Inside Conversation Stancombe Research

CES 2012 - a quick and dirty review

2012-01-18T17:18:00.002+11:00

Every year geeks, tech gurus and captains of gadgetery from around the world converge to attend the annual Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas, where manufacturers show-off their latest products and services in an attempt to set the standards and create buzz for the coming year.

It's always good to have a look at what made noise at the show to get a little insight into what's coming this year.

I'm a researcher not a tech expert, so if you want a detailed run down of show please visit www.pcmag.com/ces or http://ces.cnet.com/ - however if you are happy with a quick and dirty review, please read on.

Smart TV's look like they will soon become the norm: are much like smart phones are today, smart TV's can connect to the net and do pretty much everything in a TV centric way, e.g. download Apps. Google TV is getting some traction, but manufacturers are still yet to find a common platform. Watch out for an Apple Smart TV announcement later in the year.

Implication: Once Smart TV's become mainstream, it's either going to get easier or harder to reach your target audience depending on your current digital marketing capabilities

Tablets are getting really really cheap: it won't be uncommon to be able to pick up a quality tablet for less than $300 in 2012

Implication: Once tablets get really cheap, there are going to be millions of these devices sitting on coffee tables, kitchens and probably bathrooms meaning customer facing content (e.g. apps, websites, multi-media, email etc) will need to be tablet, smartphone and PC friendly

Ultrabooks to become the standard (and cheaper): these new generation laptops are essentially thinner, lighter, bigger and more powerful than the average laptop, i.e. similar size and weight of a tablet with the power of a PC

Implication: Cheaper quality tools for the new mobile generation workforce (and less shoulder strain)

Mobile payments to boom: Paypal recorded 4 billion dollars worth of mobile payments in 2011, compare that to only 750 million in 2010

Implication: With more and more consumers willing to make paymetns on their mobile, expect more mobile marketing and sales initiatives (i.e. apps) being developed by either new startups or retailers themselves

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

2011-12-22T14:02:00.001+11:00

The team at Stancombe wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We'll see you back here in 2012!!

Making Social Media Work - Joining Up The Dots

2011-12-13T15:49:00.000+11:00

Social media exists in the digital ether of the internet and while it is multi faceted it just sits in front of the end user on a computer screen.

Because social media sits on a computer screen it is two-dimensional and it’s life and personality is totally limited by the medium. Social media really comes to life when people step out from behind the monitors and begin to interact with objects and real people.

This interaction was demonstrated to me the other day when for the very first time a group of people who have joined a special interest group met for the very first time. The special interest group was rock climbing and the members of this SIG proposed a meet up at a local indoor climbing wall. A good time was had by all and suddenly the social medium environment became much more robust and meaningful.

It was at this point in time that a light bulb went on in my head and I realised why 7 Eleven have invested so heavily in their facebook page. We have talked about 7 Eleven before here and if we return to their social media page HERE we can see that they are really investing hard in this medium.

7 Eleven are using facebook to resolve customer service issues and also to promote products and specials. A problem resolved creates a happy customer.

But more importantly, look at those snakes. I really fancy one.

There is a 7 Eleven just up the road from my office; I’m nipping out to make this social media come alive right now.

I might even participate in the cult of Slurpee too!

Advertising - A Lifetime Return On Investment

2011-11-29T11:11:00.001+11:00

Here I am, a late life stage individual in my fifties. I am someone who has been exposed to advertising all my adult life. I have a family and a reasonable job, consequently, I imagine that I have pretty high appeal to advertisers

The other day I was taken to wondering how much advertising I have been subjected to over the years and perhaps more importantly, I was wondering what the value of the total Australian domestic advertising spend directed at me is worth?

The Neo Global 2011 Advertising Forecast report suggests that every person in Australia is annually worth about $600 in advertising spend. So, if I had spent all of my adult life in Australia (only the last 23 years actually) the total index linked spend on just me during my adult life would have been about $A23,400 dollars.

Now my understanding of advertising is that brand loyalty is the holy grail of advertisers. The trial of new and existing products is obviously the first step towards loyalty but after trial we have to repurchase products and services. Eventually and gradually we become loyal consumers.

So the other day I tried to count up the number of products and brands that I am actually loyal to, meaning the brands that I stick with and am like to stay with both now and into the future.

Here is the surprisingly short list of brands that I am currently loyal to:

1. Guinness beer

2. Haviana thongs

3. Levi 501 jeans

4. Fruit of the Loom T shirts

5. Toyota cars

6. Diet Coke

7. Apple computers

8. Apple phones

9. The Google search engine

10. The Google Chrome web browser

11. Google Gmail email software

12. Xerox printers

If we dissect the list above we can see that all of the Google products are less than 10 years old, the iPhone is less than 5 years old and my loyalty to all of the technology products are conditional on them being the very best performers at the present time. You can be sure that if anything better comes along in the technology field (just like iPhones being much better than Nokias) I will drop the product that I currently own when upgrade time comes around and get the better product.

So six out of the twelve products listed above are recently developed, have not been subjected to the lifelong advertising spend that other products have and only have performance based loyalty. In fact, only the products listed from 1 to 6 have any form of real loyalty from me!

Now let's consider some of the other products that I regularly use:

1. The NAB

2. Qantas

3. The Qantas Frequent Flyer scheme

4. Audi cars

5. Optus mobile service

6. American Express credit cards

These are products that have been in my life for a long time, the credit cards and bank arrangements are due to the Qantas Frequent Flyer scheme linked rewards and let me tell you right now, if a better rewards scheme came along I wouldn't hesitate to switch away to a competing product

In short, this is a pretty sad list. Of the 17 products that have an identifiable place in my day to day life only six have any real embedded loyalty.

In my book that's a pretty poor return on a $23,000 life long investment in advertising dollars!

How many products are you loyal to?

We love reading blogs

2011-11-25T16:42:00.001+11:00

It's great finding the time to read some of our favourite blogs.

We are loving this post by Influx Insights - read here

It demonstrates two things we are noticing here at the agency

1. Technology is enabling us to interact with brands on whole new levels

2. It's great when companies let the 'crowd' run wild with their IP.

Samsung takes a dig at Apple hipsters

2011-11-25T14:31:00.001+11:00

It wasn't long ago Apple used their coolness to promote their brand

David Jones needs to get their 'premium' back

2011-11-24T13:05:00.001+11:00

Things are not looking good at David Jones - First quarter sales down 11.2% (read more here)

Anecdotally here at the agency, we don't think it's just the economy to blame, the problem is David Jones has become a middle of the road brand and it's the middle of the road brands that are hurting right now.

We think David Jones is a wonderful brand and just needs its 'premium' back. Staff are no where to be seen and when you do find someone they don't seem to really know a lot.

Below might be one step in the right direction - thanks to the Lane Crawford department store chain in Hong Kong

Appifying your brand

2011-11-03T11:52:00.001+11:00

“Research just out by Netherlands research company Distimo shows Ninety-one percent of the top brands (as defined by the Interbrand 2011 best global brands report) now have a presence in major app stores like BlackBerry App World, Google Android Market and of course the Apple App Store for iPhone or iPad.” Read more here

But it’s not just big businesses “appifying’ their brands. I've also noticed a lot daytime TV talk shows like Ellen and Dr Phil spruiking their apps along with the accompanying infomercials and daytime TV spots.

Pocket Phil anyone?

QR codes are also interesting - I remember seeing this extreme use of QR codes, see below

Overall, marketers are obviously working hard to drive brand engagement through smart phones.

Have you ‘appified’ your brand yet? If so, we would love to hear from you!

Darwin named among the world's best cities to visit in 2012 in Lonely Planet list

2011-11-01T14:01:00.001+11:00

As we said in our previous post – it’s all happening in Darwin!

Read more here

Doing research in Darwin

2011-10-28T12:10:00.001+11:00

I am always the first to put up my hand to fly into the Northern Territory to immerse with the locals. What amazing people and an incredible place!

The people are gems with many a rough diamond still to be found amongst them. Like many tropical townships (well, it feels like a town even thought it is a city), there is a small sub-set of established wealthy business owners and professionals. They are largely employed in agri-business, mining, transport, tourism and public service. I have observed that there is an emerging group of more polished sparklers – the younger aspirational set. I have vivid memories of a young male professional attending a group discussion resplendent in business shirt, tie and cufflinks. It was close to 40 degrees that day. His message was clear – “I am on the up”.

Darwin appears to have its fair share of S.K.I. (Spend the Kids Inheritance) travelers passing through. However, it is young. In 2009, the 25 to 29 year age group accounted for the largest proportion of the population of any age group, both for males and females (4.7% and 4.4% respectively). Some of these young people are neo-hippies (alternative lifestylers) and a burgeoning backpacking market who land in Darwin fresh from their Indonesian travels. Yet, many are Indigenous Territorians. I personally, find the people interesting and refreshing. What an assortment!

From a research point of view, the multi-cultural population mix demands cultural awareness and sensitivity. Understanding the context is also important when researching in Darwin. As people are so connected to the land and waters beyond the outskirts, some experience of life in the outback and along the coastline and inland waterways assists with a greater understanding of context.

If you would like to get a flavour of what some the people from Darwin are like, check out the Q&A episode held in Darwin a few weeks ago …

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s3336326.htm

'The Future Workplace' study by Stancombe and Optus

2011-10-17T14:00:00.002+11:00

Mid this year we conducted an innovative study with Optus to understand what the 'Future Workplace' might look like in Australia. To glean the insights, we spoke to both HR and IT professionals - which gave us two unique perspectives of how businesses are adapting and planning to adapt to a more mobile, flexible and collaborative workplace. Click here for the full press release.

Key findings were:

More people woking from home and homeing at work
Smartphones set to permeate the workplace
Tablet growth to rocket
Mobile device management to be deployed
More BYO personal devices permitted to access corporate networks
More mobile applications being deployed amongst enterprise (2000+ employee) companies
Use of internal collaboration tools to become more widespread
Greater social media access
Cloud computing to increase in importance

Darren Stein - TED presentation on insights generation

2011-10-14T14:37:00.001+11:00

Darren Stein (Market Insight and Business Intelligence Director, News Limited), one of our smartest and longest standing client partners, recently delivered an entertaining and thought provoking TED presentation on the power of time and insights generation. He asks, how much better could we be if we gave ourselves that little bit more time to think?

New perspectives

2011-10-13T10:35:00.000+11:00

Continuous improvement and learning is key to delivering great value and excellent service to client. Thankfully, it also keeps us ‘switched on’ and stimulated. This is pretty important if you are in the business of discovery, insight generation and strategy.

By now, we are all familiar with the advancements in neuro-psychology and how the developments in neuroscience technology are helping us understand the workings of the brain. There has been talk about the opportunity to build greater understanding of the pathology of mental illness and developmental barriers to full brain function. All great news. But, still a bit of a way off. Technology needs to develop further before we can make serious traction in this area. So, in the meantime, psychologists, psychotherapists and life coaches work with what they can.

Recently, I was introduced to a site (http://www.supercoachacademy.com/taste/recordings/) that provides access to ‘radio shows’. I had a few minutes to spare between appointments so listened to a radio program hosted by a chap named Michael Neill. He introduced me to a new way of framing thinking. He posed three questions:

What does thriving mean to you?
On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you think you're thriving in your life right now? And, finally
Why isn't this number lower?

Well, I thought question three was a trick question. However, it isn't. I urge you to give it a go. Ask yourself the same questions and discover a whole new perspective.

It is a bit like great research. New ways of looking at the same old thing provide the opportunity for a new level of understanding.

So, here’s to fresh perspective and new discoveries

Stancombe Researcher Awarded Scholarship

2011-10-06T13:48:00.001+11:00

Lucy Holt, Qualitative Insights and Strategy Manager at StancombeResearch & Planning, has been awarded a scholarship from University ofTechnology Sydney (UTS) to undertake further study in the Master’s program incognition and communication at the University of Copenhagen.

While in Copenhagen Lucy will attempt to answer thequestions: How can we better understand cognitive processes associated with thewidespread media consumption of individuals in contemporary society and, whatimplications does this have for our clients?

Stay tuned for the answers when Lucy returns to the agencywith her new found understanding of cognition and communication…

Soups From Stancombe Research & Planning

2011-10-06T13:48:00.000+11:00

Here are some of the recipes that we enjoyed at the Stancombe Research & Planning soup kitchen last year. It's just a short sample but they are all tried and tested at 18 Glenmore Road!

Pea, Pancetta & Mascarpone

Ingredients

Two large brown onions,diced

4 cloves of garlic,minced

1 pkt of pancetta, diced

4 litres of chicken stock

1 kilo bag of frozenpeas, thawed

1 tub of mascarpone

Method

Fry onions, and pancettain a little olive oil till onion is soft and pancetta is a little browned, addgarlic for a couple of minutes (don’t burn). Add stock and peas and simmer for20 mins. Blend in batches. Return to pan and stir through mascarpone and seasonwell with salt and pepper.

Serve with crusty bread.

Italian Sausage & Chickpea Soup

Ingredients for 4 people

Chickpeas, 1 can

Italian Sausage, 200g

Celery, 2 sticks

Carrot, 1

Onion, 1

Rosemary, 1

Sage, 1 leaf

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 5spoons

Peeled tomatoes, 4 (or acan)

Potatoes, 1

Bay, 1 leaf

White Wine, 2 spoons

Pecorino Cheese, 2 spoons

Salt & Pepper

Preparation

Finelychop together the celery, carrot, onion, rosemary and sage. Pan-fry the abovewith 4 spoons of extra virgin oil. Add the tomatoes and the diced tomato.

Drainthe chickpeas and add them to the soup. Addsalt, pepper and cover the vegetables with hot water. Cook for 30 minutes.

Cut the sausage intosmall pieces and pan fry it with a spoon of extra virgin oil with the remainingrosemary and the bay leaf. Add the wine and let it evaporate in a strong flame.Add the sausage to the soup and let it cookfor 5 minutes.

Cover the top with thecheese and a handful of pepper.

Mushroom Soup

Ingredients to serve about10

One brown onion

About four large shallots

Four cloves of garlic

A fair chunk of unsaltedbutter

A punnet of shitakemushrooms

About six large Swissbrown mushrooms

A punnet of whitemushrooms

A litre and a half ofchicken broth or stock

Salt

A few sprigs of thyme

A dollop of sour cream

A good drizzle of whitetruffle oil

Method

Slice onions, shallots andgarlic finely

Fry them in the butter (inthe pot you intend to use) until soft

Roughly slice all themushrooms

Add them to the pot to fryon quite a high heat so they sweat

Turn the temp down and addthe chicken stock

Add a couple of teaspoonsof salt (to taste)

Pull the leaves off thesprigs of thyme and throw them in

Let it all simmer for abit (20 minutes should do) then leave it to cool

Call Bryant in a panic andget him to bring his food processor in

Blend the soup in batches until it's super smooth

Add the sour cream (youdon't need much) and mix in (actually I think I watered it down with milk firstin case it didn't mix well)

Reheat gently, don't letit boil

Add the truffle oil, mix well and serve

Is Twitter friend or foe?

2011-09-26T14:44:00.003+10:00

An interesting SMH article today talks about a company (Julpan) just bought by Twitter for an undisclosed (probably astronomical) amount of money.

The company’s key piece of IP “is an algorithm which analyses all manner of activity on the social web - from Tweets to status updates - to provide a real-time snapshot of what the world is thinking and doing this very moment. The formula also takes a user's own social web activity into account to better interpret the context of a search to retrieve more relevant information.”

Here is the interesting question: Are these new tech companies / search algorithms stepping on our turf or do they represent a big opportunity?

You could say these new companies and advancements are threatening our fundamental core market research skills, such as our ability to collect data and inform clients about what their customers/potential customers are thinking. As more and more consumer information flows into the social media ecosystem via Twitter, facebook, Google+ etc, companies will start tapping into the topics, moods and needs of the market via these new tools.

While this might be a scary thought for some researchers, others could view these companies and advancements as opportunities to enhance what we already do - add value to corporate and marketing data

Social Networking, Social Marketing, Socialising, The 200lb Gorilla and The Google Bomb

2011-09-26T13:11:00.014+10:00

facebook presently boast 750 million users and has had a major impact on the way that individuals and marketing professionals have used the internet.

There have been some casualties along the way, teenage house parties getting out of hand and naive individuals accidentally compromising careers by inept commentary, but 750 million people does mean that it is a force to be reckoned with.

Socialising and business has evolved since facebook arrived on the scene. Individuals, clubs and social groups have rapidly adopted facebook as a means of communication. facebook has responded with features to meet these needs, chat and calendars are an obvious example of features designed to meet the needs of social groups and clubs.

facebook has become so useful that a significant number of clubs and groups have reported that they have migrated most of their communications onto facebook, replacing traditional newsletters with web based updates and in some cases, moving totally completely away from their ‘traditional’ websites to facebook.

facebook has had a huge impact on the social lives of individuals and social groups but many businesses is still grappling with how to obtain a reasonable ROI from it. Businesses have found facebook more difficult to utilise, many businesses have only taken up facebook pages as internet placeholders rather that active utilisation of the medium.

However, some business are obtaining value from social media. We notice for example that 7 – Eleven were recently conducting a straw poll on a new dark chocolate Cherry Ripe product on it’s facebook site the other day while offering the product as a two for one promotion in it’s retail outlets. An interesting use of social media to report on product testing.

facebook advertising does seem to work in directing consumers to other areas of facebook although extracting users from facebook and directing them to other parts of the internet is still a much greater challenge.

facebook is clearly the 200lb internet gorilla and now the Google Bomb in the form of Google+ has finally opened up it’s doors

Google+ has been beta testing for over 3 months and currently boasts 25 million users. It is estimated that there are around 200 million Gmail accounts worldwide – all of which are eligible for Google+ accounts. In addition there is also a massive installed base of Blogger, YouTube and Picasa account holders.

Let us also not forget that Google offers a whole bunch of cloud based business software tools that are positioned to compete and possibly replace the Microsoft Office suite of products and the Android mobile phone (and tablet) operating system.

So Google is here, banging on the facebook door. Clearly the opportunity for Google is to create a killer location for people to meet, greet and exchange useful digital ‘stuff’.

The big question that is being asked right now is ‘has Google got it right?’ or will Google+ go the way of Google Buzz, a dud sharing application that I deleted from my Gmail suite of accounts just the other day or Google Wave, another group sharing application that never really had the useability required to give it the required momentum.

Useability is what it is all about because the value of facebook is to perform in a manner that is more effective than communicating by email or text. I have been trying Google+ for a few days now and guess what – I can’t make it do what I want it to.

I can’t find other people outside of my immediate social circle with similar interests. I can’t create a tangible open group of people with those interests in order to communicate with them and to date, there is no event calendar.

Either I am missing something really significant or Google+ needs a number of significant feature upgrades to avoid it becoming just another Google bomb!

Everything the same, but nicer

2011-09-21T15:12:00.001+10:00

According to Bain, one of the big 'Trillion Dollar Growth Trends to 2020' is 'Everything the same, but nicer'

The 2009 model Porsche 911

The 'new' 2011 model Porsche 911

They predict a lot of GDP growth in advanced economies "will come from a broad range of incremental improvements to existing offerings" - which they coin as 'Soft Innovations'

Characteristics of 'Soft Innovations' are:

Usually generated from market or consumer insight
Increase consumption of nonphysical (intangible) value
Create incremental value rather than steal market share from competitors
Entice customers to trade up
Bundle rising quality with rising prices (i.e. implicitly forcing consumption of quality)
Meets niche and unmet needs

They use coffee as example of how a 'low-tech' product can be improved (i.e. made nicer) to create more economic value.

It's an interesting trend - suggesting that companies might be better off looking for small incremental improvements through market / customer research, rather than trying to find the next big thing through research and development.

The positives and negatives of using social media data

2011-09-16T14:41:00.001+10:00

After attending the social media stream at the AMSRS conference this year, I walked away thinking more about how social media data could be used to help clients.

One thing is clear, there are currently differences in opinions - some are excited while others are skeptical. Here are some of the positives and negatives that came out:

To summarise:

It's cheap to gather social media data (you don't need to pay people to talk and they are easy to find), but you do need complex models, algorithms, linguistic inquiry software, or lots of time and people to code it manually to make sense of the data you are collecting
Data comes in at real time whenever you want it, but just like people - the moods and opinions of the social media ecosystem can change extremely quickly
Social media data isn't tainted by research instruments, but those actively using social media tools like twitter are far from representative of the general population

So overall, it's still early days for social media data. However, keep an eye on this space as collection methods and analysis tools improve.

What is the new normal? A Stancombe Series Study

2011-09-15T10:09:00.003+10:00

With low unemployment, a mining boom in full swing and interest rates remaining relatively steady (and historically low), why can’t Australian consumers seem to get out of the doldrums post GFC? On the surface it doesn’t make sense: the good news story about our economy (relative to places like US and Greece) isn’t able to lift our confidence about spending money. What’s going on?

Stancombe is about to embark on an exciting project to discover:

The Changing Nature of Spending / Saving, Shopping and Consumption
Where things are heading?
What are the key themes shaping the consumer context?

Stay tuned for what is sure to be a highly insightful and interesting understanding of the new normal

First In Australia: Stancombe Surveys Using Smartphone App

2011-08-18T14:19:00.000+10:00

Stancombe Research & Planning is excited about being first to market with a suvey administered via smartphone

With the growning penetration of smartphones (50%+ and growing), Stancombe has been super keen to get our hands on technology that allows us to administer surveys through this increasingly relevant and accessible medium.

We will have the results from our first study shortly and look forward to sharing the results!

In the meantime, if you would like us to roll out a study on your behalf that captures consumer responses in-situ and in real-time, do give Clare Archer, Account Director - Quantitative Research & Starategy a call on (02) 9331 1044 or contact Clare via clarearcher@stancombe.com.au

Ken Block & DC Shoes - Product placement masters

2011-08-17T12:34:00.001+10:00

Count how many brands and products are in the latest high production viral video, Gymkhana 4 produced by Ken Block & DC Shoes.

I counted:

Universal Studios
Ford Fiesta
Monster Energy Drink
WRC
Pirelli
DC Shoes
Dirt 3
Cosworth

There is probably more... but what's really interesting is how they used Epic Meal Time (the latest YouTube stars) to promote their video.

The entire production is like an ode to YouTubers (given pretty much no one else would know who Epic Meal Time is) and built specifically for the social media ecosystem.

Given the previous edition, Gymkhana 3 netted 35 million views ... this latest edition is bound to 'blow up' (YouTube language for going viral and getting lots of views)

Download Search engine market power poses risk to online competition

2011-08-16T12:16:00.000+10:00

Two thirds of Australians are in favour of the government taking action to ensure competition on the internet, new research by The Australia Institute reveals today.

Despite this, and the boom in online retail being fuelled by consumers' desire for choice, a surprising number of people are less concerned about a lack of diversity online than in traditional marketplaces.

The Institute's Executive Director and report co-author Dr Richard Denniss said there is a real risk of online retail becoming dominated by a few big-name brands and retailers, mirroring the existing Coles versus Woolworths duopoly.
What you don't know can hurt you: How market concentration threatens internet diversity, reveals that Australians are unaware of and often unconcerned by rising concentration in the online marketplace. The report highlights the way in which search engines can amplify the market concentration that big retailers already enjoy. Around half of online shoppers (46 per cent) admit that the order in which search results appear always or sometimes influences their purchasing decisions.

Just 15 per cent of survey respondents indicated that in their most recent web search they went past the first page of search results.

The research identifies a widespread lack of awareness among Australians about certain basic aspects of the way search engines work, with misconceptions particularly noticeable in relation to the way search engines treat their own affiliated services and paid advertising.
More than a third of internet users (37 per cent) were unaware that search engines display paid advertising.

"Unless regulators pay more attention to the need for online diversity, and there is greater understanding of how search engines function, online retail could come to resemble today's shopping centres, in which the appearance of choice exists but actual choices are limited to a small number of players," said Dr Denniss.

"Search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and Bing have become an essential service much like electricity, telephony and banking. However, key aspects of how they operate, such as how their search algorithms actually work and the nature of their commercial arrangements with advertisers, are currently shielded from public scrutiny.

"Just as Australians have expressed concern about a lack of competition in banking, mining and retail, they should also be concerned about the potential for such market power to emerge in the online economy.

"Put simply, the more diverse and competitive the online economy is the greater the cost savings to consumers will be," concluded Dr Denniss.

New tablet strategies

2011-08-05T11:09:00.001+10:00

Check out this nifty little viral campaign from Cosmo for Guys

Apparently it's the first iPad only magazine from the Hearst media conglomerate, who is behind Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, ELLE and O

What's interesting is the idea that most guys wouldn't be caught dead buying 'Cosmo for Guys' at the news stand, but would be more than happy to download the app and view it in privacy to get the jump on what's happening inside girls heads, read more here

But this is only start of a growing list of iPad specific media strategies: For example:

Using Google AdWords to only advertise to iPad users (i.e. a target rich environment of affluent Gen X and Babyboomers)
Sponsoring an app, e.g. Telstra sponsor The Age iPad app
Create content that fits within a relaxed in-home TV watching context, given this is when and where iPads are being predominately used
Tailor email communications and websites to be viewed on iPads, especially now people are starting to use them as there main internet device

Read more here

Retail takes a dive in NSW

2011-08-04T15:46:00.002+10:00

NSW has fallen victim to the two-speed economy, suffering a collapse in retail sales in a year in which the rest of Australia inched ahead.

Retail figures published yesterday show Australian sales rose a meagre 2.6 per cent during 2010-11 - the worst result for half a century, since the 1961-62 recession.

When adjusted for inflation, national sales barely grew, rising 0.6 per cent, much less than the rate of population growth.

But in NSW spending sank. Unpublished Bureau of Statistics figures made available to the Herald show the volume of food bought in NSW over the year fell about 1 per cent, the volume of clothes and shoes fell 6 per cent and the use of cafes and restaurants fell 8 per cent.

Only in one of the six categories identified by the bureau did the volume of goods bought rise - a miscellaneous category known as "other retailing".

Yet in Victoria the volume of goods bought climbed in four of the six categories.

"The two-speed economy is reasserting itself," said an ANZ economist, Katie Dean. "With the possible exception of Victoria, it's the mining states versus the rest."

So bad were the national figures that the futures market began aggressively pricing in an interest rate cut one day after the Reserve Bank said it was considering pushing rates up.

By late yesterday the market had priced in a 62 per cent chance of a rate cut at the bank's September 6 board meeting, up from a 28 per cent chance a day earlier.

The odds of two cuts by December rose to 100 per cent, compared with 5 per cent the day before.

Westpac's chief economist, Bill Evans, who publicly predicted rate cuts a month ago, took no joy from finding the market had caught up with him.

‘‘I don’t treat it as being particularly encouraging that our view is being justified; it can disappear tomorrow,” he said.

The Treasurer, Wayne Swan, blamed overseas developments, saying that “one of the reasons consumers are cautious is we are still living with the aftershocks, if you like, of the global financial crisis”.

The sharemarket fell to its lowest point in almost a year. The S&P/ASX200 index fell 100.8 points or 2.27 per cent to 4332.8. This followed the Dow Jones index dropping 2.2 per cent on news that personal spending in the US had fallen for the first time since its recession. The Australian dollar fell US1.5¢.

The Productivity Commission is today expected to recommend a broad range of long-term measures to try to reinvigorate the retail sector.

The Assistant Treasurer, Bill Shorten, asked the commission to inquire into the future of Australian retail in December. The inquiry was prompted by complaints by large retailers that goods bought over the internet from overseas and worth less than $1000 were GST-free.

The retailers wanted the GST threshhold lowered but the government refused, saying it had no intention of increasing prices for shoppers.

The opposition was also unsympathetic.

Lowering the threshold to apply the GST would not be enough to level the playing field between retail and online sales.

It is understood that the Productivity Commission also endorses the view that if the threshold were lowered, the cost of customs officers opening thousands of packages sent from overseas would outweigh any revenue benefit from collecting extra GST.

The commission’s final report is due in November.

Read more here

What now?

2011-08-04T15:38:00.001+10:00

If 2008 was the Global Financial Crisis, 2011 is the period of Desperate Deleveraging?

Retailers to blame for own woes: Productivity Commission

2011-08-04T15:36:00.000+10:00

Chris Zappone

Sydney Morning Herald

August 4, 2011 - 1:47PM

Retailers get little satisfaction from a Productivity Commission report into their industry.

A productivity commission report dismissed claims that GST-free online shopping is harming the local retail sector and instead blamed the sector's woes on high labour and real estate costs, and low productivity.

“Government's role is not to shield the industry from competition but to remove constraints which restrict the industry in responding to this heightened level of competition,” said Philip Weickhardt, presiding commissioner in a statement.

“The current exemption from GST and duty for imports valued below $1000 is judged by the Commission to be only a minor contributing factor to online offshore purchases by consumers,” the report said.

The draft report into the state of Australian retailing suggests that states and local governments reform planning and zoning regulation and retail trading hours restrictions as a way to foster growth.

“The Australian Government also needs to review any constraints imposed by workplace relations regulations which may impede retailers in improving their productivity and lifting customer service levels,” the report said.

Mr Weickhardt said that “intensified retail competition is a boon for consumers, but it is challenging for a retail industry which, overall, has lower levels of productivity when compared internationally and, in many cases, faces higher costs.”

The inquiry into the retail sector, announced at the end of last year, came after major retailers such as Harvey Norman and Myer lambasted the government for allowing consumers to purchase goods online from overseas for up to $1000 without incurring the 10 per cent GST fee.

Their complaints provoked a backlash by consumers who criticised local retailers for their own troubles, arguing that poor service, high prices relative to those overseas, and the lack of choice in many categories of goods were to blame.

The traditional "bricks and mortar" retail sector has slumped in recent months, as consumers, armed with a strong dollar, diverted their spending to internet purchases, many from businesses overseas.

