii Innovations to discuss the future of wearable technology and how it might evolve into a more integrated piece of our everyday world. In a room of close to 200 SXSW attendees, about 60% of people polled (via hand raise) said they would be interested in using wearable tech in the next five years. As the Interactive portion of the conference attracts innovators and early adopters on the whole, this wasn’t surprising after looking around to see three or four pairs of Google Glasses. It’s a “new” technology that seems too out there, too strange and superficial for mass consumption by the general public, but maybe we should take a closer look…

The first wearable technology technically came in the form of the pacemaker, according to the panelists. It’s embedded in the heart, and sends radio signals to another device that tracks cardiovascular activity and sustains stable functionality so that the wearer can react accordingly for long-term health. More common wearable tech accessories exist today such as fitness trackers for the wrist, ankle or as a shoe insert, which tracks activity level on a daily basis, and runs stats on heart rate, movement, and sleep so users can track their own unique health status. What more can there be to wearable technology? Let’s find out.

Wearable technology is based on augmenting the human ability in order to interact with the spaces, objects and content around you. While it can be extremely useful in many verticals, both on the consumer and industrial sides, a certain level of comfort and usability must exist. Technology used in movies like the Minority Report require constant arm movement when interacting with the content on a virtual screen, and while it may look super neat, who wants to be using their arms 8+ hours a day? Finding a balance between comfort and ease of use with accuracy will be key to widespread popularity of wearable tech.

Google Glass is the perfect example of wearable technology that is on the edge of innovation, but might have some not-so-subtle inconveniences when interacting with content. The Glasses themselves don’t necessarily look off-putting, but voice commands and gestures reveal the activity of a user when in public, causing many instances of offense and judgment toward the individual and device. As technology evolves and wearables become less foreign to the masses, the privacy issues will drop (remember when the first computers came out?), and technologists will find ways to consume content more efficiently using the devices.

But the issue of privacy may never completely disseminate, as it’s a global hot topic after the recent NSA scandal. People are wary of being tracked because they value their personal privacy, but as wearables gain traction among the general public, the moral conflict will need to be addressed. Beacon technology is growing as well, and if we’re all donning wearable devices in five years, we also need to know that those wearables are being tracked 24/7 – what’s important to you? Daily life enhanced with wearable technology vs. opening up your daily life to prying eyes…

Obstacles like these will crop up just as with any new technology pushing the envelope of what we’re accustomed to as a society. Ultimate self-realization will drive the move to widespread use, and time will tell just how quickly innovators bring on the early adopters and early majority.

To be able to walk into a room and immediately adjust it to your preferences will be an incredible thing. Temperature, lighting, application activation, news scanning and more can be controlled using wearable technology, and device interoperability will enhance our ability to consume content within every augmented object containing additional data and functionality. Today we are still using it mainly as fitness trackers and Google Glass, but more interactive features are certainly in the near future. Are you ready?

What do you think of wearable technology becoming mainstream? How might this impact your industry? We’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences!

KG @ SXSWi 2014 – What’s Hot!

Posted on | by Ketner Group
Keynote speaker Austin Kleon speaks to the idea of “Scenius” during his session on creativity.

Spring is here in Austin, Texas, which means it’s that special time of year where we can all expect the lovely Texas sunshine to accompany us while we traipse around the Austin Convention Center during the annual South by Southwest Interactive Festival. Well, the sunshine hasn’t been quite as present as we would have liked, but even some rainy weather can’t put a damper (see what I did there?) on KG’s time at SXSW!

For the last six years, Ketner Group has had a presence at one of the top technology and innovation conferences in the world that takes place right in our own backyard. We saw it begin as a little seedling of an event, and then grow into the geek-meetup monster that it is today. Before I dive into the hottest topics covered at SXSW Interactive this year, check out these cool stats on the festival:

  • SXSW began as a music-only conference in 1987, but added in a vertical for techies in 1994, marking the beginning of the festival’s 20-year history in tech, innovation and communications as a vital role to the conference.
  • Past keynote speakers include Blake Mycoskie of TOMS Shoes, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Elon Musk of SpaceX, and Mark Cuban, tech investor and current owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA team. This year adds “Cosmos” host Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chelsea Clinton, daughter of President Bill Clinton and Senator Hilary Clinton.
  • The first SXSW had about 700 attendees, and this year the organization expects to see more than 70,000 techies, musicians and film buffs exploring the streets of Austin and probably enjoying more than a few breakfast tacos.

