MH3 Business, Canadian Sponsorship Forum, Marketing, Opinion, Sponsorship, TrojanOne, Work

Passion Juice

I love you.

It’s true.

I may not even know you, but I love you. Oh not all of you. Especially those I don’t know.

And not in a physical or otherwise unallowable manner. But certainly in a passionate manner, I do love you, I truly do. Because you read my blog. It’s the highest honour that you can bestow upon me. You take the time to share in what’s on my mind or happening in my life.

I’m pretty passionate about writing. I’m in a constant struggle with myself to move beyond these weekly unedited, unrehearsed, unscripted, underground submissions. Okay not so underground, but it did sound pretty romantic. Underground blogs. The struggle is to get my act together and write something longer, meatier, more worthy of your attention and effort. Continue reading “Passion Juice” →

MH3 Marketing, Olympics, Sports

Give Your Everything

On Monday I was privileged to play a very small part in the Toronto launch of the Canadian Olympic Committee’s new brand campaign.

Sown from the creative blood, sweat and tears of the COC’s Derek Kent, Rob Pashko and their AOR Proximity, the new campaign delivers on its promise to be athlete-centric and genuine to the movement. Many an Olympic campaign holds out the same promise – to be athlete-centric – but all too often drop the relay baton between idea and execution.

But aided by the creative brilliance of director Henry Lu (of Nike “Just Do It” fame), this is not your “father’s Canadian Olympic campaign” to bastardize another old, actually ancient, advertising tagline. The campaign is not only about the athletes, but it’s also about their intensity, passion and relentlessness to represent their country. Continue reading “Give Your Everything” →

MH3 Business Lessons, Marketing, TrojanOne, Work

Best Behaviour


Marcello Pizzeria was the place.

April 20th was the date.

Noon was the time.

My guest? Anonymous.

In hindsight, I did not arrange this luncheon to be secretive, clandestine or remotely mysterious. It was simply an opportunity for me to enjoy a first meeting with a highly regarded marketing maven. In some circles they call it networking. Critics may call it schmoozing. Detractors may call it glad-handing. Blah…blah…blah. Continue reading “Best Behaviour” →

MH3 Business, Events, Marketing, Sponsorship

RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest Gets “Electro-fied”

Mark Monahan, Executive Director of the Ottawa Bluesfest — *ahem* the RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest — had a lot to sing about on Tuesday night.

Horrible music pun, I know.

I should have toned it down. Especially since he is a rockin’ client of ours. Duly noted.

No? Not even a little grin?

Okay, back to this week’s lyrics.

Monahan and his merry band of festival conductors, marched into the Ottawa War Museum to announce the headliners for the 2012 RBC (sorry branding
police) Bluesfest. Continue reading “RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest Gets “Electro-fied”” →

MH3 Business, Events, Marketing, Sponsorship

This Business of Love

I don’t know if I have ever told you I’m afraid of flying.

Probably an odd thing for me to type on my iPad while winging over Lake Michigan on my way home from the 2012 IEG Conference. This aversion could be the result of a virtual Bermuda triangle of angst. Afraid of heights. Germaphobe. Claustrophobic. What are the technical terms for fear of flying and a fear of heights?

Fear.

It can paralyze individuals, families and societies. Ditto for employees, leaders and corporations.

I once read a simple quote that declared: LOVE, is the absence of fear. Perhaps that should have been the title of Hublot’s Jean-Claude Biver’s rapturing keynote speech on Tuesday. It wasn’t a speech about sponsorship. It was a speech about SHARING, FORGIVING and RESPECTING. Continue reading “This Business of Love” →

MH3 Business, Business Lessons, Marketing, TrojanOne, Work

Home Run

I often wonder what people are thinking when we get in front of them to make a new business pitch.

We had a couple going on last week. Big ones. Agency game-changers in fact.

Each is with blue chip companies. Good-sized budgets. Great brands. Plus a history of doing interesting experiential and event work. Which makes me both excited and nervous.

Often people ask me to provide them examples of our best pitch ever. Hard to say. Perhaps because the process is like speed dating meets job interviewing. Continue reading “Home Run” →

MH3 Business Lessons, Marketing, TrojanOne, Work

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

There is an old poem, author unknown, which includes a key stanza by which I have always lived my life. It goes like this:

Make new friends,
But keep the old.
One is Silver,
The other Gold.

I have tried to live most of my life and my career this way. Like any principle, it’s easier said than done. But it’s probably the most valuable one I have professionally. Continue reading “Make New Friends, But Keep the Old” →

MH3 Business, Business Lessons, Canadian Sponsorship Forum, Events, Marketing, TrojanOne, Work

Tour de Montréal

It’s a bit of an oxymoron, but lunching with Andy Nulman is a gas. If you don’t know Andy Nulman, he is the über-charismatic president of the Just for Laughs Festival. It’s his second stint with JFL, the first starting after he was fired as a journalist at 23 and then in 15 meteoric years rose to CEO of JFL. Then left to start Airborne Entertainment, sold it for $110 million, then bought it back for way less, and then returned to JFL in 2010. Wow… And what have YOU done in the last 20 years?
Last week, I jammed a whirlwind dose of Montréal into a 27-hour window. It’s amazing to me that despite the fact I go to the village formerly known as Hochelaga quite often, it never feels often enough. That’s good news for Porter, as I need to go back again soon. What I have realized is that it’s more than the charm of the city and the lure of its events that keeps me coming, but rather it’s the people that provide its spark. Continue reading “Tour de Montréal” →

MH3 Events, Marketing, Properties, Sponsors, Sponsorship, Sports

NHL All-Star Weekend Rocks

My apologies to Allstar Weekend for borrowing their URL to entitle my blog! But it was the first title that popped into my mind, and I am too pooped to come up with something else, so I don’t give a poop if they don’t like it. Besides, I have no idea who this band is…

Just kidding!

Nevertheless, “NHL” All-Star Weekend does rock in countless ways. You may not understand unless you’ve had a chance to be part of more than just the game. The NHL has taken this weekend and elevated it to a major, major, major league marketing extravaganza.

Whether it be the Scotiabank NHL Fan Fair, or the Energizer Lithium Lounge at Saturday night’s party hosted at the Molson Canadian Hockey House, there is something for young and old. Continue reading “NHL All-Star Weekend Rocks” →