I Thought Customers Meant Business?

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Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Who spends money where?

Hat tip to Good Magazine
Shout out to Jeffluence

The problem with digital media.

Abstract : Digital Bokeh Effect

Originally uploaded by tanaka13 – Créations du Net

Or perhaps more appropriately titled, “The problem with people who work in digital media.”

Digital is a fantastic medium for doing some really interesting and creative things. The outstanding question though is whether it is indeed the equivalent of discovering a new galaxy or whether it is more like finding a pair of pants that you thought you had lost.

Follow me here for a bit. See, from my perspective digital media isn’t any different than traditional media in how consumers interact with it. For marketing it still breaks down to a few fundamentals:
• the appropriateness for the audience
• appropriateness for the brand
• the ability to get a message across
• and drive engagement and purchase

Within this realm of digital media we also have social media. Still conducted online the entire industry has been created by providing socially relevant tools and paying for them with advertising. But then marketers decided that they wanted to use these tools as well. But one can argue that they still don’t quite know what they are doing with these tools. They like to say that they are creating “brand engagement,” and some are, but others are attaching social media to existing plans like Frankenstein’s limbs. Twitter Wolf Blitzer anyone?

But on to the issue of “digital/social media” purveyors. I’ve sat through one to many conferences that feel like religious revivals. The self-appointed guru of media stands up, or more appropriately slouches, and says that “Obama is recreating the Presidency by reaching directly out to the people through YouTube” without taking time to understand that this has been going on since FDR started his fireside chats. That the only thing that has changed is the medium, not how it is being used.

Likewise, Razorfish has published a paper on how social media is influencing purchase behavior that is getting a lot of buzz. When I read the paper it seems to suggest that actually social media works just like regular media. Perhaps that the whole industry is still in the self validation stage and will start talking about real differences soon. I can only hope that it does and that it gets some intelligent voices in the mix as its champions.

hat tip: propagationplanning.com

The odd branding of sister cities.

Sister cities
Originally uploaded by amrit1983

I remember growing up and learning about sister cities. Seemed like a cool idea and certainly made a kid in small town Ohio feel more connected to the world at large. But, as I now travel around the world on projects, I question the logic of it all.

Some cities make a lot of sense. San Francisco and Sydney share a temperate climate, water-side views and a general openness toward life. Milwaukee, WI and Galway, Ireland share an appreciation for beer (or at least that’s the way that it seemed when I visited each). New York City is an easy girl and has befriended several sister cities, Tokyo, Beijing, Cairo, Madrid, Santo Domingo, Budapest, Rome, Jerusalem, Greater London, and Johannesburg. Which only makes me wonder what was wrong with the rest of London?

But then of course it starts to break down. Imagine the family reunion between the sister cities of Duluth, Minnesota and Isumi, Japan or Seattle, Washington and Tashkent, Uzbekistan. At some point in time one of those cities is going to realize that they were adopted and they are going to embark on a journey to find their real families.

It seems as though the whole concept of sister cities needs a little strategy help. If they are similar, it creates this great small world feel where you realize that there are people in the world who are like you but aren’t near you. If it is about differences, then it is great for kids who need pen pals, although I’m not sure that concept still exists.

Well, I feel safe.

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Perhaps he is watching a new security briefing on YouTube? I recognize that there are times when employees just want some personal time. Airports don’t likely have great employee lounges. I get it.  But when your job is to ostensibly keep me safe and when I indirectly pay your salary the least you could put your phone on speaker and play me a holiday tune.

More bad bank advertising

I was just in London for a quick assignment and despite rushing through the airport, this advert caught my eye. Intercontinental Bank bought up the American Airlines terminal to convince everyone not to bank with them.

Particularly I’m drawn to the line, “Global Headquarters, Lagos, Nigeria.” Now you have a global bank that happens to have a headquarters in Nigeria. That’s great, but I’m not sure it is a sales tool unless you happen to be a Nigerian. I know there are reputable banks in Nigeria but there are also a lot of people holding money for me there if I could just send them $150, or call the local barrister.

Take a spin around the web

Globe Spinning
Originally uploaded by Rollergirl1688

It’s been awhile since we took a spin around the web and now feels like as good of a time as any for a peek.

Crispin Porter designs Microsoft tee shirts to change the perception of the brand
– hat tip to plaid

Just in time for the depression the Rough Luxe hotel opens in London.

National Geographic channel sees the HSBC ads that have been around for years and decides it fits their new show Taboo. (you’ll have to trust me on this since the ad isn’t online.)

Fun photo project where a woman asks potential mates to pose with her for a photo to see what they would look like as a couple…how long till eHarmony or Match follow suit?
hat tip: Coudal

And if you you still have the energy, here is a nice dancing robot video.
hat tip: laughing squid

So retro it’s now!

The truth be told, for every trend there is a counter trend waiting just off it’s heels. This is part of what makes life so interesting. It’s also part of why the fast-follower approach to innovation doesn’t work as well as it used to. When everyone has an iPhone it reaches a decible level where folks start checking out the Jitterbug. Likewise, when Ashton Kutcher punks everyone into buying a little digital camera to document their own existence…then you know it is about time for Blackbird, fly. A new dual lens reflex, $200 camera out of Japan to start hitting the shores.

I do believe the analogue days are coming and I think it’s starting to rear it’s head in categories such as apparel and personal care. Now if only they could do something about the automotive industry. I could go for a Shelby Cobra about now.

Trending toward Art

I heard the economy is in the crapper. I actually think that is part of the problem, everyone is throwing around words like recession and depression as if it were candy at a small town parade. Even the folks that I know with money are talking about not spending it because the economy is in such bad shape and they feel like they shouldn’t.

It brings me toward public and commercial art which I have noticing as of late. I have to admit, I think it makes me happier than a stimulus check to walk down the street and see light poles turned into Giraffe necks in SF for the zoo or the picture above which is from a collection of crosswalks turned art.

At a time when consumers are clutching to their pocketbooks it seems like the best way in may be stop acting like a mugger in a subway and start wooing them through humor and fun. If people feel better, they spend more.

hat tip: weburbanist

MacArthur Genius: Walter Kitundu

The MacArthur Foundation named this years recipients of it’s no strings attached grants late last week. Among the astronomers and doctors was Walter Kitundu a Bay Area artist and musician who creates inventive and magical instruments. As he puts it “I don’t have a background in woodwork. I don’t have a background in music. I just have a background in trying.” Refreshing and beautiful.

Reebok one-ups Nike

I don’t know how many folks have been following the story of Arien O’Connell who ran in the Nike Women’s Marathon here in San Francisco. She was a school teacher who ran the race but didn’t run in the “elite” group because she thought of herself as an average runner.  Turns out that she ran her best time that day.  A time that beat the average time of the elite group.  Actually it beat the 3rd, 2nd and 1st place finishers of the elite group.  And it wasn’t by chance, everyone was equiped with digital timers that registered their times automatically so it wasn’t as if she hopped the bus and showed up at the finish.

So, great story for Nike you would think.  Woman says just do and and does it.  Not so fast, it took them DAYS and a bit of bad press to even give her a trophy although they made it clear that she still didn’t win.

Along comes Reebok and gives her a trophy for the race and $2,500 for her school.  Pretty good move Reebok…oh, and getting a press mention and building your brand as “for everyone” is definitely worth a couple of grand.

Video killed the muzak channel.

The very lovable folks over at Very Short List broke the news of MTV Music this morning, a website dutifully broadcasting the best of the MTV music videos from our youth in an attempt to make us feel forever young. Now that I think about it, isn’t that the best part of nostalgia, a sense that we are still that age, at some point, in some part of our bodies?

It’s still in Beta, but I’m hoping that they can create a steady stream loop in the next version so that I can direct connect to the TV and not have to get up and change the video to feel young…my old bones just can’t take it. And as so long as I’m creating my wish list, how great would it be if my vote could be used to create my own station ala Pandora?

And yes, I was going to predictably post the Buggles here but I decided that Christopher Walken dancing was about 20X more awesome on a somewhat down day…

We are still a nation divided

6th Grade Student’s American Flag
Originally uploaded by vagabondrhythm

I flew back to SF to vote and then on to DC today. Sitting in the Crown Plaza in Bethesda it is amply apparent that we are still a nation divided despite an apparent sweep by the Democrats.

It was spurned on by a loud group of conservatives in the hotel bar that truly made me feel for the first time in my life like actually having a fist fight. Considering that I have a presentation in the morning I’m glad I didn’t but the amount of vitriol spilling forth was shocking. Not only was it loudly and blatantly racist it but it shattered by perception that the campaign process and election had actually changed things in America on a broad scale.

Then when I stopped watching the horse race and actually started looking at the results I was abruptly reminded that it is only a few thousand in each state either way.

Toward the end of the campaign myself as well as many others derided the undecideds because we couldn’t understand who they were. Who could be undecided after this sort of campaign? We were all firmly on one side or another and couldn’t really understand how someone else couldn’t be…especially someone that we thought was like us.

Well, it is just a reminder that there are lots of people who are like us and many who don’t share our perspectives. No matter who we are. To truly build a country again we will need to come together on some of these major issues and start to rebuild.

CNN debuts hologram reporting

I feel a bit like I’m watching Star Trek although I have to admit it truly feels like the future. CNN is dong a bunch of great stuff this year and I hope they’ll continue to build.

Beautiful…but useful?

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Originally uploaded by sharedegg

SharedEgg is a project where they linked up consumers, their brand affiliations and put them into a big brand blob.

We often try to see if there are themes amongst groups, segments, archetypes…how things cluster and what can be learned from the information. For example, figuring out shared brand affiliations can help you recognize whether you have a brand that thrives in sub-cultures. In this application, you can also test the influencer theory by watching whether the same people generally start brands into the shared conversation and interestingly, are they the same people who remove them…or does someone else have that task…

Point is, there are lots of applications for this type of study but as Sharedegg shows, one of them seems to be art.

hat tip to Influx.

Free stuff everyone, it’s a recession!

I’m done buying things. I’m just going to wait around for people to give me stuff. Last week I got a free taco from Taco Bell because some guys stole second base in the World Series. On Tuesday I’m going to go home and get myself a free coffee for voting.

I’m thinking that maybe if I wait around someone will give away a car if we reach 100 degrees in December. It could be the global warming giveaway and we’d all get a Hummer. (Consider it GM, you need something) Maybe Toll Brothers could give away a home for every homerun next season, I think they have enough left over and just think about the new database they would have.

So you just got some free thoughts, I’d love to get some more free stuff.

Brand identity that I love: DWR Tools for Living

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Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Brand Extension I Hate – Vaseline

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Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Sometimes the best thing a consultant can do is tell his/her client that something is a bad idea. That common courtesy does not appear to have been extended here.

Vaseline rationally makes sense; It’s soothing, it’s moisturizing, it goes on the skin, but the brand isn’t rational as much as it is emotional and sensory. Emotionally it either reminds you of diaper rash or the Proctologist and from a sensory point of view it is thick and gloppy (technical term) and probably not something you would want to smother on your skin unless you were being paid to wrestle in a kiddie pool…and even then.

I understand the purpose of the extension and trying to move out the guardrails on the brand so that they have more room on the road for product extensions and a real men’s beauty category. But they are about ready to spend a lot of money in a poorly conceived effort.

In addition, Vaseline is owned by Unilever so it is not like there was a lack of brands that they could have used for this initiative. They own AXE, Ponds, Dove and an English brand called LUX all which could have worked better than Vaseline.

The original maverick

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Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Yes, these will soon adorn the walls, bringing a little bit of outlaw back into the gentrified West Village.

My Friday.

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Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Last Friday I managed to skip out of work slightly after 5 and make it down to the Vintage Poster show that was going on here in San Francisco. I was really struck by a series of 1950’s posters commissioned for General Dynamics to promote atomic energy. Created by Eric Nitsche his brief probably read something like…

“… repackaging military hardware development and the emerging nuclear industry as a sponsor of peace”

Fascinating story of a man and his work. Some more of his work can be found here, and the presenting gallery from the SF show is here if you search under Atomic Age.

My purchase, on the other hand, was a matching set of Lone Ranger and Tonto posters that measure in at an imposing 6 feet, 2 inches each. They’ll look great in the New York apt…or so I keep telling myself.

You know you’re not Eco when….

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Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

I think Tina Fey is still more qualified to be President.

Watching these videos makes me cringe…

hat tip to The Huffington Post

Debbie has another good (not good) one over on her blog.

Do you have a personal bank?

It may be more reliable than a Whoo Hoo moment…

Well shucks, I feel better now.

Michael Douglas

Originally uploaded by northgate1

It’s good to know that our government continues to focus on the serious issue of the credit crisis and lending of our banks. Today Mr. Gordon Gekko was asked by reporters about the financial markets upon leaving the U.N.

By the way, if you are a reporter, and all you report on is other reporters, are you still a reporter?  Serious question…

from Yahoo! News.

Yes, this was actually in the room at the Trump Hotel in Chicago

Bling Bling Sparkling Water

Originally uploaded by EverJean

And yes, it’s sparkling. And yes, it was $20 a bottle.

More Authentic Commentary

Vintage Motel Sign

Originally uploaded by photo316

Steve Portigal has some photos over on his blog from Celebration, FL, the Disney founded community that appears to try to bring back the closeted perfect veneer of the 1950s for the modern world.

Coudal also has a nice link to the Draplin Project which echos what many of us have found to be true when driving America’s lost highways. “What happened to great American roadside signage?” And appropriately making the point that new doesn’t always mean better.

explicative-laced video here:

Manufacturing Authenticity

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Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Writing authenticity into a strategy deck is sort of like putting on the applause light in a sitcom. Everyone nods in agreement and comments on your ability to speak the truth. I suppose if my goal in life was to simply be rehired again and again I would probably write it in more often. Then again, there is a distinction to be made between an authentic brand and a brand that simply markets authenticity.

When it comes to marketing authenticity brands typically pursue one of three strategies:

1) Since 19XX
Brands are good at making up arbitrary dates in time and being since then. Granted, you may have never heard of the company and they say they have been around since 1827… but just trust them. They’ve been a small cottage industry and have just decided to advertise in Vogue.  Check out 8-year-old Hollister for a great example of this ploy.

2) Associate with authentic people
Book Willie Nelson, Sofia and Francis Ford Coppola or Johnny Depp and watch your sales soar! When in doubt borrow credibility and you can pay it off later at 12% interest. Musicians are particularly good for this since they advance an image of not caring what anyone thinks. Louis Vuitton tried this recently with Keith Richards.

