Author Archive for Ehren

Following that Yellow Line

Published
by
Ehren
on July 31, 2008
in Aspirations, blogging, fun and travel
. 0 Comments

Every year I typically take off on a road trip of some sort.  Most full-time employees get vacation days from their employer.  Some take a few days here and there through out the year.  Others like myself don’t take holidays for the entire year until we save up enough for a long enough trip or two in some cases.  This year I’m fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take off once again on the road and venture through parts of the American mid-west and Western states that I’ve never visited before or that I’ve been to but spent very little time in.

There’s still nothing quite like road tripping with your favourite music playing or tuning into the local radio station.  Even better is the thought of driving into the horizon and to just keep driving past my vacation time! (Folks, I’m kidding…)

While I’m Away…

I’ve invited my colleague Erin Winzer who works as a publicist to guest blog a little while I’m away.  Hopefully you’ll enjoy the change in voice — i.e. listening to me rave and rant about ideas.  She hasn’t really decided whether or not she will actually guest blog so I’ve left it as an open invitation.  Let’s cheer her on!  She’s still learning the ropes when it comes to blogging (but she’s been blogging pretty consistently for almost a year so she’s actually quite good at it!) –  so do be kind but I’m sure she won’t mind if you challenge her when it comes to ideas surrounding publicity and promotion!

Since I spend so much time blogging or conversing on twitter, I’m going to stop here.  However I do invite you to join me over the next two weeks as I wander around.  Depending on how much demand there is, I’ll post up to three photographs each day over the next two weeks.  That said, there may be a couple of days when I lack wifi and thus won’t have access to the Internet.  Don’t worry … I will make up for missing days with additional photographs!

Thats all Im bringing

That's all I'm bringing

Yea… I’m bringing a 24 pack of water — I’ll get food along the way.  Off I go!

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This Week’s Dose of Inspiration

Published
by
Ehren
on July 26, 2008
in Interests, fun and weekly inspiration
. 1 Comment

I believe that we all strive to achieve something on a greater (not necessarily higher) level every day. Whether we are on vacation, dragging ourselves to work, or contemplating why we find ourselves in class every day — there is a common goal. We all want to do something else … something greater.

The unfortunate aspect of this daily life is that it’s tough to see the end of the path or the finish line. That’s because one path typically leads right into another. I think I still wonder every so often how I went from studying bio-medical science to developing online marketing strategy for a book publisher. Everything else is pretty much a blur. If you had asked me what I’d be doing 9 years ago when I was a university student, I never would have guessed that this is where I’d end up. I guess I just fell into it — and I am quite happy about it.

With the exception of my addiction to IRC (Internet Relay Chat) back in high school, never have I felt so connected to so many people around the world until a few years ago — and never have I felt so strongly about challenging the way we live our daily lives and do business from day-to-day — and I am quite happy about that too.

Over the past two years, I’ve had a great friend who works in the same area as I do. We typically share ideas and thoughts on overcoming the problems and issues we face — in addition to simply venting frustration at times. Unfortunately for me, she’ll be going back to school — yesterday was her last day. The funny thing about the connection between my friend and I was that our problems were shared. Similarly, my approach to work in the office is that everything is technically a “shared responsibility”. If my colleagues have a problem — that’s my problem too.

When the people around you who work become less optimistic, enthusiastic, and energetic than you are — then it’s up to you pull them back up if you can. Just try. It happened a couple of days ago to me. What I discovered was that there are two types of optimism:

Those who wield an optimistic energy about life from day to day.

And those who are hopeful.

I think I’m the latter type because I go into work everyday grumbling — but I see the horizon. To work, I need inspiration. I don’t wait for something to inspire me — I seek them out. This week was jam-packed with people and projects that provide me with inspiration. My friends and colleagues really liked what I sent around so I figure I’ll try and provide a weekly compilation of what has inspired me from now on. Maybe it’ll provide that necessary dose of inspiration to someone else in the world.

