A Mediterranean diet is proved healthy – just like Hong Kong and Chinese appetites

Posted on February 27, 2013 by markkolier

Hong-kong-megans-kitchen-18-302x189Even being on the other side of the world from New York I still make time to read the New York Times and Wall Street Journal on my mobile devices.    I had read on Tuesday the article in both the Times and a similar on in the Journal outlining the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet.  It had been suspected for years but now there’s much more compelling supporting evidence.  I had to smile a little since I had just been talking with my good friend in Hong Kong regarding the fact that the Chinese now are regarded as having more old people per capita than any other country including Japan.    This became true after the earthquake off the coast of Japan last year and the ensuing tsunami which apparently wiped out a large number of elderly people on the islands near the epicenter of the quake.   This allowed China to claim its newest crown.

There’s little doubt that Chinese cuisine can be unhealthy at times with all the oil and frying.   However the Chinese also eat vegetables seemingly at every meal, less meat than westerners (both mostly due to expense and availability and that is changing rapidly) and fewer sweets and sugary sodas (also changing).   While all that is going on here in Hong Kong and when I visit China the number of fat people per capita is dramatically lower than in the United States (bad example since the U.S. is among the world’s fattest countries).   And yes that too is changing as the U.S. seems bent on exporting its fatness to the rest of the world and particularly to China.

I went to lunch today at a small Chinese restaurant in Central/Hong Kong that specialized in Beijing style dumplings.   The food was inexpensive and really delicious.  Ten steamed pork and pea shoot dumplings (the daily special) which cost about $7.50.   It was more than enough food for me.  But not for the legions of Chinese women also having lunch at the same time.

In Hong Kong as in China when you walk into a local restaurant as a single you will frequently be seated with other people.    This was the case today and I watched with awe as many small Chinese women ordered not only the ten dumplings, but soup, noodles, and salad!   These women eat with relish and enjoyment and yet stay so skinny that I just cannot understand it.  I don’t get the feeling they are heading to the gym every day either.

So a diet full of vegetables, soup, salads and a little meat and fish seems to be every bit as healthy as the now highly recommended Mediterranean diet.  Only the Chinese eat much more quantity.  Let it be noted that the food in Hong Kong is world-famous for its variety and quality.  Just in the past few days I’ve had Vietnamese, Himalayan, Japanese, Pizza and burgers and all were excellent.   And I think I have lost couple of pounds along the way.   And it’s not as if I have not had an adult beverage along the way.   The key is staying clear as much as possible from the fried foods.

All this has me wondering if a ‘Chinese’ or Asian diet in general will one day have the same notoriety as the hallowed Mediterranean diet.

 

 

Posted in China, Living in the World Today | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Another day in Hong Kong at a 3rd place

Posted on February 25, 2013 by markkolier

pacific-coffee-companyI’ve been working in a public space (Pacific Coffee Company) nearly the entire day on this last Monday of February 2013.   As usual there are a good number of business meetings going on simultaneously.   This happens in the U.S. as well but I think it is even more prevalent here in Hong Kong.  It might be due to small offices, no offices, or that Hong Kongers really like coffee although I notice a goodly number of tea bags in cups as well.

While I’ve only been traveling to Hong Kong for three years I’ve already noticed that things seem to be changing – not for the better or worse – just changing.   Westerners are not nearly as much in evidence as they were even as recently as 2010.   I had an impromptu meeting with an American self-proclaimed headhunter who having lived in Hong Kong for more than 23 years offered an opinion that Hong Kong is dying.    I think what he meant was that the old British-ruled Hong Kong is dying.

If it’s true that Hong Kong is dying the PRC with its preference for having Shanghai be the new true Asia financial center appears to not be all that interested in preserving Hong Kong legacy.   To those that live in Hong Kong this should come as no surprise.

I’ve written before about how easy it is to live in Hong Kong for westerners.   That’s still the case but I also offer that I am experiencing an increase in meeting people that speak Cantonese and zero English.  That’s a bit frustrating for someone like me who is learning Mandarin since the two languages are vastly different.    English is still the language of business in Hong Kong (despite hearing many different languages spoken), but the bulk of the residents don’t speak English.   I am staying in the Western District for the first time and there is not much English spoken.  Nor are there any 3rd places for that matter – no Starbucks, Pacific Coffee or anything of the sort.  So I have to head down to the financial district which is shrinking little by little.

My headhunter acquaintance suggested I get up to Shanghai and Beijing where all the action is happening.  I’ve worked in 3rd places when in both cities (well I’ve only been in Beijing once so that does not really count) and the meetings in Costa Coffee and Starbucks occur with the same frequency and intensity as I’ve seen here in Hong Kong.  Everyone in Hong Kong (like seemingly everyone in New York and Shanghai) is on their mobile device constantly.  I do find it interesting that Hong Kong has such a well-run transportation system, inexpensive, comprehensive, and rife with mobile service EVERYWHERE.   In fact today I was able to buy a one-day wi-fi pass for about U.S. $2.50.     That is simply not possible in the U.S.A. at the present time.   I think that’s just sad.

I’ve had what’s turned out to be a very productive Monday and traveling gives me the much needed time to think about things that I never seem to have time for when I am working back home.

Sometimes getting away is the only way you can gain perspective, don’t you think?

 

Posted in Business in China, China, Customer Experiences, Living in the World Today, Mobile Communication, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Out of the office really does not matter anymore

Posted on February 22, 2013 by markkolier

Out of Occie image0011205155283521I have not used Out-of-Office via MS Outlook in a couple of years. After a 16 hour flight to Hong Kong from JFK where I caught maybe 4 hours of sleep I am wired and working late on a Friday afternoon. It’s interesting to think of everyone back in the U.S. sleeping the early Friday morning away.  I landed at 2PM Friday and the day here is almost over as we approach 6PM and the night beckons. But I’ve already caught up on emails, had a Skype call with China and am happy that the dreaded pile up of work that used to happen when being out of the office is a thing of the past.

The only real frustration I’ve had so far (ok the two crying babies on the flight count too) is that my 3G connection here in Hong Kong is not working the way I had hoped – no thanks to Verizon and my Motorola phone. I was informed before I left that this same problem I had last time had been rectified. Alas that’s not the case. The smartphone works fine when I can connect to a Wi-fi network but moving around does not make that easy. Yes I know this should be the biggest problem I have but if you were here you’d be as unhappy about this as am I. Tomorrow I will head to Mong Kok on the Kowloon side and finally get either a China phone or a SIM card for HK and China (I might need two – one for HK and one for China).

If I sound as if I am a slave to technology I’d like to deny it but all indications point otherwise. Google Maps is a great tool – but of course you need an internet connection. I have Skype up on my phone all the time for calls and connections both here in Asia as well as back to the U.S.A. Right now I am hard-wired into a connection in an office in Wan Chai and it’s as if I am at my desk in New York or Connecticut.

I remember fifteen years ago that being out of the office meant not replying to phone calls right away, (unless they were of an urgent nature), not going through the postal mail (these days like most people I don’t receive much in the way of important business correspondence via the USPS), and not being aware of what was going on in and around the office aside from checking in by phone during the day. Today I am reachable nearly all the time (present situation accepted) and the best part is that when I return to the U.S. I will not have the 100 voice mails, 500 emails to respond to since I’ve already been there and done that!

Many people are nearly incredulous about what one does on a 16 hour flight. I guess I’ve done enough of them to have a pretty good working protocol. I read for about a third of the time, watch movies for about a third of the time and sleep for about a third of the time. Aside from my back being a bit tight (once again I was in an extra legroom seat in coach), I am surprisingly refreshed, caught up as much as I can be as I head into my Friday night in one of my favorite cities. The rest of you in the U.S. have yet to experience your Friday. Have fun with that.

Like my friend said this evening – my ‘office’ is now wherever I have an internet connection. I’m okay with that – are you?

