POM IS Wonderful

On point branding all the way down to the heart shaped bar code sticker.

Sleeping: Where Dreams Meet Reality

The other morning I woke up to having remembered a dream rather vividly. I was walking alone down Hollywood Blvd. looking for a place to eat lunch. Every restaurant had tons of people dining outdoors on the sidewalk; a common custom in Europe that I happen to adore. I walked into a place where everybody was eating salads, including Michelle Pfeiffer who had also appeared for a quick moment in the movie preview I had seen the previous night. As I walked in, the female hostess quickly hurried inside. Of course she was busy because it was the lunch rush. She was wearing black shorts, a black top, and a black apron- an outfit rather familiar from my teenage years as a waitress. I waited to be seated because there was a chalkboard sign instructing me to do so which read "Please wait to be seated". On every table was a free snack, ready for you before you even sat down. I always told myself if I ever opened a restaurant that I would serve a bowl of red cherries for free, so of course something like this appeared in my dream as well. The only bizarre thing was that the snack was all the salad fixings excluding the lettuce and dressing, and it was being served in a white plastic bag instead of a bowl. Of course the bag wasn't plain though, it was covered in advertisements.

When I retold this dream to my friend Amy that morning it got me thinking about how weird but cool it is that we borrow from our real life experiences and then use those experiences to create a full story that feels realistic and true to life. The female hostess, her familiar black outfit, the sign, the bag with ads... all common visuals that I could encounter in my average day. When I retold my dream it was my friend who reminded me that Michelle Pfeiffer was in the preview we had seen the previous night; I would never have remembered that. It made me wonder how many other one-second visuals get burned into my memory and then resurface latter when I'm ready to find them.

Dreams are a mysterious and fascinating world where the rules of reality do not apply, but I believe we do not ignore reality, we incorporate it. No other person in the world has your background, emotions, or experiences and I feel that we draw from our personal lives to create our own unique dreams. So when dreaming, especially when awake, just remember to incorporate your unique perspective.

This blab is for Amy.

Goodreads: My Friends' Favorite Genres

It's been a while since I've thought about bar charts, but it's a visual I cannot ignore. I went on the website Goodreads.com today to see what my friends were reading and it looks like I choose to be friends with people similar to me. Non-fiction tends to be my favorite book genre which is also ranked #2 among my friends. So, if you want to be friends with me, this is a start. Let's talk non-fiction :)

Venice Italy: A Land of Pure Discovery (and Love)

I've been on hiatus the past few weeks as I've been traveling in fantasy land (aka Europe) in a trance-like state but now I'm back to reality. I just wanted to mention that in my most favorite city, Venice Italy (where I got engaged!!!), I only came across one single advertisement in plain view. I can't recall what it was for but it was that moment that I realized the lack of clutter was a surprising breath of fresh air. I assume if there were ads plastered everywhere the charm and beauty of the city would be lost entirely as I would no longer feel like a transplant in a different world. How do we make decisions in a environment free of brands and marketers? Who nudges us one way or the other? This a place where we get the opportunity to think for ourselves, to explore freely, and to discover on our own.

Surf Art from Insight

I stumbled upon and borrowed this image of Jess Faen from Insight 51 thanks to my daily NYLON magazine email. It tickled my fancy so just maybe it will do the same for you.


You can visit them at: http://www.insight51.com/

Welcome to the Future: Buying Coffee through an iPad App

I'm at my new favorite coffee shop, Coffee Commissary in West Hollywood, and just paid for my coffee with an iPad app. They placed my order through the app, swiped my card in a card reader, and had me sign the screen with my finger. Then the app asked if I wanted a receipt emailed to me (to which I declined), and a friendly note thanked me with an image of a coffee displayed on the screen.

I expect we'll be seeing this a lot more often soon, but I'm wondering who will take the lead in moving this technology to the next step. Maybe I can order my coffee myself through the app, ship my mom some beans, share my contact info with the shop, rate my coffee, see a list of the most frequently ordered drinks, friend them on facebook, etc. Perhaps I have a future in building iPad apps too.

This is the future. Simple and progressive with integrated design. In a society where consumers seek to be an active participant and engaged with their brands I imagine this is a new point of contact where it can easily happen.

Doritos Tapatio Tortilla Chips

A few years ago I met a man who worked for Doritos creating flavors. He told me they were working on Doritos chips that would come with a packet of hot sauce where you were to squeeze it into the bag and shake it up to flavor the chips. I hear this exists in Mexico but I haven’t seen this before so I was excited and anxious to see this come to market. Unfortunately I’m still waiting however I recently tried Doritos Tapatio chips. While they didn’t taste like Tapatio to me they were pretty delicious. Doritos always seems to amaze me with their innovative flavor creations.

Women in Media: A Cultural Shift?

I’ve been watching a lot of movies lately (this is not a movie review) and have noticed a recent shift in leading women of romantic comedies. Before you sigh and jump to conclusions, let me just say, I am not a feminist so this blab will not be going that direction, it’s just interesting to see the striking similarities in a few recent comedic releases.

In Love and Other Drugs “Maggie (Anne Hathaway) is an alluring free spirit who won't let anyone - or anything - tie her down (IMDB).” In No Strings Attached Emma (Natalie Portman) “guards her emotions (calling her father's funeral "a thing"), so after a quick shag in the moments she has before leaving for the hospital, she asks if he wants a no-strings-attached, sex-only relationship, without romance or complications (IMDB).” And in Bridesmaids Annie (Kristen Wiig) has just “one chance to get it perfect, she'll show Lillian and her bridesmaids just how far you'll go for someone you love (IMDB).”

What do all these movies have in common? The leading female character is the one in control. She enters the relationship more similar to how we typically see the male character played out- just looking for sex and nothing more serious. She has her guard up throughout the movie until she finally realizes she’s found her one true love. Alternatively, their male counterparts are borrowing from stereotypical female attributes; he’s just looking for the right woman to fall in love with (who is unlike anybody he’s ever met before) so he’s willing to fight for what he wants all while getting trampled on and hurt along the way.

What does this mean?! Could this be a sign of a real cultural shift? In the past year I’ve been reading more about the growing focus on women as an increasingly important target for brands. Women are now obtaining more higher education degrees than are men, and slowly but surly dominating the professional workforce. Large purchases are not just made by the male head of household, but by the couple jointly. As women take a greater share of what was formerly male power, it will be imperative for brands to keep their finger on the pulse and not lose sight of this important and growing target - women.

I’d like to wrap this blab up with a quote from one of my favorite female artists, Beyonce Knowles that goes like this, “who runs the world, girls!”.

Alexander McQueen: Fashion is Just a Medium of Expression

This is a page from Alexander McQueen's book "Savage Beauty" which reads "I want to empower women. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress. When you see a woman wearing McQueen, there's a certain hardness to the clothes that makes her look powerful. It kind of fends people off. It's almost like putting armor on a woman. It's a very psychological way of dressing." On another page it reads "For me, what I do is an artistic expression which is channeled through me. Fashion is just the medium." And when you visit his website on the homepage it reads "Experience". 

This was a man who truly understood what it meant to be a brand. It's not the clothes themselves that sell, it's the experience.... the psychology behind how the brand makes you feel is what you're paying for, and McQueen was a man who truly understood how to tap into that psychology and deliver on it through visual expression.

Looking for Your Dream Mascara? Me Too

Mascara! I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this but buying mascara is by far the most overwhelming product purchase for me. No purchase should bring such anxiety and confusion but this one does it for me, and thank god I've set $12 as my price cap because the premium department store brands are a whole different beast to battle.

