Astralón Jukebox 18 https://www.astralon.gr Digital Marketing, Social Media, Culture Wed, 27 Mar 2024 13:26:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.28 https://www.astralon.gr/astralon-dev/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/cropped-astralon-favicon-final-100x100.png Astralón Jukebox 18 https://www.astralon.gr 32 32 Astralón Jukebox 18 https://www.astralon.gr/astralon-jukebox-18/ https://www.astralon.gr/astralon-jukebox-18/#respond Fri, 08 Mar 2024 14:02:50 +0000 https://www.astralon.gr/?p=37002/ Welcome to the latest edition of Astralón Jukebox, where we curate a diverse selection of tunes to elevate your day. From classical melodies to modern electronic beats, our playlist has something for everyone.

As we navigate through our daily routines, we often find solace and inspiration in the power of music. 

The previous months we embraced some of the composers and musicians that were shined due to lovely movies as Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days” or Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things”, while we enjoyed some hip-hop acts from different backgrounds, as Travis Scott or Billy Woods – who by the way visited Athens few weeks ago. The new songs by Helado Negro, Future Islands, Justice, Arab Strap and Shed Seven were true gems. And let’s not forget the soulful rhythms of legends like Ann Lee Peebles and Stevie Wonder, whose timeless classics never fail to uplift our spirits.

We invite you to press play and immerse yourself in the sounds that have been making our work days brighter.



On image Ares Buras’ old Sony CD Walkman.

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Digital Marketing KPIs and Metrics https://www.astralon.gr/digital-marketing-kpis-and-metrics/ https://www.astralon.gr/digital-marketing-kpis-and-metrics/#respond Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:53:59 +0000 https://www.astralon.gr/?p=37290/ In today’s world, KPIs and metrics are crucial for any business or organization.

[Last Updated: 26/03/2024]

KPIs provide a quantifiable measure of success, while metrics offer the raw data to track progress. By analyzing them, the brands can gain valuable insights into their performance, identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions. Always here to help you, this blog post will delve into the KPIs and metrics, explaining their meaning easily and effectively. 

Google Ads KPIs & Metrics

  • Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of people who saw our ad and clicked on it.
  • Cost-per-click (CPC): Cost-per-click (CPC) bidding means that we pay for each click on our ads. For CPC bidding campaigns, we set a maximum cost-per-click bid – or simply “max. CPC” – that’s the highest amount that we are willing to pay for a click on our ad.
  • Conversion: An action that’s counted when someone interacts with our ad and then takes an action that we’ve defined as valuable to our business, such as an online purchase or a call to our business from a mobile phone.
  • Conversion Rate: The percentage of people who clicked on an ad and then completed a desired action.
  • Cost-Per-Conversion (CPA): The average amount we’ve been charged for a conversion from our ad. Average cost per action (CPA) is calculated by dividing the total cost of conversions by the total number of conversions.
  • Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM): The cost for every thousand impressions of our ad.
  • Impression Share (IS): The percentage of impressions our ad received out of the total it was eligible to receive.

Google Analytics KPIs & Metrics

  • Users: Users represent the number of active visitors visiting the website or app.
  • New Users: New users  account for those visiting the website or app for the first time.
  • Active Users: It tracks the number of users who visited our site or app and had an engaged session.
  • Pageviews: it refers to the total number of times a specific page on our website has been seen by visitors. 5 pageviews by the same person during the same period equals 1 session.
  • Sessions: A session is recorded from the moment someone enters our site to the moment they exit.
  • Acquisition Source: this KPI points to what channels or sources website visitors came from, such as social media, organic search (Google), or direct traffic.
  • Engagement rate: is the percentage of engaged sessions on our website or mobile app. An engaged session is any session that:
    Lasts at least 10 seconds / Has at least 1 conversion event / Has at least 2 pageviews
  • Average Engagement Time: is the average time a browser engages with our website. It’s calculated for active users only, or those who had an engaged session.
  • Events: they represent specific actions on the website that are tracked separately from page views, such as button clicks, file downloads, or form submissions. In GA4, the metric event count corresponds to the total number of times an event occurs.