3) Tell a great backstory
This story need not actually be authentic but needs to seem authentic. Brand X was created by ex-Iditarod racers to combat the elements so it should be be good enough for your kid to wear going sledding right? Charles Shaw wine benefited from this early on as consumers and the press perpetuated a backstory for the brand that spoke of a scorned ex-wife who wanted to humiliate her winemaking former husband by putting his name on cheap wine. The truth behind Two Buck Chuck is slightly different, of course.

These examples notwithstanding, Showtime appears to have taken the backstory to the next level. Now, I’ll go ahead and make all apologies in advance to the Duchovny family should David actually have a sex addiction. On the other hand, I will shake the hand of the Showtime executive if he doesn’t. See, David stars in a pretty great little show over on Showtime called Californication about… wait for it… a man with a sex addiction. Oh yeah, and the new season premieres next week. If you’re going to remind people about a series that may have taken too long to come around again… why not do it by suggesting that the whole thing might actually be true?

ESPN Wants to Sleep with You on the First Date

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Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Working a lot with web companies, one of my main complaints has always been the registration page. First, there is the question of when to ask for registration information. Companies want it any way they can get it. Users need to see a return, or a potential return, on the investment of their time and data… and trust you to use it for their benefit. Personalization? Awesome. Spamming me to death? Not awesome. It’s sort of like a first date. Let’s get to know each other slowly and eventually we’ll make a commitment to each other and we’ll be in it to win it.

So, it’s the time of year that I get girded up for fantasy football. After a brief false start with my old client Yahoo! we’ve moved the league over to ESPN where things are supposed to be a breeze. BUT, then I come to this page with eight different boxes pre-checked for me to receive information, solicitations, backrubs from ESPN, Disney and their partner companies. Oh, and I could give them my cell phone number… umm, no thanks.

I guess I’m glad that the one box they didn’t precheck was, “Yes, I’m interested in getting information on ESPN fundraising.” SERIOUSLY?? What is ESPN fundraising and why on earth would you put it in a registration?

ESPN, I think we are moving too fast. But it’s not you, it’s me. Ok…it’s you.

EA Making the Most of Viral Media

Brands often have active second lives on the Internet. Blogs and message groups go aflutter talking about minute details, questioning product performance and communication campaigns, all things that don’t often get the same level of in-depth discussion on city streets. Recently, I’ve seen a few of my clients actively go online (as themselves) and start to communicate with consumers and join in on the discussion– essentially taking down the industrial age wall between producer and consumer.  That said, this YouTube response from EA is probably the best I’ve seen.

Watch Tiger Woods walk on water:

Hot Brand: SIGG

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Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

I remember the 00’s when Nalgene was making a big push and it seemed like every Patagonia-wearing, Tumi-toting person was carrying around a clear plastic bottle of water, or vodka, depending on what side of the market crash they were on. Now that health practitioners have claimed plastic bottles unleash chemicals into our bodies and that bottled water has been deemed irresponsible–SIGG has become the hot new thing. A well-designed product with a connection to the arts and part of a 1% for the environment group, they’re making a splash here in the Bay Area and are doing so without throwing around a bunch of marketing dollars. They appear to be doing so well in fact, that they shut down the order fulfillment portion of their website as they are having difficulty keeping up with demand.

Microsoft Surface Starts Shipping

Microsoft Surface on public at Sheraton NY

Originally uploaded by Web2.0 Style

It’s always nice when your work actually comes to market. As a non-parent I haven’t gone through the “Oh, it looks like a mini-me” thing yet so this is as close as it gets. Oh, it looks like a version of my strategy. Unboxing photos posted over at gizmodo.

Has Wheaties Changed Their Brand Focus?

rZx–wheaties

Originally uploaded by richardzx

New York Post reports that Golden Boy Michael Phelps has opted to have his mug displayed on boxes of Frosted Flakes, thereby bypassing the offers from General Mills-owned Wheaties.

Wheaties certainly appears to be continuing to purport its brand as a health conscious breakfast cereal; however, for them to not push Michael Phelps to be their box top boy questions how much they are willing to pay to do so. Unfortunately, without the continual athlete endorsements that they have enjoyed I fear they will succumb to being just another strangely named breakfast cereal searching for an audience. (Grape Nuts anyone?)

Fashionable Politics

The Washington Post announced that Obama has taken on a Target-like strategy to bring some (more) panache to his campaign. Coordinating with designers to create custom Obama merch that will be available via the web for trend-setters across the land.

“Now it is enthusiastically and abundantly about style. The Barack Obama campaign, which has been actively courting the fashion industry, has coordinated some 20 or so designers who are creating official merchandise for the candidate’s Web site. It is the first time, as far as Seventh Avenue long-timers can recall, that a quorum of the fashion industry has organized its financial resources and creative energy around a single presidential candidate.

The mix, available online next month, ranges from T-shirts to tote bags and will lend a bit of runway panache to the Obama brand. The list of participating designers, which includes Derek Lam, Isaac Mizrahi, Tracy Reese, Charles Nolan and Diane von Furstenberg, covers the full spectrum of the market, from high-end to inexpensive. Other names have been bandied about but not confirmed: Beyoncé, Russell Simmons, Michael Bastian, Vera Wang.”

For Your Next Presentation

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Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

This has been floating around for a while but I hereby make a bet with you, the Interweb: if someone can send proof of actually using this in a presentation I will send you $1 (pls. include $1.50 for shipping and handling). You know you want to. I know I want to.

The Reason Segmentation Is Dead

As brand strategists, we’ve been looking at the slow death of traditional segmentation analysis for a while now and talking clients through other ways to group their audiences. This video shows you why the hassle:

Steve points us to another fun article from The New Yorker. My favorite quote: “In sharp contrast to last year’s similar polling question, conducted by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles for Indiana State University, only seventy-five per cent of respondents this year thought “with certainty” that they were being interviewed.”

More Fabulous Everyday

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Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

I’m a little bit of a junkie when it comes to interesting travel sites. I love folks like tablethotels.com and will build an entire vacation around one of their properties. Loved the idea of igoyougo.com until I realized that I didn’t have much in common with the older, jewel-toned sweater sets that made up the community. Monocle.com always keeps it interesting and Vice has some good ideas if you enjoy danger as I tend to.

New and non-dangerous is fabsearch.com which collects recommendations from all sorts of people you might trust like elledecor, The Financial Times, Daily Candy. Check them out and get a little more fabulous in your life.

Link Up

Link UP Battle @ Rust

Originally uploaded by linkup_cph

Scientists Are Closer to Invisibility Cloak, Narrowly Outpacing 6 year olds everywhere

Spain’s Basketball Team Pulls a Don Imus

Corcoran Reminds Us Why People Hate New Yorkers

We’re #1, And Love Our Foam Fingers

Spray On Condoms a Hard Sell But an Easy Joke

One More Reason to Distrust Rachel Ray

Mojave Experiment Exploits Focus Groups

Watching a focus group at House Market Research in Baltimore

Originally uploaded by curiouslee

Let’s start with the main point of this here post. Product testing in focus groups is almost inevitably a sham. And frankly, you can watch this viral piece from Microsoft and you’ll see it play out almost frame by frame.

