Now this I couldn't miss.

A review copy of Karma Queens, Geek Gods & Innerpreneurs just arrived, accompanied by three types of sunscreen* to highlight three of the nine the consumer types identified in the book: "culturecrosser" (one sun, one world, one bottle), "e-litist" (care for your skin the way you care for the earth), and "parentocrat" (an umbrella of protection in every bottle). Ron Rentel and Joe Zellnik have identified 9 types that are shaping today's marketplace. The premise is that if you learn about the different consumer types and develop a "c-type" of your own consumer, "you'll not only gain insight into your brand and business, but you'll also become empathetic with your user in ways that can help make your decision-making process easier and more automatic...you'll begin to internalize this type of thinking and take the steps that will help you uncover your own brand type." These are the types they identify:

• Karma Queen
  
• Parentocrat
  
• Denim Dad
  
• Ms. Independent
  
• Innerpreneur
  
• Middlemen
  
• Culture Crossers
  
• Geek Gods
  
• E-litists
  

This little gift caught my attention because it's timely (it's 80 degrees and sunny in Milwaukee, today), very unlike other promotional kits we receive, and playful enough to occupy my attention for about 10 minutes. Paging through the book, I tried to determine what type of consumer I am. I'm guessing I'm a cross between Ms. Independent and Innerpreneur. What are you doing to get vendors to spend 10 minutes with your new product? By the way, Andrea Learned wrote about Karma Queens yesterday. *Upon further examination I realized the bottles are filled with sand. There's a disclaimer on the inside: "Want to get a better understanding of how today's most interesting and influential consumer types are preparing for Summer 2007? Check out the suncare offerings we've whipped up just for them!* *Don't look for these products in your local market...they exist only in our imagination!" Each type has a sassy little slogan on the side -- for instance, the Denim Dad Formula states "manly enough for dad & nurturing enough for junior."