Carl Franke

Using DALL-E To Introduce Your Story’s Setting And Characters

December 29, 2024 / Carl Franke / 0 Comments

As writers, we live in our imaginations, carefully crafting every detail of our story’s world and the people who inhabit it. But translating these vivid visions into something readers can immediately see is often a challenge—especially in the visually driven culture of Instagram. This is where DALL-E, a cutting-edge AI image generator, can be a game-changer.

Whether you’re introducing readers to the eerie vibe of a dystopian cityscape, the warmth of a quaint small-town diner, or the complex personalities of your characters, DALL-E empowers you to create images that capture the essence of your story. Let’s explore how this tool can be an asset, particularly for creating Instagram carousel posts that draw readers into your novel’s world.

Step 1: Fine-Tuning the Vision for Your Setting

Your story’s setting is more than just a backdrop—it’s a character in itself. To use DALL-E effectively, start by defining what makes your setting unique. For example:

Is it hauntingly dystopian, with crumbling skyscrapers and neon lights flickering in the mist?
Does it evoke the idyllic warmth of a sleepy winter town, with snow-laden rooftops and strings of lights twinkling in every window?

By being specific about the atmosphere, era, and details, you can guide DALL-E to generate images that align closely with your vision. Imagine a carousel post starting with a wide shot of your novel’s world, followed by close-ups of key locations where the story unfolds. Each image can be accompanied by a caption that teases a plot element or describes the mood.

Step 2: Breathing Life into Your Characters

DALL-E can help you visualize characters with stunning precision. Here’s how to bring them to life:

Start with Personality Traits: Is your protagonist a brooding antihero with a shadowed face and piercing eyes? Or a quirky, vibrant artist whose colorful attire matches their exuberance?
Define Physical Features: Input key traits like hair color, build, clothing style, and expressions. For example, Garvey from Blizzard 96 could be visualized as a scruffy college senior in a thrift-store jacket, his eyes reflecting both determination and uncertainty.
Emphasize Themes: If your novel’s themes are dark and suspenseful, use moody lighting and shadowy backdrops to amplify the tone.

The beauty of Instagram carousels is their ability to showcase multiple facets of a character. You can use one image for their exterior appearance, another for their inner struggles, and perhaps a third for a moment of transformation in the story.

Step 3: Captivating Your Audience with Subtitles and Captions

Pairing your visuals with compelling text is key to engaging readers. Use subtitles to frame each slide:

“A Blizzard’s Grip: The Hotel That Holds Them Hostage”
“Garvey: The Reluctant Leader”
“The Cop Who Brings the Storm Inside”

Each subtitle can hook the audience into the story while keeping the carousel cohesive. Use captions to deepen their understanding of the narrative, describing what’s happening or sharing a snippet of dialogue.

Step 4: Building Anticipation and Community

By sharing these images and insights into your creative process, you’re not just promoting your book—you’re inviting readers into your world. You can even encourage fan interaction:

Ask them to guess plot twists based on the images.
Hold polls to decide between alternative visuals.
Share behind-the-scenes commentary on how the images came to life.

Why DALL-E and Instagram are the Perfect Pair

Instagram thrives on stunning visuals, and DALL-E allows you to deliver exactly that. Each image is a reflection of your creative intent, designed to spark curiosity and emotional connection. By combining this technology with Instagram’s carousel format, you can craft a multi-layered, immersive introduction to your novel that lingers in readers’ minds.

With Blizzard 96, I’ve used these tools to capture the stark beauty of a snow-buried hotel, the contrasting personalities of Garvey and Wyatt, and the sinister undercurrents of the blizzard-stricken town. Every post becomes a piece of the puzzle, urging readers to dive into the story and discover how it all fits together.

So, if you’re an author looking to bring your story’s visuals to life, give DALL-E a try and see how it transforms your marketing—and your connection with future readers.

What scenes or characters would you want to bring to life for your own story?

Here is an example of imagery created in DALL-E, utilizing the Dystopian prompt:

A hotel provides shelter, but danger lurks indoors.

and a nefarious police officer interfere with their mission

A harrowing mission set forth by an estranged truck driver

Cheers From Dryville

December 2, 2024 / Carl Franke

Never a big drinker, I enjoy ales socially and love supporting local breweries. The buzz after three 6.5% IPA draughts at a bar with friends is a golden moment peak. It’s been a mainstay session.

“Strong Beer / Strong Coffee” lived in my Instagram profile for years. Seasonal beers were irresistible unicorns to behold. Trips to Big Top Beverage led to lengthy stays in the aisles, examining the elaborate case and label designs. Liquor and wine meant nothing to me.

Beer was a social pillar for me since I first cracked open my first Milwaukee’s “Beast” in college. Recently, I wanted to explore what a long period of time would feel like, for my mind and body, with zero booze. I went on and off for a couple years. The longest I went without a sip was 6 months. Big whoop, I know. Here’s some observations:

Better Sleep

Sleep become more even-keeled, deeper, and uninterrupted. Even just 6 hours of sleeps did the trick.

