What’s it like to be a professional photographer rubbing shoulders with celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Billy Corgan, and Ludacris? Pro photographer Diana Levine will tell you.

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

Ever since I worked in the photo section of the Caldor department store in high school, I’ve been interested in photography. I’ve owned many many cameras, from old school 110, Disc, and 35mm SLRs like my Minolta X-370, to some of the first digital cameras on the market in the late 90s, up through my newest point-and-shoot and desire to upgrade to a DSLR.

So when I had the chance to sit down and speak with pro photographer Diana Levine, I jumped at the chance. I had so many questions on so many topics. I wanted to know what it was like to freelance. What was her favorite equipment. What was it like to work with celebs. And with 2 billion photos a month being uploaded to Facebook, and more and more pictures needed various profiles on the web, how was social media affecting her business.

[Above: Diana shooting Alicia Keys]

We talked for so long I’ve made this a 2 part episode, and then we hit the streets of New York and set up an impromptu studio to see her in action.

In Part 1 we cover the following topics:

Background

- How did Diana get her start?
- Who was her main influence as a child?
- Which Conde Nast magazine did she intern at?
- What was the main thing she learned at Boston Magazine?

Freelance life
- How did she get over her fear of making the leap to freelance?
- What would she tell people wanting to strike out on their own?
- Is it a good or bad thing that cameras are so good and so inexpensive now that everyone thinks they can be a good photographer?
- What are the things that distinguish a true pro from an amateur?

Celebrities

-  What’s it like working with celebrities:
* Kim Kardashian
* New Kids on the Block
* Billy Corgan
* 50 Cent
* Ludacris
* Alicia Keys
* Vampire Weekend
* DJ AM
* Iman
* Fabolous
* JoJo
* Los Del Rio
* Harry Connick, Jr
(and more)

Other Celeb Questions:

- Tell us about your first celebrity shoot with KRS-One
- What’s the real scoop with Kim Kardashian
- Which singer made Diana have to pinch herself to make sure it was real?
- Which band’s fans sent her hundreds of tweets after she photographed them?
- A revelation about Billy Corgan that really shocked me.
- Which celebrity would be the one she’d like to photograph most (but can’t)
- How do you create a comfortable atmosphere when working with celebrities
- Which celebrity is she named after (Answer at right)

Celebrity projects
- MTV’s Super Sweet 16: What was Sean Combs’ house like?

- AOL’s Day in the Life project, what was it like spending an entire day with Ludacris or New Kids on the Block?

Part II will contain:
- Equipment she uses
- The affect of social media on the photo industry
- Tips and tricks for taking great photos

Check out Diana Levine’s work: Website | Blog | Twitter

It’s Academy Award season, so we’re going to talk movies and entertainment with Jennifer Sargent, CEO of Hitfix.com.

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

Ah, the movie season. It’s been a good one, filled with blockbusters, dramas, and a controversy surrounding the producers of “The Hurt Locker.” I recorded a podcast on March 2 with entrepreneur Jennifer Sargent, and we discuss everything from the favorites for who will be thanking the academy, to how different industries approach piracy.

Topics covered:

Describe your unique path from Electrical Engineering student to the CEO of a cool entertainment company.

Jennifer explains that she wanted a more social career than being stuck in a room as an EE looking at microprocessors, so her path led her to investment banking, focusing on the intersection of media and technology. She later went to Doubleclick to learn about monetizing online brands, but wanted to start her own company.

Like any good entrepreneur, she focused on how she could use her skill set to work on something she was passionate about. After Harvard Business School, she worked at the parent company of Variety, growing the traffic on entertainment sites, and loved the combination of entertainment and technology.

She founded Hitfix in December 2008 to bridge the gap between gossip sites (like TMZ) and trade publications (like Variety).

In a crowded entertainment area online, what does Hitfix do to distinguish itself?

Two tracks

1.      Team of proven journalists that break news about TV, Music, and Movie coverage (insider scoop without the gossip)

2.      Event forecast calendar technology (location-based tool that lets users discover new events, set reminders, download to calendars, and sync news with events)

Example:  The Spiderman franchise reboot. First they break the news: Tobey Maguire is out, shakeup of the storyline. Then, the event: Release date is no longer September 2010, instead, 2012. The action: Set your calendar!

What is a typical day and challenges of a CEO charged with pushing the business forward?

Professional: Drive traffic, stay nimble, accelerate growth, integrate with social media and partner sites

Personal: Find the time to see all these shows and events

What is the best method for marketing a site like Hitfix?

A large percentage of traffic is referring sites, so breaking news leads to people coming to the site. Insider scoops on Facebook and Twitter help as well.

Oscar Week

- Discuss “Lockergate” - Hurt Locker producer breaks Academy ethics rules

- How are the Oscars and Golden Globes like a political campaign?

- What was the reasoning behind the expansion to 10 nominated films?

- What is the role of social media in movie reviews, and what does that mean to advertising campaigns by movie studios?

How are studios getting in on the social media conversation early? Why it might not matter what people say.

Example: Snakes on a plane. Famous one-liner was added after reading buzz on the message boards.

Also: Huge numbers panned Avatar and hated Transformers 2, but they still went on to make millions.

How can studios operate like a hedge fund?

How have the outlets to reach potential viewers changed from print and TV to online, social media, and mobile?

They’re more measurable, more efficient, and they get a better read on ROI.

Has the thinking against piracy changed at all, or do the movie studios and music industry still believe that all piracy, all the time, is 100% evil?

What is your pick for Best Picture and Best Actress?

Check out Hitfix for entertainment news and events:

Website | Oscar Awards Blog | Twitter | Facebook | iPhone

Best Earbud Headphones For The iPhone Review

Does a great pair of earbud headphones for the iPhone exist? I sure haven’t found one, but lets find out.

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

“Whoa it just got so freaking loud, are you in a wind tunnel?”
“I’m sorry, I just caught about every third word that you just said.”
“What? Can you repeat that last part? Your father is kissing a lizard?”
“Hello?  Hello? I think I lost you.”
“Oh my gosh your phone is the worst thing ever I hate your damn phone it is HORRIBLE and I hate you and your damn phone please don’t ever call me again with that stupid phone.”

