Guerilla Marketing: The New Way to Sell Tampons?

Marketing tampons is famously tricky – making the product sound appealing is virtually impossible. Some ads go the clinical route, explaining the research that proves why a certain tampon is most effective. Others buck science and try to make women laugh, which is admirable enough (the Kotex commercials which featured a beaver come to mind) – but just because you make a woman laugh doesn’t mean you’ll make her feel more confident about the tampons she uses. Sure, tampon coupons are a good way to get women to actually try the product – using is believing – but recently, a Dutch company pulled a tampon marketing stunt that puts all other attempts to shame.

         The company loaded a plane up with thousands of tiny, pink-parachuted tampons and dropped them above a beach during the peak of tourist season, when their product was sure to reach the largest possible audience. It makes sense, right? Kind of – if you’re on your period at the beach, you NEED tampons, but I’m not sure where the idea to play this off like a military exercise came from.

         The video shows the whole thing going down, though you probably won’t understand what anyone is saying. It doesn’t matter, you’ll catch the most important points: there are tampons falling from the sky, and the cameraman is definitely a man (he keeps getting distracted from the event he’s documenting by cute girls in bathing suits).

         The environmental impact of this is a little suspect – I hope the company came back and rounded up any stray tampons – but I can’t imagine a more aggressive marketing campaign. Maybe this means the days of good old fashioned tampon coupons and commercials are giving way to more inventive marketing that flies in the face of unnecessary period-shame – time will tell! 

Things I never knew about perfume

Have you ever wondered about perfumeries? Nah, me neither – just give me some perfume coupons so I can smell nice, thanks. But these interesting facts from France’s biggest perfume manufacturer are actually pretty neat.
At International Flavors and Fragrances, a scent-creation institute, perfumers must undergo 5-7 years of training to hone their craft. That’s like a Ph.D. in perfume!
Your sense of smell works like a muscle. That means the more you use it, the stronger and more discerning it becomes. Take time to smell the roses now and again and you’ll find you appreciate all smell more!
For decades, one of the most popular ingredients in perfume was civet, an oil from the sex glands of a specific breed of cat.
Different perfumes smell different on different people. It’s because your unique body chemistry can push certain notes in the fragrance forward, and this can be affected by genetics and diet.
If you’re going to be smelling a lot of perfumes in one sitting – say, when you’re looking to buy a new bottle but you’re not sure which perfume coupons to use– you have to cleanse your nasal passages between scents. All you have to do is take a deep whiff of an un-perfumed patch of skin on your arm – its what the perfumers do!
Coco Chanel famously said that a woman should put perfume wherever she wants to be kissed. The perfumers at IFF have a more practical suggestion – dot a bit of perfume on your temples so friends hugging hello catch a whiff of your scent.

Britons Mob KFC

     In America, flocks of teenage girls mobbed a group of bowl-cut sporting musicians who called themselves “The Beatles” during the British Invasion of the 1960s, when British pop culture took America by storm. There’s something of a reversal of that pattern happening in Great Britain this week, but it’s American culinary culture that’s taken a small British town by storm, and this time the fans aren’t screaming girls but KFC coupon-weilding diners.

The Town of Chesterfield

      A new KFC restaurant has opened up in Chesterfield, and it’s the first KFC restaurant ever to open in that town. Excited fans have flocked to the restaurant in droves, and the roads around the small restaurant have been clogged with KFC-bound traffic for the better part of a week since the restaurant opened its doors. The drive-through queue winds around the block, which means that those hoping to pick up a bucket of Original recipe chicken face wait times of more than an hour.

         But those who hope for a bite of finger-lickin good chicken aren’t the only ones who have to be patient – dozens of shoppers were stranded in the parking lot of grocery chain Sainsbury’s this weekend when dinner-rush traffic from the KFC clogged the roundabout in front of the Sainsbury’s exit.

       The KFC confusion was the topic of a town hall meeting earlier this week, but it seems that the town officials are hoping the problem will eventually take care of itself.

       "The parish council is aware of traffic problems occurring currently in the vicinity of the new KFC restaurant and drive-through,” said Chairman Chancellor Bob Brown."It is early days, people are obviously keen to visit this new food outlet and the novelty value is likely to diminish over time, but we are monitoring the situation."

