http://www.psfk.com Your Go-To Source For New Ideas And Inspiration Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:24:54 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.psfk.com/2012/01/kit-kat-new-flavor.html Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000 Nestle's latest ads lets users vote on a new bar as well as using geo-fencing to let them know where to buy it in real time.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/09/how-do-consumers-really-feel-about-environmental-sustainability.html Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:10:36 +0000 A recent survey reveals a new consumer trend and attitude towards environmentally sustainability and greenwashing by companies. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/09/how-market-researchers-can-use-the-purplelist.html Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:49:08 +0000 The PurpleList is a site created to bridge PSFK readers with each other and to organizations. Currently we have expert PSFK readers from across the world in the PurpleList database. They are open to provide you answers for a fee as low as $1 US. Using the search engine on the homepage, researchers can find members from differing locations, skills and job type. Each member has a rating and an indicator showing the number of answers they’ve given so far. Up to 30 of these experts can be asked a question at a time and if you need them toRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/09/psfks-purplelist-expert-network-we-try-try-again.html Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:40:37 +0000 We invite PSFK readers to join our community of experts and knowledge sharers. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/05/brands-visualized-as-virtual-toys.html Wed, 18 May 2011 15:50:14 +0000 New website Brand Toys transforms 3,000 brands into characters using market research data.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/05/chris-harrison-spoilt-for-choice-marketers-must-use-audience-research.html Wed, 18 May 2011 09:00:54 +0000 I have spent quite a few hours in the company of market researchers recently, and I wish more marketers and agency folk would too. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/03/new-facebook-questions-a-social-marketers-dream.html Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:44:26 +0000 Any Facebook user can now click on the 'Question' tab above the status update window and ask their news feed readers a question with multiple choice answers.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/11/technology-harvests-emotions-of-movie-watching-audience.html Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:49:40 +0000 A new technology will be able to monitor reactions and movement in a movie theatre.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/10/faris-yakob-all-market-research-is-wrong.html Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:46:01 +0000 The advertising planning expert argues that research should never be considered 'true.']]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/10/facebook-now-tracks-global-vibes.html Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:08:29 +0000 Gross National Happiness Index - a new application from Facebook, can track global highs and lows from aggregating key words within user status updates.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/hands-on-with-the-engaging-ideas-card-pack.html Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:21:37 +0000 A while back, we wrote a short post about the Engaging Ideas Card Pack and mentioned, “We haven’t gotten our hands on the full set, but it looks like a neat package for a broad range of ideas.”  Well, now (thanks to Rob Fox) we’ve gotten our grubs on the entire pack and sifted through the stack of colorful cards. The first impression is that they look like a deck of large novelty sized playing cards printed on thick stock cardboard.  The front side of each card is an image meant to invoke the message or activity presented on theRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/hands-on-with-the-engaging-ideas-card-pack-2.html Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:21:37 +0000 A while back, we wrote a short post about the Engaging Ideas Card Pack and mentioned, “We haven’t gotten our hands on the full set, but it looks like a neat package for a broad range of ideas.”  Well, now (thanks to Rob Fox) we’ve gotten our grubs on the entire pack and sifted through the stack of colorful cards. The first impression is that they look like a deck of large novelty sized playing cards printed on thick stock cardboard.  The front side of each card is an image meant to invoke the message or activity presented on theRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/real-life-lessons-from-the-obama-campaign.html Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:21:25 +0000 Fast on the heels of what many are heralding as the most successful presidential campaign ever staged, folks everywhere are hoping to be the first to uncover the valuable lessons that made this historic election possible. Those in the marketing industry choose to look at the Obama campaign from the perspective of “effective sales pitch to the entire nation,” able to cross all demographics with a single message. However, maybe this is view is too narrow and fails to see the broader implications as we move forward. To that end, Gawker offers five realistic takeaways that paint a bigger pictureRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/are-brands-compromising-their-morals-to-increase-sales.html Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:28:03 +0000 As pop-culture and celebrity gossip blogs continue to see increased traffic, particularly with the youth demographic, advertisers’ views on what counts as acceptable have started to change.  Given the uneasy economic climate and tightening budgets, it’s become increasingly important for mainstream brands to be mindful of where their ad dollars are going.  As a result, following the crowds, even if that means entering non-traditional venues on the web with less respectable material, makes a good deal of sense.  Despite the inherent logic of this move, some in the media still question whether this issue has more to do with negligentRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/wpp-google-to-partner-fund-academic-research.html Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:20:48 +0000 Famous frenemies WPP and Google are joining forces to the tune of $4.6 million dollars to fund a joint research project that establishes conclusively the ways online marketing impacts consumer behavior. Despite an often cited statistic that people spend 30 percent of their time online, current studies don’t show this activity translating into an equivalent amount of total spending on the web.  This inquiry will examine the ways offline and online interact and, one suspects, search for creative methods to bridge this gap. Considering the fact that these two giants rely so heavily on the online space for generating theirRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/sharedegg-maps-of-consumer-culture-2.html Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:08:08 +0000 SharedEgg offers some neat data visualization maps that provide a glimpse of the interconnected web of products, brands, and activities that binds us. Based on data collected from constituents of various ‘subcultures’, the maps reflect the different labels people have for themselves and others based on what they like, what they consume and how they spend their free time. SharedEgg explains their process: What we ended up asking of our participants was just to list some of the products, and activities that they are involved with: what music artists they listen to, what movies they watch, what television shows theyRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/flawed-brands-are-the-key-to-success.html Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:05:22 +0000 Internet culture whiz Clay Shirky gave some interesting insights into the biggest mistake of corporate branding. Shirky argues that advertising seek to perfect brands, and in doing so, fail to reach and speak to average day people. When a brand markets a perfect image, people are less inclined to interact with the product, because it doesn’t reflect their imperfect lifestyle. Brands that use a flawed, or ‘human’ marketing campaign reinforce and locate themselves within people’s lifestyles. The most promising direction now for brands, Shirky argues, is to use a raw and unfinished front, making their image far more approachable andRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/next-generation-marketing-2.html Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:43:24 +0000    View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: collaboration brand) The way we influence and interact through the internet is constantly changing. We’ve all witnessed how user generated content has brought new creative potential to consumers and opened up the doors of online collaboration. But while UGC’s impact on marketing and the way youth consume and create web content is significant, some believe it still has a long way to go. Screenplay‘s Strategic Director Helge Tennø offers a compelling argument on the limitations of the current means for online collaboration, deeming them too rigid and presenting “artificial barriers” forRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/building-a-citys-brand-sometimes-its-the-small-things-2.html Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:09:22 +0000 Creative Cities Summit 2.0 concluded this week in Detroit, Michigan, a three-day conference bringing together creative practitioners from across industries (from city planners to educators) in a discussion about the integration of innovation, social entrepreneurship, sustainability, arts & culture and business and their roles in our urban ecologies. Brand Avenue points us to one of the conference’s most enlightening panels – a talk between Who’s Your City?‘s Richard Florida, COMEDIA’S Charles Landry, and The Creative Economy author John Howkins (moderated by Carol Coletta of Smart City Radio). As Brand Avenue retells, Landry brings up the important distinction between how bigRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/milk-marketing-in-the-21st-century.html Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:35:56 +0000 The dairy lobby has always been a powerful force in America, but recently they saw their classic ad campaigns overtaken by cartoon characters that children more readily relate to.  These new school cultural icons easily sway children in purchasing choices.  The proliferation of SpongeBob snacks or Spiderman cereals drove Big Milk to form a modern marketing group known as “Milk Media.”  In the venture’s first deal, school milk consumption increased 34% after the implementation of Disney’s Doug into the milk campaign.  While milk has enemies, they certainly have fans in the federal government who wish to promote the milk alternativeRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/southwest-adds-in-flight-drink-and-payment-options-sales-rise.html Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:57:03 +0000 Since September 9th, Southwest switched all in-flight payments to credit instead of cash.  According to a spokeswoman, the goal for the company was to increase drink sales by an average of one beverage per flight.  If this goal is achieved it would translate into a $4 million increase.  In addition to getting rid of cash, Southwest added the sale of non-alcoholic drinks and energy drinks.  It will be interesting to see if the impressive 8% jump in sales translates into other carriers adopting this policy.  It’s nice to know that this airline’s profit-maximizing strategy has given us (credit card holdingRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/better-pr-through-friendfeed.html Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:49:15 +0000 The PR industry as we once knew it is dead.  We’ve written about this topic before, but recently we came across some advice on creating the best PR through the social aggregator, FriendFeed.  SocialTNT explains the most efficient way to market yourself or your company in a well organized article. The important lessons detailed involve staying current on the feed to maximize media research opportunities and taking advantage of the contacts you have.  In a new world that values usefulness over experience, staying current is critical.  Becoming involved is one of the central aims of FriendFeed and you can easilyRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/08/the-hispanic-insight-of-a-pepperoni-pizza.html Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:01:30 +0000 If a Latino advertising agency or consultant begins to address the Hispanic insight of a pepperoni pizza (a bar of soap, toothpaste, shampoo, a hamburger, a Phillips screwdriver, a pencil sharpener… you get the picture), RUN away from them as fast as you can. There are certainly some products or services for which you will need to fully understand how these interact, relate, fit, with the reality or frame of mind of the Latino consumer and your success in reaching out to them will heavily depend on it. Exhaustive, primary and secondary research will prove invaluable to reach your goals.Read more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/05/agencies-insides.html Thu, 31 May 2007 23:26:16 +0000 A new site called This Aint No Disco is compiling photographs of advertising agencies from around the world and posting them, sharing the various creative environments people work in. It’s a well known fact that some agencies spend huge chunks of their hard earned money turning lifeless commercial spaces into bastions of creativity. These interiors provide insight as to the breadth and depth of their thinking and creative execution. They create spaces to envy. Places to shout about – loud. Whilst our main focus is to showcase these interiors we also hope that this site will act as a goodRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/03/copyranter-on-trend-school-at-soho-house.html Fri, 23 Mar 2007 14:33:13 +0000 In the latest column for Gawker, Copyranter takes a swing at the Trend School that’s set up every month to help marketers understand the kids: Once every month, several hip New York teenagers shuffle into the Soho House, the Meatpacking House of Style, to share their sublime understanding of What Is Cool These Days with ad and marketing execs—who pay $2,500 for the one-day chat sessions. They’re paying to hear Aaron talk about his favorite Jordan sneakers; to view Jennie’s hand-knit Bart Simpson blanket; to find out about James’s blogs (Christ). Welcome to Trend School, the consistently sold-out event hostedRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/02/psfk-conference-panelists-florian-peters-with-steve-hardwick-grant-mccracken-and-simon-sinek.html Wed, 21 Feb 2007 17:50:54 +0000 At the end of the morning half of the PSFK Conference on March 6, we will hold a panel discussion on how to use trends and ideas like the ones that were presented in proceeding talks that day. Today, we seem to have access to an unprecedented amount of information – but what should we look for and what then do you do with the ideas you discover? Trends expert Florian Peters will investigate the theme of “Got Trends, Now What?” with author and cultural anthropologist Grant McCracken, brand innovation consultant Simon Sinek and Steve Hardwick, president of creative agencyRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/02/how-to-find-influencers-in-asia.html Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:29:24 +0000 The Digital Influence Mapping Project reveals their methodology on seeking influential bloggers and online publishers in Asia. They say: We have been working all week to apply our process for identifying influencers in specific categories across the region in Asia. We have a model for rating “influence” amongst bloggers. The elements include: * Affiliation of blog writer(s) * Number of links to the blog * Number of feed subscriptions * Search engine results position for relevant keyword searches * Last update * Industry mentions/lists of top blogs * Inclusion in Technorati Blog Directory and other online directories * Discussion AnalysisRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/02/technorati-wheres-the-fire.html Thu, 01 Feb 2007 15:43:35 +0000 Technorati have launched a new section of their blog search engine called WTF?, or ‘Where’s The Fire?’. The section is designed to get users involved in explaining and comment on the popularity of certain user terms. It’s only just launched, but if it picks up, it might be a handy resource to see what people think the reasons are behind the popularity of certain topics. Technorati: Where’s the Fire?]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/01/virtual-feedback-into-real-life-build.html Tue, 30 Jan 2007 22:46:55 +0000 Starwoods Hotel is using feedback from residents in a virtual work to help define their real world brand experience. Feedback from visitors to the virtual Aloft hotel in Sedcond Life will be incorporated into the design of the real hotel, due to open next year. Virtual Aloft: under_construction Related IF! Stories Interview With Marc Schiller of ElectricArtists on the Aloft Second Life Hotel]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/01/ipa-report-to-ad-agencies-understand-trends-or-die.html Thu, 04 Jan 2007 22:14:37 +0000 “The overriding message of the report is that of a wake-up call to agencies who need to get to grips with emerging trends or else see commercial advertising begin to decline.” The IPA Report : The future of advertising and agencies Time to call PSFK, no?]]>