One of my goals for 2010 was to do 3 speaking gigs. Not as a source of revenue but as part of my personal growth strategy.  I have well surpassed this.

I thought it would be neat to revisit my first public talk this year.

Just click on the link below to be taken to the video.

The Techvibes Community

I hope you enjoy!

You’ve heard the saying “Wear your heart on your sleeve.”  Now comes a new one:

Wear your pants.

It was inspired by friend, #agencyball teammate and all around smart marketing genius Saul Colt.

In an age of social media this and digital marketing that, it is sometimes refreshing that good old word of mouth can be simple and effective.

Saul spoke yesterday in New York at an event called Word of Mouth Supergenius.  It was put on by the good folks at gaspedal.  Now, I wasn’t there to hear Saul speak.  However, I have heard him speak on numerous occasions.  And I’ve been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of an outlet pass from him on the court.  So I think I know a little bit about how he operates.

Saul is a marketing genius.  He understands (I think) that to make a mark a brand needs to employ the element of surprise.  He knows that people will remember and (maybe more importantly) tweet about moments of “Ah Ha!”

For example, he’s bought a free-loading client a bottle of wine, put the SkyDome up for sale and has taken pictures with Santa in the middle of summer.  All “Wow!” moments to say the least.

And the companies he’s worked for have benefited from his wacky antics.  Freshbooks, Zip.ca, Zoocasa and Thoora.com are all better off because Saul has been on their payroll.

But here’s the important thing.  The thing that separates marketing professionals from people like Saul who are marketing geniuses: Even when Saul is not “working” he’s working.  Whether it’s the insanity of some of his tweets or the clothes he wears, Saul has figured out that the element of surprise doesn’t stop when he leaves the office.

He literally wears his heart on his sleeve.  Or in Saul’s case, he likes to wear his pants.  Or something like that.

Do you walk your talk?

Marketing that is. 

It may feel that way especially when you’ve lived and worked in one location.

For example, living most of my life (ok, all of it) in the western world (aka Toronto, Canada) I am subject to very innovative and experiential marketing campaigns.   These days, it seems everything is about the social web and how mobile technology is changing how companies are marketing new services and products.

Yet, in places like East Africa (I’m presently in Kenya) it’s a little bit different. 

While more people in Kenya have a mobile phone (per capita) than in Canada, it’s not all about the social web experience on the mobile phone.  That’s because smartphones are not as ubiquitous as they are in Toronto.  Affordability is one example. 

However, this does not mean that people in the “third world” are not entrepreneurial.  Fact in point is Kenya’s M-Pesa service which I blogged about on Techvibes.  This service let’s the user transfer and get access to cash via their phone using SMS. 

There is not yet a market (nor a need, I think) for cool smartphone banking apps.  The operative word is yet.

So while SMS might seem “old” in Canada, it’s very much in use here in Kenya.

And marketing should be the same.

Sometimes we’ve been in a place for so long that the only marketing plans and schemes we can think up are the ones that have already been done or are presently being done.  What can we do to ensure we don’t keep copying and doing the same thing?

Use your imagination and start learning to think a little different.  Ask questions like what are the people in my market doing?  How are they interacting with one another?  What tools are they using that will allow me to communicate with them more effectively?

Remember that people are people and while we all may do similar things we are also not all the same.

Hello from Nairobi!

With companies quickly embracing social media as a marketing tool I thought it would be wise to remind everyone that customer service still counts, no matter how many Twitter followers you have.

Case in point:  Yesterday we visited the Animal Orphanage just outside Nairobi.  It was a couple of hours after lunch and we all were starving.  So we decided to grab a quick lunch before visiting the animals.  There was a great restaurant overlooking a watering hole.  The baboons and antelope (at least I think that’s what these bambi-lookalikes were!) were in full force.  The atmosphere was great.  They even had all the flag of the nations in the World Cup all over the place.

But it took more than 90 minutes for our food to get to us.

This is not just a case of “that’s how it is in Africa”.  This is a case of forgetting that the customer experience is paramount. 

Most of my work these days revolves around marketing and showing companies how they can effectively use social media tools in engaging their community online.  However, I always insist that no matter how cool their website is; or how many Twitter followers or Facebook friends they have, they must always remember one thing:  The experience I have when I visit their online or offline space trumps everything.

If the customer service rep is rude; if the food is cold; if they forget about me as soon as I walk out the door with my purchase then everything else matters not.

Customer service matters.

Many of you know that my family and I are in East Africa on vacation.  But for those of you who know me I’m always “on”.  So I find myself with one and maybe two speaking gigs in Nairobi next week.  And I’m excited!  And nervous.

On Tuesday I’ve been asked to speak about “Start-Up Culture.”   Why?  I think it’s because I’ve had the great opportunity to meet some very cool and successful people and companies in Toronto during my short time with Techvibes.

However, I don’t consider myself an expert.  But I know that many of you are.  So I need your help…

As someone who has worked with or started a company, what important tips should people know?  And what characteristics should someone considering a start-up have or look to develop?

Thanks do much for your help!

P.S.  If you’re interested in following some of my journey check out my africa trip.

With the sub title being “”A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never seen” I was hooked.

Author Christopher McDougall takes the reader on a journey that can only be described as breathtakingly fascinating.

I have read another book since I finished Born To Run but the images etched in my brain from reading it have remained.

Here’s who I would recommend the book to:  If you’re an athlete, a wannabe athlete, a weekend warrior, someone who wants to get healthy, a health nut, a vegetarian, a runner, someone who is interested in anthropology….heck, I’d recommend this book to just about anyone who even just likes a good story.