Bamboo Thinking

Thank You 2011

2011-12-31T07:37:00.001-07:00

As I sit here on the last day of 2011, I look back on a great year for Bamboo Strategy. The firm continued its relationship with one of Canada's leading innovators in the natural health products industry, by providing Afexa Life Sciences with initial insight services leading to this year's launch of Coldsore-Fx. We added Canada's largest privately owned recruiting firm (Design Group Staffing Inc.), and Alberta's largest Credit Union (Servus) to our client list. As well, long time client Trixstar Productions brought William Shatner's one man show to thousands of his fans across Canada.

On top of this wonderful activity, I merged Bamboo Strategy with IMC, the world's only management consultancy dedicated to the resource industry in Western Canada. This new relationship as a division of IMC, will provide Bamboo Strategy with resources in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, and deeper access to businesses in what is undoubtedly the economic driver of Canada. In return IMC deepens its service offering and positioning as the resource industry's trusted resource.

So as I say goodbye to 2011 I say thank you and look forward to 2012 as a year of tremendous growth and opportunity. May your 2012 be one that thrives as well.

Blogs Live Longer

2011-12-22T15:33:00.001-07:00

Obviously I write a blog. So whenever the discussion about the relevancy of blogs comes up I listen. Well Brain Solis has published his annual State of the blogosphere that shares some interesting insights.

State of the Blogosphere 2011

most blog writers are from Gen X and Gen Y but everybody reads blogs.
brands are getting blogged about more and more
blogging has proved valuable in building the company who has blogged
blogs live longer that tweets and status updates.

There is much more data in the article but for me point 4 above says it all. In a world of 140 charcter updates, when you find a trusted source that goes deeper... you tend to go back to that well.

Make It Simple

2011-12-20T07:22:00.001-07:00

I am working with a group to locate a new CRM and web system and the choice is full of complexities. One of the potential suppliers gave me a great little piece on simplicity. A short simple read that is so true.

Click on the link and enjoy the read.

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/11/28/easier-is-better-than-better/

Testimonial: Afexa Life Sciences

2011-10-13T09:48:00.004-06:00

“Finding and working with Don was a wonderful experience and everyone involved was extremely pleased with the outcomes. Don brings a wealth of experience and applied it to get into the minds and hearts of a completely new category for us. His global CPG background is a skill set unique in the Edmonton district. Conducting consumer market research outside of Toronto, Montreal, & Vancouver breaks the traditional CPG mould and gave everyone a sense that we were getting fresh insights.”

Timothy Lee

Director, Marketing Innovations

Afexa Life Sciences (Cold-FX), Canada

Coors Light Flashback

2011-10-06T17:15:00.001-06:00

Recently in Canada, Coors Light overtook Budweiser to become the number one selling beer in the land. This amazing fact (amazing because domestic brands Blue and Canadian held this cherished territory for years) led me to dig into my creative vault and want to share the TV creative that started the shift to the current mountain lifestyle position that Coors Light in Canada still sits with today.

You see in the early 1990's Coors light was being consumed by many but few were admitting to it. The brand had a yuppie image that was no longer relevant to the larger group of drinkers that just liked the silver bullet because it was easy to drink and left them clearer to get on with living life...an active outdoor life. So the ad agency FCB Toronto, where I worked as an account director on Molson brands, including Coors Light, led a repositioning plan with the great brand team at Molson and an amazing insight firm from San Francisco called Tattoo.

The video below was the launch work we developed for the first two years of the campaign that began to reposition Coors Light in line with its mountain heritage and the powerful Canadian beer drivers of boldness and refreshment. Clearly the position was relevant then, and remains so today.

Testimonial: Servus Credit Union

2011-10-04T10:39:00.000-06:00

“Don provided good insight into progressing our marketing department through excellent facilitation of "ideation" sessions with the team as well as one to one interviews. His marketing acumen is rich and he offered a knowledge base and expertise that added credibility to our process.”

Gail Stepanik-Keber
CMO
Servus Credit Union

Rock 'n Roll and Beer Advertising

2011-09-26T11:39:00.002-06:00

In the 1990's I was lucky enough to be part of a great creative team at Scali, McCabe, Sloves in Toronto. I was an account guy on Labatt's Blue (it was Labatt's back then) and we were facing a surging Molson Canadian brand in most provinces in Canada. Molson had smashed the ad world with their "What beer's all about." campaign, and classic rock music was integral to their success. However, we believed that Blue could find an opening in Molson Canadian's music flank because they never tapped into the Canadian music scene, which was shocking given their name was "Canadian". So we developed a series of radio spots based great Canadian music that won a pile of national and international awards.

Now beer advertising and rock have had a great relationship for years but in Canada, the late 1980's and early 1990's were the heyday of this relationship in Canada.

Click on the link for a sample of Labatt's Blue award winning radio in 1990.

The Good, The Bad, And The Strategy.

2011-09-07T14:42:00.000-06:00

For a few years now I have been telling my clients and students that success and brand relevancy comes from strategies and positions based on real insight. Today I came across a great article on McKinsey Quarterly based on a new book from Richard Rumelt called Good Strategy/Bad Strategy.The Difference And Why It Matters., that so easily drives this point home.

I love Richard's style and experience, both proven and to the point. You see Richard is fed up with bad strategy masquerading as good strategy. In short he says that "bad strategy embraces the language of broad goals, ambition, vision and values'. Wow I have seen a pile of broad strategy statements in the recent past. That's why I believe the Heath brothers book "Made To Stick" is bang on. It has taught us about creating missions and visions that will stick, not just sit there and cause nothing good for the company to happen.

Too many organisation are not taking the time to uncover insights that will lead them to better understand their barriers, and then take actions to overcome them. Instead as Rumelt says, they are doing one or all of the following bad strategy hallmarks.

Failing to face the problem.
Mistaking goals for strategy.
Bad strategic objectives.
Fluff.

Do your self a favour and quickly read the Richard Rumlet's McKinsey piece, and see if you have been making you strategies as good as they could be.

http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/The_perils_of_bad_strategy_2826

How Dangerous Is Safe Advertising?

2011-08-17T11:57:00.001-06:00

About 25 years ago when I was working at my first advertising agency in Toronto, I came across a great little sell piece for an Agency in London called Davis Wilkins. Now I doubt this agency even exists today but their sell piece still resonates with me today. It had to do with safe advertising and how dangerous it can be. What follows is the copy from the piece which basically talks about taking the safe road in advertising and mushrooms, can kill you.

This should be mandatory reading for everyone who touches content development.

"One of the species of fungus opposite is the most dangerous mushroom known to man.

It is lethal even in amounts as small as 20 grammes. That's about the weight of a Brussels sprout.

Between six and fifteen hours after eating it, gastroenteric symptoms are present, and severe liver damage occurs within three days, followed by death.

It is a fairly common British variety, found in oak and beech woods between July and November and when fresh it smells faintly of honey.

The two other mushrooms illustrated are, by contrast, highly palatable.

One of them is quite rare, with a subtle mild flavour much prized in certain mountainous regions of Scandinavia.

The other is a Chanterelle, which smells slightly of dried apricots and is regarded in France as something of a delicacy.

DO WE PICK ADVERTISEMENTS LIKE WE PICK MUSHROOMS?

Given the element of risk involved in gathering our own mushrooms most of us prefer to buy them in shops with our hard-earned cash.

Which means that most of us end up eating mass-produced cultivated mushrooms. The taste may be bland and predictable, but at least we know they wont kill us.

Sadly, the same cautious attitude can easily be applied to the selection of advertising.

Anything, which looks unfamiliar, different or unusual, is regarded with understandable suspicion and anxiety by many advertisers.

As a result, advertisements end up resembling one another much as cultivated mushrooms do.

But although instinct may tell us that danger lurks in the unknown, it is the apparently familiar which threatens the greatest peril.

Partly because it looks so safe.

WHICH MUSHROOMS WILL KILL YOU?

Not, of course, the peculiar looking orange one, number three. Life would be much too easy if that were the culprit.

No, that's a Chanterelle. And like the very best advertising, it is distinctive, visible and has an entirely desirable effect on the consumer.

The killer is one of the others. One of them is the safe choice, the other choice just looks like the safe choice.

Confusing, isn't it.

But so it is with Advertising. How can you be sure that a new campaign really is safe? With the deadly mushroom, the effects are felt within days, with advertising, the poison acts more slowly.

Who knows how many products are dying a lingering death right now because somebody took a decision years ago to run advertising that looked as though it couldn't do any harm.

WHICH ADVERTISING WILL KILL YOUR COMPETITOR?

All great advertising looks safe and familiar.

In retrospect.

But the famous and successful campaigns we now admire looked strange and disturbing when they were originally presented.

Many of the clients who bought that work can still recall waking up in a cold sweat at three in the morning, asking " My God, what have I approved?"

New ideas are scary.

But they're nowhere near as dangerous as almost-new ideas, which are familiar to everyone.

If it's been done before, your competition will be ready for it. Your only chance of killing him with your advertising is to hit him with something he's never seen before.

Which means you won't have seen it before either.

WHAT IS THE REAL KILLER?

The advertising to avoid is the kind that looks safe and isn't. The mushroom to avoid is number two.

Advertising which looks strange and distinctive is a much less-risk proposition, if you know what you're doing, than advertising, which is bland and comfortable.

But only if you know what you are doing.

Which is where we come in.

Tim Davis and Chris Wilkins bring more than 36 years of experience to their new agency. Experience not only of creating original and surprising advertising ideas, but also of recognising and weeding out the ones that are dangerously wrong.

