Sen Ze’s Business In Your Pajamas! Blog

McDonalds does things the McDonalds way – and gets lots of attention in the process.

See this wonderful and creative method that it used to draw attention to its stores, that appealed to a huge number of its prospects. It looks almost magical – and you can certainly learn a thing or two from it:

McDonalds does things the McDonalds way again, but this time it gets lots of attention for its “competitor”, the very entity it is trying to snuff out. Its “competitor” is McCurry:

McCurry’s owner is Suppiah (see video image above).

He’s one of my first students in my very first Boot Camp on Internet Business and Internet Marketing way back in 1999 (not many people even know about this Boot Camp). Shows you how long I’ve been doing Internet Businesses, which is way before most people – but there’s a more important point coming up.

The short of it all – McDonalds claimed that McCurry had no right to the “Mc” prefix as it’s part of the “McDonalds” trademark. Malaysia’s High Court agreed. McCurry appealed to the Court of Appeal, which reversed that decision. McDonalds appealed to the Federal Court, which upheld the Court of Appeal’s decision.

In short, McCurry took on the might of McDonalds, and won. And in the process, generated what Suppiah himself estimated is about $1 BILLION worth of positive publicity worldwide, for its McCurry brand. People all over the world who have never heard of McCurry, took notice and now know about McCurry.

All the media outlets in the world picked this story up, including CNN and major TV stations:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/08/mcdonalds.mccurry.legal.malaysia/index.html

(I was featured on CNN too, for my Blindfold Drive event – but Suppiah’s event has a bigger impact since a familiar corporate giant is involved.)

Suppiah and I actually discussed his stand against McDonalds about 8 or 9 years ago, when Suppiah started his McCurry restaurant. How do you deal with McDonalds’ might and intention to own the “Mc” prefix – which really isn’t for it to own?

“McCurry” is an actual Scottish surname, although in Suppiah’s case, it’s an abbreviation for “Malaysian Curry Chicken”. If McDonalds were allowed to own the “Mc” name – it means that no other business can use a “Mc” as part of its name.

Is that fair? No, not in our minds. Is that legal? This is for the courts to decide but our guts (you and I) tell us that the courts should decide against McDonalds – although our guts are really different from what the law might be.

Note that some courts in some jurisdictions have ruled in favor of McDonalds when some businesses tried to use “Mc” as part of their business name, even if that’s their actual name – but this isn’t a clear cut case for sure and different jurisdictions will have different judges sitting to decide on the issue.

Also McDonalds wasn’t suing McCurry for “passing off” which is where McCurry was trying to mislead the public into thinking it’s part of the McDonalds chain of restaurants, when McCurry clearly made no attempt to do so as it doesn’t offer any food that remotely resembles McDonalds’, nor did it follow McDonalds’ theme, colors or have a Ronaldo McCurry as its mascot.

And since “McCurry” the name clearly isn’t “McDonalds” the name either, this left McDonalds with just the “Mc” prefix that it tried to claim was part of its trademark which couldn’t be used by other businesses. It didn’t have the strongest case but it either could let things be – or take a chance to strengthen itself even more with a potential victory in the courts.

It chose the latter and lost.

While this loss isn’t going to affect McDonalds’ business much, it has the opposite effect on McCurry – which is the underdog going against an 800 pound gorilla. The media love such stories – and painted the town (or the planet) red with it – because the masses love such stories too.

This is business strategy executed at the highest level – and Suppiah truly deserves his victory for he had nothing to fear since he really didn’t do anything wrong. McDonalds started the “fight”. It was a calculated move on their part that simply backfired on them.

But how many other people would have given in just because a corporate giant threatened them with a lawsuit – even though the corporation may not have a solid case to begin with?

You can be sure there are corporations using lawsuits as a weapon to stifle competition which is in effect pitting the amount of money they have against the poor, small businesses who simply can’t afford to defend themselves in court.

This anti-competitive strategy being practiced by giant corporations isn’t discussed much but it’s happening.

But there’s another 800-pound gorilla story where you get a giant corporation to be on your side which provides BOTH of you with what both of you want.

That 800-pound gorilla is Google.

You want FREE, NEVER-ENDING, FRESH and HIGHLY-TARGETED Leads or Prospects for your businesses, websites or offers. Google wants their users to have the best experience in finding what they’re looking for.

