As the holiday season is in full swing, the guys talk about the best and, gulp, worst holiday gifts they ever received. John goes all-in on retail, featuring a new consistent inconsistency with Barnes & Noble stores as his Snap Decision. He also details many tricks stores use to drive spending as well as sensory tactics that have surprising results. Brian brings back the Lightning Round for John and hopefully wasn’t Waiting for Tonight for his Hopelessly Unattainable Guest.

Key topics & chapter markers 

(00:23) Best Christmas gifts ever….

(01:59) …and worst Christmas gifts ever

(03:01) Barnes & Noble goes back to basics. One store design at a time

(08:05) A holiday gift: retail tricks and how to avoid them

(15:06) Sell with smell?

(21:00) Snap Decisions Lightning Round — all-judgement zone

(24:36) Hopelessly Unattainable: Bri shoots high, goes Lo

Background Content

"B&N actually expanding and letting location dictate what gets stocked" - NPR

"B&N walk away from consistency in retail design" - NY Times

"Neuromarketing Secrets that Trick us into Spending More" - MelissaHughes.rocks

"17 Clever Ways Stores Deceive You Into Spending More Money" - BestLife

"Anecdotes of Aromatic Acclaim: How Scent Marketing Can Enhance Your Bottom Line" - The Branded Agency

"Elevating the Customer Experience: The Impact of Sensory Marketing" - Mood Media

"How Our Ambient Food Aromas Increase Food Sales" - Airscent.com

"Is White Jersey Home or Away?" - Metroleague.org

Connect with Brian and John on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmarks13/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-l-young/

Welcome back.

2

I hope.

3

Welcome back to Snap Decisions, the

podcast that gives you a behind the scenes

4

look at the decisions that shape how

products and brands and people present

5

themselves to the world, hopefully with

some very interesting conversations

6

along the way with interesting folks.

7

Good morning, Brian.

8

Brian: Hey John.

9

John: So Brian, I have a, I have

something that's going today for you.

10

Brian: What do you got?

11

John: Christmas gift.

12

Brian: Ooh.

13

Wow.

14

John: Take a minute.

15

We'll wait.

16

Brian: I'm gonna have to

say the original Nintendo,

17

John: Okay.

18

Brian: you know, I, uh, we were

desperate for it, um, my siblings.

19

So,

20

John: What was the number one game

21

Brian: well, we played a lot

of, tech mobile and, paper boy.

22

And obviously the Marrier Brothers stuff,

but, Tetris, Million Hours on Tetris.

23

So we didn't have an Atari, and we

didn't have any of the other early

24

video game consoles, so that one

was the, the life changer for us.

25

I wish I could rip the

ones out of my kids.

26

John: Yeah, I was never a big

gamer, probably because my parents

27

would never buy any, any sort of

gaming system, or because they

28

became popular after I was, grown.

29

but yeah, I'm glad I haven't had to

have that debate too much with my kids.

30

Brian: Okay, well, what was your,

your best, uh, Christmas gift?

31

John: My best Christmas gift ever

was, uh, a slot car racing track.

32

Brian: Oh, man,

33

John: I mean, didn't come anywhere

near living up to the TV commercials.

34

Brian: I can never keep the

darn thing on the track,

35

John: the cars fall off the track

all the time, or there's always

36

one car that didn't work, so you

couldn't actually race somebody.

37

but I remember just being just

so thrilled to open that up.

38

Brian: and put it together.

39

It was like the, the, just the

intense, excitement to just actually

40

get on there and play as you're

putting the slots together or, your

41

dad helping you put it together.

42

John: So good.

43

Brian: Yeah.

44

That's a, that's a good one.

45

That's a good one.

46

I remember that one as well.

47

John: I, I got a, worse

Christmas gift experience.

48

Wasn't mine, but my

sister's and my brother.

49

Yeah.

50

My brother came walking

into the living room.

51

We were all in presence and he

walked in with this like aquarium.

52

Brian: Yeah.

53

John: My sister was getting

a teddy bear hamster.

54

Brian: Yeah.

55

John: It had crawled and pushed

up the wooden homemade lid.

56

My brother made, but couldn't get out.

57

So it was dangling near

the edge of the aquarium.

58

So her Christmas gift was

just basically screaming.

