The M20: Top Marketer Blogs: Why I Blog?

Forrester Research's Peter Kim - who blogs at Being Peter Kim - has created a powerful resource with the M20 list of top client side marketing blogs. He has just published the November list and it's an honor for Flooring The Consumer to be included.

Peter has enhanced the M20 list blog by showcasing blogging marketers and highlighting why each blogs. Although each answers the same questions, the paths taken to blogging vary greatly. It's fascinating to read.

To date you can learn more about:
+ Max Kalehoff - AttentionMax. He blogs at AttentionMax about marketing, media, and life. He is VP of Marketing at Nielsen Online.

+ Valeria Maltoni - Conversation Agent. Her blog, Conversation Agent, discusses "how talk can change our lives." She is Director of Marketing Communications at SunGard Availability Services.

+ Tamara Gielen - BeRelevant blogs at BeRelevant about email marketing best practices. She is an email marketing manager at eBay in Belgium.

+ Todd "Turbo" Watson - IBM blogs at IBM about technology and e-business. He is the e-relationship manager at IBM Software Group.

+ Kris Hoet - 'Cross The Breeze from 'Cross The Breeze blogs about interactive, technology and a host of related topics. He is the EMEA Marketing Manager for Microsoft.

+ Kevin Dugan - Strategic Public Relations blogs at Strategic Public Relations. He is Director of Marketing Communications at FRCH Design Worldwide.

I'm very excited that Flooring The Consumer and C. B. Whittemore from Wear-Dated are the latest additions! You can find us at C.B. Whittemore, Flooring The Consumer.

Thanks, Peter!

In other news, The Hughes Group publishes a digital newsletter called The Nudge and included a story about Flooring The Consumer in the October 2007 issue.

Very exciting!

Technorati Tags: M20 Top Marketer Blogs marketing social media The Hughes Group Del.icio.us Tags: M20 Top Marketer Blogs marketing social media The Hughes Group

Bathroom Blogfest 2007 Wrap-Up

What a wild 2007 Bathroom Blogfest Week! I hope you've had as much fun as we have.

In case you missed any of the posts from Flooring The Consumer, here's what happened, starting with Let the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest Begin....

Day 1:
Taking Bathrooms To The Next Level - Kohler
Taking Bathrooms To The Next Level - II
Taking Bathrooms To The Next Level: Michigan Tile...

Day 2:
Bathroom Brand Manifestations:M&Ms
Bathroom Brand Manifestations: Bass Pro Shops
Bathroom Brand Manifestations: Mickey Mouse
Brand Manifestations In The Bathroom: Advertising

Day 3:
Bathroom Blogfest 2007 - Extreme Solutions
Bathroom Blogfest - More Extreme Solutions

Day 4:
Bathroom Blogfest and Measurement

Day 5 [overlapping into Day 6]:
Bathroom Blogfest Brings It Home to Retail
Bringing The Bathroom Blogfest Home - Advice
Bringing the Bathroom Blogfest Truly Home

Thank you for reading. Thank you for participating. We look forward to seeing you again for the 2008 Bathroom Blogfest.

Here's to another terrific Bathroom Blogfest, with great appreciation to all of my fellow bloggers:

Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path
Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop
Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in
Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads
Maria Palma—Customers Are Always
Becky Carroll—Customers Rock!
Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing
Stephanie Weaver—Experienceology
Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now
C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer
Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee
Helene Blowers—Library Bytes
Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures
Katie Clark—Practical Katie
Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren
Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research
Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution
Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women
Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper
Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand
Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
Katia S. Adams—Transcultural
Katie Konrath-Get Fresh Minds
Jennifer Brite-Kitchen and Bath Business

Don't forget the Bathroom Blogfest group site!

Technorati Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience Del.icio.us Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience

Bringing the Bathroom Blogfest Truly Home

Continuing with Day 5 [yes, into Day 6] of the Bathroom Blogfest, I have one more entry relating to Bringing The Bathroom Blogfest Home. And that is bringing it into the home.

