This Magical Smart Cup Automatically Knows What You're Drinking

via BusinessInsider

Just imagine if your cup knew exactly what you were drinking, how many calories you've consumed, and how much caffeine is in your system.

Well, that's about to become a reality. 

Vessyl, which is launching a pre-sales campaign today, automatically knows what you're drinking.

The idea is to help you make smarter, healthier choices in real time. That's because beverages are the number one source of calories, according to the National Health and Nutrition Education Survey.

Vessyl

Once you pour any liquid into the cup, the Vessyl's sensors will detect a variety of things. Within a matter of seconds — seriously — it can tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi, and a Starbucks bottled mocha Frappuccino and Starbucks hot chocolate. 

Vessyl also knows how many calories are in each drink, total grams of sugar, fat, protein, sodium, and caffeine. It even estimates your hydration needs. 

Vessyl has been seven years in the making. Its cofounded by Justin Lee and Jawbone designer Yves Behar. Back in 2007, the team realized there were a lot of devices to track your activity, but none to track your consumption. 

"When people track or journal what they consume, the likelihood of achieving health goals is much higher," Vessyl CEO Justin Lee tells Business Insider. "But with the current method of doing so, like typing into a mobile app or taking pictures, there's still too much friction."

Vessyl will retail for $199, but early backers can get the device for $99.

Here's a brief walkthrough.

Vessyl lets you choose different "lenses" that you specifically want to track, like caffeine, calories, sugar, fat, protein, and sodium.

Vessyl

Vessyl also estimates, tracks, and displays your real-time hydration needs. Your "Pryme," which is the company's proprietary metric of your hydration needs, is displayed on the cup itself. You simply tilt the cup to activate the display. That blue light at the top means you're fully hydrated. Throughout the day, that line will fluctuate.  

Vessyl

Vessyl also displays your drink on the cup itself. It comes in black and snow white. 

World Cup Audience Is More Than Core Soccer Audience

Via MarketWatch

Younger generations' interest put soccer and World Cup in likely growth position

 

The first matches are only hours away, and over the course of the month-long tournament billions (with a "b") of fans will look to catch some of the action, whether on TV, on the radio, via other assorted media or even on-site. But while most of the world is getting ready for the event, here in the U.S. neither the tournament nor soccer itself have reached mainstream acceptance. However, demographics give reason to believe this might change over time, as younger generations of Americans are showing far more interest in the sport and event alike than their older counterparts.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll® of 2,286 adults surveyed online between May 14 and 19, 2014. (Full results, including data tables, available here )

One in ten Americans (10%) says soccer (men's and/or women's) is a sport they follow, putting it on the same ground as men's tennis (with 10% following that as well). This is relatively small when compared to the half of Americans who follow pro football (51%), the nearly four in ten following baseball (37%) or the three in ten who follow men's college football (30%). However, it's worth noting that interest in soccer is stronger among younger generations of Americans (11% Millennials, 16% Gen Xers, 6% Baby Boomers, 5% Matures), which runs inverse to the trend seen for most sports, with older Americans typically more likely to display an interest.

World Cup interest reaches beyond soccer fans Compared to the 10% of Americans who follow soccer, interest in watching or listening to various stages of the 2014 World Cup specifically is considerably higher, indicating that for some the tournament may be a global event first, a soccer event second. While interest in watching or listening predictably rises through the tournament's progressive stages, even the first round is of interest to two in ten Americans (19%), or double the percentage who follow soccer. By the final match, one-third of Americans (33%) – including over a fourth (27%) of those who don't follow soccer – say they're interested in watching or listening.

Turning again to interest by generation, Millennials and Gen Xers show stronger interest than Baby Boomers and Matures throughout the tournament, ranging from over one-fourth of the younger generations (27% each vs. 11% Baby Boomers, 8% Matures) interested in watching or listening to the first round to roughly four in ten (42% Millennials, 39% Gen Xers) showing interest in the final match.

Interest is stronger still among Hispanic Americans, with roughly half showing an interest in the quarterfinals (47%), semifinals/third place match (49%) and final match (51%).

The social drive Social factors play a considerable role in experiencing the World Cup, particularly among certain segments of the population. When asked which factors (of a series) would influence them to watch the event, a combined third (34%) pointed to at least one of a variety of social influences (such as friends or a significant other wanting to watch), putting it on even footing with supporting Team USA (35%).

