Kevin Franco's Weblog

New York State of Mind

2012-01-15T10:07:00.002-07:00

I look forward to traveling to New York, it's one of my favourite places to visit in the entire world. I love the energy, the pace, the fact that everyone is going somewhere. I love the fact that every time you turn around you see something familiar, so many movies and television shows are set in New York City, something you really notice after visiting.

I visited New York for the first time ever in May of 2010, been there several times since and will be back again and again. New York is always moving at the speed of light and I feel right at home with the hustle and bustle. It's I'm now accustomed to, in a weird way the pace is almost calming, relaxing in that everyone is moving at the speed I've been operating at these days.

Digital Book World in January is what's brought me here this time. Aside from the conference, I will be meeting with several publishing houses to acquire content for Enthrill's exciting new ebook retail program. Looking forward to this, the publishing industry is filled with many smart and passionate people.

So, two for two. I get to go to New York and meet with people I really enjoy and respect, circumstance and luck has put me in front of some of the most important people in the industry.

The past year has been one of complete focus. Laser focus. I began working on Enthrill Distribution full time, after months of planning, researching and exploration into the market we are to disrupt.

What provided some complication was the fact that I already had a full time job running Francomedia, my digital/creative firm. But, I wasn't too worried about taking time away from the company I built over the past 8 years, my staff is fantastic and fully capable of creating great work without me standing over their shoulders. I'm very proud of my team, they have been so patient with this change in our operation, I'm thankful for this.

So, for the last 8 months I went from being busy to being so busy that mere words can't describe it. This short-term pain is necessary though, and as unpleasant as it is at times - coming home after the kids have gone to bed, working weekends and holidays - we are introducing something to the market that will benefit a great many people. Our program is important and timely, in fact, some in the industry have called it 'necessary' some have called us 'white knights' and 'game changers'. I suppose these types of comments set a certain expectation, this drives me even further to ensure its success.

The next few weeks are going to be critical, we've got a new office, we're scaling up on staff, we're going a million miles an hour getting ready for launch. If you've ever done a retail launch, you know what's involved, if you haven't just know it's a lot of work. We've got a good team, we have to. And, I'm confident in our team, in our concept and in our product.

My next posting on Enthrill will include some details on our product, how we're launching and maybe even some pictures. These are exciting times for everyone involved with Enthrill.

Perhaps when this is all over and I'm visiting New York purely for pleasure, I will find the pace unsettling. Nah, I doubt it. I'll always love New York, as is.

Ebooks for the Masses

2011-12-27T10:20:00.012-07:00

Everyone remembers the Betamax vs. VHS format war, but do you remember the player piano format war? How about the rail gauge format war? In nearly every innovation since the beginning of time there have been a handful of contenders ready to bring a new way of doing things to market. And in each case, a victor has emerged and this has not always been based on the best option, but the most readily available, simplest to produce or the first to market.

In many cases it has been industry itself that has decided on the winner of these contests, few times has the consumer been the decider. Whether decided by an industry group or business owners themselves, one thing is clear, the winner has always been selected with the consumers' best interest in mind. 'Best interest' is wide open for interpretation here, keeping in mind the context of business owners, just use your imagination, OK?

VHS won over Betamax because of several reasons really; it was easier to produce (cheaper), it allowed for more content on each tape and JVC was faster at licensing to other manufacturers than their counterparts at Sony. Some argue that Betamax was a better product, in today's reality, who cares? Nobody uses either now, tape format got us from 1975 to 1995 quite effectively no matter which format it was on.

What gets chosen as a format, is not nearly as important as the decision of the format itself. Anytime there are multiple formats, there is a fragmentation in the market, content makers are forced to spend extra efforts and money to produce and market multiple formats in multiple channels and consumers are confused or corralled.

When a format is chosen, a robust multi-device environment is created where content producers are eager to supply content because it can scale quickly and they can focus their efforts on a single manufacturing/promotional method rather than two (or more).

VHS beget DVD, DVD beget Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray beget the cloud. What's next? I don't much care. I've been buying my favourite content in every container so far, I've already budgeted to purchase another few more before my days are done. Heck, I don't even have to own it now thanks to Netflix. I'll rent it over and over again.

So, if the format wars have taught us anything it's that there's a mass audience that can be served if one format can be decided by an industry. The video industry is used to changing formats every couple of years, they have a protocol in place, a bi-weekly meeting on the newest format, they make their selection without much fuss. I'm simplifying this, but not too many industries have experienced this much change ever. Well, except for maybe the music industry, but those changes have been a little more spaced apart - going from vinyl to 8-track to cassette to CD to cloud.

With all of this knowledge on format wars, all of the learnings from similar industries and lots of business cases to draw from, why is the book industry so fragmented when making it's third format change in 500 years? The publishing industry is ripe with smart people, passionate about what they do and keen on advancement into the digital space. It's hard to figure out until you add one thing to the mix: The consumer. Not just the consumer, but the choices they are given and who is reaching them and where.

Now, in publishing there's not so much a format war but rather a go to market war. There are two formats, sure, but they are not so different - and either can be made to work on any device. So, it's not the format per se. It's what a singular format can provide in the way of a catalyst for the industry to go to market. We don't need a single file format, we need a single delivery format to the customer - a device agnostic approach that can scale with mass adoption, this can work with the existing file formats. In fact, the format doesn't much matter, it's irrelevant.

In nearly every format war that has anything to do with media content, decisions were made to provide the broadest appeal to the largest audience - to provide quick scale and mass adoption. You see, in the past, the retailer controlled the consumer and the retailer was hands off on the development of the product. The retailer was between the device manufacturers, the content producers and the consumer acting as a filter/flood gate and discovery point for products. This was a good mix, this is how things have been done for decades.

Right now, publishers are going to market through online retail or device specific deployment methods. Where are the brick and mortar booksellers in all of this? For centuries they have proven to be the best form of discovery and sales for books - B&M retailers are good at selling books, that's their job... and they sell a lot of them. Imagine what they could do if they were given the tools to sell ebooks.

It's 2011, almost 2012. We're not communicating with our minds or driving flying cars yet, but there is a distinct change from what we remember the role of the retailer to be. Retailers are becoming less and less utilized and doted on in today's marketplace by content producers. The consumer can now go direct to purchase content. "Dear Louis CK, here is my $5 cheque, please forward me a copy of your latest video." In today's model, the retailer can be bypassed, they are irrelevant in the eyes of some. This sounds like a utopia for content producers, but utopia also sounds like dystopia, which is not good (I looked it up). Which in the foreseeable future, is really what is being created.

I'm not criticizing Louis CK, he's a brilliant and funny comedian. He did a great job in creating buzz and getting people interested, the buzz and interest created discovery, discovery lead people to buy his video. A great story on many fronts, especially for DRM - when given the choice people will pay for content rather than steal it.

And, I'm not criticizing consumers for going direct to the source for content at all - I think it's great, that is... if consumers know what they want. In many cases, they don't. And, this is the major change in our paradigm right now - and many don't even realize it's happening. We are losing our points of discovery.

You see, where things really begin to break down with purchasing direct is in the discovery - consumers don't know they want until they see it or 'discover' it. They can only buy it direct if they know it's there. For years, consumers relied on good old brick and mortar retail stores to help them discover content. It was the act of shopping that exposed them to new titles, new releases, remainders, backlist, new authors, new genres and new ideas.

Shopping direct via online or through a reading device removes discovery from the consumer, they are unable to discover anything beyond the display of 4 or 5 titles on their tiny e-ink window. What's more is their curation is self induced by their own keywords. With each word they search, they are narrowing the field of discovery to the point where choice is a misnomer.

Good old brick and mortar stores allow humans to use all of their senses to discover, by touch, sight, feel, smell and taste (although, the latter is not preferred in most established shops). The act of discovery is aided by retails insatiable need to outdo one another with lavish displays and effective merchandising. The entire act of merchandising has been finely honed for the last 200 years to aid in discovery - to entice the purchase of products.

Retail shops are masters of merchandising for the sole purpose of discovery. This is their job; to make content attractive to a mass audience.

I've been told that large publishers can publish out 500+ titles in a year. How exactly will all of these titles be discovered once brick and mortar stores are eliminated from the equation? How can you effectively merchandise online? Sure, you can feature a title, perhaps even up to 10 titles can be featured through the sales window of a device. Ten spots for how many publishers? Publishing how many books? As a creative person, I've never been brilliant at math, but I'm sure the outcome of this equation isn't complimentary to the bottom line for any publisher.

What's worse is that consumers are locked into purchasing through a retail environment provided by the device they've happened to choose. "Device specific deployment is akin to selling milk to someone based on the model of refrigerator they have."

If you want to sell milk to a mass audience, you need to ask people if they’re thirsty, not ask what kind of fridge they have.

Trapping one’s self with a single device/platform serves the needs of few and alienates many – how does the consumer select the best provider? How, as a publisher, do you reach a mass audience? How do you encourage discovery on 500+ titles a year?

As we see today, content makers (publishers) are held hostage by the device makers, allowing the latter to dictate format, sales terms and pricing. In the end, consumers are left with little choice in the matter and little to choose from. Device makers have content makers at their mercy; pushing them into areas they don’t have expertise in (yet).

Without content, devices are useless. Content makers ultimately have the control.

What consumers need, what publishers need, what the retail industry needs... is one powerful voice pushing for content over device. Don't lock customers into an environment where they've got no choice. If you want an ebook, you should be able to buy it from anywhere and put it on whatever device you want. A device agnostic format and the ability to buy ebooks anywhere (online or in a retail store) puts the control back into the hands of the publishers and out of the device specific realms.

To target a mass consumer base, this is what needs to happen.

These are my observations as I prepare to launch ebooks into traditional brick and mortar stores. We have built a bullet proof system that deploys content to any device - allowing consumers to decide where to purchase content and what device to put it on. Mass retail stores that will be selling our ebook cards will once again provide merchandising services to the book industry, creating discovery amongst their many thousands of patrons each and every week.

Occupy Discussion

2011-11-20T11:14:00.012-07:00

Typically, I avoid political discussions. Most issues are far too complex to fully understand with the little time I dedicate to learning about them, it's not that I'm not interested, I'm just busy. I like to think about things, process them and listen to a variety of opinions. I'm not afraid to admit that I flip-flop on my views on subjects as I hear both sides, and sometimes arriving at a decisive opinion doesn't ever happen. Sometimes, empathy is all I can resolve myself to.

Listening to polarized debates where there is no outcome other than the spewing of one's one-sided convictions angers me. There is no advancement on either side, the participants feel justified in their rants and do not enter into the activity with the purpose of finding a solution. This is massive waste of time and is typically all I see on TV news programs. One of the many reason's I've stopped watching TV altogether.

It seems as though the discussion has been replaced with strong opinion. Don't get me wrong, we need strong opinions to help form the discussion, but it seems as though these opinions themselves are what is being followed and not the articulation of the actual issues. It's easy to side with a strong opinion, you don't need to be informed, you just have to like what you hear.

Maybe this has always been the case and my idealistic views on how we - as members of society, as political leaders, as business owners, as friends and neighbors - discuss topics has slowly been eroded to the point where I don't wish to participate as I see no positive outcome other than listening to regurgitated rhetoric.

When I first heard about Occupy Wall Street I discounted it as just another group of pissed off people trying to force an agenda. I was cynical but kept my ears open. What I heard from the news and from critics of the movement was very much the same; 'the occupy movement lacks organization and a central message'.

The lack of a cohesive, single-minded message is what makes the occupy movement so dynamic and so interesting. If there is a central message, it's that people are pissed off with the current state of things. This is no revelation however, I think this is coming through loud and clear.

The lack of a message is not a result of poor organization or a lack of understanding of the issues. Occupy means something different to everyone. The current state of things has effected every citizen differently and every person protesting has their own story, their own protest. These stories are now beginning to striking a chord with others who share similar views and all these messages are beginning to coagulate and spread around the world.

I was fortunate enough to see Occupy Wall Street first hand, see the camps, the signs, the protesters, the barricades and the police. A few weeks later I happened upon a large Occupy San Francisco rally and got a much better sense for what it's all about. Just being in the United States and seeing how the economic fall-out has effected so many people is disheartening. So many people displaced and disillusioned.

Our country has not gone unscathed, but we certainly did not get hit as hard as our friends and neighbors south of the border. I walked through the mess of tents in our city's Occupy encampment, there was nobody outside of their tents and no messages on the outside of the tents. So, I'm not entirely sure if it's in support of the movement in the USA or if they are protesting similar economic disenfranchisement in Canada. Winter is here and there is pressure on politicians to clean it up - many citizens see it as a giant homeless camp rather than a protest. It's hard to dispute.

The fact that these protests have been going on for over two months reinforces a singular message for the media, people are still pissed off. After much consideration I happen to side with the movement in general - serious reform of our economic system is in order. For years, smart people have been saying that the middle class is crumbling, something that nobody wanted to admit because they felt they were the middle class and moving up quickly.

When will a critical mass be reached? Will the protests be the tipping point?

I really do hope change comes from this 'occupy' movement, by spark or by fire. Change doesn't have to be abandoning capitalism entirely, and change doesn't have to mean granting parity to the point of communism - that didn't work either. If people can step away from their polarized points of view, they may find some common ground. Small change can be big change.

And, change does not have to be that hard to enact, does it?

The biggest challenge that I can see is getting the people to stop believing emphatically in the current perception of wealth as part of the American Dream. Converting a nation full of 'inconvenienced millionaires' will be difficult when the notion is so engrained. Nobody wants to tax the rich, for fear that they may someday be in that tax bracket. This stance is promoted by the political right to protect the wealthy at the expense of the masses by perpetrating the dream of each person's ability to be in the 1%.

Granting tax immunity to the largest tax base residing in the 1% to place the burden on 99% of the population and sacrificing social programs and health programs that effect the well being of citizens astonishes me.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for the 99%, that's what occupy is about. It's not until people fully realize their place in the 99%, when they abandon the remote chance of being in the 1%, that they can see clearly. Sacrificing the dreams of the American people is not what this is about, making the dreams more accessible and realistic by not handicapping the process is closer to what the change needs to be. In that, a change in perception of what those dreams are may need to happen for the change itself to take place.

People are pissed off. Inequality is the current condition for those that were promised that all were created equal.

After 2 months, it may still be too early to measure change. But, I think the tides are turning, for us, being the frog in the pot as the water boils, we may never see the change actually happen - there is no wall to tumble, there is no effigy to set ablaze, there is no central figure to take down.

Does there need to be a central figure for a central message to enact change?

I believe the change will come from many messages and affect many establishments and be enacted by many people. So, my sincere apologies to the major news networks, this may not be the lead story on some weekend broadcast. Overtime, the water will boil and you won't have noticed, you'll miss out on your precious sound bytes but change will have taken place.

Eleven Times Three

2011-11-11T11:40:00.004-07:00

Well, it finally arrived. It came, it saw and it... passed.

11:11 on 11.11.11, the date that Nigel Tufnel has been waiting for his entire career.

Nothing significant, other than a handful of superstitious folks grasping at '1' shaped straws, getting married on a once in a lifetime date or holding parties like it's the end of the world.

November 11, 2011 is a sui generis date, sure, but aren't they all though? I mean, every date is unique, that's what helps us tell them apart. The fact that they all line up as ones can only happen once, and it can only happen in our lifetimes, which I suppose is novel. It even prompted me to write about it, so it's not that insignificant. I would, however, say it's forgettable.

Tomorrow, nobody will care about the date. Well, except for maybe the people who got married in haste. I'm pretty certain that nobody will be celebrating the unique nature of November 12th with such fervour.

What seems to be overshadowed by this anomalitic date is the fact that it is Remembrance Day here in Canada (and other parts of the world) and Vetran's Day in the US.

Today, many people are participating in parades, ceremonies and taking time out of their day to think about and remember the people who sacrificed their lives in the many conflicts around the world leading up to today. There are many people with loved ones and friends that are currently serving overseas putting their lives on the line. As a former soldier, Remembrance Day is particularly significantly to me.

Each November 11th my thoughts are with the men and women I served with, remembering fondly the friendships and times we shared in the military. 25 years later, some of these people are still serving. I am proud of them and think of them often.

For me, Remembrance Day is not overshadowed by the fact that today's date is neat. And, I am happy that our nation acknowledges our veterans on our coins (a move so bold it was thought to be a spy tactic by the US, LOL) as a reminder to everyone.

So, please take a moment today, if you haven't already, to remember our great-grandfathers, our grandfathers, our fathers and mothers, friends and neighbors that put on the uniform in the name of our country and for the sake of our freedom.

Personalization in Transmedia Storytelling - BIB11

2011-10-31T18:00:00.008-07:00

This is the presentation I made in San Francisco at the Books In Browsers Conference hosted by the Internet Archive and O'Reilly Media on October 28, 2011. I have made some minor edits, but for the most part it is intact.

There is the video of the talk, which I will include a link for at the end of this post. Before viewing, I should preface it with the fact that I was nervous and while I still believe the iPad is a good teleprompter, one should stop their twitter notifications from pushing alerts while one is trying to read the speech in front of an audience (and a camera). A room full of tweeters didn't help... any ways, here it goes:

Why is transmedia storytelling important?

I’d like to demonstrate the effectiveness of transmedia storytelling and why with all the technology we have at our fingertips with devices like this one (hold up ipad) that it’s relevant, needed and expected.

Now I'd like to first say, that transmedia isn't for every book. But i believe that some stories are better when they are experienced vs. when they are just read. Some books are better left alone. But 'those' books is not where I work, I work in experiences, in immersion.

Over the next few years we are going to see tablets in many cases taking over desktops and laptops to become many peoples interface with digital content. And, with the fact that readers will have the capability to view more robust media, they will begin to demand more from storytellers.

This past summer, while camping in the Canadian Rockies, a bunch of friends and I were sitting around the campfire on a dark night. In fact, it was pitch black as only it could be in such a remote setting. The fire was cracking and sending sparks towards the stars

A friend of mine is a really good storyteller and he starts in on this fantastic tale of campers just like us, lost out on an old logging road, not too far from where we were. The story began to get really interesting, we were on the edge of our logs as he began to tell us how one by one these lost campers get gruesomely picked off by something mysterious in the woods.

We were hanging on his every word when all of a sudden someone from the group, an accomplice of the storytellers, sneaks up behind us and jumps in front of everyone with an axe at the climax of the story.

You'd think that a bunch of middle-aged men might be immune to this but it startled all of us. The story was good, really good, but I bet if I told it to you here in this room right now, you wouldn't have the same reaction.

The surroundings, the realism and the immersion in the storyworld combine themselves to create a very scary encounter. By adding these components; the remote darkness, the campfire, and a drunk man with an axe - the story has gone from a simple reading of a story to an experience. The audience is entertained and engaged.

Transmedia is the campfire. Transmedia is the ambience and surroundings. Transmedia is the interaction. It builds a credible storyworld that immerses the audience and gives them an experience.

Next week is the Storyworld Conference, the first world-wide Transmedia conference ever, it’s right here in San Francisco. Transmedia has moved from being talked about to being done – it’s a major buzzword in Hollywood and everyone is jumping into the game to figure things out and to tell fantastic stories..

There are challenges facing transmedia producers:

1. Category Recognition
2. High production costs
3. Inconsistency in approach

Combine that with the fact that nobody within the transmedia world can agree on what exactly transmedia is. There are many different strains, many different concoctions.
However, there is one thing that everyone can agree on: they don’t like the term transmedia.

I don’t much care about the label, I’m more concerned with how we tell readers about what we have. And, to do that, I suppose we need some consensus on what it’s called. And, as long as we, as a niche industry can’t agree on what to call it, how are readers going to even know what to ask for?

This transcends into discovery. Even when a reader finds us, how do they know we're a transmedia story without us being obvious about it?

While researching transmedia storytelling and trying to find similar projects to ours, it actually solidified my assumptions on a problem that everyone faces, Discovery. Everyone wants their book to be discovered, but in most every case but in transmedia, you have a category or genre that aids the reader in their quest for content. Transmedia can pertain to every genre. So, how do we let readers know that this book is an interactive, immersive experience? How do we differentiate our product from a regular book or from an enhanced book?

And, while I’m sure there are other projects out there similar to ours, they are not easy to find… even though each of them are likely spearheaded by very talented digital companies, from a readers perspective, they are hard to find – getting found in a category that nobody knows exists is entirely left to chance. And, being left to chance, is something that is best not presented in an investment pitch...

Simply put, the category of Transmedia stories just doesn’t exist as it should. It needs to be created and promoted.

There are few places that list transmedia as a genre, and when they do they typically list the ‘how to’ books on the subject rather than books that employ transmedia storytelling. This would lead one to believe that there are more experts on the subject of Transmedia than there are content creators in the field.

For instance, when we look at the listings on Good Reads, the category of Transmedia contains 17 books on how to write transmedia and one book that actually is transmedia. And, it really isn’t transmedia storytelling, it’s a novel with an Alternate Reality Game component… close, but no cigar.

Differentiation is probably a better word to use than category, but I've got a retail background.

Apple has made efforts to differentiate books with an enhanced section in the iBookstore, this is getting closer, but an enhanced book isn’t necessarily transmedia. Simply putting an embedded video into a book doesn’t make it a transmedia book, it’s an enhanced book. So, how do we stand out and let readers know that what we have is an experience based narrative?

My hope is that there are content creators at the Storyworld conference and that the discussion of public awareness for transmedia storytelling is brought forward. If quality of attendees is anything like this room, I suspect it won't take long for a solution to arrive

I should back up and give you a little background. Last year we released One Child, a transmedia thriller it contained an original soundtrack, 4 filmed scenes, 27 social media profiles and was released in real time online and then sold as a print version, an eBook version and a browser-based version. I’m over simplifying the description as many of you are already aware of it. We learned a lot from this experience and looking back, there’s not an awful lot I would change to the way we told the story from the transmedia side of things. From the distribution side of things, well that’s another subject.

You see, in my space, how we approach transmedia at Enthrill is that we use multiple mediums to tell the story – our base narrative is written and edited the same way a traditional book would be. Where we differ is in the planning of the story and how we break out the plot, the character stories and the various elements to tell the story through multiple venues.

So, while we may employ a serial release of the narrative in real time, readers can follow some of the characters online through social media profiles, you can read and interact with their blog posts. In fact many of the elements we put into play you can follow without ever engaging in the narrative, they can be stand-alone stories in themselves.

Our next transmedia story is due out in March of 2013 - over the last 6 months we have conducted extensive research into the locations for the story, having the author spend about 6 weeks on the road between eastern europe, London and Boston. In addition, we've been planning an extensive back-end for the project and will begin development over the next month.

On the storytelling side, we’ve already begun two blog sites and have created 6 character profiles online. We are not making these discoverable yet, but, I can tell you that one of the blogs will be written by a character in the story who by day, works as an IT manager for a large company and blames network security issues on the end users. By night, he writes his blog under a pen name scorning these end users – the blog is called ENDLUSERS and will be written in character by a real life IT professional. You see, the blog may never be mentioned in the narrative of the story, but you can discover it a number of different ways. It’s a stand-alone piece that you can enjoy on it’s own.

Creating multiple story paths like this one is called transmedia storytelling. It’s using cross media platforms to tell or extend the story.

This method creates an immersive experience that is ‘real’ for the reader. We believe this method of transmedia is critical to telling the story and allows readers to slip fully into our storyworld.

Believability is crucial in transmedia storytelling as far as we are concerned. Everything we do must be true to the story or to the character. Some storytellers are using different mediums to channel a character - an example of this would be getting tweets from Betty Draper, a character from the television show, Mad Men – some people think this is cool, and while the tweets are in character and pertain to the story. My thoughts on this are that it’s hard to believe that someone in the 60’s is tweeting at all, I mean, everyone knows that Twitter wasn’t around until at least the late seventies.

In my mind, this type of use or method of transmedia is strictly promotional. It uses alternate mediums to sell a TV show – this is no way to carry a narrative. And, although there are people who like this as part of their experience, it has less to do with the story and more to do with the promotion of the story.

Unfortunately, (for this idealistic storyteller) this use of transmedia as a promotional tool vs. as a storytelling tool, is more prevalent, because it’s easy to monetize. It’s easy to monetize because it’s easy to understand – transmedia storytelling inherently isn’t.

Promotional transmedia is at it’s best, glorified advertising and I believe it hurts legitimate transmedia storytellers because to most people, transmedia is transmedia. There's no differentiation. And, money, like water follows the path of least resistance. Things that are easy to understand, find funding.

So, how do we, as transmedia storytellers, monetize?

I’m really excited about this - because the breakout of the story creates multiple, independent opportunities for making money on the project that don’t conflict with the story. Monetization in transmedia can be as fragmented as the story itself. Focusing on book sales alone is losing site of the bigger picture - there can be hundreds of verticals within a single property.

Merchandise – who wouldn’t want an endlusers t-shirt? The merchandise doesn’t even have to reference the base story, in this case, it’s a characters' blog, who’s to say that the character isn't monetizing his own site? How about offering advertising space on the numerous websites and blogs that we have in place as part of our storyworld? Real websites have advertising, so why not fake ones?

Then we come to product placement.

I know, it's a dirty word to some. But, transmedia storytelling allows us to integrate product placement and have it become part of the story – it helps in making the characters and plot believable. Linking characters to real world things and brands isn’t anything new, but the fact that this information is being spread over multiple platforms and mediums makes this type of integration especially appealing to manufacturers and advertisers.

This means that there can be more than a mere mention in the text of the book, it can be brought to life in video, through social media and throughout the storyworld. A seamless integration between story and brand(s).

For instance, a character can use an iPhone, like the Apple page on their Facebook account, add Apple to their interests and comment on the Apple page. In addition to the character integration, we can also put ads for Apple products on our radio station web site as well as other web sites in our story world.

My point is that it can be part of the story, placement may not even be obvious to readers unless they were using Small Demons.

The total integration would be very seamless and natural, as part of the story – the reader may not even make the connection of ‘placement’ but they would certainly be exposed to Apple as part of the experience.

In fact, the product doesn’t even have to be mentioned in the narrative of the story at all to 'qualify' for product placement in transmedia.

Product placement in a transmedia story needs to be weighed however – will it benefit the story or detract from it? This question must be asked. At the end of the day, the story must be believable. Product placement must make sense for the character and for the story – planning and strategy must be employed to be successful. Placing products must coincide with the audience and hand picked to suit them.

Monetization is important; creative and intelligent use of product placement can be a useful monetization tool for transmedia projects. With so many entry points or ‘rabbit holes’ leading into a story, the opportunities are endless.

Monetization can come in other ways though;

Some readers may stumble upon a blog and follow it for sometime before learning that it is part of a larger story – this may be intriguing to them as they uncover more and more and then discover the story itself. This experience is their own and they made it. How do we capitalize on this?

The act of discovery on the readers part can be preserved by the reader and captured as a product – by way of a bespoke ebook. A custom book tailored for each reader.

Imagine ordering your book online and it being unique to you, based on your experiences with the story. The tweets you followed, the blogs you commented on, all interweaved as part of your very own memento and shipped or downloaded to you as a one-off. That’s pretty cool.

And with the perceived value of a digital asset being low, we need to find ways of changing this perception. Richard Nash had a nice graph depicting ebooks as the lowest point of entry and limited editions as being a bit higher up, ok a lot higher up.

When we look at the story without the packaging of a print book, the reader is left with a 1 megabyte file – it’s intangible and is hard to instill value. Enhanced books, books as apps, digital/print combos – these are all attempts at adding value to the digital asset to justify a higher fee. I have no issue with these, as I believe they do add value. Content creators need to pay attention to anything that can change perception on ebook value.

But adding value isn’t just in the how much extra stuff you get, it can also be measured on personal interaction and what you offer the individual.

We need to continue to be creative in marketing and sharing ebooks. For drm constrained books, what about for an extra fee at time of purchase, you get the rights to share that book with a friend or two. How about on the last page of the book there’s an ability to sell the book to friends through a social media platform, where the reader, the publisher and the original bookseller are paid a commission? The book get’s marketed, it get’s read and people make money. There's lots of ideas - they just need some exploration.

Including readers into the equation means they have an interest in the story, readers love to talk about the books they’ve read. This is extended to the transmedia experience – interaction plays a large roll. By capturing this interaction we believe we can make a remarkable, one of a kind book for everyone.

We believe that people will pay more for something created just for them, a unique product or something that they have a personal connection to. As we build out our next transmedia property, we are developing an engine to do just that – it will incorporate your personal experiences within the story, combine it with the narrative of the book and make it available to you in a print or ebook format. The best part is, we will be able to use this engine for future projects, reducing our cost as we release more stories.

Transmedia isn’t going away anytime soon, the high cost to implement it is what’s stifling it’s growth in publishing however. Everyone from documentary film makers to television shows to book publishers are looking at transmedia because it is a powerful engagement tool and fans love the immersion. The high cost has prohibited many projects from happening or they have to be paired down to the point of ineffectiveness.

As we build out our ‘transmedia engine’ we will eliminate some of the tedious tasks, create a platform to disseminate the narrative and to capture the individuals experience. Once built, our plan is to apply it to all projects going forward, reducing our costs and creating a familiar, yet unique experience for readers.

Delivering different experiences while giving readers an intuitive guide throughout the process that is consistent in each project is paramount.

Moving forward we need to spend as much time on transmedia storytelling awareness and category building as we do in producing transmedia properties – we need to create the category, define the category and make readers aware of it while at the same time creating exciting content that demonstrates the need for this type of storytelling.

My hope is that Transmedia storytelling will soon become a profitable space for publishers and authors to follow and one that publishers and booksellers will want to promote as unique and one that offers readers added experience.

