Life's Simple Lesson

Our minds are filled with a myriad emotions, thoughts, and distractions. 

AI is here to save the day, end the earth, change humans, we don't know. The US is a living breathing circus. There are millions who won't eat today. Senseless bullies causing famine and death. And we don't even know what to say, think, do, that won't offend someone. 

I get it. 

I am fortunate to be in the top 1% living in the top 1% country - an awesome place called Canada. Some days i want to help everyone; others I want to hide under the covers between sleeves of cookies. Did our ancestors feel this way during world wars? Have the technologies changed to protect the narrative? 

One of the wisest pieces of advice I've ever gotten but often forgotten is to just do something that will help someone. The problems of the planet are just too big. The expectations of this relationship; am I wearing the right pants; do I look fat in this sweater; will I make my numbers this quarter are in many says so unimportant. 

What's the point of all this? Maybe it's as simple as enjoying this moment, right now.

Lend a hand in some way to someone may be the message we need to hear most?

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Opinion v Belief

The Oxford Dictionary defines the word belief as; an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists. Oxford defines the word opinion as; your feelings or thoughts about someone or something, void of proven fact.  

Which side decides which belief or opinion is true? Is it the guy who uses ALL CAPS to make his point? Is it the dirtbag who became president and when caught in a lie, doubles down with another lie? Some won't accept a fact even with overwhelming evidence if it doesn't serve their agenda. 

Facts are irrelevant. 

US politics is a dumpster fire but the red team does a good job of taking the win when they win but blaming all other humans when they lose. That's what five year olds do. What a spectacular way to get yourself out of every jam in your life. It's literally never your fault. Try it with your boss the next time you miss an important client deadline. 

Despite one shred of evidence, millions still believe the 2020 US election was stolen. Apparently if you call something a witch hunt and fake news long enough, some will believe you. If you don't get your way, apparently acting like a giant baby is the way to go. I live in Canada and it's like watching the WWE from the cheap seats.  

Many who start the rumor only care about winning at all costs. Their belief is irrelevant as long as they serve their opinion. But that's just my belief and opinion, of course.

I'll get the popcorn.

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Fake News and Other Opinions

The Oxford Dictionary defines the word belief as; an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists. Oxford defines the word opinion as; your feelings or thoughts about someone or something, void of proven fact.  

Which side decides which belief or opinion is true? Is it the guy who uses ALL CAPS to make his point? Is it the dirtbag who became president and when caught in a lie, doubles down with another lie? Some won't accept a fact even with overwhelming evidence if it doesn't serve their agenda. 

Facts are irrelevant. 

I believe US politics is a bit of a dumpster fire; you may not and that's cool. We do have to give kudos to the red team for their strategy of taking the win when they win but blaming all other humans when they lose. That's what five year olds do. What a spectacular way to get yourself out of every jam in your life. It's literally never your fault. Try it with your boss the next time you miss an important client deadline. 

Despite one shred of evidence, millions still believe the 2020 US election was stolen. Apparently if you call something a witch hunt and fake news long enough, some will believe you. If you don't get your way, apparently acting like a giant baby is the way to go. I live in Canada and it's like watching the WWE from the cheap seats.  

Many who start the rumor only care about winning at all costs. Their belief is irrelevant as long as they serve their opinion. But that's just my belief and opinion, of course.

I'll get the popcorn.

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Wanted: Real Leaders

I live in Canada and we had our second national election in two years this week. The government spent over $600M CDN on an election that resulted in absolutely no change in power or the configuration of our national political landscape. 

Like many parts of the world, we are experiencing the fourth covid wave yet my government felt it necessary to hold an election no one could afford to garner no new results. Why is that? It's simple - power. The ruling party - the Liberals under leader Justin Trudeau - wanted a majority government so they could run the country however they wanted with no opposition. 

Great leaders wanted 

They got another minority government which means the other parties can influence decisions. It also means, we are in the exact same place we were before this election. Additionally, word is that we may have another election in less than two years while the two biggest parties continue to lob mud at each other getting nothing accomplished during a pandemic. 

The topic of what makes a great leader has been debated since humans could say the word. When you think of the values a mentor has brought to you, it's often those intangible aspects which are more difficult to define. It's tough to be thrown into a new role when you may be good at the work but not as well versed at the people part. 

