Ugly Shoes are great Winter Running Shoes

Remember Ugly Shoes?  I sure can't.  They most certainly are ugly but surprise, surprise...they are great in the snow! Who would have guessed.

Last summer I bought these Ugly Running Shoes at Marshalls. Now before I get any hate mail or comments, Marshalls is a wonderful store with some great deals on lots of fashionable items. Marshalls however is NOT the place to buy a pair of serious running shoes...even if the prices are ridiculously low.

I confess to a moment of weakness when I saw this pair and purchased immediately after I tried them on in the store.  They didn't look so bad in the store.  Must have been the lighting!  Once home however and paired with my running gear the truth revealed itself: These were ugly running shoes. But I didn't throw them out. Instead I shoved them to the back of a shelf in our store room and forgot about them.

Then a few weeks ago after a particularly slippy run in the snow with my regular Puma's, I went hunting for the Ugly Shoes. Hmmm...I wonder how they'd work in the snow?

I tried them out after last weekend's dump and was very pleasantly surprised with the performance in the sidewalk slop that passes for snow in the City.  Lots of traction...Wow!  I felt more confident running. Plus because they are really ugly I don't mind running in them in the sloppy and salty conditions.  And they don't even retain salt stains!

So despite being very unkind referring to these Ugly Shoes, they are great for running in the snow.  Who knew...!

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

How to be Social at an Event

Live events were tailor made for Social Media.  Pre, during and post event...each presents a different opportunity to engage with the Target Consumer.  My experience with Reggae Marathon fits this exactly:

1. Pre-event the engagement revolves around driving Runner Registrations while building anticipation for participating.  Lots of stories about individual runners and groups planning to attend. Twitter, Facebook and Google+ are the main Social Media Channels.
2. At the Reggae Marathon Race Event Weekend, it's about sharing runner experiences at the event.  Photos rule:  Instagram is the primary Social Media Channel followed closely by Facebook and Twitter.
3. Post-event the engagement continues with runner experiences but broadens to include the total experience of being on holiday in a beach location.  Social Media Channels are fairly balanced between Instrgram, Facebook and Twitter.

The Infographic below mirrors this experience and provides some additional insights into how to make an event truly social:

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Chris M Morales
MarCommTO

chris.morales@bell.net

647 393 3855

Linkedin:  Chris M Morales 

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization

Abs, abs and nothing but the abs

Oh, oh...now I've gone and done it.

In a fit of impulsiveness last week I bragged about the indoor workouts I've been doing while recovering from (another) leg injury.  I boasted that pretty soon I'd have Abs to be proud of.  My good friend Larry Savitch called me on it:  "Oh you'll have great abs" he said , "Under a layer of fat unless you reduce your calories and increase your aerobic exercise".

Oops...there go the salty snacks!

To make matters worse, I challenged Larry to an Abs Competition on the beach in Negril at Reggae Marathon December 5.

No I am in really, really deep!

I should explain:  Larry is quite a few years younger than me.  That's not really the issue.  What could cause me to come in second in this two-person competition (a finishing position I am quite familiar with by the way:  Blog post) is that he already has 'Abs of Steel".  Oh, and he spends his days in a gym...professionally as a Trainer.

OK, so he has a 'little' advantage over me.  But heck, since it's my throwdown, and I have 280 days to get in shape, it should be no problem.

There go those salty snacks.

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Storytelling in the age of Social Media

Back in the day we told stories in full page newspaper and magazine ads, television and radio commercials and direct mail.  It was totally one way and measuring response, even with direct mail was guesswork at best.  

It was still storytelling!

Today and in the future, storytelling is multi-way:  Brand to Consumer;  Consumer to Brand; Consumer to Consumer about a Brand.  All of this interactivity made possible by Social Media.

I heard recently that Social Media is going to be taken over by Automation.  Until humans are replaced by machines, that will never happen!  We love the human story too much!

What do you think?

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Chris M Morales
MarCommTO

chris.morales@bell.net

647 393 3855

Linkedin:  Chris M Morales 

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization