Arts and Culture is the Core of Community Vibrancy

Many folks question the need to support the arts - particularly on a community level. Schools across Canada are having their arts funding cut, and it seems there are as many people fighting for the arts as there are people fighting against it.

It has been proven that arts-education facilitates better learning in all other educational disciplines. So, my point is to highlight the value that the arts provides to a community in a way that is meaningful to folks who have the money to keep the arts alive and thriving - anyone who may be potential "consumers". Patronizing local arts and artists is not just good for the intelligence of a community - it is also fundamental to its economy.

The primary goal of anyone who works in the arts is to continue to make a living. It's as simple as that - most artists - painters, musicians, dancers, sculptors, actors or writers - are entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals who make a living exercising their skills and abilities. And yet, artists rarely get the same level of respect (or pay) that a dentist or a lawyer does. Artists usually have an equal depth of education, training and commitment to their profession, and yet they rarely earn a consistent, sustainable living wage.

Achieving a balance between artistic mission and economic need, and creating a sustainable economy for artistic work is essential for community artists and arts organizations to be sustainable and healthy in the long-term. This is generally difficult for cultural entrepreneurs to do, but it is critical to the health of a community. Why? Because it is measurably valuable to have a thriving arts and culture community in any town or city. Why? Because a community that cherishes and presents is own community-defining stories of heritage and humanity is one that carves its own clear, compelling identity. Where would you rather live?  In a community that has a vibrant identity, or a faceless collection of factories and houses? Would you rather live with mature trees, parks, and skilled informed merchants and service providers under the umbrella of a defined, supportive "community" - or within a commodified community of strip-malls and tract housing?

A thriving cultural community attracts people. Cultural success leads to enriched lifestyles, which contributes directly to economic success in any community. A community that has a lot of "happenings" (not just in the arts, but in sport, volunteerism or any other social endeavor) will attract people - people who will live, work, spend, pay taxes, and contribute. Arts and culture has a place in community economic development that is fundamental to a strong, sustainable local economy.

All economic development starts with people who are thriving, happy and investing in their community. Creative innovation is essential to developing a culture of innovation in the broader community, and that starts with the arts. That means that, regardless of your love of the arts, it is essential to understand that a thriving arts community is a foundation of a strong, vibrant community.

Don't you think that it may be a good idea to invest in something that increases the quality and value of the region you call home?

QR Codes - Newfoundland and Labrador does 'em right. Yis bye.

QR Codes are getting ubiquitous - but how many people actually use them?  A better question - how many people even know what they are supposed to be used for?  An even better question for the techies - what does "QR" stand for??  "Quick Response"... not that it really matters, but I thought I'd test you.

My concern isn't with the ubiquity of QR codes - in fact, I think they present an awesome opportunity to reach out to people in spaces where mobile computing is the only option.  My concern is that it is still very, very new technology - and those of us "in the business" always forget that last month's news to us is still a bewildering, brave new world to the general public.

Enter the clever marketers behind tourism for Newfoundland and Labrador - the providers of what are arguably the most consistent and intelligent marketing campaigns in Canada.  They recently released a print insert in National newspapers with a QR code that allowed you to "Get the soundtrack", which played audio of birds singing over Cape St. Mary's.  What really impressed me though was the provision of text that said "Not sure how? Download a QR reader app on your smartphone, scan the QR code, and hear the birds."  It may seem simple, but I bet this one print ad taught thousands of people how to do this.  iphones are one thing - but how many BlackBerry users have enabled a QR reader app?  Have you?

My point is that this ad made no assumptions about its audience - in fact, if it made one assumption, it was that people may not yet understand the technology.  A pretty smart assumption to make, I think.

The ad itself is brilliant too - and the addition of audio, provided in the comfort of the newspaper reader's personal space, allows for a multi-sensory experience that lives up to the slogan "Give your senses a trip to remember".

Ah, I want to get back to Newfoundland.

Sociable Communications has moved out of the house!!

After two years in business, Sociable Communications has recently moved “out of the house” to an official office space at the Granbry Innovations Centre on 130 Research Lane, Suite 7B in Guelph, Ontario (just inside the east entrance, down the hall from AdFarm).

All other contact information, including our Post Office mailing box (PO Box 1684, Guelph ON) will stay the same – we now just have a formal space and a boardroom for conducting business on behalf of our clients and partners. Come on by and say hello!

What Does “Sociable!” Mean, Anyway?

Contrary to popular belief, Sociable Communications is not, and never has exclusively been a social media agency.  We are an integrated communications agency, and we are extremely conversant in social media best-practices – but it is just one piece of a bigger integrated communications picture with us. 

The root of the company name is in Atlantic Canada.  If you have ever toasted a table of friends, a band or a full-house of revellers in a Halifax, Fredericton or a St. John’s pub (or kitchen party), you won’t say “Cheers” – you’ll say “Sociable!!”  Our company aspires to a style of branding that supports this idea: we believe that successful branding should be engaging, personable, fun, and… well, ‘sociable’.  Oh, and our Chief Communications Officer and co-owner is a Newfie.  So, that’s the story.

Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea - nothing to do with us, really -  just a proud Newfoundlander.

Chrysler, Detroit, and American Dreaming

Truly great marketing communications must be simple, easy to understand, and evocative.  They must provide a clean, simple articulation of extremely big ideas: they need to reflect where a brand has been, where it is going, and must acknowledge all the impressions people have about the brand. The product isn’t the only thing a brand represents: Rice Krispies are so much more than just breakfast cereal, aren’t they?

I am legitimately awestruck by Chrysler’s new positioning: “Imported from Detroit”.  With three simple words, Portland-based Wieden + Kennedy have evoked the history and legacy of the American automotive industry, and even America itself.  They acknowledge the power that imported vehicles now have on the auto industry, but remind us that America is a big country - Detroit may as well be on the other side of the world from Texas, California or Oregon. Detroit is positioned as a nation unto itself - for better or worse – and it kind of is if you think about it.

Furthermore, the folklore of Detroit is wrapped into a modern, relevant package by engaging a Detroit-based spokesperson in Eminem. This is a man who, if nothing else, is one of the most credible, respected people in American entertainment. He has also had his own ups-and-downs before coming back on top. He brings authenticity, immediacy and legitimacy to Chrysler’s born-in-Detroit positioning. They couldn’t have done better if Sinatra came back to life – and had been from Detroit in the first place (and never left).

Detroit has famously been in decline for decades, but if there’s one thing America loves, it is an underdog story. What greater underdog is there than Detroit, this faded colossus in American mythology? Chrysler has laid claim to one of the most significant anchors in the evolution of the American dream – the Motor City – with all of the baggage, dreams, fortunes, and tragedies that go along with that. It seems risky, but I don’t think it is: if Detroit is positioned as a rising Phoenix, then Chrysler will also catch fire and burn brightly.

America loves positive stories of National pride, and this positioning taps into a deep well of American passion: “it's the hottest fires that make the hardest steel.”  It is genius in its simplicity – the same kind of sharp understanding of human nature that built the Motor City in the first place.

I bet the folks at Ford are kicking themselves (or are undertaking an agency review). The most simple, effective marketing solutions often remain the most difficult to articulate, but Wieden + Kennedy nailed this one for Chrysler with evocative, effective positioning.

Footnote: Wieden + Kennedy are the folks behind my other favourite brand re-positioning of last year, the now-legendary Old Spice campaign, which also turned an old-and-tired brand with significant baggage (Eddie Murphy’s ‘Delirious’, anyone?) into a new-and-vibrant brand again. If Wieden + Kennedy folks are reading, and want to open a Canadian office, we need to talk….

Heeding My Own Advice

I fell victim to a common mistake, and it took me two years to notice. I was so busy helping other people that I forgot to heed my own advice.

I have spent the past two years recommending strategic, integrated communications – best practises to spread a unified message across multiple available platforms. As an illustration, I recommend that if you publish a newsletter, you should break the individual articles apart and repurpose them as blog posts. Those blog posts can be automatically fed to Facebook and Twitter accounts (if it’s appropriate for your brand). This can help to drive traffic to your website, and the circle can be completed by allowing easy access to your social media sites by providing quick links on your website.

I missed this last part.

The simple act of inserting clickable social media icons on my own website has eluded me until this week. The new-and-improved Sociable Communications website now includes direct links to the social media accounts I have been populating for years. This not only offers more communications functionality, but I think it looks better too. I consciously went for a minimalist design on my site, but the added splash of colour works for me.

It’s a common mistake to overlook the simple things in life and in business, even if they are elements that you recommend to others each day. Still, it’s a reminder that we all need to spend a bit of time and attention re-examining our own daily approach to the way we present ourselves and our business. You can always find a way to improve things and evolve your processes for the better.

I always liked a quote from The Shawshank Redemption:  “Get busy living, or get busy dying.” My interpretation of the line is that it’s always in your best interest to seek self-improvement and growth. The challenge is that with a bit of ambition, you are often looking for the forest and the trees, forgetting to prune the bushes at your feet. It’s sometimes hard to see what’s right in front of you. We all need to stop and look down, even when we are running ahead.

Volunteer Commitments are Professional Commitments

A well-rounded professional career can benefit greatly from the experience, connections and mutual value that volunteer commitments can provide. However, your primary focus should be on providing value to your chosen community: you provide no value whatsoever in your volunteer role unless you are fully engaged and fully committed.

This applies to any committees you may choose to join, and it particularly applies to Board positions. For all intents and purposes, Board roles (including voluntary Board positions) mean that you and your Board colleagues oversee other people’s careers, expectations, goals and lives. As such, you are honour-bound to step up and do your absolute best. The root of any Board position is that it should never be “about you”.


If the commitment feels like a duty rather than a privilege, then please do your final duty and source an engaged individual who can fill your chair – and then get out of the way.

So many people join Boards for the wrong reasons: they are fulfilling employer expectations, or worse, they are padding their resume. If you are one of these people, do us all a favour and quit your position RIGHT NOW. You may not respect the magnitude of your Board position, but the staff of your organization certainly do, and you owe it to them (to say nothing of all other stakeholders in your organization) to give your volunteer role everything that you can give.


If you can’t, then please get out of the way of everyone else’s progress.

Your Work vs. the Reasons Why You Work

It can be a strange thing for a business owner or manager to present themselves on behalf of their company - where should the lines between a professional profile and a personal profile be drawn? It comes down to the level of comfort you have with "being your brand". If you own a store on Main Street, then you probably should "be your brand" - your friends will also be your customers (or should be), and your customers should become your friends. In person-to-person transactions, the best way to build repeat business is to build "sociability" into each professional transaction.

However, if you are selling "professional services", then you may not want personal details associated with your work life. Do you really want to know about your Doctor's weekend habits? Do you want your clients to know about yours? It's a tough call.

I personally couldn't care less what people know about me, but I still try to keep some distance between my personal and professional lives. At the end of the day, my clients are extremely important to me, and I count many as great friends, but other things are equally (or more) important than business stuff, and I choose to try to keep things partitioned - if only to remind myself when it is time to stop working. That's a big one - and it is a tough line to draw in the sand.

I spend a lot of my time talking with people about strategy, but it is important to have a life-strategy too - and that strategy should start with knowing where to draw the line between work and the reasons why you work.