         KFC was contacted by the Whitstable Times to comment on Chesterfield’s chicken mania, but has not responded to press inquiries as of yet. I imagine they’re thrilled to be so popular. I’m certainly glad I don’t have to wait on line for hours to use my KFC coupons when I pick up dinner on the way home from work –I like KFC, but evidently not as much as the residents of Chesterfield! 

Dogs Can Speak Sign Language!

In Lassie, it only takes a “woof! woof!” for the sheriff to know that poor little Timmy is stuck in a well. But can you imagine how cool it would be if your dog could actually talk to you? He might say, “Have you used those Kibbles n Bits coupons yet?” or “those shoes look delicious – I’m going to eat them while you’re out.” That may be a little far-fetched (ha, ha) but Sean Senechal says that dogs can learn to “talk” to their masters via dog sign language.

She calls her system the K9Sign system, and she uses careful training to teach dogs to communicate. Basic K9Sign training can enable dogs to communicate general concepts, like food and walk; more advanced training can teach dogs to sign specifics – like a desired toy, perhaps ball or Frisbee. Using K9Sign, you can even teach your dog to recognize friends and family, so that if you ask him “Who’s there?” he can communicate with a specific gesture to answer “Aunt Molly” or “a stranger.” Dogs can’t talk, of course, but they can learn to connect specific gestures to finite concepts – say, touching his nose with his left paw to indicate hunger. The dog below is signing a response to the question "Who's that?" 

Senechal says her method is a fun, challenging and rewarding experience that strengthens the bond between owner and pet while expanding our ideas about interspecies communication. Senechal’s method is based on conditioning, positive reinforcement, molding, modeling, and imitation – the same methods used to teach Koko the gorilla to sign. This method does requires a greater investment of time and patience than teaching your dog basic skills like sit and stay, but if he already has those commands down, you’ve got a solid foundation to build from. Check out this article on K9Sign for instructions on how to begin K9Sign training, and Sean’s site AnimalSign.org, for information on her program. With dedicated training, you might be able to ask your dog what you should pick up at the store and he’ll answer “Use those Kibbles n Bits coupons!”

Cereal Calzones: A Healthy & Tasty Snack!

I love to bake with cereal – it’s a totally versatile food that can make unique breads, cookies, cakes, and other sweets. But cereal-based cuisine is usually confined to the realm of bake-sale merchandise, perhaps because so many cereals are sweet and lend themselves to desserts more than inclusion in a main course.  This recipe is a notable exclusion, because these Spinach calzones are a savory dish that gets a healthy boost of fiber from an essential ingredient you can buy with Kelloggs coupons: All-Bran cereal. I hate All-Bran on it’s own – it tastes so healthy – but this recipe is a tasty way to get that essential fiber. From the flavor, you’d never even know that it’s good for you!

INGREDIENTS (makes 12):

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 2/3 cup warm water
• 1 cup Kellogg’s All-Bran cereal
• 1 1/4 cups bread flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 oz. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 4 oz. cream cheese spread with chive and onion 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Warm Marinara sauce, for dipping

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Combine yeast and warm water in a small bowl, .let stand 5 minutes. Stir until dissolved.  Stir in All-Bran cereal; let stand another 5 minutes

2.  Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl  Add cereal mixture and oil, stirring until combined (mixture may seem dry).  Knead dough in bowl 2 minutes or until smooth.  Cover with wax paper; let rest 10 minutes.
3.  For filling, in a medium bowl stir together spinach, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese; set aside.
4.  On a lightly floured surface roll dough to 18 x 12-inch rectangle.  Cut into twenty-four 3-inch squares.  Spoon 1 founded filling onto each square.  Brush edges of dough with milk.  Lift a corner of each square and stretch dough over filling to opposite corner, making a triangle.  Seal with a fork.  Arrange on two 17 x 11 x 1-inch baking sheets coated with cooking spray.  Prick tops with fork to ventilate.  Brush with milk for a golden-brown finish.
5.  Bake at 425ºF for 10 minutes or until golden.  Serve warm with marinara for dipping. 

The variations possible on this recipe as infinite as the possibilities for pizza toppings, so use your imagination – pepperoni? Pineapple? Anchovy? Fill the calzones with whatever suits your fancy. If you loved this recipe as much as I did, check out Kellogg’s website for more cereal cooking ideas and Kelloggs coupons. 

Write A Song for Taio Cruz!

Coke has a lot of faith in their fans. The producers of American Idol have a lot of faith in Coke drinkers, too. But the person who trusts Coca-Cola lovers the most may be multiplatinum recording artist Taio Cruz. So how have these people shown that they think soda coupon-users are up for an exceptional challenge? By establishing the “Perfect Harmony” promotion, that’s how.

Coke is letting their fans, and the fans of hit tv program American Idol, help write a new song that will be performed live during the show’s season finale on May 25 at 8/7c on the Fox network. It’s rare that those of us watching Idol from the comfort of our living rooms have the chance to collaborate with someone like Taio Cruz, so you know I’ve been voting like mad ☺
To participate, log on to www.AmericanIdol.com and listen to the opening segment of a song written by Taio. You take it from there! Taio is writing the beginning of each verse, but we the fans have to finish them.
"AMERICAN IDOL auditions are proof that many of our fans have a passion and desire to sing professionally," said Ryan Seacrest, host of AMERICAN IDOL. "What we don't get to explore on camera are the many talented songwriters that exist as well. Coca-Cola has created a very exciting and innovative program that, for the first time, gives fans the opportunity to work with a top artist to create a new song that will be performed live in front of millions of people." I generally think Ryan is pretty silly, but this time, he’s right.

Every week from now to May 13, anyone ages 18 and up can submit their lyrics for consideration on the Perfect Harmony site. After submissions are received, Coke will pick their three favorites and idol fans 13 and up will vote for the lyrics that will end up in the actual song.
"Songwriting can be an individual journey or a cooperative effort, and I've done it both ways," said Taio Cruz. "But creating a new song, with the input of music fans and in partnership with Coca-Cola and AMERICAN IDOL? Now that takes the experience to a completely new place and I'm ready to get it started."
So really, you don’t have to even drink Coke to get in on this collaboration – but I do my best thinking with a cold beverage, so if I take advantage of the soda coupons I’ve found I’m more likely to write some amazing lyrics. I can’t wait to hear the song May 25!!!

The Vital Importance of Dog Poo

Beware shy readers – this post has a moderate gross-out factor. But if you have dogs, it’s par for the course – read on.
When you choose to use Pedigree coupons, you’re probably concerned with nutrition, flavor, price …. A lot of factors come into play when choosing the right food for your dog, but there’s one I’m Pretty sure you’ve never thought of, and it’s of utmost importance to the people at Pedigree who formulate the food that ends up in your dogs bowl – and ultimately, on your lawn.
That’s right – poop is a buzzword at Pedigree, and the food formulas are engineered with this in mind. Of course quality and nutrition are essential, but poop is an important indicator for dog food scientists. Why? Because it indicates how comfortable a dog’s stomach is when digesting certain foods, how well that food is digested, and how pleasant it is for pet owners to perform the essential task of picking up after their pet.

In the dog food business, the polite euphemism for the quality of doggy doo-doo is “back end performance.” Poop quality is important. There’s even a rating system for it, which ranges from 1 (hard and crumbly) to 5 (watery diarrhea). The ideal rating, the holy grail of back end performance, is a 2.5 – what the scientists at Pedigree call “Kickable Grade.” This poop is solid but wet and sticky on the surface, which apparently “looks nice” if you rate dog poos on attractiveness. A 2.5 indicates that the dog who made it digested his food well and comfortably, which is an affirmation that the food’s nutritional content was formulated correctly.
Since learning this, I haven’t been able to take my dog out without issuing a grade to his poo – and I feel a weird twinge of pride when he successfully produces that coveted 2.5. I want to give him a gold star, but at least half the credit goes to those Pedigree coupons I used that did just what they were supposed to.

Frosted Flakes Ice Cream: Childhood Dreams Do Come True!

