Let them fly on Yonge Street

Yonge Street
Originally uploaded by neuroticjose

I try and walk home, or partly home a few times a week...or whenever the sun is in the sky.

My walk home yesterday, was just like every other day...full of people, weaving through crowds and traffic and me saying a polite 'leave me the damn alone' to people handing out flyers. A few of the flyers caught my eye - most were irrelevant. Here's the rundown.

NOTE: I am walking North on Yonge starting at King Street.

Adelaide
Sick Kids - There are usually 2 workers, 2 on each side of the street. They hold binders with the Sick Kids logo on them. IRRELEVANT - they are there 4 of the 5 days of the week. There is nothing compelling about giving to them via this mean verses just donating online.

College
Psychic Reading - POSSIBLY RELEVANT - With days going as they are...it would be nice to see a happy ending in sight.

Isabella
Scientology Kills - I have to admit, having about 8 anti-Scientology protestors outside of the Church of Scientology, all wearing masks (many very scary) shouting at the top of their lungs 'Scientology Kills' caught my attention. RELEVENT - only because I saw parts of the Tom Cruise/Oprah interview a few days ago.

Isabella (a few more steps north)
Yonge Street Fitness Club has someone standing at the corner giving out their flyers almost everyday. They have a $15 offer going on right now...but doesn't every fitness club on Yonge? IRRELEVENT - only because I don't do the gym thing.

...and then I jumped on the subway at Rosedale.

Is Execution defining your Strategy?

Crumpled Frustration
Originally uploaded by Aaron Jacobs

I have seen this far too often.

A launch date is set in stone so everyone works backwards from there. A quick and dirty strategy is developed with hard-to-reach deadlines and misunderstanding of deliverables. Tactics are taken off the list and the strategy weakens...communication breaks...

So what do you do in this circumstance? Do you continue and launch what you got?

Here are some quick tips that can help (or have helped me).

1. Take a step back and reassess your priorities
2. Regroup and layout a plan to reach your goals for launch
3. Have a second, post, phase 2 launch
4. Workback schedules
5. Connect with all partners and determine new roles
6. Always reassess your customer value proposition and make sure it is still relevant
7. Reassess your measurement goals
8. Set lists of To Do's
9. Strengthen communications amongst all partners
10. Breathe

What do you do?

Branded Cities

My girlfriends and I just got back from Vegas on Monday (was supposed to be Sunday, but that is a later post). We went to celebrate my best pal's dirty thirty.

The funny thing about Vegas is, it's NOT for girls. Not for women...and definitely NOT for ladies. Truly. I mean that.

We had tonnes of fun (mind you, you can put us in the middle of nowhere and we will find our way into some shenanigans)...but there was something not quite fitting about the city for us...(NOTE: I am not saying this is necessarily a bad thing)

How Las Vegas has branded itself as the playground for the testosterone pumped male:

1. The "Your Vegas is Showing" campaign clearly focuses on the infamous and tiresome "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" mentality - a hook for most men.
2. The Mayor is proud of the 'Sin City' image and has opened up the debate on legalized prostitution
3. The workers - Las Vegas is about the risk taker, the dreamer, the thrill seeker. That is heard, seen, felt by those that work the tables, serve your drinks and entertain you.

Other branded cities at the top of my mind:
Paris - for lovers
Rome - also for lovers
NYC - the city that never sleeps

Happy Birthday Jenny Beaker

For those that know me well, you know about my best pal Jenny Barbie aka. Jenny Beaker. Well, today is her dirty thirty birthday so please join me in wishing her all the best! Love ya girl!

Beauty Meme - my secrets revealed

Juana
Originally uploaded by dollcreator

Bargainsta tagged me today about revealing my *cough* beauty secrets...so here goes. (Hope you make-up companies are reading or following these memes. I am super low maintenance so this should be a quick one.

My Foundation: none

My Mascara: L'Oreal Voluminous - using since I was a teen (will not state when that was)

My Blush: Since my best friend Renita introduced me to the wonders of brush (truly wonders!), I have quite the stock of them. On rotation - Nars, Smashbox and Clinique

My Eye Shadow: none

My Day Cream: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer
My Lipstick: none, unless you consider lip balm lipstick?

