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Great Success(ion)!

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Thursday, 24 May 2012 by

Today I sat in on my first law lecture with a friend who is a third year law student. It was a succession lecture and was to do with contesting of wills etc. I wanted to go in just to see if I'd be able to understand the language and what was going on...I am happy to report that I was more than capable of digesting what  was happening and I even had a good discussion with my friend about the topic afterward. Overall I'm really happy with how everything is going. I have a meeting with the law faculty next week where the no doubt will tell me that starting a semester two weeks late is not possible...But I think I'm going to do it anyway (I like  to live life on the edge, you see :P). I'm even going to apply for a part time job at a legal help call centre for undergrad law students! Fingers crossed.


Joe

Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company

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So...I'm going to law school. Bet you didn't see that coming! 

I don't know if its still socially acceptable to blog while being a law student but I'm going to do it any way. My limited research in the form of Google searches has found that there are no law related blogs that are student based, so I thought I might as well be the first. Hopefully someone can find comfort in the pain I no doubt will be going through in the next two years. I'm doing this course, and I'll be completing it by 2014 (hopefully) by throwing away my life and doing summer semesters.

So why? Because I feel marketing is a too volatile, especially in times of financial uncertainty. Which means that if things go pear shaped, then I'm left without a job, or at best I am employed on a contract. Neither of which are things I want, especially when planning for my long term future. I have always wanted to do law and now have the opportunity to do it, so I am. It's a bit of an unknown but the worst that can happen is that I bomb out and still have my B.bus (and I'll be a little poorer). 

Here's to the next chapter!

Joe



Goon from a fancy glass.

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Thursday, 22 March 2012 by



Best of Super Mario Balotelli

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Monday, 13 February 2012 by

"When you type 'Mario B' into google, 

I am favoured in the drop down menu over Mario Bros. 

That's how important I am"



In a league that lacks humor, it’s a breath of fresh air to see someone like Balotelli being a character again and showing a lighter side of the game. Here are 6 of the best Super Mario Moments:

1. What do you do when you’ve got a day off and a younger family member to entertain? Go to a womens prison of course! Mario drove his Mercedes Coupe into a women’s prison in Manchester, the officer explained that the pair were questioned for half an hour and said they were “especially curious at the fact it was a women’s prison”.
2. When a youngster asked for an autograph outside City’s training ground, Balotelli demanded to know why the boy was skipping school. After the child revealed he was being bullied, Balotelli drove the boy and his mother to the school in question so he could tackle the bully himself. He demanded to see the headmaster to make him aware of the issue and then mediated between the two boys to resolve the issue. A source said: “Mario feels strongly about bullying.”
3. Since moving to Manchester, Balotelli has racked up £10,000 in parking fines and had his white Maserati impounded 27 times. Once he was pulled over by the police who wanted to enquire why he had £25,000 in cash on his front seat. Balotelli retorted: “Because I can.”
4. After gambling at Manchester’s 235 Casino, Balotelli walked away with winnings of £25,000. Feeling generous, he gave a homeless man ‘with ginger dreadlocks and a beard’ £1,000.
5. When Mario spotted the prostitute Jenny Thompson, who was linked with Wayne Rooney, leaving the toilets of a restaurant, he chanted “Rooney, Rooney” before flicking a middle finger at her friends. He then offered to fight one of her entourage. At the same restaurant a beautiful WAG wannabe walked in. Balotelli shouted ‘Hey!’ with food tumbling out of his mouth. The WAG went over and without saying a word, Balotelli handed her his phone so she could input her number. Plaaaaaaya
6. Mario’s mum over from Italy, asks the cleaner if she has everything she needs. Cleaner: “No, I need all the practical things – iron etc.” Mario’s mum: “Where can we go to buy these things? Write me a list and we’ll go and buy it all” Cleaner: “John Lewis.” So Mario’s ma sends him & his mates to John Lewis with a shopping list in hand…Mario returns to the house 5 hrs later…empty-handed. Cleaner: “Where’s the iron, iron-board etc?” Then a big John Lewis van arrived…containing nothing from the shopping list but the following ‘practical items’: – giant trampoline, Scalextric, 2 Vespas, table tennis set’

It's not hip to be square

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Friday, 10 February 2012 by

I know this is a few years old, but I only just came across it and the idea behind it is as relevant as ever. So I thought it was too good not to share. Shreddies aren't a cereal most Australians are familiar with, but it is a great example that shows that the intangible is now becoming even more important than the tangible!

Shreddies for those of you don't know are a cereal made from shredded wheat, made into a lattice pattern as shown below.
In 2008 their maker Kraft, decided that they wanted to totally change their product as sales had been on the decline for a number of years. The key there is that they wanted to change the product i.e. the tangible good. They jumped to this because that's what marketers have done for the past 100 years. They have made average products, for average people and then put these on mass media channels where advertisers would come up with meaningful prose about the product in order to convince everyone to buy it. So, naturally if there is a decline in sales even with varied (even if slight) campaigns, then it must be the fault of the product. BUT we live in a time poor world where people don't want to be interrupted unless it is by something truly remarkable. So, when Kraft went to Ogilvy&Mather and said we want to change our product a young intern who was given the account said "no, no, no". What this intern wanted to do was to change the intangible perception of the product. Therefore making it cheaper than redevelopment of a new product and much more remarkable, because only the most cutting edge brands were doing it!

