So, this study was probably bad for me to come across. I feel as if I spend way too much time looking at pointless things on the Internet, oh like Facebook, for example. I find myself randomly clicking on people’s profiles for no reason and before I know it, twenty minutes has gone by. Obviously, not a good use of my time. However, I know there are plenty of other people out there like myself. If more studies like this take place and find similar findings, it will have a definite effect on consumers. Those quick adapters will be ready to throw all the knowledge out the window and just play on the Internet. This is not what the world needs because nothing will ever get done. This just proves that technology can be our best friend and our enemy. So, you smart scientists out there, please keep trying to find ways to make us more intelligent!

For a more in-depth look at the article that details the study, click here.

As of next Thursday, Target Corp. will no longer be issuing Target Visa credit cards that can be used at other venues besides their stores. Current Target Visa cardholders will not be affected by this. The reason they will only be issuing store credit cards is to increase retail sales. The company has conducted research to find that customers who have store credit cards spend more money at Target than do Target Visa cardholders. This is an interesting finding because I would think people would use a Visa card more because it’s versatile.  But, that must be the problem—they are using it more, but not where Target wants them to.

The average consumer is not a total idiot. But, most probably won’t think much about why Target’s changing up their credit card. Personally, I am hesitant to sign up for a strictly store credit card because they just start filling up in my wallet and they’re only good for one place. But, I think Target will still be successful in the direction they’re headed because of their extremely positive brand image. Consumers know that they can go there and find basically everything they need. It may be a little more expensive than Wal-Mart, but the quality, atmosphere, and selection is much better. Target is fashionably cheap, which is something that they’ve totally capitalized on and has been a large contributor to their success. Keeping track of what items consumers purchase on their store credit card is going to help Target increase their customer share of wallet, which is obviously good for the company. But if consumers are spending more then Target must be doing something right! So, it’s a win-win situation and everyone benefits. Target’s consistent brand image is going to lead them through this change and consumers probably won’t think twice about it.

This commercial is so great because it puts a spin on an awkward situation that most men face. Dentyne switched up the scenario by showing men buying Dentyne Ice gum instead of condoms. The gum is portrayed as a necessity in order to get close and intimate with someone. The purpose of the commercial is not to diminish the need for condoms, but to show another important aspect of intimacy. Believe me, good breathe is definitely a must!

How will consumers perceive this commercial? Anything having to do with sex gets people’s attention as Dentyne’s commercial proves. Aside from being amusing, it will also make them think twice about both kinds of “protection” they need. Hopefully this commercial will inspire consumers to make condoms and Dentyne a combo purchase.

A study took place in London recently that tested the effects of dark and white chocolate on people with end stage liver disease. Patients who were “given a meal containing 85 percent-cocoa dark chocolate had a markedly smaller rise in blood pressure in the liver, or portal hypertension, than those given white chocolate” (click here to read the full article). The results were presented to the European Association for the Study of the Liver. Hopefully this study will have a positive influence on the world as a whole and not just the medical field.

The fitness trend has caused a lot of people to change the way they eat. Chocolate usually falls into the dessert or “no-no” section in terms of the food pyramid. However, studies such as this and others sure to come in the future could have the potential to change the perception people have of chocolate. It’s interesting that one way or another everything is connected and in turn affects something else. I can’t wait to see where chocolate studies take us. Maybe, just maybe, health food stores will start handing out free chocolate instead of bland granola bars!

Tom Dickson, Blendtec CEO, is the star of each “Will It Blend?” video. They feature a wide array of products such as lanterns and iPods, just to name a few. The fact that Blendtec’s blender has the ability to turn hard and durable products into tiny pieces is really amazing. The videos are a creative way to show consumers the quality of Blendtec’s product. This is a viral marketing technique that has proven to be very effective. The iPad video was so popular that Blendtec gave away a free blender and an iPad. However, the winner got to choose between a blended and completely intact version of the iPad—a very hard decision I’m sure. The point here is that creativity and uniqueness count because consumers appreciate it. Blendtec found a great way to set itself notches above their competitors and to show the value of their products at the same time. I wonder what product will be featured in the next video, the new iPhone maybe? I guess we will just have to wait and see!

Viral marketing is any marketing message that is encouraged to be passed along to others. Because of this, the message exposure has the ability to grow exponentially and influence or reach many people. This has become even more popular with the advent of YouTube and other internet posting sites. One example of a viral marketing success is Hotmail.com. All they did was offer users free email services and attached the tagline, “Get your private, free email at http://www.hotmail.com” to each message that was sent out. Obviously, this had a huge effect. Everybody LOVES the word FREE. So when Hotmail users emailed their friends, colleagues, etc. they would see the tagline, which would encourage them to also sign up for a FREE email account.

More and more companies are starting to use viral marketing and consumers have definitely responded. Not only is it less expensive for the company, but the consumer gets something FREE in return. The economy has caused many to change their behavior and take advantage of all the breaks they can get. If it’s feasible, businesses should start giving away more stuff. FREE has always been a buzz word for consumers in the past, but it’s even more of an attention grabber these days.

10. “I’m stuck in traffic.”

9. “It wasn’t that expensive.”

8. “I’m on my way.”

7. “I didn’t have too much to drink.”

6. “Sorry, I missed your call.”

5. “My battery died…”

4. “…and I had no signal.”

3. “No, your butt doesn’t look big in that.”

2. “This will be my last beer.”

1. “Nothing’s wrong, I’m fine.”

Alright ladies, let’s get serious—no guy tells the truth all the time. The above phrases are what Cosmopolitan calls “His 10 Biggest Love Lies”. If you are in a relationship or have been in one before, it’s very likely that some or all of the lies are familiar to you.  Did you label them as such? If you didn’t consider them lies before, you probably will now. Cosmopolitan has a way of grabbing its reader’s attention and persuading them to see things the way they do. Whether you are a male or female, the magazine’s cover is enough to draw you inside the issue. Next, you are sure to notice the hot articles titles listed on the cover. No matter which actress, music artist, or model is featured, the magazine always sticks out from its competitors and grabs the attention of both sexes. So guys, three words of advice…beware of Cosmo!

Speed traps have evolved over the years. The traditional methods of officers using stopwatches or hiding out in conspicuous places with their radar guns just waiting to pull you over are not the necessarily the norm all across the United States. The advances in technology have led to a new way of catching speed demons—rolling radar systems and automated cameras. The new and improved radar systems are mounted on top of cop cars and can detect car speeds across multiple lanes of traffic. Speed cameras are starting to replace physical law enforcement by automated cameras. Some of the cameras are easily noticeable while others are strategically hidden. They catch you by taking a picture of your license plate and sending you a ticket in the mail. Not only does this save money in terms of physical labor, but it also results in more revenue for the government! Of course these cameras are becoming more and more popular across the country. It looks like speed traps are here to stay.

So how did people react to this? Well, the National Motorist Association created an informational website called speedtrap.org. This is such a brilliant idea! The website lists each individual state in the United States that has specific speed trap locations or automated cameras. By clicking on a certain state, you can browse the different cities to find out where the speed traps are.  This has to be the answer to all the wannabe race car drivers’ prayers all across the country!

Now what does this tell us? There is a solution to every problem, of course! Although speeding is against the law and results in repercussions, consumers have found a way to try to prevent getting caught with a lead foot. People will take the time and effort to search this site in order to feel confident about speeding in certain areas. People who go through the hassle of researching these areas and using them to decide appropriate places to speed would probably arrive at their destinations quicker had they simply followed the law. However, the thrill of cheating and beating the system will continue to fuel the speeders of the world.

Kate Gosselin never stops talking. But the strange thing is that people don’t stop talking about her either. Whether it is her hair, slimmed down body, or under par performance on Dancing With the Stars, people get so caught up in her life. She was introduced to the world thanks to TLC’s show Jon and Kate Plus 8. The show jump started the Gosselin family’s popularity and it was obvious from the start that Kate was the diva. Jon and Kate Plus 8 ran for five seasons and ended with the couple getting a divorce (what a surprise…not). The season premiere had a record 9.8 million viewers–which proves people obviously find them interesting.

Kate couldn’t go back to the private life and had to keep herself in the public eye after the show ended. She has written three books, with another due out in 2011. There is a Wikipedia page individually devoted to her in addition to the one about Jon and Kate Plus 8. She is currently a contestant on the tenth season of Dancing With the Stars and has another TLC show in the mix called Twist of Kate. Who knows what’s on the agenda after all of the above are completed.

Why is she so popular? Why does she make the front cover of tabloid magazines? Well, it’s because she’s controversial and everyone has his or her own opinion. The Team Kate people of the world are just overly joyous that she’s still around. The rest of us just want to see her over stayed fifteen minutes of fame end. But it’s up to us, the consumers of the world, to fix the problem. The way we behave determines whether Kate is here to stay or soon to go away.

Marina Abramovic has a new exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. There are a couple interesting features to this exhibit–nude models and Abramovic is actually present each day. She sits silently through the display and viewers are invited to join her as long as they keep quiet. The exhibit is appropriately named “Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present”.

It’s no surprise that FOXNews.com found this exhibit newsworthy. However, the article was published in the crime section. Why is this you ask? Well, some people couldn’t refrain from touching the nude models. The models were not especially thrilled to be groped by strangers in a public place.  This says so much about our society and consumer behavior. Sex intrigues people, no matter what form. It’s an effective way to reach people either directly or subliminally. People reportedly were touching different regions of the models’ bodies–anywhere from the chest, back, and buttocks. It’s interesting that people didn’t find it intrusive or wrong to touch a naked person they’ve never met. They had to have known that there would be repercussions, considering they performed an act of sexual harassment.  Touching art is never allowed in museums, even if it is a naked person–but these people just couldn’t resist!