Leap Year by the Numbers

We have all said it many times, “I wish there were more hours in the day.” Well, 2012 is a Leap Year. This does not mean more hours in a day, but it does mean that we have 1 extra day in the year (or 24 extra hours that are all in the end of February.) Leap Years are necessary every four years in order to keep our calendar in alignment with the Earth’s rotation around the sun. 

In honor of Leap Year, below are some interesting and surprising facts and figures about February 29^th

• 6- The number of hours we would lose from every calendar year if we did not have a Leap Year every four years.
• 365.242199- Actual number of days it takes the earth to revolve around the sun
• 24- The number of days that the calendar would be off in 100 years (2112) if we did not have Leap Years.
• 45 BCE- The year that Leap Year was first introduced by Julius Caesar. He is said to be the Father of Leap Year.
• 1 in 1,461- The chances of being a Leap Baby, born on February 29^th.
• 1 in 5- The proportion of engaged couples in Greece who avoid planning their wedding in a Leap Year. It is a common superstition in Greece that couples who marry in a Leap Year will have a lifetime of bad luck.
• About 4.8 million- The number of people in the world that were born on February 29^th. These ‘Leaplings’ as they are referred usually celebrate their birthdays on Feb. 28 or March 1 in common years.
• 8 years- The longest time ever between Leap Years. The last time this happened was between 1896 and 1904 and it won't happen again until 2096 to 2104.

What fun and exciting plans do you have for our extra 24 hours this year?

3 Reasons that Cheaper is NOT Always Better

Recently, my business partner, Michelle, and I have been working to further define our position in the marketplace. We have been told time and time again by our advisers, “If you try to compete on cost alone, you will never win. Someone will always come in cheaper.”  For most of our clients, and I am sure this true for a good portion of you, the bottom line is becoming more and more important. They are looking at how they can get more with fewer resources. So, at a time when clients and customers are looking for the lowest cost service or product available, how do we communicate that cheaper is not always better? Below are 3 reasons that cheaper is not always better. 

1.   Cheaper can mean lower quality of goods or services. In my field, public opinion research, quality is very important. It is important to constantly monitor the quality of the data that is collected and to provide ongoing training to our staff so that we can ensure that the data we collect is valid and reliable. Less emphasis on quality in our industry means a higher level of error and data that could be inaccurate or unusable. 

2.      Cheaper can mean poorer customer service. We have all been there before- on the bad end of poor customer service- extremely long hold times or days before we receive a return call or email, even if all you are trying to do is make a new order. While customer service is not important to everyone, most companies are willing to pay a little extra for a higher level of customer service. It’s the difference between a simple one-time business transaction and a long-term business partnership. Poor customer service leads to fewer return customers. Excellent customer service leads to solid business partnerships. Guess which one costs more? 

3.      Cheaper may only be temporary. Beware of companies that offer a low introductory rate to get you in the door and then dramatically raise the price on future orders. So, when considering a cheaper option, ask what the service or product normally costs. 

One lesson that I have learned is that it’s all about the value that you give your products or services and how well you are able to communicate that value to potential clients or customers.

The old adage is true: you get what you pay for. 

How are you communicating your value to your clients and customers?

EMPLOYMENT ISSUES A GREAT CONCERN FOR SUMMIT, STARK AND CUYAHOGA, BUT NOT MEDINA

The most important problem facing Summit, Stark and Cuyahoga county residents are  employment concerns such as not enough jobs and high unemployment. Although the proportion of residents that cite employment issues as the biggest problem in the county varies greatly amongst  the three counties (from 36% in Summit County to 55% in Stark County), employment issues are  clearly the number one  problem,  more than doubling  the percentage of the second most important  concerns.

Medina County, however, is a completely  different story. Whereas employment concerns  are  the number one issue in Summit, Stark, and Cuyahoga Counties, employment concerns  are  the fourth most important  in Medina county. The most important problems in Medina County are  government and political issues such as poor road conditions and ineffective government. Economic and education issues are  also more important than employment concerns in Medina County.

Why the difference between the counties? Part of the reason could be that Medina County’s unemployment rate is much lower than the other three counties or that the median household income is significantly higher.

Another possible reason for why issues such as road conditions and traffic are so much more important in Medina County as opposed to the other three counties is that while the population in Medina County has steadily increased in Medina County over the past decade, the population of the other three counties has decreased or remained stagnant.

The Collaborative Poll program is a research service offered by CMOR to organizations, agencies and businesses with a county-wide interest as an affordable method of collecting information on opinions & attitudes of county residents. A Collaborative Poll is an annual telephone survey that includes questions posed by multiple organizations in which each participant pays for only those questions necessary to meet their information and research needs.

The Center for Marketing & Opinion Research (CMOR) is a full service public opinion research firm located in the Portage Lakes area providing innovative research solutions to non-profits, government agencies, social service organizations, colleges and universities, and hospitals. CMOR utilizes multiple modes of data collection including telephone, web and mail surveys and focus group administration as well as offering comprehensive consulting services including consultation on research and survey design, program evaluation, grant writing, data management, analysis and report writing.

