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I’ll admit, I’m not a huge sports fan. I think Sunday’s match up between Canada and the USA in Olympic Men’s Hockey, was the first time I’ve watched a full, televised game…Ever. But before you start throwing sweaty gym socks at me, I have to admit that I really, really enjoyed it. How could you not?! I can finally understand why sports is such big business.

Hockey aside, I’m not totally ignorant as to what happens in the world of professional sports, and who the players are. One name that’s always stood out is Steve Nash. I know he’s an amazing basketball player. I know that he didn’t even start playing basketball until he was in eighth grade, and that at a mere 6’3″ he beat the odds in terms of making it big. I even know that he’s a five time All-Star and two-time NBA MVP with career per game averages of 14 points and 7.6 assists. That’s right.

But when I picked up February’s Fast Company Magazine and saw him on the cover, I was intrigued. What business lessons could I learn from an NBA player?

It turns out that there aren’t many lessons we can’t learn from Steve. This reluctant “anti-brand,” household name, holds up in his off-court ventures as well as he does on the court.

Here are my Top 10 reasons we should all be a little more like Steve Nash:

1. He gives 100% – No one can call Steve a slacker.

2. He focuses on opportunities rather than setbacks – The man plays pro basketball despite the odds against him, namely height and a serious back injury.

3. He trains hard – Whether physically prepping for his day job, or becoming an intern at a marketing firm for the summer to understand this side gig, Nash isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.

4. He’s not afraid of failure – He improvises on the court, and off. The man isn’t afraid to take risks.

5. He gives back – Remember when we were talking about corporate social responsibility a few weeks ago? Steve takes “giving back” to heart. The Steve Nash Foundation is a prime example of this.

6. He’s action-oriented – Rather than simply waiting for others to do the work, he takes on jobs himself, like writing scripts for commercials, and producing his own videos. He does it all. (See #4.)

7. He embraces change – Despite his reluctance to become a “brand,” he assumed the role with zeal when he saw how much good he could accomplish by doing so.

8. He’s a new media pro star – Production company (Meathawk Productions)? Check. Viral videos? Check. Twitter account? Yup. If Nash is doing it, maybe you should too.

9. He’s humble – With so many people feeling the need to “be somebody”, Steve exudes a reluctant celebrity status, marked not by the need to impress, but to make a difference.

10. He plans ahead – He knows he’s not going to play basketball forever, and has already assumed other roles to plan for this future. Staying innovative counts.

Steve is changing the game of business by making his own rules, and forging ahead with intent and creativity. How are you changing your game?

Collaboration, Photography and Tweet Ups!

February 17, 2010 Social Media

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Hi everyone! Wow, has it been a busy week for anyone else?!

This morning I had the privilege of speaking with the students from Loyalist College’s Art & Design Foundation program. The subject: “Social Media for Creatives”.

I’ve had the chance to work with the group before, and I couldn’t have been happier to be invited back by program co-ordinator, Robert Kranendonk. We love working with Loyalist’s faculty and students, and it’s always a pleasure to visit the college. On top of that, one of the highlights of the morning for me, was guest presenting with Lucas Tingle, and his wife and co-owner, Melissa Howlett, of Winding Violets.

These two incredibly talented professional photographers are based in Kingston, Ontario, but have worked throughout North America. They came in, literally at the last minute, to help me explain to the group why social media and personal branding are of the utmost importance for young, creative entrepreneurs. You must take a look at their website to see why I was so excited to bring them on board.

And it gets better!

Tomorrow, we’re partnering with Winding Violets and Loyalist Public Relations, to present the next Quinte Tweet Up! Lucas and Melissa have generously come on board to chronicle the event, pictorally, and we couldn’t be happier! With their avid use of social media, and their gifted photographic skills, they’re the perfect people to work with for the event.

And it gets even better!

Winding Violets is donating our grand prize: A personal portrait session for one lucky guest!

How do you qualify to win? Easy! All you have to do is show up to the Boathouse Restaurant in Belleville, Ontario, tomorrow night between 5:30-7:30pm, and donate to Flights of Hope and their relief efforts in Haiti. This is such a win-win scenario!

