And the winner is...

 Once again, the Haitian beer gets the gold, the glory and confirms its bragging rights…pinning one additional gold medal to its shoulders. This medal comes short after the Dutch brewer Heineken NV’s recent acquisition of Brasserie Nationale d’Haïti, the Haiti based brewer of Prestige; confirming Prestige’s Lettre de Noblesse in the American-Style Cream Ale/Lager category. 

Gathering an elite international panel of judges screening through 799 breweries from 54 countries and 45 U.S. states, entering 3,921 beers in 95 beer style category, the 9th bi-annual competition of the 2012 Brewers Association World Beer Cup is referred to some as zeu Olympics of Beer Competition.

"It's called 'The Olympics of Beer Competition' for good reason," said Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association, the U.S. -based trade association that has put on the competition every two years since 1996. "The event brings together great brewers from all corners of the globe. Plus, the awards are highly regarded. It’s no surprise that a brewer who wins a World Beer Cup gold award knows that their winning beer represents the best of that beer style in the world.[1]

The emblematic Prestige is for Haitians a thing of pride; Evidence that Haitian excellence is possible amidst its tag of the poorest country in the Americas. Currently being exported to the US and Canada, Prestige now reaches its Diaspora, and the ever growing network of fans and aficionados.

Indeed, Prestige delivers a very agreeable, satisfying and distinctive taste. At 5.6% alcohol, it comes in strong but delivers to the palette smoothly. “There may bit a bit of voodoo in every 4th beer” says a foreigner tasting Prestige for the fist time[2]…surely referring to the lager’s nice kick, but also to the perfectly abstract, at times even supernatural nature of the Haitian people. Yep! From an island like no other, it’s a beer come true!

Prestige, born and raised in Haiti – with Dutch parents.

And compliments to Haitians worldwide! This is something to celebrate and to be proud of.


[1] http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/media/press-releases/show?title=2012-world-beer-cup-winners-announced
[2] beerofthecaribbean.com

Fête champêtre: le Rhum des Connaisseurs a 150 ans !

De gauche à droite: Thierry Gardere, PDG de Barbancourt, Eliane Bayard, Directrice de l'agence, trois des creatifs qui ont oeuvré pour maintenir vivante la Magie du Rhum Barbancourt : OB (depuis 2002), J.Breham (1982), et S.Armand (2000). William Eliacin, Directeur Financier de Barbancourt.

Le dimanche 18 mars 2012, au cours de la première manifestation publique célébrant l’ouverture de l’année du Cent Cinquantenaire de la Société du Rhum Barbancourt, le Rhum des Connaisseurs et PubliGestion ont scellé officiellement leur partenariat qui dure depuis bientôt 30 ans.

En effet, l’idée de cette Fête Champêtre germait et prenait forme dans l’esprit de nos créatifs depuis que Barbancourt confiait à PubliGestion, il y a 3 ans,  la mission d’envisager une formule hors du commun pour célébrer leurs 150 ans.

Les dirigeants de Barbancourt ayant accueilli avec enthousiasme cette proposition, nous sommes passés à la phase de lancement de sa mise en œuvre en mettant à contribution toute notre équipe et en faisant appel     à un certain nombre de spécialistes dont Geneviève Gaillard Vanté qui a mis sur pied un très beau décor, célébrant la canne et le rhum, Geneviève Némorin pour la préparation du délicieux buffet typiquement haïtien: griot, mais ak djondjon, lalo, gratin de « lame veritab » et lambi créole ; Culinary Mix au bar où Michelle Angus, « mixologiste » de talent a su offrir des cocktails au rhum originaux et fort appréciés du public ; JEAFA …. pour ne citer que ceux-là. Sans oublier l’implication pleine et entière du personnel de Barbancourt qui n’a jamais marchandé sa participation au travail de Titan qu’a nécessité la réalisation de cet évènement d’envergure.

Sous le brûlant soleil de ce beau dimanche de mars, la super bande de rara « Follow Jah », des  spécialistes du tressé ruban, de ravissantes jeunes filles « bouteilles », habillées par Jocelyne Firmin de Jacmel, se mêlaient à la foule des invités abrités par de flamboyant parasols frappés du logo des 150 ans de Barbancourt. Une authentique ambiance de fête champêtre pour célébrer le Rhum de tous les Haïtiens.

Le jus de canne coulait à flot, surprenant de fraîcheur, tandis que son grand frère, distillé et offert en abondance, faisait le délice des amateurs.

Monseigneur Lafontant, après avoir justifié avec beaucoup d’humour la présence de l’Eglise à cette fête du rhum, a béni les lieux et les participants. Marie Brunette Brutus interprétait alors un vibrant Hymne National. Puis, successivement William Eliacin Directeur Commercial et Thierry Gardère Président Directeur Général de la Société, s’adressèrent    à l’assistance avant de remettre des plaques commémoratives aux employés faisant partie du personnel de l’entreprise depuis plus de 30 ans. Une dizaine de partenaires de longue date de Barbancourt, dont PubliGestion est fière de faire partie, ont également été l’objet d’une distinction de la part des dirigeants de la Société.

L’animation musicale de DJ Cash Cash était régulièrement interrompue par des prestations diverses : les Frères Dodo, musiciens troubadours ; la chanteuse Marie Brunette Brutus ; et finalement Samba…...accompagné par Manzè dans sa performance. A la fin de cette belle journée, chaque invité emportait avec lui, dans un sac-cadeau marqué du logo du cent-cinquantenaire, une bouteille de Réserve Spéciale numérotée, embouteillée spécialement à l’occasion de la fête. Un de ces t-shirts Barbancourt, de couleur orange, faisant de plus en plus  partie de notre paysage quotidien, était joint à la bouteille.

Thierry Gardère  exprimait sa satisfaction et nous présentait ses félicitations en ses termes : « Compliments à PubliGestion pour avoir    réussi à créer cette ambiance authentiquement haïtienne dans le respect       de la tradition de qualité que cultive la Société du Rhum Barbancourt »


Et que la fête continue…….avec Barbancourt !

Comfort Zones Make Creatives...ahem...Uncomfortable.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vrogy/

“Well done!” says the Account Executive, proud to have delivered on time. “Right…” answers the graphic designer thinking he did it well, but had he been given enough time, it would have made the difference between “good” and “awesomeness.”

I heard or read somewhere that every creative needs something to rebel against, and in this case, the rebellion usually happens between the creatives and the accounts people.  Accounts wants to keep things on track: "We don’t change a formula that works!" The Creative reiterates: "I want to re-inivent the wheel."

And there it goes…the eternal incompatibility of character, lol.

To our beloved Account Managers and Executives here at PG, and all around...know that it is in the creatives’ nature to want to change things. DNA oblige, they can't play by the rules for the obvious reasons that rules are made to broken…but not “broken”in the delinquent sense of the word… but more like, breaking new grounds or breaking the top speed, or simply break dancing to Bach 9th Symphony because it feels good! Comfort zones make creatives uncomfortable.  

PG over, and out.

Rebo Expesso

We like to pay homage to our clients. This month, we’ve launched the Facebook page of Haiti’s first coffee shop of international standards: REBO Expresso.

Right in the heart one of Haiti's busiest business centers in Haiti, REBO Expresso is located in Pétion-Ville. When you go there, however, you feel disconnected from the hustle and bustle. You are in a world of delicious coffees, teas, and treats.

In our country, we are true coffee connoisseurs, and here at PubliGestion, the team working on REBO Expresso quickly got passionate about the coffee shop. We’ve heard a few friends mention that REBO Expresso is the local Starbucks, but seriously, it is not a copy. It's quite unique, and the owners made the smartest move they could have by inserting many Haitian touches throughout the café: from the building where it is located which is filled with Caribbean effervescence to the local and savory delights you will get to snack on, such as papitas and "doucelettes"! This coffee shop has nothing to envy the biggest coffee chains in the world.

And so, to keep it short, we whole-heartedly invite you to go have a real Haitian espresso there. Once you walk through those doors, you will be greeted, not only by the aroma of freshly grinded and brewed coffees, but also by one of the friendliest staffs around!

Click on me, or on the picture.

 

Quotes on Advertising / Citations sur la Pub

     This week, we're keeping it fun, as usual... ;-)

     Click on the first quote, and look at the quotes as a slideshow. Enjoy!

Manje Ayisyen (Haitan Food)

Found on Haiti Tourism inc's Facebook Page

Haitian food. You’ve had it. Or you’ve heard of it. Our food is no doubt the tastiest of this region.

Let’s elaborate: 

When a country’s taste buds and cuisine has been influenced by the likes of French, African, Spanish and Amerindian delights, it’s natural for its food to be so scrumptious and unique. Throughout our history, several foreign countries occupied our island, and introduced food and ideas from their native lands, many of which significantly affected the menus we modern Haitians eat. A true melting pot indeed. 

Though Haitian food is often grouped together with other Caribbean lands as "Caribbean cuisine", our country maintains exceptional and unique flavors. From endemic ingredients to distinctive recipes, Zagat or the Michelin guide would surely have fun sampling and rating our local restaurants and dishes. Ever had a good Bouillon cooked with the goat's head, simmered pork knees, Rum green pea pigeon, or Di Ri Djondjon ? The latter is one of our many specifically native dishes to Haiti. Diri djondjon is “black mushroom flavored rice”. It requires the juice from an endemic black mushrooms call Djon Djon, a locally grown fungi used to color the rice black. Trust us, it’s delicious, like rice with attitude. 

Some other truly Haitian dishes include TonmTonm ak Calalou, which consists of a bread fruit puree accompanied by seasoned okra; Finish that off with a pain patate desert, a sweetened potato, fig, and banana pudding (add some condensed milk to it)...and voilà! Make sure you have a good Rhum Barbancourt around to complement as a digestive and call it a feast fit for a king. 

There are a myriad of other dishes, and so we strongly suggest you buy yourself one of the great Haitian cooking books available in local libraries. May we suggest "My Favorite Recipes" by Marie-Denise Célestin. 

