by Meredith Galante | Nov 19, 2019 | All, Wine & Spirits |
The Millennial drinker loves experimenting and trying new things. But there’s often another motivation for them ordering flashy, rainbow-colored cocktails: their Instagram feeds.
For liquor brands, suggesting cocktails that can make a customer’s Instagram feed pop can benefit your sales and referral business. Instagram is a new way to reach, and market, to a larger audience.
After all, when young people post about alcohol they do so in a positive, social context 97% of the time, according to a study conducted by the Journal of Medical Internet Research. In these posts, people are holding drinks 67.2% of the time.
The pretty cocktails help give the evolving consumer both a good-tasting drink and a great experience. (more…)
by Lindsey Berke | Nov 14, 2019 | General BI |
It was not long ago that companies and organizations had to rely on their “gut instincts” and often unreliable data to make decisions big and small.
Now, with the advancement of applications such as big data and business intelligence, companies can incorporate a data-driven culture, optimizing their success in multiple areas. But what does it really mean to be “data-driven?” Let’s examine. (more…)
by Meredith Galante | Nov 12, 2019 | Wine & Spirits |
Baby boomers may view Ready To Drink (RTD) beverages as the sugary bottom-shelf options that are pale imitations of ‘real’ cocktails.
But thanks to the craft trend, RTD’s are making a resurgence. Believe it or not they taste good, and millennials are happy buying cans to drink on-the-go.
RTD beverages have risen 574%, according to Nielsen. This segment of the market is expected to keep growing to $4.6 billion by 2024, according to Market Research Future. (more…)
by Parker Jones | Nov 7, 2019 | All, General BI |
In the 21st century, ads are getting smarter. The classic approach—trying to get an ad seen by as many people as possible—is no longer the most efficient or effective way to go. There are simply too many messages competing for everyone’s attention.
That’s why so many advertisers have turned their focus towards targeted advertising. By doing some research on potential consumers, businesses can direct their ads solely towards those who are likely to be interested in them. Having access to more customer data by using new methods like image recognition can boost your brand’s marketing and give you a crucial edge over your competition. (more…)
by Meredith Galante | Nov 5, 2019 | Wine & Spirits |
The days of customers ordering “the house white” or “the house red” are dwindling.
Wine drinkers now want to know why they hate Chardonnay but love a good Sauvignon Blanc.
Wine lovers are looking to take classes, go to events, and have unique experiences while drinking their wine to understand why they like what they like. Wine event attendance numbers are up, and brands should consider creating their own events to get customers interested in their wines. (more…)
by Kathy Sucich | Oct 31, 2019 | Healthcare |
Healthcare organizations are tasked with improving in multiple areas – for example, quality, patient safety, patient outcomes, and reducing costs. The right technology can ignite change in these areas and help hospitals and health systems see the results they are looking for.
Showcasing those technologies – and those forward-thinking technologies that promise to deliver results in the future – was the focus of the Delaware Valley/New Jersey HIMSS “Healthcare Rocks” Fall Conference that I attended recently at the Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Here are some of the highlights. (more…)
by Meredith Galante | Oct 29, 2019 | Wine & Spirits |
Tourism in the Greek isles has been on the rise, as has drinking Greek wine.
Between 2009 to 2016, Greek wines sales have increased by 81% in the United States. While this is huge growth, Greek wine sales increased by 562% in Japan, 556% in China, and 105% in Australia, a country that has its own reputation in fine winemaking.
In addition to an increase in quantity of sales, consumers are also willing to pay more for Greek wine. How can you take advantage of this new trend? Let’s take a look. (more…)
by John Sucich | Oct 24, 2019 | Education |
It’s the question every college or university serious about using analytics to help students succeed asks itself: what does student success look like?
The University of Kentucky, recognizing that the school’s success depends on the success of its students, launched the Smart Campus Initiative this fall, giving every first-year student an iPad Air, Apple Keyboard, and Apple Pencil. The hope is that providing the necessary technology to create a level playing field will help all students succeed.
