Springtime in the UK is usually an idyllic time as the crocus and daffodils bloom and the winter gives way to lush surroundings.. However, this year had a crescendo of events amassed to create several major global shifts to businesses: natural, political and technological.
After a nice long Memorial Day weekend ushered in the summer, students across the country are taking that last set of finals in hopes of maintaining good grades or bumping up those so-so grades. With the spirit of report cards in the air, I thought it was a good time to give out a report card of sorts to the latest social media/mobile/application craze, location-based apps.
In lieu of grades, I’m taking a more general approach of commenting on: The Good, The Bad, and My Wish. Now bring on the judgment.
Thanks to my internship, I have acquired an appreciation for Latin. My lesson on Day #1: Denuo means “anew”, “afresh.” It embodies our approach to exploiting the constantly changing digital, interactive, and mobile space. As the wide-eyed intern, I have gotten to hang out with the coolest nerds in the industry. Inspired by Rishad T.’s advice to “not let these guys beat me to a pulp”, I have taken a deep-dive into the world of Denuo, eager to learn how they work their marketing magic.
Thanks to my favorite cohort, I had the opportunity to attend the NRA Show yesterday (THIS not this).
It was a huge cluster of everything food related from celeb chefs to the latest innovations in kitchen refrigeration to blenders that double as guillotines to mobile cuisine, also known as the new black. Sadly, there were no exhibitions dedicated to The Human Centipede.
Aside from sampling a frightening range of food for 382 minutes, here are my top 3 highlights:
You know those people who have a natural sense of direction? Who seem to just know how to navigate new neighborhoods, where to turn right or left? Who can give a map a once-over without furrowing their brow? I am not one of those people.
In fact, about a month ago, I got lost on my 0.1 mile walk to work off the Clark/Lake stop. I somehow managed to head west on Lake Street and walked in squares around Clark, LaSalle, and West Wacker. I even annoyed not one, but two, busy-looking people on the street by asking which way West Wacker was. At this point, it was 8:54am and I was getting dangerously close to being late, so I hailed a cab to work (I’m serious.) Quite possibly the most embarrassing $5 I ever spent.
It got me thinking: I am one of those people who should get a smartphone. I’m constantly looking up train schedules, walking directions, restaurant menus, movie times, concerts and events information. When I’m out with friends, I always have to ask two questions: 1) “Where are we going?” and 2) “Who has a smartphone?”
