It’s time to say goodbye

I’ve decided to end the Dear Jane Sample blog – it just feels like the right thing to do now.  Having this blog has been an ….. interesting experience, there’s been some good times and some bad times, but I don’t regret this blog as I learned a lot and was fortunate enough to meet some very excellent people.

I’ve not yet decided to give up on blogging completley – so who knows you might end up stumbling across me again.

But before I did the big “end”, I wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone whose been reading my blog faithfully or unfaithfully or just to those who dropped in once.   You are the ones that kept me going for so long.

Good bye!!! x0xoxo

Wow

This is an amazing ad for  Liberia Pocho

Via. scaryideas

The perfect snack for your waistline and your soul

How well do you think this would sell?

I have no idea who came up with this or where it’s from, but it is awesome – the funniest thing I’ve seen in a while.

Because Canadians love Obama too

In case you all thought that Canadians always do everything in good taste and in a politically correct manner, I am here to blow those stereotypes out of the water!

We too produce tacky ads once in a while, like this ad for Lastman’s Bad Boy Furniture. An interesting fact  – the founder of Lastman’s Bad Boy Furniture, Mel Lastman, was also the Mayor of Toronto.

Dear Brand are you listening? It’s me Jane

The Los Angeles Times article, Ignore Twitter? Major brands learn they’d better respond — and quick, had me thinking.  Are Canadian brands listening?

Traditionally, Canadian brands have lagged behind American brands in utilizing marketing new innovations.   This is probably due to a combination of ultra-conservative leadership and smaller budgets, which results in most Canadian brands being risk averse and preferring to wait to buy into a new technology/idea until it’s been tried, tested and perfected by our American brothers and sisters.

I understand why this happens, but I sometimes I WISH Canadian brands would take some risks and do something innovative.   Rather than wait for 5 years and come out to the market with the same cookie-cutter campaign as everyone else.   I personally think that defeats the purpose of innovation.  And in today’s times …. brands need to be cautious of budgets, but they can’t afford to wait for something to be “proven” before they try it.  They might not be around to do that.

But, back to my original question – are Canadian brands listening?

They are, but I believe to the traditional sources -  like newspapers or magazines.  I might be wrong, but it seems to me like very few troll the blogosphere to see what the little guy and gal is saying.

This obviously leads to another question – are Canadian brands fully aware of their reputation being tarnished online?

Let’s take Rogers, a brand that is plagued with a negative reputation,  as an example.  I am sure they care about their reputation and are aware of what is being said about them (I hope)  but they do not seem to be prepared/equipped/ willing to engage consumers online.    They utilize traditional media sources to try and deal with a negative backlash – “oh look people really hate is, let’s do a new TV campaign with some young, hipster looking people.“

Using only the traditional media channels is not enough anymore.   Twitter has proven that it can escalate a small mistake/annoyance into a huge consumer backlash and PR disaster.   You only need one influential person to have one negative experience and it will be on the morning news before you are even aware anything has happened.  Which is why Canadian brands need to be just as diligent as American brands about monitoring the online conversation and even taking steps to join it.

Joining the twitter rage full force is not right for every brand, but every brand SHOULD at least own their brands names on Twitter and keep an eye on the conversations so as not to be caught unaware when something does happen.

If that’s not enough to convince you …. just look at which of your competitors are on it:

• AIR MILES Canada – @AIRMILES
• Aeroplan – @AEROPLANeSTORE
• Blackberry – @BlackBerry
• Calgary Stampeded – @calgarystampede
• CBC – @CBCCanada
• Chapters Indigo:
  • @chaptersindigo
  • @IndigoDeals
• CIBC – @CIBC_NEWS
• Cirque du Soleil – @CirqueClub
• Enbridge – @enbridge
• hmv canada – @hmvcanada
• IMAX – @IMAXNews
• Lululemon – @luluelmon
• Montreal Canadiens – @CanadiensMTL
• MuchMusic – @MuchMusic
• MTV Canada – @mtvcanada
• Nortel – @nortel
• Roots – @RootsCanada
• Sobeys – @clubsobeys
• Sony Music Canada – @Sony_Music
• TELUS:
  • @TELUS
  • @telusmobility
  • @TELUSCommunity
  • @TeamTELUSCares
  • @TELUSHealth
• Tim Horton’s – @TimHortonsNews
• West Jet – @westjet

