So we already made the societal transition to smartphones... luckily I was able to upgrade from the Env2 this past week to my first Droid (so I don't have to just pretend to be a part of the in-crowd anymore), and we often find ourselves wondering at what point technological advancements will hit a peak. Who knows what's coming next. Has anyone checked out the new phones that Sony is releasing to Verizon? Apparently it gives gamers the opportunity to play Playstation ALL of the time. [http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/201052/6625/Report-Sony-s-PlayStation-smartphone-heading-for-spring-launch] ... Take a quick peak at that, and then let's see how long it takes for middle and high school principles to ban these new phones from the schools...
But as far as SMART devices go, the level of sophistication is mirroring almost sci-fi concepts. Advertisers and marketers alike are reaching new levels of consumer understanding as they are extracting information not necessarily voluntarily contributed by individuals. RFID technology, the Radio Frequency Identification, has made its progression to the signage industry to offer concentrated efforts of advertising. MINI USA, a division of the company that manufactures the Mini Cooper, has launched a campaign for personal billboard messages for those Mini Cooper purchasers that opt in to the program. Here's a quick clip on how the expected usage of the RFID technology operates from billboard displays to consumer views:
When a MINI owner with such a key fob comes within range of a Motorboard, the LED readout displays a customized, often humorous, message that might relate to the owner's profession, name, or roof design. Examples: "Nice roof graphic, Rocket!" to an owner with a car nicknamed Rocket, or "Moving at the speed of justice!" to a lawyer. "These boards feature an ever-changing array of unique, personal, playful and unexpected messages targeted to and triggered by MINI owners," reads the announcement from MINI USA. See photos here. When no key fob is within range, the Motorboards display standard MINI advertising content.
Pretty wild, huh? This can open up a gateway for marketers to attack as dynamic advertising can allow highly personalized messages to substantially influence consumer behavior. Messages, products, and even company displays in general can be cycled through endlessly depending on the demographics of those driving by with RFID devices. The effectiveness of the marketing will be unmistakable, but perhaps something to consider should be the safety of motorists as well. Perhaps the reactionary driving to personalized messages can be too much of a distraction for some and potentially promote a dangerous spike in traffic accidents. This young venture, as interesting as it is, is in the mere infant stages of its true potential. It will be interesting to monitor the development of the technology as well as the usage and implementation on a national scale. As this evolution takes place, however, keep your eyes on the road and just do your best to avoid the marketing influences directed 100% for you.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Technology Will Upend An Entire Industry
I guess the measure of how technologically knowledgeable I am is a relative measure. Match me up against the likes of Miss South Carolina from the 2007 Miss Teen USA Pageant and I would be in the running for Nobel prizes. Match me up against one of the better students in an Information Systems class, and I'll look like I've been having one too many lunch dates with Miss South Carolina. Although I was never one of the people who simply 'get it', a fair amount of reading and studying can keep me on par through most conversations at a cocktail party. But as far as technology goes... the evolution of the word itself is another relative measure.
Wasn't the invention of the wheel a technological advancement? Pulleys and simple machines? Anybody with an internet connection can go to Wikipedia and find a time-line of advancements that have changed mankind. Developments in transportation and communication nave significant events, notable enough for their own chapter in our history books. This was all prior to the turn of the millennium, however. At this point, technology is barely advanced enough to track evolving technology itself. Desktops, laptops, tablets, cell phones, smartphones... it's simply impossible to keep up with the dynamics of the industry. Day to day, hour to hour, the landscape is changing under our own feet. But then in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, there's always a glimpse of some aspect in the field that you find yourself passionate about. Either voluntarily being interested or out of a necessity to survive, you wake up and there's an epiphany that just maybe this is something you need to pay attention to.
My epiphany wasn't a sudden smack in the face like I just preached it would be, but it was instead the light at the end of my undergrad tunnel. I'm unlucky enough to be the future heir of small business owners. Mom and Pop decided it was a good idea my senior year of high school to purchase a sign shop. Cool! Let's join the rest of the country by refinancing an unpayable home equity loan to purchase a non-profitable business. I'm not sure where their rationale was for all of this and I wish I know what I do now back then so I could have at least had some say in the matter. But at that point even if I wanted to smack some sense in to them, maybe I was young enough to still get spanked? I'm not sure, but luckily enough for me I was moving down to New York to go to school and didn't have to suffer with my brother as a complete full time volunteer. Our business model there started almost the way a University will treat you, and the 60 to 80 hours per week I put in on summers, breaks, and weekends was credited toward free room, board, and a meal plan in my parents' house apparently. So we pulled this card for 3 years. Sales were morbid, there was no such thing as a paycheck, and the hole we were in seemed like it was perfectly dug down 6 feet.
