Zippy Has Traveled All Around the World and Now, So Has Her Award-Winning Book! This Technology Helped Make It All Possible.
Zippy, our lovable Zebra mascot, has set off on countless adventures around the world in her lifetime. Just last year, she summited Mount Aconcagua – the highest peak outside the Himalayas – with three other brave Zebras. (You can read all about it here.) Yet, Zippy’s most exciting adventure to date may be her most recent one: getting her book from her “home” to yours these past few months.
Early copies of “Zippy’s Special Gift” started selling – and shipping – in December 2020. And it’s now available for purchase on Amazon among other top book selling sites. So, Zippy had to figure out a way for copies of her award-winning book to travel all the way from Zebra headquarters in Illinois, USA, to thousands of homes around the world in a matter of days. This wasn’t an easy feat. But with the help of her Zebra family, she was able to map out a logistical journey that allowed her books to arrive on time to her many different destinations (even though she had to make a few stops along the way).
What Zippy found most fascinating is that many other goods that she buys online take a similar journey to get to her home (and yours), including food, beverages, medicines, electronics, clothes, toys and more! Though traveling halfway around the world to climb a mountain isn’t quite the same experience as shipping her book the same distance, many of the same technologies are used to ensure a safe, happy journey in both cases. For example, handheld barcode scanners and RFID readers are used to ensure your baggage isn’t lost as it transfers from one plane or train to the next. Millions of warehouse workers use rugged handheld mobile computers and tablets to keep track of inventory coming, going and “resting” every day. And delivery drivers all across the globe rely on mobile devices and printers to get valuable packages to people’s homes on time.
If you want to show others the journey that Zippy’s book often takes to get to their homes (or you’re getting ready to send some books to friends and family), you can download a full-size poster here. In addition to sharing a great story about the importance of celebrating our own unique gifts, you’ll also be supporting children’s literacy as proceeds from the sales of this book are being donated to Bernie’s Book Bank.
Therese Van Ryne
Therese Van Ryne is Senior Director of External Communications for Zebra Technologies. She joined Zebra as part of the acquisition of Motorola Solutions Enterprise business in October 2014. She and her team are laser focused on growing the company’s brand awareness globally aligned with business objectives. Her accomplishments include leading Zebra events with Harvard University and TED as well as the creation of the annual Intelligent Enterprise Index, resulting in positive media coverage, customer engagement and revenue growth.
Prior to Motorola Solutions, Van Ryne worked at SC Johnson where she led corporate communication strategies and drove PR and branding efforts for leading consumer products. One of her top achievements was leading the Windex® placement in the film, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” resulting in a 25% sales increase for the brand.
One of PR News’ 2019 Top Women in PR and Crain's Chicago's 2021 Most Notable Executives in Marketing, Therese also has experience as a journalist, editor and producer, reporting nightly from Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Van Ryne holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Journalism from Marquette University and an Executive Leadership Master’s Certificate from Cornell University.
