Filed under: Consumer experience, Starbucks (SBUX), Marketing and advertising

Tim Hortons (NYSE: THI) can’t seem to get enough of bad PR lately.

Only two weeks ago Canada was in an uproar when Tim Hortons fired a single mother employee from a London, Ontario location because she gave a child a free Timbit (a doughnut center). Tim Hortons has since rehired the woman.

Then, on Wednesday, Teresa Lee, a Good Samaritan who happens to be a Toronto investment manager, purchased breakfast for a pregnant homeless woman. When she was about to leave and go to her job, an employee admonished her, saying the homeless woman can’t stay to eat the purchased breakfast in the restaurant. According to the employee, “Tim Hortons at King and Victoria Sts. does not let homeless people eat inside, even if they’re eating Tim Hortons food, because they ‘make a mess.’”

Well, the chain claims it has no policy on the treatment of the homeless. Since 95% of the Tim Hortons stores in Canada are independent franchises, it is up to franchises to “make delicate judgment decisions when dealing with any disruptive customers to ensure the store is pleasant, comfortable and safe.” Tim Hortons has apologized to Lee, the investment manager, but failed to apologize to the homeless woman.

It’s quite surprising to see Tim Hortons, which has been called “a Canadian icon of best practices from a franchising perspective,” getting it so wrong lately. Tim Hortons is a Canadian icon, not just from business perspective, but from a cultural one too.

If there was one thing Tim Hortons definitely didn’t need to learn from Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), it was this. Starbucks had a few incidents involving homeless and bad PR itself. Tim Hortons has hurt its brand image with this negative publicity. So while indeed it comes down more often than not to judgment calls, those calls have been wrong of late. Perhaps Timmies should have a specific company policy on the treatment of the homeless after all.

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Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Office, Productivity, Web services, Commercial, Freeware

Fans of 37signal’s on the web task management and information gathering tool Backpack will be excited to hear about the tool’s latest addition, a Journal page.

Backpack recently underwent a major update that moved the tool from a single-user focus to a tool intended to allow teams that are working together to keep information organized. The new Journal function continues the tool’s move to more of a team focus, which is both exciting and a little frustrating. While none of the functionality that makes Backpack a good tool for individuals has been lost, it’s disappointing to see 37signals lose their focus with respect to Backpack. Considering they already have three team-focused products (Basecamp, Highrise, and Campfire) it would have been nice for Backpack to have remained focused on individual productivity.

Thought aside, the new Journal functionality allows teams to keep tabs on what each other are up to. There are two main elements. The first is the current status field, which can be thought of much like a private Twitter or Facebook status update. You use this field to tell everyone what you are currently doing. The second field grants you to enter what you’ve just finished, and these items are logged. This allows you to see what your team members are currently busy with, and what they’ve recently accomplished.

It seems to us that this might seem a tiny too much like big brother looking over your shoulder, but on the other hand nearly all jobs require some sort of record-keeping for your time. Is this a feature you could see yourself using? Why or why not?

If you’re still not quite sure what to make of this, a video demonstration of the new Journal page is available.

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Filed under: World wide web, Productivity, Web services, Social Software, web 2.0

How many of you subscribe to an RSS feed because you liked one post you read? Raise your hands please. No, seriously, raise your hands please. Now how many of you stay subscribed to that feed because you’re either too lazy to unsubscribe, don’t know how to unsubscribe, or don’t want to injured the bloggers’ feelings by unsubscribing? Us too.

NewsGator is coming to our rescue!

Starting today, NewsGator, NetNewsWire, and FeedDemon will begin recommending stories and feeds for you to read and subscribe to.

Using some Harry Potter magic sauce from a company called SenseArray, NewsGator will begin showing showing you suggestions based on things that other people think are interesting. Hooray!

What’s the catch? Well, to make this technology smarter, you’ll have to interact with your feeds a tiny. That’s OK. We know that the earth isn’t run by Terminators machines…yet. Right now, SenseArray’s technology uses forward and share numbers, as well as tags and comment data to compute what might interest you. You’ll be able to thumbs up and thumbs down stories to customize the experience though, so no worries. Rage against the machine, y’all!

