Mums. Bless them. We love them. And they love the web. Can’t get enough. And you thought it was all the young dudes who made the news. New research from eMarketer tells us 89% use it twice a day. Wow. Search is by far the biggest weapon of choice (Google being the goddess of choice in mother search world) with a HUGE 86% of respondents using search as their most efficient way of searching for info. The interwoven nature of offline and online is demonstrated by nearly two thirds using search to find more info after seeing an ad.

But although usage is high, their behaviour fits into their hectic worlds. We like to call this “snacking”, an apt description when nearly two thirds of visit duration are less than 30 mins. In an out. Onto the next thing.

Here’s a video I pulled together for a pitch last year trying to depict this in more visual impact terms than the graphs here which are from eMarketer in July & August 2007. What do you think (apart from the reduction in quality to make it web usable rather than you having to go to lunch during download time)?

Iconoculture tell us some more mum/mom stuff in the form of a new magazine called Hybrid Mom for multi-tasking (is there any other type?) mums/moms who are, as they describe:

Hybrid Mom (hy brid mom, n.): An adult female who has discarded outdated and unrealistic conceptions of motherhood. She is parent, wife, volunteer, and sometimes entrepreneur, all in one. Known for her strength, sense of humor, and flexibility, a hybrid mom is actually a fusion of roles that suit her own individuality.

I’m not particularly target audience but content wise it’s a little light to say the least (on the site), an example of which is the sparsely populated blog: three entries since December which makes you think that someone thought “hey, we need a blog cos like everyone does” and then failed at seeing it through. Hopefully the magazine has more exciting content - about half of mums/moms spend about an hour a day with the mags so maybe it has a better role there?

Saw the first one day international between England & India at the magnificent Rose Bowl on 21.08. A game that had everything including some surprises. In no particular order:

Bikinis (well, had to talk about that first)

Unfortunately we were on the wrong side of the ground but in the West stand a group of ladies suddenly stripped off and jiggled about in their seats. This caused more commotion than Cook & Bell’s centuries and had us all scrambling for the zoom on our cameras and fighting for binoculars. My interest was purely marketing oriented (ahem! and yes, Mrs. Gill didn’t fall for that either) as I felt sure this was an organised guerilla marketing stunt. Sure enough, one of the scantily clad ladies turned around and pointed her behind at me (and I’m sure it was just to me, not the thousands of other people) to reveal the logo on her bikini’d behind. Good for 6Up mobile text betting. Bad for the stewards who made them leave their seats. The ECB don’t like unofficial sponsors in the ground. Booo. But hurrah! The intrepid girls must have got back in and did it again during the Indian innings to even more applause. It was mighty cold so they must have been paid handsomely or at least been layered with deep heat. Certainly better crowd entertainment than the drunk bloke near us trying to get everyone to sing “barmy army” and start another Mexican wave. Here’s what the local paper had to say with some terrible cricket puns. And the BBC: “A group of girls in black bikinis have just entertained the crowd by running around the stand on the western side of the Rose Bowl. They were pursued by stewards in a scene reminiscent of a Benny Hill sketch, but all have now disappeared from view.”

Nudity!!!

A pitch-side ad hoarding caught my attention: nakedhawks.com. Could this be the WAG alternative for cricket to add some spice on top of the sexy Twenty20 format? No! It’s the Hampshire Hawks cricket team getting their kit off for a charity calendar to support Prostate Cancer. Good for them. Wonder what pose Warney will adopt?

Super, super Fred

As Collingwood said, a “near perfect” performance from the England team with Cook, Prior, Bell and KP blatting the ball around and some tremendous bowling from Anderson in particular followed up by Freddie Flintoff grabbing his first wicket on his return from injury. A great cricketing event. But it was bloody cold.

Brand experience

I like the Rose Bowl and I’m not just saying it as it’s my local venue. Yes, there were queues to get to the park and ride but unlike two years ago they now have ample stewards and buses laid on so it’s not one mad rush to get on the buses to the ground. They even had a nice Hampshire Cricket Club official board the bus before we left to let us know the drill on where to go, what time they left etc. All very helpful. Not much queuing at the ground and as we were in the family section (we took our cricket mad nephew along too), the atmosphere was friendly rather than abusive as it can sometimes get.

