Will the face that has the global footprint of the Jamaican brand make a difference in growing the tourism sector?
I shared that I would give you my opinion of the effectiveness of these spots. I delayed to do some small scale market research asking Jamaicans and non-Jamaicans their opinion of the commercials.
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The Jamaicans shared patriotic enthusiasm about the commercials, while I found a lukewarm response from non-Jamaicans.
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In a three way race between the Bolt commercial, the Geico Caveman (The Insurance guy), and the Geico creature, it is very doubtful if the Bolt commercial would get the bronze.
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How would one explain the difference?
Let me give you some background on what’s happening in advertisement. A dramatic change has taken place in the landscape of promotion. 2007 is viewed as a milestone year in the field of advertisement.
2007 is regarded as the year internet marketing became fully mainstreamed.
Don’t believe me. Just think of the devices and services we deploy to avoid ads. Newspapers are dropping like flies as the newspaper ads are not working thanks to internet sites such as Craigslist.
We have DVR to watch TV on our own terms.
We shut out tele-marketers by registering our phone numbers on do not call lists.
No longer do folks depend on unsolicited ads to make their purchasing decisions.
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80% of folks go to the web and do their research on products.
A snapshot on how traditional ads forms are rapidly receding.
The Superbowl is the only TV forum where we look forward to TV commercials and these commercials are tied into a web and social media presence.
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There is a unspoken memo floating around that seem to have not reached the Jamaican Tourist Board. The memo’s basic message:
Beware Being Invisible!
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Deploying a TV only ad strategy is a means of ignoring this clear wisdom.
In an attention-challenged world, you better build a community that will promote your unique value proposition.
So which color would you rather be?
Suppose your promotion was such that people seek you out because you delivered credible message on how to have memorable vacations?
Eagerly open every message you sent them about visiting Jamaica?
The search engines automatically send the Jamaican tourist web sites traffic of new customers for free.
What would it mean to get free word of mouth referrals from folks who have become evangelists of our land of endless summer?
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So, we had one of the most recognizable faces on the planet in the person of Usain Bolt. How do you deploy such a key asset?
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So how do I rate the Bolt commercial?
A great commercial comprises of three key components.
Command attention – Bolt did his job to arrest attention, but who wants to run on their vacation?
Communicate a relevant message -Muddled at best, did not detect a clear audience target.
Compel more sales through a great offer- Did I miss something here?
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Bottom line – these ads are clearly awareness pieces which as so old school in this new era of social media.
So what would this analyst use to set this key portion of the Jamaican economy on fire?
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let me share some basic principles.
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The Jamaican brand will prosper when it bridges a gap inside the consumers mindset of where they are now and where they want to be. From the craziness of their office to our relaxing beach paradise. Social media can help build that bridge.
The Jamaican brand need advocates to spread the word – nothing better than social media for recommendations, and viral sharing.
The Jamaican brand need to communicate at all levels and to all emotions.An evolving media mix will be the fix.
The Jamaican brand need to listen, that appropriate message adjustments can be made. Reputation management is key in the new online arena.
The Jamaican brand need to be consistent and constant in their consumers lives. Think daily tweets , posts, and blogs.
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As the global economy continue to slip and slide, the tourist industry that does its best in engaging the consumer ; building and nurturing an on-line relationship will be able to prosper in this uncertain economy.
You remember that penetrating question asked at the beginning of the 10 O’clock news?
“Do you know where your child is?”
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Well, parents today, take no comfort in knowing where your child is, know what they are doing during their evenings. Are they watching American idol or are they doing something to truly enhance their future? I truly say this as this Wednesday; they will have a clear choice. They can watch American idol, or they can participate in World Maths Day 2010.
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Come off it Chris you may say, our kids need a life! If they do they better nurture their geek. Folks, our economy increasingly going forward will reward those who can add value through their critical thinking skills, who get their innovation on. The fundamental tool to realize this is math.
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Many students wonder if they’ll ever really need to know how to use the quadratic equation or find the volume of a cone. Not realizing how useful math can be, some choose to only fulfill the minimum requirements that their high schools requires. This can be a mistake, and here are several reasons.
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The College Board has discovered that students who take geometry in high school have about an 80 percent chance of attending college regardless of race, religion and family income.
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Taking math is important if you’re considering attending a college, university or technical school. Many of these institutions require students to take at least two to three years of math; however, four years of math is strongly recommended.
