Kidzania Portugal - Future For Kids

When was the last time you asked a kid, “How’s School?” and gotten the answer, “Boring!” Although kids aren’t overly chatty at times, ask this question and one of two things will happen: either their eyes glaze over in a zombie like state, or they ramble on about how awful it is to sit in class listening to a teacher for hours on end.

I was a pre Xbox, facebook, ipod generation student, and can only imagine having those toys at home then having to sit in front of a mono toned teacher for what would seem like an eternity. I also feel for teachers, how can they possibly compete with all the interactive, high definition, multimedia, graphics and acoustics available today…seeesh! So how does a parent or teacher motivate a kid to think about their life and future in more creative ways?

Kidzania in Portugal

Well one company, Kidzania seems to be on to something, by inspiring kids through old age “role pay”. But not just any old role play though, this kind of play provides kids with interactive “real life” jobs, money and everyday life scenarios. The project was originally started in Mexico city, by a group of young Mexican entrepreneurs, with a vision for a new kind of family entertainment. Kids receive their own currency the “KidZo” which they can spend, save in their “account”, or of course, work to earn more. The work environments stretch the gamut from hospitals to flipping burgers, and it all comes together and mode possible by brand promotion.

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Top 6 Marketing Tips for Selling More Wine

With the vast selection of quality wines in Portugal, how can a small or lesser-known wine brand stand out from the pack, be visible and increase sales?

This was the “million” dollar question looming over the minds of the producers we met at the Lisbon Wine show in November. We’ve had these folks on our mind and thought we’d focus on a few key marketing points that could help this important industry.

The New Playbook selling wine

The 6 Key Points:
First and foremost, two necessary ingredients must exist: You have to love what you do: making great wine. And second: You need to communicate and share the quality of your craft.

Since Portuguese wines have quality, uniqueness and diversity, they’re able to compete against many international brands, so quality is not the issue. Recognition however is another story, and this unfortunately comes down to lack of good marketing. So the real issue isn’t the product, but the right marketing and communication strategy for our new, highly informed and connected generation.

Once the first two ingredients are in place, here’s what’s next:

01: Understanding your ideal customer
02: A creative name
03: Label design
04: Website
05: Blogging
06: Adegga.com

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Portugal’s Public Smoking Ban

Portugal remains one of the few European countries left that still allows public smoking, mostly do to the fear of lost business.

However, in May 2007, the Portuguese parliament approved a law banning smoking in all public places smaller than 100m2, by January 1st, 2008. So in a few days, Portugal will join other European countries in an attempt to cut down on tobacco-related deaths.

no smoking ad

Speaking to some of our favorite restaurateurs here in Algarve, there seems to be a mixed feeling about the smoking ban.

There’s the group that fears the ban will crush their businesses. Then there’s those who show optimism “we might lose some guests who smoke, but we could gain non-smoking clients”. Voila!

It always fascinated me how a quarter of the Portuguese population who smoke seem to have a louder voice than 75% of the population who don’t. So there could actually be a new opportunity to capitalize on the non-smokers who are about to come out of hiding.

What remains to be seen is the after math of the restaurants and establishments, who didn’t heed the warning to make their establishments non-smoking friendly. Either way, an interesting strategy to differentiate could be on the horizon.

Virgin in Portugal

Virgin Rumor has turned to reality; Richard Branson’s mega gyms Virgin Active are now confirmed for Porto, Lisbon, Coimbra and Faro.

With expectations of an additional 10+ health clubs across the country, the Virgin Group also plans to open more gyms in areas in the Iberian Peninsula where there are more than 50,000 residents.

Virgin Gym

Now how will local small gyms compete vs. a mega brand like Virgin? As things stand, local gyms here in Faro will have a hard time when Virgin arrives and flexing it’s financial muscle. You can expect, Virgin Gym’s will be big facilities with the latest equipment, fancy machines and other membership perks such as a spa, great design, etc.

If I owned a Gym, here are 5 actions I will take immediately … like today:

1 }Identify my targeted clientele and focus on establishing a name for my Gym through strong brand identity — good signage, logo shirts for staff, etc.

2 } Launch a user friendly website with tips, exercise videos and a community supported network which enables my trainers and members to interact with one another … include diet tips, video exercises, blog, newsletter, and allow members to track their diet and workouts, etc.

3 } Set a budget to refresh the inside my gym (a new coat of paint, mirrors, improved lighting, and a plan to replace old machines with new machines over-a-specific time frame … for example, one new machine per month or quarter. Also look into new exercise forms if my facility allows it, like an indoor rock climbing, boxing classes, etc.

4 } Turn my trainers and staff into key stakeholders, so you keep good staff from going to the competition. Establish a program where trainers and staff receive incentive when Gym meets membership goals. Give each staff member a business card which they can use to hand out to friends. (Goal: would be to ensure the business cards are fun, different and one that staff would be proud to share with others)

With an improved member experience, motivated staff, and a fresh look, my member’s experience should improve greatly and lead to positive word of mouth.

5 } And then from here, what I would do is look into alternative marketing channels by creating buzz:

And bonus, I would definitely try a couple of fun marketing campaigns at Faro Beach over the summer when there’s a captive audience.

There are many ways a gym here in Faro can differentiate and build a better experience for their members, the above are just some examples. And if all fails, I would look into targeting an entirely new clientele such as ladies only, heavy duty gym or maybe even a… gym just for kids!

Do you agree or disagree. Love to hear some of your ideas.