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Mei Po. 媒婆
Well, this was a good week to be Tony Blair – a short taxi ride to Claridge's in London for a three hour meeting, to broker a deal between Xstrata and Glencore, in exchange for a US$1m fee.
I can see the procurement people looking over this now, and asking "Is $333,333 a fair hourly charge out rate?" No doubt one of Tony Blair's men would have replied "Well, he is one of our top executives…."
This industry has become bogged down in too many irrelevant and counter- productive discussions about time and costs. I feel confident in saying this, because in a lot of cases, my company is also involved in these. If martians were to land on earth and study the advertising and communications sector, they would laugh – "you mean the slower you work, the more you get paid?" For the majority of agencies right now, on hourly fees and retainers, this is the reality.
Two days ago, I ordered some books off Amazon, and paid a fat premium to get them delivered as soon as possible. Imagine if I had paid more to get them delivered more slowly…. Last week, I got a piping hot pizza from Pizza Hut – imagine if they charged me more to deliver it in three hours. The world's tallest building is currently going up in Changsha, China right now (…not a typo….) in seven months – if they take seventeen months, how much more could they charge?
When will someone from the client or agency side take more of a risk and work on a greater value based compensation approach? According to our 2012 research, 49% of global marketers now pay their agency a variable fee, linked to results. So this is a start – but likewise in the same study, 65% of marketers are unhappy with the current structure and want to change. Barack Obama this year couldn't get re-elected with 35% of the vote, so it's really time to hope for some change.
Coca-Cola has taken the first shot three years ago with a Value Based compensation approach and P&G tried Sales Commissions – but as we said at the time, both are a good step, but still remain challenged. Holding companies don't like the idea of having so much at risk – and procurement people at companies can't imagine paying an agency double or triple the actual cost to get work done (meantime, they happily pay McKinsey or Bain on this basis).
The key potential has to be the way agencies can better measure and drive their overall performance, and the performance of all the agencies working for the brand. This idea of 'mutual risk and reward' is a cornerstone of good integrated marketing. We were lucky this month to have top clients and agencies help us on an Integration White Paper – (write to me for a copy)
Digital needs to be at the center of this. In five years' time, there won't be any digital agencies or social agencies – there will just be agencies – and some dinosaurs. The goal needs to be not "How many followers we got", but how this work genuinely influenced Brand Equity, Purchase Intent and Business Results.
All it needs is a client and agency to both take a stand together. Who will be the first?
Well, there it was, buried into an outstanding article in the New Yorker by Evan Osnos, probably the best English writer in China right now (sorry, Tom) – a lovely request from a woman looking for a man, posted on Jiayuan.com, China's largest dating site,
"Never married; master's degree or more; not from Wuhan; not an only child; no smokers; no alcoholics; no gamblers; taller than 172cm; more than a year of dating before marriage; sporty; parents who are still together; annual salary over RMB50,000; between 26 and 32 years of age; willing to guarantee four dinners at home per week; at least two ex-girlfriends, but no more than four; no Virgos; no Capricorns. "
Damn, I thought; I nailed every criteria, but I was from Wuhan! Curse you, Wuhan!
Jiayuan is amazing – started by Gong Haiyan, a disgruntled dater seven years ago, it's now a NASDAQ listed company, with over 100 million members and a market cap of RMB1billion. Looking for that special someone in Beijing? Well, you might have to sift through over 1 million people in Jiayuan to find them. Gong has now been called "China's #1 Matchmaker" (I finally have a role model) and been featured on many business and lifestyle shows.
Everyone knows about China's one child policy, and the leaning towards men. By some estimates this decade, there will be 24 million men of marrying age unable to find a wife. While marriage rates are down to as low as 51% in the west, in China, 98% of all women will marry at least once in their lifetime.
Then it struck me.
Marketers are like the women of China.
In a country of 143,000 agencies, there's simply no need to settle down. There's no real benefit to find a long term partner, when there are so many hungry suppliers looking for their next meal ticket (or Martin Sorrell's next meal ticket). Why just read a book, when you can have the whole library?
In our research, no country on earth has shorter agency relationships than in China. An average they are two and a half years – for a lot of local clients, even less. But this is not only a local problem – Unilever right now is pitching their China media.
Their last review? Two and a half years ago. A spokesperson in London said "this kind of review timing is normal."
The "concubine approach" to agency relations has meant agencies undercutting, often having to under-deliver to break even, seeking revenue from media and production houses to subsidize their low fees, paying and training their people less than they should. According to our research, only 66% of Chinese marketers are satisfied with their agencies. In Europe, this number is over 90%.
So what can we do about it?
- Look to new models – what P&G have done with their BAL (Brand Agency Leader) model is a giant step forward, albeit not perfect. We were lucky to work with Coca-Cola China on a similar model before the Beijing Olympics – it worked for them then. The best brands in China trust their lead agency to manage others and drive business – with some very long relationships – P&G and Grey, Publicis, Saatchi and Leo Burnett have more than 50 years together.
- Focus on Outputs, Not Inputs – we spend a lot of our lives helping clients and agencies agree on appropriate compensation, but really, what is more important, is that the agency is held accountable, and has a significant "skin in the game", based on agreed outputs. I don't really care if you think that integrated campaign will take you 1,500 hours to produce instead of 1,200 hours – I care more how much it will sell and what it will do for brand equity – and you should too.
- Take Digital Seriously – if you thought Above the Line relationships were bad, digital relationships are terrible in China. Most marketers hire their digital agencies by the yard, not by the year. So digital agencies for the most part, usually don't see the need to invest in Strategic Planning or analytics, since neither side knows how long the relationship will last. Everything is so new, so everything is so short term. Imagine, one client hired us this year, because their roster of digital agencies was too small – they needed to look more widely. That roster? 14 digital agencies. What if all that business was in 1 or 2? How much talent and how many great solutions come could come? Coca-Cola, conversely, has only just started broadening its digital roster, after staying quite focused for five years – in R3's EnSpire study, it's the #1 brand online when it comes to engagement. Who knows how much this strategy helped, but it sure didn't hurt.
- Benchmark – well, I guess you knew I would say that, but marketers and agencies should be using external measures, whether it's tracking research, 360 degree evaluations, media audits, or other measures to benchmark where they are in an ever-changing marketplace. It doesn't have to just be through a pitch. We have one big client in Shanghai that audits their agency every year – seven years later, there's been no pitch – and sure, the relationship is not perfect, but there's a lot of continuity and consistency. Johnson & Johnson do evaluations better than just about anyone else, as you would expect from such a 'nurturing' company, actively asking agencies for feedback on how they can become a better client.
China might be an easy place to find short term love, giving the dynamics of the marketing industry right now, but the real winners will be the ones who set up mutually rewarding partnerships for the future.
I guess it was about six years ago as the internet was picking up here. One of our big clients found a lot of negative comments online for their new campaign. Odd comments, hypercritical, one building on another. Of course, after a little asking around, we discovered this was being driven by the digital agency of our client's competitor. They were "planted" – paid to write these things. Harsh words and accusations were exchanged, nothing was ever really proved, and of course the battle was joined, the practice was continued. We used to joke about the day when the only people online in the BBS would be the plants , the paid posters – when the lunatics truly take over the asylum.
So it caught my eye this week that some hardcore computer scientists at Cornell University would try to quantify just how many lunatics there are out there now. This impressive report can be downloaded here , but beware – get ready to recall all your High School algebra when you read it. They meticulously went through Sina and Sohu comments and came at it from a multitude of ways – time intervals between posts, active days, news reports , and a massive semiotic analysis using Chinese splitting software. Heck , they even went to www.shuijunwang.com and joined up as a "Plant" – to see how they whole thing works (Note to self : remember to click on link later for second income stream).
And what did they find? Well , it might not be as bad as you thought. By their estimates, 14% of all messages were "plants" - stuck up by people paid for their messages – made to look anonymous. So we can all rest easy, ay ? 86% of all Chinese posts are 'real'…..but wait, do the math – 14% of the 485m Chinese people online ? Why , that's 67m "planted" people, more than the populations of France or the UK. Sure, I exaggerate – the paid posters will obviously post more often, but it makes you think how many marketing campaigns have been altered, iWom companies started, iWom measurement companies made rich, and people's careers affected – through all this tom-fakery. The mind boggles.
And what of the "Zombies" – well , first it should be clear this is not a phenomenon unique to China – Gawker reported this year that "Only 92% of Newt Gingrich's twitter followers are fake" . With the growth of Weibo in China to over 250 million, so comes the growth of "Zombies" – fake Weibo accounts. If you take a trip to weibo.pk or even Taobao, you can pick up 1,000 'friends' for RMB4 , the cost of a good bowl of noodles. Too obvious for you? Why not try the "Premium Zombies" which also come with a fake photo and five fake posts for just RMB24 for 1,000. Imagine, even China Daily is now covering this story, talking about an Abalone Restaurant in Shanxi Province that offered a free iPad as a prize. The Zombie Army got to work , and the original message was re-posted 13 million times, (a China record) according to reports. Let's hope they don't all come for a table for four on Saturday night. Sina, naturally, has disputed this and is doing what they can to clean things up. That would be a good thing. Our children are either going to either grow angry – or grow rich – because of it , in the future.
You probably saw that great Tony Scott movie – "Unstoppable' – about a train whose brakes had failed and just couldn't stop? Well China has been living a similar drama the last few months, in the form of long distance bus advertising company, China Media Express.
To get the full picture, you really need to rewind to look at Focus Media , the NASDAQ Darling of China Outdoor Media after it listed at US$8 a share. Three years later at US$65 and a market cap of US$8b, the company, led by Jason Jiang, was one of the most powerful media players in China, with an acquisition strategy that saw it attract some of China's best digital agencies. When the "SMS scandal" hit, the stock fell to US$5.80, the CEO and Founder took a holiday and divestiture became the new phrase du jour. (As it turns out, two years later, the company's stock is remarkably now back to US$28 – "anyone with a easily upset stomach, please avoid this ride" – and a more humble Jason is now leading the way).
