There are countless videos and blogs parodying the current infomercial for the Snuggie, but even so, the Snuggie has still sold more than 4 million units since it began advertising in October. This article in the NY Times discusses how there have been many predecessors to the Snuggie in the past, such as the Slanket, but none have seen the success Snuggie has seen.

Could it be the over the top infomercial that have sparked hundreds of people to create parodies on YouTube, one of which that has more than one million views! Or could it be that television spots have become increasingly cheap because of our current economic situation? Either way, retailers like Walgreens and Bed Bath & Beyond now carry the blanket with sleeves.

A new study has come out that says those 15-24 years old spend only 9 minutes a day reading.  We’ve heard much hype over this generations fascination with book series such as Harry Potter and Twilight.  This article at IPS believes that the generation is taking in books and reading in different forms.  As they’ve grown up with digital media, so have their reading habits.  Marketing for these books has changed as well, and has grown to encompass movies, websites and blogs that cover fiction for the generation.

Could this generations reading habits be switching mediums? The article states that many readers have turn to social networks and fan fiction relating to their favorite books online.

What does this mean for marketers?  The two series mentioned above clearly have kids reading, but also have movies and huge internet followings.  What does this say about marketing to the younger generations?  Will not only marketing for the publishing industry have to change?

According to neatorama.com, due to open in 2010, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be a theme park at Universal Orlando based on the world’s most famous scar-faced boy. 

The 20-acre park will be located in Universal’s Islands of Adventure, which are themed “islands” built around a lagoon and currently comprises Seuss Landing, Marvel SuperHero Island, Toon Island, Jurassic Park and The Lost Continent. 

And we hope they serve butterbeer, too!

How will marketers make the transition from book to movie to themepark? We’d like to hear your thoughts.

This latest post on Ypulse highlights how many girls who are still lucky enough to receive an allowance that are aged 8 to 15 have seen a significant increase in saving habits. Even though some parents are not discussing messy financial situations kids are still very much aware. And because of this, kids are more inclined to help out around the house and are asking for much less.

Meredith from Ypulse goes on to discuss how the “spoiled brats” label of Gen-Y may soon be gone altogether from the next generation. What are your thoughts?

The New York Times reports that Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice will return to their old packaging starting in March.  The new branding, which was introduced in January, did not set well with consumers, who complained to the company via email, phone and letters.  For more on this, read the article.

According to AdAge.com, those nifty apps are a perfect way for marketers to get their product in the hands (literally) of their target audience. Though this is great for marketers is very bad for social skills. Lenore Skenazy says, if you’re a parent wondering what happened to your child who was just about to burst into the world, but got sucked into a smartphone instead, this may be the time to invent a killer app of your own: the unpaid phone bill. She claims that the apps are a great way for kids to waste time and dollars instead of playing with their friends or engaging in other activities–i.e., homework.

Are you seeing apps as a way to market to your target audience?

Heinz ketchup has long since kept their ketchup label the same since 1940s, but now according to this article on the NY Times they have finally redesigned the label to include a tomato instead of a pickle, and has revealed a new phrase, “Grown not made.”

Heinz’s new phrase Grown not made is set to be the major theme of their new campaign which is aimed to launch around April or May this year. This redesign came about through studying new consumer spending trends on food products. It will be interesting to see how the shoppers will react to their product labels once it hits the shelves.

In an effort to boost booking on JetBlue flights, they’ve come up with a new promise for their customers.  They feel that since customers are afraid to fly due to current turmoil in the job market, and they may be unwilling to buy tickets.  Now, JetBlue is offering a full refund to anyone who gets laid off two weeks before their scheduled flight.  The deal applies to anyone who has booked since February 1, until June 1, 2009.  For more information, check out the website at JetBlue.

What do you think about this new offer from JetBlue?  Airlines have been suffering, but now it is even worse due to the economy.  Will this appeal to their target market?

No batteries required.

According to MSNBC.com, Toy-makers have gotten the message that Mom and Dad want to buy toys that will be enjoyed over and over: dolls, games, arts and crafts, activity toys like yo-yos, sporting goods such as scooters. Lego is doing extremely well in this economy, and Crayola had the biggest sales week in the history of the company right before Christmas, when nearly everyone else in the industry was scraping by.

But what about the must-have electronic toys for kids and teens; i.e., Wii/Xbox360?

As marketers, what will you do to your marketing strategy to increase revenue in the budget conscious present and future? We’d like to hear your thoughts.

Here’s the 2nd installment of the presentation from Tim Stock of Parson the New School of Design. In this presentation, Culture Networks, Tim dabbles with the idea that there is a flattening of time and space and therefore a flattening of our traditional understanding of the relationship between subculture and pop culture. Take some time out to view the slideshow, its pretty informative.