Experience Manifesto

Japanese vending machine offers free drinks for watching ads - Engadget

In a marketing case that just sounds too good to be true, vending masters Apex Corp. have purportedly laid out plans that will bring free or subsidized non-alcoholic beverage to thirsty consumers who are willing to watch a 30-second commercial before partaking. Aiming to launch next month in Japan, the MediCafe project will give users the option of plunking down the 70 ($0.58) to 120 ($1) required to purchase an item, or watching an advertisement for half a minute while the machine dispenses their liquid of choice. It was noted that not all drinks would be free, as some advertisers would only be offering up discounts in exchange for your attention, but this still sounds like a much more legitimate way to receive gratis soft drinks than other alternatives we've seen

Link: Japanese vending machine offers free drinks for watching ads - Engadget.

Creative Online Weekly, January 15, 2007

Maybe it's just me, but couldn't you just give your dogs an actual ice cream sandwich? We have two dogs now and given the stuff I've seen them eat, I'm not sure it matters to them. My old dog used to eat chocolate and loved to 17, so maybe I've just had dogs with strong constitutions.

Good Humor and Pedigree brand have come together to create the first real ice cream sandwich formulated especially for dogs. The new Pedigree Ice Cream Sandwich Treats for Dogs from Unilever Ice Cream's Good Humor brand are dairy-based and have a creamy texture like regular ice cream but are 99 percent lactose free. They also have added protein and there is no sugar added.

Link: Creative Online Weekly, January 15, 2007.

End of the line for cafeterias - Los Angeles Times

We're losing all of our heritage and there'll be no fun things left for Sydney to explore when she gets older. And it is getting harder to find places to get good liver & onions. I wonder what will replace cafeterias in the future?

It's getting harder to find that plate of green jello.

There was a time when the cafeteria was the undisputed king of Southern California dining. Before World War II, the cheap food and sprawling dining halls brought together strangers new to the region and created lasting bonds.

The meals were inexpensive, and there was something altogether modern in the dining experience, which did without menus, waiters and tablecloths. Restaurant-goers could load their trays with cold foods and then hot, delicacies like ambrosia salad and coleslaw, liver and onions and mac and cheese, and then sidle up to the cash register to pay — all without waiting.

Dozens of cafeterias once peppered the Southland, so many, in fact, that city directories listed them separately from restaurants.

But today, the cafeteria is a dying breed, a victim of changing tastes, an aging population and urban sprawl.

On Wednesday, one of the last of the grande dames shut its doors after 50 years: Beadle's in Pasadena.

Link: End of the line for cafeterias - Los Angeles Times.

Dagwood's appetite on display in new sandwich chain - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

Love this idea and it sure makes sense. Surprised it took so long! I mean, Dagwood is the sandwich king, so who would know better about making great sandwiches! I hope that they're as good as they always look in the comic.

The comic strip Blondie is the theme for a new chain of sandwich restaurants coming to Tampa Bay.

Dean Young, son of Blondie creator Chic Young, will launch a chain of Dagwood's Sandwich Shoppes that will feature sandwiches, soups and salads and a heavy dose of comic strip decor piped in on plasma television screens.

Young, who took over the comic strip when his father died in 1973, is a Clearwater entrepreneur with a dream of his own sandwich shop chain and partnered with Lamar Berry, a restaurant and franchise veteran, to create Dagwood's, a release said.

Link: Dagwood's appetite on display in new sandwich chain - Tampa Bay Business Journal: .

Health Concerns, Busy Lives Drive Demand for Convenient Foods: Report

As American consumers increasingly seek out for foods that are both healthier and need little or no preparation, the market for "portable foods" is growing, according to a new report from market research publisher Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com.

While convenient foods have been around for a while, what's changed is the extent of consumers' options for obtaining them, ranging from traditional "sit-down" restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores, and vending machines both in terms of products and places where such items can be bought, according to the report,"On-the-Go Eating: Consumer Mindsets, Menu Trends and Product/Packaging Innovations."

One major indication that consumer attitudes and eating habits have been transformed by on-the-go lifestyles is that the line between meals and snacks has blurred, while at the same time, U.S. consumers are starting to realize the importance of balancing portability with good nutrition, according to the report.