 

Posted in Best business practices, Communication, Innovation, International business, Living in the World Today, Technology, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why it’s been worth turning my attention to the Far East

Posted on February 20, 2013 by markkolier

traveling-to-china--map-is-royalty-free-off-a-government-websiteI’ve been traveling to and from China regularly for almost three years now. Beginning in 2000 I have made multiple trips to Japan including short stays in Singapore and Vietnam. Comparing myself to westerners that have been traveling to or living in the Far East for many years, I remain a novice. I have learned a few things along the way and in reading books by western expatriates (like Where East Eats West by Sam Goodman, Poorly Made in China by Paul Midler, Mr. China by Tim Clissold, The End of Cheap China by Shaun Rein, and American Wheels, Chinese Roads by Michael Dunne), I have been able to avoid a few typical wrong turns but also have made more than a few of my own.

I’m off again to Hong Kong and southern China this week for a quick ten day trip. Quick because by the time you figure in travel both ways there are only five weekdays that I will have for business. With help from friends and colleagues the opportunities are different than they were when I started a few years ago. I’ve met hundreds of people – mostly Chinese but also a fair amount of expats that live and work in Hong Kong and China. I have not been to China in nearly 9 months and in that time elections have taken place in the U.S. and a new standing committee has been selected (not voted upon) in China. Things change so quickly in China I am curious to see if I notice much in the way of change in attitude among the people I meet.

Since my last trip my team has begun working with Chinese companies that have made a true commitment to set up a business presence in the United States. Previously almost all the Chinese companies that I’ve met with talk about doing business in the U.S. but really are not any more interested than putting their products on a container ship in China and having a distributor ‘partner’ pick it up at a U.S. port and take it from there. I am hopeful that this is the beginning of a trend and that we’ll have the opportunity to research the U.S. market for future Chinese clients then help them to name it, create their corporate identity and communications, and market their newly anointed ‘brand’ in the U.S.

What’s made it all so worthwhile is my sincere interest in the cultures and people of the Far East. Whether it is Japan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam or Singapore because each has its own unique culture and identity I am constantly being exposed to new data, experiences and best of all new and interesting people.

When I first started coming going to Asia I had no idea that I would have any professional opportunities but now that I’ve been on the road for a few years I cannot see a time when I won’t be involved with trying to better understand the cultures and ways of the Far East. I’m working hard at leveraging the things I learn and still have a ways to go to reach the success I seek, but I am so glad that I chose this path – or this path somehow chose me.

My next post will be from the other side of the globe.

Posted in China, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Will Maker’s Mark turns a black mark into a winning hand?

Posted on February 18, 2013 by markkolier

Maker's Mark ninetyproofMaker’s Mark is one of the best known and most successful brands in the bourbon business. Last week Maker’s Mark was in full backing up mode when the news came out that it was ‘reformulating’ its product due to a supply shortage caused by growing demand. The reformulation included reducing the alcohol content from 45% to 42%. Surely cause for an uproar and in fact the uproar in social media was palpable. Being accused of watering down its product, Maker’s after releasing the news, drew outrage that was widely reported both inside and outside of social media (i.e. old fashioned newspapers reported this story on what seemed to be a moment to moment basis).

Over the weekend Maker’s Chief Operating Officer Rob Samuels was quoted saying, “We have heard many concerns and questions from our ambassadors and brand fans. We’re humbled by your overwhelming response and passion for Maker’s Mark. While we thought we were doing what’s right, this is your brand — and you told us in large numbers to change our decision. You spoke. We listened. And we’re sincerely sorry we let you down.”

The reaction in the social media sphere also was palpable. More than 15,000 Facebook likes and over 2,000 comments within a couple of hours as reported in Ad Age this morning.  The response from fans was incredibly positive.

As the story reads now the great take-away is that this brand made a misstep, then realized the error of its ways and quickly made amends thus winning back the hearts of their customers and fans and perhaps even attracting a few new ones. A thought crossed my mind that if possibly this was a totally orchestrated misstep and planned response to gain notoriety and attention for a well-respected brand it could be the marketing campaign of the year. Think about how many people now know about Maker’s Mark Bourbon who had never even heard of the brand before. Also keep in mind that bourbon as a spirit is enjoying a renaissance in popularity.

