These days I’ve been getting caught up in anything BUT what I’m supposed to… I’ve been focusing on personal silly net projects (soon to be revealed) when work should be top priority and hanging on the web instead of the multiple schools I’ve recklessly entered. Something like this:

It’s like I’m trying to get a break in the middle of the class. In this note I wanted to share, in case you didn’t hear of it, the genius webcomic that is xkcd. I’ve been following the comic for quite some time now and finally I’ve selected some of the latest episodes which are top of my list to give you a clue on what xkcd is about : “romance, sarcasm, math and language” [computer language that is].

xkcd is sometimes better than any funny youtube video. more on xkcd here and here. Just take a peek at the following…

Is it ok to say out loud that I don’t understand some of the episodes ? (the above I do! but all of the people who mentioned the comic seem to get them all!)… I get them in my own way

Hotel marketing has always been first and foremost about the services. Then comes the location, the pricing, the history, the PR … there is a cool paradox here:

if the hotel meets my standards (as a client) everything will seem perfectly normal to me and I will probably mention my place of stay only if asked. BUT if the services don’t appeal to me (or plain and simply stink) there is a good chance I will mention the place in every story related to my trip… and obviously not in pretty colors.

Amazingly even luxurious hotels are faced with this paradox because most of their customers are used to the lux and are not easily impressed. But this is another story…

Following this train of thought one of the biggest challanges for a new-born hotel is the differentiation. If you don’t have a history or are forced to reinvent yourself, if the location isn’t that spectacular or your budget is, as all are, limited… what can you do?

Here is an ideea: 61 rooms, all different. The amazing Fox Hotel in the centre of Copenhagen opposed the “home away from home” concept and gave its visitors something to talk about, the hotel became a destination in itself. Just take a look at their website and see how all their marketing efforts are around this line.

I’ll stop any analysis right here. I’ll show you just 8 rooms… they speek for themselves

Read the rest of this entry »

we all know how important music can be in any sort of advertisement. It can generate genuine interest in your add and contribute to the WOM effect .

My clever partner in crime had a cool idea the other day about how you can find a suitable song for your needs (advertising-related or not) and I’m totally spreading the word: Musicovery. It’s a webradio which allows you to select music according to your mood… you can choose the mix between calm to energetic and dark to positive. It has multiple options of which the non-hit option or “Discovery” is perfect for the music-seeker. Of course you can also sort by time period or decade.

I truly believe you can stumble upon original suitable music for any particular need. I’m gonna go now make a little something to post on YouTube. Found the soundtrack so all that’s left is the easy part…

source of pic.

UPDATE:

Conjure One feat. Sinead O’Connor - Tears from the moon .

This song was featured in the Romanian company Romtelecom’s mineral water brand Dorna TV ad. (Thank you Irina)

Irina also showed me in her comment below a genius ad of Lufthansa in which music is trully the key. It’s such a good illustration of my point above I just had to show it to you

I’ll be receiving my cap and gown to wear at my Graduation Ceremony on May 24 !
I’m so nervous and excited… I can’t believe I’m graduating! This post may mark the beginning of the beginning of a new era May not seem much but I’m sure it was or will be for each one of you :P. Look here or here if interested in why we’re wearing this strange outfit at graduation.

… just another one in the dust…

source of pic.

I just looove the 1’st day of March in which we Romanians celebrate Martisor, the beginning of spring. If you are not familiar with this celebration have a peak here or here.

The “ritual” goes like this: boys and men offer girls, women, moms a small medallion ( here is a very good illustration of the forms this little gift can take ) tied to a red and white string, often accompanied by a flower.  The women are supposed to pin the medallion onto their clothes and wear it for 1 to 2 weeks thus celebrating the arrival of spring. It’s just lovely to walk on the street and see the little symbol at every corner, small, discrete, joyful.

Red and white stand for peace and love.

Unfortunately the tradition has been losing ground lately in the face of more commercial, imported holidays such as Valentine’s Day. Like good quality music to Justin Timberlake.

Why I believe Martisor rules:

It simply does not put any pressure on anybody. V-day pressures those in a relationship to be interesting and do something special (this is the part where if the boy forgot to plan the day he will never hear the end of it in most cases) if they feel like it or not and makes those not in a relationship feel lonely and sad (like Vivi very smartly mentioned)

Martisor is crystal clear, everyone knows exactly what to do: men give they’re loved ones that special little gift (which you can find in many different forms on every corner on every street that particular week) and women childishly accept it.

Thus men don’t compete on who did the coolest stuff on V-day and women boost their ego with every Martisor received, usually the more you get the better you feel even if girls don’t admit it

I strongly believe we should try to export it as Americans exported Valentine’s Day. But may springs will have past until then, taking into consideration that Romania can barely “export” her own country brand, let alone any customs.

It’s a bit late now but maybe next year we bloggers should start an early thought out campaign and show that we are proud of this tradition. This year I join Andressa in her SOS Martisor campaign with this post.