When drunk, the reduced REM sleep and deep sleeps are unattainable. I’d often wake up at 3am and have to watch TV to fall back asleep, or just stare at the ceiling for hours. And then the next day, hungover, I’d be exhausted.

Tightened Stomach?

This was just a bonus, but belly fat reduced rather quickly. What changed? Well, with even a modest buzz, I’d engage in a midnight 4th meal of the day and then feel that I deserved a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich from a heated lamp at Wawa the next day, just to take the edge of. Without this intake, and without the calories of double-IPAs, weight loss just happened.

Fitness Focused

I don’t go to a gym. Swaying free weights in the basement, doing planks and yoga in the family room, and biking around town are enough for me. But while drinking, the next day created those “off” sensations where you couldn’t do anything but watch streaming shows under a blanket. Without the booze, my fitness routine was always welcoming, unhindered.

Work Day Focus

Whether working from home or in the office, the focus throughout the day became better maintained. Any “brain fog” or dire 3pm crashes were no longer there. With sleep quality strengthened, work day attentiveness didn’t drag.

Money Savings

Cases of locally crafted IPAs are expensive. This was a monthly budget line item that I could remove. Whatever your liquor or beer choices are, you’ll save money without having to restock your supply. You’ll also never have to use Uber or Lyft and deal with having to retrieve your car from a vacant parking lot the following day.

Hobbies Accomplished

More attuned all day, I had more dedicated time for hobbies and projects that I was working on around the house. The passions in my life outside of marketing became easily reached and more was accomplished.

Energy & Emotions

The days-long hangover malaise and alcohol-induced mood disruption were not missed. They weren’t there to destroy my energy or alter my emotions. Having Gilbert Syndrome, my hangovers were often devastating.

If you Google the benefits that your organs experience from abstaining from alcohol, it’s nothing but good news. For brain health alone, decisions making is improved, anxiety is reduced, mood swings are lessened, cognitive function is improved. These all felt achieved. But are the enzymes level of my liver increased? No idea.

Face Time

The typical old man bags under my eyes are never going away, but the extended bags, combined with bloodshot blue eyes, were never present. My skin seemed to look a bit healthier as well, but maybe it’s just that gifted shea butter I received? Not sure.

Bar Scene

My initial concern was that I’d be given a hard time for being a teetotaler sipping on a virgin Moscow Mule. But, out and about, nobody cared. Most didn’t even ask what I was drinking. Whether I was out watching the Phillies, at an industry conference, or at my own 50th birthday party, nobody was concerned at what I was drinking or what level of drunkenness I was at. It’s all about being present and having fun together, which leads me to…

Necessary Good Times Elixir?

With so many “crazy nights” tagged over the years, I wondered if alcohol was a necessary component of socializing in a boisterous, crowded bar. Did I need it to be witty and fun? Absolutely not. And I never have issues talking with strangers filter-free, so that 7.8% ABV lubricant isn’t needed. I didn’t require 2 drinks just to calm down or loosen up.

NA Options

I’ve never dabbled with non-alcoholic beers aside from Heineken 0.0 and O’Doul’s Premium, both of which taste awful to me. Athletic Brewing Company, from Connecticut, which you’ll find in big box stores and more often at bars, has two IPAs that actually taste great. I realized that I missed the aromatic smattering of hops such as Citra, Simcoe and Chinook, and these beers allowed me to enjoy the taste and fragrance. My favorite NA beers are from Illinois-based Go Brewing, which boast bold, unique can design.

Local to the Philly area, there is a store in Ardmore, PA called Wallace Dry Goods that holds NA events, such as zero-proof cocktail workshops. They also sell glassware and gift sets, along with NA spirits, beer, cider and wine. This Hosting Essentials mix six-pack lets you try six different brands.

Shame Free

The awful shame of being hungover around my kids no longer existed. And the late night act of coffee and a cake based dessert at a restaurant to help “sober up”, in the hopes of driving home safely, was obviously no longer there either.

Go Brewing makes delicious beers, from IPAs, pilsners, sours, porters, gluten free beers and more.

TikTok Accounts For Corporate Career Advice

October 2, 2024 / Carl Franke

Most TikTok accounts that I follow are a source of comic relief, simplistic recipes, or music reviews. Although YouTube and LinkedIn have a wealth of career and leadership advice videos, there are many TikTok accounts with insider knowledge from different generations.

Here are six accounts that I’ve been tapping the fave button on often. What are some of your workplace centric favorites?

Chris Williams
@theclwill
Former Microsoft VP. Provides tips for all stages of careers, focused on leadership. He does a great job breaking down clinical jargon and exposing potential toxic environments.

Lowe Whaley – Your Virtual Work Bestie
@loewhaley
Conducts workshops on the power of personal branding, growing your online social presence, boundary setting, effective communication and work-life integration. Her videos portray a lot of video conference scenarios that are hysterical life lessons.

