The Client Side

Or does it?

The Shamwow guy (Vince Shlomi) and Eminem are a strange mix, but it some how works. Not much more to say on this other than I like the idea and execution. Cute.

We should all be amazed at what we have seen grow in front of our very own eyes. Over the past decade and a half, this little thing we call the Internet has changed the way we communicate, the way we conduct business, the way we think and, most significantly it has changed our culture and society. Forever.

The video below, The State of The Internet, by Jesse Thomas, is an amazing run down of the staggering numbers that showcase just how pervasive digital has become. And, it's not getting any smaller. Watch, enjoy and marvel at where our world is at and where its headed.

JESS3 / The State of The Internet from JESS3 on Vimeo.

Hat tip to Mitch Joel.

It is not about your ideas, your smarts, your innovation, your strategy or even your likability. The basis for success on whatever you set out to achieve boils down to one common element; your ability to manage projects.

Everything is a project. Whether it is giving a speech, running an event, building a website, planning a dinner, getting in shape or organizing your sock drawer. Even the simple art of effectively running your next meeting is a project.

Ask any successful person and they will agree. No matter how big or how small the challenge, planning and executing on the basis that everything boils down to manging small projects that role up into bigger ones somehow makes that big audacious goal you've set out (or has been set out for you) manageable.

On March 2 in Toronto, The Art of Productions will put a stellar line up of speakers on stage with an event titled The Art Of Marketing. This roster is a who's who in the world of marketing thought leadership and promises to inspire, motivate and educate. If you like this kind of event (as I do) it is not to be missed.

The day kicks of with Mitch Joel and Seth Godin taking up the morning. Then the afternoon continues with the likes of Sally Hogshead, James Othmer, Max Lenderman and Dan Heath.

Having read the books from nearly all authors, as well as having heard nearly all of them speak at other events, this day is guaranteed to be chock full o' great insights in terms of where business and marketing is today and where it is going. If you are like me and love this kind of content then attendance is manadatory.

There is a special discount for readers of this blog , so act now.. operators are standing by!

Check out the video below and The Art of Marketing for more info:

Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational, posted two simple but compelling images today (see below) of a search query that says a lot about the differences in how we search by gender.

As Dan writes "This shows Google’s remarkable power as a source of data on a range of human behaviors, emotions, and opinions."

The power of Google is all in the data. Undoubtedly, you've noticed the amazing Kreskin-esque ability for Google to suggest the term you are thinking while you're typing into the search field. It there faster than you can type - or even think sometimes!

I'm not a conspiracy theorist and don't believe Google is out to take over the world (at least not in a Dr. Evil kind of way). But we must recognize the mountains of information Google is sitting on. The kind that makes our little blue planet spin and, increasingly the stuff that makes our little brains tick. This will only continue to grow exponentially as Google firmly puts it' mobile stake in the ground.

How far can it go? That is the real question. All I can say is fasten your seat belts and keep your arms and legs inside because this ride is far from over. In fact, its really just begun.

It has been one strange year. A year that many are glad to see coming to an end.

As the economy ripped through nearly all industries and all levels of employee ranks, few were immune. This is especially true in the Marketing and Advertising industry - an industry most readers of this blog call home.

So what happens after the fateful day when a job is lost?

The Lemonade Movement looks at what happens when a bad situation is turned into a good one. It explores the stories and cases of those who found themselves without work and used the opportunity to renew themselves and their careers in new and exciting directions. As the site explains "More than 130,000 advertising professionals have lost their jobs in this “Great Recession.” Lemonade is about what happens when people who were once paid to be creative in advertising are forced to be creative with their own lives."

One example in the trailer is Lawson Clarke who found his own Fifteen Megs of Fame as a result of being laid off.

I wrote about Lawson and his creative exploits as a prime example of reinventing oneself when the pink slip came his way. In my mind, he created one of the best campaigns of 2009 by unleashing himself on us all with a fabulous website that showcased his talents (once you make it beyond the homepage). He is now one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter.

In short, we never know where life will take us. For those who learned first hand what they are made of when life throws them a curveball, this post is dedicated to you.

Hat tip to Chris Brogan for the video.

Some disclosure before I begin; I have been friends with Mitch Joel since 2004/2005 when we sat on the Digital Marketing council at the Canadian Marketing Association together. Subsequently, while I was Director of Digital Marketing at Scotiabank I hired his agency, Twist Image. So, I’ve tried to remain objective, but please read on with that in mind.

If you follow Mitch Joel by reading his blog, or listening to his podcast (or if you have ever had the chance hear him speak live) you’ll get through Six Pixels of Separation quickly. As he does in other communication mediums, he breaks down the subject matter into understandable chunks that not only make sense, but are made quite compelling.

