March 2009

March 2009

• Want to check out how the competition is using Twitter? Twitter Tracker, a new directory of tweeting brands, compiles real-time updates from companies using the service. A few of the top media, entertainment and consumer product companies currently being followed include Whole Foods, JetBlue, Zappos, Home Depot and Starbucks.

• Green Depot, a new Manhattan based do-it-yourself home improvement store, aims to make green building and living solutions "accessible, affordable and gratifying." Located in the Bowery, the 3,500-square-foot store is designed to demonstrate high-performance green materials in action and is itself a LEED-certified space. Aiming to cut through the "greenwashing" that's frequently applied to less-than-entirely-green products and stores, Green Depot uses a system of five simple icons to make the "green" label clear for consumers: "air quality," "local," "social responsibility," "energy" and "conservation" highlight what aspect of greenness each product addresses.
• NuRide is a free online community where members are rewarded for using alternative forms of transportation such as carpooling, biking, walking or public transit. After registering with NuRide members can connect with neighbors, friends and coworkers to organize shared rides and log their non-driving efforts. Similar to frequent flyer miles, members earn points every time they share a ride, walk to work or skip their commute by telecommuting. Regular NuRide users can receive approximately $350 per year in rewards, which can be exchanged for retailer discounts, gift cards and tickets to shows and attractions. Since members specify their trip origin, destination, travel preferences and vehicle information, sponsors - the companies that provide rewards - can target highly specific sets of consumers. NuRide currently operates in Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York metro/Connecticut, Washington DC metro, Hampton Roads, VA, Houston and San Antonio.

• Thanks to Disney Consumer Products, the Jonas Brothers franchise will soon include a full sportswear line for tween girls, hitting mass retailers such as Wal-Mart, Kmart, Sears and J.C. Penney in time for fall back-to-school shopping. The apparel collection, called Jonas, will follow the May launch of the Disney Channel's highly anticipated "Jonas" TV show. The collection, inspired by the preppy clothing seen on the show, will retail from $9.99 to $24.99.

• Loews Hotels, located in 16 cities across the US, recently announced its "Adopt-a-Farmer" initiative that promotes local farming while providing customers with food made from ingredients that are locally-sourced, organic and sustainable. With the launch of the program, Loews Hotels becomes one of the first hospitality industry companies to issue a brand-wide mandate to support local farming communities.

• While drinks made from the hibiscus blossom are common in the Caribbean, Mexico, West Africa and Egypt, you can expect to start seeing more products made from the tropical flower here in the US. The sweet-sour tasting flower is packed with antioxidants and anthocyanins that help fight damage caused by free radicals. Both the petals and the calyxes of the hibiscus flower are used to create beverages, including Ooba, which is currently available at Whole Foods stores.
• The taco truck - a longstanding institution on the streets of LA - is getting a whole new spin thanks to Twitter. Kogi Korean BBQ takes the taste of Korean barbecue and melds it with the portability of Mexican tacos and burritos for a whole new category of food. The company sells its food primarily through two trucks that are always on the go to new locations in the Los Angeles area - to know where to find them, customers must follow Kogi on Twitter (more than 7,000 already do).

• Helping revive the notion of comfortable, enjoyable travel, Heineken has created the Heineken Lounge at Newark Liberty International Airport. All travelers are presented with the luxuries typically reserved for first and business class passengers, including private conversation nooks, custom white leather sofas, spherical light fixtures and green aluminum tables in a contemporary brand space. In addition to Heineken, a variety of beers are served alongside a fully-stocked cocktail bar, and the lounge also offers work necessities such as wi-fi, as well as movies and other entertainment.

• The Web site for the Newseum, Washington DC's interactive news and journalism museum, provides virtual visitors with a comprehensive view of world news with a feature that links to the brick-and-mortar institution's "Today's Front Pages" exhibit. Every morning the front page news from over 700 newspapers across the globe is submitted for consideration for the TFP exhibition, but only a small fraction (about 80 front pages) make it to the exhibit. However, all submissions are included in the online version of TFP, where sources can be sorted by region or visualized geographically on a world map.
• Martha Stewart Living is broadeningits editorial focus to include beauty, travel and fashion content as it tries to boost its appeal with advertisers in those categories. With the April issue, Living will introduce a health and beauty column called Apothecary and a personal travel column penned by Martha Stewart herself.
• Reader's Digest Association recently launched a new title, Fresh Home. Repurposing editorial content from RDA's Australian title, The Family Handyman, the magazine targets readers who are looking for affordable, do-it-yourself home decorating and designing information. The quarterly home improvement title has a $4.99 cover price and is sold through subscriptions and on newsstands, including distribution at Wal-Mart and Home Depot.
• CNN.com recently launched a new feature titled "From the Blogs: Controversy, Commentary and Debate." Found at the bottom of each article, the feature aggregates comments from blogs around the Web discussing specific stories (or topics related to stories) published on CNN.com.
• Forbes Media has shuttered MountainTime. The magazine was launched just last summer and focused on luxury recreation and adventure in Western mountain towns.
• After five years of publication, Rodale's Best Life is folding. The May issue will be its last.
• The Rocky Mountain News published its final edition last month, becoming one of the first major U.S. newspapers to fold in the face of declining circulation and revenues created by competition from digital media.