Prince: So long-Due...

14 August 2006
My Baby Laptop …

Still remember when my previous laptop was stolen during burglary. I am getting extra cautious of my laptop. Furthermore, my company does not allow personal laptop in office; hence I have no choice but to leave it at home. While leaving it at home reminds me of the previous burglary. After contemplation, I decide to buy a laptop bag.

After I bought the laptop bag; I can now bring my baby laptop with me wherever I go. Here on, it inspires me about backpacking; it feels good to carry something at your back and walk-around. I feel like backpacking somewhere though……

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15 August 2006
Consumer Behaviour with their thought…

After involve in many researches, I can conclude that consumer behaviour is dependent on their thought. Every human being belongs to certain category, and we can somehow derive the category through their background such as qualification, family value and etc.

Of course, nothing can be done perfectly in this world; nothing can be classified perfectly under certain category but those being categorized has enabled marketers to discern & understand their behaviour confidently; at least 80% of accuracy understands each different category.

For example, mother perceives frequently changing diaper for baby is a must. This group of mother consist of certificate holder, SPM holders & below SPM level of qualification. They ignore the quality of disposable diapers, and believe that frequently changing baby diapers can help to maintain hygiene.

While, the other group of respondents with minimum diploma holders; tends to claim that quality premium diaper is important because good quality diaper provide better absorbency & dryness for baby. They also claim that low quality disposable diaper can not provide the necessary dryness; hence they would need to change frequently. When question them about hygienic problem, they believe that frequently changing baby diaper would affect baby’s sleep, and mother’s mental & emotional stability.

The mother from the first example can be segmented under low income, under category of low qualification; while the latter is segmented under high income & under category of highly educated group.

The different situation above shows the different thought affected by their education background. The highest the education level means the wider perspective they could think of, including their own welfare.

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16 August 2006
People tends to think they are the best…

People always fall into the self-hypnosis rift; under this circumstance, they tend to believe ‘they are right’, and starting to make unnecessary assumption to satisfy their thirst for sovereignty. My superior falls into this dilemma as I mention above. She always perceives me slow in making respond to the environment and also discussion.

She always perceive me as somebody who ‘do not think much’, somebody who ‘never dare to voice out’ & she also perceive me as ‘indifferent to deadline’. My response to her is always ‘I know’. The worse is that she purposely voice out my mistake during our department meeting, in front of all my colleagues which I even acted stupid on it, and keep answering ‘yes, I know’.

Office politic is something I want to get away of, and she has been trying to force me into one. She is a very nice lady but headstrong with her idea. She pushes too hard for what she thinks is right, and she never tries to understand people around her. The sale team is particularly hated her due to her stubbornness. One of the sale managers even complaints about her character of being ego & arrogance.

She even pushes my marketing manager for her promotion and increment, and trying to force her way through, and having so many arguments in any marketing discussions. I have always advised her to stay low, because I believe boss would not want to promote someone who goes against the management often. This is office politic. The management will give the promotion or increment whenever they think you deserve it; I see no point forcing her way through, and even the management promoted her; it will be on routine-non-performance based promotion.

The reason they do not provide promotion to internal staff because company pays according to salary scale, and there is a huge gap between Manager & executive. Manager usually earns extraordinary more than executives, and entitled to many different benefits. For example, my marketing manager has just paid for the education of his two children. The total amount is RM 78k for 3 months- and he will claim from company. They are enjoying a director’s benefit as a manager which is far better than any other company out there. Perhaps, that is the reason why company is very strict in promotion to avoid additional expenses.

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18 August 2006
The Marketing Channel…

There are many ways a company can market their products; but still can not deny the marketing 4 Ps. Today I learn something very meaningful; which is to judge if an advertisement should burst on a constant basis or intermittently.

Magazine & TVC are one of the promotion tools which fall under one of the marketing P. In order to decide if you should burst an advertisement out on constant basis or vice versa; we need to first check the % of subscribers because it represents the frequent readers. If the subscriber’s % is low then an ad should burst on constant basis, and similarly, if subscriber’s % is high, then it is no harm for an Advertisement to burst out on intermittent basis since the readers will be reading it every month. The conclusion above derived from the degree of difficulty to get reader attentions.

It is easy to get reader who subscribe to the magazine, then a company will not waste money placing their advertisement on constant basis. On the other hand, non-subscriber will be reading the magazine only when the topic is interesting. Hence, we need to have the advertisement on constant basis to gamble on their purchase intention from month to month.
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19 August 2006
Personal Constraint…

I have got many constraints that stop me from doing thing which I like to do. Career, money, times, and many more which seems insufficient to me at this moment. But I know when time goes in; things will start to change…

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20 August 2006
My wifey Birthday…

I celebrated my wifey’s birthday a little earlier this year since her birthday drops on 24 August (Wednesday). I invited Ewe, Anna, Catheryn, Simmy, Joshua, my wifey & I to Atrium Pub around KL Heritage.

