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mCommerce and Eggnogg’n Tea

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A Box of Bigelow Eggnogg'n TeaIt took a box of Eggnogg’n Tea (with dancing penguins) to realize that I was totally wrong.

After eTail Boston last August, I wrote about how my life wasn’t that mobile.  I was rockin’ an ancient Blackberry and wondering why I should bother with mCommerce, upgrade to a smartphone and pay for an unlimited data plan.  I spend most of my time in front of a laptop, or commuting a short distance between home and work laptops, and it just didn’t add up.

The Blackberry finally croaked and I splurged on an iPhone 4s.  I traveled to New York for eMetrics and then Chicago to meet with the amazing eCommerce team at Quill.  I was driving somewhere outside of Deerfield when I asked Siri to find a good lunch spot.  Four options popped up faster than you can say “White Sox.”  And now I anthropomorphize my iPhone 4s AI…she’s earned it.

I’ve been back in Boston for a few months now, and some of the novelty has worn away.  Today I walked into the local Stop n’ Shop to stock up for the week and was greeted by a display full of Bigelow Eggnogg’n Tea.  I hate eggnog, but Becky likes it…however, I have been warned that eggnog is not a welcome surprise this year.  The side of the Eggnogg’n Tea box not adorned with dancing penguins touts all the good stuff that is eggnog without the guilt!

My old im-mobile self said “Hmmm” and just kept walking towards the fruits and vegetables isle.  And then my mobile-me stopped cold…took out my iPhone, and did a quick Google search on Eggnogg’n Tea (I confess…I like to say and type the word “Eggnogg’n”).

Reviews appeared…all pointing skywards!  This is a product that clearly satisfied the needs of eggnog lovers without the risks of saturated fats, excessive calories and (occasionally) raw eggs.

And I added a box to my cart, finished my shopping, and brewed a cup for my wife who said “hey…this is good stuff!”

You don’t need to be a road warrior to be “mobile” and it has nothing to do with distance. The real power of mobile can be felt in the subtle ways it changes your day-to-day routines.  Next article will be about my new Kindle…

 

 

A Tale of Two eCommerce Companies

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“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…”

There were two major eCommerce companies who sold the same wares.  One company was based in an expensive city, outsourced IT and paid its local architects in coal.  Any change to the Web site was met with layers of fear, process, and expensive consultants.

The other company was smaller and grew a team of Software Architects in an area of the US deemed barren of any technical talent.  It never needed to offshore or downsize.  Any change to the Web site was met as an opportunity to build something new.

Five years and a few recessions passed.  Along comes Web Analytics with the ability to identify, quantify and exploit opportunity faster than anything eCommerce has ever seen before…as long as your Web site can be quickly modified for a/b and mulitvariate testing.

Which eCommerce company do you think is chasing tail today?

 

ETail Boston: Noodles, Networks and Noses

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I wandered away from eTail Boston a little early to get some fresh air.  Mobile commerce and Social commerce were big topics this year.  My problem is that I’m simply not that mobile or social…I wake up, get the kids ready for preschool, scan gmail on my aging Blackberry, drop the kids off, and work in front of a laptop for most of the day.  So I went mobile and decided to enjoy a walk down Boylston St. instead of listening to another talk about the amazing ways to shop using phones or tablets that I have yet to adopt because I really need to spend the money on repaving the crumbling heap that is my driveway.

I also decided to get some fresh air because my cold from last week went mobile, invading my sinuses so badly that even a broth of spicy Asian noodle soup from Wagamama washed blandly down my throat.  A few blocks and cough drops later, I gave up and headed back to my car to make the early bird rate at the Prudential garage.

And then I did something remarkable…

I opened Google on my ancient Blackberry and held the little green phone button as instructed to voice search.  I croaked the name of my doctor’s office…and waited a few minutes for the number to appear.  I called and shared my woe with the receptionist, who asked me to hold for a moment to speak with a Nurse Practitioner.  While holding, I followed my Garmin GPS’ commands to escape Boston via the Mass Pike.  The nurse arrived before I made it to the tolls, asked about my symptoms, and promised to call in a prescription for antibiotics if I would please stop using my phone while driving.  It was an easy sell.  I hung up and drove the remaining 20 minutes to the CVS in Wellesley (on my way home) to pick up the prescription and a box of industrial strength tissues.  I scanned my CVS card while making the purchase, and watched my receipt grow into a small Torah of coupons for things I don’t believe I need.

At eTail Boston I listened to lots of presentations about mobile and the challenges surrounding multi-channel marketing.  I didn’t pay my doctor or purchase my prescription or even look for a discount on my box of tissues from my mobile device.  Mobile shines as a lifeline that quickly assembles information from people and systems while you’re on the go.

A Walk Off the Ferris Wheel

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I just returned from the Omniture Summit and it was an eye-opening experience.  Dots and people connected in new and unexpected ways.  Adobe made an easy bet, and armed the hyper-creative audience with free video flipcams to record the experience.  Attendees also received a nice free pen and The Grand America Hotel provides classic, ivory stationary.

I started Tweeting at the conference.  Not to say that I haven’t before.  But this was the first time I felt an imperative to Tweet about the amazing ideas and happenings at the conference.  My piece of ivory stationary is covered, front-to-back, with notes and ideas.  My flipcam is still in the box…but I can’t wait to use it for something.  At the end of the Lenny Kravtiz concert, when he (finally) dug hard into the classics, the audience stood with arms raised and iPhones/Droids/Flipcams glowing.  So much for lighters.

The tools don’t matter.  The place and people do.  Many people ride a Ferris wheel in life or for a living.  Some days are low and some are high.  The view is great but after a few rounds it becomes all too familiar.  Would you tweet about the tenth circle of the same Ferris wheel…in the same amusement park?  Are you still wondering why so many people shrug at Twitter?

I brought my notebook from work but left it in my bag.  When you step off the wheel (literally or figuratively) it’s important to bring a different set of tools.  So I lied.  The tools do matter.  Use whatever reduces the barriers to recording and sharing ideas whenever ideas strike.  I can’t think of anything better to record a good idea than a scrap of paper and pen, but not the notebook cluttered with my daily scrawl.  It needs to feel different.  And when something worthwhile and immediate hits, Twitter is a great way to sound the alarm.

Still unpacking my ideas from Summit.  Still wondering what to do with that flipcam back on the Ferris wheel.