Apple to add 2D barcodes to iPhone

More on the future of 2D barcodes...

Packaging - Costco vs. Whole Foods

VS.

Costco...bigger bag, brighter colors, disregard for "natural" looking packaging, photos of product, and the Lucky Country kangaroo is considerably different.

Whole Foods...brown bag (to make it feel more natural), drawings instead of photos, a more traditional looking kangaroo, and play up the "gourmet" and "soft."

Both have the star-shaped violator to make sure we know its "all natural."

Interesting, if you ask me. Not that Costco makes vendors change packaging to meet the warehouse store requirements, but that Whole Foods does the same. Let us not forget that while it may be natural, organic, whatever...you still need to market it properly.

From CandySnob

Candy Snob Launches

Candy Snob gets picked up in the BlogHerald!

Hugh MacLeod's WOM Wisdom

"Word of Mouth isn't created by marketers, it is co-created with consumers. People only spread your virus if there's something in it for them."

From Hugh MacLeod's twitter missives via Brand Autopsy

Candy Snob Helps Feed Your Candy Obsession with News, Reviews and More

Candy Snob is the place to go to indulge your sweet tooth. Whether you're crazy for gourmet chocolate or a sucker for hard candies, we've got all the news, reviews, and information you can cram down your gullet.

(PRWEB) May 13, 2008 -- As more and more novelty and gourmet candy hits the market, it can be increasingly difficult to decide which confections will tickle your fancy, and which are sugar-coated duds. Candy Snob understands that candy can be more than a foil-wrapped treat to boost your blood sugar -- it can be a sensuous experience, the nougaty highlight of your day, the caramel apple of your eye. The blog will help readers rekindle their love affair with sugary treats, with an eye toward the confections of the past as well as a nod toward the future.

Blogpire Productions has the sweet pleasure of introducing Candy Snob to its growing list of consumer-oriented weblogs. Candy Snob was started to help bring the joy back into candy, offering candy reviews to help readers make decisions based on more than total grams of sugar.

"Most people think of candy as what they see in the grocery store," said Bob Wallace, an editor of Candy Snob. "Those are great, but there is a whole universe of chocolate and candy out there beyond the check-out aisle."

For the health conscious, Candy Snob will tell you about healthy candy products packed with natural ingredients. The blog will keep readers posted on the new treats about to hit the market, and will be reviewing new and upcoming candy treats.

"Chocolate is not unlike wine in that each piece comes with its own distinct tastes," added Noel Wallace, Candy Snob editor. "We're hoping to explain these nuances in a way that is understandable so you can get the best candy experience possible."

So whether readers are looking for unique gifts, new treats to sample, or simply interesting news and views about their favorite sweet indulgence, Candy Snob is the place to visit.

About CandySnob.com:
Started in 2007, Candy Snob is helmed by a capable staff keenly interested in all things confectionery. They come from a long line of sweet teeth and candy buffs, with tastes ranging from the nuanced flavors of bitter dark chocolate to the retro gooiness of Mallo Cups. Along the way, they also picked up a taste for jelly beans, hard candies, gummies, and anything else in the candy family.

About Blogpire Productions:
Blogpire Productions is a set of blogs bringing an influential audience to brand advertisers focused on product and category niches. Founded in 2004, Blogpire Productions continues to expand each month and build new and interesting web log titles for readers around the world. Many Blogpire Productions weblogs have received Yahoo! Pick of the day along with being featured in USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, FHM Magazine, and other magazines and Web site features.

Other Blogpire Productions weblogs include: SingleServeCoffee.com; KitchenContraptions.com; JustTheChips.com; TVSnob.com; ShavingStuff.com; FastFoodFever.com; GPSLodge.com; ShirtSnob.com; TheCookingNews.com; LiquorSnob.com; ReallyNatural.com; CheapFunWines.com; CriticalGamers.com; SingleServeEspresso.com; SuperCoolPets.com; ToolSnob.com; SuperCoolBaby.com; CasinoSnob.com.

State of the Social Media Union

Very interesting article on the state of the union for social media on The Viral Garden.

Social Media pic via Flickr user Jeff Milner

3M again proves the best innovations are simple and useful

How do you make one of the most storied innovative products in history better you ask? Leave it to the originators. 3M now has transparent Post-it Notes, so you can highlight things, etc. They call them Sheer Colors, we call them brilliant. Simple innovations make a big difference.

From Cool Hunting

Nike Head Tshirts - Logo abuse taken too far?

Hey...I'm not one to get too bent out of shape when someone knocks off a logo. I understand there is equity in the logos, but in my opinion its usually not that big a deal - usually its free advertising.

Which is the case here as well...but I think this may be too much. Interesting to see how Nike reacts, if at all.

From SneakerFiles

How NOT to pick a slogan for your new business

I'm going to list just 5 of the lame, uninspired taglines/slogans that Team Forty came up with. There are a ton more, click here to see them.

Create. Organize. Share. Connect. (blist)
Experience. Share. Connect. (geotract)
Connect. Share. Live. (KIJIG)
Create. Share. Connect. (Factory Joe)
Discover. Share. Connect. Discuss. (InfoAddict)

Why You Need to Read the Team Forty Blog

Because if you don't you might miss things like this:




www.teamforty.com

Flip Video Camera - Great for Marketers

Just bought a Flip Video camera a couple days ago. Light, small, and painfully simple to use. Sure, you can't do all the fancy stuff, but it works, you can download right into your USB port with no cords.

As I was playing around with it, I thought about all the cool things you could do with this from a marketing perspective. I was not alone, Community Guy covered the same topic, and here is what Marketing Profs writer Mark said about them:

Media outlets: Can give readers/viewers Flips to record events from their perspective and submit their own reports

Jeep: Use Flips to help feed the Jeep Experience site

Sports teams: Allow fans to cover their team and set up a site to “air” the reports

Travel-related businesses: Give them away so people can document and share their experiences

Packaged goods brands: Ask people to create their own testimonial of their product experience

From MarketingProfs Daily Fix via Community Guy