Before I go, I'd like to tell you about a beautiful book. A couple years back I found a beautifully produced hard cover book, it had a canvas jacket, the pages were printed in Pantone 877 and a warm black. Any print nerds out there that can tell me what 877 is? Silver, not just silver but metallic silver (this is a colour that cannot be replicated in the digital realm, like many others). The book was entirely printed using two colours, solids, halftones and duotones. It was really a work of art.

I bought two copies. You see, the book was Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. I bought one copy for me and the second copy for my junior high school english teacher who introduced it to me 25 years ago. She sent me a really nice thank you letter.

The reason I tell you this, is because beautiful books need to be shared and experienced. Transmedia enables both.

Thank you.

Here is the video of my talk.

Beautiful Books

2011-10-28T17:18:00.005-07:00

I ran out of time today in my presentation on Transmedia Storytelling at the Books in Browsers conference at the internet Archive... although, brief, here is my story about beautiful books:

I'd like to tell you about a beautiful book. A couple years back I found a beautifully produced hard cover book, it had a canvas jacket, the pages were printed in Pantone 877 and a warm black. Any print nerds out there that can tell me what 877 is? Silver, not just silver but metallic silver (this is a colour that cannot be replicated in the digital realm, like many others). The book was entirely printed using two colours, solids, halftones and duotones. It was really a work of art.

I bought two copies. You see, the book was Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a favourite of mine. I bought one copy for me and the second copy for my junior high school english teacher who introduced it to me 25 years ago. She sent me a really nice thank you letter after receiving it..

The reason I tell you this, is because beautiful books need to be shared and experienced. Transmedia enables both

.

There was much of my talk that I skimmed over in order to finish on time, it was taking me twice as long as I rehearsed - I will post the entire talk (edited) on my blog in the next few days.

Grab the Pills & Ammo Baby

2011-10-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

Cross That Line
by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes

Is there such thing as a perfectly crafted rock and roll song? If there is, Cross That Line is as close as they come.

This song makes me wish I had taken piano lessons, it just sounds like it would be a fun song to play. Heck, I would argue that this is the ultimate air piano song. I dare you to listen to it without slamming your fingers down on whatever surface is in front of you.

As I write this, I am 24,000 feet above ground, NY to Chicago and Southside Johnny is pushing the limits of my Apple ear buds. My foots tapping, I wanna sweep my hand across the seats in front of me in time to the piano.

I'm gonna cross that line.

As the guitar solo begins, I can visualize the notes on the neck of my telecaster and know I can play it, just not as good. So glad I took some guitar lessons some 30 years ago - I still enjoy playing. A song like this makes me think that piano lessons would have been as a good choice though.

I'm gonna loose my mind.

Had this song come out at a different time, it would now be played ad nauseam on every classic rock radio station on the planet. This song alone could have been responsible for the demise of many turntable styluses failing from over-use. As it turns out, it was released in 2010, not much of a market for rock music, never mind the fact that even with a gem like this, reaching an audience on the fragmented airwaves we have, would be next to impossible. Too bad, timing is everything.

I'm gonna cross that line.

The song is brilliant in every way. If you don't get the urge to be performing this song on stage, horns blasting, back up chorus guiding you along through the verses along side Johnny and the Jukes, then something is most likely wrong with you.

I'm gonna loose my mind.

So, if you are reading this and you don't already own this song, or the full album, Ammo and Pills, by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, I suggest you first comment on this post then go buy it.

I'm gonna cross that line.

Here is a link to a video.

Here are the lyrics:

I SEE YOU GOT YOUR BRAND NEW TATTOO
AN O'KEEFE SKULL IN ELECTRIC BLUE
YEAH THAT USED TO BE BAD NOW IT'S SO REFINED

YOU SAY YOU NEED TO GET CRAZY BABY WELL I DO TOO
YOU WEAR MY PISTOL
I'LL WEAR YOUR HIGH HEELED SHOES
GRAB THE PILLS AND AMMO BABY
LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND

WE'RE GONNA CROSS THAT LINE
GONNA LOSE OUR MINDS
WE'RE GONNA CROSS THAT LINE
OHH OOH OOH

IT USED TO BE YOU KNEW WHERE YOU STOOD
NIXON WAS EVIL MAKING LOVE WAS GOOD
I THINK MKULTRA IS MESSING WITH MY MIND

THEY GOT ME WALKING SIDEWAYS STUMBLING BLIND
ALL MY BELIEFS HAVE BEEN UNDERMINED
I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO BE CRUEL TO BE KIND

I'M GONNA CROSSE THAT LINE
I WANT TO LOSE MY MIND
YEA I'M GONNA CROSS THAT LINE
OOH OOH OOH

Transmedia Storytelling - our journey

2011-09-16T23:24:00.009-07:00

Ah, our next transmedia thriller novel. It's OK, I wasn't doing anything the next couple of years...

We began our second transmedia project - actually, it began a few months back. We're approaching this project a little differently, rather than explain the differences though, I will just explain what we're doing with the understanding that you, the reader, will know that it's different from last time. Except maybe for instances where I say, "we did this the same way last time."

We, oh yes... who are we? We are Enthrill Entertainment.

Here's how it all started...

Jeff Buick, calls me up - "I have the next story - our next transmedia project" - we meet shortly after and he shows us his blueprints for the story at the next board meeting.

The blueprints that Jeff has created are amazing, they show the various characters in vertical columns, as these columns descend, you see how the characters will interact with one another, how their story builds, the plot is plotted and the outcome is a question mark (for us, ...Jeff knows what's there). As a concept, it's a real strong story. As Jeff explains the story, you can visualize the characters in their settings - Jeff is a marvelous storyteller, it's moments like these that you sit back and go, wow!

The board asks questions and is intrigued by the story. A budget is agreed to for research and Jeff is off to spend time in the field, researching the locations where the story takes place. This takes him to London, Prague, Budapest, Pilzen (home of my favourite beer) and Boston. Research takes 6-8 weeks. I was fortunate enough to spend a few days in Boston with Jeff as he scouted locations for characters' homes, workplaces and interviewed locals. This experience gave me so much insight into the depth of research needed to pull together not only a believable story but one that is very, very real.

While research was being conducted, I was assembling the creative team that is to lead the project. From Francomedia, we have Christina Greenway, Dave Kromand, Colin Stange, Ryan Ferrier, Sandor Fekete and Dylan Nadon working alongside the Enthrill team to create an immersive storyworld. Our initial meetings yielded some tremendous ideas - some we will act on immediately, some will be scheduled and some will be dropped for various reasons.

The launch of our book is set for March 2013. This gives us plenty of time to create an interactive and immersive experience for people to engage with characters and elements of the story as well as participate in a large scale event.

Last weekend we reviewed the photos from Jeff's travels, each grouping of photos was associated with a particular character or an event from the story. We saw where the protagonist lives, works, works out, goes for lunch, dinner and drinks as well as some of the streets she walks down. This was the same for nearly every character. As we were going through the photos, you could imagine the character walking down the streets of Boston - it was so real.

I'm always careful about suggesting ideas while the narrative is still being written. I must remind myself that the writer tells the story, it's his creative vision that we are bringing to life. My worry is that by offering up suggestions and ideas during the writing is akin to a committee building a web site - I've seen a few of these disasters. The creative vision must come from one source, the author has fans that have come from his stories - it's his writing and narrative that is at the core of our entire project. Tampering with the foundation of the project risks everything - at what point do we remove the authors name from the book?

Our job as transmedia storytellers is to take the author's vision of the story and embellish, enhance and bring it to life, not to alter or change it. There's a reason we're working with a best-selling author, because he is a gifted storyteller and there's a reason he's working with our group - because we can bring it to life.

That being said, we are currently flushing out character bios, creating in-depth resumes for each and every character so that we can engage actors to portray them online and perhaps in film. We have launched a blog site that will play into the plot of the story - the blog was actually created by a character in the story.

So much of what we do is done in context. For instance, the blog I mentioned above. A character in the story, located in Hungry has launched this blog. How do we approach the design of this blog? What are the characters means for web production? In the timeline of the character, does he hire someone down the road to revamp the blog? What does the blog look like now, what will it look like as the narrative of the story lines up with the storyworld we have created? These are all questions we need to address in developing the characters blog.

Here's how we approached it: The character has little web development means, but enough to grab a template and get it going, after a few months of slowly gathering content on the site, he hires someone to update the look and functionality and it begins to gather content quicker. In this, he acquires a certain piece of content that sets the narrative in motion. The blog cannot look like we did it, it has to look like the character did it.

The design of everything in the storyworld must be within the context of the story and if created by characters must demonstrate and emulate their abilities and sense of style (or lack thereof). This is sometimes dangerous in attracting an audience, if the audience's first introduction to the story is a piece that has been designed by a character of ill means you risk them leaving the storyworld. This is a challenge for transmedia storytellers - how can we get the audience to understand the context in which elements of the storyworld are created?

We've got a lot more planned and I will do my best to update you on our progress throughout our journey.

Driving Song

2011-08-24T17:40:00.006-07:00

Every once in a while a song will catch me by surprise, first musically then lyrically. Tall Trees by Matt Mays and El Torpedo is one of those.

This was released about three years ago on the Terminal Romance album, the last album with El Torpedo as they have disbanded since. And, I'm not that much of a hipster that I won't admit I only discovered it a few weeks ago when I borrowed the CD from the Calgary Public Library. It's now on my list to buy.

I have other Matt Mays & El Torpedo's in my collection, they're good... and, Canadian to boot. I would classify most of their work as good driving music. Tall Trees, however, is in a class of it's own, this one is on par with Auberge by Chris Rea - the ultimate driving song in my books. (even though it's not included here)

Put yourself behind the wheel and give this one a listen.

Tall Trees
by Matt Mays & El Torpedo

Young leaf from the seed that was sewn,
Two hundred years in the ground
Tall trees hangin' over the road
Feels like... they're starin' me down

It's in the way that they sway
It's the feeling I get
They just don't want me around
Tall trees hangin' over the road
Feels like... they're starin' me down

Who's gonna love you when I'm gone?
Said the leaves to the limb
I'll get over you in a while
And find... somebody new in the spring
When the sun melts snow
And the water runs down
To where the long river flows
Can I lay with you, Jesse
In the grass tonight
And watch him grow

Think of the way things might have been
Gimme a ride downtown
Tall trees hangin' over the road
Feels like... they're starin' me down
Tall trees hangin' over the road
Feels like... they're starin' me down
Tall trees hangin' over the road
Feels like... they're starin' me down
They're starin' me down
They're starin' me down

Here's the official video.

Family Vacation 5, sponsored by Ford

2011-08-23T00:34:00.013-07:00

So, the verdict. After spending about 10 days with the Ford Explorer, what was my impression?

Keep in mind, I'm not an automotive writer for Road & Track and I'm not a Top Gear television host. Heck, I'm not even a professional reviewer. So, don't expect fancy, descriptive things describing things about stuff, OK? I'm just a blogger who happens to drive, was going on vacation at the time that a vehicle at Ford became available for review and nobody more qualified was available, so here it is, my review of the new Explorer.

Vehicle: Ford Explorer 2011
Hours: 51 hours driving (12 hours in a row was the longest stretch)
Distance: 3682 kilometers
Fuel Usage: Filled up 7 times at about $80 per fill (sorry, I never calculate fuel consumption... what's the point? ...you fill up, you use, you fill up, you use, why aggravate yourself by learning how much you're going through?)
Price as Tested: $50,300 including GST, as priced out at Ford

Things I liked:

Let me say that there was actually a lot that I liked, the items below were the highlights.

Drove nice - the ride was smooth and easy to handle, often times, I forgot I was driving a big truck. That says a lot when you look at miles of winding mountain roads we took this on over the past week. I would go so far as to say, that I'm not even sure how it handles on a straight away - we drove highway 99 in BC, a road that makes the journey to Tofino seem like a ride in Saskatchewan. The Explorer ate it up, like it was meant for these roads exclusively.

Air Conditioned Seats! - why the hell is this not standard on every vehicle in the world??? Well, it's not, so you'll have to buy the Explorer to get it (Lincolns do to). This simple little feature made my travels around Vancouver Island in 30 degree weather not only bearable, but enjoyable.

It's Silver - the Explorer we got was silver, this colour made it look clean even when it wasn't... I was quite amazed as we went down gravel roads, dirt roads and some rain - it looked like a shiny new vehicle all the time. Great curb appeal.

Roomy - we fit 5 people easily, along with 5 suitcases, 3 pillows, a brief case and some duffel bags. A 6th person would have meant a drastic reduction in luggage, the extra seat folded down to allow more cargo room. There is plenty of room for all passengers, the front compartment is immense - sitting in the driver seat I could nearly swing my left arm in a full circle - loads of space for the driver.

Decent power - I'm a guy, but I'm not one of them guys that has to look under the hood. In fact, the times when I do, I'm just checking for cleanliness. I don't know what I'm looking at, not any more, not since the engine compartment started filling up with computers. So, when I say the V6 had juice, I am assuming it was a V6 - it had a decent amount of power, it passed cars with not too much trouble at all. There is a hitch on the Explorer, but other than a tent trailer or a boat, I'm not sure how effective it would be with a large trailer - not on the inclines of highway 99 that is. If you're not looking to tow a 20+ foot trailer, this has plenty of punch for any driver.

Comfort - perhaps the most impressive attribute of the Explorer is the comfort, this was just plain comfortable to be in. I noticed little if any driver fatigue, and we had one 12 hour day on the road. The kids were behaved and quiet most of the journey, I suspect some of that was their comfort as well. Having been stuck on the highway for 4 hours, just a few weeks ago in my wife's Mercedes, I can attest that the Explorer has a much more comfortable drivers seat. In Canada, when many people have long commutes or do long distance driving, comfort is important.

Bright Lights - the hologen headlamps are really nice on the country roads at night, they are extremely bright and light up everything in their path. In fact, they are so good they make the high beams seem useless - there was little difference switching from the two, other than the height of the light stream. Very cool. I never turned on the fog lamps as we never experienced fog - I'm not one of those idiots that have fog lamps on all day long (I'm a different kind of idiot altogether, actually).

Rain Sensing Wipers - these worked great - I never had to touch a thing. Great feature.

Rear View Camera - OMG, this was a godsend. Typically, it takes time to get used to how a vehicle handles and it's size before you are really comfortable in backing up. The back up camera on the Explorer was absolutely amazing. It made backing into spots, getting out of tight places and clearing out of a parking lot seamless and effortless. A brilliant addition for the Explorer.

Aluminum Wheels - these are probably the best looking stock wheels that I have ever seen, they are very stylish and sleek and not just a giant logo - well done Ford.

Things I didn't like:

There was more that I liked than disliked, but the things that bugged me about this vehicle, bugged me a lot - most are electronic related.

Too big - it's not just Ford, it's every North American car manufacturer, they believe that building vehicles larger is better, the Explorer is guilty of this. If you strip away the gigantic body, you would be left with a relatively normal sized vehicle - it all seams so wasteful of materials and in excess. Sitting in the passenger seat, I feel as though the cockpit was designed specifically for the obese. Now, take that with a grain of salt, I'm a small car kinda guy.

Electric Seats - I can get that the passenger and driver have electric seats, but why do the two back rows? The addition of electric motors surely adds weight to the vehicle. In the case of the second row of seats, there was no advantage at all in having the seat slowly fold electrically over me pulling the lever and doing it manually - it was just a waste of parts in my mind. Don't get me started on the third row, I think the fact that this split seat was electric actually took away from the amount of cargo, and be careful putting in that cargo - I accidentally hit a button and crushed a bottle of water as there is no 'stop' button... yikes! I accidentally hit the buttons a few times and was thankful one of my children wasn't in the seats when they started performing furniture origami.

Mood lights (AKA Ambient Lighting) - the last part of our journey was driving at night, on came the interior mood lights - OMG. At night, the following lights come on: blue cup holder light rings, blue door handle lights, blue floor lights front and back. Aside from wondering why my feet need to be illuminated while I drive, I couldn't help but think this is was as cheesy as a muscle car on exhibition in some downtrodden shopping mall. This feature is cartoonish and amaturish, worst of all - how do you turn it off? At night, I like the inside of my vehicle dark, almost black, just a dimly lit speedo and I'm a happy guy - the inside of the Explorer at night looks like a Chuck E. Cheese in full swing. A 16 year old boy might think that it is cool, not sure if that's who they are targeting for purchase however.

Touch screens - who thought putting touch screens in a moving vehicle was a good idea? UGH!!! Ford used to have the best driver experience in their vehicles as far as I was concerned - buttons and knobs were designed well and you felt in control as you flipped switches and twisted dials. In fact, you didn't even have to look at them to know they were set right. The two display screens on either side of the speedo in combination with the main touch screen, steering column controls on both sides as well as the bottom touch screen are a mess and require you to take your eyes from the road every single time you adjust something. It's called Ford Touch and it's powered by Sync. Maybe it's just me, but I felt as though I was multi-tasking, not driving. It was like trying to manage Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Foursquare all at once. And, I know that Ford will say, use the voice activated feature... it's like calling Telus though, voice prompt after voice prompt... enough to make me want to veer into oncoming traffic. I'd don't want to talk to my car, I want to drive it. Put some buttons on the dash or something so I don't have to look down at the dashboard every time I want to change the speed of the air conditioning fan. I'd be curious as to the accident statistics for vehicles with this system in it - I felt it was too distracting. Luckily, my wife was right beside me, making sense of most of it and fixing the settings that I accidentally brushed against and changed.

Sync. The listening experience was anything but N'sync. I had a hunch that 'Powered by Microsoft' was a warning sticker and not a promotional badge. We connected the iPhone to Sync, only to have it unrecognized the second day and no way to re-boot the Bluetooth. So, we began using the USB plug in (hard to access BTW), this was great until the audio system did a scheduled maintenance and re-booted resulting in the USB no longer working. Luckily, the Bluetooth began working again - this happened a couple of times (back and forth from Bluetooth to USB) and was a pain to sort out before driving each time. It was not easy listening. It would have been easier to use my iPod. Maybe it works good with a Zune, but the rest of the world is using iPods, adapt. And, despite following the instructions, we were never able to upload the contact list to the system, making dialing by voice next to impossible unless we knew the number by heart.

Things I'm not sure about.

Keyless ignition - I don't get this at all, and it's not Ford or this vehicle per se - it's a lot of vehicles these days... it's not a convenient feature in my mind. The keyless entry is sometimes nice, having the car detect the keys on me and opening my door automatically was handy, but when everyone has to get in, you have to fumble for the key fob to allow access all around, which was most times for us. Keyless ignition is just awkward, and I know a lot of cars have this, it's nothing new - it bugs me on all cars... where do you put the key fob when you're driving? If you need it with you to start the car, where's the convenience? ...not having to turn a key?

Adaptive Cruise Control - the Explorer features cruise control that measures the gap between the car ahead of you and provides acceleration and applies breaks to maintain the distance. This is a neat feature and I quite liked it on two lane highways, it worked great in that instance. However, on four lane divided highways, just plain old cruise control would be preferred. This stopped working when our sensor was blocked while overtaking a car - we were made aware of this with many beeps and alarms, not what you want to hear as you approach oncoming traffic with a head of steam. The rain must have cleared the sensor because it began working again about an hour later.

Active Park Assist - I just don't understand this feature, if you can't park the vehicle yourself, perhaps driving ain't your thing, man.

Who should buy one?

Big families. Loading the kids up for soccer or hockey would be great in all conditions - waiting in the vehicle for practices to end would be comfortable as well. Big people. If you are a big person, you will be comfortable in this. I'm not small by any stretch, but I felt tiny driving the Explorer - more than enough room for the driver and passenger. Travelers. If you travel a great deal, eating up the nations roadways, you will be comfortable in this cruiser - it would serve you nicely all year round.

The bottomline.

This was a fun and comfortable vehicle to drive and I would even go so far as to recommend the Explorer to families as a reliable daily vehicle... a much better alternative to the minivan. If you are interested in test driving one, which I recommend you should - find the dealer nearest you and go drive it for yourself. Visit the Ford Explorer site here.

For me, there's a few too many gizmos to feel completely at home in the Explorer and it's a bit too big for my driveway, otherwise for the price, it's a lot of vehicle. Last summer, I drove a Vauxhall Insignia around the UK for three weeks putting some 4500 kms on it and I couldn't wait to ditch it at the airport, partly because I was heading home, but mostly because it was poorly made and had no power - a complete opposite to the Explorer.

In the first post, I mentioned that I was a Ford man... you may ask if I am still a Ford man? Absolutely, the Explorer is a quality truck and a great family vehicle, Ford will continue to be on the top of my list of vehicle manufacturers.

Family Vacation 4, sponsored by Ford

2011-08-23T00:01:00.005-07:00

So where did I leave off? I think it was mid-week last week... we've done a fair bit of travel since then. And, as I sit comfortably at my home computer, I can reflect back on the 51 hours I sat behind the wheel of the Ford Explorer as it guided me and my family some 3682 kilometers around British Columbia and Alberta.

We took good care of our Ford, showing it more pretty countryside in the last 10 days than some cars see in their entire lifetime. The Explorer got to travel on 4 ferries, visit 2 islands, 7 national parks in 2 provinces and 3 wineries. The journey was pretty smooth, I mean there were a few gravel roads, a dirt road and some wooden docks but for the most part, the highways were new and in great shape.

So, we went spelunking (that's caving for amateurs, folks) one day and found ourselves very far down the inside of a mountain. It was cool, both in temperature (8 degrees) and in it's awesomeness. We'd been in the White Scar Caves in England which are very impressive as they are much larger but they are very commercial and you follow a man made path the entire length of the well lit cave. In BC, you get a guide, a helmet with an LCD light and a waiver to sign. There's no trail other than the path that takes you to the entrance of this cave and that's 800 meters straight up.

The mouth of the cave has a large metal door that is bolted shut to keep out vandals. Right inside the door is a metal ladder that goes down some 20 feet, at which point you only have a small amount of natural light coming into the cave so it's lights on everybody. As we crawled over rocks we got to see some stalagmites, stalagtites, soda straws, cave bacon and all kinds of calcite formations - it was really neat to see these 'in the wild'. It didn't take more than a few steps before we could not see anything without the aid of our LCD lights - at one point the guide asked everyone to turn off their lights and wave their hands in front of their faces - it was completely black - a neat sensation. The province of BC has some of the best natural areas and I'm always impressed by their staff, our guide was from Pennsylvania and very knowledgeable - I'm not sure how BC finds these people, but keep up the good work.

The gravel road heading to Horne Lake where the caves were was no problem for the Explorer, it felt pretty natural.

We explored Vancouver Island, we saw a car show in Ladysmith, we saw a market and murals in Chemainus and we ventured over to Salt Spring Island for their market and to check out some properties... there are some beautiful places on the island(s).

Leaving our condo on Yellow Point road would have been sad if we had any time to reflect upon it - we had a ferry to catch, or miss as it were. Things are pretty relaxed on the island, "you miss this one, no worries, there's another one in just two hours...". Two hours in island time, if you're an islander, is like five minutes of our time. The are pretty relaxed, most don't reach the posted speed on the highways, they'll get there, eventually. What's the hurry?

So, we waited and waited until the ferry was ready for us to board. When we got to the mainland we headed up highway 99 to Whistler, where much of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games were held. Driving along the sunshine coast was interesting, a lot of tourists in rental cars unaccustomed to driving in North America make for an interesting switch from the island. Sure, they were slow, but they 'Stay to the right, except to pass'. A sign which is repeated every 3 kilometers or so, but get's ignored by nearly everyone. I have to say, islanders are actually pretty good drivers - on the mainland, as a whole, Canadians suck at driving. BC mainland drivers frustrate me to no end. They are consistently 10 kms under the speed limit until the passing lane comes up where they find the accelerator, making it nearly impossible to ever pass them in the short passing windows that get presented to you on windy mountain roads. Ugh.

Whistler is known for being expensive, but we actually experienced the opposite, our accommodation was under $100 (and really nice) and we got to see the Barenaked Ladies in the Olympic Plaza - a free concert! We stayed at the Listel Hotel, which boasts one of the top 10 restaurants in Canada... it's partway through a renovation, turning it into a boutique hotel - so far, so good.

The drive from Whistler to Cache Creek is absolutely breath-taking with gorgeous vistas at every turn, which there are a lot of (turns that is). There are some monster climbs that I expect would not be open during the winter months as they are hard very, very steep inclines and declines. The road goes up and down several times over quite a few passes. The Explorer handled it fine, but I wished I was driving it in my car with Deep Purple's Highway Star on repeat for 3 hours. If you ever get a chance to take highway 99 - do it. It was overcast today and rained off and on and it was still by far the prettiest road I have ever driven.

Whistler to Calgary. It's not a drive you want to do often, we were in the Explorer for about 12 hours. As I pointed out to my son, we could have flown to Europe. The ole Ford held it's end of the bargain and was solid mechanically, a smooth drive all the way. Electronically however, we had a few messages and errors appear as we drove...

1. It's close to an oil change, so that alert began coming up today over and over.
2. While passing a car, one of our sensors got blocked (rain? mud? leaf?) and made a heck of a lot of noise - the result was our collision sensor was no longer available to us. Oh well, we'll just have to rely on our other senses to see if we're involved in a collision.
3. At this same time, perhaps the same sensor, knocked out our cruise control as the sensor that detects distance no longer functioned and the cruise control relies on the distance of the car in front of you to work properly. This sucked because I was using the cruise control. After about an hour, it cleared and everything worked again...
4. Tire Flat - the sensor for one of the tires told us we had a flat, I inspected all tires and couldn't even find a low one. This message cleared when we restarted the car. We found a restart changed a few things from time to time, like the USB and Bluetooth availability.

Having an option to use just a regular cruise control or to turn off the gap sensor would be nice - it's a bit scary that the sensor would quit on you - especially if you are using the device as a way of monitoring your speed as I had been doing. Oh well.

From Kamloops to Field it rained quite steadily, the raindrops sounded nice on the large glass sunroof, but some sounded like we were in sitting in a tin can and had a funny twang to them - definitely some funny sounds.

We stopped in Banff for dinner then made our way home. It was a long day, but happy to be home.

Family Vacation 3, sponsored by Ford

2011-08-17T20:48:00.003-07:00

Driving around Vancouver Island with a large family is exactly what Ford had in mind when they designed the Ford Explorer. The narrow, winding roads seem to be built for this SUV, as you're driving it, you forget that you are not driving a car.

Today, we tested the automatic parking - I've never tried this in any car before, it was quite fun. Not sure if I did it all correctly, I did let it do all of the steering but I punched the breaks like I was startled by some prankster. If passersby weren't taken back by the car steering itself, I'm sure the look on my face was entertainment enough. Neat feature, although, I doubt I would use it. The back up cameras however, have become a staple in our travels.

On Monday we drove out to Tofino and Pacific Rim National Park - wow. This is truly a must see for anyone - the waves crashing into an all-natural beach that stretches for miles and miles and littered with driftwood, some the size of small cars. If it were situated in a warmer part of the world, it would be overrun with hotels and cheap souvenir shops. Tourist season does bring it's share of people to the region, in the thousands I'm sure, but it is so immense that you feel as though you are a discoverer from days gone by, finding it for the first time. The locals are a mix of naturalists, fishermen, hippies and surfers - all are friendly.

After beach combing and dipping our feet in the chilly waters, we headed inland to a Zip Line place. I'm not afraid to admit that I am a big yellow chicken when it comes to heights, so this was not an easy purchase. Well, I'm also cheap and zip lining is not exactly inexpensive when you've got a family of five. I sucked it up and we donned helmets and webbing, got onto an old logging bus and drove up the highway for a couple kilometers where we met our first platform.

If you've never zip lined before, it's not as bad as you might think it is. This one wasn't. I mean, we traveled over a narrow gorge with some 170 foot drops, covering 1.5 kilometers in the air in 6 zips. It took 2 hours and was amazing. My only regret was not filming some of it as the scenery and the gorges we went over were absolutely breath-taking. The kids ate it up and went flying down each zip upside down, without hands and giggling the entire way. Karen and I screamed and held on for our lives the entire way.

Tuesday we kicked back and relaxed at the condo, the kids played in the pool nearly all day and I attempted to tan my pasty white skin. At least the kids found success. In the late afternoon we headed up to Qualicum Beach to visit my cousin who is going to guitar building school there. We met up with him at the school, he gave us a tour of the workshop and explained how to build a guitar, it was quite fascinating.

We drove to Steve's house so he could get ready for dinner, at his place he showed us the two guitars he built - man, are they nice. You'd never know these were his first projects, they are flawless and play cleanly. We took him for dinner then walked along the beach as the sun set, it was a beautifully calm evening and the kids each found sand dollars.

Today, we went into Chemainus - a town famous for it's murals. Their weekly fair was on so we took advantage of the day to visit with local artisans and drop off some laundry. Some great shops in Chemainus, all owner operated and friendly to tourists.

We packed up our clean laundry into the Explorer and headed down to Cowichan Bay where we had ice cream and visited some more artists. It's not a Franco family vacation without a purchase of some art - we try to get a nice piece of original art from everywhere we go. This helps us remember our trips and keeps our closet void of t-shirts that we'll never wear.

Tomorrow we may journey to the Horne Lake Caves and do some spelunking.

Family Vacation 2, sponsored by Ford

2011-08-15T20:08:00.004-07:00

We hit the road, and apart from partly learning all the gizmos of the 2011 Ford Explorer, it was pretty smooth sailing to Vernon, BC. Stayed at the same hotel we stayed at 13 years prior when we took our 1 year old son through on his first vacation.

