Disappointed that Uggie the dog in the film “The Artist” didn’t win an Academy Award? Rin Tin Tin author Susan Orleans might agree.

She says that, while humans look somewhat diminished in silent films, dogs don’t because no one expects them to talk. “Dogs are just doing what they do naturally … They were perfect silent heroes.” Once again, it’s all about context. Read NPR Review Comments

©2012 SkaareWorks. All Rights Reserved.

Harvard Business School’s Thales Teixeira says that the enormous viral success of Evian’s “Roller Babies” ad (50+ million YouTube views) comes from the frequent but unobtrusive appearance of the brand and the varied use of surprise.

Advertisers, she says, “need to think harder about the value a video offers to the viewer, instead of considering primarily how well the video serves the brand. The result will be ads that are both more effective and more enjoyable.”

Comments.

©2012 SkaareWorks. All Rights Reserved.

Sales of an expensive wine climbed 5% after a reviewer said it smelled like “stinky socks,” and the ridiculed Shake Weight vibrating dumbbell generated $50 million in sales. What gives?

Wharton’s Jonah Berger and colleagues concluded from their study of negative comments about products (specifically, books) that awareness of an unknown product (or author/book), albeit initially negative, created enough interest to buy.

Interestingly, over time, awareness of that product sticks while negative perceptions evaporate. Comments.

©2012 SkaareWorks. All Rights Reserved.

  Our memory system, says cognitive psychologist Gary Marcus, is “context-dependent rather than location-addressable,” which is how computers “remember.” We recall major events in our lives, but “have to hear a phone number five to 10 times before [we] can repeat it.” “Worse,” Marcus points out, “our memories are vulnerable to contamination and distortion. Lawyers can readily fool us.”

©2012 SkaareWorks. All Rights Reserved.

  A mind-twisting article in Wired’s May issue quotes neurological researcher Stephen Macknik, “Tricks work only because magicians know, at an intuitive level, how we look at the world.” Adds Teller of Penn & Teller fame, “Giving the trick away [gives] nothing away because you still couldn’t grasp it.” Hmm. The magic of Bernie Madoff, now imprisoned CEOs, and defamed televangelists?

©2012 SkaareWorks. All Rights Reserved.

1. Health care professional: Patients prefer helpers with good judgment who look older than their daughters.
2. Financial advisor: Investors seek the been-there-done-that credibility of seasoned advisors.
3. Career counselor: Career seekers want direction from those with career depth.
4. Brand manager: Older workers seem more committed to long-term company brands.
5. Consultant: Clients want solutions that work, which requires expertise and experience.

From CareerBuilders

©2012 SkaareWorks. All Rights Reserved.

  A December Pew Survey confirms that people increasingly say they turn more to the Internet than newspapers for news. What the report doesn’t tell us is the comparative quantity, quality, and frequency of online news reading. In short, are non-newspaper readers, particularly young people, as factually knowledgeable about current affairs as those who consume newspapers daily?

©2012 SkaareWorks. All Rights Reserved.

    Some academics are questioning goal-setting that seems to be a good idea at the time but ends up blinding the organization’s leaders, writes Drake Bennett. “[Goal-setting] can lead to crazy behaviors to get people to achieve them,” says Northwestern University’s Adam Galinsky. And, research by Duke’s Sim Sitkin’s shows that weak, desparate companies tend to be the likely candidates for “stretch goals.” Link

©2012 SkaareWorks. All Rights Reserved.

  Was it appropriate for PA Governor Ed Rendell to hire a PR consultant at $100K? Respondents to Penn Live phone-in and online poll, published on April Fool’s Day, said Yes-2%; No-98%

©2012 SkaareWorks. All Rights Reserved.