http://stantonchampion.com Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:19:11 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Our new puppy has an interesting way of evaluating if something is worth chewing: the more you try to take it away, the more he wants to keep it.  Sometimes this makes for great fun, like when he's playing tug-of-war with you.  Sometimes it makes for a real headache, like ... http://stantonchampion.com/2008/06/30/wisdom-from-puppy-marketing/ A recent trip to Wal-Mart revealed some clever pricing tricks in the soda aisle. Soda Brand 1 - Regular shelf price tag, "$1.25" Soda Brand 2 - Big shelf price tag, bold letters, "4 for $5.00!" Which brand do you think had the most buyers and the emptiest shelf? http://stantonchampion.com/2008/06/25/clever-pricing/ Billionaire corporate curmudgeon Carl Icahn has started his very own blog called The Icahn Report.  Icahn is best known for his money making strategy of buying up shares of a struggling company, forcing his way onto the board, and then demanding changes that suit him before he dumps his shares ... http://stantonchampion.com/2008/06/19/carl-icahn-blogs/ Over lunch at a recent conference, I noticed that the catered cakes actually had serial numbers! What you're seeing is a flat chocolate shell sitting on the back of a piece of mousse cake. Look carefully at the bottom left of the chocolate: Yes, that's a serial number (sorry for the ... http://stantonchampion.com/2008/06/18/food-with-serial-numbers/ While shopping in the HEB before leaving San Antonio, I ran across their store brand version of Wheat Thins, unimaginatively called Thin Wheat. Store brands have a unique problem: they must look appealing while still communicating that they're knock-offs of another product. Still, a branding crackers with "Thin Wheat" ... http://stantonchampion.com/2008/06/17/lame-store-brands/ So I wanted to write a very brief personal update for all those who are not immediately aware of my life happenings. Let's do bullet points: Gwen and I returned from a trip to Peru a couple of weeks ago where we hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. ... http://stantonchampion.com/2008/06/09/personal-update/ Just like Coke and Pepsi are the big two of soda manufacturers, there are also a big two of SLR cameras: Nikon and Canon. (SLR cameras are the traditional 35mm cameras with the big lenses on the front you can take on and off, like this one here.) ... http://stantonchampion.com/2008/06/08/ad-reviews-nikon-vs-canon/ Hello FedEx Office. FedEx is reportedly eliminating the Kinko's brand and leaving their own on all stores starting sometime soon. FedEx acquired Kinko's in 2004, so the name is theirs to toss, but any time a company eliminates a strong brand they face trouble. In FedEx's ... http://stantonchampion.com/2008/06/03/bye-bye-kinkos/ So after a brief delay, I thought I would follow-up on my last article about adults who think the youth of today are "dumb." As someone who is almost but not quite 30, I figured I would reply with my own assessment about why adults aren't so bright themselves. Of ... http://stantonchampion.com/2008/05/29/you-think-we%e2%80%99re-dumb-part-2-adults-are-dense-too/ It's almost human nature to believe you're better than those who are younger. Usually this griping is short sighted, and none of it more so than the dreck that has poured forth from Emory University professor of English Mark Bauerlein. The good professor recently wrote a new book ... http://stantonchampion.com/2008/05/14/you-think-were-dumb-part-1-your-logic-stinks/