First, you recruit some consumers off a panel that is owned by the facility or market research firm. These consumers have given themselves up to the facilities and admitted that they are willing to come in and sell themselves and their opinions by the hour. Unlike isolated recruiting where you get “regular folks” here you get focus group folks pretending to be regular folk.

They start a group by disparaging the existing product, especially if they are recruited as rejectors or have an inbuilt dislike for the brand/product.

Then, wait for it, they are presented with an alternative. All the sudden they LOVE the alternative. It’s new, fresh, innovative! Clients wet themselves, moderator gets complimented for doing such a nice job, respondent gets 125 bucks and moves on to the next group knowing that they will be invited back because they just made everyone very happy. That person gets a little gold star in the database and makes more money in the future.

See, and that’s the rub, they have a built in reward for pleasing those people who have invited them to come.

The only real way that I have found to break through this routine (and it is a routine) is to ask respondents what they would pay for said product. When they name a price say, “great, I have a few of them back here let me get one for you!” That is generally greeted with a lot of silence and then excuses because it’s not part of the routine. You’ve called their bluff and now you can get down to the real facts about the product and how they correspond with someone’s pocketbook.

That said, the focus group is still dead to me.

Mojave Experiment in Focus Groups:

Overheard in Hawaii

oh dan

Originally uploaded by beau.ryan

Suburban Mom: Did you look in the phone book for a place to eat…
Suburban Dad: There isn’t a Chili’s or TGI Friday’s…
Suburban Mom: What about Applebee’s?
Suburban Dad: I didn’t look under the A’s

Me: (I’m not sure I’m a Hawaii kind of guy…and how freakin’ long has it been since I looked in a phone book for a place to eat?)

Do You Take Cash?

You might not be able to put a price on love but at least you can buy some office supplies… Nice work Office Max.

hat tip to Adrants

Ode to the Wire

In a land where television is often directed to the lowest common denominator, I miss The Wire. Ok, I just said that for street cred. I actually never caught it when it was on TV but I’m consuming the DVDs like a thirsty man in the desert. I have to say that the season 4 opening is the most layered, insightful start to a season that I’ve ever seen. I feel like I’m loving Greta Garbo a few decades past the prime, knowing that there is an end and wanting to see every moment but not wanting to read the epitaph.

(and since YouTube (GOOGLE) is doing some Evil these days, copyrights be damned)

Obama and New Media

Another busy day here at headquarters but wanted to make a precient comment about Obama and his impressive use of new media. Over on his website they are live streaming his speech in Berlin (or at the moment, a lot of photographers taking pictures of people waiting for his speech in Berlin.) For once I feel like we have a candidate who is living in the same world I am and appreciates the power of technology to democratize not just information but democracy itself.

Work vs. Inspiration

Island

Originally uploaded by Adam Preble

Faithful readers, I appreciate you coming back day after day to see that I haven’t posted anything new. It’s endearing and I’ll buy you a drink next time we meet. Work seems to be on overdrive these last few weeks and it’s killing my inspiration.

Which brings me to the strange intersection of working and blogging. I’ve been slammed with client work and learning all sorts of interesting things about the brands and categories that I’ve been working in. Of course I’ve also signed the necessary NDAs which make writing about those things punishable by death.

So while I’m learning all sorts of fascinating things that I’d love to share with you, I can’t. And frankly I’m heads down to the point that I’m not scanning the world as much as I’d like for the other new things that are happening around me. I’m sure this happens to other consultants but I also think that it diminishes the very value that consultants can provide — the outside perspective of the world doesn’t revolve around the clients products/services/experiences.

So I’m going to make an active effort to be a better blogger and consultant and get back to the scanning and sideways view of the world. Until then, hang in there.

Someone Needs a Packaging Update…

IMG00150

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

…as seen today at Duane Reade. Remember when VO5 was a cool, upscale product? After seeing this packaging I don’t either…

Invesco Just Won the Election Lottery

invesco field at mile high

Originally uploaded by pbo31

With Barak Obama and the Democratic National Committee selecting Invesco Field as the host of the Democratic National Convention, Invesco just hit the jackpot. Granted, they might not want to be seen as political, but they’re certain to be mentioned thousands of times over the next couple months and featured prominently in the actual coverage of the event earning them a windfall of free publicity.

The loser, of course, is the Pepsi Center which was all game to get the coverage themselves. It’s a shame that Pepsi moved away from the “Taste of a New Generation” since it would have seemed so appropriate.

article here: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/obama-picks-stadium-for-acceptance-speech/

Creative Juice Squeezed Fresh

Debbie Millman makes me laugh…

Girl Effect Meets Presentation Effects

SwissMiss points us over to Girl Effect, a non-profit committed to helping women fully participate in their societies and affect economic change. A great cause but also a great site and short video. Looks like Keynote to me and just another reminder that I need to spend a weekend understanding how to fully use that program. Video here…

Ed McMahon: Seeking a Big 8-Foot Check

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Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Back in the Publisher’s Clearinghouse days it was probably tempting to pocket one of those $10,000,000 checks. You know, just slip it in the pocket like a valet at the Ivy. Maybe that’s why they made them so darn large… I wonder if winners have to bring the checks to a bank and if they make them sign that large as well.

Well, the face of Publisher’s Clearinghouse is now facing a potential clearing of his own house while foreclosure threatens. Sad to see how widespread this is becoming. At least he has his daughter/wife/daughter-wife, I’m so confused… anyway, he looks like he’s dealing with this…

Anyone Used a Kindle?

Amazon, the king of subtle recommendations, has just released special pricing on the Kindle and free two-day shipping. So here’s my question: has anyone ever used one and if so what are your thoughts? I find the whole thing pretty compelling, especially given the poor options at our nation’s airports and even poorer options in foreign countries.

Obama Claims Victory, I Claim Exhaustion

Obama in Dallas – Reunion Arena

Originally uploaded by slight clutter

Is it really over? I’m still scared to walk outside thinking that it might all be a hoax and I’ll start seeing ‘Hillary Third Party ‘08′ signs outside my office. (BTW, he’s 15 delegates away after today’s super-delegate deluge, he’s mathematically clinched.)

A beautiful, strategic, divisive campaign that’s been a beauty to watch. Remember Iowa? Remember NH that kicked off the Year Of The Tear? Edwards’ long stories about ordinary Americans that made one think he was trying to take over This American Life from Ira Glass. Beautiful stuff.

Now the real fun begins as Obama tries to heal the wounds with women and bridge the gaps with Hispanics and rural Americans.

Would You Like Some Abstinence Pants with Your Chastity Belt?

truelovewaits4

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Never one to miss a chance to cash into a trend late, K-Mart has launched its teen-oriented Abstinence Pants. Unlike traditional methods of padlocks and attack hamsters, K-Mart has opted to write messages on teenagers behinds in really small font so you have to look really closely. No word yet as to whether they will come packaged with En Vouge’s 90’s hit single, “Never Gonna Get It.”

World Saving Starts At Home

Carbon Offsets are, on a surface level, fairly easy to understand. If a company can’t comply with a stated carbon emissions program then they pay money for credits that cover their additional emissions. Likewise you can financially reward companies that meet the emission criteria.

So…some clever Brits developed another program, Cheating Offsets. With this program if you know you can’t be faithful then you put money into a fund and it is distributed to other monogamous couples. My girlfriend thinks this is very funny. I think she needs to be watched carefully.

