Building Relationships Through Content: It’s the Little Things

By on January 26th, 2012
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I just bought pet insurance. Of course like all kinds of insurance there’s a mental leap you have to take while your puppy is full of vim and vigor. But, I’ve spoken to enough people to believe it’s a wise investment.

You know what the best part was? This little note I got when I confirmed purchase of my monthly pet insurance plan:

We know that if your pet could speak they’d thank you for being a responsible pet parent and ensuring that when the unexpected occurs they will be… All taken care of.

It’s a little corny, but it takes the sting out of the monthly draw that will be suddenly coming out of my bank account along with a whole lot of other unexpected purchases that go along with being a dog owner.

What kind of messages could you be sending–for free–when you communicate with your customers? Here are a bunch of free online exchanges that you could make the most of:

  • 404 or error pages: When people take a wrong turn on your website, take the opportunity to feel a little less lost and ease their frustration and impatience so they stick around longer.
  • Email address confirmation: When people sign up for your newsletter, what kind of information are you sending them when you  confirm their email  address. Why not let people assure people they’ve made a good decision and that you’ll treat their email carefully.
  • Friend requests: When you send out an invitation to a friend or contact to join your social network use the message box to make them feel good about joining you. It’s just lazy to click the box without taking a moment to make it personal.

Any other ideas for free opportunities to make customers, clients and friends feel good?





Ontario Lakes Project: Lake Belwood

By on January 26th, 2012
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Lake Belwood is home to one of the events in the World’s Largest Triathlon series.  This event is internationally known and has been important to the careers of several famous Canadian triathletes including Jasper Blake and Canadian Olympic medalist Simon Whitfield. It’s very cool but there’s not a lot of concrete information about the race. That was until I stumbled upon race reports.

There’s a whole culture of amateur triathletes reporting their races. They talk about their times, how the temperature of the water affected their stroke, where they stopped for Gatorade vs. water, and if their electrolyte levels caused them to cramp. It’s really quite detailed, right down to the muddiness of the water during the swim, and how they changed out of their wetsuits without falling over.

The next hurdle for me was the whole dignity-exiting-the-water thing, and I knew I had to nail this one or else make the sort of spectacle that’s painfully retold for ages at family gatherings. Discretion being the better part of valour, I chose to not break into a heroic sprint as soon as possible and risk falling, and instead staggered up to the transition zone with the measured purpose of a bar patron zig-zagging to the john after several hours of drinking. – Stephen B

They’re very human stories and as a person who isn’t particularly athletic I found them quite compelling. And almost inspirational enough to consider taking up biking again.

Funny how triathlon works sometimes. You know that old saying that you can’t win the race in the swim but you can lose it…well its true. In a 90 minute endurance event my race was essentially over in the first three seconds. – Ryan Power

This is a race report from Get Out There magazine, who was at last year’s triathlon.




Photoshop; Does it make every photo a lie?

By on January 26th, 2012
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This video was in my Facebook news feed yesterday:

Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Almost every image we look at has had some kind of tweek. (Hypenotic’s own Graphic Designer Sonja photoshops most of her Facebook profile pictures. Don’t tell her I told you.) From basic colour correction to a complete metamorphosis; it’s a given that every beauty industry marketing image we look at is false. Every single one. And we have no idea to what extent. As consumers we rely on these ads to show us how a beauty product will perform. I can’t take lipstick back to Shopper’s if it isn’t plumping my lips as promised on the packaging.

There is a however a growing backlash. Recently L’Oreal ads were banned in the UK for being too photoshopped. And in the US, there is now a push to pass the Self Esteem Act, which would label all photos that had been airbrushed or photoshopped in any significant way.

At this point though as savvy (and cynical) consumers of marketing aren’t we aware we’re being lied to? We all still have pores, blemishes, age spots and wrinkles despite all of the promises cosmetic companies have made to us. I know my mac foundation isn’t going to make my nose smaller and my wrinkles disappear.

I think it speaks to a greater problem though. And that is:  How do we make beauty marketing meaningful? Right now as consumers we know it’s currently all about figuring out the lie. Do we legislate it? Can companies be counted on for self-regulation and transparency? (I think there’s a significantly greater chance of this in an age of social marketing, and  with the rapid dissemination of information on-line. But I also think I’m a bit naive.)

What do you think? Can we move to honesty in cosmetics and beauty advertising? Are we ready as a culture to accept natural bodies and faces on magazine covers and in advertising? Is this a slow shift or something we should jump into? And is this part of a greater shift of self acceptance and rejection of current unattainable standards of beauty?




Ontario Lakes Project: Beech Lake

By on January 19th, 2012
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This post about Beech Lake and Sasquatch comes from a blog post on The Centre for Fortean Zoology Canada’s website. In case you’re wondering, Fortean Zoology occupies itself with the mysteries underlying species that have not yet been proven to exist.