So, how do I go about navigating the homogeneous landscape? Typically it begins with seeing girlfriends with great eyelashes and then asking them what kind of mascara they're wearing. Unfortunately I forget 100% of the time so then I turn to commercials which I’m not afraid to admit influence me, and this is coming from somebody who works in the marketing industry (Note: no other GenXer would ever be so honest). I rarely read fashion magazines or beauty sites; I used to frequent makeupalley.com and only recently have I become interested in Nylon magazine so I feel rather removed from the beauty Influencers. Those TV ads though are what pulls me in... beautiful models with big bold eyelashes that extend beyond their eyebrows. They all look equally amazing regardless of the brand. Long ago the claims began as 2X as thick or 100% longer but now I'm seeing 700% longer... no !@#$ing way that is even possible, yet these brands continue to outdo one another with outrageous claims and eyelashes that all look equally amazing. 

So, what's a girl to do? As I stand there motionless with eyes glazed over just staring blankly for a bit I notice that the friendly CVS staff are keeping a close eye on me thinking I’m looking for a five-finger discount, when in reality I’m looking for commercials deep in my frontal cortex. Drew Barrymore, the talented and cute actress and face of Cover Girl, comes to mind, so does some girl in sexy black clothes on a motorcycle using Maybelline's Falsies. I think to myself "Falsies, that's a cute name, I'll try that today" and maybe next time I’ll go for the one that's on sale and the time after that the one in the new square tube packaging because that one has nice design (they're usually cylindrical tubes). 

I am not brand loyal when it comes to mascara but I'd like to be. Now is the time for mascara brands to step up to the plate and claim their position in the marketplace so that if I can't tell a difference in their product quality, I can look for a difference in their brand personalities and then select my mascara based off the one who taps into my values most. From what I’ve seen, all mascara brands seem to exist as the lover or rebel archetype, but I’m not a lover nor a rebel so how do they plan to relate to me? As many brands across a range of product categories seek authenticity today, I don’t yet see that any mascara brand has tapped into that value yet. The curvy full-sized woman who uses Dove soap... what kind of mascara does she wear? The powerful executive in a pencil skirt who only has time to apply once in the morning... what kind of mascara does she wear? The athletic hiker who’s looking for a man but doesn’t want him to believe she ever wears makeup... what kind of mascara does she wear? I think you get my point by now. Women are complicated and we all have different needs and wants. 

My advice to brands is to learn what your target values most and then deliver a product that taps into that value... all while differentiating yourself from your competition. Only when you tap into my values will I become loyal.

Dexter Holland's Gringo Bandito Hot Sauce Goes Grassroots

I was taking photos on Melrose a couple weeks back and came across this image which peaked my interest so I had to do a bit of googling to get to the bottom of what this was all about. Living amongst a sea of street art I assumed it was just a joke, another person trying to tell their story, but now I believe it’s actually an advertisement. Appearing hand-drawn and then photocopied on a setting just a bit too dark (on purpose of course) it looks like a missing dog poster you might see in your neighborhood – only it’s for hot sauce. Very clever and funny in my opinion. Apparently Dexter Holland from the band The Offspring has created his own hot sauce and now I can’t wait to try it.

Is This a Billboard?

I saw this "billboard" in Hollywood at Highland and Franklin yesterday. It's entirely unbranded. The "love, equality, hope" text leads me to believe that it may be for the church which it's in front of. It made me wonder if I've ever seen anything like this done by a brand before. Would it be useless for a brand to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside if I didn't get to know who the message was coming from?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Are "Hipsters" Wearing Fanny Packs Now?

According to Billboards “Coachella 2011: 10 Things Seen & Heard Friday” the “Fashion statement of the day? Fanny packs are back! Everyone from the hippest of L.A. hipsters to parents chaperoning little revelers around seemed to have a pouch strapped to their waist. Who knew?”

