Find your Brand Belief.

Some of us have no issue talking about ourselves. I certainly don’t (I’m a Gemini born in 1970, BTW). But when it comes to brands, some are a little too eager to pound their chests. “This is our stuff! Here’s our product! Have you tried it?! Have you got our coupon?!!”

We know about the decreasing impact of advertising, the clutter in the space and the consumer’s ability to skip right past us. Given the choice between cat videos and product information, finicky consumers are actually choosing Morris.

Simply put, nobody wants to be pitch slapped. So many of us agency folk have been telling our clients, “Don’t talk about yourself so much.” It’s right and it’s true. But it inevitably creates the client response,

“Well, what the hell am I supposed to talk about, then?”
Oh. Right. We didn’t tell you that part, did we?

Brands have to elevate the conversation to content that people want to interact with. But it’s not just randomly generated cool stuff. It has to be strategically relevant to the brand and its customers. So how do you do that?

Find your Brand Belief. 

Your Brand Belief is the first critical step in designing your content marketing or social media strategy. Do it and you’ll actually have something to talk about. Don’t do it and you’ll either be haphazardly generating hit-or-miss tactics or worse, you’ll be left to repurpose your list of ingredients as a blog post.

Getting to the Brand Belief isn’t easy but once you get there, it does give you somewhere interesting to go.

One of our clients is Dx3 Canada, the country’s largest trade show and conference focused on digital marketing, digital advertising and digital retail. The show only  happens 2 days a year (March 6-7, 2013) so talking about the product would get old at the second mention of “Register today”.

Their Brand Belief on the other hand, is “We believe Canadian business needs to get more digital.” Awesome. Now their content decisions can be evaluated by asking, “Does this fulfill our brand belief?” opposed to “Does this mention registration?”

I don’t know that’s there’s a better Brand Belief example than Expedia’s new work, “Find Yours.” Obviously, people can find hotels and flights on Expedia but they’ve elevated the conversation to a far more interesting place with an incredible insight.

They’re not a client of the Tite Group and I doubt they used the Brand Belief process but I think their brand belief is “We believe travel allows people to find a lot more than cities and towns. It helps them find themselves.”

It’s a beautiful story. It has great production value. And it stars a couple from the reality show, “The Real L-Word”. Most importantly, it features the brand without being about the  brand. It simply tells a story about how one man found understanding by traveling to the other side of the country. While I assume he used Expedia to book his flights, I didn’t need to see him do it.

I’ve always known that I can go to Expedia to find flights.
Now I know what they believe in. And I’ll be coming back for more.

Forget Kenny, the Emmys Killed Twitter.

Social media has made the democracy of “vote with your dollars” capitalism even better. Platforms like Twitter keep every person and corporation in check. Sure, they can help overthrow governments but they can also turn any Jack or Jill into a covert whistle blower helping illuminate everything from unethical business practices to napping transit employees. I know it’s not perfect but you have to admit that social media is pretty authentic. And real. And totally fair. If you have something to say, go for it. It’s one of the only places on the planet where everyone is (kinda) treated equally.

That is, until marketers screw it up.
Which is exactly what happened to Twitter last night.

Over the past couple of years, Twitter has made watching live TV enjoyable again. Social TV was born when viewers around the world started sharing unedited comments about the shows they were virtually watching together.

Remember the London closing ceremonies? Which was better: Watching the Spice Girls reunite on top of a bunch of taxis or reading bitchy tweets about Mel C’s cankles? I know… riiiiiight? Dialing into a hashtag was like joining a telephone party line in the ‘70s. Unfiltered and open airwaves. No hierarchy. No status. And corporations were completely welcome, too. They just had to get in line with everyone else where one tweet to a hashtag simply followed another.

Until Sunday night.
I was late for the Emmys broadcast so I did what most modern people who forget to set the PVR do. I searched “#Emmys” on Twitter.

