Watching employees peck away on their Blackberrys during meetings has tried the patience of many senior officials in the business world...so much so that there is now a growing chatter about banning Blackberrys from meetings.

At Forbes online, Mark Lewis has made the case for banning by arguing that obsessive Blackberry users are “sabotaging your meetings.”

The French government has reportedly banned Blackberrys at ministries and in the presidential palace. 

The decision, however, was not an attempt to eliminate digital distractions.  Rather, the fear, according to a tech surveillance firm, was that the US National Security Agency could intercept and read Blackberry-transmitted messages.

The Pew Research Center recently released a national report on marriage, which included this nifty map of the 50 states.  Just roll your cursor over any state, and you’ll instantly see a snapshot of key statistics.  The stats include the percentage of couples who are currently married, as well as the percentage of adults who have been married three or more times.

The N.Y. Times’ blog Economix provides a brief summary of the key findings. For example, men in New York and New Jersey are the least likely to be currently divorced. North Dakota is the state where women are least likely to be divorced.

Yet one stat plays right into stereotypes. Nevada has the highest share of men and women who are currently divorced.

Most Gogo users have probably noticed the "fun facts" that appear on one's computer screen during an in-flight wi-fi session.  For those who haven't yet used this service, below is a sample of the types of facts that pop-up (to the side) on one's computer screen when using Gogo.

--There are an average of 60,000 people en route, by air, at any one time in the United States.

--The Wright brothers' first flight (120 feet) could have taken place within the economy section of a Boeing 747-400.

--"Go." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.

--On March 8, 1994, Don Ku was granted a patent for a wheeled suitcase with a collapsible towing handle.

--The first female flight attendants in 1930 were required to be registered nurses.  In addition to serving the cabin, they took tickets, loaded luggage, fueled the plane, and even helped pilots push the aircraft into the hangar.

--Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta is now the nations' busiest airport, taking the title away from the Chicago's O'Hare for the third year in a row.
 
--Denison, TX, where Aircell began, is also the birthplace of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States.

--Did you know that some birds crossing the Caribbean fly at around 10,000 feet?  That's the same altitude   Gogo service becomes active.  In fact, a flock of whooper swans was once detected on radar at 29,000 feet.
 
--It's a fact: Gogo is the first to bring affordable in-flight internet service to U.S. domestic airlines.

--Aircell (Gogo's parent company) holds 15 patents on their innovations in airborne telecommunications.

--Did you know that Gogo was first conceived in 1991 on a napkin in a barbecue joint in Denison, TX?

Clearly, these "fun facts" are designed to start broad and then become more focused on the Gogo brand itself.

What Gogo is attempting to do here is impressive.  The brand is trying to associate a feeling and emotional tone with something that is typically considered a commodity - namely wi-fi access.   

Emotional brand assets are very important.  At the same time, however, Gogo may want to consider highlighting the functional benefits of its brand - something that could easily be conveyed through their "fun fact" forum. 

For example:

--How reliable is Gogo's wi-fi system?

--How fast is Gogo's in-flight wi-fi?  Is it the fastest (on average) in the world?

--How secure are Gogo's wi-fi services?

Conveying these functional brand assets alongside lighter, emotionally-oriented facts can create an effective brand positioning for Gogo by giving consumers the facts they need as well as the fun they want.  After all, in-flight wi-fi is both a tool and a toy.  Our own research shows that business travelers who use in-flight wi-fi are just as likely to check their work email as they are to send personal emails, check sports scores, or visit social networking sites.

P.S. 

In the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that this blog entry was posted from 30,000 feet using Gogo’s in-flight wi-fi service. 

Here are a few quick statistics - as reported by AAA and United Press International - to paint of picture of just how busy the busiest travel day of the year will be for Americans in 2009.

--Approximately 38.4 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles for Thanksgiving this year.  This figure represents a 1.4% increase over 2008.

--Most (over 33 million) of those 38.4 million travelers will be in their cars this weekend. 

--Air travel is projected to be down 6.7 percent to 2.3 million travelers this weekend.  Bus and train tickets, however, are expected to be up compared to last year. 

--According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of gas is $2.63, up about 65 cents over last year at this time. 

Safe travels to everyone this holiday weekend!