I don’t know about you, but those are just 5 of the types of things people say to me as the owner of an iPhone.  By the way, the reference of “Your father is kissing a lizard” came from the sitcom Good Times, when they were on the phone and mishearing things, and then they figured out - and were devastated - when they realized the other person was saying “You father is stuck in a blizzard.”  That’s right, I just made a Jimmy Walker joke. Dynomite.

The podcast and blog this week is being done to accomplish three things, as we set out to find best earbud headphones for the iPhone.

1) On the personal side, after 2 years the right earbud on my iPhone 3G headset stopped working, so I need to replace them, hopefully with a model that cuts down the complaints above.

2) On the tech side, I wanted to do a comparison of the best earbud headphones on the market to see how they shaped up.

3) On the marketing side, I wanted to do a blog post that optimized the content, and try to appear on the first page of Google for the term “best earbud headphones for the iPhone.” You may have noticed that I’ve stated that phrase 4 times so far.

As I mentioned, people have a really hard time with me talking on my iPhone. After the last few days of intensive testing, I’ve realized a few things.

First, I live in Manhattan, a place where an enormous amount of your time is spent walking. Because most everyone here is an outgoing Type-A personality, you wouldn’t be caught dead just doing ONE thing like walking down the street. Oh no, you have to be talking on the phone or texting or chatting or jotting down notes for your next screenplay. Everyone is constantly on their phones.

The problem is that you’re not sitting in a convenient “car cocoon” with your windows rolled up and the A/C slightly blowing at your feet during your commute. You’re in a massive city with beeping horns and giant buses and squealing cabs and constant construction in the background.

Because you’re jostling around so much, it’s actually convenient to be wearing headphones with your iPhone, so that you can actually hear when some is calling in case you don’t pick up on the vibrate mode.

Additionally, a great majority of people are on the subway. Once again, you’d rather be caught dead than simply sitting and reading a book or waiting for your next stop. It’s almost a requirement that you wear earbuds.

During my testing, I realized I had to isolate the fact that I had two separate problems.

1) Headset quality
The first is the sound quality of my headset. Whether it’s walking in the wind or talking while opening a bag of chips, the sensitivity of the microphone is a major factor that annoyed people.

2) AT&T Service
Second, is the quality of AT&T’s service. In addition to the 30% of dropped calls that AT&T says is within normal range for New York City, a new development in the past few weeks is that the quality of my calls is warbling my voice as I walk around the apartment. This is not a factor of the headset, but some crazy cell phone tower issue or something along those lines.

Let me be clear for a moment. I live in a 400 square foot studio apartment!!!  We’re not talking the call quality decreasing when I move from the walk-in closet in my master bedroom suite to my downstairs kitchen with granite counter-tops to the basement home theater with concrete walls!  I am moving within a 10 foot radius!!!

Wow.

I also want to say that I’m going to approach the testing in my own unique way. I’m not going to talk about the decibel crossover levels in the midrange tones or however the audiophiles measure it. In fact, because I’m a podcaster and mostly listen to speaking voices on my iPhone, I’m not going to go crazy worrying about the bass levels.

I’m going to talk about the little things that I feel customers really care about, like the quality of the connection, the feel of the cord, the placement of the microphone, and whether or not it makes you look like you’re wearing jewelry.

I’m even going to talk about the packaging.

One of the interesting things I found, is that there was definitely no clear winner when reading reviews online. It seemed that nearly everyone had some kind of beef with whatever headset they had chosen. I was going nuts racking my brain trying to decide which one to buy, so in the end, I did the only thing a tech freak like me would do. I called up Amazon to check on their return policy (and I sure hope my Indian to English translation skills are accurate), and bought 6 different pairs of earbuds.

Before we get to the reviews, a note on the marketing side. I think it’s pretty cool that when you search for “best revenue model for the iPhone,” my blog post comes up first. This is a pretty good accomplishment considering the popularity of the term iPhone.

So my goal with this post is to see if I can get a How-to review style post in the first 10 spots, and ideally in the top 3. I’m going to do this by

1) keeping things relevant and on topic

2) mentioning those specific keyword a few times

3) embedding photos, videos, and audio with product names and keywords

4) linking to the products on a major site like Amazon or the product homepage.

Nothing crazy. No custom HTML or paid search buy. Just a simple, organic blog post to see what happens.

So without further ado, here is:

Best Earbud Headphones for the iPhone Review

The Incumbent: Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic

Earbud style/fit: Hard plastic bud style, not noise-canceling, solid

Cord: Decent weight and feel

Mic and control: Integrated as one, solid and convenient

Connection: Rubber enforced and straight; broke down, but only after 2 years of harsh use

Sound quality: Decent for music and voice

Dealbreaker: Trying to improve mic sound

Retail/Price paid: $29.99 / $0 (Came with iPhone)

Jim says: Of course, I could have avoided all this testing by simply tossing my broken earbuds, heading over to the Apple store, and picking up a new pair for $29. In all, there is nothing wrong with these. They lasted me 2 years of harsh abuse, the sound was fine, and they fit me ok. However, people complained about the mic being too sensitive, so I was on a mission to find something better.

Apple Earphones Audio Test:

JBuds J3M Micro Atomic In-Ear Earphones with Microphone

Earbud style/fit: Small, round silicone ear buds for a noise-isolating fit

Cord: Looks like some kind of fiber optic cord, as the wire is encased in clear plastic; feels solid and resistant to tangles

Mic and control: Aluminum with solid feel and a single button

Connection: Straight and feels like it will be a little bit flimsy

Sound quality: Solid for music and good voice

Dealbreaker: Worries about connection

Retail/Price paid: $89.95 / $39.95

Jim says: At $39.95, the JBuds came in as one of the lower priced challengers. I’m not sure what the packaging looks like at retail, but when they arrived from Amazon, they were simply sealed up in a tiny ziplock bag. For the price, it was a solid all-around contender. For those on a budget, this might be your pick.

JBuds J3M Audio Test:

Sennheiser MM50 iP Earbud Headset

Earbud style/fit: Small, round silicone ear buds for an isolating-style fit. But they almost felt like they were going to disappear into my ear canal.

Cord: Felt really flimsy and tangle-prone.

Mic and control: Made of a large, kidney-shaped piece of plastic. This was the only model where the mic was on the left side of the headset. Your thumb naturally goes to the inside of the kidney to fast forward or pause, yet the button is on the opposite side.

