Who Needs a More Powerful Mobile Sim?

Ah, Globe. For some reason, the marketing promos of Globe just tick me off.

Case in point: The New Globe 128 xl Power Postpaid Sim. Under this promo, all Globe postpaid subscribers have been issued an upgraded postpaid sim with more storage capacity for free. This better storage allows the subscriber to save more contacts and messages.

Here's what I think of the promo:

1. The rate by which Filipinos upgrade their cellphones is as fast as the rate by which John Mayer changes girlfriends. To Filipinos, a cellphone is a status symbol, and it is not surprising for Filipinos (across income classes) to be upgrading their phones annually or every other year. With phone upgrades come better storage capacities for contacts, messages, programs, multimedia files, etc. So what do you need an upgraded sim for?

2. A cardinal rule in promotion is simplicity and ease of mechanics. If it's too difficult, customers can't be bothered to join the promo. This offer is just far too difficult. First, you have to copy all the contacts of your old sim unto your phone. Next, you have to call Globe to request the new sim to be activated. Then you wait for your old sim to be deactivated. Sorry, but reading the instructions from the mailer from Globe got me bored... blah blah blah. There's just too many things being asked of me, and frankly, I just can't be bothered.

3. In its mailer, Globe wrote: "... it (the new sim) will also allow you to save more messages that you need to retrieve". But Globe didn't give instructions on how subscribers will be able to transfer messages already stored in their old sim to the new one. If subscribers lose their existing messages, doesn't that negate the purpose of the new sim?

4. Activation of the new sim is not even instantaneous, hence, you have to wait. Some people even get the wrong idea that the old sim will be deactivated automatically. Subscribers are confused.

5. As an incentive, Globe is offering subscribers who upgrade free one-day unlimited calls and texts to Globe subscribers. For all the hassle, the "sweetener" is just not sweet enough for me. From what I gathered, even the supposed higher storage capacity is not high enough. Compared to a 64k sim, the new sim only allows for an additional of 250 contacts and 20 messages.

6. I think this promo is a little too self-serving. Although I know that promos must be financially gainful for the company, promos must still strive to make it appear that it is the consumers that benefit the most from the offer, not the other way around. Unfortunately, for this promo, the offer does not appear to be RELEVANT enough for the target consumers. Globe, meanwhile, stands to gain because I understand that the new sim automatically activates G-Live services, that annoying SPAM SMS service of Globe that is quite tricky to deactivate (for non techie people like me). Who knows if other Globe services are automatically activated too?

7. I think this is an awful waste of money for Globe. I would imagine that the cost of the mailers and the new sim cards that have mailed for free to subscribers is substantial. Assuming a courier rate of P7 per subscriber, the cost of mailing alone for Globe's 700,000+ postpaid subscribers is already about P5M. You still have to compute the cost of the mailer itself, envelope, the sim card, and the additional staffing needed for this promo. I would like to think that Globe has beefed up hotline agents or customer service representatives who can accommodate the calls of those who want to upgrade. As it is right now, it is quite a pain to wait for an agent to attend to your needs while dialing 211. Imagine the number of irked customers kept on hold if Globe didn't increase its manpower support? Then you have to factor in the cost of the free one day unlimited calls and text. All in all, I would not be surprised if this promo cost a minimum of P20M.

8. If Globe has this much money to spend on a promo for its postpaid subscribers, wouldn't it have been a wiser decision to just channel the budget to their loyalty program? Instead of offering a 128 XL Powered postpaid sim, they should have offered free phones to their best subscribers (as a reward) and to those who are likely to defect (as a retention program). If a free phone is too expensive, an across the board rebate of say P50 sounds good. That kind of promo has more impact to subscribers. The more impact, the more positive associated feelings towards the company, the more likely the subscriber is going to increase, broaden or lengthen its subscription with Globe.

In a nutshell, I think this promo is lame. It is irrelevant, too difficult, and poorly communicated. So who needs an upgraded sim? Definitely not me.

My Sad Songs Playlist

Whenever I play songs from my Itunes library, my sister always says "can you please play something upbeat, your songs are too sad". I have always gravitated towards songs that have melancholic melodies and tearjerking lyrics.

