Part 1: The Mobile & Wearable Web

PEOPLE’S INSIGHTS MONTHLY BRIEF: MARCH

Photo: Yuri Numerov

40 years ago, when Martin Cooper, the inventor of mobile phones,

stood in midtown Manhattan and made the very first call on a

mobile phone – could he have envisioned a future where mobile

phones become as indispensable as they have today?

Maybe he did. And maybe – in all probability – he did not.

The rate at which mobile phones have proliferated our lives is astounding – in

2010 alone, 90% of the world had a mobile signal. Mobiles have grown in

popularity faster than computers, and it’s easy to understand why: they’re

cheaper, more intuitive to use, and most importantly – very accessible. These

smart gadgets we carry around in our hands and pockets are constantly at work.

They’re connecting the world. They’re bringing people closer –shrinking

boundaries, changing lives, spreading ideas across borders, creating new

businesses and so on. And what’s exciting is that these opportunities are only the

tip of the iceberg! Mobile phones (indeed, all mobile devices) are clearly the

flavour of the season – and by the looks of it, will continue to be for many more

seasons.

Introduction

Photo: Ed Yourdon on Flickr

MSLGROUP at SXSW: (left to right) Romain Vezirian (France), Adrian Rosenthal (Germany),

Narendra Nag (India), Erika Joseph (USA), Alice Hu (China)

Part 1 – The World of Mobile

In Part 1 of this two-part series on mobile

engagement, we take a look at how

mobile phones, and smart phones apps

are changing how we live, work, and

evolve socially. This issue features fresh

insights and the hottest cases from the

recent Mobile World Conference (MWC)

and South by Southwest (SXSW), courtesy

of Adrian Rosenthal (@neurosenthal),

Head of Digital & Social - MSL Germany,

and Alice Hu (@alicehu), Deputy Digital

Lead at MSLGROUP Asia.

Inside, you’ll find eight initiatives that

indicate the swift adoption of wearables,

people’s demands that mobile devices and

apps offer real value, and the latest social

networks. Also, as a bonus – Alice Hu

highlights why brands should place

mobile at the heart of their

communications approach.

Mobiles – Taking Wearable Tech to New Heights

Alongside the mobile and smart phone boom, we’re seeing a lot of innovations in wearable technology like fitness

bands, smart glasses and smart watches. In isolation, they are at best style icons. But when used with smart phones,

they offer immense value. Take smart watches, for example – they offer the right balance of form factor,

communication apps (receiving calls, texts, setting alarms) and tracking apps, with cool design.

It’s a market with a lot of smart challengers – from the expensive overloaded Apple Watch to the broader range of

affordable products (under €100) offered by players like MyKronoz. And it’s growing in popularity. According to a global

survey by Global Web Index, 9% of online adults own a smart watch and 8% own a smart wristband. Millennials lead this

trend – 48% of wearable owners are between 18 and 34 years old.

Wearable technology enables marketers to engage with people on a very intimate, personal level – the likes of which

were quite unimaginable before. Some of the wearables and associated trends that stood out at MWC and SXSW are:

An Extension of the Human

Body: Dorothy

This Bluetooth-connected device –

which can be clipped on to your

shoe – has a corresponding mobile

app which can be set to make a call,

send a text or even call an Uber, all

with the click of your shoes. Inspired

by the ruby slippers in the Wizard of

Oz, this wearable points to a future

of seamless integration of wearables

as an extension of our bodies.

A part of the Larger Digital Web:

Fitcoin

Mint money while you get fit – that

is the working model of Fitcoin. The

app, integrates digital currency

Bitcoin with popular fitness

wearables Mio, Atlas and Jawbone 3

and heightens the value of the

trackers. Not only do you get fit,

you can earn a few bucks on the way

too.

An integral part of Health

Management: Tinnitracks

This app offers an enterprising way

of using mobile technology to cure

tinnitus – the painful ringing in the

ears which ails millions of people.

The app filters music on the user’s

phone to match their tinnitus levels,

helping ease the impact. This

application points to how far mobile

technology has come – from making

calls to curing ailments.

