Author Archives: geertd

Originally from Brussels, lived in Cape Town,Paris, Singapore and now back in Belgium, I studied applied linguistics, did a Master in E-business at the university of Brussels and an MBA at the University of Liverpool. Currently working as Managing Director Tribal DDB Brussels.

What did Microsoft get from Scoble?

Interesting interview on Twopointouch with Robert Scoble. Especially when asked what Microsoft gained from his blog:

(…) It showed that they were listening. Which is so rare. They got a lot of PR out of it, and I suppose that was the main thing. But it also affected the way the rest of the company communicated with users. I used to get technical queries about certain products and I used to just forward them on to tech support. I didn’t know who the people were who were really responsible and neither did any of the users. Nowadays, though, all of the product groups have their own blogs with the product manager in charge, and they’re engaging with customers all the time. (…)

Found thanks to Marketingfacts

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Free cell not so free

The Safer Internet EU programme includes a campaign in Belgium for CelBel, which boasts a free telephony subscription for any youngster under 21. It seems to good to be true, and it is, as shown by the fake operator campaign which aims to raise awareness of the dangers of the Internet. Within a week 1,200 young people were fooled by the offer. The operation ends with an email warning subscribers that they have been tricked, and gives the address of a website about Internet scams. I’m curious to see if those fooled kids will have liked this one. Nevertheless a nice campaign, if you ask me.

The original site can be found here: Celbel

French article in La Libre

Dutch article in De Standaard

Blogsitting is hard!

When Kris asked me to blogsit (is this the right term?), I immediately said yes. First of all because I wanted to help but also because I didn’t think it would be that much more difficult than just handling my own blog Brandopia and posting irregularly on our Windows Live Team Blog.

Boy, was I wrong! The hardest part is actually thinking about how and what you are going to write which might be relevant for a blog that is not yours. After just reading “Naked conversations” , which was recommended by Kris and indeed it’s a great book, one topic seemed contradictory to blogsitting. You have to make your blog personal and on the other hand you have to post regularly. Of course workaholics don’t have this problem but people like me need to recharge their batteries ones and a while, not only from work but also from blogging.

So what is best? Blogsitting or not posting for 2 weeks when you’re on holidays?