Roll on a few years, and it seems that everyone in China Outdoor can get rich quick. "What else is there to do on a Long Distance Bus in China, but watch advertising?" thought Zhang Cheng, CEO, President and Chairman (the Triple Crown) of China Media Express. Using his government contacts and leverage, he figured he could create an exclusive contract to sell ads on TV screens to a very captive audience. More importantly, he rightly assumed that global investors would want to embrace this Chinese vision too, and so it was he listed his fledgling business on the NASDAQ on Nov 14th 2007.
The stock was barely traded until the end of 2009 until the 'good news' started to come out – Coca-Cola, Apple, Toyota, Mars Adidas and Hitachi were now all top ten advertisers. Business was thriving, and more and more routes were confirmed. The company even attracted investment from the likes of Hank Greenberg , ( former CEO of …errrr …the less than successful AIG , collapsing itself in 2008. ) The stock moved from US$6.90 to US$20 within the space of the year. For 2010, revenues were reported at over US$200m, with a 55% profit margin, making it the second largest outdoor company in China, behind Focus – and with an annual growth of more than 120%.
Since this was a NASDAQ listed company, with Deloitte as the auditor, who could possibly question its success? Well it turns out people did. It was earlier this year, my phone started ringing – "Had I heard of this company?" , "Do my clients work with them?" , "Is this result possible?" The blogs started getting active; every media agency in China was called for a comment. One cynic called it "(a) one of the best businesses in the history of capitalism or (b) one of the most brazen frauds in the history of capitalism". People started flying from the US to Fuzhou to conduct their own research – if you have a spare 20 minutes, this link might be the funniest China business article you've read this year. For every short person on the message boards, not far behind there was a bull talking up the company's technology and contracts.
So here we are at the end of March 2011 and guess what? Deloitte has resigned as the auditor , the NASDAQ this week de-listed the stock , Hank Greenberg is now suing the firm and – surprise – the CFO and several others have resigned. The end is nigh. The business has imploded, and no-one knows if this if a 5, 10 or 100 times revenue fraud. One thing is for sure – everyone will be more careful when investing and following China media stocks.
Is there another China Media Express lurking out there? Only time will tell.
Ask anyone about what it takes to be a successful local agency in China and you'll hear one word back – "Guanxi". While this is still an important facet, we are seeing far more progressive thinking today as the environment gets more and more competitive. If you intend to be a successful multinational agency in China, there's never been a more important time to 'go native' and learn from the locals.
When we say 'local' , we should be specific – last year , there were over 204,000 local agencies spread across the Middle Kingdom according to the CAA (China Advertising Association). By our estimates, the "local agencies" still represent around 80% of the estimated RMB34.1b revenue for advertising services in China. Yes, for the newbies, this is not a typo – all the might of WPP, Dentsu and the rest can only come to around RMB6.8b for mainland China. For the full family tree, you can click on this link here
This year, in our research with 200+ China marketing decision makers, a quarter of them told us if they ran a creative agency pitch tomorrow, they would shortlist a local agency. That's up from 6% in 2006. For the first time ever, one local agency (Ye Mao Zhong) was mentioned amongst China's Top Ten most creative – and five were mentioned in the top Twenty Five. We've been fortunate to meet with a lot of them over the last eight years – and we think they are showing the rest of the world a few important things about being a successful agency.
1. Market The Brand. Agencies are fantastic at marketing other people's brands, but rarely invest enough time in their own. In China, no-one does it better than Ye Mao Zhong and Zheng Bang , who work closely with business publications in exchange for adspace. Shanghai's Meikao has a unique positioning – it wants to be a toilet bowl for their clients. But that said, it doesn't take crap from anyone in the way it works. Dongdao, Focus PR Group, TEAM, Tri-Star and others invest in trade print titles. And Charm have even produced and aired their own TV commercial for their company – who said Advertising doesn't work?
2. Leverage Global Connections. We're meeting a lot of 'new breeds' of hybrid agencies who are offering and delivering the best of both worlds – either through minority or majority investment from a global network, or through their own connections. In some cases, there share more global best practice than some multinational agencies in China. Raynet Ogilvy and Allied Shanghai have proved to us through their Ogilvy relations, they can more than match foreign competitors. Dentsu has given minority investment and best practice insights to Suntrends and Blue Focus. And agencies such as Always, Dawson, Yong Yang, Unisono and Starecho have all enhanced their competitive spirit through majority investment.
3. Carve out a niche. Find a city, find a discipline, find something that makes you stand out from the other 203,999. The best local players do this every day in their business approaches and thinking. Garbo leads the way in Hefei offering healthcare and other skills. Transmind is the leader in Guanxi province, attracting a wide mix of clients. S&W brings unique PR insights to Chongqing and Sichuan province that can't be found from an office in Shanghai or Beijing. 1024 is leading the way on IWOM services for local and multinational clients. Madhouse has done more than any global firm in pushing mobile marketing in China. Each have found a way to thrive through their own skills and insights.
4. Build ROI. To think that local agencies somehow lack tracking and research is quite misplaced. Singshine have a six monthly Client Performance tracking tool in place to measure satisfaction and their own results for their ten biggest relationships. Spearhead have a unique online system for event marketing to record and measure success. Both Shunya and Across China also have teams specializing in measuring the ROI of their PR and Event activities. There's a new discipline in China, and clients are increasingly steering towards agencies that can measure what they make.
5. Go Digital. Some of the most exciting digital agencies we meet in China are the local ones. They embrace a "Can Do" spirit and have a bright team of graduates to drive execution. The leaders own the business – so they have an unbridled passion to grow through good work. Few multinationals can keep up to the speed price and quality of NIM, A4A, Gomye or Showone. Meantime, local heroes such as Tensyn, OMP, Longtuo, Boosen and HYLZ continue to grow in critical mass, credentials and capabilities.
The spirit of entrepreneurship has never been more alive and well than in China's plethora of local agencies – with a hunger and passion to grow and thrive like few other markets. The Future is Bright.
Greg Paull is Principal of R3 (www.rthree.com), a Beijing based consultancy focused on marketing efficiency and effectiveness
Where have you all been? While you were sleeping, China launched more than 100 GroupOn clones this year in one of the most competitive webplays in history. And here you were thinking it was only ripe for "shanzhai" facebook and twitter? No, we are capable of so much more.
"Groupon?" I hear 83% of you say? Yes, GroupOn– the fastest growing trend on the web, allowing online shoppers to combine their sales power to the greater good. Twitter hit the magic $1b valuation in three years. Facebook managed this within two years. And recently, a Russian consortium invested $135m for 10% of GroupOn, valuing it at $1.35b just one and a half years after its startup. Have you added $1.35b to your own company in the last eighteen months? No? Why not?
This slow-one-plus-year-idea is so "US-centric" - let's look instead at what is happening in the Middle Kingdom - where there already more errr….let's call them 'emulators' than the rest of the world combined. The best impersonator off the rank has to be "China's GroupOn" (no relation) which re-confirms the mantra of imitation as the sincerest form of flattery. Despite the outstanding name and similarities, these guys may likely get crushed by more serious and better invested players. Gang Lu, a Shanghai-based blogger, has been the guide for this article. Perhaps the leader in this sector would be RenRen, and their new group purchasing site called Nuomi. Imagine in two hours this month, more than 152,095 visitors grabbed a discount offer for two movie tickets, two cokes, a box of popcorn and one Haagen-Dazs ice cream. Show me the money. RenRen have volume on their side, since their social networking sites just continue to grow, so it's making access easier and easier.
Unlike Dot-Com 1.0 or 2.0 which was based on "Burn Rates", these clones are making cash flow from the get go. A deal in China is as close as a smart mark up, so Group Sellers are able to structure the right model to make sense of it. That all said, the "Big Daddy" of online transactions, Taobao, is naturally one of the leading players with their own group site. They haven't made a huge investment in it yet, but since they are already a leader in India and Japan, we're sure they will extend this capability to other markets.
But to think the big guys have things to their own would be to neglect Ftuan, CoolTuan, RunTuan, Lashou and more than 100 others, all looking for their own VC money, their own marketing plans, their own local city focus.
Confused? Don't worry – the "googles" of China Shanzhai GroupOns are already out there – TG123, Nietuan and 122.net are all aggregators to allow you to search across multiple platforms for the best deal possible. For goodness sakes, we hope you don't miss out.
The final question of course, is what does this mean for the marketing community? Well, there are a number of factors at play here, but truthfully, it's all about the perceived value of crowdsourcing. Unilever have already tried this on some of their brands – and according to them (the best possible source ) there will be 3-4 brands in 2010 treated the same way. Marketers need to respect the value and power of groups – in creating brands, shaping brands and buying brands. The real leaders of the future will embrace this and grow.
Nowadays, you can see the past, present and future of advertising and social media in just a few clicks on Youtube. For some reason, Sesame Street recently felt it was time to pay homage to the past and to Mad Men. I am still trying to flash back to my youth and remember the last time a stuffed puppet used the word "Sycophant". Maybe the kids nowadays will be able to twitter each other and figure out the meaning of this. The real series, Mad Men, continues on beyond three seasons with such a cult following that Mattel this week launched Mad Men Ken and Barbie figures. But what most impressed me about the past was the "top to top" relationship agencies have with their clients. It's interesting to note this is still alive and well in India, and surprisingly, still alive for the best agencies in China. One of those – Meikao, who performed very well in our China Research – believes that the "toilet bowl" is the symbol of their approach. And yet despite the obvious connotations, they maintain strong relations with the CEO's of some of China's most successful companies – literally flushed with success.
