New Persuasion

Filter for Good

While doing some research this morning I came across a website representing a campaign called "Filter for Good."  According to the website,

Brita and Nalgene have partnered to present FilterForGood. Take the pledge to make a small change in your life that could be part of a big change nationwide.

If you're ready, take the pledge. Still not convinced? Learn the facts about why reducing bottled water waste is so important.

And, if you purchase a FilterForGood refillable bottle, you'll also be supporting the Blue Planet Run Foundation, a nonprofit organization working to provide safe drinking water to 200 million people for the rest of their lives by 2027. For every FilterForGood refillable bottle purchased between August 10th and December 31st, 2007, a donation of $4, up to a maximum of $25,000, will be made to the Blue Planet Run Foundation.

This site offers some really great statistics about why bottled water waste is a concern and what we can do as individuals to help the big picture.  This shows that our society is aware of the environmental issues gaining media attention as well as ways in which we can make a difference.  I think that emphasis on the environment is only going to become more and more important over the upcoming decades-- especially because of the continuous coverage of the impact humans have on global warming.  It is good to know that companies are teaming up to give us options as consumers without taking away the convenience element that we love.

Loyalty, Nascar style

Nascar racing fans are a breed like no other, especially when it comes to supporting the sponsors of their favorite drivers.  Nascar drivers are much more dependent and loyal to their sponsors than other athletes are to their sponsors.

If Tiger Woods were to lose a sponsor, his golf game probably wouldn't be affected very much.  However, if a NASCAR driver loses his sponsor, there is the very real possibility he won’t be racing until a new sponsor steps in.

After a big victory, a Nascar driver will immediately thank his sponsor, whereas Tiger would probably thank friends and family first.

And because fans feel so connected to their favorite drivers, they want to support what he supports.

A recent article states:

Fans feel they owe the sponsor something for providing them with the sport they love.  "It's the same mechanism as if someone buys you a  beer at the bar.  There's also the impulse, you're going to buy one back."
There are sponsors emblazoned on every car, jersey and piece of equipment. Everything from the gasoline the drivers put into their tanks to the memorabilia sold in the stores has a sponsor's branding.Corporate sponsorship in NASCAR will reach $2.9 billion this year, a 5.5 percent increase over 2005, according to the Associated Press. Companies continue to see value in the sport, largely because fans keep flocking to the sponsors.

Outside the races, the companies cross-promote with other NASCAR sponsors in order to increase fan appeal. Home Depot teamed with fellow NASCAR sponsor Coca-Cola to create an orange Powerade flavor in honor of Stewart.

Another study showed that:

89% of NASCAR fans believe, “When I see a NASCAR logo on something, I know it will be a quality product.”  And fans are three times as likely to try and purchase NASCAR sponsors’ products and services than a non-fan.

Sponsors of other sports would love to have this fan base and this much support.  Even though athletes are paid millions of dollars in endorsements, very few seem to create the buzz that Nascar sponsors do.  Why do you think that is?

Sign Spinners - Advertising as Spectacle

From New Persuasion Intern Megan Cifrino:

ABC World News ran a piece this week on a new kind of advertising that is catching on in cities across the nation.  People as young as high school age have combined street sign promotions with freestyle spinning and twirling.

They say that traditional advertising gets boring and eventually people become disinterested in the average billboard. However “sign spinners” as they call themselves are always pulling out new tricks and keeps their audience and customers engaged.

Aarrow Advertising runs boot camps which train employees’ new tricks and keep them in shape. They also patent new moves.  The more tricks that you learn and the more experience you have can raise your income. The starting salary is $10 an hours and they can make up to about ($30,000 to) $40, 000 a year.  Sign instructors can make about $40,000 to $70,000.   Tell me again where can I sign up!? 

Sign Spinning  is an odd mix of dance, cheerleading, juggling, martial arts and advertising.  It's actually a professional sport.  Another example that traditional advertising isn't getting through.  How long before there are spinning competitions? 

Look out for the sign spinners in a city near you. Arrow Advertising hits cities including San Diego; Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; Las Vegas; Sacramento, Calif.; Phoenix; Raleigh and Durham, N.C.; and South Florida.  Just remember to keep your eyes on the road as well. Some cites feel they are so eye catching they’re hazardous to drivers and are banning these new age human promotions.

This YouTube video, Spinergy, will give you an idea of what the sign spinning world is all about:

Fun AND Sun

I know a huge trend right now is self-care.  We are starting to realize more and more that certain things are important and can extend our lives.  We are understanding more about certain types of cancers, foods to eat and to avoid, and ways to keep ourselves healthy that we didn't necessarily know about even just 20 years ago.

One topic that I have read so much about and seen so much media coverage on is skin cancer and skincare.  I have seen multiple news and magazine articles about the dangers of tanning beds, the proper amount and SPF of suntan lotion to apply daily, foods that can trigger sun sensitivity, times of day to avoid the sun, heredity issues, etc...  The list is endless. 

I was surprised to see an article in the Financial Times that ties in to this trend.  The article mentions that Speedo's Endurance + synthetic bathing suit fabric lasts 20 longer in chlorine and sunlight than regular nylon and has an SPF of over 50.  Other companies such as Mitty James have products like the "Towellling Top" that "has an UV/SPF rating of 45 [on the palest garment] and goes up to 100 on the darker pieces."

According to the Financial Times article, swimwear with SPF 'started in Australian market but is becoming more popular here'." 

