A totally WOW moment that demonstrates by example a simple thing many of us take for granted as the ‘way things are’ but also the possibility of an exact opposite rendering ‘our’ way confusing.

Think of the way your business operates, your marketing messages, what things can you turn upside down?  What opposites can you create to expose your customers to a ‘different’ experience?

What kind of a WOW moment would it create?  Would it be just the kind of VonRestorff effect you need to create memorability?

Here is the promo blurb about this presentation: Bored with his ad agency gig and the uninspiring work he was producing, Ji Lee – now Creative Director of Google Creative Lab – decided to take matters into his own hands in 2002. The result was the ad-spoofing Bubble Project, in which Lee placed blank speech bubbles on ads around New York City. The masses responded and the project went viral, gaining Lee recognition and ultimately forwarding his professional career. Here, Lee talks about how he created, financed, and marketed the project single-handedly.

I loved the simplicity of his message, that your private work can inspire your professional work and vice versa – the two are sides of the same coin.

Which lead me to put a spin on this to add that if you find they are simply not, then perhaps you need to change professions – or find the tenuous links that are surely there.

I work in an industry that would seem on the surface quite unrelated to my passion of children’s art and creativity – yet there are opportunities that I am creating and discovering to utilize my skills and passion to bring this element to life in my professional employment.  When I allow my passion to shine through is usually when I can create ideas for my employer that provide the best opportunities for differentiation and brand building.

When I am just doing what is expected of a ‘marketing manager’ I produce results that anybody could do, and stay in the safe lane because ‘that’s just what you do’.

So, full of renewed passion for combining my personal projects with my professional work, and filled with the reminder that if I want something to happen I have to do it myself…lookout…watch the video below, it’s a great 7 minutes…I’d love to stay and chat but I gotta go create some exciting visuals for my next campaign….

I can’t get the video to embed…drats…but do yourself a favour and go here and check it out. Ji Lee: Power of personal projects

You can download it here engagingbrand.com show 258 guide to brain fitness

Anna talks with Alvaro Fernandez of SharpBrains, all about his Guide to Brain Fitness.

Anna asks:

• What is brain fitness?
• Why learning is physical
• The importance of learning how to learn.
• How experiences aid learning
• The importance of regulating your emotion
• How social interaction is needed for a healthy brain.
• Do some people have higher natural brain fitness than others?
• The key facets to a maintaining healthy brain

It is worth a listen as Anna, in her usual perceptive style, points out that blogging and podcasting is a very good form of brain boosting behaviour.  One of the discussion points that Alvaro makes is that talking about what you have read and learned and reinforcing the neural pathways is what cements learning – hence gossiping around the water cooler the next morning at work about a tv show is not conducive to brain boosting activity!

However reading a book or attending a seminar and then repeating that knowledge, discussing it, asking yourself questions about it – that is what will help keep the neurons active.  As Anna points out, by blogging and podcasting she is exploring new ideas every day and then imparting that knowledge to others via her blog and podcasts.

Brilliant stuff! So people, not only is blogging a great way to boost your brand or expertise, it is a great way to boost your brain and keep your neurons active and firing.  If ever we needed another reason to keep on blogging!

So I have renewed energy!  I did feel that what I had to say was surely nowhere near as interesting or important as what other more intelligent marketing and creative minds had to say -but you know what?  I’m blogging for me, and if you find it interesting from time to time then welcome aboard!

Søren Kirkegaard statue in Copenhagen, credited to be the father of existentialism

I tweet therefore I am…does anybody else out there think that modern marketing, in particular social media seem almost to perfectly fit into the existentialist philosophy (and I totally paraphrase here) to be true to one’s self?

According to the site all about Philosophy “existentialism is a philosophy concerned with finding self and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. The belief is that people are searching to find out who and what they are throughout life as they make choices based on their experiences, beliefs, and outlook.”

The word “existence,” comes from the Latin “existere,” meaning “to stand out.” Is it not a marketers role to make the brand or product stand out?  And with the advent of social media channels the message we hear over and over again is that marketing today requires transparency and authenticity.

So as a marketer, it is my job to help the brand find itself, its authentic message and fulfill its responsibility to society.  So much easier as a corporate than as an individual don’t you think!

Yes, a very simplistic view and the exsistentialist movement is much deeper than that…but given my current phase of exploration this just seemed to resonate…plus it is a cool word don’t you think!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars A really interesting and succinct look at some of the emotional drivers to purchase and how to tailor your offer or service to meet the needs of your market for greater success.

