Marina Salmerón Uribes

Today is the international day of social networks, tools that have changed our day-to-day personal and professional lives and from which we find it hard to detach ourselves. On a day like today, and through this article, I felt the need to put special focus on certain aspects that, as a lover and active user of them, we must sometimes remind ourselves. Did you know that there is a theory that explains that all of us living on the planet are connected through six people? It is called the theory of six degrees of separation and was proposed in 1930 by the Hungarian writer Frigyes Karinthy. According to this theory, each person knows "on average", counting family, friends, work colleagues, hobbies, school, etc., about 100 people. If each of these close acquaintances is related to another 100 acquaintances, any individual can have a point of contact with up to 10,000 people. In other words, if I give a message to one of my acquaintances, just by asking them to tell their 100 acquaintances, that message is reaching 10,000 people. And I continue with the explanation: if those 10,000 people know another 100, the network would expand to 1,000,000 connected people in a third step, to 100,000,000,000 in a fourth, to 10,000,000,000,000 in a fifth and to 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 in a sixth. Those of you who are still reading the post (thank you for continuing given my previous explanation), you may be wondering what this theory has to do with the international day of social networks. Let's stop and think for a moment: if this theory emerged more than 100 years ago without the existence of technology and, therefore, social networks, are we really aware of the impact that a message, post, comment, etc. can have when we make it public on our social networks? Technology makes it possible for something we post to reach almost any individual on the planet. According to data from the latest study published by We are social, Digital 2020 Global Digital Overview, more than half of the world's population, specifically 53% of the population is connected to the Internet. The majority are active users of social networks, a div that continues to grow year after year. We live in a connected world, 3 billion people are connected via the Internet, and at Telefónica we know that better connectivity means a better quality of life. However, due to economic barriers, social obstacles and lack of infrastructure, 2/3 of the world is still not connected. Those of us who, fortunately, are already connected, are we aware that in one click we can get the information we are looking for? How can we educate those who do not yet have access to the Internet to use social media in the most appropriate way once it is available to them? Are we putting into practice a responsible use of social networks, protecting our identity and digital footprint? The answer is simple: responsible use of technology is everyone's job, and above all, I put the focus on those of us who are passionate about our work and work with social media on a daily basis. We must be loudspeakers and explain the benefits of social media and raise awareness of the precautions we must take to use them responsibly. Let's make it simple, social media have become a very valuable and necessary tool in our daily lives and with a correct use the impact is positive, however, in order to enjoy the benefits, we must first be aware of the risks. Let's go back to the six degrees theory. It is an important day for us in our personal sphere; the wedding of a family member. We upload content on our networks in which we include, mention, tag our entire circle and in which, without realising it, we exempt our surroundings from privacy, often overexposing minors and without being aware that a few photos in a relaxed atmosphere can be used against us or against those who appear in them and have a negative impact on their and our digital footprint and reputation. Let us remember that when we publish something, we make public and visible a message that remains on the network and "ceases to belong to us", so we lose control and can reach millions of people without being aware of it. Let's educate and protect our minors: grooming, sexting, etc. are terms that only a couple of years ago were known by digital marketing professionals, however, unfortunately they are increasingly common terms that we must focus on as adults in order to educate. Are we protecting our minors by limiting the use of the websites they browse? By making them aware of the importance of digital disconnection in our daily lives? After the pandemic, Red de Atención a las Adicciones (UNAD) launched a campaign called #GánaleLaPartida in which it claimed that being connected can disconnect us from everything after verifying that during the coronavirus crisis and due to the confinement, a notable increase in calls for help related to the abuse of video games, online gaming, excessive exposure to mobile phones and the Internet by children and adolescents was detected; exacerbating problematic behaviours derived from the misuse of technologies. With this post, I really don't want to dramatise; but as I began by saying, on many occasions we must remind ourselves and… I amend the mea culpa that even when talking about social media for personal and professional use, it is also necessary for our heads to know how to disconnect in order to connect. We are a loudspeaker and we have a responsibility, therefore, on this international day of social networks I wanted to claim the importance that thanks to technology they gain in our daily lives for people, brands and companies going a step further and hoping that among all those and not only marketing professionals we manage to convey and educate that fun, information and communication are not incompatible with privacy, cybersecurity and privacy on the network through social media; a responsible use is possible 🙂 Happy International Social Media Day to all users!

In an increasingly digitized world, technological innovation is a fundamental value. The adoption of new technologies and the possibilities of connectivity offered by Internet of Things can give a great competitive advantage for companies. A good example of this is spotlabel, a solution designed to revolutionize fashion, retail or distribution companies by converting them into smart stores. spotlabel is a digital labeling system that is easy to install and self-managed, with which companies can create smart points of sale. The store that incorporates this solution thus becomes a communication channel of small format, dynamic and attractive, which immediately informs the genre that is in store, of the products displayed and promotions. Customers find, when entering the store, screens placed over strategic areas, where they can see information related to the item they are interested in: the price, features or discounts. Assigning product information to a label or sending it to one of the multiple screens is simple and accessible to any of your employees from a web interface or from a smartphone. spotlabel helps companies manage the products in their catalog and the way they are displayed in the store. It allows, for example, adding, editing or deleting items from the catalog in a simple way, exporting the catalog at any time, process promotions, configuring the store screens and organizing the labeling among other things. The digital labeling is, in addition, another piece in the task of transforming the physical store as a purely transactional place in a space where the important thing is to generate an experience that emotionally connects the customer with the brand. This IoT solution is especially aimed at distribution companies, fashion or Retail. GOCCO is an example of a fashion company that has already successfully incorporated this product, in the hands of Telefónica. In 2016, the first fully connected children's and youth clothing Flagship was presented in Madrid, which included spotengage among its IoT solutions. The CEO of GOCCO pointed out that "the use of technology in the new generation of stores must be transparent for the customer and has a triple objective: to provide a much more pleasant shopping experience, facilitate the purchasing process by providing information from the different contact points of the client with the brand and provide product information that helps us improve our collections ". The store was also equipped with smart testers, social wifi, piped music and dynamic marketing through a videowall. The incorporation of spotlabel improves, both the customer experience, which has all the information of the product within its reach (even if there is no stock in the establishment), as well as that of the employee, who gains efficiency in his work and can offer personalized attention. This new digital labeling system has innumerable benefits: it reduces the updating times of the exhibitors, eliminates the human errors that occur during the labeling and saves the cost of printing that is derived from the traditional paper system. The move to a digital and connected system also promotes an agile, dynamic, immediate and centralized update of the contents of the labels. In addition, it takes advantage of the new communication channel formed by screens distributed throughout the store for the diffusion of dynamic and innovative content. This favors the consolidation of the brand image, on the one hand, and conversion of consumers, on the other, which increases sales. Solutions such as spotlabel ensure that customers have an experience in the actual physical point of sale given that their true needs are met and their expectations are exceeded. Offers, promotions, launches, etc ... are updated at the moment with an image that enriches the user experience at the point of sale and that offers the customer what he needs at all times thanks to the implementation of technology: the simplicity in the purchase provides the client with different shopping experience.

