Back to Normal...

It was quite a week in Toronto! Hosting the G20 Summit was exactly as advertised… a huge inconvenience to anyone who lives or works in the south end of the city. For most of the week leading up to the event, it was actually nice - quiet and easy to get around downtown with no traffic issues and easy parking. Not so much on the weekend.

I found it disturbing to watch TV and see “protesters” burning police cars and breaking shop windows in Toronto. We see it often enough in world news but never in our own backyard.
It is clearly the kind of thing we are not used to however, listening to talk radio this morning made it sound like half the city was destroyed – like it was some kind of violent war zone and that somehow the police did not do thier jobs. I know the media sensationalize everything but is it really necessary to create controversy where non exist? The truth is that despite the inconvenience, the conference went off safely, the delegates were protected (which was clearly the first priority) and the small amount of violence while unnecessary was relatively minor. In fact our friends in Montreal do more damage to their own city every time the Habs win a big hockey game.

Whether the summit should have been held in Toronto is a separate debate but I think the police did a good job keeping the order.
What I don’t understand is what the protesters hope to gain by breaking windows at a Starbucks. Reasonable people listen to rational arguments and protests. Rational people lose interest in protests that are violent or destructive.
In the end, the irony is that most of the reporting ends up being about the protest itself and not the actual reason for the protest.

In the end, it was a few strange days and now that its over, we return to normal. The Leafs did not make a deal on draft day, the Raptors are going to lose Bosh, the Jays continue to chase the Yankees and Red Sox and there is road construction everywhere. Summertime in Toronto!
Time to kick back and enjoy the Canada day weekend and the finish of the world cup.

Cheers and have a great day.
George

PS to my Dutch friends – go orange go!

Back on Monday

As you might have noticed, I have taken a bit of an unscheduled blog break. Sometimes things just get too busy… sometimes I just don’t feel like I have anything of value to say. On this day after Father’s Day, I should credit my father who taught me (among other things) that it is OK to say nothing. In fact, sometimes its preferable.
It so happens that there are so many things going on in the world that silence is bound to end.

The disaster in the Gulf of Mexico remains top of mind. Previous to the current chaos, one of the worst oil spills in history was the Exxon Valdez – a tanker that spilled 250,000 barrels of crude (10.8 million U.S. gallons) into Prince William Sound, Alaska in 1989. The effects of that disaster are still felt more then 20 years later. To put it in perspective, it is now estimated that the Deepwater Horizon collapse is spilling 60,000 U.S. gallons per day – meaning each 4 days is the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez. That’s 15 tanker loads and counting with the only apparent end in sight not coming until August… maybe! How sadly ironic it is that the rig causing all this collapsed on Earth Day (April 22).
I can’t imagine the impact of this on the eco system and the lives and livelihoods of the people who live around the Gulf of Mexico.
Obama blames BP – with cause - but where are all the regulators hiding? No company should have the ability to cause such disaster.

Changing gears, I had to smile last week when I received a petition to stop the HST. This proposal was originally tabled in the September 2009 Provincial budget and is set to launch on July 1st. Does anyone really think it can be stopped now?
I was reading the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants paper on the budget and Sales Tax Reform and find it hard to believe there is any benefit to businesses or taxpayers other then a single reporting system. I am afraid to find out but would be interested to know what % of our income actually goes to tax including all the hidden taxes, the sales taxes, income taxes.

The FIFA World Cup is in full swing and almost every car I pass has a flag flying from the window. In addition, many an afternoon is interrupted by loud horns honking in celebration of a country's victory. I am admittedly a marginal soccer fan and have had difficulty getting interested in the 2010 tournament. I'm not entirely sure but think that the horn (vuvuzela) buzzing in the stadium is not helping. In the past I have gotten really interested – perhaps I can turn down the sound, rededicate myself and that passion will return! However, maybe not - the NBA finals just wrapped up and despite the fact that the Lakers were playing the Celtics, every time I turned it on it just seemed boring.


Cheers and have a great day!
George

Brownfields

About 5 years ago, I became very interested in environmental issues particularly as they pertained to industry. I did a great deal of reading on the subject and as a company we embarked on a program of evaluation and change. In the end, I think we have done most everything possible to ensure that we are as environmentally responsible as possible. This has included a laundry list of significant changes including the soon to be installation of 4 windmills at our main plant – a process that has taken more then 2 years to source the right equipment and get necessary approvals. After a great many delays it should be completed in the next few weeks.
Funny thing is that I continue to read a great deal about environmental issues and the politics that surround them. One of my first personal conclusions related to “Offset Credits” which I view as simply paying a fine to allow your company to pollute. Our windmills are an attempt to make a difference directly.
Related, as I mentioned in my last post, I have recently become interested in a 75 acre parcel of land on the far west side of the Village of Port Credit where we live. The land is considered a “Brownfield site” – which, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency “means real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.” It does not include heavily polluted or severely contaminated with hazardous waste.
Its property that has been polluted enough that the potential environmental liability cost is higher then the potential value of the land!

According to the information I read, there are some 30,000 Brownfield sites in Canada and range from abandoned gas stations to dry-cleaning sites. The property I am referring to was a Texaco refinery until sometime in the mid 1980’s and has been vacant ever since. Presently, Imperial Oil owns the property and though it appears that there have been many meetings, discussions and documents written on the remediation of the land, nothing has been successful.

As a follow up to the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, I read an interesting HBR article that clearly paints BP as villains in this tragedy.

Cheers and have a great day.
George

Too Little Too Late

I apologize in advance but today I am on a bit of a rant. Like most people I know, for the past several weeks (43 days to be exact) I have watched the daily reports on the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster with horror and disbelief. What is astounding to me is that these drilling platforms are able to exist in such a fragile environment without some kind of failsafe mechanism. Some way to shut them off deeper in the well.

With so much focus over the past several years on environmental issues and ozone depletion and greenhouse gases how is it possible that something with this kind of potential for destruction is allowed? Even more, how is it possible that Obama is talking about ensuring laws are in place now to prevent such an issue in the future. I read on MSNBC a story that contained these two paragraphs –
Obama said the independent commission investigating the Gulf oil spill will thoroughly examine the disaster and its causes to ensure that the nation never faces such a catastrophe again.
The president said that if laws are insufficient, they'll be changed. He said that if government oversight wasn't tough enough, that will change too. And Obama said if laws were broken, those who were responsible will be prosecuted.

President Obama is clearly not to blame for the oil spill but to me, sometimes it’s simply not good enough to ensure that accidents like this don’t happen again – they should never happen in the first place!
That it happened at all is troubling enough…that it is still going on without any resolution in sight is a disgrace. The devastation to the environment and the lives of people is unfathomable and I suspect will be felt for generations to come.

Not to draw any parallels but, on a somewhat related subject, this past Saturday I was walking along the lake close to my home. About a kilometer west of our house is a parcel of vacant land that is likely about 75 acres. It is prime lakefront property a few blocks west of the town of Port Credit. I knew that this was land that housed large oil storage tanks - long since out of use and I wondered when it would be released for development. After some web research time, it appears that the property is still owned by an oil company but the cost to clean it up for development is more then the value of the land… and so it sits. A few years ago the city of Mississauga negotiated a deal that allowed them to lease a strip of the land along the lake on the south side of the property in order to continue the Waterfront Trail. The vacant land (now seen from all sides) looks like a greenbelt with a fence around it and despite the fact that it is causing no environmental danger, I find it unbelievable that a company can pollute a piece of property and just leave it because the cost of restitution it is too high. All this oil business has motivated me to find out more.


George

Friday Bytes

A few weeks ago, I decided that it might be a good idea to get up early to watch the sunrise occasionally. Despite best intentions, I have yet to haul myself out of bed to actually do that but I am determined -maybe next week.