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You not only need to take math so you can have it on your transcript, you also need math skills for standardized tests such as the SATs and ACT. You need to take these tests to qualify for admission as well. Your math skills will also be useful once you begin attending a college or university.
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The skills that you learn in math courses may be applicable down the line, even if you are not studying to become an engineer or an accountant. Here are some of the benefits.
-The ability to identify and analyze patterns
-Logic and critical thinking skills
-Ability to see relationships
-Problem solving skills.
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My kids will share that they may have preferred going to the dentist rather than having a math tutoring session with me. I wish I had a tool like the world math day to soften my approach and make this fun. Find a way of introducing your kids to math in a fun way.
The global yearning we all face is that of finding and investing in trusted, and true leadership. Yes leadership that will tackle the Goliath-size challenges we face, provide solutions based in principle rather than misplaced hope.
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Well, there is a young man with David-like courage that has raised his hands to say put me in the battle, I think I can make a difference. He is:
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Sylbourne Sydial, a new Goliath slayer
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Sylbourne was recently selected to run for Councilor in Catford South Lewisham for the conservative party.Election day is May 6, 2010.
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This town is a very diverse community and he is dedicated to provide effective representation to those who are at the margins of society, who do not even have a slingshot, much less any rocks to slay the monster problems they face. He is well regarded for his body of work on behalf of the Jamaican community. He founded an independent think tank, Facilitators for a better Jamaica (FFBJ) in 2003.
Dominic Geive, the Conservative Shadow justice secretary boldly declared Sylbourne’s record of promoting integration and involvement and is confident in Sylbourne being a positive difference maker for those who he will serve.
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Simon Woolley, director and commissioner of the Equality and Human Opportunity rights body shared similar from his involvement in the Operation Black Vote (OBV) initiative, and highlighting his unquestioned commitment to social and racial justice.
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Like most folks, my level of cynicism has risen for those in the political arena as I see promises turn to midnight pumpkins once they are elected. I wanted to find out for myself how solid this candidate was, thus an interview.
I have taken a few days to digest what Sylbourne shared in this insightful interview. Here is my reflection.
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That famous George Bernard Shaw sentiment echoes in my head when I listen to and observe Sylbourne in our virtual community on Facebook.
You see things; and you say, “Why?” But I dream things that never were; and I say “Why not?”
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I then applied my personal definition of exceptional leadership.
Informed Passion + Emotional Intelligence = Great Leadership.
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Does the candidate possess the passion to change a community and do they display the self-awareness and the emotional intelligence to monitor and manage their responses, and build power to realize change ?.
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Too often, we make a choice for a candidate based on his/her personal appearance or the eloquence of his/her speech, or some label we use to sterotype folks. Suppose we used the stoutness and integrity of his/her heart as the metric. Would that make a difference? My hope is that the folks of Catford would use this new metric and get a winning representative for their town.
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I have a good feel about Sylbourne Sydial. I have a great sense that Sylbourne has several smooth stones to defeat the Goliaths in Catford and beyond.
“I believe that we, as humans,collectively can make the world a better place”.
I was on the phone with a friend a few nights back when they nearly deafen me as they yelled, “Bolt is on TV”!
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Yes, Usain Bolt is staring in several 30 second television commercials as part of Jamaica’s “Once You Go, You Know” tourism promotion.
Usain Bolt, Promoting the Jamaican Brand
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I was able to catch all three commercials on CNN.
The first commercial features Bolt running throughout Jamaica, but does not make much progress because he pauses to take in the view after every few steps.
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In “Speed,” the second commercial, he runs past a series of landscapes to the song “One Love”.
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And in the third, called “Pose,” a series of everyday Jamaicans imitate his famous “lightning bolt” pose.
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The budget for this endeavor was $US1.5M.Our patriotic hero did not charge a penny for his involvement.
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So, I know this swells our pride on both our Island and our hero.
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Take a look at the finished product, invite your friends to take a look see, and share the impact you think these spots will have on Jamaica’s tourist industry.
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I have a surprising observation, which I will share next week.
Don’t want to bias you.
So, click on the comment section below and let me hear from you!
The current White house stays on the cutting edge of communication especially to the smart phone crowd.
The White House just released a new applicationfor the iPhone and iPod touch (work with any internet-enabled mobile device, including BlackBerry and Android is in the works).
