As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, on January 31 several odd black boxes with lights were seen around Boston and confused for bombs.  The media jumped right on it, and before you knew it, there was a mass hysteria surrounding the story.  The boxes ended up being a publicity stunt for Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a cable show that runs on Cartoon Network.  What the media didn’t initially report was that these same boxes were also found in eight other cities.

The immediate thought that popped into my head when I heard about this was:

As people continue buying more items online, clothing has remained a purchase that most picky dressers prefer to make in a brick and mortar store.  All of that could soon be changing.  Before we discuss that, let’s take a quick look at the status quo for clothing purchases in 2007:

Why Do People Buy Clothing Online?

- Sometimes the clothing is less expensive
- You can buy it in your underwear
- No traffic/crowds
- You can compare from many vendors before choosing
- You have an unlimited inventory to choose from

A 16 year old student in from White Plains, NY has decided that enough is enough.  When the Recording Industry Association of America withdrew their lawsuit against his mother, Patti Santangelo, and aimed its sights on Robert, he decided to fight back.

The lawsuit alleges that Robert has been illegally downloading music since the age of 11, and has been disseminating the music online, but Robert’s lawyer, Jordan Glass has come up with over 30 defenses.

Some of the defenses:

Most of us don’t stay awake at night thinking about dressing rooms, but I do.  It’s not because I have a fetish for dressing rooms or anything – I just don’t like what stores have done to them, and need to point some things out.

Many stores do not realize just how valuable customer perception is at the dressing room level.  The dressing room is not just a place to try on clothing.  It is an area that shoppers use for privacy, as well as a momentary serene oasis to get away from the madness in a mall.  This can be understood better if you look at the way a hotel operates, which also is supposed to provide you with an “oasis”.  If you checked into a small hotel room, which had things thrown all over the place, inadequate lighting, and a pesky attendant constantly checking your door, how comfortable would you feel?

Finally caving into the market forces, Chad Hurley, YouTube co-founder, announced that the popular video sharing site will soon share revenue with its members.  While there are several video sharing sites that pay users for their video content, YouTube is the 800 lb. gorilla. As you probably recall, YouTube was purchased by Google for a whopping $1.65 Billion.

Who else is in the video sharing market pays you for your video?

MetaCafe’s Producer Rewards program pays you $5 for every 1,000 video views…but wait, there’s a catch.  You ONLY get paid if your video reaches 20,000 views.

Generally, when you think of the largest companies in the world, you don’t tend to think of an internet company.  You’ll probably think of Microsoft, GE, GM, and a few other household names.  After all, who can deny knowing these brands’ logos at a glance?  What these companies aren’t telling you is that they are scared…well actually, terrified, of internet brands. But why?

1. Time

A new study at LiveScience has shown that your microwave oven is capable of killing germs.  The best use of this would be taking your dish cleaning sponge, which is a haven for bacteria, and soaking it with water, since microwaves act on water and excite the particles.  Then place the sponge in your microwave for two minutes to kill or inactivate 99% of all germs.  To kill the most elusive type of bacteria (Bacillus cereus spores) keep it on for four minutes.  Do this once every couple of days to keep yourself safe.

If the phrase “time is money” is true, then it certainly behooves us to try to minimize the amount of time it takes to do any task.  As someone who reads an awful lot each day, I have been particularly sensitive to the time it takes me to read something (in case you haven’t noticed, on the main page of this blog, I even let you know the estimated amount of time needed to read each post!).  Over the years I have put together some ways to read faster – instantly.

We experience things in many ways, and marketers are always in search of a new way to connect with the consumer.  Psychological research always shows that the strongest recollection comes from the highest involvement of our senses.  For example, when you are a florist trying to sell a flower, you don’t just market the fact that the flower looks nice, you also sell it on the merits of its smell.  This adds value to the end product, because it has more uses, and more ways for someone to experience it.

This morning I awoke to a strange surprise – the winter’s first snow. It was then that I realized I haven’t written about safe snow driving on my blog…so here goes.

5. Check Exhaust

Before getting into your car, check the exhaust of your car to make sure it is free and clear of any obstruction, including snow or ice. Why? Because hundreds of people each year die from Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is odorless, tasteless, and has barely any recognizable symptoms. Snow or ice in your exhaust can trap the CO that would normally be exiting your car through the exhaust.