At the recent SMX Advanced in Seattle, Anvil Media’s own Leisa Hall posed a question to Google’s Matt Cutts: does he feel like he’s search engine marketing’s (SEM) moral compass?  Although it wasn’t attributed to Leisa or Anvil, it did generate a few laughs and hearty post-event discussion.  Even if the initial question about being Google’s moral compass was meant somewhat in gest, Matt Cutts took it very seriously, which is a good indicator that he may be the man for the job.  I wanted to make sure Leisa got full credit for the “moral compass of search” question, and that we not forget Cutts has a new set of responsibilities at Google.

I recently headed through downtown Portland to a SMART board meeting, and I made the mistake of parking at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower instead of at the Fox Tower, the location of my meeting. I thought I saw on the Hilton Portland Hotel sign that they charge $8 for evenings. After the SMART meeting, I handed over my ticket and paid with my credit card, while talking on the phone. When I returned home, I pulled out the parking receipt and it said $21, for 3 hours! I called to confirm their parking rates are $6 to $8 an hour! A deal for Manhattan, but Portland? It would have been easier (and nearly cheaper) to not pay for a spot on the street and take a parking ticket. What an amazing ripoff. Buyer beware, as Hilton Portland & Executive Tower doesn’t seem to care much about customers.

Hallie and I attended The Portland Business Journal’s 2008 Fastest Growing Private 100 Companies reception tonight at Portland Art Museum. We represented Anvil Media, the only search engine marketing (SEM) firm to make the PBJ Fastest Growing 100 List. Needless to say, we were pleasantly surprised with the outcome. After watching clients like Climax Portable Machine Tools (#90), Auctionpay (#37) and EthicsPoint (#20) accept awards, we started to become nervous as Craig paused at #11 and we had yet to be called. Low-and-behold, Anvil slid in at tenth place with 214.81% growth between 2005 and 2007. More good news for the Anvil family: online community developer and client, Jive Software, took 9th place, while our interactive agency partner, eROI, made a strong showing at #36. Entrepreneur Organization (EO) and Starve-Ups companies also represented well on the list (Jive, Anvil, eROI, Keen Mobility among others). Thank you to the Anvil team for their brilliant work and to our clients for allowing us to do meaningful work and growth revenue without significantly adding headcount. And lest I forget Portland Business Journal for recognizing the efforts of these 100 amazing Oregon & SW Washington companies.

I just spent a little time this morning reviewing my schedule and noticed I’ll be attending, exhibiting or speaking at quite a few events over the summer. I thought I’d take this opportunity to share a few of the events with you here, so you can plan accordingly.

07.16 - pdxMindShare
07.16 - SEM for SMB (Austin, TX)
07.17 - ISF Executive Summit West
08.05 - Online Marketing Summit (OMS) Portland
08.20 - pdxMindShare
09.17 - pdxMindShare
10.01 - Go Green 08
10.13 - IABC Heritage Region Conference (Hartford, CT)
10.15 - pdxMindShare

I hope to see you at one or more events! For more information, visit Anvil’s Events section or MindShare’s Portland events calendar or sign up to receive the free weekly updates via email. Don’t forget to check back for event updates on my blog during or after the large industry conferences like SEM for SMB, ISF Executive Summit West and IABC Heritage Region Conference.

I recently had the opportunity to swing by Horsepower Freaks (HPF) global headquarters near the Portland Airport. The shop is expansive, yet supported by a lean and mean team. After a walk-through of the facilities, we headed out back to the garage, where a few BMWs and imports were in various stages of undress as the Horsepower Freaks tech team worked their magic installing turbo kits and other after-market performance racing parts. We then poured a good measure of Methanol into one of their BMW M3 coupes and backed it out of the garage. With a stage 2 turbo kit, this BMW M3 was sporting 550 wheel horsepower (WHP), yet it sounded and handled just like an everyday driver (at least in the parking lot). Once we pulled out into traffic and the driver dropped the hammer, the Methanol injected 125 extra ponies into the output, resulting in my head getting to know the headrest intimately. We got up and back down to normal speeds in the blink of an eye. A truly amazing experience, considering my previous adventures driving exotic cars with World Class Driving. Having had my dyno-tested 2005 BMW 330 individual on the track just a few weeks ago, I felt extremely inadequate. Unfortunately for me, HorsepowerFreaks.com isn’t going to have a turbo kit ready for my car for another year or so. I suppose the other good news is that I wasn’t able to experience a stage 3 turbo kit on the BMW M3, which would put out 800 WHP, or basically hang with a Bugatti Veyron. If you don’t believe me, check out the YouTube video of an HPF-modified BMW M3 turbo in action.

I recently returned from a well-planned and successful family vacation to Disneyland Park & Resort in lovely Anaheim CA. After tons of research on the best hotels, rides and food, my wife developed a comprehensive integrated Disneyland visitation strategy that included a stay at the Doubletree Hotel (two shuttle stops from the park) and a 3 day park jumper pass. We kicked off the afternoon of our first day by hitting Tomorrowland rides and attractions, including Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Star Tours and the new Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, followed by the parade. Although Star Tours is an older ride, it still gave me slight nausea, which is a good thing. The new Nemo Submarine ride is fantastic in terms of creativity meets technology. We topped off the evening with a swim in the pool and hotel-delivered pizza.

On day two of our Disneyland visit, we split focus between our adult needs and those of the kids, while taking some of the advice garnered from our research: use the railroad to get quickly to the back of the park and hitting the popular rides first thing in the morning (or in the evening during the parade). Day two highlights include: Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Mark Twain Riverboat, Splash Mountain and Space Mountain. On the safer and less-exciting side of life, the Toontown roller coaster, Storybook Land Canal Boats were decent. Many of the Toontown attractions were meant for very young ones, and the lines could get out of control, especially for Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin, for which my dad and wife waited 45 minutes with our son in the stroller, only to have to turn around and leave because he fell asleep in line.

While they suffered through our only unpleasant experience (there was no indicator for how long the wait was for that Roger Rabbit) I took my daughter on the classic Matterhorn Bobsleds. Although enjoyable, they weren’t quite worth the 35 minute wait (which was on the longer side of lines based on our experience) other than for nostalgia purposes. Tip: work your way up to the best rides, otherwise, everything pales in comparison (this happened to me with Goliath at Six Flags a few years back when every other ride sucked afterwards). That evening, we enjoyed a dip in the pool and a surprisingly good dinner at Agio, the Doubletree hotel restaurant.

I suppose it could take a week to experience every ride and attraction at Disneyland, but I believe you can get what you need out of a carefully planned 2 day visit. Since we slacked a little with 2 children, however, we utilized our third day to catch up a few of the best rides before spending the rest of the time in California Adventure Park. I was unfamiliar with California Adventure, as my last visit to Disneyland was 22 years ago. In short, it’s primarily a teen and adult-focused park, in terms of rides and attractions. While we only had a relatively short time, we managed to hit California Screamin’, Grizzly River Run and Maliboomer. I’ve only been on a handful of world-class roller coasters, and I believe California Screamin’ qualified: fast, creative and fun. The best part: a 15 minute line! Similarly, Maliboomer offered a quick thrill and an even quicker line (5 minutes).

Unfortunately, we used up an hour of our time on the Grizzly River Run, mostly in line. While my wife and father went through the singles line (like ski lifts, it shaves 50 to 90 percent off your wait time), I waited about 50 minutes (vs. the 30 minute indicated) with my daughter so we could ride together. It was worth getting soaked, as it was a refreshing way to rinse off and keep cool for the long trip home. In all, I could see myself needing to head back to Disneyland for the kids, but I could also return to California Adventure for myself. Check out my Picasa photo album for highlights from the Lewis family Disneyland vacation, or as my son calls it, Bizneyland.

