I'll take the Passat
Sure car sales are down nearly 2 million units over the year before, but 3 makers-Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and VW-are proving that investing in advertising during even an automotive nuclear winter makes good business sense. Each company boosted marketing expenditures around 40%. The return: increased sales of nearly 2% and an investment in brand recognition and consideration for better times. BTW, Porsche & VW are officially merging. The "people's car" and the people-can't-afford-it car. Interesting. (source: USA Today, 5/3/09)

Repeat after me
I will no longer make ads featuring things rolling down hills in San Francisco. Lately I've seen a shopping cart (auto insurance), colored balls (consumers electronics), and now this ball of yarn for Ray-Ban. It's just not exciting anymore! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvJkc3cr3RA

Who's saving how
- Gen X leads the pack in extreme cost-cutting through coupon clipping, paying down debt, skipping entertainment expenses, and cutting up credit cards
- Boomers favor comparison shopping as a strategy
- Millennials aren't cutting particularly. Instead, they're looking for ways to increase their income
- Matures, been there done that during the Great Depression, are inspiring and mentoring others
Across all demographics, thrift and savings have found a new popularity. Gloomy? Not at all. Most consumers express optimism about the future. (source: Iconoculture)

How would you rebrand America?
http://www.papermag.com/?section=article&parid=3236

Fish where the fish are
PROMO's new survey of interactive marketing says even though it's harder to track ROI through media like social networking sites, txting, blogs, and WOM, that's where consumers are gravitating, so that's where marketers say they will be this year, too. A growing number of marketers say they will make use of interactive channels that are more likely to have an effect on brand identity than to drive provable incremental sales to the bottom line. Although respondents also say they're holding steady on, or making moderate increases in, their use of those "hard numbers" internet channels. (source: PROMO, 4/1/09)

Pulp art
Collect vintage trashy novels, cut, paste, light, snap. Really cool photos. (source: Very Short List, 5/6/09)
http://paintalicious.org/2008/11/20/thomas-allens-book-art-photography

Tweet-free
Tween girls. 84% don't know what Twitter is. Of those who know it, only 5% use it. (source: Quirks, May 2009)

Something sweet for Mother's Day
After the flush, there's a happy ending. http://attitude.adforum.com/top5/2009/05/05/o-boticario-fish-almap-bbdo-brazil/

Look for Tide with a yellow cap
Now it'll be easier to find the Tide products that support Loads of Hope, a program that provides free laundry (it's a big mobile laundromat) to victims and relief workers of natural disasters--10 cents per jug purchased. The program's three years old, but I wanted to use this excuse to praise whoever thought it up. When the world is upside down, a small, simple thing like clean Jockey shorts must feel like a million bucks. Such a good idea. (source: Media Daily, 5/7/09)

Ding ding ding ding!
Intel wanted to tell everybody that they run the world. That it would all come to a grinding halt without them. Their agency said, no, bad idea, wrong direction.      And Intel listenened. Since their product is "only" an ingredient in other companies' products, they indeed need to periodically reinforce what "Intel inside" means, but their new campaign will do it 1) with humor about their unique science geek culture and 2) with an eye toward the future. What Intel's quirky rock-star employees do today helps create the world of tomorrow. It's the first time Intel's focused on their brand instead of their chip. The only visuals I've seen are too teeny to share, but look for them coming soon to media near you. They're definitely distinctive among the high-tech crowd. (source: all the trades 5/6/09)

Pretzels. Check
250 Giant and Stop & Shop stores now offer handheld scanners that patrons can use to total up their basket as they shop. The gadgets also give you coupons based on your purchase history. Each store has about 48 scanners in a rack by the entrance. See your real-time tally and finish checking out in a jiff. Story says Food Lion and Bloom also have scanners, but no details. I'll be interested to see how this affects sales. If I knew step by step what I was spending, guaranteed Danny Wegman would get less of my paycheck. (source: The Washington Post, 5/5/09)

Wonderful wonderful
- 10 most "wonderful" brands: Hershey's, Google, Sony, Kraft, Crayola, Kellogg's, Scotch Tape, Wii, Rolls-Royce, J&J.
- Least wonderful: National Enquirer, AIG, Botox, Kia, alli, Hummer, O The Oprah Magazine, Dress Barn, ChemLawn, Direct Buy.
- Highest wonderful-to-cost ratio: Walmart, Google, Amazon, Hershey's, Target, Cheerios, Campbell, PBS, Yahoo, eBay.
- Lowest wonderful-to-cost ratio: Hummer, Botox, Prada, Land Rover, Gucci, AID, Saks Fifth Ave, Louis Vuitton, Maserati, Ferrari.