Along with the growing attendance of SXSW, new and exciting brands, startups, and entrepreneurs are venturing to Austin to showcase the latest and greatest ideas in the tech community worldwide. And speaking of worldwide, several nations have brought their top techies to the festival, with companies representing Germany, Ireland, Chile, Argentina, and the UK (to name just a few) hosting trade show booths and after-hour events, as well as sessions on innovation in their respective countries. Fun fact: Ireland was named the best startup ecosystem in Europe by Forbes magazine. So who knows, the next new neighbor in your office complex may have an endearing accent with a strange affinity for Guinness…

But I digress, let’s talk about the top three trends at SXSW this year:

Wearable Tech: Where is it Now, and Where is it Going?
Whether you’ve noticed it or not, wearable technology is beginning to grow more and more popular among the innovators and first adopters among us. It’s a term we’ve been reading about a lot lately it seems, but what actually constitutes a technology as “wearable”? A list of the most recognizable wearable tech accessories include smart watches, fitness tracking devices for the wrist or ankle, and of course the always controversial Google Glass. But many products that haven’t yet become mainstream, such as wearable tech accessories that range from audio sensors that connect everyday objects to Bluetooth enabled rings that act like wands at the end of our arms – yes, really! We’ll be digging in a little deeper on a follow up blog post, so don’t miss out on what’s coming in wearable tech!

Personalization: What’s Appreciated vs. What’s Creepy
Brands are arriving at a crossroad between giving the customer the ultimate, personalized experience and being just plain creepy. There’s a wealth of data out there, and businesses are beginning to utilize it to learn more about their individual customers in order to bring them exactly what they need and where there need at the right time. So how can brands approach personalization without going too far? One tip: Don’t be overt about why you’re offering the discount you are (“You normally eat lunch at noon, but we noticed you haven’t gone to your favorite sandwich shop yet – here’s a coupon for a $1 off if you stop by at 2 p.m.!”).  Check out KG’s PB&J blog in a couple weeks for a more in depth look at how to keep the “creepy” out of personalization.

Bitcoin: Why it’s the Next Mainstream Currency
Bitcoin is becoming more and more popular, but it’s still not very widely used and is commonly misunderstood. I’m one of the curious-but-cautious types regarding a virtual currency, as it’s a concept that seems too abstract to hold real value. But that’s just it – what does give any of our familiar currencies, paper, coin or virtual, any value in the economy? Value is all perceived and relevant in the marketplace that fluctuates from nation to nation – and a virtual currency works in the same way. Some say that because it’s more secure than credit cards, (again, yes, really) Bitcoin is worth a second look from the non-believers. We’re posting a comprehensive look at Bitcoin on the blog in the next few weeks, so stick around because Bitcoin seems to be doing just that!

Stay tuned for follow up blogs on these three topics, as each deserves their own dedicated, in-depth look so we’re all as well versed as our SXSW Interactive session leaders.

What other trends have you noticed at SXSW this year? Comment below – we’d love to hear from you!

Why Matthew McConaughey’s Oscar Acceptance Speech Was a Golden Example of Effective Communication

Posted on | by Ketner Group

David Torcivia [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Some people like to make fun of Matthew McConaughey. There are those that think his “simple” speech patterns (read: his charming and cuter than heck southern accent) make him seem, well, simple. Other people recall his days living in a now trendy trailer park on Barton Springs Road in Austin, smoking (leaves) through a bong and playing the congas naked…well after he was a famous multi-million dollar actor. How could an eclectic, naked-conga-playing, Texas-born actor be smart and one of the best Oscar acceptance speech givers of the night?

Answer: Because he knew the art of effective communication, and at its heart is storytelling.

Anyone could have stood in front of a bunch of people and said words. “Thank you to this person, thank you to that person, I’m so honored, etc.” I’m usually looking at their dress or tux—or worse—scrolling around on my iPad looking at Ellen DeGeneres’ Twitter feed, completely having zoned out around second 35. Now I loved Cate Blanchett’s acceptance speech and I thought Lupita Nyong’o was gracious and presented well beyond her years, but McConaughey’s speech had me hooked from the first second to the last. It probably helped that he was allowed around three minutes for his acceptance speech; however, this speech had the basic elements of storytelling:

  • A personal and interesting hook
  • A story to which everyone can relate
  • A beginning, middle and end
  • A hero (even if it was his “future self”)

I’ve read mixed opinions on the reception and resonance of his speech that night. The audience clearly loved it. Immediate reports gave his speech high praise, even if it was a little odd that he “thanked himself”—which I think is a misunderstanding and exaggeration. Later, a few critics began to emerge and were, in my opinion, overly harsh, inappropriately critical regarding his opening and too narrowly focused on his quirky movements. However, if we analyze the components of his acceptance speech, we’ll find that it was well organized, genuine and highly entertaining.

 

A personal and interesting hook

Before even making it to the stage, McConaughey shared a loving and intimate kiss with his wife—earning instant brownie points. He opened his speech with the appropriate thank you’s, although notably (and hopefully unintentionally) missing the opportunity to honor the people on which this movie was based, and then set up his story.

“There’s a few things, about three things to my count, that I need each day. One of them is something to look up to, another is something to look forward to, and another is someone to chase.”

Now I’m curious!


A story to which everyone can relate
via Adarsh Upadhyay "Oscar" via Flickr, some rights reserved
via Adarsh Upadhyay “Oscar” via Flickr, some rights reserved

His acceptance speech was very family-oriented, and what is more relatable to a majority of the night’s viewership than loving your family? He said his family was the center of what he looked forward to each day, and in talking about this, he shared an endearing story about his father.

“To my father, I know he’s up there right now with a big pot of gumbo. He’s got a lemon meringue pie over there. He’s probably in his underwear, and he’s got a cold can of Miller Lite and he’s dancing right now. To you dad, you taught me what it means to be a man.”

During this, he mimed the pot of gumbo, pointed to the invisible pie and gave us a little dance, which was extremely entertaining.


A beginning, middle and end

I’ll point again to the story set up he delivered in the beginning of this speech. He let us know there were three things he needed each day, and he delivered stories for each point. As he wrapped up his speech, he reminded us of the story he told—a conclusion to hit the nail on its head.

“So, to any of us, whatever those things are, whatever it is we look up to, whatever it is we look forward to, and whoever it is we’re chasing.”

To those who thought his speech was scattered—you couldn’t be more wrong. This was a well-thought-out story, and his organized beginning, middle and end proves it.


A hero

Yes, he’s received some criticism for “thanking himself” during his Oscar speech, however, I don’t believe that was the point of his story.

“And to my hero, that’s who I chase. Now, when I was 15 years old, I had a very important person in my life come to me and say, “Who’s your hero?” And I said, “I don’t know, I’ve got to think about that. Give me a couple of weeks.” I come back two weeks later; this person comes up and says, “Who’s your hero?” I said, “I thought about it. It’s me in 10 years.” So I turned 25. Ten years later, that same person comes to me and says, “So, are you a hero?” And I was like, “Not even close! No, no, no!” She said, “Why?” I said, “Because my hero’s me at 35.”

So you see every day, every week, every month, and every year of my life, my hero’s always ten years away. I’m never going to be my hero. I’m not going to attain that. I know I’m not. And that’s just fine with me, because that keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing.”

I believe this is McConaughey’s poetic way of saying that he’s trying to be the best he can possibly be. Many artists are perfectionists seeking a level of satisfaction that they’ll never receive from themselves, and to his point, it gives them something to aspire to with every performance. Can he best himself? Since he, like most artists, is his biggest critic, he admits that he will never be satisfied with the best version of himself.

And he’s okay with that. Alright, alright, alright?

What did you think of his speech? What was your favorite acceptance speech or moment of the night?

NRF 2014: The REALLY Big Show

Posted on | by Jeff Ketner

If you could sum up the NRF 2014 show in one word, it would have to be “big.” And this time, as attendees know, it was “REALLY big!”

Our Ketner Group team descended upon New York recently along with 30,000+ other NRF attendees, and the show was big in every way: More attendees than ever. More exhibitors on three different levels of the Javits Center. More social buzz (check out the #NRF14 social  infographic from the National Retail Federation). And for Ketner Group, a full schedule of editor and analyst meetings for our retail technology clients. It was an exhilarating, information-packed, exhausting event that underscored why NRF is THE “can’t miss event” for retail.

What were some of the big impressions we walked away with? Here are some thoughts based on the meetings I participated in, as well as a few other nuggets.

