Tag Archives: Product innovation

by | Friday, November 11, 2022 · 8:31 am

Are Apple Watches for Kids?

A quick poll: How many of you have an Apple Watch (or similar smart watch)? What age were you when you got the smart watch?

Now, how many of you think young children (under age 10) should also have a smart watch? Hmm…. Interesting.

Smart watches are now moving to younger children for activity tracking. And, Apple is now actively targeted families with young children for their Apple Watch, promoting the device as a way to reach and track their children. Offered as a simpler and cheaper watch – the Apple Watch SE includes a feature called “Family Setup.” This software allows parents to track children’s location, manage contacts, and limit notifications. (No iPhone is needed for the kids.)

But of course any technology intended for, or used by, children presents questions and concerns for its use. In particular, social media is seen as dangerous to young children as is the increase in amount of time spent viewing ‘screens’. However, smart watches have limited applications; no cameras or browsers so there are fewer games and opportunities for accessing adult content. Parents want connection, but don’t want children to have more screens or screen time. Starting at $249, the Apple Watch SE is cheaper than iPhones or other smart watches, but that is still a hefty price tag.

Where are your kids playing today?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Poll students: What is their opinion about Apple Watches for young children?
  2. Show video about family setup with watch: https://youtu.be/Ga8hyrp2PkY
  3. Have any opinions changed after considering the video?
  4. Show Apple Watch website: https://www.apple.com/watch/
  5. Have students research other smart watches for children. They should develop a table to compare the watches, trackers, price, and functions.
  6. Garmin: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/sports-fitness/kids-wearables-fitness-activity-trackers/
  7. Fitbit: https://www.fitbit.com/global/us/products/trackers/ace3
  8. Divide students into teams. Have each team develop a description of the target market (families with young children) for the watch.
  9. Have each team develop a promotional plan for marketing the watch to families with children.

Sources:  Huang, K. and Chen, B. (1 September 2022). An Apple Watch for your 5-year-old? More parents say yes. New York Times.

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by | Wednesday, November 3, 2021 · 7:40 am

New Smart Glasses from Ray-Ban and Facebook

First there was Google Glass, then Snap entered the video glass frame market with Spectacles. Now, Facebook and Ray-Ban have partnered on new smart sunglasses called Ray-Ban Stories with a camera built into the glass frame.

The Wayfarer-looking glass frames have a 5-megapixel camera to record whatever you are looking at. All the user has to do is tap the side of the glasses to take a photo or 30-second video. The frames also hold micro-speakers, microphones, and a computer processing chip. The eyewear can also answer phone calls and play music or podcasts.

The vision (no pun intended) behind the new smart glasses is to enable people to capture the moment that they are in and then post it to Facebook. Unlike the weird-looking Google Glass, the project was focused first on fashion and design, and then on the technology.

Priced at $299, the glasses also come with a charging case. When fully charged, the glasses can be used for six hours. There is also voice activation available using Facebook Assistant and paired with your phone. A small light on the frame front goes on when the glasses are recording, but the small light is hard to see, thus there are privacy concerns when recording.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss smart glasses with students. What problems do they solve?
  2. Poll students: Who would be willing to buy smart glasses? Why or why not?
  3. Show the product on the Ray Ban website: https://www.ray-ban.com/usa/discover-ray-ban-stories/clp
  4. Show the WSJ video of the glasses in action: https://www.wsj.com/video/series/joanna-stern-personal-technology/ray-ban-and-facebooks-camera-equipped-sunglasses-cool-yes-creepy-yes/94A651AF-2320-43D7-AFEC-78C307FAAE00?mod=djemfoe
  5. Discuss the importance of clearly defining a target market.
  6. For this product, who is the target market?
  7. Divide students into teams and have each team develop a profile of a target market. Include demographics, psychographics, behaviors, values, attitudes, etc.
  8. Based on the target market profile, what tactics should the marketing plan include?

Source:  CNN; New York Times; The Verge; Wall Street Journal; Washington Post; other news sources

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by | Wednesday, March 25, 2020 · 7:41 am

Movies and Music for Cats and Dogs

Worried that your pet doesn’t get enough stimulation when you are gone during the day? Does your cat or dog just sleep the day away, seem bored or anxious? Then pet TV and music might be just what Spot and Kitty need.

Yes, there are now movies and special music playlists, plus audio books, just for the pets in our lives. Even pet owners seem transfixed by the new services; both humans and pets seem to find it meditative and calming.

Some of the offerings include:

  • Amazon Prime has a number of streaming videos that feature birds, squirrels, and other creatures in their outdoor habitats. The sounds and motion make it seem that it is all happening just outside our windows.
  • Audible collaborated with famed “dog whisperer” Cesar Millan to highlight books for dog listening.
  • Spotify has playlists created just for dogs, cats, and owners, as well as My Dog’s Favourite Podcast. Spotify also offers music for iguana, hamsters, and birds.
  • DogTV offers a subscription streaming service developed specifically for a dog’s sight (color) and hearing (no startling sounds).
  • And, don’t forget about YouTube which hosts thousands of videos that may appeal to pets.

By all accounts, the pet products industry is growing by leaps and bounds, accounting for an estimated $70+ billion in purchases of toys, food, and supplies last year in the U.S.

Rock on!

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Poll students: Who has pets? Do these pets watch TV or listen to music?
  2. Divide students into teams – include pet owners in each team. List the items that are purchased for pets during the year.
  3. Show pet video/music sites:
  1. Assign each team one of the above sites to examine.
  2. How should these be marketed to pet owners?

Source: Advertising Age; New York Times

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