Photo: Kimberley Kling on Flickr

Mobiles – A Renewed Focus on Adding Value

Mobiles are no longer used only to make calls; they are supercomputers we carry

everywhere and use for multiple functions. As the mobile industry matures,

we’re noticing that people are addicted to the utility, and expect apps that add

more value. Brands and organizations looking to engage on mobile would do well

by focusing on the utility aspect of their mobile app or product.

Smart Apps meet Smart Products: BluesmartBluesmart is the world’s first carry-on suitcase that offers ‘smart’ facilities

for travellers – remote locking, GPS location tracking, a built-in scale – all

controllable from the Bluesmart app. Bluesmart delivers on the traveller’s

basic needs – to know how much their bag weighs and to be able to track

their bag at all times.

Smart Partnerships: Johnnie Walker + 99Taxis Johnnie Walker collaborated with Brazil’s largest taxi fleet service, 99Taxis,

to provide weekend discounts to partygoers – to encourage them to use the

taxi service instead of driving their own cars. A brilliant initiative to

encourage responsible drinking.

Photo: Michele Manganelli on Flickr

Mobiles – New Content-driven Social Apps

Smart phones are prompting a shift from social networks to social apps. The

mobile form factor and user interface are leading the development, and bringing

in a new style of creative expression and storytelling.

Revival of Live Video Streaming: MeerkatSXSW was abuzz with talk about the live video streaming app that exploded

overnight. Just weeks into its launch, it saw registered users in the thousands,

with hundreds of videos being streamed on the platform every hour. The live

streaming feature got marketers talking – could this be the next in content

marketing?

Another manifestation of “Anti-Social” apps: HaterAnother app that debuted at SXSW was the Hater app. Simply put, the app

provides a platform for people to share all the things they hate, through

photographs. It’s an interesting counter to the positive interaction social

networks strive to promote. And, it’s an unprecedented way of engaging on

mobile. What might brands do with an app like Hater?

Coca-Cola Founders

Apart from mobile, the initiatives covered here have one more thing in common: they’re starting

from ground up, and will face the challenge of Scale. Our last initiative in this issue looks at how one

of the world’s largest organizations is approaching new solutions and scales from a completely

different angle.

Smart Partnerships: Coca-Cola FoundersToday, there seems to be no dearth of new ideas, and smart, capable individuals to bring them to

life. Coca-Cola decided to tap into these entrepreneurs, rather than their ideas. Through the Coca-

Cola Founders program, the company invites entrepreneurs to leverage its global network,

relationships, resources and reach, to inspire their next big idea. The collaboration presents a win-

win to the company and the entrepreneur as it bypasses the “niche” phase altogether and is

designed for scale.

We hope you enjoy this issue. Let us know what you think at @PeoplesLab and stay tuned for Part 2

of this series.

Nidhi Makhija-Chimnani

Director – Research and Insights, MSLGROUP @NidhiMakhija

Melanie Joe

Consultant – Research and Insights, MSLGROUP @melanie_joe

Why Brands Need To Take A

Serious Look At Mobile And

Trends From Asia

+ Asia's Mobile Messengers Show the Next Stage of Digital Transformation

Alice HuDeputy Asia Digital LeadMSLGROUP Asia

In China and the rest of Asia, many users are accessing the Internet

for the first time through their mobile devices, making the region

one of the most mobile-first regions of the world. Because of this, a

new defining "mobile-first" consumer has emerged along with new

social platforms that create rich lifestyle experiences for these

mobile-savvy citizens.

Asian mobile messengers have been quick to meet the expanding needs and

growing opportunities in the region. The big ones are WeChat, Line and

KakaoTalk. They have become the most popular apps in many countries because

they have built a wealth of service features that extend beyond the social

engagement and chatting that are the base of Western social platforms such as

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

On WeChat, for example, users can manage financial investments, book and pay

for a taxi, chat with friends and more, all within the platform.

As a result of the opportunity for rich engagement, brands have taken to a

mobile first strategy.

A new gelato brand from the popular Chinese bakery, 21 Cake, can only be

purchased through a mobile messenger.

To engage with its fans, soccer club FC Barcelona has created an official

account and special branded stickers on Line.

Top: 21 Cake

Bottom: FC Barcelona

Photo: Bubbly blog

Considering mobile as the focal point for a business' consumer engagement

isn’t limited to China. It continues to spread throughout Asia and is

catching on in other regions as well.

