The Big Fat Marketing Blog

I’ve seen my fair share of odd swag given away at tradeshows, but a yardstick seemed last night to beat everything. Imagine leaving the Internet Retailer Web Design and Usability Conference and trying to get through security at Orlando International Airport with something that could be considered a weapon?

MyBuys knew what it was doing. Vice president-marketing Chip Overstreet explained it to me today: MyBuys really gave out a walking stick, which means the Transportation Security Administration should have no beef with any show attendee. more

“Aw, how nice!” I thought upon receiving the latest e-mail from Harry & David. Apparently today is Random Acts of Kindness Day (who knew, eh?), so the food gifts merchant sent out an e-mail with the subject line “Today ONLY: FREE Delivery Sitewide - our Random Act of Kindness.” The message suggested that we “delight someone ‘just because’” by sending him or her a tasty treat.

But something about the promotion proceeded to rub me the wrong way.

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I’m probably in the minority when I say I’m a fan (or was a fan) of Burger King’s coffee, BK Joe. I wouldn;t seek it out, per se, but if given the option of having coffee at a fast-food restaurant, I’d get a cup at McDonald’s or BK.

But the five-year-old brand is dead. And it will be replaced by Seattle’s Best. Bleah! I grabbed a cup of coffee yesterday at the Internet Retailer Wed Design and Usability Conference at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando and remembered how awful that coffee actually is.

It’s owned by Starbucks, and tastes even more like Starbucks (think “dirt”) than ever. But it’s a deal that makes sense for both parties. more

So the biggest surprise I heard today: The majority of the attendees at the Internet Retailer Web Design and Usability show have not heard of the online retailer Threadless.

Speaking during a session called “Designing your web site to create social marketing success,” Fry director of creative strategy Bridget Fahrland asked for a show of hands - who in the room had heard of Threadless. Only a few hands went up.

Those hands must have belonged to subscribers of Chief Marketer, and read Brian Quinton’s profile of Threadless. more

So the biggest surprise I heard today: The majority of the attendees at the Internet Retailer Web Design and Usability show have not heard of the online retailer Threadless.

Speaking during a session called “Designing your web site to create social marketing success,” Fry director of creative strategy Bridget Fahrland asked for a show of hands - who in the room had heard of Threadless. Only a few hands went up.

Those hands must have belonged to subscribers of Chief Marketer, and read Brian Quinton’s profile of Threadless. more

“Please come and see us?” I was asked by a vendor whose booth was tucked away in a black hole of the exhibit hall of the Internet Retailer Web Design Show, here at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando.

The exhibit hall, actually, is hopping, and they do have it set up so you can check out the sessions by going through the exhibit hall. But this one vendor is kind of stuck away from all the action. I feel bad, and I should stop by and visit later instead of smiling and ignoring them. more