Great chapter summaries and clearly set out making it a useful reference tool.

Possibly a tool for evil in the wrong hands! A great force for good to help you reach the right people in the right way for their (& your) greater good.

A great companion to Buy-ology (Martin Lindstrom). View all my reviews >>

You see I am always waiting for this or that to create draw or be crafty generally and there is never the right time.

During the week this one went around twitter, it was a blog post called 100 Excellent online tools to feed your creativity (go check it out it is excellent but be sure to come back).  So I was scrolling through them and go to the photo section. I have seen many people who have done a photo a day type things, and thought wow what a great idea…but I just never make the time to do it.

But guess what…there are already so many images here on the web already why reinvent…so I will just pick one at random and let that inspire me in some way.  I will endeavor to do that every day in September and hopefully then I will have created a creative habit towards diligent creativity…hmm well that’s the plan anyway!

So – I’m going out, grabbing the bull by the horns and, well, here goes!

Later that week I rushed out and bought my own copy, and 2 to give as gifts to my best friends.

OMG, I thought, if I was to ever get a tattoo this would be it.  I would have it right there on my wrist for me to see like a timepiece of ‘old’ so that every time I looked down I would be reminded of it.

Maybe I could convert it to French orLatin for some extra cache (we all know what instant importance that lends to quotes)

So those of you with the book…found it yet?????

For those of you without it…get ready:

Joie diligente

Diligent Joy…OK so the post title gave it away….oops!

Don’t you think that really sums up life?  I’ve been reading a few different articles lately on happiness and our ‘quest’ to find it – but it is within us all the time, we need to be reminded to squeeze that joy out of ourselves in order to ‘find’ it.  Let yourself be happy, it’s more than thinking positively, it is about being in the moment and accepting, it is remembering to let go and be…

To be diligent means to show care and conscientiousnes, but the best definition is its derivative from Middle English via old French from Latin: ‘diligere’ to love, take delight in!

That’s not so say that things won’t get us down, I get bummed sometimes too, but with a reminder of “Joie diligente” I would take the time to say, OK, this too shall pass and look for the delightful things I have…I really would if only I would remember to do it!!!

Oh yes…full circle.  So my friends, love and take delight in the joy of being joyful! It is truly contagious.

Gotta go, I’m off for a diligently joyful weekend with my family, and I feel an artwork coming on…

So how does a marketer induce loyalty…by remembering the ME in MEkerting!

Remembering that the times are changing and consumer centric content is more important than ever before, that is until the next wave comes along…maybe the next wave is no content…the silence of tumbleweeds blowing across our web pages as our customers flock to virtual reality experiences available through their TV, x-box or PS3??? But I digress…

So remember to make it about me, talk with me, know me, because really I don’t care a bit about you, or your silly features and benefits, I want you to listen to me and be receptive to me…

As your customer I may not be loyal forever…that’s for the really big boys like Apple, Coke & Nike, but I will be loyal for now, and to spread my wonderful word of mouth joy about your juicy brand, all you need is now, not forever!

So induce my loyalty now, mekert to me…gotta go, ‘Apple’ is asking me a question about a tweet I made earlier…

With a wry humor that is very stereotypically British, the insightful part of Sr Ken’s speech begins about half way through when he starts talking about creativity.

Here are my favorite takeaways:

• Challenge the things you take for granted ~ which is quite difficult, because it is hard to know what we take for granted since we take it for granted…!
• There are many things in our lives that enthrall our minds that we should think about again.
• The power to conceive of alternatives is unique to us…use it!
• Design & creativity celebrates the diversity of human intelligence!
• Finding your passion is essential to your path in life.
• If you love something your whole life is transformed by it (Note: not just relates to creativity & work, but love, life, family…)
• Cherish diversity = pulse of creativity + innovation + human life!
• We need each other, the interdependence of human talents is profound.
• Make connections.
• Life is not linear, it’s organic.
• Invest in your talent and life reconfigures around you.
• Expose yourself to new possibilities and meet them head on with your talent alert, confidence aroused & you will find purpose and meaning.
• Right beneath the surface are the seeds of possibility waiting for the right conditions.  Create the right conditions and success is a certainty.

Wonderful and inspiring stuff, and I am sure the class of 2009 left feeling vindicated and uplifted, because as he pointed out they were probably discouraged from pursuing creative careers due to the perception of lack of financial benefit.

But creative thinking ability is the financial benefit of the future, and that future is starting now!

Sorry, gotta go dig up some seeds and plant my talent for tomorrow’s creative harvest…