sex and the city movie

I wanted to hate it, but I didn’t… Sex and the City The Movie was everything the cast and producer said it would be despite my doubts. It was right on target with the humor, sass and wit that made the show a success around the world.

Yes, it was predictable, but that’s what romantic comedies are about. Women (and gay men) everywhere are happy for their favorite characters.

True to form for New Yorkers (where I saw the movie on opening night), groups of girls came out dressed in their best shoes and stylish, not-trying-too-hard outfits. Few were able to pull off Carrie Bradshaw’s fabulous style, but none the less they tried… too hard.

I admit I was surprised by the over-the-top product placement, but this could be done because of the show’s devoted fanbase of fashion wannabes – and we loved it! So to the New York publication movie reviewers who bashed SATC, remember who the audience is!

the reality of stem cell research

Through my work with the Hadassah Medical Organization, I am starting to learn more about embryonic stem cells (ESC) -- the potential to cure diseases, the reality and impact of U.S. restrictions on funding, and the moral issues. There’s not too much I can share at present because I am still being educated on the topic, but I am fascinated by what I have discovered so far.

• When President Bush passed the bill prohibiting federal funding of ESC except on pre-existing stem cell lines, the number was grossly underestimated leaving few viable opportunities for advancing research in any significant manner
• Because of the Federal restrictions, 10 states developed their own programs, budgeting about $400 million in 2008 for embryonic stem cell studies and about $4 billion more over the next decade (Hadassah was instrumental in lobbying for this action through its Take a Stand! initiative)
• ESC can be grown and transformed into specialized cells with characteristics consistent with cells of various tissues such as muscles or nerves i.e. the heart in order to cure impairments and conditions
• Diseases/conditions that are likely to be cured as a result of ESC research include cancer, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries, and muscle damage
• As for the moral dilemma associated with the destruction of human embryos, existing embryos come from fertility clinics where they would either be frozen indefinitely or discarded

I encourage everyone to educate themselves on the topic. Read what The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center is doing in the area, and of course general information can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell. I’ll keep you posted as I learn more!

unique mother’s day gift idea

I don’t know about you, but my mom isn’t the greatest cook. This is not a criticism of my mother, but the fact is she was never formally taught how. Dinner was never bad, but it was also never really full of flavor or frankly varied. Preparing meals was a necessity in between getting home from work and helping the kids with homework. This is the case with many dual-income households of today, so unless you have a natural talent for cooking, the result is mediocre.

To serve people’s busy lifestyles there is the relatively new service of in-home cooking lessons. One such service is provided by Rob Endelman of Cook With Class. Trained at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, he teaches people how to serve easy to make meals with real food that are not only good for you, but delicious! I think this is a great gift idea for Mother’s Day. Chef Rob works throughout the Tri-State area -- check out his services at http://cookwithclass.net/.

distraught over the new starbucks logo color

Like most New Yorkers I help support the many, many Starbucks located around the City. However, this morning's trip has left me distraught -- its logo has been changed from the familiar green to brown!

The media is calling it "retro", I call it bland. It's not that I am opposed to change, but the choice of taupe-y, brown just doesn't have the same "pop" as the original logo color.

The company's attempt to re-brand itself by "returning to its roots" is not working in this consumer's eyes. Although the change is temporary, and the struggling coffee chain's CEO Howard Schultz has been quoted as saying "We want people to talk about it.", I am not a believer in any PR is good PR.

Getting a barista prepared, Vanilla Skim Latte is my version of dessert. Today I keep looking down at my coffee and don't get the feeling that I'm getting a treat, but rather a regular cup of Joe. It even seems to taste different... I admit that I'm surprised by my extreme, allergic reaction to the logo change, but there is something about the mood the green logo inspires. Similar to carrying a new designer handbag or sporting my favorite Jimmy Choos, having that Starbucks coffee cup in tow on my commute to work adds a spring to my step. And that, in my opinion is good branding.

time to be socially responsible

Someone pointed out this article from Businessweek entitled The upside of recession by G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón, which I found very interesting. It begins with this statement:

"Pop quiz, hot shot: What do MTV, Trader Joe's, and the iPod have in common? Yes, of course, they're all now ubiquitous and make our lives much more agreeable.

But to us, the most interesting thing about all three is that these great brands were born during recessions. (Trader Joe's: 1958; MTV: 1981; iPod: 2001, if you are scoring at home.)

And therein lies a point everyone seems to be forgetting in the midst of the current economic slowdown. If handled correctly, a downturn can be a good thing for your company. It can give you the opportunity — and the funds — to innovate and get a substantial leg up on the competition. But only if handled correctly."

It goes on to point out ways in which companies can get ahead during the forthcoming recession. One area it doesn't cover is something I am very passionate about, social responsibility.

Many corporations (large and small) have benefited from the thriving economy over the past few years. Now is an excellent time for them to dig into their pockets and give to non profits when fewer people will.

One of the major benefits of cause related marketing is that a high percentage of consumers will purchase products and services from socially responsible companies over competing brands. At a time when people are going to be more selective about where they spend their dollars, why not give them a compelling reason to buy from your company and do good at the same time?

stigma of advertising

Marketers know they need to have a strong presence online to reach consumers, but they are still learning how to influence their target market in this evolving platform.

Historically advertising has been communicated as a one-to-many program. These days, however communicating with the masses via the Internet requires a one-to-one approach -- because everyone thinks differently, they search for products and services differently.

When GoTo introduced paid search marketing in 1998, very few people in the industry thought it was going to be adopted and most were even appalled by the concept. Despite this, the immediate ROI marketers realized quickly made online advertising the most obvious place to spend their dollars online. Global online ad spending will rise to $44.6 billion in 2008 from $36 billion at the end of 2007 (ZenithOptimedia), with the U.S. portion estimated at $25.8 billion (eMarketer). However, based on inventory and the bidding process, ads are short lived and easily displaced. Simply put, once you stop paying, your ad disappears. Furthermore, it’s not only the savvy users who now ignore the ads at the top and right hand column in the same way that they leave the room during television commercials (assuming they are even watching in real time). Recognizing these points, the industry is quickly swinging back to natural search.

Creative placements within video such as those designed by VideoEgg or tools based on behavioral targeting are at least made to be relevant and allow users to opt in - unlike the annoying pop up - which may make ads effective again in the future. But the way to really stake your claim in an industry is to show up in natural search, where establishing a company’s brand and position has longevity. This is best exemplified by work Connors Communications did on behalf of National Geographic. Optimizing on the term “Pearl Harbor” resulted in a #1 position in Google almost seven years ago. Today the magazine still holds a prominent position on page one.

story of stuff

Someone who read my post "what are we consuming?" notified me of this presentation: www.storyofstuff.com. It's long, but very interesting.

I would love your thoughts so feel free to leave a comment.