by Lindsey Berke | Sep 24, 2020 | Healthcare
We often talk about the effects that COVID-19 has on adults, since that is the age group that tends to be most affected by the virus. But has doing so created a blind spot in our precautions when it comes to infants and younger children? At the very beginning of the pandemic, little of our worry was focused on children — if any — because there were very few cases of babies and children contracting the virus. However, this may have led to the misconception that we can let our guard down when it comes to kids. Let’s examine. (more…)
by Parker Jones | Sep 22, 2020 | Wine & Spirits
As we’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, alcohol delivery services are changing the shape of the liquor industry during the pandemic. Their convenience has led to millions of new customers around the country, which is impressive, considering there are still many states where they aren’t allowed to operate. Most of these services work by partnering with local liquor stores, which show their catalogue of products on the service’s app or web page, so that users can select what they want and purchase it online. Then, drivers hired by the delivery service bring the bottles to the customer and receive a small commission and, hopefully, a tip.
It would seem that this relationship benefits everyone involved: the liquor store, the delivery service, the driver, and the customer. However, some people argue that the relationship actually hurts local liquor stores, who receive significantly less money per sale than they do from in-store purchases. What are the downsides to these partnerships, and how can they be improved? The answer, as you might have guessed, involves data. (more…)
by Meredith Galante | Sep 15, 2020 | Wine & Spirits
You may be surprised to learn that some people walking around with headphones on are not listening to the latest Taylor Swift album, but are instead learning about the latest liquor industry news and gaining a few mixology tips.
One hundred forty-four million Americans listen to podcasts, and there’s no shortage of great drink podcasts that provide mixology tips, industry news, and more.
Businesses spent a total of $497 million on podcast advertising in 2018, according to Small Biz Genius. But with the abundance of podcasts seeking sponsorship, liquor companies can benefit from joining that club to gain customers and increase brand awareness. 54% of podcast consumers say they think about buying products advertised during the podcast, making this a new possible revenue channel for brands. (more…)
by Teddy Craven | Sep 14, 2020 | Healthcare
The history of our world’s health system has not seen a centralized drive for a single solution on the scale of our current COVID-19 vaccine development. From clinical trials and research to private funding and new technological breakthroughs, the information generated from vaccine research is creating a massive data overload that requires a robust analytics platform and artificial intelligence to effectively turn raw data into positive outcomes.
Data analytics will be vital in condensing the disparate data sources into a clean manageable dashboard for professionals to drive improvements. Once this initial data collection problem is overcome, artificial intelligence will be able to derive deep, predictive insights into vaccine development, thus speeding up the process and delivering better outcomes. (more…)
by Parker Jones | Sep 10, 2020 | Wine & Spirits
Alcohol delivery apps are perhaps the fastest-growing area of the beverage alcohol industry right now. Even before the pandemic, sales for alcohol delivery services were on the rise. But once the stay-at-home orders were put in place, their numbers went through the roof. Months have passed since then and liquor stores are back open, but the delivery apps are still going strong. Perhaps customers who initially tried out the apps during the early days of the pandemic came to rely on their convenience, or perhaps people recognize that case numbers have not gone down and that non-essential trips out of the house are still a risk. Whatever the reasons, alcohol delivery apps appear to be here to stay.
But there’s one big problem with these services that hasn’t yet been solved: they aren’t available to everyone. Roughly half of the country, by area, is located in a ‘dead zone.’ Delivering within cities is easy enough, since the storage facilities and residences are all fairly close together. But in non-urban areas, having the infrastructure to deliver to every single home just isn’t practical. While the COVID-19 pandemic has been good for business in some ways, it also presents new challenges, especially in delivering to new areas. How long will it take for these services to be available nationwide, and is that goal even realistic? (more…)
by Lindsey Berke | Sep 3, 2020 | Healthcare
The COVID-19 pandemic has flipped the world upside down, and is still affecting millions to this day. While the process of developing vaccines is underway and many countries outside of the United States have already lifted their strict protocols as their cases decrease, the case count in the U.S. is continuing to rise. Technology that can further prevent virus spread, such as contact tracing, is needed now more than ever. How does contact tracing really work? How accurate is it? And is it a violation of privacy? Let’s take a look. (more…)
by Meredith Galante | Sep 2, 2020 | Wine & Spirits
Customers don’t want to try something new right now. Sales for well-known brands have sky-rocketed, leaving smaller brands, restaurants, and bars behind.
“People are buying more, but cheaper and commercial stuff. They’re not willing to take a risk and try something different right now,” Juan Quintero, a partner in the liquor store Whiskey and Wine in Manhattan, told The New York Times.
The National Restaurant Association’s survey estimates that the restaurant and foodservice industry lost nearly $120 billion in sales during the first three months of the pandemic, according to ABC News. Eateries and bars raked in $38.6 billion in sales in May, on a seasonally-adjusted basis, but that’s down $27 billion from January and February of this year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Now wineries, restaurants, and bars are trying to recover. (more…)
by Lindsey Berke | Aug 27, 2020 | Culture
Even with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to affect the lives of all too many people around the world, topics such as racism and inequality remain at the forefront of conversations nowadays- as they should be. In a previous article, we discussed how racism is strongly tied to the healthcare system and how COVID-19 has only further proven that fact. Now we’ll also take a look at how the pandemic has impacted gender inequality. (more…)
by Teddy Craven | Aug 26, 2020 | General BI
The return to the office is fraught with many challenges for employers. Unlike the NBA or NHL, the vast majority of offices cannot isolate within a “bubble,” so companies must plan for the new normal of working around COVID-19. The most effective way for employers to avoid a breakout is by utilizing effective PPE and social distancing measures. These measures include mandatory mask use in the office, increased desk separation, and rotational in-office schedules.
Beyond PPE and social distancing, there will be a demand for health testing and contact tracing. Both of these preventative measures will require robust data capabilities in order to process the massive influx of employee data. In addition, companies will need to focus on data governance to properly manage the sensitive health information that is collected.
As the country moves back into the office, employers must strike a delicate balance between staying informed of health risks and maintaining employee privacy. Let’s first dive into the need for and benefits of employee testing and how data analytics can improve office safety. (more…)
by Parker Jones | Aug 25, 2020 | Wine & Spirits
We already know that Americans are drinking more during quarantine. This is understandable, since it often seems like there’s not much else to be doing while trapped at home. Some have attempted to keep themselves busy by picking up a new hobby instead. Activities like breadmaking are becoming more popular than they have in decades. And now, many have begun combining drinking with hobbies by crafting their own beer, wine, and spirits at home.
Several online retailers are now selling home brewing or infusing kits, which can be used to produce small batches of beer, whiskey, gin, and several other types of spirits. Making liquor at home can be a nice way to avoid unnecessary trips to the liquor store during the pandemic, but more importantly, gives people an entertaining activity that lets them learn more about their favorite spirits. The popularity of these kits has grown during the pandemic, and will likely continue to do so. (more…)
