Life in the glass house

Dear All,

The winter doesn't want to leave this year. However, it starts melting again. The hope for spring is still there.

Lately I was confronted with an interesting article which scared me a little bit. It was written on privacy rules at google and facebook. And I started to ponder on this.

Google is THE search machine on the internet. If you are looking for something in the web you tell: I will google this. At least in German. And facebook is THE networking site. If you lost contact to someone, you can be sure to find this person there in 99%. Everyone is there.

These two companies are collective data on their customer/users. Google can even tell where you are actually with your computer - place, land etc. And it can tell you what kind of sites you were visting. But they are not delivering this information to 3rd party. And this is what facebook is doing. If you allow an application to be a part of your profile, the developer has the full access to your profile. Additionally, there are new applications eg. for iPhone or MS Outlook on facebook, who are using your address book and identifying your contacts. It means - facebook knows you even if you are not a member! If you join, you will be immediately put in connection to the people you know! As the data on you is saved! Scary, no? You have no idea who is spying you...

From my point of view as a marketeer, these both companies have enormous value. They have extremely big data base and this is very important to be competitive today. We all live from data base and from the possibilities of contacting the right consumers at the right time and in the right way. And if people are giving all these information to us voluntary - what can be better? our company knows everything about his consumers - relationship, the look, the activities, hobbies, place to stay etc. What can we want more? This is a real paradise! However we act, we are on the right way and it is easy for us to satisfy the clients. And they are happy about this.

This is my point as marketeer. But as a normal human being I am strongly concerned about this. Esepcially about the fact, it is dangerous and you cannot really controll your privacy. When your contacts act careless with the privacy settings, you are lost. You can be affected till the point of a dangerous virus on your hard disk and you are blocked for days. And this is a very serious issue.

For myself, I decided to be very cautious with receiving any requests via emails or similar. I do care of my privacy and I don't want to have a life in glass house. I want to keep my liberty of choice and of individuality. And I know I will do this.

This year started busy. All good things take time and I am sure all this work will turn out in good things. and if I find something out, I will let you know for sure.

Have a great rest of Sunday.

Best wishes,

Martha

Some positive thoughts for the return of snow

Dear All,

I found this today in a forum of a network I am member of. I would like to share this with you as motivation for 2010.

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.

2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

4. Live with the 3 E's - Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.

5. Make time to pray.

6. Play more games.

7. Read more books than you did the year before.

8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

9. Sleep for 7 hours.

10. Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

1. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

2. Don't have negative thoughts or be anxious about things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

3. Don't overdo it. Keep your limits.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

6. Dream more while you are awake.

7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner about his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

13. Smile and laugh more.

14. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:

1. Call your family often.

2. Each day give something good to others.

3. Forgive everyone for everything.

4. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.

5. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

6. What other people think of you is none of your business.

7. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

1. Do the right thing!

2. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful

3. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

4. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

5. The best is yet to come.

6. When you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it.

7. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Happy Valentine!

All my best,

Martha

Reflection on a snowy day

I have promised you all a post on my favourite season - Christmas. To be honest, this period got so busy I had no chance to sit down and put in few words. Now I will do that.

Last holiday season seemed to me more splendide as the previous one. And it took longer - from around 20t of November till 6th of January. People enjoyed the world full of illumination and it was great to stop for a little while taking a glass of Glühwein (hot wine - very popular warm drink in German speaking country). The world seemed to be more colourfull and everyone was happy to be there and to see this last part of 2009.

Why do I had this impression? 2009 was again touched by the world financial crisis. Everyone of us was touched by this somehow - personally in business or via circle of friends. We heard about companies and banks being bankrupt and even, what was worse, about states being almost bankrupt. And this was not really encouraging. Employment numbers are still not ok. Many people lost their trust in banks and started paying cash. Times chave changed and we need to live with more risk. But at the end of the year, in a time traditionally more focussed on our loved ones, we just forget all the annoying things or are delaying them on later period. We focus on beautiful and cheerful things of life.