It's about the math

It’s easy to point to those who have handled leadership with grace but it's not a skill you learn in short order. And it can certainly be a balancing act when the company continually reminds you profit is the goal. That is even more complex when discussing political leadership of a democratic country when the Liberals won the election with less votes than the Conservatives where each got about 30% of the 65% of registered voters. Just imagine running a company with those metrics.

Words such as power and fear may be the reasons why strong balanced leadership is often as rare as great customer service. But despite the election this week that changed nothing, I am proud that I have the privilege to vote which is not something all humans have the ability to do. While politicians and pontificators throw jabs, I have an idea. 

 Let's be kind to each other.

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Oh Canada – You're 150!

Today is Canada’s 150th birthday. I was born in this wonderful country and proud to call it my home. Our second official language is French but most of us don’t speak it. Most French speaking Canadians live in areas such as New Brunswick and Quebec though the majority of government jobs require you to be bilingual.

Canada is the most multicultural country on the planet. There are over 150 registered languages in this country; which means fabulous restaurants and culture to sample!

Some other Canada fun facts...

Canada’s name comes from a St. Lawrence Iroquoian word, kanata, which means village or settlement. A sofa is a couch. We have butter tarts, clamato juice, and ketchup chips. This country has the longest coastline in the world, about 243,000 kilometers or about 150,000 miles in length.

Canada has the fourth lowest population density index in the world with just over 36 million people in the second largest country in the world by land mass – 9.9 million square kilometers or 3.8 million square miles.

Silverware is cutlery. Canada is in the top five producing countries of gold, copper, zinc, nickel, aluminum, and natural gas. Soda is referred to as pop.

Basketball was invented by Canadian James Naismith. No we don't live in igloos and we do have running water and paved roads. When someone says thank-you, we do not reply; uh huh, cheers, or no worries; we simply say you're welcome.

Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canucks!
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Conquering Our Fear

There’s an old acronym for fear that is false evidence appearing real. If you were face-to-face with a great white shark that would be real fear. If your car is careening over a cliff, again real fear.

But how much of what we identify as fear is false evidence? How much do we dream up in our heads to stop us from trying? When do we feel a pang in our gut that paralyses us from moving forward, attempting that idea, and realizing new boundaries?

Going Blind in Space

Retired Canadian Astronaut, Colonel Chris Hadfield began his journey and dream when he was 8 years old. There was never doubt in his mind and heart what he wanted to do with his life. I've read his book, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, it is brilliant. Get yourself the audio version as well. It's about space exploration, his life, leadership, life lessons, and so much more.

Colonel Hadfield shares his thoughts on fear and recognizing the difference between what’s in our heads and what’s in front of us.


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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

Chris Hatfield | TED

We Stand On Guard for Thee

Today is Canada’s 146th birthday. Since this site has visitors from more than 180 countries, as a proud Canadian, I thought I’d share some fun facts about our country.

Canada’s name comes from a St. Lawrence Iroquoian word, kanata, which means village or settlement. We use the metric system, most of the time.

We are saying about, not a boot. Canadian Graeme Ferguson co-invented IMAX.
The longest highway in the world is the Trans-Canada Highway which is over 7,604 kilometers or 4,725 miles. Toronto is the 30th most populated city in the world.

We prefer using the word couch over sofa. The baseball glove was invented in Canada in 1883. Canada has the world’s smallest jail in Rodney, Ontario which is 24.3 square meters or 270 square feet.

Wayne Gretzky, Michael Buble, James Cameron, Jim Carrey, Alex Trebek, Celine Dion, Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, Mike Myers, Justin Bieber, Leonard Cohen, Steve Nash, Ryan Reynolds and William Shatner are all Canadian.

Canada boasts a 99% literacy rate. The average life expectancy at birth is 81.16 years – the sixth highest in the world and more than 83% of Canadians have internet access compared to the US at 78%.

Silverware is called cutlery. Sorry is a perfectly acceptable response and often our default one. The country has the longest coastline in the world and Canada represents the world's 11th largest GDP.

We have butter tarts, poutine, and ketchup chips but maple syrup is not our national beverage – Google if you must. Canadian Thomas Ahearn invented the electric cooking range in 1882.