If you're an advertiser who would dearly love to have startling and original creative work, without having to lose sleep over it, think about what we have to offer. It wouldn't kill you to give us a call."

#1. Rozites Caperata

#2. Amanita Phalloides

#3. Cantharellus Cibarius

The only point I will add to the brilliant copy above is that it works because Tim and Chris had insight about advertising and pretty and deadly mushrooms, which they turned into a great idea and execution. With out real relevant insights, you just can't get to the point where creative content can be scary but safe.

Client-Agency Relationships

2011-08-13T10:35:00.003-06:00

I recently came across a blog from an old colleague of mine from McCann Erickson India named Chinta Rao. Chinta, like I, moved on from McCann several years ago and now runs a consulting practice and blogs every so often about things in the marketing communications world that compel him to speak. The blog of Chinta's that caught my attention dealt with the recently released CMO Council's 2011 survey of Chief Marketing Officers. Below is the link to Chinta's Blog and to the CMO Council's report.

http://chintarao.blogspot.com/2011/07/state-of-marketing-is-worrying.html

http://cmocouncil.org/images/uploads/pdf/207.pdf

The blog forced me to read the actual report, and while it is packed with much learning, I took away 4 key things that CMO's seem to have on their "to do" list in 2011.

1. Connect the measurements of multiple channels that reach across, social, digital and traditional media.
2. Redefine the customer experience. Bridge the gap between art of marketing and science of analytics. Better understand the impact marketing and technology can have in making better customer experiences.

3. Better understand the paradigm shift from BtoC to CtoB.

4. Better pull insights from reams of on-line and off-line data now being collected.

In short agencies of any kind that are hoping to do, and continue to do, business with marketers, need to have talent that can integrate all content delivery methods and be able provide real insight.

I wanted to explore the changing landscape needs between agencies and their clients further, so I focused on it in my latest BrandVertising webTV show. I invited one of my first bosses in the agency business on the show, as I always remembered Tony Altilia to have a strong point of view about how to build successful Client-Agency Relationships. So click on the link below to see the show and please give me your comments on the CMO council's report and the show.

Staying Marketing Oriented Is Everyone's Job

2011-08-03T11:32:00.000-06:00

As I watch the restructuring of marketing departments to deal with the reality of customers demanding more relevant and rewarding engagements, I recognise that holding true to the belief that a company is really marketing oriented is tougher that ever. Marketing has always been about a philosophy that everything a company does is with the customer's drivers fully in mind. However rapid change in technology is highlighting the reality that the entire organisation must now, more than ever, be involved in "marketing".

I think the term "customer experience" can play a key role to helping companies simplify as they battle to stay a true marketing oriented company. As a recent article from McKinsey points out, "In today’s marketing environment, companies will be better off if they stop viewing customer engagement as a series of discrete interactions and instead think about it as customers do a set of related interactions that, added together, make up the customer experience."

I think if you keep in mind that to engage with people you need to understand the experiences they want with all aspects of the company, and then build engagement strategies that meet those insights. As I have been saying for sometime now, the key is to uncover insights into how people experince things, and usually this is on an emeotional level. The McKinsey article also reinforces this points by stating, "A premium will be placed on problem-solving and strategic-marketing skills, rather than on traditional market research capabilities such as designing surveys and commissioning focus groups."

I highly recommend reading the McKinsey article that I have linked to below. It serves as a timely reminder that staying marketing oriented in today's climate is not just business as usual and some innovation in structure is a likely need.

http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Were_all_marketers_now_2834

Mick Jagger, Rolling Stones CMO

2011-06-09T10:25:00.004-06:00

Today from a facebook connection, I viewed this classic letter from Mick Jagger to Andy Warhol about artwork for a greatest hit cover back in 1969.

The letter reminds me of my time at Scali, McCabe, Sloves in Toronto in 1989, working on the advertising for the Labatt's Blue/Rolling Stones Steel Wheels Tour. The Jagger letter shows how much of a businessman Jagger is, and that everything about how the band is positioned really sits in his hands. He is the CMO of the Rolling Stones brand.

When we were developing creative to launch the Steel Wheels tour across Canada in 1989, Jagger had final approval on everything. All our script ideas and music background choices went past Jagger. In fact the launch TVC of the tour originally ended with the famous Stones tongue turning from red to blue, to subtly indicate Labatt's Blue was promoting the tour in Canada. Well Jagger as acting as CMO for the Stones brand, quickly killed that idea because nobody, but nobody screws with a key visual property of the Rolling Stones. He was right of course but hey we at the same time were just trying to build even more depth into the Blue brand.

As Labatt Blue's slogan of the time was alluding to, in 1989, it was the way we played. Those were great times, and as this classic letter indicates, Jagger is a great CMO, and not a bad frontman either.

Labatt's Blue Rolling Stones 1989 Tour Poster

Screw Your Youth Strategy, What's Your Elder Strategy!

2011-06-06T10:25:00.007-06:00

When I was working on Molson and Labatt and Coca-Cola, it was imperative you had a youth strategy, as youth consumed a pile of your product. Working on Intel in China we were concerned with youth and the need to get them earlier to build brand relevance beyond the laptop. However, in no case can I remember having an elder strategy, a strategy to tap into the desires, needs and wants of the 50+ consumer. Well today all brands need to think about building one.

It is said that in 2009, 46% of Apple's consumer base was older than 55. We know that in the US, 46% of cars, and 80% of luxury travel is sold to the 60+ demographic. An old colleague of mine from FCB in Toronto, for some time now has run a successful business selling luxury items to the 50+ market. I know Johnson&Johnson and Afexa Life Sciences (the Cold-FX people and a client of mine) always keep a close eye on the elder market when developing new products. These two organizations, for obvious reasons, recognise that an ageing consumer base in most of the worlds key markets means health care will be high on their need list. I believe though, that all brands need to take a look at how their product and services can be better positioned to be consumed by this massive 50+ demographic. This baby boomer group will change pre and post retirement mind-sets just as it has changed everything else they have touched. So ask yourself and your brand, what do you know about the older consumer as it relates to your business. Are you relevant to them now, and if not can you be relevant to them going forward.

On BrandVertising (my WebTV show on branding and advertising) I recently focused on the issue of the ageing consumer with my guest Dave McCaughan, the Director of Strategy for McCann Worldgroup in Asia Pacific. Check out the show below and start now to build your elder strategy!

More Juice Around The Future of The Ad Agency

2011-06-02T10:38:00.003-06:00

I was reading today in Campaign Asia about the intense pressure marketers are feeling to continue to come up with the next big idea. They are trying to stay relevant to a consumer base that is rapidly getting smarter and more savvy every minute. This means they are looking to anyone, including their customers for ideas. No longer are their AOR agency partners the holy grail of ideas, and this is sending shock waves through New York, London, Chicago, Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Los Angeles.

As past blogs I have written have eluded to, the game has changed because the consumer has changed. They carry the influence to persuade their community to act, and the traditional ad campaign is treated with the proverbial grain of salt. Advertising air cover is critical in the war to win the hearts and minds of consumers, but it is boots on the ground, the reality of the brand experience, that wins the war today. What is the brand doing as it actually engages and delivers to people. Is it a positive experience they will twitter about to their community, or will it be so counter to the big ad air cover that they will hold the brand hostage with negative WOM to their friends.

Never has the game been so exciting and played with so much at stake for those that used to dominate the brand building and idea generating world...the traditional big ad agency.

Click on the link below to read the Campaign Asia article.
http://www.campaignasia.com/Article/259364,pressure-mounts-as-agencies-search-for-the-next-big-idea.aspx

The Life Blood of Product Development

2011-05-19T15:44:00.003-06:00

Last week on my WebTV show called BrandVertising, I had a great chat with Timothy Lee (a client of mine from Afexa Life Sciences in Canada) about product innovation and development. The show highlighted that invention and innovation are not the same thing, look no further than apple to learn how to innovate versus invent.

We also talked about the fact that engaging with customers is the only way you can do any type of inventing or innovating. Which is why a recent Interbrand study that shows so few companies are engaging with their customers is even more shocking. How will products that are relevant be developed in these organizations?

Have a look at the show and see what were rated by LaunchTV as the best new products of 2010.

The Fear Of Failure...Again

2011-05-15T12:44:00.000-06:00

A while back I blogged about the power of failure. http://bamboostrategy.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-ive-learned.html

Well it seems that the topic of getting stronger from failure is hot this week in blog land. The link from the brain pickings blog has four takes on failure from some creative thinkers. I share just one of them below.

What is your take on the role failure plays in creativity and life itself?

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/05/12/fear-of-failure/

Paulo Coelho – on the fear of failure. from Berghs' Exhibition '11 on Vimeo.

I love a great logo.

2011-05-06T12:24:00.002-06:00

Creative Review, the fantastic UK publication, in a recent blog listed the thoughts of some of the leading design firms in the world as they relate to the greatest logos ever.

Check it out of you love brands and their visual representation. One of my favourites is a Canadian icon CN, that is on the list of Identity Works, Tony Spaeth.

Click on the link and enjoy the read.

http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2011/may/logo-experts-contd

Wow, 59% of Marketers Don't Believe in Being Relevant!

2011-05-06T11:50:00.001-06:00

Being that my consultancy is all about relevancy of business and brands, I was kind of shocked to read an email from Interbrand that stated a recent study of theirs found that only 41% of brands think it's important to maintain relevance. As the graphic below from the Interbrand email also shows, only 37% of brands believe being responsive to customer needs and desires is important.

