Webinar: Marketing and Sales alignment

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Education 3.0

Did you Know?

Shockvertising

The NYC Department of Health’s campaign to get people to cut back on sugary drink by asking, “Are you Pouring on the Pounds?” in some gruesome subway ads may forever ruin your favorite cola. The pouring on the pounds ads show recognizable bottles of pop, juice and energy drinks being poured over glasses of ice, only instead of a sweet, sugary liquid the bottles dispense lumpy, veiny human fat.

Associate Commisioner Geoff Cowley explained the reasoning behind the pouring on the pounds shockvertising: “Just trying to be positive and encouraging doesn’t always get people’s attention, If you get in people’s faces a bit, that does get people’s attention.” We’ll never look at Gatorade, Snapple or Coke in the same way.

Photos of Fatty Shockvertising (Via: nydailynews, eatmedaily)

Trump Expands Brand Offerings with Launch of Tea

by Barry Silverstein

"The Donald" is at it again. While his real estate holdings may have had their ups and downs over the years, Donald Trump’s brand name seems to be as resilient as ever.

The latest product to be graced by the Trump moniker (both the name and the family shield) is a line of exclusive teas created by Talbott and named for some of Donald Trump’s cherished places. The "Park Avenue" blend mixes orange, raspberry and white teas, while "Union Square" combines whole-leaf estate Assam black tea with bourbon vanilla bean and cocoa flavors. "Westchester" mixes together organic blueberries with elderberry, hibiscus and rosehips.

The new Trump tea line will sell for $12.95 per tin at select retailers this fall.

Trump, himself a celebrity brand through his appearances on “The Apprentice” television show, has never been shy about dropping his own name. The Trump moniker appears on office and residential luxury buildings, hotels, and golf courses around the world. The mogul operated short-lived Trump Airlines, a shuttle service, from 1989 to 1992.

Nowadays, the Trump name is also associated with a line of “luxury merchandise.” It includes The Donald J. Trump Signature Collection (men’s wear), Ivanka Trump Jewelry, Trump Super Premium Vodka, Trump Ice Natural Spring Water, Trump Home (furniture, lighting and home decor), and Trump Books. The Donald also lends his name to Trump University, an online school which has come under fire for positioning itself as a collegiate institution.

Trump himself says he’s picky about putting his stamp of approval on branded items. In a 2006 blog post, he wrote:

"I know that the ‘Trump’ name is a powerful one. Nearly every day I’m approached by one company or another wanting me to put that name on some product or service….
I’ve worked hard to make sure the Trump name is found only on buildings of the highest caliber and products of the finest quality. I won’t even consider giving my approval to anything unless I know it’s the top of the line because when people see or hear Trump, they expect the best. That’s just basic marketing and good business….I’m very demanding and selective about where that name goes. And I always try to make sure the letters are in gold."

Words of branding wisdom from the man behind the Trump brand.

