Blackberry PlayBook

I knew I was right not to buy into the whole iPad thing. They're pretty, and they're fun, but the lack of Flash and AIR support means that you can't use them for the very thing they were designed for - entertainment on the web!

Luckily (and it was just a matter of time) other people are addressing this issue and soon we're going to finally see the full package in a tablet.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/27/rim-introduces-playbook-the-blackberry-tablet/

Will e-commerce save the planet?

We spend more than anyone else in Europe online; buying things we used to buy in a shop.

This has the potential to change the role of product packaging.  Product packaging that aims to sell a product on a shop shelf becomes redundant, and is replaced by the product page on a website.   

The role of the packaging changes from ‘selling on a shelf’, to ‘safe, eco friendly, cheap transportation':  The product packaging and the transport packaging become the same thing.  

Think of it.  It could take a whole layer out of the delivery chain, dramatically reducing ‘global transport mass’ which could end up saving the planet in reduced carbon emissions.

So the Internet might just help save the planet.  

Amazon have 'Frustration Free Packaging'.  They agree with manufacturers to eliminate the inconvenient, ecotoxic packaging that is impossible to open, bulky and heavy from the entire supply chain.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200392050

Ebay have their Reusable Box.  It’s the same concept as one of those re-usable orange envelopes you use for internal post.

http://www.ebaygreenteam.com/projects/the-ebay-box

Ocado claim that ordering from them is environmentally friendly.... "Ocado delivery van can replace up to 40 car journeys every single day." 

Wouldn't it be great to see the big grocers follow Amazon and Ebay's lead on this.

Herding Cats

Great creative idea. Let 100 cats let loose in IKEA "to see what happens".

See the new IKEA ad being made here.

http://tinyurl.com/2wedlry

What Motivates Us...

Great video from the RSA about what motivates us...

What are you worth?

A blog exploring the value of advertising and marketing with lots of thought provoking interviews with sagacious marketing type folk.

This is a DMA sponsored project in the run up to the DMA awards, being run by creative graduates holed up on the 7th floor at the moment....  Nice job.

Quoting unquote...  "[the DMA asked] What is the ‘real value’ of creativity? That was their challenge in a changing Britain in a changing decade. So we did what our generation does. Started a blog. Triggered conversation. Made friends, followers and fans. We’re out to show what you’re worth to leaders of business, charity and government. Perhaps even to Mr Cameron himself?"

http://www.whatareyouworthblog.wordpress.com

"Even marketing has laws"

If you work in marketing, and especially if you work in an agency like Proximity, you'll have come across the works of the great Professor Andrew Ehrenberg (who died last week), even if you haven’t realised it.

As a scientist, he pioneered the academic study and development of Buyer Behaviour Theory and gave us many of the classic marketing models that continue to drive standard practice today.

He was one of the first academics to study Patterns of Consumer Purchases to produce simple, universal marketing laws to guide marketing strategy, even if we sometimes forget them e.g.

“price promotions do not produce loyal customers”

Respect to the Prof.... Sadly he died before developing some scientific laws governing social media (darn, nearly managed a post without mentioning it), but if you're interested in the more academic side of our industry and aren't phased by big words, a wide-ranging summary of his contribution is available here http://members.byronsharp.com/empgens/EMPGENS-12-1.pdf