59

Brian: Tortured.

60

John: It was terrible.

61

Brian: My, my, my favorite story on

A Worst Gift was, uh, after I got out

62

of college, I moved back home with my

family for, uh, about six to nine months.

63

And for Christmas that year,

I got luggage, which was a

64

signal, signal to move out.

65

John: Wow.

66

Not even sort of subtle luggage,

luggage and moving boxes.

67

Brian: Now, as now I sit and wait

for my mom to explain that again.

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John: Uh, all right.

69

Well, listen, uh, speaking of

the holiday season, let's talk

70

about some retail shopping today.

71

And in particular, I know you are a

digital marketing guru, but I want to talk

72

about good old fashioned brick and mortar.

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Brian: Bring it.

74

John: Uh, so to warm us up, remember

back when Barnes Noble was kind of being

75

demonized as the 800 pound gorilla who

killed , the small local bookseller?

76

Brian: Yes.

77

How could it?

78

Yeah,

79

John: and now we're kind of cheering

for them as the underdog against Amazon.

80

It's kind of amazing.

81

Brian: it, right?

82

John: Yeah, I wanted to talk to

you about the fact that Barnes

83

Noble as this country's biggest

brick and mortar bookseller.

84

part of their back to book

selling basic strategy.

85

,They are redesigning a lot

of their individual stores

86

to have an individual look.

87

So, no longer requiring the green and

brown and the, you know, consistency.

88

but letting stores reflect kind of

where they are and the type of shopper.

89

This is on the heels of, the

decision to allow individual stores.

90

Sell books that appealed

to their local market.

91

So it's not the same books

in every Barnes and Noble.

92

Well, now the stores get to be reflective

of a local community and no longer the

93

same thing, store and stay were out very

different from what we've come to expect

94

from a, you know, a large retail chain.

95

So, this is led by a

CEO named James Daunt.

96

He founded his own bookstore chain in the

UK, and then rescued Waterstones, which

97

was Britain's largest bookstore chain.

98

A hedge fund , Elliott

Advisors, , bought a majority

99

stake on Waterstones back in 2018.

100

And the next year it bought

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Daunt in as the Barnes Noble CEO.

102

Obviously this is really counter

to traditional retail strategy.

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So I have a snap decision for you, Brian.

104

Good idea or bad idea.

105

Brian: I mean, I think it's, I think

it's awesome just thinking completely

106

different and saying, you know what,

everybody always tells us to do

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this and never, it's not working.

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Like what's, what's flip it on its head

and say, let's try to go back to at

109

least pretending we're an independent

bookstore or come off like that.

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John: And that's his ethos,

that's his ethos, right?

111

He started like that and that's,

that's what he's trying to bring to,

112

uh, the Barnes and Noble chain now.

113

Brian: because, if you think of

what a bookstore is supposed to

114

be, it's supposed to be that.

115

Like, here's the books that we recommend,

we're book readers, we're putting the

116

things in front of you that we know are

good, and you know, I was doing some

117

research on this when you came up with

the idea, and the one funny quote was

118

just like, they had people designing

the stores who've never read a book or

119

helping them organize where to put books,

120

John: Yeah.

121

Brian: you know?

122

And so, going back to the heart of who

they are and what they're supposed to be,

123

I mean, it's, it's really interesting.

124

I do find it ironic, I guess, is

the word on just the, you know,

125

they're the corporate bad guys and

now they're trying to become the

126

independent bookshop, that's kind of.

127

John: And even more ironic that a

private equity company would come in

128

and, you know, usually they're all about

efficiency and streamlining, right?

129

This is the opposite, right?

130

Brian: I'm just fascinated by this

because it really it's goes against

131

every single thing that we've ever

learned and practiced as marketers.

132

John: Exactly.

133

Brian: you're trying, you're always

trying to find ways to especially with

134

a brand be more consistent, and have

that pay off as an experiential thing.

135

And in this case, it's

more about just the.

136

Yeah.

137

The idea of being that

thought leader in books.

138

So, I give them a lot of credit for that.

139

I mean, I want to go now and check

these out to see what they're like.

140

John: Road trip.

141

Brian: yeah, road trip, let's

report back on some of that.

142

I, I did, I did read a funny quote

from an NPR article about this.

