My Name is Kate

Three social media secrets that will make you smarter, skinnier and richer

OK, maybe that headline over promises, just a smidge. But here's the deal - you are doing some things in social media that make you look like an amateur. And I'm tired of gently pointing them out on an individual basis. So, I'm writing a post about them and then I can just send the link to people and reference the secret I want them to know. Kind of like The Bloggess's infamous Picture of Wil Wheaton Collating Papers that she sends to PR people who make ridiculous pitches to her.

Here we go …

Secret #1 - Twitter does not work the way you think it does

You are a startup - maybe a new tech company, a new magazine or just someone who really wants to make a name for themselves, particularly in social media. Awesome. And you've slowly built some followers on Twitter. Say a thousand or so. Clearly, you're not chopped liver, but you're no Justin Bieber either. But with the right push, you could likely get a few thousand more followers. You have somehow convinced a minor internet celebrity in your field to write a guest post on your blog. And now you want to tell all your followers about it. So you tweet:

@MiniCeleb tells us the secret to her success using hand puppets while naked. Check it out! http://goo.gl/nbknc

That seems like a great tweet, right? Intriguing. Room for people to retweet and add commentary. Every single one of your followers should retweet it. Maybe even @MiniCeleb herself. Job well done - time for a martini. Right?

WRONG.

The only people who are going to see this tweet is @MiniCeleb and the juicy Venn-diagram centre of followers that you and @MiniCeleb have in common. Which is probably 12 if you are lucky. When a tweet starts with an @Handle, Twitter takes that as a sign that you're directing a tweet TO someone (not tweeting ABOUT them). So Twitter limits the exposure of that tweet to people it thinks will care about it: the @Handle you're tweeting to and the followers you have in common.

That's why you may have seen tweets that have a similar pattern as the above, but there is a "." in front of the tweet. Like this:

[email protected] tells us the secret to her success using hand puppets while naked. Check it out! http://goo.gl/nbknc

That little dot is enough to tell Twitter that this is for everyone in your stream. However, I think you're smarter than that. Just write a better tweet:

Want to learn the secrets of success via naked hand puppetry? Great article by @MiniCeleb http://goo.gl/nbknc

Secret #2 - If you don't claim a unique LinkedIn URL, people judge you

Especially if you include your LinkedIn URL as your one and only professional link. Look, I don't judge you if you don't have a blog or even have your own name as a domain where you've provided a brief bio and links to your online presence. But if LinkedIn is your platform of choice, please at least be linkedin.com/in/corneliusrabbit and not linkedin.com/pub/cornelius-rabbit/21/7b3/5a

This help article from LinkedIn tells you how to customize your public profile URL. Please take 3 minutes and go do it.

Secret #3 - Social media amplifies your douchecanoe quotient by a factor of 10

You are not a douchecanoe. Neither am I. But just by being on social media and posting stuff, our douchecanoe factor goes up. Way up. Because no one can see our smiling wink and ironically raised eyebrow or hear our faux-mocking tone. There are a lot of things you can do to try to lower your douchecanoe quotient, but these are the top two (highlighted in this piece over at Mediapost - sent to me by a friend-who-will-remain-nameless-so-no-one-thinks-she's-a-douchecanoe):

• Stop posting cryptic updates (#3) E.g. "Two days waiting, and not even a harmonica! Guess I’m never going there again!" (from the article) or "OMG. SO. EXCITED. Covered in sparkles. Can't wait to post about it. HOOOOOOOOW will I get through the next 6 weeks?!?!?!!!!?" (from my bitter mind)
• Stop disguising self-promotion as "contributions to the conversation" (#10) E.g. "Good point about the changing role of libraries -- and it reminds me of some learnings we gleaned from the insight engine on our new social platform, which launched in beta last week…" (from the article) or "Great point - I've been thinking a lot about the colour blue as a rage-inducer since Facebook reached a billion users! I discuss this at length in my ebook 'Things that make you go GRRRRR' (available on my website for only $9.99 #selfpromo #wink)" (from my bitter, bitter mind)

There you go: three secrets to social media success. Feeling smarter, skinner or richer? Not yet - but you will. 30-day money back guarantee :)

Photo Credit: Search Engine People Blog

Dear Wise Crowds: Please Help Me Choose a New Television

As some of you know, we moved recently.  An unfortunate causality of that move was our  39" Sony Bravia LCD. Poor Bravia :( it had served us well for three years with our only complaint that the colour definition in the blacks was pretty poor.