For the present, the best show on advertising comes from Down Under. It's called "The Gruen Transfer" (don't ask why – the website can tell you) and it's made heroes and anti-heroes of its stars. According to local media, advertising in Australia has now become sexy again, thanks to "The Gruen Effect". This type of format could do wonders for the industry in other markets where advertising needs a boost – I can easily see this concept working in China, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines and Malaysia. Of course, India is ahead of the curve already with "Storyboard" and another four different clones of the same thing. It's almost as if a senior advertising figure went to India and didn't get interviewed for television, then surely questions would be asked.
So what's next? Where's the future?
Well surely, social media will lead the way. For the most entertaining video you'll watch this week, go no further than "The Social Media Guru" , a pointed satire from an Irish journalist on digital agencies (Warning – this one is not as child friendly as Sesame Street!). Most of the marketers we work with now are dabbling in this area – but it's the ones with a coherent long term strategy that are going to get the benefit. According to the latest issue of AdAge, while total spending on digital in 2010 represents 16.2% of US marketing spending, social media only makes up 0.5% of that (by the way , paid search leads the way at 7.8% – that makes Google the "frenemy we paid $850m to" as Sir Martin called them). While that may seem a small percentage, it's going to become a crucial one – one where reputations are won and lost, where brands are created and embraced by consumers not by companies. Already in China, we're seeing the emergence of Social Media specialists such as Resonance, Evermotion, 1024 and others – working with clients to optimize consumer connections. It's going to challenge marketers and agencies together to find the right path – the best ones will, and the creativity that will potentially be unleashed will make Don Draper quake in his boots.
OK, I'm sorry – I know I haven't blogged for a while. Thanks to some people at Media for recent 'subtle' prompting. It's mostly because I don't want to waste people's time reading anything that isn't profound. But last night I found it – by accident – as a TED video. To some of you, it will be ancient history, to some of you, it will change your world. Either way, the pace of change in digital technology is happening so fast, we need to re-wire ourselves to keep up.
I'm talking about Pranav Mistry and SixthSense Technology. You can watch the whole thing here. Be patient – the first three or four minutes, go grab a coffee, return some emails, send a few tweets – it's not so exciting. Then block off the last nine or ten minutes to totally freak your mind out.
For those of you not familiar with TED (there must be someone), it's a small non-profit, focused on Ideas Worth Spreading. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. TED speakers have included Biz Stone launching twitter to the masses, Bill Gates releasing a swarm of mosquitoes and even agency types such as Rory Sutherland and John Gezema. TED came to Beijing last month to great success – other Asian soirees are planned.
Anyway – this Pranav dude is just your typical Indian PhD MIT student, ex Microsoft, basically invented a Wii-like interface eight years ago, and last year invested a wearable projector/camera device that will essentially change communications as we know it. As the host declares at the end of the video "you're probably one of the two or three greatest inventors in the world right now". More shocking is that he's developed something totally open-source, meaning it will be commercial faster and more complete than would ever be possible if incubated in a company. I'm already thinking programmers in China and India are working on fresh ideas to make this a reality before you can say "2011".
What does all this mean for Asian marketers and their agencies?
1. Re-think the way you "listen"
We've been lucky the last few weeks to meet with a number of Asia's best digital agencies. All have impressive "listening" tools in place to tap into the consumer, but the best are taking that further to truly interpret and benchmark where their clients brands are. Consumers have taken control of communications , and innovations like SixthSense will only push this further
2. Create your own incubator
The best digital agencies (and clients) in Asia, like Pranav, have invested in R&D. Some have specific teams looking at new technologies and setting up "Test and Learn" metrics. Nokia and Barclays, for example, are Official Sponsors of TED globally, and accrue a lot of benefits with this group of speakers and attendees – incubating new ideas to the community. This year's bleeding edge will be next year's leading edge – so plan appropriately
3. Use Crowd-Sourcing to your Advantage
Many marketers are now using consumers for co-creation – whether it's Coca-Cola for the 2010 World Cup, Pepsi China for their next summer campaign or Walkers in the UK promising 1% of future sales to the best idea. As technologies such as SixthSense become mainstream, the role of the agency will change from executor to collaborator, and some will be more ready than others for this
4. Set and reward based on metrics
In our recent regional study, we're a little shocked 44% of marketers agreed with "I'm reluctant to invest more in digital because I can't measure ROI". The reality should be just the opposite – the richness of data, mined in the right way, should give unique and compelling insights into the power of new technologies. Dig deep and show it clearly. And agencies can also expect to be paid more – based on the right metrics.
SixthSense might just be the invention of the year – which marketers and agencies in Asia will use it to empower and grow their business?
My Chinese is still gruesome, but the one word on everyone's lips right now is shanzhai (山寨). Taken literally, it refers to 'The PaIace of Gangsters in the Mountains' – the thought alone adds fear to any brand owner! It started with mobile phones last year, as the cost of GSM production fell so dramatically, the 'Hi-Phone' and cheap copies of Nokia, Samsung and others flooded the market. Now around 20% of share is purported to come from this group – to put that in perspective, with 680m phones currently in the hands of users, that's 136m fake ones. What kind of market share would 136m phones take in your country?
Shanzhai has now become the by-word for anything not real. There's shanzhai clothing of course, a perennial favourite, shanzhai alcohol, shanzhai construction firms, retailers, anything you can name. Bizarrely yesterday in Beijing a storm came, the sky was pitch black at lunchtime, they're now calling it the Shanzhai Eclipse, in deference to the planned July 22 eclipse in Shanghai. Last year in our agency analysis, we even found three shanzhai Ogilvy's or 澳美 – the old man will be quivering in his boots.
But the new clone wars are taking place online and its proving fascinating for all. Of course, the tales are already told of Baidu leading against Google, Youku, Tudou etc leading against YouTube – but now the battlefield has expanded into social media as well, but with some interesting differences.
The Xiaonei, Kaixin001 and Kaixin battle was beautifully covered recently in most trade press, so I won't repeat it. All three are battling for the 'Facebook market' and going through massive growth (all three are significantly bigger than Facebook – as Cheng Binghao , the CEO of Kaixin001 said so well: "If Kaixin001 is a fake Facebook , then why is it still more popular than Facebook in Chinese?"). What's more interesting is how brands are getting involved and how they are going beyond regular Facebook content. Property giant Vanke has launched an application within the most popular feature, House and Garden. As people come in to grow their own plants etc, they can use Vanke backdrops, and now in Shenyang, Vanke have invited online members to offline events, meeting 'IRL' as it were. Lenovo, Unilever, Lancome and Sony Ericsson have also invested in special apps, while a whole host of marketers from KIA to LG to Pizza Hut to Motorola have invested in basic display advertising.
What's most interesting for these three is not how big or fast they are growing, but what they might become. They have been far smarter than Facebook at looking at revenue models from the 'get-go' and with more users online in China now than the entire US population, where will they be in three to five years? Gee, what if they launched an English version? Spanish?
But hey, that's just Facebook – that's so last six months. What about shanzhai Twitter? Just seeing those two words together sounds like the best new business idea in China already. Well for a start, Twitter doesn't have a Chinese user interface – and while it happily accepts Chinese content, that's going to prove a barrier to mainland growth .
In fact, there's already four active twitter clones in China, each of them with their own qualities and partners. One of them, Tao Tao is already eating Twitter's breakfast and lunch – because it was smart enough to partner with China's 800 pound gorilla of the online world, QQ. By leveraging their massive database, they've built great traction. You can sign in with your QQ account, so the whole interface and approach is much more seamless.
The three other kids on the block, Fan Fou, Ji Wai De and Digu , are literally swept up in the wake right now. From a user interface point of view, they are all pretty similar, but Digu has some cool features – bringing in celebrities to boost traffic and raise awareness, as well as linking your posts to a central Digu control panel
Digital pundits such as Rand Han see this as 'the killer app' to the next stage of social networking growth – and I have to agree. Who has time to visit Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and their shanzhai competitors, when I can go to one central place and update everything at once? Gee, this means that the next time one of my twitter followers goes to get a haircut and tells me, I will have that message in multiple places instead of just one.
The conclusion? Go invest in the IT server business – we are going to need them.
Let me start with a diversion – twitter is SO LAST YEAR – I've already moved on to flutter.
Or rather – - I'v rdy mvd flttr …$coke
I've been watching twitter from the sidelines, but have now found it somewhere I have to go every day , almost religiously. I'm wondering which of the three criteria in the headline I fall into – maybe all of them.
How can a company of thirty people, with virtually no logical revenue strategy have captivated the world like this? Twitter now has 360 million search results on google , God has 450 million. Give it a month.
The jury is still out though on how twitter will emerge as a business tool , particularly here in Asia. Interestingly, Dell claim they have already made $1m of sales last month on twitter (yes….twitter). That pales against their $46b in annual turnover, but don't lose sight of the marketing costs (zero) for this effort. Already travel agents and hotels are getting on board in the US. Trip to Hawaii this Friday for $499. Click here.
A lot of agencies are experimenting with the medium. WPP (http://twitter.com/wpponline) are dumping press releases. Mindshare (http://twitter.com/MindshareGlobal) is talking about research, albeit slowly. But right now, tweets are relatively public – so if you're going to jump in, jump in and do it properly. DDB China (http://twitter.com/ddbchinagroup) was naked two months ago, but now has 100 followers. Two months is a lifetime in twitteryears. And please, keep it relevant. I recently stopped following a PR agency CEO in Beijing when he sent three tweets about "preparing for haircut", "getting haircut" and "finished haircut". Not the insight into the market I expected – especially given my follical challenges.
If you're a marketer, figure out for yourself how you or your agency can use it to seed relevant information. Do a trial. Make a test.
