I owe my obsession with sausage to my father. I wasn’t force-fed sausage or anything (that I know of) but I seem to recall some form of meat always being on the table…most of the time it was sausage. I also learned to enjoy cow tongue, pigs feet, chicken hearts, gizzards, and other less popular parts of an animal, but that’s another story. Long story short, he’s from Argentina and in Argentina they eat the whole animal. Needless to say then, you just can’t have a conversation about sausage and not mention the Argentines. It’s not that they invented the stuff or that they make the best in the world, it’s more an issue around pure volume of consumption. They eat A LOT of it!
Like a taco is to Mexicans or a gyro is to Greeks, the Choripan is the most recognized street food in Argentina. It’s one of those ubiquitous cultural icons that unifies a country by combining all the things that they love into one little package that nourishes and comforts its people no matter what their socioeconomic status might be.
It’s a real simple equation: fresh bread + chimichurri + a meaty sausage = a national obsession.
Street-Style Choripan Stand
So let’s break this down. The term “Choripan” is actually a combination of two Spanish words. If you paid any attention to your Spanish teacher in high school you probably already figured it out. For those of you who only managed to memorize how to say your name in Spanish, here’s some help – it’s a combination of the words “Chorizo” and “Pan”. Translated…sausage and bread.
The simplicity of this nomenclature is actually quite brilliant. Can you think of any other food whose name is a combination of the ingredients? Chew on that for a moment and let me know in the comments section…
So lets talk about making one. First you want to get yourself a fairly meaty sausage. Something with some girth. It really doesn’t matter what it is but I recommend keeping it something with a fairly neutral flavor…ie no jalepeno-cheddar brats. The Argentines usually use a pork and beef blend but that can vary. Next, grill it up. You can either split it down the middle just before serving or keep it whole.
Another vital part is to find a nice roll. Now I’m not talking about a hot dog bun or a hoagie roll…save that for the italian sausage & peppers. The Choripan has some juice to it so you’re going to need something that can take some fluids and stay together until the last bite. I recommend a good, fresh baguette. If you skip this step, in my opinion, you’ve ruined the experience.
Now comes the hard part for most people. Making the chimichurri. Rather than launching into a whole segment about “chimi”, I’ll just be brief and say that it’s the most popular condiment in Argentina. Since I discovered it about 10 years ago, I haven’t been able to enjoy a steak without it. I put it on chicken, shrimp, and fish too. It’s addictive.
Chimichurri
It’s actually not that hard to make. I can do it in about 3 minutes flat now. The main thing to keep in mind is that there is no right way to make it. I happen to like mine a little acidic, so I add extra vinegar. So experiment, but keep in mind that you want the flavor of the garlic, the chili and the parsley to come through on the sandwich so don’t be afraid to come out of the gates swinging with some flavor. Here’s the recipe that I loosely use. It makes enough for a couple sausages or a couple steaks:
Chimichurri Recipe:
1/4 cup of olive oil. Don’t get caught up in the quality…it’s not that important.
1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic minced
A good handful of flat leaf parsley ripped from a healthy bunch. Finely chop.
1 teaspoon of hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
Mix them all together and let the flavors combine for a couple hours before serving.
Apply the chimi liberally to the baguette and drizzle a little bit on top of the sausage itself.
Have a napkin handy because it’s going to bleed a little green goodness on the first couple bites!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Social Media for Logistics: Step 2
Start simple and easy, with the short term goal of beginning to understand how the main social media platforms work and how social media can provide benefits. The immediate side benefits will be an improvement in brand awareness and a better ranking on Google.
Create a Blog:
1 - Begin to create blog content that is purely education and NOT promotional for your target audience. Expert on logistics transportation software or ecommerce order fulfillment warehouse? Blog about it. It is easy to do and aside from kick starting your social media program it provides immediate help to your ranking with Google.
The important thing to remember is to think like a publisher, not a marketer. This is done by sharing content that is useful to your community. Promotional content is not useful content, and it does more harm than good so don’t even think about it.
The Rules of Social Media and Blogging:
1 - Know Your Audience: Know who you are looking to appeal to with your blog.
2 - Create Great Content, Content is KING!: No one will read boring or self promotional articles.
3 - Create a Schedule: Be consistent so people know when to look for new content.
4 - Quality vs. Quantity: Better content is way better than more content.
