Eurovision 2009: A great business lesson for all of us… (Part 2)
(to read part 1, please press here …)
In 2009 it matters what you can do, not only who you are…
Greece sent to Eurovision its biggest star, the known as most handsome Greek of his age, probably the top performer at least in the Balkans. With the best smile, best body and guaranteed effect to millions of women. The best choreography, created by the Greek who did the job last year for Dima Bilan and Ani Lorak! The national television (the organizer of all) invested millions in a long promo tour, worked based on polls, figures, analyses. Even 2.500 Greeks traveled to Moscow, so as to create “atmosphere”. Sakis Rouvas did his best possible show, with 0 mistakes, singing a song full of energy and self confidence. He was not arrogant, but all the rest were.
Doesn’t this remind you a multinational company? Trying to squeeze the competition by investing too much so as to create the perfect product? Arranging all the details? Giving the best possible result, which normally leads to victory. This was ok until 2008, but today was not enough. Greeks had a wrong song, too aggressive for this new world. So, their product was wrong, addressing to the wrong audience, which actually doesn’t exist now. Now, in 2009, it doesn’t matter only who you are. Mainly people focus on what you can do. How you will give them what they want, not giving them what you want and forcing them to accept it as inevitable.
Millions spent – millions lost against a short cute guy and a violin…
English guys brought on stage a legend, Andrew Lloyd Webber, but their song was too selfish. French sent to Eurovision an amazing singer, but they were too serious for a sweet light show. Germans tried their luck by inviting on stage a famous stripper, as if people would have voted because of Dita’s nice breasts. Azerbaijan sent a famous international singer, matching with a hot sexbomb. The Ukranian sexbomb of this year had dancers with perfect bodies, dressed as ancient Greeks. The Turks sent their version of “hot babe”, having budget even to give to Turkish emigrants free telephone cards so as to call back home (it happened in Belgium). Aren’t all these clear samples of “strategies” from the past? Millions were spent on expensive ideas and projects, but there were very few people who remembered that now the world is different, completely different…
The cute short Norwegian guy comes from a country full of money. Today Norway is one of he very few countries in the world without financial problems (oil does its job good). But the ones who had the available budget didn’t invest money on the show. They chose to focus on what the audience wants today, translated the message correctly and just packed the product properly. If this violin was in the programme of Dima Bilan in 2008, it would have been a golden one for sure. This year it was simple enough, like Alexander. This low profile was the key factor for Iceland and Estonia too (together with the advantage of being located in a part of Europe where usually the countries vote one another).
The message is clear: Now, during the crisis, people search for original, for anything that will “talk to their hearts”
I am not against any multinational company, on the contrary. They exist because people want them, appreciate their services and pay for them. They usually bring new, higher standards to the market and they are a key factor of progress. But this crisis has changed the fundamentals of the world we live in, especially the business world. Now the majority of people searches for real things, original ideas, for what will be explained by them as clear, honest and transparent. They want to be treated by respect, no matter how big or small is their wallet. In the end of the day, a big part of them woke up and realized that there are still human values, except money. They translate the situation around them using their heart too, being more defensive to all the “too much of all” people / companies / choices. They buy the result that the product / service brings into their lives, not the nice colors of the package of a useless expensive product.
We all have the chance now – this new era is full of opportunities
In this new era all of us have more opportunities. When size stops being the no. 1 factor for success, mind, hard work and effectiveness take the lead. This short guy from Norway is not the role model for anyone’s life. But he was good in violin, not in choreography. He had a song that made all people smile, not the best legs that made all people stare at. His “clients” were the millions of Europeans who voted and he gave them what they wanted: Something real, not perfect. Honest, not superficial.
He clearly reminded us that the world had changed and now the chances are more for all the ones who focus on their advantages. Each of us in his domain, we all have more opportunities now, as long as we will focus on what we are good at, while listening what the environment around us wants, what are the demands of our clients.
This crisis will create the leaders of tomorrow. The ones who will take advantage of the situation, work hard and rise high. And this will not be a fairytale…
PS. I am definitely the last one in this world who has the right to propose, but I have a question: Do you realize that for millions of people this song contest is the only time during the year that they watch something regarding a country? Why Romania has to be constantly presented as “the country which has very sexy women and songs like “Balkan girls want to party” or whatever”? I think it should be the time for this country to create its special style in the way it is promoted abroad, in every occasion. I see Romanians as some positive, intelligent, energetic and usually enthusiastic people, who can surprise Europe in every domain, also in music. There can be more playful songs and less “don’t forget, we still have the best legs and we like to party” performances.
But again, this is just my humble opinion…