Omnichannel and Big Data were key topics. Despite all the buzz about omnichannel, there was widespread discussion about siloed channels, inconsistent pricing, and an inability to forecast and plan across channels. I came away convinced that true omnichannel retailing is still several years away, at least, for many retailers; one analyst said flat-out that “no one” is doing a good job in planning and forecasting omnichannel demand.

And while nearly every vendor claimed to be leveraging Big Data in some way, one analyst says that only 15% of Fortune 1000 companies will be prepared to use Big Data correctly by 2020. For all of us who make our living in retail technology, it’s a sobering reminder that there’s still a big gulf between hype and reality in some cases.

The really hot topic of discussion at NRF was data security; the Target and Neiman-Marcus security breaches were top of mind, and since the show, the news about security has only gotten worse. Clearly PCI compliance isn’t enough, especially when someone with inside knowledge can access information, as appears to be the case with Target. Suddenly, chip and pin is on its way to becoming a household word – and from my perspective, it can’t happen soon enough.

Meet Jennifer Luskey

Posted on | by Ketner Group

My name is Jennifer Luskey and I am a second semester senior at the University of Texas at Austin, graduating with a degree in public relations and a Business Foundations Certificate. Growing up in small town Midland, Texas my life was full of football and the oil business. My love for football has grown even more while watching the Longhorns play at the DKR Stadium. On any given day you can find me venturing to different Austin restaurants, spending time with friends and family or running on Town Lake. After graduation in May, I hope to find a job in the field of public relations, working with the community and children.

While in college, I spent a semester in Sevilla, Spain, where I learned to adapt to new situations and undertake unfamiliar challenging tasks. I lived with and went to school with all Spanish-speaking locals and also had the opportunity to travel around Europe. My favorite traveling experience was when I went to Morocco, Africa for four days and was completely immersed in the culture. We stayed with local families and talked with many of their young adults about the similarities and differences in our cultures. Walking around the city with them and seeing their day to day lives was an incredible way to get to know more about their culture and way of life.  It was an eye-opening experience that I will never forget.

I have dedicated many summers of my life to Greene Family Camp, a Jewish summer camp, in Bruceville, Texas. Being a camper for 10 years and a counselor for the last three has helped me earn different fellowships and take leadership roles among the campers and staff members.  Most recently, I was a unit Supervisor where I oversaw 50 staff members and over 250 campers all summer. Currently, I spread my love for Judaism to younger kids by participating in a service corps for the Union for Reform Judaism.  I work with a local synagogue to mentor students and raise the number of children who attend camps.

Working with people and continuing my education are two passions that I have in life and Ketner Group is incorporating both of them! I am excited to use what I’ve learned from my college classes in real life experiences and I know that the team at Ketner Group will help me excel.  I am looking forward to putting my new knowledge from Ketner Group into the next stages of my life. The people have been so welcoming and I feel like I am already part of their team! Jennifer

Our New Intern Cameron Ventures Into A Life Of PR

Posted on | by Ketner Group | 1 Comment on Our New Intern Cameron Ventures Into A Life Of PR

Let me introduce myself.

My name is Cameron Whitaker and I’d first like to say how excited I am to be a part of the Ketner Group team this semester! As far as school goes, I’m in my last semester at the University of Texas at Austin, graduating with a degree in Broadcast Journalism this May.

I’m grateful to be here at Ketner Group but how I ended up here wasn’t the smoothest path. In the last year I’ve gone from wanting to be the lead anchor at a top news station, to going through what I’d call a “late-college crisis”.  After seeing the real world of news and journalism, I realized the fast-paced, early morning, late night, environment just wasn’t for me. It took a lot of soul searching over the summer, but I took a leap of faith and expanded my career goals.

Last summer I got a little ambitious and took on two vastly different internships. By day, I worked as a media intern at the Texas House of Representatives. That was fast paced on a different level, dealing with laws and legislation, rallies, protests, and making sure my representative always said the right thing at the right time. It’s a touchy business, but I had a great time coordinating events, writing speeches, press releases and so much more.

By night (or afternoon I guess), I worked at the Texas headquarters of AARP as a mass communications intern. Talk about slow paced. I spent a lot of my time there staying on top of the newest initiatives affecting people more than twice my age but it was completely worth it. I had the opportunity to edit and write a lot of opinion- based content that went out to the state for the company. I even had a huge hand in helping create a video infomercial where I got to show off my broadcast skills. Both of these offices taught me valuable media skills that I’ve brought with me to Ketner Group.

