Father's Day Gifts
In search of the perfect Father’s Day gift, I’ve decided that there are really only four types of gifts:
Utility—Something he’ll actually use
Wish List—Something he really wants
Quality Time—Spending time with you
Appreciation—Showing that you care
Many gift ideas quality for more than one category; but the ever-illusive “perfect gift” would satisfy all four. This year, several major brands are doing their best to help you find that perfect gift for your dad. Here are just a few:
Sears and Docker’s want you to give the gift of Utility by offering a free $75 gas gift card with your $100 Docker’s purchase. At $4.00 a gallon, everyone could use some free gas, so Utility is in the bag. My dad’s not that fashionable (sorry dad), so new clothes are more need than a want. But with some looking, you may be able to find something on his Wish List. And, if you actually take your dad shopping and provide fashion advice, then you could knock out QT and Appreciation (IF the ordeal goes peaceably).
Best Buy and Circuit City are both cutting prices in hopes that you’ll cross something big off of Dad’s Wish List. Circuit City commissioned a study that found 52% of dads want electronics this Father's Day. A GPS system could definitely fit the Utility category by helping dad find cheaper gas stations (or save gas because we know he doesn’t like to ask for directions). Again, take dad to the store for some QT. And as you’re reclining in the home theatre section, take care of the Appreciation part with a quick “I love you dad.” Caution: You may find yourself yelling to be heard over the mega surround sound.
Nintendo wants you to spend some Quality Time with Dad for Father’s Day by participating in the Wii Father’s Day Challenge at the Nintendo World Store in Rockefeller Plaza. Dads and kids will test their collective smarts in a bracket-style tournament of the new Big Brain Academy game. The Wii is on a lot of Wish Lists for gamers and non-gamers alike. And the Wii Fit could be something that dad really needs to get him up off the couch and in better health. And finally, as you’re hoisting your trophy in the air, you’ll share a moment of bonding with dad for your Appreciation category.
Major League Baseball wants to be your first draft pick for showing dad some Appreciation. Players, managers, groundskeepers, umpires and pretty much everybody else will wear blue to celebrate dads. Home teams will also put special blue ribbon logos on their helmets and bases. Seeing his favorite team in action is probably on his Wish List, and going to the game together is a sure home run for Quality Time. The MLB also helps out in the Utility department by raising money for prostate cancer research. We hope dad will never need this gift, but you should let him know that you want him to stay healthy and live a long life.
What is your perfect gift for Dad this year?
House Party
Which would have more influence on your decision to purchase a new product- advertisements or a recommendation by one of your friends? If you’re like most people, you would probably trust your friend’s recommendation more than you would an advertisement. After all, the advertiser is getting paid to sell the product, but your friend isn’t. But what inspired your friend to try the new product in the first place? Perhaps it was one of the increasingly popular House Parties.
NASCAR-mania
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If you love stock car racing, surely you’ve been in a souvenir shop and pondered purchasing yourself a NASCAR mug or hat. And if you’re a big fan, maybe you’ve visited the online NASCAR superstore and ordered a checkered flag dog collar for your poodle, a Dale Earnhardt Jr. denim shirt for that special someone, or a Jeff Gordon pacifier for your kid.
But for those uber-fans out there, the NASCAR name stretches far beyond what you can buy at the official store. Dozens of companies use the name under license, making it possible for race junkies to literally eat, sleep, and breathe NASCAR. Check out just a few of the items I found online:
NASCAR bandages
NASCAR burger patties
NASCAR caskets (yes, you read that right)
NASCAR chainsaws
NASCAR cologne
NASCAR couches
NASCAR grills
NASCAR high heels
NASCAR hot dogs
NASCAR mangoes
NASCAR salami
NASCAR sunscreen
NASCAR underwear
NASCAR vacuums
And my personal favorite, NASCAR romance novels (through a partnership with Harlequin).
Happy shopping racecar fans!
Contributed by: Maghan Cook
Visualizing your Human Footprint
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After watching a special on the National Geographic Channel called Human Footprint , I began to think about what it truly means to be a “consumer.” Being a consumer means that we are constantly consuming resources, and as we consume, we leave behind enormous amounts of waste.
On the program, the Human Footprint team very artistically and accurately represents the amounts of food, energy, water and other natural resources we, as individuals, will consume in our lifetime (based on the U.S. average for one lifetime).
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Are consumers really consuming?
con•sum•er (n.)
• One who, or that which, consumes
• A person or organization that uses a commodity or service
• An individual who purchases goods for personal use as distinguished from commercial use
Consumer is a word we use a lot in the branding industry, but is that really accurate? A National Geographic Special, Human Footprint, sheds some light on just how much we consume in a lifetime.
So how much of what we buy do we actually use? Not much. Our per capita trash disposal rate in 2006 was 4.6 pounds per person, per day, and more than half of that went directly to landfills, where trash is buried and unable to decompose naturally. Landfills release one-fourth of all methane, a gas that contributes to global warming and, despite careful engineering, landfills leak liquids into the groundwater.
The fact of the matter is that when you purchase something as a consumer, you are paying for a lot: the energy used to produce it, the cost to package it, the electricity to store it, the gas to haul it, the trash collection to rid of it (a 47 billion dollar per year business in America), and ultimately, the toll its disposal takes on the environment.
So in the spirit of earth week, take these tips on how to be a more efficient consumer:
• Recycle
• Buy less
• Buy local
• Pay attention to packaging
• Buy recycled products
• Donate used items
Stay tuned for Kristin’s post on Visualizing our Human Footprint.
Contributed by: Maghan Cook