It’s a match made in heaven.

Google will give you all the FREE, FRESH, NEVER-ENDING and HIGHLY-TARGETED leads you want – if you will just give it what it wants.

My Google Magic System shows you EXACTLY how to give Google what Google wants with the LEAST amount of effort on your part. In fact, you don’t have to life a finger to do anything!

I used to dread tackling Google because while the work to do it wasn’t difficult, it was tedious, repetitious and mind-numbing. This is so even if you used software or people to do the work for you because if it’s tedious, repetitious and mind-numbing, the people you hire won’t be able to do the work for long.

I’ve solved the above problems in more ways than one. And I’m proud to be showing it off to you so that you can see for yourself how doable everything really is, right now.

Note that Google can get you THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS of free visitors for MONTHS, even YEARS on end, and you’re going to know how this is done in my FREE talk below. Register for it and be blown away by how easy it can be – NOW!

http://SenZe.com/googlemagic

If you’re in Singapore, I’ll be there next Monday, Sept 28th. Click below to register for your free seats in Singapore:

http://SenZe.com/googlemagics

Cheers!
Sen Ze

It’s great to be keeping up to date with all the proven business concepts, strategies and tactics to have an advantage over your competition.

However, the most important aspect of your success, business or otherwise, is within YOU.

For WITHIN you is where everything starts.

Whether you succeed or fail is your responsibility.

So this post is about you and your successes, even as I talk about my own.

I do this not to brag (really), but to give you some first-hand examples so that you know that I know what I’m talking about. Otherwise you’ll say I’m all theory and nothing else – which couldn’t be further from the truth.

This makes a good break from the usual business concepts, that’s for sure. But I hope you’ll see the point, because it’s the most important thing that you can do for yourself.

Ok, let’s begin…

I had a number of dreams as a child.

I wanted to become a lawyer - so I visualized becoming one. I passed the tough-as-hell English Bar exams in the UK (after getting my law degree), and dream No.1 was fulfilled. My head’s the one in between the white bust and the painting…

The World Wide Web wasn’t even around then, but when it arrived, I had to be a part of it.

And so in 1995 my Internet education started, with Netscape being my first lesson, and a position in an Internet company being my alternative “career” (I quit as a lawyer to pursue this hot new technology full time).

I visualized that I’ll master this new technology quickly. And so I did.

I was online practically 24 hours a day, as well as practising Internet Business and Internet Marketing concepts with my new company and its clients.

I visualized starting my own Internet Businesses. I did, not long after, and started making money in my Pajamas!

I visualized spreading the word about the wonderful world of Internet Businesses to anybody who’s interested to listen. In 1999 - I conducted my 1st Boot Camp on this topic. Yep, I was a pioneer of Internet Business and Internet Marketing Boot Camps in my country.

YEARS before my competitors even got started with their own.

The “Pajamas” series of Boot Camps came out in 2002 as I wanted to reach out to a bigger crowd. It was a huge vision for me – and it came true once again, with me touring two countries with it.

Once again, my competitors were still nowhere in sight until months later….

I visualized doing something crazy one day, for the sheer fun of it and to raise funds for the National Council for the Blind.

And so I drove a 4-wheel drive vehicle for a distance of 5 kilometers in downtown, busy Kuala Lumpur, in heavy traffic – while wearing 2 blindfolds, and followed by the media and policemen!

This event made the CNN News, which was seen all over the world!

I visualized owning an Internet company - and I am! Watch out for more awesome products to come – they’ll blow your mind!

I visualized being a best-selling author – and I am!

My 3rd book on a topic different from Internet Business and Internet Marketing, also went straight to the best-seller list within 2 weeks of its release, selling out its entire first print run (this shocked my publisher quite a bit..;-)!

I visualized signing my books at an author’s book signing ceremony – I did!

I visualized appearing on radio – I did, many times!

I visualized appearing on TV – I did, many times!

I visualized being able to read people’s minds because of the impact it would cause to them (it’s fun!). I managed to do it not long after.

