Right now, the growing segments in the economy are government, green/environmental and medical. What may surprise you is alcohol sales are also increasing.
http://tinyurl.com/l7ncwn.
What's interesting is people are drinking at home and not at bars or restaurants. Even though hospitality is suffering, I'm hopeful that with this trend, drunk driving accidents will decrease.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Celebrity Endorsements - Is the Attention Worth the Risk?
With the passing of three very different celebrities this week (McMahon, Fawcett and Michael Jackson), USA Today mentions Madison Avenue will lose three advertising spokespeople - http://tinyurl.com/mpfuuc.
I've always been a little leary of using celebrities to endorse products. I guess I've seen too many do something unfortunate and get caught in a negative publicity sprial. The spin then gets attached to the products they're endorsing.
The risk of this versus the attention your ad gets from the celebrity should always be weighed. You also need to evaluate your objectives in using a spokesperson. Is it because you're a fan or because your target audience will pay attention? And will they remember your product? Because that is, after all, the purpose.
An obvious consideration is credibility with your prospects - would this person use this product? This rule, however, can be broken successfully. Think Joe Namath in pantyhose. But I don't remember the brand. And wasn't that the point of the ad?
I've always been a little leary of using celebrities to endorse products. I guess I've seen too many do something unfortunate and get caught in a negative publicity sprial. The spin then gets attached to the products they're endorsing.
The risk of this versus the attention your ad gets from the celebrity should always be weighed. You also need to evaluate your objectives in using a spokesperson. Is it because you're a fan or because your target audience will pay attention? And will they remember your product? Because that is, after all, the purpose.
An obvious consideration is credibility with your prospects - would this person use this product? This rule, however, can be broken successfully. Think Joe Namath in pantyhose. But I don't remember the brand. And wasn't that the point of the ad?
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Finding New Markets
Our economy is based on finding new markets...this guy is charging people to climb a tree in his yard - http://tinyurl.com/kql3dj.
That people have paid $20 for this is amazing. It certainly sounds like a fun thing to do, but I don't think I would pay for the experience.
I'm impressed, however, with his creativity in finding people he would and garnering publicity for it.
That people have paid $20 for this is amazing. It certainly sounds like a fun thing to do, but I don't think I would pay for the experience.
I'm impressed, however, with his creativity in finding people he would and garnering publicity for it.
Monday, June 22, 2009
How much do you trust online reviews?
A recent article in the Chicago Tribune (http://tinyurl.com/ncm7rv) points out the FTC is getting involved in companies paying bloggers to endorse their products. The bloggers have not been disclosing to their readers the financial relationship they have with these companies.
When I read online reviews, I always take them with a "grain of salt." How do I know they like what I like? And if they give misleading reviews, eventually people will figure it out.
Don't get me wrong, these financial arrangements should be made transparent (I can't believe I got that word in!). I just wonder how seriously people take these reviews into consideration in their purchase decisions.
When I read online reviews, I always take them with a "grain of salt." How do I know they like what I like? And if they give misleading reviews, eventually people will figure it out.
Don't get me wrong, these financial arrangements should be made transparent (I can't believe I got that word in!). I just wonder how seriously people take these reviews into consideration in their purchase decisions.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Beware of "Registered User" Data
An article in the NYTimes today (http://tinyurl.com/neyvps) explains how social media sites can "steal" your contact list and e-mail them invitations on your behalf. As we all become more and more comfortable online, it's easy to zip through "permission" pages and agree to terms we haven't read. Then, we feel violated when our friends e-mail addresses have been abused.
My bigger concern is the reporting of the number of registered users of these social networking sites...if someone registers in response to a friend's invitation, sees no value and never logs on again, how can they legitimately be counted as a user? This reminds me of some recent newspaper scandals with misleading circulation counts.
My bigger concern is the reporting of the number of registered users of these social networking sites...if someone registers in response to a friend's invitation, sees no value and never logs on again, how can they legitimately be counted as a user? This reminds me of some recent newspaper scandals with misleading circulation counts.
Friday, June 19, 2009
What Do You Value?
When I was in kindergarten, my dad had pulled my sisters from a religious school and we were all going to public school the next year. My cousins all went to this school and I was extremely disappointed. For some reason, I really liked plaid jumpers! My cousins told me that in first grade at their school, they had chocolate milk AND they taught you how to read.
How could my dad not send me?
I decided to corner him on this and told him if I went to their school, I'd learn how to read! (I figured the chocolate milk wouldn't fly as a good argument). I'll never forget his vehement reaction, "They'll teach you how to read in the public school." I was skeptical, but had no choice.
When I told someone this story recently, I realized that two things that were extremely important to me at five years old (chocolate and reading) still make my top ten. Are we all just kids at heart? What do you value?
How could my dad not send me?
I decided to corner him on this and told him if I went to their school, I'd learn how to read! (I figured the chocolate milk wouldn't fly as a good argument). I'll never forget his vehement reaction, "They'll teach you how to read in the public school." I was skeptical, but had no choice.
When I told someone this story recently, I realized that two things that were extremely important to me at five years old (chocolate and reading) still make my top ten. Are we all just kids at heart? What do you value?
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