The Commburger Dies

This is the 10th and last post needed to complete a requirement in one class subject. So, does this mean that it’s the end of my diner?

So far, my blogging experience has been exciting. It’s really hard to compose blogs that are worthy for people to read. And it’s sad when people do not notice your blog so you try hard to promote it. With no reactions from my target, my diner should just stop its operations. This reminds me of the case of Xerox…

The Xerox company used to be the lead in the photocopying industry with their magnificent designs. To prove how powerful they are, the word xerox is now even used as a genetic term for photocopy. But the problem that the Xerox company had was caused by its poor customer service and their inability to anticipate what will happen in the future. They did not foresee that softwares for file transfers will be developed and that more people would rather rely on soft copies because lap tops are more convenient to them. And now, the Xerox company is behind Canon and Ricoh. Yes, the company is not dead… yet. Source: http://www.salesvantage.com/article/42/Brand-Death-Three-Brands-that-Died-and-Why

I believe that to prevent my diner from dying, I should put in more effort. To understand what my audience want and what they will want in the future. To properly answer the queries in the friendliest way possible. And to understand that in this game, I have to anticipate that a lot of competitors will try to remove me from my post.

Maybe Xerox need to do that, too.

Flat Shoes na Walang Takong! Witchy Cola Ditekla Tax Free!

My friends came over to my diner recently. I laughed everytime they used words like “epek” to mean okay and “title” to mean that they have done that job already.

I simply adore the queer community. I believe that they are amazing and creative. Coming up with a language of their own is a sign of that.

http://blog.themousepotato.com/2008/04/01/vaclabolaryo-filipino-gay-lingo-defined/

I came across that blog while I was looking for inspirations for my post. Here are the first 10 items in the list.

1. witchy cola – wala
Witchy cola na akekels andalily.

2. ditekla – dito
Ditekla na tayo mag coda an.

3. ganitech – ganito
Ganitech kase yon ang nangyari sa kanila.

4. umbaw – lalake
Ay, ang dami umbaw ditekla.

5. ottoko – lalake
Witchy cola naman ditekla mga ottoko.

6. ambulansya hanggang china – yes
B1: B Y ba ang jowa mo?
B2: Ambulansya hanggang china.

7. witney – no
G1: Umbaw ka ba?
B1: witney noh, akekels ay isang girling.

8. jukanis –  anak

Shubos na akekels ang jukanis metch.

9. M I – Money Involvement
Siguro , yong ottoko na yan M I.

10. Tax Free – walang bayad
Tax free ba ang drinks?

But apparently, it’s not just the queer community that provides us the expressions we use today. The following expressions, which were exclusive to the theater enthusiasts before, are from Shakespeare himself:

1. Knock, knock, who’s there?

2. Faint-hearted

3. Come what may

4. Vanish into thin air

5. Love is blind

The point of this is just one thing. The power that expressions have. Short as they may be, or senseless to some, they are the reason why some groups become more connected. It’s like they are creating a world of their own with this language. In fact, the use of expressions like “pak” or “epek” can serve as fillers whenever there is silence within the conversation, therefore a point for laughter.

I am deeply amazed with the creativity of the human mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Bite Into Apple’s Use of Buzz Marketing

It was just last week when the founder and CEO of Apple passed away. I never really had any of their products. But Steve Jobs was one of the people who inspired me to think differently and bring great changes. Thus, it was this inspiration that brought The Commburger Diner blog into life.

Apple is among the top companies globally. Though they entered a business niche that has thousands of competitors, it is admirable that they managed to stay on top of the game. The secret lies not just on the products themselves but also because of their magnificence in using Public Relations.

The design of Apple products are elegant. As much as possible, they remove parts that are unnecessary to make the products simpler. Hence, the removal of the keypad and the use of a touch pad instead of buttons on the Ipod. They constantly make innovations so that their consumers would continue to patronize their products.

On the side of branding, Apple brand appeals to emotions. The possession of an Apple product implies a certain lifestyle. A status that most people would want to have because it means prestige, exclusivity and/or richness.

