Even with a broken back, I'm more attracted to PASSION than pain!

OK, so I got bucked off a horse about 10 days ago.  And the pain meds might have had something to do with why my last email didn't make too much sense. Even in my condition, I'm more attracted to those health care workers who are helping me figure out how to move my body without doing more damage than to those who keep asking me how bad the pain is on a scale of 1- 10. Most consumers respond the same way to marketing messages.  "Show me what's possible, don't remind me of the problem!!" I have observed that brands that tap consumers' PASSION in a positive, relevant way win. Pampers Village taps the passion parents have for raising happy, healthy babies... and by aligning with that shared passion, Pampers takes the high ground over Huggies.  We use private social networks to understand that passion points that animate consumers' conversations with each other... passion points that your brand can fuel, and that can, in return, fuel your brand's growth. I'll be sharing some best practices of using these Social Energy Networks on Wednesday, May 30th at noon CST. Only 20 participants will be allowed to sign up. Email alexis.oddson@energyinfuser.com to sign up.

An eating occasion ripe for innovation

Consumers have one of three basic orientations towards health and wellness.  Some are oblivious (about 32% - mostly young men), some have good intentions but life interferes with their ability to follow through (45% - primarily moms with kids in the household), and the rest are really into being healthy (20% - mostly empty nesters).  Despite these differences, they all feel the least confident about their after-dinner, before-bed snack. The conflict is between consumers' desire to indulge themselves and their need to sleep soundly.  There is really no good solution, currently. I'll be sharing the results of our most recent Change Energy study on Thursday, May 17th. Only 20 participants will be allowed to sign up. Email alexis.oddson@energyinfuser.com to sign up.

Do you think young adults move home because of the economy?

My son Christian graduates from college a week from tomorrow, but I'm in the minority of parents.  He is NOT moving back in with me.

The majority of parents with "children" 18 - 29 have at least one of those young adults living at home with them.  And brushing the situation off with "well, it's the economy" is superficial.

The parents find it confounding.  Over 60% don't understand this at all.  They agree that when they were young adults, they couldn't wait to separate from their parents.  That they were eager to take life on, make their mark, experience the world.  They don't understand why their kids don't seem to want to separate (even if the can't, shouldn't they at least want to?)

And 75% of them find the whole situation incredibly stressful.  As one mom said to me, "When I tell her that I think she's drinking too much, she tells me it's none of my business - that she's all growth up.  But when there's no milk in the fridge, she complains."  The very definition of stress:  having responsibility without authority.

To learn about how this phenomenon affects household dynamics and product purchase decision making, please send me an email.  kay@energyannex.com.