Hello, Mr. Harper… this is the Hudson Bay Company, could you please return all of our Canadian Olympic wear? Does anyone else feel like our Prime Minister has scoured his closet for every piece of “Own the Podium” wear he could find? Every day on the election trail there it is emblazoned on his chest C-A-N-A-D-A. Tired of their old brand, the Conservatives have sidelined Tory blue for the most in favour of the Team Canada brand brought to you by HBC. It’s maddening, but it’s clever. Harper looks comfortable, while his competitors look aghast that this guy is still winning. He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing (look at him eye up that cow) … with brand Canada everywhere you look. If he’s not wearing HBC clothing, then it’s an HBC-inspired CANADA on the podium or on the logo field behind him. It’s on the freakin’ Conservative campaign plane’s jet engine. Indeed, “Here for Canada”?

Where are the Liberals with their brand? It appears they’re using the very tired Pepsi Challenge format. Coke versus Pepsi; Conservative versus Liberals. It’s us versus them. Based on the poles to date, the electorate is saying who cares? You’re selling the same product! The problem is the Liberals have done very little to differentiate themselves from the Conservatives. It’s not enough to scare us into voting for the lesser of two evils. It’s time for the Liberals to demonstrate real leadership and some vision for the country. I’m not sold it’s going to come from Michael Ignatieff, nor are most voters. His personal brand has been under attack every day since I can remember and he just takes it. If he can’t stand up for himself, how is supposed to stand up for the country. Get pissed off!

And, what about the poor plucky NDP? It’s time to blow up the brand and give more reason than the usual 17-20% of Canadians to vote for you. It’s time to steal a page from the British Labour Party’s playbook when Tony Blair swept into power. It’s time to stop bashing business for the sake of bashing business. I shoot left, I bat left, but a left-winger will never rule this country. Centre is where you have to be and the NDP is doomed to “also ran” status until its stalwarts adopt a new playbook. It’s not enough to have the most likeable or genuine leader (e.g. Broadbent, Rae, Layton). It’s time to blow it up to compete.

And, what about the Bloc? Can’t we find Gilles Duceppe a new job somewhere in Quebec? Less and less relevant, it’s time to turn out the lights on this party.

Thank you.

“We were attracted to SELECT because they demonstrated a thorough understanding of our business and how we work with our channel partners,” said Nadia Eremita, Sr.  Customer Business Development Manager for Applica Canada.  “Their strategic approach and creative thinking also made it an easy decision for us to make.”

Heading into the fourth quarter, Applica is planning a strong mix of television and digital marketing planned to drive sales for its George Foreman Healthy Cooking line.  The products will be available in most key retailers across Canada.

“Applica is a powerhouse of consumer brands, which can be found in homes across the country,” said Andrew Findlater, the Principal of SELECT Public Relations.   “We’re excited to help the company make deeper connections with consumers and to ultimately drive sales in the fourth quarter.”

The George Foreman brand is the leader and innovator in the contact grill category, and Applica is reinvigorating and re-launching the product line in the fall. The brand is at a level of success that it’s now in a position to expand.

Applica Canada

Applica is a marketer and distributor of a wide range of small appliances for use in and outside the home.  The company’s recognized brand names include Black & Decker, George Foreman, Russell Hobbs, LitterMaid, Juiceman, Breadman and Toastmaster.

For instance, last night two smart people – Andreas Duess and Jo-Ann McArthur invited me to hear Alan Kay, CEO of the Glasgow Group, share his thoughts on how consumer behaviour has changed over the last five years. More than a presentation, the Fisheye offices were turned into a collaborative learning centre where researchers, professors, marketers and business people of every kind offered varying perspectives and challenged each other’s thinking. It was the second Wisdom Event hosted by Fisheye of which I hope there are many more to come. I would work with Andreas, Jo-Ann or Alan in a heartbeat.

Earlier in the week, I found myself working with Ed Lee trying to win some business. Ed is one of the smartest digital strategists I’ve come across, so when he approached me with an idea on how we could together I did not hesitate. We’ll see where it goes? It’s another example, however, of how the one-man shop can grow quickly with the right partners.

All in all, it was a great week when you consider I was also able to connect with great people like Bill Walker, Mark Blevis, and Mark Evans among others.

I must also give a tip of the hat to Dave Jones and Lars Hansen for their contributions in making SELECT Public Relations a thriving success.

I’m far from being alone on this journey!

The fact is public relations isn’t an easy concept for people not involved in marketing or corporate communications to fully grasp.  Often when I say that I work in PR to person at a social function, their knee-jerk reaction is to equate PR to advertising, which of course it isn’t.  Without question, PR doesn’t come in a well-defined box.  And, that’s why I love what I do!  On any given day, I can be working with a company on its social media or digital strategy.  I could be offering strategic counsel on how to improve a relationship with a key sales channel.  And, of course, I could be pitching a reporter a story.

That’s what I am – I am a story teller.  I take great pride in being able to help a company tell their stories.  And, it starts with listening.

I’ve been a little behind on my blog posts because I’ve been meeting and listening to business people almost daily over a “coffee” – I drink tea.  (I’m doing my part to jump start the economy… Starbucks and Second Cup are doing very well by me.  It’s the price you pay to develop new business.)

Companies have stories to tell; great stories to tell… and I can’t wait to help them!

-Andrew

PS – Some great story tellers, who usually spark ideas in me:

Mitch Joel – Six Pixels of Separation

Andy Goodman – Good Ideas for Good Causes

Shel Holtz + Neville Hobson – For Immediate Release

The panel included:

· Dr. Alan Middleton of the Schulich School of Business

· David Kincaid President and CEO, Level 5 Strategic Brand Advisors

· Jim Little, Chief Brand and Communications Officer, RBC Financial Group

· Laurie Laykish, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Porter Airlines Inc.

· Marlene Hore, Creative Director, Partners and Edell; 2010 MHOL Mentor Legend

· Shane Skillen, President and Founder, Hotspex

It began with the simple question as to the state of mentoring – is it alive and well? The answer was YES and NO. With the economic upheaval that’s taken place globally, the panelists observed that formal mentoring or professional development programs are usually chopped first. However, informal mentoring was reported to be happening on an on-going basis all around us.

To its credit, the Marketing Hall of Legends has developed a Mentor Exchange Program to match up-and-comers with 50 of Canada’s top marketing executives.

For a lucky few, I’m sure this will be of tremendous benefit.

I question, however, whether a formal mentoring program ever truly works. My experience is that it feels forced and awkward when it’s structured within a company. Perhaps, this program has a better chance for success being structured through an association and starting slowly as a pilot.

My opinion… you’re better to gravitate to the people you trust and respect – they’re usually the best mentors to help guide you in work and more importantly life.

I was floored when I saw the Pat Robertson video, claiming the people of Haiti had made a deal with the Devil:

Fortunately, there are people like Andy Borowitz and others to call the Robertsons and Rush Limbaughs out for the ludicrous things they say.  I had a good laugh over the piece Borowitz penned called “Pat Robertson ‘A Public Relations Nightmare’, Says God”.

It’s no joke though… there’s a bad undercurrent in U.S. politics and followers of Robertson and Limbaugh eat it up and pass it along.

The photo accompanying this story in the Toronto Star is graphic and conveys the horror of what is happening in pockets of the country.

A man suspected of looting a store is beaten on a street in Port-au-Prince. Minutes later, he was set on fire and left to die. (Jan. 16, 2010) LUCAS OLENIUK/TORONTO STAR

It also raises the question (for me at least) about the role of journalists covering a country in crisis. Should they be impartial observers, or should they step in to help when they can?

I know I was particularly impressed by Anderson Cooper stepping in to help a child bloodied in a scene that turned ugly.

Returning to the role of social media, it has clearly provided a focal point for people wanting to help in the recovery effort. However, it has also been a source of confusion for marketers and people hoping to help.

To that end, Canadians are encouraged to direct donations to the Red Cross.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart brings true perspective to the whole mess and how it’s being covered.  Whether it’s Tiger Woods cheating on his wife or Michael Jackson’s death, what we’re seeing today from the news media is what we’ll see again with the next celebrity infidelity or death.

In my eyes, it’s ambulance chasing at its worst.  Yes, Tiger Woods is bad.  Yes, Tiger Woods has hurt his image.  More importantly, he has hurt his family… it’s time to let him move on in a private fashion to repair the damage he has done.  But, there’s no way that’s going to happen any time soon.

At least not until the media and pundits have a new bone to gnaw on.

Click on the photo for a good laugh.

PS – As an aside, it’s too bad the Comedy Network doesn’t make it easy to share its content.

Starting my own business was an easy decision to make after 15+ years of working for some of the larger PR agencies in Toronto.  I’ve enjoyed some amazing experiences and worked alongside some of the best and brightest in the industry.

Having said that… I’ve also come to realize that the typical agency model needs a refresh.  Today’s economy demands a more realistic billing structure and there must be a stronger commitment to client satisfaction and results.  Public relations shouldn’t be about “managing expectations.”   In my opinion, it just sets everyone up to aim lower instead of higher.

SELECT Public Relations will be committed to getting results and working hard to exceed expectations.

It’s going to be fun!

Objectives:

- Promote the Power Monitor, a new energy-saving device designed to make people more aware of how much energy they use and how much money they could save

Strategies:

- Partner with credible organizations dedicated to promoting sustainable living and specifically energy conservation

- Focus on local media relations as part of the tour to promote the Power Monitor

Activities:

- Sponsored a national tour of 26 colleges and universities across the country
- Issued media release and arranged interviews for product spokespeople
- Arranged for product promotion on-site and via local radio stations

Results:

- Donated $25,000 to the David Suzuki Foundation, as part of an on-line campaign to drive people to sign-up for the David Suzuki Nature Challenge

- Successfully positioned Black & Decker as a company committed to sustainability