| Greetings!
I came across this remarkable story about the world's craziest restaurants. They include a toilet restaurant in Taiwan, a restaurant in the sky in Belgium, a prison restaurant in Italy and a graveyard restaurant in India. They are all remarkable and successful because they offer the consumer a novel experience. Many restaurants are reacting to the economic downturn by cutting prices and offering discount coupons. But when everyone is doing this it no longer helps. Research shows that price is not the main factor in determining which restaurant people choose. The key factor is the user experience - which is a mix of atmosphere, surroundings, service and cuisine.
The same goes for your business. How can you move away from price competition? The answer is by using your imagination and creating a novel experience for your clients. Take a careful read through the list of the world's craziest restaurants and see what ideas they trigger in your mind for your product or service. Think crazy, think novel, think differently from the competition. |
| Think Laterally |
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Lateral thinking is a phrase coined by Edward de Bono as a counterpoint to conventional or vertical thinking. In conventional thinking we go forward in a predictable, direct fashion. Lateral thinking involves coming at the problem from new directions - literally from the side. De Bono defines the four main aspects of lateral thinking as follows:
- The recognition of dominant polarizing ideas.
- The search for different ways of looking at things.
- A relaxation of the rigid control of vertical thinking.
- The use of chance.
There are dominant ideas in every walk of life. They are the assumptions, rules and conventions that underpin systems and influence people's thinking and attitudes. The idea that the Earth was flat or that the Earth was the centre of the Universe are examples of dominant ideas that polarized thought along set lines.
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| Ireland's Worst Driver |
The BBC reported details on how police in the Irish Republic finally caught up with the country's most reckless driver. He had been wanted from counties Cork to Cavan after racking up scores of speeding tickets and parking fines. However, each time the serial offender was stopped he managed to evade justice by giving a different address. But then his cover was blown. It was discovered that the man every member of the Irish police's rank and file had been looking for - a Mr Prawo Jazdy - wasn't exactly the sort of prized villain whose apprehension leads to an officer winning an award. In fact he wasn't even human. "Prawo Jazdy" is actually the Polish for driving licence and not the first and surname on the licence. The seemingly elusive Mr Prawo Jazdy has presumably become a cult hero among Ireland's second largest immigrant population. |
| 50 Tips for Using Social Media |
Chris Brogan gives some great short tips on how to market using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. |
| Pet Spider |
Here is a fascinating little pet spider you can drag around with your mouse. Add some insects with the space bar and watch him get them. |
| We live in an Amazing World...... |
...and it's wasted on the "crappiest generation of spoiled idiots." According to comedian Louis CK in this video clip. |