TikTok, Meta Suite, LinkedIn, X and other social media platforms

  • Objective: The objective we have selected for our campaign. This objective reflects the goal we want to achieve with our advertising.
  • Cost per link click (CPC): The average amount each click costs you.
  • Unique Link Clicks: The number of actions taken on our Page, profile or any of our content, attributed to our ads.
  • Cost Per Action (CPA): Cost per action (CPA) allows us to pay only for actions people take because of our ad.
  • CPM: Cost per mille. The average amount of money you’ve spent on each 1,000 impressions.
  • Reach: The number of unique users who saw your ads at least once. This metric is estimated.
  • Cost per 1,000 People Reached: The average cost to reach 1,000 unique users. This metric is estimated.
  • Frequency: The average number of times each person saw your ad.
  • CTR: The percentage of impressions where a click occurred out of the total number of impressions.
  • Results: The number of times our ad achieved an outcome, based on the objective and settings we selected.
  • Result Rate: The percentage of results that occured out of the number of impressions.
  • Impressions: The number of times your ads were on screen.
  • Page Engagement: The number of actions taken on your Page, profile or any of your content, attributed to your ads.
  • Engagement Rate: Number of times people engaged with your ad (paid and free clicks divided by total impressions).
  • Landing page views: The number of times a click on an ad resulted in the successful loading of a destination web page, Instant Experience or Meta Shop.
  • Leads: Number of leads collected through a campaign, based on information received from one or more of your connected Business Tools. 
  • Searches: The number of search events attributed to your ads, based on information received from one or more of your connected Business Tools.

 

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Unlocking the Potential: The Rise of Digital Fashion in the Metaverse https://www.astralon.gr/the-rise-of-digital-fashion-in-the-metaverse/ https://www.astralon.gr/the-rise-of-digital-fashion-in-the-metaverse/#respond Tue, 20 Feb 2024 15:33:36 +0000 https://www.astralon.gr/?p=36365/ After the spread of the pandemic, we realize that there is a development around another digital world called the metaverse.

The Metaverse is a digital, three-dimensional, parallel universe. Everything that happens in the real world is also possible there. A virtual, imaginary world in which the boundaries between real and digital life are particularly blurred.

“The metaverse is an embodied internet that you’re inside of instead of just looking at” – Mark Zuckerberg.

Consumers’ reliance on tech is growing. More than three-quarters (76%) of global consumers say their everyday lives and activities depend on technology, rising to 79% of Gen Z (ages 16-26), and 80% of millennials (ages 27-41).

And this dependence is informing every aspect of daily life:

  • 64% of global consumers say their social life depends on technology
  • 61% say their livelihood depends on technology,
  • 56% say their creativity depends on technology,
  • 52% say their happiness depends on technology
  • and 50% say their well-being depends on technology (Wunderman Thompson Intelligence,2021)

However, with the recent emergence of the metaverse, the parallel world in virtual reality, a new horizon of digital fashion has opened. The fashion sector has surprisingly emerged as one of the most willing to adopt digitization and virtual realities and transform its business model, motivated by the apparent abundance of options and benefits they have to offer.

Astralon-Blogpost-MetaverseIn this new world, virtual fashion is being sold in a variety of ways: from gaming platforms and digital photos to videos that use augmented reality and even NFTs; representing an interesting opportunity for the industry to reach new horizons and increase its revenue.

The apparent amount of advantages the Metaverse has is turning an industry that has always relied heavily on physical interactions, into one of the most interested and ready to bridge the gap between the digital and physical world. Thus, the relevant technologies are adapted in such a way as to allow a more comprehensive presentation of products, such as in 3D, or the operation of electronic showrooms, where the user has access to a digital store corresponding and similar to the real one. A step further, the meta enables virtual testing of clothes through avatars with the shape and characteristics of each user. Therefore, online shopping becomes even more efficient as the need to buy products to test them is eliminated.

In the second stage, the meta can be a new, powerful weapon for shaping new trends. Fashion evolved by broadcasting shows online, mixing realities on short videos, or incorporating avatars and other 3d animations. Burberry became the first luxury fashion brand to partner with Twitch, signifying a new era for the fast-growing live-streaming platform for gamers.

