Making Information Easy (and Fun)

We all know that learning and information isn't always fun, particularly when the topic isn't of personal interest. Too bad we can't always think about what we want to. We do know that (most) people remember pictures better than words (think picture superiority effect). To help matters, think about how you can sort and communicate the information so that it can be a bit more visually stimulating so your readers have a chance at recalling the information someday. Some of the years best infographics can be found here.

Monday Music: 8Tracks

8Tracks- With over 155K mixes to listen to, you'll be sure to find at least one you fancy.

Even a Thanksgiving food hangover can't keep me from getting hungry on this site..

What can you say about something that's just amazing? That its amazing. I'm not a foodie. Let me just get that on the page now. I have a hard time visualizing food I haven't seen before, which applies to things I have not baked/cooked and things I see on a menu that I've never ordered. Full of images and easy to understand recipes, my pandora's box of food may have just been opened. Betty Crocker Recipes' Photostream on Flikr. I may try to make these puppies tonight ;)

Climate Change = People Change

DDB's Fun Theory for Volkswagen (2009) hit a home run by seeing the human side of things. Make something fun and interesting and people will (oftentimes) do it. And when people are actually involved, as opposed to just thinking, they are connected and could even... wait for it.... change. But for how long? I would have loved to see how this space looked once the keys were removed. Did behavior revert to pre-key days, or are more people still taking the once-playful stairs that are now boring stairs? Hmmm. If only we did more longitudinal studies.

Monday Music

Saw these guys last week here in Denver. It changed my life.



Mumford and Sons, Sigh No More album. Get some.

Corn Candy

To corn candy or not to corn candy, that is the question..



At last month's Planningness conference in Denver, I met Len Kendall, the man behind S.W.O.T. Life. A visit to his tumblr site may not change your life, or your day, but it could change your moment. And if it doesn't, try doing a S.W.O.T. on the site itself.

Overcoming our Biological Limitations...

Below is a great Ted Talks video about human (economic) behavior. The point Laurie Santos (Yale University) makes can be applied across our culture. We humans have biological limitations. Yes its sad but true; we can't fly, we can't filter oxygen to breathe under water, and we can't think in absolute terms very well. Some of these limitations are presumably millions of years old, making them quite ingrained and more importantly, difficult to overcome on our own. What does this mean? Innovation. Because, only when we start to recognize and acknowledge our limitations, can we start using technology, design and the world around us to overcome them...

Monday Music

The Justin Bieber phenomenon continues... His video "Baby" has now passed Lady Gaga's Bad Romance as the #1 most viewed video on YouTube. Enjoy.

what bloggers can teach us...

Like many, I frequently visit a number of blogs relating to my profession looking to get my fill of relevant information. TIME recently shared their picks for "Best Blogs of 2010" and I have to say, I'm quite intrigued. This list of course, is entirely based on subjective information which is exactly what I love about blogging. Blogging is about expressing opinions and sharing ideas- whether it be about photography, random ruminations, hipsters, seeing the world, or unwinding. And what's even better, is that they can all be applied to what we understand about what people want.


( user submitted postcard to www.postsecret.com)
The #2 blog, PostSecret is one of my personal favorites. PostSecret is a community art project where people from across the globe write a previously untold secret on one side of a homemade postcard. Some secrets are funny, some are hopeful, some are heartbreaking, some heal those who write them, and others heal those who identify with them. All are extremely insightful into the human experience. In a world of grey, where little is clearly right or wrong, people want honesty and to not feel they are the only one.

It's risky for anyone to be honest. As market researchers we battle this every time we sit down with someone we've just met. Yet, the most powerful conversations we have with people are those that happen in a space where the walls of personal disclosure have been broken down. These honest conversations that uncover the deepest fears, desires, and hopes we sometimes even keep from ourselves yield the best insights to work from. Its not always easy to connect with strangers and get to this space, but its what we strive to do with each and every person we meet.

This need for honesty also holds true for companies and brands. Just say the word marketing and see how people react. You may have someone look at you as though you've never said an honest word in your life. Consider for a moment how Toyota, Tiger and BP are perceived in the eyes of the public. A little empathy and honesty can go a long way.

Monday Music

"Cause I need freedom now, And I need to know how, To live my life as it's meant to be..."

Marketing To Women

Read this article on Retail Customer Experience awhile back but revisited it today. A cognitive anthropoligist, Dr. Bob Deutsh, says that women cycle, men consummate. Men and women were by all means created equal but very differently. Men typically are driven by the need to get things done, to "bring home the bacon" and women are often more conceptual and in tune with relationships. I think we all know men and women are quite different, but Dr.Deutsch hits on 10 difference that are quite valuable to brands. Or your boyfriend/girlfriend.


1. PATTERN, not just point. Recognize that women have the ability to perceive more than the metric of a product attribute or an instance in time; they appreciate the underlying pattern (idea) that gives rise to the fleeting moment.

2. AUTHENTICITY, not just immediate appearance. Recognize that persona, biography (or history), and current contingency must all be factored in, and that universal principles underlie particularities.

3. QUALITY, not just quantity (size). Recognize that for women bigger and more is not necessarily better; and that a steady build is often better than an impulsive response.

