This just in - advertising online pays off

Sure, that doesn't come as a big surprise to anyone currently invested in online advertising. What will come to a surprise is how much Internet advertising has increased over the past year. Any guesses? Internet advertising is up 18.2% for the first quarter over last year according to The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). The IAB is reporting Internet advertising revenue totaled $5.8 billion for the first quarter - the second highest quarterly total ever recorded by IAB (previously the fourth quarter 2007’s $5.9 billion.)

Click here to read the entire story.

-Katy

The (mini) results are in

It is no surprise our readers are unique, but that is why we like you. According to the respondants of our marketing and economic survey thus far, most of you will be spending less than or the same amount of marketing dollars during this economy. According to a recent survey by infoUSAPoll.com, sixty-six percent of small business owners will spend more or the same on marketing dollars.

Unhappy with our results? Cast your vote on our blog homepage!

A lesson from Randy Pausch

As many of you probably know, there is a remarkable man named Randy Pausch fighting for his life at this very moment. Pancreatic cancer will soon take him from his young family, as the doctors do not expect him to live more than a few more months. (Randy's blog and Last Lecture on Oprah) Given the recent passing of Tim Russert, I felt it necessary to honor this man while he is still with us.

A good friend of mine confided in me he had to reveal to a client their past six months worth of research was sent into "cyber la-la land" and there was no way to get that information back. This is one of their largest clients - how do you even begin to fix it? Randy Pausch has the answer - make the apology REAL and SINCERE.

As Randy states, "A good apology has three parts:
1. I’m sorry.
2. It was my fault.
3. How do I make it right?

The last part tells about your sincerity."

This lesson applies to all aspects of life - including clients. When my friend approaches their client, he will follow these steps Randy Pausch has suggested... but, he is also coming in with ways on how to fix it. We can all take a lesson from this - if you do make a mistake: apologize, own it and fix it.

When I was your age, Pluto was a planet.

Initially, this Facebook group just made me laugh. Whether that is because I am easily entertained or not is a different story all together - but, think about that for a minute. The children growing up now will be educated with the solar system as Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. No Pluto.

This is quite a turning point in history, just as we will always remember Columbine, where we were when the read the OJ Simpson verdict on TV or how scared (and small) we felt on 9/11. Granted, this event isn't as tragic by any stretch of the imagination - but still significant.

This all began a mear two years ago when the International Astronomical Union (IAU) demoted Pluto to a "dwarf planet" status. Last week, the IAU took another jab at Pluto and requested Pluto from here on out referred to as a "plutoid" - a word not even recognized in the English language. To read the whole story, please visit here.

And the winner is...

Zurich, Switzerland. This city was named by BusinessWeek as the world's best place to live.

Who else was made the list?

1. Zurich, Switzerland
2. Vienna, Austria (tied)
2. Geneva, Switzerland (tied)
4. Vancouver, Canada
5. Auckland, Australia
6. Dusseldorf, Germany
7. Munich, Germany (tied)
7. Frankfurt, Germany (tied)
9. Bern, Switzerland
10. Sydney, Australia

Curious how your city ranked? Check it out.
-Katy

Eat your fruits and vegetables, but be careful

Fruits and vegetables are prone to harboring various harmful diseases in the summertime - such as the recent outbreak of salmonella. The FDA has recently announced more cases of this outbreak in more than 30 states bringing the total to at least 383 cases.

In order to avoid getting sick this summer time take certain precautions when picking out your favorite grocery store items. Properly cooking meat, poultry and eggs, and washing produce are generally the best methods to prevent illness.

Now, in a Marketing sense, what will happen to those fruits and vegetables grown in the sunshine state? Should consumers avoid those products and shift more towards locally grown - or was this just a fluke?

The "Windows 95" Generation

A visit from Rob's twin daughters and the research I have been conducting on social networking and integration got me thinking about the way I was raised. I lovingly refer to my generation as the "Windows 95" generation since I was in grade school when this began to errupt. This generation growing up now uses computers as part of their daily life. They will never experience using a typewriter for their report or what life was like before everyone had a cell phone. A cell phone... what would life be like without one?

Looking back, the first experience I had with a cell phone was seeing the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X on the Saved by the Bell television series. From that time, the cell phone has morphed from something you only elite people had into an everyday necessity. Upon release in 1983, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X cost consumers a whopping $4,000 whereas a few of the most popular cell phones (iPhone, Blackberry, LG Glimmer, etc.) are at most $1,000.

At least some products are going down in price over the last 20 years!

Ahead of the game

Honda is setting out to release their newest model, the FCX Clarity. FCX Clarity is, "a next-generation, hydrogen powered fuel cell-powered vehicle" according to sources. It is also about twice as efficient as a hybrid-electric vehicle and three times more efficient than a conventional gasoline vehicle. A limited number of vehicles will be leased to Southern Californians in the summer of 2008.

Click here for more information.

Photo courtesy of Honda.com.

A Great Man Who Will Always Be Remembered

To wake up on Sunday morning and Watch "Meet The Press" has always been a tradition or more recently a habit. So this Sunday was no different - or was it? There was an almost biblical feeling. A feeling like something was not right. To watch the show I have grown up with and not see that familiar face looking back at me was strange. Meet The Press without Tim Russert - it is like baseball without hot dogs. You are still there but something is missing.

Tim added that special flavor to an informative and entertaining show that has shaped our lives for decades. Let's face it. No one has done it better. His political insight was without equal and without ego. Tim added that fatherly advise and never let his own views cloud an issue. Even his coverage of our nation's elections was without equal. If Tim said it you can believe it and 99% of the time it was true. Is it any wonder that he died doing what he loved best.

If there is any lesson here it is to enjoy your life's work with a passion, but leave room for the everyday things. Like a morning sunrise or the gentle breeze on a warm Sunday afternoon. Enjoy life and take care of yourself. There is a saying that I will paraphrase, " One's life is not measured by how much you have done, but how much you have done for others." Tim will be forever etched in our hearts and one cannot hear that famous music or words on the screen without a place in out heart for the best of the best.

Bruce