Pepsi Refresh Project Impresses

March 28, 2010 By Simren Deogun 2 Comments

Pepsi Refresh Project

With grants ranging from $5,000 to $250,000, the Pepsi Refresh Project invigorates the world of giving with its user-driven philanthropic social media project.

You (any member of the social community) submit an idea of someone or something that deserves to be awarded one of the above grants in any of the following categories: Health, Arts & Culture, Food & Shelter, The Planet, Neighbourhoods, and Education. And then the community votes, picking its favourites. There are guidelines to how the Refresh Project works, though it is limited to the United States (which is the most glaring upset of the project), it is still a worthy and “refreshing” initiative.

$1.3 million dollars given away every month. Given to companies, non-profits, causes, and individuals who need it. It is high-level giving supported by a high-level brand. Admittedly, the non-profit world isn’t always backed with shiny brands, fancy websites, and millions to give, but I think what Pepsi has done successfully is emphasizing a side of philanthropy that moves beyond Give-and-Forget.

Pepsi has given us a great example of a wonderful cause launched by a company where profits are the bottom line (if we’re being honest). But under all the glitz is Corporate Giving powered by a global brand and made possible by social media, Pepsi seems to have done it right.

The website is impeccable. From its bright and welcoming design to its innovative, multi-tier navigation, my marketing brain is all aflutter.

I’m endeared by this growing concept of “Social Giving”, by no means new, but certainly (and finally) finding its way into the well-deserved limelight.

P.S. I don’t even drink Pepsi. Sorry, PepsiCo. But, maybe, I’ll reconsider. Having a heart does count for something in marketing.

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Removing ‘Can’t’ And ‘Won’t’ From Your Vocabulary

March 24, 2010 By Simren Deogun Leave a Comment

Negativity brings us down and takes us out. It paints a portrait of impossibility — making what could be into what can’t be.

As marketers, it is our responsibility to change what is now into what has never been. Meaning, it is about challenging yourself / your department / your cohorts into thinking differently. But the inherent caveat of thinking differently is fear. Fear that any novel, innovative idea you ponder will actually turn out to be unrealistic or too risky or too ‘impossible’!

If you find yourself constantly saying that you can’t or won’t do something, then you might as well let them take your marketing license away! Guess what, you can’t practice this specialty anymore.

Extending the possibilities and limiting and extinguishing the fear of risk and failure is the epitome of marketing well. Why? Because you refuse to be boxed in by the restrictions of the negative.

Equally as detrimental is thinking that your customers also can’t or won’t. How do you know? Have you tried? Are you basing this on your own previous experience or those of others? And does any of that really matter? Because, and here’s the genius, your job as a marketer is to be as smart as possible to dictate what your customers can and will do.

Your voice, power and influence. Their voice, power and influence. Find the balance, take the risk, and forget the ‘n’ts’.

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I care because…

March 21, 2010 By Simren Deogun Leave a Comment

…I believe that by doing so I make myself better and those around me better.

How would you complete that statement?

When you wake up in the morning. When you make the choice (and it is a choice) to get out of bed, get ready and go. When you walk into work or school or play. Why do you care, if you care at all?

Caring doesn’t have to be about sympathy. But it does have to be about you and your passion. It is about every choice you make. From the words you utter to the connections you make to the things you change.

At some point, somewhere, you decided to care. Remembering, and constantly reinvigorating, why will differentiate you from the successful and the unsuccessful.

Oh, and in a nutshell, good marketing is about finding a way to make your customers care. Impossibly difficult, but unimaginably rewarding.

Filed Under: Thoughts

When Is Someone Going To Call Me A Genius?

March 14, 2010 By Simren Deogun 2 Comments

Have you ever asked yourself that? Are you still waiting for that recognition? It’s probably not going to happen. That is, until you call yourself a genius first.

The word itself has lost a bit of its clout. When we say genius, we automatically (as though hardwired at birth) think Albert Einstein. But the term manifests itself in so many ways nowadays. You’re a genius if you come up with an innovative Twitter name. A genius if you can spin on your head. A genius if you know the right people, if you’re willing to take the right chances. It doesn’t mean the “genius” in any of these acts is any less than Einstein, it’s just a different perspective. Because they dared to be different.

If you haven’t called yourself a genius yet, maybe it’s time to take another perspective. Earn that title, not because you want or need others to justify it for you because you know it, without doubt.

I’m a genius. Now, where’s that quantum physics paper I was working on…

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Seth Godin: Geniuses, Leaders & Lizards at TAOM

March 9, 2010 By Simren Deogun Leave a Comment

Seth Godin Speaks at The Art of Marketing, Toronto, March 2nd

“The market for something to believe in is infinite,” Seth exclaimed as he concluded his retrospective trip down Highway 11 and his visit to Rita’s infamous Candy Shoppe. At The Art of Marketing, Seth begins with a story. And to every good story, there is inevitably some lesson to be learned, some mantra to be imparted. And, so, if you create something to believe in, if you tell a compelling story, if you lead, then, you too can win.

Geniuses: those who solve an interesting problem in a unique way.

Leadership: what marketing has become.

Fear: what resides at the core of the lizard brain (inside our own amygdala) that prevents us from being the two things listed above.

So how do we overcome the lizard brain (or the resistance)? Be an artist. Or a leader. Or a genius. Just deciding to be different may be enough.

For me, it’s thinking like the un-corporation. Deciding that mediocrity and bureaucracy just aren’t going to cut it because creativity, inspiration and leadership are worth so much more.

What does it mean to you?

Image Credit: The Biz Media >> http://blog.thebizmedia.com/2010/03/sneak-peak-at-the-official-photos-for-the-art-of-marketing/

Filed Under: Digital, Events, Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Sally Hogshead: Fascination at TAOM & The F Score

March 7, 2010 By Simren Deogun Leave a Comment

Fascination is an art form. This might be the key component that was left out of Sally Hogshead’s presentation at The Art of Marketing on March 2nd. Embedding any or all of Sally’s 7 triggers of fascination into your marketing and branding plan is part of the “art” of marketing.

“We didn’t used to need to fascinate. But now everyone is stressed and overwhelmed so it’s harder to connect,” remarked Sally. There is a heavy-handed truth to her words because with our more complex, more social, more cluttered lives, creating fascination also means creating engagement (and that seems to be what we’re all after these days, right?)

If you want to learn more about fascination and Sally’s 7 triggers, check out her book, Fascinate. I will be shortly!

Heavily intrigued by Sally’s presentation, I hopped on over to Sally’s website to take part in her self-made personality test and see how I faired.

The results were as fascinating as the test itself (slight pun intended!). My primary trigger turned out to be Power, secondary was Prestige and my dormant was Alarm, have a look below:

Sally-Hogshead-F-Score-Results

According to Sally, Power means I’m the alpha dog. I lead the pack, take control, and influence others to follow.

Primary Trigger: POWER | You’re a natural leader, and comfortable with authority, making you well-suited to creating messages that inspire large groups. Next step? None your power trigger for greater respect, bigger audiences, and more loyal advocates.

Prestige, my secondary trigger, translates into ambitious, aspirational and goal-oriented.

Secondary Trigger: PRESTIGE | You’re motivated by the admiration of your peers, and most likely, your peers are motivated by you. People in your group watch what you’re saying and doing, measuring themselves in relation to you, seeking cues of their own standing within the group. Keep in mind: Prestigious people can evoke admiration, but also competition and envy.

Only 7.1% of test-takers possess my combination of Power and Prestige, which I think plays to my inner egotism. But, like with any personality test, the results from the F Score must be analyzed with caution. It is not gospel but it certainly is amusing to see whether or not the triggers chosen match who you are (and these results certainly have me made).

The F Score test is the perfect accompaniment to Sally’s new book, Fascinate. It is a beautifully coiffed marketing tactic to pull me into her world while still keeping the focus on me: the prospective reader, the fan, the marketer, etc. I will read her book, understand her message, adore her more than I already do, and hopefully, along the way, learn to be a better marketer and a better me.

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The Art of Marketing: A Grand Success

March 3, 2010 By Simren Deogun Leave a Comment

Seth Godin. Mitch Joel. Sally Hogshead. Max Lenderman. James Othmer. Dan Heath. Six marketers, authors and visionaries brought together by The Art of Marketing, a conference inherently designed to radically change how you live in the wonderful world of marketing.

The Art of Marketing

Yesterday, I was in the midst of an awe-inspiring conglomerate of thinkers, or to take a page from Godin, geniuses. The energy that these six individuals emitted into the massive room of 1,600 (“…of the top marketers in Canada,” as MC Ron Tite repeatedly put it and I didn’t mind!) was palpable and envious.

I must admit that the day is still a bit of a haze as I gather my thoughts, learnings and inspiration for my future in marketing, so what follows is a brief summation (with more to come!) of the 6 sessions:

Mitch Joel — Six Pixels of Separation
Right off the top, funny and engaging, and Mitch knew what he was talking about. I trusted him immediately and that is a wonderful tone to set for the marketing event of my year.

Key Takeaway: Burn your ship and press ctrl+alt+del on your marketing. Start over with a fresh slate and outlook, and focus on caring about who not how many.

Seth Godin — Creativity, Innovation & Leadership
When Seth walked onto that stage, I tweeted that I would’ve had goosebumps if it wasn’t so hot in the room! It’s true. When the almighty guru of marketing decides to grace you with his presence, you can’t help but hang onto his every last syllable. What makes Seth the best: engagement. He tells a story that means something, and he tells it with an authenticity that is near impossible to fake.

Key Takeaway: Decide whether or not you’re a genius. A genius is someone who solves interesting problems in novel, unexpected ways. To hone that genius, abandon the factory, the manual, the status quo and the lizard brain so that what you’re left with is leadership, change and success.

Sally Hogshead — Persuasion, Influence & Fascination
So can we please hear it for a whole lot of female empowerment? Sally was beyond sincere, down-to-earth and expressive in all the right ways. And frankly put, I want to be her friend.

Key Takeaway: You and your brand need to be fascinating. And by being fascinating, you ensure that you’re telling the right story to those who want to listen.

James Othmer — Branding & Storytelling
Admittedly, he was a nervous speaker, and I’m sure the 1,600 sets of eyeballs didn’t help. But James’ forward-thinking ethos connected tradition with what is yet to come.

Key Takeaway: The lines are blurring between mediums. It is now the marketer’s responsibility to minimize the tension between art, commerce and ethics, which make up the brand.

Max Lenderman — Experiential Marketing
A young guy with a broad view and an equally far-reaching voice. Max was an experience, and, as he likes to put it, experience makes people act. Again, he reiterated those central and all-powerful themes of leadership, engagement and connectivity.

Key Takeaway: Think of and integrate the visceral experience in your marketing.

Dan Heath — Marketing Strategy and an Elephant
An all-round (but very pleasurable to listen to) smarty pants. Dan drove home the importance of change. Giving it an human edge and perspective by offering an analytical exposé of the mind. I might like to be a fly on the wall of his brain.

Key Takeaway: Rational vs. Emotional. The Rider vs. The Elephant. If you want to create change, you must acknowledge and understand the roles of both the rider and the elephant. And then you must learn how to get them to do what you want.

Brilliance in Eight Hours or Less
Every speaker offered me wisdom. Every speaker offered me a choice. In sum, they found a way to cram brilliance into 8 hours or less. And if I do have the choice, I choose genius and change and leadership and fascination and engagement. We should all be so lucky to do the same.

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