iClickNation.com

At the risk of sounding like a gullible lad, I want to share with all my Canadian readers a recent identity theft story.

Last week I received a phone message from “Revenue Canada”. The man on the phone, said that I needed to call them back urgently at 1-800-959-2250 (all RC numbers start with 1-800-959). He added that they are open till 11pm and that I should have my SIN number ready for verification.

I know, I know…but I was tired.

When I dialed the number, I was instantly put on hold. The entire process was very professional. Their on-hold message even said they they might record this for quality assurance.

In the end, I gave them some of my personal information. For some reason after they asked me for my birth date, I got suspecious and told them that I’d call them back. At that point the guy even gave me some sites I should visit to verify the legitimacy of this number! After Googling the number, I found these two sites.

If something similar happens to you, Transunion.ca has some excellent information on how to protect yourself after identity theft. You should also visit consumerinformation.ca and phonebusters.com.

If you're new to my blog, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

One thing that’s important to realize about viral marketing is that it’s about energy.

A good viral campaign should create a spark of energy every time someone is exposed to it. This energy is important because it powers the desire to share. Often, it is the discovery of something interesting and new that creates this urge to share.

So what does this energy look like? Remember Tom Cruise and Oprah’s couch? That’s it. You’re next viral campaign should try to aim for this level of excitement.

Photo credit: Montara Mike©

These days, GPS technology isn’t limited to cars and military equipment. New cell phones can now guide you through unfamiliar cities, find the nearest cafe, or create art…yes art.

Nokia has recently launched a viral microsite about a fictional artist called Stavros and his “position art“. This pretentious yet engaging character uses his Nokia GPS system to create art.

I love this idea. Not only does it demonstrate the phone’s GPS system but it also encourages people to use it and share the art they’ve created with friend.

In addition to the blog and Stavros art, you can view art created by site visitors. Unfortunately, the visitors are encouraged to created these images using a mouse rather than a GPS system. This is a bit of a letdown and perhaps a missed opportunity. Sure it’s easier to use a mouse; however, it’s not satisfying and definitely not worth sharing. Why would I want to see pictures that people scribbled on their computer?

Nokia should have stayed true to their concept. Perhaps they could have held GPS contests or recruited art students to create real position art. On the website they could have also provided city maps with street-by-street directions to recreate Stavros’s art.

With that said, it’s still worth a click.