What do you think – could this have been a true guerilla marketing campaign?

And did anyone notice the huge difference in both speed and reparations in the response from Carnival Cruise Lines CEO Gerry Cahill last week regarding the Triumph debacle compared to the response last year during the Carnival Costa Concordia fiasco of January 2012?  What a difference a year makes.

Posted in Best business practices, Brand Advertising, Content Marketing, Customer Experiences, Marketing stuff, Media, Social Media | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mayor Bloomberg well represents New York City’s brand

Posted on February 15, 2013 by markkolier

mike-bloomberg-lon_1004767cI-love-NYOn Thursday New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made his final state of the city address. It coincided with is 71st birthday. I haven’t agreed with every one of Mr. Bloomberg’s initiatives (missions?), his smoking ban and large sugary drinks ban always struck me as being over-reaching. This is not to mention changing term limits so he could serve a third term. Yet overall I think the mayor has done a good job for New York City.

The Boston-born and raised mayor understands the vibe and spirit of New York City which is more than a bit surprising considering his self-made wealth which would not put him in step with most New York City residents nor would his private school upbringing.
I think, like it or not, a mayor represents a city’s brand. The mayor can be a good representation of a city’s brand (Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani for different reasons did an overall good job representing New York City), or in the case of former Washington D.C. mayor Marion Barry not so good.

New York mayors in particular seem to loom over the city. Back in 1965 John Lindsay noted that being mayor of New York was the second toughest job in America. He was mayor during a difficult time and both his and his successor Abe Beame’s tenures as mayor were uneven at best and out of step with New Yorkers and thus poor representations of New York City’s brand.

I’m in New York City more now than I’ve been in a long time. I have gotten a better feel for the pulse and rhythm of the city – beyond just Manhattan. Compared to many places today, New York City’s brand value remains near its acme. Real estate and rent prices are rising, increasingly more people want to work, visit, and live in New York City than ever before. Yes there are many problems that need to be addressed – maintenance of a decaying infrastructure, and improving city-wide education, (it’s easy to forget there’s a school bus strike going since it has largely fallen out of the news) are just two major issues.

When you look around the globe mayors of major cities like London’s Boris Johnson, Chicago’s Rahm Emanuel, and Los Angeles’ Antonio Villargairosa are out front representing their cities and the city’s brand. The most important aspect of being a mayor is helping make the city a better place for its residents, workers and visitors. But being a good steward and leader of the city’s spirit and attitude is more important today than it’s ever been.

What do you think of a mayor being representative of a city’s brand

Posted in Brand Advertising | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Social Media is not the cheap and easy way

Posted on February 13, 2013 by markkolier

Social-Media-FailIt happened again yesterday. We were on a call with a prospective retail food client who was interested in learning more about our experience in marketing via social media. He went on to explain the company’s plan for launch and expansion which included a retail product distribution plan and some – albeit limited – media support. That led the client to the conclusion that social media would be a great way to create some inexpensive buzz for new product. All of us had the same thought at the same time – WRONG!

One of the great difficulties in launching a retail food product is obtaining slots at retail stores. It’s a huge challenge, and in order to avoid the big slotting fees, oftentimes new and underfunded category entrants decide to go the smaller and independent grocery retailer route. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that strategy. But what is wrong is having a tenuous business plan (many companies start this way) and then hoping that a limited investment in social media will create a viral buzz taking your new brand to stratospheric heights.

A good social media initiative is now standard practice for most integrated marketing plans. Having people become aware of a brand, talk about a brand, recommend a brand to their friends as well as engage with the brand helps drive micro conversions (steps along the purchase path) which contribute to the holy marketing grail – a consumer purchase! At the same time hoping that a limited budget for social media will create a buzz for a new brand that will have people ask their local retailer about the brand is the longest of longshots.

Unless you have a huge celebrity endorser (there goes the inexpensive route) or come up with a brilliant viral marketing idea that catches fire (everyone thinks this is easy and common – it’s neither), a social media campaign for an unknown brand will fail at bringing in significant sales 99 times out of 100 if not more. We work with a number of clients and brands that have smaller budgets and we’re always looking for the best way to deliver a high-value, high ROI campaign. You might be interested to know that for the most part the recommendations we make for our smaller budget clients do not include social media activities. What those clients need first and foremost are…SALES.