An early start to day two lead us to Kelowna where we had a quick visit with my cousin Tony and his family. I wished we had more time to catch up - they have a beautiful spot with a yard that makes us city folk question city living. We couldn't even fit their pool into our tiny yard. It must be great for their kids to grow up with so much space. Kelowna is a beautiful city when it's not full of us tourists - traffic leaving was very much city like.

The Explorer handles nicely on the highway and the city, it's a bit larger than what I'm used to driving, but it's not hard to get used to - the back up camera makes parking pretty seamless too. Unfortunately, the Sync wasn't syncing, the Bluetooth that took so long to set up on day 1 was nowhere to be found on day 2 - we tried calling Ford, but the mountains made any call more than 3 minutes hard to complete so we used the handy USB ports to plug in the tunes, a fully charged device at the end of the drive was a nice reward. The lack of Bluetooth means we no longer have hands-free calling however. Not a problem on holidays though.

We got to Tsawwassen in good time and put the Explorer on it's first boat ride. The kids quickly dispersed amongst the decks of the ship and were located in time to depart about an hour later when we reached Victoria. A hotel was quickly located and Karen and the kids quickly got their swimming trunks on and headed to the lobby only to find out that there was no pool in the hotel - this was very funny. Everyone got dressed and we headed to downtown Victoria and wandered down the shopping streets, very reminiscent of London and many of the 'touristy' places we've seen in our travels.

Victoria is very British in many ways, heck, they even sell Pimms here. We found a late night spot for dinner, West Coast Waffles - we had dessert for dinner. It's vacation so why not?

Everyone got up a bit later on Day 3, and we headed back down to the shopping district so that Matthew could re-create a moment from 2 years ago - buying a tuxedo t-shirt from the exact same place as he found one before. He loves his tux shirt, not because it's ironic, but because he believes he's actually dressed up. This makes me smile to no end - we found a joke store and bought the boys some fake moustaches, they are pretty authentic and matched their hair colour pretty good - Matthew with his cop moustache and tux shirt and Parker with a nicely sculpted handlebar moustache were ready to go hit the streets. They had people in stitches as we walked down the shopping district, us too.

After a very nice Mexican lunch, we headed north to our cabin on Yellow Point Road in the Cedars, just East of Ladysmith and South of Nanaimo. It's a cool spot, a group of about 40 condo units with a pool that overhangs the ocean. The winding road through the trees is beautiful with nicely kept cottages and homes tucked into the cedars and Arbutus trees. There is some rain, a few drops really, falling sporadically on the ground around me as I type this posting from the porch of our unit. There is no wifi and barely a cell signal - this annoys me now, but I will come to like it, I'm sure.

This evening, my wife and I took a little drive up the road to get some much needed supplies (beer) and found an English style pub along the way. It's called the Crow and Gate and has gorgeous gardens surrounding it. Other than not allowing patrons under the age of 19 into it, the place is very much like an English pub - we enjoyed a quick pint in the garden then headed back to watch a movie with the kids.

We've had to fill up for gas twice so far, the Explorer seems to be pretty good on gas despite my lead foot. Tomorrow we're going to head to Long Beach and Tofino or Nanaimo, depending on the weather. I'm hoping for Tofino so that I can test the Explorer on the winding mountain roads heading through the island on the way to the Pacific Ocean.

Good night.

Family Vacation, sponsored by Ford

2011-08-12T22:56:00.014-07:00

It was with some pause that I agreed to accept a 2011 Ford Explorer for use on our family vacation. You see, my wife just got a Mercedes diesel crossover that I was really looking forward to touring in. But, saving 3500 kms on our new vehicle was a pretty good incentive. So, I accepted and was asked to be honest in my evaluation. I will be.

I should point out that I have been a Ford man since I was a kid. You see, my grandfather worked for Ford and was the top seller in Canada for a few years, selling a car a day on average for many years in a row. My first car was a 1968 Mercury Cougar and I've always been partial to the stylings of Ford, both inside and out. We got to pick up the Explorer from Universal Ford in Calgary - the dealership my grandfather worked for in the 60's, 70's and 80's. I might also point out that in 1989 or 1990, when the Explorer came out, I drooled over the brochure I picked up from the local Ford dealership for this new 'SUV' type vehicle as it really appealed to my lifestyle at that time.

So, although I am clearly biased in Ford's favour, my only comparison would be to my wife's car as it has a similar size and purpose. Both are 6 passenger and both are silver. It's kind of an apples and oranges comparison, so I'll try to keep that in mind to keep it fair.

First impressions.

The new exterior styling of the Explorer is bold and a bit boxy. Some feel it looks a bit Range Roverish, but there's no question in my mind, it's a Ford (that's a good thing in my books). The rear windows are designed to look like a wrap-around glass feature which really works to make the vehicle look sleek and reduces the curb presence... by today's American car standards, it's not a big vehicle, but to me, it's a big vehicle. You won't find many of these on British roadways, they won't fit. Overall, it's a nicely styled vehicle - it's a design that will sell very well.

Sitting inside the drivers seat of the Explorer, I feel as though the vehicle was designed for a much bigger frame than I have - I can't lean my arm on the door sill as I do on my car and my wife's crossover. In fact, I can almost swing my left arm, by my side, back and forth without hitting anything. There is a lot of room, and I like roominess, but this seems a bit wasted. The seats are very comfortable, in fact I would say that they are more comfortable than the Mercedes - having spent 8 hours in each vehicle over the past two weeks thanks to accidents and construction projects on our local highways.

THE FORD EXPLORER HAS AIR CONDITIONED SEATS!!!

Keep in mind, if you buy the vehicle, they will walk you through the options and you are likely to read the manual. We didn't. So, I'm not certain of the amount of options that the Explorer has, too many from a quick scan of the screens and amount of buttons available to the driver. I'll comment more on the buttons, touch screens and steering buttons later, after a few more days of use, right now all I can say is that I'm really confused - the hazard button/sensor switch will require a read in the manual to figure out how it works (I'm not even kidding).

THE FORD EXPLORER HAS AIR CONDITIONED SEATS!!!

Driving the Explorer is nice and easy, it's solid and capable. Going from diesel to gas I was expecting the engine to be quieter - which it is until you giv'er, then it's much noisier. The bark is worse than the bite though. Don't get me wrong, it's got enough power, but there's a lot of weight to move on this vehicle, it's not a sports car. What I'm saying is there's no worry of going 40km over by mistake in this vehicle (which would result in having your vehicle impounded for a few days in British Columbia and a couple thousand dollar fine) a genuine worry in my wife's ride.

THE FORD EXPLORER HAS AIR CONDITIONED SEATS!!!

The cruise control has a built in 'gap' feature which is designed to slow you down automatically so you don't creep in on the car in front of you. On the divided highway I really didn't like this feature as it slows you down automatically as you approach the car ahead of you. So, you don't keep your speed, you keep the speed of the car in front of you. This feature was really designed for single lane highways, and once i got used to it, I fell in love with it... but only on single lane highways. I know other vehicles have this but I was really impressed with how well it worked in the Explorer.

I'm not sure if I mentioned the air conditioned seats, but that is the greatest feature of all-time, my father and uncle both have Lincoln's which feature it as well - good on you Ford for extending this (I assume it's a simple feature) into your other models. If you are like me and like it cold, this is a must. They have the heated option too, but it's 30ºC so I'll go ahead and assume they work, without turning them on.

The kids really like the ride, there's plenty of room for them and loads of plug ins for their toys including a standard wall plug. This makes so much sense as every electronic device will plug into this without having to have an adaptor... this is another plus for Ford - an easy add-on and a smart one. I think there's a bit more storage in it than the Merc, it's very similar in cargo capacity.

It's a bit early to comment absolute on the Explorer, and I will probably change my tune on some of my comments above after driving it around over the next week. There are some things that I really like and others that I don't care for. These will change - at first I didn't like the turn signal, I still don't but I can see it was designed purposefully to do what it does the way that it does, so I'm willing to keep using it to find out if it's a better design than the previous version. There are many new design features like this - you can tell they were well thought out and I need a few days to figure them out to see if I really don't like them or if I just don't like change. Maybe I won't go back. A plus off the get go was the amber turn signals - these are proven to be safer than red signal lights, yet so many manufacturers cheap out on this simple safety feature, not Ford, well, not on this Explorer.

I'm looking forward to driving tomorrow, which I think speaks highly of the Explorer. I'll post more on our experience with it in a few days - so far, so good.

Bon voyage!

PS. it has A/C seats!

Bespoke Ebooks

2011-07-22T11:24:00.002-07:00

In a previous blog I said that printed books were nothing more than packaging for the story. And, ebooks are the exact same story, sans packaging. I touched on the challenge facing digital publishers is one of consumers perception that the digital asset is not highly valued. It is casual if not insouciant – a file is a commodity, and although the contents may be revered, guarded and even highly valued, the fact is it’s just a file. This lack of packaging in ebooks makes the negotiation of a profitable transaction a bit of an obstacle.

So, I explored a couple of ways that are being implemented currently to give ebooks a bit of ‘packaging’; transmedia and DRM. I’d like to expand a bit more on these and introduce a couple of other examples including our bespoke ebook.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m no fan of DRM, at least not in most of the forms we’ve been ‘treated’ to so far. Having said that, the social DRM, imprinting the purchasers’ personal information into the delivered file, seems to be one method that I can get behind. It offers little friction in the buying and reading process and puts the onus on the reader to not share it by way of an implied deterrent. I like this.

Transmedia storytelling is an area that I have been focusing on as a way to enhance the reading experience and add value – not just to the ebook but to the story overall. When I say transmedia storytelling, I’m talking about using several forms of media to TELL the same story – not to promote the story. This is a bit of a grey area however as readers experience a transmedia story, they will share it with others – so the experience of the story becomes the promotion.

I’ve heard the adding of video to a book being called transmedia. This is not correct. I think the term they struggle for is just simply, enhancement. And, there’s nothing wrong with enhancement – this is another form of packaging for the e-book and a necessary one in my opinion. Adding value to the content and giving a little more to the reader in return will be the key to accessing the readers’ wallet with greater success.

The way I see it, enhancements such as interviews with the author (video or audio), trailers and readings from the book are going to be commonplace among ebooks, if for the only reason to retail the ebook at or near par with the printed book. Without enhancements, I think it will get tougher and tougher to retail ebooks over the $10 mark in the coming years.

I think everyone can agree that book pricing is going to fluctuate over the next year as publishers try to find the sweet spot in the growing online store. Last year was a completely different shop for consumers than this year – titles are added in bulk everyday to the hoards of online selling points and the amount that readers can choose from, just in this last year has multiplied at alarming rates. Many of the publishing companies (for various reasons, mostly rights based) haven’t even begun to touch their backlist and OOP titles. All of which has to impact the price. Doesn’t it? The demand is increasing, but this increase is being outstripped by the supply.

There are some that have speculated a ‘Netflix’ model for books may be in the future for ebooks. I have to agree. Subscription based services are taking hold in music and video – why not books? Some find it hard to imagine it working, but think of it in terms of a book of the month club. For titles with no enhancements or ‘packaging’, I can see this being a good fit. This model is ideal for publishers and authors looking to connect with a potentially huge audience through their backlists. I was very hesitant of this type of model when I first heard it discussed, however the more I think of it – and the more I use Netflix – the more I see the potential for the book industry. It's not the 'solution', just another channel to sell content.

Of course the subscription model wouldn’t work for all ebooks, new releases would be excluded from this one would assume as would ebooks with ‘packaging’. Ebooks with packaging have more to offer and will be valued at a different level, by the authors, publishers, retailers and ultimately readers. I know this is a sales model, but the subscription model relates to packaging vs. non-packaging as it’s potential and possibilities illustrates clearly where ‘packaged’ ebooks and non’packaged’ ebooks would or wouldn’t fit.

So, what other ‘packaging’ methods are there? Bundling – putting an ebook together with a print book, pre-sales – pre-selling a much anticipated release, re-sales – for an additional fee, allowing ebook purchasers to re-sell the book (putting controls on the resale market) and how about special editions - multiple versions of the same story? These are all forms of packaging that ebooks can employ.

When we released One Child, our online story was slightly different than our printed book as it included small edits throughout to coincide with actual events that were happening in the world as the story was released in real time. This meant that you could buy the print book after reading online and get a slightly different experience – the story was the same, but some of the details were changed. This would be equivalent to the directors cut in the movie industry… a great way to connect with fans wallets on multiple occasions with the same story… How many versions of Star Wars are there? How many do you have at home? I know I’ve got a few… don’t even get me started on Lord of the Rings. So, are books any different? Right now the answer is mostly yes, but special editions are easy to do in ebooks… at least I think so.

But, what if every single reader got a different experience from the same book? What if every single book that was purchased was different? What if it was personalized for each reader of the book? That is some powerful digital ‘packaging’ on an ebook. Margaret Atwood touched on personalization and value at the TOC conference in February, on her last slide (a scan of an illustration she drew and coloured) - she asked the audience how much the image on the screen was worth on the internet (free?), how much was the original worth (a lot more?), what if she signed it (a hell of a lot more?). This interesting concept added fuel to the fire of my thoughts on digital asset valuation and what personalization adds to the mix.

Creating original content en masse has not really been thought of as a feasible venture. If something is personalized or customized, it’s typically a one-off, expensive and takes time to get/make. Creating digital content for one person at a time is possible… completely doable and we’re working on it.

Introducing the Bespoke Ebook.

I’d like to think that the next iteration of packaging, at least what we’re working towards is the bespoke model. Creating stories tailored for the reader, highly customized with reader input – creating one-off stories. This compliments the transmedia storytelling experience and is an area that we are exploring with great delight and enthusiasm. We have an opportunity to do something really different and creative with our next thriller novel and we’ll be looking at ways that offer a more immersive experience as well as a number of ways to promote and monetize the story. I don’t want to tip our hat too much, becauase we’re in the exploration phase right now and will likely do some testing before launching it publicly. Everyone is excited by the possibilities it has to offer, the business side likes the upside of having a ‘packaged’ product that could yield more dollars and the development team likes that fact that we’re breaking down new walls.

I’m looking forward to sharing information on this at the Books in Browsers Conference in October.

It's Called Transmedia?

2011-07-16T16:56:00.016-07:00

About 4 years ago, our creative team built a pretty fantastic little experience for potential gamers at a local gaming cafe. We created a story about a rogue agent and the ‘agency’ sought the help of new agents to locate his whereabouts. The new agents were recruited through social media (which was still somewhat new to many) and as they uncovered bits of clues and solved various challenges, which culminated with finding the GPS coordinates and timing of a live drop. Two weeks into this adventure, we learned that there was a name for our creation - we had created an ARG (alternate reality game).

As a creative firm that has always focused on creating 'experiences' for customers, we approached the task of promoting the opening of this LAN gaming center with an interactive and engaging game that the audience could immerse themselves in, get to know each other through helping one another solve challenges and ultimately lead them to the grand opening of this new gaming center. This just seemed to make sense for the audience we were trying to attract and engage with, so we did it. It was all very organic how it fell into place.

When it was all said and done, our local 'game' or ARG as we came to call it, garnered more of an international crowd, we had participation from the four corners of our planet. And, any hardcore ARG player can tell you where those corners are. We had a few local players though which became the establishments' first 'regulars'. Even though this was done years ago, it still gives this gaming facility street cred with new gamers - at the end of the day, it was the perfect launch for this company, they have built a foundation for their business designed specifically for gamers.

As I said, creating experiences is where our strengths lie. Previous to this small ARG, we developed the packaging for VoodooPC, a luxury computer company that has since been acquired by Hewlett Packard. We created an experience for their extremely loyal following of A list clients that centered around the opening their very expensive and sought after custom built computer - this included sight, sound, touch, smell and taste... all five senses. About a year after producing these, someone, somewhere coined the term 'Out Of Box Experience' or OOBE, which we were delighted to learn as we didn't know what to call it, we just create immersive experiences. We continue to push the envelope with OOBE design for others.

Last year, I co-founded a new publishing company called Enthrill Entertainment, our mission; to engage, to enlighten and to entertain. We all saw digital publishing as having enormous potential for taking a written narrative to new levels of engagement and immersion. We began planning an ARG for Jeff Buick's latest thriller novel called One Child. The deeper we got into the planning the more evident it was that an ARG wasn't right for the audience of thriller novels. We still wanted to immerse the audience in the narrative of the story and give them something more than 400 printed pages of text. We set out to engage the reader in new ways and hoped to capitalize on the advancements that new e-readers could offer.

While planning the immersive experience for the book, news of Apple's new device, the iPad, was making headlines so we began looking at it from a completely different perspective. What if every reader had an iPad? How would we engage them? Looking at all that the iPad could offer we started planning our story. So, we created an immersive reading experience or story world, complete with a cast of 'real-life' characters and lots of online content.

Trying to describe what we were doing before it hit the streets was difficult, we didn't have anything to go by, there was nothing to compare it to. After about a week into our launch we learned that the word transmedia applied to what we had created - cool, we had something to call it!

Just because we had a name didn't help us communicate what we'd done any better to people who didn't the know the genré. Most people, unless they experienced it firsthand had difficulty in understanding what it was about. Of course, a lot of people, after seeing it firsthand became immediate fans or were excited by what now could be done with a narrative.

Some of the interesting elements from One Child:

Released in real time over 30 days, live as the story unfolded on a fully customized browser based e-reader, making it available on any device with a browser.
Readers who pre-subscribed to the story were sent postcards from characters in the story, some of these made their way online in discussion groups and forums.
Characters in the story 'lived' online, with facebook profiles, tweeting, blogging and networking on Linkedin - 27 social media profiles were managed 24/7 over the course of the 30 day release... you could 'friend' a character on Facebook and gain access to their vacation photos and more. Many of the characters were managed by Kristin Reilly, AKA Batgirl, a professional gamer and social media maven.
The companies that the characters worked at had web sites with some interesting abilities, you could phone and leave messages for one character and get a returned call.
Each new day of the story began with morning news being broadcast from a fictitious radio station merging actual news of the day with pieces from the story. Radio broadcasts written, voiced and produced hours before release for 3o days.
Songs from the books soundtrack were released in the browser based reader as they fell inline with the content, in context and helping to set the mood for the story as it unfolded - songs were written by Rick Plester of Black Symphony.
Four scenes from the book were filmed by an award winning production company with the video content embedded in the enhanced iPad version of the story as well as reside in other versions of the book.
Facebook was used as a discussion platform for the readers, most of which were women and over 40 years old (a good call on not pursuing the ARG, eh?).
Nearly 100 people worked on the project.

Even today, it’s hard to describe exactly what we've done without the aid of a white board. Diagrams help, they really do. A video presentation is in the works. We used transmedia to tell the story and to provide additional depth to characters and plot. Some in the transmedia space get it and know what we’ve done, which is really cool. I've always approached my work on this project with an open attitude and will share nearly everything I’ve learned along the way in hopes that these types of storytelling techniques get tried more and refined as the industry progresses. It’s my firm belief that all of us in this industry need to work just as hard at creating awareness of the genré or transmedia category as we do on our own projects. Creating compelling and entertaining content ain’t worth shit if there isn’t an audience. If they don’t know it’s available, how can they ask for it?

It's been a full year since releasing One Child live followed by printed book and ebook and we're still getting comments from people just discovering the property - luckily, we had the foresight that the content would have to live forever and have set up all external elements of the story in such a way so that we have control of the content always. Keeping in mind that for someone to enjoy the full experience five years from now, the content must be time-appropriate so a reader can go through and get the same experience as if it were happening, we’ve set up as much as we could to unfold chronologically for the reader. Now, nothing beat the live roll out, but future readers will also be treated to a near full experience, and with the time frame of the narrative set in the past, it helps puts the additional content in perspective... making it even more believable.

The mixing of fact and fiction in our radio broadcasts combined with the realism of the characters and storyworld had many people wondering what was real and what was made up. Reactions from readers was overwhelmingly positive, as were the reviews from professional reviewers and the media - we achieved our goal of creating an immersive experience for readers. At the heart of all the transmedia was a great story, which always helps.

To be transmedia or not to be transmedia - the discussion around the naming of this genre we’ve found space in is confusing. There’s arguments over different delivery methods and how it should be labeled, the ambiguity of the term itself begs for some whittling before we have anything the public is going to ask for, by name anyways. Quite frankly, I'm not too hung up on it, I think it's kind of funny - I mean, we all know what a story is whether it gets told on TV, in a book or in a movie. It's still a story. Someday maybe the word transmedia will have that same luxury.

For me, well I’m just going to keep creating immersive experiences for brands, for products and for books. Call it whatever you like but me and my team will continue to follow our hearts, tell stories and create things we don't know the names of yet.

The Product is the Package

2011-07-03T11:16:00.032-07:00

Much has been talked about the publishing industry; the impending downfall of print books, ebook pricing, DRM and so much more, ...so much, that I am reluctant to even add my two cents. Regardless (or irregardless as I sometimes like to say), here is my humble opinion on some of the issues facing the industry.

First, let me clearly state my bias; I am digital publisher with a focus on transmedia storytelling and distributor of digital content. I believe strongly that, barring some global internet shortage, digital is the future of everything... it just needs some sorting out still.

Now, I'm also of the age where I have a massive collection of vinyl, which I still listen to regularly while working in my office (when there's nobody else here). I also have a pretty good collection of first edition print books from each of my favourite authors. So, I have more than an appreciation for analog formats, I still engage with them regularly.

This engagement and tangible experience is why I don’t see print books ever dying. But, I think their sales will decline gradually over the next 5 years as ebooks continue to take off and erode the print market. This will see a rise in exclusive print runs, special editions and fewer and fewer titles seeing any ink at all.

So, what’s the matter with a decline in pulp and an increase in 1’s and 0’s it’s just a trade off, right? Well, no. As this transition takes place, millions of sales dollars are at stake and all traditional publishers are in the same boat. At this time, consumers don’t see ebooks as having the same value as printed books – but it’s the same product, isn’t it? Well, no. Consumers perceive digital assets as having a very low value which is a huge obstacle when selling them something such as an ebook.

I suppose if we can increase a readers’ perception of value we could maintain a price level on ebooks that offers a sustainable environment for publishing as well. Sure, but to do this, we need to really understand what we’re selling and demonstrate to readers a tangible experience worth paying for.

When you break it down, books are nothing more than packaging. No product is. Now, the publisher and author will tell you, ‘the content is what you're buying, not the packaging’. I say this is dead wrong. Most are under the assumption that the packaging is what the content resides in, and while technically that’s true, without the packaging, there’s not much left to sell or for the consumer to connect and engage with other than maybe 95,000 words, and that can be saved as a .txt file.

If 20 years in marketing consumer products and brands has taught me anything, it's that people buy packaging. Sure, some will argue this, including consumers themselves, but in the end this is what it comes down to... people buy packaging.

And, what exactly is packaging?

It's the wrapper, the container, the vessel that the content is presented in. My definition of packaging is a little more vast than that of perhaps a dictionary, or well, you. But, packaging to me includes many things and encompasses everything you are trading your hard earned dollars for. Good product packaging should include some sort of tangible remnant or an artifact of the product and/or allow you to engage with the product, offering you an experience that you associate with that product.

While listening to a good old-fashioned record, I can read the liner notes and marvel at the cover art – this is packaging at it’s best. The better sound quality and this visceral, visual, tangible packaging experience is why artists and record companies are releasing on vinyl again… there’s a premium price attached, but it’s well worth it.

Having just paid $40.00 for the new, beautifully designed Strokes 10 song LP – the packaging was beautiful and the experience of opening it, handling it and engaging with it while it plays is worth every penny spent. Now, as a digital album, it’s $9.99 – same songs, but there’s no further experience or added value… just listenting. It’s priced right. Heck, at .99¢ a song and I’ll probably pick that version up too so I can listen to it in the car.

For 4 times the price, the music publisher has offered me an experience by creating packaging around the digital asset. (and, don’t for a minute think this wasn’t digital first, just as books are typed into a digital environment, then typeset and printed analog in a book, so too is music). The wrapper or packaging of the digital product is where the perceived value is for the consumer.

In the case of the good old print book, the packaging was done in the form of subtle, beautifully designed text, printed on crisp, porous papers that were easy on the eyes but spoke of quality and importance. This was further packaged with stitched eight page signatures and set into a hard back cover, the linen stretched taut, folded and glued with precision - so much so that the average reader didn't give the construction of it a second thought - it just came that way, it was perfectly bound and solid. The linen was hot foil stamped with the title and author's name. Then this is all finished with a gloss-laminated dust-jacket with embossed text and a perforated price tag inside the fold. I think you get the picture, when you fork over $38.00 for this book, it's not for the 95,000 words inside, it's for the packaging.

Without this packaging, what are those words worth?

Surely there is a price to be paid for something that someone has spend so many hours creating. A team of people were involved in the creation of the digital asset, surely their time is worth something. Unfortunate as it is, if the consumer can’t see it they have challenges understanding it’s value.

In the case of ebooks, there is no packaging. Or, rather the packaging that does exist is 'owned' by the digital reader or store front, and that has little to do with the publisher or author. It also has little to do with the reader and the experience with the product is controlled by the retailer or the device, who has varied interests in your experience outside of the text you are reading. In essence, the retailer and devices own the packaging through the digital storefront – your enjoyment and experience is secondary to volume.

So, if this is the case, if it’s true that consumers buy packaging and not the product itself, and what little packaging exists is controlled by the retailer and device, how do you go about pricing something with no packaging, if packaging is what the consumer has been indoctrinated into purchasing?

Consumers expectations sans-packaging are low, which is why digital content has suffered the label of being worth less, but not worthless. They still want the product, they’ll even pay for it, but not at a premium. ‘It's just a digital asset – what can it be worth?’ We've all heard this. Most of us have seen what 95,000 words looks like in a .doc file, some of us have put them there. Take the time spent typing all those words away and what do you have? All you have is text that can be copied and pasted like a funny image on the web, it’s void of value – until you introduce experience and packaging.

The same goes for any digital asset. We need to be inventive to create experiences around digital products to make money with them.

Digital assets are all the same; we used to purchase Lettraset sheets, sometimes hundreds of them for specific client fonts. There was value inherent each time you rubbed out a letter. Fonts used to be packaged – now, you just select a different font from your toolbar. The end product is the same, the experience is different, less valued. Ergo, in the consumers mind, it should be priced less.

In Apple's App Store, the Apps range from free to $899. The device is the packaging, you experience each app though it and the varying degrees at which the software manipulates and displays the data… or slingshots birds. The point is that you are constantly interacting and engaging with this digital asset and that’s the where the perceived value is. This is similar to cloud based apps – maybe you remember when software was packaged in a box with instructions and a CD or two, you may also remember, there was a much higher retail price.

I think you get the point – the product is the package.

Until this issue of packaging gets resolved, publishers have been willing to look at many ways to maintain a price that defies perceived value on the digital asset they call ebooks. They crave a price that is closer to the heavily packaged print book.

Two ways that have been explored by publishers and debated endlessly are DRM and Enhanced ebooks.

Personally, I’m not a fan of DRM, I feel it undermines the trust the author and publisher have with the reader and quite frankly, I’ve paid for my product (or packaging) and I’ll do with it as I please. Jumping through hoops to access content or restricting access to devices does not make for that same carefree enjoyment and experience you get with a physical product. I know why publishers want DRM on their products, but I would rather see them incorporate some ‘packaging’.

I need to applaud the Pottermore project for bringing ‘social DRM’ into the spotlight, a process where the readers personal information is embedded into the product as a way to prevent copy – this is a far less intrusive and acceptable form of protection than anything I have seen so far.

The other method employed by publishers to create more value on their ebook properties is enhanced versions. Enhancements come in various forms, from the inclusion of video or audio and web links or a full on transmedia experience. Enhancement is where I think publishers need to focus their attention. This is as close to ‘packaging’ as you’re going to get in the digital space – creating experiences around the 95,000 words demonstrates value and commands a higher price.

My company has decided to focus on the transmedia storytelling side of things, and with my background in consumer packaging and brand experiences, we should be able to create that elusive engagement with the reader, providing some tangible experience that they will want to explore again and again.

At the end of the day, consumers want to feel good about the purchases they made and purchasing things makes them happy. Packaging is validation of money well spent.

Packaged in this blog, what do you value my 1791 words at?

app vs. epub

2011-06-23T11:33:00.005-07:00

Since this keeps coming up in discussions and in questions with people, I thought I just post a few quick thoughts on apps vs. epub as formats to produce your book.

Both formats are solid and can do a lot of the same things, it really comes down to what you want to do with it and how you want to market it. 'It' meaning, your book. Marketing an ePub is different than marketing an app - I may go into greater depth on this in another posting, this one will be short and sweet.

Typically, apps cost more to produce... or at least have in the past. With ePub3 and all that html5 has to offer, you can do some damage to any sized budget with either format!

Approach your decision like this: If your audience would consider your project a 'book' more than an app, it may be best to build it in ePub so that it resides on the users bookshelf. Storing books together makes sense and is easier for the user to find your content.

You may also want to ask yourself, is it a consumable or a legacy product. So, will people read it once and forget about it or will they want to come back to it time and time again. If the latter is the case then an app may be better for you as you can update the app over time, whereas epubs, once delivered, are pretty much done.

Apps allow for in-game purchasing, which is something that isn't quite there with ePubs, or at least not in conjunction with all devices that ePubs run on.

You may also want to consider your audience. Producing an app for Mac OS only sells to that group, you will need to build another app to go after the 'others' in that space. An ePub is good for nearly every reading device, including desktops, laptops and smart phones. So, it's a bit more versatile.

Some non-fiction titles are beautiful apps - check out Elements - it is a work of art, but I would consider to be a coffee table book if it were printed.... maybe that's the type of titles that should go app - coffee table books?

My personal opinion is one that favours curation... I like to put my books on the shelf and see their covers... or someday when I have enough, ...spines. The universal use of ePub files is also attractive, meaning I only have to build it once.

I know it's short, but it's not really that difficult. It really comes down to what you want to do with it.

Etymologists Agree, Muse is Music

2011-06-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

What I do for a living often involves creative problem solving. This means the variables, the problems and the stakeholders for the projects I work on are quite diverse. I have worked with a very eclectic mix of clients too. I wouldn't have it any other way, to focus in one area would bore me to tears. I need to always be learning. Doing something that I've never done before is how I've spent the last 20 years of my career.

A smart businessman and friend once told me, always hire people that are smarter than you - so, I've surrounded myself with some amazingly talented people and they too have thrived on the varied projects that have come through our small shops' door. Some projects are bigger, more complex than others and that's when everyone really shines - in collaboration.

Sometimes however, we need to work alone on certain elements of a project, this often involves reflection, ideation and research - thought is critical. This can be tough to do in a busy office, even when it's quiet.

Then, there are times when the excitement of the project or the thrill of the chase isn't enough and you find yourself bogged down with the details of a very large project and facing a hurdle.

It's these times when I seem to look to music to motivate and guide me.

Music clears my head, sets me up for creative thought and helps me focus, puts me in the right frame of mind for a specific task - even when it's loud. More often than not, I find myself playing the same song or artist over and over again. I set my player (sometimes vinyl, sometimes not) on repeat and I don't get tired of it until I'm through my problem.

Music is my inspiration, my muse.

It may be that through music I am able to block out all other distractions. The motion, beat and melody carries me, elevates me to a place where I can concentrate on one task or problem solely and give me that elusive 30,000 ft view needed for objective analysis. This view gives me multiple angles.

Some songs are so perfectly crafted and original that they amaze me, they are pure genius. I have a wide variety of tastes in music and I know that not all songs or artists are worthy of being put on repeat, not while I work that is. Not to say they're not good songs, just that not all songs have that certain 'mojo' that takes me to that special creative space. These songs are hard to discover.

I began this practice of listening to music when my job involved a lot of design - as a designer, I would select a song or artist based on the audience that I was targeting and that would help me 'get inside the heads' of the end customer and design to their expectation. Like selecting a typeface, the selection of the right song is critical as it helps me better analyze the target audience, the people that are going to see the piece.

A sampling of the artists that have created a song or songs that I have listened to repeatedly while working on a project are as follows (no particular order):

Warren Zevon, Blue Oyster Cult, Widespread Panic, Johnny Cash, Ian Tyson, John Hiatt, John Prine, Judas Priest, Old Reliable, Five Blind Boys from Alabama, Iron Maiden, Kaiser Chiefs, Cheap Trick, Kenny Rogers, Gay Delorme, Ray Charles, Bourne & McLeod, Wilco, Richard Thompson, NRBQ, Frank Zappa, Gram Parsons, Len Price 3, Flying Burrito Brothers, Sex Pistols, Deep Purple, BB King, Louis Prima, Robert Cray, Nanci Griffiths, Kinematic, Taj Mahal, Franz Ferdinand, Lyle Lovett, Pigeon Detectives, Flogging Molly, and a few others.

My two favourite bands are not listed above as I've never listened to them while designing or working on a project for others. If you want to design something for me, do it while listening to the Rolling Stones or the Who - you'll likely come up with something that would appeal to me.

Any work being done for others needs to be taylored to suit the audience it is intended for and in my experience, there's no better way to do this than through 'their' music. It sets the stage for a role reversal, putting you in the shoes of your audience which is where you need to be if you're going to produce good work.

Even though I don't do much design work these days, I still find that music helps me focus, helps me be productive and on target for who I'm doing work for.

Going to eleven is always an option - thank you Spinal Tap.

Addio, mi mancherai Nonno

2011-05-21T10:07:00.005-07:00

Losing a loved one is never easy, there's no circumstance that lessens the blow. One minute you have them in your life and the next you don't.

On Thursday night, we lost the patriarch of the Franco family, Paolo Franco.

To many he was the man who sponsored their immigration and helped them adjust to life in Canada, getting them jobs and putting them up in his home; to some he was the one who bailed them out of jail which led to him helping to change the laws so that you can make home-made wine; to others he was the conduit to the old country hosting parties and sending the proceeds back to his home town of Sepino, a farming community in Italy; to a few he was father; to me and my children he was Nonno.

We had four generations sitting at the dinner table on Sundays for a very long time. These family gatherings are more than just going out for dinner, they are not sporadic occasions, for the Franco family – they are the norm. It's what we do, it's a part of our family. Everyone has busy lives and things to do, but even when it's hard to find time to do simple chores, there's always time for a big family dinner. Spending time with one another sharing ideas, celebrating events, cooking, laughing, telling stories and just being there to offer help whenever needed is what makes us a family.

Paolo touched the lives of everyone around him, it's not uncommon for me to hear, "How's your grandfather?" in many of the Italian owned businesses that I visit. He was adored by more than just his family.

He doted over his nine grandchildren and his five great grandchildren and took great pride in watching us all grow up. Family was everything to him.

Two years ago my Nonna left us and I remember thinking at that time, how fortunate we were to have grandparents around for that long. As my Nonno & Nonna grew older, so grew the number of those that loved and cared for them.

The funeral service is in a couple of days, and I find myself trying to pack a lifetime of memories into a succinct and fitting tribute. No words seem good enough and every fond memory is trumped by the next. I will miss my Nonno.

Obituary

Class to Mass, a luxury brand degradation tale

2011-04-25T09:39:00.001-07:00

Having spent a great deal of my career in brand building and marketing, I've learned that there are some steadfast rules when it comes to creating a brand, or at least I thought so. Over the last decade, there's been a shift; it seems as though the rules no longer apply.

I suppose what astonishes me is the success of some brands - they seem to be flourishing by defying the very definition of themselves.

Good brands are born out of ingenuity, design and quality - I say they are born, but we all know it's more scientific than that, perhaps created, invented, formulated and planned would be more apropos. Being unique or the best at something often times is enough of a foundation for a good brand and that's where the planning begins. In creating a business, one ensures there is a demand, this is not always the case for a brand - some of the best brands in the world were the first of their kind... they created the category.

A good brand creates demand. A luxury brand creates more than that.

I have done some work on luxury brands, a category unto itself - marketed much differently than any other brands. Luxury brands introduce a complexity of psychological elements such as conspicuous and invidious consumption, aspirational marketing and status. It's all very heady, actually, as a marketer, it draws you in until it's all quite obvious as to how it works.

Never have the rules of marketing applied more than in luxury brand marketing. You used to be able to tell a luxury brand by the sheer fact that it was exclusive and inaccessible to the average consumer... inaccessible, by location and by price.

A true luxury brand should be something that is unattainable to all but a few that can afford it, all others aspire to own these products. This is what's called 'craving', a mindset luxury marketers try to create amongst consumers that can't purchase their product. Craving a luxury brand furthers the desire amongst other consumers. The more consumers crave a brand that they can't have the more that brand is elevated to a sought-after luxury brand.

A very good example of this is Ferrari; everyone wants one, people wear their products, play with their toys and hang their posters - but most people can't afford one, will never afford one... ever. Does this stop the craving? Absolutely not, millions of people having aspirations to own one is exactly what causes those who can afford one to purchase one. There is an appreciation of quality and design that transcends ownership but is inherent in the brand. This means that ownership of a Ferrari is really telling people that you are special - if for the only reason, because you can afford a Ferrari.

So, with that rule firmly embossed into the fabric of luxury branding, why are so many luxury products ignoring it? And, how do they continue to be successful at it? Are they still true luxury brands at all?

We've seen a shift from these luxury brands being unattainable to being not only being attainable, but on every corner. There was a time that you used to have to go to Paris to buy Louis Vuitton and New York to buy a Coach handbag. Now, luxury retail has gone from the manufacturer with a flagship location to select locations in wealthy shopping areas to the mass market by way of strip malls and shopping centres everywhere. You can get a Coach handbag as easily as a Starbucks coffee, and for nearly the same price. Coach has made their product more accessible than many lesser-priced brands.

Finding luxury brands is more common than uncommon. Let me remind you that being common is not what makes a luxury brand. Yet, people are still buying them.

Rules, schmules.

The most common offender of this rule seems to be in fashion brands such as Coach, Burberry, Lush, Armani, TAG Hauer, Versacci, Luis Vuitton, Persol, Mont Blanc, Tiffany, Fendi, Chanel, Omega,... once all highly praised for their quality, craftsmanship and/or crave factor are now available in abundance in nearly every local mall. Some still hold onto the original brand attributes such as quality, some have even gotten even better in craftsmanship (ie. Lamborghini) but this class to mass shift has really taken the wind out of the exclusive sails.

Words like proletarian, erosion and dilution all come to mind. If everything is special, nothing is special. I mean, if Ferrari made a new model that sold for $25,000, they could sell millions of them. But, they would likely cease to sell $500,000 models as their brand would be eroded and diluted to the point where nobody would notice them, nor care about them. Ferrari's would become commonplace, nobody 'craves' commonplace, especially not commoners.

You no longer have to go to Paris, London, New York, Beverly Hills or Hong Kong. What was once unattainable for most is now commonplace, yet people are still falling over themselves, opening their faux Gucci wallets to spend excess amounts on items that are no longer considered unique by even the most generous of standards.

Luxury goods promote ones status, purchasing them validates the self importance of the consumer. However, some brands are so 'in your face' and gaudy their only purpose is to tell people you have that brand. (Thinking Ed Hardy now). This leads me to believe purchasing these products is more about keeping up with the Jones' and less to do with the status the brands bring. This is true invidious consumption and this is really disheartening as it speaks to just how shallow and selfish we have become as a society.

Quality, craftsmanship and price be dammned, my neighbor has it; I want it too.

As luxury brands move from class to mass, it will open the space for more specialized, even more exclusive brands to fill the void. I wouldn't be caught dead in a Ferrari if there were 4 others on the block... which is why the Bugatti Veyron makes so much sense. A whole new level of extravagant, lavish, creative and remarkable products will enter the 'exclusive' void and begin this whole process once again.

It's the circle of life - start saving up now.

Watch for my upcoming article: Brand Whores; Harley Davidson finally draws the line on logo placement... not.

Save Money on Books! (in Canada)

2011-03-18T07:41:00.016-07:00

With the Canadian dollar now eclipsing that of the US dollar in value it's time to capitalize on some opportunities.

Recently I was asked to review a book for one of my favourite marketing people, Guy Kawasaki. When I got to the end, I analyzed the book itself; the cover, the jacket, the feel... and then the price. Whaaaaa??

What astonished me was that on today's bookshelf, it was $6 more in Canadian funds... looking at an older book by the same author it was $11.50 more in Canada. As a Canadian, this has always bothered me, but now that our dollar is worth more, it's time to take advantage of this opportunity.

Here's how it works:

Go to the bank and exchange $100 CDN for $101.50 USD.
Go to your local bookstore and shop for books.
Pay with your newly acquired US currency.
You save 15 - 25% on the book and you have more money to spend!

Cool, eh? But it's not that easy, in fact, it doesn't work.

But why? Well, some Canadian book retailers and publishers have been ahead of the curve on this front. Putting stickers over the cover price with a 'Canadian Price' or 'New Price' - in many cases offering a lower price than even the US price.

This is great news for readers, especially Canadian ones, eh? I think so.

The US/Canadian pricing disparity stems from a combination of things, in fact, one top bookseller in Canada posts on their web site the following:

• We buy and sell books in Canadian dollars. We do not profit from a strengthened Canadian dollar.

• A majority of our suppliers are based in the US. These suppliers add an extra charge, sometimes 10-15% more, on items shipped to Canada due to the extra cost of doing business in Canada like freight, minimum wage etc.

Having first hand experience with printing, shipping, warehousing and distributing print books through our last title, I can assure you, there is an enormous cost in shipping and warehousing tied to print books.

I say, good on the Canadian retailers and publishers for recognizing this perceived issue with consumers, doing something about it and communicating it.

So, as a Canadian consumer, thanks to Canadian publishers and retailers, you can save money on books after all. Now get out there and buy some.

PS - For my image, I chose to go with a literal translation of the blog's title today... stock photography filling the role of obvious, once more.

My First Book Review - Enchantment

2011-03-08T10:23:00.002-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was approached by Guy Kawasaki to review his latest book, Enchantment. Now, I'm not a book reviewer, I'll get that out of the way right now as to lower your expectations on the posting you are about to (are) read(ing), so I was a bit confused about why my opinion on his book would be important or even necessary. Keep in mind, that Guy is not a friend, colleague nor family member, so to ask me to review the book was really a bit of a surprise. I'm a nobody.

As it turns out, my business blog is listed on Alltop, Mr. Kawasaki's web site that lists top blogs in various fields - Tales from the Expedition is a marketing blog and fit the bill to review a book on marketing.

But, to simply call Enchantment a marketing book would be foolish and unedu-macated. Enchantment is a book about being better, about being enchanting, about so much more than just marketing... having said that, it can all be applied to marketing. The fact that it's not just about marketing is why I believe this book will do very well - it's a book about business, relationships, marketing, leadership, sales and about being someone people will like and trust. It's about being enchanting.

I learned while reading Enchantment that approaching nobodies like myself (a lot of us actually), that the message of this book can be spread. Well, we'll see about that... I'm sure if Guy had access to our Google Analytics, he wouldn't have approached us to begin with (LOL). Also, after learning of Guy's passion for hockey, I had an obligation to review this - it's the dressing room code. With his passion in mind, I took my review copy to the site of the NHL's Heritage Classic, where my team was fortunate enough to play one afternoon following the big NHL game, for a quick photo (above) - hockey is also a passion of mine.

OK, so, here it goes, my first book review:

At first I was afraid I was petrified...

While reading the book I was overcome with the thought that the secret is out - thanks Guy for telling everyone, thanks for ruining what we had. Not to say I am enchanting myself, but Guy goes on to tell people, in point form and with some very good examples on how to be enchanting - some of these techniques I use myself (although, admittedly, I didn't know they were techniques until after I read the book). I was mortified that this information could get into the wrong hands and only calmed down after convincing myself that not all horses drink when lead to water. Even when the water is so easily presented, with the fences removed.

Also, when you consider that everyone has access to the secret eleven herbs and spices used by the colonel (thanks to the interweb) and nobody is making it, that tells me that the secret is still mostly safe. Mostly. You must consider that the internet doesn't give you point form, step by step instructions on how to perfect the recipe, not like this book does.

The tag line on the book says, "The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions" and holds true to this throughout. There are lessons learned, great examples, stories and illustrated points - explaining how to be enchanting. The onus is on the reader however, to implement the content from this book and become an enchanting person. Now, really, it can't be hard, it's practically an instruction manual - and I don't mean that in a negative way, I just mean that you can't mistake or misconstrue the information in this book - it's clear and well written. It just requires action on the readers part after reading it. Quite simple, really.

Advice like, 'apologizing is a sign of weakness', you know, the kind of advice that a father may bestow on his son while driving him to the monster truck rally, is not what you'll find in this book. The advice is real, it's genuine and Guy does an amazing job of tying it all together with some real world examples and sound rationale. You begin to see exactly why enchanting people are enchanting.

Now, I have read many business books, many stinkers, ...too many. In fact, I've read so many bad ones that I've pretty much narrowed down the field of who I listen to and take seriously to include just a handful of people who's opinions I respect and believe. I'm happy to say that Guy Kawasaki was on my shortlist, even before he approached me to review this book. I've read his other books - they're good, really good. This one is great. Enchantment is packed full of what seems to be Guy's secrets to success, it's like listening to your mentor impart their wisdom upon you. I actually felt better for reading it, like I had learned something useful. I had.

Unlike a Christopher Hitchen's book where it takes 200 pages to make a single point (no offense to Hitchen fans, but business books need to be succinct IMHO), Enchantment makes several points and explains an entire way of conducting oneself while coming in at just under 200 pages. It's light and easy-going in nature, but don't let that fool you - it packs a serious punch if you let it. I know that this is one book that will be read repeatedly by myself and recommended to trusted colleagues.

However, the icing on the cake was the last chapter, "How to Resist Enchantment" - this for me, was the clincher,... reading chapter after chapter on how to be enchanting, one begins to wonder what would happen if this information got into the wrong hands. Well, luckily, Mr. Kawasaki takes care of this with useful advice on how to be aware of and resist enchantment, or pseudo enchantment. This made me feel so much better. Thanks Guy.

OK, I guess this is the part where I sum it up and tell you to go buy the book. If you deal with people in any way shape or form, this is a must read book - buy it now.

Although I reviewed the hardcover of this book, I highly recommend the digital version, why? Read the book, you'll understand.

You get what you pay for

2011-02-01T22:59:00.012-07:00

There is much discussion surrounding the possible change to Canada's internet billing; enabling ISP's (Internet Service Providers) to charge users by how much they use... Usage-Based Billing.

Normally, I'm all for most user pay systems, but not in this case.

The internet has become much more than just entertainment, it is our library, our information repository, our connection to friends, family and culture, the web has become indispensable.

Access to the internet is not a luxury, nor a flippant add-on to a busy day, it has become our day.

As a consumer, you use the internet to shop, learn and communicate thoughts and even help others - it's no longer just an encyclopedia with 'buy' buttons, its a meeting point for ideas and commerce.

And, this access is as important to business as it is to the consumer. In a pay for what you use system, businesses would have even more trouble luring potential customers into their web space - if you're paying per megabyte, you may consider twice before clicking on a link to an interesting sounding web site, you may hesitate on clicking that ad, no matter how compelling it is. Who knows what it will cost you when you land on a media rich site... and sit through a useless splash screen before entering a site. This will effect businesses in a very big way.

The increase in entertainment and the demand on bandwidth has really help make this an issue - it was bound to happen, as more and more of what we do and rely on becomes web based.

Just think of how many things you do that rely on the web now. I know that just between Netflix, Sony Playstation 3, Wii, 2 iPads and 2 desktops - the internet is continually being used in our house... not to mention all the iPods that are connected to wifi. But, does it really cost the ISP's that much to serve up this content? I mean, why has it taken them 16 years of offering this service to realize their business model is doesn't work... seems daft.

My bet is on the money grab theory. Whatever the reason behind this push; I encourage you to sign the petition posted here and hopefully we fill their inboxes with enough displeasure for the proposed new billing structure that they abandon it and go back to listening to Dire Straits.

I guess if it does come down to it and a pay by use system is initiated, our hope would be that it is deemed a necessary service and the ISP's become much more heavily regulated.

But, let's hope it doesn't come to that.

That's my two cents... just think, in the future, your two cents may only get you through the first paragraph of this post.

An Incredible Year!

2010-12-26T23:29:00.007-07:00

Wow - what a year! This has been, by far, the busiest I have ever been, and the busiest that Francomedia, my boutique creative company, has been... and if that wasn't busy enough, I went and co-founded another company, Enthrill Entertainment.

As I look back at 2010 and what was accomplished, I truly am amazed.

We started the year with a trip to Edmonton, Alberta for the Alberta Chambers of Commerce Business Awards, where Francomedia took home the Marketing Award of Distinction - most of our creative team made the journey to the capital city to help accept the award for Francomedia. The gala was fun, getting the trophy and closing down the casino with my staff was even more fun!

Winning this award was a real feather in the cap, as it is very prestigious. We were honored to be a part of it and especially to take home the hardware. The best part of it was we won for work we did for ourselves and every one of our team was involved in the creations that lead to the win.

Enthrill Entertainment was made official sometime in the spring, we formed it as a publishing company and hit the ground running. Without a clue as to how a publishing company works, we made a few mistakes along the way, but we learned we could do something that none of the publishers could do - write, produce and publish a fully interactive transmedia novel in 8 digital formats and one print version in under 5 months - start to finish. This alone is a unique ability that the established publishers cannot match and may be a big asset for us going forward, especially with current event content as part of our stories. Speed to market.

Creating the publishing industry's first transmedia thriller novel garnered lots of attention in the industry and even won us a Platinum Ava Award in the category of Web/New Media/Creativity. None of this could have been accomplished without such a dedicated team of professionals - my hat is off to everyone that helped pull this together.

Many of the things we created are now just being adopted, for instance - our web site in July had the ability to sell ebooks for every device - you select the device and the web site serves you the correct file - Amazon made a big announcement in October or November that they were doing this. We just thought it made sense so we did it.

Traveling to Edmonton at the start of the year turned out to be the first of many trips in 2010 - I also went to New York, the UK (95% vacation), San Francisco and Banff. This isn't much compared to some of my friends who are on the road over 200 days a year, but for me, this was a lot of travel. I suppose I am spoiled and have gotten accustomed to having people travel to meet with me, not the other way around... but, we're newbies, entering an old industry.

We've got some very ground-breaking ideas for 2011. Some that will launch in February - booksellers all over the world will be using our new system, that we are sure of. After attending the Books in Browsers conference at the Internet Archive in October, I came up with an idea that I believe will save many businesses and catapult ebooks into a whole new world. You will see more of this soon - and read about it in many places very soon. The BIB10 conference was amazing, so many very smart people in one room - they were gracious and open to new ideas, whereas the BEA conference we attended earlier in the year was found to be the complete opposite.

Hearing some of the top minds in the industry discuss the issues being faced resulted in me being up all night thinking and writing - then it came to me. And, it solves other issues facing support businesses and so much more. My only thought was that I couldn't be the first to think of this - after much search over several weeks I couldn't find anything. Anyways, we presented the idea to an independent book store and a publishing support company and both couldn't contain their excitement for the idea. Again... you'll see more on this soon.

This idea has consumed me the last 3 months, which is why I haven't been blogging - I just have nothing to say except for this project... I think of nothing else. So, that explains the last 3 months, what about the month before that?

We went to the UK for a family vacation in August-September which I posted blogs daily and when I returned from our 4 week excursion, I had a lot of catch up to do as well as prepare my presentation for the BIB10 conference, which I completely re-wrote the night before in an attempt to better serve the audience - in retrospect, I think I should have left it alone, it was much more polished. After that, I worked with the Banff Centre on a grant proposal on 21st century story telling - to work with a world class facility like that would be awesome and would allow our team to flex their creative muscle in very different ways.

The rest of my time was used up in negotiating new space for Francomedia, getting work done for our many clients and Enthrill board meetings where we ended up patenting one idea and registering some industrial designs while putting some clarity on what we'll be offering the publishing industry in 2011. Very cool stuff.

So, I have never been so excited to start a year... and can't wait for January to end so that we can present our newest idea to the book industry, move into our new office space and hopefully do some more traveling.

I Remember

2010-11-11T10:50:00.009-07:00

It's been over 24 years since I shaved my head and traded my civies for a uniform...

On March 22, 1986, I began my service with the 14th Service Battalion, or 14 SVC BN, in the Canadian Forces. I was in the militia, the part time army, weekend warriors. Even though I was in the reserves, many of my assignments were long term and not just on weekends - I spent several months in Saskatchewan.

In a service battalion, you are a support person - I trained as an Mobile Support Equipment Operator or MSE Op, that was my trade in the army, my designation, my job - I was a driver, if it had a steering wheel, I drove it.

As a driver in the military, you wait along with other drivers in the motor pool, you wait for an assignment. Waiting, and waiting, sometimes a day or two - very much like a fireman waiting in the station for a fire.

Assignments can be anything that involved you driving a vehicle... Sometimes an assignment would last several days, mostly they were for a few hours.

The best part of this particular trade was requesting vehicles for 'practice' and going out into the back woods of the bases to four wheel drive. Hey, there were guys back at the base that were trained to fix the vehicles, so we might as well keep them busy too, right? We managed to get air time on nearly every vehicle we touched.

I was fortunate that in the three years I wore a uniform, I never had to 'see any action', all of my assignments were fairly local. I have a huge amount of respect for any soldier that has to leave his/her home and put their life on the line to do their job.

Back in the 80's, soldiers weren't held in high regard, there certainly wasn't the love and respect today's soldiers are given. At the time, there was no immediate war, other than the cold war so Canada's involvement was that of a peacekeeping one in various hot spots around the globe. I was cool with that, I thought of myself as a peacekeeper more than a soldier.

Today, Canada's roll is more involved and more dangerous. And, for the average Canadian, they don't think about this often, unless it affects them personally. I know many people still serving in the armed forces and I am proud to know them and think about what they do often. In fact, my favourite part of my short time in the military was the people. In the army, the people you work with are more than co-workers, they are friends, good friends that you can count on for anything. That I will never forget.

If you know a Canadian soldier, past or present, let them know about http://booksforsoldiers.ca - it's a small thank you for all they do.

It's Different in Our Industry

2010-10-04T06:13:00.007-07:00

When I hear people tell me 'it's different in our industry' or 'marketing doesn't work for my business' I know right away that they don't understand marketing. At all.

And, It makes me cringe. With that perception, they've already closed their mind to ideas and any chance of putting a proper plan in place for their marketing.

My all time favourite line was, "Marketing doesn't work for us, we have to develop relationships with our customers." Um, yeah, ...that sounds so different from every other company that I deal with... (read with sarcastic tone)

The principals of marketing are the same whether you are selling silicone for space shuttle door hatch screw holders or groceries. The only things that change are the ideas and the method to deliver them.

You have to identify who you are trying to reach and what will reach them. Understanding your customer is critical if you are to market to them. If there is a buyer or user of your service, there is a way to reach him/her - that's the function of marketing.

I know, it's a short posting, but things are different in my industry.

England Vacation Part 19

2010-09-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

September 15, 2010

A bright sunny morning - off to the train station to see some more of London.

Our first stop for the day was the blue tour around London, we ventured around and saw some neat things mostly expensive shops and car dealerships (Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin and more) we couldn't resist, so we got off at Harrod's.

Harrod's is a landmark, it's London's Macys. There are 6 floors and the store is about one large city block in size. It is cut up into departments and each one has several staff and beautiful displays. The Egyptian hall was stunning, as were the Egyptian escalators, I should have photographed it, but was being distracted by the kids.

One walk through this store with 3 kids is enough to end a vacation.

The sports department was quite interesting, I've never seen an actual Polo section in a sporting goods store before, but there it was complete with cool brushes for your horsey. They even had a skiing department. Found a nice set of custom skis for 2775 pounds... that's $4400 canuck bucks. Most every department had specialized merchandise like that, I mean they also had Rosignol and other main brands. But, I didn't go to Harrod's for that now, did I?

I packed a light bag for the trip in hopes to buy some clothes, was even hoping to get a nice set of boots from Churches. So far, I've got two lousy t-shirts - I don't expect to get much else. Next time.

The city is pretty exciting right now as they prepare for the pope's visit tomorrow. A lot of controversy too judging from the papers... one of the big hat wearers from the vatican called London a 3rd world country. I guess when Atheism is growing in popularity in England and your mixed up in paedophile scandal, you have to fight back with something to avert the attention... sticks and stones, eh? The security is increasing immensely with barricades going up every where. Not sure how it's going to affect our journeys tomorrow, but it should be exciting to see the chaos regardless.

The national gallery was our last stop of the day and what a treat to see some Renoir, Van Gogh and Monet paintings. They are stunning, could have spent the day in there, but art wasn't on the itinerary of the junior members of our entourage. Next time.

The kids are burning off steam in the pool as I write this, well two of them are, the third is locked up in the tower dungeon for the night.

Until next time.

England Vacation Part 18

2010-09-14T15:03:00.001-07:00

September 13, 2010

We toured around some more. Tired. Very tired. London has a way of taking all of your energy... and money.

We saw many cool shops, went to Saville Row, the Burlington Arcade and Lillywhites - the largest sports store in London... and despite repeated attempts, could not find a pair of shoes for myself. I did get Parker a really cool pair of Lonsdales. We took some tours on the open top buses and wandered around the shops. Not much to report, really.

London is very much like New York, but way more green space and open skies, but there are many similarities.

What I don't understand about England is the plumbing. The Romans introduced plumbing to the Brits about 2000 years ago and they've done little to improve on it since.
Hot and cold water hardly ever touches each other prior to leaving the tap, if you want warm water, you fill the sink with half hot and half cold... it's bizarre. Most taps barely extend far enough over the basin for you to put your hands under to wash up. And, don't get me started on the water pressure, OMG - I can't wait to get home and have a proper shower.

England is the first place I had to pay to go to the washroom, 30p here 50p there. For some reason it just feels seedy. And, because it's costing you money, you want to save up and give it a good go. Each time I go in I think of that famous poem:

Here I sit, broken hearted,
paid a dime and only farted.
Last time, I took a chance,
saved my dime and shit my pants.

Anonymous

So, plumbing is a bit suspect, but we've started to find some good meals in London, I haven't had french fries (chips) for about 3 days, my body is starting to feel better already. The people are friendly and the county is beautiful. The English Heritage sites are very well run and worth every penny to by a pass, whether you are visiting or living here... it's a great deal.

Anyways, gonna run, gotta get some sleep for the next big day.

Cheerio!

September 14, 2010

Today, was overcast, first day so far, probably not the last though. We started by taking the trains downtown instead of the loser cruiser... this saved us 20 minutes each way. When we arrived, we went directly to the London Bridge Experience and the London Toombs. It was very good and the kids were scared silly. The first part was a great history lesson about London Bridge (not tower bridge, which everyone assumes is London Bridge) and it's history, the second part is scarefest times ten.

From there, we went to the HMS Belfast, a 70 year old naval light cruiser that was the first to fire on the Germans on D-Day, it was pretty neat but everyone of us got lost on it at some point. We walked onto the wharf, which stands for Ware House At River Front by the way, and made our way to the Museum of Design - it was really, really neat.

We soldiered on and went up to Tower bridge, where we took the elevator up to the observation platform and walked across to the other side and back down again. Hmmm, not sure how much this cost as it was part of our package, but not that exciting.

At this point it started to rain so we found a tour bus that took us past the homes of Sean Connery, Kate Blanchet, Roger Moore, Pete Townsend, Amadeus Mozart and Margret Thatcher then past a bunch of shops we couldn't afford and then to Regent Street where we found the Hamley's, a 250 year old toy store squeezed into 7 stories of fun. The kids were all over it. The boys got remote control helicopters, Isabella got some lego and a really cool brush. Yikes, don't want to see my Mastercard bill when I come home.

We stopped briefly at the Ferrari store and looked at the merchandise, then after seeing who was shopping there, decided against buying any Ferrari merchandise until I actually own a Ferrari. Even then, I may just get a license plate frame that says, "my other car is a piece of shit." The pretense in that store actually turned me off the brand, I mean, not totally, ...I still want one!!

Tomorrow, not sure, maybe Harrods, maybe the Zoo. Maybe they're the same, actually, they probably are judging from some of our shopping experiences.

Cheers!

England Vacation Part 17

2010-09-12T14:57:00.002-07:00

September 12, 2010

London. What can I say about London that has not already been said?

We were greeted with a clear blue sky today - now, I'll probably jinx our weather, but we've had great weather this entire trip. Everyone said to pack an umbrella, but to be honest, we only needed it for maybe a half a day. I packed two pair of shorts thinking I might just get a chance to wear them one or two days, I've nearly worn them out.

We used London's public transit, bus 185, the loser cruiser. We've got cars, but there's not chance I'm driving downtown, not here. London's transit system, as you can imagine, is pretty tight and well run. It's inexpensive and clean. Our only other option is cabs, but it ain't cheap, not from Catford. Plus without having to exert every synapse between my ears to focus on the road, it's a nice break to actually see things other than 30 feet ahead.

We arrived at Victoria station and quickly bought a pass on the hop and go double decker tours - they worked well for us in New York. We started the tour and were off seeing the sights. The layout of the city is kind of mix and match, it's not the square city blocks we're used to, but it adds to the character of the city and makes it interesting with lots of neat things around every corner.

Big Ben was a lot smaller than I thought it was going to be, as was Westminster Abbey. For some reason, I thought they would both be much bigger. The highlight of the trip was learning that the only traffic circle we found in the centre of the city is now called Chevy Chase Roundabout by the locals, which means it will be officially called that eventually. Hey look kids, there's Big Ben! I actually said that as we went around it.

London has great architecture, and I don't mean the old stuff. The new buildings all have character, unlike at home where few new structures are little more than a box with windows. The Gherkin is already a landmark... and there are so many more. They take pride in their city and I guess with so much history, want to leave their mark for years to come. I guess that's part of being world class, if you want to be world class you need to set an example, and that they do.

We are doing more site seeing tomorrow.

Ta! Ta!

England Vacation Part 16

2010-09-11T15:38:00.001-07:00

September 11, 2010

Left the Shropshires for London. A two and a half hour drive, over some beautiful country. A quick stop for some KFC got us charged up part way through.

We were greeted with a traffic jam. It took us quite a while to get through to the city, but we did it - saw the Sega office, it was cool, a great big Sonic on the side - we saw the coolest Audi and Mercedes dealerships and lot's and lot's of traffic.

Driving in London is an experience. Not necessarily one you need on your bucket list though. Holy shit. I lost track of how many times a two lane road switched to a single lane without warning. Not that I missed it, there is no warning. If you drive here a lot, you just get used to it I'm told. Phew. It's insane, it's like New York city if you added scooters to the mix.

Finally had a good meal, we went to Harvesters, looks to be a franchise outfit, but they have good food. And I had fish with no chips... it was Salmon, not Cod, and there were greens (finally) not f'ing french fries again. I think I've gained 20lbs on this trip, it may not be fair to blame the chips though, I have had one or two beers (with each meal).

Tomorrow we're off to see London. Can't wait.

Cheerio!

My Interview with FFWD Weekly Magazine

2010-09-11T15:12:00.003-07:00

Kevin Franco, Owner, Franco Media
A look at branding Calgary
Published September 9, 2010 by Trevor Scott Howell in Urban Living

The city of Calgary’s decision to rebrand itself is quite unnecessary. There is nothing wrong with the current one, Heart of the New West, which was recently launched — in 2003.

Unless you have a budget rivalling Coca-Cola or McDonald’s, you don’t change you’re slogan every few years. Besides, even though it hasn’t been finalized, calling Calgary, “Canada’s most dynamic city,” is not, well, a dynamic slogan. And it’s arguably not worth the $200,000 that has been paid out so far for it.

City slogans become part of the city’s personality — if left alone. Look at Texas, it has “Don’t Mess With Texas” and New York City has “I Love New York.” People love New York City because they haven’t changed that slogan for decades — now it’s iconic.

Cities feel they need slogans to aid in economic development. It should evoke positive emotions making people want to visit, move to and do business with the city. A spinoff of this is the benefit of civic pride, people grow into the slogan over time and a city can become synonymous with the slogan.

My family has been here since 1908 on my mother’s side and 1956 on my dad’s side. I was born in the same hospital as my mum. I’ve seen Calgary evolve and grow into a major player, especially over the past decade.

It’s a vibrant city with one of the youngest demographics. The mountains are a stone’s throw away. We’ve developed culturally as well; there is always something happening in this city.

We haven’t entirely shaken off the cowboy image. In fact, there are people who still think we’re an outpost on the Prairies. I’m cool with that.

The attitude here is very entrepreneurial, very can-do, which sounds cheesy and would be a terrible slogan by the way. But if you want to do a fundraiser, for example, there is no shortage of people here who will jump in and make it happen.

There’s an optimism you see here that you don’t see out East. There’s a belief here that if you do something, it’s going to work.

There are some very smart, talented people here who are making things happen. We have one of the highest penetrations of head offices in Canada. In Canada, we’re not looked at as one of the top cities — but we are.

Maybe that’s part of an inferiority complex that is driving this whole need for a new slogan. Maybe there’s a feeling that we’re uncomfortable with being No 1. or No. 4 as far as cities go.

But as far as labelling Calgary “dynamic,” that can apply to every city. There are probably 200 businesses with the word dynamic in it.

It sounds like something city council came up with, not something a California firm dreamed up. The $200,000-price tag sounds a bit rich too. The fee itself doesn’t rattle my chain so much as they went outside of the city to get the work done.

Our creative team has unanimously decided that "Heart of the New West" should be kept as it really is a well-crafted slogan and epitomizes the core feeling the city should exemplify. Also, our team was unanimous on the thought that “dynamic” was not a great choice.

If you look at the word dynamic another way, like to say it might be energy. Energy is probably a good way to describe Calgary in terms of the energy sector but also the young demographic — it’s young and energetic or something like that.

We had a little bit of fun and explored many themes. Keep in mind that this was a fun exercise and we only spent about 15 minutes on it. Naming and slogan creation is a long process and requires much reflection and thought — we can do better with more time (and a budget).

"Vibrant Strides, Glowing Hearts"

"Making It Happen"

"City of Energy" or "Energy City"

We also had some fun with it:

“Canada's Most Dynamic Slogan"

"No Slogan Required"

"How the West was No. 1"

"Lots of things Rhyme with Calgary"

"Paving the Way"

"Git 'er Done"

“Calgary, Your Slogan Here”

“Calgary, Everybody Wants to be Mayor”

“WTF? Calgary”

As told to TREVOR SCOTT HOWELL

Here is a link to the original article and to FFWD Weekly Magazine:
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/life-style/urban-living/kevin-franco-owner-franco-media-6250/

England Vacation Part 15

2010-09-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

September 10, 2010

Today, we travelled about a mile down the road to visit Stokesay Castle, well, it wasn't so much a castle as it was a fortified manor. It was exquisite. A real gem. The audio guide was great and explained so much about how it was built and how it was used in it's nearly 800 years.

We didn't want a big travel day so we stayed within 25 miles of our base camp today... there was so much to see, in just this little part of the Shropshires, we had no idea.

Further up the road was a town called Much Wenlock, a nice little town with a great pub where we had a delicious lunch. The pub was called the George & Dragon Inn. We wandered through the shops and happened upon their little museum and made quite a discovery, the father of the modern olympics was from that town and in the mid-1800's he began holding olympic games in England and pushed for an international olympics. In 1894 he was invited to France to form the international olympic committee, but was 84 and could not attend, he never saw his vision come to fruition but provided the spark for the modern games. The memorabilia in this museum as it related to this was really neat... the other stuff was quite typical.

Our next stop was a little town in a valley called Iron Bridge. It's famous for, wait for it... that's right, an iron bridge. Well, it's the first iron bridge ever made, this was the heart of the iron industry as metallurgy was invented and mastered in this area of Great Britain. The bridge was pretty cool, and the toll house at the one end made you think of the many people that had to cough up some coins to get across to the town in dry clothes.

We got home early and ordered Indian take out. Vinaloo, butter chicken and curry... it was a nice change from fish and chips, hamburgers and chips, pie and chips... heck, everything comes with chips here, it's worse than America for that.

Tomorrow we drive into London, I'm excited about it and a bit nervous... the traffic in the big centers are nuts. I wont say I've mastered the driving here, but I'm a lot more comfortable than I was two weeks ago. But, it's still a lot to grasp, quick changes, narrow roads, weird signs and all while on the wrong side of the road. One turn on our drive today required us to turn a bit, back up and then make the turn - and even at that, we had about 2" of clearance on each mirror as we went through the narrow channel. I was smart enough to load up a couple thousand songs onto my iPad before leaving... I've rigged it up to the rental car stereo so the music is good and we're not constantly trying to find a station.

Our second week saw us at a pretty nice spot, just outside of Craven Arms. The barn conversion had most of modern trappings, other than internet. We have a plasma TV, modern kitchen, washer & dryer and a shit load of spiders... bit hairy ones, in fact, one of them had biceps. I couldn't even muster up the courage (or strength) to kill it.

I am hoping the place in London has wifi, the lack of connectivity is killing me. I dunno, maybe it's good. I was hoping to post as I went along, but here I am each night before bed, recapping the day's events. This gives me some time to embellish and exaggerate, and that's always good for storytelling.

Cheerio!

England Vacation Part 14

2010-09-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

September 9, 2010

The day started out pretty foggy, but it burned off quickly as we made the long journey north to Blackpool. It's a two and a half hour drive from our place in the Shropshires but well worth it.

We arrived and quickly found a parking spot, purchasing parking tickets in most areas in England sucks, you need to take a piggy bank with you. Despite having ten pounds of coins in my pocket, that would have gotten us parking until about 5 but the machine ate a pound or two and shaved a couple hours off our ticket... which resulted in us getting a different kind of ticket later. We shall write a letter.

Blackpool looked like it would have been a beautiful vacation spot about 30 years ago, many of the buildings are in disrepair and there are plenty of undesirables milling about. If you can get past that, this is the place to kick off your child's gambling problem. There is a mile of casino's disguised as 'fun houses' for kids, plunk in your coins and win tickets... just like Ruckers. Only the kids are playing VLT's as well as the typical games of chance for these worthless tickets. When they have amassed their fortune in tickets, and daddy's wallet has been emptied, it's time to go redeem the tickets for something at the prize fulfillment store. Basically a dollar store that takes 100 tickets to the dollar... the kids had won about 400 tickets collectively.

On the piers, everyone had something to sell from two dollar watches to the junkiest of junk, lot's of schucksters. I was approached by an woman with a Lavender blossom in tin foil with a blessing, she looked like an old witch looking for a donation. The kids wanted to look in every store and we obliged. There are also about 2 miles of hotels, all 6-8 bedroom hotels, it was kinda weird to see actually... there were hundreds of them.

The bright spot of Blackpool was the theme park called Pleasure Beach, a very nice spot with plenty of rides and roller coasters. The world record for consecutive roller coaster riding is still held there.... 1000 hours on the Big Dipper, a 90 year old wooden track thrill ride. Many of the rides in this park are closing in on their hundredth year. If you can afford the entry, it's well worth it to spend the day there. I even went on the largest roller coaster, The Big One. It was scary as hell and a looong way up! From the top, we could see that the tide was out... we could also see Newfoundland, yeah.... it was that high.

When Pleasure Beach closed, we crossed the road and walked out on the sand... it was amazing how low the water level had dropped. The pier we were on was fully over the water at lunch time, now it was about 100m from the water. I would estimate that the water dropped about 30'. There was a really neat sculpture on the shoreline, it was a functional organ that played as the tide came in, using pressure from the water to force air through the instrument. Really inventive.

My car battery was dead when we returned, even though it was a standard transmission we could not push start it, because the parking break on it is electronic and could not unlock without power... dumb design. If Vauxhall is not made by General Motors, I would be surprised... it's got all the same lousy attributes and a button for everything, more buttons than functions.

We hung out until dark to see the illuminations, which in Canadian English terms means lights. The streets were lit up as were the trams and buses. Parker said it looked like Vegas for kids. It was pretty neat. Worth seeing, even thought it meant a very long drive in the dark. It was like a grand xmas light display for about 2 miles down the main road with some sections (tastefully) sponsored by companies.

On the drive home, it started raining... no problem. Then we found out the only road leading to our small town was out and we had to take a diversion... no problem. I did not think that the roads could get any narrower. The workman on the highway said, 'Dun go mad, she's narrow and there's open back bridges'... I have always thought the roads were narrow, but didn't think they could get any worse. But, when both mirrors are dragging along the bushes on either side of the car, you know it's narrow, and the road was pretty slick, it was mostly hard packed dirt, which was now very slick. Now that was pretty cool and scary at the same time... we did this for 4 miles and had three cars come towards us which we had to navigate through at the odd opening in the road.

England Vacation Part 13

2010-09-11T09:54:00.001-07:00

September 8, 2010

Only 12 days left in our tour, I'm beginning to get tired from all the travel, I know it sounds incredible, but we've logged a lot of miles and seen a lot of rocks. From Roman ruins to cathedrals and castles... and, of course Stonehenge. I'm beginning to see a pattern with this trip. Stones. Luckily, I'm a huge fan of the stones.

Derrick decided to stay back today to give his knee a rest, it's been a lot of walking and we're all starting to feel a bit of fatigue. We set out on our own, with the trusty GPS in hand.

Our first stop, Stratford Upon Avon, the birthplace of commercialism... and William Shakespeare. It was a neat old house, with shopping and souvenirs on either side, well, a whole village built around it actually. To visit Bills birth home was about £80 to do a walk through, so we just peered over the fence at the bards' yard.

There were some neat shops though, one that sold magic wands and potions with a freak show upstairs and a tea room in the back and a shop that sold vintage maps and clippings from old magazines.

From there we went to Warwick Castle... It was a castle at one time, but has been taken over by someone that understands how to make a buck. There were shows for the kids, with the cast of actors playing multiple roles throughout the grounds. The prince from one skit could be found later in a different costume polishing armor and sharpening arrow heads. He was very informative and the kids learned a bunch, all in the medieval setting.

We got to watch and speak to a long bow shooter, a whitesmith and watch an 18m high catapult called a Trebuchet shoot a fire ball across the field. To load the trebuchet required 4 soldiers in hamster wheels... It was quite impressive. Warwick Castle was well worth the price and the drive. Is it an authentic castle? Well, the stone structure is, the rest is a well done experience for kids and I highly recommend it, if you are looking for an authentic castle, I recommend Durnham Castle.

Now, if you rely 100% on your GPS, you may want to find out how often they update their maps. We found a massive intersection of two motorways that were not on the GPS... after three attempts and 9 extra miles we finally hit the right road home.

England Vacation Part 12

2010-09-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

September 7, 2010

We took the long drive south, into Newport and Caerleon Wales - the road signs are crazy, they speak some kind of pig latin, with extra letters. It's quite neat to see.

We took the Severn Bridge across to England and into Bristol, then over to Bath. Bath is amazingly pretty, very European looking and built into a valley with gorgeous architecture stretching up every hillside. We went downtown and spent a few hours in the shopping mall, OK, mostly at the Apple store to poach their free wifi and then have a pizza, but what we saw was really, really neat. I need to come back to this city for sure.

The weather was perfect, so far, we have had sunny days every day, little bits of cloud and the odd spurt of showers, but mostly it's been great.

From Bath, we drove to Stonehenge, a world historic site. To think the stones used in making it were brought from so far away really makes you wonder about how they did it - they are huge, way bigger than they show them on Spinal Tap.

From Stonehenge, we went to Salisbury, a town built on the River Avon - a very pretty site, we went to Salisbury Cathedral and while we weren't expecting much more than the average cathedral, it was spectacular and had a hidden gem in the back charter house and medieval frieze... the Magna Carta. The original document with 63 charters outlining the rights of the people of England - only 3 are still applicable, but groundbreaking for it's time and a very important part of history. Seeing it encased in glass, under special lighting was really a treat.

For the drive back we relied on our GPS and our interpretation of the directions, missing turns and going on the wrong exits along the way... this turned out in our favor as we were happened upon one of the chalk horses on a hillside - we could't have found it with a sherpa... but there it was, across the field as we're driving by... Karen yells, 'look at that! Pull over!!!' and we quickly pull over and snap a few picks from about a kilometer away... really cool.

We then drove through Marlborough, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, you may know him from the opening of the Iron Maiden Album, Somewhere Back In Time. After that, we drove through Swindon, which has the most famous traffic circle cluster in all the world... seriously, look it up on Google, the map of it looks like a boy scout knot diagram.

We stopped for a quick bite to eat along the motorway and then made the long journey back home, at our furthest, we were 145 miles away from base camp. All in all, it was a really fun day.

Tomorrow, we'll have to drive south about 15 miles to see if we can bust into the Cadbury factory and get us some chocolate. The factory resides in a lush green valley, with nothing around it but farms - not what you'd expect at all. A marketers dream.

Cheerio!

England Vacation Part 11

2010-09-07T04:07:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 6, 2010

It's a holiday in Canada for labour day, and here, it's still vacation and will be for a fortnight. I love saying that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not getting all soft on English culture and adopting their ways. I still won't drink tea. But, I am starting to learn the lingo a bit. Prior to arriving here, all I knew about the Brits is what I learned from Benny Hill, Monty Python and the Carry On movies. Not that that's a bad thing.

Let me first say that I love my kids. Their behavior while on vacation has not been stellar. In fact, I'm questioning the rationale in bringing them in the first place. I'm not sure how much of the English countryside they've even seen with their heads buried in their Nintendos. I hope they remember more about the trip than being lectured by their parents.

We are right by Stokesay castle and I hope to see it... There are so many castles, we didn't even see Raby castle or Barnard castle and both were within a mile or two from our last residence. Today we visited Shrewsbury, the birthplace of Charles Darwin. They named the shopping mall after him, how nice. There's probably more tributes to the man but, that's all we saw today... along with a lot of really cool shops.

We found a McDonalds... I know it doesn't sound great, I won't eat there back home, but a break from fish and chips with free wifi is a win in my books. I got to check some emails and post a couple more blog posts.

We visited an old abbey... not too shabby. Our parking was running out, you pay for parking everywhere over here, 1 pound per hour is typical, but it can be a lot more if your not careful. Also, in Canada we enjoy such brevities as 'parkade' whereas the Brits like to call them 'multi-storey car parks' and our road signs say 'uneven' theirs say 'adverse camber'. It's these subtleties that provide some challenges when trying to converse with the locals.

Tomorrow is a big day, getting up early to head into Caerleon, Wales, then to Bristol, then to Bath (insert weather joke about showers in bath here), then to Stonehenge. If we have time, there is a small town (probably a grouping of 2 or 3 houses) called Tiddleywink, which would be worth the extra petrol, just for the photo. Early night tonight.

England Vacation Part 10

2010-09-06T06:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 4, 2010

We left Stinkholes, er, I mean Foxholes and the smell of rotting flesh and manure behind us, we're off the Shropshire today.

Although we were happy to leave the smell behind, the spot was nice and very central to all points north. But it's time to head South West, into the Shropshires.

We're very close to the Welsh border, the Wedgwood factory as well as Bristol and Bath. There should be many good day trips from this location.

It was a very long drive and getting into the area where many of England's rich have getaways, there were many nice cars on the road and the roadhouses were starting to look less like greasy spoons and more like country clubs.

Our new residence is called 1 Church Farm Barn... it is also a barn conversion but nicely done, with a loft that the boys have called their 'man cave' - there's satellite TV but still no wifi. Should be a good spot to see this side of the country from.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

I woke this morning to a nice breakfast and coffee. The kids got me a gift and some cards for my birthday and my father in law bought me a nice book on England. A great way to start the day.

A bit later, we went North to Knutsford for the Penny Farthing Race, if you don't know what a Penny Farthing is, I'll give you a few minutes to Google it..... OK, now you know.

Anyways, the race is held every 10 years, and it just so happens that it landed on my birthday this year. We got to see three races; the hobby horses - bike like contraption with no peddles, the Bone Shakers, a crude bike of sorts on metal wheels and then the Penny Farthings... talk about a fixed gear bike!

The Penny Farthing race went for 3 hours, enough time to drain the beer tent out of every drop and exhaust the kids (mostly). We met up with Karen's uncle Jim, and her cousins Catherine and Robert - it was a nice visit and we had a great lunch.

The race was sponsored by Bentley... to give you an idea of the money in this little town, they had a Rolls Royce dealership as you entered the town. 275,000 pounds for the nice coupe with the suicide doors... not sure why Bentley's are so popular with the wealthy, I guess they are more affordable, the Rolls were pretty spectacular.

We went to a great pub for dinner, it was originally called The Black Boy, but changed their name to the something else... I didn't even look at the new name, but did snap a picture of the original sign with the black boy on it... that's a keeper for my No Longer Appropriate Museum. Got a few other pics for that gallery from my travels.

At this point we were about 88 miles from our new residence, driving home on nearly all country roads at night with hedges and trees crowding the lane ways. The road feels as though it was cut out of the landscape the only thing to concentrate on are the white reflectors built into the roads. There are very few straight aways with many traffic circles breaking up the winding highway. After this trip, I'm gonna kill at Atari Night Driver... if I can find a right hand drive version.

Today is also the day of the Morrone Family Reunion, no, no the Morrone crime family from The Dark Knight, but the Morrone family from Sepino, Italy. This is the first time I've missed the family reunion since it's inception and I missed catching up with everyone, and the famous bocce tournament. Tutta La Genga!!

Until the next time, Cheerio!

England Vacation Part 9

2010-09-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

Friday, September 3

Off to York to see the York Minster and the many shopping areas around the city centre... very cool to see modern shops in 500 year old buildings. Pizza Hut, Starbucks and McDonald's are hard to find, but when you see them in a very old setting it's kind of neat to see... not that we're looking for these places.

The Minster was neat as it has been rebuilt over the ages, on the same spot... first by Romans, then by Normans then again in Medieval times, each time growing in size.

We left the city of York and drove to the East coast. Whitby Bay. What a beautiful spot. Sandy beaches and beautiful countryside - we drove through North Yorkshire National Park - there was the purple hue of heather for as far as the eye could see in all directions. Incredible. There was also many sheep on the road to avoid, as far as the ewe could see.

The roads are incredibly narrow in places and cars park on the sidewalk. Some homes come right up to the edge of the road, if you're not careful, you can loose a mirror as you pass them. It's also neat to see 20 foot travel trailers being pulled by Audi A4's and Mazda 3's... makes you wonder why we need F350's and Ram 3500 trucks to pull such things back home. Actually, the thought of the ridiculous size of the trucks back home is mind boggling. There is no point, other than compensation for something else, I guess.

The vehicles in England are neat. There are many brands that we don't have back home, including the one I'm driving, a Vauxhall Insignia. There are Fiats (which are all very cool and well designed), Seats, Rovers, MG's, Skodas and Lotus. And, the car brands that are familiar offer up different models than back home.

I think we can learn a lot from the Brits when it comes to automobiles and driving. Trucks (18 wheelers) aren't allowed out of the outside lane and the inside lane is for passing only, use it and then get the hell back in queue! It's very efficient.

England Vacation Part 8

2010-09-04T03:27:00.001-07:00

Thursday, September 2, 2010

We started the day at the Metro Centre, Newcastle's largest shopping mall... it was pretty large. A few bargains to be had and a McDonald's with free WIFI!!!

I finally got a chance to look at my e-mails and get a bit of correspondence done and learned of the passing of someone that I've known for quite a few years. Ronalda you will be missed by many.

From the Metro Centre, we travelled to Hadrian's Wall, the wall built by the Roman Empire to stop the Scots from invading their territory in the 1st century. The Roman's probably would have kept pressing north only the temperatures and the land probably wasn't deemed worth pursuing. Along the wall are many ruins and artifacts, the Romans occupied the area for nearly 500 years so, they left more than a few tent poles and Kit Kat wrappers behind for us to find.

The ruins were quite spectacular and the craftsmanship was very evident... 2000 years and still standing... for the most part.

Our kids are a handful at the best of times and spending a bunch of time with them is good, but I think their grandfather is beginning to rethink the 3 week tour. He's only seen them when we visit, or for one or two nights... to see them in full action is an eye opener. Sorry grumps.

We then visited Karen's grandmother's home north of Newcastle and stopped at the local ASDA for dinner at McDonalds. ASDA is just like Walmart, only the colour theme is yellow not blue. I wondered if there was a "peopleofasda.com" website but the WIFI at this McD's wasn't working. I can tell you, if there isn't already a site, there should be... it was frightful to say the least.

I must say that the English drivers are courteous and accurate. Accuracy is important when the average street is the exact same size as the width of the car... and they're going 50mph. There are many traffic circles, luckily I live near one in Calgary and have had some experience with how not to take them. English drivers know how to queue and give right away, in order. It seems that they know they are part of the system, where in Alberta, everyone thinks the road is there for them and them alone. It's very refreshing. ...now if they could only drive on the right side of the road!

Arrival back at camp stinky was much of the same, the wicked odor seems to be concentrated at our front door, 25' away and it smells moderately better. The house is hot tonight, but we don't dare open a window in fear of stinking up our accommodation.

Cheerio!

England Vacation Part 7

2010-09-02T04:04:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, September 1

6:45 and the coffee's on. A quick breakfast and on the road North.

We headed up to Alnwick (pronounced Anik, you ignore every second letter) to see the castle where many parts of Harry Potter 1 and 2 were filmed as well as numerous other films including Elizabeth and Robin Hood Prince of Theives. ...In my opinion, I thought Kevin Costner's English accent was bang on.

The town of Alnwick is beautiful, as are most old English towns, the market place was on two winding roads that were intersected by another road forming a nice triangle shaped plaza.

Again, no wifi, not until the pubs open that is. We went over to the castle and started to explore. The tour guide took us through the castle exterior and explained many of the scenes from Harry Potter and how they filmed them. The castle itself and Haggreds house are very recognizable and there are still some remains from the film crew like metal hangers for torches that could not be removed from the arrow slits.

We visited the poison garden, a collection of all plants poisonous including the extremely dangerous and dreaded cannabis plant. But seriously, there were some pretty nasty little flowers to see. Someone asked if the Angel's Trumpet flower was traceable if used to poison a person. I think everyone was thinking the same thing... wondering if that little brat in the tour would like a cup of tea. The answer was yes, most all of the poisonous plants can be traced.

The interior of the 700 year old castle was gorgeous, quite typical by castle standards, silk wall coverings, framed masterpieces, massive libraries, beautifully painted ceilings and stuffed family pets. That's right, the nut jobs that live in the castle, the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland felt it necessary to call the taxidermist each time their dog died and proudly display it in the castle.

After Alnwick, we went to Lindisfarne, also known as Holy Island. Which is only an island part of the time. When the tide goes out, it's attached by a narrow road and a large sandy plain, when the tide comes in, it's a full fledged island... that you can wade through the water to.

At the top of the island is a fortified castle that is likely a thousand years old - it't a really neat spot and the kids enjoyed combing the beach for shells and mussels. The narrow road on the way out of the island was demonstrated when my daughter spilled her drink and I veered off the road for a few meters, luckily it was just sand where we went off and not the rocky bit a few meters before.

We got back onto the motorway and headed north, to Scotland. The kids were pretty excited about visiting the wee country north of England. We stopped at a town called Burntmouth to have dinner. Yeah, that's what I thought. We found a great place to eat, it was called the First and Last Pub and the proprietors (the people filling in for the actual proprietors) were very friendly and were from Inverness. They thought it was neat that we lived in Prestwick a community in McKenzie Towne, along with Inverness and Elgin - all cities in Scotland.

The drive back was only 80 miles, but it was getting dark and it was a long, long day. Our arrival at Stinkholes, er I mean Foxholes was greeted with the strong smell of fermenting animal carcass or something less sweet. The accommodations are nice, but it smells like hell. We can't even open the windows, luckily it does not permeate the interior of the dwelling.

England Vacation Part 6

2010-09-02T04:03:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, August 31, 2010.

The Beamish Museum was on the agenda for today. It's pronounced like it sounds, but I called it Be Amish all day, and it fit quite nicely.... a quaint old spot similar to Heritage Park in Calgary with the park staff in period costume.

Our kids liked the Beamish Museum and even Derrick got to see the trolley car that his father drove. The number 10 trolley, driven by Mr. Wilkinson, made the last run of any trolley car in Newcastle before they were replaced with buses. The last run was attended by the mayor of Newcastle as well as many dignitaries at the time.