Tom Fell – Comedian and WFH desk jockey
@tomfellisheokay
Hilarious spirals into of what seems obtuse but is quite actual. His rants follow a series of posturing with smart observations which bubbles into funny climaxes.

Greg Landstaff – Career Coach
@greglangstaff
Provides tips on perfecting resumes, online presence, job search and current corporate trends.

Corporate Truth Teller – Mental Health Therapist / Expert
@nidhitewarilcsw

High Performer Coach
@elissalynn_
Helps high performers detach from work without losing their edge.

Name Droppings

September 2, 2024 / Carl Franke

I walked into the dry cleaners. Nobody was around. I tapped the bell.

A woman emerged from the rear carousel conveyor. “Ahhh, don’t tell me,” she said. “Franke with an E, right?”

“Yes!” I smiled. “You’re good.”

It was the same woman that had been there the last several (probably six) times I had visited. And each time, she recalled my name.

We had a minor chat about sushi and floral Hawaiian shirts. I stood, amazed that she pegged me from afar with a quick glance. My sunglasses and Phillies cap seemed to disrupt her memory for just a micro moment. There were no reward cards to swipe, QR codes to scan or any other disruptive consumer tech — just time for an actual conversation and a large, pink receipt to pick up the clothes, a crinkly nostalgic method of remembrance.

Sure, she knew that I was arriving at some point during the week and likely had a list of people in mind, but I’m just one of many regular office dudes stopping in there to get their shirts cleaned.

This verbal personalization amplifies an employee to top-tier. If all goes well, the desire to leave a Google review grows and puts that person in the spotlight, on a pedestal, on the red carpet.

At restaurants, when the bartenders or waitstaff remember your name, it’s as if you’ve arrived at a new echelon of customer service. You’re beyond the barricade of dull greetings and weather chitchat. You’re in the know. The customer experience has entered a realm of new ease and familiarity. If your position is front facing like this, it’s a true skill to rattle off first names and remember preferred cocktails.

Conversely, if you don’t remember frequent return customers, it can be a put off. You don’t remember me and the 35% tip that I left two weeks ago? You don’t recall the long conversation we had about Victory Brewing Company?

When you’re seated and the waiter asks if it’s the first time you’ve ever dined there, and you were there a couple weeks ago chatting with him about your pets and recent trip to Brazil, it can be a cringeworthy experience. I never take it personally, but wonder, my God, I must have been such a drab, boring person that night.

Years ago when I lived next to North Third in Northern Liberties, some bartenders would see me enter and start pouring my usual. I had become a Norm, a local regular whose desire to chat with strangers made it simpler for all.

Whether you use mnemonic devices with alliteration (like Loud Little Lucia) or just have an outstanding memory, you can improve customer relations and promote positive associations with these potent skills of connection.

Mild Nomophobia?

August 28, 2024 / Carl Franke

At the quaint coffee shop, I was the sole customer, waiting for my inessential cheese Danish and 16 oz. to-go. A beautiful place, with sprawling plants and rotating artwork on the walls, I chatted a bit with the baristas. But then, I reached for my phone and slowly sat to scan my work emails, seized by the bold unread inbox.

An older gentleman walked in and sneered at me in disgust. I nodded with brief eye contact, but I was caught up troubleshooting an issue. “Whatever,” I thought, feeling the urgency of screen staring was vindicated.

The man placed his order and hovered over me, stopping his final footstep with a slam. I glanced up and his face was contorted as if I was draped with bird droppings.

“You know what?” he asked.

“Here it comes…” I thought, locking the phone.

“I can’t stand this song,” he said.

The Motown hit “My Girl” had been blasted since he entered.

“When I was at camp as a kid…” he said. “The counselors blared this song every morning for two weeks straight to wake us up.”

“I hate it too. It’s just too saccharine. It’s overused in movies and commercials. And every wedding.”

“Yes, it is. I’ve been hating it for 55 years!” The man sat next to me and crinkled his newspaper. We exchanged further comments, clutching our devices.

Staring at my phone in public, especially while walking, is something that I’m trying reduce. I don’t aspire to be a cyborg. Grocery shopping with an Apple Vision Pro strapped on is not a goal.

There’s always a notification to tap into if you crave it. Lingering at a Home Depot line or at your kid’s bus stop are prime moments for great conversations, or just reclaiming a sliver of humanity.

At Oracle Park where the San Francisco Giants play, to help prevent distracted human collisions, they installed separate lanes in the concession areas for walking with and without phones. I thought it was a joke when I first saw it.

Temporary, experimental phone lanes were also developed in Washington D.C., Belgium, Germany and China.

All of this leads to whether nomophobia (anxiety about not having access to a mobile phone and phone services) grips many of us.

For every potentially mundane moment in life, we can season it with a digital serotonin spike and get displaced from our physical surroundings. Are we ditching traditional social manners for the sake of addicted convenience? Are we preferring to be antisocial “offline”, choosing devices over humans?

As I devoured the enormous empty caloric baked good, I realized that portion control of screen (and food) is difficult to regulate for adults and kids alike.

