Well, I’ve been bandying about posting something soon, and I’ve finally got around to it. Truth be told, I succumbed to the oldest fault in the book (or at least my book): waiting until things are just right before pushing it to the world. And perfection… well sometimes it just ain’t worth it. So, on with the show, even though I have so, so much more to say.
The work
The company where I’ve been placed is a small-to-medium sized IT company called Cima Solutions. They’ve been established for a few years and are looking to find more business by improving how they present and promote themselves in printed and interactive media.
Before we can get to any kind of design or implementation, though, Cima needs to have a coherent strategy and message. I’m currently working with the CEO on developing our marketing plan, while also working on a proposal for an evolutionary change to their visual identity.
We’ll likely be putting a fair amount of time into writing copy and deciding what to write about. A lot of financial resources ride on IT management decisions, so we need to carefully determine what information will be most relevant to client-side decision-makers.
To aid with that, I’ve been leafing through local IT business mags (that’s where my comprendo poco espanol comes in) and reading up on IT buzzwords like SOA, Agile, Extreme Programming, and Scrum. Gotta know your target, right?
The workplace
Cima’s office (Google Maps link) is located centrally, near a number of major courthouses and across from Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires’ landmark, high-class theatre (it’s currently being renovated, but there are tours available during the construction and I hope to take one in). Most of the time our office is quite quiet, as most of the company’s employees are located in Cima’s development centre, several hundred kilometres away in San Juan (another place I hope to visit and photograph). At the Buenos Aires office, Cima’s executive partners pop in and out between client meetings and on-site consultations.
The partners are all relatively young for the business – 30-something, energetic, relaxed, and open to new ideas. In our exploratory discussions about Cima marketing, we shot down no ideas. They are all men; the CTO is the only of them to greet me regularly (as is common in Argentina) with an exchange of kisses on the cheek.
One could be forgiven for assuming that such a business would run on coffee, but Cima is fueled by mate. For the uninitiated, that’s a common drink across South America (pronounced MAH-tay), a stimulating tea-like herbal infusion. When in company, its consumption is marked by ritual – the cebador (server) fills the cup (also called mate) with leaves and hot water, and passes it to a guest. Guest consumes mate through a metal, mesh-capped straw, and returns it to the cebador, who refills it and passes the vessel to the next guest. In one meeting with our CEO, we took turns sipping mate while considering marketing plans.
The shopping
Shopping is an odd topic for me to prioritize, but I needed some more threads for work. So on my first weekend, I took a little trip to one of Buenos Aires’ shopping districts to find some new threads to wear for work. I’m not as awkward – or indecisive – about shopping for clothes as I used to be, but I’m still picky. So I blocked out a whole afternoon for it. With some breezy steps, I manage to cover a lot of shops, acquire some good finds, and (hopefully) return home without any regrets.
The district I went to was at Córdoba and Raul Scalabrini Órtiz, near Palermo. At most shops, the staff were friendly and helpful, but I tended not to find anything I liked. A little too polished for my tastes, and not all that unique. After much wandering, I found two stores I’ll likely be returning to, both carrying wares designed and made in Argentina: Sixfeet and Rash. I’ll leave you to visit their sites to see what they’re like. But finding them reminded me that no matter where I am, to find what I want, I’m going to have to keep looking down side streets and at the small shops squeezed between the big players.
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