Sad songs make me feel alive. And by alive, I mean either

(1) hurting, or

(2) glad that the hurting is over.

I will always listen to sad music. As Frou Frou would put it "Music is worthless unless it can make a complete stranger breakdown and cry".

Here are my top 10 depressing songs that I listen to over and over again, even when I am happy (in no particular order):

Razor by Foo Fighters

The message of this song is very obvious, it is about thoughts of suicide or self-harm. But what gives me the chills when I listen to this song is the sublime acoustic. Dave Grohl is as good a guitarist as he is a drummer.

The Dumbing Down of Love by Frou Frou

"Love underwhelms you..No box of chocolates whichever way you fall... And if I tell you, lover alone without love." I think this song is open to many interpretations, but to me it speaks about losing passion in a relationship or being sick of loneliness and being unloved. I love Imogen Heap's breathy voice blending in with the piano background.

Raining in Baltimore by the Counting Crows

Any sad song playlist will not be complete without the Counting Crows. I just love Adam Duritz. He is an amazing lyricist. Listening to him sing is like drawing words from the deep crevices of my soul. To me this song is about being stuck in a certain situation, wishing to be some place else, and not knowing how to get out of that rut.

Save Me by Aimee Mann

"You look like a girl in perfect need of a torniquet.... Save me from the ranks of the freaks who suspect they could never love anyone". I don't think this song is about drug abuse. I think its about someone who has been through a series of troubled past relationships (romantic and otherwise) that she has lost faith in people in general, and now she is looking for someone to make her believe in other people again.

Crying Like a Church on Monday Morning by the New Radicals

"And I'm crying like a church on Monday, Praying for these feelings to go away, So do me a favor baby, Put down your new god, And love me like Sunday again". (Sigh) This is probably one of the newer saddest breakup songs ever. This is the Crying in the Rain of the 90's. What could ever be sadder than an empty church on a Monday morning?

Say Hello Wave Goodbye by David Gray

I think David Gray's version is infinitely better than Soft Cell's. The emotions just become more raw when rendered by David Gray. A very unhappy breakup song rife with bitterness.

Mad World by Gary Jules

Alright I am going to get into trouble with the Tears for Fears fans for this. Contrary to popular opinion, I don't think Gary Jules massacred this song. I actually love his cover. He gave this song a completely different spin. From an "angsty and angry mad world", Gary Jules created a "despondent mad world".

Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead

Radiohead = depressing songs. Period. This one particular song I singled out because I think it speaks about pretense and hypocrisy, and how tiring pretending to be somebody you are not can be.

Wallflower by Caroline's Spine

This song speaks to me about cowardice, about wanting to be brave but never being able find the courage to do or say the things you want to. And when you finally decide to act on it, it's too late. (awww) I like how the song starts up slowly and builds up with bursting emotions in the middle and calms down to deep melancholy again towards the end.

Angel by Sarah Mclachlan

The ultimate song for the depressed (for whatever reason). This is the song that gets heavy rotation when I feel I have screwed something up. This song is doleful but in a very comforting way. Sarah Mchlachlan's soulful angelic voice takes this song to a different level.

Odd Food Combos

There are many kinds of food I would love to eat again and again.

Chocolates. Burgers. Chips. Soda. Ice Cream. Peanut Butter. Strawberry cream. Tomato. Bacon.

I love these things on their own. But together?

They say that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I am not sure if this holds true for the weird food combinations below. I have mixed feelings about these things. Either they are gastronomical delights or gastronomical disasters. I guess the only way to find out is to try them.

Strawberry Covered Cheetos (Photo courtesy of yumsugar)

Royce Chocolate Covered Potato Chips (Photo courtesy of royce)

Chocolate Covered Bacon (Photo courtesy of bacontoday)

Cucumber Pepsi (Photo courtesy of inventorspot)

Peanut Butter Burger (Photo courtesy of nibbledish)

Tomato Ice Cream (Photo courtesy of who-sucks)

To be fair, these are items that you wouldn't really squirm about. Maybe depending on how intense my hunger pangs are, I may even be brave enough to try some of these things. I can even imagine myself liking one or two them.

