Customer Experience
Why Food Delivery Is So Popular Right Now
Americans are ordering food delivered to their homes like never before. Americans are very conscious of the expense, but find using delivery services brings value to their lives. “Zachary Shakked, a 23-year-old tech-company founder in Manhattan, said he orders from Grubhub’s service about four times a week to avoid running out for lunch or spending time cooking at home at night. Mr. Shakked said the $1,000 he estimates spending on food each month is worth it to relax with his girlfriend in front of the television over a Sweetgreen salad or a poke bowl.” This goes beyond convenience. Consumers are increasingly consuming from home, and brands should factor that in.
The Tesla Model S and the Sounds of the Future
Enthusiasm for the latest Tesla model wasn’t what the brand had hoped for, with many noting that the model looked unremarkable. Perhaps they should have listened instead of looked. The model synthesizes futuristic sounds, offering the driver a unique, futuristic experience. “Personalization is big for automakers these days, but giving a vehicle some uniqueness is usually limited to aesthetics. Letting buyers pick from a variety of external EV sounds could give dealerships yet another way to tack a bit more money onto the window sticker, or cars could come with multiple selectable noises to fit the way a person feels on a given day.” Personalization is finally entering the auto space, and this is a cool start.
Data
Marketing Attribution and the Right Metrics
According to Loyalty360’s survey of senior-level marketers, most in the field feel they have plenty of data, but they’re not confident that they’re looking at it and acting on it optimally. Ross Benes has written an article for eMarketer that demonstrates the importance of choosing the right metrics in order to make marketing attribution work. “Finding meaningful channel-level metrics is impossible without first identifying the broader business KPIs. For most companies, such goals often focus on driving greater customer lifetime value or brand affinity.”
Lifestyle
Eating the Same Thing Every Day?
A counterpoint to the rise of delivery services: many people, particularly professionals, make a habit of eating the same meal every day. They do so to avoid spending “cognitive energy” on something other than their workday. There is a class element to this—those with higher incomes are those who are most interested in pursuing culinary variety. Brands in the food space (grocery and restaurants) ought to use this information to understand and best serve their customers. Habits are a potent force, after all.
Workplace
AI Might Displace Female Workers Disproportionately
As the role of AI expands, women in the workforce may have the most to lose. “In the U.S. labor market, women are overrepresented in other high-risk occupations that involve routine data work easily disrupted by AI, like secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, and information clerks. They’re also overrepresented in jobs like child care, elder care, and education—ones that are comparatively ‘safe’ from automation, but that may have lower salaries and few benefits.” Brands that are exploring AI are going to have to consider its social impact—opposition to AI could become part of a broader social cause.