Valentine's Day by the Numbers

Today is Valentine’s Day- a day of love for some and a day of loneliness and frustration to others. In honor of Valentine’s Day or Singles Awareness Day as it is sometimes called, here are a few interesting and random facts about this holiday:

· $126.03- What the average person is expected to spend on Valentine’s Day gifts this year.

· $4.1 billion- The amount that Americans will spend on jewelry for Valentine’s Day. Now that’s A LOT of jewelry.

· $3 billion- How much more Americans spend on Valentine’s Day each year compared to Mother’s Day.

· $367 million- The amount that Americans spend on Valentine’s gifts for their pets each year.

· 4 million- The number of Americans who expect to propose or to be proposed to on Valentine’s Day.

· 220,000- The actual average number of wedding proposals on Valentine’s Day each year.

· 8 billion- The number of Sweethearts Conversation Hearts manufactured each year by the New England Confectionary Company.

· 196 million- The number of roses grown for Valentine’s Day in 2011. However, Valentine’s Day is the 3^rd most important day for flower giving, behind Christmas and Mother’s Day.

· 1868- The year of the first box of Valentine’s Day chocolates. They were created by British chocolatier Richard Cadbury.

· One last random fact- Saint Valentine is the patron saint of lovers and engaged couples. He is also the patron saint of epilepsy, plague, greetings, travelers, young people and bee keepers.

12 Surprising Facts and Figures about the Super Bowl

The Super Bowl- the last football game of the season where two of the best teams in the NFL vie for the championship. The Super Bowl is synonymous with parties, big-name and elaborate half-time shows, and expensive, outstanding television commercials. In honor of the end of football season, below are 12 surprising facts and figures about the Super Bowl.

1. $3,500,000- The average cost for a 30-second commercial for this year’s Super Bowl. What’s more surprising? Some advertisers paid more than $4,000,000 for some commercial spots. In 1967, the average 30-second commercial cost $40,000- that’s a 86,500% increase over 45 years.
2. $1,100- The average face value of a Super Bowl ticket in 2012. In 1968, the average face value of a Super Bowl ticket was $12- that’s a 9,067% increase over 44 years. The average actual cost of a Super Bowl ticket this year is $3,982.
3. 45- The number of minutes of commercials in a football game (that’s an advertising revenue of at least $315,000,000), compared to 60 minutes of actual game time at the Super Bowl.
4. 45- The largest point difference in a Super Bowl game ever. It happened in Super Bowl XXIV in 1990 when The San Francisco 49ers dominated the Denver Broncos, 55 to 10. This was also the highest score for a Super Bowl game ever.
5. 12- The most fumbles ever in a Super Bowl game. It happened in Super Bowl XXVII in 1993 between Buffalo (8 fumbles) and Dallas (4 fumbles).
6. 111,000,000- The number of people who watched the Super Bowl last year, the highest number of Super Bowl viewers ever.
7. 5,000- Pounds of hotdogs sold during the Super Bowl game. Americans will also eat 1.25 billion wings on Super Bowl Sunday.
8. $49 to $900- Cost of parking for Sunday’s Super Bowl.
9. $21,500,000- This year’s salary for the highest paid player playing in the Super Bowl this year. What’s more surprising than the amount is who is highest paid player it. It’s not Tom Brady or Eli Manning. It’s Patriot’s guard, Logan Mankins. Tom Brady is #2 at $18,000,000 and Eli Manning is #3 at $12,900,000.
10. $88,000- The bonus amount for Super Bowl winners. The players on the losing team will each take home $44,000.
11. 4- The number of NFL franchises to never go to a Super Bowl. Cleveland is one of them, along with Detroit, Jacksonville, and Houston.
12. 185- The number of countries that the Super Bowl will be televised in. It will be broadcast in 30 different languages.

Groundhog Day by the Numbers

Happy Groundhog Day

As you probably already know, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning which means 6 more weeks of winter, or does it? Below are some questions with surprising answers about everyone’s favorite groundhog.

How accurate is Punxsutawney Phil?

Short answer- not very accurate. Professional weather researchers have found that Punxsutawney Phil is accurate only 39% of the time?

Over the last 10 years, how many times has Punxsutawney Phil seen his shadow?

In the last 10 years, Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow 8 times. The only two years that Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow were 2007 and 2011.

Approximately what percentage of the time does Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?

In 116 years in which there are records, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow 100 times, that equals 86%.

How does Punxsutawney Phil compare to other groundhogs?

Punxsutawney Phil weighs about 20 pounds and is 22 inches long- groundhogs normally weigh 12 to 15 pounds and are 20 inches long.

Does Punxsutawney Phil get any star treatment?

Yes he does. Punxsutawney Phil was a guest on Oprah in 1995. Phil’s prediction was shown live on the Jumbo Tron at Times Square in New York City.

How long has Groundhog Day been around?

The first Groundhog Day was observed in 1886 by the Punxsutawney Spirit Newspaper.

What surprises you most about these numbers?