               When I was little, I loved two things: Frosted Flakes and ice cream. Had my mother negligently allowed me to subsist on these sweet delights alone, I would have spent my formative years on a constant sugar buzz. We would’ve gone through even more Frosted Flakes coupons and made more Baskin-Robbins visits if I’d had my way, but it was definitely for the best that my parents were health-conscious. Over the past couple of decades, I’ve actually learned to like vegetables and fruits – through my nostalgic fondness for ice cream and those sweet sugary flakes of corn remains.

         Imagine my delight when I found out that a Brooklyn man is making one of my childhood dreams come true – his all-homemade ice cream shop in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn is opening this month, and one of the featured flavors is something called Breakfast Trash – made with Captain Crunch, Sugar Corn Pops, and Frosted Flakes.

         If you live in New York, you can enjoy this and other made-from scratch artisanal flavors like stout ‘n pretzels (beer and chocolate covered pretzel ice cream), maple bacon (the name says it all), and peppermint patty (peppermint ice cream with homemade peppermint patties and a ribbon on chocolate ganache) at Ample Hills Creamery beginning summer 2011. IF you aren’t lucky enough to live within a subway ride’s distance from this cie cream mecca, you might try your hand at creating your own ice cream al home – all you need is an ice cream maker, a good arm for cranking and some Frosted Flakes coupons to whip up your own “Breakfast Trash,” which sounds very tasty despite its name.

Huggies MomInspired Grants Give Moms a Business Boost

     If necessity is the mother or invention, shouldn’t moms be the people most equipped to give birth to new childcare ideas? Huggies thought so, and they’re putting their money on it. Through the Huggies MomInspired grant program, enterprising moms can earn grants to turn their business dreams into reality. Huggies has offered moms a way to save with Huggies coupons for a long time, and the company sees this new grant program as a great way to reach out to and help the people who interact with their brand most. 

     Last year, female-run businesses grew at a rate of almost 23 percent, twice as high as business growth as a whole, which means there are a lot of busy, brilliant, working women out there. But studies have shown that women also face a more difficult time getting funding for their start-ups -- only three percent of venture capital funds go to women, according to research from Babson College. The implications of this disparity are upsetting in more ways than one – not only do women have to fight harder to enter the business world, but an untold number of potentially revolutionary ideas are excluded from the market.

     Under the MomInspired grant program, Kimberly-Clark, Huggies’ parent company, is awarding $250,000 dollars in grants – up to $15,000 per idea – to help moms finance their startup business ideas. The problems faced by women who hope to succeed in business and as parents are unique, and K-C wanted to create a project that would address that. 

    “One mom said, 'I need $15,000 to secure an attorney and file a patent on this idea. But I work and I'm losing sleep at night because the only place I can get it is in the money I’ve been saving up for my kids college fund. How do I cobble together capital to get to the next step, to get this a little further?'" said Stephen Paljieg, K-C’s senior director of innovation.

      The program is being promoted via ads and links on the Huggies homepage and social networking sites to ensure that information about the grants reaches the women who will benefit most. Are you a mom with a great business idea? Check out the official Huggies website for info on the MomInspired grant program and for some money-saving Huggies coupons.

Buy one blizzard, get one free car?!

     

    Melissa Messinger owes a lot to Dairy Queen. It was where she got her first job at the age of 16 twenty-two years ago. It is also there that the met the man who would be her husband two years later.

And last month, it’s the place where she got her new car.

     No, Dairy Queen isn’t branching into the auto-sales market (but how cool would it be to be able to use Dairy Queen coupons on a new car, right?) -- Melissa won a brand-new blue Mini Cooper as part of Dairy Queen’s newest contest promotion.

     It was during a trip to the ice-cream outpost for her daughter’s 17^th birthday that Melissa decided to order a mini blizzard treat, unaware that there was a promotion running at all.

     “When he handed me the mini blizzard the guy first said, ‘Isn’t it great? But wouldn’t you like something better?’ ” Melissa said. “Then he handed me a gift card and said ‘Wouldn’t you like something even better?’ I could see a guy with a camera in the background when he handed me the remote control for a small Mini Cooper,” Messinger said. “Then he pulled out the keys to a brand new car.”

