Archives for 2009

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A good front-page story: Key elements

A short list of some key elements that make up a good story. Very elementary, but a good reminder, especially when I get mired in facts and lose sight of the heart and purpose of a story.

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Brochures Compared

A comparison of two brochures — same craft product, same region, completely different marketing materials. Which do you like better?

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The meaning is in the ear of the be-hearer

A friend, who also uses her computer every once in a while — uh, make that leaves her computer once in a while, sent me this. I hope you enjoy it, too! ea/ MY LIVING WILL Last night, my kids and I were sitting in the living room, having a chat. I said to them, […]

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Social media users and crows: What we have in common

Some years ago, I witnessed a “crow funeral” on the street in front of my house. What seemed like hundreds of crows suddenly appeared in the air, in the trees, on the lawns, on the roofs, everywhere around my neighbourhood. A young crow had just died on the roadway, and the noise its friends and […]

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Rubber duckies market benefits, not specs

I’m walking down the street, errands on my mind, when I realize I’ve just walked past a whole flock of rubber duckies… Eh? I turn back, and discover they are splashing around in a plumbing store’s window. Brilliant! I don’t really care about pipes and fancy faucets; I DO care about the pleasures of running […]

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Be Prepared: A True Story

Once upon a time (mid 1980s), in a land far away (UVic), Prince Ken (Athletics and Recreation Director Ken Shields, most decorated varsity basketball coach in Canadian history) had a problem. He knew there were many things his principality, his area of the kingdom, needed — and needed badly — but, alas, he had no […]

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Best print ad I think I’ve ever seen

Yeah, for sure, I’d absolutely love to go for a walk! Mt. Doug or Thetis Lake? Mmm, how about Thetis this time? See if any ducks have settled in for the winter yet. Oh, wait, where are my shoes? Hmm… these look a little… um… yuck! Yeah, I could definitely use some new ones… where […]

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Sharing thoughts across time and space

I have a friend, named Tim, who lives all the way across the country. Tim is a wonderful, affable, total geekhead, and I mean that in the very best of ways. He’s smart, he’s fascinated by minutiae, and he loves sharing his discoveries of the hidden treasures in the mundane world as he finds them, […]

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Business model for social media?

Years ago, folks had to figure out how to use the printing press in a way that generated revenue instead of creating a financial loss. Bright minds figured it out after a little while, and their ideas have been in use ever since. Then, suddenly, we had radio. Coolidge embraced it and won the post […]

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Connection isn’t it either…

I feel like I’m on a treasure hunt for the golden nugget hidden deep in the heart of social media! I’d sure love to identify its most valuable asset. Tools… Cool, but what’s their purpose? Content… Yup, I love learning stuff, but… Connection… OK, getting better and better… (BTW, my company name, Kiangle, is derived […]