Lighthearted Happiness
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Are you yearning for a greater sense of happiness in your life but feel weighed down by problems? If so, try adopting an attitude of lightheartedness and watch how quickly it can inject an element of fun and whimsy into your life.
Here are three simple ways to do it:
1) Play.
Most of us tend to take life so seriously. Sure, life can definitely be serious at times, and there are certainly things that we should take seriously - but we also donât need to be so serious ALL the time! Instead, try your best to have more fun as often as you can. Either spend time doing things you enjoy, or simply make your regular activities more fun. Not sure that your regular activities can be fun? Nearly any task or chore can be lightened up a bit - even mundane chores around the house. Take, for example, house work or yard work. Who says you have to grudgingly perform those tasks? Why not put on some funky music and dance around while you do them? Why not listen to a stand-up comedy routine on CD and laugh while you do them? All it takes is a shift in perspective to make something fun and lighthearted.
2) Get inspired.
If youâre used to directing most of your focus toward lack or negativity, it can be helpful to start lifting your perspective to a higher place. One way to do that is to purposely concentrate on things that inspire you. You can read uplifting books or watch inspirational movies; or even buy a book of motivational quotes and read a few each day. You can also choose to be inspired by the things you see in your daily travels. For example, rather than rushing distractedly to and from appointments, take a few minutes to pause and gaze around. Notice how the sunshine plays on the trees and flowers, making them glow with beauty. Rather than getting annoyed at your children when they play with their dinner, marvel at their creativity and sense of humor. Take a walk during your lunch hour and breathe deeply of the fresh air, smile at strangers and make an effort to remember what a miracle life is. No matter how you do it, let your heart and mind soar to a place of joy and inspiration, and youâll automatically feel more lighthearted, and happy!
3) Unload your worries.
Itâs difficult to feel lighthearted and happy when youâre besieged by stress and worry. Rather than carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders (or in your heart), write your problems and worries on a sheet of paper and place it in a box or drawer. Affirm that for the next few hours, youâre not going to think about those things. Then shift your attention to things that make you feel better, like spending time with loved ones or engaging in favorite hobbies. When worrisome thoughts pop back into your mind, firmly set them aside again and remind yourself that youâre not going to focus on them right now. It may sound overly simple but it really works! With enough practice you eventually reach a point of knowing that worrying and obsessing isnât helping matters, so you decide not to do it for awhile - and you instantly feel more lighthearted and happy.
When it comes right down to it, feeling happy is a choice you make from moment to moment. Happiness wonât make all of your challenges vanish, but choosing to focus more on the lighter side of life can definitely make you feel better â and who knows, it might even give you the mental and emotional distance you need to come up with creative solutions that you would have missed if youâd been too busy worrying!
iain legg
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/lighthearted-happiness-357847.html
Malmö: One of Sweden’s Most Exciting Cities
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As the third largest city in Sweden, Malmo is a popular place to visit in Scandinavia. The city is one of the region’s earliest industrial towns; however, the age of post-industrialism has seen Malmo transformed from a hub of manufacturing into a large university town which boasts an impressive world of arts, education and culture.
If you’re visiting Malmo and you want to see the city’s most interesting sights, why not visit Malmohus Castle? Located to the west of Malmo’s old city, this building was first built in 1437 by Erik of Pomerania, before being inhabited by the kings of Denmark in the 1500s and used as a prison until 1914. Today, it is a history and art museum, as well as an aquarium and a terrarium that attracts a range of visitors.
Additionally, when you’re in Malmo, make sure you visit the Mollevangstorget Square, located south of the city centre and which plays host to an open-air market every weekend. Malmo’s newest landmark - the Turning Torso - is well worth a visit too. Completed in 2005, Malmo’s Turning Torso is, at 190m tall, the tallest building in Scandinavia and is visible from almost any part of the city. It even has a waterfront promenade and a state-of-the-art skate park.
Malmo’s cultural attractions will also be of interest to any tourist in the city, whether you pride yourself on being an active culture vulture or you’re merely looking for interesting things to do in Malmo. The Municipal Theatre, for instance, was inaugurated in 1944 and began as a repertory; however, during the 1950s, legendary Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman became its Director and Chief Stage Director and made the institution the site of one of the most important art scenes in the whole of Sweden. Today, the theatre showcases all forms of stage performance, from ballet to opera, and musical recitals to diverse theatrical experiments.
Furthermore, since the 1970s Malmo has also played host to a diversity of musical scenes and talents. Malmo has a long history of rock, dance and dub music, and recent musicians to have played in the city include the likes of B.B. King, Morrissey and Australian signer-songwriter Nick Cave.
If you’re planning to visit Malmo, you’ll find plenty of hotels in Malmo, from which you’ll be able to enjoy all that this exciting city has to offer. Take a trip to Malmo for a Scandinavian city adventure with a difference - you won’t be disappointed!
