Zone’s Ross Basham handpicks and shares the five best new stories on digital trends, experiences and technologies…
1. Twitter co-founder Dorsey flies the nest
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey is stepping down as chief executive of the company. He will be replaced by the current chief technical officer, Parag Agrawal. Dorsey, who co-founded Twitter in 2006, has been serving as chief executive of both Twitter and payment firm Square but is leaving the social media giant altogether.
Dorsey challenged corporate conventions with his nose-ring, long beard, and a wellness regime including yoga and eating only one meal a day. But he came under pressure from investors, who felt Twitter was not getting the focus it needed while he was running Square. New boss Agrawal has been the firm’s head of tech since 2017.
2. Tesco brand platform built on Clubcard data
Tesco is launching a media and insights platform, opening up the wealth of customer data it collects through Clubcard and in-store insights to brands and agencies. The platform is designed to help suppliers and their agencies better understand changing consumer needs and develop more targeted and relevant ways to serve customers.
This in turn, it hopes, will help both Tesco and its suppliers build stronger connections with customers and drive loyalty. Tesco’s Clubcard loyalty scheme is used by more than 20 million households in the UK, providing the supermarket with a diverse and nationally representative first-party behavioural dataset.
3. Pret trials loyalty scheme for subscribers
Sandwich chain Pret a Manger has introduced a customer loyalty programme designed to encourage repeat custom through the lure of free coffees, cookies and other treats. Pret coffee subscribers are being given advance access to the trial Pret Perks programme, ahead of its release to the general public next year.
Caffeine fiends can earn a star for every transaction made or subscription renewal, which can be redeemed for tailored rewards after they have amassed 10 stars. To spur adoption, Pret has promised to dish out ‘random acts of kindness’ in the form of bonus stars to give people a dopamine hit as well as a coffee hit.
4. Content optimisation or content catastrophe?
Content is integral to how the customer experience is shaped, and brands will win by creating superior experiences for both their employees and for their target audiences. The foundation of such experiences will be relevant, engaging content optimised for effectiveness by use of data-driven insights and technology.
In this special Zone report, we assess how fit for purpose current approaches and organisational structures are for delivering content-based experiences across a range of sectors, including findings from a research poll of 100 decision-makers in marketing and commercial roles that support our observations.
5. Apple names its 2021 App Store winners
Apple has named its 2021 App Store award winners, recognising 15 apps and games from around the world that exemplify exceptional quality, innovative technology, creative design and positive cultural impact. The iPhone app of the year is Toca Life World (pictured), a kids’ world-building game.
The iPad app of the year is LumaFusion, a video editing app for aspiring and professional video storytellers, while the winning Mac app is Craft, used for creating and editing documents. Apple identified ‘connection’ as 2021’s trend of the year, naming the ubiquitous Among Us as an app that helped keep people connected.