Just returned home after moderating LiSA 08 at Hotel deLuxe in Portland.  I had the honor of acting as moderator for the inaugural social media marketing roadshow event, hosted by TAOW Productions.  Esteemed panelists spoke about social advertising best practices, integration with traditional advertising and explored measurement.  I haven’t seen such a passionate panel since the early days of search engine marketing, where the similar lack of understanding and enthusiasm created heated debates.  Featured panelists included:

-Michael Berkley, CEO, SplashCast Media
-Hashem Bajwa, Digital Planning Director, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
-Dave Allen, Director, Insights & Digital Media, Nemo Design
-John Furrier, blogger @ Furrier.org and former CEO of PodTech Network

The 1.5 hour panel discussion flew by as each of the experienced marketer/technologists share strong opinions, sometimes contradictory, about social advertising issues.  The hottest topics included how brands can engage, whether it is good to jump in head first, dabble or wait awhile until everything shakes out, how to develop a strategy and measure effectiveness.  Areas that the panel and social media-savvy audience agreed on included the need for companies to provide content and tools for evangelists to create their own messages and conversations about the brands.  There was some debate over defining, identifying and interacting with “influencers” as well as the big question: is it working and how can marketers take advantage of social media advertising opportunities.  The session closed with recommended resources from panelists, including books like Tipping Point, Word of Mouth Marketing, Wisdom of Crowds and my favorite, Meatball Sundae.

While the jury is still out on social media advertising & marketing, it was clear the panelists and audience alike were passionate and engaged about the discussion.  Look for future LiSA 08 events in a city near you.  I might even see you there.

Every few years, the Lewis family embarks on a journey out of reach of laptops and cell phones. This year, we chose to meet up with my Italian father-in-law in Venice. Per his advice, we also checked our Bologna, as its central location provides easy access to the heart of Italy’s food and wine region. We spent a week in each location, and not to our surprise, were unsuccessful in finding a bad meal.

The planning phase paid off for us big time. Taking along a 2.75 year-old offers a few challenges, but nothing a portable DVD player and plenty of toys, books and snacks couldn’t handle. Although bulky, my Bose noise cancelling headphones were also worthwhile…not just for me, but because they also fit my son relatively comfortably. The only other bulky items we found invaluable were our larger Canon Rebel digital SLR and international power converter.

Our overall goal was to travel light, which was possible due primarily to the fact that we rented apartments instead of staying in hotels. We also didn’t bring a car seat, which turned out to be a huge help. On the light side, I brought my trusty Sony CyberShot, which meant I had a camera on me at all times, and it paid off in ensuring all special moments were captured forever.

In terms of big takeaways, I would say that the Italian culture (even in larger cities) is wonderfully village-style. People seem to enjoy life all day long, socializing over gelato, espresso and wine. The ingredients are largely locally farmed or produced and did wonderful things for our American ailments, including my lactose intolerance and my wife’s gluten allergy. Turns out we could both enjoy our treats (gelato, bread & pasta respectively) without any symptoms common stateside.

We flew from Portland, through Amsterdam and Paris before arriving in Venice. Although we had an extra stop or two, it was worth using points. Arriving in the evening, we’d booked a hotel near the Venice airport. While the accommodations were nice enough, and a good value, I wouldn’t recommend staying at the Titian Inn. My wife left her brand new REI jacket in the closet when we left for our apartment in Venice the next morning, and when we called, the jacket was already gone, and nobody had yet stayed in our room. Apparently, the Titian Inn doesn’t pay their staff enough.

The trip improved as we hopped a bus to Venice, then a vaporetto to our apartment near a hospital. The location turned out to be very convenient – 2 doors from an Internet café, 4 minute walk from a supermarket and 10 minutes to St. Mark’s Square. Over our stay, we found a few neat features in our recently remodeled apartment that we’d like to import: dual-flush toilet, towel warmers and an innovative dish drying rack integrated into the cabinet above the sink. One item I wouldn’t import would be the bridges, at least not until our son is out of a stroller.

