Technology blogging

Ducati dream machine

admin — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 11:04:02 +0000

pIMAGINE owning a superbike that punts out a massive 168bhp of raw V-Twin power with 97lb/ft of torque./p
pNow imagine hitting a corner apex and whacking that throttle open as hard as you can. Now imagine that instead of history’s biggest highside, you’re greeted by a gripping tyre that propels you out of the corner and into the distance, in a way that no other production superbike could ever manage, just like you were some kind of Casey Stoner riding clone./p
pYou’ve just imagined riding the brand new toy from the land of Spaghetti and red dream machines - Ducati’s 1198 S./p
pIt was only two years ago that a href=http://blog.automoton.info/category/motorcycles/ducati-motorcycles/Ducati/a brought out three versions of its stunning new superbike, the 1098. The ?12,000 base model, the ?14,000 higher-spec S, and the ?24,000 World Superbike-derived, all-singing all-dancing R version. Of course, there’s also the ?40,000 MotoGP-derived Desmosedici RR but that’s an altogether different kettle of fish./p
pNow Ducati has updated its flagship by giving the 90? V-twin Testastretta Evoluzione engine 100cc more and fitting it into two versions of 1198, the base-model Biposto (that’s two-seater in Italian), and higher-spec S./p
pThe engine’s increased bore and stroke brings capacity up to the 1,200cc limit for V-twins in the World Superbike championship, which Troy Bayliss won in 2008 racing the 1098. The 1198’s improved engine also gets new crankcases and bigger valves, all of which increases maximum power by 10bhp all the way across the rev range, and boosts torque./p
pBut the high-tech gadget that lets you use every last drop of that performance is the Ducati Traction Control (DTC) fitted to the 1198 S./p
pMuch has been written about the way 2007 MotoGP champion Casey Stoner rides his Ducati - how he whacks the throttle open from the apex, letting the bike’s electronics control the power and torque output to secure grip. This is exactly what the 1198 S’s DTC does, but on a production machine. This MotoGP-derived technology has the ability to turn a ham fisted throttle jockey into a riding sensation./p
pDTC was initially fitted to the 1098 R, but ironically this first production version of the technology could only be used on race bikes (which the R is). That older system destroys catalytic converters by dumping fuel into the exhausts when a reduction in torque is required. But the new system cuts off the fuel supply rather than the spark that ignites the fuel, so the catalytic converters aren’t affected. And that’s got to be more environmentally friendly too./p
pBut the 1198 S is not just about corner exits. It’s also about the way it flies down the straights at warp speed with a delicious Ducati drone emanating from the exhausts, the way it turns fluidly into corners, the way it handles like a dream./p
pNot only has Ducati shed weight from the updated model but it’s removed it from strategic places such as the front of the bike to improve agility. The 1198 flicks from side to side with incredible ease and holds a tight line./p
pUncharacteristically for a Ducati however, it can feel flighty when you’re properly on it. You can stop this though through careful suspension set-up to suit you and your riding style - and you might as well make the most of the state-of-the-art components as they’re adjustable every which way and really do make a difference to the bike’s behaviour./p
pVisually, there’s not much that distinguishes the new 1198s from the 1098s. The standard 1198 Biposto gets new 10-spoke alloy wheels, while the higher spec S is fitted with MotoGP-derived forged and machined seven-spoke wheels. There’s also the new 1198 designation on the side of the fairing and a new dash, and a gold-coloured frame for the S. But that’s about it./p
pHowever, Ducati has made another useful improvement to its flagship’s road-worthiness and this time it’s to something somewhat more conventional than DTC - the mirrors, whose longer stems let you see a little more than just your elbows in the reflection./p
pThe Biposto will set you back ?11,950, but there’s no DTC to brag about to your mates. The S version however costs three grand more at ?14,950. But if the bank manager’s given you the nod to spend that kind of money in the first place, you might as well go that extra mile and turn yourself into a riding god with the 1198 S./p
pFAST FACTS/p
pDucati 1198 S/p
pPrice : ?14,950/p
pMechanical : 1,198cc, 90? V-twin, 8 valves, dohc desmodromic, liquid cooled/p
pPerformance : 168bhp @ 9,750rpm, 97lb/ft @ 8,000rpm/p
pFuelling : Marelli electronic fuel injection, oval section throttle bodies/p
pTransmission : Six gears multiplate, chain final drive/p
pChassis : Tubular steel trellis/p
pSuspension : (F) Öhlins 43mm inverted forks (R) Öhlins monoshock, fully adjustable. Aluminium single-sided swingarm/p
pBrakes : (F) 2 x radially-mounted Brembo Monobloc four-piston fixed callipers, 330mm discs (R) Brembo 2-piston caliper, 245mm disc/p
pWeight : 169kg dry/p
pWheelbase : 1,430mm/p
pFuel tank : 15.5 litres/p
pSeat height : 820mmbr /
a rel=nofollow target=_new href=http://www.ayrshirepost.net/lifestyle/motoring-car-news/2009/01/05/ducati-dream-machine-102545-22614484/Source/a/p
div style=’margin: 4px; float: none;’centerp class=’linktext’Permanent link to this post: a title=’Ducati dream machine’ href=’http://blog.automoton.info/2009/01/ducati-dream-machine/’Ducati dream machine/abr/From the a href=’http://blog.automoton.info’Autos and motos: all news and articles/a weblog/div/p/center

