Author Archives: Michael Fountain

ground control to major drone

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We’ve all seen, or heard the stories in which a brand is “testing” the delivery capability of drones (e.g. UPS, Amazon, Domino’s, etc.).  In many of these cases, the drone is piloted by a person – but that won’t be cost-efficient if drone delivery is to become a larger practice.

In reality, these drones would need to be flying autonomously – and that means there needs to be a way to keep track of them.  Think of it as air-traffic control for drones, and that is one step closer to becoming reality with today’s news in Recode.

AirMap, a company that provides airspace services platforms, announced $26 million in a new round of investor funding.  AirMap’s platform is already being used by hundreds of customers and has tracked millions(!) of drone flights.

We’re still several years away from drones becoming a bigger part of our airspace, but it’s clear in the work of companies like AirMap that the future will be here in very short order.

Implications:

  • Well, it’d be cool to order a TV and have it delivered by a drone (soon, but not now)
  • This could – dare I say – disrupt package delivery as we know it (think USPS)
  • Delivery may no longer be a binary choice (home, or office)

Happy 37th birthday, “Easter egg.”

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You maybe be surprised to learn that It’s been 37 years since a programmer defied the corporate culture at Atari and created the first “easter egg” (in this case, a secret room in a video game that displayed said programmer’s name).

The “easter egg” is, of course, a hidden message, or secret feature that over the years has become equal parts reward for insatiable fans and means for communicating.

Today, the idea of an “easter egg” has spread to other video games, movies, TV shows and beyond.  There are restaurants that feature secret items that don’t make it on their menu – in a way, I guess these are edible “easter eggs.”  Lest we forget that an MRM client featured one in an effort from this past holiday season.

Why is this birthday, or phenomenon is worth mentioning?  “Easter eggs” are one more way content creators can engage with consumers; part fun, part messaging, part interaction and part reward.  Look for more brands to utilize “easter eggs” as they look for new, innovative and interesting ways to engage with consumers.

(One last thing, if you were wondering what the material is for a 37th anniversary – it’s alabaster.  Purchase accordingly.)

 

 

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