Parks Blackwell, Senior Client Development Manager
Hi! Parks Blackwell here… You will notice I’ve got a lot to say about retail and the interactive industry as a whole, some of which I should charge you for. Kidding! I enjoy traveling which is a good thing because I do a lot of it; so don’t feel bad if I don’t respond to your comments right away I’m probably on a plane. On a more personal note, I enjoy eating lots of sour patch kids. Well, enjoy them until my mouth hurts and then I enjoy complaining about it for hours at a time.
Parks Blackwell's Recent Articles
18hrs and a Bag of Cheese Doritos
by Parks Blackwell on 06/28/2010 at 8:28 am in Commentary
It’s interesting, really. I’ve been an Apple fan (girl) for a few years now and honestly I’ve never even thought about camping out for a release. Don’t get me wrong, I come from a family of line standers. There are the Chick-Fil-A openings where the first 100 folks see free chicken for a year, or [...]
Full StoryHey Facebook! That’s None of Your Business!
by Parks Blackwell on 11/10/2009 at 5:07 pm in Market Research & Data, Performance Marketing, Social Media
I had the privilege recently of attending a Facebook breakfast session where they produced some research regarding Mom’s of Facebook (they also had some killer bacon but that’s probably less important to most people). While I sipped my freshly brewed coffee being served by the fine ladies and gentlemen of the Ritz Carlton Dallas I listened to a panel of mom’s discuss how they used Facebook and why. How it was their lifeline to the world.
Full StoryJust a Little Optimization Would Be Nice…
by Parks Blackwell on 07/24/2009 at 2:29 pm in Checkout Optimization, Commentary, Conversion, User Experience
I travel fairly often for my job. I’m not exactly living out of a suitcase, but I’ve been on enough trips to know a good airport when I land in one. Like most people, I prefer abundant restaurants, multiple newsstands with the right pretzels and a plethora of gum to choose from. Certain terminals within airports are better than others. DFW for example built a lovely new terminal, (D for those of you interested) which has 2 story restaurants, a glass ceiling and multiple places to sit and read or make a phone call. So, I ask – for the rest of the mediocre terminals out there… Let’s step it up a notch shall we?
Full StoryFeeling a Little Bad, For Dear Old Dad
by Parks Blackwell on 06/05/2009 at 1:05 pm in Commentary, Market Research & Data, Opinion Editorial, Within Range
Fathers Day is a tough holiday. What do you buy for the guy who has pretty much everything he wants or worse, responds with “I don’t need anything”? Asking me to be a creative gift-buyer is borrowing trouble. If you collected my Father’s Day gifts and put them in a box, you might think you were at the Goodwill. I wait around until the last minute and then go buy whatever I can find at the checkout counter at my local Walgreens.
Full StoryRecession Proofing: Is That Like Winterizing?
by Parks Blackwell on 04/20/2009 at 1:32 pm in Observations, Opinion Editorial, Within Range
The term most recently being used is “recession proof”. This makes me a little concerned. Marketers calling things recession-proof? And car companies providing “assurance”? Scary. Car dealerships aren’t typically known for being trustworthy. But what do I know? It seems like these promotions are actually working. It’s not drawing people out of the woodwork, but it is causing a bit of an uptick in large ticket purchases like vehicles. Terms like sympathy and compassion are being tossed about quite often as well. From car dealers. Possibly even with straight faces.
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