Interbrand Marketers 2011 Survey

What can these marketing leaders be thinking? Did they miss marketing 101 where we learn that "marketing" is all about responding to the needs and desires of consumers? Are they asleep during this consumer empowerment revolution that technology is enabling? Do they not get that if your brand is not relevant, that means you don't matter, which in no way translates to future sales?

In the end, the Interbrand study reinforces the lack of understanding many marketers still have towards the importance of building dialogues with stakeholders. I would love to hear your take on what to me is a shockingly low level of marketer understanding.

A good chat with Praveen Kenneth

2011-04-27T14:30:00.002-06:00

Well a week back I completed another episode of my web TV show called BrandVertising on fusedlogic.tv. I am a little behind in blogging so I post the link to the insightful conversation I had with Praveen Kenneth. Praveen is the Chairman of Law & Kenneth, a boutique advertising agency with offices all over India. I worked with Praveen back in the late 1990's when I was running the Coca-Cola account for McCann Erickson in several parts of Asia Pacific.

Of the many interesting things we talked about, one that stood out was Praveen's belief that traditional agencies are somewhat stuck with the clothes they have been wearing for so very long, and it is very tough for clients to look at them in other clothes, mainly more business building partners than creative solution specialists.

Have a look at the program and let me know your thoughts. As well go to Praveen Kenneth's firms website to learn more about his agency. http://www.lawkenneth.in/

BrandVertising

2011-03-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

A few months back I was approached about hosting a web TV program. After some consultation with friends and family I decided to dive in and host a show about branding and advertising from the perspective of those that live and lived it from the very front row. The show became BrandVertising, cute but hopefully not too cute of a show name. Well two months later, along with my production partner fusedlogic.tv, we have produced two shows.

The fun thing about doing the BrandVertising show is that I get to reconnect with some great peers I've worked with over the past 25 years in this business. On my first show I talked with Rico DiGiovanni, who is now the president of Spider Marketing in Toronto. I worked with Rico when we both had a relationship with FCB on the Coors Light business. Rico and I had fun talking about brand activation and experiential marketing. Being the pilot episode of the show, we learned a few things like needing to improve our Skype connection (which has been fixed) but overall the show went rather smoothly and Rico was great.

Then this past week I interviewed Jane Price who before starting her current marketing and social media consulting practice, was the global head of social marketing for Intel. Jane was a former client of mine when I was running McCann Erickson in China and is one of the sharpest people I have come across. We had a good talk about how organizations are starting to mainstream social marketing into their marketing arsenal.

So as I move forward with BrandVertising I expect to continue having fun talking with great marketing communications professionals I know now, and will get to know in the future. If anyone has an idea for the show just let me know. Until then, click on an episode and give me your feedback.

Edmonton Meet Detroit

2011-03-10T10:11:00.001-07:00

Many of you may have seen the amazing work the ad agency Wieden+Kennedy has done for Chrysler when you watched the Super Bowl this year. The theme work that sells the true power of Detroit behind the Eminem track is powerful and indeed makes me rethink what Detroit stands for today.

I live in Edmonton a northern city in the province if Alberta. Edmonton is a capital city on a similar northern parallel as Moscow. Since I returned here in 2007 I have heard many people discussing what this city should stand for, how should it differentiate itself, and quite honestly I think the brand of the city is lost. The sad thing is that this city has so much going for it. It sits at the base of the second largest oil reserve in the world. It has a citizenry that is smart, well educated and full of heart, yet not afraid to get their hands dirty, and it sits on a river valley that is the envy of any city in the world. While it is true for a good part of the year this river valley is dusted with snow and the river is frozen over but that is also part of the beauty of the city. Edmonton has seasons, definite seasons.

It is not my place here to define a brand for the city of Edmonton, not yet anyway. My place is to highlight the fact that cities can be branded powerfully, as Weiden+Kennedy has done for Detroit via a commercial for Chrysler, and those with the power to do so for Edmonton, should take note.

66% Sing From The Same Song Sheet

2011-02-16T13:13:00.003-07:00

Image by nickwheeleroz via FlickrThe recent survey from McKinsey on how companies use strategy to "beat the market" had some nice insights but the one that stood out to me was that only 33% of companies say they use novel insights in their strategic planning. Now think about this for a second. That means two thirds are using exactly the same research as their competitors to drive their strategic thinking. While this lack of motivation to uncover new insights has been a topic in other articles recently, it astounds me that McKinsey has the number so high. We have become so dependent on the Internet to get information, which is great. However, if we do not step outside and uncover insights that are truly specific to our needs (and not published for all to see on the Internet) then how will we be any different than our competition.

Macro generic industry data is great for getting a picture on some of the forces that are driving an industry, I use them all the time, but business needs to get to the micro level drivers that are specific to their buyers and business, to be able to build a brand that is relevant both to them and their buyers. I do not believe for a second that this can be done without spending the money and uncovering new insights about ones buyers and marketplace on a regular basis.

If you are keen to see the entire survey click on the link below.

http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Putting_strategies_to_the_test_McKinsey_Global_Survey_results_2722

5 Forces Of Competition Revisited

2011-02-15T12:21:00.002-07:00

I often use the classic strategic tool Michael Porter introduced in the 1970's when he first came to Harvard. I love Porter's 5 Forces because it makes organizations look at what business they are REALLY in, by having a real look at all the competition that surrounds and influences them, not just their obvious direct competitors.

From HBR On-Line

So often people ask me "have you read this new business book on strategy?" To me the disposable world we live in that is always looking for the next thing, often forgets the most powerful tools we already have. Porter's 5 Forces is an example of this. It does not need to be improved on as it adapts to every business environment. I love the fact that it reinforces that business strategy starts by looking at your competition and industry, at the same time you are looking at the consumer or customer. To often we are too focused on the buyers of our product or service and do not step back and see what is driving the industry we compete in. How has the power of the suppliers of our products changed? What new technologies could make our product or service less relevant in the months ahead? These are few of the critical questions that will never die, and that's why in all my interactions with clients and students, I ask, do you know what business you are really in, and who are the competitors that will influence your success?

I attach a link to a Harvard Business Review page that has a great 15 minute video with Michael Porter and the evolution of his 5 Forces. Take a coffee break and listen to it, then ask your self when was the last time your organisation really looked at their industry with such depth.

http://hbr.org/2008/01/the-five-competitive-forces-that-shape-strategy/ar/1

Joiners Vs. Creators, Who Drives the Web?

2011-02-07T13:54:00.004-07:00

A few years back Forrester Research published their Social Technographics that laid out the Social Network Population in a ladder format. It had "creators" on the top and "inactives" on the bottom. You can see in the 2010 version that "joiners" and "spectators" drive the activity on the social web, which is no surprise as these activities take the least commitment to stay involved in the web.

To me the interesting question is how do you engage your customers at different levels of the ladder? What are you providing in your on-line world that is relevant for your "creators" as well as relevant for your brand. The same goes fore those that just like to be "spectators" of your brand on-line. What are you doing for them that keep them wanting to come back and share with others? I think it is a worthwhile exercise to review the Social Technographics Ladder and ensure relevancy for all.

The Amazing World Of Scotch

2011-02-01T12:33:00.001-07:00

A few weeks back I attended the Edmonton Whiskey Festival as a gift from wife for Christmas, and I was blown away by just how sophisticated the Scotch business has become. You see back in the mid 1980's when I worked in an ad agency in Toronto we had Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch as a client and I was lead to believe that Glenmorangie was one of the real special bottles of scotch you could buy. The brand had a great history with the 16 men of Tain who so carefully crafted Glenmorangie, in fact one of the print ads we ran, which is below, was a wonderful woodcutting illustration style of the bottle signed by the 16 men of Tain .

Mid 1980's Glenmorangie global Print ad that ran in Canada

My point is Glenmorangie was well represented at the festival I attended but they were just a tiny sample of the amazing number of special single malt scotches on show that evening. While Glenlivet, Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie are some of the better promoted single malts in the world, there is indeed a whole larger world of wonderful brands and products to be explored, and truth be told, better marketed.

If At First You Don't Succeed

2011-01-19T11:29:00.002-07:00

Image via WikipediaEvery so often Nait (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) asks me to instruct a continuing education course for them dealing with marketing and business. This past weekend while I teaching a course on delegation and teamwork, I was reminded just how important allowing people to fail is to building trust, respect and innovation. Some companies thrive in allowing their people to fail and then learn from there failures. 3M makes it mandatory for people to fail. In their mind if they are not failing, then they are not learning and inventing new category defining products.

So back to what struck me this past weekend. I was watching with the class a DVD on the design consultancy IDEO, and a quote from one of their great talent jumped out and smacked me in the face. The quote was "enlightened trial and error succeeds over the planning of the lone genius." Now I am not sure if this was his original thought or he borrowed it from some other great mind, but it quickly reminded me that people need to be encouraged to try things that scare them, things that just might not work. Too often business cultures breed stagnation and like mindedness in product design, business models and marketing communications.

In my mind the reason so little marketing activity jumps out at people and very little is differentiated and relevant, is because no learning was done it the development process. No one was encouraged to try new things and know it was ok if it didn't work because they knew they would learn from it and be even better next time. Maybe that is why I love the idea of beta sites in the webbed world. Beta sites and their thinking says we'll figure this out as we go along, some things may not work and we're fine with that because it will make the things that we do well for you become even better.

So make a mistake today and celebrate it. Then get back up and fix it so your next idea is even better.