Official retail sales – the Australian Bureau of Statistics does not count sales by online only business - posted a surprise 0.1 per cent fall in June, taking the annual increase to the lowest in half a century at a reported 2.6 per cent pace.

The higher cost of living and falling home prices have also hastened the change in consumer behaviour, analysts say.

The sector collectively employees about 1.2 million people in businesses that generate revenues of about $240 billion a year, according to the Australian Retailers Association.

Exemption cut option

The Productivity Commission’s draft report did not rule out a reduction in the $1000 tax-free threshold for import exemptions if the process became more efficient.

“For reasons of tax neutrality, the level of the low-value threshold should be reduced, but only once this can be done cost-effectively,” said Mr Weickhardt.

The report also announced plans to form the taskforce to “investigate lower cost approaches to processing in both the mail and courier systems, with a reporting deadline in 2012.” Local retailers face higher shipping costs compared with international competitors, particularly from the UK, where many shops offer free shipping to Australia.

The current tax and duties collection process are “not efficient” the commission said, with a very low threshold of $20 pushing the cost of collection above the tax revenue by more than a ratio of three to one.

“Such a cost impost on both importing businesses and consumers is unacceptable even without considering additional costs such as delays,” the report said

The report recommended the ABS should track both domestic and overseas online spending by Australians with surveys that distinguish between types of businesses doing the selling.

Retailers respond

The Australian National Retailers Association, welcomed the in-principle support for lowering the GST threshold and the reform on trading hours.

“ANRA is disappointed there are no specific recommendations on customs duties and removing parallel importing restrictions, which would be straight forward changes that would have an immediate impact on the retail sector – particularly for book and entertainment retailers,’’ said chief executive Margy Osmond.

Russell Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Australian Retailers Association said: “There is no doubt retailers need to respond to current consumer demand by including online eCommerce offerings in their business mix.’’

eBay Australia vice president Deborah Sharkey said, "Today’s guidance from the Productivity Commission outlines a clear message for Australian retailers; they must embrace online in order to remain competitive and relevant to consumers."

Since first lamenting the GST disadvantage, both Harvey Norman and Myer have launched low-cost online shopping sites since their initial complaints. However, their offerings lag so-called pureplay outfits such as DealsDirect.com.au and CatchofTheDay.com.au.

James Packer’s Ellerston Capital took a share of Deals Direct, while Catch of the Day landed private equity backing in June.

Public hearings are scheduled for next month with a final report to government due in November.

czappone@fairfax.com.au

iPhone apps enhance presence and experience

2011-08-04T09:22:00.000+10:00

3rd August 2011 in Lifestyle & Leisure.

Luna Park in Sydney has introduced a system to make it easier for visitors to share their real-world experiences online. The theme park recently launched “My Experience”, a multichannel technology solution that integrates SMS, email, web and Facebook, and allows visitors to instantly share and enhance their park experience with friends online.

Users buy an Unlimited Rides Pass and register their wristband online using their smartphone. Guests in groups can link their wristbands together in the registration process and compete for ‘Extreme-O-Meter’ rating, which is awarded based on how many rides they go on and post to their Facebook news feed. Live ride photography on the Tango Train can be uploaded to Facebook in real time for friends to “like” and comment on, and the “Status Launcher” means guests can update their Facebook status simply by swiping their wristband as they exit the Ranger Ride and choose from a list of statements on-screen. Theme park offers are sent via SMS throughout the day, and at the end of the visit a summary of the guest’s experience — including photos, status updates and Extreme-O-Meter rating — is both emailed and posted to their Facebook news feed.

Enabling visitors to share photos and comments quickly and easily not only enhances the customer experience but also ensures Luna Park enjoys increased online presence and promotes the Parks usp. How could you best help your customers capture and share their experience of your product?

Website: www.lunaparksydney.com/myexperience
Contact: www.lunaparksydney.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47

Daily deals offered only during businesses’ slow times

2011-08-04T09:17:00.000+10:00

3rd August 2011 in Retail.

Daily deals sites are all well and good for sending a company extra business; the only problem is that much of that business tends to arrive when the company would have been busy anyway. Aiming to help perk up the recurring lulls in an enterprise’s normal activity, ThinkNear targets potential customers who are nearby and entices them with deals right at the times when the company needs them most.

Companies begin by telling ThinkNear about their slow periods, including the range of discounts they can offer during such times. ThinkNear then monitors the local environment for other factors that can also cause slow-downs, such as rain and snow. Either way, when such periods occur, ThinkNear determines the level of discount necessary to get people into the store and it automatically offers the corresponding coupons within popular apps on nearby consumers’ mobile devices. The result: More business, it says, than the store would otherwise enjoy. ThinkNear is free for the first three months; after that, it costs USD 99 per month. The Thinknear video on Youtube video explains the premise in more detail. Check it out...

There’s been no stopping the run of deal-a-day innovations we’ve seen in recent months, but the arrival of ThinkNear and other more narrowly focused services suggests maturity is on the horizon. How could your brand put a finer spin on the daily deals concept?

Website: www.thinknear.com
Contact: www.thinknear.com/main_pages/contact

Pigou, Consumption and the Carbon Tax

2011-08-03T13:59:00.005+10:00

The reclusive British economist Arthur Pigou developed a concept for a social tax that taxes negative externalities of market factors (i.e. external factors that negatively impact members of a society). The concept is now known as the Pigovian tax (also spelled Pigouvian)

It seems like a sensible idea as it in essence provides a disincentive to creators of harmful or 'bad' products of services to find new avenues for revenue generation.

So, how does it work? Essentially, a Pigovian tax can help remedy a negative externality, providing incentive to the creator of the negative externality (e.g. a polluting manufacturer) to change their behavior for the benefit of society. Pigou believed that taxing negative economically based behaviour would result in a reduction of that behaviour or activity and as a consequence, society would benefit. For example, if polluters are taxed, in theory they will reduce their pollution output.

So, given carbon production has a negative societal impact, why aren’t we talking about carbon tax as a social tax and a benefit rather than a cost?

Well, the answer can be found within the following: When implementing a Pigovian tax, it is difficult to avoid interfering with personal choice or setting the price just ‘right’. Anything that hurts profits (even those of declining industries) or infringes personal choice is problematic. If you need evidence of this, just have a look at the tobacco industry and its consumer base.

Live entrainment vs retail therapy

2011-08-02T15:11:00.002+10:00

While the retail sector is languishing, live entertainment is on the up. According to Live Performance Australia, Australians spent $1.3 billion on live entertainment tickets last year, up 13% despite the rising cost of tickets. Read more here

Given both live entertainment and retail both sit under the discretionary consumer spending label, why are we seemingly happy to spend $90 on a Marry Poppins ticket, but can't be tempted to walk into David Jones to buy a new pair of shoes on sale

The answer maybe there is a shift towards more social discretionary spending (i.e. purchasing experiences you enjoy with others that are bit more special than a coffee catch up or a session at the local pub) and a shift away from retail therapy (i.e. buying new things to feel happy)?

Why are we squirreling money away?

2011-07-27T16:25:00.001+10:00

Consider the following economic snapshot of Australia:

Unemployment rate around 5%
In the middle of a mining boom
Relatively stable and historically low interest rates
Positive economic growth around the 4% mark

However, it seems we'd rather save our money than spend it ...

Australia's household savings ratio is about 11.5% (up from 2.2% in 07/08)
Australian households now have about $500 billion dollars worth of deposits sitting in banks

So why doesn't our rosy economic outlook compel us to enjoy the good times? Why have we become a nation of savers squirreling money away?

The media, experts and pundits have all put forward theories:

Baby Boomer investments have not recovered since the GST and meaning they are now worried about their standard of living going into old age
Price increases across necessities such as electricity, groceries and petrol have put pressure on discretionary spending
We have a two speed economy, e.g. retail vs mining
We are shopping online more and behaviour is being reinforced by a strong Aussie $ and good experiences
Post-GFC residue
Bad economic news from Europe and USA
It's been a bad news year, e.g. floods, fires, tsunami and earthquakes
Paying down debt is considered as smart 'saving' - and saving is the new spending
Happiness studies tell us consumption isn't going to make us happier
(...and according to David Jones) The Carbon Tax

Whatever the cause it's clear we are currently in the mood for saving rather than spending.

Maybe we just need the Aussies to win the Rugby World Cup?

Cognition in Copenhagen

2011-07-19T17:42:00.006+10:00

At Stancombe Research + Planning, understanding people and how they relate to each other, brands, marketing communications and staying up to date with the latest thinking from a wide range of disciplines is what we’re all about.

We are pleased to announce that Lucy Holt of Stancombe Research + Planning has been awarded a scholarship from U.T.S to undertake further study in the Master’s program in Cognition and Communication at the University of Copenhagen.

While in Copenhagen, Lucy will attempt to answer the following question:

How can we better understand cognitive processes associated with the widespread media consumption of individuals in contemporary society and what implications does this have for our clients?

Stay tuned for the answers…

The Future of Mobile Phones

2011-07-19T14:08:00.002+10:00

Based on the number of activated SIM cards, Australian mobile penetration is about 115 per cent or 26 million services for a population of 22.6 million.

The head of mobile infrastructure for Ericsson, Ulf Ewaldsson, is in Melbourne this week (July 2011). He says global mobile penetration will reach 100 per cent by 2016, or even a year earlier. He also goes on to predict that every person in the world will have access to mobile phone service within five years and half the handsets will be Smartphones.

So, we predict that email and internet searches will migrate almost significantly to Smartphones and away from PCs. Stay tuned...

However, what's next after Smartphones? Always an interesting question

Story continues here

E-receipts

2011-07-19T13:00:00.007+10:00

Retailers are ditching itsy bitsy paper receipts in favour of email receipts.

Recent reports out of the US identified several major retailers, including Gap and Nordstrom began offering electronic receipts in the earlier part of 2011, following Apple, Anthropologie, and Urban Outfitters, which already offer the paperless proof-of-purchase, receipt alternative. The trend, according to some, signals the beginning of the end for the paper-receipt model. Thank goodness!

“In five years, up to 60% of retailers will go paperless” Colin Johnson, of Nordstrom predicted.

We at Stancombe predict it may be sooner as retailers such as Target (USA), Best Buy (USA), and Whole Foods (USA) launched trial programs in the past year with more retailers to follow. And, as the penetration of smartphones in Australia is so high (50%+ and climbing), it makes sense that Australian retailers jump on the new technology as well. Qantas is on-board with it. Apple are using it and the cinemas are in the process of making paper tickets obsolete.

The benefits to retailers are numerous: quicker checkout lines (no need to print the receipt at POS), easier receipt management (stored electronically which will be easier for all), and less impact on the environment (always a good thing!), reduced costs (once set up costs are amortised, it will be less expensive than till receipts). Importantly, the e-receipts will allow retailers to collect the email addresses of shoppers. Huge benefits will follow from email collection in the form of retailers being able to offer personalised sales incentives, up-selling opportunities, cross-selling opportunities and retention and reward programs.

So, the shopper cuts down on junk in the wallet but may find it replaced with a crammed in-box. C'est la vie.

Read more here

The GaGa model - Lessons from Mother Monster

2011-07-13T17:38:00.000+10:00

If you live in Sydney, then you probably know Lady GaGa recently graced us with her presence.

She has been on just about every news website, newspaper, TV network and even got the keys to the city - basically GaGa is BIG news

Fan or not - what's interesting about Lady GaGa is how she uses the media. Of course Lady GaGa has enough gravitas that traditional media comes for free, but it's how she utilises the digital media that's really interesting.

The latest advertisement from Chrome tells the story quite nicely:

Basically, the GaGa model about building an online fan-base and embracing them by:

Interacting with them regularly through the social media ecosystem (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google + etc)
Allowing them use your music and other IP for free
Encoring them to use your music and other IP for free
Giving them a name, i.e. little monsters

I'm sure there are many other aspects to the GaGa model I'm not aware of - if you have any thoughts, please let us know!

One final thing... check out this burning quote from an interview she did with Bernard Zuel

"People that blame things on piracy and blame things on music being stolen...it's just an excuse for not being creative enough"

Google vs Facebook

2011-06-21T09:45:00.005+10:00

Given there are 100's of millions of people who spend time on both Facebook and Google, it was inevitable these two internet giants would eventually start locking horns and fighting for the same online advertising dollars.

The fight went relatively public not long ago (May 2011) when it was discovered Facebook had secretly hired a famous PR agency to create a smear campaign around Google's privacy policies. Not a very nice thing to do.

But it's got me thinking - from a consumer perspective both appear to be two very different beasts ...

FACEBOOK (THE ECOSYSTEM)

Is akin to a living breathing ecosystem of individuals, groups, brands and companies of all sizes interacting with each other via tweets, Youtube videos, pictures, status updates, games, tagging, fan pages, competitions etc
Facebook's gravitas comes from the fact that many of your friends (and probably future friends as well) are on it and it requires relatively very little effort (and money) on your part to keep in touch with them
Facebook is sticky because you become part of the Facebook ecosystem as soon as you join (like it or not)

On the other hand ... GOOGLE (THE ORACLE)

Is akin to an Oracle given you can type a few words into a box and get an answer to almost anything you could possibly want
Google's gravitas comes from the fact it appears to know almost everything and is often good at predicting what you want to know
Google is sticky because we will never stop asking questions / needing information - thus making many of us regular users

Thinking about these two internet giants in this way has made me wonder if they are competing at all? Is it a bit like TV vs Print? Are they just two different mediums?

On the one hand you have the Facebook ecosystem that people want to be a part of - so naturally businesses should try to be part of this ecosystem in some way or another as well

But on the other hand you have Google, which is the oracle people are turning to when they want to know something - so naturally businesses should try to be in favour with the Oracle when it's handing out answers

Thinking about Facebook and Google as two different mediums, I think we are likely to see some different methods of online advertising emerge, much the same way that TV is different from print

The Healthy Mind Platter

2011-06-14T10:39:00.001+10:00

Recently, the USA Department of Agriculture (USDA) replaced its long-held food pyramid with a "choose my plate" pictorial expression of a plate of food groups to demonstrate what a daily diet ideally would consist of to assist people to reach and maintain optimal physical health. Dr Dan Segal and his mate Dan Rock got to thinking.... What would be the equivalent of a recommended daily diet for a healthy mind? They came us with the concept of The Health Mind Platter.

Segal and Rock argue that seven daily essential mental activities (not necessarily required in equal proportions) are required in order to optimise brain matter and create well-being. In their own words, they describe each as follows ...

Focus Time
When we closely focus on tasks in a goal-oriented way, we take on challenges that make deep connections in the brain.

Play Time
When we allow ourselves to be spontaneous or creative, playfully enjoying novel experiences, we help make new connections in the brain.

Connecting Time
When we connect with other people, ideally in person, and when we take time to appreciate our connection to the natural world around us, we activate and reinforce the brain's relational circuitry.

Physical Time
When we move our bodies, especially aerobically, we strengthen the brain in many ways.

Time In
When we quietly reflect internally, focusing on sensations, images, feelings and thoughts, we help to better integrate the brain.

Down Time
When we are non-focused, without any specific goal, and let our mind wander or simply relax, we help the brain recharge.

Sleep Time
When we give the brain the rest it needs, we consolidate learning and recover from the experiences of the day.

It seems for a normal healthy person, this balance is not difficult to achieve. How do you compare?

The highs and lows of ideas

2011-06-10T11:31:00.006+10:00

Source: www.brainpickings.org

Is The Cloud Dr Jeckyll or Mr Hyde?

2011-06-09T16:54:00.001+10:00

Small and medium business - Are we ready for the cloud?

This blog is currently being edited, come back after the long weekend

It will be finished then

Regards

Stancombe Research & Planning

Why newspapers are more important than ever

2011-05-31T16:13:00.007+10:00

Please watch this TED presentation... it's only 10 minutes out of your day

The concept filter bubbles scares the hell out of me for the following reasons:

Facebook, Google and other news sources filter what you see without consulting you
You can't see how different 'your news' is to other peoples news
You don't know what is being filtered out
The gatekeepers of information are now algorithms designed to get more clicks - not inform society
Peoples views are being less challenged as a result

If there was ever a reason why newspapers should not fade away into obsolescence ... then this is it. As a society we need to be challenged and informed of issues that may not directly impact or be relevant to us. I personally don't subscribe to the idea that ignorance is bliss.

The newspapers serendipitous nature, ability to challenge peoples thinking, offer different perspectives and bring attention to issues not happening in peoples back yard is something we should all remember. Especially in age when the majority of peoples response to not knowing something is "I'll just Google it"

The power of words

2011-05-24T14:31:00.001+10:00

Every time we communicate with another we have the opportunity to make it impactful. Just watch...

Is the art of letter writing dead?

2011-05-02T10:02:00.001+10:00

Once upon a time in a land of polite acceptance, a disappointed and frustrated customer would take a big breathe of indignation and write a letter of complaint to the not so subtly named 'complaints department' of a corporation. Sometimes, a response would be received. OK, that was back in the dark ages when it wasn't polite to complain and corporations didn't feel a strong need to listen to customers. How things have changed.

Yes, the art of letter writing is dead. So are customer complaints departments. Or at least, they have become increasingly redundant.

Consumers now bypass the corporation altogether and take their complaints into the public - see the Vodafail YouTube video below

It appears to be far more effective, creative and engaging than the staid old letter ...the collective can participate and as the group voice becomes louder with ever click on You Tube, you can imagine CEOs demanding action... Now!

Post-GFC shoppers price-conscious and online

2011-04-18T16:36:00.002+10:00

The GFC has ushered in a new group of consumers which are price conscious, shop online, seek value for money and are opting for home brands in supermarkets. New research from ACP Magazines and research company The Seed has shown that a majority of consumers, post GFC, are making more considered purchases and turning to the internet for cost savings.
According to the report, 76% of Australians surveyed claim they are being more careful with money, with 71% taking advantage of easy price comparisons online and daily deals through group buying sites such as Cudo and Jump On It.

What’s more, 56% said they are turning to home brands which offer the same quality as branded products. Over half (56%) of respondents said they would not compromise quality for a good deal, while 85% said they are always looking for the best value options.

The survey, How we Live: A Love Affair with Food and Homes, also focussed on the role media plays in influencing consumption, with 87% saying they look to magazines for practical solutions to apply in their homes. A further 82% of respondents said they turn to magazines to provide practical meal solutions.

Other insights to emerge from the study include that, post-GFC, consumers have reassessed their work/life balance and want to spend more time with family, particularly doing low-cost activities.

Phil Scott, managing director of ACP Magazines, said: “ACP Magazines continues to invest heavily in research to ensure our titles deliver for readers and advertisers."

“The insights are valuable to our advertising clients and editors alike as we ensure our magazines remain the ‘go to’ source for consumers in the new economic era.” The survey results, which were compiled from more than 1,000 online interviews and those with editors of ACP’s food and home titles, will be presented to advertisers tomorrow.

The research follows a similar survey conducted by ACP in 2008.

Source: B&T April 2011

Location-based app uses peer pressure to motivate users

2011-04-14T14:34:00.003+10:00

We’ve seen countless initiatives set up to motivate people into completing tasks they may otherwise shy away from. Take SmartyCard’s website that rewards kids with tangible prizes for completing educational games, or Switch2Health, who use a reward-based scheme to motivate children to exercise. However, when choosing how to best motivate an older audience, German-based GetUpp have taken a different approach, focusing on peer pressure rather than rewards.

To begin using the GetUpp app, users enter a commitment they would like to meet, such as going to the gym after work. In that case, they would then enter the location of the gym, and what time they should arrive there. Once the commitment is submitted, the user's friends can vote on whether they believe their companion will succeed in fulfilling it. The user meanwhile, must strive to arrive at their predetermined location at the correct time. If they are successful, they then open the app and submit their coordinates, which are verified using the phone's GPS. GetUpp will then broadcast this success to the user's friends. The flip side however, is that it will also broadcast any failures to meet commitments, exposing the user to whatever humiliation their friends choose to bestow upon them. The app is currently available from the App Store.

When it comes to motivation, swapping the proverbial carrot for the harsher stick may well provide the extra nudge many people need to ensure they stick to commitments. But GetUpp’s use of location as a way of verifying user’s successes or failures shows once again that the applications for such technology are seemingly limitless. Be it for cataloging typefaces, creating art, asking locals questions or grabbing a bargain, it seems there aren’t any industries that location-based technology can’t be put to good use in. How could you incorporate geo-location functionality to enhance a user-experience?

Website: www.getupp.com
Contact: team@getupp.com

Spotted by: Zachary Love, Springwise, April 2011

Battle of the Retail Brands

2011-04-14T14:20:00.000+10:00

Shoppers in Sydney should get ready as a plethora of high-profile international retailers including Topshop from Britain and Uniqlo from Japan are preparing to open up new stores.

Amid the high anticipation of the Spanish Zara brand opening in Westfield Sydney, Pitt Street Mall, next Wednesday, leasing directors from other overseas retailers are in Australia looking for sites.

But given the distance from their head offices in Spain, Britain and the US, these big hitters will not just want to open one or two stores.

Depending on demand, they will seek out sites in all the major cities and shopping malls.

Already GAP is in Sydney and Melbourne's Chadstone Shopping centre and is said to be looking at Brisbane and Perth.

Although the prices of some items may be higher than overseas, having these big names in the city is putting Australia on the international fashion map.

And with the new entrants, it is also giving exposure to the rest of the Australian retailers, as international tourists visit all the stores.

What we can expect to see is a "battle of the brands", Knight Frank's associate director, Alex Alamsyah, said.

"It is understood that Topshop has secured a new local partnership with Next Athleisure and would like to open their first flagship store in Sydney CBD in 2012," Mr Alamsyah said.

"Forever 21 from the US has recently met major shopping centre owners to discuss takeover of some stores of embattled bookstore chain Borders in Australia."

It is understood that US retailer Abercrombie & Fitch and Uniqlo are also both seriously considering the Sydney CBD for their first marquee stores in Australia.

The Swedish H&M group is still talking to some major Australian shopping centre owners and retail leasing agents, but there is no concrete commitment yet.

"There is strong activity in the Sydney CBD," Mr Alamsyah said.

"These heavyweight global brands, seeking roughly 1000 to 4000 square metres, are flocking to the Sydney CBD. The order appears to be Zara next week, Topshop next year with F21 and Abercrombie & Fitch likely to arrive in 2012/2013, while Uniqlo and H&M may follow in 2013/2014.

"Zara, Topshop and F21 will not come to Australia from as far away as Spain, UK and the US just to open one or two stores in Australia. They will open more and more, including outside the CBD in well-to-do suburbs.

"Fashion fans like to see great showdowns of highly anticipated and long-speculated battles of heavyweight brands in prime Sydney CBD locations. They like to see a face-off between Zara and Topshop, F21 and H&M, and A&F and Uniqlo."

In the middleweight class (stores between 500 and 1000 square metres), Specialty Fashion Group is talking to Victoria's Secret and will perhaps open a 500-square-metre flagship store in the Sydney CBD.

Brand Republic has opened its first GAP store in Westfield Sydney and is potentially in search for 600 square metres for Banana Republic.

Billabong is fitting out its 500-square-metre flagship store in Sydney Arcade, while both Quiksilver and Kathmandu are still looking for 500-1000 square metres for their next showcase stores in Sydney CBD.

Mr Alamsyah said that, in the lightweight class (stores of between 200 and 400 square metres) Patagonia from the US has secured its first 300-square-metre Sydney CBD store and will open in July, setting up a heated contest with North Face.

"In addition, Paul Smith, CH, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Thomas Pink and Class Roberto Cavalli are all looking for prime sites in the Sydney CBD," he said.

"Talk that Sydney City retail leasing has been lacklustre seems to be off the mark and there's been plenty of action from big names in retail.

"Louis Vuitton will open its super flagship store at the corner of King and George streets in November and Christian Dior will take over the current Louis Vuitton store at the corner of King and Castlereagh streets."

In other moves, Hermes has expanded its store by taking over the ex-Swarovski store in Market Street; Tiffany&Co was looking to expand to the Escada store in Castlereagh Street; Burberry has moved to a larger store of about 800 square metres in Martin Place; Omega has also moved to a larger store of about 250 square metres in MLC Castlereagh Street.

The Mont Blanc retailer has renewed its store in King Street, Longines has opened its first flagship store on the corner of Pitt and King streets, and Porche Design has opened its first flagship store in ex-IM Lingerie's King Street store.

Carolyn Cummins is the Herald's Commercial Property Editor.

Carolyn Cummins
April 14, 2011 - 2:02PMSydney Morning Herald

Co-housing not just for hippies any more

2011-04-14T14:11:00.000+10:00

The idea that people can live a harmonious and fulfilling life within a community focussedenvrionment is an old idea currently undergoing reinvention amongst some forward thinking urbanites. While it may not be for everyone, have a read below and come to your own conclusions.

My thought was that this sounds like an interesting model for people who wish to live independently with a home-owning carer (ie nurse or doctor) as one of the residents living within the community. It developed int eh right way, it could potentialy eleviate some of our aged care problems...

John Mangan SMH
April 10, 201

Like-minded people are signing up for co-housing for a more sustainable way of living.
''PEOPLE often assume we're hippies,'' says Tania Lewis, as she explains a radical housing development she and two dozen other Melburnians are planning for the city's inner suburbs.
The concept is called co-housing, and it could hardly be further from a rural commune. When complete, the high-density inner-city development will comprise about 30 self-contained, privately owned residences, each with its own kitchen and living areas, sharing a building for group meals and guest bedrooms, and garden space including a vegie patch and chicken coop.
''We all believe in neighbourhood values and sustainability but also, working together, we expect big economies of scale,'' says Dr Lewis, a senior research fellow in RMIT's school of media and communication.

Inspiration for the project comes not from Nimbin but hard-headed Scandinavians, the same people who gave us Lego and IKEA. Dr Lewis says Denmark has hundreds of co-housing developments. Five per cent of all new housing in Denmark is co-housing, and it is becoming popular in the US.
Dr Lewis's group, Urban Coup, is an incorporated body including healthcare professionals, architects, urban planners and environmentalists. Over the past two years it has scoured Melbourne suburbs within a 10-kilometre radius of the CBD, looking for suitable sites and willing developers. It is also looking for a handful more kindred spirits to sign up.

Gilbert Rochecouste, a ''place-maker'' with community building consultant Village Well, says similar schemes have a good record overseas. ''Co-housing is a powerful model that can radically reduce energy usage and open up shared resources, while not asking people to live in a commune. It's about living sustainably in a community but still having your own private space.

''In between a Docklands apartment and the suburban sprawl, there are not many options. We need to start rethinking our models of development. Housing these days tends to assume one size fits all, which has cost us in terms of our well-being, both emotionally and psychologically.
''For example, co-housing gives grandma and grandpa the option to still live in the community, with their children and nieces and nephews, not having to live in a retirement village.''
Urban Coup members are stumping up $450,000 to $500,000 each, with the project expected to have a total budget of up to $15 million. Dr Lewis says the community will not be cheap to buy into, but the shared resources and economies of scale will mean substantial savings in living expenses.

An optimistic mission statement includes commitments to celebrate individuality and community, to respect each other's opinions and boundaries, and to regularly share food together.
As for conflicts, because the community is more united and integrated than a usual suburban block, they expect many typical neighbourhood disputes to be nipped in the bud.

They have, nevertheless, taken steps in their articles of association to structure conflict resolution, with a representative committee and, if necessary, outside mediation from such bodies as the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria. A decision-making process includes a schedule of meetings and votes aimed at consensus. Failing that, a majority of 75 per cent not objecting can carry proposals.

Finding the right property is a huge challenge. Paula Jorgenson was part of Merri Cohousing, which spent more than five years planning a development in Melbourne's inner-north but found rising property prices torpedoed its intentions.

That group disbanded, but if the right opportunity came along again, Ms Jorgenson says she would jump at it.
''I don't like living behind a fence,'' she says.
''A more convivial arrangement was exactly what I was looking for.''

Co-housing sends out a message that we can live in a much more authentic, sustainable way, says Mr Rochecouste. ''Our planning laws and regulations need to shift, councils need to be educated as well as developers, but ultimately I think we're going to see a lot more mid-level developers taking this up.''

Dr Lewis says she is looking forward to the fun and benefits of being in a community.
''There are all the activities we can do together when the development is completed, but also we'll be able to share tools, share cars and save energy. Being in a single household is a very inefficient way to live.''

Behaviour modification: common sense, reframing, consistency & reward

2011-04-11T11:37:00.003+10:00

It’s amazing how consistency coupled with a healthy dose of reality-based common sense and a small reward scheme can really reap results.

Behaviour modification programs (rational emotive therapy and the like) are effective in many instances.

This TV episode is as amazing as it is horrifying (well, to me anyway). But it does show the advantages of grounded reality coupled with consistency and a small step reward system. Watch but be warned ... It is harrowing in places

Warning it's an hour long - but well worth it... see it here

Beating the 'What-the-hell' effect

2011-04-08T13:41:00.014+10:00

Check out this great post by PSYBLOG on the 'What-the-hell' effect.

To illustrate the 'What-the-hell' effect, Polivy et al., 2010 conducted a study among two samples: 1 group of dieters and 1 group of non-dieters. They served up 1 slice of pizza for each participant and then asked them to rate some cookies. To make things interesting, they served the same amount of pizza to everyone, but cut some slices differently to make them look bigger in order to trick some people into thinking they were eating more.

What they found was those dieting who got served the larger looking slices actually ended up eating 50% more cookies than the non-dieters! (remember they were only ask to rate the cookies). By simply making dieters believe they had eaten too much, they were able to set in motion the 'what-the-hell' effect, i.e. 'what-the-hell' I've blown my diet, I might as well stuff my face with some of these yummy cookies

Unfortunately self control is a limited resource and once it's gone (or taken away in the case of this experiment), it appears we are programed to think 'what-the-hell' and go all out to alleviate the pressure caused by our suppressed urges

There is one obvious implication for marketers, that is to take advantage of this fundamental human weakness...Mc Donalds has been doing it for decades "Would you like fries with that" or "Would you like to upsize for an extra $1?"

