As I made my way down the journey of having our first child, my husband and I spent hours and hours discussing (debating, arguing…) over what to name the new little boy that was about to enter our world.

“too stuffy”

“too kiddy”

“too dated”

“too trendy”

the debate went on and on…

When we finally agreed on Jack – it put a smile on our faces. We knew it was going to be the right handle to take our munchkin from newborn cuteness to rockin’ old man that I’m sure he’ll be!

Back at the studio, we also have the opportunity to assist many entrepreneurs craft the perfect name and breathe life into their new business or venture.

And, just like naming our children, we take this task as no small undertaking! After all, your brand name is often the first interaction that your business has with your audience. It must peak interest, stick with them and reaffirm your brand promise (for starters)…all within a name!

Often times we have clients come to us and announce, “I haven’t done anything but, I have a name!”.

Eeek! How can you have a name without having determined your brand character, objective and promise?!? How is this random name going to be the brand spokesperson out there in the market, working hard to gain you recognition in the marketplace? (Can we say ‘square peg in a round hole?!’)

Don’t dismiss the power of a brand name too quickly before reading the following example:

On my travels, I’ve come across a business named “Almost Perfect Frozen Food”. Really? Almost perfect? Is that what you want me to feel as I drive by contemplating whether or not I should stop in? No thanks, I think I’ll pass!

And, as quickly as the car passes by, I’ve made a judgement on the brand! To be fair, I want to assume that they *must* have intended to communicate ‘as close to home cooking without cooking’. (My mind went to the food that you pop in the freezer with the hopes that you caught in before spoiling…the last ditch effort of extending its life just a wee bit longer…)

So, the big lesson here…please, don’t go about naming your business with a willy-nilly, gut feeling. Not because ‘it sounds nice’, or ‘its named after my pet’.

Do yourself a favour – be strategic and craft it to reflect the brand you want to present into the marketplace, one that will speak to your audience, stand the test of time and, leave them with an instant positive impression!

Almost perfect frozen lasagna, anyone!?

This shindig’s smack dab in downtown Hamilton, just over yonder from the Locke Street district. (Corner of King and Locke streets)

There’s fun aplenty and a chance to satisfy yer hankering for some Southern fare with all the fixins!

Get three sheets to the wind with $8 mini-pitchers of beer!

As per usual, HYPE is a free event for professional young bucks where both howdya do’s and sass are welcome and business card stickups are considered real tacky-like.

Wednesday, September 7^th from 5:30 p.m. till whenever we get tuckered out!

Rolly Rockets
470 King Street West
Hamilton, Ontario
L8P 1B7

Ya’all better give us a head’s up on Facebook and invite yer friends, ya hear? (Check out the invite here!)

Gotta question? Email meg@kitestring.ca or tweet @Ettiekit

There’s nothing like the smell of career speed-dating in the morning. Yesterday at the 2011 Communication Studies and Multimedia Networking Breakfast, students were hungry for a taste of what its like to work in the industry. And for those students who’s worst fear would be having to ask, “Would you like fries with that?” this means serious business and serious questions. I tried my best to tell each table everything I knew about how I nabbed a gig at kitestring almost two years ago. I also emphasized that not all jobs are created equal; and that there’s a lot to say about good fitting workplace culture and the other professionals you’ll be sharing it with.  It reminded me how far I’ve come since leaving school and how lucky I am to work with such amazing strategic thinkers who have become the best creative comrades anyone could ask for!

This year, keynote speaker Steve Levy, President of Ipsos Reid Canada, shared his passion for market and advertising research (cool!) while posing the question, “Will change screw you?” This question was really an opener to caution students about the importance of staying on top of ever-changing digital, social and interactive trends as a way to get ahead in their careers. I loved how these points were echoed by Denis Dyack, President of Silicon Knights, who challenged us to own our smartphones without letting them outsmart our ability to manage our own down-time. Nicely played.

Thanks for inviting me, McMaster! #alumnirepresent

The Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC) and kitestring are offering up a smorgasbord of branding expertise in three delicious picnic sessions. These three sessions run on February 9, February 16 and February 23 from 5:00 to 8:00pm. The first session, “Gathering Ingredients”, will help you understand how to properly assemble your own brand and learn a fresh philosophy about how to communicate through social media. Second you’ll need to get “In the Kitchen” and define your brand online using the ingredients you’ve gathered. And lastly, your brand will go “To Market, To Market” by collectively developing a fully integrated campaign platform that engages your brand’s target audience through social media. Join in on the (educational) fun by pre-registering with the SBEC by calling 905.540.6400 or send them an email at mail@hamiltonsmallbusiness.ca.

Even though it rained (hard) this past Wednesday afternoon and soaked through some t-shirts, Hamilton’s young creative professionals and entrepreneurs got together at the Bad Dog Cafe on Locke Street. Most of us had the right idea and found a dry way of transporting themselves over, but some of us (myself, Jenn and Chris) marched under the storm cloud with umbrellas in hand. I think I can say on behalf of everyone who came out, it was a goooood time! Delicious food, savory Caesars, smiling faces – you get the idea. If you have never attended a HYPE event, get your social on at our next meet in the Fall. See you then!

I am a business owner. I am a mom. I am a wife. I am an individual. Balanced? I am not!

We all know that there’s a mountain of information, discussions, blog posts and magazine articles out there in the quest of finding a work/life balance. So, I thought I would throw my two cents into wishing fountain and talk about how I think it’s an impossible quest.

I’ve done my best to put some basic structure into my life to ensure that one day doesn’t blur into another. I go to the office 5 days a week. I spend quality time with my son after work. I do my best to put work aside on the weekend and spend time with my family.

Note, nowhere in the above list do I mention where I maintain our house, have a hobby, hang out with friends (or my husband for that matter) or attend business functions.

Oh, did I mention that my husband is a tradesmen and, typically works 18+ hour days in the summer?

Please, don’t get me wrong – I’m not complaining. I quite enjoy the fast paced, craziness that is my life. I chose all of the roles that I find myself juggling each day.  Of course, there are days that I wish I walked into a clean, un-cluttered house. There are days at work that I wish I was at home. There are days at home that I wish I was at work.  Life isn’t perfect. But, let’s face it – if we lived with a perfectly scheduled and balanced day, well, we’d all be pretty bored!

Disagree? Believe you’ve found the secret recipe for balance between your work and life? Let me know! Until then, I’ll continue on – content with the idea that maybe having toys scattered over the living room floor while I work on my laptop and chit-chat with my husband about his day is okay.

-jenn

Last night while watching Olympic Ice Dancing, I was fascinated with the technical judging of successful synchronized twizzles and even more intrigued by the “component” score in the new judging system.

Even the commentators have been saying throughout the games that the component score is “just like the artistic mark” from the old system.

Watching the variety of dance pairs, you can sort of tell that pairs from different places obviously subscribe to their own unique vision of artistic excellence.

So the question always comes up: If artistic taste is highly subjective, how do the judges come up with the artistic component score?

This blog totally had a point. I was going to talk about client or organization’s design preference or artistic subjectivity and the delicate balance that needs to be achieved between that vision and the professional opinions of marketers.

Instead, I’m going to try to see the good in every artistic attempt in Olympic Ice Dancing. Instead of saying that I “hate” this team’s costume, or that team’s weirdo lifts, I’ll comment knowing that some choreographer made those artistic decisions with a strategy, vision and voice in mind. Ice Dancing routines have been carefully planned and pulled together with a target audience in mind. And those commentators should do the same.

I know, it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. I got the guilt trip from Chris yesterday…it’s been a very busy December. The projects at kitestring are going great, and life with twins and a 2 year old is draining me. Although, the twins did sleep for a full 8 hours last night! Amazing.

I am going to get my Christmas post out of the way now, and tell you what I’m thankful for this year. No techy stuff, just fluff.

I had a great talk with Jenn yesterday, and we discussed how things just feel right, like everything has fallen perfectly into place. I think we are some of the lucky people in this world who love their career, love their job, and love the people they work with. For that, I am thankful.

How many times have you said “I really love my job”, only to hear someone else say “give it time, you’ll hate it soon”. A very depressing sentiment, but unfortunately, for the most part, it’s true. I have had many jobs that started off great, only to drown slowly in company politics, gossip, red tape, and a sea of jaded, depressed people. Suffice it to say, those jobs didn’t last long.

I have been working with Chris and Jenn for over 5 years now, and it has only gotten better. We all respect each other, have fun together, and appreciate what everyone else brings to the table. And with the recent addition of Meg, whose energy and quirkiness are very contagious; it’s a perfect mix of fun and professionalism at the kitestring office.

I don’t know about you, but having a career that I love is a great gift. I’m also thankful for caffeine, my new best friend.

Do you love your job? If not, what are you going to do about it?

Have a happy holiday season!