How the Quest was Inspired

My name is Grant Proulx and I’m an Advertising Copywriter here in Vancouver, Canada.

I’ve been paying very close attention to what New Marketing Expert Joseph Jaffe has been doing with his recent podcast sponsorship campaign. Personally, I was impressed enough when Joseph was able to leverage his podcast into a brand new iPhone for himself. Then, when he was able to up the ante and get a brand new MacBook Pro in exchange for sponsoring his Podcast, it blew my mind. Finally, when Dell stepped up to the plate as well, I was inspired to get off my ass and join the conversation for real.

Like Joseph, I’ve had my current computer for a lot of years - it’s a G3 iBook, and it’s on its last legs. I need a new one, and I started thinking that maybe, just maybe, I could also use Social Media and New Marketing to earn myself a new MacBook Pro.

But while Joseph has been blogging and podcasting for a long time now, I am completely green: Not only have I never podcasted, this is my first attempt at blogging. It would take me FOREVER to build an audience that approached the size of world-renowned, 2-time published author Joseph Jaffe, one large enough that I could leverage into something as valuable as a MacBook Pro.

But, I’m not giving up; instead, here’s my plan: I am putting this out there to anyone who reads this: what would you expect from me in return for a new MacBook Pro? How can I use my talents, my experience, my wit, my charm, my grey matter, whatever - how can I use these things in service of your company, your brand, your project or you personally?

It might be something related to new media or new marketing, but it doesn’t have to be, because regardless of what I end up doing, I will be blogging about it, and sending regular updates to Jaffe Juice. Yes, thanks to Joseph Jaffe and his bold new endeavour, I finally have something that I feel is worthy of sharing with the world through a blog.

So if there is something you need to promote, if you have a message you need help spreading, or if there is simply something you need done, let’s you and I together determine fair value of a MacBook Pro and that will be my assignment and my case study. I’m pretty much up for anything, but I do have a few small disclaimers and here they are:

1. I’m married, so I can’t do things like escort your lonely sister-in-law to her High School reunion or help her end her dry spell.
2. I have a professional reputation to consider, so I can’t do things like streak through the lobby of your competition’s offices. Or throw dog crap at their CEO. Not that I expect these to come up, but you know, just so we’re clear.
3. I have a full-time job at a full-service ad agency, and while it’s totally possible that we can get them involved on some level, my job has to take priority. I think that’s reasonable.
4. You’d have to approve and pay for any expenses.

But with those out of the way, the sky’s the limit. Who’s willing to join me in this grand experiment? You can follow my progress as I blog about it. Feel free to let me know what you think. I personally believe that if someone who has never written a blog or recorded a podcast can somehow turn his participation into a new MacBook Pro, then it is even more proof that social media can make anything achievable for anyone. I also believe that if someone can use the web to barter a red paper clip into a house, it is certainly possible for me to do something, anything for a desperately needed new MacBook Pro. Tell me if you agree and would like to participate. Or do you disagree? Do you think that this is lame and that I’m totally Out To Lunch? Either way, let me know.

And let the Experimentation continue!