We all scream for ice-cream!

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing John's $1 scoop ice-cream!

Every time I walk by this sign in downtown Berkeley, I think to myself: What's the catch? Why is it so cheap? Is the ice-cream crappy?

Yesterday I finally went in, after seeing many people streaming out of the store happily eating ice-cream.

There was no catch! The flavor selection was vast, and the ice-cream was fantastic. One big scoop of it on top of a sugar cone for a dollar!

Many people were in the store waiting for ice-cream. Some expressed their bewilderment in words, "wow, this is ingenious!"

Have marketers been working so hard thinking up convoluted promotion schemes that now what is considered ingenious is something so simple?

Bundling, buy-one-get-one-free, buy-one-get-second-one-half-off,.... People these days know that they're all "tricks" to get them to buy more. Yes, people will buy more and profits will be healthy.

But that leaves room for competitors who catch on to people's yearning for simplicity in life.

i text, u text, we all text...

...for free samples?

I was flying back to the Bay Area from New York last week. When the complimentary beverages came, I put down my tray and gasped.



Airplane-tray ads! Love at first sight.

Broadly speaking, people sitting on a plane engage in five groups of activities:

1. Sleep
2. Read (book/laptop)
3. Eat/drink
4. Listen to music/watch movie
5. Stare into space

Since FAA regulations and airline policies put a damper* on most activities, amount of time spent by passengers on staring into space is surprisingly high. What a good place to put an ad!

The "clusters" looked appetizing; the copy was convincing. But, the call for action was a bit, shall I say, impractical?

"Be The First To Try It! When you land, text CLUSTERS to 467467 to receive your FREE sample of Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters."

Did someone forget that tray-up-and-seat-upright drill passengers have to perform as the plane is landing? I had every intention of texting for my free sample upon landing, but when I was finally allowed to turn on my cell phone, I have completely forgotten about the offer.

Maybe that was the point--use the word FREE to grab attention on the plane, forget the sampling, and then wait for people to show up in the supermarket aisle.

Regardless, I quite like the idea of ShopText. Want to respond to an ad right away? Just send a text to the number given.

With ShopText, consumers can buy or request samples easily, with just a few taps on the cell phone. In turn, companies can better track which ads are working, real time.

It is a clever idea, though perhaps not in an airplane setting.

*Do I really have to turn off my MP3 player when the plane is taking off?