Blending The Old And New
By Kim Zimmermann, Managing Editor
I had the pleasure of attending Internet Week New York last week, and of course technology was the main topic of discussion. Although I have to say the speakers, not the attendees, did most of the talking as everyone had their head buried in their iPhones, iPads and laptops.
But what struck me was how much buzz there was about things that have nothing to do with bits and bytes. There was a lot of dialogue about using technology to bring new twists to creative processes such as clothing design and human interactions such as customer service. But it was not about replacing people. It was about using technology as part of an overall strategy to achieve a goal, not as the end game.
Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of the fashion house Proenza Schouler told the audience that they still draw their collections by hand. But when they are done they scan them and use a computer model to see how the fabric will look when made into a dress, not sitting flat on a table.
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There was also a lot of discussion about the role of technology in customer interactions. One of the more amusing anecdotes came from Lee Nadler, Marketing Communications Manager at MINI USA. A computer glitch caused the company to send a few hundred customers the same email multiple times. “We could have just sent them an email, apologizing, but that could have gotten us into more trouble,” he said, adding that they mailed the few hundred people affected a gift box, which included a stress ball in the shape of a can of Spam. People then took pictures of the gift box and the company turned a potential negative into a positive.
There were also some companies with e-Commerce origins such as Warby Parker, that are now opening retail stores. Neil Blumenthal, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, said the goal was to make the stores look like libraries.
My guess is that it will be the closest some of its younger customers have ever gotten to a physical library since they’ve grown up with Google at their fingertips.
Follow Kim on Twitter: @KimZim2764