143

And it was like, somebody was saying,

you know, they're trying to capture the

144

more intimate independent bookstore feel

when it's still just a Barnes and Noble.

145

But.

146

John: Yeah,

147

Brian: But I do love the, you know,

the CEO you mentioned, he said that

148

they're not having any architects

doing any design at any stage.

149

There's no interior designer.

150

John: I know.

151

Right.

152

And they're great.

153

I circled that quote too.

154

And as a, brand marketer at heart.

155

I'm with you.

156

Like, you know, my initial reaction

was just wait, we always strive for

157

consistency and especially at retail.

158

and I love that.

159

He said, you know, the identity people

would have a complete crisis kind of

160

talking about brand consultants just

because it's breaking all the rules.

161

And I think that's actually

one of the reasons.

162

Maybe this is starting to work.

163

Because it is starting to work.

164

According to some Barnes and Noble

comments in the New York Times article

165

renovation they did in the Upper

West Side of New York cost about

166

4 million and it's on track to pay

for itself within a couple of years.

167

Brian: Yeah, I mean, they're

looking at their sales like

168

doubling this year in some of

their stores, which is fascinating.

169

I think post pandemic and now that we're

in this digital first world, I think it

170

really provides a lot of opportunities

for, the retail experience to be much more

171

experiential and to try things out this

way and do it a little bit differently.

172

I mean, honestly, some of these

places, you know, what else do

173

they have to lose, especially a

brand like Barnes and Noble that.

174

Yeah.

175

Isn't never going to be out Amazon

online, but what they do have on

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them is space and an experience.

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So how do you use that to your advantage?

178

, so it'll be interesting to see where

this goes and then, you know, two

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other brands kind of fall suit and

tries things like this, or just.

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Out of the box ideas, you know?

181

John: I will use your last comments

there about the idea of creating retail

182

experiences is a pivot to, maybe a little

bit of a holiday gift to anybody who's

183

listening, which is some retail secrets,

you know, brick and mortar retail secrets

184

that are designed to make you spend more.

185

I think coming into the holiday season.

186

It's a good conversation.

187

Brian: Yeah, I love it.

188

John: All right.

189

So, so we all know some of

the standard tricks, right?

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Discounts on bulk buying, a bunch of stuff

you don't need, but you buy it anyway

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because it sounds like a good price.

192

, Prices that end in, 0.

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95 or 0.

194

99, you know, you, you,

you see the number before

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Brian: John.

196

It's cheaper.

197

John: It's cheaper, it's only 16, not 16.

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99.

199

The idea of displaying complimentary

items next to each other, which is called

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cross merchandising, so you go and you

see the raspberries and oh look, there's

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cream and pastry shells right next to it.

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Those weren't on your list, but now

they're in your shopping basket.

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Brian: They have a way to do

that online, too, a little bit.

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John: Yes, they're great at it online.

205

Like, so again, those are sort

of the standard tricks that

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I think we all know about.

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How about some of these that

people might not realize?

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placing expensive items at eye level.

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Brian: Interesting.

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John: Yep.

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You know, trying to save some money?

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Look down!

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or end caps just because there's a big

display of a lot of stuff at the end

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of the aisle doesn't mean it's on sale.

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It just means it's there and that,

you know, someone paid a slotting

216

fee for it to show up there.

217

here's one I didn't realize,

but now that I think about it,

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yeah, bigger shopping carts.

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Have you noticed this?

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Brian: No,

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John: Yeah.

222

So shopping carts have gotten

bigger over the past few years.

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Brian: I didn't know that.

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I thought it was going the other way.

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John: Nope.

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So if you want to save some money, grab

one of those hand baskets, although

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I've noticed my local grocery store.

228

doesn't even have them anymore.

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Brian: Really?

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John: No more handbaskets.

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That was a COVID thing, I guess,

because we were touching stuff.

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I don't know why.

233

but if there's those smaller carts

or handbasket, grab those, because if

234

you've got the bigger cart, you're going

to see it look kind of empty and you're

235

going to start to fill it with stuff.

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Brian: Interesting.

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John: essentials, the back of the store.

238

There's a reason the milk and the butter

and the eggs are in the back of the store.

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Brian: Right.

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That's what I was going to go for.