Andrew Regan
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/malm-one-of-swedens-most-exciting-cities-119478.html
Guide to Lubeck, Germany
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single points
Lubeck is a charming Hanseatic city, surphaseed by a channel and a waterway. It has amply of parks grass and open seats. The best known character of the city is the Holtesten gate, built in 1477.
Unfortuntately the gate was enclosed in scaffolding during my holiday in June 2005, so I didn’t get any photos! The urban lobby (Rathaus) was first constructed in 1230, it is regarded as one of the oldest and most magnificent houses in Germany. The undivided of the old urban is now a UNESCO world heritage locate. The old urban is wholly compact and can simply be enclosed by bottom.
Lubeck is known as the home of marizpan. The narrative goes that during a cordon the city ran out of flour and they gphase down nuts as a substitute! You can holiday the neaby Baltic coastal remedy of Travemunde, nicknamed Lubeck’s “lovely daughter”, hike along the prom, take a dip in the sea, holiday a fish restaurant. It is simple to access Lubeck with Ryanair flights to Blankensee airseaport from Prestwick, Standsted, Shannon, Milan, Pisa and Skavsta.
Hinarrative
Lubeck was the cornerstone of the Hanseatic League, a trading alliance between cities in Northern Europe, to keep trade. The League endured for three centries. Lubeck was the most imseaportant urban in the Baltc washbasin by the end of the interior Ages.
However by the tardy 16th century the League began to disintergrate. The city is nickmaned the “City of Seven Spires”. The cathedral is whispered to be the oldest house in Lubeck, it was founded in 1137.
It was rudely damged in air raids during the trice World War, and was not entirely renovated awaiting 1982. The bells which chop during the raid have been left unhurt as a reminder of the destruction of war. The saline warehouses, now retail room, were crucial to the city’s ecomony.
brackish was known as “ashen gold” as it the only means of preserving food. Lubeck was still a “liberated city” when it refused to tolerate Hitler to lecture there during his selection push. Hitler revoked this privilege once he came to vigor.
What to see and do
The old urban is very nice just for wandering aphase. Every so habitually you will transpire winning one of alleyways off a boulevard with terraces of sweet cottages. These were originally built behind the merchants urban houses as accommodation for the people.
Most of them have now been refurbished and converted into houses for the elderly. You are embrace to go into the alleys during the day to look aphase, as long as you are respectful of the residents.
There are tons of green seats to hike aphase.
I especially liked the Muhlenteich, a relaxed part of water with great aspect over to the cathedral. There are paths phase almost all the peripherary of the old urban.
The old urban is surphaseed by the Elbe-Lubeck channel and the Trave waterway.
You can take vessel falters phase the seaport from the jetties at Obertrave, block cape and the Untertrave. You can also take a falter on the Wakenitz from Muhlerbrucke to Rothebhausen.
Thomas Mann, the German origin, was intuitive and tired the early part of his life in Lubeck.
One of his best known books, “The Buddenbrooks”, helped him to win a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1929. It is the narrative of the demise of a bourgeois family over some generations. It was Mann’s first book available when he was 25.
The so called “Buddenbrooks House” was the home of Mann’s grandparents but it was seaportrayed as the home of the Buddenbrooks in the book. Some of the rooms in the house have been decked as described in the book.
Lubeck hosts numerous souks during the year.
The Christmas souk is detained in Koberg parade from 21 November to 23 December. The Anno Dazumal advertise is detained in the urban lobby place during May. Stall holders dress in traditional custom and you can sentry them practising traditional crafts.
It is like a journey back through time.
For marzipan lovers, a holiday to the Cafe Neideregger is a must. Neideregger have been making marzipan while 1806 with a private recipe, with as little darling as doable added, to field the almond smell and test.
They achieve all types of marzipan delicacies and you can wish from 300 crop in their store. There is a museum on the following base, charting in the business’s hinarrative.
The Duckstein Festival is detained from 5 - 14 grand on the banks of the waterway voyage.
There are a diversity of outside boulevard performances - tune, comedy etc.
Lubeck has some interesting museums. The Museum of makeup and the Environment, Muhlendamm 1 -3, tel 0451 1224121, has ten million year old whale fossils.
The St Anne Museum, St Annen Strasse 15, tel 0451 1224134, is a earlier grandian convent dating from the early 16th century. It has a collection of ecclesiastical art and tardy Medieval stamped altar parts. The doll Museum, Petersgrube 4 - 5, tel 451 178626, houses one of the chief collections in the world of 18th and 19th century tools and tool theatre tools.
The Holsten Gate houses the Museum of community Hinarrative. During September the Museums have some tardy chance nights, awaiting midnight.
Travemunde, the coastal remedy, can be accessed by vessel falter up to Trave waterway from Lubeck, by school or by bus figures 30 and 31.
