My Name is Kate

The Art of Marketing is Coming to Vancouver - You Could Win a Ticket!

Update: We have a winner - Tai Scott has won the random draw. Thanks to all of you who entered! And remember, we do have a discount code you can use to purchase a ticket - see below.

After the election last night, I figure we could all use some good news. So, here you go ... the awesome conference The Art of Marketing is FINALLY coming to Vancouver on June 9, 2011. Speakers include:

• Guy Kawasaki - Creativity & Innovation
• Gary Vaynerchuk - Branding & Word of Mouth Marketing
• William Taylor - Strategy & Competition
• Mitch Joel - Digital Marketing & Social Media
• Avinash Kaushik- Brand Measurement: Metrics & Analytics 

But here's the really great part ... I have a pair of tickets to give away!

Here's how to win them: Simply leave comment below letting me know why you want to go and who you would take with you.

For example, "I am super-excited to see Avinash Kaushik - I can always learn more about analytics and he is THE MAN when it comes to metrics. I'd take my boss, Bill. Because Bill is pretty clueless about social media and he could certainly benefit from hearing some of these folks talk."

As a bonus, if you tweet about my contest and post a link to your tweet in your comment, I'll give you two entries.

I'll keep the contest open til 5PM PST on Friday, May 13. I'll draw a winner sometime over the weekend, get in contact with them, and post here on the following Monday or Tuesday.

If you're not in Vancouver, don't fret - I'll have something for you after May 13!

And, if you don't really like contests and just want to register for the Art of Marketing, you can save $50 off the regular ticket price by using my promo code MNIK. Or, just click on this link to register - it has my promo code built it. So, regular ticket price is $399 - with my code only $349 (or, if you get a VIP Pass, it would only be $449).

Disclaimers:

• This contest just includes two tickets - no travel, meals or guaranteed rubbing elbows with Mitch Joel. So if you are based in Saskatoon or Edmonton, you have to get here through your own devices.
• My decision on the winner is final.
• Disclosure: The Art of Marketing is giving me a ticket to attend as well.
• Yes, I know this conference is all dudes. They are really smart, engaging dudes, so I think it will be worth your while. I would love to see more women speaking at The Art of's events and I have mentioned that to the organizers.

I'd love to see you at the Art of Marketing. Leave a comment below and enter. And then watch this video to get all excited about the conference :)

Looking for a social media, online marketing or other creative gig in Canada?

Are you in the market for a marketing or creative job in Canada? Well, look no further than FreshGigs.ca!

My buddy Michael Zipursky is the Co-Founder of FreshGigs.ca (Michael interviewed me last year for his Becoming a Business Consultant blog), and he gave me the low-down on FreshGigs.ca:

FreshGigs.ca is Canada's job board dedicated to helping companies find skilled professionals in marketing, public relations, social media, online business, copywriting, communications and more. In order for someone to apply for a job posted on FreshGigs.ca they need to register. It takes them less than 30 seconds to do that. 

But we pre-screen every professional that applies to ensure they have the experience that they say they do. Companies appreciate this as it saves them time in the hiring process. We've also made posting a job affordable for companies of all sizes. There are a lot of companies out there that need marketing and creative help and at the same time many skilled and experienced professionals that are looking for new work or projects. 

Our goal is to connect the two.

Personally, if I were a hiring manager, I would LOVE the pre-screening part of the service.

They've got a lot of great positions posted for right across the country - mainly Toronto and Vancouver right now, but there are also recently listed jobs in Edmonton, Regina and Winnipeg.  I've included a little FreshGigs.ca widget in my sidebar that lists the most recent opportunities. So, if you're looking for a new marketing or business gig - or are hiring for one - check out FreshGigs.ca!

Book Review - My New iPad, Second Edition - by Wallace Wang

I LOVE my iPad. LOVE it. And while I am a pretty good "figure it out on my own" kind of person, sometimes I do like to RTFM. So I was excited when my buddies over at No Starch Press sent me a review copy of Wallace Wang's My New iPad, Second Edition.

Now, I've had an iPhone for a couple of years now, so was familiar with some of the basics of Apple's touch and swipe interface. But I did try to approach this book as a new iPad owner who didn't have a lot of experience with touch devices.