Connection: Straight and feels like it will be a little bit flimsy

Sound quality: Actually very solid for music with good bass and decent voice

Dealbreaker: Mismatched cord

Retail/Price paid: $129.95 / $33.48

Jim says: Before I even got into testing, I had an immediate dealbreaker. The headset is set up so that the right earbud cord is about 19″ long, while the left one is 5″ long. This might not be a problem for everyone, but based on where the mic was placed, it just felt wrong. There was a constant feeling that one side was heavier than the other. I also didn’t like the overall quality feel of the product.

Sennheiser MM50 Audio Test:

V-Moda Vibe II Earbud Headset with Microphone

Earbud style/fit: Small, round silicone fittings provide a comfortable fit and sound isolation. They are made of ’sculpted stainless steel alloy’ and have a solid heft and quality feel to them

Cord: The cord is wrapped in fabric, giving it a great feel and making it less prone to tangles

Mic and control: Unique in that the solid-feeling steel microphone is up high near your mouth, but the button to control answering calls or fast forwarding is lower, placed at the V in the cord. To me this isn’t a positive, as you have to reach down lower, sometimes within your coat, to find the fast forward button. The piece looks like some kind of multisided crystal, and you need to make sure you pick the correct side and dig your thumb in to the rubber button in order to press it.

Connection: Solid feeling “Y” shape plug puts less pressure on the connection

Sound quality: Solid for music and good voice

Dealbreaker: Separate controls

Retail/Price paid: $128.00 / $119.95

Jim says: These were pretty solid all-around, with some good heft to them. I really liked the cord, and the connection felt encouraging. While I might just need some time to get used to the controls, it felt unnecessarily clumsy.

V-Moda Vibe II Audio Test:

V-MODA Vibe Duo Earbuds/Headset (iPhone Compatible)

Earbud style/fit: Silicon fittings provide a sealed fit. Similar to the other V-Modas, they were metal and solid. However, the bright silver ring around them made them feel very ‘blingy’

Cord: The cord is wrapped in fabric, giving it a great feel and making it less prone to tangles

Mic and control: The mic and control were housed in a single metal unit, which felt solid. However, the button was a little small to find and operate, and did not work for me.

Connection: Solid feeling “Y” shape plug puts less pressure on the connection, the best of the bunch

Sound quality: Solid for music, great bass and voice

Dealbreaker: I felt like I was wearing earrings, fast forward didn’t work

Retail/Price paid: $79.95 / $48.64

Jim says: On the plus side, I liked the construction, the cord, the plug, and the sound. But I also had several problems. As far as feel, the mic button is small and was a little tricky to operate. Next, I’m not sure if I got a defective unit, but the button didn’t work. Clicking it did not pause or fast forward to the next song.  And it could have been me, but of the 7 audio tests I did, this one didn’t come out (sorry, time constraints prevented me from re-recording) Lastly, they were too blinged out for me.

V-Moda Vibe II Audio Test:
[Not available]

Klipsch Image S4i Premium Noise-Isolating Headset with 3-Button Apple Control

Earbud style/fit: These were unique for 2 reasons. First, the drivers on the earbud were angled in, and second, the earbud gels were oval. Both of these factors led to a really comfortable fit

Cord: The cord was a basic cheaper plastic the felt like it would tangle

Mic and control: The mic and control were housed in a single metal unit, which felt very solid. They featured the new 3 button control for newer ipod models. Even though I still had a 3G, I thought it would be great to have if I move up to a newer model. The main issue is that the mic was located at the V, far below your mouth. They of course tout this as a positive, but my personal preference is to have it floating near my mouth, not bouncing around near my chest where I could have the zipper of a jacket, a tie, or the strap of my work bag.

Connection: Straight, flimsy feeling.

Sound quality: Solid for music, a little less bass than the vibe duo and average voice - loud during the pretzel test, probably due to mic placement

Dealbreaker: Placement of mic and cheap feeling wires

Retail/Price paid: $99.99 / $99.99

Jim says: I really wanted to like these, and enjoyed the way the earbuds sat in my ear. But below that, the wires just felt less sold, the connection worried me, and the mic placement sealed the deal.

Klipsch Image S4i Audio Test:

Etymotic Research HF2 Earphones / Headset (iPhone Compatible)

Earbud style/fit: At first I really, really liked the way these sat in my ears. They were light and comfortable due to the combination of the oval shape and stacked ear pads. However, I then realized how deep they are supposed to sit. (see sound quality)

Cord: The cord was plastic but solid enough. Not the quality of the V-Modas, but better than the cheaper models.

Mic and control: This was a single plastic mic unit with a button control. Pretty easy to find and use.

Connection: The connection had a strong plastic feel that curved at almost a 90 degree angle, making it easy to add/remove it.

Sound quality: As all the reviewers noted online, there is a noticeable absence of bass when compared to all others. While my sister said I sounded a little like a robot, and my parents thought it was a little tinny, they did say it felt a clearer. Decent audio in my test.

Then as I was looking at the packaging again, I noticed there was a warning saying Important: a deep seal in the ear canal is essential, or there will be a loss of bass. Then they direct you to  a video. The video is informative, if not amusing. They show a woman demonstrating how to properly put in the earbuds, which includes stretching your face with your opposite arm, and opening your mouth. I’m serious.

However, I have to admit when I did so, I definitely felt a much deeper seal, and the bass improved dramatically. But now I had a new issue, the seal was TOO good. I felt that someone had poured wax into my ears and sealed them shut. While this was great for sound quality, there was a constant pressure there, and I was concerned about walking in Manhattan streets and having 80% of outside noises blocked. I guess you can’t have it both ways.

Dealbreaker: The seal mentioned above, and price. Many people online paid the full $180 plus tax, which starts to put the total at the same level of the iPhone itself. I’ve seen them as low as $129.

Retail/Price paid: $179.99 / $139.83

Jim says: I really didn’t want to like these because of the price, but ordered them anyway because of the numerous awards that were awarded to the HF2.

But when I figured that I use my iPhone every single day, for multiple hours per day, they extra $100 or so would be a good investment over the next year or more. There was a sense of quality in the little things from both the headset and the packaging. I liked that I could pull these out * a little * so that I wasn’t yelling while on the phone, but push them back in for music or audio.

