your name in lights

Each time Target opens a new store in the US they have a fireworks show in the carpark where customers are given Holospex custom glasses that when worn, turn the lights into Target logos.

Holospex is an American company that custom makes these glasses for any occasion, be it a product launch or just a standard fireworks show with a twist. Im really excited about this product!

Maybe the technology is simple but its the innovative idea that I think is amazing. This technology could be used not just in fireworks shows as they work with normal lights aswell.

A friend told me that she has some Hello Kitty ones that when wearing in a car makes it look like hundreds of Hello Kitty's are flying towards her due to the car lights!

I think its a great marketing opportunity for many organisations and should be utilised more!

visit the holospex website to learn more.

innovation

Shower Suit

A Japanese researcher working for Australian Wool Innovation has created a suit that can be worn in the shower and will drip dry within 3 hours, with no need for ironing.
Combining three technologies the suit is made with minimal lining which helps it dry quicker, perfect for busy people!
The specially designed garments can also be placed on a hanger that can be placed in the shower for 3 - 4 minutes to remove common water based stains.
This technology is awesome, making it easy for business people who travel often or who have long working hours.
An example of a wacky Japanese invention that just may take off.

anything can happen and probably will

I was having a conversation the other day with a friend and we started talking about politics, well I did. I asked my friend what he thought about Barack Obama and his reply was short

Friend: "Who is that? Is he an actor?"

Me: "Uhh no, he’s the Democratic nominee in the US 2008 presidential campaign"

Friend: "Oh, so why do I care? I don’t care about US politics"

I got to thinking about a few things, 1. Im pretty sure said friend doesn’t care about ANY form of politics, and 2. Why do I care?

I care because I know our countries relationship with the US has an affect on our other international relations. I care because the US has the world’s largest economy and that changes in the US economy inflict changes in ours. Finally I care about the US election as I feel it’s important to remain informed on world issues.

Im not an expert, I don’t know everything and I don’t concede to knowing everything. I know enough to know that it’s fine that I care and it’s probably fine that my friend doesn’t.

In the same way that a company should be socially responsible I believe as a citizen of the world it is socially irresponsible not to be aware of world issues. I wonder if my friend’s conscience tells him the same thing.

Recently John McCain (the republican presidential candidate) nominated Alaskan Sarah Palin as his vice. Palin's name has not been spared from headlines across the world and rumour and scandal is rife.

Many people are asking why McCain would select a vice who:

• Admits to smoking pot

• Has strong anti-abortion views, and a pregnant teen daughter to prove it

• Has previously appointed a known sexual-harassment offender to office then had to fire him

• Sounds totally clueless talking about Iraq or foreign policy; and,

• Wants to teach Creationism in schools

That sounds like a nightmare to me, but, it’s not my country. I am not electing anyone to represent my country here so technically my point of view doesn’t count. I am not a citizen of the United States of America and perhaps I need the perspective of a citizen.

In response to an online article titled 'Character v celebrity' on The Australian website that served as a 'bold and fearless prediction for the US presidential election' New York resident Sam said "The media elite from whom you learn about the U.S. don't really understand much of the country beyond D.C., NYC and L.A. Yes, Palin does reflect Americans well. A large majority of Americans believe in the right to own firearms and millions do own them (and hunt). A large majority of Americans believe that abortion should be significantly restricted." [source]

What seems so wrong to me (legalized ownership of firearms and illegal abortion) are not so wrong to millions of people living in the US. Scary.

When it comes around to the end of the 2008 US election and the new President is announced, ill be watching.

Will you?

unusual consumer behaviour

Why is it there is always money for that new jacket or those must have shoes but never enough to buy groceries or go to the gym?

Consumer behaviour is a really interesting topic which has been intensively studied around the world for hundreds of years. Whilst reading recently I came across an idea that was based around the idea that middle class people purchase certain products to be perceived as upper class where as upper class people purchase the same product based on pure convenience and practicality.

In Australia we are lucky as social class barriers are often blurred as we have many overlapping lifestyle and demographic variables between classes. For example at a football match, a loved Australian pastime, you will be able to find a selection of upper, middle and lower-class citizens sitting together for the same purpose.

It got me thinking, when I find money in my already tight budget to buy a new pair of jeans is this because I want to be perceived as of a higher class? What are my motivations behind switching meals for clothing?

I’m not alone on this either, I have many friends in similar situations who manage to splurge on designer clothing and I have no idea how they do it!

I suppose us students can all be poor together, eat cheap meals and consume cheap drinks but at least we all look good in our new jeans, flash jackets and expensive haircuts...

Buyer Decision Process

Problem Recognition

My phone plan ended this month which was a relief as I had been waiting for the day I could wave goodbye to Telstra for the past 23 months and 29 days!

Anyway…I found myself in a situation where I realised I needed to find a new service provider. The phone I had was alright, or so I thought, but after about 5 different people suggest I get a new handset as mine was looking a bit old, I decided to look for a whole package, plan and phone.

Information Search

I would usually suggest shopping around when you are committing yourself to a 12 month or 24 month plan but after visiting the 3 store on Bourke st and standing around for 5 minutes while the staff chatted and ignored me I moved on to Allphones in Melbourne Central. The staff there were fantastic, asked me what I was after and suggested an appropriate plan for me, in the space of 5 minutes!