Don’t worry — next time, I’ll do less talking (or writing).

Unfortunately until I read the Globe and Mail the other day, I did not know who Randy Pausch was — but after watching his Last Lecture — I got a glimpse into what he believed in. It’s a long lecture but very worthwhile to watch — especially with references to the Alice project and “head fakes”.

Chris Abani’s stories revolving around the topic of humanity are immensely powerful and touching.

And Jonathan Harris’ work with stories is purely inspirational and soulful. But you definitely should see WeFeelFine.org for yourself.

Lastly, I am inspired by twitter. I know the conversations are tiny — heck we’re limited by 140 characters, but it really helps to force us to be as concise and to-the-point as ever when we talk with one another. To read these concise statements, questions or exclamations from so many people around the world continues to inspire me — this includes those who permit me to listen to them and those who are listening and responding to me. I would not learn the tremendous amount of what I learn on a daily basis without you.

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Ditch That Same Old Plan

Published
by
Ehren
on July 24, 2008
in Aspirations, Ponderings and marketing
. 2 Comments

I’ve noticed that a growing number of companies are seeking online marketers — and generally, they are looking for someone who will lead them in the right direction.  Funny thing is that they’ll ask for an assistant or coordinator to take them in the direction.  After speaking with some fellow online marketers, we came to the conclusion that there is a consistent battle between online marketing initiatives and the ironically persistent perception that traditional marketing creates more progress and sales.

The Problem

This mistake in perception is caused by the poor awareness and misunderstanding of the fact that online marketing requires time and patience more than anything to develop for success.  It is the act of reaching out to the customer as opposed to trying to shout at them via an advertisement.

Photograph by Cosmic Kitty

The Circumstances

One of the biggest obstacles to adopting a new approach to marketing is the fact that the traditional business model is still running.  What’s more of a challenge is the fact that employees tend to receive double to quadruple the workload because the company is in transition.

The problem with this approach is that unless a business is willing to take on more employees, the workload exponentially increases.  Unlike traditional marketing is generally where you promote, advertise and forget, online marketing is about listening and changing.  This requires employees to constantly monitor the campaign and make the appropriate changes that suit the visitors or potential customer.  Take this idea and multiply that by the number of products or marketing campaigns you are launching.  There’s that looming pile of work that will crush your employees.

Forgetting about Tie-Ins or Letting them Pass

The more amusing aspect to marketing departments is that despite the awareness and understanding that print advertising no longer works the way it used to, we continue to pour money into it with no way of measuring some form of success and return.  Online marketing very often gets the snubbed because it is viewed as the “new” way of doing things and since it is still “growing up”, traditional advertising is still the best way to get the word out there about the product.  Let’s put it this way with some simple context:

If you set up an ad, how do you know if it is effective?

Set up an ad that contains a URL to your product, you can then determine some level of response to your ad by measuring your website statistics.  No one is claiming this is 100% accurate, but it does provide an idea. The larger companies definitely grasp this, but it appears there are still too many medium-sized and small businesses that don’t.  The concept is so simple, yet marketing departments let it fall through their grasp.

Don’t sell, Just Inspire

Selling will not sell anymore.  As I’ve said to clients, my employer, authors, friends, colleagues, and so many others:

Why should I care about your product?  Why would I take two minutes of my life to look at what you have to offer?  Would I even find this worthwhile enough to share with friends and family?  What am I going to do once I look at it?

One problem with so many products are that they simply exist for people to consume.  They don’t offer something greater — simple inspiration.  Products just aren’t prepared with inspiration in mind and when the time arrives to prepare a marketing campaign for it, there just isn’t anything to inspire with.

As an example:  Check out what this guy thinks of Koodo Mobile.

What Happens?

That same old plan.  Promotions with retailers. Flyers mailed out.  Press releases sent out.  Mass emails sent off.  Include in newsletters.  Pitch to television station producers.  Corporate sales.  Government contracts.  I can keep going.

Why?