2010 has already started and I noticed the fact it is already a busy year. For my friends, my colleagues, my loved ones and of course for myself. You can feel this will in people to make this year better and to break the line of crisis which is our company since mid of 2008. And I am sure we will make it. But for sure we will have to do a lot of hard work and possibly we will have to rethink/review our thinking and our acting. Many things will change but personally I think we will go out this state right now with proud and head off to new time, even more interesting. Many of things will change and we will have to learn new ones. But I am already looking for this as my own learning has already started.

Buon anno 2010 e a presto!

Best wishes,

Martha

Reflections on a rainy day

Hello All,

I am back on the second day. On such a rainy day as today many reflections come.

Many of us are affected by the crisis - by losing the job or having difficulties in finding clients or losing clients due to costs. Big companies were fighting against in 2008 with new improved global campaigns with enormous investments in media. Another ones were reducing stuff and the other ones were just cutting costs. Small companies tried to find another ways.

2008 and already years before showed us, we need to reflect our communication again. The traditional ways were not enough, new developed compaigns were not more unique, companies were spending too much on pitches for new big ideas. Already then you could see the new trend - away from classic. An approach to inconventional ways to attract the customers, barter deals, grow of BTL activities. All this is growing.

Why? All these unconventional ways are bringing us closer to the product. If you want to buy soem food, the most efficient way to convinve you about the quality is a degustation. Cosmetics - you can take a little test semple to see if it is something for you. And if your skin can tolerate it.

Another way to show the own capacity is to sponsor a raffle. Many hotels are giving special offers for price winning games, mostly a weekend to win. Satified customers will surely come back.

Another way are cooperations. The most popular form are promotions. If you buy a certain amount of a certain product, you will be rewarded by a special price gien by teh cooperation partner or its special offer. Some products that need to be sold, are specially prepared in cooking shows by celebrity chefs or in the restaurants taking part in the promotion.

All this is bringing the brand closer and makes it more real. Big ideas are great to give us a direction but the direct pulse is what we can held in the hand. It works and it will always work. Then what is better than this what I tested and what I liked.

Now I will go back to my Christmas observations and come back with more thoughts.

Have a great evening.

Martha

Human nature

Dear All,

It has been a long time I posted something here on.

Last weekend I saw the latest movie of Jennifer Aniston called "Love happens" (below the trailer):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYvFA0MFd-Y&feature=related

and it made me think. This movie is a pure entertainment, a real women movie. But there was something in it that I had to think about.

The hero, played by Aaron Eckhard is real sould solver. He wrote a book after having lost his wife and is helping another people to work their personal losses out. So far so good. At the end, the big hero had to admit he couldn't solve his own lost.

We all are wearing masks. At work, in public and sometimes even at home in front of our loved ones. We are talking about individuality, about the same rights for men and women: women being able to lead and men being able to show their pain. And what are we doing in the end? We are sticking with good old stereotype behaviours. Women are still less paid than men and need to work twice well to get higher level jobs and men are still showing their cold side. Selling of the own grand-mother is the rule and should someone show his human nature, it is considered as a weekness. Sad but true.

You will surely say I am exaggerating. Well... Being a marketeer I am a part of people business. I see human behaviour every day. We are living in extremely unhumanitarian times: companies reducing stuff for better profit, financial crisis, envy at work and in private life, no fun at what we do, politicians without real interest of working for their voters, bosses torturing psychically their subordinates, mobbing victims etc. The list is long. We want to change this but at the end we do nothing against for two reasons: there will be always someone doing worse to get our job and it is not up to a single individual to change the world.