After Beamish, we drove into Newcastle and timed it perfectly to experience rush hour traffic... luckily we were only going to the very centre of the city. After making a few circles and a bit of a walk, we found ourselves at the Millennium Bridge on the Newcastle side looking over at Gateshead.

There was a great art exhibit in an old flour mill on the Gateshead side so we went in. There was no photographer but I left my email address so that they could forward me a couple of images of the exhibits.

After a nice drive, we stopped in Staindrop at the Black Swan pub for dinner. The proprietor and his daughter served us, they were very friendly and the food was really good.

Now, a word about English beer. Nearly every place serves Peroni, Stella Artois, Budweiser and Heineken. I'm not sure why. Even the grocery stores carry all these beers, but no local beers - they can only be found in the pubs (mostly). So, not that I'm trying to avoid English beer, quite the opposite, I keep looking for some to try. We just haven't spent much time in pubs. On the plus side, I did have a Black Sheep beer, a local beer for the Wensleydale area. It was pretty good, room temperature, but good.

Tomorrow, we're off to Anick Castle, where parts of Harry Potter was filmed, and England's North East coast.

England Vacation Part 5

2010-09-02T04:01:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 30, 2010

Bank holiday. The day off for most Brits. We got up at 6:30 and made breakfast - today, we were off to Durham. Home of the cathedral and the castle, both bearing the Durham name. No bull.

We drove past Raby Castle on the way to Durham, a beautiful castle only a few miles from where we are staying then drove through every round-a-bout in England on the way. Many have said that Calgary has the second most expensive parking in the world, obviously the surveyors didn't make it to Durham's downtown shopping centre, the Gate. For 6 hours, we paid 12 pounds - about $20.

The city of Durham is a beautiful spot with a river that wraps around a small piece of land that hosts the castle and the cathedral as well as the old town that is now a series of narrow streets with shopping and restaurants. We walked through the medieval courtyard through the streets of quaint shops up the hill to where the castle and cathedral stand. The bells were ringing, we arrived right at noon. At 1:30, the bell ringing apprentices came out and they didn't stop until long after we left the city at about 5:00.

The tour of the castle was informative, the castle was occupied by Bishops for several hundred years - from what I can take from it, they were the local power. The castle was built in 1070 with several additions over the years, the most recent addition was in the 1800's so no Starbucks yet. It was really cool.

The cathedral was fairly large and like the ones I saw in Italy, demonstrated a huge parity between the haves and the have nots. It was well designed with very high ceilings and beautiful stained glass windows. And, for a fee, you could do anything there, light a candle for 40p, climb the stairs for 5 pounds or buy a religious artifact in the gift shop, a feature no medieval cathedral should be without.

We drove up through Newcastle/Gateshead to get to Wickham, where Derrick's brother lives. We stopped in for an afternoon tea and visited for a bit. We headed back to Casa Del Stinko to find that the foul stench had somewhat dissipated, which was good news... we may be able to enjoy the nice evening - tonight you can see the stars.

England Vacation Part 4

2010-08-29T03:57:00.000-07:00

England Vacation Part 3

2010-08-28T03:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 28, 2010

We arrived in Manchester, a beautiful sunny morning which didn't last long, it quickly turned to rain when we picked up our rental cars. Yes cars, plural - we got two identical Vauxhall Insignias. It was cheaper than one large vehicle, besides the large vehicles over here aren't exactly large by our standards.

The kids slept for about a half hour on the plane and were completely wiped. I was too, and was about to embark on the hairiest driving experience of my life. Pouring rain, no sleep and I've got to get this standard transmission car off the 13th floor parkade... and, on the wrong side of the road.

Once we got on the motorway, it was smooth sailing. The motorways move quick, we were averaging 80mph... what the hell? I thought Britain was metric? We drove into Barnard Castle, a beautiful little town with a great market and some old buildings (I suppose there will be a lot of that!). Charles Dickens stayed here once, we know because there was plaque... on the building where he stayed ... for a night or two. Marketing old country style.

We ate lunch at the Turks Head pub, a neat old place and I had my first beer in England... A bottle of Heineken. Matthew and Isabella slept at the table while we had a very tasty fish and chips.

It was time to check into our manor. We drove into Staindrop. I know, I know... the English have a way with words. We found Foxholes, our quarters for the next week. It's called a conversion, but it's really a grouping of several hundred year old barns. The Strathmore Barns were just that, barns until a few years ago when the land owner converted them into homes. They are very nicely done but they are still in the heart of a farm, which, if you arrive at a certain time of the year, the pungent aroma of cow and sheep manure is overwhelming. It's pretty gross actually. The smell has not permeated the interior of our cottage, which tells me it's a temporary thing and our arrival was just ill timed. I'm hopeful it will clear up in the next day.

We got unpacked and the kids crashed, as did I. I slept from about 3:00 to 8:30... all caught up on sleep for the next little bit and ready to take on England first thing tomorrow. For tonight, it's a cigar and a Stella Artois.

Cheerio!

England Vacation Part 2

2010-08-27T02:50:00.000-07:00

It's 8:30 in Calgary and 3:30 in London, difference is that in London, its tomorrow. We're somewhere in between. We are 37,000 feet over Greenland, Godthab to be exact. It's pitch dark outside and I'm reminded of the last time I flew over Greenland, it was a few years ago. OK, quite a few years ago... let's put it this way... there was smoking in the plane, not a smoking section, every seat had an ashtray and you could call the women working on the plane stewardesses without upsetting them. It was 1979 and we took a family vacation to Italy.

Today, our trip is to England and my kids are 13, 9 and 9. Old enough to enjoy and learn from an overseas trip and young enough to keep Karen and I on our toes. I hope they look back on this as fondly as I remember Italy.

Before we left, we were in a toy store at the airport and the kids were looking at die cast cars and I was reminded of the car I bought outside of Napoli, a silver Mercedes 450SEL - my favorite car of all-time (at that time). I guess I've wanted a silver Mercedes, ever since I was a kid. Somewhere in a box in the basement, I still have the toy car and in the garage is now the real thing.

Three hours left in the flight and I'm certain my kids are wishing we were there already, because I am too. In this age of instant downloads and access to anything it's still hard to get your head around the fact that we can only move so fast on this planet. Someone's gotta come up with some kind of hi-speed mode of travel.

We are now midway over Greenland. I was reminded of the subtle differences in culture just now as I ordered a drink. The crew is all British and when asked if I would like one or two shots of rum, I held up two fingers. Realizing quickly that I just made an obscene gesture to the man, I quickly reversed it, gave him the peace sign and apologized to some laughter. It's gonna be fun. They use the same language, but words have different meanings - a fanny pack for instance is a verb in the U.K.

I have come to understand the pronunciation of certain words to like Glouchestershire - it does not sound like it looks. I suppose, if I make a fool of myself and say the wrong things, I will simply say, "sorry, that's not how we say it in the good old US of A!"

England Vacation Part 1

2010-08-27T02:48:00.000-07:00

Here I am, about to fly over Hudson Bay, listening to Blue Oyster Cult at 11277 meters over the earth. Directly below my plane is where thousands of people fly every year to see polar bears scavenge for food in the Churchill town dump. I mean see them in the wild. We're traveling at 1010kms per hour. Man, I wish we were on the ground doing that speed.

Traveling with kids is a challenge for anyone, they are as excited about the pending adventure as us grown ups, but they have a different way of showing it. They don't listen to Blue Oyster Cult in quiet reflection for one. They tend to be more physical and audible about their excitement.

There's a lot to think about when traveling, with 3 kids and two adults you must have 5 boarding passes ready, 5 passports open and all 5 people together... sounds not too bad, but we've got some pretty independent kids and like their father, aren't necessarily conformists if you know what I mean.

So, three kids all marching to their own drummer. One heavy metal, one pop and one Punk. OK, maybe all Punk, but three radically different bands. Going anywhere with my kids without attracting attention is unheard of.

My daughter, who I love to bits wants to sit next to her dad, which I love. My youngest son, who couldn't contain his excitement with any amount of ridalin has been pretty good so far and my oldest son is steady as usual, he is so grounded for his age. I love my kids.

So, we're about to fly over Hudsons Bay, a large bay by any standards. Looking at the screen on the back of the chair in front of me, Hudsons Bay looks like a large meteor landing spot than anything else. So many explorers struggled through that region over the years, and when you think of us flying over the same area so effortlessly really makes you appreciate technology. Well, this iPad doesn't hurt either.

OK. we're over water. Canada is so big. So immense, so open and uninhabited. I love that part of it. The fact that we're not stacked upon each other. The fact that there's room for two massive SUV's for every one of us is comforting.

In another hour or so, we will be flying over Greenland. Is that a continent? I don't have Google up here, so I'm half as smart as when I'm land based. Then Iceland. One thing that's always amused me is that Iceland is green, while Greenland is ice.

Anyways, that's our first part of the journey. If I get time, I'll post some more later.

Desperados Under the Eaves

2010-07-10T18:36:00.005-07:00

Warren Zevon wrote much of the soundtrack to my life. Through humour, commentary, honest self reflection and beautiful melodies, he demonstrated what great song writing is all about.

Here are the lyrics to one of the best songs I think he ever wrote, the music starts out with a signature riff that Mr. Zevon used in several songs.

Desperados Under the Eaves

I was sitting in the Hollywood Hawaiian Hotel
I was staring in my empty coffee cup
I was thinking that the gypsy wasn't lyin'
All the salty margaritas in Los Angeles
I'm gonna drink 'em up

And if California slides into the ocean
Like the mystics and statistics say it will
I predict this motel will be standing until I pay my bill

Don't the sun look angry through the trees
Don't the trees look like crucified thieves
Don't you feel like Desperados under the eaves
Heaven help the one who leaves

Still waking up in the mornings with shaking hands
And I'm trying to find a girl who understands me
But except in dreams you're never really free
Don't the sun look angry at me

I was sitting in the Hollywood Hawaiian Hotel
I was listening to the air conditioner hum
It went mmmmmm..
........................... Look
away..........................................
(Look away down Gower Avenue, Look away....)

New York City - Day 5 - The Long Journey Home

2010-06-27T09:38:00.004-07:00

Thursday we had more to do at the BEA and I was a bit dusty, I guess 3 martinis is my limit these days.

Before leaving for the expo we received an unexpected visitor, Karen's dad was at our door as we were packing up to leave. He had just arrived in NYC after a cruise in the Atlantic. The day was uneventful, and a bit sad - we had really enjoyed our trip and could have spent another week or two doing sight seeing. But, it was a business trip after all and there was plenty of business to do after we returned to Calgary.

Danté had the limo ready for us when we got down to the lobby and we began our journey back to Newark for the long trip home. En route, Wayne told us a story of being stuck on the runway for 3 hours before taking off one time and how he never wanted to experience that again... our flight was delayed because of lightning, we waited on the tarmac for 4 hours. After a whirlwind trip, 4 hours actually went by pretty quick, mind you I think I nodded off.

We got back to Calgary and it was snowing. SNOWING!!!

New York City - Day 4 - The BEA

2010-06-27T09:37:00.012-07:00

Wednesday the temperature soared to the mid nineties... humid too. Our group spent the morning trying to set up meetings with suitable distributors for our book. No bites. We were faced with the same response from everyone; you've only got one title, your too new, your too small, we don't understand your marketing, we don't get it...it was frustrating. I went outside to gain better cell reception and some sanity and tried connecting to a vendor from Toronto, the connection kept dying after about 30 seconds... I finally got a message through after about 12 attempts.

This frustration caused me to want a cigar, something I don't usually have until after a few drinks - but, I needed something to calm my nerves. I pulled out a cigar but had no light. I asked the closest person to me and they lit me up without hesitation.

I chatted with the fellow conference attendee that sparked my stoagie and found out that he was from New York and that we both had an interest in hockey. I asked him what he was doing at the conference and he explained that he was with Radom House in the digital marketing department. I was excited to hear this, after talking with so many people that didn't get what we were doing, I may have found the one person that may get it. He did. His name was Peter.

I believe Peter was genuinely excited about what we were doing to launch our book and after my cigar he offered to introduce me to a guy at Random House that would also get it and would also be the decision maker for their company, he described him as 'a guy that I sit next to at work'. We walked back to the private area where Random House strikes the big deals with retailers and authors and waited for his friend to arrive. We chatted while waiting and although he was generous with his time, I felt like Ray Kinsella telling Terrence Mann, "you've done enough, thank you for your time" in Field of Dreams (based on one of my favorite author's books). We chatted about hockey a little more until his friend arrived.

His friend was well dressed, Prada glasses and ready for business at the BEA, I was introduced to him and learned his name was Jeff. He opened by saying that he only had a few minutes before he was expected in a meeting but didn't seem rushed in any way and seemed genuinely interested in what I was pitching. Peter helped out with some of the details - I'm a helluva marketer, but a lousy sales guy. My excitement for the project may have resonated with Jeff, he noticed that and asked some very good questions about the project and the marketing - he seemed interested in helping me and even suggested a few companies to talk to.

While we were talking, my cell phone must have went off about 8 times, I tried not to let it show as I hit ignore over and over again - he made time for me, I'll be damned if don't reciprocate.... even at the expense of another meeting... which I was missing. He gave me quite a bit of time, then asked me to follow up with him by sending him a package, he presented me with his card, ...'President'.

I was taken aback, from Peter's buildup I was expecting perhaps a lead buyer, maybe a director but not the President. I'm glad Peter didn't tell me that in advance, I was out of my element and it was awkward enough without knowing that. Peter then took me to meet some contacts at Ingram and after spending an hour with me, we parted. I thanked him for the introductions and expressed how much I appreciated his time. He gave me his card, ...Vice President of Digital and Online Marketing. If I could have made a list of the 2 most perfect people to meet at this show, it would have been Jeff and Peter. Both were gracious with their time considering the fact that I'm a noob to their industry.

My luck didn't end there. Remember the fellow from Toronto that I was trying so hard to get a hold of on the phone? I bumped into him in the hall, amongst 10's of thousands of people - we had an impromptu meeting and he got it too. We were now getting somewhere, people began crawling out of the woodwork, now eager to meet with us and learn more about what we were doing. We finished the day at the expo on a high note.

We had some time to kill before dinner and my wife was out shopping at Macy's. I put on some shorts hand walked down the 15 blocks to the landmark NY store and found my wife, exhausted after an 8 hour day of shopping. I did a little shopping myself... but not much. We walked back to the hotel, checking out some of the shops along the way.

That night, we went out for a quick dinner in the theater district, as we had tickets to "A Behanding in Spokane" a broadway play featuring Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell, Anthony Mackie and Zoe Kazan. It was amazing, a very well written and executed dark comedy. After the show, we went to Rockefeller Plaza again, this time we went up 67 floors to the Rainbow Room and the Top of the Rock - the view of the city from there is spectacular. We took a handsome cab back to the hotel and followed up by having drinks in the hotel's lounge - $85 for 5 drinks... mind you, they were martinis.

It was only a day, but we packed in a weeks worth of activities. I love NY.

New York City - Day 3 - The BEA

2010-06-27T09:37:00.009-07:00

The next day, we attended the Digital portion of the BEA tradeshow and made some really good contacts. We also attended many conferences throughout the day - most were really good.

That evening, we went out for dinner, my turn to buy. Our group went to Kellari in the 'money' part of Midtown, an upscale restaurant across from the New York Bar Association and next to the New York Yacht Club - the food was amazing and we had a great time - and I was shocked at the bill... it was about $500 lighter than I thought it would be. Everyone says that NYC is expensive, they're right... but there are some surprises like cabs, "I LOVE NY" T-shirts and this meal.

So much can be had in a short walk in New York.

New York City - Day 2 - Sightseeing

2010-06-19T10:18:00.017-07:00

Monday was a day off from work, so we got up early and had breakfast in the private club for Penthouse guests. On the TV, the Today Show played with Bret Michaels being interviewed.... I pointed down the street and said, "hey, that's happening right now, right there!" So, we walked over to Rockefeller Plaza and saw the Today Show being broadcast and checked out the plaza, inlcuding the skating rink - which is way smaller than it looks on TV.

The Rock is a very neat spot and no trip to New York would be complete without a brief visit there - we came back to it three times. It's where Saturday Night Live is taped as well as other shows for NBC. We then walked north on The Avenue of the Americas to Central Park, stopping in shops and poking our heads into the Ritz Carlton and the Plaza Hotel (which is owned by the Fairmont Group - should have stayed there). In front of the Plaza is Pulitzer Fountain, which we sat down at for a bit - across the street is the 5th avenue Apple Store - the only place I really wanted to visit in New York. Having met with the designer of the store while working on a project for another computer manufacturer, I really wanted to experience it first hand... while waiting for the lights to change, I received a phone call, the first on my New York cell phone (we each got one for local calls) - I was needed back at the Crowne Plaza for a conference call with our investor from Toronto. I never made it into the store... now I have a reason to go back.

After our conference call, Karen and I bought two tickets on the open topped bus and did a tour... we got off in Greenwich Village and strolled around, what a beautiful place - we had lunch at a little Italian restaurant called Trattoria Pesce Pasta on Bleeker Street. The buildings in Greenwich Village are much smaller than the rest of Manhattan, typically only 5 or 8 stories high, the streets are lined with trees, many of them forming a canopy over the narrow streets. We got back on another bus and were shown many of the sites all the way down to the Staten Island Ferry and back up to Times Square. The history in New York is absolutely amazing.

Before leaving, I sent an e-mail to the Late Show with David Letterman and the Daily Show with Jon Stewart... David Letterman's staff got back to us and we were in, free tickets! I checked out the line up for the show, we were going to see Don Rickles and John Prine - you have no idea how big a fan I am of John Prine. We went through the queue and eventually ended up in our seats in the Ed Sullivan Theater - the very same place where Elvis, the Beatles, the Stones and so many others had performed. It was really neat to watch a TV show happen live - I was the biggest JP fan in the audience.

We decided to go for dinner that night and to jump on the bus again, as a hop and go tour, you could get off and rejoin another bus at specific stops along the route. Our hope was to to go to SOHO for dinner - we got on the wrong bus. Three hours later, there we were, in Brooklyn, looking at the city lights of Manhattan... only another hour and a half left on the tour. We got back to Times Square and needed to eat - we found a small restaurant in the theatre district and got quite a free(k) show. Two very stereotypical transvestites had a very animated conversation at the bar beside us, oddly enough it didn't seem out of place.

New York is filled with all sorts of characters.

Font Selection is Important

2010-05-29T11:07:00.008-07:00

To most people, fonts are just another useless choice in their Word document. To designers however, fonts are an integral element in communicating ideas and emotions.

There are thousands of fonts, thousands of beautifully created fonts, each designed with a feeling or purpose in mind - some are very versatile.

When a typeface is used in design, an association is made by the consumer on the look of the product or brand and how it makes them feel about it. Consumers when presented with a consistent looking look that is associated with a brand will come to remember it and the feelings they have of that brand will be rekindled, in some small way.

The image above contains 9 words all with different word marks. Most of these word marks have been derived from actual fonts and then modified by a graphic designer to better suit the brand and what it represents. What's cool about this, is that without even saying the brand (or band) names on this document, most people could tell you the names of all 9 brands represented here. If this does not demonstrate the importance of proper font selection and graphic design as part of brand building, I don't know what does.

A good graphic designer should take great care and spend a good amount of time in learning about your brand and what it represents in order to craft a word mark or logo. One of the first things that a designer will do is select the fonts to be used on the project (for use in logo, stationery, packaging etc.) this can take several hours to select the right fonts for each of these. But the result is an effective part of your communications strategy - putting across information is important, but good design and proper font selection can associate emotions to that information.

Graphic designers are trained to communicate ideas and information in a visual way, utilizing fonts is part of this process. The next time a designer presents you with a design or word mark for review, ask them to explain why they chose the one they did - you may be surprised what went into their descision. As a client, you should challenge the rationale behind the design to ensure the designer really understands what he/she is communicating - with a professional creative team and good creative direction, a design is rarely wrong unless the rationale and understanding of what needs to be communicated behind it is wrong.

Bottomline: A well crafted brand comes from understanding the customer then taking the time to ensure all visual elements align with what needs to be communicated.

Please note that I found the image above online with no credit, I left the file name intact so that whoever put it together can find it on my blog and request proper credit.

New York City - Day 1 - The Arrival

2010-05-29T11:06:00.006-07:00

I can't believe that I haven't posted anything about New York City yet. Well, if you are a friend of mine on Facebook, you probably know quite a bit about my trip, but for my avid blog readers (hi Mom) I will divulge a bit more of my experience in the big apple.

OK, we landed in Newark, NJ in the late afternoon on Sunday - our limo driver was waiting with our name on a card, just like in the movies only our card also had our logo on it! Danté was our driver's name and a fitting one at that, considering it's use in literature and that we were heading to the BEA (Book Expo America). Danté was a fun guy and was pretty knowledgeable about the city, which was appreciated as we'd never been to New York before.

The one hour drive went by quickly as there was so much to see on the way to our hotel - it took an hour because of all the traffic, despite it being Sunday, the roads were full. We arrived at our hotel through the back entrance (unbeknownst to us there wasn't much of a front entrance). The hotel was the Crowne Plaza, and it is located in the heart of Times Square, on Broadway there is a sliver of an entrance with an awning, it's easy to miss - but behind the tacky tourist shops and billboards is a rather nice hotel. Upon checking in, we were asked if we were afraid of heights, an unusual question by any standard - we said no, at which time, we were placed in a room on the 46th floor, the penthouse. In Calgary, there would only be about 5 buildings taller than this... in New York, well, let's just say we weren't the biggest kids on the block.

Our room looked out over the Hudson River and Hell's Kitchen, where we ate on our first night in New York - the restaurant was called Taboon and was absolutely delicious. We walked to and from the restaurant which was about 10 blocks away - it was a beautiful night. At this dinner were Wayne Logan, Jeff Buick, Celia Rushford, my wife and me.

Being new to New York and walking through the various streets, one of the things that I noticed were the very strong smells, some good, some bad... they changed about every 5-10 feet or so. After being there for a couple of days, I didn't notice it the way I did on the first two nights... but it was very much something that I will associate with the experience. There are no alleys in New York City, at least none that I found - land is too precious a commodity to waste the space - buildings are backed right onto each other and no space is wasted. We saw some 50 floor buildings that were 15-20' wide at the base.

We've all seen New York on TV and in the movies and it's citizens are often portrayed as rude and abrasive - this could not be further from the truth. From the locals that I met, and I met quite a few, they were kind, generous (with their time) and very much down to earth. I felt safe walking about and approaching people for directions. Great people. And, fit too. The average New Yorker walks 5 miles a day I was told, and I believe it - my pedometer was off the charts every day.

I visited numerous places and took in two tours, but most of my trip was business; Going to the BEA to learn more about the future of publishing as well as to secure a partner in distribution of our first title, One Child. For the most part, we're new to the publishing industry, which from some established view points may be considered a minus, but we believe our business model and our approach to releasing books will be revolutionary. We've already got large commitments from retailers based on our unique marketing strategy and feel that our first book will turn some heads. We anticipate a line up to work with us on our second book... which is already underway.

After walking back to the hotel, we decided to wander around Times Square for a bit - very interesting. Madison Avenue is kept busy with these billboards alone, some 12 floors high - and they change out about 3 every night. We visited many of the tacky shops and took some pictures - like everyone else in Times Square, we were tourists.

Not Everything is Rated E for Everyone

2010-05-19T22:34:00.010-07:00

Two of my favourite writers of all time are very well known for their writings of children's material... and both of them have written and published adult material. And I don't mean grown up material, but ADULT material - as in behind the swinging doors of the video rental store.

Roald Dahl is perhaps one of the most brilliant writer of children's stories the world has ever seen. There's no other way to describe his writings other than just plain brilliant - there's little wonder why so many of his stories have entered our kids lives as movies. Growing up, my mother read me and my brother nearly every Roald Dahl book she could find in the library. That's right, back then we didn't just go to chapters and buy what we needed, we went to the library every two weeks and rented them (records too!).

When I first learned about e-Bay, back in 1998, I began collecting Roald Dahl books (first editions, naturally) for my own kids to read. Since I began receiving them, I have read my kids several of the stories and they are simply fascinated with them. The characters, the adventures and the outlandish tales are just too much to ignore, even for sufferers of ADD. I just about have the entire set of Roald Dahl books, and although, some of them may have been in pristine condition when they arrived on my doorstep, it didn't take long for the 40 year old first edition copies to start looking their age. They are timeless stories however and I hope that someday I can read them to my grandchildren.

In my acquisitions, I came across a collection of short stories called, Switch Bitch, by Roald Dahl. It is a collection of 4 erotic tales, just as fantastic as the children's books, but with an adult theme. It's not a genré that I typically read, so I don't have anything really to compare it to, but I can say that the stories were very entertaining and solidifies my feelings about Roald Dahl as a first class writer. He is truly brilliant.

Shel Silverstein is another great writer who is perhaps (depending on who you ask) best known for his collection of children's books, which themselves are each a collection of poems and creative puns and thoughts. Now, reading my last sentence doesn't give Shel justice, his writings were brilliant as well and imaginative, very, very imaginative. I have also secured hard cover copies of Shel Silversteins's children's books to read to my kids. They love when I bring out Where the Sidewalk Ends and Falling Up and beg me to read them a "long one" when it gets past their bed time, his poems are really fun to read.

As a boy, I never heard of Shel Silverstein, I know now that I had heard his material, but I didn't know who wrote it. As a young adult I learned of Shel through MacLean and MacLean, a Canadian Comedy duo (RIP Gary and Blair) that did a skit on Mr. Silverstein. Now, MacLean and MacLean didn't do any children's material... not even close, but they did pay tribute to Uncle Shelby, as he was known to friends.

As it turns out, Shel Silverstien was a prolific song writer, penning tunes for Johnny Cash (Boy Named Sue), Dr. Hook (Cover of the Rolling Stone), The Irish Rovers (the Unicorn Song) and many others. In addition to writing songs for radio, he wrote a number of songs that couldn't be played on the radio, not even today. They are very much considered Adult content, just listen to The Father of the Boy Named Sue one time. Shel was also a contributor for Playboy magazine for several years, which I think is where he got his big start. Shel Silverstein wrote hundreds and hundreds of poems and songs for both children and adults.

Both Shel Silverstein and Roald Dahl had no problem going from Children's material to Adult material they did both very well and used their imagination and creativity to stimulate audiences of all ages. I know that I enjoy both of each of their offerings and am amazed at their talent... I just wished they were both around to continue writing for me, well yeah... and everyone else.

True talent has no boundaries.

My favourite Roald Dahl story is, Danny, The Champion of the World.
My favourite Shel Silverstein story is, A Front Row Seat To Hear Ole Johnny Sing.

Leading a Horse to Water

2010-04-24T07:43:00.009-07:00

I've been blogging since 2006. Yeah, I know... where has the time gone?

Considering how pressed for time everyone is these days - myself included, I've somehow managed to come up with over 60,000 words of content in 132 posts, spread over 2 blogs.

The topic of conversation typically centers around marketing, or with some sort of a marketing flavour. But, sometimes it's just for fun.

When writing about marketing, I don't hold back any information - while trying to explain a concept or process I try to be as descriptive as possible without writing a novel. It's important not to be superfluous, it's a blog after all and brevity is key. The KISS principle is applicable in nearly every situation, rocket surgery excluded.

With over 20 years experience, I think I've got a lot to share. And, share I do. In fact, much of what's posted is advice that customers typically pay for... and I'm giving it away here for free! No loss-leaders here folks, it's all laid out here for you to read and hopefully implement in your own business. The writing is not technical by any stretch, it's in plain speak and I try to include examples where I can.

Here are a few of the marketing posts that I think are key reading if you are looking to make improvements on your marketing:

Your Brand Motto, perhaps the most important of all is to understand your brand.
Meeting Expectations is so important in creating your brand.
Understanding the importance of Branding, in general terms.
Everyone wants to know what Works in marketing.
Creating a memorable Brand Experience for your company.
Do you even know what your biggest Asset is?

Now, these are just a sampling of some posts I've written over the past 4 years, take from them what you will. But, know that they are there for the reading, they're free and what you do with the information is up to you.

Funny Band Names

2010-04-10T10:58:00.010-07:00

I have always been a fan of funny band names; clever, abstract, obscure, descriptive, political, obscene or juvenile - I like'm all.

For years I have searched for the perfect name for my retirement band - that's right folks, when I finally retire from marketing, I am forming a rock band. And, coming from a marketing background, I can assure you that naming is very important when forming a new brand or band... same thing.

Today, I found this list of band names on the interweb and wanted to share it with you, as there are some great names on this list.

