Top Articles to Read This Week: Turning Point
Week 15, 2017
This week, the theme was turning point. Brands are investing in new innovation with an eye towards the future, but will these shifts be successful? Fashion and beauty sectors are integrating more tech on store floors, live television is being reshaped by streaming deals, location data is being used to predict brand success, and chatbots are making a comeback.
Here are the top reads from this week:
With its NFL deal, Amazon takes another step toward redefining television
By Ashley Rodriguez from Quartz
Live TV was arguably one of the last reasons not to cut the cord in American households. Now that Amazon has bought the NFL streaming rights for $50M, how much longer can traditional television hang on as a main media outlet?
Inside chatbots’ year of growing pains: ‘We’re at an inflection point’
By Tim Peterson from Marketing Land
Let’s face it — everyone has a story about a bad experience with a chatbot and bot success overall has been on a decline. But with vast amounts of Big Data available and the constant advancements in AI and Natural Language Processing, bots have undergone a major UX design. This is good for brands, but chatbot success will ultimately depend on whether the consumer can move beyond their past experiences.
Interactive “Magic Mirrors” Are Changing How We See Ourselves — And Shop
By Rina Raphael from Fast Company
In an attempt to win back foot traffic, retailers have begun installing “cutting edge” tech on their store floors. On the one hand, this provides them with data that is normally limited to e-commerce platforms, which can give them an advantage for personalized shopping experiences. On the other hand, customers may be experiencing “tech fatigue” and not want to partake.
After Years of Challenges, Foursquare Has Found its Purpose — and Profits
By Nancy Miller from Entrepreneur
Foursquare, the original check-in app, has rebranded itself as a location intelligence company. Riding on the wave of its painfully accurate predictions about Chipotle’s growth (or lack thereof) in 2016, Foursquare is finally figuring out how to monetize the location data its been collecting since 2009.
Brands see the future of fashion in customized 3D-knitted garments produced while you wait
By Marc Bain from Quartz
3D printing is a hot topic right now in the world of tech…and fashion? Predictions indicate that in-store printing of customized outfits is the way of the future. Incorporating 3D printing has some appealing benefits for retailers, including carrying less inventory and lower risk of returns. Perhaps most importantly, it turns retail into an experience, which is what sells.
Curated by Hadley Stork