“When you cheat on your partner you add to the heartbreak, pain and jealousy in the atmosphere. Cheatneutral offsets your cheating by funding someone else to be faithful and NOT cheat. This neutralises the pain and unhappy emotion and leaves you with a clear conscience.”

cheatneutral.com

Fake Out: Fake Handbag Sales in China

Fake Out

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Shot this quick video when I was in Shanghai doing some client research. As a consultant who is frequently asked to work on luxury brands, I’m often reminded of how easily that exclusivity can be broken by fakes. Luckily quality is still a differentiator between most look-a-likes and the real thing but A-class fakes and brands that are more logo driven (v. quality) are harder to discern…

Illustrations + Posters = Things I like

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Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

From the top of del.ici.ous to the top of my blog in seconds flat. Design Reviver has posted some great and inspiring poster designs from the ages. I particularly like this one with its curves, muted tones and rhetorical question: “what is graphic design.”

more here.

Côte d’Ivoire, Undercover

_DSC8399 copy

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Earlier this year I went to the Ivory Coast for a large packaged goods client to look at the meaning(s) of ethics. It was challenging for a multitude of reasons (paused civil war, language barrier, stomach virus) but ultimately a rewarding look at how the ethical behavior of large multinationals can (positively and negatively) affect the lives of the people on the ground. Lots of concepts came out of this research that have the potential to affect everything from how aid is given to how aid is communicated to the global audience in a meaningful way. We’ll see what happens but here are a few of the images from that trip…

photostream here.

(side note: I wish smugmug and wordpress would get along better)

First Bags and Now Antlers

Straight Cut Antlers

Originally uploaded by tommy forbes

Frontier Airlines announced on Friday that it will raise the cost for passengers flying with antlers from $75 to $100. Apparently this is a real issue. No word yet on what the charge will be if you just have really big ears.

More information for the afflicted here.

Apple gets serious about marketing

One of these days I’ll stop buying
every product Apple makes….

Originally uploaded by Jeff Croft

Deep in my bi-coatiality I went to the Apple Store in SoHo yesterday to pick up a base station. (Yes, I know there are cheaper routers but this one looks cool!) My surprise came when the checkout girl asked if it would be ok if they e-mailed me my receipt.

First thought: ok, I’m environmentally friendly, sounds like a good company policy, why don’t more companies do this?

Second thought: HOLY COW, now Apple can track my purchases to an email address, know how long its been since I purchased something, and cheaply and easily send me coupons and incentives to upgrade, buy adjacent products and deeper entrench myself in MacFandom.

I’m not sure how many consumer brands could get away with this. I wouldn’t give most companies my email address but Apple, sneaky little devil, of course you can have it. Now get to sending me coupons for the iPhone. I’ve gotten over my aversion and now I think they are pretty cool.

One Laptop Per Child – V2

Beautiful new prototype for the OLPC XO-2 was released recently. Designed by Yves Behar, it gets my heart all aflutter with its dual touch screens, vertical, horizontal or dual user options. I fantasize about it being a super cool little notebook, Kindle and PSP all in one. I know, I know, it’s for the kids but…I want one anyway. Buy one, give one to return shortly as well.

hat tip to Contagious and LapTopMag

Just in Time for the Election…

I got GPS! Trust me! I know where we are…
though there is no road showing here.

Originally uploaded by - Tony X.Q -

…or for the relaunch of Vista, or for your local Mitsubishi dealership. I’m just saying, next time you are contemplating a purchase that you know you probably shouldn’t make, don’t drink the water.

“Researchers in Switzerland theorized that people playing social trust games might change their behaviors if given doses of oxytocin, since the chemical might artificially enhance their willingness to trust someone. Indeed, they were right: subjects dosed with Oxytocin were willing to trust people even after they’d been explicitly told that those people had behaved in untrustworthy ways in the past. People who had not been dosed did not trust the “untrustworthy” people.”

hat tip to reader Jeffluence

Because Sometimes You Need a Drink

camouflagecan

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Growing up in Ohio I remember how the first day of hunting season would clear out a classroom. All the same kids who complained about an 8am school bell were suddenly out in the woods at 5am. I, predictably, would be in class.

Well, my guess is that those same schoolmates are sending out a rousing ‘hell yeah’ in response to Miller’s decision to issue camo-cans this year. You think it is a little extreme? Hunters have been known to cover their bodies in imitation deer piss so as not to be given away by their scent. That’s a little extreme. This makes total sense.

hat tip to adfreak and plaid

What If Hillary is Pushing A Third Party?

Hillary Clinton 1

Originally uploaded by Angela Radulescu

I recognize the absurdity of this question on the surface. The Clintons built the modern democratic party, right? Why would they turn against it? Well, they may if they truly see that as their chance to win. They feel alienated by Howard Dean and rue the day they installed him at the DNC. They feel as though they still have the best credentials in a general election and the ability to connect with women, blue collar voters and moderates. This still may be a long shot but it might explain why they are still in the race taking advantage of the press coverage and trying to build momentum. One would have thought it crazy for Joe Liberman to go it alone as well after the party turned on him just years after being its candidate for Vice President.

Seriously, another one?

I’m a bit amazed by all the science kids running around in production units these days. I’m also amazed that agencies continue to recycle concepts and that clients haven’t noticed. At least in this viral spot for Clustarack all the coolness supports the brand and it makes sense but even then it’s still a tired horse that wants to be sent to the glue factory. Watch the other culprits here. Personally my heart is still with the original art film that inspired it all.

Infographics from Portugal’s FCB

usa

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

One of the numerous emails flying around this morning on what seems to be a very busy day. This is one of many ads created by FCB for the Portuguese magazine Grande Reportagem.

See them all here.

Gucci Teams up with David Lynch

Beautiful work, but don’t you dare watch it on a small screen!

Discovery Something

O2 Memory Project

_DSC0759

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

I’ve been in London for the past few days and stumbled upon the O2 Memory Project in London’s Southbank. A beautiful industrial cylinder greets passers by and snaps 360 panoramics of the scene every few minutes. On the inside you can see the images that have been captured and through hand gestures go back in time to see what has come before. A nice effort from O2 and Jason Bruges.

Not entirely sure what it has to do with O2, which was probably a missed communication opportunity. The host who I spoke with only admitted sheepishly that it wasn’t actually just a cool art project but that there was a corporate father.

More information can be found here: www.o2memoryproject.com

Wine Label Innovation That’s Been a Long Time Coming

snc17529

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

How many times have you tried to discreetly peel off a wine label in a restaurant? I’ve recently converted a few friends to the iPhone Wine Library, which isn’t really a product but an understanding that you can create a gallery of wine labels with notes about about what you liked about them in your iPhone. It also demonstrates that no matter where you pull out your iPhone and what you do with it it is still very cool.

Well, now Swiss Miss points us to peel-ready wine labels for the wino in all of us.

hat tip to dieline a sweet package design blog

It’s 3AM, Who Do You Want to Play Soccer With?

… Pop Art

Originally uploaded by thebeeb

In the ’so cool and ingenious I checked to make sure it wasn’t published on April 1st’ news of the day, Nike teams up to produce short-term glow in the dark spray paint for night games.

