How to spoil a great branding effort

I like the Telus brand. I also like the cute animals they use to push their "Future is Friendly" messaging.

As a frequent movie-goer, I also love that Telus has partnered up with Cineplex to bring us Telus Tuesdays, where guests receive admission, regular popcorn and regular drink for about half price.

To help promote the Telus brand in association with this great offer, a microsite was launched with all of the info including a cast of characters and branded popcorn bags. At first glance, I was pretty impressed with this campaign, both from a consumer's perspective and in terms of the strategic partnership created between Telus and Cineplex...

...then I grabbed my seat inside the theatre.

Before your movie starts, Cineplex typically shows 5 or 6 ads (before the trailers) and I've noticed that they often coincide with the expected demographic for the film about to be screened. This is a great revenue stream for Cineplex and a great way for advertisers to reach a captive audience within their demographic.

As I sat there watching the screen, anxious for my film to start I saw ads for WIND Mobile, Rogers Wireless AND Bell Mobility!

I have no idea what Telus is spending in order to present the Telus Tuesday combo, but someone really dropped the ball when not one, but THREE major competitors all had ads displayed in the theatre prior to the start of the film.

Sure, Telus had the last ad before the trailers hit the screen, but it blows my mind that they didn't arrange some sort of exclusivity agreement to prohibit competitor's ads from being shown on Tuesday nights.

One sure-fire way to spoil a great branding campaign is to fail to protect your efforts from the competition. I congratulate Telus for a fantastic promotion but they lose points for overlooking some pretty important details.

10 Worst Ads of 2009

BNET has posted it's top 10 worst ads of 2009. This year's selections range from a cheating Mrs. Claus to a cell phone customer gabbing about her STD.

My personal fave is #10 - the furniture store that offers goods for both black and white people! Glad to see that race relations are at an all time high in North Carolina!

CLICK HERE to check them out!

Viral success...but has it built a brand?

Once again, OfficeMax has released the ElfYourself greeting card builder and the social networking sites are flooding with everyone's hilarious creations.

ElfYourself is a simple, yet brilliant tool that lets you upload the faces of up to five friends into an interface. The photos become the faces of a bunch of elves. It then spits out a "greeting card" where your elves dance around the screen to a disco version of a holiday song - complete with disco dance floor, funky moves and camera angles. The ElfYourself is sure to get a chuckle from anyone who sees it. At the end of the sequence, you are given the opportunity to click and purchase holiday gifts (mugs, shirts, etc.) with your elf's face on i t from Office Max.

The ElfYourself site was launched back in 2006 by OfficeMax and reappears every holiday season with much anticipation and exponential usage - as a recurring "viral" website, it is probably one of, if not the most successful (in my opinion).

After a drop off in popularity last year, the added integration into Facebook and Twitter has caused a resurgence. OfficeMax's agency, Tribal DDB, also organized a flash mob of elves in New York to generate additional hype.

My question of course is - has it helped to build the OfficeMax brand; and more importantly, does it generate sales?

OfficeMax does provide a call to action to buy swag after watching the greeting card. The creator can also purchase a copy of the card for $4.99 to keep beyond the holidays.

I've searched the 'net trying to find out, but a Google search returns articles with lots of stats on views / hits but nothing about sales or monetization.

OfficeMax has hit a homerun with their fun take on the traditional e-card but I am dying to know what it cost them to launch/promote and if it has had any real impact on business... and more importantly, does it really matter in this case? Maybe OfficeMax just wants to spread some holiday cheer!

You know you need PR when...

If you've been reading the Toronto Star lately, then you;re probably aware of the ongoing pouring-in of stories from readers experiencing billing issues with the foreign-owned Toll Highway.

Originally planned as a bypass route through Toronto, the 407 was leased by the province to a private group in 1999 for $3.1 billion over a 99 year term. The highway currently has an estimated value of over $10 billion.

As much as I would love to rant about the government's very poor decision to sell the 407, I'll do my best to stay on topic.

According to the 407 ETR website, a motorist enters a contract with 407 ETR as soon as they get on the highway. Terms and conditions are automatically accepted even though the only way to read them is either on their website before your trip or on the back of an invoice.

The Star began an investigation of the 407's billing practices after a number of readers wrote to complain about receiving unexpected bills or bills with a great deal of interest attached to them. The 407 has so far been uncooperative in responding to complaints.

In this morning's paper, the 407's owners sent out a message to consumers who questioned their billing practices: Don't drive on our highway.

I am not a Public Relations expert, but I think that perhaps the 407 needs to reconsider their statement.

I drive on the 407. There are times when I find it faster and more convenient and under those circumstances, I don't mind paying a few dollars for the convenience.

That said, there is always an alternate route, and many people will put a priority on pride over a shorter commute.

The problems with the 407 are largely a direct result of the province's decision to sell and will likely get worse should the parent company not consider a more friendly approach (or failing that, some form of government intervention).

I've been fortunate not to have any billing issues with the 407 (other than my issues with the cost in general) but based on their recent comments, I am strongly considering using alternative routes.

In the interim, the 407 needs to address these billing issues and start working on a plan to regain consumer confidence. If anyone over there wants to give me a call, I can recommend a few great PR agencies.

Social Media and the Law... again!

Tween pop sensation Justin Bieber caused a riot at Roosevelt Field Mall in Long Island, NY this past week when he was scheduled to appear for an autograph signing.

While you probably don't care, the story does get interesting since the use (or lack thereof) of his Twitter account lead to the arrest of James Roppo, a representative from Bieber's record Label.

According to the Associated Press, a huge crowd had formed to catch a glimpse of the mini-star and crowding/shoving was becoming a safety issue.

Police asked Roppo to help disburse the crowd by sending out a Twitter message notifying fans that Bieber would not be allowed into the mall until things calmed down. When Roppo refused, he was arrested on several misdemeanor charges, including "failure to cooperate with police".

Despite this strange request, two Tweets were seen on Bieber's Twitter account at 4:30pm and 4:33pm first asking the crowd to calm down and leave, then stating that one of his people had been arrested.