So, we need to get a new TV.

I checked out Sony first, just because we had experience with them.  I've found the Sony BRAVIA 55" 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV which seems pretty good though it isn't Internet-enabled, doesn't have a VGA-video input (for when I hook up the computer to live- stream TED each year) and the built in speakers are in the side rather than the bottom which makes me think the sound might be wonky.  And, I'm still a little worried about the contrast on the blacks.

Aside: all you audiophiles out there, I KNOW that I need to hook me up some surround sound in real speakers.  I'm not prepared to do that yet.  But rest assured, I will be.  Soon.  And I will take to my blog again for your advice.

Then, I asked Google what the "best LCD TV" was.  Google gave me several review sites, many of which suggested that Samsung is really kicking ass and taking names in this category.  Something like the Samsung 55" 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV.  This one is Wifi-enabled and has a VGA input, BUT I got a Samsung monitor last summer and while it was beautiful, it crapped out on me after 3 weeks and Samsung was less than helpful in trying to get it fixed. So I'm a little gun-shy about going with a Samsung.

Now, some of the sites said that I probably wanted to consider an LED rather than an LCD (and hopefully that will help with some of my contrast issues).  So again - both Sony and Samsung have LED TVs that get good reviews and essentially have similar features as above but with the slimmer and more energy efficient LEDs.

I'm also considering a Sharp Aquos - but that's mainly because Lt. Sulu told me to in the commercials.  And I don't know if I can resist Lt. Sulu.

So, Internet, what TV should I get? What I think my basic requirements are:

• Our living room can support up to 55" - so no bigger than that.
• We only have indirect light on the TV (no direct sunlight from the window), so I'm not too worried about glare.
• I need min 3 HDMI inputs and 2 Component Video inputs.  The VGA connector is nice to have, but not a deal breaker.
• Is Internet-enabled a deal-breaker?  I dunno.
• Don't tell me to get a 3D TV.  I can't afford one right now.
• It has to have a built-in speaker.
• I don't really want to spend more than 2K.

And hey, while I'm asking, where would you actually BUY said TV?  Especially if you're here in Vancouver?

Thanks for any thoughts/opinions/insights you have on this process.  I'd like to get it decided before the dreaded HST kicks in on July 1.

Oh .. and about that Vancouver moving company that broke our TV.  Yeah, we had the original packaging for our TV (I made Rose save it for three years - I felt a little smug).  The moving guys didn't want to use it - they said it was too complicated and they could just wrap it in a blanket and it would be fine.  They did.  It wasn't. We've filed a claim.  It's been over a month since we filed it and have subsequently followed up.  No response. Boo, Vega Line Movers! BOO!  I do not recommend them.

Placing YOUR stake in the muddy waters of blogger relations

Blogger relations and blogger outreach.  Should you pitch?  Should you not pitch?  Do you send a press release, a review copy, an invite to an intimate lunch and learn? What do bloggers want?  How can I make them happy?  What is the secret formula to blogger outreach nirvana?!?!

And bloggers.  You hate pitches.  You love pitches.  You want to discover things for yourself.  You want to get fed a constant stream of new content.  You want a relationship.  You want a one night stand. You want a conversation.  You only associate with flacks who contribute to the community.  You just want the goods.  Why don't you get what you want?!?!?

Here's the thing:

There is no right answer for the question "how do I pitch a blogger?" 

So, bloggers, write your own "pitch policy" and put a big fat link on every page of your blog to it. 