“Unless you have easy access to stadium lighting, playing a pickup game after dark can be nearly impossible. Well now designer Pierre Haulot has teamed with Nike to create Virtual Park, a glow in the dark spray paint used to create goals, boundaries, a glowing ball and whatever else you need to keep the games going at night. The paint even disappears after two hours, so the Vandal Squad won’t come crawling.”

published in Complex, found at Contagious

Cultural Understanding Through the Baggage Carousel

Baggage hall

Originally uploaded by louisetolman

I’ve traveled a lot and I’m thinking that from now on to understand a culture I might just land, go to the baggage carousel, and then take off again.

Moscow: pushy, driven, impatient, ‘oh there is a foot between you and the baggage carousel, I think I’ll squeeze in there’ sort of culture. How about if we put an invisible fence two feet back from the baggage carousels that if you stepped across before your bags come along would zap you like a suburban dog? Anyone with me here?

Design Simplicity Please!

_DSC0292

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

We’re always talking about and getting excited over design simplicity, but when confronted with design complexity for simple tasks it really hits home. This was the seat adjustment panel on my flight from Shanghai to Moscow today. Is this seriously the best they could do? I think one of the buttons was to fly the plane if you wanted to, I’m glad I didn’t hit that one by mistake.

M&M’s, Sexual Innuendo? Naw.

Blue has always been my favorite…

Strategy Interview Question

salad bar

Originally uploaded by smcgee

Strategy interviews are hard to conduct and to read. How do you keep from hiring a candidate simply based on personality? How do you ensure that strategists think strategically? Here’s one of the questions that I like to ask:

If you were the manager of a salad bar, how would you organize it to create relevance and differentiation while maximizing revenue?

As with most strategy questions, being right isn’t enough, rather it’s about how you think through and structure the problems.

My thoughts after the jump…

Keep On Truckin’

02semi600.1

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Sunday’s New York Times broke the Lone Star, the new 18-wheeler from NaviStar and the latest product category to bring design to the forefront as a competitive advantage. Not only does it look great, taking vintage styling from the 1930’s D Series trucks, but I dare say it also brings a little bit of Airstream comfort to the road in an effort to lure a new generation of truckers who buy their hats from Diesel rather than the truck stop.

“The LoneStar is distinctive, looking like no other truck on the road. It eschews the boxy, mechanical look of older trucks in favor of the glint and gleam of prewar Packards and Lincolns. Borrowing design elements from the D-Series truck from the 1930s, the Lone Star expresses style and pizazz with its sharply angled gleaming prow and the four orange lights along the side of the hood that hover like juggled balls in midair. Running lamps lend a carnival wagon flamboyance. There is also lots of bling: tall twin exhaust stacks are chromed and the wheel skirts are stainless steel.”

Will.i.am Lobbies for Inauguration Gig

Will.i.am created another video with the help of Hollywood breeders for Obama. It is sort of nice to to see a musician actively supporting a candidate rather than just asking them to stop playing their songs.

Gucci Hearts NY. NY Isn’t That Into You.

Guest post from The Navigatrix…

To announce the opening of their new recession-be-damned 46,000 square foot 5th Avenue flagship, Gucci unveiled a line of products using the iconic (and copyrighted) I [Heart] NY logo including, yes, paper coffee cups to be given out by street vendors. Sigh…. I first saw this campaign over the weekend (on the back of a New Yorker no less, where it just looked so… wrong).

Really Gucci, really? I heart NY too but this makes my eyes bleed. From what I can gather, proceeds from all (big dubious eyebrow raise on “all”) products go to Playground Partners of the Central Park Conservancy, which is great, but still doesn’t excuse the awfulness of this collection.

And That’s Why They Call It AdWeak

monkey men

Originally uploaded by Krakitt

It seems like everyone from Agency Spy to Gawker is announcing Crispin’s win of the Microsoft business. A coup for sure but why aren’t the industry rags jumping on the bandwagon already? Do they know something that we don’t or are they just slow to the party? If it’s the latter someone should go ahead and tell them the party has moved and they aren’t invited.

Sometimes Focus Groups Make You Cry

IMG00071

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Just finished a round of focus groups in NYC and Houston for a client. This is what greeted me in Houston. I guess Opinions Unlimited was just too tempting but luckily it wasn’t ominous for the project.

WaMu Steals Massage Parlor Slogan

whoo

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

The Blog Speaks the Truth

stuff white people likeOriginally uploaded by bkusler

It’s rare to for me to dedicate an entire love post to another blogger’s work. As a blogger, I do have a certain amount of pride and self-induced pressure to generate interesting, provocative and not awful work. But as a strategist and observer of culture I have to give a shout out to Stuff White People Like. It’s already a top blog on WordPress so it’s not exactly a secret, but it does have the secret sauce.

Well-written and without a trace of irony, it successfully sends up a lot of things that white people hold so dear. Especially middle- to upper-class white people who live in urban environments. Who can argue that white people don’t love expensive sandwiches?

Demonstrating Interview Bias And American Stupidity

Nobody Brings Me Breakfast In Bed…

For all you math whizzes out there, I now break down the formula to making this video at home…

(1 Dick in a Box  X  1 Wake up with the King) + Honey Bunches of Oats = this video.

hat tip to agency spy

Bookmarks Are For People That Hate Money

Photoetched steel bookmark | Japanese Woodblock

Originally uploaded by madcrow

I’m not sure how much money the bookmark industry brings in these days. I actually tried a brief search but the term “bookmark” has been co-oped by everyone in technology. My question is: why on earth do people pay for bookmarks anyway? I almost understand beautiful ones like the image attached but these are made of brushed stainless steel!?! Is that really necessary or even prudent?

The purpose of a bookmark is to mark your page in a book, yes? Perhaps people also use them to remind themselves that they are rich, appreciate beautiful design, or want to be constantly asked WWJD but I’m not so sure. I think the entire bookmark industry is a conspiracy against our good sense.

I’ll keep using a trusty dollar bill as my bookmark…because after all, it’s still cheaper than a bookmark.

This Doesn’t Make Any Sense!

1917 D pennyOriginally uploaded by Dystopos

According to 60 Minutes they can’t find anyone under 60 who wants to work there. Except for Katie Couric, but is there anywhere Katie Couric won’t work?

In other news, do you know that it takes 2 cents to make every penny and 10 cents to make every nickel? How much does this account for our deficit? Probably not as much as the two wars we’re in but still…

Embracing Failure

frisbee-failOriginally uploaded by distillerymedia

While in Italy for an ideation last week, we did a group exercise that examined our individual fears. As we went around the group, one fear came up again and again: the fear of failure.

We are all prone to fail, but few of us are ever able to create a place safe enough to admit the fear of failing, or harder still, admit past failures. As a manager, I see this most often with young employees who want to sweep their failures under the rug before anyone notices them. Although, in truth, I’m equally guilty of celebrating my successes rather than my failures. It comes down to how we want to be perceived. We are always afraid that moments of weakness will come to define us in the eyes of others.

I think Fridays are a good day to reflect on the week. To put down on paper all the successes we’ve had in the past week and then all the failures. Not to self-justify them or put them on other people, but rather to own up to things that, had we done them better, would have lead to a different outcome.

After that you should go over to The Fail Blog and realize that your life isn’t so bad.

Today’s Lesson In Interviewing

Too many people are coming into interviews unprepared these days.

Him: “What does your agency do?”
Me: “Wow, we have a pretty porous prescreening process lately. Don’t you have the Internet?”
Him: “Yes, I’m on Facebook all the time.”

