Every now and then, when life is stressful, you need something to cheer you up, if even only for a moment.
Thankfully, we have kittens and the power of the internet.
Have a great day, and we hope you had a laugh!
Where to begin on this masterpiece? Is it art? Is it a statement? Is it a strange sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Is it a music video for Fiona Apple?
It’s only in the last few moments of the video that you realize it’s a commercial for Chipotle Mexican Grill. Chipotle has gone on record stating that they serve only responsibly raised livestock, and this video is a wonderful way of getting their message out. Without naming names, they shame all of the large “factory” fast food companies with heartbreaking images of poor little digitally rendered cows and chickens, stuck in crates and boxes.
To further promote their brand in this understated but deliberate way, they’ve also released a free iOS game called “The Scarecrow”. We’ve downloaded it, but it still being office hours, we haven’t given it a shot just yet. It currently has 3.5 stars in the reviews.
Of course, creating a game to promote a product is nothing new. Anyone remember The Noid?
What do you think? Does seeing this video, or playing the game, make you want to visit Chipotle any time soon? Will it make you try them over a fast food regular choice? Think of the sad cow!
How much for a website?
If we had a dollar for every time we were asked that, we’d probably all be retired. We’ve come up with a pretty solid reply to that, these days: “How much does a car cost?”
That always puts the person in a tizzy: Well, that depends, there’s so many different cars – from Porsche to Kia, from Bugatti to the used 1987 Honda Civic rusting at the corner dealership. The same holds true for websites. They range from a single one-pager with your most basic of info to cloud-based reservation or e-commerce solutions.
The question we ask (once we’re finished being wise guys) is “What do you want from your website?” Planning is key. Almost everyone thinks they should have a full e-commerce site with full-screen video and an awesome song playing as soon as the site loads (yes, really – some people still think they should have that) and complete interactivity with a little 3D cartoon character that walks you through where you want to go and… Well. Sure. We can do all that, but is that what you need? Do you know the costs associated with all of this?
Another problem that comes about with a lack of planning is trying to go from simple to more complex. The scale, contents and design of a site are agreed upon, which then leads to considerable time spent coding the site. Everything is almost ready, when suddenly it’s decided to add another “key” feature that wasn’t necessary a few weeks ago. To go back to the car analogy, it’s like building a Toyota Prius and then deciding you needed a v10 engine and the ability to haul plywood. The project is now out of the original scale, and the costs will increase. The design will need to be altered and no small amount of time is going to be needed to change the code of your site.
We try and avoid all of this right from the start. Taking a little extra time with our clients to meet up and discuss, brainstorm or even sketch out a few storyboard ideas of what they’re really trying to achieve makes all the difference in the world. It’s your website – of course you want it to be perfect, and we understand that.
How much for a website? Let’s talk.
I was recently reading an article questioning if conferences were still effective. It went into great detail about the cost of hosting and attending, man hours, conversion rates.. all very important figures to consider in business, but the one factor it didn’t consider was an organization’s willingness to accept change or embrace new ideas.
Some time ago while working for a different company, I attended a conference on Social Media. Prior to the conference, the boss of this company had seemed very excited about it and my desire to attend. His children were on Facebook, he explained, and he knew it was a Big Thing. He reviewed my itinerary a few dozen times prior to the conference, gave me a list of industry people also attending that I must meet, and reminded me to write summary reports of my every action.
I attended the conference, its various workshops and speaking engagements, learned a lot, taught a bit, made many great connections (both during business hours and after), and returned with an energy that was busting at the seams to implement what I’d experienced. I wrote multiple reports on the various social media platforms, success stories, business opportunities, and a suggested action plan.
I made sure that my report was on the boss’s desk bright and early upon my return. I was pumped. Beyond ready to really kick things into gear. A few coworkers asked how the conference went, and I was more than happy to speak about what had happened and my ideas going forward. They too, began getting excited and seeing the opportunities.
