Where’s the line between custom and creepy?

Nick Woods

Target’s new marketing program for pregnant women has gotten a lot of looks from around the Web since it was published a few days ago. Neuromarketing has one the best responses, posting today on how to tell when a brand has crossed the line between highly relevant, and outright weird. Their tips?

1. Customers want you to know what they want, not who they are
2. Custom experiences get creepy when you haven’t been given permission to grant them
3. Focus on the positive, not the negative

A comeback for analog TV?

Nick Woods

Today, Christopher Stewart of the Wall Street Journal covers an interesting case in St. Louis – TV antennae salesman Richard Schneider sold 50 percent more of his product in 2011 than he did in 2010. And he’s expecting to double that in 2012. He attributes the rise to two factors: The typical consumer saves $96 a month by cutting cable, and enhancements made by Netflix and Hulu mean consumers sacrifice less each time new content is added. It also helps that networks are broadcasting in HD, meaning consumers don’t have to put up with inferior picture quality. When you compare that growth to the fact that cable revenues have stagnated, it’s easy to think that analog TV, with the help of the internet, is poised for a comeback. Right now, only about 10 percent of viewers aren’t watching cable – But maybe it’s time we start keeping a closer watch.

 

Mining Big Data (The Creepy Way)

Nick Woods

Last week, NYT’s Charles Duhigg published a piece discussing a new data mining project carried out by Target. The company wanted to figure out a way to discover which of its customers were pregnant – even if those customers hadn’t explicitly divulged that information – and tailor its marketing programs to their needs.

Whether or not you’re outraged by Target’s tactics, this article is a fascinating read for those interested in Big Data’s impact on targeted advertising. More than ever, our lifestyles are reflected in what we buy. And like it or not, what we buy is being recorded. But is it better to dig through piles and piles of junk mail to find the one coupon we’ll actually use? (Or maybe it’s better if we just get rid of junk mail altogether.)

Does brainstorming work?

Nick Woods

A few weeks back, The New Yorker published an article discussing how brainstorming – sitting in a room, throwing out ideas, and seeing what sticks – isn’t very effective in its ability to produce good solutions. Citing a number of studies, the piece outlines how in a discussion, debate trumps encouragement when it comes to figuring out the best answer to a question.

That argument can be a pretty tough pill to swallow. As the feature says, “it’s always nice to be saturated in positive feedback.” But in a great response to the magazine, Lifehacker might’ve made an even more important point: “You need bad ideas to bring out the good ones… [but] Idea generation is just one step in the brainstorming process. The next step is to separate yourself from those ideas and review them later with a critical eye to determine which ones can take flight.”

We’ve talked before about how to best select good ideas – Maybe it’s time we start sleeping on them a bit more.

Apple’s Alignment Problem

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

Work hard on the job today or work hard to find a job tomorrow.

That isn’t the message most of Apple’s Brand Lovers would expect to find hanging on the wall of their favorite tech company’s manufacturing facility. It seems a little too Dickensian in sentiment, a world removed from the sleek gadgets tailor made to empower and encourage the creative spirit.

But there it is, right in the middle of a NY Times investigative report: In China, Human Costs are Built into an iPad.  Reading this, we learn how Apple’s supply chain is fraught with difficulties. Safety and environmental concerns top the list. READ MORE

Mobile data is a big deal (duh)

Nick Woods

Turns out that a lot of people are using their phones on the internet. Who’d-a thunk?

Cisco released a report yesterday that it’s calling the “Visual Networking Index (VNI) Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update” (?) discussing some of the company’s projections for growth trends relating to data transferred over cell phones, tablets, and other devices like them. A few of the more insane stats:

• 2011′s mobile data traffic was 8x the size of the entire global internet’s in 2000
• Average smart phone usage nearly tripled in 2011, and over 1 million smart phone users will be transferring more than a gigabyte of data apiece each month within the next five years
• By 2016, there will be 1.4 mobile devices per capita, and 2/3 of the world’s mobile data traffic will be video

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Nick Woods

Here’s a video Wired posted this morning, covering the first annual Love Competition held at the Stanford Center for Cognitive and Neurobiological Imaging. Contestants were placed inside of an MRI machine, and told to love as hard as they could while the scan was being conducted. Those who exhibited the highest levels of activity in their nucleus accumbens, and throughout their serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin/vasopressin pathways (I know what all of that means) were declared the winners. So we’ve turned love into a contest now too. Happy Valentine’s Day.

The Right Quote at the Right Time

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

The right quote at the right time can truly inspire. So apparently, this past weekend was the right time for me. George Bernard Shaw writes:

“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.”

His words perfectly illustrate a world I want to live in.

Driving into the Future

BJ Bueno

The Rolls Royce Special Edition Year of the Dragon Phantom comes in a distinct maroon color. There are ornate golden dragon details. You can, if you can foot the bill, have your Phantom fully customized, with special embroidery on the upholstery, drinks cabinet, and on an optional picnic basket.

The price for the Year of the Dragon Phantom? $1.2 million.

Don’t bother saving your pennies, though. You can’t get one of these beautiful cars to park in your driveway. They’ve all been sold—Rolls Royce’s entire production run—in less than 2 months. READ MORE

Lilyhammer

Nick Woods

On Monday, Netflix officially stepped into the pool of original programming and aired Lilyhammer. The new show stars Steven Van Zandt, who – for all intents and purposes – reprises his role on The Sopranos as a mobster driven into exile in Norway after he squeals on his boss. It’s a premise that sounds a bit unremarkable, but Netflix isn’t banking on the show itself to draw interest. Rather, the company hopes to sell Lilyhammer based on its status as the first totally original show to debut exclusively via an on-demand format.

It’s a risky move to say the least, especially since the show debuted without any kind of premiere fanfare. You can’t even find it in Netflix’s “New Releases” section. But if there’s one thing you can say about the company, it’s that they understand how people in 2012 want to watch TV (even if they don’t know how much they want to pay for it): Lilyhammer is available all at once – Not in weekly installments. Which plays right into the wheelhouse of everyone who sat and watched the entire fifth season of The Sopranos in one long, pathetic marathon.

 

Big Data and Biological Downloading

Nick Woods

Remember a few weeks back when IBM announced they wanted to create a mind-reading computer within the next five years? And remember when you thought “oh that’s nice” and then immediately forgot about it, because that’s too insane to imagine? Well, it’s not, because researchers at UC-Berkeley were able to decode actual words out of raw brain activity during a series of experiments last week. Maybe it’s not so dumb to start worrying about the implications.

A question to consider apart from standard privacy concerns: What does this kind of technology mean for Big Data? We’ve already seen a factor-9 increase in online information since 2006. Imagine how much you’ll have to read if the effort of typing a thought into a computer is eliminated, and instead every idea is published automatically. Mashable said in an article this morning that Facebook’s IPO proves an immense thirst for human connection, but mind-reading takes it to a new level.