Canada has the fourth lowest population density index in the world with just over 34 million people in the second largest country in the world by land mass at approximately 9.9 million square kilometers or 3.8 million square miles.

There have been 22 Nobel Prize laureates from Canada and it's in the top five producing countries of gold, copper, zinc, nickel, aluminum, and natural gas.

Soda is referred to as pop. Canadians James Till and Ernest McCulloch are credited with the discovery of the stem cell.

Basketball was invented by Canadian James Naismith. Canada has the longest coastline of any country in the world. Canadians consume an average of 23.4 pounds of cheddar cheese each year.

Now you know.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership and Culture strategist, writer, speaker, executive coach engaging leaders, collaborative teams, and strong business results.

canada

Canada Day Fun Facts

In keeping with the multitude of celebrations today, here are some items you may not know.

The Dominion of Canada was established on July 1st, 1867 and officialy became a country April 17, 1882. So today is Canada’s birthday and she’s 144 years young. Like our American pals’ Independence Day we spend at BBQs and parades or just enjoying the extra long weekend.

The average life expectancy is 8th in the world at 81.16 years while the United States is 46th at 78.14. Butter tarts, poutine and ketchup chips are among the long list of snacks native to Canada. Our national anthem, originally entitled “Chant National” was first performed in 1880 and Canadian Parliament approved it as the unofficial anthem and renamed it O Canada in 1967 and it became the official anthem on July 1, 1980.

Over 18 million Canadians on Facebook

Though delicious, maple syrup is not our official beverage. 22% of Canadians name French as their first language. The longest border between two countries in the world is between Canada and the U.S. stretching 5,525 miles or 8,891 kilometres and known as the International Boundary. Three quarters of Canadians are online which ranks the country 4th in the world.

Canada is 3,855,103 square miles which makes it the second largest nation by land mass on earth. Remarks such as “please”, “thank-you” and “you’re welcome” are alive and well in Canada. Ice hockey is the country’s official sport. There is evidence of hockey being played in this part of the world dating back to the 10th century. The rules of the game were first published in 1877 in the newspaper The Montreal Gazette.

Loonies and Twoonies

Canada is the 9th in population density and has the 14th largest Gross National Product in the world. Besides being home to animals such as moose and grizzly bears, Canada has over 50,000 species of insects and more than 10,000 species of spiders and mites. Newfoundland was the first area of the country visited by European explorers but the last to become an official province.

23% of Canadians search LinkedIn for job opportunities. We say a-bout not a-boot. Canada has the longest coastline of any country in the world at 151,600 miles or 243,976 kilometers. The population of Canada just over 34 million.

Beer and Basketball

Although symbolic, the regent of England, Queen Elizabeth II, is the Canadian head of state. The Moosehead Brewery of Saint John, New Brunswick produces over 1,600 bottles a minute. James Naismith, born in Almonte, Ontario just outside of the capital city of Ottawa invented basketball to give his YMCA students more exercise in 1892. At 74, Naismith attended the 1936 Olympic Games to witness the first time basketball was in the competition.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were formed in 1873. Today there are over 28,000 members. We eat more than 350,000 tons of cheese every year. That’s close to 24 pounds each. Canada has universal health care. From its opening in 1976 until being eclipsed in 2007, the CN Tower in Toronto was the worlds largest free standing structure. Canada is the most multi-cultural country on earth.

Happy Canada Day!

Kneale Mann

image credit: lancasteronline

A Lesson from Zappos

Powered by Customers

In 1999, Nick Swinmurn approached Tony Hsieh and Alfred Lin at Venture Frogs about an idea for an online shoe portal. Nick grew tired of bad service and poor quality.

Tony was originally sceptical that the idea would work and almost deleted Nick’s original voice mail. Swinmurn discovered that in the U.S. alone, footwear was a $40 Billion annual industry. Lin and Hsieh agreed to give Nick half a million bucks in venture capital. Both became members of the company's board of directors. Nick became Chairman.

Later that year, ShoeSite was changed to Zappos – which comes from the Spanish phrase "los zapatos". The company brought in $1.6 Million in 2000 which grew to $8.6 Million in 2001. By 2003, annual revenue hit $70 Million. Then $184 Million in 2004 and Zappos received another $35 Million VC that same year. Revenue doubled each year after that and reached $840 Million in gross annual sales in 2007 when they expanded their inventory to include handbags, eyewear, clothing and accessories. Zappos execs aimed to hit the $1 Billion mark by 2010, they reached it two years early.

The Buy-Out

In 2009, Zappos began entertaining the idea of being acquired by Amazon. Hsieh (now CEO) wanted to ensure the infectious internal culture wasn’t affected and the great customer service they had created was not compromised. Amazon assured the board that Zappos would remain independent and the very reason the purchase was attractive was why nothing would change inside the company. The deal worth $1.2 Billion in cash and stock options was finalized on July 22, 2009.

That sounds like a Cinderella story and from afar one could see it that way. But there were no guarantees it would work and Zappos could have crashed and burned a few times. Tony summed up the company perfectly when he said “Back in 2003, we thought of ourselves as a shoe company that offered great service. Today, we really think of the Zappos brand as about great service and we just happen to sell shoes”.

Canada No More

On April 1, 2011, Zappos will discontinue their Canadian website and distribution channels. On the surface, that could appear like a company that is no longer interested in a country of 34 Million people with the 9th largest GDP but that is not why they made the decision.

Here is the note from the company:

Hey, everyone. While we often have fun things to talk about in this space, we sometimes have less pleasant topics to share. We have made the difficult decision to shut down the canada.zappos.com site and stop shipping to Canada. One of our core values is to “deliver WOW through service”. That means the best selection of brands and products that can meet just about every individual’s needs as well as fast, free shipping and free returns, all at competitive pricing. Our Canadian customers know that we have not lived up to these service levels.

Product selection on canada.zappos.com is limited due to distribution agreements with the brands we sell in the United States. In addition, we have struggled with general uncertainty and unpredictability of delivering orders to our Canadian customers given customs and other logistics constraints.

We would like to thank our loyal Canadian customers and are sorry that we will not be able to serve you in the same way. Beginning April 1, 2011, we will no longer ship orders from canada.zappos.com. Some of you may have electronic certificates with open balances. If that is the case, please be sure to redeem them prior to April 1, 2011. Of course, as always, we will still be accepting your orders placed from Canada and shipping to US addresses on zappos.com. Customers can always reach us 24/7 by calling 1-800-927-7671 or emailing cs@zappos.com.

Chris Nielson, CFO/COO, Zappos Inc.

Eye on the Ball

I don't hold shares or have any other interest in the company. In fact, I have never purchased an item from them. I'm just impressed with their business model, success and guts to stick to it. And like many, I have been impressed by their ability to get product into customers' hands FAST and they have been committed to the social web.

This is not a company that is hiding, this is a company that is not able to deliver on their promise so they are being straight up with customers. And to prove it, Chris included his personal email address. It will be interesting to see how Canadian customers react. It will be equally interesting to see if a solution can be found.

What can you learn from Zappos and apply to your business?

Kneale Mann | How can I help?

image credit: shoeaholic

34 Reasons to be Thankful

Today and Every Day

I am a proud Canadian. I live in the most multicultural country on earth which means there is never a shortage of places to find great food and learn customs from all over the world.

We have clean drinking water, safe roads, universal health care and an abundance of natural resources.

There are about 33 million of us spread over the second largest land mass in the world but despite some suspicions we do not all speak French or live in igloos and it is not winter eleven months of the year.

What is true is that innovation, ideas and creativity are plentiful in Canada.

It is a wonderful place to live.

Canadian Thanksgiving was on October 11th this year. Today is Thanksgiving in the United States. And since over half of the visitors to this space are from the U.S., I thought I would mention some of what I am thankful for every day.

• My family
• Great friends
• A sense of humour
• Learning daily
• Creativity
• Better understanding of me
• Abilities yet to be fully developed
• Incredible people I have met through various social networking channels
• Chocolate
• Opportunity to help others
• Conceptual thinking
• Humility
• You
• Options for my career path
• Wisdom of Mom
• Fascinating clients
• Passion for writing
• Help when I least expect it from the most surprising of places
• Tireless mentors
• Feedback
• An inquisitive mind
• Health
• Choice to quest a fulfilling career
• Freedom
• Four brothers from other mothers
• Ice cream
• Passion
• Appetite for more
• Childlikeness of Dad
• Fabulous colleagues
• People on my side
• Curiosity
• Appreciation for now

What are your reasons to be thankful?

knealemann | email


Join me for Movember.
image credit: jessica lagunas

Will Your Customers Line Up?

If you are from or have ever been to Canada, you know of a phenomenon like few others on earth. It is a cultural and business marvel. And it is named after a legendary hockey player who was one its co-founders.

Tim Horton’s (not a client) is one of the most successful franchise models in North America.

What the company does best is stick to what they do well. It amazes most experts that they can introduce new products all the time and all the while sell hundreds of thousands of gallons of coffee each year.

What is equally amazing is that most of their customers (present company included) have perfectly good coffee makers at home, but prefer to line up with their fellow java junkies for a cup of Tim’s finest.

The future of building relationships and product awareness is through brand experiences customers can share with each other. It is getting increasingly more difficult to rest a sound business plan on financing options and color selection. People want more.

But in the case of Tim Horton’s, it’s not the most exotic coffee on the planet; it’s certainly not the fanciest joint on the block. While others try to dress up the customer experience with high back padded arm chairs and CDs featuring acoustic compilations, sometimes the right model is to get your customers in and out of your store with exactly what they want and expect from you.

For that, they will line up.

@knealemann
Helping you integrate all you do with all you do.

Canadian Fun Facts

Happy Canada Day!

Today is Canada’s 143rd birthday.

I was born in this wonderful country and proud to call it my home.

Through the worst economic crisis in eight decades, many have looked to countries like Canada for ideas of turning things around.

With stringent regulations, our banking, financial and real estate industries are among the most secure on earth.

Nous ne Parlent pas tous Français.

The Human Development Index ranks Canada 4th of every country in the world behind Norway, Australia and Iceland.

Our second official language is French but most of us don’t speak it. Most French speaking Canadians live in areas such as New Brunswick and Quebec though the majority of government jobs require you to be bilingual.

Canada is the most multicultural country on the planet. I lived in Toronto for twenty years where over 150 registered languages are represented. Which means fabulous restaurants and culture to sample for all!

Some other Canada fun facts...

• Canada’s name comes from a St. Lawrence Iroquoian word, kanata, which means village or settlement.

• A sofa is a couch.

• This country has the longest coastline in the world, about 243,000 kilometers
or about 150,000 miles in length.

• We have butter tarts, clamato juice and ketchup chips.

• It has the fourth lowest population density index in the world with around 34 million people in the second largest country in the world by land mass. About 9.9 million square kilometers or 3.8 million square miles.

• Silverware is cutlery.

• Canada is in the top five producing countries of
gold, copper, zinc, nickel, aluminum, and natural gas.

• Soda is referred to as pop.

• Basketball was invented by James Naismith who is a Canadian

• When someone says thank-you, we do not reply uh huh, cheers or no worries; we simply say you're welcome.

Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canucks!

@knealemann
Helping you integrate all you do with all you do.

Vancouver 2010 | Make Us Proud

The Games Are On

Last night’s opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games were not perfect but still did Canadian’s proud. The Twitterstream was buzzing with second by second accounts and opinions of every detail.

Ghost in the Machine

There were some technical glitches and you’d think that a team that worked on a production for years would be flawless, but that’s what you get when you have hundreds working on a project where mechanical malfunctions happen. Nothing is perfect – not even hydraulic torch extensions.


Tragic Event

The Vancouver Games are clouded by the tragic loss of Georgian Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili who was killed instantly going 90mph in an unprotected sled on ice. Tragedy has happened before at the Olympics but surprisingly not as often as you would think considering the often dangerous situations in which these world class athletes perform.

Paying Tribute

Billions watched the opening ceremonies last night and when paying tribute to Kumaritashvili it was as if billions of people in hundreds of countries around the world were silent giving respect to a young life cut short.

Head Held High

As a Canadian, I was proud to see numerous accomplished Canadians included in the event last night. The Canadian Olympic Team – from a country of only 33 million has 206 athletes at these Games. Our American friends have 215 athletes from a country of ten times the population.

Remember

Let's dedicate the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games to a 21 year old man from Borjomi, Georgia who did what selected few get to do – become an Olympian.

