Half-Baked Break and Enter

Just found this story that I should have included in the previous post - brings a whole new meaning to half-baked. Don't know why I missed out on it first time around. Too funny.

Started typing when I stopped laughing.

Brownies and Pizza, oh my! The New Dominos Diet

Hey, who left the fudge smudge on the houka?

In a move sure to rock the waist lines of many late night snackers (who are likely watching Harold an Kumar Go to White Caslte and eating crap anyways), Dominos has introduced Fudge 'Ems.

I can't imagine a more vile combnination, but I guess taste is in the mouth of the beholder.

I found this by way of John at American Copywriter who reviews the use of small turd-like spokes-thingies for campaigns.

I think Dominos pulls it off and really like the Fudge Ems site. Will I ever eat one.... hell no. Feh.



Technorati Tags: Marketing Advertising Dominos

Google helps launch the new Saturn Aura with campaign from Goodby Silverstein & Partners

I received an email yesterday morning from Hashem Bajwa at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco promoting a newly launched campaign for GM's Saturn Aura.

Here is what Hashem sent:
"Hi Michael, I just wanted to share a pretty cool campaign we've created with Google for GM that you might find interesting. Uses Google in some cool new ways. I'd be grateful for your take, from the client perspective!"

He goes onto explain that the campaign launched on Monday and allows potential customers to take get to know their local Saturn manager "across six market areas including Buffalo N.Y.; Dallas; Harrisburg, Pa.; Indianapolis; Las Vegas, Nev.; and Raleigh, N.C. - all recorded individually to provide the local information."

So, here is my take on why I like this campaign:
- Puts the power of Google geo-targeting to good use
- Contains relevant video while showing off Google Earth capabilities
- It is not overdone, gets the point across and uses technology in an engaging manner
- They posted to Google video for a quickie look at how the campaign works
- Hashem Bajwa reached out to bloggers to spread the word on launch day
- They managed to personalize the email announcement to get me reading on

Hashem closed his note with the following:
"I just wanted to share to share (sic) how quickly things are changing and an example of how we're helping make he change not just reacting to it!"

And so you are GS&P. Although readers can see the cut-and-paste typo above, I still give them a decent round of applause for the effort.

Apparently Hashem was a busy agency guy yesterday communicating within the blogosphere as I read about the campaign on Jaffe Juice, Experience the Message, Random Culture and Chroma to name a few blogs. All in all some pretty good stuff here that I'd like to see more of.


Technorati Tags: Social Media Marketing Advertising Communications New Media New Marketing General Motors Saturn AuraPublic Relations Citizen Journalism Goodby Silverstein & Partners Citizen Journalism

Google Analytics Freak Out

I am not an HTML guy. Not my thing, never will be.

So, when I somehow managed to figure out how to install Google Analytics on my blog, I liken it to the feeling of inventing something. In fact, all I did was cut and paste some code. I realize it is not a hard task, but trust me when I tell you that adding Technorati Tags to my posts last month made me feel like I was Copernicus. So, this Google stuff is just blowing my mind altogheter.

I am freaking because I now know where my traffic is coming from (hint: it's not all from Thornhill, Ontario Canada in my Mom's neighborhood.)

Honestly, I am amazed at the reach out to world my little blog has achieved. I am humbled that people actually read what I have to say and don't think I am too crazy. So thanks to everyone for dropping by. It helps keep the inspiration alive.

Note to all my grade-school teachers: Only one person has pointed out a spelling error and my bad grammer in over 100 posts. You see, I was kind of listening a bit while doodling. But, not too much.

Technorati Tags: Google Analytics Digital

Six Pixels of Separation - Episode 19: Interview with a Client Side Guy

I had a lot of fun on Sunday recording an episode of Six Pixels of Separation, the Twist Image podcast, with Mitch Joel. (Full disclosure: Scotiabank is a client of Twist Image). Our discussion was just the two of us chatting about marketing and the passion we both hold for this industry and it's future.

