Latest posts from Danny Brown

Enjoy the latest posts from Danny Brown, and feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments after the post.

Social Media Shitdiots and Hijacking the Toronto Police #RIDE Hashtag on Twitter

Over on Twitter, Toronto police are using the #RIDE hashtag to counter drunk driving this holiday period. Standing for Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere, #RIDE aims to educate against drunk driving, and offer alternatives from the Toronto police on getting home safely.

You’d think it’s a great use of Twitter, and an important topic to be aware of, especially at this time of year.

And it would be – except for the shitdiots that have hijacked the #RIDE hashtag and begun tweeting locations of the random breathalyzer checks so drunk drivers can avoid them.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit – as someone who’s lost an uncle to a drunk driver and saw a friend suffer severe brain damage after being dragged 300 yards by a drunk driver, I’m very biased on this topic.

To me, there’s no excuse for drinking and?driving – you either cab home, or don’t drink. Or, if you absolutely must drink, stay within the legal limits as set out by the law – they’re there for a reason.

However, all bias aside, tweeting the locations of #RIDE checkpoints makes you one of?the biggest assholes in the history of assholes.

Unless you’ve seen the damage a drunk driver can do, you have no idea how much devastation that “one more drink” can wreak on peoples’ lives.?And the?ironic part is that usually the drunk driver walks away without any injury…

The reason?used by some of the Twitter users, like Trevor Algar?and Justin Tutay,?is they want police to “stop abusing their powers.”?Here’s the thing, though – stopping drunks from getting behind the wheel and destroying a family is not abusing police powers.

If you want to talk about abuse of power, talk about kids getting pepper sprayed for peaceful protests. Or racial profiling. Or over-reacting to G20 protests.

That’s abuse of police power – not saving lives from stopping idiots getting behind a wheel.

So, to the Twitter users that are using the #RIDE hashtag to warn drivers of spot check locations – go ahead, warn them. Be that shitdiot that forces a mother to explain to her children why their father won’t be coming home.

Just don’t expect my sympathy when you become the victim of a drunk driver yourself. Because that’s the kind of karma you deserve.

How smoyz Helped Kleenex Deliver the Feel Good Factor Online and Offline

For me, the best marketing or advertising success stories are exactly that – real stories. People connect with people, and that’s when the magic happens.

Sure, brands and products are important – but if you don’t touch that inner emotion that takes a potential customer from intent to the buying trigger, then you won’t get the sale, simple as.

Israeli creative agency smoyz clearly understand this, as their recent Facebook campaign for Kleenex shows.

The goal was simple – to create buzz around the Kleenex product in Israel using social media. The delivery by smoyz was simple too, when you think about it – Kleenex makes tissues, so let’s find people that need tissues and help them out.

Using Facebook and social search keywords, smoyz soon began to find the target audience on Facebook, and with the help of friends of those targeted, made their winter blues a little bit easier to overcome.

Watch the video below to see how it all happened, and the results that smoyz achieved for their client – they’re pretty impressive (as are the turnaround times for delivery of the Kleenex Feel Good care packages).

Just goes to show, if you create a great story and deliver that to your audience, you’ll get the success you’re looking for.

Simple when you think about it, eh?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGFflwe4mtI[/youtube]

A Christmas Video Message

I just wanted to say thank you for reading, commenting and making this blog better. While I may write, you make the magic happen in the comments and social conversations elsewhere – and I’m so grateful for that.

Here’s to more of the same in 2012 and beyond – let’s continue to grow together. Personally and professionally, let’s make 2012 the year that we truly come together and make all the real magic happen.

In the meantime… this is for you, and see you on the other side of Christmas!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjeteJaRXA8&list[/youtube]

If You Want To Kill Your Competition Then You May As Well Kill Your Goals

Why do you want to kill your competition (this is a generic you)?

Why do you want to put on your size 42 boots, kick them in the sack and then trample them into the dirt?

Why do you want them to fail so badly that the only people left they can come to is you? Is your alternative really that much better?

Maybe.

But if it is, then isn?t it the competition that?s helped make you so much better? If not, why not? If the competition is who we want/need to be better than, then why aren?t we using them to improve ourselves?

This doesn?t just need to be about business, either. Your competition can be other bloggers; other poetry writers; other breadmakers; others that are after your objects of desire.

Anything that is after the same thing you?re after is competition. It could be a lot, or it could be miniscule ? but either way, it?s all good. Because you watch, and learn.

What decision lost a business customers? What blog post got a slew of criticism? What bread became staler first, and why?

Learn why the things your competitors are doing are backfiring, and adjust your approach to benefit those left in the dust. And you don?t even have to lace up your kicking boots to do this.

Don?t hate others for doing things wrong; make them hate you for doing things right.

image: Jordan.A.