241

Yeah, the eggs and milk all

the way on the opposite side.

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John: Yep.

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Brian: My local supermarket during

COVID, they did a remodel and.

244

The entrance changed to the other

side of the store and then they had to

245

move everything in the store so that

the eggs and milk were in the back.

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John: Mm hmm.

247

Brian: That's tried and

true right there, the

248

John: Tried and true.

249

Alright, so Brian, here's

a little pop quiz for you.

250

Would you be more likely to buy a

product that has 50 percent more

251

product for the same price, or

it's discounted as 33 percent off?

252

Which one would you buy?

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Brian: probably the 50 percent more.

254

John: Alright, well, you are like

71 percent of consumers according

255

to the University of Minnesota.

256

even though those two price constructs

are kind of the same in terms of a Price

257

per unit, 71 percent of people would go

with buying something that was labeled

258

as 50 percent more versus 33 percent off.

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Brian: Interesting.

260

John: I'm no math major, so I can't

check that, but I do believe they are

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on a per unit basis about the same.

262

I've got more on the grocery store

front because, um, oh, you know what?

263

Here's a good tip.

264

in addition to obviously just doing

math, , and looking for unit prices.

265

If you use, , an app to

do your grocery shopping,

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Brian: Okay.

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John: usually, and I think I

mentioned this to her in my granola

268

rant, it's easier to see the price

per ounce or pound or whatever.

269

It's a lot easier to do your,

your comparison shopping if

270

you're using a tool like that.

271

So, related to that, Brian,

another quick question for you.

272

Online grocery shopping.

273

Including pickup and delivery, right?

274

So you order at home, you

pick up or you get a delivery.

275

Is that increasing or decreasing?

276

Brian: Why do I feel like

this is a trick question?

277

I mean, I would think

that it's increasing.

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John: Of course, you'd

think it's increasing

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Brian: It's not.

280

John: because you're a digital guy,

and I would have thought so too.

281

It's down 7%, July 2023 down

282

COVID, I think, got us all

thinking we'll do that forever.

283

But it has gone down a little bit.

284

Not for me, because I think it's the

greatest thing since sliced bread.

285

Grocery

286

Brian: Yeah.

287

Words there.

288

I would say that, you know, going

back to the post COVID type of

289

conversation, I feel like COVID was

the final frontier on this almost like.

290

Business first and now we're like

they went into the convenience for the

291

customer, you know, and they put the

customer first and and you look at stores.

292

And so in our region of the universe,

uh, while while the, um, convenience

293

store, it took them forever to do pick

up in your car or delivery because they

294

want you to walk through the store.

295

And, you know, a lot of these stores.

296

Didn't really put the resources to do it

right or to actually make it convenient.

297

And , the positive thing coming out

of COVID is that they finally gave

298

people the option to do it that

way and made it okay to do that.

299

And, I don't know if, supermarkets

are going to bury the milk and the eggs

300

and the digital app, but, I feel like.

301

They've accepted that convenience is

good and, um, with so many options now

302

to buy and, and to do things, they know

that they need to, you know, put the

303

customer first, which I didn't feel like

they were fully doing that until COVID.

304

John: I think you're right.

305

And, you know, thinking about my use of

the grocery store app, they are getting

306

better at that cross merchandising, you

know, putting some stuff in front of

307

me before I get to my milk and my eggs.

308

But, That's the biggest thing for

me is, well, in addition to the

309

convenience and the experience is good

now, right, it's remained relatively

310

strong, is I'm not falling prey to

those tricks we just ran through.

311

I'm not buying random things that

I see because I went shopping

312

when I'm hungry or whatever.

313

I'm not doing those impulse buys.

314

I'm not susceptible to the end

cap promotion because I've got a

315

list in my head or written down.

316

And then I go into that and I just buy

the things on that list and the kind of

317

those ancillary purchases don't happen.

318

And I think that saves me way

more than, even if I was paying

319

for a fee, which I'm not, but

320

Brian: Yeah.

321

You're, you're a showroom shopper, huh?

322

John: showroom shopper and PS, uh, I

really, when I do go to the grocery store,

323

I no longer remember where everything is

and it's a nightmare to do it manually.

324

So I'm like, I'm happy to have

someone else do that for me.

325

Brian: one, one thing I do not like

is when they're out of something

326

and then they automatically

327

John: Oh, yeah.

328

Brian: else and it's, you know, 90

percent it's not the right thing.

329

John: Yeah.

330

That is that the

331

Brian: I can't call, I can't quantify

that 90 percent stat I just threw out

332

there, but, uh, I'm going to call it 90%.

333

John: That's right.

334

Look, if anyone's checking

us, uh, I urge them not to.

335

Um, another, another trick is, this

is not grocery store specific,

336

but, some other things that I

uncovered getting ready to talk

337

about this topic is, removing dollar

signs, which happens in particular

338

if you go to restaurants on menus.

339

Guess what?

340

Makes us spend more.

341

Brian: no way.

342

John: Way.

343

Isn't that crazy?

344

Brian: I never, I would

never thought of that.

345

John: Yep.

346

some retailers, fashion retailers, , have

, distorted mirrors in dressing rooms to

347

make you look thinner because we tend to

buy things when they make us look good.

348

Brian: Yes, yes, yes.

349

I have heard that before.

350

John: I had not heard that.

351

I was, I probably shouldn't be so

naive, but I found that distressing.

352

so anyway, you know, I think, you know,

most people know that the best marketing

353

elicits some kind of emotional response.

354

and we also know that the five senses

are really good at triggering emotion.

355

in fact, do you know which, which

sense tends to trigger some of the most

356

powerful recollections and emotions?

357

Brian: I'm gonna say Smell?

358

John: Yeah.

359

Surprisingly smell.

360

and I think we've all seen that or

smelled that when we're in a retail

361

environment where smells can draw us in.

362

That's obvious, right?

363

You, I mean, good luck walking by

an Annie Ann or a Cinnabon, right?

364

, but there's a reason the bakeries

at the front of the grocery store.

365

So you walk in, you

smell, it smells amazing.

366

Now you're hungry, you walk

around the store and that scent

367

prompts you to spend more money.

368

Even simple smells are better than

complex smells . There is a study by

369

Washington State University that found

that like just a really simple smell

370

versus kind of like these layered and

kind of hard to identify smells had

371

people spending 20 percent more at a home

furnishings store, which is astounding to

372

Brian: I saw a wild stat by this thing

called the Scent Marketing Institute.

373

John: I want to talk about scent.

374

Brian: Here's a stat.

375

The smell of fresh baked bread

376

John: Yeah.

377

Brian: when it's pumped

into a grocery store.

378

this study found that sales in

the bakery department tripled.

379

John: Triple.

380

Brian: Tripled.

381

John: That's a pretty good jump.

382

Wow.

383

well, the whole scent, the

scent industrial complex,

384

it's big business, man.

385

I, you know, I don't think people

realize that there are scent machines,

386

retail stores all over the place

pumping in scents, sometimes to

387

create a buying experience like you

just talked about, but sometimes

388

just to create a brand experience.

389

For instance, a lot of hotel chains have a

custom scent that's piped into the lobby.

390

And I think Holiday Inn

might be one of them.

391

You walk into a Holiday Inn and

no matter where it is, it's going

392

to smell the same because that

scent's being pumped into the lobby.

393

may be why Doubletree has warm

baked cookies when you walk in too.

394

I wonder if that's part of it.

395

Brian: Hmm.

396

Well, what do we think about this?

397

Does it need to be real?

398

Is it okay that, that they're

doing this artificial smell?

399

I mean, I do like the anti

Barnes and Noble consistency

400

here, but, I don't know.

401

John: Do you feel manipulated?

402

What's, what's your, what's your

403

Brian: it just seems kind of cheesy, but

I guess you don't even think about it

404

because that's why we're talking about

it because we don't even think about it.

405

John: Well, here's a tip.

406

Here's a tip to counter to if you want to

make yourself a little more immune to, you

407

know, these scents being thrust upon you.

408

Chew gum.

409

While you're shopping.

410

Brian: Really?

411

John: Yeah, if you've got gum in your

mouth, it's harder for you to imagine

412

the taste and the flavor and the texture

of what it is you're smelling when

413

you walk by like a bakery or whatever.

414

So,

415

Brian: It's like the antidote.

416

John: yeah.

417

So, so, especially, you

know, some nice minty gum.

