Fridges & Fieldwork

Is your fridge too warm?

In the UK, the average refrigerator is set two degrees Celsius or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit too warm according to the climate action team WRAP. Might be worth giving yours a check to make sure it’s set to 32-38 degrees Fahrenheit.

Why does this matter?

Well, Unilever mayonnaise brand, Hellman’s, shares that some food can last three days longer if your fridge is set to the right temperature. Many aren’t aware of the right temperature to set their fridge at, nor its impact on food waste. To solve this, Hellman’s has literally turned a mayonnaise jar into a thermometer by adding thermochromic ink to its labels, meaning the label changes color based on the temperature. The label indicates whether a fridge is cool enough to keep food fresh.

Amazing innovation! But, how might the need for a temperature-indicating mayonnaise jar have been discovered?

Perhaps it was via deep-dive ethnography, a qualitative research method that explores and mines for insight through the power of observation and storytelling in natural settings.

In our qualitative practice here at Bovitz, we conduct ethnography every day and in doing so, aspire to go beyond the “why” that is traditionally the focus of qualitative research in order to create the “what if” that drives innovation.

Conducting ethnography is a bit like mixing a cultural anthropologist with a secret agent. It’s every bit as observational and contextually rich as it is stealth and cunning. We collect stories and artifacts like any good anthropologist, but we also rely on non-verbal cues and indirect questioning to uncover information, nuance, and inspiration.

And like any good craftsman, knowing when to use a tool is more important than having it in our tool belt. Below are a few of our favorites.

• Visual archaeology: studying where products are placed in the home, who uses them, when, why, and which are used frequently.

• A day in the life:  observation and journaling of how information and products are discovered, explored, used, and shared within a given context. Workarounds and body language are central cues.

• Brand/product collage: collaging the emotional aspects of a product/brand.

• Mind mapping: diagramming thoughts around a central keyword to structure ideas, as well as mine for product opportunities

• Vision boarding: creating a multi-media board of hopes and dreams

This type of work takes us on amazing adventures each day. From immersing ourselves in communities, to understanding how a client can have more of a local influence, to technology deprivation exercises that help us understand the role of client technologies in people’s lives, ethnography helps us put people first and define opportunity along the way.

Are you ready to have some great stories from the field too?

The Catch 22 of Making the Mobile Wallet a Reality

The idea of the mobile wallet is an enticing one. All of my important information can be stored in one place, on a device I already trust? Cool. I can finally get rid of all those pesky physical cards – credit, debit, insurance, loyalty, gift cards (and the list goes on)? Awesome.  I can make all my purchases at all the places I shop with the simple touch of a button or a swipe of my phone? Bliss.

Admittedly, there are some obstacles to this concept – what if my phone runs out of battery? What if someone hacks my account? What if I have bad internet connection in the store where I want to buy these cool vintage shoes?  What if I’m more of a wait-and-see person when it comes to new technology? But even considering these potential issues, consumers are still open to a digital payment infrastructure, as long as it will make their lives easier and more organized.

So if the people want it, and the technology capabilities exist, why are we still carrying around 20 different cards in our very tangible wallets?  This brings us to the biggest barrier to transforming the mobile wallet from a cool idea into a reality: Consumers won’t convert to a digital payment solution unless it’s widely available at the stores they shop, but the stores they shop won’t install the hardware and software necessary until those same consumers are already using, and perhaps demanding, the service.

And that’s just it – people aren’t demanding anything.  Sure, the idea of the mobile wallet is intriguing. But do we as consumers need it? After all, lasting innovation only occurs if real needs are identified and addressed. Is taking out and swiping a credit card so difficult that the masses will cry from the rooftops for a payment revolution?  Here in 2014 there may be some whispers or idle chatter (perhaps a bit louder out of Silicon Valley), but not quite loud enough for meaningful movement in the marketplace.

So it’s up to corporations to decide how and when to implement a wide reaching mobile payment system.  Some companies have already gotten the ball rolling; take the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) as an example.  Big boys like Target, 7-11, Southwest, and ExxonMobil (among many others) have come together to develop an app that acts as a “seamlessly integrated mobile-commerce platform” for consumers. The app can have personalized interfaces for each brand, and will be usable for payment by phone at all participating merchants.

MCX is certainly a move in the digital direction, following the footsteps of some similarly integrated services in Asia, like iD.  But will it be enough to reach the tipping point in the US and push the mobile wallet mainstream?  Will smaller and local businesses be able to follow suit? Only time will tell.  So for now, hold off on donating your designer wallets to Good Will or selling them on eBay – you’re gonna need them.

See more at Bovitzinc.com

Digital and Brick & Mortar, A Happy Couple

Two ships are about to collide – digital shopping and retail brick-and-mortar. Often seen as opposites or diverging realities, we see a giant, revolutionary convergence.

Take what happened this past holiday season at the Westfield mall in San Francisco for example. Giant, connected retail stations acting as storefronts called Connected Glass offer the newest form of window shopping. These interactive stations allow shoppers to browse through items for sale using a storefront-sized touchscreen, which then sends information to their phone for purchase. This maintains shopper privacy at the point of purchase, while creating an engaging experience via a museum-like gallery of expanded merchandise. While just a pilot, we see this as an important first step to integrating e-commerce into brick and mortar experiences.

So where does this convergence go next? Who really knows, but opportunity abounds to create new and meaningful experiences. Could we see digital personal stylists guiding shoppers through a wardrobe re-vamp in-store? What about upping retail competitiveness by pushing flash deal and promotion notifications to shoppers in a nearby store? Crowdsourcing how look as you try on an outfit to your personal network? QR codes to get user reviews on specific pieces?  Don’t forget about virtual dressing room and self-checkout technologies. 

And for those of you wondering, no, we don’t see brick and mortar isn’t going away anytime soon. People love to teach and feel what their looking to buy too much. We can’t beat first-hand experience yet. But, mobile technology can enhance the experience. How about an app to schedule child care and activities at the mall while you shop? How about an app that helps you get your new purchases tailored while you continue to shop? What about Polyvore inspiring and guiding at the mall?

Indeed the future of digital and brick-and-mortar shopping seems bright, like star-crossed honeymooners with their whole lives in front of them.