Hall mc - Blog

We don't ship to Canada...

Fri, 25 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400

My son Jake loves John Deere Tractors. He is a true testament that strong branding can affect people of any age (even those under the age of 3). This is incredibly interesting to me considering, Marketing is what I do for a living and what I am truly passionate about. I have been admiring his loyalty for this... More »

Marty and me

Fri, 03 Jan 2014 00:00:00 -0500

In July of 2013 I had the remarkable fortune of attending the first annual ZagWeek; an intense, 5-day brand innovation workshop in the South of France conducted by the one and only Marty Neumeier. For those of you not familiar with Mr. Neumeier’s work, he is the author of several highly successful books... More »

Planning for the year ahead

Wed, 11 Dec 2013 00:00:00 -0500

As we settle into December, we’re hit with the realization that the year is slowly starting to wrap up and we start thinking about the year to come. At Hall we’re starting to speak with clients about planning for 2014. Sometimes things haven’t changed for a client and everything is running... More »

Love what you do, or do something else...

Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

When you wake up in the morning and get ready for work, can you look at yourself in the mirror and say that you love your job? Realizing that all of us as human beings have good and bad days, if you cannot say this to yourself most of the time, and you are in sales in particular, I would strongly suggest that... More »

Miss March

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

I recently had the pleasure of being the Keynote speaker at The Windermere Manor’s Motivational Speaker Series and was very proud to have been affectionately given the nickname of ‘Miss March’. Aside from feeling like I should have a picture in a Calendar for this nickname, I was ever so... More »

It’s the Little Things.

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Recently, I was at a friend’s home to watch a hockey game. Trying to kill some time between periods of the game because we weren’t interested in what the pundits had to say, and weren’t at all interested in being inundated with the same Heartland and Ford commercials, we decided it would be... More »

Stepping Outside the Box

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

We recently held a Google Connect event that Hall mc hosted put on by the Google Engage program. We got a group of marketing professionals together to listen in on a group of speakers from Google about some of the benefits of using the Adwords program and some of the great projects they have been working on... More »

Happy Halliversary!

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

A few weeks ago I celebrated my first year at Hall mc and what a first year it was! In some ways the time went by very fast and in others it feels strange that I’ve only been here for a year, as it feels like I’ve been here for much longer. This is not because the year felt long at all, but rather... More »

I feel the feeling I forgot…

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Paper. How does something seemingly so simple, have such an impact on print design? It’s astounding how much of a difference the choice of stock can effect the look and feel of your printed materials. Most people outside of our industry don’t realize how much of an effect the physical feel of... More »

That'll learn ya

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

When I was in high school, my favourite class was "Communications", which (at the time) was a mixture of broadcast engineering, film production, and early web tech. When I say early web tech, I mean we were building BBS portals, and the modem had a telephone receiver. Anyway, my teacher was a guy who... More »

Look what we made #2

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

We've been working with Meridian for several years now, and the recent CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards being imposed on automobile manufacturers drove the need for a complete brand overhaul and repositioning of the Meridian offering. Key to fuel economy for manufacturers is, of course,... More »

A Year in the Agency World

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

A year has passed since I entered the agency world, and overall I’ve loved the change. An agency is an ever-evolving world and working in the digital space we move quickly to begin with, and since multitasking is my middle name I’ve fit right in. I’ve written about the pros and cons of... More »

The Power of Networking - Part 2

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

“The successful networkers I know, the ones receiving tons of referrals and feeling truly happy about themselves, continually put the other person’s needs ahead of their own” –Bob Burg This is a quote that has always resonated with me and certainly supports my feelings on Professional... More »

I loved you, Mrs Morrison

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Throughout the course of my life as a student in the sausage factory we call public education, I estimate I had - give or take - 100 or so teachers. I remember exactly 7 of them. Five I recall as being extraordinary individuals who possessed the innate ability to inspire and excite me. The remaining two were... More »

They Catch My Breath and Knock Me Down

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

I was lucky enough to stand up at one of my best friends weddings last week in the Dominican Republic. For the bachelor party I got to try a sport that I have always wanted to do, surfing. I wanted to be that suave guy with silky smooth moves up on that board under the blistering hot sun. Suffice to say none... More »

Happy Birthday, Google Engage!

