Think like Dutch architects i29 and Snelder who have designed a school that inverts everything about traditional education buildings.
Gone are wall posters and notice boards, institutional green paint schemes and a jumble of colors. Instead, it's all about poetry.
(tx David, down under)
And that's quite literally:
The key bits of writing on the wall, floors, desks and tables aren't graffiti, but room labels, and stenciled lines of poems specially written by Dutch poet Erikjan Harmens with guidance by the kids themselves.
The main idea was to use the school's name Panta Rhei - translated as "everything flows" - as a theme to come up with the new building designs.
As a result, the starkly utilitarian concrete structure is broken up with stenciled text and lots of open spaces that have unique furniture in them.
The tables and stools, for example, are designed to be unusual shapes so that they can be rearranged to suit group or individual work.
Ref. http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kit-eaton/technomix/poetic-dutch-school-has-writing-wall-and-floor-tables
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As consumers increasingly seek value ahead of convenience, portion-controlled packs are falling out of favour, says Mintel. Recently, 100-calorie snack packs had been very popular as a convenient way to control portion size.
But sales are now falling and, according to Mintel, new launches of 100-calorie packs have slowed too.
Mintel senior research analyst, Marcia Mogelonsky, gives three reasons: consumers want value over convenience in the current economic situation; 100-calorie packs were a diet fad that has proved ineffective; and these packs use an unsustainably large amount of packaging.
The 100-calorie packs were touted as a weight management tool but that reason for purchase has also lost sway after a Journal of Consumer Research study last year found that the 100-calorie snacks had no effect on how much people ate throughout the day.
But Mogelonsky added that portion-controlled packs do still have a place, especially for parents looking for convenient lunchbox snacks for their children.
According to Mintel’s Global New Products Database, 21 new ‘100-calorie’ products were launched last year, compared to six in 2007 and five in 2006.
Just seven new 100-calorie products have been launched to May 28 this year.
(Great spot by big Nick.)
Ref. http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/On-your-radar/Food-prices/Search-for-value-signals-100-calorie-snack-pack-demise
Which is why Australia’s Keepcup have created the world’s first barista-standard reusable coffee cup, designed to stamp out the dreaded bin-filling paper cup.
Disposable paper cups are not recyclable. And in arid regions like Australia, biodegradation of a paper cup can take 50 years or more. Keepcup believes that small acts can make a big difference – for better and for worse. And that through good design and a little effort we can easily incorporate reuse into our daily routine and prevent the massive environmental impact of all single use items.
(Thanks to David, Elmwood Melbourne, for sharing this one)
Ref. www.keepcup.com.au
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Every generation has their own ‘language’, and today’s is text-speak. Now, text stress need no longer worry parents who haven’t a clue what the kids are saying – with LG’s DTXTR, which translates ‘text’ into English. OMG!
The application can translate over 2,000 commonly used words from/to text, much like language site BabelFish.com. LG is positioning the DTXTR tool as an ‘educational site and credible resource’ and warns, “Please be aware of the adult language and recognise that the glossary may have offensive nature.”
Ref. http://www.iconoculture.com/Approach/WhatWeIdentify/Observations/GenXers/index.aspx?DocName=oa_DTXTR_110588
Vendors and manufacturers have long been using product life stories to demonstrate their sustainability.
Now, Dutch nonprofit, Made-By, is making this easier by tracking and documenting the efforts of participating fashion brands.
Made-By aims to expand the market for environmentally and socially conscious fashion by facilitating sustainable production processes, and then giving brands a way to publicise their product stories.
Made-By first advises brands on how to clean up their manufacturing processes and – together with fair-trade NGO Solidaridad, which launched Made-By back in 2004 – helps them develop completely sustainable production chains.
It can advise companies on getting an organic cotton supplier certified, or refer them to its worldwide network of sustainable suppliers.
Member brands use organic cotton and work with sewing factories that have a social code of conduct.
To proclaim their participation, they identify their clothing with a small blue button placed near the care-instructions label.
Perhaps even more interesting is Made-By's online Track & Trace database system, where consumers can read their item’s product story (using the unique code on the label), and click a Google Maps link for the location of each factory and plant involved.
The database is populated when each link in the production chain enters information about its production processes, e.g. how many bales of cotton were received, or whether an organic certificate was included.
Made-By also publishes scorecards online and in its annual reports detailing how much of each brand’s collections were produced sustainably.
“I can tell people that Komodo is a fair label, but will the consumer believe me? Made-By is like a certification for us, and proves to consumers that we are a fair label," explains Mark Bloom, director of participating brand Komodo UK.
Ref. http://springwise.com/non-profit_social_cause/madeby/
Members of Hyatt's Gold Passport loyalty program already enjoy numerous benefits when they visit a Hyatt hotel.
Soon, however, they'll also benefit from a new Hyatt initiative – to deliver random acts of kindness.
Hyatt's mission is to provide ‘authentic hospitality’.
CEO, Mark Hoplamazian, defines it as "making a difference to the lives of those we touch."
