3.27.2007

Bald wines


Great, simply great.
I'm Italian, and every time I have to buy a bottle of wine, I decide considering: color (red with meat/white with fish), price, label (no industrial or vivid colors label).
The rest is just strategy. Yes, strategy and actor ability, to persuade the remaining part of the group, that it was a good decision.
Usually no-one contradicts: the rest of the group is no wine-literate, as me.
We (Italians) are fooling each others.
And I would prefer to be frank.
With these wines I bargain my false competence with my true enjoying intention, as to say: distance vs engagement.

Is Second Life saving First Life?


A no-better-specified Carnegie-Knight research about the future of journalism teaching, says that 57% of the teachers uses on-line newspapers' editions to grab students attention, because paper editions are normally considered boring (via DailyOnLine).
If this is the trend, paper will probably disappear from school-classrooms.
As a consequence... should trees should re-appear in forrests?

Is Second Life saving First Life?

3.26.2007

Changing Travellers


I was eighteen when I started to travel regularly by train.
(I could have bought a car with all the money I’ve given to Italian railways… But I have to thank them, because so far I have not given any money to traffic police - Railways. We hate autovelox, too).

Anyway.
Eighteen years ago only students and old people travelled by train. Nowadays things have changed: driving is more stressfull , expensive and it is even a loss of time. More and more people have gone back to the train, but they are new travellers: richer, connected, less free-time, no sons... new needs, new desires: is the expensive "business class" the only possible answer?

3.18.2007

Drive Thru Customer Experience


I go to a McDonald, or a Burger King or... whatever.
I have a great shopping experience.
Three minutes to get my meal, kind crews, relaxing colors, good music: I'm loving it (actually not even, but... let's say that)

What happens if I use the Drive Thru option?
I go to the Fast Food, I buy my food... an then?
I probably drive till the first parking area, that probably is in an awful district, I stop the car (my radio can have a bad signal), probably my car is not so big to relax, I have to pay a lot of attention on how I move, where I put fries and coke... I'm not loving it, not at all.

What if I know that driving for the same time, or for three minutes more, I could have a green park? A nice view? Or simply a bench? A no noise zone?

So why not to care about the consumption (eating) experience of the Drive Thru consumers?

McTrashcans


Where I live is quite common to see such a spectacle.
People park in the area (behind the fast food, and in front of my house!), eat their "happy"meal, and just throw bags and boxes on the ground.
It seems to be an education problem, and actually it is, but just in part because in the entire area there are no trashcans.

McDonalds could face the problem, acting on the pack, on the "drive away" section of the fast food, and... probably placing some (branded) trashcans where people go to eat BigMacs and cokes.
It could be useful.

3.14.2007

Hatemarks: the dark side of brands.


This is just a reminder.

I would like to study the other side of brands.
The evil side.
Which are teh motivations that lead people to literally hate brands?

Dangerous associations?
Who hates what, and why?