The Climate Project: August 2010 Newsletter

Having trouble reading this email? View it in your browser: http://www.theclimateprojectus.org/newsletter_view.php?id=21 AUGUST 2010 NEWSLETTER During Virtual Town Hall, Al Gore Tells Supporters: ‘We cannot lose this fight’ Nashville, TN – The need to solve the climate crisis and transition to clean energy has never been more clear. The oil is still washing up on the shores of the Gulf Coast and we’ve just experienced the hottest six months on record. Our troops are fighting and dying in the Middle East and our economy is still struggling to produce jobs. I continue to urge the President to provide leadership on this issue and urge the Senate to make this issue a priority for the remainder of this Congress. Thousands of activists joined former Vice President Al Gore on August 10 for a Virtual Town Hall to discuss where the climate movement should be directed in the weeks and months ahead. Gore, who is chairman of the Alliance, spoke to members and supporters along with Alliance President and CEO Maggie L. Fox. Together, they laid out some powerful steps we can take — from forcefully challenging misinformation campaigns funded by major oil and coal interests, to protecting the Clean Air Act’s ability to keep our air and water clean. “America is capable of great things … But we haven’t always succeeded the first time we have confronted a mighty challenge. We need to redouble our efforts,” said Gore. Listen to highlights from the Virtual Town Hall with Al Gore and share your thoughts on the way forward for the climate movement. 2010 on Track to be Hottest Year on Record According to preliminary data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the first half of 2010 was the warmest January-June on record, beating the 20th century average by 1.22°F (0.68°C). Temperature records were smashed across Europe, the Middle East and Central Africa; as of August 16, 2010, all-time highs had been set in 17 countries (see map below). Base map created by the BYU Geography Department. Temperature data from The Guardian and NOAA. Much of the U.S. also saw above-average temperatures through the first half of 2010, with multiple record-breaking hot days in the Northeast (see map below). Learn more about global hotspots. Producers Guild of America Launches Green Production Guide Spearheaded by TCP Presenters TCP Presenters Mari Jo Winkler, Katie Carpenter and Lydia Pilcher, co-chairs of the Producers Guild of America Green East (PGA Green), have been a driving force behind the launch of Green Production Guide, an interactive website that provides the film and television community with “green” options for production needs. The interactive guide, which launched this month, aims to provide entertainment industry professionals with quick access to resources for incorporating sustainable practices into film and TV productions. The seed funding for the project was provided by Disney, Fox, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. The Green Production Guide provides a carbon calculator and vendor database of more than 1,100 merchants. The database offers sustainable and energy-saving products searchable by category, department, and location. Featured services include catering, on-set recycling and composting, cleaning supplies, transportation, and set recycling, to name a few. Access to the site and its resources does not require membership in the Producers Guild of America. Request for Proposals for MFPP’s 2011 Climate Solutions University, Forest and Water Strategies Program In the wake of the recent statements from the U.S. Senate that there will not be any substantive legislative movement on a comprehensive climate and clean energy bill in the near future, hope for forward movement is still very much alive and kicking in organizations working on climate planning at the grassroots level. A successful player in this arena is the Model Forest Policy Program (MFPP), an innovative leader in community climate adaptation training. This year marks the first session of MFPP’s Climate Solutions University: Forest & Water Strategies (CSU) program. MFPP is now soliciting applications for its 2011 course year and is already fielding calls and emails from interested communities. This internet-based training forum engages rural forested communities to develop climate action plans based on their own unique regional landscape, economy and climate. This educational opportunity is being conducted in partnership with The Climate Project and The Cumberland River Compact. Almost halfway through their inaugural year, CSU’s six participating communities are immersed in coursework centered on forest management and how it affects freshwater resources in the context of climate change. As a result of their participation, members of CSU’s 2010 class are emerging as local and regional experts on climate change adaptation. Sumner County, Tennessee, a 2010 CSU participating community, features elements of CSU coursework in its “Comprehensive Plan: Sumner County’s Blueprint to the Future” and notes that its work with CSU “was very timely in assisting Sumner County with strategies to include in the comprehensive plan for adoption.” “This is just a great example of how a community can leverage this type of climate planning course into a broader framework for the future,” says MFPP Executive Director Nancy Gilliam. “We’re thrilled.” Qualified applicants receive a community scholarship of $10,000 in funding, in addition to educational and consulting services valued at approximately $50,000. Applications are available for download here. The 11-month 2011 session begins February of 2011 and applications are due by September 15, 2010. Declines in Phytoplankton “Unequivocal" In the July 28, 2010 issue of the journal Nature, scientists from the Canadian province of Nova Scotia report a disturbing trend: Since 1950, there has been a 40% decrease in the global concentration of phytoplankton, the microscopic plants at the base of the marine food chain. Daniel Boyce and his colleagues compiled over 100 years worth of shipboard estimates of phytoplankton in the world’s