As part of a new effort to take better care of its Gold Passport members, Hyatt will soon lavish these guests with pleasant surprises designed to delight them during their stay.
In a recent blog post, Hoplamazian wrote, "Don’t be surprised if Gold Passport picks up your bar tab, comps your massage or treats your family to breakfast.
It’s part of bringing authentic hospitality to life and making you feel more than welcome."
Not only does the effort stand a good chance of boosting the authenticity of Hyatt's service delivery, it's also a shining example of the kind of corporate generosity increasingly being sought by disillusioned consumers, and offered by clued-in brands.
Ref. http://www.springwise.com/tourism_travel/hyattgoldpassport/
Think like the Melbourne-based founders of Daylesford and Hepburn Mineral Springs Co.
Tired of seeing imported water from the other side of the world on their local restaurant tables, they decided to act.
Today, the team bottles and distributes water from the heart of Melbourne's mineral springs capital.
Not only are their products natural, sustainable and local, with bottling and packaging just 100km from source, but they're stylish too.
Their line of sparkling fresh fruit mineral waters showcase brightly illustrated retro-looking labels, with sweet colors that match their equally scrumptious contents.
Daylesford and Hepburn Mineral Springs Co. are growing a dedicated following as Melbournians, Victorians and Australians as a whole go for their beautiful local goods.
Ref. http://www.coolhunting.com/archives/2009/06/daylesford_hepb.php
Be like Stadium Associates who’ve gone beyond the usual team-licensed caps, T-shirts and watches.
Working on the assumption that there are enthusiasts out there wishing for bigger and better ways to express their passion, Stadium Associates is now giving fans of the New York Yankees a chance to bring nothing less than a piece of the stadium into their own back yard.
Indeed, Yankees fans can now buy grass seed and sod drawn from the very same farm and crops that have supplied Yankee Stadium for the past four decades.
The proprietary sports turf – specially grown for the Yankees by DeLea Sod Farms on an 80-acre farm in Southern New Jersey – features the same 100% Kentucky Bluegrass used in Yankee Stadium.
It ‘grooms easy and stands tough’, and in the words of Stadium Associates. ‘you’ll never feel a stronger connection with the team or the game than with this Authentic MLB product.’
Yankees Grass Seed is priced from $14.99 for a 3oz. bag, and is available online and through Yankee Stadium, Yankee Clubhouse Stores, and select Home Depot stores in the New York metro area.
Yankees Sod is available through New York Home Depot stores as well as DeLea Sod Farms.
Is there any underestimating consumers' enthusiasm for the teams, artists and performers they love?
We think not – nor their fondness for a good story.
Via springwise.com/homes_housing/yankeesgrass/
Maybe find ways to link up with social search services, such as Aardvark.
What exactly is Aardvark?
• Aardvark is Social Search: finding information from real people.• Aardvark is a live channel to anyone in your network who has the knowledge and experience to answer your question.• Aardvark is the IM buddy who always knows the right person to ask.• Aardvark is a community of helpful people who share tips and opinions.
Aardvark has become the perfect way to get answers to questions where you need an opinion/ recommendation instead of facts.
As Max Ventilla explains on the company blog:
‘Aardvark is great for subjective questions and queries for more complex information.
When you’re looking for a hotel in Chicago, or an HDTV recommendation, or a suggestion for a new mystery novel, the information you need is dependent on *taste* and *context*.
The kind of hotel you’d like depends on why you’re travelling, who will be staying there, your style and price range, and all sorts of other considerations that you can easily talk about when you’re in a conversation with another person.’
For marketers of all sorts, Aardvark has the potential to become an incredibly important tool.
After all, the holy grail of marketing is being able to reach a person at the very moment when they are most interested in your brand.
That is why Google has a market cap of $125 billion and why the world has been abuzz about customer service through Twitter.
Ref. http://www.hardknoxlife.com/2009/05/26/aardvark-is-completely-changing-how-i-get-answers-to-questions/#more-1620
Take look at Jay Jay Burridge's installations for the Levi's 501 Live Unbuttoned campaign.
It encourages people to submit their own creations and win the opportunity to design the Levi's flagship store window in London’s Carnaby St.
This spring, Levi's and Burridge teamed up with Dazed to produce a second wave of dynamic London-based art installations for the ongoing campaign.
http://www.501.com/en_GB/#button
This time around, the groundbreaking artist will be creating spectacular, standalone, eight-foot high denim waves, inspired by traditional Japanese woodblock art.
For the latest submissions check out http://www.dazedgroup.com/projects/Live-Unbuttoned/Default.aspx
Ref. http://www.dazedgroup.com/Default.aspx
Think like Anthony Gardiner, a New Zealand man, who was spurned by the woman of his dreams.
He came up with a novel way of disposing of the diamond engagement ring he bought her – a treasure hunt.
"I met this girl I thought was pretty cool, bought a ring, turns out she wasn't as keen," Anthony, a 29-year-old call-centre worker, told the Dominion Post.
Anyone wanting to pick up the ring, valued at $5,000 (£1,970) needed to be in New Zealand's capital city, Wellington, on Saturday 6 June to join the hunt.
