Following my latest post about the Portuguese tourism, find out below the top 10 countries that received more tourists in 2012.
Source: UNWTO
Source: UNWTO
2014-04-28
Portugal had more tourists than Brazil in 2012
In 2012, Portugal had 7,6 million tourists, which is not even close than the world tourism country leader (France) which received 83 million tourists in the same year.
However, although its size, Brazil had only 5,6 million tourists in 2012.
The Brazil tourism performance will certainly increase in 2014 with the Football (Soccer) World Cup and in 2016, with the Rio Olympic Games.
Source: UNWTO
2014-04-26
Nissan Develops Self-Cleaning Car
It’s a new
paint technology that repels dirt, effectively making for a self-cleaning car
Check
below the video from Nissan.
2014-04-16
Hollywood movie that generated the biggest financial loss
As you can imagine, not all Hollywood movies are profitable and some can have astronomical losses.
The Hollywood movie that generated the biggest financial loss to date is “Cutthroat Island” starring Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, Frank Langella, Maury Chaykin, Patrick Malahide, Stan Shaw, Rex Linn, and Paul Dillon. This movie was directed By Renny Harlin.
It is estimated that “Cutthroat Island” movie total losses were 147,2 million dollars.
Check the trailer below:
The Hollywood movie that generated the biggest financial loss to date is “Cutthroat Island” starring Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, Frank Langella, Maury Chaykin, Patrick Malahide, Stan Shaw, Rex Linn, and Paul Dillon. This movie was directed By Renny Harlin.
It is estimated that “Cutthroat Island” movie total losses were 147,2 million dollars.
Check the trailer below:
Source: Watchmojo
2014-04-13
Origin of Gold
But, if you think about the origin of gold you will be amazed and will never look again in the same way to your gold ring or to your gold necklace.
So, where gold came from?
The answer is from a Supernova, which means from the collapse and explosion of a dying star.
Before our Sun, there was a bigger star in this space area that eventually died and exploded generating almost all elements that you can find in our solar system and specifically in our planet.
Gold is created in the heat of the explosion of a star core during a Supernova event, where iron of the star core is converted to gold due to the fusion of iron, generating heavier elements than iron, elements as gold or platine.
Source: Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking
2014-04-09
All world population fits in half of Luxembourg
However, surface area of our planet is not one of those lacking resources.
Check this
out:
. In
average a standing person occupy 0,36 m x 0,50 m of ground (=0,18 m2)
. It is
estimated that current world population is 7.225.000.000
. If you
join all world population in standing position you will need only 1.300 km2
. The
Luxembourg area is 2.586 km2
So, if you
create a huge plaza with a surface area with the size of half of Luxembourg
area, you could join there all world population in standing position.
2014-04-04
2014-03-21
Why Pi is my favorite number?
It’s a constant because from that ratio results always the same value, independent of the circle size.
Usually it’s referred only as “3.14”, however pi decimals are an infinite sequence of digits that never repeats itself. Therefore Pi includes all numbers and all possible number combinations.
The mind-blowing effect of Pi in me is that you can find everything inside of Pi. If you dig enough you will find in Pi your phone number, your social security number and other relevant numbers in your life.
Also, if you create a simple conversion between numbers and letters (e.g. 1=A, 2=B …), if you dig Pi enough you will find everything you ever said until now and everything you will say and all the alternatives you might say in the future.
Just for fun, check out here the top 100 million digits of Pi.
2014-03-16
The World's First Ever TV Ad
July 1st of 1941 was aired the world's first legal television commercial advertisement, for Bulova watches, before a baseball game between . The 10-second ad displayed a clock superimposed on a map of the U.S.A.
Check out the first ad below:
2014-03-12
Book Recommendation – Freakonomics
It’s about a new perspective of Microeconomics, exploring unusual topics as:
. What do Schoolteachers and Sumo Wrestlers have in common?
. Why do drug dealers still live with their moms?
. What makes a perfect parent?
2014-03-08
Have we ever had a Portuguese Government Budget with surplus instead of a deficit?
