Weekend

Thanks

Today was a culmination of a couple of really bad months with some substandard decisions. But a couple of things helped. Thanks Cristi for the smoothies [they came in just right] and also thanks Bogdan for the phone call :-)

Also, I must mention the great guys at frufru who helped smoothen down my day with their lovely promo, featured here

Good books to read

Guy's book "Rules for Revolutionaries" is packed with the best suggestions for further readings.

Here are some I selected:
Donald Norman, The Design of Everyday Things
Barbara W. Tuchman, The March of Folly, from Troy to Vietnam
Thomas Nagle and Reed Holden, The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing: A Guide to Profitable Decision Making

[as an interesting aside, the pricing book costs 55 in paperback and 28 in hardback :-) pricing strategy, huh?]

Speaking at AdBreak

I am going to AdBreak to speak about being a jury for the EUROEffies and hopefully not get pulled into some silly RoEffies debate :-)
Wednesday at Music Club.

Weekend round-up

Some stuff happening over the weekend:

- Toolbox non-TV - I will be doing my evangelism presentation as part of this event; the presentation will also be posted here soon

- a couple of colleagues are thinking of setting up an Effie advisory committee to train jurors into the tricks of Effie case writing - this obviously begs the observation that the Romanian Effies are starting to go down the path of Ad'Or, our own creative festival, today in disgrace from having become a cesspool of ghosts and mis-judging. I find it disheartening that, even with the odds being basically about advertising (!!!), people still like to play these improper games.

- rumors about major agency losing a newly appointed head of Client Service and Strategy to the local branch of a network. To be confirmed Monday.

- am clearly on my way to accomplishing one of this year's resolutions: went planner dog "scouting" and came across this little darling. Unfortunately, he was taken but I am reassured that there are more like him :-) more pics on my flickr page

- Kylie concert was decent (though not exceptional)

- Have realized I need help to make this blog look like something readable so anyone willing to help with the design, I am open to suggestions for fees and such :-)

Party tonight

Am going to Olimpiadele Comunicarii awards and party tonight. Hope to see you all there.

LATER EDIT: why did they keep advertising all the way at the end? anyway, great to see all the teams there and I really enjoyed the show. Plus, to the team who worked on BRD - truly that was a nutsqueeze brief, so you did great. John O'Groat team, drop a word, would really like to talk to you guys.
:-)

Help! (LATER: SOLVED)

LATER UPDATE: I love people, someone just sent me a ticket! wohoooo, interesting here I come!





I am forgetful and silly and that is why this year I have not been able to get a ticket for Russell's Interesting2008. So, because I would feel bad to call him directly and ask I am submitting this plea on my blog: PLEASE HELP ME GET AN INTERESTING TICKET! If you have an extra one, know where I can negotiate for one or know someone who's had a stroke and cannot go, I am your girl [bamby eyes]

A less exalted view of advertising

I work in an industry where "exaltation" is a keyword. We get passionate about things regular people couldn't care less. So, somehow, this article written by a CD strikes a chord [sorry, only RO]

Blinterviews - Yahoo has a person in Romania

Now I get why Microsoft has such a hard time with Yahoo, apart from everyone saying the MS are suckers and they should not get their paws on Yahoo.

Yahoo people are extremely difficult negotiators from the bottom up. So it goes with Yahoo's Romanian community manager, Bobby Voicu, whom I have asked a gazillion years ago to answer some questions for me in the blinterviews series [since everyone was head over heel on his being appointed Yahoo Ro community manager]. While bargaining over what to answer and what not, when to answer, what qualifies as Thursday (one nanosecond before 12 still does if the server records it correctly ) a lot of people have asked him bunches of decent questions. Find some of the info here and here.

So, to break the chain of decency here's my flash questionnaire which revealed that, basically, Bobby is a practical man of modesty and exceptionally bad orientation skills when it comes to bowel movements.

Enjoy

Me: What do you do as a regional Yahoo person?
BV: The same as before being a Yahoo. Which many would say is nothing.

Me: What was the hardest question they asked you when you were interviewed?
BV: Where is the toilet? (I had no idea, since we were in Istanbul, in a building I have never been to)

Me: Why does Yahoo stand a chance?
BV: Because they have me.

Me: When do you think Yahoo lost the Yaaaaa and got stuck at the hooo?
BV: Really?

Me: Why don't you own a Mac?
BV: I don't get the double tap.

Me: Would you have taken the job if Microsoft's offer had gone through?
BV: Yeah. I would have been a Yahoo for at least 5 more years, before they would have remembered Romania.

Me: Why is Yahoo Romania more interesting now?
BV: Again, they have me.

Me: How will you make it more interesting?
BV: Just by being there.

Me: Does your contract come with a company car?
BV: Yeap. On the key chain.

Me: What color business cards do you get?
BV: Purple and white. Like Seth Godin's cow.

Today was not a great day for science

Today my best friend is leaving Romania for a long trip. His idea is to try not to come back. So I am pretty down because, despite connectivity and the flat world and internet and all that, I will not get to sit down with him for a drink and kick him underneath the table when he embarrasses me in front of other people by making fun of my shoes or earrings.

Today was not a good day for science. Because all the science in the world cannot replace closeness.

:-(

Effie Tag

Got tagged by IQads blog to answer the question: who writes the brief of effectiveness for Effies?

Since I sense a tidal wave of "it's teamwork between all those involved" I'll just keep it simple here: that person or persons who feel they "own" the project, they have nurtured it and know most about it. Sometimes it's just the planner, sometimes it's just the CS, sometimes (you rock Serban) it's just the creative, sometimes it's a team. There are no boundaries or set responsibilities because advertising is a blurry field.

Google analytics

LATER EDIT: okay, I am obviously autistic. Analytics homepage has HUGE ad saying some data was lost and is being recovered, apologies blah blah. So forget the post below.

I have some Analytics issues: although I get comments to my posts, sometimes analytics does not register the visits. Can this happen? Can people post comments and still not get counted in by GA?