Surprisingly Awesome

 

I had this bottle of Miyagikyo Single Malt sitting on the shelf for some time. It was meant for a special occasion and the baby back ribs we made were just what we waited for (Food pics in next post...). 

While the Yamazaki seems more elusive than Nessie, this is not only affordable, but also obtainable. At 45% alc, a SINGLE, small ice cube is exactly what Mr Morton recommends. Yes, the soft toy squid. With that, this Whiskey is really coming to life with full flavor. A nice rounding-off to a great meal. Certainly nothing to have the whole bottle in one sitting, but to ease the evening out to the sofa, this is great. 

Smooth and silky, this has a lot of character, something that I sometimes miss from Japanese Whiskey. Would I get this again if the opportunity arises? Absolutely! Also a great gift for someone that likes this kind of spirits or for those that still need to get used to Whiskey. 

For more on this particular brand: https://www.nikka.com/eng/brands/singlemalt-miyagikyo/ 

At the End of a Long Week

 

Got lots done this week. Mid-year already and there is so so so much going on right now! The "X" marks the spot where I hope to put an Eames Lounge one day by the way. For now, I would be happy with a proper chair for the office to give my back a break. 

Public Relations – A New New or an Empty Promise?

 

Can an old dog learn new tricks?

It has been a year since I attended a webinar on how Covid-19 is re-shaping the way PR agencies and media are going to work together. In total, I have attended only three webinars in the past 15 months, and this was the one I was looking forward to the most.

I learned about things that made my heartbeat faster in excitement. The consensus was that

-        - The way PR agencies operated till now would no longer work (which I believe referred to the carpet bombing of media with media releases)

-        - PR and Media need to strengthen their relationships, form strong bonds and make it through this UNPRECEDEEEEENTED time together (see: https://stefanpertz.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-most-hated-word-of-2021-votes-are-in.html)

-         - The key to success going forward is to work CLOSELY with the media to develop stories.

-          - Story pitches would be more targeted than cruise missiles

-          - PR Agencies would be even more specific and precise when it comes to how they deliver their client’s messages to the readers of the outlets they deal with so closely

-         - Agencies acknowledge that they cannot perform without the media

There are four or five PR agencies that we have been working with for a decade. Fantastic people and we bounce things back and forth. Those I shall exclude from the following analysis of the past twelve months. “You know who you are!”

So then, how have these above promises panned out? Here is my summary of the past 12 months, keeping media titles alive so that brands have outlets for their news, updates and thoughts.

Every time I received a release, I researched the agency. What I found is that they ALL claim

-         -  to be highly creative

-          - to be putting the client’s interest at the centre of everything they do

-          - to treasure media and

-           - emphasise on building the strongest possible relationship with journalists

Press Releases received: 93
Of which relevant: 0
Of which previously discussed with me: 0
Stories pitched: 0
Inquiries if material about to be sent would be relevant: 0
Replies from agencies that I pitched to, taking the initiative as I KNOW that they are working with brands that are relevant to us: 0

Messages / calls to check if we are doing ok: 0
Bottles of beer / wine or meals received as a way to ease the stress during lockdown: 0
(Remember, relationship and all that!)

There were a hand-full of releases that, with an effort, could have been re-written and edited to fit our magazine. Considering the effort needed, I asked if there would be any form of reciprocation if I were to run these releases. Each time the answer came back “we don’t have budget”. And there I was, thinking that these agencies were creative. As they claim. Send me a private message and I give you a list of 10 ways to return a favour to the media, costing you nothing but a bit of elbow grease.

Being curious, I asked one agency (that had sent material about passenger cars) where they found our contact details (they sent releases to four emails). They replied that it was from a database where agencies could get the contacts of journalists. Just that the profile in said database specifically states that “we do not cover cars, bikes or ferries. Only trucks and buses.” Nobody cared enough to check the profiles of the publications as long as they seemed to be vaguely in the right category. Nor the email address @asiantrucker.com made them go “Mmmmmm, wonder if that is the right media for us here?”.

Imagine someone had indeed sent a bottle of wine. I am sure, crafty as I am, I could have made ANY story fit my magazine to show my gratitude. PR-Value through the roof!

What we did not have access to were international events, which would explain the ever so slight drop in the number of pages we put into the magazine.

As for the new new, the improved version of PR and Media relationships, well, I am curious when the gestation period will be over, we are in the new new and the concept will take hold.

Meanwhile, several media friends have been swapping stories, we have tossed each other work, re-hashed stories… Well, we kept things going, especially the relationship part, although Virtual Friday Drinks is not the same as meeting in person.

Which makes me wonder why no PR agency has come up with this idea to have a regular virtual meet up. I would even buy my own booze... we would not want to put a dent into the entertainment budget of an agency, now would we?

Fun in the Sun

 

I have some nice sunlight coming into my office in the afternoon. Just had 500 Kg of sand delivered and converted the office into a little beach. At the door, I put up a plastic bowl filled with water so that I can clean my feet before stepping into the living room. Someone hand me another beer please. 

My First Review Video

 

While in lockdown, I had a bit of time to surf YouTube. There are a lot of so-called "unboxing" videos. Usually, they contain boxes and the producers of said videos speak about the box they are un-ing a bit as well. 

I had the opportunity for a unboxing of a rather big item. Thanks to Daihatsu Malaysia, I had the pleasure of driving one of their vans. Two actually as I had the pick up and panel van variants available. Nudged on by their marketing department, I actually made use of a relaxed lockdown at the time and went grocery shopping with the van to create my first video review.

One learns....The one thing that is crucial is location, location and... location. Nothing beats a good background when you want to pose a good looking vehicle like this. 

The other, really important thing is a steady hand. I had a selfie stick lying around (Don't ask!) and I thought I put that to good use. I guess this needs a bit of practice as the video turned out a bit shaky. And not in the good sense of The Blair Witch Project. 

Never thought that a van could be that much fun. But the cuteness overload of the Gran Max, its punchy engine (when driving manual) and the excitement of doing something different made for some solid fun. 

Those interested in a written review can find it here: https://asiantrucker.com/images/ALL-MAGAZINES/malaysia/download_items/2021/at59__rev_copy_1.pdf

Now that my inner Coppola is awakened, I might do some more unboxing videos. Maybe not with my latest pair of shoes? I have something else on order that I am eagerly waiting for to get my hands on.

What To Do?

When I talk about my time living in Singapore, some people say that the place is boring. Mmmmmm I don't know. It seems that there is a lot going on and even if one cannot travel freely, there is an abundance of things to see and do. As Mike Smith proves with his blog: asiaphotostock.blogspot.com (This is my picture though. Taken during my trip in October 2019, staying in Yishun....)

Advertising Added to This Blog

I added Google's Adsense to this blog. Seems like the initial settings had the ads all over the place. Please bear with me while I figure this out. The idea is to sprinkle a few ads around in this blog, but not to overdue it. The content is still to be the main focus... Thanks!