Never ever give up

'Just when you think some businesses are dying — or worse, turning into zombies — they come roaring back. In this infographic, we take a look at Apple, LEGO, Ford and Old Spice, brands that seemed like they were toast, but thanks to various brilliant maneuvers, found their way back to profitability.'


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The reason...

...why Sydney's Bronte pool was closed  for cleaning this morning was for me to push myself out of my comfort zone and get better at tackling the waves when doing freestyle in the ocean - I told myself.

Not to mention that I was also rewarded with glimpses of entire schools of fish every time I put my head under. What an amazing morning!

Of course at first I was momentarily frustrated that I couldn't do the usual 'k' (km) in the pool, but it's all about perspective and mindset.

And for me this was the best way it could have happened.

How is your day going? Anything that frustrates you? How could you reframe that?

(see full image)

View from the office on Monday morning

Sydney, Centennial Park (2)

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Centennial Park this morning

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Don Tapscott: Four principles for the open world

Light entertainment for Sunday afternoon

An episode from the unrivaled Italian 'La Linea', Lineman series.
  La Linea Series - Episode 01 | Lineman Series - Part 1 - YouTube

Kieran Behan of Ireland - what an inspiration!

Kieran is a young, 23 year old Irish olympicon, who suffered two serious injuries after which "doctors told him he would never walk again: a botched leg operation that caused nerve damage and a brain injury that kept him from doing even the simplest things, like sitting or eating."

"And back to gymnastics he went. He swept the floors of his gym to finance his training and jumped subway turnstiles to get to practice because there was no cash to spare. His parents held bake sales, candy sales and carwashes to raise money for him."

Behan is competing in the vault, the horizontal bar and his specialty, the floor exercise, but is not fooling himself into thinking he could win a medal — or even make the finals. He just hopes his tale might inspire others to overcome hardship, whether it is in sports, at work or at home. (more at the NY Times)

On the way to work

crossing Queen's Park. Bliss.

Let the Games begin!

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London, well done!

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!

Come on Hungary!

…and Ireland of course!

Team UK at last but not least!

Beckham on a speedboat! Brilliant!

Great show! Let the games begin!

Beckham on the speedboat

brilliant!

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Ah, team UK

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And Ireland of course!!!

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Come on Hungary!!!

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Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!!!

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Ah London, well done

watching the opening ceremony...

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On the way to work…

…crossing Queen’s Park on a crisp & fresh Friday morning. Bliss!

Learning Organisations / Quote of the day

"competition is a form of learning; not a hostile act"
(Learning organisations)
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How work really gets done

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Cooperative principle/ quote of the day

"Sociolinguist H. P. Grice suggested that the cooperative principle underlies most attempts to communicate.18 By this he meant that we typically assume that people are trying to be cooperative-by making themselves understood-even when it's quite difficult to figure out what they mean. He suggests that when someone isn't clear, we still search for a meaning that would make sense. This is why communication can work even when, on the surface, it may seem irrelevant or incomplete. So, for example, if someone asks you if you support a proposal and you reply, "Is the Pope Catholic?" most of us will know that you mean "Yes, I do support it." Even though your reply is seemingly irrelevant, we search for a meaning that makes sense given our assumption that you're trying to be cooperative."


Book: Cheney, George; Christensen, Lars Thoger; Zorn, Jr, Theodore & Ganesh Shiv. 2011, Organizational communication in an age of globalization: issues, reflections, practices.

Ad exchanges and their impact on advertisers and publishers

If you work in digital advertising, you probably heard about ad exchanges. If not, in a nutshell they are technology platforms that enable real time bidding for an online ad spot (display banner, video pre-roll, etc.) based on data collected by cookies. The data is matched with the advertisers’ database and/ or account ID’s such as Windows Live Hotmail, Yahoo, etc to find the exact people advertisers are looking for.

Let’s say you are a travel company and wanting to promote a Fiji package for honeymooners. Then you could say you are after the following user segment: Female, 25-35, IP address from the Australian Eastern Seaboard (NSW, VIC, QLD), have visited TheKnot.com.au in the last 4 weeks. And Mi9, owner of ninemsn (whom I work for), could deliver it. You find an agency with a demand side platform (or create an account and self-manage) confirm campaign budget and bid for the above segment per ad unit impression and algorithms decide the rest in a split second. If you are the highest bidder, when for example Julie from country Victoria logs onto Australian Women’s Weekly site, she’ll see your travel package appear in let’s say the Leaderboard (729x80 pix) ad unit on the page. Much like in this 2min video case study.

‘It’s an ultra-fast bidding process in which the clearing price for the publisher is 1¢ above the second-highest bidder. Each transaction is completed on average within 50 millisecond.’ (AFR)
So advertisers can buy exactly what they want, and set the price extremely competitively. Popular? You bet. Mi9 forecasts, that they will triple the revenue of their ad exchange in Australia in the next three years.

Any downside to all this automatic bidding fantastic? Think industrial revolution and people being replaced by machines.History repeats?Time to retrain…?

