BlueStar Nation

The Pulse Goes to the Mall

We're back with some interesting topics, surveys, data, lists, and discussions for your next watercooler chat, video call, or lunch meeting.

 

This week's topics:

• NASA's lunar base plans
• The world's most visited websites
• The hardest-working US cities
• Highest-grossing films of all time
• Gen Z is going to the mall...
• ...and wants to live in the past
• How much does it cost to raise a kid?
• UK banning cigarette sales

 

Around the Nation: Check out Dean on the RSPA Trusted Advisor Podcast, discussing the latest KPI Study

On Our Radar

Dean - Pirates sign 19-year-old Konnor Griffin
John - Improving local weather forecasts

 

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star/
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter: https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Elo vs. Legacy Hardware

Filling Your Tech Stack Gaps w/Esper’s Shiv Sundar

No VAR can do it all, but that's kind of the point of the reseller channel: connecting manufacturers, distributors, resellers, software companies, and service providers to one another to help everyone provide solutions that meet customer needs. This week, Esper Founder & COO Shiv Sundar joins to explain how he saw a need to help resellers not just sell hardware, but ensure it was actually used and delivered ROI to the end users. How does an outcome-focused philosophy accomplish this? What makes strong channel partners, and how can Esper help you win more business?

 

Around the Nation: Join the 2U Tour in Austin or a city near you!

#VARValue - Why is Esper the perfect partner for VARs that sell mobility and digital signage? 

 

On Our Radar

Shiv - Edge AI & physical AI

Dean - Friction-maxxing

John - VR scents

 

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Esper Device Management

Elo Backpack

How to Expand Your RFID Partnerships w/Atlas RFID’s Steven Wood & Tim Prybl

Deploying RFID solutions is not as simple as slapping some tags on what you want to track and letting readers do their thing. While RFID is more popular than ever, it's critical to foster a strong, experienced partner network if you don't have that expertise in-house. This week, Atlas RFID's Steven Wood & Tim Prybl join the pod to address issues and assumptions they've seen sink an opportunity. What critical questions should you be asking? How can you set expectations for an RFID solution? When should you bring in an outside partner, and what do they need from you? It's the episode that wants to complete your pie!

 

Around the Nation: Watch new episodes of ISVs on Tap!

#VARValue - How does Atlas help VARs grow their RFID business and expand their offerings with their Professional Services and the Avancir software application?

 

On Our Radar

Steven - Embedded RAIN RFID

Tim - Passive Bluetooth

Dean - United Airlines' "Relax Row"

John - Bluesky's AI assistant

 

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Elo I-Series 5

Special Edition: What New Vendors Should Know About the Reseller Channel w/Intel's Rob Risany

While our show is typically aimed at resellers, MSPs, integrators, and software providers already working in the channel, this one is for the vendors just getting started or looking to develop a channel strategy!

 

You're a hardware manufacturer, software vendor, or services provider, and you've just signed up with the reseller channel. Your work is done, and skyrocketing profits will roll in any day now, right? Not exactly... Intel's Rob Risany explains the misconceptions vendors often have about the channel and their role within it. How should your sales team realign and rethink? What matters to VARs and their customers? Why do partnerships and outcomes-based solutions matter more than specs and speeds? How do BlueStar & Intel work together to foster channel enablement?

 

BlueStar's TEConnect Program: https://teconnect.bluestarinc.com/
Demand Lab Marketing Services: https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/programs/demand-lab-marketing-services 

Point-of-Purchase Advertising with PamiTV’s Kevin Brown

Brick-and-mortar consumers eventually find their way to a point of purchase, but are retailers utilizing that captive audience for more than just transactions and awkward upsell attempts? This week, PamiTV's Kevin Brown joins to explain the psychology behind installing dynamic displays at the POS. How does it help stores and the brands they sell? Why does it enable retail to incorporate e-commerce in-store? What hardware/software enables this solution? After listening to this episode, you're only four away from a free podcast!

 

Around the Nation: Find a 2U Tour stop near you!!

#VARValue - How does PamiTV help VARs provide a competitive edge to their customers and themselves?

