Innovative single-serve packaging
July 24, 2009
In Pack Expo 2008, Snapsil unveiled a innovative single-serve package that can also serve as an utensil! This is pretty cool stuff from the “ultimate serving solution provider”.
Snapsil is a fresh, innovative company focused upon the development of unique portion controlled serving solutions. A Snapsil packaging solution integrates product storage within a highly functional utensil or applicator, combining packaging and portion serving into one eye catching branded pack. By combining both delivery and function into the one pack, precise portion delivery of powders, granules, creams or liquid products becomes a viable and convenient marketing alternative. Meeting consumers’ ever-growing desire for greater convenience and functionality, a Snapsil solution goes further by adding unparalleled convenience with high brand promotion values.
Snapsil goes on to enhance the benefits for the marketers by adding exclusivity to the partnership. “Not only can your company exploit the marketing benefits of Snapsil you can also be assured, that a raft of intellectual property protection including pending patents are there to protect your market leadership.”
While U.S. is known as the bulk buying destination, introducing single-serve packages in this recessionary period may be a good idea. Especially when families are cutting cost and buying only what is required. This is truly amazing creation! Absolutely out there for marketers to make use of and create a distinct advantage by a simple integration of innovation in their packaging!
What is My.Zappos.com? in simple words, it is a type of Social Shopping i.e. Social Networking + E-Commerce or it is social networking merged with the Zappos shopping experience. As per Wikipedia, “Social Shopping is a method of e-commerce and of traditional shopping in which consumers shop in a social networking environment similar to MySpace“. My.Zappos is an incredible initiative launched by the company via a twitter announcement on Friday night! Isn’t this amazing? I love it when Tony Hseih, CEO of Zappos.com does things like this.
So how to use My.Zappos.com? After a simple singup,
1. Add stuff to your closet: Your closet is where you can add items from the Zappos.com website. Thinking of buying something new? Add it to your closet with a question or comment for your friends.
2. Share items with friends: It is super simple to post your closet items on other networks like Twitter and Facebook so that you and your friends can shop together. So getting advice & comments from your friends & people on your social circle becomes absolutely easy!
3. See what your friends think: When your friends comment on your stuff or suggest an item for you, you’ll see it in your activity stream. My Zappos lets you shop with friends so you’re only buying the coolest gear!
Yes, using My.Zappos is this easy!!! Also solves all the doubts about your purchase decision you make because now your decision is backed by your friends comments & suggests. I really feel that this is a huge step take by Zappos & will surely change the industry for ever. Even though there are social shopping sites like ReallyWantThat, ThisNext,RedTagCrazy.com, Shopseen, Shop Together, sfeed, Storrz, Yelp, Kaboodle and Select2gether entry of Zappos in this category will surely not go unnoticed.
Here’s my entry for Future Lions – 2009.
June 20, 2009
Brand: Nintendo Wii
Don’t Just Talk
March 1, 2009
This is my first video on this topic, diverse learnings have inspired my views in this video. I will request your feedback to help me create better videos in this area. The idea of “Don’t just talk” is inspired by Gareth Kay’s presentation at VCU Brandcenter.
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What can ‘Robotic Distribution’ do for you?
March 1, 2009
Very recently I came across a great video about Kiva Systems’ – Robotic Distribution used by Zappos.com. By just the look of the massive store house it seemed like a preview to I,Robot, but as the video goes along I am amazed by the benefits of this Robotic Distribution. Here’s the video of this cool technology:
“It’s a major game-changer. There’s no question about that. You can increase productivity immensely,” said Michael Levans, editorial director for a group of supply-chain trade magazines like Logistics Management.”
This automation enables Zappos to process an order in 12 minutes! as compared to 40 (single order) -150 (multiple order) minutes earlier. Isn’t this amazing? The robots don’t just add speed in processing, but they also save a ton of energy costs. There are entire sections of the warehouse that don’t need any lighting or climate control (because humans don’t go there). Accuracy is another added advantage!
Another interesting part about this automated adaptation is the reaction from the employees. They look so relieved by the arrival of Robots. Employee reaction is of utmost importance. Employee reaction is one of the most ignored part in the whole customer experience cycle. A firm must to put the same rigor in enhancing employee experience that they do to enhance customer experience. After all, employee is a (internal) customer to0.