I have included excerpts from the post, but you can find the (much longer) post here.

 

My name is Matthew, and I blame Minden, Ontario for my fear of Sasquatch.

by Guest Blogger Matthew J. Didier, PSICAN

I became fascinated with Sasquatch because he smelled bad… and I have always had an odd fear of extremely bad smells… This said, I would not have thought about, considered, or even known about Sasquatch’s odour had it not been for a particularly bad…documentary that was once shown at the old Beaver Theatre.

My parents would often travel to the little island we owned on Beech Lake for entire summers… often leading to extremely bored kids, and a movie “in the big town” was often a cure for what is most properly called “cabin fever” in these cases.

I saw most of my first James Bond films at both The Beaver in Minden and the Molou in Haliburton Village… but…it was Bigfoot’s stink that held me.

I remember bothering my mother and father consistently… about sightings and evidence of Sasquatch in and around the Minden – Carnarvon – Haliburton corridor… although their re-assurance was little help for my insomnia.

My only relief that summer came from the ride back into the Sasquatch-Free land of the big city, with it’s constant noise and lights.

I honestly don’t know why I feel that this entry is “worthy” of posting… perhaps to say that there’s a myriad of ways and times in one’s life that an interest in the paranormal comes to them… and that not all of us “outgrow” it because we “know better.”



Bushy Eyebrows Make Meaningful Marketing

By on January 19th, 2012
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These posters are stapled to poles up and down Queen West–one of the most cluttered places in all of Toronto. Ads for cleaning ladies are literally layered with ads for club nights and promotions for films about the perils of climate change. Hard to get eyeballs.

Or better yet, eyebrows. These ads for a shop specializing in eyebrow design are arresting and funny. The image works by  juxtaposing fashion photography with a scary, bushy unibrow.

The business behind the ads is Eye Love a “brow and beauty bar” owned by Mary Dang. Mary was looking for a cost effective way to stand out, and she found it with the help of Herman and Audrey.

When our brows are unkempt we know we aren’t looking our best. The ad uses hyperbole to remind us what we might be looking like when things get a little Groucho Marx up there.

Reminds me of this Schick ad encouraging women to “mow the lawn” so all that’s left are “tulips on the mound.”

Enjoy, and go tidy up!  Unless you find this stuff offensive, in which case, tell me why.





What we talk about when we talk about winter

By on January 17th, 2012
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Canadians love to talk about the weather and I don’t blame them. Weather affects how we dress, how we transport and how we feel every day. Especially during winter, it is impossible to forget the fact that it is ten degrees below zero or to ignore that the wind-chill can make it feel even worse.

I am Mexican, so this is only the third real winter I’ve experience in my life. For me every aspect of winter is a novelty. Whenever I go back home I find myself trying to explain to people how cold feels like up here. I end up using analogies and saying things like:

Sometimes the cold air is very aggressive and feels like it punches you in the face as soon as you get out of your house. When it gets really bad I feel like my life is actually in danger. After some months of winter I start doubting that that trees will be green again and that flowers will grow underneath the piles of snow, I feel hopeless. When winter is finally over I wonder if I could ever go through it again, then I go out to enjoy every minute of sun and heat I can get and promise never to complain if it feels too hot.

Lots of feelings get stirred up during winter so instead of suffering them I decided to observe them and express them in a project. I’m calling this project 100+ Days of Winter; my intention is to create a visual diary of the winter using graphic design. I’m interested in watching the weather change little by little and documenting it for a hundred days by showing its numbers and the feelings associated with them. It is also revealing how our perspective changes depending on the context, for example a day of -6 after a day of -26 feels like such a relief it brings positive feelings, it feels like a picnic!

Many times ideas come flowing form random conversations, with people I ran into in the elevator or at the office, transforming the so-called “small talk” into fuel for creativity.

I’m only at day 11 so far, so please take a look, tell me what you think and more importantly, how does it feel today?

 

 




Ontario Lakes Project: Basshaunt Lake

By on January 12th, 2012
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Canoeing on a secluded lake is the quintessential Ontario lake experience. This sense of serenity is beautifully captured by Peter Bowers’ series of Basshaunt Lake photographs. The photos of Halliburton’s Basshaunt Lake featured the photographer’s friend and have been reposted all over the internet.

The image below even made it to one pinterest sharing page called My Bucket List.  Here are a few of the photographers’ best. If you want to see more of Peter Bowers’ work, check out his flickr photostream.