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(Vogue Business, Inside Twitch’s Play for Fashion, 2020)

And last but not least, fashion is now turning to the creation and distribution of intangible products. For example, intangible fashion products can be made available in various telecommunication and interconnection applications. Just imagine being at home in your pajamas and during your video meeting, you are wearing a beautiful dress from your favorite brand.

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(Balenciaga, Afterworld, 2024, Source: https://videogame.balenciaga.com/en/)

Another outstanding example of how fashion entered the metaverse world is Balenciaga which is the most forward-thinking brand when it comes to integrating digital technologies. For the Fall collection of 2021, the brand created its own game called Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow to showcase the entire collection. This idea not only was an innovative way to market clothes, but it also hallmarked an entire era for the fashion industry.

One more remarkable example is the luxury Italian brand, Gucci. In collaboration with the popular gaming platform Roblox, they launched a digital experience called Gucci Garden, which was inspired by the label’s real-life Florence show. Users were able to explore the immersive themed rooms, try on, and even purchase Gucci NFTs to wear in the game.

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(Gucci, 2024, Source: https://www.gucci.com/us/en/st/stories/article/gucci-gaming-roblox)

“As visitors enjoy the interactive, virtual exhibition inspired by Gucci advertising campaigns, their digital avatars transform into dress-up dolls that absorb exhibition elements and become unique digital art themselves. In the process, visitors can choose from a limited collection of items for their avatars, created solely for the experience.” (Gucci).

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(Gucci, 2024, Source: https://www.gucci.com/us/en/st/stories/article/gucci-gaming-roblox)

At the same time, a lot of fashion brands have signed partnerships with various video game applications, intending to make their products available for the needs of the avatars that star in them. It is also characteristic that fashion brands have already started to have NFT digital intellectual property certificates that can be stored via blockchain to secure their products.

Let’s see some statistics that promise a fruitful fashion metaverse future.

  • It is expected to reach $6.61 billion by 2026.
  • As of now, Nike has made $185 million in NFT sales.
  • Dolce & Gabbana has generated a revenue of $25.6 million in NFTs
  • Gucci made $11.56 million in NFT revenue and $31 million in secondary sales.
  • Adidas saw 51,000 transactions in the secondary market with over $175 million in NFT sales volume. (Linkedin, 2023)

In conclusion, the emergence of the metaverse represents a profound shift in the digital landscape, opening up new possibilities for the fashion industry. With the undeniable truth of real and digital life merging closer together, virtual fashion is quickly gaining traction, offering unique opportunities for sales and the integration of digital technologies. It’s an evolution that calls for continued exploration, creativity, and adaptation. As we step into this new digital world, the opportunities and challenges it presents will undoubtedly redefine the future of fashion.

References
LinkedIn, Top Fashion Brands Leveraging The Metaverse, 2023
Vogue Business, Inside Twitch’s Play for Fashion, 2020
Vogue Greece, Fashion and metaverse: The future is already here, 2022
Wunderman Thompson Intelligence, Into The Metaverse, 2021

 

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George Baltas, Professor at AUEB, Is Talking To The Astralón Times. https://www.astralon.gr/george-baltas-interview/ https://www.astralon.gr/george-baltas-interview/#respond Fri, 09 Feb 2024 15:23:17 +0000 https://www.astralon.gr/?p=36016/ George Baltas, Professor at AUEB, is talking to The Astralón Times about education, the evolution of marketing, the new trends, and consumer behaviors.

An expert in his field, Dr. George Baltas, Professor in the Department of Marketing and Communication, Head of the Post-Graduate Studies in Analytical Marketing at AUEB, Warwick University PhD graduate, and President of Greek Marketing Academy, is keenly interested in and a student of consumer behaviors and marketing as the whole, both at a research and educational level. With dozens of publications, scientific papers and awards to his credit, he talks to The Astralón Times about tertiary education in Greece, the new trends and AI, but also about the ongoing adverse socio-economic issues in Greece and abroad.

It’s the start of another academic year. As a member of the academic community, specializing in the field of marketing, what qualifications should a university student be equipped with to enter the labor market, in your opinion?

