Filling in some holes...

Just spent some time walking down memory lane while adding a few more items to my LinkedIn profile.

One was the one (and only award) for my illustrious high-school acting career at Adam Scott (as a rural French Canadian in love with the wonderful Marie... "Marie, could you not love me a little bit?").

With my friend (but academic rival) Paul Harris in full makeup in one of the one-act plays at Adam Scott (likely Hands Across the Sea by Noel Coward)

The other was my essay about an amazing Art Deco gem (the 1937 Toronto Stock Exchange) in the commemorative book about the opening of the Design Exchange in Toronto.

Where did those wordless years go?

If you're wondering why there's a three year gap in my blog posts, it's because I've been posting on Facebook and Twitter, but not here.

Thanks to the wise counsel of www.SofieAndreou.com, I've revised my online strategy; this is the place to come for my general observations, funny items, etc.

(I'm working on upgrading my Glue and Art Deco online presence as well... Stay tuned!)

The collapsing distinction between promotion and information

Yesterday, on my favourite radio interview program (CBC Radio's show Q), host Jian Ghomeshi  intreviewed Hayley Phelan, Fashion News Editor at Fashionista.com about her online story, 'Can You Trust the Editorial Integrity of Personal Style Blogs? A Closer Look at How Bloggers Make Money.'

The segment got me thinking about the larger issues of ‘independent thought’ and the blurring of ‘promotion’ and ‘information’ in contemporary culture.

Witness the growing popularity of advertorials in reputable newspapers and magazines, in which corporations or special interest groups pay to have ‘editorially formatted copy’ written about them to surround their advertisements, all bearing such headings as ‘sponsored supplement’ or ‘special information feature.’

Count the number of well-known brands that we are exposed to in a typical Hollywood movie or TV show. Product placement is big business.

The burgeoning field of branded content, accelerated by social media, involves brands creating their own editorial or entertainment-style programming that, to a greater or lesser extent, allows them to focus attention on their own products without the clutter of competing brands.

The prevalence of celebrity endorsements for products ranging from fragrances to fast food suggests that many consumers crave reassurance or status when making purchasing decisions.

For me, the most practical way to cope these days is to carefully choose brands that you identify with and trust, whether it’s a newspaper (in my case, The Globe and Mail), a clothing retailer (L.L. Bean) or a line of haircare products (whatever my stylist at Fiorio on Bayview recommends). 

Just don’t expect that your choices will yield “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”

A sad day for comedy on Canadian TV

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Roger Abbott, a mainstay in Air Farce on CBC Radio and later on CBC TV. I once went to a taping at the old studio in Cabbagetown... His imitations of Jean Chretien and Peter Mansbridge were spot-on.

Read an appreciation and profile here... Globe & Mail article

A truly smart brand...

When shopping in-person at Indigo yesterday, I bought the latest in my series of (insert topic here) For Dummies books.

This one is iPad For Dummies, purchased to help me get the most out of my new 'essential business tool / really cool toy' – it really depends on who in my family you ask!

In the early days of Glue, I bought several of the books to help me learn about and run the business: Consulting for Dummies, Accounting for Dummies and Managing Business Change for Dummies. Since then, I've picked up several others – iPod & iTunes for Dummies and iMovie '09 & iDVD '09 for Dummies – to help me exploit specific new technological tools.

What really impresses me about 'For Dummies' books are their consistency:

• Packaging – the books are easy to spot on the store's shelf (helps me buy 'em), and each one is to distinguish from another on my bookshelf (helps me use 'em).
• Organization – each book follows a standard format (e.g., Contents at a Glance, Table of Contents, 'The Part of Tens', road-sign icons, detailed index), so I know what to expect and where to find stuff.
• Tonality – all the Dummies books I own have the same folksy language that's occasionally laced with gentle puns, but always very clear in delivering its message, making me feel comfortable when learning.

In writing this post, I've just discovered that there's a FREE For Dummies online reference library of articles and instructional videos on a vast number of topics, ranging from the six-step 'How to Unclog a Drain with a Plunger' (illustrated with still photos!), to 'How to Create Smart CD Playlists in iTunes' that includes helpful screen shots. Heck, you don't even have to buy this company's stuff to learn things!

Overall, I believe For Dummies books exemplify effective branding: they make a clear and relevant promise ('A Reference for the Rest of Us', now apparently updated to 'Making Everything Easier') and then repeatedly deliver on that promise.

Now that's smart business!

My new iPad: The thrill, the disappointment and a delightful surprise

My first Apple computer!

As a nearly 30-year user of Apple technology (remember the Apple II Plus anyone?), the time finally arrived when I was able to purchase an iPad. (Being the prudent person I am, I also bought an ICON screen protector, and after being nearly overwhelmed by choice at my Best Buy store, a padded black nylon Brenthaven carrying case.)

Naturally, there was enormous excitement when I unpacked the silent, shining black-and-chrome iPad.

The designer side of me relishes the simplicity of the all-white Apple box with its vacuum-formed insert and clear cellophane wrappers (that even have micro-sized dots on the flaps to tell you where to pull to remove).

Cardboard stiffener = cupholder tray!

But the eco-consumer side of me – disappointed by the lack of recycle-ability of much of the iPad packaging – was thrilled that the cardboard stiffener inside the Brenthaven case (which itself was packed inside a simple, recycled paper sleeve) was designed to be reused as a cup-holder tray! Its instructions read: "In our efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle, please punch out cup holders and recycle the rest. Thanks. Brenthaven."

So while I've (predictably) extended my engagement and passion for the Apple brand, I have become an instant convert to the eco-friendly Brenthaven brand and its Zero Impact commitment to the environment.

Do you think the time will come when Apple's commitment to user experience will catch up with today's ground-swell of eco-consciousness, and will lead the company to evolve its distinctive packaging into something less polished and sleek?

One day, three communities...

Today, I was proud to be part of one very 'tangible' community, happy to be part of an 'old media' virtual community, and ashamed to be indirectly associated with a 'real' community powered by new media. Let me explain...

Proud (noon): The group of neighbourhood youngsters that I coach on the Leaside Braves baseball team pulled together on a very wet and dreary morning to win the Consolation Championship. Media involved: face-to-face connections supported by league website and coach's weekly emails.

Happy (10:15 pm): Joined a virtually connected group of blues music fans as I brushed my teeth. Media involved: radio (CBC's Saturday Night Blues) which included phone-in requests.

Ashamed (bedtime): Watched the devastation wreaked by unruly G20 protestors in my city. Media involved: TV and newspaper websites delivered the images showing a 'community' of protestors -- reportedly linked and empowered through social media.

The reminder for me: communities and media (like other enabling technologies) can be instruments of good or evil.

7 insights on building your personal brand

On Tuesday June 15, I was invited to participate in an informal roundtable discussion on personal branding, led by Alan Kay of The Glasgow Group. Here are seven brief insights I gained from the event, and some additional resources I've since discovered.

What is a personal brand?

A personal brand (like a conventional product brand) is a set of elements that lead to trust and help customers make choices. The essence of your personal brand is what’s unique to you, and how it benefits your customers. Clear identify for yourself what you’re good at (be specific), and where you want to go (and grow).

Why should I worry about my personal brand (especially if I’m an employee)?

Whether you think you have one or not, you do have a personal brand. Be conscious of what you do and who you are associated with, since the digital universe never forgets things (you’d be surprised at what comes up when you Google your name)! A positive personal brand will help you get your next position (as an employee) or your next customer (as a consultant / entrepreneur).

How do customers connect with my brand?

First emotionally, then they rationalize their choices afterward. If you are truthful and passionate about yourself and what you do, customers will be drawn to you. Try to have a consistent brand persona, but remember you can have some fun at the same time. We’re all human after all!

How can I boost my credibility?

Within reason, communicate openly about the well-known brands / experts you’ve been associated with (e.g., as past employers, collaborators) so that their intrinsic credibility rubs off on you.

How can I strengthen my brand?

‘Working your network’ and building relationships is not enough. To battle the inevitable ‘commoditization’ of talent, continually improve the quality and uniqueness of what you do. Add value in every interaction (it’s better to ‘give’ than ‘ask’).

How should I promote my brand?

