And Yet....

.... snarky comments are nothing. Someone who doesn't like me is nothing. My professional image or perceived lack thereof is not important. A web site design is not important. The questions I ask and the decisions I make regarding my business are of no consequence.

Not in light of a tragedy that reminds me what really IS important in life. Someone I love dearly just lost one of the most important people in her life. Her mother died very suddently. This young woman, who has just become a mother herself, is standing at the gates of a desolate looking world right now. I cannot imagine her pain, though I have lost enough people I have loved in my lifetime to have empathy for her. I wish with all my heart I could fly to Texas right now and embrace our sweet girl, surrounding her with love. I can't, and it hurts.

When those moments come upon us - the ones that move us to rapturous joy or knock us to our knees in grief - life is never in sharper focus. We see with a renewed perspective, a clearer eye, a stunned but focused mind. The news of this tragedy hitting my family just one hour ago has made me feel ridiculous for ever reacting to the negative comment in that past post as if it were actually important. It's not. None of this is.

People and relationships are important. Please, go thank someone, go hug someone. Call your mother and tell her you love her, even if you can't agree on anything at all in life. Because life is short, and life is real, and life is not forever.

Hey, 'Anonymous'......

I did put myself out there.
I did ask for feedback, yes I did.
I asked a few questions and requested that my readers share their thoughts with me.

I forgot two things:
To say 'Play NICE, children'
To turn off the anonymous button.

So, I got two snarky comments from 'Anonymous'. Following some really good counsel, I've now removed them from this post; you can go to the original post to read one of them.

There are some things in the comment that I do know already, some that are new to consider. There are some answers to my questions, though a bit of it is based on incomplete information gained from a few web searches. But then, if that's what the perception is, I need to get busy. That I do know, or I wouldn't be asking, right?

It's just that overriding tone in some veiled (and not-so-veiled) comments there that just makes me stand up right here, right now, and say 'Hey, Anonymous - let's take this outside'. Because I put myself out there every damn day that I write on this blog or for a magazine or speak onstage at a show or work for hours to prepare for any one of those. I asked for my regular readers and friends to help me out for once - like I help them out all the time. I trust them and their opinions on these subjects because they get it. And someone hides behind 'Anonymous' and throws prettily-wrapped rocks at me. WONderful.

Now it's your turn:

DEAR Anonymous commenter, you made some good points and I actually do appreciate you taking time to comment. However, despite your protestations, it was harsh, and I wish I believed that you didn't mean it negatively. Perhaps if you had signed in and let your own identity be known, I may have felt differently.

I will take the opportunity to counter your 'identity crisis' comment with this: Part of what you found online (thanks for taking all that time to search out various sites and I don't mySpace or Twitter, BTW) is my personal information, which is all under my name - Deb Kennedy - including my Facebook Profile and a personal blog (which is not linked to this blog for exactly that reason). Nothing I am ashamed of, just personal instead of business. I use 'Deb Kennedy' and a personal photo there because I am consciously making a separation between the personal and the business sites. And I do have the right to have a personal identity that is separate from my professional one, even online.

Have you even read my professional profile on LinkedIN or this blog profile page or my Facebook Page? I use Debi Ward Kennedy as my professional name, when I speak, write, and consult. I was dubbed 'DivaDeb' by other people because of my byline of 'The Decorating & Display Diva', and so I use both. I am often introduced as "Debi Ward Kennedy, the Decorating & Display Diva...welcome, DivaDeb!" (It doesn't seem to be as confusing for them as it is for you.) I am a decorator, I am a display designer. This tagline helps to clarify that. Plus, I LIKE it. It's energetic and fun and animated and lively, like me and my stage 'persona', DivaDeb. It's dynamic and effective, like my work. It differentiates me from others, and believe me that is EXACTLY what I want. I am not like any other person doing what I do, nor do I want to be. And btw, my logo character is NOT a 'bubblehead Diva'. (Now how is that NOT supposed to be harsh?)

As for your comment about self-absorption, the original definition of 'Diva' is someone who excells at their craft, like an opera singer. It is not used as contemporary slang in this context, though apparently you want to see it that way. Tina Turner is a Diva. Barbra Streisand is a Diva. It's not always a bad thing. I am damned good at what I do, too.

'Anonymous', I don't know what your beef with me is, but I've had some similar comments here on this blog before...from 'Anonymous', amazingly enough, and it just makes me wonder: Why don't you ever sign your name? What don't you want us to know? All of the good insight you offered in your comment was rendered ineffective by the catiness of half a dozen sentences. When you come back, and I know you will, you'll find the 'Anonymous' comment option disabled. You'll have to come out into the open to throw those rocks. Have a nice day.

In any case, whether comments are positive or negative in intent, it's all food for thought - and I really appreciate that everyone thinks I am of enough value to offer their views, thoughts, and opinions on my blog. It means a lot to me as I make some crucial decisions that actually reach much farther than a website design. Heidi, Cindy, Debi, you have offered ideas and insight that I appreciate, and you have done so kindly and professionally. Thank you so much!

(And ah, Bacchus, I'm still waiting to hear your opinion!)

PS: this post was the POLITE version of my response, BTW. I could really have had a Diva Moment. ;0)

I Went to a Garden Party...

I just love meeting new people, new entrepreneurs with positive energy and a great outlook who are starting a business because they KNOW they can help other people lead better lives. These are the people who will succeed!

A lovely gal found me recently through the Faded Elegance blog & store. She asked Kimberly at Faded who had designed the store blog, and she was directed to me. We met a week ago and instantly hit it off - and found we have a great many things in common. Our name, for one - she's Debi, too! She's also spent years in the visual merchandising field, designed event decor, as well as home redesign & holiday decorating services. And she loves antiques! Amazing.

In any case, Debi is a wonderfully creative florist and event designer who has started a new business - 'Garden Party' - and she needed a blog and some marketing materials. So, I went to work, creating a custom graphics package - from blog background & banner to coordinating brochure & biz card - for her brand-new business.

It's been a fast project with a quick turnaround, and we met today to click that button and make her blog 'public'. Such excitement! She's busily spreading the word about her new blog to friends, family, business contacts, and bloggers that her blog now links to, and I thought I'd do my part to introduce her to the Bloggiverse by letting you know about her.

One look at her photos here should make you want to run over to her blog and see what else she's done and can do for you! From weddings to events, parties to home redesign, color consults to holiday decor.... she does it all with a FABulous sense of style and her own charming personality. Go on over and Welcome Debi, won't you?!

All photos, logos, advertising & marketing materials shown above are copyright 2009 Debi Bock & Garden Party, designed by DWK all rights reserved. Use prohibited.

Business - DIVAstyle!

Divas Doing Business: What the Guidebooks Don't Tell You About Being a Woman Entrepreneur
by Monique Hayward

Released Feb 19, 2008

I just ran across this book tonight, while investigating the many entrepreneur groups on Facebook. Since so many businesses are facing uncommon obstacles right now, this one sounds like a common-sense approach to dealing with challenges. I thought you would find it a valuable resource...and I am not being paid to endorse it.

About the Book (according to Amazon!):
Her husband wants sex, the bank has denied her small business loan, creditors are after her house, her kid's big school play is tonight, and her top employee just resigned. One more straw and the camel's back surely will break. Welcome to Divas Doing Business: What the Guidebooks Don't Tell You About Being a Woman Entrepreneur, arming women business owners with the tools and firepower to tackle the unique situations that will test their resolve, strength, and spirit as they start and manage their businesses.

About the Author:

"Monique Hayward, whose corporate experience includes a wide range of marketing, business development, public relations, and communications positions at Intel Corporation and Tektronix, Inc., has shared her expertise through mainstream media outlets such as the Denver Post and CNN. Monique is now releasing her first book, "Divas Doing Business: What the Guidebooks Don't Tell You About Being a Woman Entrepreneur".

Monique has spoken of the difficulties of shopping a book proposal in today's economy - given the recession, publishers are quick to shut the door on first-time authors. Monique decided to bring the book to market herself - a truly entrepreneurial response! Monique also owns and operates Dessert Noir Café & Bar in Beaverton, Oregon (www.dessertnoir.com), which she opened in January 2005."

