I couldn’t agree more with Katie Heaney’s Minnesota memories of Duck, Duck, Grey Duck.  I was pleasantly surprised to see a map I created more than a year ago used to illustrate the point in her BuzzFeed.  The friendly debate that’s followed has been entertaining.  Here’s my advice, if you haven’t tried Duck Duck Grey Duck #DDGD, give it a shot. It’s not like DDGD is a gateway activity that will lead to a life of debauchery or something…unless you’re into that. Go out with some friends, grab some beverages, find a park and come up with the most ridiculous names for a duck.

You’ve Been Playing “Duck, Duck, Goose” Wrong Your Whole Life.

Named the “Fittest City in America” by the American Fitness Index and one of the “World’s Cleanest Cities” by MSN, Minneapolis can now add the credential of having one of the top urban forests. The City of Lakes is home to an abundance of varied parkland — a park every six blocks — including those designed for off-road cycling and those for hiking, canoeing and swimming.

via 10 Best Cities for Urban Forests: Minneapolis | American Forests.

Lucky Charms cereal, which for most of its 48-year history has targeted kids, is making a bigger play for adults in a new campaign expected to go national next year. For brand owner General Mills, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow are the adults who as kids grew up with Lucky the Leprechaun and are apparently running back to him in search of some feel-good nostalgia.

via Lucky Charms Finds Gold With Adult Fans | Advertising Age.

Research on showrooming suggests that while only a fraction of shoppers use mobile phones in stores to compare prices, many do go home and check what competitors are charging online. A survey by retail consultancy AlixPartners this summer found that in the prior 12 months, 33% of respondents— and 43% of electronics buyers— bought something online after checking it out in a store first.

via Best Buy to Match Online Prices – WSJ.com.

Minnesota is the home to an amazing advertising, marketing, and interactive development community – some would say that everyone who works the state that I call home is ‘Above Average’.

No other conference helps elevate Minnesota’s talent like the MIMA Summit.  It’s the biggest annual marketing and technology conference in the Midwest, presented by the oldest interactive marketing association in America. (FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m MIMA’s Vice President.  So, I have a soft spot in my heart for the organization – not to mention that I’m a bit of a Minnesota towny).  

This year’s theme is No Boundaries: The Rapid Evolution and Diversification of Digital Marketing featuring keynotes by gaming expert Jane McGonigal and former Apple chief evangelist and best selling author Guy Kawasaki, as well as over 32 sessions with an incredible roster of national speakers on digital leadership, mobile e-commerce, SEO, digital strategy, social media and more (breakfast, lunch and a happy hour included).

And, you’ll network with over 700 of the smartest interactive marketers around (I know most of these people and they’re good folks).  I’m attending and I hope you will join us.

via MIMA Summit 2012 with Guy Kawasaki & Jane McGonigal – Minneapolis, MN- October 10, 2012.