Being that hipsters do not wear fanny packs this leads me to believe that either the Coachella demographics are changing (perhaps way younger or way older) or the music is changing (maybe becoming more mainstream). This fashion accessory is rather typical of emo/screamo kids who often frequent music festivals like the Warped Tour but not Coachella. So while I believe that fanny packs were most likely in full-effect, I don’t believe they were being worn by Hipsters. Then again, I’m sure that Billboard and I probably have a very different understanding of a Hipster.

Alan Defined by Foursquare

This is Alan.
He enjoys eating at food trucks and drinking beer at novelty breweries. He’s actively involved in his local government and community in Simi Valley. A few years ago Alan had a son, hence why he’s frequenting the parks these days and that may even be why he shops at Vons and Target – economical and convenient; places that those who are married with children tend to tread. With a whopping 100 check-ins at Added Value, I speculate he works there. Other than a handful of missing personal facts (a twin, a sun tattoo, etc.) this is the Alan I know, and this is the Alan Foursquare knows too. Could Foursquare help to shine light on the surface of our life stories? I clearly believe so.

Foursquare User Insights

I've been an active user of foursquare for quite some time now and find it fascinating from both a consumer and researcher point-of-view. Their most recent update provides a very accurate read into who I am and what I enjoy doing in my spare time. As you can see in the images below, I clearly love food, and as the "data" indicates which is true, my favorites include sandwiches and espresso. I've been clothes shopping a lot lately (Urban Outfitters) and recently moved (hence the high number of visits to Home Depot).

For those of us who use Foursquare on a regular basis, I feel this feature can truly shed some light into who we are as people and what motivates us. You'll notice that its tracking my check-ins over time which means that in 5 years from now if I'm married with children (hypothetically!) it may be able to display how my needs change over time; from indulgence to necessity I'm sure, but only Foursquare knows :) I'm excited to watch how this application evolves and when (not if) this information will begin to get utilized... and when it does, how that will impact users. Clearly there will be very crucial privacy elements to address. When our personal lives become shared with the world, will it no longer be fun and engaging? Facebook has proven that to be untrue. I envision this information could be truly beneficial and enlightening for brands and researchers alike. Now, how do I get my hands on your information?











- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

What’s Your Professional Title?

I recently received an email regarding the speakers for this year’s PSFK Conference being held in NY and thought to myself… “What in the world do these people do for a living!” with titles like this. First a giggle, then a bit of intrigue, and even a little jealousy! Revolutionary, Builder, Pioneer, Visionary, Theorist, Futurist… do you sense a pattern here? And for my favorite - Dream Creator! In the old days your title helped to define your role within your company and/or industry – both your function your level of expertise. This made me think about what my title says to others about me - Associate Project Director. While I couldn’t say I have the slightest clue as to what is so pioneering about Nick the Publisher, I’m also pretty sure you wouldn’t have the slightest clue as to what I do for a living based off my title (if you weren’t in my industry).

So how important are professional titles and what do they say about us? Are we moving away from standard and traditional towards creativite?

A Perspective of Ted 2011: The Rediscover of Wonder

Having spent 3 days gathering inspiration from the 2011 Ted Conference (from the comfort of the Added Value Generator) I found to no surprise that I rarely dosed off! I gathered many bits and bops of insightful and inspiring knowledge that came from musicians, poets, tech geeks, scientists, biomedical engineers, historians, and a slew of other speakers- all visionary storytellers with forward-thinking minds.

So… what does the future hold for us you ask? 360 degree bubble images, body parts made by printers, clothes that look like paper doilies and of course… robots!

Some of my favorite talks were from filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, street artist JR, poet Sarah Kay, and wrongcologist (still no clue what that means) Kathryn Hunter so I encourage you to look them up on Ted.com next time you’re looking for inspiration.

From Morgan Spurlock I learned that there are brand managers in the world that have no clue what their own brand even stands for (cough… Ban deodorant), hence why I have a job, and that brands (and people) should embrace risk and fear, which could lead to opportunity. Sometimes brands (and people) need to cut out the middle man (I hope that's not me) and work directly with the man… and that man is Mr. Spurlock which he discovers in his recent creation and documentary, “POM Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” which is a look into the world of product placement and advertising. I’m truly looking forward to seeing this film!