Here are some websites to check out for more SPF swimwear products:

www.carvico.com

www.speedo.com

www.mittyjames.com

www.figleaves.com

www.sunseekersswimwear.com

www.laperla.com

The fact that so many products are making their way into the American market really says a lot about the way we value our health now.  We are starting to realize that negative effects of the sun and the ways that we can take action against aging and preventable health problems.  I think that this is going to continue to be a huge area of growth as more and more research emerges about the dangers of the sun.  It is a good thing that we are looking for ways to enjoy the outdoors while protecting ourselves.  We love to live our lives and we won't let much stop us from doing this the way we want to do it, but a few things that can make this easier for us is greatly appreciated.

Life Coach in the Palm of Your Hand

Wired had a great article about a new trend in Japan.  I personally think that knowing about trends in other countries says a lot about the possibilities for us in America.  We often can look at other countries latest and greatest and take a glimpse into our own futures.

The trend was using Nintendo DS as a life coach.  The article says,

Gals in Japan are using Nintendo DS to do way more than play with Mario. A flood of femme-focused self-help software now runs on the touchscreen handheld.

Female Power Emergency Up! DS (shown) promises to "Change your destiny in three months!" by measuring skills in love, fashion, beauty, diet, and fortune-telling(?!), then challenging girls to increase their scores.

My Happy Manner Book gives lessons on social etiquette — vital stuff, like which kimonos are proper for single women.

Mainichi Kokorobics DS Therapy (a play on the Japanese word for "heart" and the English "aerobics") is like a series of sessions with a digital psychiatrist.

And Yoga Anywhere is a CG personal trainer that demonstrates poses and guides girls through daily workouts.

People everywhere love convenience and control.  It seems that the Nintendo DS gives you both-- plus a little extra assistance.

Sports Participation -What's Up, What's Down

We were talking yesterday about what sporting activities were gaining in popularity and what was falling away. 

Flickr photo by DistortedSmile

UP SPORTS since 1998
Pilates has increased 512%
Yoga has increased 158%
Lacrosse has increased 78%
Skateboarding has increased 58%
Rock wall climbing has increased 89%
Surfing has increased 93%

Flickr photo by SouthernBelladonna

DOWN SPORTS since 1998
Basketball has decreased 25%
Baseball has decreased 16%
Softball has decreased 29%
Volleyball has decreased 22%
Cross-country skiing has decreased 43%
Fishing has decreased 8%
The sports that are UP, are almost all individual activities, not dependent on others’schedules.   Source:  Sports Participation Topline Report, 2006, Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, 2006

So we tried to figure out what was going on here, and these are the conclusions we came up with:

The UP sports, with the exception of lacrosse, are not competitive – they’re more about self-improvement, self-actualization than winning or losing.

The UP sports, again with the exception of lacrosse, are individual activities that we can do on our own time. 

Yoga and Pilates, which have increased dramatically, can be easily done in the home.

Yoga and Pilates can be done by all age groups too – and with the aging population, that is a plus.

Lacrosse is seen as an elite sport, and though it's been around for a long time, it has only been in the public eye for a short while - which makes its less traditional.  It's still seen as different from mainstream sports.

The UP sports give Americans a lot more freedom and flexibility.

The DOWN sports almost all require a team – which means aligning the schedules of lots of different people.

The DOWN sports require more equipment.

The DOWN sports require a specific physical space that is marked out and used for that sport alone.

The DOWN sports are more “traditional” American activities.  We are not satisfied with traditional anymore, we want to be different.

I'm sure these aren't all the conclusions you can draw from these lists.  But it's a good start.

Part-Time Pets

Our expectations are changing.  We want more from our cars, our homes, and our family.  We want more out of our computers and our money.  We expect our lives to be the way we design them to be-- and this includes our pets.

An Iconoculture article highlights our desire for "timeshare dogs" with the new pet service, FLEXPETZ.  Now we can be part-time dog owners.  The website boasts:

Leased cars. Vacation condos. And now, timeshare dogs. FLEXPETZ lets dog lovers who don't have the time or space to be full-time pet owners make play-dates with dogs from breed-rescue shelters.

Not all dog lovers can care for canine companions 24/7. Renting a favorite breed for a few hours or several days is a great option for consumers who travel a lot or live in buildings that don't allow dogs.

Full-time owners can't always take the family pet along on vacations or business trips. FLEXPETZ helps them get their dose of doggy love even if Fido has to stay behind.

FLEXPETZ members pay $40 a month, plus a daily fee, and can reserve their dog of choice online. But before part-time companions start tossing Frisbees to Fido, they must go through mandatory training with a certified FLEXPETZ handler.

Launched in Los Angeles and San Diego, FLEXPETZ is expanding to New York, San Francisco, Boston and other major cities here and abroad. Members can rent a dog at any location and enjoy a romp in the park wherever they go.

Our expectations are changing.  We live in a consumer-driven marketplace and always want the world to revolve around our needs.  Why should we buy a pet and commit to over a decade of care-giving?  We are always looking for immediate satisfaction without having to make big decisions or change a lot about our lives.  Hence, FLEXPETZ.

Animal Rights becoming Human Rights?

Two recent events involving chimpanzees has got me wondering about where we as humans leave off, and animals begin. First came this report in The Washington Post:

Chimpanzees living in the West African savannah have been observed fashioning deadly spears from sticks and using the tools to hunt small mammals -- the first routine production of deadly weapons ever observed in animals other than humans.

So chimps have added yet another trait that links them to humankind.

And then earlier this month, this story from Associated Press:

In a case that could set a global legal precedent for granting basic rights to apes, animal rights advocates are seeking to get the 26-year-old male chimpanzee legally declared a "person."

Hiasl's supporters argue he needs that status to become a legal entity that can receive donations and get a guardian to look out for his interests.

Wow.  The Vienna-based Association Against Animal Factories has taken animal rights issues to the next level - human rights. 

So if the chimps in Africa can do what our human ancestors did - evolve, create new things - then can we call them human?  Is Hiasl human?  I'd say no to both these questions.  But it sure tells me how far we've come in our thinking re animals.  That someone is even taking this to court should be a signal for all companies that deal with animals in any way to step back and consider how they treat these animals. 

Because though the group in Vienna is the extreme, the middle has moved too.  And it's the middle that companies need to worry about.  They're the mainstream.  They're the customers.  And in their minds, animals have already been given some human traits - (pushed by movies, tv, their own pets, etc) - so is granting human rights to them that far out after all?

Tweens Love Club Penguin

I had never heard of Club Penguin until a few months ago when I was listening to NPR's All Things Considered. It introduced me to a whole new world.  Literally days later, my 10-year old daughter Amanda asked if she could join.  Now she is hooked and schedules appointments with friends at school to meet online at a certain time of day.  I have to limit her time or she’d be on Club Penguin instead of doing her math homework, cleaning her guinea pig’s cage, or tracking down her soccer cleats for the 6:00 pm practice.

I may be old-fashioned, but I have mixed feelings about websites that target kids aged six to 12.  Personally I would rather have my kids outside playing tag or riding bikes or drawing with chalk on the sidewalk than inside, staring at a computer screen.  In cold or rainy weather, painting a picture or playing Scrabble appear more beneficial than meeting other children in a virtual world.  But Club Penguin, and other sites like Webkinz, is not going anywhere and as a parent I have to be realistic.  Kids use computers at school, at home, and at the library;  every day they are absorbing the skills they will utilize in high school, college, and eventually the working world.

Created by a couple of Canadian dads, clubpenguin.com is now the most popular website for kids and is aimed at both boys and girls.  Safety appears to be a top priority of the creators.  When registering, the website collects minimal information about children –  primarily age and sex.  The site tells children that they cannot share any personal information online, such as their address or the name of their school.  If they do, another “penguin” or online monitor will report them and ask them to leave the igloo.  For its safety standards, it is one of the few children’s websites approved by the Better Business Bureau.

Interacting with other kids – or penguins – is the primary goal of the site.  Club Penguin runs no ads and runs on subscription fees only.  For $5.95 a month, kids can create a penguin name and password and jump in.  Once online, Club Penguin is a virtual world of waddling birds with names such as Booger1427, MrYellow30, CutiePie, FuzziePuzzie, and TwoKool4u (I have changed a few to protect the identity of the “owners” but you get the idea). 

But what’s so great about it?  According to my Club Penguin expert, the site is fun for a couple of reasons:

Number one:  You can act like a penguin, not a kid!
Number two:  You can make new friends.
Number three:  Sometimes you meet those friends in real life at school and that is really cool.
Number four:  You can buy funny looking pets called Puffles, and also cool stuff with which to decorate your igloo.

Amanda likes to monitor other penguin’s behavior and recently reported a girl for being too bossy.  That penguin was immediately removed from the igloo, so I guess the system works!  She has 15 names on her buddy list and likes to play games with her Puffles, which are pink and blue pretend pets.  Kids can also play games like Jet Pack Adventure, which involves flying penguins with rockets on their backs who fly through the sky collecting coins.  Bean Counters is another game that depicts a tired looking penguin unloading sacks of something (penguin food?) from a truck to a platform.  With the winnings, kids can buy clothes, including warm weather gear like ear muffs and boots, or igloo decorations.  Igloos can get quite elaborate, with drum sets, dance floors, home stereo systems, and ice sculptures.

Webkinz is another popular site for kids.  This one requires the purchase of a real stuffed animal first, which includes a collar with a website password.  On a recent Girl Scout outing, three of Amanda’s friends had their Webkinz animals with them.  So if computer gaming increases the likelihood that children will engage in real play – whether that is with stuffed animals or by simply creating the social networks that emerge offline – perhaps these sites are just modern day versions of hide-and-seek or tag. 

I still limit the Club Penguin time to Fridays after school and weekends.  I think good old fashioned running around is still better than screen time.  Kids will have plenty of that when they grow up.  Or maybe I’m just envious – on a beautiful spring day, like today, I would most certainly give up my screen time in order to be outside, chasing a butterfly or playing tag.

America’s Pastime?

I consider myself a big Boston Red Sox fan. Growing up in Massachusetts has that affect on you. So you could imagine the excitement that I get when ESPN or Fox airs a Sox game. One such game I recently saw was a duel between Boston and Seattle. It was a much hyped game that pitted Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka with Japanese batter Ichiro Suzuki.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the aforementioned players, Daisuke Matsuzaka is a superstar in his native country of Japan. He played for the Seibu Lions for eight seasons and was MVP in the World Baseball Classic this past summer. The blockbuster deal that took him from Japan to the U.S. totals to about $60 million, causing an enormous amount of buzz that transcends above Red Sox Nation into all of Major League Baseball and beyond. Japanese and American media follows his every step; and MLB.com has dedicated an entire section to tracking his every move. Japanese television has gone so far as to simulcast all of his U.S. games (with the time difference, they often air early in the morning).

