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Posts Tagged ‘inspiration’

Questioning Your Marketing Vision

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Being in the marketing business, I question myself daily as to what makes me tick. What motivates me to buy a product, use one service over another, or donate to this or that non-profit? All of our clients have competition within their industries, the local market, or even on an international level. In the simplest terms, our challenge is to identify why someone would want to use their service/product over the competition’s, and to capitalize on those features using the various tools in our marketing repertoire.

Sometimes this challenge is easily overcome. Other times, you’re faced with a bigger issue. Today, I had a bigger issue.

Whenever I need a jolt of creative inspiration, I go to my favourite website, TED.com. TED is an amazing database of lectures by some of the world’s most famous minds in fields as diverse as marketing, nuclear physics and religion. This site has everything. This morning, I found myself trolling it’s categories once again for a spark of genius that would lead me to my eureka moment. And guess what? I found it!

In his TED talk entitled, “How great leaders inspire action” Simon Sinek challenges traditional marketing theory in such a brilliant way that I found myself bouncing out of my seat in excitement. Not very professional, I know. But on the plus side, I found the answer to my bigger issue, and my client will be better positioned to reevaluate their vision and positioning within their market.

As Sinek says, traditional marketing theory states that people want to buy a product, or an end result. This simply isn’t the case; it’s not how the brain works.Biology teaches us that the human brain is wired to be purpose-driven. This means that selling potential members on the vision of the organization is the key factor in motivating people to buy what you’re selling, so to speak.

People don’t buy what you do – they buy why you do it. ~ Simon Sinek

This rule is exemplified in the Apple computer brand. Apple makes good computers, but so do many other manufacturers. But Apple sells them differently. Apple doesn’t just sell a good computer – it sells an ideal. It positions itself as challenging the status quo. Anyone who wants to do the same should buy an Apple. Apple sells to innovators, to creatives; it speaks to the, “Why?”

My question to you is: Are you asking “why” about your brand?

As luck would have it, I also stumbled across an organization that’s doing this right. World Vision Canada’s Five for 5 initiative is doing a great job at communicating the “Why?” to their target audience. Here’s a video example of what I mean.

What other organizations do this right? Have you questioned your marketing vision lately?

Tags: corporate social responsibility, inspiration, Marketing, social media
Posted in Marketing | View Comments

CARE Canada: International Women’s Day

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

We all know that I’m an advocate for non-profit organizations that focus on social justice. Being in PR and marketing, I’m always interested to see what new, innovative methods non-profits are using to communicate their messages, and champion the needs of their clients.

One of my favourite non-profit organizations to watch is CARE Canada. Last year, I was fortunate enough to interview their President, Kevin McCort, an incredibly passionate, creative leader in the field. Kevin and his team stepped up to the plate in a big way recently in Haiti, partnering with Oxfam and Save the Children to create the Humanitarian Coalition. Jointly, they raised over 13 million dollars to bring aid to those affected by the earthquake.

CARE’s work extends far past disaster relief. Their mission is to fight poverty through the empowerment of women and girls in developing nations. Using education, economic development, health care and HIV/AIDS programs, as well as disaster and conflict relief, CARE Canada is working with communities around the world to achieve their goals.

The results are inspiring, to say the least. You can imagine my excitement when I was contacted by their Communications Manager, Kieran Green, who wanted to give me the scoop on their plans for International Women’s Day!

International Women’s Day, held annually since 1911, on March 8, is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. To kick it off tonight, CARE is hosting the 1-night-only Canadian premier of “Half the Sky Live”, inspired by the best-selling book by Pulitzer Prize winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. It features live musical performances, celebrity commentary, and chronicles the struggle of poor Ethiopian women who overcome sexual violence and discrimination. It’s the first time a non-profit development group like CARE has commercially released a film to both entertain and raise awareness of a global issue.