Try Before You Buy

2011-01-03T10:53:00.006-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Building new business relationships that you can trust is getting harder than ever. So much hype exists in the noise of business building, that "trust me I can do it" becomes the key differentiator in many cases. With this reality, your past client references are critical, but in some cases these are not even enough if you do not have a referral from some business your prospect knows deeply. Many times I have come across the words "Sure you have done that for Coke but have you done it for Ted down the street?". Once again proving the point that if your story is not relevant to your prospect then you are nowhere.

With the palpable desire out there for the building of a trust bridge that is relevant to both parties, one solution becomes starting the relationship with baby steps. In 2000 I was living in Singapore and leading McCann Erickson's pitch for Caltex (Chevron's brand in Asia Pacific and Africa). To build trust and prove our relevance to Caltex, we were tasked do produce a TV spot that would bring to life the campaign we had wowed them with in the initial pitch process. In other words they wanted to give us their business in all of Asia Pacific and Africa but they were not quite sure our walk matched our talk. So they agreed to pay all out of pocket costs to produce the spot and we agreed to commit our time to bring it to life. In the end we went up the road to Malaysia to shoot a rally car spot that highlighted Caltex's Havoline motor oil. The spot turned out great (see below and look for me being sprayed with mud!). More importantly, Caltex learned how we worked, and we built our relevance to them every day we were in that Malaysian jungle. Within weeks the awarding of the business to McCann Erickson was formalised.

So as you approach building your business in 2011, try taking some baby steps with your prospects. Prove your relevance by suggesting a trial project that is fair to both sides and go out there and build some trust.

The Business Christmas Party Can Be Costly

2010-12-14T14:48:00.003-07:00

Last night I held my firms Christmas party. It is a small affair attended by those that I think have been good souls to and for Bamboo Strategy over the past year. Business stories were shared, including a few business travel nightmares, all in all it was a great time to chill out with some really good people.

Banter at Bamboo Strategy's Gentleman's Evening 2010

It was after the party when I read about a recent poll done by Travelodge in the UK, that hangovers from Christmas parties will cost the UK economy about $1 Billion this year. Now I did not suffer any loss in productivity today but clearly based on this study, many will this holiday season. Enjoy reading the very interesting post Christmas party poll results from the attached link below.

http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/news.php?CID=&NID=6864&Title=Hangovers+Will+Cost+the+UK+Economy+%A3620+Million+this+Christmas

Gaga Over In-flight Saftey Demonstration

2010-12-10T10:47:00.001-07:00

Campaign Asia is the marketing communications trade book in Asia Pacific. Currently they are looking back on the best viral campaigns of 2010. As one would expect the Old Spice Guy is on the list. What you may not expect or know about, was a viral video for Cebu Pacific the Philippines second air carrier. The crew performs the standard safety instructions to the vocal styling of Lady Gaga and they and the passengers don't miss a beat. The video was picked up globally by major news networks.

Cebu has a fun and friendly positioning and this just reinforces it. Maybe Air Canada can use Nickelback to bolster their instructions. Just a thought. Enjoy the video below.

The Power of Celebrity

2010-12-07T10:38:00.005-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

I had seen the power of music during my time working on ad campaigns for Canadian brewers Labatt and Molson in the late 1980's and early 1990's. Molson Canadian set the bar high with their iconic music video style campaign for Canadian, and the rush was on for beer brands to try and jump it. However, it wasn't until I was working in the agency business with McCann in Asia Pacific, a few years back, that I really became aware of the power of celebrity.

You see in Asia, celebrities are used to sell everything. In many cases if a client did not have a relevant strategic idea they would default to using a celebrity. If you have been to Asia, you will know what I mean, as you are inundated with fresh faces (with signatures underneath them) on every street corner and flat panel HDTV set.

It is with this mindset that I attended an event put on by Trixstar and Axe Productions in their Edmonton warehouse this past weekend,. It was a great example of the power of celebrity, in that they sprung upon an anticipative crowd, season two American Idol winner Ruben Studdard, and 1980's Canadian rockers Streetheart. While neither of these acts are the biggest celebrities today, the mood at the event went up dramatically when they respectively hit the stage, making the event an even bigger success. The power of celebrity has arrived and Mike Anderson, Trixstar's CEO, knows this better than most in the Edmonton area.

Agents Of What?

2010-12-02T11:50:00.004-07:00

Image by DavidErickson via FlickrI recently asked several of my peers in the advertising world for their views on a few things, one of which revolved around the future of the Ad Agency. Tony Altilia, one of my first bosses in the Agency game back in 1985, (who is now a principal at http://www.maximpartnersinc.com/ in Toronto), replied with this link to a recent article in Fast Company called Mayhem on Madison Avenue. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/151/mayhem-on-madison-avenue.html?page=0%2C0.

To me I think the article is required reading for anyone who is related to the Advertising Agency world in anyway today. Lines like "They're all well aware that coding is now prized over copywriting and that a resume that includes Xbox and Google is more desirable than one featuring stints at BBDO or Grey." should make classic agency people shudder. Currency today is technology and insight to stakeholders and communities. Both of these demand an open mindedness that has not been the hallmark of the traditional advertising agency.

As another one of my former colleagues, Chris Beaumont (Past CEO Grey Japan), said, "perhaps this Brand New World demands a new 'agency' paradigm - where we look at what it is important to be an 'agent for'...". I think Chris has hit the nail on the head and that those firms that figure out what the word "agency" means today will be the winners. The days of Mad Men went decades ago, as did the original definition of "Agency". No longer do you need an ad agency as a 'go between' media companies and marketers. No longer do you need an ad agency as a 'go between' stakeholders and the organization. So the question I ask you is what defines "Agency" today?

Is On-line Pivoting Marketers Into Publishers

2010-11-30T15:43:00.003-07:00

The discussions rage about the deepening of the media pool from the shallow end of paid media (think traditional media) to the deeper end of owned media (think web site, facebook page) and earned media (think rating sites). Some, like the attached McKinsey article, advocate for the addition of two more levels of deepness, in the form of sold (my site sells ad space to another brand) and hijacked media (some community member rallies opposition on facebook to my brand). The key to the definition, as laid out by McKinsey, is in the definition of "who owns the interface with the consumer".

No matter where you stand on the topic, one cannot help but ask the question, as marketers go deeper into engaging with their customers, will they have to start to think like publishers, in that they now must create content themselves that continues to service the more demanding needs of their customers/readers?

Furthermore, with the knowledge that McKinsey has learned, that as consumers move through the journey with a brand they hunger for something deeper, more authentic and transparent. Do you think the ad/digital agency creative talent is currently capable of delivering this, being a third party resource to the client and brand?

As marketers build their online presence (in an owned or earned manner) to stay relevant, they will have to feed the channels/publications they have built, and this takes a commitment internally to have talent that can quickly say the right thing to quell a hijacking, or write with passion and knowledge about the company's products, services and promotions.

I believe many things will challenge marketers going forward but to me one of the biggest questions that I have, and one I get from my clients on a regular basis, is who will own the web/social content development and its consequences, because they know they have to but they also know it will mean creating a skill set intenally that they do not have. They will have to learn to think like publishers!

Enjoy the thought provocative piece form McKinsey in the attached link. Make sure you also listen to the audio piece inside the link. (I am aware you have to become a member to the McKinsey site to get the full story but it is worth it. They are the world's number one business consultancy out there. Oh yeah, and it's free to join.)
http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Beyond_paid_media_Marketings_new_vocabulary_2697

Love This Presentation Aid

2010-11-26T16:51:00.001-07:00

Daniel Pink is indeed a smart guy. I often think his insights are real real good. This time though what blew me away was how RSA Animate took Pink's insight to another level of comprehension. It just shows how important visuals (or painting a visual) are to effective communication.

Click on the video link to be wowed.

RSA Animate -- Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.

Sneakerpedia

2010-11-25T10:19:00.001-07:00

The ad below is a real good example of how to build a community and have your brand be at the center of it. Now this ad from Foot Locker is how to build brand relevance!

Leaning Into Frame

2010-11-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

In the past I have talked about business being careful in how it participates in the highly personal social media space of people. I am a big believer that you don't barge in and interrupt their online experiences if you want to build any sort of relevant long term relationship with them.

Well this clip via Mike Walsh and his agency Tomorrow provides an interview with New York Agency Anomaly about a concept they call Leaning Into Frame. In short Leaning Into Frame is recognising that "there are lots of interesting conversations going on in society at a point in time, and some of those conversations are appropriate for you (your business) to lean into."

I love the love subtle nature of the lean into frame mindset and the example they give of using the i-phone launch is perfect.

Mini Gets It Right, Very Right.

2010-11-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

Every so often I come across an idea and creative execution of that idea, that is worth sharing. This time I applaud loudly the work mini has done in Sweden using an i-phone app to drive people to the mini Countryman car with the lure of winning a free mini Countryman.

How they get Awareness and Interest is to join the promotion is by creating a highly interactive game and pushing it via web and a viral network. They gain Desire by making the game of hunting for a FREE car using GPS technology simple and irresistible. They create Action (literally) by forcing players to down load the app and start running to find and avoid other players wanting to find and catch the virtual mini. This covers the AIDA model in one fell swoop.

Its simplicity is what makes it so powerful. This is technology being used relevantly to make a difference.

Enjoy the link to the video.

http://adsoftheworld.com/media/ambient/mini_getaway_stockholm

China to eat 20% of World's Energy by 2035.

2010-11-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

A recent report from the International Energy Agency states that China will consume 20% of the world's energy demand by 2035. This is driven by a 75% jump in consumption from now until 2035. The question is how does Alberta and it's resource based technologies and services start, and in some cases, continue to approach this dominate market.