The buzz Dice-K (Matsuzaka’s nick name) has attracted grew with the Ichiro Suzuki match up. Ichiro is the first Japanese non-pitcher to play Major League Baseball. Ichiro, also a star back in Japan, was signed by Seattle in 2001 for only $14 million. This game was more than a regular season match; it was a battle of the Japanese All-Stars on Boston soil.

The media attention these Japanese players have garnered is just a sign of the globalization of baseball in America. You look at some of the top players in the game and you see names like, Rodriguez, Reyes, Pujols, and Guerrero. Satellite television packages and MLB’s online TV packages ensure that fans around the globe can watch their favorite teams. Tourism in Boston and Seattle has increased as fans from Japan flock to see their countrymen play (hotels even often special packages for those who want to visit the country- just to see Dice-K or Ichiro). MLB is currently discussing the possibility to open next year’s season with a game not in the U.S. - but a game in Japan (a move the NFL has done with a game in London for the 2007 season).

This trend is not just limited to Baseball, other sports has seen their game expand past our borders. David Stern, commissioner of the NBA, has recently discussed creating NBA leagues in China and Europe. Last month ESPN.com recognized the rise of international basketball players with their release of “The 30 Best International Players In The NBA” The list included players from Germany, China, South Africa, Argentina, and Spain amongst others.

The Larry Birds, and the Nolan Ryans of yesterday have been replaced with the Dirk Nowitzkis, and the Alfonso Sorianos of today; a sign that some of America’s pastimes are no longer just America’s pastimes.

Not a Happy Camper

I can't remember the last time I spent a weekend exploring the outdoors or visiting a national park.  Apparently, I'm not alone.

In fact, over the last ten years attendance at Yosemite has dropped 17%, Death Valley at 28%, and camping and back-country trips are down 24% overall. The Economist says " The importance of this decline can hardly be over-estimated for big environmental organisations such as the Sierra Club: they have depended on what one expert calls 'a transcendent experience in nature', usually in childhood, to gain new members and thus remain powerful lobbyists for environmental causes."

“The political implications are enormous,” says Richard Louv, a writer whose most recent book, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder”, describes the social, psychological and even spiritual ramifications of a dearth of outdoors experience for a generation raised on electronic, rather than natural, stimulation and entertainment."

National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has had its "Ranger Rick" magazine and education programme for children in place for 40 years, but Kevin Coyle, the group's vice-president for education, thinks that the declining interest in the outdoors has spurred a feeling of urgency among environmentalists. “There won't be a conservation movement 30 years from now if there's no love for nature,” he says.

This is an interesting trend that really says a lot about our priorities as a society.  Some of us are so busy throughout the week that we'd rather relax at home than take a trip filled with fresh air and nature.  Younger generations are spending less time outdoors and more time at home on the phone, in front of the television, or playing games on the computer.  We aren't as impressed by nature anymore.  We are gradually changing and I'm not sure that, in this case, it is a good thing...

“The political implications are enormous,” says Richard Louv, a writer whose most recent book, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder”, describes the social, psychological and even spiritual ramifications of a dearth of outdoors experience for a generation raised on electronic, rather than natural, stimulation and entertainment."

National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has had its "Ranger Rick" magazine and education programme for children in place for 40 years, but Kevin Coyle, the group's vice-president for education, thinks that the declining interest in the outdoors has spurred a feeling of urgency among environmentalists. “There won't be a conservation movement 30 years from now if there's no love for nature,” he says.

This is an interesting trend that really says a lot about our priorities as a society.  Some of us are so busy throughout the week that we'd rather relax at home than take a trip filled with fresh air and nature.  Younger generations are spending less time outdoors and more time at home on the phone, in front of the television, or playing games on the computer.  We aren't as impressed by nature anymore.  We are gradually changing and I'm not sure that, in this case, it is a good thing...

GO Team!

We all know that guy (or gal): the one who paints his face on game day, is always wearing team colors, and has every sort of team merchandise the store sells. Well, maybe not every bit of merchandise.   York Heating and Cooling has recently announced a new way to show team spirit. 

In response to homeowners' growing interest in aesthetics and college
athletics, HVAC manufacturers have redesigned equipment to stylishly package
efficiency and performance features in units that will attract the attention
of homeowners.
    Last year, York Heating and Cooling introduced its all-new Affinity(TM)
series of air conditioners and heat pumps, offering homeowners something never
seen before in the industry -- color. (Affinity units are available in a
choice of seven colors -- standard Champagne or Terra-Cotta, Jet Black, Stone,
Bermuda, Chocolate or Gun-metal.) This year, the company offers loyal alumni
and sports fans condensing unit panels that bear the logo of prominent
colleges and universities.  The plan is to have 74 major
schools represented this year.  Currently, more than 45 college logos are
available.

This is a great example of personalization of everyday objects that really have no need to be personalized.  But, yet, a company has decided to go that extra mile and figure out a way to appeal to consumers that otherwise wouldn't know what they were missing.

Now be sure and tell your super-fan friend he's not a true fan until his HVAC matches his team colors. 

Tea - Health & Serenity

Tea is gaining in popularity here in the U.S:

U.S. tea sales are expected to grow to $10 billion by 2010 from $6 billion in 2005, according to the World Tea Expo, a trade show...Nationally, the number of tea cafes has boomed to 2,000 from 200 in the past decade, according to the Tea Association of the USA.