As President of Twist Image, Mitch Joel is a thought-leader in this space and has been demonstrating the use of new media to prove new media . His blogging, podcasting, writing, speaking across Canada at The Power Within (and creating of one of the kookiest looking avatars in Second Life) is serving to raise the bar for marketers everywhere. (Props to Joseph Jaffe on the UNMPNM moniker.)

Six Pixels has established itself as a great resource for understanding new marketing, social media and the evolving landscape of communications. If you have not yet subscribed to SPOS, I urge you to check it out (especially given my bias for this week's episode!).

Also, check out a pithy little post on the Twist Image blog titled "It’s Time For Marketers To Burn The Ships". Well worth the read.

Technorati Tags:Podcast Six Pixels of Separation Podcasting Marketing Communications Mitch Joel

Weird Al Rap - White and Nerdy

Rock on Weird Al....




Technorati Tags: Rap Weird Al

Collaboration versus Integration

I have been speaking a lot about this idea lately and finally have put it in a post.

When we talk of integrated marketing (or integration of anything for that matter), the premise is that we begin with an idea that has already been cast and make it work in other areas.

The idea itself is usually formed with a specific media in mind to get the message across. The plan is then to take the idea and rework it to "fit" in other areas, channels and media.

Sometimes it works, many times it does not. Why? Simply, the square peg does not always fit into the round hole. The helicopter (or the "hey-co-co" as my two year son calls them) is not meant to be parked in an underground garage. A good idea can be made great if it is transferable across multiple platforms. The reverse is also true.

When I hear the word "integration" I really believe we have been trained to think in the wrong context. The mindset must change. Don't believe me? Look up the dictionary definition of both words and then ask yourself why we have been doing this for so long. Integration is about blending. Collaboration is about creation.

Collaborative marketing is an altogether different beast. A global objective is set with multiple disciplines at the table at the same time to invent the right idea and delivery of that idea. Predispositions to particular areas are still present, but the focus is to generate something that will work everywhere (or at least identify right off the bat where it won't work). Idea generation/creation is king. Everyone has an equal say with respect to the right ingredients.

I do not think this is sematics or conjecture. This is the future of marketing, product development and pretty much anything else. And, consumers are the biggest part of the collaborative conversation. Ask Bob Lutz, Vice Chairman of General Motors (and corporate blogger of Fast Lane) if he is a collaborator or an integrator? I'd bet a whole bunch that he is the former, not the latter.

More importantly, what would you rather be?

Technorati Tags: Marketing Collaboration Integrated Marketing Ideas General Motors New Marketing Product Development

Social Media and Big Business - Globe & Mail Article

I was interviewed by Ian Harvey of the Globe & Mail a couple of weeks ago and the article is now available in today's Report on Business in the Technology section. Ian looks at the online communities YouTube and MySpace and the entry of big business into this evolving world of social media and new marketing.

Here is the article "Big Business climbs aboard social media bandwagon" . Brands mentioned are Scotiabank, Petro-Canada, Wendy's, Nike, Honda and Coca-Cola.


Technorati Tags: Social Media Advertising Marketing Media Communications New Media New Marketing Globe & Mail Scotiabank Nike WendysHonda Petro-Canada

AIMS Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Shel Holtz of For Immediate Release

AIMS - The Association of Internet Marketing and Sales played host to
Shel Holtz of For Immediate Release this afternoon with over 200 in attendance to hear him speak about the power of social media. Shel wowed the crowd with insights and examples as he weaved an excellent story on the changing landscape of marketing and communications.

Last evening there was a pre-event dinner with Shel and twenty-two marketers and communicators from Toronto. Here is a photo Shel took and posted on his blog of (clockwise from top left) Ed Lee, David Jones, Mitch Joel and yours truly.

The turn out was great, and the attendees were a very interesting bunch of folks. I had a chance to meet some new people and catch up with some old friends. Great night all around, but as always with the "Geek Dinners" (sorry Ed) there was just not enough time to have meaningful conversations with everyone.