Because we are comfortable with what is here and now.  We like to believe and feel that when we buy advertising space in a newspaper, that people actually pay attention to it; remember it; and will potentially go out and buy it.  When we think about how many thoughts go through someone’s mind per day, let alone per minute — that is an incredibly selfish perspective.  If we want people to think about the product we’re trying to promote, we better damn well have something worthwhile to say about it.

Show some respect!  Do you like it when someone’s yelling into your ear constantly about nothing worthwhile?

Photograph by gwaar

How?

Michael T. Kanazawa stated in the best manner possible in his recent manifesto on change.  Do more on less. NOT do more with less.  Focus on marketing fewer products.  Ditch the rest that just aren’t up to par.

To businesses, managers, and leaders who are reluctant in putting resources into online marketing initiatives or continue to perpetuate that same old plan, I challenge you to let go of it and develop a unique, innovative, and inspiring campaign for each of your products.  If you or your staff aren’t inspired by your products to inspire others, then I’d say you need a new product.

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A Persistent Thought

Published
by
Ehren
on July 20, 2008
in Aspirations, Interests, Ponderings, Unthinkables, fun and philosophy
. 0 Comments

Ideas never die, but they can be lost.

Even when we may think they are unique or gone, someone else in the world will likely think of it.  The ironic thing about ideas are how people respond to them.  We can break ourselves down into three groups — yes, no, and maybe.

What’s amusing is that an idea itself is neither wrong or right because it is in itself quite intangible.  It carries certain parameters but for the most part and is extremely flexible and adaptable.  The most ridiculous aspect concerning the relationship between human beings and thoughts/ideas are our fascination with what’s right and wrong — what works and what doesn’t.

People approach ideas in many manners.  There are those who strive to construct ideas, those who strive to make them work, and those who strive to dismantle ideas in order to understand why.  We generally don’t stick to one approach all the time but rather slide back and forth on a spectrum.

The problem usually arises when we are required to put ideas into action.  There is a tendency to recall previous experience and knowledge in order to tackle the idea.  The major challenge however is that what IF all that previous experience and knowledge carries little or no relevance?  What IF there is nothing to tackle the idea with?  What IF the idea requires an approach with eyes unclouded?

The following step tends to be to dismantle the idea.  In order to understand the idea, we find that we must break it down into pieces so that it can somehow relate to the previous experience and knowledge that we carry within us.  This works to some degree so that we can understand why.  Yet the problem with this approach is that once we dismantle the idea in our minds, we lose the ability to see the idea as a whole again because we begin to rationalize why certain things will work while others will not — and when we do, we also lose the ability to reconstruct the original idea because our opinions, external realities, and perceptions are blocking the way.

Unfortunately, there is little to be done about that.  You see … ideas are not meant to be dismantled and rationalized — ideas are meant to be built upon, improved and evolve.

Ideas will grow.

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What’s in an Online Identity?

Published
by
Ehren
on July 15, 2008
in Ponderings, Unthinkables, marketing, philosophy, technology and web 2.0
. 0 Comments

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to encourage my friends, my colleagues at work and authors to begin to develop an online identity.  One of those first steps is to create a gravatar for themselves so that everyone can be identified relatively easily.  What really started to get me thinking about writing about online identities was Melanie Mcbride’s write up on Google’s Lively with a brief comparison to Second Life.  I had written about being Googleable before but the more I think about it, an online identity is no longer an option, it is a necessity if you are a citizen in this day and age and work or carry out a lifestyle that involves the web in some form.  My reasoning is that each and every person should be defining themselves in some sense online so that what they do online becomes more than just a part of the web, but rather a part of themselves as well.  I’m less so concerned about the conversations taking place online but rather how people view and represent themselves online.  Conversations are an outcome that results from how people view themselves and others over the internet.

What’s interesting is the reaction and response that I get when I mention the idea of creating an avatar — which ranges from apathy to near-absolute confusion or on the other end of the spectrum, enthusiasm and a outburst of creativity.

