PR - The Story

Last night's Bay of Plenty Times

Defining a PR & Communications strategy has always been an important part of the Pingar story. Identifying the target audience is more complex.

Microsoft's Pingar announcement a couple of weeks ago was a key milestone for the company. As previous posts have indicated, it created interest from a range of different sources. Communicating the message to those sources has seen coverage in a range of different print and web media: From The Dominion Post to the National Business Review.

Last night's piece in the Bay of Plenty Times was a 'good news' regional story. It sat beside another great piece - a story on Mark Redpath's Pipeclenz who have secured a major contract with Shell Oil. The two stories have a lot in common. Stories about Tauranga-based businesses achieving success offshore.

Putting a value on PR can be a difficult exercise. The test, I guess, will come over the next few months as both the product and the service rolls out.

The Tyranny of Distance

It's soooooooooo far away..........

First it was the emails at 6.45am. Then the conference call to the UK via the US at 8.00am. 75 minutes later, I hung up. And then poured a coffee. Tonight, further calls are scheduled to both the UK and India. Welcome then to a 'normal working day'.

I blogged about this quite recently. In part, because offshore engagement does occupy so many of my waking hours. In part also because I am trying to work out alternatives. The 'Tyranny of Distance' is an absolute NZ reality and one that does challenge the concept of normal living.

I owe a lot to Jacqui. My work schedule effects her life balance as much as mine. I'll be thinking about that when I get on the phone later tonight. 'Normal' this isn't. And hopefully my last posting on this for some time. Apologies. It is only Monday. I don't like these grrrr.. moments!

Daylight Saving

The clocks moved forward this weekend in New Zealand by one hour, which means we are now on Daylight Saving.

For most Kiwis, the key significance is the extra one hour's daylight at the end of the day - more time for the post-work BBQ. For those of us engaged in offshore contact however, it has another effect.

It moves our timing for overseas communication. In three weeks time, the situation, particularly with Europe worsens. With their clocks then going back one hour, it means the time difference between New Zealand and say, the UK, extends from 11 hours to 13 hours. Offshore Skype calls therefore move later into the night, NZ-time, to accommodate the extra two hour time zone difference.

Lighter nights are the positive. Not so the timing for offshore communication.