However, knowing that everyone likes to see their name, here is a list of attendees at the dinner with links to sites/blogs of those I know (apologies if I have misspelled or omitted anyone)

For those without links, send me a note or put them in the comments and I will update).

Shel Holtz
Kathryn Lagden, AIMS
Michael Seaton, Scotiabank
Mitch Joel, Twist Image
Ed Lee, Flieshman-Hillard
David Jones, Fleishman-Hillard
Dmitry Buterin, Bonasource
Shane Wagg
Sanj Selvarajah, Hewitt Associates
Tamera Kremer, Wildfire Strategy
Jyotika Malhotra
Eden Spodek, Ontario Teacher's Pension Plan
Garry Revesz
Debbie Carkner, Novator
Mirabel Palmer-Elliott, Rogers
Kelly Armstrong, Pro-Edge Consultants
Mira Jelic, Cognisi
Montie Foxwell
June MacDonald, Research in Motion
Wayne Carrigan, ThinData
Tom Purves

Also, I ran into Chris Clarke at the event on Wednesday. Super nice person, hope to see him again soon. All my fault that we forgot to extend an invite to the dinner last night. Sorry Chris.

Technorati Tags:New Marketing Canadian Events Social Media Podcasting Marketing Communications Public Relations For Immediate Release Shel Holtz Hobson & Holtz AIMS Canada

Disposable Conversations

I think I may have coined a phrase last night. It came out of two observations/discussions during the past week.

It is the idea that we now live with disposable conversations. It is a phenomenon between individual people as well as businesses. Disposable in a way that is not a slight to any party involved, it is just a reality that we now using our technology to conduct quick hits to the point and get out without any collateral damage along the way.

I was talking with Shel Holtz of For Immediate Release - The Hobson and Holtz Report Podcast last night (definitely not a disposable conversation!) about how kids & teens are predominately using text or instant messaging versus voice or email. Even though all options are just as convenient given accessibility on the same device they hold in their hands.

Shel mentioned that if you ask them why they are texting a message from their phone and not simply making a call, they answer that they can't be bothered to enter into a discussion (i.e. actually talk to someone) when they only have one or two questions to ask, or some information to pass along. No need to speak.

Just give me the information I seek and I am done with you until I need more. I'll call you and chit- chat when I am in the mood or have the time. Its the same way that we use search - we have gravitated to using each other in the same manner.

My wife overheard a couple of teenage girls on the subway last week chatting about boy problems. "I think I have to break up with him" one said. "I don't really want to talk to him, but need to let him know soon." she continued. "Just IM him and you're good" said the other girl. And it was so.

"Dear John" has just gone digital.

Technorati Tags: Disposable Conversations email Podcasting Communications Shel Holtz Text Messaging Youth Instant Messaging

The Online 30 Second Spot

Is this evolution or a brick wall? Ernie Schenck of Ernie Schenck Calls This Advertising? points to MSNs site www.communicationevolved.com . It is supporting the Windows Live Messenger product.

The spoof on The Office is very clear. The use of online to send a few thirty-second spots is not as clear (well it is pretty clear what they intended, I just think they should have stopped when someone said let's do three thirty-second spots for the site and call it a day).

I hate being overly critical (actually, no I don't). The site is ok, the copy is somewhat cute and the spots are decent enough to get the general points across. I guess I was expecting more as we move further into the world of new marketing.

MSN had a lot of opportunity to do something else, perhaps long-form content or another engaging way of getting their message across. We all know what MSN messenger does, right? So if going viral means posting a thirty-second, I hope we all strive to shatter the decades-old mould even more down the line.

Final thought: going viral in this example is like telling people you are cool. If you have to say it, then you really aren't. Especially if all you are pushing is another thirty.

What do you think?

Technorati Tags: Marketing Long Form Content Viral MSN Thirty Second Spot New Marketing

The Academics of Podcasting

This story in the Guardian U.K. titled "Will podcasting finally kill the lecture?" gives an interesting glimpse into the future. It was written by Dr. David Hearnshaw who lectures in computing studies at the University of Westminster.