On Monday, March 8, CARE will be celebrating International Women’s Day with an innovative awareness campaign. I’m going to let Kieran tell you about it:

With our focus on empowering women at the core of our poverty-fighting work, International Women’s Day is a natural fit for CARE for spreading the word about our work, and about the importance of women in the fight against global poverty.

This year we were looking for something that could be both a symbol, and also a simple activity for engaging Canadians, and raising awareness about International Women’s Day. We thought about the red ribbon for AIDS, the pink ribbon for breast cancer research, and about the wrist bands other causes have adopted. We wanted to do something in that vein, but at the same time unique and attention-getting.

Then we remembered the old folk tradition of tying a string around your finger to remind yourself of something you don’t want to forget. The idea was born. So for International Women’s Day we want all Canada to wear the string as a reminder of all the things the women of the world have achieved, and of all the things that are yet to be done.

It’s easy to do – you don’t need to buy a ribbon or any special equipment. Just cut a piece of string, or wool, or yarn, or ribbon, and tie it on your finger. And it’s not just for this year. Our dream is for the string to become the globally-recognized symbol for International Women’s Day year after year.

How fantastic is that?! Taking a familiar tradition (the “awareness” ribbon), and giving it a unique twist (the “reminder” string) is such a cool idea. It’s easy, the audience understands the concept, and through the use of social media, people can become a part of the campaign in ways that just weren’t available in the past. Through Facebook and an interactive Flickr album, supporters will be able to take part in this initiative in a deeply personal way.

A mentor of mine once said to me, “Everyone wants to be heard. Everyone wants to be loved. And everyone wants to be part of something bigger than themselves.” CARE Canada’s International Women’s Day campaign fits this bill. We’ll be taking part. Will you?

Tags: events, guest contribution, inspiration, non-profits, public relations, social media
Posted in Public Relations, Social Media | View Comments

Why We Should All Be a Little More Like Steve Nash

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

I’ll admit, I’m not a huge sports fan. I think Sunday’s match up between Canada and the USA in Olympic Men’s Hockey, was the first time I’ve watched a full, televised game…Ever. But before you start throwing sweaty gym socks at me, I have to admit that I really, really enjoyed it. How could you not?! I can finally understand why sports is such big business.

Hockey aside, I’m not totally ignorant as to what happens in the world of professional sports, and who the players are. One name that’s always stood out is Steve Nash. I know he’s an amazing basketball player. I know that he didn’t even start playing basketball until he was in eighth grade, and that at a mere 6’3″ he beat the odds in terms of making it big. I even know that he’s a five time All-Star and two-time NBA MVP with career per game averages of 14 points and 7.6 assists. That’s right.

But when I picked up February’s Fast Company Magazine and saw him on the cover, I was intrigued. What business lessons could I learn from an NBA player?

It turns out that there aren’t many lessons we can’t learn from Steve. This reluctant “anti-brand,” household name, holds up in his off-court ventures as well as he does on the court.

Here are my Top 10 reasons we should all be a little more like Steve Nash:

1. He gives 100% – No one can call Steve a slacker.

2. He focuses on opportunities rather than setbacks – The man plays pro basketball despite the odds against him, namely height and a serious back injury.

3. He trains hard – Whether physically prepping for his day job, or becoming an intern at a marketing firm for the summer to understand this side gig, Nash isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.

4. He’s not afraid of failure – He improvises on the court, and off. The man isn’t afraid to take risks.

5. He gives back – Remember when we were talking about corporate social responsibility a few weeks ago? Steve takes “giving back” to heart. The Steve Nash Foundation is a prime example of this.

6. He’s action-oriented – Rather than simply waiting for others to do the work, he takes on jobs himself, like writing scripts for commercials, and producing his own videos. He does it all. (See #4.)

7. He embraces change – Despite his reluctance to become a “brand,” he assumed the role with zeal when he saw how much good he could accomplish by doing so.