I really don't care for Bieber or this article, but the fact that refusing to send a Tweet contributed to a man's arrest is something worth discussing. Just recently, I posted a blog about how a man's Facebook status saved him from jail. Now we're seeing the other side of the spectrum.

There is no doubt that Social Media is becoming more and more important in our lives but I really struggle with this particular incident. Even if Roppo had agreed to send out the Tweet, the police were going on the assumption that a large majority of the existing crowd would see it instantly and just pack up and go.

Twitter is a great way for an artist to keep in touch with his or her fans by letting them have some insight into their life or by notifying them of upcoming events. It is not a method of crowd control.

It will be interesting to see how this - and future cases - progress when Social Media comes into play.

Interactive Trailers... Stepping it up!

Online trailers for games and movies are nothing new. Apple has owned the movie trailer space for ages. Now YouTube is a major player. Afficionados flock to trailer sites to get whatever sneak peeks they can into upcoming titles. A well produced trailer can generate lots of hype and even go viral, giving the release a significant marketing advantage long-before the release date.

Until recently, the trailer has always been a short clip (usually 3 minutes or less) showing some of the title's best material from action shots to funny moments to scary scenes. The one thing every trailer had in common was that it was just a video.

This all changed last year, when Nintendo put out an interactive trailer for Warioland Shake It. What made this trailer awesome is how the YouTube page started to shake and crumble as Wario did damage in the actual game trailer.

I was recently refered to GameTrailers.com to check out a new trailer for the latest chapter in the Resident Evil series... Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. The result was far more enticing than anything I could have imagined and something anyone interested in the Interactive space NEEDS to see.

This is the perfect example of what a trailer can be. I can tell you that after seeing the trailer, my excitement level for this game is way higher than it would have been with a normal trailer.

I can't wait to watch as designers battle for the next awesome trailer and look forward to watching the trailer evolve into a truly exciting and interactive marketing tool.

Check out the two trailers here:
Warioland Shake It
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles

Facebook Status Used as Alibi

On Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 11:49am, 19 year old Rodney Bradford updated his Facebook status from his father's apartment in Harlem to say: "Where's my pancakes?"

In a recent court case, those three words were accepted by the judge as an alibi and got Rodney off of alleged armed robbery charges that took place moments later.

This is a unique first and, from my perspective, a very dangerous precendent.

After being arrested for alleged participation in a mugging at gun-point that took place around the sane time, Bradford's lawyer, Robert Reuland used the Facebook status (along with testimony from Bradford's father) as an alibi proving that Bradford was, in fact, in the apartment at the time of the robbery.

Facebook provided evidence (using IP tracking) that the posting did, in fact come from the apartment at that time.

With Social Media playing an increasing role in our lives, I expect we will be seeing more of this in future legal cases. On one hand, I'm glad to see Bradford's name cleared. On the other, this creates a scary precedence.

Anyone can update your status if they have a username and password. What is stopping someone from now planning to commit a crime and having a friend login to their account from their home right before the crime is committed and type in a status update?

Social media sites have been used in court cases before. They have been used to demonstrate infidelity in divorce cases or to check in on sick employees.

Social media brings a lot of good into our lives, but the Bradford case just proved that technology can also add a whole other layer of complexity to our lives. I look forward to reading about future cases where Facebook and other social media sites play an active part in court cases.

You can read the full article on the Bradford case by clicking here.

The iPhone generation

Got a sweet tech toy but no degree? No worries! According to a study by consumer electronics e-tailer, Retrevo, 75% of iPhone users don't care!

Retrevo polled a number of iPhone users to get a feel for who these people are. The results are pretty shocking (not to mention shallow). Check this out!

Retrevo asked, "What makes a person most attractive to you?" iPhone owners prefered cool gadgets over a college degree three to one.

Really? Listen up kids... save yourself THOUSANDS of dollars on tuition, books, etc. and just grab yourself an iPhone. Now leverage those relationships to haggle your way into a job. Think of the time and money you'll save!

One in three iPhone owners has texted or emailed their significant other to break up.

I know some people are afraid of confrontation, but that's just plain cowardly! Makes me wonder if it would be appropriate to respond to a breakup text with a crying emoticon :'(

One in three iPhone owners say that, if their partner had out-of-date gadgets, it would be a turnoff.

Not getting enough action from your significant other? Better get that Windows 7 upgrade, stat! Coincidentally, I was actually mocked just this afternoon (jokingly, I hope!) for working in marketing and using a PC instead of a Mac. At least now I know I can skip the gym in favour of a new gadget.

One in five iPhone owners admits to frequently watching “adult material” on their iPhones. (Twice as many as BlackBerry owners).

I'm actually surprised only one in five admitted to this. And what's up with those snobby Blackberry users... they're too good for porn on the go?!

One in four iPhone users has broken up with their partner because that person spent too much time on their mobile device.

Sadly, I can totally understand this. Mainly because every time I get my hands on an iPhone or iPod Touch, I get drawn into the cute little apps and ignore the world around me. This is precisely why I've stuck with my outdated "click-wheel" iPod. Based on the previous stats, this also makes me a turn-off to other iPhone users!

Compared with other cell phone users, iPhone owners are more likely to see themselves as media buffs, extroverts, and intellectuals.

The key words here are that they "see themselves". I know some pretty stupid people with iPhones.

I'm not entirely sure if the "study" is serious or a joke. The scary part is, I can totally believe that their findings are accurate. Either way, I suggest you entertain yourself by reading the blog entry.

Funky Bunky

So today's blog is actually more of a plug than it is an actual entry, but there is still a lesson to be learned.

A family member has recently started a new company called Funky Bunky. They are creating custom-made playhouses, dog houses and bunk houses. Since symmetry sucks, the Funky Bunky has a pretty unique design with crooked windows, doors and roof.

My nephews think this is the greatest thing in the world and Fido will definitely get a kick out of his new home as well.

I would encourage anyone with kids, an outdoor dog or a cottage to check this out!

Check out the Funky Bunky promotional video below and please tell your friends!

Can the Microsoft Store last?