Lectures via podcast seems to be quite an interesting application. Schools of higher learning that adopt an on-demand content platform may be the model for the future.

Perhaps the core lecture content is not entire way to go as I would hate to think that tomorrow's students will avoid the torture most of us had to endure. As the article suggests, a picture is worth a thousand words, so those crazy scribbles on the blackboard may be hard to replace. Also, the social setting of a class on campus is a huge part of the learning environment that can't be replaced by an iPod or MP3 player.

I believe the niche can be found in supplemental course material. Perhaps even "student-casts" to explore the discussions around topics and reading materials. These areas may be interesting avenues as this genre evolves.

Now the real question is, if the lecture itself goes the way of the dodo, where will students get that pre-requisite nap required for the all night parties?

Technorati Tags:Podcast Communications Podcasting University Lecture Academics Learning

Via Chile, Belgium, Beirut and Texas.. Johnnie's down

Ad Monkey Mack Simpson of Adverb brings us this post on a powerful anti-drinking and driving piece created by the organization "RED"

Check out another of Mack's posts he found on Johnnie Walker's advertising in war-torn Beirut (image below).

In my mind, this is just a horrible example of exploiting a situation for selfish benefit. Nothing redeemable here at all from Mr. Walker.

For those who actually care to leave a lasting brand impression and find themselves with an "opportunity" like Beirut, save the print ad dollars and do something truly worthwhile.

There are so many creative avenues that could be used to demonstrate compassion and caring. The folks behind the brand and this ad (below) should be ashamed they did not come up with something (anything) better. This is memorable for all the wrong reasons.

On principle, my scotch will certainly not be any of Johnnie's three colours for a long time.

Thanks Mack.

Technorati Tags: Advertising Badvertising Johnnie Walker

Death By Marshmallow

The Globe & Mail reported the story on Saturday about the unfortunate and preventable death of an Ontario woman.

This post is not intended as a joke. I truly feel for the family of Janet Rudd and wish them deepest of sympathies on their loss.

It seems that Janet died shortly after taking part in a Marshmallow eating contest. A contest that should never have taken place and had led to at least one previous fatality. All pertinent information on the dangers of playing the "Chubby Bunny" game are among the top ranked searches on Goggle for those key words. The worst part? She was approached and recruited by fair operators to participate.

Should the operators have know the dangers? Yes. Janet was asked to participate and likely had no intention of doing anything that silly to begin with. Would have, should have , could have... all nice playing Monday morning quarterback.

It is so sad given that this happened before to a 12 year old girl in 1999 and was preventable this time around given immediate access to information. The little girl's father waged a campaign to stop this game from being played yet, another person can now be entered into Wikkipedia as a casualty (literally) of Chubby Bunny.

The power of simple search is so much more than convenient.

Technorati Tags: Search Chubby Bunny Games

DADD - Digital Attention Deficit Disorder

I have it and I bet you do too, you just have not been diagnosed. Ask yourself if you have these symptoms:

• You open a browser with a distinct purpose in mind, but forget that purpose instantaneously when your home page loads. Five minutes later you clue into what you wanted to look at in the first place.
• There are two-dozen instances of Explorer (or the equivalent number of tabs in Firefox) open at any given time on your computer. Only two are of any importance whatsoever.
• You must physically write down search words on a piece paper so you stay focused on the task at hand.
• No matter what site you are on, something catches your eye and you click.
• As a browser is firing up you begin to read emails or offline print during the nanosecond in between to "kill time".
• You hear people on the other end of the phone saying "are you there, did you hear me" (and it goes well beyond family).
• You start to pay a bill via on-line banking and your session times out (my record is 3 times in a row).
• There are at least 25 unsent items in the draft folder that will never be sent.
• You bookmark everything for fear of missing something important.
• Cleaning up bookmarks is a once a month ritual. Unfortunately the ritual consists of getting lost in the process as you begin to click them all, which ultimately results in only one less bookmark after 2 hours of "cleansing".
• You listen to the same podcast six times as you work on a document until you figure out that working and listening are not simultaneous multi-tasking events you are capable of achieveing. This repeats itself every Monday because you think "this time it may work".
• In the middle of a deadline driven project with minutes to go, you feel compelled to check hotmail, just for a second.
• You have become Quick Draw McGraw with your Blackberry. You can now outdraw any lawyer on Bay St in your sleep.