Noticeably, owners of Apple products recommend Apple to their friends and these old users would more likely buy the new lines that Apple developed.

To get attention or buzz for new products, Apple uses events. They first let the media experience the product so that they would blog about it and tell the masses about it. Then, they open live streams and promote it through social media. Buzz is one of the cheapest way to market something because you do not have to spend much on pricey advertisements.

Apple adapts to the times and sets the standards for other companies to follow. I wonder what will happen after the death of the genius behind all these?

For more on buzz marketing, the Anatomy of A Buzz Revisited is a good read.

Network Marketing-Pyramid Built on Solid Rock

Being a business owner of this orcom diner, I get invited by other businesses to be a partner, a stockholder, or even as a rep of their products. The most frequent invites I get come from Network Business or Multi-Level Marketing Business. Now, I know this kind of marketing make the eyebrows of skeptics rise. But let me try to at least define Network Marketing the way I know it.

Network Marketing depends on two things. The sales of the company’s products and the people who join the company. The company depends on the workforce it has for quicker sales of the products and that’s the reason why recruiting more members produce pay.

With that definition in mind, I don’t get why this kind of business face a lot of issues. Maybe it’s the structure that is most commonly associated with it-the pyramid. This structure suggests that there are plenty at the bottom who get paid low and only a few at the top. But this structure is common in a lot of businesses. And the structure of network marketing does let you be in a fixed place. If you do the job well, like sell more products or recruit more people, of course you get commissions or you get promoted to a higher rank. Just like any other corporation.

When I asked my friends why they wouldn’t join a network business, they said it’s because they have to pay first. They said that it’s a scam because you’re being employed by the company so you shouldn’t be the one to pay. But this payment is in exchange for products. This is in fact, like a regular purchase, but as an additional, you get to legally start a business of your own.

Whatever the case may be, I believe that Network Marketing is legal. And that scams can be anywhere. Don’t single Network Marketing out.

Sometimes, We Turn Into Bullies

While I was up cleaning the diner counter, I noticed a group of kids (they’re maybe around 7 or 8). They were making fun of another kid who slipped on a puddle and who was wearing glasses. I felt sorry for the little tyke so I went outside and helped him up. When the other kids saw me, they ran away. But before they could cross the street, one of them, a big, chunky, boy threw a water balloon at our direction. Sure enough, the kid I helped got full blast.

Some adults would  excuse this kind of behavior among kids. They would say that the kids do not know what the consequences of their actions are. Yet, it is very surprising that as young as they are, they already mirror the common action adults do: forming cliques.

Cliques are groups formed by the desire humans have to be accepted and to create an identity. More often, the term “clique” is used to mean a social group, or in the Filipino language, a “barkada”. But cliques can also mean work cliques or work groups. Through observation, kids (even teens and adults) establish their identity by acting how their circles are doing. With this, they judge what is normal and fit for them based on the standards set by their group. Also, the choice of a clique usually depends on whether the people there have the same interests, characteristics, nationality, hobby, spirituality or even socio-economic status.

Seemingly, the formation of cliques can negate the idea of what friendship should be. Friendship should have no tensions, it should come easy to us. But cliques, being so exclusive, sometimes bound other people from easy entrance. My Sweet Valley High books display a similar case. The clique Jessica (one of the twins and a main character) had was filled with the popular kids who were cheerleaders. Then an obese girl, Robin, wanted to join their group. Of course, that would ruin the reputation that Jessica’s group had. So, they made a joke out of her. She then pushed herself to be thin. She ate only vegetables and ran around the school track field all the time. When she got thinner, she took revenge and tried out for the cheer squad. She succeeded in outshining Jessica. But this book (being for minors, of course) ended it with the two being friends.

There are more sad stories of how power groups could bully people into doing horrible stuff. In the end, what we should do is to accept who we are. Though it can be hard, we should always look into our own uniqueness and quit comparing ourselves to others. Yes, we might be different. And being different does not mean we are bad.

