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Come see our slum
Westin hotel rewards healthy visitors
Newsgames go mainstream at NYTimes.com
Broadway theaters harness power of SMS marketing
Water for the world—the Tap Project
On March 22, 2008, waiters may replace “Enjoy!” with “Would you like to pay for that water?” The Tap Project asks patrons to pay $1 or more for the water they normally would get for free at restaurants. Monies raised help UNICEF provide clean drinking water for those in need worldwide. The United Nations declared March 22 World Water Day to raise funds and awareness of the shortage of potable water, particularly in developing countries. Hundreds of restaurants in New York City participated in the first Tap Project water day on March 22, 2007. The idea will expand to other cities and restaurants in 2008. Concerned citizens can contribute to the Tap Project any time at TapProject.org. ISM says almost everybody wants to be a philanthropist, especially when it’s easy—physically and fiscally—to do. Timing is everything. American consumers often lose global perspective on basics like food, water and shelter; but if the issue is brought to the table, literally, it’s likely to be addressed.
BookSwim—Netflix for readers
No late fees! No delivery costs! Readers, used to buying books or dealing with the wrath of the library, can hardly believe that they too can enjoy the fast and easy life of video viewers. BookSwim is the first online book rental library club. Readers can order from 150,000+ titles, including new releases and hardcovers, pay nothing for delivery in either direction and read the selection at their leisure. If readers love the book, they can opt to buy it. Memberships start at about $20 per month. Of course, there is no such thing as a free book, but the one-two punch of low cost plus convenience will continue to be a national bestseller with consumers. From ISM’s perspective, as more consumers recognize the high cost of ownership—whether it’s a new book or a new car—we believe they’ll continue to look for affordable, innovative alternatives to owning, like product sharing or try-before-you-buy services.
Come see our slum
The essentials of visiting Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Copacabana Beach, statue of Christ at Corcovado Mountain and, uh, the hilltop slums? Adventurous tourists have been taking tours and staying in these “crime-ridden, no-go areas”, called favelas, in increasing numbers. They are drawn by the fabulous views (most favelas are built on hilltops), local culture and cheap prices (Telegraph.co.uk 2.6.07). Favela tour operators and B&B owners see this as a win-win situation. Tourism dollars go directly into the community and favela residents are eager to dispel myths about their ‘hood. And tourists get a lot more culture for their tourist buck. ISM is seeing more and more Gen X and Boomer travelers with disposable incomes trading in turn-down service to gain something more memorable: authentic, local experiences that let them participate in the local culture, even if it includes a walk on the wild side. Sometimes, the most rewarding part of the travel package is not always in the guide books. Knowing that their visit benefits the local community is an added “feel good” benefit of the trip.
Westin hotel rewards healthy visitors
Good health may be its own reward, but a little pampering can’t hurt. The Westin New York at Times Square’s Walk This Way program encourages physical activity and a healthy lifestyle while on the road by offering pedestrian guests a 15% discount at their in-house spa and an upgrade to a WestinWORKOUT room on a future visit. Armed with a pedometer, a map of measured walking routes and directions to New York hotspots, guests need to rack up 10,000 steps (that’s about 7.5 miles) to claim their rewards. The Westin New York at Times Square was rated among the country’s 11 healthiest hotels by Health magazine and AOL CityGuide. You’ll appreciate it more if you’ve earned it, right? ISM says that fit consumers appreciate programs and amenities that empower—and reward—their healthy approach to living and traveling. Hotels offer consumers a lab for living—where they can try everything from luxury bedding to eco-consciousness to fitness. A little encouragement and instant gratification just might give fitness newbies the push they’re looking for to try out an active lifestyle.
Newsgames go mainstream at NYTimes.com
We’ve reported on Bacteria Salad, Airport Insecurity and other newsgames many times previously. Now this topical, pointed genre of videogame is going mainstream. The New York Times has entered into a deal with Persuasive Games and will regularly publish newsgames to their op/ed page as editorial content. Only Times Select subscribers can play the games, the first of which was Food Import Folly, a title that published on NYTimes.com in late May 2007, pointing up the dangers of the American food system. All of the published newsgames will be timely and will have a distinctive editorial slant. Ian Bogost, Persuasive Games’ founder, stresses that the partnership isn’t about dumbing down news: “This is news/editorial in videogame form, rather than videogames trying to make news fun” (WaterCoolerGames.com 5.24.07). ISM knows that newshounds may cringe, but for many Americans, games are just another medium—no better or worse than print. And this medium offers accessibility and fun, while still challenging consumers’ thinking about key issues. Do newsgames represent a dumbing down of America? Or do they simply show how mainstream media can change tactics to talk to more people in their own media, on their terms?