 

On Our Radar

Kevin - AI call screening

Dean - Logan Paul Pokemon card & the Yuka app

John - Baseball's ABS challenge system

 

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Elo Non-Touch Displays

What Retailers Are (and Aren’t) Saying About Shrink - End User Survey

It's more end-user, data-driven goodness...this time exploring a problem that retail execs are clearly passionate about — shrink & loss prevention! The latest BlueStar Nation survey (sponsored by Datalogic!) finds that retail execs are blaming self-checkout and internal issues for shrink and they're taking an active role in finding solutions. Listen to find out what they perceive is happening, and some suggestions for solutions you can add to your portfolio to win!

 

Around the Nation: BlueStar Academy is a hit! Sign up for upcoming courses now!

#VARValue - Suggested solutions based on the survey data

 

On Our Radar

Dean - Elephant whiskers for robots?

John - How TikTok maps interests

 

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Elo Self-Service Array

The Retail Returns Crisis with IHL Group’s Greg Buzek

Retail returns are a $1.9 TRILLION "business," and growing faster than sales for most retailers. As more brands offer fast, free returns, we've trained a generation of consumers to overbuy and expect a frictionless return experience. What does that do to the retail supply chain and inventory? To answer that question, we turn to IHL Group's Greg Buzek, who comes loaded with data, insights, and suggestions for approaching retailers with solutions that could turn a crisis into an opportunity.

 

Around the Nation: Follow BlueStar on LinkedIn...we're a good hang!

#VARValue - What should we be discussing with retail customers to help them mitigate losses from returns and future-proof their operations?

 

On Our Radar

Greg - AI frontier models

Dean - The Olympics stuffed animal and how Canada's hockey team reacted

John - AI takes "Humanity's Last Exam"

 

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Elo's Self-Service Array

Converting Consumer to Commercial Displays in Restaurants

We're breaking down the data from a new BlueStar Nation Survey of 100 restaurant owners and operators. Shockingly, we found that most of them are using consumer-grade displays for entertainment, menus, advertising, and more. Dean has a lot of thoughts about what's changed (and what still hasn't) since he sold digital signage. What are the top challenges and needs we can address? Who is making the decisions? Are giant corporate chains off limits? What does it take to get someone to say "yes" to demo? We're adjusting the contrast and hiding the remote for this one!

 

Around the Nation: Find more surveys like this one at BlueStar Nation!

#VARValue - What else stood out in the data?

 

On Our Radar

Dean - The most hated corporate jargon

John - Yamaha SR-30A Soundbar

 

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Elo Pay M100

Retail POS – Do What the Big Guys Can’t w/NRS’ Elie Katz

Taking on the big, corporate-backed POS providers can feel daunting, but SMB retail and restaurants prefer personalized solutions customized to their unique needs. National Retail Solutions' Founder/President/CEO, Elie Katz, returns to the pod to share more tips for winning with your local grocers, bodegas, gas stations, liquor stores, tobacco shops, and more. How is AI impacting smaller businesses? What do the "big guys" forget or ignore when working with SMB? Where is the low-hanging solution fruit that you can address? PLUS - learn the four things every trade show booth should mention!

 

Around the Nation: BlueStar Academy is enrolling NOW!

#VARValue - What does NRS look for in partnerships? Why should a VAR or ISV listening to this episode reach out and start a relationship?

 

On Our Radar

Elie - AI use internally & externally

Dean - Yuka food & cosmetic app

John - Spotify audiobook matching

 

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by: Elo Future Proof Solutions

Winning in SMB Supply Chain w/Zebra's Wes Coleman & Jim Musco

The supply chain has undergone significant change this decade, and the advent of AI and a strong push for data-driven automation and efficiency suggest further change. As the giants of retail, commerce, and logistics innovate, what does it mean for SMB? This week, we have two of Zebra's Industry Principals, Wes Coleman (Warehouse) and Jim Musco (Retail), to share their thoughts and provide tips to help the "little guys" stay competitive and take advantage of new technologies. What separates laggards from leaders, and is "laggard" really a negative term? How are supply chain trends affecting retail inventory? Where are next-gen solutions actually winning and delivering ROI?

 

Around the Nation: Find a 2U Tour stop near you!

#VARValue - How does Zebra approach partnerships and integrations to help enterprises avoid the “Frankenstack” approach of tech adoption?

 

On Our Radar

Wes - Meta glasses

Jim - The fusion of AI, RFID, & machine vision

Dean - Drones at the Olympics

John - A drone umbrella

 

Keep in Touch!

Email – nation@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Zebra's 18th Annual Shopper Survey

Elo I-Series 5