Five months ago I posted some trend predictions for 2012 (OTHER than RIM’s share price plunge!). Here are some quick checkups on Strategy Steve’s list of the Top 17 Trends to Watch in 2012. Ease of use / instant convenience: Still Hot! Instant rentals, instant payment, pre-measured laundry detergent doses (Tide ‘pods’), one step cleaners [...]

Cee Lo Green’s Meow Mix Mashup on ‘The Voice’ has been making Viral waves. Haven’t heard it? Think: Meow Mix TV jingle, meets Get Smart theme, meets Night Club Siren. With so much terrific music now in the archives, there’s a redefining of what a modern ‘musician’ is. Modern deejays are now known as “remix [...]

If you’re a Boomer, chances are you have had a ‘short list’ of beverage brands a long time. You may have opted to ‘Go Wild’ and varied the brand from time to time, but Beverage choices are typically made early in life, and changed reluctantly. The Beverage Industry is about to shake up your choices. [...]

It’s Sunday evening; millions fervently await another ‘Mad Men’ episode. The last ended in a battle- literally. ‘Breaking Bad’ is arguably a better quality show, and ‘Modern Family’ is more important, but 1966-era Mad Men has style, earning accolades for depicting then-stylish spending. The show’s characters’ choices are scrutinized by viewers, as these choices convey [...]

My eldest recently recommended watching a popular webisode series, ‘The Guild’. The show is terrific.  What really impressed was the wholehearted irreverent tone of the series. Here’s Level One of the skinny: a bunch of socially awkward online gamer-nerds with limited life skills (are there any other kind?) end up meeting & forming a sort [...]

Twenty seven years is a long time in the fashion world; Fashion Television (FTV) has broadcast its final episode. An amazing host, Jeanne Beker, is lost to viewers momentarily; but every time we hear “Obsession” by Animotion, we’ll think of her  and this fine show. You might see Jeanne again; I certainly hope we see [...]

North America’s ‘drive everywhere’ culture has an undeniable impact on one’s physical & emotional well-being. On visits to Europe I was struck by how sociable a daily walk from work might be. You buy a baguette at a bakery, a pack of aspirin (that dissolve in water!!!) at a Pharmacy, a bottle of wine at [...]

My Seneca Entrepreneurship students have given some feedback on the Auto Show, Cottage Show, and various Food & Wine shows they have attended as consumers. A long list of lessons learned. First, the Bad News: too many trade show exhibitors erred in these ways: Show reps who are pushy and in-your-face, or who don’t take [...]

Whaddya know- Scandinavia is hot. Real hot. Maybe it started with the darkly fine detective ‘Wallander’ (2005 with Krister Hendriksson; subsequently with Kenneth Branagh). Maybe it was Kimi Raikkonen winning the 2007 Formula One championship, or Stieg Larsson’s ‘Girl with The Dragon Tattoo’ trilogy. More recently, Scandinavia came to mind with the unforgettable character The [...]

My eldest just turned 22; for birthday gift ideas, she suggested specialty camera gear. A  fine source for such items is Photojojo.com so I had a chance to try their service. The experience was amazing. When I shopped there, I found site graphics that are cute yet informative. When the order shipped, they sent a [...]