Among Millennials social factors play even more prominently, with 45% saying such factors would likely influence them to watch; supporting Team USA was only likely to influence a third of Millennials (33%). Additionally, half of Millennials say that watching World Cup matches is more fun to do with family and/or friends (49%) and over four in ten (43%) say it's more fun to do with other fans, even if they're strangers.

• Even among those who don't follow soccer, a third point to social factors as likely influencers of viewership (32%) and say that watching World Cup matches is more fun to do with family and/or friends (33%).

To see other recent Harris Polls, please visit the Harris Poll News Room .

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Methodology This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United Statesbetween May 14 and 19, 2014 among 2,286 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, The Harris Poll avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Poll surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in our panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of The Harris Poll.

Product and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

 

Coca-Cola Celebrates a Summer of Sharing

Via MarketWatch 

Coca-Cola’s summer campaign extends an invitation to America to ‘Share a Coke.’ For the first time in the U.S., Coca-Cola is personalizing the sharing experience by swapping out some of its iconic logos on 20-ounce bottles for 250 of the nation’s most popular names among teens and Millennials.

Across the Coca-Cola trademark – Coke®, Diet Coke® and Coke Zero® – the Company is inviting people to find their name and the names of family, friends, colleagues, or even the names of people they want to know better … and open a little extra happiness this summer by sharing a Coke together.

“Coca-Cola has been bringing people together for 128 years to create moments of happiness,” said Stuart Kronauge, SVP, Sparkling Brands, Coca-Cola North America. “Moments of happiness can define our lives. They can be grand or intimate, shared or personal, fleeting or even unassuming at times. We hope ‘Share a Coke’ creates occasions between people this summer where they can simply enjoy the moment.”

In addition to first names featured on 20-ounce bottles, Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero logos will give way to group names like “Family” and “Friends” on 1.25- and 2-liter bottles, and 12-ounce cans will feature colloquial nicknames like “BFF,” “Star,” “Bestie,” “Legend,” “Grillmaster,” “Buddy” and “Wingman.” Eight-ounce glass bottle carriers will also encourage ‘Share a Coke.’ Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain dispensers will also offer an option for sharing a little happiness this summer. Fans who have the Coca-Cola Freestyle app on their mobile phone can scan a QR code on the dispenser’s home screen, follow the prompts and send a friend a coupon for a free 20-ounce Coke.

“We’ve seen the excitement ‘Share a Coke’ has elicited around the world, so we’re ecstatic to bring it to life here in the U.S. From baseball games and barbeques, birthday and pool parties, to beach trips and amusement park outings, we want to see how people ‘Share a Coke’ and we’re inviting them to share their stories with us in social media,” said Jennifer Healan, Group Director, Integrated Marketing Content and Design, Coca-Cola North America.

Use the campaign’s hashtag, #ShareaCoke, to celebrate stories, share photos and have a chance to be featured on Coca-Cola billboards across the country and ShareaCoke.com gallery. Beginning June 12, fans can experience the campaign online at www.shareacoke.com by personalizing virtual bottles and sharing them with friends across Facebook, tumblr, Twitter and Instagram. Website visitors also can find out which names are available in-stores. For those unable to find specific names on store shelves, ‘Share a Coke’ will tour the nation with more than 500 stops where people can customize a Coca-Cola mini can (7.5-ounces) for themselves and a second can for someone special. ShareaCoke.com will provide date and location information for the cross-country tour.

The ‘Share a Coke’ campaign will be supported through a nationwide advertising and marketing campaign. This includes a nine-week flight featuring all-new television commercials, cinema ads, social and digital engagement, interactive/digital billboards and experiential activations from coast to coast. For My Coke Rewards members, there are fun ways to earn points, get rewards and ‘Share a Coke.’

The ‘Share a Coke’ program was first introduced in Australia in 2012. Since then, the Company has helped people ‘Share a Coke’ – and a little happiness – in over 50 countries around the world, including New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Great Britain, Turkey, Germany, Spain and Chile.

Pepsi Launches the Creators League as In-House Studio to Be a Little More like Red Bull

Via Variety 

Can PepsiCo become the next Red Bull?

Frank Cooper III, who serves as the soda giant’s chief marketing officer of global consumer engagement, has long championed the power of entertainment as a way to build a loyal fanbase around the company’s brands, including Mountain Dew. Yet while he’s had some successes with one-off projects like Pepsi Max’s “Uncle Drew” saga with NBA star Kyrie Irving and a $50 million deal with Beyonce, Cooper’s looking to produce music, TV shows and Web series through a newly formed internal studio called the Creators League.

