Going the Extra Mile Will Take You Even Further

Are you someone who consistently goes the extra mile and routinely over delivers on your promises?

It's rare these days, but it's the hallmark of high achievers who know that exceeding expectations helps you stand above the crowd. Almost by force of habit, successful people simply do more.

As a result, they experience not only greater financial rewards for their extra efforts but also a personal transformation, becoming more self-confident, more self-reliant, and more influential with those around them.

These high achievers stand out from the crowd because of their extra efforts. They are unwilling to give up, even in the face of difficult times.

They get the promotions, they get the loyal customers, they grow their businesses twice as fast, they get financial rewards, job security, and they go home feeling satisfied.

Do you exceed expectations?

Do you surprise people with more than they were expecting from you?

Do you have the opportunity - but also the personal initiative - to go the extra mile?

To be successful you must change your thinking. You can only win by making extra efforts. People who go the extra mile always get payback. You will discover yourself becoming more self-confident, more self-reliant and more influential with those around you.

People notice the special services and all the small touches that make dealing with you so pleasurable. And when they are talking to their friends they will mention you and recommend you because you are the one who stands out.

People will see that you pay attention to detail, that you consider all the small things that really make a business successful, that you care about your image, and that you belong with all the other people who work hard to achieve. You will attract new business and new opportunities.

Listen to any success story and you will hear of someone who worked exceptionally hard to get what they wanted.

You’ll hear how they put in the extra time, did what wasn’t part of their job description, and over-delivered on what was asked of them. You’ll hear how they stuck at it until they broke through, and usually you’ll hear how it only took them a couple of years to do it.

What have you been doing for the past couple of years? Think of what you could accomplish if you made it a habit to exceed everyone’s expectations. Image what doors could be open to you if you decided to be of better service and value.

How are you willing to go the extra mile? What kind of extra service are you willing to provide in order to stand out from the rest? What areas of your life could you be giving more of your effort and time, becoming more valuable, and improving your reputation?

Be willing to treat everyone like you’d treat your dearest friend. Don’t skimp on service. Don’t be mediocre or run of the mill. Show people what you are capable of. Show them that you care about your image and reputation.

When it comes to success, the people who are willing to go the extra mile get there that much faster!

Jack Canfield - http://www.jackcanfield.com

Pew Internet Study: ’13% of cell owners pretended to be using their phone’

A new study reveals interesting statistics about the average cell phone

As the world continues adjusting to new technologies and social norms change at a rate on par with Moore’s Law, sociologists and pollsters have had a plethora of interesting data to examine. A new study from Pew Internet has shed some startling, if not somewhat humorous light on how Americans adults are using their cell phones. (Only 17 percent are without the device today.)

The survey of 2,277 adults found that 13 percent of cell phone users had faked checking their phone or being on it to avoid human interaction. The younger demographic, 18 to 29-year olds, cited the highest percentage of this behavior with 30 percent saying they’d avoided contact with someone by checking their phone.

Also of note, 42 percent of this demographic cited having trouble doing a task or work because their phone wasn’t nearby.

Across all demographics, “Half of all adult cell owners (51%) had used their phone at least once to get information they needed right away,” the study reported.

“One quarter (27%) said that they experienced a situation in the previous month in which they had trouble doing something because they did not have their phone at hand.” These results seem slightly more predictable, but do reveal a growing population that can’t be without its phone.

Roughly 35 percent of adults now own a smartphone.

Only 29 percent of adults say they’ve turned their cell phone off to get a break from use. Never hurts to tune out every now and then—even if you’re in the minority.

QR Code Marketing: 5 Tips for a Successful Campaign

Mobile barcodes are turning up everywhere – buses, magazines, television, bar coasters. According to recent research from comScore, 14 million U.S. mobile phone users scanned QR or barcodes in June alone, mostly via newspapers, magazines and product packaging, both at home and in-store. My company’s own data reveals that barcodes that offer access to a discount or coupon or that allow the consumer to learn more about a product or service are the most popular.

 

Given that mobile barcodes are finally cracking the mainstream, they have enormous potential to present brands with brilliant results. Here are five mobile barcode best practices to help ensure a successful campaign.

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1. Be Everywhere

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Mobile barcodes should be incorporated into all digital and traditional media so the consumer has 360-degree exposure to the mobile marketing campaign. This will also ensure that consumer experience, dialogue and interactivity are at the heart of the campaign and not simply an afterthought.

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2. Drive Value and Make it Easy

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Giveaways, discounts, free tickets and exclusive access will compel consumers to interact with and scan your code. If your code simply offers the customer a chance to view a TV advertisement or link to a website, it’s best to try again. Scanning a barcode should provide the consumer with a brand experience that is exclusive, dynamic and interactive.

Take into account where a mobile barcode is located on the ad. Consumers must be able to find it easily and scan it quickly. For outdoor ads, place the code at eye or arm-level. In a print ad, the barcode should not fall over a fold as this will hamper scanning. Be sure to leave some white space around the mobile barcode, and use a minimum of 1 x 1-inch print specification. For TV or cinema, the code should to remain onscreen long enough for the viewer to launch the scanning application and scan the code.

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3. Keep it Simple

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Branded or custom QR codes are certainly getting some buzz, but it’s also important to create a code everyone can recognize. Producing your code in simple black and white checkered format will increase the number of phones and code readers that can scan it. Also, ensure you use global, open standards (i.e. Datamatrix) to maximize universal customer reach and impact.

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4. Build Customer Affinity

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Remember that the consumer who has just scanned your code is on the move. She will be viewing the brand content on a mobile screen and, therefore, expects instant results. Make sure the barcode links through to a mobile-enabled site rather a PC-designed site. Remember that “dead links” (codes that go nowhere or deliver the wrong information) are the equivalent of a slammed door — the consumer will not try again.

Matthias Galica, the CEO of ShareSquare, provides tips for marketers and brands using QR codes, and specifically emphasizes testing a barcode for functionality across a variety of devices and scanner applications before launching. It’s important, especially because the consumers that scan codes are likely tech-savvy and vocal — the kind of consumers you want on your side.

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5. Account for Objectives and Analytics

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Boost sales, increase customer engagement, build brand loyalty, educate your audience. Whatever the campaign objective, be sure to define its goals before integrating a mobile barcode. Consider monitoring the campaign via a barcode management platform. Your business will be able to leverage the provider’s expertise, better assess your campaign effectiveness and evaluate its real-time success through analytics.

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Following these practices will help analyze mobile ad spending and increase the success and ROI of your future barcode campaigns.

Laura Marriott is CEO and and acting board chairperson of NeoMedia.

Strapped Americans Try to Stretch Vehicle Maintenance Dollars

For the past four months, Margaret McCormick's 2001 Toyota Celica has been sitting in the parking lot of her condo complex, with one flat tire and a broken transmission.

"To fix it, I need $1,000, but I just don't have it," says McCormick, of New Castle, Del., who has been out of work for two years.

McCormick is among a growing number of Americans struggling to keep their cars on the road, as job losses and gas at just under $4 a gallon take huge bites out of their wallets, a new AAA survey shows.

"Many Americans rely on their cars for their livelihood, and losing access to them could be financially devastating," says Jim Lardear, director of public and government affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

The AAA survey found:

• More than half of American drivers -- 54% -- said they don't want the financial burden of a new car, so they're keeping their older ones running.
• One in four drivers said they have neglected repairs and maintenance on their vehicles in the past year because of the slow economy, increasing the likelihood that they'll face a major, costly repair.
• Yet 28% of drivers could not afford a $2,000 repair bill, while 18% could not pay a $1,000 tab.

"People who used to be religious 3,000-mile oil changers are now 5,000-mile oil changers," says Phillip Weir, owner of Greenhill Auto Service in Wilmington, Del. "Those who were 5,000-mile changes are now 7-, 8- or 9,000-mile changers."

Jiffy Lube, the nation's largest quick-lube chain, has been moving away from the theory that oil should be changed every 3,000 miles. It has begun using customer driving habits and the recommendations from their car's owner's manual to determine need.

Jim Wilkinson, owner of Jim's Auto Service in Lake City, Fla., says many customers fix only what's necessary and put off routine maintenance.

"They bring in a car for an oil change, and we find three things that it needs, and the customer says, 'What do I have to fix and what can I let go for a while?'" Wilkinson says.

That can cost more money in the long run, mechanics say.

Ty Hearne, owner of Dun Rite Auto Clinic in Newport, Del., says one customer delayed replacing the timing belt on his 2005 Kia Spectra, which would have cost a few hundred dollars. The belt broke, causing major engine damage, and now the customer can't afford the few thousand dollars for the repairs.

"Lack of money just cost him more money," Hearne said.

The economy also has changed how customers decide when the cost of repairs outweighs the cost of a new car.

"Back in the day, you'd see cars that need a thousand dollars worth of work, and the owner says, 'Oh, that car isn't worth fixing; I'll get a new one,' " Hearne said. "I don't hear that too much these days."

When it's time to pay a repair bill, mechanics say, they can see their customers' pain.

"You see a lot of, 'Let's try this credit card,'" said Chuck Halpern, owner of Columbia Auto Repair in St. Louis, who saw one customer spread a $450 repair bill over four cards.

(Source: USA Today, 08/10/11)

Outlet Malls Becoming More of a Routine Shopping Destination

Frugal-Yet-Stylish Consumers, Traditional Centers' Decline Fuel Retail Sites' Growth

Finding a place to park at the Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora mall on a Saturday will test any fashionista's fortitude.

Minivans filled with passengers pull into the drop-off zone between the Adidas and Lucky Brand stores. Drivers creep behind shoppers returning to their cars in hopes of snagging a parking space. Inside the stores, more lines await as shoppers stock up on Coach handbags, Puma running shoes and True Religion jeans.

In a shaky economy teeming with discount-hungry shoppers, the outlet mall is thriving.

Before the recession, Americans satiated their desires for designer duds by tapping their credit cards and home equity lines. In these frugal times, Americans still want their polo shirts and designer denim. They are just unwilling, or unable, to pay much for them.

"Americans are so focused on price," said Lee Peterson, executive vice president of creative services at WD Partners, a retail design firm in Dublin, Ohio. "It is the No. 1 motivation when shopping. It's an American obsession."

Instead of planning a once-a-year excursion, consumers are increasingly making outlet malls a part of their shopping routine. The shift in shopping behavior comes as traditional regional shopping malls are struggling. And it is prompting retailers and developers to take a fresh look at the outlet as a vehicle for growth.

In the Chicago region alone, developers are working on separate deals to build three outlet malls, in Rosemont, New Lenox and Country Club Hills, totaling more than 1.5 million square feet. In addition, Simon Property Group Inc., owner of Chicago Premium Outlets, announced last week that it plans to add a 130,000-square-foot wing to the 440,000-square-foot Aurora center, increasing its size by one-third to 570,000 square feet. The Aurora outlet is one of four Simon outlet malls nationwide slated to expand in 2012.

The prospect of so much outlet mall development at one time is bound to lead to "site fights," according to Linda Humphers, who tracks the outlet mall industry for the International Council of Shopping Centers as editor of Value Retail News. By her count, there are about 300 brands operating outlet stores in the U.S. That means there is bound to be some overlap, as mall developers compete for tenants.

"Everybody's planning outlet malls," said Humphers. "That doesn't mean everyone's going to build them. The retailers are just not going to open that many stores."

The financial fallout from last week's U.S. credit rating downgrade could mean that the commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) typically needed to finance construction of new malls will be tougher to secure, said Michael Niemira, chief economist at the ICSC, the New York-based shopping center trade group.

"Is money available for even that expansion?" said Niemira. "Yes and no. The highly capitalized companies, such as Simon, can pull it off. If the deal is dependent on the nascent recovery of the CMBS market, that market seems to have imploded again."

Still, the economics of outlet malls are enticing.

For retailers, operating an outlet store requires minimal investment. The malls are typically on one level and outdoors, so rents are cheap. The common area assessments are also low compared with traditional malls, since there are no elevators or escalators, no heat or air conditioning and generally fewer frills in the mall. The stores themselves are bare-bones.

For developers, the revenue potential is hard to ignore. A healthy regional mall filled with full-price stores typically generates annual sales of $400 to $500 a square foot. But Chicago Premium Outlets generates $700 a square foot, a figure that has been steadily climbing since the mall opened in 2004, according to Simon, the nation's largest shopping mall owner.

Simon's top-performing outlet mall, Orlando Premium Outlets in Florida, generates $1,300 a square foot, on par with the best-performing, full-priced luxury malls in the nation. A Simon premium outlet typically attracts 5 million to 10 million shoppers a year.

In another sign of the growing appeal of the outlet mall, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor are jumping into the outlet market for the first time, after watching sales soar at Nordstrom Rack, Saks' Off Fifth and Neiman Marcus' Last Call outlets. Niche brands are opening outlets as well, most recently Not Your Daughter's Jeans, Vince Camuto shoes and Under Armour athletic wear.

It is a remarkable turn of events, given that a decade ago department stores fought fiercely to keep branded outlet stores on the outskirts of major metropolitan areas, far away from the full-price collections that filled their traditional mall stores.

"We've all come out of the recession with this whole new awakening that maybe we've got to do things a little differently," said Michele Rothstein, senior vice president of marketing at Simon's Premium Outlets division in Roseland, N.J. "The brands recognize now more than ever that an outlet shop may be their first connection with the consumer."

Alison Witkin, 45, visits Lighthouse Place, another Simon-owned outlet mall, in Michigan City, Ind., whenever her family comes for a visit or she wants to pick up some end-of-the-season deals. The Valparaiso resident does most of her shopping at J.C. Penney and Kohl's but on occasion gets an itch to shop among higher-end brands at the outlet mall.

"Every now and then I get the taste for something a little more up-market," said Witkin. "I'm not knocking J.C. Penney or Kohl's, because I've picked up some great things there, but it's nice to go to the smaller stores (at the outlet). I like to get the feel of a little more glamour."

Even though outlet malls are growing quickly, they are still a small part of the U.S. shopping landscape. There are 325 outlet malls in the U.S., compared with 1,500 traditional shopping malls nationwide, according to the ICSC. Outlet malls make up a meager 1 percent of the total square footage of shopping centers nationwide, the trade group said.

Meanwhile, some of the malls calling themselves outlets in reality are a hybrid of discount stores, regular-price stores and outlets. Earlier this year, Gurnee Mills, another Simon property in suburban Chicago, announced an unusual deal to bring department store Macy's as anchor of a new full-price wing.

The full-price Macy's store, set to open in 2013, would have been unthinkable when Gurnee Mills debuted in 1991. But today, Macy's, like many retailers, relies more heavily on in-house and exclusive brands than the big-name vendors that once populated its shelves.

At the same time, popular brand names such as Coach and Banana Republic create products specifically for the outlet stores that differ from the merchandise in their full-price locations, eliminating some of the conflict inherent in locating outlets close to full-price malls.

(Source: Chicago Tribune, 08/10/11)

Wall Street Downgrades Madison Avenue

Major Impact Of Economic Turmoil Will Be On 2012 Ad Budgets

Noting that ad agencies are "proxies" for overall economic growth, a major Wall Street securities firm has downgraded Madison Avenue's prospects following a new spate of macro-economic turmoil. Calling its cuts "pre-emptive," the equity research team at Deutsche Bank said the major impact of a new economic calamity will be in 2012, with only slight downgrades for the remainder of 2011 - due mainly to the fact that most major marketers cannot react "quickly enough" to cut their near-term advertising budgets.

"We did not expect to be dusting down our recession sensitivity scenarios only two years after previously running them," lead Deutsche Bank Wall Street analyst Matt Chesler writes in a quick assessment of the sector in the wake of S&P's downgrade of the U.S.' credit rating, and similar crises rumbling through Western Europe.
 
The Deutsche team said it was too early to tell whether it will result in a "mid-cycle slowdown" or an actual "double-dip" recession, but that whatever the hiccup is, it merits a downgrade in the prospects for the U.S. and global advertising economy. While none of the major agency holding companies have issued any revisions to their own company or the industry's estimates, Deutsche Bank is now calling for "a scenario of 3% organic declines in 2012."
 
"Ad spending has not fully recovered from 2008-09 lows so our assumption is that if there is a downturn, it will not be as severe as 2009," the analysts' report notes. "Agencies have stronger balance sheets now (as do the major brand owners who pay them), and industry headcount has not been rebuilt to previous peak levels."
 
While that outlook is not as bad as some might expect looking at the reaction of Wall Street investors and the media frenzy over the economy, it is a significant downgrade from Deutsche Bank's previous projection of a "5 to 6% organic growth" rate for ad agency stocks next year, which the securities firm now assumes will be more around "1.5 to 2%."

Three Simple Ways Medicare Can Save Money

The most significant reason for our out-of-control deficit spending is health care.  And the biggest federal health care program is Medicare.  That's why almost everybody agrees that Medicare must be reformed.  A good place to start is recognizing that what Medicare is trying to do is impossible, says John C. Goodman, president and CEO of the National Center for Policy Analysis.

Each price Medicare pays is tied to a patient with a condition.  And with the 7,500 things doctors could possibly do to treat a given condition, Medicare has to be just as diligent in not paying for inappropriate care as it is in paying for procedures that should be done.  So, in fact, Medicare isn't just setting prices.  It is regulating whole transactions.

What happens when Medicare gets it wrong?

• One result is that doctors face perverse incentives to provide care that is costlier and less appropriate than the care they should be providing.
• Another result is that the skill set of our nation's doctors becomes misallocated, as medical students and practicing doctors respond to the fact that Medicare is overpaying for some skills and underpaying for others.

A more sensible approach is to begin the process of allowing medical fees to be determined the way prices are determined everywhere else in our economy -- in the marketplace.  Here are three ways to start:

• First, Medicare should allow enrollees to obtain care at almost all walk-in, free-standing emergency-care clinics that post prices and usually deliver high-quality care. Since these fees are well below what Medicare would have paid at a physician's office or hospital emergency room, this reform would lower Medicare's overall costs.
• Second, Medicare should allow enrollees to take advantage of commercial telephone and e-mail services. Again, it is important to pay the market price, not Medicare's price, although Medicare patients should probably pay a good portion of the cost of each phone call out of pocket.
• Finally, Medicare should encourage physicians to repackage and reprice their services in ways that are good for the doctor, good for the patient and good for Medicare. For example, Medicare should encourage concierge doctor arrangements.

Source: John C. Goodman, "Three Simple Ways Medicare Can Save Money," Wall Street Journal, August 11, 2011.

Builders Push 'Green' Homes to Stand Out in Foreclosure-Filled U.S. Market

In the 20 years Ron Betenbough's company has been building homes in west Texas, he's always been willing to compete on price. Now, in a market crowded with cheap properties, he's also touting environmentally friendly construction and energy-saving features.

Betenbough Homes has been promoting all its houses as "green" since November, after winning certification under an industry-run program, Betenbough said in a telephone interview. The company didn't raise prices, absorbing added costs of less than $500 on each of its units, which list for as low as $110,000 in some subdivisions.

"We chalked it up to marketing," said Betenbough, 70, who founded the Lubbock, Texas-based company with his son, Rick.

As the housing slump enters its sixth year, small companies such as Betenbough and giants such as PulteGroup Inc., the largest U.S. homebuilder by revenue, are using green marketing as a weapon in the battle for buyers who have their pick of low- priced existing properties, including foreclosures. Builders are touting a confusing array of potentially profit-pinching environmental standards that have yet to prove effective in swaying consumers.

To label its homes green, Betenbough Homes added a few features, such as low-flow toilets, and paid for inspections, allowing it to get the "bronze" level of certification from the National Association of Home Builders, the lowest of the Washington-based group's four green ratings. The company had previously adopted design elements including energy-efficient windows, to block out heat and dust, and prefabricated roof trusses, which save money and create less waste.

Pragmatic approach
Buyers in west Texas, where home sales are stronger and energy costs are lower than in many other parts of the U.S., aren't willing to pay a lot extra for a green home, according to Betenbough, who says he's more of a pragmatist than an environmentalist.

"If I can do something that does increase the cost and the buyer can recover the money in two years, I'm game," said Betenbough, who has sold about 250 green homes. "If it takes 10 years, you've lost me. Most people don't live in a home that long."

Sales of green homes accounted for 16 percent of the $100 billion homebuilding industry last year, up from 2 percent in 2006, according to information-services provider McGraw-Hill Construction in New York. The increase in part reflects builders' expectations that states will continue to adopt stricter energy codes for construction, said Clayton Traylor, policy director for Leading Builders of America, an industry lobbying group in Washington.

This old house
The green trend also is an attempt to set new construction apart from previously owned homes on the market.

"Our competition isn't other homebuilders, it's resale," said Steve Ruffner, president of the Southern California division of Los Angeles-based KB Home, which focuses on first-time buyers. "We are very focused on showing why buying new is saving money in a consumer's overall cost."

Builders are trying to lure buyers away from existing homes as foreclosed properties drag down prices. More than 4 million properties have been repossessed since 2006, according to RealtyTrac Inc., an Irvine, California-based data seller. A Standard & Poor's index of 12 publicly traded homebuilders has tumbled 76 percent since new-home sales crested in July 2005, compared with the gain of 6.6 percent by the S&P 500.

The median price of a new home in May fell 3.4 percent to $222,600 from a year earlier, and is down 15 percent from the March 2007 high, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. Sales have fallen 77 percent since July 2005.

A limited advantage
The median price of an existing home dropped 4.6 percent in May to $166,500, and has lost 28 percent from the high in July 2006, data from National Association of Realtors show. Sales are off 34 percent from their September 2005 record.

"I don't know that energy efficiency is enough of an edge," said Vicki Bryan, a New York-based analyst who covers homebuilders and other industries for debt-research firm Gimme Credit LLC. "The first decision a buyer is going to make is to buy at all, not because you have a green product."

To earn the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star certification, a home needs to be at least 20 percent more efficient than the benchmark for a standard new home, according to Jonathan Passe, acting manager for the program's residential unit in Washington. About 1.2 million homes have gotten the Energy Star label, and a quarter of single-family homes built last year qualified.

Single standard needed
Passe said there are dozens of green-labeling programs. Energy Star looks mostly at energy efficiency, though new guidelines for 2012 will include requirements on air quality.

Homes can be certified at various grades, from "bronze" to "emerald," through the National Association of Home Builders, or "certified" to "platinum" through the U.S. Green Building Council, the Washington-based nonprofit that developed the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design standards. The levels in both systems are based on scores in categories that include water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and energy usage.

Builders could reduce confusion surrounding the multiple standards by developing a single national metric similar to the miles-per-gallon sticker on cars, allowing buyers to easily compare both new and existing homes, according to Sean Penrith, executive director of the Earth Advantage Institute, a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit that works with the industry to help implement sustainable-building practices.

The group, which offers its own green-certification programs, recently introduced the "energy performance score," which displays the energy usage and carbon emissions of a house.

Extra 3%
"We in the industry expect homeowners to become building scientists to understand what the performance elements of a home are," Penrith said. "What's really needed is a simple way to compare one high-performance home to another."

Top green ratings often go to high-end custom homes because the technology is expensive, said Michelle Desiderio, director of green-building programs for the Upper Marlboro, Maryland-based National Association of Home Builders Research Center, which has certified 2,500 houses and 52 multifamily buildings since starting more than two years ago.

Going green adds about 3 percent to building costs, which aren't always passed on to customers, according to Allison Bailes, president of Energy Vanguard LLC, a Decatur, Georgia-based training, consulting and design firm.

Michael G. Smith, an analyst for JMP Securities LLC in San Francisco, said builders that appeal to first-time buyers often can't invest enough money in green features to make a significant difference in energy savings without eating into profit margins. A company such as Meritage Homes Corp., which caters to move-up buyers, has more flexibility to spend on green options, he said.

'Net Zero' homes
"In general you have to invest in technology to differentiate them," Smith said. "It can't just be marketing and an Energy Star seal."

Most of Meritage's houses are 35 percent more energy efficient than a typical new home, and in the 25 communities where solar panels are standard, the differential is about 75 percent, said C.R. Herro, vice president of environmental affairs at the Scottsdale, Arizona-based company.

The company has sold about a half dozen "net zero" homes, designed to generate as much power as a typical household would use, since their April introduction, he said. While the homes cost an additional $10,000 to $20,000, tax incentives help defray the difference.

Appraisal issue
KB Homes also plans to introduce net zero houses as an option in some markets. In its 10 solar communities, homeowners may save 30 percent on energy over a standard new home.

At Meritage's Lyon's Gate project in Gilbert, Arizona, the annual energy bill was $720 for a 1,640-square-foot home. That's 60 percent less than a standard new home of a similar size, according to an analysis by the Salt River Project, which supplies power to customers in the Phoenix area.

"We can charge a little bit more and still be competitive with other new homes and used homes," said Brent Anderson, a Meritage spokesman. "But a homebuyer has a fairly small threshold."

Builders say sales of green homes are being hindered because appraisers don't always account for energy-saving features, making it more difficult for borrowers to qualify for loans. The Sensible Accounting to Value Energy Act, a bill supported by groups including the Leading Builders of America that has yet to be introduced in Congress, would require providers of any government-backed mortgage to take borrowers' expected energy savings into account. That would allow buyers of eco-friendly homes to afford higher prices.

Data scarce
David Weekley Homes, one of the biggest closely held builders, is subsidizing some of the additional costs because mortgage appraisers don't give full credit for the average $3,000 it spends on green features, according to Mike Humphrey, the company's vice president of operations.

If the homes were appraised at a higher value, the Houston-based company wouldn't have to take a hit to its margins, he said.

Studies on the strength of the green-home market are limited because few multiple listing services across the country collect information about energy efficiency. An exception is in the Portland area, where homes with green certifications sold 18 days faster on average and for 3 percent to 5 percent more than comparable houses, according to a 2009 study by the Earth Advantage Institute.

Model customer
Jennifer Fong is the kind of buyer builders are targeting with their green efforts.

The 31-year-old dentist, who doesn't own a television and keeps her thermostat at 80 degrees, moved into the PulteGroup-built Villa Trieste in Las Vegas in 2009. The Bloomfield, Michigan-based company has built about 120,000 Energy Star homes in the U.S., and has 24 solar communities, including Villa Trieste, which was designed to cut energy use by 65 percent.

Fong is competing for bragging rights for the lowest annual electric bill in her Las Vegas community, where rooftop solar panels are standard on all 185 homes. Her monthly bills have never been more than $45, and her 1,775-square-foot house even generates a surplus of power in some months. Her June bill was $8.40, which covered the minimum service fee and taxes.

"I did consider buying a foreclosure," said Fong, who paid $275,000 for the house. "But I liked the home anyway and with the added green features, it made it that much better."

(Source: Bloomberg, 07/18/11)

Sell Your Record of Success

While past performance is not a guarantee of future performance, it is the best predictor. Sell your track record to the customer.

Talk about your successess and the benefits your other customers experienced. But also talk about the problems you've encountered along the way and what you and your company did to overcome them.

Strictly talking about successes can create a rose-colored picture and might raise some doubt within prospects. A balanced discussion that examines your successes and how you quickly resolved problems will give the customer a good idea of what he/she can realistically expect and help raise his/her comfort level with you.

Your straightforward manner also increases the likelihood of getting the sale.

The Best Of Both Worlds: Making Online Video And TV Work Together

Many of my agency colleagues, already knee-deep in planning for 2012, have asked for advice on how to think about online video. What's interesting is that these inquiries are coming from both the digital and broadcast realm, highlighting the sea change that is upon us: the online and offline worlds are truly converging.  Video has become the nexus point for this merger, because in-stream video advertising is the primary focus of an audience's attention, much like TV, except with the targeting and interactive capabilities of rich-media display. The next logical step is to ask: How does one plan a video campaign taking into account TV investment and reach?

Think about aggregate GRPs. GRPs (gross rating points) are a divisive subject in the online video world, but despite what the pundits say, the currency of the TV world is not going anywhere anytime soon. This is why it's important to think about GRPs when planning a campaign, with certain caveats.
Consider your buy at total target audience and think about combined reach instead of looking at TV and Digital separately. Understand if you are getting the optimal reach for your target audience by working with video partners and platforms that give you the ability to consider both your video audience and TV audience with an unduplicated reach and frequency. When planning, always be wary of combining multiple datasets from multiple platforms. Pulling differently defined data points from more than one platform can give you a misread on your true reach and frequency.

Understand what you're purchasing. While the lower CPMs of in-banner and in-text video ads can be alluring, both the content and the audience behaviors are drastically different. This is why many publishers aggregate their videos to a separate video page within their portal.  Simply put, in-stream is the primary focus of the consumer. Due to banner blindness, in-banner inventory can drastically lose value depending on where it is placed. While it can be an inexpensive and useful means of increasing reach, you tend to get what you pay for.

Capitalize on creative formats that promote engagement. One of the major differences between in-stream video and traditional TV is the abundance of creative formats and interactive capabilities that drive engagement. Use these interactive techniques to enhance that 15- to 30-second spot. Data collected from these interactive capabilities can help you learn what audiences engage with -- and, more importantly, where you might find incremental "earned media." Using this data, apply display thinking to your in-stream campaigns.

Target, measure, & optimize. Use the tools of the Web to your advantage. Target, measure and optimize your buys according to your campaign objectives utilizing real-time data. Focus your targeting on in-stream video. Use retargeting as a complementary overlay to the stream, but always remember that content and context drive consumer engagement. Behaviors can differ drastically from in-page to in-stream. 

During your campaign, measure and optimize repeatedly. Make use of the various metrics and measuring tools including more advanced tools, such as in-stream surveys. Additionally, you should learn which audiences are engaging with your creative and those who are not, but be wary of placing too much significance on display metrics like CTR. Video is still primarily a branding vehicle, so invest more heavily where you see brand lift.

Respect the new medium. The most important aspect to remember when planning an in-stream campaign is that online video is neither simply an extension of TV nor Display. It is its own unique medium that deserves to be respected, studied and understood. Take note of the subtle and overt differences when you plan and use all of its capabilities to make your campaign truly succeed.

by Brian Mandelbaum , Thursday, August 4, 2011

The Death Of Ageism

An exercise like this may not be very appealing or comfortable, but it can be invaluable for your business and yourself. Understanding ageism may seem like an odd subject when discussing advertising to Boomers, but it's actually crucial. Eliminating ageism is one of the keys to successfully communicating with them because it will help enable what every Boomer strives for: Positive Aging.

Here are a dozen thought-starters to help you begin what will be a very profitable process personally, as well as professionally. Think about these issues and, over time, it will reduce negative attitudes against young and old alike.

1. Do you believe that you're an ageist?
If you take umbrage at the very suggestion, perhaps you protest a bit too much. Take a closer look at your most cherished and certain beliefs about aging, and see if there's any prejudice to be found.

2. Are you afraid of aging? It's a natural fear, particularly in our youth-worshipping culture. But if you don't face down that fear, you're setting yourself up for a horrendous fall if you're lucky enough to grow old one day. In the meantime, your fear will color your advertising and marcom decisions, much to your company's detriment.

3. Have you made an effort to learn about key aspects of aging? The more realistically informed you are about aging and what to expect, the better you'll be able to evaluate and resist the inaccurate and negative stereotypes so often associated with the aging process. Strive to understand the differences between what's relevant in aging and what isn't, and you'll be on the path to enlightenment.

4. Do you harbor misinformation and erroneous beliefs about aging? Once you understand the important aspects of aging, do you use facts to actively challenge the misconceptions and myths that can distort your thinking and behavior? Be sure to analyze your "positive" prejudices as well as your negative ones.

5. Do you believe in the stereotypes of aging? To begin to answer this, examine the language you use when talking about aging, then go from there.

6. Do you appreciate the difference between ageism and discrimination? You may never have done a single discriminatory thing to any older adult, yet still be an ageist at heart. In fact, some very well-meaning people overcompensate.

7. Have you carefully listened to how ageism can affect Boomers? You can do this informally by speaking with them one on one, or you can do it more formally in a series of focus groups. Whatever you choose, there's no substitute for going directly to the source.

8. Have you monitored advertising, marcom and the media, observing how they reflect aspects of aging and ageism? Carefully considering the negative ways in which older adults are portrayed in marcom, ads, commercials, films and television is crucial to understanding and overcoming ageism.

9. Have you considered advocating against ageism? Obviously, sponsoring an initiative that champions the fight against ageism can do wonders for your company's image. But on a personal level, when someone you know uses ageist language or images, do you tactfully advise them to reconsider their attitude? Face it, even innocent jokes help keep ageism alive.

10. Are you careful about your own language and behavior toward older adults? No matter how loving and generous you may be, nobody's perfect. A little self-examination just might prove profitable.

11. Do you talk openly about aging issues and ageism with your staff? Hidden ageism that's never spoken about can be even more destructive than the overt kind, because it makes it easier for people to wallow in ignorance. A powerful way to fight ageism is to showcase people who don't fit any stereotypes in your advertising and marcom.

12. Can you build intergenerational bridges to promote better mutual understanding? Ageism thrives in the Petri dish of ignorance. However, when all generations understand that they're interconnected throughout their lifespan, they'll begin to appreciate the power they have to affect each other's well-being.

By Vincent Vassolo Thursday, August 4, 2011

 

Seeing Ad First Increases Action Odds Sevenfold

A new study by Casale Media, based on their analysis of nearly two billion ad impressions generated during the 1Q 2011, shows that online ads appearing "above the fold" are nearly seven times more effective at generating a click through than those appearing "below the fold," and that the more times someone sees an ad the more likely they are to click through and take action.

Users are three to four times more likely to act on an ad if it is the first or second one they see during their session, says the report. Ad effectiveness plummets as the user progresses through their online viewing.

And, repetition works to an extent. Ads shown five times or more to a user were 12-14 times more effective than ads shown less than five times.

Three criteria relating to the serving of online banner ads were examined:

• Placement relative to the page fold
• Moment of delivery within a user's session
• Frequency of exposure.

On the premise that advertising is all about capturing the attention of one's audience, the study tests the hypothesis that not all impressions are created equal, by evaluating the effect of three ad placement variables (page positioning, view order and frequency) on campaign performance (quantified in terms of click and action rates).

Three ad delivery parameters were examined to evaluate their influence on the number of resulting clicks and actions:

• Page positioning (above/below-the-fold): advertising delivered above the website fold is visible as soon as the page is loaded, i.e. scrolling is not required.
• View order: ads are assigned a ranking according to their order of delivery within a user's session, e.g. the very first ad to be delivered is considered to be in "first impression" position. View order relates to where in the "tail" inventory is positioned, e.g. early impressions are considered to be "short tail", while impressions delivered late in a user's site browsing session would be considered "long tail".
• Frequency: this refers to the number of times an ad is shown to a user over a fixed period of time.

The analysis revealed that when displayed above-the-fold, ads are almost 7 times more effective at generating a click than ads delivered below the fold. The ratio is virtually identical when considering whether an action was completed. These results support the findings of numerous studies based on eye tracking data, according to which users spend the vast majority of their time looking at information positioned within a page's initially viewable area.

Ads Delivered Above-Fold Get Better Traction
Position	Click index	Action index
Above fold	17.9	9.5
Below fold	2.6	1.4
Source: Casale Media, July 2011 (Click index: Number of clicks÷number of impressions x 1000; Action index: Number of actions÷number of impressions x 1000)

Absolute Impressions and Actions
Page position	Impressions	Clicks	Actions
Above fold	1,728,347,297	3,094,349	164,169
Below fold	54,087,739	14,264	742
Unknown	120,402,698	17,705	772
Total	1,902,837,734
Source: Casale Media, July 2011

The impressions sampled for this study are segmented into eight different tiers ranging from 1st-2nd position to 255th and beyond. The data corresponding to each tier shows that both clickthrough and action rates decrease rapidly as users progress through their online journeys: ads ranking in 3rd to 6th position see their click and action rates plummet compared with ads showing as 1st/2nd impressions (almost 3-fold and more than 4-fold respectively).

Ads Shown Early-On Perform Better
Position	Click index	Action index
1st - 2nd	32	20.3
3rd - 6th	12	4.7
7th - 14th	9.5	2.6
Source: Casale Media, July 2011

This data suggests quite clearly that as users are exposed to more and more ads within their browsing session, those ads become less and less effective at capturing the user's attention, to the point of oblivion (a.k.a. banner blindness). The earlier an ad is shown to a user, the more likely it is to be noticed and therefore, effective.

This echoes a common practice in print advertising, where "early" pages, situated near the main editorial content, carry a higher advertising rate. Interestingly, the data shows that there is still value to extract even from very low ranking impressions. Although these will makeup some proportion of any inventory, they should be excluded from cases where an advertiser buys and values campaigns based on exposure alone.

Importance of Viewing Order
View order	Impressions	Clicks	Actions
1st - 2nd	655313282	2095995	133175
3rd - 6th	398362243	479545	18841
7th - 14th	286068413	271858	7468
15th - 30th	202354583	162232	3305
31st - 62nd	123788168	67707	1124
63rd - 126th	47171268	14327	216
127th - 254th	10865305	2231	36
255th +	4424035	454 4
Total	1,728,347,297
Source: Casale Media, July 2011

It has been said that it takes nine times for a marketing message to move a prospect from a state of total apathy to purchasing readiness. The results of this study certainly lean in the same direction, as both click and action rates dramatically increase, almost 12- and 14- fold respectively, for ads that have been shown 5 times and over.

The Effect Of Repetition
Repitition	Click index	Action index
≥ 5 times	174.4	92.5
≤ 4 times	14.7	6.4
Source: Casale Media, July 2011

As in offline advertising, several exposures are required to achieve some degree of familiarity and to register with users. However, it is also a well known fact that over-frequencied ads can be counterproductive. To mitigate the effect, "frequency capping" mechanisms may be implemented to limit the number of times an ad is delivered to the same user or "frequency optimization" to determine the optimal cap for a specific campaign.

The Effect of Exposure
Ad exposures	Impressions	Clicks	Actions
≤ 4 times	120402698	17705	772
≥ 5 times	1782435036	3108613	164911
Total	1,902,837,734
Source: Casale Media, July 2011

The report concludes with some final thoughts:

• Relying blindly on a single indicator, such as a reach table, or technique like hyper-targeting, could prove a mistake
• The basic requirement of getting an advertising message in front of eyeballs should not be taken for granted. Without delivery above-the-fold, early session placement and frequency optimization, campaign performance may suffer
• Diversification might mitigate the risk, but most of all, vigilance should be applied

For additional information, please visit here.

Shopping for Back-to-School? Don't Forget Your Smartphone

If you're looking for trends to emerge from this back-to-school shopping season that will give us a taste of what's to come for the Christmas holiday, take a look at a new study from Deloitte.

The consulting group issued the results of its back-to-school spending survey and found many of the trends this year are strikingly similar to those that played out last year. However, this year, the group asked consumers who own smartphones if they will use them to shop, and nearly two-thirds said they would.

The survey was commissioned by Deloitte and conducted by an independent research company between July 5 and July 11. The survey polled 1,000 parents of school-aged children in grades K-12.

Although three out of five of these shoppers will use the devices to get price information, more than two out of five say they will download discounts, coupons or sale information to their smartphones.

The good news is that retailers are in a much better position to meet customers' needs on their Web-enabled smartphones than they were last year. But this also reinforces the idea that there will be a lot of bargain hunting this year.

Overall, the results of Deloitte's survey showed nearly nine out of 10 consumers plan to maintain or increase their spending this year, but it's not because they're feeling more comfortable going on a spending spree.

Instead, consumers are anticipating that products will cost more or they will need to spend more on school supplies that school districts are no longer supplying. (Many schools have adopted a new tradition of giving students long lists of supplies -- everything from pens and paper to tissues and cleaning wipes -- to buy.)

"Retailers need to be prepared for a consumer who is sensitive to prices, especially with the pinch households are feeling from higher gas and energy costs this summer," said Alison Paul, vice chairman of Deloitte and its retail and distribution sector leader.

Social networks also will play a bigger role in back-to-school shopping, according to the survey.

More than one-third of parents plan to use social networking sites to assist their shopping, up from 29 percent last year. Among these respondents, nearly seven out of 10 plan to do so to find out about promotions, 44 percent will browse products and 28 percent will read reviews and recommendations.

But using smartphones and social networking sites aren't the only changes that consumers will make. According to the survey, 55 percent of parents are taking inventory and only buying what the family needs, while 26 percent said they will reuse last year's items due to concerns about the economy or their finances.

However, consumers who earn more than $100,000 said their financial situation is the same or better than last year, compared with 66 percent of respondents who earned less than $100,000.

"We continue to see a tale of two consumers," Paul said. One reason is the higher price of gas and food—expenses that often cannot be avoided—are consuming a larger chunk of the earnings of the lower-income consumers.

(Source: CNBC, 07/27/11)

Most Mobile Budgets Under $50K; Growth Expected

When it comes to mobile advertising, just over half (51%) of brand marketers say they have built mobile into their ad strategy, either as part of wider campaigns or as a stand-alone effort. But mobile budgets are still small, with 55% spending less than $50,000 this year and only 7% planning to spend more than $300,000, according to a survey of 300 top brand marketing executives commissioned by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and conducted by Ovum Consulting.

Still, dollars allocated to mobile are expected to increase. The "Marketer Perspectives on Mobile Advertising" report found that nearly three-quarters (72%) of marketers are looking to hike mobile ad spending in the next two years, and 35% will boost budgets by more than 50%.

Where's that money going?

A branded mobile site was the most common type of mobile advertising (83%), with display advertising a close runner-up at 77%. More than half have employed branded applications and SMS text advertising, and over 40% have turned to mobile search, video, MMS (multimedia messaging service) and barcodes and mobile coupons.

When it comes to devices, the focus is on smartphones. Six in 10 executives flagged smartphones as a high priority, and nearly one-third (31%) point to tablets as a key platform. Feature phones have not been bypassed completely: 22% said they were a top priority, and marketers expect usage on regular smartphones to increase over the next two years. Only 10% identified e-books as a top device for advertising, and 3%, console connected games.

The report, whose findings were presented Monday at the IAB's "Mobile Marketplace" conference, also highlighted some of the hurdles facing mobile advertising. Among key obstacles to higher spending were device fragmentation, privacy issues and a lack of standardized metrics.

A majority also cited ad creative limitations as a drawback of the medium, which the study suggested could be partly a reflection that most of those surveyed don't use creative agencies for mobile advertising. But the vast majority (85%) of those marketers that are working with a creative agency on their mobile advertising objectives said these partnerships produced good results. Most were also reasonably satisfied with mobile advertising's ability to deliver on increased engagement (59%), increased brand awareness (58%), customer relationship marketing (57% and driving sales (54%).

The Ovum mobile study for the IAB was conducted from April to June 2011 and involved U.S. organizations currently engaged in mobile advertising, from seven distinct verticals: travel, financial services, CPG, retail, media and entertainment, hospitality and restaurants and automotive. It also encompassed four size-of-business categories (revenue less than $100m annual revenues, $100m-$500m annual revenues, $500m-$2 billion, and over $2 billion annual revenues) with local, regional and national ad focus.

On Monday, IAB launched a formal call-for-entries to its new Rising Stars Mobile contest that will result in new IAB-endorsed mobile ad formats. Winning entrants "will be selected based on their potential to propel brand creativity on mobile devices at scale." The trade group kicked off its Rising Stars initiative last September with a contest to come up with new display ad formats. Submissions for the latest effort will be accepted until October 15.

(Source: Online Media Daily, 07/18/11)

Toyota will build Tesla-powered RAV4 EV in Canada

Toyota Motor Corp. will build an electric RAV4 in-house in Canada next year rather than having partner Tesla Motors Inc. assemble the model at the plant it acquired from Toyota in California.

The companies said this morning that Toyota's Tesla-powered EV will be produced in Woodstock, Ontario, where Toyota already makes the gasoline-powered RAV4 crossover.

Toyota did not provide volume expectations for the electric vehicle or say how much it expected the model to retail for at its dealerships starting in 2012.

Toyota recently revealed that it will pay Tesla $100 million for an electric powertrain that includes the RAV4's battery module, electric motor, gear box and electronic components. That specific dollar figure suggests that Toyota envisions the Tesla deal as a finite arrangement, rather than an open-ended supply deal.


Tesla currently has its hands full preparing to launch an electric family sedan of its own, known as Model S, on an assembly line in Fremont, Calif. That is the mammoth production plant formerly known as New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., a 50-50 joint venture between Toyota and GM where Toyota previously built Corolla sedans and Tacoma pickups. GM walked away from NUMMI during its 2009 bankruptcy, spurring the venture's demise.

Tesla is retooling the NUMMI plant to prepare it for a 2012 Model S production launch. The Tesla powertrains will be produced at a smaller Tesla plant in Palo Alto, Calif., and shipped to Woodstock for assembly into the Toyota vehicles there.

"The Tesla-Toyota joint development team has agreed that building the vehicle at the Woodstock plant on the same line as the gasoline-powered RAV4, will streamline and simplify the production process and guarantee the highest level of quality control," Ray Tanguay, chairman of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc, said in a statement today. "This is a great example of Toyota's determination to collaborate with companies with leading edge technology."

Lindsay Chappell Automotive News -- August 5, 2011

Spending Restraint Is The Back-To-School Spending Byword

According to NRF's 2011 Back-to-School survey, conducted by BIGresearch, parents this year will make children scour their closets before agreeing to buy any new jeans, pencils or backpacks. Families with children in grades K-12 will spend an average of $603.63 on apparel, school supplies and electronics, within a few dollars of last year's $606.40 average. Total spending on grades K-12 is expected to reach $22.8 billion. Combined K-12 and college spending will reach $68.8 billion, serving as the second biggest consumer spending event for retailers behind the winter holidays.


NRF President and CEO, Matthew Shay, says "... families aren't opposed to spending on what they need, but want their children to take a good look at what they already have... retailers understand consumers are extremely focused on value... "

• According to the survey, Americans are compensating for the economy by:
• Purchasing more store-brand or generic items (39.9%)
• Comparison shopping more online (29.8%)
• Shopping for sales (50.0%)

Nearly half of survey respondents said the economy is forcing them to simply spend less in general (43.7%). Average spending on clothing ($220.60) and school supplies ($88.99) will slightly decrease this year. Families will also spend an average of $104.53 on shoes, a slight increase over last year.

Though average spending on computers, cell phones, mp3 players and tablet devices is expected to increase slightly to $189.51, 51.9% of families with school-aged children plan to purchase electronics this year, down from last year's historically-high 63.7 percent. The percent of people who plan to purchase apparel, shoes and supplies will decrease as well.

Department stores are expected to see a surge in back-to-school traffic thanks to popular private labels, promotions and innovative social media campaigns. According to the survey, 57.0 percent of back-to-school shoppers will head to a department store, up from 53.9 percent last year and the most in the survey's eight-year history. Back-to-school shoppers plan to make at least one purchase

• From a discount store (68.4%)
• Clothing stores (48.7%)
• Office supply stores (38.0%)
• Electronics stores (21.7%)

Additionally, more people this year will shop online (31.7% vs. 30.8% last year) and in drug stores (21.1% vs. 19.5% last year)

Parents this year will start their shopping closer to the beginning of school:

• 42.4% of families will begin shopping three weeks to one month before school
• 31.2% will begin their shopping one to two weeks before school starts, up from 24.8% last year
• 21.8% will begin shopping two months before the new school year
• 2.0% will shop the week school starts 
• 2.6% after school starts

Teenagers are expected to spend an average of $31.64 for school items, compared to $31.74 last year. Pre-teens, largely reliant on their parents for an allowance, will spend less this year ($15.12 vs. $18.27 in 2010). When it comes to how much say children have in parents' buying decisions, 61.2% of parents say their children influence 50%or more of back-to-school purchases.

And NRF's 2011 Back-to-College survey, conducted by BIGresearch, found more college shoppers this year will make adjustments to their budgets because of the economy. According to the survey, parents and students will spend an average of $808.71 on everything from apparel and electronics to dorm furnishings and food items, down from $835.73 last year.

83.7% respondents say the economy will impact their spending plans. More shoppers than last year will purchase store brand or generic products (38.0% vs. 34.1% in 2010), and more will comparison shop online (30.7% vs. 23.2% in 2010). Additionally, many shoppers are making do with last year's items (29.7%) and spending less overall (44.6%)

Shay concludes that "College students and their parents... will be looking for ways to stretch their budgets and find good deals this year... retailers will spread out their promotions to capture the attention of shoppers whenever they're in the mood to spend, and will use every resource they can to prominently promote... "

The survey found 45.8% of students and their parents will buy electronics, the lowest level since 2005. However, electronics will still take up the largest portion of shoppers' budgets with the average person expected to spend $209.93, an 11% decrease over last year's $236.94. Freshman will spend the most on electronics at $281.94 on average.

Pam Goodfellow, Consumer Insights Director, BIGresearch, says "... many college students are already armed with the latest gadgets they'll bring with them to campus... A decline in electronics spending could be due to the fact that many popular college items, like laptops, have experienced huge drops in price... "
College bound shoppers will also spend on:

• Clothing and accessories ($127.37)
• Dorm furnishings ($96.84)
• Food items ($94.60)
• School supplies ($61.48)
• Personal care items ($64.44)

47.6% of families with college-aged children will shop at a department store, up from 42.5% last year. Others will shop at:

• Discount stores (53.9%)
• Drug stores (19.4%)
• Home furnishing or home decor stores (11.2%)
• Office supply stores (33.4%)
• Clothing stores (34.2%)
• Electronics stores (19.6%)

33.4% of college families plan to shop online, up from 28.6% last year.

24.4% of college shoppers will begin their shopping at least two months before school starts, the highest percent since NRF began conducting the survey in 2003.

• 28.9% will shop three weeks to one month before school starts
• 27.9% one to two weeks before
• 9.4% the week school starts
• 9.4% after school starts

52.9% of parents say their child will live at home (vs. 51.8% in 2010), though 24.7% will live off campus at a house or apartment. 18% will live in a dorm room or college housing and 3.6% will live in a fraternity or sorority house.

The poll of 8,684 consumers was conducted from July 1-6, 2011. The consumer polls have a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0%

Social Media TV Tracking Puts 'Family' On Top

Social media tracking of TV shows continues to reveal new trends -- and not all revolve around original broadcast prime-time shows. A recent report by SocialGuide says this summer -- in July specifically -- the most social TV show overall is Fox's longtime animated hit "Family Guy," scoring in terms of unique visitors and comments. The social media company says the social activity for "Guy" consists of all its TV windows: network rerun, syndication repeats, and elsewhere.

The Fox network comedy pulled in a 5.9% share in unique visitors for all social activity of TV shows: 159,000 unique visitors. Overall, it had 276,000 comments --- or about 1.7 comments per unique visitor.
Nickelodeon's "SpongeBob SquarePants" was next, with a 5.7% share of social media uniques, 154,000 uniques and 233,000 overall comments.
 
The highest-rated prime-time show was VH1's "Basketball Wives," which came in at third place overall in uniques -- at 137,000, with a 5.1% share. It also had 274,000 overall comments (second place to "Family Guy" in terms of comments). Syndicated TV show "Maury" was next, pulling 4% of all uniques with 108,000 people and 224,000 comments. "MTV's "Jersey Shore" came in just behind "Maury" in unique visitors with 96,000.
 
Looking at the first-run shows on the broadcast networks, the best placing is CBS' "Big Brother" -- in fifth place for overall comments with 220,000, and in 18th place for unique visitors at 55,000 -- all of which gave it a strong rate of four comments per unique visitor.
 
NBC's big summer-rated show "America's Got Talent" did a bit better than "Brother" with uniques, at 57,000 -- but had roughly half the number of comments, witb 118,000.
 
Social Guide tracked 4,150 TV shows, sifting through over 10.5 million social TV comments by more than 2.6 million unique visitors. Its survey only lists the top 100 shows.
 
SocialGuide says it uses a proprietary system that captures the real-time social activity around every program aired across 170 of the most popular broadcast and cable channels.

Wayne Friedman, 8/2/11, 12:49 PM

Solving the Jobs Problem

As the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act winds down, the unemployment rate remains over 9 percent and the economy is idling.  It is increasingly clear that Keynesian stimulus has failed to get the economy where it needs to be.  Now what?  The U.S. economy faces problems that are structural and long term, not merely cyclical and short term.  This helps explain why Keynesian policies failed to stimulate adequately.  More importantly, appreciating the fact that the American economy faces profound structural pressures is the first step on the road to sustained recovery and perhaps the next growth boom, say Arnold Kling, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, and Nick Schulz, a DeWitt Wallace Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Government stimulus can sometimes be effective at returning people to their old jobs, but the market is telling investors and entrepreneurs that those jobs are not needed anymore.  The two sectors of the economy that are increasing most as a share of output and employment are education and health care.

• Growing as they are, education and health care will increase in importance this century while other sectors undergo a relative decline.
• These sectors are where demand is rising and where there is potential for jobs to be created.

So what's the problem?

• The problem today is that government policy is impeding innovation and job creation in these sectors.
• Both education and health care are already heavily influenced or controlled by federal and local government.
• That means that the evolution of those sectors is driven by top-down command and control, rather than by bottom-up innovation.

To revitalize these sectors and revive the American job market, we must open up these industries to competition and entrepreneurial reform.  This will require tolerating a certain degree of messy experimentation.  But entrepreneurial growth in these sectors is what will get the American economy back to work, say Kling and Schulz.

Source: Arnold Kling and Nick Schulz, "Solving the Long-Term Jobs Problem," The American, July 27, 2011.

The Truth about Ethanol

Congress is debating whether it's time to end subsidies for ethanol from corn.  This debate comes with good reason: while using more ethanol might reduce the use of imported oil, the production of ethanol has its own costs, says Scientific American.

The various costs associated with producing ethanol are alarming.  Despite the fact that in recent years the fermentation process has become more efficient in making enzymes and prices have gone down, ethanol continues to be more expensive than petroleum-derived gasoline.

• Government subsidization of ethanol production has resulted in $19 billion in tax breaks between 1980 and 2000 to the ethanol-from-corn effort, according to the Government Accountability Office.
• Substantial profits have resulted for a handful of large private enterprises.
• There is also the production cost of building the new infrastructure for ethanol -- it is expected to take decades to build the needed additional 300-plus bio-refineries.

The push for increasing ethanol production has come despite a 1986 report that ethanol "cannot be justified on economic grounds" and "had no long-term prospect for survival without massive new government assistance."  Additionally, the purported environment benefits of using ethanol include reduced greenhouse gas emissions.  This benefit, however, seems to be offset by other environmental externalities from increasing ethanol production.  At least one study has found that all of the world's most significant biofuels combined do more damage overall than fossil fuels.

Finally, arguably the greatest concern over ethanol is that it is raising food prices.  While the livelihoods of rural communities are enhanced through increased biofuel production, less agricultural goods are directed towards feeding livestock and filling market shelves, among other things.

Source: David Biello, "Intoxicated on Independence: Is Domestically Produced Ethanol Worth the Cost?" Scientific American, July 28, 2011.