The Sound of One Hand Clapping

BJ Bueno

During the Florida Republican Primary Debate, moderator Brian Williams asked the audience to refrain from applauding or booing anything they hear the candidates say. While this is the norm for presidential debates, the request drew mixed reaction in this instance.

There are those who praised the silent format, claiming that it reduces the theatrical aspect of the debate, forcing the focus onto the actual content of the discussion. There are those who criticized the move, claiming that the audience’s free speech was being stifled.  Additionally, these critics asked, isn’t the theatrical aspect of the debate part of the point? READ MORE

What does $5 billion do?

Nick Woods

Late yesterday, Facebook finally filed an initial public offering seeking to raise $5 billion. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to learn a lot of interesting stuff about the world’s largest social network as they open their books, and address speculation that the organization is worth almost $100 billion – right behind McDonald’s, which sits at $101.5 billion. What does that $5 billion mean for users on the site though? Not much, at least in the short term. A big chunk of the money will pay off investors that have kept the network afloat, while another portion will go toward low-risk investments to make the company more financially secure. Also, Mark Zuckerberg will soon be classified as “insanely rich,” an upgrade from “ridiculously rich.”

There’s an interesting sentence in the Use of Proceeds section in Facebook’s filing, however: “We may use a portion of the proceeds to us for acquisitions of complementary businesses.” It’ll be interesting to see what the network’s newfound wealth will allow it to buy. While we aren’t going to see much of a difference in how we use the site tomorrow, who knows how this IPO will alter it 10 years from now.

The biggest tech IPO in history

Nick Woods

Rumors flying around the internet say that Facebook will announce its initial public offering any day now, the prospect of which has brokers salivating, but not necessarily the rest of us. Not yet at least – But I think it’s interesting to think about what $10 billion in investment can mean for the  network’s customers (and Mark Zuckerberg).

There’s a great infographic, “Everything You Need To Know About Facebook’s IPO,” that’s been making the rounds over the past few weeks – You can check out here. Some highlights:

• Experts predict Facebook’s IPO will be worth more than three times Google’s, Groupon’s, LinkedIn’s, and Bankrate’s combined
• The company as a whole is predicted to be worth $100 billion – more than McDonald’s, Amazon, and Disney
• Despite all of that, Facebook’s projected revenues for the end of 2011 are $4.2 billion, which Apple makes in only 3 weeks

Football as Life Support

Nick Woods

In a post yesterday on Media Daily News, Wayne Friedman discusses how advertisers are paying anywhere from 13% to 29% more for a TV ad during the Superbowl this year, over the ~$3.1 million it cost in 2011. “By way of comparison,” he says, “the average price for a 30-second prime-time commercials [sic] in the first quarter of 2011 was $96,800 — down from $101,500 in 2010.”

I’m not a media guy, so I’m just spitballing here, but it seems to me that the trend might have something to do with the number of people who DVR the Superbowl compared to prime time programming. Everyone hesitant to ditch cable for Netflix/Hulu seems to say the same thing: If they could get live sports anywhere besides good ol’ fashioned TV, they’d make the switch in a second. But no one wants to miss out on the conversation occurring both during and immediately after the Big Game. Until a suitable, legal substitute is found, football, basketball, baseball and our favorite events are going to keep TV revenues humming along.

A lesson from Disney & Joy Division

Nick Woods

“Joy Division has a ‘cult’ following” is an understatement akin to “Aaron Rodgers is a competent quarterback.” The band’s influence on pop culture has spanned decades, inspiring artists ranging from U2 to Interpol, by anchoring a sound that Allmusic argues “pointed ahead to the rise of melancholy alternative music in the ’80s.” That acclaim, coupled with the early death of singer Ian Curtis after only two albums, has made the band a near-mythic entity.

The iconic cover of Joy Division’s 1979 debut, Unknown Pleasures, is possibly the most recognizable image associated with the group – Which was why Disney tried to piggyback on it with a shirt it put on the market last week, before enacting a swift recall in response to outcry from fans. It wasn’t an illegal move – the artwork was a public domain image pulled from an astronomy textbook – but it certainly shows how borrowing from one brand’s goodwill to supplement your own can be a risky maneuver. Remember: Creation is often a more rewarding move than curation. (Unless, of course, the flop is memorialized on eBay.)

Things Your Brand Should Never Ask?

BJ Bueno

Arthur Brisbane has been having a rough week. On January 12th, the NY Times‘ public editor (a position created, you may remember, in the wake of the Jayson Blair scandal) used his high-profile soap box to ask the most amazing question: Should the Times be a truth vigilante? Was it incumbent on reporters, he went on to ask, to challenge public figures when their statements were less than accurate? READ MORE

One Hour Per Second

Nick Woods

I’m still a bit skeptical about YouTube as a replacement for traditional TV (obviously), but it’s fascinating to consider some of the stats surrounding the site. Google knows it – That’s why OneHourPerSecond.com exists. Browse through the clips they’ve posted, and you’ll learn a lot about just how much video YouTube is handling these days. Some highlights:

• If you waited 1:36, and then watched all of the videos uploaded to YouTube in that time, the Sahara Desert would have expanded by 500 feet
• Apollo 11 could reach the Moon in the amount of time it would take you to watch all of the content uploaded to YouTube in 1:15
• 3:45 of uploading would provide enough material for retirees on a cruise ship to do nothing but watch YouTube all the way from L.A. to Tokyo

How do we identify good ideas?

Nick Woods

A new study from the Netherlands’ Radbound University asks an interesting question: How does one select the best idea? Or more specifically, how does one excel at rejection and self-criticism? Subjects were asked to write down a list of ideas for making a wait in line at a grocery store easier to bear. Once finished, one group was told to select their most creative ideas from the list, while the other group was tasked with playing a videogame for two minutes before doing the same. Those in the former group selected their most innovative concept about 20 percent of the time. The latter? 55 percent – A significant difference.

The lesson here is kind of a no-brainer – It’s easier to separate the wheat from the chaff when you haven’t been staring at both for a long period of time. Allow your customers to do the same: Your product is the best fit, and pushing an “impulse buy” isn’t always necessary.

4 billion views a day

Nick Woods

Yesterday, Google reported a 25 percent traffic jump on YouTube over the past eight months of its service, claiming users are now streaming 4 billion videos from the site every day. According to Reuters, Google says roughly 60 hours of video are now added to the site every minute, compared to the 48-hours-per-minute rate it clipped at back in May 2011. That’s roughly a whole year of content every 2.5 days. Wow.

