The walls around the Tuscan City of Prato are not actually ancient.
They were completed in 1600.
Today they enclose the old city with its narrow streets and bustling lifestyle. The walls also enclose the Monash Prato Centre and, from now until September, the Action Words office and my home.
As everyone who has travelled to Europe would know, the centre of the city is the main Piazza. That’s where people meet every day. Where every day the locals communicate in the most low tech of ways. By standing and talking or by walking together.
Last Sunday morning we arrived at the Piazza around 11am. A large crowd had gathered. We wondered what was on. There did not seem to be anything special.
Then we noticed it was nearly all men. Nearly all over 50.
And then the penny dropped.
The duomo (major church) in Prato is adjacent to the Piazza. The men were waiting outside while their wives were in church for Sunday Mass. It was a very social time for the men. Comparing notes. Exchanging stories. Arguing over the Italian football team (which is in a transition phase leading up to the 2010 World Cup).
Soon afterwards we came across a lone trestle table set up in the middle of the Piazza. An aroma of coffee attracted us to it. “Everything is free, come and try,” a young woman called to us. We were even more attracted.
The cakes and delicacies were beautifully presented. “Please try,” she said, and we needed no further coaxing.
“So what are you on about?” we asked, and we soon discovered that the trestle table was part of a promotion by the Tatawelo Group.
Tatawelo, in operation since 2003, supports impoverished people in the Chiapas region of Mexico. The Chiapas people grow the coffee and the Tatawelo Group trades with them to give them a livelihood. It works. And now the Tatawelo Group can point to a whole range of community improvements that have been achieved over the last five years.
Well, call us suckers if you want, but we tried the superb coffee, we tried the cheese and we tried the pastries. And then we started to spend. And the pack horse, yours truly, was well and truly weighed down when we walked away.
And since then we have told quite a few friends about Tatawello coffee.
Sampling not only produced sales but two new advocates as well.
How good is that?
30 March 2009
If you have to go, US toilet paper supplier helps
Just when you thought that the possible new applications for your mobile phone might soon run out, now a leading toilet paper brand has come up with a very helpful innovation.
Everyone who has travelled overseas knows about the challenges relating to public bathrooms.
Well, thanks to major US toilet paper supplier, Charmin, now you can search for clean public rest rooms on your phone.
As of February 2009, some 52,000 toilets in 10 countries had been logged. There had been more than half a million unique visitors and more than 1,600 downloads of this mobile app. And apparently, those numbers are growing rapidly,
Charmin has teamed up with a free mobile social-networking utility, SitOrSquat.com, to help you locate clean public rest rooms on your phone.
The wiki — housed on the web at SitOrSquat.com and available as a mobile application for BlackBerry and iPhone — launched in December with the goal of turning the digital masses into a mobile army of restroom reviewers. It both helps locate public restrooms and provides star ratings based on their cleanliness and other amenities (especially useful in some countries!).
Charmin can't be accused of just trying to sell toilet paper. This new app is a novel effort at non traditional branding. It’s a good example for all of us that there is always room for more innovation.
It seems to me that this initiative brings together the brand, social media, user-generated content and a savvy app in a way that responds to a very human need.
Everyone who has travelled overseas knows about the challenges relating to public bathrooms.
Well, thanks to major US toilet paper supplier, Charmin, now you can search for clean public rest rooms on your phone.
As of February 2009, some 52,000 toilets in 10 countries had been logged. There had been more than half a million unique visitors and more than 1,600 downloads of this mobile app. And apparently, those numbers are growing rapidly,
Charmin has teamed up with a free mobile social-networking utility, SitOrSquat.com, to help you locate clean public rest rooms on your phone.
The wiki — housed on the web at SitOrSquat.com and available as a mobile application for BlackBerry and iPhone — launched in December with the goal of turning the digital masses into a mobile army of restroom reviewers. It both helps locate public restrooms and provides star ratings based on their cleanliness and other amenities (especially useful in some countries!).
Charmin can't be accused of just trying to sell toilet paper. This new app is a novel effort at non traditional branding. It’s a good example for all of us that there is always room for more innovation.
It seems to me that this initiative brings together the brand, social media, user-generated content and a savvy app in a way that responds to a very human need.
