September 2008

2008-09-26 — Mandla Mpahlwa — Interviewer — CNBC AFRICA Kaleidoscope, originally uploaded by royblumenthal.

I made this pic while I was being interviewed by Mandla in the CNBC AFRICA ‘Kaleidoscope’ studio during our dummy run.

I’m doing live visual facilitation for all studio interviews as of Saturday 4 October.

In our kick-off show, Mandla will be chatting to me about what visual facilitation actually is. Then I’ll spend the rest of the show standing at my easel and making artworks based on what people are saying.

The speech bubble here in this pic of Mandla came about when she turned to the huge video wall behind us and reacted with a tiny amount of disbelief.

I knew what she was going to say, so, as she was looking, I drew the bubble, and wrote the words almost as she said them.

The dummy run was a complete success. And we’ve tested the technology. And it all works spiffingly.

Notice the paper background I’ve painted Mandla on. If you look carefully, you’ll see that it says ‘Asus’ in a repeated motif.

That’s because the computer I’m now doing my visual facilitation on is a sponsered machine.

Rectron South Africa, the guys who distribute Asus here (amongst other machines), have given me a high-end Asus R1E to use on the show, and in my paid gigs. There’s a good chance I’ll be putting other machines from their stable under the unique pressure I apply to tablet pcs.

I want you to know that I’ll be writing commentary about the machine every now and again. All kindnesses I display towards the machine are real. And all negative comments are also real. The fact that the computer is a freebie is not a factor in this.

I’ve discussed this with Sebastian Isaac, the Marketing Director of Rectron. And I’ve spelled out that I’ll be providing fair comment. He’s happy with that. I’m happy with that.

I will continue my habit of transparent attribution whenever I use a machine.

This painting was made live in the CNBC AFRICA ‘Kaleidoscope’ studio on a Rectron-sponsored Asus R1E tablet pc, running my own paid-for version of ArtRage 2.5.

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I had coffee with Peter last week Thursday, and he told me that I was
welcome to post his response to my apology. So here it is. He sent it
to me first thing the morning after I posted it.

Hi Roy,

Your note from last night really made me smile. Thanks so much for
taking the time to write it too.
The negative comments are always quick to flow (and nearly always
justified when the consumer is annoyed), but it takes dedication as an
active consumer to write the constructive comments – so a big thanks
to you: it has such a brilliant effect on the team.

As I said in one of my responses to your blog, I am incredibly proud
of the team (though I get very annoyed when things fall short, its got
to be said). As you mention, we are in the process of hiring a new
Head of Customer Services, so I am even more proud of the more junior
team stepping up when and where they can, and appreciate our
consumers' patience as we make the change.

I am also very acutely aware that you are just one consumer turned
'back to volunteer evangelism' from a negative experience, and we have
to work hard to get through the group of our first upgraders (among
them your friends on the blog and twitter), as well as welcome the
newer people who are joining up (in good numbers by the way – the club
is growing nicely!).

Finally, I still want you to take me up on the offer of a coffee this
week – we want to be the most talked about mobile provider (in a good
way!). We know we need to earn it, and I am sure you have some great
tips for us.
The path of the 'giant-killer', as you put it, will always be a tough
one; but it is one we have chosen, and it doesn't mean we can't enjoy
it.
I remember two quotes from university days: the old economist's 'small
is beautiful' and 'whether you think you can or you think you can't,
you're right'!

Speak soon,
Peter

Peter Boyd
CEO
Virgin Mobile South Africa

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