Month: March 2018

Brb…

“Be right back” “Got to go” “What have you been up to?”… although shortened to their text versions, these were common phrases I used with my friends daily on MSN Messenger in the mid to late 2000’s. We had instant communication, but we were not always connected. Now with the integration of smartphones into our lives, and applications being available across all platforms, these conversations and updates on people’s life activities are almost constant. We went from instant messaging to always on, and with that, the concept of leaving… left.

I’m not going to argue whether this change is better or worse, but it was fascinating to me that the use of these phrases in online communication came and went so quickly. The pace of change in technology and the impact this has on our language and communication styles is undeniable.

Anyway gtg, speak soon!

The Asylum

Whilst moving to a new iPhone, the photos app decided to go a bit crazy with my iCloud albums and download random pictures from the last 7 years. One of them was this; taken in my friend Jon’s university bedroom, at 3:25am on 23rd October 2011.


Jon, our friend Sam, and I had a common love for electronic music and wanted to create a platform to share this with the world. We spent all night working on the concept for the brand, and the website that would be the hub of this. Over the next couple of years, we went onto create a semi-successful YouTube channel, with supporting Facebook and Twitter accounts. We connected with many similar people, built relationships with producers and record labels, and even had a short lived run on our University radio.

However, what I now realise is this process allowed me to develop some digital marketing and web design knowledge, improve my networking skills, as well as learning how to produce a radio show. These experiences have both intrinsically helped in developing these skills, but also in creating stories to tell at interviews and in my current role. It also taught me a very valuable lesson… you are not bigger than copyright law!

 

Real-Time Decision Making

I was engaged in a recent conversation about the true value of real-time data in enabling business decision making and enhancing the customer experience. To understand this, you must first look at yourself in your day to day to life.

One of the best examples I can see for myself is the use of maps and GPS. When my dad first got a Sat Nav for the car, it was amazing that you could type in the postcode of somewhere you’ve not been before, and barring any diversions down waterlogged roads or any new road layouts that have yet to be updated, you would make it to your destination. However, fast forward to today and the way I use this technology, and it has fundamentally changed. The internet connection alongside the GPS has enabled the experience to become a lot more intelligent, by providing real-time traffic data. I will now use maps software on the majority of journeys I do, including routes I know very well like my commute to the office. This is because the service will allow me to make better decisions and take diversions along the route to avoid unnecessary traffic.

This data-driven experience and instant real-time decision making will resonate with you in some way I’m sure, and so now we expect at least parity in our interactions with businesses. For me, the only way you can stay ahead, or even keep up with these customers is to play at their speed. Is it still ok for your Facebook site to state ‘Typically replies within a day’ when your competitors have helpful chatbots enabling their page to state ‘Typically replies instantly’?

Back again. Oxide, Neutrino, settin’ the trend…

Firstly, apologies for the title.. I’ve been listening to a lot of UK garage recently. For anyone interested, there are some great recent documentaries on the history of the genre here, here and here!

However, it is true, I am reviving this site… again. This post makes me laugh, because 1) I completely failed to do what I set out and 2) it’s still pretty spot on.

Over the last half year or so, I’ve moved to a new role at Microsoft, and now working as a Digital Advisor focused on the Retail sector. I have a passion for retailing, as both a consumer, and harking back to my days on the shopfloor at Gamestation, and so am thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to discuss business strategy and cutting edge technology with some of the best in the industry.

Additionally, this new role lends well to sharing my thoughts through a medium such as this blog. With this, I plan to become more rigorous with my posting schedule, and share interesting content around retailing, technology, as well as my first love, music. I hope someone finds this useful and interesting, and I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you.