PR/marketing types: read and adhere to those individual policies.  (If that sounds like more work than a blanket approach to blogger relations - it is!  But the reward of spending the time to respect the preferences of your blogger contacts is substantial.)  Oh, PR/marketing types should also remember that most bloggers have day jobs and will not adhere to the same unreasonable timeline that you make your own people adhere to.

It's not hard to write a pitch policy.  I did it.  I based mine on Ed Lee's.  Try to make it simple and concise.  I thought about making a template.  Do you really need a template?  OK, here you go:

[Your Name/Your Blog Name]'s Pitch Policy

I [DO/DO NOT] want to be pitched.

I am interested in pitches on: [clear bulleted list]

I am NOT interested in pitches on: [clear bulleted list]

My preferred form of contact for pitches is [email/mail/phone/skywriting].

Use this [email/addressl/phone/colour of smoke].

The ONE thing that really pisses me off about pitches is [your trigger that makes you run screaming through the streets shouting "die, flacks, die" and then post the offending item to your blog and get all your friends to Digg it].

Todd Defren posted some badges to indicate if you want pitches or not.  Helpful. (via Chris Brogan).

So, that's my take on blogger relations.  There's no right or wrong answer.  There is, however,  courtesy and not being a jerk - on BOTH sides of the blog.

I sat on a "blogger relations" panel at Cossette Convergence back in May with esteemed bloggers Rebecca Bollwitt (Miss604) and Darren Barefoot.  Great talk and great questions about some of these issues (Raul live blogged it so you can check out the notes)!  We each had an opportunity to share our thoughts on blogger relations, so I put together a little slideshow.  Again, these are MY preferences on being pitched.  Everyone will have different preferences.  The best thing you can do as a blogger is write them down; the best you can do as a PR/Marketer is respect them.

Blogger Relations

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own.

Photo Credit: Pete Gray 1

Is this the Face of Canadian Marketing?

I also considered titling this post "Kate Continues to Beat a Dead Horse."  or "Three Guesses as to Which Canadian Marketing Conference These Guys are Keynoting at?  That's right ALL OF THEM!"

Actual answer - First Annual Canadian Marketing Week sponsored by Marketing Magazine.  No link love b/c I'm in a cranky place.

I know that my continual posting about the serious dearth of women speaking at conferences like this is almost self-parodying at this point.

But I'm going to keep posting about it.

I attended BlogHer08 recently and I wasn't going to write about it because it was such a strange, oddly ambivalent experience.  It wasn't a good conference fit for me from the perspective of my skill level or my interest (significant focus on mommy bloggers this year - even the "Childless Bloggers Panel" somehow turned into a mommy blogger fest.  Which is NOT to say that it wasn't a good fit for at least 75% of the other women there.).  I'm probably better off attending BlogHer Business.

However, three things stood out for me about BlogHer:

1. The best keynote panel for me, hands down, was hearing Redbook editor-in-chief Stacy Morrison, Essence Communications Director of Digital Development, Lesley Pinckney and Bravo TV's Senior VP of New Media and Digital, Lisa Hsia talk about the future of media.  This was truly an inspirational panel - women executives sharing their stories and talking about hybrid media.  Awesomeness!
2. The networking that happened in between the sessions was quite good.  I made a number of business and personal contacts and probably learned more "helpful" stuff there than in sessions.
3. There is something fundamentally profound about attending a conference where every speaker is a woman.

Oh, and to the folks who are going to say "I want to hear quality speakers - gender is irrelevant.  Don't put a woman on there just to have a woman." .. Look, I partially agree.  I want quality speakers at these events too.  And I don't think putting just any woman on a speaker roster is a good idea.

But diversity is never irrelevant.

