NBC Olympic Pulse is my newest online obsession.
Designed by the  smart folks at Stamen Design, Olympics Pulse takes the best of twitter, tumblr, and the real time web, mashes it and serves it up right in front of your eyes. Talk about live online, this is where it’s going.

Real time tracking is certainly not new technology, Google began real time trend watching in their search at the end of 2009.

I’ve known about Twitterfall long before that. Twitterfall is a great way to track live social media conversations in real time.

But I’m mostly interested in what happens as this technology goes more mainstream and customizable by the everyday user. For example, I started playing around a simple twitter tracker from wiffiti that shows real time results for what’s being said about any 5 topics you’re interested in. Build your own at Wiffiti.com, it takes about 2 minutes. The one below tracks what people are saying about Marketing, Advertising, PR, Branding and Social Media.  It also shows photos from Fickr tagged with those keywords.

So far Stamen Designs’ projects, have everyone beat, in my opinion but the real time internet is just going to get better and better.

TRY IT: What topics will you track in real time?  Leave me a comment below with a link to your Wiffiti if you’re so inclined. Want to see your tweets show up in real time? Click on the photo above to launch the Wiffiti in a new window then text @wif17567 + your message to 87884 to see it in action.

Editors’ Note:  The real time link was on the blog but at the time this post went live Wiffiti was upgrading servers and it was slowing down my site. For now, click on the photo of the live feed and launch the real time feed in a new window.

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A quick trip to Trader Joe’s to return an item got me wondering, how could more brands be like Trader Joe’s?  (And what would shopping be like if they were?)  Let’s look at what makes the Trader Joe’s experience so different from your everyday grocery store:

1. TRUST:   They exchanged my item with no questions asked. A company who believes and trusts their customers says a lot without them having to prove anything else.

2.  EASE:  An added benefit of the above scenario was TJ’s willingness to eliminate processes and add a little ease to a situation like a return.  No filling out forms or recording of zip codes.  Just a simple “tell the checker on your way through the line.”  Wow.  Easy.

3. INFORMED/HELPFUL:

Of course on my second trip to TJ’s within hours of one another I decided there were a few other items I should pick up while there.  The stockers not only had a handle on a myriad of products but knew exactly where they were located and what their status was.  (They were sold out, darn it.)

4.  ENGAGING:

I very rarely take the time to read my local grocery circular that comes in the mail or with the newspaper. For some strange reason (well written, fun copy) I read the Trader Joe’s “Fearless Flyer” ad every time it comes to the house.  It renews my faith in the fact that there still are people who appreciate wordsmithing and compelling copywriting.   It doesn’t hurt that, by extension, I feel my copywriter wife’s services will continue to be needed as long as there are companies out there like Trader Joe’s who place a value on the written word.

5.  FUN:  The Yeti

If you’ve never been to a TJ’s they have a stuffed Yeti that they hide somewhere in the store and the kid who finds it gets a prize.  One of the first times I went to TJ’s I missed the age qualifier for the contest and, much to the embarrassment of my wife, practically skipped to the front desk to tell them I had spotted the Yeti.  Dejected when they told me it was a a contest for kids, they directed me to the back of the store for a special prize anyway.  (The coffee sample cart.) I was pretty happy with that solution.

6.  FRIENDLY:  Someone once burst my bubble and told me the checkers at TJ’s are super friendly because it’s required.  Frankly, I don’t care.  Why?  Because, even if it is required, everyone seems to have bought into the idea that a good conversation creates a great environment for the employees and the customers.  Which leads me to my next point.

7.  PACE:   The aforementioned oversations add to the overall experience of shopping at TJ.  I never feel like I’m being ushered through as quickly as possible while the checker works against some unseen productivity quota being looked at by some unseen managerial staffer who really just wants to sell more stuff to more people quicker with less chattiness.  I’ve been in those stores. You know who you are–now, stop it!

8.  SELECTION:  It probably works this way in all grocery businesses, but TJ’s product replenishment loop (based on sales and feedback) is an interesting model that they’ve transparently made work for them.  Products have been tested, tried and are recommended by staff.  It’s like amazon.com reviews for groceries.  There are always new surprises cropping up in the store. Swiss Almond Crunch cookies?  Hmm, never seen these before.

9.  CREATIVE:

Hand drawn signs.  Why take the time and effort to hire a full time artist to draw all their signs?  A commitment to a brand ideal?  A quirk that just stuck?  I have no idea, but like their commitment to compelling copy of the Fearless Flyer mentioned above, it’s a nice touch and something about the TJ’s experience I enjoy.

10:  ENJOYING SALES:  All of the above really serves to do one thing:  Sell products.  They do it unashamedly with an ongoing sampling corner that probably pumps out as much coffee as your local Starbucks as well as nibbles of one type or another.  But Trader Joe’s does it with style.    They make it so that everyone enjoys the process.  And in the end, no one minds being sold to if it’s engaging, fun and informative.

What can your brand do in 2010 to employ some of Trader Joe’s tactics to your marketing?

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