Irelande-Douze Pointe

I have been writing for the past few months about countries I would like to visit, but this week I have been in the place to be- yes Ireland! This week St. Patrick's day was celebrated through-out the world but no one else celebrates this 'holiday' quite like us... We are so lucky that we have Saint Patrick's Day an it is clearly the tool we need to drive tourist back into Ireland. No other country has a marketing tool such as Saint Patricks day and Ireland should utilise this day to its full potential.


Guinness have run a 'tongue-in-cheek' campaign on how to enjoy St. Patricks Day, marketing the day as 'the friendliest day of the year', I have posted two of them below let me know what you think of it.








Patricks Days was not only used as by Guinness as a Social Media Marketing tool, here are some others that followed in Guinness' trend;

• Go Green Angry Birds- The biggest game of the last year that is now on pretty much every social media platform you could imagine has Angry Birds and even they were not slow when it came to St Patrick’s Day marketing with the launch of this Irish themed version. Complete with Irish music and pots of gold as you would expect.
• Tourism Ireland and Irish Dancing Flashmob- Which you can see below;

• Jib Jab- The website that is famous for 'Elf-Yourself' which we all have a great laugh off during Christmas time even developed a Saint Patricks Day theme where you can insert your face into the body of an 'Irish Man'. Click here and try for yourself!

So, as you can see Patricks Day is used as a marketing tool by many not just the Irish which is a reflection of how great a day it really is! 

Hope you enjoyed yours!

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Edinburgh

The Capital of Scotland and probably the first realistic post of my blog to date of a places I would like to travel to thanks to €9.99 flights from Cork with Aer Lingus.This city is best know for their festivals such as renowned Fringe Festival in August each year, that bring in over £100 million for the Edinburgh economy. The Fringe Festival began as a programme of marginal arts and has now become the largest arts festival in the world with over 2,500 different shows being staged last year. Comedy is now one of the mainstays of the Fringe Festival.

There is lots more than festivals to do in Edinburgh and lots of it is Free or relatively cheap! Something fun and unique to Edinburgh is the 3D Loch Ness Experience-where you get taken on a virtual reality journey to discover the World's most famous body of water! Something fun and different to do with your time. There are also great shops, restaurants and cafe's- one of which is home to J K Rowling Harry Potter. The Elephant House Cafe is where J K Rowling would sit and write the earlier novels of the Harry Potter Series, which overlooks Edinburgh Castle. It's definitely a spot I would like to go visit, and hopefully get a bit of inspiration! 

From Elephants to Penguins- Edinburgh Zoo is also a popular attraction for tourists to 'the Burgh'... with over 1,000 different animals and a Penguin Parade everyday sounds like fun for all the Family. As you can see from the photo beside the Penguin walk around the grounds (followed by a zoo keeper i'm presuming) so you can get to see them from only a few meters away! 

VisitScotland.com have made a video of The Top 10 things to do in Edinburgh which I have posted below for you to take a look! 

The Great Wall of China

Having recently seen the movie The Bucket list with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman I wonder should I reconsider the name of my blog. The film is about two terminally ill friends that set out to fulfil a list of wishes they want to do before they 'kick the bucket'. My blog is currently called "My Bucket List" but I now feel a bucket list is something people make when they find out there about to die.... so from here on out this Blog will be called my Living List! Other than that it will remain the same... so today I am going to write about The Great Wall of China.

What fascinates me about the Great Wall of China is the sheer size of it, it is the largest man-made structure in the world. If we were to contast it to American terms it is said to travel from L.A to Boston (thats 35 trips from Cork to Dublin). The wall is a symbol of China's past glories and is a major tourist destination. It has also in recent years become home to many athletes as there is now a "Great China Wall Marathon" which is ten times more challenging than the average marathon as the runners face over 5, 000 stone steps and steeps and many steep ascents and descents.


Here are some interesting facts about the Great Wall of China which you never know may pop up someday in a pub quiz;
1. While the Great Wall of China is not one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it is typically included in the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World


2. During its construction, the Great Wall was called “the longest cemetery on earth” because so many people died building it. Reportedly, it cost the lives of more than one million people. 


3. It is common to hear that the mortar used to bind the stones was made from human bones or that men are buried within the Great Wall to make it stronger. However, the mortar was actually made from rice flour—and no bones, human or otherwise, have ever been found in any of the Great Wall's walls


4. The Chinese invented the wheelbarrow and used it extensively in building the Great Wall.


5. The length of all Chinese defense walls built over the last 2,000 years is approximately 31,070 miles (50,000 km). Earth's circumference is 24,854 miles (40,000 km)


Walking it would be challenging but it something I hope to one day tick off my Living List !

SPRING BREAK!

With lectures finishing up in a few weeks, our month off is getting closer. In UCC our 'spring break' is something no one looks forward to because it means long days in the library but in colleges in the United States Spring Break is the most eagerly anticipated week of the year!