I learned something when I recently sat on the organizing committee for the CMA's Word of Mouth conference.  There is a perception that unless the speaker has a "name" then they will not be a "draw" to the conference.  They won't get butts in seats.  For example, a book was recently co-authored by a man and a woman.  The male author is the better known of the duo.  We looked into getting him as a keynote.  Either booked or expensive - I can't remember why we didn't go with him.  I suggested the woman.  Nixed because it was perceived she wouldn't be a draw.

So, what can we do?

Two things:

1. Tell the conference organizers that diversity and freshness of voice is important to you and will drive your conference attendence.  It doesn't matter if a speaker is super-popular from a "rockstar" perspective.  If they are a quality presenter (and I am a firm believer in that someone needs to have seen them speak before) and have relevant, timely information that appeals to your audience - they should be considered.  Your $$ get you a voice and a vote.  Speak out!

2. Share your speaker ideas here.  Name one woman that you have seen present before who is interesting and engaging and relevant.  Help me make a list.   I know there are smart, savvy, entertaining women in our fields of marketing, communications and social computing that have great stories and experiences to share!  Let's help conference organizing committees identify and find these speakers!

I hate it when charming, positive creative falls prey to someone's narrow-minded morality

This one is ranty, folks, with some bad language.

I am so effing tired of this:  a charming, humourous take on life that has a whiff of NOT being a scene from Leave it to Beaver and there is a clamouring for it to be silenced.  This cute ad for Heinz Mayonnaise was pulled from British air waves because 200 people didn't want to have to explain same-sex relationships to their kids. 

Two hilarious things about this. 

1. The ad couldn't even air during "kid-time" on TV because of the high fat content in the mayonnaise
2. The two men kissing in the commercial aren't actually a couple.  The POINT of the ad is to show that Heinz mayo gets you a professional deli chef making your lunch.

And it's not just TV.  Two women kissing at a Mariners game got them "spoken to" by an seating host - after a complaint from someone who didn't want to explain it to their kids.

OMG .. I am so livid.  Suck it up, people.  Same-sex relationships are part of the rich tapestry of real-life.  Why don't you come join us in it ... real-life, that is.

This re-affirms my plan to start referring to people as "Openly Straight" ... as I've said before, the phrase "Openly Gay" speaks of licentious fucking on the congressional floor.  And why should the gays be having all the fun?

Related Posts:
UTalkMarketing - Heinz pulls gay kiss advert
The Guardian -Heinz pulls ad showing men kissing
CBC - Heinz pulls British ad with same-sex smooch

Update:

I forgot, I wanted to add this FANTASTIC video about the popular retort in forum comments, "Your a fag".

Update 2:

I changed the embedded video b/c the other one was pulled (thx, Monique!).  However, this one will probably be pulled as well.  So, here's a search query on YouTube for the Heinz Mayo Commercial.  And here's a Google Video search for the Heinz Mayo Commercial.  Ugh.  Sure, when it's convenient for advertisers, they want us to see their stuff - but when they've messed up, pull it.  Tyrannical.  Feeling very frumbly today about this.

Dude, Where's My Haplogroup? Genebase's Disastrous DNA-based Social Network

Updated with actual link to Rose's post about her experience.

So, one of the cool things about being a blogger that a) occasionally writes entertaining posts and b) doesn't have a solid THEME for her blog, is that you get asked to test a number of interesting and generally unrelated products.  One of the recent blogger outreach programs that I participated in was for the DNA Ancestry Project - a product from Vancouver-based Genebase that purports to use DNA as the basis for social networking. 

I am predisposed to liking this product, to LOVING this product.  Social networking?  Rock on.  Love social networking.  DNA analysis?  Who doesn't love DNA analysis?  I saw the Colbert Report episode where he found out his Haplogroup ... I'd like to know mine.

Side Rant: I would link to the Colbert Report and the video clip about Stephen's Haplogroup, but apparently Comedy Central has done an evil deal with the Comedy Network in Canada.  If you are surfing from a Canadian IP address and you try to go to www.comedycentral.com, you are automatically redirected to the Comedy Network.  No choice.  Just redirected.  EVIL.

So, back to DNA.  I am PSYCHED about this product.

