The fact of the matter is we all get into a rut. And, routine starts to bog down our thinking! We get

comfortable. Our ideas become linear. Our work becomes acceptable. Sure, we can go about the rest of our days in this robotic state, but do we really want to?

So the question becomes how do we break from this spell of boredom and start thinking creatively? The answer is simple: start using a pink pencil.

When we become comfortable, we start taking things for granted. Whether it’s driving the same route to work every day, or going to the same coffee shop simply because it’s convenient, routine can hinder our creative outlook. You probably won’t see too many new items on the menu in the coffee shop, which means your day will start off like the last miserable day you had. And your mood will as well.

Using a pink pencil will help you break out of that routine. Every time you use it, it will make you pay attention. When you go into a meeting, you’ll think about what you’re writing down. Your colleagues (or clients) will comment on the pink pencil. It will start a discussion. The pink pencil is the stimulus for you to stand out in a small way, and mark my words, you actually may start to like it. And when you make one small difference in your day, you just may start making a bigger difference in your life.

“I see the creative process as a necessarily thievish undertaking. Dig beneath a beautiful piece of writing, Monsieur Boustouler, and you will find all manner of dishonour. Creating means vandalizing the lives of other people, turning them into unwilling and unwitting participants. You steal their desires, their dreams, pocket their flaws, their suffering. You take what does not belong to you. You do this knowingly.”

An excerpt from Khaled Hosseini’s book And The Mountains Echoed 

There are things that get to me and this is one of them: Brands that apologize because they have to, but really are blaming the customer.

Exhibit 1:  What happens across the border can still touch you

Remember Abercrombie and Fitch? The brand that blamed their customer for being too fat and wanted to cater to a supposedly exclusive audience. Did CEO Mike Jeffries forget that the people really buying their clothes are the parents of the kids? How many kids can afford clothes without their parents help? You wonder how the CEO of a brand so big, have the galls to be so blunt and harsh. And when the “apology” came, were we ready to forgive?

Exhibit 2: Lac Megantic, Quebec train derailment

Edward Burkhardt, the head of the train’s U.S.-based parent company blamed the engineer for failing to set the brakes properly before the unmanned Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway train hurtled down an 11-kilometre incline, derailed and ignited in the center of Lac-Megantic early Saturday.

Look at Montreal Maine and Atlantic Railway. The CEO was the founder and CEO of Wisconsin Central – a company where sixteen tankers jumped the tracks and exploded into flames evacuating the town of Weyauwega, Wisconsin, in 1996. This is a top down issue. Harry Truman famously said “The Buck Stops Here” but many CEOs of today consider themselves immune from any scrutiny and criticism as if they were an elevated caste.

Source: Lac Megantic: Railway’s history of cost-cutting

Exhibit 3:  Lululemon’s excuse for see through pants “you’re buying the wrong size”
For the complete story click here.

Stop blaming the consumer and be accountable for your product. People have a choice to wear whatever size they feel comfortable in.

A brand is an embodiment of the people who run it and by extension the perception of a brand as being either bad or good is the reality of what the community at large thinks of it.

Think Blink Advice: Apologize because you are truly sorry about it. Don’t make it into a marketing glib. People are smart. Genuine regret gains genuine brand fondness.

New Canadian Tire Express store at Pape and Danforth – Smart strategy by a quintessentially Canadian brand.

Retailers need to start thinking out of the box and thinking about how they can serve their customers better. That’s just what Canadian Tire is doing with the opening of their new Express store today, right at the corner of Gough Avenue, in the heart of Toronto’s Pape and Danforth neighbourhood. With a mere 6,100 sq. ft. location (a far cry from some of its suburban locations that average close to 35,000 sq. ft.) Canadian Tire is continuing to expand its reach by not only thinking small, but smart.

So what’s the idea behind the retailer’s marketing strategy? Well, the retailer may have just tapped into something big, which really comes down to the heart of how Torontonians feel about their neighbourhoods. Remember the outcry from residents in Kensington Market when they heard that Walmart wanted to open up a store in their neighbourhood? Like a lioness protecting her cubs, Torontonians have a fierce loyalty towards the local businesses that make their neighbourhood thrive echoing in practice what Jane Jacobs believed: that “the point of cities is multiplicity of choice”. And when we think of Canadian Tire, we identify with it, quintessentially Canadian—a trusted and recognizable brand.

If you frequent downtown Toronto often, no doubt you will have realized that the future is within the city’s inner core. You can barely face any direction without a gigantic crane creating a huge eyesore. Condo construction is at an all time high and the need for urban stores that can be a one-stop-shop for busy downtown consumers will surely be in high demand. This is consistent with Jeff Rubin’s argument that “we must re-engineer our lives to adapt to the contours of a much smaller world”. The smaller scale (but well-stocked) Home Sense stores located on Spadina Avenue and Yonge Street are booming and symbolic of this trend. Canadian Tire’s marketing strategy to sell you everything, is definitely paying off: in the Canadian Tire Express store, they have just tweaked that strategy and become more focused.

The Pape and Danforth location is unique in that it’s a melding point of communities – from Riverdale, to Greenwood Coxwell and Danforth Village. Plus for urbanites who don’t own a car, the subway line is located so conveniently: a brilliant choice in real estate whereby the key of “location, location, location” is paid lip service to but overlooked in terms of execution.

Torontonians are also undergoing a big dig of sorts in the update to the city’s transportation infrastructure. With all the construction going on at Lakeshore, Leslieville and the Beaches, this store will no doubt also be a go to hub in the interim. In the 1980s, the company’s memorable tagline was “there is a lot more to Canadian Tire than tires” however keep mind that if you do need tires or your car needs a check-up you will have to head over to the mothership location at Leslie and Lakeshore.

How does a company that’s primarily known for selling you everything, going to switch gears and think small?

1. It plans to stock most categories that the chain is known for, but fewer items.

2. If you need anything that’s not available you can order it to be delivered to the store or to your home (for a very reasonable delivery fee).

3. Inside, the design resembles a neighbourhood hardware store (except perhaps for the four giant TV panels). Outside, it looks upscale and blends into surroundings.

4. An ingenious idea to maximize space has been deployed using smart hidden panels in the hardware area, which pack in an extensive range of nuts, bolts, fasteners, etc.

5. The company has tapped into a lifestyle. Residents can easily grab a cooler and blanket from Canadian Tire, pick up some ready to go food from the nearby shops, and head over to Withrow Park for an impromptu picnic.

Kudos to a store that’s thinking out of the box and making a blink in an urban neighbourhood. We give it a #ThinkBlink star.

Tonight is the night – The Maple Leafs face the Boston Bruins tonight at the ACC. Thousands of fans will come out. Mayor Rob Ford declared it a Blue and White Day. The brand of Toronto Maple Leafs is strong and gets stronger with each win. Which makes us wonder, do brands always have to be in the winning seat to gain the respect of their fans?

Enjoy the Party tonight. Go Leafs Go!

1. You realize it’s important, but have more important things to do in your day like actually meet clients.
2. Your heart tells you “Tweet”, but your head tells you “Why bother”.
3. More than half of your employees are talking about social media.
4. You think a hashtag (#) is a cue for you to add a phone number.
5. You think Twitter is about celebrities.
6. You think Twitter and Facebook is about what you had for breakfast.
7. You find it frustrating to state your idea in 140 characters.
8. You have no social media strategy except just to post updates, whenever you feel like it.
9. You can’t understand why you still have only 5 followers.
10. You haven’t heard that Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social media communities.

Discover how you can make an impact with social media for your brand. Evaluate social media strategy today by contacting us at shilpa@blinkadvertising.ca

Loved this post by Fast Company today. So, even though it isn’t an original Think Blink – we’d love to share it with you, so you can be inspired and get into a new way of thinking for the new year.

The complete article can be found at the Fast Company website: http://ow.ly/gRtFU
But here are the top rituals:

Here are the six simple rituals he uses to perform at his highest, which you too can begin implementing right away:

1. Drink a glass of water when you wake up. Your body loses water while you sleep, so you’re naturally dehydrated in the morning. A glass of water when you wake helps start your day fresh. When do you drink your first glass of water each day?

2. Define your top 3. Every morning Mike asks himself, “What are the top three most important tasks that I will complete today?” He prioritizes his day accordingly and doesn’t sleep until the Top 3 are complete. What’s your “Top 3″ today?

3. The 50/10 Rule. Solo-task and do more faster by working in 50/10 increments. Use a timer to work for 50 minutes on only one important task with 10 minute breaks in between. Mike spends his 10 minutes getting away from his desk, going outside, calling friends, meditating, or grabbing a glass of water. What’s your most important task for the next 50 minutes?

4. Move and sweat daily. Regular movement keeps us healthy and alert. It boosts energy and mood, and relieves stress. Most mornings you’ll find Mike in a CrossFit or a yoga class. How will you sweat today?

5. Express gratitude. Gratitude fosters happiness, which is why Mike keeps a gratitude journal. Every morning, he writes out at least five things he’s thankful for. In times of stress, he’ll pause and reflect on 10 things he’s grateful for. What are you grateful for today?

6. Reflect daily. Bring closure to your day through 10 minutes of reflection. Mike asks himself, “What went well?” and “What needs improvement?” So… what went well today? How can you do more of it?

Credit: Fast Company www.fastcompany.com

Auspicious. Notable. Significant. Whatever your take, we think it’s the perfect day to share our 12 memorable Blink Wink inspirations about brand and life. Happy December 12, 2012.

1. Build a brand that is Curious, Individual and Optimistic.

2. Build your brand right the first time around. If you don’t have time to do it now, what makes you think you’ll have time later?

3. Creativity gets a nudge when you step out of your comfort zone. Today, find new ways to play!

4. First comes Expertise. Then comes Credibility. Lastly comes Trust. Capture all three, and you have brand power.

5. Build a team with 1° of separation: When people feel respected and valued, they give 110%. Micromanaging not required.

6. When we stay inside our bubble, we will lose the chance to be touched by the stimuli that will awaken our senses.

7. A sure fire way of developing creativity is to become an expert in that area.

8. We are too busy living our fears and not spending enough time living our dreams.

9. When you are able to get to the core of your product/service, you are one step closer to creating a strong brand.

10. A good idea can hit you anytime. When it does, write it down, or you may lose it forever.

11. Confidence is one thing, talent is another.

12. Draw the art you want to see.

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