Friday, October 30, 2009

Cynicism alert: Why Jack Dee may have a point

I agree with this man. Let me explain…

Really enjoyed the Jack Dee interview in the current issue of Shortlist, and this quote towards the end in particular: “Technology needs to slow down. In fact, no more inventions for a bit, by anyone… Stop bombarding me with these new f*cking ideas – you’re really f*cking with my head now.”

We’re all at it. Most travel companies have now embraced social media. Twitter is no longer a dirty word (even Heathrow is now at it), chief executives are writing decent blogs, and social networking is being used extensively across marketing and customer relations.

We’ve basically caught up with our American cousins. That’s great. But it looks like it could get silly, and we need to calm down, and not use technology just for the sake of it.

New applications are being thrown at us at an alarming rate. Most we can catch as they wizz by, but Google seems to be chucking new things at us every week. Yesterday I read it had broken into the Sat Nav market, massively denting share prices of TomTom and Garmin. Google scares me, but impresses me at the same time.

Only last week I scrambled at the chance for a Google Wave invite (thanks Rob). I still have no idea why. Now Twitter Lists is upon us.

There’s never a dull moment, so best to plough on I guess.

Get Some Eye Candy Today! Easy, Fun Online Design Tutorials for Designers

I have been creating online tutorials for designers for Graphics.com/learning for about a year now. Now merged with Media Bistro, we provide a high-quality on-demand instruction for the serious designer. Whether you are new on the scene or a seasoned graphic design professional, I create tutorials that are designed to be easy, fun, and a delight for the eyes.

My topics tend to be on the general subjects of good design principles, and practices, online media, and creative inspiration. You can view the introductions to each video; to see the entire show, you must be a subscriber to their service. It is a good deal for the price. My viewers tend to be either individual subscribers or employees at a larger firm that buys the subscription as an ongoing educational tool for their employees.

Check them out here or browse below.

Dress for Success with Typography (24:51)

Aliyah Marr showcases her favorite websites that have accomplished masterful messaging with typography. Ranging from blogs to brand sites, Aliyah’s faves will inspire you with their creativity,…

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Worldwide Comedy Club (29:19)

Aliyah Marr’s latest inspirational tutorial focuses on the power of humor as a design tool. Her diverse array of hilarious examples drawn from the web includes text-only sites, prime-time TV spots,…
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World Wide Fantasyland Studios (28:35)

Today’s top online designers are employing video, animation, social networking, and ingenious illustration to transform websites into fantasy spaces, and promotion into entertainment. Aliyah Marr…

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Designers With Double Lives (28:15)

Aliyah Marr profiles four professional designers who spend their “off hours” on creative projects–;painting, photography, short experimental movies–;that end up informing their design work in…
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Fishing for Inspiration? (27:10)

Aliyah Marr reels in a whopping netful of free online inspirational resources for designers. Ranging from archival trips through design history to cutting-edge displays of Flash wizardry, Aliyah’s…
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Smashing Your Creative Blocks (22:38)

Because professional designers don’t have the time to wait for inspiration, Aliyah Marr provides a set of practical techniques that you can use to jump-start your creativity when the ideas just…
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What Drives Interactive Design? (25:43)

Aliyah Marr presents an overview of the various ways in which a website can engage the user. She likens web design to driving a stick shift, with the five gears corresponding to levels of intricacy…

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Self-Promotion for Designers (28:27)

Self-promotion is a necessity for designers contending with today’s challenging economic climate. Unfortunately, designers often view self-promotion as an impossibly complex, expensive, and…

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Boosting Sales Through Effective Web Design (27:46)

Designer and author Aliyah Marr answers the question, “How do you design a website that sells?” As Aliyah points out, it’s all about how web design attracts, maintains, and directs the attention of…
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

How To Very Easily Get High Quality Incoming Links To Your Website

Have you heard about The World’s Most Expensive Link yet?

