Consider Yourself SPAM

I’m a fan of using email-based messaging and love how some companies like PinkBerry do it. Short, sweet, and value-laden content.

Another and very important consideration, to be as annoying-free as possible (and for me not to hit the SPAM button).

Show me how I got into this deal and how to get out.

Into Deconstruction

I’m into this new craze that I have to try and my friends and office colleagues all know what it is (me as a nuisance of course). For the next couple of weeks, I would be show-casing (if I do get my camera this month), a couple of recipes that I created that would fall into this theme.

The Thesis: Deconstruction

According to foodnetwork.com, “Deconstruction,” a term coined by the French philosopher Jacques Derrida, refers to a style of literary analysis where text is analyzed closely and dismantled into independent parts that, though they work in the context of, say, a paragraph, may contradict each other in and of themselves. Essentially, it’s a way at looking at the individual parts of a commonly-accepted whole, and how they interact with each other outside that whole.

Deconstruction can also fall into food, by dissecting the sum of parts of a particular recipe, whether it is roast beef, a martini, or even gaspacho. This technique is a booming development in the chef world and I can’t say I blame them. Deconstruction emphasizes each ingredient making sure they are at their best and ripest and ensuring a symphony of all components when the diner feast on their creation.

Wish me luck! Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Cycles Welcomes Lea Salonga

The “mom and their baby” market has vastly boomed for the last couple of years and is continually growing. Nivea has launched their own range of baby lotions, Splash has introduced their Baby Spa VCO liquid that turns into powder, and Baby diapers isn’t just Pampers anymore. Not to mention the growing range of toddler milk. Oh, there are even other products that promote getting baby soft skin – but that’s beside the point.

Where am I going with this?

Was invited to emcee a press conference to introduce Lea Salonga, world-renowned theater/movie actress and singer,  as the new brand ambassador for Cycles, the Hypoallergenic Laundry Detergent for Babies. The event was held at Tropezz (Greenbelt 3), from 10am-2pm on June 27, 2008.

Each guest was given a press kit (in USB form), giftpacks with assorted products from Naturale, and five winners got to bring home kiddie stuff such as motorized mini-cars, playpens and see-saws.

FAQ: What makes Cycles a show-stopper?
One – it has a targeted and willing market – moms.

Two – scent and packaging is pushed as being delicate, soft and baby-ish

Three – It looks imported – but the concept is Filipino and currently being exported to SEA countries.

Four – It’s hypoallergenic and machine usable. Moms who use Cycles minimize or have zero soap residue left in the clothes they wash with the detergent. No residue means its good for a baby’s sensitive skin. Anyway, have you ever tried using Perla in a washing machine? Cycles taps the side of the mom market that the leading detergents in Asia don’t even bother looking at.

Five – Branded and designed as premium (compared to other leading detergents’ prices). Moms don’t scrimp on their babies. But it’s sure value-friendly compared to the expensive U.S based baby friendly detergents.

(From Left to Right) Ligaya Salonga, Lea Salonga, Emily Balajadia, and Dennis Balajadia

Team Naturale Labs, Inc. and Eveolution, Inc., makers of Cycles

Cycles Hypoallergenic Laundry Detergent for Babies is available in 250ml and 1.5L (Liquid form) and 100g and 1kg (Powder Form)

Evolution, Inc.

376-2283

www.cyclesbaby.com

customercare@cyclesbaby.com

P.S. One crucial aspect of making your guests happy is by serving them good food and I was skeptical with what Tropezz would serve – seeing limited public responses about this establishment. But, they had great service, attentive floor managers, and tasty food. Though I wouldn’t want to serve all courses in one plate, for practical and time reasons, it was a good call.

Chocolate and Diet: The Results

After some debate on the flavor in line with the packaging and overall product positioning of our upcoming variant – we say NO to chocolate and diet.

How come?

It wasn’t as if it tasted bad. Actually it was the best flavor combination as of yet. The problem was the formulation of our variant was actually complicated in explaining how it made you slim. Also, we know chocolate and diet don’t usually go together. In result, if we placed Chocolate and Diet together, I would be having a problem promoting (a) chocolate and diet together, and (b) the complicated active ingredients.

Consumers can only get ONE SIMPLE idea from you. Having a complicated packaging explaining the tirade of chocolate and diet (or anything else, for that matter) and the active ingredients – consumers will just get the not-so original competitor and get on with their lives. And if your product is remarkable – they want to share your invention to their friends and family. If the product is too complicated with mixed messages, they’re going to have a more difficult time explaining it than you had promoting it.

Simple is the way to go. Thanks for people who emailed me about this.
P.S. I had a similar experience with a product I was helping to sell in college. We did so much time explaining to the consumers what our product was all about. In the end, not that much recall and not that much buzz.

