Ged Carroll

Month: March 2007

  • The PowerBook

    PR Week (subscription required) published the PowerBook this week, featuring 500 of the most prominent people in PR, it had a selection of questions that painted an interesting portrait of the people listed. BlackBerry’s at the ready, with leisure time facilitated by iPods and TiVo-equipped home entertainment systems, they are used to dining in London’s best restaurants – there wasn’t too many surprises amongst the preferences of the 500.

    It also struck me that the same questions could paint an interesting picture of the digital marketing blogosphere. What would my own responses look like?

    Name: Ged Carroll

    Job: Lead consultant (EMEA), Digital Strategies Group

    Address: Waggener Edstrom Worldwide 10 Southampton Street London WC2E 7HA

    Telephone: +44 20 7632 3800

    Born: 19XX

    Home town: That’s a complex question. The place I felt most at home is Hong Kong. I grew up in the north west of England and the ancestral family farm in the west of Ireland. For better or worse, London is where currently where I call home.

    Lives: London

    Family: No

    Best career move: Getting made redundant from my blue-collar job in the oil industry, which set me on my current career path. Little did I know what that would entail.

    Which company / brand do you most admire? Rolex

    Which business / organisation leader do you most admire? Larry Weber – who was the first agency leader that I worked for. It also reminded me that its disappointing to meet your heroes. He is a lovely, but far from perfect character.

    Boss who most inspired you: Cathy Pittham, who was the managing director of the first agency I worked for down in London.

    Most essential read: Wired magazine

    Most essential viewing / listening: Wall Street Journal Tech News Briefing podcast

    Favourite web link: pbs.org/cringely

    Favourite gadget: Apple MacBook Pro

    Most respected journalist: Robert X. Cringely (aka Mark Stephens)
    Most respected politician: A toss up between former president Mary Robinson, Moshe Dayan and Michael Collins (and yes I do know the last two are dead).

    What is your favourite place for lunch? Wagamama

    Name one thing about yourself that may surprise others: I used to be a shift leader in an oil refinery

    Guilty pleasure: too many to mention including vinyl records, streetwear and mechanical watches

    Your ideal epitaph: to not have an epitaph, at least not for a good while.

  • Akiba-kei

    Akiba-kei – A Japanese word meaning related to Akihabara. Akihabara or ‘Electric Town’ was the place in Tokyo where you could go to get everything from electronic components to new and vintage devices. The electronic component shops inspired generations of budding engineers that went on to work for the likes of Sony and Panasonic. Think of it as Shenzhen’s SEG electronics market (in the SEG Plaza building located in the Huaqiangbei neighbourhood of Futian district, Shenzhen). 

    akihabara
    Akiba-kei or Akihabara in December 2006

    Vintage gadgets were available from high end hi-fi to games consoles. All are very Akiba-kei.

    In more recent times it has also evolved to cater for fans of Japanese technology with a raft of computer stores and service providers.

    It is also becoming known for catering to other geek consumer tastes including anime, manga and cosplay – think a cuter version of a Star Trek convention. Whether you like anime, manga or dressing up as your favourite character Akiba-kei has something to offer.

    Finally there is the maid culture, which is kind of like a fancy dress tea house, often with a specific theme related to anime or manga related culture.

    Akiba-kei transcends geography. It now represents a mindset, a culture that has gone around the world, but whose spiritual home in Akiba-kei continues to evolve over time. The exportation of Akiba-kei culture started in the 1960s and70s when Japanese manufacturers products were seen to be technological wonders, from hi-fis and watches to cameras. 

    Sailors, servicemen and ex-pat business people took (often superior) Japan-only models of the latest hifi home together with a step up transformer if needed. With TV syndication and video recorders interest in anime rose as well. The 1980s brought long term interest in games consoles. These cultural provided a bridge over time for the wholesale export of Japanese popular culture through and influenced by Akiba-kei. 

    Thanks to Peter Payne and the J-Box newsletter. More Japan related topics here.