Scenario Planning Example -- “Bobby’s Kid Card”
Advantage -- Bobby!
Elizabeth keeps firm
hold of Bobby as they
enter Wallymart. “Yes,
he’s rambunctious,” she
admits cryptically to the
store greeter. Looking
past the frozen food all the way to auto tires, she promises herself
not to chance hide-and-seek with the 7-year old. “Bobby! Please
be more careful,” Elizabeth warns when he pretends to topple over
the hydraulic lift stretched to fix a light.
6:40 -- Elizabeth has less than an hour to do
her banking and shopping, drop Bobby off at
extended-day school and get to this week’s
construction site. She sets the sleepy wig-gler
loose facing the children’s terminal system at a
Family Kiosk, handing him his brightly colored
Advantage Kid Card . As she begins her own session,
the sound of Sesame Street characters
reverberates from Bobby’s screen touch,
announcing his account balance and savings
results.
Thank goodness there isn’t a wait! Elizabeth has al-most
forgotten those tedious lines at Conservative Federal . Why were
only three out of six teller windows open? -- she’d once asked
them. The staid bank building now touts “World’s most secure
chicken,” featuring “our vaulted friers.”
“Mom! My savings went up 17 cents!” Bobby proudly
repeats.
“That’s nice honey,” Elizabeth murmurs, scanning recent
outlays on a screen. She feigns preferences for next month’s
vacation plans. “Recommended” locations, transportation, tour
packages, and rentals are all presented with a press of
Ready-to-go? Latin music accompanies dancers as she
hard-copies “your very own brochure” to review with shoppingphobic husband Rex. Next to her, Bobby jumps left and right
while Super-Grover‘s space ship encounters alien intruders.
Rex had hoped to come into new slacks for the trip.
That would be something else for Elizabeth to do. He’s a tall
guy, over 2m. Rather than entering the frustrating search for
“38 inch inseams,” Elizabeth brings up Wallymart's on-line
catalog, chooses a style, and specifies “for Rex” by touching
his picture. A reassuring voice proudly announces old news:
Although the product is not usually manufactured in this
length, Rex’s order will be transmitted instantly to the
factory for speedy custom creation. “Look for delivery
notification on your Advantage beeper,” the speaker adds;
her screen flashes, “...right here at this Wallymart
location...”
Meanwhile, Bobby waves his arms to an Oscar the
Grouch song about savings bonds. “Watch me dance, Mom!”
he implores.
“Let’s get your box lunch,” she answers, glancing
at her watch. “Still on time if you take the highway,” its icons
show. She retrieves Bobby’s card and stares at it. They turn
for “Prepared Meals.”
- by Amy Danielski (Hogan) and Steve Chenoweth, 1995
A retrospective sample from 1995 -- showing how new technologies may be used to expand markets in unexpected ways!