The result? 
Yep..really. That happened! Pure, raw, simplistic marketing genius!
He rotated the Square-shaped Shreddie by 45 degrees, turning it into a diamond rather than one square, and calling the new product "Diamond Shreddies." Real-life market research videos that you can view by clicking here show people finding the diamond shape to be "better," "crunchier," and "more flavourful." All this was done without changing Shreddies in design, formulation, size or any other way.

Cue marketing induced salivation.

But naturally the original had its fans and they weren't happy with this change...
There...much better. Everyone's happy now.
This shows how to perfectly add intangible added value without changing the product in the slightest! In a world where companies are still making average products for average people, but people are too time poor for average and demand remarkable things, it's no wonder that Shreddies were able to so brilliantly cut through clutter and redefine a brand...without changing anything but perception.

Always be cool, interesting and sophisticated.
Joe

Maslow = Life consuming

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Wednesday, 8 February 2012 by


Because Maslow must be incorporated into every facet of a marketer's life.


Social Media Venn diagram

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Who ever said Venn diagrams can't be fun?!



That's a Wrap!

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Thursday, 17 November 2011 by

125 attendees, 570 litres of beer, 13 Speakers (including one that flew in from Colorado), 4 commercial brewers, a live link up with the States,a four course meal with after-dinner entertainment and a heap of give aways.A whirlwind 24 hours that I can not describe to you without swearing in joy! 
The Queensland Homebrewing Conference was a true display of the skills that QLD brewers posses. There was delicious beers on offer made by QLD hands and great insights from local brewers into the world of water chemistry, competition brewing, recipe formulation and even how to grow hops at home in the QLD climate. There was of course some outside help with John Carroll from White Labs Yeasts coming to address the conference (in what was a highlight of the day for many attendees), representatives from Bintani and Hop Products Australia and some commercial brewers from interstate all who added their great part to the day. 

As both Brews News Editor Matt Kirkegaard and the Courier Mail's Rory Gibson said, it was daunting to think about just how much brewing talent had descended on Southbank over the weekend. But the really special part of that was that all of us that were attending, were so like minded that conversations about brewing and about beer were easily struck up, no matter our backgrounds. I personally met a group of really  top blokes at the pre-drinks on Friday night and we had a ball talking about our brewing, different craft beer and all while tasting some exquisite beers. I had never met them before, I may never meet them again; but that isn't the point.

My new friends enjoying a Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel


The point is that brewing and beer are things that can really bring a group of people together, the great thing about having those conversations with other brewers is that they are different conversations than those I have written about having previously. It wasn't a conversation explaining craft beer and it's qualities. Nor was there a need for explanation of the flavours that we should or shouldn't taste in the beers that we were drinking. No. It is much deeper than that, when you're talking about beers with other, like minded brewers. You stick your nose in the glass (no explaining why we need to do this like when you're with uninitiated friends), you take a mouthful and you look at each other and just know. No words are needed because brewers just get it. They rub their hands together or they smile and nod. They get what is good and they get what is bad in a beer and more importantly, they know WHY. That is what is truly unique about brewers.



Another really awesome moment was at the conference beer and food matching dinner on Saturday night. The dinner itself was a great experience and something that I would love to do again soon. It was held at Decks restaurant, which is a beautiful fine dining venue in the heart of Southbank. In total juxtaposition to these surroundings, sitting on top of the restaurant's bar was a great big keg of home brew. I saw it as I looked up from reading the dismal Decks 'beer' list and had a chuckle to myself, thinking "If you won't provide decent beer, then we shall bring our own!" 






















The weekend was full of little experiences like this, that made it a wonderful experience overall. That's why I think it has to happen again next year in some form. Now that it has been done, and done so well, the think tank of like minded brewers is what good beer in QLD really needs to keep going forward at the rate that it is; without the brewers, there is no beer. Until then, keep talking about it to everyone you know so that we have more brewers in attendance next time! For more information visit the QHC website.