The bottom line is that we totally advocate social media as a tactic to drive consumer engagement, brand awareness and incremental steps to a consumer purchase. But to expect social media on behalf of a new brand to deliver a straight line inexpensive path to success is using hope as a strategy. And we all know how that ends up.

Do you agree?

Posted in Best business practices, Marketing stuff, Social Media | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Snow days won’t ever be the same again

Posted on February 11, 2013 by markkolier

snowdayWhen I was an elementary school kid it seemed to snow all the time. Our suburban bus stop in winter had us kids standing outside braving the cold and snow. On multiple occasions we built a snow-wall in the middle of the street with the idea of making the street impassable for the school bus and thus engender an impromptu snow day. We were always unsuccessful but that never stopped us from trying the next time.

It is Friday afternoon here in snowy Connecticut with as many as 20 inches of snow (50 cm for my non-US readers) or more forecast for much of our area. Boston is supposedly going to get the worst of it. Our office in New York was ‘closed’ today – that is team members were not mandated to make the trip in from wherever they were in the greater New York City area. Of course our intrepid creative director made it in working alone – probably happily so with rock-out music playing as loudly as he desires.

I left work just after 12:30, ran a few errands and made it home before 1:30 as the snow had already accumulated to four or five inches and the roads were bad. Not all that long ago, people would leave early on a ‘snow day’ and work their collective way home (or wherever else) and that would be the end of their work contribution for the day. No more calls. No more communication. And people outside of the area would understand and they’d actually be both thankful to miss it, and concerned for those of us having to suffer through winter’s punch. Those days are over.

Those days are over because when I got home I immediately went back to work answering emails, working on reports and presentation, taking conference calls and basically working nearly the same as I would when I am in the ‘office’. In a bit of a nostalgic way I fondly recall staring out at the snow falling, not being able to do very much and dealing with the prospect of not being able to go out for what could be 18-24 hours. Trapped at home during a blizzard was actually a fun and memorable experience in an odd way. It’s great that we can all be productive just about anywhere we are but sometimes little things that may not appear to be significant (but really are) get lost in the interest of progress.

There’s a part of me that wishes to turn off the computer, stop reading email, build a cozy fire and open a bottle of claret (ok I don’t actually have any claret so wine will have to do) and stare outside at the beautiful and peaceful snowfall as darkness begins to fall. And then I think about the shovel standing outside and seemingly calling my name.

How do you feel about being trapped inside during a snowstorm?

 

Posted in Living in the World Today, Technology | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Google isn’t being evil but maybe a bit greedy

Posted on February 8, 2013 by markkolier

Google-dont-be-evil2I have a great deal of respect for Google as a company. Their platforms work well for users and have shown the world how cloud computing can be a part of everyday life. As a marketing services company Google AdWords is a vital part of the outbound messaging mix for many of our clients. For me personally as an experienced direct marketer I like the clear and measureable metric provided by Google AdWords and the facility of making changes on the fly at any time of day or night.

I’ve never felt that Google was inherently evil (the sometime Google motto ‘Don’t be evil’ dates back to 2004 (or 2001 by some accounts) and originally was a direct shot at Microsoft. The days when Google was an upstart are far behind us and with the brouhaha regarding Google Street View and the way that Google was obtaining information (i.e. filming streets all over the world) has many people doubting Google’s commitment to not being evil.