8. He’s a new media pro star – Production company (Meathawk Productions)? Check. Viral videos? Check. Twitter account? Yup. If Nash is doing it, maybe you should too.

9. He’s humble – With so many people feeling the need to “be somebody”, Steve exudes a reluctant celebrity status, marked not by the need to impress, but to make a difference.

10. He plans ahead – He knows he’s not going to play basketball forever, and has already assumed other roles to plan for this future. Staying innovative counts.

Steve is changing the game of business by making his own rules, and forging ahead with intent and creativity. How are you changing your game?

Tags: branding, corporate social responsibility, inspiration, public relations, social media, twitter
Posted in Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media | View Comments

Toronto Works for Haiti

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Today is one of those days when I’m amazed by the connections, and opportunities for community building and business, that social media allows. I’m even more awestruck by being surrounded by so many people working passionately for the cause of Haiti.

Why focus on Haiti on a business blog? Because it’s the perfect example of how so many elements that we’ve been discussing in this forum (ie. social media, cause marketing, corporate social responsibility) come together to make a measurable impact on society.

Today my friend and colleague in the social media space, Sophie Bifield, introduced me to her friend and colleague, Elliot Ng. Elliot is the founder of Toronto Works for Haiti, a group of volunteers in Toronto offering professional services in exchange for donations to Haiti.

Their goal is to raise $5,000 for relief efforts before March 18, 2010.

Currently they stand at 20 volunteers with skills ranging from administrative services to professional editing,
social media marketing, and realty. There are no overhead costs, and they’re asking that all donation go directly to the organizations they support, namely the Humanitarian Coalition, the Canadian Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. All the recipients of the goods and services have to do is let them know how much they’re donating so they can keep track of their efforts.

Founder of Toronto Works for Haiti, Elliot Ng

Here’s Elliot’s take:

After hearing about the earthquake, I felt that it would not be enough to for me to just make a donation to the charities. I asked myself, “What can I do to offer more? How can I help people in Haiti even though I am in Toronto?” On top of that, my professional background helped me put my own spin on it: coming from the business background, I understand the need for businesses, and naturally I started connecting the dots. Why don’t I try to find other like-minded individuals who are compassionate and want to mobilize our skills for this great cause? So I picked up the phone and pitched to my friends: Roxanne Chow, Katherine Lee, Kilim Park, and Mark Savel. They liked it! Roxanne gave the group the name we are using now. Katherine started creating the structure of the organization. Kilim started writing on our blog. Mark suggested ideas on how to make this idea bigger. It snowballed and the rest is history.

There are a few things I love about this idea:

It raises money for a great cause.
It allows small business owners to make an impact on a global scale.
It creates awareness for small business, and is a great PR opportunity.
It creates opportunity for collaboration, and networking.
It’s a simple idea that your business could easily adopt for any cause you’re passionate about.

What do I want you to do?

Take some of the ideas we’ve dissected and apply them to your own business strategy. The bottom line for you is increased awareness, networking and sales.
Get involved with Toronto Works for Haiti or another local group like New Mercy Ministries, both to help with relief efforts, and to network with some brilliant, talented people.
Join the Toronto Works for Haiti Facebook group, and voice your support. Put their logo on your profile to spread awareness.

Whatever you do, make sure you act now. If not for Haiti, then for the cause you care about. Everybody wins! And you know I love a good win-win.

Tags: bloggers, corporate social responsibility, facebook, guest contribution, inspiration, public relations, small business, social media
Posted in Social Media | View Comments

Let’s Play!

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Don't just sit there! You need to play as much as this guy.

I was reading Chris Brogan’s newsletter from December 15, again this morning, as I sat suffering from a small case of blog-writer’s block. If you don’t subscribe to his newsletter, you must do so immediately. It’s always a wealth of information, and Chris has such a transparent way of writing. He’s really generous in sharing the strategies he uses in his own busines. But I digress…

Chris was talking about playing games. He asked why, as adults, we don’t do so more often. Good question! Creativity and playing games help us engage in open possibilities. As adults we tend to forget how playing games helps us to understand the world.

