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  1. As Luck Would Have It…

    January 27, 2009  | Comments (7)

    Do you recognize the name Kris Van Der Werff?  AdJack did, when his numbers came up as the winning CrackaJack combination this past Friday, January 23.  We knew his name because Kris won the CrackaJack six weeks ago, on December 12.

    He was not aware that he had won again until he got AdJack CEO David Boland’s notifying email. What was his reaction?  “Relief,” he says.  “The money will come in handy to pay some bills.”

    Even we are wondering if Kris has some sort of mojo working, since the last time he won he had only submitted numbers twice in the two weeks he had been a member. So we took the liberty of asking, just what is your method?  He lives in Las Vegas, and works as an accountant for a gaming machine manufacturer.  Maybe that gives him some sort of insider knowledge when it comes to chance?

    “No,” he says, musing on his good fortune, “I don’t really know.  I primarily take the numbers that are assigned.  I may change one of two to correspond with my birthday or something like that.  But I think I was just lucky.”… more

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  2. January Winner’s Opinions Include Dog’s Views

    January 27, 2009  | Comments (1)

    “I really enjoy watching the commercials on Adjack,” says freelance writer Louise Judsen, winner of the January 9 $1,000 CrackaJack.  “My dog Griffin, the sweetest and most opinionated Pembroke Welsh Corgi I have ever known, enjoys the ads too. He sits with me and watches the ads on my laptop and makes his opinion known when he bays at the commercials he likes best.”

    Louise also takes more than a passing interest in the commercials on AdJack. She has an MBA in marketing from the University of Illinois at Urbana and a Master Degree in Journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University which she stacked on top of a BA with Honors in history and political science from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

    “Since I know about these fields and write about them, I enjoy seeing what’s new in advertising.  I write about marketing and journalism (and also History) in my work quite a bit.  AdJack gives me the opportunity to see what is new and fresh in marketing and keeps me up-to-date.”

    When she goes to the site, she’s always looking for funny ads. “I think they stand out because people remember them. When an ad gets people’s attention, they get interested in the product. It also increases an ad’s effectiveness.  We all watch the Super Bowl to see the creative ads.  People then talk about those ads around the water cooler and it turns into word of mouth advertising, the type of advertising advertisers covet most.”

    She says she takes advantage of the star rating function for each commercial, registering her opinion with one star for ads that that fail to entertain her - usually because she thinks they are too long - and four stars for her favorites.

    “The ones where they’re dancing crazy aren’t my style.” she continued. “Also, I feel the ones that last more than a minute are terrible! They are just too long!  However I do like watching all the different ads because you have to keep up with what is new – life is always changing.”

    The Chicago native gives her current home base of Alexandria, Virginia, a five-star rating.  She loves its small town feel, its history, shops and restaurants, and especially loves the fact that it’s dog-friendly.  “It’s dog heaven,” she says.  She regularly promenades Griffin down King Street, where he’s in good company with lots of other dogs.

    “It is kind of like an Easter Parade.  All the dogs are out on the weekend and they seem to always look their best.”

    Griffin will be a beneficiary of Louise’s win.  “He’ll be getting a lot more treats than usual,” she says.… more

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  3. Sandwich Wars: Was Research Half-Baked?

    January 27, 2009  | Comments (4)

    Did anybody ask you which you like better, Domino’s new sandwiches or Subway’s? 

    Ol’ Jack got passed over when it came to participating in the alleged big taste test, but if you were one of the chosen who declared Domino’s sandwiches superior to Subway’s, I hope you’ll come forward and tell us just how the test was run. 

    Were Subway’s sandwiches indeed served cold, as Jeff Moody, CEO of Subway’s Franchisee Advertising Trust, supposes?  Were the three Subway sandwiches that were allegedly stacked up against Domino’s piled high with the whole gamut of Subway veggies?  (Veggies?  Ewwwwww.) And were said three sandwiches supposed to represent Subway’s entire selection?  Did the Domino’s testers pit the Domino’s Philly Cheese Steak against Subway’s Philly Cheese Steak, or, as Moody guesses, did the nefarious scientists substitute the Subway Steak and Cheese?

    You may marvel that grown men in expensive suits are outraged on both sides of this issue, but millions of dollars are swirling around the argument.  And your curiosity may be raised enough for you to search out Domino’s when lunchtime rolls around, just to see what all the fuss is about. 

