Small businesses are fueling our economic recovery and the diversity of goods popping up is incredible. Etsy empowers millions of microbusinesses by creating a virtual handicraft market. And for shoppers, it gives us access to a whole new universe of unique products. Etsy has already reached $500MM in sales this year vs. $525MM for the entire year in 2011. 7 years ago this site didn't even exist! Other social media channels are boosting sales - Etsy is the most pinned site on Pinterest. Expect them to have a huge holiday season! 

http://ecopreneurist.com/2012/07/10/5-ways-etsy-fuels-entrepreneurs/

Traditional retailers are already struggling against Amazon and other online outlets. Amazon Prime offers unlimited, free 2 day shipping for $79/year. If you buy from Amazon, even monthly, it starts to make financial sense. Services like Prime give Amazon even more of an edge. They're adding free Kindle ebook library and streaming of popular TV shows and movies to sweeten the deal. 

http://www.wired.com/business/2012/08/amazon-prime-primes-amazon-to-crush-offline-retail/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Top+Stories%29

From rap to reggae? As you may have heard, Snoop Dogg has had an awakening and is shifting gears creatively and spiritually and rebranding himself as Snoop Lion. At first, we all had a good laugh, but the idea of pivoting or taking a turn to explore a tangential opportunity that could pay dividends is very common with tech start-ups. We even see established brands and entreprenuers doing this quite often to boost sales or build their customer base. Time will tell if this gamble works for Snopp Dogg, ahem Lion. 

http://www.fastcompany.com/1844300/snoop-dogg-snoop-lion-pivot

top 50 campaigns of 2012 so far...some incredibly inspiring work from all around the world...each is sparked by a brilliant insight and activated via an engaging experience...check it out! 

http://www.simplyzesty.com/advertising-and-marketing/the-top-50-campaigns-of-2012-so-far/

Target's next designer collaboration? Neiman Marcus? This holiday Target and Neiman Marcus will feature an exclusive collection of limited-edition holiday gifts from 24 of America's most talented designers. A real sign that the today's designer fashion is less about the pricetag and more about the sensibility...The line of 50+ gifts will be unveiled on October 16th. 

http://abullseyeview.com/target-neiman-marcus-holiday-collection-2012/

Immigration is a hot button topic this election year.

A new study shows that Asians have taken over Latinos as the largest group of immigrants entering the US each year.

As America continues to get more multi-cultural, as agencies we need to broaden our lens to really understand the more diverse American shopper. 

http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/19/asian-americans-more-than-latinos-are-largest-group-of-new-arrivals-in-u-s/?hpt=hp_t2

Near Field Communication (NFC) is about to hit primetime in the US, but it's already mainstream for mobile payments in Japan. Now brands in Japan are using NFC technology to change the way they communicate with customers. NFC can be used to ID shoppers and then enable them to "like" individual products they're shopping for and instantly share with their social network. 

http://adage.com/article/global-news/field-communication-shifting-marketing-japan/235260/

True to their brand promise of helping you maximize your space...IKEA has created the world's smallest IKEA store all within one banner ad. Users can browse by department and purchase online. A very creative use of media.

http://www.springwise.com/retail/ikea-packs-entire-store-10-5cm-8-8cm-web-banner/

Fascinating that Walmart, Target, Kmart and Kohl's were all founded in the same year - 1962 and are celebrating their 50th anniversaries this year. Interesting how all 4 started during the same year, with the same economic conditions, yet each followed a different strategy and continue to thrive (except, for Kmart.) Can't imagine where we'd be shopping if these stores were never started...

http://adage.com/article/news/walmart-target-kmart-kohl-s-lead-retail-revolution/233379/

Can we fix young America by utlizing technology to foster a new generation of entrepreneurs? In the era of Occupy Wall Street, slow economic recovery and high youth unemployment, a new campaign is fueling the conversation and hoping that American youth can start to change their own destiny. It's a brand new campaign, but it will be interesting to see how this evolves and starts to gain traction. 

http://fixyoungamerica.com/

http://mashable.com/2012/03/05/fix-young-america/

Harvard students built a device with a series of 15 pendulums in a row, each one slightly longer than its neighbor, then set them in motion and filmed the result.

Engineering magic...but pretty soothing to watch...

Enjoy! 

http://sciencedemonstrations.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k16940&pageid=icb.page80863&pageContentId=icb.pagecontent341734&state=maximize&view=view.do&viewParam_name=indepth.html#a_icb_pagecontent341734

Our basic needs = oxygen, water, food and now connectivity? How much would you need to be paid to ensure you'd never use the internet again? In the '80s a cell phone cost $4,000! But today could anyone imagine life without one?

Check out this interesting video on our need to stay connected:

http://www.psfk.com/2011/07/could-you-be-paid-one-million-dollars-to-give-up-the-internet-forever.html

A handy cheat sheet from AdAge on what's trending today...I have to admit I love my jeggings...But I had to look up owling - it's even more ridiculous than planking, if that's possible...Anyway, it's good 411 for us and helpful to keep our clients in the know..

http://adage.com/article/news/bieber-yesterday-ad-age-tells-hot/228752/

We all have friends and family across the country. So what would the US map look like if  we looked at how we're connected by social ties rather than states or cities? Here's a cool infographic showing who's calling who across the US and reveals some interesting linkages...

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1664443/infographic-of-the-day-cellphone-calls-reveal-the-united-statess-invisible-ties

Very engaging article about how our brains are hardwired to be optimistic and the impact of decision-making on our moods...Interesting implications for advertising and for shopper marketing specifically....Guess it pays to be happy! 

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2074067,00.html