Archive for July, 2009
Tweet, Tweet, What did I heat?
Does anyone recall the old Twilight Zone episode when a grouchy guy’s appliances were finally fed up enough to “get him”? Tired of getting kicked and beaten up, the mixer, the television, an electric razor … all conspired to drive him to madness while the typewriter (yes!) tapped out a final warning.
I guess they all had telepathy of some sort, but today, they could simply have tweeted that “it’s time”. At least if they were in Germany.
Want to start a school? Easy Campus makes it…um, easy.
We’ve long predicted that new technologies will fuel a wave of educational entrepreneurship. It looks like we may be in for a tsunami.
Educadium’s just-launched EasyCampus virtual school builder makes it easy, fast, and affordable to open an online school or create a corporate university. Educators can set up a scalable online school in minutes, and pricing starts at under $30 a month. The cost can be higher depending on the number of user accounts and storage space you need.
From all appearances, Educadium is as ‘next-gen’ as their products. The Portland, OR startup operates virtually out of several cities. They are also doing an admirable job of using PR and social media to drive interest in their new product. (Follow their tweets for really innovative higher-ed news topics, and it isn’t hard to find them on LinkedIn.) You can register to view a demo here, or simply watch it on YouTube.
Obesity, Longevity and the American Way
Much has been made of the University of Wisconsin study on calorie restriction and longevity. You know, the one where they’ve allowed one group of rhesus monkeys to eat whatever they want and fed a second group a diet of 30 percent fewer calories than “normal.” With an average life expectancy of 27, the “eat whatever” group is dying off faster—37 percent have died in ways judged to be age related—than the restricted group, where only 13 percent have died. Impressive, but I did enjoy Roger Cohen’s opinion piece in The New York Times regarding the happiness quotients of the two sets of monkeys as viewed through observation of Canto (dieting) and Owen (eating with abandon). Canto: anxious, sunken eyes, features pinched. Owen: laid back, eyes twinkling, a wry smile.
Sheconomics
We’ve always known that emotions can certainly have an impact on consumer behavior and spending, but now it’s official. In a study conducted by the University of Hertfordshire – women’s buying behavior and spending limits have a direct correlation to how good or bad they feel.
“The research, which was conducted by psychology professor Karen Pine, found that 79% of women say that going on a spending spree would cheer them up. This indicates that some women use shopping as an emotion regulator to numb themselves to negative feelings or dissatisfaction with life.” (University of Hertfordshire)
Word of Mouth: The Greatest Influencer
Want proof? On July 6th, Dave Carroll uploaded a self-made video to YouTube complaining about the poor treatment his luggage received on a United Airlines flight a year ago and the ensuing customer service runaround he has received. Big deal, right? Happens to many travelers according to various industry reports on domestic airline customer service complaints.
The difference is his video United Breaks Guitars was a well-produced music video with support from his band illustrating the storyline behind baggage handlers “playing catch” with his guitar on the tarmac in plain view of everyone on board the flight, and the personification of the “I don’t care” attitude he encountered afterward. Virally the news spread and within days his video had registered well over 3 million views and copycat complaints were making their way onto YouTube. United Airlines had their PR hands full. Word of Mouth. It can help you, or in this case it can hurt you.
What are your shopping habits?
Summer has finally hit Chicago – well, right now it is 66° and raining – but still, the beaches are crowded and the farmer’s markets are bustling. I ran into my local Jewel (big grocery chain) on Sunday and the manager “aisle gossip” was how slow the July 4 weekend has been for them. Were folks out of town for the holiday, or choosing to shop fresher and more local?