4. CONNECTEDNESS, not just individuals. Recognize that communality can reign over dominance. We are all bound together.

5. SOCIETY, not just markets. Recognize that markets are numbers, and that markets can be counted and the goodies duly noted. But numbers are not people. Women are people and people have personal feelings and social intentions.

6. QUALITY OF LIFE, not just accumulation. Recognize that there are material and spiritual needs made up of individual wants and musts, but that are cast in the context of a social matrix.

7. REASONABLENESS, not extremism or absolutism. Recognize that all issues have grays, and exaggerations to one side or the other only cover-up the reality of subtlety and nuance.

Hi Youtubers.

Michael Welsh, an anthropology professor at Kansas State University, talks about this new form of expression, new forms of community, new forms of identity and new forms of empowerment that YouTube has unveiled. What I really like about his approach is that it focuses on PEOPLE, connecting and linking PEOPLE. To me that's the sweet spot for EVERYTHING. Without that element, no advertisement, no viral video, no brand could ever be important. That's pretty bold, but its how I feel. When media changes, human relationships change, which makes this whole thing even more exciting. And this video of course is all about YouTube but its very valid in thinking about all forms of modern online community- Skype, Facebook, ChatRoulette, Blogs (and its primarily for this participant observation that I blog). Were networked and individualized. Where will WE take this?

If you've not seen this or need a refresher ( and you've got an hour to spare) check this video out.

Friday Fun

Simple as That.

People are Fascinating.

A short film by Philip Bloom

Bumper Sticker Wisdom

Typically car tattoos just make me wonder why someone would do that to their car, however this one made me think twice. It definitely makes me curious to know what her story is. You know she's got a good one.

Monday Music

Ahh, there's no better way to start a week than with a little John Butler Trio.


( oh and he's coming to Red Rocks this June!)

Wanna Chat?

By now, you've probably heard about Chatroulette an emerging chat phenomenon that randomly connects chatters with webcams from around the world. Some call it obscene, but others call it revolutionary. Unlike other "social" networks of 2010, you don't have to sign up or fill out a profile to begin, which invites people to be a bit more...creative. You simply need to have a webcam and a desire to be, well be entertained. Matthew Stringer has done an informal, preliminary sociology exploration and its quite interesting to see first hand why people are gravitating to this type of online community. If you're over 18 (not that anyone will stop you if youre not) and if you can handle strangers disconnecting without warning, maybe you should try for yourself...

chat roulette from Casey Neistat on Vimeo.

Monday Music

"Don't let your eyes refuse to see, don't let your ears refuse to hear"



Ray LaMontagne talks a little bit about our strange world...

Happy Valentine's Day

"There cannot be romance without being romantic; there cannot be love without giving love; and there cannot be anything lasting and genuine without commitment."

A brief article about why we fear commitment and why it's so important that we overcome it.

Everybody Has A Story...

Its a fun reminder of what you can learn from a 5 year old. Now, go learn something ;)

The South Butt

Yes, If you haven't already heard of this company, you read it right. Unlike the North Face, where people are encouraged to "Never Stop Exploring", The South Butt's founding principle is to "Never Stop Relaxing." And although the company is quite clear about not expecting anyone who is wearing the gear to actually go climb a mountain, its no surprise, The South Butt now finds itself being sued by The North Face, who is seeking to stop the St Louis based company from marketing and selling its parody apparel product line. Now, trademark infringement suits are not uncommon- company x has a strong brand mark that people recognize and respect ( and company x spends a ton of money to make this happen of course) and company y comes in with a slightly different mark or product and hope they are different enough that they can play in the same space without causing harm to company x. These cases seem to end up coming down to this difference between the 1)likelihood of dilution over actually 2)proving injury to the value of a mark. To help prove that the average person knows the difference between a face and a butt, TSB launched what else but a facebook app. How 2010 of them. Of course, there are those who believe this college student in Missouri should be allowed to "follow the American dream" and others, most likely those working in the business of brands, believe he should have simply came up with a different name. Whatever side you're on, the case is moving forward so the jury is still out. Literally.

Monday Music

"And I don't know how to slow it down"



In light of my second week at the new job and feeling like my head is spinning just a bit, I wanted to share the new Norah Jones, "Chasing Pirates".

deep thoughts at the new office

I thought spoons would be in the "Utensils" drawer, until I opened it and found no spoons. Only at that time did I see the "Silverware" drawer.


Its funny how you think you've got it all figured out until you discover there's more.

a study in human connection

Maybe you're one of the million people who have already seen this video from Coke... If not, here it is:



You can get a little background on the "Happiness Machine" in this recent article in today's issue of Fast Company online. The video had over 220,000 views in just 48 hours, and now has over a million. That speaks volumes about the importance for connection and the impact it can have. If this brand-consumer ( or as I like to say people) connection is made in an authentic, uplifting way and is in line with the brand, the idea will catch like wildfire. Or in today's online world, that's over 1MM people, or the city of San Diego, finding time to watch this in less than two weeks.
Many of my readers work ( or should I say live) in the advertising/ branding world; What are you doing to help your brands truly connect with its consumers? And if you say, posting one-way Facebook updates, try again. Think about it honestly and keep this quick lesson in mind as you move forward.

Monday Music

"Your faith was strong, but you needed proof"



A beautiful, intimate cover of a classic for hopeforhaitinow.org .
Thanks Ashley ( for directing me to the song and for having a heartbeat for the world)