Basshaunt Canoe II



Learn what Moms and Puppy Owners Already Know

By on January 11th, 2012
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New moms often claim “nobody told me” about the many unappealing parts of motherhood. However,  I’m starting think that the “nobody told me” claim is a slice of pure Oscar Meyer’s bologna. Before you try to strangle me (especially you who, exhausted looking mom foaming at the mouth), hear me out.

Yes, I get that no one told you:

  • Breastfeeding would be so hard
  • Being a parent is fucking exhausting
  • You will likely have moments where you want to  throw the kid out the window or politely return her to the hospital murmuring “I’m sorry I think I’ve made a terrible mistake”

But why would you know this stuff before it was relevant to you? Face it, even if someone told you, you wouldn’t have been the least bit interested when you were busy living the free and easy vida loca. Sure if we grew up in multi-generational families you may have had an inkling of how breastfeeding actually worked, but that’s not the world most of us live in.

Today, we are all living on a need to know basis. And with the internet at hand, it’s not so bad.

Now that I have a new Australian Sheppard puppy named Blue I find myself feeling the “nobody told me” feeling coming on.

  • Nobody told me toilet training takes so long
  • Nobody told me how you have to teach a dog to walk on a leash
  • Nobody told me how mentally exhausting it is watching your dog trying to decide if you need to go outside (yet again) only to have him shit the moment you bring him back inside

But, now I need to know, and so I do (well, starting to anyway).

Puppy ownership has thrust me into an entirely new community of interest. In this new community (where you have to watch where you step)  I can access all kinds of information I never needed to know before.  I can lock eyes with other dog owners and share a moment of shared identification; My google and youtube searches have taken a new turn; will make dog friends, write annoying puppy-centric facebook posts and call my male dog ‘buddy’ (which even I find annoying).

My identity profile has changed. I’ve joined a new specialized group. Hear me bark.

Here’s my latest favorite video on how to walk a dog–walk a dog? Nobody told me. Hey Buddy, how ’bout you just walk?

 

So now I’m a member of a whole new community of interest–Aussie puppy owner. If you see me walking Blue down the street, waiting patiently for him to decide to start walking again  (as I look over my right shoulder without saying a word or making a noise) feel free to say hello, or better yet, offer us a ride.

 

 




Welcome to the team Blue!

By on January 9th, 2012
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Blue is our charming new office dog. He’s a 10 week old Australian Shepherd and the reason I probably won’t be getting much work done today. You should come by and meet him!




Skip ROI. Try ROE (Experience).

By on January 6th, 2012
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Last week, a pizza-maker at a chain (re)taught me one of marketing’s most important lessons: the value of a good story.

I was at a place called Anthony’s, where they make coal-fired pizza. We were there because the food is good, which is enough, but for Anthony’s, apparently good food is the bar for entry.

My 4 year old daughter wanted to see the pizzas being made so I brought her around the side of the bar they were using and stood her on a chair.

In the flurry of 6 people hopping around the two ovens, one asked if she’d like some dough. We’ve had the offer of a piece of dough to play with before at Mother’s Dumplings in Toronto for years, so that’s what we were expecting.

A minute later, another fellow yanked a full flattened pie of raw dough onto a plate, put it in front of us, and before I could ask what we were supposed to do with it, gave Pip a handful of cheese. He told her to spread it around. She asked for sauce, and he dipped a ladle in their pizza sauce and poured it on. Then he asked her what she liked on her pizza. She replied, he supplied, we decorated together, and he got someone to put the pie in the oven.

We went back to our table, told my delighted in-laws and Pippa’s jealous sister what happened, and Pippa alternated between gloating and being thrilled for the next 10 minutes.

When it came, she nearly exploded with excitement, but she let us all taste it. Naturally, to her, nothing was going to taste as good for a long time.

This was in Boca, where people spend most of each day deciding what they’re going to do for dinner. At Xmas, so their relatives were visiting. at 6:30pm, with a line-up out the door. In the grand scheme of things, it didn’t take him much effort or cost him much. But the payoff includes:

  • Guaranteed future visits from us
  • Likely visits from my family (2 brothers and 2 sisters, each with spouses and 2 kids, plus my parents)
  • Likely visits from people each of us tell about the story, and the people they tell, etc
  • This blog post, which gets read by enough people when I post, but will be indexed by search engines and served up in perpetuity

It doesn’t seem to matter how many times you hear it from hallowed, New York Times best-selling marketing gurus, people just don’t seem to clue in to the power of good stories. Long story short:

  • Stories travel in ways traditional communications can’t hold a candle to
  • They last (sometimes getting more interesting over time!)
  • We hear them from trusted peers, not brands
  • If they’re good enough, people will write about them, increasing their chance of being seen

Let me leave you with 3 questions:

  1. Have you been witness to the creation of any good stories?
  2. Any thoughts on stories you can create for your organization?
  3. Can surprising and delighting people be part of your content strategy?



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