http://www.shoptimismbook.com Shoptimism is neither an anti-consumer manifesto nor the confessions of a macho shopaholic. It’s a journey, at times wide-eyed, at times skeptical, through the present and future of consumerism – the emerging importance of social networking, what neuroscience can and can’t tell us about buying behavior, our state of mind as we struggle through challenging economic times. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:39:56 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Mattel is bringing out Barbie-like characters based on the Mad Men crew -- yes, there's a Joni, too. http://www.shoptimismbook.com/2010/03/10/barbie-meets-betty-ken-meets-don/ Americus Reed, a Wharton School prof who was interviewed in Shoptimism, has fresh insights into how marketers can either catch fish in the ethnic bucket or repel customers  by making wrong assumptions,  or by merely patronizing. Remember Taco Bell's Chihuahua?  Conclusion: ethnic identity comes in subtle shades. http://www.shoptimismbook.com/2010/03/04/the-perils-of-multicultural-marketing/ The Times reports on a new study that confirms what we already know: a lot of supermarket purchases are unplanned, and that we don't remember where the money went. http://www.shoptimismbook.com/2010/03/01/stop-the-presses/ The Economist has a nifty cover package on the profusion of electronic data, including two pieces that help illuminate how the Sell Side uses huge reservoirs of info to track customer history and behavior and sharpen its online marketing. http://www.shoptimismbook.com/2010/02/28/big-bytes/ Thanks to loyal reader Yale Hollander for calling my attention to the sweet and bouncy Ripple commercial below.  Contrary to the mood expressed in this spot, Ripple belonged to a category of beverage known as "street wine", also referred to as  "slum wine," "ghetto wine," or just plain "hooch." Other ... http://www.shoptimismbook.com/2010/02/23/getting-rippled/ The three chains with the most stores in Manhattan: Starbucks, Subway, and Duane Reade (soon to swallowed by Walgreen's, maybe). http://www.shoptimismbook.com/2010/02/19/answer-to-yesterdays-news-quiz/