Local bottling makes for greener wine at Waitrose

Cutting both costs and carbon emissions, British supermarket Waitrose shipped its new range of ‘Virtue’ wines from Chile in 24,000 liter flexitanks and bottled them in the UK. One tank equals 32,000 bottles—or 16 tons of glass—that no longer need to be shipped. In addition, the bottles used are lightweight and made of 60% recycled material.

Besides reducing carbon emissions, this shipping and distribution method lowers end-to-end production costs by up to 40%. Waitrose claims to be sharing these cost reductions with customers, charging GBP 3.99 per bottle. Currently on offer are a Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon/Chardonnay, both from Chile. They’ll be joined by two Californian wines later this season, and Waitrose is looking to further expand the method to other countries it imports wine from.

A green innovation that saves money for both retailers and consumers? Producers and retailers: it’s time to get virtuous ;-)
Source:www.springwise.com

Bobba:a mobile Habbo for users 16 and up

Millions of teens around the globe are already well-acquainted with Habbo, the popular virtual world aimed at those aged 13 to 18. Now Sulake, the Finnish creator of the site, has launched Bobba, a counterpart designed for mobile phone users 16 and older.
Launched into beta last month, Bobba bills itself as a "pocketsize virtual world" that's designed for use on mobile phones. Much as with Habbo, users can create avatars, build and decorate their own virtual surroundings on the site, and meet and interact with other users. More than 11,000 accounts have already been created; supported phones include a variety of models from Nokia, LG, Samsung, Panasonic and Lenovo; support for iPhones and the iPod Touch is coming soon.
Of course, besides enabling virtual product sales within the site, communities like Habbo and Bobba also provide a nicely targeted way for other businesses to meet and interact with particular segments of consumers—much the way Dutch Postbank did when it set up a presence on Habbo. After all, in today's socially networked world, the effectiveness of advertising is limited at best. Instead, companies must reach out to consumers where they naturally spend their time—and for legions of mobile users 16 and over, that just might turn out to be Bobba. One to watch!
Source: www.springwise.com

Talking floral bouquets

Greeting cards that talk or play music have been around for a while now, so it seems natural to see those capabilities extended to the floral bouquet. Sure enough, global florist FTD has just released a line of floral arrangements that deliver a spoken message along with the flowers.

FTD's Say It Your Way line comprises three bouquets that are delivered with a chip-enabled keepsake heart ornament bearing the sender's message. Senders simply record their message by phone after placing their order; instructions are provided on the order confirmation page. For those too shy, Illinois-based FTD can also do the talking with a message that says, "Someone thinks you're special! Enjoy this beautiful bouquet!" Recipients can then play and replay the message at will, even long after the flowers have faded. Available talking bouquets include a mixed rose arrangement for USD 36, mixed tulips for USD 40 and red roses for USD 48.

When it comes to giving gifts, there's no such thing as too much personalization. Provide gift-givers with new ways to put a bit more of themselves into their gifts, and they'll surely "gift" you back! ;-)
Source:springwise.com

YouTube diaries promote New Zealand

It wasn't long ago that we covered the Best Job in the World contest from Australia's Tourism Queensland, and now another popular destination has appeared on our radar for its own promotional innovation. Specifically, Tourism New Zealand has been using a mobile recording studio to collect international visitors' impressions of the region and then upload them to YouTube.

More than 100,000 people have viewed video "raves" posted on Tourism New Zealand's Have Your Say channel on YouTube, which now includes more than 1,400 clips of travellers from Australia, the US, UK, Japan, Germany, Canada and beyond expressing their thoughts and feelings about the country. The organization kicked off the effort in December as part of its "What Do You Say, UK?" campaign, focused on promoting word-of-mouth endorsements of the region among British travellers. Since then, Tourism New Zealand has been working closely with regional tourism groups along the way as it sent a fully equipped mobile recording studio—set up in a converted shipping container on the back of a 10-tonne flatbed truck—to about 40 towns around the nation. Within minutes of filming, each video diary is edited and posted on unpaid media channels, including the Have Your Say site and Tourism New Zealand’s consumer website; visitors can also post the videos directly onto their Facebook profile pages. The recording studio's mobile effort is scheduled to wrap up at the end of this month, after which time Tourism New Zealand will use select raves in future advertising campaigns.

Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive George Hickton explains: "Social media is used by people from all walks of life to connect with people back home while they are travelling. Add to this that word-of-mouth is one of the most effective marketing tools to promote a destination, and the 100,000 views milestone shows that the [effort] has really proven its worth."

Indeed, the effectiveness of traditional mass-media ads is already debatable during the best of times, but during a recession? The cost of a mobile studio for a few weeks could seem like a bargain! ;-)
Source: www.springwise.com

Lisbon store brings back forgotten favourites

Taking a firm stand in the face of globalization, A Vida Portuguesa has tracked down Portugal’s unique brands and opened a store dedicated to products that have resisted the urge to keep up with changing times.

At the store, located in a former soap factory in Lisbon’s traditional-yet-hip neighbourhood of Chiado, customers can find over 1,000 products that have maintained their original packaging, that are made by hand, or that represent traditional Portuguese craftsmanship. Soaps, pencils, mugs, jewelry, notebooks, coffee, tea, blankets and even toothpaste—everything on stock holds a fragment of the nation’s collective memory. Some items are widely available and familiar throughout Portugal, while others were almost impossible to find and buy before the store opened.