From doing a bit of research and talking to friends in America I have put together a list of the most popular Spring Break destinations in America-any of which I would happily go to;

1) Cancun, Mexcio

2) Miami, Florida

3) Bahamas 

4) Jamaica

5) Las Vegas, Nevada

6) Daytona Beach, Flordia

7) South Padre Island, Texas

We can't really complain though, we did just have a week full of madness-UCC's most anticipated week of the year, RAG Week. Marketers use Spring Break as a clever way to market their product- it makes sense as it is the perfect opportunity to reach thousands of college students with a back pocket full of money ready to be spent...thanks to the Bank of Mum and Dad. 

Coca Cola for example run the "Coca Cola Isla Grand Beach Resort", where bottle of Coke and associated merchandise is given away to the students. Their name is everywhere and is such to get captured in the background of the students photo's which will more than likely end up on their Facebook pages-its like free product placement. Handing out free products is a much more powerful marketing tool than your usual Flyer-the customers actually have your product in their hands and especially like something like a cold can of Coke, something you would chug down on a hot beach! 

 


One particular Marketing scheme I found to be quite funny as well as smart was by tooth-paste company Crest who set up tooth-brushing stations outside the popular nightclubs in Miami. Since so many companies use Spring Break to advertise they must be unique otherwise their strategy will fail to be remembered, although being I say the week is fairly blurry memory for most of the college students that attend!  :) 

Iceland- not so icy after all

Contrary to belief Iceland is not as the name suggests is not all ice and cold weather. Iceland is actually a geological master piece, with volcanic land, dramatic skies, bubbly earth and thermal lagoons. I remember watch a travel shoe, No Frontiers (I can't believe i'm sharing this fact with my you) with Diarmuid Gavin (Irish gardener- my dad's hero!) went to Iceland on one episode and since then travelling to Iceland has always been in the back of my mind. Despite the fact no flight travel from Ireland to Iceland direct, you can travel from the UK for relatively cheaply. 


The main attraction that would appeal to me in Iceland is Blue Lagoon (not the cocktail! ) know in Icelandic as Blao Lonia, which is a huge, beautiful blue-green colour, geothermal spa lake. The steamy waters are part of a lava formation, with the water being renewed every 40 hours. The temperatures are a constant 34°- 36°c. I would love to go swimming here in the warm waters for the unique experience that it offfers but many visitors to Blue Lagoon come for the power of heeling the pool is said to offer... if only every public swimming pool was like this one. The UCP of Blue Lagoon is "Energy for life through forces of nature".  


At the Blue Lagoon, swimming is not the only attraction. There is a world class spa, skin care shop, clinic, restaurant and bar. You can swim up to the bar and order an variety of drinks including ironically enough the Blue Lagoon cocktail is for sale and seems to me the most popular choice of drink there.


Have a look at this video where the Marketing Representative of the Blue Lagoon is being interviewed about the attraction! Enjoy! 

Zambia and The Zambezi River

Being an aquaphile (someone who loves the sea/ ocean/ to swim! ) I would love an opportunity to go River Running in the Zambezi River. River Running is a great way to see the scenery and nature as you travel down a stream on a kayak trying to enjoy the challenges of the whitewater. It might not sound like everyone's cup of tea but I think I would enjoy the thrill of rafting one of the planet's most awesome rapids!

The river travels 2700 km, traversing 6 countries and is home to an array of wildlife such as giraffes, elephants, hippo's and crocodiles- although it is Victoria Falls which is the main attraction in this River. Victoria Falls is one the seven natural wonders of the world, receiving more than 1.5 million tourists every year. It is often referred to as the 'Everest of the River'.


     

Amazon Rainforest

To add a bit of effect play the below video while you read today's entry in my Bucket List!

The Amazon Rainforest (also Know as the Amazon Jungle) is one place I cannot wait to visit! Being the world largest forest and is nominated for one "7 New Wonders of the World" it most definitely deserves a visit! It covers a list of countries including Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia. In the Amazon rainforest you can travel in small airplanes (which I imagine are very nice to get an aerial view) between the smaller cities. But on the ground level there is just one way to travel in the Amazon rainforest, which is by boat. The Amazon rainforest is full of rivers, from the smallest one to the biggest one on the planet. The Amazon River is responsible for 25% of the fresh water that goes into the oceans. The Amazon River is so big that in some places you can't see the other side of the river. Certain areas seem just like an ocean since you have white sand beaches and waves! In some places the rivers edges are 30 miles from each other. The wildlife and scenery in the Amazon looks like no where else in the world from looking at the photos on this link. 

Slumdog Millionaire

I'm sure most of you have seen the film Slumdog Millionaire. It has made almost 400 million dollars world wide and won 7 BAFTA awards, 4 Golden Globes and 5 Critics Choice Awards. It was this film that opened up my eyes to the country of India. I would love to travel to India to see the country for myself.

There are over 1.2 billion people in India, with the population, industrialization and the economy growing rapidly. India is one of the largest developing countries in the world and has an emerging market. This signals hope and prosperity for the country. Many things fascinate me about India such as the fashion, the culture, their lifestyles and the cuisine. The Lotus seen here is the national flower of India which symbolizes beautifully the beauty, growth and uniqueness of India.