Always be cool, interesting and sophisticated.
Joe

It's All Red

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Sunday, 2 October 2011 by

The Merseyside Derby last night was a cracker! Obviously because the red half of Liverpool had a good win. It feels slightly empty as I would prefer to see them do it against a full strength, 11-man Everton. But...really, who cares. A win is a win. We played patient football and in the end were rewarded with a solid 2-0 score line from Carroll & Suarez. Just on Carroll, there was a lot of talk at half time about him being AWOL...Hopefully that goal shut everyone up. It's not about the moments where you're not in the fray, its about the moments that you are, and what you do with the opportunities presented. It was a hard 1st 45 for Andy as he was just getting lame long balls consistently played to him where he had to contest the 50/50 header over and over.  Once Stevie G and Bellamy were introduced, the game became more focused on playing the ball on the deck and Bellamy's penetration down the flanks meant that Carroll was freed to capitalise on their hard work! The lesson there is that proper Joga Bonito football always wins at the end of the day! As for Rodwell's sending off? I'm a bit of a filthy player when I come on to the pitch, so I guess that's why I think that it was a great challenge that wasn't even deserved of a free kick. But, even if it was, I can't see a yellow in it, let alone the huge jump up to the red! A bad mistake from a poorly positioned, top ref.


Along with the great result, there were a few very interesting stats that came out of the game:


•  After Rodwell's dismissal in the 23rd minute, Liverpool wore down Everton. In the 48 minutes between the red card and Suarez's goal in the 82nd minute, Everton had five stretches where it failed to complete a pass in the attacking third for at least five minutes.

• Defender Leighton Baines was the only Everton player to make any real forward progress against Liverpool. Baines completed 21 passes into the attacking third. No other Everton player had more than nine.
• Dirk Kuyt missed a penalty kick for Liverpool in the 44th minute. Liverpool has missed both of its penalty kicks this season. Suárez missed the other penalty in Liverpool's opening weekend draw against Sunderland. Kuyt goes bottom right in the majority of his penalty kicks.
• Referee Martin Atkinson handed out his fourth red card in seven EPL matches this season, which leads all referees. Atkinson also led the EPL in red cards last season with 11.


Overall it was a great game and a typically passionate derby. For full highlights, see here.




Always be cool, interesting and sophisticated.
Joe

I hate beer. There, I said it!

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Wednesday, 7 September 2011 by

Well, at least that’s what I USED to say. My development as a beer lover has come a long way in such a short time. Up until six months ago, I refused to touch beer. I would go out with friends and they would all have it, but not me. “Scotch and coke, that’s me…beer is gross, I hate it” was the mantra I abode by for upward of about 3 years from when I first started to drink in late high school. I just hated the stuff, it was bitter, watery and full of bubbles that meant after two or three you were so bloated you felt sick. 
But then, my oldest brother, a contract brewer, gave me early versions of his now successful beer 4 Degrees Pale Ale. He wanted me to taste and let me know what I thought. I guess he figured I was an 18 year old who would try anything remotely alcoholic and give honest feedback. But, I put it off for ages…I hated beer. Then, one night about a year ago, I decided to bite the bullet and just try the stuff. I didn’t smell it, I didn’t read the label that told me what I should or shouldn’t taste, like I would now. I just drank and it changed everything. I could taste flavour! Actual flavour! Passion fruit, citrus, hops, malt…It was all there and it was nothing like I had ever had in a beer before. The subsequent launch of that beer was a night where I drank so much of the stuff that I actually can’t remember the taste. But that was just me being a supportive brother, not because I had an outrageous love for beer…not yet anyway.  
What did lead to my love for beer that night was me getting a job at Brewers Choice. Having this job has exposed me to a whole new world that I didn’t even know existed. You speak to and read things written by people who are just so enthusiastic about beer that you can help but get swept up in it all. I think that’s the best bit about the beer that we all enjoy. Sure it tastes pretty damn awesome, but it’s the even better story that goes with it all. This past weekend, I found myself telling my friends that “This beer is from the oldest brewery in the world, you should taste banana, clove and zesty citrus fruits with yeasty notes of bread and grain” (That was a Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier for all of you following at home). For me, this is now a pretty regular occurrence. My close friends look to me when we go out, to find them something interesting to drink and tell them some awesome story about what’s in it or where it’s from. That’s a far cry from refusing to drink beer, not that long ago. Now, I’m no expert (most of the time I just read the bottle before I give it to them), but the point is that this world of good craft beer is SO interesting that it’s downright selfish if you’re not doing the same, with your friends. Even if you’re a brewer, you have the opportunity to sit down with your friends and tell them the story behind how you made the beer. The character of the hops you use, the type of malt and even the specific yeast strain. 
I understand that not everyone is into this sort of thing and may think of it in the same realm as wine drinker snobbery. But I don’t think drinkers of good beer deserve the same snob title as wine drinkers. I don't see myself as one of them, I still drink a XXXX if its presented to me at a friend's home. Plus, you don’t need to learn French, you don’t need an overly complex and sensitive palate to enjoy yourself and you don’t need to drink it in the gentleman’s club or restaurant at $40 a glass. What you need is simple. Enthusiasm. Beer is a lot more down to earth, which is why the people who drink it are so much more approachable than wine drin(wan)kers. Just be happy, enthusiastic and tell the amazing stories that go with beer and together we too can introduce beer philistines like my previous self to this fun and delicious world of craft beer.




Always be cool, interesting and sophisticated.
Joe

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