Although it seems straight out of a futuristic novel, already connected clothes do exist. Data exchange between these clothes and mobile devices makes them able to take calls, regulate body temperature, and show the feelings or mood of the wearer. Technology applied to fashion is a reality that advances at a vertiginous speed, but it is a bit too expensive. The athletic, labor and health fields are those who have embraced by the advances in connectivity applied to clothing and, although it is still early, it will spread to the general public and become a common sight in the streets as the fabrication becomes cheaper. For example, in 2017 Levi's and Google they conducted a large textile-technological bet with their model denim jacket Levi's Commuter Trucker Jacket. The novelty is its compatibility and connectivity with the mobile phone. With its buttons and sensors, a simple tap on the jacket sleeve can activate the music player, take a call or get directions from Google Maps. We have a closer example as it comes from a brand created by two Spanish engineers. The brand Wendumanufactures shirts with the ability to regulate the temperature between 20 and 40 degrees. The t-shirt, connected to a mobile device, is cooled or heated according to the data set by the user from their mobile device. It is specially designed for military use, law enforcement or other professionals who spend long hours outdoors. Data exchange between clothes and mobile devices makes them able to take calls, regulate body temperature, and show the mood There are even supplements that help prevent allergies, such as the scarves from Caroline Van Rentergherm, a young entrepreneur who realized that the masks used while riding her bike around Paris did not prevent his eyes didn’t prevent her eyes to weep or an itchy throat, she would always end up using her scarf to protect herself. She has launched the Be AWAIR application that reports on the air quality and users can customize it to receive notifications about how to prevent allergies. The next step is the launch of WAIR scarves, that filter the air and it also includes a sensor that analyzes air quality and changes its color when pollution is too high. For those who love the sea there are two models that can be adapted to the needs of each user. The first is of the firm Spinali, Who brought Neviano2, the advanced version of his first connected swimsuit that directly integrates UV sensors and reports a "Cream Alert" that warns users that they need to renew their protection with a message to the mobile and even recognizes the location and recommended places to visit. The second model is geared more adventurous surfers, it’s the intelligent neoprene "Wetsuit" Emerid enterprise that incorporates an emergency identification system that works with NFC technology enabling the suit to be located from the mobile phone. Another company that has made interesting contributions to connected fashion is cute Circuit. It’s renowned in the market for digital wearables. Its products have been seen on stage with artists like U2 or Katy Perry. Their garments are made mostly with intelligent microelectronics fibers and avant-garde design. In addition, they monitor the social networks of those who wear them and they can control the illumination of the fabric from the mobile phone. From the technological Korean giant Samsung arrives Samsung NFC smart suit. They have made it with Rogatis that allows the user to unlock their phone, exchange business cards digitally and condiv the devices in the office and driving modes. Finally, one cannot speak of intelligent clothing in Spain without mentioning the Madrid catwalk Samsung EGO that although started in 2006 as a parallel initiative to the Mercedes Fashion Week in Madrid, since 2013 it has gradually positioned itself as a referent in the connected fashion field, giving visibility to new talent. Technology applied to fashion is a reality that advances at a vertiginous speed The best example of this trend is the Spanish Constanza More, winner of the latest edition of Samsung EGO Innovation Project, with its Quantum project. The head of the firm has developed a form of emotional communication by light thanks to an application installed on the mobile phone. Thus, connected clothing can express feelings previously selected with patterns for positive emotions. The Quantum collection consists of shirts, jackets, vests, pants, short dresses, silk and satin. To turn them into smart materials like methacrylate, plastic and anodized aluminum that is easy to connect with the mobile phone of the owner and condiv them. There are many possibilities that we currently have to be connected with what surrounds us; it stands to reason that clothes can’t be left behind. The technology allows us to connect our daily lives, improving our experiences of the day and gathering the best information about our routines to improve or modify them according to our needs.

The implementation of IoT technology in the Retail sector allows offering personalized shopping experiences through smart stores. Thanks to information collected, processes can be optimized and more effective strategies can be applied to attract and retain customers.

In the information age, the retail sector, or what is the same, the commercialization of products and services, has been forced to leave behind the mere exhibition of products to focus on the consumer and their needs. Nowadays consumers are more informed, and it is this information that makes them more demanding. The consumer of the 21st century wants to continue buying as he always has done but with the advantages of electronic commerce. This phenomenon has led the Retail sector to implement new technologies in its physical stores so that the purchase is not only a purchase in itself, but also a true experience for the customer. This concept is what is known as O2O, that is, online to offline. Thanks to IoT solutions, the smart store obtains data in real time that allows you to know the tastes, needs and habits of the consumer and thus predict their behavior. The customer profile obtained from this data, combined with the analysis of peripheral data, such as the number of products in stock or existing promotions, allows the smart store to condiv the best offer for that specific customer, and in that precise moment. It is a level of personalization never seen before. What do we mean when we talk about IoT solutions in Retail? IoT solutions encompass both those that are almost imperceptible to the consumer, and physical devices, for example the so-called beacons, which are used to receive information on the location and route of customers in the store and send offers to customers, or as interactive mirrors that show the full range of colors and sizes of a garment and can recommend garments that match well with the one the customer has chosen, or as digital labels, designed to keep the retailer informed and make possible the operation of the Smart tester and receive analytics from the store. In short, these IoT solutions allow you to know the profile of the buyers who enter the store, their age, their preferences and even the areas of the store with the greatest number of visitors, the frequency of visits by customers, how much time they spend on a particular promotion or the satisfaction obtained after a purchase. What do consumers think about this new type of store? In the «Things Matter» report (Telefónica IOT, 2017) it is observed that «the concept of 'Inteligent Store' is still to be discovered, compared to other categories. Only 36% of respondents have heard of 'smart stores', a div close to that of those who are aware of having visited them, 21% ». But despite these divs, the report also reveals that consumers' interest in store connectivity solutions already reaches 30%. What is clear is that we are facing a reality that advances with a firm step which large corporations such as Amazon or Inditex have already joined and that will undoubtedly revolutionize the Retail sector as we know it.