One of its first projects is the World Cup-themed “Beats of the Beautiful Game,” a series of musicvideos Pepsi is calling “filmtracks,” directed by Janelle Monae, the Young Astronauts, Spike Lee, Timbaland, Santigold, Kelly Rowland and Idris Elba (see above).

The Challenge: “Everyone in this broader branded entertainment media ecosystem has been trained to think that the brand writes the check and the creative team does what it wants in service of the brand,” Cooper told Variety while discussing his plans for the Creators League. “The trick is to figure out what the brand and creative community can do jointly that benefits both. That’s where I want to play. 

The Overall Goal: “It’s really about pushing the boundaries for content creation and monetization and distribution,” Cooper says. “We’re thinking about new ways to create revenue streams in owning intellectual property.” It’s what Red Bull has done so well with its own brand, producing everything from short films for the web to full-length documentaries that hype an adventurous lifestyle over the sale of its energy drinks. In each case, it’s building a massive slate of content it can distribute through its own digital pipelines and promote through its Red Bulletin magazine and other promotional platforms. “Red Bull has been really smart at being the pioneers,” Cooper says. “Why rent when you can own?”

The Opportunities: “There are constrains in any industry that don’t allow creative people to do what they’re passionate about,” Cooper says. “I’m not trying to compete with a network or studio, but there are gaps within the industry where we can play in,” with Cooper spending less time on films because of “timelines and cost.”

Every Platform Counts: While Cooper is considering a range of platforms to distribute the Creators League’s content, “we think that for short form, mobile will play an increasingly important role for us,” he says. “As we start to get better data on content that we distribute in the digital space, we can get much more intelligence on how to distribute that content online and to broadcast TV.” In addition to hiring a team of developers, freelancers, artists and editors, Cooper is in the process of hiring a data science team. “That’s the secret sauce of this whole thing,” Cooper says.

Re-Think “Branded Entertainment: “I try to think about what we do from the audience’s perspective,” Cooper says. “For the most part they don’t’ really care that it’s delivered by a brand. It must be entertainment first.” While the obvious role is for a brand to sponsor or integrate its products into content, just producing content “is the area that most brands get frightened by,” Cooper says. “They’re say, ‘I don’t see our logos, or our product being consumed.’ The ones that are more courageous are saying this digitally savvy audience is really smart. They get it, they’ll figure it out, and it’s sometimes better for them to figure it out on their own. That’s the ultimate branding — when you’re viewed not so much as a sponsor of entertainment but an active player.”

Lead by Example: “It’s always difficult for a large corporation to march into uncharted territory,” Cooper says. “When you start to see really small companies put out content and generate large audiences with relativity small amounts of money, it changes the way you think. It becomes an easier sell in terms of experimentation. The next step is to move from an experimental phase to long-term commitment. We’ve had successes, but in order to win we need to be constantly in the game.”

Big Data, Big Deal: In addition to hiring a team of developers, freelancers, artists and editors, Cooper is in the process of hiring a data science team. “That’s the secret sauce of this whole thing,” Cooper says.

Changing the Game: New hires like Brad Jakeman, president of PepsiCo’s global beverages group, is a former exec at Activision Blizzard, the world’s largest videogame publisher. That’s “helped a lot” in changing how PepsiCo views entertainment, Cooper says. “The shift that’s happening in the gaming world is creating a lot of disruption. The more people who come in and understand how to work with the creative community directly and distribute content in different ways, it makes my job easier in order to push these boundaries.”

New York State of Mind:  Cooper was caught off-guard by the reaction he got when he set up the Creators League in New York rather than Hollywood. “Everyone I talked to said I was crazy,” he says. “But our headquarters are based here, and there’s a massive amount of talent that’s under-leveraged.”

Why Idris Elba? “We’ve tried to find a range of directors — some that were established directors, some who were music video directors and could tell great stories, others who were young and coming out of the digital space,” Coopers says. “Idris is a DJ and had done some directing. He’s really passionate about soccer, which helps. He’s also adventurous. If you come at him with a new idea and he feels like he’s breaking new ground, he’ll listen.” Elba’s short, featuring R3HAB’s song “Unstoppable,” takes place in the 1970s, and features the soccer skills of Zach Hamilton. It’s the first film from Elba’s new production shingle Green Door Pictures. “He shot and edited it within a week,” Cooper says. (Watch his short below followed by the first from Monae)