NatWest had some good exposure around the ground especially with the pint carriers and the big screens. Sky offered up their radios again where you could listen to Bumble & Co while watching the action live. And we got to see Phil Tuffnell at half time.

Getting home was a doddle too. Three things made me think though: 1) the bars closed for an hour after the half time interval. Why? 2) the queues for the gents was HUGE! For once I knew how ladies must feel. Why not put more gents in? 3) Why does it take 10 minutes to get 3 coffees and 1 minute for 3 pints?

Inspired by Ryan who’s decided to give up biting his nails, I thought I’d re-try. Over the years I’ve tried lots of times and failed lots of times. I’m forever getting shouted at by Mrs Gill and I don’t like them getting scratchy and caught on things and I don’t like the way they look. But I can’t stop it. Just habit. And I intend to lose a stone too. But if Ryan’s giving it a go, Jaffe is still losing the pounds and Phillipe’s quit his weed, then I’d better give it a proper try. Again. But this time I’ll need to publicly record my achievements/failures so I might get motivated this time. And a bit of group blogger quitting support and hugs is sure to help.

So, in Big Brother style: day 1, Nicholas tries to stop biting. Here’s the current state of play next to Ryan’s chewed paws.  And if you thought the headline was about filth, there’ll be some of that to come soon.

Perhaps it could be worn as a badge of honour/shame/etc.?

Sadly it’s for an air conditioning company. I saw it on their van and sniggered.

Saw this in the cinema on my hols and laughed at an ad for the first time in ages. Enjoy the knitting nanas.

If flux capacitors mean anyting to you you’ll know it’s 25 years since the gull wing Delorean came into our lives and Michael J Fox was the coolest kid in town. And now a nice company in Texas is building them. I wonder what happens when they hit 88mph? Image from wikipedia.

*My holiday in Tuscany

[update 21.08: thanks to Martina for the correct translation. Damn those Google language tools] 

In July, we had a frankly fantastic holiday in Tuscany and for the first time ever, Jude & I seriously contemplated how we could live out there. Here’s my snaps. Here’s some highlights:

On the Friday before we left

I was up at 3am to finish a presentation that needed to be delivered that day. Yes, 3am. I considered staying up late but then I’m better in the mornings. I finished it by 8am and then had to do most of a days work. Not recommended. However, the evening brought much cheer as we went to see Ricky Gervais at the Portsmouth Guildhall. I quite like the Guildhall as it has good acoustics and the staff seemingly completely comprise old dears replete with blue rinses. Anyway, wasn’t quite sure what to expect as although a big fan of the Office and a latecomer to Extras, I had never seen him live. But I laughed my ass off. Very funny with a great observational style. Wish he’d have been on longer.

Saturday

For once not having to get up at death o’clock for an EasyJet flight as we didn’t leave till 11. A quick trip to Gatwick and then the tedium of airports, the highlight of which, was the new Dyson hand dryers in the traps. Like having g-forces applied to your hands. Does the job better than anything else though.

Anyway, short little bus ride from Pisa airport to the car hire terminal next door and the proud recipient of a key fob stating nuevo croma. We’d ordered a Volvo S40 or equivalent as there were 4 of us and when there were 3 of us on the Amalfi Coast last year it was a little too snug in our funky Alfa 147. A little more space would be good. But had no idea what a Croma was and suspected a Fiat (and was right) so I located the car hire company car park and sought out the number plate. My heart skipped a beat and the desire to stomp back to the desk started to well when I thought the registration matched a poky Fiat Cinquecento or similar. Only to have a moment of huge relief when I looked opposite and discovered I was one letter away. The car was suitably big enough, akin to a Ford Focus estate. More than took the luggage and the 4 of us. Quite comfortable. OK in straight line. But take a corner and it steers like a ferry. Bloody awful car.

A two hour drive ensued which went fairly quickly thanks to most of it being on motorways at plus 90/100 which makes you wonder why we can’t legally travel at these speeds. Highlights of the journey were a) only having one argument about directions (we went wrong only the once and this was probably my impatience with hindsight) and b) being overtaken by a Golf with the numberplate CCO 000 CK (i shit you not, I may have the wrong number of digits but it definitely spelt cock). Continuing that theme, here’s some chicken we didn’t buy in the local supermarket.

