This Nike commercial has been one of my favorites for years. It just makes me want to go out and play.
Wednesday
Monday
Santa beats out Jesus on holiday blogs
Although both bearded men are extremely influential in my personal and professional life, this is the first time I will actually write either of their names in my blog. Maybe I'll make Nielsen's BlogPulse with this post ;) And even if I don't, you can find me hunting blog trends on the site anyway.
Tuesday
Be Smart. Be Stupid.
I just finished watching three 2 hour focus groups. Yes, you're correct; that's 6 hours of focus group watching. I'm tired, I can't imagine how the moderator feels. And he has to get rested to do it again tomorrow. Something came to mind early in the first group. How much more could we learn about the world around us if we acted more often like the least intelligent in the room rather than the most? If we'd just spend more time listening, what would we hear? If we asked more questions than we answered, what would we learn? If we followed questions with even more questions, what insights would we uncover?
Monday
Monday Music
Many studies have demonstrated that music is a strong memory stimulus. (Here's one article for reference) Music can even enhance the memory of Alzheimer`s, reduce stress, aid relaxation and alleviate depression. Take a look at Billboards Top 100 hits of the decade. Because Mariah Carey took the #1 spot, I won't be posting the top song here. But you go on ahead, take a stroll through memory lane, it may be good for your health.
La Jolla Cove
I just got home from a weekend trip to San Diego. A few friends and I found a $50 flight to and from the city and booked the flight. May I also add that Denver was under 2' of snow when we snagged the tickets. We didn't have a good reason to go, just a vision of the sea and a craving for fresh seafood. I admit, I can often get stuck in my head. I carefully dissect my every thought, belief, and action-- that is, if I'm not careful. I can turn it off occasionally. And this weekend, I did just that. Thank you "for-no-good-reason-vacation" for allowing me to just be for a few peaceful days and leave the thinking behind.
Thursday
What Trends are Worth Following?
Just as the top lists from this year are rolling in, many industry leaders and also those with opinions and a computer are joining in the 2010 trend conversation. I've seen a number of trend forecasts lately, some are more insightful than others. I have truly enjoyed navigating through the following:
10 Crucial Consumer Trends For 2010 by trendwatching.com
10 Web Trends to Watch in 2010 by Mashable CEO, Pete Cashmore
Big Idea's 2010 by Iconoculture
I believe each of these are worth your valuable time.
All this trend hunting and forecasting reminded me of how culture, and trends within it, are evolving all the time. Depending on the kind of information you are hunting, you can find a variety of lists valuable. Think for a minute about how our culture has shifted over the last 50 years, with the every household now not only having a color TV, but having 3 HDTVs. Think also about how our culture has changed over the last 10 years, with those who were teenagers in the early 00's now have graduated from college and have growing disposable income. Consider how our culture has changed over the last year while under massive economic distress, with shopper behaviors undergoing dramatic shifts. Think lastly about how the iphone and real-time communication has effected and will continue to influence the way we communicate.
So consider which trends are worth your time. What information has the potential to influence your company? Which will inspire you to come up with a new product, service or experience? Not all information is equal.
10 Crucial Consumer Trends For 2010 by trendwatching.com
10 Web Trends to Watch in 2010 by Mashable CEO, Pete Cashmore
Big Idea's 2010 by Iconoculture
I believe each of these are worth your valuable time.
All this trend hunting and forecasting reminded me of how culture, and trends within it, are evolving all the time. Depending on the kind of information you are hunting, you can find a variety of lists valuable. Think for a minute about how our culture has shifted over the last 50 years, with the every household now not only having a color TV, but having 3 HDTVs. Think also about how our culture has changed over the last 10 years, with those who were teenagers in the early 00's now have graduated from college and have growing disposable income. Consider how our culture has changed over the last year while under massive economic distress, with shopper behaviors undergoing dramatic shifts. Think lastly about how the iphone and real-time communication has effected and will continue to influence the way we communicate.
So consider which trends are worth your time. What information has the potential to influence your company? Which will inspire you to come up with a new product, service or experience? Not all information is equal.
Wednesday
Tiger Woods Wife Outrun
I don't feel the need to write a whole lot about this Tiger Woods fiasco, however I did need to, at the very least, attempt to outrun his wife. And so did over 1.1MM other people. See for yourself here at break.com.
Tuesday
Top Everything of 2009
As we close out the year and the... We had the 80s, the 90s, but what were the 00s? The zeros. The onezies. The aughts. The 2Ks. Did we ever come to an agreement on what this decade would be called? At this point, how you choose to refer to this decade in the years to come is apparently up to you. The time has come to begin all the year end lists for 2009 and TIME has recently unveiled their top 10 lists in full, from news, to medicine, to tweets, to music. Take a look. Do you agree with their choices?
One of my favorites would have to be the "Top 10 Viral Videos" list and I am in complete agreement with the top choice. The leader of the pack was a video uploaded by Christoph Rehage. Rehage began his 11 1/2 month walk through China after giving himself a fresh shave, allowing the daily self portraits to tell his journey in both travel and hair growth. Rehage followers can find more information about the walking man himself, his pictures and story on his site The Longest Way. Rehage mentions that he's had many others come forward and ask him for advice about their own travel desires. His response is simple.
"It doesn’t matter what dream you choose to follow, as long as you have one. Go follow your dream, and laugh while you’re doing it!"
The Longest Way has all the makings of a great viral being. It doesn't try to be hip, it just is. It is simple. It is sharable. It is authentic. Finally, it is supplemented by a catchy beat. Take a look for yourself.