For direct mail in a downturn, a lift letter may make the difference
Traditionally, most direct mail packages included a lift letter. Lift letters became common because they worked, and direct marketers proved repeatedly that they worked.
But over the years, most people doing direct mail in Australia have dropped the lift letter.
My feeling is that we should be testing lift letters again, because there is nothing to say they won’t work today.
First used in the publishing world, the "publisher's note" or "publisher's letter" as it was called, was added to a direct mail package that already included a sales letter. Usually on the small side, both in length and paper size, and signed by the publisher, it came to be known as the "lift letter" because it lifted or increased response.Look at these strong arguments for testing a lift letter.
1. The right prospects do read. Despite what some experts might tell you, consumers do read, if they are interested in buying. Think of yourself as a consumer. If you are really interested in buying something, you are happy to read about it.
2. The lift letter has to be different. The lift letter is an opportunity to approach the prospect from a different angle. To change voice. To shift perspective. To be most effective, the lift letter must be different from the rest of the package. It should come from a different person, perhaps someone outside the organisation.
3. The lift letter doesn't need to be a "letter." The lift letter can take different forms and operate on a different level from the mailer. For example, it can be used as a testimonial. It can address buying objections. Or it can feature relevant facts and figures.
4. Include it for impact. Lift letters are usually smaller — bite-size — in the amount of copy they provide. And frequently, they focus on one major reason (offer-driven) about why you should respond. They are easy to read in less than a minute. And they normally stand out, because they are printed on paper that is a different colour from the rest of the pack.
5. Make it strong, then test it. If you're going to test a lift letter, it should not be an afterthought. It should be a strategic test that is briefed in properly, with the copywriter giving it all the attention it needs as a critical element of the sales effort.
But over the years, most people doing direct mail in Australia have dropped the lift letter.
My feeling is that we should be testing lift letters again, because there is nothing to say they won’t work today.
First used in the publishing world, the "publisher's note" or "publisher's letter" as it was called, was added to a direct mail package that already included a sales letter. Usually on the small side, both in length and paper size, and signed by the publisher, it came to be known as the "lift letter" because it lifted or increased response.Look at these strong arguments for testing a lift letter.
1. The right prospects do read. Despite what some experts might tell you, consumers do read, if they are interested in buying. Think of yourself as a consumer. If you are really interested in buying something, you are happy to read about it.
2. The lift letter has to be different. The lift letter is an opportunity to approach the prospect from a different angle. To change voice. To shift perspective. To be most effective, the lift letter must be different from the rest of the package. It should come from a different person, perhaps someone outside the organisation.
3. The lift letter doesn't need to be a "letter." The lift letter can take different forms and operate on a different level from the mailer. For example, it can be used as a testimonial. It can address buying objections. Or it can feature relevant facts and figures.
4. Include it for impact. Lift letters are usually smaller — bite-size — in the amount of copy they provide. And frequently, they focus on one major reason (offer-driven) about why you should respond. They are easy to read in less than a minute. And they normally stand out, because they are printed on paper that is a different colour from the rest of the pack.
5. Make it strong, then test it. If you're going to test a lift letter, it should not be an afterthought. It should be a strategic test that is briefed in properly, with the copywriter giving it all the attention it needs as a critical element of the sales effort.
10 March 2009
Shorter sentences - the way to go
It might seem incredibly obvious, but the key to writing well is writing clear sentences.
And the key to writing clear sentences is to keep them short.
Now here’s a promise. If you want to improve your writing, starting right now, all you have to do is this. Write shorter sentences. It's that simple.
Much of the trouble that writers get into comes from trying to make sentences do too much work.
Readers can process only one idea at a time. If you keep your sentences short, or at least shortish, readers will find your writing easy to follow. If they find your writing easy, you'll get your message across.
And isn't that what you always want to do?
Look at this example:
Verbose sentence: “If there are any points on which you require explanation or further particulars we shall be glad to furnish such additional details as may be required by telephone.”(28 words)
How it could be: “If you have any further queries, please call us.”(9 words)
This shorter sentence is not only easier to understand, it also gets the point across more clearly.
Do yourself a favour. Write shorter sentences. They really work.
And the key to writing clear sentences is to keep them short.
