THE NEST THERMOSTAT SAVES ENERGY AND MONEY
A Win-Win for ‘Smart’ Homeowners
WHEN DO YOU MAKE YOUR BEST DECISIONS? Daniel H. Pink has spent his career uncovering the behavioral factors that determine success in business. In his latest book, “When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing,” he assesses the temporal factors that lead to our best and worst decisions. We’ve all had conversations about whether we’re “morning people” or “night owls.” In the course of researching his book, Pink sought to find the scientific underpinnings behind these categories. It turns out that they are more than just imagined. “Our cognitive abilities do not remain static over the course of the day,” writes Pink. “These fluctuations are more extreme than we realize.” Regardless of your personal peak performance hours, cognitive functioning has a repeatable pattern. “Across continents and time zones, as predictable as the ocean tides, was the same daily oscillation — a peak, a trough, and a rebound,” Pink notes. Understanding when you’re in each particular phase will allow you to maximize performance and minimize burnout. From there, Pink suggests behaviors, like breaks and even naps, that will allow you to peak longer and rebound faster. He brings these hard facts to life with examples from the world of business. Think of Pink’s book as a “when-to” guide rather than another addition to the endless “how-to” catalog. We live in a world of “smart” products: smartphones, smartwatches, and even smart toasters. As the gadgets in our lives become more interconnected, it makes sense that our homes would become smarter as well. At the forefront of the smart home revolution is Nest. The company produces a range of products that allow you remote access to your home. They make everything from cameras and alarm systems to smoke detectors and doorbells, but they are best known for their thermostats. Heating and air conditioning significantly impact your energy bill. The cost associated with your thermostat used to be offset by the level of comfort in your home. Nest promises to provide both, with a thermostat system you can control remotely that also learns from your behaviors. We all want to wake up warm and cozy. In the past, the only way to achieve this was to leave the heat on all night. With Nest Thermostats, you can program your heat to turn on an hour before your alarm goes off. Even better, if Nest notices you’re twiddling with the thermostat at certain times, it will learn those patterns and automatically adjust the temperature. You can also program your Nest Thermostat to interact with your phone. If you want your heat to kick in while you’re driving home from work, your Nest can do that. If you want to lower the temp without having to leave your bed, Nest can do that as well. It also interacts with home products like Alexa and Google Home, allowing for voice commands. All of this next-level tech is housed (pun intended) in a sleek and easy-to-read display. Since debuting in 2011, Nest Thermostats have saved homeowners over 20 billion kWh of energy. A lot of tech purports to “pay for itself,” but with the amount of money you’ll save on your utility bills, Nest Thermostats can actually back up that lofty claim. If you’re tired of deciding between savings and comfort, it’s time to turn your home into a Nest. Daniel H. Pink’s ‘When’ Will Give You the Answer
HOW TO CREATE A CONTINUING EXPERIENCE WHAT MARVEL STUDIOS’ SUCCESS CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT BRAND ENGAGEMENT Whether you lined up for a midnight showing of “Black Panther” or bemoan the relentless march of superheroes at the box office, we can all agree that Marvel Studios is a cultural and economic behemoth. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the highest-grossing film franchise in history, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The unprecedented success of these movies can teach you a lot about continued brand engagement. From the very first salvo of the MCU, 2008’s “Iron Man,” producer Kevin Feige had a long-term plan. Taking a cue from the comic books that inspired the movies, Marvel Studios set out to build toward climaxes over the course of dozens of movies. Feige and his collaborators realized that if they could create a reason to keep viewers invested in the entire enterprise, rather than just their favorite hero or actor, the movies would be consistently successful. The relationship between the movies, though, never supersedes the standalone experience. “We always set out to just make a great movie,” Feige notes. Sometimes, as with “Ant-Man” and “Black Panther,” the movies only have tangential nods to the rest of the MCU. Other movies, like “The Avengers” series, build on everything that’s come before. Because of this method, viewers can enjoy the movies without context, but those that have seen every MCU movie will always have an Easter egg waiting for them. Before the MCU, sitting through the credits was unheard of. At a Marvel movie, it’s a rite of passage. While it would be foolhardy to suggest that every business can become as successful as Marvel Studios, there is a huge lesson to be learned from their formula. When you engage with your customers, you need to make sure every experience is a success in its own right. But you also need to give them a reason to keep coming back. Selling somebody a great product or service should be the start of a relationship, not the only part of it.
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