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Finding Friction: Can It Revive the Taxi Industry?

I would like to share some insights around the concept of friction, and how it ties in with our Branding Lab project. As we explore the idea of personal branding, it's essential to consider the friction points that come with it. These friction points can either enhance or detract from the user experience and, ultimately, influence customer retention.

Just to give you a bit of context, our Branding Lab project is focused on revitalizing the taxi industry, in particular, when you arrive to Boston Logan Airport, since the rise of ridesharing like Uber and Lyft has made traditional taxis struggle to compete. Despite the convenience and potential cost savings of using taxis, many travelers are still opting for rideshare services.

While contemplating this issue, I began to wonder if our challenge is not just about managing good or bad friction, but rather addressing the absence of friction altogether. The declining number of taxi customers is concerning, and we must find a way to capture their attention.

In our branding journey, I believe we should be open to experimentation when it comes to creating friction. Both positive and negative friction can attract customers, as long as we learn from any mistakes made along the way. It's better to be known, whether for good or bad reasons, than to be invisible in the market.

So, as we continue to develop our personal branding strategies and work on our Branding Lab project, I would like to keep this in mind. Let's be open to experimentation, embrace friction, and use it as a tool to learn and grow. By doing so, we can create a more significant impact and effectively rebrand the taxi industry, bringing it back into the spotlight.

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The Luxury Battle in the Skies: Comparing Singapore Airlines and Emirates

When I think of Singapore Airlines, the first things that come to mind are top-notch customer service, delicious food, state-of-the-art aircraft, and an overall amazing experience. Singapore Airlines has built a brand centered around luxury: if it can be done on a commercial flight, they've got it. As a European, I've always associated Emirates with the ultimate in-flight experience. Let's dive into their value propositions and brands by focusing on two aspects:

All or Nothing: Comparing Emirates to Singapore Airlines has made me realize that when it comes to luxury, there's no room for half-measures. Striving for a middle ground won't make the desired impact on your brand. Offering a phenomenal experience with fewer seats is a better choice than compromising on luxury (think flatbeds but with a reduced number of seats). What stands out in reviews are the little details, like the in-flight showers and bars, or the quality of food served, so try to focus on them as much as possible.

Keep being consistent: Both airlines are very good at maintaining consistency in customer service and in-flight offerings across all classes. This uniformity creates a sense of exclusivity and cultivates loyalty among passengers (Singapore Airlines is the top airline of their loyalty partnership: Star Alliance). Additionally, Emirates consistently aligns itself with top soccer teams, a move that resonates with passengers who feel like they're part of an elite community when flying with the airline. They made you think they are that elite that they did not want to partner with any ariline to do a loyalty program for a long time.

To sum it up, Singapore Airlines and Emirates are in a constant battle for the title of the best in luxury and customer experience. Is there enough room for both?

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The Power of Nudging in Betting: A Lesson from Will Smith

While researching the concept of nudging, I discovered that it involves influencing behavior by making small changes in daily routines. In the examples provided in the pre-readings, I observed the power of this technique and the importance of experimenting to improve customer acquisition.

Recently, I saw an example of nudging in the film "Focus" (2015), where Will Smith's character convinces his counterparty to bet on a specific number seen during a football game. Will had prepared for this moment by subtly suggesting the number all day, making it stick in his counterparty's subconscious. Will not only showed us how to make someone notice something without them realizing it, but also how to make them obsessed with it. He repeatedly mentioned that "The friend doesn't see the number 55 the whole time, but at the same time, he does." Will even made suggestions throughout the day to get his counterparty to choose that number, such as with the number of flowers he received in the morning!

Check out this clip from the movie to see the nudging technique in action.

I hope you find this example as fascinating as I did!

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Modelo is the highest imported beer in US in 2022, whats next?

Regarding the Modelo beer case, we can observe how the brewery has changed its image during its presence, and how its image was dramatically affected in the early years because of its competitors.

The first thing that I would like to comment on is that the data is from 2000, and Modelo has gone through a lot in the last 23 years. The first remarkable aspect was the fact that AB InBev or Anheuser-Busch, Inc. bought the company in 2012 for 20 billion dollars, which was considered one of the biggest acquisitions in the industry. Also, if we analyze the current market share of Modelo in the US in 2022 (Source: Idealista), we can see that Modelo is the most sold imported beer in the US, and Corona is the second, which is also part of Modelo. In an interview for VinePair, we can observe that they attributed the success of their brand to: i) going back to their old-school marketing, in which they focused on distributors that would make their customers drink their beers on-premise, which is considered something like what we see in the case, which is back to old times. ii) they have started running English ad campaigns, which made a rise of 20 percent among non-Hispanic drinkers. iii) Hispanic population growth in the US, which has been around 10 million people in the last 10 years.

Another aspect I was wondering about was the opinion on the internet about the brand. Since I was thinking of having a broader opinion, I went to Reddit, particularly one that had a negative subject ("Is Modelo shitty beer?"). What we can see in this thread is the idea that all the people who were responding to this post were trying to defend the brand and talking about how this type of beer makes them feel. In particular, one of the opinions that I liked the most was "Modelo Especial is, in my opinion, on the higher end of a grouping with American domestics. Similar style; similar quality. It's definitely better than their Coronas" (from TrampRO), which could represent how it is not only competing with imported brands but also with domestic ones, which could be their next goal for the brand.

Source: Idealista (Sales of the leading imported beer brands of the United States in 2022)