A week passed. The boss had not found the time to go over my report, and had only a few minutes to speak about it when I tracked him down to talk. Yes, it was all very exciting and it was great that I’d arranged possible business partnership opportunities with some of those people he had suggested I meet.. but he would need to take some time to read it all when he had a minute. Very busy. Very, very busy. Busy time of year. Everyone needed him. Couldn’t take time away from others to discuss this “internet thing”.
Do you see where this is going? Stop reading ahead.
Another week or so passed. My enthusiasm for implementing the ideas with the company I was with began to wane. I stopped bringing it up whenever I would see the boss, knowing it wasn’t going anywhere. Finally, late one afternoon, he had time to speak with me about it. It was all very interesting, he said, all very new and exciting.. but maybe not for us right now. We could perhaps do a few bare bones things, but our, and specifically my energies would be better spent on other things.
I was gutted. Frustrated. What had been the point of attending this conference in the first place if we weren’t doing anything about it? It took me a while to realize, but it had been about keeping up appearances. If our competition was going to be there, so should we. We weren’t apparently doing anything about it – but people knew we were in the conversation.
This is only one specific example – and maybe it’s not so much about conferences, as it is about businesses themselves. For a conference to be successful to a company attending, the ideas learned from this experience must be embraced throughout the organization. Change, no matter where it comes from or why, must be embraced on every level – and welcomed, if it’s realized to be for the greater good.
Anyone who’s been in business will have stories of company retreats or shareholder meetings where Great Things were discussed and Things Were Going To Change Right Away, only to have it be business as usual come Monday morning. Whether it be a lack of communication or a fear of the unknown, things don’t always move forward. In my example above, the boss of the company had not felt ready to make the changes, while his competition went ahead with the ideas learned from that conference to do some really wonderful things.
Let’s go back to the original question: Are conferences still effective? The answer applies to this question and everything else in life: You get from them what you’re willing to put into them.
Jason Toma
Founder, Ambition Branding Inc.
How many car commercials have you seen in your life? How many do you truly remember? Wow, more horsepower than last year, hey, great new styling.. and this is being said by a car guy!
Cars, and commercials will come and go. This one by Volkswagen has always stayed with me:
How could you not get caught up by this? From the great music (The track is “One Million Miles Away” by J. Ralph), to the great scenario played out.. it’s beautiful. It tastefully shows off the Jetta VR6; displaying its passing abilities (the reason you’d go for the VR6), gives a few views of the interior, and lavishly sweeps over the exterior.
This is advertising done right. Not just for a car, but for anything. Tell a story. Engage us. Make us ask questions. Make us want to take part.
Do you have any favourite commercials that have stuck with you? Let us know in the comments below.
We found this video posted online today of Black Eyed Peas (and music in general) star will.i.am talking about logos. He made a few valid, logo101 points (black and white? You don’t say!), rambled about India, and made us wonder exactly what was so interesting over to his right. Check out the video and tell us what you think.
I wrote this wonderful, lengthy blog a little while ago about sales, and how I’m not a salesman. I recounted the various stages of my career and how work has always seemed to find me. I admitted to not having the slightest clue about how to sell, but felt fortunate that I’d always had work. However, during a coffee meeting with one of our crew, I realized what I already knew: We could and should be a lot busier. It really bothered me. To try and fix this, I proudly told the story of how I went to one of the better sales people I know and asked for tips and help; only to have him tell me that I don’t need to sell, I only need to speak about my passions and more work would come. I’m fairly certain that I almost dislocated my shoulder reaching around to pat myself on the back for having such great passion and loving what we do here; neatly concluding that I don’t need to work on sales to grow this business.
I took a deep breath, re-read the blog to myself, and nearly broke my leg trying to kick myself in the behind. What a load of self-righteous malarky.
Yes, I have been incredibly fortunate that almost all of the opportunities I and we have received have been either from people liking our work and tracking us down, or from referrals. It’s very flattering. That being said, it’s also not enough. I had a good laugh as I thought about all of the various marketing campaigns and annual budgets I’ve created for other people’s companies and other people’s dreams. Thought of the thousands of print ads I’ve created for other people, the radio ads, social media campaigns and websites and search engine optimizations… to build other people’s goals. All while my own business grew at a pace completely unsatisfactory for my dreams.