The Travemunde Sailing Week is detained from 22 - 31 July. It is the following chief sailing occasion in the world with aphase 3000 sailors from 16 countries pleasing part. There are fireworks and a family outfit in Brugmann Gardens.
polishpaper World runs from 8 July - September 4. This is a exhibit of polish scupltures up to 15 metres high. There is a prom which you can phase or hike along.
The beach is dotted with the characteristic beach chairs, which agreement amply of coil covering.
Day Trips
There are habitual school/bus to adjacent cities. I truly liked Wismar, east of Lubeck.
It is also a Hanseatic urban. It has a large urban place with a medieval water pumping base, built in Dutch renaissence grace. Along the seaport, fish is newly smoked on stay vessels.
There are stalls promotion munchies, chiefly fish polishwiches and some restaurants and cafes. Schwerin is also very handsome, surphaseed by lakes.
Where to eat
Wullenwever, Beckergrube 71, tel 0451 704333, is run by the Peterman family.
it is located in a 16th century house. There are some set menus, first at 35 euros per qualities or you can dine a la carte.
Restaurant Toledo, Krahenstrasse 25, tel 451 7098111, is a Spanish/Mediterranean restaurant.
They achieve a rock on Friday and Saturday nightfall with an large range at only 11. 5 euros per qualities. I liked this restaurant because I could see what I was choosing at the rock.
I didn’t understand most of tne menus in Germany outside chicken and pork. I do like some fish but never knew what all the kinds of fish on the menu were and didn’t want to order something I couldn’t eat.
Alan Tang
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/guide-to-lubeck-germany-140482.html
Cigarettes Advertising: What Is Allowed And What Is Not
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These sponsors would use real cute and catchy phrases or jingles to grab the watchers attention and help the phrase or logo of their brands stick in the minds of the viewers. This was a popular kind of advertising gimmick in those days and sold many, many cigarettes for these companies. Some of these jingles or logos people still remember today.
The Federal Communications Commission around the year 1967 announced that discussion of heath or smoking related ads were not sufficient enough as advertisements that were paid. The Federal Communications Commission, eventually, made TV stations put advertisements for anti smoking with no cost from the organizations that provided these ads for the TV.
A complete ban on all cigarette/tobacco advertising on the TV and radio was passed and put into effect in early 1971. Advertisements which had tobacco that was of the smokeless varieties continued to be able to advertise until the year 1986.
Most all cigarette advertising was done by placing ads on billboards or by having ads in magazines, but to be able to do this they had to have a Surgeon General Warning included within each ad. Packaging of cigarette and tobacco products had to have this warning included within them also.
Some of the don’ts of cigarette advertising include: no advertisements on radio or TV programs or in any magazine publications which have an audience that is under the age of 21, no advertisements on Universities, Colleges or any other Schools in their programs for theatrical performances, sport events etc., comic books cannot have any cigarette ads in them due to the age of the reading audience which is usually under the age of 21, zero cigarette samples can be passed out and given to anyone who is not 21 years old.
Cigarette ads cannot represent cigarette smoking as the way to be cooler, better known to the opposite sex or to get higher up on the social ladder, actors or models in cigarettes ad campaigns have to be at the very least 25 years old and ads cannot depict any of them being described as an athlete or of having been in athletic career fields. To receive a in-depth view of all specific don’t in the cigarette advertising world. You can go to the Federal Communications Commission website and pull them up for viewing.
Some of the do’s of cigarette advertising include: cigarette advertisements can be placed in facilities for only adults, where no children or teenagers under the age of 21 can be admitted. Cigarette and tobacco ads can be placed in a retail establishment as long as it is not displayed on the back or front of any windows, large and regular cigar brands can be advertised via radio or TV, as long as these ads fall under the guidelines and jurisdiction of the FCC.
Manufacturers of cigarettes can place their ads, but will have to pay, in theaters, videos, TV and games for only adult facilities which restriction to all minors is set in force, and ads may be placed in videos as long as they will not get to be distributed out into the general public.
You can check out the FCC website and pull up the entire lists of can do’s for the tobacco advertising industry, this will give you more specific rules and guidelines.
Kevin Dark
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/cigarettes-advertising-what-is-allowed-and-what-is-not-99256.html
Cigarettes Advertising: What Is Allowed And What Is Not
Posted by admin
These sponsors would use real cute and catchy phrases or jingles to grab the watchers attention and help the phrase or logo of their brands stick in the minds of the viewers. This was a popular kind of advertising gimmick in those days and sold many, many cigarettes for these companies. Some of these jingles or logos people still remember today.
The Federal Communications Commission around the year 1967 announced that discussion of heath or smoking related ads were not sufficient enough as advertisements that were paid. The Federal Communications Commission, eventually, made TV stations put advertisements for anti smoking with no cost from the organizations that provided these ads for the TV.
A complete ban on all cigarette/tobacco advertising on the TV and radio was passed and put into effect in early 1971. Advertisements which had tobacco that was of the smokeless varieties continued to be able to advertise until the year 1986.