Over 100 businesses have already added their website link to the site so far over the last few years. The pace has really been picking up recently as the word is spreading and lots more links are being added every month now. It all started as a fun experiment but is gradually becoming a serious way to get a high quality incoming link to your website as well as earning a bit of micro-commission and raising money for a charity of your choice along the way. 
  Please take a look at www.theworldsmostexpensivelink.com and make your own mind up. Add your link for as little as £1 once-off fixed fee and get the benefit of being listed on the site until at least 31st Dec 2011.      www.theworldsmostexpensivelink.com - Exactly how much would you pay to own it? Remember the top link gets seen every time someone like you clicks on this link. How’s that for extremely cost effective brand awareness? Want more high quality links to your site? Have a read of this great blog post http://www.hiringtheinternet.com/2008/02/11/how-to-gain-superior-inbound-links/

Autumn in DC

I was able to get out this weekend and take some pictures around the Washington, DC area. I ended up visiting Scott’s Run Nature Preserve in Fairfax County after spending some time at Great Falls National Park. My trip to the preserve resulted in one solid image.

The waterfall at the nature preserve is less than a mile walk from the parking area off of Georgetown Pike. The first 2/3 of the walk is easy, but the end you go up and over a fairly steep hill that is covered in stone and not the easiest surface to walk on. I was lucky to come to the preserve on a nice sunday day and when the trees were in full autumn color.

Some other autumn shots can be found here.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Evoucher Murah - Pulsa Murah - Cheap & Easy Online Marketing

pulsa murah

Bisnis online yang berhasil memakan waktu lebih dari sebuah website Banyak lagi Ketika saya bertanya kepada orang-orang jika mereka memiliki bisnis online banyak orang mengatakan kepada saya bahwa mereka sedang menciptakan situs web mereka. Itu S kabar baik kecuali aku merasa mereka berpikir bahwa semua mereka harus lakukan untuk pulsa murah memiliki bisnis Bisnis Pulsa online yang sukses. Tidak ada yang bisa lebih jauh dari kebenaran

Sebuah mesin pencari utama seperti google.com akan memiliki lebih dari miliar website di database mereka. Itu S right Delapan Milyar Agar bisa ditemukan di Internet hanya memiliki sebuah situs web menang T memotongnya. Sebuah kehadiran web hanyalah awal yang panjang perjalanan tak pernah berakhir. Mengarahkan lalu lintas ke situs Web Anda harus menjadi obsesi yang Pulsa Murah luar biasa. Semakin banyak lalu lintas yang Anda mengemudi semakin banyak penjualan yang Anda akan lakukan. Jadi bagaimana Anda mengarahkan lalu lintas ke situs web

Ada ratusan cara untuk mengarahkan lalu lintas ke situs Web Evoucher Murah Anda. Mereka mulai dengan yang gratis dan mudah seperti iklan baris online gratis baris tanda tangan email dan pertukaran link. Lalu Anda memiliki lebih rumit dan mahal metode seperti situs web optimasi iklan online dan kampanye melalui email. Mana untuk memulai Dengan termurah dan termudah terlebih dahulu kecuali jika Anda memiliki banyak modal untuk memulai situs web Anda.

Free Online Classified Ads

Jika Anda mencari di Internet untuk Pulsa Elektrik Free classified ads Anda akan menemukan ratusan situs. Mulai posting Ini mungkin memerlukan waktu Tapi itu tidak T biaya uang. Pastikan untuk mendapatkan imbalan terbesar posting Anda dengan memiliki kata yang menarik iklan untuk situs web Anda.

Don T menghabiskan waktu untuk berbicara tentang Siapa Anda dan berapa lama Bisnis Pulsa Anda ve berada dalam bisnis. Mereka don t peduli Anda akan lebih baik untuk menawarkan sesuatu yang gratis di iklan baris Anda. Menawarkan produk gratis ebook atau sampel. Menawarkan kesempatan untuk memenangkan sebuah gambar gratis untuk salah satu produk Anda. Ingat Anda perlu untuk mengarahkan lalu lintas ke situs Anda. Kata-kata apa yang akan melakukannya

Email Signature Lines

Setiap kali Anda mengirim email Anda memiliki kesempatan untuk mempengaruhi email S penerima. Tepat di bawah tanda tangan Anda tambahkan panas link ke website Anda dan Anda kata free classified Jualan Pulsa salinan iklan. Dalam program email Anda ini akan memakan waktu sekitar menit untuk menyiapkan dan akan secara otomatis ditambahkan ke setiap email yang Anda kirim.

Link Exchanges

Ada banyak kelompok-kelompok bertukar link besar di Internet. Mereka melahirkan didasarkan atas kebutuhan untuk situs silang. Mengapa Mesin pencari digunakan untuk membuat asumsi Yang lebih link menunjuk ke situs Anda semakin populer situs Anda . Digunakan untuk adalah kata yang di sini. Mesin pencari sekarang dapat memberitahu jika Anda terhubung ke peternakan besar ini dan diskon menghubungkan website anda karena itu. Jadi kembali ke Tua link cara berbagi.

Pikirkan produk Anda. Biarkan S mengatakan produk Anda vintage boneka. Pergi ke mesin pencari pilihan saya lebih memilih Google dan ketik Vintage boneka . Sekarang jalankan untuk melewati setiap website yang tercantum. Menemukan situs-situs yang melengkapi produk Anda tapi don T bersaing dengan produk Anda.

Dalam contoh kita Anda akan mencari situs yang berfokus pada kasus-kasus ditampilkan untuk boneka vintage pakaian untuk boneka atau perabot untuk boneka. Pada setiap salah satu website temukan informasi kontak mereka. Sekarang mengirimi mereka email. Tawaran Untuk menempatkan link dari situs web Anda untuk mereka jika mereka akan melakukan hal yang sama untuk Anda. Berikan mereka alamat situs Pulsa Elektrik Web Anda sehingga mereka dapat check it out.

Untuk setiap orang yang merespon menambahkan link ke situs Anda karena mereka punya untuk Anda. Paling tidak ini mungkin akan menghasilkan pelanggan yang ditargetkan ke situs web Anda. Ini juga pulsa murah akan membantu mesin pencari Anda peringkat popularitas.

Jika Anda memulai pada tali sepatu cobalah metode murah dan mudah dulu. Ketika Anda mulai membuat uang mengambil sebagian dari keuntungan dan berinvestasi dalam rangka lebih tinggi seperti situs web optimasi pemasaran usaha iklan online dan kampanye melalui email. Siap Baik

Metode terbaik untuk mengarahkan lalu lintas ke situs Web Anda adalah orang yang sebenarnya Anda lakukan. Jadi berhenti membaca artikel dan lakukan segera

Brand in Japan: Why is brand strategy different here? Part 3

Brand on the Inside

External focus on the corporate brand image is also mirrored inside the Japanese corporation.

According to Tokyo marketing veteran, Mineo Kamiyama, most companies think “product brands should only be managed by people who know the product”. This is somewhat different from Western practices where Brand and Marketing managers are often marketing professionals first, and product experts second (with the exception of many B2B marketing and sales organizations, which would espouse the Japanese way). For better or worse, this means that the average Japanese Brand Manager, despite their usual lack of marketing savvy, is often left to his own devices when it comes to marketing strategy and tactics. Furthermore, the energy behind those strategies are often directed at new product development, line extensions and packages redesigns, things that Japanese managers see as getting quick, quantifiable results. In other words, new, different, whiz, boom, bam! Unfortunately, brand strategy and brand building tactics don’t have the same immediate effect, and are therefore ignored.

To make the corporate situation even worse, most Product/Brand Managers don’t remain as such throughout their careers. In Japanese companies it is common to implement internal company-wide staff rotations so as to develop generalists. Senior Account Directors become Research Professionals, Creative Resource Managers become Media Planners and a Regional Sales Director replaces a 3 or 5-year veteran to becomes your brand’s next Brand Manager. Lucky you.

To complete the picture, on-the-job training and personal, spoken-only role handoffs are very common. And written brand guidelines or manuals typically don’t exist or are summarily dismissed. According to Kamiyama, that means that a product’s “brand strategy essentially changes at the same time the product (or brand) manager changes.”

In the end, this all happens because top management sees their product brands as a pale shadow compared to their corporate brand. Time is certainly spent on brand image, but the majority of it is for the corporate brand only. That’s where top management sees value, so that’s where they put their energies and their best marketing people.

Change is coming…sort of.

Some would say there is no need for change; that this is the Japanese way. It’s different yes, but why mess with it. For the most part, at least in terms of how brands are managed, I agree. (However, I would disagree with HR practices, i.e. building the generalist and sacrificing the expert, on-the-job training and the misc. politics that circumvent better marketing practices. But that’s another blog, for another day.)

I don’t think the whole system should change, but I do think that Japanese companies can easily inject more product focus, better brand continuity and more brand consistency into their product marketing efforts. This may also help Japanese companies to be bigger players internationally. For the last several years the top 100 worldwide brands have only contained 6-8 Japanese companies—surprisingly low for the world’s second largest economy.