Etymotic Research HF2 Audio Test:

Overall thoughts:

I’m sure I put WAY more thought into this than the average Joe, that just strides into a store and grabs what the guy behind the counter recommends. (Hey, that’s why I’m here). Note that every model provided multiple earbud gels to custom to your particular ear canal setup. Also, it’s tricky to get used to talking when your ears are completely sealed shut.

Several also come with cases to carry the headphones in, but I’m not sure how many people will take the time to wrap up the headphones and carry them in a separate case all the time. Maybe women in a purse?

I also want to tell people to remember that the noise isolation can cause you to zone out and miss sounds when you are crossing the street, trying to listen to announcements on the subway, or just interacting with people in general.

Sadly, what I found out is that clarity in ALL of these products, especially on city streets, is an issue. With so many moving parts, from fit to electronics to finish quality, no wonder there is no clear winner. However, I’m probably going to go with the V-MODA Vibe II, which offered the best all-around performance for me.

I hope the testing was helpful to you in making your decision.

And from the marketing side, hopefully I’ll start to trend on Google for the search term best earbud headphones for iPhone.

Cheers

It’s the dead of winter here, so to brighten things up we’re going to talk to the co-founder of Sunshine Suites, a unique office space for entrepreneurs.

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

I’ve got a great interview today, a person that I was connected to through Gary Vaynerchuk on Twitter.

His name is Cheni Yerushalmi, he’s the co-founder of a business called Sunshine Suites, and you should download the podcast just to hear me mispronounce his name (I think I was a little better by the time I signed off).

For most people across the country, we’re trapped in bland cubicles like worker bees for 8 hours a day, with many of us aspiring to be entrepreneurs so we can launch the proverbial startup from our garage.

But I think this company has found a great middle ground, giving ambitious new companies a unique place to work and grow their business.

In the interview we cover topics such as:

- Getting started
Like many business ventures, the idea for Sunshine Suites was born out of frustration. Cheni and his best friend/co-founder couldn’t understand why it was so difficult for small businesses to get cool, low-cost office space in Manhattan. So they did something about it.

- Adding perks
While a stylish, comfortable workspace is a great upgrade from a small apartment or drafty garage, I was impressed to hear of all the other perks that they offer. These include pooled resources for healthcare, gym memberships, & car rentals, scheduled networking events with other entrepreneurs, softball leagues, a bicycle workout room, parties, and a 30-person ski house in Vermont for corporate get-aways.

- The best of all worlds
Why a shared office environment with other entrepreneurs is a far better option than a traditional corporate office, working on your own from home, or camping out in the local coffee shop.

- Protecting your vision
Why Cheni thinks it’s very difficult for anyone else to steal your “dream idea”

- The new evolution of work
I put out my new theory of the way jobs have evolved over time and get Cheni’s perspective.
* First, people wanted security. They had one job for 40 years, then retired.
* Next, they kept their same professions (say, accounting), and went to 3-4 different accounting companies
* Next, it was ok to change industries. People went from accountant to financial planner to cupcake store owner
* Now: As seen in books from Tim Ferriss (The Four-hour Workweek) and Gary Vaynerchuk (Crush it), it’s more about lifestyle design, following your life’s passion and using new media to work where you want, when you want, doing what you want

- The new trend toward freelancing
A combination of the economy forcing companies to stay lean and cut back, increased telecommuting, and people trying to find a better work/life balance has led to a rise in freelancing. Find out how this has had an effect on Cheni’s business.

- Sunshine Suite “graduates,” small companies that have gone on to big things:
IGA Worldwide
Trulia
Ableton Live
Vita Coco

- Spreading the word
How Sunshine Suites gets the word out through their marketing

Thanks to Cheni for a great interview and to Gary Vee for connecting us.

Helpful links:
Sunshine Suites Website
Follow on Twitter: Cheni | HopkinsonReport | Gary Vaynerchuk

Announcements:
- I will be at SXSW Interactive March 12-17 and will be doing interviews with cool people I meet
- Wired is hosting a happy hour at SXSW on Monday 3/15 (more details to come)
- I am planning a 100th episode party on April 10
- You can now stream my most recent podcast episode each week on Stitcher Radio. Connect from your iPhone, Blackberry, Android, or Palm Pre without syncing to iTunes.

Ah, Super Bowl Sunday. The day every football player aspires to. How do players get their start? The NFL Draft. The last player picked, after more than 200-250 people have been selected, has been given the name “Mr. Irrelevant.” Don’t laugh — Marty Moore was picked by the Patriots dead last in 1994, and went on to play in the 1996 Super Bowl.

Ah, Super Bowl Sunday commercials. The day every marketing person aspires to. To have their ads seen by millions. And there should only be one goal. To make your ad relevant.

But when it came to relevance, how did so many spots miss the point?

Here are 10 Super Bowl commercials that were completely irrelevant (and 6 that weren’t).

For the FULL RANT, download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

1. Hyundai
You’re comparing the paint quality vs. a Mercedes??? When thinking about buying a car, people think about comfort, safety, horsepower, styling, resale value, cost, fuel economy… should I keep going? Where on the list is paint quality? I think this selling point is pretty irrelevant.

2. Doritos
Some funny commercials in there, but where does the URL at the end of the spot send people? www.SnackStrongProductions.com

Now listen, I get it. Snack Strong Productions is probably part of some bigger program. Doritos.com is probably too focused. I go there (SSP) and sure enough, there is a whole bunch of things going on.

So then I go over to Doritos.com, and guess what. IT’S THE SAME EXACT WEBSITE!

Why would you do that? Why would you take the chance at sending people to a 3-word, 22 letter website? Who doesn’t know the word Doritos? Do you like Doritos? I LOVE Doritos. Hey, it’s the Doritos commercial! I wish we got some Doritos! SO WHY NOT SEND PEOPLE TO DORITOS.COM??? Is Snack Strong Productions relevant to any consumer?

3. Boost Mobile
Again, we’re talking relevance and targeting. Who the heck is the target market??? According to Wikipedia, “The Boost Mobile brand was originally marketed to the teen and young adult demographics.” I’m not sure who they’re going after now, but I’m guessing it’s still a younger, hipper, tech-savvy generation.

So who do they bust out? A Super Bowl Shuffle Rehash??? This is horrible. Are you kidding me? “The Boost Mobile Shuffle???” That team was from 1985 –- 25 years ago!!! I asked my intern if he knew who Mike Singletary was. No idea. You know why? Because my intern wasn’t even alive in 1985. Thus, this commercial was irrelevant to him.