Most all cigarette advertising was done by placing ads on billboards or by having ads in magazines, but to be able to do this they had to have a Surgeon General Warning included within each ad. Packaging of cigarette and tobacco products had to have this warning included within them also.
Some of the don’ts of cigarette advertising include: no advertisements on radio or TV programs or in any magazine publications which have an audience that is under the age of 21, no advertisements on Universities, Colleges or any other Schools in their programs for theatrical performances, sport events etc., comic books cannot have any cigarette ads in them due to the age of the reading audience which is usually under the age of 21, zero cigarette samples can be passed out and given to anyone who is not 21 years old.
Cigarette ads cannot represent cigarette smoking as the way to be cooler, better known to the opposite sex or to get higher up on the social ladder, actors or models in cigarettes ad campaigns have to be at the very least 25 years old and ads cannot depict any of them being described as an athlete or of having been in athletic career fields. To receive a in-depth view of all specific don’t in the cigarette advertising world. You can go to the Federal Communications Commission website and pull them up for viewing.
Some of the do’s of cigarette advertising include: cigarette advertisements can be placed in facilities for only adults, where no children or teenagers under the age of 21 can be admitted. Cigarette and tobacco ads can be placed in a retail establishment as long as it is not displayed on the back or front of any windows, large and regular cigar brands can be advertised via radio or TV, as long as these ads fall under the guidelines and jurisdiction of the FCC.
Manufacturers of cigarettes can place their ads, but will have to pay, in theaters, videos, TV and games for only adult facilities which restriction to all minors is set in force, and ads may be placed in videos as long as they will not get to be distributed out into the general public.
You can check out the FCC website and pull up the entire lists of can do’s for the tobacco advertising industry, this will give you more specific rules and guidelines.
Kevin Dark
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/cigarettes-advertising-what-is-allowed-and-what-is-not-99256.html
Filling Gaps in Business
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Sometimes Dr. Sue Wendling will be excavating a tooth, drill whining like a horde of angry mosquitoes, when her patient abruptly starts twitching, then explodes with laughter. Not because of nitrous oxide, but because the scene playing behind the patientâs virtual reality glasses, on a miniature movie screen that helps put the drill out of mind.
Comedy is the biggest genre in Wendlings 100-title video library â most requested, Chis Farleyâs Tommy Boy â which is one of the many amenities at her 1000 patient dentistry practice.
Since 1997, the practice has been in at Oswego Point office with an expansive view of the Willamette River. Her web site promises boat-gazing from the operatory, a Brookstone massage chair, heated neck pillows and blankets, lavender scented towels, paraffin hand dips, digital before and after smile portraits and door to-door town car service.
âI get a lot of my ideas from day spas,â says Wendling, a West Linn resident, who teaches comedic dentistry at the Las Vegas institute for Advanced for Dental Studies. âIâm a dental-phobic myself, so Iâm always looking for things I can use. Itâs also how I promote my practice,â she says. âMost of my patients come to me by referral. They go back to work and say, âYouâre not going to believe this,â and talk about the experience of having a warm pillow put at the base of their neckâ¦Weâve created a culture.â
Itâs an elite culture thatâs being replicated across the nation. The June issue of Dental Practice Report, a trade journal that focuses on the business side of dentistry, carried a six-page cover story, âDental Spas: Fad, Niche, or Emerging Trend?â
According to the article, the practice of luring patients in with an elaborate array of creature comforts has blossomed in the last six months. Itâs being driven largely by cosmetic dentists attempting to build practices in a down economy and to differentiate themselves from the competition â not only other dentists, but also do-it-yourself kits for teeth whitening, one of the most common cosmetic procedures.
Meanwhile, the Madison, Wisconsin based American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry offered a discussion on âSpa Dentistryâ at its annual conference last spring.
According to Eric Nelson, a spokesman for the academy, its membership has expanded in recent years as more general practice dentists are offering cosmetic procedures. Many are trying to supplement a death in revenues from once-common maladies like cavities, which have become increasingly rare and needed to be refilled less often because filling have become more durable. Although a fraction of the academyâs 5,500 members have incorporated spa-like amenities into their practices, Nelson says the trend is catching on, especially as the recession lingers.
âThe days of drill-and-fill dentistry are over,â says Nelson. âOur dentists arenât just competing with each other, theyâre competing with all the electives things people do in their lives. Right now people are stuck between, âDo I want a new car, a trip to Paris or a smile make-over?â A full mouth of veneers can cost between $3,600 and $20,000.â
Nelsonâs not kidding. Wendling charges $1,200 a tooth for veneers. For a full mouth whitening, she charges $460 to $900, and for a full mouth restoration, the bill is between $36,000 to $40,000.
At the Art of Smile Making in Lake Oswego, a cosmetic dentistry practice owned by academy member Steve Lind, the chair â which at the flick of a switch offers a full body massage â is rarely empty. Lind supplements his services with virtual reality goggles, surround sound headphones and heated towels and blankets. He orders doughnuts for his morning patients and pours wine for his afternoon patients.