My Beauty Product Brand: Kiehl's

My Essential Beauty Product: Eyelash curler!

My Favorite Makeup Product: Eyelash curler!

My Perfume: Allergic.

My Nails: Same as Bargainista - salon uses Essie and OPI products. Right now the colour is 'thigh high'

My Feet: none

My Hands: Khiel's hand cream.

Three Products to bring on a deserted island: If you haven't already guessed: Kiehl's lip balm, my eye lash curler - and because it is a sunny island - some Kiehl's sunscreen

Women I admire for their beauty: where do I begin? Pretty much every women I see!

Woman with the Best Sense of Style: To each there own - if you can pull it off - do it!

My Ultimate Dream (but I do not believe in selling my soul to the devil for it): ?

How Do I Define Womanhood: If you feel like a woman, then you are one.

My Favorite Fashion Publication: Vogue

Who has some explainin' to do? Non-blog:
Renita Applebaum
Jenny Barbie
Hola Barbie

Account Transfer

I expect a lot when a company I interact with online, asks me to do something that is out of the ordinary.

I want the user experience to be:
1. Simple
2. Fast
3. Convenient

When I received an email from Future Photo, Future Shop's Online and offline store, that they will be closing - BUT, had partnered with Kodak Gallery - I expected an easy transition - particularly from two great online e-commerce sites.

1. Simple

Yes, their email was clear and the buy-in for the partnership was easy with a clear benefit of giving me 100 Free 4x6 prints when I transfer my account over.

2. Fast

It was very fast. I filled out my login details, confirmed the details on the new site - and I was in. It took about 30 seconds for the entire procedure.

3. Convenient

Um, not so much. After I transfered my account details over - I got this pop-up message after the fact:

"If you have requested that your photos be transferred to Kodakgallery.ca you will receive an email when your transfer is complete. You may login to your Kodakgallery.ca account while photos are being transferred.

April 16, 2008 update: Due to the volume of photos being transferred this process may take up to a few weeks."

What they could have done to alleviate the bad user experience? Manage my expectations by telling me prior to the account transfer that it would take a few weeks to transfer the photo's over.

Customer, member, client expectations - if you can manage them, be upfront and straightforward - you can save yourself a lot of heartache - and your base will appreciate you for it.

Your Ideas = Cash !

I don't know who Michael Ho is - but I got an email from him today regarding the BETA version of Techdirt Insight Community.

Typically, I delete these messages but the email was simple and to the point. He explained what Techdirt was easily and the CTA was straightforward - signup.

"Techdirt matches up knowledgeable and insightful professionals with companies that are looking for advice. We just act as the marketplace that brings them together. Based on your experience with Internet marketing strategies, we have a match for your expertise."

When I logged into the site, I was really engaged. Although in BETA, the site has 5 Challenge Cases - all intriguing and actually...inspiring (bet, you didn't think that!). The best part is, if they like your insights, you will be rewarded. Right now, cash rewards range from $100 to $12,000.

Why else do I think this community will work?

As a case study:
- You are getting insights from marketing professionals from all industry sectors and are not exclusive to your 1 or 2 agencies that your company may or typically look to.
- You set the cost.

As a participant:
- You can get inspiration
- Get insight on how others are relooking at their strategies
- Get money for your hard working brains
- Keep you brain moving outside of your industry

Bite me!

Side view of my spine, jaw and face.
Originally uploaded by thecameo

Apparently high amounts of stress can cause your jaws to snap, crack and lock and you can also suffer hearing loss. Who knew?

I found this out today. I am clenching so hard that my jaw muscles are sore, a pain I thought would only happen if I chewed on a tough piece of steak. Muscles are so sore, that they are moving against the ear, causing on and off again hearing loss (Heck, I just thought I was congested).

Before taking the plunge to the dentist, I did the obvious. I googled my problem. Stress, jaw pain, ear infection, etc. I went on forums, yahoo answers and ping'd pals who are in the field (kinda). So prior to today's dentist visit - I kinda already knew.

And my self diagnosis was right.

