February 2012
3 posts
2 tags
Siri-ously: This Is How I Actually Use My...
[This post was originally written for Castle of Now.]
For those of you who were born an hour ago and who may not know what Siri is yet, it (or she) is an intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator that operates as an iOS application. In other words, Siri is a digital personal assistant that uses voice recognition software and advanced processors to follow instructions, gain an...
"Stay in over your head at all times."
Julien Smith, who in my opinion is one of the smartest people on the web, writes so much profound stuff, that I never actually share all of the insight of his that I want to, because if I did, I would just be copying and pasting his posts here in full. However, I had to share this one piece of advice he gives for how you can better set yourself up to do amazing things. Because in some ways, I feel...
2 tags
Four Facts About Klout
Mark Schaefer recently wrote a post called Why Klout Matters. A lot. Like all of Mark’s post, it’s highly insightful; however, the way he opens it up with some very necessary points about Klout is what I think ultimately makes his argument extremely potent. He writes, “Before I get into why, let’s knock a few obvious facts out of the way.” Yes, the points below may be...
January 2012
1 post
7 tags
Marketing a Brand in Politics & Brand Marketing in...
“Marketing a Brand in Politics & Brand Marketing in the World Beyond Politics”—that’s the title of the presentation Dimitri Soudas, Executive Director, Communications at the Canadian Olympic Committee, will be giving at the upcoming day-long forum and networking event Take the Leap From Good to Great! I’m really looking forward to this—and I can’t imagine why any communications...
December 2011
3 posts
2 tags
Would Your Current Biography Be Worth Reading?
Would a stranger read past the first chapter of your biography? Not likely.
I know that sounds harsh, but think about it. Think about your life and everything that you do day-to-day. Are your actions worth talking about? Would somebody describe you as an interesting individual? Do you approach life in a way that’s worth noting?
Are you special? And I don’t mean special in the way that your...
3 tags
The Problem With Social Media Cross Promotion
In large organizations where numerous social media tools are being used by multiple departments, the appetite for cross promotion – that is, utilizing other departments social channels to reach non-traditional audiences – is strong.
For example, at Carleton University, where I work, there are nearly 60 official social media sites associated with various departments, faculties and clubs or...
3 tags
The Boy Who Cried Wolf With Unsolicited Advice
You all have some relation to the type of person that I’m going to talk about here. Every workplace, every group of friends and every family has them. These people must comment on everything. Not on the news, events, issues or controversial topics though. Just on everything that you’re doing—how you work, how you’re cooking, how you clean, how you sweep, how you sleep. (Okay maybe not that last...
November 2011
2 posts
Your Audience Is Out There
It’s hard to define what a blog is because so many people, groups and organizations blog for so many different reasons—and do it so many different ways. Notice how in that sentence I used the word blog as a noun and a verb – even that’s demonstration of the sundry and subjective nature of the term.
For many individuals, the appeal of writing a blog is the power inherent in being able to write and...
1 tag
Goal Setting, Risk and Guaranteed Return on...
Remarks given to the student body at the North Dundas District High School Junior Achievement Awards Assembly on November 2, 2011. Slightly edited, of course.
This morning I’d like to talk to you about high achievement, setting goals and risk. Specifically, I’d like you to leave here today with the idea that setting lofty goals, and putting as much effort as you can into achieving those goals, is...
October 2011
1 post
2 tags
"What's New And Exciting?"
Always have an answer to that question—especially when it’s asked in reference to your work. Don’t answer with something like, “Oh you know, it’s busy around here” or “All sorts of stuff; you know, it’s that time of the year.” (Nowadays, it’s always “that time of the year.”) Say something interesting, assuming you are actually working on some exciting stuff.
When someone you meet asks you that,...
September 2011
4 posts
4 tags
“I welcome Facebook’s changes given that they’re made based on the...”
4 tags
Twitter’s new phase of Promoted Tweets is...
I don’t understand the big deal that has been made about Twitter’s changes to Promoted Tweets. (Promoted Tweets are advertiser-sponsored Twitter posts that appear in users’ timelines, in case you didn’t know.)
Back in July Twitter introduced Promoted Tweets to brands and users. And initially, the ads would only be shown to a user if he or she was already following the brand that participated in...
3 tags
Twitter should provide a secure way for users to...
I’ll start out with the big (actually mediocre) idea: Twitter should provide a secure way for users – people or companies – to buy and sell usernames amongst one another.
Now, here’s why I’m writing a blog post about this.
It started with a conversation with Taylor Jones, the founder of popular Tumblog DearPhotograph.com (which you will instantly love) at the Spin Kitchen and Bar (Kent St.,...
4 tags
Twitter bio strategies, seriously
When the idea crossed my mind, I was really excited to write something on Twitter bio strategies. And then I came across these five great posts that already did what I had in mind. Check out my one bit of advice after the links.