What I expected to see in the hashtag were humourous ramblings from a thousand disciples of Suri’s Burn Book. What I got was a conversation that had been hi-jacked by HBO, Vanity Fair and Chris Kattan. Yes. THAT Chris Kattan. When I compared the stream directly through Twitter with the one through Hootsuite, they were rather different, even after selecting “View all tweets”.

The Emmy’s didn’t just brand the hashtag. They kidnapped the conversation and replaced it with select tweets from Entertainment Tonight, People Magazine, Wolfgang Puck, and Jessica Alba. While the rest of us users froze outside in line waiting, the Emmys gave priority access to partners, media companies, insiders and celebrities who have a vested interest in the telecast. Shouldn’t users be the default stream with an option for “See all biased tweets”?

Did I really need this tweet to have priority?

 

Do we want to live in a world where Chris Kattan has been judged to be more important than @TanyaRM who has 36 subscribers to her YouTube channel? If you’re not sure, let me give you a hint using 5 little words: “A Night at the Roxbury”.

In the quest for quality content, the Emmys killed the (better) content that was already being generated. For free.
Forget looking a gift horse in the mouth, they sucked the life out of the very thing that gave their telecast a new one. They sucker punched the person who administered CPR. (How many metaphors can I cram in there? )

But more than that, they bought a conversation. And that’s not only wrong, it’s bad business.
Their customers don’t include Vanity Fair. Or People Magazine. Or Jessica Alba. Their customers are you and me. People who have a cable bill. People who have an iTines or Netflix account. People who pay for the right to to tune into (and out of) whatever they want. Most importantly, people who want to share honest and open feedback on the shows and celebrities they financially support.

It still amazes me when brands want to own conversations instead of owning the process to make better products to help improve the conversation.
Done correctly and it’s a win-win.
Done poorly and it’s just another performance of Mango.

Is the brief age of transparency over? I hope not.

 

Rick Springfield: A one hit wonder is a wonder.

RS6-e1346944431337I’ve never been a guy for details so when Mitch Joel informed me that Rick Springfield was performing as a part of Content Marketing World in Columbus, Ohio, I realized I hadn’t thoroughly read the conference’s extracurricular agenda. I also realized that I hadn’t thought of the name “Rick Springfield” since the last time I watched my favourite scene from Boogie Nights.

Leading up to last night, his performance was met with mischievous smiles and eye rolls. It was the kind of thing people expected, I guess. An older rocker who we (kinda) remembered from pre-teen dances and the early days of MTV performing for gaggle of badge-flapping, khaki wearing, “What’s the ROI?” spouting, content marketers.

Oh, I wouldn’t miss this spectacle for all the Facebook Likes in the world.

For those who don’t know, Rick Springfield had a song, Jessie’s Girl, that spent 2 whole weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981 and netted him a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. Sure there were other songs and albums and a stint on General Hospital, but Jessie’s Girl is what most people remember about his career.

Rick Springfield just celebrated his 63rd birthday.
Let me repeat that. He’s 63.

You know who else is 63? Bill O’Reilly. Victor Garber. Hell, even Ric Flair was born in 1949. Just 2 years from collecting a pension and with (I hope) enough money to last and Rick Springfield is still performing? And at a corporate show to boot?

Well, Rick rocked. And there was no one more surprised than me.
He sang his heart out, played the heck out of his guitar, worked his way through the crowd and genuinely seemed to have a good time.

What I liked most about it though, was how comfortable he seemed to be with himself and his place in history. Introducing one song, he chuckled, “You probably remember this song from when you were wearing a training bra.” For another, he actually apologized for making the movie, “Hard to Hold”.

He could have phoned it in. He could have played some stuff, collected his cheque, and visibly grumbled about the experience but he didn’t. He was a total pro. He was more energetic, passionate and honest about his work than most people in the audience are about theirs. Even if he hated the whole thing, he certainly didn’t show it. I don’t know that I’ll ever love his music but I certainly respect him for it.

Because, deep down, on some level, I think we’re all Rick Springfield.