Starting with "The Master Bath Matures. Luxury amenities and calming colors create peaceful and convenient settings in master bath suites" by Maureen Alley from the May 2007 issue of RDB Magazine. It is filled with glamorous bathrooms photos and interesting tidbits [e.g., baths vs. showers].

Some particularly relevant quotes from the article: "homeowners ... expect their bathrooms to offer them a peaceful haven from the commotions of work, children and traffic. Homeowners want their master bathrooms to provide a Zen feeling in a spa setting." [might this remind you of Taking Bathrooms To The Next Level - Kohler?]

The section on Functionality reminds me of Bathroom Blogfest Brings It Home to Retail: "The key to designing a truly functional master bathroom starts with finding out what works and doesn’t work in a client’s existing setting. “We need to find out what the key elements are in their minds — what they don’t like about their master baths. Then we need to take away all the negatives and make it a total positive room design,” Trzcinski says. "

I hope you are thinking how you might help this consumer extend the Zen feeling to the rest of her house via her flooring and carpet choices? As the bathroom evolves, so do the other rooms in the house...

This 01/25/2007 New York Times article by Suzanne Gannon titled For the High-End Bathroom, Something Unexpected examines another aspect of home bathrooms: urinals which are becoming "a definite must for luxury master suites." However, as "there is still a certain amount of squeamishness about home urinals, particularly among women, so marketers are focusing on designer style and claims about cleanliness in an effort to overcome negative associations." Interestingly, urinals even offer environmental benefits... Combine that with hand sculpted artistic statements of style and you get an article definitely worth reading.

For design ideas, you might consider visiting Kate Smith [from Sensational Color]'s Room Vues and checking out Bathroom Vues.

Finally, it just doesn't seem right during a Bathroom Blogfest not to review some history. Nora DePalma from Building Profits forwarded me these links to the Flushology section of PlumberProtects.com, a website American Standard maintains for plumbers, including:

+ The History of Flushing
+ Videos on how toilets are developed and tested

She reminds us, too, given our need to conserve water to look for the new WaterSense label for toilets from the EPA—very similar to ENERGYSTAR.

With that, the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest has truly brought it home!

-------------------
The latest Bathroom Blogfest postings...

From Linda Tischler: Toilet Terror
From Susan Abbott: Extra touches at convention hotel ladiesroom
From Iris Shreve Garrott: Ladies Rooms Coast to Coast
From Dee McCrorey: Innovation Where You Least Expect It
From Katie Clark: My Greatest Accomplishment Last Year, Just say NO to hand dryers and
I think a man designed this
From guest contributor Mary Hunt: A little skip to my loo...

Participating in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest are:
Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path
Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop
Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in
Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads
Maria Palma—Customers Are Always
Becky Carroll—Customers Rock!
Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing
Stephanie Weaver—Experienceology
Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now
C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer
Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee
Helene Blowers—Library Bytes
Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures
Katie Clark—Practical Katie
Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren
Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research
Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution
Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women
Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper
Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand
Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
Katia S. Adams—Transcultural
Katie Konrath-Get Fresh Minds
Jennifer Brite-Kitchen and Bath Business

Don't forget to check the Bathroom Blogfest group site.

Technorati Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience Del.icio.us Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience

Bringing The Bathroom Blogfest Home - Advice

Chandelier in ABC Carpet's 2nd Floor NYC ladiesrooms.
Another aspect of Bringing the Bathroom Blogfest Home at Retail is providing advice.

This National Floor Trends article from 9/24/07 on The three C’s for your showroom: Clean, Clutter-free and Creative (very creative) by Annette Callari makes wonderful suggestions on how to improve the look, feel and appeal of your flooring retail environment.

Annette writes: "Create a space that invites shoppers to explore. Use dramatic lighting and bold colors. Make sure there is a place people can sit comfortably and discuss their options. Eliminate clutter and craft a look that tells the world you are in the fashion business and you take great pride in your showroom.

Here's an interesting perspective: "Studies show that few people (maybe 20 percent ) can actually visualize “room-size” from what they see in a small product sample. So when you give them the opportunity to see an entire area decorated in a specific product, this is a huge advantage."