Sorry for the additional London picture. There were so many landmarks and iconic images to see, I could not resist showing one more – this one of the Tower Bridge. I understand that this bridge is often mistaken for the London Bridge. In fact London Bridge is not terribly interesting to look at.

While I was away Jessica Watson completed her historic sail. If you have been following this blog you will know that I have been fascinated by this journey. I am not sure specifically why but suppose it is a combination of the adventure, the solitude, and the freedom. On May 15th Jessica became the youngest person to sail solo, non stop and unassisted around the world. This is a link to a http://tinyurl.com/2exrsyx, sailing into Sydney harbour. Now I have to find something else of interest to follow. There is an American teen (Abby Sunderland) attempting to sail around the world but, since I just finished the one, this does not seem as interesting.

Today looks like another glorious day in Toronto and the weekend forecast is great. We have had a tremendous end to May and overall a great spring – lets hope this is a prelude to a great summer.

Technology fans are all abuzz today as the iPad goes on sale in Canada. As much as people have anticipated this latest gadget, I still don’t understand waiting in line for hours to get one. I think you will be able to pick one up in a couple of weeks without all the fuss. As an interesting side bar, I heard a news report yesterday that Apple Corp. is now worth more then Microsoft.

Cheers and enjoy a great weekend.
George

London Calling

Over the past few years my travel habits have changed greatly. I still pack too much and still enjoy many of the same types of sites and activities as always but when away, I have become more disconnected. It was not too long ago that I went everywhere (including vacation) with my blackberry and before that my cell phone. I was afraid to be out of contact for any amount of time and where technology has allowed me to be more in touch, it has added the burden of always being connected. I’m not sure if it’s just me getting more relaxed with age or if the culture has changed but it seems that clients and colleagues are more understanding when I am away and completely unavailable.

As mobile technology continues to mature, maybe our expectations of people’s availability are maturing as well.

Last week I was away in London and Birmingham to visit the IPEX graphic trade show and had the opportunity to spend some great time in London enjoying the city. It has always been on the top of my list of places I would like to visit and it did not disappoint. I found it to be a city of opposites – the blend of buildings hundreds of years old with the latest glass towers, the fact that everyone working in an office wears a suit and tie but it is also a very casual city. I love that it seemed so proper but at the same time so much fun and I love that every second corner has a pub that is packed at the end of the workday with regulars having a pint and conversation. That London is so pedestrian makes it work…like Manhattan, it seems to be a city of neighborhoods and I love that!

As for IPEX – it was a great show. Without doubt, the largest tradeshow I have attended and I found it to be quite overwhelming – too much information to absorb and totally exhausting. In the end however, a very worthwhile trip – it is interesting see what’s going on in our industry in different parts of the world and to talk to and learn from others experiences. For me, I find it inspires creative thought and motivates at the same time. Overall a very positive experience.

Cheers and have a great day.
George

Travels

As an addendum to my last post about mornings, yesterday I left for work without my blackberry. I didn’t realize until I got to the office and immediately concluded that it would not be a big deal. As a matter of fact, I felt kind of calm…a calm that lasted about 20 minutes and then panic set in! I realized I could not survive the day without it so I was forced to drive home to pick it up – I didn’t even last an hour. How tied to this Blackberry am I?

Last night I decided that it might be a fun change to get up a bit earlier and watch the sun rise. I checked the weather network and found that sunrise was at 5:56am. I was awake at 5, looked out the window at the rain and howling wind and went back to bed…so much for changing mornings. Maybe I’ll focus on something else.

A few days ago, I was speaking with Janine – a business colleague and friend who travels extensively. I don’t see Janine often but when I do our conversation always tends towards who’s been where, who’s going where and “goal” destinations. We are clearly not in the same league though as Janine has been on 5 trips in the first 4 months of 2010 – halfway to her goal of 10 vacations for the year. To share and document the adventures she has created a blog called The Tipsy Gypsy (now added to my favorites). Reading it for the first time I loved the intro titled “My project for 2010…” where she speaks about people resolving to lose things from their lives while her goal is to add. It’s fun and worth a read.

On personal travel notes, we are off to London at the end of this week to do a bit of touring and attend IPEX – one of the largest graphic trade shows in the world. Having never been to London I have my requisite list of things not to be missed. Of course there are the normal tourist traps but I am most looking forward to simply walking around, soaking up the history and what I am expecting to describe as the “style” of it all. That and of course, finding a pub to watch some footy on Sunday with the locals. Dirty Dick’s has been recommended – I will dress in neutral colours and hope for the best!
Cheers and have a great day,
George

Mornings

I sometimes think of my life and routine and try to adopt a more disciplined way of living. By that I mean a more formal routine – a more orderly life.
Take for example the mornings. I think most people start every one of their workdays in virtually the same manner – for me, I get up at basically the same time each day, shower and dress, eat basically the same thing and head to the office.
Perhaps I have been too influenced by unreal images in my life but I sometimes think that it would be nice to have that classic “movie like” morning routine. You know the one where the well dressed guy, white shirt and tie, sitting at a small table reading the paper (likely the business section) drinking coffee from a white cup (with saucer) eating fresh fruit and perhaps a piece of toast. All this is seen taking place in front of an oversized window with sun glistening in.
The thought seems so civilized and interestingly – kind of old fashioned.
Many years ago I had a very successful client who was at the gym each morning at 5am, ran and worked out, was in the office by 7am, read several business papers and publications while drinking tea and by 9am was ready to begin his “work day”. I was amazed at his discipline and it was clear that his success was tied to it.
Over the years I have tried to make my mornings more “civilized” but with marginal success. True, the days of running downstairs with hellos and goodbyes compressed around a quick conversation about schedules are over, however my morning routine falls well short of the classic or the disciplined. Mostly it consists of listening to the news and sport headlines on the TV while I dress, having a quick bite to eat and, on my way to the office, driving through Tim Hortons for my daily caffeine fix. Interestingly, as part of my routine and before I reach the office, I have checked my schedule for the day, read my overnight emails (of which there are usually only a few as I have checked before going to bed), and responded to most. All this and, on most days, I’m sitting at my desk by 8am…ready to start my day.
As I think about the whole thing, it occurs to me that I really could change my mornings dramatically – with spring in full bloom, maybe it’s time to revisit the mornings.
Cheers and have a great day.
George

Sync

There are some ideas that seem so simple and obvious that it is difficult to believe they have not already been thought of. I don’t mean clever technological inventions like the iPod or the internal combustion engine. These types of inventions require a totally different level of thought and understanding and are truly amazing.

I am referring to the simple extensions of existing technology. For example, I still can’t understand why a company like Logitech has not made and marketed a docking station for a Blackberry or iPhone that has a keyboard and larger screen display. Am I the only one that thinks this would be useful?

I read an article recently in Fast Company titled Ford’s Big Reveal that speaks in detail about their new Sync technology and the soon to be released MyFord Touch. Among other things, this hardware and software integrate your smart phone to your car with a touch less and very user friendly interface. I love the fact that my car is blue tooth equipped but making a phone call using the voice activation is slow and painful. The new Ford technology allows for a simple command like “call Jennifer at home” to activate a call. It also allows you to change your displays, internal temperature etc all using simple voice commands.
Ford thinks that these advances, developed in conjunction with Microsoft, take them from being a simple car manufacturer to being a consumer electronics player. If share price is any indicator, they are clearly on the right track.