What's under this growth in tea consumption?  A few things:

• Health Benefits - .According to WebMD, antioxidants make up a third of the weight of green tea leaves. Tea may help fight cancer, Alzheimer's, even tooth decay. And tea has less caffeine than coffee.
• The Yearning for Balance - One tearoom worker said that "Just as yoga and spas have emerged as a way to find balance, so too has tea."   Brandchannel writes about Teazana, a chain of 'tea emporiums':  For shoppers looking for a Zen  alternative to the zoom-zoom payoff of Starbucks' uber-caffeinated coffees, Atlanta-based Teavana has constructed an image that draws liberally on the calming allure of the Far Eastern lifestyle and the purported health benefits of its products.

Green tea is not a fad.  Tea drinking is in, and will be in for a long time to come.  It's another indication of our move toward wellness.  It fits in with a spiritual search and a simpler life.  And it parallels the aging of our population. 

Gardens for Everyone

Live in the city?  Enjoy gardening and growing fresh herbs but have no land in the backyard to create a garden?  No problem!  The May 2007 issue of Natural Health mentioned a product called Garden-in-a-Bag  which allows you to expand your herb garden right on your windowsill.

According to the product website, the collection provides ...a great selection of herbs, flowers, fruits & veggies, and beautiful greens that can be grown indoors, right in the leak-proof bag. And the best part is that they are so fun and easy to grow! All you need to do is mix in the enclosed packet of seed and add water. Before long, you will have extremely flavorful herbs, tasty tomatoes and strawberries, beautiful and fragrant flowers, and attractive greens. Give them and grow them any time of year!

Now you can have your garden any time, any place.

A More Conservative Society

Two recent developments strengthened my belief that we are becoming a much more conservative society - and both caught me by surprise:

1. Pew Research Center just issued a release: "The NRA's Image Improves as Support for Gun Control Slips:

A recent Pew nationwide survey found a 52%-to-32% majority of respondents holding a favorable opinion of the NRA, which will hold its massive annual convention on April 13-15 this year in St. Louis. While this is the first time since 1994 that the favorability rating of the group has crossed the 50% mark, positive views of the NRA have been inching upward in Pew polls in recent years.

And this about gun control:

In September 1990, 78% of respondents in a national survey told Gallup they felt that laws governing the sale of firearms should be stricter. The figure declined throughout the 1990s and reached its lowest point (51%) in October 2002. Since then support for stricter controls on guns has hovered in the mid-50s, reaching a peak of 60% in 2004.

Most recently, in October 2006, 56% of people told Gallup they favored stricter gun-sales laws. However, when given the choice in that poll between enforcing current gun laws more strictly or doing that plus passing new gun laws, most people (53%) preferred only that current laws be enforced more strictly.

At the same time, attitudes toward guns themselves are shifting. When asked whether a gun in the house makes the house safer or more dangerous, 47% said safer in October 2006 - up from 35% in August 2000 and 42% in October 2004.

2.  Tina Fey, on her show 30 Rock, confesses that in the next presidential election she'll tell her friends she voted for Barack Obama, but secretly she'll vote for John McCain.  Now Tina Fey is so liberal she makes Hillary Clinton look like an NRA member. 

Like I said - all this surprised me - but it's one more sign that we're more conservative than we used to be - (see our posts The New Puritans or Family Friendly Entertainment).

Pets R Us

One thing we follow around here are the passions and pastimes of Americans.  And there's nothing they are more passionate about than their pets.  What we will spend money and time on can tell a lot about our society.  And folks like to spend money on their pets.  We tease our boss Dan because his dog Emma comes to work with him and lives a better life than most of us. 

Yesterday, this Washington Post article said:

Baby boomers are keeping their pets longer and are willing to do $5,000 surgeries on them," says Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. "There are even denture products to help keep their teeth longer." The Web site [Senior Pet Products] sells 600 products, including the top-selling diapers for dogs, and sponsors online discussions about relevant topics.

I can't help but think that if Charles Schultz were still around, Snoopy would be sleeping on the Coil Orthopedic Dog Bed with Pillow Top. ($159.99)

USA Today reports today that organic and natural pet foods have been becoming more and more popular (and it's not due to the pet food recall - though that may help boost this year's numbers):

• Natural and organic pet-food sales already had been rising — 46% in 2005 over 2004 and an expected 36% for 2006, according to the Organic Trade Association's 2006 Manufacturer Survey.
• Orders are up 300% for Boulder-based Natural Pet Nutrition. Its Pet Promise food is sold in stores including Whole Foods. A 25-pound bag with a list of "no's" including "no added growth hormones" and "no antibiotic-fed proteins" costs $35. "We've seen a really strong surge in demand," says founder Dave Carter.
• Castor & Pollux Pet Works has had a tenfold rise in traffic on its website, says Shelley Gunton of the organic-food maker near Portland, Ore. "Sales have been on a growth ramp, but this springboards the category," she says. "People who may have dabbled in organic products for their human family are looking out much more seriously for their four-legged family."
• Online pet-food retailer Waggintails has had a 30% to 40% rise in sales, despite recall of some top sellers, thanks to organic and natural products, says founder John Gigliotti. "We feel like the loss of sales from the products we pulled will be more than offset."

Americans love their pets.  Pets R Us.

