Each week, we round up articles worth reading for insights into sales, marketing and business. This week, we’ve tracked down four pieces that show us where our economy may be heading, and how consumers are reacting.
Computer in your bracelet: With the growth and availability of mini-computers like the Raspberry Pi that help kids learn to code, entrepreneurs are tapping into this new market with consumer electronics that also teach. One popular segment is young women learning to code, as elementary schools, colleges and even the White House are encouraging more women to enter the STEM field. Jewelbots is a new company that seeks to bridge the worlds of design and code with computer-enabled bracelets. (Read more at Crains)
Trust in ads: A British ComScore survey released some revealing findings about consumer attitudes toward display ads on media websites across the pond. Researchers found that consumers were more likely to trust display ads in local or regional publications as opposed to larger national outlets. Consumers were also more likely to actually respond to the ad they saw on a local site. (Read more at Hold The Front Page)
Emotions on Facebook: Despite widespread calls for a Facebook “dislike” button to accompany the site’s existing “like” option, the social network is pushing ahead with a wider range of emotions than just love or disgust. Instead, they’re releasing test buttons in Europe that feature emojis displaying the whole spectrum of human emotion, from excitement to amazement to anger to sadness. (Read more at Internet Retailer)
Confidence is coming back: After a rocky decade, Americans are starting to get back on their feet with consumer purchasing, according to a Morningstar analysis of consumer confidence. The research found that Americans were spending more on restaurants, cars and houses, although it’s still a timid recovery as the stock market continues to waver. (Read more at Business Insider)