This White House application is packed with:
News releases from the press room,
Photos of what the President is up to, and
Archived videos of presidential events
Live video streaming that lets users watch press briefings, Presidential addresses, and other media events in real-time.
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So what in heaven’s thinking would lead to this idea?
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Well, here is a couple for your consideration.
The perceived transparency of the government would go up.
The buzz would be favorable and raise our perception of the leading edge Island.
In an increasingly Apps-based world, our youngsters will be inspired to use their IT skills in a forward looking way rather than the commodity programming they may be involved in.
Imagine the wealth that could be produced from an ingenious application.
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” Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
Punxsutawney is a sleepy little town that I would pass through at least twice a year in accompanying my daughters to their camp site in western Pennsylvania.
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The quiet of the town on most days than February 2 is deceptively simple, but provides a powerful marketing magnet for the entrepreneural-minded.
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Groundhog day is based on a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of weather lore. It goes like this. If the groundhog sees no shadow, he will leave his burrow, which is a sign of an early Spring. If he does not see his shadow, alas 6 more weeks of dreaded winter.
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Well these folks in little Puxsutawney has leveraged this tradition of February into a economic bonanza. They get global press, sell stuffed animals, have a museum, sell special burgers, and maintian a groundhog club with officers and all. There is even a lottery spin-off the groundhog in Pennsylvania.
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You know they have gained success when they have attracted the attention of PETA, the animal advocacy group. PETA was trying to disrupt this fine tradition and encourage the club to adopt an electronic Phil instead of the real deal. Well, the club told PETA to get stuffed to put it politely.
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As Jamaicans, we look for special opportunities and seize the day. This is one to my knowledge we have not explored as yet. Here is my thinking on the idea.
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Suppose the Jamaican Tourist board:
Establish sister city relationship with Pauxsutawney.
Offer the mayor of Punxsutawney a week-end visit to Jamaica.
Develop our own, Phil, a mongoose (dressed in a bikini. let me take that back, not pc).
The Jamaican Phil would declare endless Summer in Jamaica and invite the Pa Phil to come on down!
We could thus transform the mongoose from a nuisance to a tourist icon.
We would have a new tourist asset to brand Jamaica and differentiate it from its competitors.
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Ja-Phil
So, you think I am crazy, wait this you see an ad from another Island on the Superbowl stealing these ideas.
It’s never too late to decide how you want to start the year off and what kind of impact you want to make in 2010.
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As we crawl out of this economic down turn, we will see a changed job landscape, one in which former jobs will not be returning. Some will remain in denial and adopt an attitude of wishful thinking – like wishing our innocence prior to 9/11 would just return.
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We are thus faced with a consequential decision. Let me share it like this
Innovate or die
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One of the marvelous gifts of the human mind is the ability to anticipate. Moms practice this gift in so many ways as they negotiate the burdens of life. The moms of Bangladesh provide a testimony of folks faced with dire economic situation, who partner with the Grameen bank, to realize very promising results for themselves and their families.
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This is somewhat historic as success on a family level rarely earns the wealth and respect that business accomplishment brings.We are however faced with a changed landscape, where the Internet is enabling possibilities that were not dreamed about before.
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There is a entrepreneur whose work I have followed for the past several years . Here name is MaryEllen Tribby. She is launching a new company focused on supporting women who want to make a difference through their innovation skills. She is offering a free book that is chock ful of many insights to support working moms.
Just imagine if the inheritors of the Biblical Wise men were going to travel to Jamaica instead of Bethlehem.
They too will look to the heavens for guidance, but this guidance would be delivered in a new way. They would take advantage of the Caribbean’s first GPS navigation system, dubbed JAMNAV.
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These wise men would avoid having to run into the criminal element, and they would be able to find houses of faith , along with their favorite foods, gas stations, ATM, and all the amenities needed for safe, comfortable travel with no unwanted drama.
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These wise men would have a a special team of Jamaicans to thank for putting in place the capability. These are the folks from the Mona GeoInformatics Institute. This is a team that sparkle with the ingenuity of any silicon valley brain trust.
In ascending row order: Dr Parris Lyew-Ayee, Karen McIntyre & Dr Ava Maxam, Letitia Jacob & Shaniqueka Grant, Rochelle Branche, Lisa-Gaye Webb, Keisha Josephs & Rhona Wills, Alexander Grennell, Valerie Hoo-Fatt, Cedric Palmer, Jean-Mark Wright, Robert Robinson, Paul Greene, Cecil Reid
“Wow, you sure have great customer service. This is great! Thank you again for all your help. Your customer service skills are second to none. Very much appreciated. more friends will be purchasing
It has been said that laughter is the best medicine. But be cautious with that adage as Joan Hutchinson usually will have you in stitches!