From A Bajillion Hits: 15 Strat Tips For Crafting the Coolest and Most Impressive Twitter Bio
From Twitter Tips: Optimize Your Twitter Bio to Get More Followers
From...
August 2011
2 posts
Stop being impulsive with ideas
Are you impulsive with ideas? I know I am.
What do I mean by this? I mean that when I’m working on a project (e.g. designing a webpage, writing a tagline or crafting a Facebook page strategy), I have a huge tendency to get stuck on the first good idea I have and fail to consider any others.
As a hard worker (generally), I like to make progress and move forward on projects, so when I have a good...
Branding [as] innovation.
The term ‘brand’ has come to mean a lot of things, and it should. After all, in an age of consumer individualism, the term we use to describe the types of entities that both define and drive our idiosyncratic lifestyles is bound to have a meaning that’s subjective and continually evolving.
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as such:
A name, term, design, symbol, or...
July 2011
3 posts
3 tags
Who are the most powerful people in your...
The answer is simple: the secretaries and administrative assistants. But a better question is this: do they receive the respect and appreciation they deserve? They probably don’t, but there are a million reasons why we should be putting them up on a pedestal. In many ways, they keep offices running.
They’re the only ones who know how to book a meeting or conference room.
When was the last time...
The WWC final breaking the tweets/second record is...
The WWC final breaking the tweets/second record is barely news.
Seriously though, let’s think about it.
Japan winning the Women’s World Cup is a big deal. And congratulations to them. But if we consider Twitter’s explosive growth, and the fact that as more and more people sign up and begin to use the service that the number of overall tweets sent will inevitably increase, it is likely...
June 2011
3 posts
“Marketing shifted from broadcasting to narrowcasting, from mass communications...”
– Tim Leberecht
2 tags
Don’t confuse indications of social media's scale...
In an article in the Wall Street Journal titled “Business Joins the Party,” Nick Clayton explores the idea that online social networks have revolutionized the way that businesses operate, even if few really understand social media’s opportunities and true impact. Clayton himself unintentionally validates that very notion in the first paragraph by making the common mistake of confusing indications...
The Ottawa Good Food Box is hiring a Public...
An amazing community initiative, the Ottawa Good Food Box, is in need of a junior-level public relations practitioner for a three-month opportunity beginning June 15, 2011 (that’s very soon!). Among experience with or in communications, journalism and volunteer coordination, the ideal candidate will be excited at the prospect of working on the following:
Creating and distributing new...
May 2011
7 posts
4 tags
A Ridiculously Basic, but Satisfactory, Guide to...
This short guide was developed for a presentation (accompanying Prezi here) given to new student-staff at my organization who are not well versed in new media, so I apologize to readers who find it too basic. You will find multiple references to my organization below, but that doesn’t mean that the tactics outlined can’t be used somewhere else. Enjoy. (Photo credit: Ismoip).
FACEBOOK
...
“When I work I relax. Doing nothing makes me tired.”
– Pablo Picasso
6 tags
A different ethos: Drawing parallels between Apple...
“Think different” – Apple via TBWA/Chiat/Day in 1997
Innovation…
Absolut Vodka’s success began in 1879 with 14-year old entrepreneur Lars Olsson Smith, who would later be called “The King of Vodka.” He invented ‘rectification,’ a method of distillation deemed revolutionary at the time and still used today. With this pioneering method of distillation, he introduced “Absolut Rent Bränvin”...
“Activate your fans, don’t just collect them like baseball cards.”
– Jay Baer, Convince & Convert
3 tags
On foursquare: My new 'check-in' policy
I used to Check-In everywhere I went. I’d check-in to my work at Carleton University every-single morning. If I left for lunch, I’d check-in to the restaurant I went to, and then when I returned to work I’d check-in again. Why didn’t someone tell me I was being a douchebag, making the service look to non-users as a broadcasting platform for narcissists and making my Facebook friends and Twitter...
“Hell, there are no rules here - we’re trying to accomplish something.”
– Thomas A. Edison
4 tags
The hype machine
Apple is a marketing company.
Yes, they make good products, but their specialty is generating hysteria among their cult and in the media.
When they didn’t allow pre-orders for the sale and launch of iPad 2, people were forced to line up for hours to get their hands on one. Apple could’ve allowed pre-orders or simply manufactured more devices initially, but this would have taken away from the...
April 2011
3 posts
4 tags
You Don’t Get To 10 Thousand Tweets Without Making...
I joined Twitter on March 1, 2009.
My first five followers were @kathrynboland, @Skyharbour_SYH @TheMottsShow, @markblevis and @LucLalande.
My first tweet (with the username @_williamjohnson) was “late night: lots of fun creeping every pr firms’ websites in Ottawa.” I have no idea what I even really meant by that, and I must have been under the impression that Twitter was a forum for the...
4 tags
The Unofficial Carleton University Social...