And at Paramount Dental Care in West Linn, which opened in Cascade Summit in October, Grant Smith offers freshly baked bread and cookies. Gardenia-scented aromatherapy candles burn in the waiting room, which, with its overstuffed chairs and couches, looks more likeâs someoneâs living room.
More candles burn in the operatories, where the lights are dim and patients listen to James Taylor on Bose headphones or watch âHappy Gilmoreâ or âForrest Gumpâ on ceiling-mounted flat panel displays. Even the sound of the drill is missing because Smith has switched to an air abrasion tool that works like a miniature sand-blaster, eliminating the whine and need for Novocain. All is quiet except for the occasional guffaw.
âWithout a doubt, this is increasing our client base,â says Smith, a Lake Oswego resident whoâs already invested $50,000 in his new office and is planning to add a full time masseuse.
âTo have a patient laugh during a root canal is a really neat experience.â
Sue Wendling
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/filling-gaps-in-business-140226.html
Filling Gaps in Business
Posted by admin
Sometimes Dr. Sue Wendling will be excavating a tooth, drill whining like a horde of angry mosquitoes, when her patient abruptly starts twitching, then explodes with laughter. Not because of nitrous oxide, but because the scene playing behind the patientâs virtual reality glasses, on a miniature movie screen that helps put the drill out of mind.
Comedy is the biggest genre in Wendlings 100-title video library â most requested, Chis Farleyâs Tommy Boy â which is one of the many amenities at her 1000 patient dentistry practice.
Since 1997, the practice has been in at Oswego Point office with an expansive view of the Willamette River. Her web site promises boat-gazing from the operatory, a Brookstone massage chair, heated neck pillows and blankets, lavender scented towels, paraffin hand dips, digital before and after smile portraits and door to-door town car service.
âI get a lot of my ideas from day spas,â says Wendling, a West Linn resident, who teaches comedic dentistry at the Las Vegas institute for Advanced for Dental Studies. âIâm a dental-phobic myself, so Iâm always looking for things I can use. Itâs also how I promote my practice,â she says. âMost of my patients come to me by referral. They go back to work and say, âYouâre not going to believe this,â and talk about the experience of having a warm pillow put at the base of their neckâ¦Weâve created a culture.â
Itâs an elite culture thatâs being replicated across the nation. The June issue of Dental Practice Report, a trade journal that focuses on the business side of dentistry, carried a six-page cover story, âDental Spas: Fad, Niche, or Emerging Trend?â
According to the article, the practice of luring patients in with an elaborate array of creature comforts has blossomed in the last six months. Itâs being driven largely by cosmetic dentists attempting to build practices in a down economy and to differentiate themselves from the competition â not only other dentists, but also do-it-yourself kits for teeth whitening, one of the most common cosmetic procedures.
Meanwhile, the Madison, Wisconsin based American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry offered a discussion on âSpa Dentistryâ at its annual conference last spring.
According to Eric Nelson, a spokesman for the academy, its membership has expanded in recent years as more general practice dentists are offering cosmetic procedures. Many are trying to supplement a death in revenues from once-common maladies like cavities, which have become increasingly rare and needed to be refilled less often because filling have become more durable. Although a fraction of the academyâs 5,500 members have incorporated spa-like amenities into their practices, Nelson says the trend is catching on, especially as the recession lingers.
âThe days of drill-and-fill dentistry are over,â says Nelson. âOur dentists arenât just competing with each other, theyâre competing with all the electives things people do in their lives. Right now people are stuck between, âDo I want a new car, a trip to Paris or a smile make-over?â A full mouth of veneers can cost between $3,600 and $20,000.â
Nelsonâs not kidding. Wendling charges $1,200 a tooth for veneers. For a full mouth whitening, she charges $460 to $900, and for a full mouth restoration, the bill is between $36,000 to $40,000.
At the Art of Smile Making in Lake Oswego, a cosmetic dentistry practice owned by academy member Steve Lind, the chair â which at the flick of a switch offers a full body massage â is rarely empty. Lind supplements his services with virtual reality goggles, surround sound headphones and heated towels and blankets. He orders doughnuts for his morning patients and pours wine for his afternoon patients.
And at Paramount Dental Care in West Linn, which opened in Cascade Summit in October, Grant Smith offers freshly baked bread and cookies. Gardenia-scented aromatherapy candles burn in the waiting room, which, with its overstuffed chairs and couches, looks more likeâs someoneâs living room.
More candles burn in the operatories, where the lights are dim and patients listen to James Taylor on Bose headphones or watch âHappy Gilmoreâ or âForrest Gumpâ on ceiling-mounted flat panel displays. Even the sound of the drill is missing because Smith has switched to an air abrasion tool that works like a miniature sand-blaster, eliminating the whine and need for Novocain. All is quiet except for the occasional guffaw.
