March 2011

Who cheats on their taxes? While the first answer that pops to mind might be "everyone," about 15% of Americans admitted to doing so in an interesting study by DDB Worldwide Communications Group. (In a separate survey, 85% of…

Review - Poke the Box by Seth Godin Poke the Box by Seth Godin is a very short book focused on one key idea: "Get off your butt and start something!" More specifically, Godin tells his readers to not wait for permission from others,…

The gloves are coming off in the debate about which neuromarketing technologies are most effective. The initial "neurostandards" report from the Advertising Research Foundation didn't pick any winners from the different approaches to…

When someone thanks you for doing them a favor, there are any number of stock ways to respond. "No problem." "It was nothing." And, of course, "You're welcome." For some situations, though, there's a phrase that beats the common…

The first batch of information from the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) NeuroStandards Collaboration Project has been released, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the main conclusion seems to be that more research is needed. A draft of…

A key limitation of neuromarketing studies that employ brain scan technology has been convenience. fMRI, of course, presents major problems: ultra-costly equipment, a noisy and confined space, inability to move, etc. EEG, which uses…

Guy Kawasaki may be the Dale Carnegie of the technology age. While Enchantment is peppered with references to PowerPoint, Facebook, and other 21st century topics, much of the wisdom is as timeless as what you'll still find in How to Win…

It's axiomatic that you find out how good a business really is when it has already screwed up once; the speed and nature of the fix show the firm's true nature. After shipping you the wrong item, do they just offer to refund your return…

Late-night infomercials and commercials often promote subjects like buying real-estate with no money down and other get-rich quick schemes. While these promotions are broadcast in the wee hours because air time is cheaper and more…

It's no surprise that most of us will adjust our own expressed views to those around us. If your friends are raving about the meal you all just ate, you might tend to go with the flow rather than being the solo critic. Perhaps you…