Hello Kitto

Kitto Katso
That's Japanese for Kit Kat. It means "surely win," which led JWT Japan to their Cannes-media-Grand-Prix-winning idea. They turned the candy bar into an edible postcard available only at post offices, which is designed to be sent as a good-luck wish to students preparing for Japan's brutal higher-ed exams. The greetings became so popular that they're now a permanent part of the Nestle offering and people send them for any good-luck-needing occasion. (source: Ad Age, 6/24/09)

Post-it wonderland
Something to do while you're trying to write a brief John Roberts can love. (source: Julie DeRoller)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpWM0FNPZSs

Lost that lovin' feeling
Divorce rates may be down, but the recession has caused 52% of highly loyal customers to either reduce their loyalty or completely defect from their brands. (source: CMO Council/Catalina Marketing/Financial Times, 6/21/09)

Disemvowel
Get hip with the 2nd annual "Cultural Dictionary" featuring such of-the-moment gems as 201K, pinkwashing, and Goldman Sacked.
http://www.c-k.com/culturaldictionary/CK%20Cultural%20Dictionary%20Updated%20Final.pdf

Orange goes green at Glastonbury
Mobile phone company Orange is helping festival-goers power up their cells by providing foot-powered chargers. 60 seconds of pumping equals 5 minutes of talking. (source: Springwise, 6/25/09)

Gatorade vs. Cheerios
A UTX at Austin study found that athletes who refueled with whole grain cereal and non-fat milk replenished their "muscle fuel" as well, and in some aspects like protein and minerals better than those who drank carb-based sports drinks. Another study says chocolate milk is even better, with the same number of calories. Go milk! (source: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition)

Obie winners
http://adage.com/images/random/0609/aao062209/

City chicken chic
The Eglu, designed exclusively for urban fowl, offers security features, insulation, and an easy-access egg port. Two sizes are available to accommodate 6 or 10 layers, depending on how many omelets you can eat. Doorman not included. (source: Daily Candy, 6/22/09)

Multi Me
If we didn't multi-task, the average American would need 38 hours to accomplish everything they do in an average day. Our biggest multi-tasking time is while watching TV. 72% of us are doing something other than viewing. (source: Experian Simmons/Media Daily, 6/22/09)

Accidental spokesmodel
Andy Azula has starred in 48 UPS TV spots, but he's not an actor. A creative director at the Martin Agency, Andy just happened to be the guy who tested best with the focus groups-plus he can talk and draw at the same time, not an easy role to cast. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F3qiBGIy5I&NR=1 . (source: The Wall Street Journal, 6/23/09)

What to do...
Too many choices? Let http://www.hunch.com/ help you decide. It gets smarter as it gets to know you. Serious stuff, like what to have for lunch, or fun stuff, like what Muppet am I. Me? Looks like Chinese today. And Fozzie Bear. (source: Iconoculture)

Reality check
Twitter has 18 million users and is the 3rd largest social networking site, but it has yet to earn any money. It operates by the grace of venture capital, $57million so far. Co-founder Biz Stone thinks they might try to do something to bring in some revenue this year. Dell estimates they've earned $3 million via Twitter. (source: Bloomberg, 6/23/09)

If you like pina coladas
You may live in Rochester. We're #5 in the nation for drinking rum. We're also big on lottery tickets at #2. Coincidence? I don't think so. (source: MRI)

Whence WOM

I'll have a side of salmonella with that
Fewer than 20% of American adult shoppers trust food companies to develop and sell food products that are safe and healthy. (source: IBM/Marketing Daily, 6/24/09)

Get a home, give a home
ING is rebuilding its image, one house at a time. In the Netherlands, people who take a mortgage through ING have the option of donating 300€, which the bank will double to help someone in India or Bangladesh build their own home. Loans are only available to people who've already shown through business microloans that they can be counted on to pay the money back, making it available for the next home. The whole thing is coordinated through a microloan foundation. (source: Springwise, 6/25/09)

Downsizing
Even though the average American woman is 5'4", 164 lbs, size 14, many retailers like Ann Taylor, Bloomingdales, and Old Navy are cutting plus sizes from their inventories or moving them online. The logic is that bigger sizes cost more to make and the cost generally gets spread among all customers. But if plus is the majority, aren't they being penny wise and pound foolish? (source: The St. Louis American, 6/19/09)

If you can draw this, you may be a Renaissance master
If scholars are correct, Michelangelo's first painting may have been this amped-up copy of a popular-at-the-time German engraving called "St. Anthony tormented by demons." MC Angelo would have been 12 or so at the time. Rumor has it he was heavily influenced by Insane Clown Posse. (source: NY Times, 6/18/09)

Talk nasty to me
A Spanish bar called "Casa Pocho" is encouraging clients to insult its staff and is offering free drinks for original or hilarious abuse. Polish-born bar owner Bernard Mariusz said he thought people needed somewhere to release their frustrations at a time of economic crisis. "That way they won't let it out on their family," he said. (source: Rochester Business Journal, 61/9/09)

Influence by the numbers
Research has found that to have significant impact on decision-making, women, or any other underrepresented group, need to attain a critical mass of 33.3 percent. (source: The Christian Science Monitor, 6/24/09)