The Everythingers!

Even though David works for eBay’s Marketing department, but I’m pretty sure no marketing guru saw this in the cards; after being featured as a clue in eBay’s recently-ended Treasure Hunt Contest, David Chu, whose actual day job is promoting eBay’s search engine capabilities, is now a marketing engine in himself, and has quickly become a shining example of eBay’s marketing prowess. As a surprise twist to this story, the marketing moguls to be commended for the David Chu phenomenon aren’t who you might think.

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Hooray! WordPress is finally up and running!

Marketing professional offers reward for finding him a job

A Vancouver marketing communications professional is offering a reward to the person who helps him find a job.

Randy Fisher has launched a personal campaign, “Randy GivesBack,” in which he will donate 15% of his first year’s salary to the charity of choice of the person who helps him find his dream job.

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Check this out! I was totally caught off guard. It’s not a remake of that classic we all know as ‘Singing in the Rain’; it’s a remix!!! My favorite car (the MK V Volkswagen GTi) has a new commercial and I love it.

I went to the Tsunami Relief Concert here in Vancouver, on the 29th. Despite the Vancouver concert crowd’s trademark affliction I like to call sit-on-my-ass-all-nightis, in all I’d say it was a very moving experience. And one that opened my eyes to something that I think is sometimes forgotten in civilized society. But something I’m proud to say British Columbians have kept in their hearts, and are effecting.

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So the rumors behind Firefox being acquired by Google seem to be true as an insider at Firefox tells that Google could be paying future bills for the development of Firefox. Could this possibly be the first stage in a Microsoft internet takeover? Google has been up to some recent developments that may suggest that the best is yet to come. First Gmail, Google News, then Blogger, and now possibly a browser to complete the package. I’m not at all part of the “bring down Microsoft” campaign but Google’s interest in Firefox has a lot of people thinking the days of IE are numbered.

I’ve been using Firefox for several months now and I will find it hard to switch back to IE. Check out Google’s blog to get the most up-to-date news. As I just learned that Google now has a dedicated video search: Googlevideo.

Marketers must get closer to customers, says Kellogg dean

Marketers must take a customer-centric approach to meet the challenges of today’s marketplace, according to Dipak Jain, dean of the Kellogg School of Management in Chicago. He spoke at the Rotman School of Management in Toronto last night, as part of the 2005 Rotman “marketing guru” lecture series.

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William Shatner released an album in 2004. Yes, THAT William Shatner — the same Shatner of Star Trek fame. Alright, alright, when you’re done snickering, you’re welcome to continue reading.

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Check out the latest spin Marvel Comics has put on one of their most revered super-heroes that’s being launched in India. Peter Parker? No, it’s Pavitr Prabhakar!

“What in god’s name is that?”, you might be saying to yourself. “What ever made them believe that a billowing dhoti-wearing, curled-toe slipper-wearing version of our American super-hero will be successful in India?”

Well, you just answered your own question — god. Not ‘the God’ but just think about this for a second. The indianization of Spider-Man has some legs. Part of the appeal is that comic character resemble gods found in Indian mythology. It’s interesting to note that the most successful comic books in India have been about their mythology. In fact, the new Green Goblin, as we know it, has been made to resemble the demon rakshasa. Aside from the US, India has one of the largest film industries in the world. And it’s been well noted that Indian films have been adapting western figures into their own movies. With all the political and environmental hardships India has been enduring perhaps a cultured superhero like Spider-Man is what will hit the spot.

Secondhand smoke ads up the yuck factor

The Lung Association is telling teens secondhand smoke is just as dirty as a secondhand toothbrush, or worse, a secondhand condom.

A new campaign by Gilbert + Davis Communications in Toronto, uses gross analogies to place secondhand smoke in an unfavourable light. One of the print ads, to be placed on 350 garbage bins in the Greater Toronto Area, shows the images of a used tissue and a used toothbrush on the ground, followed by a girl with a cloud of smoke in front of her face. The copy reads, “You wouldn’t wipe with a secondhand tissue. You wouldn’t brush with a secondhand toothbrush. Why breathe secondhand smoke?

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So you are now the proud owner of one of those iPod thingies. Let me guess, your objective was to shop around for a simple way to play your legally dowloaded music without having to burn ‘em onto a CD. Something small, compact, and light (a sensible solution).

You saw exactly what you needed at the local electronic store: a 256 mb .mp3 player. But just sitting beside it was a sleek, simple, and unassuming iPod. You were so close to buying that 256 MB player, but like how a Filipino is to lumpia, you were immediately enthralled, and dropped $529 on an iPod for no reason. Before your girlfriend finds out, you tried to think of a damn good reason why you would do such a thing when your Visa bill is due. All you came up with was, “I did it for the points!”

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eBay has announced that they’re going to be raising certain fees on the site, effective February 18. There will be some changes to Business and Industrial fees, and fees for Motors-related items blah blah blah, but the hikes that concerns me the most are the fee changes to Stores.

Lemme tell you why: I love eBay. Like, seriously love it. I love the buys, I love the sales, and mostly, I love the community. My feelings for eBay run so deep that, in my mind, eBay is hotter than the hottest guy in Hottytown. And, if Hotty MceBayerson (as I like to call the site, late at night) were ever to be in life-threatening danger, I would gladly step in front of that bullet, train, or cholesterol-filled hamburger, just to ensure its safety.

But in the case of the fee hikes, I’m faced with a dilemma: I’m not sure whether I consider the eBay Stores fees hike to be a bullet or not. To be more specific, I’m not sure if the hike is a detriment to the community, or actually something that will BENEFIT it. So I’m not sure whether I hate the idea or support it. But I think I’m leaning towards the Support camp.

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With movies like ‘Fahrenheit 911′ and ‘The Corporation’ who doesn’t question the connections between some of the most powerful institutions on the planet? It makes you want to investigate how some of the most powerful institutions in the world relate. theyrule.net has come up with a way to show you just that.

It allows users to browse through these interlocking directories and run searches on the boards and companies. The whole premise is that a few companies control much of the economy and oligopolies exert control in nearly every sector of the economy. The people who head up these companies swap on and off the boards from one company to another, and in and out of government committees and positions. These people run the most powerful institutions on the planet, and we have almost no say in who they are. Feel like becoming Michael Moore?

Find a connection yourself!

Everything from e-mail marketing to job hiring and job politics is right here. If you are in business there is certainly a tip here for you. Here’s #49:

49 Keep it simple. That applies to everything in your business — marketing, office layout, how you work with others. The world is complicated enough without you adding more complication and stress. If things start getting complicated, expensive, or both, ask why. Keep asking why until you’re either satisfied it needs to be that way, or you’ve simplified it again. Use simplicity to focus on the relationships in your life and business. In the end, they’re all you’ve got.
Simon Young, SimonYoungWriters, http://leadershipissues.blogspot.com

Marketing Sherpa Inc. is a media company publishing useful Case Studies, results data, and best practices for marketing, advertising, and public relations professionals. It is an excellent resource for marketing.

In case you are wondering, their name “Sherpa” refers to the Sherpas of Nepal who guide climbers up Mount Everest.

If you’ve ever been assigned the arduous task of shopping for that Mr. Potato Head-obsessed Star Wars fan in your family, Hasbro has just done you a big favour.

Playskool, Hasbro’s children’s toys division, has announced their latest opus in the Mr. Potato Head line: a little guy they like to call Darth Tater. As always, it sports the ability to carry his eyeballs in his ass, and, in true Star Wars style, this spud comes with a lightsaber.

It hasn’t been confirmed if the toy will come packed with Mind Control bundled into the package, but more on that as it develops.

In case you didn’t know, I like to eBay (Yes, I used it as a verb). And they just announced that they have a computer recycling program where you can sell, donate, or recycle your out-of-date computer equipment throught their ‘Rethink’ website.

By far the bestjingle to come about in a long time.

“Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things.” George W. Bush.

Years ago, the iconoclastic Professor Andrew Ehrenberg coined the verb ‘to SONK’. Sonking is an acronym that stands for the Scientification of Non Knowledge. It is a wonderfully handy term that deserves to be in more common usage.

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Ones to Watch: Call for nominations

Marketing magazine is searching for the marketing industry’s next creative and business leaders with Ones to Watch: Marketing’s Next Generation.

Ones to Watch encourages and celebrates the accomplishments of talented young marketing professionals ages 30 and under. The men and women chosen as the 2004 Ones to Watch will have demonstrated marketplace innovation, financial clout and influence or leadership.

Help us find Canada’s most promising marketers. For the complete criteria and to fill out or download a nomination form, click the Ones to Watch button at our Web site, marketingmag.ca. You can also contact Averil Joseph at (416) 764-1584 or averil.joseph@marketingmag.rogers.com to have a form faxed or e-mailed to you.

The deadline for nominations is June 30.

Ones to Watch: Marketing’s Next Generation will be announced in Marketing’s Sept. 6. 2004 issue.

Tim’s is the country’s best managed brand, survey finds

Tim Hortons is Canada’s best managed brand.

That’s according to a survey of subscribers to Canadian Business magazine and e-newsletter and subscribers to Marketing Daily conducted by research firm The Strategic Counsel and design and branding firm Spencer FranceyPeters.

Of the 861 respondents who were asked to identify the country’s best and worst brands, 42% ranked Tim’s in top spot. Only brands that were created or developed in Canada were eligible.

TimHortons was followed by President’s Choice with 20%, West Jet, Canadian Tire and Loblaw’s–each with 18%. At total of 31 brands were on the “best managed”list. It also included Hockey Night in Canada (13%) and CBC (10%), which also made it on to the worst managed brands list.

Topping that list was Air Canada, with 46 per cent. It was followed by Rogers Wireless and Telus, each with 16%, Bell Mobility (11%) and CBC with 10%.

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