Beginning today…
… treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.
- Og Mandino
If you listen to the gurus, it seems that there is nothing that social media cannot do…
… except miracles.
If your website sucks, not only social media will not save you but it will make you look worse…
Common sense and planning and decisions still stand in the age of “social”.
Sorry social media is no silver bullet.
Social media is most effective when it is well integrated with all your activities.
Think before you jump.
Not too long though.
Imperfect action is far better than perfect inaction.
Twitter for Everyone :: Finding Your Own Voice.
I am chilling…. literally! It’s so hot outside! 5:43 PM Jun 19th 2007
This was the first thing I wrote on Twitter. In retrospect, I am not too embarassed by my first tweets. They could have been worse. 
Only now, I feel that I was a little self-conscious and very much self-centered. That was me… and not me at the same time… It seems that when I blog or tweet, I am the main character of a movie/play called: My Life. Am I playing a role or am I truly myself? Fortunately, I can tell you that it gets more natural with time. I never ask myself that question anymore.
The most difficult part was taking the plunge: Learning how Twitter works. Playing (and breaking) the rules of the game. Sending that first tweet. Finding my voice amidst the noise. Expressing myself one day at a time.
And I realise that many people I talk to share the same anxiety, albeit in different forms: “what am I going to say?”, “why would people be interested to read what I write”?, “I have nothing to sell”, “I got nothing to offer”, “what’s the point?”, etc.
Yes it can be scary. But feel the fear and do it anyway. All this self-doubt can be erased by this simple truth: everyone has something valuable to say. If the flap of a butterfly can cause a hurricane somewhere else, absolutely ANYONE has the capacity to influence conversations and attitudes on Twitter.
Mark Twain sums it up beautifully:
There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside of the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy, and a tragedy.
- “The Refuge of the Derelicts” – 1905
Dear Friend, what are you waiting for? Twitter is not just a soap box for marketers and celebrities. As human beings, we want to read your story. What you share is valuable to us all. We can make a difference. We can change the world.
Related Links
My Tweet16 — http://www.mytweet16.com
Cavalia :: All The Pretty Horses
People close to me know much I love horses. This love simply started in 2005 when for a few weeks in Toronto then in Montreal, I had the chance to work closely with the artists and stallions that are part of the Cavalia show.
Cavalia has been travelling Europe for the past few years and now they are back to North America. On a sadder note, many of the Lusitano stallions I knew then have passed away — including their star Templado and my personal favourite, Aetes.
To put it simply, Cavalia is a Cirque du Soleil type show but with dressage horses and beautiful, hauting music. If you are in Montreal or if you are visiting the city this Spring, go see this show. You won’t regret it.
Spine-Chilling Beauty :: Childhood Fears
Childhood Fears
http://www.soothbrush.com/children-fear-photography
I apologise for scaring you… I was frightened myself when I visited this website.
That being said, this series of photogaphy/illustration depicting our childhood fears, just blew me away. Macabre, creepy? Certainly. Beautiful. Absolutely.
Opinion :: Can a marketer be two-faced?
Yesterday, I had an interesting discussion with Gabriel Rossi, a Brand Marketer, based in Brazil. We were debating about whether companies should take ownership of the “values” they embrace through their brands. So, here’s the deal.
First, we have the Dove Evolution ads, a flawless marketing campaign that inspires women worldwide about true beauty and self-esteen… boosting the sales of Dove products along the way…
And then you have Axe, still featuring women, but through a different angle, that of “hyperactive and imaginative” young men…
Now, did you know that both Dove and Axe are owned by the same company: Unilever. A company that seems to embrace different values through these two brands. As a marketer, I would argue that Axe and Dove have different identities and personnalities. As such, we can only approach their target market in their particular unique way. However, when I remove my marketer hat and step into the shoes of a consumer (woman), I can clearly see the disconnect between these two messages.
Therefore, should Unilever be transparent and be accountable for their values, for the messages they communicate. There is no middle way. They cannot tone down the Axe messages to fit the Dove ideals. If they do this, the mix of ingredients that make the campaigns work successfully on their own will be diluted. And that’s where we reach a fork in the road…
____________________________________
As a consumer, how do you react to this paradox. Do you care that Unilever has different values for its brands? Should they be more transparent about it?
As a marketer, how would you address this conundrum? Especially in the context of a society that will expect more and more transparency.
Inspiration :: A dare to dream that goes viral.
Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you’ll see the way to fly. — Richard Bach
By now, you must all have heard of Susan Boyle, the ordinary woman who stunned Simon Cowell to silence with her angelic voice…
Let me tell you. To produce good content and make it viral is not an easy feat. Many of us just fail miserably. And then out of a small village in Scotland, came Susan Boyle, whose performance just wowed the whole world. As I am writing this post, 12 millions people have viewed her video on YouTube. After three days, she still holds the top spot on the Twitter Trending Topics list. She has been featured on CBS, CNN, even on perezhilton.com. That’s beyond your normal 15 minutes of fame, isn’t?
Whether she wins the (British got talents) competition or not, her dreams will come true. She will get a record deal. But above all, Susan Boyle is already a winner because she inspired so many people by her spirit. Many people will now dare to pursue their dreams, no matter their age, physical limitations or whatever excuse they use to have. That’s a big gift that she gave us all. Thank you Susan!
And as what you can learn from Susan for your next “viral” video: show your true colours and be yourself. People are becoming tired of staged humour and shocking factors.
Susan Boyle on Britain Got Talents (YouTube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
Related Links
What’s holding you back?
Blackberry takes a shot at Apple!
One of the most visually arresting commerical I have seen in recent times.
Second Life for Virtual Canada?
It is with some nostalgia that I found a video of a project I worked on, way back in 2005: Virtual Canada. A year-long project with amazing human connections that we made across the country, even in the Far North.
With Virtual Canada, participants enter a 3D world in which one can choose an avatar and travel, explore and learn. Virtual Canada is distinguished by its rich content on diversity and the ability for users, such as schools, to contribute their own stories. The project was presented for the Canada Pavilion at EXPO 2005 in Aichi, Japan.
In 2005, there was no Second LIfe. And now that I am revisiting this project, I wonder if there is a way to bring this project into Second Life.
Learn more about Virtual Canada.
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