1 APRIL 2011
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ABOUTADVERTISING
BEST OF THE BEST 201 // MARATHON SERIES // PRESS RELEASES ARE DEAD! // FACEBOOK SUMMER SURPRISES BY LARGEST LV BROADCASTERS // SEARCH OF INFORMATION // CENSUS
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AGNESE LEMŠA
Try to solve my riddle. There are only 26 of them, but they make billions of people smile, wonder, inquire, grow, and BE. I’ll give you a little hint. Listen carefully: “A Big Cat Dances Every Friday, Goes Home in a Japanese Kimono, Loudly Meowing…”. That’s probably how children would go about learning the very basics. This is the Alpha Beta – sorry, the alphabet – with its 26 permanent inhabitants, the letters. Just 26 of them, but they shape us all: you and me, and them. We string letter after letter, word after word and like skilful carpenters, we soon have built a house of words. Read. Me. Read me like an open book. Read me in the morning as you sip that devilishly potent espresso to jolt yourself awake. Read me as you munch on your secret jelly doughnut – it’s probably your third one… Read me as you listen to Kings of Leon. Read me when you desire more material for reflection and analysis: with respect to yourself, others, the surrounding events. Read while thinking and, while thinking, read. Nourish your intellect, as it is quite ravenous, and it could never have too many calories. We wish to speak with you. About all that is important to us and important to you. About people here and there. About the individual in the event and the event in the individual. Behold – there goes He who knows everything about GRPs and TRPs. I don’t. But I’ll find out and tell you. Furthermore, I will find out His human characteristics, the ones that will reveal Him in a light not seen before. I will summon the help of the 26 rulers of the world, and I will reveal His alter ego to you as well. As I am catching my reflections in the café windows, I notice Her through them, sitting behind Her laptop, with an iPhone stuck to Her ear: busy ordering Her staff around. She is an outstanding marketing director. The rumour goes that She is a true Ice Queen. I don’t know, but I’ll give my best shot to melt Her – I might just succeed, or maybe not. It will be exciting at any rate.
public relations project manager
And you know Him too don’t you? He’s a big man – important, recognisable, deferred to by EVERYONE. But no, nobody really knows Him, as He only appears in public wearing a disguise. I will try to rip this disguise off Him – even if just to see what colour eyes He has. They could be blue and kind. Read. For we are open. Right now, a month from now. And…
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AGNESE LEMŠA
LIENE GAIGALA
KRIŠJĀNIS PAPIŅŠ
KASPARS CEĻMALNIEKS
RE:AD editor
art editor-designer
copywriter
web designer
The Germans learned the basics of PR from Freud. Then the Americans learned them from the Germans. Then Agnese learned them from the Americans. Such is the genealogy of PR.
She gets her inspiration from Warhol, Picasso, Goya, Caravaggio, Monet, Matisse, Dali and many more. Forever unconventional, always creating something unique and genuinely beautiful.
A copywriter’s job is to write words for advertisements. A word is a series of sounds and a combination of characters. So it means being a composer and a painter at the same time.
When you encounter a fascinating webpage, web game, iPhone or iPad application, there is a great chance it was created by Kaspars. He not only knows the code but also that which makes your heart beat more quickly.
ALEKSEJS GATIS BELOKOPITOVS ROZENFELDS photographer
creative director
Goethe once complained that beautiful moments are fleeting. Well, now they stay put. And there is no one better to capture them than Aleksejs.
To whom do you go when you need 101 creative ideas in just five minutes? Sure, it’s Gatis. He is a sparkling leader, an excellent storyteller and a valuable source of inspiration.
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We’ve got something to say. Experience. Thoughts. Ideas. Feelings. Joy and seriousness meet on the pages of this magazine and tell you about life in advertising as we see it. Enjoy.
