What does this mean? Well, for marketers and content producers, if you aren’t thinking about how your content is being viewed on a small screen then you’re missing the boat. Don’t worry, it’s a pretty big boat. It’s going to be holding a lot of people in 2012 and beyond. Justine Jordan, Marketing Director from Litmus writes,

“Email remains the strongest online activity around the globe. In fact, email users are expected to reach 3.8 billion by 2014. That is nearly half of the world’s current population, and a significant climb from 2.9 billion reported users in 2010. Now that most are equipped with smartphones and ipads, is anyone still logging on to view their messages on a monitor?”

The popular email marketing service, Campaign Monitor, released their 2011 report which saw an increase in mobile email usage on iPhone, iPad and Android from “4% of the market to almost 20% in just two years.” Using the chart from Campaign Monitor and extending the time frame and general trend,  it could be around Spring 2013 when viewing email on mobile devices out numbers desktop and webmail clients.

Author's prediction based on Campaign Monitor Chart

Jarrod, a commenter on the article “The prolific rise of mobile email” nails it with this point:

“I’m hoping to implement a mobile design later this month, or early July which is based on no data at all – only industry statistics. If even a fraction of the above is true for our customer base, that can mean thousands of people are viewing our email in their mobile when it is not optimised for it.”

For marketing and content producers who are developing their email newsletters in-house or hiring an agency for the management, design or delivery it means:

1. Having a general understanding of how the user experience on each device is different and how it may influence the content.
2. Being aware of where your enewsletter links click to? If they go to a non-optimized website that is not mobile friendly, what’s the point. The user will not only move on but might even unsubscribe.
3. Not marketing or producing in a bubble. Talk to the designer and developer and learn about what works and what doesn’t in terms of email newsletter best practices.

For the web designer and/or developer it means:

1. Learning about responsive design, media queries, best practices and how it impacts the user experience.
2. Knowing about device ergonomics and realizing some areas of the screen are easier to get to than others. This can really influence design and where you put action buttons or links.
3. Educate. This often gets overlooked by developers, but if you can educate your clients and the people around you in designing for mobile then half your job is done.

If you want to get in deeper there are a ton of resources but you can start with “From Monitor to Mobile: Optimizing Email Newsletters with CCS” and “Finger Snafu – 10 frequent misfires when designing emails for touch“.

What are you doing to optimize your email newsletter for mobile?

The log chute is a testament to the long history of logging in Ontario. Throughout the 1800s, thousands of men carried logs over turbulent river waters to be delivered to the sawmill via log chutes. Blogger Grace and Simplicity gave an account of the log chute’s use:

 In the 19th century logs were hewn into square timbers and then joined to make cribs, which were then attached together to make large rafts.   The lumbermen lived and worked on these rafts navigating them down the river to Quebec City and then by ship to Europe.  When they came to a rapids or falls, the rafts would be broken apart and sent down the log chutes in separate cribs.  The log chutes prevented the logs from being damaged while going over the falls.

It was a way of life for a generation of Ontario men. And remaining evidence of this history lives on in the Haliburton Highlands. When you visit, be sure to check out the Stanhope Museum which tells the chute’s history in greater detail.

Hi everybody, headline goes here please (Photo credit: reinvented)

Marketing’s hard work.

To make it pay off, you need to make it worth paying attention to.

Take your email newsletter, for instance.

If I get another email called “XYZ Newsletter: February 2012″ I think I’ll scream.

Or, likely just hit unsubscribe.

Point is, if you want me to read your emails, you’ve gotta grab me by the eyeballs.

Compare the headline below to the one above:

Rick, is this what you’re looking for?

See what I did there?

Using my favorite word (my name, natch), I got my attention.

Then, I asked a question that shows I care about what matters to me. And one that’s just begging for an answer, which I’m sure I’ll learn if I open the email.

Of course, this is just an example. The right headline to use will depend on the subject, what your audience cares about, and what you want them to do.

And it should come in your own voice.

An “e-newsletter” doesn’t have to be all stiff and formal and official. It can just be a conversation between people. You’re trying to build a relationship here.

And please remember that your marketing isn’t set in stone. It’s a laboratory. Test and measure and you’ll begin to see what people respond to.

In an upcoming email, I’ll show you how to do that. It’s easy.

For now, check out Copyblogger’s reference on writing irresistible email headlines.

And tell me: What compelling headline has come into your inbox lately that grabbed you by the peepers (and got you to open the email)?

“A dog that has been rescued from possible euthanasia after being found as a stray, a dog that has been saved from an abusive or neglectful home by an animal rescue organization….or a dog that is simply no longer wanted or can no longer be cared for by its owner”

It’s a huge trend. So big in fact last night’s Superbowl had a Bud Light ad featuring a rescue dog named “weego.” As the Bud Light facebook page explains, for every ‘like’ Weego receives $1 will be donated to Tony La Russa’s Dog Rescue Foundation.  Listen, an issue doesn’t get much mainstream than that!

