5 smart brands using technology to stay ahead of competition

Explore breakthrough brands that are providing quality customer experience via technology

Often people will be surprised to know the sheer magnitude of technological processes involved in making and designing the products that reach to them. Whether it is a smartphone, a pair of shoes, apparel or even the things you eat, technology plays a crucial role in determining the quality of the end product. Here are five brands that have emerged as leaders in their industry thanks to their ability to implement new ideas and technology that constantly delight and surprise their customers. Such a trait allows these brands to become pioneers in their respective domains.

1. Nike



 
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Who thought our shoes could possibly come integrated with the latest technology? Nike is one such brand that constantly keeps bringing innovation and scientific breakthroughs to provide its consumers, which include professional athletes, with the best of footwear. For instance, Nike asked its users what qualities they look for in a perfect pair of running shoes. The top qualities included better cushioning, lightweight, enhanced energy return and of course durability. In short, consumers wanted everything. To this end, Nike’s in-house mechanical engineers and chemists strove together to develop the technology which would allow them to make such shoes.

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After a relentless pursuit, Nike React came into being. Nike chemists spent three years experimenting on different materials and design methods along with mechanical engineers, who used computational design to come up with a fluid geometry for the sole of the shoe. They obtained data from athletes regarding their speeds, direction in which they move in accordance with the speed and force used. Moreover, using the heat map data from Nike Sports Research Lab they decided the amount of Nike React to be inserted in various parts of the shoe. In short, by making use of the latest technology, Nike is able to provide its consumers with their choice of footwear that yields optimal performance.

 

2. Starbucks



 
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Most caffeine addicts take their coffee very seriously. Knowing this, Starbucks has gone to great lengths to ensure that it provides its users with a top-notch unbeatable coffee experience. To ensure this, it has incorporated various technological processes in its processing and packaging line. For instance, it makes use of nitrogen blanketing. The thing with coffee is that often oxygen can have an adverse impact on its freshness and quality. To circumvent this problem, the company has come up with a closed-loop oxygen free processing system that envelops coffee in nitrogen to preserve its texture, colour and taste.



Moreover, Starbucks also uses techniques like advanced extraction, aroma recovery and careful cooling. Advanced extraction, which operates at higher pressure at higher temperatures, allows more solids to be extracted from the coffee beans. By developing a propriety process, Starbucks achieves the enhanced rich and robust aroma of its coffee, whilst simultaneously eliminating the bitter and acidic ones. Additionally, in Starbucks plants the coffee beans are held individually in streams of air to attain a more efficient and improved thermodynamic cooling performance which also leads to reduced bean breakage.

 

 

3. Shan Foods



 
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Home cooks and professional chefs alike know that the secret to a delicious meal is the use of good quality ingredients. But which brand sells the tastiest seasonings is a matter of personal taste. Some buy whole spices that you can grind fresh for each recipe, while other good spice brands sell their seasonings already prepared. In Pakistan, when we think of the term “spices”, the name that instantaneously pops in our head is Shaan Foods. As the pioneer in spice mixes, Shaan, a global food brand has been proudly serving the people for over three decades.


One of the secrets to its success is the superior quality of spices produced by the company. This remarkable feat is made possible because of Shan Foods’ commitment to use the best possible ingredients, from across the world, in their products. Moreover, such dedication to quality has allowed it to expand its footprint in over 65 countries across five continents. Additionally, the company also invests in and prioritises research and development, which is reflected in their processes. The use of Cryogenic technology is a prime example – a process where the spices are grinded at freezing temperatures. This is done to ensure that spices stay in their purest form, retain their freshness, color and aroma, till the time they reach the end consumers. The brand goes a step further and uses Vaccum Lock technology for packaging. The food-grade nitrogen & aluminium foil packaging maintains the spice quality by preventing bacteria from gaining an inside access. By providing innovative solutions, the brand continues to carve a niche in the hearts of not only South Asians but of people across the world.

 

 

4. Apple



 
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In a hyper-digitalised world, it only makes sense that tech-companies need to constantly up their game if they intend to retain customer loyalty from their users. Apple is one such company that prides itself on constantly working on new technology to invent and design superior products. The distinguishing factor about Apple is that it uses technology of the future, that is, it works on and invests in new technologies that are far ahead of the present times.  For instance, it was not till one year after the release of the original iPhone that other such phones could come up with a similarly designed and functioning capacitive touchscreen.


Similarly, while there were other biometric face identification systems before they mostly worked around images captured by a 2D camera. Such systems were not secure, could not tell real faces from photographs and did not work optimally in dark. However, Apple was the first one to bring FaceID which works on a completely different technology based around an infrared 3D-scanner. Hence, it became the first company to integrate such a safe, secure and reliable biometric identification system in a smartphone. Another breakthrough done by Apple is its Airpods, which have steadily gained traction around the world and can now be paired up even with the Apple Watch Series 3.

 

 

5. Saffola Oils



 
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Ever wondered, “What are the best cooking oil brands”? Going for grocery shopping and seeing the myriad choices of oils on the food aisles can confuse anyone. Using the right cooking oil is as vital as picking the right brand of oil. A huge query lately is that which one is the safest to purchase?  The question lead to the discovery of Saffola Oils. Saffola, an indian health care brand offers a wide range of everyday heart healthy food and services that are easy, effective and enjoyable.



Saffola Oils are infused with an “antioxidant bundle” that enhances the fat quality and provides optimum nutritional benefits to the consumers. With its Nutri Lock Technology, the brand promises to protect the natural goodness of the oil. Comparatively to other oil brands, Saffola oils have benefits of LOSORBTM Technology which results in lower fat absorption. By partnering with the team of heart experts and nutritionists, the cooking oil manufacturer for the last 10 years has been educating Indians on preventive heart care. The brand further encourages consumers to visit their website and gain advantage of free 'Heart Risk Calculator' in order to get a deeper understanding of the heart risk.