The courier arrives and I rip open my box ... it includes a pretty map-poster, a fancy looking swab kit and a CD with software for installation.  Ack!  It's for Windows (I'm on a Mac).  OK, turns out I don't need to use the CD - I can just sign up to the website with the username and password provided in the kit.  So, I create my account and fill in some really basic info in the profile page.  The website is quite complex and not very easy to use.  It also isn't really set up to do "non-traditional" family structures.  I can add a husband, but not a wife.

OK, I can understand - this is about genetics, not social mores.  So, I do the swab test and send it in.  Rose is testing the product too, so she sends in hers at the same time.  And we wait.

I forget about it for a few weeks, what with the holiday season, the redesign of One Degree, etc.  But I login one day (I saw the pamphlet on my desk - I have yet to receive any email notification) and see a golden key by my name.  Ooo ... golden key!  Apparently, this means I have results.  I figured this out through a lot of trial and error.  The problem is, I can't figure out what my results are.  I click on a bunch of different things, trying to figure out what my results mean.  This website is super complicated and super circular.  It's like I'm in voicemail hell, but I'm on a website.  And most links lead to "buy another test from us" which is incredibly frustrating because I haven't had any results from my first test.

This website fills me with rage.

After more clicking and comparing with Rose's control panel, it turns out my results are still "pending" (meanwhile Rose is secure in the knowledge of her haplogroup ... you'll have to read her post - I don't want to spoil it for you).  She and I sent our tests in at the same time, so I'm not sure why mine is still pending.  I didn't swab vigorously enough?

Now, I know that DNA and all the "science" that they are dealing with over at Genebase is tricky and complex.  But if you're going to make claims about social networking, it kinda needs to be dead simple.  Big pretty buttons labeled "Get your test results!" and friendly statements like "We're still processing your DNA ... in the meantime, check out this article on Marie Antoinette's DNA ancestry".  The homepage has pretty buttons and friendly statements ... why doesn't the actual application itself?

I've logged on a couple of times since I first had an inkling they received my buccal sample.  Still nothing.  And it's been at least 6 weeks.  So, I don't know if my sample is bad, they lost it, or perhaps, I really am an alien.  In any case, everytime I go on the site, my frustration level goes through the roof.  I would really encourage Genebase to spend some time and money on some usability experts and some great copy writers.  The actual application is a total disaster.  And if the results you get from your DNA tests are so minimal and Genebase is relying on additional features like the family tree and journaling to keep its site sticky - well, there are dozens of applications out there that do it much better .. whether web-based or run on the desktop.

I wish I would have seen this MarketPlace report on DNA kits (called Who's your grand daddy?) first because it reviews this same product.  Wendy characterizes the desire of people using these test as looking for their "Oprah moment" - an emotional connection with their genealogical past.  Now, I don't even care like some of the folks in this video that I can't find out the exact tribe I'm from.  I didn't really have that expectation.  But I did expect a positive experience and some interesting piece of trivia about my ancestral DNA that I could whip out at a cocktail party.  So far, I haven't even gotten that.  I'm not a fan of this product.  And I think it's over-priced at $129.

If ancestral DNA testing IS something that you're interested in, I would check out National Geographic's Genographic Project.  They seem more reputable; they provide more information about what you can expect from the test; their language and interface are friendlier.  Now, I haven't tried an actual kit from National Geographic, so I can't confirm if their control panel and application are actually more usable, but their screen shot gives that impression.

Also, their price point is under $100 which feels more reasonable.

So, that's my rant about Genebase's DNA Ancestry Project.  I was predisposed to liking it, but now, just classify it as a huge frustration and lesson in how not to design a social networking application.  Though I do like the pretty poster that came with the kit.  If I do ever get any results, I will update.  Many thanks to Capulet Communications who arranged for us to test this product!

Update - April 6, 2008: I finally received my DNA markers!  I've written a follow-up post on my subsequent visit and experience.

