What has social media really changed?

By conrad | Published: November 17, 2009

thought of the day:

Marketing, advertising and branding has always been about creating an emotional connection with your customer. Social media hasn’t changed this, it’s simply made the connection a 2-way communication.

Posted in Advertising, Branding, Communication, Marketing, Social Media | Leave a comment

Why music isn’t about making money

By conrad | Published: November 2, 2009

Everywhere I read I see voiced dismay about music not making anyone any money. Music being stolen, music being copied, music being turned into something that is watered down, diluted and shared without any respect for the label or the artist. It’s true, all this is happening but it doesn’t take away the fact that music is still being made without any thought of monetary reward. Musicians all around the world record and perform every day regardless of whether they’ll be paid for it or not. That’s music. Music’s an artform. A way to express, a way to escape, a way to entertain.

Do you think these guys, the Black Keys, think about money upfront before they perform? Do you think they are always worried about who rips off their music?

Posted in Music Promotion, Video | Leave a comment

Why out of date technology is growing in demand

By conrad | Published: November 2, 2009

“Meet Nick Sambrato. He runs a print shop in Orlando, Florida called Mama’s Sauce.

Nick isn’t a very smart guy. At a time in history when the print industry is pouncing from one space-age technological advancement to the next, Nick has decided to take a giant leap backwards into the industrial revolution.

Meet the Kluge letterpress. An 2,000 pound, cast iron, electric powered monstrosity of vacillating rods, giant spinning wheels and pneumatic hoses. The Kluge is Nick’s weapon of choice in his battle against the future.
So why does Nick use the Kluge? A clearly outdated, cumbersome and obsolete machine? The same reason any craftsman uses any tool: for the quality of the finished product. A letterpress offers a tangible, three-dimensional look and feel to the printed image that no other technology can replicate.

Let Nick take you on a trip back in time as he runs through the process of turning an ordinary piece of paper stock into work of art.”

KLUGE from Northern Lights on Vimeo.

Just watching this video gives you an amazing insight into how passionate this guy is about printing. Who would you prefer to have print your wedding invitations? Someone like this who has a story to tell behind every print run he does? Someone who you can attach a story to your printed invitations or business cards? or someone you never met who has a printer connected up to a laptop in the back of their office?

Posted in Provenance, Video | Leave a comment

A day with 3sixteen – connecting with your fans

By conrad | Published: November 2, 2009

3sixteen, a men’s fashion design company based out of New York, in collaboration with filmmaker Hilton Carter, put together this great “day in the life” video that really gives a raw insight into the day-to-day work and goings on at their company. The fashion industry is known for it’s impenetrable wall of jaded perfection, along with the sad underlying reality that much of the clothing is made in large factories overseas. More and more companies like 3sixteen are changing whole industries one by one by using local manufacturers and creating a whole new fan following based on their openness, genuine, personable and down to earth approach.

A Day with 3sixteen from 3sixteen on Vimeo.

The music is by The Radio Dept. “Where damage isn’t already done”

Posted in Branding, Provenance, Video | Leave a comment

How the CRTC blew the wind right out of WIND’s sails

By conrad | Published: November 2, 2009

Last week was a pretty bad one for the Canadian wireless landscape. in terms of the customer. The CRTC ruled that Globalive, and hence their brand name subsidiary WIND, a foreign newcomer to the Canadian wireless landscape that promised to introduce serious competition into a overpriced, under-served and over state protected landscape, is too foreign.

Screen shot 2009-11-02 at 8.25.40 PM

WIND - good while it lasted

I understand that we have to have a competitive and regulated landscape, however it’s ironic that the CRTC works to “protect” Canadian companies from foreign competitors, even though WIND has already created 500 jobs in Canada for Canadians and planned to recruit many more. At the moment the company is reeling after approval from Industry Canada but then rejection from the CRTC. What’s more, reports have shown that Canadian wireless fees are amongst the highest in the developed world and WIND was set to seriously shake up the marketplace. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens after the inquiry. At the moment it’s just sad that WIND’s great ad campaign is no more than hot air at the moment.

Posted in Mobile, Technology | Leave a comment