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

On September 17th of last year, I had the opportunity to participate in the anniversary of the Google Engage program as a panelist. The event took place simultaneously across the country in four locations including Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Toronto and connected each location through Google Hangouts.... More »

You're only as good as you think

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Anyone who creates for a living has come across someone who insists on forcing his or her ideas or suggestions into the equation. Sometimes they’re relevant and insightful, and actually serve to make the outcome better. Sometimes they are not. Creativity is a funny thing. Usually all that people see of... More »

Respect Your Roots

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

In the last few months, writing more consistently has made me think carefully about what I want to say. I don't want to spew out cursory tutorials on web design, or write anything that's lifeless. A valuable subject to communicate to you is my role within this company, how I work and meet... More »

The Power of Networking

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

As I was editing many blogs that I have written and deciding which blog to post, it crossed my mind that I have yet to write a blog on a topic that is near and dear to my heart – professional networking. Since this is the focus of the Business London magazine this month that I am in, I decided that this... More »

A cautionary tale

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

It's been a rough week for the design world in our neck of the woods. First there was the creative public's lambasting of the new London logo (and I do mean logo, not brand - look it up) and then there was this little gem that made it into the Toronto Star - for all the wrong reasons (see picture,... More »

The full package

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

It has come to my attention that I will soon be working on a new project, a robust project that will consist of 20+ new SKUs. I’ll be giving an old product a new look. Having never tackled a project quite this large before I am excited yet nervous. This will be very challenging because of the variety of... More »

In-House vs Agency SEM

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

As we start the New Year you may be deciding what marketing avenues would best suit your business. With those decisions come the thoughts of ‘how’ and ‘who is going to help you meet my goals’. Having worked both in-house and for an agency, I can tell you there are pros and cons to... More »

Dinner and a Movie

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Creative inspiration is all around us; in nature, publications, museums, online and in the mind. One place where I love seeing different creative styles is in the title sequence of movies. Think about it, all the artist is given is a list of names and titles. They have free range to design whatever they feel... More »

To the Agile Go the Spoils: Resolutions for 2013

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

January is the inevitable time of year when we all set new resolutions, goals and targets for ourselves in our personal and professional lives for the upcoming year. As I assume many of you do, I write my goals down on crumpled napkins or scrap pieces of paper, usually in a local pub, and then work backwards... More »

Testing Your Mettle

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Working as part of a hybrid communications agency can definitely blur some boundaries. At the end of the day, we develop solutions for clients’ audiences, but everybody at Hall mc approaches that audience differently. The creatives will brainstorm about the varying demographics will be viewing different... More »

The more things change

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The other day I had the opportunity of chatting with one of our long time clients about a project he was working on. After providing some advice and hanging up the phone, I realized that we have been working with them for over 25 years. In fact, we have just finished designing his 50th Anniversary logo, 20... More »

Adding Mobile to the Lineup

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

So you keep hearing things like “it’s the year of mobile” and “everyone has a Smartphone” but what does this mean for your online marketing campaigns? Well those comments are correct in that a lot of people are using mobile devices such as Blackberrys and iPhones; almost as much... More »

The shape of things.

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Only because of the holiday spirits in my system do I feel it is better to give than to receive. I would like to extend compliments to a very large grocery store chain for the look and signage in its pet food aisle. Someone took the time with an innovative little design consideration that made me take notice.... More »

No #*!&%@!

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

I was in the passport office not long ago, forced to sit shoulder to shoulder with the sneezing, coughing and sweaty "masses" as I anxiously waited for number 96 to light up atop one of several available help desks. After quickly devouring the well-worn, multilingual reading material featuring... More »

Celebrate The Wins!

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

It is often easier to focus on negative events that occur during the day but I often wonder why people waste so much precious time focusing on the negative when surely there is something positive worth celebrating. Whether it’s a little something or a big something, our time would be better off spent... More »

Free Beer at Hall Marketing Communications

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

There's actually no free beer here. Please accept my apologies about the false advertising regarding the free beer, but this claim was made in the name of education. Education for marketing professionals out there who have been subjected to poor digital agencies who promise the world and then hide behind... More »

We’re All in this Together

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

It never ceases to amaze me when advertising work from companies and institutions in our “city of opportunity” gets shipped out to the so-called “prestigious” advertising agencies in Toronto. Whenever I find out that an agency in the city lost a new contract it drives me crazy. Most of... More »