This article originally appears here:
http://newsonwomen.typepad.com/news_on_women/2009/02/monique-hayword-shares-her-expertise-and-her-desserts.html

To purchase this book, go to the author's blog for options:

http://moniquehayward.blogspot.com/

or click on the title to this post, which will direct you to Amazon.com

The author will donate a portion of the book's sales proceeds to PLAN!T NOW, Morgan Freeman's charity that provides information and assistance for victims of natural disasters. Learn more about PLAN!T NOW at www.planitnow.org. Mr. Freeman provides the introduction for Ms. Hayward's book.

IMHO

Over the years, I have watched films like these (especially these) and thought to myself "We need a President who acts like this. One with integrity and class. Who stands up for all of us and what is right. Who doesn't let the bullies win."

To quote a line from the last film up there,

"THANK YOU, Mr. President!"

In President Obama's first address to a joint session of Congress, he mentioned small businesses several times (I counted three, but there could be more). I cheered, applauded, and even stood up at one point - as did Congress, repeatedly. As he said, these are not Republican or Democratic issues - they are American issues. To quote that same film again, "We have serious problems and we need serious people to handle them". He's not a savior, and at this point they are still words...but there is action planned to back up those words. And that, in my opinion, is more than anyone else has stepped up to in quite some time.

We, fellow small business owners, are the backbone of industry in this country. We drive the economy. And now we have a President who recognizes our impact on the future of our nation, and has pledged his support to us.

If that alone doesn't make you stand up and cheer, I hope Harrison Ford, Kevin Kline, and Michael Douglas come crashing through your front door in Air Force One and talk some sense into you so you'll get with the program and work together toward solutions.

Note: I'm posting this and leaving comments open to start with. If they get nasty, rude, or disrespectful, I'm deleting them and possibly closing them. It's my blog and it's not a democracy here, it's a Debocracy. I have a right to my opinions and I have this blog to share them. You don't

have to agree...but be civil. If you can't, get your own blog and write whatever you want. Thanks.

Online vs. In-store Shopping

We have just started selling online woohoo!! and we have a running debate that is echoed throughout the shoppers we know. A post on Treehugger this week addressed the question of which is greener online or in-store shopping. As most things are found in the classic "which is greener" debate - there is no straight answer. I used to think it was because we treehuggers are so hard to pin down. Everything depends and as our gardens teach us, the same things that work for everybody else don't always work for my garden. According to their research, they showed that ground shipping is more efficient than a trip to the store in an individual's car.

That would seemingly make it easy, but the added packaging adds a lot of waste and energy in shipping. What if you want it tomorrow? Air freight adds up to more energy costs as well. How big is the item? That weight and whether it gets packed alone make a difference. I recently accosted one of our green suppliers for additional packaging on an item. Unnecessary packaging is just as wasteful as the plastic bag at the grocery (worse though if you ship it). Most of this is common sense right?

If you are shopping local and moving something home without excess packaging, then that is a good decision too, right? Riding the bus or carpooling (anyone like to shop with friends?) are steps in the right direction. It's a lot to consider, but that is the green journey... Lots of choices and none of them perfect.

It's a Barbie World...???

Let's face it, we all love to see how the other half lives. From Robin Leach's 'Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams' to MTV 'Cribs', we like to peek into the homes of our fave celebs and see how they spend all that loot we shell out for their films and CD's.

This one, my friends, takes the proverbial cake.

Barbie's digs are getting a makeover. More on that in a minute...first, take a look at the evolution of Barbie's domiciles...

1960's cardboard room to 1970's townhouse tower,

1980's Dream House grows to a 1990's Dream (Mc)Mansion...and then surprisingly shrinks to a tiny apartment in the new millenium. (I've left out the myriad of ski lodges, beach cottages, home-made abodes, and assorted RV's, campers, vans, and the like.)

Apparently, Mattel has decided that it is time for Miss B's home to get a Makeover of the Extreme variety, in order to keep her in line with the spiffy brand image of a still-hot chick who appeals to a wide demographic. (BTW, have you seen the YouTube video of 'Cougar Barbie'? Hilarious...)

So, the toy cpmpany has hired uber-chic designer Jonathan Adler to redesign a house for Barbie.

Love him on Top Designer, love his pottery, love his interior design aesthetic. He's wacky. When his partner Simon Doonan is added to that, it's double-wacky. I like that. I can even see why a toy company would like that...can you just imagine the rooms he's going to dream up for the new Dream Home of the pink-princess, fashion plate, ultimate career woman, and all-around nice girl? Heck, he'll make her eco-friendly and a style trendsetter while he's at it.

Yup, somethin' like that! Check out his sketch here (I couldn't copy the photo):

http://home.aol.com/new_in_home/photogallerytall/_a/barbies-dream-house-through-the-years/20090217175109990001

But here's the rub, folks: He's also releasing a line of merchandise that will mimic the Barbie house. Rugs, lamps, furnishings, accessories, et al. For YOUR house. And I know, it's retail, which has to keep coming up with new things to entice us to buy. And pop culture sells. But come ON.... do we really need our homes to be decorated Barbie-style? Unless we are ten, I don't think so. But he did it: http://home.aol.com/new_in_home/photogallerytall/_a/barbies-real-life-malibu-dream-house/20090217175109990001

(Deb is shaking her head here...) cue the music: http://www.imeem.com/macfrancis/music/H-l7TJgV/aqua_barbie_girl/

'Expert' Advice

OK, I have to share my thoughts on something here...

I received the email below today. It came from a source that I often receive mailings from, usually upbeat in nature with a 'powertalk' kind of vibe. Not today....today, it got my hackles up. If you'd like to know why, read on...

"The economy continues to dishearten many, but I'm noticing a trend. Have you noticed that the "experts" are weathering the storm a little better? I'm talking about all the people they're putting on television to help us sort through this and make sense of the world and how we can best cope in these trying times. You've probably noticed almost ALL of these people are AUTHORS -- they've written books, so they're considered experts who can appear on the media, charge $10,000-$50,000 per one hour speech, hold their own seminars, be life and business coaches, etc. (He goes on to pump an upcoming event where you, too, can discover his secrets, buy his book, and launch your own media empire.)

Remember: Bad economies are GOOD for experts. The fact is people need and trust experts more in dark times than good times. They need advice and coaching. They need hope. They need someone to point the way. They need YOU. Learn how to get your book published and get your story out to the world. Join me at this event. This is the best time ever to be an expert, so I hope to see you there. More info below."

My first thought was 'oh, give me a break'. And the second thought to blaze a trail through my brain was 'Hmmnn, this 'expert' thing... I need to talk about this on my blog.

And that brings me to you, my dear readers.

You see, I firmly believe that YOU are the experts on your own businesseses.

No one else knows the ins and outs, ups and downs, daily details and future plans of your business. No one else is as devoted to it - or to its success - as you are. Additionally, you are in business for a reason, and your customers look to you to be the expert they are in need of -the expert of scrapbooking, or wine, or antiques and home decor - whatever your specialty is, your customers expect to walk into your store and find expertise there.

So although there are definitely people who can help you build a better business - with, for example, your visual merchandising or your store environment! - they are not more important to your business, your success, and your ability to thrive and prosper in a difficult economic climate than YOU are. Anyone who says so is just sellin' you something.

Yes, I am an expert. A retail expert. A visual expert. A decorating expert. A business expert. I know my stuff and my creativity, knowledge & experience are a great benefit to my clients. But I'm not the be-all and end-all, trust me. Neither is anyone else - even if they claim to be. Even Mr. 'Recession-Proof' who sent me that email. It made me a little mad, to be honest!

As for those experts charging 10 to 50K to speak for an hour.... yeah, well, they need to realize that businesses are cutting budgets for consultants, events, and speakers, and if they truly want to make an impact - instead of just a buck - they need to adjust those fees so that those people who 'need and want them' can afford them. It's not about fleecing people who are experiencing hard times. Without the right attitude, I wonder just how long his business will remain 'recession-proof'?

Off my soapbox....

Planning Ahead

It's always a good idea to get out of our day-to-day mindset and look ahead. Consider it the same thing as watching the weather segment on the news and waiting to see the extended forecast - we want to know what's coming up, how to plan, what to expect. In business, that can mean taking a singular message or concept, and creating a visual merchandising plan or an advertising or event plan that builds it from month to month or season to season. This basically tells your customers what to expect from you in the near future - and gives them something to look forward to. In retail psychology, it also creates a sense of urgency - a reason to buy NOW: 'Get this season's products before they are gone, and be ready to get the next seasons's hot deals as soon as they release!'

A few years ago, I created a visual merchandising design plan for Gene Juarez Salons here in the PNW. Although at the time all they asked me for were design concepts & proposals for Fall and Holiday, I went ahead and created concepts with stylesheets for Valentine's Day, Spring/Mother's Day, Spring/Youth and Summer. When I presented all six of the stylesheets to them in the meeting, they were blown away. My intention - along with getting the account - was to show them that I could work with their design team to brainstorm and create new ways to present the brand visually in cooperation with the seasonal programs they designed. In that, I was very successful.

I didn't get the account after all...actually, no one who pitched it did. The company was sold the next week and new management took over. In any case, it was a really good exercise for me in planning ahead. I was able to get into creative mode, play with color, style, concepts, and themes, and design a campaign that would build from one season to the next. One whole year of themes, built around one central concept... which is what GJ does flawlessly, year after year.

Their product is beauty. NO, it's not merchandise like hair gel and shampoo. It's not services like haircuts, massage, and facials. Those are just a means to an end, and a profit. What Gene Juarez Salons really offer women is beauty - which is based on providing them with the feeling that they are, each and every one of them, beautiful. And the key element in facilitating that feeling is a marketing campaign that makes beauty accessible, approachable, and attainable by a very wide scope of women. Advertising and merchandising make it clear that any and every woman can experience this at Gene Juarez Salons.

For each season, the color palette of the advertising collateral and product packaging reflects a new theme - but is grounded in the stylistic color palette that defines the GJ brand. That palette is all based around the colors of skin, hair, eyes, and lips. Yes, really! This brand image color palette is used by the Gene Juarez design team, which pulls colors from it for each season and creates a fresh new look six times a year. Beneath it all, the concept of Attainable Beauty reigns. Elements change, but that general idea is repeated. It IS the brand.

And this approach is uber-successful. From teen girls to women in their nineties, the clients of Gene Juarez Salons all leave their appointments feeling beautiful, every season of the year. The loyalty of this customer base is legendary, second only to Nordstrom here in the PNW. It's a veritable heirloom, handed down by generations.

So, let me ask you...... what are you planning ahead for? How are you carrying your message, your brand, and your marketing forward to entice your customers to stick with you? How are you engendering loyalty and growth in your customer base each season, each year? What are you offering that is new, fresh, exciting, to motivate your customers to plan ahead and visit your shop? Get inspired, and get busy....'cause you know what they say about failing to plan. Right?

Image Credits: All stylesheets photos copyright DWK 2007; Gene Juarez and GJ stylistic logo copyright Gene Juarez Salons.

Greener Kids

Our New York trip was very productive and has allowed us to expand our new products for kids. A big part of our mission at Tampa Street Market is the education of the next generation. Now you can find environmental books such as "Growing Green" and "Good Night World". We also visited our favorite graphic designers in Brooklyn and found that they have released kids placemats and letterpress cards that include crayons to keep kids creative and parents happy. These are printed on recycled paper and created with energy from wind power. The last addition to our kids section is super-cute hemp hats brought to us from our stainless bottle supplier in San Fran.

Garden Art That Doesn't Suck

Fresh from NYIGF, we have new stock in for you lovers of unusual garden art. We have received more mini-venus flytraps. These are unusual, fun and definitely demand some attention. Either you love 'em or hate 'em--we happen to love 'em!

Also new this season, we have WWII helmets that are re-invented as "turtles". These guys will protect your yard from invaders while blending in nicely. Along the same lines is the "bug bomb"--WWII disabled grenades made into interesting bug-shaped figures. These pieces are made from surplus and salvage industrial materials and can really bring some age and character to your garden. The artist likes to joke that all pieces are "guaranteed to rust" (of course you can clearcoat them if you want to preserve their patina).

More Time!

Playing on the 'Time' theme from my last post, it's TIME to get visual again... I've shared a lot of biz info lately, but need to get back to my 'roots' (so to speak). Providing visual inspiration for your retail merchandising is always my favorite topic - and number one goal.

Today, let's look at the art of displaying antique & vintage items. It's not easy - for one, you usually only have one of every item to display. Then there's the fact that you often can't plan too far in advance as to what the display will contain, because you can't just order it from a showroom - you have to meticulously search out every product you sell. And then you have to combine things in a way that makes them all look better, fit a theme or tell a story, and appeal to shoppers.

On the plus side, no one else is EVER going to have these products and display them as you will. The most successful dealers display vintage items in vignettes and groupings that make them look stylish and relevant to decor trends. No longer do customers want to see a 'granny's attic' look when they walk into antique stores - they want to see ideas that will help them integrate antiques into modern homes and lifestyles. (Just as when shopping for brand new products, it's the value-added 'inspiration quotient' that can make the sale). Those funky vintage alarm clocks in the photo above are a perfect example of this.

There are a few people who excell at creating a signature style for their antique wares, and among them are Linda & Ludmil Marcov of Willow Nest. Their new store in Burton, Texas is, as expected and shown in photos on their blogsite, absolutely awe inspiring. Charming. Creative. Inspiring. Entertaining. Which are all things that retail should be!

The outside of their little shop. You can't ignore this. Heck, you can't resist this!!!

Sweet Linda and the inside of their little shop. This is a lousy photo but it is all soft whites and creams and pale pastels. I can imagine this on a hot Texas summer day - a complete oasis of calm & cool. She has created a mood, a place, a story that transports you to another time.

Linda also keeps a space in Round Top/Marburger, at Texas Rose Antiques. It's a metal barn, folks, and yet when you walk inside, you see this:

...another one of Linda & Ludmil's enchanted environments, created solely with their products and props. It matters not what the building is, they create a separate world. Which is a good thing to remember for retail - you control the environment. Paint it, drape it, light it, panel it, but do something with it. Create a 'set' for your products to 'star' in.

As you move through this barn, space after space of loveliness unfolds...

These look like pages from a magazine, don't they?!!! It's not due to my photographic skills, it's the marvelous merchandising of the dealers here. Owner Vikki is a darling gal who chatted with us about the area, the shows, the biz, and how all of her dealers work hard to present merchandise in a fresh new way - not the old 'musty crusty' jammed-full shelves of antique shops of old. (We also discussed how all of us crazy people in merchandising & antiques seem to be from California originally. I do find that pretty interesting.....)

Outside the main barn is a tiny little shed, just 10 X 10. Inside the shed is this scene. A sign identifies it as 'Gypsy Rose Antiques'. Please don't tell me that your store is too small to be merchandised effectively! Edit edit edit and tell a clear story. Don't get crowded or muddled or confused. Be simple. Be direct. Be unique.

These are but a few examples of people using creativity and style to display and sell antiques in various venues. Other stellar stylists of vintage goods are Deb Dusenberry of curious sofa, Kaari Meng of french general, and of course Rachel Ashwell of shabby chic (and fret not - Rachel will stay in business after the recent bankruptcy filing). Do check their web sites and blogs out, and take a look at how they have created an aesthetic for their own stores that fits their brand image. You can do this too!

Photo Credits: All taken with permission, at Willow Nest Farm and Texas Rose Antiques.

Time, Time, Time...

I was browsing blogs of retailers and ran across an interesting post. Kaari Meng, proprietress and creative director of the remarkable and remarkably successful retail store French General in Los Angeles, wrote about her take on 'hours of operation' for her business. You can read it here. It's a funny post, but it also addresses an interesting dilemma that many retailers face: conducting business in a way that you prefer and your customers respond well to. In Kaari's case, it has to do with days & hours of operation.

Her message - and the resulting comments left by readers - runs parallel to thoughts I've had lately. Thoughts about why it is that some of us in the world choose to start-open-have our own businesses, what that really entails, and how we deign to order our days-lives-kingdoms, all too often in the face of debate-defiance-complaints from others.

This all boils down to a few questions: Is it necessary to conduct business 'as usual' or 'as expected' in order to succeed? (And really, who is defining that success, anyway?) Or can a person set up their business in a way so as to provide them with a living and a fulfilled life AND happy customers? Isn't that the POINT of owning our own businesses? Where is the balance point?

If you will, check out Kaari's post and let me know how your business handles this kind of thing. I'm curious to hear things from retailer's AND consumer's points of view.

02/15: Thank you for your comments! Keep 'Em Coming.....

Truth, Lies, and Retail

(Mmmmn, no, sorry, you can't actually 'click to look inside!'....I snagged that photo from amazon). Today on AOL, there was a news blip about the tricks retailers ('them') play to lead the public ('us') to purchase more product. (Question: If 'we' are 'them', then are we also 'us'?) Click here to check it out.

The information contained in the article is based on findings by Martin Lindstrom in his new book, Buy*ology. Nice play on words and sounds there, did you catch that? Yes, his work is based on the basic biolologic responses of humans to external stimuli, and how those responses can be triggered intentionally to create a desired response.

What? Well, for example, one study in a wine shop led to the result that playing Italian music sold more Italian wines. Ditto for French music and French wine. Martin says it comes from a brain mechanism that equates what is heard with a suggestion... hear French music, grab a bottle of Bordeaux. The methodology equates to being the angel and devil sitting on every consumer's shoulders - and winning either way.

Martin is a Swedish 'brand futurist' and 'retail anthropologist', in the vein of retail author & expert Paco Underhill (he of 'Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping' and 'Call of the Mall', and who also wrote the forward to Martin's book), and divulges the findings from his unorthodox research on retail practices. What I'm trying to figure out is this: Did he write this book for retailers, to give them more tools with which to 'lead' the public into buying more, or - and the article on AOL seems to bear this out - is he promoting it to the public to underscore what a subversive lot retailers are, and what 'we' resort to to influence purchasing behavior? That move seems a little counter-intuitive to me. The subtitle 'The Truth and Lies of Why We Buy' doesn't really answer that question, either.

Martin's web site features a video of him talking about his work. It also offers you an opportunity to sign up for free newsletters and a chapter from the book. There is a wealth of useful information here for retailers, marketers, and those wishing to build their brand...the trick will be utilizing it without letting customers know you are playing the game. Especially those customers who read AOL.

An Update on the CPSIA

Here is the latest from the CPSC website:

" WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted unanimously (2-0) to issue a one year stay of enforcement for certain testing and certification requirements for manufacturers and importers of regulated products, including products intended for children 12 years old and younger. These requirements are part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which added certification and testing requirements for all products subject to CPSC standards or bans.

Significant to makers of children’s products, the vote by the Commission provides limited relief from the testing and certification requirements which go into effect on February 10, 2009 for new total lead content limits (600 ppm), phthalates limits for certain products (1000 ppm), and mandatory toy standards, among other things. Manufacturers and importers – large and small – of children’s products will not need to test or certify to these new requirements, but will need to meet the lead and phthalates limits, mandatory toy standards and other requirements.

The stay of enforcement provides some temporary, limited relief to the crafters, children’s garment manufacturers and toy makers who had been subject to the testing and certification required under the CPSIA. These businesses will not need to issue certificates based on testing of their products until additional decisions are issued by the Commission. However, all businesses, including, but not limited to, handmade toy and apparel makers, crafters and home-based small businesses, must still be sure that their products conform to all safety standards and similar requirements, including the lead and phthalates provisions of the CPSIA."

Visit this release from the CPSC website for full details.