Hence the value in putting together vignettes for your customers as well as taking advantage of spaces like bathrooms to showcase new ideas.

In her article, Callari includes a picture of a beautiful bathroom vignette to "add a touch of elegance and give your customers ideas."

Note the anchor photo for this post. It's of the chandelier from the 2nd floor ladiesrooms in ABC Carpet in NYC. It's absolutely elegant and definitely adds an unusual detail to a bathroom.

These next two photo details come from Lewis Carpet One Floor & Home in the Chicago area. Note the attention to different surface treatments and details - from two separate bathrooms. They demonstrate exactly what Ms. Callari describes in her article.

The article offers very practical advice:
- Unclutter the clutter
- Optimize the space
- Add the right light
- Get a white glove

However, the best advice in the world is meaningless without feedback and reactions - especially as it relates to bathrooms.

Enter Elizabeth Hise, based in St. Louis. She is Channel Relations/Assistant Brand Manager for The Hughes Group and supports me for Wear-Dated and Ultron public relations. I have ever so gradually been exposing her to the blogosphere and am quite proud to have dragged her into the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest!

Here, Elizabeth offers reactions to bathroom experiences! She says:

"When I first heard about the Bathroom Blogfest, my immediate reaction was one of relief. Finally someone (or a group of someones, in this case) is paying attention to the importance of bathrooms in public places - especially places of business. Because of the size of my bladder (pea-like), I'm constantly visiting bathrooms everywhere, from restaurants to gas stations to malls. I feel that perhaps, I'm becoming an expert.

One of my most recent bathroom experiences took place at Monarch, a delicious (literally and figuratively) restaurant in St. Louis. Exquisite in both ambience and cuisine, Monarch offered a dinner I won't soon forget, and I visited the ladies room hoping that it wouldn't ruin my memories. Thankfully, the ladies room mirrored the restaurant--quiet, serene, bathed in candlelight, and smelling fresh.

Later that same week, I traveled an hour and a half outside of St. Louis with my company on our annual Getaway Day. We visited Chaumette Vineyards & Winery, located in St. Genevieve, Missouri. The ladies room was oh-so-spacious, with three separate toilet areas--not stalls, but actual rooms with locking doors. It was like having your own private suite. Clean and well-kept, the ladies room was also odor-free, and delightfully decorated with tasteful floral wallpaper, a full length mirror, and enough room to turn pirouettes.

But my favorite ladies room in recent memory was that of Niche, another restaurant in the heart of St. Louis' Soulard neighborhood. An new, upscale restaurant, Niche takes a minimalist approach to decor. It's small, with clean, crisp tablecloths and rows of cozy tables. Not only was the food amazing, but when I excused myself to the restroom, I found a little oasis, just as sleek as the restaurant in which it was located, and complete with REAL towels on which to dry my hands. They rested in a basket next to the sink, with another basket on the floor for used towels. Not only does this this prevent waste, but it makes my hands happy.

Thanks to all of those businesses who do bathrooms right!"

Thank you, Elizabeth!
-------------------------------------
The latest posts in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest:

From Jennifer Brite: Bathroom Round Up
From Carolyn Townes: Meeting in the Ladies Room - Part Deux and Meeting in the Ladies Room - Part Trois
From Stephanie Weaver: Oceanaire restaurant serves up a swanky bathroom
From Reshma Anand: On bathrooms and babycare rooms...Bathroom blogfest 2007
From Becky Carroll: Bathroom Blogfest: Door Signs
From Toby Bloomberg: Friday Fun: Which Floor Belongs To Which Loo?
From Dee McCrorey: Innovation In The Loo
From Claudia Schiepers: Bathrooms In Belgium

Participating in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest are:

Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path
Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop
Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in
Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads
Maria Palma—Customers Are Always
Becky Carroll—Customers Rock!
Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing
Stephanie Weaver—Experienceology
Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now
C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer
Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee
Helene Blowers—Library Bytes
Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures
Katie Clark—Practical Katie
Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren
Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research
Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution
Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women
Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper
Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand
Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
Katia S. Adams—Transcultural
Katie Konrath-Get Fresh Minds
Jennifer Brite-Kitchen and Bath Business

October is National Kitchen & Bath Month!