Controversy, tragedy, discussion over sponsorships and doping are all realities of this storied event.

Have your opinions, I’ll have mine but for the next couple of weeks I choose to be proud of my country as it hosts its third Olympics in thirty-four years.

@knealemann

photo credit: nlptechnologies

The Story of Yank and Canuck

Candles in Red
Candles in White

Canuck celebrated birthday number 142 on Wednesday. It was a grand celebration, the whole family was there. At the end of the night, fireworks could be seen from far and wide. Bright red and white hats and outfits littered the streets and bars. Canuck enjoyed the day very much.


Red, White and Blue Candles Too

It's Yank’s turn to celebrate 233 fruitful years. There will be hot dogs and cotton candy, parades and song, all will be right with the world as Yank’s independent spirit will be celebrated by an extended family that reaches for as far as the eye can see.

Sisters and Brothers from Other Mothers

Yank and Canuck are buddies from different families. Yank is the older of the two but has realized that Canuck does have some good ideas. They try and support each other through good times and bad. They don’t infringe on each other’s lifestyle, that’s the point of a great friendship.

Let’s raise a glass to buddies for life.

@knealemann
knealemann at gmail dot com

Helping clients better utilize all media.
Building experiences, not campaigns.

Canada: Happy One Four Two

I am proud to be Canadian. We are a kind and gentle nation of almost 34 million people living in the word’s second largest country by land mass – 6,195,692 square miles.

This is a country rich with natural resources and a lot of bright and talented minds. Our best exports have been our people who have done amazing things worldwide.


Nice Place to Visit. Nice Place to Live.

For as long as they have been doing those surveys, Canada remains one of the most desirable places on earth to live.

Canada is the 9th largest economy in the world and 8th biggest trader. It's also the 19th largest beer guzzling nation per capita on earth. If you're interested, the Czech Repulic is #1, Germany is #3 and the U.S. is #13.

The standard of living in Canada is one of the best and despite our penchant to be overly modest – this place frickin’ rocks!

Myths and Memes

We do like maple syrup like many people from many nations but it is not a daily beverage. Sure we say “eh” but we don’t have the market cornered on that harmless little questioning word. Do we, eh?

It is not winter 8 months a year, 99.9% of the population does not live in an igloo and despite it being our second official language we don’t all speak French.

There Will Be A Test

I have done a lot of business with colleagues in the States so I have had numerous conversations about Canada with them over the years. It’s always fun to test them on Canadian facts and history – they fail miserably – I laugh and point.

Back To School

It is OUR nation's birthday. Time to pay tribute to a few Canadians who have changed the world.

Sir Frederick Banting and partner Charles Best discovered Insulin which has saved the lives of millions of people living with Diabetes.

Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope in 1980 after having one leg amputated because of bone cancer. He lost his battled a year later but to date, the Terry Fox Foundation has raised more than $400 Million for research.

James Naismith has been credited as the inventor of basketball. Naismith was born in Ramsay Township; now known as Almonte, Ontario – about an hour outside of Ottawa, which is the nation's capital.

Alexander Graham Bell is credited with inventing the first practical telephone. Unconfirmed rumors persist that service charges were introduced soon after that.

The baseball glove was invented in 1883 by Arthur “Foxy” Irwin who was born in Toronto in 1858. One hundred and thirty-four years later, The Toronto Blue Jays won their first of two World Series.

Canadian legends from a very long list include: Norman Jewison, Leonard Cohen, John Candy, Michael J Fox, David Cronenberg, Pierre Burton, Celine Dion, Paul Shaffer, Mary Pickford, Leslie Neilson, Arthur Kent, Matthew Perry, Gilles Villeneuve, Frank Gehry, Gordon Pinsent, Dan Ackroyd, Jack Warner, Norman Bethune, Monty Hall, Jack Kent Cooke, Mike Myers, Ali Velshi, Margaret Atwood, Morley Safer, Stephen Leacock, Wayne Gretzky, Donald Sutherland, Doug Henning, Russell Peters, Ivan Reitman, Alanis Morissette, Sir Sandford Fleming, Howie Mandel, David Suzuki, Rick Hansen, Phil Hartman, Sandra Oh, Keanu Reeves, Peter Jennings, Neil Young, Steve Fonyo, Martin Short, Mario Lemieux, John Roberts, Jim Carrey, Alex Trebek, Brendan Frasier, Bryan Adams and thousands more.