The instructions from the holiday company were spot on until the very last when it curiously told us to turn left after a dustbin. OK, which dustbin? Anyway, we finally deduced it and found the villa at the end of the lane where we were greeted by Marta, Giancarlo and Theresa. Who spoke no English which made for some comical exchanged involving lots of “si” and “grazi” and hand gesticulation. We worked it out. Suffice to say the villa was amazing. Here’s some shots.

Sunday

A bit of orientation to the nearby towns of Castigliano di Fiorentina and Arezzo. And Giancarlo came by in the evening to tend to the grounds and surprised us by offering us some of his own home made wine from the vines in the grounds. Italian red is good at the best of times but oh my god this was bellissimo!!!! And he offered us some more as the week went on. And some vegetables and salad from his plot. He was such a lovely, kind and generous man. I wish I could have understood what he was saying but we managed to communicate enough to know that he gave us these gifts from his heart. Bless!

Monday

After figuring out the route the day before we set forth to Arezzo as the regional home of jewellery. And found none. But I did find some beautiful buildings and a sculpture exhibition at the top of one steep hill.

Tuesday

Siena, the home of the Palio. Architecturally stunning and such a lovely maze of streets and shops. I bought some business card sized paper with a hand printed “N” on them from Il Papiro where they hand-make the paper. Quite nice if one day I decide to do my own thang.

Wednesday

Discovered that Giancarlo had about 20 hams hanging in his store room as well as his never ending vat of red wine. And I helped my mum start to learn to swim. By the end of the week she wasn’t doing too bad and could just about manage a width using a float. Lets hope she keeps it up. I seriously contemplated a career in teaching about 8 years ago, perhaps I may even have been good at it after all.

Thursday

Can’t remember so here’s some sunflowers.

Friday

Pienza. Had a belt made by a local craftsman. Such passion and precision for his work.

Saturday

Came home. Bugger.

For ref, we booked with Cottages to Castles

A little later than planned but I finally get to blog about my last holiday in Italy when I’m on my current holiday pootling around at home. First up in the holiday season: the book review.

Steve Waugh - Out of My Comfort Zone

The first of a few cricketing themed books for this holiday. I’d wanted to read this for months but managed to keep it hidden away for the week in Tuscany. Some autobiographies are just a sprinkling of magic dust on a few weeks in the sun (think Wayne Rooney’s “life story” when he’s just about out of school trousers), but this is different. Waugh’s is a fascinating tale of a guy who just doesn’t give up, makes himself better through perserverance and hard work and is incredibly human and humble. At nearly 800 pages, it’s not a quick and easy read and a bit like Waugh himself, you need to grind it out and discover the gems. And it’s not just a book for cricket lovers. If you have to manage people, you should read this. A real account of someone who took a good Australian team and made them great. How great? Just look at the history books. Some of the management lessons in the pages are as good as any you’ll find in the business and management sections of the book stores. Here’s an example of his 12-point blueprint for success:

1. stay a strong unit and enjoy each other’s success

2. play each game as if it’s the most important of your career

3. don’t hesitate, always back yourself

4. never believe the game is lost

5. aim to be man of the match every time you play

6. improvise - think on your feet

7. learn something from every match

8. do the little things right and the big picture will fall into place

9. enjoy the fact you’re representing your country - have pride

10. the best fielding side nearly always wins

11. know your own game and what your role is

12. have fun - have a laugh

Simple and straightforward but when executed with 100% convinction, unbeatable. Try taking these into your work on Monday morning.

James May - Notes from the Hard Shoulder

I bought this because I enjoy Captain Slow on Top Gear. I didn’t realise he had a column in the Telegraph mainly because I don’t buy the Telegraph. Like Jeremy Clarkson’s column collections, they are fantastically short allowing you to chew it in bite size chunks, deliciously funny and completely in tune with the tone of May on the TV. After the seriousness of Waugh, a welcome chuckle.

Michael Simkins - Fatty Batter: How cricket saved my life (then ruined it)

Back to willow and leather with this very funny tale of how a fat kid useless at sport discovered cricket on the TV one summer and then became obsessed by it to the point where every weekend and spare moment is spent organising and playing in friendly matches. I haven’t laughed so much from reading a book in ages.

