The Wallenda Lunacy

You know, there’s something that’s been bugging me the past few days. I think we all get that way from time to time. And only just a few minutes ago, I managed to put my finger on it and identify the source of my buggery (if there is such a word). It’s the Nik Wallenda walk across the Niagara Falls last weekend. It’s really everything about the walk that irritates me to the hilt. It’s freaking ridiculous this whole thing.

Now, there’s no question that Nik is not only extremely disciplined, but he’s also courageous. No, make it that he is balls-of-steel courageous. It really is incredible that he did what he did. He has tremendous skill, (as if tight rope walking is in great demand.) Congrats Nik!

Like, does anyone know any companies looking to hire a tight rope walker? I don’t think so! If you do, let me know, won’t you?
I digress. Let’s get back to why I am so irritated

1. Wallenda estimated his history-making, walk by way of a cable strung over the brink will cost about $1.2 to $1.3 million. That includes fabrication and installation of the custom-made steel wire, permits and security on both sides of the border, travel and marketing.

Sheesh --- you’re blowing this obscene amount of money on a 550 feet walk while more than 60% of the world’s population starves. Are you freakin’ nuts? Furthermore, as of press time, I believe that Wallenda has no idea who will pay this bill. Taxpayers? The rich? The poor? Hell if I know!

2. “We need stuff like this,” Wallenda says. “We need things to encourage people that the impossible is actually possible.”

Again Nik --- hate to bust your balloon. While you are very talented and brave, encouraging the world that the impossible is possible by making a walk across the Falls, is akin to encouraging a crack addict to set a world record for crack-snorting. We really really do not need stuff like this to encourage an-already sick world that it can be even more sicker.

3. But not everyone was impressed … “It was slow and boring,” said Kim Deenie of Niagara Falls. It wasn’t exciting because he wore the harness. Daredevils are supposed to do things that risk their lives.”
Yeah right Kim, let’s take the harness off why don’t we. And let’s watch this very talented idiot (a husband and father of two kids) fall to his death if he falls --- that sounds like a fun Friday night doesn’t it?

4. Just prior to the event, Dino DiCienzo, president of Canadian Niagara Hotels said there were a few rooms left at the Sheraton Crowne Plaza and Skyline Inn hotels operated by the company. “Definitely, we’ll be sold out’” he said, adding the average price for a room is 15-20% more than a typical Friday this time of year.

Money’s money Dino. And I appreciate that you gotta make money – in fact, there’s nothing wrong with making money. However, raising prices for such a silly event, really is not cool. Niagara Falls is expensive enough to begin with (trust me, I was there a few weeks ago – and paying $22 for one hour of parking, even makes Toronto look cheap).

I think John Law, a reporter with the Niagara Falls Review said it best … “If this thing was any more drawn out, we’d be doing stories on his shoelaces. We were starting to see the guy in our sleep — Wallendreams"

If you think I'm being a crusty old curmudgeon, just let me know.

The Apple Never Falls Far From The Tree - Loyalty

Unfortunately, I’m not much of a reader at all. Never was. Never will be. In what little spare time I have, I listen to music, play some tennis and play poker from time to time with a bunch of neighbourhood dads. I spend time with my wife and kids – in other words, I’m pretty much of an ordinary average guy (as Joe Walsh said in his song of the same name in 1991 – it’s a classic.)

So, when the wife suggested to me a few weeks ago that I read a book that she had loved (she’s a voracious reader by the way), about a dog (I love dogs), I said why not. So that evening I picked up the book written by a guy called Garth Stein and called “The Art of Racing in the Rain”. I’d never heard of him.

Now, if you have not read it – it is a must read. Make no mistake, I am not going to tell you the story and ruin it, but again – it’s a must read. (Full disclosure - although I am in marketing / PR, I’m not Garth’s publicist).

Anyways, it’s an easy read. Can get through it in a few days – and it’s the kind of story you just don’t want to end. It’s a sad – yet feel good story.