The fashion in India is a lot different to ours in Ireland. Indian fashion is so colourful, there is a variety of textures, jewellery is aso bright and glamorous and even the poorest people are well dressed. Comfy pants and a hoodys just don't cut it in India.

I follow this blog that shows some fantastic images of the fashion you see in India. Click here to see for yourself! The author has also developed a Facebook page (Wearabout) where you can also view all the wonderful photos.

The advertising in this country also takes different forms to other places in the world and as you can see from this Coca Cola image. This is something that would also draw me to India, to see how they advertise. It looks a lot different to the advertising I spoke about in my last post on New York. 

There are also famous landmarks in India I think that could not a miss such as;

1. The Taj Mahal
2. The Golden Temple
3. The Golden Beaches in Goa
4. The Lake Palace 
5. The Marble Palace

Finally, I cannot write about India without mentioning the amazing cuisine of the country. All the spices, herbs and flavours make the dishes very unique (and hot!). Having only tasted Indian from my local takeaway i'm sure the real deal is even more delicious but for now Lal Quila in Douglas will have to do!

The City That Never Sleeps

There's no guessing why part of the world I'm going to blog about today from reading the title. The "big apple," "empire city," "Gotham"...I'm sure you've guess it by now. Yes, that's right, NEW YORK (New York).

From marketing students point of view, New York is not a place to see-but also a place to be seen. The Times Square district is one of the most desirable and sought-after neighborhoods advertising. This is no surprise given the area's famous electronic screens and massive, striking billboards. MTV, Forever 21, Fox, American Eagle to name a few are some of the companies that pay thousands of dollars to market in this area, but it most definitely is money well spent. 500,000 people go through Times Square every day - 250,000 employees and residents and 250,000 additional in tourists and passersby. If that's not proof enough that its money well spent there is also the power of the digital marketing.... get this for example; Nascar recently displaced race cars in Times Square. Tourists took photos of this events and uploaded them on Facebook/Flickr/MySpace and shared there videos on YouTube, and even shared there experience on their blogs andTwitter so Nascars message kept spreading. This is the influence of digital marketing, people across the globe share your experiences. What happens in Times Square is no longer strictly the province of location. You can experience things that are happening there, even if you’re not there.

Mark Zuckerberg recently used a Billboard to advertise Facebook Places, which was launched last August to compete with Foursquare and Gowalla. Below are some of the images you might see if you do visit New York; 

Going to New York after studying Marketing in college is definitely a must, to see advertising at the heart of what I believe is the advertising capital of the world.

Disney Goes Overboard..

I love all things Disney, from their movies to the Disney Store and of course the trips to Disneyland. But I now am beginning to think Disney has, excuse the pun, gone a little overboard with the Disney Dream Cruise Boat. This year, the new Dream Cruise boat will set sail featuring the worlds first WaterCoaster (A Water Coaster is a water slide which mimics a roller coaster). Have a look at this link to see for yourself www.disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/ships/dream/pools/aquaduck/.

The ship has activities for all the family, including the adults. This is the 3rd ship in the Disney Cruise Line Family, but its Sister Boats don't bear any of the new features such as the already mentioned Water Coaster, virtual portholes in inside staterooms that provide a real-time view outside the ship, 9 hole mini-golf course, football pitch's, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, theater.... the list goes on and on. And all of these entertainments are Disney Themed, you are literally Dreaming Disney, as the name of the boat suggests. This may be many young children and even adults dream but I don't think a trip on board this boat would be for me as much as I love Disney I think its safe to say i'll leave this one off my list!

Van City

Vancouver-also known as Rain City (for the amount of rain that falls here) I feel is the New York of Canada. It has the yellow cabs, great shopping, fantastic sights to see, endless entertainment and a multiracial community. I would happily pack my bags and move to this city it's so amazing, if I could bring my family and friends with me. Whats nice about Vancouver is that you can talk a five minute walk away from Main Street and end up on the beach, away from all the city buzz! A famous site in Vancouver, home to all the Rollerbladers and cyclists is Stanley Park (Vancouver's own Central Park). Over 1,000 acres of grass, paths, totem polls and even an Aquarium-this is a place that can never get boring.

Granville Island is another unique spot to Vancouver. It is a large market at the side of an beautiful marina, which is where I spent my time in Vancouver working. Inside in the market there are hundreds of different stalls so everyday I had something different for lunch! The atmosphere is incredible with buskers singing in the background, tourists from all over the world ordering lunch and people coming and going all day the place is never quiet. The island is also famous for the arts and crafts shops and the Granville Island Beer.

Every night of the week in Vancouver there always seems to be something going on, with the main street becoming pedestrianised on Friday and Saturday nights. Whether it is Ice Hockey games, concerts or going to the Irish Pub you'll be sure to enjoy yourself in Vancouver.   

Watch the Video Below to see some of the beautiful sites mentioned-but be warned after watching and seeing images of this amazing city,you may want to move to Vancouver too....