Line launched Line Pay late in 2014 to strengthen its mobile commerce offering.

KakaoTalk is expanding into services with Kakao Taxi. It is meant to rival Uber and

will most likely build strength in the Korean market where KakaoTalk is synonymous

with communication itself.

Just last month at the Consumer Electronics Show, Caesars Entertainment

collaborated with WeChat to enable guests to convert their WeChat and thus

smartphones into room control devices at the Linq Hotel. Guests were able to

control lighting, room temperature and more with their WeChat app.

The popularity of these platforms and their futures has already influenced western

platforms – you’ll already see many of their features adapted from the stickers available

on Facebook Messenger and Snapchat’s incorporation of QR codes.

A popular app or social platform can lose popularity quickly. But these mobile

messengers have incorporated so many features into their platforms that they are not

only retaining users, but also increasing them. When a user needs to use the app not

only to communicate, but also to complete daily tasks and errands, it becomes

difficult for them to remove themselves from the ecosystem the app has created.

The question is to what degree the next generation of apps and social platforms will

take this approach? How will we see this new role of digital being integrated by western

platforms?

Share your thoughts with @alicehu on Twitter.

●●●

Taking Wearable Tech to New Heights

Dorothy

Fitcoin

Tinnitracks

A Renewed Focus on Adding Value

Bluesmart

Johnnie Walker + 99Taxis

New Content-driven Social Apps

Meerkat

Hater

Smart Partnerships

Coca-Cola Founders

Inside

13

15

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20

23

26

30

34

Mobiles –Taking Wearable Tech

to New Heights

+ Dorothy

+ Fitcoin

+ Tinnitracks

Dorothy

Video: How Dorothy works

Dorothy Gales from the Wizard of Oz only

had to click her heels for her magical red

ruby slippers to transport her to any place

she desired.

While teleportation may be a thing best

left to science fiction, shoes that obey

commands could soon become a reality.

That day may not be far off, with the

latest in wearable technology from

iStrategyLabs. Consisting of a Bluetooth-

enabled device and a mobile app, they’re

together called the ‘Dorothy,’ and quite

aptly so.

How it works

Connected to the mobile app, the device –

called Ruby – can be clipped to your shoe.

Click your heels together three times, and

the device triggers the app to call your

phone – and viola, just like that, you

could opt out of an awkward social

situation!

#DiscreetWearables

Photo: iStrategyLabs

‘The app that can get you out of Bad Dates’

Dorothy can be set to either of these 3 pre-determined responses:

1. Receive a call

2. Text 3 friends

3. Order an Uber

Extricating oneself from bad dates or awkward situations is just scratching the

surface of possibilities technology like this offers. Seamless integration the likes

of which this app makes possible could very well be useful in areas like

Healthcare and Security.

It’s easy to see this being used in the future for the aid of persons in assisted

living or for heightened security, especially for women and senior citizens.

Wearable technology is rapidly advancing and might soon become an

indispensable part of our lives. Dorothy turns everyday shoes into smart

footwear, adding to the already long list of wearables that provide practical

utility. It might not be long till we are accustomed to every object on our person

being ‘smart’ in its application.

●●●

Watch Meredith Vieira review the Dorothy on her show here

Fitcoin

Video: Fitcoin by Chaotic Moon Studios

Cryptocurrencies have been rising in

popularity since the invention of the

blockchain technology and notably,

Bitcoin in 2008. More and more, people

are attracted to the notion of having a

web-based decentralized currency.

The use and spread of Bitcoin has resulted

in the development of several such digital

currencies online – known as altcoins -

each with their own way of mining for

digital money.

The latest technology is Fitcoin – which

measures your physical activity, calculates

the energy you spent and converts it into

computing power. The more energy you

spend during the workout, the more

computing power to ‘mine’ the

cryptocurrency, and the more Bitcoin you

are awarded.

Designed by Chaotic Moon, Fitcoin helps

you earn real money (well, in cents rather

than dollars) as you exercise.

#Fitcoins

Making money while getting healthier – too good to be

true?