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LATVIA’S BEST OF THE 05 BEST 2011 CENSUS 2011 07 MARATHON SERIES IS 09 APPROACHING SUMMER SURPRISES BY THE LARGEST 11 LATVIAN COMMERCIAL BROADCASTERS A ROAD LESS TRAVELLED IN SEARCH 12 OF INFORMATION PRESS RELEASES 14 ARE DEAD! FACEBOOK helps you connect&share with the 16 people in your life. FOR REAL? VOYAGE 18 MALTA and SICILY INSPIRATION 22
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LATVIA’S BEST OF THE BEST 2011 “plans to double applications this year” On 22 March, at the Artelis. Gandrīz teātris club, the Rīgas Viļņi magazine awarded the national TV viewers’ awards, Zelta Vilnis 2010 (Golden Wave 2010). In the category Special of the Year, 2,168 votes brought third place to Latvia’s Best of the Best (Latvijas Izcilnieki). Keeping up the good work, we will organise the scholarship contest Latvia’s Best of the Best again this year, in partnership with the originator and main sponsor of the project, the Maxima Latvija retail network and co-operation partner Latvian Independent Television (LNT). The competition aims to show appreciation and support for capable and gifted youth. Remember that pupils in class years 4 to 11 may apply for the project, and achievement can be submitted in one of the five different categories: exact sciences; humanities; art, culture, and music; sports and health; and public service. The total Maxima scholarship fund constitutes LVL 9,000: 40 pupils will receive a one-time stipend of LVL 100, whereas five will receive a stipend of LVL 1,000. The application deadline is 22 May. It must be noted that the award of a stipend is not the final pinnacle in honing one’s skills. After processing the letters received from last year’s scholarship recipients, we are finding that the majority of the young people have reinvested the funds in their own development: to take advantage of various additional training, course, and practice opportunities. The funds were also used to
cover participation costs in diverse contests and sports events, in which more achievements and first-place performances were recorded. “Participation in the contest brought me many new and unexpected changes that I hadn’t considered previously. Before, I had only viewed art as a pastime of mine, yet on 1 September 2010 I commenced studies at the Preiļi School for Music and the Arts. I am incredibly delighted that my life has taken this turn, as I am now able to pursue two things that are close to my heart, sports and art,” said Ērika Gribonika, a recipient of a LVL 100 scholarship in the field of art and culture from the Preiļi Municipality. This year, we have also given some thought to improving the visual image of the competition. New and even more vibrant designs have emerged in order to make sure that those who have missed the particulars do not ignore the bright posters and dynamic TV spots – and that they apply themselves or recommend others to do so. Inform your daughter the artist, your nephew the physicist, or Johnny from next door, who is a football star, and don’t let them miss out on this fantastic opportunity! To all those who have decided to give it a shot, here is our wish: dear young mountaineers on the slopes of knowledge, may you all reach your pinnacle! You can also drop by at www.latvijasizcilnieki.lv twitter.com/izcilnieki
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CENSUS 2011 The 2011 Census is now fully underway. It has now entered stage two. We are being informed by a guy on the TV screen, instructed by a voice on the radio, persuaded by an advert in our favourite magazine, addressed by a banner in draugiem.lv, and summoned by a billboard on the roadside. Moreover, just about everyone is talking about it – whether co-workers on cigarette breaks or news anchors on television. But of course: the Census is the decade’s most important statistical project, which is also taking place in countries the world over!