It’s time we reverted back to the old fashioned interviewing method. You vs. Sea Monkeys. If you win, come back and we’ll talk.

Is It Just Me…

a150_a10Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

or do you sometimes realize that the general population has been a bit slow to this whole environmental movement?

Designing The Future

Whenever I try to do a Rubik’s Cube I end up with some stupid color on the wrong side and no good way to get it to its home. Not so for the kids at W+K London or the engineers at Honda. No sir, they are smart.

hat tip to shape+color

Innovations That Work

rolling_bench

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Innovation is tough work for any company or product designer. How do you take something that works fairly well and find a way to make it work in some way better? This is a perfect example of how to do just that. I look forward to the days that I can sit outside after a rainy morning and take in the beauty of a city recently washed.

Hat tip to swissmiss and the designers over at Yanko Design.

We’ve Got A Lot Of Common Sense To Deliver

Why does my television turn into Animal Planet every time a Super Bowl commercial comes on? As I ponder this, enjoy a nice advertising send-up by Miller High Life.

Some Days I Want To Be A Client

LEVIS-ECO4

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

As a strategist, when you work on a project, you take it in your arms and really try to care for it like the conscientious brand steward you are. You do the customer research, you look at the market and the trends. You create the positioning, the message. You work with product designers to provide guidance and then, finally, you get to a point where you set the boat out to sail into the great, wide ocean. Then one day you find an advertisement for the product and brand that you helped shape and you wonder where it went wrong. My only solace is that this is an ad in Singapore.

Hat tip to Copyranter for finding the ad and making me a very sad strategist.

Obama Has His Designs on the Presidency

print080129-shepfairey-3of3-20080129-110401-lg1Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

The artist Shepard Fairey has endorsed Barak Obama. While this is about as insignificant as it gets, it warms my heart to see some beautiful work come out of a political campaign that isn’t trying to sell the Chevy trucks version of America.

Article in Creativity here.

Getting Back to Business

And I’m back. I’ll fill you in on the trip on Monday.

Don’t Worry, Just Breathe

breatheOriginally uploaded by distillerymedia

Hey there faithful readers (i.e. mom and dad). I’m off to Italy for an ideation week on behalf of a paying client. Wish me luck. It’s being held at a New Age resort in Italy. In thinking about it, I don’t think Italians do new age so well…nope can’t think of a thing. Pretty sure the last invention they came out with was the pizza bagel. I think we created the Hot Pocket.

poster by Matt Willey and available at Magma UK

An Indexed Life

card856Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

Jessica Hagy over at indexed has an acute sense of observation and a beautiful way of depicting the world. She also has a new book out which stirs up almost as much envy in me as I had for the guy who bartered his way from a red paperclip to a house in Kipling, Saskatchewan. Those Canadians are cute as puppies but boy, they will fall for anything.

By the way I have a whole box full of paperclips if anyone has an apt. building they would like to trade. Going once, going twice…

Democrats Are Smarter Than Republicans

Clinton(Democrats are sexy)Originally uploaded by Cal-el

I discovered an interesting little widget on my travels around the blogosphere yesterday: The Blog Readability Test. Type in your blog’s url and presto! It gives you a nifty little digi-sticker with your blog’s reading level on it. But it gets better– it works on regular websites too! Since I’m a nerd I looked up presidential candidates’ websites straight away. This is what I found…

DEMOCRATS:

BarakObama.com – College, Post Grad

JohnEdwards.com – Genius

HillaryClinton.com – Jr. High School*

REPUBLICANS:

JohnMcCain.com – High School

MittRomney.com – Elementary School

MikeHuckabee.com – Genius**

JoinRudy2008.com – High School

RonPaul2008.com – High School

When reading these results, keep in mind that half of America is below average at everything, always.

*which may explain the crying. Junior High can be a nightmare.

**if you hate evolution

Chip Kidd is a Punk…

…and I mean that in the best possible way. He has a reputation as a rebel in the book cover design industry, and in doing so has been shaking up what we expect, ruffling some feathers and achieving fame in the process. (If only the rest of us could do it with such style…) Last week he was a guest on my colleague Debbie Millman’s radio show Design Matters and this week I’m pointing you over to DoorSixteen for a thoughtful write-up from a book designer about Chip’s attitude and practices as well as pictures of his well-appointed home.

Feist 1234

I love me some Feist but this video makes it look like everyone got stuck in an American Apparel store only to be directed by Richard Simmons in a remake of West Side Story.  Or maybe I just need another cup of coffee.

Project SpaceLift

googleOriginally uploaded by distillerymedia

Smashing Magazine has published another list of cool spaces to work in. Between this and Metropolis’s list of great agency workspaces I’m starting to feel downright traditional. On the upside, at least I don’t spend my days in a prairie-dogging cube farm.

Excuse me, I believe you have my stapler.

I Wish Real Coors Light Ads Were This Funny

Coors Light advertising is not funny. In concept, it is hilarious. In practice, it makes me want to grab a cold Coors Light because I think if I keep drinking the ads might get funnier. Does that mean they are working?

This consumer generated spoof is a little funnier, and I haven’t even been drinking.

Hat tip to Church of the Customer Blog

Simple Yet Beautiful

Debbie Millman points us to this beautiful animated piece created by Sesame Street and Phillip Glass in 1979.  It makes me smile on a cold San Francisco day and makes me wonder why so much marketing has to be so ugly.

Are You Curious?

Curious is a fun word to say. Try it out loud right now: CUR-EE-US. It sounds like curios which you might put in a curio cabinet but what’s curious about that is why anyone would ever do such a thing.

Tangents like the above are why I’m not invited to speak at many conferences. Seth Godin is invited. Seth speaks at lots of conferences and I think some of them are on the topic of speaking which makes it even more impressive.Here he speaks on curiosity in a short film by film-maker Nic Askew.

(sorry folks, I can’t embed flash but the video above is worth the click)

Nice Design, Great Coffee

scan001

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

The Navigatrix and I picked up this piece of collateral in Portland, OR while on safari. Perhaps coffee just tastes better in rainy climates, but I really like what the folks up at Stumptown Coffee Roasters are doing.

They offer great environmental design while also pursuing a strategy of coffee as wine where they describe the tasting experiences of each brew along with where it was grown and whether it is fair trade, direct trade, co-op or organic, all before hand drawing every cup.

Sometimes I Feel Like a Man Shaking a Bucket

Like this guy here, trying to art direct a cow during a shoot for Dairy Today magazine. I know what you’re thinking– Dairy Today? I don’t care, it’s a beautiful redesign even if I am lactose intolerant.

Make My Logo Bigger Cream

Available for enjoyment here:

Available for purchase here.

Only works on logos fellas, not recommended as a personal enhancement device.

MLB Gives New Meaning to the Idea of Die Hard Fan

mlb_cubscasket

Originally uploaded by distillerymedia

I’m not even sure what to say about this. Is it an impressive (and
creative) brand extension by MLB or is it disgusting? I can imagine the
eulogies now…

Can I Get Out of Work Writers to Write My Blog For Awhile?

TV writers, I miss you and I want you back. I’m not just talking about just the good writers either, if you work for CSI you can come back too.  I’m tired of watching A Daily Show, Fraiser reruns and the Nature Channel, and I’m tired of being pissed off that LOST is going to stop halfway through the season with the longest To Be Continued ever.  The least you can do is come over and write my blog for me.  We can promote your cause, let you show your skills and show everyone what they’re missing.  Think about it, let me know.

gates, murray, clinton and cosby.

gates, murray, clinton and cosby.

