Offline blogging

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Posted on 6 August 2006 blogging Marketing Personal Sushi

After my first failed attempt to blog offline using ecto, I’m now trying Zoundry. So if you actually get to read this, you’ll know it works. :-)

There hasn’t been much happening on my blog of late. Exactly 1 post in July, can you believe. But I’m almost sure that if I can get this offline blogging thing to work, you’ll definitely be hearing more of me. Anyway, heres what’s been cooking…

Sushi

mac-knife.jpgAfter borrowing a sushi chef’s knife on my birthday to make sushi, I just had to get my own. I really love sushi, and being able to make it myself at home, is awesome. The only problem making sushi at home is finding fish at a decent price. Salmon retails for around R200/kg at Woolworths as well as at the local sushi restaurant around the corner. So if anyone knows where I could get salmon a little cheaper in Cape Town, please let me know. Heres a pic of my dinner plate from my birthday. (I made it all myself!)
my first attempt at making sushi

Work

David, who gave me my first “big break” has taken up the position of CEO of one of our divisions, which meant he had to move Namibia. David is one of the most awesome people you could meet, and he has taught me so much about programming, business and life. We surely going to miss him in our office. We will still be working with David, but the distance will always feel like he has gone.

But there is always a bright side. Especially when a theres a ring at the gate, and a courier comes to drop off a couple of laptops, 19″ LCD’s, leather bags and a multi-function laser printer. These laptops absolutely fly. It’s heart is a Centrino duo which beats at 1.8GHz, biceps the size of 2GB, and a stomach able to hold 120GB. And when you hook it up to one of those LCD’s, there really is tons of desktop space to go around. No need for multiple desktops, ala Linux styles.

Life

My 2 Virgin credit cardsAs you might know, I recently received my Virgin credit card, but they sent me the wrong one. (The one on the right.) So I gave them a call and in a week, they sent me my Bling. I have heard of people complaining about the service and delays in receiving cards, but the benefits will pay off in the long run. Give them a chance to find their feet. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are all the hiccups ironed out when launching a nationwide business in South Africa. Hey, I can’t complain about getting 5% interest on any spare cash I have lying in it. ;-)

So, even though I don’t have a decent connection at home, at least being able to watch TV and blog like this is pretty cool. When I get to work in the morning, all I’ll do is hit the synchronise button, and this post goes live! No need to sit at home on a dial-up and hope and pray I don’t get dropped half way through this sentence. Cheers.

Offline blogging with ecto sucks!

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Posted on 4 August 2006 blogging Personal

I had this whole post written in ecto last night, offline I might add, and this morning, when I opened ecto up to upload the post, it refreshed my posts from my blog, but had canned my post from last night! Does anyone know of a decent offline blogging editor, that actually works?

Virgin giving SA a taste of “real marketing”

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Posted on 11 July 2006 Marketing Personal South Africa

I received an “unassuming looking” envelope yesterday from Virgin Money, and after reading the insert, relised what SA’s banking and financial sector was missing, and why Virgin are going to kick some ass.

We are missing that cool, funky, in your face company (bank) that does things out of the norm, doesn’t sweat the small things, yet stays professional and looks after you and your money. Who cares if I carry around a Nedbank, Blue Bean or an ABSA credit card? They all look the same, do the same thing, and it doesn’t say ANYTHING about you. But carry around a Virgin credit card, and I already feel alot cooler. I don’t care that they aren’t a bank or if I never see a Virgin teller. I don’t want to feel part of the crowd that moans about banking charges, yet still whips out their annually paid, 27 day repayment, 21% interest credit card that just smells of overpriced. Thats why today, I’m getting me a Virgin.

I had a fat smile on my face yesterday when I read the little insert in my Virgin Money envelope.

A Virgin Money Credit Card is to credit cards what an Armani label is to a pinstripe suit. We’ve enclosed a PIN for you in this unassuming looking envelope. Simply memorise the PIN. Your credit card will suddenly perform super-heroic banking functions at ordinary ATMs. Even causing them to spew forth crisp banknotes.

…….

This envelope will not self-destuct in 30 seconds, so please tear it up when you’re done.

Since when will one of the big 4 banks in SA ever write marketing material like this? Even if you choose the student package or some hip banking product that targets youngsters. Never. Thats why I love everything Branson, and I’m loving Virgin Money!

I hate you too, Brabys.

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Posted on 30 June 2006 Marketing Rants

Ring Ring…. Ring Ring….

Jason: “Hello, Jason speaking.”
Brabys telesalesman: “Hi, This is [can't remember his name] speaking. Are your details correct on Brabys?”

Jason: “Excuse me? Brabys you say?”
B Ts: “Yes sir. Are your details still correct that are on our system? You subscribed to our internet marketing program a couple of years back, and I’d like to find out if the details are still correct.”

Jason: “It doesn’t matter to me if our details are correct or incorrect. We no longer do business with you guys.”

Long pause…….

Jason: “A couple of years back we placed a couple of advertisments with you and we found that we were getting more calls from people trying to sell us things than were interested in our business, and therefore will never use Brabys again.”

B Ts: “Thats a real shame.”

Long pause……

B Ts: “I also hate working here…. This place really sucks. Anyway, enjoy the rest of your day. Goodbye.”

Click.

Seems that Brabys employees and I share the same thought. We both hate Brabys.

World cup 2006 – kit sponsors

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Posted on 19 June 2006 Marketing Money Sport

The World Cup does not only bring goals, tackles, passes, yellow and red cards, it also brings in millions, if not billion’s of rands in marketing, sponsors and advertising. It is the biggest and most televised sporting event in the world. Some 3.6 billion people watch the world cup every 4 years.

So, along with a possible 3.6 billion clients, you can imagine everyone wants to get a piece of the action. Whether its a billboard next to the field, advertisment on television or the most marketable place – a team’s kit, companies will be trying to outdo each other to get a slice of the marketing and sales pie.

I’m always interested in which team is sponsored by what sports brand, as well as the players and which boots they wear. Theres also one other big reason this year… Germany, Puma, Adidas and the famous Dassler brothers.

Adi and Rudolph Dassler started the Dassler Brothers Sports Shoe Factory in 1920′s in a small town in Germany named Herzogenaurach. In 1948 they parted ways with Rudolph Dassler founding Puma and Adi Dassler starting Adidas. Today, Puma and Adidas are 2 of the most recognised sport brand in the world. This year in Germany, there are a number of teams represented by both Adidas and Puma, with 12 teams wearing the puma logo and 7, including the referees and officials wearing the 3 stripes. I’ve comprised a list of all the sports brands being worn in Germany with the respective countries.

Soccer World Cup Kit Sponsors

Adidas

  • Argentina
  • Germany
  • Spain
  • France
  • Trinidad & Tobago
  • Japan
  • Referee’s and Officials

Puma

  • Italy
  • Iran
  • Ivory Coast
  • Angola
  • Ghana
  • Czech Republic
  • Switzerland
  • Togo
  • Tunisia
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Poland
  • Paraguay

Nike

  • Brazil
  • Portugal
  • Mexico
  • Netherlands
  • USA
  • South Korea
  • Australia
  • Croatia

Umbro

  • England
  • Sweden

Lotto

  • Serbia & Montenegro
  • Ukraine

Marathon

  • Ecuador

Joma

  • Costa Rica

Comprising a list of all the players and their sponsors is alot more tricky, and is way too much work! But I hope you find this list interesting.

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