Our careers have peaks and valleys and we normally have our biggest successes in our younger years. Having a number one song (however we define it in our own industries) is rare and when it happens, we should acknowledge that it’s probably some combination of talent, drive, working with the right people, and the miraculous alignment of the planets in our favour. Some of us are simply lucky that it all comes together. We should be proud of the achievement but also recognize how fortunate we are to have been a part of it.

I once opened for Jann Arden at a corporate event and before singing her hit song, Insensitive, she said, “I’d like to thank this next song because it allowed me to buy my house and send my parents on many cruises.” I don’t like the song but I loved her honesty about her role in its success.

As Rick showed  our group last night, what follows success is probably more important than what precedes it. We can acknowledge the accolades but we should be more proud of the passion for the craft that got us there.

When I turn 63, I hope I show the passion for my craft that Rick showed for his.
Keep rockin’ Rick. And don’t talk to strangers. 

Business should busk.

What marketers can learn from street performers.

I’ve always thought that buskers were “Carnies with Talent”, working their way around the world entertaining suburban dads decked out in a Tilley hat and a willingness to be embarrassed in front of a crowd of assembled strangers. Now, given your average street performer makes less than minimal wage over a 40 hour work week, it may not seem like there’s much to learn from them. But there is.

Busking is the epitome of the cold call.

No brand awareness. No liquidation sale. No inbound marketing techniques. A busker has the unenviable task of selling their product in an environment filled with the direct  competition and booths with food and face painting that distract their customers even more. In one 20 minute set, they have to build an audience, deliver their product and then ask for voluntary payment. Is there a more pure business transaction in the world? I doubt it. Here’s what we can learn.

1. They build a unique product.
When you’re competing against other performers, you can’t simply do what the other guy is doing. Even if you’re juggling stuff, you have to look unique, act unique, sound unique and in some cases, smell unique. And when you hit the stage, you better have invested the time to perfect your product. Who’s going to invest the time watching someone perfect their bit when there are so many other perfect options available?

2. They use the audience to build an audience.
Stepping into an empty space, a busker has to immediately create interest in his or her product without the benefit of a social media agency to help them do it.

To build an audience, they simply start with one person. They’ll politely ask an innocent bystander to get involved. “Can you hold this? Can you stand there? Can you put your hand up?” Volunteers aren’t given the 3 year strategic plan and asked to share with their friends – they’re just asked to do something simple. They’re involvement intrigues others to at least stand around and wait to see what’s going to happen. Even the most skeptical will wonder what we’re missing when a crowd starts to form.

3. VIP access for early adopters.
Why hang around waiting for something to happen when there are so many other options? Well, anyone who has been to a busker festival knows that the early adopters get front row seating. They get to see more and hear more and if they’re lucky, there’s a chance that they’ll actually get to star in the show. There should be a reward for those who stuck with us even when there wasn’t any show to speak of. I hope I never forget that.

4. Make ‘em feel special.
A positive attitude creates a positive experience. Every time someone does something, says something, or volunteers to join the show, the professional busker initiates a response with the age-old, “Let’s give Phil a really big hand, folks…” And it doesn’t just make the volunteer feel ridiculously special. It creates intrigue for customers who may be bored at another show. We consumers don’t want to think we’re missing out on something. With this strategy, the bigger a crowd gets, the bigger the crowd will get.

5. They use humour.
I don’t think puns or sexual innuendo are funny. Apparently, I’m in the vast minority. While crowds bellowed at lame one-liners, I was heard muttering, “They think this shit is funny?” Oh well. Regardless of the specific tone of the humour, I think we can all agree that humour is critical when building relationships.

6. They ask to get paid. 

Can you imagine if agencies had to complete a campaign before asking, “How much do you think that was worth?” Yikes. Part of me thinks agencies would actually make more. Well, that’s what these folks do every day of the week. And those who are good at it make more. When they make more, they can perform more.

The approach is usually honest: “I do this as my job and the festival doesn’t pay me.”
It’s rational: “Can you see a show this good for $10 for your entire family?”
It’s promotional: “If you give $20, you get a free DVD.”
It’s humourous: “If you give $10, you’ll go home happy. If you give $100, you’ll go home with me.”

I always feel bad asking for dough. I think I may change my approach.

It’s not like I’m asking brand managers to get a guitar case, work on stilts or juggle their product while it’s in flames. But there’s a lot we can learn from our nomadic creative colleagues. We all want to build community, give a good show and create applause. But unless people put money in our cap, we won’t survive.

If you want to check out more photos I took at Buskerfest, click here. 

Compared to this, taxis suck.

When You Combine Great Tech With Great Customer Service, Good Things Happen…

While you may enjoy white-knuckling it through the downtown core challenging road ragers and over zealous bike couriers for asphalt supremacy, I‘d rather avoid the stress and hail a Beck chariot to drive me to my destination.

It’s easy. It’s fast. And it’s all all so civilized (even if some of the cars aren’t). But it’s not perfect.

The quality is inconsistent, the customer service is non-existent, and payment is a pain. Whip out a credit card and just sit back and watch the driver flutter between administrivial exasperation and technological bewilderment as they negotiate with the gods to get their payment device to connect. (Hint: Shaking it at the sky doesn’t work.)

Clearly, the taxi industry desperately needs to be reinvented.

Luckily, Uber has arrived.

Headquartered in San Francisco with an autonomous Canadian team, Uber isn’t even close to being a taxi. They’re an on-demand private driver in an SUV or town car powered by technology and with amazing customer service.

Here’s why this is a company to watch.

1. Tech to the core.

You can request a car to your location using SMS. Or their mobile website. Or their Android or iPhone apps. The whole service is GPS based so you know where the closest car is, you can visually track the progress as it makes its way toward you and you know precisely when it’s arriving. At the end, you’ll know exactly how far you went, the route taken and what your average speed was. Data geeks rejoice.

2. Giving and getting 5 stars.

Providing consistent customer service is difficult when your front line staff aren’t actually employees. Well, Uber has that figured out. Immediately after your ride has ended, you rate the driver contributing to their overall score. But here’s the best part: Drivers also get to rate customers. This fully transparent system ensures that both parties are on their best behaviour. Drivers get great customers. Customers get great drivers. “We believe in quality control on both the driver-side and the rider-side,” said Lucas Samuels, Uber Toronto’s Community Manager. “It helps us ensure a smooth experience for everyone, and helps drivers connect with our business and their favourite customers.”

 

3. Easy payment. As in no payment.

No, the rides aren’t free. But because there’s a credit card on file, you’re automatically billed once your trip has ended. Tips are included. No muss. No fuss. No pleading with the driver to take your credit card. An invoice with a complete breakdown arrives in your inbox immediately. The digital wallet may not be here but like the Starbucks app, they’ve built a great work around.

4. You can’t hail amazing customer service.

I’ve only rated a driver below 4 stars once. When I did, I was asked why. Lucas investigated my issue, looked at the GPS data and confirmed that the driver took an inefficient route. My card was rebated the difference between the most efficient cost and what I actually paid. I didn’t ask him to do it. He just did it. But what’s important is that he could do it because he had the data. Not surprisingly, data allows for wonderful customer service by removing the subjective bias that exists in most disputes.

5. A Community Manager who gets it.

In Toronto, Lucas Samuels is an outstanding Community Manager but it’s not by accident. All Uber CMs are thoroughly trained and are paired with a CM Buddy from another Uber city to talk about potential situations and share best practices. They also have a shared CM knowledge base to refer as needs arise. They’ve actually built their own outreach tools and are pretty active on most social channels. They listen, they respond, they solve.

There’s a great lesson in all of this. Lazy industries with bloated legacy infrastructure and substandard experiences can be easily trumped by tech savvy, convenient, and connected startups who put the customer first. Call it what you want. I call it Uber.

(This article first appeared in Dx3 Digest)

 

Where did this come from?

