Solar Eclispe in Romania

This is how today's solar eclipse looked like in Bucharest. Image credits: Kit. Thanks! :)

Just thinking

These days 2m Romanians (actual number should be higher) work abroad. For now, companies in Romania only think short-term and are trying to convince family members who live here (on their relative'’s wage) to spend money with them.

Ok, imagine you'’re the kid whose parents work abroad and send money to your aunt/grandparents to take care of you. Will you later on in your life:
- Work abroad?
- Spend money wisely?
- Merry and have children (to be left behind)?

In my opinion, the fact that Romanians are working abroad today will trigger some interesting shifts in our’ social life and philosophy.

Are marketers prepared to address such new habits?

Again, I'’m just thinking...…

Stop Meddling

Designers will love this video! :) via

Solving Personal Conflicts

Reading a summary on Erickson's 8 stages of the human development I saw brands as aids in solving certain personal conflicts consumers may have. This is a possible meaning of marketing's definition: "Solving customers' problems profitably" (R Chapman)

(blogger seems down... argh)

Great news

On March 8, Brandient and Enterprise IG signed an
affiliation agreement. This is great news for the two companies and I feel it
will prove useful to the entire Romanian branding industry.
 
See the joint press release

Will this be true in the future?

"When I was a boy, I believed that the television stations kept track of everything you bought, and would stop sending commercials to your house advertising those products you already had." (by MTC via)

Microsoft, Apple and iPod's packaging

This parody will trigger at least a few smiles but it's relying on a sound design rule: form follows function. You can't design a premium package for a mass-market product. This & Apple's positioning dictate iPod's packaging. :)

Attention please

Michael H. Goldhaber came a few years back with a nice approach on the economics of the information age. Although, it's not a recent paper, his Attention Economy might prove great food for thought for both marketers and bloggers.

Shift away from "Information age" we're starting to really understand that attention matters more than information.

How to better segment your market

Hypersegmentation and the internet's true one2one marketing opportunities clutter - oh, how I hate this word - marketers' view.

A Harvard Business Review article ("Marketing Malpractice") takes a new look at both segmentation and brand building. The main idea is that companies would benefit more from looking at possible jobs a product does and less at demographics & co. The plausible result is a strong purpose brand.