Memorability : Then & Now

Memories are the only thing we have to hold on to the past. It's our very own, in-built archive.

But are memories really truths? (Okay, you might ask, "Where in heck is she going with this? And what's that got to do business or marketing?").

Read the Editor's Note in the January issue of ADOI magazine today. In a nutshell, it's an ode to the past, a lamentation of glorious days gone by when ad legends did awesome work.

A Matter of Trust

Picked up a book again after many weeks of being utterly enamoured with my new iPhone 4. The book this time is called Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith.

Have read up to page 20 so far and I like what I'm reading.

Interesting reading on a subject that we somehow already have an inkling of what it's about and completely rely on. Trust is so important in every thing that we do. But can trust lead you in a direction that you may not want to be on?

EDM - Best Practice?

For those not in the know, EDM is an abbreviation for electronic direct mail. It's one of the tools of the trade for marketers who want to spread their sales pitch en masse, electronically.

But we consumers either appreciate them because of its timely and useful information or hate them coz' they clog up our mailboxes.

Here's the funny thing.  I'm in the communication business. So therefore, there's a particular formula or rule of thumb for some of the communication things that I do. EDM is not excluded.

Network Marketing - A New Permutation

I was invited to sit through a business presentation with a dear friend recently.  Much to our dismay, it was a network marketing sales pitch.

It was the usual opening gambit. A rundown of the current economic scenario, a re-jigged slide on Robert Kiyosaki's Cashflow Quadrant, the benefits of working for yourself...blah, blah, blah.

We just stopped the poor guy mid-sentence and told him that network marketing was not for us. To his credit, he persisted in trying to convince us of the errors of our ways (which were for naught, as we remained unconvinced).

Suicide in the Workplace

10th suspected suicide at Foxconn based in China, the people who make the iPhones for Apple. Read more here.

The reasons cited were work ethics, managerial practices and poor salaries.  Not to sound insensitive, but it just all seem so familiar.

There was a time when I used to envy the Americans or pretty much anyone who works in Europe, North America, Australia or New Zealand. I envied them coz' for their normal working hours. Those days, I used to think 'Gee, wouldn't it be nice to knock off at 5pm and go for a drink or two with your office buddies.'.

Going Crazy over POS Displays

There's so many ways to communicate to the consumer or customer.  Digital or social media is one of the new ways. Print Ads or TV commercials are part of the old way.


Today, I'm gonna write about those point-of-sale (POS) displays, the ones that you find in supermarkets.  


I think all those POS people are being too overzealous that they're constantly thinking up new ways to maximise advertising on supermarket space to the point where they no longer question whether these new ad units really work or not.

Oh dear! Is anyone paying attention?

Sigh. Read this article last week.

It's not the first time I've come across something similar to this. I've lost count the number of articles that have cropped up all over the place, all of them saying the same thing.

The old agency model is broken, big time. But is it beyond repair?

Sad, True but Largely Ignored

The Last Advertising Agency On Earth from FITC on Vimeo.

Saw this ad on one of my favourite blogs, Digital Buzz Blog. (Btw, really recommend this site to all interested with all things about digital communications).

FMCG + CRM = ???

I don't know much about CRM. The little I know is that a big customer database is the ultimate pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the practitioners are dying to get hold of my personal details, and sometimes, I get personalised messages, mostly in print form and lately, digital.

What I'm working on right now is on developing a printed direct mailer for an FMCG brand.

So, here's where I'm not sure whether it'll work.

Facebook : 'Like' or 'Fan'?

Read an interesting article recently from World Advertising Resource Center (WARC) which reported that Facebook has decided to drop the 'fan' term from client ads on Facebook which would direct users to specific brand pages.

Instead they'll be using the term 'like' as they've found through research, that FB users are twice more likely to 'like' something than be a 'fan' of something.

You can read more about this article here.

I have mixed feelings about this.

The Erotic History of Advertising - A Review

Sex sells. This book is proof that it does.

It was entertaining but not very useful in terms of any learnings. It was at times, a laborious read simply because a lot of the ads were described, not shown.

But then again, if all the ads were shown, the book would have made an interesting coffee table book which would not have made the author (a college professor) any more credible.

Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs - A Review

As a person involved in the business of "changing behaviours" with particular interest in using the Internet as THE channel of communication, I had always wondered about the different methods used by big client and big digital agencies (the ones with big money) compared to those used by the internet marketing entrepreneurs (with little to no budget for marketing).

This book marries the two different methods.

When Common Sense Fails

I went to the Curve today to settle some affairs.

MALAYSIA AIRLINES

The 1st thing that caught my eye was this huge building advertising from Malaysia Airlines. The ad was on the e@Curve building where the Cathay cinema is at. The 1st thought that came to mind was “Wow, this is a first. I’ve never seen a MAS ad at this site before.”

There is no easy way out.

There is no easy way out to making money. We all know that a 9-to-5 job is hard work.

But what about other alternatives? There’s plenty of other opportunities of making money. But what it all boils down to is that in order to get money, somebody else has to give money.

Have I been wrong all this while?

A little over a week ago, I found myself having dinner with this creative person....why I said yes, is another post altogether.  

Illuminating is what I can say as a result of that dinner. Whilst the chap's dinner conversation is infinitely long-winded, tiresome and entirely self-absorbed, there were some nuggets to be gleaned from said conversation....although one can hardly call it a conversation if it's completely one-sided.

The Eternal Conflict

Had an interesting lunch with a creative person just now. Sigh.  Ya just can't teach a dog new tricks. It applies to me and the other person too.

There will always a conflict between me and the creatives. Although I'm from client servicing, I wouldn't say I represent the entire group.

We agreed on some stuff (which were, obviously, neither of our domains) but when it comes to the creative work, we disagree.

Let me get this straight...

I've just finished this book called The Obvious : Everything you need to know to succeed by James Dale.  And am now reading this book called Predictably Irrational.

Yes, two more non-fictions that I've just shelled out much moolah for.

The first book had this chapter on biz-speak, which is essentially (and I might be understanding it incorrectly) that we should just cut the crap and talk straight.  Forget about all those mumbo-jumbo jargons that serves only to impress, manipulate and confuse.

For real?

I just watched this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djCHvkQP9oE) and although I admire Martin Lindstrom's work, I do wonder whether it'll actually be relevant in Malaysia...like now.

In this video, Mr. Lindstrom's pretty much saying that traditional medium is dead, long live digital. Erm...hate to tell you this Martin, but there's still a big load of people who have yet to cross the digital divide.

A Load of Wisdom?

I am an avid reader.  But to wind down, I read marketing/business books. And because of my predisposition for such reading, people think I'm smart. I don't think so.  What goes in for me, do not always come out.  It's a kind of intellectual indigestion.

So, I figured I might as well attempt to force it out of me.  Let's choose a type of laxative.

Advertising.  

My definition : A communication created by an Agency that provides information and ultimately, persuades a group of consumers to buy a certain product or service.