Yesterday, Microsoft opened its first retail store in Scottsdale, AZ. The grand opening seemed to be pretty successful with an estimated 500+ guests lining up for a first glance at what many have dubbed a "rip off of the Apple store".

While a huge grand opening is nothing to scoff at, I have to wonder if Microsoft can pull it off in the long-run.

Let me start by saying, I'm still a Windows guy. I work from an HP desktop running *cough* Vista and am anxiously awaiting my Windows 7 upgrade disc.

Let's start by looking at Apple. When I first started working in the CE industry, Apple held a measly 3% of market share in Canada. Less than 5 years later they had broken into double digits and continue to see an upward trend.

Though many attribute Apple's growth in the PC space to the iPod, there are a few other things that Apple did right. First off, they made their products simple and stylish. They backed the appearance with an easy to use, stable operating system. They topped this off with clever ad campaign but even more-so they educated the consumer.

Apple's retail success has been based on 2 key factors - education and connectivity. Apple makes their own hardware and software so everything is truly integrated. Yes, they force you to work within their walls, but the end result is a simplified and secured computing environment where things just work.

By setting up the genius bar and allowing people to explore the Apple OS, talk to true product experts and make an appointment for one-on-one support, Apple has made the experience so user friendly that it's no wonder people want their products.

Microsoft launched their retail store at a good time - to coincide with the launch of Windows 7, which has a lot to live up to. Consumers were pretty unimpressed with Vista (anyone remember Windows ME?) and giving them the chance to really get a feel for what Windows 7 can do will help revive consumer confidence.

What worries me the most about the Microsoft store is the disconnect between hardware and software manufacturers. The MS store is featuring products by both Dell and HP, which makes a great deal of sense, but what about other partners like Toshiba, Sony and Acer?

While Windows 7 does make connectivity super-easy between multiple computers, printers, xbox 360 and other devices, there are so many peripheral makers and so many add-on software tools from so many developers that it's no wonder a few poor download choices and your system starts to slow down and get errors.

Microsoft has tried retail partnerships in the past and they've never worked out. While I think showcasing the power behind their OS and how you can connect your home is a great idea, I can't help but think that a store-within-a-store concept might have been a better way to go.

That said, Microsoft has a lot to show off - everything from computing (Windows) to search (Bing) to gaming (xbox) to entertainment (Zune) and you need lots of space, lots of product and lots of staff - which means a retail store is necessary.

New stores are set to open in the coming months and I'd love to see how this pans out for them. The success will be based on innovatice product offerings that drive people in and the overall customer experience. This should be an interesting endeavor to watch.

The Power of Viral

Ever heard of the "Three Wolf Moon" tee? If you're on the Internet, there's a good chance you have.

What is so important about this Internet phenom? Absolutely nothing. But somehow, the shirt, distributed by a New Hampshire-based wholesale company called The Mountain has become the #1 selling apparel item on Amazon.com.

The phenom started when pranksters started creating reviews for the shirt on Amazon which told of the "power" of the shirt.

According to reviewers, who have flocked to the site in droves to create their own stories, the shirt helps men attract women. For example, one reviewer wrote:

"This item has wolves on it which makes it intrinsically sweet and worth 5 stars by itself, but once I tried it on, that's when the magic happened. After checking to ensure that the shirt would properly cover my girth, I walked from my trailer to Wal-mart with the shirt on and was immediately approached by women."

Some of the stories/reviews are absolutely hilarious. Others, just plain stupid. There's even a fully produced video review! Either way, this plain old tee has been reviewed over 1,500 times on Amazon with more appearing daily. The shirt has also hit mainstream after being worn on TV by the likes of Rainn Wilson in The Office.

The Mountain reported a 2300% increase in sales of this one shirt alone and while they don't seem to mind the sales, they're keeping pretty quiet about it stating that they're not huge fans of some of the comments being posted by readers.

Others trying to capitalize on the shirt-sensation have created the "5 kittens" and other not-so-cool knock offs.

The moral of the story: the viral capabilities of the Internet can make just about anything a success. Some clever marketing and a little bit of luck can help make your product a huge phenom.... even if it is just a fad.

For a whole lot of laughs, check out the Three Wolves reviews on Amazon.com by clicking here.

A very "cool" invention

Dyson has come up a "cool" new invention. Introducing: the Dyson bladeless fan!

Most commonly known for the pricey, yet powerful line of vaccuums, James Dyson also invented the "air blade" - a powerful hand dryer that uses "blades" of air to wipe the water from your hands rather than simply blowing on them to evaporate the water.

The Air Blade, which is starting to pop up in more public washrooms, was the basis for the Dyson Fan.

"The Dyson Air Multiplier works by using innovative airflow engineering to pull air up through an energy efficient brushless motor in its base, and force it up into the loop amplifier at the top, where the air is amplified 15 times by drawing surrounding air into the stream. The air is then expelled over an airfoil shaped ramp that channels its direction. According to Tuesday's press release, the fan generates 405 litres of air every second." - Source: www.ZDNet.co.uk

According to the press release, the bladeless fan, which comes in 10 and 12" units is quieter, safer and easier to clean. It is light-weight and the base is removable for easy storage. The price may be inhibiting at an expected MSRP of nearly $300.

Either way, I'm happy to see that innovation is alive and well. I would love to check one of these things out, but for the price, I'm more likely to install a good ceiling fan.

Congrats to James Dyson for doing it again. I look forward to the next invention!

Mr. Sub fires agency over "gay" ad.

Mr. Sub has fired it's ad agency BOS after receiving complaints about a TV ad that "promoted homophobia".

The ad begins with a rather large family sitting around the dinner table. The father then "comes out" to his wife and excessive number of children by claiming to be "super, super gay".

The comlpaint was officially filed by Shannon Devine, a communication director for the CAW, which represents a significant gay, bi, lesbian and transgendered community.

While I have to admit, I'm not normally a big fan of the CAW, I have to agree with them on this one. There's a fine line between funny and offensive and Mr. Sub really crossed the line with this ad.

Their message is: "not everyone likes surprises" with the intent of showing that you always know what to expect at Mr. Sub. The complain from the CAW claims that the ad belittles the incredibly difficult process of "coming out".

Frankly, it is completely beyond me how this is supposed to sell a sandwich. As long as I can remember, Mr. Sub has always attempted a little bit of humour in their advertising. This time it went too far.

I'm all for building an edgy ad - even one with a hint of controversy to stir up some conversation - but there are certain topics you just don't mess with.



Does this ad offend you?

A McScary Revelation

Have you ever noticed just how many McDonald's restaurants there are?

McDonald's has been known to captilize on upcoming real estate opportunities and is often a good indicator of local growth. In densly populated areas, you can expect to find a Micky Dee chain within walking distance. They also tend to pop up along highways between major destinations.

Rural areas without much growth? Chances are you won't see Ronald hanging out.

Stephen Von Worley of blog-site weathersealed.com wanted to see the concentration of McDonald's restaurants across the lower 48 states to see just how predictable the megacorporation is when it comes to location selection.

With a little help from the folks over at AggData, Von Worley mapped out the 13,000 or so McDonald's restaurants in the lower 48 and came up with this incredibly cool map:

As you can see (and to nobody's surprise), the highest concentration of restaurants lie east of the Mississippi river and along the West coast. In the more rural areas, most locations lie along interstate highways.

The furthest distance between two locations:

Between the tiny Dakotan hamlets of Meadow and Glad Valley with a distance of 145 highway miles.

I'm not sure what freaks me out the most... the overall concentration of McDonald's restaurants in the US or the fact that there are over 13,000 of them. I'd love to see the results for Canada and do a comparison of obesity rates in relation to the concentration of restaurants.

McCreepy!

AUX TV brings the music back

On October 1st, a new digital music channel will launch in Canada, and it's all about the music.

AUX TV goes live on Rogers channel 107 and will be available in Ontario, New Brunswick and parts of Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador.

For those in the know, AUX is nothing new. In fact, the website has been around for quite some time with access to music videos, news and other goodied to feed the music-junky's soul.

Aux will be a welcome addition now that MuchMusic and MTV Canada are more focused on t(w)een oriented reality TV and will feature some great programming including Explore Music with brainiac Alan Cross, Strange Acts - featuring live interviews with Alexisonfire's George Pettit and music news program AUX Weekly with Dave Alba, Lavonne Allen and former Edge host and funny man, Barry Taylor.

I look forward to seeing what AUX can bring to the already saturated digital TV market, but if they stick to their roots and really focus on what's important to music lovers, I'll be watching.

Why people complain about Rogers

People love to hate Rogers. More so than any of their competitors. If there was a list of companies people bitch about the most, I would like to think that Rogers would be in the top 2.

Rogers has a long history of being hated. It started way back in the cable TV days when they would sell you services because you didn't ask not to have them. The controversy struck again over their high-speed Internet offering, which offered max speeds but bandwidth was shared throughout the neighbourhood, which basically meant that if everyone was surfing at the same time, you'd never reach your full potential.

Their customer service and tech support staff have never been favourites either. A group so notorious for following their step-by-step procedures, that if you ask how they're doing today, they'll likely answer with: "Is the modem on", followed by: "how many green lights are flashing".

We could talk about the TSN2 fiasco, but that in itself could take a while.

Which brings us to the system access fee. The most hated $7 on the planet. Not only is this fee a burden on your wireless account, but they charge you on your Home Phone account too!

Once upon a time, if you asked what a system access fee was, Rogers would tell you it was a fee mandated by the CRTC - a statement that disappeared pretty quickly once people started calling the CRTC to learn more.

This morning, the Toronto Star reported that Rogers has decided to get rid of the pesky System Access Fee on all wireless accounts. My first thought was that this would pave the way for the other providers to follow suit. My second thought was: "Now how will they pay for the Toronto Blue Jays?"

Another couple seconds of reading quickly wiped out any feeling of joy I had just experienced.

While the $6.95 System Access Fee is going away, Rogers, in true form, is adding $5 on to each of their base plans and charging a "regulatory recovery fee" which ranges from $2.46 to $3.46 depending on your province.

But don't worry - you'll also receive 3 new features "valued at $11" as part of your $5 fee increase. You'll also be more satisfied as a customer because your bill is much clearer - or so say Ted's people.

Rogers recently increased the monthly price of their cable and Internet services and now they're at it again by removing $6.95 from your bill and replacing it with $6.46 to $7.46 in other fees.

...and that, is why people complain about Rogers.

Bullshit baffles brains?

I recently did some work with a gentleman who was looking to promote a branded social marketing solution to Tier-1 companies and agencies.

Working in close quarters, I often listened in on his cold calling. Conveniently, he claimed to have worked extensively in the category of everyone he called hoping to gain some credibility. I'm confident that he has not worked extensively, if at all, in most of the categories he claimed to.

He believed that this "strategy" would lead prospects to believe that he was knowledgeable in their category and would therefore been seen as a strategic partner rather than just another sales pitch. When I asked him about this, his response was "bullshit baffles brains".

I found this to be pretty ironic given that one of the fundamental principles for companies playing in the social space is to engage in OPEN and HONEST dialog with consumers.

Why, I asked myself, would someone lie in an attempt to sell an honest form of communication?

I truly believe that honesty is the best policy when it comes to sales and business in general. Bullshit may baffle brains at some point, but people are seldom fooled more than once and the marketing world is pretty small and it doesn't take much to tarnish your name. Lying to get a sale may work once, but it seldom works as a long-term strategy.

I've since parted ways with this person due to conflicting personalities but I am interested to see if he gets anywhere with his program...

GM takes responsibility

Genral Motors recently announced a new program to offer customers a full refund if they are not satisifed with their vehicle. The program applies to all Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac vehicles purchased between September 14 and November 30.

Customers may return the vehicle for full refund if not satisfied between 31 and 60 days of purchase.

The program is part of an ad campaign titled "May the best car win"

This is the first time in the history of the auto industry that an auto maker has actually taken some real accountability for their products. Every other retailer offers some form of refund program, but with cars, the customer basically gets a test drive and then has to decide if they are going to commit to a pretty significant purchase.