Blogging for the non-blogger

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

So my name is next on the blogging schedule to write for our “blurt”. I have been seriously procrastinating because, quite frankly, I’m really not very good at creative writing – writing something that people would actually want to read. My creative juices are limited, a fact that has... More »

Hot industry tips for my 18-year-old self

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Dear Chris - I am writing you this letter from the future. A future in which you are a "web developer" at a marketing communications agency. You are married and have kids... you like tomatoes now... but you still don't like cats. Here are some tips to become rich and powerful in the web industry,... More »

Turn Being Green Into Making Green

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

So you are new to the sales world – “green” as some may say. Well – don’t worry there’s hope for still being able to make some green and it starts with two words – HARD WORK, but it is possible! The great thing about sales is that with the right attitude and lots of... More »

We Are All Developers

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Last week, the annual DIG (Digital Interactive & Gaming) conference took place at the London Convention centre. While I wasn’t able to attend the whole day’s festivities (deadlines call..), I spoke as part of a morning panel aimed at high school students and returned at the end of the day to... More »

Top 5 RFP Fails

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The proliferation of RFP's we have been asked to participate in recently has prompted me to share my thoughts on the process and why Hall mc rarely participates. The past two that have come across my desk this week were both similar in scope and content and are perfect examples of the usual lack of... More »

Hey, look what we made #1

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

This is a new series I've decided to create that focuses in on some of the work we produce at Hall mc. This format provides me the opportunity to show not only the visuals attached to the creative ideas, but also the thinking that goes on underneath. This first entry features some of the preliminary work... More »

Reaching your local customers in an online world

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Local online advertising is a huge trend right now, and rightly so as more and more people turn to the Internet for information, shopping and social interactions. Most of the major online forms of advertising such as Google Adwords and Facebook ads allow you to specify a location to market your campaigns to.... More »

Flagrant Foul and a Violation.

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Having never been there myself and relying solely on what television, the movies and comedians tell me I’ve come to believe that the whole state of New Jersey is a $h!# hole. Partly because of this and the fact that the Newark franchise was floundering, the New Jersey Nets basketball team headed East... More »

It takes 60 seconds to respond..

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

In today’s technologically driven world, it is more crucial than ever to respond to all forms of correspondence in a timely fashion. And quite frankly – it’s more than crucial…it’s expected. I’m certain that we could all provide examples of when we have been disappointed... More »

A Cup of Paul Coffey with a side of Jari Kurri Lead Attribution Modeling

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Wayne Gretzky is credited as being the greatest hockey player to ever lace up a pair of skates. Whether you enjoyed his style of play or not, it’s hard to argue with the numbers. He holds the records for most goals and assists in a single season as well as over a career. If you were to ask any loyal... More »

Monthly Inspiration vol. 3

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Sorry for the delay my readers (if any). Todays installation is more of a reference for web and print designers as well as the nerdy coders out there. This site generates a colour palette for you from any image you link to it off the web. Pretty incredible. It seems to do a good job from the images I have... More »

Just don't stand there..

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Engage your audience…and by audience I mean the large amount of people that came to the trade show because for the most part they are interested in something pertaining to the theme of the show and may be a potential client for your business. I recently attended a show where I witnessed many businesses... More »

Monthly Inspiration vol. 2

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

This weeks inspiration is more of an online resource to look at to get your juices pumping and excited about design. Abduzeedo is a great reference that houses illustration, high resolution textures, tutorials and more. www.abduzeedo.com My favorite section is Typography mania. You can always find great... More »

People buy from people - not paper!

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

If you are a strong believer in Networking like I am, you have likely attended a variety of different events in which a business card exchange took place; but have you ever paid attention to how people exchange business cards? What good is a piece of paper if you don’t know anything about the person and... More »

Monthly Inspiration vol. 1

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

I have decided to start a weekly blog entry that consists of things that inspire me. It's only fitting that the inaugural post belongs to the artist AJ Mastay. I have been following his work for quite some time now and I finally got a chance to meet him on the lot in Saratoga Springs a few weeks back.... More »

Would you like fries with that......

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The level of customer service that one receives at fast food restaurants and coffee shops has drastically changed over the last fifteen years and it’s scary to think of how much worse it could get. Now maybe I’m being overly critical having worked at fast food restaurant when I was a teenager and... More »

SEM is for you…and you too!