"Americans now spend more than 100 hours a year commuting to work, and these statistics represent growth potential for convenient food products tailored for eating on the go," said Packaged Facts acquisitions editor Don Montuori. "In particular, car-friendly food packaging designed to be handheld, spill-free, and cup-holder-compatible is in heavy demand."

"On-the-Go Eating" looks at the market for convenient foods in quick-service and fast-casual restaurants, mass-market food retailers, and alternative channels, such as convenience stores and vending machines. Key trends dealt with in the report include the steadily growing demand for gourmet sandwiches in foodservice channels and their as-yet-unrealized market potential in supermarkets, convenience stores, and other mass-market retailers; the effect of litigation and new and proposed legislation on food producers and marketers; and the growing focus on fighting obesity and related medical conditions in the United States through better-for-you products, including among kids.

Link: Health Concerns, Busy Lives Drive Demand for Convenient Foods: Report.

Newsday.com - Upstart battling for bodega bucks

Move over, Goya black beans and mango juice. A new line of Latino products has hit Big Apple bodegas, offering consumers an alternative to imports from the Latino food giant, Goya Foods.

Phone cards and spices stamped with the new line's name - Mi Bodega - went on sale last week at more than 200 New York City stores, members of the Washington Heights-based Bodega Association of the United States, the organization that launched the brand.

The first bodega store-brand in the country, Mi Bodega is yet another reminder of the growing demand for Latino foods, experts said, as the number of Latino immigrants soars and their purchasing power increases.

Link: Newsday.com - Business: Long Island and New York City.

Philadelphia. Home of Liberty, Brotherly Love, and 1500 Square Feet of Cereal

I've read about Cereality several times now and I may just have to take the drive to Philly to check it out myself. Hopefully they serve Count Chocula!

The Cereality Story - Your Home for Cereal, Away from Home(TM).

Cereality is a breakthrough, patent-pending concept in the foodservice arena. The "Seinfeld-esque" kitchen setting features homey kitchen cabinets stocked with familiar cereals. From morning to night, Cereality exclusively focuses on the custom-blending and serving of both familiar and proprietary cold and hot cereals. Additionally, Cereality's exclusive original recipe cereal-based snack foods such as snack bars, savory or sweet snack mixes and smoothies called "Slurrealities," expand cereal habits beyond the bowl and tap into the important "grab-and-go" healthy eating trend.

The basic Cereality offering works like this:

* Three main ways of ordering: "Your Cereal. Your Way(TM)", "Your Cereal. Our Way(TM)", "Your Cereal. A Whole New Way(TM)"
* 30-plus choices of cereal (best-loved brand names from Quaker, General Mills, Kellogg's and Post) and 30-plus choices of toppings, 3 types of milk, plus an assortment of specialty milks (including soy)
* "What's in YOUR Bowl(TM)?" - the most popular order: two full cups of whatever cereals you want, plus a topping and milk, served in the signature Cereality "bucket" (a leak-proof 32-ounce container) -- a full meal for under $3; additional toppings available for 50" each; full boxes of customized combos are also available.

Customers can also take the serving suggestions of the pajama-clad "Cereologists(TM)" behind the counter. "Life Experience(TM)" for example is a popular mix of Life® Cereal with sliced almonds, bananas, and a drizzle of honey. "Banana Brown Betty(TM)" is the most popular hot cereal order-featuring Quaker Oatmeal made with banana syrup and molasses sugar, topped with streusel and bananas.

Link: Philadelphia. Home of Liberty, Brotherly Love, and 1500 Square Feet of Cereal.

Link: Cereality web site.

Decent Marketing: Dairy Queen Brand Repositions Itself

Kat Stone from Decent Marketing has an interesting piece on Dairy Queen's repositioning efforts on her blog. 7-11 (see previous posting) and Dairy Queen both looking to become more "upscale?" That's some powerful statement about the need to create better consumer experiences!

Decent Marketing: Dairy Queen Brand Repositions Itself

Brand Autopsy: Nestle's Citizen Marketing Manager

Here's a great piece from Brand Autopsy about Nestle and their use of customer information!

Brand Autopsy: Nestle's Citizen Marketing Manager

Taco Bell rings Baja Blast Dew

I think that this is the first time I've ever seen something like this and it looks like a great idea! Guess I'll be looking for a Taco Bell to try it out!

USATODAY.com - Taco Bell rings Baja Blast Dew