The Good:

• Absolutely comprehensive. Covers everything about the iPad in specific detail. Doesn't assume you have had an iPhone or touch device before. See the Table of Contents for how crazy-detailed this book is. 
• Goes in a logical order. There was only 1 time where the author mentioned something (I think it was a reference to using email) that hadn't been described in the book up to that point. But it was eventually covered.
• The sections on Safari are really strong. There are a lot of subtle and/or hidden interface components to Safari and this book uneaths them all.
• The map chapter very helpful - some of the touch interface tricks there are the biggest changes from iPhone and I appreciated the detail.
• Overall, I learned a fair number of tips, including: 
  • Lots about improving battery life
  • Sliding the hidden dock to get the secret panel of controls
  • Lots of safari tips - holding your finger on a link to get a menu as well as pointing out the "action" menu on safari.
  • The save image feature in safari.

Things I'd Change:

• I'd like to see the screenshots annotated - even if only with arrows. Sometimes there is an interface element, even after Wang has told you where it is and described it, that I had a little difficulty locating on the screenshot. A big arrow would be helpful.
• Sometimes there is a weirdly pedantic tone - like don't use the iPad outside b/c you may be staring at it and not notice thieves approaching to grab your iPad. If you need that kind of advice you may not be ready for an iPad.
• Wang does include a few app recommendations at the end of the book. But I would have liked to see these interspersed in relevant places in the book as well as at the end. Also, I would love a link to where he keeps an up to date list of his app recos. Finding good apps in the sea of apps in the app store is one of the most challenging aspects of having an iPad - would like to see more on this.

If you are new to the Apple family of touch devices in general, or the iPad in particular, I can definitely recommend My New iPad. It really is very comprehensive and walks you through everything in an easy-to-read, step by step manner. But as a geek, I was able to skim some of that and get right to the hard-core tip. It's the perfect book to get your parent or spouse who just got an iPad and has only used it to update their address book so far. Hopefully No Starch Press and Wang will update for the iPad 2.

You can get My New iPad, Second Edition for $24.95 - and it comes with a free eBook version! So give the physical book to your mom and keep the ebook for yourself.

 

M&M's, Awesome Canadian Places and You - Contest

OK, I'm doing a terrible job at keeping up with my blogging editorial calendar BUT I am having some fun contests.  I like this one b/c a) M&M's and b) Canada (what's not to love?!).

So, here's the deal .. the M&M's Spokescandies are traveling across Canada for the next 10 months looking for the best places in Canada to visit. Think both famous landmarks and hidden gems. And they want your help! What are the essential Canadian sites they MUST visit!?

I'm recommending a visit to Newfoundland to see the icebergs and then High Tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria - a real coast-to-coast adventure!

Contest Prize
A Canadiana M&M’S giveaway worth $70 - filled with various sizes and flavours of delicious M&M’S® candies, rare M&M’S® swag and the hilarious book by the Ferguson brothers – How to Be a Canadian: (Even If You Already Are One). 

How To Enter:
There are TWO ways to enter. You can do either or both (for two entries into the draw).

First Way: Go take the M&M's Canada Spokescandy Quiz on Facebook and report back which Spokescandy you are most like in the comments. I am, apparently, most like Orange (which may mean that I'm a little paranoid ...)

Second Way: Tweet your recommendation for the best place in Canada to visit. You will need to include a shout-out to the M&M's Twitter account @mmscanada AND the hashtag #CanadasBest. So it should look something like:

Recommend @mmscanada have High Tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria @mmscanada #CanadasBest

And THEN come back here and leave a comment with a link to your tweet in it. If you don't do this part, I can't find your entry!

Important Details

• Contest Closes Tuesday, March 15 at 5:00PM or so Pacific time. The next day I'll pick a random comment and the good folks from M&Ms Canada will send you your prize. 
• Open to Canadians only.
• If Typepad or your computer or the Internet shuts down while submitting your entry, not my fault - just try submitting it again :)
• Disclosure: Fleishman-Hillard Canada invited me to participate in this campaign. The following post is a reflection of my own personal thoughts and ideas and do not represent those of M&M's Canada. Plus they sent me some M&M's to enjoy as well.

Sound good? So get crackin'! What colour M&M are you most like? And where do you think they should absolutely visit?

Update March 17: Thanks to everyone who entered! Looks like the extra entry helped Chris as he won my random draw. As an FYI, I use random.org for my draws - what a great resource! Thanks again for participating!!

The End is the Beginning Contest - Cool Movie/Doritos Swag Prize

As I mentioned last Friday, Doritos has given me a "The End" prize pack to give away on my blog - in celebration of their new campaign "The End" where one of their new flavours will be DESTROYED FOREVER.

The prize pack is actually pretty cool. I would like to enter, but I cannot. You, however, can!  What could you win?

• Doritos Buffalo Wild Wings N’Ranch chips and Onion Rings N’Ketchup - 4 bags (2 of each flavour)
• Black Bowl & White Bowl 
• 3 DVDs that start with the “ending”: Memento, Pulp, Inception 
• Director Merchandise: a Mug, a  T-shirt, a Clapper, a Megaphone 

Total retail value per prize pack: $150.00

Pretty sweet.

So .. how to enter?

Leave a comment telling us what book or movie has your favourite surprise ending. Don't tell us the ending! Just the name of the book or movie. :)

Comments will close on or about 5PM PST on Sunday, Feb 20, 2011.

I'll randomly pick a name from all the entrants on Monday, Feb 21, 2011 and the cool folks from Doritos will send you your prize.

Disclaimer-y things:

• Sorry, Canadians only
• My selection of winner is final
• If Typepad or your computer or the Internet shuts down while submitting your entry, not my fault - just try submitting it again :)

So, what are you waiting for .. leave a comment. Oh, and then go check out the really cool contest Doritos is having where you write the end of the commercial and win 25K plus 1% of future earnings :)

Update: David E. was our winner!

Doritos, the Super Bowl and You

I'm not really keeping up with my lofty 2011 plans for blogging. (Sigh. How do people who do client work and run their own company do it?) But I do have a little "shill" post to share.

Doritos Canada is launching another of their famous chip contests in tandem with the Super Bowl.  Called "The End" it involves a choice between two chip flavours. Winner gets 25K and 1% of future sales.

Doritos Canada made marketing history in 2009 with their "Become the Doritos Guru" campaign - where fans created a commercial for a new flavour of Doritos. The winner received a % of the profits of the flavour.

So Doritos is at it again. The launch of "The End" will air during the SuperBowl. Here is a sneak peek.

And for next week's Shill, we'll have Part II of this post where there will be a giveaway of a Doritos prize pack worth $150 CDN (golly, that's a lot of Doritos!)

Drinking Scotch and Raising Money for Cancer Research - What Could Be Better?

I have some friends, Team Hope, who are participating in the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer this year for the second time. And they hold the best fundraiser - a Single Malt Scotch Tasting and Silent Auction.

So, if you're in Vancouver on March 10, 2011 and like single malts, check out Tip a Wee Dram - only $50 for a night of tasty scotch.

Suncor Energy's Email Newsletter about the Oil Sands (affectionately known as OSQAR)

For this week's shill, I wanted to highlight a client's project (though not really much of a LintBucket project - we just did the landing page). Last summer, Suncor Energy started publishing a weekly email newsletter called Oil Sands Question and Response (OSQAR for short).

I have to say, from a content perspective, I do love their writing style and sense of humour. My favourite issue of the newsletter is "In Situ Oil Sands: Mining’s Hotter, Younger Sibling" - which, if you've spent as much time trying to understand the oil sands process as much as I have, is actually pretty funny (and drove some pretty good open-rates).

I think it's hard for a corporation like Suncor Energy to have a sense of humour - the line they must walk is so very fine. And I'm sure that some people feel they have crossed it. But I think that opening up a constructive dialogue around controversial topics, one that is framed in a human way - that includes both humour and pathos - is essential. Humour doesn't necessarily indicate a lack of seriousness. And our collective business and political rhetoric could use a good dose of humour these days.

Related:  I read a post today by Joseph Thornley entitled Three Questions to Ask Before Accepting a Controversial Client.

Disclaimer: This post is my own opinion and in no way reflects the opinion of Suncor Energy.

 

Seeing Clearly with ClearlyContacts.ca

This is one of my "shill catch up" posts.  There are a couple of things I was asked to review last year and didn't get around to it. So just trying to clear them off my list in early 2011.

Last year I was offered a free pair of glasses from ClearlyContacts.ca. I ordered a cute pair of Burberry glasses from the site and was quite pleased when I got them.  They were exactly as ordered, right on prescription and came with some nice extras like an extra lens cloth and a screw tightening tool.

The buying process was really easy. They have a fun "Virtual Mirror" application where you can upload a picture and try on different pairs of glasses.  It's pretty easy to use and gives you a sense of what they will look like, especially if you're doing a radical change.  I did find that sometimes the frames they had in the Virtual Mirror tool weren't always in stock.  And that they actually had more in their stock than in the Virtual Mirror. So, watch for that.

The great thing is that they have an upcoming promotion where you, too, can get a free pair of glasses.  For the next few Fridays, ClearlyContacts.ca will be giving away 5,000 free pairs of glasses in several metro areas across the country:

• Vancouver, Friday Jan 7
• Toronto, Friday, Jan 14
• Calgary, Thursday, Jan 20 (note, I know that this is not the correct date for Friday (it's Jan 21), but that's what they have on their promo. I've sent a note to their PR team; will update as I get more info)
• Ottawa, Tuesday, Jan 25 (yup, this one should be the 28th; I've asked about that too).

You need to be a fan of their Facebook page. This will reveal a code which you can use starting at 9AM PST in each of the cities. You have to pay for shipping and any "extras" (tinting, etc).  As an FYI, they do take PayPal (I wish more Canadian online merchants did that).

Update: Have correct days and dates for the promos now.

 

Recommitting to Blogging

I suck at blogging. I have for the last year, maybe even longer. And that really bugs me. I love blogging. So I am confessing my sins and recommitting myself. But I know that to be successful you need a plan. I tell clients all the time that an editorial calendar will ease their blogging pain and help them keep on track to their blogging goals. Why don't I simply take my own advice and create an editorial calendar?

I have two inspirations for my 2011 editorial calendar. The first is one that has actually stuck with me for years - Mike Stansone's Sansone's post about editorial calendars. His post is so simple and straightforward; I've thought about it often over the last few years.  It's a perfect model for an easy, breezy blog editorial calendar.

My other inspiration is a recent post from Gretchen Rubin (of the Happiness Project) who discussed choosing a one-word theme to "set the tone" for 2011. I decided to adopt this approach for my blog's editorial calendar. The one word gives me a consistent prompt but also allows me a fair bit of freedom.

So, here is my 2011 editorial calendar:

Monday = Inspire
Inspire encourages me to start the week off right. Also, I intend for this to be primarily visual (so an image or a video) though there is certainly room for an inspiring quotation or idea.

Tuesday = Advise
The main reason I started MNIK was to share ideas about digital marketing and social media.  We did a lot of interesting work last year and I'm about to start teaching my third class on social media at UBC - I certainly don't have a lack of war stories or insights about online marketing or best practices in social media. This is a day to get back to basics and what this blog is supposed to be about.

Wednesday = Shill
Some of what I blog about are product reviews. Sometimes technical products, sometimes books. Sometimes I've been asked to participate in a blogger outreach program. Or sometimes I want to (explicitly) promote my own clients or my own projects. So Wednesday is shill day - the day I'm not blogging for purely altruistic reasons ;)

Thursday = Geek
I am a geek at heart. Not just a technical geek (though certainly that) but also a word geek, a wine geek, a cooking geek. So expect some kind of technical tip or "how to" or app review or extreme geek piece on the origins of the word "kitty-corner". This might also be the day for infographics.

Friday = Discover
This is the day to share the new: a new blog, the day for my book summaries from my 2011 reading project, a new website. I also have an interview series I'm planning to start - this would be the day I share those as well.

I'm not planning on blogging on weekends.

This is my blogging plan for 2011. What do you think - doable? Are you recommitting to blogging or podcasting or some other form of online expression?

Photo Credit: keso