There are likely many more symptoms, please use the comments below to help others overcome this syndrome before it is too late.

Am I alone on this? I think not. Admittedly I am a scatter-brain at the best of times but I know that there are others out there yet to be diagnosed. If there are enough of us, I will order t-shirts. Now if I could only remember that lovely site where you can get them from...

Technorati Tags: Silliness Digital Humor Self Help Surfing

Shel Holtz speaking at AIMS - How Social Media is Changing Everything You Know

Reminder to come out and hear Shel Holtz speak next week at AIMS. Shel co-hosts the For Immediate Release podcast with Neville Hobson and is an expert in the world of social media and it's growing impact on all aspects of communications.

Here is a quick bit of background from his bio:

"Shel Holtz, ABC (Accredited Business Communicator), is principal of Holtz Communication + Technology, which focuses on helping organizations apply online communication capabilities to their strategic organizational communications. His clients have included Intel, Sears, PepsiCo, Aetna, John Deere, Manulife Financial, Hewitt Associates, General Mills, USAA, Applied Materials, Symantec, Raytheon, The World Bank, Amdocs, Disney, FedEx, Freescale Semiconductor, The International Monetary Fund, National Geographic, The American Red Cross and Monsanto.

Shel has nearly 30 years of organizational communications experience in both corporate and consulting environments. He is experienced in employee communications, compensation and benefits communications, corporate public relations, media relations, financial communications, investor relations, and marketing communications. In addition to integrating technology into communications strategies, his expertise includes strategic communications planning, change management, organizational culture, communicating business initiatives, and communications research. "

More information available at AIMS - Association of Internet Marketing & Sales. Hope to see you there.


Technorati Tags:Podcast Canadian Events AIMS Podcasting Marketing Communications Public Relations For Immediate Release Shel Holtz Hobson & Holtz AIMS Canada

Where ideas go to die

Here is a quick list of the places, among others, that great ideas have met an untimely demise:

The boardroom
The conference room
Committees
Big status meetings
Small status meetings
In your mind

The thing is that all these places have just as good a chance at helping to accelerate great ideas until we hear the excuses pop-up. Sometimes it is just the expectation of hearing these excuse and our minds begin to shut down on ourselves. We compromise our great ideas and they get watered down or left on the table.

Seth Godin nailed some of these excuses in his recent post "Top ways to defend the status quo"

The Art of Innovation by Tom Kelly of IDEO and this article by Tom Peters titled "The Wow Project" that appeared in Fast Company a while ago are great examples of how to generate ideas and make them happen. Let the Toms inspire you as they inspired me.

Technorati Tags: Ideas Tom Kelly Tom Peters

Dean Martin's balls

I love a good headline.

I found this gem of a post by Adam Finely over at Adjab . It's about Dean Martin endorsing his own product in a way only Dean could manage to do (check out the video on the post).

In it's day I am certain the ad was talked about and brought attention to Dean's venture into sporting goods. The thing is, he was a bad of a golfer. So, why would anyone want a golf ball with his name on it? I wonder who the agency was that produced the spot?

It's a much different image than buying some of Fuzzy Zoeller's balls (sorry, could not resist working using Fuzzy into this post somehow). I am logging onto eBay right now to search for a baker's dozen of Dean's balls.

Ciao, I feel the need for a martini all of a sudden...




Technorati Tags: Advertising Dean Martin

The Economist Part II: An article for your review

Instead of simply reviewing the article I was sent by Charlotte Smith of The Economist, I submit the piece to you, readers of The Client Side, for your review (that sounded so Rod Serling). I'd love you to share your thoughts so please leave some feedback in the comments section.