The point of this study was finding out whether relative wonderfulness (aka the brand's esteem in consumers' eyes) affects stock performance. Yup, very much so. Hey, perhaps we could Liberate the Promise of the wonderless. Where's the fun without the challenge? BTW: If you don't get the picture, you should spend more time with your grandparents. (source: Quirks, May 2009)

Get a haircut, save some critters
Don't let your stylist throw out what he trims off. Matter of Trust uses hair to create mats that naturally soak up oil from spills. The founder was inspired by how quickly otters, some of the victims of spills, get saturated with oil and started experimenting with human clippings. They now receive donations from thousands of salons, pet groomers, wool processors, etc., and are looking at new ways, like fertilizer, to use the surplus. http://www.matteroftrust.org/ (source: Springwise, 5/7/09)

Got organic milk?
0.58% of South Dakotans do. This is a Walmart PR site. http://www.livebetterindex.com/

Have you heard the one about...
A New York PR firm has hired a stand-up comedian to help their staff become more poised, confident, and funny when dealing with clients and the public. "When you're funny, people pay attention." (source: Ad Age, 5/8/09)

Final note
Can they do it? Why not? The last time Chrysler was supposedly doomed they invented the minivan.

Off with our heads
According to the public, we agencies carry heavy blame for the country's economic misfortunes. Across all age groups, more than any of the media or their own friends and family, we tempted them into buying things they couldn't afford. Hot damn we're good! (source: eMarketer, 4/27/09)

They may hate the messenger, but...
Not the message. According to the annual BrandZ study, the $2 trillion value of the top 100 brands has held steady. Although the total value stayed stable, there was a lot of movement on, off, and around the list. No shock, the ones that fell off were primarily cars and financial institutions. Value losers were mainly luxuries like Ralph Lauren and Starbucks. Pampers made it on for the first time. And Coke and Diet Coke gained substantially. (source Millward Brown/Ad Age, 4/27/09)

Recession euphemism of the week
"Synergy-related headcount adjustment goals" (aka layoffs). From a press release from Nokia Siemens. (source: Harper's, May 2009)

Generic is ok by us
97% of Americans now routinely use store brand products. 24% of all food and beverages served in our homes is private label. The survey says the biggest change is in people's attitudes about PL-they're no longer embarrassed to use them. Although people with higher incomes are somewhat more likely to use them, so there may still be a stigma for lower-income shoppers. (source: NPD/Marketing Daily, 4/27/09)

Over 1 billion served
Opened just nine months ago, the Apple App Store had its one billionth download. The lucky teen got a $10,000 iTunes gift card and a bunch of shiny new Apple toys with his app. (source: NYTimes, 4/20/09)

Now you're talking to me
Not to who you think I am. Google will be letting users create their own profile for online ads based on their lifestyle interests. Look for "Ads by Google" displayed on various websites to change your preferences. (source: Iconoculture)

Can we talk?
General Mills has a new sampling/blogging program with 900 women, 80% moms. The catch: if you can't say something nice, they want you to contact them first to discuss. GM says they're not telling the ladies they can't say negative things about their products. They just want feedback. But how awkward and stifling. Social networking's all about the moment. Somebody's not gettin' it. (source: Adweek, 4/28/09)

Explosive sheep
Even though they're sooooo common they should be out, Ugg boot sales were up 67% in Q1. Warm, cozy, practical. A blankie you can take everywhere without getting laughed at. Perfect product for the times. (source: Marketing Daily, 4/27/09)

This time without Michael Phelps
Kellogg is donating an entire day's cereal production, about 55 million servings, to Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest), valued at about $10 million. (source: Ad Age, 4/27/09)

Tweetermania
Since we're all so Twitter focused this week, a chart. (source: eMarketer, 4/28/09)

So what's the big whoop?
According to Nielsen, over 60% of people who create a Twitter account abandon it. The service has a 40% retention rate-people who use it one month and then come back the next. It was 30% before Oprah. (source: Ad Age, 4/28/09)

Taking on the Dollar Store
With banners exclaiming "One aisle. One great way to stock up.," Walmart has unveiled dollar-or-less aisles in their superstores. Includes everything from string cheese to laundry detergent. (source: Instore Marketer, 4/28/09)

Barney has his day
Even though nobody got hurt, the Supreme Court decided (7 to 2) that a bank robber who didn't mean to shoot, but whose gun went off by accident still needs to serve the mandatory minimum 10 years in prison. So, for anybody contemplating robbery, just don't load it. It's still a gun, nobody will be any less scared and compliant. (source: The Christian Science Monitor, 4/30/09)

Greener with age
Adult Millennials are more willing than their teen counterparts to purchase green product/products that give back to the environment even if they're more expensive than similar non-green products. Some words Millennials attach to the green movement: responsible (76%), smart (62%), cool (50%), reality (43%), refreshing (40%), happy (31%), trendy (30%), new (29%). (source: Generate Insight)

Greener basket
54% of Americans now consider sustainability before tossing a product into their shopping cart. Although only 22% leave the store with a green product during any given shopping trip. 95% will consider green products. 67% look for them. 47% manage to find them in the store. Only 2% are so committed to green that price doesn't matter. (source: Deloitte/Grocery Manufacturers Assn)

I'll skip the energy hog, thanks
A survey by Sharp Electronics found that consumers are willing to pay more upfront for a product that will save them money on energy bills in the long term. They are three times as likely to buy the more efficient product than the less expensive one. (source: Wall Street Journal, 4/16/09)

We sizzle!
According to records at the Western Maryland Regional Library, Colonel Rochester bought the land that would become Rochester for 1lb of bacon per acre in 1810. The Colonel was banker, sheriff, postmaster, assemblyman, tax collector, and a number of other things in Hagerstown, MD/Washington County before exploring other opportunities up North. (source: Rochester Business Journal, 5/1/09)

May Day
Whether union marches, ancient fertility rituals, or an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, there's something for everyone. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day

Soul searching
Half of Americans have changed religions at least once in their lives. Catholics tend to opt out due to doctrinal disagreements. Protestants' moves coincide with life changes like relocation or marriage. 16% now consider themselves unaffiliated, but many of those simply haven't found a belief system that suits them yet. Most people raised without religious affiliation create one eventually. (source: Pew, The Christian Science Monitor, 4/28/09)

Apocalypse 1976
Just for kicks. The 2nd one feels more like a horror-film trailer than a PSA. http://www.veryshortlist.com/vsl/daily.cfm/review/1191/Web_video/swine-flu-public-service-announcements-1976/?vp (source: The Very Short List, 5/1/09)

Flogos
Shapeable artificial clouds. Float your logo for up to 40 minutes. Born in Alabama, used by brands worldwide. (source: Springwise, 4/23/09) http://www.flogos.net/flogosvideo.html

They're Grrrrr-ateful
What happened to all that cereal after Michael Phelps toked away his Kellogg's endorsement? Two tons of it went to a very happy SF food bank. Assuming the rest was distributed similarly. Mike got the munchies; lots of hungry people got to eat breakfast. Poetic. (source: SFGate)

Harsh
Ditch the team, keep the girl. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDpKx4w_NIc (source: Ad Age, 4/20/09)

Real men eat salad
Or they don't reproduce. According to a small study of fertility clinic patients, men who eat lots of processed meat and full-fat dairy may have poorer quality sperm than those who eat more fruit, vegetables, and low-fat diary. Something to do with antioxidants vs. chemicals that mimic estrogen. So, broccoli up. (source: International Dairy Foods Assn /Reuters, 4/17/09)

Does it come in camo?
iPod Touch is the new "it" tool among US troops. It's super rugged, networked, totally intuitive, less expensive and more functional than military-designed devices, is easy to build apps for, like translation, remote control bomb disposal, and facial-recognition, if what you need doesn't already exist, and apparently, it's hard to hack. Soldiers like them and the military's on board. More info http://www.newsweek.com/id/194623

Murrow he's not
But if you're Ashton Kutcher and you have over a million Twitter followers, aren't you actually broadcasting? This new-media-goes-old-media insight from Simon Dumenco at Ad Age, 4/17/09.