Any advancement in operational automation tends to fail if they’re not fully accepted by the employees. I must say this investment definitely seems to have enhanced the experience of internal customers.
Apart from numerous benefits derived through this technology, one thing that I can take out of this is… For a real commitment to Customer Experience, a firm has to rethink the whole value proposition including the back-end operations! Kudos to @ZapposCEO, Gap and Staples who use autonomous robots to pluck products from their shelves and send them to you.
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my Idea: Electronic Saplings
February 15, 2009
The future is here! Welcome to 2020
How does this work?
- These E-Saplings can be planted anywhere on the earth.
- E-Saplings are capable to generate electricity and provide power to the buildings & recharging Electric Vehicles (EVs).
- More you water it, more it grows. Bigger it gets, more electricty it generates!
- It can be planted alongside roads (like normal trees) to use it as a recharge station for EVs
How will the world benefit from this?
Electronic Saplings are invented with an aim to bring ecological harmony in the world. E-Saplings will increase the proportion of greens on the earth’s surface. Thus safeguarding the environment & increasing the logitivity of our planet!
Electronic Saplings by Anish Shah is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at interface.anish@gmail.com.
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Out of the world!!!
January 6, 2009
Great space management 
never seen anything like this!
Video game makers develop cooking games
January 6, 2009
Video game makers have come up with a range of games designed around cooking.
Nintendo has introduced Personal Trainer: Cooking for the Nintento DS for $19.99. This digital cookbook includes 245 recipes that you can sort by ingredient, calorie count, preparation time or country of origin. Each recipe includes extremely detailed, illustrated instructions.
Atari has launched What’s Cooking? by Jamie Oliver for the Nintendo DS for $29.99. The game includes around 100 recipes.
Ubisoft’s Hell’s Kitchen for the Wii for $39.99; and for the Nintendo DS, $29.99 combines kitchen work with restaurant management.
MINI’s ad with Augmented Reality (AR) hits stands!
December 26, 2008
This super cool!!! New advertisement for MINI uses augmented reality (AR) technology to create a truly interactive media piece out of a 2-dimensional magazine ad.
Using AR tracking technology, as you hold the ad up to your computer’s webcam, you’ll see a 3-D model of a MINI Cabrio convertible that moves as you turn the sheet of paper around.
All you need is a copy of the ad, a webcam, and a web browser (sorry, Internet Explorer/ActiveX only) to view the 3-D AR effect.
The ad campaign was created by Munich, Germany agencies Buzzin Monkey and die agentour GmbH.
The ad appeared recently in three German automotive magazines: Auto, Motor und Sport, Werben & Verkaufen and Autobild, but…
See how it works right now you can print out a PDF of the ad and head on over to the MINI augmented reality web site to check it out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.
[I am sure to try this as soon as I manage to take a print out of this ad! will post how it goes. If anyone one of you try this, I will be greatful if you can share your experience]
SPOILER ALERT: Just realized that Nissan Cube used AR technology before Mini (watch here)
Power-generating mat lets people produce electricity!
December 26, 2008
The power-generating mat is developed by Tokyo-based tech company Soundpower. This mat was placed right out Shibuya station in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, it is one of the most crowded areas in the world, particularly full with people due to Christmas.
This very special kind of mat is 45.5cm squared, made of piezoelectric material. The mat generates between 0.1 and 0.3W of electricity every time a person weighing 60kg steps on it twice. About 900,000 people pass by the area daily.
Thanks for the video Mr. Toto!
Where is your USERNAME registered?
October 28, 2008
Before the internet age I believed my name
‘Anish’ is a unique name. But internet age shattered my belief. I always surpass my boiling point whenever I have to set up an account on any popular site. This even happened when I wanted to buy a domain under my name. I had to compromise there too. Anyways, this is the problem faced by millions out there!
Thanks to User Name Check! You can now search for numerous popular sites to see if your name (or any username desired by you) is available. This saves you from going through the trouble of filling out a registration form & realizing the most irriating thing ‘username already taken’. So go to this site & see if your username is still avialble, if not… better start thinking!
Thanks to Google & MySpace: Display ads are back again!