Five Simple Steps To Weight Loss Success

admin — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:05:22 +0000

pIf you are like most people, you have probably started numerous weight loss programs. You were serious. You were determined. You pushed through the pain. That is, until a couple weeks later when you just up and quit. It’s the standard operating procedure of millions of people./p
pThe problem is most people dive in head first without putting enough thought and planning into their personal program. You see, there is no single “Perfect Plan” that will work for everyone. Nor is there a magic formula that will work for every person every time. The ideal weight loss program for you is one designed for you by you. You need to develop a program around your likes, wants and needs./p
pThe following are five simple steps to take when developing a weight loss program for yourself. By taking a couple of hours to pre-plan your program, you can drastically increase your chances of decreasing your waistline./p
pemStep One – Taking Stock/em/p
pThe first thing you need to do is ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish. Only then can you plan an appropriate program. Are you looking to lose fat? Maybe you want to concentrate of building some muscle. Quite possibly, you want to do both./p
pDetermine what it is you want to accomplish and plan a program around activities that will work toward this new goal. However, only choose activities that you like to do. For example, running is probably the best exercise to help you burn fat. Even so, if you abhor the concept of jogging, do not make running the cornerstone of your weight loss program as you won’t do it./p
pRemember – your objective is to develop a program of activities you enjoy that will move you toward your goal. This is not about what is “best” or “most effective.” What is best and most effective are the activities you will do on a consistent basis. You can work in the other activities later when your new routine becomes habit./p
pemStep Two – Setting Realistic Goals/em/p
pNow that you have taken stock and picked your activities, set up a plan that you will stick to. If you have decided to run, but have not jogged around the block since middle school, do not start out trying to run twenty miles a week. You need to start slow. Your goal in the early stage is to set the habit, to make your new plan part of your everyday routine. Your subconscious will shut you down and turn you away from your goal if you try to do too much too soon./p
pTry this – for the first month do just one third of what you think you can do or twenty minutes, which ever is less. Do this no more than three times per week. This goes for cardio and weight lifting. Keep everything easy and light for the first month. After that, start inching up the length and intensity at intervals you find comfortable, yet challenging. Remember, you are not looking for some magic, quick loss plan to “lose thirty pounds in a month.” You have tried and failed at these “plans.” You are throwing the gimmicks out the window and setting out to slowly establish positive habits which you can build on as time goes by. There is no rush./p
pemStep Three – Planning Ahead/em/p
pNow that you have taken stock and set realistic goals, you need to plan. Literally write your workout into your day planner. Do the same with meals. If you are going to eat five meals a day, make time for those meals in your schedule. You won’t find the time unless you schedule it./p
pThis is a must - Prepare your meals ahead of time. If you do not prepare your meals in advance you are setting yourself up for failure. If you take one thing away from this article, this is it. By not planning and preparing healthy meals in advance, you are planning for bad meals instead. You either plan for success or you plan for failure. It is that simple. Nothing will help your weight loss plan more than this simple “trick.”/p
pemStep Four – Tracking Your Work/em/p
pSo, you took stock, you set realistic goals and you planned ahead. You are now ready to begin your new weight loss journey in a successful manner. However, you are not done yet. The only way to fully prepare for the future is to understand the past./p
pMake sure you log every workout and every meal (Yes, I’m serious) in a daily planner of some sort. You should also note your mood before and after each work out and each meal. This way, whenever you have a very successful week or month, you can look back over that time period to see just what made it such a success. This is very powerful information to have because it isn’t second hand information, it is a recored history of what worked for you! Conversely, you can also use your written records to find out why a period was not successful./p
pemStep Five – Revising and Re-Energizing!/em/p
pEvery month or two months, start back at step one to readdress the direction of your weight loss program. Use your written information to improve upon your success, limit your failures and to set more challenging goals for yourself./p
pThese five steps are everything you need to create your own personalized weigh loss program. While it is outside the scope of this article to discuss specific exercises and diets, your success can be boiled down to how effectively you implement these five steps.br /
a href=http://phentermine-np.info/2009/01/five-simple-steps-to-weight-loss-success/Source/a/p
div style=’margin: 4px; float: none;’centerp class=’linktext’Permanent link to this post: a title=’Five Simple Steps To Weight Loss Success’ href=’http://blog.homyhealth.net/2009/01/five-simple-steps-to-weight-loss-success/’Five Simple Steps To Weight Loss Success/abr/From the a href=’http://blog.homyhealth.net’My Home Health Care Blog/a weblog/div/p/center