âWithout a doubt, this is increasing our client base,â says Smith, a Lake Oswego resident whoâs already invested $50,000 in his new office and is planning to add a full time masseuse.
âTo have a patient laugh during a root canal is a really neat experience.â
Sue Wendling
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/filling-gaps-in-business-140226.html
Theaters Using Text Messaging
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Currently, on Broadway, there is a magnificent show, “Spring Awakening” that has won 8 Tony Awards, and praise from all critics and theatergoers. But the really big story is about the text message promotion that is listed in the Playbill.
The flier says, “Win Your Chance to Come Backstage!” and instructs theatergoers to send the text message “bdway spring” to a five digit short code during intermission. The winner, selected at random, is sent a message in return after the show. The winner not only gets to go backstage to meet the cast, but carries with them free PR for the life of their cell phone.
Upon registering, texters receive a ring tone from a popular song in the show, and a picture from the show to use as wallpaper on their phones. Both of these, producers think, are unique conversation starters, that will serve as self-perpetuating promotion and ultimately, ticket sales.
In December 2006, there were 18.7 billion text messages sent in the US. This is nearly double the rate of 9.7 billion from the same time the previous year. This is persuasive data, but theater promoters have been wary, taking into account the horribly disruptive sound of a ringing cell phone during a performance.
“Spring Awakening” however, has the age-appropriate audience for such a promotion. The show itself is about the struggles of adolescent life and the ambiguous messages that this generation is sent by parents and by society.
Thus far, participation in the promotion has resulted in about 8.5 percent of audiences who have sent text messages in the 14 times the promotion has run. Taking into account the astounding number of text messages sent in the US, promoters see this number increasingly steadily.
The Blue Man Group, a theatrical production featuring a rock oriented musical show, has also used text messaging to promote their latest tour. The results have shown 16 percent of their audence members sent text messages in response. That figure looks much larger when you consider the group toured 60 cities, in 90 days. It works out to about 50,000 people sending a text message who attended the show, and who now how Blue Man Group somehow represented on their mobile phone.
Ringing during performances has not been a problem at this point, but it is definitely something that producers are keeping in mind. However from a marketing standpoint, the risk, they think, is worth taking.
Anthony Wayne
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/theaters-using-text-messaging-182545.html
How To Compete With The Big Boys
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Every business needs to do everything it can to stand out from the crowd, to differentiate itself from the competition. This is a major challenge for companies that sell substantially the same thing as their competitors.
The average business does not have the resources of a multinational corporation that often uses its substantial marketing muscle to buy market share or to drive competition out of the marketplace. Big business also uses its deep pockets to flood various media with advertising, making them a pervasive presence.
The Web has always been an egalitarian environment where smaller companies could present themselves using the same techniques as the big boys, and if these companies did it well they could stand side-by-side with their competitive behemoths.
One thing that small and medium sized businesses should take some comfort in is that many large corporations are notoriously poorly run, relying on brawn rather than brain to get the job done. Many survive because over time they have acquired huge resources, become oligopolies, or they use predatory marketing practices to stifle competition.
As the Web becomes more and more a multimedia environment, corporations are starting to use their financial resources, and inventory of commercial assets and programming (not to be confused with computer programming), to deliver their marketing messages. The question is can smaller businesses compete, and if so, how?
Slipstream Marketing
Dr. Max Sutherland, a Marketing Psychologist and Professor at Bond University, has written about a concept he refers to as ’slipstreaming.’ Anyone who is familiar with motor racing or even bicycle racing understands that slipstreaming is a drafting method where a racer tucks behind a front-running rival reducing wind resistance and saving fuel and energy, and with a quick move, the challenger can slingshot past the race leader.
The clever implementation of slipstream style marketing campaigns can allow you to blow by your competition by using the momentum of well-known and instantly recognizable campaigns.
Slipstreaming references a collective audience memory, a kind of shared consciousness. Skillful execution draws instant recognition and an “Oh I Get It!” reaction without a lot of wasted setup or groundwork.
“Give Me The Same Thing, But Different!”
The key of course is how you make your version different. What’s the twist? Blake Snyder, a Hollywood screenwriter and author, writes about entertainment executives’ constant refrain, “Get me the same thing, but different.” What Snyder has learned and what he preaches is that movie moguls understand it’s easier to get people to go to a movie they understand and that was already a success, but the trick is making the new version different, that is different but the same.
If you think slipstreaming is an easy way to be creative you’re wrong. Being different but the same is not as simple as it sounds, but success can depend on it. Done poorly slipstreaming comes off as lame and imitative, but done correctly you appear clever and cutting-edge, and more importantly you deliver the marketing message in a way your audience will remember.
There are an endless variety of things you can slipstream: personalities, icons, slogans, music, advertisements, news events, pop culture phenomena, movies, television shows, commercials, and sporting events.
Personalities
One of our favorite personality slipstreaming techniques is the use of voice-over. It can be implemented as part of a video campaign or as a stand-alone feature. We have used sound-alike actors to portray Rod Serling, Sam Elliot, Steve Irwin, Paul Winfield, Tom Brokaw, and many others.
What makes this approach so valuable is that most people will relate to the voice as someone they know, or are familiar with, but not immediately recognize.
This method captures people’s attention with the familiar sound of a famous voice but without the cost of hiring the celebrity. Often the voice does not even have to be that close to the original, it’s the cadence, deliver, tone, and script that makes people sit-up and take notice.
Cutting through the jungle of advertising noise is a challenge for everyone in business and this technique is a very effective method of getting heard and being remembered.
Television Shows
Another slipstream technique we’ve used is to play upon the audience’s knowledge and familiarity with certain television shows. We have created Web-videos, written scripts, added dialogue and composed music that reminds people of the old ‘Twilight Zone’ series and the popular A&E show, ‘City Confidential.’
Commercials
One of our most successful Web-promotion campaigns was the ‘Multimedia Versus SEO Campaign’ (http://www.mrpwebmedia.com/ads) where we took advantage of the well know Macintosh Versus PC television commercials. Nobody needed an explanation or setup to understand what was going on in the commercials. We basically slipstreamed Apple’s television campaign.
Slogans
Slogans are another resource for slipstreaming and if you think only small companies slipstream, think again. The A&E Network used the slogan “Time Well Spent” for many years, while The Comedy Network slipstreamed it with their own twisted version “Time Well Wasted” - the same thing, but different.
Music
With the popularity of Hip Hop music, the milk marketing board developed a series of commercials with diary farmers rapping to a catchy Hip Hop tune well prancing around their farm animals. Hip Hop was also slipstreamed by Smirnoff in their Raw Tea campaign and ‘Tea Partay’ viral video.
Pop Culture
With the popularity of poker and the World Poker Tour, we developed a Mike Sexton style character, host of the television show, for one of our projects. We’ve even created nostalgia radio-style audio pitches that hark back to the olden age of radio plays.
Movies
We created an entire campaign for a client based on the idea, “Life Deserves A Sound Track” where everyday situations were described in dramatic style with familiar voice-over announcers, which was our take on Will Ferrell’s hit movie ‘Stranger Than Fiction.’
Sports
We’ve created presentations using the personas of famous sports figures like Hall of Fame pitcher and broadcaster Dizzy Dean and Mel Allan. We created scenarios and scripts using the voices and personas of World Champion racecar driver Jackie Stewart and one crazy script fashioned in the style of college basketball analyst Dick Vitale.
Conclusion
As you can see from these examples, there are an endless number of ways to take advantage of the public’s shared experience. So the next time you need to come up with a new Web marketing campaign for your company, think like a Hollywood mogul: Come Up With Something That’s The Same, But Different.
Jerry Bader
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/how-to-compete-with-the-big-boys-140102.html
30 Business Brainstorming Ideas - Part 3
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Sometimes you just get stuck for ideas. Your mind is a blank. It makes it even harder to come up with the goods if your present or future business rests on your ideas. A little help and inspiration for a new article, a new product, or a completely new business wouldn’t go amiss in these circumstances.
The purpose of the ideas in this series of articles is to get your brain thinking. The ideas may seem a bit crazy and unrealistic - almost too simple. But…. the intention is for these ideas to act as a trigger, making you say something like: “That idea’s ridiculous, but if I change it around a bit I could…” So, use one or more of these ideas as your starting point and brainstorm your way to a new opportunity.
1. Begin an enterprise which sells garden gates door to door. On your sales trips, take with you a smart folder which has a large photograph of each gate you are selling. Provide potential customers with a price which includes installation. Your target houses should be easy to spot!
2. Start a home based computer bureau. There are hundreds of business computer programs available such as wages, record files and accounts. Buy and use these programs to provide a computer service to local businesses.
3. Set up a business which promotes the making of lampshades. Lampshade making can be sold as either, an interesting new hobby, or a business opportunity. Produce a mail order catalogue of lampshade making equipment and supplies. Advertise your catalogue in craft magazines.
4. Begin a computerised dating service. Operate this service like a traditional dating service, but hold all your records on a computer and use the computer to aid your search for compatible partners. Have leaflets about your service printed and place them at shops in your area.
5. Be a sleep consultant. Large numbers of people have difficulty in sleeping at night. This is not usually a medical problem, but can be corrected by using a suitable method or attitude of mind. Provide people in your area with confidential advice about how to sleep soundly.
6. Start a venture which designs and manufactures portable theatrical footlights. Potential buyers of these footlights include: amateur theatre and dance groups, pop and rock groups, children’s entertainers, variety entertainers, nightclubs and mobile disc jockeys.
