For some reason I really like owl jewelry, so when I saw this online I had to get it!
Aww, it even has its own certificate!
A nice white box with a pretty little garnish.
It feels like a special day!
Yay my new toy with its heart-shaped body.
Enjoying my new necklace and the box!
Here’s the thing: if you’re going to give out free t-shirts, you might as well make it worth everyone’s while by getting a good sampling of sizes. Why? Well, nobody wants to walk out of the house wearing a shirt two sizes too big. And why does that matter? Ah, well you see, giving out free t-shirts is really a marketing AND advertising thing, or at least it should be.
First you start off with the marketing ploy: lure people in with the promise of free t-shirts. This draws their interest and creates hype around your brand. Most organizations have this down, but here’s where they go wrong – instead of offering everyone a reasonable-size t-shirt, they decide to go the easy way and order all the same size. The one size fits all approach just doesn’t work.
What ultimately happens is that the second part, the advertising part, doesn’t happen! If they had given most people a size that actually fit them, these people could add the shirt to their wardrobe and actually wear it out. Every time they put on the shirt it’s a free walking advertisement for you. Whether it’s people noticing your brand being worn a lot or them asking the wearer a question about it because of a striking design, it’s good news for you. At the least the person is reminded of your brand every time they put it on.
Instead, you pass out all XLs because most people can fit them and then only the XL people ever do wear them. All the rest of us stuff that shirt somewhere in the closet, or only bring it out for sleeping in. Your shirt never sees the public eye again and it becomes another bit of wasted fabric, not appreciated or recognized. Sure, it’s not as efficient to give people the size they want, but that extra bit of effort can lead to a long happy life filled with attention for your precious tees. Don’t you want that over being forgotten or even torn up for rags?
So that’s my theory on how giving free t-shirts is actually a bit of a science, with a formula to follow. I know that my XL from the Apple Store doesn’t get wear time like my M from the Sony Store! The formula of “right size, cool design” works for me and I bet it works for most of the world too.
Panda and I enjoyed some great fireworks in our nation’s capitol back on Independence Day.
Aww, cute heart-shaped ones.
heart fireworks from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
The planes taking off had to veer to the left pretty hard to make sure they stayed far away from the explosions.
fireworks and airplane from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Panda’s in town for a few precious days so I’ve been spending my time outside of work with him. It has been pretty tiring since we don’t get around to dinner until 8 or so, do by the time we eat and drive back, it’s nearly 10 and there isn’t that much time left in the night.
He’s leaving tomorrow morning and then I just need to get through one more day of work before I can rest! This week has gone by fast, but a lot has gone on and I’m drained. I can’t wait for the weekend to recover!
bear eating watermelon from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Do you see it too?
Wow, I’ve been pretty addicted to popsicles lately. Between the pure fruit bars and the creamsicle style ones, my fridge is pretty packed with sticks of frozen goodness. I go through at least two or three a night (and this has been going on for nearly a month)! I also have some ice cream and frozen yogurt, but it’s really the popsicles that draw me in. Perhaps because they are pre-proportioned and fruity, so they’re a lighter alternative to a couple of scoops of ice cream, which would fill me right up.
I’m not sure how it started, but one day I decided to go get groceries and when I went through the frozen aisle, I couldn’t resist a couple of boxes of popsicles. From then on I’ve been pigging out on them day in and day out, with no sign of stopping! At least this weekend I got watermelon ones, which are very light and refreshing. They remind me of the frozen watermelon juice my mom would make (aka watermelon ice cubes). Still, refreshing as they are, I certainly didn’t shy away from stocking up on the creamsicles as well.
Now I’ve got popsicle sticks all over the place, and I even started using one for scooping out my body butter. Those things can be pretty practical! Too bad I don’t need dozens of them though. Maybe I should look into making my own so I don’t waste all that plastic, cardboard, and wood. That would be fun!
robin feeding from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Gettin' a little sawdusty!
This smart one hid in the shade right below where most people stood so we wouldn't even notice.
I think this one was a wallaby. Quite flexible!