Salman Kahn is an educator who developed a free online math tutorial that allows users to learn at their own pace. He brought up a very good point that I’ll try to recall when I one day have children which is that... in math the discipline builds, so to move on to the next level you need to know the last level but in the real world school doesn’t wait for you to move on. So for example, you get a 90% on your Chapter 1 math test and then class moves on to Chapter 2 which builds on Chapter 1… it may be that 10% you missed which is crucial to moving you to the next level but for some reason in school you’re allowed to move on without having really learned what you’ve done wrong thus resulting in students continually falling behind… sad but true!

I’m not the sports type (yes, I believe that is a type), the only reason I watch the Super Bowl is for the commercials and company of my friends and family. Ted reminded me why I love the new Chrysler commercial – the one that takes place in Detroit. It’s about being honest, truthful, gritty, and transparent. It’s about being able to relate to people which Chrysler displayed beautifully by connecting with people on a real and personal level, and by telling a compelling story in only 2 minutes. As they said on Ted… “know the world’s motivations” or something like that.

JR is a street artist who takes black and white photographs of people around the world; people who may have normally gone unnoticed. He captures their soul through their facial expressions and reveals them to their communities in unexpected ways. This was my favorite talk of the conference and got me instantly excited about how I can contribute to his global art project (insideoutproject.net).

Roger Ebert, film critic and blogger, spoke about his inability to speak (ironic) and how losing his voice has been a journey that has opened him up to the world of digital communication. A few interesting points that resonated with me… Firstly, that online everybody speaks at the same speed thus we all have a relatively equal opportunity to be heard. Secondly, on the web your voice finds expression and it’s up to the reader to give your voice that expression (to play the director, the producer, the caster, etc.) – hence why I believe we always love the book more than the film.

Kathryn Schulz is the author of “Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error” where she writes about how people feel about being wrong and discusses the error in always thinking we are right. She spoke about how our internal sense of rightness is not reliable because we instinctively always want to be right therefore we should not rely on that instinct. We must remind ourselves that our beliefs do not reflect what the rest of society believes and if you believe you are right then you will not look for the right (or alternative) answer. By always thinking you are right you will also assume others are ignorant for having a different point of view. We must not make these unfortunate assumptions and instead we should try to understand why the opposite could be true. Our attachment to our own rightness is what causes our tragedy - and this is part of being human. The miracle of the human mind is that we can see the world as it isn’t, not as it is. We must remember that our obsession with understanding everything in the world around us is the root of our creativity. So…. rediscover wonder by stepping out of rightness- by being willing to see yourself as wrong.

And now, for some inspiring ideas that amazing Ted speakers said which I paraphrased and can no longer recall the source of. These ideas will live on as inspiration for me both personally and professionally…

• It’s not the thing itself that moves you, it’s the art of it, it’s the telling of the story that moves you
• Collective learning is the ability to communicate information and develop it from one generation to the next and this is why humans continue to exist and become/develop into a smarter species over time- we’re able to pass down or improve on our learnings from one generation to the next
• Search for beauty in traditional things, and then take it to unimaginable places. It’s about how you transform what already exists and rediscover what’s already there
• Tell stories through art, inspire people to think about the stories themselves, help to tell other people’s stories, help to make sense of the world
• Great stories come from what you’re passionate about and where that intersect when other people find it interesting
• Rediscover the child in you, have a child-like sense of wonder, maintain a sense of wonder
• Try to connect with others, have them feel what you feel through what you speak and do
• Practice the act of listening
• Refine stories and ideas enough so you can explain them to your grandma in 5 minutes
• Art is everywhere waiting, it just needs a little push to make it happen
• Work to rediscover something again (that seems the same)

And lastly, some other personal to-dos: visit thegirleffect.com, visit insideoutproject.net, and read The Art of War.