We had a bottle Canadian Whisky before an additional of tequila pops each member; yet it seems to be insufficient; and Catheryn gave a complimentary drink of ‘Flaming Lamborghini’ for my wifey, plus an additional drink called ‘Blow-Job’ before we set home.

(Shh…my wifey puke at least 5 times on our way home….I stopped by the roadside for her convenience…)

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23 August 2006
From Low-Grade Manager to MD…

Our category management manager is leaving for Dan-one; she picked up a photo while she was packing; it was a photo taken 8 years ago in Japan.

We can hardly identify in the photo our current MD who was just a low grade manager during that time. He did not even look like a manager; bold and tanned, short & clumsy; and none would believe that he will be sent here as our MD.

He has in fact built his fame throughout the year working in the company; and I would say his fame is one of the most notorious; none of the team members can get along with him.

A manager from Thailand even wished my manager ‘good luck’ for the coming 3 years when the decision to send him is finalised by HQ. It is seen that he is not welcome in Thailand; perhaps, something had happened during his stay in Thailand?

I was thinking; it is our choice to either leave a good impression or a bad one. We must always believe that there is always a better way to perform within the circle of human relationship; as the old one always teaches us, one is given a choice to be notorious or famous, but human tends to go for the easiest way- choice which seems not favourable…

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24 August 2006
Shouting at Problem…

I am in charge of coordinating the campaign print-ad in newspaper. The print ad is supposed to communicate to consumer that we will be having one month redemption, and the redemption is only available at modern trade.

Since the redemption is only available in modern trade, and consumer may ask for the redemption at lower trade if they saw the ad. Hence it is important for us to inform the consumer that this campaign is only available in certain hypermarket and supermarket. Apart from that, certain outlet starts the campaign in mid of September while the ad will roll-out early September, and there is a possibility that consumer may try to redeem at outlet which yet to start.

I took the initiative to ask our media advisor- JW Thompson, and they finally advised me to add in the sentence ‘While stock last’ & ‘only available in certain super and hypermarket’. These two sentences can help to solve the problem. However, before I am able to show the Print ad. My senior walked over my desk and questions me.

“Do you know that certain outlet start a bit late?” she asked. “Of course, I know”

“Then what should you do? Does that lead you to anything?” she questioned impatiently.

I am puzzled for a while trying to understand what she want to tell me; she keeps asking me the same question again and again, fostering her own impatience while I am giving the same response in a row.

Frankly speaking, I have no idea what she is trying to tell me, and what is in her mind. Similarly, I do not know what she is trying to do by arousing something intentionally in the office.

She commented on my response, and criticised my ignorant; saying that I do not think wide enough, and not responding fast enough. Then she lingered on to the outlet commencement date of the campaign, and raises the question of redemption in outlet that yet to start.

I listen with my left index finger & thumb open wide under my chin; and right hand folded under my left hand, fully concentrated on her reprimand, and acted to ponder. I am not thinking of what she said, but I am thinking of how a fool she can be to think that she knows everything. I should have taken the initiative to ask her “Can the two sentences mention in the ad solve the problem?” Then she will at least realise that she is too impulsive jumping into conclusion. While, even if I have done a mistake, I would prefer somebody to educate me instead of ‘teaching’ me…

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25 August 2006
Humble is a virtue …

Humble is a virtue.

We must always be humble because you can not predict the future.

This is a sad case I saw in the market; a new ‘sales manager’ is hired to look after a team of sales person, and this sales manager used to work under one of the ‘sales executive’.

So, do not ill-treat you subordinate as you may fall under the scenario above one day, then your life will be ‘tough’.

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26 August 2006
Leadership needs trust but …

Trust is an important element in leadership skill. No leader could lead without trust from their team members, and that is what my superior currently weak at.

I could not say I trust her wholeheartedly at this moment; because she has been acting strange for the past few weeks, as if I am stepping into her territory. For the fact that I am starting to assume someone may have spoken ill of me without understanding her character of impulsive & red eye; which could lead to a terrible relationship between both of us.

I truly understand her circumstance at which I am currently trying my best to earn her trust to compensate those possible ill-statements could have said by other about me.

For her, as a senior marketing executive at the age of 29 anticipating a promotion for almost a year, aggravated by her myopia of hitting 30 and yet married. She should be in that emotional stage of insecure…my advice to her is to be open-minded & trust people…as I believe if you want someone to sacrifice for you then you must be able to trust that person…if she can’t trust me then why should I sacrifice for her right…

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27 August 2006
Always a Working Weekend …

I am working my presentation kits for my sales team which is due next week. At the same time, I am preparing for my presentation material in Bangkok on the first week of September. Seems that my weekend is again, filled with my work!

Somehow, I am glad that my company is willing to send me over to Bangkok; my first ever chance for overseas exposure. What can be better…?

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