oceans. Short term fluctuations in phytoplankton (year-to-year or decade-to-decade) were strongly correlated with trends in climatic cycles such as El Niño and the North Atlantic Oscillation. The marked decline in the last half-century, however, was most strongly linked to rising ocean temperatures. “The long-term global declines observed here are,” according to Boyce, “unequivocal.” Phytoplankton, which make up about half of the plant production on earth, play a critical role in the structure and function of the ocean environment — including the yield of commercial fisheries. "It’s very disturbing to think about the potential implications of a century-long decline of the base of the food chain," said Boyce. The tiny floating plants also help moderate climate by sequestering atmospheric carbon, raising concerns about the future effectiveness of the ocean as a carbon sink. While this study provides insight on historical changes, it does not allow scientists to project future trends or potential consequences of those trends. As discussed in a companion essay in the same issue of Nature, in order to assess long-term threats to phytoplankton, a long-term commitment to a satellite research program will be needed. You can read the abstract here. Why has the Warming Climate Increased Rather than Decreased Antarctic Sea Ice? Scientists have observed an odd trend over the last few decades: Although the world is warming and some Antarctic glaciers have been melting more quickly, Antarctic sea ice has been increasing on average. Now, two researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology may have figured out the seeming paradox. Since 1930s, the upper 1,000 m (3,281 ft) of the Southern Ocean has warmed by an average of about 0.2°C (0.36°F). The warming has not occurred evenly across the Antarctic region, however, and areas close to the pole have even experienced a weak cooling trend. The study authors, Jiping Liu and Judith Curry, suggest the temperature differential has created conditions that — at least temporarily —promote a net increase in sea ice: The warming climate has increased evaporation, and therefore the moisture content of the atmosphere over the middle latitudes of the Southern Ocean; The extra moisture has moved toward the pole, increasing the amount of precipitation (mostly snow) further south; Additional snow, along with increased melting of glaciers and calving of icebergs, has freshened parts of the ocean; and Increased freshwater has increased the stability of the upper layers of the ocean. When the surface waters are more stable, less heat is transported to the surface, and sea ice does not melt as quickly from the bottom. Furthermore, fresh snow has increased the albedo of existing ice, meaning that less solar energy is available to melt ice from the top. Model runs suggest that Antarctica will warm more quickly over the next century, eventually leading to a steep decline in sea ice. "At this moment, we don’t know exactly when this will happen," Liu said. "But based on the model projections and our analysis, it will probably be in the middle of this century." The models in this study agree on the declining trend, but not on the magnitude of the loss. The authors note that “improved representation in models of atmosphere-sea ice-ocean interactions will be critical for forecasting Antarctic sea ice changes as [the] climate warms.” The study appears in the August 16, 2010 Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. You can read the abstract here. China Continues to Push Ahead, Plans to Shut Down Inefficient Factories On August 8, 2010, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information announced more than 2,000 inefficient and energy-intensive factories will be required to close down by the end of September. The announcement comes on the heels of similarly forward-looking announcements from China, including plans to establish a domestic carbon trading scheme (see “Carbon trading in pipeline” from China Daily) and a potential cap on coal production (see “Chinese Consider Setting Coal Production Ceiling by 2015 to Cut Emissions” from Bloomberg). China’s current five-year plan calls for reducing national energy intensity by 20% from 2005 levels by 2010. China had been on track to meet that target, with the country’s efficiency improving just over 14% in the first four years of the current five-year plan (2006-2010). However, surging production by heavy industry since last winter has reversed that trend and called China’s ability to meet the target into question. The ministry hopes that these factory closings will help China both become more energy-efficient and meet its 20% target. The factories to be closed are mainly outdated, energy-intensive cement, paper, steel and leather factories. According to the minister, some of the factories to be closed include 762 that make cement, 279 that produce paper, 175 that manufacture steel and 84 that process leather. Read “In Crackdown on Energy Use, China to Shut 2,000 Factories” (New York Times, 8/9/10). Floods, Drought and Glacial Break-up Consistent with Pattern of Warming World Prominent climate experts from the Met Office in the UK, the National Center for Atmospheric Research in the U.S., the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and other institutions say the recent spate of extreme weather is consistent with manmade climate change. In Pakistan, up to 1,600 people were killed by floods caused by unusually heavy monsoons as of August 11. Approximately 14 million people have been affected overall. In China, 702 people had been killed as of August 10 by mudslides caused by record-setting rains. Over 1,000 more people are missing. In western Africa, where millions of people are suffering food shortages induced by drought, seasonal flooding killed almost 100 people and displaced at least 5,000 more as of August 10. And finally, on August 5, a 97-square-mile (251 km2) chunk of ice — the largest since 1962 — calved from the Petermann Glacier on the northwestern coast of Greenland. Canadian officials fear that the massive “ice island” could pose a risk to ships and oil platforms. While it “can still be problematic to blame a specific individual extreme weather event on climate change,” says Dr. Peter Stott, head of the Met Office, “the odds of such extreme events are rapidly shortening and could become considered the norm by the middle of this century.” Read more about the connections between extreme events and climate change. In this issue Former Vice President Gore hosts virtual town hall 2010 shaping up to be hottest year on record TCP Presenters create Green Production Guide Model Forest Policy Program calling for Climate Solutions University applications Climate Science Briefs And more… Other news From Al Gore’s Blog The Movement We Need August 17, 2010 : 3:54 PM Around the world, when politicians fail to act to solve the climate crisis, people are taking action: “Tens of thousands of protesters — and a few skeptics — have taken to the streets across Australia to urge the major political parties to take action on climate change.” “Both Labor and the coalition have failed to take decisive action to cut Australia’s pollution levels in the run-up to the federal election, Walk Against Warming rallies in Australia’s capital cities heard on Sunday.” It is my hope we see activism like this here in the United States. A special thanks goes out to those I trained in Australia to give my slide show. They played a major role in the events: “In Sydney, Al Gore’s Climate Project presenter, Nell Schofield, attracted huge cheers when she said Australia’s lack of political action on climate change was ‘not only embarrassing, it is morally reprehensible.’" Repower at Home Diverts One Million Pounds of Coal from Power Plants, Raises the Stakes Repower at Home’s October 10th Coal Challenge has already reached its goal of reducing energy usage for participants by the equivalent of one million pounds of coal. Now, their goal is to divert seven million pounds of coal before 350.org‘s 10/10/10 Global Work Party. Join the challenge by creating an account and taking action in your home. Each action you complete saves energy and earns points. For example, the annual energy savings from programming your thermostat is equivalent to diverting the equivalent of 870 pounds of coal from a power plant. By completing this action, you could earn 870 points and contribute 870 pounds to the challenge goal. Featured Presenter: Pablo Suarez TCP Presenter Pablo Suarez is the associate director of programmes at the Red Cross/Red Cresent Climate Centre. Pablo’s work has brought him to more than 15 countries including Argentina, Malawi, Burkina Faso, and Jamaica. Featured Book: The Climate War by Eric Pooley The Climate War delves into the political battle over what to do about global climate change. Author Eric Pooley, deputy editor of Bloomberg Businessweek, spent three years behind the scenes with power brokers on both sides of the fight, including the Alliance for Climate Protection. The book references the work of both the Alliance and The Climate Project. It is now available at bookstores nationwide. Inconvenient Youth Advisory Board Member: Hamzah Ramadhan 17-year-old Hamzah Ramadhan of Indonesia is a new member of the Inconvenient Youth Advisory Board. He was trained by Al Gore at The Climate Project’s International Presenter training in June. Ramadhan recently gave his first TCP presentation. He writes about it: “In the end, the first presentation that I had with this group has given me a tremendous experience. I can say that everything went beyond what I expected. I learned that it’s better to convince a small group where you can really focus on their action rather than a million when you cannot get personalized. Being a young presenter can be tough, since we have lots to learn to really know what we are talking about. However, believing in yourself that you can make other people aware of this issue is just priceless. I hope that we, as a young generation, can move together in this cause to solve this issue. When there’s a will, there must be a way.” Read more about Ramadhan on the Inconvenient Youth blog. Climate Science Briefs Climate change might limit ability of Ross Sea penguins to find food. As Antarctic sea ice shrinks, Adelie penguins could have a hard time finding winter habitat with enough light. Read the abstract here. Diverse native forest may store more carbon than plantations. In a study in northeastern Australia, restored rainforest sequestered 71% more carbon than single-species plantations of native conifers, and 23% more carbon than timber plantations. Read the abstract here. Proposed energy conversion process could nearly double efficiency of existing solar technology. A prototype device that simultaneously makes use of light and heat energy from the sun holds promise as a cost-effective, efficient way to generate solar power. Read the abstract here. New model suggests that current carbon stabilization goals will not limit warming to 2°C above pre-industrial times. A model that couples climate processes with the carbon cycle suggests that the land and oceans — particularly in the tropics and subtropics — will store less manmade carbon than previously thought. Read the abstract here. Ancient climate may have been more similar to modern times than previously thought. A climate reconstruction based on zooplankton fossils suggests that carbon dioxide levels 445-460 million years ago were about five times higher than present — not 20 times higher. Read the abstract here. Aviation appears to be the least climate-friendly way to move people and freight. An analysis of fuel use, passenger capacity and transport-specific climate impacts (such as effects on clouds) suggests that air travel has a much higher impact on the climate than rail, bus and ship travel. Read the paper here. Malaria infection rates seem to depend on temperature variation, not a specific maximum or minimum. Temperature fluctuations under cool conditions appear to speed malaria transmission, whereas fluctuations under warm conditions appear to slow transmission. Read the abstract here. Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved. August 2010 Newsletter

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Watching the Wheel go round

By Raul Morales
Hispanic Mkt. Advertising Creative Director / Visual Artist

http://www.flickr.com/photos/luarzorrillo/
http://fusion3.com.ar/blog/artista-invitado/
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/raul-morales.html
http://fusion3.com.ar/blog/2010/04/02/marathon/

"There are other worlds,
but they are in this one"

watchingthewheelgoroundlg tur

peacewheel bw cntrst lg

Brands to watch

via brandchannel

* Google expanded Google Voice to all Gmail users, who can now make free VoIP phone calls to any number from Gmail (competing with Skype). The launch is being promoted with Google Voice-branded red phone booths at colleges and airports.

* Apple is about to unveil a new TV/video offering and nearing a deal with News Corp.’s Fox andDisney‘s ABC for streaming TV series on iTunes as rumors swirl about Sept. 1 press conference. (Industry reaction, according to AP: 99-cent TV shows not a "game-changer.")

* Amazon talks up Kindle sales, but won’t divulge numbers, as latest version makes its debut.

* AT&T says $1,000 tablets will make laptops obsolete.

* Audi plans to sell its A1 sedan outside Europe and to boost production.

* Burger King has high hopes for upcoming breakfast menu.

* Ford and Porsche customers will foot bill for green tech advances.

* Geely posts earnings increase but faces increasing competition at home in China (and must reboot recently acquired Volvo brand).

* Intel CEO Paul Otellini predicts bleak future for high-tech job growth in the United States.

* Jaguar unveiled its grenade-proof, armored XJ Sentinel model.

* Morgan Stanley dismays investors with top exec prediction that sovereign-debt defaults are inevitable.

* Old Spice Man, actor Isaiah Mutafa, won a creative Emmy award for best commercial of the year.

* Sharper Image brand name is being licensed for new Literati-branded e-reader.

* TiVo unveils new research capabilities on viewership.

* Wal-Mart filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court over judge’s green light for class-action sexual discrimination lawsuit.

* Zurich Insurance must pay multi-million dollar fine in the U.K. for customer data loss in 2008.

More about: Brand News, Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Audi, Burger King, Geely, Google, Intel, Jaguar, Kindle,Morgan Stanley, Old Spice, Porsche, Sharper Image, Skype, TiVo, Volvo, Wal-Mart, Zurich Insurance,Isaiah Mustafa

Maria Alejandra di Fonzo

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Seminario Ciudades Creativas / Toni Puig

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Can BP survive as a brand?

By Jim Gregory

A brand crisis can take many forms, which can linger differing lengths of time depending on the survivability of the brand. Every corporate brand crisis is unique; each has a starting point when the CEO becomes responsible for the survival of the company. BP’s bumbling management of its Gulf crisis, its seemingly endless decision-making process, not to mention post-crisis effects that will last decades, make this crisis unprecedented.

Tyco, Texaco, Dynegy, IBM, Enron, Worldcom, and Citigroup are a few of the crises we’ve studied. Some survived, not only intact, but emerged stronger than ever. Others were destroyed, or forced to merge. A handful limped on, weakened but not ruined.

In 2002, Tyco’s CEO and CFO were accused of theft of over $600 million. With negative press around the scandal, brand familiarity increased dramatically, while brand favorability plummeted. The speed and magnitude of this brand’s collapse indicates a brand catastrophe. Even after management had been changed and the company got back to business, the Tyco brand continued its downward slide for years.

Nationwide attention spotlighted Texaco for racial discrimination in 1995. The tremendous media exposure immediately heightened brand familiarity, while perceptions reduced favorability in the eyes of influentials. Texaco’s immediate, focused response by senior management helped mitigate an adverse environment. Still, it took Texaco nearly five years to fully regain its previous brand strength, at which time management decided to merge with Chevron.

In 2002, Dynegy was the subject of an SEC fraud investigation of its Project Alpha, a multiyear natural gas transaction from which Dynegy took an illegal tax benefit resulting in an earnings restatement for 1999-2001. The company was also involved in round-trip energy trades with CMS Energy, which artificially drove up the company’s trading volume. However, Dynegy handled the crisis in a straightforward manner.