Don't forget to check the Bathroom Blogfest group site.

Technorati Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience
Del.icio.us Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience

Bathroom Blogfest Brings It Home to Retail

Day 5 of the Bathroom Blogfest and it's time to bring it home. In this instance, home to retail.

To address that with expert perspective, I'm delighted to welcome back to the Bathroom Blogfest my friend Lisa A. Contreras, Senior Associate, Retail Group Resource Director at MANCINI DUFFY ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN, located in New York City.

Lisa specializes in retail design. She contributed Bloomingdales Bathroom Makeover to the 2006 Bathroom Blogfest. Here she focuses on bathrooms from the design perspective.

Bathrooms are the most intimate of spaces.

We feel that bathrooms are an important part of the selling experience for all retailers. These often viewed as "back of the house" areas should always be considered an opportunity for the retailer to reinforce the brand and identity of the store.

This can be accomplished by creating an environment that reflects the beliefs of the retailer. It goes without saying that all toilets should be clean, functional, well lit and safe, but if retailers don't take the opportunity to go beyond function, the customer will be disappointed. The overall look of the bathrooms should reflect that of the retailer.

As an example, our Bloomingdales client reinforces brand identity by carrying their signature black elements and level of style into the restrooms. Bloomingdales also understands what their customer needs and offers seating lounge areas for easy waiting, baby changing areas and, most recently, family restrooms with easy chairs for nursing mothers.

Beyond the obvious decisions that reflect the environment -- like is it marble or ceramic tile? painted or wallcovered? -- I believe that how the customer views the experience guides the choices of amenities and toilet functions.

There are many schools of thought regarding amenities of all toilets. Just consider the sink area...... Are there paper towels or just airdry? Are the towels in plain view or retrieved from a dispenser? Is the garbage visible or is it a simple cut out in the counter top? Are the faucets automatic or do they need a personal touch? What type of soap dispenser is used? Is it visible? Are the sinks undermounted or top mounted? Is the counter granite, plastic laminate, or something else? How is the lighting? Does it highlight the person as they stand at each sink or is it general lighting? The questions are endless, but each decision represents how the the retailer has viewed the customer and in turn how the customer has viewed the retailer, even sub-consciously.

What about the toilet stalls? Are the toilets separated by laminated partitions that you can see feet under? Are the toilets individual compartments with floor to ceiling drywall partitions? Are there hooks for shopping bags and purses? Are the toilets self-flush or automatic? Is there a seat guard dispenser or automatic or none at all? What does the toilet paper dispenser look like? Is it positioned comfortably? Is the door hardware polished metal or satin? Are the doors louvered, or solid...full height or shorter to view feet?

What about the men's room? Are the urinals separated by a partition or is it open? Are the urinals automatic flush or self flush? Most men's rooms stalls have doors which stop short of the floor to help ensure the safety of all customers....has the consumer ever thought about that?

Is there a lounge area? Is there a make-up area? Is there baby change? Is there a family toilet room?

There are many decisions that a designer must assess when continuing the client's brand identity and how the retailer reflects the needs of the customer and of the brand. The customer comes in contact with each element and their expectations should be matched.

In my experience, "Stalls of Shame" are typically ones that are not clean and not functional. Every retailer should keep whatever environment that they have created in the most "tiptop" clean shape. If extra staff is required, then that is the attention to detail that the retailer should be reminded of. No matter how beautiful the space, if it's not kept clean, then the retailer has wasted money!!!

--------------------------------
Participating in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest are:

Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path
Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop
Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in
Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads
Maria Palma—Customers Are Always
Becky Carroll—Customers Rock!
Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing
Stephanie Weaver—Experienceology
Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now
C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer
Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee
Helene Blowers—Library Bytes
Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures
Katie Clark—Practical Katie
Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren
Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research
Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution
Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women
Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper
Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand
Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
Katia S. Adams—Transcultural
Katie Konrath-Get Fresh Minds
Jennifer Brite-Kitchen and Bath Business

Don't forget to check the Bathroom Blogfest group site.

Technorati Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience Del.icio.us Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience

Bathroom Blogfest and Measurement

Measurement originally uploaded by thespacesuitcatalyst.
Day 4 of the Bathroom Blogfest. The focus today is on Measurement.

After all, it's important to understand how strongly people feel about the bathroom experience as well as evaluate how well the bathroom itself measures up to expectations.

Let's start with America's Best Restroom Award from Cintas. In describing the award, Cintas says:

"The reality is that public restrooms matter to the public. The way a business or building treats its facilities is a reflection of its operating standards.

In one recent survey, more than 75% of respondents said they would not return to a restaurant if the restrooms were not well kept."

Powerful words!

The award has been in place since 2002. You can view the Best Restroom Hall of Fame and also take the Cintas survey to contribute your view on the bathroom experience!

In the United Kingdom, it's the Loo of the Year Award. [Also check out the Wikipedia entry for Loo of the Year Award.] Introduced in 1987, its goal is to "focus the spotlight on 'away from home' toilets throughout the UK.... to encourage the highest possible standards in all types of 'away from home' or public toilets. ...Everyone has a shared responsibility to make this happen - toilet providers, managers, washroom suppliers, contractors, staff, visitors and customers - all toilet users."

With fifty seven separate Awards categories, bathrooms from anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are eligible. The award received 1500 entries for 2007; winners will be announced in December.

I'm grateful to Joe Moran and his 3/12/07 article The secrets of indoor shopping for the lead. By the way, his article offers a fascinating view on the evolution of malls in the UK with the largest growth in retail construction since 1991 taking place in urban centers. Interestingly, loitering in the new malls is purposely discouraged simply by offering no seats. Seems counterintuitive to me, especially in a world gravitating toward lifestyle centers. You'll note interesting contrasts between British and U.S. retail habits, and references to Paco Underhill.

About the ladiesrooms, he says: "The toilets in the new malls seem intentionally out of the way, forcing you to pass as many window displays as possible. The signs steer you subtly around corners and into less accessible areas.... (Arndale's new loos are all chrome and marble surrounds - worthy winners at the Loo of the Year Awards 2006.) Essential bodily functions are well catered for in the modern mall; inessential ones, like having to sit down, less so."

Take the notion of measuring and evaluation the bathroom experience in a city and place it into a mobile context. The result? MizPee. "MizPee finds the closest, cleanest toilet and gives you entertaining reading material once you get there. Since the service is cell phone-based, it's always with you, when you really need it." Start with San Francisco, though. Anywhere else and you're on your own for now. [Thank you David Polinchock!]

The experience is just as important to university students. Writing on 5/2/05, in Wash U. bathrooms: a hidden science, Sarah Ulrey describes the WU Bathrooms website which evaluates campus bathrooms. You'll notice rankings for ambiance, cleanliness and facilities.

Finally, I spoke last week with George Badner, Sales Manager, from Downtown Carpet One Floor & Home located at 720 East Sprague Ave in Spokane, WA. He described a wonderful promotion his flooring store did this past summer called "The Ugly Bathroom Contest."

Summertime being such a slow time, it's perfect for experimenting, especially with something that the store owner had tried approx. 15 years ago - with success.

Downtown Carpet One Floor & Home is conveniently located next to Lite Rock KISS 98.1 FM which promoted the contest on its morning radio show this past June for approximately two weeks. July 2nd, George says, they picked a winner on the air. It was fantastic!

In the process, listeners sent in photos and emails, they dropped by the store, they stopped to talk about their projects, their bathrooms and their dreams. Kitchens and bathrooms get used everyday, says George. Converting these spaces into beautiful, user-friendly spaces radically improves someone's standard of living.

These photos are some of the uglier entries sent in. Oh, my!

I couldn't help but ask George about his store bathrooms. They sound beautiful with radiant heat - slate in the mensroom; off white floor and wall tiles in the ladiesrooms. They help generate conversation and ideas.

Do yours measure up? I hope so.