However, the less obvious implication is that marketers can use this principle to help customers reach their goals. PSYBLOG suggests that acquisitional goals may in fact reduce the 'what-the-hell' effect. For example, Alcoholics Anonymous use the acquisitional goal of acquiring days, weeks, months, years etc sober instead of the inhibitional goal to stop drinking altogether which is likely to cause pressure and self-control to eventually run out supply. So instead of focussing on controlling your urges (inhibitional goals), focus on gaining something (aquisitional goals) which is less taxing on your self control

With apps for everything these days... there's lots of potential ideas for companies to work with customers to achieve happier, healthier and wealthier lives

Enjoy the ride

2011-04-07T11:21:00.004+10:00

Check out this very cinematic commercial by Western Australian traffic authority

It's doing quite well with 65,000 views after 2 weeks, but what's interesting is the idea. The commercial is a clear departure from shock tactics depicting horrific crashes in all their gory detail and others attempting to instill us with the fear of getting caught speeding by the police. However, the problem with these shock and fear tactics is they trigger our defence mechanisms that protect our sense of self. Because the majority of us think we are very good drivers (note: if we didn't think we were good drivers, speeding wouldn't be a problem because many of us would try to avoid driving all together) and strongly believe 'I'll never crash' and 'I'll never get caught', we will automatically dismiss any notion that we are not good drivers, i.e. we dismiss the message. From a practical point of view, these defence mechanisms are useful because they help us get through life without feeling anxious all the time.

So what's great about this particular commercial is that it side steps our defence mechanisms and focuses on the enjoyable and pleasurable experience of driving - stuff we like to think about and confirms our beliefs about the enjoyment of 'slowing down' as a general concept.

Pro-consumers

2011-03-17T14:55:00.002+11:00

It seems that consumers are doing it for themselves. The rise of the Pro-sumer over the past few decades has been astronomical. An example of a brand delivering to a need for pro-sumption is beautifully expressed by the new service offered by holidaycrowd. The service allows the pro-sumer to create their own experience within a set budget. Travel agents then have the opportunity to respond and place bids for the business. Quite natty really. Read more below from SpringWise...

HolidayCrowd lets travel agents compete for consumers' business

Holidaymakers are often faced with an overwhelming range of options when searching for their ideal trip, with an endless list of online services promising to deliver the best deals. Aiming to flip this process on its head and deliver even more relevance, HolidayCrowd is a new service that enables travelers to outline their perfect trip and invite competing offers from travel agents.

Now in beta, UK-based HolidayCrowd begins by inviting prospective travelers to list a trip they'd like to take, even if it's only a general idea. Details such as a specific destination and budget can be included, but they're not essential. Participating travel agents then assess the request and build an itinerary, knowing that they're competing with one another. HolidayCrowd verifies each agent individually to ensure they're legitimate and licensed. After reviewing the bids, consumers can chat to get any questions answered, and then they can choose the one they like and book it for free through HolidayCrowd. In exchange, they get sent all reservations, confirmations, e-tickets and itineraries. HolidayCrowd, meanwhile, charges travel agents a commission fee of 3 percent of the total cost plus VAT.

Anyone still not sure the intention-based model is here to stay? Better check out some of our related coverage, then. After that, how about offering a like-minded service in your part of the world? (Related: In online auction, banks bid on consumer savings — Intention-based shopping brought to the UK — Bank helps clients buy homes that aren't for sale.)

Website: www.holidaycrowd.com

Does the status-quo bias explain our apathy when it comes to switching services?

2011-03-02T10:36:00.019+11:00

Think about it...how many times have you switched your...

Bank
Accountant
Telco provider
Electricity company
Dentist
Doctor
Lawyer
Health insurer

Why is it that we become so rusted on when comes to these types of services providers? Behavioural economists would suggest it's the status-quo bias principle at play. Status-quo bias occurs when "the properties of alternative options are evaluated as advantages or disadvantages relative to the current situation, and the disadvantages of the alternatives loom larger than their advantages" (Kahneman 2003, Maps of Bounded Rationality: Psychology for Behavioural Economics)

There are two reasons why the disadvantages of switching appear to loom larger than the advantages:

Loss aversion (we focus on the negatives): Behavioral economists have established that we feel the pain of losses more than we enjoy the pleasure of gains. So when we think about change we focus more on what we might lose rather than on what we might get. Even people who aren’t all that happy with their current provider, then, are still likely to feel anxious about whatever will replace it. (source: www.newyorker.com) We have found this especially true when it comes to services people don't really understand or perceive to be complicated like mobile phone plans or home loans

'Better the devil you know than the devil you don't'

Endowment effects (we overvalue things we own): A simple demonstration of this was an experiment (conducted by Kahneman, Knetsch and Thaler, 1990) in which some students in a class were given coffee mugs emblazoned with their school’s logo and asked how much they would demand to sell them, while others in the class were asked how much they would pay to buy them. Instead of valuing the mugs similarly, the new owners of the mugs demanded more than twice as much as the buyers were willing to pay. (source: www.newyorker.com) How many times have you heard, 'My chiropractor is really good, you should see her' or 'I've got a really great mechanic' etc. People will often over value the benefits they are receiving from their service provider. For example in the telco space, we have found people paying almost 3 times more than they need to because they have not switched their mobile plan in 10 years, because they still think they are on a good deal!

Basically it's always going to be an up hill battle to get people to switch from their current service provider, because you will be fighting our fundamental human nature to resist change.

Therefore, often brand strategies need to be developed to help give momentum to tactical initiatives that might have the potential to break through the status-quo barrier. Here are just some thought starters...

Reduce the perceived risk of switching by building a friendly/customer-centric/credible brand image and then offering 6 months free subscription
Give people reasons to doubt the value they are currently getting by position your brand as the 'challenger' and then offer something that none of the competition would dare to

YouTube parodies go mainstream

2011-02-15T11:00:00.003+11:00

1st blog post of the year...apologies for not getting one up sooner, but it does take a few weeks to get back into the swing of things.

www.smh.com.au picked up on a great YouTube parody by the NSW rugby team the Waratahs

Check out the original video posted by the 'All blacks' below

Now check out the Waratahs parody:

Note: Both a cashing in on the current trend of super viral trick videos doing the rounds on YouTube, see some below:

So the rule appears to be once something goes viral...it's fair game to do a parody!

Is 'Anchoring' to blame for low retail spend?

2010-12-20T11:44:00.010+11:00

Anchoring is a behavioural economic principle that explains how we can be influenced by seemingly useless information. Retailers have been using anchoring since the dawn of time, e.g. was $179 now only $99 (note: $179 is the anchor).

A study conducted by Dan Ariely (Behavioural Economist Guru) with college students found anchoring also works on a subliminal level. Students were asked to write down the last 2 digits of their social security number before bidding on items in a silent auction. Those with higher social security numbers placed consistently higher bids than those students with lower social security numbers.

With online purchases only making up a fraction of Australian retail spend, it's hard to believe the story retailers are telling the media about the unfair trading conditions in regards to GST not applying to online stores.

Taking anchoring effects into account, it would be a fair to say "...the real damage the internet is doing to some local retailers: it’s not the spend, it’s the knowledge it gives them on pricing."
Source (www.smh.com.au / Retailers stung by new thrift)

It seems more likely that the average consumer is now simply more aware of how much things costs and will walk out of your store if your price doesn't match expectations, rather than an explosion of consumers shopping online to avoid paying GST.

With consumers now more price aware and frugal, retailers will need to start getting more innovative to keep their margins or simply lower their prices

AAMI using Behavioural Economics

2010-12-17T15:12:00.004+11:00

The AAMI 'safe driver' campaign is a great example of how to tap into peoples inherent over confidence in their own ability

P.S. I Love the comment someone left on the YouTube video below. It highlights how irrational the message actually is!

Audi using 'Framing' effects to sell their new car

2010-12-03T17:02:00.006+11:00

$169 a week for a luxury Audi

The above is a good example of how to use 'framing' to sell a product.

The 'framing' strategy is quite simple:

Audi is looking to attract younger buyers to its new Mini rival by offering them a weekly payment deal similar to a mobile phone plan.

The $169 drive-away weekly plan for the new A1 includes servicing costs, interest payments and insurance. It even covers replacement wheels and tyres if you get a flat or damage a rim on a kerb.

The company’s managing director Uwe Hagen says the 36 or 48-month contracts will appeal to a generation of buyers used to paying monthly amounts for their rent, broadband connection and mobile phone plan.

Source: SMH

Behavioural economics explains why many of us are rubbish with money

2010-12-01T16:24:00.003+11:00

Read the Sydney Morning Herald article here

Or the full paper here

Great behavioural economic (BE) example - as simple as cake or death!

2010-11-29T13:47:00.002+11:00

Behavioural economics and reality TV

2010-11-22T15:31:00.010+11:00

I've been looking for an excuse to blog about behavioural economics for some time now, not because I'm any expert on the subject matter, but more out of fascination and interest

Let's start off with a wikipedia definition:

"Behavioral economics and its related area of study, behavioral finance, use social, cognitive and emotional factors in understanding the economic decisions of individuals and institutions performing economic functions, including consumers, borrowers and investors, and their effects on market prices, returns and the resource allocation"

The basic premise behind behavioural economics is that many of our purchase decisions don't make rationale sense. For example, many people would agree that travelling across town to save $50 on a $100 dress makes more sense than travelling the same distance to save $50 on a $30,000 car. In fact, when asked why, we often have to post-rationalise why we buy things because we were probably on auto-pilot at the time. Seriously, how much thought do you put into every single item you purchase?

Marketers are starting realise that the frame work and environment in which purchase decisions are made actually have the most influence over what people buy. For example, restaurants will often have a $500 bottle of wine on the menu to make the $40 bottle seem reasonable and the $15 bottle too cheap. Additionally, previous experience at restaurants tells us that $40 is a reasonable amount to pay, so choosing the $40 bottle (for most people) becomes a simple decision. Just like the 'cake or death' example below:

Understanding how to make decisions simple for people, from my limited understanding of behavioural economics, is the aim of the game. That is, you play to peoples 'confirmation bias' (read more on wikipedia here)

Keeping this in mind, have you ever wondered why reality TV is so easy to watch? After reading this wonderful post on the Everyday Sociology Blog, about how 'Dancing with the Stars' confirms to just about every gender norm imaginable, I felt a sudden wave of realisation wash over me. Bloody Hell! Reality TV is so popular because it confirms our own perceptions of reality! Let's take a few examples:

Beauty and the Geek: Seeks to confirms that beautiful women are dumb
Masterchef: Seeks to confirm amateurs can cook at a restaurant level
The apprentice: Seeks to confirm business people are cut throat and agressive
...and the list could go on!

Inspired, I'm now constantly trawling the web for more behavioural economic examples and implications...stay tuned.

Is the online community just a bunch of trolls?

2010-10-22T12:06:00.009+11:00

GAP recently launched a re-designed logo, only to scrap it after some flaming criticism from the online community (mainly Facebook & Twitter)

Before going further, let us first define what 'Trolling' means within the context of online communities:

"Being a prick on the internet because you can. Typically unleashing one or more cynical or sarcastic remarks on an innocent by-stander, because it's the internet and, hey, you can."

Source: www.urbandictionary.com

Here is an example of some very sophisticated trolling (click here for link)...

According to www.theage.com.au, ...after seeing more than 2000 mostly negative comments on its Facebook page, management responded accordingly:

"We've been listening to and watching all of the comments this past week. We heard them say over and over again they are passionate about our blue box logo, and they want it back...So we've made the decision to do just that - we will bring it back across all channels."

I'm going to take the contrary position here and raise a few questions:

GAP is a billion dollar company that has been around for more than 40 years, why do 2,000 people on Facebook know better?
Assuming research was conducted (highly likely) with GAP's target audience, why are the views of 2,000 people on Facebook more important?
Being a company in a creative industry, why should GAP apologize for a logo they believed in?

It appears that once the media gets a whiff of some 'Facebook' or 'Twitter' momentum, they grab onto it to create a story that infers those comments represents the views of a much larger population.

But what if...those very people Facebooking and Twittering expressing their outrage don't have any real interest in the GAP brand (or a clue)? Does it really matter what they say?

If you were head of marketing at GAP, would you trust research results or Facebook fans?

Stancombe Research & Planning Builds World's Best Town Centre

2010-10-19T13:35:00.003+11:00

Well not quite!

But, Stancombe Research & Planning assisted the GPT Group with the foundation and developmental research for the Rouse Hill town centre and congratulate GPT on their success

Over a 3 year period we provided consumer insights and feedback that assisted with the standout success of this project

The Sydney Morning Herald article is here and the GPT Group case history is here

October 2010

Doing more with less - the garage is a magical place

2010-09-24T15:44:00.005+10:00

I like the idea that money and resources are not always the answer to solve problems. Actually, too much money and resources can stifle creativity and human ingenuity rather than stimulate it.

I think we all love those wonderful business success stories that started from kitchen tables and garages with nothing but lots of energy, hard work and a bit of luck.

This endearing video demonstrates the point quite nicely:

On the big business side of things, this concept of 'doing more with less' also seems to ring true.

I was staggered to learn that Nokia’s research and development budget of 5.9 billion euros ($7.7 billion), including 3 billion euros for devices and services, is the largest in the industry. The company spent almost six times as much as Apple on R&D last year. (source: http://www.bloomberg.com)

It's incredible that a company once so dominant in the mobile phone market, could be blind sided by a computer company with relatively no mobile phone experience. But you have to remember that Apple has a culture of doing more with less. In his rogue days, Steve Jobs built the Macintosh almost in secret without the full support and resources of Apple.

With Apple now leading the way and Android based smart phones set to overtake Nokia in the next few years, Nokia's new CEO Stephan Elop definitely has his work cut out for him.

Maybe Nokia can learn something from this man and his garage?

2010 social media networking map (Very cool!)

2010-09-15T14:30:00.005+10:00

Click here for the full Hi-Def version. Source: http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/the-2010-social-networking-map/

2010-09-02T11:56:00.000+10:00

This week, Aesop invites us to LISTEN to Stanford University lectures available as podcasts on iTunes. Topics you wished you’d shown an interest in when you left school are now there for the taking. Choose from entire courses such as Mini Med School to one-off conversation such as An Evening with Leonard Cohen and Philip Glass. While it’s not new, Neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky’s lecture in the Health and Medicine section titled Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers remains fascinating listening. Sounds like a great idea (if you will excuse the pun). I am particularly interested in understanding why zebras don't get ulcers.

Old spice & memes

2010-08-31T14:55:00.009+10:00

I've been thinking for a few months about the cause behind the amazing success of the 'Old Spice' viral and response campaign.

See the truly epic numbers below.
Source: www.culture-buzz.com

But how can we explain this astonishing success?