4. Shape-Ups
This one doesn’t start off well. The first sentence is “Get in shape without setting foot in a gym.” Really? All we need is fancy pair of dorky looking sneakers in order to cure obesity? We don’t need to watch our diet (consisting of Doritos)? Don’t need to get sleep? Just put on these shoes and get in shape?

Then it gets worse: “Hi, I’m Joe Montana, I spent 16 years playing football, and Shape-ups have improved my strength and posture.” Really Joe? What kind of strength are we talking? Are you squatting 650 and deadlifting 540 now? And how do you measure posture improvement?

And if you’re going to endorse the product, could you at least show up for the video shoot and throw a ball around wearing a generic maroon football shirt? No? What about letting them use a photo? No good on that either? Do you need the money? I saw that you put your $49 million vacation house up for sale, won’t that help?

Oh, and when did Joe play? That’s right, he retired 16 years ago.

5. Taco Bell
Just want to take this space to say Charles Barkley cannot rap. Oh, and he cannot act. He was terrible on Saturday Night Live. Yes, I know he’s not a trained actor and has to read cue cards. But simply terrible for someone that is on TV on a regular basis. The marketing person that said “Let’s get Charles Barkley to rap about Tacos” obviously has never seen him on TNT or SNL. You could say he is irrelevant in the rap community.

6. Dove Men Care
Hands up… how many men feel that they needed their own soap? I’m sure Dove has lots of research, but I think to the average beer-drinking, football-watching man, this product is irrelevant. I’d like to see the list of ingredients, and see what is in there that isn’t in the women’s version. I’m guessing a lot of this is packaging.

7. Dr Pepper
Irrelevant data:
- Who do you think they are reaching? Adults in their 20s?
- Dr Pepper: Established 1885 (says so on the logo)
- The band Kiss: formed in 1972 (38 years ago)
- The band Mini Kiss – formed in 1996 (14 years ago)

My vote: Irrelevant

8. Homeaway.com
One question… when was the last time Chevy Chase was relevant? I thought so.
The Griswald’s Vacation movie? 1983 … 27 years ago.

9. KGB
Hmmm… to me, KGB is “the Soviet Union’s premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization.”
a) How often do you NOT find something you want on Google or on the web
b) How many people want their mobile phone bill to have MORE charges on it (it’s 99 cents for an answer)
c) How many women are going to be buying $450 KGB-branded outfits???
Are you serious???
My thoughts? неуместный
(I think that’s Russian for irrelevant)

10. Census
Wait, WTF? The Census? The freaking Census? The government is paying $3 million to tell people about the Census? Can’t we just let Google count everyone? Does anyone have a problem with that? THEY’VE ALREADY MAPPED THE ENTIRE EARTH!!! I think they’ll do a better job than the government.

The brands that got it right:

1. GoDaddy
OK, these guys are in my Hall of Fame. Why? Love them or hate them, you have to admit:
- You know their name
- The spots are memorable
- The ads get people talking
- They reach their target of men
- Some % of people will go to their website to see the rest of the ad (that’s the goal, right?)
- They hammer home GoDaddy.com in the logo, the T-shirt, the song, and the URL

My one problem… they had a bullet point promoting them as “The SSL Certificate Giant.” I think that’s a little over most people’s heads for this game.

2. Bud Light
The crowd votes… and Bud Light consistently got “laugh out loud” reactions at my party. They’re always clever and funny.

And while others are bringing out bands from the early 80s, they bring in T-Pain and Auto-Tune the commercial.
And you KNOW how I love auto-tune.

Verdict: Relevant

The one interesting thing I picked up… they don’t own Bud.com (a pot site) or Budlite.com. C’mon, guys, spend the money and buy those guys out.

3. E*trade
The good… you can’t help but watch them, the “Milk-a-holic” line was classic, and they had a Facebook and Youtube logo on the screen.
The bad… I swear that the baby lipsync is much worse in the recent ads vs when they first appeared. Are they skimping on tech resources now?

4. Teleflora
At first I thought this was lame. Who thinks about getting flowers in a box vs a vase? But you know what, it DID raise awareness of that for me. I would give it a second thought now. Nice work. And the ad was funny.

5. Hyundai
There you go, Hyundai!!! The ad later in the game emphasized their incredible 10 year/100,000 mile warranty. Now THAT is something that is relevant to car buyers.

6. Google
And finally, the Google ad. To me, it was clever, poignant, smart, and you just get it. And you know what? It was the most relevant ad of the night. And why not? The entire purpose of the company is to bring us relevant search results.

Now if they could only get started on that census…

Quick intro: I live in New York City, run Wired’s online marketing and social media, and also contribute to Wired’s Epicenter blog.

My blog/podcast covers the latest marketing trends with a fun, energetic, pop-culture twist. If it’s your first time hearing about it, may I suggest checking out some popular posts:

- My interview with Jason Sadler of I Wear Your Shirt
- How to write great Tweets - 10 lessons learned from the @wired Twitter account
- Which iPhone App revenue model has the most profit potential?
- 10 Things I taught my interns
- Jana Eggers, CEO of Spreadshirt talks Bacon, Ironman, and T-shirts

Please follow me on Twitter: @HopkinsonReport

Check out all Wired podcasts, including The Hopkinson Report, from iTunes.

Get your own shirt at The Hopkinson Report T-shirt shop.

Thanks!

Jim

So the much-ballyhooed Apple iPad was announced on January 27. What do I think?

Well, I reveled in all the hype, blocking off my lunchtime calendar and jumping between 5 different live-streaming tabs on my browser.

And first off, you DO have to give Apple credit for the hype. Love them or hate them, just think about the sheer number of people talking about this product, and the entire industry of bloggers, writers, reporters, photographers, and so on that exist just to speculate and cover this stuff. I can’t think of another company off-hand that creates another sub-industry just to cover it (other than “Hollywood” or “Wall Street”).

However, with this hype, you live by the crowd and die by the crowd. And right now, the crowd is turning on Apple. My take is that the device is certainly not as good as everyone had dreamed it would be (how could it?), but c’mon people… let’s at least HOLD the thing and try it before passing judgment. Perhaps there will be a double reverse backlash where it now becomes cool to say that it IS the new device to have.