A Band Named Bob
A Box of Fish with Tartar Sauce
A Boy Named Gomer
A Cat Born In An Oven Isn't A Cake
Above Average Weight Band
Abracadaver
Abstract Penis Brigade
Actual Size
Adickdid
Adios Pantalones
Admiral Poopy Pants and His Dancing Teeth
Adult Children of Heterosexuals
Adventures in Shrubbery
The Advil Monkey
Aerosol Methods
Afghanistan Banana Stand
Afraid Of Figs
Afrodiziac
Agnes Morehead
Aha, the Attack of the Green Slime Beast
The Al Roker Death Cult Wind Ensemble
Al's Heimers
Albino Toilet Boys
Alcoholocaust
Alien Ant Farm
Alien Nymphos from Uranus
The Alien Puppets
Alien Sex Fiend
All You Can Eat
Almighty Lumberjacks of Death
The Amazing Embarrasonic Human Karaoke Machine
Amish Meth Lab
Amputatoe
Amputease
The Anally Devoted Husbands
Anal Speech Therapy
An Emotional Fish
Angry Amputees
Angry Salad
Angry Samoans
Anus the Menace
Apocolypse Hoboken
Are These My Pants?
Armed and Hammered
Armpit
Army of Prawns
The Arrogant Worms
Arthur Loves Plastic
Ashtray Boy
The Atomic Bitchwax
Automatic Daffodils
Attila The Stockbroker
Avenging Lawnmowers of Justice
Ayatollah Mama Please

Badical Turbo Radness
The Bad Livers
Bad Mutha Goose
Bad Tequila Experience
Baldilocks
Ball Point Banana
Baloney Ponys
Bananafishbones
The Band Formerly Known As Sausage
Band Over
Band That Shot Liberty Valence
Barbie Bones
Barefoot Hockey Goalie
Barenaked Ladies
Barf
Barnyard Slut
Barry White Boys
Barstool Prophets
Bassholes
BBQ Platypus
Bearded Itchy Lover
Beats the Hell Out of Me
Beatnik Termites
Beef Masters
Beerbellied Scum From Central Bucks County
The Bendy Monsters
Ben Dover and the Screamers
Ben Wa and the Blue Balls
Bernie the Trailer Park Queen and the Deadbeat Dads
Bertha's Mule
Betty Ford
Betty's Not a Vitamin
Beverley Beer Bellies
Biff Hitler and the Violent Mood Swings
Big Ass Truck
Big Balls and the Great White Idiot
Big Dead Fish
Big Fat Pet Clams From Outer Space
Big Fish Ensemble
Big Head Cat
Big White Undies
The Biggest Freak in New Jersey
Bimbo Toolshed
Bionic Roomate
The Bisquit Tits
Bitter Enemies/Butter Enemas
Bizzare Czars
Bjorn Again
Black Moth Super Rainbow
Bleeding Rectum
Bloated Scrotum
Bloated Tick
Blood Sledge Electric Death Chickens
Bloody Stools
Blueballs Deluxe
Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children MacNuggits
Body Falling Down Stairs
Boiled Angel
Bondage A Go Go
Bonerama
Bongo Sherbet and the Electrified Yeti Wobblers
Bongzilla
Bordering On Retarded
Boris the Sprinkler
The Bourbon Tabernacle Choir
BowWowWowHaus
Brady Bunch Lawnmower Massacre
Brad Pitt Live and Nude
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Britney Spearchuckers
Broadzilla
Brutal Juice
Brutal Noodle
Buck Naked and the Bare Bottom Boys
Bullwinkel Gandhi
Buck Satan and the 666 Shooters
Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellas
Bulimia Banquet
The Bumpin' Uglies
Burger Pimp
Bus Station Loonies
Busted Rubbers
Buster Hymen & the Penetrators
Butt Trumpett
Butthole Surfers

The Callous Taoboys
Caltransvestites
Candy Striper Death Orgy
Cap'n Crunch and the Cereal Killers
Captain Cardiac and the Coronaries
Captain Drinking Binge
Cardiac Zach and the Defibulators
Carter the Unstoppable Sexmachine
Caucasian Invasion
Chain Smokin' Alter Boys
The Charging Tyrannosaurus of Despair
Cherry Coke Enema
Cherry Poppin' Daddies
Chia Pet
The Chicken Charmers
Chickens On Smack
Chief Brody & the Bigger Boat
Children of the Vending Machine
Chocolate Bunnies From Hell
Chocolate Watchband
Clive Pig and the Hopeful Chinamen
Cobaine's Brains
Colon On The Cob
Colostomy Grab-Bag
Compulsive Gamblers
Concrete Octopus
Cookie Mould and the Smegmettes
The Couch Slugs
The Crab Cometh Forth
Crappy the Clown and the Punch Drunk Monkies
Crazy Taco Cafeteria
Crazy Uncle Larry and his Troupe of Molotov Cocktail Jugglers
Crispy Ambulance
Crocheted Doughnut Ring
Crosseyed Chicken
Cultivated Bimbo
The Cunning Runts
Curious George and the Homophobes
Curl Up And Die
Cycle Sluts From Hell

Dairy Queen Empire
Dali's Car
Damn the Bad Luck
Dancing Cigarettes
The Dancing French Liberals of 1848
Danger Wank
David Devant & His Spirit Wife
Dead Fish Prophecy
Dead Kennedys
Dead Milkmen
The Dead Pants (Die Toten Hosen)
Debbie Harry's Armpit Crew
Deepthroat Shotgun
Dick Cheese and the Crackers
Dick Davis and the Dicktones
Dick Delicious and the Tasty Testicles
Dick Donkeys Dawn
Dick Duck and the Dorks
Dick Nibbler's All-star Weenie Roast
The Dick Nixons
Dicky Retardo
Dicks on Fire
Did Lee Squat?
Diesel Dick and the Dipsticks
Dirt Clod Fight
Disgruntled Postal Workers
Dog Food Five
Dogs With Jobs
Domino's Delivery Boyz
Don Knotts Overdrive
Doris Daze
Doug and the Slugs
Dow Jones and the Industrials
Downy Mildew
Dracula Milk Toast
Drag King
Dragmules
Draw Your Own Cow
Dreaded Apparatus
Drew Barrymore's Dealer
Drive By Crucifixion
Drive-In Funeral
Drunks With Guns
Drunken Ugly Basement Brothers
Duckbutter
Dukes of Hazardous Material
Dumpster Juice

e. coli
Earthpig and Fire
Ear Wacks
Edith Head
Ed Gein's Car
Ed's Redeeming Qualities
Elastic Sausage
Electric Al and the Poison Dart Frog McNuggets
Electric Blue Peggy Sue and the Revolutionions from Mars
Elegant Doormats
Elizabeth Taylor's Husbands
The Elvis Diet
Endangered Feces
Epileptic Disco
Ethyl Merman
Everpresent Fullness
Eve's Plumb
Evil Beaver
The Evil Elvii
Evil Weiner
Experimental BBQ
Exploding Boy
Exploding Head Trick
Exploding White Mice

Fabulous Amputators
Fabulous Pimps
Fangboy and the Ghouls
The Farting Ghosts
The Fartz
The Fat Chick from Wilson Phillips
Fat Luv
Fat Welfare Moms On Dust
The F.C.C(The Flying Cunts of Chaos)
Fearless Iranians From Hell
The Fierce Nipples
The Fifty Foot Hose
50 Naked Midgets
Fire on Your Sleeve
Five Fat Guys Who Rock
Fix My Head
The Flaming Donuts of Jesus
Flaming Box of Ants
Flaming Lips
Flamin' Schnanuses
Flavor of Uranus
Flogging Molly
Flopping Bodybags
Flying Dustbunnies
Flying Elmo's
Four Honkies In a Big Black Car
Four Nurses of the Apocalypse
Four Out of Five Doctors
The Fred Mertz Experience
Freda Fuselage And The Wingwalkers
Free Beer
Free Beer and Chicken
Free Range Chicken
The French are from Hell
Freud Chicken
Frogs Don't Cry
Fromage d'Amour
Frosted Suede
Frumious Bandersnatch
Full Throttle Aristotle
Full Metal Chicken
Funky Green Dogs From Outer Space
Furious George

GangGreen
Gangway Fathead
Garbage
Gaye Bikers on Acid
The Gaza Strippers
Gee That's A Large Beetle I Wonder If It's Poisonous
Gefilte Joe and the Fish
Gelvis Pressly
Genitorturers
Get Reality Over With. Take Hallucinogens (G.R.O.W.T.H)
Girl Scout Handgrenade
The Glands of External Secretion
Global Disrobal
God's Girlfriend
Goldfish Don't Bounce
The Go Kill Yourselves
Go Nad Go
Gonoreagan
Gonnorhea Pizzaria
Grand Master Ass-Blaster and the Pimp-Slap Crew
Gravity Ass
Grim Skunk
Gregg Turner and the Blood Drained Cows
Gringo Star
The Grilled Cheeze Fiasco
Guess My Perversion
Guitarantula
Guns N' Wankers
Gut Full of Cheese
Guyana Koolaid

Habitual Sex Offenders
The Hair & Skin Trading Co.
Haircuts That Kill
Hakan Sleeps Naked
Half Man, Half Biscuit
Halibutt Sharon
Halo of Flies
Hamster Sandwich
Han Solo and the Chewbaccas
The Happiest Guys In the World
Hard-drinkin' Housewives
Harry Palms and the Gym Towels
Headlice of Doom
Head Like a Hole?
Heavy Pink Insulator
Heavy Vegetable
Hefty Pink Labia Lips
Helen Keller Plaid
Helicopter Barfs
Hell Toupee
Hellacopter Meat
Hello I'm A Truck
Henry Kissinger's Tits
Here, Eat This!
Her Majesty the Baby
Herpes Cineplex
He's Dead Jim
Heterophobia
Heywood Trout Festival
Hindu Garage Sale
Hitler Stole My Potato
Hitler's Missing Testicle
Hockey Teeth
Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of Death
Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers
Holy Mary, Mother of Bert
Homer and the Sexuals
Hornets Attack Victor Mature
The Hostile Amish
Hot Buttered Aspirin
Hot Rod Shopping Cart
House of Large Sizes
The Hurling Tandooris

I Buried Paul
I Got Shot By Dick Cheney
I Love My Shih-Tzu
Ice Cream Headache
Icky Boyfriends
Identity Crisis
If Cows Had Wings
If Pigs Could Talk Would You Still Eat Them
Immaculate Infection
Impotent Seasnakes
Individual Fruit Pie
Infected Mushroom
The Inflatable Boy Clams
Inflatable Dates
Inflatable Party Sheep
The Insult That Made a Man Out of Mac
Interspecies Love Child
The Introspective Playboy
Invisible Flintstones
Iowa Beef Experience
Iron Liver
Iron Prostate
Italians Obsessed with Cheese
IWRESTLEDABEARONCE

Jabbering Trout
Jason's Cat Died
Jason's Gay Haircut
Jazz Iguanas
The Jean Paul Sartre Experience
Jehovah's Waitresses
Jehovah’s Witness Protection Program
Jerry's Kids
Jesus Christ and the Nailknockers
Jesus Christ Super Fly
Jesus Chrysler Supercar
Jiggle the Handle
Jif and the Choosy Mothers
Jim Jones and the Kool Aid Kids
Joan of Arkansas
Jodie Foster's Army
Joe Buck Yourself
Joe Puke and the Chunky Bits
John Cougar Concentration Camp
John Denver's Co-Pilot
John Holmes: Cucumber Smuggler
Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams
Johnny Uterus and the Fallopian Tubes
Jolly Naked Fishermen
Jonestown Punch
Juggling Death Squad
Junior High Burnout
Just Plain Cheese

Kamakazi Sex Pilots
Karl Maldens Nose
Kathleen Turner Overdrive
Kenfunky Fried
Kerrigan's Knees
The Kids Who Never Learned To Color Inside the Lines
The Killer Hayseeds
Killer Kiwis
Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jew Boys
Kinky Slinky
Kiss My Poodles Donkey
The Kitshickers
Knee Deep Shag
Kung Foo Dykes
Kung Fu Action Clergy Persons
K.Y. and the Backsliders

Lance Armstrong and the One Ballers
Lavay Smith and The Red Hot Skillet Lickers
Lawnsmell
Leonard Skinhead
The Leave It To Beaver Conehead Immolation
Lee Harvey Keitel
Lee Press-On and the Nails
Lesbian Dopeheads on Mopeds
Lick, the Dog
Limp Wrist
Lip Smacking Kitten Lunch
Lord Panic and the Exploders
Lorne Greene's Wet Nipple
Lost Underpants of Doom
Lothar and the Hand People
Lubricated Goat
The Luminous Toilet Bowls
Lung Mustard
The Lust Penguins
Luxury Christ
Lyin' Bitch and the Restraining Orders

Maggot Sandwich
Man...or Astro-Man?
Manson-Nixon Line
Mao Tse Helen
Mary Carves the Chicken
Mary Kay and the Cosmetics
Mary Tyler Morphine
Mayhem Lettuce
McAlbert Fish Sandwich
Me and Sir Octagon
Meat Puppets
Mechanical Tampon Fish
Mega Smegma
Melissa's House of Crabs
Men Among Poodles
Men With Issuses
Mermaids In the Basement
Microwavable Tree Frogs
Mill Valley Taters
Minnie Pearl Necklace
Minnie Pearl's Jam
The Minstrel Cramps
Mr. Holland's Anus
Mr. Quintron and the Flossy Unicorn Puppet Show
Mr. Tasty and the Bread Healers
Mr. T Experience
Mogen David and the Grapes of Wrath
Moist Fist
The Morbid Tavern Apple Choir
More Drunk Cowboys
The Morning Shakes
The Most Sordid Pies
Mother Theresa's Children [Moder Theresas Barn]
Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck
Mouse and the Traps
The Muscular Lesbians
Mussolini Headkick
Mustard Plug
My Dog Has Hitler's Brain
My Friend the Chocolate Cake
My Other Car is Even Crappier
My Three Scum
My White Bread Mom
Myth America

Naked Potato
Naked David Hasselhoff
Nascar Fanatics
Natural Fonzie
Naugahyde Chihuahuas
Navigators Of Carrots
Nearly Died Laughing While Shaving My Butt
Ned's Atomic Dustbin
New Squids on the Dock
Nip Drivers
The Nipple Erectors
No Pants Bandits
No Way Sis (Oasis tribute band)
Nocturnal Emissions
Nomad Nipples
Noodle Muffin and the Pig Squints
Norman Bates and the Shower Heads
Not Drowning, Waving
Not Now I'm Naked
Not With My Camel
Nurse With Wound
Nuts Can Surf

Oedipussy
Old Bathtub Hag
Old Lady Driver
Once I Killed a Gopher With a Stick
The Only Alternative and His Other Possibilities
Operation Cliff Claven
The Orange Jews
Orange Juice After Toothpaste
Organic Condom Mazda Drugs

Our Manager Told Us That Our Band Name Was Too Long and Difficult to Remember and That We Had to Change it So After a Long Brainstorming Session We Came Up With This One Because All the Other Ones Sucked

Outer Body Llama
Out of Godzilla's Butt
Out Vile Jelly
Ovarian Trolley
Ozzy Beard Spaghetti

Pabst Smear
Painful Rectal Itch
Paisley Brain Cells
Paul Minor's Great Big Ego
Paul Will Eat Himself
Peace Love and Pitbulls
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy
Pearl Harbor and the Explosions
People With Chairs Up Their Noses
Pepto Dismal
Peter and the Test Tube Babies
Phenobarbidols
Phil McAvity and his Gerbils
Philemon Arthur and the Dung
Phlegm Fatale
Phone Bill from Hell
Picadilly Circus People
Pieces of Lisa
Pimps of Venus
Pink Slip Daddy
Pissed Off Postmen
Planet of Pants
Plastic Nude Martini
Playdough Fish
Plump Harriet
Poo On A Stick
Poop Shovel
Popemobile
Pontius CoPilot
Pork Queen
Porn on the Cob
Porn Flakes
Pornhuskers
Possum Juice
Post Nasal Drip
Poultry in Motion
Pregnant Men
Pretentious Flamedogs
Printed At Bismarck's Death
Professor Morrison's Lollipop
Psychic Buddist Gorillas
Psycho Sluts from Hell
Public Enema
Pure Bastard Extract
Purple Earthquake

Quasimodo and the Eunuchs
Queer Wookie
Question Mark & the Mysterians

Rainbow Butt Monkeys
The Rampant Hedgehogs
Rats of Unusual Size
Rebel Without Applause
Rectal Exam
Red Neck Girlfriend
Reluctant Stereotypes
REO Speed Dealer
The Revolting Cocks
Rhythm Method
Rodney King and the Nightsticks
Rolling Blackouts
Rolling Donut
Ronnie James Deoderant
Root Boy Slim and the Sex-Change Band with The Rootettes
Royal Flush and the Jacks of All Trades
Rubber Nipple Salesmen
Rudimentary Peni
Rugburns
Rumplforskin
The Runz
Ryan Retardondo and the Get Down Syndrome

Sadista Sisters
Sandy Duncan's Eye
Satan’s Cheerleaders
Saturated Fat
Saturday's Garbage
Saturn's Flea Collar
Science Diet
Scary Chicken
Screaming Brocolli
The Screaming Hormones
Screaming Moist Accountants
Scrotum Pole
Semi Digested Curtain Rail
Sensitive New Age Cowpersons
74 Megs of Ryan
Severe Tire Damage
Sex Clark Five
Skankin' Pickle
Sharon Stoned
She Stole My Beer
Shirley Temple of Doom
Shirley Temple Pilots
Shoot the Mime
Shorty and the Disappointments
The Shower Scene from Psycho
Sinus Envy
Sissy Boy Slap Party
Sister Run Naked
Six Organs of Admittance
Skadelic Smegma
Skanorrhea and the Burning Sensations
Skunk Death
Sloppy Seconds
The Slutty Nunz
Sluts for Hire
Sly and the Family Jewels
Smegma & the Nuns
Smelly Tongues
Smorgasborgnine
Snotty Scotty and the Hankies
Sodom & Gomorrah Liberation Front
Sofa Kingdom
Some Random Band
Son Of Sam Walton
Soothing Sounds For Baby
Sorry About Your Daughter
The Sound of Animals Fighting
Soup Dragons
Sour Puppet
Space Hog
Spaceman Bill and the Groovy Gravy
Sparky the Lizard Hermaphrodite
Spastic Colon
The Spastic Rats
Special Ed and the Short Bus
Squirrel Nut Zippers
Stark Naked and the Car Thieves
Stiff Dead Cat
Stiff Richards
Stinky Binky
Stinky Fire Engine
String Cheese Incident
St. Mucous
Stockhausen and Walkman
Stop Calling Me Frank
Stop Lookin' and Buy It
Straight Jacket Lucy
Stud McCoy and the Creemy Twinkies
Stukas Over Bedrock
Stupid White People
Suicide Ninjitsu Penguin Assassin Squad
Suicide Shrimp Fiasco
Super Sonic Soul Pimps
The Surf Maggots
Susanne and the Guys With Ties
Swearing at Motorists
Sweaty Bum Chunks
Sweaty Nipples
Swingin' Udders

Tastes Like Chicken
The Technochocolates
Technosquid Eats Parliament
Ted Bundy's Volkswagen
Ted Ed Fred
Temporary Darkening of the Stool
Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs
Test Icicles
Testostertones
Thank God We're Immortal
The Baby Won't Eat His Corn Dog
The Quilted-Quicker-Picker-Upper, Bounty!
They Might Be Giants
They Tried To Frame OJ
They Were Expendable
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282
This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb
This Is Serious, Mum
Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments
Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie
350,000 Crazed and Fully Africanized "Welcome to Disneyworld" Bees
Tickle Me Pink
Titty Bingo
To Live and Shave in LA
Toiling Midgets
Tonto's Expanding Headband
Too Fat to Skate
Tooth Fuzz
Toxic Shock and the Tampons
Toys That Kill
Tracy & the Hindenburg Ground Crew
Trailer Park Casanovas
Transatlantic Chicken Wicken No. 5
Traveling Dingleberries
Trench Coat Yuppies
Trotsky Icepick
Trout Fishing In America
Tupperware Death
Turkey Makes Me Sleepy
22 Toxic Chemicals
20,000 Leaks Under The Sink
Two Cow Garage
Two For Flinching
Two Minute Sinatra
2000 Flushes

UFOFU
Ugly Head
Ultimate Spinach
Umbrella Full of Semen
Unidentified Rocking Objects
Uncle Bob Touched Me
Underpants Machine
The Urinals
Urine Specimen
Usless ID

Van Gogh's Ear
The Vast Void of Empty Nothingness
Vegetarian Meat
Venus and the Razor Blades
Vermin from Venus
The Veronica Cartwrights
Vic Morrow's Head
Vic Vaccume and the Attachments
The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black
Vomit Launch

Waffles Against AIDS
Was I Naked
We Go To 11
We The Peephole
The Well Hungarians
Well Strung
Wendy and Her Menstrual Cycles
What Made Milwaukee Famous
When People Were Shorter and Lived By the Water
Where's The Pope?
The Whip-M-Out Girl's
White People Lie
White Trash Debutantes
Whorehouse of Representatives
Who The Hell Are You?
Willie Nelson Mandela
The Wizards of Twiddly
Woke Up Falling
Wonderbred, the Refined White Flour Children
Wrecked ‘Em
The Wrench Twisting Streetlickers
Wynona Ryders

The Yams from Outer Space
The Yeasty Girls
Yellow Snow
The Young and the Uselsess
You Need A Spanking
Your Damn Neighbors
Your Naked Mother

Zombies Under Stress
Zombina & The Skeletones
Zorro and the Blue Footballs
Zsa Zsa
Zulu Leprechauns

Luckily, the name I came up with for my retirement band isn't listed above, so there is still some hope for The Great White Ball Heirs - watch for us at a retirement villa near you... in a few years.

***This list of band names was made possible by copy and paste. To view the original posting, visit this site. I thought you might like to see it without ads though.

My Fair City

2010-04-02T12:49:00.010-07:00

Just when we start thinking about what a busy and uncaring city Calgary has become, we are met with a rapid response and helpful strangers.

Yesterday, my son Parker was hit by an SUV on the McKenzie Towne traffic circle... just blocks from our home.

He's OK everyone... his bike is toast, but his body is fine... just a couple of bumps and bruises - he got off lucky.

I don't know much about the woman that hit him, only that we got her information and she's been cooperateive... so, I can't comment on if she was helpful or not, or even how helpful I would've been if I had been in her situation - hitting a kid on a bike is probably one of the worst things that can happen behind the wheel. And, I'm sure that she was pretty shaken up herself, I know I would've been. Her actions or reactions are not what this is about though.

I'm referring to the help that was given to my son at the scene and following by complete strangers.

My son was crossing the traffic circle when this happened - he was on his bike and was not wearing a helmet (one of the few times that he didn't put it on). Despite our efforts in teaching him the proper bicycle etiquette, he, like most kids don't dismount prior to crossing.

He waited for the cars to stop, then proceeded to cross the road, he passed the first vehicle but the second vehicle, an SUV, perhaps didn't see him and accelerated, hitting my son and running over his bike.

Traffic stopped immediately in both lanes, blocking the intersection for several minutes, much to the dismay and aggravation of drivers behind the accident. What happened next made me realize that there were still some caring people left in our city.

So, I would like to thank the witness, a man in the vehicle beside the one that hit my son, for stopping and helping sort things out. Many other people would've just driven by, and I'm sure of that based on the fact that my son reported people behind the accident honking in frustration as this accident held them up from things for a few minutes... a disrupted commute is something to be angry about, I guess.

This stranger got out of his car, checked on my son, retrieved his bike from under the SUV that hit him, gathered the details of the driver that hit my son, silenced the honking horns behind him and provided his information to my son as a witness. A heads up move on all fronts and makes me wonder what would have happened without his involvement and help.

The help from this stranger alone, gives us all hope that there are still some thoughtful and caring individuals out there.

We took Parker to the clinic last night, and he checked out fine, just some bumps and bruises. Like I said, he got very lucky.

Also, today, we contacted the police to make the formal report... the police station was closed for Good Friday, so we phoned with a non-emergency call, within 15 minutes there was a knock at the door and within minutes, a policeman was taking down our information and statement. This was also encouraging because our expectation was that we wouldn't hear from them until much, much later and likely in the middle of the dinner hour. Not that we think the police service is slow, it's just a realistic outlook based on the fact that today is a holiday and it was not a priority call in the scheme of things.

I guess it sometimes takes an unfortunate event like this to see the true colours of people, and from what I saw, I'm impressed.

So, kudos to the stranger for putting others (namely my son) ahead of himself and to the Calgary Police for their quick response and help with the process.

And, to my son - wear your damn helmet!

Flintstoning

2010-03-28T08:44:00.007-07:00

When you were a kid, did you ever wonder why Barney Rubble and Fred Flintstone drove past the same grouping of trees, same pile of rocks and the same houses en route to the bowling alley... or anywhere else for that matter?

Were they going in circles? No.

Were they lost? No.

Were the animators trying to save time? Yes.

In the animation industry, this effect, or lack-of, is called a Wraparound Background and was used quite a bit by Hanna-Barbera to simulate travel. Because a background is secondary to the characters, less emphasis is placed on it as a focal point and wrapping a set background can give the illusion of traveling a great distance without having to illustrate a long detailed scene.

I call it Flintstoning.

Flintstoning can apply to just about everything we do. Be careful not to mistake what I'm referring to as a short-cut, because it's much more than that - real Flintstoning requires inventiveness, resourcefulness and creativity.

Flintstoning is not fueled by laziness, but rather an understanding where added effort is necessary or unnecessary and appreciated or not even noticed. This is also the challenge - understanding and knowing where and when to Flintstone.

Why is Flintstoning necessary? Well, sometimes time and money factor into certain projects... alright, not sometimes, money and time are always factors. So, finding ways to get elaborate work done in short a short period of time is necessary and expected. It's easy to spend hundreds of hours in designing something, even something as simple as a business card - is it really needed though?

So, the question then becomes, when is it necessary? Knowing this comes with experience, lot's and lot's of experience. The art of Flintstoning is finding quick and efficient ways to do things without compromising the integrity or value of the project and that's something that can't really be taught. Only with time do you really learn true Flintstoning and how it differs from taking short-cuts.

To pull Flintstoning off properly, you need to understand the project you are working on fully and know the impacts of said Flintstoning on the overall functionality and expectations of your client. And, if Hanna-Barbera taught us anything, Flintstoning should be relegated to the background and secondary pieces - not the focal point.

When Flintstoning, you need to ensure that it does not impair the operation or functionality of your project. Flintstoning should be seamless and for the most part, fairly invisible.

A change in the background that does not effect the foreground in an effort to save time and money is really what Flintstoning comes down to. Here is a great example of this:

Henry Ford implemented the assembly line, prior to that all cars were made by hand - using this different manufacturing approach to what was being done, he was able to save time, which resulted in a substantial saving for his customers.

Would you call this manufacturing change Flintstoning or taking a short-cut? Customers didn't know that their cars were not hand made and quite frankly, it didn't matter - they were getting the same product for less, maybe even with fewer errors.

I hate this term, but 'Out of the Box' thinking in solving problems is what it comes down to with Flintstoning, and the common underlying problem being solved is always time.

True Flintstoning is the result of experience and creativity and the ability to pull it off can make you a hero to your customers. It can also be a huge competitive advantage.

I encourage you to have a look at the projects you're working on and ask yourself if there are opportunities for Flintstoning - if you're spending a lot of time on one thing, chances are there may be. Just be sure that you're making the choice to change things for all the right reasons, ensure it's Flintstoning and not just a short-cut.

Music, is there anything it can't do?

2010-03-07T13:03:00.003-07:00

I don't think I'm that well versed in music to be a snob or to lecture others on their taste in music let alone get past the first interview at Championship Vinyl.

But, I think I got a pretty good handle on what I like, and after a few years of listening, I even have a favourite genre: I call it Garapunkolkativetal.

There are only two real categories of music that I'm not overly fond of: Rap and New Country. There are a few songs that cross over into the rap genre that I don't mind, likewise with new country, but overall, I would rather listen to the vacuum cleaner choke on a sock.

My favourite song? Well, it changes daily, hourly. Sometimes I like songs for their words, sometimes it's the music, sometimes it's both. Although I am just an amateur guitar player, I have enough understanding of the instrument to know and respect good musicianship - and sometimes that's why I like a song. Other times, it's just a frame of mind that I'm in that a particular song will speak to, then it becomes my favourite for that moment.

I do have a list of 10 desert island albums though, they are as follows, in no particular order (and this list morphs and changes over time too):

Land of Salvation and Sin - Georgia Satellites
A Ghost is Born - Wilco
Squeezing Out Sparks - Graham Parker
Exile on Main Street - Rolling Stones
Odds and Sodds - The Who
The Missing Years - John Prine
Shades of the Worlds - Allman Brothers Band
Midnight Stroll - Robert Cray Band
Greatest Hits - Wilson Pickett
Faithlift - Spirit of the West

The best part about a desert island list is I don't have to defend or explain them. I could easily create a desert island selection of 100 albums. In fact, I wouldn't want to be stranded with any less than 100... can I get iTunes on a dessert island?

While I have been writing blogs today, I have been listenting to the Herman's Hermits, Rancid, Thorn of Crowns, Ray Davies, Billy Talent, Delbert McClinton, Gypsy Kings, Warren Zevon, The Pigeon Detectives, the Ceasars, Tom Petty and Judas Priest. All of which I highly recommend.

For a guy that likes such a variety of music you'd think I'd change the discs in my car once in a while? I've had the same CD's in my car for at least 8 months... Red Hot Chile Peppers, Wilco, 2 mix CD's, George Carlin and Flogging Molly. The reason for this is satellite radio. In particular, Little Steven's Underground Garage (LSUG Channel 25) - this station is amazing and plays a diverse playlist like no other station I've ever heard. There's 100+ channels on the satellite radio and I rarely move it from channel 25.

The jocks on LSUG know their stuff and bring a lot to the table. Hearing Andrew Loog Oldham tell about his first hand experiences dealing with various bands and being a part of the music scene is worth the monthly subscription price on it's own. Andrew hosts the morning show and is amazing to listen to... most days the morning commute isn't long enough.

Next up is Little Steven himself. Wow, his introductions to the songs are in many cases better written than the songs themselves (TV Dinners by ZZ Top for instance, the intro was amazing and made hearing that song even more enjoyable) and remind us of the power that radio once held with skilled jocks behind the mics. Little Steven weaves intricate facts, backstage talk and popular culture in mini-stories that introduce the songs like I've never heard. In many cases, I've rewinded his introductions on several occasions to listen to them again and again. Yes, with the right Satellite receiver it records up to an hour of live music, like a PVR. His insights into music and popular culture are interesting, well thought out and mucho appreciated.