Sure, returning a $200 camera is very different from returning a $30,000 vehicle, but I would still love to see the rest of the auto industry create similar and ongoing programs.

I would like to think that most people won't bother returning a car, but what about the occasional "lemon"? Auto-makers typically do everything they can to repair a faulty vehicle, which instantly upsets the customer.

The chances of this becoming a mainstream practice in the auto industry are very slim, but I do give kudos to GM for taking yet another strong step towards winning back consumer confidence.

I'm very interested to see if this campaign does anything to help boost sales.

When Customer Service Works Both Ways

Something happened to me today that not only put a huge smile on my face, but reinforced my belief that customer service isn't dead. In fact, it got me thinking that there is absolutely no reason why companies and consumers can't work together to form a mutually respectful partnership.

Here's the story:

Telus Mobility is my mobile carrier and have been for a very, very long time. While I have never had any major issues with their customer service, I've never believed it was stellar either. I recently updated my handset to the HTC TouchPro 2 and have been messing around with it offline prior to activating it as my main phone.

For three days, I was unable to get my phone to sync with my Outlook calendar, contacts and e-mail using Windows Mobile Device Center. I called Telus and got on with a Data expert named Greg, who despite a vliant effort, could not solve the problem. Rather than spending an hour on the phone, we agreed to try and solve the problem on our own and touch base if either of us got anywhere. An hour and several Google searches later, I found the solution.

I called Telus this morning to activate the new device and asked to speak with Greg so that I could share my findings. They recognized the effort I put into finding a solution to a problem that their team could not help me with and appreciated that I shared the results so that they could assist other customers with the same issue.

Without batting an eye, she offered to credit my account for my troubles!

As a user of Telus' service, I am delighted at the fact that they compensated me for doing a little research that would benefit their clients. This is a simple example of a great mutual relationship between customer and service provider.

In a world where technology is making it so easy for brands to connect with their customers, I see no reason why more companies can't strive to build this type of relationship and trust.

Congrats to Greg and Telus Mobility for a little bit of forward thinking!

Samsung watches you watching its ad!

Samsung has just announced a new outdoor digital advertising technology that uses a camera and proprietary facial recognition software to determine who is watching the ads and use that data to target ads displayed.

The platform is based on an LCD screen, which displays digital ads. A camera mounted above the screen can analyze the number of people watching the ad, their gender, their age group (child or adult) and how long they watched the ad.

If the data shows that the screen location mainly reaches male adults, they can display ads that are more relevant to that demographic.

While the concept is interesting, I have to wonder how accurate it is. I'm also curious as to how people will respond to this type of advertising from a privacy standpoint.

Personally, this is less offensive to me than having someone like Google track my websurfing habits and advertising to me based on them, but I'm also not keen on having Samsung's cameras capture my face every time I pass one of their ad screens.

I suppose from a marketing standpoint there is some good value in this, but we'll have to wait until their global launch this November to find out what people really think.

You can read more at PC World.

Bud sues Brick over "Lime"

The "King of Beers" has been making a lot of headlines lately. First they scored some media with their response to Coors Light's "cold" billboard, now they're at it again by suing the Brick Brewing Company over the launch of their Red Baron Lime product.

According to the article at Bloomberg.com, the issue is with Red Baron's green label and the use of limes. The beer giant claims that: "Brick’s label will lead people to believe its Red Baron beer is associated with, authorized by or in some way connected with Anheuser". A-B is seeking an undisclosed sum in addition to $500,000 in punitive damages.

Bud Light Lime has been incredibly successful both from an awareness campaign and from Canadian sales. It's no wonder others are trying to cash in on the popular flavour. Even still, flavoured beers - particularly lime - are not new. Mexican beers have been served with a lime wedge since the dawn of time. The ol' "Lime n Lager" has been favoured by many as a refreshing twist on a straight beer.

Some thoughts on this fiasco:

- Bud Light Lime was developed partly with the intention of stealing share from expensive imports like Corona. Red Baron, a value-brand priced around 25% lower than Bud Light Lime, is looking to steal share from the global giant. A-B takes offense to this.

- A-B is suing a tiny brewery with limited capacity and distribution for half a million + the undisclosed amount. How much Red Baron Lime do you think they're actually going to sell?

- This is a classic case of David vs. Goliath that, if anything, will probably help generate sales for Red Baron. Really A-B... choose your battles.

- What's more is that Brick recently settled another lawsuit with Labatt (part of the In-Bev A-B family) over packaging similarities between the Red Baron brand and Labatt's value brand, Brava, which is brewed by the recently acquired Lakeport Breweries.

All this aside, I really hope the courts vote in favour of Brick. This law-suit appears to be a scare tactic more than anything legit and I'm glad Brick has decided to stand their ground this time around. I'm all for defending your IP, trademarks, etc. against legitimate threats or theft, but come on....

...do you really think anyone would be confused by these two packages?

Business Basics.... Research!

This doesn't really fit with my regular Blog topics, but I had to rant a little bit.

Today at lunch, I was browsing through Business Exchange - the free magazine where people offer businesses and related services for sale. Amongst the plethora of cafes, convenience stores and other franchises for sale, one particular business caught my eye.

In Richmond Hill, on Bayview Ave. at High-Tech Rd. (near Hwy 7) there is a small, barely noticeable strip mall on the East side. The North-most unit in the plaza is a restaurant. Over the past 10 years or so, I remember this location being (in order):
- A donut shop / cafe
- An Italian hot-table
- A Persian restaurant (which, for some reason sold Shwarma and Pizza???)
- A casual bistro

Much to nobody's surprise, the current business was listed for sale in the Business Exchange. In fact, I remember asking "Why?!" when I noticed the Bistro opening in place of the failed Persian Pizza place.

I have three words: "Location. Location. Location."

If you're opening a business, you need to do some basic research. First of all - look around you. If your soon-to-be business is situated off the beaten path, hard to see, hard to get to, overshadowed by a larger plaza on the other side of the street with multiple anchors like a huge Loblaws and a Tim Hortons, you probably want to reconsider.

