"The nobodies are the new somebodies"

Not Lance. He's always been a somebody. In the November 2010 issue of Fast Company Guy Kawasaki stated, "the nobodies are the new somebodies" referring to emerging social media influencers. I see his point. To be active in social media requires finding the new somebodies all the while conversing with them as a couple of friendly nobodies. Not as easy as it sound. My blog is a whisper. Not even to the level of murmur as far as followers go. Yet I enjoy the hell out whatever interaction occurs. It is Escape in practice. I especially enjoy the new somebodies that I discover. Like Pick6blog. Not one on the level of the Huffington Post but the writer is a somebody to me. So I shout out to "nobody" in particular come on in. For a brief moment in time, space and the Internet we'll be somebody.

The Ultimate Parlay

Ralph Lauren has made a fortune by making his versions of classics (clothing, furniture, jewelry, ...) a need more than a want. I still can't get over the size of the logo on the U.S. Open tennis ballboys and ballgirls. So what does he do with his hard-earned money? According to the latest edition of Vanity Fair Mr. Lauren does NOT collect art. "You can't drive a painting," he told the writer. "I drive these cars, they just don't sit there," he added. Sure it's an Escape owning and admiring classic cars. But driving them is the real joy. Car lovers know it as the huge @#$^-eating grin you get when revving through the gears. The art gallery I'd next like to visit is the D.A.D. Garage featured in the article. (Click the photo.) Lauren's Westchester, NY rival to our local Henry Ford Museum. Here's to hoping Ralph rings me up and says, "hey, I'm going to be on my yacht in St. Barts for awhile, can you swing by and run the rust off the Alfa."

At least I know some of my Polo Outlet purchases didn't just keep the store doors open - they helped pristinely restore Gullwing doors, too.

Experiential Retail at Road Runner Sports

Not me. Some other guy getting fitted.

I love to run. I'm fascinated by well-run, highly-differentiated retail businesses. I visited the perfect intersection of these two interests at Road Runner Sports flagship store in San Diego. I'm a proud Road Runner Sports (RRS) VIP customer for over 15 years, from their catalog-only roots, to their transition to online, and now to my first visit to one of their physical retail locations. If you enjoy running, go. Go now. There's a fantastic vibe in the store. It's bright and colorful. The staff clearly knows running because they're runners. Beyond the obligatory shoe wall the store has a track and ShoeDog advisors conducting interactive video gait analysis. Cool stuff. Because it was 52 and rainy outside the San Diegans were busily buying up "cold weather" gear. I snagged a deal on a Saucony running jacket that outfluorescents any highway worker's safety gear. Can't wait to try it at home where cold weather means frozen eyelashes. That's an Escape.

Digital Scrabble® - my newest Escape

I broke down. Downloaded my first iPad PAID app, Scrabble. What a well spent $1.99. Truly a great, simple Escape. I've loved Scrabble forever. I can still recall epic seven-letter words. Sometimes while reading I'll see a word and think, "that would be a great Scrabble double word score." My Mom instilled my love of Scrabble. She did it by beating me regularly. She still has many of the score sheets to prove it. But playing the computer is a whole new ballgame (word game). I "rack" my brain over the tiles and place down a word. Actually drag and drop a word. The beautiful, shiny interface glows as it tallies my score. Before I've even digested my new letters the computer casually tosses out a word. Often one I've never seen before. Think avidin. Talk about memorizing the dictionary. The computer doesn't gloat. Also you never hear, "my letters are crappy," or, "there's nowhere to go on this board." The machine is a quiet assassin. But he (she) is rapidly improving my game. And when I next match up with my know-it-all youngest daughter on our Deluxe (missing one "I" tile) home set, look out. I won't need no stinking U with my Q. I'm going to whip you. No strike that. I'll employ my blank to demolish, eliminate, eradicate, and annihilate you.

The T& L Hit List

The most visited destinations on TravelandLeisure.com/trips in the past year. As reported on page 26 of the October 2010 issue of Travel and Leisure.

1. Cote d'Azur
2. Hong Kong
3. Maine
4. Chicago
5. Italy
6. Istanbul
7. France
8. Ann Arbor, MI
9. The Caribbean
10. Thailand

How do you like that, Ann Arbor cracks the Top Ten. How proud should everyone in Michigan be? I've been to 6 of the 10 on the list and I can honestly say Ann Arbor belongs.

Time for some fun

Where has this blogger been? Working. Grinding. Sleeping, but not necessarily through the night. In short not having as much fun as usual. Which makes the idea of Escape personally relevant. While doing some research on large brands with multiple sub-brands I found myself on the Carnival Cruise website. Not a bad move when the wind-chill outside is NEGATIVE. Stumbled across this Carnival brand essence video. It's not about taking a cruise. It's about the need to have fun. Give it a look and enjoy ...

VIDEO

Which shipping company is the kindest to packages?

One premise of consumer escapes is that time is precious. Therefore shipping services, including overnighting plays an important role in business and in sending holiday gifts around the country. Leave it to Popular Mechanics to test the carriers:

"A few years ago, Popular Mechanics shipped a custom-built gaming PC—a rather heavy and cumbersome beast—to a New Hampshire woman who'd won it in a sweepstakes. The computer arrived in pieces, delivering a crushing blow, so to speak, to the nice lady as well as to the PM staffers who'd built the computer. Even though we made good by reconstructing the PC and driving it to her doorstep, I still shudder at the memory of the gory photos she sent us of the shattered machine.

The overnight-shipping industry is a modern technological and logistical wonder, but it still can inflict medieval damage on parcels. Everyone has at one time or another received a dented, torn or otherwise mutilated package. And after our PC-shipping incident, I felt a sense of professional duty to find a way to get inside a package, as it were, and quantify the abuse it endures. Since my life insurance would become null and void if I attempted to ship myself, I needed a technological solution."

From the article: 'One disheartening result was that our package received MORE abuse when marked "Fragile" or "This Side Up." 

Click link to enjoy the rest of the story ...

GameStop should be called Game Non-stop

Oftentimes others describe the concept of consumer escapes far better than I. For example this paragraph concluded an analysis of retailer GameStop in last week's Barron's:

"Videogames may not be thriving like iPhones, but they're doing just fine, much to the consternation of girlfriends and wives across the planet. As long as men, who once mainly killed wild game, instead are preoccupied with killing time, they'll need distractions to fill the hours."

I've never had an energy drink ... so what

I have never had an energy drink. Maybe it's because my doctor's instructions were to avoid caffeine. Maybe it's because I'm just not that tired. Or maybe it's because I've never heard of some of the ingredients. Why do I bring this up? Red Bull is running an online ad contest and I'd like to enter. Yet how can I capture the way Red Bull vitalizes body and mind if I've never put the product into my body? Maybe I'll try to enter a concept that addresses first time trial. Or over the next few days if I appear a bit "wired" know that I'm just doing product research.

Get inspired and enter away...

Letting Go

"Letting Go" at Cabo Outdoor Adventures

For a couple of years now I've been blogging in and around the topic of consumer escapes. In our smz research early this year the escape identified as "most desired" given availability of time and money was to take a cruise. That made sense as the cruise industry markets itself as the ideal escape. Yet I'd never taken a cruise, only marveled at the size of the ships when encountering them in various ports.

Recently my wife and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary on board Holland America Line's ms Oosterdam Mexican Riviera cruise. We weren't sure if cruising was for us although we went in with completely open minds. (And a lot of luggage.) Happy to report we loved the experience. Guess that's why hundreds of thousands of people cruise every week all over the globe.

I'm going to post a series of posts on our experience. They say one of the great souvenirs of a vacation are the memories. This digital diary will help me capture and re-live those memories.

Taking "stock" of Apple

Eric Savitz who writes about technology for Barron's said, "as any tech blogger will tell you, nothing drives the page views like posting about Apple. Most-read magazine story last week on Barrons.com? My little 600-word curtain-raiser in this space on Apple's September-quarter results and Mac product launch. Two most-read items on my Tech Trader Daily blog last week? A report on Apple's earnings, followed by live coverage of the company's "Back to the Mac" product-launch event. People devour every scrap of data they can find about this company..."

Consider this a blatant attempt for views from someone who devours Apple information and as you'll see, product. On Sunday my wife and I ventured to the Twelve Oaks Mall Apple Store to buy the new Apple TV. One of the fifty guys in blue t-shirts was extremely helpful in the product education process. Not so helpful when informing us that the product was sold-out. No big deal, we ordered it online that evening. That most recent purchase caused me to take stock of Apple. No, not to buy the stock (fortunately I did that before the $300/share mark) but to take inventory of all products in our household with an Apple logo. It's Halloween scary. We have an ancient Bondi Blue iMac G3 that runs our household finances; two iTouches that allow my daughters to know the words to 4,000 songs (including a few good ones); an iPod Nano that my wife uses to secretly listen to Podcasts and The Carpenters; two white Mac Books that aid in chemistry and Facebook; a silver Mac Book Pro; an aluminum Mac Book that powers this blog; chargers, USB cords and whitebud headphones; an iPad, an iPhone 3Gs and the soon-to-arrive Apple TV. All told over $10,000 in Apple hardware not accounting for purchases at the App Store and on iTunes. Like I said, scary. And all this started 25 years ago when I bought the original Macintosh computer. I sure hope Apple appreciates us!?

Sure I fill my tank every 10 days at the Exxon station, yet by doing a simple household technology inventory I've got a better handle on why Apple is approaching the largest domestic market cap. And I've got a dozen devices to choose from in verifying that fact. Guess it's time to go change into my blue t-shirt. I must be approaching "genius" status.

Experiencing the new Bose VideoWave

Walk into any Costco store and you're immediately in the TV zone. Amazingly 60" screens look small in their cavernous stores. Yesterday I walked into a Bose store at the outlet mall. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just being curious. Immediately the salesperson ushered me into a vault-like home theatre room in the back of the store for a product demonstration. I sat in a chair facing a darkened flat screen television mounted on the wall surrounded by various sized black speakers. After the effects of lightning and thunder filled the room with sound the screen came to life with concert footage, sports action, roller coasters, ... the usual beauty shots with distinctive audio. What was amazing was during the demo the salesperson from Bose went up to each speaker and pulled away black covering to reveal NO speakers underneath. Even the big subwoofer box on the floor magically disappeared.

Rather than painstakingly rigging wire all over the room to individual speakers and a receiver, the Bose folks invented VideoWave. It's actually Bose's first television, a 46" LCD with a secret. Behind the HD display lie sixteen built-in speakers, enough to fill the room with rich, real, and booming sound. The sound comes from left, right and all around. It was quite amazing. They even created an intuitive, non-intimidating remote. Unfortunately at over $5,000 for the whole set-up the price is quite intimidating. But what's is the escape of consumer electronics if not for some new gadgetry to jones for? See - and hear it - if you get a chance.

Big Red (Secretariat)

I vividly remember watching Secretariat's romp home in the 1973 Belmont Stakes. I was seven years-old and little did I know that I was watching a race that would influence me for life. As the movie Secretariat opens today I can proudly call myself one of a small set of fans who know Secretariat's race record, his breeding, his successful progeny and a devoted fan of the sport he "Kinged" for the intervening 38 years. Hopefully this film will excite new-found appeal for thoroughbred horseracing. (The betting part is parimutuel so the more the merrier.) Each spring racing fans will begin talking about the "next Secretariat." There will never be another Secretariat but it's proof that in horse racing hope springs eternal. And I sure hope the movie lives up to my memories.

Off on a true "escape," a Mexican Cruise. Possible postings to come from sea. If not, I'll be back on the case to report on buffets, beaches, and "bandits" in a week. Hasta luego.

Congratulations to the Goodfellows

Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford Motor Company

This morning the The Old Newsboys’ Goodfellow Fund of Detroit honored Ford CEO, Alan Mulally with the Edward McNamara Goodfellow of the Year Award at Tribute Breakfast XXI at Cobo Hall. Congratulations to Mr. Mullaly, the Goodfellows', and all the volunteers of this 95-year-old charity whose sole mission is to ensure that there is “No Kiddie without a Christmas.” Each holiday season the Detroit Goodfellows distribute holiday gift boxes to over 36,000 children ages four through 13 living in Detroit, Highland Park, River Rouge and Hamtramck. Each child receives warm clothing, toys, books, games and candy.

"The more I learn about the Goodfellows, the more I learn how fantastic an organization it is," Mulally said. "It's amazing what happens when skilled and motivated people get together to help others."

The Goodfellows' have a fundraising goal of $1.3 million this year. If you're inspired to support the organization please click the link above.

The Tenth Inning

I'm halfway "home"on Ken Burns' latest. I'll let the PBS write-up tell the story:

The Tenth Inning is a two-part, four-hour documentary film directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. A new chapter in Burns's landmark 1994 series, BASEBALL, The Tenth Inning tells the tumultuous story of the national pastime from the 1990s to the present day.
Introducing an unforgettable array of players, teams and fans, the film showcases the era's extraordinary accomplishments and heroics — as well as its devastating losses and disappointments.
Combining extraordinary highlights, stunning still photographs, and insightful commentary by players, managers, and fans, The Tenth Inning interweaves the story of the national pastime with the story of America.

Good stuff. How do I know? It got my daughter to close her laptop and watch just one screen. If you're looking to get primed for baseball's post-season ESCAPE find a repeat airing of The Tenth Inning on your favorite PBS station.

Door-to-door marketing goes under the door

I had the pleasure of running the ADT Security advertising account in the U.S. for many years. One of our effective tactical tools for the brand (and for the pizza guys) was the simple door hanger piece. I recall the instructions on these programs was explicit about NOT sliding the piece under doors. We took the blue 1's and zero's that form the ADT force-field of protection very seriously. ADT Chile and DDB went the more invasive route as demonstrated in the video. Hope the Chinese restaurants in New York don't see this. Pasar bien.

R.E.M. was right

Earlier this year we conducted a survey on Consumer Escapes. When asked "which of the following do you consider yourself passionate about," religion ranked 14th behind things like food, health, books, movies, and career. No wonder Americans didn't fare so well on this Pew Forum national survey. (To paraphrase R.E.M., that's us in the spotlight losing our religion.)

In our smaller-scale smz research study consumers were looking for "breathing space - a release from everyday activities or responsibilities." 77% strongly or somewhat agreed with that need. Clearly those same adults don't seek out religion to provide that breathing space. So Apple is happy, and the folks who teach about the first bite from the apple, maybe less so.

We could use a little Demolition Derby

It's a challenge on this blog to write about new and different consumer escapes. Last week we were editing a new television commercial for the Detroit Red Wings. In the edit there's a shot of a vicious body check by Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall. I commented that it reminded me of a demolition derby. One of the young creative team members gave me that "what you talking about old guy" look. I fondly recall watching the demolition derby as a kid. Now that was an escape. I fantasized that by the time I got my license I'd be able to give it a try. Unfortunately I never got my chance. Now with ESC, ABS, GPS, nine airbags and fiberglass bumpers I don't think it would be as much fun. Yet from time-to-time - when a driver on his phone does the jerk pass in the right hand lane at a stoplight - I wish I had a well-used V-nosed 1972 Pontiac Catalina to take him out demolition style.

Pseudo Experts in Social Media

When I go skiing with my family we don't go down the black diamond trails. Why? Because we barely ski once a year and don't qualify as "experts." So why is that so many people in my industry portray themselves as an expert in something they've barely begun to do. I'm talking about the writers who have had an iPad for one month versus the Detroit Symphony Orchestra musician with 10,000+ hours of practice. (Malcolm Gladwell "Outliers" reference.) I've grown tired of the social media expert who tweeted three times, the blog expert with a blog that's still a "green banana", the YouTube expert whose video has been viewed 42 times, and the social media repurposers without an original thought. Admit it people you belong on the groomed blue trails of social media. You're learning along with the rest of us and are at best an intermediate. So stop teaching (and preaching to me via email) and start catching more edges in the snow. I'll see you by the fire in the lodge when you've mastered your craft.

Buying a new pair of pants

Yesterday my wife and I ventured to Kohl's, the king of Dockers, to buy some clothes.  Had I seen this spot first we may have both considered shopping elsewhere.

Changes in the "Detroit ad scene"

Thanks to the Adcraft Club for including me in a discussion of the organization and the state of advertising in Detroit at a session held with Detroit Free Press columnist Tom Walsh this past Monday.

Here's a link to the article from Saturday's Free Press.

Enjoyed it, even if the big agency guys hogged all the quotes. More "good news" to come.

Shopping for Jewelry

"Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising."
 - Mark Twain

Mr. Twain must have seen the Internet coming, specifically as it applies to trying to buy jewelry online. 
By my own account I'm a pretty good husband and father, but a lousy jewelry buyer. I wish I could say it's because gold is at an all-time high. That has nothing to do with it. Then I realized that it's the industry's fault. The online jewelers take small items and make them look gigantic. I don't know carat weights and millimeters and so I have no idea what they're selling. And no confidence hitting the buy button.

So I ventured off to the mall to see some jewelry in person. Jewelry stores have everything in glass cases pretending that it's all about security, when they know perfectly well it's so you have to interact with the salespeople. The salespeople unfurl a tiny tag to decipher the code so as to give you a price. They present every price as if it's the greatest bargain in history. I see an item the size of a pencil eraser that costs more than my first car. It's a huge disconnect.

Thankfully the fine folks at Tapper's jewelry, a family-owned chain in Michigan chose to educate me instead of sell me, like many of their competitors. So how can I safely post this weeks ahead of a milestone wedding anniversary? Because there's no surprise to be ruined. I was encouraged to finish the shopping process with my wife. She knew basically what she was getting and now she can help ensure I get the right piece, the right size and even the right price.

As long as I get the credit for "buying" the perfect gift.

Consumer Escapes - List of Lists

My hand-written To Do list says "blog post" every day. Most days I get to it. On many others it gets shoved to the next day. That's my own list. Lately in perusing the web and print publications I've noticed an explosion of lists: Top 5 ways to get the best airplane seat, Top 100 Beatles songs, Top 100 Wines, etc...

In a blatant ploy for more readers my Labor Day aha was to create a list of the best lists. Sorry if this takes you back to a 1977 bestseller, but here goes:

10. Money Magazine's Top Places to Live
9.  Alexa Top U.S. Websites
8. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Safe Picks
7. AFI Top 100 Greatest Movies
6. New York Times 31 Places to Go in 2010
5. Top found grocery lists (funny stuff)
4. Maxim Hot 100 (not all of my Internet time is productive)
3. Thoroughbred Champions: Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century
2. Car and Driver 10 Best
and at #1 considering I have a high school sophomore and junior and college dominates all conversation U.S. News and World Report College Ranking

Consumer Escapes - Running while Seated

I love to run, I love good music, and I love new things that make you go, "wow." Point your Google Chrome browser to The Wilderness Downtown and enjoy all of those coming together from the comfort of your favorite chair. Or couch. I won't pretend to understand the technology behind this experiment. But I'll bet we'll be seeing more things like it soon. Enjoy.

Should I add another entertainment option?

Until now my blog posts have been about things I've done, places I've gone, gadgets I've purchased and experiences I've enjoyed. Now I'm hoping to get some feedback on a product/service I'm considering, Netflix. Seemingly every five minutes Netflix emails, pops-under or shows up in print fashion with a free trial offer. I'm intrigued, yet question how I'll find the time to enjoy the movies let alone make the streaming thing work. So when you're finished with the latest dvd (hopefully in HD) from Netflix please give me some feedback.

An American Badass

My iPhone photo of Kid Rock & The Twisted Brown Trucker Band 8/15/10

Billboard Magazine's August 7 cover shows a deflated beach ball and the headline, "Cruel Summer. Ticket Sales Down. Tour Dates Canceled." Last week in struggling Detroit, Kid Rock packed 'em in for three nights running at DTE Energy Theatre. (Or Pine Knob as Kid Rock referred to it throughout the show.) I was fortunate to attend the Sunday evening show with my wife and friends (thanks Greater Media) and we had a great time. A fantastic "escape." Rap, country, blues, a bottle of Badass American Lager, slow ballads and raw energy for over two hours. The crowd never sat down. When Kid Rock and Jamey Johnson came to the end of "Turn the Page" none other than Mr. Bob Seger came on stage to belt out his signature "there I go" which brought down the house. That beach ball might not be pumped up, but "with the echoes of the amplifiers ringin' in your head," we still are over a week later.

Shameless plug for Cyber Clean

If you're like me, you eat and use the computer/phone at the same time. As a result food and dirt get in the keyboard. I've tried using the compressed air cans to clean my telephone and computer keyboard. I can't quite manage like the experts on CSI and simply end up freezing the dirty keyboard.

In the Air Mall magazine I saw a blurb on Cyber Clean and thought, "I've got to try this stuff." I did and it works. It has the consistency of green, gooey Silly Putty. You press Cyber Clean into the crevices and it lifts out the gunk.

Go get a container. Then you can surf the Internet and freely eat trail mix all day long.

Cancelling a Vacation

I love planning a vacation. Even before the actual escape, it's a great escape and it's certainly something I don't get to do often enough. Last September my daughter and I were watching a PBS show on the lodges of the National Parks. The cabins at the Lodge at Bryce Canyon caught our eye. On a whim I said, "see if there's an availability next summer?" (My daughter always has her MacBook in her lap.) She found a cabin available for what would have been  dates last week. I showed her how to reserve it using a credit card and a trip plan was hatched. Based on that one cabin we then snagged a room at the Lodge at Zion National Park, booked a rental car, found frequent flyer flights for four to Las Vegas on Northwest and added hotel and activities in Las Vegas for the days before heading home.

My family was excited about this trip. With the long build-up we could read about hikes in the park, gather up gear, plan to see Vegas shows and tell our friends about the planned vacation.

Unfortunately a week before we were due to leave a major presentation was scheduled smack dab in the middle of this planned trip. As much as I enjoy vacation planning, vacation unraveling is another story. Canceling the rental car, Vegas hotel and even the lodges was no big deal. Two components proved difficult. The first, Jersey Boys at the Venetian has a no-refund, no-cancellation policy. I understand that policy and they very nicely worked to accommodate us by allowing deferred use of the tickets.

That brings me to Delta Airlines. I have nothing nice to say about the acquirer of Northwest. The original flights we reserved for a measly 100,000 miles were changed by Delta on five (yes five) separate occasions. Each time they sent the same form email informing us of schedule changes to our upcoming itinerary. Can I charge them for making change after change? No way. In the world of round-trip air travel the relationship between airline and passenger is decidedly one-way.

Now I found myself having to make a change to our itinerary. (If I remember chemistry class, doesn't Delta mean "change"?)That change couldn't be made online so I called Delta. After navigating the prompts I finally spoke with a live agent. She informed me that I would have to pay $150 per passenger to cancel these "free" mileage tickets. That's $600 for the pleasure of NOT getting to go on vacation and to get the miles re-deposited into my account. Call me crazy but that seemed a bit unfair. The next morning I wrote a level-headed complaint on the Delta website. A day later I received a voice mail at home (my office number was on the complaint form?) from Delta online support. I returned that call to find that Delta was unwilling to do anything for me. I must note that I'm a Silver Medallion frequent flyer and have had some sort of elite status with Delta and predecessor Northwest for 11 straight years! I did my homework and was able to point out that in the disclaimer copy it notes that the change fee is only $100 for tickets booked before June, 2010. Why did I have to bring that to Delta's attention? Still egregious but $200 better. The $400 charge to say bye-bye to our trip went on my American Express card. I'm sure Delta's happy to add it to their heap-o-fees. I also hope they're happy to have me think of the pain EVERY time I consider future travel plans.

Sometime soon I'll begin thinking about a future family vacation. Maybe we'll drive ...

Consumer Escapes - Sunday, August 8 New York Times Nailed It

Image credit: Chubby Brain.com

The business section cover story from the Sunday, August 8, 2010 New York Times was entitled "Consumers Find New Ways to Spend Less and Find Happiness." A key paragraph summed it up:

On the bright side, the practices that consumers have adopted in response to the economic crisis ultimately could — as a raft of new research suggests — make them happier. New studies of consumption and happiness show, for instance, that people are happier when they spend money on experiences instead of material objects, when they relish what they plan to buy long before they buy it, and when they stop trying to outdo the Joneses.

What affirmation for a blogger who has spent the past year commenting on consumer choices around spending as it relates to smz's point of view on Escapes. The article went on to add:

“This actually is a topic that hasn’t been researched very much until recently,” says Elizabeth W. Dunn, an associate professor in the psychology department at the University of British Columbia, who is at the forefront of research on consumption and happiness. “There’s massive literature on income and happiness. It’s amazing how little there is on how to spend your money.”

One major finding is that spending money for an experience — concert tickets, French lessons, sushi-rolling classes, a hotel room in Monaco — produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on plain old stuff.

‘It’s better to go on a vacation than buy a new couch’ is basically the idea,” says Professor Dunn, summing up research by two fellow psychologists, Leaf Van Boven and Thomas Gilovich. Her own take on the subject is in a paper she wrote with colleagues at Harvard and the University of Virginia: “If Money Doesn’t Make You Happy Then You Probably Aren’t Spending It Right.” (The Journal of Consumer Psychology plans to publish it in a coming issue.) 

One last thing. Professor Dunn we've done some research on the topic. In fact, I find happiness spending time on the subject.

Consumer Escapes - Classic Cars and a Cold Beer

At the end of vacation last week in Merrimack, New Hampshire my wife discovered the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour. We took the 10:35 am tour which winds its way from the hot of the fermenting process, to the cold of the lagering and filtering (beechwood!) process to the hyper-speed of the packaging process. Of course the highlight of the complimentary tour is the Hospitality Room. Here adult visitors are treated to a cold Budweiser and a choice of another A-B InBev product. Barely noon and enjoying pretzels, a Bud and a Stella Artois, now that's vacation.

After the brewery tour we were able to visit the stables of the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales. That's the closest I've ever been to the majestic Clydesdales and it's like standing by Shaq. All you can say is, "wow."

Our tour was culminated by the 35th annual "Show and Shine" car event in the parking lot. Hundreds of mint classic cars were on display. I hope a few make the trek out for the Woodward Dream Cruise in a few weeks. Cold beer and hot cars. The perfect capper to a nice week on the road.

Consumer Escapes - College Visits

This blog has been dark for awhile. Why? The key escape, vacation. But as we've all come to learn you have to jam in a bunch of work before vacation. Try to escape when on vacation. And then pay the price in emails/mail/voice mails when you return. Unfortunately my blog got shoved aside in the process.

So what was this vacation? I billed it as an epic college tour. A chance to expose our two high-school daughters to some great schools and great settings. On day one we left our home in Michigan and drove to Ithaca, NY with a brief stop on the way to ride the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls. The next day we took the student tour of Cornell University. More than just naturally beautiful Cornell comes across as a friendly and approachable place to be tested academically.

Next we were off to Saratoga Springs, NY one of my favorite places for a true "daily double." We had effectively a private tour of Skidmore College followed by a day at the races. Skidmore presents itself under the banner "Creative Thought Matters." I love that theme and how it intersects with today's world of media arts. We put our theories into practice at the track and proudly lost every race.


Back roads took us across the Berkshires to bucolic Williamstown and Williams College. Here the old (1793) is beautifully integrated with the new (see Paresky Student Center.) Williams was a great representative of a classic small, New England liberal arts college.

Just when I'd though I'd never seen so much purple, a short drive on Friday took us to Amherst College. Oh my lucky daughters as they got to take in another premier institution on a picture-perfect day. I will let the words of an Amherst past president paint a picture:

“The college is called liberal… because the instruction is dominated by no special interest, is limited to no single human task, but is intended to take human activity as a whole, to understand human endeavors not in their isolation but in their relations to one another and to the total experience which we call the life of our people.” 

— Alexander Meiklejohn, President, 1912-1924

 My portion of the tour ended on Saturday in Hanover, New Hampshire at yet another world-class institution, Dartmouth College. Dartmouth's noon tour drew so many students that the walking tour was students-only. I'm a proud Penn grad but have to admit that the Dartmouth environment and facilities were very attractive.

What a week. I was able to relive my youth a little bit while watching my daughters take in the possibilities of where they might go to college. I say possibilities as my daughters found delight in every one of these schools while calmly recognizing that only a small fraction (say 10%) of applicants are admitted. For a year now I've been blogging about great escapes. Add a big one to the list and go visit a nearby or far away college campus. For those who graduated decades ago - even the food is great.

Consumer Escapes - A Good Meal at CPK

In Detroit it's Woodward Dream Cruise Season. A '67 GTO needs quality fuel and so do the drivers and spectators. The fine folks at California Pizza Kitchen have provided a "tasty" offer.


Just bring in the special flyer on August 17, 18, 19, 22 and/or 23; present it to your server when ordering; and 20% of the total will go to support the Woodward Dream Cruise, a 501(c)(3) organization.

This offer is good at all Michigan California Pizza Kitchens:
Somerset Mall, Troy
Hunters Square, Farmington Hills
Laurel Park Place – Livonia
Twelve Oaks Mall – Novi
Briarwood Mall – Ann Arbor
Partridge Creek Mall – Clinton Township

Consumer Escapes - QR Codes

My contact information in QR code

I remember when we were kids riding our bikes and someone would yell out, "I know a shortcut." When the shortcut worked out it was great. Sometimes we ended up on a dead-end street and had to double back.


Today's technology is much the same. Many digital shortcuts are true time-savers. For instance knowing the commands to cut, copy, paste, close and my personal favorite "force quit." And some technology shortcuts are dead-ends. Like sometimes clicking on this blog.


One that holds great promise is the QR code, or Quick Response code. Often I receive a business card and have to type all of the data into my phone's address book. (Beaming on a Palm Pilot, now that was a shortcut.) Now with a QR code reader all of the data can be captured and transferred in a blink. Give it a whirl.

Consumer Escapes - Grabbing the Remote

Last week I was hopped up on DQ Blizzards. Now I'm excited about an online promotion from Klondike Bars.

The Klondike Everyman Challenge states that since the dawn of time, mankind has worked unflaggingly to expend as little energy as possible. Innovations such as the lazy susan and the moving sidewalk — the inventors of which are now both, of course, household names — are proof that an enduring legacy is only earned through a lasting contribution to one's own lethargy and the lethargy of future generations.

In their "Grab the Remote" video contest, can you reach the remote control without getting off your duff? The site says, watch Adam Corrolla show you how to harness your man-genuity. 

While I'm not a huge fan of user generated content (UGC) when home alone I've been guilty of watching something unwanted on television 'cause I was too lazy to get up and find the remote. Guess I've got about a week to experiment with duct tape, a AAA battery, and a small fishing rod. Enjoy ...

Consumer Escapes - DQ

In our SMZ Consumer E-scape research study fewer than 13% of respondents said they considered their diet to be very healthy. I work hard to make my diet be healthy. With my family away the past few weeks I've eaten ridiculously healthy. (Little choice when there's no one else around to help do the shopping.) Last night I hit a great escape, the new DQ on Orchard Lake Road for a Blizzard®. I had the small Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Boy, that less-than-healthy stuff really tastes great on a 93 degree summer night. Considering that there was a line out the door, I'm not the only one who felt that way. So ignore the research and do "something different" as DQ's themeline urges. Maybe I'll see you there.

Consumer Escapes - Digital Disconnect

Yesterday I helped my sister activate her new Blackberry. Bye-bye to her pink Razr phone. Just after taking some responsibility for placing her in the "always on" mode I happened to read in the Wall Street Journal David Harsanyi's review of Hamlet's Blackberry by William Powers. I'll let his review and the one from Publisher's Weekly be screen reading for you. Me, I have to escape from the digital devices to find time to read the book. Or I should say, "the rest is silence."

From Publishers Weekly

Our discombobulated Internet Age could learn important new tricks from some very old thinkers, according to this incisive critique of online life and its discontents. Journalist Powers bemoans the reigning dogma of digital maximalism that requires us to divide our attention between ever more e-mails, text messages, cellphone calls, video streams, and blinking banners, resulting, he argues, in lowered productivity and a distracted life devoid of meaning and depth. In a nifty and refreshing turn, he looks to ideas of the past for remedies to this hyper-modern predicament: to Plato, who analyzed the transition from the ancient technology of talking to the cutting-edge gadgetry of written scrolls; to Shakespeare, who gave Hamlet the latest in Elizabethan information apps, an erasable notebook; to Thoreau, who carved out solitary spaces amid the press of telegraphs and railroads. The author sometimes lapses into mysticism—In solitude we meet not just ourselves but all other selves—and his solutions, like the weekend-long Internet Sabbaths he and his wife decreed for their family, are small-bore. But Powers deftly blends an appreciation of the advantages of information technology and a shrewd assessment of its pitfalls into a compelling call to disconnect. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Consumer Escapes - A refreshing shower

It's hot, it's humid and I'm showering twice a day. That's why we all need the Old Spice Guy. Thankfully he's back with another "great smelling" TV spot, asking all sorts of questions that women and men can both answer. Now take a swan dive ...

Consumer Escapes - Ideal Getaways

The Financial Times weekend edition had an article entitled "Summer loving - Leading cultural and business figures reveal their ideal getaways." Read the whole article if you get a chance. As we're in summer vacation season play along as well. Answer the questions that interviewer Victoria Maw asked of folks like Alan Greenspan:

• Where are you going on holiday this year?
• What do you think about during your holiday?
• What will you be reading on holiday?
• What will you be listening to on holiday?
• Who is your ideal travelling companion - dead, alive, historical, fictional?
• Will you switch on your "Out of Office"?
• What do you most, and least, enjoy about travelling?

I look forward to hearing some of your answers. Mine to be posted at a later date.

Consumer Escapes - Nike Free

The current running craze is all about barefoot running. Somehow the amazing technology in running shoes has gotten to the point where they're supposedly hampering training. All of the shoe manufacturers now have these minimalist shoes (at maximalist prices) that attempt to mimic running barefoot. I just got a pair of Nike Free shoes. I hit the trail this morning and have to say that they're awesome. Light, comfortable, quiet. I did feel like I was running barefoot but without worrying about stepping on rocks.

My morning runs serve as a daily escape. Only time will tell if running near barefoot enhances the experience. Or simply enhances Nike's bottom line.

Consumer Escapes - A Great Shave

I'm an every-other-day shaver. And even at that schedule I hate it. I've tried electrics, disposable razors, shaving in the shower, three blades, four blades, five blades, ... Nothing made the experience smooth. At Costco last week I purchased (with a coupon) Gillette's latest entry in the shaving arms race, the Fusion ProGlide Power.  The promise is that “shaving becomes gliding.” After a few shaves this skeptic has become a believer. In fact while gliding I can think about the day ahead. Now that's an early morning escape.

I learned on the Gillette You Tube channel that the average man spends over 1,000 hours of his life shaving. Might as well make it smooth. (Just please don’t let my wife shave her legs with my new Fusion ProGlide!)

Consumer Escapes - A Broadway Show

I spend my days (and many nights) talking about how we help clients sell tickets. Tickets to sporting events, tickets to play Powerball, tickets to see a show. Lots and lots of tickets. When I have the opportunity to step up and purchase a ticket to some form of consumer escape I get the dual benefit of enjoyment and business research. The other evening while in New York I bought a last-minute ticket to - what's billed as "Broadway's hot-button thriller" - RACE, written and directed by David Mamet. My show review is brief. I found the show gripping and thought-provoking.

As if that wasn't enough, I took the 12 minute intermission to jot down some notes as to why I find a play to be such a worthwhile escape. (In this case $121.50 worthwhile.) Those notes included: my Playbill is clutched, there's a jolt when the curtain goes up, I immediately suspend belief, the actors can actually see me, everyone around me is happy to be there, and when it's over there's a genuine audience-cast bond at the final curtain. Individually, each of those elements can take me away from the everyday. Combine them all and I can escape for a few hours with memories that last for a long time. Guess that explains why Broadway sells over $1 billion in tickets each year.

Consumer Escapes - Financial Freedom

Financial freedom. Read any personal finance book or investing website and they'll talk about how saving and investing early is the key to financial freedom. More important than the concepts of diversification, asset allocation, rates of return or any other investment term in the glossary.

In the U.S. we're not just behind in education. As a recent Global Echo Awards judge for the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) I was blown away by the entries from banks in Europe and Australia. They all had campaigns targeting teens, tweens and young children. Not in a predatory way. No. In an informative, fun, fresh way. These banks are acquiring and retaining younger customers. These banks are doing something good!

Maybe our domestic banks can "borrow" a page from their overseas colleagues and begin educating our young people. That next generation will save more and the banks will get high value customers for life. A long life. And I'll have some exciting award entries to judge in the future.

Consumer Escapes - The Car Wash

In our smz E-scape research one of the global findings about consumer escapes is that there's a clear "before and after." For example: I was stressed, went on vacation, and came home decompressed. Or, I was time-starved, took a day without responsibilities, and felt reenergized.

I found an interesting escape this morning.  I ventured out to local car wash chain, Jax Kar Wash. Jax is an old-school car wash operation where you get out of the car and watch it go through the wash line. Your car goes in dirty and comes out clean. A classic before-and-after. But it got better than that for my filthy 7 year-old car. At the end of the line a pit crew-like team descended on my car drying, buffing, spraying and coddling. Now my car windows and mirrors are invisible, the wheels and tires shine, and the interior is spotless. Jax claims "a clean car rides better." I believe that is an extremely accurate insight.

One other finding in our research study was that 8% of adults identified spa time as the ideal in escape relaxation and refreshment.  This morning my car went into a spa and in the process I came out relaxed and refreshed.

Consumer Escapes - Witnessing Perfection

I was playing a USTA league tennis match on Wednesday evening. After the match, which we lost 10-8 in the third set tiebreaker, we were commiserating about costly line calls. As we usually do after a match. While driving home at 11:30 p.m. sports talk radio (in fact every radio station) was overrun with discussion of Armando Galarraga's "purr-fect game." I don't need to add to the maelstrom but I can sure be a proud Detroiter in the aftermath of the situation.

I tip my Old English "D" hat to Armando Gallaraga, Jim Leyland, the Detroit Tigers organization, Tigers fans, and GM for handling this situation in a manner that defines class and understanding; whatever the commissioner of baseball decides. Too often damage is done with anger and rock throwing. Instead we'll remember how Armando threw his fastball and slider on a glorious evening as he drives off into a Michigan sunset in high style with his head held high ...

Consumer Escapes - Great Tool for Goal Setting

A few weeks ago while running the Mississauga Marathon I came across an energetic, borderline crazed group at roughly mile 19. They were dressed alike in black clothing under a tent with a lululemon banner. I knew from reading about lululemon that they are a Canadian-based company with a unique culture. I witnessed that culture first-hand and their support stuck with me. (It didn't hurt that they were a very attractive group of supporters.)

I visited their website and discovered an interesting tool there called Goaltender. Here's what they say about that microsite.

There is no manual for life. Who you are, where you go, and how soon you get there is up to you. Goal setting is a tool that helps you get what you want out of life. It's that simple.

Just as there is no right way to live, there is no right way to determine your goals. The lululemon goaltender site takes you step by step through the process of goal setting, so that you create goals that are powerful and meaningful to you.

While this reminds me of Franklin Covey training from years ago I may try it in preparation for my next race and other goals.

Consumer Escapes - Firing Up the Backyard Grill

I love to barbecue. The whole process from igniting the grill, to cooking, to eating, to the simplicity of clean-up. I find that time spent - beer in hand - waiting to flip whatever is cooking is a primal escape. And the grill is mine.

Jeff Foxworthy did a wonderful job capturing the lighter side of "why real men grill." Here are a few of his observations:

It brings men together. Then there’s that bonding thing. It’s hard for guys not to tell other guys how to do it. Let’s face it: My wife probably would not like it if other women were standing around her stove saying, “You need to turn that spaghetti up,” or, “You need to take those noodles out—they’re ready.” Women don’t do that to each other. But guys gather round the grill and go, “You need to flip them. You need to flip those steaks!” I don’t know why guys have to be right about everything, but we do.

It’s exciting. Men love grilling for the sheer danger of it. You got a breeze, you got a flame, you’ve got lighter fluid and a miniature pitchfork. You got people imbibing alcohol. What could possibly go wrong here? Let’s just say that there’s a good chance that the fire truck or, you know, the ambulance is coming out. Men like that. Someone could get hurt before the food ever makes it to the table. If there’s not a chance of calling 911, men don’t want to bother cooking it!

Consumer Escapes - D-I-Y Investing

I'm a lousy do-it-yourselfer when it comes to home repairs and improvements. The joke in my family is that a handyman is needed to fix my fixes. Whatever the markets, I've been an effective do-it-yourselfer when it comes to investing. Interestingly when it comes to fixing "stuff" I'm a "breaker." But when it comes to financial stuff, amazingly we've never had a broker. So admittedly I'm better with Schwab than with spackle.

Recently I got turned on to an investing website that is stunning in its design and ease. It's called Kapitall and it employs oversized drag-and-drop icons that brings a visual flavor to investment research unlike anything else I've used. I'll happily trudge through the microscopic type of Value Line at the local library. Kapitall now gives me a way to go online and organize that data. Give it a look. It's educational, it's fun and it's free.

Wish I could say that about fixing the toilet.

Consumer Escapes - In-car Radio

Yesterday I posted an article about men's joy and escape in driving on the open road. Today we take a look at what men are doing while driving, specifically what they're listening to. I've pulled out pieces of a story in The New York Times that ran last November.

American men have a naughty little secret. Sometimes, they like to relax with a little Céline Dion. Professed classical music fans have one, too: as it turns out, they don’t tune into classical radio nearly as much as they claim.

These are two of many findings shaking up the radio industry as it converts from measuring ratings through surveys to monitoring listeners electronically using so-called Portable People Meters. As radio executives are discovering, what people say they do and what they actually do is different — especially where “My Heart Will Go On” is concerned.

“It may be a case where men didn’t want to admit they were listening to a light A.C.,” said Greg Ashlock, president and market manager for Los Angeles at Clear Channel, using industry shorthand for adult contemporary, or soft rock. “ ‘No, I don’t listen to Céline Dion. I’m a sports guy.’ ”

Some male soft-rock listeners say they simply like the music. Ezra Feinberg, 33, a psychologist in San Francisco, listens to KOIT, a soft-rock station, on his commute. “One in 10 songs on soft-rock radio resonates, but it really resonates,” he said.

“The meter is sort of making radio more homogenous, because the stations that do best are the mass appeal stations,” Ms. Albright said. That may be another explanation for why men are listening to soft rock.

“There’s no good radio,” said Jason Pontius, 39, a technology executive in Oakland, Calif. “Soft rock radio is like, ‘Am I really listening to this?’ But it’s the best thing that’s on.”

So take a look in your rearview mirror and when it appears that the guy behind you is rocking out, he just might be doing it to Lite FM.

Consumer Escapes - Driving Alone on the Open Road

The following is excerpted from an article in Men's Health, April 2010, by Dan Neil. I noted it as a MUST post. On this beautiful spring day it also makes me want to go for a ride. Enjoy ...
==========

It's a trope of pop psychology that a man needs time to sulk and suck his paw -- that men are different from their it-takes-a-village counterparts. And yet it's the truth. This bit of wiring in a man's brain may be the evolutionary product of eons of lonely hunting and gathering; however he came by it, his impulse to be alone runs deep.

The solo car trip is one of the few activities that lets men be alone without having their solitude pathologized. Try telling your friends and family that you'll be spending a few days at the beach alone, or going off sailing by yourself. The reaction is likely to be disbelief or worry. One of the many amusing aspects of South Carolina governor Mark Sanford's fall from grace was his alibi -- that he was hiking the Appalachian Trail alone. (He was in Argentina, in fact, visiting his girlfriend.) The very notion of hiking alone seemed enough to make people doubt his mental health. What if he'd said he was just going for a drive?

Long-distance driving has emerged in literature, from Jack Kerouac to Stephen King, as a kind of American zen, a practice of falling into the massive hypnotism of the road, mindful of the moment, the scenery scrolling by in its peripheral totality. A week on the road alone is a rare and fantastic gift to myself. I can start to hear myself think. On the first day, I rehash arguments with former girlfriends and wives. On the second day, I commune with the spirit of my father, gone 30 years. By day three, I can actually start producing new thoughts. I start thinking about changing the world.

A bad day on the open road is . . . well, there is no bad day.

Link to full article