Here are some of the tips Debbie Mandel gave in order for us not to turn our backs against the world:

• Don’t let others have power over you. Realize that even the most popular feel insecure. In fact, you might be excluded because you seem unapproachable – they might feel undermined by you hanging on the sidelines! Reach out; leave your comfort zone to make the first move.
• Emit positive vibes. People gravitate to positive people. Be the best that you can be and others will be attracted to you.
• See the basic comedy of manners in the clique. Don’t take them so seriously. Laughter generates endorphins and will help you see other possibilities.
• Get rid of that air of desperation. If you act like a victim, you will be treated like a victim. Living well is really the best antidote. Act as if and soon you will be feeling much happier and relieved. Have confidence that things will work out in the end.
• Focus on past successes and what qualities you incorporated to make them a success. Transfer these qualities to other areas of your life- like making new friends.
• Keep growing. Get out and learn new things and visit new places. If you have other sincere friends in your life, who cares about one or two less. Focus on who and what you have- not what you are missing.
• Get involved at your child’s school: class mother, committees, school programs, etc. You will help your child by being in the know about school. You can be creatively involved, suggest improvements and be there to have some input.

Reference: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Mandel15.html

Who are trying to fool, fool?

I promise satisfaction in every serving. But my company is not the only one promising that. ALL companies promise good services  or best products. That’s why it’s really sad that some resort to fraud so they could say that they deliver their promises.

DPWH Photoshopped Picture Findings

Above is the photoshopped picture of the DPWH. This is a PR crisis that  awarded them a community in Facebook “DPWhere”. What’s worse is that when people asked them about whether the picture is photoshopped, they just answered that it was a picture that wasn’t cleared for posting yet and that they fired the employee who published it. Which means they have clear intentions of publishing it and fooling the publics into thinking that they are really thinking about doing something to fix Roxas Boulevard. So much for “where our taxes go”.

My college professor always reminded us that Public Relations is not supposed to be about lying. We all have reputations to uphold. But lying is the lowliest action one can do to strengthen his or her reputation. Because when that person gets caught, it creates more damage. Lying (that has been busted) creates more doubt about the company. For sure, Filipinos are even more skeptic about the infrastructures the DPWH claims to have built. Though nothing is perfect, for sure, you can focus on the good and true things you’re company has done and/or is doing. Or you can simply start doing good things.

In fact, the best PR is just a retelling of the true facts. No hard sell. Just plain facts.

So, should The Commburger be on Facebook?

I want my diner to be a big hit. I do have regulars. But, I want more people to come and enjoy our cooking. So I came up with a promo to help address that concern. “Get three stickers (one per visit) and you will get a free As-Big-As-A-Plate Burger” which have two pounds of beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and a thick layer communication cheese. I launched this promo a week ago. Still, only my regulars participate in the promo. So it got me thinking. Should I try to promote this promo in Facebook since a lot from my target market use that?

I know that people today are being pushed by different brands. They encounter companies who try to sell them stuff everyday. When they go to malls, real estate brokers line up and give them brochures. They receive call from telemarketers. They get requests to like brand pages.If I start doing the latter for my diner, would it help? Or would it just saturate the publics even more? How will my page differ from the thousands of other pages out there?

I remember a small conference done in class when I was in college. A lot of pages in Facebook have contents that can mean nothing to consumers. Company pages are sometimes so technical and boring. Moreover, a lot of Facebook fan pages do not engage their fans. So, my page should be just the opposite of those mentioned.

Pretty sure, the first people who will like my page will be the foodies. There might be chefs or moms too, because they will be interested in food. And because these will be the people in my community, the relevant information that I could post in my page would be my menu, how to make some of the food there and my food promos. To add fun in my page, I could post the wacky stuff that can be done with my food. And last, I should be able to interact with my fans by asking them through polls, by regularly answering their queries or by starting conversations by asking them “How often do you go to The Commburger?” and many more.

I really hope this helps my promo and my diner in general. Meanwhile, why don’t you try the predecessor of the most famous McGangBang.

The Predecessor of McGangBang