Strategy Roundup | 1.21.22
Jourdan B. Gooden
It’s giving: new year, same me. The skincare regimen is divine; very much moisturized, very much hydrated, very much glow. Currently COVID free; very much travel-ready. How’s your January?
Why Airlines Are Worried About 5G
The 5G hype has been swirling for years now. It’s interesting to consider how often the term “5G” goes in one ear and out the other for many people. It’s something of a write off for many; even if that means they’re writing checks to pay for the new smartphones that mobile carriers made them buy in order to have access to the 5th generation mobile network.
A 2020 survey from Sykes found that the vast majority of respondents think 5G will result in faster and more reliable connections. Besides the buy-in to the perfidious — even guileful, if you will — promises of faster download speeds, it’s a stretch to purport that most truly know what 5G is.
According to Qualcomm, 5G is a new global wireless standard that reportedly enables a new kind of network designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices. How this new network could interfere with radio altimeters — which were developed in the 1920s and help pilots determine a jet’s altitude and its distance from other objects — is what has airlines worried. In fact, the potential for interference between 5G signals and the radio altimeters has reportedly divided the telecom and aviation industries. Radio altimeters use frequencies closer to the ones used by 5G services than earlier generations of cellular service. “Aviation experts warned that 5G interference could have rare but catastrophic consequences for air travel, as some planes may not be able to land at airports near 5G towers. The F.C.C. and the wireless carriers largely dismissed those concerns.”
Carriers AT&T and Verizon agreed to temporarily restrict 5G in a two-mile buffer zone around a number of large airports but it’s only a temporary fix to a long-term issue — one that evidently is going to require a lot of money to resolve.
To be totally clear, it’s more than apparent that I had a totally different kind of childhood than whoever can think of bologna face masks as their pastime. Paying homage is also a nice gesture and to have The Oscar Mayer® brand do that for you must mean you’re important (once again, I can’t relate).
This week, Oscar Mayer released a bologna-inspired face mask that rejuvenates your skin while recapturing that “childhood joy”. They released this in early Q1 to engage the typical “new-year, new me” consumer that decided to take on the practice of self care. Their masks sold out on Amazon. Lindsey Ressler, Sr. Marketing Analyst, Oscar Mayer said that “Oscar Mayer has a legacy bringing levity to things that have gotten too serious, and beauty is a ripe territory to playfully subvert.”
“Oscar Mayer partnered with Seoul Mamas, a premier Korean beauty and skincare company, to bring some playfulness and levity back into the beauty world. The face masks are a hydrating and restoring hydrogel that promote skin elasticity, improve hydration and moisture retention, offer anti-inflammatory benefits, and provide protection for the skin. The masks will rejuvenate your beauty routine, while also bringing an unexpected smile to your face.”
It’s super encouraging to know that Oscar Mayer worked with a Korean beauty and skincare company but I’m going to need to see a full list of ingredients before I officially cosign this face mask.
Get Your Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests Today
An official launch of the government’s website from where people can order free COVID-19 home tests launched Wednesday. Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order four (4) free at-home COVID-19 tests.
But, — and I objectively say — as with all things the U.S government, (*deep sigh*) there are some issues. Some people living in apartments or other multiple-family residences had trouble ordering their tests (including me). Error messages preventing people from ordering tests appear after clicking to check out. “The USPS says such issues are affecting “a small percentage of orders,” and while I’m reluctant to take that claim for anything past misleading, I choose to be a part of the solution (*insert upside down smiling face emoji here*).
This link from Business Insider includes troubleshooting tips for those experiencing these issues. Once ordered, tests are expected to be mailed within seven to twelve days. Perhaps in the future, families with large households will be able to order more than four tests (hopefully in the future they wont need to) but for now it seems that the US government program is strict with their allotment per household.
