MARCH 13, 2009

5 Forces Summary 3/13/09

Read on for your bi-weekly dose of New Persuasion. Lots of interesting news this month, from new technology for targeted cable commercials to the announcement of Supermercado de Walmarts coming this summer.  Have a great weekend!

• Globalization
  Wal-Mart looks to Hispanic market  from The Financial Times
  The largest US retailer, Wal-Mart plans to open its first Hispanic-focused supermarkets this summer in Arizona and Texas. The pilot stores will be named Supermercado de Walmart. The retailer said that the stores were in “strongly Hispanic neighborhoods” and would feature a “new lay-out, signing and product assortment designed to make them even more relevant to local Hispanic customers”. The staff will also be bilingual.
• Innovation 
  What Made the Cellphone Revolution Possible from The Christian Science Monitor
  According to the GSM Association, the world now has 4 billion mobile phone connections. That number is up from just 100 million a decade ago, and most of that growth is in developing countries. The 4 billion number was reached with the help of governments opening up their markets to innovation and competition.
• Immigration
  Why Skilled Immigrants Are Leaving the U.S. from Businessweek.
  The United States is losing some of its most valuable workers in greater numbers due to “immigration limbo.”  Immigrants make up only 12% of the U.S. population, but have started 52% of Silicon Valley’s technology companies and contributed to more than 25% of our global patents. They make up 24% of the U.S. science and engineering workforce holding bachelor’s degrees and 47% of science and engineering workers who have PhDs.
• Saturation 
  Where the Neon Lights Are Bright—And Drivers Are No Longer Welcome from Newsweek
  Traffic is a constant problem in Manhattan. Mayor Bloomberg recently addressed the issue, saying,”The midtown traffic mess is one of those problems everyone always talks about. Well, we’re not just going to sit back—we’re going to try to do something about it.” His plan is to permanently bar traffic from large sections of Broadway. 
• Personalization
  Cable Companies Target Commercials to Audience from The New York Times
  Beginning with 500,000 homes in Brooklyn, the Bronx and some New Jersey areas, Cablevision will use its targeting technology to route ads to specific households based on data about income, ethnicity, gender and whether the homeowner has children or pets.