My review can be found at the end of this post. However, before that, here is a post I found about my post from JP Rangaswami of Confused of Calcutta. I felt compelled to leave him a comment on his blog that provides some background on the link I included yesterday.

It seems that the article I linked to is actually premium content on The Economist site. So, instead of continuing the tease, I have included the entire article this time (see below). If this is truly an experiment, then I am taking it to a level they should have anticipated. I hope it does not peeve them, cause I really would like the scoops to keep coming!

Here is the article I was sent in the email that is available to subscribers of The Economist:

"In-flight announcements are not entirely truthful. What might an honest one sound like?“

GOOD morning, ladies and gentlemen. We are delighted to welcome you aboard Veritas Airways, the airline that tells it like it is. Please ensure that your seat belt is fastened, your seat back is upright and your tray-table is stowed. At Veritas Airways, your safety is our first priority. Actually, that is not quite true: if it were, our seats would be rear-facing, like those in military aircraft, since they are safer in the event of an emergency landing. But then hardly anybody would buy our tickets and we would go bust.

The flight attendants are now pointing out the emergency exits. This is the part of the announcement that you might want to pay attention to. So stop your sudoku for a minute and listen: knowing in advance where the exits are makes a dramatic difference to your chances of survival if we have to evacuate the aircraft. Also, please keep your seat belt fastened when seated, even if the seat-belt light is not illuminated. This is to protect you from the risk of clear-air turbulence, a rare but extremely nasty form of disturbance that can cause severe injury. Imagine the heavy food trolleys jumping into the air and bashing into the overhead lockers, and you will have some idea of how nasty it can be. We don’t want to scare you. Still, keep that seat belt fastened all the same.

Your life-jacket can be found under your seat, but please do not remove it now. In fact, do not bother to look for it at all. In the event of a landing on water, an unprecedented miracle will have occurred, because in the history of aviation the number of wide-bodied aircraft that have made successful landings on water is zero. This aircraft is equipped with inflatable slides that detach to form life rafts, not that it makes any difference. Please remove high-heeled shoes before using the slides. We might as well add that space helmets and anti-gravity belts should also be removed, since even to mention the use of the slides as rafts is to enter the realm of science fiction.

Please switch off all mobile phones, since they can interfere with the aircraft’s navigation systems. At least, that’s what you’ve always been told. The real reason to switch them off is because they interfere with mobile networks on the ground, but somehow that doesn’t sound quite so good. On most flights a few mobile phones are left on by mistake, so if they were really dangerous we would not allow them on board at all, if you think about it. We will have to come clean about this next year, when we introduce in-flight calling across the Veritas fleet. At that point the prospect of taking a cut of the sky-high calling charges will miraculously cause our safety concerns about mobile phones to evaporate.

On channel 11 of our in-flight entertainment system you will find a video consisting of abstract imagery and a new-age soundtrack, with a voice-over explaining some exercises you can do to reduce the risk of deep-vein thrombosis. We are aware that this video is tedious, but it is not meant to be fun. It is meant to limit our liability in the event of lawsuits. Once we have reached cruising altitude you will be offered a light meal and a choice of beverages—a word that sounds so much better than just saying ‘drinks’, don’t you think? The purpose of these refreshments is partly to keep you in your seats where you cannot do yourselves or anyone else any harm. Please consume alcohol in moderate quantities so that you become mildly sedated but not rowdy. That said, we can always turn the cabin air-quality down a notch or two to help ensure that you are sufficiently drowsy.

After take-off, the most dangerous part of the flight, the captain will say a few words that will either be so quiet that you will not be able to hear them, or so loud that they could wake the dead. So please sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. We appreciate that you have a choice of airlines and we thank you for choosing Veritas, a member of an incomprehensible alliance of obscure foreign outfits, most of which you have never heard of. Cabin crew, please make sure we have remembered to close the doors. Sorry, I mean: ‘Doors to automatic and cross-check’. Thank you for flying Veritas.” "

My review:
I think it is funny and relevant. I am eager to fly the friendlier skies of Veritas one day. Does Veritas do the Pearson to Trudeau route yet? I loved the part about mobile phones - seems so true. In all it was a humorous and well written article.

