Get a job, take a trip

Madison Avenue is making like an employment agency, offering fanciful jobs as prizes in sweepstakes, contests and other promotions.

We were looking for what would have an impact, what would stay with people,” said Danielle Courtenay, chief marketing officer for the Orlando and Orange County Visitors and Convention Bureau, in Florida. The bureau sponsored a contest to hire a pair of “smile ambassadors” whose jobs would be to visit tourist attractions and write about their experiences.

The contest, part of a tourism campaign carrying the theme “Orlando makes me smile,” offered jobs that would last 67 days. (The idea is it would take the winners that long to see more than 100 local sights, from museums to theme parks to alligator wrestling.) The pay: $25,000 for the pair to cover expenses back home, a condominium in downtown Orlando, a rental car, cameras and cellphones. The winners, a pair of 25-year-old friends from New York, started work this week, blogging at 67daysofsmiles.com and tweeting on Twitter.com/67Days; their reports can also be found on Facebook (facebook.com/visitorlando).

Perhaps the best known was a recent contest sponsored by the organization Tourism Queensland offering the “best job in the world”: a six-month gig to be a caretaker on Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef in the Queensland state of Australia and chronicle the experience. The winner of that contest, which drew more than 34,000 entries, was a Briton, Ben Southall, who went to work on July 1, filing reports on Twitter (twitter.com/Bensouthall) and a blog (islandreefjob.com).

Another travel marketer offering jobs is the Republic of Taiwan Tourism Bureau, with a contest called the Best Trip in the World (taiwanbesttrip.net). The offer: “Come up with the best Taiwan tour itinerary, take the tour, write about it online” and win a million Taiwan dollars (about $30,000) for a one-month trip around the island.

The classically modern man

Lifestyle websites for the new true gentleman. Lots of great topics:

Permanent Style: One of the first and easiest ways to spot a classically modern man is the spruce way he dresses. You might think it's easy - throw on a suit and a tie and you're set - but really the gentleman aura is all in the details: How much of your shirt peeks out from under your jacket? How should your pant leg rest on your shoes? And, when is it within reason to wear purple socks? Well, Permanent Style is here to help Gen Y guys decipher the time-honored clothing code by explaining all the classic looks that are here to stay.

The Art of Manliness: A great place to get the gritty on the intangibles of living the classically modern man life-style. The site will help average young dudes learn long lost "Manly Skills," such as one of the most forgotten classical trademarks: the perfect handshake. Additionally, advice on how to keep your money clip full and your manly body healthy is laced with interesting side notes such as the history of the bow-tie and its famous advocates over the years.

'American Made' a Selling Point for Some

As the recession drags on, there has been talk of fresh consumer interest in "buying American." An AdweekMedia/Harris Poll indicates this is indeed an attitude marketers of U.S.-made goods could tap into, though such sentiment may be more wide than deep.

In polling fielded last month, 59 percent of respondents said they're more likely to buy a product when an ad emphasizes that it is made in the U.S. However, that included fewer than half as many (28 percent) saying they'd be "much more likely" to do so. Hardly any consumers would find such a message offputting, though, as just 3 percent said they'd be less likely to buy a product whose advertising stressed its made-in-America aspect. Thirty-seven percent said it wouldn't make a difference to them one way or another.

Younger consumers are less susceptible than their elders to a made-in-America sales pitch. Thirty-nine percent of the survey's 18-34-year-olds said they're more likely to buy a product when an ad emphasizes that it's made in America, vs. 60 percent of the 35-44-year-olds, 68 percent of the 45-54s and 74 percent of those 55 and older.

The disparities are even more striking when you focus on those saying they're "much more likely" to buy a product that has advertised itself in this way. The number of 18-34-year-olds putting themselves in that category (15 percent) was barely one-third the number of 55-plusers doing so (43 percent).

-from Adweek

'Mad Men' latest from Hollywood to influence fashion

The AMC series "Mad Men" has been honored for its sharp writing, polished acting and engaging portrayal of life at a New York advertising agency in the early 1960s.

It has also been much noticed for something else: its fashion sense.

The series, which features all the looks of that era -- thin-lapeled suits and skinny ties, crinoline-puffed dresses and pencil skirts, Peter Pan collars and subdued pinks and greens -- has attracted attention from fashion designers and clothing merchandisers. Banana Republic, which has placed "Mad Men"-inspired clothes in its window displays, is even offering a walk-on role for the winner of a contest.