Originally uploaded by justbadpot

The Psychology of Price

The Price is RightOriginally uploaded by rich66

A new report out of the Stanford Graduate School of Business reports a direct correlation between price and pleasure. I would link this back to an earlier post I wrote about Magical Value in showing not only the correlation between price, but between a users satisfaction and what they believe the marketplace value is. If they believe that the product that they are purchasing and consuming is of greater of higher value and greater quality, consumers want to believe that they are evolved enough to appreciate that additional quality.

They did their study based on wine.  In telling people that the bottle was more expensive, users reported experiencing additional pleasure. Now, overall that makes a lot of sense, but I think that the only criticism that I might have of their study is that it seems like they only measured the first bottle of wine. Because frankly, after a couple bottles, two-buck-chuck tastes pretty darn good.

full article here.

Free Air Guitar.

Free Air Guitar.

Originally uploaded by sepultura

A.P.C., an unMarketer that I love

Marketers get a bad rap. I think it probably has something to do with selling people things that they don’t need and generally distracting the public from things that are important in life, like blogs. One way marketers stimulate desire for said unneeded objects is through conspicuous, megaphone-style communications. See Gap RED’s “We care about Africa and you should buy a sweatshirt!” “You can save a lot of money on your car insurance by switching to [insert any brand here].” The joke that’s never lost on my girlfriend: “You have a friend in the diamond business!”

That’s part of why I think it’s important to highlight the unmarketers of the marketing world. Marketers who aren’t desperate for me to remember their tag, jingle or corporate mission; who speak in a normal tone of voice without yelling, cajoling or otherwise force-feeding me their message. And yes, despite being a marketing consultant I still keep to this maxim.

Which is why I love A.P.C. even though the jeans don’t fit quite right…yet. I’ve long read about A.P.C. through their placements in fashion editorial and advertisements. Some kind of understated, chic European brand… I didn’t really get it. After seeing their name enough times and being in NYC this past week I sought out the store in Soho. My encounter went something like this…

I walk into the store. It’s the clean, airy, masculine, minimalist aesthetic that I’m accustomed to with high-end retailers. This being A.P.C. and Mercer Street, the staff is somewhat affected but otherwise friendly. I find a pair of jeans on the denim bar and am encouraged to buy them two sizes too small by a staff member lounging on the couch reading a magazine. First of all, I love the soft sell. And two sizes too small? Awesome. But wait a minute, I can’t quite breathe in these, and I don’t know what’s going to happen when I try to sit down. “Perfect” is the staff member’s response that’s just about right.

A bit of cognitive dissonance ensues as I stutter step to the counter to buy the jeans. I’m equal parts excited and anxious as I hand over my credit card. It’s here that I’m asked if I know how to care for said jeans. “Uh…what do you recommend?” The sales associate informs me that only after I wear them for (at least) 6 months should I attempt to clean them. And by “clean” he means “dry clean.” He hands me an instructions card that suggests some other care techniques including:

#4. seawater recipe

let your jeans get dirty for as long as possible, go swimming in the ocean wearing your jeans, rub your jeans with dry sand, and repeat several times. rinse in fresh (not salt) water and let dry in the sun.

Like contemporary branders such as Seth Godin, I love brands and products with stories. Stories that are weird, funny, fussy, human, strange- anything so long as it gives the product life and enhances it in a sea of sameness. You can’t wash your jeans in a sea of sameness and that’s why I love A.P.C.

A Lesson About Marketing in the YouTube Age

Unilever has successfully created two strong health and beauty brands in Dove and Axe. Both have strong points of view and viscerally connect to their audiences. Dove does it through “Real Beauty,” asking its audience to reject superficial stereotypes of gender and beauty; Axe through promoting superficial stereotypes of gender and beauty by using promiscuous sex as a vehicle. The brands are two of the best communicated in the industry, leveraging different sides of the same issue. Both score highly on shock value, both have extremely devoted consumer followings and both are, of course, owned by Unilever, which some now see as a big fat (not that there’s anything wrong with that) hypocrite.

But is it hypocrisy or is it just marketing? Independently, both brands are compelling but Dove has chosen a manifesto as its campaign as if on a crusade against traditional beauty brands. It asks its audience to vote with the brand’s mission by buying its product. A valiant effort, but it turns out it’s difficult for the King to lead a rebellion. Especially in the age of increased marketing transparency.

Layer Tennis by Coudal Partners

I’m a design appreciator, not a designer. That said, it’s amazing to see what great designers can come up with with the right tools and collaboration. More from this series and others at Layer Tennis

Yahoo! and Google, the new, old social network

 

 

from the nyt…

Ignore Orkut, OpenSocial, Yahoo Mash and Yahoo 360. Google and Yahoo have come up with new and very similar plans to respond to the challenge from MySpace and Facebook: They hope to turn their e-mail systems and personalized home page services (iGoogle and MyYahoo) into social networks.

Web-based e-mail systems already contain much of what Facebook calls the social graph — the connections between people. That’s why the social networks offer to import the e-mail address books of new users to jump-start their list of friends. Yahoo and Google realize that they have this information and can use it to build their own services that connect people to their contacts.

I suppose this news could be filed in the ‘obvious’ folder but it is surprising how long it has taken Yahoo! and Google to catch on in this regard. With social networks on the rise in terms of page views and time spent on-site, they are emerging as the big competitors to the traditional communications providers. And the other truism from mail-centric communication brands is that they are incredibly sticky once users have established an identity and address book of contacts. Users are loathe to leave, even if the service level dips or new competitors enter the scene. This is why you can still find otherwise intelligent people with the email address ‘name@aol.com.’

Why writers should be paid for Internet content

Nice Daily Show clip demonstrating the power that the Internet has to broadcast content. You know, the way the broadcast networks used to.

Television killed the video star

Annuals – Carry Around

It is well documented that MTV lost its way awhile back. They made a strategic shift away from being a Music Television Network to being a network that embraced the thoughts and minds of youth. As a strategy, this would appear to offer almost unlimited potential to expand and grow.

In reality, the execution of the strategy becomes difficult when you recognize that the youth market is both increasingly factioned and in constant flux as consumers enter in and age out daily. And as we say, the devil is in the details.

This same dynamic is part of what makes MySpaceTV.com so interesting. MySpace created a social networking phenomenon based around music, bands and the people that love them. Now they have launched an Internet television network to bring music videos back to the fans.

Even through growth and acquisition they have managed to stand for and facilitate youth culture while keeping true to the musical heart of the brand.

Say hello to the Suzuki…RENO?!

In the naming business, teams occasionally just give up and open up an atlas of the United States. Sometimes it works out well. The Chevy Tahoe connotes the rugged outdoors and the wintry mountain pass. The Hyundai Santa Fe is a rugged car in the spirit of the West. You can’t take it out to the slopes like the Tahoe but it’s still big enough to haul around your art supplies.

The Reno? I guess it represents the barren West and the smallest little town in the world which, it may also be fun to know, has led the US in both marriages and divorces. This may suggest the second thoughts that its owners will come to have upon purchase.

Welcome to the distillery

The distillery is a creative factory where lots of stuff goes in and the important stuff comes out. It’s filtered content, pure, healthy and delicious. Drink up.