I visualized reading a celebrity’s mind live on TV one day. I managed to do that too! (See below):

I can go on and on, but I think I’ve made my point…

The visualization technique works like crazy for me because when I can see what I want, very clearly, I’m programming my entire mind to look out for all the help, people and things that I need to realize my vision.

This is the Law of Attraction at work. Whether you believe in it or not, it has worked for me, and for many of the most successful people in the world.

It’s up to you to give it a chance to work for you – for if you don’t allow it to happen, it won’t.

All of the most magnificent buildings and achievements in the world that you now see with your own eyes, were once just a vision in someone’s mind.

Who then attracted all the help, people and things they need to have their vision realized.

YOU can use the visualization technique for your own purpose. It’s extremely powerful, but you must do it right.

Once you start the visualization process, you’ll begin to attract all the help, people and things you’ll need to realize your vision. Do it well, and it WILL happen.

However, having a vision isn’t difficult for most people. But for it to work really well, you need to add something “extra” to it.

That something extra is the “feeling” of that entire vision in your entire body.

When I visualize my goals, my entire body feels the vision, and all the excitement and euphoria are felt even down to my fingers. I could be sweating or shivering from the vision, depending on what I’m seeing or experiencing.

For example, if I’m playing a game of football (or soccer) and I’m envisioning scoring a goal in front of millions of viewers, I’ll have the entire scene being played out in my mind, with me hearing the roar of the appreciative crowd as the ball hit the back of the opponent’s net from my one-heck-of-a kick…

When this happens, the entire vision is entrenched into my entire being and my mind is totally programmed to make it a reality.

And I’ll be doing this every single day.

When the mind is programmed with a vision, the body takes action to make that vision a reality.

(By the way, my favorite position in football is that of a striker - and I’m usually one of the top strikers, if not the top striker, for the team I play with.)

Thus beyond all the awesome busines concepts, strategies and tactics that I’ve been discussing with you all this while – visualization is one of the most powerful “concepts” you can ever learn to do for you and your business’s sake.

If you have problems with visualization, or you want to take it to the next level for you to “feel” your vision in totality – there’s an awesome dinner Party in just a few weeks’ time that you must attend.

It will enable you to create a strong vision of what you want to achieve for yourself and entrench it into your entire being.

Appropriately enough, it’s called the “Life Changing Party” and you can find it at www.LifeChangingParty.com.

It’s fitting that it’s being held at my favorite world-class resort at 6,000 feet above sea level, built by someone who had a HUGE vision and realized it through his amazing efforts:

This man was Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong.

This great visionary and achiever passed away recently, but left behind a HUGE legacy in the form of his world-class resorts for all of us to be inspired by.

I’ll be attending the Life Changing Party, for sure. I truly hope to see you there and meet up with you in person.

I’ll also be doing something truly amazing while there for you to experience it for yourself.

You’ll see for yourself, right before your very eyes, just what is possible when you willingly invoke the Law of Attraction to work in your favor.

Sign up for it now – there are limited tickets available! Tickets are very affordable too – and you’ll even get a goodie bag worth hundreds of dollars, to take home. More details are found below:

http://www.LifeChangingParty.com

Do make the time for it, as it’s important to you! After all, it’s the end of the year, and you’re getting ready for the new year – so why not have fun at a party and be inspired to greatness as you usher 2008 into your life?

I look forward to seeing you at the Party – and for you to take this simple step on your way to greatness.

In summary….

Visualization is a NECESSARY part of your life if you want to achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself

It really is.

People like Jack Canfield (co-author of the phenomenally successful “Chicken Soup For The Soul” series of books) , Jim Carrey (A-List Actor/Comedian) and Scott Adams (”Dilbert” cartoonist) all swear by it.

Start doing it today, every single day and then get ready to see things happening before your very eyes.

Like magic.

Sen Ze

P.S. You can link to this post with the following URL:

http://www.SenZe.com/business-blog/law-of-attraction/the-secret-law-of-attraction.htm

Technorati Tags: Law of Attraction, The Secret, visualization, Rhonda Byrne, Jack Canfield, Jim Carrey, Scott Dilbert, Life Changing Party

It’s rare indeed for any artist to perform his concert for more than a few days at one venue.

Prince is currently doing 21 days in London alone!

And most of those dates have been sold out. In fact, at one point his tickets were selling at 1,000 per minute!

Why?