Avatars have been a long-standing convention on the internet for individuals to represent themselves in any manner they wish, beginning with a nickname.  It seems the biggest hurdle for most individuals is recognizing the long term implications to having an online identity — the fact that it is connected to building your online identity and wields the power to the gradual creation of your place (or existence) online and allows for a person to formulate value and credibility.

Nicknames were used in IRC (Internet Relay Chat) and message boards in the earlier years of the Internet as well as BBS (Bulletin Board Systems).

It seems that with the Internet becoming mainstream and the fact that Facebook and all social media websites pushing for the use of avatars (or profile photographs), people are confused by the overlap between the online virtual world and real life.  In addition, many seem to be flustered by the fact that there are different worlds that we live in — public, private, and virtual.  In some cases, some people may even suggest multiple “personas” to represent yourself in different circumstances.  One can argue the consequences of personas but I will leave that for another day.  Those who may be interested, Melanie has posted on her site and on twitter numerous times about why people need to be aware of their actions online.  My point however, is focused on why everyone needs step up and work on their online identity.  Being on Facebook and LinkedIn is not enough — unfortunately if you don’t take control of your identity and help define it, others will do it for you.

An easy example that many people can relate to would be the many photographs on Facebook.  How often are we in someone elses photograph and are tagged?  How often do you find those photographs repulsive?  Yes, we usually have control over those tags on Facebook but that’s not always the case.  Very often we don’t necessarily have absolute control over who sees what and we definitely do not have a general control over the open space of the Internet.

The ironic thing is that we would readily strive to define our lives in real life yet we don’t take that into consideration or discount the virtual aspect of our lives, where everything is X number of times more connected.  I’m not suggesting that we reveal our private lives or expose our name and hometown but I am saying that one simply needs to represent themselves online in one way or another.  That is how we connect with one another and express ourselves as individuals.

What is identity?

What is identity? (credit: Dominic Sayers)

It’s the importance of our online identities that leads us to the many debates and discussions with regards to OpenID.  This is the second step for those who already have set up their many usernames, nicknames or avatars.  The goal is to ensure the authenticity or privacy of your identity and that the ownership of that identity remains with you, the user.

The consequence of your online identity is the same as how you define yourself in real life multiplied by the number of people who actively engage the world wide web.  So … what do you think of yourself?

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The Dumping Ground

Published
by
Ehren
on July 12, 2008
in Mentions, philosophy and work
. 0 Comments

During my rather long commute home (2 hrs), as is typical of my mind, I was storming up thoughts and ideas.  Then it hit me — why is it that we are usually so keen on delegating work off to people that we don’t want to do or we supposedly don’t have time to do?

The answer: Simple, we want to focus on what is important to us, our goals, our role, and our responsibilities.  This answer includes something along the lines of doing what’s best for the company and the job that we do, etc.

The problem with this solution is that it frequently results in the creation of what I call The Dumping Ground.  This is the area of the office that usually seats the newbie, the assistant, and often mistakenly considered the least important person in the organization or department.  For some odd reason we carry on a tradition and belief that the least important person in the organization or department deserves the most amount of delegated work.  These are the people who are supposedly picking up the slack.

The ironic thing about this is that despite how most people have gone through the turmoil and stress of being dumped upon with the plentiful amount of what is referred to as effectively delegated work, we have no problem doing this to the next person in line — we have essentially accepted the fact that this is the way things are.  Therefore that’s okay right?

Wrong.  We have our opportunity to make a difference — here is that chance.

Here is an example of the typical chain of events:

1.  The HiPPO (Highest Paid Person in the Organization / most important … thank you Google) wants something done.  He or she tells senior management.

