Comments (0) There’s nothing that I don’t love about this initiative from Tesco. This is an example of what I wish all marketing could be like this. By understanding the local market, Tesco was able to fundamentally change how consumers not only interacted with the brand but also how they viewed it. Without adding any stores, Tesco became #2 in the market and grew their online sales by 130%.
I bought my first Macbook this weekend. It was a bit of a puzzling experience. I walked into the always-packed store and went straight to look at the Macbook Air’s. I was pretty sold on it, but wanted one last chance to play around. A sales associate came up, answered a few of my questions and asked what I wanted it for. I explained that I had a PC and wanted it as a second laptop mainly for travel. I said that I had been looking at netbooks, but the Air was either lighter or I liked it better than other netbooks. I also explained that I would mostly be using it for browsing online and remoting into my work computer to do email, use Microsoft Office, etc. After hearing what I was going to be using the Macbook Air for, he asked, “Have you tried the iPad? It might be a better fit.”
Me: Huh? Really? And um, isn’t that $1,000 less expensive than the machine I was just about to buy? Do you get a special commission for selling iPads or what?!
The Sales Associate went on to explain that you could put the iPad on a docking station and use a wireless keyboard with it. However, you couldn’t use a mouse. To me, that seemed like a lot of extra work and parts, but I said I’d take a look and think about it.
Luckily, there was a free iPad because I hate waiting in line 
I played around with it for a few minutes. And, I still didn’t understand how this could replace a netbook. Here’s why:
While the iPad might have a purpose, in my mind, it in no way, shape or form is a replacement for my newly bought Macbook Air.
Before a few months ago, I rarely, if ever, shopped at Whole Foods. Expensive, pretentious and too “green” were the terms that came to mind and I certainly wasn’t shopping at a place like that. But then, their CEO John Mackey wrote an Op-Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal. The key word is Op-Ed aka his opinion, not Whole Foods. But, people love a reason to boycott things, and so they chose to boycott Whole Foods because of it. Among other things, they formed a Facebook group.
Here’s my question, have any women stopped eating Ben & Jerry’s for their liberal political views? Nope. So why do people all of a sudden assume that the CEO of Whole Foods needs to have the same viewpoints of some of its customers?
Being stubborn and thinking the boycott was the dumbest thing ever, I started shopping at Whole Foods. It was my way of “sticking it” to all the silly people. But, then I actually started to like shopping there. The customer service was top notch. Every employee has a smile and stops to ask if you need help. While expensive, the food is fresh, always delicious and it feels good for you.
The moral? Some boycotts actually lead to new customers
I’m lazy, so to kick off April, here’s a few good links:
Casino Marketer. A blog that our Slot Director sent me (love it!). It’s fairly basic, Social Media 101, but if you’re in the Casino business, it’s worth a read.
If you do surveys for your company, the Voice of Vovici is great. They have lots of good tips for people just getting started and/or who aren’t really analytical people.
I stumbled upon Tippingpoint Labs while searching for agencies. I’ve enjoyed the blog and they update fairly often (sadly starting to see my favorite blogs update less and less). The odd part of the site? No client list and no portfolio. Ummm… while I like your blog, I’d like to see some real work.
SpyFu. I’m sure you’ve seen it before, but the site is very cool. It has lots of interesting data and fun tools.
If you were thinking of buying me a half birthday gift (April 21) I’m currently eyeing one of these or another one of these. I’m also on the search for new office toys. I think this will be one of them.
While I can think of a few other things that provide oral pleasure, chocolate definitely ranks high on the list. Sprinkles rank higher. Bloomsberry has some cute, tongue-in-check package designs for their chocolate bars.
Today was one of those really great news days. Here’s just a few of the better ones happening outside the world of interactive media:
Cool / Artsy / Geeky:
Ian Cook, a British Artist, paints using remote control cars. Video and final piece here.
Scientist creates a Periodic Table of Videos. For each element there’s a fun video. Very cool for visual and audio learners and super geeks. For anyone else, the videos are a tad long.
Sex, Sex, Sex:
Library of Congress creates Playboy for the blind. (Yes, I said Library of Congress). There’s also an official Porn for the Blind website.
Candoms (no, this is not a misspelling) is a great beverage insulator that rolls onto a can like a giant condom. Maybe these will start replacing bananas and regular condoms in Sex Ed.
German inventor debuts Spray-On Condoms. I’m not a guy, but the thought of putting my junk in a “hissing chamber” does not sound very fun or sexy. I’ll stick to the old rip and roll method, thanks.
Just Plain Bizarre / Gross:
I guilty admit that the tongue action turned me on. But, this ad for Extended Stay Hotels is just weird and definitely did not make me want to stay there.
For the girl who has everyone, the Pocket Slutometer helps you keep score of the notches on your bedpost. There’s even a reset button, so when you hit #999 or feel the need to become a born again virgin, you can start over with the touch of a button. So go ahead, get naughty.
A few days ago on Twitter someone started talking about their love for Bacon as a joke. Damn, I wish I could find the original thread. ANYWAY, since then all I’ve seen is stuff about Bacon. There’s Bacon Lollipops, Bacon Bras, Bacon Wallets, Bacon Band-Aids, Bacon Cocktails (one for each month), Bacon-Scented Tuxedos and of course, the Bacon Song. All I have to say is GROSS. I hope I start seeing other food related items soon. You know, like mustard or ketchup.
The things people will buy. Courtesy of Perpetual Kid, a cute, cuddly and plush version of Pee & Poo… together forever and available as a plush duo.
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