CommerceCubes

The Lack of Technology is the root of all ideas

Over the past few months the build up of “Back to School” ads and promos have been running around the clock (In North America that is). I mean how many pencils, pens and erasers do you really need? Well now notebooks have become more popular then ever before it seems. I mean do little grade six students really need a Laptop or dare I say ‘Macbook’? I wasn’t in school all that long ago.

I wrote in a notebook (it was made of paper) and the only time I touched a computer was in computer class. I understand that students will have greater access to computers in there jobs after school and therefore they’ll need more time to hone those trusty computer skills but what about being able to disconnect from technology from time to time and go outside and be a kid. Are those days numbered?

I bring this up because meeting your customers on a personal level is a lot like disconnecting from technology and getting back in touch your customers.  This is how BizCandy came into being.

I was reading Seth Godin’s “Permission Marketing” book (yes a book, with pages and a cover and all!) lately and got an idea from a story he was talking about. As the story goes, when Crisco began promoting their product, their campaigns were something to be marveled at because it was mainly “Word of Mouth” and they did it by getting the product to consumers and simply having them sample sweets made with Crisco. Now the word of mouth campaign went further then that but you’ll need to read the book to get the rest of that story.  Most businesses have a service or product they want people to sample or try but they get lost as to how to get people sampling their business’ “candy” and for that I am developing BizCandy.

Sounds crazy but in my time off away from CommerceCubes and now BizCandy I like nothing better then to go away from technology and just go off camping or taking a good day trip. After all, Canada has some beautiful places that are much better to look at then to see on any screensaver I can find. Besides that, I also find I come back to work with more ideas and a new freshness that helps to create new ideas like BizCandy.

Don’t let your computer, digital way of life and job or business own you instead let it enhance your creativity. Get back to drawing in a notebook and don’t forget to ‘draw outside the lines’ every once in a while… its good for the mind, body and spirit and business ideas of course!

Luc