Huzzah!
On or about April 29, English will log its 1 millionth word. (source: Global Language Monitor/The Economist)

Phone home
20% of Americans have cut their land line in favor of cellular. 5.2% use VoIP as their primary home phone. (source: Portfolio.com)

Now
I really like the new Sprint anthem ad. Maybe it's the factoid-lover in me. Maybe the ad just says what the last campaign tried to say in a much more engaging way. If you've TiVo'd past it, check it out here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YhWNiRRblY

@Dinner
Maureen Evans of Belfast, Northern Ireland, tweets recipes. Try this one out for size:
Saffron Asparagus Orzo: brwn c orzo/T butter/garlic; +.25t saffron&s+p/2.5c broth. Cvr@low9m; +2c asparagus3m. Fold+8T parmesan. Srv w parm
http://twitter.com/cookbook (source: NYTimes, 4/21/09)

Wait? As if!
Never big on delayed gratification, 65% of tweens & teens prefer to watch live TV rather than wait to see their shows via DVR (25%) or the web (10%). They also prefer shows with a script (64%) to "reality" (36%), and cable shows (77%) to network (23%). But don't touch their internet access. Only 23% would give it up for a week over TV (77%). Although most of the time (78%) they use both together, while texting (66%), so don't expect a lot of attention to be giving to whatever you're producing. (source: Pangea Media/Media Daily, 4/22/09)

Looking for a novel vacation?
Try volcano boarding in Nicaragua. No wavers, no helmets. Weee. http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/travel/19headsup.html?8dpc

Good placement?
The $5 foot-long placement on "Chuck" last week. I watched it, knew it was a paid product integration, and didn't mind because it felt natural to the storyline and characters. Successful placement, right? But now I'm not so sure. Big Mike's called Big for a reason. Does his love of Subway (and his daily box of donuts) truly fit with and promote the QSR's healthy eating brand? See for yourself at http://www.hulu.com/watch/67728/chuck-chuck-versus-the-first-kill

$5 may be too much
Adjusted for inflation, in Q4 08 consumer spending on food dropped 3.7%, the biggest decline in 62 years. Food giants like Kraft, Nestle, and Campbell believe the change is here to stay, so they're adjusting their tactics. Ex. Campbell's ended a 10-cans-for-$10 promotion ("the original dollar menu") because nobody was biting. The company learned that people aren't willing to stock up, even at a bargain price. Even if they have the money, they're "expecting and planning for the worst." However, recipes with basic ingredients are in hot demand. Visitors to Campbell's website printed 430,000 in 2/09, up 29% vs. 2/08. (source: Wall Street Journal, 4/21/09)

Hear ye
20 million bloggers in the US
1.7 million make some money off it
452,000 blog for a living (about 162K more professional bloggers than firefighters, but still 100K fewer than lawyers)
In case you're tempted, on average, it takes about 100K unique visitors a month to earn $75,000 a year. Still, bloggers can strike it rich: the Huffington Post is expected to eventually surpass the value of the Washington Post. (source: Wall Street Journal, 4/21/09)

This one's for Atlanta
If you need ER service, but it's not life-threatening, get in line online. The InQuickER service not only saves you a place in the queue, it tells you when you'll be seen and lets you choose a different time that's more convenient. Oh, there's a time guarantee, too. Your broken arm's going to hurt no matter what, you may as well watch "South Park" on the couch while you wait. http://www.inquicker.com/hospitals/show/1-emory-adventist-hospital (source: Springwise, 4/23/09)

Now featuring warm chocolate croissants
Finally a Tweet you can really use. Albion's Bakery (alas in London), lets followers know what's fresh out of the oven. (source: Ad Age, 4/13/09)

Battle of the Bavarians
Cori spotted this billboard war that's being waged all over Southern CA.
Audi: "Your move BMW."
BMW: "Checkmate."

Take that, Hyundai
GM is offering to cover your car payments for up to 9 months if you get laid off. Seemed like a great idea, as opposed to having to give your car back, until I remembered that that would be me paying for my neighbor's Saturn. (source: seen on TV)

We're number 3
For using coupons in the US. Way to save, Rochester! All but 2 of the top 10 towns are in NY and PA, hmmmm. (source: Marketing Daily, 4/15/09)

Big stick
84% of consumers say they're heavily influenced by online customer evaluations of products and services, but only 24% post reviews. (source: PROMO Xtra, 4/16/09)

Blogger beware
If the blogger you gave a sample product to makes a false claim, you could be held responsible. The FTC is mulling new regulations. The vote's this summer. Will keep an eye out. (source: Ad Age, 4/13/09)

While I was out
During a "Matlock" marathon between hits of pseudophedrine and Jenny Craig infomercials, something penetrated my germy haze-the probiotic straw. It comes with BOOST for kids. Why put the bugs in the straw, not the drink? Because dry they stay fresh and powerful for up to a year, remaining dormant until the liquid rushes by. I hear it's big in Japan. (source: WGN America)

Probiotic, smobiotic
Shredded Wheat's new campaign touts the fact that nothing about their product has changed in 117 years. One ingredient. No innovation. They say it's one of the healthiest foods in the grocery store. I say it's tasty. (source: Marketing Daily 4/17/09)

Left on, right off
How do dolphins sleep and swim at the same time? They're never completely out. Half of their brain takes control, while the other half gets some zzzs. How productive. (source: Discover, May 2009)

R-e-s-p-e-c-t
Only 5% of US agencies get pitch fees. 56% of European agencies do. (source: Ad Age, 4/13/09)

Addicted?
Get your life back. http://macfreedom.com/ locks you out of the internet for up to 8 hours. Mac-only for right now. (source: Very Short List, 4/14/09)

Do your civic duty, eat out
Colorado campaign explaining how dining out contributes to the state's economy--$570 million annually in state and local taxes-and keeps services available. Funding provided by private media companies. Unveiled by the governor. Design looks suspiciously like our We Roc ad. (source: Marketing Daily, 4/9/09)

Got stink?
Dutch Boy's full of innovation. First the easier-to-handle, resealable plastic can, now paint that removes odors from the room it's painted on, a collaboration with Arm & Hammer. They're launching the new product with a contest. Upload a photo and story about your smelly room and win a bunch of paint at http://www.myhousestinks.com/. People are gross, and not at all embarrassed to show it.

To my cousin Daisy, I bequeath my Flickr account
What happens to your digital assets if you die or become disabled? Does your family know your passwords, or even what accounts you have? https://www.legacylocker.com/ lets you store everything, along with the names and contact info of people who need to know. (source: Springwise, 4/16/09)

What to do with all those carpet samples
Design competition. Some cool stuff. Still time to enter. http://www.amplesample.net/2008/ (source: Iconoculture)

Spring cleaning
Sales at Goodwill are up 7.2%, but donations are down 7%. Hardly anybody's bringing in furniture or appliances anymore. Demand for job training and placement assistance, funded by store sales, is up 92%. C'mon, you know you've got too much stuff. Dig in, load the car, do some good. (source: USA Today, 4/15/09)

Skippy hog
After 15 years of trial and error, Cool Cycles ice cream is finally ready for franchise. All corporate profits go to charity-in the time the owner's been working on the concept he's gone from minimum wage to construction mogul, so he doesn't need the money anymore. Yes, there's music. (Seattle/Tacoma News, 4/5/09)

Youtube is good for business
Tell your boss to chill, you're tuning up your brain. A University of Melbourne study found people who use the internet for personal reasons at work are typically 9% more productive, and more focused, than those who refrain from spending time on the internet. It seems people need to zone out now and then to refresh their gray matter. 70% of people who use the internet at work surf on company time. ( source: redorbit.com)

Say aaaaah--for your career counselor
If you have fewer than average taste buds you might become a nurse. More than average and you may be an entrepreneur. A Dutch research firm has discovered a link between buds and natural abilities and preferences in more things than food and drink. Something to do with fetal hormones. Takes the old adage, "you are what you eat" to a whole new level. They're currently figuring out how to use this for market segmentation. (source: Quirks, April 2009)

