By Alex Parkinson, Associate Director, Society for New Communications Research of The Conference Board, and Kathy Klotz-Guest, Business Story Strategist, Speaker, Author, and CEO, Keeping it Human Last week, we shared part 1 of an edited transcript of my conversation with Kathy Klotz-Guest, CEO of Keeping it Human (and a founding fellow of the Society […]

The United States has long been known for its national parks. But last month, Barack Obama created a single marine reserve that covers significantly more area than all of them, combined.

On August 26, 2016, Obama expanded the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument to 582,578 square miles around the northwestern islands of Hawaii. The monument was established in 2006 by George Bush, and Obama — who grew up in Hawaii — just quadrupled its size, making it the world’s largest marine protected area.

After a trip to Honolulu to address the IUCN World Conservation Congress, Obama met legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle on the beach of Midway Atoll last Thursday to admire a small section of the newly expanded reserve. With the 2009 TED Prize, Earle wished to ignite public support for marine protected areas, then less than 1% of the world’s oceans. Obama applauded her efforts so far. “I am in awe of anybody who has done so much for ocean conservation,” he said. “You’ve done amazing work.”

Today, about 4% of the world’s oceans are protected. Earle hopes to increase that to 20% by 2020, because marine protected areas are key for improving resilience to climate change and ensuring biodiversity. Papahānaumokuākea, for example, is home to more than 7,000 species, including the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and black corals believed to be more than 4,000 years old.

The reserve also contains a new species just discovered in June by ichthyologist Richard Pyle (watch his TED Talk: “A dive into the reef’s twilight zone”). A member of the genus Tosanoides, this red and yellow fish is the first member of its species found outside Japanese waters, and the males have an unusual red and blue mark on their dorsal fins. This species will be named for Obama, because he created the reserve — and because the mark is reminiscent of his campaign logo. The fish’s official name will be released in print this fall when Pyle and colleagues publish their research. But Obama, being the president, got a sneak peek.

On the beach together, Earle showed the president an image of the newly discovered fish. Obama stumbled on the name, but said, “That’s a nice-looking fish.”

Earle is at the IUCN World Conservation Congress this week, and the meeting of global leaders will continue through September 10. It began just after US National Park System celebrated its 100-year anniversary, and marine protection will stay a centerpiece of the conversation.

“History will remember this anniversary and next century as the ‘blue centennial,’”  Earle said. “The time when the national park idea was brought to the ocean.”

Too late, the spoofs are in…

The new water-resistant Pancake. pic.twitter.com/sOpzLyeMVf

— Denny's (@DennysDiner) September 7, 2016

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As usual, the TED community has lots of news to share this week. Below, some highlights.

Flip the switch. Sangeeta Bhatia is the senior author on a paper that makes the genome editing power of CRISPR responsive to ultraviolet light. As detailed in academic journal Angewandte Chemie, the researchers developed a system where gene editing occurs only when UV light is shone on the target cells, allowing researchers greater control over when and where the editing occurs. The technique could help scientists study embryonic development and disease progression with more precision, and Bhatia’s lab is exploring possible medical applications as well. (Watch Sangeeta’s TED Talk)

Mind the gap. In 2012, Anne-Marie Slaughter set the Internet on fire with her Atlantic article, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” but after the intense debate around the article died down, Slaughter continued to search for an understanding of what true gender equality means. The result is her book Unfinished Business, released on August 9. The book is not only a more nuanced look at the issues and questions that prompted the article, but also a significant evolution of the ideas she expressed four years ago. (Watch Anne-Marie’s TED Talk)

The political needs of emerging technology. While it seems the stuff of science fiction, Anand Giridharadas tackles a possibility that may well be a monumental challenge in the near future: robots taking jobs. His op-ed in The New York Times centers on the place where the challenge is brewing, Silicon Valley, and explores the disrupting power of emerging technology through the eyes of local legend and venture capitalist Vinod Khosla. In the eyes of Khosla, the displacement caused by robots won’t just require simple adjustments, but a “massive economic redistribution via something like a guaranteed minimum income” and a reinvention of capitalism itself. (Watch Anand’s TED Talk)

Education revolution in Brooklyn. Educator Nadia Lopez has worked tirelessly to right the wrongs of a failing education system and support her students who, as residents of deeply troubled communities in Brooklyn, are too frequently overlooked and left behind. Released on August 30, her book The Bridge to Brilliance chronicles the uphill battle it has taken to create, and run, her pioneering inner-city middle school, Mott Hall Bridges Academy. (Tune into PBS on September 13 to hear Nadia Lopez in TED Talks: Education Revolution.)

