StealThunder Blog

May 12th, 2009

Aisle surfing at Trader Joe’s I saw a package of cereal bars named “this apple walks into a bar…” Yes, “this blueberry (et al) walks into a bar…” too. My first reaction, which I assume was the right one, was to bust out laughing. Second reaction: stuff a few packages into my cart!… Next thought, of course: the name breaks a few key rules. It’s long. It’s funky in certain usage scenarios: “Hey hon, remember to get some of those ‘this apple walks into a bar…’ breakfast bars.” And so on. On the other hand, it’s unforgettable (I’m still chewing on it). The name alone induced me to try the product. And best of all, I’m going back for more. (Was pretty tasty on the inside too)

March 17th, 2009

Recently we’ve been spending a lot of time on Facebook, riffing and reconnecting. Must be something in the spring air. Here’s a link to check us out in that part of of the world - StealThunder on Facebook.

March 14th, 2009

We’ve been working with Varian Medical Systems for about two years now - a tremendous client in a life altering product category. Our work has produced a series of high-impact results, including the brand name RapidArc for one of the most significant advances in radiotherapy in the last decade.

You can get more information here: http://www.varian.com/

March 9th, 2009

It’s great to see that Jukari has gone live.

Working with a first rate creative team at mcgarrybowen in New York, we developed the name Jukari for this cool joint venture between Reebok and Cirque du Soleil. The name has its roots in the Sicilian (yes, Sicilian) word for “to play” - and that’s exactly what Jukari is all about: reinvigorating the sense of play in women’s fitness.

Let us know what you think.

February 28th, 2009

“Zombie Bank”. Talk about vivid images…

February 27th, 2009

or maybe Paltrow is riffing ironically off an old kids’ poem?:

The Goops
by Gillette Burgess

The Goops they lick their fingers
And the Goops they lick their knives
They spill their froth on the tablecloth
Oh, they lead disgusting lives!
The Goops they talk while eating,
And loud and fast they chew;
And that is why I’m glad that I
Am not a Goop, are you?

check us out at www.goop.com?

February 27th, 2009

Gwyneth Paltrow is getting some grief for her new website, www.goop.com., including flak for a dumb name. Personally, I like the name. G for Gwyneth, P for Paltrow, a big “oo” to make it sort of googly. (Maybe her middle names are Ophelia and Olive? Or just Olive Oyl? Who cares.) So what if it sounds like sticky hair gel? Maybe the content is goopy if you’re not one of the friends calling her to ask, “Where should I go?”, or “What should I wear?”. Anyway you can’t say it ain’t short and memorable. You’re not gonna goof and misspell it.

April 26th, 2007

I’ll admit it; blogging software had me a bit intimidated. Not that the software we’re using here–WordPress–is bad; it’s not at all. Just takes some getting used to. Requires a bit more effort than I’ve been willing to invest. And somehow I’ve always had this lingering feeling that I was forever a keystroke away from breaking something. (Perhaps that’s apparent from the date of our last post?)

Then, this week, I discovered VOX. Now here’s blog software I get. Incredibly easy to use. Intuitive. Makes creating a blog, including uploading all kinds of files, as simple as composing an email. I’ve spent more time “blogging” in the past few days than I have in the past few years.

So here’s where you’ll find me, at least for now.

March 14th, 2006

Anyone pondering the challenges of differentiation should check out a recent blurb in Reveries about Trader Joe’s. It’s full of nuggets. Like a really simple, clear customer profile that instantly clicked: “…people who are well-educated, well-traveled, and underpaid.” Or products from all over the world with unique stories, ultimately chosen for their potential to become “addictive.” And more.

I’m not really a Trader Joe’s guy myself—not that I am overpaid or anything…but they obviously know something about marketing.

March 11th, 2006

Meanwhile out there in the more mundane universe beyond the universe-unto-itself we know as Google, a couple of other things recently caught my attention. Specifically in the retail arena. “OK, I’m heading out to the store,” I announce last week, grateful for a break from the PC screen. The shopping list I’ve jotted has “Costco” written all over it, but I’m kind of in a hurry and decide I am going to pop in to the Smart&Final, which is a shorter trip. The shopping list doesn’t include a big screen TV, a vacuum cleaner, 12-packs of kids’ socks, or the new Harry Potter video; just food stuff and cleaning supplies, so Smart&Final seems to make sense.

Funny, the minute I decide on Smart&Final I feel a sense of…what is it? Remorse? Disappointment? I like the cavernous vastness and absurd package sizes of Costco. I feel at home there. How much am I really saving buying 100 rolls of toilet paper at a time? Who knows? I admit the one thing I dislike about the place is the often tedious waiting in the checkout line, the impatient guesswork about which line to get into based on how fast they’re all moving. Naturally, I typically end up in the wrong one…

So I enter the local Smart&Final and have to walk past the ckeckout, and as I glance up I see the little tagline on the checker’s LCD, right where it pays to be reminded: “The Smaller, Faster Warehouse Store.” So many of the companies we work with struggle to position themselves simply. They want to get to that nirvana of “one simple, repeatable idea” that not only sets them apart from everyone else, but helps the right customers love them. And there it is, sharp as “the discount broker,” or “the computer for the rest of us.” Smart&Final nailed it. And they nailed based on a need that stands out like a sore thumb, at least for a range of time-constrained customers. Get your bulk eggs or paper cups or refried beans, and get out.

Then again, does anyone even know about Smart&Final? Did their radio ads drive traffic for them? Is it on the right shoppers’ radar? And how much more do you need to pay to get “faster”? I’d have to dive into some data to find out. But “The Smaller, Faster Warehouse.” Yeah. What it is.