     The franchise’s owner said it must have been fate that brought the winning Blizzard treat into Melissa’s hands, considering her past connections to the restaurant.

     “It was an amazing experience,”  said store owner Tracy Hirshauer said. “I’m very happy our store was one of the locations chosen.”

     If you aren’t handed the keys to a new car the next time you order an ice-cream treat with Dairy Queen coupons, you still have a chance to win. Six more Minis will be given away via an online video contest on the social networking site facebook. But be sure to get your entry in soon – the finalists will be announced May 4. 

My Jamocha Shake Addiction

I’m a vegetarian, so there’s not much for me on the menu at most fast food joints. But I confess: I frequent the roast-beef outpost Arby’s on a regular basis. I’m not defying the vegetarian credo and sneaking beef sandwiches on the side, I’m just addicted to those Jamocha shakes. I must use an Arbys coupons or two a week – its embarrassing, but some of the people there actually know me and know my order. One medium Jamocha shake, please!

            If you haven’t had one, you’re missing out – it’s a chocolate-y, coffee-y ice cream dessert that’s a grown-up take on its plainer counterparts. It’s been a favorite on the Arby’s menu since its introduction in 1964 – which means Arby’s was pioneering spiffed-up coffee drinks long before McDonald’s even came to the scene. Can you tell I spend a lot of time thinking about these shakes?

            I decided it was time for me to break free of my Arby’s addiction by learning to make my own Jamocha shakes. After a bit of trial and error, I’ve come up with the following recipe: .

            3 cups vanilla ice cream
            1 cup cold coffee
            1 cup milk
            1 tablespoon sugar
            3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
Combine the coffee, milk, and sugar in a blender.  Add the ice cream and chocolate syrup and blend until creamy.

            The flavor of this recipe is spot-on, especially if you use a good strong coffee. I’ve found that blending too long can make the shake too watery, which is woefully un-Arbys. Part of the Jamocha magic is that those shakes are always so thick and creamy that you almost need a spoon to eat them. If you’re patient, you can wait for the ice cream to soften up a bit and then mix it all together by hand to get the right texture.  If you don’t want to bust out the blender, you can still get your Jamocha fix with these Arby’s coupons – tell them I sent you :)

North Carolina's Wild Inhabitants

            North Carolina is once of the “Top 10 Animal Attraction States” in the country because of the countless wild, exotic, and critically endangered animals that call this state home. Author Jennifer Bean Bower has recently penned a book about the extraordinary state called “Animal Adventures in North Carolina.” North Carolina Zoo coupons are one way to see a plethora of wild animals while in the state, but there are also plenty of animals to see outside the zoo.

            Bower’s book features more than 70 locations throughout the state where visitors can interact with ostriches, wildebeests, giraffes, chimps, wolves, and less familiar animals like Binuturongs (the rather scary-looking creature pictured below). 

            A pair of rare animals even showed up at the signing part for the book on March 29. The duo of Geoffrey’s cats (one is pictured below), named Grace and Victor, were accompanied by keeper Mindy Stinner of the Conservator’s Center in Mebane Carolina, which protects animals at risk of extinction. 

            Bower’s book illustrates the reasons that North Carolina is such a great animal habitat – its diverse landscapes include mountains, coasts, and forests. Among the animals that call these places home are the rare red wolves of Alligator River National Wildlife refuge. The 100 wolves who live here are the last wild pack of their kind on earth. In Asheboro is the North Carolina Zoo, which is the nation’s first state-supported zoo and the is the largest walk-through natural-habitat zoo in the country. 

            Another of the state’s unique animal-interaction spots is Ms. Stinner’s Conservator’s Center, which she founded in 1999 with partner Doug Evans to provide a home for unwanted big cats. Many of her animals have behavioral issues or were victims of animal cruelty – the Center is a “home of last resort,” as Stinner says,  which “specializes in happy endings.”

            You can learn more about the Conservator’s Center, the North Carolina Zoo, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, as well as other unique North Carolina sites in Bower’s book. You can see hundreds of species in one place with these North Carolina Zoo coupons, and even then you’ll barely be scratching the surface of what North Carolina has to offer.