Many firms are afraid of China as it is too big and expensive. The flip side to this argument is that it is not going away, and it will be even tougher to get in and make a difference if business waits 10 years. So start to explore, find trusted counsel in Canada, make a few trips and see for yourself. The future in many ways is in dealing with China and the future is now.

It's Time For A Little Humanity

2010-10-29T13:30:00.000-06:00

I believe that the world of screens that is upon us, be it TV, smart phone, computer, you name it, is leading to a distinct lack of people with the ability to hold a personal face to face conversation. I also believe that this is one of the biggest issues in the marketing communications world going forward, as digital grabs a firm hold of the tool kit being used by the industry. This almost single minded focus on interactive in a digital sense, I believe leaves a huge opportunity for interactive in the human "face to face" sense.

I for many years have been a huge proponent of experiential marketing and think the work being done by firms like Momentum and Jack Morton, just to name two I am personally familiar with, is outstanding and a real difference maker in building relevant brand relationships. To me those marketers that engage all the senses of the consumer, in an impactful experience, will win the day over those that just choose to digitally interact with them. Success in building relevant brands comes with striking a balance between digital and human interaction.

So I could not agree more with the following quote from a recent article from McKinsey. "Many retailers assume that customers walk into stores for purely transactional purposes: they know what they want and just need to buy it. Yet McKinsey research indicates that as many as 40 percent of customers remain open to persuasion once they enter a store,despite undertaking extensive product research, reading online reviews, and comparing prices on their own." Just think back to your in store experiences in the past few years. Think of the sales people you have encountered and think of how many added any knowledge or insight beyond what you had already uncovered on-line. If your answer is anything like mine then you will find the attached piece from McKinsey worth the short read.

Enjoy the link and don't forget we are humans not machines.

http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Rediscovering_the_art_of_selling_2677

Video Rules and Brands are Too Agressive in Social Media Down Under

2010-10-27T13:18:00.000-06:00

When I ran McCann Erickson China in the mid 2000's, John Gregg was the Strategy Director of our Shanghai office. John returned to Australia in 2006 and recently, as part of his role with Curtin University in Australia, published a research report on social media called the "2010 Social Web Index". I have attached the report below and based on North American studies I have seen, these insights are both supportive and instructive

Many insights come from the report but two in particular stand out to me. The first is the dominant role video plays in people's social on-line habits. Watching video clips on-line is roughly twice as popular as the next closest popular activity; chatting or uploading photos. I know video has become big but this number was huge to me. The second finding that stood out was that 73% of respondents find advertising on-line irrelevant, and 68% believe brands are being too aggressive and disruptive in social media. As I wrote back in July 2010, brands engaging in the social web need to be providing relevant insights or information to people if they want to be welcomed as part of their community, and this Australian information reinforces this point.

The report is very much worth a look at for those breaking a trail in the social media wilderness, as it provides current insights into this rapidly changing marketing communication tool.

Enjoy the link. https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=0AftEgov2gw4AZGMyeGo3NTNfMTlka3duY2pmcw&hl=en

What I've Learned

2010-10-25T13:50:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was in a local Second Cup coffee shop waiting to meet with a client, and I noticed their current promotional materials talking about after 35 years in the business, they have learned a thing or two about coffee and coffee shops. What stood out to me was the word "learned". "Learned" to me is a great way to say you have credible experience and you have taken some swings in your game (industry) and fouled a few off, had few home runs and even struck out once or twice.

Today we have piles of people saying they have experience at something so it is hardly differentiating to say you have "experience". However the language of "learning" and "learning" over a considerable amount of time implies to me anyway, that one has probably walked the path their client or customer is on at the moment, and what one has to say is probably quite relevant.

So tell people why you are relevant to them. Tell people what you have learned to make you experienced enough for them to spend their hard earned cash on your good or service.

I am Don Norris and in the 25 years I have taken to build the Bamboo Strategy brand, I have learned that hitting foul balls and striking out now and then, means you will hit plenty of home runs in the future.

Who Really Cares

2010-08-18T14:06:00.000-06:00

As many discuss how to break through in this world loaded with brands, I believe a central point in the discussion needs to be around relevancy. In other words does any body really care about what you stand for at the moment. Many focus on differentiation, as they should. However, creating brand differentiation is like creating brand impact, it can be done quite easily. However, if it is of the wrong kind (not relevant), then you can actually cause more damage than if you did nothing. For example, if I kick you in the groin, I will have made an impact but you won't want to have a relationship with me!

So again, I say business needs to take the time to understand what the people they depend on for success believe is relevant in their lives, and how they believe your brand best fits into these realities. By engaging with your customers and really understanding what drives them, you can avoid kicking them in the groin.

I attach a link to a quick little bit from "go to market strategies" that touches on brand relevancy.

Click here to read. http://www.gtms-inc.com/tip_brandrelevance.htm

What Business Are You Really In?

2010-08-12T11:16:00.000-06:00

If you have ever been in one of my business courses or seminars, you probably have heard me state that the first thing any one should do when starting a marketing plan, is ask themselves what business are they really in? This may seem obvious to many of you, but often it is too obvious and a real opportunity to step out and relevantly differentiate oneself from the competition is missed.

Think about it this way. Is Starbucks in the coffee business, or is Starbucks in the chill out business? Depending how you answer this question will indicate how you would run Starbucks if you were the boss. If you think they are in the coffee business then the store and the people you hire would be 100% coffee focused. Everyone would be coffee experts, the brewing and espresso machines would be of the highest quality and not focused on speed, just focused on superior coffee. You would not sell anything but coffee, certainly not fruit based drinks, and you would not really care if the environment was comfortable because all you want people to do is buy coffee and not really hang out.

If on the other hand you took the attitude that Starbucks is in the chill out business and just happens to sell coffee as part of this experience, your store would be built around allowing people to let their brains escape from their stresses. You may design an ordering language that is different, one that allows the brain to go somewhere else for the 15 seconds it takes to order a grande, double soy cap! Your staff would be full of unique personalities that just love people. You may even sell music that helps people chill out when they are not in the store.

No matter which approach you believe is best, you can see that determination of what business you are really in, will set the vision of the company in motion. It will determine the type of people you need to employ, the type of products and services to offer, and the style of packaging, store design and promotion to unleash to be optimally successful.

So as you sit on the dock this summer, take a few minutes and ask yourself what business am I really in. It may just open up your organization to a whole new set of buyers.

Again, Do You Know Your Customers?

2010-07-30T11:33:00.000-06:00

I recently wrote a blog called "Wow Me." which talked about wowing people by showing you understand how important they are to your business versus just letting technology carry the day. Then a few days ago I came across an article that reinforced the need for business, especially tech business, to become more consumer focused. At the end of the article he provides three simple questions to ask yourself, and if you can't answer them, then your business is not spending enough time and money gaining insight into who your customers are.

The three questions are:

-Who are your Top 10 customers?
-Are they satisfied with what you are doing for them?
-Are you satisfied with what they are paying you?

Please enjoy the read at the link below.

www.financialpost.com/small-business/Customers+companies+best+source+cash/3326066/story.html

Search Me

2010-07-22T14:21:00.000-06:00

In Razorfish's 2010 Outlook Report , the leading digital agency talks about many trends in the digital world. The one that has moved beyond trend into the new normal is search.

If you have not taken the time to really understand what search means to your business, then do so now. As Razorfish so poignantly says "In 2010, search will become more than just a service; it will be viewed as a necessity. We are past the point where users think about searching. It is now a reflex, and it is an expected part of the user experience — no matter where that experience may be. Social, video, mobile, local and shopping are all tied to search."

GO TO: www.razorfish.com/#/news/press-releases/2010/pressreleases/pr-20100524-razorfish-outlook-report/

Wow Me.

2010-07-20T09:07:00.000-06:00

Summer is full of wows like sitting on a pristine lake dockside. However, all year long people are looking to be wowed when they meet you and your organization. Some firms like TD Bank understand this reality so much they have trademarked WOW, which is amazing in itself. In my mind this wow me attitude is driven by the power of technology and how easy it is to make your brand or business shine from the get go. The bar is constantly being set higher by smart phones, and the apps that are driving them.

So what do you do to break the wow factor when you have no new news and really your brand is not all that different from the competition. In my mind you start with your customers and what makes them tick right now. The best way to get people to say wow, is to show you understand them better than anyone else. Your insights should be so on the mark that they think "wow how did you know that?". By better understanding the people that your business depends on, you begin to place less reliance on technology alone being your wow factor.

The amazing thing to me is that people spend tons of capital on technology to stand out from the competition, yet this same technology is being bought by everybody which makes it tougher to stand out on technology alone. Even more amazing to me is that in comparison, very little is being spent to understand what makes the people tick that drive their business. I mean why do people buy the category? Why do people buy the product? What do people want from the ideal product, and can your firm deliver this today? It's great to look sharp but after people get beyond the glitz, what makes your conversation with them worth their while. What makes them say "wow these guys seem to just fit with what I think.".

So this summer I ask you, what makes the people most important to the success of your business say wow! Hopefully it's more than your technology. Hopefully it's that you know them better than anybody else.

Being Social Should Not Be New

2010-07-19T16:30:00.000-06:00

As the marketing world grapples with all the new social media tools available, I think we should take comfort in the fact that at a strategic level, being social should come natural to good business people. At its core social media is just about allowing people to engage, share and profile their thoughts effortlessly.

