Top gadgets

The Telegraph has published its list of the top 10 gadgets of the past decade. The list includes, from #1 to #10: The iPod, Sky+, USB stick, Nintendo Wii, BlackBerry, TomTom Go, Flip, Asus Eee PC, iPhone and Slingbox.

Engadget lists the following 10 gadgets that defined the decade just ending: Canon Digital Elph camera, Apple Powerbook, Microsoft Windows XP/Apple Mac OS X, iPod, Tivo, Motorola RAZR, Palm Treo, Xbox, iPhone, and Asus Eee PC.

What about the top 10 gadgets of the next decade? What inventions will define the years to come?

Super-sub-compact cars in India

Sales of super-sub-compact cars like Maruti Suzuki's Swift, GM's Spark and Hyundai's Santro are accelerating in India. Basic models lead the market, although larger vehicles appeal to specific customer segments.

Maruti Suzuki forecasts more than 18% growth in 2010, fueled in part by sales of the new EECO van (with 5 or 7 seats), which should sell about 40,000 units in the coming year.

Big year-end deals are helping to boost demand while the automakers look toward better revenue as global economic turmoil subsides and consumers feel more confident about spending once again. As auto demand improves and industry turnover rises, demand for parts, accessories and related services will improve, contributing to the economic recovery worldwide.

Money woes for Thomas the Tank Engine

HIT Entertainment, which owns such established brand franchises as Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder, Angelina Ballerina and Barney the Dinosaur, is struggling financially. According to the Telegraph, the money woes may cause HIT's parent (Apax Partners) to sell Thomas, considered to be the company's strongest brand. Disney is said to be thinking about acquiring Thomas.

Thomas has been at the center of controversy in recent weeks, accused by Professor Wilton (at the University of Alberta in Canada) of being conservative and sexist.

Still, children have enjoyed the brand for decades and it should have a fine future under a supportive parent.

Browser competition

Finally, after a decade, Microsoft has settled EU antitrust charges by allowing Windows users to choose which Internet browser they want to use. This agreement with regulators is important because it's intended to prevent Microsoft's Internet Explorer from having an unfair advantage over competitors.

By early 2010, PC owners who use Windows will see a screen asking them to choose from among as many as 12 browser options: Apple's Safari, Google’s Chrome, Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Mozilla's Firefox, Opera, AOL, Maxthon, K-Meleon, Flock, Avant Browser, Sleipnir and Slim Browser.

Already, Mozilla's Firefox browser has captured about 32% of the market for Web browsers, and Opera--which filed an EU antitrust complaint in 2007--has about 2%. Google's Chrome is approaching 4% market share. Once Windows users start making their choices, watch for dramatic changes in market share by mid-2010.

Marketing e-book readers

Whatever you call them--e-book readers, ebook readers, electronic book devices--the product category is growing quickly.

Amazon has been a big part of that growth, creating and marketing its own Kindle e-book readers (now available in many countries) with amazing success.

As reviewed on eBook Readers Review, other up-and-comers include the iRiver Story, Sony Reader and the Cooler ebook reader. Barnes & Noble, Borders and other book retailers are introducing their own electronic devices, as well.

Now books are being reformatted and marketed on cartridges to fit with Nintendo DS handheld game players, a way of encouraging kids to do more reading. This is an intriguing example of fitting the product to the behavioural habits of the target market. Will the next big e-reader trend be novels for mobiles, which is a popular trend in Japan?

Tesco makes headlines . . .

How is Tesco doing? The retailer recently announced its third quarter results, and how well it performed depends, apparently, on which news source you check.

Before Tesco's announcement, the Independent ran a story with the headline: 'Tesco's pre-Christmas surge trumps rivals'.

Tesco's sales did rise, but that was only part of the story. When the announcement was made, all media outlets received the same company-supplied info; reporters then supplemented that data with comments from Tesco execs and other sources.

Here's a sampling of the headlines, showing some variation in viewpoints about Tesco's results. Remember, Tesco's sales increased. What do you think of Tesco's results?

• The Guardian's headline reads: 'Tesco sales slow as pre-Christmas marketing blitz fails to tempt shoppers'.
  
• The BBC News headline reads: 'Tesco sees "solid" sales growth'.
• The Reuters headline reads: 'Tesco Q3 sales toward bottom end of forecasts'.
• The Times Online headline reads: 'Tesco reveals lacklustre 2.8% UK sales rise'.
  
• The Telegraph headline reads: 'Tesco sales suffer as Clubcard push fails'.
• The Independent headline reads: 'Tesco disappoints the City as it trails rivals'.
• The Wall Street Journal headline reads: 'Tesco expansion helps sales grow'.
  

Stores Show Off Their Holiday Windows

Tis the season for stylish, witty holiday windows ready to delight shoppers of all ages. Above is a "letters to Santa" display window at Macy's in New York City, where window-shopping is a holiday tradition for millions. The New York Times has an overview of stores' holiday decorations here.

Posh Saks Fifth Avenue included Windows 7 in one of its holiday displays, posting live tweets in the huge window--with unexpected (and unintended) consequences when Apple fans began poking fun at Microsoft.

Here's the Harrods Emerald City lights display. And here's a taste of one Fortnum & Mason's holiday window.

London's famed Oxford Street and Regency Street holiday light displays were turned on at the same time this year, in a ceremony featuring the stars of Disney's A Christmas Carol, a neat bit of marketing and good timing.

Bank Advertising, SA Style

Writing in Business Day, TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris's Damon Stapleton observes that South Africa's approach to advertising creativity is:

“Why not?”

Why not try something and see how the target audience reacts? Why not dare to take an unconventional approach?

This image of a refrigerator magnet shows the agency's unusual approach to bank marketing. Its client, Standard Bank, wanted to attract students and people just beginning their professional careers. By giving away magnets showing the makings of a feast inside the refrigerator, the bank sent the message that it can help customers achieve their financial goals. It also demonstrated that it's not a boring old bank.

What a clever idea and well implemented. Why not?