Those are big numbers, but they might be a bit misleading when you consider the type of content typically posted to YouTube. In 2010, the average length of a YouTube video was 4 minutes and 12 seconds, compared to network and cable programming which runs 22 minutes, or 44 minutes, depending on the length of the program. That translates into a lot more time spent watching regular ol’ TV – Indeed, Mashable reports that the average YouTuber spends 15 minutes a day watching videos on the site, while the average American spends 4-5 hours watching the tube. The death of traditional TV this isn’t – But we’re getting closer. All hail Hypnotoad.

Creation > Curation

Nick Woods

At the DLD conference in Munich today, Tumblr CEO David Karp was asked about the role of content curation vs. creation on his site. By his reckoning, 90 percent of users on the network spend their time reposting material they find interesting instead of creating it themselves – An imbalance that spells definite advantage for artists, musicians, and publishers.

“[Original content] has a huge digital footprint,” Karp says. That’s an understatement: Tumblr has 41 million registered blogs, and when you consider the stat above, only about 4 million of them post their own material. The average original post on Tumblr is reblogged 9 times. That makes a pretty compelling case for coming up with your own material, instead of piggybacking on someone else’s.

SOPA & PIPA

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

On January 24th the Senate will begin voting on two bills, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) & the Protect IP Act (PIPA), which if passed would change the internet as we currently know it. It would also stifle business development, job creation and innovation. I agree piracy needs to end but not like this. All that’s needed is a little good ol’ fashion creativity, not unwarranted censorship…because all that will lead to is more piracy.

Today is SOPA Blackout Day & Day of action where various sites on the web have blocked or blackened their sites in protest. The most popular is WikiPedia. Google has also created an End Piracy, Not Liberty splash page with more information and an online petition…and have also gotten into the spirit.

Searching for Status

BJ Bueno

If we stand here now and look back into the mists of time to the very first days of human commerce we’ll discover that, for all of known history, business owners have wanted the answer to a single question: What makes consumers act the way they do?

One of the factors that drives consumer behavior, consciously or otherwise, is the need to meet individual needs. You’re familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the model that tells us that we are all in possession of certain undeniable needs that must be met in order for us to enjoy optimal physical and psychological health. READ MORE

The Business of Art

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

It’s not enough today to just be a great artist. You can produce the best art in the world but if you don’t know how to market it you’ll never be able to make it a profession. Enter Damien Hirst who has mastered the marketing of his art. From “For the Love of God” which is a platinum cast skull encrusted with 8,601 flawless diamonds, to “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living” which is a tiger shark preserved in formaldehyde in a vitrine, to his latest exhibition “The Complete Spot Paintings 1986-2011″ showing  simultaneously at all of the Gagosian Galleries world wide. Hirst always seems to create a platform for his work that is equal parts the fine detail, back story, execution, and presentation.

The Origins of the PBS Logo

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

It’s always interesting to hear how a logo came to be. The story of the PBS logo created by Herb Lubalin is especially interesting. View Here.

Hostess To File

Billy Cannestra

I’ve been eating HoHos and Twinkies for close to 40 years – The longest I’ve ever been devoted to… well, anything. I can still remember watching the Bozo Breakfast Club when I was little, psyched out of my mind at all of the lucky kids who got dessert tossed to them at 9AM. It’s a bit weird to think that a memory tied to a product has stuck with me for that long: squeezing Twinkies out of their cellophane, and tossing what was left on the floor. All of you health nuts would’ve had that show tossed off the air, but I’ve had my share of Twinkies for breakfast, and I turned out just fine.

So with all of those memories, it’s hard to believe Hostess is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, owing more than $50 million to vendors after rising the rising cost of labor, sugar, flour, and other ingredients began to squeeze margins. Maybe it’s time for a new agency? Anything to make sure I can pound more sugar tomorrow morning.

#CES – Day 0 (Hi-Tech Weight Loss Edition)

Nick Woods

If there’s one thing the annual International Consumer Electronics show is good for, it’s showing off all of the cockamamy gadgets that’ll be taking up space in our junk drawers once the vast majority of us forget about our New Years’ resolutions.

LG’s making their contribution tough to forget though. The company debuted a new line of smart appliances at CES yesterday that make it easier to control stuff like your oven, laundry machines, and vacuums with your phone, while networking everything together to automate everyday tasks. Its refrigerator got most of the buzz though – That’s because it keeps track of what food you have left at home, what the rest of the family likes, and what kind of nutritional requirements aren’t being met by your shopping list, all on your smartphone. It’s one less excuse for you to buy four pounds of bacon for the week, because it’s super-funny to tell everyone you ate four pounds of bacon in a week.

Tastebuds.fm

Nick Woods

“What kind of music do you like?” is a pretty standard first date question. In fact, it’s a pretty standard ‘getting to know someone’ question in general. What we listen to is a reflection on our attitudes, outlooks, and even upbringings. So it can get awkward when you sit across a table from someone for the first time, and can’t at least find some shared excitement in the new Guided By Voices album.

Tastebuds.fm eliminates at least a piece of that first date awkwardness by matching your musical Likes on Facebook and/or Last.fm to other registered single guys and gals on their site. Or, you can just start typing your favorites and see what comes up. No more accidentally scrambling to make it through two hours with the cute girl in the sundress who listens exclusively to Blowfly. Or the guy who looked just like Kurt Cobain in his profile pic, but jams only to a combination of didgeridoo and tabla mixes.

 

Flooring Belts

Nick Woods

Ting London is making flooring out of recycled belts now, which is awesome. Not only is recycling as cool as ever, but I can imagine that if these are installed instead of the regular hardwood in an apartment above mine, I won’t have to humbly request that my high-heeled neighbors throw down an area rug so as to not wake me at 6:00AM when they get up for work. I’d probably request they keep the white stripes out as much as possible though – I’m more of a “rich mahogany” kind of guy.

Ringing in the New

BJ Bueno

There’s never a bad time to be a winemaker—or so we have been assured by vineyard owners—but some years are better than others. Champagne, in particular, has been enjoying a great year, with sales up a reported 5.2% over the first half of 2011.

That’s an awful lot of bubbly! Champagne is the beverage of choice for festive events, essential for wedding toasts and, of course, New Year’s Eve celebrations.  Now that the ball has officially dropped, and we’ve embarked, for better or worse, into 2012. It’s a good time to look at this CNN Fortune story about legacy Champagne brand Piper-Heidsieck and their efforts to remain relevant in a crowded, confusing marketplace. READ MORE

Tubalr

Nick Woods

Say what you want about Spotify’s music library, but I’m inclined to argue YouTube has a bigger volume of songs – That’s just what happens when anyone can submit anything they want. Trouble is, obviously, YouTube was designed for video, not music. Even though you can probably find all of the songs on most any album you’re looking for on the site, plus live versions and B-sides, what good is it when you have to search for and hit play on a new song every time the last one ends?

Tubalr, a music search engine developed by 23-year-old software developer Cody Stewart aims to fix that issue. Type a song or an artist in the site’s search bar, and it automatically populates a playlist that advances automatically. You can even share those playlists with Twitter and Facebook. It isn’t the smartest tool – a search for “Pink Floyd” will mean listening to “Wish You Were Here” and “Time” twice each in the first 10 songs – but it definitely makes the site a lot more usable as a radio. Check it out!

Retronaut.co

Nick Woods

For those already nostalgic for 2011, only two days in, you might take a couple minutes to head over to Retronaut.co. Home to thousands of pictures and image “capsules” from days of yore, the site is a great trip through what’s made history great, or at least interesting. It’s also a pretty hilarious reminder of why looking forward is at least less embarrassing than looking back – Capsules like “Christmas Guns,” “How Wives Should Undress In Front Of Their Husbands,” and “Robocop c.1924” are proof enough.

Here’s to a Great 2012!

Nick Woods

Thanks to everyone who made 2011 such a wonderful year! Have a safe, happy, and memorable NYE!

Wendy’s Winning or Burger King Losing?

BJ Bueno

All of a sudden, everyone is talking about the Burger Wars again.  Nothing’s actually changed yet—McDonald’s is still the undisputed leader of the pack, with Burger King in the number two spot.  But things are about to change. The Wall Street Journal revealed that Wendy’s is poised to knock the King off his throne. This is big news, and lots of people have theories about how it happened. A lot has been said about menu revamps: Wendy’s was both timely and well-executed, while Burger King’s lacks both cohesion and relevance, especially in terms of healthier offerings. READ MORE.

Movable Ink

Nick Woods

Junk mail sucks. But it’s not like it sucks for no reason – Notes from Groupon and LivingSocial get at least a look because I know they have something to do with the area I live in. That’s sort of the key when it comes to good advertising, isn’t it? Making sure you’re providing a potential customer with something that means something to them, ringing a bell that reminds them of what they’re already looking for. That’s why tools provided by companies like Movable Ink are the wave of the future: Widgets that plug live, local, and personal content into emails. Customers in 2012 are going to want that tailored information more than ever before, so it might be worth thinking about as we head into the year.

What if Santa didn’t show up?

Nick Woods

Imagine, for a second, that you’re five years old again. You’ve been good all year, your list was in on time, and you’d set cookies and milk next to the fire place before heading off to bed. How would you feel if you woke up the next morning, and Santa had come down your chimney and eaten your cookies, but left a typed-out apology letter instead of presents under the tree?

You’d likely feel the same as many Best Buy customers did last week when they were notified the company had over-promised on Black Friday deals, and would be canceling hundreds of orders. This story ruffles my feathers for a number of reasons – Chiefly, why did the retailer wait until less than a week before Christmas to let their customers know of the error? The story illustrates a flagrant breach of trust between company and customer. And while Best Buy’s official statement says “loyalty does earn special consideration when unfortunate circumstances such as these arise,” it makes you wonder how much they truly value it.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Nick Woods

From everyone here in Milwaukee, we wish you all a very Happy Holiday (whatever that may be!) this weekend, and into next. Thanks for a wonderful year, and an even better 2012!

Very Sincerely,
Bill, Greg, Billy, Jason, Kevin, D, Jon, Nick, Jose, Jim, Kelly, Donna, Carmen, Kristin, Viquie, Matt, Jen, Mike & Steve

Seriously, Mind-Reading Computers

Nick Woods

A few days ago, IBM released its annual “5 in 5″ report, a list of product advancements it’s planning for the next five years. The most interesting? (Ahem, frightening/interesting?) The company wants to develop technology that would enable a person to connect their brain directly to a laptop or mobile device. They don’t seem to be joking – A spokesman commented, saying: “From Houdini to Skywalker to X-Men, mind-reading has merely been wishful thinking for science fiction fans for decades, but their wish may soon come true… You would just need to think about calling someone, and it would happen.”

While the idea of uploading my consciousness to the internet like The Lawnmower Man holds a certain amount of appeal, it pales in comparison to how psyched I am for the “Damn You Autocorrect Mind-Reading Computer For Texting Someone Something I Only Thought About And Didn’t Want Them To Know” Tumblr. The future is now!

The Dark Knight Mumbles

Nick Woods

If the new Batman movie isn’t the greatest cinematic achievement of the modern age, it’s probably going to be the biggest disappointment of my life since learning Santa Claus might not be real. So you can imagine my dismay at the Twitter and Facebook furor over The Dark Knight Rises’ new trailer, featuring Batman’s most intense nemesis of all time – Bane – played by one of the most intense actors around today, Tom Hardy. You see, Bane wears a mask over his face. And Hardy has a super-thick British accent. Together, you can’t understand a word he says in the 6-minute spot, which won’t be acceptable over what I’m hoping will be the best, if not the most entertaining film of 2012.

Christopher Nolan, the movie’s director, is already shunning the criticism, saying he doesn’t want to dumb things down for his audience, which has me locked in an argument with myself. The critics are right – You definitely can’t hear a thing the villain says in the trailer. But does that really matter when the artist behind it all, with such a stellar track record, feels so confident in the underlying vision?

This Is Why I’m Broke

Nick Woods

The world is full of stuff you never knew you needed – Jet packs, shark-shaped personal submarines, bacon-flavored candy canes… The list is pretty much endless. And that’s why ThisIsWhyImBroke.com exists. It’s a blog devoted singularly to the pursuit of awesome stuff you can buy on the Web, that’s more interested in maintaining a sense of humor and the integrity of the site than a giant mailing list to sell useless nonsense. Because if there’s one product that’s the antithesis of “useless nonsense” it’s a mini-quadricopter that can be remote-controlled with an iPhone.

Giving as a matter of status?

Nick Woods

To ask or not to ask – A new study from UC San Diego examined the question in a paper published last week that covered Salvation Army bell-ringers outside grocery stores. Their findings? More people look the other way when asked for a donation, but those who don’t give up to 75 percent more than those who do when not engaged verbally. That makes sense: Customers will engage with a business more often when they’re given credit for finding it, not the other way around. But those who feel the need to donate after being asked don’t want to appear stingy. Seems to me that it’s all a matter of status.

Nailed: The History of Nail Culture

Nick Woods

Take a look at the picture on the left real quick. That’s not photoshopped, but actual fingernail art – part of a collection of photographs by Chicago-based artist Dzine. The new book, Nailed: A History of Nail Culture captures a variety of adornments representing a movement that is now as much a meticulous vehicle for self-expression as it is mainstream fashion.