October 28, 2008
On October 14th, analysts lowered their expectations from internet biggies like Google & Yahoo. They also predicted that Display ads will be hit harder. “While we expect solid September quarter results from companies such as Google, IAC Interactive, and even Yahoo, all eyes are on 2009,” Canaccord Adams analyst Collin Gillis said. “Display-advertising business models are under siege, as revenue visibility is increasingly unpredictable…Display remains the domain of brand advertisers–and with its softer metrics is more readily seen as a source of spend that can be reduced.”
Everything said & done, display ads are back again! thanks to MySpace & now Google!
On October 12th 2008, 
MySpace launched their self serve ad platform (still a beta), called My Ads. Like Facebook, it allows anyone to quickly create a targeted ad and serve it on MySpace. But one thing that sets MySpace My Ads is display ads (Facebook only allows text ads). Users can choose between a 728×90 or 300×250 ad unit and can create an ad with pre-built templates and a Flash tool, or upload their own.
Soon after MySpace, Google announced the launch of display ads. I kind of find this funny. Because Google was the one to kill display advertising. Through its Google AdWords, company blew the lid off of online advertising with its simple text-based ads and its cost-per-click model. Advertisers were able to quickly create a terse, compelling chunk of text. Users were clicking. Revenues were rolling. All was right with the world. But, that is past now. Today, Google is getting into the market with the do-it-yourself display ads.
Keeping the value proposition of the brand intact, Google has made the ad design interface absolutely simple. Few clicks here & there will make your display ads. Here’s a video to see how simple it is to open your own advertising shop to design display ads:
When Google launched the ‘text based ads’ it revolutionized the industry. Will is be the same from the ‘display ads’? Lets see. No one knows, With MySpace & Google’s power anything is possible.
@ anishvshah
my Idea: A portable (desktop) Juicer
October 20, 2008
Background:
Fruit juice is best when freshly squeezed. It gives you a much greater supply of antioxidants, vitamin C, and other nutrients. Freshly squeezed juice tastes better too. But, if you don’t have the time to squeeze your own fresh fruit juice, you can buy canned fruit juice. A canned fruit juice tastes exactly like juice that has been heated, stuck in a tin can, and left for several months. It also turns out that mostly all the fruit juice available in the market comes with added sugar to make it sweeter. As if this were not bad enough, the canning process destroys many of the vitamins that make the juice healthy in the first place. You drink canned fruit juice thinking that they are drinking a healthier option. But, you don’t realize that in the hard economic condition you are giving away your hard earned money for a product that is pasteurized!
Pasteurizing is a process that makes foods stay fresh when they are put in cans, bottles, or cartons – destroyed many vitamins and minerals. All you are left with is the sugar, the water, and some fiber.
Need:
To maintain a healthier lifestyle, there is a high need for people to drink fresh juice.
Concept:
A new product innovation that enables fresh intake of fruit juice without wasting any time! A ready to go! Battery powered Mini juicer with USB Port & regular AC Adapter as attachments. Make juice anywhere you want, any time you want.
Target:
For the time starved, health minded people on the go! Be it students, super moms, travelling & had working professional. These are the people who understand the meaning of healthy drinking & realize the importance of fresh fruit in their daily food intake.
Details:
A compact 18 oz food juice thermos with daily intake marking for kids as suggested my Government Research (Age 06 – 6 years: 4‐6 oz, 7 years – 18 years: 8‐12 oz). Dent‐resistant stainless steel body. Compact juicer blade within the sound proof cap. The mini juicer comes with batteries & to enhance the mobility it has options to connect via USB port & regular AC adapters too! With this mini juicer, you put the fruit inside the cap & press the power button & carry it to your office, or drink it while you drive, or even while at work.
This super machine is handy, healthy, smart & cost efficient (as you don’t have to shell out your money to buy canned juice). One very important feature of this mini juicer is that it comes with a pre-installed ‘Calorie & Nutrition Manager’. This is small & effective software that acts as your calorie & nutrition manager.
- Portable (desktop) Juicer
- Press button to pull the container, insert the fruit. wait & watch the fruit to get sliced into the processor.
- The moment processor stops, the outlet (like a camera shutter) opens up to allow pure juice to fall in the mug (pull the black processor out & enjoy the pure juice from the yellow container as shown in the sketch).
- Stealth pen knife & fruit peeler, for people to cut or peel the skin from the fruit.
- Representation drawing for ‘Calorie & Nutrition Manager’.
