How to get consumers to give you all the data you need

Just Do It.

Nike+, the Nike/iPod combo has generated an ocean of data that Nike has access to. With this Nike now has an intimate understanding of consumer behaviour, from diet to exercise patterns to routes in specific locations. It knows past accomplishments and goals. Caloric intake and diet plans.

How does it know? Users of Nike+ have been cheerfully providing all this data, and they aren't going to be stopping anytime soon.

Don't make Mom angry

'Cause if you do, she'll go onto that internet thing and "blog" about it.

And then other people will read it and hooboy will it get interesting.

Here's a neat little microcosm of a focus group for your reading pleasure. It's more fun that a chihuahua with a Mexican accent.

Eat my Taco indeed...

You're doing it wrong.

Here's a link to an interesting summary of the officially sanctioned study of anti-marijuana advertising in the U.S. It was commissioned by the 'Drug Czar' under the Bush administration.

What I find most interesting is that the millions of dollars being thrown at it are not really showing a measurable effect. If this were any other campaign, don't you think you'd want to re-think the entire thing?

When jokes come true

So, April 1st, 2009 - April Fools Day to some, including the fine people over at ThinkGeek. In the spirit of the day, they released the "TaunTaun Sleeping Bag", which will allow you and your kids to recreate that feel-good scene in Star Wars where one person cuts open a dead animal and shoves another person inside it. To save their life. Or so they claimed.

But I digress. The site got a lot of traffic, a looooot of traffic, and generated a lot of demand. So much so in fact that ThinkGeek is now going to try and make a real TaunTaun Sleeping Bag.

Just goes to show, people will actually buy almost anything.

Speaking of which, I have a mystery box for sale, contents are a mystery but can be yours for only $49.99 plus S/H.