The thing is, this all seems so simple. The technologies exist so it’s only logical they should be integrated to be used in your car. After all, computing is not new, smart phones and cars are pretty commonplace. I don’t think it takes a great visionary to realize that consumers will want their vehicles equipped with this type of technology. Having said that, I don’t know anyone who would not like to have a GPS built into his or her car. You can buy a hand held unit with complete functionality, a battery and charger for $200 and yet, as an option when buying a car the price is around $3000. Hopefully, the car manufacturers will find a way to make this technology accessible financially.
Cheers and have a great day.
George

Personal Taste

I really have sworn off lists of “how to” or “the lessons of” anything to do with the internet, twitter or blogs…so I am really not sure why I read this but I did find it interesting.

Moving on to more important issues, we were having a conversation recently with some friends about TV and viewing habits. I was (and remain) shocked at how many of my friends watch reality shows - regularly! So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, Survivor, Intervention, etc… I laughed and chirped that I had no interest - that was met with a comment about me being a snob. Honestly, I’m not really sure how my lack of interest in so called “reality shows” makes me a snob but…

In fairness, I have seen bits of some reality TV and, while not horrid, they simply did not appeal to me. This in the same way that overly gruesome horror films are of no interest.

The whole conversation has made me wonder if our entertainment choices are a reflection of our personality or of our mood.

The truth is that while I don’t watch a lot of television I can and do get involved in certain programs. Currently I look forward to watching Parenthood on Tuesday nights and Treme on Sundays. Most shows I lose interest in fairly quickly – since both of these are new, I am still involved and both seem to have some staying power. They may be my new Sopranos, or Entourage.

I have recently written about my current “go to” blogs. Some of my current “other” entertainment choices: I am reading Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey (which, 25% in I am liking), and the previously referred to 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace by Wayne Dwyer (which was recommended to me and I am struggling through). My current leisure magazine of choice is Vanity Fair (current issue not as good as the last) and in my car I have been listening to David Sedaris (reality listening at its funniest) as well as my iPod on shuffle (almost always the case)
.
Maybe the choices are a reflection of both personality and mood.
Cheers and have a great day,
George

Spring Resolutions

Resolutions have become a New Years Eve tradition over the years. I am not sure when or where the practice started but I suppose it makes sense - a look back at the year past, a look forward to a new year, a new start, a fresh outlook on the future. Interesting to me is that spring seems to be an equally popular time for new beginnings without the same formal approach and without the retrospective analysis. I think people are generally more motivated – tossing off the winter coats and hats and embracing the outdoors. We are outside, getting gardens prepared for planting, cleaning out the clutter and reorganizing life. I think most people resolve to make change in the spring.

For me, the change of seasons also brings renewed business vigor of sorts. I’ve found in the last few years that the winter season is broken up more then it used to be. Business seems to wind down in early December and really does not start to reawaken until mid or even late January. Only then to be followed by a lapse caused by spring school break. I suppose the long cold winter and lack of sunshine leads to this winter “snooze” – perhaps it’s a lack of vitamin D.

Speaking of spring and new starts, one of my favourite links is the Springwise monthly newsletter. If you haven’t checked it out, I strongly recommend it to anyone with an entrepreneurial or creative streak. The publication focuses on business ideas being launched around the world and many of them are, in a word, great. I saw an article a few weeks ago that fits nicely with the topic of social media and linking people though an on-line resource to real capital and real opportunities. It happens that the “crowdsourcing” referred to in the article is one of those great ideas born out of the social media revolution and there are lots.

Unfortunately, as I grow bored with Twitter and Facebook I need reassurance that there are people out there doing more with the offering then writing about how to do social media better. This just seems more interesting and to me, motivating.
Embrace the season and make a sober spring resolution.
Cheers and have a great day.
George

Overwhelmed

I had written an entire post about technology and how an initial idea and application often gets morphed into something entirely different. I used the GPS as an example. When I reread and edited the post, it just seemed boring and without any real purpose. I was speaking to the question of whether a particular technological advancement was seeking to solve a problem or address a need. Or conversely, was it simply another piece of fluff?

As technology evolves, so does the way it is used. Twitter for example was designed to be a social networking tool. For me, I see it used mostly as a networking tool for business. I did a quick summary of activity and have found that 90% of the tweets I get are links to articles on business, media and social networking. I know it has much to do with the people I chose to follow but I haven’t found a lot more opportunities. As for the business links, I do want to keep up but am frankly overwhelmed. I was in meetings for most of the afternoon yesterday and returned to over 100 Tweets. And I only follow 43 people! Most of those messages are from people who in some way earn a living related to social media. Add that to a slew of telephone messages (yes I still get a few) and emails and the challenge is on.

For me, I may have reached a point where trying to keep up is an impossible task. How many articles can be written about the same basic things? I thought that I had an “aha” moment with Twitter a couple of months ago but now I am not so sure. Maybe, it’s a novelty that is little more then fluff!

I am turning off Twitter and Facebook and heading home to read a book and maybe a good magazine article. There was a time when I could have totally zoned out but my Blackberry keeps me constantly connected – clearly technology can be great but…

Cheers and have a great day!
George

Milestones and Inner Peace

For me, 2010 is quickly becoming the year of the milestone birthday. I cannot keep count of the number of people I know who are turning either 40 or 50 this year and in the last 2 weeks I spoken to 3 acquaintances who just had 30th birthday bashes. I am not entirely sure why but decades are often marked with introspection. I guess it is simply that we are given cause to evaluate our lives at momentous times and I suppose, adding a decade counts as such.
In my parents generation, the angst of life in your 40’s and 50’s was called a mid life crisis and was something that was fed with a sports car or largely ignored as a passing feeling. Something not to be concerned with or fussed about. Our generation seems determined to evaluate and look at potential ways to change.
Of course, our parents also grew up in a world where loyalty to a company was admired and rewarded, where you were defined not by who you were as a person but what you did for a job. It was a time of security with good health care benefits and pension plans, available jobs and all sorts of potential for anyone interested in working hard.
I was speaking with a friend of mine last week about this issue and he told me about a book that helped him called “10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace” by Dr. Wayne Dyer. Like many people I know, he is concerned about his life going forward, about job security and long-term finances, about happiness. I laughed and commented on how times had changed, wondering what our fathers would think about us having a beer and discussing happiness and “inner peace” – they would never have done it… or would they?
As an addendum to my last post and as part of this post, I want to add a blog/ site called Escaping Mediocrity to the list of sites that I follow regularly. I suppose I am attracted to it as part of my self-evaluation – my own attempt to find inner peace. It’s kind of a life-coaching site and interesting enough that I keep going back.
Cheers and have a great day.
George
PS – I saw this today (tweeted by Allan Ward) and thought it an appropriate quote to end this post…
"It is never too late to be what you might have been" - George Eliot

Other Blogs

Well, as promised, no more talk of that “i” thing! And, I’m not going to link an article today – mainly because I really don’t know if anyone reads the links. Ok, truth is I really don’t know if anyone actually reads the blog at all. Oh well, I actually find it an oddly therapeutic process – even if I am only sending thoughts into thin air. I was told recently by an acquaintance that they had read one of my posts and wanted to leave a comment but could not – some technical issue. I am still trying to find out what that might be.
Of all my experiences since I started this, the best is some of the blogs that I have found and now follow. I read some business related ones (I have renewed my insane love of the Harvard Business Review), and I follow a bunch of tweeters on a regular basis as well as following their threads and some of the comment links to some interesting places. But the truth is, the blogs I really love are the ones that have little to do with business or “social media” and a lot to do with “life”.
In no particular order here are three of my current favourites:
Jessica Watson Official Blog
I have referred to Jessica in the past. She is an Australian teenager who is attempting to sail solo and unassisted around the world and she is close to completing that goal. I have been following her journey since the beginning and will miss reading her observations when here trip is finished.
My Life in Key West
I stumbled across this site quite accidentally and have read it almost every day since. Lou is a retired lawyer living in Key West, Florida. I happen to love that island and town so I find it fun to read about his life and social interactions. I suppose it helps that I know most of the places he writes about and reading him makes me want to get back to my favourite get away.
Our Little Apartment
I found this site recently and love it. It kind of reminds me of Julie in the movie Julie and Julia with out the cooking. It’s the honest story of a young couples life from the wife’s perspective. It is somehow endearing although I suspect it would be of interest mainly to women, I find it refreshing.
Cheers and have a great day,
George

Game Changer

Ugh! And here I thought that spring had arrived in Toronto. I am reminded this morning that it is still early April, however still optimistic for a nice weekend and my first rounds of golf!

