O Homem da Luta em Alta Definição

Vi hoje uma das mais interessantes entrevistas dos últimos tempos, a uma pessoa bastante conhecida do povo Português, o Jel. A cara dos "Homens da Luta". Já há uns dias que esperava poder ver esta entrevista online, pois não me encontro em Portugal, e por fim tive a oportunidade de a visualizar.

Achei interessante e motivadora a perspectiva de vida deste actor, desta pessoa que "luta" contra o sistema e que faz disso o seu dia-a-dia. Sou um grande admirador do seu trabalho, pois acho que encontrou uma maneira original e, acima de tudo, inteligente de protestar contra a situação actual do nosso país, arrastando consigo centenas de pessoas. Nesta entrevista é bastante interessante observar aquilo que ele sente, diz e faz. Admite ter medo, mas é da opinião que é preciso haver medo para existir reacção nas pessoas. É conhecedor dos seus erros, da sua personalidade, e é graças a isso que chegou tão longe.

Aqui fica o link da entrevista.

http://sic.sapo.pt/video/?articleId=536283

Na próxima 3ª feira estarão presentes na meia-final do concurso Eurovisão, em Dusseldorf. Mais do que a competição em si (onde Portugal é o único país que nunca ganhou nada), é de extrema importância a visibilidade que os "Homens da Luta" darão ao mundo sobre o nosso país. É, sinceramente, a presença que melhor ilustra aquilo que o nosso país pode oferecer à Eurovisão.

Uma última nota para o programa "Alta Definição". Sem dúvida alguma um dos melhores programas de televisão em Portugal, com entrevistas excelentemente conduzidas por Daniel Oliveira.

Social Media - Focusing on... the Consumer

The tools and strategies used by companies to communicate with their customers have been changing significantly since the emergence of a phenomenon known as social media. Particularly on Facebook, we have seen the emergence of thousands of "fan pages" that constantly share comments, photos, events and so on...

But what is the right way to do it? Which effect (positive or negative) will your fan page have on your consumers?? Well much has been written about it, and you can find hundreds of opinions saying what you should do or not do when using social media. My motivation for today's post came this morning after seeing Magnum's latest website (obviously through a friend that post it on Facebook...). The website is a "simple" game that uses a women as the main character and guides you through a bunch of websites, probably the ones that Magnum will have on their next promotional activity... Which in the end primes you with their latest ice cream.

But what I liked about it was the interaction with the consumer, the fact that you can direct your character through all these websites, exactly like a video game, but with the exception that you are actually being advertised (though smoothly) by plenty of other brands and their products! And what is the effect in the end?? Well, in my case it was worth a "like" on their Facebook fan page, and a post on my blog, which for them will hopefully help increasing positive word-of mouth for this campaign.

What we are seeing right now is a transition from an experience stage - where companies and their brands were almost randomly posting content on Facebook and hoping to, ultimately, increase sales - to a stage where companies learned some of the effects of using social media from their own experience, and are now correctly targeting their consumers using the latest available technology and, most importantly, placing the consumer at the center of all attentions. By giving power to the consumer and the opportunity of interacting with your brand, you are giving him/her something that most of the pages are not giving to their communities - interactive entertainment. Real entertainment! Not just simply the one that makes a person "like" the page, but the one that is a worth a post on someone's wall with a label such as "Uau, check this page out!!".

What I have seen lately is the emergence of a couple of brands that are starting to use social media in an effective and appealing way. Here's 2 examples. Enjoy... and "like" it ;)

http://pleasurehunt.mymagnum.com/

http://www.youtube.com/desperados

Today's final thought - definition of customer-centric organization:

Describing an organization that is operated from a customer's point of view. Rather than developing new products and attempting to convince consumers to purchase them, a customer-centric firm listens to their customers and develops products and services their customers need.

The Prestige

"Now you're looking for the secret. But you won't find it because of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled"

Did you like Inception? Memento? What about Dark Knight? If so, you will love this movie.

This masterpiece from Christopher Nolan will make you believe in something that, in the end, will turn out to be quiet different from what you expect. Are you watching closely?

The movie tells the story of a rivalry between two men in chasing the ultimate magic trick. This rivalry is seeded by love, anger, jealousy and by the thirst of becoming better than the other. In the end, the ultimate illusion is performed by the one who successfully manages to live his whole life as a magician. His whole life.

This is one of those movies that have forum topics such as "What is the real meaning of the end scene of The Prestige??"


For sure one of the best movies I have seen so far. A must see!

El Orfanato

It's been a while since the last time I posted something around here, but i have been a bit busy getting my life back. Which i did! :)

So here is my movie selection for today: El Orfanato (The Orphanage).