The Face of Plexus 2007 - just like all other web and marketing conferences

Have you heard of Plexus 2007?

Apparently it's a web marketing conference and demo that's being held in Toronto at the end of November.

Plexus is aimed at assisting marketing leaders, communicators, technophobes, CEOs, CMOs, CBOs, execute the myriad of ways in which they can grow their brands on the web. Plexus is our metaphor for our closely woven "interconnectedness". Everything you should know about marketing on the web will be available to you at Plexus 2007.

Really, everything?  Because what your conference is teaching me right now is that the web looks like this:

I'm sure these guys are great.  Really.  But if you can't invite a woman to keynote, can you at least make the placeholders be female silhouettes so that I can hold out some hope that out there, somewhere, there is someone who is interested in diversity at conferences.  The hilarious thing is that I believe they've already booked the other two keynotes.  They are listed on their speakers page.  They look like this:

and

And in reality, the web looks like this:

This was taken from the 2K Bloggers project.  These are also the faces that grace the cover of Joseph Jaffe's new book, Join the Conversation.

So, if you're looking for some diversity along with your web marketing, I encourage you to consider the Toronto Geek Girls Dinner or Women 2.0 events or Yahoo!'s Intrapreneur Fireside Chat (oh, it's in California.  How about it Yahoo! Canada?  You seem to like the chicks!  Got enough of those big purple chairs for a Canadian Fireside Chat?  In Vancouver though, not T-dot?)

This is  Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin, Chief Creative  Officers, from Ogilvy Mather in Toronto.  I can't find the fantastic picture of Laura Gaggi, president of Gaggi Media on their site (it's only embedded in the pdf, blech) - but she was in the big purple chair as well.  As was Mitch Joel.  Fantastic!  That's what I'm talking about .. representing the diversity of talent, perspectives and opinions that are present in Canada.

Because the more diverse the talent/perspective/idea base that we're all exposed to, the better our own ideas and contributions will be!

 

This is what is wrong with agencies.

This is screenshot of a job ad in Marketing Magazine's daily newsletter.

Nothing about creating experiences that your clients' customers value.

Nothing about exceptional customer service.

Nothing about contributing to building a profitable business.

Nothing about anything that matters to a client.

At best, this sets up an untenable expectation for staff who are ultimately responsible for servicing your clients and your clients' customers.

At worst, this further widens the gap between client and agency relations.  If I were a client and saw this ad, I would be outraged at the priorities and values espoused here.  Yes, awards have their place and we all want to produce exceptional creative.  But I would rather have my staff and my business focused on the priorities and values of my clients.

Not chasing rainbows.

RANT: Why consumers and their content will ultimately win and big media conglomerates will ultimately go extinct

But they didn't HESITATE to show me the ad before they told me I can't view their video.

Stupid, ridiculous, idiotic, short-sighted, protectionist, asinine dinosaurs.

Yes, yes .. I'm sure that this is adhering to a law somewhere that is designed to ensure that artists got the appropriate compensation.

Die, big media, die.

Ugh .. it's going to be that kind of week.

On the positive side of things, I originally got the link for this video from MyRagan which is a relatively recent social network for corporate communicators.  Check it out.  It's kinda ugly (like MySpace) but seems to be growing.  They have good content that they share with their members and members are generating some interesting discussions of their own.  I don't know if you need an invite, but leave a comment here if you do.

Sears.ca "CGM-driven" Wishbook Campaign leaves me feeling like Scrooge

I saw an announcement from Media in Canada  today titled "Sears Trying CGM for Christmas Catalogue". Ooo, CGM - yay consumers! But alas, Tiny Tim, I got excited too soon. While checking out Sears.ca's campaign, I encountered three very cranky Christmas Ghosts:

Ghost #1 "Voting" does not equal "CGM"
I read the Media in Canada article which basically said that Sears is letting customers vote on one of four pre-selected catalog covers (presumably) designed by their agency. CGM is Consumer Generated Media. The consumers have generated NOTHING here, except an email mailing list for future exploitation by Sears. It would be CGM if Sears committed to picking a design that was created by a consumer. I'm not sure if this is a mis-label by Media in Canada, or Sears.ca trying to play the "we do social media" card. Either way .. unfortunate.