David Mitchell - Black Swan Green

I didn’t quite finish this on holiday but a I love Mitchell’s evocative writing style that brings alive characters and places. Black Swan Green has huge nostalgia for 1982 in a typically English suburban town and deals with a child who has a stammer and therefore social acceptance problems in a difficult 13 year old’s life which is set against the backdrop of the Falklands War. Although somewhat personally disapoointed that the 1982 World Cup wasn’t even mentioned but then the main protagonist wasn’t really sporty so it wouldn’t have fitted at all. Perhaps I should write my own memoirs? Quite different to the other three holiday books in style and content but that’s the beauty of books: every one is different.

OK, I didn’t read these on holiday but some recent memorable reads:

Nick Griffiths - Dalek I loved You

If you like Dr Who and were born in and around the 1970’s this will make you laugh and cry. Although it’s not wholly about the Doctor so don’t be put off. More a case of one man’s quite surreal life against which the Doctor is interspersed.

Harry Thompson - Penguins Stopped Play

Not unlike Fatty Batter in that it mainly covers a friendly playing cricket team but it covers their fantastic travels to play cricket in all the world’s continents. Incredibly entertaining, witty and articulate as you’d expect from one of the script writers of Have I Got News For You.

J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows

At first I did think they were kids books. Then I read the first few on holiday last year and became hooked. And I managed to be patient while my wife finished reading it before I started. A bit of a Hollywood ending but like other Potter fans I did enjoy it. What I like most about Potter is that it’s got children reading again and inspiring their imaginations. Whatever your own personal views on the merchandising etc., surely getting kids reading and enjoying picking up a book and using their brains is better than sticking them in front of the TV or the PlayStation or educating them through free toys with Happy Meals?

Only a few things today as I’ve been on a couple days hols (more on this when I get chance) and am now officially pitch bitch for the rest of this week.

Flood 2.0. With the UK drowning through unseasonably high water fall of late, here’s a mash up of Google maps with news reports and video footage to stay afloat. This is a couple of weeks late in sharing but hey.

And for all those big brother fans who can’t get enough, enter subtitle superstar from the house sponsors, Virgin media by creating amusing captions from their break bumper sponsorship. I suspect this will be highly moderated which is a shame because that could actually make this years show somewhat more interesting. (source: popbitch)

Remember Subbuteo? Get flicking and beat your mates in a penalty shoot out. (image source)

And this is too addictive. Note to Mrs. Gill, you know why I’m late this week now you’ve sent me this to distract me. And she also sent me this: save energy using a search engine with a black screen not a white screen with Blackle.

Not content with the fabulous Golf night driving, VW have extended the use of the Touareg stunts from the new Matt Damon film, the Bourne Ultimatum with a 3D stunt simulator: create your own stunts, load ‘em, see if the people out there rate your stunt as cunning or not (deliberate Kenny Everett -ism there for those that remember).

I love this quote from the Sunday Times about America’s fascination with the Western as a film genre and how they are nothing less than:

the creation of national narratives

Such a wonderful evocative thought.

First Direct photography competition capturing the essence of the always-on, 24/7, crackberry addicted society.

Gossip at/about Starbucks blog. Whatever, I like their new Java chip coffee blended creme frappucino thingy.

I like the dunce hat we have at work. It seems to have got lost in the recent re-shuffle of desks.

Last time I was at Schiphol, I noticed they had a new huge screen alongside one the walkways. Unfortunately, the first user of this, Ford Mondeo, just sliced and diced the TV ad and lobbed it on the screen in a strange scrolling manner. Didn’t quite make the best use of the space and the genuine 30 seconds of attention you had. Quality from my mobile is a bit ropey but you get my point.

Lumpy is a term that has stuck with me ever since everyone’s favourite bearded Canadian, PJ Darling (real name) entered our lives many years back and did a Show & Tell about a 3D boxed DM piece for BTCellnet (now 02).

And where I’m from, we call these packs ‘a lumpy’

And it’s stuck ever since. So I have a whole load of lumpies from the previous weeks, some mailed, some picked up. Here’s my thoughts:

Privium

Regular readers will know that I am a big advocate of the Privium service and of their shiny, silver outers. That certainly stands out from the  doormat crowd. Inside this time was a refreshed magazine that looked a bit more “now” as opposed to some business class magazine. Short enough to read through in one coffee break and enough interest to keep you going to the end. Only one thing to note from the mag, a new service at Schiphol called check me in. Which does what it says on the tin and checks you in online in one place for all Privium’s major airline partners. Of which my main carrier from Southampton, FlyBE isn’t of course. Why not just go to each carrier individually? Well, flying in business doesn’t tend to stick to a routine and locations, flight times and cost play a part so you tend to find yourself chopping and changing regularly. And 1 site = 1 log in = easy.

