I’ve never really found QR codes all that interesting. As a technology, maybe I am a bit naive (or dense), but it’s just a bar code…on steroids. I have never really seen great uses of the QR code either. Maybe this is partly to do with limited mobile capability in North America as compared to other markets, especially Asia and certain European markets.
While sight-seeing in Istanbul, I enjoyed the fact that at every historical site I visited, there was a QR code that provided me everything I would possibly want to know about the site itself. That was fun and extremely helpful. But I haven’t seen much use of it in marketing that was really interesting…..until now.
tesco virtual supermarket in a subway station.
Does anyone out there have any other great examples? Now my interest is piqued.
Filed under: Marketing, Utility | Leave a Comment
Tags: mobile, QR codes, Shopper Marketing
More on the theme from last week, Keith Stuart at the Guardian provides an excellent overview of the current state of in game analytics.
I’d love to see the numbers on one of these games.
.. that [in game purchase] action took you into the barely two percent of free-to-play gamers who actually pay for content – and the game makers want to know why.
If only 2% of free game players are actually making a purchase, what does a funnel look like and how much revenue does it represent?
The metrics are the message: how analytics is shaping social games | Technology | guardian.co.uk.
Filed under: Analytics, Technology | Leave a Comment
Tags: analytic companies, gaming, they're watching you
The guys at Angry Birds crack me up. They have done wonders with a single property. These guys are like mad scientists with their creation. I commend them for trying to squeeze everything they can out of their birds and pigs. Long term, will it have the longevity of Mario and Luigi? We’ll see.
But more to the point of the article below, they are jumping on the in-game ads bandwagon. Doing this, they have a huge conundrum to solve:
“The key is understanding the DNA of your fans,” he told Adweek. Once Rovio has more data about its players (and Wagemans said the company is looking for analytics partners), it can start advertising to them more effectively. At the same time, Wagemans said, by understanding that fan DNA, Rovio can avoid some of the trust and privacy concerns that come up when companies collect user data.
Is it just me or are they saying that by collecting and analyzing data they can overcome the privacy concerns of the fans whose data they just collected and analyzed? Awesome! I bet these guys are so much fun at parties.
Filed under: Analytics, Strategy, Technology | Leave a Comment
Tags: Angry Birds, in-game ads, mad scientists, they're watching you
Math and basketball totally mix
A friend of mine sent me this article yesterday. And let’s just say I am not the biggest sports fan on the planet. But I do love a problem with a good framework and an analytic solution. So I was intrigued. This was a really interesting problem and a creative solution. The framework is not bad either. He frames the problem around two, major assumptions on the objectives of player acquisition in the NBA:
- Acquire players who produce above-average value relative to the salaries they are making.
- Exploit the loopholes in the salary cap so that you spend more money than other teams.
He then goes on to build a financial valuation model based on these two assumptions. The analysis is a great start. But to me, it seems like he left out an important 3rd consideration when building an elite team. He seems to have put the “I” back in TEAM. All of his numbers look at the players in isolation, analyzing individual contribution to wins. He glanced right over the team factor about two thirds of the way through the article. “The Knicks might have some upside if Stoudemire, Anthony and Billups gel especially well together, if they get a steal with their first-round draft pick, or if it’s a down year for the other teams in the conference.” I’m not saying that would be easy to quantify. But it should be part of the equation.
Deal for Anthony May Limit Knicks’ Upside – New York Times – Nate Silver
I ask anyone out there as basketball fans, is there not a team factor here that should be considered? Is there a possibility that the the whole could be significantly greater than the sum of the parts? That is something that cannot be so cleanly analyzed before making a commitment. But that is also something that can provide another edge.
Maybe the team factor doesn’t play a huge part in pro basketball. But I just can’t believe that all those speeches from my sixth grade basketball coach about the word TEAM and its lack of an “I” just get thrown out the window as soon as you go pro. Curious what others think.
Filed under: Analytics, Method | 2 Comments
Tags: Basketball, Knicks, Valuation
Facebook is shockingly big
The numbers are really staggering. I can’t get over the amount of content FB users generate over the course of 20 minutes.
Via: Online Schools
Filed under: Analytics, Future, Technology, Visualization | Leave a Comment
Tags: Facebook, Infographics, Visual Representation
My son turned 3 a little over a week ago. My wife, son and I went to the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn to celebrate. All three of us had a great time. I highly recommend the museum. But I guess local museum reviews aren’t really the point of the muComplex. So to the point, the very first exhibit was an interesting bit of public data visualization. It was a simple graphic, trying to set the stage by conveying the historical need for public transit in New York City. This infographic concisely shows both population size and geographical movement over time.
1906 IRT Map - Manhattan South
The early map didn’t have a legend. So I am not exactly sure what the circle vs. dot subway stops signify. That will go on to become the standard express vs. local stop. This map provides a fair amount of unnecessary detail. There is even a data table below the map that shows exactly where the stop is located, how many minutes along the route for each stop, etc.
1924 BMT Subway-Elevated Map (Color)
For this map, they adopted the circle vs. dot, express/local identification. They have also added some color to signify the elevated and underground lines. The early subway lines were three distinctly run routes. So this is only the BMT line, as the previous image was only the IRT.
1939 System Route Map
By 1939, the three lines were shown as a single system. The colors denote the three subway lines while the black lines denote elevated lines. The circle/dot express/local signifiers are still present. You can even see the addition of the Hudson crossing tubes in the lower left.
