A simple approach to video recording

Don't you just love it when you se a killer product idea that completely changes the game in a given category.  Well it happened last week when I bought a Flip Video Camera.  Ok.... I know.... I was late to the game.  I admit it.  Flip has taken video recording and made it into a very simple, cool, experience.  A little bit like what iPhone has done to mobile phones.  Just a few simple buttons and you're ready to tell your story on YouTube.  A lesson in simplicity that all marketers can learn from.

Click here to read about the buzz that's being generated by Flip...

'Stuck in the middle'... somewhere between Miami and Sao Paulo

It has been a long time since I posted something on my blog. I was out of the country for the past two weeks. So, now I'm back to one of my favorite evening activities... sitting in front of my MacBook recalling a few things that made my day or week special.

So here goes today's little story...

I have always struggled to find out what demographic group I belong to. So much has been written and said about the millenials and the Boomers.  But what happens when you're in the middle not belonging to any of these groups.  Last night, flying out of Miami International I read a great article by Jonathan Pontell in USAToday entitled "Stuck In The Middle". The article talks about the 'Generation Jones' -  the cohort born between 1954 and 1965, which includes President Obama (reason why we're probably going to hear more about this demographic).If you were also born in the 60's, it's worth reading.  I particularly enjoyed when the author speaks about the space between ".....Dylan going electric and Nirvana going unplugged."  Brilliant.  If you feel you're also kind of stuck in the middle, click here to read the full article.

Start with substance

Marketers all over America are finding ways to leverage Obama's presidential inauguration next week. A media event that is being compared to the Super Bowl. I was very happy to read that the Marketing Team at Quaker Oats in the U.S. is promoting its "Start with Substance" campaign with the mission of donating a bowl of oatmeal to 1 million poor families across the country.

A beautiful initiative in an historic moment of hope.  Click here to learn more.

A visit to Brazil's very first 'green' supermarket

I finally went to visit Brazil's first 'green supermarket': the Pão de Açúcar located in Indaiatuba, about an 70-min drive from São Paulo. It's been something I've been wanting to do since they opened last July.  

You start noticing a few differences in the parking lot even before you walk into the store. There are reserved parking spaces for cars running on ethanol. Next to the colorful recycling bins (becoming so common in markets all around the country), there's a specific bin for batteries and electronic waste.  

At the entrance, a large sign with the amount this particular store has recycled and the amount of energy saved. 

 

Inside, as I expected, more emphasis on organic, locally-produced products and an exclusive line of bags and household items made from recycled material. Shopping carts made from recycled PET bottles (the same material we are also using in the production of snack displays). You can also feel more natural lighting.  A few signs in different locations explain that some details are not visible to the everyday shopper, that the building has many architectural features designed using recycled material and it was built adopting many energy-reducing practices. There's a simple idea that I liked a lot. A bin placed right after the check-out where shoppers can discart secondary packaging, like for example, the carton box used for toothpaste.

New Pepsi campaign

New year, new communication for Pepsi in the U.S. market launching its new brand look and the 'Refresh Everything' campaign...

Waiting for our new digital SLR camera

My wife and I have been wanting to get a digital SLR camera for quite a while. Speaking to a local photographer, he recommended I buy online at B&H. When we lived in New York, B&H was the best store for photo, video an audio. I wasn't sure if buying online from a U.S.-based store would work but I decided to give it a try. Next step was to choose a camera for us. The B&H website does a good job describing each camera's features with useful links to reviews and product demos. We settled for the Canon EOS 50D with the 18-200mm lens kit.

The experience so far has been very good. To cater to customers in Brazil, B&H has set up a website in Portuguese and when I called the customer service to track the order, the person who answered was bilingual. The package is scheduled to arrive next week.

I decided that in 2009 I want to reconnect to a few things I used to enjoy more in the past. Photography, being one of them. So at least I'm starting off the year with an exciting new camera.

Click below to see some of the capabilities of the Canon EOS 50D on a demo I found on YouTube by professional wildlife photographer Brutus Östling.