brand ambassadors as marketing stategy



community of brand ambassadors

  Brand Ambassadors are used  as marketing strategy for brands. most of the time in public relations brand ambassadors are seen when an organisation wants to promote their brands through the following :

• SCI programme they are involved in.
• Upcoming events.
• A launch of a new product or service.

You may ask what is a brand ambassador?  Let me briefly explain what a brand ambassador is, this is a person who represents a particular brand in every direct way. Many companies use celebrities as their brand ambassadors because they know that celebrities are very influential and many people who like them will love their brand becausetheir favouite celebrity uses or like that brand.

Brand promotion through brand ambassadors can be more effective through the use of social netwoks  such as facebook and tweeter to name but a few. 

tweeter

 But let us focus focus on tweeter and look at the Do's and Don't with regards to promoting your brand through a brand ambassador: 

• Don'ts
• Don't s be a show off  by linking your latest press relaese,tweeter is a user friendly platform.
• Don't use poor gramma and spelling.
• Don't use confussing abriviations or too many of them just keep it short and simple.
• Don't auto tweet.
• Don't leave air between your conversations try and reply immediately.
• Do's
• Do momiter your keywords and compatitors.
• Do make an informative profile.
• Make a shout out to followers who mention your brand favourably.
• www.reelso.com/social-media.

Brand and Corporate Social Investment

Corporate Social Investment

Corporate Social Investment(CSI) is one of the trends in Public Relations it is therefore important for brands to know how to incorporate CSI . With regards to making your brand relevant and credible, these are one of the ways you can partake in so as to improve or sustain your brand perception to your stakeholders. Your brand value will be determined by your integrated approach where CSI is concerned through the measures of inter brand management. However corporate action is subject to the brand meaning a brand can be able to communicate the CSI programme through various forms of communication and to a wide set of stakeholders so as to manage your brand perception.

Branding can be seen as a cornerstone that represents marketing, ethically about business conducts are intangible therefore a brand becomes a guarantee for communicated social values to boost brand perception.

 

Sony brand image

Let us briefly look at Sony South Africa on how you  use CSI in your brand.their CSI programme was mainly focused on the upliftment of communities  though a number of projects. By mainly focusing on the  impact they have  on communities  and the environment thus they have decided to contribute positively to the global citizen. It is always important for a brand to be eager to offer a helping hand, so activate your brand by keeping up with these trends and give back to the communities.
www.sony.co.za>home>Corporate

 

 

Intangible brands as an asset

 A picture of a brand logo

Branding that does not involve  physical, tangible, concrete tangible attributes or benefits are known as brand intangibles. Corporate intellectual property for example copy rights and business methodologies, goodwill and brand recognition are all common intangible assets in today's market place. An intangible asset can be classified as definite or indefinite depending on the specifics of that asset. Brand intangibles are a common means by which marketers differentiate  their brands with consumers and transcend physical products, Intangibles covers a whole range of different types of brand associations such as actual or aspirational user imaginary, consumption imaginary,history,heritage and experience.

 The above companies communicate intangible and they are part of a generation where intangible assets have become the key factor in building their brand for instance companies such as Microsoft are using the intangible assets in their brands and it is believed that they bring real value in the company and also plays a vital role in the building of their brand includes:
 

• Patents
• Distribution rights
• Consumer data basis
• Brands and sub-brands
• The equality  of their workforce and management
• Intellectual prosperity rights
• Trade marks
• Trade names and Design which protect these intangibles and help make a brand to be a valuable asset for your company. So think about introducing this asset in the building of your companies brand.

www.wordpress.com/brand equity

Make your brand stand out from the rest

a picture of a blackberry phone

The trick to branding is uniqueness. Branding is one of the latest trends that many companies use so as claim their own identity.  In Public Relations brand awareness is vital and it gives your company a step ahead of its competitions. Everyone uses a smart phone in this modern day. Choosing the one that is appealing to you and  satisfy your needs our stakeholders always base their choice on what will make their lives more easier.
Let us look at the blackberry brand, their approach was pretty simple they filled the gap that people had which was access to the Internet at their fingertips at an affordable rate through the BIS application where their stakeholders just recharge or activate it every 30 days at a low cost of R60 and that allow them to a have unlimited access to the Internet.  So make your brand rise above the rest through the following ways:
By satisfying our consumers needs
By bringing something fresh and new
By being more creative and innovative
Always look for new ways to improve your brand.  Wouldn't you like your brand to be set apart from the rest? So go and make your own mark  and stay a step ahead of your competitors then your brand will be the best.

Know your brands global trends

 

a picture of  the globe with arrow's

As a Public Relations practitioner it is always important for you and your organisation to be proactive and keep up with the latest trends with regards to your brand, so that your organisation can innovate your brand for it to be current and relevant to your target market. We are down to the new age in human development and progress new ideas and innovations are compounding daily in our society, country and even in the world. It is therefore important for organisations to to stay alert and always keep up with the latest trends that may positively or negatively affect their brands be it economically and even globally.

Here are the issues that an organisation need to look at  in order to evaluate and innovate their brands:

• Analyse the response of your Target market with regards to your brand, service or product and use that information to influence the organisations decision making process.
• Analyse the societal changes that may influence your brand and how it can impact their buying decision.
• Analyse the changing TV and mobile landscape.
• Analyse  the the subcultures that play a vital role in influencing your target market perception about your brand.
• Analyse the global communities that may influence the lifestyle,habits and attitudes of your target market and how that can influence or affect your brand

www.latest trend&brands.co.za

A human touch for your organisations brand is vital,the innovation in technology will do your organisation so much good through the use of blogs, social networks such as facebook ,tweeter etc, this could be an easy way of involving your target market and giving them the platform to voice out their perception about your brand and what they expect from you as an organisation.  Brand management evolving as the economy changes requires new approaches and other ways of thinking. So take that first step and help your organisation to innovate their brands and always keep in touch with the latest trends. This is always helpful in staying a step ahead of your competitors.

Time to communicate your brand



 A picture of a bullhorn

To keep your brand alive it must be placed in the right location,it must be nurtured and looked after.Your brand can be communicated through many platform which will be identified later on in this blog.At all times your brand as a organisation must appeal to your target markets intellect.

Note that a brand can be communicated through  a brand strategy that follows:

1. By making sure that your consumers are always exposed to your brand through the organisations logo and colours.
2. By making sure that  every time your consumer meets your organisations brand it builds on the brand.
3. Your organisations brand must be aimed at  impacting your consumer to wanting to be involved.
4. Your organisations brand must always affect your consumer in a positive way and also work in their favour.

A brand can be built on a multiple of platforms such as:

• Social media
• Observations
• Sponsorship
• Promotion
• Advertising
• Word of mouth
• Logo design
• Product /service experience
• Editorial comments
• Endorsements

It is therefore up to your organisation to choose a platform that will best suit your brand and its location.How ever it is important to note that when you as an organisation choose the wrong platform for your brand it will affect how your consumer receives it.

a picture of a communication bubbles

 Your brand value can be communicated through:

1. Brand: Product communication plan must work together as part of a cohesive a whole.
2. Research: Your communication  activity must not lose your consumer always insure that your tone is right and the language you use to communicate is proper.
3. Control:Maintain your brand discipline across the market.
4. Flexibility:Be flexible as an organisation by understanding rel event channels to use in order to cater for your consumers needs.
5. Engagement:Involve and communicate with your consumers at all times through blogs,twitter and facebook.

www.themarketer.co.uk>trends>alltipsarticle

Be a brand for you and your organisation

A picture that shows what branding mean

Brands are like special relationships because they are real and they make a difference, this is due to the fact that most of the greatest business brands succeed through authenticity therefore your personal brand must reflect the following: a sense of purpose,value and vision that truly represents the real you. Since Public Relations is about building and maintaining relationships with your stakeholders, media etc. This is how personal branding can identify or link you and your organisation.

Creating a genuine self - understanding and a strong picture of the person you are and want to become so as to build/create a suitable image for yourself. A strong personal brand is paramount for effective leadership. Being your own brand is a powerful and practical guide for building deep and meaningful relationships. Thus being your own brand as applied within a business or organisation, has the power to accelerate the pace of the organisational brand development tremendously hence being your own brand does not only benefit you but your organisation as well. So be your own brand and benefit your organisation! Being your own brand can also give you an experience of deep self introspection and discovery which will surely ignite personal and professional growth. So wouldn't you like  to grow professionally and personally by just being your own brand?