In the podcast I dive into why it could be compelling, and the 5 types of people that would use it.

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

I think the most compelling features could be:

- Super light 1.5 lbs
- Instant-on like an iPhone
- The potential as an eBook reader (which I don’t think has been discussed enough)

So who are the 5 people that will use the iPad?:

1) Professional geeks, early adopters, unwavering Apple fanboys

I am a professional geek. That’s what I do. I love gadgets. I don’t always get the first version of every new thing, but I like to keep on top of it for sure.  I will strongly consider getting it once the hype dies down and I see it, and maybe I can unload my barely-used netbook on someone.

So will early adopters flock to it? I’m not sure. It’s never good to question the unwavering passion of some of the Apple fanboys, but perhaps Steve Jobs and Co have a Macbook Air on their hands. It was very cool, incredibly designed, and you’d think that it would be something an early adopter would love. But I haven’t seen many bloggers pulling one out of a manila envelope.

2) Travelers

We’re venturing into netbook territory, and it’s hard for me to defend what the iPad can do over a light, small, fully-equipped computer. But I HATE bringing out my laptop on a flight. At least with my work-assigned computer, it’s too big, I hate the whole boot up and log in, and the battery life barely makes it halfway across the country.

I’d much rather keep it in my bag and watch a movie or read. Aha… that’s the advantage of the iPad. You can do all that – watch 10 hours of movies (allegedly), listen to your music or podcasts, read an eBook, or easily browse your photos. And… you can simply slide it into the seatback when you get up from your window seat and have to crawl over people, or want to set it aside when you get your inflight meal.

3) Couch surfers
Here’s the scene… you own a desktop, not laptop. It’s in another room. Or you have a laptop, but it gets too hot, and too heavy on your lap while watching TV. The iPhone is just a bit too small for effective web surfing. The solution is that the iPad is sitting on the coffee table while watching TV.

Picture the scene at a Super Bowl party. You’re watching the game, focused on the big screen. Whoa, that crazy commercial just told you to go to GoDaddy or Pepsi or you want to check a stat. No bringing out the laptop and clearing away a pile of nachos and beers, just pass around the iPad.

Or if you’re on the couch and have an idea, you can just pick it up, turn it on instantly, fire off an email, jot some notes down, and put something on the calendar. (OK, I know I know… you can do this with a laptop or your iPhone too… I’m trying here!)

4) Thieves

On 1/27 the iPad was announced. That same day, I’m sure developers were getting together to tailor their apps, publishers were meeting to figure out content, and video game management teams were having breakout sessions.

But what about the ICSE?  The International Cartel of Stolen Electronics?  OK, I made that up, but did you know that 10,000 laptops are stolen per week at airports? And according to a Forbes story in 2008:
- Cell phone thefts were up 33% from 2006 to 2008
- Digital camera thefts were up 25% over 3 years
- iPod thefts were up 91%
- A 2007 study showed iPod robberies bumped up overall crime rates in some major U.S. cities
- Stolen iPods accounted for 4% of all robberies in Washington, D.C., in 2007.

So if I was ICSE president, I’d say it’s the best news since white headphones. While you can’t just stick it in your pocket and take off like a phone, at less than 2 pounds it’s not like the old days when you had to steal a 200 lb Sony Wega TV.

5) 3P: Portfolio Presentation Professionals

OK, another made up term, 3P.  I think the iPad would be amazing anywhere a professional person with a portfolio has to meet with clients. For example:
- Fashion Designers
- Architect or engineer
- Illustrator / Comic Books
- Artist
- Photographer
- Real Estate Agent
- 1:1 Salesperson
- Interviewees

Imagine you’re an artist trying to sell high-end paintings to a gallery. How impressive would it be to pull out this small device and just swipe your way through your best work?

Or what about being a wedding photographer and sitting down with a couple on their couch to show them your best shots?

Or you’re a real estate agent… out in the field, running around, showing people photos, layouts, and floor plans. Maybe it’s to people not used to using a computer that much. Swipe. Here’s the master bedroom. Swipe. Here the map that shows the nearest schools.  Swipe. Add those people at the open house to your contact list.

And lastly, what about on an interview?  I’ll tell you I’d be impressed if you took out an iPad and said can I just show you a few of my projects?

As for the Apple iPad’s prospects with me… it may not have the job yet, but it’s definitely going to get an interview.

I’m going to talk about the gear I use, the clothing I wear, the brands I trust, and throw in three bonus how-to’s:

- How to make your own training calendar
- How to make the perfect smoothie
- How to make a framed marathon ’shadowbox’ for $25.

Note… this podcast ended up topping 45 minutes, my longest ever. I was going to break it into two parts, but decided if you’re not into running, you probably won’t listen to it, and thus won’t listen to the second part next week. However, if you ARE into running, you’ll find the entire show really valuable. So throw it on your iPod and head out for a long run.

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

One of the major marketing discoveries I pointed out, is that the following companies do not own their Twitter accounts:
@nike
@adidas
@asics
@newbalance (not a corporate account)
@brooks
@mizuno

Can you believe this??? It blows my mind. How the heck does a $30 Billion company like Nike not own their main Twitter account?

Is it possible that there’s not a single marketing person in the entire company that knows anything about social media and thinks it would be a good idea to secure that account?

Clearly there’s someone there that is manning @nikebasketball and tweeting to 30,000+ fans. Why not at least get the page so you can redirect people to other accounts?

Or is there a chance that it’s Twitter’s fault? I’m sure that Nike has a small army of lawyers, and there’s absolutely no question that Nike is an established, trademarked brand name.

Twitter should have no problem yanking the person with the Nike account (especially considering he has 0 followers).

I could see a gray area with the guy using the @puma account… at least he has a website using the same name and can show that he has historically used the name Puma in a non-competitive business.

I guess I have to give a huge shoutout to @saucony. Nice work!

Here’s a brief outline of what I cover:
- My running clothing recommendations. As a lifelong runner, I tell you my picks for running shoes, socks, shorts, t-shirts, gloves, hats, and the interesting topic of tights.

- My running gear recommendations. Cross a runner with a tech geek and you get a list including the iPod Nano, Nike+ iPod chip, the Marware chip holder, Incase neoprene iPod case, sunglasses, RoadID, what water bottle I DON’T recommend, and when I listen to podcasts vs. music.

