Do you really need an iphone?

This video is hilarious. And it raises the question of how deeply we drink the koolaid of corporate branding; how we thoughtlessly consume brand name products for no good reason. Of course, I personally own an iphone and think they’re fab. But this is really rather funny.

 

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Crises of Capitalism

Can capitalism be fixed? What do we do when the very system we’re in is not only full of problems, but IS the problem?

 

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The Story of Brilliance

story The Story of BrillianceA few years ago, Annie Leonard created a video called ‘The Story of Stuff‘ where she used basic animation to communicate to people where all of their ‘stuff’ went. The video went viral and has been viewed by millions.

Since then, she’s made videos on ‘The Story of Cap and Trade’, ‘The Story of Cosmetics’ and ‘The Story of Bottled Water’.

Here’s what’s so brilliant about it.

She created the initial video and it was a success. But then she asked, ‘what else could I do with this brand?’ I see so many entrepreneurs create their initial offering and, when they’re met with success, stop. They tell themselves, ‘well, everyone’s bought my movie! There’s nothing else I can do!’ It’s like the therapist who is so good that his clients get better and don’t come back. Never thinking that maybe he could also write a book, start delivering talks and workshops, or create products to sell.

Also – her videos are so good that groups around the world use them to make their points. Not a bad way to make a name for yourself. Make tools that are so good that people around the world use them for their own causes.

She’s become a hub and trusted advisor in the field of sustainability – even a celebrity.

Look at the heart of what you do and ask yourself, ‘are there other ways to express this?’

You might be surprised.

 

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Alberta Venture Magazine Features Tad Hargrave

Tad Alberta Venture Magazine Features Tad HargraveRecently, Alberta Venture magazine did a feature on me. Which I thought was really very sweet. And, my oh my, it was generous. Name spelled correctly and nothing taken out of context. Woot!

To read the article – click here.

 

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The Dark Side of Vitaminwater – John Robbins

john robbins1 The Dark Side of Vitaminwater   John RobbinsMy dear friend and mentor, John Robbins, Author of The New Good Life, Diet For A New America, and many other bestsellers recently posted an article on Huffington Post about Vitamin Water and their marketing practices – a fine example of why so many people hate corporate marketing.

To read the article click here.

 

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WEBSITE: Get huge bargains on ethical products here

ethicalDeal ad2 WEBSITE: Get huge bargains on ethical products hereAnnalea Krebs from Vancouver has started a very exciting new project called EthicalDeal that uses the power of group buying to help people get top quality, ethical and green goods at bargain prices. It’s a win for the businesses selling them and a win for those buying them.

 

 

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Bill Hicks on Marketing

My brother – a stand up comedian who tours Canada – got me turned onto Bill Hicks – a comedian’s comedian who passed away too soon. But this scathing piece on why marketers are the devil is important. Marketing can be about communicating genuine value with clarity. It can also be about exploiting insecurities to ‘create’ needs that weren’t there and get people to buy things they don’t really need. A good reminder to us all.

 

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The Sad, Sad Story of Mr. W

I think this is one of my favourite ads of all time. It takes something that could seem abstract and humanizes it. Touching, funny and poignant.

 

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Post Secrets – Becoming a Hub for the Unspeakable

Post Secret began as a blog inviting people to send in their secrets – anonymously – to get them off their chest. Lessons of this: invite your community to share with you – and let them create the content. There’s a term in marketing known as crowdsourcing. Isn’t this incredible – the blog has turned into videos like the one below and coffee table books. And it just keeps growing as people send in their secrets. This is a beautiful thing. You’ll be hooked.

 

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Greening the Desert

I just got back from leading a marketing workshop at a permaculture retreat in Alberta. This single video has done more for the awareness of permaculture in the world than just about anything else I know. It was responsible for many of the people at that training first hearing about permaculture. Why? Because – it tells an incredibly compelling story. Imagine if you could create a video so powerful about what it is that you do . . .

 

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