Manage your brand so that it could be strong, relevent and consistant for your benefit  and your organisation through the followin techniques:

• By understanding how to build a brand in any context.
• By always striving to learn how to create /build and manage relationships in your life and organisation as well.
• By aligning your personal brand values with your employers brand values thus that will make your brand building a successful tool for you and your organisation.
• By always try to keep up with the latest trends and improve your brand at all times that will show that you are proactive in your own brand and your organisations brand that will therefore give your brand credibility. www.fcg.gov/documents/be-your-own-brand . 

 

Brands and the Corporate world

picture of the word brand

Public Relations deals with the issues of  image in an organisation and image is one of the most important qualities that an organisation needs to have. Branding is a well-managed image that can be a prime source of strategic direction and competitive advantage for your organisation. It is important for your organisation to have your own colours ,pictures, slogans and even tag lines that your stakeholders can recognise you with. 

The role of branding can serve many purposes  like:

• Make it easier to identify the organisation or their product.
• Help protect the consumer from competitors who would attempt to provide products that appear to be identical.
•  Brands help build Corporate image.
• Brands help reduce he primacy of price upon the purchase decision.
• Brands help attract  a loyal and profitable set of consumers.
• Managing a positive brand image creates opportunities to introduce new products that build on the brand equity.
  www.brandchannel.com

Your brand as an organisation  must be unique and memorable because brands are what defines you in a corporate world and in your stakeholders eye. Remember that reputation is tied directly to the companies brand. Building a brand can be difficult  but here are some tips for designing and maintaining a successful brand.

1. Make it simple.
2. Be consistent.
3. Know your target market or stakeholders.

So now that you know what is a brand and how it can be created and maintained can you be able to create and maintain a successful brand for you or your organisation?

Corporate wellness

picture of colleagues in a day spa

 Beauty therapy can  be used by companies as a team building strategy to boost your staff morale by using spa treatments. Public Relations is about creating and maintaining relationships with your staff in the workplace, not only there but with stakeholders, consumers etc. Now how does your company boost team morale, productivity and pro activeness between staff members and management. It is important for management and staff members to have a solid and good working relationship for the sake of the company's image.

Tell me wouldn't you like to work for a company that will appreciate you?

Corporate wellness is important because it integrates programmes that help reward, rejuvenates and indulge those experience in production and quality of life through employee stress management and relaxation. So as an employer just treat your employees to comfort and wellness service with a spa treatment that will help boost your employee morale while encouraging your staff to take care of themselves and also get the management and staff to know each other in a more relaxed setting. A little in house corporate social investment can have a huge impact in motivating your staff to work even harder.

You can contact AIX spa for services such as :

http://www.spa bookings@axi.ca

• massages
• manicures and pedicures.
• sonar treatments.
• facials
• detox programmes

Since you will be going to the corporate world next year it is important to perform well in your job and create a good relationship with your employer and they will also take care of your corporate wellness.

Inner Peace

picture of a person meditating

Public Relations deals about issues of image, we are always concerned about how we look on the outside and forget to deal with our emotions and finding our inner peace. In communications we have verbal and non-verbal communication. It has been said that we are communicating being even when we do not say a word, we communicate by the way we walk, sit, comb our hair and eat etc. It's funny how when you are not okay emotionally it shows on your face for example, when you are emotionally distressed you have a sad face, but when you are happy you have a smile on your face.

It is always important to introspect yourself and tap into your inner peace, where you realise that life goes beyond the problems that we face on a daily basis but rather let us embrace all the memories that we have with your families, the job that you are blessed with or even the opportunities that you have. Inner peace means being satisfied with what you have, the way you are and not wishing to have more than what is enough for you at that moment, inner peace is about enjoying life and making a difference in someone else's life.Inner peace is about being content  and true to oneself therefore you don't have to compromise your values, morals, dreams, purpose even your objectives in life for someone else.

Now tell me what does inner peace mean to you? Does it mean having all the money in the world or sacrificing yourself just because you want to be loved and appreciated, be true to yourself and love yourself enough to know your worth.

Note well: What gives me inner peace is meditating on God's word(reading the bible) and praying.

Suggestion: If you want you can also try reading the bible and praying and see if it will work for you to.

Now think about it: How do you tap into your inner peace or discover your inner peace?

weight! weight! weight!

picture of a person on a scale.

Why is it that over weight people are not easily accepted in the society? This only results to people wanting to lose weight for wrong reasons by also using unhealthy alternatives to lose weight.One morning you are a size eight(8) the next a size ten(10) what happened is it food that make you gain weight ? or stress what really makes you gain weight? well I can't  state what makes me gain weight  because I don't know what makes me gain weight. It's funny how people quick to pin point that you have gained weight.Now that you are aware of the problem what do you do to deal with it ? Do you go straight to the gym or do you look for another alternative such as slimming tea,slimming pills or even slimming drops.
Now there are many advertisement that will be able to assist you in finding a solution for your problem,well this is good but tell me this, why is it that these product that are advertised in the media would claim to be safe to use and good  for your health were as when you look closely at a product you will find that it has many side effect which they talk about in their fine prints, what happened to transparency ? and here the lives of people are at stake.
There are many side effects for different slimming pills,drops and tea but here are the mot common side effects:

• Abdominal pains
• Nausea
• Thirst
• Insomnia
• Dizziness
• Acne
• Headaches
• Constipation
• Depression

www.vaxa.com/weight-loss-pills.cfm
So why take a short cut in dealing with weight issues that will add problems to your health other than providing a solution.Your life is in your hands and you have the power to choose what is good  for you.

Tips to think about:

• Dealing with weight gain is accepting that you have gained weight and decide how to deal with the problem.
• Eat  healther food.
• Exercize
• Take the stares rather than the lift.
• walk a bit more.
• Do not sleep immideately after eating wait for the food to be digested first,meaning eat three hours before you go to sleep.
• Drink a lot of water.

Always choose healther options or alternatves for lossing weight ,but you don't have to lose weight unless if it is for health reason other than that accept yourself and be comfortable in your own skin.

True Beauty



ilovenewwork.com



 Media frames the perceptions of the society meaning that they create the societies reality.With regards to beauty the media emphasises that a beautiful person is a person who is skinny,wears make-up that is why most of the time many people have low self esteem because the do not look like those models from television,magazines and even bill boards.Can beauty be defined by age,gender,colour,body shape or size? and who gets to decide? What happened to" beauty is in the eye of the beholder"?



 

fallfoward.word press.com





True beauty goes beyond your physical appearance.One would believe that true beauty is when you are true to yourself and happy with how you look.There are many aspects that make a person shine other than physical appearance, look at your achievements ,personality,values,morals and all the other things that make you shine above the rest.True beauty is when you are content with who you are and what you have.When you celebrate your flows and keep on going because you know that beauty does not define you rather the contribution  and difference you make in the world does define you.Life goes beyond physical appearance it is about  the purpose that drive you and how you can be the best you can be therefore there's no reason for you to have low self -esteem. Here's a body image boost exercise:

• remind yourself of things that are besides your body eg I am caring,growing,loving,kind etc.
• Give up the judgement about your body.
• Get rid of clothes that don't fit you.
• Spend five minutes in the mirror looking at your body ,don't judge rather complement yourself.www.campaignforrealbeauty.com

 Just be happy and satisfied with what you have and remember to do everything for yourself ,not to impress anyone because we are all imperfect beings. So from now on when you wear that make-up wear it for you,when you decide to loose weight do it because you want to be more heather and fit not because someone told you that you are fat and ugly.Even when you decide to get a pear of jeans  think about only you and celebrate how the jean perfectly fits your body shape.You are beautiful  it does not matter who says what, look at yourself in the mirror  now what do you see? Do you see how beautiful and unique you are?
 Promise me that you will change the way you view yourself.
There's only one you in the world and no one can take that away from you,so celebrate your beauty always!!

Give yourself an amazing spa day this easter holiday

www.thepartydress.net

Spoil yourself these Easter holiday by relaxing and giving yourself a nice day of relaxation and pampering without having to spend a whole lot of money The media has many ways of putting this kind of information to the public but at times many people are not aware that it is easy and cheap to pamper yourself without loosing a lot of money.Here are the easy steps you can follow:
www.wikihow.com 

 Skin and Hair

• Wash your face: Use a gentle cleanser that is designed for your skim type,afterwards use a toner.
• Take a shower: Shampoo and condition your hair.Use scented body wash to make your skin feel soft and renewed.
• Take a bath: You can take a long bubble bath and lay there so as to help your skin relax.
•  Plug your eyebrows: Warm water will open your pores ,making it easier to and less painful.
• Do a steam facial: Boil water and pour into a large bowl or your bathroom sink,add some essential oils .Drop a towel over your head and sit your head over the steaming water.stay there for 5-10minutes.
• Use a face mask: Use any face mask of your choice .When you done moisturise your body .Sit back and relax remember yo take your time and have yourself an amazing Easter holiday. If you think it's a good idea try it and tell me how it has worked for you

easy way to take care of your skin in winter

Every year winter rolls around ,the cold air often dries out the development of your skin or leaves behind redness. Your skin has to develop strengths to withstand  colder conditions in order to look good through out in winter. Adopting habits on how to take care of your skin all year around to prepare for colder conditions will make your skin to be able to better handle the cold air.Nothing like a pair of hand gloves to keep your hands warm ,a pair of socks to warm your feet and a hat will do justice to your ears,wear a jersy or a jacket and dont forget boots  however the skin needs to be moisturised and kept warm at all times. Remember to drink a lot of hot coffee that also contributes in making your skin warm be careful not to over drink it because caffeine is addictive. 

Help your body remove toxins

On a daily basis your are exposed to chemicals at work, pollution  as you walk on the street and your diet which is processed food. Unhealthy dietary choices like fast food,caffeine, and lifestyle habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol harm your health and helps with the build up of toxic substances  in your system.Over time these substances can impair immune functioning  which might lead to weight gain and even cause memory problems. The question here is why does the media's emphasis about the substances such as fast food,cigarette and alcohol through advertisements is dominant than the emphasis on how you can detox your body from the toxins that come from the above substances?

Detoxification plays a vital role in improving your health by eliminating toxic substances in your body.Your  bodies goes through a lot on a daily basis ,toxins enter your body and negatively affects your health and radical compounds cause additional wear and tear  to nearly every tissue in your body especially your skin. Now compare the number of times you eat junk food,smoke and even drink alcohol to the number of times  you detox in a year; is there any balance? if yes congratulations! but if no do you realise that your health is in danger?
  And if your body  is not detoxifying on it's own you need to take action and help your body.
www.life.gaiam.com/category/health-wellness/detox
Detoxification can:

• Strengthen the immune system.
• Eliminate tissue damaging.
• Reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases
• Purifies your blood.
• Helps you overcome bad habits like eating junk food,sugar and drinking alcohol.

Eight ways to help your body detoxify:

1. Eat plenty of fibres, including brown rice and fresh fruits and vegetables.
2. Take herbs such as dandelion roots and drink green tea which helps to cleanse the liver.
3. Take vitamin C  to help the body produce glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins.
4. Drink at least quarters  of water daily.
5. Breath deeply to allow oxygen to circulate more completely through your system.
6. Transform stress by emphasising positive emotions.
7. Try hydrotherapy by taking a hot shower for 5 minutes,allowing the water to run your back.follow with cold water for 30 seconds.Do this three times,and then go to bed for 30 minutes.
8. Sweat in a sauna so your body can eliminate toxins or waste through perspiration.

As your body gets rid of the accumulated waste, healing effects often accompany the acceleration from your skin,liver kidney and lungs,you may experience the following for a short period:

• Body odour
• Bad breath
• Fatigue
• Diarrhoea
• Headaches

 When this occurs do not despaired ,this means that your body is getting rid of the toxins.
http://www.body-detox-and-you.com/
Food that detox the body are as follows:



skinbeautifulblog.word press.com



• Fruits : Fruits are high in liquid content,helping the body wash out toxins.



skinbeautifulblog.word press.com



• Vegetables:Best for juicing detox regime or eaten raw onions,carrots,cabbage,garlic to name but a few these food will help your live purge toxins during the cleansing process.
• Green tea:Washes the toxins out of the body  through its liquid contents.
• Omega-3 Oils:Use hamp,avocado,olive oils or flux seed oils while detoxing . This will  help lubricate the intestinal walls, allowing toxins to be absorbed by the oils,and eliminated by the body.

Now think about the information above and make a decision on steps or strategy on how you will help your body remove toxins, its up to you to ensure that your body is healthy or not so what are you going to  do?

Image goes beyond the clothes you wear

Often people say you are what you wear, forgetting that your body  also needs a little bit of  taking care of and actually every part of your needs not to be overlooked  because they  are important. due to lack of  marketing PR in salons about how to take care of your body other than summing up that image is all about what we wear. today i would like you to think about your feet,by a show of hands how many of you give your attention to your feet as much as you give attention to you face, hands,weight and clothes.You often forget about your feet until they start hurting is this true or not?

Did you know that your feet have a some of  26 bones and a complex framework of muscles,tendons and ligaments, your feet absorb the impact of your full body weight with every step keeping you balanced and upright in the process. Now do you realise how important your feet are?

Problems that many of people have with their  feet are as follows:

• Foot odour
• Fallen arches
• Corns
• Ingrown toenails
• Fungal infections

Does any of these problems sound familiar to you?

Here are some tips that  can help you address some of these problems:

1. Always buy shoes that fit you properly (they must not be too small or too big)

• this is due to the fact that small shoes may cause; corns,ingrowing toenails  and general foot pain.
• Big shoes may cause;blisters and sore heels.

   2.   Ladies high heels are not good for your feet when you wear them frequently  because they cause           damage to the bones on your feet NB heels are fine for you to wear  once in a while.

   3.   Exercise your feet by taking a walk on a regular basis more especially to those who use drive.

   4.   Wash your feet properly everyday meaning give your feet a thorough  wash between your toes.



  5.  Remember to moisturise your feet.

6.  Wear socks because they play a vital role in absorbing and drawing moisture away from your feet.

      http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/comlpecation/footcare

Now that you have viewed the information above begin to think about the most common problem that many people have with regards to this subject of feet which is foot odour and dry cracked heels. How can one deal with these problems you ask?

 Foot odour are usually caused by bacterial infections. this occurs because of heat  and moisture inside the shoes.If you suffering from this problem here's what you can do;

• use anti-bacterial soap every time you wash your feet.
• Always dust your shoes with baking soda that prevents moisture and kills bacteria.
• After a good foot soak rub your feet with peppermint flavoured moisturiser.

Basic home treatment  for dry cracked heels are as follows:

• wash your feet in a moisturising foot bath with Luke warm water and a mild soap or you can mix honey and water then soak your feet in the mixture because honey is a natural antiseptic it is safe to use on cracked and bleeding heels or skin.
• Always dry your skin well more especially in between your toes after washing your feet.
• Apply a good moisturiser for example foot creams or foot ointments
• Check your feet everyday, look for cuts,blisters and treat them properly.

Here are suggestions for food that you can eat  to improve the health of your feet, you must eat a diet  rich of vitamin A which promotes skin health,carrots,sweet potatoes,spinach and pumpkins are also good sources are helpful.Always remember to drink your eight glasses of water a day.

Now that you know how to take care of your feet will you start giving your feet the equal amount of attention that you give to you face,weight,clothes?



The easy way to deal with stress

Did you know that beauty therapy also contributes to our image and everyday lives?

On a daily basis you are faced by a lot of pressures tha contrbube  towards you having stress, pressure's from school, work, families and even relationships.There are other factors that may also add to your everyday pressure's which may lead to stress that you don't even realise that they contribute, these factors may be the concern that you have about your weight ,bank balance and even what your brother did yesterday and made you angry. You all know that the easiest way to overcome your stress sometimes is through exercising and exersises will help you to keep your body in  conditon and improving your health,or taking a long walk to rethink your problems and it will help improve your immune system ,you can even try Yoga which is good for the mind,you can also try stress balls but if you are like me and you are not fond of exercises  what do we do then?

Yes , you look at other ways of dealing with your stress. There are many ways but i would like you to think about this one which is massage yes that one; and you are probably know that its expensive to go to a spa to get a massage.So here is the cheapest solution you can expiriment.Try listening to music, yes music! Reseachers from the group health research institude  state that music is as effective as massage therapy.Since lying down and listening to music does'nt cost a thing maybe its worth a try what have you got to lose?  however you must breath deeply while lying down.Listening to music can't work out a sore body and it helps soothes the spirit not only that music has the power to relax your mind. Tell me what you think will  this solution  work for you or not?

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