After Little Steven leaves the air we have a host of other great jocks such as Kid Leo and Handsome Dick Manitoba... there's just too much awesome to pack into one blog - you'll have to listen to it yourself to see what I mean.

So, is there anything music can't do? Yeah, ...probably lots, but it provides us the inspiration to do anything. And, on that note, I'm going to go out and fix my daughter's bicycle while humming Desperados Under the Eaves...

Direct Mail Advice

2010-02-07T13:58:00.007-07:00

I love checking the mail. And, I get to do it up to three times a day - at work, at home, and at the post office.

There's something about not knowing what's going to be behind the tiny door - usually bills, but getting letters, cards and money are some of my favourite types of mail and make my day when they arrive.

Sometimes direct mail falls into that category too, but that all depends on how well it speaks to me - is it relevant to what I am looking for or think I need at that particular point in my life/day/week? Also, does the piece stand out visually and look like a legitimate product or service that I would use? I like a good piece of direct mail.

There's a few things that I've learned over the years when it comes to direct mail and it can be summed up pretty easy:

Frequency - you need to do several drops, a minimum of 3 drops with a consistently branded piece should do the trick.
Target - carefully select the area you want to target and only focus on the areas that you feel would be best to use your product/service.
Offer - don't just tell them who you are and what you do - tell them how you can do what you do right now for less or with some kind of added value.
Design - your mail pieces should be in line with your other advertising as well as your brand, consistent messaging and branding is important.
Timing - the offer you are presenting should be appropriate and relevant to the time of year that you are doing your campaign.

Without going into too much detail, those are the 5 key things to focus on for your direct mail campaign - your design team should come up with something that will stand out from the hoards of mail.

I'm a huge fan of online marketing, but direct mail has it's place and there's nothing like a tangible piece to give some products a bit of legitimacy and credit.

If you really want to take your direct mail to the next level consider building a micro-site that specifically handles the task of the offer in the direct mail pieces. For example, your call to action becomes, "visit do-something-now.com and sign up for free something today!" Now, the recipient can check out your site (no sales pressure or obligation, like a phone call might be perceived), which can answer way more questions than a post card ever could, and now provide you with contact information through a form.

Like in any other form of advertising and promotion - keep it simple. One offer, one form of contact... you don't need to clutter the piece up with info - direct them to a site for more information - the piece should be designed to do one thing, and one thing only: get the consumer to act... and they need clear directions on how to and why to.

We've done several direct mail pieces at Francomedia, some extremely successful (followed above advice to the letter) and others that were complete disasters (decided to self-deliver to save .09¢ and only got a few hundred pieces into the market) - it's surprising when clients don't follow the paid advice given by professionals. So, today the advice is free - take it and use it or ignore it.

Direct mail is inexpensive, but can be a costly endeavor if you get no results. Like anything in life, you need to do things a certain way to achieve results - not every try will be successful, but this only helps you refine the right approach. Above, I've given you 5 things to focus on that will help make your next campaign a success.

The Bottomline: Direct mail works and it works well, if it didn't people would have stopped a long time ago - you just have to follow the above free advice.

Testing 1, 2, 3....

2010-01-30T10:47:00.010-07:00

THIS IS A TEST OF THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM

Growing up, we heard that droning message while watching TV at various times of the day on every channel. On Saturday mornings, the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) gave us enough time to get a fresh bowl of cereal half-way through Scooby Doo, a staple of our Saturdays until they introduced Scrappy, he ruined everything.

Although the EBS was an American initiative, we were exposed to it because we watched their TV stations, drank their Kool Aid and marveled at all the neat products that weren't available on this side of the border. As Canadians, we were a casual bystander with enough of a socialist mentality to empathize with the Russians and a strong enough capitalist desire to consider ourselves as best buddies with our friends to the south. But, the sporadic EBS tests reminded us that we weren't entirely safe sitting on the sidelines, we were far from it.

The one minute monotone message could interrupt us at any time and warn us of impending doom which heightened the experience of growing up during the cold war. Scaring the hell out of children, showing kids how to cowl under their desks and general fear mongering was the order of the day. This was emphasized in the neighborhoods with giant air raid sirens casting cold shadows across the school yards.

Looking back, it all seems so silly - after the wall came down in the late 80's and Gorbachev turned out to be an idealistic hippy, the threat quickly dissolved. But the EBS didn't. The EBS soldiered on until 1997 when it was replaced by the Emergency Alert System (EAS). Prior to the EBS there was the CONELRAD system, which Bob Dylan sings the blues about, or rather talks about in one of his songs about world war III.

The EBS expanded to include satellite radio and network news stations. The focus went from a war alert to more of an alert of national interests like natural disasters and terror threats, which has yet to happen. Events like 9/11, the Oklahoma bombing and hurricane Katrina were ignored by the EBS because network news stations scooped the story. And, with the interweb consuming all souls through social media outlets the need for a national alert system comes into question. Everyone in the world knew that Michael Jackson died within 20 minutes of him popping the last pill, with jokes circulating just as quickly... all without any help from the EAS.

Many years ago, you could reach the masses through radio which is why the CONELRAD system was employed, it was later replaced to include TV stations with the EBS for greater reach and then again later with little more reach by the EAS. These days however, internet access is rampant and TV and radio are reaching fewer and fewer numbers. With social media entrenched in amongst the masses, news of world events like the Haiti earthquake spread quickly and with surprising results - people can actually respond and offer aid. Now isn't that a better way to handle crisis than to spew out warnings to a useless and powerless audience?

I guess what I'm saying is that social media is good for more than marketing, which is where most of the emphasis is placed it seems. It's not surprising, it's no different than any other medium when it first arrives on the scene. The invention of any great new media always gets greeted with 'how can we monetize this?' Slapping ads on things is the most creative form of making money for people that don't work in creative.

Getting messages out to the masses is easier than ever, ...if it's big news.

To market something these days, it had better be big news if you want to break through the clutter.

Think about this the next time you are putting a campaign together, ask yourself - would I share this with others? Or, will it just be another innocuous droning message with nothing much to say?

Suffering Jukebox

2010-01-09T10:03:00.008-07:00

If you are one of my two regular readers, you will know that this is not my typical blog post. Usually, my posts try to offer some kind of honest opinion on what I do or some lame update of what I'm doing.

I guess, when it comes down to it, I find this type of abstract creative expression inspiring and drives me to push my own work to be the best that it can be and look at things differently.

So, without further adieu, from one of my favourite bands, The Silver Jews, a song written by David Berman, called Suffering Jukebox:

Cranes on the downtown skyline is a sight to see for some;
It ought to make a few reputations in the cult of number one;
While these seconds turn these minutes into hours of the day;
All these doubles drive the dollars and the light of day away.

Well I guess all that mad misery must make it seem to true to you;
But money lights your world up, you're trapped what can you do?
You got Tennessee tendencies and chemical dependencies;
You make the same old jokes and malaprops on cue.

Suffering jukebox, such a sad machine;
Your all filled up with what other people need;
Hardship, damnation and guilt;
Make you wonder why you were even built.

Suffering jukebox in a happy town;
You're over in the corner breaking down;
They always seem to keep you way down low;
The people in this town don't want to know.

In the end, we're all just suffering jukeboxes - we've all got lots to sing about, but in this self-absorbed, busy world, we're ignored. This sense of frustration is beautifully illustrated in words as are most of what Mr. Berman writes.

I listen to this song and am in awe at how cleverly crafted each and every line is. My favourite line is, "All these doubles drive the dollars and the light of day away."

Nomenclature Time of the Year

2010-01-03T15:35:00.019-07:00

Hard to believe it's twenty ten already. That's what we're calling it right, twenty ten?

Who decides these things anyways?

There must be some committee or scientific team that puts these things together. I mean how else is there consensus? Uniformity when it comes to describing an event such as an entire year is probably very important. You know, have everyone on the same page and all.

As I look back at the past decade, I am reminded of the fact that it provided us with a couple of real gems as far as popular sayings, phrases and clichés go. For the most part, I opted out of the hilarity and took the high road... well, you know me - not the really high road, just the one less traveled.

At the turn of the last century a phrase that was way over used was, 'I'm gonna party like it's 1999'... very funny and painfully obvious. Good one. Who writes these? For the record, I only said this about three dozen times leading up to 2000. I think that because of my under use of this phrase, I choose to say it in more recent years, not just because its nostalgic but because it's now finally become funny. OK, maybe not that funny, but it's my new years eve standby now.

Remember Y2K? Even though ten years have passed, I think most people forgot within ten days the ordeal brought on by the thought of that impending disaster - satellites falling out of the sky, appliances quitting, communication systems being knocked out and all 'round general mayhem. While some people stocked up on water, canned food, batteries and other sundries, I decided (read procrastinated) to wait for the new years sales, and lucky I did. The year 2000 rolled around and nothing happened. The previous 6 months I spent creating disaster plans, backing up systems and mapping out alternative ways to get the advertising job done was for naught. It's quite laughable now, but in 1999 this was perceived a big threat to businesses.

Y2K was a term quickly adopted by the masses and without much pushback... not like Y2K1 - no surprise that never caught on. After Y2K, the nomenclature became Oh One, Oh Two and so on, up until last year. Now we're Twenty Ten... perhaps next year will provide the greatest challenge. Twenty Eleven? Twenty One One? Surely, 4 or 5 syllables won't cut it in this world of brevity. Perhaps the worlds top scientists are already working on it. Afterall, It is the year before the world ends, so we want to make sure we go out on a high note, not left with some awkward 4 or 5 syllable albatross hanging around our collective neck. This team of scientists will no doubt craft a suitable name for 2011 before the dice is cast over mankind.

I totally missed the boat on the 'double O seven' year (2007). Not that I needed any copyright infringement lawsuits, but it would have been nice to toss that nugget into a few conversations. You know, for appearances sake, to appear more topical and on top of current events. But alas, I forgot until it was too late. The same way every May 5th I remember to say, May the 4th be with you.

Maybe the Chinese have it all figured out with naming years after 12 rotating animals. I don't mind being a monkey, it has some good attributes. For the ladies, an animal association has some benefits too, like the secret decoder ring / paper placemat that conceals the year of your birth, if even just for a few minutes before you eat dinner. Of course, the Chinese would have had a committee to choose the animals and you know there was some dissension when the rat was proposed and accepted.

Come to think of it, I'm sure that my opinion of the Chinese system might be a bit more critical if I were a rat. But I'm not, I'm a monkey and I like that a lot.

I guess we could have worse problems than worrying about what we're gonna call a year, and it's probably best left to the experts anyways as to what it's called. As long as they figure it out, all will be well in the world. And, we'll find out the way we find out anything these days, through Facebook.

For the time being, let's be thankful that we've got twenty ten, and that we've got all year to enjoy it. Happy New Year!

New Year Goal

2009-12-31T23:56:00.010-07:00

Many people take this time each year to cast in stone their resolutions for the new year. I've even done this in the past. Sometimes with success, but quite often, these resolutions are quickly forgotten which is why this year I picked a new years resolution I can stick to: 1440 x 900.

Instead of resolutions, I think people should set goals. You see, a goal provides you with some lead time, a bit of a ramp up until the actual goal is achieved, whereas a resolution is here, now, immediate and absolute. Setting a goal however, provides time for adjustment, learning and experience while the goal gets closer and closer. And, if you are surrounded by great people in life, like I am fortunate enough to have near me, they will have the patience to help you in achieving your goals.

For 2010, I choose to set a goal. Just one.

My goal is to be a better communicator. Just because I work in the communications industry, doesn't mean I'm a good communicator back at the office or at home. In fact, I know I'm not great at it. Sure, I may be able to articulate and explain complex scenarios to customers, but keeping the information flow going at home and at the office is a bit more challenging for me, especially when you have as much on the go as I do at any given time. I'm not making excuses, everyone is busy, but as a business owner and father of three, I have a lot on my mind at all times, a lot more than I think anyone knows except for maybe other business owner/parents.

As a business owner, your mind is continuously multi-tasking, and not always in a good way. For example; going from thinking in the big picture on business development and planning to answering detailed job specific questions, is far more distracting than I think anyone realizes and this happens all day long. Next to Facebook, distractions and interruptions make up the largest part of my day, and this makes it very hard to put much serious thought into anything for very long. This means I have to work after hours and on weekends to complete the things that should have been done during the week.

Complicating things further is the fact that I've been battling fatigue since an encounter with a nasty virus nearly two years ago. This has taken me down a few notches, and although I'm slowly getting used to it, arriving at work in the morning already tired and having a one hour meeting wipe me out mentally is still tough to deal with at times. It's a condition that seems to be slowly getting better over time, and is - my doctor promises a full recovery but it will take a few more years.

When I've only got so many 'productive' hours in a day, interruptions are really costly and eat up my time. As I write this in my home office, I am constantly being interrupted with arguing kids, telephone calls and arguing kids. Did I mention the arguing kids? I love my kids, but sometimes they can sure test my patience.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to micromanage everything in my life, but I need to have some control over what's going on... if even just for my own sanity. Getting bogged down in the smallest of details kills productivity and renders me ineffective in any role - being a better communicator and empowering people to make their own decisions with some direction is where I want and need to be - but this too requires some planning, thought and execution.

Setting expectations is a large part of keeping order and maintaining focus for everyone. So, I believe a good start to this process is with explaining and setting expectations. People need to know what's expected of them in order for them to succeed and how to behave.

So, this is what I plan to be better at in 2010, it will take some time, but I am committed to it. The result of attaining this goal? A better leader and father. Wish me luck, and know that I appreciate your patience while I work on my goal.

Dog Tired

2009-12-13T23:23:00.006-07:00

At the end of every December I swear I'm never going to do it again... be that busy, I mean. December is a crazy time around our office and each year it get's stupider and stupider.

I used to really enjoy December and the lead up to xmas, but the last few years have left me too busy to think about much else other than what needs to get done. December 25 is just another deadline in the schedule and it's a flippin' stat - so we got one less day to completion. It always leaves me dog tired.

We have a few retail clients, and one might think they are keeping us busy, truth is, they're too busy to call us in December. Our retail customers were on the phone with us throughout the fall so that things were in place for December, which is great.

You see, the last few years, most of our calls come from new customers looking to get things started for January. I guess the prospect of a new year and another fresh start is just too much to resist when launching a new product, brand or company. It's cool, I get it - in fact, I did the exact same when I launched Francomedia - so I'm not criticizing, I just needed a topic for my blog.

This is good news for us because January can sometimes be a slow month - but trying to get several large projects and web sites all launched for the same time period does present some problems when you have a finite number of staff and hours. But, we won't complain. Being busy is a good thing, and it's a great way to start off the year.

To add to our misery, and by misery I mean our busy-ness, we decided not to send out xmas cards this year and to do something digital. Doesn't sound like much, but while this would show our clients what our capabilities are on the digital side, it has to be done right - and by that I mean it will take a lot of our precious time, at a time when we have no time. We have to though, xmas comes but once a year and saying thanks to our clients is important - even if it means a lot of extra effort on our end.

So, we'll see what December brings this year; it looks like lot's of work, so much that I'll likely miss out again on that child like excitement with my thoughts buried in the worry that we won't get everything done in time.

I'll do it again this year, but I'm not going to do it again...

Sick at Home

2009-12-08T12:08:00.002-07:00

With the marvels of modern technology, you can get quite a bit done while being sick at home.

This morning at about 4:00am I woke up feeling very, very sick... at 6:00am when the alarm went off I knew I wasn't going into work, it took me two more hours to get down the stairs to my computer. Which is where I have sat for the last 4 hours.

It's days like today that an IMAP e-mail set up is really beneficial - I have all of my work e-mails with me at all times, where ever I go. This has been helpful, because I've gotten over 50 e-mails today and responded to about 30 of them.

In addition to that, I had a conference call with a new client in Toronto - I guess it didn't matter that I wasn't in the office for that.

The only negative about today (other than the way I feel) is that I had to cancel a lunch meeting and a car appointment... otherwise a pretty productive day so far.

Most of my family have been sick the last two or three days, so I guess it's my turn - on the plus side, they have had full recovery within a day, so here's hoping.

Xmas is Coming!

2009-12-05T11:15:00.005-07:00

It's been a long year...

It's just under 4 weeks until the big day we all call Xmas and I've got a problem with the whole event, OK..., not the event itself, just the name. And, it's not a problem so much as it's an inconvenience, you see, my keyboard is broken and does not allow me to type the letter X. One of the key letters in the name Xmas.

Even though X is the third most rarely used letter in the English language, it is problematic for me when I work from home. At this time of year with all the festivities surrounding the season, one can understand my dilemma. It takes me great effort to type an X, well..., I can't type it, I have to have one in copied my pasteboard and then paste it in where needed.

If you know me at all, you know I like to wish people the best of the season, and I also like brevity, the word Xmas allows me to do both at the same time, which brings me much joy.

Even e-mails to loved ones are signed only with kisses now, no hugs, which is sometimes misunderstood and considered creepy by some.

Long term I believe this must be resolved, perhaps a new keyboard on my Xmas list... it's been months since I've been able to visit any websites with XXX in the url and this is unacceptable.

This year, it is a struggle to communicate without an X and when doing so, is very labour intensive. So, if you receive correspondence from me while I am working from my home computer and do not get a "Merry Xmas" salutation, please understand that I am merely trying to be efficient and not rude.

All the best of the season and merry Xmas to all.

Public School Fail

2009-11-28T10:42:00.010-07:00

Report cards are supposed to show you how your child is developing and provide feedback on how to improve your childs' learning experience. This is done through grading (work, effort and test results) as well as evaluating each child's interpersonal and organizational skills. Some of this can be reported as a grade, but some things are less tangible and require written feedback in order to guide our children in their learning journey.

Yesterday, we received the first term report cards from our kids and I really have to question the Calgary Public School Boards' grading system:

Here's how it is supposed to work: The child is graded on his/her accomplishments and effort for each grade/class and the teacher is to comment on what the child has done right and what the child can improve on.

Here's how they do it: The child is graded, of course, but the teachers do not comment on the child, at least they don't use their own words... their comments are selected from a pre-approved list of comments.

Check out the highlighted areas (click to enlarge):
This is not a criticism of the teachers, it is a criticism of the system. And, I'm not knocking the entire public education system, just the practice of this type of written response reporting - we have had nothing but great teachers to date for all of our kids. So, this is not knocking teachers, unless they have a choice in the response, which I am assuming they don't. I'm sure that the database of programmed responses was devised with good intent: keeping comments politically correct, reassuring and positive. From a liability and risk standpoint alone this is a good idea. But these are our kids were talking about here, and we want actual feedback, not a selected response that is a near match to what they are thinking.

When the educators aren't allowed or choose to not string together their own sentence to evaluate their own students, it's downright offensive. If the system is to blame then the system needs to change and allow for teachers to do their jobs - feedback through reporting is a huge component of teaching and without it, you can't expect improvement or expect average students to achieve any level of advanced learning.

Now, if it's the teachers that are being lazy and operating in default mode, then pick another career... obviously you're not taking your job seriously and don't care much for your students' personal growth. I am hopeful however, that this particular teacher did this on purpose to expose this charade in reporting.

Branding Stories

2009-11-04T22:27:00.008-07:00

Every brand has a story. Many marketing professionals, including yours truly, believe that communicating this story will lead to a brands success. But, where does the story come from and what exactly is the story?

Here are my quick thoughts on to identify your brand story:

1. History. Your brands history is a story in itself; how did your brand begin, what changes were made along the way, how did your brand evolve - these are all questions you can answer to form the history of your brand and if the history is compelling, can differentiate your brand from others. Brands with good history stories that come to mind are: Nike, Goodyear, Safeway, Ford, Ikea, 3M, Ferrari, Hewlett-Packard, Zippo, Harley Davidson, and Coca Cola. There are many with great brand histories - these companies do a good job of communicating their past as a cornerstone to their brand offering. Even if you are relatively new, documenting acheivements and turning points in your brand, demonstrates history.

2. Beliefs. Your brands beliefs are a story; what is important to your brand, what drives your brand forward, what does your brand strive for - these are questions you can answer to form the beliefs of your brand and lets consumers know what you stand for. Brands with strong beliefs are: Apple, Hewlet-Packard and Sony (Innovation), The Body Shoppe (Natural), Trader Joe's (Fun), Ferrari and Nike (Performance), Rolex (Quality), Bentley (Craftsmanship), Walmart (Cheap). No matter what your belief is, you need to communicate it and be known by it. Consistency in communicating this story helps to solidify what your brand stands for with consumers. A brands beliefs are typically tied to a genuine passion of the company founder or leader.

3. Personality. Your brands personality is an evolving story; how does your brand dress, what mood is your brand, is your brand friendly, is your brand assertive, is your brand trusting, is your brand open to dialogue, is your brand unique - these are all questions that you can answer in the look and feel of your brands marketing materials. Brands that have unquestionable personality are: Apple, Ikea, Google, Hasbro, Disney, Swatch, Kraft, Kellogg's, Yamaha. The personality of your brand should instantly instill feeling and emotion towards your brand. The look and feel or personality of your brand should support and act as conduit for your brands beliefs and history. The colours, fonts, style, copy, imagery, sound and wordmark should all work together to communicate your brand personality. The personality doesn't happen by chance, it should be carefully and strategically designed by a professional.

Communicating these stories can be done several different ways - I can cover that another day though... for now, start thinking about your history, beliefs and personality. These three brand story points will also help to define your brand motto, and vice versa.

There are several ways to approach your brand story, these, in my opinion are the three most important ones and are the base for all others.

What a Bunch of Tools

2009-10-29T10:17:00.009-07:00

In the 20+ years that I've spent in the advertising and marketing field, I have come across a lot of tools.

When I was a buyer, I met with more unprepared sales people than anyone should ever have to. Good sales people are hard to find - if you found one, keep him (or her). A good salesperson knows their tools and how to use them. Arguably, the best tool a salesperson wields is their ears. The ability to listen, and I mean really listen, is the key to making a sale or progress of any kind with a client. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm no sales genius, but I did learn that tip from one of the best - I worked under him (or her) long enough to see the real difference between someone who knows and understands his tools and someone who doesn't. Salespeople that can use this tool effectively are the ones that succeed.

And, like the hoards of unprepared sales people not knowing how to sell, the internet is fraught with tools that don't know how to use the tools. Or, maybe it's just that there is this really great tool and everyone can afford it. But, nobody knows how to properly use it. Actually, let's assume that is the case.

The tool is social media, and it's just that; a tool.

So many people believe that social media is the answer to their marketing problems, that it's the end all and be all of their marketing efforts. To me, I see it as the latest gold rush online - it's free to use, so anyone can do it. It's super easy and people are making millions! MILLIONS!!! If they can make millions just by using this free tool, why can't I use it to sell my crappy brand?

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It's your turn to cash in! Here's a surefire way to social marketing success online, and this is FREE advice folks, so be sure to gobble it up:

Just sign up for a Twitter account, make a Facebook page, post some crappy Youtube videos and tell everyone all about it on your blog. So, here's how you do it:

Twitter: simply follow a bunch, like thousands! - remember it's free - of people on Twitter, and most of them will follow you back. Wasn't that easy. Now you have a bunch of people following you. Now, you type your 140 words about your product and the legions of followers will soon be instantly mesmerized by your brand's offering. Told ya, it's simple.

Facebook: go into your Facebook account and click, Create Page. Answer all the fields, upload your logo and you're set. Now just sit back and watch the millions of people on Facebook become fans of your page. You know how easy that is? They are all tuned into your brand's offering now. All it takes is one person to tell another person and the rest is money in the bank - that's how social media works.

Youtube: put a tripod in the chair across from your desk, or if you don't have a tripod, use a stack of hard cover books. Mount a consumer grade camera ontop of the tripod or novels and start rambling about your brand. When you are done, post it onto Youtube, do you know how many people are on there? There's millions, and your crappy one take, poorly lit, barely audible, unprepared ramble about what nobody is interested in will surely make the Featured Videos list.

Blog: you can't go through all that effort the past 30 minutes in setting up your social marketing campain without telling people about it... why not the 3 people who read your blog each week? Posting your weak efforts onto other social marketing spaces so people will check out your other social marketing efforts is retarded. As you type Pubish Post, remember, what you are doing is filling the internet up with more useful information about your brand - you are helping millions (potentially).

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Wasn't that easy? Everyone should be doing this... oh, right: They are.

I've met so many 'social media marketing experts' in the last 6 months, that I cringe when I hear that phrase now. It's rediculous. Now, I'm sure there are some real experts in the field - in fact, I know one quite well and believe me, the years of marketing behind her make her the expert - not the tool.

Social media is just a tool, the same way a hammer is a tool. Thing is, I own a hammer, but I don't profess to be an expert framer. Brands have got to remember, social media is nothing more than a marketing tool. And, some tools are just best left for the trades to use.

What most brands don't get, is that you need to have a marketing plan, a strategy, the playbook for where you want to end up at the end of the game. I may have broken the analogy record here, but a quarterback doesn't keep going to the running play (unless it's NFL) over and over again - a number of tools must be used to tell your brand story and to communicate your offering.

Social media is not the end all and be all... it's just a tool.

Creation Theory

2009-10-12T18:06:00.010-07:00

Having a planning meeting with my staff a few weeks ago has really solidified our focus.

For me, it reaffirmed some assumptions on my part regarding the path I chose to follow about a year ago... by all accounts, we are on the right path.

Managing a creative company can be difficult. Sure, it's easy to keep staff interested and focused on work when there's fresh, creative projects coming through the doors consistently. Believe me, this is much easier said than done - creative projects are the holy grail in our business, it's what all creative people live for and they don't grow on trees. But, with an excellent reputation and a team of creative super-hero types, we should be able to make it happen. We are know highly sought after for such work.

But this is was not always the case. It took a lot of hard work from each and every one of our staff, doing jobs that included repeat orders, changes to existing work and the dreaded maintenance work. And, while these are all easy tasks, creative people need to be challenged mentally and stimulated visually or they get bored and lose interest.

Doing repetitive work and 'maintenance' type work can be lucrative, but is very tedious and uninspiring. In the case of web site maintenance, having us do the changes are a double edged sword - we don't want to do them and they are costly for us to do them (for the client in dollars and for us in time)

So,...

Over the last year, we have been slowly building the engine that will service a new focus for our clients - investing thousands of dollars into becoming experts in the Content Management System (CMS) known as Joomla!, social media marketing and customized PHP development. This enables us to move clients into a space where they can manage their own smart web sites - this means they no longer have to contact us to make changes and allow them to directly engage with their customers through the web site using a little thing called web two point oh.

Hiring a company to make a simple text change used to be necessary and expensive, this is no more. I always felt guilty about charging 15 minutes to do something that the client should be able to do in 2 minutes, but the reality was it would take us about 20-25 minutes to do a simple task like a text edit. We have to create a docket, schedule the work, explain the work to whomever was going to work on it, they would have to find the file, edit it, proof it, save it, upload it, back up the revision, close the docket, then off to someone else to invoice the customer. Maybe it wasn't so lucrative after all, but I digress.

We want to focus on creation, not maintenance. Sure, this means a loss of income for us from a maintenance standpoint, but it's better for both parties - the customer gets to make changes when they want and without incurring cost and we get to spend that newly freed up time to spend on new creative projects. Win, win.

Now, there are some drawbacks to having a customer manage their own sites from a content perspective - you see, after all is said and done, a web site is a marketing tool, and putting any tool in untrained hands can lead to an ineffective use of the tool. Companies that do well online typically have marketing focused people making the changes to their site or are selective in the information that they change.

For instance, a company should use their CMS to edit and update product information, staff and contact changes, and pricing - then rely on creative companies to do the copy writing and build the 'splash' pages that sell the brand - this combination will save money and keep the site 'on brand', 'on message' and on budget.

Maximize this powerful tool we call your web site - if you wouldn't ask your Assistant to the Temporary Human Resources Filing Clerk to edit your corporate brochure, why are you asking them to edit your site. (no offence to the assistant to the temporary human resources filing clerks, I couldn't do your job either!) Put the right tool in the right hands... unless of course, they are left handed - just be sure it's the right person doing the writing.

We will no longer enter into maintenance contracts with companies unless they are part of a project - meaning we are moving to a more project based and brand based business model. We have a great team at Francomedia and we want to grow with them, take on larger projects and have some fun in the process. This fresh approach along with our advanced skillset should help accomplish this.

This applies not just on the web side of things - nothing can kill the creative spirit quicker than working all week long on a series of business card ads with different phone numbers for each town they run in. Sometimes these things are necessary as part of a larger overall project, and we will oblige gladly, but we won't take that kind of work on all by itself.

At our planning meeting we talked about the type of work we wanted to pursue and the types of clients we want to work with. What it came down to was let's work on projects that are challenging and fun, for clients that are open to new ideas, respect our abilities and are fun to work with. Enjoyment is the number one reason I do what I do and what really drives our staff to do great things.

So, our new focus is on creative projects, not just any though - ones that we want.

Bottomline: we do world class creative work for world class clients - for we are a highly creative company and our only competitor is close mindedness.

Here Comes the Fall

2009-09-01T08:21:00.003-07:00

I said in my last posting that fall is my favourite time of the year, and it is, both personally and professionally.

While hockey starts, bugs die and we start thinking of skiing, things ramp up at work. Business starts picking up after the summer slow down (which this year we didn't experience to the same extent as previous years) and clients get back from vacation and back to business.

It usually means new, exciting projects and that's what I live for...

Giddy up!