Also in the lumpy was a CD. In a big package. I still haven’t listened to it. I glanced and the artists seemed random to me. I’m not sure what value the CD has considering most business flyers undoubtedly have an iPod. Perhaps a zip drive with the files loaded would have been more useful? And another way to spread the Privuim brand?

There was also a very useful item though. A zip lock clear plastic bag for the 100ml liquid stuff you now have to take on board. Great brand experience as this is now kept with my washbag and stops me having to look like a pikey when I resort to a Tesco sandwich bag. Especially when my local airport is selling them (yes, really) for 20p a pop. Bloody cheek.

Pedigree

Dogs looking happy, dogs running, dogs in streams, dogs generally looking fit and healthy and enjoying life. And the new product, Pedigree Joint Care Plus, can make your dog just like the dogs in the pictures. And here’s some samples and then money off to go forth to the supermarket and buy more. I like it a lot. One major problem though: we don’t have a dog. We did sign up for some doggy things for my parents American Cocker Spaniel (so cute) when we signed our cat up for some freebies but that was over 5 years ago. Unfortunately poor Jake has passed away. We also moved house. Ang got married. And then this pack arrives about 5 years after the last one with our new address but my wife’s maiden name. Tres strange and some pretty rubbish CRM strategy. Anyway, anyone want some? Drop me a line and the chews are yours.

Pret a manger

You think sandwiches, right? And maybe a coffee… or a croissant. They also do tea apparently. And gave away some samples of their peppermint variety. It was fine. But not sure I’d traipse all the way up Camden High Street for a cup of peppermint tea.

Don’t panic!

Used to get this all the time when we were immersed in yoof culture for a former client. Found it in a trendy trainer shop in Camden, I almost bought some but decided to “look around” elsewhere. Must be age turning me from a once impulsive shopper to an old fart. Anyway, loads and loads of stuff and things in it such as:

Pink business card saying “curious aren’t you?” and a URL for 16days.co.uk which goes to a very ordinary site indeed. I was curious. But. Now. Let. Down.

Lovely bookmark form the national portrait gallery

Strawberry/lime & vanilla/mint sample from trident gum

Fold-out poster for antiworld

Flyer for climate camp about some hopefully peaceful action at Heathrow airport in August. I hope they have sense to do this away from the main terminals after recent events though. Attention grabbing headline, “You are not fucked” which doesn’t seem to have an obvious link.

Spitz venue/gallery/bar/bistro promo stuff

Another fold out poster this time for Bloom Festival in Gloucestershire where Soul II Soul will be reviving. Again.

Drugs make you do stupid things such as playing musical statues for beefburgers. Huh? Don’t do drugs and drive. Printed on 75% recycled paper. Why not 100%?

See some new music at the white house (no, not that one). They have a second insert about a theme in June call Origami which is “a neon playground for lovers of the electric disco.” Apparently.

Love London

More music stuff at the social

Stickers from Kickers. I missed that first time round as well.

Large poster about Tigers, Tigerrific to share art and pictures about Tigers and help save them from extinction.

Win a grand with a good idea with MTV Flux

New dance things at Royal Opera House which seems an odd fit but then it is an eclectic mix

Together club at Turnmills

And a v large poster for Don’t Panic Online which is where the cool kidz hang. Some nice spoof charts and testimonials about how Don’t Panic has improved peoples’ lives including this one allegedly from Katie Holmes which has some under-currents of other alleged real-life recommendations(allegedly):

Someone very special (I think all you people know who I mean) recommended Don’t Panic Technology and I’ve never looked back.

All of which brings me to this. While I like the graphics and will probably try the gum (it’s not for me, I’ll stick to Wrigley’s) and look at the Tiger art, I confess that the rest of it just ain’t my bag, baby and proves that the 18-35 demographic broad brush stroke is horribly innacurate. By rights I should be lapping this stuff up and preparing to get loaded, muddy and dance the night away. But I like a nice glass of wine, a good book, peace and quiet, sitting in my garden, tending to it even. I am turning into my father. I shall stick to Oliver Sweeney rather than trendy Camden trainer shops in future and continue to avoid procuring FHM for fear of embarrasment on the train looking at ladies bits in public.