Pandora jumps in Top 10 U.S. radio markets

Nick Woods

Earlier this week, Pandora posted its November listening stats with users streaming over 2.1 billion total hours with the service in Q3 2011. That’s big news for a company that has seen its competition stiffen considerably over the last year with Spotify’s introduction, in addition to services like Last.fm. And while Pandora claims 66 percent of the internet radio market with 40 million active users, making it the clear leader in that space, the real story here is that among adults 18-34 in the top ten U.S. radio markets, Pandora’s weekly cumulative audience surpassed 19.9 percent in each of those survey areas over the past few months. It’s just another example of how people will continue to consume media in 2012 – Through their phones and tablets over the Web, rather than analog radio and antennae through traditional broadcast.

Trouble At The Top

BJ Bueno

Brand Modeling teaches us that the force most responsible for a dominant organization’s success is the enthusiastic support of its best customers. So what force is most responsible for an organization’s failure? A not-insignificant portion of the time, the answer resides at the top. The Daily Beast recently ran a feature entitled 10 Worst Corporate Boards of the Decade that highlighted some monumental leadership challenges. READ MORE

Beyond Farmville

Jim Palmer

In an interview posted yesterday on Socialnomics, former Game Director at Acclaim, Steve Altman, discussed his new startup, Socialtype. Altman says he is attempting to “introduce a form of advertising that doesn’t suck” for game developers, by providing new enterprise tools that enable players to easily share game experiences with their favorite social networks. Altman’s service takes advantage of the trust that exists between two friends, which is greater than that between a consumer and a brand they don’t interact with. By leveraging those relationships to drive engagement, the new startup might might help gaming companies take a step in the right direction in developing trust between themselves and new customers.

Mythbusters Mayhem

BJ Bueno

For most organizations, the news that the company inadvertently sent a cannonball careening out of the safe confines of the firing range and through a private home would be a nightmare. Most organizations aren’t Mythbusters. For this wildly popular Discovery Channel show, a ballistic blunder could prove to be a priceless branding opportunity. READ MORE

Children’s Drawings, Brought to Life

Nick Woods

Ever wonder what your 3-year old son, niece, or grandkids would paint if they had a hand steady enough to go beyond simple line drawings? Comics illustrator Dave DeVries did when he started work on The Monster Engine, a gallery of paintings he created from children’s drawings, using a “combination of logic and instinct” to bring crude crayons, pencils, and pens in unsteady hands into sharp relief. The results are heartwarming, and a bit creepy – Much like the work that originally inspired it.

SVPPLY

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

I’ve been a fan and an active member of SVPPLY since the first day it went live. I’d used a bunch of other sites to try and keep digital lists of things, but SVPPLY has done a better job of keeping the site’s design understated and simple, and the social aspects useful. The best part is that SVPPLY lets you see what your friends are adding to their lists, which makes it easy to add new stuff to your own with one click. If you end up creating a profile, or already have one, don’t be shy - add me.

YouTube and Brand Recall

Jim Palmer

When a prospect sees a message through a different medium after noticing it on TV, the likelihood of their recalling that message goes up by around 50 percent, at least according to the tenet that most media folks use. So you can see why I was caught a bit off guard yesterday by a new report that says consumers who see an ad first on TV, and then again before watching a YouTube video, exhibit a 200 percent increase in recall. What gives?

I’d guess that the captivity of the audience may have something to do with it. When you’re watching TV, it’s easy to run to the kitchen for a beer and make it back before a commercial break ends after 2.5 minutes. But it’s tougher to make it to the kitchen and back to your screen before the end of a standard YouTube spot. So rather than spending the money to build recall with broadcast media, consider the less expensive option of placing your advertising into online channels – The reach might be smaller, but an incremental improvement is good if the cost makes sense.

What did you just say?

Nick Woods

Dan Pallotta is the president of Advertising for Humanity, and an expert in nonprofit sector innovation. Yesterday, he posted an article on Harvard Business Review that had me all but jumping out of my chair: “I Don’t Understand What Anyone Is Saying Anymore.” Pallotta discusses at length the acronyms, abstractions, and meaningless expressions businesspeople use to talk with one another, and as a writer, I couldn’t agree with him more. If our peers, partners and colleagues can’t understand what the hell we’re talking about, how can we expect customers to jump right in? The language he talks about undermines integrity, and credibility. So why don’t we all spend just a bit more time today thinking about what we say before we say it?

Hype MKE

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

HYPE MKE  is a new online publication based here in Milwaukee that’s flipped local blogging it on its head. The company’s approach creates what it calls “image based articles” that use expanded and unique presentation styles to tell richer, and more visual stories. For now, HYPE only posts on Mondays and Thursdays, but I’ve already gone ahead and marked both on my Google Cal.

Give Well for the Holidays

Nick Woods

Americans can be a pretty cynical bunch, because we can afford to be. It reaches kind of a ridiculous height of conflict though when you consider many people don’t donate to charity anymore because they’re afraid their money isn’t being used for real change. That’s why GiveWell, an “independent, non-profit charity evaluator” is so interesting. The company focuses not on a charity’s financial data, but the actual effects it has on the people it serves. That effort combats what Yale economics professor Dean Karlan calls “the horrid measure often used by those in search of a good charity, ‘general administrative and fundraising expenditures as a proportion of program expenses.’”

The holiday season, at least in theory, is about giving. So why not make an effort to give to the best cause, with the help of an organization that’s easy to believe in?

Starbucks: The Public Bathroom Question

BJ Bueno

Talk about a tidal wave of change!

Starbucks recently made headlines with its decision to close the public restrooms in many of their New York locations.  Too many people are using the Starbucks’ bathrooms, not all of whom are paying customers, and this makes it difficult for Starbucks’ employees to take bathroom breaks in a timely fashion. Add in the not-insignificant expense of keeping public restrooms clean and operational in New York City, factor in the fact that the chain is not by law required to provide restrooms in shops that seat less than 20 people, and it seems that switching to employees-only facilities is a sensible, straightforward business decision.
READ MORE

Content + Price = Kindle > iPad

Nick Woods

While it’s going to be a while before we can declare a new ‘winning’ side in the U.S. Tablet Wars, BestBuy turned heads yesterday when it reported that the Kindle Fire is flying off its shelves faster than the iPad. This, despite early reviews that called the Fire buggy, uncool, and slow. Why are we seeing a possible shift?

The most obvious catalyst is the price – The Fire  is much cheaper than a 16gb iPad 2. But perhaps more importantly, Kindle has put content over style and speed, and users are responding. Many say its easier to download songs, stream video, and read comics, books and magazines on the new tablet. And even iPad users would agree: Without cool stuff to pull up, what good is prestige, processing power, screen resolution, and a 3G connection? Remember – Dogs love meat.

Is Spotify too good to be true?