With all the new media channels available today (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs, YouTube, etc.) there’s never been a better time to leverage your personal brand. As often as you can, post interesting or provocative insights and comments to try and grow your network, and position yourself as the thought-leader in your field.

Strive to demonstrate ‘business maturity’:

Whether you’re starting out or are well established in what you do, it pays to show you:

· can understand and adapt and learn on the fly (be flexible)

· can respectfully share your experience with others (be collaborative)

· can listen effectively (be engaged)

· have the confidence to take initiative (be proactive)

Some additional resources on personal branding:
* Alan Kay's follow-up blog: 7 ways to build your personal brand…now!http://frymonkeys.com/7-ways-to-build-your-personal-brand-storynow/

* Personal Branding Blog – read articles from various thought-leaders, and download the free, 16-page ebook, 10 Personal Branding Secrets You’ve Never Heard Before. 

* Brand-Yourself.com – sign up for the free monthly ‘Personal Branding VIP Newsletter,’ and download the free, 24-page ebook, From Tweet to Hired: The Brand-Yourself guide to Leveraging Twitter to Advance Your Career. 

* 'How to Develop your Personal Brand' – short, helpful article from Susan Young of Get in Front Blogging.
* 'Honest, believable, sustainable: the brand of me' – an insightful blog from 'creative entrepreneur' Rebecca E. Parsons.
* Book: Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk (available as an audiobook from emusic.com) – an informative and passionate call to build your brand on the now-egalitarian platform of social media.
* A 'Venn Diagram' on the three attributes required for maximizing your individual talent, from talent coach Lisa Martin.

Cotter-pins and continuous improvement

This afternoon I spend a couple of hours assembling a Yardworks garden cart – a new tool for my wife's business, It's Perfect.

The product was compactly and responsibly packaged (all cardboard, no styrofoam), the instructions seemed pretty clear, and the different nuts and bolts needed at each stage of the assembly stage were even supplied in separate numbered pockets on a vacuum-packed card... wow!

Everything was going along very nicely, and I eventually figured out the best way to use my crescent wrench and box-end wrench to tighten the hard-to-reach bolts.

However, while fastening the side walls of the cart, one of the tiny cotter-pins sprang out of my pliers and into the wilderness of my garage floor. Which got me thinking: Wouldn't it be great if manufacturers supplied a couple of extras of the 'most-likely-to-be-lost-during-assembly' parts?

My only beef with the product was that the instructions were unclear about which way to install the side walls, so I had to remove and reinstall them to get the nifty locking fasteners to fit. Otherwise, it was a great experience, and Sue is delighted with the utility value of the cart!

Lessons for marketers: Anticipate and address potential customer irritants to deliver the best customer experience.

• Ensure every part of the instructions is crystal-clear (with detailed illustrations) to help customers avoid mistakes.
• Consider supplying a few extra nuts and bolts – ideally in a separate, clearly marked little package so customers aren't wondering if they missed something.
  

Personal lessons: As usual, allow enough time for the project, have the right tools on hand, and keep experimenting how to use the tools to get the job done quickly.

The Bell tolled for Ted Rogers

A few years ago, I was a fervent supporter of Bell Canada for my cell-phone and internet needs, believing all the talk that Rogers was impossible to deal with. But partly as a result of some inferior technical capabilities and sloppy customer service from Bell, I've since switched most of my business to Rogers.

Without question, the complexity of delivering flawless, uninterrupted service across various high-tech platforms makes it nearly impossible to achieve complete customer satisfaction, but overall, I've been impressed by the friendliness of Rogers' call centre folks, the clarity of their messaging... and I have to say, i ADORE my iPhone!

One factor that caused me to reconsider Rogers was Ted Rogers's inductee acceptance speech at the 2007 Marketing Hall of Legends (www.marketinghalloflegends.ca) gala. At the close of the evening, Ted stood at his chair in the audience and enthralled us with the story of how, in the early days, he managed his clamouring creditors by drawing invoices out of a hat on Friday nights! That night, we saw a side of Ted that I suspect many of us didn't know.

I recently purchased the audio version of Ted's autobiography, Relentless, and have been really enjoying his stories about the struggles to build his company, his candour about his strengths and weaknesses, and his entrepreneurial advice.