Five romantic English weekends on a budget

admin — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 22:33:19 +0000

pWhisking your other half away on a romantic weekend away might be the last thing on your mind in these wallet-busting times, but with these budget breaks you can disappear into the sunset for some quality, us-against-the-world time together.#160; a href=http://summer-winter-air-travel.info/blog/img/WintersuninDubai_DAAF/romantic1.jpgimg style=border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px height=119 alt=romantic1 src=http://summer-winter-air-travel.info/blog/img/WintersuninDubai_DAAF/romantic1_thumb.jpg width=244 align=left border=0 //a /p
pForget Michelin-starred restaurants, swanky a href=http://blog.food-drink-recipes-free.com/ target=_blankcocktail/a bars and expensive shopping trips #8211; the key to real romance is ingenuity, not a massive bank balance.#160; a href=http://blog.food-drink-recipes-free.com/ target=_blankFree recipes - food and drink recipes/a/p
pThink late-night picnics on your hotel room floor and long, lingering (half the price) lunches, or a #163;10-a-head budget to find each other that perfect souvenir and long walks in the country #8211; all will leave your heart a little lighter, but won#8217;t have the same effect on your wallet. /p
pEven finding a cheap train ticket (book in advance at www.thetrainline.com) can start the weekend with a romantic, Brief Encounter-esque flourish - just pack a cheap bottle of bubbly to enjoy en route. /p
pThe trick is to pass your efforts off as thoughtful gestures, rather than desperate measures #8211; banging on about your budget is not generally considered a turn on. To point you in the right direction, here are five of the best romantic weekends in the UK that won#8217;t break the bank. /p
pbClose to London: Shere, Surrey#160; /b/p
pThis gorgeous little village, just 30 miles from London, has impressive romantic credentials. Romcom location scouts love it (a snow-covered Shere is the star of the Jude Law/Kate Winslet sopfest quot;The Holidayquot;), and it#8217;s easy to see why.#160; a href=http://summer-winter-air-travel.info/blog/img/WintersuninDubai_DAAF/romantic2.jpgimg style=border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px height=119 alt=romantic2 src=http://summer-winter-air-travel.info/blog/img/WintersuninDubai_DAAF/romantic2_thumb.jpg width=244 align=right border=0 //a /p
pSitting in the heart of the rolling Surrey Hills, with its pretty pub, 12th century village church (star of quot;Bridget Jones#8217; Diaryquot;) and duck pond, it#8217;s a href=http://blog.food-drink-recipes-free.com/ target=_blankchocolate/a box Britain at its best. Stay at a href=http://www.rookerynook.infoRookery Nook/a (doubles #163;70 a night), a cosy, 15th century BB in the centre of the village, where the two doubles offer comfy beds, wooden beams and wonky floorboards. /p
pThe North Downs and nearby Box Hill are on hand for bracing walks and stunning views, or you could visit England#8217;s largest vineyard, 8 miles from Shere. A tour of the vines and the winery, plus an English wine tasting costs #163;7.25. /p
pFor a delicious lunch, head to Stephan Langton Inn , a 1930s country pub in the grounds of the tranquil Wotton Estate, 5 miles from Shere. Everything that can be is home-made, from the bread to the ice cream to the chutney, while fresh, local a href=http://blog.food-drink-recipes-free.com/ target=_blankproduce/a - some from a href=http://blog.theestateinfo.info/ target=_blankthe estate/a - makes up the rest of the menu. And all at pub grub prices. /p
pIf you can#8217;t resist the Michelin stars, do lunch at Drake#8217;s. At #163;21 for two courses, the lunch deal is amazing value. /p
pbCountry classic: The Malvern Hills /b/p
div style=’margin: 4px; float: none;’centerp class=’linktext’Permanent link to this post: a title=’Five romantic English weekends on a budget’ href=’http://blog.summer-winter-air-travel.info/2009/01/five-romantic-english-weekends-on-a-budget/’Five romantic English weekends on a budget/abr/From the a href=’http://blog.summer-winter-air-travel.info’Winter and summer travels/a weblog/div/p/center

Cute and Essential Dog Clothes

admin — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 18:48:24 +0000

pIt’s still cold outside and not spring quite yet so your dog still needs quality and cute a href=http://pets.adorafresh.com/2009/02/selling-pet-supplies-from-home-%e2%80%93-grab-your-piece-of-40-billion-dollars/dog clothes/a such as this dog parka. More and more pet owners are realizing that their pets get cold too and so you might be thinking about getting your special a href=http://atnews.07x.net/dog/a something warm to wear. Now you can keep your dog warm and stylish at the same time./p pWith several different types of a href=http://pets.adorafresh.com/2009/02/selling-pet-supplies-from-home-%e2%80%93-grab-your-piece-of-40-billion-dollars/dog apparel/a to choose from you are sure to find the perfect dog sweater, dog jacket, and even dog pajamas. Since we all know we are in hard economic times SuppliesJust4Pets.com is offering tiered coupons for customers. You can now save $5 on orders of $50, $10 on orders of $100, or $15 on orders of $175. Find these coupon codes at http://www.suppliesjust4pets.com/coupons.html.br / /p div style=margin: 4px; float: none p class=linktextPermanent link to this post: a href=http://pets.adorafresh.com/2009/03/cute-and-essential-dog-clothes/ title=Cute and Essential Dog ClothesCute and Essential Dog Clothes/abr /From the a href=http://pets.adorafresh.com/Pets - breeding, nutrition, health/a weblog/p /div

Google’s Behavioral Ads Are Just The Start

admin — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:06:42 +0000

pGoogle’s latest a href=http://inforer.freehostia.com/privacy flap/a emerged this week when it announced its “interest-based” ads, which are behaviorally targeted banner ads based on a user’s web-browsing activity. It’s nothing particularly new or ground-breaking, and the company was kind enough to give people a way to opt out, but the way the company presented the new system to users was a little odd. It titled its blog post announcing the new system “Making a href=http://inforer.freehostia.com/?p=4ads/a more interesting,” and it later said, “We believe there is real value to seeing ads about the things that interest you.” But are better-targeted ads really something that delivers any benefit to users? The benefit to advertisers and marketers is obvious, but it’s hard to see users really caring enough to forfeit some privacy just so they can help out advertisers./p pBut web browsing is just the tip of the iceberg: lots of marketers are looking at how to take information generated by mobile phones to hit users with a href=http://advertising.adorafresh.com/2009/02/promotional-advertising-specialty-youve-waited-long-enough/targeted ads/a. They’re not talking about the worn-out Starbucks example of hitting people’s phones with a coupon when they walk past a store, but building profiles of people based on their travel patterns, favorite applications and web sites, and even gender, age and income information. Again, all of this info given up for the sake of seeing “better” or “more interesting” advertising. That really doesn’t benefit the user, so why should they give up — or be forced to give up — all of this information?br / a href=http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090313/1259324110.shtml target=_newSource/a/p div style=margin: 4px; float: nonep class=linktextPermanent link to this post: a href=http://advertising.adorafresh.com/2009/03/googles-behavioral-ads-are-just-the-start/ title=Google’s Behavioral Ads Are Just The StartGoogle’s Behavioral Ads Are Just The Start/abr /From the a href=http://advertising.adorafresh.com/Advertising: tips, articles and advices/a weblog/p/divp /p

Here comes great news for mobile users!

admin — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:13:34 +0000

Now you can download the eximious songs of your favorite performers on your mobiles as your new mp3 ringtones.
It is a beneficial chance fir you to get rid of the monotonous beep of monophonic ringtones and polyphonic ringtones.
A List of chartbusters have been provided on the internet by various websites and the process of activation is facilitated by nokia ringtones, Motorola ringtones, Nextel ringtones, Samsung ringtones, sony Ericson ringtones, Verizon ringtones and sprint ringtones. Apart from a few traditional methods, you can download these free ringtones from the internet by using the data cable you possess.
Certain songs enclosed by these websites are:
VersaEmerge - Clocks
Hips Don’t Lie – Shakira
I Can Be You Hero – Enrique Iglesias
Oren Lavie - Her Morning Elegance
Dwelling Banjos – Deliverance
Set all your favorite ringtones by activating the feature of GPRS in your mobile and enjoy exotic ringtones when someone rings you back.
Now a days all mobiles characterizes with a special feature of ringtone composer, you can make use of it by pressing certain keywords and obtain the true ringtones instantly.
Give your mobile a glam sham appearance and let it play the music of your choice to make you feel entertained.

Garden Tool Organizers

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:51:32 +0000

Are you dead beat of wearing yourself out by walking back and forth to your tool shed or the garage looking for your gardening tools that are no where to be found because they are so unorganized ? If you are then a garden utensil organizer is a must have for your storage space. Garden tool organizers come in a variety of sizes and shapes, some a re alert making them easily transportable from one spot to another with very little effort.

Organizers can also be life savers when your lacuna is limited and organization of some sort is essential. Here are a few suggestions on ways to organize and store your gardening tools whether you are using them or not.

Garden Tool tear at with Wheels: This nifty rolling rack will hold over 30 tools depending upon their size, from 20 unrestrained b generally tools to 10 or 15 smaller ones. Tools need to be positioned down in the slots which has clips too clasp them in place, this also adds to the cart stability since it is on wheels.

Get Organized: This upright standing rack holds rakes, hoes, shovels and brooms, keeping them truly neatly organized.

Garden Scooter with Hopper: This handy seat with wheels has easy ambulant storage under the seat for small hand garden tools and work gloves keeping them neatly organized and within reach.

Rolling Garden Aid Organizer Cart: This rolling garden tool cart features six storage pockets for small tools and has larger slots on the top shelf for larger big handled tools. It has a side caddy for a garden hose. This cart will help keep tools neat and organized while you labour. It is made of heavy duty plastic and sits on four rolling coasters for mobility.

Read full article: Garden Tools

Cash out refinancing and real estate investment

admin — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:58:39 +0000

Opting for cash out refinancing is one method that I would recommend to someone that is serious about building out their real estate investment and property portfolio. You are able to take out a new mortgage with a principal that is larger than your current mortgage. Many a person has been able to do this and get a lower interest rate and with the added bonus of getting the cash they need for their investment venture. The home equity that we have in our possession is really the part of our home that we own. This is built by the payments that we make to our mortgage and through the appreciation of the value of our homes. This means that our home equity is often trapped and unavailable to us unless we take home equity loans or refinance our mortgage. Cash out refinancing allows us to access this equity. We are able to use this cash from the equity that we get and reinvest it into our property portfolio. Broken down simply in the form of an example we will see how the equity is made available. Let us say that you own a home and that it is mortgaged to the sum of $200,000 and you have repaid a certain amount. Let us say that that amount is $100,000. Then you have available to you a sum of $100,000 for equity and this is money that can be utilised for your investment. You can take the option of cash out refinancing by getting a new mortgage for your home to the original value. This means $100,000 is given to you in your hand for whatever purpose and you may have a lowered mortgage payment as well. There are many factors that will make this option a desirable one for you and you must evaluate the market circumstances as well as the personal situation that you are faced with and the purpose for which the money is intended. Interest rates on mortgages fluctuate from time to time and it is important that this be considered as well as other factors. It can be simple for you to reach for the option of refinancing when interest rates are low but there is a factor of the expenses to consider before this is thought worthwhile and as such a balance is needed in this decision between where it is viable to refinance or not viable as the case may be. It is up to you to do the necessary research and determine the feasibility of the option to your circumstances. The circumstances on the market will also influence the benefits or disadvantages of this type of refinancing and all this has to be considered in the decision making process. It is no easy decision to decide to refinance your property so ensure that you are fully capable of meeting the payments required and that there is little chance that you will be unable to do so. Only opt for a refinancing plan that meets your budget. Permanent link to this article: http://uk-real-estate.adorafresh.com/2009/02/cash-out-refinancing-and-real-estate-investment/

Flower category analysis: Pleasure principle

admin — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 07:10:25 +0000

div class=introJonathon Read, Flower Council of Holland, suggests tomorrow’s flower buyer will focus more on value and less on price/div
pbr /span class=graphica href=http://blog.entireflowers.info/category/christmas-flowers/img src=http://entireflowers.info/blog/image/flowers_for_womens.jpg width=200 height=202 alt=Pleasure principle //a/span
div class=subsectionFor those of you with shorter memories it may seem hard to believe, but once upon a time the grocery market was dominated not by Tesco, but by the grandees of Stamford Street. It’s some time since J Sainsbury inhabited either Stamford Street, or the undisputed number one spot, and in that time we have seen massive change in both the power of the retailer and the passivity of the consumer./p
pAmong the explanations for the Tesco take-over and Sainsbury’s slipping is the suggestion that one company had its eye firmly fixed on the shopper and what her priorities were, what she wanted and what her motivation for wanting it was, and the other company, er, didn’t./p
pThe power transfer took place at a time of opportunity when the shopper expected more choice, indulged in more travel and so responded to things foreign (including the now seemingly forgotten concept of service), expected to have her wishes satisfied, and was thrilled to bits when they were anticipated./p
pNot dissimilar to today, one might suggest. But maybe it’s more different than we are prepared to admit. Today’s shopper certainly has high expectations, demands even, and is more capable of voting with her feet than ever before, in theory – in theory because she will only vote this way if it is geographically practical. Overall, she is probably quite passive and is more likely to register her upset by reducing her spend on certain items./p
pShe also has a firmly held belief that she is entitled to access almost anything at anytime as part of her lifestyle demands, and, so far as supermarkets are concerned, at competitive prices. Does she want cheap or does she want value? The key is how she sees the difference and this, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs aside, changes according to product category./p
pbPrice or perception?/b/p
pWhen she thinks flowers there is a point of view that says, just like our friends who used to be in Stamford Street, the industry may be a trifle slow to wake up to her changing motivation and to anticipate changes in her desires./p
pIn the last decade the fresh flower market has gone stratospheric. Sales are predicted to exceed ?1.8bn this year, distribution is virtually 100%, the supermarket sector has taken nearly 70% share of value, and year-on-year category growth has been (mostly) more than acceptable. Add in industry wisdom that there is still a long way to go before we reach the holy grail of 100% of supermarket customers buying even once a year and the future should look very rosy./p
pIf that is the case then why is trade slowing down a touch in some, but not all, supermarkets?/p
pCould it be the obsession with price is actually harming, not helping, the market? No argument that price competition is an important differentiator between brands, but it is not the only purchase determinant when it comes to flowers. In fact, price alone could even contradict the customer’s reason to purchase – think lust or apology. /p
pIf there is a different ‘driver’ between brand and fresh then this illustrates it. Ordinary brand has more difficulty in commanding a (semi) premium price point than fresh. Fresh, by definition, is limited life and so to ensure repeat purchase the consumer needs reassurance, value and an essence of ‘quality’ to buy into it. No accident then that so many major players promote fresh as their main marketing message. And, would you really want to buy ‘cheap’ meat anyway?/p
pPrice and perceived value are keys to engaging the customer even though price alone can be crucial to bringing new customers into the market. There is no disputing percentage extra offers generate success, but they tend to be mostly enjoyed with volume varieties such as tulips and chrysanthemums. Alone, they are not about expanding the market on a profitable long term basis./p
pFor regular buyers, the extra value message may well appeal purely on their value, but will it drive up their spend, intrigue them or challenge them? Will it compensate for what they might see as the ‘sameness’ of the offer?/p
pbPleasure principle/b/p
pTo continue to grow the market we must, as in all markets, refresh it and re-present it, so customers don’t go stale on us. The latest Flower Council of a href=http://blog.summer-winter-air-travel.info/Holland /aresearch shows a growing band of customers who, having dipped their toe into the flower /p
pmarket, are turning into loyal customers, registering frequency of purchase of up to 22 times a year – stimulation surely for the major retailers to reconsider the price focus and instead reflect more on ‘lifestyle’ and perceived value messages./p
pThe effort of keeping the category stimulated and challenged with new varieties, and new floral mixes, with more intriguing and changing presentation in-store, and more motivating (and not just informative) communication will pay off when we convert a reasonable chunk of the 75% of the population who buy at least once a year into regular buyers. Price alone is unlikely to achieve this./p
pIt’s maybe asking too much but perhaps the sector should take a leaf out of the 18th century philosopher Jeremy Bentham’s book and invoke the pleasure principle. The bottom line is that customers buy flowers for the pleasure they bring, one way or another, and for no other reason./p
pIf we don’t focus more on how customers are changing, re-assess why they buy now and anticipate why they should continue to buy more, and more regularly, in the future then there is every chance the customer will grow bored. Bored with what she sees in-store, bored because the offer no longer satisfies her lifestyle expectation, bored because she does not have a fresh challenge communicated to her./p
pa href=http://blog.entireflowers.info/category/types-of-flowers/Flowers /aare about expression, and that expression must come through more powerfully in packaging, in product selection and in communication at the point of purchase. Challenge the customer and you may in the process challenge your own growth expectations. /div
div style=margin-left:0; margin-right:0; text-align:left;/div
pdel datetime=2009-01-16T14:38:58+00:00source: talkingretail.com/del/p
pPermalink: http://blog.entireflowers.info/2009/01/flower-category-analysis-pleasure-principle//p