Designed to work with existing fitness tracking wearables like the Mio, Atlas and

Jawbone 3, Fitcoin collects data about the user while they exercise like heart

rate and length of activity. Then, using an algorithm, it converts the physical

effort into mined currency. As a demonstration, Grant Nichol, a designer on

Fitcoin, wore a Mio band and ran for 40 seconds on a treadmill to earn a

whopping five cents.

The app also has a social component – people can invite friends to compete in

fitness challenges.

More integrations with the Real World

Apart from making spare change, Chaotic Moon believes the app can provide real

benefits – such as lower health insurance rates. Other benefits could also one

day include partnerships between sports brands and Fitcoin, discounts at local

gyms or even discounts on health products.

Essentially, these integrations offer people more incentives to work out, and to

use the app. A win-win for all it seems, if it takes off.

●●●

Read our People’s Insights brief on Bitcoin

Read about how blockchain technology can change the worldPhotos: Chaotic Moon Studios

tinnitracks

Video: How Tinnitracks works

Health and fitness was the fastest growing

app category of 2014, and there are close

to 100,000 health-related apps on iOS and

Android.

These apps enable people to evaluate

their health and track their progress, and

are introducing a new era of personalized,

data-driven health solutions.

Beyond fitness and diet, we’re seeing

new apps that try to help people

manage diseases and disabilities.

A good example is Tinnitracks which

launched at SXSW this year. The app that

seeks to cure tinnitus – a condition most

commonly associated with ringing in the

ears - by matching people’s favourite

music with the frequencies they need to

manage their tinnitus levels.

#mHealth

How Tinnitracks works

The German-based app works by evaluating the music in the user’s phone and

filtering out the frequency of an individual’s tinnitus. The Tinnitracks website

lets people test their tinnitus levels with sample tinnitus sounds, and this can

also be cross-checked by a doctor.

This course of treatment is based on clinical therapy studies that show how

removing the frequencies of tinnitus and listening to that music for about 1-2

hours every day for a period of six months can help in bringing an individual’s

tinnitus levels back to normal.

The working model of this app is indicative of how health and tech are coming

together to create significant value for people in terms of diagnosis and

treatment. Making utility like this accessible on the mobile, moreover, makes it

all the more appealing because of its ease of use.

Next steps: Engaging Doctors?

Apps like Tinnitracks could reach more people and the right people by engaging

the key influencers - doctors. In a survey conducted by mobile engagement

provider Mobiquity, Inc, 34% of the respondents said they would increase their

use of apps if their doctors actively recommend it.

Tinnitracks has the potential to contribute to the growth of mHealth. It will be

interesting to watch how it grows.

●●●

Photo: Tinnitracks

Privacy: What happens with data from

mobile health apps?

Infographic: The Appification of

Mobile Health and Fitness

Also see - Be My Eyes – An app that

lets people guide blind persons in real

time

Mobiles –A Renewed Focus on

Adding Value

+ Bluesmart

+ Johnnie Walker + 99Taxis

BLUESMARTBeyond fitness and mHealth, we’re

also seeing innovation in the space

of travel.

With more and more people

travelling the world, there will soon

be the need for travel accessories

that are connected, smart and make

getting from one place to the other

more convenient.

Silicon Valley-based technology

company Bluesmart was founded in

2013 with that goal – making

connected travel products for the

modern traveler.

Enter the Bluesmart suitcase, the

world’s first connected carry-on

that’s poised to revolutionize travel

as we know it.

Video: How Bluesmart works

#SmartTravel

Reimagined for the Connected Generation

Bluesmart is a first in luggage innovation in decades, and it doesn’t disappoint.

The suitcase is controlled by your smartphone, and has features that enable you

to perform activities like locking it, weighing it, locating it in a crowd – and more

– all from your phone. It also has a built-in battery that can charge a smartphone

as many as six times.

One of its biggest advantages is the scale – which allows you to weigh the bag

and helps you control whether or not you pay an extra baggage fee

(#nomoresurprises!). The founders say it works with 90% accuracy, with potential

for more fine-tuning.

Why Bluesmart is Getting it Right

More travelers = more travel products: More people are travelling from one

part of the world to the other. According to a World Tourism Organization

report, international tourist arrivals grew by 5% in 2013, with an additional 52

million international tourists travelling the world.