In between mentions of Clint’s Chrysler spot and the “Shit Girls Say” meme, Content Marketing is getting a lot of ink. How did we get here? Can marketers really turn their backs on the content they’ve historically funded to create their own media properties? Yes they can. And here’s why:

1. Media’s doing it.
Rogers has done a great job extending their Sportsnet brand into all corners of the media universe. You can see and hear it online, on your phone, on TV, on radio, on demand, on tablets, in print, on blogs, and more. And when you turn the channel, flip the page, or call up the site, you’ll probably see ads for other Rogers services and properties. This is great business but the whole system falls apart if there isn’t something to talk about.

That something is content.

With full or partial ownership of the Jays, Leafs, Raptors, FC, and more, Rogers not only owns where the content occurs but what the content is, too. They can’t do it alone but they certainly have decreased their dependence on other brands for revenue. They’re almost completely self sufficient. Brands simply have to return the favour.

2. Consumer expectations
After the financial issues of the past few years, consumers have returned to simplicity and finally value steak over sizzle. They demand honesty and transparency at every interaction. And brands HAVE to deliver because social media allows bad experiences to be shared with millions and brands that don’t act in good faith face the wrath of the masses. Remember the Netflx Canada launch? Wrath. Kenneth Cole? Wrath. Ocean Marketing? Wrath (and hilarious).

Even when it’s honestly delivered, traditional ad messages that don’t actually create value go unnoticed. Consumers want stuff that does stuff. Most would rather see Starbucks focus their efforts on a perfect mobile app than an ad to tell us about it.

That’s where content comes in.

Whether it’s informative, entertaining or both, content adds value. Just what consumers want.

3. Rise of the niche markets
Most of us have unique interests that trump the lowest-common denominator content that is served up by traditional media outlets. If you love quilting, there used to be very little that could help stir your passions. Now you can watch a quilting Youtube Channel, read a blog, and participate with others who love quilting. Surely, that content is more engaging than anything offered up on CTV. It’s quilting!!

Well, many brands’ consumers also share interests. Brands can offer up interesting content that their consumers care about and provide additional product value-adds along the way.

4. Affordable production
Naturally, none of this would be possible if brands had to enlist a full crew, expensive cameras, an Avid suite, a Flame artist and a team of nerds to code it. Production and post production is cheaper than ever as are the methods of distribution. Want to be Rupert Murdoch? You’re a Mac Airbook and a WordPress site away from doing it.

Why outsource content to a mass media company when you can own the highly specific content your customer wants as well as the place they see it?
Seems like an easy question to answer.

If not, this may help:

Take the meeting. It’s good karma.

Whether we’re 20 or 90, we all ask for advice.
Should we take the job? Should we wear this jacket with these pants? Should we use WordPress or Tumblr? Usually, it’s with those close to us, but when our indecision extends to the workplace or our career, we usually have to look beyond our Friends List for real and insightful advice. And that can be tough. Often, you won’t know the people who’s counsel you seek. So you reach out on LinkedIn, you look for mutual friends on Facebook, or you simply cross your fingers, fire off an email and hope for a response.

Over the past year, I wanted to do just that. I wasn’t seeking advice as much as perspective. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do exactly but wanted to dedicate time to really find out how other worlds were adapting to the new media and advertising landscape. So I connected with network programming people, production companies, media sellers, media planners, creative folks, planners and more. It was like a TED Tour and I had a front row seat.

Through it all, I discovered the niche I wanted to play in but admittedly, didn’t do a good enough job of thanking those who took the time to help me do it. Well, this week, I got a great reminder when Daniel Hebert went out of his way to thank me for my advice.

A while ago, I got an email from Daniel asking me to look at his blog and provide some career advice. Like most people with senior advertising experience, I get a ton of emails asking for meetings, portfolio reviews, and the general, “Can I pick your brain?” sort of requests. Normally, I try to set aside time as there are many who have done the same for me. When I can swing it, I try to make myself available.

I just never really know if they listen. Now I do.
Daniel Hebert wrote a blog post featuring my email response, my career advice and his appreciation for both. Needless to say, it made my day.

