I was blogging yesterday about Valentin Petcu (Romanian blogger also known as Zozo) and about his actions against Romanian companies, brands and people. He is often paid to do this and he has to invent crazy stories. Because of my open criticism regarding his lack of ethics and the heavy use of blackmailing, unverified information and rumours he decided to start a negative campaign against me. He was encouraged because of the NDAs I’ve signed and because of my lack of reaction in the previous scandals (when he and his associates tried to involve me).
I’m writing this post in order to explain a situation and to present the truth as Valentin Petcu is paid to spread rumors and has a secret agenda. Also because I met a a business partner today and he asked me about Real Ad SRL? a Romanian company I knew nothing about. Continue reading ‘Real Ad SRL – the company’
First time I joined the business in INTACT Media Group was on the 1st of May 2008. In July 2008, I already started setting up a new sales house and on the 1st of October INTACT Interactive held its first meeting. In November 2008 we had the first website in the portfolio and the first campaign. In February, together with Ocean Strategy and Gazeta Online, we started to shape a group strategy for the next two years.
Right now, INTACT Interactive is one of the top players in online advertising in Romania (representing over 130 websites), thanks to Magdalena Zander, Gabriel Boaca, Maria Cocris, Sorin Cristea and a great team of Internet enthusiasts working 24/7. On monday, Sorin Danilescu will join the team and will replace me as General Manager of Intact Interactive.
My new position in INTACT Media Group is Senior Advisor concerned with new media. In the next months I’ll focus on new business opportunities while supporting the companies and online products of the media group.
There are new challenges ahead and I’m happy to see more and more people involved and supporting new media cutting edge technologies in the group.
Since I have 300 readers subscribed to my rss feed (today) it’s for the first time I try to figure it out why people read my blog (I always try to stay out of fights and trivial content so my writing is probably very boring).
One possible explanation: the information I provided for my readers on 27th of August appeared in mainstream media on the 22nd of October and started several debates on Romanian blogs after almost 2 months.
They say that “business intelligence” is a term “that dates at least to 1958″ but I don’t think they had decision support systems back then…
It’s not a secret for anyone (anymore 
) that a few years ago I was one of the leaders of the Romanian Student’s movement. I organized student strikes, I created all kind of student propaganda and made the first viral campaigns in Romania (maybe all of these will be one day available on my blog).
In 2004, I was one of the guys working on the “digital guerrilla” and planning the viral seeding of hot topics on the web. The Internet and the mobile technology made the difference in 2004 and indeed, I was “in the center of the storm”. All my theories and online plans turned out to score very good results but I decided to focus on other things.
Since then, I only supported independent NGO campaigns although I still have friends in many Romanian political parties (once student leaders, this year candidates for the parliament).
The announcement I have to make: I’m not doing political campaigns anymore, nor do I offer consultancy regarding digital technologies to politicians (this also means: no copywriting, no slogans, no special effects and no special projects on the Internet). My presence at Politica 2.0 (the event) was a coincidence and the fact that I used to master “digital guerilla” skills has nothing to do with my current position (job).
PS: as a professional, I always delivered all the points in the brief and I always will.
Me, the NGO activist:
- to promote democracy and its values;
- to promote e-democracy in Romania and Eastern Europe;
- to support more youth projects;
Me, the entrepreneur:
- to shape a new jobbing website (we had a fusion in 2007) and approach the market from a new angle;
- to invest more know-how in our online brands;
- to have a top lifestyle magazine for students by the end of 2008 (acquisition from 2007);
- to focus and invest more on research;
- to invest in a new start-up covering a very interesting niche (not saying more);
- to finance smart small start-ups initiated by students with NGO/entrepreneurial background;
- to integrate PR/HR/Internet/NGO know-how and shape up all our projects;
Me, the average joe:
- to spend more quality time with my friends/partners/associates and figure out how to rule the world ;
- to clean/set up my mail client with a furious spam filter (my 20+ accounts provide me daily tons of spam and I’m frustrated that sometimes I miss important mails);
- to focus more on personal development (NLP master/reading thoughts/etc ), deadlines, time management, invoices, payments (every cent is important and the pay-per-click system helped me to acknowledge this )
- to make it to all the weddings ;
- to taste 1.000+ wines;
- to begin writing a book.
In 2008 my blog will focus more on the Romanian Internet Advertising Market and only few “extracurricular” important issues will be pointed out at the right time.
I’ll write more about Boom (2008 will be their year), AdEvolution (and their decline), ARBOmedia (and their repositioning), Google (Radu Tudorache still not receiving my e-mails ), Neogen, MPI, Yahoo, HI5 and so on…
Extra cookie – My Top 20 Readers in 2007 (by Google Analytics):
1. Netbridge Investments SRL (they have the biggest online team in Romania);
2. MEDIAFAX (I had some friends over there);
3. SFOS – Soros Open Society Foundation (maybe someone appreciates me for my NGO campaigns);
4. Mobifon S.A. (some friends over there too);
5. Publimedia S.A. (they started to read blogs);
6. Ziua Daily Newspaper (friends);
7. Active Soft SRL (incredible reading pattern – every 2 days );
8. Raiffeisen Bank Romania S.A. (guys, maybe you plan a campaign on our network – ask boom for the rate-card);
9. Google Inc. (I guess you read blogs but you don’t answer e-mails );
10. Renault (because I’m a Ferrari fan ); Continue reading ‘New Year’s resolutions, plans and visitors’