From a business perspective, we need to understand the tools and how our customers are using them, but the strategy should remain simple - engage with people when you have something to say and it's something you think they will really want to hear. Don't abuse the entry they will give you into their network. Different consumers will demand different levels of engagement, so again take the time to understand the people that are critical to your business. Understand how they engage with social media and how they want you to engage with them on it. It is not about having a twitter account and a facebook page. It is about knowing when to engage and having something relevant to say them.

Many marketing service firms are exploring the social media marketplace for businesses. Take the time to meet with one and begin to learn how it may help your business out. Don't be afraid at first to just get into a learning phase and track what people are saying about your firm and industry. Keep engaging on-line to a later date, when you are truly ready to get into a meaningful discussion.

Remember you are successful because you know how and when to socialise with people. This skill will transfer to the social media world as well. If you are patient and engage when you have something to say that you know will be relevant to your customers, research tells us that you will be welcomed and shared amongst their network of peers.

Gain Insight Or Perish

2010-07-02T13:03:00.000-06:00

While the title of this blog seems a tad "over the top" as my Aussie friends say, the point should not be lost that if you do not have anyone in the organization that is constantly, and I mean constantly, uncovering insights about your marketplace and your industry then your organization is set up to perish. Are you listening to what is being said about you on twitter or facebook? Are you following global trends in technology, demographics, economics, regulatory horizons, environment and lifestyle? Do you know how these ever changing trends will impact your business today and tomorrow? The attached link to a McKenzie consulting piece is a quick short read that I fully support. Their five global drivers over the next decade one could argue but in general they are great starting points for business leaders to consider and follow.

Simply put, if you are not dialoguing with your stake holders and consistently monitoring your market and industry, how do you expect to be making the strategic changes that are differentiating and relevant.

Click on the link and enjoy the insight.

www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Global_forces_An_introduction_2625

Wake Up Time Again

2010-04-30T10:08:00.000-06:00

Several months back I wrote about business in Western Canada needing to change their future global thinking from the mindset that trade goes across the Atlantic ocean and south to the USA. I mentioned that we need to think of Asia Pacific as the "near west" not the "far east" as generations before us did. The growth of many Western Canadian businesses comes from developing markets in Asia not from past models of the 20th century. To act as a rallying cry for the next generation of businesses, three days ago Michael Geoghegan, chief executive of HSBC, delivered a speech at the American Chamber of Congress in Hong Kong that I believe any business leaders must read.

Mr. Geoghegan recently moved his office from London to Hong Kong to visibly send a signal that the western-centric mindset of global business needs to change. The following is the close of his speech and I attach a link to the entire speech at the end of this blog. This is a sober look at the business world going forward from someone who has a front row seat. Do yourself and your partners a favour - read it.

"To recap, we have already entered a new phase for the global economy. We will see a new set of dynamic economies: the CIVETS joining the BRICs. We will see the rise of a new middle class and the emerging-market millionaire. We will see trade routes continue to shift in direction. We will see emerging markets' financial centers come of age. All this spells the continuing decline of the Western-centric mindset. All this marks a new beginning for the way the world does business. After three months back here, I am more convinced than ever that this is the decade for Asia's economy."

http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/29/hsbc-ceo-asia-china-india-markets-economy-michael-geoghegan.html

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The Pause That Refreshes

2010-04-26T14:54:00.000-06:00

Many of us may know the famous Coca-Cola line a few decades back ..."the pause that refreshes". While this is still very much rich strategic territory for Coke today, the term I believe applies to how all businesses should be looking at the downturn in the past few years.

I have said in past blogs that this slowdown will be viewed by smart business leaders as a time to retool and strengthen not only product portfolios but corporate and brand positions as well. For those readers who enjoy a life line to the oil patch, you may find the attached video clip from McKinsey and Schlumberger's CEO Andrew Gold worth the three minutes it takes to view it. (The entire 6 clips take about 30 minutes if you are interested.)

Mr Gold's line of "This pause gives you an opportunity to get places where you think you've lost it or you don't have distinguished products and services.", proves that even the traditional oil field service industry need to look at business and reposition itself for the environment of the day.

Enjoy the clip.

http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/McKinsey_conversations_with_global_leaders_Andrew_Gould_of_Schlumberger_2572?pagenum=1#interactive

The Last Ad Agency On Earth

2010-03-31T15:56:00.000-06:00

Today I came across a promotion video for an upcoming conference on the latest thinking in the marcom world. It is a short clip done by Saatchi & Saatchi Canada, and it is done very well. If your agency acts like this one did then you have not been listening for the past 5 years and move now to save yourself.

Besides the great execution the point is clear which makes the piece even better. Pull your head out of the sand and engage with your customers. If your agency isn't driving this for you then change the agency. Video link is below.

http://vimeo.com/10251808

The Power Of Good Presentations

2010-02-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

I am a big believer in presenting well. I also know that presenting well takes a pile of time and patience. If you have great information but cannot get this information into the minds of the audience, then all you have done is waste your time and theirs. Nancy Durate runs a very cool design firm that helps people deliver impactful presentations. I follow her blog now and then and her latest on the poor presentation style of Microsoft's Steve Ballmer is a little reminder that no matter who you are, you can always get better at presenting.

The link is below and the survey in the blog that deals with the content in Ballmer's Windows 7 release is worth noting so you can do the needful for your own presentations.

Enjoy the read.

http://blog.duarte.com/2010/02/steve-ballmer-could-make-more-money-if-he-presented-well/

CIO's Are The New Brand Leaders

2009-12-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

There is a growing school of thought that if you don't have the IT brains of the organization at the brand table then you are falling behind. The growing importance of digital marketing and e-commerce to the success of a complete 360 brand experience is no longer in question in my mind. If your transaction engine does not exude the brand persona of the online and offline marketing communication programs then your corporate brand strategy will fall apart. More and more transactions are occurring on the websites of organizations and these transaction engines and online catalogues are branding touch points that are most often the domain of the CIO not the CMO.

So, the link I have included to second survey by McKinsey on the role of IT in the corporate world tells us, the new normal is the CEO and CIO getting together from the start on key strategic issues. I go one further and say the CIO needs to be part of the entire brand discussion with today's CMO's.

Click on the link to see the survey.

https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Business_Technology/BT_Strategy/IT_in_the_new_normal_McKinsey_Global_Survey_results_2473

The New Normal in Strategic Thinking

2009-12-15T15:56:00.000-07:00

The term "new normal" started to appear a few years back before the global economic troubles but it has picked up real energy in the past year as many realise that business and organizations will probably never work like they did before the economic meltdown.

I have enclosed a good conversation on the topic that McKinsey recently had with some Chief Strategic Officers from Visa, Boeing and Estee Lauder. What is key to me is the planning cycle mentality moving from annual to quarterly to ongoing, and the flexibility required within organizations to deliver on this new reality and ensure alignment inside the organization can keep up with this new faster pace of planning.

Enjoy the 7 minute video below or click on the link.

www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Strategy/Strategic_Thinking/Navigating_the_new_normal_A_conversation_with_four_chief_strategy_officers_2476

How Web Marketing Can Kill A Relationship

2009-12-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I had my Korean car dealership contact me on the phone and say they were just updating their files and wondered if they could have my email address in case they rarely needed to let me know about recalls and other very important information about our vehicle. On the belief it would not be abused I gave them the details.

Well they blew it. The next day I got two emails about their great service and how they can sell me a new car. I was getting emails almost daily to the point I finally opted out of the mails. I am not interested in a new car, and I am now sure not interested in one from them.

The point is I liked these guys until they abused my relationship with them. So be careful of how often you engage your clients on-line especially if you told them you would not abuse their trust. Be smart and respectful of your relationships with your customers and don't kill a relationship by over marketing to it.

Pranav Is A Game Changer

2009-11-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

While sixth sense has been talked about, Pranav Mistry is no longer talking he is doing. What he and MIT labs have invented is just mind blowing, and technology manufacturers must be sweating as he plans to give it out the the world in an open source manner.

Amaze yourself and take the few minutes to see Pranav talk about his inventions that will change the way we communicate and use information technology. You may have seen Pattie Maes talk at TED back in March 2009 about Sixth Sense but you must see and hear Pranav(at TED India this month)explain the future. Now this is smart front end thinking!

Click on the link below to be amazed.

Environmental Consumerism Is All Talk

2009-11-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

In the past two months I have been working on some projects for clients that had an environmental angle to them. It was some surprise to me that we have really not moved that far when it comes to commercialising environmental products or services. I remember when green products came into being in the late 1980's in Canada, they were more expensive than traditional products so very few people bought them. It was apparent then that people wanted to talk about it but did not want to be involved if it would hit their pocket book too hard. Well I think we are still in this mindset some twenty years later.

The idea of using environmental products or hosting environmental conferences and meetings is the politically correct thing to do. However many people will not pay more to switch, and for sure will not switch if the trusted results of the status quo are not guaranteed.

We have a long journey ahead to convert the masses to become environmental consumers. The turning point may be generation-Y that truly believes they will be living with the consequences of in action, because the dominant generations of the day do not feel the pain so they are not taking action. Somehow organizations have to personalise the need to take action, as currently the impetus is too vague and big to motivate the average person.

Wonderful Video Presentation Style

2009-09-30T16:07:00.000-06:00

I came across an excellent video by the folks at Xplane video in Portland Oregon. Besides the subject matter being timely (even if skewed to US audience), I think viewers should look at the wonderful presentation style. Simple and easy to read graphics and type. My only concern is the copy does not stay up long enough in some cases.

