Adbirds of a Feather Flock Together May 11, 2010

Spring has sprung and with that in mind, it is time to think about bikes.  Road bikes, commuters, cruisers, mountain bikes, townies and more…so many to choose from and so little time.

I am in the process of acting as a bike-advisor to a friend in Austin, so I have been looking at different websites, and trying to find the best deals and resources.  I recently found the Adbirds website in a search and I just have to say, “Wow!”

While the site itself doesn’t have tons of listings in some categories, it is a wealth of information for bike lovers.  With detailed listings and photos for each bike, I really like the consistency of information.  It makes comparing features so easy.  I also appreciate the “related ads” category because it made the browsing experience fast and customized.

One of my favorite bikes I spotted was the Marin Lagunitas—at a reasonable $540.  This bike is a member of Marin’s comfort series and was built to live it up to its “comfort” name with lots of features to ensure one smooth ride.  The frame is made of lightweight aluminum and comes with a Spinner Odesa LX front fork (63mm with Preload Adjustment).  The saddle looks pretty plush and the bike is set-up with high-rise adjustable handlebars to give you a great position on the bike.

Mind you, this bike is not designed for shredding the gnarly trails or doing some serious off-road riding.  But what it will do is give you a smooth ride so you can get it in shape, enjoy the fresh air and tone your buns.  And it’s true—bike riding isn’t just great for your mental and physical health—it’s also awesome for the environment because every bike equals one less car on the road.

The green theme of biking is well-aligned with Adbirds’ motto too.  Their servers are 100% wind-powered plus they offer a “get distance” feature so you can limit your driving while shopping.  My favorite part of the site is a social media share component that adds a fun touch when you’re ready  to Tweet a great deal or introduce everyone to your new two-wheeled baby on Facebook.

Bottom line.  If you’re looking for bikes in Austin, this site is a great place to do a little research and see what’s available.  Rather than a bunch of jumbled or inconsistent information like other free sports equipment sites, Adbirds makes it easy, fast, fun—and feel-good!

Danger! This sign is really funny. May 10, 2010

The weather in Denver was freakishly warm last weekend so I dusted off my bike and took it for a spin around Golden.  Getting back on the pedals after a snowy December felt great and I couldn’t have been happier.  And, I discovered an added bonus – one of my favorite trail signs of all time, “Caution!  Staircase Straight Ahead!”

 

Now, I need my millions of loyal readers to take a moment and study this picture.  It’s actually quite funny.  First, look at how poor stickman is flying away from his bike.  I reckon he could sail 20 or 30 yards through the air by the time he’s finished this epic tumble.  Second, it looks like he must have stayed upright for a few stairs in order for the bike to gain such a pronounced downward trajectory.  Finally, if the sign-makers were going to throw stickman down a long flight of stairs, couldn’t they have added a little helmet?

 

Maybe I have always been obsessed with bizarre signage, though.  I remember the time in high school that the local Burger King had a sign on their marquee that read, “Now hiring closers.”  My brilliant friends (not that I was involved) decided it would be hilarious to steal the “c” so the sign read, “Now hiring losers.”  We felt like the smartest bunch of 15 year-olds ever.

 

So, as I wait for the next spell of warm weather, I’ll daydream about stickman’s headlong tumble and think about finding another funny sign.  Maybe, I’ll ride over to stickman with a Sharpie and draw a wee helmet on his head – I bet we’ll both feel better.

Good Friends…with Benefits. The “Feel Good” Cereal? August 6, 2009

Occasionally, something tickles Ms (and Mr) Chatterly’s   funny bone and this box of cereal really fits the bill.

I love the Kashi brand, food, and their message but the carefully crafted diversity, the extra-happy grins and the name, “Good Friends” really caught our attention one day at the grocery store.

In fact, these folks look really happy–so happy–in fact, could they be Good Friends with Benefits?  You make the call and I hope it makes you laugh.  Out loud!

Special thanks to Correy Honza, designer extraordinaire and appreciator of all things hilarious!

Just Hold It! United Breaks More than Guitars July 27, 2009

I traveled last weekend to visit my family for a brief vacation.  The trip consisted of many highlights–unfortunately, the return flight was not one of them.

I was able to board the plane A-OK but I became stumped when there wasn’t enough space for my carry-on bag in the overhead bins.  When I pointed this fact out to a flight attendant, she asked dismissively, “Was I sure I had checked?”

I appreciate her inquisitiveness and cool demeanor but, of course, I had checked.  Wouldn’t it be much easier to use the bins than flag her down?

Once this issue was resolved by walking my luggage to the front of the plane (while dodging angry oncoming traffic), I hurried back to my seat.  After the requisite pre-flight instructions, my seatmates and I noticed some loud whirring noises, coming from below the plane.  After about 10 minutes, the pilot announced that our plane needed to pass some type of bearing inspections prior to take-off.

He then mentioned that he and the crew thought this inspection had been completed on the previous flight or on the ground but, apparently, it had not.  Now, the plane was grounded by Chicago until the inspection was completed and the plane had passed.

Now, as a nervous flier, I am totally cool with extra safety checks and precautionary measures.  I’m not, however, cool with the pilot playing the blame game with the other crew.  C’mon United–just say we screwed up, we are delayed until further notice and we’ll get you in the air ASAP.

I didn’t realize that the worst was yet to come.  After a delay of 3-5 minutes…I mean 45 minutes (nice math), we were took off, en route to Denver.

Even though the flight was under two hours, the added runway delay made the travel time closer to 3+ hours and I had two large glasses of water, a Diet Coke and a ginger ale.  The fasten seat belt sign was illuminated the whole time but I really needed to use the facilities.  Really badly!

Every time someone would venture to the loo, one of the flight attendants would angrily bark orders to the whole cabin to remain seated.  As someone who was making every effort to hold in the forces of nature, I understood their point of view (safety first) but I also intimately understood how the passengers felt risking permanent bladder damage.

With about 20 minutes to go, I simply could not hold it any longer.  I waited until the plane felt relatively stable and went about seven rows back to the bathroom.  I apologetically told the flight attendant that I just couldn’t wait any longer and I was terribly sorry.

To my surprise, she didn’t acknowledge my statement of apology…instead she said in her nastiest voice, “It’s not my fault if you get fined for this.”

WHAT?  WHAT?  DID SHE THREATEN TO FINE ME FOR PEEING?

I continued into the bathroom, went about my business as quickly as possible and slunk back to my seat.  As my seatmates jealously exclaimed how badly they had to go too, I told them about the flight attendant’s comments.

We were all so surprised–it wasn’t as though I was going for a joy-ride in United’s bathroom or I was mingling at a party…rather, I really had to go and it was going to happen–whether it was in the bathroom or on my seat.

I understand United Airlines wants passengers to be safe and they need people to remain in their seats.  And, I am sure flight attendants feel underpaid and undervalued.  But, c’mon United!  I didn’t deserve that type of criminal treatment or nasty comment.

After the flap with Dave Carroll’s United Breaks Guitars (great song and video by the way), I would have thought they would have advised employees to be a little friendlier and a little more helpful.  Instead, they’re not just breaking guitars–they’re going for bladders.

I’d Virtually Like to Not Play Tennis with You June 10, 2009

Haven’t we all heard the phrase, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say it at all?”

It is a rule we should all try and follow closely although the internet, especially the instant-gratification personality of social media, can cause extreme carelessness.   When we are bombarded by literally hundreds of emails, articles, Tweets and status updates each day, it is easy to forget that there are real people involved.

Case in point, I have been a member of Meetup.com’s Tennis Group for several years.  As a member, I have participated in a few events and received the organizational emails and responses.  One thing about Meetup.com’s default setting – when one person replies to a Group email, everyone is copied.  This issue can be fixed by changing your default settings which will control the flow of emails.  As one can imagine, if you do not change the default setting, you can receive 70+ emails is one day!

One (self-proclaimed new) member sent a nasty email to the entire group about this large volume of emails and accused everyone of being dumb or inconsiderate since she was getting hundreds of emails sent to her work address.

Without dwelling on why she would use her work address for a personal activity, suffice it to say, she received plenty of feedback and none of it was nice.  Imagine my surprise last weekend when a new girl showed up for a local Meetup event.  As she proceeded to boss the players around, a jokester asked if she was the one who sent the spiteful email the previous week.

Guess what her answer was?  Guess again if she is welcome at future events?

My point for the anecdote is this one – in the virtual world, it is very easy to be brave and rail on others because it is faceless.  Or, lose control and your temper because you are having a bad day.  Would this girl have stood in front of a crowd of 200 strangers and told them off?  Accused each one of them of being stupid?  I highly doubt it but she did its online equivalent and received the same sort of playground justice.

How many times have you wanted to respond to someone’s ignorant or downright cruel comment or posting?   Or, remind them that you’re smarter or know more about a specific topic?  My advice – take the high road and let it go.  Not only will you look like the bigger person in the long run but also you just might have someone to play tennis with!

Quick shout-out to the Plaid Racquet, the best tennis shop in the world and first place I ever worked.

Donna Martin Graduates…to the Internet! May 12, 2009

As I begin the transition of my Blog to a more work-related one, I have struggled to find a good segue.

Who knew the Soap Network would be there to help?  As I sat on the couch, aimlessly flipping channels, I landed on a relatively new, old-school episode of Beverly Hills 90201.  Intrigued, I settled in for the long haul.

The crisis du jour is whether or not Donna Martin should embrace this trendy new thing called the Internet and build a website for her retail clothing store.  As an online marketer, I was endlessly amused by the way the internet was represented around 2000.

• Donna’s website could do all sorts of revolutionary things such as track inventory and allow people anywhere (yes anywhere) in the world to buy her designs.
• For $20,000, an internet developer promised to place Donna’s website “all over the worldwide web so everyone could see it.”
• After Donna wouldn’t go out with the developer, he refused to relinquish her site until she would agree to go on a date with him.

In the end, everything seemed to work out OK and Donna’s site was launched successfully…although there were still those awkward, unresolved feelings between her and David Silver.

Even though I am making fun of Beverly Hills 90201′s treatment of the internet, they actually brought up some very real problems I have seen as both a Project Manager and Marketing Consultant.

• Functionality: does the site do what you need it to do?  For example, will you need to update your site a lot manually but you don’t have knowledge of HTML?  Ask your developer about a Content Management System (CMS).  Using one is typically no more difficult than editing a document in Word.  I think Creative Flavor‘s CMS is robust and easy to use.
• Visibility: the “build it and they will come mentality” has never worked.  Do you have an advertising budget to make your site seen?  How about organic search engine optimization?  Or, paid keyword searches?  A website is only good if people can find it.
• Integrity: do you have a good relationship with your developer or hosting provider?  Do you have access to your domain name record and know how long it is renewed for?  Do you know who your hosting provider is?  These may seem like trivial questions but I have seen sites held “hostage” and it is a horrible situation.  Protect one of your most important assets–your website–by staying on top of this information.  You can look up your domain and hosting record here.

From Donna Martin’s attempt to go online to best practices for site development, I can guarantee you one thing – in 10 years, this posting will likely seem as outdated as 90201.  But probably not in syndication on the Soap Network…

Does this Job Make Me Look Fat? October 10, 2008

Having been recently (and surprisingly) cast into the pool of job-seekers, I have been on lots of interviews.  With just a few exceptions, all of the interviews have gone very well.  However, I keep noticing a trend that is so eerily familiar, I just had to comment.  

Interviewing is like going on a first date.      

You start out by making small talk, then you address a few significant experiences.  After that, the conversation turns to goals and, finally, what each of you are looking for in an employee (or mate). 

At the end of the interview, you sit nervously and want to ask inane questions such as:

“I thought it went really well…did you?”

“Not to sound like a stalker but when can I call you again?”

“Did you like me?  I really enjoyed spending time with you…”

“I think we really hit it off…are you really going to call me?”

“I enjoyed our time together.  Do you think it will work out?”

I am sure I’ll find my ideal job-mate one of these days but, until then, I’ll just wait for the phone to ring and moodily think, “But he said he’d call.”

No Business Like Snow Business October 24, 2008

Ok, I know most of us have succumbed to the tube and gotten hooked on crappy TV shows.  There’s nothing wrong with that…well, at least not criminally wrong.

 

Last night, I stumbled upon Ski Patrol on Tru TV.  Having lived in Vail for six years and being an avid skier, I just had to watch.  The series is completely dramatic – for example, if I am lying facedown in a pool of blood, I don’t need ski patrol to throw an iron cross or a daffy on their way to save me.  Flair is cool but maybe not on your way to save me.

 

Anyway, the show itself is good.  Plenty of drama, a little gore and a reasonable depiction of ski patrol life.  My favorite part so far was the 54 year-old aspiring snowboarder who developed an amazing potty mouth after breaking her ankle.  Trust me, I am not criticizing.  If my ankle was broken, you’d certainly hear me screaming some R-rated words.  Plus, she is learning how to ride at 54.  God bless!  My other top-rated scene was when a ski patroller was called to investigate two snowboarders building an illegal jump.  As the patroller stood there and supervised the dismantling of the kicker, the boys called him several bad names.  Best part – when the cameraman looked at the two snowboarders afterwards and one angrily asked, “Why does he have to be such a [expletive]?”  My response is, “Uhhmmm, dude, I don’t know.  You can’t fight the man, dude.”

 

I am also uncertain about the benefits of watching all of those icky-looking injuries just before ski season begins.  Yes, skiing is an inherently dangerous sport but do I need to see it every Wednesday at 8:00 pm?  It reminds me of the friend who tells you about a gory mountain biking injury as you’re both riding the chairlift to…you guessed it, go mountain biking. 

 

In summary, I’ll keep tuning into Ski Patrol because regardless of the added drama and creative liberties, it is still WAY better than watching Who Wants to Work for Diddy.

Oh, Holy Eggplant! November 25, 2008

I was visiting my two adorable nephews earlier this month and I returned home with an amusing tale.  Since I don’t live in the immediate area, I miss a lot of notable “firsts.”  First word, first step, first birthday cake, first day of pre-school, etc.  I, however, would have been entirely comfortable missing this “first.”  Baby’s first stomach flu.

 

Yep, just after we finished eating a delicious lasagna prepared by my mother, my sweet nephew looked around the table and then vomitted on her head.  What followed was sheer misery for the little guy – six hours of stomach distress!  Fortunately, by the following morning, he was feeling much better.

 

Since I was flying back to Denver the next day, I didn’t think twice about whether or not any adults would be affected by the stomach flu.  By nightfall, I was safely back in the Mile High City while my mother and sister were bed-ridden with this funky flu.

 

Since I felt fine the following day, I prepared a tasty dinner of stuffed eggplant in marinara sauce, pasta and red wine.  Feeling sorry for my sick relatives but determined to enjoy the sweet bliss of being germ-free, I ate several hearty portions.

 

What happened around 2:00 am will likely be the stuff of family jokes for many years to come.  I had the stomach flu!  After emptying my stomach several times, I lay quitely on the bathroom floor and contemplated my nephew’s first stomach flu.  All told, this toddling baby gave the flu to his older brother and 4 adults.  Additionally, he was responsible for the purchase of 3 bottles of antacid, 6 cans of ginger ale,  2 2-liters of cola and an extra-large box of saltine crackers.

 

Now that a week has passed and I am comfortably eating solid foods, I think it is a really funny story.  So often, I lament that by living far away, I miss all of the boys’ first events.  Talk about eating (or in this case, re-eating) your words!

Oh, the Agony of Pants! The Fleecing of Ms. Chatterly January 8, 2009

I found a job last fall and, much to my good fortune, it is a solid company and I can work from home. Working out of your house has many positives – zero time spent commuting, controlling your schedule, etc. And, no dress code.

 

However, I am pondering if the last sentence – the one about the lack of dress code – may actually not be that great. For example, I just returned home from a meeting and the first thing I did was change into a pair of fleece pants (black with pink polka dots, in case you’re wondering).

 

Am I so spoiled I can’t wear proper pants? Am I now sentenced to a life of baggy track pants and shapeless, fleecy sweat pants? If it doesn’t have a drawstring, will I find it too restrictive? Should someone have a pants intervention with me? Is the next step a MuMu or a tasteful housecoat?

 

I’ve never been overly conscientious about fashion but I own some nice clothes and even a few suits (one gray and the other chocolate brown). At times, I have even received compliments on my attire! Those clothes now sit idle in the closet, seldom getting a second glance much less seeing the light of day.

 

So, as I contemplate my new fashion predicament, I’ll just relax, sit back and think about trying on a pair of “real” pants for old time’s sake. But, you know I won’t…

Qualitative versus Quantitative…What’s the Big Deal? October 28, 2009

A few weeks ago, I posted an entry about the need for really sound marketing research and the importance of one-on-one quantitative solutions.

I received an interesting comment about neglecting any mention of quantitative data, “Ms Chatterly, good post. I understand the need for qualitative research, but don’t real numbers from surveys and statistics tell an important story too?”

My response to the question is “absolutely.”   I think the above question raises a fantastic point about the need for both more personalized one-on-one qualitative interviews and thorough quantitative research.  Rather than having one vein of research come at the expense of the other, I prefer to think of them as a happy marriage.

Gathering and understanding the quantitative data (number crunching) is a crucial part of any sound decision.  I am referring to hard facts, numbers and figures that can be objectively analyzed.  For example, studying website traffic might be the quantitative data you’d review before launching an online marketing campaign to drive conversions on your website.  Once you have made a few hypotheses based on the actual data, it is time to add in the online qualitative research (touchy-feely) and see how the all-important human element drives decisions.  Maybe the reason that visitors keep leaving your website is due to the fact that it has counter-intuitive page navigation or too many words and not enough images.

As you can imagine, getting this qualitative data really sheds light on the quantitative research you have already performed.  Much like a bunch of thoughts and ideas don’t feel grounded without empirical data, the reverse can also be true—too much quantitative data without any human insights (qualitative) feels impersonal and devoid of the “people-factor.”

Does all of this chatter feel a little dry?  Wet your whistle with this fun example from the wine industry that shows the human factor is alive and well in day-to-day decisions.  While most people would agree that taste should be the key driver in making a wine purchase, 2007 ACNielsen research shows otherwise.  Nearly 18% of the ~500 wine brands introduced in the last three years showcased an animal on their labels because wine labels with animals outsold the non-critter competition two fold.

An in-depth survey, questionnaire and/or a one-on-one qualitative session are all great ways to collect this type of data.  And as I mentioned in the previous post, don’t automatically assume collecting qualitative research is a luxury for only the big companies.  Specialty products and businesses are appearing on the marketplace to help even the smallest business benefit from such one-on-one-qualitative research.

In the meantime, all of this writing has made me thirsty so I am going to relax and enjoy a glass of Three Pandas, Two Kittens & One Fuzzy Bunny Zinfandel.

Who Wants My Opinion? September 27, 2009

As a way to make a little extra spending money, I have a profile with several field marketing agencies.  I love it—basically, if I meet their target demo and profile, they pay me to sit around and talk about my opinions for two hours.  Because I am used to giving my opinions away for free, I couldn’t be more delighted to get paid $35-$50 per hour for talking.

The agencies screening processes are rigorous though.  Not only do you complete an initial online survey but also, if you seem like a viable candidate, a representative performs an additional phone survey.  Finally, if you meet the requirements, you travel to the marketing agency’s office and participate in a round-table, moderated discussion that is observed and recorded behind a two-way mirror.

As I drove home from a recent panel, I couldn’t help think of the tremendous expense.  The agency fees, the personnel, the screening, the recording, the payout for attendees—the list goes on and on.  I imagine one session could easily exceed $10,000!

I understand the benefits though—one on one time with your target market is priceless when you are developing a new product.  One panel uncovered that the font-size on a product’s packaging contributed to a consumer’s feeling of mistrust, as if something was being hidden.  Great intelligence for the planned product re-launch!  (And someone in design might not get that Christmas bonus)

So is there another way to have these crucial one-on-one qualitative sessions without breaking the bank?

I did a little research and found that there is a small niche of providers that focus on facilitating and moderating such conversions.  The initial process looks to be similar to the field research one described above—first you’d determine the demo, then the screening process and finally select the participants.

But here’s the clever part.  Rather than costly face to face meetings, your panelists can join a clever IM-based platform that is professionally moderated.   Through the online moderating, you can learn amazing, surprising or even confirming information. The cost is nominal compared to comprehensive live field surveys.  Plus, conducting a one-on-one qualitative interview ensures the participant isn’t swayed or even intimidated by other panelists.

So check out a few virtualized service providers if obtaining candid one-on-one qualitative research is on your to-do list—just don’t tell the field work agencies because I want to keep getting paid for my opinions!

Arrr – Talk Like a Pirate, Matey! July 30, 2009

My pirate name is:

Captain Prudentilla Bonney

Even though there’s no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you’re the one in charge. You can be a little bit unpredictable, but a pirate’s life is far from full of certainties, so that fits in pretty well. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
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It’s Not Me…It’s You June 11, 2009

Dear Bank of America,

We both know you have me by the short ones ever since I got a little carried away with my credit card in Vail.  I pay you each month, on time, and above the minimum in hopes that we can one day go our separate ways.

What I don’t understand is the constant phone calls? Not to ask for money but to try to sell me frivolous service after service.  Or, to warn me that you’ll do a better job of monitoring my credit score.

Bank of America, isn’t that a little rich?  If you were so concerned about my credit score, would you really have extended me so much credit when I was only earning $8.75 an hour yet living in ultra-expensive Vail?

I feel like you’ve never really looked out for me, even in the good old days when we were inseparable – the bars, ski shops, hell…we even went to Mexico.  I’ve never challenged you by disputing a charge in the 13 years we’ve been together.

Don’t I deserve a little better?  At the very least, stop calling me to talk about nothing especially around lunch or dinner time.

I get it…it’s my own fault for being in the situation.  But I just want to let you know, it’s over and I can’t wait to officially break up.

Sincerely,

Ms. Chatterly