Nick Woods

Looks like the music industry still has a ways to go before it figures out how to handle this whole ‘music on the internet’ thing. Well, at least the folks at the bottom of the food chain do. Dozens of labels have pulled their content from Spotify over the past few weeks, citing research that shows fans subscribing to streaming music services are significantly less likely to purchase that content than those who don’t. That’s not a problem for major labels that can leverage an artist’s popularity across multiple media platforms to sell movie tickets, lunch boxes, and the occasional iTunes single. But the fraction of a penny Spotify pays independent labels when their songs get played just isn’t doing the trick. If streaming services aren’t the best way to push new artists to potential fans, what is in this day and age?

Boost Recall – Just Block Doorways

Nick Woods

Think about the last time you got up from the couch, walked into the kitchen, and realized you’d forgotten what you got up for in the first place. Your brain cramp might’ve been because of the door you walked through, according to new research published by Notre Dame psychology professor Gabriel Radvansky. His new paper explores the idea of ‘event boundaries’ – Activities that cue the brain to file an experience away as memory when that experience has reached its conclusion. According to Radvansky, “Recalling the decision or activity that was made in a different room is difficult because it has been compartmentalized.” So the next time you find yourself scratching your head over the counter, it might be best to retrace your footsteps. And if you’re wondering how to aid recall for your brand, you might want to think about how to provide that trail for your customers.

Target, Turkey, and Giving Thanks

BJ Bueno

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! It is our hopes that everyone reading these words has enjoyed many blessings this year. We’re certainly grateful for those of you who have made this an interesting, thought-provoking, and productive year: you have made a difference in our lives, and we thank you for it.

Thanksgiving occupies a special place in the American pantheon of holidays.  We’ve developed a complex routine. There’s the menu: the largest turkey anyone ever saw, surrounded by all the trimmings.  After, there’s pumpkin pie and football … and that’s when the real activity starts. READ MORE

Arrested Development x Netflix

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

Few TV and movie fans doubt that streaming content sites like Hulu, Prescreen, and others represent the future of television. It’s an opinion Fox and Imagine seem to share – The studios have licensed a brand new season of the critically acclaimed, ratings-challenged show Arrested Development to air exclusively on Netflix in 2013. More and more it seems the only key ingredient keeping audiences hooked to cable and satellite is the availability of live events, which admittedly makes ditching those services a tough pill to swallow. $17 a month for a virtually unlimited variety of content on-demand? Or $200 a month for the same content plus live TV? Moves like this make the switch more attractive every day.

Prescreen

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

Movie tickets and paid television seem to get more expensive every year. So kudos to Prescreen, a new Web site that streams 60-day “prescreeners” to users at prices as low as $4 a movie. Not every film available on Prescreen is destined to end up in theaters, but for directors and crew, the service’s incentives – like offering loyalty points to the first 5 percent of customers watching each movie – helps put more eyes on their work. The service’s business model has been toyed with by cable and satellite providers in the past, but it’s exciting to think about the possibilities sites in the same arena might offer to filmmakers and movies fans alike in the future. Try it out for yourself HERE.

Drinking From The (ahem) “Fire Hose”

Nick Woods

New research covered in The New Zealand Herald last week claims the amount of digital information we produce has grown by a factor of nine over the last five years. That’s a crazy amount of growth. Consider, for example, a typical low-volume fire hose ejecting 90 gallons of water per minute. Grown by a factor of nine, that same fire hose would spit out 400,000 trillion gallons of water per minute – nearly 9 billion times the amount of water that flows over Niagra Falls in the same period.

So maybe it’s time we reconsider our phrasing. Trying to drink from social media’s proverbial fire hose in 2006 was difficult enough when the comparison was apt – Today, trying to pull meaningful insight from the stream shouldn’t be considered a challenge, but a death wish. How do we as marketers begin to deal with that onslaught of data, much less help customers?

Remakes of Remakes

Nick Woods

Simon Reynolds argues over 500 pages in a book published earlier this year that pop music in the new millenium relies too much on samples, “influences,” and content curation instead of original thought to create “new” sounds. It’s an argument that’s easy to apply beyond music. Take, for example, the multiple Snow White films that will be released next year – We’ve seen two trailers released already in the past two weeks that promote essentially the same story we’ve heard for decades. And there’s at least one outlet predicting the redundancy will have a negative impression on how both films are perceived by the public. Has pop culture really reached a point where we want remakes of remakes before the first remake is even finished? The thought alone makes the brain cramp.

Organizational Change, and Google

BJ Bueno

Becoming the dominant player in any industry is tough. Holding onto that premier position is even harder. Brand Modeling teaches us that it is the leaders of any organization who must have a clear, fully articulated vision of what success means for their company—as well as the resolve and resources to make that vision reality.

That’s why we read this NY Times article about Google CEO Larry Page with great interest. To quote:

Despite the many external pressures on Google, it is dominant in its business and highly profitable. But, when asked at a recent conference about the biggest threat to his company, Mr. Page answered in one word, “Google.” READ MORE

A Little Costs Alot

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

If there’s one person I can’t stand, it’s the guy who can’t laugh at himself. And in the end, the same goes for agencies. So it shouldn’t be any big surprise that Agency Spy called one of them out yesterday, not for posting a potentially (albeit accidentally) hilarious music video from one of their creatives, but for deleting the comments folks on Facebook made about it. That’s Social Media 101: most are unforgiving and unfiltered from behind a computer screen. So you had better be ready to respond to the good, the bad, and the vulgar – with a smile on your face – if YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are channels you’re considering.

The Jacket As An Icon

Nick Woods

Checking out at the grocery store became infinitely more tolerable when the world began stocking tabloids next to the register – Those 15 minutes in line are far less irritating when one can laugh at the poor fashion choices of the rich and famous. But it’s funny how the tables can turn when the right piece is paired with the right person at the right time. Take Michael Jackson’s red jacket worn in the music video for “Thriller,” now on sale for a cool $2,350 on Amazon. Or the cheap Korean souvenir Ryan Gosling wore in this summer’s Drive. Worn at different times, in different media, clothing that’s now almost as famous as the stars that wear it might have been branded fashion “don’ts” instead of “musts.” As timeless as we like our pop culture to be, it always seems the best stuff comes down to context.

