Merriam Webster has named “blog” the word of the year, based on requests for definitions at its online dictionary. Other words in the top 10 reflect top news stories, such as the US election, Florida hurricanes, and Iraq War. The bizarre entry, “defenestration”, seemingly stems from political hara kiri or Unix manuals. (c) 2004 by […]

The Bachelor in BC? I stumbled across this news release while reviewing some market research studies on the BC Tourism website. Vancouver and Whistler will appear in next week’s episode of The Bachelor. Byron, the bachelor, will bring a date to Vancouver for a rooftop dinner at the Hotel Vancouver and a stop at the […]

Everett M. Rogers, a pioneer in research into how and why people adopt new technologies, has died at age 73. Best known for developing his Diffusion of Innovations theory, Rogers published 30 books and more than 500 articles. He applied his research to health communication projects around the world, often inspiring people interested in marketing […]

Do you know Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod from those Bodybreak commercials? For years, I’ve heard rumours about their relationship — apparent fodder for bored Canadians, even this Vancouver marketing consultant. In the past few months, I’d heard the fitness pundits had divorced, since neither seemed to appear in the same scene in recent commercials. […]

This week, I dashed into Safeway to pick up some paper towels. While standing in the aisle, I noticed that the left side held tissue, paper towels, and other essential sundries. On the right side, I found impulse buys, such as chips, pop, nuts, and popcorn. Brilliant. Safeway obviously realizes that, when customers pop into […]

Can advertisers push buttons in your brain to make you buy? A study reported in The New York Times suggests that advertisers can highjack your brain circuits for memory, decision-making and self image. Neuromarketing is a controversial practice and I can’t say I’ve ever applied it in creating ads or campaigns. However, understanding buyer behaviour […]

Vancouver film director Lisa Jackson has found success with guerilla marketing of her short documentary Suckerfish. Jackson’s film premiered at Hot Docs this April, and has since screened at festivals in Edinburgh, Melbourne, Toronto and Vancouver — with scheduled screenings in Detroit, New York, and other cities. As an independent film maker, Jackson markets her […]

Several people have asked me about Vancouver MBA programs. Accredited, recognized MBA programs in Vancouver include: Simon Fraser University (SFU) Executive MBA for seasoned managers SFU Global Asset & Wealth Management MBA SFU Management of Technology MBA SFU Specialist MBA UBC MBA Queen’s Executive MBA Many people have asked me to explain why I chose […]

Thinking of sending commercial email? Check the law before you click “send”. If your email turns out to be spam, you can face significant risks and penalties. By sending unwanted commercial email, you may annoy potential customers, losing sales and relationship opportunities. Email providers, such as Telus, Shaw or Yahoo may add you to their […]

The beta version of My Yahoo! features RSS feeds, allowing users to choose their own content. In the past, the My Yahoo! page offered a range of news, financial streams, comic, and web tools. The new portal turns My Yahoo! into a web-based RSS aggregator. RSS is an XML syndication technology, frequently used for syndicating […]