barefoot running

prompted by Nike's new campaign for the Nike Free running shoe, I began to become interested in barefoot running. Discovered there is a whole (small? large?) movement out there of folks who run barefoot, and perhaps also some scientific basis behind the whole thing.

friday's long run

this is our friday's long run. Last time I attempted something like this I got lost.
Slight sense of apprehension as this run approaches on 24th april.


View long run 16k in a larger map

Reminder to self

read this

USP or non USP?

I never quite bought into the fact that each ad should have a clear USP (Unique Selling Proposition). To me, it's always sounded like "the consumer is a bit dumb. he can only understand one simple message at a time. if you put two messages it will be too much".

But now I found that Rosser Reeves himself (the inventor of USP) puts it in a more agreeable way (quoting from branding strategy insider):

In his book, Reality in Advertising, he laments that the popularity of the USP does not reflect a wide-spread understanding of the term. He defines the USP in three parts:

* Each advertisement must make a proposition to the consumer. Not just words, not just product puffery, not just show-window advertising. Each advertisement must say to each reader: ‘Buy this product and you will get this specific benefit.
* The proposition must be one that the competition either cannot, or does not, offer. It must be unique -- either a uniqueness of the brand or a claim not otherwise made in that particular field of advertising.
* The proposition must be so strong that it can move the mass millions, i.e., pull over new customers to your product.

Reeves recommended thinking of the USP as something the consumer takes from the ad, rather than as something the copywriter puts into the ad.

More agreeable, still ... a bit too simple.

Mayfly

I bought a pair of Nike Mayfly at a sample sale. 135 grams running shoes, so light it will only last 100k (and then explode?). They look like they are made of paper. You put them on and they feel like they are not there. The name comes from the mayfly, who allegedly is born, lives and dies in the space of one day. I will probably never use them, just keep them on my desk. But I love the insanity of this shoe. Reminds me of what I like about Nike.