Media Planning Workshop: Critical Insights

Day 1:

Timmy picked me to work, thus extra bercinta time. Went to work as usual, then left for Genting at 2.45pm. There was only registration and briefing that day, so we were treated to Dreamz Magic Show that night. It was a mixture of magic, comedy, dance and acrobats. I wouldn’t pay RM110 though the acrobats by the little kids from China were very impressive. RM110 for a concert, yeah.

Day 2 & 3:

Breakfast, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, coffee break, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, lunch, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, coffee break, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, dinner.
(there’s a ‘talk’ for every 10 minutes, cos I look at my watch every 10 minutes)

I was utterly sleepy throughout the whole thing, my flu made it worse. Even before the first coffee break, I was having difficulty opening my eyes. But it was good to know that the others felt the same way too, so I wasn’t the only one with a short attention span. A client was even worse, she put her head on the table and napped. MS’s fav question is what time is the next meal, to which I had already known all the answers. Not yau kooi, just bored and utterly sleepy.

Then it suddenly dawned upon me that I should listen and get the most out of it. “Come with an open mind”, so the invitation said. So I sat up with a tinge of determination, went through the notes and drew out what I’ve learnt/ summarized. Sad to say, that only lasted until the next break. After that, I started drafting letters to Timmy and this blog too, by hand =)

It was a tiring workshop, starting at 8.30am daily and we only return to our rooms at 11pm after discussion. It was kinda sad as well that we were at Genting but weren’t able to go or do anything. But it was an experience and meeting some of my clients there was fun, especially our (and my) biggest client. Initially there wasn’t even supposed to be a post on this as there was nothing much learnt but after getting pics… =)

My assignment team members

Me and my (and our) biggest clients, have to show this pic to my boss to show that I did ‘build rapport’ =) Is that guy good-looking..? I have his email add, extension and handphone number, do you want it? Hahahaha

The people from AGB

Very happy..

Being serious

And then wacky..

And I found this!

I have finally found a chocolate fountain like those pics in this post! This coming from First World café where the food sucked so bad that I was considering skipping lunch

I have a weakness for dessert. I actually have dessert before having my main course =P

These are so cute that taking a pic is irresistible

And this is what I learnt or summarized:

1. The purchasers are not necessarily the end users, and vice versa.
2. Creating a target group based on demographics is inaccurate due to psychographic factors, thus couldn’t be reached through the same medium/ campaign
3. Self-esteem plays a big role in brands
4. There are 2 types of products: think (of rational meaning and consequences) and feel (of emotional factors) products.
5. Nielsen Media Index shouldn’t be used when targeting the upper economic stratum (what should be used, I haven’t gotten the answer =P)
6. Do your research, do it well and think. (Case study: The Sun and The Star. Circulation is not readership, and don’t be misled by a high time spent as the number of pages have to be taken into consideration as well). The results obtained thorough research on that case study really impressed me.

That’s about it. What I was looking for, how to create a media plan, was not covered in this workshop. Maybe as the name suggested, it is only about insights. But what use are insights if I don’t even know how to start using them? It’s like giving you directions to my house when you don’t even know how to get to Selangor.

Verdict: Not useful, sleepy, bored but good networking.

*****

What’s going on in my mind:

The problem with juggling 3 jobs is that sometimes, I dunno where I should be. The past few weekends have been taken up by day-job commitments, resulting in the neglect of the other 2 jobs. Day-job related activities should be confined to weekdays, Saturdays solely for tkd and Sundays for tuition. When weekends become day-job stuff, tkd grading is held on Sundays and teachers’ training goes beyond its supposed 10am-3pm hours on Sundays, all goes haywire.

My tuition classes have suffered the most. I’ve postponed 3 classes in a row, and due to last weekends media planning workshop, I postponed another class. The following class is also postponed due to teachers’ training. Yeah, that is related but due to many postponements, parents are making noise. I understand and foresee that too but I’ve got no choice. And on that same day of teachers’ training, I am supposed to take over a tkd class cos there is grading going on. Now where am I supposed to be now? AGB or tuition? Tuition or tkd? Tkd is always the last on the list cos firstly, I am paid on a per class basis and secondly, I am not directly responsible for any student, thus not answerable to the parents. My earnings from there has taken a beating though, especially since I have been given a 100% pay hike this year.

Not forgetting that I have a family and boyfriend too. With all these busy-ness, the money I earn is take home per month is the same, in fact even less due to less tuition and tkd classes taken. The only consolation is that those are for career and self-development. Media planning workshop and teachers’ training. I don’t think that my teaching job is in jeopardy after all that though, as they have just applied a teacher’s permit for me and sending me for training. Good thing that it is a 2-hour class, else a repetition of the torture mentioned above. And it is at Petaling Street, so some jalan-jalan after that and percintaan =)

And my mum thinks that I’m having fun. The Langkawi trip was a strategic meeting cum company trip. By the time I arrived in KL that evening, the clinic was already closed. While I was there, I was messaging my brother every few hours out of concern, not that I want to have plans after my return. Heck, I was even considering not going for the trip the night before. God knows how worried I was in Langkawi; my heart was not there in case anything should happen to my brother. Genting was also a work-related event and I arrived in KL late in the evening as well. If my boss said that I can come in late the next morning, why should she have problems with it? I wasn’t in Genting having fun, it was a 2 full-day workshop and no leave from work the Friday before and the Monday after. So what fun did she foresee there?

Could someone please reveal my blog someday, should something happen to me, to let her know that I’ve been very unhappy.

Hopefully things are back to schedule as before. Still busy with trainings and clients visits but those are supposed to be done during working hours and don’t foresee anything else cropping up after this. Tired, and May is gonna be a busy month. Few times a week to clients’ place, zzz…Need new formal clothes =) Shopping!! Haven’t done shopping for some time and Jeff’s wedding is a good excuse to shop too. As if I have so much money, I just said I am broke. Whatever!

2008 Strategic Meeting - Langkawi

In other words, it’s my trip to Langkawi.

Day 1:

Missed the bus from KL Sentral to LCCT due to my just-enough-time attitude. So Timmy had to send me straight to the airport, evoking a lot of curiosity and kayponism from my colleagues. It was bad especially when Timmy had just returned from work that morning and was going to head back to office again but manage to pakthor right up to the time to board the plane is so nice =)

We arrived in Langkawi 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Langkawi looks like a nice place upon arrival.

Me outside the plane upon arrival. Though afraid that we would get reprimanded by the staff, we still wanna take pics.

The attack of the green people. (still confused what’s his name), (still confused what’s his name), me, Shikin, Leela the stuck-up accounts woman, my beautiful boss, Kwan and James

Shikin got someone to sponsor us those T-shirts. All feelings of embarrassment were soon replaced with a sense of belonging and unity! =D

The view from our room

We had lunch and soon it was time for the strategic meeting…zzz…Honestly it was nothing. It is just a bombastic name for our company trip. Maybe to fool the HQ in Italy, so that they don’t think we are spending unnecessary money or something. You know it’s nothing when almost everyone gets introduced; it was just something to buy time. Anyway…

The client service team plus Shikin

..and more green people

And more..

And more again. My boss is oh-so-beautiful (right most)

In the evening, we were free to do whatever we liked, so we took a stroll at the beach. But before the stroll..

As soon as the driver got off for a while, we carjacked his buggy. Or is it buggy-jack his buggy? Whatever. As you can see here, I was the tai kwai tau.

Then we went for the walk along the beach, the ‘cycle’ rather.

The rombongan of makciks from kawasan Sg. Pelek. I am on the right behind Fida.

Why am I behind Fida? Cos I can’t cycle =D So we got a tandem. I can’t cycle but my boyfriend represented the state for cycling in Sukma. Totally the opposite; he’s super good at it whereas I can’t even cycle. He was discussing rims at a bike shop in JB while err.. I only know there were 4 wheels on my bike. Thought it kinda amusing.

Oh, back to topic, I was really scared and told Fida that my life is in her hands. I have no Timmy to hug from the back and bonceng-ing doesn’t seem so fun anymore. I told Fida that I must say Bismillah as well first =D Yeah, that was how scared I was but there was no choice, I’d be the only one without a bike and I have to go on foot? No way, the resort’s so big and I’d get left behind as well. Her reply: Kalau jatuh, dua-dua pun jatuh lah. Cheh.

Anyway, I’m back in one piece! Even found it fun, but it was tiring when I had to cycle alone especially on the sand. We cycled along the beach in a convoy and then to the shops cos some Smart Alec came to the beach in shoes and wanted to buy slippers there. The beach was nice, nicer than Pangkor, considering that it is so commercialized, overly popular and all that.

The beach

Getting better at self snap using the camera =D

Fida the rider whom I entrusted my still-beautiful knees and legs, don’t want them scrapped. Upon reaching any destination, I’d just happily hop off the bike and leave her to push it hehe. Once I remembered to help out and boy, it was heavy! =P

The biking convoy endorsing Cornetto. TV ads still follow us wherever we go due to the nature of our jobs =)

After dinner, we had a Black Jack session in Lily’s room. No real gambling, all the 20cents had to be returned =)

The kaki judis. The ketua’s eyes cannot be opened cos was too passionate about the game

Got hugged tightly by the best friend

At 11.30pm, we all returned our shillings and conked off…

Day 2:

Plans for the day: Sea cucumber factory, Underwater World, cable car, Dataran Lang and shopping!

On the bus out

1st stop: The gamat factory. Didn’t buy anything cos I don’t believe in all those. The Chinese just wanna eat them, not apply the stinking oil everywhere =D The oil and water supposedly does wonders but it is sold at 10 bucks for 14 bottles. The world would be rid of illness had the gamat do its wonders at that price. Funny thing is, our guide told us that you have to lie on whichever part it is that is sakit, then you drink the water. Meaning if you have a backache, you have to lie on your back or if you have liver problems, you have to lie on your side and then drink the water. So if you have a headache, you have to prop yourself upside down against the wall and then drink the air gamat? I wish you well..and luck.

The only thing that interested me there was this.. more vanity.

2nd stop: Underwater World. Took group photos first at the entrance before going in.

Inside..

James, me, Lily and Lai Wah

Some colourful fish..

The jellyfish is soo...nice

A gigantic fish

And I think I look cute hahaha =D

There were penguins too but the pictures didn’t turn out well and I don’t like those types with hair at the sides of their heads, not nice.

And then my stupid camera ran out of battery. I just changed it that morning itself, so annoying. It was only the 2nd stop for the day. So had to rely on others’ cameras and the occasional time that my camera is able to be switched on.

3rd stop: Cable car. The view was beautiful from the top of Mount Mat Chinchang. I remember there was a board there that says 500m+ above sea level. Then there was a suspension bridge that gives you more view and experience being on top of the world. The climb up to the platform and to the bridge was tiring as there were many steps, but it was an experience. Some didn’t want to go to the bridge cos they were too lazy to climb back up the 100+ steps, how silly.

At the top of the cable car station, on top of the world at 500+m above sea level

Timmy said this pic looks like an UMNO gathering of makciks. So bad

Where do you think this is? It’s the public toilet at the cable car place. So swanky huh? But had to pay 30sen =P Lily paid for me though =D

4th stop: Dataran Lang. A must have place to take pics for those who go to Langkawi. I wasn’t in the group photo as I was in the bunch who went to pee.

5th and final stop: Shopping!!

My purchases. At first I thought I bought a lot, then I found out that I’m one of the least spending ones, so it’s not much after all. Divide those there into 2, and there isn’t much is it? Not satisfied.

When the aunties had gone out to town to buy cookware, the lonely Lily and the lonely me headed opposite our resort to take pics, our favourite self-indulging past time..

Those are scarecrows! Never seen scarecrows before and I vowed that I have to take a pic with/of them, a must have! Come on, tell me where else is there a chance to see a scarecrow?

After taking the all-important scarecrow pic, we couldn’t resist the ultra-blue swimming pool and dunked ourselves in. Just half an hour was sufficient before going for dinner.

That night we had a BBQ buffet dinner, but it wasn’t really fun as the barbecuing was done for us, what’s the point? Sort of expected everyone to sit by the beach barbecuing their own stuff.. there were lobsters and prawns but the crabs were severely underfed.

Suddenly looked up and saw Foo taking my pic.. But I like this pic hahaha. Looked confused.

And when I see these kinda things at the buffet table, my eyes swim in craziness. Honestly, the first things I wanna attack at buffets are the desserts. Yeah I have a sweet tooth and they look so lovely too hehe.

After dinner we had a gift-exchanging thingy where I got rid of whatever I didn’t want at home, award presentation to my boss who has been there for 15 years and celebration of April birthdays. Boring. Then we went to Kwan’s room to enjoy the mangoes they plucked off the trees at the resort. Conked off after that, it was a very tiring day after the climb up and down the steps at the cable car station.

Day 3:

Nothing much can be done though our flight was at 2.15pm. We had breakfast and then we went around the resort to take pics (again), so enjoy.. =)

The breakfast gang

Taking centrestage and singing to my fans

Reliving our childhood

The 3 stooges

So nice eh?

The water is so blue, cannot tahan

Then my camera ran out of battery again, annoying but don’t let the fun stop there! Use James’ phone instead and took this..

And then..bubbye Langkawi..!

The story has yet to end. Was feeling hungry in the plane, so I ordered the nasi lemak. RM8 for nasi lemak isn’t expensive especially on a flight. If the fussy James said it’s not bad, then I guess it should be fine.

Nice big plate of nasi lemak in the menu

The actual nasi lemak that came. Not on a plate with a big bowl of rice nor a whole egg. Not a big serving as in the menu too.

That is how big the container is! My hand can cover the whole thing.

I should have known right? Nasi lemak is already sold at 8 bucks on ground. Not complaining, just that the picture in the menu is very misleading. No wonder that it is a hot seller, cos many people got conned! =D Bought an MU T-shirt on board for bro too, very affordable for official merchandise.

And oh, I’m now known among my colleagues for a great interest in photography. At least this time I have been a little repentant and posted mostly group pics, not pics of me and me alone. Photography (with yourself in it) is fun =)

Verdict: Nice. Wouldn’t mind returning as there are many places yet to be visited, the beach was nice and I could definitely go chocolate-shopping anytime.

*****
Post-Langkawi: The week after

On Monday, James on MC and my boss on leave. Tuesday, boss on leave again and Shikin too. My beginner’s training was completed successfully without the Associate Director asking me anything strange or saying anything nasty. She even called me ‘dear’ =) This is the woman whom upon seeing her name, James backed off, my boss warned me and Wendy shuddered and asked ‘Is this the woman? That one?’ Thank God that all ended well, and I had my tooth filled too. Had been dreading the visit to the dentist and I’m so glad that it all ended, the training with the dreaded woman and the dentist.

What’s left is the FPO training, more worries than the beginner class! But will be heading to Genting this afternoon for a media planning workshop and the training will be dealt with upon return! (Always enjoy first, then work)