Thanks to Jeremy from our illustrious Account Services team for passing this around last week. The e-mailed conversation that followed went something like:
Chris B: Suddenly I'm hungry.
George: Hungry for what? Ivory soap or Purina dog chow?
Chris B: Great, now I'm completely ravenous for some soap-covered dog chow. Thanks, George.
This info graphic has been steadily making its way around the Web for a few weeks now. Some people have credited Reddit, but a few people have credited French blog Convergence Alimentaire. Don't ask me what they do, because I don't speak French. Anyway, what I found most interesting about this info graphic is what other people took away from it. Of course many people commented on the fact that 10 corporations own nearly everything we buy. Others noted how many brands are actually joint ventures. And one person even noted, "Nothing on this chart is actual food."
The folks at logodesignilove took notice of the minimalist design in so many logos. Is that logo design simply reflecting the times as brands try to cut through the clutter? Or do power brands that we see every day influence/dictate our aesthetic tastes?
At Floatingpath.com they were interested in how many different fields these brands cross. As they note, "Nestle makes candy but also shampoo." I've noticed when trying to buy two different types of soap, so my skin doesn't get desensitized to one kind (it can happen), two brands I was looking at were actually made by the same parent company. The list of ingredients made me think they were the exact same soap with different wrappers.
And someone responding to this Google+ post noted that with all of these different products out there, it actually looks like a lot of choice. It might be for some people, but the Safeway down the street doesn't offer near the selection I had at the Shoprite I grew up with. Do you want Coke, Pepsi or the Safeway brand? Whatever happened to Royal Crown? And why can I only find Shasta at the Dollar Store?
Well, one man's poison is another man's delicious Kraft processed cheese food (and I honestly say that with no sarcasm).
What do you guys think? Do you think you have choice?
-George C. Convery, Copywriter
Pinterest Takes Over
As a side note, in Kristen's defense, she wrote this two months ago, BEFORE Pinterest became the 3rd most popular social network on the Web. Man, I'm tired of finding such smart interns. I should work in HR (PS that would be a horrible, horrible idea). - George
Dream up a place of beautiful things, where you can wander around until real life hits you back in the face. A place where luxurious beach vacations exist, the perfect outfit, and the most delicious meal you’ve always wanted to make.
Well I’m telling you this place actually dose exists...online. It’s the new social media site. An online scrapbook called Pinterest. Some of you are probably way too overwhelmed with all these social media outlets, but once I started using Pinterest I was hooked, or should I say pinned?
Users can create boards and “pin” or upload personal photos to share with other users. Each board can have a category, for example a board for fashion, crafts, weddings, beauty, health, animals, quotes, funny humor, décor and the list goes on and on.
Once on the main page, there is an assortment of what everyone has been posting. You can “like” someone’s posts and comment on them, much like Facebook. And if you like someone’s posts enough, you can follow them, so that posts you like show up more frequently on your main page.
What makes Pinterest a little more unique than other sites is that it’s invite only. Once on Pinterest's site, you can click to ask for an invite, or an already invited user can send you an invite for a quicker response. Getting an invitation is exciting, which is why Pinterest added this special touch..."for members only."
So why else is Pinterest so special? Pinterest is much simpler when compared to Facebook. It’s a memory booster where users can go back to pictures that they have posted or pictures they have liked for future references. Once you upload a picture from a website, all you have to do is click on that picture and it refers you right to the original site.
This is their main niche. Rather than digging through your news feed, or searching through Google, it’s all right there. You’re just one click away from finding out where that cute top is from, a new delicious recipe, or another exciting travel adventure. If you’re starting to think this is a great source for advertising, you’re exactly right.
Pinterest is mostly a female dominated site. According to David Pogue, The New York Times, 80% of users are female, which is reason why so many businesses and marketers have also jumped on the Pinterest craze. A lot of fashion houses and store departments have created accounts and made boards for their merchandise. This tactic is easy, free and fun for the creator and the user.
But there is always room for improvement, Pinterest has been around for about two years now, and all of a sudden it is taking over. I think they should create a sister site, or I should say a brother site that targets a male audience. “Menterest” may sound a little derogatory (if not just silly), but pins could be more about, fitness, workouts, travel, cars, and sports (see Gentlemint, WhereIstheCool or DartItUp-George). This link can be right on the Pinterest main page. Men are consumers too. Taking advantage of this can help any business. Also women can take advantage of this to see what the male audience really enjoys, a good way to look up gifts for their guy, friend or dad.
Now the real question is, how long will this last? Is Pinterest just a fad or a useful tool that will outdo other social media outlets out there?
So go ahead, don’t be afraid to show off your interests with “Pinterest.”
Click, they all have a link.
-Kristen Wurth, Precognative Creative Department Intern
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