Think about Christmas morning: Why do most young children like to play with the box more than the present inside? Because it allows them to use their imaginations. There aren’t any rules or boundaries; they just think possibility. As adults in business, we could stand a little childhood regression.

It just so happens that sitting on my desk is a great book that I love to pull out when I’m in need of possibility. It’s called Thinker Toys: A handbook of creative thinking techniques, and it’s written by Michael Michalko. Thinker Toys is really a big book of games for grown-ups.

Combining individual, and group, brainstorming techniques, Michalko helps the reader to open their mind up to inspiration from many directions. It’s stretching and motivating, and really fun. If you, like Chris, recognize that games are good for business, you should add a copy to your Christmas wishlist.

Then, take a look at our Facebook Fan Page for some creative thinking ideas to bring out your inner child.

How do you get creative in the workplace? Any tips or techniques?

Tags: bloggers, books, inspiration, opinion, reading
Posted in Uncategorized | View Comments

On the Road

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

j0438811 Last week I started talking about finding your voice online. As mentioned, I was on a search for nuggets of wisdom that would point me toward this, and I wasn’t having much luck. I’ve also noticed that more and more, who we present ourselves as online, is having increasingly dramatic consequences in our daily lives (Click here and here for examples.)

Why should this matter to you?

As professionals we need to know who we are. Discovering our voice is critical to success in the workplace. As a young pro, it’s part of the stage that I’m at, but I have a feeling that these questions arise throughout our careers. Equipping ourselves with the tools to assess these situations is another important element of our work life.

Rather than simply talk about this, I’ve decided to use myself as a guinea pig. I’m going on a journey–a journey of self-discovery that I hope will help you to find out who you are as well.

So let’s begin…

As John Donne said, “No man is an island.” I’ve enlisted some experts to help me take this trip into my psyche. The first is Murray Comber of Life Concepts, Leadership, Team & Career Development.

Murray is a Corporate Soft Skills Trainer and Career & Work Consultant from Eastern Ontario. Since 2001, he has worked with high level government officials, and leaders everywhere from big business to non-profits, to help them to understand themselves and the people they work with.

Using both temperment and type assessments, he assists individuals in determining their personal career paths, strengthening their leadership competencies, building teams, and encouraging peak performance. He’s been kind enough to agree to help me out next.

I’ll be taking a variety of tests to assess what makes me tick. This could be a bumpy ride! Stay tuned, and make sure to check out Murray’s site while we wait for the test results.

In the meantime, my colleague Nate Riggs (another expert you’ll be hearing more from soon in the Engine Room) from Huber + Co. Interactive in Columbus, Ohio, sent me this link to find out my Myers-Briggs Personality Type. I’ve posted the results on our Facebook Fan Page. Try it out, and let me know your type!

Tags: bloggers, branding, inspiration, mentors, opinion
Posted in Uncategorized | View Comments

Holiday Entertaining 101 – Part 2

Friday, November 20th, 2009

To continue what I stared last week ~ Holiday Entertaining 101

Whether you are throwing a big bash or small intimate dinner party, the keys to success are: ORGANIZATION, PLANNING & PRESENTATION. Keeping that in mind, the planning process shouldn’t stress you out, and doesn’t need to come with an expensive price tag. Having fun and enjoying the whole process from start to finish is just as important, otherwise, why bother!

WHAT – Pick a theme (Christmas Cocktail Party, Dinner Party, Skating Party etc.)
WHEN – Choose date and time of party.
WHERE – Is the party inside, outside, at your home, hall etc? Provide address and directions if necessary.
WHO – Guest list! Who do you want to invite to your party? TIP: it’s a good idea to call ahead and speak with the key people on your list just to make sure that they can attend. Once you have their commitment you can seal the date and time, then get invites out (I covered invitations in this post).
HOW – What can you afford to spend? Budget, yes, I know it’s hard, but try to stick to it.