Great example of the power of great presentations and a great update on the changing media landscape.

Surprise WEB 2.0 Is Working!

2009-09-29T15:49:00.000-06:00

A recent study by McKinsey, in fact the third year of the study, indicates that "69 percent of (the 1,700) respondents report that their companies have gained measurable business benefits, including more innovative products and services, more effective marketing, better access to knowledge, lower cost of doing business, and higher revenues."

I hope no one is surprised by the finding. What should you expect when you enter into a dialogue with your customers and employees instead of just pushing information you think they want out to them. One of the biggest technology increases and effectiveness, both with employees and customers, has been the use of video. To me this just highlights the need to make communication easy to understand and engage with no matter what marketing tool you are using.

So if you are part of the 30% that do not yet buy into the power of web 2.0 (blogs, RSS feeds, microblogs-twitter, social networking-facebook, wikis, podcasts etc.) understand that chances are your competitor is and probably growing their business because of it.

For a full read of the McKinsey study follow the link below.

http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/How_companies_are_benefiting_from_Web_20_McKinsey_Global_Survey_Results_2432

Do You LEAD On The Web?

2009-07-27T15:32:00.000-06:00

Surely by now you have all heard or read about the move from web 2.0 to 3.0, basically preparing to involve and respond to your customers on-line like you never have before. Really you haven't, amazing just amazing. Relax neither have most business leaders.

Well for most of us then the attached article from Donna Hoffman who is a professor of marketing at the University of California, Riverside, and the codirector of the UCR Sloan Center for Internet Retailing, will be a great conversation starter as McKinsey calls it.

http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Managing_beyond_Web_20_2389

In short LEAD (listen, experiment, apply, develop) developed by the Sloan Center is a simple model that will help companies thrive in the ever changing online world. I am no Internet wizard but I am smart enough to know that you have to be engaging with your customers on-line beyond just pushing stuff out to them. I have been saying for a very long time its a dialogue not a monologue with customers that will be build the brands of tomorrow and one key tool in the marketers tool box is web 2.0-3.0.

LEAD reminds us that beyond starting the dialogue you need to experiment with it and continue to stay engaged with your customers as they themselves experiment with the wild and wonderful world of the web.

Youth Not Feeling "The Love" At Their Bank

2009-07-23T14:06:00.000-06:00

I recently finished moderating some focus groups with 18-24 year old Edmontonians. Part of the discussion dealt with how they wanted to be treated by financial institutions in their city. In short no participant felt their current bank was matching the vision of service they wanted from their ideal bank.

So it made me wonder, do banks really value the younger clients, the clients that will be their most profitable in a few short years. This younger generation (gen-y) is as big and will be as powerful as the current dominant baby-boomer generation, yet they do not feel their specific needs are being met by their current bank. My forum did not allow for a deeper dialogue on the issue but it is clear if I was a bank or financial institution in Edmonton, I would be taking a serious look at my youth strategy going forward.

Sustainability Of The Fitest

2009-07-14T15:12:00.000-06:00

I have been talking sustainability to my clients for a long time. I believe that to be a successful brand and business you must be differentiated from your competitors while being relevant to your customers so they will continue to buy what you are selling. If you stay relevant you will be sustainable. You stay relevant by understanding what drives the hearts of your customers and deliver on their wants and needs.

So I love a great sustainable story and I have one to share with you. The link below to McKinsey Quarterly I think will provide you with a fresh, albeit not new look, at sustainability. It goes well beyond the current hype around being green and involves the former green leader from the Sierra club turned marketing sustainability leader, Adam Werbach.

Enjoy the read and remember to watch the video as it is I think required viewing for anyone who has been confusing sustainability with being green.

http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/When_sustainabillity_means_more_than_green_2404

Smooth Sailing

2009-06-17T16:09:00.000-06:00

As many business leaders try to grapple with the harsh reality of today's market, I believe that many leaders do not really understand what their businesses are actually doing (or as I ask my clients..."what business are you really in") and have become so focused on their end results.

A recent piece in the McKinsey Quarterly talks about this and refers to it as the "Smooth Sailing" phenomenon, where if all appears to be going well then it is, and they are really not prepared for the underlying realities that all markets eventually bring up. The following is a great quote from the piece. I will post the link to the entire McKinsey article after the quote.

"I think that what has been the big wake-up call for people—and why they feel disquieted—is because they know in their gut that they don’t know where they’re going. They can’t see the future. And they haven’t got a business model and a strategy designed for an uncertain, unpredictable environment. They've got a strategy and business model for smooth sailing."

http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Management_lessons_from_the_financial_crisis_A_conversation_with_Lowell_Bryan_and_Richard_Rumelt_236

China Crawls Out Of Recession

2009-06-16T15:48:00.000-06:00

A great link from McKinsey to a good conversation between some thinkers on China from the China point of view.

http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Economic_Studies/Country_Reports/Is_China_recession_proof_2366

China By The Numbers

2009-05-25T14:48:00.000-06:00

Last week I and a peer held a seminar in Edmonton on the opportunities for growth that exist by doing business with China. As often happens, when I finish talking about China, people's minds are blown by the veracity the numbers discussed.

It has been my experience that until you begin to understand the vast potential that exists by going way west to China, you are doing your business a great disservice and missing what could be your greatest growth opportunity...ever!

So start to engage your mind on China and begin to make the numbers work for you.

Are You Referable?

2009-04-30T09:43:00.000-06:00

I spoke at an executive workshop in Edmonton yesterday. It was built around helping leaders step back and rethink about tools and strategies they could possibly employ to gain growth going forward.

One reminder I wanted to share was ensuring you and your business are acting in a manner that will encourage other businesses to refer your goods and services. Are you being trustworthy and responsible? Are you living up to what you promise? As Jared Smith from Insight Solutions pointed out, think of the traits you look for in the firms and people you refer and then ask yourself do you practice these same habits.

All in all the mood from the executive's was that business is soft in some areas but growing in others. The key was to be flexible and be aggressive towards uncovering business. As I have said many times in this blog, it is time to rethink your marketing strategy and ensure you are talking to the right people and offering them something that is relevant to their current needs (if you know them).

Time To End The Hostage Crisis

2009-04-16T11:10:00.000-06:00

"The world economy has effectively lost its sugar daddy." this is how Douglas Porter from BMO views the economic malaise that is underway in the United States. See the link below for the full article in the Edmonton Journal.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Business/sugar+daddy+save+banker/1497637/story.html

Past growth for most Canadian businesses were in some way tied to the United States. Today these traditional growth models lay in ruin. It was all to easy to just look south for our growth. In fact we were blinded by this ease and now we are miles behind other nations when it comes to building growth models from other markets. Today China represents the best growth opportunity for many Canadian organizations. Just read the front page of the latest Edmonton Chamber of Commerce news letter titled “Sino-Canadian Trade Potential” for the latest opinion on the matter.

So, does your business have its China strategy yet?

Required Viewing about China and India

2009-03-17T15:34:00.000-06:00

As we sit in Western Canada with our traditional options for growth in Canada and the United States under pressure, we must continue to look to Asia for the outstanding growth opportunities.

The link below is to an excellent September 2008 interview with Tarun Khanna from the Harvard Business School on the entrepreneurship and opportunities being developed in India and China. Do yourself a favour and take 16 minutes to widen your mind.

http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/China_and_India_the_power_of_complementary_cultures_2290?pagenum=1#khanna

Why the fear of knowing your market?

2009-01-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

Why is business afraid to learn what their customer has to tell them? Maybe if they don't ask them they won't have to change their business model if they learn they are no longer providing a need that their customers want. Maybe it's just easier to die a slow death watching customers go to the competition down the block. For the past year I have been travelling around Alberta and I find it interesting that most businesses do not believe in research that helps them better understand their lifeblood; their consumer or customer.

Often the SME believes they already know the market they are selling to. They've worked in it for years, or they are out meeting customers every day. They find it difficult to get their head around paying for consumer insight they think they already know. The point is do they really know what is driving consumer choice right now? Do they really believe that what consumer's did in the past 10 years will be what they do today? Do they really believe seeing consumers everyday is the same thing as understanding their consumers' emotional drivers and trigger points?

When it comes to paying for some insight sessions and the insight report generated from them, many balk because they are not familiar with the benefits it will have on their business. This is an attitude that businesses in the West need to face if they want to be differentiated and sustainable going forward.

Simply put, if you do not know who you are communicating with, and how their ever changing beliefs impact every aspect of your business, then you will not succeed. Spending time and money on uncovering what makes your lifeblood tick is probably the most important investment you will make in these uncertain times.

Take Stock Now

2009-01-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

The task of a business leader is to overcome the paralysis that these tight economic times can bring, and begin to shape the future for your company.

To do this you must start by taking stock. What do you really know about your market and industry? How has this current state changed it? Guaranteed it will not be the same as it was four months ago, let alone when you did last years strategic plan (if you did one).

By taking stock of the consumer and competition you will gain understanding that will result in critical and timely changes in strategy. These strategies will need to take into account the high likelihood of change that is still to come, and differentiate by addressing the barriers that will stand in the way of your stated mission and objectives.

In short, companies that spend time and money figuring out what matters to their customers today, and then cutting or funding projects accordingly, will be the companies that thrive in the months ahead.

So how many businesses in Western Canada are doing just this. I dare say not enough. Too many are becoming paralyzed.

"Sure we can build you a new site, but why?"

