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Is there any room left in the crowded home assistant market?
The tech world is abuzz with rumours that Spotify is potentially wading into the ‘home assistant’ marketplace. It’s a billion dollar business and could be the future for consumers wanting ‘smarter’ houses – but it is already a crowded market. The rumours are based on speculation as job postings for a project manager and analyst for a new hardware project to be developed and released. For Spotify to enter this space – it makes sense. However, is Spotify just a little too late to the party? As well, when you are last on the field and your opponents are Amazon, Google and Apple – the task ahead is daunting if not dangerous for the hundreds of millions of dollars in development and marketing that will be required. Is this just speculation for attention or will Spotify jump in and try to stand out? It’s not easy to decipher or decide. But that’s where the experts from IDC Canada can help. Jean Philippe (JP) Bouchard is Vice-President, Mobility and Consumer Research and is an expert in the areas of modeling and market forecasting, mobile device and platforms, go to market strategies, strategic marketing and product management. Simply click on JP’s icon to arrange an interview. Source:
Oculus Go is coming – the market is about to evolve
Oculus Go is an all-in-one virtual reality (VR) headset that will offer 1,000s of games, 360-degree experiences without wires or even a PC to attach to. It’s coming – according to Facebook in early 2018 - but Canadian availability remains somewhat of a mystery. But the marketing has begun. There is a lot of hype when it comes to virtual reality – but will this technology be the gamechanger that shifts the market towards virtual reality experiences without wires and away from screenless viewers (headsets that require users to insert their smartphone)? Or will it take longer for VR to become mainstream, altering how we all consume games, media and virtually every experience that requires or incorporates technology? Is Oculus set to be the next Apple or Amazon? What will the future look like – and who will benefit most from VR? Which VR experiences are of most interest to Canadian consumers? These are early days, what will VR look like in a decade? As the market evolves, it seems VR's market potential has been diminished by the emergence of mobile AR as a rival platform. Even with the market pushing towards standalone headsets, premium VR might not accelerate until second-generation, standalone VR headsets break out starting over the next few years. There are a lot of questions about virtual reality and that’s where the experts from IDC Canada can help. Emily Taylor is a senior research analyst in the areas of consumer service and technology markets. She also can provide unique and intelligent insight into new landscape of virtual reality and augmented reality technologies for both consumers and businesses in Canada. Watch her video for more information on the VR/AR market in Canada, then simply click on her icon to arrange an interview. Source:
Seeing the light. What is photobiomodulation and how is it changing the way we treat the brain?
As prospects for pharmaceutical solutions to Alzheimer's decline with no solution in sight over the next five years - could this daunting challenge be a catalyst for acceleration of alternative therapies? Vielight, partnering with leading health research institutions in North America has now attracted worldwide attention for its unique light therapy (photobiomodulation) technology which is showing promise for a number neurological conditions. Photobiomodulation uses visible red and near infrared light energy stimulates cells to generate more energy and undergo self-repair. The concept is not new, but advanced technologies and applications have allowed this form of therapy to emerge as a new leader in treating brain trauma and afflictions and diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. The first large scale human clinical trial kicks off this year in Toronto - but patients and families have already seen astounding results. Health research institutions are making serious investments in light therapy research related to variety of neurological conditions and treatments such as Alzheimer's, dementia and Parkinson's. Researchers at institutions such as Harvard, UCSF and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto are discovering profound neurological effects of Vielight technology to support treatment options for Alzheimer’s and Dementia, PTSD and Traumatic brain Injury. There are a lot of questions and there is still a lot to learn about this emerging technology as well as the advancements that are taking place as we learn more about the brain and how to treat it. That’s where the experts from Vielight can help. Simply click on the icons of one of the many experts from Vielight to arrange an interview or learn more about photobiomodulation and how light therapy is being used to treat patients around the world. Source:
The effects of Native American mascots
The Cleveland Indians announced today they will drop "Chief Wahoo" from uniforms in 2019. This is not the first news about Native American mascots of late. Goizueta Business School's Mike Lewis has extensive research on team value and mascots -- including the effects of live mascots in college sports and the controversial use of Native American mascots across collegiate and professional athletics. Source:
Were you prepared for the different financial needs as a civilian?
The USC Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military Families is hosting the 2018 Military Transition Research Summit: Financial Readiness for Transition on Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. A series of panel discussions will feature personal transition experience from veterans and expert perspectives on the financial challenges facing service members and veterans. Attendees will also learn about innovations in financial wellness. Featured panelists from Prudential, USO, and the U.S. departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Labor, among others. From our experts: "Financial readiness along with one's military identity possibly represent the two most important elements of a military transition for the service member." -- Carl Castro, associate professor and director, CIR "Financial preparation is essential to finding success after separation from the military. From putting down a deposit on an apartment or a home loan to covering bills while finding a job, transition can be a financially stressful period. Through financial preparedness and understanding the expenses associated with transition from the military, our veterans can alleviate a significant source of stress." -- Sara Kintzle, research associate professor Source:
Tyrha Lindsey-Warren, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of marketing in Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, studies consumer behavior, multicultural media, movies and entertainment. She is an expert on Hollywood and movies featuring actors of color. She said Tuesday's Oscar nominations reveal "positive strides" for recognition of minorities in the film industry, but she also noted missed opportunities for noteworthy films. “With today’s Oscar nominations, we see positive strides in the categories of Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Director regarding the nominations of persons of color. Even for not-so-well publicized categories like Best Screenplay, Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematography, there are some wonderful artists of color and women that have been nominated. One that truly makes me happy is the nomination of ‘Coco’ for Best Animated Feature. It was an outstanding tribute to Mexican culture and was truly well done," Lindsey-Warren said. "However, I am saddened that Patty Jenkins, the director of ‘Wonder Woman’ did not get any acknowledgement from The Academy. She did an excellent job with ‘Wonder Woman,’ from both a cinematic perspective as well as from the worldwide box office revenues. I am also saddened that director Reginald Hudlin’s ‘Marshall’ is missing this awards season. The story of American hero Thurgood Marshall is one that should have been more celebrated.” Tyrha Lindsey-Warren, Ph.D., is a marketing scholar, business executive, artist and entrepreneur. As a consumer behavior scholar, her research is rooted in narrative transportation theory (i.e., storytelling) that exudes the emotion of empowerment and its impact on consumer attitudes, behaviors, purchase intention and message recall. She also studies health edutainment, multicultural media and advertising, as well as movies and entertainment. Lindsey-Warren is an expert in effective communications strategies for leaders, multicultural communications and marketing. For more information, or for an interview with Tyrha Lindsey-Warren, contact Baylor Media Communications. Source:
Meet Baylor’s nationally recognized expert on coping with grief and loss
Dr. Helen Harris has centered her life’s work on a topic that most would prefer to avoid: grief and loss. While no one likes to think about the loss of a loved one, facing grief is unavoidable. Harris’ research on those tough subjects has made her one of the nation’s most-sought after experts on the topics of bereavement, trauma, the role of faith in processing grief, and more. Before coming to Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, Harris worked in the trenches daily alongside people grappling with these very issues. She was the first director of the Hillcrest Community Hospice in Waco, where she also served as a social worker and bereavement coordinator. Even after coming to Baylor in 1997, she has continued to volunteer with hospice organizations and provide training to hospices throughout the area. Source:
Impact of Protests on NFL Brand? Baylor Sports Sales Expert is Watching How 'Generations' Respond
Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., is the Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing and director of Baylor University’s Sports Sponsorship & Sales program. He is an oft-quoted expert on marketing and branding of professional sports teams and serves as publisher and editor of The Baylor S3 Report (www.baylors3.com), the industry-leading publication featuring best practices in sports sales and marketing. In response to this season's protests during many of the NFL games, Wakefield said he is closely watching the “generations” of fans, particularly the season ticket holders. He explained that the average NFL season ticket holders are male, in their 40s and have a household income of more than $100,000. “I think the question is if the NFL can truly use this as a unifying rather than divisive tool. The dilemma is that the season ticket holder base is older and more prone to see it as divisive and offensive. But the younger set, tomorrow’s fan base, is likely to side with the players. So, brand equity could erode among current season ticket holders and, at the same time, gain interest and support from millennials – who have not been watching or attending as much.” Wakefield’s research in retailing covering more than two decades focuses primarily upon sports psychology, team sports marketing, entertainment marketing, and fan and consumer response to pricing and promotional tools. He has conducted fan research in almost every venue in sports including the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL, and NASCAR. Source:
Competitors or Teammates: How Proper Names Influence Each Other
Current research by Lisa Abrams and Danielle K. Davis of the University of Florida published in the Current Directions in Psychological Science documents how proper names are more difficult to learn and remember than other types of words. Various causes of this difficulty have been proposed to better understand how proper names are represented in memory and the degree to which names compete with each other. In the retrieval of names, some studies show competition, whereas other studies find facilitation. During comprehension, names demonstrate competition by causing a Moses illusion: People erroneously answer invalid questions such as “How many animals did Moses take on the ark?”, failing to detect that Noah is the correct name for the question. Errors in both name retrieval and comprehension are more likely when the correct name and distractor name sound similar, share biographical characteristics, or have some visual resemblance. However, shared visual information has played a competitive role more consistently in name comprehension than retrieval, an asymmetry that remains to be investigated. To view the full research article go to: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0963721416677804 Source:
Baylor Experts Share New "Phone Snubbing" Research. This time it's "Boss Phubbing!"
Baylor University marketing professors and smartphone use experts James A. Roberts, Ph.D., and Meredith David, Ph.D., published their latest study – “Put Down Your Phone and Listen to Me: How Boss Phubbing Undermines the Psychological Conditions Necessary for Employee Engagement” – in the journal Computers in Human Behavior. Roberts and David are known nationally and internationally for researching the affects of smartphone use on relationships. “Phubbing (phone snubbing) is a harmful behavior,” Roberts said. “It undermines any corporate culture based on respect for others. Thus, it is crucial that corporations create a culture embodied by care for one another.” Their newest study examines “boss phubbing” (boss phone snubbing), which the researchers define as “an employee’s perception that his or her supervisor is distracted by his or her smartphone when they are talking or in close proximity to each other” and how that activity affects the supervisor-employee relationship. “Our research reveals how a behavior as simple as using a cellphone in the workplace can ultimately undermine an employee’s success,” the researchers wrote. “We present evidence that boss phubbing lowers employees’ trust in their supervisors and ultimately leads to lower employee engagement.” The study found: * 76 percent of those surveyed showed a lack of trust in a supervisor who phubbed them * 75 percent showed decreases in psychological meaningfulness, psychological availability and psychological safety * The lack of trust and decreases in those key areas led to a 5 percent decrease in employee engagement Roberts and David suggest several steps that managers could take to change the culture and mitigate the negative effects of smartphone use. * Create a culture in which supervisors do not feel pressure to immediately respond to emails and messages from their superiors while meeting with their employees. * Structure performance criteria in a manner which motivates bosses to build healthy superior-subordinate relationships. This might include annual ratings by their subordinates. * Train supervisors and employees on the importance of face-to-face interactions and sensitize them to the potentially negative consequences of phubbing on employee attitudes and engagement. * Set formal smartphone policies by setting clear rules for smartphone use, access and security – and detail specific consequences for violating those rules. Source:
