Kid’s can make a killing with a Lemonade Stand. My son is making some serious cash this summer with his. He is making enough to cover the cost of the stand and the supplies and has plenty left over!
My nephew Tommy was on a news clip for a full two seconds! He is at 0:36-0:37! The world still owes him 898 more seconds of fame.
My friend Sam sent me an email with a bunch of pictures of funny shopping bags. I love super-creative marketing stuff like this and I wish that more companies had a sense of humor about this kind of thing.
I first wore the side ponytail when it was in style, then I kept it
when it became retro-ironic, now I just wear it to piss people off.
I was quoted twice in this article about getting into college, but I was never interviewed. The author just pulled quotes from my book. Sweet. Thank you Gene Trainor!
My sister, Robin, writes for a blog that is aptly named “Robin’s Resources“. It’s a sweet gig. She basically shops and then writes about her experiences in the shop. Let me give it a try:
Highland Park, IL
Sort of stinky, not well merchandised, dusty candy, very convenient.
Mike’s note: Not a big fan of Slurpees, I can do without the blue lips
Who you’ll see shopping here: Random people who don’t appear to be from the area
Their specialty: Snacks, beer and porn– what else is there?
What you should buy: A hot dog from the all-day hot dog roller
What you may not know but should:
Well, I’m not sure I captured the essence of Robin’s Resources, you’ll have to visit there to make your own judgement…
The first Girl Scout cookie was invented in Wilmette, IL (according to my secret sources). Here is the original recipe. It’s kind of crumbly…
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar plus additional amount for topping (optional)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
Cream butter and the cup of sugar; add well-beaten eggs, then milk, vanilla, flour, salt, and baking powder. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Roll dough, cut into trefoil shapes, and sprinkle sugar on top, if desired. Bake in a quick oven (375°) for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Makes six- to seven-dozen cookies.
There are few questions in marketing that spark as much debate as this one. One of my favorite explanations, from Adrienne Weiss, is that a good brand is a club that your customer wants to belong to.
A guy from Plan B in Chicago sent me this definition:
Any brand is a set of perceptions and images that represent a company, product or service. While many people refer to a brand as a logo, tag line or audio jingle, a brand is actually much larger. A brand is the essence or promise of what will be delivered or experienced.
Importantly, brands enable a buyer to easily identify the offerings of a particular company. Brands are generally developed over time through:
Once developed, brands provide an umbrella under which many different products can be offered–providing a company tremendous economic leverage and strategic advantage in generating awareness of their offerings in the marketplace.
The Chicago Tribune ran an article today about college entrepreneurs. It was a great story and featured quotes from yours truly…
Click here to read the article in all of it’s glory.