HELPFUL HINTS (I tried to keep it to 10, no such luck, sorry!)

Lists, you can never have enough of them. Guest lists, Menu Lists, Drink Lists, shopping lists. (I just love crossing items off my list–it makes me feel like I have actually accomplished something!)
Always pick recipes that are tried, tested & true. Not a good idea to use your holiday guests as guinea pigs. Confidence in your menu choices is a must!
Shop early – this will allow you to take advantage of supermarket sales and spread the cost out over time.
Set a gorgeous table or buffet and include a unique centerpiece. You don’t have to limit yourself to flowers, see what treasures you have around the house (what about the pine cones that have fallen on your front lawn, or a glass vase filled with simple shinny red Christmas balls).
Candles and lots of them. Candlelight is the kindest light of all ~ warm, cozy and inviting.
Plan to have a variety of nonalcoholic drinks on hand. Always buy more than you think you’ll need.
Lots of Ice, you can never have too much, and buy the day of the party.
Your porch or garage makes an awesome fridge.
Make sure that your bar is set up before guests arrive, music play list has been selected and music is playing when your first guests arrive.
Hosts are dressed & ready prior to guests arriving! Give yourself enough time to get ready ~ have a cocktail to ease those pre-party jitters, relax and have a fabulous time, as I’m sure everyone else will!

Next week, setting up the Perfect Bar…

In the meantime, get started with this easy party recipe.

Easy & Elegant Holiday Hors D’oeuvres

Cranberry-Glazed Cocktail Meatballs

~ One of my old favorites from Food & Drink, Holiday 2004

Olive oil for brushing meatballs and baking tray

3/4 lb ground pork

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

One 1″ slice French bread, crusts removed, soaked in water and squeezed dry

1/2 tsp 5-spice powder

1 large egg, beaten

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Cranberry Glaze

1/2 tsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp chili paste (cut in half if not keen on spice)

1/4 tsp sesame oil

3/4 cup canned jellied cranberry sauce

4 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp honey

1 tsp oyster sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400 and brush a baking sheet with oil.

2. In bowl combine pork, parsley, garlic, soaked bread, 5-spice powder, egg and salt & pepper. Mash together with hands and mix well. With wet hands roll mixture into 24 balls, about 1″ each. Place balls on baking sheet and brush with oil. Bake meatballs 15 mins, flip them over. Turn on broiler and continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes or until crispy and done.

3. Cranberry Glaze – heat olive oil in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for about 5 min or until softened but not browned. Whisk in chili paste, sesame oil, cranberry sauce, soy sauce, honey and oyster sauce. Simmer 2 – 3 min.

4. Remove meatballs from oven and transfer to a large bowl. Pour glaze over meatballs and toss to coat. Skewer balls on a cocktail pick or toothpick and place on a platter. Serve warm.

You can make the meatballs ahead of time and freeze, then all you have to do is make the glaze, heat meatballs and serve.

Happy Friday,
Kerry

Tags: food, inspiration
Posted in Fridays with Kerry | View Comments

Don’t Be “That Girl”

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

So many lessons in one little book! What are your unlikely sources of inspiration?

I seem to be on a journey of self-evaluation, not just at work but in life. In reality, work is part of life, and how you function in that sphere effects the others and vice versa. Yesterday I spoke about not being “that guy” online. You know, the one who goes to work all buttoned up, but at night rips the shirt off and let’s people take pictures? Ya, don’t be him. Please.

On the other hand though, I don’t want to just pin this on the gentlemen (and I think we all realize that situation isn’t gender specific). But for sake of theme, I’m going to pick on the ladies, and try to pinpoint another area that can, personally and professionally, be a dangerous slope to slide down.