CEO Chuck Watson resigned; the company fully cooperated with the investigation and agreed to pay a $3 million fine. While nearly following Enron into oblivion, Dynegy’s brand actually grew both in familiarity and favorability following the scandal. The crisis helped raise familiarity of the company and management’s handling of the crisis, which positively affected their favorability rating.

By contrast, Enron is the classic case study of a complete brand catastrophe. It was a systematic and well-planned accounting fraud, coupled with massive media coverage and public outrage, that doomed the Enron brand. In late 2001, financial transactions that were intended to take unprofitable entities off Enron’s books were discovered. The scandal not only destroyed the company, but also accounting giant Arthur Andersen. The negative “goodwill” that Enron created, as shareholders lost everything through made the angled “E” that stood outside its corporate headquarters a symbol of corporate fraud and corruption, proved too much for the brand to endure.

In the early 1990s, IBM’s inflexibility in the face of industry evolution diminished its leadership position. Unrelenting focus on core business lines in the midst of dynamic industry changes yielded decreased brand favorability, and IBM’s brand valuation plummeted in 1993 as concerns about its ability to adapt to a changing market grew.

Louis Gerstner, brought in to awaken this sleeping giant, recommitted to the business with a focus not only of survival but growth. His significant involvement and determined communication support helped IBM to achieve an almost complete recovery of favorability in a very short period of time.

Some brand crisis situations are self-imposed. The cause is with the best of intentions but is generally executed by poor management. Such was the case with Citicorp’s merger with Travelers in 1998 to form Citigroup. The merger took place with little communication support from Citigroup. There was virtually no spending to introduce Citigroup as the new corporate entity. As a result, brand familiarity with the new brand plummeted as key audiences became confused. Perceptions of the company were unchanged among customers who were very familiar with the brand.

Citigroup lost many followers who did not deal with them on a day-to-day basis but were supportive of the company, many being retail investors. This brand loss resulted in a significant decline in brand equity, which could have been avoided with a relatively small investment in corporate communications. I contend that some of the lingering doubts about. Citigroup’s ability to survive go back to this crisis of confidence that started in 1998 with a poorly communicated merger.

BP’s crisis makes these examples appear tame by comparison. Despite their best intentions, BP’s mismanagement of their crisis communications team seems to be unavoidable since the media is determined to drill them a new one. Until that well stopped gushing oil, any effort to manage the brand crisis was more about damage mitigation rather than proactively trying to restore the company image.

BP’s projected loss of brand equity is severe. In 2007, after years of carefully building their brand image through corporate advertising, BP’s brand equity amounted to 9.8 percent of their market cap — or $20 billion in brand equity value. This compares to the industry average of 6.4 percent — or $13 billion in brand equity. In 2009, at the height of the recession, BP reduced their corporate advertising from $75 million (2007) to $33 million (2009), and their brand equity dropped significantly to 8.6 percent — or $14 billion, compared to the industry average of 5.6 percent — or $7 billion. At this point, the decline of BP’s brand equity was in relation to the decline of the industry in a recession.

When BP’s brand equity drops $6 billion due to the recession, it undoubtedly will collapse with the dramatic increase in negative media coverage the spill has created. I estimate the brand equity value of BP by year’s end will be approximately $5 billion (down from $20 billion in 2007). BP will not be able to regain any brand equity, as the burden of the crisis will weigh on them for decades.

Can BP’s brand ever be fully restored? Not in my opinion. The most likely outcome is that once BP gains control over the well, the company will become an acquisition target — preferably by a competitor with a better safety record.

Luxury Travel…a way of travelling.

It doesn´t seem to be a way to discourage people from travelling.

There are no travels, there are travellers. One of the many possible ways of going on a journey, is taking the path of the luxury style. If this is your “cup of tea” or you simply are a natural-born elegant “vacationist”, take a peep on the list below…and breathe.

Mezzatorre Resort & Spa | Ischia Luxury Hotel – This is one of the best and most beautiful hotels in Italy.

Don Alfonso 1890 | Sorrento, Amalfi Coast – Luxury hotel, located between Sorrento and Positano.

Andronis Luxury Suites | Santorini – You can enjoy local wines while overlooking the volcano.

Buddha Bar Hotel – Prague - Remarkable not only for its unique design, but also for the culinary delights (“eatertainments”)

Bay of Fires Lodge, Tasmania –  Situated in a National Park, beaches are of a unique turquoise  water.