AP is taking aim at aggregators. They're sick of news feeds like the Drudge Report and search companies like Google that republish their stuff without paying for it, and make money off AP's content through ad sales. Some say it's legal (Google), AP says it's theft, plagiarism, and a disservice to readers who aren't getting their info from the most authoritative source. AP's spokesman called us parasites. Sure wish I had some paying sponsors to cushion the insult. (source: New York Times, 4/6/09)

Cut ad spending, help the competition
A TNS study shows that CPGs that cut spending during our various recessions between 1985 and 2005 lost significant market share to private label immediately and long term. Companies that maintained or hiked spending lost less. (source: Ad Age, 4/6/09)

Groceries R Us
Toys R Us is adding some staples like snacks, baby food, and paper towels to their stores in a section called "R Market." A great mommy time saver or the place where Cheerios go die? (source: In-Store Marketer, 4/7/09)

Smarter car?
No thanks. Autotrader.com reports most of the top 20 new cars viewed on their site are big-engine sedans and trucks. The top 11 on their used car roster are also SUVs and trucks. (source: Marketing Daily, 4/6/09)

B@R bits
- Gen Y is more likely to make impulse purchases at end caps and around the store periphery
- 93% of Boomers prefer product messages to price-point messages when shopping
- Shoppers believe ads targeting them in-store are more effective than ads outside stores (32% to 27%)
- 70% respond to end-aisle signage
- 62% respond to displays
- 55% to shelf strips
- Sale prices motivate shoppers more than "everyday low price" (70% to 47%)
- 65% of shoppers make a list
(source: Miller Zell/Marketing Daily, 4/7/09)

Bye Bye, Bauers
Remember when little Freddie went to his room, and then a year later reappeared as a full-grown man named Rick? Ah the magic of soap operas. Sadly, it was announced this week that after 72 years "Guiding Light" will cease airing this September. It simply doesn't sell enough soap anymore. (source: Chicago Tribune, 4/5/09)

Not worth a damn
The Zimbabwean, a newspaper by and for Zimbabweans in exile, covered this billboard in the UK with real money to make their point. (source: Ad Age, 4/7/09)

Marketing word of the week
Tweetup: Meetups for the textually terse. Ex. DiGiorno is doing several of them to sample their new flatbread crust. (source: Ad Age, 4/9/09)

Trueslant.com
A new "newspaper" model? Combines aggregation and original journalism from people who've been laid off by pubs like The Boston Globe and Time with a very interactive format. Sort of an Etsy for newsies. Could be interesting. (source: Wall Street Journal, 4/9/09)

So long, Atkins
Bread sales up 7% over the past year. Both PB & J up a little more than that. Cheap, filling, loaded with gooey childhood memories. Mmmmm, forget the stock ticker while you're at it-for a few minutes at least. (source: Brandweek, 4/8/09)

Whipple was all wet
According to the Journal of Consumer Research, contrary to industry belief, "Don't squeeze the Charmin" was one of the worst marketing slogans of all time. Their findings show that people who touch merchandise are more likely to buy it and more willing to pay more for it than people who shop hands off. When you touch something, you start to believe you own it. The longer you touch it, the harder it is to give it up, and the more you value it. Even works with tchotchkes like coffee mugs. And if you just imagine you're touching it. Makes the Lexus 48-hour, no-questions-asked test drive sound pretty smart. (source: Time/UWisconsin & roving Nuggets reporter Karrie G. Tx, Karrie

Cookie Puss is 75!
Carvel is celebrating their diamond anniversary, but that's not the interesting part. Did you know that in addition to Fudgie the Whale, gravely voiced Tom Carvelas invented the BOGO coupon, held 540 patents, trademarks, and copyright registrations ranging from product designs to technical methods and equipment, and is considered the father of franchising. Carvel has 500 shops across 25 U.S. states and seven countries. (source: Marketing Daily, 4/8/09)
 