Clues about the ring's whereabouts started being posted on Twitter (http://twitter.com/donoogle_com) at 8 a.m. local time.
Gardiner says he will keep posting clues, and if the ring is not found by the end of the day, "my clues will suddenly change into directions”.
Having bought the ring in Hong Kong, he couldn't return it and didn't want to sell it, so he hit upon the treasure hunt idea.
Hanging on to it in the hopes of finding a willing recipient is also not an option.
"Obviously, it's been a pretty unlucky ring for me," Gardiner said, adding he hoped it would be found by somebody who has "found a cool chick and who wants to give them something they normally wouldn't be able to afford."
(Another spot from Claire D)
Matt Rhodes of Futurelab also has some ideas on how organisations can make use of Twitter:
1. To put a public face on your brand
This is what Ford, Southwest Airlines have done so well. Taking a large, ‘faceless’ brand and putting people centre stage helps people emotionally connect with the brand – especially useful in the current economic climate.
2. Allowing you to segment and then target different groups
Dell is a great example of how to use and experiment with social media.
The company has a large range of Twitter accounts used by different people to engage different audiences about different things.
With Twitter, you can also monitor and analyse the different conversations people are having about your brand.
Which means you can start to understand the segments and give out different messages using different accounts.
The marginal cost of multiple Twitter accounts is practically zero so it’s a great way to engage diverse audiences.
3. Using Twitter as a gateway
The best use of Twitter can be as part of a hub-and-spoke model of social engagement.
You can start by engaging people on Twitter just the same as you would on Facebook, YouTube or Flickr.
Then you can direct them to your own site or online community.
It’s when they’re on your own community that you can really share and discuss ideas, and get a better understanding of who they are and what they think.
And bringing them to your own space makes them feel special.
You move from interrupting them where they’re doing something else, to providing a direct line to engaging with you.
Ref. http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20090603/tod-oukoe-uk-newzealand-ring-b7e5c6f.html
and http://blog.futurelab.net/2009/06/how_organisations_can_use_twit.html
Think like the James Hotel in Chicago who were clocked by the trendspotters at PSFK for their strong approach to sustainability – such as providing soap without the middle bit, because no one uses the middle bit at hotels.
In the hotel’s own words:
"As a globally and socially conscious institution, The James is committed to protecting our environment and conserving its precious resources.
In this spirit, our Chicago property now features the following:
• In-room cards that allow guests to choose how often their linens and towels are laundered.
• Recycling in all guest rooms.
• 100% recycled paper for all hotel communications.
• Triple-distilled tap water as a high-quality alternative to bottled water, both in guest rooms and at David Burke's Primehouse.
• A ‘Green Team’ that meets frequently to brainstorm new ways to make The James Chicago even more environmentally friendly.
(Their recent work on the hotel's recycling program decreased waste pickups by more than 30%.)
• Active membership in the Green Hotels Association in Chicago.
Ref. http://www.psfk.com/2009/06/middleless-eco-soap.html
Think like ‘Mary Queen Of Charity Shops’, which has recently hit our TV screens.
The idea is to get shoppers into the habit of donating something old every time they buy something new, hence the phrase ‘shopping neutral’.
By convincing people that charity shopping means environmentally friendly recycling, it’s possible to change the way people shop – and enrich the shopping experience by giving.
It appears to have struck a chord with shoppers too, an example being the fading ‘Save the Children’ store in Orpington, Kent.
Even though there are about ten other charity shops on the same street, Mary Portas has turned it round from making maximum £900 a week into £2,500 a week.
(Cheers Claire D.)
Ref. http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/maryslivingandgivingshop/archive/2009/06/02/we-need-your-clothes.html
Think like Japan-based Tohoku Kankyo, who’ve created Samu, a 30lb robotic pet poop composter (which also resembles a dog).
The pet poop bin can turn up to 1,000g of pet waste per day into compost.
The Great Recession is prompting people to be more resourceful, so items such as composters are gaining ground.
But up until Samu, there hadn’t been a safe, purpose-designed way to compost pet poop.
The poop-to-compost process is simple: fill Samu with a proprietary substance (and refill every several months), dump in the waste, close the lid, push a button and Samu gets to work.
Ref. http://www.iconoculture.com/Approach/WhatWeIdentify/Observations/GenXers/index.aspx?DocName=oa_SamuPoopComposter_110270
Think like Cardsofchange, a place where the glass is always half-full, and where all the bad news of the day takes a back seat to stories of individual success.
Their mission is simple: collect business cards and ‘positive change’ stories from people who’ve recently been laid off, and connect them with new opportunities from potential employers, business partners and people who make the effort to look on the bright side.
Similarly, environmental and innovation consultancy, eco3, are walking the talk.
They help clients develop better products and packaging with lower environmental impact, and are building the notion of ‘re-use’ into their identity.
To create their business cards they simply stick the ident onto anything handy, e.g. a train ticket and bingo card http://www.eco3.co.uk/index.htm
Greg Taylor
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