Hi Dost's

Welcome to my 9th blog! You are truly a great, cool and super top banana for even reading this, so please continue up the rankings of the coolest and hippest hotdog by continuing to the end of my blog.

I have come back from a cool weekend where I visited my mum, dad, two brothers and my old cat Monty, to help celebrate my bro Mikes birthday. I had a swell time, and got the ball rolling by eating a scrumptious burger and chips! My brother Mike confused me slightly as he smeared his chips with a massive dollop of English mustard! Yes mustard on chips, can anyone beat that for random chip sauce?! Anyway my bro also liked his presents; I presented him with two random and quirky t-shirts – a blue Brian May T-shirt and a weird red T-shirt with cartoons of some freaky looking mole men. I know that is already ample as quality presents go, but I really pulled out all the stops and also bought him a new DVD. I am a bit of Ghibli nut, and I have heard rave reviews of 'Grave of the Fireflies', so I managed to track it down and present it to my bro. Incidentally we watched it on Saturday night, and although it was a great film, that really gets you thinking, it is quite possibly the saddest film I have ever, or will ever see in my life!

Me and my family also went to Alton Towers on Saturday and had a cracker jack of a time! The best rollercoaster was probably Air, as I finally found out what it feels like to be Superman and soar through the sky at tremendous speeds! I also enjoyed the new Ghost ride where you had to blast zombies with your aptly named 'blasters', yep using the word laser guns or pistols was taking the experience just that little too far! But I did feel like I was warped into a Resident Evil game with one main mission, exterminate all zombies in sight! One of my main highlights though at Alton Towers was not actually on the rides, but just afterwards, no I am not talking about being sick, I am talking about the photo booths where you get to see you crazy expressions blown up huge on massive TV screens! It is always my mission to pull the most over excited, crazy, over exaggerated, wacky, OTT expressions as possible and the photo results are always pure gold!

Overall I had a quality weekend, and just again to say Happy Birthday to my bro.

Anyway my features are bulging worse than Rik Waller, after eating a huge chocolate and marshmallow cake, followed up by 67 tankards of melted lard, so please let me begin before we all explode:

Business Tips for the Big Boys (all for little more than a t-shirt) (BTFTBBAFLMTATS for short)

In my last blog I emailed Heinz with my 'Heinzsight' marketing campaign asking only for a T-shirt in return. (Please look at blog 8 to view idea). It seemed like I would only receive two identical emails from Geoff and Yvonne from the Heinz UK consumer group (again please see my last blog to view these stupidly templately emails). I replied to these emails urging them to still forward my initial advertising plan to the Heinz marketing team, but I certainly wasn't holding my breath. Well there you have it, that's the end of my Heinz email adventure, nothing more to do now I guess, it was finished, I wasn't treated with anything other than two identical emails basically swabbing me off, yup I was defeated, I was a broken man, I was…………….READY TO TURN UP THE PRESSURE COOKER A FEW NORCHES! Yes my blogger friends, how could I leave it there? I decided to take things into my own hands and search out a few more Heinz contacts. I managed to find a list of Heinz directors all over the world, from the US to Italy and you wouldn't believe it, each director had their Heinz email on full show, the game was back on! I again sent out my marketing plan to 11 Heinz directors! I received the following reply very shortly:

"Adrian

Many thanks for your email. Great to hear you are such a fan of Heinz Baked Beanz.

Unfortunately, your advertising idea is not one we would pursue but as a gesture of our appreciation I am sure we can send you some bean memorabilia.

You might also want to visit www.heinzbeanz.co.uk

Best wishes

Nigel Dickie
Director
Corporate and Government Affairs
Heinz UK & Ireland
South Building
Hayes Park
Hayes, Middlesex
UB4 8AL"

Wow, a real reply and not some quick fix, impersonal template style email. Result. It's a bummer my marketing idea won't be used, but I can't cry over spilt milk. I quickly replied to Nigel with the following email:

"Dear Nigel

Thank you for taking the time to email me. Any Heinz beanz memorabilia would be very much appreciated. Good luck with all your upcoming marketing campaigns for Heinz. If I get anymore brainwaves for Heinz advertising I will let you know.

Thanks again

Adrian"

I was very happy, I felt like Heinz had done the right thing, they had replied personally and maybe here was still a chance for my Heinz T-Shirt after all! My Heinz adventure then took another twist; I shortly received the following email to really put the wind in my sails:

"Hello Adrian,

You have a very creative mind. You should consider a career in advertising. I've forwarded your message to our U.K. team. You probably have seen that we have brought our "Beanz Meanz Heinz" campaign back by popular demand. But down the road, who knows …..

Cheers,

Mike"

This email came from Michael Yeomans, a US Heinz Director! I couldn't believe it, what a great email! The two replies are so stereotypical I couldn't help but laugh. Nigel (UK Director) was very blunt and to the point, and said there was no chance of my campaign taking off, but still tried to keep me happy with the promise of goodies, whereas Mike (US Director) certainly lives in the land of opportunity and even pointed that my idea could happen, and offered career advice and was generally a bit more happy go lucky. My view of Heinz as an organisation quickly changed again, I now loved these guys! I replied to Nigel with the following email:

"Dear Mike

Thanks so much for the reply and kind words. I actually do work in e-commerce and marketing, although it is my dream one day to get into really creative advertising and maybe one day produce television adverts. Your kind words will spur me on. I really like the current 'Beanz Meanz Heinz' campaign; I hope it is a success. If you want to use my idea feel free to use it. If I have any further brainwaves for any Heinz promotions I will let you know.

Kindest Regards

Adrian Wallett

P.s. If any creative advertising posts come available in the UK, I would be honoured to be considered for an interview. Sorry if I am being a little cheeky in asking!"

Well, who can blame me? My saying is if you don't buy the ticket you can't win the lottery! I then decided to email back Geoff and Yvonne (the UK Heinz consumer team) and give them a piece of my mind; I emailed them the following message:

"Dear Geoff Kearsley and Yvonne Blair

I am emailing you again for one main reason, to say thanks but no thanks, I took a lot of time to write my marketing idea down for Heinz, and you two just emailed me back a simple, run of the mill template response. Why couldn't you make it personal? I know Heinz is a fast moving and ambitious company but I personally feel any customer idea or opinion deserves their own personal response, and when I get sent two identical email messages the word 'template' pops into my head!

I am also emailing to tell you something else, I actually took it upon myself to email the top cheeses at Heinz personally with my idea, and you know what, I received, two separate and very personal emails as shown below:

I received this reply from Nigel Dickie - a UK director at Heinz!:

"Adrian

Many thanks for your email. Great to hear you are such a fan of Heinz Baked Beanz.

Unfortunately, your advertising idea is not one we would pursue but as a gesture of our appreciation I am sure we can send you some bean memorabilia.

You might also want to visit www.heinzbeanz.co.uk
--> -->--> -->

Best wishes

Nigel Dickie
Director
Corporate and Government Affairs
Heinz UK & Ireland
South Building
Hayes Park
Hayes, Middlesex
UB4 8AL"

Ok he is clear that we will probably not use my idea, but at least he has the time to write a personal reply, please copy his good example at customer relations.

And I also received the following reply from Micheal Yeomans - A US Director of Heinz:

"Hello Adrian,

You have a very creative mind. You should consider a career in advertising. I..'ve forwarded your message to our ..nU.K. team. You probably have seen that we have brought our "Beanz Meanz Heinz" campaign back by popular demand. But down the road, who knows...
Cheers
Mike"
A great personal email from a top guy at Heinz, please copy his good example in future.
If you have any manners you would at the very least reply to this email and apologise. I hope that in ..'Heinzsight..' you might have done things differently.
Kindest Regards
Adrian Wallett"
Well surely that would be the end of my Heinz adventure, not quite my dudes, on Wednesday 25th October 2006 a large brown package got sent to me! I eagerly opened it and I found the following items enclosed:
· 1 can of Heinz Baked Beans
· 1 can of Heinz Baked Beans with Lea and Perrins sauce
· 1 large Heinz pen – with a floating meanz beanz can in the middle
· 1 bright orange Heinz cap
· And………… A bright orange Heinz T-SHIRT!!! MISSION COMPLETE!!!!

Happy Days!!! I felt like a king for a few blissful minutes! I was the Heinz king, I had succeeded and completed my primary objective, I had received a groovy t-shirt and many bonus objectives were also complete! To see all of my goodies please view my MySpace pictures, where you see a bean nut proudly wearing his Heinz goodies (this pic will hopefully be uploaded on Friday 27th October eve!)

I am afraid that doesn't conclude my Business Tips for the Big Boys (all for little more than a t-shirt). I also emailed Pot Noodle with another advertising idea of mine. I sent the following email to all possible departments at Pot Noodle and Unilever (the big boys who actually own the Pot Noodle brand):
"Dear Pot Noodle
I am a huge fan of your noodle based snacks, and as an ex-student I imagine I speak for all of us lazy bums, that your large range of pot noodles offered a nice hot meal in a handy sized container.

I have an interesting marketing and advertising idea you might want to consider. Students are obviously your main target audience, so why not play into their hands and setup a competition and prizes they really couldn't resist. You could setup NoodleTube (very similar to YouTube), with participants urged to create crazy and imaginative films about Pot Noodle, upload them onto your site and let the public vote for the winning film. With more and more home movies being created due to cheaper production costs, I honestly feel you would get a lot of interest and crazy videos. The prize for the winning video would go onto being a proper television advert across the country. Other prizes could include winning your weight in Pot Noodles, or win a Pot Noodle every day for a year or even the chance to join Pot Noodles marketing team (similar to the Apprentice). This marketing strategy would be cost effective and would really tap into the student market. Plus I am sure you would see one or two crazy videos along the way!

Anyway let me know what you think about my adverting idea. If you would like to take this idea further please email me on: agwallett@googlemail.com.

To help spread the word of Pot Noodle further could I be really cheeky and ask for a free Pot Noodle T-shirt or any other freebie. Anything would be very much appreciated, and if you send me a t-shirt I will proudly walk around and be your free walking billboard. Please send any items to the following address:

*************
*************
*************
*************

Kindest Regards

Adrian Wallett"
Even though I emailed more people imaginable at Pot Noodle I have only received one reply so far:

"Dear AdrianThanks for your note.Unfortunately I am no longer working on Pot Noodles, but I thought your ideas were good.CheersGreg"

Greg Rowland has worked on numerous marketing campaigns for Pot Noodles in the past, but it looks like I emailed him just that little bit too late! Oh well, I still really appreciated his reply. There is still a chance I might receive one or two replies from my Pot Noodle idea, we will see if any appear in my inbox before my next blog.

Quirky Krazy Random Fact:

The only golf course on the island of Tonga has 15 holes, and there's no penalty if a monkey steals your golf ball.

I am not a golf fan, I don't watch it or play it, but this would soon change if the Island of Tonga Golf Championships took place live on television. Watching monkeys pick up golfers balls and throwing them away would quite possibly be the funniest thing on TV! I am a fan of Super Monkey Ball on the Game cube and there is actually a golfing game on that, but I would love a recreation of the real Monkey Golf game!

Random Rocky Quote:

Mickey tells it straight with this classic quote from the first Rocky movie. Mickey isn't impressed by Rocky's career advisor which is obviously shown in the quote below:

Rocky: I been comin' here for six years, and for six years ya been stickin' it to me, an' I wanna know how come! Mickey: Ya don't wanna know! Rocky: I wanna know how come! Mickey: Ya wanna know? Rocky: I WANNA KNOW HOW! Mickey: OK, I'm gonna tell ya! You had the talent to become a good fighter, but instead of that, you become a legbreaker to some cheap, second rate loanshark! Rocky: It's a living. Mickey: IT'S A WASTE OF LIFE!

Is working for a second rate loanshark a good and respected line of work? I would have to say no, but Rocky is generally a nice guy with a good heart and too his credit he does try to find other work avenues, including working at a meat factory and sitting behind a desk. As the original (and I would say best) rags to riches tale, I reckon you can learn a lot from this movie regarding many subjects including work, desire, ambitions, love, hate and how to punch meat.

Adriano's Websites You Need To Visit:

I would just like to say to my good friends Dylan and Mark one thing – YOU ROCK! I really hope you are a having a great time backpacking and cavorting around Europe and living it larger than a giant that has just been shot by a weird laser beam that makes him grow taller than 7979 Eiffel towers stacked on top of each other and has just eaten a large dinner! They both have two great website / online travelling journal thingy's, which are updated regularly, in case you don't have a link to these sweet site they are listed below, please check em out:

http://www.ballofdirt.com/members/86885.html - Dylano
http://www.ballofdirt.com/journeys/14542.html - Marky Boy

Well that's the end of my 9th blog, I know there is no celeb feature or my crux of the matter this time, I am sorry, but my Heinz adventure has taken everything out of me! Anyway thanks again for reading my blog, feel free to leave a comment! And if you haven't already you could always subscribe to my blog.

YOU ROCK DOST

Adriano