It was just over two years ago from now that we began to see a ray of hope. I'm not sure if 3 years of a learning curve and mountains of debt was worth it... my family should have signed up for a group internship at a larger firm somewhere and forgone the hassle (and maybe got paid while we were at it??) Anyway, it's ALMOST like we get it now. We identified niches, we took advantage of opportunities before competitors even realized what we had done, and we're gearing up to keep pounding the pavement. In arguably the worst recession of our generation, the last 3 years we've seen growth of 20%, 28%, and 43% respectively. It's a blend of maturity, acquired skills, and techniques. Just as important, however, the growth is because of an entrepreneurial vision. We target technological changes as opportunities, and in an incredibly unique and ever changing business, we feel as though we'll continue to grow if we maintain our position as innovators and trend setters.
So over the course of the semester, that's what I'll present to you. The technology of the sign industry. It may or may not be my actual career down the road. Although I don't see myself ever working for someone else, the whole point of going back for an MBA is to keep my options open, and hopefully it's not too bad of a hedge. But next time you drive down a main road, look at the signage around you. Vehicle lettering and graphics, storefront signs, street signs, dimensional letters, directional signage, billboards... Anything that you see visually, I'm the guy that makes it. When you're driving down the road, whether you look at Home Depot or a local diner, imagine the world without signs. 50% of people enter a store because the sign either attracted them to it or instigated an emotion. What I'll present to you, is the world beneath the world, and the evolving technology behind the scenes that helps every person get from point A to point B, or to purchase product B instead of product A. All of it is driven by green technologies, RFID implementation, communication technologies, and much more that hopefully I can learn about as I go. It's the pursuit and quest for knowledge, right? Ha! Tell that to Miss South Carolina....
Wasn't the invention of the wheel a technological advancement? Pulleys and simple machines? Anybody with an internet connection can go to Wikipedia and find a time-line of advancements that have changed mankind. Developments in transportation and communication nave significant events, notable enough for their own chapter in our history books. This was all prior to the turn of the millennium, however. At this point, technology is barely advanced enough to track evolving technology itself. Desktops, laptops, tablets, cell phones, smartphones... it's simply impossible to keep up with the dynamics of the industry. Day to day, hour to hour, the landscape is changing under our own feet. But then in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, there's always a glimpse of some aspect in the field that you find yourself passionate about. Either voluntarily being interested or out of a necessity to survive, you wake up and there's an epiphany that just maybe this is something you need to pay attention to.
My epiphany wasn't a sudden smack in the face like I just preached it would be, but it was instead the light at the end of my undergrad tunnel. I'm unlucky enough to be the future heir of small business owners. Mom and Pop decided it was a good idea my senior year of high school to purchase a sign shop. Cool! Let's join the rest of the country by refinancing an unpayable home equity loan to purchase a non-profitable business. I'm not sure where their rationale was for all of this and I wish I know what I do now back then so I could have at least had some say in the matter. But at that point even if I wanted to smack some sense in to them, maybe I was young enough to still get spanked? I'm not sure, but luckily enough for me I was moving down to New York to go to school and didn't have to suffer with my brother as a complete full time volunteer. Our business model there started almost the way a University will treat you, and the 60 to 80 hours per week I put in on summers, breaks, and weekends was credited toward free room, board, and a meal plan in my parents' house apparently. So we pulled this card for 3 years. Sales were morbid, there was no such thing as a paycheck, and the hole we were in seemed like it was perfectly dug down 6 feet.
It was just over two years ago from now that we began to see a ray of hope. I'm not sure if 3 years of a learning curve and mountains of debt was worth it... my family should have signed up for a group internship at a larger firm somewhere and forgone the hassle (and maybe got paid while we were at it??) Anyway, it's ALMOST like we get it now. We identified niches, we took advantage of opportunities before competitors even realized what we had done, and we're gearing up to keep pounding the pavement. In arguably the worst recession of our generation, the last 3 years we've seen growth of 20%, 28%, and 43% respectively. It's a blend of maturity, acquired skills, and techniques. Just as important, however, the growth is because of an entrepreneurial vision. We target technological changes as opportunities, and in an incredibly unique and ever changing business, we feel as though we'll continue to grow if we maintain our position as innovators and trend setters.
So over the course of the semester, that's what I'll present to you. The technology of the sign industry. It may or may not be my actual career down the road. Although I don't see myself ever working for someone else, the whole point of going back for an MBA is to keep my options open, and hopefully it's not too bad of a hedge. But next time you drive down a main road, look at the signage around you. Vehicle lettering and graphics, storefront signs, street signs, dimensional letters, directional signage, billboards... Anything that you see visually, I'm the guy that makes it. When you're driving down the road, whether you look at Home Depot or a local diner, imagine the world without signs. 50% of people enter a store because the sign either attracted them to it or instigated an emotion. What I'll present to you, is the world beneath the world, and the evolving technology behind the scenes that helps every person get from point A to point B, or to purchase product B instead of product A. All of it is driven by green technologies, RFID implementation, communication technologies, and much more that hopefully I can learn about as I go. It's the pursuit and quest for knowledge, right? Ha! Tell that to Miss South Carolina....
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