Best Wishes for 2009

Here's hoping this year brings joy and prosperity to all.

With a New Year comes New Year's Resolutions. A sweep of the blogosphere found the following popular resolutions:

Lose weight/look better
Diet/eat healthy meals
Visit the gym more often/exercise more

Other resolutions included:
Gaming-related goals
Watching the news more frequently
Spending more time on hobbies
Being more cleanly

What was your resolution?

I don't drink soda

Disclaimer: I do drink soda. Specifically, Dr. Pepper and the tried and true "DC" (Diet Coke).

If you live on the coasts, it's called soda, if you're in the Midwest it's pop, and if you're in certain parts of the South it's "a Coke" (even if it's not Coca-Cola.) But do you drink it? And if not, why?

With NY's Governor proposing a budget that would include a tax on Coke and Pepsi, I wondered, are there good reasons for not drinking soda?

“I stopped drinking it because it was too much sugar and the caffeine was hell on my stomach and nerves. I really like cherry or vanilla colas and dr. pepper though. I still get the occasional craving for one of these.” Female, Early 20s, Colorado

“Pop is so bad for you!!! Bad for your skin, bad for your insides. Over all
it's not a healthy choice.”

“I don't like soda. Makes me feel all bloated and gross. Ick.” Female, 19, California

So, for the most part, the consensus among those who choose not to drink soda seemed to be that the choice was due to the physical impact: Soda makes you sick... and overweight.

The majority of professed "Soda haters" were young women, though there were a smattering of males, mostly those who seemed athletic, who also expressed disdain for the beverage. Of the top sodas imbibed by "Non- Soda Drinkers" were Dr. Pepper and Ginger Ale.

Some other reasons described were financial (the money could be better spent elsewhere) and weight loss (quitting soda was a quick way to shed some pounds). There was a healthy debate on facebook as to whether the drink should be "soda" or "pop," as well as a number of groups who didn't care because they "drink beer."

Preference against soda also appeared often on blogs, MySpace and other social networking sites as part of different surveys that circulate the web. On the questions that asked about soda preference, many soda adversaries expressed their distate for any type of soda.

So what do you think? Do you drink Soda? Will you quit?

Interested in more analysis? Drop me a line at heatherm@nicholasresearch.com

Even though I can't afford it

With pocketbooks pinched, and the holidays approaching, many people are reaching for their credit cards to pay for things that they can not necessarily afford. We wondered, what type of items are people still buying, even though they can't afford it?

One frequently mentioned category was camera equipment. This was surprising, since cameras tend to be luxury items. For more insight, I contacted professional photographer Max Flatow, who attributed this phenom to the fact that, "camera companies are constantly trying to one-up one another. As soon as a new product comes out from one manufacturer, another one comes out from a different manufacturer the next month, so people become overly consumed in wanting to buy new equipment."

Other frequently mentioned splurges included:

Travel: Weekend trips, visits to families, and vacations. Bloggers noted that "they needed a vacation," or that visiting their relatives was a priority, regardless of funding.

Coffee: Expensive lattes or flavored coffees from Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, or other local chains. Some cited their addiction to caffeine, while others saw the drinks as a way to treat themselves.

Education: Student loans and books or other expenses related to education. Some referred to the fact that they needed education in order to excel in their future careers.

Are you interested in consumer splurging patterns? Drop me a line at heatherm@nicholasresearch.com

When did Ugly Christmas Sweaters become a business?

The Ugly Christmas Sweater has been around for a long time. In fact, so has the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. But as of late, it seems that the perfect Ugly Christmas Sweater is the new Tickle Me Elmo. What was once an item that could be easily purchased at a Goodwill shop is now a commodity with a high level of bidding on EBay. What does the online community think?

www.uglychristmassweaters.com allows visitors to purchase sweaters, and offers tips on how to throw your very own Ugly Christmas Sweater party. The site had received 49,000 Page Views in the 60 Days preceding November 24th. Facebook lists more than 500 events related to "Ugly Christmas Sweater," and more than 100 user groups.

Off the blogs:
The premise of Ugly Sweater Parties is that you go to a Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc store (any store that has second-hand goods for sale), find the ugliest sweater you can, preferably related to Christmas/winter theme and wear it to the party. (Female, 20’s)

I'm not proud to admit it, but I bought one of those expensive eBay sweaters. I didn't want to, but I didn't really have much of a choice. Don't worry though. It's going back on eBay the morning after the party. (Male, 20s)

I just got my ugly sweater from ebay today. If I don't win I will be incredibly sad. It's soooooooo ugly. That's all I can say about it since it's a surprise. I have a feeling there will be some stiff competition this year. It's not just about the ugly Christmas sweater, but the entire ensemble. (Female, 31, Austin, TX)

The phenomenon seems to center mainly around men and women in their 20s and 30s. The sweaters have become "ironically chic" in their kitchiness. The older generations seem to refer to them just as "Christmas sweaters," and don't seem to appreciate the novelty that the younger generations have so overwhelmingly embraced.

Interested in more analysis? Drop me a line at HeatherM@nicholasresearch.com.

The Online Anti-Turkey Coalition

Well, we all know about the people who are getting ready to eat turkey on Thursday, but what about the people who aren't?

