Making lists is something I’m really good at. Unfortunately, thinking of cool names for said lists is not. I’ve been secretly keeping track of the things I’ve learned this summer, just in case anyone asks me to prove that I did something other than drink champagne on occasional Thursdays. So, here it goes, with the [...]

How much of a ‘recovery’ do you think the restaurant industry will see this year? Many I have spoken with (or read) believe sales growth versus 2010 will fall somewhere between the 1.6% increase forecasted by Technomic back at the start of the year and the 3.6% predicted in The NRA’s 2011 Restaurant Industry Forecast. [...]

Just back from Iconosphere 2011 the annual event focused on better understanding consumers and put on exclusively for Iconoculture clients.  Here’s a rundown of highlights. Warning: It’s longer than a typical post, so read at will. First off, the keynote and closing speakers were both great picks, delivering unique perspectives that illuminated how to do [...]

So, we just had a party here at the agency to celebrate our being named as Agency of The Year (southwest region) at Advertising Age’s Small Agency Conference. It was a great time. Great for all of the people here at the agency. A chance to stop for a moment and take a breath. Say [...]

I love to travel. Sure, sometimes the anticipation and memory of a trip is better than the trip itself, but still, I love it. Even business travel to a good destination can be a real treat. In a recent MediaPost article, Gary Leopold referenced two studies that could indicate future generations won’t share that love. [...]

CNN posed the question the other day, “Is Fast Food Fare Going Too Far?” Interesting query.  Let’s examine the evidence. Exhibit A from the article: The defense rests, your Honor. Oh, one more thing, did I mention that it has 1,380 grams of salt–an entire day’s allowance in one whopping, deep-fried dose. The court finds the [...]

I want to introduce you to something we’re very excited about here at Firehouse. You see, we’re in the idea business. And we love what we do. You may also notice (if you’ve seen our client list) that we have a great deal of restaurant experience. In fact, not just experience, but a real passion [...]

Have you ever wondered how other people spend the 24 hours they have every day? If asked to recall every minute of a single day, what would your chart look like? Are you really working every minute in the office, or would some of those minutes be consumed by eating, socializing, shopping and phone calls? [...]

There must be over 18,000 different ways to order a beverage at Starbucks. This has helped Starbucks turn coffee, a commodity, into a brand so well embraced that their shops have become destinations for millions of consumers. Coffee is available on nearly every corner, yet people pass by dozens of other shops on their way [...]

We recently sat down with a prospect for an informal capabilities meeting, and I noticed that most of the questions asked tended to center on production capabilities. And, while we certainly have a wide range of capabilities, I have to say it left me feeling like we were coming up short in their eyes because [...]