If I were to try just one of these products here, I'd go for the tomato ice cream. I guess it would taste just like gazpacho. The last thing I would try is the cucumber soda. I have a feeling that would taste like liquid salad. Blech.

Starbucks Planner as a Loyalty Pull

When you look at all the sophisticated loyalty programs out in the market today, you'd think that having a "primitive" stamp card loyalty program is so outdated. Think again.

The Starbucks Planner stamp card promotion is one great loyalty scheme. This annual Christmas promotion of Starbucks in the Philippines has been running for years now and each year, I see friends who purposely troop to Starbucks to collect the required number of stamps and get the highly coveted planner. Whether they like the required coffee to be purchased or not is irrelevant. In their minds, the Starbucks planner is THE accessory they can proudly flaunt in their respective offices and schools come January 1.

Here's how the 2010 Starbucks Planner looks like. (Photos courtesy of Awesome Planet)

And here is the stamp card that you need to completely fill out.

You need to buy a total of 17 drinks in all, of which 9 are featured holiday drinks and 8 are regular beverages. Assuming that each drink costs P100 to P150, the total amount of purchases you need to make to redeem the planner is P1,700 to P2,550. You need to consume that much in Starbucks in a period of 2 months. For some people, that's easily in the bag. I know some friends who practically live off Starbucks to sustain them at work. But for some people,17 drinks can be quite a stretch, and yet they'd be willing to shell that amount for the sheer joy having THE Starbucks planner.

Just what is in that planner that makes many people salivate with desire to grab it and claim one as theirs?

I will not mince words for this. People get the planner because the Starbucks planner is a STATUS SYMBOL. No offense meant, but being able to hold one in a meeting is like proclaiming to everyone that you are capable of buying overpriced coffee. In their minds, it makes them look cool. Period.

Oh, I must not leave out an important but secondary detail. Each redeemed planner comes with a corresponding donation to SparkHope, the charity tie up of Starbucks with Unicef. But seriously, I doubt that this is the primary reason why many people lust for these planners. If that were the prime motivation, wouldn't they have reached more needy children if they channelled the whole P2000 to Unicef instead?

Curiously that in this day and age of high-tech gadgets, people would still want the old school planner. The same people who have 2 state of the art cellphones (1 for business, 1 for personal use and of which one is most likely an i-phone), a laptop, an SLR Camera, a PDA, a portable game console, etc. are the same people who have this planner with which they can "plan" or "organize" their lives. It is as if the organizer or file manger functions in their gadgets are not enough. You would think that if these people have been using the planner, people would be arriving to meetings on time? Sorry, but think again.

Despite having the planner, many Filipinos are still sadly perennially late. This just goes to show that not many actually use the planner. It is noting but an accessory. There may be others who collect them and maybe use the featured monthly discount coupons in the planner. But in all the times that I have been to Starbucks within a year, I have never witnessed a person actually using the discount coupon. But then again, Filipinos are not a coupon-using consumer.

I have a friend who as early as mid November posted a status on Facebook which said, "Got my Starbucks Planner already! Yahoo!! And many people "liked" his status. If you go to Sulit.com.ph or Ebay.ph, you'd see people selling unused Starbucks planner. The prices start at P1000 for last year's planner and as high as P2500 for the current one. I have even received a Starbucks planner as a Christmas gift in the past.

As for me, I don't intend to get the planner. I don't want it and I have no need for it. But of course, I am no coffee lover and I am one cheapskate. But mostly, I just don't like following and falling for a craze like this. It's just like that New Moon fever. I really don't get the fuss over it. I simply cannot bring myself to watch it or read the series.

But this Starbucks planner is surely an effective loyalty building promo. It was able to stir up an emotion and a positive action (towards making more purchases) among the targeted customers that go BEYOND REASONS.

Should I Root for Dinara Safina?

I am struggling to decide whether I should root for Dinara Safina in Wimbledon or not.

(Photo courtesy of dinarasafina.com)

Ever since Justin Henin retired, there isn't any player in the women's tour that I really consistently cheer for. I am now "shopping" for a player to replace Henin in my book, and I am wondering if Safina can fill Henin's shoes. I never really liked Safina. Her outbursts of dismay and anger on court certainly do not take favor on me. She is so like her brother, Marat Safin, who vents his anger on his rackets. Marat said that he probably whacked more than 300 tennis rackets throughout his career. I am very sure he got fined a lot too for unsportsmanlike behavior. So really, the Safin siblings are not easy players to like. Their emotional outbursts on court are a turn-off.