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However, there is much brawta in her presentations as she also delivers a high sense of cultural heritage and pride like no other.
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But let’s not underestimate Joan as “just a comic” – although she certainly is one of the most prolific Jamaican humorists of all time.
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Joan Hutchinson is a fantastic entrepreneur who is building a profession on the strength of her personality, intuition, innovation, drive, and determination.
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In addition, she presides over a business encompassing authorship, professional
speaking, plays, and television projects fueled by her incessant invention of self and boundless creativity.
The latest demonstration of her ingenuity can be found in her latest work,
Kin Teet Kibba Heart Bun
The book and the CD document the creative and resourceful practices of ‘not so well off’ Jamaicans in the past, as they found interesting ways to survive and raise their families on a shoe string budget.
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The book and CD will be released a few days before Christmas.
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Many Jamaicans who grew up ‘poor’ did not realize that they were supposed to have been poor, until later in life they realized what they did not have.
The experience of growing up with people who knew how to ‘tun yuh han meck fashion’ and ‘tan pon crooked cut straight’, taught us all how to survive hard times, skills which are proving very useful at this time.
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Jamaican parents wasted nothing, and were guided by the principle that everything has a second purpose. We carried half exercise book and half pencil to school, used newspaper to stuff big shoes and then cut out the toe when they became tight, used and reused tea bags, converted butter tubs and plastic containers to dishes, ate condensed milk and bread, and learnt very early to make our own toys.
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Girls whose parents could not afford dolls converted a coconut, an ear of corn, a tuft of grass or a mango seed to their ‘dolly baby, and boys made fish tanks from old car batteries, raced board horse in dirty water and played cricket with coconut bough and green orange.
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Do you think you can learn a thing or two from Joan?
The last week of November brought a slew of great headlines from Mandeville Jamaica.
First there was the story of Northern Caribbean University (NCU) being awarded a grant by Siemens of $120M (US) for software and infrastructure to enable some 21st. century work .
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This was a historic moment for any school of higher learning in the Caribbean. Swiftly on the heels of this announcement was the story of a research project to fully understand the cancer defeating agent found in our popular drink , sorrel.
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We as Jamaicans have been euphoric about the historic performance of our athletic teams in China and Berlin. I am just as elated by the campus of brains that NCU represent. I am indebted to Marva McIntosh, president of the NCU alumni organization in metropolitan Washington to afford me the opportunity to get an interview with one of the chief architects at NCU , Dr. Andel Bailey. Dr Bailey is a key strategist that will ensure this campus take full advantage of this enormous gift..
Siemens awards NCU a key IT Grant
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(L-R) Dr. Paul Gyles, Dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences NCU, Keitho Nembhard, Siemens representative in Jamaica, Tord Dennis Product Marketing Manager of Siemens, Mrs. Erica Simmons, Global Marketing Manager, Energy and Utility, Dr. Herbert Thompson, NCU President, and Dr. Andel Bailey, Chair, Mathematics and Engineering department NCU
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Dr. Bailey , chair of the Mathematics & Engineering Departments was gracious to spend some time with us to speak about the implication of this grant.
You would think the Dr. Bailey would display a chest beating attitude. On the contrary, Dr. Bailey exhibited a sharing spirit, where this entire learning community shares in the blessing.
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He also revealed a key ingredient to the sustained success of his institution. Technical competence is needed to be considered in a competitive workplace.
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However, there is a critical X factor is the moral development of each student that gives them a solid framework to wholesomely engage the world in which they live.
Ever heard of emotional intelligence? Trust, honesty, self control, caring for others,managing stress, being able to work collaboratively are traits that employers seek in their people.
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In a survey of executives in Talent Magazine last month, growing trust was again the #1 executive skill required.Survey Results
The skills that C-suite executives need most in order to lead their organizations out of the recession are:
#1 – Meet with customers and prospects to grow trust and win business (77%)The skills that current executives most need to develop are:
#1 – Growing trust among employees and customers (76%)
hmm…
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Looking for an oasis of hope in Jamaica?
NCU offers a big footprint. This is indeed a place where our investment in a student will bear multiple dividends!
