Scenario Planning Example -- “Bobby’s Kid Card”

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 shopping-phobic 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

Advantage -- Bobby!

A retrospective sample from 1995 -- showing how new technologies may be used to expand markets in unexpected ways!