“
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contribution to the statistical project of the decade”
However, as work began on this enormous project, we were faced with a challenge: public scepticism and unwillingness to cooperate. Alpha Baltic conducted focus groups with the target audience and in-depth interviews, the analysis of which showed that there will be many other Latvian citizens who are not open to this project. We decided to not just inform but also to persuade – without didactic finger-wagging or threats, but rather in a manner that is simple and understandable for all. Every single resident of Latvia, even when raised from the deepest night’s sleep, will be able to trace the outline of their country. Therefore, we have chosen a map of Latvia as the campaign logo. Consisting of various town and locality names of Latvia, it shows that all of us – whether you, who are you are from Riga, or Anna from Jelgava, or Jānis from faraway Cīrava – are all important to Latvia, that we all shape it, and that we all are accountable before the state – just as the state has responsibilities towards us. In other visuals, by systematically arranging various questions, answers, and insights associated with the project, we provide information about the most important aspects that could be relevant to everyone. While a patriot may be touched by the call to be a part of the country/state/nation, another “specimen”, who might be somewhat lazier, will sigh in relief reading that the procedure is simple. We were also in charge of developing the design for www.tautasskaitisana.lv, the project website. We made it clean and easily perceivable without saturating
it with unnecessary design features. We are glad to have made our own creative contribution in promoting the high levels of response to registering online – this was carried out by more than 650,000 residents, which is twice the number planned initially. Those who missed the chance to complete the census forms online, be open and await a visit by a census officer! One, two, three, and now you’re free! This Latvian equivalent of “eeny-meeny-miny-moe” may sound so playful and careless because, for children, these are but numbers. However, how much they truly can reveal! These are answers for the future of Latvia! For the country to evolve, detailed information is required about its residents. About you. About me. About all of us. Visit: twitter.com/skaitiisana www.facebook.com/tautasskaitisana www.draugiem.lv/tautasskaitisana
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MARATHON SERIES IS APPROACHING On 5 February 2011, this year’s marathon series opened with the cross-country skiing event Around the lake Alauksts (Apkārt Alaukstam). This has become the largest, most popular and only event of this scale in Latvia. Inclusion in the Euroloppet marathon series has endowed this ski race with an international scope. A record number of participants attempted the three different distances of the marathon, which demonstrates that cross-country skiing as a sport is gaining popularity among professionals and other citizens alike.
“some of the sports marathons have been assigned the status of the Latvian championship” Very soon, on 20 May, Jūrmala will play host to the Jūrmala Grand Prix cycling marathon, which will feature professional teams. We, the common folk, will be able to observe the true masters, learn their tricks of the trade and savour the sun-drenched, pine-scented resort city. But don’t you worry; your turn will come to mount your ride. Let’s blow the winter dust off our own “thigh-busters” and scrape the rust off the frame: the cycling marathon in the popular and sport categories will be held on 21 May. We suggest that cyclists make sure their bike is in working order, warm up and think of an appropriate kit before the race, procure enough drinking water and fortify themselves with a carbohydrate-rich breakfast two hours before the ride. This year, Jūrmala will not be the destination of sunbathers alone: sports lovers will be flocking here to attend several marathons.
On 7 August, roller skates will have to be dug up for participation in the Spice roller skating marathon, where staying in an upright position for the duration will be the greatest challenge. Whereas on 21 August, we’ll be once again tuning up ourselves and our bikes alike, as it will be time for the Jūrmala MTB Marathon. The BalticMiles half-marathon for runners is scheduled for 11 September, so running shoes will have to be buffed in good time. Did you know that running causes endorphins to course through the body, which makes one feel happy and improves health free of charge? It must be noted that some of the marathons planned for the summer of 2011 have been made part of the international circuit, whereas some of the sports marathons have been assigned the status of the Latvian championship. Are we athletic enough? It appears that muscles won’t go rusty this year, and our physical activity will increase our already existent creative activity!