I don't eat Turkey on Thanksgiving. Nothing should have to die for a holidays sake. Plus it was almost our national bird. (Then we wouldn't be able to eat it? I don't know how that works. Has anyone tried to eat an Eagle?) - Female

Well there will only be 3 of us this year at the table so we are going with a roast duck instead of turkey...I have no desire to be eating leftover turkey until Christmas...lol. Female, 30s, Georgetown, KY

My mom asked me the other night if it was okay if we had ham instead of turkey for thanksgiving. I told her that she could do what she would do, but I would be cranky about it if we didn't have turkey and that I would probably resent it because you know in my memory, its always been turkey. who doesn't have turkey for thanksgiving? Female, 20s, Washington, DC

I would venture to guess that most people would be horrified if they were served cat on Thanksgiving instead of turkey. Both are equally as horrifying. Turkeys are affectionate, sociable, and loving animals. So are cats. How does one justify eating one and not the other? I’m not sure. Female, 20s, West Virginia

I think we’re going to go with chicken instead of turkey, since turkeys are so expensive and we’re all broke. Female, 23, Austin, TX

I don't like the turkey, or the ham, cranberry sauce, stuffing... yuk. All I eat on Thanksgiving is the hor d'oevres, most importantly the Ruffles and dip. Female, 30s

Among the most common reasons to not eat turkey were vegetarianism, preference for ham, or substitution of chicken.

Would you like analysis of today's or any other post? Drop me a line at heatherm@nicholasresearch.com.

Brrrr!!! It's cooooold!!!

With cold weather sweeping in across the nation, what does the blogosphere have to say about winter temperatures?

“I am buying a huge flat screen tv this weekend and joined Netflix yesterday. I do not plan on leaving my bedroom this winter!” Female, 24, Atlanta, GA

“Gettin’ nasty cold out there, folks. I wear calf-length wool coats and knee-high leather boots, but unfortunately the coat tends to flap open as I walk, allowing chilling gusts of freezing air to zoom directly up my skirt. Plus, the high-velocity nippy air bites at my cheeks and makes my eyes run. Wah!” Female, 20s, Boston, MA

“We're having a problem with our waterbottles. When cold, the plastic gets very stiff making getting a quick drink nearly impossible. We really have to slow down and sip, sip, sip to get any real fluids in.” Female

“I know, it's the weather, seriously, it makes me do crazy things that are way out of character. Maybe if it would just warm up and stay warm we would not have gotten in trouble” Female, Teens, Lexington, KY

Common themes included: Buying entertainment equiptment in preparation for a long season indoors; Preparing soup; Reporting about current weather and making predictions for the future; Getting winter clothes ready, and purchasing new clothes for the season.

There were also numerous postings on Flickr and other photo-sharing sites of first signs of winter weather.

For analysis on today's or any other topic, please drop me a line at: heatherm@nicholasresearch.com

How did America Watch the Election Unfold?

On October 15th, the Seattle Times reported that Puget Sound area eateries experienced a surge in business during the presidential debates. In New York City, residents crowded bars and cheered as if the candidates were sports teams. On the morning after the election, we wonder, how did Americans pass the election night?

Facebook showed over 500 public results for “Election Party”

On Gather, members congregated and posted live while the results were unfolding.

On CafeMom, users shared election night games to play with their families.

Windows Live Space had little ocnversation about election night

A number of bloggers reported that they went to a bar or restaurant specifically to watch the election unfold.

I went to a bar that was holding an election party featuring CNN and r&b remixes of obama speeches, and the people in there were all cheering and jeering at the big screen with the vote count. (Female, 20s, Chelmsford, MA)

Several friends met at Stubbies to drink beer, eat German sausages, and watch the election returns. (Male, 39, Gainesville, FL)

I'm really glad I went out to Real Art Ways tonight to watch the election results, with a group of all races, young and old. (Female, 30s, Ellington, CT)

Shel and I watched the election at Neumos--a fairly large bar on Capitol Hill--crammed in with about a thousand other Obama supporters. (Male, 30s, Seattle, WA)

There were also many reports of people gathering at home to watch the results with friends.

There were happy riots of people all up and down frat row. My house, all 40 people, happily gathered into a bundle at the end of the long dining room table, where we'd been gathered to watch the election, and we all screamed. Then everyone got whatever alcohol they owned and poured everyone shots. We all cheered and took them. (Male, 20s, College student)

William, Neek and Chuck came over, we watched election returns and cooking shows and noshed on bagna cauda, hoping the night would turn out well. (Male, 30s, Wisconsin)

I watched the election results on ABC at Antoine's place, with Creighton and Carolyn, and The Hammer. I like being on my laptop when election results are reported so that I can check more local results. (Female, 22, Wisconsin)

Some bloggers reported watching the results at home alone, or with significant others.

Headed home and put on ABC to watch the election coverage, then switched to Comedy Central to watch Futurama and South Park, and then the Daily Show/Colbert Report election special, while still switching back to ABC for updates. (Male, 25, Philadelphia, PA)

Overall, election seemed to be a social event among bloggers. A majority of those who blogged about their election night plans reported to have marked the occasion with some level of social activity, whether at their own home with friends or family or out on the town.