Snails are cool

Well. I like snails.
Yes. Because they are easy to draw.
They are fun to observe and their traits epitomize a way of life that I admire.

Chi va piano, va sano e va lontano.
That's something I like, because I can not do it easily.

Lay down, listen to some soothing music. Draw a snail.
Become a snail.

As the saying goes... I'd rather be a hammer than a snail...

Marketing the crunch : the Tag cloud

(made with wordle)

Typical Marketing the crunch sentence:
" It's more about people than about the processes. Crowd marketing is about making a message that gives the product a new look and feel. Cliches left alone can not be analyzed by the brain in a deep manner. It's about understanding the trends changing the world and bringing conscience to the minds. Yes, it's all about girls. "

Are marketing people shallow people?

It's funny how your way of thinking changes depending of the task you have at hand.
-I often go into "Creative mode", where nothing really makes sense, and I'm positive about anything. Yes, maybe onion juice is a possible product and some people will actually like this.

But I tried to analyze my "Marketing state". When trying to make up a marketing message or leaflet.

How's that marketing state?

- My attention span is 5 seconds. I do not understand long sentences and complicated words. I want short and simple statements. "That product will make you happy."

- I am deeply self centered. What's in it for me? That's the only thing I care for. If you're not adressing my need... you're not talking to me.

- I have some trigger keywords that make my eyes shine like a baby in front of a candy. Such of those are "sex", "money", "easy".

- I feel insecure about myself. I need people to give me my confidence back. Or if they make me feel more insecure, tell me how I can get my confidence back. "Why your boss hates you... and how you can talk your way up!"

- I don't think. I feel things. I have mental images popping in my mind. I don't trust my brain, I trust my guts. You can tell when something is catchy, because it sounds cool, it has a twist.

- I want to rationalize my feelings. I hope there are some arguments I can find, so that I can throw them at other people when they ask me why I like that. Once I have decided that I like something, please help me convince my rational brain.

That might look shallow. But it's actually the deepest you can go.
Marketing should be about feeling. Feelings are the way the subconsciou mind found a way to your consciousness. That's actually the deepest you can go.

When you analyze your feelings,
- Try to understand the modalities involved. Is it the sound, the music, the pictures, the concept that strikes your mind.
- Use different variations to explore the experience provided by the message. You will then understand better why one specific message works.

If you have any other tips, I'd be glad to hear from it.

Flexibility. Is there anything else, really?

3 a.m. Nobody's outside. But a german girl and me.
Look left, look right before crossing the street.
And there I go.
German girl shouts "Careful! It's still green traffic light!" Not a single car anywhere.
Look left, look right. Nothing but cultural differences.

We often make fun of germans and their process binding capabalities.
Their machine tooling and car industry.
But figures speak for themselves...
French people 40 billion deficit on the commercial balance.
German people 120 billion excess on the commercial balance.

But why is that? I will have to use cliches, but german people must be more efficient. (and are also known for that).

My opinion is that abiding to policies and processes more than latins is what enables Germans to produce top quality products requiring difficult specs and craftmanship.

Latins are known to be hard to manage by process and would try to see those, more like constraints. So by having everyone trying to optimize its own field, you don't reach a global optimum.

That's how you reach the top level of quality... you put the best processes possible to reduce costs, decrease time-to-market, increase quality indicators.

But Hey!!!
We don't live in a static world. Things are bond to change. Processes are short-lived. What used to be might not apply any more. If processes had to be rethought overall everytime one change was introduced, we would spend time making processes.
We would not get any work done.
If processes should be applied all the time, then you would get stuck behind while the others cross the road. Yes, they noticed there were no cars, while you were stuck at the red light.



This view implies my view only - be well aware that those are cliches and not meant to be discriminating against any nationality.

In the crowd. With the bees.

We think we make a difference. We do.
My friend Philippe said:
"I exist. No other physical object can be at the same time and at the same place as I am."

Looking at the space I have taken, the one of another Vinh, the one of another guy or girl or animal, I have created a trail of disturbance in that world.

Like a bee, I have spread my own uncertainty in the world. Some in Asia, Uk, Us, Africa. I have been at some place, some time, no other things could, but me.

In this way, I feel I bring meaning.
Guy Kawasaki, Loic Le Meur are talking to me via twitter... Hell yeah. I must be important. E-bay, Amazon, Voyages-sncf, they send me private mail. I'm not anybody.

Unique, like everyone else.
My mind wanders around. I met so many similar people on the net. All spreading the same stories, forwarding the same links. We spot honey like bees do. We dance, we tweet. The buzzness.
So we buzz around. Latest trend, latest fad.

It's a big swarm. We never sleep. Chinese subcontrators are with me on MSN. Argentinians follow. It's late. It's not late. Time does not stop. It goes on.

The sweet music of twhirl, msn, gtalk...coming from the whole world.
It is a distant symphony to my ear.

I receive a stream of useless content...
" New Apple product launch : the Wheel

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard
"
Laughed. Like thousands of people. Trying to step outside the crowd makes you join the crowd of people who try to do the same.

But you make good friends there.

Streaming video will now make money

I am always amazed by what a few lines of code can produce...
And how much money they will make...



Those students at Stanford (well Indian or Pakistanese)can embed videos in videos, as if those were really integrated to the movie.

Now you can smoothly put geolocalized ads in every movie you stream on the internet.
Another victory for marketing.

The power of Yes, No, Maybe... or something...

"Yes Man"
Recently I watched that movie with Jim Carey, also known for being the Mask, Bruce almighty, Liar Liar and all time failure the Cable Guy.

Ok. I'll make a long story short.
Jim Carey says No to everything. His life is shit.
Goes to a seminar. Guru tells him to become a "Yes Man".
Jim Carey then says Yes to everything.
Discovers new opportunities behind seemingly unappealing proposals.

Here you go. Yes. Unleash the power of Yes.
Give your mind a positive attitude for welcoming new events.

I remember back the improv lessons I took in Supaero:
- "Yes, and" are the words.
"No"'s were not allowed. It forced us to welcome anything that was coming on the stage. All carefully crafted plans were reduced to dust after one word, bringing us the extreme flexibility and unpredictability of life. Accidents are no longer accidents, they are part of the game. They are opportunities.

What else? That's still the luck factor. It has been proven that people with a relaxed mind and more positive attitude are more likely to be lucky...
You being obsessed with you concerns are not going to find out those new opportunities that live next door or that wait in the backyard.

Yes brings more Yes. Yes says Yes to Yes.

After all that, lots of people write about the power of NO.
That's my next post.