Kelly Mooney's blog about the online shopping experience from the customer's point of view -- MooneyThinks.com

The Challenge of Bra Science Exposed with zafu Video

It appears zafu is starting to put some marketing energy behind its new bra fit feature. How exactly do you sell such a service? How do you get women's attention on a topic that may not be high on their list? This clever video does it well ..up until the decapitation...maybe I'm just too much of a boomer to appreciate the humor. ; )

Google Taps Its Fans For Freebie

With the consumer generated content on the rise, many companies have yet to figure out how to put it to work in service of their brands. I was impressed, not to mention, entertained by Google's recent synthesis of Gmail users' creative contributions from around the globe. Google is definitely an open brand. Check out the video. See if it makes you smile. Or better, yet, want to open a Gmail account.

del.icio.us Leaves Sour Taste

I signed up for del.icio.us last spring when I began working on my book. Used it a bunch of times but hadn't been back for a couple of months since we've been crunching on the final editing of the manuscript. Anyway, I wanted to add some articles tonight and was prompted to log in. Since I often use more than one email address and surf from work and from home, I couldn't remember which user name and hadn't been cookied on this computer to retrieve my password -- so I had to sign up again. It took 7 attempts to get a new account. Don't you hate that? First, it was the unavailability of my selected user name. Three times. Then, my password was too short (7 characters, not 8). Then, I mistyped the re-entry of my password. Twice. But I only realized it after I hit submit. Last, due to my failing vision, I missed the interpretation of the security test. No assistance along the way like the folks at Stylehive and other groovy sites provide.

Gaiam Helps Customers Go Zero

If you spend more time counting carbon than carbs, you'll like what Gaiam, the "health conscious, environmentally friendly, lifestyle company" is offering at checkout--it's not your typical cross-sell.

Your first view of your shopping cart asks you if you want to "Make Your Order Go Zero," which means, do you want to donate $2 to have a tree planted that will, over its lifetime, absorb as much carbon dioxide as will be emitted when the purchase you're about to make is shipped to you.

Or as they explain it, "Erase the environmental impact of shipping your order."

Plus, there's an accompanying chart that shows you the progress of this initiative.

Now that I've posted this, I think it's time I go Zero Out my order.

Adidas Opens Up the Soccer Field with Rock the Pitch

"My team lost."
"My guy scored."
"We won."

A true sports fan takes a sense of ownership in his or her player or team. And with that sense of ownership (read: entitlement) comes the ability to coach, critique and, of course, cheer.

So the sense of ownership isn't new to sports fans, but the benefits of ownership aren't as common. Which is why I was impressed with how Adidas and MLS (yes, professional soccer) are handing over content assets to fans (for free, of course) and letting them mash them up as they see fit.

Introducing: Rock the Pitch. Start by selecting your team's theme song (it looks like Adidas had the songs written for each team from talent like Bare Naked Ladies, RJD2, Rose Hill Drive, and Awkwid). You can listen to it, download it, or use it as the foundation for the soccer video you're about to make.

Then you get to sort through MLS graphics and game footage, which you can drag into your own little movie. But wait...there's more. You can add your own pictures, tag your video and and then submit your final project to see if it will get chosen to play on the jumbotron on your team's stadium.

Whether we have David Beckham to thank for the recent increase in popularity of soccer in our country, or whether it's just become more adoptable or ownable by families--what a fun way to open the brand to the most loyal audience, the fans.

Room & Board Showcases Customer Homes

In the age of the icitizen, we know that consumers put immense amounts of trust in each other's opinions. Brands have their place, but right now peer feedback rules. So consumer reviews are soaring in popularity and testimonials are making a comeback, mainly because they're just a lot more authentic than they used to be -- or at least they feel real.

So as a habitual remodeler and a fan of the retailer, I was intrigued to see what Room & Board is up to these days, with its Designs for Life campaign. More than a customer review or testimonial, what Room & Board has done is essentially write (and beautifully illustrate) a case study of one customer family. We learn a little bit about Derek and Nancy Parker--enough to make them interesting and relevant, but not distracting--and how they've integrated Room & Board furniture into their home. The experience tells a story about their life, their home, their family--and of course the great Room & Board furniture within it.

I know that this is one site I'll be returning to--to experience the other stories that are on their way (if only the shopping experience could be improved) plus I may just take them up on their offer to submit my own, although not sure the iPhone pics will cut it.

Women Get Bra Help From zafu

What's harder to fit than a pair of jeans?

A bra, of course.

Which is why I was thrilled to see denim-matching site zafu.com slip into an additional and equally challenging category. Apparently hundreds of women (who were presumably happy with their great-fitting jeans) asked zafu to help out in the bra department.

Zafu promises women that it will "find your perfect bra in three minutes". Wow. Three minutes.

There's not a whole lot in this world we can do in three minutes, so I'm pretty impressed. I went through the questions, all of which address real issues about finding the right bra, real issues that most retail sales associates don't often ask about.

Like the jeans version, the bra questions are really easy to answer. And here's the clincher--the process of finding the best bra for you is fun. All three minutes of it. Ask any woman from A to D, bra shopping is not fun. I can think of a lot of words (oh, say, occasionally interesting, needs-based, frustrating, embarrassing, tiime-consuming), but generally not fun.

Thanks, zafu. And let me know when your swimsuit edition comes out.

Advertising to Kids, Webkinz Style

Who knows where they're eventually going to go with this, but I'm chewing on one of the many features of Webkinz' recent redesign. They added advertising. To children. But hold on, let me finish. At least for now, they're advertising things I wouldn't mind my kids seeing, like, oh, "veggies are great!" and "fruit is good!"

Yes, I've found a couple ads that tempt kids with something they might want to purchase--Webkinz cards and charms--but if that's the cost of healthy advertising, I  support my daughter's daily spin on the Wheel of Wow.

Twitter Makes Sure We Know What It's Doing

I've been following Twitter for a while now. And I'll confess, while I clearly see the relevance of Twitter in the lives of Digital Millennials (not just in social, but even in retail scenarios), I haven't partaken--er, Twittered--for my own personal benefit. I just don't need or want yet another way to communicate and to be communicated with. Can you relate? Truth is, I have registered -- research -- so there's not much holding me back except resistance to be always on. It's bad enough that I can barely make it out of the elevator at the close of a workday or through my daughter's softball game without tending to my Treo, and now my iPhone.

I found a recent update from Twitter's co-founder, Biz Stone, particularly interesting. In addition to the news that Twitter has hit Hollywood, I learned that Twitter is making a change in its functionality because,

"Folks have noted that there's too much overlap and confusion between 'friend' and 'follow.' As Twitter has evolved, these two concepts have emerged in parallel and clouded things up. So, in the spirit of simplification, we are no longer going to define people as your 'friends.' The functionality of adding people remains, but the interaction is focused on the term 'follow' instead."

How O.P.E.N. of them, really. And not just to listen to the core audience and respond, but also to be cool about people posting "updates" that they're not too happy with the change.

So to answer to the ultimate Twitter question: What are you doing? I imagine the official Twitter answer to be, "Right now we're doing what our members want us to do."

Worth paying attention to. And, maybe my Twittering time will come, but in the meantime, I'm an interested follower--no pun intended.

Geo-targeted Kodak Email Evokes Surprising Response

I typically tune it out. My kids typically end up going with friends or relatives. They have a ball and I'm relieved to miss it yet again. ; ) Do you have a guess? The Ohio State Fair. Love it or hate, we learn to live with the media blitz every August. I was surprised, however--speaking as someone who hasn't been to the fair yet this century--to get an email about it.

The thing is, the email was so well done, it actually made me think about going.

The subject line of this email from Kodak Gallery reads: Searching for Inspiration at the Ohio State Fair? Honestly, just the fact that they geo-targeted me in the subject line--a brand I already know and trust--was pretty powerful.

The gist of the message is to invite me to their display at the fair so I can learn more about things like photo-centric gifts  and even get my kids' pictures taken with "a variety of exciting, life-like settings" (that my kids may like).

The email itself serves as an invitation--a powerful one. It reads, "There's no need to wait in line. This pass allows you to skip to the front of the exhibit and be inspired immediately."

No waiting in line??? A fast pass at a state fair??? Wonder if it also gets me to the head of the line for an elephant ear.

Gap Puts a Twist on its Subject Line

One thing we've learned about email subject lines is that the clever ones that win our hearts (as creative people) just don't convince consumers to open them up--at least not as much as the more straightforward versions.

And while this reality doesn't seem to deter certain brands from clever copy, I'm still trying to figure out what happened at email-happy Gap this week.

The subject line reads: The Top 6 Menswear Looks + Fall Sneak Peek

But check out the actual email (above). I was surprised to see a woman featured, but then noticed her boyish blazer. OK, they're being cute and putting the men's blazer on a woman. Then I read the headline, "Menswear with a twist," and the body copy, which tells me that this fall's trend for women's clothes is about tailored shirtdresses, vests and blazers with feminine details. Then it asks me to check out 6 styles -- for women.

So were they clever? Or just confused with their own promotion?