Converse or not

The winner of the Swedish qualification for Eurovision Song Contest is Anna Bergendahl. She was singing in the first runner up contest in her red Converse shoes, combined with a pink girly dress. Pretty cool looks. However, Swedish Television didn´t like this PR-trick and forbid her to use those shoes at the final show. Guess what she did then? She borrowed her sisters´old shoes - the same color, the same model, but they were copies without a brand.

People at Converse are supposed to be sulky about this. They shouldn´t be. Most people know that she wanted to wear her Converse, and when she was forbidden to do so she found a way to look almost the same. It was great branding for Converse, although she wasn´t in their shoes.

I am not a fan of copies, but sometimes they have a good purpose.



Foto: M Hansson

Creating possibilities

As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

Travelling with a good conscience

Jambo Tours have decided to include discharge compensation in the ticket price. It will cost about $70 more to fly from Sweden to Africa or Asia. I wonder if people will buy these tickets. I hope so. It is a great idea and it is quite brave to do this, since some of the customers will choose other travellingcompanies because of the higher price. Thumbs up, Jambo Tours! It will certainly build your brand. (And the Great Travel Award must have been a good upcheerer!)

Jambo Tours

It is so easy to wish for a good environment, but it is harder to make it real.



When I check how my own living effects the discharges, I am way below average. That is until I add all those flights across the world. They put me way above average. To stop travelling would be a grief in my heart, though. Maybe this is the solution. Pay more and travel with a good conscience.

A bed of nails

I don´t really enjoy watching the movies or reading the books that everyone else does. That is probably a bit unintelligent. If a movie or book is popular, it probably has some qualities. Still it doesn´t feel good to do the things that everyone else does. I´d rather walk a path that is less popular and see less common things.

However, I fell for the pressure and got a bed of nails the other week. Why? Really. Why? I´ve fallen for those simple marketing rules. Couldn´t I see through them?

The bed of nails is nice, though. Pain is good. It creates energy and is a great contrast to that extremely comfortable bed beneath it.

So to summarize it all - the common things do not have to be bad. You just have to mix them with the uncommon things in order to stay on the bumpy road. Get some salt and then some sugar. Mix it your own way. Buy a bed of nails if you want to, but make sure that it is your own choice - not just a decision based on popularity.

Wiener Sängerknaben

Yesterday I was singing in the Concerthouse of Stockholm together with 250 choirsingers and 100 musicians. It was a fantastic concert - the 8th symphony of Mahler. To top it all, the director decided to fly in 26 boys from Wiener Sängerknaben to help the knaben-choir from Stockholm. They came in their sailorsuites. What a brand. You just need to hear their name to know that they will sing good and put some magic powder on top of the whole concert.

At times like this, I am happy that I am equipped with a singingvoice. Being part of a happening like last night is really something extra.

I haven´t stopped blogging

I´ve just been busy.

And while being busy, I have collected one or two thoughts along the way. I will share some with you shortly.

Expect more

The quality of our expectations determine the quality of our actions.