Marketing offers a variety of different positions of employment, both functionally and industry-wise. In practice, we’re talking about a broad spectrum of work roles and professions connecting a business with its clients and the management of its markets.

However, professional qualifications have changed everywhere, and now new, expert knowledge and skills are required. Technological advancements and the new business environment have rendered marketing much more technical and analytical. Executives and marketers are called to deal with, comprehend and make use of technologies and data which have become a part of their daily work. This means that the labour market demands certified expertise and training in the field of marketing, with specific emphasis on subject matters such as marketing analytics and digital marketing. Therefore, anyone wishing to pursue a career and advance in marketing, needs to have a specific scientific background and absolutely relevant high-level studies. In addition, as the level of studies is not the same everywhere, a lot of care should be given to the choice of the educational institution and training programme. 

Finally, it may be a cliché, but it should be repeated, that personality, a broader education, behavior and the mindset, with which one approaches one’s profession, are also weighing factors.

You find yourself daily in university amphitheatres and classrooms, yet the COVID-19 pandemic brought about distance learning in the fore as the only teaching method possible during that period. Now that we have the option of both distance learning and face-to-face teaching, among other things, what do you think are the pros and cons of each? Also, to what extent will we see the long-term impact of universal distance learning during the pandemic?

Distance learning was introduced in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic and has been established as an alternative and useful teaching method. Its main advantage is the transcendence of spatial and temporal constraints. Its main disadvantage is the limited educational experience, in the sense that students do not have the experience of a physical presence at the educational institution, or of live social interaction. This disadvantage is, of course, more serious when it pertains to studies where laboratory teaching and practical training are required. Undoubtedly, distance learning is here to stay, and will further develop technologically. I believe that its role in higher education will be reinforced and may become primary in individual sectors such as vocational education and executive training programmes.

What is your advice to the new generation of marketers who embrace future trends but often find it difficult to persuade business management and older senior executives? How can statistical data support their effort?

Quantitative data can help us to support our propositions and to design strategies which are tailored to the market and suit the conditions of the environment.  However, it still remains a huge challenge to change the business culture and the mindset of some executives so that they can comprehend marketing evolution and accept the role technology and data play in designing strategies and their implementation.

How will AI influence the marketing industry, and how will we be able to make good use of it in our daily lives, so that it can function as a tool and an ally and not as our replacement?

Artificial Intelligence will have an enormous influence on the marketing industry and will inevitably have an impact on the division of labour in the profession. It will partially or fully replace humans in a variety of tasks and processes, where the cost-benefit balance will be in its favour, for instance content creation, customer service, optimisation of marketing procedures, automations, etc. It will support and complement humans in tasks and processes of a more strategic, critical and analytical content.

Generally, any predictions regarding the future role of AI remain highly uncertain. The near past has proven that developments take us by surprise and may take an unpredictable turn, as has happened with Generative AI in the previous months. Regardless of what we hope or wish for, history has shown that technology replaces labour when it makes economic sense. We would also be remiss in not mentioning the major ethical, moral, regulatory and statutory issues which arise from the development of AI, and which have so far not been addressed with due attention.

In a recent speech you gave at a symposium on digital innovation and the challenges of leadership, something you said, which is not often talked about in conferences and symposia, has struck me. You referred to Greece and to the fact that since 2009 it has been in a permanent state of crisis, ranging from the economic one, with the recessionary measures implemented during the memorandums, to the period of the pandemic and the recent impacts of the war in Ukraine. How easy is it for someone to venture into business and innovate under these conditions?

Yes, it’s true that Greece has been going through major successive crises, while there’s also the view that we have globally entered an era of permacrisis. In any case, the conditions are challenging and put a strain on anyone venturing into business or innovating. Nevertheless, since the macro-environment is given, we are obliged to adapt to it and operate in a way that suits these conditions. Let us remember that crises always create their own opportunities and promote innovation as they force humans to be inventive and try harder.

In the last year specifically, we have observed extreme cases of expensiveness and profiteering both globally and in Greece, where the measures taken (i.e. Market pass) do not meet the basic needs of the citizens. How do you view these steps, what would you recommend, and what do you reckon will be the influence of these measures in the near future?