While I won’t offer an opinion on Google being more or less evil than was once the case, I will opine that with the changes announced on Wednesday in the way agencies and marketers will have to pay for Google Adwords on mobile devices, it appears that Google is at the very least greedy. This should not come as a total surprise considering Google has nearly 80% of the entire search market in the United States. After all what would you expect from an 800 pound gorilla?How is Google being greedy? In Thursday’s Wall Street Journal  Google announced it will require current advertisers using AdWords to pay for ads on some mobile devices, like tablets, for the first time. That, in and of itself, is not egregious. However Google already is bringing in more than $40 billion (that’s billion with a ‘B’ folks) in annual revenue from AdWords. Google is positioning the change as an ‘enhancement’, calling it “enhanced campaigns,” and it also said it will require advertisers to pay for ads on tablets even if they just want to reach personal-computer users. In case you thought there might be a choice in the matter all AdWords advertisers will be “upgraded” to “enhanced campaigns” by mid-2013, Google said in its blog post alerting advertisers to the change. The only thing really being enhanced here is Google’s pocketbook.

As the Journal pointed out ‘In a blog post, Google said “enhanced campaigns” would allow its more than one million advertisers to set up an AdWords campaign that allows them to control how much they pay to show ads to people who have allowed Google to track their location, time of day and the type of device they are using. Previously, advertisers had to manage multiple campaigns to get similar results.’ I guess that’s kind of an enhancement but for most marketers managing AdWords campaigns on behalf of clients the work around has not been all that difficult. The idea that advertisers will not be able to target and pay for showing ads on particular devices does not serve clients well at this point in time.

Obviously as time passes and mobile becomes the primary means for access in the United States (it already has done so in many other parts of the world) having a single platform makes sense. But why now? It makes sense for companies to make their websites optimized for tablets and mobile devices but many companies are not there at present nor do they have the resources available to invest in optimizing their site to work across the tablet, mobile and desktop environment.

So exactly how does Google’s throw down serve the advertisers that employ AdWords as a vital part of their marketing mix?

Posted in Advertising, Best business practices, Customer Experiences, Direct marketing, Marketing stuff, Media, Mobile Communication | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Zynga did not lose as much money last quarter as forecast – Oh boy!

Posted on February 6, 2013 by markkolier

Zynga logoI admit I am far from being qualified to understand the proceedings on Wall Street. Tuesday afternoon online gaming platform Zynga ‘reported a fourth-quarter loss of $48.6 million, or 6 cents a share, on sales of $311 million. The “adjusted” earnings were 1 cent a share. Street consensus was for an adjusted loss of 3 cents a share, and sales of $250 million. The revenue figure was down just a hair from a year ago – $311.17 million compared to $311.24 million – and the loss was far narrower, 6 cents compared to $1.22.’

Among the well-known Zynga properties are Farmville, Frontierville, and Cityville. Zynga projected that revenue will fall in the first quarter of 2013 by as much as 20% over 2012 –
Wall Street apparently was buoyed by this news as the stock rose more than 7% in late trading on Tuesday. Maybe it is the work of pure speculators but I still have no idea how Zynga could possibly be any kind of buy and hold investment. That losing nearly $50 million in a quarter with a projection of sales dropping by 20% in the following quarter is seen as a positive sign is mystifying to say the least.

Zynga CEO Mark Pincus has made it well known that Zynga needs to A) have a life outside of Facebook, and B) find a way to make the mobile channel work. To date I’ve seen nothing that would lead me to believe that Zynga is closer to achieving either of those objectives. Full disclosure, I’ve never played a single Zynga game. This is mostly because I fear being sucked into a great time void that would provide me with hours of insubstantial but somehow compelling activity.

I realize that I am as vulnerable to falling into online gaming as anyone so I choose to simply not play any online games. Where would I draw the line? Words with Friends (yes another Zynga title) would be fun – after all I like Scrabble, but I just won’t succumb. I wonder how many other people feel as do I?

Zynga also is considering adding a gambling component to its platform by announcing (this past October) a partnership with Bwin. Party Digital Entertainment with launch in the UK planned for later this year. Zynga has also filed an application in Nevada for a gaming license in the state.

I get the feeling that people that I know who play Zynga games are beginning to tire of the activity and may be quite ready for the ‘next thing’ – whatever that might be. I’d love to hear from those of you that play Zynga games even if only occasionally. Do you like it as much as you did when you first started? After reading the earnings report do you think Zynga will find a way to make it for the long haul?

Posted in Best business practices, Entertainment, Online gaming, Social gaming | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment