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Saturday, June 19, 2010

3:10 pm edt

I have seen the future and it is cool!

Not since our ancestors squatted around an open fire, cooking the catch of the day of the day on a stick over an open flame has there been such a leap in cooking technology. With today’s modern kitchen consuming as much as 30% to 40% of household energy, the magnetic induction cook-top uses 90% less energy than that of a conventional gas or electric cook top, making it the most energy efficient form of cooking on the market today. The principle of magnetic induction was discovered in 1831 by Michael Faraday, a British physicist who laid the foundation o many of today’s common technologies. Faraday found that the electromotive force produced around a closed path is proportional to the rate of change of the magnetic flux through any surface bounded by that path. In other words, a magnetic induction cook-top uses electromagnetic energy to heat the cooking vessel itself, without generating heat on the surface of the cook top. Compared to a traditional gas or electric cooking surface, magnetic induction is faster, safer, cooler and a more efficient form of cooking. "Nothing is too wonderful to be true." Michael Faraday 1831The first patent for an induction cooker was filed in 1900, but the idea was never fully realized until Frigidaire created a prototype for a traveling road show showcasing the kitchen of the future. The first real production induction cook-top was launched by Westinghouse in the 1970’s, but production ceased when the company was sold in 1975. From here, development of induction cooking moved from the US to Europe where induction cooking was developed for the commercial market. Induction cooking was first introduced to the great kitchens of Europe’s leading hotels and restaurants as a way to reduce energy consumption and extreme temperatures, while at the same time allowing for the quick and safe preparation of food without the need for open flames and time consuming pre-heating of pots and pans.Today, adapted for residential use, the magnetic induction cook-top uses electromagnetic energy to heat the cooking utensil itself. When the unit is turned on, the induction coils produce a high frequency, alternating magnetic field, much like a radio wave, which flows through the cookware quickly and evenly, stimulating the iron molecules in the cookware to move back and forth rapidly, causing the molecules to collide, thus creating friction, which in turn creates heat to cook. Unlike traditional cooking surfaces that heat up and stay hot long after the meal has been prepared, the black glass-ceramic surface of the Induction-Top stays cool to the touch as it is unaffected by the magnetic field. As with any new technology, the question of health and safety always comes up in regard to the effect that magnetic induction has on the human body. The answer is simple…none! The energy transmitted from a magnetic induction cook top is not considered a safety hazard according to most scientists and engineers. The radiofrequency radiation that is transmitted from an induction cook-top is less than those encountered during every day interaction with common household appliances. The magnetic fields that are created during use are safer than electric fields. Electric fields interact with the water in a person’s body, which magnetic fields do not do. The reason is simple; the water molecule is a polar molecule with an electrically positive end and an electrically negative end. A water molecule within an electric field will tend to align with the field and when the field is oscillated, the water molecule will oscillate as well. This is how a microwave oven pops popcorn. Magnetic fields, on the other hand, go relatively unnoticed by water molecules or any other molecule in a body. So not only is induction cooking the most energy efficient form of cooking, I would have to say that it is the safest as wellIn closing, magnetic induction cooking is safe to use, easy to clean, quick to heat up as well as to cool down and most important, and energy efficient. It would be safe to say that in any other culture this technology would be mistaken for magic. The Benefits of Induction Cooking:· Because energy is directly transferred within the pan, induction cooking is extremely fast …even faster than gas. · Induction is much safer than gas or other electric cooking surfaces since there is no open flame, red-hot coil or other radiant heat source to burn or scorch if left unattended. No contact…No heat. · With no grates or grease catch to worry about, clean up is a breeze. Just use a damp cloth and wipe over the easy-to-clean surface. · Almost no ambient heat is produced since all the heat is being generated in the pan itself. This means a much cooler kitchen to work within. · Induction cooking is far more energy efficient than gas or traditional electric cooking. The induction Cook-Top delivers 90% of the energy that it uses to the pan! Gas on the other hand delivers only 55% to the pan and traditional electric about 65%. In addition, when you remove the vessel from the induction-cooking surface, the cooktop immediately goes into standby mode, which uses almost no energy whatsoever.· Unlike a gas burner or electrical stove, the induction cooktop is incapable of producing heat on its own; only until a pan is placed on top of it does it generate a magnetic field that excites the magnetic molecules in the pan which creates Instant, precise and very controllable heat.

3:09 pm edt

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Group42, a design + marketing collective dedicated to redefining the boundaries of the modern kitchen.

Group42 specializes in training, organizational development, and coaching services that are tailored to your business, your challenges, and your people.

Our work is grounded in real business issues to produce tangible, bottom line outcomes. We use the context of your business to develop the strategies and behaviors necessary for success in today's market driven climate.

Group42 is lead by industry leader, designer, writer and speaker, Kevin Henry. A “thought-leaders” to the luxury kitchen industry, Kevin's veiws and observations regarding market trends and direction has been sought after by leading manufacturers, designers and media leaders for over 25 years. His blog, The Essential Kitchen (www.theessentialkitchen.blogspot.com), is followed world-wide by consumers as well as industry and media leaders. Kevin is invited to speak internationally on a wide range of topics, including luxury branding, sustainable kitchen design and market trends. Mr Henry has been behind the success of such iconic brands as SnaideroUSA, Poliform/VarennaUSA, KüppersbuschUSA, ALNO USA as well as his own brand Bazzèo, Earth Friendly Kitchens.

Group42 Services:

Brand Development
Product Development
Market Research
Media Planning + Purchasing
Editorial + Public Relations

LUXURY BRAND MARKETING

For the first time in the history of mankind there has been a fundamental change in our core nature, we are no longer driven by basic survival needs such as food, shelter, and sex, but in the last few decades there has been a change from need to desire. I don’t just need a car, I want a Mercedes. My children don’t just need an education; they need to go to Hillsdale Academy. I don’t need a home…I want the right zip code. This collective evolution affects everything from tennis shoes to kitchen cabinets. So what is this Cultural Revolution that has the power to get us up and out of bed in the morning, to the power of topple governments and overturn centuries of tradition. The need to “survive” has been replaced by the need to “have”. The survival of the “fittest” has been replaced by “I am what I own”. As Tiffany has shown us…We live in a time where the package can be more important than the contents. There was a time in the not to distant past when we were categorized by our accents, education, class, pigmentation, nationality, religion or heritage, now replaced by our product choice. Aspirational or Affluent, we are now “judged by the companies we keep” or wear or drive or shop. Brand allegiance has become almost tribal, letting others around us know who we are and where we fit in the food chain. In other words we have become a “brotherhood of brands”.

WHAT IS A BRAND

Great brands have great promise and a great promise is made up of value, service, substance, history and an objective for the future. A brand is made up of many parts and sometimes many products, it can have local recognition or be spread-out over six continents, and it is the brand that binds it all together. A good brand is perceived and recognized in Berlin as it is in Los Angeles. It is as readily accepted in London as it is in Hong Kong or Mexico City. The brand supersedes the product. The value of the brand is that it provides credibility, history, continuity and trust in an ever-changing world.

Brand Charteristics

· A brand pre-qualifies your client as to the position and value of the products you sale.

· A brand protects the sale.

Products can be copied, but never the brand.

But branding is more than just putting a logo on a product. The brand is more than a badge or emblem; it is our promise to the consumer of quality and value. Branding must be constantly managed, maintained and cultivated. Just like a garden it must be watered, weeded, pruned and feed. Add just the right amount of exposure to keep it fresh and vibrant,

to much or to little, it will lose its bloom, welt and die. A brand must be maintained internally and promoted and embraced externally.

Brand Facts:

According to a recent consumer study, brand outweighs price in a high-end purchase decision. The 3 reasons most given are:

Confidence: The ability to buy something with out risk
Convenience: The ability to buy without thinking.
Image: The brand makes a personal statement about the consumer.

The Influence of BrandToday out of our $10 trillion economy, $6 trillion is consumer spending. About 40% of that is spending on discretionary products and consumers today spend less on basic necessities, such as food, clothing and shelter, than they did fifty years ago. But they spend more and more money on discretionary purchases that are motivated by emotion and desire," In other words “They are buying things they want, not what they need”. A successful brand must speak to the consumer on an emotional level.As more products enter the market place and more information is needed to make an educated decision, brands will become more important in the decision making process.

Consumers will pay higher prices for a brand as they eliminate risk and expedite action.
Brand recognition helps to identify products faster and increases the convenience factor in meeting consumer needs.
Brand as a personal image enhancer. You are what you buy.

The Brand as Justifier

At the core of affluent marketing is “Justification”. Justification such as pleasure, safety and self-fulfillment are the underlying motivation of affluent purchasing. These justifiers are used as rational excuses to give ones-self permission to buy. The overriding justifier behind all-discretionary spending is to improve the quality of life. The affluent consumer wants a better, more satisfying, fulfilling life and they buy things to fulfill that need. Branding is the driving point, as this group believes that traditional indicators of luxury are most important. To our target consumer, products must be sold through a trusted name, be made well and be prestigious as well as exclusive.

EMOTIONAL LUXURY

So what is the new luxury? It’s still about lifestyle. But it is not about owning, it’s more about living. If stress and anxiety are the by products of the modern world, then nothing is more coveted than relaxation and contentment.So what does this mean for us, in the luxury kitchen market? First we have to understand that our consumer has evolved. What he wants out of the purchase has changed. We have gone from “keeping up with the Jones” to “does this purchase make me feel good”. Today’s luxury consumer offers no apology for their desires; they’re entitled to it. They have earned it. They work hard for it. They deserve it, and they have nothing to be ashamed of. So what is the luxury consumer looking for? They are looking for something that is uniquely them, something that no one else has or can have. They believe that luxury is something that isn’t too available or too accessible. It isn’t too common or to widespread. If the hallmarks of luxury in the past were loud and excessive, then today it is subtle and refined. Luxury can be found in the details. Luxury has gone from “ubiquity” to “exclusivity”, from something very public to something very private. What others may think doesn’t matter as much as “What do I think”. When we talk about luxury, it’s important to talk about the intangible aspects of luxury. We must address happiness and comfort, taste and beauty, exclusivity and uniqueness. The purchase must be viewed as a reward for hard work, a symbol of accomplishment. In closing, luxury has become a private matter and it is open to individual interpretation. It’s not found, flaunted, or touted everywhere; it’s not aimed at the masses. It’s about the pleasure of owning an original. It’s about exclusivity. And ultimately, it’s about self-expression.