2007 Trends - Part 7

JWT, the largest advertising agency in the U.S. and the fourth-largest in the world, wrote their 70 "products, services and trends" to watch in 2007:

1. Skype/VoIP
2. Wii and the next-generation gaming systems
3. The business of social networking
4. Pop-up stores, restaurants and bars ... installation style
5. Shrinky Dink technology (TVs are flat and hidden, iPods are down to half an ounce, speakers are smaller and less visible, and so on)
6. The rise of nanotechnology
7. Sustainable construction/green buildings
8. Hydrogen fuel cell technology
9. Veggie-bus: school buses running on biodiesel fuel
10. Trans-fat fallout
11. Reality show talent searches
12. Ohio State's freshman basketball phenom, Greg Oden
13. Fear of agri-terrorism
14. Halal foods
15. Participatory advertising (user-generated advertising and music video competitions)     16. Premium-drink bars
17. Organic fabrics
18. Stem cell research
19. Iceland
20. Hybrid dogs
21. Locally sourced produce
22. Churchonomics: religion as big business
23. Reunions of donor insemination siblings
24. Hitting the off button: demanding downtime
25. Indian cross-over actress Aishwarya Rai
26. Home-schooling
27. Natural building materials such as stone and wood
28. Binge chilling
29. Personalized diets
30. Brand sluts
31. Modernized tradition
32. Chindia
33. Alpha moms
34. Internet TV
35. Citizen journalism
36. RSS feeds
37. Fresh Direct
38. Google domination (Google as acquirer, and Microsoft as Google follower)
39. Mobile video
40. Rachael Ray
41. Inconspicuous consumption
42. X-Factor's Leona Lewis
43. Dreamgirls' Jennifer Hudson
44. Environmental causes
45. Companies going green
46. Barack Obama
47. Soft, natural hair
48. Microgeneration (generating one's own energy)
49. Party planning for teens
50. Paying for user-generated content
51. Higher-waisted pants
52. iPhone
53. Co-branding (think Nike plus Apple)
54. Britain's Amy Winehouse
55. The rebirth of raves
56. Energy-saving lightbulbs
57. Sacha Baron Cohen
58. Mash-ups (music, Web sites, everything)
59. Japanese apparel chain Uniqlo
60. Promoting "Brand Me"
61. Ensemble TV casts (Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, Criminal Minds)
62. Multilingual cinema
63. "Kidults"
64. Transformers (the movie)
65. Web-based microfinancing
66. Generosity
67. Al Gore, the environmentalist
68. Unstrategic alliances (Paris and Britney, Tom and Brooke, Bush Sr. and Clinton)
69. Europeans getting fatter
70. Age shuffling (40 is the new 20, for example)

Higher waisted pants - bring it on.  Al Gore, enviromentalist - played out.  And now I'm going to have to find out what Halal food is. 

2007 Trends - Part 6

It's time for my favorite list of trends - and I think this picture of Dan with Emma will give you a hint - from Anita Campbell's Small Business Trends blog comes 2007 Pet Trends by Laura Bennett:

1. Growth in unique pet goods.
The American Pet Products Manufacturers’ Association (APPMA) estimates that pet goods and medicines spending will grow 6.9% to reach $9.3 billion in 2006 (out of a total of $38.4 billion in overall pet industry expenditures). Much of the growth continues to come from the newer pet items such as pet deli snacks, toys, luxury items, and convenience accessories such as programmable feeding and watering stations, warming mats, and self-cleaning litter boxes. High-end specialty pet stores continue to thrive despite competition from the big box stores as passionate pet owners look for selection, style, and a unique shopping experience.

2. Growth in pet services such as grooming, boarding, pet photography, dog walking, and pet sitting.
More than $2.7 billion dollars will be spent on pet services in 2006 according to the APPMA, which will likely continue to grow at around 8% for 2007. More pet owners will pay for these services as it is becoming socially unacceptable in some cities, such as New York and Los Angeles, to leave your dog alone during the day or your cat alone for the weekend. We also predict that we will see more pet services partnering together (or perhaps merging together) to support a pet through its life, such as breeders (birth), and groomers, doggie daycare, pet hotels, and pet insurance (lifetime services), and pet trusts and cremations/burials/memorials (for a pet’s death) .

3. Growing interest in pet health care.
This includes non-invasive surgeries, human medical devices and services being applied to pets, super-premium foods aimed at specific ailments, and alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, massage, and behavioral therapies. High end diagnostics, such as MRIs, will become more widely available for pets, with the price dropping accordingly. Online veterinary pharmaceuticals will become more main stream. Pet lovers want, and are demanding, the same treatment options for their pets as they can get for themselves.

4. Continued steady increase in pet insurance.
The estimated 2006 market size is approximately $200 million, and is estimated to continue to grow by 25% to reach $250 million in 2007, according to the 2005 Packaged Facts “Pet Insurance in North America: The Market and Trends in the U.S. and Canada” report. While our prediction of one of the established companies being acquired in 2006 did not come true, it is only a matter of time before a large insurance company buys its way into the pet insurance arena. More and more employers continue to join the ranks of those who offer pet insurance as a voluntary benefit and at least one pet insurance company plans to start mass media advertising in 2007, increasing consumer awareness of pet insurance.

5. More pet-friendly environments.
These environments pop up in places such as hotels (Starwood and Loews), restaurants (the Flying Fig in Cleveland, Ohio), and shopping centers (Stony Point Fashion Park in Richmond, Virginia) causing pet lovers to steer their business to where their pets are welcomed. Florida passed a doggie dining law in 2006 and other cities such as Houston are considering a similar move.

