Airports have been on my mind lately, possibly because I had this trip planned.
We were supposed to have a one hour lay over in Frankfurt, which wound up being taken over by our late flight, passport stamping, and running to the gate.
While pondering our itenerary, it occurred to me what every airport needs: a place to pay $20 and take a shower. Am I right or am I right?
I mentioned this to friends and they pointed out that many of the Elite programs airlines offer include showers. Now I don’t know how they know this because I don’t think they’ve ever been inside one of those lounges, but it sounded right so I believed it.
I do think that there’s a market for economy showers at international airports and if you have a spare couple million, we should talk.
I noticed while we were checking in this morning that a few of the check in stations boasted beautiful flower arrangements. For their elite, of course.
Post security, I noticed the entryway to these Elite Lounges. I would just love to see what goes on in there!
The sign reads "United Airlines Red Carpet Club", "Singapore Airlines Silver Kris Lounge", and "EVA Airways Evergreen Lounge".
Red Carpet Club? Silver Kris Lounge? Evergreen Lounge? I bet those travelers lucky enough to frequent these oases don’t notice anything but the name of the airline and the luxurious entry way, no matter how many dollars went into the branding. Read on…
My friend Jigar sent over this New York Times story about Tupperware’s new campaign to better use social media.
I’m sure we’re all familiar with the Tupperware scheme, but let’s review. Tupperware does not spend money on traditional marketing campaigns. Instead they build a workforce of women who sell Tupperware by convincing friends and strangers to host Tupperware parties.
I love Tupperware, and I use it every day. I started selling it because I recognized how great of a product it was. I never sold that much of it because it comes with a very high price tag.
For whatever reason (and I have my theories) Tupperware is an investment. You invest in quality, and the fact that it’s going to be around forever and you can get replacement lids and yadda yadda. But you have to have that cash upfront to commit, and a lot of people just don’t have that. Especially a lot of my friends who are primarily still barely post college. (What’s that? I’m 7 years out?? It feels like yesterday.)
So I didn’t sell much, but I have continued trying to convince my friends and loved ones to make the investment because it’s worth it. I’ve had daydreams for years about making fun Tupperware commercials on Youtube and selling products that way. My sister and I embarked on this scheme back in 2006 before I read Tupperware’s Internet Terms and Conditions. Read on…
I found myself exploring the middle region of California on the way up from Bakersfield. Along the way I got two (!!!!) really nice compliments about my hair, which did look awfully nice considering I had just slept for only five or so hours on my friend’s floor between the hours of 3am and 8:30am. My friend Laura throws the best parties.
Along the way home we stopped at a Starbucks that was next to a Panda Express. I was saddened to see families headed to a Panda Express for a high-fat high-sugar high-sodium hella processed Easter meal.
On the other hand, who could resit these two adorable pandas telling us of the magical treasures inside the Panda Express??
Mmm golden treasure shrimp. Sounds expensive and delicious. We can rest assured that the money they aren’t spending on quality ingredients is being spent on a decent advertising firm.
Later we ate at a Green Burrito. The food could have been worse, but the sight of kids drinking sodas bigger than their heads was the real attraction (detraction?). Are you a fan of Panda Express and really really large sodas?
I have been their customer for years, and yet they continue to send advertisements for their services almost weekly.
Not only is it a waste of money and paper (you know they aren’t buying recycled), but it screams, “We charge you SO MUCH more than we need to so we can afford ongoing direct mail campaigns without even caring whether we’re pitching to our very own customers!”
As a small business owner, I’m honored to receive double the direct mail offering me products to which I already subscribe. And for this, I hate you, Comcast. I also hate you for all the hidden fees you sneak into my bill every month. Not cool, Comcast.
I look forward to heading over to your local office within the next two weeks and turning in my DVR, receiver, remotes and anything else in the house labeled Comcast.
I finally found a local internet provider, Sonic. They’re coming tomorrow to hook me up. EXCITED!
(Not that that will keep me from receiving the Comcast spam snail mail, though.) Why do you hate Comcast?
I spotted this billboard for McD’s breakfast deal. Just $2.99!! But what is it?
It looks to me like it’s a big pile of mush. If I liked McDonalds food, I might have been interested in it. As it is, I can hardly tell the sausage (is that even sausage?) from the hashbrowns from the biscuits from the eggs.
I don't think it's my mediocre photo that makes this look like a heap of mush instead of an appetizing breakfast.
My great friend Molly taught me a lot about food in college. A rule of thumb, she says, is that you have a balanced meal when you have a colorful plate. Look for all the colors of the rainbow; find red in kidney beans, beets or red chard, green in, well, greens, throw in some orange carrots or squash…it makes me hungry just thinking about it! Read on…
One of my favorite pastimes is noticing brands and imagining the boardroom scene that led up to it. In my mind it’s always a lot like the meetings in MadMen…the advertising guys and gals pitching ideas back and forth before presenting them to moody or otherwise delicate clients.
The branding of Koala Care–those shelves you find in bathrooms for changing babies–strikes me as half brilliant and half preposterous. The alliteration is fantastic, and it makes an adorable if not necessarily accurate logo: Read on…
Do you remember those Magic Eye books that were all the rage in the 90′s? Do you still have one on a shelf somewhere?
I stumbled on one yesterday at my chiropractor’s office. I had to read the directions again to make it work. It sure does work!! Those fish were swimming all over the place and in front of and behind plants! It was crazy. Read on…
I walk down Piedmont Ave in North Oakland at least three or four times a week. It’s my hood, and I love it.
The other day I spotted this sign for Love Nails Spa (I think that’s what it’s called?) which gets pretty good reviews on Yelp.
I think 3 1/2 stars is a pretty good score for a nail place, though it seems the high marks might be due in part to their low prices.
I would think that a place that has the foresight to name their business “Love Nails” or “Love Nails Spa” would continue along the line of good marketing instincts, and forgo any major marketing mistakes. Read on…
I received an email from a friend of mine with an extremely unique point of view on the world. I’ve been encouraging him to get a blog for awhile. All through our college days, he collected followers to the point where people joked he should start his own religion. A born blogger! He asked me some tough questions about blogging.
(1)I noticed you have advertisements on your site but they are for non-tacky items. Can you select what kind of ads go on your site?
The ads that I have on jenniferheller.com are for services or products that I actually use. I’m signed up as an affiliate and should someone make a purchase, I make a commission. I have made $0. So, yes, I chose them, and made the effort to add them to my site.
Read on…
I spent some time last night checking out the prices of retail spaces along Broadway Auto Row. I have a dream of renting one of the empty auto dealerships…
While looking I stumbled on a Craigslist post for an office building titled, “WE’RE HAVING A HOLIDAY SPECIAL DEAL! OFFICES FOR RENT IN CHEAPER PRICE.”
Well, we all know that postings all in caps sell better, so that was definitely a good choice. You have to shout to get our attention! It’s not enough that you’re offering a holiday special in mid-January. I don’t know if that’s a marketing mistake or just plain negligence.
Thankfully the post body was not in all caps. Score one property management company. Read on…