I have been flying West Jet recently and it is really a much more human experience than the other guys. West Jet has made the added hassles of air travel lately a bit more bearable. West Jetters are just a friendlier and more jovial bunch.

The worst carrier I have ever flown is TWA. Which I believe stands for The Worst Airline (although the last time I flew TWA was over 6 years ago, so I have no clue if they pulled up their socks).

I am interested to know your thoughts on the article and the experiment in general?

Technorati Tags: Social Media Marketing Media Communications New Media New Marketing The Economist Public Relations Citizen Journalism

The Economist experiment

This is a story within a story. I received an email this morning from Charlotte Smith, Press Officer at The Economist magazine in London, England. Here is the intro:

"Hi Michael,

The reason we're approaching you in particular is that we found your great post on the death of newspapers. We are doing a PR experiment. As well as getting in touch with main stream media with this article we thought we'd approach the bloggers and give you the scoop on it as well.

This week one of our journalists has written a very amusing article on air travel and what your in-flight announcement should REALLY say! So you can scoop us on it, you can criticise it, do what you want with it, or even just ignore it." .....

My initial scepticism was alleviated when I emailed Charlotte back and asked a couple of questions to ensure this was an authentic. Apparently I was one of a dozen bloggers asked to take part in the experiment.

My delayed reaction was a serious "wow". Being a long time reader of The Economist I am really intrigued and impressed at the notion of using the blogosphere as a test-bed. Especially in the way they have reached out.

Sure, it feeds my ego to know that one of my favourite magazines has asked me to participate in this little social media and PR experiment. I must say that I really respect that they seem to have a grasped how to engage folks like myself in a conversation where the outcome for them could go one of several ways.

It is almost too transparent. The options of writing someting positive, negative or simply ignoring the opportunity were interesting. Unfortunately, there is no time today to put any commentary on here about the article. I will definitely provide an unbiased review of the article tomorrow.

The bottom line is that this tactic worked with me. So, am I a sucker? Am I part of an elite group? Not sure yet. Let's see how this plays out.

Charlotte, if you read this (and I suspect you will) I'd love for you to leave a comment and let others know how this idea was sparked and executed. Enquiring minds want to know.

Technorati Tags: Social Media Marketing Media Communications New Media New Marketing The Economist Public Relations Citizen Journalism

Web 2.0

Does it always have to be about sales?

BTW - this is the first time I have used an illustration from Gaping Void, thanks Hugh.

Technorati Tags: Web 2.0 Sales

Steve Irwin lived (and died) his own unique brand

Sad news item. I just heard that Steve Irwin, aka Crocodile Hunter, died at age 44 while catching a ride on a stingray.

Steve was a bit kooky, but was always full of energy and passion. His unique brand of reality TV was quite entertaing and he will be missed. Nathan de Vries at Signals vs. Noise has a nice send off.


Technorati Tags: Steve Irwin Crocodile Hunter

Second Life: Fear and loathing on the campaign trail

How would the recently deceased Hunter S. Thompson have dealt with this news item that former Virginia Governor and Presidential candidate Mark Warner is campaigning in Second Life?

Would Hunter take the LSD and chug the Wild Turkey before logging in, or somehow smuggle them into Second Life for virtual consumption? And what about Laslow - who is going to create his avatar? "What's really sad is, it never got weird enough for me."

nnnnnnNIXON.

Technorati Tags: Second Life New Media Hunter S. Thompson Presidential Campaign Mark Warner

Job Posting - come join my team

To all smart people who read this blog,

I have a couple of contract postions to fill on my team at Scotiabank. We are a dynamic team that gets a whole lot of things done. The only drawback; you have to work with me everyday.

If you get the digital space (or know someone who does) and have great project management skills, then let's chat.

Send your info to michael (DOT) seaton (AT) scotiabank (DOT) com