The demand for wearables is increasing: Wearable technology is becoming

more seamless and accessible. In 2013, about 1.23 million smartwatches alone

were shipped worldwide, and the number is expected to hit 25 million by the

end of 2015.

Photos: jebiga.com

Launched at Y Combinator, Bluesmart is

already proving to be a popular idea – it

raised over $2 million on crowdfunding

website Indiegogo. A clear indication of

the demand for smarter luggage.

The company is also working on

developing smartwatches that can be

used to operate the carry-on. And

hopefully – more connected travel

products.

●●●

Learn more about Bluesmart’s features

Photo: cnet.com

Johnnie walker + 99taxis A number of taxi service apps have sprung

up in the past few years, like Uber, Lyft,

and Easy Taxi.

While they essentially provide the same

service, most of the companies have their

own distinct features and compete with

each other to offer the most value to

customers.

We’re beginning to see brands partner

with these apps, to delight customers (as

Uber often does) or to deliver on their

brand promise. A collaboration in Brazil

between Johnnie Walker and taxi service

company 99Taxis does both.

Called Hoje Não Dirijo (which translates

to ‘No Driving Today’), the program offers

discounts for partygoers who use 99Taxis

at specific hours on weekends,

encouraging people to keep their cars at

home while going out to drink.

#SmartPartnerships

Photo: 99Taxis

Photo: 99Taxis

Given that Brazil’s taxi fares are among the steepest in the world, it can be

expensive for regular partygoers to hire taxis to go home. As a result, driving

while under the influence of alcohol can be quite common.

Johnnie Walker used this as an opportunity to sponsor a solution. The brand

partnered with Brazil’s largest taxi fleet 99Taxis, which has more than 50,000

licensed drivers, to offer discounts to partygoers. Customers could avail

discounts every Friday and Saturday, between 9 pm and 4 am.

The results?

The collaboration was a success, and the discounts covered 1 million miles. The

program has proved so successful it’s that currently in its third 3rd season.

Hoje Não Dirijo is a great example of how brands can leverage disruption and

people’s new behaviours to make an impact.

●●●

Mobiles –New Content-driven

Social Apps

+ Meerkat

+ Hater

Meerkat

Photo: Meerkat

Very few mobile apps have become as big

an overnight sensation as the live video

streaming app Meerkat, which launched in

February this year. (Unless of course they

make a cameo in a hit TV show like

Monument Valley did in House of Cards.)

Back to Meerkat – the Israel-based app

took Austin by storm at SXSW, and indeed

the digital marketing community online.

What’s it about? The app enables people

to stream video from their phones to their

Twitter followers in real-time. The

experience is quick, seamless and unique.

And it’s a break from edited and touched

up video content.

In 2 short months, the app has attracted

156,000 users, and over 90,000 videos

have been streamed already!

#Meerkat

With live, unedited footage like this

gaining popularity, could we be entering

yet another phase of content marketing?

Brands today are expected to deliver

content that is high-quality and produced

quickly in near-real time. Add to that

their own criteria to reach and engage

larger audiences. Meerkat helps fulfil

these requirements.

Several brands (like Starbucks and

Red Bull) and reporters have jumped on

the Meerkat bandwagon to engage with

their followers online, and have received

positive feedback.

A Sudden Change in Luck

With so much going for the app, it looked

like it was on its way to start-up success –

until Twitter cut off the app’s access to

its social network.

Shortly after, Y Combinator – Silicon

Valley’s biggest start-up event, announced

a ban on the live streaming of the

conference.Photo: Fortune

Twitter: Erin Griffith

Meerkat – A Cause for Paranoia?

Live streaming is not new – individuals and journalists have been live tweeting

and reporting from public events for years now. Meerkat simply makes it easier

to stream live video, giving viewers an even more personal and immediate

experience. But it also gives the power of live content creation to anyone

with a video-enabled phone, giving rise to concerns of privacy.

As Fortune’s Erin Griffith puts it, “Meerkat can be invasive in the same way

Google Glass was.”

True, except Meerkat isn’t the only app with a live video-centric business

module. Apps like Stre.am and Periscope (which, incidentally, was recently

acquired by Twitter and explains the ban on Meerkat) offer similar features.

Live Video Streaming – The Next Big Thing for Content

Marketers?

