How did you celebrate Earth Day? Kellogg’s with the help of Gel Comm’s creative minds celebrated Earth Day 2010 with reusable shopping bags. They were displayed at some of the local supermarkets and sold out the same day. Now they are part of Kellogg’s online Earth Day promotions. Check them out on http://www.kelloggs.com/promotions/earthday/.
This article is very interesting and sheds hopeful light that new technology like the ipad and smart phones are signs of our economy recovering. This article came from Strategy Business that I suggest you subscribe and follow their blog. I believe it is also part of Harvard Press which publishes Harvard Business review…excellent reading!
Enjoy: Pato
by Mark Stahlman
The history of investment and technology suggests that the global economy is poised to enter a new phase of robust, dependable growth. Such phases occur roughly every 60 years, and they last for a decade or more, part of a long cycle of technological change and financial activity. The current cycle, which began around 1970, is based on silicon: the integrated circuit, the digital computer, global telecommunications, and the Internet. It may feel like this technology has run its course, but the cycle is really only at its midpoint, and a new silicon-based global elite will lead the way to economic recovery.
To read the full analysis:
http://www.strategy-business.com/article/10110
enews is an exclusive platform for business analysis, insights, commentary, and other intellectual capital from the authors, strategists, and editors at strategy+business.
Art Kleiner
Editor-in-Chief
strategy+business
If you are interested U.S. Hispanic buying habits, this is an informative
and valuable article. Latinos are the fastest growing demographics in the US
and uncommonly challenging to market to because of their complex cultural
and language segmentation.
At Gelcomm, we believe that Hispanic youths, specifically “tweens” should be
considered when developing new brands targeting teens. Their buying power is
significant and as great as non-Hispanics but the difference is how language
and family influence buying habits. In a future blog, we promise to write
about this in more detail. Please enjoy this article we found in
Hispanicad.com. It is an excellent blog dedicated to Hispanic Adverting. The
blog also shares statistics on Hispanic behavior that you will find
valuable.
Hispanic Ad.com
Almost all Americans are cutting back because of the recession, but in Hispanic households across the country, these cutbacks have a unique tone. New information from market research firm Mintel shows US Hispanics skirting some of the major lifestyle shifts being endured by non-Hispanics.
“Because of the recession, many people are scaling back—dining out less, entertaining at home more, and spending less on their credit cards,” states Leylha Ahuile, senior multicultural analyst at Mintel. “Because Hispanic consumers live simpler, more home-spun lifestyles, they don’t have to make many of these cutbacks. This drastically changes their experience of the recession.”
Dining in, not out – While 52% of the general population is dining out less because of the economy, Mintel finds Hispanics already dined in more frequently. Hispanics spend the most on groceries of any ethnic group (averaging $115 weekly), and their spending is almost identical across income levels (not so for non-Hispanics who spend more if they earn more).
Entertainment at home – In both 2007 and 2008, despite economic declines, Hispanics increased their entertainment spend, likely due to the fact that many US Hispanics are young and starting families. Mintel found Hispanics are also more likely than the general population to subscribe to movie-at-home services.
Credit card debt – The financial crisis is riddling people’s confidence, but because many Hispanics don’t participate in the banking system, they aren’t as affected. Mintel found Hispanics are twice as likely (40%) as non-Hispanics (21%) to have no type of account with a bank. Furthermore, less than half of Hispanics have or use credit cards.
“Because Hispanics aren’t experiencing the major lifestyle shifts of non-Hispanics, they remain optimistic for the future,” comments Leylha Ahuile. “Four in five Hispanics agree the US is the ‘land of opportunities’, while over half believe their financial situations will improve soon.”
Though Hispanics aren’t experiencing the complete societal overhaul of non-Hispanics, they’re still suffering from the recession. Three in four (76%) told Mintel their personal finances are in fair or poor shape, while less than one in three (31%) said they feel secure financially.