A Vida Portuguesa appeals both to nostalgic adults delighted to find the brands of their youth, and to younger generations attracted by old-fashioned products and retro packaging that provide an alternative to mainstream brands. It’s a testament, once again, to the enduring appeal of (still) made here, a trend that rewards brands for staying true to their local roots and identity. Time to starting collecting, curating and selling forgotten and enduring favourites in your neck of the woods? And if there's a similar store in your city, please leave a comment and let us know!
Source: www.springwise.com

Online exchange for small business owners

It seems fair to say that most small business owners are perpetually in search of two things: 1) new customers, and 2) budget-friendly deals. Aiming to help them get both is Bizual, a new online community and B2B exchange aimed specifically at small businesses and freelancers.

Currently in invitation-only beta, Bizual begins by asking members to create at least one offer exclusively for the other members of the site—a discount, a free sample or something else that's not available to the world at large. Other business owners in search of such a product or service can then take advantage of that offer, thereby getting a special deal themselves while providing the offer creator with a new customer. The offers that are voted most popular get elevated to the top of the list, but members can also search by location and keyword; in addition, they can browse or take what the site calls a "lucky dip." Members can leave feedback for each other on the site, and a rating system provides reputation rankings. UK-based Bizual is free to use during its beta period, but will switch to a subscription basis after that time, with account levels ranging from a free package to an unlimited one for about USD 99.

Increasing numbers of consumers are becoming sellsumers every day, as our sister site notes in this month's briefing, making the appeal of a site like Bizual even broader than before. It's a win-win for everyone involved; one to try out or localize for your neck of the woods...?
Source: www.springwise.com

Southhern tea cake: the new cupcake?

After all the attention cupcakes have received over the last few years, one could say they've had their share of time in the proverbial sun. We covered Fru Fru and Sprinkles back in 2007, but recently we were alerted to a new alternative: Tennessee T-Cakes.

Billed as "the ultimate Southern confection," Tennessee T-Cakes are diminutive delicacies with a big, romantic story behind them. They resemble cupcakes in size and shape, but feature a texture more like that of a brownie and a dusting of powdered sugar in place of the heavy frosting. Available by the box with prices starting at USD 10.95 per dozen, T-Cakes come in four variations—Key Lime, Luscious Lemon, Chocolate Truffle and Original—with Raspberry and crunchy Brittle coming soon. The closely guarded recipe for Tennessee T-Cakes dates back to ante-bellum Tennessee and a young belle's culinary talent—reputed to have won a Civil War captain's heart.

The world will never tire of interesting new desserts, just as it will never tire of a good story to go with them. Need some directed motivation? Find an old or little-remembered delicacy from your own region, upgrade and adapt it to modern tastes, and garnish with some skillful storytelling and a heaping helping of (still) made here appeal. Next, breathe deeply, for you will soon savor the smell of sweet success! ;-)
Source:http://www.springwise.com/

ER service holds a patient 's place in line

It's all too common for patients to be kept waiting in emergency rooms; the average wait for ER treatment in the United States is estimated at 3.2 hours. Earlier this month, Atlanta-based InQuickER announced the launch of a new service that allows patients with non life-threatening conditions to reduce their waiting time by calling ahead or signing in online.

After preregistering for the service, patients inform their hospital about their injury or illness in order to reserve the first available time slot. In 75 percent of cases, InQuickER users will be seen immediately upon arrival, but if a patient is not seen by a doctor within 15 minutes, InQuickER and the hospital won't charge for the ER visit, diagnostic services, professional fees or supplies. The 'hold-your-place-in-line' service is currently available at three hospitals.

Patients pay USD 24.99 per visit for InQuickER's service—a price that's manageable for most people. By streamlining the check-in process, InQuickER offers both hospitals and patients a way to cut through some of the red tape, saving time and aggravation. One to replicate to other countries and industries?
Source: www.springwise.com

Elevator pitches at thirty thousand feet

This is inflight entertainment that should appeal to all of our entrepreneurial readers: Virgin Atlantic's recently launched PitchTV. As part of Virgin Atlantic's 25th birthday celebrations, Richard Branson announced a new way to support innovative business plans. Entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to the world in video format, uploading the videos to Virgin's website, where the online community can view and rate their idea.

Videos rotate on a monthly basis, and those with the most votes will be shown on Virgin Atlantic's in-flight entertainment service. The aim is for the airline's business passengers to watch the videos, contacting the entrepreneurs behind the ideas that take their fancy to help them develop the idea. Branson claims it's a unique way of giving the world's top business professionals access to fresh ideas and new ventures.

By playing matchmaker, Virgin gains kudos and recognition without shelling out its own cash for new ventures. One pitch will likely prove the exception to that rule, however, as there's a 'special prize' that has yet to be announced. We can't wait to hear which of our readers will be first to appear inflight...
Source: www.springwise.com

Hotel asks consumers to sell it their furniture

Dutch hospitality group La Bergère is developing a new hotel in Maastricht, dubbed Hotel X for the time being, and is going to decorate it using furniture and knick-knacks purchased from ordinary consumers.

The underlying concept for Hotel X is described as "style, sex and soup", which—in a nutshell—stands for design, attraction and authenticity. To find unique furniture and nostalgic elements that will create the desired look and atmosphere, Hotel X is calling on people to rummage through their attics, spare rooms and garages, and offer their unused objects for sale. People can upload a picture of the item they'd like to sell, along with a short description and their asking price.

To give a sense of what they're looking for, www.stijlsexensoep.nl shows examples for a wide array of categories, from chairs and tables to art, ceramics, posters, 'collections', boardgames and even plants (cacti, preferably).

While authenticity and nostalgia are design styles that hotels have been adopting for a while, this is an unusually clever way both to find remarkable pieces, and to garner interest in the hotel before it opens. Moreover, by encouraging people to look for cash in the attic, it taps into a very of-the-moment trend that our sister site trendwatching.com calls sellsumers: a recession-induced need for cash is fuelling concepts that help consumers make money instead of just spending it.
Source:www.springwise.com