1. Old Spice: The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

    Old Spice is typically a brand most men (at least here in the UK) see as an ‘older men’ brand. Something you smell on your Dad or Granddad but have never thought about putting on yourself. This is why I was surprised to find the utter brilliance of an ad entitled “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” on YouTube, the latest in advertisements advertising the re-positioning in market of the Old Spice brand. Is this probably the greatest advertising campaign for deodorant out there today? Judge for yourself:

    There are several things brilliant about this advert:

    • The excellent tag line added to the description: “We’re not saying this body wash will make your man smell into a romantic millionaire jet fighter pilot, but we are insinuating it.”
    • If you’re a woman, you’ll now look at your boyfriend and think “why are you not more manly you woman scented body washer?”
    • He has a boat, but he was just in the shower a moment ago
    • He has tickets to your favourite thing you want to go see
    • They turn to diamonds
    • He’s on a horse

    As an added benefit, they also have Men focused advertisements which encourage Men to switch things up with their deodorants. Here’s “Different Scents for Different Gents” which covers this very well.

    Like the adverts? Watch the full set on YouTube or on their official site’s video section.

    Edit: Seems Old Spice have gone ahead and done it again with their B.O. Blocker range of ads. Here’s a sample from those (also found on their YouTube channel) below:

    5 Comments »

  2. An easier way to respond to equity based web development requests

    I recently received (another) equity based request for my services. We all get them from time to time, some more than others. This one was based around (reluctantly) giving away a small piece of equity in an idea in exchange for developing it all for free. Not something i’m very fond of doing unless I truly love the market they’re getting into (gaming, advertising, tv, films for example) or it comes with convincing financial statements.

    Here’s the straight forward and simple reply i’ve put together which was used in this situation (and will be used in similar future situations):

    Thanks for getting in touch. I’m afraid I don’t work in equity situations that value the idea more than the person putting it into execution. Thanks for getting in touch, but i’m not interested in this case.

    Good luck with the idea, I hope you guys make it a great success :) Feel free to send me an e-mail rubbing it in if that’s the case further down the line.

    There are several reasons for the language in this e-mail:

    • bold statement to declare i’m not interested because it is undervaluing me
    • making sure it ends friendly and opens up for witty banter
    • making sure there’s an opportunity for myself to be ridiculed if the idea becomes a success later down the line

    If you’ve responded to similar requests or have an e-mail that you yourself use in this situation I’d be happy to hear from you and discuss your experiences in the comments below.

    5 Comments »

  3. Finding my way onto the Magento book wall

    Roy Rubin, the CEO of Varien (creators of Magento) posted the following picture onto his Twitter quietly around a month ago. Making my smile go ear to ear the entire day. Take a look a look at the Magento HQ book wall:

    Magento 1.3: PHP Developer's Guide framed on the Varien (Magento HQ) book wall

    That’s right! Magento 1.3: PHP Developer’s Guide is in the top left, hanging on the Magento HQ book wall! Also hanging there in the bottom left is Magento: Beginner’s Guide which I previously wrote a review on. Expect a review on Magento 1.3: Theme Guide to come in the near future.

    2 Comments »

  4. Press Release: Magento 1.3: PHP Developer’s Guide

    Magento 1.3: PHP Developer's Guide book coverDesign, develop, and deploy feature-rich Magento online stores using Packt’s new Book

    Packt is pleased to announce Magento 1.3: PHP Developer’s Guide, a new book that helps PHP developers build applications that interface with the customer, product, and order data using Magento’s Core API. Written by Jamie Huskisson, this book is packed with examples for effective Magento development.

    Magento is an Open Source, e-commerce web application that was created by Varien, and built on components of the Zend Framework. Magento is the hottest and most powerful e-commerce software and has gained popularity in a short period of time. Users can control the look, content and functionality of their e-commerce web site with the help of Magento’s powerful theming engine.

    Magento 1.3: PHP Developer’s Guide will help developers extend and customize the Magento e-commerce system using PHP code. They will get familiar with the architecture and internal structure of Magento and learn about the best modules available. Developers can then build a shipping module for their Magento store to give users options for receiving their items once they have paid for them.

    Through this book, developers can build a basic brand-management module for Magento, in order to manage brands and display their details. They can also, create, update, delete, and retrieve customer data from within Magento by implementing the customer API. Additionally, developers can also import/export files to retrieve and store information from and to external sources using Excel Spreadsheet or CSV data.

    PHP developers who want to understand the architecture of Magento and learn how to extend the system with PHP code, as well as add new features will find this book a beneficial and interesting read. This book is out now and available from Packt. For more information, visit: – http://www.packtpub.com/magento-1-3-php-developers-guide/book

    Discuss This Article »

  5. Announcing Magento 1.3: PHP Developer’s Guide

    Magento 1.3: PHP Developer's Guide book coverToday I’m happy beyond belief to announce the release of my first book, Magento 1.3: PHP Developer’s Guide published through local Midlands based book publisher PackT Publishing.

    I’ve been a heavy user of Magento ever since it was in the very early releases and have launched every e-commerce site I’ve done since it was made available in the software. Magento has, in my opinion, set the standard for open source e-commerce on the web since its very first release.

    The book is packed full of development focused chapters that will lead you through core aspects of Magento development, each of which you’ll use when working with Magento at one time or another. Head on over to the book’s website to learn more.

    Here’s just a highlight of the topics covered in the book:

    • Install and upgrade Magento to get ready for development
    • Get familiar with the architecture and internal structure of Magento
    • Learn about the best modules available and what they can do for you out of the box
    • Build a Shipping module for your Magento store to give users options for receiving their items once they have paid for them
    • Create a payment method for Magento and the various aspects that go together to complete the payment process
    • Speed up your module creation process using the Module Creator script
    • Build a basic brand-management module for Magento to manage brands and display their details
    • Integrate your favourite CMS into Magento including a walkthrough of integrating Wordpress into Magento
    • Create, update, delete, and retrieve customer data from within Magento by implementing the customer API
    • Integrate Magento data into an existing external web application or script using the Magento Core API
    • Import/export files to retrieve and store information from and to external sources using Excel Spreadsheet or CSV data

    What to learn more? Head on over to the Magento 1.3: PHP Developer’s Guide official website, the book is available to ship from today.

    The book’s website will be updated with new distributor’s once they become available. Please follow me on Twitter for future updates.

    4 Comments »

  6. 2010: The Year Of The Freelance

    Nearly five months today I left my previous employment for the world of freelance development. There hasn’t been a single person who hasn’t commented how much happier I am and I couldn’t agree more. I’ve loved every minute of the past five months freelancing and I’m looking forward to 2010 heading into it in a really good place.

    2010 for me will be a mix of some (hopefully all) of the following:

    Bringing back the personal projects

    It’s time I started spending some time putting some ideas into practice instead of just talking about them all the time. Personal projects I have in the pipeline so far include gaming, Magento and an iPhone app.

    Working for the dream client(s)

    There are a few of those “dream clients” I’ve always dreamt of doing sites for ever since I first encountered their brand or using their products. This year I’m hoping to work with at least one of these dream clients.

    Doing more outside of work/Nottingham

    It’d be nice to spend some more time away from Nottingham, even if only for a day to a week at client offices or visiting just to get a feel of other places and other approaches to working. As I didn’t previously spend all that much time away from working before freelance, I’m looking to enjoy my time after work and on the weekends more instead of repeating old patterns.

    Here’s to 2010

    Here’s to 2010: The Year Of The Freelance and all that comes with it. It’s going to be a great year.

    3 Comments »

  7. Proudly pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month

    Today I’ve changed my website to the pink coloured theme in support of the breast cancer awareness month campaign, now in its 25th year.

    What is breast cancer awareness month? The website says it best:

    The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) organization is a partnership of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to screening services.

    In 2009, NBCAM celebrates its 25th anniversary. Since its inception a quarter century ago, NBCAM has been at the forefront of promoting awareness of breast cancer issues and has evolved along with the national dialogue on breast cancer. Today, NBCAM recognizes that although many great strides have been made in breast cancer awareness and treatment, there remains much to be accomplished. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we remain dedicated to educating and empowering women to take charge of their own breast health by practicing regular self-breast exams to identify any changes, scheduling regular visits and annual mammograms with their healthcare provider, adhering to prescribed treatment, and knowing the facts about recurrence.

    3 Comments »

  8. Pants to Poverty win early in social media campaign against Bayer Crop Sciences

    Pants to Poverty logo

    For the months of June/July and early August I’ve been working late hours after work and weekends on a social media campaign for one of my favourite clients Pants to Poverty. The campaign involved several things:

    • Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr presences for Pants to Poverty
    • A slimmed down version of the site, with focus on quality and ease of use over quantity
    • Giving core advice on placement of Pants to Poverty around the web and bettering the website wherever possible
    • A collaboration with the excellent Leo Burnett agency on the Panteater viral campaign. (see also: Die Suckers and My Friend Martha)
    • The Bad Pants Amnesty, focusing on getting Bayer Crop Sciences to stop the production and distributing of the endosulfan pesticide
    • Sell more fabulous, fair trade, Pants to Poverty Pants

    I’m a passionate fan of Pants to Poverty pants and have been ever since they were a client of Rolled Limited, of which I was formally Managing Director. Their pants are great (and comfortable), the message is brilliant and the campaigns and activities they are constantly pushing are always inspiring looking from the outside inwards.

    Allow me to take a minute to explain the Bad Pants Amnesty campaign. Pants to Poverty are seeking to get Bayer Crop Sciences to stop producing and distributing the pesticide endosulfan. This is a banned in Europe and 62 countries, yet Bayer Crop Sciences (a major European brand) are still producing it. To learn more about the effects this pesticide has had on others, please read the Bad Pants Amnesty page on Pants to Poverty or watch the video here for visuals on the effects it has had on others.

    A couple of weeks ago I was informed by Ben Ramsden, Pants to Poverty CEO, that only one week into the campaign launching a huge victory had taken place. Bayer Crop Sciences have announced they are to stop producing and distributing the pesticide endosulfan!

    This is excellent news and I am eager to see who Pants to Poverty switch their sights to next in their Bad Pants Amnesty campaign.

    1 Comment »

  9. Magento: Beginner’s Guide, a solid introduction to managing Magento stores

    Magento: Beginner's Guide Magento: Beginners Guide, a solid introduction to managing Magento stores Often enough when you’re a Magento developer you can find yourself in a position where by a client is overwhelmed with options. They don’t know where to click, what all the fields are or mean and simply don’t know where to start. Typically with Magento training I have to provide around a week of my time per project for training a client on the subtle aspects of Magento, through from managing static blocks, to pages, to categories and products. Managing orders, importing and exporting, it all needs to be taught well so a client isn’t confused when they’re left to manage the site on their own. Now, I can provide them with this book once I’ve done training them as a reference for them to look back on for instructions and help when they need it.

    To purchase there are multiple options: Publisher (Physical book + eBook available), Amazon UK, Amazon US.

    What does it actually contain?

    Magento: Beginner’s Guide by William Rice covers the entire back-end Magento system from a store owner’s point of view and teaches them a variety of aspects about managing their store. The fantastically written chapters include:

    • Installation of Magento – covering how to get Magento installed on your server and leading you through the install process.
    • Categories, Products and Attributes – covering the basics of all three and showing you how to set-up and manage both categories and attributes. (Click here to download this as a sample chapter)
    • Taxes – this chapter alone saving hours of time in explanation covers how to set-up and manage the different varieties of tax rules in the system.
    • Adding Simple Products – guiding you through how to set-up a simple product in Magento and what each of the fields does/means.
    • Minimum Customisation of Your Store’s Appearance – leads you through the elements of Magento you have control over in your administrative back-end.
    • Beyond Simple Products – guiding you through the ever important grouped and configurable products and their practical uses for your store.
    • Customer Relationships – how to manage customers, newsletters and your contact form for your Magento store. Setting up and managing what features users have available to them.
    • Accepting Payment – guiding through what Magento makes available to you in the form of accepting payment on your website and the configurable options that are presented.
    • Configuring Shipping – taking a similar approach to the Accepting Payment chapter except guiding you through the shipping side of set-up and configuration.
    • Fulfilling an order – the most important task for any Magento store owner in actually processing the order once it has come through guiding you through the process from start to finish.
    • An appendix of broken down short step-by-step instructions – useful for quickly referring back to doing key tasks quickly without all the padded long explanations in between that you may not need second or third time around.

    But is it any good? How does it come across?

    Simply put Magento: Beginner’s Guide covers it all. It takes a personal one-on-one tutoring approach to take you through all key and important aspects of Magento. It comes across as friendly and helpful, making you feel like you don’t have to be an idiot not to know how to work with a certain feature or part of Magento. This guide is great for the completely uninitiated going into Magento and it’s great for the experienced that really just want to grasp the full power of Magento’s administrative back-end.

    Can I train my staff with this book?

    Before reviewing it myself I passed Magento: Beginner’s Guide onto a couple developers in the office. One of which who had worked with Magento before and one who had never looked at it. Both read the book back to front and came out with a proper understanding to the back-end of Magento, saving me from days of staff training on the topic.

    Who should buy Magento: Beginner’s Guide?

    People who should buy Magento: Beginner’s Guide include:

    • People who like to be walked through things one-on-one
    • Anyone who is getting into Magento as either a store owner or a developer for the first time
    • Anyone who wants to train others in Magento
    • Any store owners, who want a great reference when they’re stuck or can’t quite remember how to do something (and don’t want to pay for support from a developer/agency)

    To purchase there are multiple options: Publisher (Physical book + eBook available), Amazon UK, Amazon US.

    4 Comments »

  10. “Because it’s what the client wants”

    This is likely the most often used excuse for giving the client something you don’t want to give them. To give them something that in your best opinion isn’t what they want at all. As developers, or people in the profession of giving people websites of quality (and I say that because some companies couldn’t care less), we need to learn to avoid this phrase. This especially applies to smaller companies.

    We’re in the position where by the majority of the time a client will come to us asking us to provide them with what they want. It’s not often someone comes to you with a brief marking out 100% of what they want, feature for feature. When in this position we’re in a position of trust to advise them exactly what’s best and to provide them with the best we possibly can.

    “Because it’s what the client wants” is an unfortunate consequence of not enough dialogue and an unwillingness to provide better alternatives to a proposed solution which is lesser than you’d normally want to provide.

    For web users everywhere, please, stop using this excuse.

    7 Comments »