Yesterday I met Pak. I met him at the Beers & Blogs annual meeting held in Madrid. This Beers & Blogs was somehow special –it was the first one after holidays, and I had the chance to see the face of many bloggers and Twitter users who gathered there.

Pak is a very peculiar guy, who is participating at the A Sabbatical Year in Rioja contest. I believe the idea currently being developed by the Rioja Appellation of Origin is original, attractive and interesting. And when you get all these three factors together in Social Media, your chances to reach success are pretty high. In this year’s edition, there are 15 guys competing to become the winner of the “A Sabbatical Year in Rioja” contest. What is this contest all about? Check this website to find out.

If all 15 show the same passion and interest Pak does, the name of Rioja will be in the mouth of every person going out for a glass of wine in every city of Spain.

Congratulations to the Rioja people and their agency, (Contrapunto Barcelona) on this initiative. This is real Social Media, and a clear demonstration of what Social Media can do in combination with face-to-face meetings. Only those reaching balance between both spheres manage to gain success –and this contest is a perfect example.

And there was Pak, in a bloggers meeting, with his laptop, inviting all people in the room to log in and vote for him.

Pak is a very funny and convincing guy. He is now in the sixth position of the ranking –only five of them will make their way to the final. I don’t know the rest of participants, but my vote today is for Pak. Why him? Because face-to-face meetings are also important.

Use this link to vote for him.

Good luck, Pak

PS: I just met Sara –I wish you good luck too.

This post in Spanish: Hoy voto por Pak Muñoz en el concurso “Un Año Sabático en la Rioja”

One of the main objections Wineries tend to comment on the use of the Internet is its inability to transmit emotions.

Being able to communicate emotions is a basic factor in the wine sphere, and all great current communicators in this sector are especially good at this. Bearing in mind Wineries believe emotions are not communicated, how much are interested could they be in using this tool?

Generally speaking, Internet is still a very cold communication tool. However, this definition may be more applied to web pages, where designs and contents are aimed at a more general visitor rather than to a specific one.

All this is changing with Social Media, as we contact individuals who show and identify emotions. And such emotions are more similar to the ones shared while paying physical visits to Wineries.

In fact, goods results are proven to be linked to the combination of both spheres –physical and virtual. It is all about taking advantage of the good aspects of both worlds.

I would like to talk about Handel’s Hallelujah. How many times have we heard this piece? We have listened to it so many times that it has lost its ability to catch our attention. Even though, we still like it.

This summer I had the chance to buy and read a wonderful book by Stefan Zweig, “Decisive Moments in History”. One of these great moments includes Zweig’s words on the Resurrection of George Friedrick Handel. While reading that chapter –about 30 pages– I decided to play the Hallelujah. The experience was so gratifying and touching that I had to stop more than once. The piece seemed to me much more superb after reading the story wonderfully written by Zweig. Most likely, this post will make this author sells more and more books, and it would be great as his words are simply magnificent.

I got this text from a blog about him, so you may repeat my experience.

Before start reading, I would recommend you to play the video and listen to the music. (Start reading when the music is played).

“Tear darkened Handel’s eyes. Great was the devotion oppressing him, and there were still pages to be read –the third part of the oratory. But after that “Alleluia, Alleluia!” we was not able to carry on. Such vocal joy filled him, it tensed him and expanded, and hurt like liquid fire wanting to flow till overflowing. It rushed, and oppressed, trying to find its way out. It wanted to climb and go back to heaven. Handel rushed to his pen and wrote several notes. One after the other, signs became real magically fast. He could not stop, just like a boat with its sail pushed with the tempest navigates forward, and forward. Around him, the night remained silent, and a humid darkness covered the great town. But light flew inside him as a torrent. And imperceptibly the music of Universe was echoing inside the room”.

Aren’t Zweig’s words emotive? Doesn’t it make the experience much more gratifying?

Writing the way Zweig does is not easy. I would say it is almost impossible, but I have met communicators in the world of wine who have been able to touch me in the same way Zweig did. Meanwhile, many Wineries exclusively focus on the aspects Wine Guides require from them.

Why don’t we just tell these marvelous stories we know? Why don’t we just communicate our emotions through the Internet? Why don’t we just make a difference in the best possible way?