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Everyone is talking about Digital Media and Search Engine Marketing these days - or, “SEM” as the cool kids call it. Maybe you’re not sure what it is, or you’re wondering if an SEM campaign is right for your company. Sound about right? Read on my friend. Almost 80% of the North... More »

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Change

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

On Thursday June 28th, I took a trip up the 401 to the Kitchener/Waterloo Google office for their I/O Extended event — running synchronously with the principal I/O event in San Francisco. This local event featured a handful of talks by local employees, and streaming of the development-focused talks... More »

Salespeople are consumers too!

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

One key characteristic of seasoned sales professional is that they have over time, developed incredibly thick skin. There is no doubt that no matter what it is that you are selling and no matter how good you are at selling it, rejection is still and will always be part of the sales world. It is certainly okay... More »

Remember. Reconcile. Rejoice.

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

As research for our upcoming branding program for The Chippewa of The Thames First Nation, Christine Reymer and I attended the Mount Elgin memorial event that took place this week. This was a high profile event that resonated on a national level, and featured stories, music, dance, comedy and the unveiling of... More »

Navigating a Digital Marketing Strategy

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

When planning a road trip it is important to know a few things before you hit the road. Where you are, where you want to go, the path you take, the speed at which you travel and how much gasoline you will need. Taking all of these factors into account before you begin your venture makes for a much smoother... More »

Zero Tolerance

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Being a long-time London employer I thought I'd comment on the news articles that have been appearing lately over the suspension of a Calgary High School teacher for giving zero's to students who fail to hand in assignments. This behaviour goes against the strict school policy of not grading... More »

Smiling through the phone when you are feeling nauseous

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

There’s a lump in your throat, you’re feeling nauseous and you are just down right nervous; yet it’s part of your job to pick up the phone and try to develop business for your organization. What will the person on the other end of the phone think of you? Will you even get to speak to the... More »

Everything in its right place

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

As anyone in this industry well knows, producing your own web site is a monumental and all-consuming task. This time around, we had to deal with not only the refresh of the previous iteration, but also fold into it the host of new people and services we have gained the last few years. There are many, and the... More »

Aces in their places…

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

When I was 17, I was a Manager at McDonalds and I can certainly attest to the fact that McDonalds training courses are certainly well known and highly regarded for a reason. The knowledge I gained from McUniversity has always served me well and one of the key concepts that I will always remember and find... More »

Sad songs say so much

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

There has been much said about the song our mayor unveiled at his big breakfast last week, and from what I can gather most of it has been bad. Oh sure, there have been some positive comments, however I would hazard a guess that anyone who actually likes the song is suffering from the effects of carbon... More »

The magic bullet

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Talk to any social media "guru" and you will leave convinced that the answer to all of your marketing communications challenges is a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Have the same discussion with an SEO specialist, and you'll be of the same opinion. Many years ago, everyone thought the same... More »

Successful brands make every moment count

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Promising something and failing to deliver is one of the fastest ways to go out of business. Conversely, making a promise that resonates with your intended audience, and then designing the customer experience to reinforce - or even enhance - that initial promise is the most effective and organic way for a... More »

How many calories are in a customer?

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

In nature, it is important for an organism to spend less energy obtaining food than it derives from the food it obtains. If it consistently uses more energy than it takes to nourish it, it will starve. I think the same can be said for business. An organization that overspends on obtaining new customers and... More »

In with the new

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I've been a customer of my particular brand of bank for well over 30 years. During that time I've trusted them with mortgages, car loans, credit cards and - occasionally - investments. I mention this because while standing at the ATM machine the other day, looking to withdraw 40 bucks to cover my... More »

Turned up to 11

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

If I think back over the 30 plus years I've been in marketing, I'm hard-pressed to think of another time filled with so much opportunity and optimism. The past year has been vibrant and exciting, with the arrival of some unique and talented new people (Kote, Jon, Michael and Brogan) and some new... More »

What are you talking about?

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The most widespread issue we encounter when discussing an initial change strategy with a new client has to do with their existing messaging. Manufacturers, for example, eat, live and breathe manufacturing, so they tend to become entranced with the features of their product and use this as the basis for their... More »

Freedom of Speech?

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Today on my lunch break I walked by a the store "Forest City Coins" located on Richmond St. south of King St., right next to the great City Lights Book Shop. This store specializes in buying/selling coins, memorabilia, historic items amongst other things. When I walked by I peered through the window... More »

Are you worthy?

