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Each week, Padilla’s Insights + Strategy team stands at the intersection of people, culture and brands to bring you five stories that you can read in five minutes.
1. Sandra Oh on Air Canada
Air Canada released its new digital campaign called “Travel Like a Canadian” with Sandra Oh as their spokesperson. Why should you care?
This is Air Canada’s first time targeting major international markets with a goal of broader awareness. They felt that international and Canadian audiences would relate to a campaign with such strong Canadian values. Who better than award-winning actress Sandra Oh to represent Canadian values and illustrate Air Canada’s commitment to multiculturalism, diversity and openness? [Strategy Online]
2. One Day Shipping
Amazon Prime members can now shop for items under $5 and receive them in one day, on their own and for free. Why should you care?
Everyday essentials like toothpaste and deodorant normally draw people to brick and mortar stores like CVS or Target. However, Amazon is trying to change this and eliminate consumers’ needs to actually go to the store. In the competitive market of ongoing retail wars, this is a smart move, but only if Amazon can pull it off. Given recent walkouts and complaints by drivers of the impossible expectations for next day delivery, particularly in the “last mile,” this could do more harm than good if unsuccessful. [Business Insider]
3. Silent Meetings
Large technology companies are not allowing PowerPoint presentations in meetings. Why should you care? Amazon, Square and Twitter’s CEOs have all adopted this policy and according to Jeff Bezos, this change was one of the smartest things they have ever done at Amazon. Meetings are said to begin with a 10-30 minute silent period followed by discussion. As executives in these companies have been found to bluff their way through meetings without reading the memos, “silent meetings” are believed to aid productivity and efficiency in the workplace. [CNBC]
4. Retail Trends
At 43,000 square feet, the largest Starbucks ever is opening in Chicago. Why should you care? The Starbucks, which is a “reserve” store, is opening in Crate and Barrel’s former flagship store. While shopping malls filling with more restaurants and entertainment than retail, stores like Restoration Hardware and Urban Outfitters have added food services to their stores to attract customers. Marrying food, retail and entertainment (and novelty), Starbucks is jumping headfirst into the trend. [Forbes]
5. Disney+
This week, Disney Plus tweeted every single title that will be available on their new streaming service. Why should you care? For anyone who had forgotten that Disney is an entertainment powerhouse, this was their reminder. Disney wants its future consumers (and competitors) to know that they aren’t cooking the numbers with unpopular shows or films, but rather have a full database of loved programs. In an attempt to stand out from the slew of services, they are making their case to the market about how they are different, all while creating hype for their service. Certainly, the magic of Disney. [Tech Crunch]
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