Six Pixels of Separation is a straightforward premise that we are all connected. And, that our ever expanding digital universe is bringing us all closer together. But it is not about understanding technology. It is about the transformative effects of technology on business, built on the foundation that we are living through a period of history unlike any other. It is about the merger of our personal and professional lives and the paradigm shift that the marketing and communications industry faces as new media evolves and the consumer landscape evolves with it.

Under that guiding principle, Mitch lays out concepts, observations and examples taking his readers on an enjoyable ride through the digital world with a focus on what it means for businesses big and small to operate in this space. He effectively blends and extends from other thought leaders in marketing like Kevin Roberts, Seth Godin, Chris Anderson, Clay Shirky, Don Tapscott and Joseph Jaffe, putting his own point of view and spin on them. Even sharpening them in places.

He has stated that the book is simply the prelude to his blog. Having read his blog daily, I think the book is a bit more than that. It manages to synthesize all the ideas and opinions Mitch has put out there over the years, neatly framing them in a very fluid and coherent manner. And, with a background in journalism, he writes rather well. That is why I started reading his blog in the first place and why I – and many others - continue.

I could easily say that the book is not for me. Or, that it may not be for people who read this blog because we are in this space and know it intimately. However, that is not the case. Mitch shines in making the topics approachable and exciting for both newbie and advanced audiences. Six Pixels of Separation pays careful attention to weave together the larger context of what is taking place, painting a picture that (hopefully) serves to motivate readers that the future is still unwritten and everyone is an author.

Make no mistake, this is not a “how to” book. This is the book you need to read before you get to the “how to” stage. Mitch avoids getting into the weeds of providing step by step instructions and concedes it was done on purpose. He manages to stay the course, guiding readers on bigger issues and logical first steps that answer the most important question of “why would we do this” instead of “how do we use the tools”. The difference is huge.

Six Pixels of Separation is about finding the inspiration to start planning your approach with the confidence you are heading in the right direction. I enjoyed reading it and think you will as well.

What if your client was the United Church of Canada and your big idea was to let street graffiti artists paint the exterior of one of their houses of prayer? Think you could sell that one through?

Malcolm Roberts of Smith Roberts pointed me to an interesting program that is part of the work his agency has conducted for the United Church. The “Paint your faith” program is part of the Wonder Cafe initiative that they created back in 2006. It is geared to urban youth and community members through commissioning four artists who use aerosol paint as a medium and were allowed to go to town on the Metropolitan United Church of Toronto.

The idea was to create an urban art installation on the outside wall by allowing artists to do whatever they choose as a symbol of their faith. The wall was unveiled last week and the church even threw a party to mark the event.

This is just the latest in a series of smart projects that casts the Church in quite a different light than one would expect. “We try to find non-traditional ways to reach people outside advertising that says ‘Come to the United Church’ because we know that wouldn’t work, people would just reject that,” Malcom said in a recent interview with Marketing Magazine. Indeed.

Wouldn't you just love to be a fly on the wall in the creative pitch to the United Church? Seriously, I can't imagine a better client that could strike the fear of God into an agency?

The video below is quick overview of the project:

Note of disclosure: I've worked with Smith Roberts recently, but not on this program.

I've had just about my fill of this genre of video, but this one caught my eye because it is loaded with some great statistics. It reinforces how well beyond we are in terms of limiting our thinking to "social media" and must broaden our scope to see the profound changes going on all around us. It goes so much deeper and wider than the hype of Ashton Kutcher tweeting, but at the same time has everything to do with the fact that Kelso is part and parcel of it all.

Don't think for a minute this digital ride is going to slow down to let you catch your breath. It is only getting faster and more exciting, and the really cool news is that we are still just at the beginning.

Check out the video, tell me what you think.

This post is about marketing in the most basic of form. The local market.

I recently read In Defense of Food, an insightful book written by Michael Pollan describing easy to follow principles for eating better, both for self and society (I highly recommend it - great summer read).

Part of the problem Pollan speaks about with our Western diet, amongst others, is that the food we eat is no longer grown anywhere close to where we live. I serendipitously stumbled upon this video and wanted to share as it tells an important story. Pretty self-explanatory and worth the watch.

An unfortunate side effect of the current city workers strike in Toronto is that the weekly farmer's market near my house (as well as many others) has not taken place for over a month. It is a shame that in peak season we can't meet the farmers growing the great local produce and raising the animals in our own geographic footprint.

Don't get me wrong, I 'm not against globalization and the connectedness of the world today. Not at all. But, perhaps we need to go back to the origins of marketing within our local market, bazaar or fair and support those around the corner or up the road. Nothing big and radical in terms of changing how we shop, just small ones here and there where it can make a real difference and help us know that little bit more about the food we put on our plates.

Update: I forgot to mention the video was produced by Hellmann's as part of Eat Real Eat Local effort. And, of course, they are on Twitter too. Hat tip to Mike Wrobel.

Unconventional. Interesting. Puzzling. A bit of creepiness mixed with the notion that you may never quite figure the entire thing out. Yes, these are a few of my favorite things. Is it any wonder I stayed up until 2am as a child to watch reruns of The Twilight Zone?

So, if David Lynch designed a website with Saw on the brain, I think it would look and act something like this gem of project from the Swedish Armed Forces.

Apparently it is a recruiting tool. I took the test. It seems they won't be requiring my services anytime soon. Mom will be happy.

Hat Tip to Simon Conlin via Facebook

How does an airline get your attention with the pre-flight safety speech? Even better, how can they do it when you are not even on the plane yet? Well, one way is to strip the crew, body paint uniforms on them and video tape the whole deal. Most would agree that might make for a more interesting run through of the run down on the runway.

Of course, this is a not going to fly when the plane is full of passengers. So, doing a YouTube only video shoot is certain to get some attention. Now, while I'm quite certain no one wants an airline to joke or make light of onboard safety, I believe this is done in good taste (somewhat at least) and shows a some brand personality. There is even a blooper real

Effective use of YouTube? Sure, why not. The next time I fly, I don't have to pretend I am listening and can boast to the passengers all around me that I watched the entire safety routine from the comfort of my own home. Heck, I can even watch it in flight on my laptop or iTouch if WiFi is available.

I, likely along with you, was completely unaware that we have a problem with the wiping function. Apparently we do. So, I am pleased to pass along news that scientists and marketers combined their superpowers to provide society with ... wait for it ... The Comfort Wipe.

I am at a total loss for words. Along with The Snuggie , this ranks up there with inventions that are sure to accelerate the decline of Western culture as we have come to know it.

Hey folks, it's Friday, enjoy your weekend!

Hat tip to American Copywriter.

Not all "sites" are online. This clever little thirty-second spot from Coleman pokes a bit of fun at the social web with the voice of Sam Elliott adding a nice touch.

Found via Nick Kinney over at American Copywriter.

Lawson Clarke is a copywriter, a Male Copywriter. From what I can tell he is a rather good one who is unfortunately out of a full-time gig currently (but likely not for long).

He made me laugh out loud - not a full of crap LOL - it was actual out laughter. Rare.

In a world of freelancers looking to set themselves apart, Lawson wins. His creatively simple site says a lot about him (almost too much). It is a straightforward and humorous approach to showcase his talent and his work. Check out his portfolio - his writing is right up my alley. He seems like the kind of guy you'd want to play a round of golf with, or hang out and watch the game (that is as long as the bear skin rug is no where nearby).

Tip of the hat to Bob Garfield via Ad Age for a recommendation that did not disappoint.

Check out Lawson at Male Copywriter. He is on Twitter too, @malecopywriter.

Great TED Talk from Kevin Kelly about Predicting The Next 5,000 Days Of The Web.

Kevin (founding editor of Wired and former publisher Whole Earth Catalog) provides his insights in terms of what has taken place over the past 5,000 days, describing what we though to be impossible has now become part of our daily existence. He sees it is all leading to "one global machine" that will be way smarter than us and connected in new and amazing ways.

Surprised? You shouldn't be. He presents a fascinating case to think about as we dive further into our digital existence.

Some find talk of the future amazing and inspiring while others find it scary or a waste of time. Whatever the case, the future is tough to predict (understatement?). No one knows exactly what will happen over the next 5,000 days (actually about 4,385 days given that this was filmed in December 2007) and that is a good thing. However, it is fun to make some educated guesses - especially when they come from a smart source with deep insights.

We are the web. Enjoy Kevin's talk.

It's not just about teenagers kicking each other in the crotch. Where else would you find something like this? 32 songs in 8 minutes. I am now a fan of Freddie25.

And there is even some Chocolate Rain and a Rick Roll on acoustic guitar thrown in for good measure. Wild.

Hat tip to Leo Laporte via Twitter - follow him, he is only at 111,871!

Flutter, because 140 characters on Twitter is way too much.

Money is always looking for somewhere to go. We started out with currencies of abundance back in the day and moved to a model of scarcity ever since. Is the web bringing us back to abundance?

These are the economics of the web as explained by Douglas Rushkoff, author of various books including Get Back In The Box "How being great at what you do is great for business", a great read full of fantastic ideas for businesses of all kinds.

It may be a good idea to be "less Saatchi and more Craigslist" if businesses had not become so good at incompetence. This is just one of the insights in his talk "How The Web Ate The Economy And Why It Is Good For Everyone" at the O'Reilly Web 2.0 Expo a little while ago. My only complaint? It was not long enough.

Enjoy.

An interesting clip featuring the San Francisco Examiner that makes you think about where newspapers were thirty years ago and where they are now.

Hat tip to Ben McAlister.