Sidewalk Life

Platinum Luxury

A quick glance at the ads in the new AMEX Departures magalog reveals what Platinum cardholders are up to.  They're...

• wearing handmade shoes from Kiton, suits from Corneliani, Brooks Brothers, and Brioni, watches from Breitling, Rolex, Patek Philippe, Brequet, David Yurman, Bovet, and Chanel
• golfing in RLX Golf apparel
• driving the Infinity QX56 or Jaguar XJ, Acura MDX, Aston Martin's Vantage Roadster
• playing and partying in NoHo
• buying jewels from Bvgari, Harry Winston, Mont Blanc, Michael Beaudry, Verdura,
  
• investing with the Stanford Financial Group
• flying on-demand through Netjets, Flexjet, Marquisjet, Sentient, Hondajet, Delta Air Elite
• traveling to India, Australia, Tunisia, Turks & Caicos, Bermuda, Lisbon, Honduras, Barbados, Israel, and Panama,
• staying at The Arrabelle in Vail, Haymarket Hotel in London, The Peninsula in Tokyo, Shutters in LA, Bellagio in Vegas, Sofitel, and the Ritz Carlton anywhere,
• eating at the Lan Club in Beijing, Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Smith & Wollensky in New York
  
• cruising on Regent and the QM2
• yachting on Oceanco Yachts
• carrying luggage from Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Tumi, Tod's, Cole Haan,
• buying second homes at Vineyard Estates, Promontory in Park City, and other property through Sotheby's and luxuryportfolio.com and
• still cooking with Viking ranges.  Only now with the Designer Series
• furnishing their homes from Design Within Reach, Natuzzi, and Hastens beds
• indulging in Cacao Reserve chocolate by Hershey's?
• pampering themselves at the Santa Lucia Preserve in Carmel California
• supporting UNICEF, The Climate Project, Earth Share
  

Offline Channels Drive Customers to Search

Mass media is not dead. 
In fact, it may be more important to the way customers shop than we thought.  That is according to this Jupiter research study that reports that television more than any other channel drives people to search for information on a company or product.

It's especially interesting in contrast to this report form Alloy and Harris Interactive that seems to ignore that over 80% of students own televisions.  The story they chose to report was about the growth of mobile media devices over the staying power of the television as a dominant fixture of young people's lives.

Know The Customer

It's more important than strategy and creative according to your clients. 

That's what Rainmaker Consulting found in a study that examines why clients choose one agency over another. 

The rankings:

1. Quality customer insights
2. Chemistry
3. Creative work
4. Service level / response to needs ongoing
5. Cost control
6. Innovative / strategic thinking
7. Case for ROI
8. Client list
9. Strict adherence to brief
10. Seniority of account team
11. Location
12. Size

Marketingcharts.com has the story.