All this is true and that is why we have a new trend in the time of the crisis. We focuss on individuality and on our selfbeing. Wellness trend is growing - we see things under the aspect what is good for us. We take every single possibility to trea us as kings/queens and avoid travelling as tourists. We are all looking for individuality. To pemper our body and soul we are willing to spend more then usually. Fancy food, special hotels (Romantik Hotels & Restaurants, Kempinsky Ressorts, Villa Rothschild or Ar Velin Avel), special healthy sports (yoga, pilates) or wellness treatments (massages, special baths, thermal holidays) - all this is helping us to feel better. And we are dreaming of romance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5svgBBAt7zI&feature=related

This all allows us to escape our daily pression for a while. The world of marketing knows it very well and is overflowing us with a lot of offers. Are they all worth to be taken? It is up to us to chose - by trial or recommendation.

Christmas season is approaching and the constumer is overflowed with more offers. But I will write about this next time.

Best regards,

Martha

Once upon a time...

… in a kingdom far far away there was a special place. This place was to find not far from the see, in a beautiful garden – green, silent, discreet. The garden’s proud were roses and trees. A place where you don’t want to be taken away…

The heart of the place was a wind mill. An old building, placed in this wonderful place, was ready to show off its mystery to everyone who felt drawn to it.

And there were visitor coming, curious but impressed and charmed by the place. All they wished for to escape the reality was fulfilled. The hostess made them feel at home and enjoy the place.

And they did as everything was perfect – rooms, environment, the service and meals.

You surely ask yourself why I am writing this fairy tale. The reason is very simple: this place already exists. In Bretagne/France, at the Morlaix Bay, North coast of Finistère there is an old wind mill, dating back to 1789. It is called Ar Velin Avel. It was renovate and rebuilt into guestrooms. The mill is placed in a big green garden and it has a beautiful rosarium, full of roses coming from Strasbourg.

Guests, who are coming there, are met by a great hospitality offering them all luxury they need and wish for. The owner of this place, Monica Velghe, has an unique philosophy: to meet the wishes of her guests. That is why she cooperates with two another companies from the sector: Petrossian in Paris and DA Prestige. Petrossian is delivering the finest food within 24 hours and DA Prestige is assuring the limousine service of Ar Velin Avel.

Ar Velin Avel is not a big place. But its 3 rooms and a suite are exceptionally equipped. They are the romantic room, the maritime room and the Asian room. And the suite, called Miller’s suite, give their guest an impression to live on the country side of Brittany. All the details there are following each theme and are completing the heart of the house. All is made with love and you can feel it.

Monica told me about a testimonial of one of her hosts: “Madame, étant chez vous, on est chez soi” (eng. Madam, in your house everyone feels at home). And this sentence is the core of Monica’s work. She meets every of her guest as special gift in her life and is treating him or her as someone special. The client is a king and is treated like that.

I will stop my exposé now as all these words are not capable to show you the special charm of this place. I only hope to have inspired your curiosity to check the site of the place: http://www.arvelinavel.com/

Best regards,

Martha

It took me a long time to write this second post down. Life of a marketeer is submitted to many factors, especially in today's situation so I found myself in front of situations I had to handle more urgently than the continuation of my blog. But now I am back here.

My question on the source of success of Meyer in the Fressgass was all the time in my head. And I started to reflect why. And for this I needed to take a look on people behaviour.

We are actually in difficult times. We have to handle more work in the same job, our colleague leave and are not replaced. We are counting every penny and our invoices are getting bigger and we don't buy more than before. That's why we all need a little reward from time to time. And the food is the best one - it helps us getting a better mood. And if this is healthy - even better.

Meyer is not only food seller. The company offers a holistic concept to meet their constumers. They have a shop where you can buy food for immediate consumption in the store, for preparation at home or there is also a catering service. And all this in extremely well made ambience, proposed by service people extremely good looking. You feel special and you have the impression all is home made.

The element of home made suggests us we feel at home. And if a restaurantion company succeed to give us this feeling, we are willing to pay the price to feel specially cared. Even if the prices are double in comparison to a store next door.

In this moment I have to think about a good friend of mine. A lady who succeded to give their host the same feeling while spending time in her little hotel. She understood to give a special treetment by treating her hosts like gods. And they are loving this.

But this story will be treaten in my next part.

Regards,

Martha