Drop by: www.maratoni.lv www.facebook.com/maratonilv www.draugiem.lv/maratoni twitter.com/maratonilv
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SUMMER SURPRISES BY THE LARGEST LATVIAN COMMERCIAL BROADCASTERS
ON
Spring is approaching, and as the air gets warmer and the sun brighter, one might think that a lot less time is being spent in front of the small screen. One might think that, because that’s how things worked before, but not this year! Our largest commercial television broadcasters have prepared some pleasant surprises! TV6 and TV3 have made sure that this summer on the small screen will be exciting. Evija Tigule, Director of Programming at TV3, tells that, even though it is a common assumption that summers tend to get quite slow and present no surprises from television, things will be quite different this year! TV3 and TV6 will offer brand new, self-produced shows. “Although the programmes themselves are still a work in progress, we’re completely clear as far as the concepts are concerned: on TV6, you will be greeted by Latvia’s most beautiful girls, we can promise a lot of sun, laughter, and perhaps even a wet t-shirt contest now and then. As we know, TV6 is a channel popular with men, so there are quite a few surprises in store for them this summer, whereas TV3 will continue to make sure that it’s still fun for the whole family. Besides for the familiar movies, cartoons, soap operas, Bez Tabu (No Taboos), and TV3 news, a totally fresh and certainly delicious
“this summer we will present the BIGGEST TV E V E N T of the YEAR” project is being developed at the moment,” Evija Tigule coyly reports. Guntars Traubergs, who is the Sales Director for the Latvian Independent Television (LNT) and TV5, also promises surprises: all summer long, LNT and the Latvian Music Channel (LMK) will transmit the reality series Akadēmija (The Academy). The summer session of Mājokļa jautājums (The Domestic Question) is currently being produced, and there’s more… “This summer, we will present the BIGGEST TV EVENT OF THE YEAR…,” Guntars Traubergs keeps the thrill alive. Did we pique your interest? Let’s see the warmest months of the year in with the TV switched on! :)
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a ROAD LESS TRAVELLED in SEARCH OF INFORMATION If we are to paraphrase the slightly whiny Latvian song often sung on birthdays, the digital environment leaps by like deer and never turns back. It is evolving at a rate that many simply can’t keep track of. Somebody might just have discovered the iPhone phenomenon, whilst for others it’s ancient history. Thanks to modern technologies, we can provide and receive information wherever, whenever, and as quickly as we wish.
GATIS creative director ROZENFELDS brings you the news of the digital world:
Questions and Answers Along with well-known and oft-used Q&A services, such as aardvark.com, answers.yahoo.com and wikipedia.org, also quora.com is also expanding its operations. It is a resource that is maintained by a community of users, distinguished by the fact that the providers of
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answers accrue reputation, gradually increasing their influence. However, joining quora.com is invitation-only for the time being.
What is this? You don’t know what that is? It can happen, which is why a visual image search is very convenient. Indeed, it is a possibility. The new Google service, Goggles, lets you enter an image instead of a search text, and the Google system provides you with all the information available on it on the internet. Try this from your smart phone today – snap a picture of a monument, book, label from a wine bottle, a company logo, or even text, and see for yourselves what Google Goggles can tell you about it! www.google.com/mobile/goggles/#text
Helps Save You up to How about a New Toy? 3.5 Billion Seconds… Another innovation of the Google system is the dynamic search. This means that the results begin to appear even before you’ve finished typing your search terms. Google claims that in this way 3.5 billion seconds can be saved per day!
Where Are We? Good things come to those who wait – you can say this about the long-awaited Facebook geographic positioning service. Via a smart phone app, it lets you find out where your friends are currently located – or where you are. It is possible to learn about interesting places near you, add them to the map or notify others who are with you at the time.
Many of you will have heard about iPad2, which is already adorning store shelves in the U.S. Coming soon is its competitor, the BlackBerry PlayBook, whereas another mobile communications giant, Nokia, is hoping to solve its problems and inability to keep up with the times by embracing Microsoft’s platform.
Let’s Play Archaeologists I’m leaving the most important thing for last. Very recently, a new service has become available, called memolane.com, whose main function is to make your social media activities clear and manageable. It is now much simpler and easier to recall what videos you have been watching or what you typed into Facebook or Twitter a month or a year ago. In addition, you can also view the social media archives of your friends who have registered with memolane.com. Archaeology can be an exciting thing, especially when it deals with ancient photographs… But certainly do try something non-digital for the weekend. Remember that, beyond the world of computers and the Web, there also exist the sun, wind, forest, and sea! Why don’t you go and enjoy them.
“remember that beyond the WEB, there also exist the sun, wind, forest and sea ”
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Press Releases are Dead!
LONG LIVE PRESS RELEASES! head of PR
TIJA EZERIĹ…A The written word is as hard-hitting as an espresso. It awakens your senses: your hearing, sight, and yes, even your taste buds. One of the classic tools of public relations that have survived for many decades is the press release. Despite the views of some marketing and social media experts, a good press release has not lost its value, even today. In the best traditions of Darwinism, this form of communication has been evolving alongside advances in technology.
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Expanding Readership As the importance of digital media, which includes social media, increases, the readership of press releases has also broadened. Now, it is the media and the public in general: existing and future customers, company employees, simple passers-by in search of information. Therefore, write as though you are addressing every internet Internet user.
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Hyperlinks and Keywords, the Path to Your Company Website
great product #2.” Here, you should remember that people probably would not use a search engine if they knew what your company is and what it does. Therefore, it would be more effective to add hyperlinks to those keywords that describe your company or specific products. That way, you will provide readers with additional information.
In communicating with consumers, it is also quite crucial for companies to have a potential customer visit its website. This means we should remember to include in our press releases hyperlinks to the website, hot links to related material, and keywords must be carefully selected and included in the text.
Social Media Releases – Why Not?
The Google keyword tool will certainly prove helpful in doing this. Think of keywords as a phrase that people actually use in everyday conversations, such as “spring gardening”, “cheaper car repairs”, etc.
Buzzpodium.lv, a site for the distribution of social messages has been operating in Latvia for quite some time. Social media releases are distinguished by their dynamic content: they feature video, audio, photo images, and presentations. This also helps make the distribution of information in social networks more convenient. This is a premium service, though, but a free trial period is also available.
The First 250 Words Content Above EveryMatter the Most thing! This very much fits the less is more philosophy. The first 250 words are important for capturing/holding the reader’s attention, and they help make search engines more effective (you must keep in mind keywords here!). How to convey the main gist as succinctly as possible? Start with an expressive headline – preferably not exceeding 14 words and one line of text. The first paragraph, the lead, should be about 20-35 words, whereas a sentence should not run for more than 13-16 words (readers perceive the text more easily). Using passive only when truly necessary also helps shorten the text.
SEO? SEO [search engine optimisation] is the latest fashion “squeak” with respect to press releases as well. Simply put, properly applied SEO techniques, which includes selecting the right keywords, will help your company and its products to end up at the top of the search result listings of search engines (such as Google). That, of course, is for the long run. Nearly everyone can find the technique best suited to them.
No matter how clever we may become reading about search engines, effective writing, etc., the most important thing about a press release will always be its content – whether it’s newsworthy, and whether it’s worth reading it. It is only we, the authors, who are able to pick just the right angle that will interest our readers. Good luck!
“start with an expressive headline preferably not exceeding 14 words”
Let’s take an example. A hyperlink is often added to the company name in press releases: say, “Our [Company] is the leading manufacturer of the great product #1 and
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Facebook helps You connect and share with the people in Your life. FOR REAL? social media administrator
OLGA MEŽALE 16
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How far do we let companies into our e-world? Have a look at the table: it will prove quite useful for avoiding a situation that may occur in the farmers’ market – where you might give tasting your favourite sauerkraut a pass just because the seller is so obtrusive!
People-Brand Relationships on Facebook and Why They End A study co-authored by CoTweet and ExtraTarget has recently been released, which analysed people’s relationship to brands in social media. The main question that the study addressed was why do people choose to discontinue receiving news from a particular brand? As it turns out, the prevailing reason is that news is posted too frequently and the user’s wall is saturated with marketing messages. The study also confirms that people do not like it when companies duplicate or repeat news, in turn making content dull and unexciting.
Lately, various contests and prize drawings have become very popular with Facebook fans. These can most often be entered only by those who “like” a specific brand. It has been established that 26% of Facebook users become fans of a company precisely for the benefits they could get through various promotions. Interestingly, 17% of the respondents express their displeasure with brand communication becoming too “chitchatty” on Facebook and the posts lose their added value! That’s why it’s worth keeping in mind that only the middle way is paved with gold!
“displeasure with brand communication becoming too “chit-chatty”...”
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public relations project manager
DAINA SALIŅA As I was sitting at home and sipping my tea on a cold winter evening, I realised how much I would like to enjoy the warmth of the sun and charge my batteries, as it were. That’s when an idea was born in my mind about a holiday somewhere in Southern Europe. As I wished to hurry along the arrival of spring, I scheduled my holiday leave for late March, which is a time when winter still stubbornly refuses to retreat in Latvia. Having researched all the options, my decision fell in favour of Sicily and Malta. Now, as I write these lines, I must admit that I haven’t regretted this choice for a moment. Malta and Sicily are two opposites. Sicily can be characterised as an untamed land, untainted by mobs of tourists, while in Malta everything is largely subordinated to the convenience of foreign guests. Let me recount everything now in the proper order. My most vivid impressions of Sicily are associated with the small island of Favignana, where nature is indescribably beautiful, still unspoilt by the human hand. The locals sometimes refer to the island as “the butterfly”, as its shape reminds one of this fragile flying creature. I hired a bicycle and went on a sightseeing tour of the island. The weather was perfectly suited for such a journey, as the sun sent warmth that was just right – not too hot and not too cold. As I traversed the island, I noticed rocky outcrops of interesting shapes emerging now and then. After consulting the guidebook, I learned that these are former tuff quarries. Tuff is a type of limestone that is very widespread across Italy. The quarries are now inactive, yet in the past
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TRAVELLING AROUND CHARMING ISLANDS Malta and Sicily
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they were one of the principal sources of revenue on the island. Tuff was exported to Sicily and Northern Africa. When I reached a section of the island called Cala Rossa, my breath was taken away. This place is magical. Cala Rossa is the cliff-lined shore of the island, washed by turquoise water. This location is also made unique by the fact that, inside the coastal cliffs, former tuff mining tunnels have been preserved intact.
ness towards tourists. English is an official language here, so communication posed no problems. I was, however, surprised by one thing in this country: its buses. Riding them was a true adventure. Buses always travel with the doors open, but to get off, one often had to pull a string attached to the ceiling. Disembarking often meant jumping out of a moving bus, because the drivers did not always bother to come to a full stop.
In Sicily, I was enchanted by the simplicity of people’s lifestyle. In the town of Trapani, where I spent quite a lot of time, the streets were conspicuously filled with miniature cars, and not of the latest make at that. I was told by the owner of a 20-year-old Fiat Cinquecento, cars of this type are deemed exclusive. I, too, found them very charming indeed.
Malta is a small island where everything is within an arm’s reach, which is why on my short visit there I managed to make a tour of the entire the southern part of the country. I found the little fishing town of Marsaxlokk to be one of the most charming places. On the day I visited, the Sunday market was at full swing, with locals selling fresh fish, various sweets, crafts, and other items. It was a wonderful experience to observe a fishing boat returning from the sea unloading its fresh catch.
Sicilians are extremely eager to please, even though the only language they know is Italian. The language barrier does not keep them from showering you with passionate jabber. As I had travelled to Sicily thinking that I would be able to survive on my knowledge of Spanish, I must now admit that things didn’t go quite so smoothly. The languages may have some similarities, but they are essentially different. Malta, on the other hand, welcomed me with its open-
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I could go on and on about my trip, but I suppose I will stop here. I’m sure the memory of the holiday will linger for a long time to come. My wish for everyone is to go out and charge those batteries of yours by embarking on a journey, whether near or far. The main thing is to feel the aftertaste of true rest and relaxation upon your return.
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O CAPO
SAN VI TO L
ARS TRAPANI C
TRAPANI LIZARD
VALETT
MALTA
B US
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director
LAURIS ŠPILLERS The captain, who bravely steers the ship even through the strongest storms and is respected by his team, - this sentence fully characterizes Director of Alpha Baltic Lauris Špillers.
Book Seth Godin. Purple Cow. Transform your business by being REMARKABLE “Everything you do is marketing – even if you don’t work at a marketing company,” Seth Godin has said. And here I have nothing else to add...
Movie Martin Scorsese. The Aviator (2004) To my mind it vividly depicts the endless aspiration for perfection, the willingness to achieve ever higher heights against all odds.
Music Modern Talking. Winning the race. I associate this to a great extent with one of those things that is really close to me, which is cycling and sports in general.
Destination Thailand. Entirely different environment. Possibility to distance yourself from everyday duties and stress.
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