418

Next time you're going

through the mall, do that.

419

Maybe you'll be able to

walk by Auntie Anne's.

420

Whoa.

421

Brian: uh, they're known to have

an artificial grilled , scent,

422

uh, applied to their frozen

burgers to make them smell fresh.

423

And, uh, and then listen to this,

speaking of scent machines, they

424

strategically place them in bushes

that disperse scents of cotton

425

candy, popcorn, and caramel apples.

426

John: Okay, now I feel manipulated.

427

That does feel dirty.

428

Brian: So that's pretty nuts.

429

Um, so, so let's go beyond smell here.

430

John: Yeah.

431

Brian: And, you know, by the way, the 1

other example I did want to mention on

432

when it came to, um, to smell is that

Panera actually changed their whole

433

operations to bake their bread during

the day instead of at night, to make

434

sure it's not like fresh bread all the

435

John: Oh, wow.

436

Brian: that was a good 1.

437

Um, but the other sense here that we

should bring up is, um, is hearing.

438

John: Hearing.

439

Yeah.

440

Yeah.

441

Brian: music is obviously just part of the

same type of sensory type of experience.

442

I found an interesting report from

mood media, feeling type, company.

443

And so, they did a, 2019

survey of 10, 000 Consumers.

444

And, here's some interesting

stats that came out of that.

445

Nearly half of respondents spend longer

time in a store because they liked

446

what was playing on the speakers and.

447

57 percent said they'd be more likely

to ditch their shopping cart if a

448

store made questionable music choices.

449

John: Ooh.

450

Questionable music choices.

451

How's that defined?

452

Like what?

453

ABBA?

454

What are we talking

455

Brian: I don't know, I don't know, Slow

Jams, I don't know, but the uh, know,

456

you think, you think if you just go

with adult contemporary it'll work for

457

everybody, and not really have a, uh,

point of view up or down, but, Yeah, I

458

John: Well, I know music tempo can

have a big impact on turnover at

459

a, at a food establishment, right?

460

Brian: well, you would not be

shocked probably to know that music

461

is the number one factor in lifting

a shopper's mood in the store.

462

John: Really?

463

Number one.

464

Brian: Yep.

465

It

466

has an overall,

467

John: And wow.

468

Brian: yeah, it has an overall positive

impact on 85 percent of shoppers.

469

Here's another one.

470

Here's another one.

471

more than half of Gen Z.

472

So 59 percent say they've stayed in

a physical place longer because they

473

were enjoying the music and then,

other interesting thing to me was four

474

and 10 consumers around the globe,

say feeling, , like the experience

475

is personalized to them, makes them

more likely to purchase something.

476

So connecting the music to the way

that, you know, you'd like , , to

477

listen or, or things that are more

personal to you, uh, has an impact too.

478

So.

479

John: Fascinating.

480

Brian: So, uh, really interesting topic.

481

And I'm sure, as we're interacting

with things around the holidays,

482

we'll see a lot of that stuff.

483

John: So if we want to shop at

a store, but we don't like their

484

music, I mean, just abandoning the

cart and running out seems extreme.

485

I mean, should we wear earphones?

486

We're chewing gum.

487

We are wearing earphones.

488

Maybe you should put blinders on.

489

What do we do?

490

How do we stay more

491

Brian: know, I don't know about you,

but when I'm shopping, there definitely

492

becomes a point where I, uh, I'm done,

493

John: Yeah,

494

Brian: I've checked out.

495

And so maybe that happens sooner if

it's music, isn't something that I like.

496

But maybe if it puts me in a good

mood, I'm sticking around longer.

497

But I definitely hit a wall.

498

I don't, you know, especially if I'm

shopping with my spouse or something.

499

So

500

John: Yes.

501

Okay.

502

We'll leave that alone.

503

And, uh, yeah, I think also, I think

we've covered most of the census, uh,

504

and pretty good conversation on retail.

505

What else you got today?

506

Brian: All right.

507

So I have a lightning round for you.

508

John: Ooh, yay.

509

Brian: it was a nice little

segment we started last, last time.

510

Uh, so I thought I'd keep it going.

511

John: Okay, I'm ready.

512

Brian: quick questions I want

on the spot decisions here.