Now here’s a promise. If you want to improve your writing, starting right now, all you have to do is this. Write shorter sentences. It's that simple.
Much of the trouble that writers get into comes from trying to make sentences do too much work.
Readers can process only one idea at a time. If you keep your sentences short, or at least shortish, readers will find your writing easy to follow. If they find your writing easy, you'll get your message across.
And isn't that what you always want to do?
Look at this example:
Verbose sentence: “If there are any points on which you require explanation or further particulars we shall be glad to furnish such additional details as may be required by telephone.”(28 words)
How it could be: “If you have any further queries, please call us.”(9 words)
This shorter sentence is not only easier to understand, it also gets the point across more clearly.
Do yourself a favour. Write shorter sentences. They really work.
Corporate help for fire victims
After the bushfires it has been heartening to see the fantastic community efforts taking place.
People everywhere have wanted to help. And not just individuals. The corporate sector has been in there as well.
At Australian Unity, teams of employees have given up free time or used their “community leave day” to help on the ground. This is one young woman’s account of her day sorting and helping distribute much-needed donated goods in Alexandria.
Nervous anticipation was building amongst the first group of Australian Unity volunteers boarding the bus en route to Alexandra. Whilst each person wanted to “make a difference” and assist the bushfire victims, we didn’t know what to expect or how we would deal with it – after the week’s build up of confronting images, stories of terror, tears and courage.
What greeted us in Alexandra was an overwhelming display of the strength of the human spirit and constant reminders that when it counts most, there are no differences between us. City types rallied with country types, interstate visitors mixed in with teenagers who had lost friends and with weathered elderly locals whose determination and grit stood as leading examples to all of us.
Whilst we were shielded from the direct impact of the fires, and our journey bypassed the central fire zones, our placement at the distribution centre reminded us we were at the hub of where the relief effort had crucial importance to the community.
Warm and heartfelt greetings were followed by serious briefings and we got down to the job of receiving and sorting essential goods. An atmosphere of common purpose and congeniality stayed throughout the day. Our brief was simple – to serve and support. So, the AU team blended in with weary locals and there was a curious mix of raucous laughter, serious quiet conversations and exchanging hugs with strangers – all at the right time, just when it was needed most.
Always present was the spirit of generosity from businesses and the public, with every imaginable food item, clothing and accessories constantly being trucked in, sorted, allocated, boxed and re-distributed. Despite the volume of goods being shifted, care was taken to ensure families and individuals could access fully stocked toiletry bags, food hampers and clothing packs.
A lunch time walk through the eerie quiet of the town, still a smoke filled environment, reinforced the scale of the relief effort taking place. The local football oval and grounds housed a sea of army tents, rows of buses transporting units to fire fronts and an immense array of army tanks, fire engines and equipment. This view was quite at odds with the otherwise peaceful tree lined streets and sleepy village.
Hearing the speeches of gratitude at the day’s end was humbling and touching for our team, who felt, as I do, that we now share a unique bond with this resilient community. We are reassured they will emerge from this disaster with a roadmap for their future, lined with support from both their oldest and newest friends.
Marita Smith
Communications Manager and volunteer
Australian Unity
People everywhere have wanted to help. And not just individuals. The corporate sector has been in there as well.
At Australian Unity, teams of employees have given up free time or used their “community leave day” to help on the ground. This is one young woman’s account of her day sorting and helping distribute much-needed donated goods in Alexandria.
Nervous anticipation was building amongst the first group of Australian Unity volunteers boarding the bus en route to Alexandra. Whilst each person wanted to “make a difference” and assist the bushfire victims, we didn’t know what to expect or how we would deal with it – after the week’s build up of confronting images, stories of terror, tears and courage.
What greeted us in Alexandra was an overwhelming display of the strength of the human spirit and constant reminders that when it counts most, there are no differences between us. City types rallied with country types, interstate visitors mixed in with teenagers who had lost friends and with weathered elderly locals whose determination and grit stood as leading examples to all of us.
Whilst we were shielded from the direct impact of the fires, and our journey bypassed the central fire zones, our placement at the distribution centre reminded us we were at the hub of where the relief effort had crucial importance to the community.
