Woman Kills Polar Bear Hunting Then Posts Photos and Story on Internet - Big Game Hunting Woman a Public Relations Nightmare?

UPDATE BELOW


A good company and public image is so very important. Here's a true story that's going on right now. 

But first, since this blog is often about marketing, imagine this with me, if you will:

Imagine if you ran a world-famous company. Imagine that your company is deeply concerned about so-called "Corporate Social Responsibility." Imagine if your company makes an effort to be genuinely concerned about protecting the environment... I'm not talking about Global Warming; I'm talking about a genuine concern for not polluting the air, lakes, oceans, and keeping our world cleaner and nicer for our children and our children's children.

Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Imagine then, if you had an employee (or executive) who was a big game hunter and killed an endangered species of animal and then posted it all over the Internet. 

I think I might be a tad bit upset and wonder about that employee's lack of common sense.

My Japanese wife saw this picture and heard the entire story. 

Her reaction? "Is this woman dumb?"

Well that's what happened and it is just now, as you read, becoming a topic on Facebook.


Her name is Michele Leqve. I name her publicly as she is a already a public figure and has announced on the Internet through her Facebook community, and with articles she writes - that include photos - of the animals she kills on her hunts. 


Here is public information about her hobby on a site called, Women Hunters - For Women, About Women, By Women:

Michele Leqve has only been bow hunting for the past 11 years, and in that time, she has taken many, big game animals and has 9 different species!...

...To date, Michele has hunted for 10 North American Big Game species which include: Elk, Antelope, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Coues Deer, Black Bear, Polar Bear, Quebec Labrador Caribou, Central Canadian Caribou and Woodland Caribou (this does not include any of the African species she has hunted.) 

Think she could ever get or keep a job at Disney? No? 

How about other companies that serve all ages and groups? 

Unfortunately, for her and her company, besides showing photos that are sure to upset a lot of people, Michele names her employer on Linkedin! I can bet that this might become a nightmare for that company. The noise is brewing and building up over at Facebook. 

Now, I have no problem with hunting. I did it when I was a kid. But we always ate what we hunted. I do though have a bit of a problem believing that this white woman eats the polar bear she hunts. If she were an eskimo then maybe. Someone correct me if I have a double standard here.

You know this lady would hunt elephant or Rhino if it were legal.  

Why is this woman's "hobby" a possible public relations nightmare? Well, check this out the chatter that is starting on Facebook:

This is Michelle Leqve an air hostess, who judging by the amount of self publicity is relishing her new found notoriety and proud achievement of being one of the first women to slaughter a polar bear with a High Powered Bow and a lot of help from dogs.

The exhausted Polar Bear was chased across Miles of open snow and finally brought to Bay by a team of Husky’s on her hunting trip to Canada.

According to Michelle’s own Publicity and testimony she loves animals but unfortunately this alone was not enough to save the Polar Bear so she decided instead to shoot a number of arrows into his body, While the Bear was trying to fend off the dogs.

The Polar Bear Died amidst the onslaught and is now a stuffed exhibit in a Sport shop in Canada

Canada is the only country in the world to legally allow Trophy Hunting of Polar Bears.

The Facebook poster who uploaded this picture and comment has asked that people complain and raise hell about this woman. There is also a listing of how to complain to her employer. 


There's all sorts of things people do that some people don't like. People can do as they please, I believe... (I have a problem with killing endangered species, though...) But this post is not about personal freedoms or the rights of humans. It is about corporate public image, stupidity and the sh*t storm that follows when someone puts photos like this up on public forums like Facebook. This is like those fools who take videos of themselves doing 250 mph in their cars then load it up to Youtube then get upset when they get arrested later on.


If I were her employer, I would certainly demand that she cease placing photos like this on the internet and making this "hobby" public domain - or at least demand that she have enough brains to not list me as her employer...


Yes, dear, this woman is dumb to place photos like this on the Internet.


Like I said, I can imagine that this could become a public relations nightmare for her company which is probably one of the biggest and most famous companies in America!


So, her employer does a great job upping their public image... Michelle then posts photos on the Internet that are sure to piss off the masses. Her employer is a good company I wonder how such as person like Michelle who shows zero common sense ever got a job there?


I just wrote yesterday how people need to do more to protect their privacy. That this woman would place photos like this on the Internet, just shows, to me, a total lack or common sense. And why brag to people she doesn't even know at Facebook?


There's a heck of a lot more people reading about this over at Facebook than read this blog! If I were her employer, I'd be furious. I wonder how this is going to turn out? If you were PR director of her company, how would you handle this?


