The ONN

The Onion has finally gone video - offering their unique take on daily news. The daily briefs will be available on iTunes and YouTube...The Onion is already in negotiations with the Networks for copyrighted material. Let's hope they're good sportst.

Is the Daily Show far behind?

JackBracket07

Thanks to Mas, and some prodding on my part, we have a JMW-Dig March Madness bracket. This took at least two steps as Mas was under the impression only boys, and me, would play (no really, when I asked who he sent the invite to he replied, "All the boys, and you.")

Mas says he doesn't know anything about Basketball, although he is a statistical whiz at Blockus (go figure). So imagine my 'Yeah!' when I came across the brack-o-matic. How cool is this!?

I think Mas will think it is cool too. As will the rest of the boys....and no, Mas, I do not think that the ladies will automatically pick Cinderella.

Starbucks: Watering down the brand
Last week an internal memo from Howard Shultz, Chairman of Starbucks, came to light – and now every brand, dick and harry is commenting on the state of Starbucks dilution. And indeed hasn’t it – did it take a memo for us to realize this? Shultz says one of the ways to restore its brand experience is to make sure that each store smells of roasting coffee….but really, is that it?

Truth be told, there is a Starbucks on every other corner nowadays, doesn’t that sort of take away from the “unique” experience? When a brand reaches mass consumption, it tends to take on a life of its own. Starbucks is close to the WalMart of coffee. Perhaps that’s a bit much—but in my mind, Starbucks was once a left of center urban trendsetter...how can a brand retain that if it is mass marketed?