Confidence

One of my favourite books of all time is The Paper Bag Princess, by Robert Munsch. For those of you who don’t know, it tells the story of a princess (Elizabeth) who was going to marry a prince (Ronald), until their castle got burnt down by a fire-breathing dragon, and life fell apart. Clothed only in a paper bag, this young lady has the pluck and determination to chase the dragon, and get her guy back.

After much searching, she finally tracks the dragon back to his cave, which is full of bones and smoke. Scary. She slams on the door despite threat of death. Then she challenges the dragon to a number of contests–she’s obviously a bright girl–in an attempt to tire him out enough to go rescue her beau. Once her task is accomplished, and she’s beaming with excitement over her victory, she runs in to get Ronald, and the first thing out of his mouth is, “Elizabeth, you are a mess.”

Not even a thank you.

Elizabeth is obviously disappointed, but then she looks at Ronald and says [I'm paraphrasing], “Ronald, your hair is clean, and your clothes are really neat, but YOU ARE A BUM.” Then she skips off into the sunset–alone, happy, free.

What does all this mean to you as a professional business person? Let me explain.

Lessons from a Paper Bag:

When life falls apart–or your business hits a rough patch–you have the choice in how to respond. Do you make like Ronald, and get swept away, passively accepting your fate? Or, like Elizabeth, do you pick yourself up, grab the nearest paper bag and get moving?

Bravery doesn’t have anything to do with size. Don’t let your circumstance dictate who you are. There is no dragon too big for you to outwit or overcome. It’s a choice to put yourself up to the challenge. When you do, and you come out the victor, your confidence in your abilities will go skyhigh. Try it.

Appearances are deceiving. This seems obvious, but how often are we impressed by someone’s title, clothes, car, status, even when they haven’t done anything to earn our respect? Having success in life does not equate with being a nice person. Ronald is a case in point.

Unequal relationships in life and business spell disaster. From the beginning of the story it’s obvious Ronald’s aloof and into himself, while Elizabeth would do anything for him. Are you that girl (or guy)? Do you bend over backwards for someone simply to impress? Are you a “yes man”? It’s not healthy.

Don’t measure yourself by someone else’s stick. One of the biggest pitfalls we all face professionally, especially in the beginning stages of our careers, is looking to others for acceptance. We want to impress people with our skills and abilities. We take criticism as failure. We depend on people to tell us what we’re worth rather than knowing who we are from the inside out. It’s so easy to do, but you need to stop. Don’t be “that girl.”

I love the last page of this book, and I wish I could’ve found the image for you. It shows Elizabeth dancing off into the sunset–alone. That’s the kind of girl I want to be.

(Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be blogging about this theme because I think it’s really important. We all need to reevaluate from time to time. Start thinking about who you are, what you love doing, and where you’re going. I have some colleagues recruited to help. Stay tuned!)

Tags: inspiration, mentors, opinion
Posted in Uncategorized | View Comments

Architecture and Design

Monday, November 9th, 2009

I know we (or at least I) tend to limit how we think of certain things. For instance, being a graphic designer, I tend to think of “design” in terms of print, web and sometimes packaging. I also have a love of /for interior spaces and architectural design. Then I will come upon an interior space, a building or informational display and I am blown away by the inspired design and creativity displayed.

One of the things that I love about creative thinkers, is that they can look at something old or generic and visualize it as the basis for something new and different. That is exactly what Zecc Architecten of the Netherlands did with this abandoned watertower.

“The water tower, which dates from 1931, was converted into an unparalled twenty-first-century home spread over nine levels.” That architects converted a watertower into a family home is not as impressive as how beautiful and unique a home they have created. Check out more here.

Exterior View

Exterior View 2

Interior - Kitchen and Staircase

Interior - Bedroom and Staircase

Found at MOCO

Tags: inspiration
Posted in Design | View Comments

Posts Tagged ‘inspiration’

Let’s Play!

On the Road

Holiday Entertaining 101 – Part 2

Don’t Be “That Girl”

Architecture and Design

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