I know – poor me. Poor me who always had people find me and want me to work with them. Poor me who had clients waiting the second we turned on the lights on Ye Olde Ambition Website. The thing is, it’s enough to get by, not to get ahead. While I love my cars with the intensity of a hundred suns, I’m no closer to adding that elusive Ferrari 458 to my fleet than I was three years ago. We don’t have the Ambition logo up in lights on the side of the beautiful building I’ve dreamt about for years. Heck – we don’t even have a sales person, because that’s not in the budget yet.
I took a few moments with my unhappy thoughts and realized, I could either embrace the definition of insanity and keep doing the same thing over and over again, and in 20 years still be wondering when my goals were going to come knocking on my door, or I could give myself (another) hard kick to the nether regions and step outside of my comfort zone. Do I know any more about sales than I did yesterday? No. Do I know a heck of a lot about marketing and promotions? Yes, I do. It’s time for me to apply everything that I’ve learned and done for other people to my own dreams, a thousand times more than I ever have. I have my skills, and I have some amazing people working alongside me. I’m not waiting for opportunity to come knocking – I’m getting behind the wheel and chasing it down as fast as I can.
Maybe I don’t know about sales. What I do know is my goals and dreams, and what we’re great at here. If it’s up to me to get that word out for now, then I’ll step out of my comfort zone and get it done. Ambition. Time to embrace it.
– Jason Toma
Founder, Ambition Branding Inc.
Possibly a few years ago, I was fresh out of University and in the midst of my freelance empire building in the sprawling metropolis of Kamloops. Life was pretty good – I had a number of clients, was living with my girlfriend at the time, and the world was waiting for me. Next stop: The Legendary Vancouver.
Vancouver, to me, had always been the mythical, far away city of Wonderful Things. Growing up in small-town BC, Vancouver was the place where culture, art, fine espresso and beautiful people were to be found at any time of day or night.
As with most things, my freelancing hit a period of slow business, and I began to worry. I applied for a position in Vancouver with a major down manufacturer looking for someone to help with nearly all aspects of their branding, from package design to brochures, trade show materials, website design and more – they were looking for me.
The company called me for an interview, and I brought my portfolio of Jason’s Awesomeness along with me. I met with the president and vice-president in a bright, spacious boardroom and pitched my young heart out on why I was the best thing since the invention of fire. I showed them the logos I’d created, the sites I’d done, I told them about my creative “je ne c’est quoi” that could not be matched. I wanted this job – I needed it. This, this was going to be my stepping stone to Wonderland.
Yet, in the back of my head, a little voice whispered words of caution that I would of course disregard like hour-old coffee.
Suitably awed by my brilliance, the president and VP showed me around the offices, and took me next door to a beautiful new building with floor to ceiling windows and skylights. In here, they said, would be my new office, equipped with a shiny brand new Mac, a huge desk, and a large area for me to be creative in. Other than that pesky little voice, I was pretty much sold.
The president of the company said that he loved my work and what I had to offer. They immediately offered me a trial contract, to see if I was able to match my style to their industry. They gave me three different products, aimed at different markets, and asked me to create new packaging designs for them. I could do this working from home for an hourly wage, and if they liked what I created for them, the full-time gig was mine.
I immediately sped at exactly the legal limit back to Kamloops, bursting with ideas that would revolutionize down bedding forever. New York ad agencies would open offices in Vancouver just to get me on board. I researched their competitors and scoffed at their bland approaches. I created custom illustrations. Held a photo shoot. Created through the midnight hours until finally everything was perfect. I sent the files for review and even as I hit send, I knew the job was mine.
Time passed. I not-so-patiently waited by my phone, until I got the call. They loved it. Of course they did! They wanted me to start in a week, at which time they would finalize all of the particulars of my employment. I wasn’t worried. What I’d been making even on the trial contract period was decent for the time, so of course it could only be better than that, right?
Sadly, that little voice in the back of my head ruined my last week in Kamloops. It kept telling me not to get excited, that something was wrong with this. Ordinarily I would be beyond excited even just to visit Vancouver – to be moving there for a full time position? I should have been doing backflips while juggling flaming chainsaws.. but I wasn’t.
