MISGUIDED MARKETER

Have you ever watched Godfather movie, the scene where a severed horse head purposely slipped under the blanket of a sleeping old man? The old man woke up, found it and the rest you already knew.

One day my boss received an unusual package delivered in the morning. It was a children’s sized coffin filled with real flowers, clearly addressed to my boss with my boss’ name on it. One of the flowers was a white rose that attached to a piece of paper that said Rest In Peace Soon.com.

Well, my boss’ face turned pale, so I was told. He wondered who hate him so much and did this. But being an expert and experienced as a marketer, something crossed his mind moments later, that this could be a marketing gimmick, or new kinds of promotion.

It turned out right as I spent about an hour monitoring news throughout Internet. It was a promotion from a person who was about to launch a book about the death of advertising because of the power of word-of-mouth campaign. The sender sent 100 coffins throughout the city to selected media figures, public speakers, and professionals in marketing industry.

The senders did not say anything about the promotion. The story would have been different if he did. We realized that it’s actually a promotion from the public news, that is, after the police had taken the senders into custody. The thing that arrived were the coffin, real flowers for the dead, my boss’ name and a note “Rest in Peace Soon.com”. What would you expect? It sounds more like a terror than a promotion.

I wonder how much is the difference between the Godfather’s scene and the act of sending a children-sized coffin directly to an individual? The sender’s act caused massive anxiousness throughout the people who received the package.

Has it ever occurred to the sender’s mind that there might be people who are pregnant, shocked mothers and children (It’s a children sized coffin), or maybe even still grieving from loosing a child?

There is a thin line between stupid and creative. Creativity is definitely not stupidity. The act of unpleasant behaviors can never be categorized as creativity.

Education, as well of anything, is like a two-sided coin. If it is not digested and delivered in a right way, it can only create madness.

It was a misguided marketing. That’s all I can say.

Ivan the Freelancer

WILL SAKURA BLOSSOM IN MAY ?

My neighbor said that the disaster in Japan is a message from God. The only message actually is my neighbor is an idiot.

What’s wrong with you? Is your mind so shallow that you think God have a heart to wipe out His own creation?

Each time Sakura blossom so gracefully, have you ever thought “that” is actually a message from God? Does it ever occur to you that God maybe busy trying His best to save as many lives in Japan recently?

I wonder how many times in one day do you send messages, via your BlackBerry, your Twitter, your Facebook, your iPad and your other gadgets, and yet how many times in one day do you send messages to God Himself? It is free and you certainly do not need your gadget to do that.

So I quoted and borrowed my wife’s posting from her Facebook, which I think is really enlightening and comforting, “Will Sakura Blossom in May?”

With the earth shaking so badly and sea water poured and wiped out the land of Japan, we should all send a message to God so Sakura will certainly blossom in May. God help us all.

My prayer for Japan.

Ivan the Freelancer
Photo taken from www.wallcoo.net

THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING

It’s been a long time since the last time I poured my thoughts into this juicy Popcorn blog of mine. Four months?? That long?? Well, I’ve been busy lately enjoying the new chapter of life. Yes, I have married the girl I love and moved to a new place so-high-in-the-sky called apartment.

Being a husband is exciting indeed, plus hoping to become a father next year. Well, a man gotta do what he gotta do.

Anyway, the most important purpose in writing this post is to thank all the people who are involved in uniting us into the happiest couple on December 4th 2010, for without them, we could never make it happen.

As no words could ever describe our gratitude and joy, so I think it is better to present these photos as our way of expressing gratitude to all of the people in it.

“Many thanks for all of your supports and encouragement. We owe you all a debt we can never repay.”

This is only the beginning…

“Many thanks for all of your supports and encouragement. We owe you all a debt we can never repay.”

This is only the beginning…

Ivan the Freelancer

HE IS BACK

Continued from:

http://thepopcornstory.blogspot.com/2009/07/my-fathers-car-ivans-journal.html

It’s been a year since the last time I’ve lost him. The dark green metallic Vitara. I’ve been walking on foot ever since. I had a replacement car, but it never felt the same. Not long after that, I decided to return the replacement car back to my father. Feeling unnecessary to ride a car, I’ve decided to become a walker.

Until that time came. The time I was going to step into the next stage of life. It’s really expensive to rent a car, especially for such a short period and short distance. In the middle of desperation and confusion, he came back. Not only that, he came back with far better condition than the day his engine got broken.

So dressed with wedding flowers from our friends, he took us to a location where we held our wedding ceremony and places that we needed to go. It’s really an honor to have a chance to ride you again. I’m really not worthy to keep you. So back you are to my father once more.

Thanks again for everything...

Ivan the Freelancer

TIME IS “NOT” MONEY

What’s the matter with people who keep on saying, “Time is Money”, throughout their lives? Unexpectedly, I received enlightenment about this at a marketing seminar. An old man who is an expert of Guerrilla Marketing named Jay Conrad Levinson finally told something that caught my attention.

He said one of the biggest mistakes that we have learned from our parents is, “Time is Money”. If we keep on saying this, we will never be happy for the rest of our lives. Make sense though.

Time is Life, “not” Money. When we run out of money, doesn’t mean that we run out of time. But if we run out of time, our life will surely end, no matter how much money you have. That’s why doctors only tell how much time that dying people have before death.

Be happy if you still have time, because you can still live.

So the future lesson for your kids is, “Time is Life”.

(Picture is taken from Omega Watch).

Ivan the Freelancer

THE HERO INSIDE

When we are weak, someone has to carry us around.
When we fall, someone has to pick us up.
That “someone” is our hero.

But

When a hero is weak, he will try to carry himself around.
When a hero falls, he will learn to pick himself up again.
Heroes also need help, but a hero will always try to help himself first.

There is a hero inside of everyone, for a hero comes from the inside.

A hero doesn’t have to possess super strength.

For we become a hero not because of what we are, but because of what we do.

Ivan the Freelancer

MAKE IT SIMPLE

Lately my butterfly and I have been enthusiastic in making preparations for our wedding. Though sadly we have very limited budget, so we have to be very creative and persistent in hunting and preparing. One day I called two of my friends through Yahoo Messenger to ask for a reference about restaurants, make up and hand bouquet. I know they might know something because one of them likes to hunt for food, and the other one runs a flower business.

Both of them congratulate and wish me good luck for the wedding preparations, but when I ask them about their relationships, they replied with the same answer, “It’s complicated.” One of them doesn’t want to talk about it, while the other one told a complete story about the never-ending long distance relationship. Guess what, I didn’t get anything about the restaurant, make up and hand bouquet because our conversations got too “complicated”.

Next week, I searched, collected, and called only friends who are happily married. Guess what, I got all the information and references that I need only in one day. They are not complicated and the conversation went smooth and simple. Because we have the same objectives and purposes, the conversation went to the same direction.

Too often shit happens, and we let them piled up for too long until it explodes. Sometimes things can get complicated because we assume so, and let it become complicated. Sometimes we focused too much on the problems, but not on the solutions. Sometimes we got stuck in hot debate, instead of having warm discussion. Sometimes we don’t even know where we are going.

I hope we can simplify all things. I wish we all can have healthy fights and arguments because good relationships come from healthy fights and meaningful arguments. Fights and arguments are necessary to form an even stronger relationship. I also hope we all can always have warm conversations and discussions – conversations where two people can freely express their hearts until they can understand each other.

Easier said than done, but we all have to try our best.

Ivan the Freelancer