Musings on Pi, π 3.1415926…and so on March 14, 2016

March 14, 2016

Dear Readers;

Some days when I start to feel like I’m running around in circles I start thinking about Pi.

While I must confess that math is not my strong suit, I’ve long felt a connection to Pi, which is expressed as 3.14 with an infinite string of decimals trailing behind it.

Here’s a little primer on Pi and some of my associations:

• Pi is a mathematical constant; the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter which never changes.
• Yet, Pi is an “Irrational” number, meaning it can’t be calculated exactly, there’s always something that goes beyond a limit.
• Pi is a Transcendental number, which is any number that is not an algebraic number.
• I find it intriguing that Transcendental brings with it other realms of meaning –spiritual or non-physical world, visionary and idealistic.
• Now one of the world’s greatest scientists, Albert Einstein, is a Pi baby, born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, Germany. But he moved to Princeton, NJ in 1935 where he lived and worked for the Institute for Advanced Study until his death in 1955.
• Princeton is a short jaunt from where I live and work. And Pi day has long been a cause for celebration with many events scheduled, from the playful to the intellectual.
• My last connection to Pi is my company name, Practical Imagination Enterprises (PIE). As we consult in market innovation and qualitative research, we don’t express our findings as numbers, but as insights, stories, concepts and ideas. My work honors the practical, logical and rational, and goes beyond that to encompass the intuitive and the imaginative. We make space for meaning as well as measurement.

Drop me a line or give a call if you would like to know more.

Laurie Tema-Lyn

Practical Imagination Enterprises

laurie@practical-imagination.com

908-399-9460

Happy Pi Day!

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Musings: Senior Lives Matter too March 8, 2016

Dear Readers;

The world is focused on Millennials, that sexy segment of the population that is under age 34. As a market researcher I continually see client requests seeking insights into the hearts and minds of Millenials. What makes them tick? What attracts them to brands? How can we motivate them to shop our products?

Millennials are important of course, but senior lives matter too.

Boomers, born between 1946 and 1954 buy candy and liquor and sexy lingerie. They drive Harleys and renovate homes, they exercise and do yoga. They work, they retire, fall in love and travel. They make up a larger segment of the population than ever before, and have more discretionary income. According to a Forester report in 2015, Boomers drove 35% of all discretionary spending.

So why are Boomers and even the generation beyond being ignored from consumer research except for health care products and services specifically targeted to “older people?”  Why are we continuing to recruit participants aged “25-54” in most research forums? Is it bias? Discomfort with confronting mortality? Or just the expectation that the potential for customer longevity is longer with Millennials?

I think many marketers are missing the boat!

Senior lives matter- not just for their buying power, but also for their brains, insights and experiences in living longer. Effective market research and marketing to seniors requires deep understanding of their culture, survival tactics, expression and more. As we see in Millennials, Boomers are a complex, multi-faceted generation.

Let’s not ignore them.

 

Laurie Tema-Lyn

Practical Imagination Enterprises

laurie@practical-imagination.com