racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

So I posted yesterday about Max’s PR agent, Press Inc., handing out free passes to Max’s first day of offering its Power Breakfast line. I got 15 passes, while my mom got 10, mine I shared with some friends and relatives. About 9:00 a.m. this morning, we headed out to _Max’s at Quezon Memorial Circle_ to avail ourselves of the free meals.

Our feedback: we were disappointed.

Food was above average. Coffee was excellent. But frankly the service was not so great. We had to wait more than an hour after ordering to be served.

We’re regular Max’s customers, so we would know if something was amiss. For one, we were seriously thinking that we weren’t given much priority because we weren’t paying customers.

Food

Okay, let’s first talk about the food. By the time we arrived, we were told the restaurant alreay ran out of their beef Tapa meal, which most of us badly wanted to try. So we ordered the fried bangus (milkfish), sausage, and pepperoni omelet meals, as well as champorado (chocolate rice porridge).

We were also informed by the wait staff that they were unable to serve their brewed coffee. So the served us instant coffee instead (and that was after 40 minutes of waiting). At this point, I was already a bit fuming because the PR people were showcasing Max’s Indonesian Arabica coffee as the highlight of their breakfast line.

Priority?

Service was slow, but this would’ve been understandable, since the restaurant only started serving breakfast meals today. But what ticked me off was that apparently some customers who came in after us were being prioritized. For instance, there was a couple who came in about an hour after us, and they were served within five minutes of ordering. These were the very same meals we ordered (sausage). They were paying clients. They finished eating and left even before we were served with our orders.

A friend of mine also decided to avail of his free breakfast there, and he told me service was really slow.

I told my mother I had half a mind to approach the store manager. And we did. We told him that we dined at Max’s because we were sent complimentary breakfast passes under the assumption that we could help spread the word by reviewing the food and experience on our blogs and online publications. And I told the manager that this incident would seriously affect how I would review the promo/offering. After all, being bloggers, we are usually honest and candid about our reviews. And we don’t even need to be given free stuff to write favorable reviews. If we really like something, then we would be glad to blog about it in a positive light, even if–or perhaps particularly if–we were paying customers.

The manager apologized, and told us they really weren’t exactly prepared to meet the huge demand in breakfast meals, and in light of this promo, about 70% of the clients this morning availed of the free meal. He also said the coffee machine broke down. I pointed out my concern that we felt being discriminated against because we were availing free meals. Other people were served quite quickly.

Served, at last!

It was only after talking to the manager that he told us he would follow up our orders. After about 10 minutes, we were served. And that included the brewed coffee.

I was quite okay with the sausage, but my wife and brother-in-law said the sauce/glazing was too overwhelming. The bangus was tasty, but a bit oily. And the pepperoni omelet was on the salty side. Saving grace for Max’s was the champorado, which was great–very chocolatey and creamy. And the coffee was excellent.

My mom and siblings, who were served earlier (they came in about an hour earlier than us), complained that their champorado was cold, though.

Bad taste

I also texted Blooey singson of Press, Inc. to tell her about the incident, and she said she will have Max’s management look into it. This is definitely bad press, especially for a company asking for honest opinions and reviews. And this should be a lesson to companies launching promos. They should not discriminate against people who would avail of free stuff.

So would we still eat at Max’s? I would say yes. It’s still great casual dining at reasonable prices. But then this incident left a bad taste in the mouth. Our time was wasted and we felt badly treated. So this will stick in our minds for quite some time. And we probably won’t recommend Max’s power breakfast line to our friends for now.

If I had reviewed Max’s Power Breakfast Line in tenminut.es fashion, their ten minutes would have been over long before it even begins.

Update: changed pronoun references to Blooey. I just realized Blooey is a she, and not a he! Also, apparently other branches were better. I hear they treated coupon-holders like royalty, as Noemi relates here (she also has a review of the Power Breakfast, but she dined at the Katipunan branch).

Remember my post about why Celebrities should blog? I mentioned that this is a very cheap and effective public relations tool, particularly in addressing pressing issues and controversies, or just even enhancing mindshare on the Web. We know that scandals and rumors spread fast through the Internet–be it via email, forums, chatrooms or blogs.

It probably goes without saying that it’s not only celebrities who should blog, but also any person or entity with a reputation to protect. For instance, big companies in the west like Microsoft and Dell are doing it (MS seems to be doing well, but Dell is not).

The Jollibee Scandals

Now here’s yet another issue that I think needs immediate attention. This past week, I encountered two posts about Jollibee that can potentially hurt the fastfood company’s reputation.

First is the _Jolibee and Twirlie Scandal_, as posted by Jepoy and Yuga on their respective blogs. In the video (which I won’t re-post here), mascots Jollibee and Twirlie are doing naughty stuff. This was likely done at a party with adults-only guests, and probably at the request of the party guests.

The guys behind the mascots (and the staff handling the party, too) would’ve probably been safe had this video not been circulated around the ‘net. Now I wonder what’s become of them.

Second is the Open Up and Say Yumburger post by American blogger pamie.com, who visited a Jollibee branch in the US along with a couple of friends (via Torn and Frayed).

Here’s what she had to say about Jollibee’s Yumburger.

Meanwhile, Ty was staring at her Yumburger. “This isn’t something we can eat,” she says. “There’s a pink…sauce… and it’s pink?”

I tried being positive. “Do you think it’s still Thousand Island dressing?”

She put the burger in her mouth and then instantly winced. “No.”

“What’s it like?”

She shook her head slowly, sadly. She whispered just one word to describe the taste of her cheeseburger: “Sweet.”

“It’s like Wendy’s took all the goo that comes out of their burgers when they’re done cooking them, pressed that down into a mold, froze it in a patty shape, and exported it to the Philippines, where they put it between some bread, put pink sauce on it and sent it back here.”

I think I do agree with her on some points, if you ask me. Anyway, there’s more to the post than rantings about the Yumburger. There were nastier things said about the Chickenjoy, Jolli Spaghetti, and Banana Langka Pie. One of the blogger’s friends concluded that “Fast food is nasty, no matter what country.”

Implications to Jollibee

Do a Google search on “Jollibee” and you will see the pamie.com post and various other blog postings about the mascot videos on the front page of the results page. And these scandalicious (to use the Jollibee nomenclature for their “delicious” stuff) blogs have the potential to taint Jollibee’s rap, if not locally, in the international scene (what will foreigners think of Pinoy food, then?).

Mike Abundo cites that some comment-posters on Yugatech are asking for the blog entry to be removed, and speculates that they might be from Jollibee. I agree that in this case, Jollibee needs to learn smarter blogging. If they want to address this effectively, they should also learn the medium.

Jollibee’s corporate honchos have apparently responded to the mascot video by sending out an email in an attempt to clear this mess. But this is clearly characteristic of corporate PR–carefully, well thought-out wording and not immediate. It took them about a week to come up with a response, and by this time the scandal has already spread all over the Internet.

The _Yumburger_ post, meanwhile, has been online since January this year, and much has been said in other blogs and comment threads about Jollibee’s food, freedom of speech, tastes in food. Still, I haven’t heard a word from Jollibee itself. Of course, things like these are not likely to be addressed with a corporate press release (any company would look silly if blogosphere issues are responded to with press releases).

What should Jollibee do? Blog!

Oh, if you think it’s just Jollibee, do check out what Gary Granada has to say about McDonald’s (via Jason).

Image from Rebelpixel.

First, let me say that Caren and I had a good time last night at Temple Bar, Greenbelt 2, where the Globe Innove sponsored bloggers’ meetup was held. Food was okay–not really great, but it was okay–and the drinks were good, too (anything with alcohol is, right?). But what was great was how the event gave us bloggers another opportunity to interact with each other in person. While I have been seeing an upsurge of activities lately where bloggers get to meet and do interesting stuff, this is not as common an occurrence as we would like it to be. So we try to take advantage of such events.

It was also great to have met people from the corporate world who have started considering the blogosphere as a way of getting feedback. After all, Globe Innove’s market is the Internet-using public. It would only be logical to seek inputs from those who are usually connected most of their waking hours.

However, the event was one big disappointment for me, and I would think the other bloggers present last night would agree. And here’s why.

The Influencers

Most, if not all, of the bloggers present during last night’s meetup are people who can be considered influencers. We each have our respective spheres of influence. In our areas of interest, we write about our thoughts, opinions and insights and people listen to and interact with us. It could be in technology, politics, business, the arts, or other themes. Some would just even fans regardless of interest (it’s sometimes personality-based).

As Scoble highlights,

I’ll tell you what executives from big companies (like Kraft, Procter and Gamble, GM, and others) who were at MSN’s OWN ADVERTISING CONFERENCE told me. An influencer is worth THOUSANDS of times more than a non-influencer (influencer is someone who tells other people stuff, which is why blogging is getting so much advertising attention lately). That’s why Google is charging more per click than MSN is (Google has more influential users). That’s why Federated Media is closing advertising deals left and right.

I think Innove missed a very important opportunity last night. They went out to gather a group of bloggers to get inputs about our behaviors, opinions and preferences, particularly when it comes to going online. However, apart from the dinner and drinks, the bloggers were treated to a standard Innove gift pack for the trouble This includes some stationery, a jacket, and a month’s free access to Globe WIZ, the company’s WiFi hotspot network that spans several cafes, malls and resorts. That’s it.

True, every one of us needs a fast and reliable Internet connection, and if possible, we do want a way by which we can access the ‘Net from anywhere. But a free WIZ account would probably be the last thing we need, since most of us have free unlimited Airborne Access accounts, anyway! WiFi isn’t exactly new to us. Accessing alternative networks would be a last resort, say, if ever we find ourselves in a location without AA. And there are usually prepaid options–even Globe WIZ has prepaid.

The Missed Opportunity

Honestly, many of us were expecting the opportunity to try out Globe’s 3G-based wireless Internet, called Visibility. This is exactly what we’re looking for: connectivity anywhere–or at least anywhere with a Globe HSDPA or GPRS signal. We would have been happy to get to try that out, even for a limited period, much like how Smart Bro has tapped Abe and other bloggers to try out their services (free) and give feedback.

Bloggers would generally write about personal experiences, and would usually give honest, unbiased recommendations about products and services we actually use personally. You don’t even have to ask us. If a service is interesting enough, we’d be glad to make rave reviews. If it’s crappy, well we’ll be sure to give our big seal of disapproval!

For instance, I’m pretty sure my writeup about my Compaq Presario V2617 and my PTB article about the price drop of branded Centrino laptops helped people make a choice about the laptops they buy. And talking about connectivity, Abe has blogged about his experiences using Smart GPRS during his stay in Vigan. Arnold has written about connecting thru Globe’s 3G at PTB. I, too, have tried PLDT’s WeRoam a year back, and the connection was really slow. Don’t forget Smart Bro! Most posts I’ve read about it say its crappy–in strong language, no less (see the Smart WiFi chronicles for links)!

However, Globe Visibility is something most of us do not have access to, since it’s still currently intended to service corporate accounts. I hear they’re planning to open this up for personal and even prepaid use soon. This could’ve been the perfect time to get a band of influential bloggers to try out the service and perhaps give feedback and also write about it (it doesn’t even have to be free; what’s important is that it’s available to us non-corporate types). What’s even better is that within the bloggers’ spheres of influence are likely to be like-minded people: those who want and even need mobile connectivity, and who have the money to spend for such. Talk about targeted word-of-mouth advertising.

This could’ve been great marketing, wouldn’t you think?

Update: Here’s what the other participants wrote about the meetup (list stolen from Noemi). I’ll update as more people write about the event. Also, do check the trackbacks at the comments section.

* Noemi – The Globe-Innove Sponsored Blogger’s Meet at Temple Bar
* Kiven – Globe-Innove Blogger Meet at Greenbelt 2
* Gail – A night with bloggers
* Bimbo – Globe Innove Blogger Meet
* Anton – Power Blogger’s Meet and Unfulfilled Expectation
* Abe – Link Building Strategy (Globe Innove Blogger Meetup)
* Connie – The Globe Innove meet-up
* Jayvee – Globe Innove Aftermath
* Marc – Globe’s Blogging Adventure

Feedback from bloggers who were not present:

* Migs – Globe/Innove Bloggers Meetup: A Wasted Opportunity?

*Laptop with mobile phone image from yugatech.com

Let’s put our laptop lid advertising (Sacha, Blogging Pro, bLaptops, the J Spot) concept to the test. I’ll be speaking at the 3rd Techfactors Regional Educators’ ICT Summit this Wednesday, August 30th at the University of the Philippines (my topic is The Learning Preferences of the New Generation). The audience will consist mainly of about 200 educators in the various ICT fields from Metro Manila schools.

Unlike Sacha, who’s selling space by the square inch (or quarter of an inch, even), I think I’ll go in larger chunks, considering the affair will not be as intimate as BarCamp, and I’ll be speaking at front, and not mingling with the crowd (well, mingling comes during the break times). So visibility from greater distances is important in this case.

Okay, I’m interested. How much will it cost?

Considering that my laptop has a relatively larger screen and lid real-estate than Sacha’s ultraportable, we can go in chunks of 4″ x 4″ or even 8″ x 4″. This is a 14-inch widescreen, and the actual area of the lid is about 13″ x 9″. That leaves enough space for six 4″ x 4″ images or three 8″ x 4″ stickers comfortably side by side on the lid with enough free space in between.

The prices:

* US$ 50 for a 4×4 image
* US$ 75 for an 8×4 image
* US$ 100 for an 8×8 image

Okay, we can go smaller, but you’ll have to email me so we can agree upon a price. And, this is first come (or first emailed?), first served. Hey, the 8×8 space is cheap (do the math). You can slash off 100% from the price of four 4x4s if you and three friends are interested in putting up 4×4 ads each.

The Elevator Pitch

This arrangement goes with the standard elevator pitch, meaning if someone asks about the ad, I’ll introduce the product/service/site to them in less than a minute (which is enough to capture the interest of people if done right). This means I cannot possibly pitch stuff that I’m not comfortable using myself, so I reserve the right to turn down unsuitable ads.

Materials, images, URLs, etc.

I’ll supply the materials and do the printing myself, unless you have some need to send me some specialized, embossed, gold-plated, diamond-encrusted logo of your company. Just send me a suitable image in print-size resolution, along with instructions to add a URL or some text, and let’s talk business.

Also, to give proof of your product’s exposure, I’ll email you back pictures from the event with your ads prominently placed on my laptop lid. Heck, I’ll even post them here on my blog.

Contact Me

Get in touch with me via the usual email address – jangelo at racoma dot net. You have until tomorrow evening (August 29th, +0800H GMT) to place your orders, as the event will start early on Wednesday.

I think our PayPal for the Philippines logo should have a spot.

Chris Pirillo did it with his chest–his rent my chest idea seemed quite novel (probably would’ve been better if Chris were a girl ). Andrew Fischer rented out his forehead for ad space. Now Sacha Chua is tempted to sell ad space on her laptop lid, just as Stowe Boyd did with his T-shirts. Apparently, Stowe likes the idea.

There’s actually a business plan in there somewhere. People register with the company, get sent a new sticker every month that covers the lid, and take pictures to show they’ve put in on at the start and that its still there at the end of the month, and they get sent a small check. Fun!

I think it’s quite cool, too. Companies should be sure, though, to target people who frequently use their laptops in public, and not just laptop owners who usually leave their machines at home or on their desk at the office.

I think it doesn’t even have to be revenue-based, but it could be in-kind.

Hey, if someone will sponsor my coffee, snacks, WiFi connection and fare/gas every day just to get me to spend a few hours at Starbucks or Seattle’s Best, I would be all right with slapping some stickers on my V2000. I’ll be able to get some work done, get my daily caffeine fix, satisfy my sweet tooth, and probably get some extra dough.

Imagine if I spent three hours in Starbucks every day with a large “Seattle’s Best” sticker.

At any rate, revenue model or not, I think Sacha got it right that stickers on laptop lids–especially large stickers that shout out a statement–would definitely help in getting people’s attention. Who knows? You can even make friends along the way.

Want to meet interesting but don’t want to have to make the first move? Use the back of your laptop to get people to talk to you. Stickers are a great way to do that. My laptop reads “The geek shall inherit the earth.” I can’t count the smiles, chuckles, and conversations I’ve gotten out of it–and all I have to do is open my laptop!

I used to do this with my old ThinkPad, but I would probably have second thoughts about slapping on a sticker on my new Presario. Okay, it’s more than a month old. Still, the the likelihood of leaving sticky residue on my laptop lid is quite a worrisome thought. Someone should develop laptop-friendly stickers!

Hey, maybe K2 Interactive can do this, along with their regular marketing via blog ads. Or, I’ll probably work on the idea myself!