The New Breed of TV

Nick Woods

Sony threw its hat in the ring over the weekend to join a crowd that gets bigger every day – Brands attempting to breed a smarter screen, one that will organize, access, and broadcast every channel we surf. That’s a tougher task than it seems… Watching TV isn’t just a cable-or-antennae option anymore. Next to the hundreds of channels our digital cable providers toss our way, streaming video services send us our favorite movies and shows over the net. Our DVD collections grow every day. Collecting content seems to be the new pastime, and the biggest challenge isn’t finding it anymore – It’s digesting it. Seems like life just won’t let up on the world’s couch potatoes. READ MORE

Toronto: New Street Car Design

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

I was lucky enough to spend most of my childhood living in Toronto, ON Canada with my grandparents. Some of my fondest memories of adolescence are associated with the Street Car. The TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) has just released the new streetcar design scheduled to begin hitting streets in 2013. They even put together an informative site that gives you the history of the street car as well as a look into the timeline, research and process of it’s creation. I’m going to scheduled a trip back to check them out but you can check them out HERE.

A Number Hard To Imagine

Billy Cannestra

This iPad App from National Geographic is amazing. It puts into perspective what 7 Billion really is and some of the statistics are mind-boggling.

Apple To Go. . . . .

Billy Cannestra

What a concept. Apple is now telling me that I can order a iPad, iMac and a printer online and then pick it up at my local Apple Store in 12 minutes. My local fast food restaurant can’t offer that guarantee in their drive-thru. You can also install an Apple Store app on your iPhone, scan accessories yourself in the store, click purchase and just walk right out, without ever talking to a sales person. I didn’t believe it either, so I read the full story. Just think: if this concept takes off, you’ll shop at Target or Aeropostale and not have to wait in lines. Goodbye online shopping – hello mall!

Nest

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

By now I’m sure you’ve all heard about Nest, the stylish learning thermostat founded by a couple of former Apple employees. It’s interesting to see a new product aimed toward making something familiar better and more efficient. They have done a great job with the function of the Nest…it works like any older thermostat and requires no programing at all. It remembers when and at what temperature you set it at and locks it in. If your patterns change so does the programing of the thermostat. Any product that helps conserve energy and save money is just fine by me.  Check it out for yourself.

Trip To Paradise

Jon Grider

Radio Paradise is a real trip, with no loss of frequent flyer miles (or brain cells). It’s a streaming internet radio station, with the best eclectic mix I’ve heard from one source. Mostly tasty, interesting rock, but all genres are represented. Everything is DJ mixed, so there is a logic and flow – unlike random computer mixes. And it’s totally commercial-free. Not that I don’t fancy a good radio spot, but I’d rather wait for the Mercury Awards reel. Radio Paradise is financially supported through donations on their site – hopefully for many moons and tunes to come. A husband/wife team out of Paradise, California runs the station, which has been around for about a decade. Their site has playlist details and the ability for interactivity – through welcomed comments, forums, journals and contests. Welcome to paradise.

Take Two For Netflix?

BJ Bueno

“There is a difference between moving too quickly—which Netflix has done very well for years—and moving too fast, which is what we did in this case.” With those words, Netflix has backed away from its controversial plan to split the company into two parts. The DVD rental-by-mail business, which was going to be called Qwikster, will remain part of the Netflix business. It’s a reversal that makes sense. READ MORE 

Light Light Levitating Lamps

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

These lamps are amazing. I would love to outfit my whole home with them but I don’t have $1,300 dollars lying around to spend on a lamp no matter how amazing! Interesting technology though. Light Light is a collection of lamps that Angela Jansen, a graduate of Design Academy Eindhoven, designed. They were then developed by mechanical and electrical engineer Ger Jansen. READ MORE

Steve Jobs

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

Steve Jobs will live on because of the way he chose to live, passionately and freely giving so much of himself to the advancement of technology and the revolution of our profession. His 2005 Stanford commencement speech speaks to the core of who he was and is something so inspiring that I can’t help but watch it several times a year to remind myself to “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.”

Airbnb

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

In short, Airbnb let’s guests and hosts choose the experience they want to have. Want to get away for a weekend, week or even a month without breaking the bank? Airbnb allows people to list their homes so that people who are looking for lodging can rent a room, use of the entire home or even have the place all to themselves. There is a feedback feature on the site that allows you to read the experiences others have had with any home. You can check it out here.

Historic Letters

Jon Grider

I recently walked back in design-time at The Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum in Two Rivers, WI. Founded in 1880, Hamilton was the largest wood type producer in the country, when just about everything was letterpress printed. They now showcase their 1.5 million pieces of hand-carved, finely polished maple wood type at the museum, along with displays and working presses from back in the day. They also have hands-on workshops, so students and artists can use their collection. Three presses were lathered in ink the day I was there, one being rolled by a student from England. Historically hip again, Hamilton was just commissioned by Fossil watches to build a wall of type for them, and Target recently had a fashion shoot at the museum. The other premier working letterpress studio/museum that practices preservation through production is Hatch Show Print in Nashville. Famous for their country music posters, Hatch continues to create old-school, organic poster art that still strikes a chord today.

Paul Rand

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

Twitter as an educational source. We all know about Paul Rand but we may not all know about Paul-Rand.com. Last week while checking out Twitter one of my friends posted a link to the site and I was blown away. Tons of Paul Rand awesome at my fingertips. Logos, identity presentations, standards, manuals, guides, articles, interviews, videos. You name it and it’s there. I particularly enjoyed the identity presentation. It’s always interesting to see how the greats presented their work to clients.

Limited Edition Diet Coke Packaging

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

Turner Duckworth, the man responsible for the multi-award-winning repackaging of Coca-Cola, has done it again with his “limited edition” Diet Coke repackaging. As a lover of typography I love the cropped logo. He is obviously cashing in on some of the brand equity Diet Coke has. I would have loved to see how he sold this solution. READ MORE

Friday Brain Teaser

Billy Cannestra

Here’s a challenge. Your goal is to fill the thermometers with mercury, but only in as many cells as indicated by the numbers outside the grid. The numbers tell you how many cells in each row and column must contain mercury. Mercury always starts filling from the bottom of a thermometer (the round part) and not every thermometer has to contain mercury. Have Fun. . .

 

Manage Your Money

Billy Cannestra

Good advice. For FREE. Mint brings all your financial accounts together online or on your mobile device, automatically categorizes your transactions, lets you set budgets and helps you achieve your savings goals. ABC News said “Two great features: It’s free & it’s easy to use”, the New York Times offered “Your financial situation, in the palm of your hand” and Money called Mint “Our top pick. 4 Stars”.

The Look & Feel Of Wood

Billy Cannestra

Aluminum is recyclable and flexible. Steel is cold and hard. Then there’s wood. Wood has a character unlike any other material. Wewood channeled all the excellent aspects of wood, the grain, its natural feel and its hypo-allergenic properties, and paired it with an analog Miyota movement to turn it into one of the most unconventional watches we’ve ever seen. We won’t say it’s the best thing to happen to man since bottled beer, but we wood say it’s pretty damn close.

Does Netflix Know What It Is Doing?