Why do you win? Once again, may I direct you to Winding Violets’ website. Also make sure to become a fan on Facebook, and follow Lucas on Twitter.

There’s still plenty of time to RSVP to this event via our Facebook Fan Page, our event profile, or by tweeting me, @brynajones, or @EngineCom.

Hope to see you there!

On the Road

November 23, 2009 Uncategorized

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j0438811 Last week I started talking about finding your voice online. As mentioned, I was on a search for nuggets of wisdom that would point me toward this, and I wasn’t having much luck. I’ve also noticed that more and more, who we present ourselves as online, is having increasingly dramatic consequences in our daily lives (Click here and here for examples.)

Why should this matter to you?

As professionals we need to know who we are. Discovering our voice is critical to success in the workplace. As a young pro, it’s part of the stage that I’m at, but I have a feeling that these questions arise throughout our careers. Equipping ourselves with the tools to assess these situations is another important element of our work life.

Rather than simply talk about this, I’ve decided to use myself as a guinea pig. I’m going on a journey–a journey of self-discovery that I hope will help you to find out who you are as well.

So let’s begin…

As John Donne said, “No man is an island.” I’ve enlisted some experts to help me take this trip into my psyche. The first is Murray Comber of Life Concepts, Leadership, Team & Career Development.

Murray is a Corporate Soft Skills Trainer and Career & Work Consultant from Eastern Ontario. Since 2001, he has worked with high level government officials, and leaders everywhere from big business to non-profits, to help them to understand themselves and the people they work with.

Using both temperment and type assessments, he assists individuals in determining their personal career paths, strengthening their leadership competencies, building teams, and encouraging peak performance. He’s been kind enough to agree to help me out next.

I’ll be taking a variety of tests to assess what makes me tick. This could be a bumpy ride! Stay tuned, and make sure to check out Murray’s site while we wait for the test results.

In the meantime, my colleague Nate Riggs (another expert you’ll be hearing more from soon in the Engine Room) from Huber + Co. Interactive in Columbus, Ohio, sent me this link to find out my Myers-Briggs Personality Type. I’ve posted the results on our Facebook Fan Page. Try it out, and let me know your type!

Please Don’t Be “That Guy”

November 18, 2009 Public Relations / Social Media

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We're laughing at him, not with him. You don't want to be "that guy" online. #epicfail

It’s really no secret that I’m a political junkie. I just love it. I’ve worked on political campaigns of various stripes–provincially and federally. I’ve worked for a Member of Parliament–one of the most amazing experiences of my life to date. (How many people can say they had sushi on the Prime Minister’s patio–twice?!)

A lot of people’s eyes glaze over when they hear talk of elections, politics, and Stephen Harper’s sweater vests. I however love these things, and will continue to bore people well into the future with my lively discussion of said passions. It’s part of who I am.

As a result, I’ve been a little more aware than most about what I post on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Working for a politician, I’ve always felt that you represent that person when you’re in public–online or off. Especially around election time, when the vultures come out in all camps, you’ve got to stay on top of what you say, who you say it to, and…what people tag you in on Facebook.

Today I found myself reading my morning Commentz, and thinking about “discovering who I am,” as I did yesterday on the blog. This is what I see: Another young candidate caught in compromising Facebook albums. Really? Really?! (Click here for the full story.)

Emmanuel Pleitez says that he doesn’t have anything to hide; that he purposely didn’t untag the pictures, or ask for them to be taken down. He says he’ll go through the pictures with questioning voters, and explain them one by one. Really? Really?!

This is the kind of mistake that costs you an election–and worse, your reputation. I am all for being genuine. That was part of my argument yesterday. No, I don’t think you should pretend to be someone you’re not online or in any area of life. Being real is key to utlizing social media, building relationships, and creating “Brand You.” But in this case, being “real” cost votes, and worse, it cost’s reputation.

Reputation and image are of the utmost importance in politics and business. Last month I had the opportunity to speak to the students in the Art & Design Foundation program at Loyalist College, and this was the same message I gave to them. You might think your online profiles are just for fun, but how would you feel if a potential employer (or voter) Googled you? Would you be proud of what they might find? If the answer is no, then you need to think twice about what you share online.

It’s not about ‘hiding’ anything. In my mind, if you’re doing things you feel you need to hide, then you need to reevaluate your actions–that’s just common sense. The issue is that a tremendous amount of information is being shared, some you can control, some you can’t. It’s time for young professionals to take control of the pieces they can.

Look at your profiles. Question the messages you send about who you are. I don’t want to say, “grow up,” but I will tell you this: You don’t want to be “that guy.”

Bringing back Pee-wee

October 26, 2009 Public Relations

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Pee-wee Herman is making a comeback, folks.

That’s right, you know who I’m talking about!

There’s something to be said for a character that after almost 20 years off the public radar, can come back into the mainstream with as much brand recognition as they day he left.

What a character he was! Both in costume, and in real life, Paul Reubens–the man behind the gray suit, slicked hair and red bow tie–has caused a stir. His breakthrough performance as Pee-wee, the strange, incomparable yet endearing, Peter-Pan, started as a comedy routine that quickly morphed into more: A movie (Pee-wee’s Big Adventure), a network television show (Pee-wee’s Playhouse), another movie (Big Top Pee-wee) and a multi-million dollar franchise.

Taking concepts from earlier educational children’s programming (think Rocky & Bullwinkle, The Mickey Mouse Club, and Captain Kangaroo) Reubens created a world where these ideas were amplified to epic, larger-than-life proportions. (Remember the elaborate way he made toast in his Big Adventure?) Pee-wee became a cultural phenomena, that somehow broached age barriers, allowing parents and children to identify, enjoy, and wonder at the chaos that was Pee-wee.

Part of the reason for this universality was that Pee-wee wasn’t afraid to take on taboo subject matter in a way that was so innocent, that it wasn’t overtly radical. Themes of race, inequality and loneliness were groundbreaking for children’s television at the time, and Pee-wee discussed them freely. Maybe his child-like, harmless, asexuality was part of the reason he could do it when others couldn’t. Until he wasn’t child-like, harmless or asexual anymore.

Pee-wee may have reached the ‘big top,’ but Paul Reubens took quite a fall. Although Pee-wee’s Playhouse had been off the air for over a year, it was still on CBS in reruns when Reubens was arrested for indecent exposure at an adult movie theatre in 1991. Major PR ensued with CBS, Toys R Us, and Disney-MGM pulling Pee-wee from shelves and airwaves. Despite best attempts to quell backlash, all the good that Pee-wee had done was very quickly erased by Reubens’ lack of judgment. A second arrest, which Reubens was later cleared of, on child pornography charges, was the nail in the coffin of the Pee-wee Herman brand. The innocent, man-child was no more.

But fast forward 19 years, and things have changed.

Reubens, now a 52 year old man, is back with a new Pee-wee Herman stage show and a screenplay. I have to admit that when I first heard this, I laughed (and not in the nice, supportive way). But there’s something about this comeback that has really stuck with me. It might simply be nostalgia, but that in itself can be a powerful thing. Is it powerful enough to bank a brand on?

Reading his recent interviews, what struck me is that Reubens gets that he’s messed up. He knows he’s not an easy sell. He’s honest about his indiscretions–admits the ones that are his, and adamantly denies those that he’s already been cleared of. We talk so much about building trust in brands in the social media and online worlds. What’s ironic is that I’m reading Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith while I’m thinking about whether I’d trust the Pee-wee brand again. For some strange reason, I do. I do trust Pee-wee!

Reubens is putting himself on the line in terms of professional transparency. (I’m not so naive as to believe he’s letting it all out, but that’s ok. I don’t want to know everything anyway.) Whether it’s in confessing that he’s obessive-compulsive, or being a little bit proud of the implications of the Pee-wee phenomena, Paul Reubens comes across as a real person–not a product of Hollywood publicists. And I like that.

It’s actually got me rooting for ‘Pee-wee’s Big Comeback.’ And I think it’s a good lesson in PR and branding: Building trust after a crisis is hard, but it’s possible. It might take 20 years, but if the repentence (so-to-speak) is real, it might just be crazy enough to work. Tequila!

U2: The Ultimate Brand

September 17, 2009 Marketing

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u21jpg Last night, along with 58,000 or so other people, I had the ultimate live music experience when U2 played the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario.

I call U2 the ‘ultimate brand’ because over the past 33 years they have built an empire that has united more people from across the globe then I would hazard to guess any other ‘brand’ has. (And sold millions of records, and made billions in product sales, and, and, and…You get the drift.)

What’s the secret to their success? Among many things: a consistent delivery of their product, the ability to evolve and change with the time and culture, their focus on corporate responsibility and social justice, and being genuine–not perfect.

Any business or individual can learn something from these guys.

I won’t spoil tonight’s show for anyone by talking set list or other special stuff, but you’re in for the time of your life!

Ok…one hint…

Seeing 58,000 people lifting their hands and singing ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ sent me into states of shock and awe. Glorious!

Pre-show

The roof was open at the Rogers Centre.

Bono's looking right at me! 😉

The Edge--Can you get better than this guy?!

My siblings, and dates for the evening--(L-R) Me, Mike & Ariel

Eureka! 10 Things That Are Inspiring Us Today

September 10, 2009 Design / Social Media / Web

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Ok, ok, I know the ‘Top 10’ list concept has been overdone. But sometimes it’s interesting to know what’s inspiring other people to do what they do. That’s why I’ve complied a ‘Top 10’ of sorts.

Here’s what I’m loving today at Engine:

United Way of Quinte’s 2009 Campaign Lauch – I love our community! I don’t think I can say it enough. To see so many people come out to support the United Way’s launch at the Quinte Mall this morning was inspiring. Despite hard economic times, the Quinte region has pulled together and overcome what many others haven’t. Why? Because we act when others just talk.
Nature – We have had the most beautiful week, weather-wise, here in Belleville that we have experienced all summer. (Fall, you get my vote on favourite season. Summer, disappointing show this year.) The world is an amazing place, and nature has inspired designers, writers, and artists since time began. The National Geographic website is an ode to all that is planet earth.
Gorgeous Enterprises – Gorgeous is a London-based production company that specialises in high end, creative projects. I posted a link on our Facebook Fan Page a couple days ago, but I can’t get enough. These guys do advertising right.
Shakespeare – Yes, the bard is bringing back my love of all things wordplay and innuendo (I’m reading Much Ado About Nothing). If you need to shake-up (pun intended) your brainstorming sessions, try solving problems with iambic pentameter. Now that’s a creative challenge!
U2 – No Line on the Horizon is magnificent. I said it. These guys prove that you can reinvent yourself over and over as long as you stick to your values. Do you remember Pop, their one misstep in 33 years? Ya, me either. They’re that good. (I’m seeing them live on the 16th, just sayin’.)
The New Yorker – Insightful commentary laced with humour and satire. What could be better? This is for moments when you want to feel urbane without having to try too hard.
The Yellow Bird Project – Indie rock musicians create t-shirts with the proceeds going to charity. Awesome. And I have to say, I love the website design.
Toronto International Film Festival – Spotlight on Canada! TIFF is one of the most highly anticipated film festivals in the world, and with good reason. The premiere I wish I was going to? Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air starring George Clooney.
Free: The Future of a Radical Price – Chris Anderson, the editor of Wired magazine, makes the argument that in the digital age, the whole economy is shifting to an era where ‘free’ is the new price. Yikes! Sound daunting? This book has taken my thinking to new levels in terms of creative business solutions. Love it!
Social Media Campaigns that Work – What does Imogen Heap have in common with a squirrel? More than you’d expect. Two very different SM marketing campaigns that have taken off, and produced results.

What’s inspring YOU today?

What J-Lo and Engine Have in Common

September 8, 2009 Advertising / Marketing

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jlocover I’ve been thinking a lot about branding this weekend, which wasn’t my intent at all. It started out in a seemingly harmless manner. I wanted to relax so I bought an InStyle magazine, with the hope of sitting in the sun and enjoying a mindless hour of fashion and celebrity news.

But anyone who knows me, knows my brain rarely shuts off long enough for an hour of complete respite. After flipping through a couple pages, I realized I was surrounded by the one thing I was trying not to think about at all: branding.

My friend, Nate Riggs, Director of Communication Strategy at huber + co. interactive in Columbus, Ohio, talks a lot about the concept of ‘building brand you.’ I love this idea. I’ve been thinking about the Engine brand a lot lately, and how my personal brand relates to that. As I sat reading InStyle, ‘brand you’ kept staring me in the face.

With every article of clothing, every accessory, every celebrity interview, my likes and dislikes were becoming more and more apparent. The clothes I buy, books I read, music I listen to–all of those things make me, me–and tell you a story about who I am.

Seth Godin makes a pivotal argument in his book, All Marketers Are Liars that it’s not enough to simply sell a brand anymore. You have to know what story are you trying to convey about that brand to the customer.

Today’s shopper is smart. They want to know what you sell, but also if it lines up with their values. There’s too much competition in the marketplace for most small businesses to ignore this fact.

Jennifer Lopez, this month’s InStyle cover girl is a perfect example of personal branding done right. J-Lo sells magazines, not because she’s the most talented actress or singer, but because she sells a story. She is Jenny from the block. The girl from the Bronx who danced her way from ‘fly girl’ to business tycoon. She’s sexy, exotique, spends her time in St. Tropez, and gives to charity. What woman wouldn’t like to taste that life?

J-Lo has built an empire around the concept of ‘brand you.’

My colleague Nate, has built his personal brand too, and he just might make tycoon status one day as well. Though he and J-Lo have different stories, the idea is the same: they both have a story to tell and a product to sell. Those two things are almost inextricably combined.

I think this quote is brilliant (and I borrowed it from Nate). It sums up ‘brand you’ perfectly:

The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. ~ U.S. novelist and short-story writer, James A. Michener

A huge part of what we do at Engine is to assist businesses in building their brand, and communicating their story to the right audience. You can check out our portfolio for some examples of this. If your brand could use some energizing, contact us for a consultation.

The Un-Starbucks?

August 17, 2009 Marketing / Public Relations

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: A shot of 15th Ave Coffee & Tea in Seattle

For those of you who don’t know, Starbucks recently decided to attempt a de-branding experiment by opening three ‘street level’ coffee shops in Seattle, called 15^th Avenue Coffee & Tea. Why? Good question. I can only imagine it’s an attempt to cater to a clientele that wouldn’t normally go to Starbucks ie. the free-trading, guitar playing, local business proponent, hipster.

Let’s face it. There are people who love Starbucks and there are people who hate Starbucks. There don’t seem to be too many people on the fence. And there aren’t too many people on the fence about 15^th Ave either. With this de-branding effort, the love/hate relationship continues.

Take this commentary in Harvard Business Publishing by Peter Merholz:

Perhaps my biggest beef with 15th Ave is that it’s fundamentally dishonest. Everyone knows it’s run by Starbucks, but the website and the store do all they can to suggest it’s a true independent (though the high level of interior design suggests a bankroll out of the reach of most entrepreneurs).

I don’t love the notion of touting yourself as one thing when you’re actually another. It lacks integrity. This is bad branding. However, I disagree with the author that:

There’s no way a corporate coffee chain can create an authentic neighbourhood coffee experience.

Our local Starbucks actually has a neighbourhood coffee shop feel. It’s frequented by a regular cast of characters, and the staff is friendly and actively involved in the community. Yes, the decor might be de rigeur, and the chairs might be a little hard. (Why did they take away our comfy chairs? Why?) But really, it’s the people who make the ‘community,’ not the brand.

That’s where I do have a problem with 15^th Ave. I’m confused as to why it’s necessary at all. It seems completely redundant. They’re even selling the same coffee (not sure if it’s at the same price point though).

When you’re already the most popular brand on Facebook with over 3 million fans, you have over 200,000 followers on Twitter, and you’re not doing too bad financially, de-branding doesn’t seem like the likeliest business strategy.

So what’s up Starbucks?

Why not work with the resources you already have, and empower your staff to get even more involved in their communities? Or create customer incentives to reward those who frequent your shops every day?

If you build it, we won’t necessarily come. Serve us better, and we’ll be there (and we’ll bring all our friends).

On the Road

Bringing back Pee-wee

U2: The Ultimate Brand

Eureka! 10 Things That Are Inspiring Us Today

What J-Lo and Engine Have in Common

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