The word "Niagara" conjures up visions of water, since, you now, it's the name of a gigantic waterfall and all. The name has also been used for a number of products, and was most recently used as a codename for Sun Microsystems' new microchip (later changed to UltraSparc T1). There are currently 96 trademarks in the US that use the name, compared to 144 in Canada. William Lozito of Strategic Name Development has a good point when he says the name "Niagara" probably conjures up images of water, great power, and the like, and that it's more appropriate for some products than others. However, the first name that popped into my head after reading his quote was "Amazon," which conjures up images of reptiles, rivers, and tropical climates, and not, you know, books and DVDs. Is it better to use a name you know conjures up a certain image, or to be unique and try to get your brand into the public consciousness that way?
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After checking out 
The lexicon can be an interesting phenomenon. The power words have can change as society changes, and that's usually a good thing. A title like "Queer Eye" may have been offensive twenty years ago, but that word has been reclaimed by the gay community and become more empowering. Similarly, the phrase "Dykes on Bikes" was recently trademarked by lesbian bikers in San Francisco (where else?). The San Francisco Women's Motorcycle Contingent was previously denied the trademark by the US Patent Office, but the National Center for Lesbian Rights insisted the word was no longer offensive. Right on, sisters.
I always thought beans were the musical food, but I guess that old playground chant was wrong. The Tesco supermarket chain in Great Britain has launched a trial Christmas promotion: musicial sandwiches. Well, from what I understand the box the sandwich comes in is musical, not the sandwich itself (not sure how they would pull that off). Having something play music when you open it isn't the most unique idea, but it's not something you normally associate with food, so I'll call it an unoriginal idea used in an original way. Myself, I choose to be serenaded by a 
I didn't discover the joy that is Cinnabon until about a year ago when I worked in a mall that had one. "My god," people would say, "you've never eaten at Cinnabon?" It almost seemed like a crime that I had yet to sample their doughy, caramel-covered confections. I have to admit, they make a damn fine cinnamon roll. The chain also recently turned twenty years old, and the Associated Press has an interesting article on the history of the business, which was started in Seattle in 1985 by Rich Komen. The chain has been bought and sold several times, and was most recently acquired by Focus Brands, which was attracted to the recognizable brand name. 
A scented credit card. Possibly one of the oddest marketing concepts I've ever heard, but that's exactly what credit card issuer JCB is doing in Japan to celebrate the fact that it has issued more than 500,000 of its JCB LINDA cards. The LINDA cards are geared specifically to women, who claim fragrance plays an important role in their lives. They should make chocolate purses, too. Or maybe not. The scented cards are limited to 20,000, and the smell is said to last three years. 
Some parents are upset over wrapping paper being handed out at cinemas in Canada as a promotion for Virgin Mobile. The wrapping paper shows pictures of male and female angels caressing and fondling one another. Well, isn't that why they call it "heaven?" Anyway, the theaters have stopped giving away the wrapping paper, which was probably the right choice. I'm not sure how these images of celestial beings engaged in dry humping went from the drawing board to the hands of children in the first place, but there you go. I'd say someone dropped the ball, but there's probably a better choice of words.
Well, it's probably not "advertising" in the traditional (or even non-traditional) sense, but I think 
As it prepares to finalize its acquisition of MCI, Verizon is also looking to sell off Superpages.com and the rest of its Verizon Information Services (VIS). This, according to Verizon, will allow both the yellow pages service and the phone/service to grow as separate companies, though the change does have some worried. Google could be interested, according to speculation, and the sale could bring in anywhere from $13 to $17 billion, according to analysts.
The Council of American Churches and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in Florida once put in place a four-year ban to entice Yum! Brands (parent company of Taco Bell) to pay more for its tomatoes in order to increase the money given to the workers who pick the fruit. The boycott worked, eventually, and now those same organizations are asking the same of McDonald's. No boycott is planned, but last month they began to put pressure on McDonald's to start paying more. McDonald's has not yet responded to the demand.
Recently Lincoln Mercury tried a guerrilla marketing tactic to promote the Lincoln Milan. It had people dressed in matching suits in six different cities enter salons, restaurants, and other places and offer to pay for meals, coffee, haircuts, and whatever. Of course, they also talked about the Milan while they were doing it. It's a nice approach, but some point out that such techniques need to be examined more closely to make sure they're actually having an effect. In other words, if you're offering to pay for my meal, I'll probably listen to whatever you have to say. Whether I'll care two seconds after you say it is something else entirely.
Did you know Costco is the biggest seller of fine wines in the world? I sure didn't, and it's understand able since one doesn't always make the association between such things. ABC News has an interesting profile on Costco and its founder, Jim Sinegal. Sinegal's approach is very "hands on" (he visits many of his stores on a regular basis and tends to blend in with his employees). In many ways, Costco has become the anti-Wal-Mart, offering much higher pay to its workforce and creating a much more personal shopping experience. Additionally, Sinegal salary is only a fraction of other CEOs. It's a refreshing approach to business, and considering the vitriol spewed at Wal-Mart, it's also a wise one.
That tired old saying about necessity being the mother of invention may be true, but it's not exactly in sync with reality. Most new inventions these days aren't really based on any kind of necessity at all. That doesn't mean that coming up with superfluous inventions can't be fun, though. Electrolux asked designers from all over the world to imagine the kitchen of 2020. You can view the results 
They say more people than ever will be shopping online this year. Considering that yesterday I pretty much did ninety-nine percent of my holiday shopping in under an hour while sitting at my computer, I would have to agree. Shopping malls aren't taking it lying down, however. They're offering things like interactive games and amusement park rides to get consumers to leave their comfy homes and venture out for a kind of "shopping plus" experience (my phrase). I know about the merging of shopping and entertainment all to well. Remember, I live in the Twin Cities, and we have this little thing called the Mall of America. One company, called Mall Ball, is even holding "shoot-outs" in malls. Now if only I had a car and even the slightest interest in basketball.
Companies such as TomTom and NavTones have contracted Mr. T, John Cleese, Dennis Hopper and Burt Reynolds to record their voices for GPS systems as a means of adding some celebrity personality to your navigation system. That sounds interesting in theory, but as 
