Female Genital Mutilation is horrendous.
Follow this link for a Youtube Video - (warning, definitely NOT for the squeamish)
Then follow this link for some more information
Friday, April 25, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
More Rick-Rolling joy
Is the goal now to make a terrible ad and have that go viral as a prank played on people?
It would be an interesting campaign, to say the least. Implementation would be difficult, but wouldn't take too long. The "Rick Roll" was known by the entire web within 7 or 8 days (no evidence, just anecdotal).
What sort of industries and products would work? Would it rely solely on product placement? Could a cause be marketed in this fashion (I'm seeing dancing starving African children. Not the nicest thing but a good change from the sad children in World Vision). How would you make it a serious campaign rather than a gimmick?
It would be an interesting campaign, to say the least. Implementation would be difficult, but wouldn't take too long. The "Rick Roll" was known by the entire web within 7 or 8 days (no evidence, just anecdotal).
What sort of industries and products would work? Would it rely solely on product placement? Could a cause be marketed in this fashion (I'm seeing dancing starving African children. Not the nicest thing but a good change from the sad children in World Vision). How would you make it a serious campaign rather than a gimmick?
Sunday, April 20, 2008
New Blog
Well, guess what. It hasn't been completed yet. Seth, the internship at the agency, work, university and an exceedingly gorgeous lady have all conspired too keep me ridiculously busy this week. I won't make any promises about when it's coming except that it will.
My absolute last minute deadline is early June. It has too, and thus will, be created by then. The reason: Macquarie Bank's summer vacation internship applications open then. When I apply for that, my resume and references must be all in order, and that includes this blog.
Today's theme however is "Rick-Roll" (click at your own risk. Safe for work, but don't have the sounds too loud). This link is the nice one too, the one that lets you leave without listening to the whole damned thing.
How brilliant is this as a marketing concept? Obviously not this implementation of it, that's just irritating. But imagine being able to create something that people link to as a prank? How good!
It's my favourite internet meme, bar none. It's annoying but the prank is popular enough that everyone on the internet knows it (except you, yes you. The person who clicked that link above).
My absolute last minute deadline is early June. It has too, and thus will, be created by then. The reason: Macquarie Bank's summer vacation internship applications open then. When I apply for that, my resume and references must be all in order, and that includes this blog.
Today's theme however is "Rick-Roll" (click at your own risk. Safe for work, but don't have the sounds too loud). This link is the nice one too, the one that lets you leave without listening to the whole damned thing.
How brilliant is this as a marketing concept? Obviously not this implementation of it, that's just irritating. But imagine being able to create something that people link to as a prank? How good!
It's my favourite internet meme, bar none. It's annoying but the prank is popular enough that everyone on the internet knows it (except you, yes you. The person who clicked that link above).
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Not a marketing post
This is not a marketing post, more of a public service announcement. Well, less a public service announcement than me on my soapbox.
I cannot stand what is happening to women in Africa (or anywhere else in the world, I'm soapboxing and that allows me to pick on one place). It's awful, horrific and immoral. I have no right to tell anyone what to do, but damn it, stop abusing women. It's neither masculine nor does it show any sort of power aside from the most base level of fear and might is right.
It just upsets me.
As a start, if you like women at all, do some learning.
You can start here and here
Both facebook links.
Amnesty International has a good start of knowledge too.
If this upsets you, bothers you or just plain makes you mad, tell people. You don't have to give your money (it would be nice) but you can help by telling people. Not one, not two, but thirty, fourty or fifty. One will do if that's all you can tell, but tell someone.
Please, these women do not deserve this, not in any way shape or form, nobody deserves to be mutilated, abused and hurt, least of all women just trying to survive.
Just tell someone, that's all you need to do to help.
I cannot stand what is happening to women in Africa (or anywhere else in the world, I'm soapboxing and that allows me to pick on one place). It's awful, horrific and immoral. I have no right to tell anyone what to do, but damn it, stop abusing women. It's neither masculine nor does it show any sort of power aside from the most base level of fear and might is right.
It just upsets me.
As a start, if you like women at all, do some learning.
You can start here and here
Both facebook links.
Amnesty International has a good start of knowledge too.
If this upsets you, bothers you or just plain makes you mad, tell people. You don't have to give your money (it would be nice) but you can help by telling people. Not one, not two, but thirty, fourty or fifty. One will do if that's all you can tell, but tell someone.
Please, these women do not deserve this, not in any way shape or form, nobody deserves to be mutilated, abused and hurt, least of all women just trying to survive.
Just tell someone, that's all you need to do to help.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Strategy vs. Ability (kind of)
Can a marketer with huge amounts of ability and skill, but no strategy, perform better than an average marketer with a strategy?