6. Philanthropy returns to the pet world.
The events of September 11, the 2004 Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and the war in Iraq all attracted outpourings of charitable donations to the affected areas, diverting funds from smaller pet-related charities. While it will take time for donation levels to turn around, pet parents are doing good while catering to Fluffy’s every need as more and more pet-related companies are donating a portion of their sales to pet-related charities.

The business environment will start to become more challenging as a multitude of new players enter the market. Savvy small businesses will take advantage of change to successfully place themselves uniquely in the market. Trends here include:

7. Increased competition from larger players.
Larger companies are beginning to recognize the economic potential of the pet industry. Target and Walmart are both expanding their pet selection and using pets in their advertising. Petco and PetsMart continue to grow rapidly, increasing their total number of stores by over 160 stores in 2005, which is projected to continue in the coming years according to their annual reports. These companies are moving into the full service arena if they aren’t there already, to encourage customer loyalty.

8. Large companies buying smaller players or interacting with small businesses behind the scenes, via monetary investment and/or marketing alliances.
Not only are the more obvious pet-related giants, such as Purina, Hills, and Iams (for example, Iams owns an 8.9% interest in Veterinary Pet Insurance) engaged in this activity, but also other more surprising companies such as paper product giant Kimberly Clark, which is very interested in expanding its revenue stream into the supermarket pet aisle.

9. Increased online sophistication from new pet-related businesses in ecommerce, design, and usability.
Traditionally, small business sites have been set up by pet lovers with little thought on design, target audience, and content. Newer players, such as Urbanhound and WagginTails noted last year, and Pawspot, a pet sitting community new this year, are beginning to be more sophisticated in design and ecommerce, reaching their target audience via web-site usability, SEO, paid search, and word of mouth.

10. More meaningful pet-related blogs.
Blogs, written by both corporate players and evangelists, will become more prevalent, more widely read, and will have a significant influence on driving traffic and sales to smaller niche players. New blogs in 2006 include Scratchings and Sniffings, sponsored by Purina, and the Embrace Pet Community blog, part of the broader Embrace Pet Community sponsored by Embrace Pet Insurance.

And one final bonus trend that indicates the sentiment of the pet-related customer…

11. Pet adoptions continue to grow.
Pet adoptions grow as the adoption network becomes more sophisticated, structured, and effective. In 2006, Petfinder, the largest online adoption facilitator, was acquired by the TV channel, Animal Planet in order to diversify the company’s pet-related revenue stream. Meanwhile, the number of American Kennel Club (AKC) pedigree dog registrations will continue to drop (over 21% from 2000 to 2005 according to the AKC) as pet lovers look to rescue those in need rather than buying purebred dogs and cats.

Just the fact that someone did a separate trends list for pets makes me laugh.  But I do realize that people don't just love their pets anymore, they adore their pets.  And in this time of increasingly lonliness and isolation, pets can be wonderful companions.

Is Second Life a Fad?

Dan asked me recently if Second Life (SL), the Massively Multiplayer Online Game created by Linden Lab, is a fad. 

First, what is Second Life?  A cnet news.com article describes it as:  a virtual world that allows anyone to join and participate for free and create and own any kind of clothing, vehicle, building or other object. Linden Lab makes most of its money by charging players use fees for virtual land they buy and build on.

So, is Second Life a fad?

NO. 

A fad lives and dies quickly, and I think Second Life hasn't even begun to reach its full potential.   To call it a game is too easy - it's a community, a lifestyle, a different planet really. 

So what makes me say this?  Lots of things:

1.  Smart people think Second Life is the future: 

• Irving Wladawsky-Berger, IBM's Vice President of Technical Strategy and Innovation had this to say:

I believe that using such virtual, highly visual capabilities to help us design, simulate, optimize, operate and manage business activities of all sorts is going to be one of the most important breakthroughs in the IT industry over the next decade.

• Economist Edward Castronova, author of Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games told Business Week:

For people born after 1985, there isn't any such thing as virtual reality. There's just another way that you talk to people. This business of having characters and buying and selling stuff for gold pieces -- it's very natural.

2.  The Core Residents live and work there.    Despite much controversy over how many people reside in Second Life, there is a large group of residents that have proven their commitment to the virtual world over time.  Second Life has had some 3 million visitors who have created avatars.  Of those, maybe 200,000 - 230,000 return on an ongoing basis.  But some 42,400 people have paid for premium accounts, which allow them to buy and develop land.  (This is close to the population of my hometown, Rockville, MD)

It's these 42,400 that have committed themselves to Second Life, spending an average of 40 hours a month in SL.  A population of creators and early adopters.  Designers, architects, technical wizards - creatives that have established their own in-world brands, a virtual bill-of-rights, and who have given birth to ethnic groups like Blingtards, Elves, Furries, Geeks, Goreans, Goths, mechas and Steampunks.

This is the group that keeps SL going.  These are the people that don't like it when real world brands build in Second Life with no clue about the society.  This is the group that Rob Walker wrote about in his Consumed column in the New York Times magazine:

"...for real-world brands the critical question is how to avoid tension with the 'indigenous culture' of Second Life entrepreneurs. Just because clothing, for example, is a popular in-world spending category doesn’t mean that avatars are clamoring for real-world logos. Many virtual consumers already have favorites among the Second Life’s established clothing creators, like Fallingwater Cellardoor and Pixel Dolls. [Long-time SL resident Gareth] Lancaster compares the situation with a company doing business in China for the first time and belatedly realizing that the place is already teeming with companies that know the market inside out. The newcomers may see themselves as pros, Lancaster observes, but 'what a lot of real-life companies don’t realize is that they’re going to have to compete against a completely different marketplace, which is basically the residents of Second Life.' "

And this is the group that corporations and brands should engage and learn from before they ever step foot in SL. 