When we get asked for a bit of our time, it’s pretty easy to forget how we feel when we’re the one asking for it. It’s nice to know that a simple email resonated with him and that all those meetings and emails DO help people.
To all those who have helped me out, thanks. And the next time someone asks for that meeting, try to make yourself available. It’s good karma.

Here’s the post (and I’m curious to know what you think of my advice).

Canadian Advertising Community’s 2012 Resolutions.

We all make them. We all break them. And the Canadian advertising industry is no different.
Here they are. In 2012, the Canadian advertising community resolves to…

1. Close the blinds on Antoine.
I don’t watch a lot of live TV because when I do, I’m forced to sit through the forced enthusiasm and badly scripted interruptions of Antoine from Blinds to Go. I actually don’t mind the slowly closing blinds concept but I’d prefer to see it delivered by an ACTRA member. Until then, I’ll be over at Apple TV.

2. Commit to integrating social.
It will be great when we know the ROI of socially sound, customer-focused communications. But why is transparent customer engagement subjected to a level of scrutiny that isn’t applied to other aspects of the business? The only reason the doubters justify inaction is because true social integration radically changes people and processes. Quit asking the spreadsheets to do your job for you. By the time some of you figure it out, you’ll be too late.

3. Invest in good Content Marketing.
Howard Gossage said, “People read what interests them. And sometimes, it’s an ad.”

And often it’s not.

In yesteryear, people didn’t want to see an ad, they had to. Well, now they don’t have to. And now, their content choices include stuff on that weird little hobby they never spoke about. If you absolutely love buttons and can connect with others who love buttons and watch a web show on buttons and attend a button expo, watching advertising supported So You Think You Can Dance suddenly loses its cache. People want good content. It’s time your brand gave it to them.

4. Stop investing in bad Content Marketing.
Content Marketing isn’t finding clever ways to have a character raise your branded cup into frame. That’s right, McDonald’s. I’m talking to you. Please make it stop. And while we’re at it, let’s realize that branded web comedies and dramas compete with comedies and dramas on HBO. Let’s stop making them. I’d rather not sit through Season 2 of VH Sauce’s Life Unjarred, thank you very much.

5. Put the Loan Arranger out to pasture.
Whether he’s buying your gold, lending you money, giving you a mortgage, or sending creepy shivers up your spine, Russell Oliver is a guy who just wants to be on TV. Money should buy many things. Time for this freak to prance around on our public airways shouldn’t be one of them. Oh, yea!

6. Let Ramada do their thing somewhere else.
What’s worse – the horrible music, the ridiculous scenarios or the bad production values? Let’s call it a three way tie. Regardless, I’d rather sleep under the scratchy synthetic comforter at a Journey’s End (where I almost died once) than give my money to a crew that continues to produce this campaign.

7. Close the Gap.
No, not the clothing store. The gap that exists between what Canadian consumers want and what Canadian business is delivering. While not every Canuck wants a mobile integrated, e-commerce driven, unique shopping experience, many do. And the numbers are increasing. If we don’t get our shit together, Canadian retailers will be shutting down as quickly as Amazon warehouses will be popping up.

8. Stop blaming your agencies.
Big ad agencies are caught between delivering solutions for clients who want to push the envelope and those who would rather stuff an envelope. We all have something to learn. So let’s not throw the word “partnership” around during compensation discussions yet not use it when it comes to exploring better ways to do things. Pick your partners and figure it out together.

9. Say “I don’t know”.
Guaranteeing results from new initiatives with very few historical benchmarks is like saying you can predict exactly how long a Hollywood marriage will last. Will it be Kim Kardashian? Russel Brand? Tom Hanks? No one knows. Let’s focus on making the right decisions with the flexibility to change along the way.

10. Learn.
We don’t know. But we should arm ourselves with as much information as we can. Dx3 Canada (full disclosure – I helped them as Content Curator) occurs on January 25-26 and features over 35 workshops on everything you’ll need in 2012 including mobile, social, search, digital wallets, media innovation, trends, digital retailing, ad verification, and more. Facebook, comScore, LinkedIn, Rogers, PayPal, John St., Visa, SAY Media, Amber Mac, and many others will be there. You should, too. It’s super cheap and promises to be fun. Pick the sessions you want to attend at www.dx3canada.com

 

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Is Liberty Village the next Madison Avenue?

