A New Dimension to Loyalty

SCVNGR is a fast-growing global game that users play on their iPhone or Android. For users, it is all about visiting places, checking in and completing challenges, earning points, gaining rewards (ex. discounts and free stuff), and sharing their gaming and rewards activity with SCVNGR, Facebook, and Twitter friends.

Los Angeles’ Getty Center is one of the many outlets featured on the app:
Want to get a head start? Next time you’re at the Getty Center, see if you can solve this puzzler (the picture above is your clue) - 4 sides, 4 seasons, 4 elements, 4 corners, and something airy. What do you find blowing behind closed doors? Where to START? How about the 2nd left?

Primative Skills Classes

Having already dabbled in urban foraging, city dwellers are continuing to escape the confines of their packed and stacked abodes to learn the skills that country folk have mastered for centuries. Attendees of Trackers’ Nine-Month Wilderness Survival and Primitive Skills spend their weekends immersed in hide tanning, basket weaving, and flint knapping. Meanwhile, at The Midwest Native Skills Institute, young people learn the “primitive approach” to obtaining the basics of survival: water, food, fire and shelter. Far from subsisting on nuts and berries, attendees are typically fed with gusto, particularly after completing the unit on Ojibwa bird traps. And, in the South, North Carolina’s Earth School is staffed with survivalists who teach stone tools, fiber technology and animal tracking. Venison, anyone?

EcoFriendly Briefcases

From oil spills to unheard of weather conditions, global warming (is no longer seen as something that’s “going” to happen but something that “is” happening). With the hopes of slowing down the process, people all over the world are trying to incorporate “Green” into their lifestyles, knowing that every effort helps.

Can’t afford an electric car? Or solar panels? Plaid Doctrine is a company devoted to crafting environmentally-smart and sexy bags manufactured entirely in the US. With outer fabric made from recycled bottles (it’s both water and stain-resistant), and vegetable-tanned leather trim, the case is ideal for a 17” screen and measures 12” wide and 4” deep to hold extra folders, notepads, or day planners inside, which is lined with recycled, rip-stop nylon.

3D to 360 Degrees

Smartphones are redefining and guiding how we consume media, interact socially and conduct business. Not only must we have the latest and greatest version on the market that allows us to tweet, Facebook, bank online and check email on the go, but we also must have apps to accessorize it. With over 500,000 available between Android and iPhone, what on earth could they possibly come up with next?

Will.i.am, the lead singer for the Black Eyed Peas (BEPs) and founder of Will.I.Apps, is changing the way phone apps and music videos are currently being viewed. The bands new music video, launch in conjunction with Will.I.Apps allows viewers to experience the video via 360 degrees.

The video puts you in the center of a dance party with the BEPs and a bunch of fans. When you move the phone right, left, up, and down, you can view different shots that you normally wouldn’t have been able to see with a “standard” music video. Allowing fans to have more interaction with their favorite artists, we can only imagine how this technology will be used throughout 2011.

Bike Sharing

A recent phenomenon spreading across the East Coast is bike sharing. Whether your goal is to be more eco-friendly, health conscious, or just want to get from point A to point B faster without the hassle of parking, this treed is picking up speed. Imagine being able to quickly get to the bank or an out-of-the-way lunch spot, without having to bike all the way from home. Bike shares can be integral not just in keeping people from using cars, but in drastically improving the efficiency of a city.

Capital Bikeshare is a program that was created as 2010 was coming to a close. Capital Bikeshare puts 1,100 bicycles at your fingertips. You can choose from over 110 stations across Washington, D.C. and Arlington, VA and return it to any station near your destination.

Fine Wining

From blending custom pours to pairing port with an icy dessert, new ways of enjoying wine are attracting a growing number of fans among both novices and those with more practiced palates.

Brooklyn Winery (New York City): Williamsburg’s new winery offers clientele the opportunity to become novice oenologists. With the help of a guide, aspiring vintner can learn the stages of winemaking, from grape-crushing to barreling to designing their own labels.

GelatoVino (Los Angeles): GelatoVino is a cross between an ice cream shop and a wine bar where the indulgences are meant to be paired. The menu features 12 dessert wines selected to accompany traditional gelato flavors, as well as boozy gelato selections made with biters and even beer.

DCantr (San Francisco): Located inside of Saison restaurant, DCantr’s wine list section called “The Blending Bar” invites customers to mix their own wines by the glass. Customers discover their inner mad scientist by using test tubes to measure out their selections and then meld them to form their own unique blends.

Travel Predictions for 2011

With the start of a new year come predictions that both consumers and businesses eagerly await. Below is a list of topics that will impact the travel industry this year:
1. Oil prices will rise
• With higher oil prices, airfare will also increase.
2. Priceline’s stock price will go down
3. Social and mobile will continue to go bonkers
4. TripAdvisor will be the ongoing kings of SEO
5. Social media and travel will continue to meld
• Facebook, with over 600 million users and their preferences, and other start-ups are attempting to help plan your trip. Using your preferences and your social network, these companies are creating ways to help relieve the stress associated with planning.
6. Rail travel will increase
• As oil prices increase, rail travel will increase especially in Europe.
7. Travel blogs will increase exponentially and travel blog niches will increase and become more defined
8. More travelers will think about turning off technology on the road
• The glamour of being connected all the time everywhere is losing its novelty for many people that are traveling. More and more travelers will like to disconnect with Twitter, Facebook and their blog while they travel.

Coca-Cola Wraps Up Largest Social-Media Project Ever

Coca-Cola sent three “happiness ambassadors” on a journey more than 275,000 miles, 186 countries, and 365 days. The ambassadors visited territories were Coca-Cola is sold in order to document for the masses their search for happiness.

Their journey, tracked at Expedition206.com racked up 650 million media impression around the globe and engaged billions or people. They also made special appearances at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, FIFA World Cup in South Africa, and the Shanghai 2010 World Expo in China. It helped create more visibility for the brand in key markets.

The program was conceptualized as a global effort that would be coordinated by a team in Atlanta but actively managed by individual markets. It forced many of the local markets into the digital and social-media space for the first time.

The Coca-Cola ambassadors competed for a chance to be a part of the program. Coke reached out to Lonely Planet, Ignition (experiential marketing firm), and WWWINS (digital agency in China), asking for recommendations for candidates. It received 60 candidates that were then narrowed down to 18 and bought to Atlanta for interviews. From there, nine candidates, three groups of three, were tasked with promoting themselves to consumers, who then determined the winners in an online vote.

The program exceeded Coke’s expectations.

Consumer Trends 2011

It’s a new year. Time to begin fulfilling those New Year’s resolutions in hopes that 2011 will be bigger and better than the year before. During times of economic uncertainty and consumer confidence being less than optimal, it is important to remember that consumers still wield tremendous buying power.

As economic hardships are beginning to dwindle, consumers are finding ways to splurge and making their once “wants” their “needs.” Companies are eager to tap into this, and one way is through following consumer trends to better position their communication messages and strategies.

Below is a list of consumer trends for 2011:

1. Random Acts of Kindness
Consumers' cravings for realness ensure that everything from brands randomly picking up the tab to sending a surprise gift will be one of the most effective ways to connect with potential customers in 2011. For brands, a serious (and sincere) R.A.K. strategy may mean no longer being seen as inflexible and unwieldy, but as more compassionate and charismatic instead.

2. Urbanomics
Today, half of the world’s population live in urban areas. Go for products, services, experiences or campaigns that tailor to the very specific (and often more refined, more experienced) needs of urbanites worldwide, if not city by city.

3. Pricing Pandemonium
Always-on connectivity is changing consumer spending habits in a myriad of ways. More consumers are constantly connected, and when they hear about new deals online can quickly and easily spread them through their social networks. Increasingly, consumers will be part of exclusive networks or groups to either receive special deals or demand them. Mobile devices are also increasingly enabling consumers to find or receive dynamic deals right at the point of sale, or to compare prices online.

4. Made For China (If Not BRIC)
Expect an increasing number of Western brands to launch new products or even new brands dedicated to consumers in emerging markets. It’s important to keep in mind that emerging markets have less to spend than more mature consumer markets.

5. Online Status Symbols
Usage to increase significantly across social networking platforms.

6. Wellthy
Growing number of consumers will expect health products and services to improve their quality of life. Medical social networks give audiences a platform to share, compare, and discuss their personal health issues with other consumers.

7. Social-lites & Twinsumers
Social network streams allow users to easily broadcast information to a wide range of people without interrupting or intruding. Providing consumers with engaging material is a must, as they will talk more about brands than ever before, offering their own opinions and recommendations to their peers.

8. Emerging Generosity
Brands and wealthy individuals from emerging markets will increasingly be expected to give, donate, care, and sympathize versus just sell and take.

9. Planned Spontaneity
Expect younger consumers to voluntarily opt in to passively and continuously share their location in return for truly smart suggestions about what they could be doing, or who they could be meeting up with. Geo-location will become a key feature of social networks and web applications.

10. Eco Superior
The number of consumers actively seeking out “green” products is reaching a plateau due to the fact that consumers are questioning the value and efficiency of going green. Expect a rise in products that are not only eco-friendly, but superior to polluting incumbents in every possible way: Superior savings, design, functionality, etc.

11. Owner-Less
New business models have shown that for many consumers, access is better than ownership. Traditional ownership implied a certain level of responsibility, costs and commitment. Consumers looking for convenience and collecting as many experiences as possible want none of these things.

Airport Apps Put You First In Line

Over the holidays, 43.6 million passengers were expected to travel on United States carriers, up about 3 percent from last year, according to the Air Transport Association of America, the industry trade group.

