Business & Marketing

I’m a bit of a customer service freak.  Often to the detriment of my bottom line, the extra distance is travelled for clients and often for friends.  It’s Jw DNA, ultimately wanting to help others succeed and improve. Who doesn’t appreciate a resourceful referral? Since early days as an Account Executive in Toronto at Standard’s CKFM, (“The Sound of our Toronto”), my mantra was to be known for creativity, resourcefulness, and, customer service. Recently whilst travelling (out of Muskoka), I called a popular little restaurant that does a nice job of serving pizza, wings, burgers and the like, to order take out.  We did not have time to sit down, order, sit and eat.  We wanted to order on the phone, pick up a couple of burgers on the fly, and SAVE TIME doing so. The person on the other end of the phone was short with me saying: “It’s pizza and wing night here tonight, we can’t do burgers for take out.”  Somewhat understandably, I was flabbergasted.  In fact, for a moment I was literally speechless, which is a rarity for moi. I finally said: “I’ll have to call you back”, because I did not know what else to say, that was pleasant.  He replied: “You do that!”...

Recently, I wrote that the PVR was one of life’s greatest inventions.  In terms of its ability to alter our daily / weekly schedules, save time, and time shift, I continue to hold this belief to be true. From a marketing perspective, the PVR is a nightmare for advertisers who’s media planning and execution revolve around 30 second creative on ‘the tube’.  As an early adopter, I am embarrassed to point out that, in our little slice of Bala, we have five PVRs at our disposal.  We bought a couple, and then a lovely deal allowed us to ‘rent to own’ three more when we renovated. Our programming needs and wants are a team effort: a typical assortment of news, shows and sports.  Friends know me to be fanatical about PVRs.  If you don’t have one, sorry, I truly believe you are missing a boat of some consequence.  See above.  If your cel phone rings and you miss that all important love scene, or the dog barks, or someone knocks at your door…. you just ‘pause’ the action, and then rewind and re-play.  Wonderful.  Missed that playoff putt to win?  Want to see that touchdown pass again?  Missed that puck hitting the crossbar or back of the net?  Yup...

Like many, I have become addicted to technology.  Fact is, this happened twenty five years ago, but the realization of it becomes more and more evident by the week. As children and grandchildren visit our Muskoka cottage, we all line up our mobile devices on the top of a cupboard where ‘mass charging’ takes place.  Laptops are in abundance, iPads, and an assortment of electronic gadgets that keep the wee ones entertained when necessary are splayed about.  (We do our utmost to promote cottage activities with the g-kids, but there ARE times when adults require a respite).  So it has become cliché now to see an entire family viewing emails / texts / and browsing on their phones at the same time.  Owch! Back to my addiction.   I work on my laptop a LOT.  It ‘houses’ my business life, and so much content it boggles the mind.  It bothers me on occasion, that when the family visits, I am often perched in my office chair peering into my screen working away.  Life at North45 requires my being online a lot, but that is another story. Many years ago I purchased an iPad for my bride and for the most part, I use it more than she.  We ALL use...