Soon, NewsGator hopes to accurately predict your tastes, even before you know what your tastes are.

It looks like the company is also hoping to help us deal with our severe information overload (the 3% of us junkies) by letting us unsubscribe to those dormant feeds that we don’t like anymore and keep us up to date with the Right Stuff. The stuff we’ll actually, you know…read?

Oh, and no worries, it’s not just for the geeks. Their new suggestion service will cover Top News, Entertainment, Sports, Fun Stuff, Science and Technology. While we’re not sure what “Fun Stuff” actually is, we’ll wait for T2 to suggest something.

Oh and please feel free to subscribe to the Downloadsquad feed. We’re humans.

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Filed under: Law, Marketing and advertising, Employees

With her homey look and her heavy New York accent, Wendy Kaufman entertained beverage fans everywhere with her Television appearances as the “Snapple Lady.” Her silly responses to fan letters on advertisements gave her a cult following of sorts, and she was so authentic; she started out working in Snapple’s marketing department and in 1993 was picked to appear in a campaign that ran heavily through 1995.

After having worked for a few corporate bosses as Snapple was purchased and sold, finally ending up in Cadbury-Schweppes’ newly-spun-off Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (NYSE: DPS), Kaufman was presented with a new “so one-sided” contract that she declined to sign in March. While a company spokesperson insists that the contract was lovely, Kaufman says it was “worth nothing” and will be headed off into the sunset to do voiceover work for Motorola.

She’s definitely not “over” yet though. Thanks to an appearance on VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club in 2004, she was back in the spotlight, and soon was planning to launch her own plus-size clothing line, WendyWear. Is Wendy Kaufman still somebody without her job as the Snapple Lady? She seems confident enough.

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Filed under: Products and services, Launches, Consumer experience, Competitive strategy, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo! (YHOO), eBay (EBAY), Marketing and advertising

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) shares dropped 1.77%. OK, you can say it was just as much as the Nasdaq dropped, or you can also say that no one was really impressed with the software giant’s new cashback on search service.

It is no secret Microsoft is trying to boost its internet division and gain search market share. After so often being accused of being a monopoly, I guess it’s hard for it to see Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) now being accused of the same in the lucrative business of world wide web search. Well, Microsoft tried to acquire Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO), No. 2 in search (although it is also losing market share to Google) but we all know that didn’t work out all that well… at least not yet. I get the feeling we haven’t heard the last on that subject yet.

To address its search insufficiencies, Microsoft Wednesday rolled out Live Search Cashback, a new service that pays consumers who purchase selected items from participating retailers found through Microsoft’s Live Search engine. Only a portion of the buy price, of course, between 2-30% will be paid — via check, direct deposit to a bank account or eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY)’s PayPal. So naturally, those wishing to use the service will need to sign up and provide Massive Brother with even more personal information.

No one can tell me this doesn’t smack of desperation. Is Microsoft really serious in thinking this could actually make a dent in its search business? The cash rebate might attract some people, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to change their search habits. If anything, they might still search on Google, then go to the Live engine and find what they want there. The rest of time, I bet, Live will not be in use! Of course, the higher the cashback, the more people it will attract, but doesn’t that sound a little backward? How much can Microsoft spend on that? And couldn’t Google at any time counter with a similar offer should it select to?

I’m sorry, but this just doesn’t sound care about it would change anything in the reality of search today.

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Filed under: Good news, Products and services, Competitive strategy, Apple Inc (AAPL), Amazon.com (AMZN), Marketing and advertising

Napster (NASDAQ: NAPS) announced Tuesday that the company has removed all digital rights management technology from its store and will begin selling unprotected MP3 files immediately. Napster has also gained the support and backing from all four of the major record labels on top of existing deals with independent labels. This is something other stores like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL)’s iTunes Store and Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN)’s MP3 Store have yet to secure.

