Chris Morales

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Summer Running!

Ahhh...summer running!

Here in Toronto we went from winter to summer over a couple of weeks. Just two weeks ago morning temperatures were below freezing and I was running in full winter gear. Fast forward a couple of weeks...now in short tights and a T shirt. So much for the four seasons here in Canada. Can we blame it on Global Warming?

As you may have guessed by now, I love summer and summer running. The hotter the better. I love to sweat and summer running means I sweat a lot. On a long run I can loose 3 kilos or water! Even though my winter running gear doesn't weigh a lot, it is restrictive so being able to run in short tights and a T Shirt is liberating. I feel like I've shed a few pounds.

Summer running in my neighbourhood early in the morning means I get to hear the birds singing. It helps on those mornings when I'm huffing and puffing during my hill repeat runs. And while I can't actually see the sun break the horizon, I look out for the moment on a run when it peeks over the trees.

Yes, I do love my summer running!

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Thursday, April 30, 2015

10 Principles of Strong Brands

You could refer to these as the Ten Commandments of Branding. Three stand out for Marketers and Brand Stewards to keep top-of-mind:

Relevance: Today a hero, tomorrow a memory.
Authenticity: Are you really for real?
Differentiation: Copy cat?

Back in the day: At Dairy Queen we successfully fought the McFlurry by staying focused on being relevant, authentic and different. Relevant: A favourite place to enjoy a Blizzard 'Down at the local DQ'; Authentic: DQ Soft Serve was 'real milk; Different: Barage of new Blizzard flavours.

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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

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Saying Goodbye to my Puma Faas 1000 Running Shoes

Puma Faas 1000 Running Shoes

I shed a tear this past weekend. For my Puma Faas 1000 Running Shoes. I've been running in them for nearly 8 months now and although I have alternated with Ugly Running Shoes over the nasty Toronto winter, I know the time is coming to say goodbye. And I don't like that one bit!

These Puma Faas 1000's have been one of my favourite running shoes. First and most important has been the fit. They have a fairly wide toe-box that accomodates my wide feet allowing me to stay comfortable on long runs in all temperatures. They also have fairly pronounced arch support which has been great for foot support.

Then there's the cushoning: The '1000' refers to a high level of support through the entire mid-sole that allows me to run comfortable with both heel strike and mid-foot styles. And like almost all of the other Pumas I've run in, the outsole is virtually industructable.

The only weakness has been that very same outsole: It's built like a racing slick. If you follow auto racing, think 'Intermediates': very shallow grooves. This has proven to be excellent in dry, warm conditions; not so good for wet or icy/snowy running. The Ugly Running Shoes stepped in nicely for the bad weather.

I'm not a professional running shoe reviewer but I know what I like. And these Puma's have been great. Here's what I wrote previously about some of my other favourite running shoes: A few of my favourite running shoes.

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Thursday, April 23, 2015

The two most important Marketing Questions

I have seen countless Marketing Plans and Strategies over the years. Complex plans with more data analysis than can be digested in one sitting were the norm. At most of those Planning Sessions by the time we got to PowerPoint Slide #56 not even the Presenter could remember what the Objectives were.

Since the rise of 'Big Data' and the ability to measure absolutely everything, it's gotten worse. Just because you can analyze it doesn't mean you need to. It's soo easy to swim blindly in the weeds.

The two most important questions you need to answer?

What's your desired outcome?
How will you know when you've suceeded?