If you're an agency , its a great recruitment vehicle, a great way of engaging feedback within a network (if you protect your followers)
If you must know, I find it one of the most interesting newsfeeds on the web. Too damn much is happening in China right now to just rely on standard news. Kaiser always has his finger on the pulse – http://twitter.com/kaiserkuo . Maggie Rauch http://twitter.com/rauch22 tells me more about sport in China than I could ever read. The WSJ China Journal always has a fresh perspective - http://twitter.com/ChinaJournal . And for men (and women) who cannot live by business alone, humor can come in 140 characters – http://twitter.com/TheOnion
Twitter ain't going to go away. Go online and try it out. But please – keep your haircut secrets to yourself


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GPO Contracts Optimization Service
Contact us
To learn more, contact us online or toll-free at 877.300.9180
Our off-site support service helps pharmacies identify cost savings opportunities in obtaining maximum value from their Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) contracts. Our experts analyze opportunities for you, so you have a quick path to action to realize results. By doing so, we help our clients achieve average cost savings of 50 to 90 basis points.
Our services include both decision support as well as audit and recovery services, such as:
Decision support services:
- Tier Maximization: analysis of pharmaceutical contract and purchase data to identify savings that can be achieved by maintaining or improving tier status under performance-based programs offered through the purchasing contract
- Contract Modeling: an evaluation of performance-based programs that utilize similar market baskets or therapeutic groups to determine potential savings opportunities
- Opportunity Buying: a review of purchase history, contract pricing and vendor terms to identify if opportunities exist to purchase lower-cost contract alternatives
- Investment Buying: an assessment of the impact of impending price increases on customer purchase patterns
Audit and recovery services:
- Invoice Price Verification: Confirm receipt of contracted prices (GPO & direct contracts), validate contract attachment with vendor and recoup dollars owed through credit/rebill process
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- Failure to Supply: Recoup dollars owed because contracted vendor could not supply drug and higher-priced item was purchased as a result
About our experts
We maintain a dedicated staff with extensive purchasing and analytics experience, who serve over 500 customers each day.
How can we help?
We provide off-site, supplemental support services to help customers maximize the value of their GPO contracts. Please contact us today to learn how our industry-leading experts can help your hospital.

subset: commoncrawl


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When former strategy consultant Mary Jo Feeney entered, stage right, with her small Boston toy company, Playstages Inc., in May 2000, she wanted to add some drama to her life. Her idea? High-quality plastic stages that come with 16 multicultural, pull-string puppets called "Minikins" and are aimed at boys and girls ages 6 and up.
But in this heady age of technology, is there still a market for old-fashioned theater and puppetry? Will today's savvy and sought-after tweens want something that was cool when Mozart was alive?
Yes, Feeney says, because there's a lot of room for open-ended educational toys that let kids create their own content and tell their own stories. "This may be the oldest form of media in the world," she says. "It's a universal concept."
Feeney, 40, built a prototype and conducted focus groups in late 2000, and eventually secured angel funding to invest in product development, initial inventory and marketing. She had to pull a lot of strings, however, to find investors willing to fund a risky toy venture. "There's an old saying on Wall Street that the two types of businesses you don't want to invest in are restaurants and toys," she says. "You really have to be determined and push because you're going to face a lot of rejection."
Playstages began shipping its products last September. Instead of seeking distribution through large retailers right away, Feeney saw an untapped market in education, where the school day is getting longer and children are participating in more after-school programs. She decided to sell to school districts, day cares and community centers she found at educational conferences. This strategy saved her the risk of planning far in advance for retailers.
"Toys may be one of the hardest things to forecast," Feeney says. "There's predictability and manageability in the education market." Playstages' products are already found in 200 school systems in 39 states.
But Feeney needs to broaden her distribution to hit the big time. In addition to her growing direct sales business, she's building additional distribution through specialty retail stores, catalogs and Web sites (she recently signed on with Imaginarium.com), and hopes to make headway into European markets just in time for the holiday season. She's also working on cheaper knockoffs of her own products, which are priced too high ($129.99 to $400) to attract cost-conscious retailers such as Target and Wal-Mart. "Cost is everything," Feeney says.
Playstages debuted in February at the Toy Industry Association's American International Toy Fair in New York City, an annual trade show that brings together nearly 2,000 importers, manufacturers, agents and distributors. Feeney says she received "tremendous response." And Playstages won the Toy of the Year award last November from the parents-oriented publication FamilyFun Magazine.
Playstages projects sales of about $1 million this year, and Feeney and her four employees are developing additions to the Minikin line as well as software that lets kids create their own dramas. Feeney isn't sure whether she wants to sell out eventually. For now, her goal is to be a $100 million firm within five years. But why stop there?
"$350 million would be great," she says. "We want to be a brand." And, maybe, just maybe, set the toy world on its ear again.
Chris Penttila is a Washington, DC-based freelance journalist who covers workplace issues on her blog, Workplacediva.blogspot.com.
Like this article? Get this issue right now on iPad, Nook or Kindle Fire.
This article was originally published in the August 2002 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Still Playing With Toys?.


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Jonathan S. Klarfeld, who led merger investigations and challenges for the past 13 years at the Federal Trade Commission, will join the Washington office of Ropes & Gray LLP in August as a partner.
A painting featured on the BBC's "Antiques Roadshow" television program was revealed to be a genuine work of 17th century Flemish artist Anthony Van Dyck.
Rebecca Van Dyck, who led Nike Inc.'s "Just Do It" campaign and helped Apple Inc. make the iPhone a best-seller, just took on a taller advertising task: reviving sluggish sales at Levi Strauss & Co.'s namesake brand.
Bloomberg BNA – A coalition of 17 foundations, representing almost $1.8 billion in investment, plans to divest from fossil fuel companies in its portfolios and invest more in clean energy, leaders of the effort said Jan. 30.
Seattle, Washington's most populous city, plans to sell $146 million of top-rated general-obligation debt this week in its biggest sale in three years.
At Christie's International's first New York wine sale of the year on Jan. 25, Krug Grande Cuvee champagne will flow in the presence of Old Master paintings to inspire buyers to bid big, or so the auction house hopes.
This is a rubbish exhibition.
Great old master paintings in danger of leaving Britain, questions asked in parliament, vastly wealthy Russians, greedy politicians -- it all sounds extremely contemporary.
Seattle City Light, the municipally owned electricity supplier for some 1 million people in Washington state, sold about $791.8 million of revenue bonds as tax-exempt yields fell for the first time in a week.
The heirs of a pre-World War II Jewish collector who are seeking to recover art worth more than $100 million said a U.S. court ruling and a Hungarian government announcement are steps toward success in their 70-year struggle.


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Arabica vs Robusta, Let's Get Ready to RumblePosted by admin
May 7
You may already be aware of it, but there's a fight that's been "brewing" for years. The two most common and commercially grown types of coffee in the world are Arabica and Robusta. The debate as to which coffee is superior has been going on longer than the "Tastes Great 'Less Filling'" argument. You may have a personal preference for Arabica or Robusta, or perhaps you aren't sure what you drink every day, but the differences are numerous and distinct. Many coffee fanatics (or "addicts" – take your pick) think that one type of coffee is better than the other, but the fact is that they each have something to offer and they each bring something different to the table.
So What's the Difference?
So how big can the differences really be? To start, Arabica and Robusta coffees come from entirely different plants, the beans are different, the climates the beans can tolerate are different, and as a result the coffee is very different.
It should be known that Arabica beans are grown in much higher altitudes and require more delicate care in how they are harvested. Because of the constant care and "hands on" approach necessary in their cultivation & growth phase, Arabica beans offer breathtakingly rich coffee flavors. It is not uncommon to hear the care and attention to detail required of Arabica beans compared to the careful manner in which fine grapes are grown and harvested.
Robusta beans are easier to harvest, require less care, and are named for their robust nature. Robusta beans are not as delicate as Arabica beans and are less sensitive to climate fluctuations. The differences between Arabica and Robusta coffee don't stop at the type of plant or where they are grown and cultivated. The most significant difference between Arabica and Robusta coffee is demonstrated in the quality and taste of a cup of coffee.
Arabica and Robusta coffees have distinctly different tastes. Arabica coffee is incredibly mild, amazingly aromatic, rarely if ever bitter, and is regarded as the more elegant of the two coffee beans. Robusta beans tend to be bitter, much higher in caffeine, and acidity levels which explains why they are commonly used for espresso. Despite Robusta beans commonly used in espresso, they remain lower in caliber and quality than Arabica beans. Roasters will often blend the Robusta beans within their roasts to boost the caffeine content and create a "bolder" taste. More often than not however; wholesale coffee companies use Robusta beans as a cheap filler. Sadly, it is a prime example of taste and flavor being sacrificed for cost..
Between Arabica and Robusta coffee, Arabica beans are most often labeled as gourmet and are known as the premium coffee. 100% AA Arabica beans are the most rare and valued coffee variety available and are typically only found through gourmet coffee retailers like Boresha Coffee. Because Arabica beans require more attention and because they have such a distinguished taste, Arabica beans tend to be slightly more expensive than typically bitter, cheap blends. The fact that Arabica beans are slightly more expensive makes them less likely to be used in average blends, though it is becoming more common as many consumers taste and develop a preference for better coffee and are willing to pay a little more for quality.
Many people don't realize how vast the difference between Arabica and Robusta coffee truly is until they compare them in a side by side taste test. People who have never had 100% AA Arabica coffee can't imagine how unbelievable the difference is until they try it. Once they taste the difference, most refuse to go back to Robusta or any other type of lower quality blend when they know the mild but rich flavor that comes from the Arabica beans. Taste the difference, Try a free sample of Boresha 100% AA Arabica, Certified Organic Coffee today.
No related posts.Boresha International Boresha B-Fit Challenge ARG Matrix


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Below are the results for your search for Airport Jobs in Fordingbridge. Simply click on any of the Airport Jobs titles for a full job vacancy description where you can apply for the job online. For other job vacancies in Fordingbridge in other industries go to our Fordingbridge jobs.