Continued price appreciation together with the rigidity of consumer prices despite the recession in production costs have attracted the specialists’ and the public’s attention. At an international level, reputable experts have raised the alarm against an inflation of greed, using the term ‘greedflation’ to describe the disproportionate rise in prices on the pretext of rising costs and with the aim to achieve a higher margin of profit. The exploitation of inflation for greater profit, the downward price rigidity and the disproportionate rise in prices are often indications of insufficiently functioning competition. Oligopoly conditions and high industry concentration favour the appearance of such phenomena.

As far as Greece is concerned, successive studies have already highlighted the influence of large appreciations in the cost of living and consumer behaviour.

❝The majority of consumers have changed behavior and are trying to adjust to an economic environment whose main characteristic is a higher cost of living.❞

The changes driven by higher commodity costs, and which consumers are already applying, include cutting back on consumption, switching to cheaper products and the pursuit of lower prices, deals and discounts before the purchase of a product. These changes adjust purchasing habits to the new inflationary conditions, but obviously don’t solve the problem of expensiveness for the consumers. The fact that continued price appreciation is found in goods necessary for daily life is causing financial pressure and tying up a large portion of household income in very basic consumer spending.

It is worth mentioning parenthetically that the outdated pricing methods, in practice, do not help contain markups. For instance, simply adding a profit percentage to the cost of goods sold or the wholesale price remains a very common pricing method. Thus, any cost increase is automatically passed on to the prices of the goods, without considering its impact on sales volume, sales value and ultimately profitability. In addition, the effects on consumer attitudes towards the product, consumer loyalty and willingness to pay are also not assessed. Simplistic approaches to pricing show the general inability of many companies to leverage modern data and analytics tools in decision making.

In relation to the measures, undoubtedly, in a period of high inflation and noticeable deterioration in consumers’ standard of living, it is socially necessary to have a framework of consumer protection regarding the cost of staples. Measures aimed at enhancing competition, making the market work more efficiently, and controlling pricing practices may be useful. In these difficult problems, we are not looking for a magical single solution, but individual steps which can have a positive contribution, and which, when combined, can bring about a tangible relief to the consumer.

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So fresh. So good… So TikTok | Case Study https://www.astralon.gr/so-fresh-so-good-so-tiktok-case-study/ https://www.astralon.gr/so-fresh-so-good-so-tiktok-case-study/#respond Wed, 10 Jan 2024 14:44:20 +0000 https://www.astralon.gr/?p=35201/ This is a case study showcasing the integration of TikTok into the digital marketing strategy of Crepaland by the Astralón team, along with the enhancement of Instagram and other social media platforms.

The Astralón Digital Agency undertook the development and evaluation of  Crepaland’s digital communication plan. The thorough analysis provided a more clear description of the competitive landscape, market opportunities and weaknesses, the selection of appropriate social media platforms, the enhancement of existing ones, and the vital need to engage with a younger audience. Simultaneously, the agency crafted innovative content and digital campaigns, particularly focusing on TikTok.

Our objectives, which guided the selection of channels, content themes, visual aesthetics, and overall messaging, were; the augmentation of brand recognition and engagement, increase of user interaction, encouraging content creation from Crepaland’s team, attracting B2B and B2C customers.

A noteworthy outcome was the substantial growth in organic reach and in registered users, and the heightened interest in both products and investment opportunities.

@crepaland Crepaland moments 💕 Μοιραστείτε την αγαπημένη σας γλυκιά απόλαυση! ✨ #CrepaLand #CrepaLandGreece #Creperie #Chocolate #Crepes #Cyprus #Greece ♬ original sound - Crepaland

The following section delves into a comprehensive analysis of this case study.

Location: Greece

Challenges:
To introduce Crepaland to the TikTok users
To create a community
To boost the brand’s awareness and get it noticed
 To produce content that we will capture viewers’ attention

Target – Audience:
Restaurant owners / potential investors/ new franchisees
Users 14 – 22 years old (buyers & desicion makers)

Actions:
Competitors analysis, the current dynamics of TikTok in Greece, which has more than 3.5 million users (Naftemporiki, December 2023), the approach to Gen Z, as well as the communication of the astralón team with the TikTok team in Greece for the implementation of best practices in terms of content, showed that this platform is a significant opportunity Crepaland.
Crepaland identified the most popular menu choices throughout Greece, which also align with the company’s high-margin products.
In collaboration with director Kyriakos Nohoutidis, Crepaland created original content in the form of short videos lasting up to 30 seconds. This content is characterized by short slogans, upbeat music, and a modern aesthetic, which create a “so fresh, so good” effect to reflect the taste of Crepaland. The content was also completed by the astralón creative department, which added imaginative motion graphics. The project continued with the posting of the content and its promotion to TikTok’s demanding young audience.
And the goal of leveraging the large organic reach that characterizes TikTok was achieved! In less than 6 months, without influencers and with a lifetime budget of less than 1,000 euros, we recorded the following KPIs:

Elements of innovation:

  • Creation of content with pop aesthetics to convey the excitement, quality, and taste of Crepaland’s products to the new generation.
  • In addition to our business-to-consumer communication, campaigns tracking the completion of an interest form by restaurant employees/potential new investors were served.
  • Encouraging franchisee-generated content: We encouraged existing Crepaland franchise store partners to create content from their own daily work-life. Their active participation is important both for the social media presence and the success of the entire company.

The audience’s response increased organic results. Giveaways that gathered about 3,000 new registered users in the newsletter list, direct messages about the nearest store, interaction and sharing of content by followers, as well as increased traffic in stores were some of the results that the astralón team measured.

The interaction with the public and the younger generation that chooses our stores reveals to us that this was only the beginning! Analyzing all the reports and elements of the actions we are drawing up a new plan for the production of high quality content, addressed to all languages, genders and regions of Greece.

In addition to the TikTok channel and always based on the digital marketing plan, we have utilized every social media channel that has been selected, with the production of different material for each channel. The strengthening of the Instagram channel, with higher quality, more youthful and more frequent content, brought a corresponding increase of 20% in followers and reach in less than 6 months.

Links:
Crepaland TikTok
Estia Awards 2024

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Astralόn’s Team Suggests Your Christmas Movies https://www.astralon.gr/astral%cf%8cns-team-suggests-your-christmas-movies/ https://www.astralon.gr/astral%cf%8cns-team-suggests-your-christmas-movies/#respond Thu, 21 Dec 2023 15:29:25 +0000 https://www.astralon.gr/?p=34611/ As Christmas days blanket the world in a festive layer, we come alive with the heartwarming magic of cinema.

Christmas movies offer a sleigh ride into our childhood or oldest years. Here, in Astralon, we decided to remember some of our favorites, and influence each other to spend time with a cup of hot chocolate and nostalgic feelings. 

Anna suggests
Edward Scissorhands (1990)

The Christmas period is synonymous with joy, gifts, love and light. I don’t want to take you out of this magic, but the melancholy of Christmas is something that we’ve all experienced… sometimes, some nights maybe! So the movie I propose for a warm, cozy Xmas night is “Edward Scissorhands”. Actually, the end of the movie takes place at Christmas, and the whole movie is dominated by a melancholy that (maybe) suits this period.

One of the few authentic fairy tales that came out of Hollywood, with a symbolic approach and autobiographical character, Tim Burton’s movie has its aesthetic and has remained as a landmark for Hollywood production.

The film tells the story of an artificial man named Edward, who has scissors instead of hands. Being mostly alone in the world, after the death of his creator, with the help of a family he tries to be integrated into a small society and finally learn even more what love means.

Fun fact about the figure; is inspired by a teenage drawing of the director, while Burton’s recycled objects were used to create the costume.

A hymn to diversity, with excellent performances by Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder, which is impossible not to “touch” you. So, if you want to travel to a magical fantasy universe, become children again for a while, and fall in love this Christmas…We found a movie for you!

Enjoy 😊

Plus one! Die Hard (1988)

 

Ares suggests
Scrooged (1988)

Okay, it’s not the greatest movie in which Bill Murray plays, but still, it’s a movie that he is starring in, and that’s a bit of a thing. I remember vividly when I was a small boy, more or less 10 years old, how much I was scared of some of the movie’s scenes, though 1988’s “Scrooged” is a modern adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol”. And I mean scared to shit, man! Over the years, I watched it again a few times and I still feel that it is one of my favorite Christmas movies.

The ghosts that visit the cynic and cruel television executive, named Frank Cross, are hilarious while most of the main characters that appear offer their unique touch next to Bill Murray’s enjoyable moments. “Scrooged”, directed by Richard Donner, is another timeless story of self-discovery during the holiday season, it’s dark and light-hearted at the same time, and for sure an ‘80s classic that reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas.

Plus one! The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

 

Eleftheria suggests
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

In the enchanting world of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry open for the first time for us, adorned with festive decorations, as the holiday season unfolds, introducing us to its extraordinary world.

The -famous- plot is Harry Potter, who discovers on his eleventh birthday that he is, in fact, a wizard and is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. With his new friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry meets magical creatures, faces the challenges of learning spells, and uncovers the dark secrets of the wizarding world and his family.

And it’s all about Christmas, as the Great Hall sparkles with towering Christmas trees, and the air is filled with the joyous melodies of caroling ghosts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione find warmth in the magical embrace of the season. The Yule Ball, the festive feast, and the enchanted snow that falls within the castle walls create a captivating atmosphere, making Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone a charming Christmas movie that weaves the spirit of the holidays.

So, grab your blanket, be comfortable on your sofa, and push ‘’play’’!

Plus one! The Grinch (2018)

 

Chryssa suggests
The Snowman (1982)

The Snowman is a short animation movie based on the homonymous book of Raymond Briggs and directed by Dianne Jackson. It is a heartwarming story that takes viewers back to their childhood and transports them to a world of pure Christmas magic through its nostalgic imagery and captivating music.

During this almost half-hour film, you embark on a magical journey to a quaint English village blanketed in snow at Christmas time. There, you will meet a courageous young boy who creates a snowman, and together they embark on a whimsical adventure. As you admire the simple decorations and cozy up by the fire with the boy’s family, you are swept away by the boundless possibilities of imagination.

The film’s music is composed by Howard David Blake and culminates in the ethereal song “Walking in the Air,” which will undoubtedly stay with you long after the movie ends.

In later years, a version was released with David Bowie introducing the film as a boy wearing a snowman’s scarf. Was he the one who floated in the most peculiar way?!

You can see the short animation on YouTube (with Bowie’s intro)
and sing the song:
We’re walking in the air
We’re floating in the moonlit sky
The people far below are sleeping as we fly

PS: Thank you, Mrs. Katerina Legaki, for introducing me to this magical animation.

Plus one! Little Women (1994)

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ChatGPT/GenAI & Marketing Webinar https://www.astralon.gr/chatgpt-genai-marketing-webinar/ https://www.astralon.gr/chatgpt-genai-marketing-webinar/#respond Tue, 19 Dec 2023 10:26:09 +0000 https://www.astralon.gr/?p=34547/ Astralón digital agency will participate in another exceptional online event, organised by the Greek Marketing Academy.

The academy opens the discussion about the future of marketing in the age of AI.

The webinar, which will be held in Greek, will unveil AI’s usage and benefits in today’s Marketing and you can subscribe here for free.

Wednesday 20 December 2023 @ 18:00

An introductory speech of the discussion will be given by the Greek Marketing Academy’s President, George Baltas, Professor of marketing and consumer behaviour at the Athens University of Economics and Business, while Konstantinos Rigopoulos, Assistant Professor of Marketing and Market Research at Democritus University of Thrace, will moderate the following panel.

  • Ariana Alexandropoulos | Graphic & Motion Designer, Astralón
  • Ares Buras | Co-Founder, Astralón
  • Foivos Zotos | Senior Partner, Head of Consulting, MindEx Business Consultants
  • Aliki Rigopoulou | Digital transformation consultant, IBM Amsterdam
  • Michael Roussos | Head of Marketing Communications GR CY, Novibet

 

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Astralón Jukebox 17 https://www.astralon.gr/astralon-jukebox-17/ https://www.astralon.gr/astralon-jukebox-17/#respond Sun, 10 Dec 2023 11:38:18 +0000 https://www.astralon.gr/?p=34300/ Our beautiful dark twisted autumn is already a thing of the past, but the following songs are here to remind us of these previous months.

