Left or Right Brain?

Are you more a left brain (logical) or right brain (intuitive) thinker? Here's a little visual test from Australia's Daily Telegraph to validate what you probably already know. (You'll find another test here.)



Do you see the dancer turning clockwise (right brain) or counter clockwise (left brain)? If you concentrate, can you change her direction?

Our company founder sent me this email with the message, "This is really fun!" I found it pretty frustrating. I can't get the dancer to change direction!

Can you?

Smell Mail

From yesterday's New York Times:

Now the Royal Mail, the British postal service, which has been hit hard by the effects of the Internet, is trying to stimulate business by appealing to the senses. A new initiative, aimed at marketers who use the mail to reach potential consumers, encourages them to incorporate a scent, taste or sound in their snail mailings.

A shampoo company could add the fragrance of its product. A soft drink maker could include a taste of the cola. A carmaker could demonstrate the sound of an engine.

I suppose smarter direct mail is better direct mail, but I can already imagine advertisers using this "technology" in all sorts of annoying ways.

Last year here in San Francisco, we had some negative experience with olfactory advertising -- cookie-scented "Got Milk" ads in bus shelters that were pulled after complaints.

Listen to a related segment on NPR, "Britons Bank on Scents to Boost Junk Mail's Appeal."