Instant live video streaming opens up multiple avenues for creative storytelling.

Here’s what makes it so popular:

‘Real Content’: Live streams eliminate the scope for editing, making the

content more spontaneous and more ‘real.’ Like in Snapchat, video streams on

Meerkat cannot be re-watched, making the experience all the more unique.

Easy to use: Meerkat is fairly easy to navigate and use – this is for people who

want to share in real-time from busy events.

Meerkat founder Ben Rubin (R) in conversation with Yahoo’s David Pogue. (Photo: Mashable)

Will Meerkat survive amongst

the competition?

With restrictions placed on how much of

Twitter’s social graph Meerkat can access,

there are concerns about Meerkat’s

growth. Twitter’s backing of Periscope

too, is likely to make the road ahead

bumpy for Meerkat.

Founder and CEO Ben Rubin seems less

concerned: Meerkat saw a 30% growth

even after Twitter cut off its access.

Rubin shared plans to start a separate

network to host the videos.

Whether or not Meerkat takes off in the

long run remains to be seen, but live

video streaming appears to be here to

stay.

●●●

8 Ways Brands Can Add Meerkat into

Their Marketing Mix

Periscope – a rival to Meerkat?

HATER

Photo: Hater

Social networks have a culture of

promoting positive social interactions

among people – the liking, favourite-ing

and double-tapping are testament to it.

What happens though, when people stop

feeling favourable towards certain things

you share with them (like, Candy Crush

invites)? Or what if someone just wants to

express their dislike about something in

general?

Maybe it would help if they had a network

to talk about just that – all the things they

hate.

That’s what founder Jake Banks believes

his app – Hater – is here to provide.

#HaterApp

The app resembles Instagram with its photo-sharing features. It lets people

upload photographs of their most common pet peeves, which currently appear to

be waiting in lines and selfies.

Other features include a text rant and a showcase of which ‘hates’ are trending –

much like Twitter and Facebook’s trends.

What inspired the creation of this app?

Banks feels the ‘Like’ culture fostered by the leading social networks today

prevents people from being themselves: it isn’t a true reflection of our society

where it’s completely normal to dislike certain things and ideas. A platform like

this, he believes, makes way for an honest, balanced approach to things on the

web.

While a platform for sharing common pet peeves like rush hour traffic and mug

stains might be harmless, it does raise some concerns. Hate is a powerful word –

encouraging people to feed a negative emotion can result in undesirable

consequences.

Banks thinks otherwise and hints at the larger potential of the app:

“It’s important to have a conversation about something you dislike. Hating

something for change is a big thing.

Whether the hate is for gun control, traffic every morning on my way to

work, or a factory from my corner dumping toxic waste… all your opinions

help create a message.”

Should we be monitoring hate?

Hating to inspire change? Seems far-fetched. Misuse of the app seems more

likely. For instance, it might lead to potential a breeding ground for cyber

bullying, violence or worse.

The free reign people have on social networks makes them powerful platforms

for people to have an opinion, a voice. It also gives people the choice of

anonymity like no other platform does, and raises hard questions: Should the

hates be monitored? Who should monitor it – the social network itself?

Government agencies?

Could it be integrated for wider use?

It will also be interesting to see if brands or media organizations will integrate

the ‘hate’ feature with their social content. This might be a good fit for websites

that current news and report on political/legal developments, and may lead to a

new form of online citizen activism.

Maybe the challenge lies in the word “Hate” – phrases like “down-vote” or

“disagree” might be more effective for productive discourse.

●●●

Why Facebook won’t add a ‘dislike’ button

Photos: refinedguy.com

Smart Partnerships

+ Coca-Cola Founders

Coca-Cola founders

coca-colacompany.com

Watch the Video: Coca-Cola Founders

An increasing number of brands and

corporations today are veering towards

the entrepreneur trend. In the last few

years, the gap between large, traditional

corporations and fresh startups seems to

be being bridged with collaborations that

benefit the short-term as well as long-

term interests of both.

This trend is more pronounced across the

Europe and US. Big businesses like GE (GE

Ventures), Intel (Intel Capital), SAP (SAP

Startup Focus Program) and Unilever

(Unilever Foundry) already have

committed to funding startups and

innovations.

