I need to get my computer BACK!

A few weeks ago, my laptop had an unfortunate run-in with a cup of caramello coffee. I'm sorry to say, the coffee won the battle and my poor laptop was reduced to a mere screen. It did smell deliciously sweet when it heated up though....

I have been using an older laptop ever since, and I don't think I'm a technology whiz or anything. I don't usually need the latest and greatest, but... I HATE THIS OLD MACHINE!

It's slow. It keeps crashing, and worst of all - it doesn't have any of the usual microsoft programs installed. No powerpoint. No word. No outlook. Nothing. Nadda.

At first I thought this would be a great reason to try some of the new web based programs like Google Docs. Free though it may be, it is extremely frustrating as a primary word processor. Microsoft has been raised in my esteem and I cannot wait to get my laptop back.

After hours of fighting with Google Docs, I'm giving up for the night. I don't think this report will be finished until it's official due date of Thursday, despite all my efforts.

I feel a bit betrayed by Google - they've never let me down before. Who knew that expensive software was SO worth it? Lesson learned!!

I am an assistant again...

Not officially, but I am now doing the same work I did 5 years ago on my first day as a media assistant. Requesting media kits, putting together costing sheets and getting copies of magazines sent to review. It's good to know that leaving a senior position to do my MBA has resulted in... junior level work?

Independent study strikes again!

I have enjoyed the experience for the most part, but I miss having a team to work with. A few, short weeks ago, before understanding the scope of the project, I agreed to be a team of 1 as my friends wanted to work in their regular group of 3. Oh how I have come to regret this decision! The majority of the work has been interesting and I have learned as much as I could have hoped, but week after week I noticed that my dear friends in their group of 3 was able to accomplish 3 times as much work as me - time constraints and all.

Thankfully, my media kit requests have all been sent with some prompt replies. I can't help but note that advertising is always the same - it's hard getting my questions answered, but when the client asks jump, I always ask 'how high' and then try to jump a wee bit higher. Oh how I have missed this media planning game!

I can't wait until school starts again so that I can continue with my lofty dreams and aspirations. When working on an ISU, I find that my goals are still FAR out of reach... in fact, I may have moved back a step. Sigh!

Summer winding down? School year winds up!

It's hard to believe that at this time last year, I was in countdown mode. I gave my notice to my bosses 3 months in advance of my departure so that they would have plenty of time to find an appropriate replacement. I was working like a dog trying to get ahead in my projects so that my boss, and friend, would not be stuck holding the bag when my eventual replacement hadn't yet been hired. I was stressed out beyond belief, so much so that I had a permanent eye twitch.

Ahh, the memories. So much has changed!

This summer is relaxed by comparison. I am still working on two projects that are managable in scale. One, the independent study that I have told you a bit about, and the other, developing a digital strategy document for a local business. Both have kept my brain from going to mush this summer, and yet give me time to enjoy the things that I have not focused on in the past year: fitness, outdoors, friendship and family.

All of this rest and relaxation has made me forget that it is almost August and for some, the anticipation of the new year has begun.

Today I met two students who are just starting their Rotman journey. Both had arrived earlier this week from India and are just settling in and trying to get oriented in the city, directions all relate to the proximity to the CN Tower. I am ashamed to admit that I have already forgotten their names - particularly after spending 5 minutes fumbling over the pronounciation.

Student: "It's asdflkasdo"
Me: "Huh?"
Student: "sdflasdfkjo"
Me: "Slower, please"
Student: "Just call me George"

I promise you, I have always been bad at remembering names, but I will get it one of these days.

Next week is Rotman International Orientation, so I'd like to give a warm welcome to all my new collegues. Be sure to remember the feeling you have right now. Anticipation. Excitement. Relaxation. Enthusiasm. Remember it. Hold on tight. Because I promise you, at some point this year you will be sneaking out of class to cry in the bathroom because something doesn't make sense and you'll have forgotten how happy you were to be completing your MBA.

Have no fear. By this time next summer you will once again be bright eyed and bushy tailed. :)

Going Local? Not as easy as you would think!

The web has been hailed as the righteous hero for small businesses. A simple web page opens the door to the world, right? Plus, with the so-called built in accountability, each dollar is stretched as it is easy to measure what works and what doesn't...

But is the picture really all that rosy? Yes, the web has enabled e-commerce, effectively widening your potential market, but for a typical local business, the majority of sales come from closer to home. Take a car dealership for instance, a website is certainly necessary for client research purposes, but the sale will come from an in-store visit.

So... how easy is it for a local business to promote itself locally? When it comes to the web, it's not as easy and accountable as people assume.

As a media planner, I was responsible for national scale brands and had a plethora of tools at my disposal. Typically on a national scale, a company will focus on the major markets and allow spill to fill in the rest. When it comes to online media, looking for websites with a large composition of Canadian visitors (wherever they are located) is easy as the measurement tools are in place with a statistically significant panel in each market.

On the local level, this measurement does not exist. Local companies must rely on Search as their primary or only online marketing tool. Even then, there is only so granular you can get.

This lack of measurement and accountability on the small scale is a shame - particularly for the medium that has spent the last decade thumbing their nose at mass media (AKA: local media) for being wasteful. It is ironic that for a typical small business, without adequate local measurement, digital marketing is a really tough sell.

Preparing for Year 2

You can call me a nerd, geek or keener all you want, but I admit to being excited about second year! I noticed that on RWorld (our online portal) the lecture notes from year 1 were slowly being taken down as the school prepared for a new batch of MBA first years. I now have ensured that I have a complete set of lecture notes saved on my handy USB drive. It took some time, time that I didn't have while the program was in full swing, but thanks to a little bit of diligence, the task is now complete.