A Western-style brand strategy has worked on a few occasions in Japan for both companies and product brands. For instance, both Softbank, the telecommunications giant, and Uniqlo, Japan’s version of The Gap, started, gained notoriety and became successful without a large corporate parent company. Pocari Sweat, a sports drink and Healthya, a wildly popular green tea drink in Japan also succeed by branding their names over their respective parents Otsuka and Kao Corp. These last two companies went out on a limb, but unfortunately, are of the minority who are trying product marketing and/or the House of Brands model over the traditional model. You can barely find the Otsuka or Kao names on the Pocari Sweat and Healthya bottle and many Japanese people don’t know who makes these drinks. Yet, both brands were product marketed to wild success. And there are several more examples like this (though, not a great deal more).

When in Rome…

In the end, one must work within the confines of their discipline’s environment, be it geographic or otherwise. And though I have long since realized this, I also know that organic change happens very slowly—and in Japan, even slower still. So if you work with brands in Japan, it is good to understand what makes them tick here. And though it is also important to practice the when-in-Rome mentality, one must never forget that Rome fell, or maybe only its brand did.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Ordenado Mínimo: Aumento de 25€, Valerão a Pena no Combate à Crise? Veja Aqui a Análise a Esta Questão...

Ordenado Mínimo - Aumento de 25€?

Ainda esta semana, trouxe parte deste tema ao blog, no entanto, no decorrer de uma notícia que saiu num diário no dia de ontem, decidi chamar de novo à atenção para este tema, passo a transcrever a notícia, e de seguida dou o meu comentário:

«Salário mínimo Os aumentos levam a mais desemprego?

A ideia de que o impacto não é significativo é objecto de disputa entre economistas, mas a situação da indústria recomenda prudência

Aproxima-se a batalha negocial entre confederações patronais, sindicatos e governo em relação ao valor do aumento do salário mínimo nacional em 2010, intensifica-se a pressão e reforçam-se argumentos de todas as partes, mas deixa-se de lado a pergunta: afinal que impacto tem uma subida do salário mínimo nos custos das empresas e no mercado de trabalho no contexto actual de recessão e desemprego recorde? A resposta continua ainda hoje a gerar controvérsia entre economistas, mas sugere prudência ao governo: tradicionalmente uma subida do salário mínimo não tem impacto significativo no emprego, mas na situação actual poderá trazer problemas à indústria portuguesa.

A questão é pertinente numa altura em que CGTP e UGT pedem um aumento da remuneração mínima no próximo ano dos actuais 450 euros para 475 euros – a meio caminho da meta de 500 euros em 2011, acordada há quatro anos na concertação social. As confederações empresariais, como a CIP (indústria) e a CTP (turismo), estão contra os aumentos, invocando o esmagamento financeiro provocado pela crise e a ausência de medidas de apoio aos sectores em que o salário mínimo pesa mais. Os sindicatos recusam rever o acordo e defendem que o aumento dinamiza a procura interna.

“O impacto da subida nos custos das empresas em termos médios tende a ser muito reduzido”, aponta ao i Ricardo Paes Mamede, economista do ISCTE, em Lisboa. O estudo de previsão que fez para 2008 (ano em que o salário mínimo subiu de 426 para 450 euros) aponta para um impacto médio de apenas 0,13% no custo das empresas com estes trabalhadores. “Desde a realização do estudo aumentou o número de pessoas com salário mínimo, mas ainda assim arriscaria dizer que o impacto nunca será superior a 1% dos custos salariais, o que significa em média 0,25% dos custos totais das empresas”, acrescenta Paes Mamede. A conclusão – que peca “por defeito”, avisa o economista, uma vez que há mais 111 mil trabalhadores com salário mínimo em 2008 – está em linha com as conclusões de um dos estudos referenciais na década de 90 (que gerou reacção forte), que defende o impacto nulo desta prestação no fecho de empresas e subida do desemprego.

Contudo, resta saber de que maneira o actual ciclo económico e o peso específico do salário mínimo na indústria afectam estas conclusões. Um estudo do Banco de Portugal de Maio de 2008 revelou pela primeira vez que as empresas com maior incidência de salário mínimo são mais vulneráveis a choques externos negativos, sobretudo porque estão proibidas por lei de descer os salários. “De facto, as restrições do salário mínimo mostraram que aumentam a taxa de insucesso das empresas”, conclui o estudo dos economistas Pedro Portugal e Anabela Carneiro.