One of my favorites would have to be the "Top 10 Viral Videos" list and I am in complete agreement with the top choice. The leader of the pack was a video uploaded by Christoph Rehage. Rehage began his 11 1/2 month walk through China after giving himself a fresh shave, allowing the daily self portraits to tell his journey in both travel and hair growth. Rehage followers can find more information about the walking man himself, his pictures and story on his site The Longest Way. Rehage mentions that he's had many others come forward and ask him for advice about their own travel desires. His response is simple.
"It doesn’t matter what dream you choose to follow, as long as you have one. Go follow your dream, and laugh while you’re doing it!"
The Longest Way has all the makings of a great viral being. It doesn't try to be hip, it just is. It is simple. It is sharable. It is authentic. Finally, it is supplemented by a catchy beat. Take a look for yourself.
The Longest Way 1.0 - one year walk/beard grow time lapse from Christoph Rehage on Vimeo.
Monday
Monday Music
"If you want me, I will be right here."
Hungry for some great ear treats? Here's a great list of "10 Tracks you Have to Hear" by NME.com. One sample embedded below, but its worth your time to check the full list out.
Hungry for some great ear treats? Here's a great list of "10 Tracks you Have to Hear" by NME.com. One sample embedded below, but its worth your time to check the full list out.
Friday
Shopper Psychology
I recently read an interesting article from SmartMoney that reminded me of how much I like the people side of marketing. I wrote a brief post awhile back simply pushing us all to remember that we market to people. Now that the holiday shopping season is in full swing, I think its a good idea to take a minute to understand how we shop. The article explains a few interesting research findings that I'll summarize here.
Basically, when we try something on or test it out, the "endowment affect" sets in. If we own something, we perceive it has a higher value than before. Furthermore, ownership can begin even when we are only trying something on. Think about how seeing detailed images, videos, and consumer ratings of products online can help you imagine the product as your own.
Also beware of shopping near attractive people. Our evolutionary need to reproduce plays a role in how we communicate the right attributes as we shop. And, whatever you do, don't let anyone touch you while you're shopping.
Lastly, we all know the 99 cent trick where retailers price items at $1.99 rather than $2. I guess our minds are so damn good at simplifying life for us that it's really hard to not pay attention to the leftmost digit.
For more detail about the studies that give light to our shopping minds, check out the article. Knowing these techniques can help persuade you to buy something does not make them all bad. Trying on a pair of shoes or touching a sweater to see if its as soft as it looks can be very beneficial to both the interested and the brand. And if pricing something at 1¢ below the next dollar amount, even if we know it clearly makes us more likely to buy, its better than being priced at 1¢ above. ;)
Basically, when we try something on or test it out, the "endowment affect" sets in. If we own something, we perceive it has a higher value than before. Furthermore, ownership can begin even when we are only trying something on. Think about how seeing detailed images, videos, and consumer ratings of products online can help you imagine the product as your own.
Also beware of shopping near attractive people. Our evolutionary need to reproduce plays a role in how we communicate the right attributes as we shop. And, whatever you do, don't let anyone touch you while you're shopping.
Lastly, we all know the 99 cent trick where retailers price items at $1.99 rather than $2. I guess our minds are so damn good at simplifying life for us that it's really hard to not pay attention to the leftmost digit.
For more detail about the studies that give light to our shopping minds, check out the article. Knowing these techniques can help persuade you to buy something does not make them all bad. Trying on a pair of shoes or touching a sweater to see if its as soft as it looks can be very beneficial to both the interested and the brand. And if pricing something at 1¢ below the next dollar amount, even if we know it clearly makes us more likely to buy, its better than being priced at 1¢ above. ;)
Tuesday
A Win for the Wii
Sports Authority apparently knows fit and knows fun. They also know that its cold, the country isn't exactly "fit", its hard to get to the gym, boring to do the same static workout each day, and motivating to do interactive workouts. And from a shopper insight standpoint, fitness gaming can be quite intimidating for anyone who has not experienced it. So, what are they doing with all this obvious but useful insight? The sporting goods retailer will now be carrying the Nintendo Wii and to get some attention, they are giving away a Wii console each day between Thanksgiving and Christmas. To kick off the promotion, the retailer hosted a large PR event in California with Biggest Loser trainer Julian Michaels. Also, 102 Sports Authority stores will have live demos with personal trainers on site to help customers get acquainted with 2009 fitness. Those interested can visit the promotional website to enter the daily drawing, find a local demo (4 in the Denver area), and gain a sense of reality by seeing the names and location of previous winners. I'd say it's a win for the wii and for the Colorado based retailer. I'll check out a demo and let you know how it goes.
( photo from Shoppingblog.com)
( photo from Shoppingblog.com)
Where In the World Are American Travelers?
After revisiting Italy by means of iphoto, I recently caught a mild case of the travel bug. I got to thinking about the world's top travel destinations. I couldn't seem to find a user-friendly snapshot of the entire world's travel patterns, but I did stumble across a list of top destinations for Americans. According to a September 2009 post on ForbesTraveler.com, American's travel most to our neighbors to the south and north. While the majority of countries unsurprisingly saw a decrease in number of travelers, Columbia saw a 21% increase. Presumably the increase can be attributed to a mixture of heightened security, cultural variety, and beautiful landscapes speckled with coffee plantations. Italy, on the other hand, saw the biggest decrease (down 18%) from the previous year. Could be one negative side effect to having a "strong" currency. While I don't feel the need to dissect every possible culprit for changes in travel, I am interested in seeing what travel looked like in 2009 for the millions of broke, swine flu fighting Americans. I'll stay on the lookout.
Top 10:
Mexico
Canada
United Kingdom
France
Italy
Germany
Japan (tied)
Jamaica
People's Republic of China
Spain
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)