As I become more involved with trying to decipher the social media mystery and how to use it effectively in marketing I thought I would really hate TWITTER. I figured it would be just another social media distraction in my already crazy busy day. I have found just the opposite to be true. Just like Flower, Thumper and Bambi, I am twitterpated. You know, that flighty exciting feeling you get when you think about the object of your affection. Twitter is not as all consuming as I thought it might be. People are not just posting tweets about what they are doing at the moment. They are posting helpful, insightful tips and useful links. It is a tool where you can connect with all kinds of people in a quick, professional way. I find that I am excited to check what new info is waiting out there provided by people that I know have similar interests. In the last year the number of people in the U.S. using Twitter has exploded. According to statistics from compete.com the site grew from 4.1 million monthly visitors in February 2008 to 54.2 million last month.

In reading other people’s tweets, I have run across many interesting articles. One of which is about the many ways social media is changing the way we, as designers and marketers, work.

Check it out: The 10 Ways Social Media Will Change in 2009

This one gives good insight into The 90/10 Rule of Successful Twittering

As 2008 comes to a close and we wrap up another year, we here at Pi Design would like to wish you the happiest of holidays – whichever ones you may be celebrating. As times change and cultures come together, more and more holidays are being noticed publicly around the world. It’s a wonderful thing to partake the different customs and celebrations that the diverse inhabitants of our planet enjoy.

(more…)

“A Red Ryder Carbine Action 200 Range Air Rifle with a compass in the stock.” Remember in the movie, “A Christmas Story” how Ralphie tried everything to get his parents to buy him one of these cherished items? Doesn’t every little boy want a BB gun? It’s “the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts” according to Ralphie Parker.

Well, I can’t wait for Christmas this year. I found a classic Red Ryder BB gun at the swap meet. It’s all worn out in just the right places and has the engraved logo on the stock.  It even has the neat fringe thingy hanging down one side. I am going to mount the gun and add a little plaque that says, “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out, Kid!” then give it to my older brother, Scott (who, btw, still acts like a little kid most of the time). He ought to get a real kick out of it as this is one of his favorite movies. I should probably give him some eye protection too, just in case.

What cool items have you found at swap meets or garage sales?

A stroll through the Ventura County Fairgrounds at the recent swap meet yielded me several “treasures.” I put the word in quotes because the phrase, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” kept running through my head. At first I was overwhelmed with the vast amount of junk people had stuck price tags on. There were torn posters from bad forgotten movies, a puppy pepper shaker without its matching mate, old shoes and 8 track tapes galore. I was deliberating whether I should have spent my $10 on Venti Double Vanilla Latte rather than on admission when I saw something that really caught my eye.

(more…)