Disclaimer:
I would like to bring to your notice that, I am no engineer. Am just a keen brand management student who has tried to explain his idea in terms of drawings. I am still trying to refine this design in order to make it more practical. I will be glad to hear your comments on this idea. I hope you like my attempt to add more fruits into your life!
Updates:
(a) I spoke to few people in electrical engineering & it has been brought to my notice that, USB charging may not be a viable option. Hence in my refined design I will keep this in mind. (actually, I had thought about this, but then could not control my instincts to make this juicer a USB charge enabled 
)
(b) Many friends I shared this concept with were concerned about pulp. So my refined design will also incorporate ‘pulp extraction’ – anything for you my friends!
(keep giving me feedback!)
Portable (desktop) Juicer by Anish Shah is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at interface.anish@gmail.com.
OBAMA 2.0: Barack Obama flourishing on new media
October 15, 2008
Barack Obama's online campaign for 2008 presidential elections
Be it your Inbox or LinkedIn, Be it Twitter or now iPhone. Barack Obama is everywhere. One thing clearly established in Barack Obama’s campaign is his interest in using new media tools to reach an audience. Through this post I will give a detailed account of online tools used by Obama, or Obama supporters.
Obama’ 08 Online model
Obama' 08 online model
Campaign website:
Barack Obama’s website is immensely integrated with social media. If you want to know anything about him, website is the place you go to. The site is integrated with a blog that updates his events, speeches and appearances. His website encourages visitors to create be a volunteer, support Obama campaign to ‘knock more doors’, plan & attend events, find supporters, network with your friends, write a blog & even be a part of Obama’ 08 fund raiser team. Obama campaign use the website to sell ‘Obama merchandise‘ too.
I loved ‘BarackTV’ an integral part of the website that brings visitors close to Barack as a person. Visitors get to meet Michelle Obama & Joe Biden, it also includes channels like advertisements, issues, Barack’s speeches. you got to see it to believe it! There are highly identifiable badges, buttons and links to popular social media sites such as social networking site Facebook, photo sharing site Flickr and No1 video site Youtube.
My personal favorite – My.BO, an acronym for My. Barack Obama. My.BO has become an online community with over million members! This community has taken Brand Obama to the virtual World of ‘Second Life’ this is exciting. really exciting!
web analytics
Google has a applied for a patent on technology for ranking the most influential people on social networking sites like MySpace & Facebook. This takes into account number of people you know, your friends of friends, frequency of interaction, number of referral,how strongly they value your opinion, and the list goes on & on.
To Summarize the technology:
More connected & active you are – more influential you become – more influential you become – more attractive you become to the advertisers
“Google search displays Web pages with the highest influence—it makes complete sense for them to extend this to online communities and people,” says Jeremiah Owyang, an analyst at Forrester Research (FORR).
This technology sounds interesting, but I don’t think this is great enough! It is again a step towards exploiting consumer data for revenue generation & online domination. I as a marketer would absolutely adore this information because it will help me connect my brand message with relevant audience. But, as a common consumer I feel cheated… It’s like, I upload videos, photos, and other content every week, creating mountains of inventory that the sites can sell to advertisers—and the sites don’t have to pay a dime for any of it. it’s my profile, my content, my friends, my life & a marketer is making money out of it! not done right?
Traackr a start-up company from Boston acknowledges the the plight & has come up with a revolutionary concept that gives the generators of all this user-generated content a way to monitor how influential, and therefore how valuable, their content is becoming—and, someday, to make some money on it.
“We think there’s a market for influence, but it has not emerged yet because there is no currency for it; no one knows what it’s worth,” explains Traackr’s co-founder, Pierre-Loïc Assayag. “If you happen to be one of the power users on YouTube and Google is making tons of money on you through contextual advertising, or if you’re a book reviewer on Amazon and your review inspires 10,000 people to buy a particular book, you should be getting a cut. At Traackr, we are going to tell you that you are worth x amount compared to other users—and you can use that as a negotiating angle.”
This Boston-based company scans Web pages and aggregates data about how people interact with each other online. For instance, Traackr generates statistics about how many comments their YouTube videos generate, their number of social network connections and the number of views pictures on sites like Flickr receive. The data is then normalized and assigned a value relative to other Traackr users.
How do I start Guide?