While I was searching for Canadian brands on twitter, I was surprised by some absences.   Some Canadian brands that are on the cutting edge in other areas or have the right brand fit or a target market that is on twitter should be there too:

• Bell Canada & Rogers – with their negative customer service reputation, they need to open up and actually talk to their consumers.
• Scotiabank – traditionally has been the first of the banks to jump into the online space, is not on twitter.
• Canadian Tire – This is a retailer with lots and lots of character and lots of loyal consumers.   Which I think is a perfect mix to run a very successful brand awareness campaign on Twitter.
• Shoppers Drug Mart - To be the owner of the best loyalty program and Canada, and not be on twitter?  Wow, I am shocked.
• Sears & Hudson Bay Company – these two struggling retailers could really use twitters instant gratification to promote their deals.  They also need the in-store foot traffic.
• Molson & Labatt - With their largely young-male target market, they should be using twitter.  Period.  I am sure they could both come up with lots of witty 140 character lines.
• Holt Renfrew – with all those celebrities on twitter, Holt’s could find lots of friends to discuss what the rich and famous like to discuss

Did I miss some Canadian brands on twitter?  Let me know who you follow or who you think should be on it.

———————————————-

UPDATE – I got a really great response to this post from people and it turned out that there are a few more Canadian brands on Twitter:

• Molson – @MolsonFerg
• Cineplex – @mycineplex
• Future Shop – @futureshop
• WSPA Canada – @wspa
• IT World Canada: (multiple twitter accounts, but all with the same content)
  • @itworldca
  • @ComputerWorldCa
  • @ITBlogs
• Canadian Tire – @LisaatCanTire

If God needed advertising

I love books.  When Steffan Postaer contacted me  and offered to send me his book The Happy Soul Industry, I did not turn the offer down because I had actually heard about the book and had been curious to read it.  The book came with no strings attached – no promise of a glowing, positive review (unless I felt it deserved it), actually I was told to read & enjoy.

I enjoyed reading  The Happy Soul Industry by Steffan Postaer.   It’s a great little book, which is less ” a funny book about people working in advertising” and more of a social commentary on our society – the excess, the corruption of corporate america, the mass unhappiness of humanity and the quest to find meaning in life.

It’s a smart, funny book and worth reading.

But, the one issue I had with the books, is that I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters.  I liked most of them well enough, but none of them really grabbed me and made me identify with them and/or root for them.   There were a few moments during which I would start rooting for a character to only have that character’s time in the story come to an end.   And to be honest …. I didn’t really like Mr. Angelo, I just couldn’t identify with the plight of someone so seemingly perfect.  Even though we spend the most time with the character, learn the most about him, and go through his struggles with him -  I never felt like he was in any really danger.  I knew he’d pull through  in the end.

Oh and I TOTALLY knew about Evelyn!  I was actually very proud of myself for guessing that one.

In conclusion – great book!  And I will read whatever Steffan Postaer comes out with next.

“Be very, very quite … we’re hunting laptops”

Here’s the thing that bugs me about the Microsoft laptop hunter ads – if you are on a budget, you are not even CONSIDERING a Mac. It’s that simple.

Which is why the poking “comparison” to a Mac in the ads bugs me. It ruins the concept for me, which is not that bad.  True the ads are kinda corny and have a “please like me” feel to them, but that is what Microsoft is.

Microsoft is the plain girl on the playground that will do silly things to attract attention away from the hottest girl on the playground who is the hottest girl because she started growing breasts before the other girls. At 12, boys don’t yet know what to really do with breasts but once they get their hands on some, they can never seem to live without them again.

What the Microsoft laptop hunters ads do well:

1. Show the range of PCs available on the market: This I think is the most important message that Microsoft should communicate to consumers, HOW diverse the PC product is.

2. Show that the PC is the “every man’s/woman’s” computer: If you just need a computer and you are on a budget, you will find a PC that will make you happy.

3. Portray the computer shopping process as simple and painless: For many people purchasing a computer can be a daunting process, but the laptop hunter ads make it seem easy and painless. You go to one store and you have your pick of more computers than you could imagine.

What the Microsoft laptop hunters ads do badly:

1. Authenticity: The use of actors and advertising-speak takes away from the campaign concept and makes it seem, well fake.  It makes the audience question all the positive points being communicated – range of products, affordability and a simple shopping experience.

“Portability”, “battery life”, “comfortable keyboard”, “17″ display” – Who talks like that? Who lists the features of the product?  When a normal person goes computer shopping they will say that they want – “I want to surf the net, download music and work from” or “I don’t want the battery to die after 2 hours” or “I want a big screen”.

It would have been much better if the ads did use real people or if the there was a contest that supported the concept,  in which “real people” could win the PC laptop they’ve found or purchased.

2. Comparison to Mac: This has to stop. Microsoft is not going to win the cool war with Mac and frankly consumers don’t really care. The Microsoft consumer might want to get a Mac but either: (a) can’t afford it, (b) doesn’t care that much about whether he/she has a Mac or a PC, they just want a computer.

When your consumer doesn’t care about something, be it a product feature or the competition,  there is no need for you to call it out.  Even though YOU as the brand, might be super-excited about this “thing” and want to communicate it, if it will cloud your message in the consumers mind – don’t do it.

3. Diversity: The every man/woman is not only white and upper-middle class and I question why Microsoft only showed one demographic.   I would have liked to see the ads show the REAL diversity of the PC consumer,  their unique needs and a nice wrap up of how there’s a PC out there for everyone.

So that’s what I thought of the Microsoft laptop hunter ads.  What did you think?

Oh, and you have to check out the “4th”  Laptop Hunter ad – Geoff the Laptop hunter.  (I find the ending a bit strange)

Some brands just get it

I L-O-V-E this new Adidas ad.

It’s cool.

It’s got awesome music – “Beggin” by Dukes of DaVille.

It’s the house party everyone wants to go to.

For me this ad just defines the cultural shift we’re going through right now.

Here’s the full length 2 minute version of the ad:

Thanks to K for this one! xoxo

Snakes on a Plane

It was cold recovery weekend, which of course included the renting of really stupid movies.  For some reason watching really stupid movies on the weekend that you are recovering from a cold helps in the process.

One of the movies we watched during the cold recovery weekend was, Snakes on a Plane.  Wow.  That movie is a drinking game treasure trove.  I recommend that anyone who is bored out of their minds rent this  movie – they will find entertainment galore!

Like my friend Bob, who kept up a steady commentary through out the movie.  Bob’s commentary started in order to prove that Snakes on a Plane is a comedy rather then an action, horror movie.

Bob’s Reason’s why Snakes on a Plan is a comedy:

• The Asian bad guy, wears a white suit when he goes to kill a guy by beating him to death with a baseball bat, while he is hung upside down from a bridge.
• The whole 3:00 minute BMX bike intro thing.
• How the cops break/bully the witness into testifying.
• There is a famous black artists on the same plan as a crazy cop and a BMXing scared witness.
• There’s a Chihuahua.
• Because putting 2 copy cars next to a plane isn’t obvious at ALL.
• The horny couple, smoke a joint when they screw in the bathroom.  WTF? Is this a porno?
• The snakes look really fake.
• The snakes kill the captain

(I am 37 minutes into the movie)

• The crazy cops partner gets killed by a snake or has a phobia or something.

(This movie is not scary)

• The gay (but in the closet) flight attendant puts a snake into a microwave.
• The hot martial arts Asian dude, saved the hot chick with the Chihuahua by punching the snake.
• They don’t have “weapons” because they are on a plane and only have plastic sporks.
• The Chihuahua’s dead!
• Okay, what’s next?  The bodyguard who’s always playing the military flying game will have to land the plane?

(Oh wow, look I was right)

• And they landed safely.

(I’d watch the sequel)

Working in Advertising Survival Tip – #20

Survival Tip #20:  How to Pretend that you are a creative genius

1. Wear all black, all the time.
2. Be mysterious – do not reveal ANYTHING personal about yourself, not even the basics. No one should know where you were born, what your sexual preference is or what your sign is.
3. Adopt the “I have a headache look” – this will make you look like you are constantly having creatively, genius-like thoughts
4. Have a few strange habits – they should not be offensive or gross.  Just weird enough to make people walk by you quietly and whisper to others “he’s a genius … that’s why he does <insert weird thing>”
5. Randomly walk around the office and ask people questions that they can not answer with yes or no.
6. When asked to be a creative genius, always pause, do a hand gesture and then speak.