To my fellow Canucks: Happy Canada Day :-)

And to my colleagues and friends elsewhere; yes there is a big difference between “table syrup" and "maple syrup" and it is deelish.

Where's my parka, eh?

@knealemann
knealemann at gmail dot com

Helping you better utilize all media.
How to make it, use it and profit from it.

The Work Begins Now

"Change doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington."
Barack Obama - Aug 2008

President Obama is in Ottawa today to meet with Prime Minister Harper and other Canadian leaders. It is a whirlwind tour of the Nation’s capital. There will be a brief press conference later this afternoon and the rest of the time will be spent working on serious topics.

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."
Barack Obama - Feb 2008

In the wake of the global economic situation it is interesting that the chatter about this trip has circled around seeing the President in the flesh. The entire downtown core is blocked off and Secret Service officials are blanketing the city like a fresh snowfall. But the bigger question is – do we need to see him or do we need him to lead some of the solutions facing all of us?

Fame and Fascination

"We live in a culture that discourages empathy. A culture that too often tells us our principle goal in life is to be rich, thin, young, famous, safe, and entertained."
Barack Obama - Jul 2006

We are enthralled by celebrity. Obama is the most famous person on earth and it’s only natural that people would want to see him in action.

Despite the most historic Presidential election of all time won by one of the most charismatic political leaders in a decades, Obama himself has repeatedly reminded all of us that there is much work to do by all of us. This is not a U.S. situation, it is a worldwide situation. There is no time for pomp and circumstance.

Leaders and Laggards

"What Washington needs is adult supervision."
Barack Obama - Oct 2006

Strong leadership is enjoyed by most and some are meant to lead. It is not about a title or job description or education – it is about motivating others to work together on solutions.

It was amazing to watch the Obama camp embrace social media and empower millions of new voters to enjoy the freedom of having their voice heard and to make a difference.

Once the final morsels of confetti fell to the floor, the work began. Red carpets have been rolled way and sleeves are now rolled up.

Hope and Hard Work

"Faith is not just something you have, it's something you do."
Barack Obama - Dec 2006

I think it’s fairly safe to say that Canadians hope the President can inspire our leadership to work together across party lines and discard nick picky politics toward resolution. Perhaps the rest of us could do our part by getting to work rather than being concerned about a celebrity sighting?

Would you rather meet someone famous or be inspired by them?

km

cnet.com

Boxing Day and Bargain Hunters

If you live in Canada, New Zealand, Britain or Australia, today is Boxing Day.
If you are so included, happy shopping!

The Origin of Boxing Day
This tradition dates back hundreds of years and refers to the day after Christmas when servants – who had to work on Dec 25th for their employers – were given a day to visit their families, have their festive celebration and bring gifts or “boxes” to their loved ones.

In modern times, Boxing Day used to be one day. And there was a build up. This was the day many would spend cash they received as Christmas gifts and the deals were actually deals.

Introducing: Boxing Month
Nowadays, Boxing Day seems to begin around the middle of December and lasts until mid-February. That makes about as much sense as slashing prices because it’s Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.

The Bargain Hunter
This year, this normally fearless wonder runs risk of landing on the endangered species list. This creature – indigenous to retail and online monetary exchange environments – has been blessed with a sixth sense for deals.

It can take on a multitude of human forms and is not fooled by empty promises and orange signs with words scrawled “final markdown” on them. The number of Bargain Hunters is down this year, some may be hibernating early and some may not return. However unlike most of the endangered list, the Bargain Hunter is a resilient creature. But we can still not assume they will return in droves.

Supply and Demand are Half-Brothers
Marketing and Branding are interesting industries. It is our job to create a need for a product the potential customer may not need nor know exists.

Need vs. Want
There is an interesting phrase that has bounced around through the years in marketing and branding that is “creating a need”. When you are hungry, you have a basic human need to eat. However indulging in a triple fudge sundae with whipped cream and cherries is not what you need. Sounds good though, doesn’t it? None of us need a Porsche but the company that builds them hopes some will feel the want which will be enough to create even a false need.

