I was at the dentist this morning for a regular check-up. Imagine my surprise when I leaned back and all of a sudden was watching RTL Vandaag on a television screen above my head. Appearantly, things are changing at one of the least customer-centric environments.

Dentists in the Netherlands do not like people, much less customers. It is an unfortunate necessity to have them, to survive, but the sooner they’re out the door thdentisttv.jpge better, with their filthy teeth. They don’t listen, don’t brush enough and don’t see they’re teeth as the most precious thing on earth. Horrible.

This is at least the feeling you get once you step inside. I’m not even talking about the fact that they might be the only profession where people pay to get tortured. I am talking about the unattractive interior design with cartoons and other posters only the dentist herself finds funny. About the radio which is on during a session, on a station that the dentist likes, not the customer. On the unintelligent reservation system, that only has the best interest of the dentist in mind (including impossible hours for the working class). Health 2.0, anyone?

And then there was the television. I could not change the channel, or switch to any other medium, but it’s a start. Let’s see what next step they’ve taken in 6 months.

Seth got out yet another great post: National day of service. It about something I think many people with a specific skill have asked themselves: how can I use that skill to make the lives of the less fortunate a bit better. So no everyday job, but actually using, in my/our case, your marketing and web skills.

He starts off a top 18 with 5 great ideas:

1. Read a copy of the Lorax to a child that’s never heard it.
2. Teach someone how to sell their services on Craigslist, or how to use the web to find a job.
3. Build a Squidoo lens every day for a year about a favorite author or musician and dedicate the proceeds to charity. 300 a year could earn tens of thousands of dollars for a cause you care about. That adds up to serious money.
4. Start a blog and profile one worthy non-profit every single day.
5. Go through your house and find beloved books that you’re glad you read… and give them to the library.

And the list goes on……

One thing though: wasn’t Seth the one who made it very clear time is a very valuable asset? That your time and attention are more valuable than gold? Try pick one or two and follow them through really well. More is not going to work if your schedule is like most geek marketers.

Local adaptions and translations are all about what’s between the words. Everybody can translate the exact words. It becomes something special when the sentiment, the feel, the slang and the inside jokes are preserved and brought to a local audience. This goes for movies, for global advertising and for an inauguration.

In my opinion, the NOS (Dutch public television) did not get it right this evening. The crew seemed to do their best to neutralize all of the American excitement. I’m not even talking about the subtitling, which missed sentences and badly timed most of the time. The Dutch commentators in Washington and Hilversum kept going on about their own opinions on the event, which are completely irrelevant to me as a consumer, in such a understated fashion that I had to work hard to ignore it and enjoy the show. The killer was the leading question by one to the other, right after Obama finished his great speech: so, what is your opinion, was this really the great big speech everybody has come to Washington for? Ai.

Have a look yourself: http://www.nos.nl/nosjournaal/artikelen/2009/1/20/200109_washington_obama.html

Translations and local adaptations don’t have to be exact, but they have to mirror the words and all in between. What they don’t need is a subjective local cultural flavor, without me asking for it.

After another week of receiving many invitations to ‘free’ conferences, and reading Seth’s posts on conferences, I thought this would be a good time to share an idea: the only good conference is one you have to pay for in money (that is if you’re not Seth Godin and don’t get invited to everything for free).

I love marketing events. The best part for me is to meet peers and end up in interesting conversations. Second best – experiencing new, innovative ways to reach a target audience. I’ve been to a few in the past and on both accounts, these ‘free’ conferences always disappoint me.

I see two business models in the conference market: those where the guests pay with money and those where they pay with their attention (and therefore time and energy). The first ones work, the second ones don’t. Take the DME (Digital Marketing Event) in Amsterdam: visitors for free, participants pay a steep fee to present themselves. I went there in 2007 and all I remember is a blur of media agencies, search optimizers and webanalytics providers asking for my attention. Nothing innovative, just sales. This is highly frustrating and I do not get out of my visit what I want. Guess more people felt that way as the DME 2008 got canceled. No surprise there. It felt like hard work. Conferences like these are far more expensive than the good ones you pay for with cash. Here you pay with your attention and you get nothing out of it.

This week I registered for the 2008 edition of PICNIC and paid the high early-bird rate. I don’t mind paying 1200 euros for a 3-day conference I know I will love and bring everything I want: interesting conversations and inspiration.

They did it again. Why is it always the usual suspects that surprise with stunning ads, powerful artwork and messaging loaded with stopping power? Why do I not throw this email away immediately? Not because I like running so much, trust me.

The latest from Nike Running. Powerrrrrrrful.

A beautiful windmill in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel (next to Amsterdam). Why not make something remarkable out of it when it’s in pain….

Dit kwam ik tegen in etalage in Montrose, Schotland. Een mooi voorbeeld van opmaken, opmaken en niet nadenken. De adverteerder doet zo zijn best te laten zien dat er wel 6 mensen in dit bed passen dat ze de realiteit uit het oog verliest. Wie spiegelt met deze bijzondere bevolkers van het bad? Wie hoort nu bij wie? Is dit een gezin? Let ook even op het postuur van de dame links en van de dame rechts. Gepast?

Prachtige molen in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel. Die geef je een plijster als ‘ie pijn heeft.

A day in brands, initialy posted on Dumpert.

A day in brands, initialy posted on Dumpert.