Peeps Poll Results and Shmmoms (Oh my!)

Results of the peeps poll:
33% say “Yum”
66% say “Yuck”
While my wife loves these seasonal “treats,” I side with the “Yuck” camp. Thanks for taking the poll.

In other news… Read more

Chocolate bunny carnage

Don’t know who to credit for this image. Got it in an email today.

Sneaking around my own house

My wife and I have just finished sneaking around our home finding deviously clever places to hide plastic Easter eggs. In a few hours they will awake and storm through the house Tasmanian Devil-style.

Yup, Easter Bunny is on the list of lies we continue to promote along with Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy.

The kids are okay with this trio who break into homes, defeat security systems and sneak around you while you sleep. I guess if the monster in the closet brought candy or presents, then he would be welcome too.

When will the lying end? I already screwed up once claiming to my ungrateful monsters that the Play Station 2 I bought for Christmas was expensive. I was immediately corrected by them: “No, Santa brought the Play Station.” Grrr

Nothing but lies, damn lies and statistics in my future.

Easter story for kids

The Church we go to has an annual Easter Egg hunt. They fill plastic eggs with: candy, bit of palm, purple cloth, feathers, crosses, stones, chocolate eggs / jelly beans.

I didn’t really understand why some of those items were included in previous years, but I finally paid attention this year to learn why. It’s symbolic of the larger story of Jesus’s final days.

• Palm = Palms used by bystanders as Jesus entered Jerusalem.
• Purple cloth = Represents royalty - King of the Jews.
• Feather = Represents the cock that crowed three times while Apostle Peter fell asleep while Jesus prayed in the garden.
• Cross = Obviously, Jesus bared the burden and died on the cross.
• Pebbles/stones/rocks = Represents Jesus was buried in a tomb carved out of stone and a large rock was rolled across the entrance.
• Eggs = Represents new life. Jesus rose from the dead.

Happy Easter!

Peeps Challenge

Easter season tradition brings out the inevitable appearance of Marshmellow Peeps®
My wife and kids love those sugar encrusted pink, yellow or blue marshmellow delights.

Some people get rabid about these things. Plus there’s the weird fascination with whether to bite off the head or the butt first.

IMHO, yuck. But that’s just me.

It’s hard to explain what I do for a living to my kids. To them, other dads seem to be simple things: policeman, builder, teacher, salesman.

Me, I sell crap consumer package goods that people may or may not need, over the Internet. It’s not at all easy to explain that I solve business problems by creating corporate and promotional Web sites, email marketing programs, online media, mobile marketing, search engine marketing, blogging, podcasting, instant messenger AIs, yada yada yada.

Then suddenly I was inspired and siezed a rare opportunity to help illustrate something daddy does at work. I thought I’d show them the simple concept of market research: the blind taste challenge. (think Pepsi Challenge)

Hence… The Chick vs Bunny Peeps Blind Taste Challenge

I blindfolded the boys and my wife would randomly let each kid bite into a Peep and the participant would have to identify:

1. Whether he thought it was bunny or chick, and
2. Whether the bunny and chick tasted the same or different

That’s where things fell apart.

I think there was some cheating. I suspect peeking from under the blindfolds. Or tasting the shape of bunny ears that influenced decision making. Just my suspicians.

Conclusions:

• My kids didn’t find market research very fun. (But they’ve never been in an focus group observation room, gorging on food and commenting about how annoying the people we are watching are.)
• Every kid guessed right which shape Peep they were eating, yet they all thought there was no difference in taste.
• I need to lighten up and just let them eat the friggin things without me blindfolding them and recording results.

Randomized execution
Sample size (n=6)
Statistical accuracy +/- .01%

Happy Easter!