- The Nike+ community. The Nike+ tracking system has been an amazing breakthrough with runners, and they take it to the next level with their online community.

- Jim’s nutrition picks
I describe the best time to eat and prepare my favorites, including
– Instant oatmeal (with other additions)
– Fig Newmans
– The best way to make a Peanut Butter and Jelly
– Whether or not runners should drink coffee
– My love for GU, and the easiest way to pick the best energy bar for you

Plus
- Jim’s ultimate smoothie recipe

- How to make a calendar and training guide for under $5. Download here.

- How to make a Marathon Shadow Box Frame for $25 (not $175)

Finally, I go through my beginner marathon tips
- Training
- Nutrition
- The Mental Game

Keep on running!

Picture this scene: Monday morning, January 11.

I slowly wake up and blink my eyes open a bit.  It’s early but my alarm hasn’t gone off yet, as I adjust to my surroundings. My very, very interesting surroundings. I realize where I am. I’m in a hotel in San Francisco, and I’m awake early because I’m still on New York time. I pull on my running shoes, shorts, t-shirt, and a pullover, excited for a morning run along the Embarcadero.

When I hit the lobby, I stop at the front desk. There’s a cheerful, eager-to-help person behind the counter at the Hotel Triton. I nod as I walk by, pause, turn back and say,

“Excuse me, I’m sorry. I was tired from my cross-country flight last night when I got in very late, but I could have sworn that you told me that you had upgraded my room, and that I could have all the Haagen-Dazs ice cream I could eat during my stay.”

“Yes, sir, that’s true” was the reply.

“So I wasn’t dreaming? I can eat every pint of ice cream in that mini refrigerator and you won’t charge me anything extra?” I say, to the person working in an industry that routinely charges $36 for scrambled eggs room service or $13 for a bottle of water and a Snickers  from the mini bar.

“That’s correct, sir. Enjoy your run.”

Enjoy my run I did. In fact, I did a few more miles than I planned. After all, I would need to burn some extra calories over the next few days.

Today’s Show:  Sweet Suite Marketing - Hotel Triton gave me free unlimited Haagen-Dazs in my hotel room. I did NOT have a problem with this.

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

Here’s a summary of today’s topic:

It wasn’t a dream, but it as a great marketing angle to discuss.

I was out at the Wired office on business, and it’s great to sit near the reporters and copyeditors for a few days. You forget how talented they are and most people take for granted all the work it takes to make a story come together.

I’m not a hotel snob, preferring to stay at The W most trips since it’s modern (not a fan of old “classics” filled with marble), and frankly, it’s the closest walk to the Wired office. However, this trip it was sold out, so corporate travel gave me two choices, and I picked the Hotel Triton after 30 seconds of research, a boutiquey hotel not too far away.

As I walked in around 12:30am Sunday night (with my body on 3:30am east coast time), they told me I was upgraded to “Sweet Suite.” I had no idea what that was.

As it turns out, they actually have about half a dozen themed rooms:
- Jerry Garcia Suite (Photos, signed items)
- Photography Suite (Photos from famous artists)
- King Triton Suite (King of Atlantis theme)
- Organic room (Lots of sustainable products and bamboo)
- Kathy Griffin Suite (My Life on the D List … “Griffin and Mike Nielsen, known to viewers as her ‘Gay Visionary,’ traveled to San Francisco to design an inspired suite at the Hotel Triton.”)

Then, there was my room, the Haagen-Dazs suite, made up of the following:
- Door in the hallway branded as the Sweet Suite
- Vanilla and caramel colors
- Red color from the carton in the headboard
- Red leather ottoman with logo’d leather pillow
- Books about ice cream and candles named after flavors
- Special pillows with sayings on them
- Waffle-textured bed-throw
- Specially-made plush Häagen-Dazs bath robe.

And in the corner was a small fridge with a glass door, with light pouring through it like Raiders of the Lost Ark, containing 6 pints of ice cream and 3 ice cream bars. Lest the light keep you awake, there was a special curtain to pull in front of it at night that said “Sweet Dreams.”

So lets get to the marketing angle.

First, did you know that Haagen-Dasz was a made up word? According to the Haagen-Dazs wikipedia entry,

The name does not derive from any of the North Germanic languages; it is simply two made-up words meant to look Scandinavian to American eyes (in fact, the digraphs “äa” and “zs” are not a part of any native words in any of the Scandinavian languages). This is known in the marketing industry as foreign branding.

Daughter Doris Hurley told PBS documentary An Ice Cream Show (1999) that her father Reuben Mattus sat at the kitchen table for hours saying nonsensical words until he came up with a combination he liked. The reason he chose this method, was so that the name would be completely unique and original.

They were also in the news recently when they announced that because of increasing costs, they were going to downsize their containers from 16oz to 14oz, and from 32oz to 28oz.

This sparked some outrage, as people can be very territorial about their ice cream. Ben & Jerry’s countered with a campaign saying they were NOT going to reduce their sizes, and I found a thread on chowhound.com with 110 comments on the sizing change.

So it’s clear they know a little bit about marketing and have had to deal with PR, both good and bad.

Personally, I think it’s a great idea, because it gets people talking (isn’t that what marketing is?).

While you have the OPTION to eat 6 pints, when the reality sets in, you’re not going to go through all of them.

In fact, I bet they probably average just 1-2 per stay. At $5 a pint or so ($6+ in Manhattan), and maybe $10,000 to make a few custom pillows and such, that’s a massive return on investment based on the word of mouth.

So you might be thinking… you’re pretty excited… are you getting paid to talk about them? No. In fact, new rules require me to state if I were. I’m just a guy that likes unique marketing. And ice cream.

But it did make me a bit suspicious, and here’s what I asked myself (trying to not get a big head in the process).

Was it possible that they did some detective work on me?

It would require some effort, but the path is pretty straight. It would have gone something like this:
- They see on my corporate card that I work for Conde Nast
- They are aware that the prominent Conde Nast property in SF is Wired
- Wired has a very popular magazine and website, and their writers and bloggers often talk about pop culture
- They google my name and see that I am, indeed a blogger/podcaster
- And not only that, I’ve done a massive podcast interview with the guys at the Roger Smith Hotel

Hmmmm…

Not knowing if I’d get an answer, I called front desk, and in fact the manager on duty was glad to talk and said it probably went like this:
- Conde’s travel company called their sales/booking group to book me
- They noticed it was my first stay (perhaps first time anyone at Conde had stayed there?)
- It was a slow night, and the suite was open
- They automatically upgraded me because I was a business, and thus more likely to lead to future stays there vs. an individual

So my question is, does anyone have a problem with this type of marketing?