Brothers Burger Anniversary 50% Off Promo

Congratulations to Brothers Burger who’s celebrating their 9th anniversary today!

Brothers Burger is serving up a 50% off with all Big Brother Burger purchase to celebrate their Anniversary.*

The catch though is you’d also get 50%-off from the quality, compared to the juicy P175.00 per burger.

*This blogger purchased his burger (at 50%-off) and has no affiliations with Brother Burger, Inc.

A Battle with an Oil Slick

Today, I present you Mongkok. What makes this restaurant better than Gloria Maris or a hole in the wall Dimsum tea house – not much. I find them safely in the middle.

They serve the same culinary attractions that of Gloria Maris, but of mediocre quality. On this occasion, let’s blame it on the chef. They serve affordable meals, but come too pricey compared to its Chinatown brothers, but costs less than Gloria. Heck – Chinatown serves even better food than Gloria Maris and Mongkok and at half the price! Mongkok even has the same brute and un-helpful service similar to all Dimsum restaurants (I think it’s the tea or the starchy smelling interior). Why is this a problem? Sure you’re safe – but not different. Once people figure out that you got them already once and found a better alternative (and since you were safe – there always is) they won’t go to you anymore. Being safe – is not sustainable and safe moves equals safe profits.

But what appalled me was the complacency with their condiments and in result – the details. Yes, if you look at it – you could make the best damn gravy, promote it well, and people would line up for it. Same goes with chili sauces, delicious mustard sauces, fresh fruits for toppings, etc.

Try dunking your spoon in this..

That’s right – it’s coagulated chili paste hardened by the cold. Giving your consumers that is similar to saying we don’t care about you, that much. You might be wondering what other details they aren’t focusing on – the garnish on the plate, the cleanliness of the kitchen, the way their chefs wash their hands, how they clean their plates.

Focus on details. In the world of saturated Dimsum restaurants, even the smallest of things done well can help separate you from the pack and shows that you care.

Getting a camera?

I want to start doing my restaurant reviews – but I am not going to give my readers a picture-less post for a food review. But, the only camera I do have is bulky SLR that would make me look like a paparazzi in a fine dining establishment (or any establishment for that matter). Another dilemma is choosing between a Canon or Sony. I’m looking for a compact camera that does well in dark places (which some restaurants present) and provides a faster capture rate to get those candid shots like friends with spaghetti on their face.

Dear readers, please help…

Comment away!

Sleepy Marketing Adventures of Slimming Water

I am a big fan of SMEs and joined in a radical consumer goods group myself. But there has to be a difference between college-looking business projects and the real thing. Here’s an example of a school-looking real business project selling Slimming Water enriched with an active mineral called Hydroxylase.

See their video.

Thus I wrote to the owners and gave my 25 cents:

Dear Owners,

I think your product is innovative and could prove feasible with Filipinos looking for weight losing alternatives in the market. But here’s a few suggestions:

a. Change your packaging. Placing it in a bottle that looks like packaging for some poisonous solvent isn’t going to help your image and it was so last 80s.

b. Why not place testimonials or a BFAD certification to prove your credibility or if your manufacturing area is sanitary and Wow-able and why not show that as well?

c. Go into retail. Deliveries can only generate a small amount sales and if you are looking for a distributor – have a decent website. Having a flickr account and a Youtube account is too measly. Have a website that ties both together and more.

d. What is Hydroxydase? Placing an active ingredient that nobody knows about and sees your print ad is going to have trouble believing your claims.

e. Change your layouts. Get a professional graphic designing team to do your videos, ads, packaging and website. Mediocre design = mediocre sales. Saving money? If you are going to promote your product, invest and provide excellent output OR don’t do anything at all.

f. For God’s sake – change your video NOW! Use voice over for instance.

g. What the heck is Hydoxydase as a brand name – I know and you know – you could do better than that.

Thank you for taking my recommendations and hope it would do your business well.

Yours truly,

Jared

Pay-as-you-wish

This is a new restaurant idea: Pay-as-you-wish restaurants.

How does it work? Well, a certain restaurant serves a couple of meals and YOU decide how much you are willing to pay or willing to afford. Savvy.

You do get regular customers who pay a mere sum for the full course meal they ate, but some fair diners actually pay for those customers who couldn’t afford it. The question lies if the diner’s guilty conscience is able to take whether to attack a “goodie-goodie” restaurant for meal or not.

In Manila, fast-food restaurants experience profit drought when they let the customers decide, even for bottomless drinks (remember Burger King refillable days). But I’m not saying you couldn’t and it wouldn’t click- just don’t hope for ROI anytime soon.

Reference: Springwise

Express with your Menu

Tired of amateur looking restaurant menus with unappetizing photos and bleak descriptions…

I know I am.