As you can see, this isn’t really a directory, but more of a list. Regardless, it’s a quick resource for anyone – Carleton students, staff or faculty, and even non-members of the Carleton community – to get a sense of Carleton University’s social media presence. As you will note, the University currently has eight university-run Twitter accounts (that I could find), seven Facebook pages and one...
This is how you network
[Note: This was written for April Fool’s day and is meant to be read in it’s entirety.]
Jump in and out of conversations quickly, and only talk to people you already know. This will give the impression that you’re popular and well-known; in business, these qualities of course trump education, experience and capabilities as precursors for success in the workplace.
Make sure you keep...
March 2011
1 post
5 tags
Say it right
Internet vs. World Wide Web
Let’s begin with the most misused word and phrase of all: the Internet and the (World Wide) Web. An astonishing amount people incorrectly use these words interchangeably – even those who know better. I even make the mistake myself sometimes. Digital technology expert Peter Cope has put it clearly, however: “The Internet is the worldwide network of computers connected...
February 2011
1 post
5 tags
Why there's no problem with the PMO's use of...
Yesterday The Canadian Press posted a story with the headline “Harper government chooses Twitter to release information,” as if almost to suggest that Twitter is still some form of obscure communication.
The article lists a few announcements – including Harper’s upcoming trip to Washington, concerns about the CRTC’s recent ISP service charge decision, and updates on the evacuation of Canadians in...
January 2011
5 posts
4 tags
The hype factor: a theory for why so many people...
Ashton Kutcher’s tweets are not interesting, nor are they insightful. And for many of the 6.2 million people that follow him, they likely lack context. There’s even ample evidence to suggest that he has little influence in the Twittersphere, and the majority of his tweets are largely ignored by his vast following. So why exactly do so many people follow @aplusk?
I believe the answer is a...
4 tags
Three webpages that agency websites should always...
(And two that are overrated).
Every creative services, public relations and marketing website should have a distinct website. It should be both provocative and captivating. After all, a communication agency is tasked with effectively telling the stories of the brands that they do work for, so, they better be able to successfully tell their own story, and it better be a unique one. At least,...
3 tags
Bullets—15+ Ottawa-based Fashion & Lifestyle Blogs
This post is partial to my Ottawa fashonistas and fashion fellons, but it’s also for anyone looking to see if the National Capital has anything to offer in terms of a fashion and lifestyle industry or cultural ambiance. Of course, it does. And for a small taste of it, all you need to do is check out the following Ottawa-based blogs for some great online content reflecting on or covering real...
“We almost shouldn’t be making money off of it if it isn’t adding...”
– Former Facebook COO Owen Van Natta on advertising on the site.
“The truth of the matter is, we always know the right thing to do. The hard part...”
– Norman Schwarzkopf
December 2010
9 posts
Recent tweets guaranteed to make you smile, laugh,...
@ALL_CAPS tweeted: After today’s Wordpress fiasco, I’m petitioning the W3C to rename ‘HTML’ to ‘HTFML’.
@jenbutson tweeted: OH: “Internet Explorer is a great browser to download other browsers with.”
@chrisbrogan tweeted: The people who call you a sellout are quite often those who are jealous that nobody’s offered to buy into them.
...
Tactics + strategy equally a part of corporate...
Strategists are only concerned with strategic plans and measurement, while tacticians focus on their craft, the design, personality, look and feel of the their various communication vehicles says Steve Crescenzo of Crescenzo Communications. “And, of course, both groups are 100% wrong when it comes to this,” he writes. You gotta read this piece from the IABC blog at least once.
“I eat at this German-Chinese restaurant and the food is delicious. The only...”
– Dick Cavett
“There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who love chocolate, and...”
– Leslie Moak Murray
Why I would love a job in retail
While I was a political science student at Carleton University, I worked for about a year in the associate vice-president’s office as a communications assistant. Ever since, my goal has been to land in a senior marketing, branding and/or corporate communications position before I get old. (I won’t describe what age I believe constitutes being old as to not alienate any of my readers).
For this...
What effect has Twilight had on the baby name...
The list of the 100 most popular baby names of 2010 has been released and can be found at www.BabyCenter.com. While many baby names are inspired by family members such as grandmothers and grandfathers, it is not uncommon for new parents to choose names based on popular celebrities and characters from movies. The best example of the latter habit is Twilight’s effect on the name Bella.
...
America's No. 1 product: emotional experiences
“As the world gets richer, demand will rise for the sorts of products Americans are great at providing — emotional experiences. Educated Americans grow up in a culture of moral materialism; they have their sensibilities honed by complicated shows like “The Sopranos,” “The Wire” and “Mad Men,” and they go on to create companies like Apple, with identities coated in moral and psychological...
Successful Brands Do a Good Job of Satisfying...
Brand’s spend upwards of $450 billion each year trying to influence us. “They would’t spend that kind of money unless they knew something we didn’t know,” says Ad Age’s Brian Martin, CEO of Brand Connections. He argues that good brands focus on what we want, rather than what we need. So, what is it that we want? Read the full article here.