News roundup: Netflix games, Starbucks surprises, emergency drones
IBM’s take on this week in news
This week:
- Netflix’s Narcos game helps you party like it’s 1994.
- Starbucks simplifies by shuttering its online store. Here’s why.
- Drones could help Puerto Rico recover. Where are they?
By the numbers:
How Netflix’s Narcos game helps you party like it’s 1994
Netflix recently launched Narcos: Cartel Simulator to help promote the third season of its popular show Narcos. The company’s minimalistic game can be played entirely on Facebook’s messaging app, which is “surprisingly perfect for a game like this, with most options served up as text-only multiple choice,” according to Adweek.[1] Messenger also simulates a feeling of secrecy ideal for anyone building a pretend drug cartel.
In the battleground for eyeballs, mobile games are a powerful way for networks to boost engagement and attract new audiences. Narcos joins the ranks of shows like Mr. Robot and Walking Dead that now have associated interactive content.[2]
The synergy between Facebook and Netflix makes more sense the closer you look at it. Despite launching Watch, its video platform, Facebook is not yet a content creator like Netflix. A Netflix game draws audiences to Facebook and illuminates cool things happening on the platform at a time when growth is slowing among users 12–24 years old.[3] Facebook, meanwhile, can help expand Netflix’s global audience of 94 million people.[4]
And by recently raising its prices for U.S. subscribers, Netflix has signaled it wants to grow rapidly and invest even more in original content to stand out in a hyper-competitive streaming market.[5]
The Angle: As TV creators continue to experiment with ancillary content and personalize viewer experiences across many platforms, more and more content flows into the pipeline, straining capacity. Can providers and networks continue to meet this growing demand?
Starbucks simplifies by shuttering its online store. Here’s why.
E-commerce is booming, but not all retailers have set their sights online. Starbucks proved that this weekend when it officially closed its online store. Why? The intention, Starbucks spokesperson Maggie Jantzen said in a statement this summer, is to keep the focus on making the brick and mortar Starbucks store a “must-visit destination.” Starbucks’ outlook is in keeping with Apple, Nordstorm’s and other retailers that are focused on offering unique offline experiences.
“Every retailer that is going to win in this new environment must become an experiential destination,” said Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz in April.[6]
Products once available on the coffee chain’s online store — with the exception of flavored syrups and sauces — will still be available for purchase at third-party online sites and in grocery stores. They’ll also be available at brick and mortar Starbucks stores. “We cannot guarantee availability of any product in stores, but we know you will find many choices to enjoy,” the company wrote in a note to customers online.[7]
The online store closure doesn’t mean Starbucks has abandoned its digital efforts, however. The company said this summer it will be “doubling down” on its mobile order-ahead feature and loyalty program.[8]
The Angle: Now that it has jettisoned its online store, Starbucks will need to be smart about managing its inventory at brick and mortar stores so that customers get the products they need when they need them. Many retailers are adopting cognitive solutions to minimize the ripples affecting their supply chains.
Drones could help Puerto Rico recover. Where are they?
When it comes to disaster response, drones are an ideal asset. They can quickly find people and assess damage to infrastructure, often venturing into areas considered still too dangerous for first responders. During Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, drones equipped with high definition cameras were essential to emergency response in Texas and Florida.
So why aren’t drones helping people in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria? With so much of the island’s infrastructure decimated, drones could make a big difference getting crucial relief supplies to the people who need it most.
“To a large extent, progress has been stymied by the FAA’s [Federal Aviation Administration] reluctance to permit drone flights in commercial airspace,” according to Wired.[9] On average, there are 26,500 passenger flights scheduled daily in the U.S. The FAA, which is responsible for regulating those flights, fears a throng of additional aircrafts in the sky could pose a public safety risk.[10]
According to a survey conducted by the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action, 60 percent of international aid professionals see drones as a way to improve response times, access to impacted areas, and reconnaissance needs.[11] Government regulators and private companies can partner to foster innovation and bring badly needed emergency relief to disaster-stricken areas.
The Angle: Drones equipped with artificial intelligence and Internet of Things technology can automatically identify and classify people or objects, connect with infrastructure data streams to better assess dangers and even provide details about the most direct route to victims. The right drones could save lives, help with public safety and not pose a headache for regulatory agencies.
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[1] http://www.adweek.com/tv-video/in-netflixs-addictive-new-narcos-game-you-build-a-drug-empire-in-facebook-messenger/
[2] https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/17/mr-robot-is-now-a-mobile-game-thats-played-through-a-fake-messaging-app/
[3] https://www.recode.net/2017/8/21/16181348/teenagers-millennials-users-facebook-instagram-snapchat-emarketer
[4] https://www.recode.net/2017/4/17/15330158/how-many-stream-netflix-subcribe-international
[5] https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/5/16429126/netflix-price-raise-standard-premium-tiers
[6] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/01/business/starbucks-online-store.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0
[7] http://store.starbucks.com/customer-service/cs-landing.html
[8] http://www.retailwire.com/discussion/should-starbucks-close-its-online-store/
[9] https://www.wired.com/story/puerto-rico-hurricane-drones/
[10] https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/by_the_numbers/
[11] https://reliefweb.int/report/world/drones-humanitarian-action-guide-use-airborne-systems-humanitarian-crises