Secondly, you should be able to get some history on your location. If you see that three other restaurants have failed in that location in a 10 year period, a red flag should go up.

Finally - look at the demogrpahics. The next door neighbour to this bistro is a co-operative housing development. That means low-income families. Probably not the type of people that are going to eat at your bistro often, if at all.

There is no guarantee that any business will succeed and every entrepreneur should understand the risk involved. By the same token, there are ways to greatly increase your chance at being successful and one of these is to do your homework.

See you later Honey's Beestro... we never really knew you.

The Dark Side of Twitter

Technology is a double-edged sword. It can help us, entertain us and enhance communication; but with every upside, there is usually a downside, which often comes in the form of people looking to abuse or exploit the technology.

Twitter has become a great way for people to keep in touch. Both individuals and corporations are using this simple blog to engage in conversation with friends, family or consumers. Everything seemed to be going great until earlier this week when Jose Nazario of Arbor Networks discovered a number of Twitter accounts that were using 'tweets' to control a Botnet.

After digging into the Tweets, Jose realized they were actually Base64 encoded commands. It seems the Bot was programmed to receive the RSS feed of the Twitter account (along with other micro-blogging sites) and used these commands to carry out functions.

Further research suggests that the Bot is an info-stealer that has infected a few hundred PCs - mostly in Brazil.

While I certainly don't agree with or support malicious hacking, I have to admit that this is a pretty brilliant concept. I suspect that Twitter et al will be putting filters in place to shut down this type of activity in order to prevent it from going mainstream, but you gotta hand it to the hackers... they're pretty damn creative!

This just goes to show that no matter how harmless a technology may seem, someone will always find a way to exploit it.

Coors Light "Colder Than" Billboard Gets Cool Reception

Yesterday, the Toronto Star ran an article about a Coors Light billboard campaign in BC that played on the friendly battle between Torontonians and West Coasters. Following the "Colder Than" slogans, the billboard featured a frosty can of Coors Light and read:

"Colder than most people from Toronto"

These slogans aren't new and are usually pretty clever. There is also a social campaign where consumers can create their own Coors Light "colder than" slogan for a chance to win prizes.

The catch phrase was meant to be humorous and poke fun at Toronto, which is often labeled the most hated city throughout the rest of Canada. The resentment between the East and the West isn't new and is generally harmless. In fact, it's no different than the age old Canadian tradition of poking fun at our American neighbours (or Aussies vs. Kiwis. Or the Irish vs. the English... you catch my drift).

Yet for some odd reason, this ad generated such an outrage by the sensitive people of Hogtown that Coors decided to pull the billboards and replace them with more generic "Colder Than" slogans.

When it comes to advertising you can play it safe and put out another boring ad that might engage the audience, or you can take a chance and try to be a little edgy. The further off-centre you go, the more people will react to (and remember) your ad. Sure, there's a line that shouldn't be crossed, but in today's supposedly politically correct world, that line seems to be getting shorter.


This ad, which I thought was absolutely brilliant was designed in Toronto by Coors Light's agency DraftFCB. That's right - it was a group of Torontonians who thought up this slogan. While the campaign was only run in BC, it managed to not only get all kinds of press nation-wide, but it also generated 32 PAGES of comments from Toronto Star readers across the country.

Was it edgy? Yes.
Did it capture people's attention? Yes.
Did it cross the line and come across as blatantly offensive? I really don't think so.

I'll leave you with a couple of thoughts:

1) A localized billboard campaign got people are talking about the ad and the brand (good or bad) and scored national coverage.

2) If you were offended by this ad, you really need to lighten up. Honestly... are you REALLY that upset? I suspect that if an ad was run in Toronto poking fun at BC Hippies or Newfies, we'd get a chuckle out of it at their expense.

3) I'm willing to bet that Coors Light sales will jump - not suffer as a result of this ad. Mainly because the people crying bloody murder don't fit into their target demographic anyway.

4) If you haven't already, PLEASE watch the brilliant documentary: Let's All Hate Toronto!

Kudos to DraftFCB for a fun and engaging ad campaign. I'll raise a Cold Certified silver bullet to your team.

I hope to see a billboard over the DVP that reads:

Coors Light: Colder than a Torontonian offended by a billboard about Torontonians

Sampling... does it work?

This post is actually a response to an experience that I had last night at the Rogers Cup with my good friend and fellow marketer Adam...

Sampling is arguably one of the best ways to induce trial of your product. More often than not, people don't know what they're missing if they haven't experienced something new.

There are really only two possible outcomes that can come from sampling:

1) Consumer tries product. Consumer likes product. Consumer continues to buy product.

2) Consumer grabs as much "free stuff" as possible. Consumer tries free stuff. Consumer habits don't change.

Having executed all kinds of sampling in the beer, wine and spirits industry, I can tell you that in order to significantly increase your chance at converting a consumer, there needs to be some kind of experience tied in with the sampling.

Anyone can hand something out free on the street, but if you offer something - anything - that might capture the consumer's attention or leave a lasting impression, there is a significantly higher chance of triggering a response in that consumer that builds enough brand loyalty to hook them.

Let's look at a couple of examples:

Last week I was driving through Yorkville to get to a meeting. At the corner of Yonge and Bloor, I saw a woman holding a bag and handing out samples of (what looked like) laundry detergent. She was not branded. She did not really engage anyone. She simply walked up to people on the sidewalk and handed them a small package if they would take it.

I could write a long spiel about all the things wrong with this, but it seems painfully obvious.

Now let's talk about our experience from last night:

Adam and I are at the Rexall Centre for the Rogers Cup. Prior to the main match, we sit down in the beer garden for a couple of Coronas. A menu board listing the available beverages calls out "Pimm's No 1 Cup" and refers to it as a Tennis Tradition.

I've heard of Pimm's but have never tried it. I'm also not a tennis guy, so thinking that the Pimm's "tradition" might be akin to sipping a mint julep at the Kentucky Derby, I ask the bartender what the drink is all about.