Captions App

August 27, 2024 / Carl Franke

The original ad that I saw in TikTok for the iOS app, Captions, was about how it’s an AI influencer tool. Yes, you could use it like that. But the simplest way to describe this app is that it’s like choosing a character with a fixed background to read your script. Of course, it won’t provide you with the thousands of followers that a real influencer has achieved.

I took the free trial version of Captions for a spin.

The character’s enunciation and phrasing can be tweaked a bit with punctuation, but it’s still rather locked into the persona’s sample style. You’re not going to make the characters cry, break a sweat, get a wardrobe change, pull back their hair or get into a giggle fit.

For certain characters, the lips and mouth movements weren’t matching the words, like a 70s Kung Fu film.

As with the app name, Captions creates beautiful captions, giving specific words more emphasis and providing many animation styles that are downright hypnotic and provide an easy read. Branded font colors available? Yep, you can do that.

You can also supply several photos for the character to appear in front of. The character can appear at various sized scales, which makes for a more exciting watch.

Here’s an example. (Of course, I had this character promote one of my books.):

@genxdada Blizzard 96 is a funny yet suspenseful college buddy novel packed with 90s nostalgia. Set in Berks County, Pennsylvania. #kutztown #kutztownuniversity #fictionalcharacters #novelasmexicanas ♬ original sound – Carl Franke

Here’s another example:

@genxdada Check out “Blizzard 96” for your next summer read. It’s a suspenseful story that’s packed with 90s nostalgia. #summerreading #fictionalcharacters #kutztown #bookstore #booktok ♬ Jacob and the Stone (Slowed) – Emile Mosseri & sped up + slowed

Also, here’s an example where I do a joke interview:

@genxdada AI influencer discussion. #ai #socialmediamarketing #iosapps #videomarketing ♬ original sound – Carl Franke

Does Using AI Tools For Apartment Searches Make The Process Simpler?

August 4, 2024 / Carl Franke

As a marketer in the multifamily apartment industry, spotting renters in their “journey” through the funnel is always exciting. Contact form conversions are shown in Google Analytics. Voicemails from prospects that called a tracking number can be played in a CRM. These are tangible. We can clearly see the marketing source working, at least the one in which they decided to connect with.

But these days, you could see a 15% decrease in Users visiting your website week-over-week, but actually get a boost in Users consuming data from your website from other means.

As Google continues to provide search result enhancements via featured snippets, knowledge panels, local packs (map results), the “zero click” phenomenon continues to rise. This is simply obtaining the sought out information directly in Google search, without clicking over to a website. Nearly 60% of Google searches now end without a click in 2024.

Never heard of “zero click”? You’re likely already doing it. Type in “The Bear reviews” and scroll through over 1,400 audience reviews of the Hulu show without leaving Google search. Type in “Phillies” and get the live score of the game. Type in an apartment community name and read reviews, view photos and floor plans, get ratings from other sources—all without leaving Google search.

With Google’s SGE (Search Generative Experience) now added to the mix, AI is packed into the search results, combining immediate research from multiple resources into one large answer. But how a search is phrased seems to be needed to trigger SGE.

Side Note: I’ve noticed that since SGE went from a Google Labs opt-in experience to public, the results for branded search have both positive and negative reviews removed from the mix. Previously, sentiments from customers were used to help define a company.

With voice search on the rise via smartphones, digital assistants, wearable devices and smart speakers, website visits will likely decrease. In 2024, 45% of Americans report using voice search on their smartphones.

And now with multiple AI solutions available for research, indirect conversions from website data will likely increase and get more difficult to prove. OpenAI ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Bing Copilot, Claude and Perplexity don’t provide search query data, so today’s marketer can’t obtain any valuable info on what prospects are querying.

Are potential renters using AI tools to find their new homes? I’m not certain, but here’s how many active users some of big players have:

ChatGPT: 200 million (May 2024)
Google Gemini: 142 million (early 2024)
Bing Copilot: 140 million (April 2024)
Perplexity.ai: 10 million (July 2024)

Let’s test out some potential experiences.

ChatGPT

For ChatGPT, with GPT-4o, I provided the following query:

Can you provide a list of the three best apartment communities in Austin, Texas that have a 1 bedroom starting at no more than $1,600. Other requirements needed are a dog friendly community that includes on-site parking and an outdoor swimming pool. Finally, can you include only those with rent specials with big savings?

I also tried it for Nashville, TN, Raleigh, NC and Columbus, OH, changing only the city name and market rate for a 1 bedroom. For each result, RentCafe was provided as the source. Example:

I then asked why RentCafe is only being used as a source of data. Response:

I then tried the same query for Manayunk, Philadelphia and sources then switched to Redfin.

In querying later in the day, the results were completely different, but the source remained the same for all “top three” answers. This creates a bit of distrust and realized source favoritism. Speaking of being partial, the query results for the Austin search listed only communities from Northland.