A landmark for world peace. In The New York Times, psychologist Steven Pinker and Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos co-author an op-ed on the country’s recent peace treaty, announced August 25, between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. The peace agreement, the authors argue, marks not just a monumental step towards ending the decades long conflict that has plagued Colombia, but is a significant landmark for peace in the continent and around the world. “Because we have come this far, we know we can go further. Where wars have ended, other forms of bloodshed, such as gang violence, can also be reduced,” the authors write, “Since the Americas have succeeded in moving away from war, we know this could happen even in the world’s most stubbornly violent regions.” (Watch Steven’s TED Talk)

An accidental discovery. Donald Sadoway is among a team of scientists that stumbled upon a new method of producing some metals. Reported in the journal Nature Communications, the discovery came when the researchers were attempting to develop a new battery. Instead, the researchers realized that they were producing the metal antimony through electrolysis. The researchers believe that they could produce metals such as copper and nickel through the same method, but it’s not just a novel method — it nearly eliminates the greenhouse gas emissions of traditional smelting and has the potential to drastically reduce the cost of metal production. (Watch Donald’s TED Talk)

A challenge to looters. TED Prize winner Sarah Parcak appeared on The Diane Rehm Show on August 24 for a panel discussion on “the big business of looted antiquities.” She explained how terrorist organizations are selling artifacts looted from ancient sites to fund their activities, and talked about GlobalXplorer, the citizen science platform she’s building to democratize archaeology. She also sent an unconventional message to collectors tempted by buying artifacts that could be stolen. “People all around the world want to own a piece of history. My challenge to them is: be a part of making history,” she said. “They say history is written by the winners. I think history should be written by everyone.” (Watch Sarah’s latest update on GlobalXplorer, and sign up to get early access.)

Have a news item to share? Write us at [email protected] and you may see it included in this weekly round-up.

Apple has removed the word “store” from the names of its retail locations.  This suggests Apple may be thinking about itself less as a product company and more as an experience brand.  This video analyzes the significance of this change and gives you a look at the retail customer experience at the new Apple Union Square in San Francisco.

related brand experience briefs:

• H-E-B grocery store
• Target Open House connected home store
• Best Buy

transcript:

All eyes are on Apple this week because it is expected to introduce the iPhone 7 and the Apple Watch 2 at its annual event.  But from a brand standpoint, Apple introduced a bigger change a couple of weeks ago.  It announced it has removed the word “store” from the names of its retail locations.  So for example, Apple’s new flagship store in downtown San Francisco is called simply “Apple Union Square.”  This video analyzes the significance of this change and gives you a look at the brand experience at the new store.

Now you might think I’m making a big deal out of nothing by drawing attention to a mere word change, but it really does seem to signify an important shift in the way Apple thinks about its stores and itself.  Back when the company introduced its new store design, Angela Ahrendts, head of its retail business, explained she wanted the space to feel like a Town Square.  And indeed it does.

The entire glass front of the store is actually two-story high doors that can be opened, removing the separation between store floor and sidewalk.   The products are displayed without signage on big tables or in glass-topped tables themselves, with lots of room between the products and the tables so the place seems as conducive to browsing and people watching as it is to trying out the products and actually buying them.  Some product displays like this one for the Apple Watch are designed like what you’d see at a fashion boutique or a luxury store.  Even accessories are displayed beautifully.

Upstairs the Genius Bar has been replaced by a Genius Grove, a lounge of sorts lined with trees, comfy seating, and workstations — and lots of friendly employees in tasteful blue t-shirts happy to answer questions, provide consultation, and just gape at the store, er, I mean place.  The upstairs also features a 6K video wall and viewing area with funky, movable seating which the company refers to as The Forum.  Apple hosts activities, events, and classes in the location.  And there is a park-like outdoor space where acoustic artists perform and people sip coffee.

Throughout the location, there are lots of huge digital screens and tasteful displays, glass stairways that would satisfy Steve Jobs’ obsession with beautiful, patent-able stair designs, and noticeably absent are cash registers and counters.  Perhaps the ultimate sign that this place is not just a store is that there are bathrooms that people are welcome to use — and of course, they’re beautifully designed as well.

At the opening of the store, Ahrendts said, “We think of [the retail stores] as really our largest product.”  And now by dropping the word “store” from the name of its locations, the company seems to be suggesting that that product is actually an experience.  The store isn’t where you go to buy Apple products, it’s where you experience Apple.  This combined with Apple’s foray into streaming music and its continued evolution of Apple TV and apps, it’s as if Apple is transforming itself.  It’s no longer a product company, or even a technology company, but an experience company.  Its stores — and the Apple brand itself — have become conduits for gathering, connection, and entertainment.

The post brand experience brief: apple union square appeared first on Denise Lee Yohn.

By Alex Parkinson, Associate Director, Society for New Communications Research of The Conference Board, and Kathy Klotz-Guest, Business Story Strategist, Speaker, Author, and CEO, Keeping it Human At the end of September, a new report from the Society for New Communications Research of The Conference Board (SNCR) will look at how corporate communications and marketing […]

A look at how U.S. consumers are changing, and what they expect from the brands they support