Source of image: frangopeixe.blogspot.com

This post in Spanish: ¿Internet no transmite emociones? El Aleluya de Handel

Some time ago I wrote about Ries and Trout. These two authors are really fascinating to me. I have read very much about them and I had the chance to meet Jack Trout in person in a conference he gave for Philip Morris Spain I attended four years ago.

 They both wrote several best-selling books back in the eighties and early nineties. I though their stories were tremendously interesting. However, after some years have passed by, I take a look back and realize that their theories are still alive with the birth of the Internet. I am now referring to their book “Bottom Up Marketing” Tactics Dictate Strategy. The title tells you everything. How much can we anticipate from our intentions without being them previously compared to reality? How much can we predict bearing in mind things change everyday? All this in a world where uncertainty grows everyday, every thing is new and everything is still to be tested. There is no other solution than being close to market and use the try-and-fail technique (tactic) in order to review our plan (strategy).

“You run well, but outside of the path”. I heard these words from politician Manuel Fraga when talking to one of his political adversaries. After some researching, I found out the author of this sentence was Saint Augustine –Bene curris, sed extra viam. It is important to stop and think about where are we heading to and how to tackle every situation. But how can we handle all that in such a changing world?

 It is impossible for us to forecast the right path, we may only come up with a general idea of towards we want to go. And it is a good idea to write it on a piece of paper so we do not miss our goal. Achieving this represents a great leap. We are talking about being precise when defining our strategy and set it in motion. Such idea must be periodically reviewed and modified if required. The Internet and Social Media allow us to spread our idea and contrast it in an easier and cheaper way in order to find trip companions (evangelizers) supporting us or, on the contrary, detractors suggesting to change our path or even change our ideas. There is a wonderful book by Seth Godin telling us abandoning an unsuccessful idea is not a failure. We only fail when we focus all our efforts on an idea that does not work (The Dip).

There is also an Arab proverb saying “If a man tells you look like a camel, do not pay attention to his words; if two men tell you so, then see yourself at a mirror”.

Internet and Social Media make possible that not only two people but also many more help you to push or destroy your ideas.

 I have heard many times that ideas are not very valuable –what is really important is the ability to implement them. And I believe this is true day after day. Only those ideas implemented are valuable, and they will change so much that they will probably have nothing to do with the original concept.  

Do you have an idea? Implement it, tell it, improve it and fight for it. Don’t feel like doing so? Then just forget about it.

Related posts:
Making decisions in Uncertain Times
Howard Hughes was a New Technology Guru

This post in Spanish: Corres bien, pero fuera del camino. ¿La estrategia dicta la táctica o es al revés?

As many other Spaniards, I am indeed a great fan of Rafael Nadal. A couple of days ago I read a survey published in El Mundo’s Magacine (Magacine) revealing Nadal was the most admired man in Spain in 2010. This did not happen in 2008 or in 2009. I guess many admire him nowadays for the same reason I do.

The idea the general public had about Nadal was that it had been easy for him to reach the top. Every time I read in the newspaper he had won a tournament, I used to say to myself, “that’s normal, he always wins”. Sometimes I even got upset when he was heading towards a fifth set –it seemed everything was pre-arranged. Then I understood that the one going a set down gets all the strength he needs from that situation –a situation that gives him the push to try to reach the victory. When I saw him live, I realized that he really had to make a great effort in key points. The fifth set represented the moment of truth had arrived, and only the best and the ones believing in themselves are victorious. And Nadal is one of those, because he is the number one in the world.

But then family and knee problems came up, and he started to lose, defeat after defeat. Media told us everything and we were all suffering with him. We could really feel he was going through tough times. I am very interested in the sentences top sport players usually say at the end of a game, because I consider them to be a real engine for motivation and I think they teach a lot through their victories. 

And I like what Nadal says. In January 2010, after being defeated in his umpteenth match against a top-ten player in his third or fourth final of the season 2009-2010, he said, “I need to play more finals like this”. This really touched me. I could then see what was his most positive attitude after losing another final. Nadal showed he was willing to learn from his mistakes, and I felt Nadal was close to be what he had to be. Meanwhile, Federer was winning absolutely everything and beating all records in his way to become the best tennis player ever. It is important to remember that, up to date, Federer is indeed the best tennis player ever.