From Kate Rutter: Why I love my completely inefficient bathroom
From Sandy Renshaw: Wordless Wednesday: Hotel Bathroom in Chennai, India
From Katia Adams: The Bathroom Experience
From Kate Rutter: Office Bathrooms as key indicators of team culture
From Becky Carroll: Bathroom Blogfest: Luxury Disney
From Stephanie Weaver: Bathroom Blogfest: Special touches and attention to detail
From Anna Farmery: Bathroom Blogfest - Loo Must Be Joking!

Participating in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest are:

Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path
Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop
Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in
Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads
Maria Palma—Customers Are Always
Becky Carroll—Customers Rock!
Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing
Stephanie Weaver—Experienceology
Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now
C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer
Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee
Helene Blowers—Library Bytes
Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures
Katie Clark—Practical Katie
Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren
Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research
Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution
Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women
Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper
Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand
Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
Katia S. Adams—Transcultural
Katie Konrath-Get Fresh Minds
Jennifer Brite-Kitchen and Bath Business

Don't forget to check the Bathroom Blogfest group site.

Technorati Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience Del.icio.us Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience

Underground Potters 2007 Show and Sale

For those of you in the New York City area, especially in New Jersey, I invite you to visit the....

Underground Potters

Show & Sale

It takes place in 2 locations in Bergen County, NJ:

The Art School at Old Church located at 561 Piermont Road in Demarest, NJ from 11/3 through 11/17/2007

The Glen Rock Library located at 315 Rock Road in Glen Rock, NJ from 11/1 through 11/30/2007.

Come to the official reception

at The Art School at Old Church

on Saturday, 11/3, 2007 from 1pm to 3pm.

It's a fun time to meet the potters and ask them questions about their work.

The Underground Potters consist of 7 very talented potters who have been exhibiting together for the past four years:

Susan Bogen-Zarrabi

Allan Drossman

Itsuko Ishiguro

Ellen Mulligan

Sandy Pancrazi

Cynthia Shevelew

Ted Whittemore

They got their name from the location of the pottery studio at The Art School at Old Church [hint: it's underground] and have each refined an unique approach to clay.

You'll see a wide range of vessels, glazes, design effects and end use.

Disclaimer: my husband is an Underground Potter, and mighty talented if you ask me! These are some of his pieces.







Technorati Tags: Underground Potters The Art School at Old Church Demarest NJ Glen Rock Public Libary NJ Bergen County NJ pottery

Del.icio.us Tags: Underground Potters The Art School at Old Church Demarest NJ Glen Rock Public Libary NJ Bergen County NJ pottery

Bathroom Blogfest - More Extreme Solutions

Although we've already touched on some interesting Bathroom Blogfest 2007 - Extreme Solutions, I had a few more to share....

First, my absolute drop-dead favorite ladiesrooms experience ever took place this past May in Chicago during the Come Decorate From The Floor Up With Thom Filicia event.

The Field Museum bathroom redefines the bathroom experience. It welcomes visitors, immediately putting them at ease, surrounding them with convenience and culture. I have never encountered such zen-like calm in a public bathroom. My one regret is that there weren't nooks and crannies for sitting and relaxing in.

Look at the soothing aqua green/sky blue color scheme. Doesn't that dome capture the illusion of daylight sky and clouds?

When I took the photo above, I had this lovely exhibit to my back.

Doesn't it make tremendous sense to showcase artwork in the bathroom of a museum? And what a great choice of items [colors, shapes and media]. That plus the lighting really catches the eye.

Going back to the sink, water and soap dispense automatically.

Notice the hand drying section, a special alcove where several people can stand side by side. Again, painted in that beautiful deep cerulean blue with great lighting.

The flooring material echoes the wall color scheme as well as the architectural elements [e.g., the dome above].


Now, notice the sign in the right hand side photo. By creating a Tot Area bathroom section - complete with child sized automatic sinks, dryers and toilets, the Field Museum communicates to its visitors - regardless of size - that they are important. How thoughtful and clued in to their customer base.

Extreme? Yes... Extremely well executed for moms with kids and women in general.

This next example also comes from Chicago [different trip]: Billy Goat Tavern. You may remember it from the old Saturday Night Live Days with John Belushi. Or, perhaps you remember the infamous words "Cheezeborger, Cheezeborger, Coke no Pepsi, Cheeps no Fries"....

In any case, this was the real deal down to the fine historical patina covering walls and memorabilia.

In this extreme tavern, I loved that the Billy Goat theme was reinforced so consistently, even when it came to indicating where the bathrooms were.

Definitely in character. The bathrooms were nothing special, but they worked.

This last image comes from a bathroom in the Dallas airport. Although this may not fit your definition of 'extreme', it does mine as it represents extreme thoughtfulness and convenience. My reaction? Extreme
appreciation for not being forced to use the floor...

As you think through your retail experience, how does it match up? Are your bathrooms examples of extreme solutions? Or are they sources of extreme embarrassment?

Don't let a frightful Hallowe'en bathroom ruin your experience! Ubereye says it best: Don't forget the bathroom.

In recent Bathroom Blogfest posts, Maria Palma discusses The Toilet Paper Dilemma, Stephanie Weaver addresses Thoughtful Bathrooms, Susan Abbott takes us into Dining upscale casual and how this has improved the ladiesroom, and Kate Rutter issues her Bathroom Blogfest plan of attack in Blogging About Bathrooms.

Participating in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest are:
Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path
Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop
Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in
Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads
Maria Palma—Customers Are Always
Becky Carroll—Customers Rock!
Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing
Stephanie Weaver—Experienceology
Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now
C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer
Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee
Helene Blowers—Library Bytes
Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures
Katie Clark—Practical Katie
Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren
Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research
Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution
Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women
Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper
Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand
Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
Katia S. Adams—Transcultural

Don't forget to check the Bathroom Blogfest group site.

Technorati Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience Del.icio.us Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience

Bathroom Blogfest 2007 - Extreme Solutions

Happy Hallowe'en!

Day 3 of the Bathroom Blogfest. Today, it's about Extreme Solutions.

Kelly Mooney introduces us to Kohler's Sexy Toilet Test-Drive and Jo the plumber who will show you how to flush just about anything... What a fun way to demonstrate the Kohler Class Five Flushing Technology! Go on, give it a try.

[When it comes to extreme bathroom technology, I can't help but think back fondly on Home Improvement. Remember the Binford series of products? What about the Man's Bathroom, complete with beer fridge, surround-sound TV, automated mouthwash dispenser, and 3000 watt mirror lights? Arghhhh.]

Holly Buchanan refers in This is why we love guys to a short film titled "Fast Crapper". No clip of the film, but the photo is extreme enough to have you howling.

Stephanie Weaver mentioned in Bathroom Blogfest Starts Today these two extreme solutions:
+ The House at "Poo" Corner, the Korean toilet-shaped house, built in support of a very serious organization.
+ Robyn McMaster from Brain Based Biz describes toilets in Chongqing, China in Creativity Stirs the Unexpected in Toilets. Her photos supplement Stephanie's, and her perspective after 6 weeks in Chongqing definitely highlights extremes.

From the 07/13/07 Wall Street Journal comes China, Newly Fastidious, Spiffs Up Public Restrooms by Mei Fong. It's a fascinating description of plumbing, conservation, social mores, and modernization. And don't forget numbers. We forget how many people live in China. [By the way, the Chongqing toilets described above reside in a four-story building: "a public porcelain palace, complete with soothing music and more than 1,000 toilets and urinals spread out over 30,000 feet." Wow!] How's this for a quote: "Ultimately, toilets are a competitive edge of a nation." Imagine, then, what they are for a retailer?

From Kris Hoet of 'Cross The Breeze comes I need to go. Imagine a virtual ladiesrooms experience... to sell internet banking. [Bedankt, Kris. This is pricelessly extreme! The French version captures the humour, too.]

Rivkin & Associates' The Naming Newsletter lists in Naming Portable Toilets: Tanks a Lot the top names. New Jersey's seems pretty tame compared to Louisiana's or Florida's.

