January 29, 2010 – 6:51 am
by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING Before the Great Recession hit, we’d already documented a shift among aspirational consumers from buying goods to collecting experiences. Now that trend has mainstreamed in a big way, as financially strapped Americans are cutting their spending and replacing it with low-cost, high-value experiences. The U.S. Department of Labor tracked consumer [...]
By Iconoculture
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Posted in Consumer Trend, Culture
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Tagged Iconoculture, Iconowatch, Hans Eisenbeis, Consumer trends, deconsumption, Great Recession, Aspirational consumers, Consumer time-usage, Walt Disney trends, Buying experience
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January 28, 2010 – 6:38 am
by Nissa Hanna WHAT’S HAPPENING Beta site KangoGift is now providing the hookup for what might be called presentexting. The service lets gift givers send text-message (SMS) vouchers for real presents. KangoGift (located in Cambridge, MA) is currently only partnering with businesses in Harvard Square; though they hope to eventually roll out to other areas. [...]
January 27, 2010 – 7:34 am
by Nina Elder WHAT’S HAPPENING A small subset of New York City dwellers is going back — way back — to a prehistoric way of life (NYTimes.com 1.10.10). These elemental 20- and 30somethings (called cavemen, paleos or hunter-gatherers) believe in a lifestyle that’s more similar to that of our very ancient ancestors. They eat large quantities of [...]
January 26, 2010 – 11:33 am
by Stefania Revelli No one can argue the talent of today’s pro athletes, but unless you’ve been hiding in a golf hole, you’ve also been a victim of Fan Letdown, otherwise described as a disappointing scandal that knocks your favorite sports star down from hero status. And what better place to revisit the definition of [...]
January 26, 2010 – 7:14 am
Abelardo de la Peña Jr. WHAT’S HAPPENING Before 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans’ Latino population hovered around 3%; it’s now around 4.5%, according to a 2008 census survey (CNN.com 8.19.09). The nonprofit Puentes (Bridges) New Orleans, founded in 2007, helps established and newly arrived Latino residents in the rebuilding city, bringing visibility to their struggles [...]
January 25, 2010 – 6:53 am
by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING Researchers looking into the biology of charity have found that brain chemistry is actually altered by acts of charitable giving. Now business strategists and professional coaches say that being generous can pay big dividends career-wise too (WSJ.com 12.20.09). Nice guys really don’t have to finish last. Jonathan Fields, author of [...]
By Iconoculture
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Posted in Consumer Trend, Work
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Tagged Iconoculture, Iconowatch, Hans Eisenbeis, Consumer trends, Great Recession, Charitable giving, Career Renegade, Biology of charity, Jonathan Fields, Gross National Happiness
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January 22, 2010 – 12:28 pm
by Tory Davis WHAT’S HAPPENING More husbands are eagerly navigating the dinnertime waters, as their spouses waver between gratitude and irritation in this latest evolution in gender roles. Though many wives are relieved another household task is knocked off the list, they’re unsettled when their culinary skills are criticized (DoubleX.com 12.15.09). Writers Sandra Tsing Loh [...]
January 21, 2010 – 6:39 am
by Cree McCree WHAT’S HAPPENING They may have boomeranged to their old bedrooms, but young adults are looking ahead. Despite (or perhaps because of) a worrisome economy, more Millennials are saving, Ohio State University researchers found. Though under-30s save less in real dollars than their elders, they sock away a bigger percentage of income. 61% [...]
January 20, 2010 – 11:33 am
by Abelardo de la Peña Jr. Before the holidays, my wife and I traveled to New Orleans to visit family. We’d never been before, and the city didn’t disappoint. For the most part, 2005’s Hurricane Katrina seemed long ago and far away. Yet we were stirred by the sight of hundreds of still-vacant and gutted [...]
January 19, 2010 – 8:17 am
by Rocio Zamora Arzola WHAT’S HAPPENING Tool manufacturer Stanley Works is hammering home their commitment to Latino construction workers through the “Hazla en Grande” (Make It Big) campaign. The campaign’s foundation: a series of educational bilingual resources tailored to build the skills and knowledge of Latino builders, who represent about 20-25% of the total construction [...]
January 18, 2010 – 9:37 am
Derek Stubbs and Hans Eisenbeis discuss MoveYourMoney.info, the Credit CARD Act, and health insurance reform. Download the podcast here: Happy New Year?: Bottoms Up Podacst #32 34 min., 57 sec.
By Iconoculture
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Posted in Consumers, Economy, Podcasts
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Tagged Iconoculture, Iconowatch, Hans Eisenbeis, Derek Stubbs, Bottoms Up, Podcast, Great Recession, health insurance reform, MoveYourMoney.info, Credit CARD Act
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January 18, 2010 – 3:40 am
by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING Beginning in January 2008, Gallup research developed the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. The index measures the comprehensive emotional, physical and fiscal health of American consumers on a scale of 0-100. During the fourth quarter of 2009, the index stood at 67.8, equal to its highest previously recorded levels. Emotional health and [...]
January 15, 2010 – 11:29 am
Consumer Strategists Andrew Hawn and Nancy Robinson share insights from CES 2010. Download the podcast here: CES 2010: First Impressions 28 min., 58 sec.
January 14, 2010 – 7:05 am
by Stefania Revelli WHAT’S HAPPENING A French-based company called OpenWays is linking up with hotel locking systems to launch “Crypto Acoustic Credentials,” a series of ringtones designed to act as hotel room access keys. When a preassigned tone is played, a microphone identifies the guest and unlocks the door. The technology is compatible with all [...]
January 13, 2010 – 11:02 am
by Cree McCree WHAT’S HAPPENING How do today’s Millennials compare with the Woodstock generation? Using a 1969 CBS News special as a model, Channel One conducted in-depth interviews with 1,300 young people nationwide for Then and Now: 1969-2009. Among the key findings: The generation gap has closed. 64% of the current crop enjoy spending time [...]
By Iconoculture
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Posted in Consumers, Culture
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Tagged Millennials, Iconoculture, Iconowatch, Boomers, Cree McCree, Channel One News, Then and Now: 1969-2009, Woodstock generation, CBS News, Generation gap
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