Perspective
The NYTimes asked readers to submit video memories of the Great Depression to complement their own reporting. 13-year-old Sam Crane's grandma started to cry telling him about being hungry as a child (and so did I). But then she sings a polka. Good memories and bad. http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/national/thenewhardtimes/index.html#/hamer

Chocolate makes it all better
According to a new study, in the US, the recession has consistently brought out feelings of disappointment about ambitions and dreams, and a desire to escape. How are we escaping? Through small indulgences like candy, booze (at home), and take-out. Candy manufacturers all had record results last quarter. (source: Marketing Daily, 3/31/09)

Scrape poof snap
It doesn't take much to make a successful iPhone app. Case in point, Zippo. Flick your phone, it opens and lights. Flick it again and it snaps shut with the distinctive Zippo sound. It's been in the top 40 for 5 months, lived in the top 3 for 2 weeks, and is still downloaded 100K times a week. But it takes much to make them stick--only 1% of apps are still in use over the long term. Use falls off significantly a month after downloading. (source: Ad Age, 3/30/09)

Sheep pong
Wales: Where the men are great whistlers, the dogs are serious suck-ups, and the sheep are too stupid to just say no. Over 4.5 million views. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2FX9rviEhw

Go for baroque
The first day of spring was only last week, but here come the home decor trends for fall: African influence, citrus palette, industrial chic, French romantic, flowers everywhere. (source: Metropolitan Home) Check it out here
http://www.pointclickhome.com/style_guide/articles/design_trend_forecast_fall_2009

Hook ‘em quick or be zapped
Make the first 3 seconds count. According to a new biometric study commissioned by TiVo, that's all you have to get viewers involved in your commercial before they fast forward. But don't stop there, if your ad loses momentum, even if they started watching, they won't finish. This one got test subjects' attention and kept it all the way through. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr-wISyGSW0 (source: Ad Age 3/31/09)

We really don't like the new package
It seems it wasn't just the vocal minority that didn't like Tropicana's new brand look. The company's dollar sales for the 2 months with the new packaging were down 19% (vs. 5% for the rest of the refrigerated-orange-juice category) and their competitors' are up. That kind of result deserves another look. Old (and future) package at left; new (and soon former) at far left. (source: Ad Age, 4/3/09)

Fast, friendly, clean
That's Walmart's new in-store motto. You see, the average Walmart supercenter shopper spends only 21 minutes in the store. So much store, so little time. Hence Walmart's new simplification strategy--making main aisles clean zones and reducing the number of items the stores carry. And they're following up: Walmart surveys about 500,000 customers each month. Bonuses at all levels will be based on successful implementation of the motto. (source: The Morning News, local news for Northwest Arkansas)

Girl in the hood
An information-age retelling of the Grimm fairytale. College project of Swedish design student, Tomas Nilsson. Best appreciated in full screen. (source: Very Short List, 3/30/09)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y54ABqSOScQ

This is a water bottle
It may not be sexy enough for FIJI, but this bamboo-and-palm paper container is a great idea for disaster relief and other occasions when you just can't bring your own. Since there's no doubt if it's been opened or not, maybe airlines would let us carry on again? (source: goodlifer.com/Chatfield--tx, Michael)

Quote of the week
"Cool only lasts for so long, but being useful is something that applies to everyone." - Chris Cox, Facebook's director of products on how he and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, make decisions for their brand. (source: NY Times, 3/28/09)

Punxsutawney
Aka "Gnat Town" as named by the pre-European locals. Not such a bad provenance if you consider Memaloose Island, WA (corpse), or Snoqualmie Falls, WA (the worthless people), or Anaktuvuk Pass, AK (the place where dung is found). Oh yea, Loleta, CA..."Let's have sex." Thank you Colonel Rochester for being egocentric, and happy 175th birthday to the ROC. (source: National Geographic, April 09)

Brands consumers recommend most
1. USAA (an insurance company, wow)
2. Apple
3. Amazon.com
4. Costco.com
5. Google
6. Facebook
7. Wikipedia
8. eBay
9. Craigslist
10. bn.com (Barnes & Noble)
(source: Satmetrix/Brandweek, 3/31/09)

