Personally, I’d rather read sterilized ideas with punctuation instead of the random, scattered noise that must populate the average CIO’s head. The CEOs of start-ups who need to build a personal and corporate brand (and can’t find anyone to do it for them) should use social media. The other day I had the opportunity to listen to a presentation by a social media guru on the cheese-moving, game-changing, power-shifting, balance-restoring, granny-empowering, field-levelling opportunities of our age. Even Forrester has jumped on the CEOs-Must-Join-the-Party party.  . enough.  MORE >>

Personally, I find reading it out loud will drive out missing words or strange substitutions by Bill and Steve. Last week we looked at how tiny lapses in proofreading can do nasty things to a brand. Just in case this is a problem of not knowing how to proofread, as opposed to a problem of not caring about it, I offer my tips to get your stuff proofed before people like me are bored enough at a conference to check the spelling on the signage. In general, if you can get someone else to do it, that’s better. Here are some other people who can do it for you: The Legal Department. Next stop…. MORE >>

How appalled these poor hoarders must be now that anything they might want someone to know can (and will) be tweeted by the nearest sales person to her entire contact list before it’s even out of their mouths. If a sales person happens to be hanging on to the bottom like a magnetic trout at the fish-till-you-win booth at the fair, then that’s just a bonus. Years ago I worked with a sales administrator who had a hoarding problem. When she finally left, it took months to dispose of the obsolete products, branded junk and paper. Which is what I want to talk about today. BOCTAOE*. MORE >>

Pick three of these and meet with them in person, ideally in their office (check for Shih Tzus). I am not ashamed to admit that I’ve been in the ladies toilets a great deal lately. You see it’s United Way campaign time and I’m feeling a little bit like a baby seal on an ice flow. They come after the marketers first. “You guys always have such creative ideas!” ” Is United Way Press Gang code for “Wow, this is harder than we thought. Let’s dump it on marketing. No, I will not help you set up your mini golf tournament on the 11th floor. Techies? MORE >>

But the QR code, which has become my personal symbol for disappointing wastes of time, actually tells you what you are getting if you click. What the heck is happening to transit advertising? used to be able to kill a ten-minute subway ride by reading the ads. They were never particularly good, but they amused. Lately, I have to fend off the “experiential” marketers and their 20 second facials. Or bypass the freshly-wrapped turnstiles, ticket booths and slow- moving transit employees promoting ketchup-flavoured chewing gum. Uh oh. Forgot about commuter trains. And it does. MORE >>