Jump on the comments or shoot me an email at MarketingGuy [at] wired.com.

Sure, you can claim rampant product placement and the overtaking of advertising seeping into every niche of our society. But here’s the thing.

1) It doesn’t effect you. 95% of the rooms DON’T get free ice cream, they’re completely normal. Let me give you an alternate example. It’s not like there’s 100 people in a movie theatre and Tom Hanks is plastered in FedEx like in Castaway, or you’re watching Simon Cowell drink from his giant red Coca-Cola cup while the American Idol stars do a cheesy song in the latest Ford. If you don’t want to stay there, and just want a – sorry, I can’t help it – plain, vanilla room, you can have that.

2) A portion of each “Sweet Suite” guest’s tab will be donated to the Häagen-Dazs ice cream charity of choice, Delancey Street Foundation.

This organization bills itself as the country’s leading residential self-help organization for former substance abusers, ex-convicts, homeless and others who have hit bottom. They train people for work, teach people how to read, etc.

So to the haters, how do you feel about it now? A little cold, right? (Again, couldn’t help it).

So, here’s how it played out. After dinner on Monday, I didn’t order dessert (saving my company money) and dug into some heavenly chocolate. And the next night I met up with some old co-workers to see what kind of business ventures they were up to, and invited them up to the room for some goodies.

So here I am, podcasting about it, writing about it, and I bet my friends will tell some people about it. And you know what? That’s some sweet marketing right there.

To sum things up:
- I’m a fan of clever marketing
- You don’t always have to spend a lot of money to get it
- Target the right people with just a little bit of extra effort, it can go a long way
- Oh yeah, try the pineapple coconut

While I’m not hanging out in the Admirals Club with executive platinum members, I do have a decent amount of business travel under my belt over the years.

So as I prepare to head out to the Wired office in San Francisco for a few days and need to crank out a quick podcast before I go, having just packed for my flight tomorrow, I figured I’d give you a glance into my bag. Doing this has gained some popularity, just do a google image search for What’s in my bag or check out the What’s in your Bag group on Flickr.

So I decided to put together a podcast titled:

How to Pack for a Business Trip

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

Here’s an outline of today’s topics:

First - the global rules
- In the age of IM, email, conference calls, and video chat, why do business travel in the first place?
- Always fly direct
- Never check bags
- The time of day I always try to fly
- My tips (or lack thereof) for dealing with Jetlag
- Keep a vacation / trip checklist

Jim’s tips

- Jim’s dorky, analytical “Vacation Checklist” file
- Why it’s so helpful, and the two types of things that need to be on it
- Buy two of everything (I explain what)

Jim’s pick for the perfect carry-on:
21″ “Mother Lode” rolling carry-on from eBags.com
- Not the 22″ pr 24″ standard that *just misses* fitting in the overheard … you know it’s going to fit
- Bright orange lining
- Customize it with removable, Velcro shelf
- Choice of upper and lower compartment, or one large
- Key points: Good handles, good wheels, stands up when packed

Why eBags has done a great job marketing this product:
- Unique, personal video walk-through
- Reviews: 1,723 out of 1,778 (97%!) would buy it again

What goes in it
- Jim tip: stick to one color theme (black or brown)
- Adapt to your needs: Formal vs. casual
- Example footwear: Kenneth Cole shoes (MVP candidate)
- Dark jeans
- 3 black dress socks
- 3 casual/running socks
- 3 non-wrinkle dress shirts
- 3 t-shirts
- 2 hats (casual, running)
- 1 v-neck sweater or zip up
- Running sneakers
- Running shorts
- Dri-fit shirt
- Laptop brick
- Papers/work items
- Toiletries
- Eagle Creek Electronics bag - chargers, cables, sunglasses, camera

Luggage 2 - Backpack
- Switch from leather messenger during the workweek to travel-centric bag
- Swiss Army one has worked well, but I need an upgrade; laptop sleeve nice

What goes in the backpack with you
- Keep it light
- Leave room for enough space under the seat

- Laptop
- Food / gum / mints (never know who will be next to you)
- Travel pillow — I tell you which one I highly recommend (see below)
- Magazines / books
- Electronics: Work Treo, iPhone, iPod, Thumb drive with important work files, headphones
- Toiletries (Tip: Get the expandable ziplock bags, put it in your backpack but don’t bring out unless security requests it)

What to wear
- Please, no pajamas
- Layer t-shirt then zip-up
- More comfortable of your 2 dark jeans
- Good socks (remember you’ll be taking off your shoes during security)
- Ex-officio underwear (MVP candidate)

Jim’s MVT’s (Most valuable travel items)
1. Black Gap sportscoat
- Warm enough to be used as a primary jacket in most weather (just add a scarf)
- Soft material doesn’t wrinkle vs. a dressier jacket
- Can be dressed up with a dress shirt or casual with a t-shirt

2. Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow
- $19.95 for small size at REI
- Compresses fairly small
- Can be used as lumbar support when driving or if you have an airplane pillow
- Unfolds for supportive sleeping pillow

3. Bose noise-cancelling headphones
Pros: Screams “leave me alone,” excellent sound, drowns out noise, screaming kids and yapping teens
Cons: Expensive, can get hot, some argue it’s a marketing scam

4. Logitech VX Nano Wireless laser mouse
- Available on Amazon for about $60
- 715 reviews
- Ergonomic, works great on any surface, small transmitter, comes with carry bag

5. REI Powerstretch Half-zip top
- The best piece of clothing I’ve ever owned
- I’ve owned mine since 1999
- Has been through mountain biking, running, casual, and traveled with me around the world
- 4-way stretch, warm when it gets chilly but is not bulky, but not hot when it warms up
- Around $50-$80 at REI

So to sum things up…
- Keep a checklist of items and outfits
- Buy two sets of toiletries
- Never check bags, fly early, fly direct
- Go for a smaller carry-on like the eBags mother lode
- Worth it to spend the money on a few high-quality, multi-function items
- Pillow
- Sportscoat
- Stretch pullover

Happy Travels