According to Billboard, Napster will have a similar deal with Sony BMG that it has with Amazon where the label is the seller and the store only receives a commission. In addition, Napster’s six million song catalog far outpaces that of any other store. Amazon comes close, but is four million songs behind. Unlike iTunes, though, Napster won’t offer a service to allow users to upgrade existing DRM-encoded files to the new DRM-free files.

Napster executives, however, remain committed to the subscription-based model that the store has operated under for the past few years, hoping to utilize the new MP3 files as gateways to introducing customers to subscriptions. Billboard contends that Napster “is gambling that the proliferation of Internet-connected devices — such as mobile phones, home stereos and eventually automobile radios — will some day convince music fans that a monthly subscription to access all the music they want from any device is more compelling than buying it.”

At the end of the day, another digital music store offering DRM-free tracks is a good sign for digital growth, digital stores and the music industry. This is particularly evident here since all four major labels have signed on to offer Napster quite a massive cache of tracks. The continued hopes for transitions to subscription services might be the next prolonged discussion, as the largest retailer iTunes and Apple have continued to steer clear of that model.

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Filed under: Marketing and advertising, McDonald’s (MCD), Wendy’s Intl (WEN), Burger King Hldgs (BKC)

I always love news items like this. According to Reuters, there exists a $175 hamburger. You can find it in New York at a place called The Wall Street Burger Shoppe. Presumably, huge traders would be the only ones able to afford it.

Well, for those who would even think to complain about the prices at McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD), Burger King (NYSE: BKC) and Wendy’s (NYSE: WEN), this $175 burger should put things in perspective. It doesn’t sell a lot; the news piece states that the place moves about two dozen in any given thirty-day period. The Wall Street Burger Shoppe mostly sells $4 burgers.

But, really, this $175 burger is nothing more than genius marketing. The owners are obviously not under any illusion whatsoever that they can make a great return on capital by investing in such a expensive offering. All it’s meant to do is to bring publicity to the establishment. It’s obviously worked. As a way of branding, this goofy pricing scheme immediately differentiates the restaurant’s brand from others. In fact, it was the said intent of the owners to have the most expensive burger in the area. It’s also a great differentiator between personalities. I mean, I think you can tell a lot about a person who is actually willing to purchase this thing (and, you can certainly infer a lot about the person’s net worth).

Yep, those $4 burgers seem like no cost at all compared to the $175 royal dish. Perhaps either McDonald’s, Burger King, or Wendy’s should leverage this example of 80s-like excess to their advantage.

If I were a commercial scribe, I’d pen an ad that makes consumers who buy this thing look, at best, ill advised, and those who select one of the big three’s value menus theoretical physicists by comparison (then again, considering some of the wacky theories theoretical physicists come up with, that might not be such an apt metaphor). I could definitely see Burger King using its ghoulish regal mascot to do a comedic mini-campaign based on such a concept.

Well, I won’t be digging deep into my wallet to shell out an amount too close to two hundred bucks for my taste to enjoy one of these hamburgers. I’ve got to fill up my gas tank, remember…

Disclosure: I don’t own shares in any company mentioned here; positions can change at any time.

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Filed under: Marketing and advertising, Wendy’s Intl (WEN)

Wendy’s (NYSE: WEN) recently agreed to be acquired by Triarc (NYSE: TRY), parent of Arby’s, but that won’t stop the company from efforts at innovation before the deal closes.

In a statement, the number three fast food chain announced that it’s “introducing a new line of hand-spun Frosty Shakes in three flavors: Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Fudge, and, yes, Strawberry — a company first.”

The company will launch a national ad campaign in June. The Frosty was one of the original Wendy’s menu items when Dave Thomas opened the first location in 1969. Since then, the Frosty has become Wendy’s best-known item, with annual sales exceeding 350 million.

What can Wendy’s do to keep up with the more innovative McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD)? Here’s an idea: an all-natural Frosty made with real milk.

As Sarah Gilbert recently wrote on WalletPop, our sister site, “Unfortunately, today’s milkshake is barely recognizable compared to those of the middle of the century. Most milkshakes consumed by Americans this day come from McDonald’s, Wendy’s or Starbucks; where they’re all individually “branded”, Shamrock Shake, Frosty, Frappuccino, so that it’s clear the milk is but a minor player. Nonfat milk solids, corn syrup solids, guar gum, dextrose, cellulose gum, vanilla. Is this progress?”