Out for a walk with my pooch this morning I met a woman who said her Basset Hound was a rescue. When pressed, she said she got him at the pound, but he was about to be sent to a Basset Hound Rescue. There seems to be some caché in claiming your pup’s a rescue. So, I’m wondering, what’s behind it? Here are my thoughts;

1. Trend Toward Social Causes:  Dog Life Magazine sees the rescue dog trend as part of a “greater trend toward philanthropy and social causes.” In fact, the Executive Director of one pet adoption website sees it as akin to recycling: “People go out of their way to recycle a can. Why wouldn’t you go to recycle a life out of a shelter?” Not sure I’m feeling the recycling metaphor. But anyhoo…
2. Pets Seen as Self Indulgent: In this context buying a dog from a breeder is seen as self-indulgent and possibly even unethical.  When Vice President Joe Biden bought a German Sheppard from a breeder he received intense push back. The LA times did a survey and among respondents “42% say that Biden made the right choice in purchasing from a breeder, while 31% say he should have adopted a rescued dog”
3. Two Words, “Cesar Millan”: Dog training celebrity Cesar Millan has thrust rescue dogs into the spotlight. On his website Cesarsway Cesar regularly promotes rescues and the joy of rehabilitating dogs to give them a full and happy life. He also dramatizes harrowing dog rescues. Please note the music in the background in this video

4. The rise of Dog Psychology: There’s a current fascination about getting inside a dog’s mind (Or really any animal’s mind –think Temple Grandin)  The thinking goes that with the right kind of human understanding any dog can be rehabilitated–even a rescue. Central to this trend are people like Erica Ritter who has written novels from a dog’s perspective,  but also The Monks of Skeete who meticulously train German Sheppards in a Monestary in New Skeete New York. Check out this video below called What is a Dog?  where they say

“you try and understand the dog as it really is and along with that you try to bring an intuitive element to your relationship with the dog that allows you to meet it on a new level, a deeper level”

So, what do you think is behind the whole rescue dog phenomenon? Has it been around and I’m just now noticing because I got a dog (did I tell you, I got a dog?)

Do you have a rescue dog? If so, tell me what it’s all about.

Huffington Post Canada wrote a great article about Canadian B Corps which features great Canadian companies like Ian Martin Group, Ethical Bean Coffee.

The owner of Vancouver Investment Fund Renewal 2 put it best by saying:

B Corp certifications add a layer of confidence and are a signal of a level of commitment and values by an entrepreneur or company

We’re loving our B Corp status and the cred it brings. If you’re interested in becoming B Corp just ask us and we’ll tell you why we’re so keen on it.

In the meantime, check out the HuffPo Canada article.

According to the World Records Academy , Lake Bernard is the world’s largest fresh water lake without any islands in it. Kind of a neat statistic don’t cha think? Especially when you consider how many islands populate the lakes surrounding Lake Bernard throughout the Muscoka region.

What’s even cooler is that many believe that Lake Bernard is so unique because it was created by an ancient meteor strike. That’s right, a large piece of debris from our solar system hit the earth and made this lake where people now sit in Adirondack chairs, wearing flip flops and and sipping bloody Ceasars all summer long.

Cycling through the city is a very popular activity during the summer, however lots of people in Toronto decide to leave their bike in storage for the winter season. Personally, I find that the benefits of biking every day are bigger than the obstacles, so I try to keep going year round.

Here are some the things I find helpful to overcome many of the inconveniences of biking in cold weather.

1. Personal gear: You really don’t need a lot more than what you normally use for winter. Your body gets warm fairly quickly so you just need to focus on covering your head: tuk and helmet or hoodie*; face: glasses and bandana; hands: good pair of mittens and feet: snow boots or rubber boots plus some heavy socks. *Be careful when using a hoodie because it blocks peripheral vision.
2. Bike gear: Obviously lights are key, fenders will save you from most of the splattering water ponds, slush or whatever’s on the ground, but the thing that changed my life was getting a rearview mirror. This may apply always when riding your bike in the city, but the rearview mirror is especially helpful in winter when you’re wearing your parka hoodie and you can’t turn back very easily. You can get one at MEC for only 5 dollars.
3. Choosing your route. If it snowed recently it is better to stay on main streets because cars and traffic clear the snow faster so you don’t have to deal with it.  For the same reason, bike lanes accumulate ice and slush and it is better to avoid them. I also prefer to stick with the most direct route so I don’t spend more time outside than necessary.
4. Change of clothes. There are some days of continuous light rain when biking will save you lots of streetcar waiting time and crowded subways, you just have to be willing to get wet. I wear a long raincoat and rubber boots so I only have to change my tights when I get to the office. I suggest you try it; after all it is only water falling from the sky not sulfuric acid.
5. Know your limits. There’s a balance between pushing yourself to overcome a challenge and putting yourself in danger. Not everyday is a cycling day, I can tell you from experience that riding your bike through a blizzard or heavy rain is a bad idea mainly because you can’t really see and neither can cars around you. I would also not ride if the streets were not clear. I guess it all comes down to common sense.
6. Enjoy all the benefits. You save money and time. You keep yourself fit and fight any possible winter blues with physical activity. You don’t get stuck in traffic jams and you get exactly where you want to go without depending on anything other that yourself and your bike, that is what I call freedom.

Just as I was about to finish this blog post, my boss Barry sent me this invitation from the Toronto Cyclists Union for an event called 365 Days of Biking” – An Evening of art and Cycling  happening this next Thursday February 2nd at the Centre for Social Innovation. I might go and check it out, take a look.

You can also find more information and articles in this websites:

http://bikewinter.org/

http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/bikewinter/

I think I’m beginning to understand the outrage my parents felt when Bank of Montreal launched its re-branding as BMO using a Bob Dylan song.  The new Honda CRV commercial, which is a tribute to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is debuting this weekend at the Super Bowl. It’s been leaked, and I couldn’t resist watching it.

When I first saw Ferris, I was 11, the movie had just come out in theaters and I was in love with it. It was funny, and rebellious, and poignant.  Most importantly though it was clever. This commercial is the exact opposite.

In the synopsis on the YouTube page the marketing copy is enthusiastic, and a bit disingenuous:

Relive movie history with Honda’s fresh twist and wonderful homage to this ’80s classic. Think you’re a true fan of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? We hid over two dozen references to the movie throughout the commercial. Some are obvious, some are VERY subtle. See how many you can find.

Fresh twist? Not to nitpick but you’re copying a movie that’s 25 years old, and your fresh spin on it is to put the now 50 year old star in a 2 minute remake (sorry tribute) minus the other cast, the well written dialogue, and the cool sports car? Your fresh twist is a bit of a let down.

The real risk might have been to show us Ferris Bueller at 50, did he marry Sloane? How’s Cameron doing? If the goal is to connect with your audience you’ve got to make them feel something, and sadly with all of the potential here, all I felt was bored.

What would you have done instead? Should we start a write-in campaign to Honda?

Last week I was invited to participate in the inaugural Doors Wide Open, an event that was all about getting young up and comers out to interview mentors who have turned their passions into careers.

The organizers called  it: “speed dating meets career fair.”  I call it “career day on speed.”

I sat down with six different folks throughout the night. While each of them had different questions and experiences I walked away with a very clear sense of some of the myths/perceptions about how careers work that might be holding some of them back.

Here are the key take-aways I hope I left them with:

1. Please (please) do not send your resume by email (and expect anyone to care.) As the person on the other side of the computer I can tell you that all resumes start to look alike. You gotta work it girlfriend. Network your ass off to find people to talk to, take to coffee or lunch to meet who you need to meet to get the job you want. If I meet someone great, I’ll figure out how to help them.
2. Accept that the beginning is meant to be confusing. People beat themselves up feeling like they should have it all “figured out by now”. The fact is there’s a decade called your 20′s that is custom made for trying some stuff out. Go have some fun and release the pressure valve and you’ll learn what you need to know (I feel like a Jedi Warrior right now). If you trust me your life will be much better. Trust me.
3. Love Your Networks:  If you want to meet someone in the advertising field, start by going to facebook and typing “does anyone know someone in advertising? If so, can you connect me? I’m looking for a job.” See what happens. If someone asks you to lend them a hand, do the same (it’s called Karma.)
4. Give it Away Now. If you can find a way to afford it, I suggest working for free. We’ve hired three people who were former interns, and all have been amazing. None had to wait too long before they got some kind of remuneration. If you’re working hard and remuneration’s not forthcoming move on, but it’s worth a shot.
5. Don’t Wait. Do Something. I met a lovely woman who is interested in revitalizing community spaces. She was looking for a job in the field and having a bit of a struggle. My advice?  Go revitalize some community spaces! There are parks, community gardens, seniors’ centres all around her community that could use her passion, skills and expertise. Then she’d have something to show for her work. A blog is nice, but a garden– better.

You know what the best part was? This little note I got when I confirmed purchase of my monthly pet insurance plan:

We know that if your pet could speak they’d thank you for being a responsible pet parent and ensuring that when the unexpected occurs they will be… All taken care of.

It’s a little corny, but it takes the sting out of the monthly draw that will be suddenly coming out of my bank account along with a whole lot of other unexpected purchases that go along with being a dog owner.

What kind of messages could you be sending–for free–when you communicate with your customers? Here are a bunch of free online exchanges that you could make the most of:

• 404 or error pages: When people take a wrong turn on your website, take the opportunity to feel a little less lost and ease their frustration and impatience so they stick around longer.
• Email address confirmation: When people sign up for your newsletter, what kind of information are you sending them when you  confirm their email  address. Why not let people assure people they’ve made a good decision and that you’ll treat their email carefully.
• Friend requests: When you send out an invitation to a friend or contact to join your social network use the message box to make them feel good about joining you. It’s just lazy to click the box without taking a moment to make it personal.

Any other ideas for free opportunities to make customers, clients and friends feel good?