Not surprisingly, the obituaries published earlier this week have been less flattering than his own book, but nonetheless, it's hard not to admire the ambition, patriotism and foresight of this Canadian legend. It makes me a bit more proud to be a Rogers customer.

Confessions of a Lapsed Blogger: Egotism or shame?

It's been months since my last entry in this blog. Why the drought?

Yes, I've been busy, but then, who hasn't been.

Have I lacked anything interesting to say (my kids might say so), but I don't think that's really true, since I've had plenty of great things happen in the last while.

I believe it's partly because I have a small fear that blogging is a bit egotistical – a way of 'showing off' to the world how clever or insightful you are. And so, I keep asking myself: "Is what I am about to write meaningful enough or worth putting on public display?" Invariably, it seems, my answer was 'no,' so nothing got written.

Then, if you stop doing something for long enough (such as an exercise or dietary regime), you start feeling guilty and ashamed about not keeping it up, which further fuels the flames of inactivity (pardon the mixed metaphor).

I worked for nearly 10 years with a client named Heather (she just retired) who taught me many things. One lesson was that newsletters are dangerous, because once you start them, you must keep 'feeding the beast' with new content. And since a blog is like a running newsletter, the same situation applies right here at 'The Spot.'

So, I ask for forgiveness for my blogging lapse and solemnly promise that I will 'hit The Spot' more often. I will loosen up on myself about the fear of seeming egotistical, and will write stuff that I hope has at least some redeeming value in terms of business, life lessons, or humour.

Here goes!

Reflections on a career-in-progress

This morning, I braved the winter’s latest snowstorm to venture out to the University of Toronto Mississauga campus to participate in a student networking event for students studying marketing or communications.

While passing along various nuggets of advice from my own experiences, I was struck by the realization that like most things, career-planning success comes down to positioning, persistence and politeness.

Positioning, in understanding what excites you, then packaging your skills and interests into a ‘brand’ that expresses who you are and what you want to do, but is also aligned with the prerequisites and capabilities of the job you’re seeking.

Persistence, in appreciating that getting a job is partly a numbers game (first you’ve gotta get your ‘brand’ intrusively launched into the marketplace, then you need to keep on reminding your prospects about your existence until, when their need arises, you’re top-of-mind).

And finally politeness, in having the smarts to not presume that your skill-set will automatically fit the employer’s needs, but ‘taking it slow’ and respectfully asking to begin a conversation with them that ideally leads to a job.

I drove away from the session reminded about the innocence of youth, but also thankful that I’ve found a rewarding career for myself with Glue.

The rewards of giving back

Making time for volunteer work these days is always a challenge, what with client projects, kid’s hockey games and spending time with your spouse all competing for the planet’s most non-renewable: time.

For three years, I’ve given a great many hours to the Marketing Hall of Legends (www.marketinghalloflegends.ca), an organization that celebrates marketing excellence in Canada. The primary part of my role has been conducting phone or in-person interviews with each year’s inductees, then translating these into two-page profiles in the gala evening program book.

While the hours I’ve contributed are considerable, so too are the rewards I’ve received. First, simply getting to talk with some of Canada’s most successful marketers is a treat. Second, the opportunity to hear about their career influences, their personal mantras and their views on the industry today is enlightening. And third is the satisfaction of knowing that my work – together with that of the others on the committee who also donate their time to the cause – reaches the eyes and minds and hearts of other Canadian marketers.

Last night's gala was once again a great success. Since this was my final year as an MHOL volunteer, it was a bittersweet moment to witness the energy in the room. I left feeling very proud of the part I'd played in helping our industry honour its legends.

My faux-marble garbage can: A plea for truthfulness

The Rimrock Resort Hotel in Banff (where I arrived yesterday to help produce the employee meeting I’ve been working on for a couple of months) is lovely. The view of the mountains is breathtaking, the food is tasty, and the staff (40 percent of whom, I’m told, are Aussies) are very friendly.

Though my room is spacious and tastefully decorated, one thing caught my eye… the bathroom garbage can.

The can is made of plastic that’s meant to look like marble. Now I’ve got nothing against marble, but why would one ever want a real marble garbage can? It would be quite heavy to lift while being emptied, rather breakable if you banged it, and would do a number on your toes if you dropped it.

