barbaragz

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On November 18, 2016, barbaragz commented on No Personal Trainer? No Problem! :

Super interesting article! It is amazing how during the past few years the whole industry has been disrupted by these wearables and how people quickly adopted their use. For the consumer, it is extremely convenient, less costly and easier to track progress. On the other hand, the less it costs the less engaged you are, and having someone on your shoulders has always had its unique benefits. This is an excellent example of fast adapting companies and how they maneuver to change their business model incorporating the technological advantages that the current ecosystem offers. What Equinox did is remarkable and should be an opportunity moving forward as long as the industry can acknowledge the change and start doing things differently.

On November 18, 2016, barbaragz commented on Netflix and Chillin’ in the Mile High Club :

This is an excellent example of fast adapting companies and how they maneuver to change their business model incorporating the technological advantages that the current ecosystem offers. I believe that Netflix has been a key player in disturbing the TV industry in past years and gained a lot of strength as the industry leader. Regardless of that, having leadership does not exempt you from being disrupted too and I think that Netflix is now having a taste of its own medicine!

This seems an extremely intriguing business, now want to try it! Although for what I read it seems that company is growing very fast and its operation is efficient, allowing it to cut costs and be more profitable, I wonder how much difference it makes to the consumer. Having a tech-saavy saloon must be very helpful but I am not sure if it replaces the focus on quality for the consumer. How much better are the attendants? Does this model incentivize them to perform better? I believe that in order to be sustainable they need to focus on the service provided too!

On November 18, 2016, barbaragz commented on HBO NOW – “It’s Not TV…It’s Transforming TV” :

This is an excellent example of fast adapting companies and how they maneuver to change their business model incorporating the technological advantages that the current ecosystem offers. I found this post extremely interesting and fun to read. It is completely true and I believe that as technology moves forward, old TV will be lost giving the reigning power to these two players! Who will win?

On November 18, 2016, barbaragz commented on A Bright Driverless Future for Siemens :

Very interesting post. I wonder what is the level of awareness of riders of self-driving trains. As we focus on the development and readiness of the self-driving cars industry we have neglected to acknowledge what is currently in play and the wonders these bring. It would be interesting to analyze how different is the perception of the market towards a self-driving train were they would not see the driver either way versus a self-driving care were the interaction with the driver is unavoidable. We will eventually shift towards automated systems that provide operating efficiencies and safer rides, but how does people level of acceptance transition into the new era?

On November 7, 2016, barbaragz commented on Coca Cola thirst for thriving!! :

Very interesting article!

Great article and very interesting focus on Chiptole’s responsibility in the current scenario. I find remarkable that it was a wake up call for people who refused to acknowledge climate change and therefore Chipotle’ not only can capitalize on the moment but has a very strong responsibility to act on it and drive change.

It is interesting to see how different parts of the equation reacted to the issue and the impact the issue had on them. On the supplier’s end, it was interesting how it was not until this moment that my country’s production questioned their practices and started designing actions steps to ensure that resources are sufficient to our people before capitalizing on potential exports. As I have mentioned in previous posts, avocados are part of the culinary culture of Mexico. Being an ancient source of protein for the people, avocado is included in 3 of the 3 meals that every Mexican has daily. Since the avocado “trend” in the US, Mexico has exported millions of avocados to its northern neighbor experiencing a huge inflow of resources into the Mexican economy and providing jobs in the Mexican fields, but also creating an inherent shortage in people’s homes and rising avocado prices. The cultural shift and struggle that derives from this tensions is an increasing concern among agriculture officials who are in search of solutions to this growing problem.

On November 7, 2016, barbaragz commented on BASF – Greening your Yoga Pants! :

Great article illustrating the enhancement of traditional processes into industry shifting initiatives. This article is very educational on how all manufacturing processes contribute to green house gases and how simple products can be affecting the environment.

I applaude the initiatives and all the efforts that are being made. I fully understand the rational and admire companies that are willing to take a step further to contribute to making this world a better place. What I am very curious about is to understand how theses companies translate the message all the way to the consumer. My take is that in order to have a sustainable business model you have to engage your audience, and I find myself questioning this companies processes to do so. How can we be more informed about which products are sourced by clean manufacturing or clean energy sourcing?

On November 7, 2016, barbaragz commented on Can Volvo Out-Innovate the Competition Again? :

Very interesting post and very informative, specially to those like me with very little knowledge on cars. Growing up, I recall how Volvo always had the most precious value added: safety. Having a Volvo or purchasing one meant that you prioritized safety above all and you were willing to pay a higher price for it. As an extra, you received gorgeous and powerful four wheels.

My take on Volvo is that for the past decade it lost its value added not because of the lack of its safety measures but because of the loss of its uniqueness by being followed by competitors. It will be very interesting in deed to see in Volvo can replicate its 20th century model in the current landscape by providing the consumer a value added that has a powerful meaning past beyond the technical specs of the cars.

On November 7, 2016, barbaragz commented on Is Chipotle facing a guacapocalypse? :

Interesting article, sad but very good. It is surprising to analyze the impact that fads or trends can have in the economic cycle of one particular product or even region. The shortage of avocados for Chipotle might seem troubling and very serious, but what is more remarkable is the lack of this huge corporations benefiting from natural resources without acknowledging the impact of these shortages in the production chain and therefore design social initiatives to offset their impact.

Avocados are part of the culinary culture of Mexico. Being an ancient source of protein for the people, avocado is included in 3 of the 3 meals that every Mexican has daily. Since the avocado “trend” in the US, Mexico has exported millions of avocados to its northern neighbor experiencing a huge inflow of resources into the Mexican economy and providing jobs in the Mexican fields, but also creating an inherent shortage in people’s homes and rising avocado prices. The cultural shift and struggle that derives from this tensions is an increasing concern among agriculture officials who are in search of solutions to this growing problem.

On November 7, 2016, barbaragz commented on Fast Fashion is destroying the planet, but Cuyana is here to help :

Extremely interesting post. It makes a good job highlighting a very important issue which we are commonly not aware of. I believe that we have all been victims of the fast fashion industry, buying into the business model and how it benefits the consumer. Before reading this post, I had never entertained the idea that this particular industry is a large contributor of the world’s pollutions and climate change. It is nice to hear that there are companies trying to tackle the issue, specially by the donation program.

Having said that, I am very skeptic about the success of Cuyana in the long run. I do not see the value added of buying the clothes through their platform instead of going directly to the mid-point price point designers. It will be very difficult to educate the population on the effects fast fashion has on the planet, specially since retailers have spent the last decades training consumers to adapt to these business models.