Didn't See It Coming by Marc Stoiber: Recent Episodes
Marc Stoiber
A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune to cross paths with ConveYour co-founder Isaac Tolpin. Isaac and his partner had invented a solution to a very big, frustrating pain point for me - how to create a better online course? A course that people actually cared about, and would finish? (Remember, even Ivy League online courses have a drop out rate of about 90%!)
Isaac and I did a podcast together. I was so taken by the conversation that I dropped my current online course platform, and started building my new SpeechDIY course on ConveYour.
Fast forward to today. I’ve actually gotten my hands dirty building the SpeechDIY online course. And I definitely have some insights to share with Isaac and my listeners.
That’s why I convinced Isaac to come aboard for a series of [...]
I have a confession to make. For the better part of a year, I’ve been struggling to translate my brand knowledge into meaningful online education.
I know, I know, I’ve helped other people create great online learning brands (my latest project - Family Sparks). I have my courses structured and scripted - BrandDIY, SpeechDIY, PitchDIY and CEOBrandDIY are all ready to roll. But somehow, something’s been standing in my way.
I suspect it’s the dreaded fear of being boring. We’ve all suffered through enough boring classes to know we don’t want to subject our students to that sort of torture.
Turns out, boring is a very real problem. Even Ivy League schools report that their online courses have an 80% dropout rate. It seems we simply haven’t figured out how to make online learning engaging.
So, when I was introduced to Isaac Tol [...]
Didn’t See It Coming usually explores brands that learn from the past, look to the future, and profit because of it today. But every once in a while, you meet someone who has such a terrific story, you have to bend the rules a bit.
Not that Damion Lupo doesn’t have an awesome personal brand. It’s just that, well, in his case, defining him as a brand seems to miss the point.
Damion has learned from an often tumultuous life how to let definitions like ‘brand’ fall away as he seeks to help people overcome their addiction to accumulation. Ironically, by doing so, he often empowers them to succeed beyond their expectations.
Check out our conversation on aikido, Bali, skateboarding, doing what you want, real estate, retiring with millions, and how to get past yourself…enjoy!
As a brand strategy [...]
I recently had the opportunity to speak to a group of solopreneurs and small businesspeople on the importance of standing out from the competition. More important, I took them through a simple process for discovering their Unique Selling Proposition, and making that the foundation of their brand.
I had my recorder with me, which means I can share the learnings with you. Enjoy!
And please, if you enjoy this show, please sign up for my podcast on iTunes, so you never miss an episode.
Not long ago, my wife pointed out that the Christmas shopping season was now not only infringing on Thanksgiving - but even Halloween! What next? Would we be doing our Christmas shopping in July?
Is this hypermarketing of Christmas a new phenomenon, or a tradition? I went on the air with CFAX’s Mark Brennae to chat about some Christmas marketing that has been with us a surprisingly long time. Enjoy!
I recently had the opportunity to deliver a keynote at Social Media Camp. Instead of just talking about social, though, I decided to take it a step further - I partnered with a local company and helped them create a social media campaign, which I then described in the talk.
Make sure to check out the company I partnered with - The Beam Restaurant. You’ll be able to see our work firsthand!
And if you’re curious about the TEDx talk I reference in the speech - Mark Shapiro’s Birthday Experiment - you’ll find it here.
Enjoy!
A short while ago, I had the opportunity to coach a group of CEO’s who wanted to craft TED-calibre speeches. Even better, we got to host our two day workshop at a wonderful fishing resort on the rugged coast of BC. Listen in as I describe the full experience, from nervous preparation to proud presentations!
For most marketers, cutting through the noise with their brand message is a big concern. But even if your message gets to its audience, there’s no guarantee they’ll absorb it.
This speech, delivered September 28th 2017 to a group of financial managers, describes how our ‘lizard brain’ blocks seemingly valuable messages. More important, it illustrates how to create messaging that is ‘lizardproof’.
Hope you enjoy the talk as much as the audience did.
Recently, two Victoria BC groups tried to garner publicity with stunts - and failed miserably. The first, Fresh Coast Eatery, took to Instagram with a photo that was derided as fat shaming, in order to promote its healthy cuisine. The second, a stunt promoting a local comedy show, subjected white males to ticket prices double those of non-white males and females - allegedly to put the spotlight on white male privilege.
What might they have done differently? I got on the air with CFAX’s Mark Brennae to discuss the do’s and don’t’s of publicity stunts.
On August 21st, the world witnessed a stunning solar eclipse. Also on August 21st, I was scheduled to chat marketing on the air with CFAX’s Mark Brennae. It only seemed natural to connect the two.
But what exactly is the connection between eclipses and marketing? Turns out, there are more than you might imagine.
We humans crave stability and control over our environments. In ancient times, eclipses (along with earthquakes and other natural disasters) robbed us of that control. We turned to our gods to make it all right again.
Today, not much has changed. But instead of gods, we worship at the temple of consumption. Not surprisingly, many savvy marketers (our new high priests) have given us tools they say will help us control our increasingly chaotic world.
I’m a firm believer in the power of USP’s, or Unique Selling Propositions. USP’s are, simply put, the intersection of what you think your brand does best, and what consumers believe it does best.
But how do you ask consumers what they see in your brand? And more important, how do you ask them if your brand’s special sauce appeals to them?
In this episode, I dig into some of the tried and true methods I use to get the great insights.
I also bring aboard Neil Belenkie for additional perspective. Neil’s business is helping companies position themselves for sale, or investment. In essence, he helps them discover their USP, and leverage that for great business results. Check out our conversation to get some inspiration for your own USP explorations!
Ian Gill is the author of No News Is Bad News, an experienced journalist, and catalyst for boundary-breaking media.
According to Gill, legacy media have completely missed the boat when it comes to public discourse. Instead of dwelling on new technology and hedge-fund backed expansion as a panacea, Gill believes we need to rethink the role of storytelling, engagement, and crafting ‘public service journalism’ as the antidote to clickbait and fake news.
Check out our lively conversation on issues that are more important than ever in our post-Trumpian reality.
Pepsi recently pulled an ad featuring Kendall Jenner that took a superficial, flaky view of a very sensitive topic: protests for social justice.
The ad created an incredible firestorm on social media, and prompted ad pundits to wonder what the soda company had been drinking when they approved the spot.
I went on the air with Mark Brennae of CFAX radio to chat about what Pepsi had done wrong. And more importantly, what the rest of us can do to avoid making the same mistake. It was a lively conversation!
We are living in a time where expertise and nuance are frowned upon. Britain voted with a simple Yes / No referendum to abandon membership in the EU, a partnership that had a multidimensional, complex impact on the lives of ordinary citizens - an impact that is just now coming to light.
By the same token, Donald Trump has demonstrated his willingness to show experts the door, bringing in inexperienced ‘fresh’ talent. The effect, if you look at his government’s legislative record, has been dismal.
How did we get here? Why are we suddenly allergic to complexity? And how can tools like communications help us embrace nuance? Ben Cattaneo, a Canadian risk expert living in London, joins me on the show for a lively conversation on the subject.
A recent Globe and Mail story described the ‘brutal’ transformation of beloved Canadian restaurant brand Tim Horton’s. The cause of the messy shift? Budget cuts by Tim’s new owners - Brazilian holding company 3G Capital and Restaurant Brands International (RBI).
I was invited by Mark Brennae of CFAX radio to chat about this disruption. It was a lively conversation!
Todd Sivers is an experienced personal coach with a unique system for helping people unlock their potential. To him, the tension we’re seeing between our regressive politics and our unprecedented technological leaps is simply part of a global growing pains.
In this conversation, we chat about everything from the oversaturation of self-help, our insatiable desire to think change without creating change, and our vast untapped human potential. An entertaining chat, with an abundance of learnings for anyone wondering how we as humans are going to, well, deal with it all.
There’s no arguing Donald Trump the candidate had a distinct brand. But now that he’s president, that brand needs to shift. Can he cross the gap?
CFAX 1070’s Mark Brennae invited me to talk about which elements of the Trump brand should remain consistent, which need to be retooled, and what will happen if he can’t make the transition.
Today, we woke up with the news that McDonald’s had decided to launch a new McFlurry with loose nuts - instead of the standard pre-packaged nuts. In a heartbeat, social media lit up as parents of children with peanut allergies decried the move as traitorous.
Was this a Didn’t See It Coming moment? Did McDonald’s know what it was doing? Why did the food giant turn its back on so many of its core consumers?
CFAX 1070 Radio asked me to weigh in on the move. Here’s the interview.
Anne Graham is an expert in something that should be obvious, but isn’t - finding profit that’s sitting right in front of you. Her insights are both brilliant and brilliantly simple - for example, focus like a laser on bringing value to your existing clients, instead of perpetually chasing new customers to fill the bucket.
Why can’t we make our lives easy and more profitable. This entertaining conversation reveals how human nature often is our greatest stumbling block.
There is no stronger marketing than consumer reviews and word of mouth. Sadly, where there’s an opportunity, there’s an opportunity to scam the system. Enter fake reviews, rigged search results and skewed price recommendations.
Mark How and Shopswell are turning the tables on these lamentable practices, and bringing the integrity back to review marketing. In this conversation, Mark and I explore the essence of the Shopswell idea, how consumers are incentivized to tell the truth, and why it works.
Check out the entertaining conversation, and rediscover your love for word of mouth - the original (and still the best) tool of marketing.