UPDATE: I mentioned the dummies who take videos of themselves speeding then posting on Youtube? What timing! I just saw this right now:

YouTube Ferrari driver faces speeding charges

A doctor in Japan has landed himself in trouble with the police after posting footage of his drive in a Ferrari sports car on YouTube. He is facing charges of exceeding the speed limit after the footage showed him driving at 124km/h (77mph) in a 40km/h zone, police say. The 50-year-old doctor, from Okawa in Fukuoka Prefecture, was reported to police by angry YouTube users. He reportedly said he "wanted people to understand the beauty of a Ferrari". (BBC)

UPDATE 2: The timing couldn't be better. Now, just four days after I wrote this article criticizing this woman's judgement and common sense for placing photos of herself with a polar bear she killed on the Internet, here's a scandal about the Trump boys doing the exact same thing that I wrote about. If this doesn't prove that my point is 100% correct, I don't know what does! 

Yahoo! reports in: Donald Trump’s sons criticized after brutal hunting photos released

At least Donald Trump's sons don't have to worry what employer's think.

Too Many Social Media Parties - Facebook is Like Going to KMart and Gabbing With Strangers - It's Also an Invasion of Privacy

There's so many social networks. I won't name them, you probably know more than me. I use Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. From what I've seen, there seems to be way more social networks than we could possibly need.

When you stop to think about it, K-Mart and Facebook have a lot in common. 

I think they should call it "Facemart" or "K-book"

The good, bad and ugly part of these social networks is that they all seem like going to a Sears Department store or the flea market; there's so many different people there and you never know what you are going to see or who you are going to meet. Once in a while you might bump into an old high school friend or work aquaintance. 


In my case, I've never bumped into a high school friend. Perhaps at 55 (and I was one of the youngest in my graduating class) my peers don't use Facebook. 


It seems that most of us do not have enough self-control to keep our Facebook networks down to a few friends. I don't. May I make a lame excuse? I think some of us admit everyone who asks to be friends because of our job. I used to co-host an extremely famous and popular FM radio show. When people requested to be a friend, I don't think it would be prudent to say, "No!"


You might lose a listener. In this day and age, FM radio needs all the listeners it can get!


But these social networks have gotten out of hand. Imagine that all social networks are like parties your friends are having - it's kind of like New Year's Eve; John is having a party; Mary is having a party; there's a party at Rick's and there's another party at your favorite watering place. There's so many parties. Do you go around to all of the parties and have superficial conversations for one or two minutes with 4 dozen people or do you go to one party and have a good, deep, intelligent discussion with just two or three?


I think it is much better to have the conversation at one party with two or three people. That's why, right now, I'm trying to decide which social media networks to quit.


If people want to find me, I have this blog; I am on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. I also write for Lew Rockwell. If you Google search, "Mike Tokyo" I am the top result. So I am easy to find.


Even so, with all these parties I am at, I still get invited to other "parties." I am flattered and thankful, but I always decline.


Recent parties I've been invited to are the Google friends (I haven't really looked but it seems like Facebook to me); I've also been invited to "parties" that are being run through other "parties!" What I mean is that I will be at Facebook and someone invites me to go to "Farmville," (I have no idea what that is) or some other social network (party) that I assume is some sort of computer game. I sit in front of a computer all-day enough as it is, the last thing I need to do is waste precious time playing computer games. Beside these invitations, I get ones asking to share my calendar and asking for all sorts of information.


I decline them all. Facebook and social media and the Internet in general is already too much of an invasion of privacy as it is.


On my Facebook account, I have more than a thousand "friends." I don't write that to brag, there's many people who have more than 5,000 "friends!" Of course, I don't have 1,000 real friends. I think I can count my real friends on my right hand... But, I like to think that, because of my work in radio and perhaps my writing on Lew Rockwell I have lots of "friends." 


For the people who have more than 5,000 friends, their accounts get locked and they can't add anymore friends. For some seemingly arbitrary reason Facebook locks your account once you pass 5,000. It seems absurd. If people have fun adding tons of friends that they don't know and will never meet, why not let them? What's wrong with having 50,000 friends? Or 250,000 friends? Or 10,000,000! You know that if there were a Justin Timberlake account, he could easily have a million friends! And that would be good. Perhaps if he were doing Facebook all the time, he wouldn't have time to record any new music to torture us with.


Anyway, no more than 5,000 friends on Facebook. So what do these people with more than 5,000 friends do? They make another account.


I think this social media and "friends" business is out of hand. Now, you and I both know that we don't have 5,000 or even 1,000 or probably even 100 friends. Some people, I think, use Facebook as a sort of "Rolodex" in the sky. Which is okay, I suppose and that sort of makes sense. Keeping track of business relations in a box of business cards is a pain. Which is why, I reckon, the folks who made Linkedin got started; they wanted to make a Rolodex in the sky. 


I've written before that I think Linkedin is a joke. Please refer to: How to make Six Figures a Year From Your Linkedin Account:

If Linkedin would clarify why we're here, kind of like 

Facebook does, that would clear a lot of confusion.  

Is Linkedin merely a place for unemployed men to be bragging to other unemployed men? Not hardly.

The truth is that Linkedin was designed for the gainfully employed to show their old high school girlfriend (who savagely dumped them just before the big year-end dance) that she made a mistake that she'll always regret because you - and only you - were the one who really loved her most (that b*tch!) When you understand that, then Linkedin makes sense. 

But I think Linkedin can survive if they simplify greatly and make their service as easy to use as Facebook. If they don't, they'll go bankrupt or get bought out by Facebook.


The problem with these social networks, like I said, is that there's too many of them; they are not personal at all; their net is cast too wide.


I think a good social network would be confined to a certain demographic of people - but then, how would they survive financially? Those would be something along the line of forums for those employed in a certain area of business or, for example, a social network just for people in the, say, flower arrangement art. That makes sense to me.


Going around to these social media sites and gabbing with people you don't know and will never meet seems to me, often times, a complete waste of time... Much like playing computer games.


Would you go to a K-Mart and stand around talking to people you don't know?  


Facebook seems to be getting the most popular in Japan (making my past predictions wrong). But Facebook, like I mentioned, is a total invasion of privacy. Never put personal information on your Facebook account. I even have the wrong birthday for myself. I suggest that you don't put your correct information on Facebook too! 


If you use social media and use it well, it can benefit you. But spreading yourself around to so any parties and having 5,000 friends means nothing anymore (well, actually, it never did). Having good conversations with close people or meeting new people through introductions is the best way. 


Most social media is missing that part of the equation and, hence, are becoming more and more impersonal and their own worst enemy.

How to Make Six Figures a Year From Your Linkedin Account - Linkedin Needs More Truth in Advertising - My Linkedin Page is a Big Joke

I have a Linkedin page. I like Linkedin. It's OK, I guess.... Well, sort of. Well, come to think of it. No, I don't. I don't like Linkedin... But read on, this post is about how to earn six-figures from your Linkedin page... 

My Linkedin bio photo

Do you know what Linkedin is? Linkedin is a great place where you can connect with people you don't know or care about and brag about stuff that doesn't really matter. It's kind of like going to a high school reunion where everyone who thought they were hot stuff in school tries to impress everyone else that they are still hot stuff even though they now work part-time as a plumber or are on food stamps!


Heck, nothing wrong with food stamps! Join the crowd! I just got my Obamacard today so I get food stamps too! Hey Linkedin, where do we enter that sort of information on our biographies?

Once again, Mr. Obama has his figures all wrong... It's nearly 46 million strong!

I use my Linkedin page as a deadly-serious sandbox and playground for my twisted humor. I put some serious stuff but mostly all sorts of funny comments and that silly photo on my Linkedin bio. One of my friends saw it and said, 


"Mike! You'll never get headhunted with that photo you have with that stupid brown wig on!"


I was offended. I thought I looked impishly handsome. I replied,


"Really? So you think I should have worn the purple wig or the metallic blue one or my platinum blond wig instead?"

See? I really do have all a platinum blond wig and a blue and purple one too!

Maybe the wig is why I have never had anyone call me even once for a job interview after seeing my Linkedin bio!



Speaking of that, I been wondering exactly what the purpose of Linkedin is anyway? I mean, if it is a site to look for a job then that's cool, but what's the point of posting your bio on Linkedin if the only other people who are going to see it are also out of a job and looking for one too? 


Isn't that a contradiction? It's so confusing. 


The best thing about Linkedin is that Linkedin shares are down from IPO almost as much as Groupon shares are! Come on Linkedin! You can do it!

If Linkedin would clarify why we're here, kind of like 

Facebook does, that would clear a lot of confusion.  

Is Linkedin merely a place for unemployed men to be bragging to other unemployed men? Not hardly.

The truth is that Linkedin was designed for the gainfully employed to show their old high school girlfriend (who savagely dumped them just before the big year-end dance) that she made a mistake that she'll always regret because you - and only you - were the one who really loved her most (that b*tch!) When you understand that, then Linkedin makes sense. 

That's why you rarely see girls on Linkedin. They don't go there because they can't really figure out what the point is either (remember they were the ones doing the dumping). Did you know that, by my latest calculations that guys on Linkedin outnumber women by over 25 to 1!!! 

That'll show her!

Women can turn it on and off like a faucet... Guys can't. Because so many guys are pissed at old girlfriends that explains why guys who aren't looking for jobs put up braggadocio and their profiles and bio on Linkedin. They do it to show the world (and that b*tch) that they screwed up big time messing with number 1!!!* 


I think Linkedin should have a "reality recommendations" part and, instead of just positive recommendations, it should also have a "condemnations" and "personal attacks" place where real comments about your shady character can be added. Stuff that can't be blocked by the page owner. Real opinions on your work quality and ethics (or lack thereof) like these from your former employers:


"So and so worked here for six months and things went fine until we began to notice huge amounts of toilet paper missing from the restrooms and forks, knives and spoons missing from the employee cafeteria." - Manager


Or, remember your very first job? Working at your dad's company?


"So and so was a totally worthless pile of crap employee. He was the worst putrefying heap of overblown bovine excrement imaginable. All his life he's been useless. Totally night and day difference between him and his extremely successful older brother." - Your father

Now that's what we need! Ask any marketing expert and he'll agree with me! What we need is more truth in advertising! 


Oh? What? Oh yeah...How to make six figures from your Linkedin account? That's right. I almost forgot! Anyone out there know? Because, hell, I haven't a clue... I can't even get anyone to call me for a job interview!


*Don't look now, dude, but she actually married a guy who makes more in a month than you make in a year! He's so rich he ain't even on Linkedin!




Inspired by Jonathan Clemons and Roger Marshall


Thanks for the silly images. Check out my new favorite blog site: The People's Cube. It's kind of like the Onion for Socialists... Pretty funny satire... Especially if you are twisted enough to put a funny photo of yourself on Linkedin.

Giving Away Things For Free is the Best Promotion and a Key to Making Money

Yesterday, I went to the barber for my once-every-six-months haircut. As I was talking to the girl who cut my hair, I was amazed that here was this 25-year-old woman, cutting hair, who understood more about the Internet and the new media than 90% of the company executives - especially at big media - that I meet. Perhaps it is because she was young that she can easily grasp simple concepts.

The first simple concept is that giving things away for free is the future of marketing and advertising. We see successful companies and people around us doing that all the time, but far too many organizations cannot make the logical connection in their heads and make the jump to that end in order to help their own company.


Giving away useful items or content for free is the best (and cheapest) form of promotion you could possibly get. When she had finished cutting my hair she gave me a freebie. It was a plastic business card carrying case that had her hair salons name imprinted on the top. Every time during the day that I give out a business card I see that name. Now, many people would think, "I wouldn't be caught dead with a plastic business card holder that had some other company name on it!" But not me. I find it wonderfully useful and smart.

Simple, cheap, effective. I look at it several times a day.

I went to a meeting at a huge television content, DVD sales, marketing and distribution company yesterday. I showed it to them. They were marveled at the simplicity and low-cost (and effectiveness) of this promotional concept (I mean, once I explained the logic).


Most company executives cannot get their heads around the concept of giving things away for free in order to make more money. But think about what I have always said, "Google is one of the most profitable companies in the entire world today and they give away everything for free! Now, how do they do that?"


Google is one of the most profitable companies in the world, right? So why don't you and your company emulate them?


I often go to TV stations (alas, they are all sinking ships!) and ask them why they don't monetize their web pages. Every single major broadcasting station in Japan still has a web page that looks like it was designed in 1999; it is just a digitized company brochure.


I have to explain to them the concept of Web 1.0: Digital brochure; Web 2.0 using blogging and two-way communication with bloggers and users; Web 3.0 user generated content like Facebook or Twitter.


Web 1.0 was popular between 1999~2003. From 2003, smart companies started instituting Web 2.0. From 2005~2006 very smart companies started instituting Web 3.0.


Today's major broadcasters in Japan? ALL of them are still using Web 1.0 concepts. They are losing money on their web pages. Seriously, it's all I can do to stop crying (or laughing).


Think about that Google quote again, folks; "Google is one of the most profitable companies in the entire world today and they give away everything for free!" Can you imagine for a second the massive advantage a TV station in Japan has over Google? Google didn't have a broadcasting arm that they can use that is already in the homes of over 130,000,000 people! The TV stations did! They do! But they don't use that to their advantage!


It is even more ridiculous when you consider that the initial phase of designing something like the basic Twitter platform probably cost in the neighborhood of $150,000 ~ $200,000 (USD) but to make and produce a 30 minute TV show for 6 months costs about $400,000! 


It is even more ridiculous when you realize that almost every old TV station  person you talk to thinks that if they give away free content on their webpage, no one will watch their TV shows anymore. Talk about not seeing the forest because of the trees! What in the hell are these TV people thinking about?


The real question could be, "Do these mass media people really understand the market as much as they like to claim they do?" I don't think so.


Here's a good example of a TV station (in the USA of course) that understands what I'm talking about and now 1/3 of their profits are derived from the Internet: http://espn.go.com/


The major broadcasters and media in Japan refuse to entertain the idea that their web pages can become a profit vehicle. They know their businesses are dying but they insist that, "We are a TV station" or "We are a magazine"... Why don't they realize that they are "media" and "consultation" to provide sponsors what the sponsors want to buy?


When, oh when, will these people open their eyes?


But I digress....


The other interesting thing this hair-stylist told me about was that she and her friends have come to stop looking at the very top results of a Google search. Why? Because everyone and their sister have figured out it's a paid advertisement at the top that's been highlighted and no one believes in paid advertising anymore!


I thought that was very telling about the way young people think and perceive. It was the same for us long ago with the Yellow Pages, right (remember them)? We knew that the paid ads were not from the best services or products but from the ones that had big budgets. Everyone knows that big budgets do not necessarily equal good products... Just look at General Motors cars for evidence of that!


As an aside, here's a funny example. Below is a screen capture of a Google search for "London Flight":

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEW

At the top of the page you'll see a paid ad for British Airways, Air France and Lufthansa. These paid ads cost about $15,000 (USD) a month (maybe more) average. British Airways pays more as they are at the top. Everyone who sees this page knows that those top three are not the cheapest, nor necessarily the best flights or deals... In fact, since they are paid ads, they are viewed with, for lack of a better term, suspicion by most people. People have become smart enough and sophisticated enough in 2012 to recognize that those top three are paid advertising. People today, no longer look at those. They will look lower down the page, to the top 5 or so after the paid ads.

In this case, who do we see? www.cheapflights.co.uk. Guess what? Cheap flights shows me that they are most probably the cheapest and best deal: they didn't spend a penny to get the true #1 rankings on a Google search! I won't tell you how they do this (I know - and you can find that information in this blog in many places as I have written about it extensively before)... But you can bet that a company, like British Airways that is spending, in Japan alone, a few hundred thousand dollars on this sort of advertising cannot be cheap (nor smart?)....

Oh, but you say, "What about people who want better service or flights?" Folks, don't misunderstand. I'd wager a donut that cheap flights also offers those and I'd like to point out that British Airways does not need to advertise to their existing customer base. Advertising to a new customer base and getting new customer is the Holy Grail and entire point of advertising.

Bad marketing campaign's don't only happen in real world

Oh, but I've gotten off the point here again. The point is giving things away for free in order to get new customers. Think about that. How many, especially Internet, companies offer free services then, once someone likes the product or service, the upgrade costs a bit of money and membership?

Aha! Those are everywhere! That's right. Google does that; Linkedin does that; there are too many to name.

Find a way, THINK of a way to give away free content and product or service in order to gain new customers. Actually make an effort with your team in doing that today! Get out of the old fashioned mold and the old fashioned way of doing things.

Find that FREE! and you might be finding a goldmine! 

Thanks to Ed Jones for the FREE blazing sun red with glitter Gibson air guitar! I will always cherish it, Ed!

Entrepreneur Association Of Tokyo: Worst Marketing & Promotion of 2011 Award "No Riff Raff!"

Ladies and gentlemen the Worst Marketing and Promotion Award of 2011 goes to.... Envelope please... A Linked in group in Japan called the Entrepreneur Association Of Tokyo!


Clap! Clap! Clap!

The flunky association with the funky title gets the award for an extremely lame attempt at building their data base by obtaining contact information and details of company owners and executives. Then they can use this information to market those people and probably use/sell this data to obtain sponsors. How clever! How original! Took a page right out of Marketing 101.


Fantabulous and superbulous are words that come to mind..


Hello? Guys! I think that most people, who would matter to you, for this sort of thing (a thinly-veiled crass attempt at data-mining), are pretty protective of their personal information.


But, that's just me, I suppose.  


First, let's look at what the commotion is all about:


The Entrepreneur Association Of Tokyo plans on holding a "Shacho Night" (President's Night) at a bar in Tokyo. The charge for the event is ¥10,000. The invitation, in its hoity-toity, manner claims that:


"This is a “members only” event. Attendees must be a Company President, Owner, CEO or Country Head and an approved member at www.tokyoexecutives.com or our Linked in Group "Tokyo Executives."


Wow! High-powered clientele! There must be some great speaker and entertainment lined up for this event, right? Or, heck, maybe even some hot belly-dancers? Well, if you thought so, you thought wrong. Go to the back of the class!


At the top of the invitation it says:


"We are pleased to introduce the first ever “Shacho Night” – A Special Dinner Event especially for Company Presidents, Business Owners, and CEOs. This event will be organized and hosted by Tokyo Executives.

This will be a great opportunity to meet with other CEOs and we expect the dinner discussions to be lively and engaging."

No entertainment? No famous speakers? "Expecting the dinner discussions to be lively and engaging"?! Not much of a killer line up there. No wonder they didn't try to book Tokyo Dome for this gala event.

And just who are Tokyo Executives? Must be a well known and long established company in Tokyo, right? Wrong. A look at their web page reveals that the company was established way back in (August?) of 2010 - ancient! Coupled with  that long and storied history, the company also boasts a staff of three people.

Count them: One, two, three.

Far be it from me, though, to trash some small businessmen trying to make a buck, but, guys at least have some basic manners - as well as a tiny bit of common sense - before you go off acting like the King of Siam. 

I showed this invitation to my friend Roger Marshall. Roger, of course, is merely a rookie only having been living in Japan since 1971 and a managing partner at one of the most reputable executive search companies in the entire world. I sweep floors, empty waste bins and clean the latrine twice a week at Roger's offices. So while I am shining his shoes, sometimes Roger will talk to me. Roger laughed when he saw this invitation and this was how our conversation went,


"Mike?" Roger said as his lips curled on a hundred dollar Cuban cigar.


"Yes, boss?" I muttered.

"It's OK what they are trying to do. How they are doing it is idiotic." He added.


"Yes, boss." I replied


Roger then tipped me a dollar and walked off in the rain towards the train station. 


The qualifications listed on the Tokyo Executives web page might be good enough to get an teaching job or job at a restaurant (nothing at all wrong with gainful employment). May I suppose that it stretches the imagination to think it  qualifies these people to decide who is "presidential enough" to fit into their little club? Does, say, the president of a large car manufacturing company have to apply too? How about someone who has received funding from a major Japanese corporation for their project? Or does the application requirement and approval process only apply to small businessmen and riff raff like me?

Let me allow you, dear reader, to decide if I am just over-reacting to some pompous nonsense from some amateurish clowns or is this really insulting? Here's their email notice:

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEW

There's several problems here that I'm sure Miss Manners would take offense to. Please refer to the amateurish writing skills and redundancies as designated by the arrows 1 & 2. 

#1 says: "Please Note: This event is for Company Presidents, CEOs, Business Owners, and Japan Country Heads only. All participants must RSVP in advance. There are a limited number of spaces available. "

#2 basically says the same thing: "This is a “members only” event. Attendees must be a Company President, Owner, CEO or Country Head and an approved member at www.tokyoexecutives.com or our Linked in Group "Tokyo Executives"

This invitation made me laugh at just how preposterous it was. I suggested to these eager beaver business men on their Linkedin page:


"...You should have added to the invitations, 'No riff raff allowed and only pompous twits need apply.'" 


My error! I should have written:


"...You should have added to the "insultations", 'No riff raff allowed and only pompous twits need apply.'"

This is a crass and shallow attempt to data mine information for marketing purposes. And just how does one become an "approved member" pray tell? Well... Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! They must register at the Tokyo Executive website and/or register by sending in their email and contact information. Like I said crass, low class, no common sense, poorly written (redundancies) and pretty transparent what they are trying to do. 


When I went back to see what other people had responded to my own comedic and low class remarks, I found that I have been blocked from the site!

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEW

It says, "Sorry! You're not permitted to view the information you requested."


Oh for shame. I guess I'm out of the club! What'll I ever do?

I guess, though, that I can console my devastated pride by remembering the words of that great and genius businessman Groucho Marx when he remarked about club memberships:


"Please accept my resignation. I don't want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member!"


Actually, I wouldn't. I would, though, think that people would take some common sense advice on manners and professionalism when it is obvious that they have been very amateurish and lacking in writing and marketing skills with this very poor presentation.


If they can't do that, they could at least have a sense of humor... But, nope. Doesn't seem like a sense of humor is what these guys are strong in.


Sounds like it's going to be a fun night!


NOTE: Of course, on this blog, I rip these guys. They deserve it for this   neanderthal effort. It is unfortunate that they are the target of my derision today. Recently, I have been saving such criticism for high-fliers like Groupon, Linkedin, Twitter, etc. So, in a way, I am complimenting Entrepreneur Association Of Tokyo by putting them in with such a big name crowd... As if it actually matters what I think anyway... 


Whenever I write a post and blast some big name company, that article will get at least a few hundred and, sometimes a few thousand reads - especially if they are rewritten and posted on Lew Rockwell where they will get several hundred thousand reads. Alas, that won't happen with with this article as Entrepreneur Association Of Tokyo isn't a popular enough name to justify an article like that. (And my piddly reputation isn't big enough to carry it alone...)


So, let's let bygones be bygones. May I suggest to Entrepreneur Association of Tokyo that, had we met in private, of course I wouldn't be blasting them in public like this. But, as this is a blog, readers are not interested in niceties and pretty things. It seems they are interested in cutting straight to the chase.


They blew it big time with this arrogant effort. They used public media to promote their effort, they get blasted in the same public media for doing so poorly. It's called the "Free Market". By the way, it is laughable that they block me from visiting the page that they sent me. I guess the free market only goes so far... Perhaps they should write to Linkedin and try to have me banned? (But don't think I am complaining, you can freely associate with whomever you wish)

Entrepreneur Association of Tokyo? All entrepreneurs are equal. Some are more equal than others.

I find it astounding that I should have to recommend this to people who supposedly head an organization called "Entrepreneur Association Of Tokyo" but may I suggest reading "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnagie? 


If we all would read and practice the wisdom of that book, we could most probably double our response and, most certainly wouldn't, at least, have people thinking we are stuck-up, rude or incompetent.


Good luck. 


(I wonder if I'll get invited to this year's Christmas Turkey dinner?)

Linkedin Japan FAIL! Stuff I've Been Thinking About: Video Mashups & I Told You So

Monday morning (Sunday for most people who read this blog). I've got a ton of things to do but here's a few things I've been thinking about... Especially how, even a few days after press release, you can see proof of how messed up a company Linkedin Japan is. Linkedin Japan is a FAIL!


First up, though, before the bashing begins, for your enjoyment, a very cool video Mash-up by Hexstatic of Nancy Sinatra's sixties smash hit "These Boots Were Made For Walking"

And speaking of getting walked on... It seems that is what's happening in Europe right now. It seems the Euro is collapsing right in front of our very eyes. Also, if you read between the lines, I'm getting the impression that we could see the bankruptcy of Greece very soon (as soon as this week or next?) Read this from Mish Shedlock, EU Finance Ministers Decide to Force Banks to Take Bigger Greek Bond Losses, Recaptialize by $140 Billion; Amount Insufficient, Few Other Details

The picture in Greece, whose troubles kicked off the crisis almost two years ago, is bleaker than ever. A new report from Athens' international debt inspectors -- the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund -- proved that a preliminary deal for a second package of rescue loans reached in July is already obsolete.

The report showed that in the past three months Greece's economic situation has deteriorated so dramatically that for the bank deal to remain in place, the official sector would have to provide some euro252 billion ($347 billion) in loans. Alternatively, to keep official loans at euro109 billion ($150 billion), banks would have to accept cuts of about 60 percent to the value of their Greek bonds.

….

100 Million Euros is insufficient. The IMF pegged the amount between 100 million and 200 million. There is absolutely no reason to suspect the minimum is needed. Indeed, there is every reason to expect 400 million euros is insufficient.

….

I believe 400 million Euros will prove way insufficient once Portugal, then Spain, then Italy get into trouble.

Read more at Mish.

Like I said, I think we could see the bankruptcy of Greece any day now. If that happens, all bets are off and it's every man (family) for itself. I think people would be wise to draw out a good sum of money from the banks and have it at home for a few weeks just to be safe until we can see what is going to happen. I fear a "bank holiday" where it might not be possible to withdraw money (or possibly even use credit cards) from banks for a few days or even a week or two (or more?)

I always follow my own advice and I think I've done pretty well. I always mess up dates, though... But I predicted a bad situation in Autumn on 2011 and, well, here it is, autumn. Please refer to: Japan's Financial Armageddon is Coming in 60 Days?

I warned people in October of 2008 to buy gold and silver and to stock up on food (click the links for proof). At that time, gold was $724.08 an ounce (today gold is $1562.30) and silver was $9.11 an ounce (today silver stands at $47.40).

If you had taken my advice, you would have easily more than doubled your investment in gold and taken over a 520% profit on silver. It's still not too late to get into gold and silver but a price correction is coming so wait a bit.* There will be no price correction on food. Stock up now, while you can. 

After the big Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, when the stores shelves were bare for a week or so (and no one knew at the time how things were going to turn out on the food and water situation) my family was fine; we had 6 months of food and water, enough for 5 people, stocked up and ready to go. When people panicked and ran away from Tokyo or when they were fighting for parking spaces at the local grocery store, or fighting for bottles of water, I only watched and shook my head in disbelief.

How can people be so gullible and foolish? How can people be so negligent and irresponsible not to be prepared?

…..

Let me give you fair warning again. Especially if you live in Japan: 

1) Store up enough water for at least 2 months (6 months preferable)

2) Fill your bathtub with water every night (if water stops you can use for cleaning)

3) Today or this week, buy at least 2 months of canned food (6 months preferable)

4) It is still not too late! Start saving money every month by buying gold and silver. If you have some savings, take 33% of it out of the bank and buy gold. Take the other 33% and keep it at  safe place at home.

It looks like we are headed for some really rough times. Better be prepared to stay out of the way.

The point I am ultimately making is that of course no one can predict the future but just because of that fact not being prepared is just plain foolish. I'm sure that there were many people in Tohoku before the earthquake and tsunami who could make the same claim that "No one could have predicted the future" so that's why many did not have food or water or the means to escape (same as many in Tokyo)... But this is not about predicting the future, this is about protecting yourselves and your family.

If you think this is about predicting the future, then use that same logic next time you buy auto, car, fire or life insurance. Don't need them, right? No one can predict the future.

While I mention Greece, another curious thing about the situation there is that it is not being mentioned on the MSM. There's lots about demonstrations in the USA, where things are peaceful for the most part, but in places like Greece, where the sh*t is about to hit the fan? Not a peep.

I had been looking at many videos on Youtube and others showing some very heavy fighting between rioters and police. I wish I would have bookmarked them. This one, though, give a good idea. This is not a friendly party. 

The most worrisome point about the situation in Greece is that the government needs the police and military to stand by them to protect them from and increasingly angry and militant civilian gathering, yet, at the same time, even the Greek police and civil servants are furious about getting pay cuts and massive slashes to their pensions. I wonder how long until they switch sides?

What would that mean for Greece and the other countries in immediate danger (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland?)

And, finally, I see the ridiculous announcement from Linkedin that they finally "launched their Japanese site". Well, that's one big strike against them; they're lying. The service was actually launched sometime before May of 2010. 

Why is that important for Linkedin? Well, when dealing or considering new companies trying to penetrate the Japanese market, please refer to How New Companies Can Succeed in Japan and How They Fail

How to correctly handle a new product or service release? (in Japan)

A new company/product/service will need to appoint somebody in Japan to handle PR for them in Japan and work with that company to make a plan. 

A necessary part of any good plan of attack would be that the representatives in Japan arrange meetings with major media at least 1 - 2 weeks before Japanese release day, as pre-press release. This is critical.

If this sort of ground-work is not fully prepared by the company and their reps in Japan, I strongly suggest that the company postpone the release of the product/service (and fire their  representatives and hire a competent company) and then get properly prepared. If this sort of pre-press release is done correctly, the Japanese media will then follow-up and prepare and study the circumstances of the product/service and company so that they may be able to publish and provide better information for the Japanese audience (don't forget that the Japanese media are competing with each other, too, to provide up-to-date concise information, so this has to be done. No short-cuts here). This is critical for the success of any new company in Japan.  

Even after years of repeated failures by various companies, to this very day, foreign companies come to Japan and repeat the mistakes Pepsi Cola and Seven-Up made decades ago. Some recent examples are Linkedin; E-Bay Japan, Google.jp, and a few others. (I strongly suspect Sugarsync is about to make the same mistake too!)

Take, for example, Linked-in. Linked-in came out with a Japanese version quite a while back but no one here in Japan uses it because no one knows about it; they had no local representation; no pre-press release information. 

Kind of shocking, when you think about it; a supposedly forward thinking company coming to Japan and making such an amateurish mistake. 

Well, Linkedin made that mistake. I also am quite familiar with this as I wrote a letter to Linkedin twice in early 2010 offering them a partnership with some companies that suggested tying up with Sony and placing the Linkedin software with all new Vaio computers sold. I sent them the letter twice. Twice, no response. Chuckle. Now, they've realized almost 1.5 years later that no one uses their Japanese language product (and probably won't). They blew a golden opportunity to tie up with one of the biggest companies in Japan... Now, what are they going to do?

You don't penetrate the Japanese market on the cheap and you usually have only one chance to get it right.

Let me make a prediction that I will stand by completely: Linkedin Japan will be a flop and failure along the lines of E-Bay in Japan.

Well, it's the start of another week. Keep positive. Write down your goals and smile.

The whole world loves happy people.