Marketing Advice: You Can't Make Me Change if I Don't Want To

Do you remember the old Reese's Cup ads that were a little confrontational? "You got your peanut butter in my chocolate!" "You got your chocolate in my peanut butter!" And then they discover that the whole was better than the sum of it's parts and both go away happy.

Ok, so... do you remember when FedEx bought Kinko's? To me this rang with the possibility of Reese's Cups. Two great things that taste great together. I still called the store Kinko's (kinda the way that I call Reese's a peanut butter cup) even though they changed the sign to FedEx Kinko's. But today I just noticed that they changed the sign to FedEx Office. It's like the chocolate got rid of the peanut butter. What's up with that? Further, this makes me feel like they are waiting for me and my breed to die off because I know that for years (possibly years and years) I will continue to call it Kinko's. I will refer to it as Kinko's when talking to friends and co-workers. When I'm looking for another one I will ask people if they know where the Kinko's is. Kinko's has my share of mind and I'm perfectly happy with that. Good luck, FedEx, on making me change. I think of you when something absolutely, positively has to be there overnight, not when I need a copy of my D&D character notes (which, uh, yes, is why I was there today).

One entertainment from this, of course, is that it shows how Generica (the parts of America that are so generic that they are identical from place to place) has recreated in odd ways the feel of small town America. In another ten years knowing what used to be Kinko's will be like old-time directions. Instead of "remember old Johnson's field where that cow used to stand, take a left there" it will be "you know the place that used to be Kinko's, it's right next to that."

Dag-gummit.

Favor-ite Writers

If Scalzi can't promise that I will be smothered by adorable kittens and fluffy bunnies then I guess I just won't ever ask him for anything.

Actually, I'm kind of shocked that Scalzi got the reaction he did. I assume that he posted because somebody stepped over the line (thanks, whoever you are, for going and screwing it up for the rest of us). But it's obvious that he is as "in touch" with fans and budding authors as anyone ever has been, so a wag of my finger to those who are giving him a hard time. Yes, he can be a bit... hmmm, overbearing? Short? Touchy? Aggressive? But it doesn't take much reading of his blog to get the sense that yes, there is a grouchy bear side to him but he's also playful and interested in others.

I just want my kittens and bunnies.

Why Does Our Tea Suck?

My sister and I were discussing earlier that tea we drink that has been hand carried by loving friends from England is VASTLY superior to any 'imported' tea that we have bought here in the U.S. Why is that?

We blame the abolition of the Board of Tea Experts (aka Board of Tea Appeals).

Get on the issue, Tea Association, before we insist that another Imported Tea Act be passed.

Until we clear this up, my favorite "Earl Grey" is from California (does that technically make it Awesome Dude Grey?). Thank you, Ceylon Teas, for not sucking.

It's All About Convenience

Mobile blogging is great for these moments. I was just at a gas station where they couldn't process my card at the pump. The attendant came over the speaker, "Number 16, press the pay inside button and come in after you pump." No. Bad news, but as well as selling me gas you are selling me the convenience of indulging my shyness. As an introvert I have a limited supply of interaction energy and I expended a surplus of it yesterday volunteering time at a call center. So I got back in my car, muttering my signature "you are of no use to me" under my breath, and scooted across the parking lot to the BP on the chance that their pump would work. It did and all was right in my world. They also promised that their gas would invigorate my car, which sort of scares me.
Quite often I doubt that companies really know what they are selling. In case you were wondering, yes. The gas was more expensive at the BP.

Today's Thought

My enthusiasm has been ground to a fine powder that, when mixed with my tears of despair, is used to caulk the crumbling foundation of our management structure.