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How To Get An Auto Insurance Refund, the Truth about Toilet Paper and Why Cutting Prices Now Is A Bad Idea | Non-Obvious Insights #212

Non-Obvious Insights #212 - This week's most underappreciated stories curated for you. | View in browser
Dear Newsletterest,

Something interesting is happening with stories in the world right now, and it's good news. I'm finding as I go through hundreds of stories to select the best ones to share with you, I'm finding more insights and less reactive content. Writers are starting to look at the nuance of what's happening and sharing deeper and more interesting perspectives about things they weren't talking about before. I think you'll see that reflected in this week's stories and I hope you find them as interesting as I did. Stay safe and always be non-obvious!

What We Are Getting Wrong About the Toilet Paper Shortage

Toilet paper is gone in most stores and it's because of panic buying consumers, right? Maybe not, as this fascinating article points out. The real reason may actually be because the market is split into commercial and consumer toilet paper and the processes for making both are very different. So when people stop "going" at work and restaurants and instead use their bathrooms at home more often, the industry is left with too much of one type of toilet paper and not enough of the other. In other words, it's a supply chain issue and not consumer irrationality. And as the article notes, this same problem may affect other household goods like bananas and alcohol too. 


 

You Probably Need A Haircut: The Dawn of Virtual Barbers 

When was the last time you got a haircut? For many of us, it's getting to be about that time when we might usually have gone ... but now barber shops are closed. Now there's a new service called "You Probably Need a Haircut" where you can pay for a virtual chat with a barber to help you get a haircut at home. While the site seems to also offer help to people cutting their own hair, hopefully you can find someone to cut yours for you ... 


 

How To Ask Your Auto Insurance Company For A Refund

Aside from all the empty roads, there's another benefit of the fact that less people are driving: no automobile accidents. And while that's awesome for humanity, it's also great for auto insurers who are getting paid premiums, without having to pay new claims. This week, two of them proactively offered customers refunds. If yours hasn't done the same, it may be the right time to call them and ask for money back. How's that for an idea to make some income during lockdown?


 

The Danger of Cutting Prices During the Pandemic

For anyone in the services industry, it is probably tempting right now to consider cutting your prices. After all, everyone is struggling and you don't want to lose the customers you have. Before you do, read this eye-opening article on what happened when several media agencies recently cut prices or offered to add staff at no additional charge. Their clients started thinking maybe they were making too much profit before since they could afford to cut prices now. Lowering your price may be the right thing to do, but make sure the signal you're giving by doing it is the one you actually mean to give. 
 

NatGeo and the Smithsonian Offer Help For Homeschooling

The plight of shuttered museums has been covered widely in arts media, but one upside of the closure of museums right now is the long-awaited chance for many of them to refocus on their digital initiatives. The Air and Space Museum has a combination of Facebook Live chats, 3D exhibits and podcasts. On TV, the Smithsonian Channel has a range of content and is offering 2 months free (Code: BRIGHTERTOGETHER). National Geographic is similarly focusing on digital learning programs. 


 

Why We All Need To Rethink The Term "Media"

There is a plague on journalism right now and it's the idea that entertainers who share their opinions about current affairs should be given the same credibility as trained journalists. This is a frustration that I share with my friend Sree Sreenivasan and that he explores brilliantly in this essay about rethinking the term "media" that you need to read. Like Sree, I trust journalists and the work that they do. Unfortunately, they seem to be making up a smaller and smaller percentage of what is commonly described as the media. 
 
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