Well, it’s not all doom and gloom though, specialist jobs will stay. High impact, imaginative advertising will continue to be in demand, but a large majority of the data entry, campaign management, high volume/low value advertising sales jobs will likely to be phased out over the next few years to come. (Time to retrain...?).

Clarity

Having a eureka moment (love that word). Just read this article on HBR blogs and I feel like someone just turned the light on...

"avoid working for or with people who don't respect your priorities. It may sound simplistic, but this is a truly liberating rule! There are people who share your values and as a result make it natural to live your priorities. It may take a while to find an employment situation like this, but you can set your course to that destination immediately."

More here:
If You Don't Prioritize Your Life, Someone Else Will - Greg McKeown - Harvard Business Review


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Effective Team Work & Collaboration

Fab little video that looks at the mechanics of collaboration, potential pitfalls and how to achieve desired outcome.

Effective Team Work & Collaboration - YouTube

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'How to make a house'

In fact, a Japanese house. More inspiring architecture here.

Quote of the day

“Don’t wish things were easier, wish you were better.”
– Jim Rohn

Quote of the day

“Nothing happens until somebody sells something.”  - Mary Kay Ash, Founder and CEO of Mary Kay Cosmetics

I am on a mission

Are you?

GirlOnAMission - Nicholas Bate

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Cultural Offering.com: "Liquid meat"

Yumm...: Cultural Offering.com: "Liquid meat"

Quote of the day

“The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity.” - Keith Ferrazzi

Merit

There was this person at a company I worked with in the past, who managed to climb the corporate ladder faster than light, getting from a mere professional to MD within a couple of years. It came to an end recently. I spotted a brief mention on a trade news website that this person is off to greener pastures - due to restructuring (aka. redundancy).

Two thoughts occurred to me:

1. Yet another example that in business we are not irreplaceable (at home, among family - absolutely, in the corporate environment - unlikely)
2. I saw people rise to the top faster due to alliance rather than merit - it won't last. All you need is a change in the reporting lines and unless you are there because you deserve it, you'll be replaced sooner than you think.

Don't aspire to climb, aspire to grow. You'll get further, achieve more and will be happier.

Rainbow in Randwick, Sydney

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Men are more influential, but women are less susceptible

"Men are 49 per cent more influential than women, but women are 12 per cent less susceptible to influence than men, and they exert 46 per cent more influence over men than over other women."


More here: Facebook study reveals what makes someone a leader - tech - 21 June 2012 - New Scientist

Super creative outdoor advertising: Push the button

Now this is really creative and with 35M+ views, it has gone viral.

This promotion was created to launch a high quality TV channel, called TNT in Belgium with the tagline 'we know drama'. Would you have pushed the button?

Nicholas Bate - so cool...

Mmmm:

"Beauty in the eyes of the beer holder" - people who think they're drunk, think they're hot

I found this hilarious, not least because of the clever title!

The beer-goggle effect is well-documented - the way that being drunk makes everyone look wonderfully attractive. A new study asks whether the goggles work backwards. Does being drunk affect how we judge our own appeal?

Apparently yes!
According to this study, those research 'participants who were more drunk tended to rate themselves as more attractive'.

BPS Research Digest: "Beauty in the eyes of the beer holder" - people who think they're drunk, think they're hot

Art break

Masterpieces | Louvre Museum | Paris

Liberty Leading the People (French: La Liberté guidant le peuple)


The Paris uprising of July 27, 28, and 29, 1830, known as the Trois Glorieuses ("Three Glorious Days"), was initiated by the liberal republicans for violation of the Constitution by the Second Restoration government. Charles X, the last Bourbon king of France, was overthrown and replaced by Louis Philippe, Duke of Orléans. Delacroix, who witnessed the uprising, perceived it as a modern subject for a painting; the resulting work reflects the same romantic fervor he had applied to Massacre at Chios, a painting inspired by the Greek war of independence.

Ford Model T Factory Assembly (1919)

Fascinating to see how they used to assemble cars - silent video from the Ford Factory in 1919.

Quote of the day

'Technology feeds on knowledge and knowledge expands at a phenomenal rate.'
Alvin Toffler: Future Shock (1972) 1/5 - YouTube

Music break

Velile & Safri Duo: Helele

The song is the official trailer song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup broadcasted on German television channel RTL and Switzerland's Schweizer Fernsehen and Télévision Suisse Romande in June-July.


I'm wonder what the 2012 London Olympics theme song will be?

The new breed of designer hostels

Haven't they come a long way in the last few years!


The new breed of designer hostels:

Olympics - who will you cheer for?

I'm a product of our global world, left home young, and if you think uprooting is hard, try 're-rooting' (aka. finding your new home). Much harder.

It occurred to me this morning that if someone asked me today what my nationality was, while I would still answer Hungarian, I would probably pause and think for a moment first... In a couple of months it will be 13 years since I left the 'motherland' which is 40% of my lifetime. (neat way of avoiding to mention exact age, don't you think?)

So who will I support? It would have to be Hungary and Australia - in that order - and add in Ireland, to show solidarity to my 'other half'.

But here is the interesting thing. If you ask me in eight years, the list may look different. I'm a product of our global world.

Who will you support?

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Microsoft's Surface tablet 'fails' during LA showcase

First of all hat off to Steve Sinofsky for putting on a brave face while the newly released Microsoft Surface failed during his presentation to the media.
Secondly - how disappointing for a Windows girl who was looking forward to the first tablet she ever desired to purchase. Yes, the iPad has so far left me cold. Get your game on MS!



Video: Microsoft's Surface tablet 'fails' during Los Angeles showcase - Telegraph

Fun banner ad

Stride: World's Longest Lasting Click
on banner blog.

Give People Less - Forbes

"Too much of anything is dangerous, annoying, and suffocating. Look at what we have too much of, and offer something less. Your stakeholders will thankfully take it." (Jessica Hagy)

More at Give People Less - Forbes

Just brilliant

Superbly written and crazy funny!
Cultural Offering.com: A statement of gratitude:

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Seth explains trust

Seth's Blog: Where does trust come from?:

Uncertain thumbs up

...look like this: Cultural Offering.com: Worth it?
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Beer ad wins gold for Australia at Cannes

This year's Cannes Lions, International Festival of Creativity just ended, and while Australia didn't perform quite as strongly as last year, here is a TVC that scored a prize.

Good work from Hahn superdry, but when it comes to beer ads, my fav is still the 'Big Ad' from ~2006 (second video).

Beer ad wins solitary film gold for Australia at Cannes

Queen Elizabeth Gets Color-Coded by Pantone

"Leo Burnett in London and Pantone worked together to create this nice little Pantone wheel based on the 60 years of the British monarch's notorious color-matched outfits."

Totally useless, totally want one.

How the 1% Brainwashed the 99%

Continuing from my earlier post today... this is why this is important to understand and be aware of inequality:


"In Joseph Stiglitz's new book, "The Price of Inequality," the Nobel economist argues that new social science research has given power elites a greater understanding of how ideas affect society and that they have used that knowledge to cover up the gross wealth inequality now plaguing the country. "Fairness, like beauty, is at least partly in the eyes of the beholder, and those at the top want to be sure that the inequality in the United States today is framed in ways that make it seem fair, or at least acceptable. If it is perceived to be unfair, not only may that hurt productivity in the workplace but it might lead to legislation that would attempt to temper it.""


More here.

A man who says it how it is

Eclecticity: This Just In:

The life fantastic

GirlOnAMission - Nicholas Bate

Corporate profits at all-time high, wages at all-time low

In other words, economic or income inequality, which is the gap between wealthy and poor is on the rise.

This report on Business Insider has really moved (surprised, frustrated, bothered, and provoked) me which is why I had to share:
1) Corporate profit margins just hit an all-time high

2) Fewer Americans are working than at any time in the past three decades
3) Wages as a percent of the economy are at an all-time low

It is modeled on the USA, but both global and local inequality is a growing issue and has far reaching negative consequences on the population en masse. 


And before you point your fingers to any government or criticise politicians, ask yourself what good deed have you done today to help those in need?

Australia Square, Sydney

Sculpture of a business man.

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Quote of the day

'What you believe about tomorrow shapes how you view today. Where your life is headed determines how your life is lived.' 


Rabbi Moss

Good morning!

First sight as I'm on the way to Friday morning pilates.

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What does your Facebook profile photo say about you?

It gives away your cultural background, as revealed by a recent study, based on whether the photo is zoomed in or out.

Savoring languages

As a non-native English speaker, I enjoy the fact that while I stared learning English 23 years ago, I continue to learn a new word almost daily. Thanks to Cultural Offering, the daily average just went up to three.

Aplomb, Alacrity, Zeal. Admittedly they have appeared on my radar before, but it takes a few times before new words stick.

In comparison, my native tongue has less original words than English, but Hungarian prides itself on long ones:

legeslegmegszentségteleníttethetetlenebbjeitekként

meaning: "like those of you that are the very least possible to get desecrated"

It's a mouthful, isn't it?

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Olympics ticket design - who did it best?

Well done, London! Impressive design!

London 2012

Beijing 2008

Athens 2004

Sydney 2000

Atlanta 1996

Naming and shaming bad parking in Russia

Advertising at its best. Here is a creative campaign used by a Russian online newspaper, The Village, encouraging people to take a photo of illegally parked vehicles and post these online, to name and shame. The aim is to change cultural perspective around the illegal parking and make it socially unacceptable. All the while getting people to emotionally connect and engage with The Village brand. Sharp.

 

Good morning

Friday, 6:45am on the way to pilates.

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Good evening!

George St, Sydney CBD tonight

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Quote of the day

'Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them.' (Paul Hawken, Natural Capitalism)

Jubilee celebration in the office

Courtesy of my patriotic colleague, Becky.

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Lunch at the work desk…

There is absolutely no excuse for eating at your desk, but if you must, at least make it colourful and nourishing… Here is an idea!

Sydney Vivid 2012

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Sydney Vivid 2012

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