Ariana, Ares, Eleftheria, Evi, Anna and Chryssa, were hooked on some of the coolest, darkest and – for sure – most romantic songs. So, as we approach the holiday season, we still indulge in the songs of the playlist below, right before the tsunami of Christmas songs.

From Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons comes – guess what – “L’ Automno”, to the much-heard new album by Beirut, the lovely “Hadsel”. The Beatles came back with a new song, “Now And Then”, Roxy Music reminded us why we’ve always loved their powerful songs. Curtis Harding, Corinne Bailey Rae and James Blake confirmed us once again the reasons they are some of the most important new musical voices of our era, and Dr.Dre, Lee “Scratch” Perry, The Rolling Stones, Teenage Fanclub and Slowdive, to name a few, why they are still much loved by our team.

Enjoy on Spotify and on YouTube below!


On image Ares Buras’ old Sony CD Walkman.

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A Culinary Success at the Estia Awards 2024! https://www.astralon.gr/a-culinary-success-at-the-estia-awards-2024/ https://www.astralon.gr/a-culinary-success-at-the-estia-awards-2024/#respond Mon, 04 Dec 2023 14:55:22 +0000 https://www.astralon.gr/?p=34138/ Astralón digital agency and Crepaland earned the coveted “Greek Food Ambassadors” Gold Award and the “Social & Digital Presence & Community Management” Bronze Award at the Estia Awards 2024.

In a world where culinary experiences are increasingly shared online, we are really happy to announce that our team’s and Crepaland’s efforts brought to both companies the following really importand awards.

🏆 Greek Food Ambassadors GOLD AWARD 

Crepaland, originated from Kefalonia, started in 2007 naming its crepes after famous beaches of Greece. Inspired by the beautiful natural environment of Kefalonia and its magnificent coastline, Crepaland managed to create a unique process of food enjoyment contributing at the same time to the overall development of Greece’s tourism.

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🏆 Social & Digital Presence & Community Management BRONZE AWARD

So fresh. So good… So TikTok!

Crepaland’s digital marketing plan and presence on TikTok, brought to our team the bronze award for “Social & Digital Presence & Community Management”. The inclusion of a TikTok business profile in Crepaland’s digital marketing plan, along with the growth of Instagram and the rest of their social networks, brought another distinction for our company.

Astralón and Crepaland’s success at the ESTIA Awards 2024 is a testament to our unwavering dedication to excellence in both the culinary and digital realms. Our approach to social media marketing has not only elevated Crepaland’s brand but also set a benchmark for others to aspire to.

Congratulations to all Crepaland’s & Astralón’s team members!

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6 years astralón https://www.astralon.gr/6-years-astralon/ https://www.astralon.gr/6-years-astralon/#respond Fri, 03 Nov 2023 13:22:01 +0000 https://www.astralon.gr/?p=33327/ Celebrating six years of astralón at Sina street, with cool beers and wine by Athinaiisa, a sweet cake by Georgia, yummy food by Crepaland and eclectic tunes by Ares Buras.

Achievements and new collaborations, setbacks, challenges, problems, solutions, more problems, more solutions, crisis, another crisis, a permacrisis, war, another war, elections, another round of elections, facebook is making our life hard, tiktok is ruling everything, the plumber, where is the plumber? we have to fix the kitchen sink, the adobe file has crashed, what the heck, we have to print our posters for our six-year bday, have you bought the extra cable for the speakers? oh dear…

…but, despite all the challenges we’ve faced, we’ve come out stronger than ever! Because we are the greatest team ever, we have the most innovative ideas, the most supportive partners, and amazing delicacies (always!) and cool music, and we wanna have a good time, and that’s what we’re gonna do (away baby, let’s go), we’re gonna have a good time, we’re gonna have a party! (as the primal scream once sung).

So let’s raise a glass to our company and to many more years of success!

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