For more information at <http://mintel.com>
Get ready to change in the way you think about what is green in the products you buy. Recently on a NPR program, there was a very powerful story about how the ecology of a product’s life cycle will affect the consumers’ buying habits. For example, you like to buy organic products. Let’s say that you have purchased an organic T-Shirt thinking that it’s good for you and the environment. But did you know that organic cotton fibers are shorter than the conventional cotton and thus require more water and land to produce the same amount of cotton for a T-shirt? More and more, the companies are caving into the pressures from consumers that they be more transparent about what chemicals and processes they use to manufacture their products. There is a new site called “goodguide.com” just launched couple of months ago by Dr. Dara O’Rourke, this site aggregates many of these databases to give the consumer a more true ecologically responsible rating for products that we buy. It even offers an Iphone app. so you can make more ecologically sound decisions as you shop.
While you are there check out their link to a book called “Ecological Intelligence” by Daniel Goleman. Here the author gives tons of insightful information on how knowing the hidden impacts of the products we purchase can change everything. Companies spend billions of dollars on market research and analysis on how we buy; on what makes us decide to buy on product over another. By making ourselves more aware of how a product’s life cycle impacts the environment and to our health, we as consumers will become more intelligent and responsible, thus, making the manufacturing companies to change in the same way.
You may say that people will always shop for cheaper products. Yes, but you will have alternative choices and any price point. Basically the competitive nature of these companies wanting your business will offer a change to attract your dollars. This brings a real economical incentive to the marketplace for them to change. What’s really cool about the “goodguide.com” is that, you can make a complaint to these companies and say that you want them to use less harsh chemical to produce their products. What’s really smart about this website is that it won’t send off your complaint right away. It will wait it until it has about 500 complaints for that specific company. Why, because it will them seem more significant and go right to the higher channels of executives rather than the low channels where one or few complaints will be sent. Very smart…
Tags: consumer trends, ecological, good guide, goodguide.com, intelligence
If you have ever worked from home as a designer or artist, then you know the meaning of “cabin fever.” For a designer, though, the feeling of isolation and loneliness that comes from being away from company for extended periods of time can have a negative effect on your work. If there is no one around to bounce an idea off of or to ask their opinion on a work-in-progress you can start to feel creatively worn out. Doubts start to creep in, and you begin to feel stifled with the same solutions. But there is a way that even the most isolated designer or artist can not only become a part of an artist community but make a few bucks in the process.
The first of these are the on-line design competitions, which are springing up all across the internet offering decent prizes if the submitted work is chosen for production. The best of these involve the community of artists in discussion boards and provide a place where designers can chat with and befriend other artists. A good example of this type of site is threadless.com, an on-going tee shirt design competition that prints 5-7 new tee shirts every week from the designs submitted for free to the site. The community blogs are free and response to a post is likely to get a dozen responses within minutes. There are areas for critique and to post other artwork and links to other design sites. It is very easy to become a part of this truly vibrant community.
Another community-based forum is deviantart.com, populated by artists who use the site as a showcase for their illustration and digital paintings. The variety of work is astounding and a post is likely to draw numerous comments and suggestions very rapidly. In addition, the site offers a store front that allows the artists to sell their work as posters or high-quality prints. Artists review each other’s work, offer suggestions, and give praise readily. Most of the core communities are well-established digital artists and illustrators, but the student and layman base offers a wide perspective of comments.
Finally, social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are good for something more than just getting in contact with that kid you knew in third grade. There are a wide variety of groups available for you to join that cater to specific areas of interest, such as the future of print design, connection groups for designers in a specific city and even tutorial groups to share tips and tricks used in producing design work.
One of the biggest advantages all of these groups offer, though, is the opportunity to get to know designers and artist from well beyond the physical limitations of distance. Most of these sites are free and open to anyone from anywhere in the world and are often populated by an eclectic mix of cultures and perspectives.
So don’t let yourself sit at home and lament the fact you have no one to talk art with…open up a browser and make some friends!
Tags: artist, colony, telecommuting
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