Oh Canada...Keep Innovating And Carry On!

I am writing this blog post from the Toronto airport.  In a couple of hours I will be bound back to Atlanta… and the U.S. 

Yesterday, I participated in a conference of Canadian marketing leadership that crafts business, marketing and interactive strategy around neighborhood lifestyle groups.

Environics Analytics was the conference host and is the top Canadian provider of market segmentation modeling tools including Canada PRIZM.  Environics Analytics celebrated their 10^th anniversary yesterday, something that I could identify with since EXPERIENCE celebrated its 10^th anniversary last month.

I know that many of you are probably wondering if a conference built around segmentation modeling was boring “with a bunch of numbers and stats.” 

I applaud the Environics Analytics team.  Their corporate “mascot” is actually a real live tech nerd that has a very interesting… even engaging… personality.

To answer what some might be thinking … was this a boring event?… the answer is a flat out… NO.

Not only was the day not boring… it was actually very inspirational.  Yes… I said inspirational.

There were more than 400 people at the event.  There were around a dozen different presentations made available to attendees during the day.  The individuals presenting shared hands-on experience using the Environics tools in their marketing programs.

I was one of the presenters. 

No question that a share of the individuals presenting matched up against the statistical nerd stereotype.  Their presentation charts had lots of tables, graphs and numbers.

My presentation did not have many detailed tables, numbers and charts. Some folks said I might have been the most animated up on stage.

I enjoyed interacting with the group and I heard more people laugh and less people snore.  When you make a presentation, that’s good feedback.

What struck me about half way through the day was that this group of marketing leadership truly placed value on understanding the human dynamics of the marketplace. 

They talked about the emotional character of their markets versus rational attributes and benefit deliverables.

Those human dynamics provided deep insight on how the product service experience needs to connect and reinforce brand relationships, dialogue and exchange.

While my presentation was in part about my history of working with neighborhood lifestyle groups over the last 30 years; the main focus of my presentation highlighted how its currently being used by my client, Shaw Floors and affiliated retailers.

One of the Shaw Canadian retailers came up and presented part of the story with me.

Carl French, part owner of a flooring store called Speers Road Broadloom is a peer I continue to learn from and admire.

He is passionate about his business.  He is passionate about adopting new ways to drive sales. 

He is innovative in how he uses marketing insight like lifestyle-crafted target groups to craft his marketing and sales strategy.

Any one who has read a number of these blog posts knows well that I have not found too many corporate leadership groups that are brave enough to reach beyond the drone of conventional marketing practices. 

It’s unfortunate when a business gets absorbed with stats and numbers to the point that innovation ceases and even the most basic understanding of human behavior gets tabled.

I found it very interesting how other presentations at this conference addressed interactive and social media and how they spoke more about the human relationship dynamics and less about how many “friends” were part of the groups.

SEO mechanics were downplayed and more dialogue focused around the character of the interactive relationship.

Times have changed radically since I first started working with neighborhood lifestyle groups… and it’s not just the advent of the Internet.

As I sit at the airport and soon will be back in Atlanta, I leave with a much stronger sense that what I post on this blog and what I share with clients and partners is right on track. 

Perhaps what I enjoyed most during the time with the group yesterday is that I can count on one hand how many times I heard the word, “research” used by attendees and presenters.

Perhaps what I found most entertaining was a presentation on comparative political mindset found in Canada versus those in the U.S.

The Canadians found it very amusing that they were much more focused on a shared vision of better good than the Americans… who, in turn, were much more focused on this essence of what is the right thing to do and a government of rules.

They also found it amusing that the Canadians post higher incomes than the Americans.

As I board the plane back to Atlanta, I look forward to hosting the Canadians some time soon in the ATL and get a chance to show them a glimpse into our country of nearly 300 million folks compared to their just less than 30 million.

Onward into 2014… Keep Innovating and Carry On!