Broadway theaters harness power of SMS marketing
Give our regards to Broadway—via text message, if possible. With help from tech-savvy companies like Situation Marketing, Broadway theaters are using SMS promotions to engage younger audiences. At Spring Awakening, audience members were told to send text messages at intermission for a chance to go backstage after the show (NYTimes.com 6.18.07). A big reason theaters run SMS-based promos? It’s an easy way to capture data. With each contest, they build their database of phone numbers, names and addresses of actual theatergoers. Companies like BroadwayBox.com already offer SMS-delivered discounts and info, but performances that add even a touch of interactivity have a better chance of enticing already-info-weary consumers. Arts organizations are starting to dip into more tech-connected marketing. ISM finds many Millennials and Xers are keyed into the convenience and easy access of SMS as a communication medium, but privacy-minded consumers are starting to worry about a rising tide of SMS marketing as companies move more heavily into the medium. It’s a very fine line between SMS messages as a great source of relevant info and SMS messages as a great source of annoyance.
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“We have good clocks in our heads for roughly three minutes. Once we get beyond that, time expands wildly. If somebody is there for 4.5 minutes and you ask them how long they waited, they will say 15 minutes.”
-- Retail consultant Paco Underhill on how consumers’ perception of waiting in line differs from reality, New York Times 6.23.07
The number of Americans whose employer has allowed them to work remotely at least one day a month jumped from 7.6 million in 2004 to 12.4 million in 2006.
-- World at Work, an international human resources firm, HometownAnnapolis.com 6.8.07
More than 80% of Americans believe high gas prices are the result of oil company shenanigans rather than market forces.
-- Opinion Research Corp., Times Union 6.8.07
Despite a culture of plugged-in, electronic relationships, U.S. adults in large numbers report they are rejecting isolation to reconnect with friends and family again. 76% of Americans are socializing at home—playing board games and charades, gossiping, pursuing hobbies together and having friends over to watch TV.
-- Country Crock Deluxe Side Dishes “Dish on Get Togethers” survey, PRNewswire.com 5.17.07
The latest research shows that, even in this online era, Yellow Pages usage is extremely high among 18- to 24-year-olds—the heart of Generation Y—with 75% of them using the print book. What’s more, those who use the book do so at a rate 27% higher than the average for all adults.
-- CRM Associate, EarthTimes.org 6.11.07
As baby boomers age, there’s growing demand for large-print books. According to Lighthouse International, 17% of Americans 45 and older have some form of visual impairment. In 2010, all Boomers will have reached that milestone birthday and most will experience presbyopia, the inability to focus on objects close up.
-- Hartford Courant 5.31.07
People tend to be more relaxed and creative in spaces with high ceilings.
-- University of Minnesota marketing professor Joan Meyers-Levy on the results of her recent research on ceiling height, Minneapolis Star Tribune 7.10.07
More baby boomers are looking for love online. Boomers have become the fastest-growing segment of Match.com clients, where memberships in the age ranges of 45 to 59 have increased 340% since the year 2000 and total 11% of the membership.
-- KVUE-TV (Austin, TX) 6.5.07
AutoTrader.com has more than 3 million vehicle listings from 40,000 dealers and 250,000 private owners. There are more than 13 million visitors each month.
-- Business Wire 6.6.07
A survey released in June 2006 showed that the greenest Americans are the oldest Americans—85% of individuals older than 55 try to conserve energy at home compared with 78% of Americans between ages 35 and 54 and 65% of those 35 and younger.
-- WSL Strategic Retail report “The Pulse, How America Shops Everyday,” Journal-Gazette 7.8.07
A recent survey by the Student and Youth Travel Research Institute at Michigan State University discovered that a majority of 12- to 18-year-old Americans travel at least once a year in a group without their parents, representing a travel market worth almost $10 billion.
-- Globe and Mail (Canada) 6.20.07
In 2006, Americans bought a record 1.07 million vacation homes—14% of homes sold, according to the National Association of Realtors. 28% said they planned to use those homes as their future full-time residence.
-- Arizona Republic 5.22.07
A new report found that people believe higher-education costs are rising more rapidly than healthcare costs and 76% of parents worry about paying for school. 84%, however, say they will find a way to pay.
-- National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, Salt Lake Tribune 5.31.07
340: Number of farmers’ markets in the United States in 1970. 4,385: Number of farmers’ markets in the United States today.
-- USDA statistics, Health 7.07
Since Frette began selling its products directly online in November 2006, web traffic to its site has spiked 300%.
-- CNNMoney.com 6.25.07
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