-from cnn.com

Are travel agents making a comeback?

Some travelers are finding themselves defecting from travel booking sites like Travelocity.com or airline sites like Delta.com. They are going back the travel agent, an industry that many industry experts once thought to be passé with the advent of online booking. "It's a cut-and-paste experience when you're booking online. None of these sites are going to tell me what I can do with different options. Travel agents know what they are talking about. It's more comforting to hand my money to someone who has the knowledge and experience."

Fewer travelers are enjoying using the Web to plan and buy trips, according to a study last week by Forrester Research, a market research company. About 46 percent of U.S. leisure travelers enjoyed using the Internet to book travel this year, down from 53 percent in 2007.

In the brick-and-mortar travel agent model, a trained agent meets with the traveler in person or establishes a relationship over the phone. "People are saying 'I don't understand my options, and I would like to talk to someone who can do all the searching and tell me what's available,' " said Henry Hartevelt, the analyst who wrote the Forrester study.

Travel agent Nancy Cutter of Court Travel Ltd. in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a half-dozen other agencies across the country say they have experienced a surge in returning clients, who said travel Web sites were confusing and unhelpful.

In several instances, brick-and-mortar agents say they were able to offer deals at the same price as, and even undercut, the travel agent models, dispelling the belief that the cheapest rate is online.

Travel agents don't discount the value of online travel agencies, which can be useful for booking simple, short trips, but they say complex itineraries require more expertise from a professional. Many online travel companies agree that an agent may be valuable in planning a detailed honeymoon that includes a tour of vineyards in France or a family excursion to top snorkeling and kangaroo-watching destinations in Australia.

-from cnn.com

Networking beyond the rolodex

Meat Cards : Not yet available to the public: jerky business cards. Made of 100% edible deliciousness, the meat is branded with your personal information using lasers. The guys behind these culinary cards are still nailing down the details (like how to avoid porous meat and whether or not they should be shrink-wrapped), but you can follow their development on Twitter. And while these tasty cards might not fit in a typical Rolodex, the people to whom you give them are sure to sing your praisesthe next morning as their hangovers set in.

Augmented Reality Cards: No need to worry about folks with whom you've networked having to search their groggy memory of the night before. James Alliban, currently employed at Sky Creative in London, came up with a way to make it easier for people to put a face to a name. Using augmented reality technology, Alliban printed a grid of 3D colored panels that, when placed in front of a webcam, makes it appear as if a blocky version of himself is popping out of the paper card. As seen in this video, the digital Alliban talks a little bit about his resume, directs card-bearers to his blog, and plays around with his hands in a way reminiscent of David Blaine. Granted, not everyone has the skills to hack their business cards, but we can see this becoming a trend in the near future as more people leverage technology to stand out from the crowd.

Eccentric Edibles

Lobster Ice Cream : New England-based Ben and Bill's Chocolate Emporium makes the sweetest of crustaceans into a sugary delicacy. To create their famous lobster ice cream, freshly cooked lobsters are selected from a local lobster pound, pulled apart, buttered and folded into a sweet, creamy, butter-flavored ice cream. According to Ben and Bill, lobster ice cream "tastings" hit an all time high during peak lobster season. For those who long for the euphoria of a salty summer vacation upon returning home, a scoop of the shellfish ice cream, which happens to be their #1 shipped item, may just do the trick.

Bacon Vodka: Flavoring an arsenal of new products as of late, everyone's favorite pork product is finding a number of new culinary homes outside of the breakfast platter. From Vosges' Mo's Bacon Bar and More Cupcakes' BLT and Peach Bacon baked goods to J&D's Baconnaise and Bacon Salt, bacon lovers have both sweet and savory options to choose from. Those who prefer to clog their arteries with liquids can now order bacon in a glass: Bakon Vodka combines meat and potatoes in a smooth, clean tasting spirit that might just be the perfect addition to the brunch Bloody Mary.

Chocolate Tortilla Chips : Not even Tollhouse could've dreamed up these chocolate chips. Made from stone ground corn, Dutch cocoa powder, semi-sweet chocolate and sea salt, the salty sweet flavor and crunch of these chips are addictive straight from the bag, or crunched on a scoop of ice cream. For those lacking the culinary creativity gene, Food Should Taste Good's website recommends accompaniments for all their flavors, with apple butter and strawberries with balsamic highlighted as tasty pairings for the chocolate chip. We're thinking of making a serious stack of dessert nachos.