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I’ve been a Bose fans since way back in college when I actually saved enough to go invest in my first set of 901 speakers.  Today (some XX [many] years later) I still have those speakers and they still sound fantastic.

Recently I was reminded why I love Bose.  We’re a 4 iPod family and decided we wanted music to cook by that we could listen to without the tether of those damn ear buds. We went to our favorite haunt, Target, and listened to the various iPod sound docks and…surprise…the Bose was by far the best (the most expensive, but in my book well worth it).  We get it home and the most complicated thing about set up was getting it out of the tight packing in the box.  Once we wrestled it out, we just plugged it in and Bingo– we were ready to go!  There was even a battery in the remote.  Just one problem…the iPod we wanted to use in the kitchen was a Nano. The Sound Dock came with multiple little plastic converter things, but not one for the Nano.  So, I called Bose.  Got right through.  They identified me immediately…from the phone number I guess, because I didn’t give them my name.  They confirmed my address and told me they’d send me a converter.  I expected to pay something, but they never said a thing about any cost. 

The whole conversation impressed me tremendously because it was just…so easy.  (Somehow I never expect that anymore. Now everything is a hassle.)  Anyway a couple days later an express package shows up containing the converter.  WOW!  Not only did they send it right away and charge me nothing, but they express shipped it!  That’s class.  World-class. 

Not only do they make a great product, but their service is truly extraordinary and they’ll always have my business; as evidenced by the fact that I bought another Sound Dock for my office so I could listen to my music there without having to use my ear buds.  (By the way, Apple — those ear buds that come with the iPods kind of suck if you’re over 14.)

After all the speculation and hoaxes yesterday, the real winners of the record setting lottery ($365 million)jackpot came forward today to claim their winnings.   The seven men and one woman all work (or perhaps I should say worked) at a ConAgra ham processing plant in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Given that they worked in a meat processing plant…does anyone besides me find this rather ironic?

In a story posted yesterday (before the winners were identified) in Lottery Post…

In an unprecedented move, Long John Silver’s wants the winner of the largest-ever lottery to be the company’s official spokesperson for its new Buttered Lobster Bites.

“We think this is a first in the history of business,” said Steve Davis, President of Long John Silver’s. “We’ve selected a product spokesperson without even knowing the person’s identity, age, gender, marital status or occupation. What matters to us is that the winner represents what our new Buttered Lobster Bites are all about – that everyone in America can enjoy a taste of the good life.”

Hummmm.  Maybe it’s just me, but the idea of fried lobster balls in a box that will be delivered through a drive-thru and promoted by a group from a meat packing plant not only doesn’t sound yummy to me in any way, it makes me chuckle at the irony of it all. 

Yesterday Paul Beelen posted a whitepaper titled Advertising 2.0. It looks at the influence of technology in and on advertising, marketing and media, and the threats and opportunities triggered by the revolution of the new, social internet.