2013-10-10

Cheering for your team really works

Cheering really works.
Check out this ad from BC Lions

 

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.”

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:

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)

2013-09-11

Horse sold for 5 million euros

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, one of the top riders in the world never sold a top horse before.

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.

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:

 

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

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.

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.
More info regarding Portuguese words vs. Japanese pronunciation origin in this link

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.

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.
 

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)

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

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)

 

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 

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

How Seinfeld feels about Telemarketing?



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/

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
 

2013-04-21

Learn more about Portugal potential



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.

2013-03-30

What would be the immediate consequences if Portugal decide to leave the Euro?

At the day of that decision, it is expected that all financial transactions in Portugal would be suspended including deposits retrievals, except of small amounts for daily needs.

The new Portuguese currency would suffer an immediate devaluation, comparing with the Euro or Dollar, which means that the Portuguese workers’ salaries would also suffer a real devaluation.

Therefore the living cost in Portugal would increase a lot in just 24 hours.

The new reality will generate some chaos because many people, would run to stores as fast as possible to buy everything they can, trying to avoid the huge price inflation expected in result of their country leaving the Eurozone.

The decision of leaving the Eurozone will generate social unrest and can even occur some riots.

This outcome is expected if this decision is made in countries as Portugal, Spain or Greece due to their current financial situation, and this opinion is shared among many economists.

2013-03-29

Off Topic - My Youtube Channel

If you like horses I invite you to visit my Youtube Channel.

Just follow this link:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Uberwald01

2013-03-27

Off Topic - Lisbon Grand Prix 1996

Rider: André Antunes
Horse: Frágua
Class: Grand Prix of CSIO-j Lisbon 1996
Position: 8th
Comments: Capt. Pimenta da Gama




 

2013-02-17

How FNAC became a customer experience role model to other companies?

FNAC is an international entertainment retail chain of cultural and electronic products, founded in 1954 initially as a members-only discount buyers' club.

This company argues that they differ from its competition with a "unique brand positioning based on the exaltation of pleasure to discover the diversity of cultures and technologies”.

In my opinion FNAC does much more than that.

FNAC aims at the customer “top of mind” positioning through a customer experience policy and orientation.

As I perceived it, FNAC welcomes you in their stores even if you don’t seek to buy anything at that moment.
- You can find in FNAC stores, sofas which allow you to read comfortably and go through any book for free even if that book is for sale.
- Also, you can find a coffee shop inside the store enabling you just to hang out a bit.
- All the products are displayed in a way that invites you to check them without seeking assistance from an employee.

This customer experience strategy relieves the buying pressure from the customer and increases the number of visits per each customer.

So what is the benefit to FNAC, if many customers regularly enter in their stores and don’t buy at all in that visit?

This investment in the customer’s emotional connection with FNAC brand returns as revenue, when those customers find themselves in need to buy something in the FNAC product range, they will think FNAC first, therefore this is called “top of mind” positioning.

2013-02-12

Top 1% most viewed LinkedIn profiles for 2012

I just received today a linkedin e-mail with the following message:

“Congratulations! You have one of the top 1% most viewed LinkedIn profiles for 2012!”

This is a nice marketing technique from Linkedin and I was pleased with the message.

Link to my Linkedin profile:
http://pt.linkedin.com/in/lopesgracaantunes

2013-02-09

Top 10 Super Bowl Ads of 2013

Check the best Super Bowl ads of 2013

 

2013-01-23

Do you think that being a thug is financially rewarding?

Do you think that being a thug is financially rewarding?
Think again... check this presentation bellow.



2013-01-13

How to make a business decision?

Almost everyone thinks that they can be a successful business man or woman. But, how many truly know how to make a business decision?
Did you know that in fact, there is reliable process to make every business decisions?
 
Daniel Bernoulli a great Dutch mathematician created the formula that haunts all business managers around the world, which is:
Expected value = Value of the Gain x Odds of the Gain
 

Example: Should I bet in the lottery?
Decision making process:
1st prize: (prize vs. odds)
€15.000.000 x 1/116531800
+
2nd prize: (prize vs. odds)
€310.751000 x 1/6473989
+
+
13st prize
€4 x 1/23
= Expected value of €0,71
If the lottery ticket costs €2, this means that the expected value is less than the cost, so you shouldn’t bet, unless it is just for your own fun and entertainment.

But, what about if the expected calculated value turns out to be greater than the entry cost? This means that I should always invest?
Not really. It depends of the opportunity cost of that investment.

Before you make your final decision you must also compare the expected values between your best investment options available which require that investment resource.

So, it looks easy… what’s the trick?

The issue is around the odds. Usually business man and woman cannot calculate the odds accurately, because sometimes they don’t have enough information available about the market preferences, competitors intentions and other relevant key points that can affect their odds, and then, their only option is to estimate their odds.
And estimating odds having only part of the required information it is very hard.






 
P.S. – This article was inspired on Dan Gilbert presentation “Why we make bad decisions”.