Google Adwords has this new upgrade with searching keywords. You can get actual search volume of keywords that can help you with your blog. Like I know that 1M Filipinos search for “blog”, 40,500 search for “chocolate” and 74,000 search for “marketing”.

Who knows? It might actually just work and brought you to my blog.

Brand Awareness and buzz is only significant if you know how and when it will effect your bottom line.

Photo from: www.asgren.com

I know I deftly skinned at Wine Depot’s SMS system during my first blog entries, but I have always been a fan of their direct marketing campaign. They make it a point to send me a text message every other week plus send me a couple of newsletters. I get regular updates with promos, events and a story on the wine industry. Though nothing original, they are the only wine vendor in Manila that is practices CRM (from online marketing until snail mail) and for that I applaud them. On their side, they would be able to match my demographics with my purchases and hopefully, later on, personalize how we do business from the newsletters I get and to the discounts that are tailor-fitted to what matters most to me. After all, we are going from an age of universality to the age of variability.

Above: June 2008 newsletter

But I was surprised when during the weekend I got a letter from my snail mail saying that I am now a Wine Club member PLUS card holder.

Well, technically I was already a Wine Club member, but having a card and flashing it around can entail me to get some incredible discounts. Which made me think – why did they send me the card just now when I enrolled almost a year ago? Oh well…no harm done. Love the layout of the newsletter, the early announcements and will enjoy using my Wine Club card. Thanks WineDepot!

We have a corporate library full of business, design, marketing, leadership books and being the book-worm that I am, I gladly borrowed a majority of the lot. Now that I got so many great ideas from these books, I’m quite hesitant to return them.

Got an email: HR will post a wanted sign on overdue books and their criminal owners. Be warned.

Oh well…

P.S. The books I read, assessed and will return are (for your and for our HR’s reference, if they do read this):

Life’s Work by Francis Kong

Why We Buy by Paco Underhill

Winning by Jack Welch

A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink

Creating Customer Evagelists by Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba

Guerrilla Publicity by Jay Conrad Levinson

The Non-Designers Design Book by Robin Williams

The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp

Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne

P.P.S. I am still keeping 3 books. I need it.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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