"This is one of the most historic cars," Mr. Musk told the gathering of customers, reporters and famous friends lounging on black-and-white couches beneath giant screens projecting photos of cars, beaches and, inexplicably, babies and explosions.
On a recent Sunday afternoon, rock oldies played on the sound system, and the relaxed gathering of customers (some seated, some milling about) created the sense of an outdoor living room.
"I am truly the optimist in the industry," he told a gathering of customers and industry analysts in Atlanta three weeks ago, because of the effect that communications and its applications will have "on changing every aspect of our lives".
Capital One's success was based on targeted marketing and differential pricing campaigns, which were made possible by the systematic gathering of detailed customer information.
He was speaking at Amazon's second annual gathering of A.W.S. customers, partner companies and analysts, an event that drew 9,000 people.
Welcome to "WeWork Summer Camp". Summer Camp started in 2012 as a gathering of 300 customers and employees in upstate New York.
In addition to gathering a great deal of customer information, the promotion increased visits to and participation on the website.
As Harvard Business School's F. Warren McFarlan and Brian J. DeLacey recounted in a 2005 case study, the software applications in place were largely antiquated for implementing the critical processes of gathering customer requests to install a new elevator system, specifying the exact configuration of the order, and creating a final proposal.
Throughout the class, she says, teams learn the crucial steps of gathering customer feedback, meeting technological milestones, working through funding stages, and continuously returning to the customer.