É sobretudo na indústria que o problema se levanta: está exposta à concorrência internacional e tinha antes de 2008 o maior peso de trabalhadores com salário mínimo (25,7%). Além da subida deste custo pouco flexível (que aumentou 23% desde 2004), contam-se outras dificuldades como o euro forte (mais 20% desde Fevereiro), a subida do petróleo e a restrição do crédito. Por outro lado, o salário mínimo é muitas vezes um valor de entrada no mercado de trabalho – ao subir-se a fasquia, várias empresas poderão contratar menos, num ano em que a OCDE espera que o desemprego ultrapasse os 11%.

Contudo, os economistas e alguns empresários sugerem que há formas alternativas de compensar as eventuais perdas, sem mexer na remuneração dos 365 mil a salário mínimo, como ajudas aos sectores mais afectados, o que de resto já faz parte do acordo de 2006. Sublinham que esta prestação não é referência para os restantes trabalhadores. “Estamos a falar do mínimo e não do geral, que, se subisse na mesma proporção, causaria graves problemas de competitividade”, aponta Paes Mamede. »

In: http://www.ionline.pt/conteudo/29054-salario-minimo-os-aumentos-levam-mais-desemprego, a 22 de Outubro de 2009, no Jornal i

O meu comentário:

Sobre o aumento de apenas 25€ no ordenado mínimo, já aqui, ainda esta semana, manifestei aqui a minha opinião sobre este assunto, em que penso, que para bem do país e para bem da motivação dos trabalhadores, motivação do país em torno de uma causa comum que é a recuperação económica e tentar ultrapassar a crise.

No entanto, penso, e como aqui ainda disse esta semana, que seja um custo, no entanto, penso que é custo que os patrões devem tomar como sendo um investimento, ou seja, ao dar mais 25€ a mais no ordenado, já de si mísero, pois ninguém consegue viver, somente com o ordenado mínimo, vão incrementar a produtividade e aumentar a motivação dos portugueses, no local de trabalho.

Se repararmos, nas áreas onde se paga o ordenado mínimo, caso o trabalhador não seja aumentado, dá azo para que, este salte, ou então desmotive, dê origem a fuga de informação para os concorrentes, e muitas vezes, vão mesmo para a concorrência, levando consigo a formação que foi dispendida com o trabalhador, e o know-How, que se tinha na organização, sendo, que no pior das hipóteses, pode mesmo levar colegas, e assim desfasar e desmotivar a equipa que tínhamos na nossa organização.

O custo, pode ser, feito com redução de disparidade entre quem aufere ordenados baixos, e quem aufere os mais altos ordenados, é grande, como tal, penso que uma redução em quem aufere mais, para dar aos mais abaixo, pode causar uma coesão da equipa, que labora numa organização, em torno de um objectivo, e deve-se ter em conta, que se tivermos, uma boa equipa, é mais de 50% para alcançarmos o sucesso.

Outra questão, é preferível que se aumente 25€, em vez de percentagens, pois convenhamos que 5% de 500€, é muito diferente de 5% de 5000€, ou seja, quanto mais alto, é o valor base, maior será o aumento, logo, quem sai beneficiado são quem aufere mais, aumentando o fosso entre quem aufere menos e quem aufere mais.

Penso que a guerra, relativamente ao ordenado mínimo, ainda agora está a começar, e ainda muita tinta vai correr, no entanto, penso que como em tudo, existe a regra do bom senso, em que devem se entender e essencialmente cumprir com o prometido anteriormente, no entanto, caso não seja possível, penso que se deve dar outra regalia de forma a suprimir esta lacuna.

A minha opinião, era de se elevar os 25€, penso que é um valor justo e que em 14 meses de trabalho, seria praticamente quase um ordenado, pois daria 350€, o que, penso que por vezes, existem despesas secundárias nas empresas, que são bem superiores e não tem tanto cariz de investimento, como incrementar a motivação dos funcionários com apenas mais 25€ mensais.

Deixo a Questão: Que Pensa do Aumento de 25€ ao Ordenado Mínimo Nacional?

Tenho Dito

RT