But enough about my professional side.  Personally, I’ve experienced about all there is to in college in four years. I’m a huge Texas football fan, no matter how bad the games get– I live for college football on Saturdays. Outside of that I spend about 80% of my time with a great group of guys involved with Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. Being this year’s president, I’ve definitely put in more work than I’d like but all the parties, events, and random foolishness make it all worth it. So yeah, you can call me a frat guy. Other than that, I’m a guy that likes to dress -on a budget, so thrifting is a habit. I try to stay up to date on the latest music being that I love R&B and hip-hop. And whenever I stop being lazy, I’ll work out here and there.

All that said, in May I’ll be walking the stage and starting a new part of my life. I genuinely think I’m headed in the right direction by pursuing a career in PR and marketing. I’m excited to work on accounts with multiple clients, and I think the folks at Ketner Group will prepare me with the skills I’ll need to be successful. I always said I was better at real life than school stuff anyway.

Privacy Fears Hit Retailers’ Big Data Analytics Plans

Posted on | by Ketner Group

Brick-and-mortar retailers plan to link in-store analytics with shoppers’ mobile devices. Shoppers say not so fast.

Privacy will “almost certainly” be the leading big data issue this year as consumer advocates focus on controversial spying activities of the US National Security Agency (NSA), according to a new 2014 predictions report from global consulting firm Stratecast | Frost & Sullivan.

If this prediction holds true, it’s unclear how it might impact big data efforts in the retail industry, particularly a new class of in-store analytics systems that use WiFi-enabled devices — typically smartphones — to gather information on customers’ shopping and purchasing habits.

Best of NRF 2014: Top 10 Takeaways

Posted on | by Ketner Group
  1. The Big Show Keeps Getting Bigger
    This year’s NRF Big Show expanded its footprint taking over 200,000 square feet of the Javits Center – including the North Building for keynote presentations – with more than 30,000 attendees and 500 exhibiting companies. The vibe was very positive with a renewed confidence for retailers and vendors alike. With more space came a more comfortable show floor – the aisles weren’t cramped and busy booths weren’t obstacles to get around – in general the booths seemed more spacious. The Big Show doesn’t just get bigger physically though, it’s been reported that next year the Big Show will be a day longer, opening on Sunday.
  1. Home Depot Improves Store Assortment Planning Data across 2,200 Locations
    The Home Depot implemented the Predictix assortment applications suite, including modules for analytics, planning and in-season management across its 2,262 stores. The solution allows the retailer to creat assortments that meet customer demands and optimize sales and margins, enabling the retailer to spend more time on forward-looking planning and analysis. “The Predictix tool provides a seamless ability to evaluate assortment changes at both the national and local level,” said Steve Huth, VP The Home Depot merchandising. “The flexibility of this solution enabled integration with internal systems. This provides our merchants tools to evaluate and execute decisions quickly, in turn enabling an increased service to our customers.”

The RTP Team Wraps Up The #NRF14 Show (Day 2 Recap)

Posted on | by Ketner Group

The final day of the NRF Big Show 2014 was a long, but rewarding one for the Retail TouchPoints editorial staff. Editor-in-Chief Debbie Hauss shared her top terms of the day, which included “multiplex channel,” and “heads up engagement.” Publisher Ed Cleary discussed the value of location by sharing insights from his meetings with top vendors in the location analytics space; and Senior Editor Alicia Fiorletta delved into how solution providers are adding more personalization and excitement to loyalty programs by integrating location, customer data and gamification. Tune in for our complete NRF report, which will be published in the January 21 newsletter.

Forrester’s Mulpuru: 2013 great year for e-commerce; 2014 even better

Posted on | by Ketner Group

With average web growth of 29 percent, 2013 was a great year for e-commerce, and “2014 promises to be even better,” according to Forrester Research analyst Sucharita Mulpuru.

Mulpuru previewed findings from Forrester’s upcoming “State of Retailing Online 2014: Key Metrics and Initiatives” study during her “First Look: 2014 Outlook for Digital Retail” presentation at Retail’s BIG Show, pointing to the web’s increasing influence on total retail sales this year and beyond. Mulpuru said we’ll reach close to $300 billion in online direct sales in 2014, but that “the really interesting number” is the additional $1.4 trillion of retail sales that will be influenced by the web in some way this year. Following an uneven holiday season and amid as-yet tenuous consumer confidence, that’s welcome news for retailers.