TED.COM – MALCOLM GLADWELL ON BEING EXTRA CHUNKY

A year ago, my fellow blogger Nick Corsi, showed me this great clip of Malcolm Gladwell on spaghetti sauce.

Malcom makes a great point through out this piece.  The food industry really can’t ask you everything you want in a series of .  People don’t know what they want. This however, does create a opportunity for marketers, developers, designers.  Sometimes, it is what lies just behind our questions that will actually allow us to reach our market.

Next week, I will continue to speak about this line of thought.  In addition encourage you to bring up points that you agree or disagree with in Gladwell’s analysis.

Alexandra Gergar is caterer in Pittsburgh, Pa.  In her field, she studies how and why people buy their products, especially in the food industry.  See her cooking blog, Lemons in Water.

Food & Design: Buying Local

We are all feeling the pinch of the recession. Times like these makes everyone look at their spending and see where the can cut back and conserve. One noticeable changes individuals can do to save money is to cut back on their weekly grocery bill. Clipping coupons, choosing wisely on their meal plan or just being aware of what you buy could save people hundreds of dollars in a year. However, being aware doesn’t mean cutting corners.

BUY LOCAL
Emmaus is a small town on the eastern side of Pennsylvania.  For the past seven years, Emmaus has hosted its own farmers market on every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from May to Thanksgiving. What an unique feature about this market is that all of the vendors are from a 75 mile radius around Emmaus.  This ensures that these sells have a direct line to their goods and that they know the growing process of their goods.

In the grocery store, the buyer rarely knows where their food is coming from.  In addition, this isn’t helping your community.  By buying local you are making sure that your money is staying in your region, which will help build a stronger community as well as a stronger local economy.  As I learned from Christi Dunning, Emmaus Farmers Market Manager, the Emmaus Farmers Market (EFM) keep strict policies for their vendors.  Dunning explained that they have turned possible vendors away because a part of their product wasn’t grown or established in the area.  The EFM wants to provide their community with producer only products.  By keeping everything locals allows the customer the ability to talk to the farmers who grew the fruits and vegetables.  These customers can find out more about their food but it also gives a face to their food producers.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE AVERAGE JOE’S?
Now I am not here to tell you about statistics in fair trade practices or even give a lecture about keeping your food local.  I am however going to give you benefits with having your farmers close.  When you grow locally, your food will taste better.  Local food is normally picked within the past day or two which keeps more of the flavor.  Studies have showed that the average distance food travels from farm to plate is around 1500 miles over a week-long period.  This delay changes the chemistry of your food which then decreases its nutritional value.  Also when you buy locally supports your local community, and not just benefiting the farmers but also you.  These farms protects open-space, which could have gone to land development.

There will always be pros and cons for staying local and organic.  I have provided just some of the pros of doing both but their are several more ways local and organic products can help you.  To find farmers markets near you check out the site LocalHarvest.org.  They have addition information about staying local, as well as the network of finding markets that are local.  Find farmers markets, farms restaurants and grocery stores in your area.  Also, I encourage you to check out documentary Food, Inc. that is due on June 12, 2009.

Alexandra Gergar is an active lover of food.  Starting a food blog, Lemons in Water, she now resides in Pittsburgh where she is a local caterer.

Follow me on Twitter: AlexGergar

Food & Design: Vino Volo

A few weeks ago, I was traveling back to Pittsburgh from Philadelphia, when I was stopped in my tracks. Heading out of the newly renovated security terminal in the Philadelphia International Airport, I was greeted by Vino Volo. Derived from Italian for “wine flight”, Vino Volo is a retail store mixes its fresh boutique style with the elegance of a wine bar. Featuring wines from around the globe, locally grown cheese and a imported meats to suit their clients taste buds, this bar currently does more than give Vino Volo is not so much as creating the concept of the wine bar in airports, they are just RECREATING it.

ATMOSPHERE AND LOCATION OF AN AIRPORT WINE BARIt is no great insight on how the atmosphere of a restaurant or bar can effect the customer’s reaction to he food or to how they will view the establishment. When you will spend upwards of $10+ for a glass of wine you will want the leather seats and calming atmosphere that Vino Volo promises in its decorum. In addition is the location of the shop in the airport.  So let use put ourselves in in the mindset of when we are going through security at the modern airport, which are always a bit stressful even when they are becoming easier to navigate through. This is when I first discovered Vino Volo.  I was just exiting the security of my designated gate and I saw the store.  The large entrance welcomed me in while the modest interior centered me into a feeling of an intimate experience. The colors were also helped with calming my nerves from TSA. To help this, the color scheme of the white walls with accented with the browns of the leather seats and darker woods helped complete the wine bar experience. More importantly, this wasn’t the dark bars I was used to in airports.
Which brings up an interesting question, what makes Vino Volo different from other airport bars and why should individuals spend time and money here than in other places.

“Vino Volo is not just based around the wine…a good atmosphere distracts their clients away from a stressful situation.  The wine will help, but the nice leather chairs make the relaxation a bit easier.”

THE AIRPORT BAR THAT DISTRACTS AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT EXPERIENCE
Why would someone spend more in time and money for this bar than the dozens of other bars that are commonly in airports.  Isn’t this just a bar and like any other airport bar hosts the same purpose, even against the other wine bars available in airports? Why would this bar be different? Perhaps that Vino Volo doesn’t have as much in common with airport bars as I am making it out to be.  Commonly, when I think of the airport bar, I think of a bar that has minimum space available which is cramped and dark and always cluttered with noise from the TVs and passersby.  This is where Vino Volo strays from the pack.  The layout of the shop has a “please sit down and take a moment and enjoy” expression, where other bars just allow you to drink. Vino Volo conveys an entirely different attitude.  This bar doesn’t just want you to sit and drink, it its customers to relax and maybe your 4 hour layover will not be as bad as you once thought.  Now when you find yourself with extra time in the airport, you can think “Well, let me pop over to Vino Volo for a glass or two.” I have read several reviews and most of the individuals who have visited Vino Volo all say that they actually hope for a layover in the airports who have this bar. For every business, especially in the service industry where you love when you know people are actively pursuing you.  Not only will this cut costs in advertising but this will help spread ‘word of mouth’ which is more powerful than other mediums.

Vino Volo is not just based around the wine.  Of course they need good wine, but they suceed with their atmosphere, because they are trying to distract their clients from a stressful situation.  The wine will help, but the nice leather chairs make the relaxation a bit easier.  I know in the next couple of mouths, when I travel I might just arrive a bit earlier to sit and relax before my flight

Alexandra Gergar is an active lover of food.  Starting a food blog, Lemons in Water, she now resides in Pittsburgh where she is a local caterer.

Follow me on Twitter: AlexGergar

Consciousness: true selfishness

By Bob Martin

BILLBOARDS ARE NICE, BUT …

Ever drive past a billboard and get frustrated because you can’t figure out what it says? I do. Billboards can be an extremely effective method of advertising when done right. When not done right, they can be an enormous waste of time and money.

You have a very short amount of time to get your message across on a billboard. You have anywhere from 3-6 seconds, if you’re lucky and traffic is reasonably slow. That’s not a lot of time. I constantly see businesses trying to cram in all their information on billboards. Address, phone number, a picture of the owner with his dog, the product, a customer testimonial, the product logo … it goes on and on. The message gets lost and nothing is remembered as the driver tries to drive and read through the jumble.

MY RULE OF THUMB HAS ALWAYS BEEN …

My rule of thumb has always been one photo and two lines of text not more than 8 words per line. Unless your phone number is incredible easy to remember … 555-1000, don’t pt it on a billboard. The driver will never remember it and, obviously, they can’t drive and write it down at the same time. The best logos are short and sweet. (logo) Fisher Jewelers… Sooner or later your favorite jewelers. (second line) 1012 State Street. Short, sweet and to the point. If a driver can’t read your entire message in one pass, the whole message may be lost in the effort.

Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words.

You should look at the size of the board your going to use. Small paper boards are harder to read then the large thru-way type. Along the same lines, the new electronic boards are treat for graphics, but their constant changing and the usual height can make complex images hard to read.

Billboards can be highly effective if you just follow a few common sense rules. And, happy motoring!

Bob Martin is principal of Martin Creative Consultants, providing advertising consulting and services to manufacturing and retail businesses. His MCC VoicePros division creates  audio voiceovers for radio, TV, internet ads and presentations.

Food & Design: The Art of Design

TED.COM – MILTON GLASER: HOW GREAT DESIGN MAKES IDEAS NEW

Cant see it? Get Flash Player, or view at TED.com.

MILTON GLASER, DESIGNING NEW

As a blogger on product design, I sometimes take for granted that the redesign of a brand or a logo is often much more difficult than the creation of one.  A designer can come up with a dozen or so interesting and noteworthy designs when they are given free range, but it becomes subsequently tougher when there was a prior design.  At these times, breaking apart the design and what you are trying to accomplish can help formulate new ideas and stimulate interesting designs.

Therefore, in this Ted.com video, Milton Glaser, the man famous for the “I (heart) NY” logo, muses on the idea of taking an idea and seeing where it can take you.

Alexandra Gergar graduates from the University of Pittsburgh with a BS in marketing and finance.  Cooking since she was a child, she now has a food blog called Lemons in Water and a local caterer in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Follow me on Twitter: AlexGergar

Consciousness: true selfishness

By Bob Martin

WHAT’S YOUR USP?

I spent a week in Chicago many years ago. I attended a school put on by the Giant Killers, a marketing instruction company. The first question they asked us was… What’s your USP? Well, we all looked at each other, shrugged and developed blank stares. Our instructor continued to explain that a USP is a “Unique Selling Position”. Basically, what makes our product the best buy.

YOU NEED TO DETERMINE YOU USP FOR YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE.

Is your USP that your product is cheaper, a different color, an old family recipe, you promise rapid delivery… anything that makes your product stand out from the rest.

Once you determine your USP, you can start developing your marketing plan around it. Obviously, what makes you unique is what will make you appealing to your target market.

Compare yourself to your competition and find out what sets you apart. No competition? Then that’s your USP.

Your USP is what determines your marketing approach!

Bob Martin is principal of Martin Creative Consultants, providing advertising consulting and services to manufacturing and retail businesses. His MCC VoicePros division creates  audio voiceovers for radio, TV, internet ads and presentations.

Consciousness: true selfishness

By Bob Martin

THE CAR DEALER & TV

Years ago I represented a Chevrolet car dealer. He was reasonably successful, but wanted to take the dealership to next level and he hired me to accomplish this. One of the things he wanted to do was sell Chevets, a good solid second family car. It’s low price made it a great car for the blue collar family.

I produced a nice TV spot featuring the car and proceeded to map out the running schedule for the ads. When I presented the budget to the dealer he immediately threw out all the 11:00pm news spots. I protested, but he wouldn’t budge on the ads.

THE SCHEDULE WAS PRODUCING RESULTS, BUT NOT TO THE DEGREE I WAS LOOKING FOR.

The second flight was presented for approval and again the 11:00pm news spot were eliminated. Frustrated, I finally asked why he wouldn’t let me run the late news spots. He looked at me and told me that he and his wife went walking every night between 11:00 and 11:30pm. He wouldn’t be able to see his spot. I told him that I didn’t care if he ever saw his spot. In fact, if he was frequently seeing his spot we had a problem. He wasn’t the audience I was trying to reach. I wanted blue collar families not the Corvette crowd that he represented. He never relented and after awhile I resigned the account rather than argue with him constantly. Eventually he went through two more agencies and finally went out of business.

The point of the story is make sure you match the right product with the right audience. This means occasionally checking your ego at the door. Without the right match, you won’t see the results you need.

Next week … What is your USP?

Make sure you match the right audience to your product!

Bob Martin is principal of Martin Creative Consultants, providing advertising consulting and services to manufacturing and retail businesses. His MCC VoicePros division creates  audio voiceovers for radio, TV, internet ads and presentations.

Food & Design: Trends of Summer, Israeli Couscous

One of my favorite new food trends that have been hitting the commercial grocers is  Israel couscous. However, it may be a bit late for me to say that this is a new truly trend in American culture because chefs have been experimenting with this type of pasta since the early 1950s. Over the past few years there has been a sudden boom to explore this culinary favorite which is why I put it at the top of my culinary trends for the summer.

ISRAELI COUSCOUS: A HISTORY LESSON
Unlike couscous, its culinary cousin, which has records in cookbooks before the 13th century, Israel Couscous is a recent culinary creation.   Ptitim is the true name for this pasta.  Americans have termed Ptitim “Israeli couscous” but in Israeli it is lovingly nicknamed “Ben-Gurion’s Rice”.  Ptitim was originally invented during the austerity period in Israel. At the time Ben Gurion, Israel’s then prime minster, had to ration food to help with economic times and thus had to find a substitute for an Israeli staple, rice.  Gurion asked Eugen Propper, founder of Osem food company to create a wheat-based product.  Osem food company therefore developed a pasta like substitute made of hard wheat flour and roasted it in the oven.  Becoming an immediate success, ptitim was quickly shaped into small, dense balls which is why Osem deemed it “couscous”.

RESTAURANTS
In Pittsburgh, I have gone to several restaurants who have been using Israeli couscous.  Over the past six months I have seen chefs as well as some of my friends put ptitim in everything from salads, to soups and as a filler for meat dishes.  I especially loved the thought of a friend of mine using it in vegetarian burgers to bind the black beans together.  When speaking with a friend of mine on the subject, he mentioned that Israeli couscous is such a great ingredient to play with in cooking.  He reasoned that the ingredient is still considered “gourmet” and thus has the ability to still people looking for “exotic” items on the menu.

TIPS TO PREPARE ISRAELI COUSCOUS
Think of cooking this pasta in a similar way to couscous or rice and you will have no problems. To give a fuller taste to this pasta, add one diced onion to 1/4 cup of oil in a large sauce pan. Sauté until onion is transparent.  Then add about 3 tablespoon of olive oil to pot with 3 cups of Israeli couscous and saute until couscous browns slightly making sure to stir often (about 5 minutes).  Add either 3 3/4 cups of chicken broth, vegetable brother or water and bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until couscous is tender and liquid is completely absorbed. this will take about 10 minutes.

Alexandra Gergar graduates from the University of Pittsburgh with a BS in marketing and finance.  Cooking since she was a child, she now has a food blog called Lemons in Water and a local caterer in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Follow me on Twitter: AlexGergar

Consciousness: true selfishness

By Bob Martin

A CAMERA DOESN’T MAKE YOU A PHOTOGRAPHER

I hear the same comment over and over…”I can take the product shot. I’ve got a digital camera”.

A few years ago, I was walking through “Ace Bargain Center”. Ace was a combination of connecting buildings that went for an entire city block. This store had every kind of used merchandise you could possible imagine. It was like an indoor junk yard (but clean and safe). As I was walking by one of the rooms I noticed that it contained all the materials for a complete operating suite; gurney, cabinets, lights, autoclave and even some surgical utensils. I realized that for the paltry sum of a couple of thousand dollars, I could set up my own operating room. I would have the equipment. The problem was, equipment doesn’t make you a surgeon, talent does. The same thing goes for photography.

A GOOD PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER IS MORE ARTIST THAN PHOTOGRAPHER.

A pro realizes the effect of lighting, positioning, backgrounds and even the image your product conveys. Lots of people can take “good” photos with a digital camera and they can be the hit of the picnic, but the professional photographer takes it the extra mile to make your product shine.

You’ve put a lot of time into developing your product and you’re proud of it. Put your best foot forward and show it in the best possible way. I think you’ll find that most photographers can work wonders and are a lot less expensive than you’d think.

Another tip: Don’t dictate to the photographer, let him ask questions and give you his best possible recommendations. If you let an artist use his vision, chances are you’ll get something much better than you had hoped for. In my 35+ years of experience, it’s worked every time.

Next week: The Car Dealer and TV.

Always let the artist make the suggestions!

Bob Martin is principal of Martin Creative Consultants, providing advertising consulting and services to manufacturing and retail businesses. His MCC VoicePros division creates audio voiceovers for radio, TV, internet ads and presentations.