Word on the street is that two large Canadian agencies will be making their new homes in the west end’s Liberty Village. I don’t think they’ll be here until the spring but I hear that Cossette and Draft FCB will be moving in next door. As they should.

King West certainly is the current Ad-Central with a bevy of agencies including recent additions The Hive, Grey Canada and others. It’s also nicely fitted with the Spoke Club, Zoe’s, and Jimmy’s. (Best soy latte in the city if you ask me.) There’s a lot of post production close by, it’s kind of accessible for clients, and it’s socially active. I certainly see why it’s appealing to be there. Hell, I was there for a few years and loved it.

But I think Liberty Village will be the next big agency community.

Come one. Come all. 

Teehan + Lax are already there.

As is Extreme Group. Cartilage just moved in. There’s also Jam3, Fuel, Spafax, Secret Location, OpenFile, Fresh Squeezed Ideas, Plastic Mobile, Curiosity, Channel 500, Indusblue, Matchstick, Tucows, Crucial Interactive, Geneva, soho vfx, Three In A Box, and a host of others. Not huge places but they’re all doing some pretty interesting things.

Agencies always want to be the first, even when it comes to location. Canada’s Madison Avenue used to be at Yonge and St. Clair before people started making their way down to Bloor Street. It went deeper and deeper before stopping at its current location along King / Wellington. Maybe Liberty Village will be next.

Because it’s a self-contained village, I find the sense of community pretty powerful here. You just get a sense that there are a lot of people doing a lot of great things.  Maybe they aren’t but it certainly feels that way. Throw in a few more hundred advertising pros and it’ll be amplified even more.

Will Jimmy’s open a second location or will the ad masses accept Balzac’s and Starbucks? Will the Marketing Awards be held at Lamport Stadium next year? Will West Elm double its revenue as late night workers sprint in to buy anniversary presents?

Maybe.

As a side note, I’m unofficially proud to say that I’ve also made Liberty Village my home.

I’m launching a content marketing agency that works with brands and media properties. It’s called The Tite Group and we have an office at 219 Dufferin. There’s a lot happening. We’re heavily involved in Dx3 Canada. We’re really busy with new clients. And there are amazing things on the horizon.

It’s unofficial because we haven’t had time to finish our web presence. An official launch will occur at a later date.

So mum’s the word, okay?

The intrigue! The drama! The rumours!

Around this time last year, I was beginning to feel like I wasn’t loving life.

Or my job.

I was Vice President and Executive Creative Director at the Toronto office of a well respected international network, Euro RSCG. What was not to like? It was, and remains, a great gig. I absolutely loved my bosses, colleagues and clients. I had a department of talented and fun people. And to top it all off, I had practically grown up with founders Bill Sharpe and Tom Blackmore. Hell, I wouldn’t even be in advertising if it wasn’t for them.

Still I was feeling like I had to make a move.

Simply put, I was frustrated. The industry was rapidly changing and I personally wasn’t doing enough to change with it. So, after much deliberation, I just decided to leave so I could figure it out.
In true Sharpe / Blackmore fashion, the fine folks at Euro gave me a new title, an email address and an office when I needed it. It was all unpaid but little things like that are more appreciated than they ever appear.

So, I set out on a quest much like Karl Pilkington’s An Idiot Abroad.
(Only without the mumbling British accent)

I met with network programming people.
I met with TV producers.
I met with entrepreneurs.
I met with media sales people.
I met with media planners.
I met with content publishers.
I met with senior clients.
I met with junior clients.
I met with academics.
I met with creatives.
I met with agency management.
I met with recruiters.
I met with developers.
I poked. I prodded. I asked. I listened.

And now, I’m almost ready to talk. 
Look for an exciting announcement in the next couple of weeks.

There are already some floating around so let’s add to the rumours. What do you think I’m going to do?

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