I know that I have been focused on the iPad lately but I simply can’t help myself. I was at a local mall last weekend and happened to walk past an Apple store – they had no iPad on display but the store was packed – as usual. Rounding the corner, I passed an HMV store – which was virtually empty. A few years ago, the HMV store would have been packed on a Saturday but times have changed. The front of the store was merchandised with books and video games, the middle with movies and TV shows on DVD and finally, at the very back, almost hidden away, music. I am guessing that the books are a short-term strategy …

Back to the iPad…I have read that opening day sales were somewhere between 500,000 and 700,000 units. The reviews have been great and if momentum continues then the technology will clearly be a game changer.
Here are links to few short articles that I found interesting (all from Harvard Business Review).

The first is about the Time announcement that it will charge a weekly subscription fee of $5 to get the iPad edition . It will be interesting to see who follows suit!

The second (and related article) focuses on how the publishing industry doesn’t understand that simply redressing content for the technology is not enough “to save the publishing industry”. It is a great article that could be related to many industries and companies attempting to integrate into the new media.

Lastly, is an article that suggested the true value of the iPad would come from the quality of the apps and innovations that come as a result of the technology. The iPod spawned the 99-cent download and iTunes while the iPhone was followed by 150,000 easily downloaded apps. The true innovation of the iPad will be seen in what follows.
With huge opening day sales, it is not a stretch to expect some major “twist” to be just around the corner.

There … I think I have said everything I need to about the iPad. Next time some actual original thoughts.
Cheers and have a great day.
George

Lessons and Revolutions

Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’


I hate to start with a 46 year old song reference but I think that in many ways the Dylan lyrics that spoke of cultural change, and a generation demanding that they be heard are as relevant today as they were in 1964. I understand the intent of the song and that there are fundamental differences in attitude and society today. In no way do I discount the profound nature of change in the 60’s and early 70’s. That time was clearly revolutionary, very political and unique in breaking barriers between generations. Without doubt the context of change as it relates to 2010 is different however, there is no doubt that we are in the midst of significant cultural upheaval aided largely by technological changes and advancements. How we function daily, how much information we have available to us, how we shop, how we entertain ourselves, where and how we work and where and how we live – all changing. Is it all too much?

Not only can we now know happenings around the world, we also hear opinions on impacts locally and globally and we are able to view or hear how people feel about those developments. All this information, seen instantly from our personal 9” x 1” screen at a local coffee shop.
In a way, we have become both voyeurs and participants in the world. Our voice and opinions can be heard and the platforms easily accessible for both contributor and observer.

I can’t help but question if it’s all too much and uncontrollable. Does all this information lead to too much discourse, debate and discussion that ultimately bogs down our ability to make change? Case in point, the U.S. health care reform legislation. Is there too much input and will the level of information derail the process so much so that we will never really know if the plan was reasonable? Is anyone capable of disseminating the information and diverse opinions in any reasonable way and, how do we know which opinions to trust? Alternately, maybe we’ll simply tune out due to overload

In a recent Washington Post article the writer tells us that in a given month, there are around 320,000 comments made in response to Post articles and blogs. He further suggests a new filtering system they are developing to categorize commentaries into degrees of trustworthiness. Not exactly limiting free expression but clearly differentiating based on their predetermined criteria.

Is there a line to be drawn in terms of information? Is it possible? More importantly, is there a chance that the age of information will lead to more secrecy and ultimately back to the pre-Revolutionary 60’s age where people knew only what they “needed to know” as determined by some unknown power?

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast

In the end, I’m not suggesting, only wondering.

Cheers and have a great day.
George

The Future of Reading

I have become increasingly interested in publishing and the changing landscape as it pertains to technology. I have written about the e-book evolution, the “almost launched” iPad, the push in magazine sales, and the struggle of daily newspapers.
I don't know how this will all turn out but my guess is that daily newspapers will be the first real casualty of our “i” world. Not an earth shattering prediction and certainly not a revolutionary thought however, will magazines be the next to go. And short of simply swapping traditional print for an electronic screen what else will happen.

I admit to being a fan of novels…black print on some variation of a whitish paper with a hard cover and dust jacket or great soft cover. While I was impressed with the confidence of the woman I saw recently, who brought her Kindle to the beach, I’m not sold. It just seems like there is not enough to it. On the other hand, the iPad or some similar technology will most certainly take us further. Although I would argue that the iPad is not advancement but simply a reworking of what exists, I can see it being the new newspaper, the new reference book, and the new magazine. I found the Vook interesting and one of many applications to come. It is not difficult to see the value in having a Food Network chef walking you though a recipe at your pace but as I have mentioned before, I don’t need pictures or video to make my fiction reading more enjoyable.

I also admit to being a fan of magazines. Glossy, colourful, packed with too many ads, and home to all sorts of hidden stories waiting to be found. I leaf through a magazine, pick out a few articles that I am interested in, and start by reading those. Then I dig a bit deeper, reading the “in between” stories, the side bar stories. Then I look through page by page to make sure I haven’t missed something interesting.

OK – so I don’t do this with every magazine I buy, but I do it with a few each month. I’m afraid that scrolling through the headlines on my iPad will render the experience less of a discovery and much more like reading a newspaper. And, will a Vanity Fair or Esquire interview become more like a cross between 60 Minutes and Entertainment Tonight? If we integrate the technology, how can it not?

With all this in mind, I throw out my third admission. I am starting to feel the need for an iPad. I am not sure if it is simply the lure of a new gadget or not wanting to be the only one in Starbucks with my $6 latte using a laptop but…I can’t help it. I want one and they are not even available yet!

Cheers and have a great day!
George

Return to the North

I would like to begin with an apology. I usually try to write and post a blog twice a week. Some weeks this is easier then others but to date I have been faithful to the schedule. This past 2 weeks I was on holiday – a much longer vacation then I have had in many years. Usually, I go “dark” for my time away, forwarding my cell phone, rerouting my emails so they don’t forward to my blackberry and never bringing a computer. For the first time however, I brought my laptop along, intent to keep up the blog schedule. Clearly, it did not quite work out that way.

While the truth is that I did think about writing… and did actually fire up the laptop once… procrastination got the better of me. So, since it has been 2 weeks since my last post, I thought I would start with some random observations from my time in the southern U.S. (Florida to be exact).

The big political topic on everyone's mind was the new health care reform bill. In reading the papers and watching the news, it is not surprising that it’s mired in controversy. The political rhetoric and the poor and often biased reporting is nothing if not confusing. I really don’t think that anyone really understands the legislation and news outlets have done little to help the matter. Having said that, it amazes me how adamant peoples opinions are based primarily on their political leanings.

Another big topic was the weather – virtually every greeting was followed by some weather related thought. Everyone insisted it was the coldest winter on record and though it was definitely cooler then expected it was still sunny and the beaches were busy.

Speaking of sand, I have to admit that I was amazed to see a woman on the beach with a Kindle exactly as I have lamented in a previous post. She read for some time, put it in a beach bag, then proceeded to toss it onto a chair while she toddled off for a swim. And here I thought sand and electronics didn't mix. I have trouble keeping my paperback sand free.

