Glo to Sleep

2006-12-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

Cheers for Chipchick

The lovely chicks over at Chipchick - Tech and Gadgets From a Girl's Perspective - blogged the Glo to Sleep the other day. Not sure how they found us, but so glad they did!

First thing that morning, we started to see lots of hits on our website, all coming from their blog, and before we knew it, we were getting hits from another blog - Crave on C-net. Bless the viral nature of the web, because by afternoon, we had even more visitors, these ones coming from another cool blog - Ubergizmo. This blog was titled "Insomniacs receive new hope" and was very flattering.

All day, we watched our StatCounter in fascination, as the sleepy came to our website to check things out. Orders, phone calls, comments and questions poured in, and it would end up to be our busiest day since we opened the doors.

By the next morning, we'd gone international! Blogged in Swedish on GadGeeks, in Portuguese on Digitaldrops, and in French on Ubergizmo/French.

We've been so busy since, that this is the first chance I've had to blog!

Today, we noticed a load of hits from Russia and

Estonia

and found a Glo to Sleep blog written in Russian on PopGadget! It's a lengthy post, and while we don't speak Russian, we had it loosely translated in Google, and it's very informative, as well as complimentary.

So, thanks to all the "gadget bloggers" out there! We believe that if everyone starts to get the sleep they need, the world will be a happier place - and you've helped us take another step towards that. And once our new customers become Glo to Sleepyheads, I'm sure they'll thank you too!

2006-11-30T22:29:00.000-07:00

All That We Let In
I was listening to an NPR On the Media podcast this morning from a few weeks ago and the guest said that whatever a blog is, it has to be exactly of the moment. She said, if it takes you longer than an hour and a half to write then it isn't a blog, that it's true and real in the moment that you are writing it and, in essence, is afterwords disposable.

Most of us would be shy to state a strong belief only to disagree with ourselves tomorrow, or the next day. But it was Ralph Waldo Emerson who said that a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of litle minds. He said that we must speak what we believe today in our loudest voice and, tomorrow, do the same even if it be different. It was his position that a ship that made a hundred tacks on its journey would reveal, in the end, its true course and destination. His belief was that consistency gets us nowhere. His point was that after a thousand tacks we will still regress to the essence of our true path. That from the macro level those seeemingly flip-flop choices of tacking back and forth bring us to the same ultimate destination.

So it is now that I beg for the macro. To see how it is that what I am doing now will lead to my ultimate truth. Hmmmm. This relates, at least in the ephemeral sense, to what it is that I blogged about this summer. What is truth? What is it that is constant, if anything?

Here, now, in this moment, I can only believe in here, the present. There is nothing else. There is only now and am I am too tired to consider what it is that brought us here. That, or, perhaps, I am unwilling to consider it.

"We are in an evolution I have heard it said. Everyone so busy now but do we move ahead. Planets hurling and atoms splitting. And a sweater for your love you sit there knitting. Well, I don't know where it all begins and I don't know where it will end, but we're better off for all that we let in."

And there it is. What is it that we let in? Please, God, if there is one, can we let it be more than about blatant and bland consumerism? Can it be about something more? Can it be about pushing ahead and helping the human venture? Can we get there?

Perhaps I'll believe differently on another day, but I believe that the Glo to Sleep will make a difference. I believe that the world will catch up to where we are and they will understand what Tim has created for the world.

Here's hoping.

2006-11-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm. Toast.

A toasty new site, discovered by The Marketing God-in. We wanted our name on toast, so we bought a piece for $40 USD. And the best part is that all proceeds are being donated to charity. Fun AND worthy!

2006-11-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

Beyond A Marketing Campaign

When Dove initially launched their Real Beauty campaign, back in 2004, I was one of the first to stand up and applaud. I even remember calling into a radio talk show, to give my thumbs up (and strong opinion) as men and women openly discussed the idea of using REAL women in ads and on billboards (most of the male callers, at that time, were disgusted to have to look at some women's "flabby thighs" or round belly - they wanted to see supermodels!).

Well, the latest in the Dove campaign is a fast-forward-type film of the creation of a supermodel image. Several of my girlfriends have sent me the link - passing it along to everyone in their own address book. I'm witnessing something beyond a campaign - I'm seeing a movement. A movement of women embracing their own real beauty. A movement of mothers sharing these images of "real beauty" with their daughters. A movement where women can feel like it's okay to just be themselves.

As a marketer, I admire the Dove Real Beauty campaign. As a woman, I'm in awe of the Real Beauty movement. As both, a marketer and a woman, I thank Dove.

2006-11-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

Listen Up!

My daughter is profoundly deaf. She has a cochlear implant and with her equipment turned on she can hear sounds as quiet as 20dB - a kitten's meow, the sound of a brush going through her hair, or a tweeting bird high in a tree. With her equipment turned off, she hears nothing.

We have spent countless hours working on her hearing and speech and the one thing I have learned, that stands out more than anything, is the distinct difference between hearing and listening. I see it clearly every day with my deaf daughter, but I also see it in many of the hearing people in my life. I'm sure everyone does.

There are people in our lives that never care to listen (or hear) - they seem very comfortable only talking and seem to take much joy in whatever they are saying. They obviously do not feel the need to hear what others have to say.

Then there is the complete opposite to that - a person that is kind and thoughtful, quite soft-spoken, and intensely private. During a conversation, they continually ask questions, encouraging you to talk. It appears as if they are listening and interested, but I often think they can't really be listening because they're too busy, in their own mind, thinking of how to keep you talking so they don't have to.

That brings us to the next kind of person - the one who talks alot, enjoys talking, but pauses to pretend to listen. You know they are not really listening - if you are having a face-to-face conversation, you can see the vacant look when you're talking, or how easily distracted they become with their surroundings. Or the worst is when you are on the phone, and it's your turn to talk and there is always this big ol' pregnant pause after you've said your bit - you know damn well they are not listening to you. It's unfair, because you have patiently listened to all they are saying, and when it's your turn, you deserve the same courtesy. When I sense this is happening, I always test the person by not finishing a thought, or saying something completely random - I'm always right . . . they don't pick up on the incongruity. They weren't listening. It's annoying and it's hurtful.

Or how about the "arguer"? They are so anxious to disagree with you that they choose not to listen to what you are saying. They are watching your mouth move, but not listening. You wanna bang your head against the wall when they're done talking because you had just made the exact same point they just did, but they're standing there, arguing with you. So clearly not listening!

Then there's our children. (Especially teenagers!) They nod and agree when you are trying to tell them something important, but you know they are not listening. And as a parent, you test them. "What did I just say?!" We talk slowly and loudly when we really need them to listen - we get in their face. But, we're often met with the blank stare. They can hear us! But they are not listening.

My own mom is a great listener (not to mention, always has great advice after she's listened). My best friend is a wonderful listener! I tend to talk a bit more than her, but I always feel like she's listening - no matter what I'm carrying on about. I do the same for her. That's why we're best friends. (And we do alot of talking and listening!!)

I have always had a natural salesmanship ability - my first boss told me I could sell ice to the Inuit. I was once asked what made me such a great salesperson. My response, "I listen. I listen to what is being said and I even listen to what is not being said." It's how you connect with people.

So many people we come across have such wonderful and interesting things to say. Our kids have the most amazing things to say.
Are you listening?

2006-10-23T08:55:00.000-06:00

Don't Go Changin'

In grade 10 Social Studies class, I remember having an open discussion about government policies and social reform. My teacher shared some great ideas to better society, that seemed common sensical, and I questioned why society wouldn't embrace such changes. He explained to me that people are skeptical and afraid of change. My 15 year-old idealistic brain struggled to understand such a concept - afraid of change? Even if that change makes it better for all involved?

Fast forward two years - it was the first week of my last year of school. We had a new cafeteria manager and after just days on the new job, she decided to move the cafeteria tables. Our once institutional-like arrangement of long rows of tables, from one end of the room to the other, was no longer. Instead, groups were formed by taking two rectangular tables, placed side by side, with ten chairs placed around the tables. I was outraged! Who was she to go and move all the tables and chairs? They were fine just the way they were. They had always been like that, didn't she know that?

I immediately started protesting. Posters all over the school demanding the cafeteria be returned to normal, petitions, organized bans of the cafeteria. I wouldn't stop until justice was done! One day, my beloved Social Studies teacher approached me and gently asked what I was doing. "I'm exercising my democratic right! Freedom of speech! This isn't a dictatorship! She should have put the table-moving to a vote!" In my teacher's calm and unassuming manner, he suggested that I try out the new arrangement, that perhaps I would like it. "After all," he said with a twinkle in his eye, "you, of all people, are not afraid of change."

Boing!!

The posters came down, the petition was trashed, and I persuaded the students to move back indoors and eat their lunch in the cafeteria. Guess what? We liked the new set-up. It was cozier. Easier to have a conversation. Remarkably quieter. Fewer food fights. It was better for everyone.

Since those high school days, I have continually made an effort to embrace change - some times it's easier said than done, but then again, everything is easier said than done. And all around me, I recognize in people that fear of change and I witness the reactionary skepticism. No where more am I aware of it than with the Glo to Sleep.

But we, as inventors and marketers, are not alone - most new ideas and products are met with skepticism, met with a resistance to accept and adopt. People are reluctant to change their lifestyle, their patterns, their routines. Or as Seth Godin puts it, unwilling to change their "worldview".

"The horseless carriage is just a fad!"

"A washing machine?! People today are just lazy!"

"What's wrong with 8-track?!"

"The internet?! Who's going to use that?!"

"E-mail, Schmee-mail! I'll send my letters the old-fashioned way, thank you!"

A German philosopher, by the name of Arthur Schopenhauer, once said,
"All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed; second, it is violently opposed; and third, it is accepted as self-evident."

Any inventor, scientist, ideasmith, or marketer can relate to that! But it's those of us - who persevere, who believe in our idea, who are willing to be ridiculed, who are willing to face questions and disbelief - that will see it through until the change and shift is made and our idea is accepted as obvious.

And at that point, we will all be better for it.

2006-10-19T08:18:00.000-06:00

The Moth Effect

Lunesta, the prescription sleeping pill from Sepracor Inc, asks you to "take the 7 day challenge" on their website.
Hmmm . . . is that like, "We challenge you to not get addicted in 7 days!"
Sure, Lunesta has "been approved for long-term use" - they splash that on almost every page of their site - but in teeny tiny print, on a page that is only to be accessed by physicians, they say Lunesta is a sedative hypnotic and produces withrawal signs and symptoms following discontinuation.
I'm going out on a limb here . . . but I think that's Doc speak for "they are addictive".
So, yeah! Those 7 free pills are probably the perfect amount to get you hooked.
And they need you to get hooked because they have spent $161.9 million in advertising in 2006 alone. See! You weren't hallucinating . . . there really are little green moths fluttering about everywhere you look. (You don't start hallucinating until you take the 7 day challenge!)

Feeling blue? Pop a pill.
Need an erection? Pop a pill.
Are you fat? Pop a pill.
Can't sleep? Pop a pill.

A healthy life requires balance, and as the pace and pressures of modern life become more hectic, and as all the pill popping increasingly disconnects you from the rhythms of nature, achieving this balance becomes more difficult.

But why not take a 7 day challenge to live life more balanced, more healthy, more happy?! The world will be a better place for it!

2006-09-29T11:56:00.000-06:00

We've Been Stumbled Upon

On our website, on the "closer look" page, Tim did a great job creating a 360 degree Flash presentation so our visitors could have a view of the Glo to Sleep at all angles. We love that page and think it does a great job showcasing all the features of our product. Apparently, somebody else thought it was a great page! An unknown visitor to our website gave it the thumbs up and added it to StumbleUpon - a website that helps you discover and share cool websites. When you sign up, you get a StumbleUpon toolbar extension - when you find a site you like, you can click on the "thumb ups" icon and add it to StumbleUpon - then others can share in your discovery. You can also go to the StumbleUpon website and "channel surf" through some amazingly cool sites. We feel so honoured that were Stumbled Upon! And we're so glad we were given the opportunity to discover this site - it's alot of fun to browse and we use our new Stumble toolbar alot! Check it out and sign up - you'll be glad you did.

Thanks to whoever gave us the thumbs up, and thanks to all those Stumblers that have taken the time to check out our website!

2006-09-27T10:35:00.000-06:00

What's News? The Alleged "Tielinda" Affair in Canadian News

If you saw the Calgary Herald and the National Post today - you were looking at this woman, Belinda Stronach, the striking, mega-rich woman who left business to serve the nation in opposition as a Conservative, then a Liberal cabinet minister, then as a Liberal in opposition.

Lay the National Post, Calgary Herald and Globe and Mail side-by-side today and ask yourself the old Sesame Street question: which one of these things is not like the other? The answer is: the Globe and Mail and the absence of any reference to the alleged Stronach/Domi affair on the front page. You'll need one turn over to get to the story, and big photos, on A3. The famous woman the Globe put on the cover of today was Mona Lisa.

Ms. Stronach made it above the fold on Tuesday's Herald too, pictured alongside her friend Tie Domi. Maybe it was a function of press times that the Herald ran the story and neither of the national dailies, that I saw, covered it. I thought it might also be worth noting that the front page of Tuesday's Globe featured a photo and story about Conrad Black wanting his Canadian citizenship back. Funny, no such story on the cover of Black's former paper, the National Post.

There are myriad reasons, I'm sure, why one story makes the front page of one paper and not another - economics chief among them. Scandal, or the smell of scandal can certainly move papers. But is there more? Is there a question of values, of political ideology driving this? Do the conservative Post and Herald of the CanWest family have an interest or desire to highlight the failings of a Liberal? Especially that of an infamous Liberal who was once an infamous Conservative? For the record, I think it's a fairly safe assertion to consider the Post and the Herald conservative given positions published on their editorial pages.

Does the Globe and Mail have an interest to put the Stronach story on A3? Is it because they are liberal? Are they liberal? Again, looking at what makes the editorial pages, I would suggest the Globe is more liberal than the National Post - but that in itself does not mean the paper is liberal. My personal view is that the Globe is more centrist in its philosophy and more regularly skews to a liberal position.

Is it not about political ideology at all? Is it really about wanting to take the "high road" and not give an alleged affair a place on the front page? Is it about distinguishing your paper as more serious news?

Or is this just a question of celebrity? Ms. Stronach seems to me to be not much more than a celebutante, famous for simply being famous. I have neither read nor heard any public account of her wowing her Conservative caucus colleagues or her Liberal ones with the strength of her ideas. She is certainly no great orator as evidenced by her performance during the Conservative leadership campaign and in any recent TV news interviews where she seemingly lacks the ability to speak extemporaneously on a given issue - even ones she would be able to speak to effectively. Maybe it's just me as a PR person, but it's rare that I listen to her and hear her message. What I hear instead are her talking points, carefully constructed in various forms designed to convey a message but ones she's unable to articulate with enough fluency to create a sense of message.

Celebrity, ideology, economics? I don't know if any or all of these things are factors in what made the news today but, as a media consumer, I still ask these questions. I think about the frame of the news, not just what is presented as news.

As a bit of an aside, I think if this story broke in the U.K. or the U.S., we would have already seen "Tielinda" used as a headline - drawing from that relatively new tabloid technique of a combined name to refer to a celebrity entity, as with TomKat, Beniffer and, Brangelina. As such, it is with tongue firmly inserted in cheek that I use it as the headline to this piece!

One other observation. Don Martin, "Calgary's Eye on National Politics", couldn't have asked for a better set up to the launch of his new book, Belinda: The Political And Private Life Of Belinda Stronach. The Herald is publishing an excerpt from the book on Friday which it is, of course, promoting alongside Martin's column today, calling the book timely and provocative. That reads a lot more like ad copy than editorial to me . . . but hey, I'm just a PR guy.

2006-09-20T15:53:00.000-06:00

Will the You Tube/Warner Deal Be Good For You?

As I said some time ago - capital knows no boundary and, if you stand around in the web world, you can just watch new revenue streams form around you. It's like a high water level pushing at the levy - at some point something has got to give.

If we look at the recent YouTube deal with Warner Music Group, what gave? Well . . . you have 19-month-old YouTube started by two guys with some $11.5M in venture capital. Today, that little venture serves up more than 100 million videos today and has become the zeitgeist of web and pop culture. YouTube's movement to the starring role of today's Web also brought some troubles . . . particularly in the area of copyright infringement with the user generated content hosted on YouTube. In recent weeks, music companies like Universal have threatened to sue YouTube.

As reported in the New York Times: "Under the revenue-sharing accord, YouTube.com will use special software to identify recordings used in videos posted by users and then offer the owner of the copyrighted music a percentage of the fee for advertising that would run alongside the clip."

YouTube sidesteps the copyright issue by giving Warner a piece of the ad revenue action. As far as I've been able to find - no details on the exact financial arrangement have been published which, of course, makes sense since Warner isn't likely the only music/entertainment company YouTube will want to strike deals with. Warner wins because it (er, I mean its artists) get paid for their work and they don't have to litigate.

The deal is good for YouTube and it's good for Warner Music Group, but is it good for YouTubers? I think only time will tell. The ad revenue streams are starting to multiply - I blogged a while ago on astroturfing and used the Paris Hilton promotion as an example. Not long after that posting (and I don't suggest because of it!) YouTube unveiled a new revenue model - brand channels: separating out "real" content from astroturfing and making money while doing it. NBC saw the value and signed on too, back in June.

One more point on this issue - I think it's definitely worth noting that Edgar Bronfman Jr., chair of Warner Music Group, was quoted as saying : "Consumer-empowering destinations like YouTube have created a two-way dialogue that will transform entertainment and media forever."

Two-way communication, you say? And they say PR is dead! I couldn't possibly disagree more!

2006-09-07T10:00:00.000-06:00

Katie's Coup and a Few Other Observations

I'm sure others have already commented on this but that's the beauty of the blogosphere, right? Anyway, I've had my nose in Jared Diamond's "Collapse" and haven't really been paying attention to much else . . . more on that later.

So - Katie did a respectable job. She stumbled on one word but, who's counting? What I thought was the coup was getting the preview shots of baby Suri Cruise. Wow. Entertainment Tonight was left to just SAY they would be showing the shots the next day. What I thought was more interesting, however, was the setup for the piece and the new "Snapshot" segment. They looked back at pictures of baby Prince Charles and then cut to images of the Cruise family and baby Suri. Some 58 years ago it was national news that the new heir to the British throne was born, today, the equivalent royalty is the child of a movie star. The way the entire story was structured really created this sense of parity. I thought it was an interesting commentary on the state of celebrity in America.

The asking for help with suggestions for a signoff was a dud for me. Regardless of whether or not I think the entire concept of needing a signoff is valid - the whole point of it is that it essentially functions as a signature. It says something about the anchor. Further to my point in my blog the other day - Katie's all about connecting with people. In that way, I guess reaching out for input on her signature is in fact, her signature.

Besides, what do I know - she's the one with the $15M contract for about 4 - 5 minutes of on air time each day.

2006-09-05T14:24:00.000-06:00

Can Katie Save Slumping CBS?

Around this time last year, the career of Dan Rather took a nosedive after a 60 Minutes story aired with false information. While it wasn't quite the end of Rather's career, he stayed on as host of the CBS Evening News until March 2006, it had all the other markings of a rather ingnominious end to an interesting career.

Later in the spring came the announcement that cheerful morning news anchor and chief revenue development officer at Today was joining CBS. That's right, Ms. Colonoscopy was going to sit behind the big desk at CBS.

While CBS has hardly been shy about promoting Katie, I was interested to watch promo spots this weekend while taking in US Open coverage on CBS and see Katie dressed for the evening in a dark suit and single strand of pearls. The script was earnest and sincere and tried ever so hard to draw on the personal connection that viewers apparently feel for Ms. Couric. She was already sitting - as though we were about to have a serious conversation - and her tone struck me as, well, like someone I really trust sitting me down to give me a talk. Like she knew what was important to me and here's what she had to say about it. It felt like there was a transition afoot from "Look up my bum Katie" to "Senior trust source Ms. Couric".

If you heard none of the script and Ms. Couric's earnest tone - the pearls and dark suit would have been more than enough to send the message.

So, the positioning is clear. What isn't so clear is if Katie and Ms. Couric can reverse the slumping ratings of CBS. I'm not one to watch US network supper news - and when I did it came from Canadian Peter Jennings - but I'm going to have a watch tonight and see how she does.

The credibility of CBS news - especially among Republicans - has dropped in recent years - though CBS certainly isn't alone - network news overall has lost credibility among viewers.
I'm wishing her well, of course, she seems to incredibly nice to wish her some sort of evil.

I just hope CBS recognizes she's a news anchor, not a superhero.

2006-09-01T13:44:00.000-06:00

To be accredited, or not to be accredited - that is the question

There has always been debate about accreditation - it is neither new nor near an end in terms of resolution. I agree with Kami Huyse, Accreditation Chair for PRSA San Anonio that there are many great reasons why PR practitioners should seek accreditation.

Not the least of which is that it builds not only a benchmark for the way we employ our PR skills, it sets a benchmark for the way organizations choose to us PR in their environment. The key here is that it is a choice.

Accredited PR professionals still need to make the choice to practice ethically and organizations choose to ask them to act ethically. The same can be said about the deployment of PR as a management function and PR programs that link to organizational goals. In this, I also agreed with Todd Defren and his position opposite Kami Huyse.

Despite it's many benefits - accreditation is not the panacea for PR's image problem.

Perhaps I'm a masochist as I choose to practice PR/Marketing at a law firm. That's two of the three least trusted professions out there. The professional designations lawyers required do not prevent them from being bad lawyers or making unethical decisions. Of course, they can be censured or disbarred - but punishment is not a remedy in this situation as they already know those two disciplinary actions are in place BEFORE they do shoddy work or act unethically.

(Beyond this, if your only motivation to act professionally is the threat of discipline then you haven't reach a particulary high level of moral development. )

Undoubtedly, the path to accrediation is a learning process, but I know of a number of excellent practitioners who push themselves on a daily basis to do better and know more about what they do while not on a track to receive accredition.

My point - and I think I have one - is that whether or not you choose to get accredited, you still need to choose to act professionally.

2006-08-30T10:09:00.000-06:00

Mayfield Flavour Decision '06

I first read about Mayfield Dairy's campaign to launch new flavours in Stuart Elliott's "In Advertising" column in the New York Times. His column reviews the campaign and included one fact that piqued my curiousity greatly: that the campaign was built by the Johnson Group, for advertising and Waterhouse Public Relations.

Hmmm. Why would Mayfield choose both an ad agency and a PR firm to run this campaign? What was it that PR brought to the table? I figured the answer to those questions would make it a great case study for my presentation in Halifax so I called Waterhouse to find out why. I spoke with Nathalie Strickland, APR, about the campaign.

She said Watershouse and the Johnson Group worked together to get the Mayfield business because, together, the could bring the best of each discipline to the table. Nathalie noted that while it is generally accepted that advertising can send out messages to people repeatedly and can push sales up in the short term, but what it can't do is make people feel a part of that message. The underlying belief in the very smart Mayfield Flavour Decision Campaign '06 is that PR is better equipped to build relationships, brand loyalty and repeat buys in the long term.

The other part I loved about the campaign is that it truly engaged the public. Rather than just introducing new flavours and tracking sales to see which was the most popular, Waterhouse and the Johnson Group built a whole campaign around engaging its customers and asking them what they thought, what they wanted. The campaign, as seen from the inside, was a great example of using PR to build relationships in the consumer market.

The Mayfield example was a great addition to my presentation in Halifax and sparked some very interesting discussion during the Q&A session. Many thanks to Nathalie for her time!

2006-08-28T17:05:00.000-06:00

Back to School

One week left of summer holidays, and then it is back to school. (Mothers everywhere rejoice!) Back to school means back to making lunches, back to helping with homework, and back to a bedtime schedule.

As happens every summer, my kids (who are naturally little night owls) pushed their bedtime a little later and a little later with each passing week. I cannot say that I discouraged it. Truth is, I am a night owl as well, which means that I am not a morning person . . . so the late bed times suited me fine because that meant everybody would sleep in. And I have enjoyed every morning all summer - no alarm going off and the kids sleeping peacefully when I finally crawled out of bed.
Bliss.

But soon, there will be hell to pay.

Yes, next week, when I have to fight with the kids to get them to bed long before they have been accustomed, and then fight to get them up in the morning . . . pure hell. Oh sure, the first couple of days, it isn't bad. They're excited! New teachers, back with their friends, new clothes to wear . . . but it wears off fast. Then I am faced with trying to drag their grumpy butts out of bed. And speaking of grumpy . . . when the excitement begins to wear off and their abbreviated sleep time starts taking its toll . . . they are g.r.u.m.p.y.

In a release today on Medical News Today, they give some tips for healthy back-to-school sleep habits for children and teens and I think they are all really important. While we slack off the rules a bit in the summer, regular bedtimes during the school year are essential to a child's happiness and success at school.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends these basic daily sleep requirements:
Preschoolers: 11-13 hours
Elementary School Students: 10-12 hours
Pre-teens: 9-11 hours
Teens: 8.5-9 hours

And kids aren't any different than adults . . . they worry too. Upcoming assignments, exams, or friend troubles at school can keep kids from falling asleep. Our kids have all used the Glo to Sleep, on occasions when worrying was keeping them awake, so we were really pleased last month when Calgary's Child Magazine featured the Glo to Sleep in a "What's New" column, because the Glo to Sleep is such a great tool for kids too. Thanks to the mention, we've equipped quite a few kids with the key to a quick transition from awake to asleep. (Now, that's good back to school gear!)

Here's to hoping I survive next week!

2006-08-26T16:51:00.000-06:00

Blue's New Tv Spot

I love the spot of Labatt Blue. The 30-second spot looks at all the fake things in our world: tans, boobs and more. The closer is that Labatt Blue is the real deal.
It's all about authenticity!!!

2006-08-23T11:30:00.000-06:00

Astroturfing

It's inevitable, right? The things that start out small but grow because they're actually popular (aka movements) and then they get exploited for less authentic reasons (aka campaigns).

Example? How about the recent Paris Hilton contribution to You Tube? It's a pretty clever move by her publicity machine to reach out to a massive audience outside the mainstream media. But, it's also what's called astroturfing - planting a manufactured piece into a more organic environment. Of course, it's happening everywhere, like with the new teen flick 'John Tucker Must Die', having its own space (aka being marketed) on MySpace. Of course, MySpace also proved to be too commercially viable to be left to its own devices and it was swallowed up by News Corp. Too much ad revenue to resist for Rupert!

It's not like this is new - there have been fake film critics reviewing movies, "news" stories that are spoon-fed promo pieces and more - but what's interesting about the Internet, of course, is that access to audiences is no longer mediated by a third party - no media owner or journalists in the way. There are no gatekeepers (that's a whole other blog!) and so it's complete market access for advertisers.

More and more, you're seeing advertising diverted from network TV to specialty TV channels and the Internet. I'm not suggesting that using sites like You Tube and MySpace for commercial enterprise is wrong in anyway. Not at all. It's only my suggestion that capital flows like water and it doesn't really know boundaries. When a new space opens up, capital will flow in and, usually, change things.

2006-08-22T16:13:00.000-06:00

Work Hard, Sleep Hard

Companies are apparently aware that if their employees aren't well-rested, they are less productive. And according to an article by Stephanie Armour for USA Today, some companies are addressing the issue of fatigue. One company offers their employees free Starbucks and Red Bull. (That would be so scary for me . . . I talk about 100 miles an hour after a venti non-fat vanilla latte! And it's like a nasty amusement park ride when I come down from it!) Other companies are offering "nap times". The article says that "employers understand that sleep is a huge part of living life in a healthy fashion and employers are putting more programs into place."

Well, the research into this problem can end right here, people. You need to buy your employees a Glo to Sleep.

All those busy executives flying back and forth, across the country, or the world . . . imagine how their productivity would increase if they could easily fall asleep everytime they were in the air.

Or what about doctors, nurses, firefighters, police officers? They have crazy schedules! Shiftwork makes it especially hard to drift into la-la land. But our shiftworking customers (including nurses, firemen, and cops) have told us how much the Glo to Sleep has helped them sleep more and sleep better. The Calgary Herald recently reported that the Calgary police department has launched an internal sleep study so they can institute formal policies to deal with sleep-deprived officers. I have a policy for them: a standard issue Glo to Sleep. Get a gun, badge, uniform and a Glo to Sleep.

Same with the military. Standard issue. Imagine how hard it is to sleep in the middle of Afghanistan? But with a Glo to Sleep . . . no problem. (And I'm not just saying that . . . we've had parents buy them for their sons stationed in Iraq and the feedback has been great!)

We have even sold a Glo to Sleep to a "working girl". Yep, that's right. But, hey! They need their sleep too to be productive. And like I said, it's hard to sleep during the day.

Everyone needs a Glo to Sleep. (And wouldn't it be nice if your employer got one for you?!)

We shall not rest until everyone has a Glo to Sleep!
Well . . . we will rest . . .
because we need our sleep to be productive . . . so . . .
we shall work hard, and sleep hard, until everyone has a Glo to Sleep!!

2006-08-15T14:57:00.000-06:00

Squidoo: Lens of the Day
Squidoo is the brainchild of marketing genius, Seth Godin. It's a cool site where people are encouraged to create a "lens" on a subject they love and know alot about. Squidoo is relatively new (like us!) and I was keen to create a Glo to Sleep lens. Every weekday, the staff at Squidoo chooses a "lens of the day" - in their own words, they select a lens that "stands out in the crowd - a lens that is unique in topic, approach and personality".
After returning home from a short holiday, I was so excited to see that we had been chosen as Lens of the Day!
With confidence, I have been telling Tim and Jamie that "someday" we would be Lens of the Day. I have to admit, I thought it would take a bit longer, but I couldn't be more thrilled that our story has stood out amongst thousands of lenses.
Thanks, Squidoo! This is a great honour for us!

2006-08-14T18:09:00.000-06:00

It's Official - PR is Alive and Well

Well, I haven't been blogging this week as I was talking a bit of vacation as part of traveling to Halifax for the 25th anniversary celebrations for the Mount Saint Vincent University Bachelor of Public Relations program. Saturday, I presented on a panel alongside Natalie Fisher-Spalton of World YWCA in Geneva and Sandra Macleod of Echo Research in the UK in front of our PR colleagues. We all agreed there was an increasing demand for authenticity from the public and this doesn't mean the death of PR, it means all the more reason for PR professionals to up their game and deliver what our organizations' publics demand.

2006-08-08T23:33:00.000-06:00

Is PR Dead?

I've seen this around on quite a few blogs, including Intuitive Systems. If your definition of public relations is that it is strictly media relations, then I might be willing to agree that traditional media relations practices are dead and it's a whole new world out there. If what you mean is that PR is about spin and controlling messages, I might want to venture out and agree with you . . . but then, wait for it . . . a recent poll covered in a story by the Washington Times comes out and reveals that half of Americans now say Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when the United States invaded the country in 2003, up from 36% last year. This increase comes despite abundant coverage harpooning this idea in traditional media like the op-ed pages of the Old Gray Lady, international "mainstream media", satirical news media like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report and blogs aplenty. Someone tell the Bush cabal spin is dead.

During my Bachelor of Public Relations at Mount Saint Vincent University we learned from the very beginning that the public relations is the two-way, symmetrical communication between an organization and its publics. If anything, the Internet and its related technologies, the www, blogs, etc., actually create MORE demand for PR. Suddenly, companies that thought they didn't need to connect with the unwashed masses are now, essentially, media companies. In particular, blogs drive home the point that people want to connect with the companies that make the products and services the use or that influence their life. Just ask Kryptonite, the bike lock company what happens when a post in an internet forum tells bikers the company's lock can be jimmied with a Bic pen. Whether they liked it or not - they HEARD from their customers. Gone are the days when you could willfully ignore your publics or tell them they could order their car in any colour they liked as long as it was black.

I have many more such examples, some of which I will talk about in a panel discussion this weekend for the 25th Anniversary of the Bachelor of Public Relations program at MSVU. It should be a very interesting session and a great chance to visit with many of my un-dead, fully employed PR colleagues. More from Halifax later in the week.

2006-08-06T09:30:00.000-06:00

Questioning Authenticity as Marketing Tool

I, of course, believe what I tell myself and therefore think that authenticity is cornerstone of developing a brand (and being a person, for that matter), but I have doubts too.

That's right, I'm not so naive as to believe everything I believe with the same level of certainty. I'd make a shitty president.

At any rate, after writing about authenticity and superlative marketing messages, I thought about a curious tag line I read on a billboard a month ago while biking down a highway in the Columbia Valley in British Columbia. The billboard was for a new property development and it read:

rent the lifestyle . . .

Wow. This is a marketing campaign about aspiration. I can't afford to buy the lifestyle, but I can afford to rent it for two weeks in July!

"Lifestyle" is a big trigger for me. As a gay man, there are few things I find more irritating than having my existence referred to as a lifestyle or lifestyle choice. Shopping at Banana Republic and driving a Jetta are lifestyle choices. Being a homo is just sort of the way things are - sure I can accessorize (avec Jetta & smart chinos from the Banana) but I can't make a different choice when I'm tired of the current offerings.

All that said, a vacation property definitely falls into a lifestyle choice for me. The question is, does it make it any less authentically my lifestyle if I rent it vs. own it? Is it a question of having a lifestyle instead of using one? If the net result is two weeks at a vacation getaway and the experience is identical save for ownership -is there a difference? I'm inclined to think it doesn't matter. After all, the owner and the renter both end up with the same access to biking trails, quaint art stores and mediocre restaurants, no?

Of course, all this leads to a discussion of target market and key messages and the inevitable: how do we reach them?, and we come full circle with idea that there are people who want to getaway for a few weeks without the investment in one property and, hey, why don't we offer the chance to rent. The messages get developed and tested, tweaked and refined and someone offers up that this isn't just a vacation spot, it isn't just about a getaway or about making just one choice. No, this one billboard (and accompanying marketing strategy, I'm sure) is about escalating this choice into a defining moment of lifestyle. The cabin, the bike trails, the arts stores and the bad restaurants are a part of something bigger!

And so, my chosen profession poses consumption questions on the same playing field as those things that are core to one's self, those innate an unchangeable things about you that affect the path of your life.

Authentically speaking, I don't like their pitch (ad in the bottom right corner). I'll take my business to the charming Windermere Creek B&B with the old log cabin and the chance to get away from turning my vacation into a lifestyle.

Clearly I'm not the only one asking this question . . . just Google "authenticity" and "lifestyle" and have a read . . .

(Notwithstanding the bad restaurant comment, I must give a shout out to a fabulous restaurant in Invermere called Portabella - fantastic little spot with an inspired menu that's brilliantly realized. Thanks to Scott & Astrid at Windermere Creek for the recommendation!)

2006-08-06T08:44:00.000-06:00

Where's Truth?

Vanessa directed me to Seth Godin's blog and one of the best posts I've seen in a long time. He wrote:

Belief

People don't believe what you tell them.

They rarely believe what you show them.

They often believe what their friends tell them.

They always believe what they tell themselves.

It's not just that this is true - it is - it's that it actually can have devastating consequences. Stephen Colbert said it best on Oct. 17 , 2005 when he coined the term "truthiness".

At a time when "the" news is supplanted by satirical news programs because they actually talk about what's happening, when desparately thin actresses lie about having eating disorders when the truth is as plain as the bony chestplate grotesquely protruding from their bodies and over-hyped everything swims all around you - how do you find the truth?

I don't even mean some big philosophical truth leading to self-actualization, I just mean basic truth like, does the Glo to Sleep work? How can you make people believe?

In a word: authenticity. For any person, any business, any brand - it has to be about authenticity. It's not a guarantee of success but it's the place you need to start.

There's a great quote from Fanny Brice that I first read over 15 years ago:

“Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you?”

2006-08-02T09:30:00.000-06:00

Thank you to our Glo to Sleepyheads!

I have to confess - there are days when we're working on getting the word of the Glo to Sleep out to "traditional media" that it's frustrating. We have this huge issue - that if it were considered a disease it would be an epidemic - which you think would trigger some form of interest. Plus, we have a product that really works and have the real stories of real people that it really helps. And still . . . you can't imagine how hard it is to get people to cover this story. Fortunately, we have crack reporters covering real issues like a Canadian coffee franchise switching to cup sizes called - are you ready - small, medium and large! I kid you not. This appeared in a national newspaper with a HUGE photo - the total real estate of the article was nearly a half page!

But - we keep the faith! At least, Vanessa makes sure we all stay totally motivated - I think it's her unofficial job as the Oracle for Line 49. And, there are those people like Florence Cardinal, a fellow Albertan, who truly understand sleep and who didn't just write about the Glo to Sleep, she wrote about why it works. There are others that have covered the Glo to Sleep and happy, rested Glo to Sleepyheads which has been great. And, until the whole world knows about the Glo to Sleep - we'll keep working at it!

2006-07-28T23:31:00.000-06:00

The World is a Happier Place!

The last few days, we have received numerous e-mails from our new Glo to Sleep friends (I like using the word "friends" as opposed to "customers") thanking us for the Glo to Sleep.
Wow.
It's immensely rewarding reading their stories of how pleased they are that the Glo to Sleep is helping them.
One lady is so relieved that she doesn't have to fall asleep in front of the TV anymore, and another had her first sleep, in months, without any sleeping pills (and that was only on her second night with her Glo to Sleep!). One gentlemen was so pleased with his Glo to Sleep, he ordered two more so he could share the happiness with his family. Another was thrilled how well the Glo to Sleep worked with his CPAP machine - the CPAP helps him with his apnea but doesn't turn off his busy brain when he's trying to fall asleep. And we received the most touching e-mail from an American man who was given a Glo to Sleep, by a friend, for his injured wife. She was shot in a robbery attempt, two years ago, and has suffered paralysis to her right side. Her injuries have left her with sleep difficulties, and the Glo to Sleep is the first thing she has tried that has helped. The husband is not only happy for his wife, but since he is such a light sleeper, her sleeping problem was affecting him as well - now that she is sleeping better, so is he.

You know, everyone that writes always comments on how much more rested they feel when they wake up, and then throughout the day.

If I were asked what it is we sell, you might think that I would say "sleep".
But, we don't sell sleep.
We sell happier days.
Because when you're not sleeping, you can't be that happy.
It's hard to get through a day when you didn't sleep the night before and it's even harder to get through that day as a happy little camper.

Sleep is the bonus. We want our friends to be happier and that's what we are selling.

Happiness inspires thank you e-mails. Thank you e-mails make us happy. And the happiness just keeps flowing.

2006-06-28T11:10:00.000-06:00

Creating A Movement

Vanessa and I were discussing the great future of the Glo to Sleep last night over some frosty beverages and got really excited when we started talking about a recent blog about campaigns vs. movements by Spike Jones over at Brains on Fire.

If markets are conversations, then movements are the markets talking in unison. Correspondingly, campaigns are individuals trying to talk over others, desparate to be heard. Campaigns can be great, they can be exceptionally well done but raising above the other voices often takes big money. Big pharmaceuticals have that kind of budget, we don't. But that's fine - because we're not interested in a campaign, we're interested in movements and as Spike talks about - they're more organic and rooted in passion.

This is exactly how we think about the Glo to Sleep. This isn't about an ad campaign with a beginning and end. It's not about selling a product, its about giving sleep - a considerably more personal experience. Each time a problem sleeper becomes a Glo to Sleepyhead we are building a movement, not just a campaign.

From the beginning, we've wanted to see the person, not the customer. And, I think that's how you create a movement - real people making real connections.

2006-06-26T14:16:00.000-06:00

Oops!

There is a an old saying, "Say whatever you want about me, just spell my name right".

Well, the good news is we were in the National Post on the weekend.
The bad news is they didn't spell our name right.

In the first part, of a three part series, by Anne Marie Owens at the National Post, about a growing sleepless society, Owens asks the reader to consider the Go to Sleep as a tool for a good night's sleep.

Yes, a "Go to Sleep".

We, at Go to Sleep, are "peddling" a breathable sleep mask. Where do we "peddle"? You'll have to figure that our for yourself . . . there's no mention of that in the article.

We did send the National Post a quick, polite and gracious e-mail suggesting that perhaps they could run an update with our official name (that would be GLO to Sleep) in the third part of the sleep series. But they said it was okay . . . if you Google 'go to sleep mask' - our website comes up!

Excellent! Thanks, Google!

Have a great sleep!

Vanessa

2006-06-22T11:36:00.000-06:00

5 Star Review

Fall 2005 - Product had arrived. Booklets were printed. Boxes were delivered. Website was up and running. E-mails had been sent to everyone in our address books - announcing that we were officially up and running.
Now what?
How were we going to let the world know that we were here and ready to do business?
Our marketing plan was to send out press releases, and then if they requested, we would send them a Glo to Sleep to try.
I sat down at the computer with a comprehensive list of contacts at Canadian newspapers, magazines, radio stations and TV stations. It seemed that the majority of contacts wanted to be reached by e-mail.
Okay. I'll send the press release by e-mail, but I need something in the body of the message.
What do I write?
And who do I send to first?
After an agonizing two hours, fussing over every word, my sweaty and shaking hand reached for the "send" button.
I had done it.
I had sent my first press release.
Alright!
I got up and walked around, stretched out a little, went and made myself a chai latte, and was feeling very proud of this accomplishment.
I had sent an e-mail to the assistant health editor at Canadian Living.
Now, I would go back, copy what I had sent to her and start sending out more.
I was on a roll!
I returned to my computer, hit the "get mail" button and watched my inbox as the "receiving mail" bar blinked across the screen.
New message.
Oh my! It's from Canadian Living!
I open it.
"Please send product."
Please send product?
Oh, yeah!
Send product!
I called Jamie - thank goodness he was on speed dial!
"I did it! I sent my first press release and she wrote me back and she wants me to send product!"
Jamie is silent.
"Jamie! Did you hear me? I sent an e-mail to Canadian Living and she wrote me back already and she wants me to send product!"
"That's really good."
How could he not be more excited?
This was going to be a piece of cake! The world was about to beat a path to our door. I just knew it!
"Vanessa, I don't want you to get too excited. I mean, it's great that they want to see product, but in my experience, what just happened is very unusual."
"Well, maybe it's 'unusual' for other people, but we have something really special here. People are going to recognize that! Not only that, but it is such a great story! People love inventor stories!"
"Yes, we have a great story and a great product, but it's not going to be that easy. I just don't want you to get your hopes up. What just happened is unusual . . . trust me."
Whatever!
I went back to sending e-mails. Loads of them.
I took a little break and got a Glo to Sleep ready to be shipped to Canadian Living.
Back to the computer and checked e-mail.
No new messages.
No new messages.
(I almost want to cry when I think about how many times I went to the computer and saw 'no new messages'.)
Yes, Jamie was right. What happened was unusual.
99% of the e-mails I sent out garnered no reply at all. (And I was always changing it up. Getting more creative. Sometimes more bold and even a little cheeky other times.)
Once in a while I would get this back:
"No."
Love that one! Talk about rejection.

Two months later.
(Yeah, you read it right . . . two months!)
I got a phone call from the editor at Canadian Living.
I was so excited, and shaking so much, I nearly dropped the phone.
She said that her health editor really loved her Glo to Sleep and that they wanted to put it in "Great Ideas in Health" in the Feb. issue.
Finally! Some good news!

After that, more media coverage came our way - but never easily. And every bit of coverage came after someone actually tried it and saw for themselves that this was not a joke.

In the meantime though, people were buying the Glo to Sleep and getting back to us that they really liked it. Some people have been so enthusiastic! Hearing back from our customers has become the most rewarding part of this process.

So . . . (I'm finally getting to the POINT of my story!) in a continuous effort to let people know that we are here and that we have a great answer to people's sleeping problems, I continue to send out press releases.
A little while back, we really started to think about how we could get some "web" coverage. I mean, we are on the web, selling on the web, but people on the web don't really even know we are here.
We were aware of a lady that writes about sleep disorders on About.com, so I contacted her to see if it would be alright if I sent her a Glo to Sleep and press kit.
She was open to the idea and sent me her address.
While I like to remain optimistic (and I am the most optimistic in our bunch), you still get to a point where you just don't want to get your hopes too high - only to have them squashed like a bug under a big boot (okay, the last year may have scarred me a bit).
So, I sent her a Glo to Sleep and tried to put it out of my mind.
Just kept workin'.

Then, last week, I got an e-mail from her. She said that she was "impressed" with the Glo to Sleep. That she wanted to write a review and could we please send some product shots.

Time to get excited?
Hell, yeah!
She was impressed. She was writing a review. It was going to be posted on the web. What was there not to be excited about?
It almost felt like maybe things were going to start going our way.

We waited a couple of days and then I started checking her website (like every two minutes . . . like a bloody maniac). At last, about 5:00pm, it was posted.
"Go to Sleep with Glo to Sleep".
Five stars.

Wha . . . huh - huh?

Five stars?

Oh, baby! Five stars!

I read on.
It was well-written, it was concise, it was descriptive. But the best part?
She got it.
She totally "got" the Glo to Sleep.
She got why it worked. She got how Tim figured it all out.
And something else she said: "It worked for me."
It has worked for everybody that has written about us, talked about us - but nobody has stepped up and said, "it worked for me".

Florence stepped up.
Read our FIVE STAR REVIEW.

Thanks, Florence.

Have a great sleep!
Vanessa

2006-06-16T13:09:00.000-06:00

Marktd.com

As I continue to educate myself on marketing, looking for the best ways to increase our presence online, I have discovered some really great sites and they have quickly become my favourite haunts.

One of my most visited sites these days is psfk.com - a resource of consumer and marketing trends (I'd love to see the Glo to Sleep featured here someday!). From the psfk team is a new site call Marktd. This is a marketing website where marketers can submit stories and links of interest and then the community 'votes' on these stories. Much like Digg . . . but better.
So, after visiting marktd.com day after day, I thought, "Hey! Why not submit a story about the Glo to Sleep?!" So, I did. And as of this moment, we have received 15 'marks' and we are sitting on the "Top Marktd Stories" page. This has generated quite a bit of traffic to the website and most people are taking their time to read more than just the submitted press release - weaving their way around the website. Our marketing peers taking a moment to read our website and then give us a mark on Marktd - very rewarding! This experience is really energizing me.

Some more of my 'new' haunts:
www.dailycandy.com
www.joshspear.com
www.boingboing.net
www.sethgodin.com (LOVE his blog!!)
and more

It's such a big world - I love it!

Have a great sleep!
Vanessa

2006-06-10T16:57:00.000-06:00

PR is not dead
If I read this one more time I just might scream. But since few people will hear that I'll blog about it instead. If your only notion of public relations is that it is media relations then, yes, we can certainly enter into a discussion about how the Internet and, in particular, blogging has not only changed the rules of engagement it's changed the whole game. I whole heartedly agree that people's ability to gather information through means other than the mass media has changed things - but PR is not exclusively media relations.

PR is the two-way, symmetrical communication between and organization and its publics. With this definition - the advent of the Internet and the blogosphere makes PR more relevant than ever. In fact, traditional manufacturing companies who did nothing more than create the occasional brochure or data sheet for products are now media outlets too. Small example: a few years ago I was producing an interactive media installation at an arts centre and needed to source out electric motors. I did the official thing and called the procurement department with the specifications. While I waited for an answer, I searched for the motors online. I found the manufacturer's web site and was able to determine they had 14 motors in stock in Kentucky or somewhere like that. I was able to find the Canadian distributor and then called to get a sales rep. The rep says - I'll have to check and see if the manufacturer has any in stock. I said: they do. 14 of them. I need 6. In three days I had the motors and the artists were installing them. The procurement department called me back to tell me they couldn't find what I wanted.

PR isn't about hucksterism and smoke and mirrors. It's about being the eyes and ears of an organization and it should function as a strategic management tool. The definition I used for PR is an old standard but there are two aspects that are explicitly relevant to today's Internet driven world. Communication has to be TWO WAY. That's right - many of us PR folks have been talking for a long time about taking in messages not just sending them out. Then comes the symmetrical part - there is equality and parity to the messages coming in and out.

Businesses of all types have been radically affected by the Internet and so too has much PR practice but the essential concept of PR remains the same.

2006-06-07T09:33:00.000-06:00

Sleep is Always in the News

Sleep is a popular subject - probably because there are so many people out there that aren't getting enough! Tim and I always Google sleep and insomnia articles in the News and Blogs. I came across this great piece yesterday about the madness of Big Pharma convincing the world that sleeping pills are the only answer. It's on Planet Chiropractic - and reading it reminded me of one of my favourite articles, written for the Sacramento Bee, that linked the big multi-million dollar launch of Lunesta with the "non-profit" National Sleep Foundation.
I'm not trying to be political (I'll save that for when I run for P.M.) or make bold claims of conspiracies (no need . . . it's already so transparent), but I do like to be informed as to what we are up against. And so, I hang on to what I hear from our customers every day - they want to do everything they can to avoid the sleeping pill prescription.
That's why we're here.
Have a great sleep!
Vanessa

2006-06-06T10:50:00.000-06:00

The Glo to Sleep Website: An Evolution

Thank heavens we have an in-house web designer! Between our abundance of creativity and our incessant need to have everything perfect - we can't stop improving on the website.
Tim has become a self-taught web guy - learning Dreamweaver, Flash, Illustrator, Photoshop and more. So, when we come up with an idea for a website change and put him on task, he exceeds our expectations every time.
We learned, very quickly, that our website would always be evolving and we are comfortable with the fact that we always see room for improvement, no matter how hard we have worked on a page.

I'm very excited that today is (finally!) the day that we'll be uploading our new "how it works" page. We've put so much effort into this page so we could better address the 'wants' of our web visitors. Every conversation with our customers (and potential customers) becomes a lesson, for us, on how we can improve to make a visit to our site more interesting and more informative.

While we all love the look of a clean and minimal website, there is just so much that needs to be said about the Glo to Sleep. So, we have to create something informative while still keeping it tight. It's a fine line, believe me!

Visitors to our site really seem to love to read the stories from our Glo to Sleep users (or as we affectionately call them . . . our Glo to Sleepyheads!). So, we decided to incorporate more of their quotes on more pages and I like the way it turned out. With their pictures and their own words, it is our goal to 'keep it real'! I'm sure there will always be people that are skeptical of the authenticity of our Glo to Sleepyheads, but we feel really confident that we have done what we can to establish that these are indeed real people being honest about how the Glo to Sleep has helped them. We love adding new Glo to Sleepyheads so we are excited to say that we will be adding FOUR new ones in the next week. (The great stories just keep coming . . . the most rewarding part of our job!)

Enjoy the added info on our site and the new look of "how".

Have a great sleep!
Vanessa

2006-05-31T10:38:00.000-06:00

When we started this business I knew getting the word out about the Glo to Sleep wasn't going to be easy - but we had all the essentials: a great product that really works and addresses a real problem and the right mix of people, skills and relationships to get the job done.

We decided from the very beginning we wanted to build something different with the Glo to Sleep. We don't look at the Glo to Sleep as a product so much as an answer. Each time a problem sleeper becomes a Glo to Sleepyhead, it feels like we got the answer right.

We don't have the advertising budget of big pharmaceuticals but we have a big vision: one person at a time we want to build a sleep revolution (that's natural and doesn't build a chemical dependency!).

We've had people look at us strange and think we were crazy for taking this on all by ourselves - but we always ask: why not us? Why does somebody else have to do it? And, so, here we are, doing it.

2006-05-30T12:13:00.000-06:00

My impressions of a "blog"? You have to be clever. Creative. Witty. Intelligent.
My perfectionist nature tells me that every post must meet all of this criteria and more.
So, here I sit, trying to write the very first post to our Glo to Sleep blog and what am I doing?
Writing.
Deleting.
Another attempt.
Delete again.
I'll get it right this time . . . think clever, Vanessa!
Delete.
I must let go . . . just let it flow. There are no rules . . . except to be yourself.
Okay. I can do this.
Yes, I can.
Although, I can't stop thinking that the first post is the hardest. Where do I begin? What do I say? Certainly the next posts will be easier. It's the first that hurts the most.
Maybe a good place to start is addressing the 5 W's. That's good journalism!
Okay . . .
Who?
Tim - the inventor, creator, ideasmith. The genius (he hates that label, but it's true!).
Jamie - the creative anarchist. Our marketing & PR guru. The wordsmith.
Me - the local visionary and eternal optimist. Wife to ideasmith. Sister to creative anarchist.
We are Team Glo to Sleep. Young(ish) entrepreneurs taking idea to product. Product to market. Innovation to early adopters. Sleep to the sleepless.
What?
The Glo to Sleep. Tim's invention that is going to change the world of insomnia and sleeplessness.
When?
Tim had his great moment of inspiration on December 29, 2002 (oh, I remember it well!). We started making prototypes in January 2003. Work, work, and more work . . . official Glo to Sleeps delivered from our manufacturer in California in June 2005. Launched the website in August. First media coverage on December 19, 2005. Been going strong ever since!
Where?
We're in Alberta, Canada. But, there are Glo to Sleeps living all over the world!
Why?
Because we believe.
We believe that the Glo to Sleep works. We believe in ourselves. We believe we are here to help people. And we believe that the world would be a much happier place to live if everyone got the sleep they needed!
And finally . . .
How?
Spread the word - online and offline. Generate media. Connect with the sleepless. Offer amazing customer service. Be creative. Always improve. Listen. Learn. Work hard.

Team Glo to Sleep all agreed that we wanted a blog. A travel log of our adventure. A place to write about the highs and lows. The entrepreneurial process.
We'll all contribute and have our own opinions and voices.

Okay, the first time wasn't really so bad. I'm already looking forward to the next one!

Have a great sleep!
Vanessa