There's Nemo
This seems like a lot of work, but a fun idea all the same. People walking by empty store windows in 6 US cities this April will be enticed by motion-activated digital seaweed. A prompt will tell them to call a number on their cell where they can then create their own digital fish and make it do aquabatics in the window using their cell's buttons. Afterward they get a text giving them a URL for Carnival Cruises. (souce: PROMO, 3/31/09)

 

Yup, that's a big ‘un
Männerspielplatz: an old German factory site turned playground for big boys. Komatsu, Caterpillar-they've got ‘em all. Pull off your tie, slap on a hard hat, and move some boulders. Mmmmm, diesel in the morning. I smell a franchise. (source: Springwise, 3/36/09)

Body art with purpose
Some day the dolphin on your ankle could be a medical device. A team at Draper Labs in MA is developing a tattoo ink that acts as a glucose indicator for diabetics. The ink changes color based on your sugar level and your art can be as big or small as you like. They expect to have a viable product in about two years. (source: Iconoculture)

Civic chicken
No defacing. No littering. No public nuisances of any kind. What's a guerrilla marketer to do? KFC made a deal with Louisville, KY. We'll fix your potholes if you let us tag our work. KFC's refreshing their hometown city's streets as a tie-in to the fast-feeder's new food quality marketing focus. The APB's gone out to all American cities--they'll choose four more applicants for some finger-lickin' upgrades. (source: Ad Age, 3/26/09)

47 days
No longer a rappers' darling, Timberland's gone back to their roots. (source: Ad Age, 3/24/09) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hYw0A-taDs

Shrubbery
Surprisingly blunt visual metaphor-Schick Quatro Trim Style. Leaves no question what it's for. (source: as seen on TV) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAk77Kr_OwQ

Top dork
The Air Force is trying to lose its fighter-pilots-are-us image by targeting down-to-earth smarties through a stealth video series. This kid's awesome. (source: Ad Age, 3/27/09) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmgyLcZDoxA

Girl porn
The Holy Grail of chickdom: finding a clean toilet when you're nowhere near home. http://www.sitorsquat.com/sitorsquat/home is brought to you by Charmin. Available now online or soon as an iPhone app. Promote pretty potties by adding your own ratings and locations. (source: Ad Age, 2/25/09)

Just get me out of here
People shop more quickly toward the end of their grocery stop than at the beginning. Plan your POS accordingly. (source: TNS/Marketing Daily, 3/25/09)

Xakriabá is dead
There are 192 endangered languages in the US. 196 in India. Though most of us now speak Mandarin, English, or Spanish, do we communicate better? Pay homage to linguistic diversity at http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00206 before they're all gone. (source: Iconoculture)

I just called to say I love you
Cheezy musical memories from Virgin Mobile. No, Stevie's not on the list yet. (source: AdForum)
http://rightmusicwrongs.com/#/home/

 

Twitter diplomacy

 

Overall, General Mills didn’t make their numbers for Q1, but their US food group grew, with cereal up 13%, Betty Crocker & Bisquick up 16%, and Pillsbury up 15%. This happy development can be attributed in part to the 11% increase in marketing for that group for the quarter. Yea team! And in part to consumers’ decision to save money by cooking. (source: Ad Age, 3/19/09)

 

One in every 11 minutes online

is spent social networking or blogging. The biggest increase in social networking is in the 35-49 age group. (source: Center for Media Research, 3/18/09)

 

Snacking women

 

64% of Americans now think it’s important for companies to appear “humble.” (source: Performance Research, 3/09)

- Eco-centrics—the most adamant supporters of green products
- Eco-villains—those who dismiss environmental concerns
- Respectful stewards—those who are willing to pay more for green products
- Proud traditionalists—those who buy green to save money
- Eco-chic—those who see green as fashionable
- Frugal earth mothers—women who save money when possible, and look for "good and wholesome" products
- Skeptical individuals—highly educated, high-income men who question the benefits of green products
- Green naives—predominantly young, lower-income shoppers who have not linked the cause and effect relationship of environmental responsibility

Even though the “eco-centrics” seem like they’d be the biggest buyer of green products, they’re not. It’s “respectful stewards” and “proud traditionalists” in the lead, with sales from eco-centrics actually falling. They haven’t given up the cause, they just can’t afford as much as they used to.

1% say “punching bag”