noviembre 06, 2004

Product lines for PR

This story makes me laugh:
Jones Soda Co. takes the idea of a liquid diet to a new low. How does Green Bean Casserole Soda strike you? And how about an aggressively buttery-smelling Mashed Potato Soda?

ADVERTISEMENT

Even the creators of the fizzy concoctions at this small Seattle soda company can hardly stomach the stuff. But last year's unexpected success of the Turkey & Gravy Soda means another round of bizarre food-flavored soft drinks.

As an added bonus, they're calorie-free.

This week Jones Soda Co. launches a full meal deal of five Thanksgiving soda flavors, from the bile-colored Green Bean Casserole to the sweet — but slightly sickly — Fruitcake Soda. Last year's Turkey & Gravy is also back on the menu.
I think this is a PR stunt.

Jones is a smart, quirky company. They make "gourmet" sodas, which are generally very tasty. I believe they are from the Northwest, and seem to love that quirky semi-hippie vibe from up there. Their problem isn't so much in keeping customers; it's in getting the distribution that allows them to go after customers. Jones isn't available many places so far, but I'm sure they'd like to build some brand recognition for places that they go in the future.

And look -- they've managed to get very good coverage. Most newspapers have picked up the story!

noviembre 05, 2004

Probably last Vegas post

When you've been to Vegas for the first time, it makes you think. As I wrote yesterday, they turned one simple idea -- legal gambling -- into a huge enterprise. Today Las Vegas is a booming metropolis, but it has no industry. It is mainly populated by the people who work at casinos and the entrepreneurs who offer services to those who work at casinos. Plus some retirees who like warm weather, low cost of living, and gambling.

My guess is that Vegas provides an excellent opportunity for lower middle class of the West to get middle class service jobs. Then they have kids and the kids have the opportunity for social mobility. Given my experience, this seems particularly true for immigrants.

A couple of the suburbs looked pretty cute. I thought Henderson and Boulder City looked like a nice place to live. They were cute, suburban, and not far from some beautiful views. Living in the mountains is fun.

What I wasn't fond of: being a single guy on the street, you get mobbed by people trying to give you cards for hookers. I'm smart enough to not take things from people on the street.

I also had four different occasions on the street late at night of black guys my age walking up to me and saying in a low voice "chronic, man, chronic." Yeah... I've never done drugs and I don't think now is the time to start, buddy.

The glitz was also underwhelming to me, perhaps because I had my expectations raised by so many other people. I have to say though...it's amusing that even the McDonalds and Motel6 have neon flashing signs.

noviembre 04, 2004

More Vegas

I'm not entirely sure of the history behind Nevada's gambling. It is obviously libertarian on gambling and prostitution. The Wild West generally had a pretty libertarian bent, in general.

I do wonder if the folks who originally made these laws envisioned the potential for business. Were they thinking like entrepreneurs? Or were they just degenerate gamblers?

noviembre 03, 2004

Election over

With the election over, productivity can resume.

Personally, I know my productivity slumps significantly during election time. I keep politics out of this blog, but I'm a news junkie. When it's election time, I can't resist.

Being out of town was like being a fish out of water. I had no way to get my fix, and it drove me crazy. Then I got used to it for a few days. Still, I was glad to get home in time to watch the returns roll in.

I wonder how much employee productivity time is lost to election watching?

noviembre 02, 2004

The Vegas Strip

Having never been to the Vegas Strip before, I always figured it was something like the downtown of a city. It's not.

The Vegas Strip is several miles long. That's quite a bit of real estate. Most of the casinos are huge parcels of the Strip. Not only do they have a quarter mile (obviously, this is towards the high end of the range) of land on facing the strip, but the property usually goes back quite a ways too.

Even on the most developed sections of the strip, there are still properties facing the strip that aren't very developed.

The point is: while longtime Vegas residents probably feel like the Strip is incredibly long, I predict that the Strip will continue to get longer and longer for the next few decades.

Out of town

Been out of town recently. Posting should resume imminently.