That's the question I was going to discuss today, but I've changed my mind. How do you determine how much ability and skill a marketer has? It's not like finance where you can strictly measure how much money they've made, nor management where we can measure all sorts of soft measures about their staff.
I consider myself a brilliant marketer, but until now I never really asked why. I work hard and get good results, but does that make me a good marketer? Is it creativity, persistence, dedication, ability to think? And how are these traits specific to marketing, someone with these traits would be just as good at anything else they do.
It's definitely not keenness (nor English) which makes a good marketer, I've met many people who are keener than mustard to be a marketer but wouldn't be considered exceptional. Good, yes. Exceptional, no.
What an interesting concept. I'll take a stab in the dark and suggest that it may be ability to translate strategy into goals into tactics into action. That's what defines a marketer. A finance person may become brilliant by applying well known formula's to businesses, an accountant by allocating the right funds in the right place and a manager by extracting the most work from her staff while keeping them happy.
A marketer becomes brilliant by translating strategy into goals into tactics into action. Yep, that's my theory. Anyone else?
So, that answers my original question too, the marketer with no strategy has no ability, the marketer with a strategy does.
p.s. I'm not Finance bashing, I want to do an MBA in Finance when I finish my marketing degree. Nor am I management bashing, I'm completing a submajor in management. I am, however, accountant bashing. I await your carefully measured replies, in red ink no less!
That's the question I was going to discuss today, but I've changed my mind. How do you determine how much ability and skill a marketer has? It's not like finance where you can strictly measure how much money they've made, nor management where we can measure all sorts of soft measures about their staff.
I consider myself a brilliant marketer, but until now I never really asked why. I work hard and get good results, but does that make me a good marketer? Is it creativity, persistence, dedication, ability to think? And how are these traits specific to marketing, someone with these traits would be just as good at anything else they do.
It's definitely not keenness (nor English) which makes a good marketer, I've met many people who are keener than mustard to be a marketer but wouldn't be considered exceptional. Good, yes. Exceptional, no.
What an interesting concept. I'll take a stab in the dark and suggest that it may be ability to translate strategy into goals into tactics into action. That's what defines a marketer. A finance person may become brilliant by applying well known formula's to businesses, an accountant by allocating the right funds in the right place and a manager by extracting the most work from her staff while keeping them happy.
A marketer becomes brilliant by translating strategy into goals into tactics into action. Yep, that's my theory. Anyone else?
So, that answers my original question too, the marketer with no strategy has no ability, the marketer with a strategy does.
p.s. I'm not Finance bashing, I want to do an MBA in Finance when I finish my marketing degree. Nor am I management bashing, I'm completing a submajor in management. I am, however, accountant bashing. I await your carefully measured replies, in red ink no less!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Marketing in a Recession
Not to preempt our delightful economists, but what should change when marketing in a recession?
The argument that marketing should be an easy place to cut costs is not particularly brilliant because the brand will slip from consumer view and someone who's not cut marketing costs won't. Renault in the UK in the early 90's launched it's Clio, the most successful car that Renault has ever had and far and away the segment leader, the only problem being, the UK was in a recession in the early 90's.
So what do we change? How do we become a Renault?
I'm not sure, but the next 18 months should be interesting to watch.
The argument that marketing should be an easy place to cut costs is not particularly brilliant because the brand will slip from consumer view and someone who's not cut marketing costs won't. Renault in the UK in the early 90's launched it's Clio, the most successful car that Renault has ever had and far and away the segment leader, the only problem being, the UK was in a recession in the early 90's.
So what do we change? How do we become a Renault?
I'm not sure, but the next 18 months should be interesting to watch.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Seth's Electronic Internship
In This Post I mentioned that I didn't get Seth's full time internship in New York. There were lots and lots of highly skilled entrants and so Seth has set up a Basecamp blog which I alluded to in the post, details have been released although there are restrictions on what the participants are allowed to say.
Simply put, I have been invited to take part in that, which I gladly accepted and I intend to be active in doing so.
I'm not at all sure on what or how much I can say but in Seth's paraphrased words, he will be running marketing masterclasses, we have been invited for our backgrounds and we're expected to contribute, so i will.
I'll stay updated with what I can, but I doubt any information will be allowed out of the group.
All that said and done, expect a transfer to a new blog at some point during this week, progress is underway.
Simply put, I have been invited to take part in that, which I gladly accepted and I intend to be active in doing so.
I'm not at all sure on what or how much I can say but in Seth's paraphrased words, he will be running marketing masterclasses, we have been invited for our backgrounds and we're expected to contribute, so i will.
I'll stay updated with what I can, but I doubt any information will be allowed out of the group.
All that said and done, expect a transfer to a new blog at some point during this week, progress is underway.
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