She explains that while she hasn't tried it, it's a cocktail made with Pimm's, lemon-lime soda, fresh mint and cucmber. She then asks if we want to sample a mini version.

Long story short, we enjoyed the cocktail and despite the premium price ($6.85 for a Pimm's cocktail vs. $5.35 for a Corona) we stuck with them the rest of the night. It was so enjoyable that we'll be buying 2 bottles of Pimm's to make these for our friends at the cottage this coming weekend.

Why did this sample convert me? You could argue that I'm a lush... and you would be right. But let's consider the facts.

1) Place - a professional tennis match will probably attract a good chunk of people that enjoy a complex cocktail. A UFC match... not so much.

2) Experience - intentional or not, I got sucked in by the whole "tennis tradition" bit. If this cocktail has a history of being part of tennis, I want to maximize my experience. It's the same as grabbing a beer and a dog at a baseball game.

3) Engagement - the bartender was not there to sample Pimm's. She was not a brand ambassador and admitted to never having tried the drink. But she knew what was in it and the brief conversation we had around the drink engaged me to the point where I became curious.

It doesn't take much to turn a sampling program into an experience. A little thought around where you're sampling, who you're sampling to and how you're going to sample can make all the difference in the world.

The Digital Album - CMX vs. Cocktail

Despite a crazy battle loaded with political drama (among other things), it would appear that digital music has finally come to be accepted and loved. Nothing proved this point greater than Apple's iTunes store being declared the number one music retailer in the world, beating out Wal-Mart in April of 2008.

The one major downfall to digital music from a sales perspective, is that while single tracks continue to sell well, full album sales are down significantly. To help combat this, the "big 4" - EMI, Sony, Univeral and Warner - apparently banded together to propose a digital album format that would include liner notes, lyrics and art work.

The concept was presented to Apple some 18-months ago and allegedly rejected.

Recently, word got out that the Big-4 went ahead to develop their own format, supposedly called CMX. CMX would play independent of iTunes and include everything mentioned above plus video. The news indicates that the format will be soft-launched in November on a trial basis.

Here's where it gets interesting: Despite reports that Apple initially scoffed at the idea of CMX, they recently announced their own digital album format called Cocktail, which is slated to launch in September.

Is this Apple responding to a threat? Can the record labels sell enough music independently to make up for lost revenues on CD sales? Will consumers be receptive to a digital album? (I mean let's face it - everything that made albums worth collecting died along with vinyl).

On one hand, I'm happy to see the labels finally embracing the digital format. On the other, I see two potential issues with this CMX / Cocktail battle:

1) I'm not convinced that consumers who embrace digital music will be receptive to a digital album - particularly CMX if it doesn't play in iTunes.

2) I'm wondering what will happen if Apple and the labels go head-to-head in yet another format war.

You can read more about the two formats in this TIMES ONLINE UK article.

Honesty is the ONLY policy

One of the key elements in social marketing is encouraging open and honest conversation with consumers. Any attempts to secretly fool them or control a message will cause a great deal of harm. Marketers need to understand that consumers who get involved in social media are talkers. Try to pull a fast one on them and they'll be spreading the word like wild-fire, which can ultimately leave you in a worse situation than where you started.

Let's talk about Nissan and their Hypercube contest, developed by Cap C.

The idea behind this campaign was to leverage social media to create buzz around the new Nissan Cube by hosting an online contest that asked participants to use various social media outlets to show their creativity for a chance to win one of 50 Cubes.

You have to hand it to both Nissan and Cap C - they took a huge leap of faith creating this type of campaign when the auto industry was at an all time low and social media still remains a relatively new and misunderstood marketing space.

On the other hand, some scandal in the judging practices landed them in hot water with several contestants who believed the contest was rigged, which ultimately lead to some negative buzz.

Without wanting to go into all the detail, I will say that in my opinion, neither Nissan nor Cap C intended any foul play and have taken reasonable steps to reach out to disenchanted participants.

That said, this is a good lesson in the potential dangers of social media. ALWAYS be honest with consumers. If they're saying something you don't like, the best thing to do is engage them and find out why they're upset and try to fix it. If you brush it off or ignore it, your efforts will backfire on you.

You can read more about the aftermath of this campaign by checking out this article in Marketing mag.

Meaningful Messages

When it comes to getting a key message about your brand out to a consumer, you have about 2 seconds to make an impact.

This leads to a very important question: "What can I say about my brand in 2 seconds, that will captivate my target audience?"

As if that isn't a big enough challenge, consider this: Forrester research shows that in today's world, 74% of consumers don't trust advertising.

What it boils down to is you need a tag line that is going to generate some curiosity. It also has to be honest. Generic claims that suggest the superiority of your product is probably not going to strike a chord with today's skeptical consumers. More importantly, it is super-important that you relate to your demographic.

To put this in perspective, let's look at a couple of good and bad examples:

Brand: Subway Restaurants
Target: Consumers looking for a quick dining experience with healthier options.
Tag line: Eat Fresh
Verdict: GOOD! It's so simple that you can't miss the message. It's food. It's fresh.

Brand: Yoo-Hoo Chocolate Drink
Target: Truthfully, I'm not entirely sure. Mainly because the thought of a chocolate drink (that isn't chocolate milk or a shake) seems really gross.
Tag line: America's favourite chocolate drink
Verdict: BAD! What were they thinking? First of all, what does this tell me about a product that is new in Canada? Secondly, why would I drink something just because it's America's favourite? It's no wonder Yoo-Hoo's presence in Canada came and went so quickly.

Brand: Lakeport
Target: Value conscious beer drinkers
Tag line: Great beer. Fair prices.
Verdict: Good. There is so much competition in the beer market and everyone has a gimmick. Lakeport keeps it real. Their tag line says: "This is who we are. We don't need to lure you in with a wild contest or a bikini-clad girl". While I'm not the buck-a-beer demographic, I appreciate the honesty.

Brand: Volkswagen
Target: Depends on the model.
Tag line: Das Auto
Verdict: BAD! We get it. You're German. It blows my mind how VW went from the formerly awesome "Drivers Wanted" to this! Sure, there was a time when we all believed that German engineering was the be-all and end-all of auto manufacturing but those days are over. Heck, the Hyundai Genesis is getting rave reviews all over the place and 10 years ago nobody who could afford more gave Hyundai a second glance. The auto industry is changing and VW needs to find a better way to engage perspective buyers.

It's not easy, but since you can't constantly re-brand, it is essential that you get your tag line right the first time.

World Wide Why?

In today's world every company needs a website. It doesn't have to be a big, fancy thing. In fact, a quick page or two that tells a potential customer about who you are, what you do and how to reach you can often be enough.

The fact is, most people looking for a product and service will search for it online first. I can't remember the last time I searched through a phone book, mainly because I don't have to. With search engine technology getting better and more websites including meta tags that make them easier to find, there's no reason to spend more than a few minutes trying to find a relevant company to call.

Whether you're a sole proprietor operating out of your home or a huge corporation, there are four general rules that I believe everyone needs to follow when it comes to getting your business online.

1) Choose your domain name wisely. I was recently on a leisurely drive through rural Ontario when I spotted a company that rents and sells mobile storage containers. The company name is COWS (Container on Wheels). Their website: www.cows-usa.com. It costs next to nothing to register a domain name. Why wouldn't they register a Canadian domain for their Canadian business? They don't even need a separate website - just an auto-forward to the main site. This is poor corporate communication at it's best! Your domain name needs to be relevant both to your business and your target consumer.

2) Make sure your e-mail address is relevant to your company. This is another no-brainer. How many times have you seen an ad in the paper or a truck on the road advertising a business where they tell you to contact soandso@hotmail.com? This is an instant loss of credibility. Again, it costs next to nothing to setup a domain name and create an email address @yourdomain.com.

3) Make it somewhat pretty. Some people go all out and post stunning websites with amazing flash, graphics, etc. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you've got companies that designed something using a free web publishing tool that looks like an 8 year old could have designed it (mind you, there are some seriously talented 8 year olds out there these days, but you get my drift). Your website doesn't have to be a work of art. In fact, I prefer functionality over appearance. Your website does, however, need to be clean and easy to navigate. Web design can be done relatively cheaply. Even as a small business, if you don't have the know-how, you should hire someone to build you something simple. When I come across an amateur site, I feel like I'm dealing with an amateur business - again, taking away from your credibility.

This leads me to my final rule:

4) Plan your content ahead. An effective website has all your pertinent information readily available within a click or two. We've become a lazy society and people will spend very little time searching for information on a home page. It is important that you plan your site's content so that a visitor can get to it quickly and easily. If you bury information too deep within your site map, the customer is likely to click away from your site and first impressions can be everything!

Telus Mobility's website used to drive me crazy because I would click on their "contact us" link, then have to click once or twice more to pull up their phone number. They have since corrected that so that their customer service numbers are just one click away from the home page.

Your presence online can say a lot about you and can often be the first impression you give a potential customer. Spend some time, plan smart and invest where you need to. In the end, it will pay off.

Coleman's Spin on Social Networking

If you've ever gone camping, chances are you own or have used a piece of Coleman's camping gear. Well the folks at Coleman's are putting their own spin on social networking by trying to get people offline!

They've come up with a brilliant ad campaign claiming that they're the 'original social networking site' by making reference to camp sites surrounded by friends having a good time.

Kudos to whoever developed this concept for them - it captured my attention from the get go and made a fantastic point. As much as social networking is here to stay, we should also remember to cherish the time spent with friends and family and hanging around the camp site is a perfect way to reconnect.

You can view their website by CLICKING HERE.

What do you think?

What the f**k is Social Media?!

Over the past few months, I've been working heavily with Social Media and Social Marketing. After speaking to countless marketers across every industry imaginable, I've learned one thing: most marketers really don't get Social Media.

Simply put, Social Media is all about people sharing conversations, images and videos online. This can be a simple "tweet", a full-on rant via personal blog or a photo slide show.

While websites like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, MySpace and YouTube will inevitably continue to pop up, one thing is certain - this is not a fad. It is a fundamental shift in the way people communicate.

I could spend hours typing an essay to better explain Social Media but instead, I'll redirect you to two slide shows that will do a much better job.

1 - What the f**k is Social Media
2 - What the f**k is Social Media: One year later

A great deal of thanks to Marta Z. Kagan of Espresso for enlightening me.

Social Marketing... an brief intro.

For the past few months I've been working heavily in the area of social media and social marketing through a pretty cool marketing program called House Party Buzz.

In a very short period of time, I've learned that a vast majority of marketing professionals don't truly understand social marketing. To summarize, social media is "people having conversations online". This is done by sharing thoughts and ideas, photos, videos, etc.

Web 2.0 brought us sites like Flickr, Tweeter, Facebook, MySpace and YouTube - and there are many more on the way. These sites aren't about online fads; they represent a global shift in the way we communicate.

Social Marketing is about engaging consumers directly in an open and honest conversation. If they love your product, they'll talk about it. If they don't like your product, you need to let them say their piece and learn from consumer thoughts.

As a marketer you need to let go of the reins and let consumers take control of the conversation. The more you try to influence their discussions, the sooner you'll be resented for getting in the way. Regardless of the messages you try to put out there, people will talk; and social marketing is a great way to connect with your customers.

The innaug-blog

I did it. I took the plunge and became a Blogger.
The first question is simple: "Why?"

It took me a while to figure that out, but after a little thought it made sense. Here's what I came up with:

1) This isn't going to be an "all about Ethan" blog. The fact is, you don't care. And if, by chance, you are someone who cares, you'll hear it from me in person - not by reading about it online.

2) I work in Marketing. More specifically, I often work with Social Marketing. It seemed pretty hypocritical for me to be an advocate of encouraging online conversations with consumers when I don't do it myself.

3) By reading other people's blogs, I have discovered a wealth of information, which has helped me learn a lot - particularly with respect to understanding the intricacies of Social Marketing. As a result, I hope that others will find some use in my own blog and view it as a resource rather than another guy ranting about nothing.

Welcome. Enjoy. Discuss.