If you're not sure how carefully to monitor your bathrooms, Jonathan Trivers in the 02/19/2007 issue of FCW describes in "Home Depot: Stop completing the dream" a reason to make it a priority:

"Bob had to use the restroom at Home Depot. However, someone had smeared the toilet seat with glue and Bob got stuck on the seat, on the toilet, in the men's restroom in Home Depot in Boulder, Colo. He cried for help for 15 minutes, and employees did not respond. Bob is not taking this sitting down; he is suing Home Depot."

Finally, from Cool Hunting, check out how a company promotes its laxatives in a bus shelter in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Extreme solutions. Extreme examples. They capture the imagination and get one thinking about bathrooms as a competitive edge.

-----------------------------
Participating in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest are:
Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path
Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop
Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in
Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads
Maria Palma—Customers Are Always
Becky Carroll—Customers Rock!
Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing
Stephanie Weaver—Experienceology
Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now
C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer
Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee
Helene Blowers—Library Bytes
Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures
Katie Clark—Practical Katie
Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren
Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research
Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution
Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women
Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper
Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand
Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
Katia S. Adams—Transcultural

Don't forget to check the Bathroom Blogfest group site.

Technorati Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience Del.icio.us Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience

Brand Manifestations In The Bathroom: Advertising

Up to this point, we've looked at deliberately manifesting one's own brand within the bathroom, to reinforce a branded retail experience or brand expression.

First, with M&Ms, then Bass Pro Shop, and Mickey Mouse.

In this post, I flip the mirror around and examine Advertising manifestations in bathrooms - in other words promoting someone else's brand in ladiesrooms.

The first example - Addirect - originally comes from a December 2006 article in POP Times by Tim Sprinkle titled "Wash and Watch. A new technology flashes a series of ads on nightclub bathroom mirrors." Unfortunately, I couldn't locate a digital copy of the article, but if you visit Addirect's website you can experience the AddMirror effect yourself.

Managing director, Ben Grant, explains: "... because the product is a much higher-end washroom advertising tool, we're now taking on brands who wouldn't normally advertise in a washroom.... It paints a much prettier image of an advertisement when it's in a very high-tech mirror..."

According to the article, New York City can expect up to 300 AddMirror venues by the end of 2007... "Ads can be set to appear at random, in a storyboard sequence or in a mix with several different brand messages. Up to six images can be stored in the mirror at one time...."

Luckily, there's still enough free space on the mirror to see yourself.

David Polinchock comes through again with adfreak: Piss-Screen debuts, sadly lacks multiplayer. This particular concept [a game called "Peed For Speed" represents an ad for a taxi service. You can view the YouTube below or click Piss-Screen video. I wonder how effective it's been!



Now, I realize that Charmin's Times Square Toilets, Open for Flushing from 11/20/06 represents a dated story. However, it happened AFTER the 2006 Bathroom Blogfest and captures an amazing Brand Manifestation. Plunging into Experiential Marketing from 05/27/07 recounts the experience as does Cha-cha-Cha Charmin which even details the lyrics of the very catchy cha cha cha...Charmin on YouTube or click below.



Finally, consider Branded Restrooms: What's Next for Virginia's Rest Stops? for an overview of the advertising experiments and possibilities to manifest brands within the nation's bathrooms.

The lesson here is hurry up and manifest your brand in your bathrooms, otherwise someone else will and you'll no longer own your bathroom space!
------------------------------
The latest Bathroom Blogfest posts include:
+ Bathroom Blogfest Stall of Shame
+ Don't Miss Bathroom Blogfest
+ Taking the brand into the bathroom, and other blogfest items
+ A family bathroom for a family restaurant

Participating in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest are:

Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path
Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop
Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in
Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads
Maria Palma—Customers Are Always
Becky Carroll—Customers Rock!
Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing
Stephanie Weaver—Experienceology
Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now
C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer
Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee
Helene Blowers—Library Bytes
Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures
Katie Clark—Practical Katie
Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren
Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research
Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution
Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women
Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper
Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand
Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
Katia S. Adams—Transcultural

October is National Kitchen & Bath Month!

Don't forget to check the Bathroom Blogfest group site.

Technorati Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience
Del.icio.us Tags: Bathroom Blogfest ladiesrooms retail experience customer experience