But here’s the thing … I guess loyalty plays a big role in my life and in the relationships that I value. In a blog posting a few weeks ago (This would never have happened at Disney) I talked a lot about loyalty – and the fact that my kid’s friend Andrew showed a huge amount of it towards my son Jason. And any fourteen year old kid that understands loyalty has got to be a good kid.

And then I forgot about loyalty until the last chapter of the book – and then boy --- did the concept of loyalty come back or what. You see, the book’s about a dog called Enzo and his master (Denny) – and chronicles the ups and downs of their relationship. It’s vivid. It’s real – and I am sure that if dogs could talk and write – it could even be real. In other words, it’s not far-fetched. Just the way I like a book to be.

So, a few nights ago, I’m a chapter or two from the end of the book – something happens that talks to loyally. The sniffles start. The eyes well up – and moments later I felt the warm salty tears working their way down my cheeks. My wife’s next to me. I’m bawling now. And that’s OK. (Real men cry too, you know!). Well, the tears lasted a few minutes. I mopped up and went on my way. My wife was impressed.

But then something else happened last night that put a few more things into perspective. I’m sitting at the dinner table with the wife and son - Jason. (Daughter - Amanda was at a friend). That all three of us were together is rare. That there were no distractions is even more so.

I’m not sure how the topic of friendship came up, but it did. And when I asked Jason what’s the single most important factor for him in selecting friends, he responded “Loyalty”. I sat back, swallowed the lump in my throat and continued eating. No doubt Jason (like all other teenagers) will learn some harsh realities about life – some will have happy endings, others perhaps not so happy. But one thing that I am so glad is that he’s learned the value of loyalty.

And it's good that the apple never falls far from the tree.

An interesting comment!

So within minutes after having sent my Wonderland Posting - this is what a good friend of mine said --- and the more I think about it, the more I realize, I'm not gonna give up that easily --- stay posted!

This would never have happened at Disney

I’m all about service. I provide great service and I expect the same. When I get great service, I’m the first to talk it up – and when the service I get sucks, I say so. Not only did yesterday's service at Canada’s Wonderland suck, but the offer they made me (supposedly to make me smile), sucked even more.

My son, (Jason, 15) went to Wonderland with his buddy (Andrew). Jason also needed to renew his season pass (cost $61.99 plus tax). Cool. No problem. So, I arm Jason with my American Express Card, (after all, the ad says to never leave home without it), drop him at the park and off I go to work-out. Sounded simple! Unfortunately not!

An hour later Jason calls me. He’s exasperated.

“Hi Dad”, he says. “I’ve been in the line for almost an hour. I am at the front now and they’re telling me their American Express terminal is down – what should I do?”

“I’m sure they’ll come up with a plan – work with them Jason – stay cool.”

“I’m trying Dad - they won’t help”

“Let me speak to the person”, I say.

“No – she won’t come to the phone and says she can’t help me or you”

“Huh – you gotta be kidding??” – as I overhear the conversation between Jason and the clerk.

“Jason, please just tell her that I would like to speak to her”

“I told her – and she says no”

Now I’m pinching myself --- can this be true?

I call the park – finally get through to customer service and speak to someone called Michelle. She seems on the ball. She seems to understand. I tell her my situation and she apologizes. Says that what I need to do, is come to the park. She’ll have me, Jason and his buddy whisked to the front of the line and take care of the issue – and that she’ll give Jason $10 in food coupons for the fact that their machine was down and that he had to wait just under an hour in line.

You know what $10 gets you at Wonderland? Maybe 2 ice cream cones if you’re lucky!!! Problem is that I’m not feeling lucky. Matter of fact, I’m feeling like I just got a swift kick in the ass - how's that for unlucky?

She tells me to ask for an employee called Ariz who will help me.

Forty minutes later, I'm at the park's entrance, find Jason --- he’s sad (and I am beyond pissed). We ask security for Ariz – of course they’ve never heard of him. And what’s even worse, by the look on the security guard’s face - you’d think I’d asked him for the holy grail. Not only did he have no idea what I was talking about, he mumbled something and then looked away – clearly, he was not a helper.