1964 System Map
Skipping ahead to 1964, they added X and – signifiers for express and local. They also added yellow station boxes to show where there are free transfers between lines. The station names are much easier to read on this version than previous years.
1972 System Map
I’m not sure what they were thinking in 1972. Express and local are signified using bold or normal text. The connected stations are aligned or clustered. I have to admit, it does make it easy to see where the lines connect. But there is so much color and activity that it is overwhelming at first. And I shouldn’t have to go back and forth from the map to the legend to figure out where I need to go.
2011 System Map
The maps from the 80s to the present, are roughly similar. Express and local stops are back to circles and dots. The stop names are easy to see. They use bolding to show off hour stops for certain lines, which is a little difficult to read. But the connections are clearly identified and the underlying street structure clearly shows the location of the stop. They use call out boxes to provide any additional detail about a stop, especially the large stops.
All in all, the map is simple to read and easy to use. But that’s coming from someone who sees them everyday. I’m curious how easy tourists find them.
Filed under: Analytics, Visualization | 1 Comment
Tags: Everyday Data Visualization
In the constant oscillation between specialization and integrated service offerings, WPP announces a new global, consolidated, digital ad services offering called Possible Worldwide. The article briefly touches on the challenge of integrating four geographically diverse companies into a single, cohesive organization. That, to me, will be the most interesting and challenging work ahead for Possible Worldwide. The companies, based in New York, Cincinnati, Singapore and New Delhi, also have diverse, but related, service offerings. Global companies increasingly want to be able to go to one shop for a diverse set of marketing services. The trend is on the rise. The need is there. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds over the next 24 months. I’ll be setting a Google Alert for this one.
Filed under: Strategy | Leave a Comment
Tags: Digital Marketing, Global Strategy, WPP
More human than human……
There have been huge advancements in predictive analytic choice models (let’s call it computer intuition) over the last few years. Last week, I retweeted Tim O’Riley’s link to the Heritage Health Prize. This is a contest with a goal “to develop a breakthrough algorithm that uses available patient data, including health records and claims data, to predict and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations.” As Google Search, Amazon recommendations and iTunes Genius have clearly shown, computers are very capable of using predictive analytics on large data sets to intuit what you might be thinking, a very human characteristic except for the fact that it is completely based on data and removes the emotional response. And since this decision modeling is based completely on data, the computer can deliver much greater accuracy than a human could possibly deliver.
Sounds great, right?!?
I’m in a strange place. The geek in me is completely 100% totally in awe of the analytic advancement. My career, my passion is dedicated to the development and application of the technology. At the same time, the human in me is utterly terrified by this. And I am not even talking about Skynet end-of-the-world terror (but don’t think I don’t think about that one too). I am talking much nearer term future than that. As I read Alex Howard’s thoughts on the Heritage Health Prize, I couldn’t help but ask myself how the results will be used. If you read the details for the prize, they seem altruistic enough.
- Reduce costs…check
- Help people before they have to be hospitalized…check
- Reduce unnecessary use of hospital beds…check
- Reduce strain on health care system…check
But the cynic (some may say realist) in me wonders how long before the predictions are used to deny coverage or classify individuals into cost buckets based on potential medical needs; basically this would squeeze out strains on the system (also called people in need of help). I was a little surprised this didn’t come up. I hope our government recognizes the need for legislation to address this changing technology. When I think about how reliant on technology my son will be, I get very nervous that we will not put the right safety measures in place to ensure that analytic decisioning doesn’t get too far ahead of us. Regulators are “thinking” about putting limitations in place to reduce high speed reactive trading on our financial markets and it only took the longest recession since the Great Depression to realize there might be a need for those limitations.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for the contest and its intentions. I just want humans to stay in charge…or at least set up some healthy constraints. The computers certainly won’t know any better…at least unless we program them that way.
Tyrell: She’s beginning to suspect, I think.
Deckard: Suspect? How can it not know what it is?
– Blade Runner, 1982
Filed under: Analytics, Technology | 2 Comments
Tags: Analytic Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Future Tech, Predictive Analytics
This is a clear sign of times to come; analytics and technology are driving not only the ability to reach consumers in the off-line retail environment but also the ability to gather data on off-line buying habits in more robust ways. Digital/web analytics has had the advantage when it comes to tracking “paths through the store.” Some of tools mentioned in this article will start to bring that level of detail in store.
Add RFID or some other wireless tracking option to devices used in the store and retailers can update their foot prints to help shoppers get what they need faster, which, according to Herb Sorensen’s Inside the Mind of the Shopper, equates to more satisfied shoppers which equates to more money spent with the retailer.
Filed under: Analytics, Technology | Leave a Comment
Tags: retail analytics, Shopper Marketing
You needed a study to tell you this? I could have told you that most iPad sales were coming from existing Apple product owners. First off, how many people who might actually be in the market for a device of this nature do not already have at least an iPod? On top of that, it is an emerging platform that is, although Apple may argue differently (reinventing the platform and so on), an extension of their existing line.
Apple Mostly Selling iPads to iOwners – Softpedia.
UPDATE: By the way, you owe me $1999 if you just read this. Give me $19.99 and we’ll call it even.
Filed under: Strategy, Technology | Leave a Comment
Tags: Apple, Digital Books, iPad