2.  Senior management looks at what needs to be done within the context of the bigger picture.

  • Option A:  Go to The Dumping Ground
  • Option B:  Go to Middle Management

3.  Middle Management identifies the steps involved with what needs to get done.

  • Option A: Go to The Dumping Ground
  • Option B: Go to Junior or General Staff

4.  Junior or General Staff either takes care of the problem or looks at how something is going to get done.

  • Option A:  Go to The Dumping Ground
  • Option B:  DIY - Do It Yourself

The problem with passing on work to The Dumping Ground is that there is not enough consideration and thought put into whether or not the work should be taken to The Dumping Ground or if there’s even a simpler way to deal with the work.

Quite often The Dumping Ground is where the ground-level action is taking place — things are getting done that everyone takes for granted.  Of course in the meantime, decisions taking place in management and even amongst general staff that create more projects which in turn, create more so-called effectively delegated work for the folks at The Dumping Ground.

What happens at the dumping ground

Solution:  The Trinity Approach

1. Listening.  Yes, actually listening, not just the token nod.  Listen for what the folks in The Dumping Ground actually strive for and observe how they thrive.  Living is different than thriving.

2. Consideration.  This just brings me back to my point when I had posted about the Employee Bill of Rights.  My #1 rule:

Never forget where you worked and never forget how you felt, and what you did when you started working.

And please don’t say that just because you sucked it up and put up with it means that everyone after you must too.  That’s pretty much saying that you’ll follow lemmings over a cliff.  At least try to change the environment for others.

3. Simplify.  Like fractions, we reduce and simplify.  Don’t make things complicated — accountability does not require bureaucratic-like red tape.  There are almost always a way to do things simpler and sometimes it may even be better to share 10 minutes of workload between five people than have one person deal with that one task alone.

The Result

It’s obvious.  You’ve made a difference that is greater and bigger than you.  Sometimes it isn’t just about getting the project done but how you do it.

Throughout my experience in different workplaces, I’ve been on both the receiving end and the person delegating work so I am just as guilty — I think it’s worthwhile to try and rid ourselves of bad habits.

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A Lively Avatar

Published
by
Ehren
on July 9, 2008
in Mentions and fun
. 0 Comments

I always enjoy a good avatar.  With Google’s introduction of Lively yesterday, I decided to take a gander.  Surprisingly Lively works quite smoothly in the browser but it’s a little slow in loading — maybe because it is just so new.  In comparison, I found Second Life more complex and difficult to use while Lively has been relatively user friendly.  These are just my initial thoughts as I tinker around.

On the other hand — I’ve got myself a new avatar … still waiting for the glasses though:

Still waiting… for glasses?

While we’re waiting … check out this video my sister compiled from a family of robins who made themselves neighbours right in the middle of our front yard!

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A Ruined RuinedIphone.com?

Published
by
Ehren
on July 6, 2008
in Mentions, Ponderings, marketing and politics
. 2 Comments

Now I’m not against companies diving into social media and I’m not necessarily against businesses taking part in advocating for change, but when I got back from my camping trip this weekend to discover that some sort of video marketing arm of a web development company called OilChange.com had “acquired” RuinedIphone.com, an online petition for Rogers Communications to listen to the demands of Canadian customers — I was a little stunned.

How is it that an online petition that is founded on bringing together the voices of Canadians, be “acquired” by a business?

I realize that this may have been a good opportunity for the folks at OilChange.com to bring awareness to their services and many people may not care or mind, but I think it is somewhat in poor taste for a company to suddenly drop in and obtain the rights to the website with no transparency and very little explanation on how they are accountable to the people who have signed and may be signing the online petition.

I signed the petition only because I support the cause, not for additional purposes.  The fact that the website has supposedly exchanged hands (I don’t really know what has happened…) causes me to lose faith in what I felt could have been a powerful statement on RuinedIphone.com.

I’m sure not everyone feels the same way I do so I’d be interested in hearing how others feel about this step.

Does this type of situation require a transparent explanation?

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Update (July 7th 2008): The folks at RuinedIphone.com and OilChange.com have posted a FAQ and news updates on why and how they are taking over.  Kudos and thanks for this update.  We all appreciate it!

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