I was recently looking for a bit of the history behind the Government of Ontario logo and in the process discovered a fabulous blog called “The Canadian Design Resource“.

The site features logos, brands, and other elements of Canadian (often nostalgic) design and identifies the year/designer/company behind them when available. It also allows you to contribute your own commentary and help fill in the back story to each of the pieces. A great resource and a fantastic reminder of the work behind many of the signs, logos, and items that most of us Canadians probably take for granted. I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you are a fellow Canadian marketer or designer.

Have you ever read a disclaimer or a condition that comes with a a marketing offer and wondered what the $*%# does this mean? Well so have I, and after figuring these things out (the hard way), I’ve decided to spare you, my dear readers the same agony by putting together a little translation guide. So without further ado, and in no particular order, here are the real meanings behind ten of the most insidious marketing lies. Read more »

When was the last time you told your mobile service provider that you love them or the maker of your cell phone?

There is nothing a company wants more than to cultivate a love affair with customers. Now what’s wrong with that sentence? Well nothing really, besides the fact that its usually a LIE, and a pretty brazen one at that.

Sadly, most corporations only preach this without actually practicing it. They prefer to behave like detached creatures that loathe closeness and recoil at the slightest twinge of customer affection. They prefer “customer adoption” and “customer retention” to customer affection. They shrink back from the warm embrace of their most ardent fans.

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It’s been a while now since I’ve done the whole sending around the resumé thing, but I was talking over the weekend with a friend recently went in search of a new job. The resumé’s been around for a while now with relatively few changes to reflect the integrated skill sets of today’s employees (e.g. contacts and resources available through informal social networks) . Over the next week or so we’ll be taking a look at the Resumé (or CV) from some different perspectives. First up? The Skills and Experience Section. Read more »