    One thing’s for sure; Domino President David Brandon’s nationally televised commercial showing him figuratively spitting in the eye of Subway’s legal department got both companies tons of valuable “earned” media attention on editorial pages.  According to a Brandweek report, Domino’s spent $135 million on media January through November, 2008 to Subway’s $412 million in the same period. 

    That ain’t hay, as we say here in the barn.

    Jack, OSA

    BTW, thanks, folks, for the lively discussion about the state of our economy in the blog comments for January 20’s entry.  Usually when I suggest that folks write their Congress rep or senator, I’m just joking.  But not this time.  I think it’s important that you express your opinions in writing so that our representatives cannot ignore what you are saying.
    … more

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  4. Let ’Em Eat Whole Foods?

    January 23, 2009  | Comments (4)

    One symbol of extravagance that may be looking unnecessarily gaudy to consumers these days is Whole Foods, the Austin, Texas-based upscale grocery chain referred to even in flusher times as Whole Paycheck.  Eagle-eyed investors are circling the once-plump company.

    This month, activist shareholder Ron Burkle’s Yucapipa investment firm reportedly bought a 7% stake in Whole Foods, saying he intends to monitor its performance closely. Last November, Leonard Green Equity Investors bought 17% of the company and placed two handpicked members on the board of directors, a move some observers speculate signaled the investors were unhappy with management’s direction.

    None of which is to say that Whole Food stores will soon be offering affordable prices on foods that don’t make you sick—although if you happen to reside in a homeless shelter in a town that boasts a Whole Foods, you may very well eat high on the hog from time to time and not even know it.

    San Francisco’s Real Food Company competes well pricewise in the organic arena in a town full of foodophiles, with some neighborhood locations in relatively small storefronts.  Trader Joe’s, a company that touts itself as “the neighborhood grocery store,” takes pride in offering a wide variety of high quality specialty items along with meat, milk and bread.  Its company website lightly points out that you can’t buy stock in the privately held company but the good news is that the customer is king.

    Thanks to Kroger and other big box stores, discerning eaters in America’s smaller communities can get quality organic foods and specialty items if you ask for them. You can always carry your stuff home in a recycled Whole Foods shopping bag if you’re really into conspicuous consumption.

    Sometimes I wonder why healthy food is not more widely advertised. The people who eat it sure are sexier.

    Jack, OSA… more

    Comments (4)

  5. A New Day

    January 20, 2009  | Comments (25)

    This morning I watched Barack Obama walk alone down a marble hallway, and I wondered at the expression on his face.  There was no jubilation, no trace of self-satisfaction.  It was the face of monumental resolve.

    A few minutes after noon, I listened hard to everything the new President said. His words explained the gravity of his expression. “I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.” He said the United States has survived thus far because the majority of its people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers.

    “The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit, to choose our better history, to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation, the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness,” he said, and reminded us that America was built by risk-takers, doers, and makers.

    He called our “patchwork heritage” of Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and non-believers a strength, not a weakness, and called us to demonstrate the solid values of hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism that have been the quiet force of progress throughout America’s history.

    Some cynics complain that many Americans appear to worship Obama, but the relief from fear that renewed hope brings should not be confused with worship. For now, what do you say we all take a break from fear, loathing and cynicism, and instead, hear what the man said: that our goods and services are no less needed today than they were last week or last month or last year, that our capacity remains undiminished. 

    “Starting today,” Obama said, “we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.”

    I’m game.  How about you?… more

    Comments (25)

  6. Parting Shot: CEO Rallies Retailers to Change

    January 15, 2009  | Comments (4)

    Lee Scott steps down as Wal-Mart CEO on January 31. He dedicated his last public speaking opportunity as Wal-Mart chief, an address to the National Retail Federation in Washington, DC on January 12, to addressing big issues facing the country. What he had to say may surprise you.

    “When I was invited to speak with you today, I am sure the expectation was for me to talk about Christmas sales,” Scott said to the industry gathering. “I hope you will bear with me as I go in a different direction. I would like to talk about the big issues facing our country and the role that we can play as retailers.”

    “How do we come out of this difficult period in our history as a stronger America?” Scott asked. “Are we going to end the national embarrassment of 47 million uninsured and finally make health care in this country affordable for working men and women? Are we going to end our addiction to foreign oil and put our country on an economically and environmentally sustainable path through alternative sources of energy? Are we going to end the shameful slide of our education system and offer our children the knowledge, training, and opportunity they need and deserve? Are we going to solve the immigration problems in a way that secures our borders, respects the rule of law, and shows a deep compassion that families deserve?”

