Forgive the lapse in blogs — been on the road.  On that note, yet another online community is looking to engage around traveling but this one has a bit of a twist.  www.Trekaroo.com  is specifically designed for parents to explore and share experiences, tips, and suggestions for traveling with the rugrats.  The jury is still out on if all these communities can survive but that doesn’t stop their creators from trying.

The right combination of need and product can succeed even in tough times. Hitting the airwaves this fall with cheesy direct advertising and now with a waiting list, the quirky little blanket with sleeves has become the raiment of the zeitgeist, with more than 4 million units sold in just over three months and more than 200 parody videos on YouTube. Fox News honed in on a woman wearing a Snuggie as she braved the cold attending Barack Obama’s inauguration on Jan. 20, five days after Ellen DeGeneres donned one on her daytime talk show. Ads tout the Snuggie as a way to cut heating bills and let folks curl up on the sofa with their hands free. With a growing number of consumers hunkering down and looking to save money, two Snuggies and two book lights for $19.95 is starting to look like a pretty good deal. (more…)

Almost at the instant Obama was sworn in, www.whitehouse.gov relaunched with a redesign to signal a new era in government. Gone was the staid site of the Bush White House, replaced by a dynamic new site reflective of his tech-savvy successor.  “Millions of Americans have powered President Obama’s journey to the White House, many taking advantage of the Internet to play a role in shaping our country’s future. WhiteHouse.gov is just the beginning of the new administration’s efforts to expand and deepen this online engagement.” (more…)

Goodbye gherkin, hello tomato. After more than 110 years, H.J. Heinz Co. is giving the tomato top billing on its namesake ketchup and bumping the pickle from the label of one of America’s most iconic brands. In testing, mothers — the target buyers — said having the tomato on the label helped them make the connection with the product’s main ingredient. Mothers want to have more information about the foods they’re serving their families and they want to feel that the foods are natural and wholesome. Lynn Dornblaser, a trend expert for research firm Mintel International, said the tomato image plays into modern, more educated consumers’ desire for a better understanding of what they’re eating, whether for health, safety or just knowledge’s sake. Pickle-lovers, fear not: The tiny gherkin will remain on other Heinz products, including mustard, vinegar and chili sauce. ”It is a part of our company heritage,” Noel Geoffrey director of ketchup for Pittsburgh-based Heinz said. (more…)

Now is not the time to be clueless about brand platform. Previously seen as recession-proof, the beer category is taking some serious hits. Case in point is Miller Lite whose shipments to retailers declined a startling 7.5% in the fourth quarter, driving its parent MillerCoors’ results into negative territory. Since Bartle Bogle took over the brand from Crispin Porter & Bogusky in 2007, its efforts — which boasted about taste, calories and carbs while often tweaking Anheuser-Busch’s Clydesdale and Dalmatian icons — haven’t hit the mark. Compare and contrast to the success of the “Take back the High Life” advertising campaign, which features Windell Middlebrooks as the burly High Life delivery man, Marino said. The campaign, which debuted in November 2006, is designed around a “common sense” theme.  The push back against pretentiousness has really struck a nerve. (more…)

Coca-Cola is preparing to unveil a new global ad campaign with the tagline “Open Happiness.” The new slogan is set to figure prominently in advertising and could replace “The Coke Side of Life,” which was launched in 2006. That tagline has been the overriding theme for all of Coke’s efforts, including the award-winning “Happiness Factory. “ The direction seems to dovetail with that of rival Pepsi, which is running an optimism push. But the Atlanta soft-drink giant has long focused on a theme of happiness, with taglines such as “Have a Coke and a Smile” in the 1970s. But now, with consumers increasingly fearful about the economy, and dismal news in practically every industry, the timing appears right for a fresh, new campaign focused on happiness.  (more…)

Looking to add a more positive spin to some tough times, Dunkin’ Donuts launched last week its new “You kin’ do it” ad campaign. The campaign is in touch with today’s attitudes while leveraging the brands’ hard won equity. Dunkin’ Donuts brand marketing officer Frances Allen said in a statement, “‘You kin’ do it’ shines the spotlight on the accomplishments of hardworking Americans, while reinforcing that Dunkin’ Donuts will continue to fuel their busy day and provide a bit of happiness without blowing the lid off their budget.”  (more…)

Shopping, these days, is a political act. If you are brave enough to buy a $2,000 Prada handbag, you might rationalize that you are helping to stimulate the economy. Saks Fifth Avenue, which has surely felt the recession’s sting, is taking a fist-raising stand with its spring marketing. The campaign is inspired by the bold graphic designs and propaganda spirit of Constructivist art — although it is intended to be tongue-in-cheek. The Saks slogan, “Want It!” is printed in lettering similar to the graphic designs of Rodchenko, the Russian graphic designer who was one of the founders of Constructivism. “What we do every day, really, is propaganda,” said Terron E. Schaefer, the senior vice president for marketing at Saks. Really? Saks needs to do a little reading up on Russian Revolution. It really didn’t end all that well for fashionistas.  (more…)