The new blue
Scientists at Oregon State U accidentally discovered a new way to make the color blue. While trying to create compounds that had unusual electrical properties, they stumbled across a very bright, durable, non-toxic substance. They're now figuring out how to replace one of the components to make it cheap enough for mass market. Big whoop? Indeed. Blue is America's favorite. (source: NY Times, 11/25/09)
Who's using Facebook best?
According to Slate, the top 10 are:
Coke, Starbucks, Disney, Victoria's Secret, iTunes, Vitaminwater, YouTube, Chick-fil-A, Red Bull, and TGI Friday's. The rest of the top 50 here along with Slate's thinking http://www.thebigmoney.com/ . They also have a Twitter 12.
There's money in germophobia
Americans are clean freaks. We'll take the 2nd package in a display of batteries because it may have been touched less than the first. According to Martin Lindstrom, marketing guru, long before H1N1, our need for sterility started permeating every product category, and affects how we spend our dollars. So, even if you're not selling food, it's smart to keep sanitation in mind. (source: Fast Company, 11/25/09)
Champagne of beers
All of The Bruery's brews are packaged in 750ml champagne bottles, with a traditional metal beer cap. Pop and share.
It's what's for dinner tonight
Think you know who uses food assistance? Wrong. Even 4% of The OC needs help these days. Stats by county
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/28/us/20091128-foodstamps.html?hp
Who wants to be a billionaire?
I've been wondering why all the fuss about Oprah leaving daytime network TV. She still has her own cable channel and magazine after all. Then Stuart Elliott of the NY Times asked this question: "When will they figure out that "Oprah" is not really a talk show but rather a reality show about Ms. Winfrey?" From local chat show to international fame and fortune, for 25 years she's been a one-woman "Truman Show" and her fans, including a lot of the uncabled, are heavily invested and want to see how it turns out.
Coke is out
Costco has kicked all Coca-Cola products off its shelves. Something about pricing. Power to the retailer. (source: Ad Age, 11/30/09)
Cleverly designed interactive healthcare graphic
Click away to follow the money http://www.ge.com/visualization/health_costs/index.html
Wanna buy a brewery?
Pabst is looking for a new owner by the end of the year. In fact, about 60 million owners. The brewery is currently held by a not-for-profit that, according to US tax law, isn't eligible to own it. Two ad agencies have set up a campaign to get 60 million Pabst fans to buy $5 each in shares toward the $300 million goal. So far they have $11 million pledged http://www.buyabeercompany.com/ (source: Springwise, 12/3/09)
Shoes are a girl's best friend
Sales of shoes are up 8% for October over last year. Some say they're easier to rationalize than a new purse. Others say it's a sign of "frugal fatigue." Then there's the shoes-are-more-fun-than-clothes-because-they-don't-make-you-feel-fat camp. Zappos has been selling a lot of bright colors. And JC Penney says boots, not just single pairs, but "boot wardrobes" are hot. If anybody sees Santa, I want these, silver, size 4. (source: NY Times, 11/5/09)
$$off.com
Online searches for coupons and offers increased a whopping 58% this year. (source: IPG/e-Commerce Times, 12/4/09)
Million dollar baby
A new Australian study says the current "how much does it cost to raise a child" figure is waaaay off because it doesn't take into account things like adult offspring living with their parents (the old number assumes financial independence at 18), the consumer sophistication of tweens, and all the optionals like digital gizmos, college, and vacations. By their reckoning, a kid born today will leave the nest when she's 24, requiring just over a million Aussie dollars to fledge (that's about $917,000 in current US dollars). (source: Reuters, 11/27/09)
We download
Movies that is. Rochester is #3 in the nation after the Brownsville, TX area and Honolulu. The rest of the top-10 are also warm locales, so it's not the weather. No wonder Time Warner tried to get feisty on us. (source: Scarborough Research)
May the dunk be with you
Adidas storm trooper sneakers coming soon. This is the back of the shoe. (source: Fast Company, 11/25/09)
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