learnthe4ps.com - For students of marketing.

Are you ready to scan your own groceries?  This article “Check Out the Future of Shopping” (Wall Street Journal, May 18, 2011 – non-subscribers click here) and the companion video (3:33) below describe a variety of different technologies retailers are employing to make shopping more convenient.

What do you think of these innovations?  Would you be more likely to shop at a store with this technology?  How else could retailers utilize technology like that described in the article?

When I graduated as a marketing undergraduate almost 30 years ago, pharmaceutical sales was one of my job targets.  I liked the idea of consultative selling of technical products.  I ended up in technical sales at Eastman Kodak.  Back then pharmaceutical sales was growing — and so was the sales force.  Not anymore.  Today many pharmaceutical firms are looking for technology solutions to replace their sales force — including iPad apps and other digital tools.  Get up to speed on this trend by reading “Drug Makers Replace Reps with Digital Tools” (Wall Street Journal, May 10, 2011, non-subscribers click here).

For those of you preparing your personal marketing plans — and trying to decide on your future careers it raises important questions.  Certainly technology is a threat to sales careers with pharmaceutical firms — but what other industries might face similar threats?  What does this mean for your career planning?

A disruptive innovation “improves a product or service in ways the market does not expect, typically by being lower priced or designed for a different set of consumers” (Wikipedia – Disruptive Technology). This Wall Street Journal article “Using the iPad to Connect” (October 13, 2010) describes such an innovation in working with special needs kids. The iPad plus a $190 software package might replace devices costing from $2500 – $15,000.

Smart phones have an amazing amount of computing capability in a small device — as does the iPad.  Many smart phone users rarely talk on the device – and instead use them to surf the Web, listen to music, text, e-mail, play games and use them for many other activities.  Can you think  of other markets that might be “disrupted” by cell phones and perhaps a clever software app?

Have you ever been to a website, looked at some product — and then had that product follow you around the Internet.  Well, some companies notice that you were shopping for those red pumps or new truck.  So they put a “cookie” on your computer and soon ads for those products can follow you around the web.  This article, “Retargeting Ads Follow Surfers to Other Sites” (New York Times, August 29, 2010) describes the phenomena.

What do you think?  Is this too creepy?  Should there be a “do not track” list — just like the “do not call” list for telemarketers?

This article “The iPad Leads Apple to the Elderly” (describes how the ease of use of the iPad appeals to the elderly.  The examples are mostly from Japan — where a fast growing elderly population make it a prime target market.  The examples here work when talking about opportunities (chapter 2 in our books), demographic trends or market segmentation.

What else could Apple do to make the iPad more appealing to this target market?  Think about all 4 Ps.

This Wall Street Journal article, “Luring Shoppers to Stores” (August 26, 2010 – non-WSJ subscribers may have to click here and choose the WSJ.com link) and video (see below) describe how retailers are leveraging technology to try to get customers in their stores.  The video is short.

These are examples of how retailers are taking advantage of trends in the external market environment (technological — see chapter 3).  With falling prices on many types of technology, the cost to get into this form of promotion is falling fast.

What about you?  Have you seen any examples of this type of technology in retail stores?  How does it influence your shopping behavior?