Olympic Gold
For many countries, hosting the Olympics is not just a source of pride, but a shot in the arm economically. This, however, also incurs a hefty cost in the construction of infrastructure and employment of security personnel, etc… China spent 40 billion dollars on the 2008 games. If you look at most of the venues familiar to many from those games now, they look dilapidated, vacant, and are a constant eyesore in central Beijing.
This got me thinking, how many former sites still have pristine facilities that take advantage of the quality workmanship that is associated with international competition. Does Atlanta's Olympic Park still have the same draw that it once did, or is it too in shambles? Do the Olympics offer the financial boon they once did, or is it merely a money pit, that gives your nation international exposure? Food for thought.
For those of you who haven't seen the photo before, there is a picture taken in 2012 of the baseball stadium facilities that once stood in central Beijing. They were constructed 4 years ago specifically for the games, and now seem deserted and occupied by stray dogs.
Fact Where There’s Only Fiction
As we continue our pursuit to set a new bar for our industry, I too relate to the main protagonist in this series who is “on a mission to civilize”. And I suppose it should not be surprising when people we encounter are confused by this approach, but it is a little saddening when someone doesn't understand your business model when you say, “we are not looking to take advantage of you”. I kid you not; people can't quite seem to get how we could operate with this mentality. It's an explanation I'm all too ready to share every time I meet with a prospective client.
Competitive rates and good work do not need to be at odds with one another. At the same time, just because something costs a lot, doesn't necessarily mean it's the best. Take a page from the creators of the Newsroom and give yourself a second look at the processes of those around you. In business – notice quality of content and attention to detail, these things are most important. Money is how we all survive; yes, but don't judge a book by what it costs. And, furthermore, just because people aren't talking about it yet, doesn't mean they won't… it could simply be because they haven't heard of it yet. Let's civilize up folks and start getting things done right.
Hostels
When I was skiing in the Andes, I stayed virtually in the middle of nowhere, outside a town called Uspallata. It cost me 270 pesos for 3 nights lodging (50 dollars American). Breakfast was free every morning, there were bike rentals, horseback riding in the mountains, BBQ every night. Hostels seem to have the lowdown on all the activities around the area.
As I write this, I'm staying in a very posh hostel in the nice area of Buenos Aires called Recoleta. I pay about 14 dollars per day to stay here and I'm very impressed. We have a pool table, a large screen TV, a bar downstairs, a music room, a lounge, a kitchen, and more. The front desk has organized an international meet and greet tonight that includes libations, food, etc… all for just 20 dollars.
In short, hostelling is a great way to get to know other travelers around the world and experience the area without breaking the bank. I will be home from South America in two days, and I look forward to warmer weather. Ciao for now.
The Foreign Nature of Foreign Marketing
Case in point… The first advertisement that stood out to me in Italy was a HUGE ad for shopping mall outlet stores (keeping in mind that the entire ad was in English – which is a completely different topic altogether) it was on a drop cloth, suspended in the beautiful San Marco Square in Venice. It was brought to my attention due to my mother's complaints that the gigantic poster was taking away from the beauty of the square. She asked why anyone, in their right mind, would drape an enormous ad over the front of such a beautiful and historic building… I then noticed, as we looked closer, it appeared they were doing some restoration work on the building, so the facade was already covered. But this brings be to my point… the advertisers took this opportunity to use the already covered space and pay, what I can only assume would have been an exorbitant amount of money, to place their “English targeted” ad in the most touristy spot in Venice. Good show indeed – but interesting tactics – no room for your regular billboards there. With all that being said, I actually found myself almost ignoring the ad due to its size alone. And due to the fact that the square is so beautiful, my eyes were hardly drawn to the gaudy draping down at the end.
One effort that did catch my eye, however, was a picture hanging in one of the restaurants. It was a splendid example of a company using the surroundings to impart their message, in an entertaining and intriguing way – instead of an 'in your face' large draping that covers up half a building side. The black and white photograph showed San Marco Square (known for its many pigeons) with the large words Coca Cola, somehow shaped on the ground in the middle of the square. It was only when I looked closer, that the words were in fact spelled out by, none other than, the pigeons themselves! Coca Cola, cleverly, must have spread out bird feed so precisely, to entice these birds to do their flash mob style bidding. Now, that is resourceful advertising. No wonder Coke is the only American made soft drink I saw when in Italy…
Stay tuned for more observations from abroad…
Ciro Lavadenz, Thank You
Ciro is probably the most generous and accommodating man that I've had the pleasure of meeting. He possesses an intricate working knowledge of logistics, finance, and international business. Without his guidance, my experience here would have certainly been a different one.
Ciro, I thank you, sir on behalf of all of us that had the pleasure of making your acquaintance. I will take back the many lessons learned here (business and otherwise) and incorporate them into all that I do. In me, you have a friend for life, and should you ever find yourself in Jacksonville, I will ensure that you will have a phenomenal time.