Evaluate Alternatives and Choose an Alternative

There are a lot of alternatives to choose from in the mobile phone market so taking time to do this is usually advised… although it seems im not one to follow my own advice. The friendly staff at Allphones had me signed and ready to go in under an hour. I walked away from the store with a killer plan that suits my needs and a brand new 16BG white iPhone…Im a little bit excited.

Post Purchase Behaviour

This is where a lot of consumers spend their time thinking about their purchase. When you find a bargain you feel happy as you have bought something you wanted for less than you would have paid. Negative post purchase behaviour usually entails feeling bad about spending money you don’t have or eating fast food for example. In regards to my post purchase behaviour I have been showing everyone I can my new phone perhaps as a way of justifying the 24 month contract I just signed… overall I am happy with my purchase as it means I can play with the aforementioned apps!

iphenomenon

Yes, the mighty iphone, we’ve all heard of it! How could we not!

Over a million iphones were sold around the world on the weekend that it launched and in Aus it sold out in a day.

The features of the phone are very impressive which is not surprising given it is a distant cousin to the ipod and the macbook.

According to apple.com the iphone has fast 3G wireless technology, GPS mapping and support for enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange. The iphone features a widescreen ipod and a desktop-class web browser.

Whilst that all sounds very impressive what excited me the most was the iphone apps store.

Groundbreaking technology is illustrated in the apps available to purchase from the apple apps store. The store has thousands of apps to download and include business, education, entertainment, books, finance and games.

One of my favourite apps is the iguitar which allows the user to play the guitar, just like a real guitar!

Check out the iguitar on youtube .

There has been a lot of criticism about the iphone saying that it is hard to use, especially when typing sms’ but I imagine this is something that gets easier with use.

The most exciting thing about the apps store is that businesses can create apps for the iphone that promote their products.

Take for example the ipint which simulates drinking a pint of UK Carlings beer. This app has already been rated as one of the most popular and Carling has managed to get its name blasted across headlines around the world.

For more info on the iphone

will it blend?

advertisers and marketers are forever reaching out for new and exciting ways to promote their products... enter blendtec...

this company that manufactures blenders has come up with possibly the coolest way of advertising their product in a way that is not only very entertaining but also shows that the product really works!

the ad

a man in a lab coat shows the viewers a popular product like the new iphone (will it blend's most recent victim) and then places it in a blendtec blender.

the idea is to prove that the blender will blend just about anything! and it works, within seconds the iphone is reduced to..well..pieces

the leftover pieces are then sold on ebay and the profits go to charity, most recently the iphone pieces were sold on ebay for $460!

visit http://www.willitblend.com/ to check out the blender whip up some nike shoes, a grand theft auto game and much much more.

QR Code Update

[UPDATE] i created this code below at  i-nigma.com, it gives a link to this blog, cool!



picture this...

your sitting in a lecture texting a friend when you notice a cute boy/girl walk in and sit across from you, they have a qr code on their t-shirt so you scan it with your mobile and download their facebook profile so you can get to know them...without getting to know them?

I still think these codes are awesome but perhaps the t-shirt code as a pick up line is a bit weird...

yeah.. you can go to http://www.qrstuff.com/ and order a t-shirt with a qr code on it and you can choose the code to read:

• text
• a web address
• telephone number
• SMS message contact details
• google map
• facebook profile or
• myspace profile

Im thinking about getting a t-shirt with a code that reads 'just come and talk to me'...

check it out

visit this website to see some seriously cool barcoding.

this new devlopoment in barcoding allows you to scan the barcode with a mobile phone and download information such a wallpapers, ringtones and you can even use them on your business card so people can scan and get your contact details. very cool.

this advance in technology will allow organisations to have more personal contact with consumers and with the increase of B2M marketing this barcode is set to take the world by strom.

this barcode has just been launched by telstra in australia so expect to see them around!

In The Beginning

Im sitting in my universities library surrounded by students and I wonder how many of them want to be here? How many of them are here because they felt pressured to get a degree or because it’s what their parents wanted them to do?

When I finished year 12 I had no idea what I wanted to do. My whole academic life had prepared me for this moment and I had hit a road block.
So I did what any other confused person does, I moved interstate and started full time work.
I got a job as a receptionist and a year later was promoted to office manager. I liked the job but always had something on the back of my mind, shouldn’t I have been studying like all my fellow high school graduates?
I heard stories back home of old friends who were close to finishing their degrees and I decided to take the plunge and apply for uni.
I had applied before and been offered places but it was always in a location I didn’t want or for a degree I wasn’t sure I wanted to do.
When my offer came in the mail I didn’t really believe it. After two years of working full time and never really being an academic I had lost all hope in ever going to uni, I hadn’t even told anyone I was applying.
I told my friends and family, who were all very excited (and perhaps a little relieved) that I had found my calling.
I enrolled in a marketing degree and it didn’t take long to work out that this was what I am truly passionate about.
My passion for marketing made me wonder, are there other students out there that are passionate about marketing and business too?
Im talking about absolute passion, like I want to read every article I can on the industry, learn from anyone who will teach me and build on my resume so when I graduate I can be the best prospective employee I can be!

So this blog is all about discovering new things in marketing and business in general. It will contain issues on new media, politics, finance, economics, advertising, PR and much more.
its about staying up to date in an ever changing world for people who want to know more without being bored whilst learning!