Giving students access to technology is one thing. What the data can tell a school about how to use that technology to its fullest potential to help students succeed is another. Here are a few examples of how schools are using data to find ways to help students succeed. (more…)
by Kathy Sucich | Oct 23, 2019 | Healthcare |
The health of a hospital’s emergency department is critically important, as it is the first line of care for many acute patients. How do you treat your patients in their time of need? Are you able to move them through the hospital quickly and efficiently? How do you make sure your staff stays engaged and motivated?
There are many initiatives hospitals can undertake to ensure optimal performance of their emergency departments. Let’s take a look. (more…)
by Meredith Galante | Oct 22, 2019 | Wine & Spirits |
Ordering a glass of Rose is not so simple anymore. Now there’s rose cider, CBD-infused cocktails, spiked seltzers, and more.
Drinks have gone hybrid. Pairing two types of drinks has created new sectors in the market and resulted in booming sales on products like rose cider and spiked seltzers. (more…)
by John Sucich | Oct 17, 2019 | Education |
With the wealth of data available to colleges and universities about current students, it can be easy to forget that there is just as much information about former students. And in a social media-connected world, it’s easy to continue gathering data on alumni about everything from what they are doing for work to how often they are giving to the university.
For many higher education institutions, fundraising from former students is the most common way of keeping track of alumni. But there are many opportunities to use data to track alumni engagement and increase efficiency in the advancement office. Let’s examine how. (more…)
by Kathy Sucich | Oct 16, 2019 | Healthcare |
Healthcare interoperability initiatives have been going on for quite some time now, with varying degrees of success. While some interoperability efforts have been successful and are expanding reach, others have shut down completely.
So what is the state of healthcare interoperability in 2019? New England HIMSS examined this topic in its annual HIE Conference – a day devoted to exploring some of the issues around interoperability and health exchanges. Let’s examine some of the takeaways from the event. (more…)
by George Dealy | Oct 11, 2019 | General BI |
In my first post on exploratory data analysis (EDA), I discussed why it’s important to get a “sense” for the data you’re working with before applying analytical techniques that may come with critical assumptions and prerequisites.
In this post, I’ll expand on the concepts I discussed in that post and also examine some other exploratory techniques. The goal is to make you familiar with various forms of data analysis so you can use them to make the right decisions for your organization.
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by Kathy Sucich | Oct 9, 2019 | Healthcare |
More diverse organizations see better results. According to McKinsey research, companies in the top quartile for gender or racial and ethnic diversity see higher financial returns than their counterparts. In healthcare, a more diverse and inclusive organization provides better care that is more culturally responsive to its community’s needs.
However, many organizations maintain that creating a diverse and inclusive atmosphere is hard. Indeed, diversity, equity, and inclusion must be built in to a healthcare organization’s overall strategy, and there must be ways to measure results. This topic was front and center in the ACHE of Massachusetts’ Conference titled, “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Healthcare: Tools for Implementing Actionable Strategies.” Here are some highlights. (more…)
by Meredith Galante | Oct 8, 2019 | Wine & Spirits |
Millennials love trying new things, and restaurants are catering to their desires.
If you’re grabbing dinner at Italian eatery Aunt Jake’s in New York City, you’ll see a wheel on your menu. It prompts you to choose a spirit, then choose between sweet or spicy, and finally, a garnish, produce, or syrup. The restaurant asks customers to trust them with the rest. Out comes a fancy, never-before tasted cocktail custom-made for the patron.
Restaurants are pulling out all the stops with their menus to attract new customers by impressing their taste buds with specialty cocktails and expert-curated wine menus. This is providing a big opportunity for wine and spirits producers. Here’s how you can capitalize on this trend. (more…)
by Kathy Sucich | Oct 3, 2019 | Healthcare |
Women make up nearly 80% of employees in healthcare. Despite this fact, they are still not well-represented in leadership ranks. According to research by Rock Health, women make up only 27% of hospital boards and 34% of leadership teams.
It is for this reason that women healthcare leaders promoting and lifting up other women is so important. This was the focus of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association’s 18th Annual Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference, held in Framingham, Mass. on September 26th. Here are some highlights from the event.
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by Kathy Sucich | Oct 2, 2019 | Culture, Healthcare |
On Saturday, September 28th, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital held the St. Jude Walk/Run Boston. It was one of more than 60 St. Jude Walk/Runs across the country held over the last several weeks.
Dimensional Insight was proud to sponsor the event and have more than 20 of our employees staff the registration table. Here are some of my reflections on this incredible day. (more…)
by Meredith Galante | Oct 1, 2019 | Wine & Spirits |
Consider this list: John Legend, Drew Barrymore, Steph Curry, Jon Bon Jovi, and Sarah Jessica Parker. What do all of these people have in common?
We’re not talking about the Oscars or an A-List Hollywood party. All of these celebrities and stars share something besides being famous: they all make wine.
Actors, singers, and sports stars are putting their big names behind smaller wineries — or creating their own brand — to celebrate their love of wine and spirits. Stars are taking their fame, pairing it with their love for spirits and helping brands increase sales.
Celebrities are making money off the spirits, too. Just take George Clooney’s Casamigos which sold for $1 billion to Diageo in June 2017.
But who is buying these products, and are they any good? (more…)
by John Sucich | Sep 25, 2019 | Education |
Fans know where to find the University of Alabama football program – it’s usually at the top of the polls.
But now, the University of Alabama football program also knows where to find its fans. Or, at least, it’s trying.
The school is trying to boost attendance and to keep fans in their seats at Bryant-Denny Stadium by using location-tracking data. They are tracking which students come to the game and who is staying until the end of what are usually non-competitive contests in the fourth quarter. Students who use the location-tracking app and come to the game are awarded Loyalty Points, and then they are awarded more points if they stay all the way through the game.
Alabama’s approach may be unique, but they are certainly not alone in gathering information directly from students. Schools are looking for data wherever they can find it – and as the technology offers increasing opportunities to do so, colleges and universities are looking to apps that a student carries with them to provide that data. Let’s take a look.
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by Meredith Galante | Sep 24, 2019 | Wine & Spirits |
American drinkers are looking for a unique, refined taste in their spirits, and they’re looking to Asia to find it.
The Asia-Pacific alcoholic spirits market is estimated to grow by 4.42% between 2018 and 2026, according to Inkwood Research.
The top three Chinese spirits brands are now valued at more than $1 billion, and looking to expand globally. More and more U.S. drinkers are turning to Asian spirits, which they see as exclusive and high-end. Here’s how you can take advantage of this trend.
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by Kathy Sucich | Sep 23, 2019 | Healthcare |
How are healthcare organizations measuring the success of their analytics programs? And what are the metrics they are focusing on in order to gauge success?
Those questions were the focus of the latest survey that HIMSS Analytics conducted on our behalf. Let’s take a look at the surprising results. (more…)
by George Dealy | Sep 19, 2019 | General BI |
We humans like pictures. We’re wired to process images quickly and effectively.
The evolution of those capabilities over thousands of years has allowed us to survive by detecting and evading predators, finding forage, and excelling as predators ourselves. To support these activities and others, the image processing capabilities of our brains have become especially adept at distinguishing basic shapes, such as lines, circles and various polygons, as a precursor to fully comprehending what the actual imagery represents.
We are also capable of understanding complex concepts, abstractions and relationships. But not all of us are created equal in that respect – at least judging from the distribution of scores on the math component of college prep exams! But even the savants among us reach a limit as the volume of data and complexity of problems become intractable to the human mind.
And though we may differ in our analytical abilities, we do seem to share one thing: our ability to reason visually plays an important role in our problem solving. Let’s examine this in the latest “Practical Analysis” blog post. (more…)
by Meredith Galante | Sep 17, 2019 | Wine & Spirits |
George Clooney has a strong allure with many Americans, but the latest fascination they have with him is what he’s drinking.
Celebrities and consumers are taking an interest in agave-based spirits since Diageo’s $1 billion takeover of George Clooney’s top-end tequila brand, Casamigos. Diageo reported that tequila sales rose 37% last year, thanks to the rising popularity of its Don Julio label.
Agave spirits have been growing in popularity, but in 2019 they’re finally getting their time in the spotlight. Let’s examine this trend and how distilleries can capitalize on it.
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by Kathy Sucich | Sep 16, 2019 | Healthcare |
Healthcare organizations know there’s value in data and value in analyzing it. But many times, they don’t know how to practically implement analytics in their organizations to make real change.
Here’s proof: while two-thirds of organizations have an executive dashboard to support strategic decision-making, only one-third of those that have a dashboard use it on a daily basis to make decisions. That means that in aggregate, less than 1 in 4 healthcare organizations leverages its data at an executive level daily.
So how do you move from theory to practice when it comes to analytics? It can be a journey, so it’s important to take it one step at a time. Here are 3 projects that delivered healthcare analytics ROI that you can emulate at your organization. (more…)
by Lindsey Berke | Sep 12, 2019 | General BI |
If you have ever attended one of our Dimensional Insight booths at a tradeshow or joined us at the annual Dimensional Insight Users Conference (DIUC), you probably had the chance to speak with our Events Manager, Alison Nicoli. Ally is 100% committed to ensuring all of our events go as smoothly as possible. From scheduling, to setting up monitors for presentations, to speaking to clients, to traveling, and more, Ally’s dedication has become the heart of our successful events.
In today’s employee spotlight, we give you an inside look at what it’s like to be an events manager. With memories of how she first began her career here, Ally shares her experience working at Dimensional Insight and what you can find her doing when she’s not in the office.
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by Kathy Sucich | Sep 11, 2019 | Culture |
One of the core values of Dimensional Insight is that the company at its foundation is committed to first serving its customers and its employees. Our founders, Fred Powers and Stan Zanarotti, believe that happy customers and happy employees are key to success.
Part of that belief system also includes supporting the missions of the industries we serve – which in healthcare, one of the key industries that uses Dimensional Insight technology, means a focus on improving patient care and saving lives.
That belief in supporting the central mission of healthcare organizations is why Dimensional Insight this year has decided to partner with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to sponsor its annual walk/run event in Boston. We couldn’t be more excited to participate in this great fundraiser for St. Jude and raise funds for the patients it serves. (more…)
by Meredith Galante | Sep 10, 2019 | Wine & Spirits |
When vodka comes to mind, it’s easy to think basic and mainstream — not refined and classy.
But if spirits snobs think “flavorless” vodka doesn’t have a place in the craft cocktail era of 2019, they’re very wrong.
Spirits sales are rising, with millennials driving the uptick. Even with this group’s desire to experiment and try new things, vodka remains the king of the spirits. Let’s examine this drink’s staying power and how spirits suppliers and distributors can capitalize on it.
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by Kathy Sucich | Sep 9, 2019 | Healthcare |
Quick question: what skills are required to be successful in the nursing field today? If you were to say compassion, good bedside manner, quick thinking, or good time management, of course you’d be right. But increasingly these days, a facility with technology is just as important.
With EHRs now mandated in hospital environments, data input is now a critical – and time-consuming – part of a nurse’s job. And while technology can certainly improve aspects of nursing, it’s also distracting many nurses from a critical part of their job – patient care. Let’s examine in today’s “Hot Topic” blog post. (more…)
by John Sucich | Sep 4, 2019 | Education |
Technology can only do so much. It can provide incredible insights that organizations might not have imagined possible…but only if the people putting it together do it the right way. Take, for example, the recent story about a start-up that used artificial intelligence to help improve disaster response. The company used census information to predict where people would need the most help in case of, for example, an earthquake to help emergency responders quickly get to the people who needed help.
Among other problems, the start-up was mostly using residential census data, so stores where a large number of people might be trapped in a disaster would be ignored if rescuers relied solely on the information the start-up was providing. The lesson? The data is only as good as the people entering the information.
For many higher education organizations, so much emphasis is placed on analyzing data that it almost seems too obvious to point out: that data needs to be reliable. But how often are organizations stopping to look at data quality? (more…)
by Meredith Galante | Sep 3, 2019 | Wine & Spirits |
First it was rosé, now it’s orange wine? 
Maybe you’ve walked by a restaurant and saw diners drinking what looks like a Fanta orange soda from a wine glass. But it’s not soda, it’s orange wine.
It may seem like a new fad, but this “trend” is actually 8,000 years old. Orange wines primarily come from the country of Georgia (not the state – that’s peach), and exports have risen 54% in the last year.
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