Create a Blog:
1 - Begin to create blog content that is purely education and NOT promotional for your target audience. Expert on logistics transportation software or ecommerce order fulfillment warehouse? Blog about it. It is easy to do and aside from kick starting your social media program it provides immediate help to your ranking with Google.
The important thing to remember is to think like a publisher, not a marketer. This is done by sharing content that is useful to your community. Promotional content is not useful content, and it does more harm than good so don’t even think about it.
The Rules of Social Media and Blogging:
1 - Know Your Audience: Know who you are looking to appeal to with your blog.
2 - Create Great Content, Content is KING!: No one will read boring or self promotional articles.
3 - Create a Schedule: Be consistent so people know when to look for new content.
4 - Quality vs. Quantity: Better content is way better than more content.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Core Beliefs for Social Media Logistics
The effective use of social media for Logistics companies starts with a set of core beliefs that should govern the terms in which you participate on any social media platform.
1 - Social Media is a conversation. Be there first and foremost to listen. And when you do start to talk make it a dialogue.
2 - Transparency is the only way to build genuine trust. People will quickly learn whether or not you are being open and honest. Your goal is to create a “trusted advisor” relationship.
3 - To gain people’s interest you have to offer something of value. This starts by giving without expecting something in return.
4 - Communicate like a friend to build connections. Simple, casual language – not “corporate speak” is how you become real and engaging to the client.
5 - Accept that clients control the conversation. If someone out there wants to have it, social media always allows the conversation to happen. The only question is will you be a part of it.
6 - Be patient, the clients will come to you. If you are too intrusive with your use of social media, clients will be pushed away. See #1.
Once you understand and accept the items on this list, there are some basic steps you can take towards beginning to join the conversation.
1 - Social Media is a conversation. Be there first and foremost to listen. And when you do start to talk make it a dialogue.
2 - Transparency is the only way to build genuine trust. People will quickly learn whether or not you are being open and honest. Your goal is to create a “trusted advisor” relationship.
3 - To gain people’s interest you have to offer something of value. This starts by giving without expecting something in return.
4 - Communicate like a friend to build connections. Simple, casual language – not “corporate speak” is how you become real and engaging to the client.
5 - Accept that clients control the conversation. If someone out there wants to have it, social media always allows the conversation to happen. The only question is will you be a part of it.
6 - Be patient, the clients will come to you. If you are too intrusive with your use of social media, clients will be pushed away. See #1.
Once you understand and accept the items on this list, there are some basic steps you can take towards beginning to join the conversation.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Social Media for Logistics: Getting Started w/ First Steps
Dipped your toe into social media and not sure how to procede?
After some time, and even if you are doing it only half right, you’ll notice the initial benefits of social media by improved rankings with the search engines (SEO) and likely an increase in traffic to your site.
Getting started with social media is a learning process. At this point you’ll begin to have recognized some key things:
After 2 or 3 months take some time to think about what you have learned through your social media for logistics experience. Use the understanding you have developed to formulate your next 6 month plan.
Getting great feedback and engagement through your blog? Then, continue to develop that. Meeting great contacts through LinkedIn? Then, continue to refine you profile, join groups and meet new people. Think about and experiment with ways to engage in new areas of social media, like videos on YouTube or creating a Facebook page.
After some time, and even if you are doing it only half right, you’ll notice the initial benefits of social media by improved rankings with the search engines (SEO) and likely an increase in traffic to your site.
Getting started with social media is a learning process. At this point you’ll begin to have recognized some key things:
- Where your target audience of people interested in Logistics Software spends its time online
- The topics and information your audience is interested in
- The effect that putting your ecommerce order fulfillment warehouse company “out there” has on your brand
- It is okay to give up some control because you are part of a conversation
After 2 or 3 months take some time to think about what you have learned through your social media for logistics experience. Use the understanding you have developed to formulate your next 6 month plan.
Getting great feedback and engagement through your blog? Then, continue to develop that. Meeting great contacts through LinkedIn? Then, continue to refine you profile, join groups and meet new people. Think about and experiment with ways to engage in new areas of social media, like videos on YouTube or creating a Facebook page.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Social Media for Logistics: LinkedIn
1 - Set up a company page on LinkedIn and encourage EVERY employee at your company to set up their personal profiles on LinkedIn.
2- Encourage all your employees to find industry groups and participate. There are countless Supply Chain and Logistics groups on LinkedIn. Frequent involvement in groups is educational for your employees and it is also free brand marketing for your company.
Examples in Action: 5 Ways to use LinkedIn
Here are 5 ways to jump in with LinkedIn and start realizing the benefits of this large social network of professionals. Supply Chain and Logistics professionals are very active on the social platform.
Connect with Others
If you search on people within groups you will find other professionals that share common interests with you. Most will agree to connect with you if you share a similar industry group.
Join and Participate in Groups
There are countless Logistics industry groups you can join to engage in the conversation. Become active in the groups by answering questions and contributing to the online conversations. See the Social Media for Logistics Group.
Recommendations
Ask your trusted peers to write a recommendation for you. You’ll notice these are displayed prominently on your profile page. It builds your credibility. Be eager to write a recommendation for others you know as well.
Leave Comments
You can leave comments or “Like” an update the person leaves on their profile. This is a great way to show that you are following what the user is talking about and provides you with a better understanding of their interests.
Answers
Answering questions that people post in the LinkedIn community is a good way to build your reputation as an industry expert. It is a great way to get a conversation started with people who have similar interests as yours. Know a lot about logistics software, or ecommerce order fulfillment? Talk about it and show off your knowledge.
2- Encourage all your employees to find industry groups and participate. There are countless Supply Chain and Logistics groups on LinkedIn. Frequent involvement in groups is educational for your employees and it is also free brand marketing for your company.
Examples in Action: 5 Ways to use LinkedIn
Here are 5 ways to jump in with LinkedIn and start realizing the benefits of this large social network of professionals. Supply Chain and Logistics professionals are very active on the social platform.
Connect with Others
If you search on people within groups you will find other professionals that share common interests with you. Most will agree to connect with you if you share a similar industry group.
Join and Participate in Groups
There are countless Logistics industry groups you can join to engage in the conversation. Become active in the groups by answering questions and contributing to the online conversations. See the Social Media for Logistics Group.
Recommendations
Ask your trusted peers to write a recommendation for you. You’ll notice these are displayed prominently on your profile page. It builds your credibility. Be eager to write a recommendation for others you know as well.
Leave Comments
You can leave comments or “Like” an update the person leaves on their profile. This is a great way to show that you are following what the user is talking about and provides you with a better understanding of their interests.
Answers
Answering questions that people post in the LinkedIn community is a good way to build your reputation as an industry expert. It is a great way to get a conversation started with people who have similar interests as yours. Know a lot about logistics software, or ecommerce order fulfillment? Talk about it and show off your knowledge.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Social Media for Logistics: Twitter
Get on Twitter to see what other Logistics information is out there and open an account. Set the expectation that you are just there to observe what Twitter is all about.
1 - Start by listening about what people are talking about in your area. Find individuals and companies (especially competitors) and see what they are tweeting about. When your company is mentioned, then you should engage in the conversation. Use searches to hone in on relevant information to your company.
2- After a few weeks, start posting links to the content you create on your blog. Re-tweet information you think your target audience will benefit from. The famous quote: “If you build it they will come” applies to Twitter as much as baseball. Expert on logistics transportation software? Talk about it. Expert of Ecommerce order fulfillment warehouse, talk about it.
Follow and They Will Come
To start engaging on Twitter you need to start following people that interest you. Don’t get caught up in the number of followers you have. First, it is about quality over quantity. Second, you should remember that information travels fast (see RT below). Following people adds tweets to your feed and provides you with a steady flow of information from people you are interested in.
RT (Retweet) and DM (Direct Message)
When you like something a person you follow has written – retweet it. This will pass along the great content and likely get the attention of the person you retweeted. A DM is a direct message (think email) you can send to a specific person (a retweet goes to everyone that follows you). The person you DM must be following you, so you cannot send direct message to everyone.
Answer Questions
People are asking question all the time on Twitter. Doing frequent searches on topics will identify those occasions and give you a chance to show off your knowledge. Remember, good answers get retweeted. People who get retweeted get more followers. It is how you grow and establish yourself.
Twitter Lists
Create specific Twitter lists that are tailored for a specific logistics industry topic. This allows you to pay attention to what others are saying on the topic and they will be segmented from the rest of the updates. When you are following a lot of people, it is tough sometimes to filter out all the noise when you have certain things you are looking for. Lists help deal with that.
Monitor
Search Twitter search above – Take advantage of the search functionality to focus in on the topics that are of interest to you and your customers.
1 - Start by listening about what people are talking about in your area. Find individuals and companies (especially competitors) and see what they are tweeting about. When your company is mentioned, then you should engage in the conversation. Use searches to hone in on relevant information to your company.