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

OK, I'm the first to admit I'm a little overly sensitive to the quality of a brand's creative. I won't buy your beer or wine if I think the label is crap, my thinking being that if you can't produce a proper label, you couldn't possible possess the ability to produce a beverage... More »

Branding through engagement

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

A few weeks ago, Christine and I attended a seminar in Toronto about Engagement Branding. It was put on by Marketing Magazine, and was, for all intents and purposes, well worth the trip. For those who don't know, engagement branding is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, building a brand's... More »

Ode to creamy coleslaw

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

There are essentially two types of people in this world; those that prefer their coleslaw vinegary and those that like it creamy. I sit firmly in the creamy camp, and I suspect this is in large part due to the memories I have as a child, going to the beach with a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken, complete... More »

A small gesture...a big effect.

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Recently I took my mom out shopping, you see her birthday is coming up and I really wanted to get her the perfect gift but I was stuck for ideas, so for the day I was being the sneaky observer. After several laps around the mall without any clues, a sparkle in a window caught her eye, so in we went - to the... More »

Feeling the Chill...

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Most people these days are well aware of the importance of conserving energy - we turn off the lights when we're done, we use power bars that can be switched off so that our non-essential electrical gadgets are not secretly sucking power during the day when they're not in use, we try to use the most... More »

No, you're out of order

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

I ordered some Chinese food the other day, and afterwards gave some thought to how the conversation went during the ordering process. Sound familiar? "Hello Ch________k House, how may I help you" "Hi, I'd like to order some food for delivery" "OK, name please" "Nick"... More »

Is it worth it?

Mon, 31 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

How much is one new customer worth to you? The answer to the question is remarkably effective in helping us understand and balance an investment vs. new customer ratio. The goal, obviously, is to ensure that the cost of attracting a customer is substantially less than what that customer represents in... More »

Feeling fines

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

With all the discussion swirling about regarding free parking in London streets during the summer months, I thought I might chime in. I've heard the arguments from both sides, and being the marketing person that I am, humbly offer up a new perspective to consider. As usual, do with it what you will. If... More »

No change for a change

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

I think it's a tough time to be a client. Business environment aside, it seems the more that technology changes things, the more it relies on them being able to do just about everything themselves. Well fear not, dear reader. For while the tactics are continually changing and evolving, there are some things... More »

Brand or Bland?

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

I was going through some of our archives this week, and came across a tongue-in-cheek ad we wrote some years ago. Won more than a few awards with it, including a Summit International for copy writing. Still stands up to the test of time, like most good stuff does. Might even make you think. How to Build a... More »

Life is what happens while you're waiting for your Facebook profile to load

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Did you know the earth weighs 5.9742 x10(24th) kg? How about that the diameter of the observable universe is 93,000,000,000 light years? Big numbers to be sure, and they never fail to make me feel small. I feel the same way when I watch the videos illustrating the growth of all that is online. Billions of... More »

Are you experienced?

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

It never ceases to amaze me how certain industries place such a high value on working with a communications partner that "specializes" in their industry. The health care field, for example, is rife with this thinking. I know this because I have been part of many presentations at places like hospitals,... More »

I wanna be a Guru

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

After much consideration and personal reflection, I have decided to become a guru (Guru?). From what I can see, it takes remarkably little effort to actually become a guru nowadays (compared to the time and patience required to become a certified electrician or small appliance repair professional), and time... More »

On the outside looking in.

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Earlier in the week I decided to go grocery shopping, list in hand I quickly walked through the doors hoping to beat the after work rush. But then something strange happened. The second set of doors didn't open. I stood there, staring at this barrier that was preventing me from my task, unsure of my next... More »

To Phish or not to fish?

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Part of the beauty of music is how it brings people together. People gather around common tastes of music. I totally get that. You like a certain band or genre, so if you're really into live music like I am, you often choose to spend time with people who share that affection. That way you can listen to the... More »

Bubble Wrap & Helicopters

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Q: Bubble Wrap & Helicopters, what do they have in common? I'll give you a hint, it's not a new Canada Post delivery option. A: Parenting. Bubble Wrapped, that's the trendy new term describing the kids who are being parented in that whole weird (extreme) safety first way. Now, I will say I... More »

Sensory Confusion

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Have you ever noticed that young children will often refer to the flavour of something as the colour that it is? Recently my friend's daughter was eating a lollipop and I asked her what flavour it was, she said red. I explained to her that red was the colour of the lollipop and asked what it tasted like... More »

A million books at my fingertips!

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Ok maybe not a million...but 1500 Books! That's how many I can take with me if I buy myself a Kindle or one of its cousins! But only if I like the titles that are available, and only if the publisher doesn't take it away (after I pay) because they changed their mind about having an e-book, and only... More »

10 for 2010

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

As we roll out of bed and into a fresh new pair of Christmas slippers, eager to start the new year full of vim and vigor (instead of booze and turkey), I thought the best way to start 2010 would be with a few positive affirmations for the company. You can call them resolutions if you like, but this is my blog... More »

The Power of the Promise

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

This morning we wrapped up a well-attended breakfast club presentation on behalf of the Tech Alliance in London. All in all it went well, I'm told. The focus of the presentation was on the importance of having a brand promise, and the reason I felt compelled to present this concept was, in large part,... More »

The power of big

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

There's been lots of talk lately about the power of small, which is great. Small is doable for most of us, and it's common knowledge that lots of little things can add up to something bigger in the end. There's even a book about it, which I read. Lot's of other people have too. It was a... More »

We're not that bad

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The ear thermometer hit 38.9 degrees on Friday night, so my wife and I took our glassy-eyed daughter to the nearest children's walk-in clinic up the road from our house. Once there, we were told there would be a 40-minute or so wait to see a physician. Fine, we both thought. We shuffled into the waiting... More »

This is how you do it

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

I posted a link earlier today, sent to me by Nichole on the front desk under the guise of our Cool Thing Of The Day initiative. What she sent is an exceptional use of social media, and a resounding example of how it can (and should) be done to build the brand. The concept came from Volkswagen, and is called... More »

Negative space, positive reaction

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

As a designer I have, on occasion, found myself defending the utilization of white space when presenting a design to a client. It usually starts with a comment about how little there is on the page, to which I reply that the sparseness is actually an accomplishment, and that the white (or negative) space... More »

Hope is not a strategy

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

We presented a seminar last week to a select 35 people from different companies in and around London. All in all it went quite well. The topic was social media marketing, and it served as an excellent preface to the formal launch of our newly branded offering, Ripple. While we were putting together the... More »

Giving Back.

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Recently I had the opportunity to develop a catalogue for an Or Shalom Synagogue event called, Memorial Objects for the Jewish Home II. Ordinarily this may seem just another job, but the fact that I have been a contributing member of the Synagogue my whole life, it was nice to work on something that hits... More »

The art of selling creative

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

No doubt the thought of having the words creative and selling in the same sentence makes some of you cringe, but the fact remains that if you are going to be successful in this business it is imperative that you learn how to talk about what it is you do. Our task as creative communicators is to produce things... More »

RRRRRRRFPs

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Like most of our peer organizations, we receive our share of RFPs. We received one recently which - after much consideration and debate - we have chosen to decline. This is not a decision we take lightly, since this one in particular was for a pretty good chunk of money, and it wasn't until we developed... More »

Consider the humble nail

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Having been in this business for nearly 30 years now, I have had the unique opportunity to witness several evolutions of style in our business. My point of reference was (and largely still is) Communication Arts magazine, which monthly featured the best of the best in editorial, consumer, outdoor and... More »

Branding in B flat

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

About a week ago I stumbled across a remarkable video montage that presented a number of individual videos clustered together. Each independent video featured a different "instrument" playing notes and sounds revolving around Bflat. Some are traditional instruments like guitar or trumpet, while others... More »

Making waves

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Well it's here. After 2 months of hard work by our talented and dedicated staff, today we launched Ripple Social Media Services. And while we're excited to be first out of the box with this type of service in London, what I find equally exhilarating is the process through which it was created.... More »

The creative search engine

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

It just occurred to me that, in many ways, the process I use to initiate the creative thinking process is remarkably similar to that of a sophisticated search engine. When I search the internet, what I'm looking for is an answer to a specific question, in whole or in part. The search engine used quickly... More »

On magic

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Is there any perceived magic in what you or your company does to make money? If you don't think there is, look again, and look hard, because you need it. A good place to start is by asking your best customers what it is they most value about what it is you do. You might be surprised by their answers, and... More »

We are not amerricanz

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

About a week ago I stopped into a Petro Canada here in town at night. I put the gas pump into my car and pressed the trigger. Nothing happened. I was about to lose my mind when I saw a sign that read: "At Night Please Pay Inside First" At this point I am in total shock. Every time that I am in the gun... More »

Empathy

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

If you've been following us at all lately, you know by now that I have officially joined the ranks of Twitter. One of the brilliant people I've been following is Marty Neumeier, who is (among other things) author of one of my favourite business books, Zag. Now Marty is not one of those "just... More »

We are all radio stations

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

As of this past Friday night, I am officially on Twitter. I have 20 or so followers, some of whom have sexy names with numbers after them. I've been told to block them, but really, what's the harm? Others are far more intriguing. For example, I have the authors of the book The Power of Small (Linda... More »

Keeping Promises

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

A few months ago we received a long-winded letter from the police department advising us of their apparent displeasure in our "possessed" security system. The notice was comprised of two full pages of tightly spaced text that ended with them telling us that if it kept going off, rapid response was not... More »

Bud Lite Lime Review

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

So I got the chance to try this new flavor that was brought to Canada recently. As I walk through the tunnel about to take the stage to try this new beverage I hear a chant and I can't quite make it out... It gets louder and louder... I take the stage and take a small sip for flavor, then a large one. I... More »

Head Office just doesn't get it

Thu, 28 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

For my 40th I received a beautiful Swarovski bracelet from a very dear friend. Several weeks after my B-Day I went looking for it in my jewelry box without any luck. I knew I'd worn it several times and couldn't think where it could be. Having been in spring-cleaning mode for a few days, I wondered if it had... More »

Spring is in the air

Fri, 22 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

It's that time of year again when those of us who live and work in downtown London are awakened to the music of chainsaws and wood chippers. The annual 'trimming of the trees' by our local arboreal artisans has prompted me to suggest a minor modification to the current logo to better promote... More »

"Cool" is out and "Sick" is in

Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Call me old fashioned, but it's taken me a while to get used to hearing my kids say "that's sick!" or simply "sick!". I even had to ask exactly what it meant. I guess that was the same way parents felt when kids started using the word �cool� as an expression for something that was... More »

Next stop, Top Gear

Mon, 04 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Seems like a long time since this photo was taken, but other than the greenery, nothing has changed. Still love the car. And thanks to Gord Delamont for making me sound relatively... More »

How hard is it to signal?

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

I don't get it. The signal is 1 inch away from where your hand is on the wheel. Granted, if there is no one around then I don't use my turn signal, but always when there are other cars on the road. Every day I lose my mind because some guy in front of me slows down and doesn't use his signal... More »

Rebranding will not save you

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

We recently received an RFP from the London Downtown Business Association asking us to participate in the contest for rebranding downtown London. After much internal discussion over whether or not we should participate, we took the bait and sent off our proposal, largely because we're suckers for a... More »

Workama-huh?

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

After 5 years of struggling with one of the lamest excuses for cross-platform, data-base driven software I've ever had the misfortune to come across (�cough', C&P, �cough'), we've finally made the switch to new agency software. Weeks of online research, reviews, and demos preceded our decision to move to... More »

Enough with the negativity

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

This morning once again, with coffee in hand, I popped open my web browser to scan the news for anything interesting as I do every morning. And once again I found myself inundated with doom, gloom and negativity. Its no wonder consumer confidence is in the toilet. Every single story in the business section... More »

What Consumers Really Want

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

We came across this TED talk about a week ago. The reason we like it is because the ideas discussed pre-empt an exciting new program we're testing with ParaMed as of March. You'll hear more about that later, we promise. In the meantime, enjoy. Oh, and please be patient while it loads - it's... More »

Cursive

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Cursive: is any style of handwriting that is designed for writing down notes and letters quickly by hand. In the Arabic, Latin, and Cyrillic languages the letters in a word are connected, making a word one single complex stroke. In fact, the word comes from the Latin cursivus, meaning "flowing". In... More »

How's this for a change?

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Nick and Simon have just released their 5th album, entitled Vandaag (yesterday). The title is remarkably appropriate, given that they sorta, kinda look like we might have 25 years ago. Anyway, it's nice to know we're famous somewhere. Thanks go out to Ramon from InLite Canada for bringing it to us... More »

Following through

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I had a dream some years ago, which I still recall clearly. In it, I found myself standing on a golf green amidst hundreds of balls that had fallen just short of the hole. A voice told me that I always expect to get it in first time. Two things about this are remarkable. First, that I don't play golf, and... More »

PHISH IS BACK!!

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I couldn't be more excited to have my favorite band in the whole world get back together in 2009. Although I attended their supposed "last show" in 2004, I have faith that when they finally decide to hang it up, I will be there again. They are playing 3 shows to start it off at the end of march... More »

Drive the car you own

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I'm so sick of driving behind soccer moms in their maxed out merecedes SUV while they drive under the speed limit. C'mon people, some of us actually have to go to work all day. DRIVE THE CAR YOU OWN PEOPLE!! I can't stress this enough. If you are driving a beat up pinto, i have no problems with... More »

Would you like straws with that?

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Company loyalty and placing value on the assets of your workplace is important, but only to a certain extent. I was at a McDonalds drive-thru the other day and I ordered a cheeseburger for my friend and a diet coke for myself. The girl handed me the bag with the burger, and the drink, both of which I handed... More »

New Kids on the Blog

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

KARAOKE IS the bain of my existence. There is nothing more unappealing than walking into a bar and hearing someone butchering one of your favorite songs. Most of these HORRENDOUS acts probably think that they are good singers. I find that 1 out of every 10 are good singers and that ratio is not good enough... More »

Actually it is every day

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I was driving in my car listening to the radio and a commercial for Tepperman's came on. Noel proceeded to remind me that �its not every day� some one does something that requires them to go furniture shopping and that it happens all the time to them at the "Palace". Oh and by the way they sell... More »

Porno Sign Standards

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I'm sure everyone is familiar with what I call "Porno signs", these being the horrible black portable monstrosities with fluorescent coloured letters that are fouling roadsides just about everywhere. If we are to believe that the medium is the message, then these signs are the visual equivalent... More »

Would you like fries with this?

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I was at a fast food place the other day and went up to the counter and there stood one of the saddest, most vacant people I have ever seen. She took my order and served me my food and I ate it and it was an awful experience from beginning to... More »

Clippy

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Some of you may be familiar with the MS Office Assistant Paperclip ("PC" if you will.) PC is annoyingly helpful (or tries to be) and pops up every now and then to try to anticipate what it is that you're trying to do. ("It looks as though you're writing a memo...etc.) Well, what you may... More »

Cnfyoushn

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I picked up the paper yesterday and 2 articles about the recent propane explosion caught my eye. On the left was a single column article with the headline honouring the deceased veteran fireman from that explosion, Bob Leek. To the very right was an article whose headline was "Leak may have caused the... More »

R U Thinking Wut I M??

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Given my love of English and writing, I was slightly horrified this morning to learn that British professor, Dr. Ken Smith, has proposed that university teachers should accept �variant' spellings for commonly misspelt words. (Yes, misspelt is right, misspelled is American, thank you dictionary.) Thair... More »

3 or it's out

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

We have a saying at our Hall Associates: The Dreaded 3rd Billboard. It's a benchmarking test we employ to ensure that any new concept we come up with has at least (and I stress at least) 3 really good, executable ideas or it's dropped. That's probably good advice for life in... More »

My Beef for the Day

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Text Messaging using T9 English. How come the first word i get for certain letter combinations are ones that I never use. It gives me adds and beds before I find the word beer. You would think the computer would understand what I value most in life. In simpler terms, Zur comes up before Yup; what's up... More »

Surprise! You live in a great city!

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Wouldn't it be cool if the city had a couple of spontaneous events every year to really shake things up? Like maybe a really good band starts playing somewhere on a rooftop or a massive water fight breaks out in front of the Salvation Army on Wellington under the bridge and the local news skips the Hog... More »

Hello? Hello?

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I haven't used Bell for phone service for almost 2 years. We cancelled with no hard feelings and yet, to this day, they send me a statement which consists of 2 full pages (back and front) of information and charts that officially indicate I still owe them nothing. I'm thinking of switching them to epost to... More »

OMG! Look at our new website!

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

We just released our newest creature into the wild: the redesigned & reengineered Hall Associates website. Sure, it's shiny and smells of leather, but what's under the hood? Let's see: standards Yeah, we like our web standards. This beast validates as XHTML 1.1 strict! No silly table... More »