Still, holiday travel doesn’t have to be totally miserable. While the usual groundwork — showing up early with boarding passes in hand and packing as lightly as possible — still applies, an array of travel applications for smartphones can help you tackle just about any problem that might arise at or on your way to the airport. So before you leave home this year, take a moment to download a few of these to help you navigate the rush:

1. Traffic & Parking
Google Maps (Free)
SmarkPark JFK (Free)
Take Me To My Car (Free)

2. Flight Information
Flight Track ($4.99)
FlightCaster ($1.99)
Next Flight ($2.99)

3. Airport Navigation
I Fly Pro ($6.99)
GateGuru (Free)
MyTSA (Free)
Orbitz (Free)
Kayak (Free)
TripIt (Free)
Old MacDonald ($1.99)
Doodle Kids (Free)

BMW Germany Makes Logo Appear Inside Audience's Eyelids

Using pioneering new “flash projection” technology, BMW is testing a new cinema spot in Germany that does not feature a visible logo. Instead, a bright photo flash occurs during the ad, and a few moments later, the audience is asked to close its eyes. At this point, the audience sees an after-image of the brand that has been created by the flash. In the same way that you might see a bright spot if you had been looking at the sum and then closed your eyes, that is how the logo will appear.

A BMW spokeswoman said, “We literally got inside of people’s heads, involving them instead of boring them and generating a more intensive connection to our target group. Our brand should be innovative, emotional, and dynamic.” BMW plans to show it in other markets after the German trial but has not yet decided where.

China Clamps Down on Skype

Chinese regulators are clamping down on Internet-phone services that aren’t provided by the country’s state-owned telecommunications companies, a move that could make services like Skype unavailable in the world’s more populous country. Voice-over Internet protocol, also known as VoIP, services are illegal on the Chinese mainland unless they are provided by China Telecom Corp. and China Unicom Ltd.

The decision could become a roadblock for Luxembourg-based Skype. The company is seeking new users, especially business customers that pay to use premium services, as it gears up for an initial public offering. Skype is currently not banned in China.

The Chinese government’s decision comes after a year in which tension mounted between the country’s government and Internet businesses hoping to offer products and services to its population of 1.3 billion persons. Earlier this year, Google sparked a standoff with Beijing when it said it was no longer willing to comply with China’s self-censorship rules.

Travelers Find Relief in Twitter

If you’re stranded at the airport due to endless amounts of cancelled flights or just trying to book a new flight after your original one was unexpectedly delayed by hours, Twitter might be the best way to book a seat home. While airlines’ reservation lines could require hours of waiting, savvy travelers are discovering that they are able to book a new reservation, get flight information, track luggage, and even complain too.

During the 2010 snow storm that occurred over the holiday weekend and altered thousands of people’s travel plans, Delta Airlines agents, among other airline companies with special Twitter training were helping travelers cut through confusion and bring relief during a frustrating time. People were reportedly rebooking flights almost immediately by sending a Twitter message to their respective airline.

Although airlines reported a doubling or tripling of Twitter traffic during the latest storm, the number of travelers who use Twitter is still small. Only about 8% of people who go online use Twitter. Airlines still prefer that travelers use the phone, due to the 140-character limit on Twitter not always being efficient enough to explain a situation.

It’s definitely something you should keep in mind the next time you run into difficulty at the airport.

Consumer Travel Intentions for 2011

Travel Ticker, a leading inspirational travel website, today announced the results of its annual Travel Ticker Traveler Intentions Survey. The poll revealed the opinions of nearly 2,000 U.S. consumers on their leisure travel intentions for the next year. The results indicated that as compared to 2010, 87 percent of respondents intend to take the same or more leisure vacations in 2011. In addition, when asked if they would fit more travel into 2011 if good deals were available, 94 percent of respondents answered yes.

"It's great to see that, after quite a bumpy year, consumers feel ready to start taking their long awaited dream vacations, especially if presented with inspiring travel deals," said Barbara Messing, General Manager of Travel Ticker. "And we'll keep trying to find even more of what travelers are looking for in 2011 – handpicked, affordable deals to some of the world's most highly coveted destinations."

Fund & Follow Creativity on KickStarter

KickStarter is the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Every month, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields. A project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands.

Check out this FUNDED project recently featured on KickStarter:

Within Reach Movie!
Within Reach Movie documents a pedal-powered search for a place to call home in a sustainable community. Mandy and Ryan traded in their house and cars for a tent and bicycles to "bike-pack" 6,500 around the USA to visit 100 sustainable communities, looking around as they looked within. This journey and film has answers the questions many of us are wondering: "Is it possible for all of us to live in a sustainable way?”, “what would the world look like if each of us simply did what we loved?” After circling the country, and talking with over 20,000 people they have found that not only is it possible but this is already underway.