Susan Stancombe (founder and MD here at Stancombe Research and Planning) recently brought up the topic of 'memes'. Without going into too much depth, a 'meme' is a virally-transmitted cultural symbol or social idea (source: http://netforbeginners.about.com). Note: For a more in-depth explanation go to wikipedia here

From my understanding, what makes memes so interesting is that they behave exactly like genes and viruses. Meaning memes can:

Be passed on virally through the media or from person to person, e.g. viral marketing
Replicate themselves by effecting people's behaviour which in turn effects how others behave, e.g. notice how there is always 'a new black' everyone starts copying
Evolve to suit environmental pressures/factors to survive, e.g. we see this happen in the music world a lot

Memes are a difficult concept to understand since they only exist only in our minds. Unlike DNA and viruses, we can't actually see a meme! However, it could be argued that the pandemic spread of ideas like the 'Old Spice' campaign not only proves the existence of memes, but they've most likely existed since the birth of the human race (i.e. think about the spread of religion)

The concept of a meme as a living breathing 'idea' that can spread is a challenging one, but offers a different perspective on how to view cultural trends and phenomena, i.e. which ideas will adapt and thrive over time (e.g. religion) and which ideas will spread quickly and eventually be snuffed out (e.g. boy bands)

Collaborative consumption - is it more about the people rather than the stuff?

2010-08-31T10:32:00.002+10:00

This post comes with a cultural caveat...all examples are from the US which is in a very different place economically and emotionally right now compared to Australia.

Thanks to one of my favourite blogs influx insights, I came across this interesting post from an equally interesting blog www.brainpickings.org (well worth a look)

Click here to see the post 7 ways to have more by owning less.

To break it down, there is a emerging trend in the US around the idea of 'collaborative consumption' (also known as reciprocal alturism at Stancombe). It is another branch of the de-clutter your life / less is more movement being driven by urban hipsters, life coaches and other social commentators. (see the very hipster video below from www.giftflow.com)

Be as cynical as you like, but it appears this movement is gathering some traction in the US, see examples below from www.brainpickings.org:

If we step back and think about it, conspicuous consumption is inherently about broadcasting your status. Where as swapping and sharing goods/services (assuming you can afford to buy new stuff) is more about the relationships developed as a result of altruistic transactions. It could be argued that the altruistic transactions that help build the relationships between people are more important than the goods/services being shared, swapped and gifted.

I don't believe that we will see a shift away from conspicuous consumption (a nice pair of shoes and a good watch always does wonders for your confidence in a room full of strangers), but I do believe that swapping, sharing and gifting things like lawn mowers, never been used baby toys and food processors will tap into our fundamental human need for community, i.e. we are pack animals.

This raises an interesting business question - are you an industry where people would rather swap your goods/services rather than buy new in the future? And is this an opportunity or a threat?

Advergames

2010-08-20T12:29:00.004+10:00

The plethora of marketing tools available to the trade is truly staggering

Check out http://www.56sagestreet.co.uk/

It's an advergame from Barclays and is basically a more in-depth, interactive solo version of Monopoly. After getting past the two levels I can see there are very clear benefits for younger players. It teaches such life lessons such eating well, getting the right job, keeping up appearances and avoiding scams required to achieve life goals.

With more and more time being spent on iPhones and other smart phones, I can see how advergames may become a key way to engage the youth market (and maybe older?) in the not too distant future

Enduring luxury

2010-08-18T13:21:00.012+10:00

When the gravity and weight of the GFC was felt (and is still being felt in many places around the world), many pundits believed those who could afford luxury goods would become more conservative and shy away from symbols of wealth and prestige (e.g. frugal chic).

However, now with the dust settled we know people have not stop purchasing luxury goods. So what's changed?

While it appears while our appetite and consumption of luxury goods has remained relatively healthy, it has been our understanding of what luxury goods mean and our relationship with them (depending on who you are) that has gone through a transformation.

Chris Sanderson, strategy and insight director at The Future Laboratory articulates the flavour of this transformation below:

“The language of luxury has changed. You can’t say this is the most expensive, excessive product ever, that’s no longer going to cut through, it has to be the most considered, interesting and intellectual.” source B&T

One way of demonstrating a 'considered, interesting and intellectual' purchase is to go with the product with the least amount of branding, which is more or less a way of differentiating one self from the 'cashed up bogan'. PPR chief executive Fracois-Henri Pinault explains: "There's a new perception of luxury, a more discreet sophisticated luxury where notions of heritage and craft play a big role" source news.com.au

Ed Cotton from Influx Insights takes the concept of 'considered, interesting and intellectual' purchases one step further with his suggestion that companies should consider offering services to refurbish their products as a way of reducing obsolescence (and land fill) and creating an enduring experience with the brand:

"Too many corporations and brands are only too willing and eager to let their customers give up on the products too fast and send them to landfill...what if brands could build up a scalable business re-furbishing their old products...consumers would be looking for brands through a different lens; they would be thinking about a lifetime of experience" Source Influx Insights

Ed also provides the wonderful example of BMW 'Classic Center' that refurbishes old vintage BMW cars and motorcyles

So instead of outright rejecting luxury, maybe our understanding of luxury is maturing and we are rediscovering what luxury is all about? That is, real luxury items are wonderfully crafted objects that are admired, desired and treasured enough to last a long period of time. It's hard to argue that real luxury items don't end up as land fill.

Is the Facebook party over?

2010-07-29T15:21:00.004+10:00

An interesting study undertaken by Ypulse (Youth media specialists in the USA) found evidence of Facebook fatigue:

"25 percent of the students reported spending less or no time at all anymore on the site"

If these people are spending less time on Facebook - what are they replacing it with? Is it a cultural change or is something else going to come along and replace it (remember MySpace?)

Source: PSFK

The hipster fashion cycle

2010-07-29T14:58:00.004+10:00

Source: PSFK

Week Six Soup Kitchen... The Challenge

2010-07-08T17:07:00.002+10:00

Anyone who knows me will know that kitchens and I do not mix well together. I actually have a fridge magnet at home that says “I have a kitchen only because it came with the house”, how true that is. I have lived in one place for a good 6mths before I even turned on the oven, actually I didn’t turn it on a friend came round to cook me dinner and when she got there no light would come on when she turned any of those knobs on the thing. She opened the oven door and found all the “stuff” inside was still in wrapping and it had not even been plugged in. We ended up getting take-out that night, something to do with the fact that you have to ‘burn off’ something or other before you use it, whatever.

Now I have used a hob before, that’s what they call those hot round things on the top right? A good friend of mine made me some portions of his famous spag bowl to keep in my freezer and gave me simple instructions on how to re-heat them. One night after work I decided I was going to cook (yes I do consider warming something up in a saucepan cooking), so I came in put the saucepan on the hob and stuck the spag bowl in the pan. I went off to get changed then went on the net to check some emails and before long there was this god awful smell, one that might out last religion (as Kenny would say) and I went running to the kitchen, and there in the pan was the mess that was meant to be my dinner – the one key thing I had forgotten to do was take the spag bowl out of the plastic freezer bag that it was in!!!!!

So as you can imagine making a soup was going to be a bit of a challenge for me. However, everyone here at Stancombe makes a real effort and it’s for a good cause so I decided to take on the challenge and told myself “I can do that”.

My friends were all worried I might actually burn down the building and find myself out of work, as the last two times I have attempted the feat of making beans on toast have I have failed (miserably). I seem completely unable to get the timing right of the toast popping up in the toaster and the beans nicely bubbling in the saucepan together. My toast pops too early so down it goes again and then by the time the beans are done the toast has turned into something resembling coal. So that gets thrown out and more bread goes down in the toaster but then by the time that pops my beans have turned to mush and stuck to the pan….

That should give you an idea of the challenge I faced making a soup. I was given some great advice by a good friend, he said I should make a nice and simple soup that has just two key ingredients. That is how I ended up making Broccoli and Cheese soup.

I was on cooking duties with Clive, who made a far more complicated soup than I, so hat’s off to him. We decided to make out soups together the night before, so some the night we were both there chopping away glass of wine in hand (to steady the nerves) and pans at the ready. His very quickly looked like something wholesome and tasty…. Mine on the other hand “looked liker a puddle of dirty water” (you know who you are). It really did look terrible sat side by side with Clive’s and I worried I had done something wrong. I must have picked up the recipe notes 100 times to check I had not missed anything. I was desperate to call a friend or ask the audience but I was on my own here.

The magic moment came when I blended the soup – all of a sudden it actually looked like a soup (see pictures on previous post), the wonders of cooking technology….. and can you Adam and Eve it, it actually tasted like a real soup as well. Will I be making it again? Will I buggery, the stress was far too much.

Colin

Soup kitchen - Week 6

2010-07-08T16:56:00.000+10:00

Week 6 in the Stancombe soup kitchen sees good humour shared by all (judging by the smiles on Emma, Craig and Colins faces opposite).

As by now soup is the way. The Sydney rain, she comes (most days it seems). The Stancombe soup, she comes (only on a wednesday). It is the way of winter.

So what better way to go after the Chilean-Australian 'axis of soup' than getting a couple of Poms who are (self-confessed) 'sub-standard chefs' on the case?

Poms more used to strawberries and cream at this time of year, rather than lashings of thick winter soup - and not-at-all suggesting that straws & cream is about at the top end of our culinary limits (who knew pancetta wasn't a cheese?) ...

Anyway from a 'puddle' to perfection for Colin:

What we see here is the results of an early evening cook-up-of-a-puddle (red wine provided to sooth those jangly pre-lunch nerves - thanks Emma Queen of soups!), followed by a devoted attention to detail in pureeing broccoli and slowly melting cheese into the pot.

Impressive!

Clive took a 'winter in a bowl' approach:

With pretty much every winter vegetable and herb (who knew you could buy so many at the supermarket), it smelt 'fab'.

However the early addition of pasta (macaroni for those interested), due to inconvenient meeting clash (note to self, need to reprioritise work-soup balance) may have ended up soaking up a little too much 'jus' (never really know what that word means, just assume its a posh word for gravy!)

However it was in fitting with the torrential downpour outside, so after the world cup its good to see some Poms finishing strongly.

Viva le Poms!

Soup Kitchen Week 5

2010-07-06T12:00:00.003+10:00

The day finally came. I mean the day that I had, for the first time, to cook for everyone at the office (most of them, actually). Not only that, but also my cooking partner was Susan, which spiced things up in my head a little bit more. As you can presume, it was a little bit scary and felt a little bit anxious for a moment, but then my usual reasoning kicked in and I focused on the problem at hand as a good challenge to overcome and an opportunity to be creative, cooking something different that I never did before. Poor mind, I just love to manipulate it.

I have read here and there that, when writing, people from different cultures tend to make different kinds of mistakes. For instance, South American people supposedly tend to digress from the main topic that they are writing on. I don’t agree with that. Do you?

Anyway, I decided to make a crème of asparagus and leak. I was quite happy with the end result, but did have some problems while trying to make it bigger, since I knew that it should be enough for several people. Susan made a beef, vegetable and barley soup, which ended up having a great texture. We received very good feedback, which felt nice. Although we will never know if those are real honest words or people is just being polite. Maybe both?

Fortunately, everything went smooth and painless. I think that Susan’s soup went really well together with mine and the gorgeous piece of bread that she brought was perfect. I look forward to the next soup kitchen, which definitely is a great excuse for getting together and knowing each other better.

Mario.

The 2010 Vinnies CEO SleepOut

2010-06-28T15:28:00.006+10:00

Sleeping Out At Luna Park

About 10 days ago I joined the CEO Sleepout for a night outside in my sleeping bag

The tardiness of this report is due to a heavy does for flu that my daughter brought home from school and I coincidentally caught the weekend after sleep out - apologies!

So, here is my report on the St Vinnies CEO Sleepout.

Firstly, to all my sponsors a huge thanks. In the early stages of this adventure I had a few problems getting emails out and I was on the point of one last go before calling it a day. But then good old Elise Kelly put money on my head and I was committed. The email problem got sorted and generous donations started to roll in.

I raised nearly $4,000 which really surprised me. The generosity of friends, colleagues and business associates was overwhelming and on the Thursday night I rolled my wheely case in through the gates of Lunar Park, registered and collected a couple of sheets of corrugated cardboard.

The doorway to Coney Island will never be the same again! I spotted the doorway and was in like Flynn. There were a couple of steps up so I was off the ground, I had cover over my head and a windbreak from behind.

I staked my claim and wandered up to the auditorium where the 'proceedings' were beginning.

The host of the Radio National breakfast programme Fran Kelly MC'd the proceedings and over 100 business executives listened to some real stories from the street. Stories of domestic abuse, mental illness and unemployment, all with a common strand - that the storytellers all ended up sleeping out.

It made me realise that without a support group of friends and family, for many the margin between a normal life and sleeping rough is a very fine one.

As an example, an ordinary family man told his story: He was a chap who was a manual worker and was made unemployed at the same time as his wife. Within a few weeks all of their cash reserves were gone and he was evicted, along with his wife and two kids from his rented property - to the street.

St Vinnies picked them up and gave them enough interim support to enable them to get back on their feet. St Vinnies basically saved them. He is now re employed and his family housed again, but suddenly I realised that the margin between a normal life and horrible times is very thin for some.

And we were told that there is a shortfall between emergency accommodation of about 50,000 places per night - every night of the year.

So, after hearing these stories, a cup of soup and a roll I settled in to my quite warm sleeping bag. I got out my torch and book and settled in for a bit of a read.

Then it all began to strike home: I felt a bit hungry, no trip to the fridge, I wanted a wee, a trek to the nearest bathroom that was a 100 metres away, I couldn't get off to sleep, there was no sofa or late night TV to watch and damn, it was uncomfortable. The ground was hard and it was getting really cold. Later there were people chatting nearby and I realised that I'd feel very exposed and unsafe if I was sleeping out in a public space.

Eventually I slept and awoke at an ungodly morning hour feeling sticky and grubby and unshaven.

I have to confess, I didn't stop for the free coffee and porridge. I quickly rolled up my sleeping bag, tidied up my cardboard sleeping mat, bolted out the gate and got into a taxi.

I went home for a hot shower and a hug from the family!

On the way home I did some maths in the taxi, altogether we raised nearly $3 million that night, there are about 50,000 people sleeping out every night. That's about 18.25 million bed nights per year that are needed around Australia. The money we raised across Australia contributes about $0.16 cents per bed night.

It looks like I might be sleeping out again next year!

Thanks for your generous support.

Michael Combley

Company Director

Stancombe Research & Planning

Soup Kitchen Week 2

2010-06-16T13:48:00.000+10:00

Last week I made Roasted Butternut with Risotto and Goats cheese soup, and Bryant made Vegetable and Lentil with Smoky Bacon.

I decided a risotto based soup would save me buying garlic bread as the rice would be filling and therefore tick the carb box. Needless to say at 12.15 I went to the shop and bought some bread.

My only moment of panic was standing in Thomas Dux on Tuesday night looking at the goat’s cheese. What if no one likes goat’s cheese? Maybe I should substitute and make the soup with blue cheese. What does ash covered goat’s cheese taste like? 10 minutes later and armed with standard goats cheese I headed home. All I did on Tuesday night was roast the butternut as I decided that risotto would be better made fresh on the day.

I wasn't feeling very confident about my offering as it simmered on the stove top. It tasted a little bland and lifeless and I felt that all the seasoning in the world wasn’t going to transform it. What a difference the goat's cheese made. It was beautiful and creamy and the perfect partner for pumpkin.

My sagely soup advice is buy the best goat’s cheese you can afford, it was worth it.

Craig

Show me the perks!

2010-06-04T16:38:00.006+10:00

Customer loyalty points/cards are starting to migrate to the mobile phone. But watch out!

There is more going on than just transfering loyalty cards / points onto the mobile...

For example, www.foursquare.com turns customer loyalty into a game. It's an app that customers can download on their smart phones that uses the GPS function to let businesses know when they have visited one of their stores. The more times they visit, the more loyalty points they get and more rewards they can 'unlock'. If they visit more times than anyone else in a month, a customer can become the 'Major' of that business and unlock even further rewards.

It's an example that shows how businesses can go beyond loyalty card stamps & points. The exisiting mobile technology is there for business to use and drive not just loyalty, but also customer engagement.

Also, it's a win win situation. The customer gets rewarded (and entertained) for being a good customer and the business gets a direct link to their customers via their most personal and intimate item...the mobile phone.

Watch out for the following players:

www.perkler.com (It's a loyalty program aggregator and community, think eatability.com.au, but for loyalty programs)
www.foursquare.com (read the above)
www.mfoundry.com (can build bespoke or out of the box mobile retail loyalty programs)
www.causeworld.com (like Foursquare but you earn Karma points...check out the video below)

Read more here

P.S. This post is an update of the original

Soup Kitchen Kicks Off For 2010

2010-06-02T14:43:00.001+10:00

To say that anticipation for soup kitchen this year has been at all time high is quite the understatement, probably something to do with the cold snap and all the rain we have been having. It was no surprise then that the first soup for 2010 saw a full turn out of 'Stancombites' getting stuck in to the two soups on offer, bowls were licked clean and plenty of people went back for seconds and thirds (yes Mike we mean you).

I opted for an earthy combo of 3 mushroom and thyme - made with a little cream and a whole head of roasted garlic. Helen complimented this with a super tasty pea and bacon soup.

We both enjoyed rave reviews and we will happily provide recipes upon request, but do bear in mind that I never really follow a recipe, it's more like a little bit of this and a little bit of that - the best way to make a soup in my mind!

Our soup kitchen donation jar is already looking healthy with everyone today gladly handing over $5 for their bowls of soup, by the end of the season we should have close to $1,000 to hand over to Father Sinn of St Canices Church. Each year he gratefully receives our contribution and ensures me that all of it goes straight to supporting their own soup kitchen, one that has a long history of feeding the impoverished men and women of Kings Cross and beyond.

With the bar set high for another year we are all looking forward to the delights that Bryant and Craig have in store for us next week, till then...

Bon appetite Emma xx

The triple bottom line business model in action - TOMS shoes

2010-06-01T14:34:00.006+10:00

I have to admit, I like the idea of buying a cheap pair of shoes (that will hopefully last) and doing some good at the same time. I've put two pairs on order...

I wonder if this company will succeed and if more like it will follow?

Epic new ad from Nike. 10 million views in 10 days...not bad!

2010-05-28T15:41:00.000+10:00

Mark Earls Whips Up The Herd @ AQR?QRCA Conference Prague, 2010

2010-05-26T16:25:00.000+10:00

Mark Earls was the Keynote speaker for Inspiration In Action 2010 where he spoke on issues he outlines in his latest book titled: “HERD” (Wiley 2007)

According to the conference organisers, Mark believes:

“Human beings are NOT individuals and don’t make decisions on their own. Human beings are herd animals. We do what we do because of other people.”

“’Influence’ is more about the readiness of a population to adopt a behaviour than the behaviour of specific individuals, ie the Influenced do the heavy lifting of Influence, not the Influentials - and the fact that Influence is often mutual i.e. we all (well-connected or not) take cues from each other - that's one important reason why the search for the Influentials is so prone to misunderstanding and dead-ends.As soon as we grasp this, going about understanding and harnessing influence begins to be a little more sensible...”

“Most marketing efforts fail to make a dent and most mergers and acquisitions activity actually reduces shareholder value".

Food for thought and plenty of counter-arguments that could be raised.

Mark was certainly a controversial speaker - just what a conference needs!
You can link into Mark's blog ... http://herd.typepad.com (It is listed as one of the top sites in the UK so probably worth checking out!)

Joint AQR/QRCA Inspiration In Action Conference, Prague, May 2010

2010-05-26T15:12:00.003+10:00

Well, we went, we saw, we heard and we talked! It was a big week!

Now to our formal report ....

Susan Stancombe and Bryant George attended the joint AQR/QRCA Inspiration In Action Conference, in Prague, Czech Republic last week.

Prague proved to be a great choice of location. The old town of Prague is picture postcard perfect - cobbled streets, lovely stone bridges over a fast flowing river, exquisite examples of architecture (Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Contemporary), a castle, art galleries, street performers, museums galore, loads of goulash & dumplings and a very pretty clock. It is a city that is hard on the feet (we don't recommend pounding the cobblestone footpaths) yet very lovely to look at and very much a city that is managing to successfully shake off its communist past. Yes, consumerism is alive and well! We managed to squeeze in a tour of some of the shops and came home with a pair of locally made trainers - very stylish

So, a fitting setting for the 5th biennual Worldwide Qualitative Research Conference.

We are no strangers to this conference. Stancombe gave the Plenary address at the inaugural Worldwide Qualitative Research Conference in Paris in 2000, Susan presented at the Dublin conference in 2004 and last week, Bryant & Susan gave a joint paper in Prague titled: "Where the Wild Things Are, Group Instinct As Inspiration". We think it was well received!

As conferences go, this was a good-ish one.

The conferenced opened with a series of workshops - a great way to start!

Wendy Gordon kicked off with workshop 1. She was her usual inspiring self and facilitated a thought provoking workshop around the subject of "Making inspiring big theories into chunks that have value" which I found resonated particularly well. Ava Lindberg conducted a workshop on "Facilitating Consciously" and Jay Zaltman, explore the notion of how to choose new qualitative methods

I didn't go to the Zaltman workshop so not sure what the new methods are but given the tone of the conference, my money is on on-line research! In my humble opinion (after sitting through half a dozen or so papers around the topic of on-line qualitative research methods and applications, I am glad I missed it. The way we (the industry, that is) talk about on-line research is hardly inspiring! (to me, anyway)

So who did inspire?

Besides Wendy Gordon, Sheila Keegan inspired with her thoughts on how qualitative research can help create a better future in the workplace. Onya Sheila! It was great to hear a paper that explored well thought-out and carefully researched new ideas.

Sunderland + Denny inspired when they demonstrated the relationship between consumer generated art work (i.e. collages) and fine art and the cultural significance of this. Given Stancombe's love of the visual arts, it is no surprise that this paper went down so well with us!

The lovely Dr Goepp introduced a fresh perspective when he spoke on the benefits of ethnography to the medical fraternity. He explained how ethnography can be used to identify better / different diagnostic and treatment pathways. We suspect, Dr Goepp has a charming bedside manner. You'd want him looking after you if you found yourself 'under the weather'.

The 'grrls' from Sherbert (UK) rocked! They certainly inspired with their human, humourous, and intelligent dissertation on the "Science of the sleepover: Moderator-less research with tweens and teens" and the tweens on the video clip showed were hilarious. Needless to say, they provided much needed respite from papers on all things on-line

GiGi Santiago, gave an inspiring 'performance' of the old subject, "Creative directors hate research?"

There were some other interesting thoughts presented over the 3 days but I am afraid jet lag has the better of me so that is all I can do for now.

Do get in touch if you would like to know more

Cheers

Susan

ps: Some pics of the city and my co-presenter.... Enjoy!

The real thing

2010-05-26T09:49:00.010+10:00

A recent talk by Tom LaForge (Coca-cola's Director of Knowledge & Insights) at PSFK hypotheses a shift in the way brands will contribute to society over the next 10 years.

See Tom's slide below:

The premise of brands shifting towards a 'societal construction' role stands on the idea of an emerging 'new consumer': a citizen, environmentalist and community member.

So how does a brand shift towards a societal construction role? According to Tom LaForge here are a few ways:

Storytelling and meaning making
Planet stewardship
Cultural leadership
Aesthetic Design

Read the whole article here

Think before you post and tag

2010-05-17T11:51:00.007+10:00

There have been some interesting discussions around Facebook and social network privacy issues this week. From my understanding, the debate has been exacerbated by recent Facebook privacy policy changes. You now have to 'Opt Out' if you don't want Facebook to share your information with 3rd parties.

This and a bunch of other negative Facebook press is starting to raise concerns amongst younger and older users. For example:

Facebook bullying issues
The defacing of Facebook tribute sites
A recent murder involving Facebook
People losing their jobs because of Facebook comments

I'd guess it's these issues and others that have caused many people to start being more cautious about what they share and don't share on social networking sites. For example:

"...the Pew Internet Project has found that people in their 20s exert more control over their digital reputations than older adults, more vigorously deleting unwanted posts and limiting information about themselves" Source: New York Times, Tell-All Generation Learns to Keep Things Offline

I'm not sure we are going to see a mass exodus from Facebook, but I'm certain we will see more people actively protecting their social network identity and being more thoughtful when they post images and make comments

The 'Online Disinhibition Effect'

2010-05-10T16:41:00.006+10:00

The Psyblog makes an interested observation on the phenomenon called the 'Online Disinhibition Effect'...read the full article here.

"When communicating over the internet people don't feel the same pull towards social conformity as elsewhere. Online, people cast aside their inhibitions, worry less about the consequences of their actions and let it all hang out. Sometimes literally."

In a research context, there appears to be a great role for online methodologies to capture sensitive information that people would not be willing to disclose face-to-face. Something to think about when designing a study that requires people to disclose potentially embarrassing information.

The organic debate

2010-04-21T16:04:00.004+10:00

If you get time, please check out this interesting article. It attempts to provide some rationale around when it might be appropriate to purchase 'Organic' products

The article highlights that it's almost impossible to scientifically compare the nutritional density between organic and non-organic food (...well yes it's possible but incredibly expensive to do).

So in reality, many people (knowingly or not) are purchasing the philosophy behind organic food, not necessarily it's superior nutritional value.

It all comes back to conceptual consumption, i.e. we often buy the idea behind the product, not just the product itself.

Is The Primal Urge Upwardly Mobile?

2010-03-30T10:49:00.002+11:00

There is a massive range of people, kids in trainers, grey heads, attractive slim women, finely toned young men.

The background noise is a hubbub of contemporary music from PA speakers hung hugh in the roof and chatter from the floor. Empty sports drink bottles are scattered amongst the sofas and metal chairs in the rest areas.

There is a clatter of metallic equipment up in the cavernous ceilings and from time to time there are the grunts and groans of extreme effort. Groups of friends laugh and joke and pairs of climbers offer each other advice. But mostly the atmosphere is one of relaxed, but independent camraderie.

Absent is the heavy lifting of ‘look at me’ weights and the latest chic in gym wear. Look carefully and you notice an almost total absence of convention. Quite the reverse, the clothing look is sort of discarded or faintly grunge and the body toning is absolutely in line with body weight and size, if anything the most toned bodies look more like the toned natives of some remote rain forest tribe.

And yet the movement appears to be growing as more and more ‘rock gyms’ or indoor climbing walls appear around city suburbs and the fringes of urban industrial areas.

Is this the next great evolution of the modern fitness gym?

The appeal is becomes somehow very simple when you step back and watch the smallest of the kids, under the watchful supervision of their parents clamber enthusiastically upwards and then hover gently back down to the ground.

Clearly somewhere, deep within our primal selves there is an utter and absolute need to climb things.

Rock gyms are tapping into the that primal urge and combining it with the modern need to burn off excess food consumption and tone the body in line with the dictates of our current societal conventions. The climbing time creates a burst of energy that tones and develops muscles in absolute proportion to the owner’s body, there are no muscle freaks here! In addition, the ‘ground time’ offers time out for that social chatter and banter, something that is, by convention, very absent in a pure exercise gym.

As an offshoot from ‘outdoor’ climbing, indoor climbing walls began in the seventies and are now a very large industry. This enterprise is beginning to take a coherent shape, from the operators who invest in locations and thousands of square meters of artificial walls and fixed ropes to the manufacturers of the ‘artificial’ hand holds and climbing equipment.

Indoor rock gyms are beginning to become a very big business. But to date, no single entity or brand has emerged as a market leader.

But if the number of kids parties, complete with party cakes and attendance at late evening climbing sessions is anything to go by this industry will only grow and grow.

When was the last time you saw a kids birthday party complete in the sweaty weights room at an inner city gym?

What went round our office this week?

2010-03-19T16:27:00.004+11:00

A nice piece of experiential marketing from Heineken

Underground dining is becoming more sophisticated...digitally

2010-03-16T10:56:00.007+11:00

Underground dining is nothing new (yet not exactly mainstream), but what is interesting is how these small organisations have become so proficient at marketing themselves digitally (and most likely on the cheap).

The people who form part of this greater community seem to have that hipster knack of bringing to life the serendipity, sense of community and home cooked meal avantgarde'ness of underground dining. Check out the cool stop gap video below (note: they also give the music they used a plug by showing their myspace address...it's all about community)

A Razor, A Shiny Knife: An Italian Christmas Feast from Studiofeast on Vimeo.

Campbell Soup acts on neuoromarketing-based research

2010-02-23T16:44:00.005+11:00

"For years, Campbell’s researchers asked consumers whether they remembered an ad and whether it made them more likely to buy a product. But a 2005 Campbell analysis revealed that, overall, ads deemed more effective in surveys had little relation to changes in Campbell sales.

Robert Woodard, Campbell’s vice president of global consumer and customer insights, says the traditional interview had limited usefulness because people’s words didn’t fully capture their unconscious responses. He says Campbell needed approaches that would help it understand the neurological and bodily responses to an ad rather than how people thought they’d reacted."

Source: Wallstreet journal

See their neuromarketing-based research approach below:

What are tweens watching?

2010-02-23T10:27:00.004+11:00

Here a few resources for those interested in what tweens are currently watching (both TV and websites):

1. tv.com

2. helium.com

3. epinions.com

4. associatedcontent.com

5. onlinefamilyinfo.norton.com

6. Kidoz.net

7. digitaltrends.com

8 toptensites.com

9. Sahreranks.com

10. Alltimetv.com

Some science behind creativity

2009-12-09T12:55:00.004+11:00

Some clever people measured the brain waves of jazz musicians and found that inorder for them to play improv they had to deactivate the "dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a brain area associated with planned actions and self-control. In other words, they were inhibiting their inhibitions, which allowed the musicians to create without worrying about what they were creating".

Check out the full article here

Falling stars: Is celebrity culture over?