An all-natural Frosty could really move Wendy’s into the 21st century. They’ve demonstrated a willingness to introduce new Frosty products, so why not give it a try?

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Filed under: World wide web, Utilities, Productivity

Snackr is an Adobe AIR-based RSS ticker that pulls random headlines from your RSS feeds and scrolls them along the bottom or the side of your screen, letting you click through to read anything that looks interesting. It’s not a replacement for your regular RSS reader, but it makes a great supplement. Snackr’s well worth checking out if you’re an information addict who has to have the fire hydrant open at all times.

Because it’s an AIR app, Snackr is cross-platform and sports a look that won’t feel out of place on your OS. Ticker speed and position on screen are adjustable, and you can force the ticker on top of your other windows if it suits you. Snackr supports OPML files, so it’s very easy to populate with the feeds of your choice. It also minimizes to a little tab when you want to put it away for a while, and shows a preview of each story you click on, instead of going directly to your browser. Snackr doesn’t interrupt what you’re doing unless you want it to.

All in all, this is one of the most useful, best-designed AIR apps we’ve seen yet. It’s essential for heavy RSS users, or anyone who wants to stay on top of breaking news. Don’t ditch your full-featured feed reader, by any means, but do supplement it with Snackr if you’re looking for a faster, more dynamic way to consume information.

[via ReadWriteWeb]

EDIT: The URL for the first link is fixed. It’s Snackr.net, not .com. Thanks Ian, Jake and David!

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Filed under: Good news, Products and services, Consumer experience, Competitive strategy, Marketing and advertising, Oil

With gasoline prices going through the roof lately, the main question on every motorists’ mind has been how to save some money at the pumps. The obvious answers are to either drive less, or buy a vehicle that uses less gas, preferably a gas-electric hybrid. Hybrids, unfortunately, are pretty high-priced, but Honda (NYSE: HMC) has announced plans for releasing an inexpensive gas-electric hybrid next year.

Honda plans on this new hybrid to be a brand new vehicle model for the company, and the model will only come in the hybrid version. In addition, it will also be coming out with new hybrid versions of its already popular Civic and CR-Z.

The company’s President, Takeo Fukui, said that there has been a lot of attention placed on hybrids recently, and that now was the time to “go to the next step.” He did not make any predictions on just how much the new hybrid-only model would cost, other than it would be affordable. There was also no mention of the name for the new model, but some descriptions were given, including that it would be a 5-door sedan with new weight reduction technology to help improve the vehicle’s efficiency.

While discussing costs, though, Fukui did get on the topic of the difference in prices between traditional gas-powered models and their hybrid counterparts. Currently, when consumers go to make the choice between a gas-only automobile and its hybrid cousin, the price difference can be quite a deterrent, with the hybrid models costing close to $5,000 more. That extra 5K could be just enough to keep vehicle shoppers from going with the more “green” substitute. Allowed, with the way gasoline prices have been moving lately, that extra $5,000 could wind up paying for itself much quicker than anyone expected.

Regardless, Fukui mentioned that the current gap between the gas-only and hybrid car models was simply unacceptable. He hinted that the new versions of his company’s hybrids would not carry such a massive additional cost as compared to their gas-only versions. Fukui said that he felt the gap could, and should, be brought down to under $2,000. He called this “a must.”

So as gasoline prices continue to surge, and with no apparent relief on the horizon, it is good to know that at least a few more inexpensive options should be coming to a showroom near you at some point in the foreseeable future.

I am curious to hear from our readers on this subject. Do you own a gas only vehicle, or a hybrid? Have you considered a hybrid vehicle in the past, only to be put off by the price? If you do own a hybrid, what has your experience been with the vehicle?

Looking forward to hearing from you on this one!

Michael Fowlkes has worked as a stock trader for seven years and spent the last four years working as an analyst for the on the web investment advisory service Investor’s Observer.

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