Because Prince:

1. Is a musical genius
He composes all his songs, writes the lyrics to all of them, sings them as lead vocal AND backing vocals and plays all the musical instruments used for those songs (up to 25 different instruments for one song)!

2. Is a prolific composer
He has composed hundreds of songs in his entire career, including hits for Celine Dion, Sheena Easton and The Bangles. He has released some of those songs on 46 albums so far – with many more yet unheard!!

3. Sells records
He has many hits from his albums and he has sold millions of them all over the world. The Purple Rain album alone (released in 1984) sold 20 million copies worldwide.

4. Is a great performer
If you’ve seen his Superbowl XLI halftime performance, you would have experienced an unforgettable musical performance.

I’m not a fan of Prince, by the way. Not of his music, nor his style – but I do appreciate genius when I see one.

His London concerts were originally supposed to run for 7 nights but when all 140,000 tickets for them at 31.21 pounds sterling (about $63) sold out in 20 minutes (!), he extended it to 15 days.

And when tickets to those extra 8 days started selling out, he extended it a further 6 days – making a total of 21 days!

He grosses an average of $1.2 million per concert ($63 x 20,000 seats) for this current tour if all tickets are sold out. By the time it’s all over, he would have grossed $1.2 million x 21 days = $25.2 million.

Give or take a few million.

Not bad for less than a month’s work.

And there’s still the US Tour to come.

How did this 21-date London concert come to be?

Here’s a combination of factors:

1. Prince’s an established music star whose concerts are a great spectacle
There’s plenty to see and hear. Prince is known for his flashy performances and he’s backed by some of the most talented musicians in the world, all hand-picked by him.

2. It’s summer time in London
Summertime means time out in the park, and concerts to attend!

3. London is home to about 8 million people
The bigger the population, the bigger is Prince’s number of prospects interested in his songs. 8 million is a big number for a city by any means.

4. London is a popular tourist destination
Millions of people visit London every year. Tour companies usually offer special packages that include free concert tickets as well. Prince’s audience will definitely include many foreigners especially when he’s not performing outside of the US and UK.

5. He has announced that this Planet Earth Tour is “The End” of his live concerts
There’ll be no more Prince in person after this, so this is his fans’ last chance to watch him live. Well, there may be a “Comeback Tour” or “Encore Tour” many years later but they don’t know for sure. In case he isn’t planning any in the future, this is all they have.

6. His latest album, “Planet Earth”, was given away for free by the UK’s Mail On Sunday
They distributed 3 million copies of it on July 15 2007 alone. The newspaper paid Prince a rumored 300,000 pounds for the rights to do this. This generated lots of additional publicity for his upcoming concerts in August 2007 (and sold lots of extra newspapers).

7. All ticket holders get a copy of his latest album, “Planet Earth” as well
This makes his 31.21 pounds ticket price a real bargain since the album sells for about 10 pounds in stores. Not only that, the distribution of CDs in this manner counts towards his final album sales as well – which will help it in music charts tracking album sales.

Since there are music lovers who buy albums according to their ranking in the music charts – this will help push sales of the album further.

8. He’s opening up his songs vault to present 150 of them during his London run
Yep, that’s right. He’ll be playing over 150 songs over the course of his 21-date London concerts. He performs only about 23 songs at each concert, which would leave plenty left over for the remaining dates.

Thus many of his hard-core fans will show up for the concerts multiple times over the next few nights just to hear more of those songs, many of which they’ve never heard before!

How’s that for repeat business?

You can do that only if you’re as prolific a composer as Prince…

The combination of all of the above factors – but especially “The End” of Prince’s live tours – makes for an irresistible series of events that hard-core Prince fans find hard to resist.

The US Tour should be even better. There should be one, because Prince grossed over $87 million the last time he had one in 2004 with the Musicology Tour that went on a run of 96 performances.

Talk soon.

Sen Ze

P.S. You can link to this post with the following URL:

http://www.SenZe.com/business-blog/prince/prince-and-the-new-marketing-generation.htm

Technorati Tags: Prince, Planet Earth Tour, Earth Tour, UK Earth Tour, London UK Earth Tour, music industry, music, tours, innovative marketing, marketing, Mail On Sunday, business profitability, recording industry