Archive for June, 2008

Most mornings, I wake up to the smell of hazelnut coffee perking in the kitchen, thanks to a programmable coffee maker… and I feel more energized without pouring out the first drop. That’s a testament to the power of scent. Of course, it’s no wonder that scent is fast becoming a marketing tool (and not just by those annoying perfume squirters at the mall).

New York City is about to be invaded by a host of pleasant scents, designed to enhance customer experiences and influence purchasing… the first annual Scent World Conference & Expo – June 29-July 1.

Check out one company that’s been developing scent technology since 2000 – their customer list is pretty impressive …

What scent triggers your best memory? And can smellovision be far off?

There was a time when being connected meant you were tight with someone like Vito Corleone. Not anymore…

Over the weekend, I watched “Cloverfield.” A cross between the Blair Witch Project and Godzilla, the film had one line of dialog that stuck in my mind.  A group of friends has just witnessed something knock the head off the Statue of Liberty like it was a Rock Em, Sock Em Robot. But that doesn’t stop one person from lamenting “Oh #@$#, I forgot my cell phone back at the apartment.”  And I could relate. Maybe not to the sudden devastation that an invading monster can bring, but definitely to the panic that ensues when I’ve forgotten my cell phone on the kitchen table.

As it turns out, I am not alone. A recent Nortel/IDC study of 2,400 working adults in 17 countries explores the era of hyperconnectivity (www.nortel.com/idcstudy). When asked what single item they would take if they had to leave their home for 24 hours, 38% of the respondents would take a cell phone over a wallet or keys. What would you take?

One blog I saw defined hyperconnected as having seven devices – for work or personal use - while using at least nine applications for instant messaging, text messaging, web conferencing, and social networking. I haven’t scaled that mountain yet, but I’m pretty close to the summit… how connected are you?

A 2006 study in the Journal of Consumer Research revealed that ads that say less, speak volumes.

For the study, consumers reviewed two ads for the same product; each featured identical messaging, but one introduced more white space in the design.

What did consumers see in the white space?

According to the study, they saw a great deal. The ad with the white space imparted a sense that the advertised product was superior; consumers associated it with sophistication, style, prestige and trustworthiness.

This is definitely a case where less is more.