I called again. Miraculously Michelle answered the phone. (Thank the good lord for small miracles). She agreed to send Ariz out – and seconds later there was Ariz. The diminutive and very young looking Ariz worked wonders. He whisked us here, he whisked us there – and without further hassle Jason and his buddy Andrew were in the park, a full 96 minutes after I had dropped them in line earlier in the afternoon. Both teens went away happy and smiling. Jonny and Ariz had come to the rescue!

I guess ten bucks compensation (aka two ice cream cones) is better-than-nothing.

As I was chating with my 15 year old about this, I imparted the following words of wisdom:

1. Having a plan B is critical. The circumstances would have been entirely different, (not to mention easier), if I'd given Jason my American Express as Plan A … and perhaps my Visa card as Plan B. That way if one fails, the other is bound to work.

2. Never give up when you know you’re right – My son was perfectly in line by asking to speak to the supervisor – and when the supervisor refused, for who knows what reason, my son should have stood his ground, even calmly demanding to speak to even the supervisor’s supervisor if necessary.

3. Loyalty – and that’s a massive one for a Sacke. Jason’s buddy (Andrew) who had brought just enough cash for himself to get in, could have simply said to Jason “Tough luck – see ya inside the park later dude” – and that’s exactly what he did not do. Jason was down – like who the hell would not be. Andrew put his arm around his shoulder. Andrew stuck with him. Andrew behaved like a good friend should --- and I like that. No – I love that. Andrew’s a good kid.


In the end, the kids had a good time. I killed a full 90 minutes doing kindness for my kid. And you know what made it worthwhile? When my kid said “Dad, I really appreciate what you did. That was very kind. Thanks!”

Ahhh – the joys of fatherhood. Too bad that time is flying so fast. And as far as Wonderland making me or my kid happy with the poor treatment we got? Ain’t gonna happen! $10 bucks of near worthless food coupons just isn’t gonna cut it. Shame!!!

So - what can we learn from Apple?

Apple’s been in the news a lot lately – and there’s good reason. Let’s take a fast look at what’s been happening in Apple’s space – and towards the end of this post, I’ll bring it back to what us marketing types can learn from Apple – and clearly, there’s lots.

I am an avid stock watcher – and not afraid to admit that I own stock in this fantastic company, having bought them several months ago. Thanks to the stock’s meteoric rise, my capital had appreciated almost 40 percent prior to it dropping 13 percent over the past month, including a streak of ten losing sessions over the past twelve days. Still, I am up handsomely, and I’m far from complaining.

Pretty much every other consumer electronics’ company’s stock is in the crapper – so again, as an Apple shareholder, I’m all smiles.

Seemed as though investors had begun to question Tim Cook’s ability to live up to Steve Job’s legacy. I prefer to refer to Steve as Willy Wonka – and that’s because Steve was like Willy – a modern day, je ne sais quoi type of inventor --- and I like that.

Earlier this week, Apple released its quarterly numbers – and they were jaw-droopingly stellar. Their best ever!

"We're thrilled with sales of over 35 million iPhones and almost 12 million iPads in the March quarter," Cook said. "The new iPad is off to a great start, and across the year you're going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver."

Well, Apple’s results of yesterday stunned all the naysayers. In a nutshell :

· $39.2 billion (U.S.) in revenue, up 59 percent from the year-ago quarter and well above average analyst expectations of $36.8 billion.

· $11.6 billion in net income - $12.30 per share — which almost doubled the $6 billion, $6.40 per share from Q2 2011.

· Gross margins surged from 41.4 percent last year to 47.4 percent thanks to lower operational and component costs. Expectations had been just below 43 percent.35.1 million iPhones sold, far ahead of the 30 million prediction on the street and 88 percent more than last year. Apple has sold 109 million of its iconic smartphones in the last year, and they now account for over 50 percent of its overall revenue.

· 11.8 million iPads sold in the quarter, a 151 percent year-over-year increase. Although this is slightly below the 12 to 13 million the street had expected, the device remains a solid contributor to the company's fortunes. Apple has now sold more than 67 million iPads since introducing the first generation device in 2010. In comparison, it took 24 years to sell the same number of Macintosh computers.

· $110 billion in cash reserves, up $12.6 billion over the previous quarter and double over last year. The company recently announced plans to begin paying dividends to shareholders.

So, what can us marketing types learn:

· To really excel, you have to look outside of your back yard – or said in business parlance “Go global”. It’s no coincidence that much of the credit for Apple’s record-breaking numbers comes from Asian-Pacific markets — and China, in particular, where Apple has been selling the latest version of the iPhone since January.

· Push the envelope as far as you can – and then push it even further. By this I mean, just when you think it is quitting time, or just when you think you’ve proofed your latest news release enough times – that’s the time to look one more time. I’m amazed at the typos I’ve found when I proofed it one more time – in other words, I pushed the envelope even further than I thought possible

· Iterate, iterate, iterate. Apple is continually iterating and tweaking and that’s why its products are the best in the world. I learned this a few years ago – and it’s very valuable in our business. The marketing novice takes a briefing and then produces a document (that sucks more often that it does not). The marketing pro takes several briefings, from different stakeholder, each with different perspectives and really engages with each before producing a document (that almost never sucks) – in other words, they’ve iterated and opposed to scribed

· Use PR well. And Apple is the master of it. They adhere to some of the tenets in which I strongly believe – and is borne out by the company’s awesome rep

o Remain quiet until you have something to say that’s meaningful

o When you say it – be enigmatic – an aura of mystery is always good and keeps the crowds coming back for me

o Spend the money to train your media spokespeople --- Apple’s execs are very polished – it shows – and that’s the way it should be. I’ve seen countless execs in front of the camera and in the spotlight that have no idea what they’re doing. The result? Lines are flubbed and fools are made

That said, know what I’m gonna do now. I’m going to the store, getting a half dozen apples, pour myself an apple-tini, sit back and ponder everything apple.

Oh, one more thing – if only Steve Jobs could see me now!

Something Different To Do In Toronto

I think one of the most intriguing things about us humans is the concept of free will choice. I know many people who exhibit very little, (if any) of it. They do the same things, day in and day out – experience very little of life’s wonders – and then one day – die.

That’s not me at all. I want to experience everything. I want to live every day like it’s my last. And I want to live as big as my circumstances allow. As long as it’s sane, responsible and lawful. And one more thing –as long as no-one get’s hurt. It’s all good. It’s all very good.

That in mind, we went with @momwhoruns and her BF (boyfriend, in social media parlance) to see Les Coquettes last Sunday night. In a nutshell – WOW.

I’m a marketing communications expert. I am not a professional theatre go-er and nor am I particularly knowledgeable about burlesque (the show’s adult-themed format), but there are several things I learned about this very entertaining show that we should all heed

1. Dare to be different. It works everytime. Steve Jobs dared to be different – so different that the iPod he invented was in fact the first CE device in history without an on/off switch. Genius. No. Off-the-charts genius. It’s really hard to compare a burlesque show with the iPod, but I will say that this production is really different. I won’t say how different – but it’s different enough to put the pep into one’s stride.

2. Give something away. Let’s face it – there is no such a thing as a free lunch anymore. Nothing for nothing. If you’re smart, you’ll give something away. If you’re smarter, you’ll give something away that’s free anyway. And we each got a drink on the house. Perceived value to me? $9. Actual cost $.25c. That’s damn smart thinking. And not only that … but as importantly – a free cocktail is sure to lighten the crowd.

3. Confidence breeds confidence. Again, I’m no theatre crtitic but the show’s MC (Catherine) exuded confidence. Not the fake confidence that’s transparent – but real confidence. Interestingly enough, (and as an aside, she also writes a blog). Coquettish, statuesque and silky smooth in both stride and speech, Catherine keeps the show moving at just the right pace. And this is a very important concept in marketing – Timing is everything. Blow your wad a second too soon, or too late – and you lose. Well, she was just right --- snappy, witty, charming (and just naughty-enough) at just the perfect time. I like that - a lot.

4. Never overstay your welcome. I’ve read hundreds of news releases, case studies, testimonials and other marketing stuff that simply put is just too long. Boredom ensues and you lose attention. The show was just right. My best recollection is that it lasted about an hour – the perfect length. They say too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing – and the show’s duration was perfect. Neither too much, not too little in terms of timing.

5. Become your character – it’s what makes you memorable. From busty Lilli Bubalotovich to sultry Suki Tsunami , each cast member was uniquely different from any other cast member. The operative word being “uniquely”. Each one lived their part – and stood out. Want to be memorable? Then be memorable (read: stand out) from the crowds. And if I look to my own achievements, every time I stepped out of my comfort zone, I became memorable. (Ask me about what happened at Tim Horton’s this morning)

Bottom line is this: If you’re looking for something fun, different and risqué – this show offers all the above and more … Now, as for me – I’m gonna get back to thinking about marketing and for sure, stepping out of my comfort zone. Far out of it – and much more often.

It's All About Making A Difference

You know me. I like to do things that make differences in this world. And I like to write about people and organizations that make a difference. The week before last, I wrote about Hilton, Daren and Jacques - (3 guys making an enormous difference). My blog got over 1,200 hits - and Hilton was inundated with "fanmail".

This week, I am writing about a Toronto-based charity called Ve'ahavta.

Disclosure: I receive no remuneration from them and nor was I asked to write this post.

So here's the email I got. No doubt they sent this to hundreds, if not thousands of people. More the better, as far as I am concerned.



First, watch this 2 minute Youtube video clip at http://bit.ly/xsIUFJ to understand what they do. It's incredible. It really is. It's heartbreaking - makes a lump in your throat.

Run by diminutive Peter Frampron-esque looking Avrum Rosensweig, the organization strives to make the world a better place. It does lots of things, but nearest and dearest to my heart is the excellent work they do on Toronto's cold and foreboding streets to the thousands of homeless and displaced peple that call the street their home.

Now, back to the video. It's real. It's compelling. It's bold. Most importantly, this stuff happens - and it can --- and does --- happen to ordinary people like you and me. In fact, this kind of stuff happens all the time. I watched it once. I watched it again. I got a lump in my throat - and it's making we want to give more than I am right now.

No doubt many of us, if not most, have children. We tend to treat them well. And for the most part, our children are very comfortable. Yeah, they want to go to more hockey games than they do. (at least mine does), want the latest fashions and complain when they don't get them, (at least mine does).

For the most part, my kids had no idea what happens in the real world - until I took them out on Ve'ahavta's Mobile Response to Hunger van. It goes out 5 nights a week, loaded with food - and wherever there's a homeless person they stop - give them food and a few minutes of company and move onto the next person they find on the streets. There's no shortage of homeless souls.

I've taken my children out on the van a few times. It's not a light-hearted evening, nor is it necessarily pleasant. You're dealing with the marginalized. The homeless. The displaced. But wow!!! It opens your eyes. The homeless are real people too - just like the rest of us.

And this is what the video is all about. This is what Ve'ahavata is all about. It's a low profile organization that is doing miracles every day. It is changing people's lives. It's about doing the right thing.

Want to show your children (12 years and older) life's harsh realities? Just take them for a few hours on Ve'ahavta's van. Next time they won't grumble so much when chicken's for dinner and they wanted pizza. I know my kids don't grumble quite so much anymore. And every time they grumble - I remind them they have a roof over their head - and comforts - and a warm bed - and food - and shelter - and good lives - and love --- and, and, and, - the list is endless.

To note that one of the charity's supporters is a company called Distributel. They've promised to donate $1 per Youtube view. As of time of writing, the Youtube piece has been viewed 1,785 times --- make it more