This humble garbage can got me thinking about truthfulness in design. I believe that on top of being functional (things doing what they’re supposed to do; being easy-to-use and durable), objects and spaces should be attractive (e.g., harmonious colours, pleasing proportions). But I wish designers would not try to make things appear to be something that they’re not. In other words, I wish things were more authentic.

Plastic is an ideal material for a garbage can, so make it look like plastic. Why not a solid colour (since it’s made from resin poured into a mould), perhaps with a texture (if the moulding process allows for it). But don’t make it look like marble!

There’s a new book out called Authenticity (James H. Gilmore and B. Joseph Pine II, Harvard Business School Press, 299 pages, $31.95) that I suspect touches on this. To be truthful (!), I’ve only skimmed the book in a store and read a review of it.

Few would argue there’s tremendous skepticism all around us these days; witness the debate about whether Hillary Clinton’s crying on the campaign trail a couple of weeks ago was a carefully staged performance, or an authentic show of emotion. As Authenticity argues, there’s a deep yearning for things to be real.

I believe the lesson for marketers is to be honest with yourself – and with your customers – about what your brand / product actually is, then truthfully present what it can and cannot do. I’m not suggesting being dull, humourless or devoid of emotion, but rather to ensure the excitement and emotion of your brand promise is grounded in believable, real-life experiences.

Sky-high about my latest business tool!

We’ve all heard about ‘raving brand champions’ – ordinary customers who become vocal supporters of a company or its products. Well, right now at 36,000 feet above central Canada, I’ve become one myself.

The product? The remarkably simple AviatorTM Laptop Stand – a collapsible gizmo that packs flat in your briefcase (1/2 inch thick by about 12 inches long), but elevates your computer while angling it forward to a more ergonomically correct position. The result? You can type comfortably without hunching over.

I got it online at www.keynomics.com for $19.95 US; total price when shipped via UPS was 33 bucks.

The jury’s still out on whether it will help me ‘work smarter’ (as the instructions claim), but it sure feels a lot better!

Snowbanks and marketing plans

Bright and early yesterday morning (just three days before Christmas!), I had a new client meeting in which we were discussing the importance of starting out with a comprehensive strategic marketing plan. Investing the time now to build such a plan, I argued, lays the foundation for successful subsequent tactics that will achieve business results.

Two hours later, I was out doing errands on Bayview Avenue with my sons, and – despite it being the last weekend shopping day before Christmas – it was very difficult finding a parking spot. Why? Because Toronto's streets are now significantly narrowed by giant snowbanks created when folks dug out from last Sunday's giant snowfall. It's easy to see where cars were parked last weekend, because everywhere else there are three-foot-high mountains of snow!

So what's the connection between marketing plans and snowbanks?

It's a pet-peeve of mine that many homeowners shovel snow with a short-term mentality... only throwing it far enough to clear their immediate path. They don't consider what will happen next time, when they need to clear the same area – now surrounded by high snowbanks!

On the other hand, I take the longer-term view; once early December arrives, you should assume that the snowbanks you create today will be around until the end of the winter, and shovel accordingly. I prefer to throw (only clean!) snow back up onto our lawn, which helps avoid choking the street with snowbanks along the curb.

So, a good marketing plan analyzes the situation without 'creating snowbanks' that impede your ability to react to future circumstances. It presents a clear picture of the underlying roadway and surrounding landscape, and suggests ways that you can progress down that road to achieve the desired business results.

Tim's business-travel tips

Having just returned from another business trip out west to Calgary, it's becoming clearer to me that the 'travel' part of business travel isn't really all that glamourous. In fact, it's usually rather exhausting... you just want to ARRIVE!

Through my recent experiences, I'm learning some simple lessons that are helping me be productive and do my best work:

1. Pick a hotel that's close to the client's office. Okay, so maybe one that's actually connected indoors is a bit too close (this time, I always walked the 40 yards door-to-door outside), but not having to travel much back and forth saves time and energy.

2. Eat a hearty breakfast. Day after day, a couple of glasses of juice, a bowl of oatmeal, scrambled eggs, and toast with peanut butter mightn't very exciting, but it does give me energy for a full morning's work (especially when I'm working in Mountain Time but waking up on Eastern Time).