JobNut has lots of Airport Jobs jobs in the different areas of Fordingbridge, so click the town/city name below to narrow your location selection
Aldershot Airport JobsAlresford Airport JobsAlton Airport JobsAndover Airport JobsBasingstoke Airport JobsBordon Airport JobsBrockenhurst Airport JobsEastleigh Airport JobsEmsworth Airport JobsFareham Airport JobsFarnborough Airport JobsFleet Airport JobsGosport Airport Jobs
Havant Airport JobsHayling Island Airport JobsHook Airport JobsLee On The Solent Airport JobsLiphook Airport JobsLiss Airport JobsLymington Airport JobsLyndhurst Airport JobsNew Milton Airport JobsPetersfield Airport JobsPortsmouth Airport JobsRingwood Airport Jobs
Romsey Airport JobsRowlands Castle Airport JobsSouthampton Airport JobsSouthsea Airport JobsStockbridge Airport JobsTadley Airport JobsTidworth Airport JobsWaterlooville Airport JobsWhitchurch Airport JobsWinchester Airport JobsYateley Airport Jobs


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Map of Crystal City Real Estate For Sale
Crystal City Metro stationtogether with surrounding neighborhood and Pentagon City
Map Tools & Tips
Hover over any real estate peg to learn more information about the property. Click on a property to see full real estate details, more pictures and information. Call 703 765 0300 if you have questions about this or any real estate for sale in Northern Virginia.
Other Map ToolsThis map is an abbreviated form of our main map tool.
Northern Virginia | Alexandria | Arlington | Fairfax Co. | Falls Church |
The urban village of Crystal City
Residents of Crystal City enjoy a remarkably convenient lifestyle. Centered along a stretch of Jefferson Davis Highway (U.S. 1), Crystal City consists of a dramatic streetscape of office buildings, hotels, high-rise apartment buildings, shops and restaurants — all shaded by trees and linked by brick sidewalks or underground passages.
The Crystal City Metro Station is underground at 1750 South Clark St., Arlington, VA 22202. It is served by both the Yellow and Blue lines of the Washington Metro. The entrance is at the corner of Clark St. & 18th St. Crystal City Station opens at 5:02 a.m. (Trains leave exactly two hours later Saturdays and Sundays.) The last train departs around midnight. (Trains leave exactly three hours later on Friday and Saturday nights.) There are 10 bike racks at the Crystal City Metro Station.
The station is served by many buses and bus lines:
- Metrobus 16H
- Metrobus 23A
- Metrobus C
- Metrobus 9S
- Arlington Transit Bus 91
- Fairfax Connector Bus 597
- Loudoun OmniRide Commuter Bus
Crystal City also has its own Virginia Rail Express (VRE) station serving both Fredericksburg and Manassas lines. Reagan National Airport is located in Crystal City. Crystal City has direct access to I-395 as well as Rt. 1 and the GW Parkway. The Mount Vernon bike trail skirts the edge of Crystal City.
With Reagan National Airport in our backyard, direct access to major highways, and even a direct link to the Mt. Vernon Bike Trail. Crystal City is at the center of it all.
Find Homes and Condos Fast
Check here to see updates of the latest properties for sale in Crystal City. Or for a map-based search click Crystal City Map to shop and compare homes for sale in Crystal City . To see maps of homes for sale around Crystal City:
- Map of homes in Crystal City
- Map of homes in and around Aurora Highlands
- Map of homes in Bella Vista
- Map of homes in Crystal Gateway
- Map of condos at Crystal Park
- Map of condos at Eclipse at Center Park
- Map of homes for sale at Pentagon City
- Map of condos for sale at the Representative
- Map of condos for sale at Southampton
- Waterford House
Neighborhoods & Condos
Or, for the biggest and most recent price drops in Crystal City check here. Or, to read learn more about these neighborhoods:
- Bella Vista real estate services in Arlington VA
- Crystal Gateway real estate services in Arlington VA
- Crystal Park real estate services in Arlington VA
- Eclipse real estate services in Arlington VA
- Southampton
- Waterford House real estate services in Arlington VA
- Map of Crystal City Homes for Sale
Also check out nearby Aurora Highlands and Arlington Ridge if you're looking for a single-family detached home.
Just Listed
Homes for Sale in Crystal City
See all Crystal City.
(all data current as of 12/26/2014)
$524,900 : 3650 GLEBE RD, Unit 540, Arlington2 beds, 2 full baths
$499,000 : 1300 CRYSTAL DR, Unit 910S, Arlington2 beds, 2 full baths
$395,000 : 3650 GLEBE RD S, Unit 550, Arlington1 bed, 1 full bath
$449,900 : 3600 GLEBE RD, Unit 619W, Arlington2 beds, 2 full baths
$339,000 : 1805 CRYSTAL DR, Unit 614S, Arlington1 bed, 1 full bath
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.


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August 23rd, 2013.
Putting an end to creepy emails!
Spend enough time wading through spam emails and you'll be amazed at what you find. From dodgy salutations to cringe-worthy formatting, on a very slow day this makes for a good few minutes of entertainment.
Here are some of the most 'creepy' elements of bad email-ship:
Over personalisation
Why it's done & why it sucks:
This is usually an attempt at making a company look uber-friendly, since the emails they send you are formatted like a buddy would send them.
The downside is that sometimes we sign up with nick-names, tags or misspellings which can quickly turn a harmless greeting into a spammy annoyance. Seeing "Happy Birthday JaneDoe101!" or "JaneDoe101 we miss you!" littering up your mailbox is usually the first step on the way to an unsubscribe!
Archaic greetings
Why it's done & why it sucks:
"Dear Sir/Madam" or "To whom this may concern" are clear-cut indicators of cold calling (or cold mailing) – sure they're gender neutral but boy are they impersonal. They scream "Someone, anyone – please read me!" rather than seeming relevant to the recipient.
Too many imperatives
Why it's done & why it sucks:
It's true that the call-to action is a huge part of the science behind a smooth conversion, so putting in punchy phrases like "click here!" and "buy now!" seem standard procedure, but there is such a thing of over-doing it.
Ultimately, I don't want bossy emails, and legally anything being sold is an 'invitation to treat' so in your next sales email, try the passive approach with an A/B test to see what gains a better reaction.
Too long
Why it's done & why it sucks:
It's been a while and there's a lot to say, but how long do you think I've got? People are time conscious, say less!
If you need to explain something a nifty way of doing so is by linking back to a blog post published on your website. Not only is this considerate of your customers, it's also potential for indirect conversions; they may just browse other parts of your website…
And in taking my own advice, I'll keep this short and sweet – but feel free to add any other examples you can think of in our vowel to make electronic mail, sustainable!
June 21st, 2011.
New email marketing features release notes
At the beginning of the June, our email marketing platform went through some enhancements in features and functionality, including mobile/SMS features (available July, 2011), Facebook and Twitter integrations, and the new workflow automation canvas.
What's new:
Send Time Optimisation
For each contact, send time optimisation automatically schedules email messages to send at the time of day, and optionally the day of the week, the contact is most likely to open emails from you. You should avoid using send time optimization for time sensitive deliveries where you want control over when the email is sent. If a contact is new or we don't have sufficient open time data for a contact, the delivery will be made using the time you choose using the Send message now or Send at this time radio buttons.
NOTE: send time optimisation option is only enabled in advanced options when sending your email campaign.
Workflows (available end of June, 2011)
With workflows you can specify combinations of triggers, filters, and actions that determine how to handle contact data, and what marketing communications to send them.
Facebook Integration
By integrating your email account with a Facebook account you'll be able to add a Like button to email messages and webforms, schedule & post Facebook messages, let contacts sign-up using their Facebook information, and map Facebook data to contact fields. You can also trigger workflows based on if someone liked a status, liked a page, commented on a status, or posted to a page.
Twitter Integration
As with Facebook integration, integrating your account with your Twitter account allows you to post to Twitter and track the posts made via the application. You can also trigger workflows based on whether a contact mentions or retweets a Twitter username you have setup in your account.
Support For QR Codes
QR codes allow you to encode a URL into an image that you can add to email messages. If a contact prints out the email, they can take a picture of the QR code with their smart phone and they will be redirected to the URL you specified for the QR code. Read more about What's a QR code.
Redesigned Message Overview Page
Redesigned message overview page now includes more information about metrics associated with email messages, as well as the delivery groups which an email message has been added to.
Auto-Saving of Messages
This new feature will auto-save your messages automatically to the Drafts folder every minute. That way, if you forget to save a message or your computer crashes, you will still be able to access the version of the message you were working on. The Drafts folder is automatically created for you when this feature is enabled.
Message Approval Prior to Sending
When enabled, all newly created messages will require approval before they can be send. To enable go to: Home > Settings > General >
2 minutes tour
30 minutes webinar
December 16th, 2010.
Email best practices from sign-up to delivery
This week I visited an email workshop "Email Best Practices from Sign-up to Delivery" in London presented by Dr. Philip Rhodes, Ph.D. from One to One. Dr. Rhodes reviewed email newsletters and sign up process from the top 20 UK online retailers, which I believe many of you who are looking to improve your email marketing will find very useful.
I hope this study will help you to look at your own email marketing program through fresh eyes and that by applying some of these email marketing best practises outlined here and using top 20 UK retailers as your benchmark, you will be able to gain a significant improvement.