Safina claims that she has put a lid on her fits of rage and she credits this for her rise to the World #1 spot. To be fair to her, she is trying. I caught her quarterfinal match against Sabine Lisicki and I saw that she was trying to contain herself. There were still some small outbursts of frustration on court, but after a while she was able to regain her focus and went on to win the match.

But I feel sorry for Safina because I could just imagine the amount of pressure on her back. After 3 unsuccessful finals (French Open 2008 and 2009, and Australian Open in 2009), she is becoming the winningest player on tour without a grand slam. It is like her number one ranking doesn't amount to anything at all. I've read and heard far too many comments that she doesn't deserve to be in the #1 spot if she cannot win the important matches. She is saddled with a big burden of proof: to convince everyone that she deserves her top ranking and that she is a champion in her own right.

It is because of that pressure that I have decided that I want Safina to win. I know what it feels like to be constantly trying to prove yourself to others. It is as if you cannot be appreciated for who you are until after their standards are met. Maybe when Safina gets her first grand slam, the pressure will finally ease and she can be more relaxed and just enjoy her game.

So yes, I want Safina to win Wimbledon. It's not because I really like her. Mostly, I think I just pity her. And God knows what kind of expletives she may let out if she fails a fourth attempt in a grand slam. If she can be angry while winning, I don't want to see her losing. Again.

Go Dinara!

Burger Obsession

My sister and I were in Greenhills this afternoon and we decided to eat in Tropical Hut Hamburger (the food chain) for snacks. I think the last time I ate in that fastfood chain was over 10 years ago so I was really curious about how their burgers taste now. I ordered the classic burger, and oh boy, it was huge! I only managed to finish half of the burger. Not that it was bad, it was actually good. The patty was very juicy and tender, and has a very homemade taste and feel about it. The only thing I didn't like was that it left me burping it hours after I have consumed it.

I was thinking about lingering flavors and odors of food when I remembered a news article I read about a meat scented cologne for men. Just last Christmas, Burger King released its men's spray line called Flame. As the name suggests, it is a flame-broiled burger scented cologne. Photo courtesy of 411chatter.com

I just find that really odd. For the sake of argument, I will be going by stereotypes. Men like meat generally more than women. Women love sweets generally more than men. If colognes or perfumes are used for seduction, then what would a meat-scented cologne for men attract? More men? I think women will be more turned on by sweet-smelling scents like chocolate, cinnamon or vanilla. Perhaps men will have more success in attracting a partner (granting they are men seeking women, not men seeking men) if they smell sugary sweet? Maybe men should seriously consider wearing a sweet scent instead. It's not always about machismo. It's about being "man" enough to wear what may be labeled as a "girly" scent in order to be attractive to the female set. Now, if men still want to smell like burgers, maybe they should go all the way and throw in an onion ring scented hair spray and french fries flavored mouth spray.

More on burgers, I saw a feature in CNN this evening about cheeseburgers in a can. Believe it or not, Swiss company Katadyn has either invented the biggest success or the worst blunder in the canned food business history.

After seeing a video of how the burger looks like in youtube, I am led to believe it is the latter. I would imagine that the bread is soggy, and I just hate burgers with a soggy bread. What's worse, you would have to heat it first, and by heating, the manufacturers mean submerging the entire can in boiling water for 10 minutes. So, soggy, tin-flavored burgers anyone? Definitely not for me.

This obsession with burgers can get sometimes get out of hand. Would you sleep in a burger bed? Photo courtesy of likecool.com

I can't blame people for going to extremes just because of burgers. I love burgers. There is a Jughead Jones hiding in me. In fact, I can't wait to try this new burger joint in Kapitolyo Pasig called Charlie's Grind and Grill that serve black angus burgers. Oh man, I am hungry again.

Sale! and Women-Friendly HR Best Practices

With the exception of cheesy romantic lines, no other words can probably elicit so much excitement and rapture among women than the word SALE.

From June 4-7, there will be a big brands sale exclusive to HSBC cardholders for SSI brands in Nuvo City. For those who do not know, SSI (Store Specialists Inc.) is the firm responsible for bringing mid-scale to luxury brands in the country (think Zara, Debenhams, Gap, Bass, Lacoste, Nine West, Ralph Lauren, YSL, Cartier, Marc Jacobs, Kate Spade, Gucci, Bally, etc). Discounts on items will go as high as 70% so my eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Note however, that I don't go for the ritzy, ultra-upscale brands. It's not only because I cannot afford them; I just don't think I can be comfortable spending way too much on single piece of item. My idea of indulgence is just zara, lacoste, debenhams, ralph lauren, gap, and the like.

When I was still a corporate slave in what seems like a lifetime ago, I always hated it when stores hold the first day of the sale on a working day. I was always tempted to take a leave (I think I did on a few occasions when my workload wasn't up to my neck). And now that time is in my hands, I can be the very first person you see eagerly waiting outside the door of the store on day 1 of the sale. The only problem is, I no longer have the money to splurge on shopping. What a cruel, cynical world!

I am reminded of a news article that I read before about a company in Japan that offers "shopping sale" leaves to its employees. The women working in this company no longer have to feign sickness on the day of the sale; they just take a duly authorized leave to shop. I guess this company realized that without a sale leave, the female employees won't be productive anyways, as their minds would be suffering from missing out on all the bargains. Either that or the company will suddenly discover a sudden outbreak of a flu that manifests on the day of the sale and miraculously heals the day after the sale. So, this firm gave what the women wanted: a paid leave to to go shopping; an opportunity for the women to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

This very same company also offers "heartache leaves" to females employees who have just gone through a breakup. This is to give time for women to nurse and lick their wounds, and get themselves together before reporting to work. The older the employee, the longer the heartache leave. The rationale being: younger women have more chances to find a new love compared to older women. Again, this company realized that heartbroken women are nowhere near productive during the first few hours or days following a breakup. This company understood its female employees and the complex dynamics of female behavior.

This Japanese company is very women-friendly. Sale and Heartbreak leaves are almost the equivalent of a maternity leave or a PTA session leave. Women in different stages of the life cycle have different needs and priorities. For the single, upwardly mobile woman, it is fashion (self-indulgence or gratification) and romance. For the married set, it is the family. I may be generalizing a little here, and I am sorry if I stereotyped the single and the married women. I just did a generalization to make a point: Human Resource best practices can be as creative as giving leaves like those I mentioned in the above. It need not be all monetary benefits (although time off from work has financial implications as well). An HR benefit strategy can also be very focused or targeted, meaning providing different benefits for different kinds of employees. The key is to understand your employees and know what ticks for them. Now I wonder if any company offers PMS leaves?

If I were employed in that Japanese firm, I'd be one satisfied employee. Sadly, I am not in Japan and I have chosen the road less travelled by becoming a starving freelance writer. I will still go to the sale tomorrow with my sister in law and just drool over the bargains that I see. I will do my best to restrain from shopping. God help me!

Rafa's Reign over Roland Garros is Over

The King is Dead!  Technically, not dead, just out. Out of the 2009 French Open, that is.  

(Photo courtesy of www.morethangames.co.uk)

Rafael Nadal, the King of the Clay Court is defeated at last.  His 31-match winning streak in Roland Garros was finally ended by the most unusual of suspects.   The man responsible for this huge upset is seeded 23 Robin Soderling of Sweden.    

(Photo courtesy ofwww.rolandgarros.com)

I began to entertain hopes of seeing cracks in Nadal's unassailability after he lost in the Madrid Masters finals to Roger Federer about a fortnight ago.  I thought that maybe Federer now has a very good chance to topple Nadal.  Perhaps Nadal can be beaten too, and I was hoping that Fernando Verdasco can avenge his semifinals loss in the Australian Open earlier this year by defeating him in a quarterfinal match in Paris.   Now, if Verdasco won't be able to finish the job, I have another layer of defense in Andy Murray in the semifinals.  Remember that Murray beat Nadal in the US Open semifinals last year and in the ABN Amro finals this year.  Murray also gave Nadal a scare in Monte Carlo earlier, although in that match, Nadal emerged victorious.  ESPN even shortlisted candidates who they thought could do the impossible job of eliminating Nadal in Roland Garros.  Apart from Federer, Verdasco and Murray, they were placing their bets on Djokovic, Davydenko, Tsonga, Del Potro and Gonzales.  

But none of these things will happen now.  Soderling pulled a big surprise.   Nadal is sent packing in the 4th round, too early in the tournament.   Hats off to Soderling!   I must confess I didn't know Soderling until today.  After a little research, I learned that he is the only Swede in the top 100 ATP rankings.  His coach, Magnus Norman, is a runner-up in Roland Garros in 2000, losing to Gustavo Kuerten.  He has 3 singles career titles, and is currently ranked 25 in the world.  He has never made it past round 3 in any grand slam.  This round of 16 match with the score 6-2 6-7(2) 6-4 7-6(2) is probably the biggest win in Soderling's career. 

Who would have guessed that Soderling will be the man to make Nadal throw in the towel in his favorite clay surface?  Nobody thought so;  everybody was stunned.   I am now hoping for another big surprise.   I want Federer to win this time.   With Nadal out, the coast is clearer for him.   I am keeping my fingers crossed.  

Laptop Injuries and Sickness

My laptop is my office.   My laptop is my best friend, or maybe not; that may be too shallow a connection.   My laptop is an extension of my body and a mirror of my soul.   I practically sleep with my laptop.  Just a few hours away from it already makes me suffer from withdrawal symptoms.  It goes without saying that my laptop should be partnered with a wifi connection.    I will not get past one day without internet access.  You might as well just kill me.   

Now, who would have thought that laptop-ping could be such a dangerous sport?  Seriously, it is bad for one's health.  Here now are some of the ways this laptop addiction has afflicted me:

Finger Numbness.  Too much typing from all that e-book writing (note that I'm putting the blame on the writing, not the chatting) sometimes causes my fingers to become numb and have a bloated feeling about them.  There are days when it is so hard to ball them up in a fist.   Of course, the heat emanating from the laptop also exacerbates my sweaty palms problem.  But the real culprit for sweaty palms is too much texting (SMS), and that's another story.

Wrist Pains.  Fortunately, I don't have carpal tunnel syndrome yet.  But I am probably at risk.  Oh, I blame those darn facebook games!  I take my games seriously.  Caring for my pet in one of my games requires advanced hand maneuvers and sophisticated wrist actions in an almost sleight of hand fashion.  Yes, it can be magic, but it can be bad for the wrist.  

Forearm marks and discoloration.   During the day, I use my laptop and place it atop a regular desk.  Because my forearms are resting on top of the desk, the edges of the table leave marks and lines on my forearms (the skin on the under side which touches the surface of the desk).  Maybe I am applying too much pressure while tinkering with my laptop, or I simply have heavy forearms. Whatever the case, I get the unsightly marks that even become discolored.  

Lower back pains.  I don't have a good posture, and this becomes aggravated by sitting in a slouched position in the chair or in the bed.  Hours on end in that manner equals lower back pains.  No, it's not the age! It's the laptop!

Bottom heaviness.  A cousin of the lower back pains is the relentless expansion occurring in the glutes, hip and thigh area. Because I am reduced to sitting down, I get heavier in that area by the day.  If I could use my laptop while walking in the treadmill, I would.  But I'll get too nauseous; I wouldn't want to vomit on my precious laptop. It makes complete sense anyway; there won't be a lap if I were standing up; hence, no laptop-ping while standing. It has to be done sitting down.  But I am such a genius sometimes.  I transform the laptop to a tummy-top when sitting down becomes too tiring.  I slide into my back and lie down in bed, pulling the laptop up to settle on the tummy, while my head rests on top of many pillows.  Laptop or tummytop, either way, it does not bode well for the figure.  

So there, my list of laptop related injuries is long.   To cure them would not to wean me away from the laptop.   That could be fatal for me.  To be honest, I just need a lap desk.  All these bullshit only for a lap desk. Hahaha. I hope there are lap desks like these available locally.