Ah! We started salivating at the idea of the food we’ve listed so far, but this blog wouldn’t be complete if we didn't list the following: Riz et Pois National (rice and kidney beans much like the Cuban dish), Mayi moulen (cornmeal mush), pikliz (spicy pickled carrots and cabbage), Bannann peze (fried plantains, similar to bananas), tasso (deep-fried beef), griot (fried pork), etc, etc...

If you haven’t had a chance to sample our cuisine, we can recommend a few places in Haiti and abroad to get a feel of what you've been missing:

In Haiti, try La Coquille: a very clean buffet style restaurant right in the heart of Petion-Ville.

In Miami, try TapTap: a typical Haitian a-la-carte menu. We recommend the poisson gwosèl.

In New York City, try Krik Krak: Krik Krak's dishes are full of flavors that are marinaded with celestial Haitian spices that will leave a smile on your face.   

Once you’ve had our food, you will open up your buds to our land and magic. Tasting our chow makes your understand our culture. Food for soul and satisfaction guaranteed.

Do you have a favorite Haitian flavored restaurant? In Montreal, Canada? In Washington DC? In Paris, France? In Atlanta? Wherever you are located. Share them all with us. Comment below. :)

We Are Nothing Without Knowledge

What is SOPA?

We're Hiring - Web Designer

by mashedpotatomonkey

Our Digital Marketing Department is growing, and we are hiring. Who are we looking for? That guy. Or gal. That person with the expertise to create a website from scratch, from front-end to back-end. That person who works at code level. That person who can design aesthetically, beautifully. That person who doesn’t have to be constantly looked after…we’re not in kindergarten.

That person who has the following technical skills:

1- Expert in Adobe Photoshop

2- Skilled in Adobe Illustration 
3- Expert in HTML & XHTML

4- Expert in CSS

5- Skilled in DHTML/JavaScript

At PG, each member of the team is an independent piece to the puzzle, and right now, we are missing a piece: YOU. You are talented. You are a team player. You are passionate about the interwebs. You are a creative being who gets inspired by the God(s) from above. Yeah? Yeah…you. You’re THAT person. Aren’t you? Yeah. You. Are. Email us: letstalk@publigestion.biz. Let’s Talk.

Below is a list of things not to include in the email you will be sending our way.

Ok, what we don’t want:

1- You call yourself a "Webmaster"

Any web person who calls himself a "Webmaster" probably isn't a master of anything. Okay, maybe of his own domain. The term "webmaster" has become a translation for the word "amateur" and is so passé. 

2-You’re a FrontPage expert

FrontPage will pass for your girlfriend who wants to create a website dedicated to your first time…at the park - not for brand or a service. It's not a professional look.

3- You have added a "Designed By ...." plug on the bottom of every website you’ve created

Our clients will pay us to create a marketing tool for them – not a billboard for yourself. Be professional.

4- You think a great splash page has to be done with Flash Animation

Translation: “You’re a dinosaur.” A- Flash is not cool these days. B- A splash page can be a barrier to entry.

5- You have recently added fit a “cool” counter to websites

You want to add an ugly plug-in so that our clients’ competitors have an idea of our clients’ web stats? Sweet! Not.

6- You’ve placed a "Best If Viewed in..." message on a website
No responsible programmer would place a "best if view in..." message on the front-end of a website.

If you are over-thinking it, think this:

If you come work with our team, you will become the teammate of the best of the best that there is in Haiti. Our team is highly specialized at an international level. We have the best in web development and design, as well as the best in online marketing (social media). You will work alongside the number one team in the country. The cream. Of. The crop. Join us. Let’s Talk.

New Year. New Bloggers' Block.

Sorta.

So there we are, a few bloggers under one rooftop at PubliGestion. We dubbed our blog "Bloggers' Block", a merger of six very distinct blogging voices: Olivier (Ob) our Marketing Director, Pong our Head Graphic Designer, Jacquemine (JL) one of our Account Executives (we needed to add at least one person from the "other" side), Richie (RM) our Producer, Keriko our friend from space (he comes in peace), and myself - Veronique (VC), our Digital Marketing Strategist. Ultimately, Bloggers' Block is a team effort and every single member of the PubliGestion team contributes in his or her way.

You may be wondering why we are suddenly introducing who is behind the blog. Well, this year, we're going to do things a little bit differently. Rather than posting every monday, we will post every wednesday. It's the middle of the week. You need a break from your reports, we need a break from our clients (we love you!), but we both need to share and consume knowledge. BTW, don't be surprised if we post twice in a week sporadically - life isn't about the walls and rules which constrain us ;). 

We promise you though that our voices won't change. Our blogs will be consistent as usual, but this year, note that there will be 6 distinct POVs sharing a common vibe of advertising, design, Haiti, inner peace, and all things net. En d'autres mots, a little something for everybody. We will be full of surprises, and it'll never be the same perspective - basically what you always loved about us. What we will keep on doing in the same way is that we will continue to jump in on topics together. At PG, we give out ideas for free because it's all about sharing the wealth that is le-savoir-faire. And on Bloggers' Block, you'll always get six for the price of free. 

PubliGestion, forever.