A major addition to the venture capital

scene is consumer giant Coca-Cola, with

its Coca-Cola Founders Program.

#CorporateVCs

Building the Co-Founder Network

Coca-Cola has been working with mature startups for a while, and now with the

Coca-Cola Founders program, the company is shifting to an approach that

involves working with entrepreneurs before they actually launch a startup.

The program will provide funds ranging from $1 to $1M, along with its resources

and expertise to help entrepreneurs bring their ideas to reality.

With this new model, Coca-Cola is reaching out exclusively to entrepreneurs with

significant experience in running companies that focus on low spends and high

speed.

The first step in the search – going to the right city, with “either the most

established or the fastest growing startup communities” according to Coca-

Cola’s VP of Innovation & Entrepreneurship David Butler.

Coca-Cola presents what they’re looking for and welcomes on board

entrepreneurs with ideas to solve some of Coca-Cola’s biggest challenges, and

ideas that can make an impact beyond Coca-Cola.

The founders maintain the right to their intellectual property, and Coca-Cola

steps back from directly controlling any of the projects.

Over year after its 2013 launch, Coca-Cola has founders working in nine major

cities across the world - Berlin, Buenos Aires, London, Mexico City, Singapore, Rio

de Janeiro, San Francisco, Sydney and Tel Aviv.

Photo: Coca-Cola Founders

Designed for Scale

The program already has a number of ideas in development around the world:

like Winnin – a Rio de Janeiro-based video ranking website, iHydrate - a Sydney-

based hydration biosensor and Home Eat Home- a Berlin-based food supplier

The ideas might not seem aligned to Coca-Cola’s business… or is it?

Take for example Home Eat Home – the start up offers customers with recipes

for meals and all the ingredients necessary to make each meal from scratch. Its

model of delivering the products – through vending machines with coolers placed

all over Berlin.

And that’s where Coca-Cola comes in. The company has decades’ worth of

experience in dealing with coolers and everything related to them. It has the

reach, the resources and the relationships to support Home Eat Home’s

operations.

A new, mutually-beneficial, Business Model?

The entrepreneurs bring agility and start-up experience, and Coca-Cola brings

the reach, resources and relationships. As the start up industry gets more

crowded, and as big corporations find that their size is slowing them down, could

this approach become a new model for businesses to transform themselves?

●●●

Top: thenextweb.com

Bottom: Coca-Cola Founders

People’s Insights is a collection of inspiring initiatives, insights and foresights

shared by MSLGROUP’s SPRINTers – our global team of 100+ strategic

planners, researchers and insights experts.

People’s Insights covers the latest trends in engagement on both consumer

and corporate sides.

We feature the best of these initiatives as People’s Insights monthly briefs,

and original insights and foresights – from our SPRINTers and other MSLGROUP

experts - in our People’s Insights reports. We share these on our social

platforms and distribute freely to inspire more engaging campaigns.

Check out our latest report, The Future of Creativity:15 drivers for engaging

creatively in 2015.

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People’s Insights is available as a blog, powerpoint decks, infographics, white

papers and magazines, a Kindle eBook and even an iPad app.

Follow us on Twitter at @PeoplesLab or subscribe to our newsletter to

receive our monthly briefs and quarterly magazines.

People’s Insights – The Voice of SPRINT

People’s Lab is MSLGROUP’s proprietary crowdsourcing platform and

approach that helps organizations tap into people’s insights for innovation,

storytelling and change.

People’s Lab helps organizations build and nurture public or private, web or

mobile, hosted or white label communities around four pre-configured

application areas:

1. Expertise Request Network

2. Innovation Challenge Network

3. Research & Insights Network

4. Contest & Activation Network

Our community and gaming features encourage people to share rich content,

vote/ comment on other people’s content and collaborate to find innovative

solutions.

People’s Lab forms the core of our insights and foresight approach, which

consists of four elements: organic conversation analysis, MSLGROUP’s own

insight communities, client specific insights communities, and ethnographic

deep dives into these communities. The People’s Insights reports showcase

our capability in crowdsourcing and analyzing insights from conversations and

communities.

People’s Lab

Thank You!

For more, visit: peopleslab.mslgroup.com/peoplesinsights