They Will Always Be There
There is a reliance that the Bargain Hunter will thrive in this environment. Because the only thing that is important is getting a good deal, right? Wrong.

The Bargain Hunter is wise to the tactics and schemes. He or she is also leery about the financial future and may no longer simply buy everything in their path.

How will you change your business model to adapt to a more careful and savvy customer base?

km

The Not-So Perfect Storm

The brightest minds and pontificators these days are all focused on the economy. It was scary to watch the U.S. government opening up another $800 Billion for bailouts yesterday. Where will this come from? Who will pay for it eventually? How will the U.S. ever catch up? Why aren’t they letting some companies go out of business?

I am not a financial guy. I just ask those questions like most people.

Not to suggest we try the “la la la, I can’t hear you” approach, but it is time for us to re-focus on the fact that North America was built on ideas and creativity, freedom of speech and the ability to do and share what we want. And most importantly – with each other!

My government in Canada finally announced yesterday – after weeks of denial - that we too are suffering from downturns. The fact that the U.S. is our biggest trade partner, might be the first clue. The announcement was not a newsflash.

I have worked with marketing and advertising partners my entire career. In the last few months, the conversations have been nothing short of interesting.

Conventional "wisdom" may suggest that the time to stop spending is when we face an impending storm. Spending and spending unwisely are vastly different things. The better approach is to plan wisely verses hiding and hoping.

It’s difficult to concentrate when we see companies such at Citygroup getting a $306 Billion helping hand from the U.S. government.

We do need to be more prudent. But if we want to grow, sharpen our pencils, and ask each other a lot of questions. If you would rather batten down the hatches and hope the storm doesn’t hurt you too badly, turn the lights off and go home.

km

The Cable World is Changing

This week, the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission announced that it plans to allow satellite and cable content providers and suppliers the right to revamp their revenue models.

In a recent Globe & Mail article, reporter Grant Robertson writes; “A plan being put in place by federal regulators will let cable and satellite distributors offer up commercial time - something they were previously prevented from doing - on U.S. cable channels carried in Canada, such as CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and others.”

I’ve been in the media for a long time and sadly my brethren are reluctant to embrace change or worse yet something foreign. For instance, of all the great cable channels in the U.S., it is only now that Canadians can have access to HBO. We are expecting running water and paved streets any day now.

If you are in Canada, you may have noticed local commercials on American networks. That’s called “commercial substitution” or “local avails”. The new and more relaxed rule stipulates that the cable provider may no longer be the only stop for advertisers to go. If you want your local commercials on CNN, you may be able to buy the airtime directly from the content providers.

Robertson adds; “In cases where the shows are provided by a Canadian broadcaster, the distributor must work out a deal to share the money. But if the cable company starts buying shows directly from the producer - something Rogers Communications has done in the past for its on-demand channel - it pockets all the money.”

I am not being glib when I say that these things take time, it is important because as many have mentioned this week the rules will be near impossible to reverse. I guess I'm still innocent after all these years to think that the focus should be more on content creation than the aging content-commercials-content model. There are better ways to tell stories through fully integrated models and product plots.

More on that tomorrow.

km

p.s. I received a excellent comment about a recent posting from Keith on the west coast. Thank-you, Keith! For some reason your comment disappeared. Technology at work again.

History Made. Now What?

Barak Obama and Joe Biden will be sworn in to office on January 20th, 2009. It was a crushing and decisive victory over John McCain and Sarah Palin. What is clear is that according to the popular vote, Obama still only received just over half of the votes last night.

There were polls and surveys almost hourly throughout the last year and it was interesting to see the growing support for President-elect Obama around the world. I can’t speak for others but my impromptu unscientific survey amongst my fellow Canadian friends and colleagues gave the Obama/Biden ticket a landslide.

No matter how you analyze the numbers, the election is over and now it will take leadership and collaboration.

Anytime we feel a movement and momentum we also feel hope and teamwork. As Obama said last night, he does need the help of the American people. No one person will solve these big issues. We should be ready to help too. Ready to help each other. This includes us in Canada.

My favorite passage from Obama's speech last night: "It's the answer that lead those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve. To put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day."

One of the most powerful words anyone can use is - we.

km