I am not sure how some of the retailers in Florida exist. I was in a store where the prices were already marked down 40 – 50%. Most of the items had signs advertising an additional 40% off the lowest marked price and when we walked in the store, we were handed an additional 20% off voucher valid for one day only. This made a $70 item $20.

I have celebrated my share of St. Patrick’s Days over the years. Toronto has some great parties. A few years ago we ended up in Savannah Georgia for the parade and I was informed that it was the largest annual St. Patty’s celebration in the U.S. (not Boston or Chicago?). Quite a party for sure. For the past 2 years, we have found ourselves in Key West Florida. Far be it from me to compare but I think you’d be hard pressed to find a better celebration (although it is tough to find a good Guinness pour in South Florida). It was ironic however, that we spent a good part of the day in an Irish pub listening to a band from Toronto.

Lastly, March Madness is everywhere. I am not a big NBA fan but I do love the NCAA Tournament. I am sad to say that as we look forward to Final Four weekend my pool results were a personal worst. I am officially out with none of my final four (Tennessee, Syracuse, Kentucky or Villanova) still playing.
Cheers and have a great day.
George

Recap Regroup, Reload

For anyone reading this blog for the first time, I should point out that it was originally meant to be a chronicle of my experience investigating how various forms of social media could be used as a business tool (I know - it sounds really boring). I have strayed off course a bit as I have read and learned and weighed out the differences between traditional communication vehicles and the latest in electronic communications. It has also morphed into part social commentary, news of the day that I find interesting and a kind of overview of the current state of print. I hope it has been at least somewhat interesting. Personally, I have learned a great deal and continue to push forward.

To be completely honest however, I have participated in the social media arena mostly from the sidelines – mostly an observer and contributing little. This is part a result of having little experience and part concern that anyone would be interested to hear what I have to say.

As I continue, I do know that there is a lot more to learn and know. As it is still the Wild West when it comes to on line content and analytics, it is hard to measure real value. As a colleague said recently, there is a great deal of information available about who's looking at what but still no clear line between hits and sales.

I have recently opened a Facebook account - which is still odd to me as did Twitter when I first started. I think that I now understand Twitter and have found it to be a great resource tool. I have read more great articles that I never would have seen if someone I follow hadn’t retweeted the links. I am still not sold on the minute by minute type updates from people but I will keep an open mind.

Importantly for me, I have also learned that print is still alive and, while it is critical that traditional media companies change and embrace the newest technologies, there is a case to be made that print is “the new black”. Ok – so that may be an exaggeration but there is clearly a need to blend the new with the old in order to have a complete strategy.

I was forwarded this link for an ADDY Awards promo recently… I thought it was an appropriate (and funny) ending to this post.

Cheers and have a great day.
George

Facebook Newbie

Finally, after weeks and perhaps months of procrastinating, today I joined Facebook! My first 'friend post' suggested, “Hell had finally frozen over”. In fairness, I have been ignoring invitations to join for some time for no other reason then it just seemed like another thing to update, another thing to check.
Of course, my little social media experiment could never be complete without Facebook but, as mentioned in previous postings, time is the big issue. Between this blog, my twitter account and followings, hundreds of emails, texts and PINs every day I might be running out of time to do my job! I guess it is time to start exploring some of these other programs – there must be one built to consolidate the messaging. Well, we will see how this all works out but it leads me to wonder how many of the reported hundreds of millions of Facebook and Twitter users are active and how many grew bored and simply abandoned accounts without deleting them from the system.
In the meantime, some news items continue to amuse me. I read a Paid Content article recently that reported several large magazine publishers (the same ones who have been selling their online content) are launching an ad campaign aimed at getting more readers to buy the printed versions. One ad proclaims, “The Internet is fleeting. Magazines are immersive”. And so the wheel continues to turn. That I happen to love printed magazines aside, I think the line is terrific! The article suggests a potential conflict between the publishers and their digital units but there is an old saying “everything old is new again”. I believe the origin was meant for fashion but could printed magazines be the next nouveau frontier? Again I might suggest that it’s a lot easier to toss a magazine or paperback on my beach chair then risk getting sand or water in my IPad.
Cheers and have a great day.
George
P.S. I should update on the sailing blog I have been following. Our young Aussie sailor recently passed the southern tip of Africa (Cape of Good Hope or as Jessica points out actually Cape Agulhas) and is headed towards Madagascar on the last leg of her round the globe journey.

Olympic Wrap

It is a bright, sunny morning in Toronto and the forecast is for gradual warming over the next week. I am not sure that this is the start of an early spring or simply a tease … it is certainly not unusual to get a big blast of winter towards the end of March but I am hopeful.
On another exciting note, the Olympics are over and were by all accounts a great success. From everything I have read over the past few weeks, the coverage of the winter games has captivated Canada. Record television viewers for everything from the opening ceremonies right through Sunday’s final hockey game. I have also read that the television numbers in the U.S. were great with the gold medal men’s hockey game being one of the most watched sporting events in history. At it’s peak, the game had 35 million viewers in the US – averaging more viewers then the Daytona 500, the Masters and the World Series. I heard a report that in Canada 16 million televisions were tuned in with an estimated 80% of the population seeing at least part of the game.
Clearly, our network coverage was amazing and I cannot remember more daily “water cooler” conversation on any other subject. When the dust clears and we can look at the entire experience, it will be clear that we care about sports, about achievement, about our country and about our athletes. Maybe our governments should reconsider how much money is allocated to amateur athletics – not because it’s critically important that we win more medals then anyone else but because we want to feel accomplished as a nation. It seems to me that the past 17 days have done more for the Canadian psyche then anything in my memory.
The success of these Olympics should be a reminder that we share a commonality throughout the country. We are passionate…maybe that passion could spill over into expectations for the country as a whole.
For a great wrap up check out this CTV video
I was also forwarded a great video by Tom Brokaw that aired in the U.S. just before the Olympics…kind of a crash course on Canada. I found it to be really well done.
Cheers and have a great day!
George

Who has the Power

Perhaps I need to stop referring to the Twitters and Facebook as new media or social media. After all, it’s clearly not new and really just today’s way of communicating. In the past I have made reference to concerns about personal privacy and how important it is to approach certain sharing with some caution. This is not the only issue being raised. There are questions and issues that need to be considered as the worldwide usage continues to rise. This past week we have been witness to the huge potential of social networks and perhaps the unregulated power that it can provide. The unlikely source of this demonstration was actor/ director Kevin Smith
Yes the Kevin Smith who was at least in part responsible for Jay and Silent Bob, Clerks and most recently Cop Out. The story goes that Smith was refused boarding a Southwest Airline flight from Oakland to Burbank. Apparently he was judged to be too big to fit in the seat (against a longstanding airline policy). Smith “tweeted” his experience as it happened which in turn created a media storm. Not immediately reported was that Smith had booked two seats for his flight (as he had for the outbound flight from Burbank to Oakland) and was flying standby in order to catch an earlier return flight that, as it turned out, had only one seat available.
With almost 1.7 million followers on Twitter, Kevin Smith clearly has power – in this case he got an apology from Southwest (via twitter) and a $100 travel voucher plus a great deal of publicity for his new movie. In addition, Southwest posted a blog about the incident, which I can only assume, was “damage control”.
I’m not suggesting an Orwellian type reaction but regardless of whether he is in the right or not, what gives Kevin Smith the right to this kind of easily accessible power. In this case, the result is insignificant but I can certainly imagine how the ability to reach millions of people with “one side” of a story could easily be abused. The spread of information is so rapid it would be impossible to stop misinformation before significant damage was done.
Clearly, the new tech revolution will have its share of issues to deal with as it becomes more and more a part of daily lives.
Cheers and have a great day.
George
P.S. I love the "We love bags" ad campaign that Southwest Airlines is currently running.

Printing is not a dirty word

About seven or eight years ago, Victoria’s Secret became the flashpoint for considerable change. At the time, they were “outed” for printing their catalogue on paper that was being clear-cut from the Canadian Boreal forest. Perhaps the most amazing bit of information in the controversy was that Victoria’s Secret actually mailed over 1 million catalogues each and every day. I think that statistic alone gave the story great momentum, as people were amazed at the volume. The clear cutting issue, fueled by this statistic created a storm of controversy that I believe had two long-term impacts. First, it made consumers aware of an issue that needed to be addressed (forest preservation) and second (perhaps more important) it made corporations think about their purchasing and manufacturing practices and how their image and business could be impacted if a similar (perhaps unknown) situation existed within their organization.
The key change that came out of this issue is that corporations started to look at their practices and their supply chain to ensure that they had no hidden demons that could cause issue. The other important change was that the spotlight got turned to managed forests and certification programs like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and PEFC.
Victoria’s Secret still wanted to produce catalogues but needed to address this environmental problem which they did.
It is interesting to note that somewhere along the way, between clear cutting the great Boreal forest and being environmentally conscious, printing and paper got a bad reputation – one that is not deserved. We need to remember that trees are a renewable resource and if we support well-managed forest certification programs (designed to preserve our forests), the world’s forests will flourish. It is also important to note that paper mills have been one of the most environmentally regulated industries over the past 20 years.
Recently, I have seen ads and heard comments that companies are lessening their print marketing for the good of the environment – they are saving trees! At best, this statement misguided and at worst, it’s a misdirection or perhaps a lie.
If the economy has forced a business to reduce it’s print marketing spend – fine.
If a company has decided that they get more impact for their investment with an Internet campaign or mass email distribution – fine.
But, if you want to have a positive impact the environment with your print decision - buy smart! Find a printer who has reduced their VOC output, uses flax or soy inks, generates or supports power generation from a renewable source and specify paper from a managed forest to name but a few. Many companies in the printing industry have embraced environmental concerns and gone to great lengths trying to achieve the goal of being "green".
Cheers and have a great day.
George

Well – back to work. I think the long weekend has messed up my schedule completely. Having said that, it’s nice to have a holiday Monday in the middle of winter.

Like many Canadians, I spent a fair amount of time this past weekend watching the wall-to-wall Olympic coverage. Some parts were exciting and fun, others I found to be tedious and overplayed. I won't comment on the opening ceremonies except to say that it might have been a good thing that they did not try the hologram that was predicted.

As for some of the other technology that was promised, I particularly enjoyed the effect where they superimposed two skiers on the hill at the same time to show the differences in technique and speed and the GE segments on how the entire body reacts to the physical stresses of various events. I have seen the luge and the mogul skiing breakdowns – both fantastic.
The other technology (at least for me) is watching all the coverage in HD – it has been amazing and I suspect that for many events, it’s the best way to see them. I read recently that Sony has been demonstrating a 3D/ HD television.
Will that be the way we watch the next winter games? With the popularity of Avatar (in Imax 3D) and all the 3D animated movies, it seems inevitable that the 3D technology will invade our homes.

I have a question about how this technology might impact internet television versus the traditional network programming that we are accustomed to receiving. I know many people that only watch programs available on their computers but as streaming programs become more available, will there be a bandwidth issue in our homes? I am no expert but I know that we have continually added bandwidth to our company’s service to accommodate increased file size. It only follows that we may need more at home?
Have a great day!
Cheers,
George

Despite the fact that my last post was about the Super Bowl, and this one touches on the Olympics, I want to assure you in advance that I am not turning this into a sports blog. I did want to mention however, that Friday is the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games and with the surge in social media over the past few years, I suspect there will be some differences from previous games. In addition to all the talk about various events, the snow or lack thereof, and all the preparations, there has also been great speculation about who might light the Olympic torch. I heard a suggestion today that the lighting may involve a hologram of Terry Fox. It will be interesting find out what the organizers come up with and if they use technology to accomplish it.

It will also be interesting to see what technology will be used to enhance the coverage of the games. Will we really be able to stream live events effectively on a smart phone? How many athletes will be posting to a blog throughout the games or twittering during events? I’m certain that the twittering will be endless…though I’m not convinced that’s a good thing.

Speaking of Twitter, I was forwarded this TED link that has 5 short video presentations from previous TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conferences including one from Evan Williams (co founder of Twitter). All five videos are interesting perspectives on social media and give some insight into where we have been and the future - how it all begins to fit together.

Not to get too caught up in Twitter, I have found it an excellent resource for articles and information on all sorts of business practices, ideas and executions. Following has been a bit of a challenge at times and just yesterday I actually had to eliminate one of the people I was following. Too many tweets, too repetitive – simply overkill! I wonder if they notify the person the way they notify you when you have a new follower.
Cheers and have a great day.
George

Super Bowl

The Saints are Super Bowl Champions…42 years with a grand total of 2 playoff wins and now they win it all. To add to the enthusiasm, unlike many Super Bowls, this was actually a really good football game – exciting! It is always good to see the underdog win.

A few small observations:
It was great that the people of New Orleans have a championship. They have been through a great deal of hardship and it is nice that they have the opportunity to celebrate this.

One of the things around the Super Bowl that people look forward to are the first run commercials. Many companies use this event as the launch pad for a new campaign or image make over. In Canada, due to the fact that the Canadian stations buy broadcast rights and sell commercial time, we don’t get a chance to see these commercials. If you watched the game, you are likely sick of the CTV Olympic promos - I think there were 2 at every commercial break.
If you have not seen the ads broadcast on the US networks, they are available through a few different internet links. My personal favourite was the Snickers ad with Betty White.

Coverage of the game, on game day, started at noon. The game itself started at about 6:40pm (give or take a few minutes). It is hard to believe, given that there was a 2 week lead up to the game, there would be any left to say before the game on Sunday. In contrast, the game was barely over, trophies just awarded, and the networks had already moved on to regular programming. For all the build up and prognostication, the wrap up is oddly short (not a complaint but merely an observation).

I was interested to see that of the people I follow on Twitter, there were very few game time Tweets! Either no one I follow watches football or, could it be that they were all too involved in the game to worry about broadcasting?

Finally, there is always talk about the financial impact of large scale events. I wonder what that number would be for the Super Bowl. How much money is generates for the host city and how much overall revenue can be attributed to the event.

Cheers and have a great day.
George
P.S. Next time back to the serious matters of social media…

Revolution or Evolution

Well, with great anticipation and months of lead up and speculation, last week Apple introduced the IPad. While I believe that this toy will be the new standard of “hip” at Starbucks, I think that I may have missed something…perhaps something fundamental. Is the IPad not just an oversized IPod Touch? It looks the same, has basically the same functionality and interface, only it’s bigger. So much bigger in fact that it has lost any sense of compact convenience.

Yes it has a larger screen that makes it easier to watch movies or read the newspaper but it's about as convenient as my laptop. The typing function looks good but even Steven Jobs appeared uncomfortable typing during the demo. As for reading a novel - I am not sure how comfortable I would be firing up the IPad on my blanket at the beach.
Again, maybe I have missed something but this looks merely evolutionary and clearly not revolutionary. I still think that being able to have my Blackberry cradle to a large screen with a keyboard at home and office would solve 90% of my computing needs.