Walking around Venice (and later Bologna), we couldn’t help but notice a few prevalent occurrences not common in the states. The 3Ps included poo poo, PDA and pigeons. For the small number of dogs, you really had to watch out for dog poo on the streets. Additionally, the Italian culture is quite passionate, and it’s not uncommon to see a dozen couples making out in public places. Lastly, there were pigeons everywhere, particularly in St. Mark’s where the controversial practice of pigeon feeding provides a particularly attractive photo opportunity.

In terms of sightseeing, highlights included the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, The Doge’s Palace and the glass and wide canals of Murano (which was the inspiration for Tacoma’s Hotel Murano). The food was fantastic, and having a native Italian as a tour guide and chef didn’t hurt. I did surprise myself by watching a bit of MTV, as it was the only channel in English. A rather disappointing observation about Venice was the amount of garbage in the water, which was a stark contrast to the largely clean sidewalks.

Venice is truly a unique place, one of romance, beauty and tourism. After a week, we were ready to head inland to Bologna, a much less traveled area for tourists. The train took us directly into the heart of town, and it was only a few block walk to the location where we picked up our apartment keys: I Portici Hotel. I Portici Hotel Bologna itself was a bit of a surprising treat. Recently remodeled, the hotel was originally the home of a family that supplied the iron for the Eiffel Tower. The property retains original frescos and the city’s only cabaret theater.

Our Bologna apartment was also in a good location, although we were farther away from the action. Our first stop was MAMbo, Bologna’s museum of modern art. The installations were almost out-done by the building itself. We also experienced the best meals of our trip in Bologna, and one was home-cooked. While we paid nearly $15 US for the hand-made tortellini at a local shop, it was well worth it.

While there are plenty of sites in Bologna, my two favorites were the Two Towers and Petronio Basillica. I hiked up 500 steps and 375 feet to the viewing platform on the Asinelli Tower. The Petronio Basilica on Piazza Maggiore is an imposing structure indeed. As the fifth largest church in the world, it was never completed, as dictated by Rome, since it would have been larger than St. Peter’s.

Our first day trip out of town was Modena, the gateway to Maranello, or the most important city in the world of automobiles. Known for housing the Ferrari factory and museum, it’s also nearby the headquarters of Maserati and Lamborghini. The timing was good, as I’d driven two Ferraris and a Lambo just weeks earlier in Bellingham, Washington, thanks to World Class Driving. While waiting for our bus to Maranello, we did get a bite to eat and had what I think was the best gelato of my life.

The Ferrari Gallery was perhaps the only to-do on my list of Italy attractions, yet I found myself disappointed. Although Ferrari’s DNA is of the racing nature, I wasn’t as interested in the F1 cars, which took up almost 50% of the gallery. That left little room for 60 years of street legal masterpieces. I did like the Daytonas and Enzo, but most of the cars were far from show condition (bumps, scraps, dirty tires) and of the 80s vintage that is of little personal interest. That said, it was worth a visit and I plan to return once I’m a proud owner of a Ferrari, so I can get a factory tour.

Our next day trip was the other direction, to Faenza and Rimini on the coast. Faenza is known for its ceramics, and particularly the Ceramics Museum, which houses the largest collection of ceramics in the world. After a walk through the vast museum, we grabbed a magnificent lunch at a local fish restaurant before heading back to the train station.

The second leg of our daytrip took us to Rimini, a coastal town known as a vacation and party hot spot. In order to enjoy the Adriatic beach, visitors are encouraged to rent a chair from one of the dozens of hotels or properties along the waterfront. Not being accustomed to having to pay for a natural resource like sand coming from Oregon, at least the fees provided access to a playground and bathroom facilities. A brief walk up the beach took us to an impromptu arena where they hold beach polo tournaments.

