7 minute crash course on management & marketing fundamentals

There has been a lot of discussion lately on the importance of academic education and whether this is a prerequisite of a great career / business. Some people are great advocates, some others not. I will not get into the debate on such a dilemma, but rather build on the importance of thousands of real time courses offered for free out there, in the biggest and oldest of universities…the marketplace.

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photo credit: Sardine via photopin (license)

One of these “courses” took place one Saturday morning in the fish market called “To Stavrodromi”, in Stavros Agias Paraskevis area, where I found myself shopping for our family lunch. Located in a strategic spot, near the port of Rafina and in proximity to many northeastern residential suburbs of Athens, this place always seemed to me a busy vibrant spot that attracted my attention every time I passed by it on weekends. Continue reading “7 minute crash course on management & marketing fundamentals”

7 minute crash course on management & marketing fundamentals

Cobranding – one story from three angles

Cafeterias and quick service restaurants are quite popular around hospitals for the quick refueling of doctors, nurses, patients and visitors. Likewise, I visited the ‘Red Fox’  cafeteria near Metropolitan hospital in Faliro to have a coffee. Together with my cappuccino, I was offered a 500ml bottle of water to accompany my beverage. The label immediately attracted my attention as the branding of the Red Fox cafeteria was prominent, with the logo of Nera Kritis (the producer) clearly playing a secondary role. Before jumping into conclusions, let’s examine this practice taking a separate look from 3 different angles:

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Continue reading “Cobranding – one story from three angles”

Cobranding – one story from three angles

Humbleness and knowledge

Citra IPA Septem

Few weeks ago I got Citra India Pale Ale from Septem microbrewery as a treat from a special friend, Amalia. I have to admit, it immediately but subtly grabbed my attention because of its warm, earthy colors and its retro design codes. Beer communication on pack mainly plays with heritage, with medals of distinctions, with bold recognizable names and fancy tag lines such as “probably the best beer in the world”. Howeve,r this beer was not as loud as its relatives and had something humble. Continue reading “Humbleness and knowledge”

Humbleness and knowledge