I have bad news for you, Federer. Rafa is back, and now it’s time for you to cry again.

Nadal won Roland Garros and Wimbledon. And it is now –not two or three years ago– that Nadal is the most admired man in Spain. Now we know he is the number one, and we know how hard it has been getting there.

We admire the best. But we admire much more those who unceasingly work everyday to become the best. There is always a person who practices a lot behind every top sportsman or woman. I don’t think sportspeople become legends just in the finals. This is just the consequence of their daily efforts and work.

We know much about Nadal and we know how hard it has been for him to reach the top. What about your wines and wineries? I know your wines have 90 and 92 points according to Parker, and 92 and 93 according to Peñín, but… what other finals have you played? How many of them have you won and how many have you lost? What are your achievements so far and the obstacles you have overcome? How long has it taken you to be where you are nowadays? Do all your customers, and your customers’ customers know how good your wines are and the efforts you have made? Has any media informed about it? Are you satisfied with the way they did it? Do you think the national and the international market know everything about your wines and your winery? Do you do everything possible to make a difference in comparison to your competitors?  

If the answer to all these questions is positive, congratulations. If it is not, what if you take advantage of the Social Media in order to promote your work and your product?

Do you need further reasons to join Social Media? The reasons are countless, but only for this I would recommend to enter a Winery into Social Media. Because we don’t know if anyone will tell everyone about us, but we know no one could tell it the way we do.

This post in Spanish: Necesito jugar más finales como ésta. Cuenta tu historia a través de Social Media

This image is from: as.com

I arranged to meet Francisco to see his Winery. We were supposed to meet at 12:30, but a series of unexpected events postponed my arrival. Francisco regretted we would not have the chance to visit his vineyards, which he believes are the key of his business. So we only visited the winery.

I finally reached the Ruiz Jiménez Winery. Francisco has very clear ideas. He started his business 17 years ago, and he concentrated his efforts on organic wine. Ever since his business has not stopped growing at a minimum rate of 10% every year. How many wineries can say that in 2009 and 2010?

He works a lot. In his words I can sense the confidence of an experienced person who knows for sure the way to continue growing at this pace. He is a person who must be taken into account in the world of organic wine production in Spain. There are two matters he tries to excuse himself for –not being able to attend every single fair or event he is invited to, and not taking advantage of new technologies such as the Internet. He said he does not want to be known for the term “organic”, but for the quality of his products, which are indeed organic.  

Regarding the Internet, he recognizes he should have more and better presence on the net, but he wants to do it in a global and professional way.

Francisco started 17 years ago as part of a cooperative. However, five years later he decided to quit and start his own business. During these years, Francisco has built up a close relationship with his customers in different parts of the world. 95% of his sales are made abroad. At this point, visiting fairs implies meeting new customers or consolidating the relationship with old clients.

He showed me his premises, where there is a special place for tasting at the barrels area. In our way, once more he regrets I cannot visit his vineyard –the very essence of his success. It is there where the “super tasting” takes place. I could see all the awards his wines have been given since the beginning of his business, all displayed in a very original manner on the barrels. And then, Francisco added –I know we should be on the Internet… but I don’t have time”.

I visited his website where the business they perform is briefly presented and where the pictures of his vineyards represent a core part. The vineyards are simply breathtaking. I hope it is clear through these lines that I deeply admire the trading tasks he has carried out in person, his production of very-high-quality wine, and his outstanding results. However, there will be customers, or his customers’ customers willing to know more about his winery and his wines, and it would be very helpful that he could have his own voice in the “great conversations” taking place in the world of wine.

 I hope I have faithfully express the idea that Francisco’s Winery has thousands of wonderful stories to tell, and that his sales would increase if he shared such stories through the internet (such are the advantages of Social Media).

The products sold and traded at his winery are Valcaliente Crianza, Valcaliente Reserva and Perseus Joven 

See you soon, Francisco. I wouldn’t miss your vineyards for the world.

This post in Spanish: Vino ecológico en Rioja. Viñedos Ruiz Jiménez