Our last Bologna day trip was to Parma, known for its architecture and housing one of the oldest universities in the world. Also known best for the famous cheese, American, Parma is a wonderful town full of churches, restaurants and structures damaged in WWII bombing raids. The most impressive of sights included the  and adjoining Baptistery, which was built over hundreds of years due to the limited supply of pink Veronese marble. Yes, we did have pasta with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese while visiting.

All in all, our visit to Italy was a smashing success. We came home with one less jacket, but a ton of memories (photos here in case you missed the link earlier) as well as a bottle of balsamic vinaigrette that is older and more expensive than the bottle of wine we purchased at the same store. I’m sure we’ll want to return to Venice in the future, but I’m surprised to say that I look forward to visiting Bologna and the surrounding region again soon. I just need to get that F430 Ferrari.

For those of you looking to build your knowledge of search engine marketing (SEM), I suggest taking my Search Engine Marketing Fundamentals Workshop next month at Portland State University.  You’ll get an overview of foundational search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) and link development strategies, as well as touch on evolving techniques like Web analytics, SEM PR, online reputation management and social media marketing.  The course is part of The PSU Professional Development Center’s Internet Strategies workshop series.  The 12 hour, workshop is 2 consecutive Friday’s, May 9th and 16th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Register before May 1st and save $75 by using the “InnoTech Special” code during registration.  If you miss the big discount this month, you can still save $25 by using the “pdxMindShare” code.  If you can’t make it, I’m sure you know someone that can and should!

I probably glanced at the World Class Driving ads in Automobile Magazine a dozen times before I decided to check them out online. I confirmed the deal on World Class Driving’s Web site: test drive 5 super exotic cars in one day, all for $1,495. I also found a Motor Trend video and YouTube videos featuring the dream car test drive events. I managed to talk my dad and two friends into joining me up in Bellingham, WA for the WCD event. In the morning session, we drove the following cars:

-Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

-Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

-Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet

-Ferrari F430

-Callaway C16 Coupe

Although we drove through snow and bad weather to get to Hotel Bellwether on Bellingham Bay, the sun made its way out that evening and the next morning for the event. The exotic car test drive/tour event started early with a continental breakfast and briefing, before a quick photo shoot. Then it was into the car and on the road. 10 drivers rotate into the 5 cars, so you are a passenger every so often.

It was good to ride along with my dad in the Ferrari F430 before getting behind the wheel. It was my overall favorite in terms of looks and race-feel. Next up was the Porsche, which was a very different experience: very refined, yet no slouch with 480 horsepower. Everyone agreed that the 911 Turbo was the optimal as a daily driver, and certainly the best value at $164,000 list price. American muscle was represented well by the Callaway C16 Corvette. As the most powerful exotic in the line with 650 horsepower, it handled surprisingly well considering the tremendous torque and screaming supercharger.

The World Class Driving dream car tour heated up as I worked through the two remaining cars. The Lamborghini Superleggera was every much the passionate Italian woman, with a powerful V10, throaty exhaust and massive brakes. It didn’t have the track feel of the F430, and the brakes were slightly tricky, but it was a treat to drive nonetheless. I ended the day by saving the best for last: the Ferrari 599 GTB. Billed as the “ultimate standard for automobiles” (as overheard by a Mazda executive as he stepped out of the driver’s seat), it was virtually flawless. If anything, it was too refined, but that that’s what happens when you integrate the latest F1 technology into the ultimate touring car. If I had an extra $500,000 burning a hole in my pocket, this would be my daily driver.

We ended our driving session back at the hotel with a fantastic lunch and slide show from that day’s driving adventure. We were given a gift bag including a crystal paperweight featuring one of our cars (the 911 in my case), baseball hat and photos from the event. In all, it was absolutely amazing and I recommended the World Class Driving experience to anyone. Since all of the cars are automatics or paddle shifters, anyone over 24 with insurance can partake in this once-in-a-lifetime driving experience. Check out my photos of the exotic car tour.