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Photo Credit: David Elfanbaum on Flickr

Since Virgin Atlantic Airlines started to give flights away to online influencers, my perception is that people on Twitter have become obsessed with their Klout scores. I do understand that we all want to be influential in our social circles and have our key messages noticed by our audience. Last week, when I believed that my Klout was 7, I had a very defensive reaction to being rated by the website. However, after a long conversation with a friend about the pros and cons of Klout, I decided to pay the website a second visit and sign up for the service.

I believe that having a website telling you how influential you are can be great for your ego, but shouldn’t you know it already? Why are we (social networks users, marketers, companies) giving so much power to an algorithm? I know it’s based on the same old google search science, but should we really trust a tool that allow a social media campaign based on very old school concepts achieve one of the highest Klout rates with an imaginary man?

Please, don’t get me wrong. As a marketer I love the fact that we have another free tool to measure our online campaigns. I do believe that klout.com is allowing us to easily identify the key community influencers and sort out the spammers from the real people. However, I can’t get over the fact that the people who really influence my opinions have low Klout scores or that some celebrities have high scores when they don’t actually engage with their audiences. It seems that all that we’ve been studying and exploring on Twitter, Facebook, etc is a lie, since we all embrace another measurement tool to please clients who require numbers to justify our pay checks.

Call me crazy, but all this Klout hysteria brought me back to the old competition between marketing and sales departments. Yes, at the end of the day we all want our client/company/non-profit to succeed, but what do we actually want to create? Short-term sales or brand awareness?

Social Media: Does Your Klout Really Matter? is a post from: Madame Heringer.com

Photo Credit: Reinaldo Marques/Terra

During his last week in South Africa, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attended numerous events promoting my home country. Lula is a great character and one of the most charismatic personalities that Brazil will ever have in the presidential seat at Palácio do Planalto. However, Lula is also known for not following scripts and speaking his mind during public announcements. Every time that I try to imagine my worst PR nightmare, an event where I need to manage Mr. Lula da Silva always comes to mind.

During the release of Tourism Brazil’s (Embratur) marketing campaign last week in Johannesburg, Lula went on and on in a  last minute speech that managed to contradict much of the soon to be unveiled program. After announcing that he would not follow any script prepared by his communications specialists, Lula proceeded with his own off-the-cuff version which included a number of unfavourable stereotypes in his narrative. In an attempt to convince his audience that Brazil is a multicultural country, he goes against the highlight of Embratur’s campaign, a promotional video entitled “Brazil is Calling You – Celebrate Life Here.”

Produced by Fernando Meirelles‘ O2 Filmes, “Brazil is Calling You – Celebrate Life Here” portrays a country that I barely know as a person born and raised in Brazil. Apparently, Brazil’s president was equally unaware of the video’s content as the majority of his speech was based on describing his people as multicultural; a mix between first nations, afro-Brazilians and Europeans. I don’t know about you, but I can count on one hand the scenes starring non-Caucasian people in the video.

For years, Brazil has been trying to avoid the image of an unprofessional country with small urban centres surrounded by jungle.  Embratur’s promotional video addresses this need, however, Lula said that the tourists who decide to visit Brazil in 2014 should also be careful while exploring the Amazon because if they take the wrong shortcut, they might get swallowed by a sucuri. It was an unsuccessful attempt to joke about Brazilian natural diversity.

So how did Embratur deal with the international backlash? Thankfully, the President’s speech was delivered entirely in Portuguese, so the majority of the reaction to Lula’s unscripted speech ended up coming from the Brazilian media and expats who saw a very pretentious president on stage.

How would I handle this situation? Well… once your representative is on stage, it’s virtually impossible to drag them away from the microphone (remember Kayne West?). However, as a communications professional, I would create an opportunity during the same event to address the international media and explain my spokesperson’s jokes. I would also recommend that Lula take a more serious approach while clarifying his message in his next press conference in Johannesburg.

What about you?

This article was written based on information provided by the following Brazilian articles:

Lula comete gafes futebolísticas em discurso sobre a Copa de 2014

Com gafes, Lula faz público gargalhar durante discurso

Discurso de Lula diverte a plateia na África do Sul

Can Your Spokesperson Ruin a Marketing Campaign? is a post from: Madame Heringer.com

The Brazilian Film Festival of Vancouver has been visiting our city for the same number of years that I have been living here. As a Brazilian expat, I am always happy to welcome The Inffinito Group’s film festival and watch my beloved Vancouver get better acquainted with my culture.

In the last few years, the Brazilian Film Festival of Vancouver has allowed me to meet other amazing Brazilians who are also learning to call Vancouver their home, Canadians who speak perfect Portuguese, and people from all around the world who love Cinema . With a workforce of over 50 volunteers, the Brazilian Film Festival of Vancouver brings four full days of Brazilian cinema packaged in a very interesting selection of Brazilian short and long length films, and special events.

The 3rd Brazilian Film Festival of Vancouver will take place at Vancity Theatre from July 15th to 18th. Ten full-length films will be screened, including four documentaries, one comedy and five dramas. The festival has also scheduled  a FREE panel discussion on Saturday, July 17th called BRAZIL XXI – A Cinema Without Borders with film critic Wilson Cunha and one of the festival curators Bianca de Felippes.

[ONLINE CONTEST] Blue Eyes – Olhos Azuis

The Inffinito Group has kindly offered MadameHeringer.com a pair of tickets for the July 18th screening of José Joffily’s drama Blue Eyes.

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post or tweet:

I entered to win a pair of tickets for the Brazilian Film Festival of #Vancouver @madameheringer http://wp.me/pHmOV-BL

The winner will be announced on Friday, July 16th at 3:00 pm. Good Luck!

Monica Hamburg is the lucky winner! Thanks for the comments, everybody.

3rd Brazilian Film Festival of Vancouver is a post from: Madame Heringer.com

Happy Birthday, Canada!

After being fully blessed by our Queen Elizabeth and having acknowledged our most important and recent victory, the Olympic Gold Medal for hockey, I felt extremely motivated to finish editing my interview with Nick Noorani. I know… it’s a gift from a late guest, but I made sure that I kept the most important clips from my conversation with Nick. It’s also a double gift; since most of Nick’s Canadian milestones were conquered on past Canada Days.

Enjoy!

The Canadian Project – Day 26: Happy Canada Day and Nick Noorani Interview is a post from: Madame Heringer.com

I bought the Star Wars in Concert tickets after watching The Making of Star Wars in Concert on TV.  I bet the force was with me at that moment; buying these tickets was the wisest decision that I’ve made so far in 2010!

I never thought of myself as a big Star Wars fan, but having my childhood heroes being re-introduced to me by C-3PO, I mean Anthony Daniels, was an amazing way to re-visit the adventures of Luke, Leah, Han and Yoda. I must confess that tonight, I was a little girl learning Star Wars’ story again for the first time.

I am way too biased to analyze the quality of the Concert itself. However, I will recommend the concert to any Star Wars fan. It doesn’t matter how old you are or in which decade you were introduced to the Star Wars saga. I saw so many kids tonight who were not even born when Star Wars III: The Revenge of the Sith was released having a great time and even humming Lord Vader’s theme song.

Photo Credit: Myke Ames and his HTC Touch Pro2, because contrary to what Steve Jobs and his legions of Apple fanboys (and girls) will tell you until they are blue in the face, the camera on an iPhone 3GS is garbage (added by Mr. Ames).

An exclusive exhibit of Star Wars costumes, props, production artwork and behind the scenes videos extracted from George Lucas’ archives travels along with Star Wars in Concert, so allow yourself lots of time after the show. I guarantee that you’ll have a chance to shoot the best Star Wars themed pictures that you can have with Darth Vader and Yoda and also have lots of fun watching the stormtroopers posing with fans.

If your city is not in this world tour list, the Star Wars in Concert official website will give you the exact idea of what we are experiencing this month in Canada. Enjoy!

Star Wars in Concert is a post from: Madame Heringer.com

I am having the busiest week of my life, but it feels really gooooood! I recorded this videolog last Saturday and spent the whole weekend trying to make my 2006 Dell laptop talk to my new 2010 Canon Rebel T2i camera. As you can guess, things didn’t go as smoothly as I expected.

Last Saturday I interviewed the founder and publisher of The Canadian Immigrant Magazine Nick Noorani. I’ve known Nick for a year now and his passion for helping immigrants and making Canada a better country for everyone is a real inspiration to me. I am still trying to befriend my new camera with my old laptop and even although Adobe Premiere is completely installed, it might take a while to edit my talk with Nick. Be patient with me and stay tuned!

I also talked about my participation in the Women in Leadership Foundation (WIL) mentorship program in this video. I am extremely excited about the program and only 2.5 hours away from the official launch of this year’s program.

I am also planning on uploading my videos from Tuesday’s Brazilian craziness on Commercial Drive very soon. I must confess that it’s very hard to be Canadian during the World Cup, but since this country is about diversity, I might get a passing grade this month!

Talk to you soon,

Veronica

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The Canadian Project – Day #7: Nick Noorani & Women In Leadership Foundation is a post from: Madame Heringer.com

I have no words to express how proud I am of my friend Dianne Russell. She found her man, moved to South Africa and created one of the most successful expat blogs that I know. Yeah, butt… hit the 11,000 visitors mark in only 6 weeks! I must confess that I was I little bit jeaulous when she told me that she was going to watch watch Brazil vs. North Korea at Casa Little Brazil yesterday. Luckily, Dianne has a big heart and decided to share her experience at the best pavillion in South Africa with us. Thanks, Dianne!

A Night in Brazil

The Set Up

I’d been excitedly looking forward to Brazil’s opening night and I was NOT disappointed!  Not only was the game fantastic, but the vibe at Casa Little Brazil, which has taken over the Sea Point Civic Centre in Cape Town for the next month, was incredible.

We paid R60 (about C$8.00) cover charge each, and as soon as we walked through the door, we knew it would not be a waste.  Just inside the entrance lay a man-made beach made from authentic Cape Town sand!  Beyond the beach was the auditorium, where we found bars, food, a live samba band, a DJ booth and of course, a huge TV screen.

More incredible than the ‘things’ we found were the PEOPLE.  The place was pumping with crazed Brazilian fans decked out in all variations and combinations of their yellow and green fan gear, and instead of walking from place to place, everyone danced – just as I imagined Brazilians would do!  Before the game started, we were treated to three bedazzled and befeathered female dancers (one Brazilian and two South African) shimmying and gyrating around a lone, topless gyrating Brazilian male.   Did I say topless? and gyrating? sigh…

The Game

Up to the balcony we climbed, claiming a perfect row of seats with a terrific view of the screen.   Vuvuzelas were paaaaarping – yes, BRAZILIANS were happily blowing vuvuzelas to the samba rhythms, shaking their booties as if the vuvuzelas had always been part of their football tradition!

As we were in a Portugese-speaking crowd, the broadcast was also in Portugese, which was a bit challenging for us English speakers.  This did, however, make for a very unique experience.

Because I lived in Korea in the late 90s, I can recognize the sounds of Korean words.  When the Brazilian broadcaster was speaking, I could make out the names of the North Korean players, even when mixed in with the Portugese.  This is what the game sounded like to me:

“blah blah blah blah vuvuzela blah blah Ji Yun Nam blah blah blah Kaka blah blah blah vuvuzela blah blah blah Kaka blah blah Kaka blah Kim Yong Jun blah blah Hong Yong Jo blah vuvuzela blah blah Kaka blah…etc.”

BTW, Kak means ‘poop’ in South Africa…sorry all you Kaka fans, but it’s true!

Anyhow, as everyone knows, North Korea played incredibly and put Brazil to the test.  North Korea worked so bloody hard that when they finally scored a goal, all the Brazilians stood up and cheered for them!!!  How classy is that?!?!  It gave me yet another reason to want to go back for the next game (as if the food, booze, samba and hot ‘topless and gyrating’ Brazilian guy weren’t reason enough!).

After the game, the dancing broke out once again, and the sounds of samba continued well into the Cape Town night.  Viva Brazil!

South Africa 2010: Casa Little Brazil is a post from: Madame Heringer.com

I just discovered that I have 100 days to become a real Canadian. Scary eh?!? I really don’t know how this videolog series will unfold, but I would love to interview you if you consider yourself a real Canadian!

Leave a comment or fill out my contact form.

Talk to you soon…

The Canadian Project: Day #1 is a post from: Madame Heringer.com

Epic, the largest sustainable consumer tradeshow and eco-marketplace in western Canada, kicks off tomorrow; however, this year I have an extra special reason to attend the Vancouver Sun’s sustainable living expo. My friend and entrepreneur Regina Landim Noppe  will unveil Green Sapphire Imports, an importer and distributor of eco-friendly Brazilian products in Canada. Green Sapphire Imports is the realization of Regina’s dream of sharing eco-friendly and sustainable Brazilian products with Canadians.

Even though she is very busy with the last Epic arrangements, Regina took the time to quickly answer my questions about Green Sapphire Imports. Regina’s passion is contagious and her dream of contributing to Brazil’s development is another reason to become one of her customers. Enjoy!

Veronica: Why did you decide to bring Brazilian clothing and accessories to Canada? Why do you think that your products are special?

Regina: As a Brazilian-Canadian, I’ve always wanted to bring some part of  my mother country to my new home so Canadians could also experience some of the beauty and passion that beats in every Brazilian heart. Having been living in Vancouver for 5 years, I’ve also been learning a lot about respecting the environment. It has been pleasantly surprising to see how much Canadians care and do their best to contribute to a better, more healthy world.

I am bringing two prominent Brazilian brands to Epic. Eden Organic Fashion and Patricia Moura Biojoias. Eden Organic is a clothing label inspired by elements of nature and made of 100% cotton coloured with natural and chemical free dyes. Patricia Moura is a Brazilian-born designer who has been internationally recognized for her outstanding talent. Her eco-jewels are made of raw materials from Amazon rain-forest, Pananal and Brazilian Cerrado. Do I need to say more?

V.: Why did you choose to represent these two brands is Canada?

R.: I decided to represent both Eden Organic and Patricia Moura Biojoias because of the contribution of their products in building more sustainable communities in Brazil.

By using the açaí berry in her design, Patricia Moura is also encouraging the cultivation of the açaí berry rather than the harvesting of the tree, helping to prevent further reduction of the rain forest. Patricia Moura eco-jewelry infuses the local economy with profits from açaí jewellery sales, giving a real reason for people to protect the forest .

On the other hand, Eden Organic not only produces eco-friendly clothing but is also social responsible. Eden Organic supports over 200 families living in the city of  Juquiratiba, in the State of São Paulo, and have planted over 1,000 trees in their Eden Garden.

V.: What is Sapphire Imports planning for Epic?

R.: We will have both Eden Organic and Patricia Moura eco-jewelry represented at Epic Fashion shows (Friday 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm – Saturday 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm – Sunday 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm). We will also have our products displayed at booth FH12.

Regina has kindly offered one admission to Epic and a Patricia Moura Biojoias açai berry necklace to my readers. Here’s how to enter to win:

Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry):  

I entered to win Green Sapphire Imports’ contest @MadameHeringer http://ow.ly/1qysMN

I’ll will draw the Epic admission winner tomorrow, May 28th at noon. The winner of the Patricia Moura Biojoias açai berry necklace will be announced on Wednesday, June 2nd at 3:00pm.

UPDATE – May 28th: Caroline (@SexyinVancity) won the Epic Expo ticket. Caroline, Regina will contact you shortly to arrange the pick up!

UPDATE – June 1st: Anna is the winner of Green Sapphire Imports’ açaí berry necklace. Anna, Regina will contact you shorthly.

Thanks everybody for your nice comments and tweets!

Green Sapphire Imports: Brazilian Eco-Friendly Fashion at Epic is a post from: Madame Heringer.com

Written by Dianne Russell

‘What are you planning  to do in South Africa?’

‘I’m going to volunteer as an ESL teacher in a centre that helps African refugees.’

‘For no pay?’

‘Yes.’

[Silence]

‘Why would you work for no pay?!’

This is one of the first conversations I had in South Africa.  It took me by surprise and made me realize that I certainly wasn’t in Canada anymore.  I had never heard of anyone challenging the idea of working as a volunteer, and it made me very curious.

Since then, I have been asked the same question a few times, always in the same, bewildered tone.  I’m exploring my personal theories about what leads to this question in South Africa, and I do know what to say now as I’ve rehearsed and perfected my answer.

1- Volunteering is Stimulating

Since I do not yet have a work visa, I am unable to get pay for my work here in South Africa.  I know… it is a terrific reason to sit on my butt and eat bon bons all day, however, that  kind of life is simply not for me.  Yes, I love my partner like crazy, but I need to interact with more than one person.  I need stimulation (we ADHDers can’t live without it lest we die of boredom), which for me involves interacting with a wide variety of people.  People’s energy is infectious, and I thrive in bustling environments where energy flows freely. Volunteering in a large organization provides me the constant energy bursts that keep me afloat.

The Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town (where I now volunteer) is a busy place staffed mainly with volunteers from across Europe and the US.  It is alive with people seeking help with language instruction, career-planning, medical treatment, counselling and job training. It is an intersection of people who love to give and people who desperately need to receive.  The energy is palpable, and it is here where I feel most alive. The day I taught my first class here was so memorable – I bounded out of the school Tiggeresque-style, and my partner asked me if I had been injected with some kind of stimulant.   I certainly had.

2 – Volunteering is Educational

Conversations with people from other countries, linguistic and ethnic groups, socio-economic, religious and cultural backgrounds, allow me to intimately explore sides of life and culture that one normally would not see.  It expands my mind, giving me alternate perspectives, and challenges my sometimes rigid take on the world.

Volunteering in Cape Town is teaching me about the peoples of Africa; I am exposed to their food, clothing, music, and customs.  I learn new languages, political ideologies, social theories and ways of perceiving current affairs. Yes, one can read about other cultures in books or by watching Discovery TV, but volunteering has given me the best up-close and personal education about Africa that money simply cannot buy.

3 – Volunteering is Inspiring

My jobs (teacher, immigration & customs officer/auto claims adjuster) have all required me to interact with a large number of people on a daily basis.  I have met celebrities (Jack Nicholson was my favourite), criminals, immigrants, psychopaths, and everything in between. However, the people who have touched my heart the most are the people I meet through volunteering.

My students amaze me every day with their motivation, drive, passion, energy, positivity and   faith.  Here in South Africa, my classroom is full of refugees from other African countries.      Although they bring with them skills, talent and experience, they are not being welcomed to this country – xenophobic attacks on migrants is a serious issue here –, and my students deal with threats on a daily basis.  However, that does not prevent them from coming to school.

My students also face challenges in supporting themselves and their families.  Many of them     work through the night as car-park guards (a thriving informal industry created by immigrants) yet arrive at school with smiles on their faces and songs in their hearts.  Whenever I feel that life is difficult, whenever I have moment of feeling hard done by, I look at their shining faces and know that I am blessed beyond their wildest imaginations.

Volunteering gives me so much more that I can possibly give myself.  I feel privileged to be in the classroom, making friends with people unafraid of life and the challenges it brings.  They have experienced every hardship, every pain, every frustration and every disappointment.  Yet they remain.  Their spirits remain intact.  They don’t complain, whine, moan or groan.  They make astute observations about the problems in this country, and frankly, I think they bring much needed wisdom and insight. South Africans can learn a lot from these people, and the deep relationships and cultural bridges being developed between the refugees and expats who help them could potentially shift the direction of this country.

For information about volunteering at Scalabrini, please contact Daniela (a passionate returning South African who does amazing work in this community!):  Daniela [at] scalabrini.org.za

3 Reasons Why I Work for No Pay in Cape Town is a post from: Madame Heringer.com