List of the UK retailers included in this study:
Sign up process findings:
• 18/20 sites had a link to sign-up on the homepage
• 2/20 had links on deeper pages
• 12 sites sent immediate email confirmation
• No newsletters received within 24 hours
• Only 8/20 newsletters received (within 3 weeks of sign-up)
• River Island & Next performed the best
• Play was the worst
Sign up process – the best
Sign up process – the worst
Best practices – sign up process:
1. Include Sign-up on the homepage
2. Sign up should be located towards the top of the page (at least above the fold)
3. Should be accompanied by an image or icon e.g. an envelope to draw attention
4. Ensure sign-up requires minimal data entry e.g. name and email address
5. Include a short sentence stating the benefits of signing up e.g. promotions, stay up to date with news and events etc
6. Do not require any unnecessary information to be entered (such as postal address, income, etc.)
7. Do not require users to 'create an account' or 'become a member' of the site
8. Consider including a short second step/page allowing users to customise the newsletter by selecting specific areas of interest
9. Provide a 'select all' tick box or 'general newsletter' opt in
10. Provide a link to the latest newsletter so that users know what to expect before subscribing
11. Do not require users to re-enter information e.g. do not request name / email address a second time
12. Include a clear indication on the website that the subscription process is complete and has been successful
13. Ideally include a clear, separate confirmation page with different content
14. Include a clear thank you message on this page
15. Provide an indication of what the user can expect next i.e. email confirmation
16. Send email confirmation immediately
17. User should not need to 'reconfirm' the subscription
18. Ensure consistency with site i.e. branding and logo, etc.
19. Include information about newsletters e.g. frequency and type of content
20. Include a link back to the website
21. Include a link to unsubscribe
22. Include contact details
Best practices – newsletter:
1. Include a clear and catchy subject line so that the user immediately recognises the email
2. Ensure consistency with the site in terms of branding e.g. logo, layout, etc.
3. Include links to the site and ensure that they are clear e.g. logo and url address
4. Do not include hidden links e.g. decorative images or plain text
5. Include links to social networking sites and to share the newsletter
6. Links to the social network site e.g. Facebook page
7. Ensure that the e-mail is personalised – use of first name, etc.
8. There must be a clear option to 'unsubscribe'. This must not be hidden within text
9. Do not use terms such as 'remove' or 'opt out'. Instead use 'unsubscribe'
10. Provide a real address, phone number or other similar contact details about the sender
11. Do not include excessive amount of text
12. Limit the length of the e-newsletter, do not cause the user to vertically scroll excessively. Test this to find what works the best for you.
Don't forget about your landing pages!
Another very important part of your email marketing is the landing pages on your site. If you say in your email for example '20% off' or 'free delivery', make sure the same message is carried through and shown on your website or at least on a landing page so you meet the set expectation.
In this example below you can see a screenshot from one newsletter promising me 25% off and showing me some bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings. The subject line was: Twenty-five reasons to give (and get) jewelry.
And here is an actual landing page for that newsletter. Completely different, showing different products than in the email, plus there isn't a single note about the '25% off'offer.
July 21st, 2009.
Dos and Don'ts about Emails to cold contacts
Recently a lot of companies are looking to old clients, offline customers or otherwise 'cold' contacts to drum up new business. This is a great idea, but can seriously harm your company's reputation if not done well. Here are some guidelines from our recent experiences.
DO: Put yourself in their shoes
This is the key to all of the items that follow – always spend some time trying to put yourself in your contact's mindset. Consider how you react when you get an email from a company you don't instantly remember.
DO: Introduce yourself
People are not likely to instantly remember that they bought something off you 1 ½ years ago, especially if it was offline and you're contacting them online. A big part of reminding them of who you are is the look & feel of the email template itself. Make sure that your template is on-brand and carries over consistent elements such as your logo that they may remember.
DO: Remind them of how you have their details
Here you want to answer the question "Why are they sending me an email?!" and build up the legitimacy of your message. The more detail you can put into your reminder the better. Including a reminder of how you got their details significantly improves how well the email is recieved.
"Dear Rachel,
You ordered some V-Pure from us in September 2008. We are getting in touch again to let you know that now have a brand new website for the world's highest quality Vegetarian Omega 3. We look forward to seeing you soon!"
"Dear Rachel,
You registered with us in April 2008. We are getting in touch to show you our new format newsletters and 15% off to our loyal customers."
DO: Thank them by giving a special offer
Say thank you for their time and patience by giving a special offer code or discount.
"We want to offer you 10% off to say thank you for being a loyal subscriber! Just enter the code DATJN15 at the checkout to claim 10% off."
DO: Allow them to leave your contact list easily
For messages to cold contacts, one of the biggest issues you have to overcome is people hitting the Junk button when they don't recognise you. Overcome this by allowing them to unsubscribe easily – and you'll actually be surprised by how few unsubscribe when you allow them to do so in such an easy way.
DON'T: Sell, sell, sell
Selling in your email is okay if balanced by all of the above, but certainly do not launch straight into your products without it. If possible, don't sell at all in your first introduction email, and instead look for the long tail result of converting a cold contact into an interested one.
June 9th, 2008.
Things to think about for your email newsletter
I've just recently joined the Datadial team, and one of my key responsibilities will be to manage the ever-growing need for email marketing. But often it can be hard to think about where to start, so here are my 3 points for growing your email newsletter.
How often will I need to send?
You should be realistic with the frequency, and make sure you stick to it. If you know you're busy then try to fit the newsletter around your other business routines:
- If you are a service company, like Datadial, then around 4 newsletters a year is sufficient for gently keeping your clients up to date.
- If you are selling products, then seasonal emails for a new collection release, and emails when you are holding a sale or special promotions is appropriate.
- For news and information services, the frequency could even be as often as once a week.
Subscribers should know how often they expect to hear from you before they sign up. This wording can often be incorporated to the sign up form itself, e.g. "Sign up to our weekly newsletter here".
Your contacts
The most important success factor of your emails will be your contacts list. This is definitely a case of quality over quantity. To get the most from your newsletters, your contacts should be a concise list of interested people – the more targeted your list is, the more effective it will be.
As a guideline, you can get an effective contact list by including anyone who has…
- bought a product or service from you in the last 2 years – they may just need that one reminder to buy again.
- opted-in to receive your email newsletter by signing up from your website.
- signed up to your membership, either online or on a paper-based form, and opted-in to receive your newsletter.
We definitely advise against buying contacts lists from marketing agencies or scrambling around to get as many contacts as possible. This will only lead to people being annoyed at your company for sending them emails they haven't asked for. Sending newsletters to those who have not opted-in also risks our position as a whitelisted email provider, so we monitor for unusually high bounce or unsubscribe rates to ensure that you are not compromising our permission to send bulk emails.
Once your contacts have signed up, make sure that you do actually live up to your promise of sending a regular newsletter. This may sound very obvious, but when someone has given their explicit permission then they do actually want to hear from you, and it can be damaging to your reputation to only send twice a year when you have told them you'll send once a month.
Make it look pretty
Don't underestimate the graphic design of your email. With professional services, you can send attractive graphical emails to your contacts which builds trust with your brand, and makes your email less likely to be interpreted as junk mail. We can also setup your account so that anyone who cannot see the graphics will still get a useful email from you. All of our templates are tested in the main popular email clients (Outlook, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.) to make sure that it will look great for all of your contacts.
A small, but very important, factor of your email template is the footer. This is the area that should always include your company details, including a physical address, to show that it is a genuine email. There should also be a friendly unsubscribe link for those that no longer want to receive your email. It does you no favours to hide this link, as it will only make those who have already decided to leave your emails more frustrated at your company. We often word these links something similar to:
"If you no longer wish to receive our emails you may unsubscribe here, but we'll be sorry to see you go. You can always sign up again from our website if you change your mind."
Adding the method for signing up again shows that they are in control and that they are always welcome to join the list again.
July 6th, 2007.
AOL Disabling Images in Online Mail Clients
You may have noticed that AOL recently rolled out a new web based mail client for AOL.com. As part of this change, they are now disabling images by default. AOL are not alone in doing this and they are among a dominant group of clients that block images by default. So the result is that you just have to expect that a vast majority of your contacts will first see your message without images; it's just a fact of life.
What can be done?
Hopefully most contacts will choose to turn images back on by default, but not everyone will choose not to do this. For those customers who won't add your From to their address book, and who haven't turned images on, you need to take the next step: Alternate Text.
Setting Alternate Text
What is Alternate Text? Alternate Text, often called an Alt Tag or Alt Text, is an attribute of an image that is shown when that image isn't loaded. You can easily add Alternate Text to any image in your message within the image popup in your message editor. And you should always do this to every image as a rule. If you are editing HTML by hand, you just need to add an Alt attribute to your images.That's it, there's not too much to do on your part. Hopefully any serious email designers out there were already using Alternate Text for all your images. For those of you who weren't, now you know, and you should start implementing these changes right away!


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Artists > JT Hodges
Success can be defined in many different ways, and for a songwriter who is also a recording artist, the best definition of success is to remain true to who you are as an artist. This may often mean eschewing the chart trend and going your own way musically. JT Hodges, who considers himself a writer as much as an artist, did that on his self-titled debut two years ago, and takes the same path for his upcoming, as yet to be titled sophomore release. The lead single, Already High, is setting the stage for a new albums worth of music from Hodges that will reflect his growth musically, stylistically and as a storyteller.
I have respected country music all of my life and no matter where country music goes stylistically it will always be a lyric based format, Hodges said. Its the kind of music where people want to hear a story and feel something real and honest. I think this new music has challenged me and set a new vibe within the sound of what everyone will hear when they listen. I personally feel it is my best music yet.
Besides Already High, Hodges and his label, Show Dog Universal Music, released a second new song, Lay It Down, exclusively to Sirius satellite radio. According to Hodges, he wants to get as much new music out to the fans as possible prior to the release of a new CD.
The upcoming album will offer a more reflective take on the music and a different twist in the lyrics. It includes a diversity that suggests Hodges is creating a whole new kind of Country Pop Rock music blend. His first three singles, Goodbyes Made You Mine, Hunt You Down and Sleepy Little Town were vital precursors to what is to come in the evolution of his music. These songs also lay a solid groundwork with music fans; collectively selling well more than 300,000 downloads. Add those sales to consistent touring over the past year, and a star turn in the Hallmark Channels December 2013 movie Finding Christmas and the table is well set for Hodges return to the country music charts.
