Disqus - Latest Comments for ryananderson

Re: SXSW PanelPicker

Ryan Anderson — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 10:59:28 -0000

Collin is a brilliant guy with a unique perspective on a question that needs to be answered.

Re: Will the House of Cards Stand?

Ryan Anderson — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 10:16:55 -0000

But consider the business model - $8 / month for all you can eat. House of Cards doesn't need buzz year-round, it just needs to create enough buzz that people are willing to part with their $8 because it's easier than downloading it. Once they have them, even if it's a free trial, it takes considerably less to keep them. If they can space out their original programming at a pace that keeps people signing up, they're in a good place. I don't think you can compare Netflix performance indicators against networks, even HBO, because they don't have hours to fill, and they're not beholden to advertisers for revenue. There's a good reason they released House of Cards on a holiday weekend during the Olympics and Orange is the New Black during the summer when nothing is on. They're looking to stimulate subscribers at this point. Between original seasons, they'll keep viewers with their licensed content, which is why most people signed up in the first place.

Re: The Techvibes Smartphone Smackdown Spectacular: Win Your Favourite Device!

Ryan Anderson — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 11:01:31 -0000

I'd like an iPhone 5, because let's face it. I dance to the beat of a different drummer.

Re: On Mediocrity

Ryan Anderson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:15:52 -0000

Your point about awesome not necessarily needing to come from your work is apt, but given that I know you, I think you belie your own point. You don't work for a shitty company or have a shitty job. You may not define yourself by your job (though, I'll remind you that you do have a social media podcast) but I'd wager you'd leave your job if it didn't give you satisfaction.

My larger point was more about not understanding why someone would start a shitty company. I also think that mediocrity is rarely compartmentalized. If you're mediocre in the rest of your life, you're probably a mediocre parent, too. That's just an assumption, though.

Re: Why designers don’t work for free, as HuffPost contest reminds journalists

Ryan Anderson — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:26:16 -0000

It's a bit disingenuous to say that designers don't work for free - most freelancers and agencies spend a lot of time on pro bono work for charities or other worthwhile causes. There is definitely a pervading philosophy that companies that make money and are going to make money with the work we provide should pay for the work. You don't see a lot of factory workers working at famous factories "for the exposure." Is the pushback bigger with design? Absolutely - because we deal with the "do it for the exposure" nonsense every day.

The issue is supply and demand. Being a designer or being a writer are both specialized professions that take training to be good, but the barrier to entry for amateurs is much lower for writers, so pros have to content with more amateurs in that field. Either way, if you're doing work for a company for free, you should really re-evaluate what it is you're doing... and maybe direct some of that energy to a worthwhile charity or cause.

Re: http://www.gastronomad.ca/post/8320579790

Ryan Anderson — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:38:29 -0000

Well, in this case, going to the extreme is the point. It's mainly just to say we did it, and to force ourselves to try making thing that we would never consider making normally. We don't normally eat processed food, but Pollan's point is that what most people call cooking today would barely pass for it 40 years ago. Many kids grow up not knowing what tomato sauce that's not from a jar tastes like, or that mayonnaise is made with eggs and oil, so our doing this is a way to knock us out of any ruts we're in, become better cooks, and in the process discover a bit more about the food we buy.

And, for the record, making butter takes ten minutes in a stand mixer - you pretty much just have to stand there.

Re: Is there a new geek anti-intellectualism? - Larry Sanger

Ryan Anderson — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 09:32:33 -0000

The world is obviously changing, but I hate the notion that books and "the classics" are somehow irrelevant today because we all have google. Are the classics boring and dry? A lot of them, sure, but many of them give us a lens through which to look at the world that can change our perception, our actions, our thoughts. The "classics" have changed human history to a much greater degree than the internet has (yet) and they deserve some respect.

Rather than posing a technology vs. knowledge argument, why not concentrate on how the two can augment one another? Big scary words? Google it. Boring and hard to understand? There's probably discussion breaking it down online. Big, heavy and expensive? Most of the classics can be downloaded on your iPad for free.

The thing is, the more you know, the more of a basis you have for making decisions. I'd rather have someone working for me with a broad base of knowledge and a deep expertise in one thing than someone who was just motivated by making money.

In the words of Stephen Colbert - "Those who do not learn from history are in for a big surprise."

Re: DaveJones.ca - the intersection of social media utility & interest - Website Login

Ryan Anderson — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:21:15 -0000

Congratulations on the move. The ad world is lucky to have a mind like yours.

Re: ECommerce in the Real World

Ryan Anderson — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:01:59 -0000

Thanks for the comment, Andy. I think in the same way that early retailers soon learned that their stores were much more than places to buy things, online marketers are starting to realize that their online stores are about more than just shopping in your underwear. As you say, social media has come a long way in bringing us to that point where online is more about tech, it's about a human experience mediated through tech.

Re: Starting out in PR

Ryan Anderson — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:38:23 -0000

I agree completely. Though, the nice thing about Twitter is you can network passively - connect with people you&#039re interested in and follow what they&#039re doing, and reactivate the connection later when you&#039re at the same conference, etc. Again, patience is key.

Re: Social Media 201 – Class is in session

Ryan Anderson — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:07:23 -0000

It's funny - I'm always really skeptical about presentations on social media from agency people, but Collin is definitely one who gets it, and probably as intolerant as anyone of the snake oil salesmen.

It's a good point, though. In our hurry to talk about what's changed, we often leave out what hasn't.

If you happen to find yourself up at 5am your time, you could always follow the discussion and tweet a question with the hashtag #smbottawa. :)

Re: The Power of New

Ryan Anderson — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:10:12 -0000

Congratulations, Jason! I have no doubt that you'll be wildly successful.

Re: Allow ourselves to introduce… ourselves

Ryan Anderson — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:11:01 -0000

Welcome to the blogosphere, guys!

Re: How to fix the newspaper industry

Ryan Anderson — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:47:22 -0000

Eric,

I agree with most of your points, though I&#039m not sure that investing in digital before the industry imploded would have been a bad idea. Some certainly would have failed, but others would have likely prospered. You&#039re right that there wasn&#039t nearly the wealth of free / cheap tools then - so maybe five years ago would have been too soon, but at least taking the time to understand the social web vs. dismiss it would have been a good start.

You&#039re also right that most big papers have bigger problems than readership. Overhead, unions, and financial issues are going to kill those, though I&#039m hopeful that a new breed of professional journalism outlets will rise up to fill in their place.

Thanks for the comments - very insightful.

Re: Working the bottom rung

Ryan Anderson — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:04:45 -0000

Totally true. It all comes down to being positive and proactive. If you can be that person - people will like working with you, and opportunities will present themselves.

Re: What is the Value of Twitter?

Ryan Anderson — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:10:25 -0000

Great analysis Rob. One of the things people often forget is that there is a human cost involved in social media. Not to say that it's a reason we shouldn't be using it, but definitely a reason to think before jumping in.

Re: Where does influence come from?

Ryan Anderson — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:15:44 -0000

I was going to delete "kanika&#039s" comment, but I like Dan&#039s so much, I&#039m going to leave it.

Re: Where does influence come from?

Ryan Anderson — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:33:21 -0000

You&#039re right - I had no interest in North American cars, and that was based on word of mouth from both regular people and friends who work in the auto industry.

I don&#039t know if TV made me more excited about the car or not, but it definitely planted a seed and made me want to dig deeper. In the end, I chose the Fit over the Versa and Yaris because I liked it better.

I did go to the automotive sites, but in all honesty, they played no particular role, as most of them are just brochures.

Re: How Not to Use a Lawyer - A Personal Case Study (Plus: Protocol Marketing correction)

Ryan Anderson — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:12:10 -0000

Letters like this are empty threats, made to make the person receiving it scared and compliant. Most of the time, they have zero legal basis, and are just written out of anger. There's no way senior people in the company didn't see that before it went out.

It drives me absolutely crazy when companies use the legal system as a blunt instrument, and all of your points should be taken to heart by any quick-tempered CEO who reads this..

Re: Blog Action Day 08: End Poverty.

Ryan Anderson — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:08:43 -0000

Great post, Shannon. It's easy to get caught up in first world problems, but it's important to remember that for some people, their problems are not being able to feed their families. These are all great resources for making a difference, however small.

Re: Ordinary people

Ryan Anderson — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:29:23 -0000

I think the biggest problem facing the arts is that Harper is partially right - a lot of artists are elitists, and they're the ones that the public sees. They don't see the struggling of theatre companies to put on a season of struggling Canadian playwrights. They don't see actors living in studio apartments just to support their craft. They don't see the small businesses and business people who donate what they can afford in the form of a program ad or work for free to help these organizations.

What they do see is pretentious douchebags talking about the cultural relevance of an ugly painting that was just bought for $3 million. Of course they can't relate, and it's an easy argument to make.

The reality of the situation is, of course, that THOSE galas represent only about 1% of events in the arts. The rest try desperately to be those galas, so that they can attract the kind of people who can afford those galas because the state of arts funding in this country reduces every artist and arts organization to a state of institutionalized begging.

The result is that regardless of how "rich" the gala is, artists still come off as snobby and pretentious, trying desperately to be the douchebags with the million dollar painting.

You're completely right with your points, and I as much as anyone would love to see cultural funding in this country even approach that of what places in Europe count as normal, but if we're going to fix the perception of artists as elitists, artists have to stop acting like elitists.

I'm painting with a broad brush, obviously. There are plenty of intelligent, talented and grounded artists in the community (and I would count you as one of them), but we can all rhyme off names of people in the community who fit that artistic elitist mould to a tee. If we want "the average consumer" to identify with artists, we need to be cognizant of the image we're projecting.

Re: The Marketing Hypothesis

Ryan Anderson — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:44:15 -0000

Absolutely - planning in business is one of the most important things that
you can do. But, with any business, if you stick to a plan because it&#39s the
plan and don&#39t adapt to changes, you&#39re dead. You could spend hundreds of
hour researching and plotting out every eventuality, but no matter how
prepared you are, you can&#39t predict outcomes 100%.

Re: The Marketing Hypothesis

Ryan Anderson — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:44:15 -0000

Absolutely - planning in business is one of the most important things that you can do. But, with any business, if you stick to a plan because it's the plan and don't adapt to changes, you're dead. You could spend hundreds of hour researching and plotting out every eventuality, but no matter how prepared you are, you can't predict outcomes 100%.

Re: Five steps to starting a successful blog

Ryan Anderson — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:07:11 -0000

Well, you&#39re on the right track with reading blogs. Learn everything
you can about the business, start with a small client and build from
there. If there was any secret more than work hard and never stop
learning, there would be a lot more successful agencies.

Best of luck!

Re: Five steps to starting a successful blog

Ryan Anderson — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:07:11 -0000

Well, you're on the right track with reading blogs. Learn everything
you can about the business, start with a small client and build from
there. If there was any secret more than work hard and never stop
learning, there would be a lot more successful agencies.

Best of luck!