Utilizing the voice chat feature in the ChatGPT iOS app, the results were a let down. After reiterating what my absolutes were for a potential apartment in Phoenix, AZ, and then answering follow-up leasing questions, I had to wait through over three minutes of silence to finally be provided with advice on how to search elsewhere. Check out the conversation here:

@genxdada
ChatGPT AI let down. Trying to find the perfect apartment. #apartments #ai #multifamily #paa #phoenix
♬ Jacob and the Stone (Slowed) – Emile Mosseri & sped up + slowed

Bing Copilot

Using the same query that I used for ChatGPT above, the Bing Copilot results included distracting ads for ApartmentList.com. See below in yellow. The ads didn’t link to the city specific section of ApartmentList.com either, which is some wasted ad dollars.

When I whittled down a Raleigh, NC search, I asked if it could provide the pros and cons of Google reviews for The Tribute and Cedar Springs Apartments. It then gave an analysis and chose The Tribute as the clear winner:

Bing Copilot apartment search conclusion

It also provided a screenshot of reviews from Facebook and Yelp, putting Cedar Springs in a bad light. It decided to show the 2.4 Yelp rating even though Cedar Springs had much higher ratings on other sources, including 3.5 on ApartmentRatings.com and 3.8 on Apartments.com:

When asking to provide a sentiment analysis and the pros and cons of living at each community, Copilot provided individual URLs to each category statement, shown in yellow below. When hovering over the quantity of sources, the links would appear. Copilot seems the most transparent for data attribution.

Google Gemini

With Google Gemini, I asked for a pros and cons comparison for two Nashville, TN communities (The Lucile and Livano Trinity). I indicated that community events and a social atmosphere were super important to me.

For The Lucile, one of the cons was “potential for exclusivity”, hinting that luxury living could impede on the social lax vibe that I was seeking.

Interestingly, Gemini indicated that Livano Trinity’s large 300+ unit size could lead to a “less close-knit resident group”:

Both of these examples above reveal how Gemini highly values whatever is designated as vital in the query.

In requesting a sentiment analysis of Google Business reviews for both communities, Gemini was unable to do so. It stated: Google’s API restrictions prevent me from directly scraping and processing review data in this way.

Amazingly, you figure that this would be the one AI experience where Google reviews could be sifted through a colander and pinpoint spicy trends. But, nope.

Gemini also doesn’t reveal sources. It simply recommended visiting review sites, ILS sites and the community website. See below:

Perplexity.ai

In utilizing the same query that I originally used for ChatGPT, Perplexity.ai provided three options and detailed the 12 sources for the results. Below are four of the ILS sources which have direct links to pre-filtered selected pages.

I then asked if it could search all review sites possible to determine sentiment and develop a pros and cons list. It was able to compile info from Yelp, ApartmentRatings.com, Zillow and the property website which utilized Birdeye. Google Business reviews could not be tapped into.

ChatGPT … Another Test

So, I got more Philly centric and queried about some Manayunk area apartments. With one of my absolutes being an outdoor swimming pool, it provided the below three top selections. But only one of these communities, Henry On The Park, actually has a pool.

And when requesting some Old City, Philly apartments, it provided the website link to The View At Old City for ALL results. This is a disservice to the competitors and an obvious web traffic boost for The View At Old City.

Claude

Even with the Claude.ai 3.5 Sonnet Pro version, the apartment search ends relatively early with this:

I don’t have access to real-time rental information or current availability. The rental market changes frequently, and prices and specials can vary. Additionally, what constitutes “the best” can be subjective.
Instead, I can provide you with a general approach to find apartments that match your requirements: Use apartment search websites like Apartments.com, Zillow, or Rent.com.

Conclusion?

Although AI is effectively built into leasing widgets and chatbots, utilizing FAQs and tabled data for info, and although it’s fantastic for content creation, using these platforms as a prospect has a lot of pitfalls and inaccuracies.

For the tests above, I didn’t spend much time on the queries and the results are wildly varied. Spotting obvious errors and looming through UX oddities is perplexing. At its current state, I imagine many prospects would bounce from the experience and lean toward organic searches, ILS sites and social media.

Of course, these issues will probably disappear in a week based on the rapid progression of AI tools. 🤯 … More to come on that!

Have you tested the waters with these tools yet with your prospect hat on yet? What was your experience like?

Shopping Under Surveillance: How AI Tracks Your Every Move in the Supermarket

May 20, 2024 / Carl Franke

Due to its close proximity and 11pm closing time, GIANT has been my go-to supermarket for many late night urgent purchases. From kiddo medications to a spice rack replacement, those meanderings around the vacant aisles at 10:45pm have allowed for quick and easy purchases. And its an ideal time of the day to experience the eerie advancement in tech and marketing. But, GIANT isn’t my choice grocery store—it’s just the only one that’s open.

Before I dive into where I’d prefer to go, here’s a breakdown of how supermarkets are increasingly leveraging AI to track and understand customer behavior.

Woman in grocery store being tracked by AI, sensor, cameras.

