Monthly Archives: August 2011

Latino and black Americans hit worst by hard times

August 30, 2011 – 7:47 pm

by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING The Great Recession did not hurt all Americans equally. It tended to punish the middle and lower classes worse than the well-off, and it hurt men more than women. But a July 2011 study shows that the biggest disparity may have been racial. According to the Pew Research Center, Latino […]

By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumers, Economy, Latino, Money/Spending, Multicultural | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off

My co-parent, my friend: The new family model?

August 30, 2011 – 7:44 pm

by Nancy Ludwig WHAT’S HAPPENING Broody Brit singletons are shunning anonymous sperm donors and expensive IVF treatments in favour of having (and bringing up) baby with a co-parent who’s a friend, not a lover (Telegraph.co.uk, 8 August 2011). Previously popular within the gay community, co-parenting — in which the child’s biological parents bring them up […]

By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Parents, U.K. | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Vitaminwater quenches thirsty gadgets

August 30, 2011 – 7:41 pm

by Robert van Alstyne WHAT’S HAPPENING Bus-stop-bound consumers short on smartphone power and long on waiting time are turning to Vitaminwater for a quick pick me up. The drink brand partnered with agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky to mount advertisements in bus shelters in Chicago, New York, Boston and Los Angeles featuring triple-USB ports that […]

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India’s middle class wants a Ready, Set, Go! democracy

August 30, 2011 – 7:37 pm

by Sumaa Tekur When 74-year-old Indian social activist Kisan Baburao “Anna” Hazare broke his 13-day fast on Sunday, there were cheers of victory across the country. The people were celebrating not only Anna’s success, but the power of collective will. Anna led an anti-corruption movement demanding that Parliament pass the Jan Lokpal Bill (citizens’ ombudsman […]

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Swedish agency offers revenue for “out of office” messages

August 23, 2011 – 12:57 pm

by Sairica Rose WHAT’S HAPPENING Swedish ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi Stockholm is offering companies a way to make cash from automatic email responses (Springwise.com, 21 June 2011). Out of Office Ad systems will be launched by the end of August 2011, enabling businesses to earn extra revenue by accepting ad sponsorship on their holiday auto-replies. […]

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New York library grants amnesty to overdue readers

August 23, 2011 – 12:49 pm

by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING In July 2011, the New York Public Library offered amnesty to more than 140,000 children and young adults who have overdue books. If delinquent readers participate in the library’s summer reading program, they can erase overdue fines — which are typically $15 per overdue book (Consumerist.com, 25 July 2011). For […]

By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Education, Money/Spending | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off

QR codes on cigarette packs reveal smoke-friendly locations

August 23, 2011 – 12:34 pm

by Kate Connolly WHAT’S HAPPENING For all the smokers who’ve ever wanted to know the closest public location where they can light up without breaking any rules or laws, a cigarette package now provides the answer. A new package design for Ronhill Unlimited cigarettes incorporates a quick-response (QR) code into graphics on the back of […]

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FURY OVER FAKES

August 23, 2011 – 12:24 pm

by Michael McCune News from China about Da Vinci’s fake Italian furniture and copycat Apple stores has engendered the usual bemusement around the world. But if marketers scratch the surface of these stories, they’ll uncover an evolution in consumer sentiment — one that’s driving changes in intellectual property rights enforcement. China is indeed rife with […]

By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumers, Fashion, Global, Retail | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Importing enlightenment: American Buddhism blends East and West

August 17, 2011 – 1:22 pm

by Anayat Durrani WHAT’S HAPPENING American Buddhism is on the rise, due to an influx of Asian immigrants and Westerners converting to the faith. The result is an East/West, pan-Asian blend of  Buddhism refracted through an American lens of diversity (VOANews.com, 7 July 2011). At the Hsi Lai Temple in Los Angeles, predominantly Chinese American […]

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Germans no longer all wet, thanks to umbrella vending machine

August 17, 2011 – 1:00 pm

by Christopher Reid WHAT’S HAPPENING German consumers need no longer rue the rainy day, with umbrellas from start-up Dry 2 Go sold out of a vending machine. The compact, wall-mounted vending unit offers pocket umbrellas for €4. The umbrella should last for four months, assuming it doesn’t get left on the bus, of course (NDR2 […]

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NUads make Xbox commercials handier

August 17, 2011 – 10:24 am

by Robert van Alstyne WHAT’S HAPPENING The next generation of advertising promises to be highly interactive, if Microsoft has any say in the matter. The company’s forthcoming NUads for the Xbox 360 leverage the motion-and-sound-sensing power of the Kinect accessory. Short for natural-user interface ads, NUads can be directly engaged with via a series of […]

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THE SHOPPING RIOTS

August 17, 2011 – 10:18 am

by Gwyneth Holland As the world and his wife now knows, England was last week beset with a string of riots. The unrest began in London but sprung up later in towns across the country, including major cities like Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool and Birmingham. While the burning buildings and terrorised citizens looked much like other […]

By Iconoculture | Posted in Retail, Social Media, U.K. | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Viva la siesta! Experts endorse the potency of the Spanish power nap

August 9, 2011 – 3:57 pm

by Sairica Rose WHAT’S HAPPENING One of Spain´s most famous exports, the lunchtime nap, or siesta, is undergoing a revival (ABC.es, 16 July 2011). Specialists from Valencia’s Hospital Quirón sleep unit say a siesta helps the human body withstand the day. While beneficial for adults, it is essential for seniors and children, with under-fives needing to nap for physical and neurological development. […]

By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Global, Health, Work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Degrees of separation: Dutch heartbreak hotel’s weekend divorces

August 9, 2011 – 3:43 pm

by Sairica Rose WHAT’S HAPPENING Breaking up is never easy to do, but the Dutch Heartbreak Hotel service offers separating couples a speedy and well-assisted divorce in 48 hours (Springwise.com, 13 July 2011). For €2,500, the estranged couple is booked into separate 5-star hotels for a weekend, while the company handles all the paperwork. Financial […]

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Food minister launches campaign against food wastage at big weddings

August 9, 2011 – 3:21 pm

by Anindita Sengupta WHAT’S HAPPENING Overflowing wedding buffets have raised the ire of Food Minister KV Thomas. A committee established by him will organise a public awareness campaign about food wastage, through the media and outreach to schools and social organisations. If the campaign does not work, the committee may consider imposing a rule on […]

By Iconoculture | Posted in Consumer Trend, Food/Beverage, India, Money/Spending | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off
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