2009-01-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

I was speaking with a peer the other day and the issue of thinking versus doing came up. We were talking about how the advertising industry has continued to slip further in the area of ability to think bigger picture about their client's business challenges. Many marketing communication firms can "do" stuff but how many can really provide thinking that will help grow their clients business. How often are agencies saying "Sure we can build you a new cool site, but why?". From what I see not often enough.

In this time of pressure, the ability to think is the most precious ability of all, and the marketing services industry needs to be training its people to both "think and do" in order to be successful. Clients want to believe they are paying for minds to help them solve their marketing and business problems. Anyone can pop out a logo and some creative, the question is why is this the content that will build their clients business. I mean really, why?

It's Not Back To The Future

2008-12-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

A recent quote from McKinsey Consultants e-newsletter could not have said it better.

"Companies that follow the playbook from past recessions will probably chase markets and segments made less attractive by the present downturn and focus too many resources on traditional marketing vehicles and front line salespeople. To avoid these costly mistakes, marketing and sales executives must dynamically reassess their geographic, customer, advertising, and sales force priorities, with constant attention to the ever-shifting economics of this downturn."

The game has changed so much since the last downturn. Business needs to take the time to assess where they are going, who they are best to be talking to, and what marketing tools are the most efficient and effective at making an impact.

This means you have to have some means of assessing or measuring your consumer, market and industry performance. Your "front-end" thinking needs to be recalibrated in this new world to keep you competitive, differentiated and sustainable going forward.

"Front End Thinking"

2008-11-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

While the marcom world obsess with all things interactive, who in the organization is doing the "front end thinking'? Really though, as we chase after the coolest web site or web 3.0 application, who is taking the time to see if the insights that are driving the overall organizational communication plan are sound, differentiated and actionable within the environment it operates?

I have met so many web firms, interactive specialists, web n.0 people, and this is all great as it is indeed the current "center of influence" of marcom. However, all this effort around content and the latest way to deliver it, is useless unless someone is minding the overall organizational brand "insight and strategy" store.

When did you last ask, "how do we generate our insights". Are they really insights or just verbatims of what some really tired consumers or customers told us in the last research we did.

If the insights are weak, then the strategy is flawed. If the strategy is flawed then the ideas that spring from it are less than big. If the ideas are not big then the content flowing from it, offline or online, will not be differentiated. If the content is not differentiated then you have little movement in customer action or your bank account.

So while you are being impressed by the latest of the online world, remember to ask about your organisation's "front end thinking".

How to spend 500+ Billion

2008-11-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

A friend from Asia mentioned something recently that I think bears repeating.

"quite a situation we're in, the US is spending $750bn bailing out banks /auto (and in essence getting nothing for this save avoiding bankruptcies) and meanwhile China is spending $550bn on capital infrastructure investment that will surely increase their economic and commercial competitive advantage for the end of the recession !! "

I believe strongly that Canadian business needs to take a long hard look at their China Business strategy, because going forward China is the growth model for your business.

Only 17% Have a China Strategy

2008-11-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

A study released one year ago by the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters stated that only 17% of Canadian manufacturers had a China strategy. Furthermore 20% did not know if they had a china strategy or not!

Just look at the headlines these days that deal with economic gloom and the retrenching of consumers in the United States, and then ask yourself why any smart Canadian business would not at least be developing their China Strategy.

The rewards are huge if you do your homework and get the proper connections built. It is not easy but gaining access to what Goldman Sachs projects will be the world's largest economy in about 10 short years, demands the effort.

Do You Dialogue or Monologue?

2008-10-15T13:46:00.000-06:00

It has always been critical to talk with your customers, and as we know this has been super critical since the customer got access to a keyboard and the Internet. The key though is how you are engaging with them (key word being engaging). If you are just talking at them in your communications, including the Internet, then you are in a monologue and you are missing the boat.

Businesses that succeed have opened a dialogue with their customers. They ask for engagement in all their communications. It started first with the 1-800 number, then to a web address, and now to full blown social marketing on my space, face book and the like. The key is to talk with your customer AND offer them a chance to talk back. The younger generations are demanding this dialogue with the brands they support. The boomers are getting the hang of it now too, so the sooner you move from a monologue to a dialogue the better off your business will be.

Wall Street's Spin Meisters

2008-09-18T12:57:00.000-06:00

As I sit and read the Dow is down another 450 points after an earlier 500+ point drop I feel the need to ask the question why do consumers by the hype and BS peddled by market forecasters.
They are no more accurate than the weather channel and their story has to be getting old. Basically they say trust us we know when in fact their record over the past years proves they know nothing.

My point is why do consumer buy their spin. What is the fundamental underlying metaphor (as Gerald Zaltman refers to in his book Marketing Metaphoria) that guides this silly dance of hype and promises. An easy way to make money can't be the only driver but maybe its just that simple. When people are desperate for the easy buck they will believe anything.

Well It's Onto Vancouver

2008-08-08T12:14:00.000-06:00

Hardly has the glow from the amazing opening ceremonies in Beijing begun to warm the fans and athletes of Beijing 2008, that marketers must now turn their attention to Vancouver and 2010. Most of the Olympic marketing programs for 2008 are in place and many fully executed. You can expect the post games honeymoon to carry some marketers further, but most are now shifting their marketing sights to Vancouver. For Western Canadian marketers this means looking at opportunities to tap into this most powerful of all marketing opportunities. Some have done this and are well on their way, or at least should be by now, to putting their plans into action.

The point is that those marketers that have not yet looked at what this once in a life time opportunity can bring to their brand and its inhabitants, need to start now to seriously think about it. While the high profile and expensive sponsorships are gone, more affordable supplier relationships with VANOC should soon be up for grabs. As well, building non direct association programs to take advantage of the attention and interest that is attracted by 2010 may also be an appropriate plan for a smaller organisation that has ties to the Vancouver and area market.

No matter what approach you take, do yourself a favour and at least take some time to think of what 2010 could mean for your business in Western Canada...but do it soon as the world has already begun to look to the beautiful coast on the western side of Canada.

2009 Planning Season Starts Soon

2008-08-07T10:56:00.000-06:00

As we approach the typical planning season for many businesses, it was timely that the Conference Board of Canada just released its forecast for Gross Domestic Product percentage growth for the provinces in Canada in 2008 and 2009. These numbers will provide a key component of the macro environmental factors that business should take into account as they establish their marketing plans for 2009. Along with trends in demographics, socioculture, technology, regulatory, and nature, the economic trends going forward play a key role in determining the opportunities and threats for your business or client business in 2009.

So with this in mind lets look at the forecast for the provinces in the West, noting that the national economy is projected to grow only 1.7% in 2008 and 2.7% in 2009.

In 2008 Saskatchewan is picked to lead the West and Canada with a GDP percentage growth of 4.2%, followed by Manitoba at 3.6%, Alberta at 2.6% and BC at 2.2%. It is noteworthy that GDP growth is highest in all the Western provinces compared to those in Eastern Canada; another sign that economic power has shifted to Western Canada at the moment.

In 2009 Alberta is estimated to return to it Western GDP leadership role at 3.3%, followed by BC at 2.9% as they get even closer to the Olympics of 2010. Saskatchewan slows to 2.8%, as does Manitoba to 2.7%. The resource power of Newfoundland really kicks in to propel the province to a national GDP growth lead of 4.2% in 2009.

So for the upcoming 2009 planning season you need to factor in a slowing economy in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and economic growth in BC and Alberta.

Why Should I Trust You

2008-07-10T10:41:00.000-06:00

Recently I have been paying more attention to real estate advertising in the Alberta market and it seems like every realtor is asking me to trust them to sell my home. Yet nobody is giving me any reason why I should. They all have a nice picture of themselves, I guess so I know who they are when they show up at my door, but no facts or insights on their credentials to sell my home. Some say they have sold lots of houses, but what have they done lately when its not easy to sell houses in Alberta.

Agents have had it good the past few years, now they have to really earn buyers and sellers trust, and to do that they need to have more than a generic selling line like "I get results" that is just as relevant on any local dry cleaner's communication. I would think that with the pressure this industry is under from no or low commission real estate marketers, that they would see the need to re-evaluate what their role is in the purchase of a home and throw away the boiler plate motivation lines that give the audience no reason to believe let alone trust.

The Near West

2008-06-16T17:07:00.000-06:00

Asia Pacific is not the "far east", it's the "near west" for businesses in Western Canada. The old axiom given to Asia Pacific is centuries old and reflected the power of the Atlantic Ocean business landscape.

Today the Pacific Ocean business landscape is driving the globe and Western Canada needs to fully participate in this reality. From technology power bases in California and Washington State, to seaport powers in California, Seattle, Vancouver and soon to be Prince Rupert, many companies are taking advantage of the "near west" of Asia Pacific. Whether they are importing to or exporting from the "near west' a large number of Western Canadian businesses have already built an Asia Pacific strategy. The question is why are so many other companies lagging behind when it comes to developing a relationship in some manner with the "near west"?

Expensive Oil

2008-06-07T09:23:00.000-06:00

Well oil is near $140 a barrel and here in Western Canada we are supposed to be hiding a pile of it. How do you see this fact affecting your market and industry in the next few months?

A Call To Arms

2008-05-29T21:22:00.000-06:00

This Blog is for those who make a living in the marketing and marketing services community in Western Canada.

It's a place where we will raise the things that we feel are important to the issues unique to us in the marketing industry Western Canada. Toronto tends to dominate the discussion on trends in the industry, and I believe we need to put our western POV on them and ensure our collective voice is unleashed.

So here is your chance to speak up and "Think West" in the world of marketing and all its interconnected disciplines in Western Canada.

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