Jasper Clark's Profile

Thanks, Karyn – interesting post!

I agree with Joana that Weight Watchers now finds itself in a challenging predicament – how to convey that its app is worth paying for in light of all the free options that exist, much like the situation that the NYT is facing. I think ultimately WW’s success in digital will rely on really strong partnerships with existing options that provide seamless connectivity for users. Start-ups could benefit immensely from partnering with WW – a company with such strong brand recognition.

Great post, thank you! Interesting to see that the company’s positioned Ford Smart Mobility as a subsidiary. It will be interesting to see how the company incorporates this area’s work into its traditional model and how senior management will weigh short vs. long-term objectives, especially given the pressure that investors are already putting on the stock (as Alex mentions above). As you point out, communication between the two divisions will be key to success.

Thanks, John – really interesting post. I definitely see the value that this technology can provide particularly in the fast casual and pure fast food segments. It’s actually a bit surprising that digital doesn’t feature more prominently at fast food establishments – seems like this could reduce wait time even further. I’m particularly curious to see how similar technologies could be applied in more upscale restaurants – I have a tough imagining this taking off, as it seems to cheapen the experience. It will be interesting to see how the roles of waitstaff are impacted by such shifts.

Really interesting post – I particularly liked the recommendations. I certainly recognize the value in having the government share data with private companies, but it seems that there’s opportunity for a two-way information exchange. I.e. what could the federal government accomplish with data provided by the private sector? I’d imagine the legality around this is complicated, but seems that there is tremendous upside.

Thanks, Karan – really enjoyed your post. Fascinating example of how Under Armour is looking to gain greater control over its supply chain. One concern that I’ve got would be around scalability, i.e. how will Under Armour partner with its retail distributors to provide the 3D printing capability? Or is the plan to just start with the offering in Under Armour’s own stores? It will be interesting to see how athletic companies look to differentiate themselves in 3D printing and what the distribution channels will look like.

Thanks, MC – great post! Looks like Mother Dairy has done an excellent job of creating a broad network of farmers to supply its goods. I’d be interested to understand what the level of communication is from one farm to another, or if information is centrally dispersed. Given that the farmers are presumably often competing with each other, how can Mother Dairy incentivize them to share info?

It looks like Mother Dairy has a chance to be an early mover in terms of Indian firms trying to reduce their emissions. Given its scale, this could put pressure on competitors and also allow the company to be well positioned when regulations are enacted.

Interesting article, Karyn – thanks for sharing.

As JS’ comment points out, there still seems to be a fair amount of skepticism in consumers’ minds when it comes to GM products. Does DAS have any sort of advertising campaign focused on educating the end-consumer?

Likewise, I’d be interested to learn about DAS’ strategy for partnering with farmers. Is the company working directly with these farmers to educate them on best practices or is there a degree of separation?

Nico, thanks for the post – very informative. ModMed clearly has an incredibly strong value proposition, particularly as climate change regulations continue to strengthen; however, I’m worried that customers will (sadly) be highly skeptical of ModMed’s biofabricated product. Will it look, feel, and smell like traditional leather? I’d be curious to hear how you think the product should be positioned against traditional leather, beyond the advantages that you identified in your post. As Sam points out in his comment, perhaps a partnership with an existing player could bridge this gap in the consumer’s mind.

Thanks, Marissa – very interesting post! I wonder if Disney may have an opportunity to also partner with an airline(s) that is focused on climate change initiatives, given that so many people fly to reach Disney’s theme parks. I think this could signal to the public that Disney is thinking about its impact on the environment both directly and indirectly. Something as simple as a Disney rewards program with a given airline, with the climate change efforts of both companies explicitly highlighted, could be beneficial for both companies.

Evan, thanks for an insightful post – I’d never really considered the role that institutional investors can play in shaping the course of climate change. It seems that CalPERS is taking a fairly myopic perspective and as such, is unwilling to divest from fossil fuels. Do you think that they actually have more control on companies by being investors as opposed to divesting (especially in companies where they don’t have large stakes)? My sense is that if a highly respected investor, such as CalPERS, were to systematically sell off its stakes in oil and gas, it could create a PR nightmare for the given companies. I’d imagine that if CalPERS set this precedent, other institutional investors would need to be prepared to defend their buy position.