Warm and heartfelt greetings were followed by serious briefings and we got down to the job of receiving and sorting essential goods. An atmosphere of common purpose and congeniality stayed throughout the day. Our brief was simple – to serve and support. So, the AU team blended in with weary locals and there was a curious mix of raucous laughter, serious quiet conversations and exchanging hugs with strangers – all at the right time, just when it was needed most.
Always present was the spirit of generosity from businesses and the public, with every imaginable food item, clothing and accessories constantly being trucked in, sorted, allocated, boxed and re-distributed. Despite the volume of goods being shifted, care was taken to ensure families and individuals could access fully stocked toiletry bags, food hampers and clothing packs.
A lunch time walk through the eerie quiet of the town, still a smoke filled environment, reinforced the scale of the relief effort taking place. The local football oval and grounds housed a sea of army tents, rows of buses transporting units to fire fronts and an immense array of army tanks, fire engines and equipment. This view was quite at odds with the otherwise peaceful tree lined streets and sleepy village.
Hearing the speeches of gratitude at the day’s end was humbling and touching for our team, who felt, as I do, that we now share a unique bond with this resilient community. We are reassured they will emerge from this disaster with a roadmap for their future, lined with support from both their oldest and newest friends.
Marita Smith
Communications Manager and volunteer
Australian Unity
Will newspapers reinvent themselves?
On 8 March 2009, Ad Age in the US reported that a major newspaper company wants to give you news the way Burger King makes hamburgers: your way.
MediaNews Group, the fourth-largest newspaper chain in the US, said it would test a customised newspaper service over the next few months at The Los Angeles Daily News, one of the 54 dailies owned by the company.
The service, which allows readers to pick and choose only the stories that interest them, is among the many maneuvers that newspapers globally are making to respond to the changes the Internet has wrought on their businesses.
Of course, through automated feeds and customised Google and Yahoo pages, consumers can already tailor their news consumption to their own tastes.
But the MediaNews experiment, which it has named “individuated news” — it has trademarked the phrase — or “I-news,” for short, has an old media twist: dead trees and a new piece of hardware for your home.
The theory is that I-News will be all about choice. If it works out in reality, newspaper readers will be able to decide what they want to read and on what platform.
Apparently, MediaNews has been working with a technology company to develop an in-home printer for readers. The printer will receive and print a subscriber’s customised newspaper — with targeted advertising.
It is unclear if subscribers will pay extra for the printer, or if it will be part of the subscription fee.
But already there is skepticism. Various journalism blogs and news sites on the Web have even greeted the idea with ridicule.
At the Nieman Journalism Lab, part of Harvard’s Nieman Foundation, a blogger related it to the many failed experiments years ago to market a fax newspaper, the first of which was in 1939 in St. Louis.
However, with the amazing innovations we have seen in recent years, it makes little sense to say the new newspapers won’t happen. My feeling is that it’s better just to watch this space.
MediaNews Group, the fourth-largest newspaper chain in the US, said it would test a customised newspaper service over the next few months at The Los Angeles Daily News, one of the 54 dailies owned by the company.
The service, which allows readers to pick and choose only the stories that interest them, is among the many maneuvers that newspapers globally are making to respond to the changes the Internet has wrought on their businesses.
Of course, through automated feeds and customised Google and Yahoo pages, consumers can already tailor their news consumption to their own tastes.
But the MediaNews experiment, which it has named “individuated news” — it has trademarked the phrase — or “I-news,” for short, has an old media twist: dead trees and a new piece of hardware for your home.
The theory is that I-News will be all about choice. If it works out in reality, newspaper readers will be able to decide what they want to read and on what platform.
Apparently, MediaNews has been working with a technology company to develop an in-home printer for readers. The printer will receive and print a subscriber’s customised newspaper — with targeted advertising.
It is unclear if subscribers will pay extra for the printer, or if it will be part of the subscription fee.
But already there is skepticism. Various journalism blogs and news sites on the Web have even greeted the idea with ridicule.
At the Nieman Journalism Lab, part of Harvard’s Nieman Foundation, a blogger related it to the many failed experiments years ago to market a fax newspaper, the first of which was in 1939 in St. Louis.
However, with the amazing innovations we have seen in recent years, it makes little sense to say the new newspapers won’t happen. My feeling is that it’s better just to watch this space.
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