Creative Minds: I Need A Metaphor!
 

English as your second language can be hard at times, so I'm hoping for some creative business minds to pop in here :thumbsup

Right, so I need to do a presentation in English about a research I've done. I researched 11 countries in Southeast Asia for a company. The research lets the company know which countries are most suited to do business with. Using a filter based on certain criteria I rate each country, etc.

Eventually I'm left with 2 countries which I recommend to do business with.

Now, the annoying part, is that the presentation needs to be done in a METAPHOR. Don't ask why, but that's the way it is. So instead of a literal presentation it's a metaphor.

I can not for the life of me figure out something that sticks. Since you go pretty deep into it you hit a roadblock everytime.

What do you guys think? Any ideas or tips perhaps?

Thanks as always either way! :thumbsup

Doing business in Southeast Asia is like shoving a hot fire poker up your ass.

http://cdnimg.visualizeus.com/thumbs...5105eec4_m.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lj...d5b7o1_500.jpg

http://iamhilarious.com/wp-content/u...9/METAPHOR.jpg

ADG

Impossible to say when you don't know which business we're talking. But I appreciate the input nontheless.

ADG, I'll see how I can incorporate your thoughts ;)

Too little information to give useful feedback. Much depends on who you are making the presentation to, you would want to pick a metaphor that they can identify with.

Images that suggest themselves are pacific rim, ring of fire, asian tigers.

You are selling the proprietary output of an info filtering service, sounds like.

Panning for gold in the pacific rim. Naah, not that good.

Pacific Rim, Ring of Fire...how about Pacific Rim Job? :upsidedow

http://www.jokeoverflow.com/wp-conte...ob-500x375.jpg

ADG

Thanks Bill, the filter is a very small part of the research. The research is over 100 pages.

The presentation is for a student board ;) The company already took the report and gained a few potential clients, now it's time to present it to the university.

What exactly do you want the metaphor for?

Doing business in asia? Paring down the list to 2? Choosing between two things?

I want a metaphor for doing research, getting the right things in order, making a choice and then building something up (business relationship) successfully. Something like that..

I had a few ideas about building houses, planting trees.. even baking a cake. But you get stuck along the line cause finding a metaphor for every step is ridiculous.

Thanks for the input so far! :thumbsup

Getting your 'Ducks in a row'?

Why didn't you say so?!? :mad:

Here:

http://plumbananas.files.wordpress.c..._with_dart.jpg

http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/wp-con...0/05/dart1.jpg

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townn...2fe1.image.jpg

http://www.lolhome.com/img_big/funny...1361466987.jpg

http://icanhascheezburger.files.word...t-at-darts.jpg

http://gigaom.files.wordpress.com/20...arts_money.jpg

http://www.tournamentguidemag.com/wp...24-300x271.jpg

On second thought... :boid

http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/u...%201/darts.png

ADG

http://www.surfersam.com/funny-pictu...s-research.jpg

ADG

Hmm, what starts out as funny gets annoying after a while ;) No wonder your post count looks that impressive. The content of those posts however is shockingly bad.

2 Ways to start a business is better than 1 way?

http://mommyssweetthings.com/images/...me-no-bump.jpg

Ungrateful Dutch bastard - I'll take my million dollar ideas elsewhere. :321GFY

It's not like you were offering a reward for taking someone's creative ideas... :upsidedow

ADG

UDB -- I like that, it could stick ;)

Who says there's no reward? You know what they say, there's always more than meets the eye.

Well, in that case...

http://www.adrants.com/images/more_meets_eye.jpg

ADG

tell the assholes to stick with the KISS principle - Keep It Simple Stupid and get rid of the silly metaphor requirement.

hmmm - a dating website metaphor - it's similar to what your project does, companies are looking for the countries which are the best match for their goals, same way a person searches a dating site for the best match for his/herself.

google for old Chinese proverbs or theorems.

When in doubt you can always go with the age old building a bridge metaphor.

IE: doing the research and getting things in order is building the bridge that will allow them to bring their product/service to the people/country of choice.

Kind of hard to come up with specifics without knowing the kind of business or the location.

Speak of your attempt to do business as a virus attempting to take hold in a set of hosts.
Your goal is to inflict the most significant plague in history.

Easy attention grabber and all the details can be paralleled. ;)

One would be a journey...

Research is drawing a treasure map which must be carefully studied and understood. Maybe the treasure is guarded, perhaps somebody else already has it or maybe it's in a difficult location. Once you fully understand the map, you must carefully plan for the journey ahead and all the of obstacles and hazards you may face. The help and partnership of those who you will meet on your journey will be vital to your success.

Wow thanks guys! I could definitely work with this!

I especially like the treasure thing, since I need to make a visual presentation I think this could work well.

The bridge metaphor can be a life saver aswell.. Will not hesitate to use it either :)

Relentless; I see where you're going with that, but I think it has a bit of a negative feeling to it.

Thanks again! :thumbsup

no shaking hands metaphor, they don't shake hands down there...

Try to use the thesaurus. That will get you some ideas.

You're right ;) I used the book Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands as part of the research aswell to determine cultural differences.

very smart, most people forget about that... :thumbsup

Good question.. I have the feeling it should be a Simile.

look Asian literature, Confucius etc..

Oh right, a simile. OK then.

How about House MD? Is that popular there? There is a problem, no idea how to solve it, lots of people all put up theories, which are researched and proven or unproven. Then the patient can be fixed and build up to be well again?

Pioneers working out where to settle? Researching best areas for water, shelter, wood, grazing, each areas have pros and cons etc. Then the shacks to up, then houses, then a village then a town etc?

I like it! Thanks Damian!

is this some sort of course that you're doing?

It's not :)

Been working on this thing for a while not but this damn metaphor presentation is killing me. It's the most retarded thing someone has ever requested of me, ever.

Everything I try I get stuck after a while.

The treasure idea was really awesome.

In that scenario doing the research about all the countries would be the creation of the map. I figured that the countries would represent the different routes to the treasure and every route has it's advantages and disadvantages. But explaining those is kind of hard.

It's safe to say this isn't one of my strong suits.