    Scott said his years at Wal-Mart taught him that there’s nothing like crisis to bring change. “Over the last few years, a problem-solving vacuum has existed in Washington. There has been too much partisanship, too much gamesmanship, too much selfishness. The American people are tired of it,” he said.

    He called on commerce to “build new relationships,” and to “listen not only to people who agree with us,” but also to those who do not. “This can work,” he said. “We have seen it work at Wal-Mart.”

    “We have seen it in our efforts to become a more sustainable company, where some of our best ideas have come from NGOs and former critics,” Scott said. “We have seen it with the Better Health Care Together coalition, where we stood on the same stage with labor leaders and agreed that health care must be reformed. “

    Scott said that retailers are closer to American working men and women than any other industry. “We know what makes a difference and what does not—because our customers tell us every day at our cash registers.”

    “Let me be clear,” he said. “There is no conflict between delivering value to shareholders and helping solve bigger societal problems, “that meeting societal responsibilities can align and strengthen businesses.”

    He called on his colleagues to squarely face health care, diversity, responsible sourcing, and immigration issues as opportunities for growth. “Every retailer, each and every business, can participate, can make a difference in society,” he said. “If you do it, I guarantee that you will be a better business and a better company. I know that together with leaders in government and the NGO community we can build a stronger America.”

    So, goodbye Lee Scott. Thanks for the straight talk. We hope that everybody, not just your retail industry colleagues, listens.

    Jack, OSM… more

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  7. Lots of New Stuff Out There

    January 9, 2009  | Comments (3)

    Innovators are still turning out plenty of consumables despite evidence that consumers are jittery if not broke.

    Air Jordan will introduce its 2009 athletic shoe on January 31 at the sneak preview price of $230 per pair. If you can curb your urge to buy, the price goes down to a mere $190 per pair on February 14, when the shoe is launched big time at the NBA All Star Weekend.  Auto engineering and the sport of fencing inspired designer Jason Mayden in the three-year process of creating the shoe.  Each shoe sole will be injected with a unique swirl pattern, a nod to b-ball superstar Michael Jordan’s artistic side.

    For all you die-hard Chuck Taylor fans, Converse’s latest designer model, the 1Hund(red) Tokyo Police Club sneaker, came out about two months ago at select retailers.  Get them now for $89.99 at the Converse website, and 10 percent of your purchase price goes to The Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

    Palm’s new touch-screen phone, the Pre, debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas yesterday.  It has a pinch function that allows you to zoom in or out, or to flick to scroll, and includes a physical keyboard that slides out from underneath the touch screen. Unlike its primary competitor, the Pre will allow users to run multiple applications at the same time. No news about when it will be on the market or its price, but company officials said “sometime before July,” and that the price would be “competitive.”

    BMW unveiled a sensor system to be installed in all 2009 models that allows emergency responders to predict the likelihood of severe injuries in a crash. The data will give firefighters and paramedics a jump on what to expect and help them determine more quickly where injured parties should be taken.

    Ford CEO Alan Mulally told attendees of the Consumer Electronics Show that his company intends to be in the forefront of the digitization of the automobile, Bryce G. Hoffman reports in the Detroit News.  “Those of us in this room are limited only by our collective imagination....” Mulally said in a keynote address. He unveiled Sync 2.0’s voice-controlled turn-by-turn navigation system, and gave a sneak preview of a virtual personal assistant named “Eva” that handles e-mail, scheduling and entertainment through conversational commands.… more

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  8. Cleveland Winner Counting on Luck

    January 7, 2009  | Comments (4)

    “It’s the money,” laughs Lori Williams, talking about what drives her to watch commercials on AdJack.  The Cleveland, Ohio, housing inspector says green is her favorite color at the moment.  She’s spending more of her off-work hours entering sweepstakes that offer big cash.  Her two-month membership at AdJack paid off on Friday, December 26, when winning CrackaJack numbers came up for her and co-winner Marcia Hartgrove.

    The mother of two teenage boys says the most compelling commercial for her at the moment is the one about free credit reports.  “I like the little rap song,” she says, “but I don’t even want to see mine!”… more

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