2- After a few weeks, start posting links to the content you create on your blog. Re-tweet information you think your target audience will benefit from. The famous quote: “If you build it they will come” applies to Twitter as much as baseball. Expert on logistics transportation software? Talk about it. Expert of Ecommerce order fulfillment warehouse, talk about it.
Follow and They Will Come
To start engaging on Twitter you need to start following people that interest you. Don’t get caught up in the number of followers you have. First, it is about quality over quantity. Second, you should remember that information travels fast (see RT below). Following people adds tweets to your feed and provides you with a steady flow of information from people you are interested in.
RT (Retweet) and DM (Direct Message)
When you like something a person you follow has written – retweet it. This will pass along the great content and likely get the attention of the person you retweeted. A DM is a direct message (think email) you can send to a specific person (a retweet goes to everyone that follows you). The person you DM must be following you, so you cannot send direct message to everyone.
Answer Questions
People are asking question all the time on Twitter. Doing frequent searches on topics will identify those occasions and give you a chance to show off your knowledge. Remember, good answers get retweeted. People who get retweeted get more followers. It is how you grow and establish yourself.
Twitter Lists
Create specific Twitter lists that are tailored for a specific logistics industry topic. This allows you to pay attention to what others are saying on the topic and they will be segmented from the rest of the updates. When you are following a lot of people, it is tough sometimes to filter out all the noise when you have certain things you are looking for. Lists help deal with that.
Monitor
Search Twitter search above – Take advantage of the search functionality to focus in on the topics that are of interest to you and your customers.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Channels for Social Media
Channels for using Social Media:
While the uses of social media are evolving daily as the platforms and tools change, the following are three general areas of opportunity for Logistics companies to leverage social media.
Social Media for Public Relations
Social media can be used as a tool to listen to, and engage customers. It can also be used as a way to share content and establish you as a thought leader in a specific market or niche. Know more than anyone else about pallet optimization, or ecommerce order fulfillment? Talk about it online. Think quality content that people want, not disruptive promotional sale pitches. This engagement can happen through blogging, participation in online communities, or other social media platforms. It is also an effective tool for understanding company perception in the marketplace as well as industry and competitive information.
Social Media for Employee Communication and Operations
Social media platforms are built largely for the simple purpose of facilitating communication. Many assume this has to mean communication with customers – but why not internal communication with or amongst employees? Companies with large field workforces (truck drivers, truckload field sales reps, etc.) can use social media to create and maintain a connection that improves day to day work performance as well as a cultural connection with peers. This was the original reason Twitter was created. Many companies are now using social media as their number one recruiting tool.
Social Media for Sales
Like any marketing tool, social media can drive sales and build brand awareness. It drives website traffic through the inherent Search Engine Optimization benefits. Customers and potential clients associate a company they see is active on the internet with specific services and contact that company when there is a need. For example, people in the market for a new Logistics Software system or ecommerce order fulfillment services WILL ask questions and for recommendations somewhere online. By “listening” in social media, potential clients indentify themselves – smart companies are there when they do.
While the uses of social media are evolving daily as the platforms and tools change, the following are three general areas of opportunity for Logistics companies to leverage social media.
Social Media for Public Relations
Social media can be used as a tool to listen to, and engage customers. It can also be used as a way to share content and establish you as a thought leader in a specific market or niche. Know more than anyone else about pallet optimization, or ecommerce order fulfillment? Talk about it online. Think quality content that people want, not disruptive promotional sale pitches. This engagement can happen through blogging, participation in online communities, or other social media platforms. It is also an effective tool for understanding company perception in the marketplace as well as industry and competitive information.
Social Media for Employee Communication and Operations
Social media platforms are built largely for the simple purpose of facilitating communication. Many assume this has to mean communication with customers – but why not internal communication with or amongst employees? Companies with large field workforces (truck drivers, truckload field sales reps, etc.) can use social media to create and maintain a connection that improves day to day work performance as well as a cultural connection with peers. This was the original reason Twitter was created. Many companies are now using social media as their number one recruiting tool.
Social Media for Sales
Like any marketing tool, social media can drive sales and build brand awareness. It drives website traffic through the inherent Search Engine Optimization benefits. Customers and potential clients associate a company they see is active on the internet with specific services and contact that company when there is a need. For example, people in the market for a new Logistics Software system or ecommerce order fulfillment services WILL ask questions and for recommendations somewhere online. By “listening” in social media, potential clients indentify themselves – smart companies are there when they do.
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