Ghost #2 The complexity of the build should mirror the complexity of the task
I hopped over to the sears.ca site where there is a banner inviting visitors to vote. They are then taken to a Wishbook site (hosted on a URL at their agency - ugh) which is built entirely in Flash. There are a lot of fancy side-swipe effects, sound effects and an annoying Security Guard character. You can zoom on the 4 catalog covers which are still quite small even when zoomed. But here's the thing. The task is to vote on one of four images. This is not rocket science or brain surgery or any other complex metaphor. I'm guessing all this Flash was quite expensive and it does NOTHING to enhance the experience of voting on one of four pictures.

Ghost #3 Don't be an interactive tease
This ghost is closely related to the one above. Security Guard guy hangs around the Wishbook site like a bad smell. He hums and shuffles a bit and peeks out coyly at you. But can you interact with him? NO! So why create him? To give the *illusion* of interaction? We are not fooled. The standard in interactive character development is Subservient Chicken. If you can't at least plant 1 lousy easter egg in your faux-interaction character, then just build static HTML. It WILL be a better experience for your customer.

So, here's what I would have done:

1. Create a real URL. Say, 2007SearsWishbook.com

2. Put up a branded static page that says something like:

• Hey, we're tired of predictable Wishbook covers. We bet you are too. This year, we want to feature your holiday photo, illustration or design on our Wishbook. To enter our contest, simply upload your photo, illustration or design (the one you *must* have rights to) to our Flickr group
• When selecting a photo, illustration or design to enter, you might want to consider that it is vertically oriented and will have a bunch of words on the cover. Make sure your photo, illustration or design accommodates this. Like the one here on the right.
• When uploading your photo, include a description of why you chose this image to represent the Sears Christmas Wishbook.
• When you upload you photo, make sure you tag it "2007searswishbook" That helps us find it and ensures others can find it too.
• Your photo, illustration or design needs to be of sufficiently high resolution for printing. 300 dpi.
• Your photo must be uploaded by June 15, 2007.
• The winner (chosen by a jury that includes a couple of Sears marketing people, an agency person, the head of customer service and the top 3 SearsClub points holders) will have their photo, illustration or design on the cover of the 2007 Sears Wishbook that is distributed to 4 million households in Canada. They'll also get a nice framed version of the cover. And some kind of gift certificate to Sears.ca. Maybe a new fridge.

3. Include some legal stuff from the lawyers.  Something like ... "We reserve the right to refuse and remove any photo according to our whim, but mainly rude or pornographic images. Our choice will seem arbitrary. Sorry."

4. Tell some prominent photo, marketing, buzz, design, and shopping bloggers.  And maybe a few more who you know monitor ego feeds.

5. Digg it, StumbleUpon It, del.icio.us it (and any other social media tool of choice)

6. See what happens. I will bet dollars to donuts that a large percentage (say 40% as a random guess) of the submissions Sears.ca would get, would be better than what the agency will come up with.

OK .. here's my request for your help:

1. Blog this, digg this, mention it, criticise it, build on it (for example, I also would have encouraged Sears to start a blog to feature on a regular basis some of the best stories and photos .. but I didn't have time to do that.  Maybe you do?)
2. Find your best Wishbook-y photo and upload it to the group.

I don't know if this will go anywhere or not, but here's why I'm doing this. I'm tired of crappy marketing. I'm tired of a practice area and an industry that I actually care about being dominated by old ideas and agencies who are afraid to experiment. I believe in the power of citizen marketers and the genuine potential of co-creation, and I want to big boys to believe too.

Merry Christmas and God Bless Us Everyone.

Note: I have broken my cardinal rule of cross posting and cross-posted this to One Degree as well.