I am looking forward to getting my new music and the story behind it out, Hodges said. Im very proud of whats being created. Its true to me, and I think any artist would say he or she has no regrets and can hold their head high if thats the case.
Growing up in a musical family in Ft. Worth, Texas and spending most of his free time at his dads studio, Jim Hodges Buffalo Sound, gave JT a unique foundation for music appreciation. Affectionately known as Pops, his dad studied concert piano at Julliard and jazz composition at the University of Texas. His mother Marsha, who Hodges says to this day can still out-sing him by a mile, decided to pass on a country record deal with MCA in order to pursue motherhood. The studio was the familys second home and at age seven Hodges was singing and writing his own lyrics. When asked what the first song he ever wrote was, JT laughed and replied, It was called Lover Girl and I was in 1st grade. Hey, I still think its a hit.
Hodges witnessed numerous artists and producers at work in his familys studio, including heavyweights like T-Bone Burnett, Michael Bolton and Delbert McClinton, and each left a lasting impression on him. His grandmother loved Conway Twitty; his mother loved the early rock of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly while Pops often praised artists like George Strait, Reba McEntire and Garth Brooks. All of this has contributed to Hodges being viewed as the sultry country music artist with a little bit of attitude and a Texas size personality.
In addition to the timeless classics he was exposed to at home, his musical influences also include Don Henley, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp and Tom Petty. He considers these artists timeless, honest treasures. And its this honesty that he carries in his own music.
I started writing songs at an early age and was around such great music that it is naturally a part of me, Hodges said. Of course, I was interested in other things like sports as a kid, but music was always there.
After spending a few years in Los Angeles, where he met wife Kasey, Hodges moved to Nashville in 2010. He quickly caught the eye of some of the industrys most influential producers and managers. He signed with Show Dog-Universal Music in 2011 and released his debut single Hunt You Down from his album JT Hodges, which charted on Billboards Hot Country Songs. The follow up single Goodbyes Made You Mine raced up the charts and the music video quickly racked up more than one million views; the song continues to be a fan favorite. Another single off the album Sleepy Little Town spent two weeks at #1 on Sirius/XMs The Highway. That same year Hodges was nominated as a semi-finalist in the New Artist of the Year category for the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards.
The Texas newcomers original and raucous sound combined with his soulful lyrics make him an undeniable country-rock artist. Hodges has produced himself and worked with a variety of other producers including Busbee, Nathan Chapman, Don Cook, Ross Copperman and Show Dog- Universal Music President Mark Wright --- who has worked on both Hodges freshman and current sophomore efforts. He has collaborated with numerous award-winning songwriters such as Rivers Rutherford, Chris Stapleton, Shane McAnally, Eric Paslay, Nathan Chapman, Ross Copperman, Don Cook and Mark Wright. He has toured with the likes of Eric Church, Eli Young Band, Toby Keith and Miranda Lambert among others. He has also performed multiple times on the legendary stage of the Grand Ole Opry.
As mentioned earlier, in December of 2013 Hodges took his theatre and acting talents to network television when he starred in Finding Christmas, a Hallmark Films release on the Hallmark Channel during the networks popular holiday programming schedule. The movie became the #1 rated movie of the week and cemented a rave review for Hodges from the New York Times. He also performed a heartwarming rendition of the holiday classic Joy to the World, which was released digitally the same month.
It goes without saying that JT Hodges is acting every bit of himself, making the music that he loves and giving back to the fans what he gets from them an honest reaction. Under the bright lights of the stage, one has no problem recognizing the singers passion and heartfelt thankfulness for his audience. His newest music continues to set JT Hodges apart from other artists and offers a new style with very little restrictions.
The journey continues to be amazing and thats what its all about, Hodges said. Making music, the kind that is true to me, is all that I want to do.
For latest news and tour schedule go to www.jthodges.com. To connect with JT Hodges join https://www.facebook.com/jthodgesmusic and https://twitter.com/hellojthodges.
Nashville, TN July 25, 2014 -- Today, CMT will premiere JT Hodges new music video, Already High. Directed by Mason Dixon, the one take, live action video was shot on location in Nashville, and features cameo appearances by several guest celebrities, including NFL football players and recording artists (see list below). The video will premiere Friday morning on CMT, Pure, CMT.com and on the CMT Artists App. To view the video, click here: http://www.cmt.com/artists/jt-hodges/ ... Read More
Nashville, Tennessee October 14, 2013 . Country Music star JT Hodges will star in a new made-for-television holiday movie. The sultry Country Music artist who has already caught the eye of Music City Nashville, award-winning producers, the ACMs and People Magazine will debut his acting skills in the Hallmark Channel Original Holiday movie, Finding Christmas which premieres on the network on Sunday, December 15, 2013 at 8pm EST. In conjunction with the network television movie, JT Hodges will also releas ... Read More
Nashville, TN March 14, 1013 --Show Dog Universal Musics JT Hodges celebrates his second week at #1 on Sirius XMs, The Highway, with his song Sleepy Little Town. "In a small community, everybody knows everybody's business. says Hodges. They know the secrets, the behind the scenes drama that sometimes goes down in a sleepy little town. I truly felt that anyone could relate to this song. Im so thankful for John Marks and Sirius XM for giving this song a life and outlet for it to connect with peopl ... Read More
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UW-Eau Claire
News Bureau
Schofield Hall 218
Eau Claire, WI 54702-4004
Teachers Learn Geography
At UW-Eau Claire
(715) 836-4741
(715) 836-2900
MAILED: July 3, 1998
EAU CLAIRE In 1985, the National Geographic Society, based in Washington, D.C., hosted a geography institute for teachers from seven states.
It was such a success that NGS included another seven states the following year and each subsequent year until all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada had attended.
In 1990, four educators from Wisconsin were invited. One of them was eighth-grade teacher Paul Schoenike from Monroe. Now he is a teacher consultant and a staff member of the Wisconsin Geographic Alliance Geography Summer Institute, in its third year at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and its eighth year statewide.
"We are taking the knowledge of the body of geography and organizing it," he said.
That organization takes place during 12 days in a program coordinated by the WIGA, which is housed at UW-Eau Claire.
The Institute accepts an average of 30-35 Wisconsin kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers and allows them the opportunity to be taught by professional geographers.
According to Alliance coordinator Dick Palm, the Institute will cost the Alliance about $55,000. The funding for the Alliance comes partially from the NGS, which matches monies granted by the state budget.
For teachers, it is a worldview changing experience.
"We're showing you ways in which you can look at the world around you and look at things that have been there all your life and see them for the very first time," Schoenike said.
And for 12 days, it also changes the look of a portion of the geography section of Phillips Hall.
From posters to pictures, Far Side cartoons to investigation group lists, teachers are surrounded with ways to make geography fun for not only their students, but also themselves.
"It's been very exciting," said Linda Christopherson, a sixth-grade teacher from Colfax. "It's a massive amount of ideas."
Each teacher will receive about $1,200 worth of teaching materials in the form of maps, atlases, posters, videos and lesson plans, Palm said.
In addition, Schoenike said investigation groups meet daily to take the content of the day's presentations and ask how it could be applied to a classroom setting.
"It's about who would use what and why," he said.
Participating teachers also learn different ways to approach the five main themes of geography: human/environment, place, location, movement and region.
Each teacher also must make an in-service presentation upon returning to his or her individual school, Schoenike said.
Those presentations, if they sound anything like the remarks of Institute participants, will include words that will present geography as synonymous with beneficial, massive, marvelous, exciting, wonderful.
And fun.
[Administrative Offices]
[News Bureau]
Janice B. Wisner
UW-Eau Claire News Bureau
Schofield 218
(715) 836-4741
Updated: July 7, 1998


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Apple Has Hurt My Portfolio In 2013. But I'm Still A Believer
The Dividend Paying Large Caps portfolio was up 2.3% (net of fees) in September as compared with the 2.97% gain for the benchmark S&P 500 Index (SXP). The portfolio underperformed against the market in September, due to the underperformance of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) down -2.42%, and Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM) up slightly 0.85%.
As of the end of September my portfolio was up 14.4% (net of fees) for the year, as compared to the S&P 500, which was up 19.7%.
Since the largest position in my portfolio is Apple, my portfolio has suffered in 2013. Apple is down year to date over 13%. Thankfully, several other large positions on my portfolio, such as Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC), have performed exceptionally well in 2013. To date, Wells Fargo is up around 18%.
Though Apple stock is having a disastrous year, I anticipate that the stock will rebound in the coming months and as a result am not ready to give up any of my position at this time. In September, Apple launched the new iPhone 5C as well as the 5S and sold 9 million during the opening weekend.
Apple also launched a streaming music service in September, which is completely integrated with Apple devices and iTunes. The product will compete directly with Pandora (P), Spotify, and Rdio. Since none of these companies produce gadgets that integrate their services, Apple has a clear advantage in my opinion.
The Apple iTunes Radio is far from perfect, and to be honest many of the other similar services that have been available for some time are probably better (at least for now), but Apple has the economic resources to hire top talent and make this product work as well, if not better, than any of its competitors. I expect this service to be a big revenue producer for Apple in the coming years. Though I have no hard evidence to support this, my theory is that if the Apple TV is ever launched, it too could be a game changer in this industry.
Qualcomm, the other holding of mine that has underperformed the S&P 500 in 2013, also has great potential to rebound in the future. In this analysis of Qualcomm stock, I expressed many of the reasons why I believe Qualcomm has a good upside. The company has no debt, pays dividend and has an interesting line of new technologies that are being introduced. The two most promising are Femtocells and Mirasol Displays.
The stocks that continue to perform well in my portfolio are Wells Fargo (WFC), American Express (AXP) , and Aflac (AFL). All three of these stocks are from the financial/insurance sector, which is one of the two largest sectors in my portfolio next to technology.
In September, I liquidated America Movil (AMOV) due to the small average trading volume of the stock over the past three months. This move was made to protect my portfolio from unexpected changes. I also increased my position in Qualcomm.
Although the stock reached its 52 weeks high on September 20th, it is trading at the same price that was trading in March 2012.
For the remainder of 2013, I'll be liquidating some of my positions and I will also be increasing my stake in some of the companies already in my portfolio that I believe have upside potential, the ones I'm looking at currently are Wells Fargo (WFC), JP Morgan Chase (JPM), and Aflac (AFC).
The investments discussed are held in client accounts as of September 30, 2013. These investments may or may not be currently held in client accounts. The reader should not assume that any investments identified were or will be profitable or that any investment recommendations or investment decisions we make in the future will be profitable.
The post Apple has hurt my portfolio – but I'm still a believer appeared first on Smarter Investing
Covestor Ltd. is a registered investment advisor. Covestor licenses investment strategies from its Model Managers to establish investment models. The commentary here is provided as general and impersonal information and should not be construed as recommendations or advice. Information from Model Managers and third-party sources deemed to be reliable but not guaranteed. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Transaction histories for Covestor models available upon request. Additional important disclosures available at http://site.covestor.com/help/disclosures. For information about Covestor and its services, go to http://covestor.com or contact Covestor Client Services at (866) 825-3005, x703.
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Marshmallow Sofa by George Nelson – 2012 IMM Cologne (13)
Glad to be able to share my own photo of this colorful famous sofa with you. I found it at the Doshi Levien curated booth at 2012 IMM Cologne.
Similar Posts:
- Atomium – Brussel: Mega Marshmallow Bench by George Nelson
- My Beautiful Backside – 2012 IMM Cologne (07)
- Mid-Century Chair
- LCP Lounge Chair by Maarten van Severen – 2012 IMM Cologne (16)
- Charpoy Bench by Doshi Levien


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Diane Riley, Head of Cataloging & College Archivist at the Lorette Wilmot Library was a panel speaker at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference held in Philadelphia on November 7-9, 2013. Joining colleagues from Temple University, Millersville University, Brooklyn Historical Society and the Society of the Cincinnati, Diane spoke on "Primary Source Instruction in Higher Education".
To capture students' interest in archives and special collections takes innovation and creativity. As the speakers in this session demonstrated, this creativity can take all different forms - from the web to in-depth class exercises. They also discussed the challenges and rewards of incorporating primary source instruction into the curriculum.
Congratulations Diane!


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Added Jan 19, 2010
by mixtlii
Montpellier, France
This is a dress I made for the biggest party of the year in college, next february.
It is a bit creased because I travelled with it, I'll have to iron it before The night !
I also cut a ribbon in the fabric that I wear around the neck (you don't really see it on the pic).
(° Thanks to Ichigogirl for the top and Chissa83773 for the skirt! °)
(( Update : What a great party ! Those pics are a bit blurred but there you can see the colour and the "necklace"… And my lovely boyfriend ! ))
Silk was too expensive for me… So Satin! And an invisible zipper.
Sep 14, 2010, 11.32 PMby Natasha Feyereisen
ok, so i'm making my prom dress and I am loving this!! but every pick up skirt technique i found had an elastic waist, how did you decide how to put them together??
Mar 25, 2010, 11.08 AMby karina00g
One word…FABULOUS!!
Mar 24, 2010, 11.25 AMby asperge11
wow this is amazing i'm making a dress out of the afternoon tea top but its no way as good as this !
Mar 9, 2010, 11.28 PMby Isabel Alexander
Wow, really gret job.
Feb 21, 2010, 04.14 PMby xraffaelax
it looks great, and the color is fantastic!!!
Feb 8, 2010, 11.35 AMby olgie
great dress! ;)
Feb 7, 2010, 11.11 AMby Lucia Rotundu
Wow … this is the first word that came into my mind when I saw this dress…. especially that green is my fav orite colour. Well done! It's gorgeous!
Jan 21, 2010, 05.44 PMby add86
i think its fabulos ;D
Jan 20, 2010, 08.00 PMby nipitiri
Jan 20, 2010, 05.32 PMby camilaustral
very cute, it looks a little "can-can" :P
i'm not sure about the neck ribbon, the straps of the dress could be enough detail in that area ;)
Jan 20, 2010, 02.11 PMby frkbustad
Gorgeous party dress!! I hope you're proud! :) It fits you very well also, so well done!
Jan 20, 2010, 12.59 PMby jambrigid
amazing!:) Also, go sewing society NUIG!
Jan 20, 2010, 01.45 AMby cquinn13
it's beautiful! and i agree, incredible color. great job!
Jan 19, 2010, 10.49 PMby mixtlii
Thank you all for your nice posts ! :D
Jan 19, 2010, 08.18 PMby jam and ivy
wow. This is pretty. It reminds me of the dress that Keira Knightly wore in ATONEMENT. That emerald green looks so pretty on us fair skinned girls. I was actually thinking about making a maxi style dress in that emerald green ALA the above mentioned dress. Very good work and I love the bunching!
Jan 19, 2010, 07.26 PMby xeris87x
lovely work
Jan 19, 2010, 07.04 PMby elaine-bin
A lovely dress and the colour is gorgeous.
Jan 19, 2010, 05.06 PMby angelical
Jan 19, 2010, 05.05 PMby sew-fabulous
I love it! Great dress!
Jan 19, 2010, 05.01 PMby victors
It's amazing and the colour is lovely ;)
Add to Favorites 21 people added it
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72 Sir Robert Craigie, U.K. Ambassador to Japan, 72 to U.K. Foreign Office
Repeated to Commonwealth Government
Cablegram 1568/22 TOKYO, 14 August 1940, 6.15 p.m.
Received 15 August 1940
My telegram 1563 to the Foreign Office only. [1]
The Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs [2] sent for the Counsellor [3] today and informed him that the Japanese Consul-General at Sydney [4] had telegraphed that I had spoken on 17th July to the late Minister of Foreign Affairs [5] in the sense reported in my telegram 1281 [6] and that the Australian Government must know for Constitutional reasons by 16th August, when Parliament rose, whether the Japanese Government agreed to the appointment.
2. The Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had no record of my conversation with the late Minister for Foreign Affairs and that [Counsellor had been asked] [7] but could not recollect it.
3. The Counsellor has accordingly spoken to the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs on my instructions in the sense of your telegram 695 [8] and informed him of my conversation with the late Minister for Foreign Affairs on 17th July. The Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs replied that the Japanese Government welcome the appointment of an Australian Minister here and will appoint Japanese Minister to Australia as soon as possible. He will submit to the Emperor the name of Sir J. Latham [9] and will inform the Japanese Consul-General at Sydney accordingly today.


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Ohio was admitted to the Union 1 March 1803, as the 17th State.
(Sch: t. 62, cpl. 35; a. 1 24 pdr.)
The first Ohio was a merchant schooner purchased by the Navy in 1812; converted to a war ship by Henry Eckford; and commissioned prior to 13 June 1813, Sailing Master Daniel Dobbins in command.
Ohio served on Lake Erie in the squadron commanded by Captain Oliver H. Perry during the War of 1812. The squadron's mission was to wrest control of the lake from the British. With four other purchased ships, Ohio lay at Black Rock below the Falls in the Niagara River, prevented by British blockade from entering Lake Erie. Finally, in a combined operation with the Army, Perry was able to bring the ships out to join the remainder of the squadron at its base, Eric (then Presque Isle). Ohio arrived at Erie 8 July 1813.
After searching for the British, the squadron anchored at Sandusky 17 August. Ohio returned to Erie for provisions and stores for the squadron, rejoining her sister ships 3 September. The same day she set sail for Erie again, and thus was not with squadron when it won the memorable victory over the British at Put-in-Bay 10 September. Three days later Ohio reached Put-in-Bay with sorely needed fresh vegetables and meat.
As soon as the ice cleared early in 1814, Ohio began patrolling between Long Point and Erie to intercept any British movement by water. In May she assisted in fitting out prizes Detroit and Queen Charlotte at Put-in-Bay, and convoyed them to Erie. On 12 August 1814, she was captured with Somers by the British within pistol shot of Fort Erie.


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The Kazawitch Family of Wisconsin and IllinoisUpdated September 6, 2000
I am looking for any information regarding the Kazawitch surname. The only information I have been able to find is regarding Ann Kazawitch (my great aunt) and her husband Artie Neuwirth's family. I am trying to locate the person who entered this information. I would like to give you more information regarding Ann's family, and in return I am hoping you may have more information regarding the Kazawitch family.
Karen A Kazawitch - Buck
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The Governor's Office of Small and Minority Business Assistance (OSMBA) was created by Executive Order in October 1979. Enabling legislation was passed and the program was placed into law as outlined in Article 21, Section 11-35-5010 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1981.
The mission of the Governor's Office of Small and Minority Business Assistance is to promote the interest of small and minority-owned businesses as a part of the free enterprise system; thereby, enhancing economic growth and development in South Carolina.
OSMBA certifies that a South Carolina business is owned, controlled, and operated by a socially and economically disadvantaged minority who is a United States citizen. There are no loans, grants or guaranteed award of contracts associated with obtaining certification. Businesses are encouraged to participate in any agency's bid process. Agency solicitations are advertised in the SC Business Opportunities (SCBO) publication issued by the Materials Management Office.
- To promote the growth and development of small and minority-owned businesses in South Carolina.
- To act as an advocate so that an equitable portion of State procurement contracts be awarded to small and minority-owned businesses.
- To encourage minority businesses that want state contracts to become certified.