513

These questions have not been

revealed to John, so he's not aware

514

of what I'm going to ask him here.

515

So let's get, let's get going.

516

All

517

John: Are there any, are there

any right wrong questions here?

518

Brian: There's only

judgment, not right or wrong.

519

John: Okay, great.

520

Um, strong, strong on judgment.

521

Brian: This is a judgment,

all judgment zone.

522

Okay.

523

So number one, I got to give

credit to some of my friends

524

who came up with this one.

525

home jerseys and a sporting event.

526

Should they be wearing

traditional home white jerseys or

527

whatever looks best on TV?

528

John: Whatever looks best.

529

Brian: Okay, wrong answer,

but let's go to the next one.

530

All

531

John: Wait, you gotta wear white at home?

532

Brian: Yes, it's tradition.

533

It's always, it's been

happening since the, the dawn

534

of sports, your home weights.

535

John: Nonsense.

536

Nonsense, I say.

537

Brian: I don't know.

538

That's

539

John: All right, so, so how do you, so

is it, are like these blackout games when

540

everyone wears the black uniform that the

541

Brian: about sensory overload.

542

John: yeah, okay.

543

Keep going.

544

Brian: And now, you know, a lot of

the, there's like second, third,

545

17th jerseys that teams have.

546

John: Oh, it's a money making machine.

547

Brian: All right.

548

So 2nd question.

549

NFL Black Friday, came and went and

Amazon did a, , a game, , which.

550

Really took marketing to another level.

551

Um, but my question for you is, is the

NFL a genius and Amazon or, are we getting

552

too greedy with taking over all these

days that, other sports might have an

553

John: I think both things can be true.

554

Yes.

555

And yes.

556

Brian: Oh, look at you.

557

John: They are genius and greedy.

558

Brian: Okay.

559

All right.

560

Daylight savings or no daylight savings?

561

John: I, I've never understood

why people get their knickers in

562

such a knot over daily savings.

563

It's not that big a deal.

564

Just change the clocks and

move on with your life.

565

Brian: Okay.

566

Okay.

567

I can live with that.

568

Coffee as soon as you wake up or

when you're starting to do stuff?

569

Can

570

John: I wake up.

571

Brian: you start a drip into your,

into your veins as you're waking up?

572

John: Uh, this is not

an arbitrary figure.

573

I have coffee brewing within nine

minutes of getting out of bed.

574

Brian: Really?

575

Do you set an alarm on

or you do it yourself

576

John: Uh, it's a long story why I

know that, but I do know that if

577

I wake up at 6 o'clock before 6.

578

10, the coffee is dripping.

579

Brian: We should do a data

report on this for both of us.

580

All right.

581

Interesting.

582

I don't want to drink a sip

of coffee until I'm ready to

583

do something because I love.

584

John: Mm.

585

Brian: Drinking coffee while I'm, it's, I

love it to kick in while I'm doing stuff.

586

It just, it makes everything,

uh, it makes everything right.

587

Okay.

588

John: Again, both things can be true.

589

Brian: Joe as well.

590

All right.

591

Best music period, seventies,

eighties, or nineties.

592

John: Ooh, yeah, that's a hard one.

593

I'm, I'm gonna, this is

gonna be controversial.

594

Um, I'm gonna say 90s just for sheer fun.

595

Not quality of music, but for fun.

596

Brian: Okay, I can live with

that, uh, since I'm a 90s kid,

597

but I think 70s are the best.

598

Alright.

599

John: Quality wise, you're probably right.

600

Brian: Alright.

601

Favorite physical marketing tactic?

602

Direct mail or vehicle wraps.

603

John: Oh, I love a vehicle wrap.

604

Brian: Yeah.

605

John: Mostly because, uh,

again, I'm using a statistic, 90

606

percent of them are god awful.

607

And I love it.

608

Brian: is nice to sit

around and watch those,

609

John: The bad vehicle

rap gives me great glee.

610

Brian: Good.

611

Alright.

612

That's all I got.

613

John: Okay, okay, this is good.

614

I feel like there were not a whole

lot of right wrong in there, but, but

615

like you said, a high judgment zone.

616

Judgment only zone.

617

Brian: Judgment only zone.

618

Yes.

619

John: I feel like it might be

time for my favorite segment, Dear

620

Hopelessly Unattainable Guest.

621

True.

622

Brian: Yes, this is true.

623

I got one.

624

John: Okay, your turn.

625

Brian: we,

626

John: Ring it.

627

Brian: I've been seeing what we've

been doing to try to get a star and get

628

somebody that's Hopelessly unattainable.

629

And, I don't know where

this came from, but, uh, I'm

630

inspired to talk to this artist.

631

Um, her name is Jennifer Lopez,

632

John: Ooh.

633

Brian: So here we go.

634

I thought, uh, really interesting figure

and, uh, let's see if we can get her.

635

Okay.

636

All right.

637

So I wrote her a letter and dear Jennifer.

638

J Lo.

639

Jenny from the block.

640

You're an icon, a legend, a star.

641

You've worn so many hats in your career.

642

A fly girl dancer on the legendary

sketch comedy In Living Color.

643

A singer that has won Grammys and about

every other musical award possible.

644

A top flight actress that has broken

through in dramas and comedies.

645

How about we complete your career

headdress with an appearance on our

646

exploding podcast, Snap Decisions.

647

I loved you in Out of

Sight with George Clooney.

648

You were amazing in Selina.

649

Who doesn't love guilty pleasures like

the wedding planner or Made in Manhattan?

650

I listened to Love Doesn't Cost a

Thing to get juiced for this podcast.

651

You're the perfect guest for our show,

someone whose life has no straight

652

paths and always reinvents themselves.

653

Our recent guest, Chris Waddell,

like you, has been named to the famed

654

People's Most Beautiful People list.

655

You actually won the award in 2011.

656

Let's talk about that.

657

And maybe you can provide tips on how

to get my co host John Young, also

658

known on Twitter as Philly JO on a, on

a future list, we're a serious podcast,

659

but for you, we're willing to talk

about your personal life, Mark Anthony.

660

A Rod, and of course Ben Affleck.

661

So much Ben.

662

Do you know Matt Damon?

663

How many times have you

watched Good Will Hunting?

664

In closing, we're here

to tell your story, Jen.

665

There's no better place than

Snap Decisions, and our forum

666

of middle aged white marketers.

667

Sincerely, Snap Decisions.

668

audioJohnYoung42615626252:

All right, nice.

669

I really like your close

there in particular.

670

audioBrianMarks32615626252:

Yeah, thank you.

671

I think, uh, I think we got a shot.

672

John: I mean, listen, she,

uh, she's already proved she's

673

got dubious taste in men.

674

So why not join us for this podcast to me?

675

Brian: We're the podcast for the stars.

676

audioJohnYoung42615626252: just need

that one star to get that going, right?

677

audioBrianMarks32615626252: It'll

just feed off of each other.

678

Once we start getting some advertising,

maybe it'll pay for our talent recruiting

679

firm and we'll start going after the Tim

Cooks and Michael Jordans and JLo's.

680

audioJohnYoung42615626252: Why not?

681

I mean,

682

audioBrianMarks32615626252:

Hey, and we'll come to you.

683

We'll come to you.

684

We can do it.

685

We'll do it live in person

686

audioJohnYoung42615626252: Absolutely.

687

I think we, I think we offered

to go visit Necker Island to

688

interview Sir Richard Branson.

689

So yeah, wherever J Lo happens

to be, that's where I'll show up.

690

audioBrianMarks32615626252: Yeah,

hey and nothing against our guests.

691

Our guests are uh, barely attainable

as it is and we love them and so I

692

will do a little tease on next episode.

693

We got a friend of the program coming

on , and , we're gonna have a great

694

episode talk About their background,

but also get them a little bit more

695

involved in some of our snap decisions.

696

So looking forward to that.

697

audioJohnYoung42615626252: Same.

698

Yeah.

699

And that'll be good.

700

That'll be, uh, it'll pick up on

where we left off with the idea of,

701

uh, scent marketing a little bit

702

audioBrianMarks32615626252: Oh, good plug.

703

Good plug.

704

audioJohnYoung42615626252: easier.

705

All right.

706

Thanks, Brian.

707

Good seeing you.

708

audioBrianMarks32615626252:

Good to see you.

709

Shut it down.

710

audioJohnYoung42615626252:

Take care, everybody.

711

John: Shop smart.