2009-12-03T10:19:00.004+11:00

The death of celebrity culture has been predicted many times before but if recent reports are indicative of an overarching trend, it seems that our our pathological obsession with "the stars" may finally, truly, be on the wane.

The most heartening evidence of our declining interest in all things Hollywood is seen in the paparazzi's declining fortunes. Earlier this month, The Daily Beast reported that the market for unauthorised photos of the stars has plummeted with the result that now, "a typical celebrity shot sells for 31 per cent less than it did in 2007". In some cases, far less than that. Two years ago exclusive rights to a photo of a drunken dishevelled Lindsay Lohan sold for $US150,000, but these days Lilo shots typically fetch between $US500 and $US1000. Meanwhile, in the same period, celebrity obsessed American newsmagazine US Weekly's overall photo budget has fallen from $US8 million to less than $US5 million.

It's the economy, stupid! I hear you argue, and that is undoubtedly a contributing factor. But as early as July last year, well-regarded consumer analysis group Datamonitor warned of celebrity fatigue amongst consumers. In its report, The Cult of Celebrity: Exploring the Implications for Effective Consumer Packaged Goods Branding, Datamonitor counselled against celebrity-based marketing strategies saying the market was saturated with over-exposed stars and low-recognition "non-ebrities" of limited appeal to an ageing population. Apparently, we've moved on from Hollywood and are now enamoured of innovative, interactive products that sell themselves on their own merits, ie. iPhones.

Mirroring Datamonitor's dismissive assessment of celebrity sway power is this month's survey of career ambitions amongst teens and young adults conducted by UK charity icould.com. The online mentoring program's poll found that "celebrity" was a profession to which only 14 per cent of its 1000 respondents aspired. To the surprise of icould.com's spokesperson David Arnold, the vast majority of survey participants nominated their parents, Barack Obama and British entrepreneur Alan Sugar as their preferred professional role models. In Arnold's words: "This is counter-intuitive to what we are led to believe - that youngsters these days only dream of being reality TV stars."

Most telling though is the sudden collapse of the celebrity-fashion nexus. The Wall Street Journal reports that "US sales of celebrity-licensed products fell to $US2.9 billion last year after peaking in 2006 at $US3.5 billion". Amongst the fallen fashion stars are Jennifer Lopez's Sweetface label and Paris Hilton's sister, Nicky Hilton's lines, Nicholai and Chick by Nicky Hilton. WSJ quotes US Vogue editor Anna Wintour's prediction that "Every D-level celebrity who thought they could make a quick buck by designing a handbag or whatever is going to disappear." In her view, "that's a good thing."

Be that as it may, New York Magazine writer Kurt Anderson notes that celebrity fascination is a cyclical phenomenon that's always been with us to a greater or lesser degree. Nonetheless, he's certain that this time it's different. The web is the game changer that fractured celebrity's mass-media platform. Anderson posits that our increasingly diversified media landscape will, in enabling the exponential increase of celebrities, inevitably debase their cultural currency.

Sounds like a reasonable argument but exclamations of Hallelujah! may be premature. Urban theorist and famed author of The Rise of the Creative Class, Richard Florida, refutes Anderson's position saying that rumours of the death of celebrity due to digital media's saturation Hollywood coverage are much exaggerated. While the proliferation of celebrity sites may have redefined our conception of celebrity, Florida reminds us that "with every new technology - from the rise of film, recorded music, talking pictures, transistor radios, FM radio, cable TV, and now the digital revolution - experts have predicted the death of celebrity. But each advance has generated celebrities bigger than the past. New technologies, as the work of German economist Peter Tschmuck has shown, open up new distribution channels and new markets that give birth to ever bigger stars." Far from burying celebrity, Florida predicts the rise of the super-celebrity: an interent-enabled mega-star of unprecedented global reach.

If pop music is an accurate barometer of popular culture, Florida is right. The Buggles foresaw the coming of the MTV juggernaut with their 1979 hit Video Killed The Radio Star. Thirty years later Robbie Williams is bemoaning how Reality Killed The Video Star, the title of his just released album. So what will kill the reality star? Second Life? Or our second thoughts about the centrality of celebrities in our cultural life?

The Post Britney Era

2009-12-03T10:04:00.008+11:00

Interesting article on the 'The post Britney Era' celebrity magazine market...see here

It think the point is that 'juicy pictures' are a plenty, but great stories are rare.

What can you love?

2009-11-26T15:03:00.004+11:00

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/games/its-the-unreal-wedding-of-the-year-20091126-jt2j.html?autostart=1

Interesting report of a man who has 'married' his Nintendo DS 'girlfriend'.

As we continue to move to a post-physical world some are embracing the possibilities, and with few rules or boundaries it really is a brave new world, where many of the old rules simply don't apply.

Girlfriend always late for something? Program a fix. Don't like his nose or one of his shirts? Program a fix. Want to have a virtual affair? Program .... you get the idea.

William Gibson (Nuromancer), Arthur C Clarke (Last Theorem) and other sci-fi writers have explored the idea of virtual love and ultimately experiencing the full gamut of human emotions - virtually. Though all before the technology was able to deliver in any meaningful way.

As the technology becomes able to make it real enough to experience - and humans have always been able to 'imagine' something slightly better than their reality (clearly some more than others) - so the road to leaving your physical body, potentially living forever, becomes ever so slighty more attainable. Virtual friends and pets (from facebook to Nintendo DS Catz) are increasingly prevelant and will continue to be higher spec'ed, so enabling greater and greater simulation of reality and ability to tailor them to what you want.

Who wants someone real with all their flaws when you can have someone perfect - for you?

THE i-DECADE

2009-11-24T11:34:00.005+11:00

Here is an interesting (and amusing) article that asks designers, curators and authors to comment on the styles and items that have defined the past ten years, example: celebrities, the Prius, 'it' bags and the iPod

Below are my favorites comments:

EKOW ESHUN, Artistic director, Institute of Contemporary Arts, London
The Prius. iPods. Style jams
The Prius is the car of the decade. It’s unlovely in lots of ways, but it has become an icon of aspiration. And then the iPod and social networking. Something that spools from these is that we don’t really have style subcultures anymore. Instead we have a playlist culture, where you’re allowed to mash up everything around you in a sort of pick’n’mix. Someone like the slightly gothy, rocky designer Rick Owens will have his moment of mainstream high-street influence at the same time as high-concept design from Viktor & Rolf, the slightly nerdy chic of Kanye West, and, say, day-glo. You have this simultaneous jam.

LOUISE WILSON, Professor of fashion, Central Saint Martins
Tracks and Ts. It-bags
If you looked down from Mars what you’d see would be hordes and hordes of people, all wearing a version of combat trousers and a T-shirt. As if they were off to war, or a sports track.

Because of the incredible rise of the high street, style became utterly democratised: individuality seeped away and people of every class all wore a version of the same thing, whether it was from Gap or a big label. Hence the importance of the It-bag: when everybody is equally dressed down, a bag is the only way to proclaim a high-fashion badge. Everything else was about repetition and looking backwards, from the Sienna Miller Sixties boho moment to the current Eighties revival. Happier times…

Technology and wine

2009-11-24T11:18:00.004+11:00

Susan pointed out this wine website (www.94wines.com)

This wine seller takes a very pragmatic approach to selling wine - it's all about helping you find the wine you like and making it easy to remember so you can order it again - no fancy stories about how the grapes were grown or 100 year old wine making traditions passed from father to son etc

There is also an interesting value add service. Upon placing an order, you can upload a text, photo or video file (one is allowed per bottle of wine), on the 94wines s server. 94wines then converts that content into a QR code, which it attaches to the bottle.

This means you can use your iPhone to show off some multimedia content you attached to the wine...geeky cool maybe?

Dip in support for Rudd

2009-11-18T16:53:00.002+11:00

I am wiping the egg off my face this morning. Last week I happily wrote off Newspoll’s recent findings of a drop in support for Rudd as a blip and then along comes this week’s Essential Report showing there is, indeed, something going on.

The fall we have picked up may not be as spectacular as Newspoll’s but we are beginning to see movement away from Labor, especially among older Australians.

A four-point fall in two party preferred vote is beyond margin for error and could mean one of three things: (i) Newspoll was right all along (albeit a little over-cooked); (ii) Newspoll was wrong but the world has caught up with their error; or (iii) we have a blip to match Newspoll’s.

Polling is a little like beauty – the truth lies in the eyes of the beholder – and short of ringing every voter up and asking them why they voted Labor (which we are planning to do next week) we can only look at the issues in play.

1. Asylum Seeker Stand-Off is Unresolved – after nearly a month the government has been unable to resolve the plight of the asylum seekers on the Oceanic Viking. We know that the public perceives the government as too soft in its handling of the issue – and we also know this is particularly felt by older voters.

2. Don’t Knows Higher Than Normal – another factor backing the asylum seeker theory is that Don’t Knows have jumped from an average of about 8 per cent to 13 per cent. My theory here is that left-leaning voters who think the government is actually playing too hard on asylum seekers are ‘parking’ their protest in the ‘Don’t Know‘ column. In other words, he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.

3. Coming Back to the Field on the Economy – Separate questions asked this week shows that Labor is losing its grip on the economic arguments and its ability, to date, to neutralise a core Coalition strength. The Libs’ 24-point lead on managing debt would be an area of growing concern.

4. Not Telling Your Good News Stories - Another issue we picked up this week was the low number of people (just 27 per cent) who know that Labor has taken over construction of the National Broadband Network. For every punter who whines that the government doesn’t stand up to big business, here is the perfect response. Rudd and Conroy eyeballed Telstra and saw off Sol, they have taken on the most significant macro-economic reform in a decade and have squandered the chance to tell a populist economic story that even The Australian supports.

5. Confusion on Climate Change – The government is not just struggling to get its CPRS through the Senate, it is struggling to keep the public engaged in climate change,. As the debate has gotten more and more specific, more people have been falling not the ‘Don’t Know’ category on just about every indicator. And now, something even scarier is happening, the number of people denying climate change is on the rise – up to 31 per cent.

6. Two Years Is Too Long for Any Honeymoon – A two-year honeymoon is longer than some marriages. Having enjoyed popularity that made Bob Hawke look like a social outcast, it was only a matter of time before Krudd came back to the field.

Finally, some perspective – even if this week’s poll is true and support is 55-45, that is still two points better than the November 2007 federal election. While the Liberal Party will take some comfort from these numbers, whichever way you cut it Labor is still in poll position for the one day when it matters.

by Peter Lewis (www.smh.com.au)

End of metrosexuals is a win for real equality

2009-11-18T16:44:00.003+11:00

Unless you were lucky enough to be of nightclubbing age in the 1970s it has never been cool to wear white leather shoes. Despite being akin to wearing a large sign that says “I’m a tool”, this hideous footwear has had something of a resurgence in trendy nightclubs thanks to metrosexuality.

But after a decade at the cutting edge of cool, metrosexuals have been given one clear signal they may have to go back to being ordinary blokes. Nightclub promoter Scott Mellor has chalked a line in the pavement outside a new club event in Melbourne that debuts on Friday. Beyond it, metrosexuals shall not pass.

Anthropologists might be tempted to attribute this to a socio-collectivist and culturo-genetic realisation that men are not capable of understanding manicures and shopping to the extent required to live a truly metrosexual life. But most would say metrosexuality was like platform shoes for blokes – a stupid idea in the first place – and besides, since David Beckham first dyed his tips blonde women have been clamouring that they prefer real men.

The event details from the club’s website are worth quoting at some length:

No snakeskin shoes, No Ed f***ing Hardy, No numbered polos, no axl rose bandanas. Spread the word and bring the party. Upstairs at Ding Dong. Check your life pre entry.
NO METROSEXUAL ATTIRE
NO AGGRESSION
NO ASSHOLES
(No tragic pout photos)

Now the general law in most Australian states is that it’s discriminate against someone on grounds of sex, pregnancy, age, race, sexuality, religion or disability. Mellor is exploiting a neat loophole: there’s nothing to stop discrimination against someone on the grounds that they’re an up-themself poser douchebag.

This is one loophole that doesn’t need to be closed. In a sign that this might be part of a trend, one of Australia’s best new restaurants has a not dissimilar set of house rules. Before you get to the food in the menus at Neil Perry’s Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney you’re warned against getting snotty and demanding with the staff. “Check your attitude with your coat at the door,” it says.

Metrosexuality was only starting to gain a real foothold when it was lampooned in the 2001 movie Zoolander. Arguably Ben Stiller’s finest movie, it showed men who paid too much attention to their image were a rich source of ridicule.

My own opinion of metrosexuality through the years has been massively inconsistent. Despite scoffing at the awful pretentiousness of the whole phenomenon and ridiculing my friends I did have my hair dyed blonde in Thailand in 2002 and have occasionally worn polos with big numbers on them. These days I spend $45 on my haircut which I suspect is the annual barber budget of many Australian men whose loaves look just fine.

Most tellingly, last Christmas the secret Santa in work got me a metrosexual styling kit which I accepted with much mirth only to slink home and to have a look at how good the tweezers were. (Let me make it clear I’ve never had a manscape, gotten a fake tan or worn my collar up.)

The trouble for metrosexuals now is that what began, like most fashion trends, as an original, slightly ironic and fringe lifestyle choice went mainstream. While the original metros would put in a short appearance at a club before retiring by 10pm (can’t miss the beauty sleep), trendy bars are overrun with great-smelling, manicured and buff straight dudes whose conversation moves seamlessly between interior design and Collingwood’s chances next season.

If this is the beginning of the end for metrosexuality it’s a win for the all-consuming passion of Australians for real equality, the same passion that loathes idle hands and anyone with more money than sense. Because to be a true metrosexual you need a specific combination of two things most men in middle Australia don’t have much of: time and cash to burn.

Declaring that people with too much money and time on their hands are unwelcome at a club is a classic expression of the Australian society’s unrelenting pursuit of equality. It’s a way of saying the boundaries have been pushed too far. You’ve had your fun, metros. Time to put away the moisturiser.

Or maybe it’s just a really clever way of getting women looking for a real man in the door of a club.

by Paul Colgan (www.smh.com.au)

Price of Happiness

2009-11-16T09:17:00.003+11:00

Interesting article in SMH today:

http://www.smh.com.au/national/money-can-buy-you-love-economist-says-20091115-igd8.html

Talks about the financial equivalent to the impact of happiness on men and women.

Indicates that men are impacted to a far greater level than women from key life events.

Wonder if anyone has any hypotheses as to why?

(CW)

New Guinness Ad - only 150k youtube hits

2009-11-12T10:00:00.003+11:00

OK - so this new ad is not doing so well virally

Personal I didn't get inspired by this ad.

I think what may be blocking the connection and engagement with the brand and message, is the riot of special effects and over stylization.

As Clive Wing pointed out - "Style over Substance, Transformer style"

or

As GeekyGirlUK* points out - "Visually beautiful, but ultimately empty . Yes, it's all about brand awareness, and I guess that what Guiness want people to be aware of is that their ads are usually a benchmark for 'clever/artistic' ads. However, I think the premise is tired..."

*This comment was found on the youtube comments page regarding the Guinness ad