BJ Bueno

At first, we thought it was a joke—and not a particularly funny one at that.  Surely Netflix, one of the most successful and dominant brands in the world, wouldn’t make a bunch of boneheaded moves seemingly tailor made to alienate their customers. Not Netflix. We’re talking about the company that broke Blockbuster, the savvy, smart, forward looking firm that changed the way we consume media. READ MORE

Tokyo Rising

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

It’s been 7 months since the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Tokyo, Japan, and while it will take some time for them to rebuild what the natural disasters destroyed they are a resilient and creative people. Palladium Boots & Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and producer Pharrell traveled to Japan to film a 5 part series about what it was like during “3/11″ and what the future looks like for them.

Friday Brain Teaser

Billy Cannestra

Using the letter grid to the left, how many words can you find? Each word must contain the central R and no letter can be used twice; however, the letters do not have to be connected. Proper nouns are not allowed, but plurals are. There is at least one nine letter word. Excellent: 32 words. Good: 28 words. Average: 20 words. Contact me if you want the answers. Have Fun…

Back 4 the Future

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

Sneaker junkies rejoice! The day we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived…if you’re willing to pay a pretty penny. But hey, it’s for a great cause. Nike has teamed up with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to auction off 150 pair of the 2011 Nike Mag a day starting on September 8th for 10 days. That’s 1,500, an ultra limited supply. Fox wore the futuristic shoe in the year 2015 as Marty McFly in the classic Back to the Future film. If my calculations are correct you have three days left to make your dream a reality. Good Luck!  All proceeds go the the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Long Live The Clown

BJ Bueno

Earlier last month, Burger King retired the latest incarnation of their mascot.  The King had had a central role in BK’s messaging, starring in several ad campaigns. He is being replaced by what are being termed “food centric” spots, where fresh ingredients take center stage.

It must be hard to be upstaged by lettuce, beef, and a handful of avocados. Yet we imagine what really galls the king is the fact that Ronald McDonald, the curly haired clown icon of Burger King’s arch rival, continues strong in his role. What can that clown do that the king could not? READ MORE

Apple After Jobs

BJ Bueno

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community: I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

So began Steve Jobs’ resignation letter. It is a short, simple document that has made headlines around the world. Will Apple be as successful, countless pundits have wondered, without Jobs at the helm? READ MORE

Friday Brain Teaser

Billy Cannestra

This was my son’s first math assignment for the year. The object is to connect A to A with a line, B to B with a line and C to C with a line. Keep in mind lines can’t cross and no going outside the frame or crossing into any of the letter boxes. I finally got it at 1:30 AM. Have Fun….

It’s OK To Come Out of the Basement

Jon Grider

Ping-pong popularity is on the rise. Thanks to hip clubs like Spin (Milwaukee, New York, St. Pete and Toronto), all levels of table tennis players are coming out of the woodwork (most likely musty, knotty pine woodwork) – me included. Competitive exercise, rewarded with a well-crafted brew in a state-of-the-art space with good tunes and good people is a good thing. The US is still no match for China (or Germany, or Japan, or India, or Korea, etc.) when it comes to ping-pong proficiency and popularity. In fact, we pretty much bring up the rear in the world table tennis standings. But when you consider our ability to have fun, the US kicks @#%! Get your pong on, people!

The Evolution Of The Music Industry

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

While visiting the Fast Company website I stumbled upon an animated pie chart that, let them tell it, “illustrates the music industry’s death.” While I don’t believe it illustrates that as much as it does it’s evolution, I do feel it illustrates the death of “big record label thinking.” It’s time for artists and musicians to get creative with promoting, marketing, distributing and selling their music. With the advent of sites like Bandcamp and Soundcloud it’s easier than ever. I can’t wait to see how big labels adapt to the constantly changing landscape. These are exciting times.

iPhone Camera Case

Billy Cannestra

This unique iPhone 4 camera case is just the thing for those old camera buffs who can’t let go of the past. Take a look.

But Does It Float

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

But Does It Float is one of the best online sources of visual and literary inspiration. The site pairs short quotes from a plethora of different authors with art from a variety of fine/graphic artists and designers. It’s great to be exposed to creatives and authors that I would otherwise never encounter, like Matthys Gerber who created the image to the left.

Living Sculpture

Jon Grider

You’re not a master sculptor or professional arborist? You can still create a living, growing work of art in your own back yard – or front yard if you can handle drive-by art critics. All you need are a few bundles of willow rods, a bit of ground, some patience and a fertile imagination. Thin, long, 1-year old willow rods are best to bend and twist and will grow strong in virtually all climates and conditions. This art is most popular in England, but is taking root here too. Combining sculpture and nature is a great way to express yourself in the great outdoors – without getting arrested. Just Google how to get started and find specialist nurseries that carry willow, then grow your own art.

Successful Brand Extensions

BJ Bueno

The drive to shed pounds and enjoy a healthier, fitter, slimmer body is almost universal. Special K is successful because they understand more than the fact that their customers want to lose weight. Special K understands WHY their customers want to lose weight. They understand HOW their customers wanted to lose weight. And therein lies much of the secret of Special K’s success. Brand Modeling tells us that a company wins when they put their best customer’s needs front and center, focusing all of the energy and resources of the organization on the single goal of giving customers what they want, in exactly the way they want it. READ MORE

Move, Eat, Learn

Billy Cannestra

After watching these, go explore anything . . . . . .

Move, Eat, Learn

Compressing Images Can Save Bytes

Jose Coronado

Images saved from programs like Fireworks can contain kilobytes of extra comments, and use too many colors, even though a reduction in the color palette may not perceptibly reduce image quality. Uncompressed images can take up more space than they need to; for users on slow connections, it is especially important to keep image sizes to a minimum. So whenever possible, the recommended format to use is a “jpeg”.

Watch The Throne

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

Listening to and reading all of the critique of the new Jay-Z & Kanye West album Watch The Throne has been very interesting and exciting. To me, any great body of work sparks passionate and sometimes heated debate. It also begs for a side to be selected, rarely do you experience gray area. People either fall in love or detest. Questlove, of the Legendary Roots Crew, wrote an “Official Unofficial Review” which is the best piece of commentary I’ve read on the album so far.

Beastie Boys Action Figures

Billy Cannestra

80′s Flashback… You know you’ve completed all your goals in life when they make you into an action figure.

Our Nations Debt

DeChazier Stokes–Johnson

A good friend of mine shared this via his Facebook profile this morning and I was astounded. We always hear about “Our National Debt” as being a number so large and unfathomable that most of us just dismiss it. Seeing it visualized puts it in to perspective.

Web Album For iPad

Billy Cannestra

If you like capturing every event with your digital camera and you use Picasa, then Web Album is for you. Web Album brings your Picasa Photos right to your iPad, faster and easier than ever. This app has saved me time, plus space on my iPad for more movies, apps and music.