Looking at the XX and XXI centuries and considering effective expenditure excluding public debt amortization, the Portuguese Government Budget had a surplus (more revenue than expenditure) instead of a deficit in the following 20 years:
1901; 1905
1911; 1913; 1914
1929;
1930; 1931; 1932; 1934; 1935; 1936; 1937
1942
1951; 1952; 1953; 1957; 1958
1970
2014-03-02
Top 10 box office movies of 2013
1st - The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
2nd - Iron Man 3
3rd - Frozen
4th - Despicable Me 2
5th - Man of Steel
6th - Gravity
7th - Monsters University
8th - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
9th - Fast & Furious 6
10th - Oz The Great and Powerful
Font: boxofficemojo.com
2014-03-01
FedEx first day in 1973
This company started with 14 planes in Memphis International Airport, and during their first night they delivered only 186 packages throughout 25 cities in the U.S.A.
41 years later, FedEx is currently the world's largest express transportation company and the world's fourth largest in terms of fleet size with more than 600 planes, delivering package to more than 375 destinations worldwide.
2014-02-27
Viral Marketing - Pepsi Max
One of my favorite stunt was the first "human loop the loop" ever.
The original version of this vídeo had almost 5 million views in just one week.
Check out below:
2014-02-26
“Le Croissant” is not French
“Le Croissant” is a popular bakery product worldwide and is common associated with France, because “Croissant” is a French word that means “Crescent” and that name reflects its shape.
However it was Marie Antoinette from Austria that brought croissant to France in the XVIII century and turn it a huge success.
The origin of Croissant is attributed to Vienna bakers, and it was previously known as Kipferl since the XIII century.
Therefore the current name “croissant” or crescent in English came from the Austrian victory of the battle of Vienna in 1683, as a commemorative reference to the shape of the symbol of the Ottoman Empire flag which was the Austrian enemy in that battle.
Croissant is a remarkable product, and in France alone it is estimated that 15 tons are eaten every year.
The origin of Croissant is attributed to Vienna bakers, and it was previously known as Kipferl since the XIII century.
Therefore the current name “croissant” or crescent in English came from the Austrian victory of the battle of Vienna in 1683, as a commemorative reference to the shape of the symbol of the Ottoman Empire flag which was the Austrian enemy in that battle.
Croissant is a remarkable product, and in France alone it is estimated that 15 tons are eaten every year.
2014-02-25
Top most expensive office locations in the world
According
to the study “Office Space Across the World” by Cushman & Wakefield, London
(West End) is by far the most expensive location to have an office in 2014.
In Portugal, Lisbon (Av. da Liberdade) is ranked 49th with €298 per SQM per year.
Click below in the image and you will find the top 20 most expensive office locations in the world.
In Portugal, Lisbon (Av. da Liberdade) is ranked 49th with €298 per SQM per year.
Click below in the image and you will find the top 20 most expensive office locations in the world.
2014-02-24
Top 10 Pranks from The Office
"The Office" is one of my favorite TV Shows.
Below you will find some of the most iconic moments of the U.S. version of the series. Enjoy...
Below you will find some of the most iconic moments of the U.S. version of the series. Enjoy...
2014-02-22
Sales Techniques – Reciprocity
One of my favorite sales techniques is “Reciprocity”.
So, what is “Reciprocity” in a sales context?
When someone offers something unexpectedly to another, that tends to trigger in the receiver the will to give something back.
So, that can also happen in the middle of an individual negotiation between a vendor and a customer when the seller offers an unexpected discount, which triggers a natural consumer behavior of “Reciprocity” in the buyer.
In this context the majority of the customers feel the urge to compensate the seller immediately, by accepting the deal at that moment, or accepting to make a reserve deposit.
This sale technique is usually mastered by car sellers.
So, what is “Reciprocity” in a sales context?
When someone offers something unexpectedly to another, that tends to trigger in the receiver the will to give something back.
So, that can also happen in the middle of an individual negotiation between a vendor and a customer when the seller offers an unexpected discount, which triggers a natural consumer behavior of “Reciprocity” in the buyer.
In this context the majority of the customers feel the urge to compensate the seller immediately, by accepting the deal at that moment, or accepting to make a reserve deposit.
This sale technique is usually mastered by car sellers.
2014-02-11
Top 10 Celebrity Commercials from Before They Were Stars
Many Hollywood stars started their careers in advertising.
Check out some of them here:
Check out some of them here:
2014-02-09
Even Lobsters can turn it around
However the perspective of Lobsters as being a premium product only started to happen 50 years ago in the USA.
Before, Lobsters were considered abundant and the cockroaches of the sea and were only cooked by the poor and served to feed prisoners.
Today Lobsters are always considered as a premium product and even when the harvest is abundant, price don’t go down as would be expected from the pure rules of demand and supply.
Therefore some products lifecycle are reversed. Instead of migrating from luxury to mass market, some products do the opposite, migrating from mass market to luxury.
2014-02-08
Is NFL under a socialist business model?
Is NFL under a socialist business model?
Under NFL rules, all the teams are required to share 80% of their revenue with each other.
So, even teams that generate more revenue, only keep 20% of that advantage for themselves. The rest 80% revenue which they generate are sent to a shared pool of revenue and then distributed among all other teams.
Also, NFL has a draft model for new players and there are salary caps, to control irrational competition among teams.
Why this creative business model works?
Applying this model allows NFL to create the most competitive league. Every season, all teams have a real shot to win the Super Bowl, even the smaller ones.
That always create a magnetic interest effect over this sport, generating a huge fan base all over the USA, because their favorite local team, always have a shot of winning the trophy.
Therefore, if you successful increase your fan base and keep their interest on, you will raise ticket sales (25% of NFL revenues) and increase TV ratings, then profits go through the roof as NFL profits did.
Note: If you want to know more about this topic I recommend that you check "60 Minutes" interview of NFL CEO Roger Goodell, which inspire this article.
2014-02-01
Ray-Ban's Risky Business
Due to a successful product placement strategy starring Ray-Ban sunglasses in movies and TV shows, Wayfarers sunglasses fate change in the 80’s.
Although only 18.000 pairs were sold in 1981, after Tom Cruise wore this model in the classic movie “Risky Business” in 1983, 360.000 pairs were sold that year.
That product placement strategy was followed also in shows as “Miami Vice”, “Moonlighting” and “The Breakfast Club”, leading to skyrocketing sales.
2014-01-27
Is Lisbon Europe's coolest city?
Find out why CNN says that Lisbon could be the Europe's coolest city
1. Nightlife that can outlast Madrid's
2. Experimental cuisine
3. Irony of Lisbonites
4. Beaches and castles
5. Fabulous design
6. Big art
7. Fascinating streets
Check out here the complete CNN article about Lisbon.
1. Nightlife that can outlast Madrid's
2. Experimental cuisine
3. Irony of Lisbonites
4. Beaches and castles
5. Fabulous design
6. Big art
7. Fascinating streets
Check out here the complete CNN article about Lisbon.
2014-01-26
Size matters?
Check these interesting stats about the biggest countries in the world and find out for yourself.
Top countries by land area:
1st – Russia
2nd – Canada
3rd – USA
4th – China
5th - Brazil
…
105th – Portugal
Top countries by population:
1st – China
2nd – India
3rd – USA
4th – Indonesia
5th – Brazil
…
76th – Portugal
Top countries by population density:
1st – Monaco
2nd – Singapore
3rd – Malta
4th – Maldives
5th – Bahrain
…
65th – Portugal
Top countries by GDP per capita in 2012 (IMF):
1st – Qatar
2nd – Luxembourg
3rd – Singapore
4th – Norway
5th – Brunei
…
45th - Portugal
1st – Russia
2nd – Canada
3rd – USA
4th – China
5th - Brazil
…
105th – Portugal
Top countries by population:
1st – China
2nd – India
3rd – USA
4th – Indonesia
5th – Brazil
…
76th – Portugal
Top countries by population density:
1st – Monaco
2nd – Singapore
3rd – Malta
4th – Maldives
5th – Bahrain
…
65th – Portugal
Top countries by GDP per capita in 2012 (IMF):
1st – Qatar
2nd – Luxembourg
3rd – Singapore
4th – Norway
5th – Brunei
…
45th - Portugal
2013-10-10
2013-10-05
2013-09-28
Management advice from the king
King Louis XIV of France usually is more known by his vanity and extravaganza than by his management skills.
However, the “Sun King” had one of the longest reigns in Europe, 72 years, and he left written is successful management principles in a letter to his nephew when he became king of Spain.
“Never favor who flatters you, and keep close to you, those who dare to displease you for your own good.
Never put pleasure before business.
Organize your life so you have time to relax and have fun.
Give your full attention to governance.
Gather as much information as you can before you take a decision.
Make every effort to know important people so you can ask them for help if you need it.
Be courteous to everyone, not offend anyone.”
However, the “Sun King” had one of the longest reigns in Europe, 72 years, and he left written is successful management principles in a letter to his nephew when he became king of Spain.
“Never favor who flatters you, and keep close to you, those who dare to displease you for your own good.
Never put pleasure before business.
Organize your life so you have time to relax and have fun.
Give your full attention to governance.
Gather as much information as you can before you take a decision.
Make every effort to know important people so you can ask them for help if you need it.
Be courteous to everyone, not offend anyone.”
2013-09-21
Guerilla Marketing tactics can be cool and effective
Guerilla tactics are made since Humankind started thinking.
The first written text about Guerilla tactics appears on “Art of War” book, which the author is the famous Chinese thinker and General Sun Tzu from the century VI B.C.
Guerilla Marketing is a modern concept that derives from the military and it is usually applicable when the market environment is very hostile and competitive, and also, when unconventional and low-cost resources are applied to reach the objectives previously determined.
There are only 3 basic requirements for Guerilla Marketing tactics, which are Energy, Creativity and Time, instead of spending a lot of money.
There Guerilla Marketing campaigns with different purposes or objectives. Some campaigns can target only brand awareness increase and other campaigns can be more focused on the objective of increasing sales as well.
Example of a Guerilla Marketing campaign focused only on brand awareness increase of Havas Worldwide Australia.
And check out other example of a Guerilla Marketing campaign more focused on sales:
The first written text about Guerilla tactics appears on “Art of War” book, which the author is the famous Chinese thinker and General Sun Tzu from the century VI B.C.
Guerilla Marketing is a modern concept that derives from the military and it is usually applicable when the market environment is very hostile and competitive, and also, when unconventional and low-cost resources are applied to reach the objectives previously determined.
There are only 3 basic requirements for Guerilla Marketing tactics, which are Energy, Creativity and Time, instead of spending a lot of money.
There Guerilla Marketing campaigns with different purposes or objectives. Some campaigns can target only brand awareness increase and other campaigns can be more focused on the objective of increasing sales as well.
Example of a Guerilla Marketing campaign focused only on brand awareness increase of Havas Worldwide Australia.
And check out other example of a Guerilla Marketing campaign more focused on sales:
2013-09-15
Myths about Portuguese Exports
Almost everyone, Portuguese people included, think that Portuguese top exports are wine, cork, shoes and clothing.
Although those goods are in fact very important in Portuguese economy, those are not even in the top 5 of Portuguese exports.
So, what are the major Portuguese exports?
1st – Machines and devices (15,1%)
2nd – Vehicles and other transportation goods (11,7%)
3rd – Mineral fuels (8,5%)
4th – Metal (8,2%)
5th – Plastic and rubber (6,8%)
6th – Chemicals (5,7%)
7th – Clothing (5,4%)
8th – Agricultural products (5,4%)
9th – Food (5,2%)
10th – Paper (4,9%)
11th – Other minerals (4,9%)
12th - Textile materials (3,7%)
13th – Shoes (3,6%)
14th – Wood and cork (3,2%)
15th – Optical and precision products (1,2%)
Info: aicep (2012)
So, what are the major Portuguese exports?
1st – Machines and devices (15,1%)
2nd – Vehicles and other transportation goods (11,7%)
3rd – Mineral fuels (8,5%)
4th – Metal (8,2%)
5th – Plastic and rubber (6,8%)
6th – Chemicals (5,7%)
7th – Clothing (5,4%)
8th – Agricultural products (5,4%)
9th – Food (5,2%)
10th – Paper (4,9%)
11th – Other minerals (4,9%)
12th - Textile materials (3,7%)
13th – Shoes (3,6%)
14th – Wood and cork (3,2%)
15th – Optical and precision products (1,2%)
Info: aicep (2012)
2013-09-11
Horse sold for 5 million euros
However a 5 million euros offer was too much to decline.
Bella Donna is a 10 years old mare that is now reaching the top.
The new owner is the Ukrainian millionaire Oleksandr Onishchenko.
More info in this link.
2013-09-08
20 million tons of gold in the ocean
There is a lot of gold in the ocean and it is possible to extract gold from seawater.
However, currently there isn’t a cost-effective way to mine or extract gold from the ocean and make a profit from it.
Why?
Because as you know, the oceans are huge, and the actual concentration of gold in seawater is only about 0.0000000006%. To put it another way, there is between 0.1 and 2.0 mg per ton, depending on location, which means that with current technology is more expensive to extract than the value of the gold extracted itself.
More info in this link.
Why?
Because as you know, the oceans are huge, and the actual concentration of gold in seawater is only about 0.0000000006%. To put it another way, there is between 0.1 and 2.0 mg per ton, depending on location, which means that with current technology is more expensive to extract than the value of the gold extracted itself.
More info in this link.
2013-09-05
Flying Nannies – Airlines new trend?
"Etihad Airways", the national airline of the
United Arab Emirates, has recently launched an in-flight child care assistance
program, with nannies that are specially trained to entertain
children on long flights
This type of service has already been
launched 18 months ago by an American Company called “Nanny in the
Clouds”, which offer an in-flight childcare with experienced
babysitters for a fee.
This approach is totally different from
"Scoot Airlines" from Singapore, which recently introduced a Child-Free Flying Zone on the airplane, which can be booked for an extra
fee on the ticket.
More info about this service of Etihad
Airways in this link
Nestlé + Google New Ad
Is this war?
Following the new version of Android OS 4.4 being called KitKat, the branding war of OS (Operating Systems) is on.
Check this new ad from KitKat:
Following the new version of Android OS 4.4 being called KitKat, the branding war of OS (Operating Systems) is on.
Check this new ad from KitKat:
2013-08-31
World Travel Awards for Europe - 2013
This weekend, World Travel Awards presented the 2013 prizes for Europe.
You can find below the winners of the most important prizes of this year:
Best European destination of the year - Yorkshire, England
Best European airline - Lufthansa
Best European low-cost airline - Easy Jet
Best European luxury train - Orient Express
Best European cruise operator - Norwegian
Best European hotel - Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, Turkey
Best European boutique resort– Vila Joya, Portugal
Best European luxury resort – Conrad, Portugal
Best European design hotel – The Vine, Portugal
Best European golf destination – Portugal
Best European beach destination – Algarve, Portugal
Best European rent-a-car operator - Europcar
Check out all prizes in: www.worldtravelawards.com
You can find below the winners of the most important prizes of this year:
Best European airline - Lufthansa
Best European low-cost airline - Easy Jet
Best European luxury train - Orient Express
Best European cruise operator - Norwegian
Best European hotel - Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, Turkey
Best European boutique resort– Vila Joya, Portugal
Best European luxury resort – Conrad, Portugal
Best European design hotel – The Vine, Portugal
Best European golf destination – Portugal
Best European beach destination – Algarve, Portugal
Best European rent-a-car operator - Europcar
Check out all prizes in: www.worldtravelawards.com
2013-08-30
Pricing Strategies - Skimming
The purpose of this strategy is to optimize profits in the long run, by segmenting the market in three types of consumers:
- “Pioneer” customers who are willing to pay a premium price to be the first to access your offer.
- “Common” customers who are only willing to pay a “value for money” price.
- “Opportunistic” customers who only buy when facing and outstanding price/discount.
Then the market is sliced in three timeframes to take the best of those three consumer segments:
- On the launch the price is set high to maximize profits on the “Pioneers”
- After the “Pioneers” segment is exhausted, the strategy is to decrease the price to take now a broader segment – the “Common” customers.
- And in the end, usually when a new other product is already replacing this one, they decrease even more the price to tackle the last segment – the “Opportunistic” consumer.
However, this pricing approach is not appropriate or available to all markets due to:
- Legal reasons – Some markets/product have their prices regulated.
- Some markets/products have extreme elastic demand which means that any price variation can collapse the demand.
- This strategy invites other competitors to enter the market, so or you have a very unique product, or the exclusivity of the market (e.g. patent) or the entry cost on that line of business is very high avoiding the entry of more competitors.
Example of a market that usually follows successfully the "Price Skimming" strategy:
- On the video games market, you can observe that usually those brands launch their new products with a premium price and usually those prices decrease over time until it reaches only 10% of the original price aiming to the “Opportunistic” segment in the end.
- “Pioneer” customers who are willing to pay a premium price to be the first to access your offer.
- “Common” customers who are only willing to pay a “value for money” price.
- “Opportunistic” customers who only buy when facing and outstanding price/discount.
Then the market is sliced in three timeframes to take the best of those three consumer segments:
- On the launch the price is set high to maximize profits on the “Pioneers”
- After the “Pioneers” segment is exhausted, the strategy is to decrease the price to take now a broader segment – the “Common” customers.
- And in the end, usually when a new other product is already replacing this one, they decrease even more the price to tackle the last segment – the “Opportunistic” consumer.
However, this pricing approach is not appropriate or available to all markets due to:
- Legal reasons – Some markets/product have their prices regulated.
- Some markets/products have extreme elastic demand which means that any price variation can collapse the demand.
- This strategy invites other competitors to enter the market, so or you have a very unique product, or the exclusivity of the market (e.g. patent) or the entry cost on that line of business is very high avoiding the entry of more competitors.
Example of a market that usually follows successfully the "Price Skimming" strategy:
- On the video games market, you can observe that usually those brands launch their new products with a premium price and usually those prices decrease over time until it reaches only 10% of the original price aiming to the “Opportunistic” segment in the end.
2013-08-26
What Nagasaki and Portugal have in common?
Nagasaki is still an important port in Japan and a major shipyard facility in the world, with a huge economic impact in the region.
After being devastated in the World War II, by the second and last atomic bomb dropped in the war, mainly because this city also hosted a major naval base of Japan, Nagasaki became prosper again and also became a strong example of perseverance and peace in the world.
So, what Nagasaki and Portugal have in common?
Nagasaki was founded by Portuguese sailors in the second half of the 16th century and Portuguese influence was strong until the 19th century.
Examples of Portuguese influence in Japanese culture:
|
Japanese Rōmaji
|
Japanese Script | Portuguese | Meaning in English |
| bīdoro | ビードロ | vidro | glass |
| bōro | ボーロ / ぼうろ | bolo | cake |
| botan | ボタン / 釦 / 鈕 | botão | button |
| furasuko | フラスコ | frasco | flask |
| iesu or iezusu | イエス, イエズス | Jesus | Jesus |
| jōro | じょうろ / 如雨露 | jarro | watering can |
| kandeya | カンデヤ | candeia | oil lamp |
| kapitan | 甲比丹 / 甲必丹 | capitão | captain |
| kappa | 合羽 | capa | raincoat |
| kirishitan | キリシタン / 切支丹 / 吉利支丹 | cristão | Christian people |
| kirisuto | キリスト / 基督 | Cristo | Christ |
| koppu | コップ | copo | cup |
| kurusu | クルス | cruz | cross |
| kyarameru | キャラメル / カラメル | caramelo | caramel |
| manto | マント | manto | cloak |
| pan | パン | pão | bread |
| rozario | ロザリオ | rosário | rosary |
| sabato | サバト | sábado | Saturday |
| shabon | シャボン | sabão | soap |
| tabako | タバコ / 煙草 | tabaco | tobacco, cigarette |
| tempura | 天麩羅 / 天婦羅 | têmporas | deep-fried
seafood/vegetables. "Têmporas"meant fasting in religious days which catholic portuguese didn't eat meat and instead, ate fried vegetables and fish. |
2013-08-20
44 years of Internet...
Many people think that the Internet was launched in the 1990s and this worldwide phenomenon had a boost in the beginning of the new millennium.
However, Internet was really created 44 years ago, specifically in 1969 in the U.S., as an information technology for the military offering a network with scale and redundancy, in order to offer military internet users the same performance regardless of their size, and be able to recover from damages in one or more of its componentes.
These characteristics were considered critical in the cold war when the nuclear threat was still on.
The Internet was only open to commercial use in 1991, therefore many people think that the Internet was created only at that time.
However, Internet was really created 44 years ago, specifically in 1969 in the U.S., as an information technology for the military offering a network with scale and redundancy, in order to offer military internet users the same performance regardless of their size, and be able to recover from damages in one or more of its componentes.
These characteristics were considered critical in the cold war when the nuclear threat was still on.
The Internet was only open to commercial use in 1991, therefore many people think that the Internet was created only at that time.
2013-08-19
Portugal +1,1% vs. Eurozone +0,3%
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Portugal expanded 1,1% in the second quarter of 2013 over the previous quarter.
This value was much higher than the Eurozone average (0,3%) and impressive when compared with another countries of the Eurozone:
Germany: +0,7%
Greece: -4,6%
Netherlands: -0,2%
Ireland: -0,6%
Spain: -0,1%
France: +0,5%
Italy: -0,2%
So, although it's too soon to claim that Portugal GDP is back on track, it's great news for Portugal.
Germany: +0,7%
Greece: -4,6%
Netherlands: -0,2%
Ireland: -0,6%
Spain: -0,1%
France: +0,5%
Italy: -0,2%
So, although it's too soon to claim that Portugal GDP is back on track, it's great news for Portugal.
2013-08-18
Japan Debt reached 200% of their annual GDP
On June 30th of 2013, Japan Debt reached Yen 1.000 trillion (around USD $ 10,46 trillion).
This impressive value is now larger than the economies of Germany, France and the U.K. combined.
Analysts are apprehensive with current Japan trend and are expected new taxes from Japan government to balance Japan deficit.
To understand how serious is this 200% value (public debt as % of GDP of Japan) compare it with south of Europe countries and Ireland which are under great pressure from IMF and rating agencies:
. Greece – 158% (2012)
. Italy – 126% (2012)
. Ireland – 118% (2012)
. Portugal – 115% (2012)
. Spain – 85% (2012)
This impressive value is now larger than the economies of Germany, France and the U.K. combined.
Analysts are apprehensive with current Japan trend and are expected new taxes from Japan government to balance Japan deficit.
To understand how serious is this 200% value (public debt as % of GDP of Japan) compare it with south of Europe countries and Ireland which are under great pressure from IMF and rating agencies:
. Greece – 158% (2012)
. Italy – 126% (2012)
. Ireland – 118% (2012)
. Portugal – 115% (2012)
. Spain – 85% (2012)
2013-08-11
Top 10 Most Expensive Cities in the World
For all of you that are considering to relocate in another city or another country, this information is extremely valuable.
Mercer released recently their "Cost of Living City Rankings" and according to Mercer research, the Top 10 most expensive cities to live in are:
1st - Luanda, Angola
2nd - Moscow, Russia
3rd - Tokyo, Japan
4th - N'Djamena, Chad
5th - Singapore, Singapore
6th - Hong Kong, Hong Kong
7th - Geneva, Switzerland
8th - Zurich, Switzerland
9th - Bern, Switzerland
Also in 9th - Sydney, Austrália
Mercer released recently their "Cost of Living City Rankings" and according to Mercer research, the Top 10 most expensive cities to live in are:
1st - Luanda, Angola
2nd - Moscow, Russia
3rd - Tokyo, Japan
4th - N'Djamena, Chad
5th - Singapore, Singapore
6th - Hong Kong, Hong Kong
7th - Geneva, Switzerland
8th - Zurich, Switzerland
9th - Bern, Switzerland
Also in 9th - Sydney, Austrália
2013-08-07
Simply Sintra - The Guardian article
"Sintra is often described as a Disneyland for grown-ups, but spend time exploring the surrounding beaches, seafood restaurants and woodlands, and you'll find there's much more to this historic town."
Click here to read The Guardian full article about Sintra (Portugal)
Click here to read The Guardian full article about Sintra (Portugal)
2013-07-15
8.000 Downloads in 1 Year
I am happy to inform that my Master Thesis was downloaded/viewed more than 8.000 times, in the first year after being published.
If you wish, you also can download it here for free:
https://www.repository.utl.pt/bitstream/10400.5/4459/1/DM-ANLGA-2011.pdf
Title:
"Trust Impact in Online Shopping"
Abstract:
There is still a big gap between the number of Internet users and online shoppers in Portugal. Although trust is considered by many as a key factor in e-commerce, the knowledge about how trust influences online shopping intention in Portuguese consumers is still little.
This quantitative research has a deductive approach in which statistical procedures were applied to validate the hypotheses of the theoretical frame of reference. The purpose of this research is to describe the relationship between trust and online shopping intention.
Note: This Master Dissertation is written in Portuguese
If you wish, you also can download it here for free:
https://www.repository.utl.pt/bitstream/10400.5/4459/1/DM-ANLGA-2011.pdf
Title:
"Trust Impact in Online Shopping"
Abstract:
There is still a big gap between the number of Internet users and online shoppers in Portugal. Although trust is considered by many as a key factor in e-commerce, the knowledge about how trust influences online shopping intention in Portuguese consumers is still little.
This quantitative research has a deductive approach in which statistical procedures were applied to validate the hypotheses of the theoretical frame of reference. The purpose of this research is to describe the relationship between trust and online shopping intention.
Note: This Master Dissertation is written in Portuguese
2013-07-13
2013-07-08
The most successful viral commercial ad ever
This Dove ad had more than 55 million views in 3 months.
2013-06-29
EURO2016 Logo - Made in Portugal
The "Euro 2016 - France" logo was designed by a Portuguese company.Brandia Central did it again... following Euro 2012 logo which was also designed by them, Euro 2016 logo inspired by the theme "celebrating the art of football", will have some Portuguese design.
Congrats to Brandia.
2013-06-23
Supporting new entrepreneurs
In May 2013 I was invited by Beta-Start to make a coaching session for new entrepreneurs.
I made a presentation about a key element in Marketing which is usually forgotten when people think about Marketing.
The theme of my presentation was Pricing, more specifically about Pricing Methods and Pricing Strategies, followed by a Q&A session.
It was a real pleasure and I wish all the best to these new businessman and businesswoman on their new endeavors.
If you are a new entrepreneur, check out Beta-Start in the link below:
http://www.beta-start.com/
I made a presentation about a key element in Marketing which is usually forgotten when people think about Marketing.
The theme of my presentation was Pricing, more specifically about Pricing Methods and Pricing Strategies, followed by a Q&A session.
It was a real pleasure and I wish all the best to these new businessman and businesswoman on their new endeavors.
If you are a new entrepreneur, check out Beta-Start in the link below:
http://www.beta-start.com/
2013-05-12
Portugal named one of the top 5 destinations for a family summer holiday
Check out Portugal review at "iWantsun.co.uk":
"Portugal, a favourite family holiday destination for years is still top the list, providing interesting culture, stunning beaches, gorgeous architecture, delicious cuisine and most importantly, good value for money.
According to the Holiday Costs Barometer, Portugal is the 7th cheapest destination for popular holiday items. Resort prices in Portugal have also plummeted by 15% this year compared to last, meaning you’ll get great bang for your buck too.
Besides the popular Algarve resorts, why not head north and try the beautiful historic city of Sintra near Lisbon and Porto in the north of the country?"
learn more at: http://www.iwantsun.co.uk/family-holidays/2013/05/07/top-five-destinations-for-a-family-summer-holiday-2013
"Portugal, a favourite family holiday destination for years is still top the list, providing interesting culture, stunning beaches, gorgeous architecture, delicious cuisine and most importantly, good value for money.
According to the Holiday Costs Barometer, Portugal is the 7th cheapest destination for popular holiday items. Resort prices in Portugal have also plummeted by 15% this year compared to last, meaning you’ll get great bang for your buck too.
Besides the popular Algarve resorts, why not head north and try the beautiful historic city of Sintra near Lisbon and Porto in the north of the country?"
learn more at: http://www.iwantsun.co.uk/family-holidays/2013/05/07/top-five-destinations-for-a-family-summer-holiday-2013
2013-04-21
7 more years to Portugal
The Eurogroup gave more seven years to Portugal repay their loan.
In the short term is a good news for Portugal, because the annual repayment value of the loan will be reduced, but in the medium term this means that the value of accumulated accrued interest will be higher, so the loan will become more expensive.
So, although it is good news because it reduces the immediate pressure over the national budget, it is not something to celebrate.
In the short term is a good news for Portugal, because the annual repayment value of the loan will be reduced, but in the medium term this means that the value of accumulated accrued interest will be higher, so the loan will become more expensive.
So, although it is good news because it reduces the immediate pressure over the national budget, it is not something to celebrate.
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