Brought to you by Morley SaferThis is not as weird as it seems if you consider that it’s a $3,000 procedure, 46 million Americans don’t have health insurance, and many more are underinsured. I just hope they don’t turn it into a reality show. (source: PROMO, 2/25/09)
That time of the month
CPG companies are starting to time promotions to coincide with pay cycles to get consumers’ attention when they still have money in their pockets. For example, PepsiCo promotes $6.98 snack multi-packs at the beginning of the month and small $2 packages at the end. Kimberly-Clark and Heinz are also trying out various options. (source: Wall Street Journal, 2/23/09)
iSommelier
Need help facing the wall of wine at Lisa’s Liquor Barn or impressing your date with the perfect complement to the strawberry cheesecake she just ordered? Whip out your smart phone and bring up HelloVino.com. Or text hellovino if your phone ain’t so smart. (source: Springwise, 2/26/09)
You ruined my breakfastYou’d think with all that’s going on out there juice packaging would be the least of consumers’ worries. But comments like “ugly,” “stupid,” and “store brand” have convinced Tropicana to scrap the new design they launched in January and return to their straw-in-orange look. Emails, tweets, Facebook page: the vocal minority strikes again. (source: Wall Street Journal, 2/23/09)
Speaking of private label
Tropicana might be better off looking “generic” after all. Private label is flying off the shelves. Some experts predict PL could grow by 7% by the time this recession is over. That would put it at 24% of all CPG dollars from shoppers of all income levels. (source: Ad Age, 2/23/09)
B2Tweet
56% of Twitter’s 6 million members say they use the site for business purposes. Cool example: Korean Taco truck in LA tells where it will be 20 minutes before it gets there. Hundreds of people show up at the stops. (source: Media Daily News, 2/26/09)
The little magazine that could
Bobbing merrily along in a sea of media doom is Draft. First published in 2006, this Cigar Aficionado of beer already has 200,000 subscribers and 70K newsstand buyers, despite its hefty $4.99 sticker. And plenty of advertisers are hungry for its middle-aged, high income male readers. Founder Austin Wilson, who ditched a corporate law career to follow his bliss, says he’s benefitting from both the recession (guys cocoon with beer) and the surging popularity of craft brew (“We respect people who know the difference between a lager and a pale ale.”). Says
Who’s a social networker?
In the
Dear John
Call it credit alimony. Am Ex is offering cardholders they no longer want to know $300 to close their accounts and never call again. (source: NPR, 2/24/09)
When pigs fly
Argan nuts. Humans pay $45 for 8.5 oz. of their anti-oxidant-rich oil. Apparently, Moroccan goats appreciate soft hair and skin, too. (source: National Geographic, 2/09)
2-carat stir fry
Toss the Calphalon. Now you can cook on diamonds. A new nano-non-stick technology that won’t scratch, peel off, or cause cancer (that we know of). I can’t decide if this is a brilliant solution to a real consumer problem or just another way to entice people who don’t cook much to buy another set of really expensive pans. http://www.swissdiamondusa.com/ (source: Iconoculture)
When in
You’ll have to eat Italian. The council of this popular Tuscan tourist destination has passed a ban on “ethnic” foods like kebabs and curries that it thinks are destroying the city’s culture. Although tomatoes, pasta, and couscous all have foreign origins (
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