A good friend of mine was kind enough to let me stay with him for a while as I started with my job and found a place to live. With that feeling bothering me as much as it did, I didn’t leave until the night before my new job started, never telling anyone about it. I didn’t want to go to Vancouver. That’s almost like me saying I don’t want to own a Porsche. Unbelievable.
When the day came, I rolled up to my new company about 20 minutes early. The vice president was outside, waiting for me. Before I could even step out of my car he was telling me it was time to go and get started, and explaining that it was completely unacceptable to ever blame Vancouver traffic for being late, and so I should plan accordingly. The warning bells started swinging, not yet hitting the sides.
We went into his office where he explained that any and all creative ideas I had while in the company’s employ would belong to them, and that I could not do any freelance work at all. I politely reminded him that I had mentioned my freelancing in our original meeting, explained how I maintained a list of current clients, and the company had been fine with it. No longer, he said. The bell crashed loudly, and I should have left right then. I was told that personal calls, on personal cell phones, even during breaks, were not permitted. Yes, really. I didn’t ask why or how they could even think that fair; I was already shocked, and mildly alarmed by the bells ringing in my head. Still, I thought – If I need to make a call I’ll just close the door to my office, no one will know! Besides, I’m the Creative Genius – they need me! Surely I can get away with making a phone call on a coffee break. And really – wasn’t it all about the money? I needed it, they were paying it. Let’s go. We started to talk about wages.. and to start, they were going to offer me.. less than what they paid me during the trial contract. Sorry, what? The VP softly explained that since I would now be full time, I would in essence be making more than I had on the part time contract.. but we could review it in six months. I’d love to say that I stood up, threw a burning match on his desk and left, but I really did feel like I was between a rock and a dead place at that moment and needed almost any work I could get. I bit my tongue and acquiesced. I could do this. I had to. I would work at this place and to heck with their rule, I would freelance like a monster on the side. I’d work 20 hour days.. again. I’d make it work. Just let me get to my nice, big office, look out the windows onto the beautiful city, my beautiful city of Vancouver, turn on some music, and create. All would be okay.
Except, there was a change of plans. The beautiful new building wasn’t finished yet, and when it was they were going to try using it for something else for a while and so my office space was unavailable. Instead, they took me to a heavy steel door just off the production factory floor. Opening it up, I saw a closet – no, it was a room, about 4 feet wide and 20 feet long. There were no windows. No skylight. Just the hum and clanging of the factory.. and a tired, sad looking man sitting on the far end of the room. This would be my office, for the next six months, or perhaps longer, while they figured out what they wanted to do with my beautiful office space. Get creative, they said. No phone calls, and.. try not to get online too much. The dialup cuts out our company’s main line. Dialup. WHAT? Oh.. and one more thing? No listening to music while at work.
The heavy steel door slammed shut like a prison cell. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. How could anyone be creative in a closet like this? How could they promise me so much and give me THIS? I spent the day completely out of it. I opened up photoshop on a ten year old Mac and pushed a couple pixels around. I had no vision. Nothing. The day passed. Nobody came to check on my cellmate and I, and when the factory bell chimed the end of the day, we left. I was a mess. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t ask my girlfriend to leave her life to move to Vancouver to be a part of this with me – I knew I’d be a miserable wreck within one month. I couldn’t go back to Kamloops, either – not with my freelancing in the downturn it was in. I couldn’t do anything. I had nowhere to go. The city itself felt angry. The city I’d dreamt of living in almost my entire life didn’t want me there. Not like this.
I didn’t go back to my friend’s house. I parked my car by the beach and stood in the ocean. FInally, I called my dad. My mill-working, meat eating, animal hunting dad, and told him my situation. I fully expected him to tell me to stop being such a cry baby, pick up my bootstraps and go to work for the down company. I almost wanted him to tell me that so I could resign myself to it. Instead, he told me I couldn’t work in a place like that. Told me to try again at building my own empire. Told me to be brave and believe in myself.. and most importantly, that if things really did get too bad and didn’t work out, I’d always have a place to stay with him. At the time, I didn’t know that. Ever since that moment, I’ve always known it.
We ended our conversation and I called the president of the company at home to tell him I quit. He actually sounded surprised when he asked me why. I explained how they hadn’t delivered on any of what they promised, how the pay was unacceptable, and how being locked in a closet wasn’t exactly conducive to creativity. The man actually had the nerve to say he didn’t see why windows were important for an office, and then had no response when I asked why he had a corner office with floor to ceiling windows. He tried for a moment to dissuade me, but I somewhat politely thanked him for the opportunity and told him I could and would do better before hanging up. The instant I did, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. The city behind me no longer felt angry. I knew I’d made the right choice.
That night, I packed up my car and headed back to Kamloops. Life would be hard for a while, but I persevered. I got new clients and some of my old clients started returning for more work. My work started getting sought out from all over the city. Eventually I would land a dream job working in the music industry, creating ads, posters and radio commercials to represent bands and artists I’d grown up listening and daydreaming to in my small BC hometown a lifetime ago. I’d face a few more challenges after that, and I’ll face more still, if I’m lucky – but it all goes back to that one “unopportunity” for me. From day one, my inner voice told me it was wrong, but in my fear and desperation, I was willing to accept it. It was only when I was brave and accepted the risk that I would realize my dreams. It was only when I embraced my Ambition that I would found it.
– Jason Toma
While looking at my closet the other day, I wondered what my “style” really is. I found a mixture of t-shirts, dress shirts, suit jackets, sports jerseys, ties, jeans, dress pants and a few brave remnants of the late 90s I’ve never been able to bring myself to throw out. I’ll wear any of these (except the 90s refugees) on any given day and feel equally at home in any of them. Should the occasion call for it, I’m more than happy to rock the suit and tie – and sometimes, even when it doesn’t call for it. If it’s a casual day, jeans and a nice t-shirt are always an easy option. No matter where I show up, my friends and the people that know me are almost always prepared for whatever wardrobe choice I’ve taken that day.
This thought process got started the other day when I had a meeting at one of the office towers downtown. People in suits and power outfits blazed back and forth between offices and overpriced coffees. The sun reflected off of over-shined shoes and brass-cornered briefcases. In the midst of all this I parked my 20 year old sports car, slung my bag over my leather jacketed shoulder, and walked to my meeting. I made my way through the crowds and into the building my meeting was at. As I waited for the elevator, two other gentlemen came and waited beside me. They gave me a quick glance, surmised I wasn’t part of their group, and continued their conversation about nothing in particular. As I looked at them, I wondered if perhaps I was underdressed. In my head, the old Sesame Street song “One of these things is not like the other…” started playing. However, as it did, I looked at them again. The shirts were poorly cut, wrinkled, and looked like they’d skipped a wash cycle or two. Their collars were loose and the ties they wore didn’t go with the rest of what they were wearing. Generic, grey pants stood unevenly over dirty brown shoes.
My skin bristled. Not at their fashion choices (for the record, I can barely tie a tie – and don’t ask me about stripes with stripes – I have no idea) – but at their overall inauthenticity. I’d rather have shown up in shorts and sandals than be in the shoddy outfits they were in. They were dressing to a dress code, sure, but that was it. I understand not liking a dress code, I understand being a bit behind in your laundry – but if you have to do something, do it properly, yes?
I remembered my days of freelancing back in Kamloops, BC. I was fresh out of university and anxious to build my empire. My clients ranged from nightclubs to restaurants and party planners to auto body shops, clothing stores and even a tanning studio. The styles of work I did for each was vastly different; as was the way my clients thought of me. For one client, I would always show up in a freshly pressed shirt, cleanly shaven, early in the morning. For another, they knew me as the “crazy, rock’n’roll artist guy” (their words, not mine!) that had been out the night before at one of the nightclubs I worked with until all hours of the morning, no matter what day of the week it was. When I was meeting with them, I wouldn’t shave, leave my hair a bit more dishevelled (I mean hey, do artists really care?) and would put on something usually more appropriate for the club.
The thing was, I wasn’t being dishonest with any of my clients in my appearance. I knew what aspect of myself they had connected with, and if I enhanced it a little, I viewed it as salesmanship. If a client thought of me as the polite, well-dressed young man, I would be the best dressed man in Kamloops minding my Ps and Qs. If another thought me a gear head like the guys that worked in their shop, I’d make sure to talk about my cars as much as I did with friends and not clients. The point is – no matter where I was, I was genuine. I was comfortable and at ease.
It’s such a simple thing, but being okay and honest with yourself can help you face whatever difficult situation you are in. If someone isn’t being honest with how they’re presenting themselves to you, what else aren’t they being honest about? If they don’t care about how they look and how they represent their company.. well, you get it.
The elevator chimed and they both left. They turned a casual glance back at me, and I felt as if I was standing perhaps just a touch taller. Yes, I’d left my suit and tie at home, but I wasn’t the one pawing at my collar and itching out of my skin.
The doors closed again and I smiled to myself. I walked into a room full of fellow business owners who returned my smile when they saw me. I set my jacket and bag down and got compliments on my company shirt. The meeting began, and all thoughts of clothing and being genuine were cast aside. I didn’t need to think about these things, as I was where I was meant to be. My clients and colleagues had recognized me for who I was, as I had them. Business was discussed and goals were achieved.
…….
Somewhere in a small town, and many years ago, a younger me in a jean jacket is smiling and happy.
– Jason
Founder, Ambition Branding
I’ve been going to the same gym, on average, 4 to 5 times a week, for the past two years. I recognize most of the regulars and the staff that works there. I’ll usually say hello or share a quick smile as I head past the various desks, and today was like no other. However, when I got to the main desk, I found that I’d forgot my membership card. Ordinarily, this is no big deal – all you have to do is tell one of the Customer Service Reps your phone number, they type it into the computer and off you go. There were 3 people working at the desk, so I approached the one at the main computer and explained my situation. I got a deep sigh and an ice cold voice in response. As the computer beeped and the gate opened to let me in, she asked if I’d left my card at home or if it was somewhere else – what did this matter? I had said I’d forgot it, but provided the alternative, acceptable method of identification. I smiled and said yes, but she continued on, saying that I’d better make sure I brought it tomorrow if I wanted to get in.
I was shocked. Apparently my asking this Customer Service Representative to provide me with 10 seconds of service was too much to ask for. I clearly deserved to be admonished for my insensitivity. I don’t know if she was having a bad day, or if the gym has decided to phase out the phone number method of entry for those that forgot their card, but either way, she had gone about it in a completely wrong way. I bit my tongue and carried on.
It made me think of just a few days ago, when I was having an absolutely horrible day. At about 9 o’clock, a client started texting me, saying she couldn’t access her email. I texted her a few times to help, but she couldn’t get it to work. Now, at this point, I was already done with the day. All I wanted to do was unplug from the world and shut down for the night. 9pm is well past our standard office hours, and the email situation wasn’t really urgent as she hadn’t started using her new email address yet. I texted a few times more in response, but she couldn’t get anything to work.
“You’ll be amazed at the difference you will make.”
It took me about one second to realize this would take me under 5 minutes to help, and would probably mean a lot to her. I told my bad mood to take a hike and gave her a call. I walked her through the steps again, and everything worked out. She was incredibly grateful and happy, and felt relieved that her email was working. She felt comforted knowing that I was there to help her out, even at 9pm.
I hung up the phone and smiled, just a little bit. I was still in a bad mood, but I’d made someone else’s night and was able to help. She didn’t know I was in a bad mood, and she didn’t need to.
That’s what business is about though; that’s what life should be about. Sometimes we need to take a step back from ourselves and realize that our brief interactions with other people can affect them more than we know. My trip to the gym was 10 hours ago and I’m still thinking about it. Imagine how you can affect the people close to you with only a few words, or the slightest action.
You’re more powerful than you realize – choose your mood, and choose how you deal with others. You’ll be amazed at the difference you will make.
– JT