I think some people forget that marketing doesn’t end at promotions. Apparently, someone at Apple did too.

In the early days of the iPod, you had commercials of silhouettes spinning, flipping off walls, and moving in every possible way to their favourite tunes, all through their Apple earbuds. It was a great creative that made the most visible aspect of the iPod and iPhone experience – the earbuds – the most prominent, making them an icon for Apple and a huge awareness opportunity.

Why spend money on advertising when you can have your customers handle awareness for you? It was the perfect setup – or could have been, had the earbuds not sucked (and continue to suck). Poorly-fitted, tinny sounding, and tethered by a short wire, I’d choose any number of other headphones before I chose one from Apple. Premium headphones exist, but they’re little-known and for the price, you might as well splurge on something more established.

So what’s Apple’s excuse? Yes, you have manufacturing costs, but as a premium-priced product, any iPod markup could have easily swallowed the cost for better headphones.

Such a waste.

It’s Monday, March 1st and the city is silent – a sobering quiet I don’t want any part of. The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games are over, and I’m scared to come back down.

These past two weeks, Vancouver, a quiet city at it’s loudest, came to life. Our home became a rallying point for the world, but more importantly, a place for Canadians to wear their colours proud. Parties and spectacle aside, it’s the unshakable sense of community – one that Vancouver has never seen – that I will remember most about the Olympics.

We have shown the nations we are a world-class people. Vancouver may never have the 8-lane highways or the sprawling skyline, but the world will remember us for our kindness, our vigor, and our hospitality.

I’m not petitioning for the Olympic party to continue; we’re all ready for some rest. What I am saying, is that we have a good thing here. We’ve spent a lot of time and money on the games – and so will our generations to follow. Let’s take this momentum, and build our community. Our arts, our culture, our people – it’s abundantly clear we have a lot to celebrate.

So Vancourites – let down your walls, smile and strike up a conversation. We’ve all proven we’re human. Let’s stay that way.

[005/365] Little Miss Sunshine
Susan and I warmed up for a corporate portrait shoot with Yvonne Chiang from Chiang PR. Suffice to say, we were both a little jumpy.

[007/365] The Ladies of Beyond Pink 2009
The day after the shoot with Yvonne Chiang was the Beyond Pink 2009 conference, a two-day series of workshop geared towards helping young women in business develop their careers. Theoretically the most awesome gig ever, but in practice, it was pretty awkward. (Totally worth it, though.)

[010/365] Last-Minute Preparations
I had been meaning to book Laura Lee for some time, we finally had a chance to sit down for a brainstorming / warm-up session.

[012/365] Sin
In between Laura Lee’s outfit changes, Christina hopped in front of the camera for her 15-seconds of fame.

[016/365] Clear Blue Water
Bon voyage! Cruising the Atlantic ocean on the Carnival Valor en route to the Carribean.

[017/365] Bob
First stop in the Carribeans: Grand Cayman. This gentlemen was the man who chartered our stingray excursion.

[018/365] Infectious
Even in Isla Roatan, Miley Cyrus paraphernalia is sold.

[020/365] Fire!
Didn’t have a chance to leave the compound at Belize, so I turned my eye to tourists instead – in particular,this kid at boats.

[020/365] Between Giants
Leaving the beautiful island of Cozumel, sister ships sat waiting at the dock. (For all travelers – as gorgeous as Cozumel is, don’t drink the water or eat the veggies. You will suffer.)

[025/365] When All Else Fails
11:45PM. With only 15 minutes to get my daily photo, I found these figurines, bounced a flash off my ceiling, and BAM! – magic.

[028/365] Chasing Sunlight
Found a Korean girl in a tree. Decided photos were a great idea, and it turned into a complete set.

[029/365] Happiness
My bedroom wall, lined with albums that have inspired me over the years.

[030/365] Silence
The end of month 1. It’s surprisingly quiet in sub-zero temperatures. Diana and I bundled up for a rather short-lived walk around on Burnaby Mountain.

365 Days has been a trying experience. 30 days in, and I had already spent most of my ideas. Most days, I find myself wandering aimless, looking for a shot. That said, at the time of writing, I’ve already made it to day 92. Oh well. We’re here – might as well go all out.

Like what you saw? Don’t forget to add me on Flickr and on Facebook for more! Looking to hire a photographer? Give me a shout!

Last Thursday, Shane Gibson and Stephen Jagger launched their social-media guide book, “Sociable!“, with a huge meetup that had Yaletown’s V Lounge packed from wall to wall. It’s been a week since the event, and now that we’ve all had a chance to chat, let’s see how sociable you really are.

I have five copies of “Sociable!” signed by Shane Gibson to give away. What I propose is that you choose one people you’ve met through social media, and spread some good karma by tweeting about why they’re awesome.

Sounds good? Here are the fine details:

• There are five prizes available. Each prize consists of a free copy of “Sociable!” signed by Shane Gibson and a Starbucks coffee on me.
• In order to be eligible entrants must:
  1. Tweet about why someone they’ve met on social media is awesome, and include both a #sociable hash tag and a link back to this post in their message.
  2. Leave a comment at the bottom of this page with their Twitter message and the permalink to said tweet.
• Two winners will be chosen by random draw, and three for the most awesome stories.
• Entries close at 11:59PM PST on February 12th, 2010. Prize winners will be announced on Twitter and jeremylim.ca on February 15th, 2010.

And the legal stuff:

• You must be at least 18 years old to win. The contest is open worldwide, but prizes (especially the coffee) are only available for delivery in the Greater Vancouver Regional District.
• Jeremy Lim shall not be responsible for any damages to the prizes (e.g. instant combustion, meteor strikes, etc.) or delays in transit.

This Saturday, January 23rd, 2010, Andy Moor – #15 DJ in the world (and a personal hero of mine) – made his first Vancouver appearance of 2010 in a sold-out show at Mint Nightclub. With the venue packed wall-to-wall, Andy put on massive show that had attendees in a frenzy, despite a series of sound problems.

My highlight of the night? I was crouching out of a photograph, and Andy rushed past, kneeing me in the face. Still deciding whether or not I’m happy about that encounter. Meh. C’est la vie. Good show, Andy Moor!

Looking for more photos of the night? They’re all on Flickr and Facebook!

2009 was my best year yet, full of firsts and lots of learning. All areas of my life – especially music, photography, marketing (and my waistline) – saw great changes. Still, with each new year, there’s much to be done. By the end of 2010, I will

• Learn to live in the moment by putting the iPhone down and leaving the camera behind.
• Use goals and the Pomodoro Technique so I can get more done.
• Be kinder because people are all that matter in the end.
• Stop being a perfectionist so I can learn to let go.
• Learn mandarin and travel to China because it’s time I get in touch with my roots.
• Learn to communicate better because connections are everything.
• Read more and practice perfect practice so I can grow.
• Launch Synthios, my online music academy.
• Release my album “Prelude”. (It’s been on hold for years.)
• License my music and photos because it’s about time passion paid off.
• Get Explored on Flickr 25 times because once isn’t enough.
• Sleep a decent amount at a decent hour because these panda eyes aren’t flattering.
• Drop 25 pounds because being round doesn’t help the panda situation.

This list is bound to grow over the next few days, but these are the main items. So – if I’m not sexy by the end of 2010, you all have permission to yell at me.

How about you? What are your resolutions? How do you keep yourself motivated? (I keep copies of my goals in rooms I spend the most time in.)