So, what does this mean?
1. Should I do this all the time, and if the diagnosis isn't too bad - not go see a specialist?
2. Always see a specialist no matter what?

Time for some painkillers.

Put a Ban on Hand Guns!

Pop Gun
Originally uploaded by Jocko B.

I never liked guns. Actually, the sheer presence of them make me shudder. So, when this link rolled around from my girlfriend, I stopped what I was doing and signed in.

Sign the petition to put a ban on hand guns in Canada!

To connect this to what I like to write here - I have to say that I do like the way the City of Toronto is using social media and automating processes.

In the old school ways, we would have to write a letter to our MP's or PM, add the stamp and send it. Today, I like the instantaneous easy-to-use form for sending such letters.

Video, you gotta love the video with the URL clear and concise. There is no messin' around.

Hope you sign it.

Bakugan!

Bakugan!
Originally uploaded by onecrazyweasel

I rely on my 7 (almost 8) year-old nephew for the 411 on what's in, in the playground. Afterall, how would I know?

So after a quick chat last weekend as to what he wanted for his first communion and what all the kids are playing - Bakugan was it.

A week rolls around and there I go, to Toys R Us - only to get a sigh from the customer service rep that they are all sold out again. I jaunt over to another store TOYS TOYS TOYS, and they too are sold out. Bakugan was clearly on the hot list.

Humpf! This isn't good. Party rolls around and I have no Bakugan in hand - but the nephew forgives me anyway (half-heartedly I am sure).

So, now what? What does an auntie do when a child makes a request for a toy and I just don't know how popular it is - afterall, you ask me for a wii and I will know that is probably not doable.

I can't believe I didn't do this to being with - go online. I shouldn't known...

1. ebay probably would have helped.
2. The 'no show' on the toys r us page would of given me a hint.
3. The forums with q's on "where to buy" would have clued me in.

like duh!

hello, i love you won't you tell me your name

It has been a weird week so far. Yoga class was cancelled half way throguh due to building ventillation - so half of the body is stretched.

I am sitting on my cough blogging via a blackberry as well as twittering, texting and IMing - all thing I really don't do (please see last day I blogged).

And last but not least, remembering why 'Glass Castle' bothered me so much - she made forgiving sound too easy.

Birthday Wishes

This is a late post (by two months), but thought is was worth writing about.

I thought it was pretty funny that I still got a birthday card from my car insurance company - State Farm. I have been getting them every year since I started using them, but still..really?

I don't get them from my dentist, health insurance company (surprise surprise - talk about an up sell opportunity), nor from the grocery or my favourite shoe store where I probably spend more money at every year.

Heck, the card is even signed (in pen!). I don't know what to make of it but I like it. In the age of personalization, me, moi, I...this is a great, simple marketing tactic to know (think) that they really care.

Online Cheating

WOW! Do not cheat on your wives
Originally uploaded by steviebreech

I didn't know much about Eliot Spitzer until he had an affair. Since his announcement of his call girl zing, I still don't know much about him - except that he cheated with a pretty 22 year-old and it wasn't his first time.

So, like any People-magazine, Hills inspired girl, I am, for whatever reason drawn to the crack-like drama of it all...but I was led astray when I read the G&M article on Emotional Infidelity.

- Due to the connected world, we can have more emotional affairs (many of them being women)
- Emotional affairs are worse than one night stands - apparently harder to heal
- The Internet age of easy online communication encourages people to seek and find emotional outlets outside their marriages

interesting...what else can I blame?

I'm just a girl in the world

I am not going to go into the nightmares of my pre-teen years, but lets just say that I wish a site (eh, em...internet) like this was available during my times.

Beinggirl.ca is a community of girls, for girls sponsored/developed by Tampax/Always...talking about...well...your period, boobs and talking to daddy about your period. I love it. It is real, honest and true.

The strengths of this community, which make it work are:
- I have my own and customizable identity
- A forum full of real, almost embarrassing Q&A
- Easy-to-use navigation and tools (YES! A pad selector - who knew?)

Kudos P&G!

PS. Their newsletter has been going on since 2005...the site is their next phase to their direct and database strategy (I presume).

PSS. I got a great welcome package in the mail full of samples, stickers and other fun things.