3. Pack good technical tools. Although you end up with a second rolling suitcase loaded with electronic gear, I found it so handy to have a portable printer with me (Canon iP90), together with my Rogers Portable High-Speed Internet modem, USB hub, mouse, digital camera-cum-tape-recorder and of course, cellphone. I've even labelled the different power cords for each device, and got separate little carrying pouches (orange-coloured kids' pencil cases) for all the accessories, which makes packing easier and reduces the likelihood you forget essential cables or chargers. I even sprang for a second battery for my MacBook Pro laptop, which has more than paid for itself in extra productivity on longer flights.

4. Bring some office essentials. I ended up buying a mini-stapler, file folders and a hole punch at Grand & Toy, so I could keep the documents from my various meetings neatly organized. Use a few hotel envelopes to organize receipts, so your wallet doesn't get overloaded.

5. Get a good little carrying bag. I just bought a wonderful black Hedgren shoulder bag with countless zippered pockets. It's perfect for carrying all my 'stuff': pens, cellphone, iPod, retractable Sony earbuds (since untangling headphone cable has got to be one of life's great time-wasters), memory sticks, digital camera with extra batteries, chewing gum, water bottles, books, etc. Tip: Keep your boarding pass in the same pocket every time to avoid rifling through the entire bag in line-ups.

6. Pack up as you go. Next time, I'll do a better job of keeping my stuff nearly 'ready to be packed' for departure, thereby minimizing the scambling when heading home.

7. Avoid arriving home in rush hour. Just when you're finally ready to collapse into the back-seat of the limousine to get home from the airport, you discover there are dozens people ahead of you -- and precious few limos or taxis to be found. Once it does arrive, the highway home is a veritable parking lot. Lesson: try to stick to flights arriving in the evening!

8. Most important of all: smile. I'm coming to appreciate the value of smiling at the many people you come into contact with when travelling -- from airport check-in staff to restaurant servers, flight attendants to taxi-drivers, hotel front-desk staff to office-tower security guards. A warm, genuine smile or greeting makes a connection -- from one human being to another -- that shows you appreciate their efforts, and can help you get that 'extra bit' of attention or service or flexibility you may need.

Saying hello in winter

Today was the first major snowfall of the winter here in Toronto, and I walked my half-hour to the office early to catch up on work.

Over the years, I’ve observed that the first snowfall day allows normally reserved Torontonians to actually 'open up a little' and smile at strangers as they trudge past. I guess it’s an acknowledgment of our shared battle against the elements.

However, there seems to be some unwritten rules at play. If you encounter someone one-on-one, you normally say hello (or at least smile), but if you encounter a cluster of people, you are less likely to greet them.

The arrival of iPods has allowed people to further detach themselves from their social surroundings (but not yet their physical environment) and ignore such interpersonal contact.

For me, I try to still say hello, even with the earbuds in. But who knows, maybe I’m shouting when I do so...?

My Grey Cup runneth over on WestJet

I arrived home at 3 a.m. today from a business trip to Calgary (the flight home was delayed departing due to a storm at Pearson Airport in Toronto). As is my wont lately, I chose to fly WestJet (www.westjet.com) rather than Air Canada (www.aircanada.com), since as a marketer I’m always interested in watching how companies ‘live their brand.’

I was tired at the end of the busy day, and had initially hoped to sleep on the trip home. But as I boarded the flight after 8 p.m., I was surrounded in the jetway by the hoots and hollers of Western Canadian football fans heading to TO for the Grey Cup.

Although I didn’t catch a wink of sleep on the flight, I did have a brief chat with the boisterous fans beside, behind and across from me; did get some Marketing Hall of Legends (www.marketinghalloflegends.ca) volunteer work done; and most significantly, did observe the grace and mastery of the WestJet crew in their handling of my new Western Canadian pals.

Not only was I reminded of the importance of the Grey Cup in uniting Canadians, but I watched how the flight crew conducted themselves with humour, cheerfulness and humanity while never compromising the flight’s safety.

It reaffirmed my respect for the airline, and for its recruitment policies in attracting employees who aren’t afraid to ‘be real’ on the job.