7. Create an enterprise which rents computers to private and business users. The computers you rent out might be new and second hand. Also rent out peripherals such as printers, stands and feeders. Use local media to inform people about your hire service.
8. Buy original computer games programs from home computer enthusiasts. Find these programs by advertising in computing magazines. Produce a compilation of the programs on a master tape. Have copies of this master tape duplicated on cassettes and sell from ads in home computing magazines.
9. Produce a series of low cost audio cassettes which help school pupils revise for public examinations. You might give these cassettes a brand name like ‘Personal Revision Cassettes’. Get these cassettes stocked at newsagents and bookshops.
10. Set up a firm which publishes a monthly computer cassette program for home computer enthusiasts who want to improve their program writing skills (e.g. C++, html or web design). Each cassette might give ideas, examples and tips about how to become a better computer programmer.
11. Start a firm which organises educational holidays and weekend breaks for computing enthusiasts who want to further their programming skills. The courses might be held at a bed & breakfast house out of season. Advertise your holidays and breaks in computing magazines.
12. Design and publish diaries for each star sign. The special feature of these diaries is that a star reading is given for each day of the coming year. Have these diaries mounted in a special display rack. Get astrological shops to accept one of your racks.
13. Use luminous paint (the kind used on watches and alarm clocks) to highlight features on natural ornaments such as starfish, coral, colourful rocks, pine cones, etc. Place these ornaments in a UV illuminated display case to illustrate the luminosity. Get these cases displayed at gift shops.
14. Start an enterprise which makes high quality, home-made paper. Sell the paper at a premium for use as: personal stationery, certificates, presentation scrolls, printing paper for manually operated printing presses etc.
15. Bring out a selection of lucky charms which are for hanging from the windscreens of cars, vans and lorries. The charms might be mini horseshoes, rabbits’ feet, wooden or plastic number sevens, four leaf clovers, etc. Package your charms and distribute to a wide range of retailers.
16. Begin a business which manufactures kits for making mosaics. Each kit has a pre-designed mosaic and people have to complete it like a jigsaw puzzle. Use ads in craft magazines to sell the kits by mail order.
17. Set up an enterprise which sells greenhouses door to door. Buy the greenhouses from manufacturers at trade prices. Produce sales literature and recruit sales people to sell the greenhouses for you.
18. Start a postal business which rents out war gaming model soldiers and other accessories. War gaming enthusiasts around the nation can use this service to play war games of any size from any period of history.
19. If you have a spare room, take in a lodger, or start a small scale bed and breakfast business. If you choose the latter, either place a sign outside your house which reads ‘Bed and Breakfast’, ‘Vacancies’, or advertise in the window of a main newsagent. Currently you can earn a useful tax-free sum from this method.
20. Make money from anatomical charts. Use the charts to: 1) make stylish framed prints; 2) make unusual designs for T-shirts; 3) decorate household products such as wastepaper bins and lampshades; 4) make decorative or educational posters; or 5) make a collection of educational slides.
21. Make decorations for wine bottles. Each decoration is slipped over the neck of a bottle. These decorations are either wood carved or metal engraved with the name of a restaurant or family. Or make floral decorations: the scent of the flowers complementing the bouquet of the wine.
22. Start a craft business which makes unusual table lamps. Each table lamp might feature a stand made of a conch shell or Victorian bottle. If you hit upon a design which is popular, and there are no problems with obtaining raw materials, this can become a full time business.
23. Take up the craft of jewellery making and as soon as you acquire a basic skill, start selling what you make. Begin by sending for a catalogue issued by a mail order jewellery making supplier.
24. Start a mail order firm which sells equipment and supplies to weavers and spinners. An important market for your products will be those taking up weaving and spinning for the first time. Place ads in craft magazines which are directed at this group.
25. Produce souvenir children’s height charts which feature postcard type views of local scenery. Or make souvenir suntan charts. These suntan charts have the complete range of skin shades. A holiday maker buys a suntan chart to make a ‘before’ and ‘after’ comparison.
26. Put together a postal course which teaches people how to cut silhouettes. The course might include instruction on how to cut all kinds of silhouettes such as landscapes, animals and people. These silhouettes can be framed or mounted to make attractive wall hangings.
27. Start a venture which organises courses about how to build your own house extension or loft conversion. Hold the courses during the weekends at the construction site of an extension or conversion. Or a bed and breakfast house could be hired out of season for a week long course.
28. Begin a craft business which makes either souvenir or normal tea cosies. Find suitable retail outlets to stock your cosies. You might, for example, make souvenir tea cosies for tea rooms and cafes to sell to their customers.
29. Earn money from selling cheap toys door to door. Visit neighbourhoods which have an above average population of children.
30. Learn how to make soft toys with the long term objective of being able to earn money from teaching others. Eventually, teach solo students, classes or use diagrams to teach by post. Also, bring out a postal course which teaches people how to design their own soft toys.
Nick Summers
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/30-business-brainstorming-ideas-part-3-145649.html