In March I went for a two weeks business trips in Boston, Dallas and other places.

Night out in some of the hip places; I discovered in the Pink Martini Club of Philadelphia the new Drink phenomenon.

Expecting these beautiful fox to go for Champagne , Martini, Gins, Cocktails but!!!

" -What ! You don’t know this? It is definitely the World s Best Vodka, and this is French!!!!! Natural, in cocktail or flavoured it is THE DRINK IN USA"

At first the girls from Sex in the city and their fans Urbans, VIPs, Models, Actors, Happy Few, Clubbers, Business addicts, College students, Geeks, Trend Girls , all go for it!

I am well knowledgeable about famous Russian brands, but  French Vodka, what can it be?  In the USA it is obvious.

Made in the Cognac region this Vodka has clearly used a very smart marketing strategy.

A brilliant Bottle design, with specific shape and colours, featuring Mountains, Water, Purity, Freedom

The Image of Top Quality with best natural ingredients, the use of French natural waters, wheat processed by the Maitre de Chais from Cognac Francois Thibault

A flavoured taste on choice also with Lemon, Orange or Vanilla, and You can drink it in milk or fruit drinks, straight up, or with rocks

A  High Price, the sign of exclusivity and success in not less than 30 $

A Unique web site, http://www.greygoosevodka.com

In near Cognac “Gensac-la-Pallue” two lines bottling respectively 7.000 and 12.000 bottles an hour with. 20 employees.

How did they promote the Grey Goose ? simply by inviting American journalists to a Concorde Trip from New York to Bordeaux .

Let’s guess that this clever ideas maybe is a baby of the Absolut Vodka from , who start to market different type of Vodkas with Fruits and a different bottle design.

Grey goose already top ranks in Number 40 of all drinks in the world with 2,5 million boxes a year, and was sold by the 84 years old Billionaire Sidney Frank to Baccardi.Group  for some 2 billion $ in 2004 . Cooking books with Grey goose Vodka are blooming , Cucumber Soup with Grey Goose Vodka is already a must

That s marketing….!  

For years you have been said to switch off your cell phone  in airplanes before take off.

....and most of the airlines adding that using a cell phone will disturb the plane electronic equipment and why not .... create a CRASH !!! 

I have been working with specialist of  embarqued electronics , I have been working with Nokia for over 10 years  and none of the R/D people could ever confirm any risk of interferences between cell phones and  equipment. The level of shielding of the equipment is such that the only think you could interefere with is the stewardess brain :-)

Anyway, a revolution in the airline 's world with Ryanair, the Irish budget airlines. The low cost Airline find an interesting way to generate new revenues.

Ryanair  announced it will begin to offer cellular service on its planes in mid-2007. If the plan is approved by European regulatory bodies, the airline will outfit 50 of its jets with the OnAir service next year, and will install the service in the rest of its fleet in 2008.

Other airlines apart from Ryanair have expressed an interest in the system with Air France-KLM the first airline set to start trials of the service in February 2007.

Something that may please businessmen and others, but make the one sitting around you  very noisy.

would you use your own phone to place calls, send text messages or your blackberrys on air ?

 Emmanuel Facovi

How to launch a new car brand and make a hit with internet marketing : Dodge did it.  The Ram (belier)Syndrom

Paris, September 14th, e- commerce Convention Via Venture is with Come&Stay (Marc Defensant CEO) and DaimlerChrysler France (Frederic Amar Medi Manager) - Agency Proximity BBDO

All started in Spring, a panel of 1,5 + 1,3  mio french internet users received an email . The were invited to participate to a game, to register  and possibly win a plasma TV.

Those users were selected by Come&tay based on "Opt in" data base because they had traveled in the USA, had bought a US car in the past  or have intention to buy a new car in short future

100 000 did first respond to the email then they  were regularly directed on the mini site showing video teasers ( see 1,3 and final) and could invite other friends and relation to participate. By the end of the Video schedule 180 000 were registered with detailed info and 30 000 required an invitation to  visit a french dealer and discover the  Dodge Caliber.

This campaign showed a 4 % registration. With a budget of 300 000 Euros, the cost of eligible contact in only of 12 Euros which very little in comparison with a traditional Media Campain on TV, Press, Radio.

As of today the objective of selling 1600 cars is overpassed with a 5 month waiting list for buyers. The next step of french public awareness on the Dodge brand will be on the Mondial 2006 this autumn in Paris

Emmanuel Facovi for Via Venture.