Changing gears, it is 9 days before the winter Olympics. I have always loved the Olympics – the idea of athletes from all over the world converging on one city to compete in all manner of sport. Of course, the media hype has been building. I was following the torch relay for a long time wondering how they would ever make it to Vancouver in time for the opening ceremonies. Now, it feels like they have been close for a couple of weeks and are now just circling the city waiting for someone to let them in (they must have skipped the Prairies).

I think my interest is not just about sports but also about the host city and the preparations. Last night I watched a news report on Vancouver and how the city had been waging a campaign to have everyone use public transit in January and February to prepare for the congestion of the games. It was a failure – not unexpectedly I suppose. Today, I was reading the newspaper (the printed version) and there was a small story about a Van – city blog that had a post about “The Wacky and Weird of Living in an Olympic Host City”. I thought it was kind of interesting and fun.

Hopefully the games themselves will be a success and here’s hoping the Superbowl this weekend lives up to it’s hype – of which there is never a shortage!

Cheers and have a great day!
George
P.S. Go Saints!

Connected

It has been my goal, through this blog, to explore all sorts of social media…to educate myself and communicate my thoughts and struggles to readers. On most days I think that I have advanced that goal however, I do admit that there have been postings that are “off topic”. However, in that this is a social medium I suppose it is inevitable that some discussion tends towards the events of the day… besides, there is some author’s license regarding content.

In the end, the entire enterprise has been interesting however, I have found it somewhat lacking. Today, I was reading an article and the reason became clear. Social media is supposed to be a communication – a two-way communication.
To date, I have not marketed this blog and while I know that some people are reading (because they tell me) I have had almost no feedback by way of comments to the blog and therefore no real conversation. The result is that I have don’t have any idea if the content is interesting or worth following and the expected ideas from comments has not materialized.

Forging ahead, I have been directed that my next step is to try and build readership and from that develop some “real communication”. How I do that is not clear but I know this is a critical component to using the tools effectively so I will have to figure it out. I will communicate the ideas, and the results. In the meantime, any comments (good or bad) would be appreciated!

As an aside, I had a whole commentary on this weeks IPad launch but as I reread it before posting I thought it a bit too sarcastic. A long time ago, I was told that sarcasm was the lowest form of humour so I will rethink the prose and post my thoughts next time.

Cheers and have a great day,
George

Privacy

I guess it was 8 or 10 years ago now that the Air Miles card was introduced. I believe, at the time, that this was a unique proposition - The ability to get something (in this case an ability to earn points for free air travel), for nothing! But, like many cautious people, I wondered what the catch was and argued that I was not interested in having someone track every thing I did – every transaction I made regardless of the purpose or the payoff. That it might only be used to advertise to me made no difference. Not withstanding the fact that Air Miles (in my limited experience) has mostly done a poor job of leveraging the information they mine, I still do not have a card. Having said that, I am not naive enough to think that what we might get directly from Air Miles by way of promotional offers is only a small part of the business model – who knows how much information is collected and where it is sold?

Other companies like Shoppers Drug Mart have done an excellent job through it's Optimum Card program which I am told offers customers savings based on real purchases... direct advertising based on direct knowledge (a unique concept?).

To me, all of this speaks the central issue of privacy and while creating mailing lists and contacting potential customers is simply good business, the question is where does it begin and where does it all end. As mentioned in previous postings, despite my embracing social media, so far I have avoided Facebook. Despite the fact that I receive numerous friend invitations, I am not interested in posting my personal photos or information regardless of the controls that are supposed to be available. At various times over the years it has been suggested to me, that I am overly paranoid. Perhaps so but after reading this article on privacy (or our lack privacy) on MSNBC I think even the most trusting person would have to stop and think.

It is a long article but worth reading as it points out how we guard our privacy at times yet have little regard for the same issues when we are on the web…or specifically on Facebook.
Based on trends, this is likely just the tip of the iceberg – after all, we live in an age where nothing seems to be off limits!

Lost Generation

I will start today by admitting that this post is a bit off topic. Having said that, I think the content is topical. Of all the uses of social media, the simple importance of it is the increased ability to communicate thoughts and ideas and broadcast to a larger audience then ever. Perhaps this notion is a bit simple but the world (be it old or new) is clearly not always measured by advertising revenues or sales volumes.

Monday morning I was driving to an appointment and caught the last minute or so of a radio talk show dealing with the current crisis in Haiti. While we are all familiar with the recent events the discussion finished with a thought about the faith of the Haitian people. I am not a strongly religious person but it made me wonder – with all the tragedy that this tiny country has seen over the years, the disease, poverty, natural disasters and cruel dictators, I wonder if a person would find comfort and strength in their faith or would they begin to question their it. I certainly don’t presume to know the answer.
Interestingly, when I got back to the office, an email from a friend was waiting for me. It was not a comment on faith but somehow I felt the two thoughts were somehow connected. Below is the text and link. Before you watch it is important to read the text:

A Lost Generation?

A palindrome reads the same backwards as forward. This video reads the exact opposite backwards as forward. Not only does it read the opposite, the meaning is the exact opposite.

This is only a 1 minute, 44 second video and it is brilliant. Make sure you read as well as listen forward and backward.

This is a video that was submitted in a contest by a 20-year old. The contest was titled "u @ 50" by AARP. This video won second place. When they showed it, everyone in the room was awe-struck and broke into spontaneous applause. So simple and yet so brilliant.

Lost Generation

This is likely something I would never have seen without YouTube.
Cheers and have a great day,
George

Old and New

For the past several weeks I have been reading and experimenting extensively with social media and networking but in fairness still feel like I have only glanced at the surface. Twitter still confuses me but I have recently seen some uses that had not occurred to me previously. In addition, it is not lost on me that I do read a lot of articles that are “tweeted” so it had proven to be a useable resource.

For the most part I think that I am getting a pretty decent understanding of everything else I have looked into – at least as social networking tools. My next challenge is to determine how linking these new technologies with traditional marketing and advertising vehicles can be successful. Last week I was forwarded this great clip all about social media.
It clearly illustrates how powerful the reach of new media is. Without doubt, there has been a quantum shift in how the world communicates and how news, information and knowledge in general is given and found.

However, I believe that the new advertising paradigm must integrate old with new. In the same way the email changed the way we communicate, the true value has been in augmenting verbal communication – not replacing it.
My central question still revolves around effectiveness – the video does not address this. With the mass of information available, are we able to penetrate past what an individual might be looking for or may be consciously interested in? The video referred to earlier is a fascinating collection of statistics but all pertain to users and reach. What are the statistics on sales (and I don’t mean internet advertising revenues which we know are rising)?

As a very simple example, if I log onto a retail site looking to buy pencils, will the ad or pop up for pens engage me enough that I would click through on the link to find out more? If so, is this predictable? I know that there are click through statistics but do we have enough data to predict the impact of ads and/ or information available in the same way we can predict more traditional media like direct mail? Who is looking, how closely are they looking and what percentage of those looking at advertising vehicles are buying?

In the end, as we continue to change, finding the way to combine old with new is the key. I was reminded about the effectiveness of old via a Wall Street Journal article - ironically tweeted by one of the people I follow. It is worth reading.

Cheers and have a great day,
George

Bits and Pieces

Well – today a few odds and ends. I thought it would be appropriate to update you on the travels of Jessica Watson. Jessica is the 16-year-old Australian girl attempting to become the youngest person ever to sail solo, nonstop and unassisted around the world. I have been following her daily blog since she left Sydney harbour on October 18th and on January 13th she rounded Cape Horn – a significant milestone. It is great to be able to follow her daily progress and challenges – one of the great uses of technology.
I think I am particularly interested in the adventure itself as much as the challenge (although, I suspect that 8 months alone at sea will present a unique set of challenges especially for someone so young).
I wrote recently about a company called Patagonia and in hindsight I feel that I did not really do justice to the company and it’s philosophies or how strongly I admire them. If you have not had a chance to visit the Patagonia web site it is worth a look. Of particular interest to me was the environmental section including the 1% For the Planet program and the “Footprint Chronicles” attached to some of their products.
Also of interest over the last few days has been the CNN and Twitter link. While (as I was recently told) I have yet to have the “aha” moment with Twitter, I have been interested in the CNN coverage of the Haiti earthquake disaster and how much information was being sent via Twitter in the early stages. A use I had not really seen or thought of.
Lastly, I tip my hat to Google and their stand against China.
I know that the politics are unique and that Google has tried to balance the censorship issue with revenue and profits being the obvious “carrot”. In the information world we live in, it is difficult to understand how China expects to live in, work, and supply the global economy while at the same time trying to keep its people in a vacuum. Perhaps, if Google stands firm on this issue, other companies will see the light and redirect energy and resources to other emerging markets. In this age, who will walk away from China’s potential profits in the name of principles?

Snow Days?

Ugh! I have been accused recently of being obsessed with the weather. To be clear – I am no storm chaser! I do admit to having an interest in all places warm. For those who know me, I love the hot weather and don’t like the cold and despite a commitment to embracing the winter, I still find myself longing for the heat of a sunny southern afternoon.

That the world continues to be mired in odd weather patterns has only peaked my interest. Record snow falls in Britain, record cold in Florida.
If you can believe, we actually woke up one morning last week to the same temperature in Toronto as they had in Atlanta (-8C / 18F) and Monday morning, Toronto was again a brisk -8C while Tampa boasted a sunrise temp of -4C (24F). Now that really is crazy! Being cold here is one thing…being cold in Florida is quite another.

Sadly, I think Florida was having a good tourist season and hope the cold will not impact bookings going forward. I hope that things change quickly for all my Florida friends with no heat or insulation in their homes or work places.

On quite a different note, yesterday was an interesting day. I was interested to read a NY Times article (retweeted to me) dealing with the 10th Anniversary of the AOL/ Time Warner merger and (to a lesser extent) why it did not work. With the growing momentum of all social media be it Twitter or Facebook or Kindle etc., etc., it is always worth remembering the past and considering what constitutes real value. Historically, for all high growth industries, the “mushroom of growth” is followed by a rapid revaluation. Only then do the real value propositions emerge - Google a great example for now….

I was reading recently about Google's "cloud computing" which is supposed to launch in 2010. If this is the next revolution in computing (where complete hard drives are stored remotely), does the idea of having only a hand held device as your only computer then make even more sense? Also, should we be even more concerned about security issues? In the end, it will be interesting to watch Google in the coming years to find out if they are able to maintain their momentum, to continue to advance technology and ultimately to grow.

Enjoy your day,
Cheers,
George

Tech Time

With the new year comes a new season … CES season. CES (Consumer Electronic Show)
is the annual gathering of all things techie in Vegas. Several years ago, I happened to be in Vegas for a convention that coincided with CES and one afternoon found myself wandering through this enormous tech jungle. It is difficult to describe how big this event was except to tell you that as a small part of the show they had 2 massive tents (larger then football fields) that were exclusively showing car speakers!
When I was there, digital cameras were the newest technology, and “i” anything was not even thought of.
I spent some time looking at some of the CES product launches and continue to read about “tablets” (which seems to be the next wave in the tech craze). Amongst all this gadgetry, I have come to the conclusion that I must be missing something. A few years ago the buzz word was convergence. What happened?
I am clearly not an expert but here’s what I know… or at least think that I know…
• Most people use their computers for a few simple tasks. We all use MS Office (or some variation) for word processing, spreadsheets, etc.
• We all use a web browser and most people use some kind of calendar / day timer program that in many cases is linked to some kind of smart phone.
• Every program I use on a daily basis is also available in a mobile format.
• At work, I have a laptop, at home I have a desktop and mostly I use these because the screen in larger and it’s easier to type on the keyboard.
• For me, content space on my hard drive is used principally for music and photos.
• The latest iPhone has 32GB of storage and Apple now has a combo Wi-Fi base station with 2TB of wireless storage.

So my question is this: Would it not be possible to have a mobile device with an office and home dock connected wirelessly to a base station with a larger screen (perhaps a tablet) and keyboard? I think that the total cost would be less then a good laptop and everything would just be simpler. I could walk in, dock my smart phone and work seamlessly using the larger keyboard and screen.
What am I missing?

Cheers and have a great day.
George

I mentioned in a previous post that over the last few years, part of my daily routine is to find and read an article that has something to do with the environment. Each day I look for something of interest, some new idea, a company's environmental policy, green building initiatives, international trends… whatever I can find that looks interesting. As I am committed, most days I manage to find and read something. As I am a bit of a procrastinator, there are some days when I simply don’t get it done. With the Olympics only a few weeks away, I have read with some interest some of the green initiatives that have been part of the organizing committee's mandate.

Overall, I have found that there is no shortage of environmental initiatives from all over the world but recently not a lot that is terribly ground breaking. It would seem that the low hanging fruit has been picked! In fact, and perhaps not coincidentally, I have seen an increasing amount written that is questioning many of the environmental / climate change statistics … suggesting in some cases that these statistics amount to nothing more then an “eco scam”.
In the end, reading about the climate change conference in Copenhagen, it became clear to me that the whole issue is now in the hands of the worlds governments and the grass roots movement that created a great deal of awareness is now bogged down in economics and the diverging interests of nations. I suppose it is not that surprising... perhaps inevitable.
Hopefully, the ideals will not get lost in the rhetoric. Statistics may be manipulated but it should not serve to create an excuse that prevents us from living better, treating our world better.

A few years ago, after discussing my interest in all sustainability, an aquaintance gave me a book titled Let My People Go Surfing
by Yvon Chouinard
.
Yvon Chouinard is the founder of Patagonia and the book details how the company started (reluctantly) and how Chouinard and a small group of friends, with like principles, shaped the way the company operated (and does to this day). It is a real example of how success can be born out of “doing the right thing” and a good read.

Cheers and have a great day!
George

Welcome 2010!

So long 2009 – I am certain that many people are happy to see it go.

Personally it has been an interesting few weeks. A couple weeks of being sick reminds me how crappy daytime TV is (and most television for that matter), and how slowly time passes when you have nothing to do and feel poorly.
In the end, I read a few books, read lots of magazines and even spent a bit of time on the internet although I admit that caused a bit of eye strain. My fascination with technology persists however, with particular interest in looking at how companies are changing the scope of their advertising to encompass social media opportunities. Perhaps an extreme example can be found in Pepsi who have decided to forgo advertising during the Super Bowl this year and instead are spending the money to develop a social media campaign
The campaign appears to be tied to a Pepsico social responsibility plan…something to do with making communities better. The article does not really describe the concept in any detail but combining the media trends with the corporate worlds new found marketing of social responsibility programs seems to be the focus. It would be interesting to know if the strategy is successful. I would suspect the only way we will know is to look at the advertisers for next years Super Bowl.
As an interesting sidebar to this idea is to consider the whole notion of social responsibility for corporations and how we got to where we are today. I believe that somewhere shortly after the movie An Inconvenient Truth there began a demand that large companies look at their environmental impact and improve. In truth, I am not sure that the public demanded it so much as marketing departments decided it was a good thing to promote. Born from this was the “Sustainability Report” which may have started as an environmental commitment statement but now will likely contain a very brief overview of recycling programs and reduction of carbon output with a large section on social responsibility.
Since when did being a good corporate citizen become the leverage for a media campaign. Has this always been the case? Also, has this served to divert our attention from issues of the environment?
Cheers and have a great day,
George