1. Loyalty Programs

“Your GIANT Card has been accepted!” says the self checkout voice with such enthusiasm every time I bang that barcode down. Are there days when I wouldn’t be accepted based on what I was wearing? Don’t know. But these cards capture data about purchase history, frequency of visit, and preferred products with your name. Wouldn’t you like to see how many things you’ve purchased?

If you buy alcohol at GIANT, they scan your driver’s license, acquiring even further information. This is not a state law, but a store policy designed to show “due diligence”.

2. Cameras and Sensors

Depending on the store, camera systems and sensors are installed throughout stores to monitor customer movement and flow patterns. Of course, I shop aimlessly and am likely skewing their data. My wife and I can never shop together. I roam about as if I was at a carnival eating funnel cake.

Some stores can track shelf interactions, pinpointing how often customers pick up items and put them back. Others record checkout lines for peak hours.

AI can then analyze the video data to optimize store layout, improve product placement, and enhance the overall shopping experience.

3. Facial Recognition

Some supermarkets use facial recognition to identify repeat customers and tailor marketing messages and offers based on past behavior.

Of course, it can also enhance security by identifying shoplifters.

4. Mobile Apps and Beacons

Supermarket apps, often linked to loyalty programs, track customers via their smartphones. They can send personalized offers and notifications based on location within the store and collect data on in-app activity and preferences.

They can also use geofencing and beacons to understand movement patterns and engagement with in-store promotions.

5. Online Shopping

For supermarkets with online platforms, AI and analytics software can track browsing history, search queries, online purchase behavior, abandoned carts and more. I once had to run out of GIANT for an emergency with a cart full of nonperishables, leaving the stock team a lot of work, and leaving an outlier blip in their data.

This information also helps in personalizing online shopping experiences and driving targeted marketing campaigns.

6. Smart Carts and Self-Checkout Systems

Smart shopping carts, like the ones at Amazon Fresh, are equipped with sensors and scanners that can track items placed in the cart in real-time, along with shopping routes taken by customers and time spent in different aisles. (I know of two Amazon Fresh stores that have been vacant for over a year and never completed. I’ll see one someday.)

Self-checkout systems similarly gather data on purchased items and transaction times, offering insights into shopping patterns and preferences.

7. Customer Feedback and Sentiment Analysis

AI analyzes customer feedback from various sources, including surveys, reviews, social media interactions and customer service interactions. AI is used to gauge customer sentiment, identify common issues, and improve service quality.

8. Product Inventory and Stock Management

AI systems track inventory levels and sales data to:

Predict demand and optimize stock levels
Reduce out-of-stock situations and overstock
Inform dynamic pricing strategies

9. Digital Signage and Personalized Advertising

AI-powered digital signage can change content based on time of day, customer demographics detected by in-store cameras, and real-time data on store traffic and sales.

These methods collectively enable supermarkets to create a highly personalized shopping experience, optimize operations, and drive sales while maintaining efficient inventory management.

One thing that I always wondered about is if particular songs drive cart content. Does a hit Olivia Rodrigo song drive impulse purchases? Does a sad Phil Collins song drive literal cart abandonment and have customers darting for the exit?

10 . Customer Grading

Some supermarkets use Recency, Frequency, Value (RFV) analysis to examine transactional behavior of customers and score them using a combination of how often they shop, how many items they purchase and how much they spend.

Supermarket Option Overload

It’s a golden age for supermarket options, especially in the suburbs. In the outskirts of Philly, I am about 15 minutes or less from all of these thirteen big chain stores:

GIANT
Mom’s Organic Market
ALDI
Sprouts Farmers Market
Whole Foods
The Fresh Grocer
ACME
Amazon Fresh
Trader Joe’s
Weaver’s Way Co-Op
Target
Sam’s Club
Walmart

Also, I have these local, family owned neighborhood markets nearby:

George’s Market At Dreshertown
O’Neill’s Food Market

Each of the stores above has a wide list of pros and cons, and are better suited for certain purchases over others. It’s really about what your goals are as a consumer. I personally could never shop at Target, Sam’s Club or Walmart for groceries. It just seems too hectic in the parking lot alone, too massive of a store to explore, and somehow depressing.

Mom’s Organic Market has been my favorite. Here’s a breakdown why:

Pros:

Low volume foot traffic. Sometimes I’m one in ten customers there! I often wonder how this place stays in business.
Soothing jazz and classical music is played.
There’s free samplings of great coffee.
You can recycle electronics, batteries, old Christmas lights, denim and lots of other household items.
Produce is from area farms, such as Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative. (You won’t get a carton of strawberries that gets moldy overnight.)
They have a banned food ingredient list and refuse to sell products that feature these ingredients. They list them out on their website.
At the one I go to, there are about 25 pinball machines located near checkout that will take you back to a simpler time.
If you join a local CSA, they house the pickup boxes.
The staff really seem to enjoy working there and are friendly.

Cons:

It’s on the pricier side, but they do have some inexpensive brands.
There are zero overhead aisle signs that indicate what’s in the aisle. But the store is so intuitive and compact, it’s barely a problem.
If you like to get cleaning supplies, paper towels, toilet paper, toiletries and other non-consumable items when you shop, they have options but they are minimal and super expensive. Same thing with pet food. You’ll have to go elsewhere. Mom’s is more about getting items for that perfect meal you’re planning tonight.
They charge $0.25 for bags if you don’t bring your own.
No bakery.

Every store has their perks.

Whole Foods has the Amazon Return Center and the best seafood / meats.
The Fresh Grocer has dim, tranquil lighting and has the similar vibe of a Starbucks. It also seems to sell brands with the most beautiful packaging design.
Trader Joe’s has a wealth of premade meals and endless snacks / desserts, allowing you to somehow endure their hectic parking lots.

But, back to GIANT. It’s not my first choice— it’s just the sole option late at night. When you enter, usually with a wobbly cart, you’re greeted with intense fluorescent light. This white brilliance showers over stacks of beer cases, wine, and a host of glistening chicken wings. To the side is often the latest in holiday offerings, like fireworks galore and baked goods. It all screams, “Let’s get drunk and eat some blueberry pie while firing off Roman Candles!”

Sure, it has a kiosk style Starbucks to the other side, but it doesn’t produce that Starbucks feeling, like the boisterous ones with Miles Davis blaring, where the atmosphere mirrors the energy of a Venti buzz and somehow allows you to focus on writing that novel. Maybe there’s a cheesy gas fireplace nearby, but it adds to the aesthetic. At GIANT, there’s a Wi-Fi lounge with some booths, but most just take their cups to go.

Late at night, there’s usually just one human self checkout worker, and I usually feel guilty for not going that route. At self checkout, the “life guard” worker that gazes upon the twelve machines is ready to help, but always terribly bored looking. I always think these employees are staring me down, judging my organic Honeycrisp apple purchase, wondering if I’m trying to cheat the quantity.

Marty, the GIANT robot that’s trained to find aisle hazards, is often stuck, low on batteries and bumping into a corner. In the age of AI, this thing has the qualities of a toy robot from the 80s, but is super amusing for babies and toddlers.

When I exit, I usually stare at the beer section and try to remember how many ounces that you can buy at at time. I recollect having to bring beer back to my car, then come back in and buy more, and repeat the process for a party.

In the dark parking lot, a solar powered “lot cop”, a mobile surveillance unit, flashes its blue light light mounted on a mast. A recording plays from a speaker about how the lot is continually scanned for your safety. I’m usually parked next to the Volta “free-to-use” electric vehicle charging stations. These feature a large iPhone looking screen playing commercials about RXBARs and anti-age lotions. A woman splashes her face with water in slow motion with bright and crisp high def precision, but I don’t look for long as tunnel vision sets in and any lot criminals could have me cornered. I retreat to my 17-year-old Hyundai and drive off quickly, playing a CD, and eating the secret day-old donut I bought for myself.

Sources:

https://www.storetech.com/resources/how-does-customer-tracking-technology-work-in-offline-retail-stores

https://www.leafio.ai/blog/supermarket-technology-trends-with-ai-review

https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardkestenbaum/2023/09/27/artificial-intelligence-isnt-coming-to-supermarkets-its-there

Using Apple Books AI Based Digital Narration Tool For Audiobooks

April 13, 2024 / Carl Franke

In self-publishing novels with Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, some asked if I’d ever get audiobooks created. I always laughed, as it was way beyond my budget, as they typically cost anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000 to produce. Of course, I really did want to create an audiobook.

I even dabbled with the idea of recording it myself in a padded closet at home, but didn’t want to deal with listening to my voice or investing in the proper microphone. Plus, my house is always loud with kids and cats, and slamming doors and cabinets. I’d have to record at 3AM nightly to get it recorded in silence. (Of course, there is AI denoising software, but…)

Years ago, we routinely rented Harry Potter audiobooks on CD from the Abington Township Library. My son loved to listen to them on long travels. They were fantastic, as different talents represented unique characters for the dialogue parts. It really brought the novels to life.

Fiverr and ElevenLabs To The Rescue?

As I explored Fiverr.com, I realized some freelancers could produce the novel for about $5,000, but it was still too expensive. Also, the work of creating a character list of how to pronounce the many names and settings seemed challenging to do over a Zoom meeting or many emails.

ElevenLabs.io, which I’m really fond of, was a potential solution. But it would require that I get the $330 / month plan due to the word count. It also required writing out uncertain words and have them spelled out. For example, a pizzeria called Rosario’s would need to be re-typed to Rose-air-ee-ohs so that the AI tool could understand the correct way to pronounce the word.

A Free Solution?

For ebook syndication, I use Draft2Digital, which I recently discovered is an approved partner of Apple Books, and allows authors to generate audiobooks using Apple Books AI digital narration for FREE! All that you have to do is pick out the ideal voice to represent your novel and let the AI tool spend a few weeks with your ebook. It’s currently restricted to categories of romance, fiction, mystery and thriller, or science fiction and fantasy.

When I received notification that my novel Be Home By Dinner was published on Apple Books, I smiled because I knew that that there was no way in hell that the AI tool could possibly have nailed the dozens of character names, locations, 1980s pop culture references and more. I questioned how did it make a leap of faith in determining pronunciations. Why was I even participating in this? Was I just helping the Apple Books AI tool get smarter at my own expense?

On initial listen, I enjoyed the character voice that I had chosen. He was suitable for suspense, which is the genre of the novel. But… the “audiobooks without the overhead” definitely had its fair share of issues.

What Fell Apart With The AI Produced Audiobook

Character Names

I figured this would happen. But some character names, like Kova (the antagonist) took on a different pronunciation at different parts of the book. Sometimes it was Koo-Vah. Other times it was Kah-Vah. And sometimes it was the correct Koe-Vah. The name kept morphing, as if the AI narrator couldn’t agree on what to call this character, which I found odd since it’s a simple 4-letter name.

Author Name

Yes, even my name was butchered. Instead of stating Franke with a silent “E”, they included a hard “E”, like Frankie Goes To Hollywood. I felt like I was back in high school during role call with a new teacher.

What I Miss About A Human Narrator

Mouth Noises

Yes, it sounds weird and gross, but I missed sounds of the human element. Fake breath noises are not part of the AI equation yet, let alone lip smacking or air sneaking through teeth. The AI voice is a bit dry and sterile, with a clockwork tempo. At times you want to rattle the robot and have it take a shot of whiskey to loosen up and expand its range.

Ambient Sounds

The AI voice is precise with perfect audio levels. But I miss the sounds of the room, like pages being turned or a glass of water being put down on a wooden table. The impurities of recordings are often the most endearing. The singer, Sting, accidentally sat on the piano during the recording of the song “Roxanne”, for example. The clang of piano keys was recorded, and The Police kept that in song. I remember listening to a lot of the Beat Generation authors perform readings and hearing the cigarette exhalations and ice cubes tinkling in glasses, cars whizzing by, or uproarious laughter of someone nearby. It was more vulnerable and electric.

Lively Dialogue

When I read a novel, I create a dialogue voice for each character. I imagine most people do. It just happens naturally to help break up the reading. With AI narration, the voice adjusts a bit with a conversation between two people, but it sounds like a screenplay read by someone vaguely interested in auditioning for a part in a film adaptation. The emphasis is not as strong, especially for highly emotional scenes of distress, even with multiple exclamation marks or ALL CAPS.

Correctly Pronounced Words

For heteronyms, the AI tool seemed to work based on a coin toss. For example, the word “tearing” was supposed to be pronounced like “eyes tearing up”, but it was pronounced like “tearing up a piece of paper”. The correct context was picked up by the AI tool sometimes, but not always.

Onomatopoeia can be a bit of a train wreck. For example, the “psss psss psss” cat call sounds resulted in the narration spelling out each instance of these phrases. I laughed hard on that one. “Shhhh” was known though.

Review Process?

An audio file that could be annotated would be the simplest solution, with a section that allowed authors to spell out the pronunciations of misspoken words. The file could be updated and the process automated until a green “Approved!” button is pressed. Maybe in the future?

Regardless of issues, I’m excited for the opportunity to have an audiobook at the ready for Be Home By Dinner. Check it out on Apple Books.

Looking to publish your own audiobook? Here’s how you can get started with your own Apple Books audiobook.

Creating Voice Narration With ElevenLabs Synthesis

April 12, 2024 / Carl Franke

What is ElevenLabs?

ElevenLabs specializes in creating natural-sounding speech synthesis and text-to-speech software, using AI and deep learning.

The simple to use web software allows you to enter in your script and select from over two dozen voice personalities. Each voice has separate settings that can adjust Stability (more variable to more stable), Similarity (low to high) and Style Exaggeration (none to exaggerated). Nudging each of these settings a bit can produce very different outcomes. Sometimes words are over enunciated, extended in length, and sometimes a nervous chuckle get thrown in. But the results are highly realistic and ideal for short passages such as a voicemail greeting or video narration.

Over the holidays, there was a spot-on “Santa” character that was as boisterous and jolly as you can get.

Voice Options

The Voice Library provides user adjusted voices that you can add to your default voices. Descriptions really help with finding the most suitable voice. For example: “Middle Aged Man With British Accent”. Tags feature attributes such as: wise, clam, sassy, formal, intense, modulated, pleasant — making it easier to find the ideal voice.

There’s also a multilingual speech model that’s able to generate life-like speech in 29 languages.

How Much Does ElevenLabs Cost?

Five different plans starting at $0 and maxing at $330 are available, offering more features such as better quality, voice cloning, analytics and support.

What Does It Sound Like?

Here’s an example of the “back cover” description for BLIZZARD 96 using the character “Charlotte”: