On a recent low budget city break, we visited Sofia. The unexpected joy of a leisure trip without any particular reason is a priceless feeling.
Speaking about unexpected joy, I can’t help thinking about the category of instant lotteries which works exactly in this way. During my trip, I experienced two cases of clever market practices in this category. Continue reading “Adding ritual for a change and adding odor to a ritual”
It’s only few weeks after the terrible terrorist strike in Paris on the 13/11/2015. This has been an attack that shocked the entire western world as we know it and spread sadness to everyone. Paris, similarly to New York have been terrorist targets not only because they belonged to France and the USA, but mainly because they are iconic cities with landmarks widely known to the world and synonymous to the western way of living. This is exactly the same reason these two cities have been vastly used in marketing campaigns of several products.
Few days after the attack, I visited my neighborhood’s supermarket for the weekly grocery shopping when I saw a perfume product display with the promo message #myriseparisi (translate from Greeklish: #smellslikeParis).
I admit it. Many times I feel obsessed with the basics. I believe that if the fundamentals are right, then you are most probably half way there. Like electronic experts are fond of neatly wired equipment with a clear architecture, I am amazed of how the coffee brewing company Coffee Island has W.I.R.E.d itself for success.
photo credit: IMG_5071 via photopin (license)
Let me elaborate in the following lines what I have discovered during my visits in their stores and how I came up with this new abbreviation of mine. Continue reading “How to W.I.R.E. your business for an “overnight” success”
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.
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”
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:
marketlikes 