This Spanish movie from 2007 was one of the most awarded international films of the year, and obviously won most of the Spanish awards as well, including 7 wins out of 14 nominations on the famous Goya Awards. Internationally, it was mostly awarded as best movie, actress (Belén Rueda), and director (Juan Antonio Bayona).

The movie is a stunning thriller about a women that moves with her family to her childhood home, an abandoned orphanage, with the intention of opening her own orphanage for handicap children. Soon things get pretty exciting as her son starts to communicate with a new (invisible) friend.

I must say I was very impressed with the movie. I particularly enjoyed the soundtrack - very good! gets into you from the first scene - as well as the particular way in which the movie is shot. Well done to the (very) young director Juana Antonio Bayona.

Here's the trailer. Enjoy ;)

Adidas is All In

Marketing is all about satisfying the needs of your target customers. Following the market trends of the society in several fields such as fashion and music. In the end, the ones that exceed what consumers expect and keep innovating will for sure succeed. Well done Adidas. Well done Justice.

Black Swan

And here it is, the "Movie of the Year"! (or at least that's what has been said about it... I still don t think it beats Inception :) )

Here are a few remarks from this very good movie..

1) Natalie Portman

To begin with, is brilliant, and it is almost for sure that she will win the academy award for best actress..
Nina (Portman) is a ballerina in a New York ballet company whose life is completely consumed with dance, and when Thomas Leroy (Cassel) gives her the main role in Swan Lake for their new season, her life starts to change. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. The movie soon catches you up as soon as Nina starts to obsessively perform the Black Swan character, which eventually consumes her inside and turns her life into a mess!
Take a close look at the final scene where she is dancing the Swan Lake.. Is that the sane actress dancing the Black Swan? Yes, it is.


2) Darren Aronofsky

A second remark for Mr. Darren Aronofsky, who once again directed a movie in a perfect way! After "Requiem for a Dream" and "The Wrestler" (which by the way are really good movies!), one could totally see that he would be the perfect choice for this movie. And he sure was.

3) Plot
The story of the movie is quiet simple, but behind it there is much more going one than one would expect. I love movies with unexpected endings, and although this one is not that much unexpected, it is definitely perfect!

How far would you go in pursuing your dreams? How strong do you believe it is possible to achieve them? And most importantly, what would you let go?

Presidential Elections in Portugal - A Foreign Perspective

Yesterday I followed carefully the news related to the election of the new President of Portugal. Without any surprise, Cavaco Silva will remain the President for another 5 years (53% of the votes). Also without any surprise, a couple of other things happened that marked these elections as another demonstration of incompetence of a country that I love, but also of a country that makes me sad.. specially now, seen from a foreign perspective.

Yesterday, a new system was tested in the whole country to facilitate people's votes. A new website was created that allowed a citizen to comfortably vote at home, without having to face long queues and the usual lack or organization of the places to exercise this right. Obviously, this didn't work out! The system "crashed" and everybody had to go to the usual places to vote. Together with this, the new electronic citizen's card (a truly remarkable card that puts together ID, tax no, social security no, health no., and also the old voter registration card ) also faced several problems leading a lot of people to give up voting and contributing to a turnout record number of 53,4% (the highest number ever seen)!

Well, if half of the population didn't vote, and half of the one that did vote for Cavaco, then with some simple math we conclude that 1/4 of the country wanted him to be elected. Nice!

Of course the turnout rate is not totally explained by these technical problems... This election took place amid a mounting debt crisis in Portugal. The country's economic problems have been compounded by sluggish growth and stringent labour laws that weaken business competitiveness. Unlike Greece, however, there has been no violent unrest in the streets. And unlike Ireland, where the economic crisis has led to a political near-collapse, its banks have not been exposed to toxic assets or property bubbles.

The president’s post is largely ceremonial but he does have the power to dismiss the prime minister and dissolve parliament without having to justify the decision.

The BBC's Alison Roberts reports from Lisbon that many on the left fear that, with a renewed mandate, a conservative president might be tempted before long to take such action in the hope of seeing the party he once led, the centre-right Social Democrats, return to government.

But after casting his vote in a chilly Lisbon, Cavaco Silva, a former economics professor who was prime minister from 1985 to 1995, said he did not want to speculate about that possibility.
“I am a president in favour of stability. I consider that it is very important for Portugal to have political stability to solve its problems,” he said.

This result is expected to ensure short-term political stability as the government fights to avoid an international financial bailout. However, my opinion is that everyday people care less and less about a possible change is the country's route. I see no hope on a beautiful country full of potential, but trapped under corruption, bad leaders, and no hope. As I usually say, the typical portuguese is happy as long as Benfica wins. The rest, doesn't matter that much.