3.  Residents are beginning to earn real money in SL.  Residents sell clothes, skateboards, body parts, buildings, landscaping and animals. It's capitalism working the old magic in a new frontier.  And the lure of money and jobs is a strong one.  And Second Life recently produced its first millionaire landlord. 

I believe that Second Life is not a fad, and will continue to operate and grow and molt and change and become as real a virtual society as there is.  I do think though that so far, besides some interesting avatars, the other worldly nature of Second Life has not been tapped at all - and I'm interested in seeing what the residents continue to do there. 

Shopping Trends 2006

Last year, on a whim, I did a post about Shopping Trends.  It turned out to be one of the most popular posts I wrote.  So, in the spirit of getting more folks to the blog - here's this year's version.

The five trends I listed last year were:

1. Online Shopping is taking off.  If you are selling something, you better sell it online.
2. Transparency - Be Open -  List your product and prices upfront - or someone else will do it for you.
3. Consumers increasingly trust and turn to other consumers to find out the truth about products and services.
4. Shopping is an Experience, it's a Lifestyle, it's Entertainment, it's News
5. Shopping for a Better World - Go Green

I would say that these still hold true - some have moved from the trend stage to being embedded in our culture.  Though #5 has grown:

Trend #1 - Shopping for a Better World - Shopping as Societal Force. 

Now this has been around forever (think Newman's Own) - but this year it took on new dimensions.  Consider:

• Red - A company founded this year by Bono and Bobby Shriver.  Red's Manifesto states:  "As first world consumers, we have tremendous power.  What we collectively choose to buy, or not to buy, can change the course of history and life on this planet."    A percentage of the profits from each (RED) product sold is given to The Global Fund.  Apple, Gap, American Express, MySpace, and YouTube have attached themselves to the Red cause.  On World AIDS Day, Google ran a red ribbon that clicked through to the RED homepage.  The retailers have committed to sell Red products for the next five years.
• More Non-profits are raising awareness and funds at the same time by opening stores.  Dan Pink wrote earlier this year in The Trend Desk column he writes for Yahoo!--

Strolling one afternoon in Manhattan last month, I peered through a storefront window near Rockefeller Center and saw a real live fire truck parked inside. Since I was with my three-year-old son, I had no choice but to take a look.

I'm glad I did. We had entered The Fire Zone, a hands-on learning center operated by the nonprofit FDNY Fire Safety Education Fund. Visitors can explore that fire truck, look at fire-fighting equipment, chat with a firefighter, and participate in fire-safety simulations.

Admission is free. But toward the back, to help raise money for the foundation that operates the facility, is a small store that sells all manner of firefighter paraphernalia. Stopping by gave me a new appreciation for what firefighters do -- and, yep, I decided to support the cause by buying a toy fire truck (for my son).

Then a week or so later, here in Washington, D.C., (which doubles as both Trend Desk world headquarters and the U.S. capital), I noticed a store run by the Human Rights Campaign, a group that advocates equal rights for gay, lesbian, and transgender Americans. Inside you can find more information about the organization's advocacy efforts and purchase HRC T-shirts, caps, and watches.

This is more than Kenneth Cole ads that tout a good cause. 503(c)3-tail makes retail -- the experience of shopping and the merchandise itself -- a fundamental part of nonprofits' efforts to raise funds and take their message to the people. Expect to see more of it.

Trend #2 - Men come into their own as Shoppers

The post-Thanksgiving shopping weekend (called Black Friday weekend)...Though more women went shopping than men (47.9% vs. 37.4%), men undoubtedly outspent their counterparts. According to the survey, men who hit the stores this weekend outspent women by 38.1 percent, with men spending $420.37 on average and women spending $304.30. Over the weekend, more than one-third (39.5%) of men bought consumer electronics or computer-related accessories compared to one-fourth (27.5%) of women. Half of the men surveyed (49.2%) purchased books, CDs, DVDs, videos or video games compared to only 34.1 of women who purchased the same products.

• Men are spending about 10 percent more for apparel than they were two years ago, according to data from NPD Group Inc., a consumer and retail information company.  (Source: Contra Costa Times, 10/12/06)
• Thanks to the two-career household and fathers' increasing interest in raising their kids, men are putting in their two cents when it comes to buying for them. The makers of the high-concept Bugaboo stroller deliberately went after dads, designing a black-and-chrome contraption with a set of tires that wouldn't be out of place on a dirt bike. No kids or tear-jerking moments in Bugaboo International's ads. They focus on engineering and design. (Source: BusinessWeek, 9/4/06)
• “The surge in men’s apparel sales came from some of the most unexpected places, such as young men buying a suit. Teens and young adult men have finally ‘discovered the suit.’ When exploring that further, NPD found that young men never owned a suit, never wore a suit and never saw their father in a suit - yet, they have migrated towards dressing up to be ‘cool.’ We are seeing a shift in the younger generation reaching their image through grooming and dressing up,” said [NPD chief industry analyst, Marshal] Cohen.
• A study commissioned by GQ found that Generation X men are more likely than Baby Boomers to pay a premium for:

Jeans                                     89% more
Fragrance and Grooming   70% more